Inspired by Somie's comic, though there's another idea I wanted to explore.
Sooo I've played the 5th chapter, and I have thoughts. Not a coherent analysis per se but... thoughts.
Something something the real villain of this chapter was amatonormativity of it all. How suffocatingly normative the festival felt... How all attractions were for two, "King and Queen" voting even though everyone in Hometown knows Nonbinary People Exist... The norms and expectations of romance immediately puts on not even knowing how it works and why it works...
When your closest friend in the world makes you a lesser priority for a new romantic partner, because it's "normal" and expected. Romance is more than friendship, after all. So this black hole in your chest and jealousy and feelings of loss are wrong and should be dealt with👍.
Does anyone else think that there's something fundamentally broken in this system or is it just me?
I'm not blaming any of the characters, hell no. They're trying their best. It's just these romantic norms... They feel almost just as oppressive as the prophecy itself. "Love will find its way to the girl" as in you don't have a choice, you WILL find your "right one", you WILL marry and be each others' only ones forever till you die, you WILL walk this road because it's NORMAL and what EVERYONE does.
Who is this spectacle even for? Noelle "Let's do something crazy" Holiday, who is in love with Suzie BECAUSE she is so not-normal, breaking rules and feels like FREEDOM? Suzie who is holding the white pen of hope? Who's hoping to save the world and be happy with her friends forever?
What the prophecy seems to imply is that this LOVE that the girl finds will be a mechanism of proceeding with the narrative --> Kris pulling away from friends and sticking to the evil shelter groupchat to reenact the prophecy further.
Y'all. You're not gonna break the prophecy until you break those stupid social norms and find a way for EVERY team member to feel loved and wanted.
Abigail Jill Harding and Richard Starkings return to ASK FOR MERCY, their creator-owned series that debuted on Comixology Originals!
WHITBY GOTH WEEKEND ASKS FOR MERCY!
Every year, members of the Goth community dress up in their finest dark romantic regalia and descend upon the North Yorkshire port town of Whitby, long associated with the Legend of Dracula, Lord of the Vampires.
Come with us to Whitby Abbey and join our Victorian themed Vampire Weekend Warriors alongside Richard Starkings and Abigail Jill Harding, creators of the ComiXology Originals hit digital comic book series ASK FOR MERCY.
Mechanic (Demeas)- Demeas, son of Democrates, was born and raised in Syracuse. He comes from a long line of intellectuals and inventors. He sawed off his arm and replaced it with a complicated prosthetic to prove a point. Demeas is a hard worker and often loses track of time while working on his projects. He is friendly when around people and likes to cook for his teammates. He, Taran, and Haribert work together a lot and bond over a shared love of science. He wears light, loose-fitting clothing since his role has little combat. He wears a sundial that was passed down through the generations. When I drew him with a beard, I did not intend for him to look like Socrates, but here we are.
Spear bearer (Menecreates)- Menecreates left his mother and sisters in Mytilene to earn some money and kill people. His spears are heavy, and he takes care of (and names) each one. He is soft spoken and intelligent, but also violent. His shield serves as decoration more than protection. He works well with most of the other mercs and tolerates Ireneus. He spends his free time polishing his spears or talking with Haribert. His father was killed in the Mytilenean revolt, and he feels a sense of responsibility to protect his family. His dialect is very different from the more "central" ones the others have, which causes some language barrier.
Observer- The observer is an Athenian spy. He does not share personal information. He is one of the more isolated group members, and he has no problem with that. He wears fine linen and soft leather sandals that allow him to move quietly. He used to wear lots of oils and perfumes, but had to stop because enemies could smell him before he could backstab them. He relies on a small dagger to get the job done. In terms of relationships, he has more enemies than friends. He has a little in common with Haribert and Demeas, and sometimes fraternizes with them. He butts heads with Ireneus a lot.
Chemist (Taran)- As a chemist, Taran uses his knowledge to create various combustible substances and brew beer. He lost his eye in an explosion, but he is still just as dangerous without depth perception. He wears bronze armor, a tunic, and a cape, which is a lot for the Mediterranean, but he looks cool, and that's all that really matters. He is friendly with the enemy hoplite and often sneaks out to hang out with him.
Surgeon (Haribert Hludwig)- Haribert came from Germania to study Greek forms of medicine, and also to flee the penalties for medical malpractice. He wears a cloak and chiton, which he dries his hands on, but in the cases where he goes on the battlefield, he wears more protective armor. Since this is taking place (very roughly) around the 400 bcs and Archimedes (the person) lived around 200 years later, Archimedes (the dove) is not named after him. It's just a coincidence. Medic's prescription is pretty low, so he doesn't wear glasses, even though Demeas offered. He is happy just to experiment in his iatreion, tend to the doves, or chat with Menecreates.
Archer (Milon)- Milon was abandoned by his Cretan parents and found and raised by a Spartan couple. They tried their best to raise him as a hoplite, but his Cretan aim prevailed. He is patient and cautious in battle, which translates to his behavior out of battle. He and Ireneus "hang out" often, which basically constitutes Ireneus running around while Milon whittles. He is polite with the rest of the team. He and his parents exchange letters often. They don't agree with his lifestyle, but they love him nonetheless. He usually wears light linen and leather boots, given that he is a ranged fighter and there is less of a need for heavy armor. He has a water bladder for various liquids.
Foot soldier (Irene)- Irene is a Spartan hoplite. He was actually born underweight, and his parents abandoned him. Despite that, he somehow survived and became a Spartan hoplite. He has brain damage from past head trauma and other psychological issues, which have a huge impact on his personal relationships. He also has ear damage. He surprisingly gets along well with the other mercs, so long as they keep telling him that they are Spartans. He wears heavy armor, which is both protection and a symbol of honor. He rarely takes his helmet off, and he even sleeps in it sometimes.
Courier (Ireneus)- Ireneus has an Athenian father and a Corcyrean mother. He doesn't know his father's identity, only that he is Athenian, which he resents. He prides himself on his "λαγνεία βόμβος" tattoo, which he bears in honor of his idol Timaeus Jonas. He wears two small sticks with unique notches as a form of identification, aka dog tags. He doesn't wear shoes (against the Observer's demands) since footwear gives him blisters.
Fire-bearer- The fire-bearer wears a Greek chorus mask and bandages, either to hide nasty burn scars or their identity. No one on the team knows where they came from or their name. They (mis)use an incense burner by swinging it in a way to oxygenate the flames. They stick close to Irene and Ireneus, but are not at all opposed to playing with the other mercs or bothering the Observer.
I pumped this out pretty quickly, but I'm happy to answer questions/just talk about the au!! I understand that there are some inaccuracies, some of those are intentional. I'm really excited about this...
I should finish the side characters' designs today or tomorrow.
