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crystalofmoon19 · 6 months

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Striker x Mexican (Latina) Reader - Headcannons

● You certainly caught his interest when he noticed that you had Hispanic roots, he had already met some people of your same origins in Wrath, a clear example of that was the mariachis that always sang songs about him. Even though he was sick of them, seeing that in you was endearing.

● He already knew some words in Spanish, but when he heard you speak them he already had his eyes on you, you had a rather distinctive accent that he couldn't miss.

● One day he decided to speak in Spanish with you and that had produced interesting results, as you found yourself constantly correcting him on his sentences.

● It was a low blow to his big ego and you couldn't have more fun with this.

"So, what does "vil víbora'" mean?"

"Oh, that means vile viper in spanish."

"Wait! You were calling me like that this whole time?"

"Of course I did, what did you expect?"

"I thought you were flirting with me!"

● He definitely had to learn a lot of Spanish and you also had no problems teaching him your native language.

● You stood out from many other girls he had known because of how brave you were, you exuded great energy wherever you went, you even dared to play the pain games at the harvest moon festival and you had to fight him. Even though you lost to him, you never gave up and continued giving everything until your body could no longer resist, with that you earned Striker's respect, very few could do what you did.

● You had a melodious voice that you used to sing some songs in Spanish and every time Striker heard them he couldn't help but feel enthralled by them. It's as if you were a kind of siren attracting him with your song.

● You were easy to get angry and overflowed with a lot of emotions, Striker liked that, but above all things he saw that you had a big heart. You loved your family and your friends, and you did everything in your power to help them, you even helped him as much as you could and Striker was captivated by that.

● He made a great effort to go out with you, since apparently you were very resistant to his charms and you are ultimately the girl who had the hardest time conquering of all of them, he even had to ask the mariachis for help one day to give him options to conquer you

● Striker had to serenade you with the help of his mariachis along with a romantic dinner for you to even accept him on the first date.

● However, when you formalized their relationship, all the time invested was worth it.

● You were extremely affectionate with him, you hugged him and kissed him whenever you could, you called him "mi amor" (my love), "mi vida" (my life), "mi güero" (my blondie) and "papi" (daddy). When you explained to him the meaning of all those words, he puffed out his chest with pride.

● He for his part called you "darlin'", "sugarcube", "sunshine", "sugah'" and sometimes "hun" and you were happy with this.

● But just as you could be affectionate you could also get angry with him, when you found out that Striker had done something bad, you were the first to point it out to him and you would slap him or pull his ear. And as a last punishment you sent him to sleep on the couch for a week or more; Striker quickly learned to be obedient to you after that.

● You also had your arguments, after all you both had a phlegmatic nature, his pride and your passion could clash many times, but despite everything yo two resolved your differences to correct your mistakes and work as a team.

● When you introduced Striker to your family, it was the first time in a long time that he felt nervous, he didn't want to make the best impression but he also didn't want to be on bad terms with your parents.

● Fortunately your mother accepted Striker without much problem and your father, although it took him longer to accept him, he ended up doing so when he saw that you two loved each other.

● You and Striker have taken care of your little siblings hundreds of times, Striker didn't like taking care of children, but when he saw you were so motherly with your little siblings. He thought that you could be the ideal mother of his children and from then on he thought about always being by your side.

● Oh yes, you two also watch Hell-a-Novela together on TV, it's your favorite show and Striker knows it. That's why whenever he sees it with you, he says that you're the Gabriella to his Alejandro, to which you just laugh and agree saying the same thing.

#helluva boss #helluva boss striker #helluva boss striker x reader #striker x reader #striker #the book of life #maría posada #helluva boss x reader #striker x reader female #helluva boss headcanon

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sminiac · 4 months

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i’m still thinking about your post from earlier - but i started thinking about it with eunseok who just can’t help but groan into your ear when you clench around him as you’re both trying to sleep. he’d have his arm around your waist, chest against your back .. tries his hardest to keep composed but you just feel so good clamped around his thick cock, takes everything in him to not just beg you to let him fuck you!! instead he decides the best thing he can do is make you beg for him, breathing heavily into your ear, asking you if you’re comfortable and taking note of how your voice waivers a little when you speak.. taking it as his chance to ask you “don’t you think you’ll feel more comfortable stuffed with my cock after you’ve came around it?” .. and you know it’s wrong, you know he’s friends with your ex but you can’t help but press back against him, can’t help but lace your fingers through his that are on your stomach and whimper for him to fuck you. he’s so quick to do it. fingers gripping yours, other hand wrapping around your neck as he fucks you silly. ends up pressing you onto your back and laying his weight on you, wrapping his arm around your neck and fucking you with his face buried in your skin, the way you moan his name just makes him want to fuck you harder .. told you that you’ll sleep better after you’ve came around his cock but he finds himself too insatiable to let you sleep after … promising to make you cum multiple times if you’re willing ….

aha … sorry i’ve been thinking HARD ily cutie 💗

What a thing to wake up to, Melo you, your brain. ILY.

Lemme drop in my 2¢ while we’re at it. I think that since he’d have been waiting to get you to himself for a long time coming that his attitude would be very different to what little you’ve noticed when he’s around the members, he’s still pliant in your presence, beckoned by your word so easily, but the more you pursue something way past a general friendship, or at least a mere acknowledgment of his presence- the more his phlegmatic manner starts to dwindle.

Does his best to keep himself still whilst seated in deep behind you when you’re backed up against his chest, the expanse of it new against your frame, one you find yourself subconsciously curling into more and more, it makes his jaw squeeze, legs strained by trying to hold himself back from driving his hips forward.

Squeezing around him and shifting your hips to see if you can pull out a verbal reaction from him, and though some would be satisfied just with the feeling of his tight grip you need more, need to hear him, to know that he’s enjoying it as much as you are. Is the whole act selfish? Maybe, but you knew that Eunseok being so quick to agree lessened the impact of future consequences for having your ex’s best friend’s cock keeping you full and content for the night.

At first he’d be so short with his words, almost shy in a sense, but once he realizes the mess you’re making all over his thighs under the blanket, and the the subtle rock of your body then he’s suddenly so confident, knowing you’re just as needy as him.

The hand on the neck??? I’m so weak, him pressing wet kisses anywhere he can reach, so eager to please but simultaneously so firm in his voice when telling you to: “Stay still- fuck, like that. God.. feel so good baby.” And the hand resting over your stomach part, gosh, makes me think of him guiding your hand to press further down until you can feel the faint bump of the tip of his cock pumping slowly into you, has you whining, curling your head away in sheer pleasure as he asks: “Y’never felt him here, have you? Ohh, my sweet girl, won’t ever have this spot untouched again.”

Gets off on knowing that even though there was someone there before him that he managed to easily exceed the limits set by your ex, and he’s so vocal about it, wants you to know just how much better he is.

#melobin <3 #Eunseok has been on my mind recently #so #big thank u to Melo for this now existing #we cheer!!!#song eunseok #song eunseok x reader #song eunseok smut #riize eunseok #riize eunseok x reader #riize smut #riize anton x reader

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pray4byron · 3 months

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Hello :) I saw you were doing Hazbin Hotel matchups and honestly I would be very excited to see who you would assign to me (no pressure ofc!!!) so I hope this request is finding you at a good time ^^

ABOUT ME: Feel free to just call me Zo! I’m AFAB and I use she/her as my pronouns. While not officially diagnosed due to growing up in a household who treated it as taboo something that I couldn’t “catch” I definitely fall under the umbrella of neurodivergence. From past research I’ve found ADHD symptoms relate to most of my experiences.

