#personified cities

[mur-art]

I swear I’m working on other requests but I definitely went a bit too hard on this one. @aarcanaa​

This is getting out of WTTT and into my own OC territory but I hope y’all don’t hate me too much. I intended to add L.A. too but TBH I don’t think I’ve spent enough time in L.A. to feel confident with a design right now. Also I personally have a lot of negative feelings toward L.A. so it may be a bit unfairly biased. 

Anyway, some notes about my interpretations (and a sketch of San Diego v.2) below: 

Fun fact; I live in a super rural part of California literal hours away from the nearest major city (which is actually Las Vegas, Nevada) so my experience of being a Californian is a bit uh... different. Cities terrify me a bit (see my notes on L.A. above) but I’ve been to most of the CA cities at least once. Out of all of them, I’ve actually spent the most time in San Diego. 

Anyway, enough rambling; here’s some notes about them. Keep in mind, these are just my interpretations based on my own experiences. 

San Francisco: 

-Nonbinary; uses they/them pronouns. (I can’t get the idea of them saying “My name is San FranCISco but I’m anything but” out of my head.) 

-Has a lot of super artsy and well-executed tattoos (pretend I can draw them correctly!) Most of them are exactly what you’d expect, but some of them are truly bizarre. Many of them cover burn scars. 

-Apparently SF’s official city flower is the dahlia, so they’re wearing a vague approximation of a dahlia. 

-Has a semi one-sided rivalry with L.A. (L.A. is too busy with her own shit to care as much) I think this somewhat originally stemmed from the jealousy of L.A. overtaking San Francisco as the largest city in CA, but it continues because of their clashing personalities.

-Is rich AF but attempts to dress and act like they’re not. Wouldn’t want to be like L.A.; that’s what they’ll say. But they will 100% humblebrag about their latest expensive gadget purchase whenever given the opportunity. 

-Leans 110% into every single thing they do; they are seemingly incapable of half-assing something. This is their boom town mindset in action- first it was gold, now it’s tech. They are a MASSIVE overachiever, and this leads to them always being stressed-while-pretending-not-to-be-stressed. 

-Acts kind of spoiled and haughty and can be a judgmental asshole sometimes, but despite this, they actually do care about people. When shit hits the fan, they’re the first one to lend a hand. Maybe it comes from coming close to dying multiple times (in the way that personifications can actually die, not just silly accidents) that gives them a deep sense of empathy and awareness of their own mortality. This leads them to champion causes that seek to make the world a better place. They’re not perfect and sometimes things backfire, but they do try. 

San Diego: 

-Cis female; she/her. 

-Canonically (at least in WTTT) California’s favorite city. She knows this and tries to work him to her advantage to get what she wants. 

-She’s basically sunshine personified. She’s super bubbly, outgoing, and generally friendly. Unlike the other California cities, she is actually genuinely laid-back and relatively stress-free. 

-She’s very book smart, especially with numbers and engineering-related things, but she often acts outwardly ditzy and carefree, leading some people to doubt her intelligence. However, when she gets to work she can prove herself immediately. 

-Historically, she was overshadowed by the other cities. At times, they even forget she existed, despite her trying her best to make herself stand out. I found this great quote from a 1920s businessman: 

“What is the matter with San Diego? Why is it not the metropolis and seaport that its geographical and other unique advantages entitle it to be? Why does San Diego always just miss the train, somehow?"

-Despite being perpetually overshadowed and ignored, or maybe because of it, she forged her own identity. She didn’t feel like she had to uphold any rigid standards like the others did, so she became much more chill. 

-She can be very flaky; don’t try to make plans with her, she’ll either forget or get distracted by something else. If you want to hang out with her, you just have to go with her flow. 

-She can speak Spanish fluently and is best friends with TJ (Tijuana). 

-She’s super fit and could beat you up, but she won’t. 

-San Diego is well-known for having a large military presence, so I had to include San Diego in her day job attire. (Ssh, pretend I know about military stuff and got her uniform accurate) She can go from hippie mode to drill sergeant mode in an instant, but only when someone has really fucked up. 

Anyway, thanks for sticking with me! 

#kind of wttt #but also oc stuff #mur's silly headcanons #personified cities

[nat-of-personifs]

Cityspirit

—

First I was a thought:

Come to a hundred people’s consciousness,

A mass of lines on a grid,

Or the cabin of an adult they still call a kid.

I wake

Years later

Flexing hands of bricks and mortar.

