[Image Description: A poster featuring several characters in a group shot. At the bottom is Faolan, a person with long dark hair and lighter streaks, holding a set of cards in one hand and staring at the viewer with a serious expression. Behind them, his hands on their arms and a grin on his face, is Viorel, a person with pointed ears, long black hair, large wings, and a tufted tail coiling around Faolan. Behind them are The Pilot, a pale-skinned woman with black hair in a ponytail and dark scars across her face; The Scientist, a medium-skinned woman with black eyes, fluffy white hair, and a wide grin; and The Artist, a dark-skinned woman with a blindfold over her eyes and a neutral smile. Finally, in the background, is a set of glowing blue eyes and a pair of large hands reaching out towards them all. The image is in blue-tinted greyscale aside from Faolan’s eyes, the cards they are holding, and the eyes glowing in the background. End ID.]
Wanted to draw a poster for my baby Faolan!! I was originally planning to do a group shot with all the characters in their story, but that was a bit too much for me asdfjkl; So I decided to do Faolan, their buddy Viorel, and the antagonists <3
ohho yes!!! since you sent three, you will get three (3) inspiration story things. yes :3c
Ink is originally inspired by the TV show The Finder and my desire to make a blatant ripoff of it that would fix a lot of the problems I have with it overall.
Faolan Matei is originally inspired by the horror game Inscryption! Which is probably a bit more obvious than some of the other ones here, considering their storyline is still centered around that base premise.
Salem Loveless is originally inspired by the character of Lazari from Infected Town Case Files! She was originally created to have a storyline that mirrors Lazari's in many ways, though over time she's changed quite a bit.
For the oc asks, 28 for Faolan! If they had to make a PowerPoint on something random, what would it be?
Okay I'm so sorry I forgot to answer this ASDFJKL; but anyway! Yes! Faolan my beloved!
I had to put a decent amount of thought into this one! But after some Deliberation™ I think Faolan would make a powerpoint about their favorite bands, over-analyzing their favorite songs from each. I think they'd be a big fan of Fall Out Boy, so just imagine them frantically over-explaining Fall Out Boy's entire discography
Hi! Umm 10, 12, 17, & 29 for that OC ask meme for any character(s) you're currently rotating in your mind, and if there aren't any, thennn . . . the Roach polycule bc I love them. ^^
ohoho!!!! hello yes thank you!!! i do have a few characters i am rotating in my mind but,,,,,, the temptation to talk about the Roach Polycule,,,,,,,,
ok i think i will be The Most Insufferable and answer these for both the Roach Polycule and the character on my mind the most right now, my baby Faolan! :) Yeah
Putting this under the cut in case this gets long
What is their most useless skill?
Roach - Roach's most useless skill is that they can do a cartwheel. They took gymnastics a little as a kid and that's the one thing they retained.
Oliver - Oliver is the kind of person who can perfectly time his naps. If he says he's going to take a nap for 20 minutes, he'll be done in 20 minutes.
Vincent - Vincent can whistle! He likes to whistle when he cleans or does other tasks that he can zone out during.
Faolan - I don't know if this necessarily counts as useless, but Faolan has really good reflexes and can almost always catch anything you throw at them, provided it's not too heavy.
What do they wear to sleep?
Roach - Roach usually just wears a t-shirt and shorts to sleep if they actually remember to change into pajamas. Most of the time, they just conk out in whatever they were wearing that day.
Oliver - Oliver likes to wear nice, comfortable sleep pants when he goes to bed <3 If it's cold, he'll also wear an old t-shirt, but if it's hot he'll just sleep shirtless.
Vincent - Vincent is pretty similar to Roach in that, sometimes, he'll just sleep in whatever he was wearing that day. However, he USUALLY tries to change into a sleep-shirt and pants. Usually.
Faolan - Faolan has a nice tunic and pair of pants that they wear to sleep, though they also more often than not fall asleep in their dayclothes.
Do they talk to themselves when they’re alone? When they’re with others?
Roach - Oh, yeah, Roach talks to themself all the time when they're alone, and sometimes even with others. They're the reigning monarch of Monologue Mountain.
Oliver - He talks to himself sometimes when he's alone, but he gets self-conscious about it when others are around. Still, Roach has rubbed off on him, and he's done it more often since getting to know them.
Vincent - Vincent really doesn't tend to talk to himself, at least not out loud.
