Latest Posts by jcryptid - Page 4

Will you continue the Blood Born fic? (Sorry to write this here, but I don't know if you read the comment on AO3)

No no! I don’t mind! Probably good to give an update anyway

Blood Born is in this really annoying place for me at the moment where I’m way too excited about writing it, but keep running into the same wall. That plus the joys of entering adulthood and starting uni have made it difficult to find the time to sit down and adequately write for a few years now, but god I haven’t stopped trying to write it. It’s one of those ideas I’m still really excited about, especially since I put so much work into planning it, so to answer your question I 100% plan to continue the story… it just might be a bit before I finally manage to slay the monster that is writing block.

For now I’ve been oscillating between trying to make this next chapter work (Dw it’s a long one) and trying to beat this thing by confronting some of the stuff I find harder to write or feel like I could have done better in Blood Born through one shots and my personal whump challenge, because sometimes the only thing that helps is to try something different until you feel better about stepping back in to the fray. It’s getting there, slower than I’d like, but progress is progress no matter how small.

But for the time being please just know I am sorry you’ve all had to wait this long already, thank you so much for your patience <3

Spreading the word because the original post is gone now:

TLDR: ao3 is currently under attack, and you need to stay off the site to give the volunteers a chance to fix things

reblog this as much as you can!!

Character flaws that can add depth and complexity to your characters:

1. Stubbornness: A character who is excessively stubborn may refuse to listen to others' perspectives or admit when they're wrong, leading to conflicts and missed opportunities for growth.

2. Impulsiveness: An impulsive character acts without thinking, often leading to hasty decisions or reckless behavior that can have negative consequences.

3. Jealousy: A character plagued by jealousy may struggle with feelings of insecurity and possessiveness, causing strain in relationships and potential conflicts with others.

4. Indecisiveness: An indecisive character finds it difficult to make choices, leading to delays, missed opportunities, and frustration from others.

5. Arrogance: An arrogant character believes they are superior to others and often dismisses or belittles those around them, creating tension and damaged relationships.

6. Insecurity: A character with deep-seated insecurity may constantly seek validation and struggle with self-doubt, impacting their decisions and relationships.

7. Impatience: An impatient character lacks tolerance for delays or setbacks, which can lead to rushed actions, poor judgment, and strained relationships.

8. Manipulativeness: A manipulative character uses deceit and manipulation to control others for their own gain, creating a web of lies and mistrust.

9. Hot-tempered: A hot-tempered character easily becomes angry or loses their temper, leading to impulsive actions, damaged relationships, and potential violence.

10. Perfectionism: A perfectionistic character sets impossibly high standards for themselves and others, often leading to stress, frustration, and strained relationships.

11. Distrust: A character with trust issues struggles to trust others, leading to difficulty forming meaningful connections and maintaining healthy relationships.

12. Procrastination: A character who frequently procrastinates avoids tasks or responsibilities, causing unnecessary stress and potential negative consequences.

13. Selfishness: A selfish character prioritizes their own needs and desires above others, disregarding the feelings and well-being of those around them.

14. Pessimism: A pessimistic character constantly expects the worst outcome, which can lead to negativity, lack of motivation, and strained relationships.

15. Impulsiveness: An impulsive character acts on their immediate desires without considering the consequences, often leading to reckless behavior and regrets.

flaws make characters more relatable and human. They create internal and external conflicts and provide opportunities for growth and development throughout your story.

Happy writing!

Elements in your book by order of importance

The order of importance of elements in a book can vary depending on the genre, theme, and narrative structure. However, here are some common elements that are often considered significant:

- Plot: The sequence of events that drive the story forward and create tension, conflict, and resolution.

- Characters: The individuals who inhabit the story and contribute to its development and emotional engagement.

- Theme: The central idea or message that the book explores and conveys to the reader.

- Setting: The time, place, and environment in which the story takes place, which can enhance mood, atmosphere, and context.

- Writing style: The author's unique voice and the way the story is narrated, which can greatly impact the reader's experience.

