Like seriously there are so many talented people with amazing artwork and personalities and fanfics. Maybe eventually I'll feel brave enough to post something here idk
So I was thinking about hanahaki and the sentinel/guide fictional settings, and I wanted to make my own fictional illness based on my favorite character archetype: cold to all but warm to one (loved ones)
So here it is: Frozen Heart Syndrome! This is kind of a mess, so read at your own risk I guess. And, add what you like to it as well! Or, a character idea that you think is cool (mine is an interstellar general leading his team and looking for a childhood friend through the vast cosmos. You'll understand, trust me.)
A few things first though - a syndrome is a collection of traits that happen together, with no known cause or treatment plan. Also, the fantasy symptoms can be included/excluded based on the worldview, but the science symptoms are always present regardless of worldview. [Science? More like pseudoscience haha.]
Okay, here's my thoughts on the Fictional Illness, Frozen Heart Syndrome (FHS)!
(Science) FHS causes the patient's emotions to dull or 'freeze,' causing the person to have extremely rational behavior and develop difficulty with creating and continuing interpersonal relationships, then developing an apathetic attitude (late-stage). Eventually, the patient develops apathy-induced suicidal thoughts, behaviors, and attempts, with frequency and strength depending on the patient's latent willpower and self-control.
(Fantasy) FHS causes the patient's body to slowly begin to freeze. The temperature of the body slowly drops, causing the air to freeze, then the surrounding liquids/solids to freeze, then finally freezing the heart, killing the patient.
Science-based symptoms include: lack of - or suppressed - empathy, increased rationality, increased ruthlessness, increased psychological resilience, increased calm/emotional numbness when faced with stress or trauma, eventual suicidal thoughts/behaviors
Fantasy-based symptoms include: lowered body temperature, blood and heart literally 'freezing' (late-stage), new and/or increased control over ice/cold-based abilities
Doctors should take care to not mistake patients with FHS for antisocial personality disorders (ASPD); FHS patients are not volatile and impulsive (unlike sociopaths) and are not manipulative nor fully lack empathy and remorse (unlike psychopaths).
FHS manifests in patients of all ages, typically forming between ages 13 to 21.
The speed at which FHS is exacerbated from initial to terminal varies patient to patient, usually between 2-20 years, with no known patterns to determine why. (Theories include soulmates, number of relationships, strength of relationships, patient intro/extra/ambiversion, etc.)
No discovered patterns for pre-detection
No treatments can fully rid the patient of FHS, but there are effective methods to suppress the symptoms:
Science:
Keeping the patient nearby family and friends suppress the symptoms and 'warm' the heart; the degree of effectiveness closely related to the strength of the bond (i.e., 'closeness,' both physical and mental)
Soulmates are extremely effective, and have been shown to suppress symptoms up to 90%. However, patients with soulmates come with extra risk:
FHS patients with soulmates often go undiagnosed due to the extreme effectiveness of the soulmate
If a patient with FHS is separated from a soulmate, FHS directly 'freezes' the patient's emotions within 24 hours of separation. Other bonds can no longer display full efficacy; only up to 50% maximum efficacy. However, this state is reversed when the patient is reunited with the soulmate.
Note: If the separation lasts long enough for the patient to have matured emotionally, at the time of reuniting the patient with the soulmate, the emotions are returned to the state they were at the time of separation. (Emotional regression is not to be confused with a regression of mental faculties; the patient is aware of their 'childishness'.) With continued exposure to the soulmate, the patient's emotions begin to synch with their current emotional 'age' (maturity) with a rate of approximately 6 months:1 day.
Example: Patient A is separated from soulmate at 14, reunited at 20. Patient A feels emotions with the amount of childishness as when they were 14, and with continued exposure takes 12 days to recover to the emotional maturity of a 20 year old. A separation of 20 years would take 40 days to recover.
If a patient with FHS loses their soulmate (i.e., soulmate dies), FHS progresses directly to the final, terminal stage (i.e., suicidal thoughts/actions), regardless of other bonds.
Fantasy:
Cold is the opposite of warm, and scientifically coldness is the lack of warmth. The progression of FHS is like digging a hole that can hold warmth. Therefore, FHS patients should wear warm clothing and cover as much skin as possible (to retain body heat), and can sit next to a powerful heat source (e.g., a fireplace, a hot water bath, a boiler room) to 'fill the bowl,' suppress symptoms, and slow the progression of FHS.
Note this is not a permanent solution, as while FHS progresses, the 'bowl' gets bigger, requiring a more powerful heat source or more time spent beside one; similar to developing a tolerance to medication.
I think getting a cold would also manifest differently, and had a few ideas on how it might pan out (depending on what you want in your universe):
Amplify - The body gets fevers to kill disease, but patients with FHS have a body that is Cold and Wants To Cool Down. This creates an imbalance in temperature, causing the body to overreact and become hotter. With both a hotter fever and cooler chills constantly switching back and forth, the disease recovery process would be more dangerous, with the patient getting the brunt of it (they usually become delirious out of their minds for the duration of being sick)
Neutralize - Hot (fevers) and Cold (FHS) naturally cancel each other out. This could manifest in two ways:
a) Safe - While the body burns away diseases, the natural cold factor of the body with FHS keeps the patient at a normal temperature. They can go about their day without suffering the consequences of being sick.
b) Dangerous - The body tries to warm up to burn away disease, but FHS refuses to let warmth be present. The body is unable to use its natural defense mechanism, and is in much greater danger of dying from even the most common of illnesses. (In this case, patients with FHS should make sure to keep their antibodies up to date with flu and other shots from the doctor's.)
Instead of being able to, very briefly and painfully, fuck with time; he got an ability based on all the absolute bullshit that's happened to him.
From the childhood, to his friends dying in front of him. All the shitty rumors that sprouted up, all the shit luck, all of it. Just, all of it.
So instead of Instant, he got Lament.
Lament is a scream capable of leveling buildings, at the cost of absolutely shredding Rok Soo's throat.
As a result of that power, Rok Soo doesn't talk often, and when he does his voice is hoarse and pained. He also refuses to speak at full volume, because while he's got a handle on his power, he's paranoid that he'll slip up.
So when he transfers over to the body of Cale, people notice.
The Young Master went to bed his usual talkative self, but when he woke up?
Barely a word, and when he did speak, a whisper.
Cale barely speaks a word to Ron beyond the single syllable required. Barely bothers to acknowledge Deruth. Relies on hand-speak and notes to talk to merchants.
Deruth is going crazy trying to figure out what the hell happened to his son, Ron is very close behind him because what the hell got past him? He's Ron Fucking Molan.
Then Cale comes home with a bedraggled punk that smells like the trash the killed Ron's family, and Ron has to listen in astonishment as he says more to this jackass than he's said to Ron in a week.
Basically; Cale's power of Lament is so strong and painful that everything Cale is paranoid of letting it slip, that he's selectively mute.
This causes many misunderstandings, in true Cale fashion.
Is this TRASH OF THE COUNT’S FAMILY CONTENT?! Ummmm….YES?! Oh this is going to be amazing.
Now I’m just imagining all the misunderstandings this causes. Does Cale still have his lament power in this world? Or is it just habit?
also! Now I can’t stop seeing Roan’s reaction to this, just pawing at Cale going “human. Human! Why do you not speak? Human? I can fix it if it’s an injury!” Just the little sunshine child not knowing what’s wrong with his human or why he’s quieter than other humans. Is that normal human behavior? Or like the other misunderstandings between everyone.
OH! What if the power isn’t here and it’s just habit (or at the very least, more controlled.) and as soon as Cale realizes this, he tries to talk more when in character for his ‘trash’ personality. And people realizes that when talking to strangers or people he’s uncomfortable with he goes back to ‘normal’ but when alone, is quite because it’s back to habit. So then they start thinking that quiet and not talking is just how Cale is when he’s relaxed. Which begs the question. If he considers his suroundings now, relaxed and safe….then why did he only start doing this now?! Did he….did he not feel safe before?!
OR, you could have it where Cale gets quieter and quieter around people even outside and people start wondering if either the trash is getting even lazier or if all this ‘trash’ talk about him is finally getting to him? Or again, the power might transfer over and they slowly realize that he gained this new ability of he’s forced to use it. Then they realize that talking actually hurts him. Did he always have this ability and has just been fighting through the pain until it was too much? Did he just get it along with his other new powers? Are they forcing him to be in pain by asking him to talk?!