Faolan - Faolan talks to themself pretty much all the time, though they try to do it quietly because they get very self-conscious.
Do they take their coffee/tea in a fun mug? If so, what is it?
Roach - Roach has probably at least ten different fun mugs that they take their coffee in. Their favorite one says "#1 Dad."
Oliver - Oliver has a few fun mugs, but not nearly as many as Roach. His favorite one is one that his auntie got him! It's shaped like a kitty cat.
Vincent - Vincent doesn't really have a lot of fun mugs, but he does have a "women want me, fish fear me" one Roach gave him as a gag gift once. He tells himself he's using it out of spite.
Faolan - Faolan doesn't really have any fun mugs to take their tea in. I think the closest they have is a mug with the name of their high school on it. They'd probably appreciate a silly/cute mug, though.
no one asked but i’m gonna share my Top Ten Faolan Songs™ and the lyrics from each of them that fit faolan the most (faolan being one of my OCs, for those who don’t know <3)
Far Too Young to Die by Panic! At the Disco
“I've never so adored you
I'm twisting allegories now
I want to complicate you
Don't let me do this to myself“
Rule #21 - Momento Mori by Fish in a Birdcage
“My brain was cynical
Inside this massive hole
And then it swallowed me
I never wanted to sleep“
Tongues & Teeth by The Crane Wives
“And I know that you mean so well
But I am not a vessel for your good intent
I will only break your pretty things
I will only wring you dry of everything“
In Fact by Gregory and the Hawk
“And nothing is sweeter than needed revenge
Oh, that's right
I did nothing
And you were the mean one“
Runs in the Family by Amanda Palmer
“Me?
Well, I'm well
Well, I mean I'm in hell
Well, I still have my health
(At least that's what they tell me)“
Pioneers by The Lighthouse and The Whalers
“Hold on, I feel like you're a little bit too far away
And I remember the beginning, how it was
With your hands on my shoulders, oh my
I hope it never ends“
Rainbow Veins by Owl City
“Cheer up and dry your damp eyes, and tell me when it rains
And I'll blend up that rainbow above you and shoot it through your veins
'Cause your heart has a lack of colour and we should've known
That we'd grow up sooner or later, 'cause we wasted all our free time alone“
Nightmare by Neffex
“when people ask how I’m doing ive never been better
that’s really not a conversation I’m willing to enter
how come we all continue forcing out all of this pressure
I’m just sick of these opinions and all of these lectures“
Monsters by All Time Low
“Why am I a sucker for all your lies?
Strung out like laundry on every line
Why do I come back to you
Like I don't mind if you fuck up my life?“
Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths
“You crave the applause yet hate the attention
Then miss it, your act is a ruse
It is empty, Achilles, so end it all now
It's a pointless resistance for you“
Okay I said I was gonna post this earlier but then I got really tired and took a nap </3
Anyway uhhh I wanted to share a plan/script I wrote up for a PMV I’d like to maybe try and make with my OC Faolan and their story! Now that I’ve mostly figured out how I want to write their story, I’ve been going monkey feral thinking about them.
Now, I say I want to make this, but I did the math and this would take,,,,, about 87 drawings. Even if they’re just sketches..... hoo boy.
Okay so uhh context: Faolan is the apprentice of a mage named Everard, and their story centers around them trying to free Everard from a pact with a demon named The Collector by beating the demon at a game of cards. However, on the way they discover Everard is not the only one trapped--another person trapped is Phi, Everard’s child and former apprentice. Long story short, Everard was an incredibly shitty parent, and it’s her fault that pretty much all the spirits are trapped by the demon, including Phi and Faolan.
Content Warnings: There’s no visual depictions as this is just a script, but there are mentions of eye trauma, suicide/self harm (mainly in the lyrics themselves, though), and blood. Please tread lightly. Also there are references/implications of Everard being an abusive piece of shit.
Actual script under the cut b/c this is long </3
Song Link: [here]
Style Notes: The whole PMV should be done in a sketchy style with a limited color palette. Probably just greys with black sketching, aside from important colors, which will be noted as they appear. There will be no animation or lip-syncing, and at most a character’s mouth will be open to indicate that they are talking.
