TLDR: MJR ghost feels like he’s being abandoned by his friends, and believes he’s the reason they’re getting sick and falling. Cue angry depression. Meets Alphys in a mostly canon way, human/anime forum online, but refuses to meet her irl without barriers (BOX). She later shows him the Amalgamates, which she views as failures, but he views them as successes. They’re alive, aren’t they? Surely this determination serum would’ve work if I hadn’t previously infected them. They build EX together and use him like a giant test tube, feeding him amalgam discard to see if they can produce antibodies (can’t because he isn’t actually sick). Canon Asgore plan, MJR pretends to be a working artificial soul and core protector. < Current end time stamp. When a Player comes through on a pacifist route, NEO erupts as a desperate attempt to make sure his new friend doesn’t leave him again. Genocide route is typical, Player needs to be stopped before they kill anyone else.
Is it even a tldr if it’s still kinda long… “Abridged version” is more fitting, perhaps.
Idk his ghost name yet, Major is his robot name (for now). I’m sure I could add more scarecrow/explicit skull kid imagery but mm. The abandonment of the giants + Majora imagery is what I have for now. Also adding to this blurb half way through, where tf did the transgender go. Grrr…
Hmmm I am thinking… Major is somehow friendly with the amalgamate victims before and as they become sick and disappear. But as they disappear, he gets an “I am the cause of their sickness” complex and isolates himself heavily. Loved being friendly, was nervous, but still. Ghosts can’t die so it’s not completely irrational to think that he’s some rare disease carrier that doesn’t affect him but is devastating to corporeal life. Hashtag A Host <3
Enters a very angry depression. Why did they leave me, why didn’t they tell me, what did I do wrong, why do I make everyone around me sick, etc. Becomes reactive at home so the other blooks also just. Leave him alone to wait it out. Abandonment again and againnn (but not really because he still has his folks checking in on him, but he just stops responding). Maybe runs away from home for some time, idk yet.
Meets Alphys in a similar way to canon. Major is so removed from meeting other monsters irl because of his “contamination” that he goes to online forums that are separated from monster kind. Human/anime fan club :]]. Craves a connection but refuses to meet her without some kind of barrier. This likely leads to mtt box form + their deal for Asgore’s plans (underground defending/child killing robot/proof of an “artificial soul” (but he really wanted to die at the time bc he was “killing all his friends already,” so he wouldn’t have minded sacrificing himself Real Style to break the barrier)). Is extremely sweet to Alphys, like she’s in hospice care. Yk the episode of spongebob where squidward has a lovely “last day” with him because they think sponge ate a pie-shaped bomb and is going to die? Yeah. It’s her timer ticking down because surely this metal casing isn’t enough to contain my poison. He knows he will kill her eventually (incorrect boy you are not sick, just very miserable).
Okay then obviously he has his little shows and fun on stage. Major thinly views himself as some sort of criminal, infecting poor innocent monsters n such, so the showman persona is a mask until it isn’t. This persona is the metaphorical illness of the Majora chest plate, infecting him and completely changing his personality. Taking advantage of his awful mental state to make him powerful (self sacrificial/vessel). The chest plate isn’t a separate entity in this case tho, just a physical + metaphorical weight on his chest from the guilt of his friends “dying.” This guilt becomes manic once he gets to meet the Almalgamates, his old friends.
Although Alphys’s thing is that she’s hiding her failures from their families, Major views these as successes. They are alive! Surely they would’ve been normal again after the determination injection if I didn’t infect them first! Dissect me, doctor, so we can find the roots of our failures. My life is in your hands, make of me what you will (new body wip!!!). Combine our test tubes to create and isolate antibodies, make them whole again, I lay my life in your hands.
THE TUBES. Would be Majors actual chest tubing. The horns of the mask chest plate are tubes. So he effectively consumes parts of his old friends, the discard that drips off of them. Yk how when you get a big ass vaccine and it makes you so tired and sick for a few days after as your body fights the live virus? Especially being corporeal now, he is full robot mode and runs off of a lot of electricity and not just his ghost puppeteering the body. This weight and sluggishness does not lessen his guilt, but he doesn’t realize that until it later hashtag panic attacks and that rolling boil depression creeping back in. This is the current state, where a Frisk-like player would meet him and get past him.