- Conflict: The challenges, obstacles, or opposition that the characters face, driving the narrative and character development.

- Dialogue: The conversations and interactions between characters, providing insights into their personalities, relationships, and plot progression.

- Pacing: The rhythm and speed at which events unfold, affecting the book's flow and reader engagement.

- Emotional resonance: The ability of the story to evoke strong emotions and create a connection between the reader and the characters.

- Tone: The overall mood and atmosphere of the book, which can range from light-hearted and humorous to dark and somber.

- Point of view: The perspective from which the story is told, influencing the reader's understanding and connection to the characters.

- Symbolism: The use of symbols or metaphors to convey deeper meanings or layers of understanding.

- Subplots: Secondary storylines that add depth, complexity, and variety to the main plot.

- Imagery: Vivid and descriptive language that appeals to the reader's senses and creates vivid mental images.

- Structure: The organization and arrangement of the story, including chapters, sections, and narrative devices.

- Originality: The unique and innovative aspects of the book that set it apart and make it memorable.

Storytelling Techniques

A good storytelling method is essential for writing good fiction. There are many storytelling techniques that can be used to create engaging and memorable stories. Here are some common techniques you can use in your stories:

Use sensory details: Including sensory details in your story can help your audience imagine the scene and get emotionally invested in the story. For example, you can describe the colors, sounds, and smells of a place or event.

Build tension and suspense: Tension and suspense are important for keeping your audience engaged and invested in your story. You can create tension by introducing a conflict or challenge that the characters must overcome.

Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing is a technique used to hint at future events in the story. This can create anticipation and keep your audience engaged.

Use pacing effectively: Pacing refers to the speed at which the story unfolds. Make sure to vary the pacing to keep your audience engaged. For example, you can slow down the pacing during emotional or reflective moments, and speed it up during action scenes.

Show, don't tell: Instead of simply telling your audience what is happening in the story, show them through vivid descriptions and actions. This can help your audience feel more immersed in the story.

Use metaphor and simile: Metaphors and similes can help create vivid descriptions and comparisons in your story. They can also help to convey complex ideas in a more accessible way.

Flashbacks and flash-forwards: Flashbacks and flash-forwards can help provide context for the story and create tension. Make sure to use them sparingly and at appropriate moments in the story.

Use humor: Humor can be a powerful tool for engaging your audience and making your story more memorable. Just make sure that the humor is appropriate for the tone and subject matter of your story.

Suspenseful chapter endings: Ending chapters on a suspenseful note can help keep your audience engaged and eager to read on.

By using these techniques and others, you can create a compelling and memorable story that will engage and entertain your audience.

If you want to read more posts about writing, please click here and give me a follow!

Do you have schizophrenia?

Asking cause i read one of your posts where you said you made a schizophrenic oc for yourself

And if you're comfortable talking about it, i would like to know more about schizophrenia, in order to write it as accurately as possible /nf

Omg first ask, yay!

…. But no, sorry to disappoint. I have a few friends who’ve experienced psychosis or visual/auditory hallucinations for various reasons so there’s definitely a personal level of experience and investment there but for the most part I just went on a research binge reading as many posts and interviews and answers online from people who do experience it as I could find.

Big reason I wanted to make a schizophrenic character is because I just really enjoy exploring different forms of representation, even if it goes nowhere beyond a few notes. But yeah thats pretty much it. Best I can recommend is to just explore and get yourself a bunch of primary sources, pretty much do what you’re doing now and shoot some asks out there too, but sadly I’m just as much in the dark as you are.There are quite a few blogs on tumblr I believe from people talking about what it’s like to suffer from schizophrenia but I can’t remember which.

Hope that’s at least tangentially helpful :)

Why Do We Have Hands?

