#crucible vibes

[precious-little-scoundrel]

Friends in the Crucible vibez

#crucible vibes #Gale x Maureen #masters of the air #gale cleven #gale cleven x oc

[thisisntreaver]

The difference in vibes between the witchwood arena and the crucible is wild

Like you go into the arena and you're expected to win, because you're a hero, its the truest test of your skills, if you die you're likely forgotten but if you win you go down in the history books. Your image and legacy will forever be in these halls, and you become one of the most sought after heros in the country. Not only that, but you also become the cream of the crop for those seeking marriage, like it doesn't matter if you were a lowly farmers son, you're the king of the arena now, and fucking Lady Grey sees you as a viable marriage prospect. Like its an all around boon for you.

But the crucible is nothing like that. You're expected to die, they want to see you be torn apart by what they have in there. But still they'll boo you, call you mediocre if you get hit, because youre not dyingin an interesting enough way. They throw money at you, as some type of motivation, and if you survive you get a shit trophy, some gold, and told to fuck off to the spire. And then when you come back, people still want you to fight in the crucible. Not because they want to see you show your skills in whats considered the ultimate test, but because now they want you to break records. You're not a hero proving their skills and earning the remembrance of their legacy, you're entertainment and they'll let you know if you're shit at it. They barely even consider you a person.

#fable #fable 2 #and then in 3 its your parents fuck buddy trying to keep his party interesting #but fr the vibes are so different from the arena to the crucible #and I'm trying to write something about the crucible but thats not happening #so you're getting this

[mervederya]

Hot Lucifer Summer

#bookblr #the crucible #witchcraft #books #summer vibes #summer books #summer time #poolside #neutral aesthetic #neutral blog #studyblr

[allyouneediskilly]

I love my Tarnished so much. Her name is Eivor. She has horns, 7 intelligence and gets injured a lot.

#elden ring #this is the first tarnished I’ve been excited to run with in a while #channeling Druid vibes #she uses bestial incantations and aspects of the crucible #bit of fat tail Tuesday

[the-onceler-owns-my-uwus]

words cant describe my fucking hatred for this iron banner mode

#destiny 2 iron banner #destiny 2 #iron banner #crucible #vibes are RANCID #if i get another riptide im gonna scream

[of-forossa]

Children of the northern mountains, notably Kaiden, often etch their victories and their stories into their skin in the form of tattoos. Needles of bones are used to perforate the body in the form of the desired designs, then traced by careful hands with wood ash, powdered charcoal or similar substances to mingle in the blood and give the tattoos their color as they seep into the skin.

Typical designs include bears and wolves, battles fought or sagas passed down through their oral traditions, dragons and ancestor spirits, and a now blasphemous depiction of the Erdtree from an age before the Greater Will tainted it with gold. Only one design is frowned upon and carefully etched, one favored only by the most fervent priests and berserkers: that of a single blazing eye, a depiction of their Fell God and distant ancestor that is said to draw His attention and ruinous influence upon the wearer.

Tattoos are often an indication of a warrior's prestige or history, and many of the most grizzled and aged warriors of the north have barely an inch of skin that isn't dedicated to their achievements. Some are living histories, and where some stories might have been forgotten in the minds of the greybeards they are remembered in the flesh of sons and daughters who likewise inked their parents' legends to themselves.

When the call for tarnished echoed across the world, however, a new and terrible practice was enacted upon those in the north who were called by grace to the Lands Between. Their tattoos were stripped from them, their flesh scoured and their stories erased from memory before being exiled. Such a fate befell Brom and his warband, and the only one among their number that is currently marked in the old way was born in the time since their banishment.

#verse; tarnished mercenary ( elden ring. ) #resting by bonefire’s light; a solace at the edge of night ( ooc. ) #headcanon tag. #// this is of course my own take so if it doesn't vibe with you that's more than fine #// a few extra things i couldn't figure out a good place to put into the post #// depictions of the fell god are common in tattoos but Do Not depict his eye lest his attention be upon you. #// the only member of the warband with tattoos got them in the lands between. her name is brunhilde and she was born with grace in her eyes #// the blasphemous depiction of the erdtree is the primordial crucible. when life flourished unrestrained and dragons still dwelt there

[lady-of-the-spirit]

Finished episode 2 of The Essex Serpent and. What the fuck.