I think the both of them believe Major is sick until their amalgam experiments lead to nothing. Then the finality of “we need to tell the families” feels like another death/abandonment to Major because I’m another one of her regrets and guilts and she’ll bury me soon. Will she tell the families about my involvement? Do I want her to? The end of their secret little play date. Are the amalgams kept in the lab after their families are told??? If not, boom Major losing his friends again.
Guhh I need to design box + neo. I have ideas for neo, whip-like arms, amalgam acid starting to corode his body (canon very low defense, very high attack) since neo takes up way more electricity than box/ex. Maybe scary moon face (corrosion would lend to this).
Him getting his ass kicked by The Player as ex in a pacifist route and going “you’re going to leave me, too? My new friend.? …I won’t let you,” and becomes NEO out of desperation.
I find the ending for Jax’s character extremely bold. I was never a huge fan of him personally, but I understood his role as a character and plot mover. TADC finale spoilers below the cut :-)
I find that Jax using Ribbit as a pseudo-suicide kinda thing very interesting, and how it’s shown that he is the direct reason that Ribbit abstracts. I know abstraction isn’t a direct 1:1 of death by suicide, there’s a lot of vague nuance, but Jax externalizing his femininity into the bow, handing it off, and then cutting it off from everyone is a really interesting depiction. He doesn’t have to worry about others seeing that part of him (even though his room looks Like That) because he gave that to Ribbit. In trusting him, she got to see the worst of his mental health and became the load bearing support beam of Jax. Jax “killing” Ribbit was like him thinking he had an infection in his arm, sawing it off, and then being surprised by phantom pains. Your problems don’t go away when they “disappear.” Since entering the Circus, all Jax did was cause himself and others pain, and it’s awful to watch /pos.
I genuinely wonder how that scene would’ve gone if Kaufmo hadn’t interrupted. Would that snap up happen eventually? Would it have been kept only between Ribbit and Jax? Would he even think to tell the others? Very interesting. Though I don’t necessarily plan on rewatching it, I wonder if there’s more “bow of burden/baton pass” imagery/metaphors throughout the show. Also, a moment to appreciate Gangle not crying for him, and acknowledging the guilt that comes with that.
Also taking a second to remind y’all that there is NEVER a good time to reach out to your suicidal friends. They might be having an awful day or an easy day, but there’s a good chance they will not tell you, so you need to reach out or meet them half way. Pomni not saying anything when Jax finally approached felt like a gut punch (felt really out of character too but anyways). As people, silence feels like rejection, so already doing something as difficult as reaching out (especially for Jax) and being met with nothing feels like encouragement + solidification of those “(suicide) is the right choice, they don’t want me here” thoughts.
I’ve seen a couple people complain about not getting to see Jax’s abstraction actually happen, how it was just cut to.
1.) Wrong, we saw the process in an earlier episode, with all the fractals and him reaching out to Ribbit in the corner. His door got knocked on and he snapped out of it.
2.) As people who never truly knew Jax, I don’t think we, the audience, deserve to see it. He wouldn’t want us to know, anyways. It fits.
3.) As an allegory for suicide, fun fact, people like to be alone to do it. It’s not always some grand event that gets walked in on and stopped and hugged and promised away (very satisfying that Pomni reaching out Did Not Fix Him, to me at least). While there were plenty of signs leading up to it, there’s not always a goodbye before suicide/death/abstraction. It’s just something that happens.
Overall, an enjoyable series. There’s definitely more to say about it, but eh, maybe I’ll poke around it some more on a later date.
Hell is exceptionally hotter than Earth’s average surface, our broiling mantel keeping souls churning through their cycle.
With that being said, the transition from Hell to Earth can be quite traumatic. As a natural defense, a Ghoul’s body will produce a thick layer of soot to aid in the temperature adjustment. This initial thick soot keeps the hellfire trapped in and slowly disperses it, easing a Ghoul into Earth’s comparably freezing temperatures.