I also see a scene where the kittens just lie on his neck and start purring. Because their purrs have ✨healing properties✨ Cale told them so. And then Roan gets jealous so he decides to flop on Cale’ face. See? He can do it too! He might even try to mimic the purr noises the kittens make. (He’s so bad at it but it’s adorable.)
im in favour of the ability to transferring over, but it coming out by accident - all that self control, the 'normal' volume for the trash persona and Ron sitting there stewing because he doesn't believe the bullshit that Cale is quiet when he's calm; he *raised* this boy he knows what he looks like when he's scared and when he's speaking louder recently he's *scared*.
Also its literally only ever mentioned in chapter 1, but KRS can tell when in the timeline he is because cale's body doesnt have a scar from a bar fight pre meeting choi han. So may i put forward; Ron in the early days of the transmigration finding out that this local gang challenged Cale to a fight and then suddenly his young master looks scared *speaking* and Ron can't PROVE there is a connection but it must be related right? so thats in the back of his mind and what if there was a threat to the other young master and mistress and his voice is related to it?
Ron's not stupid; he may miss things and not understand the absolutely bonkers logic of an emotionally neglected 7 year old (which depending on if you subscribe to the og 'raised since a baby' or the 'retconned since just before his mother died' timeline adds more reason for Ron not catching on) but he knows that cale cares so so deeply for his siblings and maybe he speaks just that little bit louder to Lily and Basen and Ron makes a reasonable assumption that Cale is keeping silent to protect his siblings or something to do with them.
Then you add back in the idea that he thinks Cale is scared of something and that he's at a normal or even slightly louder than normal when acting as trash i think you can see that he's going to assume its an extended family member or someone close to deruth holding the strings - and even explains why Cale gets the FUCK out of the estate and is doing everything he can to keep away; why he's insisting he doesn't want to do all the work, that he wishes he could push it off on someone else and yet is constantly moving, isn't giving time for anyone to accurately report his location to the Henituse estate; why he's using magic that can't be tracked the same way paid transportation can be. Something related to his family or those close to them is involved in this.
Any perhaps it's when they fight in the naval battle for the first time, maybe when the ships are firing one ship escapes the blast radius and comes too close and he's standing on the edge of the ship, he's watching and there's a communication orb *right there* but its connected with Alberu and the other orb is connected with Basen and Deruth and he can't see the third one but the boat is just close enough if he were to shout.
And so he does, and an unholy scream rips from his throat, it drowns out the screams of the dying, but it sounds like them amplified, there's a hundred voices layered atop of each other and it is brutal, it sounds like a death rattle, it sounds like mothers weeping over dead children, it sounds like men grieving over their partners graves, it sounds like war and tragedy and then it cuts out like the silence afforded only by Death itself and all is silent but then, THEN the enemy ship shatters in the silence because light travels faster than sound and it breaks into shards of metal, wood and viscera that once should have been people and then the almighty crack of the ocean parting and the ship breaking hits just as the Commanders body tips back and hits the deck, blood pouring from his mouth and his nose choking on his own blood.
also to add to the miscommunication; this and what what lament sounds like making it seem more and more like cale is the saint of the God of Death; he's so scared of his own voice because he can call on the sounds of the dead, dying and the mourning.
@nerdpoe i'm posting your tags for preservation and bc im procrastinating and this is making me want to write more than what im supposed to be writing
Maybe people can hear loved ones when they hear lament, and it sounds like death, war and carnage in general, but maybe people can hear their own loved ones in the cry, and perhaps the idea comes about that as a saint, cales seen how his family die. hence why he pulls away, because maybe when the first thing he asks 'is everyone alive' after shredding his throat people come to the conclusion that he pulled away because he needed to be detached enough to find a way to be in a position as to save their lives.
Like yeah, going to sleep and waking up knowing the violent end of everyone you love and care for would make you go mute especially if you can hear the dead when you speak too loud. Like Ron coming to the conclusion that even though the power would have been useful previously the young master didnt use it because maybe he could hear his siblings in the call.
ALSO I AM LOVING YOUR IDEA OF CAGE BEING SUPER PISSED AND THE CHURCH OF DEATH TRYING TO STEAL CALE.
Cage is like 'i hear our god and you EXCOMMUNICATED ME but you wanna steal him away!?'
I feel like GoD would have to perform a miracle of some kind to explain that hey if my saint wants to join the church but if not LEAVE HIM THE FUCK ALONE.
Death comes for all in time, and it will be there at the end of all of us, leave him alone, he will come when he is ready and if he never does then that is fine also, he is a commander, he is on the battlefield, he is shepherding in the dead and upholding the balance, maintaining that all whos time it is meet their end and protecting those whos time it isn't on the front lines. So is Cage.
GoD will go above his saint and his prophet (Cage) and that is not a slight on them, that is simply the way of the divine but how DARE THE MERE MORTALS who claim to follow his will dare try and force the hand of his saint.
ohhh, but this would also make the timing of Cale finding Choi Han subject to misunderstandings too, because Harris Village was massacred like just a few days before Kim Rok Soo transmigrated.
so it'd seem like Cale was waiting for Choi Han, but only knew to do it after he woke up.
which would cause MORE MISUNDERSTANDINGS.
which like. I mean Cale was waiting for Choi Han but not because of a series of visions in his dreams.
but for a long time, until Cale explains literally anything, Choi Han is under the impression that the reason Cale was practivally waiting for him and was so adamant he get help was because it was a Divine Decree.
not that he doesn't think Cale is a good person. He does.
and! And! AND!
Cale loves to sleep. All the time.
If the kids don't wake him up he'll sleep for like fourteen hours straight no fucking lie.
THAT gets misconstrued as "oh. shit. the God of Death really likes to talk to him, huh?"
and like at some point in all of this misunderstanding yes, the God of Death really does step into Cale's dreams because what the fuck. Dude. I am no talking to you all the time why are you sleeping so much? Are you depressed is this the mortal depression disease? PLEASE GO TELL CAGE TO STOP YELLING AT ME.
however everyone around Cale lowkey hates that he sleeps so much, cuz they're convinced that he's being hounded by the GoD.
also, in their minds it'd explain Whipper Kingdom. how he was so calm walking into a battlefield, even though it was, supposedly, his first time seeing something like that.
because if he'd been having visions in his sleep about everyone dying, this? this would be nothing.
of course the saint of the God of Death would be welcoming to dark elves. of course the saint of the God of Death wouldn't see anything wrong with Mary. of course the saint of the God of Death would know that the cure to mermaid venom is through a mermaids death, and have no problem using a corpse as a means to an end.
and for everyone Cale has been ordering around? shit he said at the beginning is crystal fucking clear now.
his source he cannot name. how he knows all of these things but cannot say how.
everyone thinks that all of Cale's dreams are about horrible deaths and futures.
Choi Han who has been told by Cale that he's sorry for what happened to Harris village and that he understands that grief and what he needs is not someone who can kill but someone who can PROTECT is so delicious with the realisation that from CH's pov Cale woke up days too late to save Harris village.
Like. Cale was too late, by no fault of his own because Cale wasn't 'picked' yet, and yet he has done everything he can to rectify this for Choi Han. From the MOMENT they met, Cale decided he was going to protect Choi Han. Like god, how fucked is that?
Your entire life has been turned upside down again, you've lost your whole village to a gruesome and needless death and this man you thought was just genuinely a good samaritan and seems like a really decent individual who you end up dedicating your life to, ends up being the barer of future death. And he woke up to the knowledge of what happened to the people who you loved who died and he woke up too late and has not stopped trying to fix a mistake that was not his.
This saint of death, has asked for you to protect, to preserve life instead of causing death. And you do both. You kill in the name of protection; and you choose to take on the burden of these deaths because you think he's a sheltered nobles son who feels like its his responsibility to fix things when he sees a problem and everyone tells you he's trash and he doesn't care but he cares so much.
And he's just 18.
And then you find out hes the saint of DEATH ITSELF. And you've lived in this world longer than some bloodlines have existed, you've only recently remembered what it means to be somewhat human, you're more wild beast than man somedays, and this is a child. He's a child by human standards and practically an infant in the years you've lived...
(even after the krs reveal happens choi han probably still doesnt assume anythings different about the visions of death or sainthood, because why WOULDN'T the god of death drag the dying soul of his saint into the next life?)
But also YES like you said, everyone realising that he couldn't even claim a god spoke to him, because Cale was stopping what he had seen, he was going off of deaths he witnessed.
