What inspired you for the dib esp au?
*cracks knuckles* TIME TO INFODUMP AND RECOMMEND YALL SOME SHIT
There were a few things that inspired me when it comes to this AU, tbh!
The biggest inspiration was from my all-time favorite anime, Mob Psycho 100. Not only is the anime itself absolutely gorgeous, the themes and topics presented there are such a contrast to your typical anime. Sensitive topics such as abuse, trauma, mental/emotional health, suicide, and bullying are tackled in a realistic and careful way, and I honestly rewatch the entire series at least once a month. I can't recommend it enough!
The next biggest inspiration came from the Gaelic mythos itself, as well as information my Wicca friends shared with me. I'm getting into Wicca and Paganism myself, and the things my Wicca friends shared with me were absolutely incredible. I ended up digging deeper into the Gaelic folklore and beliefs myself and stumbled across tales like 'Tam Lin' and 'Cu Chulainn' and while I write, I have like 30 different tabs open to websites and videos and myths on Fae lore. I'm still learning about it, but I've always been deeply fascinated by belief systems other than the one I was raised in and I'll probably still be studying folklore and beliefs when I'm 90. I always love hearing about other belief systems as well (no offense to my Christian followers, but the Christian one is honestly the most boring and prejudiced one) so if you ever feel like infodumping about your own, or one that interests you, my inbox is always open!
On a smaller scale, yet still relevant, the third inspiration for the AU was a fanfic for BNHA called 'know what i've made by the marks on my hands'. The author doesn't seem to be into BNHA anymore, but the few chapters they've uploaded for this fic are absolutely phenomenal- from the foreboding and otherwordly atmosphere, to the horror aspects, to the vivid descriptions, this fic is in a league of its own. Even if you're not into BNHA, this fic is worth a read.