Good writing tool, gonna make my personal whump writing challenge really fun

i made a whump wheel

want to beat up a character but don't know how you wanna do it? same here, friend. behold, the whump wheel! it currently has 60 different prompts/tropes on it and is ready for use! 🎉 i...love this thing. it is wonderful for writing exercises. (if you wanna know what's on it before using it, take a peak at the screenshot below)

I stare at my one note page for my mha fic longingly, I turn to the gods of hyperfixation and plead and pray for aid in finishing this one chapter. It has been sitting in this page, 80% finished, only the ending to go for over a year now. It has been edited and rewritten to perfection, but the ending fizzles out and dies before I can write it.

“Just do it,” I tell myself, “just sit yourself down and write something, anything, it can’t hurt.”

So I do, for several days, often for hours at a time, skipping meals and procrastinating going to the bathroom until my bowels are fit to burst, getting lost in my fixation to write and finish what I started. There are people who have been waiting patiently, people an update might mean the world to who are counting on me.

After a few months of this, scattered across what few days I could spare I sit back and take in what I’ve done.

“You did it,” my beta reader says, joy picking up an edge in their voice, “you finally did it,”

“Yes,” I say, “I have planned out 3 seperate au’s for 2 different horror podcasts I listen to, made a playlist for one of them, and written 1,000 words each on two seperate voltron whump fics!”

There’s a moment I take in what I say…

Then my forehead meets the table Infront of my laptop, and I curse out the gods that be.

You’re married to your phone background/lockscreen how fucked are you

redraw of a few assorted Malevlent Doodles I found luking ominously in the margins of my notebooks

Once upon the misty moors...

... there lived a lonely young man, living simply with his mother as many did in a small house in a village on the domain of their lord in Greymoor.

Not much can be said of those early years, not much this young man would have wanted to repeat that bore mentioning at least. All that can be said was that one day his mother fell ill, and with the rumoured sightings of a strange woman in a red skirt, face hidden by a cloak and smelling of death, bringing with her to his door nothing more than rake whilst he was away...they should have known there was nothing that could be done.

But that certainly didn't stop him from trying though. Working hard and long each day on their farm and on the properties surrounding it. Selling their only cow, their chickens and what little of value they could spare to afford the herbs that could ease her pain, only to return to scorn and stubborness in her delirium with a soft smile on his face as he tended to her, nevertheless.

All the same it didn't change her fate. Nor the fate of the lonely young man, now adrift and lost without much in the way of direction.

Untill at least, he was approached one misty afternoon by their Local Lord of Greymoor, who spoke to him with hollow geniality, and offered him a job as a servant in his castle.

And so, with nothing in the way of excuse to prevent him from doing so, he accepted. And soon, Martin Blackwood found himself selling what was little was left of his mother's small slice of domesticity in Greymoor, and like so many others was whisked away to live and work at the feet of their lord. Bouncing between fetching food from the kitchens or fixing pots of tea; setting kindling alight to warm cold rooms that made your breath fog up if left to themselves too long; keeping clean what he could when he was ordered and keeping his head down whenever he could.

All the same he found something of a friend in that castle more than once, and had to himself the gift of an extra hour each day to sneak away and write poetry on a little rock in the shade of a willow tree by the loch. One of the few things he could say was truly his.

Of course even setting aside the whispered legends of the figure of pestilance that had taken his mother, Greymoor, just like the other lands just on the other side of the Deep Wood, was no stranger to monsters of its own. So much so that despite the dissmissals and denials of their Lordship for as long as anyone can remember, there have always been the mists.

Not much is known, as with any of the beings that creep along the shadows of rumors and heresay and children torn from their beds before they can so much as scream. What can be said, was that at least once a year, maybe more than once, should someone be caught out too late at the wrong time, they would find themselves lost to the mists. Alone and forever wandering between a state of life and death to wither away as nothing more than ghosts on that very same moorland from which they dissapeared.

And so it was, that after a time of keeping his head down and doing what he was told, Martin would one night find himself staying out a little too late by the loch into nightfall; and in doing so soon found himself running into one of his fellow servants, a woman named Naomi Herne; who'd go on to explain, had been sent on orders from Lukas to pick berries under the cover of moonlight from the nearby woods (having found his supplies empty of such fruits despite the supply run they'd made just earlier that day).