Can you imagine what that makes them think when they realise he's been hunting down his ancient powers. Who did he watch die and risk his life in stead of?
After the reveal that Cale was Kim Rok Soo, just...
"Cale-nim, what did you see that made you hunt down the Ancient Powers? You don't have to answer, of course, I was just..."
"Everyone dies."
"...Yes?"
"No. Everyone will die in a war that covers the whole continent unless we stop it."
"...Sorry?"
which really doesn't help that Choi Han also thinks he's the saint of the God of Death, and also really doesn't help Choi Han's growing anger at said god.
cuz it's one thing to find a human you like and name them your saint.
it's a shittier thing to give that human visions of deaths.
but to give that human visions of war and all that it entails, to make them see the deaths of every person in a war as big as the continent itself, after ripping the soul of that saint from another world where he already lost almost everyone and placing him in this new world, is fucking cruel.
he was taken from a horrifying situation, a post-apocalyptic scenario, and deposited in a world about to face an apocalypse.
no wonder Cale-nim seems so detached sometimes.
he's fucking dissociating.
and like, to be fair to Choi Han, Cale 100% is.
Choi Han is going from serving this man to becoming the feral older brother literally ready to fistfight a god.
Alberu is right behind him for all of this.
that conartist saint is his little brother, and he'll be damned if he lets something as worthless as a god of all things torment one of his people.
the only one who knows what's really going on is, and always will be, Eruhaben.
who watches all of these humans and elves and dark elves and wolves and cats and so on scramble around shouting at a god who, really, had the bare minimum to do with the situation.
i love all of this inc Alberu being like 'fuck it yeah I'll demean a god try me bitch'.
AND ERUHABEN!!
Like yeah he can't sense the gods influence on cale so he wouldn't think hes a saint but also i dont think he or raon (or dragons et al in general) mention being able to sense it on Jack or Hannah either. so there is the reamining possibility that he might assume as well.
After all he can sense the thames fucked-up nature (the being convinced cale is a dragon hunter or adjacent when they first meet thing is technically because of the ancient powers but i also think its bc of the thames nature of things) so he may just think that like choi han does the sleeping is disassociation and escapism rather than meetings with a god but also that scream is defo death magic and it is otherworldly so there is very much no way you can say for sure that GoD isn't involved you know?
(also can i just say im living for how you've described choi hans reactions like man.... i havent written anything for this fandom in just under a year and damn it feels so good to rotate these guys in my brain like a microwave.)
Cale having a nightmare and waking up in a cold sweat, refusing to make any noise at all, after a nap.
immediately goes to make himself busy so he doesn't have to think about the nightmare, and everyone is watching him to see what his next move is.
what did the GoD tell him this time?
who's turn is it to die or be saved?
Eruhaben and Raon being like terrifying guard dragons; no one gets near Cale until he's okay enough to talk again. No one.
after all, Cale is theirs, and dragons are fiercely territorial.
Deruth investing in dreamless sleep potion research. Rosalynn actively setting aside time to assist when she's not doing her other duties. The entire Henituse duchy, from the Henituse family to the servants, learning sign language for when Cale can't speak or doesn't want to.
Oh, and Cage!
Cage not super sure that Cale really is the saint of the God of Death, because if anyone can sense that, it'd be her; one of said gods favored.
but then she hears Lament. feels Lament.
and she, too, is like
"Oh. Okay. Alright, yeah. That's straight up death."
and make the assumption that she hadn't been able to tell because of all the ancient powers Cale kept gathering.
the Church of Death is desperately trying to find where Cale hid his Divine Object, since gods gift their saints things imbued in said gods power. the higher ups believe that if they can find it, if they can get it back to the main church in Huiss, then they can finally bring home their saint.
but it doesn't exist.
cuz Cale doesn't have one.
but Alberu thinks this is a fantastic way for the church to waste their time, and keeps setting out false trails.
it turns into stress relief for Alberu, honestly. making these idiots go through so much shit.
sometimes literally.
the miscommunication about Cale being a saint does not stop Ron from serving lemonade.
granted he obviously doesn't serve it when Cale's throat is Fucked by that cursed power, but when the young master wakes up, it seems to pull him away from whatever horrors his dreams gave to him that night.
because Cale hates it.
but what if when Rok Soo transmigrated over to Cale, Ron noticed.
like, he noticed an abnormality but didn't clock it as something to be concerned about.
like OG Cale being a constant mover when asleep. rolling, shifting, little noises, sometimes falling off the bed, half in the blankets half out.
but at around four in the morning, all movement stopped, and for a hot second Ron, who checks in on the puppy young master periodically throughout the night, had a brief moment of "oh shit he's dead".
but he wasn't.
he just wasn't moving around anymore. he wasn't making noises anymore. he was sleeping, but super still and super quiet.
after the saint thing spreading, Ron starts to believe that that exact moment, right there, is when his puppy young master was dragged into the realm of the sleeping dead by the God of Death and given horrific visions.
that is when Cale Henituse was chosen by the God of Death.
because after that, his puppy young master thanked people. complimented the food. stopped glaring at everyone. stopped trying to start artificial shit with his family. stopped going to bars and picking fights.
started doing weird, unexplainable things.
like buying all the bread, or adopting two cat tribe children, or bringing home a killer.
and sometimes Ron wonders if he failed as a servant, when he left Cale to those dreams instead of trying to wake him up.
But like imma tell you my thoughts on the other things first bc i wanna yap about the ron thing.
Like I adore alberu using it as stress relief, good for him. Also like can you imagine the hilarity of it all?
King Zed: ... and you want these resources why? do you think i dont know youve been doing this under the table?
Alberu, crown prince, about to become a favourite in court all over again: but think of how funny it would be if the heirs of bloodline picked by the SUN GOD led the church of death around by the nose? Also he's my dongsaeng. i will be doing it either way but i did think you'd like to know before i bobby-trapped one of our never used mansions so the max exodus of staff didn't cause you alarm.
bifgxduojxd;kf THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF EVERYONE TO STOP CALES DREAMS I LOVE IT SO SO SO SO MUCH HOLY SHIT LIKE JUST WOW.
And Cage being like 'i think he's just a decent guy tbh. He's a dick but he's also a kid and honestly who cares if hes a bit freaky sometimes and has a penchant for knowing where to hit the enemy have we considered he's just unfortunately a prodigy in war- oh. OH. no yeah that's death manifested. fuck.'
Gotta give her more reason to fall into alcoholism.
But god the RON THING.
Like, he keeps watch over his puppy young master enough to know he never grew out of rolling around in the bed as he slept, and that horrific moment of watching him lying so so still. Like did he walk up to Cale, press a hand under his nose to feel him breathe, press fingers into his pulse both neck and wrist to ensure that he can still feel a pulse? Did he confirm that he was alive and go 'a bad dream but he's 18 he doesn't need me to wake him up'
And like you said has regretted it ever since. God.
Cale sleeps all the time, he spends more and more time sleeping and Ron sits there and thinks - as an Assassin, as a man who has spilt so much blood- that perhaps his young master finds comfort in the embrace of death, that after experiencing all that he has; a future only he knows of, a continent and beyonds worth of death, every new iteration of death after the one before it is thwarted perhaps cale prefers to be asleep. Perhaps seeing what he already knows, forcing himself to rewatch brings him comfort because he knows how it goes. Perhaps being awake is worse for cale because he is changing things and it is for the better but he is constantly forcing himself to see the new and usual ways in which everyone around him dies after saving them again and again.
mmmmmmmmm take it a step further (as i always will when it comes to angst) and Ron doesn't just feel guilty that he didn't wake Cale from his first meeting with the God of Death.
he's guilty because at first he thinks that, deep down, he did the right thing.
if he had woken Cale up, would Cale have matured as he did? would he still be wasting away, drunk and rancorous? a persistent thorn in everyone's side?
would Cale be the hero he is now?
by letting Cale experience those visions, Ron may have saved countless people. by allowing it to happen, his puppy young master grew into someone to be proud of.
but.
but.
the longer their adventures go on, the harder it is to think like that.
after a few instances that hit a little too close to certain traumas Cale experienced as Rok Soo, the nightmares become more frequent for a bit.
and then one night, it graduates to a night terror.
