This is just my opinion and you're free to disagree or discuss further in the replies because I'm kinda just venting my thoughts, but I personally believe that the story of FFXV would've been a bit more coherent if LuNoct was a familial relationship and I'll explain why. I mainly say this because due to the game's emphasis on brotherhood, fatheson bonding, familial ties, etc., Luna and Noct's bond inevitably got pushed to the background, mainly with how Luna's character as a whole had so little screen time.
The fact that there's such a large amount of people who came to the consensus that Luna and Noct's relationship was poorly written, or that they were never even attracted to each other in the first place, kind of cements that regardless of whether or not LuNoct is "canon" isn't the issue, it's that its overall reception by players was below average at best because honestly, Luna and Noct...barely talk.
Normally, I'm okay with love stories in Final Fantasy games because they're generally well executed, but FFXV specifically is probably the one Final Fantasy game that I genuinely believe shouldn't have had any romance at all, because the relationship Noct has with Prompto, Ignis, Gladio, and Regis (and the overall theme of "family") is obviously meant to have more impact on the player and serve more importance to the story by comparison. But something that made me start considering a hypothetical solution with how many consider the romance shoehorned/unnecessary/etc., is specifically the scene where Luna dies.
In a vast majority of the scene, Noct is presented as his childhood self, while Luna transforms into her adult self fairly quickly and they remain that way until Noct blips into an adult at the very end. Contrary to what some people believe, Luna and Noct's physical states in Luna's death scene isn't actually meant to be a metaphorical representation of their maturity levels/mental states, but very, very literal. This is because in Japanese, young Noct in that cutscene uses the pronoun 僕 (boku), a pronoun mainly used by young boys, instead of 俺 (ore), the more masculine and rough pronoun used by adult Noct. Basically, throughout almost the entire cutscene Luna is speaking to an actual small boy, not a man merely in the image of a child.
When I remember that their relationship is meant to be romantic when presented with the image of the literal adult Luna speaking so fondly to the literal child Noct, it comes off as a very odd writing choice to me that could have some problematic implications. But I feel like a way to ease the discomfort of that scene's implication is if Luna and Noct's relationship was changed from romantic, to familial.
Here's my reasoning behind that.
There's barely any mention of her in-universe so I don't really blame anyone for forgetting her character exists, but the game briefly touches on the fact that Noctis's mother, Aulea, died when he was so young that he doesn't even remember her at all. IIRC, he was still a baby at the time. Regis was unfortunately too occupied with his duties as king to truly be there for Noct as a father, and although he had Ignis and Gladio, and later Prompto to ease the pain of his father's absence, Noct had nobody to fill in that familial gap that his mother left behind. Luna is important in that sense because she's his first source of guidance and warmth that isn't a boy, but an older girl.
(And as a side note: No, just because Ignis is a man that happens to cook, look after Noct, etc., doesn't make him Noct's "mother". A caretaker, yes, but the FFXV fandom's insistence on using the term "mom" to describe Ignis's role to Noct is honestly really irritating and overdone at this rate, not to mention it perpetuates a very outdated view on sewing, cooking, caretaking, etc. being "a mother's job". Ignis is not a "mother", that is a grown man with a cock and balls.)
Even more than the fact that their marriage is repeatedly mentioned to be arranged by King Regis and Emperor Aldercapt and solely meant to serve as a symbol of Lucis and Niflheim's armistice, Luna's emphasis on watching over (Or "protecting", if you translate the Japanese version literally.) Noct, and even more than Luna's fondness for looking back on her childhood with Noct and yearning for those days of innocence, I feel like it's Luna's actual role as Oracle that gives the most support to my opinion that making their relationship romantic wasn't necessarily a good decision. As Oracle, Luna's duty is to be a guiding force for Noctis to help him on his journey, from teaching him all about his destiny when they are children, to paving the way for Noct to forge covenants with the Astrals when they are adults. Despite her mentioning "I do not seek to guide him, merely to stand beside him." in one cutscene, it doesn't change that her very birthright is intrinsically tied to being a guiding force for Noct. The way the bros react after Luna's death prove this: Without Luna, they are borderline aimless.
All of this honestly would've felt more understandable if Noct and Luna's sentiments towards one another were meant in a familial context, like perhaps a mother-figure to her son-figure, thus filling the gap that Aulea's death had left behind and tying in better with FFXV's theme of "familial bonds".
In that sense, Luna's role as Oracle would be less like an overly selfless, obedient, and devoted girlfriend endlessly breaking her back to support her wayward, immature boyfriend, while never questioning this relationship dynamic or even getting anything in return, until she ultimately dies, and more like a mother-figure wanting to guide her child-figure into fulfilling his destiny/reaching adulthood with what little time she has left, since canonically the covenants are shown to be slowly killing her regardless and she would've died soon anyway, with or without Ardyn stabbing her. And her death scene in particular would then come off less like an 8 year old boy is losing his 24 year old crush (...That alone feels even more bizarre of a concept now that I had just typed it out.), and more like a small child being orphaned, losing his one remaining source of familial guidance and security after his beloved father had passed.
I think that small bit of tweaking to their relationship would've resonated more with players overall, and would also prove that stories don't always need to include a romance. But as I said at the beginning of this post, this is just my own personal thoughts and my reasoning behind them. Whether you agree or not, I'd love to hear what y'all think.

Good morning, tributes, and welcome back to stories of Panem. Before we begin, I would love to thank the splendid Christian Blanco, the original writer of Tales of the Hunger Games, and Lauren from Panem Reborn, to which these tales are inspired by. I hope you all are excited for our quinquennial quell we have today. So if you're ready, let's go.
3rd Quinquennial Quell: 151 Tribute Names

• District 1: Joann and Nolan
• District 2: Lusimane and Maxie
• District 3: Iris and Astral
• District 4: Trita and Wayne
• District 5: Cassisa and Caleb
• District 6: Mississippi and Anthony
• District 7: May and Acorn
• District 8: Veilia and Jaxon
• District 9: Unknown Girl and Brenden
• District 10: Holly and Joseph
• District 11: Thalia and Bryce
• District 12: Alexa and Lincoln
• District 14: Cleopatra and Colin