#the crucible vibes #i'm saying stuff #the essex serpent

[chrimsone]

since im actually dicking around with loadouts this season, I decided to make sure I've got an appropriate Fit for them so I don't gouge my own eyes out whenever swapping.

also give me eris ornament for lucky Raspberry pls

#destiny 2 #destiny fashion #destiny #always try out different shaders my homies #u never know what combos might look good #u might spend half an hour on ur chest piece alone but it's worth it imo #tho I really do like sinking feelings vibes #makes the cloth-y stuff look like it's wet from rain #and then glowies flash like lightning! #so I had to use that one twice #I like using the special glowy shaders #like photo finish rgb #or crucible vermillion's pulsating red #Rip to gambit jadestones radioactive green #I'll miss it every day

[freesia-writes]

Hey!!! So excited to see that you were opening requests for a Bad Batch Valentine's event! I would like to put in a humble request of a one shot with Echo and a female reader. I have no specific details on appearance. For the general vibe, I would like it to make me feel all the happily ever after feels. I love all your work, can't wait to see what you do next!! ❤️ 😍

Yeah baby! I can't ever resist a little stargazing/campfire sort of situation, so here's a fairly generic setting that's just filllllled with his sweetness (and slight sauciness, LOL). Dividers by @stars-n-spice from this post here!

Echo x GN!Reader

970 words

No content warnings

Underneath the twinkling canvas of stars, you and Echo found yourselves nestled around the crackling campfire, the warmth casting a gentle glow over your faces. The air was crisp, carrying with it the faint scent of pine and the distant sound of nocturnal creatures stirring in the forest.

Echo sat beside you, his gaze fixed on the dancing flames as they flickered and swayed in the cool night breeze. His expression was thoughtful, his brow furrowed slightly as if lost in deep contemplation.

"You know," he began, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between you, "there's something about being out here, under the stars, that just feels... right."

You nodded in agreement, following his gaze as it drifted up toward the glittering expanse above. "It's peaceful," you replied softly, "like the chaos of the world fades away for a little while."

Echo smiled, a small, genuine curve of his lips that softened the lines of his face. "Exactly," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

As the fire crackled and popped beside you, the two of you found yourselves lost in conversation, sharing stories and memories as the night stretched on. Echo spoke of his time as a member of the 501st as well as his time in Clone Force 99, recounting daring missions and narrow escapes with a mixture of pride and humility. You listened intently, hanging on his every word as he painted vivid pictures of battles fought and comrades lost. There was a depth to Echo's stories that resonated with you, a sense of camaraderie and loyalty that spoke to the bonds forged in the crucible of war.

"I'll never forget the time we were stranded on that desolate moon," Echo said, a wistful smile playing at the corners of his lips. "We had to fend off a pack of ravenous nexu with nothing but our blasters and a few thermal detonators."

You laughed, the sound echoing softly in the quiet of the night. "That sounds like quite the adventure," you replied, imagining the scene playing out in your mind's eye.

"It was," Echo agreed, his gaze distant as he relived the memory. "But it was also one of the moments that brought us closer together as a team. We had each other's backs, no matter what. I felt like a real part of a team again." 

As the fire burned low and the sky lay above you as a dark, velvet cover, you realized that this moment was something special. It was a chance to connect with Echo on a level that went beyond the battlefield, to see the man behind the armor and the scars.

"Thank you for sharing your stories with me," you said softly, breaking the silence that had settled over the clearing. "It means a lot."

Echo turned to you, his gaze soft and sincere. "Thank you for listening," he replied, a hint of warmth in his voice despite its wistful touch. "It's been a long time since I've had someone to share them with.”