SEXUALITY/ROMANTIC TYPE: To be frank, I’ve always internally struggled when it came to my sexual and romantic identity. Found myself craving some sort of connection that traversed the likes of just platonic bonds but the couple times when someone showed interest in me I’d clam up and push them away. The couple crushes I did have always happened to develop after I had built rapport with them, after we had grew close. So for the sake of labels and for this matchup I’d definitely like to say I’m demiromantic? In terms of sexuality all I got for you is that I’m not repulsed by it??? All I know for sure is if I like them, we’d have to have been friends or at least know each other. (In terms of gender I’m fine with either or! I’m just curious to see who fits the box el oh el ^^)

PERSONALITY: Oh boy. Ok so to start off with I’m an INTP 5w4😼…. My hog warts house is Slytherin. My temperament is Melancholic (my sub temperament is tied up between Melancholic sanguine and melancholic phlegmatic). I definitely fall under the umbrella of shyness, however I’ve also noticed that depending on my company I tend to emulate the majority of the vibe. A half hearted defense mechanism in order to fit in is what I assume it be. I’m told I’m a very emotionally intelligent person, and my friends prefer to talk to me about issues and problems due to the fact that while I can comfort I can also hold them accountable and give them solid advice. They also make jokes on how I should’ve been a psychologist if I wasn’t actively getting a degree in early education. I’m terrible when it comes to changing topics which just makes it me all the more unintentionally hilarious. I’m always more funny when I’m not actively trying to be, I just have this unknown charisma that activates when i don’t try hard being funny </3. I struggle when it comes to maintaining my relationships and also most of my responsibilities, maybe it’s a numbness for my own priorities but it’s so easy to help other people in their own slumps, that when I’m forced to face my own issues and problems I can’t help but make myself numb to it and push it on the back burner. Not for lack of care, but more of seemingly frozen in place, it’s all so terrifyingly overwhelming that I just don’t even acknowledge it. Scarily good at doing that while also avoiding spieling my own feelings on personal matters that my friends always believe I have my all together. So ironically enough while I’m good at helping my friends communicate I’m terrible when it comes to communicating about myself (yippee⁉️ #imworkingonitiswear ) more or less I’m laid back, However I did used to be more of a doormat, luckily I don’t bend backwards for every little thing that breathes now LMAO. I do have a bit of a competitive streak when it comes to games (cough uno cough) and I definitely have a penchant of using my mind and other mediums as a form of escapism. Which can be ok, but sometimes I overdo it.

LOOKS: Medium length dark brown hair, round hazel eyes. I have a round face, and here in the future I want to get wispy bangs to compliment my face shape :D. Pale but not too pale skin, I have the pear shape body type, in the sense that my hips are wide, and I have somewhat big thighs but other wise I’m relatively flat. I do have a bit of chub when it comes to my midsection. Oh! I’m like 5’5 (maybe a little taller????)

LIKES: My cats Basil and Mugwort (literally my sons). I prefer more morose weather like rain. I quite like fall compared to the other seasons. I used to draw a lot but now I don’t as much, still a joyful hobby nonetheless. Recently bought a couple new books and am getting back into the grove of loving reading once more. I will absolutely demolish croutons of any kind. Currently really into mlp, it’s those TikTok infection slideshows I swear (I redownloaded the game….) I like to ramble about my interests like animation and its evolution, cats (the breeds, the care, the everything), and much much more.

DISLIKES: I hate beans. The taste. The texture. If I see beans in food it’s an immediate ick. I will gag. Overstimulating events, like I can bear with it and grow accustomed to it, but that’s doesn’t mean I’ll like it every single time. I hate being/feeling like a burden. Oh and not really a dislike and more of an annoyance(?) the fact that ritz cheese and cracker packs don’t come with the little red plastic spatula to spread your cheese anymore. I assume because it could prove to be a choking hazard, but still I’m just like 😞

LOVE LANGUAGES: Had to really scroll through my gallery because I did take an online test before!! Physical Touch was my highest (ie im extremely touch starved but am too awkward to initiate </3) Something in me just yearns for some kind of comforting touch, but I always tend to swallow it back and push it away for fear of rejection. After that focus, intellect, acts, and words of affirmation were literally all tied not even 5% behind phys touch. I’m just a kind of mentally paralyzed overthinking insecure(ish) gal, my bad bro 😎 But on a real note the confirmation that I’m being seen and heard will make me melt.

Alright!!! Hopefully my yapping was coherent and not a chore to read through!! I think it’s really cool you’re doing this and I’m mainly curious to see who it is you’d pair with me! Because I have a favorite character in mind who’d jump with joy to see, but that’s just because of bias 😭😭

And if it’s not too much of a bother is it alright to ask not to pair me with angel dust? It’s mainly personal preference so hopefully it’s not too much of a bother :))🫶🫶🫶

hey zo! this was quite the adventure to read through haha, after some deciding, I decided to go with…

Alastor !!

I can see you and Alastor meshing well together due to your craving of a platonic bond (you both may or not have a QPR? idk)

Alastor takes deep appreciation for not only your charisma and wit, but also your ability to read the room and match everyone’s energy, it’s helpful in certain situations with him

He isn’t the most touchy feely person you’ll meet in Hell, but he does make an effort, you’ll both usually have your arms loops while holding hands, or he’ll let you lay your head in his lap while he reads and he’ll rub your scalp

But Alastor isn’t afraid to tell you how it is, he makes sure you know your worth, and that he sees you all too clearly

#reqs closed #x reader #mio’s writing ! ☆#mio’s matchups ! ☆#fanfiction #hazbin hotel #x y/n #x you #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin hotel x y/n #hazbin hotel x you #hazbin alastor #alastor hazbin hotel #alastor x reader #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor #alastor the radio demon #radio demon

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serene-sun · 20 days

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Okay last thing bc I don’t wanna spam and I’ve sent 2 ideas already but any chance you could do some headcannons or a blurb (whichever you prefer) about a threeway with Ifrit and Omega?

𝖕𝖚𝖑𝖈𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖚𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖚𝖘

warnings: sexual themes but no sex

“Another hundred out of papa's pay check?” You tease softly as the ghoul slides a large bill into the hem of your bra, “If I had known you two were so spoiled I would have charged more.”

“Are you suggesting our talent doesn't get us any reward?” Ifirt says softly into your ear as his claw trails up your neck.

“Oh no I know the way you parade on stage gets you several…rewards…” You reply with red lips pressing against the soft skin of Omega’s cheek.

The quint ghoul lets out a little grunt as your hand cups his groin, his eyes never leaving your pale thighs as they slightly part.

The ministry was known for its sexual energy, but what some didn't know was that there was a secret brothel that took place on weekend nights. It was an abandoned chapel on the western side of the grounds that was repurposed with tapestries and rugs, pillows and soft furniture and warm lights to the brothel it was now. The sisters and brothers of sin who worked it paid by the hour, some by the minute depending on how sensual they got with clients.

You, a sister of sin, was one of the many who had regulars. It wasn't rare for ghouls to show up, but it was rare for them to truly hold a bond with the whores.

These nights after black mass, Ifrit and Omega held a common lust for you. They would come after or before mass to see you.

Omega was a massive ghoul, it was no secret he was the leader of his pack. He was phlegmatic and sensual, his strict demeanor coating his lustful words of praise and pride. Omega had a calming effect from his quintessence, it made women and men swoon over him.

The ghoul had two large horns with a few cracks and chips made of lapis lazuli and two fiery white eyes that glowed. His tail swayed softly against the carpet, it was black and furry with small strands of white hair across his body.

Ifrit was also a large ghoul, more on the smaller side but he was also seen as one of the leaders of his group. His horns shiny and polished, the red carnelian crystal of them reflected lights beautifully as he talked with intent.

The ghouls were truly ineffable in power, their strength scared people and their will haunted others. But some, women like you, sought enjoyment out of the fear. The way their claws could cut through skin so easily, and their ability to know your thoughts and actions spiked an interest in you that made your whole body tingle. But you knew the terrific beasts were sagacious with their lives.

You were fervent for this with the ghouls, this connection they had with you would grow every visit. It would be a lie to say you hadn't had dreams of them at night, or watched them about their day.

An average man would say you were meretricious, having no value other than your outer beauty. But ifrit and Omega made you feel special, like no other sibling there. Sometimes they would bring you gifts like expensive lingerie or wine.

“Tell me my love, how can I please you tonight?” Omega grumbled into your ear as his claw trailed up your leg, snapping against the fishnets threatening to break them.

His gentle touch sent a shiver down your spine, “Take off your clothes,” You ask as Ifirt licks behind your ear.

You had always ameliorated uncomfortable guests, you never got as far as letting them have actual sex. You would only go as far as being nude and pleasuring each other, ignoring the real sex. But you felt now in the air that these ghouls were growing impatient with this “rule” of yours.

The quint and fire ghoul undressed, leaving just you clothed in lingerie and your hair thrown messily into a clip.

The room had cleared out, leaving the prostitutes resting other than yourself. The quiet atmosphere raised with heat, not from the crackling fireplace but from the sexual tension as you took the two ghouls erections in your hands.

You felt heat drip into your gut, like molten lava that tempted you to draw you into a dark abyss. The candles flickered, and you closed your eyes focusing on the intense fire that grew between your legs as you felt the net against your legs tear against a sharp claw. You whined unintentionally as the hands roamed up your chest and tugged at the lace of your bra.

“Have me, please..” You whine, cracking your eyes open to be pushed back against the bed of pillows

The night would continue not like any other, and you would be filled with absolute bliss.