Cale, for the first time in a very long time, wakes up Screaming.
to his horror, a tiny bit of Lament slips out. it's just a little itsy bitsy bit, but it does damage; the windows shatter, the ceiling cracks, the bed canopy is shredded, and Cale's throat is, yet again, injured.
the first thing he does is make sure the kids are okay.
the second thing he does is shove past his group of alarms friends and servants and, with shaking fingers and bloody lips, writes a request for a magic muzzle to be built.
so he can wear it while he sleeps.
so he can make sure the kids aren't in danger like that again.
from Cale's point of view this is a perfectly logical request, and he's kicking himself for not making it sooner. if the mages under his fathers employ, or better yet Rosalynn, can design a comfortable muzzle, something to deaden any sound, he can sleep more peacefully.
he can finally rest without worry of destroying his room or hurting anyone around him.
this is not how everyone else sees it.
everyone else is appalled. they are outraged. they are trying to get Cale to sit down so they can examine his throat and see how bad the damage is this time.
now Ron doesn't think it was worth it.
now Ron truly, genuinely feels like not waking Cale up when all of this started was a mistake.
instead of just feeling guilty for not waking him up, he also feels guilt for thinking that perhaps not waking him up was a good thing.
and now we have Rosalynn, who is holding a tattered piece of paper in her hand, smeared with Cale's blood, as his writing on it begs her to create something she'd rather cut her own hands off than make.
she can't make something that will dehumanize Cale like this.
but the way his eyes are begging her, she can't tell him no.
it's Eruhaben who saves her.
he reads the note over her shoulder, and with a guttural snarl louder than Cale's burst of Lament and a short flash of Dragon Fear, disintegrates the note.
"If I find anyone has muzzled Cale Henituse, they and their country will cease to exist within twenty minutes."
THE MUZZLE HOLY SHIT I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT-
(Also i am loving Ron's guilt, like yeah put him through the ringer its fun to watch it lol)
god as well though
the fact that cale is surrounded by Raon a baby dragon who he UNCHAINED who he promised would never have to be reminded of the torment and depersonalisation he was put through, the children Ohn and Hong who were hunted down and implied to have been imprisoned by their own clan, and surrounded by Beast Men who are all animals that are muzzled when they're merely animals and who he has never treated differenlty, who has Eruhaben there watching over him and yet the one who 'should' be muzzled is not the literal animals (bc technically that is what dragons are) not the beast men but the human and it is by his own voliton.
The angst of Cale probably for the first time getting angry at one of his companions, maybe even losing his temper and hissing through a bleeding and rasping throat that he needs to be muzzled, he's *dangerous*, the kids could get hurt, everyone HERE COULD GET HURT. How DARE you say what i should do with my own body. I am protecting CHILDREN is that not important to you?
And depending on if this happens before or after they first fight with the white star (the "my children" scene with eruhaben bc damn does cale just refuse to acknowledge that in canon lol) you get Eruhaben who is so fucking angry, feeling so damn powerless to protect his damn children that he just grabs cale by the shoulders and tells him that he IS protecting children.
"YOU are a child," he growls, "I am PROTECTING YOU. YOU ARE NOT A MAD ANIMAL TO BE MUZZLED AND CAGED, YOU ARE NOT A WEAPON TO BE SAFELY STORED AWAY UNTIL YOU ARE USEFUL."
And cale, tired, in pain, traumatised, probably utters "I have not been a child in a long time."
Because KRS is in his 30's. Hes not actually the 18-21 age range of cale henituse. but even to eruhaben 34 would be too young, it would still be a child, but he doesn't know that.
Nobody (Ron, trying desparetly to tend with Jack to a choking cale, Rosalyn trying not to cry because cale trusted her to muzzle him but she cant do it, choi han who is here to protect cale from anyone who try to take advantage of cale in his moment of vulnerability and eruhaben) knows that.
All they see is this child who they have made a COMMANDER in a war, who is plagued with visions of unending death telling them that he has not been a child in a long time. And they let it happen. But what could they do to stop it?
somehow my brain completely missed that this happened in the henituse estate like... his siblings are not in the same wing of the house but they're nearby- they're close enough that they could get hurt. And god hes probably sat there in the sitting room (because obviously how these wings in fancy houses work is theyre basically just houses arent they) or hell stood in the doorway as healers and people he had allowed to stay in his home but probably doesn't even know rush past to get to his son, to keep him unmuzzled and he can't do anything.
Will the research into stopping nightmares even amount to anything if even in the waking world his son thinks of himself as nothing more than a TOOL?
He thinks of himself as a loaded canon and like you said Deruth is probably sat there wondering what kind of person the god of death chooses to be his saint, what his son could possibly have as a quality that means the god of death decided he was the best one to pick to fix everything.
And then it clicks, his son was pushing everyone away for years, he was a stranger in his own home, nobody cared enough to be near or close enough to notice a literal divine energy in his bedroom, you feel that shit - we KNOW from the oath of death scene early in PART 1 that you can especially feel the god of death whole buildings away.- his son was the kind of person that was assumed that nobody would CARE if he suddenly went missing.
everyone around him has this horrible habit of assuming things and not telling him, because they think that by beating around the bush everyone is talking about the same thing.
and Cale doesn't push it, because he knows Lament makes people insanely uncomfortable.
so everyone is saying that Cale is a saint without outright saying it to him, and he's accidentally agreeing or affirming because he thinks they're talking about something else.
until one night, when he does get pulled into the Sleep of the Dreaming Dead by the God of Death.
and boy does the GoD have terrible, no good news.
so many people believe he's the God of Death's saint, that Cale is literally becoming the saint.
a gods power comes from belief, and so many people are praying to (shouting at) the God of Death about his "saint" that it's becoming real.
the misunderstandings aren't a misunderstanding anymore.
sure, he doesn't have horrible visions in his sleep, but the saint part?
that is no longer a lie.
or an assumption.
but the power granted to Cale from the God of Death is actually like, wayyyyyyyyyyyy kinder than the power everyone assumes the God of Death granted Cale. the GoD made this ability with his new, unwilling saints needs in mind, and he's very proud of it.
Cale can, to his great pleasure, "deaden" his voice.
it's like flicking a switch.
he no longer needs the muzzle, because he can just...turn off his voice entirely.
this is, quite literally, the best thing ever.
for Cale.
for everyone else, he went to sleep one night, the feeling of Death permeated the bedroom, Cale couldn't be woken up until dawn, and when he did...
...there was a void black, thin tattoo circling his entire neck, and he couldn't make a single sound, not without concentrating and touching his neck first.
their friend, son, young master; the person who worked so hard to prevent the awful futures he saw every night, just got confirmation from the god he serves that he is nothing more than a weapon.
and the scariest, most terrifying part about that stupid fucking muzzle the God of Death made? Cale is happy about it. he is satisfied with it.
no one knows if that is something Cale would feel on his own, or if the God of Death is directly influencing his saint's emotions.
so Cale is very happy with this power, and the GoD is very proud of his work.
right up until Cage almost blows out said god's eardrums with her swearing streak, reaming him for muzzling Cale like he was some sort of animal.
because no one else is happy with this.
but Cale refuses to let the God of Death take it back.
ITS HIS MOST OBVIOUS POWER TATTOO AND ITS SO OBVIOUS AND ITS ALMOST POSSESSIVE IN HOW IT WOULD LAY AGAINST HIS SKIN. IT IS AS IF THE HANDS OF HIS GOD ARE PRESSED AROUND HIS THROAT AND CALE HAS TO ASK FOR THE GRIP TO BE LOOSENED.
God as well tho, he'd probably not even realise that hes not 'turned it off' so to speak and maybe sometimes he just speaks to people but no noise comes out, and he's making the motions, his lips are moving but its like theres nothing there, like everyone has their hands over their ears. and like. what if something goes wrong and he cant call for help.
this is the utmost symbol of ownership. the god of death has not only muzzled cale like you said and deemed him a weapon, he has also collared him. muzzling him is one thing, you can take a muzzle off and its purpose os removed entirely, but removing a collar does not remove the mark of ownership that it represents.
and Cale is so, so happy with it. like, genuinely. there's no influence from any god about it, he's just happy he doesn't have to worry about accidentally letting loose anymore.
but every time one his friends or servants lays eyes on it, they feel nauseous. angry. numb.
it's a void of color. it has no highlights, it has no shadows, and the more they stare at it, the more it looks like it's slowly cutting into his neck.
the more it looks like the God of Death is taunting them.
saying
"this weapon is mine, and while you think you're in control of it, remember who the owner is. remember i can take it back at any time."
of course, this is in no way what it actually means, and the God of Death and Cale do not feel this way about it at all (they are now having nightly arguments in Cale's dreams, where the God of Death offers more and more absurd powers as a replacement, and Cale keeps adamantly refusing because he likes sleeping safe and secure thank you very much)
(also he's waiting for a power he couldn't possibly refuse. he'll know it when he hears it, but he's holding out for something really good.)
nobles that don't like Cale start talking shit; they call him a hunting dog. a hound.
they start calling him an 'it'.