Of course, finding the request rather unreasonable given the dangers of ventering out too late into the night by one's self, he offered to help her in her task, and not too long after, the two ran afoul of the mists, and knowing the legends, and hearing the whispers on the gentle wind that only one of their number need be lost, handed the only stubborn flame that hadn't gone dark to Naomi, and told her to run back to the Lord's castle.

Naomi, despite her hesistance to leave her only companion in the misty darkness, complied, and ran back with their only light to the Castle in a panic and raised all the nearby servants she could from their posts to come and help him. Immediately, despite the fear, a few rose to help her. Some stepping in to calm her down and ascertain what had happened, a few of the others grabbing their coats and lighting lanterns to aid in the search, despite their fears and the insistence of a few that there was nothing that could be done. But not a foot had breached the doorway when their Lord and employer Lukas stepped into the room and forbade them from going. Demanding they stay and not risk themselves catching a cold or getting lost in the dark. Ordering them wait and do nothing more than pray that by morning Martin found his way back to them on his own time.

No one beleived he would of course. The mists were like that you see. Those who wandered too far would never return to them, they never had.

And then, three days later, Martin returned to them.

Stumbling up the grassy hill just as the sun was setting. Freezing cold to the touch; dispondant and pale, with hair turned a snow white and breath misting even in warmer in air. Changed, or so it seemed, by his time alone in those mists.

The others were astounded of course. The head of them sending some of them off to fetch warm cloths and furs to warm him whilst they let him sit by the fire of the servants quarters. Asking him what happened despite his barely there eyes and the and the shaking hands cupping a hastily made mug of tea.

All the same it didn't take long for the news to find it's way to Lord Lukas, who at once demanded Martin's presence in his study despite the soft protests of those who could tell he was not well.

All the same Martin stood without a word from his place, still hardly warmed from his time by the fire, to meet with him.

"I saw you in the mists," he said once they were alone, "You told me I would forever be alone,"

And then he asked, simply, though by no mean masking the anger in now cold blue eyes, "You sent her out on purpose didn't you? You knew the mists were out that night."

Not a moment later, in a sea of fog that swept through the room and drained the life and colour from its walls, and the Lord Lukas was alone. Martin nowhere to be seen when he opened the door and stepped out, refusing to answer anyone's questions when they inquired on his health.

This time, it takes two days for Martin to return, and when he does Lukas gives them all new orders.

Namely that Martin Blackwood, not be allowed to return to the Grey Moors, lest it be with the head of the Watcher Beast, residing so they said, in ancient ruins found in the deep woods by the borders of land Panopticon.

He's given a day to prepare his leave.

And so it was, with nothing more than a single short sword, a map and some rations put together by those that asked after him, Martin was sent away without so much as the chance for a goodbye.

Martin himself, under no illusions that their Lord of Greymoor, had sent him there to die.

"Let them try," he'd whisper to himself as the foggy outline of a cold stone castle faded away by the rhythm and rumble of a horse pulled cart. "Let them try," even as the thought came again, that maybe this really was nothing more than a good way to get killed.

"Then Dionysus appeared to his followers in his most terrible aspect and [he] drove them mad." - John M. Hunt

Have a doodle from my TMA Swan Lake AU! Feat. “The Horned Man” that will lead our intrepid lonely hero astray betwixt the trees

(More details to come, stay tuned)

Someone said "Catboy John Doe" and I just couldn't help myself

Currently poking my brain with a stick and hoping a plot idea for one of my fics falls put

Happy 2023, hope everyone’s got their bingo cards ready!

Well damn!! This is new!

Nickname: Jay, J, Jason, Jayce and if you were in my high school drama show, you get to call me Matt

Height: about 5’6 last I measured

Last thing I googled: Japanese Edo Period time keeping systems or refs for old scottish castles, I can’t remember which.