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irregularcollapse · 24 days

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a storm that took everything

a gothic romance by phlegmatic

Fresh.

V. Devil's Tooth

Taking the covers in a precise way, Fortaine shifts the pages against each other until the gilt fore-edge is fanned, revealing a secret: a stylised painting of a bearded man and a youth, engaged unmistakably in intercourse. The youth, belly-down with his hands secured by a rope to a lemon tree; the older man, plastered over his back and frozen in the act of penetration. The alarm must show on Damen’s face, because Fortaine makes a humming noise of understanding. “Shocking, isn’t it? I suppose he played the virgin with you, properly demure. He acts as though he is frigid, thoroughly superior and above all that, but this here is the truth of it.” He allows the pages to relax back to their usual arrangement, concealing the image once more. The book is slid neatly into its place on the shelf. “He is not normal; he only uses it as manipulation. I only thought that you should understand what he truly is. I know that you have been hoodwinked by a promise of faithfulness before, Captain, and—oh, you do not deserve to go through that again. You should know this. He’s a proper little cocotte, nothing chaste about him.”

With his father on Death's door, his brother increasingly surly, and his fiancée pulling away, Captain Damianos Vasilias feels on the cusp of drowning beneath expectation. When tragedy strikes, he finds himself pulled to the depths of a world of sinister secrets and morbid memories—a Veretian Château hiding more than ghosts behind its many locked doors. Unlocking the past is the key to Damen's future, and his survival… and that of the reclusive, beautiful, intriguing young man who calls the Château home.

Chapter V of my Damen x Laurent Gothic Romance, a storm that took everything, is available to read now on ao3 🖤

This fic is best read while listening to the playlist full of impeccable Gothic vibes.

Updates fortnightly on Sundays.

Artwork in chapter banner is Anatomical Pieces by Théodore Géricault (1819).

Fic title from the song 'A Storm That Took Everything' by Thom Yorke, from the soundtrack for Suspiria (2018).

#captive prince #capri fic #lamen fic #laurent x damen #captive prince fic

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myemuisemo · 26 days

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In both #3 and #4 of the Letters from Watson for The SIgn of the Four, Watson loses his mind and babbles when he's trying to have a conversation in the presence of Mary Morstan, and I'm here for it.

For the rest of these two letters, especially #4, I feel like I've stumbled into a story by Edgar Allen Poe or Wilkie Collins. Mr. Thaddeus Sholto feels like exactly what would happen if a colorful Wilkie Collins character -- say, the terrifyingly affable, rotund Count Fosco from The Woman in White -- stumbled into Holmes' world of deduction and logic.

Thaddeus Sholto had me digging for physiognomy texts, as that protruding lower lip feels like a detail meant to say something specific in an era that took "facial composition as a sign of character" very seriously.

The Pocket Lavatar (1817) gives us one possible interpretation:

When the lower lip projects beyond the upper, it denotes negative goodness.

Also, relevant to Sholto's watery blue eyes:

Blue eyes are frequently found in persons of phlegmatic character; they are often indications of feebleness and effeminacy.

Physiognomy and phrenology both had multiple rounds of being in fashion in the 19th century, with different gurus disagreeing on what exactly your nose or the shape of your skull meant. The whole field is, of course, wildly racist, with a garnish of ableism and a drizzle of classism. It was also a fairly familiar vocabulary to contemporary readers.

Meanwhile, I feel like every reference to Thaddeus Sholto's snobby little habits is meant to make the reader chuckle at his pretentiousness and poor taste, but I can't prove it.

Since the premise of this story seems to require acting as if plundering India for gems and wealth is okay, my hackles went up at referring to Major Sholto's long-time Indian servant as Chowdar. Turns out this was a common transliteration of a name we'd now render more like Chaudhuri.

(Major Sholto had had malaria, by the way, as evidenced from the quinine bottle present when he received his startling letter. It's likely that malaria contributed to his fragile health.)

Major Sholto's relationship with his manservant Lal Chowdar is solid enough that they hide a body together, but I have to raise an eyebrow at the major's naivete.

If my own servant could not believe my innocence, how could I hope to make it good before twelve foolish tradesmen in a jury-box?

His own servant saw how he behaved in India and probably has an accurate view of his ethics. That he'd kill out of greed happens to be wrong in this case (assuming a reliable narrator, which is a big assumption).

A face was looking in at us out of the darkness. We could see the whitening of the nose where it was pressed against the glass. It was a bearded, hairy face, with wild cruel eyes and an expression of concentrated malevolence.

My bet was "monkey," but then the Sholtos found boot prints, so either it's a monkey that wears shoes, or it's a man. Oh well.

My hackles weren't up about taking Miss Morstan's mysterious pearls from a "chaplet," but they should have been. I blush to admit that I was envisioning some sort of tiara -- but I googled before making a fool of myself and discovered that a chaplet is prayer beads. It's like a rosary, but not all chaplets are rosaries, and not all rosaries are chaplets. Is this an Anglican chaplet made from stolen gems, or were Sholto, Morstan, and their friends straight-up stealing prayer beads of another culture?

Honestly, I'm up for the Sholtos being actively cursed, but since Holmes is a rationalist, I'm also up for the more plausible outcome of their actions having brought mundane vengeance down upon their heads.

#letters from watson #sherlock holmes #the sign of the four

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vaguely-concerned · 4 months

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Random Assortment of Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle Thoughts

Because I rewatched it today for the first time in many years and it’s one of those miraculous works that not only remaine as magical as I remembered it through childhood eyes, but if anything was even more magical as an adult and in more complex ways. I’ve finally got words for at least some of the things I was processing only subconsciously as a kid, so here we go.

- The sneaky underlying theme of deeply flawed mother figures in this movie. Drives me nuts. The narrative doesn’t go out of its way to condemn these characters, it takes a characteristically phlegmatic nonjudgemental view of them, but it feels like this is low-key a stealth Mommy Issues story. (Making it go 🤝 with Dragon Age 2 in my head lol) Sophie’s mother does not seem to be consciously malicious but is intensely smotheringly self-absorbed and immature to the point where it has clearly been neglectful, and on the other side of the ‘Overly Permissive/Neglectful to Overly Authoritarian/Controlling’ scale of shitty parenting Suliman is controlling and invasive and heedless of boundaries. (Notice that her real complaint about Howl entering the contract with Calcifer and thus losing his heart seems to be that it means she can no longer control him and his grasp on magic, more than actual worry for him as a person. Her presence in his life is largely, ironically, paternalistic. She even frames it as something he blundered into incompetently — phrasing as him having had his heart stolen, rather than the mutual agreement we see Howl and Calcifer make even if they couldn’t know all the consequences it would have.) In the end Sophie breaks the circle by managing to be an engaged and responsive mother figure to Markl and making an actual home with the people closest to her.

Interestingly Howl at his worst seems to be much more like Sophie’s mother than like Suliman — he leaves Markl to handle things he really shouldn’t have to alone all the time and is noted to barely be home anyway, in the beginning especially he’s flighty and vivacious and evasive (not to mention aggressively blond haha) in some of the same patterns we see her mom exhibit. Since Lettie is quite like their mother in terms of looks and sociability, we might infer that Sophie takes more after their father (including in choice of spouse lol). But crucially when the chips are down Howl is ready to protect Sophie and their home with his life rather than abandon her, in sharp contrast with her mother. I like that the movie doesn’t vilify Sophie’s mom for what she does, as such, it’s a pretty impossible position to be in for anyone… but it is just an extension of what she’s apparently been doing for a long time anyway, privileging other parts of her life and her own comfort over her daughter’s wellbeing and happiness. (Adds a certain spice and heartache to how scared Sophie is that Howl is going to leave them, too. And her fear that it would be because she’s fundamentally not good enough, beautiful enough, clever enough for anyone to choose her and stay with her. Ooof. Girl he’s been looking for you everywhere girl he thinks you’re the most beautiful thing in the world girl it’ll be okay)

- Relatedly: the unspeakably sinister vibes and implications of Suliman’s fucking… army of little Ersatz Howl page boys. When I was younger I sort of bought that he was just being a coward in refusing to go back, but honestly looking at all those kids with smiling empty eyes like painted marbles — you know what maybe it was good he got out of there when he did and in whatever way he could, huh. I don’t feel like there were wonderful things ahead here. Between that and the Witch of the Waste — who must have been much, much older than him when they seem to have sort of had a thing, since he seems to be like… mid-twenties-ish? at the time of the movie — there’s some really uncomfortable subtext going on if you want to read into it that way. I don’t think it’s the only way to read it by any means, but there’s something icky and clandestine sticking to Suliman’s whole deal that makes some form of grooming feel potentially relevant, especially taken along with the shame and fear that seems to cling to Howl around it and the recurring symbolism of him being stuck at a child state beneath it all — he slipped away from Suliman one day but never really grew up. (I’ll readily admit this is some fully Vibes based ramblings on my part, so YMMV on how convincingly you find this present in the text vs. how much is conjecture in my overthinking overheating noggin lmao)