(Cale doesn't care. everyone else does.)
Ron starts finding more and more shirts for his pup....no. for his young master; shirts with high necklines.
he will never call Cale a "puppy young master" ever again. not after seeing that stupid Divine Collar.
not after hearing what the trash is calling Cale.
but there's an unexpected side effect of the Divine Collar; since it literally forced Cale to not use his voice at all for anything unless deactivated, his throat heals far better.
which means the next time he has to use Lament?
it's so much more powerful.
it's somehow worse than it was before; it sounds worse, the feeling of death is worse, the destruction is worse...
...but Cale's throat isn't damaged any worse than it usually is.
the Divine Collar is providing, on some level, at least a little protection.
(this was an unintended side effect the God of Death didn't know would happen. Cale is just as surprised. both of them pretend like they knew it would do that when interrogated.)
SDSVJGBHFKSLS NOT THE TRASH NOBLES CALLING CALE AN 'IT'
I LOVE DEHUMANISATION/JK
But genuinely, i love this. Cale doesn't care what they call him, he's still trash - god thinking about him deactivating the collar to tell people thats its fine if they dont think of him as a person he is trash after all.
And like, can you imagine the way Alberu would react to hearing THAT!? God he's breaking years of careful planning to throw people under the carriage right there. People though that Venion Stan was awful to Taylor? They're about to see what true sadistic pain is lol.
I love ron's guilt as i have said previously (ha ha what if you were known as the puppy young master and people thought it was funny bc it was kind of a cute dichotomy with the old trash persona like you were a little yapping dog your butler fondly catered to and then your god made you his mutt ha ha joking - unless....)
I just love the idea of him accidentally leaning into the weapon idea and the collar inadvertently being useful (from his companions pov) like a sick and twisted back handed gift. In exchange for your silence and eternal servitude i'll heal the worst of the damage.
ooh what if the church of death start to think the collar is his item?
@monochrome-fleur-de-lis coming out of left field with the best character for this misunderstanding.
holy shit.
we forgot Clopeh (and later on Sui Khan and CJS) but more immediately Clopehhhhhh
Clopeh, who believes that Cale is a legend.
Clopeh, the unhinged fanatic who would see this as the God of Death trying to control said legend.
Clopeh, who would make it his life's mission to find out how to fight a god for his hero's sake. who decides to observe the Church of Death to dig for any information at all about any potential attempts against Cale.
Clopeh who finds out that a few very desperate officials are trying to find out Cale's schedule, because they want to remove the Divine Collar from his neck. They want to hold it hostage, and force Cale to join the church.
The Divine Collar...that is a part of Cale's neck.
(jokes on everyone it literally is his Divine Item; Cale refused all the physical ones and said they were too cumbersome to tote around, so the GoD compromised)
Clopeh decides that he wants to choose even more violence, and tells Ron and Vicross what he heard.
this reaches Cage's ears.
which means it reaches the God of Death's ears.
the God of Death, who is beyond outraged that mortals from his own church would even think of doing this to his saint.
sealed god test spoiler below
Or, if when he was in the Sealed God's Test, and he went to a younger version of his body, the Divine Collar went with him.
and Choi Jung Soo, who just met this guy, has no idea what it means, but he inherently hates it.
the first time Kim Rok Soo's jacket slipped down to show it, Choi Jung Soo felt an almost visceral reaction.
(the jacked was shoved onto him by a very disturbed Park Jin Tae, who took one look at the Divine Collar and threw up. because Park Jin Tae can sense power levels in monsters, making him more sensitive than others. he knows it's a Collar. he knows it belongs to something powerful. he doesn't like Kim Rok Soo...but no one deserves slavery to something capable of making that...thing.)
he doesn't know why, but...he knows that's a collar.
Kim Rok Soo needs to touch it to be able to talk at all.
it's sick.
it's horrifying.
he needs to find the ability user that placed it on him and kill them. he has to free Kim Rok Soo.
but after it's all said and done, and Cale lets that version of him have control of his body again, the collar is gone.
potential spoilers for who Sui Khan is, if you haven't met him (i haven't i'm just guessing at his speech patterns lmfao but i love spoilers so) but i never say how he knows Cale or his affiliation.
then, wayyyyy later, we have Sui Khan who stops.
Squints.
takes a good, long look at Cale's neck.
"...Dongsaeng, who did this?"
"Oh, it's...nothing, it just helps with Lament."
"It's okay, you can tell me who it is."
"A...patron. It's fine."
"'Fine'? Dongsaeng, it looks like someone tried to collar you."
"That's not-"
"You have to touch it to ask for permission to speak. Who the fuck did this?"
"It...does seem bad, when worded like that. But it's actually a good thing-!"
"It feels like the God of Death."
"Wha...wait, where are you going?"
"Don't worry about it."
Sui Khan, who the God of Death has expressed genuine fear over.
just. slowly turning and marching away. Not explaining anything. on his way to kick a gods ass. or murder it. he's not sure which route he's feeling like taking right now.
friend first off, if you're at work do not AT ALL feel like you have to respond take all the time you need!!!
secondly on god i lived in a world for a minute where cloeph doesnt exist. but now im thinking of the fact he gets real fanatical after cale puts the dark mana bombs in him and like as you said he is defo planning on fighting a god but also you cannot tell me he isn't salivating at having some kind of connection to cale in the form that they are both 'chained by the darkness'.
Of course, the first time he sees cale have to 'ask PERMISSION' to speak the delusion crumbles because ha ha this is a legend, this is a man who has broken gods over his knee and yet this god thinks he can do what he wants???
I absolutely as well just adore the concept of GoD enacting divine retribtuion on parts of his church. Lke the fact that it would both helo and worsen his case from cales people. LIKE CLEARLY he cares that humans are trying to literally take control of his saint which is good but is it genuine care or the possessive nature of a spoilt child not wanting to share its toy?? more than a few churches levelled because theyre practically an unlawful offshoot of the main church deciding that if GoD has made the saints holy artifact so obvious and 'easy' to obtain than clearly the church is to act as the hand holding the leash of his collar. this would probably make the nobles who are calling cale a hound feel even more justified as well, its master has to come look after it.
also just the sealed test. I HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT EITHER.
(I need to start reading tcf from the beginning again.)
i love the idea that it sticks to cale through dimensions and everyone who sees it knows inherently that its a claim of ownership. And especially on 20 year old cale; this sickly thin man who has not proven himself to be a team leader but who is kind and tries and then suddenly he has the mark of something greater than you can understand burried so deeply into his skin its like it has replaced it entirely and it marks him as owned, it marks him as a weapon to be wielded and you cannot help in the immediate moment but you need to help, need to think of ways to help because you do not like this boy but he is a person like you and you deal with sick fucks who take their powers and think themselves gods and this one in particular feels strong enough to BE ONE but he is a god and you hunt monsters for a living it cannot be unattainable.
And ugh Sui Khan - he's child sized and just ready to kill god. never change
What if people start to think that the reason Cale coughs up blood when he uses Ancient Powers is because that's the God of Death "putting him in his place"?
cuz Cale is allergic to explaining anything, and never explains that he has the Vitality of the Heart (Eruhaben being the exception here, cuz he knows. doesn't stop him from being pissed that the God of Death couldn't give his saint a better powerset so that Cale wouldn't need to hunt down these powers. idk if anyone else figures it out tbh i didn't get that far, doesn't matter angst teim)
after Cale got the Sky Eating Water?
Ron would be so much more pissed than he was in the novel.
it's not enough that the God of Death claimed ownership over his young master, like the man was a damned dog, but the God of Death won't even give his own saint the mercy of death.
and Mary.