Song stuck in my head: rn it’s Broken People by the Narcissist Cookbook, which is ironic bc it doesn’t even rhyme

Number of Followers: 93, which is insane, but I’m like at least 70% sure most of them are porn bots

Dream Job; head writer, story-boarder or creator of my own animated show :3

Wearing: an ACDC t-shirt, a pair of thongs (or I guess other countries call them flip-flops) and some thick grey shorts, along with my aro-ace rings

A Book/Movie that really summarises you: there’s nothing that really fits cleanly, but I have consistently identified with, binged and cried every time rewatch treasure Planet. At this point it’s like my comfort movie on so many levels. I don’t know what that says about me, but it’s as close to an answer as I can get for this question :/

Favourite Song: this shit changes constantly, but The Narcissist Cookbook is currently continuing to provide my comfort song “Stopping a Garden Hose with Your Thumb”, which also doesn’t really rhyme.

Aesthetic: in person it’s either a light grunge or 1920’s nonbinary mob boss, but it’s mostly just lazy with a side of ‘band t-shirts are just so damn comfortable man!’. 100% in personality it’s swirling galaxies and dragons.

Favourite Author: I don’t read nearly as much “published works of fiction” as I used to, so I’m going with favourite fiction creators, and that’s hands down Jonny Sims, Red (OSP) and Alex Hirsch. yea that’s three, I’m sorry, but for fanfiction it’s IcyPanther bc I’m still addicted to Langst.

Random Fact: I have a small scar on my left hand from back when I was making my-self rich with counterfeit classroom currency just to mess with my high school English teacher lol

@trensu @donnovien @butter-and-too-much-bread @two-children-in-a-trenchcoat @autisticaboutstufflol @nauti-ca @redhhound

15 questions 15 tags

ty @drowninglnstars for the tag !!

-nickname: red

-height: that's good question

-last thing i googled: ''malevolent transcripts''

-song stuck in head: antibiotics we're wonderful pills but dont ever think we'll cure all your ills and willow by tswift

-# of followers: at least 10

-amount of sleep: usually 4-6 hours (begrudgingly)

-dream job: librarian/historian

-wearing: shirt, grey sweater, black coat

-movie/book that summarizes you: all of them

-fav song: too many, right now probably constellations by the oh hellos! and faroe's theme from malevolent

-aesthetic: changes everyday, but personality wise eldritchcore/oddcore

-fav authors: alice oseman and any romantic author ever

-random fact: i can bend almost all of my joints backwards

not tagging 15 people because that is too many but -> @aroaceupmysleeve @galxgal @gothicwolf125 @arakhnee @lesbian-hannibal @transgenre-music and whoever want to join in :P

Oh ho ho, as soon as I find the energy and motivation to hyperfixate on my hobbies again it’s all over for you fucks

First meeting...

(click for better quality)

Fanfiction Authors: HEADS UP

(Non-authors, please RB to signal boost to your author friends!)

An astute reader informed me this morning that one of my fics (Children of the Future Age) had been pirated and was being sold as a novel on Amazon:

(And they weren't even creative with their cover design. If you're going to pirate something that I spent a full year of my life writing, at least give me a pretty screenshot to brag about later. Seriously.)

I promptly filed a DMCA complaint to have it removed, but I checked out the company that put it up -- Plush Books -- and it looks like A LOT of their books are pirated fic. They are by no means the only ones doing this, either -- the fact that """publishers""" can download stories from AO3 in ebook format and then reupload them to Amazon in just a few clicks makes fic piracy a common problem. There are a whole host of reasons why letting this continue is bad -- including actual legal risk to fanfiction archives -- but basically:

IF YOU ARE A FANFIC AUTHOR WITH LONG AND/OR POPULAR WORKS, PLEASE CHECK AMAZON TO SEE IF YOUR STORIES HAVE BEEN PIRATED.