- The fact that the first thing that allows Sophie to heal is to get to be angry — to finally get to say ‘this is all such absolute fucking bullshit *aggressively scrubs all the shit away about it*’. So much of her arc is about reclaiming the full spectrum of her emotions instead of having to make herself small, to prioritize her own inner experience and expressiveness above the need to be acceptable or pleasing to someone else's gaze. It’s not doing quite the same thing as the book in this regard (which if memory serves does more complex work around societal dynamics around gender and sexuality and aging vs. the more internal personal approach the film takes), but what it is doing is very interesting in its own right. The castle being a space (a home!!!) where all the inhabitants can eventually express themselves freely, including Howl dropping the uncannily imperturbable smiling facade to show the sad wet pathetic drama queen beneath (deeply affectionate) and Markl just getting to be a kid running around having fun. And Sophie makes that home for everyone possible by being herself unfiltered for the first time in her life. What the fuck I’m not crying don’t look at me —

- The little one-room cottage in the fields being the forerunner to the castle…

- Something so pleasing about the irony that Howl is said to eat hearts when really he seems to have basically had to tear his own heart out and set it on fire to keep it safe. And then after people have tried to get their hands on it to possess it (the Witch) or dictate how he uses it and who he gives it to (Suliman) for the whole movie, Sophie gives it back to him without a thought at the end; it’s more important to her for him to be whole than to own his heart. Hmnngh. (also so funny that the first thing he does upon waking up is plaintively whining about it fhdasj. Yeah having feelings again can take a person like that)

- Howl’s bad dye job freakout is still very funny and silly, of course, never change you giant drama queen slime the place down, but there’s something about the fact that he’s apparently been dyeing his hair the colour Suliman seems to favor/uses to mark ‘her people’ all this time even when he hasn’t been able to face her, especially since the flashback shows black is his natural hair colour, and how badly it freaks him out to not meet that standard anymore… Huh. Hm.Hah.

(This time I actually wondered to myself if part of the reason he made the deal with Calcifer was to be able to get away from her and the plans she had for his life (and that he clearly would have hated, if their fundamental philosophical disagreement about warfare is any indication!). I think it says some very sad things that his happiest childhood memory is of a secret place where he got to be entirely alone because it was the only place he felt safe. Howl’s Moving Giant Coping Mechanism Metaphor. You see the castle is the Flight response made. Well not flesh. Timber, I guess. The Flight response made timber. In this essay I will etc.)

- It hurts me that Howl brings Sophie’s old bedroom into the castle. He wanted so badly to make her happy and he seems to assume that because his memory of childhood solitude is a… if not happy then comforting thing to him, it would be for her too. But to her that’s just a reminder of the stagnancy and loneliness and… indignity? of her life before, and makes her feel like he’s treating her like a housekeeper, relegating her to that tiny room all over again, unwanted and ignored. Augh. At least she seems to understand what he meant to do for her when he shows her the meadow, though, and he doesn’t stop trying to communicate it to her even though his gesture didn’t land the way he’d hoped at first. This movie is so quietly kind about people trying to learn how to understand and love each other. Everyone is allowed to stay at the castle in all their imperfections, even the Witch.

- Something something the Witch curses Sophie with not being able to tell anyone what’s happened to her… and in the end that doesn’t even really matter because the people around her either grow to understand without having to be told by actually paying attention to her (like Howl) or just accept her exactly as she is anyway, age yo-yoing and all, no questions asked (like Markl). And in the same way Sophie immediately recognizes Howl in his monster form and isn’t afraid of him even when he tells her it’s too late. Suliman warning her about ‘what he really is’ and Sophie immediately hugging him in his full monster form because he came home and that’s all that matters to her. Howl thinks her white hair is the most beautiful thing in the world and worth coming back to the world fully for. Sobbing.

- The implication that part of the reason Calcifer wants out of the contract (other than just being stuck in the hearth of a place slowly falling into depressing disrepair and neglect around him) is that he’s genuinely terrified of what Howl is doing to himself. There’s something kind of sad and very funny about that. What if you went into a deal with a demon and the demon had to keep telling you ‘uh. Uh bro that’s kind of fucked up you know that right. Hey are you listening to me you’re molting monster feathers onto the carpet Sophie is gonna LOSE IT and don’t come crying to me when she does’. I wonder what would have happened to Howl’s heart if he turned completely — it seems that their contract has kept it safe and unchanged in every other way, if frozen in time, so presumably it would just… keep going the same way? (Calcifer telling Sophie that ‘it’s still the heart of a child’ got me so bad this time around. Bawling all over the place haha.) The idea of being stuck burning around a homeless heart forever is — well Calcifer I guess I get where you’re coming from here

- Of interest only to a very few people, I suppose, but the Norwegian dub of this movie fucking rules, I’m glad to find my childhood self was right about that. Calcifer is so cute in it it almost makes me dizzy sometimes, Aksel Hennie went ham on this one. Also an incredibly calming and charming performance for Howl — whenever I hear the English dub I just start laughing b/c like uh okay that’s Batman, takes me right out every time, that is not my lil guy fhsakjd. (I suspect his characterization is a bit different and softer in Norwegian too, just from the differences in translation I’ve seen?)

- The first time Howl takes Sophie flying he holds her hand through it the entire time and guides her, the second time he takes her flying he lets her steer the flying machine for a while under his supervision before he goes off to make the distraction (there’s something so sweet about it as much as he’s being a little shit about it, honestly, he believes in her in such a quiet undramatic way even as she’s freaking out), and then after walking away from Howl’s childhood memory she walk-flies confidently on her own exactly like he showed her at the beginning. At the end the whole castle flies, with all of them safe and comfortable within it. Thoughts. Feels. Agony.

- There’s something so… weirdly achingly beautiful about the non-linearity of love in this movie. To properly meet each other as themselves here and now, Sophie and Howl have to flicker through polar opposite ends of life where they’re both stuck: old age and calcified (ahaha) childhood, resigned depression and overwhelmed fear. The promise Sophie makes at the end that is the beginning for Howl and probably kept him going in the meantime — love and a feeling of home that echoes even through the part of your life when it wasn’t there yet, love as hope. He finds her in the future, she finds him in the past, their hearts call to each other across time and space and they both work so hard to be able to actually meet in the now. The castle is kind of a wheezing overwrought monstrosity, the result of having to keep your heart outside of yourself and be constantly running from everything… but how can you begrudge it for it, when it works so doggedly to keep you and all you love safe while you look for that home? (To me Calcifer is basically a metaphor for dissociation, for what it’s worth, and he always has been)

TL;DR One of my fave movies of all times and touches me to the soul, I can't help but be distressingly earnest about it

#howl's moving castle #studio ghibli #sophie hatter #howl jenkins pendragon #calcifer #this is entirely about the movie and not the book b/c as far as I'm concerned those are like. two completely different stories haha #both alike in dignity etc. but doing very different things ultimately #not even touching on all the anti-war stuff here all the interpersonal stuff overwhelmed me with its sincerity and I must cry #meta

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louroth · 11 months

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It’s been a few days since I found Ouroboros and I… I just can’t stop thinking about it! 🥹I’d be going about my day and randomly start wondering what will happen next?? 👀 Who is the traitor?? What will they find?? Will Id ever be tangible again without armour?? The world you have created is truly unique and My GOD, the writing! I can’t remember crying so much over feelings I can’t really relate to irl. And I’ve been bawling my eyes out, reading scenes I've already read three times before! (you story might have broken me a little 🤣i love it!) And of course I have completely fallen in love with L, hook, line and sinker, wrapped around pinky, will burn down the whole damned world for them. No celestials, vicars or whatnot will stop my phlegmatic healer MC turned choleric on a warpath!

A certain line that really hurt and had me freeze for a moment like WHAT HAVE YOU SAID MC?? but it's kinda true tho... in the game made me wonder, and sorry if this has been asked before, I did scour the archive for more L content 😂, how would L react if MC died instead of them? Would they have ever retired like MC? Or would L still be with the hunters, or on their own, still searching? Would they have made the deal with Lena for answers?