Ohhhhhh Mary.
she knows what it's like to have to be marked by the thing that is saving you. Cale may not have been saved by Death like Mary was, but he was given the ability to save others.
she knows what it's like to have people look at her scars or markings instead of her eyes, to only look at her with pity, to treat her like a child or a delicate doll.
she refuses to allow anyone to do the same to Cale.
yes, she is angry the God of Death collared her benefactor, but she's more concerned with people treating Cale differently.
she becomes his biggest advocate among their allies. she calls people out when they even start to think to exclude Cale in an effort to "spare" him.
she starts to do this thing when she notices Choi Han or Ron or Raon or literally anyone staring at his Collar where she lifts her hand up to his neck, right alongside it, and said, completely flat and monotone
"i wore it first."
and Taylor!
Taylor was wheelchair bound, and while it isn't the same, he knows what it's like to be stared at and judged.
while Mary is Cale's biggest advocate for their allies, Taylor is Cale's biggest advocate amongst the nobles. he refuses to let anyone talk shit about Cale.
when Cale needs to make an appearance, Taylor is his biggest supporter.
when nobles call Cale a hound or an it?
Taylor is smiling behind them, memorizing their names and faces and giving them to Alberu.
OMG FIRST OFF SORRY FOR THE KATE REPLY, WAS SLEEPING THEN GOT DISTRATED PLAYING INFINITY NIKKI.
Anyeay
Ye.
Mary.
Absolutely. Best character for this. Also the fact that everyone treats her younger than she is when she's about 25 when they meet her for the first time? Like that's her dongsaeng too, she has lived in fucking agonising pain every day of her life for most of those 25 years and she gets it.
Cale is in pain and this helps him and he doesn't see the ownership in it so let him have this. Let him have this whilst it stops the pain for just that little while. Like just her standing there and she barely speaks as well so she gets it, but she's standing there and is like "you say GoD treats him like a war dog but you're treating him like a porcelain doll. If he didn't want to use his abilities he wouldn't he proved that by keeping the power hidden for so long. Do you want them to be right? That the Commander only comes out when he's needed as a weapon? Not to see his troops through the day or to put on a brave face for them but to be the last resort?"
I just love Mary so so much and yes Taylor!
I just know hes putting vendors behaviour to SHAME when dealing with threats in court
Raon, who grew up bound and chained, forced to wear a magic collar that rendered him unable to speak.
Now he has to watch as his human is given something very, very similar to that collar, and the worst part of it is; his human seems to like it.
and Raon doesn't know if that genuine or if the God of Death is pushing for his saint to feel that way about it.
the stress would probably push Raon into his first growth stage a lot sooner, tbh. the helplessness of it all; his human is wearing something so degrading, and Raon, a great and mighty dragon, cannot do anything to get it off.
he wants to take his human and hide him in his Lair, and never let anyone see him ever. his human doesn't need anyone else, Raon is more than enough!
but then Raon remembers that humans wouldn't see that as something nice or good. that even if it was Raon's Lair, to a human, instead of the offer of protection it is for dragons, it would be just another prison.
so he doesn't.
and then
Eruhaben.
sure he and Cale got into an argument about the magic muzzle, but he'd thought that he'd gotten through to the unlucky bastard.
apparently not.
because now Cale has something so much worse than a muzzle.
now Cale needs to ask for permission to speak.
now the smell of Death is far more obvious than compared to before, when it would only come out if he used Lament.
sometimes, when Eruhaben is standing or sitting next to Cale, he catches himself running a finger along the Divine Collar, intrusive thoughts telling him that if he just.
turns that fingernail into a claw.
just uses a little magic.
just pins down Cale and pushes through the scent of Cale's pain...maybe he can remove it.
then he pushes the thought away, because he'd never want to hurt Cale. that's just his pride as a Dragon talking, angry that a god is treating his child, His Child, like a chained war dog.
for Eruhaben and Raon both, Mary's actions have probably saved Cale from being locked away in a Dragon's Lair for his own protection more than once.
I AM GNAWING AT THIS LIKE A (HA) DOG WITH A BONE HOLY SHIT
I adore Raon going into his growth stage early - really like it not being *too* early tho, like he held on so long because he didn't want to burden his human but then the battle at the ridge with the dwarves happens and he can't help it, it's too much, he's what 5? He's pulling a cale and taking too much on to him at once, but yes yes yes the idea of him falling into a growth stage early is so delicious.
Eruhaben not being able to bring himself to explain that Cale's collar probably forced it to happen too early for Raon, that usually dragons are at least in the double digits, because yes that may help his cause against cale and the collar but raon would never forgive him if he found out he'd made cale feel horrible and he can't risk pushing cale away when things are so terse at the moment.
and ugh just imagining cale and eruhaben sitting together and cale is so touch starved that when Eruhaben touches his neck he probably freezes up like a scared animal, and its ingrained into him isnt it that adults angry with their 'children' hit them (from his uncle and the orphanage) and eruhaben thinks of him as his child and is angry with him, but he hadn't done it yet so he'd thought... but maybe it was wishful thinking. And then Eruhaben just... doesn't do anything. He just touches his neck like he's so scared something will happen to it and he looks sad. And then he'll get this disgusted look in his eyes and pull his hand away like he's been burnt... and Maybe Cale thinks that Eruhaben is trying to use his dragon magic to strip the collar off of him by force.
Then he starts to pull away and you have Eruhaben who thinks that he's scared Cale off, maybe some of those darker more prideful intentions came through but he won't let his child pull away, its not happening. SO you just have them sitting really awkwardly in the library or something too close to not accidentally risk touching but far enough away that Eruhaben has to make a conscious effort to reach out for cale's throat and maybe just maybe cale can see that that look enters eruhabens face even when hes not touching him and it clicks that oh, that's eruhaben pushing BACK THE DESIRE TO MOVE THE COLLAR.
Just. All this from Eruhabens pov making him so fucking angry bc what do you MEAN that his child is acting like a scared animal. How fucked has the death magic sewn into his very skin messed with him?
and while all the killers that surround Cale, Ron, Choi Han, Vicross, etc., would absolutely sense the random burst of Threat, they'd get it.
they'd still watch Eruhaben like a hawk, but they'd get it.
cuz sometimes they also get an intrusive thought or two, about removing that Collar by force.
but Choi Han? seeing Cale flinch away like a scared dog?
if this is before he finds out about Cale's past as Kim Rok Soo, he's gonna blame the God of Death. he's gonna assume the God of Death is, somehow, traumatizing the man he chose to serve.
if this is after he finds out, he's just gonna feel...helpless. he knows this reaction isn't something Cale can control, and he hates that.
but also, we need to talk about
Duke Fredo.
because now not only is Cale the most delicious smelling snack around thanks to Vitality of the Heart, but he's also Spicey.
cuz he's a saint.
Duke Fredo thinks Cale is the most delicious poison he's ever smelled.
he still keeps calling Cale his son, and he's still a little creepy shit about everything, except now he's also requesting a few vials of Cale's blood in case any of his own get caught, so they have a kinder way out.
cuz Cale's blood is poison for him now.
(Cale still refuses because what the fuck? What? The fuck? Eruhaben save him there's a creepy vampire sniffing at him.)
(The God of Death, in his realm, getting chills from Fredo's "adoption" of his saint. "Cage? Cage? Cage go check on Cale. Go check on your brother.")
yeah actually if hes got death buit into him he is gonna be a lil poisonous isn't he? But ugh Eruhaben swooping in because ha you think YOU, some puny little vampire who couldn't stop the white star, who had to debase himself into pretending to be a child, are going to commodify his child? You think you can sit there and go 'your god didnt give you a choice, but im giving you one. Let me put uncountable deaths on your hands. You know how so many people die, do you want to be the cause of their deaths, to have prevented one course of ending their life but be wholy responsible for their alternate end? thats no choice at all.
(also just cage rocking up, Bud told her how to get to the vamps kingdom, like 'ayo, god of death doesnt give a shit about you guys, youre cool we guess. You are in fact about to get smited if you dont back the fuck off.)
Hey someone suggested I use ChatGPT to figure out adulting today, and as I was going through the mental list of places I'd rather look, I realized "beloved strangers on Tumblr dot net" was on that list.
So if you have an aspect of adulting that you're really good at-taxes, budgeting, cooking, insurance, credit, time management, house upkeep, anything-please feel free to reblog with any tips.