As the 115th Games, the 8th Quinquennial Quell, came into light, a plethora of excitement spread around the Capitol, even remembering the success of last year's games. President McCaine went live at noon on the Fourth of July, reading the twist. Modeling his crisp white suit and long blue hair, which flowed behind him like a "walking Tarzan" according to Nico Anderson, this year's commentator, with Camilla due to Silca recovering from a car accident she had got into. McCaine then read the twist out loud: “As a reminder to the districts that fairness never really existed, this year's tributes would be chosen via the mentors.” Curious sounds of intrigue sounded in Snow Square as President McCaine signed off, leaving the Capitol lights to discuss among themselves.
In District 14, Ezra Montario had to tase the girl Cleopatra’s older sister after she tackled Ezra to the ground. Even Felicity Breen, the mentor for District 11, had to stop Thalia, the girl from 11, from punching a laughing girl after Felicity chose her. In District 8, Amanda Mills looked forward at the district's population, with her wife talking to her to keep her mind at bay. Mayor Ravenski also talked with Amanda as the citizens were being ushered into the square. “You’ll be alright, right dear?” Amanda smiled and nodded before standing up from her seat. Watching Mayor Ravenski finish his speech, Amanda rose up to the microphone, looking at the sea of purple. Camilla remarked, “They’re showing hope; that’s rare.” “Don’t get mad if I choose you. There’s nothing I can do.”
One girl then shouted, “Isn’t that what you said when you got your supposed death sentence?” However, before Amanda could respond, a peacekeeper soon took this girl to the Falling Factory. As this girl screamed out, Silca then recounted, “Thank God it isn’t her going in.”
Amanda then walked down into the square, noticing the frightened young youths and solemn older youths. As such, the 19-year-old victor walked over to the ladies, fashioning a dress that looked like a “funeral garment,” according to Nico. She then walked her way to the middle-aged youths; many started sobbing uncontrollably, causing Amanda to wince. Calculating a plan in her mind like clockwork, she then walked to the older youths. She then saw one girl, a tall brown-haired girl with hazel eyes, fashioning a long purple dress. “Come, come.” The girl sighed before taking Amanda by the hand, as many of the nearby youths sighed as Amanda plopped the girl back up, asking, “What’s your name, hun?”
“Veilia Winagin.”
Camilla praised Veilia for her strong atmosphere and for “not throwing a scene like many other tributes did.” Amanda soon nodded before returning back to the square, walking to the male section. Again, many of these youths were looking away, many of them clinging on for dear life. Amanda softened, seeing one crying into his friend’s shoulder before she continued further on to the 17-year-old youths. Strong-minded and staring forward, their faces turning a further shade of white. Finally, Amanda walked, seeing one boy looking her way. Camilla asked if the boy knew her, causing Silca to shrug. Amanda then took this boy by the hand, a tall blonde boy with blue eyes and a smattering of brown freckles, to the stage. Nico recoiled, seeing this boy’s light purple hat and suit, with Camilla recounting that it only made him more of a purple mouse.
As Amanda returned to the stage, the boy introduced himself to be 18-year-old Jaxon Chaneli. As Jaxon shook Veilia’s hand, Amanda announced the pair as this year's tributes for District 8. Moderate applause followed as Jaxon and Veilia met with their families. Veilia was visited by a stony-faced older sister and frantic younger cousins and aunts and uncles. She gently removed herself from them before walking over to her sister. “Don’t anger Amanda. I did that back when we were kids. I want you to try to win.” Veilia rolled her eyes and nodded before asking, “The feud ended, why are you still harping on it?” However, before her elder sister could respond, she was yanked to the train station by impatient peacekeepers. As for Jaxon, only his elderly grandfather visited him. Jaxon embraced his grandfather in a tight hug before thanking him for taking care of him during the war. Mr. Chaneli smiled before embracing him, saying, “Just do whatever you can to make it back.” Jaxon sadly smiled before going with the peacekeepers that were taking Veilia and him to the train. When they entered, they saw their mentor straightening out her long black hair. Amanda turned back at her tributes before shrugging and inviting them to the table with a table of fabrics.
“Here, knit.”
Jaxon and Veilia shrugged again before twiddling away with the fabrics. However, as Veilia began frantically making a shawl, Amanda sighed before telling them to focus their attention on the screen. As Amanda turned on a tape of her own games, Veilia shouted before hurling her sewing needle toward Amanda. As she caught the needle between her fingers, Amanda said, “Enough.”
As Veilia screamed out in a psychiatric trance, a peacekeeper soon injected a sedative into Veilia’s arm, and she fell unconscious. “Put her in her room.” As the peacekeepers obliged, Amanda soon took out a barber’s cape. “Wanna haircut?” she asked. As Jaxon shrugged and nodded, he sat down before listening to Amanda talk about the upcoming week in the Capitol as she gave Jaxon a haircut. “I do these with all of my mentees; we are the district of fashion, after all.” Jaxon laughed before allowing Amanda to continue his haircut. Finally, Jaxon’s haircut was finished; he now fashioned a side cut, giving him more of a daring appearance. Even Amanda laughed, saying, “I think I made you too fierce.”
Jaxon smiled before continuing to watch Amanda’s games. As they were reaching the finale with Ezekiel and Mason, Jaxon turned to Amanda, saying, “If my arena is as humid as that one, I would rather hop off my podium early.” Amanda then looked at Jaxon with a bewildered look before Jaxon laughed, saying he was joking. Amanda smirked before inviting him to sit with her on the couch. The two then talked about their personal lives, with Jaxon becoming intrigued when Amanda talked about all of the fancy clothes people wore in the Capitol. However, as she finished her speech, the train from District 8 arrived in the Capitol.
Amanda warmly waved at her fans at the platform before bringing out a very tired Veilia and a fierce-looking Jaxon wandering into the audience. However, as Jaxon was trying to talk to many of the Capitol lights at the train station, he had been pushed behind by Veilia. As she sniggered, Amanda quickly rushed over and helped him up, joking, “My, my, a sedative can change anyone’s mind.” Jaxon sniggered before being helped up by Capitol teens his age, obtaining a successful reputation, with many appreciating his laid-back attitude and sociable demeanor. This intrigued many Capitol lights about some of his fashion designs, as he was a fashion designer's apprentice.
Veilia’s crowd she had obtained from before had vanished with the drop of a hat, as commentators put it, resulting in her stomping in a fit. After a brief delay, Amanda then thanked the audience for their time before walking Jaxon and Veilia to the limousine. Along the way to the 8th floor of the accommodation tower, Amanda scolded Veilia for acting like a “four-year-old,” which resulted in Jaxon joking, “I guess she’s an amnesiac now.” As the limo arrived at the apartments, Amanda sniggered before leading her tributes up to their apartment on the 8th floor. As they arrived, Jaxon asked where their stylist was, resulting in a middle-aged woman to pop out and say, “BOO.” As Veilia shrieked, Jaxon smirked as Lacey Berrick introduced herself to the two before showing them the designs she had in mind. Jaxon admired the designs of pure silk but was mortified when Veilia jumped on the table, ruining the designs. As Lacey remained calm, Jaxon sarcastically said, “You don’t want 8 to get another victor.” Veilia laughed as she vindictively smiled, saying, “No one will get out of the arena now.” However, before Jaxon could respond, Amanda put a gentle hand on his shoulder, saying, “She can make a new one.” As Lacey pinched the nerve on Veilia’s neck, temporarily knocking her out, Lacey gave Jaxon a pre-made outfit that resembled leisurely Capitol couture. Amanda said, “I’ll see if I can put a divider up between the two of you.”
Jaxon nodded before sitting on the couch, putting on Capitol TV. Amanda soon joined before asking, “Which district do you want to watch?” As Amanda turned to the reapings in 12, Jaxon laughed, seeing the comedic scuffle that occurred, then became intrigued, watching the reaping in District 3 occurring, before asking Amanda to tune into it. As she did this, they were about to hear the female tribute being announced.
Mayor Doe was concluding his speech. Albert Latier, the district's appointed mentor, looked onward into the sea of yellow youths watching ahead in turmoil. With a flip of his cape, Albert walked down the stairs. Even many sounds of laptops could be heard typing away in the furthest enclosure of the male and female youths, which made most of the Capitol citizens watching in the viewing square chortle loudly, with Camilla sarcastically saying, “My, my, someone’s at work typing away.” Albert trailed further down before finding one young lady with a short frizz of red hair and large black glasses with green eyes. As Albert tapped this lady on the shoulder, she sighed before allowing the peacekeepers to lead her to the stage before she was plopped up by Mayor Doe.
As he asked her what her name was, the girl responded, “Iris Plummer.” As the 18-year-old shyly smiled at the nearby camera, Nico recounted that he adored Iris’s long yellow gown, saying he “wanted it for his personal collection.” Albert shook Iris’s hand before he returned to the reaping pen, walking to the middle of the pen. He looked at one young lad with similar glasses and a smattering of brown curly hair. Albert tapped him on the shoulder. As the lad jumped up, he sighed before joining Iris on the stage. This lad was revealed to be 15-year-old Astral Vaughn. Astral shook Iris’s hand as Mayor Doe announced the pair as the tributes for the district, bringing the pair to their holding rooms to meet with their parents and friends. Iris was only visited by a few of her server room friends, MJ and Joey. Iris embraced the two of them in a tight hug, expressing her appreciation for their companionship. As MJ began to sob about potentially losing her friend to the games, Joey soon reminded her to “run for the perimeter” as soon as she could. As Iris began to ask how this would be important, Joey placed his finger over Iris’s mouth, saying, “You’ll thank me when you get there.” Before Iris could protest more, peacekeepers soon took her to the waiting dock for Astral. Astral was visited by his professor parents and younger brother. He embraced his family members in a tight hug before listening to his father rant about any electric currency/magnetic field in an arena that might attract any electrical matter. Astral sighed before saying he had “all the electrical mind information one could muster.” “That’s why you’re the smartest in the district.”
Astral laughed before saying he would do what he could to come back. After one final embrace, the pair from District 3 were brought onto the hovercraft, where they saw their mentor playing a game that was being displayed via a robot hologram. “Is that my hologram game device?” Albert was caught off guard before looking at the short lad, saying, “You made this.”
As Iris chimed in, Albert’s face turned to surprise, and he smiled before saying, “3 has some smart ones this year.” Iris and Astral walked to the dining carriage as Albert talked to the pair about the upcoming week. He appreciated his tributes’ attentiveness before showing the past reapings in the districts. However, Astral made Iris giggle by mimicking Albert’s strict teacher-like personality by showing goofy faces and expressions. Iris smirked before Albert tossed some metals and wires out for the pair. “Why do you want us to make a battery?”
As Albert still beckoned the pair to do as he asked, he giggled to himself as Iris’s battery gave her a light electric shock. Astral noticed this before helping the 18-year-old rewire the circuits on her own battery. Iris smiled before ruffling Astral’s curly brown hair with her hand, joking, “You remind me of my younger brother Anteno.” Albert’s face whitened as he recalled Anteno’s death in the 112th Games. However, to not upset his mentee, Albert remained quiet before commending them on their teamwork with the battery exercise. As the train arrived in the Capitol, Albert smartened his tributes before the train settled in McCaine station. As the pair disembarked, Astral was approached by many eager fans his age, asking him about his renewable lightbulbs that he had engineered back in his district that had gotten popular. Astral laughed before taking a few of those out of his pocket, causing many of them to cheer and fight over them, causing Iris to gently bring Astral to her crowd of citizens. As the pair from District 3 geeked out with the Capitol lights, Albert swooped them up before thanking the Capitol for their time, with both Astral and Iris waving at their fans.
“We have fans?” Astral said in a surprising manner.
Iris smiled before saying, “You’re a little genius who got some of your inventions in the Capitol. Damn right, we got fans.” Astral laughed as Albert commended the two on a job well done before keeping the pair entertained as a short TV descended from the limousine roof with Albert signing to the Avoxes to put on the reboot of “The Bunger Games.” This beloved cartoon show from the second incarnation had been rebooted after the 113th Games by Killian Phips (who would also become a head gamemaker in later games). Once the pair from District 3 arrived at their accommodation floor, Albert shouted, “Keep the noise down, Heath.” As the 2s’s commotion settled down, Albert made a call to the pair's stylist, Elesa Mauvile. Elesa then showed up, saying how “adorable the geeky pair looked.” As the two gave each other bewildered looks, they were surprised when Elesa asked if she could see Iris’s goggles.
As Elesa looked further into the goggles, she gasped with manic stylist delight before squealing, “Astrologists, astrologists.” As Elesa and her team began to work, Albert sighed before saying, “At least the girl has talent.” After a half-hour wait, Elesa and her team returned to the apartment, where Iris and Astral’s cleanly made, stylish galaxy/astrologist-themed outfits were revealed. Iris wore a long dress with light blue and purple. Astral complemented the outfit with a long flowing black cloak with a galaxy-themed suit and black top hat. These outfits caused Iris to squeak and say how beautiful it was. Elesa smiled as Astral admired the galaxy stars on his suit.
Albert and Elesa both brought the pair down to the parade, being greeted with a comedic scuffle occurring.