You can search for your fics by title, or by text from the description (which is often just copied wholesale from AO3 as well). If you find that someone has stolen your work and is selling it as their own, you can lodge a DMCA complaint (Amazon.com/USA site; other countries have different systems). If you haven't done this before, it's easy! Here's a tutorial:

HOW TO FILE A COPYRIGHT COMPLAINT FOR STOLEN WORK ON AMAZON.COM:

First, go to this form. You'll need to be signed into your Amazon account.

Select the radio buttons/dropdown options (shown below) to indicate that you are the legal Rights Owner, you have a copyright concern, and it is about a pirated product.

Enter the name of your story in the Name of Brand field.

In the Link to the Copyrighted Work box, enter a link to the story on AO3 or whatever site your work is posted on.

In the Additional Information box, explain that you are the author of the work and it is being sold without your permission. That's all you really need. If you want, you can include additional information that might be helpful in establishing the validity of your claim, but you don't have to go into great detail. You can simply write something like this:

I am the author of this work, which is being sold by [publisher] without my permission. I originally published this story in [date/year] on [name of site], and have provided a link to the original above. On request, I can provide documentation proving that I am the owner of the account that originally posted this story.

In the ASIN/ISBN-10 field, copy and paste the ID number from the pirated copy's URL. You'll find this ten-digit number in the Amazon URL after the word "product," as in the screenshot below. (If the URL extends beyond this number, you can ignore everything from the question mark on.) Once this number has been added, Amazon will pull the product information automatically and add it to the complaint form, so you can check the listing title and make sure it's correct.

Finally, add your contact information to the relevant fields, check the "I have read and accept the statements" box, and then click Submit. You should receive an email confirmation that Amazon has received the form.

Please share this information with your writer friends, keep an eye out for/report pirated works, and help us keep fanfiction free and legally protected!

NOTE: All of the above also applies to Amazon products featuring stolen artwork, etc., so fan artists should check too!

Gonna add this post the the growing list of things I wish I could show my teenage self

been thinkin about how my ethics professor back in undergrad was like.

look. there’s no such thing as perfect altruism. you’ll always get something out of helping or being kind to others, whether it’s a stronger relationship or returned kindness or just the feeling of having done good. there’s nothing inherently bad about getting something from doing good either, especially since it’s completely unavoidable. people being rewarded for putting love into the world doesn’t make the world a worse place. so just do as much good as you can and don’t worry about being “selfless” while doing it, because being truly selfless is in fact impossible.

and like man did that take the pressure off of Being A Good Person!! you’re allowed to enjoy helping people! you’re allowed to be kind without worrying that you’re maybe secretly just doing it for yourself!! it’s okay if you are doing it for yourself because you’re still being kind to others!!!!!

Arthur: *calls John a Sour Puss*

Me: *proceeds to lose my fucking mind*

It fun to play around in picrew :3

@autisticaboutstufflol @yalikejazz9 @trensu

NEW CHALLENGE

1. FIRST, create a picrew using this maker, and then 2. SECOND take this quiz on how fandom would see you if you were a fictional character.  3 (THIRD) POST YOUR PIC AND YOUR DESCRIPTION IN THE REBLOG!

Bastard (Good)

You’re a bastard. A wet cat, if you will. And we love you for it. You’re a little shit, but in the good way. You are the baddest babygirl. You killed a man, but you looked good doing it. You flirted with the hero and the enemy. All of Tumblr is madly in love with you. Congrats, I guess?

Tagging EVERYONE but especially @magicaltear, @the-beeses-kneeses, @wafflesrisa, @mykingdomforapen, @marbat, @scientistsinistral, @halberdierminister​!

a collection of motivational insights regarding content creation and creative hobbies

and of course the classic

Horror podcast? Are you sure Malevolent isn’t a comedy????

@spacestationdaedalus

Only on tumblr would I be consistently gaslit by an entire community of artists and creators into believing a cult classic movie called “Goncharov” both exists and that I had just completely missed all mention of it entirely for all 18 years of my life

I really hate the concept of “little t trauma”. Hate it.