You felt a flutter of anticipation in your chest, and the air between you seemed charged with electricity, a palpable tension that you couldn't ignore. He shifted beside you, his gaze lingering on your face as if searching for something in the depths of your eyes. 

"You know," he began, his voice low and husky, "there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

Your heart skipped a beat at his words, anticipation coursing through your veins. "What is it?" you asked, barely above a whisper.

He reached out, his hand coming to rest on yours, his touch sending a jolt of electricity up your arm. "I... I don't know how to say this," he confessed, his gaze dropping to where your fingers were intertwined. "But ever since I met you, I've felt... something. Something I can't really explain, and something I don’t think I deserve, but… I don’t want to stuff it down anymore.”

“Oh.” Your breath caught in your throat, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air between you. “Echo… How could you say you don’t deserve it?”

“Cause I’m a bit of an ass,” he said with a grin, breaking the intensity of the moment with some levity.

“My favorite ass,” you teased, heart warming at the humor and relief that softened his sharp features. 

Echo looked up, his gaze locking with yours, and in that moment, the world seemed to fall away. His pale brown eyes were brimming with emotion, a new vulnerability and courage surfacing at the same time. You didn’t know how to confess all that you felt toward him as well, feeling utterly paralyzed by the dreaminess of the entire situation -- nestled cozily side by side on the ground beneath the stars. 

Without thinking, you leaned forward, closing the distance between you until your lips met in a soft, tender kiss. It was like coming home, a perfect moment of clarity and connection that left you breathless and wanting more. He sucked air in through his nose, freezing for a split second before tilting his head to deepen the kiss. His arms snuck around you, pulling you more closely against him until you were almost losing your balance, and you came tumbling apart with hands sprawling to find the ground and a small chuckle punctuating the passion.

Once you got situated, you snuggled back together, closer than before, tucking yourself against his side. He nestled his cheek against the side of your head, his fingers tracing patterns against the outside of your arm. "I've wanted to do that for so long," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper.

You smiled, a rush of happiness flooding through you at his words. "Me too," you replied, turning and leaning in to press another kiss to his lips.

Tag List: @littlefeatherr @arctrooper69 @foreverdaydreaming1 @stunkbiggu @mxkyrie @littlemissbshine @dreamie411 @skellymom @followthepurrgil @the-hexfiles @1vlouds @ughhhhfoff @coraex @gt13tbbart @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @ghostperson69 @secondaryrealm @hellhound5925 @thew0nderer2342 @cloneloverrrrr @kashasenpai @clonethirstingisreal @dukeoftheblackstar @kimiheartblade @mooncommlink @stardusthuntress @starstofillmydream @eyecandyeoz @dhawerdaverd @ladylucksrogue @thiswitchloves9904 @tech-aficionado @foodmoneyandcats @eternal-transcience @cw80831 @adh-d2 @techmexicanvieja @ezras-left-thumb @trixie2023 @sleepycreativewriter @nonsenseandm3mes @mlichaelm @nahoney22 @mary-on-the-contrary @sverdgeir @roam-rs @starsaboveclones @falconfeather23435

Click here to join or leave the tag list. <3

#the bad batch #tbb #star wars fanfiction #bad batch #the bad batch fanfiction #tbb echo #tbb echo x reader #echo x reader #x reader #reader insert #echo x you #echo fluff #tbb echo fluff #tbb echo romance #first kiss #clone fluff #tbb fluff #bad batch fluff #bad batch fic #bad batch one shot #tbb one shot #echo one shot

[sailorblossoms]

When Simon describes first seeing Agatha, he's like "I've never seen anything so beautiful." The whole paragraph stands out to me as "the vibes are wrong for you to be talking about someone you're dating" because he's essentially an 11 or 12-year-old (in the memory) imagining what it feels to be like the pretty girl he's looking at (as opposed to conveying desire, which he doesn't do). But all of that isn't the point here (and I've talked about it a lot anyway).