Once their internal temperature has stabilized, this protective, clay-like Ghoul coating is safe to be removed.* Ghouls will continue to produce this natural soot, in the same way humans will produce oil and sweat. It’s used for heat retention in minor bouts.
They will bake themselves in the sun, which accelerates the production of soot. This dense, dark coating draws in more heat, and keeps it trapped inside substantially longer than a freshly cleaned Ghoul.
*This newborn soot retains its hellfire properties, and is commonly mixed into clergy paints, as additional scent-based protection.
Once again bringing up one of the definitions of Ghoul: “an evil spirit or phantom, especially one supposed to rob and feed on dead bodies.”
Less hunters, more scavengers.* They’re grave robbers, and I think free roaming ghouls would have certain vocalizations to steer prying eyes away from their meal. Packs don’t need to worry about this as much, as there’s safety in numbers.
They sob, they wail as they dig. To cover up the sounds of dirt, wood, and stone being displaced. If you hear anguished crying in a graveyard, it’s best not to disturb the mourning, right? It’s still a slightly inhuman noise, so if respect doesn’t keep unwanted visitors away, the distorted mix of weeping and hyena-like laughter should.
*Scavengers imply the existence of a main predator, not sure what yet. Maybe Death itself.
(aka me making stuff up to ease my logic seeking brain)
Ghoul (noun) definition:
“An evil spirit or phantom, especially one supposed to rob graves and feed on dead bodies.” - oxford languages.
Ghouls have a primarily meat based diet, being frequently fed raw to curb their appetite for grave digging. Although, they can defer in their food intake, enjoying the pleasures of the Earth, as demons, in sweet treats. Indulgence is key.
With their natural diet consisting of corpses, they have an extremely tough gut environment to work with. Digesting rotten flesh and potential disease is no small feat. New corpses are not frequently sought after due to embalming fluid being so pungent and corrosive. An older cadaver is preferred, where the embalming elements have decayed and the meat has cured.
Thankfully, the ministry doubles as a mausoleum, housing many clergy folk long gone. Who would really notice if a few unvisited crypts wound up empty?
I think this is everyone? I gave all the dateable objects partner pokemon because I am Normal about them. In alphabetical order, for your viewing pleasure ^^
This guy started as my middle school (?) vent OC, aka he had every mental illness. I want to give it actual substance.
General bio: Son of Esme and Reid. He/It pronouns, agender. He was their third and final viable attempt to have a child, “third time’s the charm” is his life story. Finally being able to conceive, Reid puts a lot of pressure on Morgan to be the perfect child, and often takes his stress out on it when Esme isn’t home. Morgan doesn’t want his mom worrying so it also doesn’t say anything about the abuse until much later.
- Smarter than he lets people know. He plays dumb because that’s what’s expected of kids who “have issues.” It’s no genius by any means but it’s never assumed to be listening.
- The dumb act also keeps people at arms length. It has a habit of getting obsessive over people, so to save both himself and the other person the trouble, he rarely lets people get close. Dumb act allows him to be oblivious and/or seem overall uninteresting.
- Unfortunately loyal, will follow someone off the edge of the world if he’s deemed them worthy. Very Weird scale of who is worthy. Basically the only way to get close enough for that is active harassment.
- Offers its body because it has no understanding of how to actually connect with people. “Do whatever you want to me, as long as it’s you, I don’t care.” Spoiler: UNHEALTHY + he loses a lot of people from this weird self inflicted victimhood.
- Dissociation + suicidal ideation guy. Isn’t in his body like 50% of the time. It’s all just shapes. Will disappear sometimes, both mentally and physically. Doesn’t have many childhood memories, and if there are some, they stand out for bad reasons.
- Loud when he’s Present, acts as an aggressor. Frequent fist fights growing up, made money off of bets.
Uhhh n then maybe some songs. Its playlist is nearly 7 hours… ew.
Thinking about the concept of objects with multiple locations/parts having a collective conscience.
Juniper is specifically the jewelry Box, but the jewelry is inarguably part of him. They aren’t alive like Mateo’s inanimals. If a piece is lost and found, gaining the piece back feels similar to an old memory becoming slightly clearer, refreshing. If a piece is gone for a shorter amount of time, say the Homeowner wears something out, Juniper can get the basic vibes of the Homeowner’s day.