I know there are exemptions and such, and that our attorney will be the best answer, but I don't know when we will actually meet with him. Preliminary consult with the paralegal is next week.
I'm concerned about what assets we might be forced to sell in this process, since it seems that TN is not very generous with exemptions. We own a farm, as such, there is equipment - mainly a small tractor & various attachments, a small ride-on mower (needs repairs) and a quad for farm use (bought with a loan from a friend, also not currently running). Can we be forced to sell equipment that is needed for maintaining our property?
We have three trucks, two are our daily drivers, one is non-operational (came with the farm), and 3 motorcycles (none operational - do you sense a theme here?). A camper in unknown condition (also came with the property, hasn't been opened in 4 years), and a livestock trailer (we raise sheep). I don't know how much equity we have in the property, we had a bad/predatory refinance two years ago, and I think it's fairly low at this point (<$20k, if not $10k).
There are also my sewing and quilting machines, for my secondary business that I have been unable to get back to, some heirloom firearms with family significance, our computers (2 business, 3 personal, all 5+ years old), my business NAS/server, a small coin collection of unknown but sentimental value, and a couple professional quality musical instruments (I was originally planning a music career). We also have possession of my grandparents' coin collection, as I was in the process of inventorying and basic valuation of it for my dad & his siblings, but I DO NOT own it, the estate is theirs.
There's also the standard home furnishings and electronics, but my reading here indicates those are all 'safe.'
Certain items I don't mind selling (my ex-engagement ring, one of the instruments, the non-op truck, the camper), but the others are either key to our daily life & home (tractor, trucks, computers & peripherals, sewing machines) or significant sentimental value (firearms, coins, one of motorcycles, flute).
Am I going to be screwed simply for the value of the miscellanea that my husband and I have collected? Are we dead in the water before we ever even start?

“True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Bio
Name: Taylor Bennett Armstrong	Date of Birth: 04/03/2024
Age: 15 years old	Gender: Demiboy (he/his, they/them)
Sexual Orientation: Pansexual	Nationality: Canadian
Ethnicity: Irish-Jewish	Languages: English, French, Japanese
Hometown: Toronto, Canada	Demigod Conundrums: ADHD

Family:

Name Relation Age Occupation Relationship ------------
Benjamin Armstrong Father 42 years old Artist Taylor shares a special bond with his father, Benjamin Armstrong. Despite being a single parent for much of Taylor's life, Benjamin always made sure to provide a loving and nurturing environment for his son. He recognized Taylor's unique talents from a young age and encouraged him to explore his creativity without limitations. Benjamin's own passion for art and innovation served as an inspiration for Taylor, shaping his worldview and igniting his love for invention. Benjamin supports Taylor's dreams and ambitions wholeheartedly, even if he doesn't always understand the mechanics behind his son's creations.
Eliza Armstrong Stepmother 43 years old Graphic Designer She brings a different perspective to Taylor's life. As a graphic designer, she values precision and order, which sometimes clashes with Taylor's more spontaneous and chaotic approach to creativity. However, despite their differences, Eliza cares deeply for Taylor and wants what's best for him. She worries about Taylor's safety and well-being, especially when his inventions go awry and cause unintended chaos. She often finds herself playing the role of the voice of reason, urging Taylor to think things through more carefully before diving headfirst into his next project. Despite their occasional disagreements, Eliza recognizes Taylor's potential and admires his boundless imagination and ingenuity.
Rachel Armstrong Half-sister 10 years old Student Rachel Armstrong, Taylor's half-sister, adores her older brother and looks up to him with wide-eyed admiration. From a young age, she was fascinated by Taylor's inventions and artistic talents, often trailing after him like a curious puppy, eager to learn and explore alongside him. Taylor sees Rachel as the most precious angel in the world and is very protective of her. He takes great joy in teaching her how to sketch, build, and code, fostering her own love for art and invention. Rachel, in turn, idolizes her big brother and cherishes their time together.