What I'm thinking here is more along the lines of "if he's saying he has never seen anything as beautiful as Agatha, where does Baz fit into the picture?"

Well, if iirc the crucible making them roommates is the earliest memory he has of Baz, so we could say he hasn't seen Baz yet when he says that about Agatha and call it a day. But we can go further.

When Simon shares this thought, he has yet to figure out how attraction feels. He doesn't know yet! CO starts and he's still not figuring out when he's feeling it or how it even looks like. "I've never seen anything so beautiful" could be said about a place, about a thing. It's not "I've never seen anyone so beautiful" or "I've never seen a more beautiful girl." You could say "I've never seen anything so beautiful" about a person, but without context, you would probably assume this is being said about a place or a thing, and with context, it further plays into how Simon sees this more as a concept (her beauty is seen as strength, as a way to be special, as a tool to get acceptance... in that sense, beauty is almost "a place to go") rather than something that sparks (romantic or sexual) desire. "I've never seen anything so beautiful... I want to be as beautiful as the thing," in short.

With Baz, outside of exposition writing (describing how he wears his hair, for example) Simon enters that "fantasy mode" when he's seeing him through the lens of roles ("he looks like a gangster" or something) but he can't help himself from going "how dare he be attractive and romantically desirable" (which is not ever how he describes Agatha, he describes as aspirational at most).

We also have this: "He floats out over the moat and lands on the other side. It’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen." If this is the prettiest thing, then that means nothing he has seen before is as pretty. "The prettiest thing I've ever seen" can also be talking about a place or a thing, but this is commonly used to talk about someone you have feelings for. It's commonly used in the context of desire or infatuation or romantic love. Way more common than "I've never seen anything so beautiful." (Personally, first thing that comes to mind with "prettiest thing I've ever seen" is a guy talking about a woman he loves or is attracted to). Also, it occurs to me that when Simon first sees Agatha, he was new at school and probably not doing shit. In this scene, Simon sees Baz when he's in his role of hero, in the middle of a fight, and that's when he stops everything, jaw on the floor, probably drooling a little, to look at Baz doing his thing. And it's the prettiest thing he has ever seen. It encapsulates how tellingly distracting Baz is (while Agatha is the opposite of distracting, she's barely in his mind)

#simon snow #baz pitch #simon snow trilogy #snowbaz #carry on #baz x simon #baz grimm pitch #awtwb

[yuurei20]

Trey Info Compilation part 27: Thoughtfulness and More

Trey seems to be well known for being considerate: Cater says that Trey is always spoiling new students and Azul comments that Trey has an effortless consideration of others.

We see him asking Sebek about himself, expressing concern for Lilia and being worried about Riddle being too cold at night when he himself is sick (“Even now, you worry about me? Really, Trey, you ought to think about yourself for once”).

He also asks Jamil and Najma about themselves and says the group ought to tell Lilia how much thought Malleus put into his souvenir.

When Jamil is reluctant to accept an honor that is offered to him at the end of the event, Trey encourages him to make his sister happy.

During Spectral Soiree Trey intentionally sends Sebek after a non-existent ghost in order to distract him from Rook, saying, “I just figured you wouldn’t want people prying into your private life. I’ve noticed you tend to steer clear of that kind of stuff when- we talk at club meetings. But I’m sorry if I read too much into it and overstepped.” Rook thanks him for maintaining “such a pleasant distance,” saying he is forever grateful for Trey’s discretion.

Trey compliments Azul on his glasses, saying that they look great on him and give off a mature vibe, and encourages Riddle not to work too hard, to which Riddle responds, “Trey always was a worrier.”

When Trey sends chocolate cake and apple pie to Ramshackle with Ace and Deuce for Book 5 Vil comments that Trey is “the type of man one must truly watch himself around—the kind who spoils people rotten under the guise of knowing what’s best.”

Vil’s opinion on Trey’s thoughtfulness comes up again during Culinary Crucible when Trey assures him that he has cut down on the fat and sugar content of his dish, saying, “You addressed my concern before I could even finish voicing it. You’re too considerate by half. It’s almost galling.” Trey says he will take it as a compliment.