Juniper isn’t braindead if he’s empty, but he definitely isn’t himself. He feels more secure when he has more stuff he has to keep organized. I can best describe it as this: When you’re already running late to an event and everything along the way is going minutely wrong. Misplaced your wallet, outfit isn’t as cute as you thought it would be, sweating right out of the shower, stopped at every traffic light. That type of haggard, exasperated frustration is how I can describe an empty Juniper. Like a working dog adopted by a lazy family, he can get a bit (self) destructive if he’s not kept stimulated.
1.) Amir - Barry: Good friends, could say queer platonic? Kisses and cuddles are not uncommon between these two, though they do have preferences for this treatment from their other partners. Compliment hour.
2.) Amir - June: Husbands, there’s a luxurious indulgence that seeps from their relationship. Soulmates. Started as coworkers, introduced to each other by Barry. Extremely romantic but not all over each other.
3.) Amir - Johnny: Tension, mostly canon relationship. Johnny’d be lying if he said he didn’t break a sweat when Amir was around, he is quite beautiful. Amir tolerates Johnny because he knows he means something to the others.
4.) Barry - June: Best friends, like those two coworkers you always see together, having an absolute blast and laughing/yapping the whole time. If you see one, there’s a good chance the other isn’t far behind. Barry and Amir both have keys to Juniper’s home.
5.) Barry - Johnny: Boyfriends, sickly sweet on each other, they have to be touching somehow if they’re in the same room together. Sooo cliché, singing in the kitchen and making breakfast together.
6.) Barry - Reggie: Friends with benefits, “unrequited” crush. In quotes because Barry is head over heels for her, heart-in-your-throat type of crush. But Reggie refuses to acknowledge any deeper feelings he may have towards Barry, given the nature of his work.
7.) June - Johnny: Boyfriends, mentioned in a different post but started as Juniper Needing to see who was able to get Amir riled up like that. Found him extremely entertaining like, “This is the guy??? The one who’s driving you nuts??” Got caught by the southern charm.
8.) Johnny - Reggie: Tension, about what you’d expect. Reggie’s lowkey crushing because Johnny’s such a stellar beacon for rejection, a passion project if you will. Johnny will only acknowledge him with the glance before turning away. Not mean but it’s still Very Clear that Johnny doesn’t want to see her.
9.) Amir & June - Reggie: not marked on the chart since there’s nothing remarkable about the relationship. They respect him professionally but that’s about it. I think it’s funny that Juniper and Reggie only refer to each other by their full names though; “Juniper.” “Regina.” Nods to each other. Cordial, polite.
Juniper’s doubts, I kinda smash object + realized versions together. Copenhagen x canon, both exist in the same moment and space until one is specifically observed.
One of his main worries is about being useful. Jewelry isn’t necessarily helpful, it’s about accessorizing. Its worth usually comes from its monetary value.
After Juniper initially catches Amir’s attention with all of his flashiest pieces, he wonders if that’s all he is to Amir. If all Amir cares about is good looks, then what substance is there to their relationship? Surely it’s doomed to fail if Amir sees grumpy, festering piercings or, god forbid, Juniper sags with age (these are June’s worries, Amir isn’t shallow like that). He uses Amir as some type of standard for himself (not healthy).
Without some type of transactional arrangement, Juniper can get insecure. He has to be actively building the foundation of a relationship, it’s hard for him to just let things grow naturally. You don’t Need jewelry, so he actively carves a hole for himself in other peoples lives so that he can be sure his presence is missed. He also can’t accept gifts easily, and unfortunately he does keep a mental list of when it’s “his turn” to reciprocate anything.
Juniper often hosts meals and movie nights to balance his role in the polycule. He always needs to have something peculiar. “Oh, June’s got fancy plates and nice table cloths, he’s able to serve us like a restaurant with multiple courses. Even adds mood lighting and music. You can’t get this anywhere else without paying!” Interesting and unique, a statement piece partner.
