Ten years on, I'm back with an updated version of this illustration of Raimundo from Xiaolin Showdown. Kinda wish I had kept up in 2021, but it's still nice to see the progression!
Part of why I enjoy writing about grief, is grief leaves me feeling so useless. Nothing quite like being rendered sick with stress to make you want to put blorbos in the torment nexus to rise above it, or idk, cope in an way that makes a good story?
Something good has to come from an emotion so debilitating and mundane, y'know?
Before I read the manga, I only based my Kirona HC by the anime. But I had a crazy idea in F!Crona, after a couple of years from slow recovery, therapy and a healthy family environment (much better than Medusa but unsure how Stein would parent with Marie)
I had a crazy fanfic situation where Crona experience puberty and thinks "I am gonna die, Ragnarok I'm bleeding and in pain, I don't wanna die-" goes absent for some weeks, the gang but Maka is confused and worried how Crona is absent.
Turns out after an awkward sudden visit from Kid (after listening for HOURS crazy theories from Black ⭐, Patty and even Soul) is faced with Maka and Marie giving Crona de "Talk". You know. Puberty, womanhood...and all those topics that makes Kid find out about Crona's gender (I HC Crona as demi girl) and a Makachop.
(Kid lives with Liz and Patty, so he's not so embarrassed or fazed by the news, he even understands some details that he keeps in mind for when Crona needs a warm bag, sweets or tea)
Omg Ragnarok complicates everything Chrona related OTL I enjoy the idea of Stien being the only one able to successfully seperate Chrona and Ragnarok in the anime Chrona!Good end (I mean dude did make a zombie).
Though I really like the idea of him ceasing to exist by the end of BabaYaga in an existential loss of self sort of way (he just stops talking in the manga, it's odd).
I do think Medusa would have taught Chrona basic things that wouldn't make them a nuisance or blow their cover (cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc). It's just the emotional side of being a parent that she was ass at.
The genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel and the USA is on-going, while the rest of the world just looks on. Please donate if you can to one of these local mutual aid groups.
Incident 1 - The classic Black Star talking abt his origin story.
The manga uses a lot of wide shots, hiding his face. He mentions not liking talking about stuff that brings people down and is quick to deflect.
(Note he does this to make Tsubaki feel better about her brother having to die, even though Black Star has been attacked/harrassed on multiple missions before this)
Incident 2 - Black Star tried to go revenge kill Arachne for paralyzing Maka.
The same techniques are used, hiding Black Star's face and creating distance when talking about being upset.
He fails in finding her, following Sid AND lost to Mifune after bumping into him. Soul and Black Star keep it from Maka.
Afterward, when he's alone...
He finally talks about what just happened, but only when he's by himself.
Incident 3 - After a huge fight with Maka, he asks Tsubaki to help him out.
(I could talk a bunch about this fight, but bottom line, he'd rather Tsubaki tell Maka he's trying his best but keeps failing rather than tell Maka that himself)
Incident 4 - Black Star's soul gets so damaged by the uncanny sword he's banned from using it or going on missions for a while.
During the dual with Kid, we're told he has the eyes of a demon (what if he's like White Star, killing to stay on top type monologues). I find it interesting we only see the demon eyes here through the lens of Sid's narration. But before that, again, obscures our view of Black Star's expression. He could be sad here, and we wouldn't know.
This is what Black Star's willing to tell Kid about what's actually going on a bit after that panel...
Good ol' survivors guilt. He then mentions something to Tsubaki's dad while being banned from missions entirely.
I so wish this was a full arch, because it really seems like Black Star was struggling with the idea of not being a miester. Like, if he can't be the best miester then all he'll ever be is a living reminder of the Star Clan and he hates that.
Again only talking about it when he thinks he's alone.
I think it's very interesting that Tsubaki (and by extension her dad) are the only people he talks to about what's bothering him, and always because they reach out first.
Black Star's usual go-to is to handle things alone, or hiding sadness/disappointment/fear behind anger.
Bonus points for Soul keeping Black Star's secret. Really cute friendship moment.
If you're insane like me, and have been trying to replicate the anime's art style and are struggling with Makas face, heres what i figured out. So, you know how for believable human proportions, the space between your eyes is the length of one more eye, which applies to other characters, Soul for example? Well, in Makas case, the space is actually two eyes. Two, or maybe one and a half or something alike. In essence, she has wide-set eyes
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