You knew instantly.

My skin sheds in bursts and bluffs;

Hundred-year-old patches cling to my neck through dust.

They are wrinkled and abandoned,

Or gated and cordoned

Waiting for you to uncover.

Human skin-

Which is also mine-

Mixes with my stones

My bones

Your home.

Blood,

In place of cars and

Trains and

Lanes,

Fills your veins.

It is in your image I’m made,

It is your form my avatar maintains.

To you:

I am the woman who takes you home,

Wrapping night-wool around your window when you’re all alone,

Silent listener to your groans

Because despite everything-

My veins are congested,

Millions of tons of food wasted,

Held up by structures mostly untested.

I’ve often been bested.

But isn’t that just like you?

#city #personified cities #city personifications #cityspirits #OTJ #writing #poem #creative writing #personifposting #personification

[yakny]

"This street only sees me and I, have only ever glanced at it as I walked through it. I was not there for its naming, its cracks on the ground, its statue imported from another country, or the way it was told to bend and turn since its conception. It was there for when my life fell apart, when I carried a potted plant into my first visit to a friend's house, or for the time you smiled into my arms. It will outlive me and it will continue outlive many others, seeing their lives fleet through its rocky veins like a river of our collective consciousness, heading somewhere and nowhere at all. It is within that thought that lies the solace of my obligations."

#colored explorations‚ studies‚ and experiments #naruto #gaara #SHE WAS ON FIRE #<- yeah. i'll consider it part of the au cause i was thinking of it whilst working on this piece :'D #something something gaara would truly personify the village into this breathing being for it his responsibility to care after it. #like a plant or a tree. like a city. like a house. like a childhood teddy bear; to him‚ it's alive if it's loved something something #also: i truly believe his eyes glow the way nocturnal animal's eyes glow

[futurebatgirl]

It’s 2023 and people are still critiquing Wes Anderson for being too whimsical

#that man is quirk personified you’ve just got to let him do his thing #asteroid city

[lapetitechatonne]

Day Three: Eldritch Entity

i literally can’t believe it’s day three already!!! okay, but this story idea has been bouncing around in my brain for a while and i’m so happy to get an excuse to write it. i’m thinking about turning this one into a series, so if you’re interested let me know!!!

ao3 link!

Kate’s Masterlist here!

Trust Only the Dark - 2.2k words

Dani clutched her stomach as she stumbled down the dark cave system, the only light the greenish glow of the blood dripping between her clenched fingers.

Vlad’s stupid bounty hunters finally got a lucky shot after months of stalking. One she didn’t know if she’d survive.

She stumbled over a rock, her knees hitting the ground hard. The pain in her knees magnified by the ache everywhere else. It hurt. Everything hurt.

She blinked away tears as she watched her blood drip onto the ground.

That’s when she saw it.

The shadows crept around her, moving and stretching around the jagged rocks. A shiver ran down her spine as they started collecting in the dips of the cavern walls, thickening into swirling shapes. It reminded her of Johnny’s shadow or Vlad’s shades.

The pools of darkness slowly slithered together, into a large mass in front of her. She watched in fascination as it began to form a humanoid-like shape, sharp at the edges like static but drifting in and out of view like fog.

At its center, two glowing circles formed. They were pure white balls of gas against the darkness, which made them all the more intimidating.

The creature moved its long spider-like limbs skulking towards her like she was a wounded animal. Logically, she knew she should be afraid, that she should run away as far as she could and never look back.

But as she stared into the burning eyes of the creature, she couldn’t bring herself to run. There was something too. . . familiar.

“What,” its voice was a sound somewhere between tv static and shattering glass, the words barely recognizable, “you?”

It stretched out a long, knifelike finger, pointing at her.

Before she could think any better of it, she reached out too. As she neared its out-stretched extremity it screeched, slicing her hand and pulling back into itself.

She gasped, pulling her hand back into her. The scratch on her hand was deep, deep enough that she could see bone, and the sting was amplified by the pain already pulsing through her body. She hissed as she switched which hand was pressing down on her stomach wound so that way her uninjured one could also press down on this wound.

Soon she was gonna run out of hands.

She looked up at the creature as it shifted uneasily back into the crevices like it was waiting for her to attack it.

“I’m sorry,” her voice was barely more than a whisper, but the shadow tilted its head like it understood, “I didn’t mean to—ahh,” she groaned in pain as her head spun. She panted, taking deep breaths until it subsided a bit. She was losing a lot of blood.