“Big T Trauma”, the logic goes, is for things that are “actually bad enough’, like war veterans or rape survivors. Or people who survive natural disasters or terrorist attacks or car accidents.*  “Little t trauma” is said to be for things like “interpersonal conflict”, infidelity, divorce, “financial worries or difficulty”, “legal trouble”, “death of a pet”, “bullying or harassment”, “loss of significant relationships”, or emotional abuse.*

And it’s bullshit.

*Examples taken from various articles on the subject I just looked up in preparation for this rant.

Plenty of people survive car accidents and sexual assault and war without lasting mental health issues.

The perceived severity of the traumatic event doesn’t actually matter. What matters is how your brain reacted to it.

You can have PTSD or other serious traumagenic disorders from bullying at school, or “just” emotional abuse, or neglect, or just from not having your needs met. If you’re marinating in stress long enough, it causes SO MANY problems.

Poverty is extremely traumatic! Your brain doesn’t necessarily understand the difference between “someone is routinely causing me serious physical harm” and “we run out of money for food by the third week of the month”. It just knows to interpret these things as threats to your continued survival. They cause you to produce stress hormones and other physiological responses. I’ve probably known people who have severe, ongoing issues due to just about everything on that list!

Your brain is trying to make sure you don’t die, and all the fucking logic in the world about “Well I wasn’t ACTUALLY in danger” or “Well she wouldn’t really have hit me” or “it was just kids being kids” doesn’t change that.

Every single trauma survivor I’ve ever known has thought that what happened to them Wasn’t Bad Enough to Count, because Other People Have it Worse. Every single one.

I think we’re so close to starting to realize that, as it turns out, a whole metric FUCKTON of people have experienced traumatic events and it’s affected a LOT more people than we initially believed. We’ve started to understand that it’s not just war vets who get PTSD.

But it’s like we’re desperate to come up with a reason that no, actually, it’s not that the systems we have in place routinely damage people severely - or that a lot of very common parenting techniques cause serious harm. We have to subdivide it further into little categories, and you should stop being so dramatic. OBVIOUSLY it that wasn’t bad enough. To be clear, I understand that this terminology was PROBABLY well-intentioned. “Look, a whole host of experiences can be trauma! We should acknowledge that!” - or at least I hope it was. But it’s that implied “[but obviously it’s not as bad as the people who have REAL problems. Don’t you know some people had to deal with TERRORISM!?]” that makes it bullshit.

People who are really struggling with awful, serious things already have enough trouble being taken seriously and taking their own pain seriously.

This concludes your irregularly scheduled rant about how mental health is discussed.

Oh thank god this exists!!!

I have compiled a list of Arthur’s scar leaving injuries so people(me) don’t forget(still me) to draw them (i’ll update this when new significant injuries happen and at the end of this i’ll do a tl;dr of what Arthur’s current state might look like now, leaving out uncertainties and including things like starvation and shaving.

Part 1 “The Dark World”

There were no blood mentions regarding Parker’s body and I’m taking a shot in the dark and saying the method was strangulation (unless John just used some weird magic and not Arth’s body). When being strangled, most will panic and claw at the aggressors wrists- But then wouldn’t there be blood? Maybe enough time passed for it to dry and remain hidden under Arthur’s sleeves. I dunno I just like the idea of that moment leaving scars.

Part 3 “The Mansion”

There was a car crash (surprising it only happened on the duo’s 2nd drive..). Arth literally had to climb through a seat to get to the baby in the back however the baby remained unharmed so maybe he could’ve been unharmed as well? Buutttt he did black out for a split second and said he couldn’t think straight. I believe a small superficial head scar to be possible along with some tiny other facial scaring all, caused by the glass windshield shattering a bit due to the crash. After all, there was sound of stepping over glass when he walked away from the wreck..

Arth also fell through a wooden stairway but no attention was drawn to any possible injury on his body and I realllyy doubt that he wasn’t harmed in some way.. maybe thin scars were created by the wood scratching thin areas like the hands and ankles or areas that scar easily but you just happen to be able to ignore it in the moment, y’know?