That's us! Professional internet adults, specializing in financial stuff! We recommend starting with our Grand List of All Articles, or one of our Masterposts:
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need To Know About Taxes
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about How to Increase Your Income
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Retirement and How to Retire
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Credit and Credit Cards
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Investing for Beginners
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about How to Pay off Debt
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need To Know About Living Independently for the First Time
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Repairing Our Busted-Ass World
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Self-Care
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Getting a Job, Raise, or Promotion
MASTERPOST: Everything You Need to Know about Saving Money and Being Frugal
reblogging this to add that I often think about the old man yaoi mangaka on bluesky who said "the phrase that finally convinced me that the English language is truly beautiful was 'this shit is so ass'"
Q&A 1
Right... I did promise to show off the Q&A answers I did a while back... uh... here you go.
Q&A 2
A while back I hosted anoter Q&A
To be continued...
FAQ under the cut!
TWIN RUNES MINI COMICS
Glasses - Frisk Dance - But nobody came - An acquired taste -Smalltalk - All You Can Eat - Page 75 EXTRA - Page 84 EXTRA - Kris the Detective - Don't Try This at Home
AFTER RUNES:
Not-To-Do-List - Beach Episode - Salute the Frick - Morning Routine - The Universe is a Hologram - Trick as a Treat - Taste the Painbow - Dungeon Doofus - Tour de Nope - Explosive Start - Conveniently shaped... - Sibling Bonding - Home for Iinfite Avoidance - Be Mine Moss - Canine Collision - FUUUUUUTUREEEEE - Nontendi - Mango - Normal Human Interaction - Love Hurts
PRE-RUNES:
Fallen down - First steps - Press [C] - Eye opening - Whatstheirface - This Nugget is Not in Service
Acid reflux - Connection issues - Normal Human Behavior - Hide and Squeaky Clean
"What exactly is this AU about?"
Twin Runes is essentially a comedic crossover AU between the universes of Deltarune and Undertale. No fancy nicnacs. Just the characters being their chaotic selves. But there might be some darkness lurking up ahead...
"When is the next comic?"
The comic updates most Sundays at 6:30 PM Central European Time.
"Why is this AU called Twin Runes?"
The name is more or less a play on the typical naming format of most AU's by featuring the "Runes" part. There are no literal Twin Runes. The whole name is more of a stand in for Undertale and Deltarune as parallel worlds. Hence the "Twin" part.
"When does Twin Runes take place?"
This AU takes place between a hypothetical Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of Deltarune. On the Undertale side of things, it takes place post neutral route just as Frisk was about to deliver Undyne's letter to Alphys.
"How many pages are there going to be?"
The script for this comic estimates that the comic is going to be 137 pages long (if I don't make any major changes).
"What software do you use to make your art/the comic?"
I use Clip Studio Paint.
"Is the Player a thing in this AU?"
The Player(s) lost control over both human children as soon as Frisk entered the world of Deltarune. Essentially, the reader takes on the role of the Player. They're not a character. It's YOU. You have no influence on the outcome of the story anymore. All you can do is watch.
Both Kris and Frisk refer to the Player as "It" and "the THING".
"Is there going to be a Weird Route?"
Due to the lack of Player, all choices made by Kris are now their own. How to engage in battle all depends on Kris, and not the Player. Because of that, there are NO DIFFERENT ROUTES. There is only one route and that one is based on Kris' choices.
Because of the lack of save points, there is no "what-if" scenario.
"When Chapter 3 and 4 are released, will it affect the story?"
All of Twin Runes was written BEFORE Chapters 3 + 4 so there are bound to be inconsistencies going forward! Luckily, this is an AU, and I designed it to be purposefully off in some parts because I knew I would inevitably be wrong!!!!
So no. There won't be any references to Chapter 3 in the comic going forward (since the story takes place between a hypothetical Chapter 3 and 4 [so not the canon ones]) And it won't be moved downwards the timeline.
It wouldn't make sense to include anything from these chapters as that would make a mess of what that I have planned. And I won't be rewriting my script.
"Will you make a comic that's based on Twin Runes' version of Chapter 3?"
I am leaving the Twin Runes version of Chapter 3 COMPLETELY up to your interpretation.
I could easily come up with what happened, but I don't really want to! This is one of the things that I don't want to set in stone. All of Twin Runes follows a strict script, which makes interactivity difficult.
Basically, I am creating a playground for you to get creative and come up with something on your own. The only things that are DEFINITELY canon to this alternate Chapter 3 is that the Fun Gang knows that Kris made the Dark Fountain. And that Toriel was an active part of the adventure.
"How old are the characters in this story?"
Frisk appears to be around 9 years old.
Kris thinks they're 14. (Both Frisk and Kris don't know their actual age.)
Chara died when they were around 10-11.
Susie is around 15-16 (she was held back once)
Ralsei appears to be the same age as Kris.
"What's up with Kris' and Frisk's hair?"
The red bits of their hair is more or less a representation of their souls. That in turn is also why Chara doesn't have that feature. They are soulless. It's a stylistic choice.
What's that thing on Kris' chest?
It's a scar they got from tearing out their soul.
"And why do they have weird lines all over their body?"
Both Kris and Frisk's anatomy resemble that of ball-jointed dolls. They appear just as markings across their bodies. Think of them as elaborate birthmarks. Kris and Frisk are still made of flesh and blood, but are in fact hypermobile. The reason as to why they do is still a little secret :)
People here like to refer to these markings as "puppet limbs".
You can get a better look at them and the scar in this artwork
"Why does Kris have braces?"
This is why:
Drastic measures.
Toriel lasted a week after Kris picked the cone. Then she dragged them to the dentist anyways.
"Are old art, comics and asks from your blog part of Twin Runes?"
Unless stated otherwise, all art that was made prior to the start of the comic are not canon to Twin Runes. That mainly includes the old asks.
"Why is Dark World Frisk green?"
Frisk changes their main sweater colors with Kris when they enter the Dark World.
"Could other ghosts see Chara? (pre Darkner transformation)"
No, only Frisk and Kris were able to see Chara.
"IS KRIS NOW FRISK'S COUNTERPART OR CHARA'S????"
:)
"Where are Jevil and Spamton? Are they in Castle Town?"
The Fun Gang have already fought these two in the previous chapters and added them into their inventory. Outside of that little dream sequence, neither will be making an appearance.
"Is anyone from Undertale Yellow gonna make an apperance?"
Outside of a tiny cameo from Clover (that has no greater bearing on the story) no one from Undertale Yellow is going to make an appearance.
"How would the characters from Deltarune react if they met their Undertale counterpart?"
The universe would implode if that happens.
"But what abou-"
The. Universe. Would. Implode.
Next question!
"How did you come up with the idea of Twin Runes?"
Twin Runes is an offshoot of a separate script I started in 2023. The concept of this script is similar to Twin Runes, but turned on its head. The funny moments in that script made me continue what now is the start of Twin Runes. I pretty much just wanted to see if I am actually capable of drawing a comic to begin with. So... in a way Twin Runes is my first attempt at a comic ever. If I ever finish Twin Runes, then I know I can tackle turning that mammoth project of a script into a comic too.
In the grand scheme of things these two projects are sister series. They have A LOT in common and even share similar plot elements. When Twin Runes is over you will automatically also know certain mysteries of The Other Script.
"What is The Other Script?"
As of this moment I call The Other Script: "Lost in the In-Between". At its core it's an inverse of Twin Runes. I.e. Kris falling into the underground and being aided by Frisk on their quest to return home. The story is considerably more grounded than Twin Runes and so are the characters. Though they do have their silly moments from time to time. The overall mood of that script is a lot darker in nature and it's a 200+ page passion project of mine.
The script OF The Other Script is not open to the public. Only a select few people have access to it for proof reading.
"What will you do after Twin Runes is over?"
Since I have been talking about The Other Script in the point above, you can be rest assured that this will be my next project.
I can't say when the first pages will be released, but it WON'T be immediately after Twin Runes.
The comic won't have any release schedule unlike Twin Runes.
"Is there x ship in Twin Runes?"
The focus of this story is not on shipping. If it's in the game it will very likely be mentioned or brought up, but that's about it.
"What pronouns do the human children use in this story?"
THEY/THEM FOR ALL OF THEM WITHOUT ANY EXCEPTIONS.
That is what they are in this story. This is not open to interpretation. Please respect that.
If this is a dealbreaker for you, then unfortunately this story is not for you.
"Am I allowed to make fan art/music/videos?"
ABSOLUTELY! You are very welcome to make fan content if you feel like it. Please let me know if you do by tagging me, so I can share it with everyone to see so that you get the appreciation you deserve!
For fan content you are free to use my art for your projects (i.E. thumbnails, covers, stuff like that...)
"Can I use the funny faces you draw for memes or for stuff like memes or for profile pictures?"