Like any insecurity, some days are easier than others. What can be a quaint little get together one day can be “they don’t Need Me anymore” another day. It’s a big reason why Juniper doesn’t get very close with Johnny, at least in the beginning. Johnny is very self-centered and is used to doing things alone. Sure, he loves to show and tell his passions, but he’s so used to the rejection that he expects people to leave. Thus, typically pushing them away before they have a chance to decide if he’s worth it. Juniper views himself as Johnny’s arm candy and not much more. A flirty fling who he wasn’t supposed to get attached to (EVEN THOUGH JOHNNY IS A YEARNER I THINK I JUST SOLVED A MAJOR PLOT HOLE YAY YIPPEE!!! This can be the main conflict as to why they break up in the next paragraph).
GOD this insecurity also adds substance to the arc I have with Juniper and Scandal. I haven’t talked much about that over here (tumblr) but TLDR: Scandal goes to instigate when he witnesses Juniper + Johnny break up. Juniper physically threatens Scandal which sparks a rumor that June’s some cold hearted killer. I.E: Dangerous Do Not Approach. Juniper never apologizes (mostly out of shame), hardly goes downstairs because of the guilt, until Scandal Needs something. Scandal falls off the table at some point and needs the touch of a metal smith to be repaired. An act of service Juniper can provide.
Additional note that doesn’t really relate to this but I wanna mention it because I’ll forget: Juniper is extremely confrontational when something makes someone he cares about uncomfortable. When he’s uncomfortable though, he’ll just grin and bear it. “Whatever I can handle this. I’ll hate it but it’s fine. As long as you’re okay with it.”
Hmm looking at my Jacques x Scandal (long jon silver) ship. Started as nothing, but now realizing their personalities complement each other quite well. Roughing out the AU:
General info: It’s a captive-turned-cabin mate situation. Jacques goes out and does some piratey pillaging, and poor old Scandal gets swept up in it somehow. Since Scandal looks fancy and expensive, Jacques attempts to ransom him. Many times. But nobody comes for him because Scandal’s not actually the nobleman he claims to be.
Now onto concepts: Scandal (built in New Jersey) and Jacques (built in England) must’ve come a long way for either of them to meet. I think it’d be nice for them, whenever they build trust, to share stories of their travels. They’re both inclined to exaggeration + dramatics. Maybe since Scandal is mass produced and shipped everywhere, he’d have a collective conscious/story from many candles all in one person. Not a hive mind, just a well travelled fellow.
This pirate thing is obviously an AU, but I’m a bit unsure where to take it. There’s a colonial-historical take, where Scandal would live in/be visiting the American colonies while Jacques would just have his ship. I’d need to do more research on the golden age of piracy for this one. Their realized forms are pretty neat looking too.
But I still want the fantasy aspect of them being literal objects, yk? I’m worried they’ll turn into husks of their former selves. I absolutely love when someone draws a canon character so much, to the point they make them actual OCs. I will always love that. I have done that. But that’s not what I’m looking to do with LJS.
I’m struggling to combine the two (irl piracy + object piracy) into a coherent plot line. I suppose the fantasy-object aspect could be upheld with the Rongomaiwhenua story line, having to rescue a literal goddess. Which then also adds at least Beau, Gaia, and Isolde into the AU.
But if they rescue Rongomaiwhenua, then there’s also the choice of whether or not to include the cockroach army. Which idk if they’d translate as bug people or humanized versions? They’re bugs in DE!… I doubt Scandal would take kindly to rooming with Literal Bugs, but he also wants his life to be more interesting, hence the whole Scandalabra front. AND EVEN GOING WITH THE CANON STORY LINE, I feel unsure because then I’m just shoe-horning Scandal into that without any meaningful additions in terms of character development.
AND THEN there’s the discrepancy of Scandal vs Jon. I personally prefer my candles dandy and slightly haughty. I’ve mentioned that Scandal “isn’t the nobleman he claims to be,” which alludes to Jon, but I don’t think he’ll fully drop the theatrics in this AU. Jacques indulges the Scandal side of him, with his dramatizations and bartering situation, they play pretend together and keep each other company on long nights…
TLDR things for me to consider:
- How much do I want their object forms to persuade the narrative.