Appearance

Faceclaim: this Picrew Voiceclaim Walter from Spies in Disguise

Features	Description
Height	5’8 feet
Weight	157 lbs
Hair	Ginger
Eyes	Blue
Skin	Tan
Build	Lean, slim
Scent	Ink, paint, oil
Attire	Gamer Aesthetic

Overview: Ginger Hair: One of Taylor's most noticeable features is his vibrant ginger hair, which seems to have a life of its own. His locks cascade in untamed waves around his head, framing his face in a fiery halo. Despite occasional attempts to tame it, Taylor's hair always manages to retain its wild, rebellious spirit, reflecting his own untamed nature. Taylor's eyes are a mesmerizing shade of blue. They sparkle with curiosity and intelligence, constantly darting from one point of interest to the next. Across Taylor's nose and cheeks are scattered a constellation of freckles, like tiny stars dotting the canvas of his face. Despite his intelligence beyond his years, Taylor's face retains a youthful charm and innocence. His features are soft and rounded, with a hint of boyish mischief lurking behind his bright smile. There is a sense of wonder and curiosity in his expression, as if he is forever on the brink of discovering something new and exciting. Taylor's fashion sense is a reflection of his personality, blending comfort with a hint of geeky flair. He favors graphic t-shirts adorned with characters from his favorite video games, showcasing his love for gaming and pop culture. His hoodies are oversized and well-worn, providing both warmth and a sense of familiarity. Taylor's cargo pants are practical and utilitarian, offering plenty of pockets to store his tools and gadgets for tinkering. His sneakers are his constant companions, scuffed and worn from countless adventures and late-night gaming marathons.

Personality

“Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye.” Dorothy Parker
Quality Traits Positive Optimistic, Creative, Kind-hearted, Spontaneous, Resilient Neutral Naive, Chaotic, Impulsive, Eccentric, Idealistic Negative Gullible, Overbearing, Impatient, Inattentive, Stubborn
Overview: Taylor radiates an infectious positivity that lights up any room he enters. He greets each day with boundless enthusiasm, seeing every challenge as an opportunity for adventure and growth. His optimism is unwavering, even in the face of adversity, and he has a knack for finding the silver lining in the darkest of situations. Taylor's sunny disposition makes him a joy to be around, and his genuine smile can brighten even the gloomiest of days. Taylor marches to the beat of his own drum, embracing his individuality with gusto. He has never been one to conform to societal norms or expectations, preferring to chart his own course through life. Taylor's free-spirited nature is reflected in everything he does, from his spontaneous inventions to his unconventional approach to problem-solving. He thrives on the freedom to express himself creatively, unbound by rules or conventions. Taylor's energy is boundless, and he approaches everything he does with an infectious sense of excitement and wonder. He is easily captivated by new ideas and experiences, often bouncing from one project to the next with the fervor of a child in a candy store. Taylor's excitable nature fuels his insatiable curiosity, driving him to constantly seek out new challenges and adventures. Despite his youthful exuberance, Taylor possesses a keen intellect far beyond his years. He is a natural problem-solver, able to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions to even the most daunting of challenges. Taylor's mind is a whirlwind of ideas and possibilities, constantly buzzing with new inventions and artistic endeavors. His creativity knows no bounds, and he revels in the thrill of bringing his imagination to life. Taylor's intelligence and creativity have instilled in him a healthy dose of confidence, bordering on cockiness at times. He knows his worth and isn't afraid to show it, often speaking his mind with a brashness that can catch others off guard. However, Taylor's confidence is tempered by his humility and genuine humility. He is quick to acknowledge his mistakes and learn from them, never allowing his ego to overshadow his humanity. At the core of Taylor's personality is a deep well of kindness and empathy for others. He genuinely cares about the people around him and goes out of his way to help those in need. Taylor's compassion knows no bounds, and he often puts the needs of others before his own. He is quick to offer a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on, and his unwavering support has endeared him to many. Beneath Taylor's cheerful exterior lies a vulnerability that he often tries to conceal. He is sensitive to the opinions of others and fears being rejected or misunderstood. Taylor's insecurities stem from a desire to be accepted and valued for who he truly is, flaws and all. Despite his outward confidence, he struggles with feelings of loneliness and self-doubt, yearning for genuine connections and validation. Taylor's drive for excellence can sometimes border on perfectionism, leading him to be overly critical of himself and his work. He sets high standards for himself and is often disappointed when he falls short of his own expectations. However, Taylor's perfectionism is tempered by his resilience and determination to persevere in the face of failure. He sees each setback as an opportunity to learn and grow, refusing to let obstacles dampen his spirit. Taylor has a gift for communication, able to express his thoughts and feelings with clarity and sincerity. He is a natural storyteller, captivating audiences with his animated anecdotes and infectious enthusiasm. Taylor's ability to connect with others on a deep emotional level makes him a trusted confidant and valued friend. He listens intently to others, offering words of encouragement and wisdom when needed. Taylor approaches life with a sense of adventure, always eager to explore new horizons and push the boundaries of what is possible. He thrives on the thrill of discovery, relishing in the excitement of unknown possibilities. Taylor's insatiable curiosity drives him to seek out new experiences and embrace the unknown with open arms. Whether embarking on a daring quest or simply trying out a new recipe, he approaches each adventure with the same sense of wonder and excitement. Taylor has a playful sense of humor that often borders on mischievousness. He loves to joke and laugh, finding joy in the absurdities of life. Taylor's playful nature brings levity to even the most serious of situations, helping to ease tension and lift spirits. He delights in pulling harmless pranks and sharing witty banter with friends, always with a twinkle in his eye and a grin on his face. Taylor is incredibly adaptable, able to thrive in any environment or situation. He approaches change with a sense of curiosity and excitement, eager to embrace new challenges and opportunities. Taylor's ability to adapt to different circumstances has served him well throughout his life, allowing him to navigate the complexities of both the mortal world and the realm of the gods with ease.
Preferences
Favourite... Item Food Macaroni and cheese, mango milkshake Colour Electric Blue Season Summer Weather Sunny, warm, clear skies Music Pop, rock, orchestral, jazz, celtic Animals Bunnies and Cats Book/Movie Genre Fantasy, Sci-fi, Romance, Slice-of-life, Adventure, Action Media Avatar: The Last Airbender, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Kingdom Hearts, Legend of Zelda, Genshin Impact, Honkai Impact 3rd, Honkai: Star Rail, Pokémon, a scary amount of anime, etc…
Hobbies:

• Drawing
• Painting
• Crafting
• Sewing
• Video Games
• Cosplay

Demigod Info

Powers

Name	Type	Description
Psychometry	Domain	The ability to glean information from a particular object relevant to the parent's domain, especially its material make-up and method of creation. (Crafts, Mechanics and Art)
Enhanced Skill Proficiency	Domain	A trait where one is naturally adept in the skills lorded over by their parent. (Crafts, Mechanics and Art)
Summon Tool	Domain	The ability to summon any small tool. (Once every 5 minutes or per turn.) (Duct Tape or Superglue)
Machine Communication	Minor	A trait where one is able to understand and communicate with automatons and machinery (includes code).
Electrical Resistance	Minor	A trait where one is able to resist electricity to a such degree that they are able to withstand badly interacting with small appliances.
Machine Manipulation (Technokinesis)	Minor	The ability to directly control mechanisms, machines and automatons.
Basic Enchantment	Major	The ability to imbue weapons, crafts, machinery and automatons with magical properties (modmail for specific enchantments). Options: Weapon Transformation—into a mundane item; Monster Hunting Proficiency for a) Fleshy Monsters—Sharpness, b) Armored Monsters—Bludgeoning, c) Ghosty Monsters—Absorption

Weapon of Choice: Bastard Sword
Fatal Flaw: Naivety Taylor's fatal flaw lies in his inherent naivety, stemming from his trusting and optimistic nature. Despite his intelligence and creativity, Taylor often lacks the worldly wisdom and discernment needed to navigate the complexities of the world around him. His naivety makes him vulnerable to manipulation and deception, as he struggles to see the darker intentions lurking behind the smiles of others.