Feel free to ignore if it’s too spoilery or anything! 🤗And sorry for the long message! I mostly just wanted to send you and your absolutely spectacular masterpiece IF some virtual love and admiration! Hope you have a wonderful week! 💞 *goes back to daydreaming of Leith every 10 minutes*

🥹 this ask is everything to me and I want to frame it. Thank you so much for your kind words & all the cool ideas you have!! OOF how I love the idea of swapping the hunters and L's positions. And instead of answering it (because I think they would act differently for every person that imagines it, because of how L is built as a character) I propose a playthrough where you ACTUALLY swap their spots in the story. Looks, name and everything.

Though, I can only imagine the fear and hatred and absolute agony L would go through, especially with the latest chapters. In my head, they haven't stopped grieving- it has become a part of them. They are changed, lonely, and can barely hold themselves together, no matter how much time passes. The hunter, whether lover or friend, was their person, the one they latched onto and just never let go, and still haven't. Even if the chance of them being alive is slim, they would go on this mission like a terminator with a singular goal, to find them or die trying.

I can't believe I haven't done a swapped playthrough before myself, or even thought of it! You have really given me something to chew on, and a fun experience for when I have to read through the demo for the millionth time again. Thank you :>

#OUROBOROS #ouroboros-if #interactive fiction #leith/custom #woaw im starry eyed @ this ask #and very curious in how a swapped playthrough would play out! i can't believe im actually giddy to read my own writing again skshdhdjdhd #it got to a point where I got very sick of it. guess all I needed was a perspective shift!#i am ABSOLUTELY normal about this ! (crawling on the cieling and howling at the moon but dont even worry abt that)

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yayforocs · 4 months

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I!!! ok ok these were who i was actually originally going to make helsmets for but then i remembered aron was originally a minecraft oc and she Immediately Took The Spotlight bUT I!!!! made some helsmets of the minecraft crew (even tho their helsmets would certainly not be a crew) to fill @silverskye13's sandbox with!!!!! i will ramble!! under cut!!

SO FIREMITE

He was like the first one (maybe second??) that i came up with an idea for, and it was actually the redesigns that did it! i mentioned that he kept his more sculk-y eye and half of his face hidden bc it could freak ppl out and then also i realized that i'd kinda visualized him as a happy ray of sunshine all the time and it perfectly opened the door to! suppression. like if he's perfect beam of sunshine all the time then he's gotta be suppressing/hiding A Lot Of StuffTM, both physically (hiding as much of his warden influence as possible) and emotionally (only showing others his happiness), so i made his helsmet based off that! :V it's also kinda what firemite is afraid to be seen as i think, bc if he saw his helsmet all he would see is what about himself would scare ppl.

Tyratone was my second!! I'm pretty sure! she might've been first. but Tyr looks around at her friend group and sees that everyone else contributes- fire brings up resources from underground, aqua makes connections to other folks to keep them on good terms, and razor keeps the group protected from physical threats. She just.. has her little indoor farm. Collects crops every so often. Mostly keeps her cats alive. Messes around with firemite n tags along with razor to scout out sometmes. Like what does she even do. (She provides for the group but thinks it a task that any of them could do and that she's not really needed, even tho they do all rely on her to keep them going. Any of them *could* step into that role alongside what they do, it's simple enough, but they all appreciate having her around bc she's fun and enjoys simple things, and keeps the group together.) She thinks it only a matter of time before she's kicked out bc she's not really doing much, and so her helsmet is based around proving her worth through what she can do for other people!

Aqua took me a bit to fully realize; i had a vague idea for a while but it was toeing the line of similarity to tyr's and i didn't want repeats, so i sat and thought for a bit. in his original bio, i'd put that he kinda missed only having two ppl in the group, and that he thinks he's the leader but isn't. ok, so throwing these two things together, i can kinda figure that maybe he missed only having two people bc it meant that his opinions carried more weight, because it was only ever up against one other, instead of three others. he gets ideas of what he thinks is best and what he thinks they should do at any given time and the others tend to go with razor's ideas more than his, and it gets to him. he feels like they don't really listen to him at all, which they do and give consideration to his input, but he gets jealous and upset that razor's ideas are gone with more. so his hels is someone that constantly strives to be heard and to be listened to and to be viewed as important! i'm not actually sure if how i ended up implementing that works or not, but that's what i was able to come up with :V (the cane is just to look neat, and also it's netherite so heavy bonking stick as well should he need it sdklfj)

and then razor! razor. good night he gave me trouble. i wanted to draw him so badly and could not for the life of me figure out what his hels would be of. like i knew he'd be a fighter, but like. why would he exist in the first place?? i kinda thought about how i'd designed him and what personality traits i'd given him- he wears a lot of layers, most of his face is covered, long sleeves, it's a kinda closed-off wardrobe. and he's phlegmatic, so he goes with the flow a lot. maybe his thing is that he's doing what he can to keep the group safe, sure, but he also wants to try to stay a little closed-off, so that if he fails one day to keep them safe, it won't hurt as much and would be easier to move on. tossing around the idea that maybe that had happened with folks he was previously with- before he and fire met aqua and tyr, and maybe even before he met fire. not sure yet, (still not entirely certain on his hels concept at all tbh) but that's the fun of being in the middle of developing characters and their stories!! trying stuff out and seeing if it sticks!!

ANYWAY if u read all of that bLESS YOU ilysm these were really fun to figure out and make!!! also cannot believe i hecking. i did all these today, this afternoon/evening dslkfjsdkl i'm going to bed Extremely LateTM but it is worth it!!! i did it!!!! i'm so happy i love them sm qvq ty silver for writing such a cool hecking story that provides so so much inspiration and such a fun world to play around in, this was a fantastic exercise in character development for these four, who just existed as bullet points prior :V

#redstone and skulk #minecraft oc #firemite #tyratone #aquafinity #razormane #hi hello it is me again with more helsmet designs #-helsmit? helsmet?? whichever one lskdfj #all of my rambling is in the readmore this time so no paragraphs of tags!!

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lexygabe · 7 months

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tora aikawa / twisting tiger headcanons/rewriting/etc.

(march/11/1990)

pisces sun | virgo moon | aquarius rising

INFP - 9w8 - sx/so - 974 - ESI - RLUAI - EFVL - Melancholic-Phlegmatic

general headcanons:

• trans masc, he/him, gayace,

• nobody cares but his sexuality headcanons were made by me when i was mad at wattpad bitches infantalizing him and making him their uwu japanese anime boyfriend,

• also he is little gremlin man before anybody start treating him as omg so cute trans boy hahaha gay baby. nah, he will kick you directly in the balls (even if you don't have them) and he will do this with pleasure,

• as a kid he was creepypasta enjoyer (he tortured miko with them when he was trying to sleep),

• philosophy nerd, not only into "asian philosophy", but philosophy in general. marxism, stoicism, nihilism, epicureanism, etc. everything,

• he reads this big fucking books weighing tons and they are always the craziest shit ever like "the idiot" by fyodor dostoevsky,

• i think he is russian literature fan in general,

• i think he had something that we could describe as depressive episodes, but he was never diagnosed with it til adulthood. and to be honesg tiger himself thought that everyone have felt something like that from time to time,

• probably has light ptsd,

• his friendships with nakama players (besides his and miko bond) aren't that strong like they used to. this is "when both of you start to distancing from each other and you become strangers to each other" situation, (he misses them)

• he self expressing himself very often in form of his new tricks, but also in his writing (he has a lot of notebooks with multiple essays),

• loves cartoons,

• <energy drinks3,

• he has keyhole top surgery type of scars,

• he become strika member after his whole transition journey,

• when doc got his medical results he was a little bit confused bcs birth certificate said that tiger is afab, so he informed coach about it,

• some day after training coach took tiger aside and told him that if anybody's gonna have problem with his identity, he will talk to them and he also asked tiger if he was capable of informing him or doc about his problems/health,

• rasta was first to know, bcs he and tiger went out for a beer together once and tiger started pointing out on his chest and telling a whole story totally drunk. the next day rasta walked up to him and asked in friendly-jokingly way is it safe for him to remove his muscle breasts, to which tiger replied with laugh,

• besides rasta, coach and doc. shakes, klaus and probably whole reserve players bench know about him,

• y'all will eat me (for speaking the truth) but matador, joe and north don't know about the fact that he is trans. bcs north definitely says f/aggot at least once a day, el is this cis lgb+ stereotype in tigers eyes (even tho matador doesn't care about gender identity, if you are hot, then you are hot and you will have to deal with his interest in you) and joe may perceive tiger differently when he would come out (again, this is how tiger feels about him),

• he is very critical of the sigma male trend and whole "sigma" idea in general, he even done a research and watched and read american psycho and fight club (yeah ik this is so random),

• idealist. he is close with his feelings and morality, so he assumes very often that everyone controls their own emotions like him,

• he is both idealist and skeptic,

• texts >>>>>>> voice messages/video calls,

• had religion crisis,

• he develops his trust to people very slowly,

• has mulitple accounts on twitter and makes the best trolling posts out there,

• he has decent knowledge about politics,

• watches kdramas when bored,

• he was wearing brackets in the past,

• has a lot of collections (like gadgets from chips' wrappers, TALISMANS, jewelry, figurines), but he is not obsessed about them,

• has tattoos like this:

• DEFINITELY HAS SOMETHINGG FROM HYPERMOBILITY SPECTRUM. that's why he is so flexible.

throught the series (og tv show, rewriting):

• [—] is waiting to be completed.

relationship with:

• miko: ik a lot of you ships them, but they are platonic to me.

they are like brothers. sometimes they fight for dear life and the other time they send each other funny memes at 3 am. in my head, both of them didn't have a great family dynamic, so they stayed together late at night.

miko was more easy going, so he was always worried about tiger when something happened to him. they aren't ashamed to show their love to each other.