Characters: Faolan and Everard, with appearances from the others (primarily as silhouettes)
[Opening (0:00-0:05)] - As the clock ticks, open with a profile view shot of Faolan and Everard standing a few feet apart. Faolan’s shoulders are hunched and they are looking down, facing away from Everard. Everard doesn’t look deterred, though, and has a gentle smile on her face. It should be noted that Faolan looks disheveled while Everard is neat and clean.
We're finally free - Close-up shot of Everard’s smile. Her mouth is open as she speaks, and she looks relieved.
Welcome home - Same shot as previous, but Everard’s eyes fall closed and her shoulders fall a little. She looks even more relieved.
It's just you and me now - A close-up shot of Faolan’s face, mostly hidden by shadow and their hair falling in front of their eyes.
Standing alone - Zoom out to the first shot again, with an emphasis on how empty their surroundings are. They’re essentially standing in an empty void.
The world is ours - Another shot of Everard’s pleasant smile, though this time her eyes are open.
No, it isn't - Cut to a shot of Faolan’s face, the same close-up as before. Their left eye is visible now, and they look angry.
Get in the car - Back to Everard’s face. She looks taken aback and a little angry now.
This isn't finished - Back to Faolan’s face. They’ve turned to face Everard and now there’s a fire in their eyes. Their right eye is now visible and glowing blue.
What? - Final close-up on Everard’s expression, looking shocked and angry, as though she can’t believe Faolan would talk back to her.
Even though the kid's dead - A shot of a playing card held loosely in Faolan’s hand. The card depicts an elk, but it looks like the card has been torn to pieces and crudely pieced back together. The elk also looks like it’s in pain.
I'm still seeing red - A shot of Faolan’s face as they look down at the card, a confused and pained expression on their face. Their left eye is glowing blue and has trickles of a dark substance dribbling from it.
I'm just a shell of his form - A shot of Phi and Everard standing together, silhouetted against a light grey background. Even as a silhouette, Everard looks proud of herself, while Phi looks defeated.
That his innocence shed - Same shot, but in Phi’s place is a silhouette of Faolan, looking similarly defeated.
He lived a good life and he gave it to you - Everard looks unnerved but is clearly trying to dismiss Faolan. Her smile is completely gone now and her eyes are closed as she waves a hand in Faolan’s direction.
Oh, is that right? - Half-body shot of Faolan from the waist-up, sneering at Everard as they cross their arms. Their right eye is glowing blue.
You know it's not true - Faolan’s expression hardens, and they narrow their eyes even more.
Look at him showered - The playing card from earlier, featuring the elk, but now it is lying in pieces on a wooden table. Though it’s just a drawing on a card, the elk looks to be in pain.
In blood and flowers - Now the card has been repaired into the state it was in in the first shot it appeared, but the elk still looks to be in pain as it rests next to other cards depicting other animals--specifically a jackal and a boar.
Now look in my eyes - Close-up shot of Faolan’s eyes, which are both pink. This is before they receive their spectral eye. They look terrified.
She still holds the power - Same shot, but now Faolan looks resigned and tired, and their right eye has bright blue markings in the iris.
After years and tears - A silhouette shot of Phi sitting at the table, staring down at a blank playing card with tears rolling down their cheeks. The tears should be the only color against the silhouette.
And confronting his fears - Phi looks up at something off-screen, and their eyes become visible. Or, rather, their eye--their right eye is now gone, though there’s no blood or gore or anything.
He's dead on his record - Now it’s clear what Phi was looking at: The Collector is sitting across from them, represented as a cloud of shadow with four glowing blue eyes and a single hand extended towards them.
For the world to hear - Same shot as before, but Phi disappears and is replaced with Faolan, who is not a silhouette and is staring determinedly at The Collector.
And they'll all think - A shot of a framed photograph of Phi, but the glass is shattered and Phi’s face has been scratched out.
That it was suicide - A shot of Faolan holding the frame and staring down at it, their brow furrowed. A silhouette of Phi stands behind them, expression mournful.
But Christie I know - Back to the present--here’s a shot of Faolan, who is glaring at Everard with a snarl on their face.
It was you inside - A shot of Everard looking shocked at the words Faolan is saying to her, her eyes wide and her mouth turned down in a frown.
I saved him - A silhouette shot of Everard with her arm around Phi’s shoulders. The scene is in black and grey, except for the eyes and the glowing amulet around Phi’s neck.
I held him - A close-up shot of silhouette hands holding the amulet. The amulet is the only colored thing in the scene and glows red.