Items and Equipment

Name	Age	Description
Sketchbook	7 years old	Taylor always carries a sketchbook with him, filled with doodles, sketches, and designs inspired by his vivid imagination.
Art Supplies	3 years old	As someone who enjoys art, Taylor keeps a collection of art supplies like pencils, markers, and colored pencils, allowing him to bring his creative visions to life wherever he goes.
Tool Kit	5 years old	As a budding inventor and tinkerer, Taylor carries a compact tool kit with him at all times. It contains essential tools like screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, and a mini soldering iron, allowing him to repair gadgets, fix mechanical issues, and work on DIY projects on the fly.
Nintendo Switch	2 years old	Taylor never leaves home without Nintendo Switch. He keeps a selection of his favorite games in his backpack, ready to play whenever he has a spare moment to indulge in his love of gaming.
Music Player	3 years old	Music is a constant source of inspiration and motivation for Taylor, so he always carries a portable music player loaded with his favorite tunes.
Cat Headphones	1 year old	High-quality headphones that allow him to escape into his own world of music whenever he needs a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. They are cat-themed for no reason other than Taylor felt like it.

Trivia

• Zodiac Sign: Pisces
• MBTI: ESTP-T (The Entrepreneur)
• Enneagram: Type 7 (The Enthusiast)
• Love Languages: Words of Affirmation (receive); Acts of service (give)
• Quirk: Doodling on almost every surface he sees when bored.
• Fears: Hurting People, Big Animals

Backstory

“There is no innovation and creativity without failure.” ***Brené Brown*
Taylor Bennett Armstrong was born into a creatively vibrant family. His father, Benjamin Armstrong, was a dedicated artist who often spent hours in his studio, painting and sculpting. Benjamin's work was deeply inspired by classical art, and his studio was filled with references to mythological themes and ancient techniques. This environment planted the seeds of creativity in Taylor from a very young age.
Taylor’s biological mother was Techne, the goddess of art, craft, and invention, but he had no knowledge of her divine heritage. His mother left shortly after his birth, leaving Benjamin to raise Taylor on his own. Despite the absence of his mother, Taylor's early childhood was filled with love and encouragement from his father.
When Taylor was five, Benjamin met Eliza, a talented graphic designer, at an art exhibit. They quickly bonded over their shared love for art and soon married. Eliza embraced Taylor as her own, though she struggled to understand his unique, often chaotic way of thinking and creating.
Even as a young child, Taylor showed remarkable intelligence and creativity. By the age of six, he was building simple machines and drawing intricate designs. His father was both amazed and slightly concerned when Taylor began to take apart household appliances to understand how they worked. While Benjamin encouraged his son's curiosity, Eliza worried about the constant mess and occasional accidents that resulted from Taylor's experiments.
Taylor’s half-sister, Rachel, was born when he was five. She looked up to her big brother with admiration, often following him around and watching as he created his various inventions. Despite the occasional mishap, Taylor and Rachel shared a close bond, with Taylor frequently making small toys and gadgets to entertain her.
School was both a blessing and a curse for Taylor. His intelligence allowed him to excel academically, but his unique way of thinking and his constant tinkering often got him into trouble. Teachers labeled him a "problem child" due to his inability to sit still and follow conventional methods. Taylor's inventions occasionally caused disruptions, further cementing his reputation.
Socially, Taylor found it hard to connect with his peers. His enthusiasm and intelligence often intimidated other children, and he was frequently taken advantage of by classmates who used him to boost their own grades. These experiences left Taylor feeling lonely and self-conscious about his naivety, although he never let it dampen his cheerful spirit.
Taylor's life took a dramatic turn when he was 15 years old. One day, while working on a particularly ambitious project in his makeshift workshop, he was visited by Oleander, a satyr sent by Camp Half-Blood. Oleander had been observing Taylor for some time, noting his extraordinary abilities and his connection to the divine.
Oleander revealed to Taylor the truth about his mother, Techne, and his demigod heritage. At first, Taylor was skeptical, thinking it was some sort of elaborate joke or fantasy. However, Oleander's ability to demonstrate his satyr powers and his deep knowledge of Taylor's unexplained talents eventually convinced him.
Explaining the situation to his family was a challenge. Benjamin, who had always suspected that there was something special about Taylor, took the news in stride. Eliza, though worried and confused, ultimately supported the decision, understanding that Camp Half-Blood could provide Taylor with the guidance he needed. Rachel was both excited and scared for her brother, worried about the dangers he might face and she would miss him.
Thankfully, despite the huge distance he and Oleander had to travel from Toronto to Long Island went calmly, for the most part, with not many delays or monsters attacking them.
Well, at least until they reached New York. After that, the whole “calm journey” was out the window. It almost seemed like all the monsters decided to wait until they were close to their destination to suddenly appear one after the other. First they had to somehow avoid a cyclops. Then they were attacked by dracanaea. And finally, they were chased by harpies until they crossed the border of Camp Half-Blood.
By some miracle, they were still alive.
What a way to be introduced to demigod life.

Present Day

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun” Mary Lou Cook
Taylor's arrival at Campbell Half-Blood was… something, alright.
You know, being chased by monsters from New York to Long Island, passing out in between attacks and then waking up in the Medic Cabin feeling like you've been hit by a truck and maimed by a cat at the same time was, in short, not fun. It also didn't help the fact that he had to stay in bed to get treated for what, hours. Which, for someone like Taylor, was absolute torture. Good for him then that demigods, apparently, had magic healing and he didn't have to stay for days instead. At least Oleander was around to explain every detail about the world he's been thrust into now that he was out of danger. And as a plus, he was also claimed, so yay! He had no clue who Techne was, but he was sure he would learn soon enough.
So, what does Taylor do after getting patched up? Does he wait and rest for a bit just to make sure everything is okay with him? Does he stop for a moment to process everything that has happened to him in the last 24 hours?
No! Of course not! This is Taylor, after all. Him staying put for more than 10 minutes would be a miracle already.
Instead, he just went off on his own to see what this Camp Half-Blood was all about. He just had to get to his cabin first, which would be relatively easy with Oleander's instructions, and then he could explore this place to his heart's content!
Hopefully, Camp Half-Blood would be ready for the chaotic force Taylor would prove to be.
[OOC: Hello, everyone! Say hello to my new character, Taylor! Feel free to interact with him literally anywhere at Camp, he's probably going to be there at some point anyway lmao. Thanks for reading;)]

My good friend/coworker is retiring soon from teaching. I have a leg up in presents because we all fill out secret Santa wish lists and I tracked hers down.... For suggested gift themes she put baking, crafts, sewing, or a small houseplant. It's hard to buy for someone who has been doing something for years because they probably have most of the things they need, is there any unique items for those categories that would make a good thoughtful gift? Maybe about $50?

━━━━━▼ TWIN 1 ▼━━━━━

BASIC INFO

Name: Thomas Matthew Hartley

• AKA Tommy. Nobody really calls him by his full name, and he's never gone by 'Tom' or anything either.