- How will the rest of the adventure crew be included.
- Is there a definite Ending to this AU or is it just a slice of life situation.
I think this is everyone? I gave all the dateable objects partner pokemon because I am Normal about them. In alphabetical order, for your viewing pleasure ^^
- Dorian: Helped Juniper get his bearing when the current Owner moved in. Directed him towards the attic to find his lost jewelry. Juniper is forever grateful, and keeps Dorian as good company.
- Lady Memoria: Kept Juniper’s vintage items safe until he could get into the attic. A lot of the Owner’s jewelry was unworn hand-me-downs, so they were packed away with Memoria instead of kept with Juniper.
Friends
- Artt: Met him while in the attic retrieving his things. They’re both analytical artists, it makes sense that they’d get along and enrich each other’s lives.
- Barry: They were friends before the move, and he was boxed up with Juniper during! They were definitely clinging to each other when they were first unboxed, so many new faces to see. Barry’s much more extroverted than Juniper, so he mostly did the introductions.
Lovelies
- Amir: Juniper’s husband, they started as coworkers. Juniper wanted to impress him so badly, but could hardly hold his attention when his belongings were still with Memoria. Once he got his jewelry back, then he was definitely something shiny to ogle.
- Johnny: The last relationship on this list that Juniper forms. Knew of Johnny through Amir’s complaining. He finally went downstairs while the two were getting into in one day, just to see what the fuss was about. Stuck around and ended up getting struck by the southern charm.
Acquaintances
- Clarence: Coworker alongside Amir, Barry, and Juniper. They keep the Owner looking their best.
- Tony: Often called to retrieve small pieces of jewelry from unfortunate places, like down the drain.
Tension
- Sinclaire: In tow with Tony, Sinclaire’s often a victim of the Owner’s clumsiness. Juniper is well organized and introverted, so when Sinclaire gets sick from his jewelry stuck in his pipes, it usually causes a huge fuss. Barry apologizing for Juniper never helps the situation.
- Farya: Juniper does piercings as an occasional gift. When you get pierced, you should be washing the site daily with saline solution, which would be in the medical kit. Farya’s fascination with infections and diseases usually scares people out of proper wound care. This reflects poorly on Juniper’s skill, even though it’s not his fault.
Thinking about Barry x Reggie again (sobs) GO MY WALL OF TEXT:
Barry asking him to come over and body double so he can clean his apartment or something. Reggie can correct him if he gets too fixated on one task (color organizing stuff when he’s supposed to be throwing stuff out, etc).
Reggie lounging on his bed and eventually falls asleep. Wakes up to the sun setting, his phone plugged in, and a glass of water on the nightstand. Barry probably doesn’t even realize he’s asleep at first, just yapping away, not expecting a reply. Coupled with a few denials of “I’m not sleeping, just thinking.” Okay Regina, you’re snug as a bug in a rug and Barry’s voice is like rain sounds to you, honk shoo honk shoo bbg.
Sticky note on his phone that says a quick little “Thank you so much for coming over! Lock the door on your way out please! Love, Barry.” Ew gross it’s signed with x’s and o’s. Barry also left his check list on the nightstand to show Reggie that yeah! He did get a lot of his list done, even if he was asleep + unable to steer Barry back on track, showing that your presence is valued and appreciated here (KISSES HIM KISSES HIM KISSES HIM).
Reggie collecting his things and leaving the bedroom. Barry’s asleep on the couch with the tv on. He walks over and takes off his glasses + sets them on the coffee table, and maybe he lingers a moment because he sees how pretty Barry is UH. No makeup and totally relaxed, fully trusting Reggie even tho his reputation is to break hearts. Anyways, can’t think too hard about that, clicks off the tv, and locks the door on his way out.
Barry knowing Reggie needs his space and would never want him to feel trapped, even if he himself is a bit clingy. The understanding that Reggie did not plan to spend the night, and would’ve been Mad if he woke up being cuddled out of nowhere.
Mutual understanding even though you’re basically polar opposites personality-wise + seeing each other in vulnerable states + very complicated feelings about love + (curls up like a dead spider). Thanks for reading hahaha
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