'Til the moment he died - As the speaker’s voice begins to distort and glitch, the shot of the hands holding the amulet changes, and now the amulet is cracked with bright red liquid leaking from it. It should look a lot like blood.
You choked him out of his own - A profile shot of Faolan yelling at Everard with tears in their eyes. Behind them is a silhouette of Phi, who stares blankly upward with tears rolling down their cheeks. The amulet is still around their neck, glowing a faint red.
Goddamn mind - The same shot as previously, but Phi seems to ‘glitch’ into the form of an elk with a too-long neck as the amulet shatters.
You promised the world to him - A shot of Everard smiling brightly towards the viewer (Phi), holding a hand out in their direction.
A goddamn lie - The shot becomes distorted and Everard becomes a silhouette, her smile growing cruel and mocking.
What do you want from me? - A profile shot of Everard looking aghast as she yells at Faolan.
Oh, look outside yourself - A profile shot of Faolan sneering at Everard, clearly sick and tired of her shit.
[Silence] - In the brief pause, Everard glares at Faolan, looking affronted and disgusted.
I won't help you take her down - Same shot, but Everard’s eyes narrow and she opens her mouth as though she is speaking.
Fine - A shot of Faolan’s face as they sneer back at Everard.
I'll do it by myself - Faolan turns away from Everard and begins walking away, cards in hand.
You don't need it - A shot of Everard calling after Faolan, trying to stop them. Her expression is frantic, desperate as she is to regain control of the situation.
Oh, I know that I need it - Faolan turns and looks back at Everard over their shoulder, still pissed and disgusted.
She's been gone for years - A shot of Everard’s face, looking almost hopeful as she continues speaking.
I know you can beat it - Everard’s eyes fall closed and she looks almost proud.
No, look in the mirror - Faolan turns fully back to face Everard, jabbing a finger into her chest as they yell at her.
You know we both fear her - A close-up shot of Faolan’s furious expression--behind them is the cloud of shadows that represents The Collector.
We're one in the same - For a moment, Faolan disappears, replaced with Phi, who is making the same expression as they yell at their mother. The Collector is still looming behind them.
We're afraid to be near her - Phi’s remaining eye falls closed and tears begin to fall down their face, but they still look angry.
We utter the name - Back to Faolan, who has turned away from Everard and taken a couple steps away from her. This is a profile shot of them, their shoulders hunched as they stare down at their hands.
With our spirits defeated - A shot of Faolan’s hands, clenched into fists. Spectral shackles appear around Faolan’s wrists for a moment, only to disappear at the word “defeated.”
But you let me kill him - Faolan whips around to face Everard again, tears flowing freely now even as they scream angrily.
You're worse than Juanita - Behind Faolan, The Collector appears once more, a cloud of shadows with glowing blue eyes.
I told you to end it - A shot of Everard facing the viewer (Faolan), her expression desperate. It seems like she’s trying to calm them down, but she knows it isn’t working. Her eyes are wide and her mouth is open slightly.
It was all for the best - Everard’s mouth opens a little wider and her eyes narrow a little.
So I have you to blame for this pain in my chest - A shot of Faolan staring directly at the viewer (Everard), a furious and pained expression on their face. Their right eye is closed and they’re holding a hand over it, dark red blood (the only color in the shot) seeping from between their fingers and down their hand.
No! - A close-up of Everard’s face in the same position, but instead of angry Everard just looks devastated and shocked. It’s as though the truth of her actions is only just settling in.
If you won't go I will - A shot of Faolan turning away from Everard, their eyes down and their expression shadowed as they stride away from him. She’s reaching after them as though to stop them, but they pay her no mind.
To avenge the lost soul I killed - A close-up shot of Everard’s face in profile view, looking stricken and suddenly regretful.
You're filling your heart up with hate - The same shot as previous, but Everard’s mouth is open to indicate that she’s speaking.
All the same (no!) - Faolan holding their head in their hands, their eyes screwed shut and expression pained. All around them are silhouettes of other spirits trapped by The Collector, reaching towards them and growing closer.
As the kid (no!) - A brief shot of silhouettes of Phi and Lycus sitting and smiling together, holding hands. Their faces are scribbled out with white.
That you just left (no!) - Everard, who is not a silhouette, suddenly appears, catching Phi and Lycus. Even as a silhouette, Everard’s expression should be furious. Phi and Lycus look terrified.