When Ruggie wanders out of his own vignette and into Trey’s in search of food (after Kalim had botched the meal he was supposed to judge), Trey offers him a second pizza that he made.

Vil observes, “Trey, you really do spoil people rotten. It’s a bad habit of yours, the way you try to stay on top of every eventuality.” Vil asks if Trey also bails out Heartslabyul students when they botch their cooking and Trey admits that he does find himself covering for them a lot.

Vil explains, “It’s all well and good to look out for underclassmen, but you can’t baby them. That can rob them of potential learning experiences. There’s a balance to be struck.”

Trey relates a time when his parents once let him burn a batch of cookies, only looking on as he worked without interfering. Trey thanks Vil for his insight and says he will put it into practice.

Trey is Ruggie’s judge for the Culinary Crucible, complimentary towards Ruggie’s culinary efforts and is able to read the room effectively enough to refuse the leftovers that the chef ghost offers him afterwards ("I'd rather not get on Ruggie's bad side").

It is possible that Trey doesn’t really experience as much thoughtfulness as he practices: when he tries to explain the science behind fireworks to the Firelit Sky group, they ignore him in favor of playing with sparklers.

Trey says he likes hats and the hat he wears with his dorm uniform was made to match it.

Like Jamil, Trey might wish he had more alone time: when Jamil wishes “to take a trip by myself” during Wish Upon a Star Trey says that he can empathize, as “Alone time’s hard to come by when you’re at school…sometimes you want a little peace and quiet.”

When Jamil asks if he feels the same way sometimes Trey laughs and says, “Maybe.”

Trey says that, unlike Cater, he can go days without picking up his phone, and he prefers to wear casual clothes with muted colors.

#twsttrey #twstfacts #treyfacts #twisted wonderland #Trey Clover

[thorn-walker]

I love how all Elden Rings demigods have issues, no wonder the Lands Between are a mess

From oldest to youngest we have:

Godwyn, who was the Ultimate Good Boi before he was assassinated by his half-sister. Decided to make it everyone's problem and now even Farum Azula, a city litteraly outside of land and TIME, is being invaded by stinky black thorns

Morgott, who was despised for the sole crime of being born with horns all over his body (which is supposed to be a natural thing within the crucible so. Yay). Forced to live in the sewers with his twin Mohg and for that only he deserves a fucking medal. I'd have gone Frenzied if it was me. Actual Best Boi, but litteraly died for a god and a cause who couldn't be bothered to give a shit. Have some self-respect man.

Mohg: same as Morgott, but he met a god who's into weird kinky bloody stuff and thought he was better than everyone else. Incel incestual p3do child abductor, I wish we could beat his ugly ass more than twice in the game

Rykard: we don't know much about him previous to being a giant-ass snake with lil wiggly arms, but he seemed to be a family guy (he has a portrait of his baby brother above his fireplace, how cute). Thought it was a good idea to be eaten alive by a snake and, inspired by Godwyn, made it everyone's problem. Eats people so they can DEVOUR THE GODS TOGETHAAAA

Ranni: chill now, but

1) she killed Godwyn, starting the spread of Deathroot and urging Marika to shatter the Elden Ring, so basically she was the spark that threw the Lands Between in a pile of shit (and Marika set the pile of shit on fire)

2) Killed her own flesh and now lives in a doll, raising an army of weird people all over the internet

3) stole Death from Marika's dobberman and gave it to already OP Mary-Sue assassins who now roam the lands more or less freely. Gurl wtf

4) Can and will sacrifice the ones she loves for her cause, meaning that she is 100% capable of doing the same shit as Marika. Wouldn't trust being her consort. Also have some respect for Blaidd and Iji ffs

Radahn: an other Good Boi who loves animals and his step-dad. Gigachad. Now his brain is rotting alive. Still able to retain fucking meteors while eating long-dead corpses like those fucking rotten stray dogs. Vivec could never.