And fast.

When she looked back up, the creature had inched forward a bit, its glowing white eyes almost curious.

“What you?” it asked again, this time keeping its distance.

“I’m. . . I’m nothing,” She bowed her head, tears pricking her eyes, “I’m something that’s not supposed to exist. Something no one cares about.” The words were thick in her throat but they were the truth. "I'm just a phantom," she laughed bitterly.

No one cared about her, whether she lived or died. Not really. Not because they actually cared about her or would miss her. They just because they didn’t like death, even less so when they played a passive part. She understood that after all her travels.

The difference between people caring about you and just not wanting to see you die.

The silhouette shifted, getting closer. This time she stayed still, not wanting to frighten it again. She knew what it was like to lash out because you were scared and you were used to people hurting you, she’d seen it so many times—hell she'd done it before.

“Hurt?” it reached out its finger again, this time slower. It dipped the sharp edge in her blood that was pooling on the ground.

She watched as it examined the slightly glowing substance. It looked curious and cautious, but no longer afraid.

“Yeah,” she laughed humorlessly, “he got a lucky shot in. Real lucky.” She smiled grimly up at the thing. Surely it knew she wasn’t going to make it out of this.

It continued to study her. Circling her. She watched the shadows bend and swirl around her like it was trying to engulf her. She continued to stay still, she was dying here anyways. There wasn’t any point in fighting.

Once it finished. . . whatever it was doing, the shadows gathered in front of her again, this time in a much smaller, almost human-shaped form. This time when it held out its claw-like hand it wasn’t scared. It was sure.

“I help,” it said.

Dani looked from its outstretched hand to its white, glowing gaze. Whatever this thing was, it seemed to think she was worth helping. She didn’t quite understand, but she decided that maybe she didn’t have to.

She slowly reached out and took its hand. It felt more solid than she expected it to. It was cold—which was something coming from her—and clammy like fresh snow melting under her touch. It pulled her to her feet, giving her a moment to catch her balance.

It lead her down the long dark cavern, though it didn’t so much as walk, but glide around the bumps and spikes on the ground. It was oddly fascinating to watch, even as she felt her brain becoming more and more cloudy.

She lost a lot. More than even a halfa should. It wouldn’t be long before she collapsed, leaving only a puddle of goo on the rocky ground. At least she wouldn't be alone.

Maybe that's why she was following the creature. Despite everything, even though she knew this creature didn't care for her, she was too scared to truly die alone.

They took twists and turns Dani didn’t understand, moving from one cavern to the next. Just when she thought she didn’t have it in her to keep going, she saw a soft green light emanating from the entrance of a new cave system.

The creature lead her to the cavern, and Dani couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

There was a small pool of a viscous green liquid, swirling around and around in a familiar pattern.

It was ectoplasm.

Her whole body could feel its presence and it ached to consume it. She moved forward, unable to control the pure need in her core. As she got closer she could tell it wasn’t quite right.

It wasn’t like the ectoplasm she knew, it was. . . wrong. Tainted. It was some kind of darkness he couldn't identify, not beyond the surface level.

Still her body craved it. It needed it. If she didn’t consume it she’d die right here. Right now.

She stepped into the pool, feeling the ectoplasm surrounding her skin. It was like a cool balm on her burning muscles, quieting the persistent pain to a dull ache. With each step deeper, she could feel the foreign emotions flooding her system.

There was so much pain. So much fear. So many people had died in Gotham so suddenly, it made sense that it left a tangible mark on the city, a place where the leftover emotions lingered.

Still, she went deeper. Voices started whispering in her ears, distant and indistinguishable. It didn't matter. She continued until she could let herself fall back into the pit, letting the ectoplasm engulf her.

The ectoplasm rushed to her wounds, stitching the skin back together and mixing into her bloodstream.

The voices got louder. The cries and screams of the dead echoed in her ears, they were so lonely. So scared. They didn’t deserve this pain, all this pain—gods there was so much.

She sank deeper and deeper until her back hit the jagged ground.

There was still fear and pain and anger, but there was something else too. Something warmer. Happier.

There was love.

There was hope.

So many loved this city. Loved it so deeply that a part of them got left behind. Had so much faith in it that they never truly believed in anything else. Had so much hope for it that it continued to live on in the very concrete under their feet.

It was unlike anything Dani had ever felt.

It was tragic. It was kind. It was purpose.