Age: 16
Gender: Male
D.O.B: 13th April 2023
Birthplace: London, England
Nationality: British
Godrent: Aphrodite
Significant family:
• Adoptive mother: Veronica Hartley, 42
• Adoptive father: Alan Hartley, 44
• Twin brother: Harvey Hartley, 16

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Faceclaim: Art/Picrews
Features: Tommy may not look like a typical macho Hollywood hunk, but his delicately angular and distinctive features endow him instead with a uniquely pretty look. Of particular note are his eyes: big, slightly wide-set, a little downturned, and baby blue. All this, along with the rest of his unconventional style, makes for a rather striking appearance. Tommy is also blessed with a perennial smile that ebbs between relaxed and radiant.
Height: 5'8" — about an inch shorter than his brother, although this gap is often bridged thanks to his taste in shoes.
Build: Slender and lean.
Hair: Tommy's hair is probably one of his favourite things. He dedicates a great amount of care and attention to it. Though naturally brown, he's been dyeing it blond for a few years now, and will on occasion add various other pops of colour. It's currently in a stylishly tousled, layered style that just reaches his shoulders when loose.
Clothes/style: Tommy is nothing if not a fashionista. He will flit artfully between a wide variety of fashion movements, never quite committing to a single one, though he has a particular love for 2000s and 1970s aesthetics (from Y2K to glam rock and disco). He also often takes inspiration from hippie, punk, emo, grunge, and otherwise alt or vintage fashion, but he's adventurous in his style (and only getting more so with time) and he doesn't like to limit himself. Most of his clothes have been thrifted or bought secondhand, with some customised or even constructed by himself.
Accessories: Numbering many and of a great variety. A common one is makeup: frequently eyeliner, sometimes nail polish, and occasionally things like lip gloss or eyeshadow.
Necklaces, chains, scarves, hats, belts, bracelets, rings, and tinted glasses make frequent appearances in his looks. Tommy has his ears pierced and usually wears small hoops or studs, but he also owns a few pairs of more intricate earrings.
Gender expression: Androgynous. While he doesn't seek to present himself as anything but male, he doesn't shy away from incorporating more feminine elements into his appearance.

PERSONALITY

Like many of his godly siblings, Tommy is a vain creature: he's never happier than when he's prettying himself up or achieving a perfect look. This can come hand in hand with a tendency for being self-absorbed, although his selfishness comes more from a habit of forgetting he’s not the only person in the world than having any malicious intent — he's a kind person when he’s not distracted by something shiny or his own self (which is pretty shiny). Getting distracted by something shiny is a common occurrence with Tommy, whose flighty nature means he can struggle with commitment (whether to tasks, plans, interests, or people).
Tommy is admittedly a little ditzy. He's not a fan of academia, nor of thinking too hard about anything in general, tying into his carefree approach to life. He is a remarkably laidback and cheerful person whose tendency to not sweat the little things can lead to irresponsibility. He's got a habit of ignoring problems and responsibilities and shirking hard work in favour of things more enjoyable; he’d rather have a good time now than worry about whatever consequences might come later. He can also sometimes be quite naïve. Overall, he is a friendly social butterfly with a fun-loving streak.

OTHER

Theme(s): TBD
Sexuality: Heterosexual, although he's currently not 100% sure. He's only ever been interested in girls, but the way some people assume he isn't straight (and his general openness to new things) has made him consider experimenting a little.
Voice/accent: A London accent. His voice is typically quite mellow and relaxed.
Mannerisms & habits: Tommy can often be seen playing with his hair, or just idly fidgeting in general. His body language is usually playful and casual. You'll frequently find him chewing gum. Tommy is right-handed.
Interests/hobbies:
Fashion: The way to Tommy's heart is through clothes. He lives for getting new clothes, going thrifting, styling outfits, wearing them, and generally being as fashionable as possible (although his style may skew alternative/unconventional).

• Tommy is also interested in fashion design and creating his own items of clothing. He's pretty talented at sewing and can alter or modify clothes or even construct new ones out of materials.

Music: Tommy has dreams of being a pop and/or rock star. A teen idol. Admittedly, these dreams are more motivated by a desire to be famous than passion for music, but he does genuinely love music and performing it. He mostly sings, which he is quite good at (though not groundbreakingly so).

• Like his taste in clothes, his taste in music also spans genres. Ones he's particularly a fan of include indie pop, glam rock, synth pop, pop punk, new wave, disco music, and hip hop, as well as whatever chart-toppers of the moment.
  
• Music he listens to ranges from David Bowie, ABBA, and Queen to Prince, KISS, and Avril Lavigne, but he’s got a wide variety of artists he listens to and would struggle to pick exact favourites.
  

Misc.:

• Tommy has been gathering a respectably sized following on social media, mostly posting himself and fashion-related posts. Upkeep of these accounts is likely difficult with limited access to the internet, though.
• The more athletic twin, Tommy enjoys activities and sports like skating and football (AKA soccer).

Powers:

• Enhanced Beauty 

Tommy always looks perfect. It could be down to the care he puts into his looks, but it's probably also the passive power that staves off cosmetic flaws and steers his physical state in the best possible direction, no matter whatever other factors in his life: for example, his skin is always clear and glowing; his hair is always beautiful and healthy-looking; his face never looks tired, or blotchy, or puffy — he always looks as flawless and radiant and as best he possibly can.

• Alluring Aura 

When Tommy's alluring aura power is activated, all those within the area of effect will find him remarkably attractive and charming. Any existing feelings of the sort — which are not uncommon anyway, really — are greatly amplified. People within 15 feet will find him more strikingly beautiful than they might otherwise, and may also feel subtly drawn to him, or more generally inclined to like him. Different people may be affected in different ways, and some more than others; the general intensity of the effect can also vary.
This aura effect activates unconsciously, triggered by all manner of situations: feeling certain emotions, meeting someone new, seeing someone attractive, the desire to charm or win someone over, the desire for attention and validation... Tommy is not aware of the power. He thinks he's just naturally like that.

• Flower Manipulation 

Tommy can control and manipulate flowers, including flowering vines, which he can grow from seeds or existing plants and use to wrap around targets to bind, restrain, or grab.

• Glitter Generation 

Tommy has the ability to manifest glitter, including edible glitter and glitter glue but not sequins.

• Persuasion, Cosmetic and Fashion Proficiency 

Tommy is naturally adept with the skills involved in persuasion and beautification, such as cosmetics and fashion.

• Animal Affinity 

All creatures tend to be naturally friendly to Tommy.
Weapons: None yet.
━━━━━▲ TWIN 2 ▲━━━━━

BASIC INFO

Name: Harvey Bruno Hartley

• Most attempts at nicknames will be met with disapproval (as well as jokes about the rhyming nature of his name).

Age: 16
Gender: Male
D.O.B: 13th April 2023
Birthplace: London, England
Nationality: British
Godrent: Aphrodite
Significant family:
• Adoptive mother: Veronica Hartley, 42
• Adoptive father: Alan Hartley, 44
• Twin brother: Thomas Hartley, 16

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Faceclaim: Art/Picrews
Features: Although he and his identical twin should have identical faces, Harvey and Tommy do not look exactly alike. Perhaps this is down to Tommy's beauty-related powers which Harvey lacks, or perhaps it's a result of the accident Harvey had in childhood that broke his nose and jaw. This resulted in a lopsidedness to his chin and a crookedness to his nose that disrupts the symmetry of his face and the natural delicateness of his features. He is also afflicted by acne in a way that has spared his brother, and is insistently growing a terrible moustache, which at this point only amounts to a few wispy wayward hairs.
Height: 5'9" — an inch taller than his twin, which he likes to lord over him.
Build: Less fit than his more athletic brother, although they share the same slight frame.
Hair: Harvey sports his natural hair colour, which is brown. Unlike his brother, he does not devote much energy to his hair; he's stuck with the same style for years (which Tommy has long reviled as unflattering), and it always seems to end up limp, greasy, or scruffy.
Clothes/style: Harvey is not concerned with the trivialities of fashion. His clothes are generally plain and practical, so expect basic t-shirts (usually long-sleeved), hoodies, jeans, and joggers. The most adventurous fashion choice he makes is wearing turtlenecks, because they make him feel like a writer.
Accessories: Numbering few. Harvey doesn't typically accessorise, but he usually wears a watch.
Gender expression: Masculine.

PERSONALITY

Harvey does not fit in with his cabin mates.
While many of his siblings are preoccupied with matters of appearance and fashion, Harvey rejects such frivolities, espousing a strong distaste for shallow, meaningless things and favouring matters of intellectual substance and poetic beauty rather than superficial. This, unfortunately, can make him come across as pretentious. He's secretly (well... he thinks it's secretly) desperate to be seen as an intelligent, profound, and sophisticated individual — both an intellectual and an artist — and his attempts to embody this are not always the smoothest. In fact, he can be quite awkward: socialising does not come to him as effortlessly as it does to his brother.
Harvey is a dedicated person who can be very hard-working and conscientious. He is typically quite responsible and a lot more sensible than his twin, though maturity may sometimes give way to pettiness, especially if he starts to hold a grudge. He can be rather bitter and jealous, with his insecurity and neurotic disposition at times creating a self-sabotaging vicious circle. Harvey can also be moody, with a tendency to wallow in his own feelings, as well as take things too seriously. Despite all this, he is often a thoughtful and considerate person, and remains loyal to those he is close to.