Miquella: cursed to be a child forever. Seemed to have done a great deal to help his family, even Godwyn and possibly Ranni. Tried to recreate a God Tree but was kidnapped by his half-brother. Seems good on the surface but he gives me Griffith vibes and I'm terrified of Griffith.

Malenia: was born with the litteral God of Rot inside her body and takes it like a champ. Able to make you vomit your ass through your mouth while being blind and missing like 3 limbs. Was releasing the red pox on Caelid really necessary girl? Also why you sleeping instead of looking for Miquella?

#elden ring #it's just me having random thoughts nc I've been hyperfixating on this game for almost 120 hours now #I will personally travel to the Lands Between to give Morgott cookies #elden posting #godwyn the golden #elden ring morgott #elden ring mohg #rykard elden ring #ranni the witch #starscourge radahn #general radahn #malenia goddess of rot #malenia blade of miquella #miquella the unalloyed

[atamascolily]

Okay, so after staring at these two images together, I'm more convinced than ever that these are the same place, with one being "real" and the other illusion (inasmuch as such a distinction is possible in Homura's world). The arches on top of the school have the same shape as the arches of the gate (?) surrounding Homura and her orrery; even if they are not the same place, they are certainly meant to parallel and contrast with each other.

The gate (for the lack of a better word) also has shield-shaped pieces, as well as these elongate glass… I'm not sure what the right term for them is, but the long rectangular ones are vials containing spinal columns, and the round glass bulbs with red sand(?) remind me of simple sand timers and/or alchemical equipment. Together, they make up part of the gate, and their overall shape reminds me of knitting needles, which is in keeping with Homura's association with sewing imagery.

Given Homura's whole relationship with time, I think these are sand timers here, but the alchemical vibes are not a coincidence. Combined with the Tarot symbolism and the mechanical orrery (also a timekeeping device) in this shot, it suggests to me that this movie will draw heavily on Western esotericism for aesthetic and themes, which also includes alchemy.

The original Madoka Magica TV series was inspired by Goethe's Faust, with Homura as Faust, Kyubey as Mephistopheles, and Madoka as Gretchen. Now Homura has taken on Kyubey's role as Mephistopheles, but she is also still Faust, and her tinkering appears to be what's keeping the system working (for now, at least). This juxtaposition works in part because the two are not so different after all--one thing that both Faust and the Devil have in common is their hubris, which in turn is what leads directly to their respective tragedies and suffering.

Faust was also an alchemist, and alchemists, were, as a general rule, obsessed with the perfection of the human soul. Their physical experiments to transform lead into gold and the creation of a philosopher's stone were not merely literal, they were also spiritual pursuits. This is why I suspect that the "new girl" in the trailer is a homunculus (pun intended)--an artificial being created by Homura or her double, which would likely tie into the movie's larger themes of creation (i.e., "playing God"), replication, and individual personhood.

This is also why I suspect that Walpurgisnacht will be revealed to be a metaphorical and/or literal alchemical crucible--an attempt to reach the pinnacle of human power and perfection--though how much of this was intentional, and how much of it was the accidental result of Homura's meddling remains to be seen.

#puella magi madoka magica #madoka magica #pmmm analysis #walpurgisnacht rising #walpurgis no kaiten

[chaifootsteps]

Ever since Hazbin Hote pilot first dropped a lot of people latched onto the theory a war would break out between Heaven and Hell.

But to me a war doesn't really fit? I think a conflict would happen but I don't think the apocalypse would occur. Hell and its inhabitants are against change yes and Heaven's more traditional higher ups would not vibe with it.

But it doesn't feel fitting for Hazbin.

Hell vs Heaven can work but Viv's doesn't.

The big issue for me is the weapons; Heaven weapons seem to act as insta kill devices, as if every angel and every weapon is Doom Guy and his Crucible Blade.