Something she lacked. That's why she was falling apart to begin with—she was a ghost without an obsession. A human without a family. She had nothing. Was nothing.

But Gotham. It was so much. So much it hurt.

Dani pushed off the ground and rose to the surface, feeling the cold night air on her wet skin. She gasped filling her lungs and found that just breathing the Gotham air felt different. It felt sweeter. Tangier.

She tried to orient herself, letting the intense feelings fade to a dull roar in the back of her mind. She didn’t know if she’d ever be free of them after that. She wasn't sure she wanted to.

Here there was purpose. There was love.

How could she go back to a life without it?

She stared out at the cave, and almost missed the creature as it slunk back into the darkness.

“Wait,” she called out to it. The thick liquid swished around her as she tried to get out. “Thank you. For saving me.”

It tilted its head in acknowledgment and began to pull back again.

“Don’t go!” She struggled, trying to move even faster but thankfully it froze, seemingly unsure what to do. As she got closer she could see the marks across its dark form, like it’d been torn apart and stitched back together. She wondered if that's why it was so afraid at first.

She reached out but didn't touch it, “You’re hurt too.”

Her words were quiet, but they seemed so loud in the small space.

If she focused, really focused, she could feel the hurt radiating off the creature. But just like the ectoplasm, past the layers of darkness and anger, at its core there was love. Unbelievable, almost unbearable love. There was so much it hurt.

“I curse,” its form sagged in sadness.

“Curse?” she asked. She'd never known a curse to take form, and she'd certainly never seen one so attached to something.

It raised its finger and tapped the space between her eyes. As it did, her vision blurred and she was thrown into what she could only describe as a premonition.

As rows of women were lined up on the gallows, their broken voices calling out to the skies in harmony.

“Gotham will never know peace. Gotham will never know peace. Even after we're deceased, we will haunt your masterpiece, the blood will run in the streets. Gotham will never know peace.”

The promise cracked over their sobs as the men prepared to pull the boxes out from under them. The singing only faltered for a moment as the women dropped, the crack of their necks sickeningly audible in the moment of silence.

As the lifeless bodies swung in the wind the women behind them continued the haunting melody.

Dani gasped, bile rising into her throat. She wanted to cry, to scream and collapse. Those people, all those poor innocent people—gods.

She looked up into the sad eyes of the creature, the puzzle pieces slowly falling into place.

“You’re Gotham?”

Gotham made a noise she interpreted as agreement and moved back from her again, trying to hide in the dips of the cave. It was. . . ashamed of what it was. Dani could relate.

“It’s not fair,” she smiled at it sadly but didn’t move any closer, “that you got caught in the crossfire. I don’t blame you. Sometimes it’s hard to be anything but what people make you. I’d know.”

She looked down at her hands. She was nothing without Vlad, yet she was nothing with him.

She could feel the voices of Gotham’s people deep inside her wrapping her in warmth like they were comforting her. Huh.

She looked up at Gotham, its cautious white eyes staring back at her.

Gotham saved her. It embraced her. It loved her, and not because it had to, but because it saw something in her worth loving. Worth fighting for.

Dani held her hand out to Gotham, a single thought solidifying in her mind, “Let me help you. We can share the burden.”

She smiled as the Curse crept forward on uneasy limbs, examining her from all angles.

It reached out and wrapped its thick hand around hers, cautious of its claws.

Dani felt a surge of cold power rush through her, like the ocean breeze on a hot day. It settled underneath her skin, pulling at her core until it completely wrapped around it.

She could feel the streets of Gotham carve themselves into her bones. The hopes of its people settle in her chest. It’s pain in her muscles. She could see and feel everything all at once.

Dani opened her eyes, the Curse still stared back at her but it was different. Smaller. Lighter.

The sound of a baby's first laugh rang distantly in her ears as she felt an old woman take her last breath. Her core sang in harmony with the distant church bells.

The Curse smiled back. It took their joint hands and lead her down the cavers into the very heart of the city.

Exactly where they should be.