Part 4 “The Voices”

Near the end of this episode, Arthur gets huge damage to the stomach causing it to bleed. Pretty sure it was inflicted by a kitchen knife or something larger. Art said something along the lines of his entire waistline feeling wet with blood and it was enough damage for John to say the words “if this is the end…” and some sappy shit. Definitely a deep cut.

(Wow… dying from a botched c-section… not unbelievable but very uncommon for a man who, unless I skipped an episode, was not pregnant…)

Part 9 “The Boat”

Everyyyyone knows about the 3 shots Arthur took to the chest but i’ll mark it anyway. The first two shots seemed to only be like “OW” but he could probably keep going. By that excellent deduction I conclude they didn’t hit the heart. The third one probably did tho, sounded like he was seeing the light- or well, the dark at that point.

Part 12 “The End”

These little tadpole guy things tries to slither into arthur’s arm, arthur has to press lighter against skin to stop the thing from getting further in, bleeding a bit, possible scar + burn scar.

Part 13 “The Dreamlands”

Now it’s time to bring up the wooden pinkie. The duo bit it off to give the trees a friend, cauterized the wound, and a wooden pinkie grew out. There could be burn scarring where the wooden replacement pinkies grew out.

Part 15 “The Storm”

The injury caused here is kinda the entire reason I decided to go back through all the episodes and check because I forgot about this one entirely. Here the duo just barely escape a dark storm by hiding behind a large boat bitten by rust. The wind tore off some skin on the right side of Arthy’s face and it was apparently difficult to see out of their right eye until they cleaned it.

Part 17 “The Fall”

The monster thing threw a rock at Art from ceiling which resulted in a deep cut in his bicep. His shoulder dislocated on the same arm and from the fact that Arthur (who only has control of the right hand) had to set it back I think the damage was on the left arm.

Part 20 “The King” + “Coda”

Arthur got cut by one of the King’s dancer’s cut Arthur although it isn’t clear where it sounded like it drew blood (aka it scarred). Arthur also stabbed himself in the throat, just missing his jugular. That definitely left a kayne-knife-shaped scar.

Part 23 “The Past”

A piece of Arthur’s right ear was torn off, ouch.

(gonna include this here because I don’t want to go back and check which episode this happened in but Arthur did shave at like the beginning of the season after he got to the weird bar. I remember because he kept going on about deserving a wash and a shave and yellow was so pissy about it)

Part 27 “The Roots”

And now everyone’s favorite episode! We know Arth isn’t gonna die so i’m considering what the marks left by this near death experience may be. Arthur gets pierced by some tendril thing through the stomach so depending on what means through which it heals, there’s gonna be a huge scar there (i can’t imagine it just stays an open hole.. or it could, who knows!) Also, based on how the creature thing cut it out, there should be a gash in Arth’s head from where john cut the monster thingy’s tendril out.

tl;dr

Arthur is (circa part 26 not 27) a very thin, clean-shaven man showing signs of starvation covered in scars with the most significant being the superficial scarring on the right side of his face, a deep scar across his stomach covering the entirety of his waistline, 3 small wounds to the chest caused by bullets, a wooden pinkie on his left hand, a deep scar over his throat, a deep cut in his left bicep, a piece of his right ear bitten off, a burn scar on his arm where he had to burn a tadpole out of it.

First: once you know something’s name you have power over it. This is an old, old rule. Be careful giving out your name, because if it can be given it can be taken, and you along with it.

Second: the fae love beautiful things, and they will steal what they love. Sometimes it is to keep the object of their affection pristine and unaging, unravaged by time; sometimes it is just for the sake of having it. (They don’t love in the same way we do.)

Third: a changeling is a replica created to hide a theft. Sometimes it is a fae creature fully alive and wearing a stolen face. Sometimes it is simply a bundle of branches wrapped in magic, meant to die a wasting death and leave mourners who never suspect the truth.

Last: our city was beautiful. It was known far and wide, and because of that had names spoken in many different tongues. But it was not so hard to gather them all, in the end.

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