Hell doesn't seem to have a counterpart for killing angels? Usually with Heaven vs Hell stories the magic/weapon balance is more equal so they both can take losses (at least the ones I've seen before)

Hell in my story I've had since I was 12 demons can wield angel weapons as long as they have the blessings of innocents and angels can use demon magic so long as they have demon bodies as sacrifice (those are just one of several ways)

Magic is pretty vague and power scaling is very inconsistent which doesn't help, abilities are also kinda vague for the characters (what powers does Charlie have? Can sinners abilities develop? What are the powers that angels have WITHOUT their weapons? What natural magical properties do imps and hellhounds have? Can Sins survive against angel weapons? What happens to Earth if they go to war?)

Idk it feels more natural if Charlie tries to do something differently than "Go to War! Be yourself a shitty person! Change is useless!"

I apologize for being a Nitpicking Narwal but I get the vibe this war climax is going to be too rushed or it drags its feet.

Thank you for letting me ramble

Gnarly Anon out (⚰️ I might make this my signature emoji if it hasn't been taken already)

Yeah, there's just no way that I can see it feeling natural, not in eight episodes -- Centaurworld just barely pulled the war plot off and it had two seasons and was run by a competent person. Also it's (proably) got to be wrapped up in eight episodes because if the leaks are true, season 2 will most likely be devoted to All of That.

#Anonymous #gnarly anon #hazbin hotel critical #viv stuff #actual blog post

[thefirstknife]

This might be a silly question, but I am curious so I’ll ask it anyways.

I ship my Guardian with Lord Shaxx (no surprise there!) and I went to play Crucible but I was not vibing with the options so I chose to do Iron Banner for the first time (I did pretty well!) and was wondering…

Would Lord Shaxx get jealous of his partner not participating in/actively avoiding Crucible for a week to do Iron Banner?

I know he and Saladin recently reconciled about what happened at Twilight Gap, but I’m curious and can’t seem to make a conscious decision. I keep going back and forth. A jealous Shaxx sounds cute, but is it accurate?

You’re my go to for lore and Destiny vibes. Figured I’d toss this question out there and see where it lands.

Thank you :)

I don't think he would get jealous, mainly because Lord Shaxx is our polyamorous king!

There was a quest back in year 2 for the Crimson Days event which is an equivalent of Valentine's day. The reward for the quest was a bow called The Vow. In the lore on it, Shaxx proclaims that he will marry everyone who earns it:

"Today," he says. "I will marry them all." Hours later, after Arcite has finished tying off the bouquets and gathering the doves from the mountains beyond the City, Shaxx addresses the courtyard. "Guardians," he booms. "These Crimson Days are a time to renew our bonds to one another. We gather together. We remember what we owe each other. We declare our love." He holds up a bow for the crowd to see. "Bring your fiery passion to the Crucible. Prove your devotion to your Bond." He pauses. "To those of you who win this bow… I offer my hand in marriage! Take it or leave it!"

He's totally fine and chill with multiple partners and I think he wouldn't be jealous if some of them had other partners or did something else that isnt with him.

Even more so, I think Shaxx is totally fine with people taking time to do Iron Banner, as long as they're working to better themselves and become stronger. That's his whole thing with the Crucible, he wants to train Guardians to become better. I think that becoming better through some other tournament would be good enough for him.

And especially not that he's finally reconciled with Saladin. Fun fact about Shaxx and Saladin, there was a line in Crimson Days where Shaxx says Saladin used to be his partner:

He also had a line for Efrideet:

#destiny 2 #lord shaxx #lord saladin #ask #i want crimson days back so bad. such a cool mode #it was a crucible 2v2 mode #super fun and it had incredible shaxx lines

[comicaurora]

So far, has there been any sort of art technique or process you've tried that made you go "that was surprisingly easier/harder than I expected"?

Oh man, yea. So many things. Doing this comic has been a learning experience and a half because of all the textures and effects I have to do, most of which I figure out on the fly because I've either never done them before or I've never done them that many times before.