#Eldritch Gotham #gotham city personified #and it's a bit creepy but that's okay #dani phantom #dpxdc #dp/dc week 2022 #dani becomes part of the city

[weepylucifer]

I never really got into any Vetinari ship bc like... he always seems like he has too much else to do, idk. But I think if there was Vetinari/Morporkia i could get really into that. Like, that is the love of his life. He's killed for her, he put himself in harm's way for her, he carried a lilac blossom in his mouth for her, he dedicated his entire life to her. Yes, the "Stinkytown is sentient" post inspired this

#posts by me #i love a ship you could make a tingler out of #hot man-on-personified-city action #no wait it's the other way around. she tops. #also vetinari projects this prim untouchable facade and a personified ankh-morpork would be the loudest brashest most horrible woman #so hilarity ensues #discworld #plus i always go for ''normal person and eldritch entity in love'' it's great #(really tho. even as a teen when i was selfshipping it was all ''my oc is in unrequited love with vetinari and it's killing her inside'' #bc i was convinced he just wouldn't make time for romance. the city always comes first)

[pisscreant]

Revachol. Sweetheart. Gorgeous. You're a monument of suffering and joy. You are so full of diseases and conflict. We have so much in common. We should get married about it, I think

#*pounts to enigmatic unnerving personified city* oh she's just like me. relateable. sexy of her. #personal tag

[godofsmallthings]

hey so like. london is ja personified and florida is mh personified, no?

#london felt very obvious to me but florida being the other personified city song was like. ohhhhhh #vi is typing...

[hyunpic]

hyunjin for the ysl event in paris! cr. xeno_sta

#hyunjin #fantaken #influencer hyunjin… 🙇🏼‍♀️😻 #the europe air treating him so well he looks too good 🥹 #paris as a city is hyunjin personified that’s crazy

[nat-of-personifs]

I think y’all would enjoy this

#personified cities #cityspirits #reference #cities #city #medieval #medieval history #paris burning #gonna tag this with every personif fandom I can think of #Countryhumans #Cityhumans #hetalia #polandball #countryballs #wttt #scandinavia and the world #personif meta

[silly-bees]

gotham is good friends with death.

they meet each other more often than not; death stays the night sometimes.

gotham trusts death. gotham trusts death more than anything, because death loves her children.

when her children die, gotham watches as their souls rise from their bodies. they are drawn to her, and she cups the cold spirits in her calloused palms. with great grief and love, gotham raises them up and passes them to death. he takes the souls, and gently cradles them to his bones.

the chill of the souls mix with his own, and death receives their memories. death now understands them. death now loves these souls.

(you must understand, death does not hate life. he in fact, loves her. life is long and beautiful, and death is very patient. he is content to watch as souls blossom in life's palms before being gently passed onto his own. death knows life is beautiful, and he's honored to be able to feel life in each soul he takes.)

death does not blame gotham for his visits. he enjoys her company, and he loves her children. they carry so many stories with them, and they bring much joy to an ancient like him. gotham is grateful her children are in such loving hands.

death is good friends with gotham.

and life still blossoms in her children.

#gotham #gotham personified #death #death personified #life #life personified #dc comics #sentient cities #there are some souls #however #that death nor gotham like #they take many lives #and are traitors to their own people #sometimes gotham wishes she didn't have to pass them to death #she wishes he didn't have to receive those memories #he reasures her he's seen worse #and that life is still working with the rest of gotham's people #she still mourns though #death does too

[dungeonbf]

toronto, ontario is my bf btw if u guys even care 🙄

#cuffing season is just me trying to mate w the city personified.. #ancom.txt #banger? #going to make an oc based off toronto

[solargeist]

are human l'manberg and new l'manberg the same person

yuh ? lmanberg has always been lmanberg :thumbsup:

#ask #if ur talking abt the personified lmanberg . they go through differnt eras but r the same being #i think they r like deities #i see the au as like what if these cities/homes/bases held a god ? and what if its people left? the love is gone? we see a god die orweaken

[nerdie-faerie]

My brain is throwing a tantrum about the heat but also throwing a tantrum about my hair being up to combat the heat, I really can't win in summer

#ace is a grumpy bean #headache season is still kicking my ass #its too blody warm i cant sleep properly my head hurts i still have to clean the flats and im so grumpy about it #dunno why it helps to personify my brain as a petulant toddler but it does help cus thats how it feels #i hate this new flat and this city i wanna switch unis but ive got blody cleaning to do and groceries to buy

[welldresseddraconianempress]

So this is basically a personification of Gotham. This is the Grandàme version that my dad suggested. I think it really suits her. I have a few others that I've drawn as well if you want to see them. I want to make a fuller AU with all of them.

#gotham #personification #i wanted to personify a city and Gotham seemed like a good place to start #DC #dc comics #have story ideas tbh #batman #batfam #art #artists on tumblr #im very proud #of how it turned out #plz ask me questions #i want to flesh out an au

[jcinknetwork]

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