OTHER

Theme(s): Creep by Radiohead TBD
Sexuality: Heterosexual.
Voice/accent: His accent seems to be slightly more 'posh' than his brother's, although this may just be something he's trained himself into.
Mannerisms & habits: Harvey and Tommy share certain mannerisms. They both tend to fidget and fiddle with things, with Harvey typically focusing on his watch or his sleeves. Harvey is also a mouth breather (in the literal sense), and rather stuck in a cycle of chewing, licking, and picking at chapped and scabby lips, which only serves to make the matter worse. Harvey often seems a little tense and this is seen in his posture. He is left-handed.
Interests/hobbies:
Literature: This includes reading and writing. Harvey is an appreciator of classic works of literature, such as those by Shakespeare or the poetry greats over the centuries, as well as classic novels.

• He writes his own poetry and also tries his hand at prose (although his childhood aspiration of being a writer has never been achieved beyond a couple of pages — he can never come up with plots).

Music: Harvey is passionate about music and rather proud of his music taste. He enjoys the genres of experimental music, post-rock, ambient, shoegaze, progressive rock, and noise music, as well as having an appreciation for jazz, especially more avant-garde forms. He's also partial to a spot of classical music, although partly just because it makes him seem cultured.

• His favourite artist is Radiohead, though he had a former obsession with The Beatles. Further musicians include Aphex Twin, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, My Bloody Valentine, Swans, and a variety of artists who nobody has ever heard of. He's a bit of a music snob and tends to look down on mainstream pop music.
  
• Harvey plays the guitar, writes his own songs, and produces his own experimental/ambient music which he posts online.
  

Bird-watching: A self-professed 'birder', Harvey finds great satisfaction in observing birds, recording bird sightings, and learning about the ornithological.
Misc.:

• Harvey considers himself a very cultured individual, one who appreciates things such as fine art and philosophy and possesses a vast library of knowledge. To his credit... well, he definitely tries to be this way.
  
• Harvey and Tommy have always played games together, ranging from childhood inventions to board games to the more 'intellectually stimulating' ones (like chess) Harvey tries to push but for which Tommy has little interest.
  

Powers:

• Dove Transformation 

Harvey can transform into a dove (specifically, a European turtle dove). He can maintain this form for a maximum of two cumulative hours a day. Shifting too rapidly will lead to a feeling of disorientation and eventually exhaustion.

• Heartbreak Inducement 

Harvey has the ability to induce an emotional state within targets similar to the pain of heartbreak. When used, this power will leave a target feeling deeply sorrowful and distressed, as if their heart has just been broken. This can last between two and ten minutes, with shorter times being able to pack more intensity. This could stave off an attacker (including monsters) as the emotional turmoil would be distracting.

• Pathokinesis Immunity 

Harvey is immune to emotional powers and magical attempts of emotional manipulation.

• Animal Affinity 

All creatures tend to be naturally friendly to Harvey.
Weapons: None yet.

HISTORY

Tommy and Harvey were born out of a brief liaison between the goddess Aphrodite and a young man living in London. Said young man was not keen on raising a baby, let alone two, and despite his (vaguely) valiant efforts for a short first part of their lives, he ended up giving the boys up into care. They were eventually adopted by a couple when they were just under 2 years old: Alan and Veronica Hartley.
Despite periods of fluctuating financial insecurity, the boys had a fairly standard and stable childhood. They were never that much alike, as far as identicalness goes, both growing to value and develop their own individuality.
At age 15, a development in employment led to the family moving to America. Strange things started occurring with increasing intensity, and only recently have they been made aware of their true heritage and introduced to their new home: Camp Half-Blood.

NOW

"What d'you wanna do now?" Tommy asks his brother as they leave the dining pavilion, having concluded their first breakfast at Camp Half-Blood since their arrival yesterday.
"I don't know," Harvey says, after an uncertain pause. He has, admittedly, been finding it somewhat harder than his twin to adjust to their new life. It feels like he's been forced into a set of clothes that don't fit, that itch and prickle with the surreal and incomprehensibly immense truth of his and his brother's origins — and, so it has been suggested — their uncomfortably likely monster-y ends. Tommy doesn't seem as bothered by these metaphorical new outfits they've been thrust into wearing, but then again, he's always liked getting new clothes.
"Come explore with me," Tommy suggests. He, for one, finds this strange new world exciting more than anything else. This place is like something out of a movie: a training camp for kids with magical powers? Goat people? Real-life swords? Cute girls living in rivers? He wants to find out more, wants to snoop around and see what else this place has to offer, and he also wants to meet people. Conveniently enough for that last part, the excitement of it all means that, unbeknownst to either twin, Tommy's aura power has been steadily activated; so he happens to be particularly eye-catching and magnetic right now.
Harvey's not so keen on immersing himself even further into the deep end they've been thrown into, at least not until he's had a little more time to adjust. "I don't feel like exploring right now," he says.
"You're so boring. Are you gonna go back to the cabin, then?" his brother asks, gesturing in a direction that is definitely not where the cabins are. Harvey instinctively pulls a face: it would be fair to say that one of the twins has taken to Cabin 10 more than the other.
"Well, what are you gonna do, then?" asks Tommy. "Just sit out here and mope?"
"I'm not going to mope. I don't mope."
"Yeah, you do," Tommy retorts. "You mope all the time. You're so mopey. You're a moped."
"Shut up," Harvey says. "Fine, I'll come explore with you for a bit," he concedes, if only to disprove the moping allegations. He's not sure what he'll do after — maybe break out the binoculars and scope out the local birdlife, something to re-centre himself a little.
"Alright, cool," Tommy says with a grin. "Where d'you wanna go first?"
OOC: You can interact with both of the twins while they explore camp together, Tommy (by himself) exploring camp on his own when Harvey leaves him, or Harvey (by himself) scoping out the local birdlife. You can assume that Tommy's aura power will be active upon meeting your character in whichever case. Thanks for reading :)

I’ve done all of the research into writing good dialogue, keeping the conflict, internal struggles and how they are presented through dialogue, all of that stuff.
But I’m seriously stuck right now in any moment that I need small talk, but still have it to have meaning. I know all the emotions, the conflict, what should be conveyed, but….
I just don’t do small talk. I’m an avoid people kind of person unless we can start off with a conversation about the time scientists sewed an ear to a rat or something.
I don’t know what people say, and even studying movies, tv, and conversations I hear in the wild around me, I just can’t capture the art of small talk.
I’ve noticed in media a lot of small talk, even between people who have just met, often revolves around a common theme. Even if it’s completely unimportant, it’s still a reference point for the conversation to keep going and new information to be revealed.
In my novel my two love interests have just met, first chapter. The outer conflicts that happen aren’t very big events, so a lot of this first chapter is just kind of dialogue.
I want to really delve into my characters, but just getting that ball rolling, and continuing that casual type of talk rather than just “you’re my new best friend, let me be weird” kind of talk is just very difficult for me.
It’s those moments in between where they can really interact with their environment, or a new person joins and brings a new perspective. I’ve got their dialogue down for once they’re friends, but this introductory stuff has me stumped.