• inyo: when they were kiddos she truly loved him in the most sisterly way you can think of. both of them are very careful when it comes to developing relations so they become very important to each other. it hurt when they had no contact with each other for years and then they become super league enemies (they never even have a talk after this).

• rasta: tiger is welcomed in rasta's house and tiger is always open to do something for rasta in return. buddies.

• cool joe: its complicated. on the one hand they are good friends and joe considers tiger as one of the most normal mates in their team, but they still have that unresolved tension that prevents them from deepening their relationship further.

• others: ?

fashion headcanons:

• smokey eye makeup supremacy,

• TW SCARYASS PRINTED SHIRT. he wears t-shirts with the most obscure shit on them

• his style is something between grunge, gothic and alt,

• he wears platform shoes to look taller than he actually is,

• some examples of his fits:

music headcanons:

• soft rock!! (car seat headrest is his beloved), j-pop, mcr & bôa.

NSFW:

• had a tdick at the time when he was playing for nakama,

• is into t4t relationships, bcs every cis gay guy he had thing for were super weird about him and either have had internalized transphobia or specific fantasies that crossed his boundaries of comfort,

• tldr give this man a trans bf so he could have the most non sexual intercourse.

#supa strikas #headcanon: supa strikas #supa strikas twisting tiger #supablr #text: supa strikas

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tyrantisterror · 3 months

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Wizard School Mysteries: Book 1 Side Characters

Ok I'm 90% sure I've shared all of these sketches before but for funsies, let's look at some of the minor characters from book 1 of Wizard School Mysteries.

We'll start with the four elemental experts of the AAAM's teaching staff. While I generally use the four humors theory as, like, a surface level detail for my students, I tried to make the four teachers who specialize in the elements really live up to it, witch each teacher sporting the personality traits associated with the humor that corresponds to their elements. Lymf Splenik is a sadsack melancholic, Sulfrous Bladgal is cantankerous as befitting a choleric, Arturiel Haemoglobe is free-spirited and sanguine, and Mewcosa Glycocet is sweet but extremely emotional, as a phlegmatic should be.

Their names, of course, play on this too. Mewcosa is a play on Mucus, Sulfrous's last name, Bladgal, is a corruption of "Gall bladder," which makes yellow bile, Artery = Arturiel and Hemoglobin = Haemoglobe, and Lymf = lymph nodes while spenik is a corruption of "spleen," which makes black bile.

Professor Alys Evelina, teacher of Sorcery Studies, ends up serving as a secondary antagonist for books 1 and 2. Given how wild I went with making a lot of these side wizards explicitly monstrous, I decided to make Alys look excessively normal, even attractive, to not play into the "ugly = evil" trope. Don't read too much into the Alice in Wonderland motiff - while Alys and Alice both share a general disdain for things that are don't make sense to them, Alice Liddel is a much more likable character.

We don't get to see much of Alys's rival, Broomhilda Siegfried, but I still wanted to put some effort into her design anyway. She's meant to visually contrast Alys in the ways that Conjuration contrasts to Sorcery - notably, she's a lot shorter and hides her face, to go with the fact that Conjurers are kind of looked down upon by sorcerers. She's not keen on how her magic is viewed as the "lesser" of the two main ways to be a wizard.

They might not all get named, but we do see a lot of the non-educator staff in the first two books as well. Astrae Bygonn, the bugbear who runs the AAAM's Lost and Found, plays a pretty important role for how little screen time he gets. Esmer the gargoyle is named, while Quasi and Modo go uncredited in their roles as the two gargoyles working the school dance that starts the climax of Book 1. I think Ralda might only have showed up in book 2, but what the hell let's include her here anyway. And of course the janitorial homunculi are always on the fringers, being gloppy, helpful little guys maintaining all the school's functions.

Though they don't feature heavily in the story, both Ambrosio Medina (the alchemy professor) and Curdletongue (the prophecy professor) have named cameos in book 1, and they'll have slightly more important roles later on. Ambrosio is specifically meant to resemble Vincent Price, as I wanted him to have that charming yet slimy quality to him that Price so often brought to his roles.

I wanted the school to feel full, so I had my friends in the writers workshop discord I'm in pitch loose concepts for wizard students so I could have, like, a few dozen to pick from whenever I needed a background extra. Eventually we sorted them all loosely into the minor arcana of Tarot, and then expanded it to include some of the arcana from Minchiate, a card game very similar to Tarot that might be a parody of it? We were having fun making wizard students, what can I say.

Mugre Repellus was pitched by @bugcthulhu while Bartholomew Crawson was pitched by @dragonzzilla, and both of them went the extra mile to do some concept art too, which I adapted into these designs. They were two of the earliest spare wizard students we made, and we grew a bit attached to them - and since they both had claws on their arms, they were unofficially named "the claw gang" despite only having two members. Then, because it was fun, I made Shere Statchell to be their third member, the Jessie to their Team Rocket, and the Claw Gang became a sort of quirky trio who we kept making fun side stories for while working on the rest of the Spare Wizard Kids.

The joke was fun enough to keep going, to the point where I've made them recurring background extras and cameo characters in the series. What can I say, I love the Claw Gang.

Of course, another reason I needed a big ol' bucket of Spare Wizard students is that this is a mystery series, and mysteries need victims. I warned all my friends sending me pitches not to get too attached, because some of these kids were gonna die.

I'm a firm believer that a character's death should serve a purpose, though. You can kill a random one-off character for a gag, but if a character actually has, like, stuff going on, their death should have some weight to it. And book 2 needed at least one death that we felt - a side character who we liked enough to be sad to see go.

I picked Gabriev because his concept pitch - a wizard who also wants to be a chivalric knight - felt easy to make likable very quickly. Possibly a bit of personal bias - I'm a suck for knights in shining armor - but all you really need to do is make him nice and profess his desire to be a hero who goes out and does good, and suddenly that untimely death he's facing seems tragic.

Buuuut, if you do that too hurriedly, it'll be obvious he's set up to die - akin to having an old character say "I'm two days away from retirement" in a monster movie. Gabriev had to be seeded subtly, so audiences think he might have a future ahead of him.

So I put him in book 1, as a nice but not terribly prominent background extra in one of the main classes the kids attend in it, so readers might remember him and assume he's just a recurring extra like the Claw Gang. Ain't I devious?

Gabriev Zelgad's design and name is another Slayers reference. His armor is based on Gourry Gabriev (who is also obviously the source of his first name), and his last name is just another Slayers character, Zelgadis, without the "is." Like Gourry, he's a beautiful blond young man who's a bit of a ditz, and like Zelgadis, he suffers horribly tragedy.

Before I started the Spare Wizard Student project, I made a handful of supporting cast wizard students based on alternative names for various Major Arcana cards. Liam O'Sullivan here is based on The Lust, which is what Aleister Crowley renamed The Strength to in his Tarot deck, because of course he would, the horny old bastard. I initially didn't want to use that as a prompt because, like, what the fuck would that character end up being, WSM's take on Mineta? But then one of my friends joked I could just make him another take of the running gag I have in my TTRPG campaigns of introducing side characters who are deeply unflattering caricatures of myself that inexplicably end up in relationships with hot, terrifying goth women, and I smiled wickedly and said, "Oh you dumb bastard, that's canon now."

...which ended up being a godsend, because it gave me a way to introduce The Queen of Night, a minor character who's nonetheless important to book 1's mystery, as romancing her is the goal of the true antagonist. Sometimes torturing a specific part of your audience accidentally leads to a useful story beat.