That's what they're here for!
"Am I allowed to translate the comic and post the translation to a different site?"
I get asked very often by people who want to translate my comic in different languages, so it's quite hard for me to keep up with who asked for permission or not. This is why the comic is free to translate if you like. All I ask is that you are well-versed in the language you're translating it into and to please link the original work with the proper credit given.
"Am I allowed to dub your comic?"
See the point above. You are free to dub the comic if you like. The same simple rules apply. With ONE important rule you NEED to adhere to...
"If I create content off your comic (dubbing, translations, music, etc...), am I allowed to monetize it?"
NO.
Everything about Twin Runes is NON-PROFIT. Meaning that I don't make any money off this comic either, as it is purely fan content. If I see people making money off my work, I WILL use my right to ask you to remove it.
Asks will open after a new comic has been released. I will queue the questions from Monday until Friday. Once the queue is full, asks will close. Your questions will then be answered over the course of the week.
Try not to submit multiple asks. If necessary, just keep everything in one post.
Keep in mind that I receive AL LOT of asks. There is no guarantee that every question will be answered.
Questions containing spoilers will not be answered on principle. Wouldn't be as fun if the surprise was ruined, right?
Before leaving an ask (mostly for everyone who's new), please make sure to read the FAQ section above. A lot of times your question might have been answered already.
I love memes and dumb jokes as much as the next guy, but try not to spam
It probably goes without saying, but please stay civil. I want to give everyone the respect they deserve, and naturally like to be treated the same way.
Please be mindful about drawing requests. It is understandable if you're eager to see a certain character drawn in my style, but I do not like to be bombarded by requests. The more it happens, the less likely I am to do it. Be kind and ask nicely.
I don't take unsolicited comic ideas.
Don't use other people's posts that I reblogged to ask me questions! It has happened before and I do not wish to see this!-
This isn't an ask blog. The comic has a script that will not deviate. Reader interaction with the characters won't be possible due to the overall "no Player" subplot.
Please do not ask me to put your characters into the story. Like I said, the script is already finished and I'm quite happy with it. Your characters are in better hands with yourself and your own stories. Please have respect for mine.
The following are ref sheets of characters that don't have established Dark World forms yet (as of writing this comic). The list will be updated as soon as a new character enters the Dark World.
Here you will also find references of characters that might appear as surprise cameos, or maybe even completely new faces...
fucks me up that by total coincidence the sun and moon's size difference is exactly matched to their difference in distance from us, thus making our beautiful total solar eclipses where you can see the silver threads of the sun's corona possible because the moon just covers the sun completely
The stars (literally) aligned just right for this experience to be possible. It's likely that aliens don't have this
The moon is also absolutely gargantuan by moon standards. It isn't the largest moon in the solar system, but it is BY FAR the largest in comparison with its planet. Ganymede is the largest satellite of Jupiter and the largest moon in the solar system. Its diameter is only about 3.8% of Jupiter's. Titan's radius is 4.4% of Saturn's. Callisto and Io are the next largest in the neighborhood, with 3.4% and 2.6% the diameter of Jupiter respectively.
Our moon is number 5. It is smaller in direct comparison to the above moons. The diameter of the moon is 3475 km. That is a full 27% of the diameter of the Earth. More than a quarter. That's ridiculous. It's unheard of. The universe is large enough that the word unique probably doesn't mean a lot, but this might be about as close as you get.
This has had a huge impact on our planet. Other things aliens might not have are significant tides. One of Mars's dumpy little potatoes wouldn't be able to move oceans the way our moon does.
Our moon has also stabilized our axis to a massive degree. Without her up there our axis would wobble all over the place and our climate would be far more chaotic. Aliens might not be quite so lucky.
I guess what I am really trying to say is that the moon is extremely cool. I like the moon.
Just want to add that the reason we have such a large moon is because a whole planet crashed into proto-Earth. Theia (the planet) and Earth got so superheated by this collision that their component cores fused and the impact jettisoned a lot of material into space. That massive amount of jettisoned material became our moon. So Earth and the moon have very similar composition. This does not seem to be a common method of lunar formation.
I got a serious beef with the Fermi paradox. There is no Fermi paradox. There stopped being a Fermi paradox once the first radio telescopes went up, and we began to get a true sense of the sheer scale of the universe.
Space is big, empty, and loud. Sunspots can cause enough interference to affect global communications. We’re not even loud enough to talk over our own sun. On our own planet. We can barely communicate with Voyager, and we know exactly where it is and what its signal sounds like.
The Fermi paradox is like doubting the existence of Belfast, because you stood on a windy New York beach shouting towards it and didn’t get an answer.
Emergency cleaning: Unfuck your whole house in the shortest time possible
So, your landlord/parents/home inspector/favorite movie star is dropping by, and your place is a disaster. You don’t have much time to clean it up. You’re in emergency mode. Let’s get started.
Don’t panic. Panic leads to fear, fear leads to procrastination, procrastination leads to the dark side. You can do this, but you have to stay calm.
Unlike maintenance cleaning, we’re not looking to completely unfuck one space at a time. Instead, we want to decrease the overall mess in stages, spread evenly across the whole area that we’re concerned about. If you think your home is at Level 10 filth, we want to bring the whole thing down to a Level 9, and then down from there. One really clean spot in an otherwise messy home is not going to be helpful here.
Get prepared. You’ll want to shut the computer down (or turn the modem off if you need your computer to play music). Trust me. Get your music going. Gather up trash bags, your vacuum and mop, some rags or paper towel, sponges, and other cleaning supplies. Use what you have on hand. Don’t get distracted running to the store and spending an hour browsing cleaning supplies. A multi-purpose cleaning concentrate or a jug of vinegar will be just fine.
Breaks are very important. Depending on your time constraints, work in 20/10s (20 minutes working, 10-minute break) or 45/15s. But take breaks because otherwise you’re marathoning, and marathon cleaning is no one’s friend. Keep hydrated, don’t forget to eat, and check in with yourself frequently to make sure you’re physically doing OK.
Make your bed. This will be your home base if you get overwhelmed or need somewhere clear to take a break.
Start with the garbage. Going from room to room, throw out anything that is obvious trash. Once you fill a bag, take it out. Repeat as many times as necessary.
Move on to dishes. Gather the dishes from all over your house and bring them to the kitchen. If you can, start them soaking in a sink of hot, soapy water or start loading the dishwasher. After the dishes are all in one place, spend one 20/10 getting started getting them under control.
Now it’s time for your flat surfaces. Countertops, tables, dresser tops, etc. Clear them off and wipe them down. Don’t get distracted in too much sorting and organizing. We’re in crisis mode here. There will be time to get in-depth once this is all done. The same applies to cabinets and closets. Unless you have reason to believe people will be opening closed doors, leave these alone for now.
Attack the floordrobe and shoe pile. Get your clothes either put away or in the hamper. Start a load of laundry if you need to, but keep in mind that laundry and dishes have three steps: wash, dry, and put it away, goddammit!
Get random stuff up off the floors. If something is trash-worthy, throw it away now rather than just move it around a bunch of times. Otherwise, put stuff where it belongs.
Take another 20/10 or 45/15 to catch up on more dishes, if needed.
Head into the bathroom. Pour some cleaner in the toilet bowl, fill the sink with hot water and cleaner, and either spray the tub and shower with cleaner, or fill the tub up with some hot water and add cleaner and let it soak. Put everything away that’s out and shouldn’t be, clean the mirror, counters, and toilet seat. Sweep or dry mop the floor. Wipe down the sink and tub/shower, and give the toilet bowl a scrub. Mop the floor.
Sweep and mop the kitchen floor.
Vacuum everything you can, and sweep everything you can’t.
Walk outside of your house (don’t lock yourself out, please). Walk back in and see what catches your eye first. Go and deal with that.
If you’re being inspected or your landlord is coming in for repairs, spend time on whatever area they’ll be focusing on.
Give the whole place one more once-over and pay attention to anything you’ve missed so far.
It’s an old trick, but if your place is a little funky-smelling, put a pan of water on the stove on low heat and add some citrus or cinnamon or vanilla. Don’t leave it unattended or forget about it.
Take a shower, put on something clean, and eat something.
You can do this. It’s overwhelming, yes, but it is not impossible. You just need to do it. You have a list. You have directions. You have a whole bunch of Internet strangers who have been there before and who are cheering you on. You can do this, but you need to get started.