The first "surprisingly easy" effect I'd never succeeded at before was the scales on the Storm Drake in the interlude after chapter 6:

It's a Droplet particle brush used on two layers, one set to Multiply and the other to Screen. It produces a very easy texturing effect that works on everything from scales to sand to rock, making the surface look like it's catching the light in complicated ways. I used it again in Dainix's desert flashback in chapter 19 to make the sand look like it was catching the light.

I actually used a similar method to draw the background in the arena fight in chapter 12 - using a rounder particle brush, but the same combo of Multiply and Screen to produce a chaotic pattern that gave the illusion of a massive background crowd without making me hand-draw ten thousand tiny people.

This one was an effect that didn't surprise me and that I sadly had very little cause to replicate, but I LOVED the multicolored highlighting effect in Erin's chapter 6 flashback in the heart of the Storm. It ended up being very simple to do and it just looked SO pretty.

Changing the highlighting colors to just the cool-tones for this page just made me like it more.

When we hit Falst's intro arc and I had to draw about a million forested backgrounds, I decided to refine the process I'd used in the first few chapters, because I wasn't happy with those results:

Starting in chapter 8 I tried a lineless style for forested backgrounds, and it worked out better than I'd hoped. Not only did it produce a feeling of depth and shadow, I didn't even need to plug in my drawing tablet to do it - I could literally do these backgrounds with my trackpad and mouse, which was a huge timesave. Combined with a little experimental sunbeam stuff and these forest backgrounds ended up both shockingly simple to make and VERY nice to look at.

I used a similar technique for the soulcrystal in The Collector's lair - stacked Multiply and Add layers with nested rough shading patterns similar to the ones I used for foliage, but with more overlap to produce the effect of chaotically scattering light.

This was another no-drawing-tablet one, and I liked this texture so much that I willingly redrew it for the stinger in chapter 18 rather than copying the texture from the earlier chapter.

In terms of effects that took longer than I anticipated, Dainix's fully-realized Crucible form has been giving me trouble for literally as long as I've conceived of the comic. Drawing fire is already hard enough, but giving that fire a semi-solid, tangible form that was clearly readable as a humanoid figure was a HUGE pain in the ass. The head and arms were easy to design, but what to do with the bottom half was always a struggle, and beyond that I wasn't always sure how opaque to make him - real fire is a semi-translucent light source in constant motion with no clearly delineated edges, and if you draw it in a way that deviates from that too much it can make it feel less like fire. It took a while before I was happy with the color balance on him to make him suitably glowy without losing the internal detailing that made his expression readable.

Similarly time-consuming, working out how to do Vash's "nova mode" took some trial and error. I wanted to make it clearly visually distinct from Paladin light magic and regular fire magic, so I focused on trying to replicate the texture of the surface of a star, with sunspots and flares rather than licks of fire or sharp-edged lightsaber vibes. I'm happy with how it ended up, but if I recall correctly it took upwards of two days just getting all those glowy effects sorted out.

Then drawing the actual starfire blast was an even bigger pain, because again I didn't want it so glowy that it was completely unreadable. To be honest I'm still not sure if it worked.

This is a very recent one, but it took me a while to figure out an effect I was happy for to communicate "this place is really, really dark." I didn't settle on a blanket dusty purple desaturation layer until quite late, to sort of replicate what night vision supposedly looks like for animals that can see decently well in the dark. Lights and darks are preserved, but color isn't so much, and this way I wasn't way-overshadowing everything and making it impossible for US to see. And conveniently the actual effect is quite simple to do - it's just a universally gray layer at 50% opacity set to the "Saturation" combine mode, stacked with a universally dusty purple layer at 70% set to the "Color" combine mode. Very easy to add quickly and copy/paste across different pages.

There's probably more, but yea. Almost all of the "that was surprisingly difficult" effects either get easier with time or I figure out ways to simplify them and make them work in fewer layers. This is the really fun thing about a longform project like this - I keep finding new ways to challenge myself I'd never even thought of before.

#asks #aurora #art stuff