Face down on the (no!) - A close-up of Everard’s furious expression.
Pavement! (Save it!) - A shot of Faolan screaming with their head in their hands, their hair billowing around them as they’re surrounded with magical energy. The silhouettes that had been growing closer disappear.
It's time I made a statement - Faolan stands shakily, looking at one of their hands, which is holding the deck of cards. Their mouth is open as if they are speaking.
A pity the city has ruined us - Same shot, but Faolan’s eyes fall closed.
We could've fooled Hollywood - A shot of two silhouettes meant to represent Faolan and Everard, looking at each other with smiles on their faces. It’s clear this took place many years ago, as they both look much younger.
Just the two of us - A close-up shot of Faolan’s happy, smiling face in the silhouette.
But Juanita has made a fool of us - Return to the present as the shot face fades from the silhouette to the real Faolan, who looks sad, angry, and determined.
You're lost - A close-up shot of Everard as she sneers back at Faolan, trying to dismiss them, but it’s clear she’s been shaken by their words.
One, two, three, four - Flash silhouettes of the other spirits being held by The Collector, with their animal counterparts behind them. All of them are pure black aside from their eyes. In order: Lycus (the jackal, whose eyes are gold), Valentine (the dove, whose eyes are green), Nessa (the gecko, whose eyes are white), and Phi (the elk, whose eye is orange).
Is this what love is really for? - A shot of Faolan sitting at The Collector’s table, holding cards in their hand. They look battered and beaten down, and their hands are tense as they hold the cards. Still, they look determined.
Is this all I get for being yours? - A shot of the cards in Faolan’s hands, each one representing an animal. There’s a jackal, a dove, a gecko, an elk (the same card as earlier, now repaired), and a boar.
The kid in front of me in blood and gore - A profile view of the first shot, with Faolan staring ahead. In front of them is The Collector, represented once again as a cloud of shadow.
Five, six, seven, eight - Flash silhouettes of the spirits Faolan has had to battle against to save everyone. All are black and white. In order: The Artist (standing elegantly and holding a paintbrush), The Scientist (posed as though she is cackling), The Pilot (standing stiffly and at attention), and The Collector themself (represented as just a pair of hands reaching towards the viewer.)
Years put to waste for all I hate - A shot of a photograph of a young Phi being held by Everard. They both look happy and are laughing, but Phi’s face is scratched out.
They'll all know Juanita's fate - Another shot of the photograph, but it’s torn down the middle, separating Everard and Phi.
That show's about to start - A close-up shot of Faolan’s face, their spectral eye glowing blue as they stare determinedly offscreen. In one hand, they hold their deck of cards.
Don't be late - A final shot of Everard staring after them as they leave.
I started working on a poster thing for Faolan's story but lost a lot of steam while refining the thumbnail </3 I'm gonna try and work on this more today tho!!
Characters featured here, from left to right and top to bottom: Xaeson, The Pilot, The Scientist, The Artist, Faolan, Viorel.
I'm a curious anon! tell me something about your story/characters pls!
hi hello there, anon!!! thank you for the question, this is incredibly sweet ♥ hmm..... okay, the story i have on the brain the MOST atm is cudaas, but i've been thinking a little about my baby faolan today so i'll tell you a bit about them! :D
so! faolan is an OC inspired by the horror game Inscryption, but i kinda just took the initial premise of that game and ran with it so very little of that game's actual lore is present here.
anyway faolan is a magician's apprentice who, when they were younger, lost their master under mysterious circumstances. they searched for him for almost ten years, and eventually they found him; unfortunately, he'd become trapped by a powerful demon named xaeson, and to free him faolan would need to beat xaeson in a simple game of cards.
except, faolan lost.
now, faolan is trapped by the same demon, playing cards against them until they either win or give up and accept their fate. the only thing keeping faolan going is their optimism and determination, but they've been at it for five years, poor thing,,,,
i've gone back and forth for a while on how i want to tell faolan's story, or if i even WANT to try and write up the whole thing, but it's something i think about from time to time <3 even if i go a while without thinking of them, they're my baby
if i do write up the full thing, faolan's story focuses a LOT on the idea that your heroes will almost always fail you in some way and you have to come to terms with that. 'cause uh,,,,, faolan's master turns out to be a pretty awful person.