Mr. Mackers is another minor fairy character who I wanted to use to show that Midgaheim does not work on the "Seelies = good fairies and Unseelies = bad fairies" trope, and also that it doesn't follow the "all fairies are explicitly evil eldritch horrors" trope that's becoming increasingly common as a "more true to the myths" approach. The mythic Nuckelavee is explicitly evil, to be fair, but not all fairies are, and I figured taking a fairy that's popular in internet culture for being so damn creepy and monstrous and having it be a relatively nice guy was a good way to subvert the modern expectations of what fairies should be - and try and stay true to the general mythological approach to fairies, which is that fairies are complex, not just good or evil.

Finally, we have good ol' Lornwig Kayjay, no relation to any children's book authors who decided to be figureheads for hategroups that specifically bully trans people. My rough concept for Lornwig was "that kid you get in at least one college class a semester who deliberately antagonizes the professor and every other student in class," because dear god you always get at least one class with a That Kid in it. The worst I ever endured was my class on Environmental Studies, because we had THREE That Kids in there. My second worst was the graduate class I took on Medieval Literature About Hell, because despite my best efforts, I was the That Kid of that class. It's a weird phenomenon.

As pre-writing chugged along and a certain children's book author became more prominently deranged, I decided Lornwig could get some theming outside of her role as a That Kid. And, you know, she's not the only That Kid I have planned. There's different flavors of That Kid, you know.

While Lornwig's role as a minor antagonist doesn't leave a lot of room for depth, I tried to give her a consistent philosophy behind her douchebaggery. She likes order and categorization, and things fitting into neat and tidy groups that you can sort into "Good" and "Bad" categories. That's a very human mindset - not a good one, but a very human one nonetheless. And she lives in a world of dangerous magical monsters, she does have some reasons to be scared and paranoid.

But mostly, she's That Kid.

Next time: minor characters of book 2!

#Wizard School Mysteries

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jeannereames · 4 months

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How do you anticipate Alexandros’s and Hephaistion’s respective ways of dealing with each other in their “moments” to change over the course of your series? I think you pretty clearly established in your books that Hephaistion has to learn to carefully navigate Alexandros’s outbursts and spontaneous tendencies.

On the flip side, I wonder how Alexandros learns how to deal when Hep is angry or upset. Do you think it being more so along the lines of him expecting Hep to suck it up and deal, basically? Or would he take a different route? I just find the way you portrayed their dynamic in the series very intriguing and nuanced, and I'm curious to see how it might evolve as the characters age.

What an interesting question! And I’m delighted that you thought their interaction properly nuanced. One of my own personal criteria for judging a book is the presence of layered and complex characters, so I struggle to put them on the page in my own work. (Also, sorry for the delay.)

Among the key elements of the first two books is how much the characters change. It covers seven critical years as they turn from boys into young men. Hence the whole “coming-of-age” thing. Ha.

Because they’re teenagers, they’re inclined to drama, especially in the first book where little things can set them off—but it happens early in book II as well. Hephaistion flails and causes a scene just because Alexandros is busy so often and he, Hephaistion, is insecure. His behavior is silly (and Alexandros calls him on it), but the emotions that drive it are very real. That’s always the struggle, when writing teens. They just haven’t lived long enough for much perspective, so everything’s a crisis. Emotions are BIG, driven by wildly pumping hormones and all those extra neurons in the front of the cerebrum. Yet the author must take seriously whatever tempest in a teapot has them riled up, in order to portray it fairly (for them), even while keeping a bit of distance to signal to the reader that yes, it really is overblown.

By the duology’s end, Alexandros has just turned 20 and Hephaistion 22½; they’ve been friends seven years, and lovers for five. By now, they have history. Yet both are emotional people, even if they display it differently. Hephaistion might seem phlegmatic but is far from it. Erigyios is phlegmatic. Hephaistion is a churning volcano under a calm surface. Alexandros, by contrast, wears his heart on his sleeve. So, they’ll continue to kick up dusk occasionally with each other, but increasingly for real reasons, not manufactured ones driven by insecurity.

Take their fracture over the fact Alexandros didn’t tell Hephaistion about Amyntor’s illness. They learn, thereby, that some things can be forgiven only by a choice. Hephaistion’s flouncing over Alexandros “ignoring” him at the beginning of book 2 should be seen in stark contrast to the very real rage he feels when he learns Alexandros concealed his father’s cancer. Yes, Alexandros did so because Amyntor asked, and yes, Alexandros convinced himself it was out of fear for Hephaistion’s safety. But he does finally recognize, and admit to himself, that wasn’t the real reason. He did a truly selfish thing by keeping Hephaistion with him. Hephaistion’s reaction in each instance is meant to bookend the novel. In the first case, he storms back home. In the second, despite his fury, he doesn’t leave Alexandros. And Alexandros accepts Philip’s pardon not just because he knows he’d better, but also because Hephaistion needs to go back. It’s a maturing moment for Alexandros to fully recognize how much he hurt his friend. He can’t fix it. He can only beg for forgiveness. Hephaistion won’t get back those final months with Amyntor. He can only choose to forgive.

So, the sequence is (to my mind) incredibly important to how they’re learning to be Real with each other. And it lays out how they’ll continue to interact going forward.

Alexandros will still screw up sometimes, in part because he’s king and was raised to assume people will subject themselves to him, as well as because his successes convince him the gods are on his side. But it was always Hephaistion’s refusal to kowtow that made him attractive to Alexandros. Ergo, he must make room for that in their relationship. It’s what makes Hephaistion unique.

In book one, after their physical fight over a different dust-up, Alexandros thinks to himself that the fact Hephaistion was willing to hit a prince had earned him the right to hold one. Alexandros must allow for Hephaistion’s autonomy, which means he must apologize (honestly) now and then. It’s what keeps him human, and grounded. And why Hephaistion continues to enjoy such absolute trust. He expects Alexandros to acknowledge when he screws up, and so Alexandros can trust that Hephaistion will always tell him the truth. Because Hephaistion loves him that much.

#asks #Alexander the Great #Hephaistion #Hephaestion #Dancing with the Lion #DwtL #alexander x hephaestion #Alexander x hephaistion #writing complex characters #historical fiction #ancient Greek historical fiction #Classics

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emptyheadwriting · 1 year

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Nurture

Wednesday Addams x Reader

Warnings: N/A

Word Count: 836

Wednesday Addams did many things without thinking of consequences, when she had a goal in mind she tunneled her vision solely on it. The raven haired girl could careless about emotional distress caused by her choices, due to the fact that she had her own emotions in check, it was considering how little of them she felt.

It was a wonder that the two of you had gotten intertwined, you were “gifted” with empathy, cursed to feel everyone’s emotions around you tenfold, it was enough to drive you to tears most nights if you didn’t hide away from the constant stream of emotions that floated around the school grounds.

You as opposed to Wednesday, were forced to tread carefully, doing your best to navigate responses to what people wanted to hear if you couldn’t handle the negative downpour you sensed would come from what you really wanted to say.

The emotional blankness that rolled off the pale girls aura is what made you keep close to her at all times.

She acted as your protector unknowingly, and at first unwillingly, constantly casting glares your way when you would plant yourself next to her at every opportunity. It was only when you explained that you appreciated her phlegmatic nature, and that it kept you grounded did you feel an emotion roll off her.

A small wave, one that just barely reaches the shore rolled into your senses, your make-shift compliment had created a sense of pride in herself.

From then on out she sought you out as well, that whisper of pride seeping out each time she watched your shoulders relax and a little more shine fill your eyes, though she never would admit to doing it for her own pleasure.

On a really bad day you pushed the boundaries, sitting next to her, close enough that your thighs were pushed together.

Neither of you said a thing, and the nonverbal agreement was sealed. Physical contact was an option if you sought it.

As adventurous as you felt when you had first pushed your thigh against hers it was her who took the next step.

You were sat with your back against the trunk of a shade tree, eyes closed a pair of emerald orbs in each hand rotating within your palms concentrated on expelling the emotions of the day when you felt someone standing over you.

Upon opening your eyes met dark brown orbs looking down at you with a new emotion rolling off of her figure, this one was stronger.

Uncertainty rolled off of the girl you believed never took an action she was unsure of.

You gently placed a pair of your orbs into your lap, and gestured to the ground next you.

Wednesday sat wordlessly, making sure your sides were completely attached before she quickly grabbed your hand in hers, fingers intertwining as if a key were to enter a lock.

You turned to her and watched as her shoulders just slightly relaxed a minuscule movement one wouldn’t notice if they did not spend so much time with the girl, she remained facing forward before she spoke,

“You have awoken emotions in me that no one else has, this I am sure you know considering you feel all emotions, I am not sure how to act upon some of them, taking your hand in mine was as difficult of an action as listening to Enid’s endless stream of babble yet much more enjoyable” her voice as steady and stoic as ever as she turned to look at you,

“I would like to explore these new emotions with you as no matter how hard I try to bury them and ignore their growth, Enid says they will not go away and that I must reap what I have sown with you, you must be aware that you will be making a mistake if you do allow this thing between us to grow as I may only go on to hurt you.” She said as she turned away awaiting your reaction.

You hummed with pursed lips, your freehand resuming the motion of the green orbs swirling in your palm, you had never felt your own emotions so vividly.

It was not love yet no, but you could feel your affection rolling off in a display strong enough that you feared anyone may sense it.

“Wednesday Addams, I believe what we have growing can only benefit the both of us, you have been my anchor for long before you knew it. I would like nothing more than to nurture the growth of your emotions, and if you end up hurting me I may very well have to learn how to project my emotions into someone else so that you may share my pain” you said with a small smile playing on your lips and a pink hue to your cheeks.

“I accept your condition” she said back rolling her thumb over the back of your hand before looking at you, a smirk forming without her permission.

#wednsday addams #Wednesday Addams x reader #Wednesday x reader #wednesday netflix #wednesday series #fanfiction #wednesday addams x reader #wednesday x you

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vickyvicarious · 8 months

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putting my reactions under a cut 'cause it's long today

honestly surprised van Helsing was able to restrain himself from a joke about the "grave duty" to be done at Lucy's tomb

Jack sounds so offended by van Helsing correctly figuring out that he is back to being skeptical. It's subtle but feels quite petulant.

"He held out a hand, which Quincey took." ~handshakes of friendship~

"I don't quite like to 'buy a pig in a poke,' as they say in Scotland," ~Art's slang~

oh god the way Art says "monstrous joke" the poor man

he is just jumping up and down. god AND THE WAY HE CHOKES UP ON GRAVE DESECRATION

"But this night our feet must tread in thorny paths; or later, and for ever, the feet you love must walk in paths of flame!" from Art's perspective van Helsing just said 'we have to break in to your fiance's grave or she's going to hell' for no reason, no wonder he warns him

WHEN HE THINKS SHE WAS BURIED ALIVE. Arrrrrrrrttttt

"May I cut off the head of dead Miss Lucy?" VAN HELSING PLEASE

"I shall not give my consent to anything you do! I have a duty to do in protecting her grave from outrage; and, by God, I shall do it!"" auugh I love Arthur shouting at van Helsing so much. He is so protective and he loves her so much and, I dunno, it's good to hear him not holding himself back for a moment

poor van Helsing listening to this though. Definitely feels like another moment when he feels especially paternal to Arthur, and being shouted at like this when he's trying so hard hurts him. I love his delivery and how sad and determined he is

he DID give so much to Lucy. he did all he could and he is still doing all he can for her

the way Jack's voice goes quiet when he is describing Arthur in the tomb. also Art's moment of fury when he sees the already-damaged lead coffin, but he sets it aside because he believes they care deeply and mean no harm

Quincey always asking the real questions.

Jack's hoarse voice when he says "Yes" to Lucy being in the grave before

The palpable, almost physical "Ohh but it was seemed fresh and pure" when they step outside

Jack: Arthur was thinking it over. I was tempted to believe. Quincey was so brave and manly with his tobacco and his phlegmatic disposition.

the mental image of all the suitors just standing there tilting their heads confusedly as van Helsing sticks his Host playdoh into the doorframe, working his way around. I imagine it took a few minutes. no mention of them helping.

faraway howling of dogs! Lucy is moving out there somewhere... also I love the sound of them

the way Jack says "a big, aching void" is sooo good. a small moment but so evocative

oh god the kid's whimpers make it so much worse

the way he repeats "Lucy Westenra"...

Art nearly collapsing at the sight of her bloody mouth. THE POOR MAN

oh the disgust when Jack says "the thing that was before us", as well as his voice shaking on "unclean" and when he gets to "hate and loathing" he is so utterly disgusted by her

I love her hissed breath

"There was a cold-bloodedness in the act which wrung a groan from Arthur; when she advanced to him with outstretched arms and a wanton smile he fell back and hid his face in his hands." POOR ART

oh damn, she sounds so sweet and gentle and deeply dangerous when she talks to Arthur. I absolutely love that delivery, you can hear echoes of the way Lucy spoke but it's not the same

god poor art. this is horrible horrible horrible

"We all looked on in horrified amazement as we saw, when he stood back, the woman, with a corporeal body as real at that moment as our own, pass in through the interstice where scarce a knife-blade could have gone." yet again wishing for a good animated adaptation of Dracula. It would just look silly in live action but you could do some really cool perspective/animation of this

the little shake on "we tried to cheer each other on the way" :( :( :(

"Arthur trembling like an aspen" once again I love how expressive he is physically. he feels emotions strongly and he shows them!

BRACING myself for the soundscaping of the staking, by the way

so much disgust whenever Jack describes her

the rustling/clinking/etc of van Helsing's vampire killing kit is so good. I also totally get why Art and Quincey feel distressed watching him pull this all out.

I love that he calls it "the curse of immortality"

"We all looked at Arthur." OOOF.

the music here is excellent

aghhh her faint screams. the music building. Jack's voice getting louder and fiercer, it's so intense

oh I wish there was a hammer falling sound

oh Art.... :(

the soft, soft way Jack describes her this time

Art you do not need to be forgiven.

"He put his hands on the Professor's shoulder, and laying his head on his breast, cried for a while silently, whilst we stood unmoving." WHY IS NO ONE HUGGING HIM (but yes art. cry all you need.)

why do art's sad smooch noises get to me every timmmmmme

the birds and music and Jack's voice on "the air was sweet" SO good and evocative and again you could do so much with the color palette of this vs the tomb/night in an animated version. film too but even more animation

~handshakes of vampire-hunting friendship~

"what is to do and to dread" the use of alliteration is so good in this line. especially with van Helsing's accent, it sounds so good

"The Professor was delighted." The Mina Effect strikes again

the importance of the documents!!

ohh the smile in his voice when he greets Mina.

"her luggage, which included a typewriter" the slight incredulity is lovely. hehehehehe

"She does not know how precious time is, or what a task we have in hand. I must be careful not to frighten her." buddy YOU are the one who doesn't know. well, okay, you know some of it but she definitely knows the rest

Mina immediately nerding out over the phonograph <3

It's nice to hear slightly awkward but fond Jack voice again. He's so charmed by her immediately. And so stumbling/awkward, and his voice is so much brighter than it has been

"But do you know that, although I have kept the diary for months past, it never once struck me how I was going to find any particular part of it in case I wanted to look it up?" JACK. Why are you only just realizing this???? Have you never once tried to review any of the case notes you've been recording in here? I can get not listening to the Lucy diaries, but...

I feel like there might be something to be said about Mina repeatedly emphasizing that these men do not know her, until she gives them the diaries to read. Especially going hand in hand with "I love you therefore he loves you" and Jack's response to Mina that he knows her now/should know her from Lucy

Ohh, the way he gets jealous of Mina's crying and letting her emotions out. Definitely feels like this is tied up in his ideas of gender but I wish he would allow himself to cry properly. Learn from Art. Heck, cry with Art.

Mina's little sniffles are so good. And her immediate protectiveness of Jack is SO sweet. Even as she makes him face that they must share his thoughts she will keep his voice hidden.

Mina was crying like that just from listening until 7 September (the first transfusion). Poor dear, she's still in for a terrible ride.

The two of them sitting back to back learning of one another's pain...

I love his little gasped "good lord!" as he gets her brandy

And then she dives STRAIGHT IN to writing it all out. God, Mina's so brave and goes straight to work every time. And makes important connections immediately, like now with the papers!

Jonathan ON the boxes! He is also making important connections and diving right in to work.

"Everything had been carefully thought out, and done systematically and with precision. He seemed to have been prepared for every obstacle which might be placed by accident in the way of his intentions being carried out." The little shiver to his voice.... gahhh

But Dracula's precision means that if you know what he is doing then at least you can predict where he will be/what he's up to. So there's at least a bit of an upside.

~*~BRIBERY~*~ and also such poor thirsty men again. hehehehe I love Jonathan's jokes about it

#dracula daily #re: dracula #jack seward #van helsing #arthur holmwood #quincey morris #mina murray #lucy westenra #vampire!lucy #jonathan harker

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