Chapter One
.
.
Prev
-Rooftop of the White Flame Factory-
Grigory smiled nervously at his men as they lounged on the rooftop patio. As the sun sank lower, he was happy to see them relax after the day's tensions. He’d wanted to give them their imps when they first arrived, or after the demonstration, but they seemed a little too skittish. Their reactions were causing him to doubt his strategy. If his most loyal supporters were repelled by them, wider acceptance was going to be a non-trivial hurdle. He’d been working on an improved version of the imps for months, but making them less threatening, or light forbid, ‘cute’, seemed deeply at odds with his plans. He hoped time might be the missing ingredient. Once they get a bit more familiar with them, they’ll come around. The imps were really nothing for them to fear.
The demonologist sat alone, observing how his men were dealing with the news. He was deep in thought, adjusting his plans and ruminating on his concerns. Was he forcing them to do things they weren’t comfortable with? The basis of his entire plan was that the whole world was to benefit from the imps, so it had to start somewhere, or he might as well give up. They seemed to be taking it as well as he could have hoped.
Catching a wisp of savoury smells, he thought it was scarcely fair to relax while Stanisk was busy in the kitchen. He rose to see if he could lend a hand with dinner. During their overland trek to the capital months ago, it was clear that Stanisk was a superlative cook, but Grigory was a dexterous helper. Much of what he knew about surgical techniques had been picked up preparing meals.
Grigory arrived at the great hall that served as the eating area. In the centre of the chamber, two long tables stretched across the room, capable of seating fifty, though only four simple chairs he had crafted a few weeks ago were present. His men had yet to grasp the potential of the imps' labour; instead of proper seating, they had improvised with crates and timbers haphazardly arranged around the tables. Near one table, a jute sack of potatoes lay abandoned on the floor, possibly mistaken for a makeshift seat. Grigory hoped they'd be eating the potatoes, not sitting on them.
Separated from the hall by a low half-wall, the kitchen bustled with activity. Stanisk sat on the thick timber counter, a casual sentinel over dinner’s preparations, while Jourgun and Klive stood nearby, deep in conversation with their commander.
Stanisk’s five imps, in their fancy clothes, dashed around the kitchen. Under his expert guidance they were preparing a grand feast. One was peeling potatoes, another stirred a great bubbling pot, while two were doing dishes.
“Sir, did you know that Stanisk’s imps have names? And fancy clothes! Can I have one like his?” Klive blurted when he saw his employer. “Uh, as it pleases milord, of course.”
“Plus mine bow when they bring us beers! They don't do that fresh out of hell!” Stanisk's toothy smile implied he might have been bowed at by imps a half dozen times already.
Grigory tilted his head and blinked for a second.
Surely a bit of clothes can’t have that much of an impact on their acceptance?
“Oh, Of course! Certainly!” he paused again. “Feel free to ask Stanisk for tips on how he made his.” Observing the bustling activity, “It looks like dinner is well in hand?” The kitchen was huge, far larger than the one at Planed Pine Peak Inn. A half dozen dishes simmered or baked, their aromas — exotic spices, rich gravies, and roasted meats filled the expansive space.
Stanisk replied without glancing away from the imps handling the tasks. “Well in hand, boss. Take ‘er easy tonight!” The imps' movements were quick and fluid, their antics distractingly comical at times. Grigory watched, smiling, as one imp hugged a yam to its chest that likely weighed more than it did, and made its way along the countertop from the vegetable sack to the cutting board. Each step was an exaggerated sway, the creature was badly top-heavy and teetering.
With effort he pulled his focus back, “Capital! I’ve a matter to attend to! Smells great already!”
Grigory went into the factory proper to whip up enough chairs for everyone. Simple wooden ones for now, but with cushions. Cushions were quick enough to make and he had a few cart loads of wool and woollen fabrics. He watched his imps work, glad he could share them with his whole team now. Obviously it made everything a bit riskier, but it was worth it. One of his concerns was that he’d been overlooking opportunities and uses. He was bound by only being able to think his own thoughts, so he was excited to see what non-demonologists would think of.
They carved and joined the pine chairs with their normal speed and accuracy, but watching them sew was its own reward. The imps wielded needles like longswords in their tiny hands, the points moving too fast to see clearly. They stacked up the plain cushions in a neat pile at the end of their low workbench.
He also didn’t have any utensils, placemats, serving spoons nor trivets either, since this was their first proper meal here. He commanded the imps to make those as well, and carry them like a row of ants from the workshop to the dining hall. The demonologist walked around the table, surveying his work. With a minor gesture of flame he lit the lamps, and frowned at the beige-grey of undyed wool of the chair cushions.
He pulled the chairs out, and one at a time enchanted the cushions to bright, cheerful colours. He was going to make them all company purple, but thought better of it. Enchanting colours was a fun spell to cast, because the act of changing its colour also unravelled enchantment as it went. Much like building and knocking over houses of cards, the end effect was a mundane unenchanted object, but in whatever colour he’d chosen. Having done the spell countless times for entire days to prepare for the midsummer tourney, he didn’t even have to check his notes for any of the hues.
Satisfied with his work, though slightly frustrated that his first and last red cushions weren’t quite the same shade, he sat down. He pulled a notebook out of his satchel and started making notes on his ideas for some improvements, mostly for his own use, but some to the things he’d be soon selling. Lost in his own world, he had no idea how much time had passed when Ros and Taritha joined him at the table.
“Good evening, milord,” Ros said deferentially.
The young herbalist elbowed him, “Come on, he had one rule! He was writing!”
“Oh! Terribly sorry, sir!” Ros stammered.
“Not at all, I was basically doodling. How’s your evening going, is everything to your liking?” Grigory closed his notebook and put it away.
“Amazing milord, These rooms are huge! They're bigger than some of the houses I was looking at!” Taritha said.
“Of course! No one wants to live in dingy cells! Glad to hear! It’s easy to make a place bigger when you are building fresh. Let me know if you find anything that needs fixing, our builders are still in town working on the harbour fortress now, but I can have them send someone if there is anything amiss!”
“I don’t reckon neither of us knew palaces this nice existed anywhere, milord!” Ros said with a shrug. “We might not be the best eyes for finding faults!”
“Heh! This is just the rustic first stage! Don’t worry about its crudeness for now, we’ll get there over time!” the demonologist promised, patting his satchel where the notebook of ideas was. His confidence was both unshakeable and unnecessary.
“Not to question your plans, but there are a lot more rooms than people. Are we expecting company? Are we hiring?” Taritha asked. Her eyebrows twitched slightly, having just questioned his plan for the first time.
“Big plans indeed! So that empty stretch east of the main building? That’s also part of our land grant. In a while we’ll be building a barracks there for our troops, while senior officers will stay in the main factory. That’s also why Stanisk will be taking a much more active role with civil defence. It’s central to our plan to secure the town, and by extension our own safety.”
“Our troops? Like us?” Jourgun asked, having joined them at the long table.
“Maybe? Probably not? We’ll see. The plan is to extensively recruit as we can afford it, since the pirate raid was just the beginning. We have something of incredible value, in the form of me, the imps and the factory itself. Many violent people feel they should possess every valuable thing, so we must be vigilant. Not to worry though! That’s just us planning for the worst. In reality, nothing like that will likely happen. Just by being well defended we’ll scare off the greedy.”
“Ah, like why it's dangerous for a beggar to wear a silk robe!” Rikad added as he joined them, along with a few others. The smells from the kitchen were intoxicatingly rich now, as Stanisk and Klive used the imps to finish and plate the meal.
“Just so, a lord can only have what he can defend, and because the first phases of my plan require a certain level of material wealth, I’ll need extensive defences,” Grigory explained as diplomatically as he could.
“The Empire itself will fear our might, milord!” Ros said excitedly.
“Nah, it won’t. That’s a dangerous thought. The Imperial army’s smallest deployable force is a legion, near enough to five thousand men. Even if we hit every hiring and training target, we’se not going to be in the business of fightin’ wars. Just enough to make us a spiky nut. The sort not worth chompin’,’” Stanisk called over from the kitchen.
“Oh,” Ros said, shrinking back into his seat.
“That’s more than all the men in the whole town!” Taritha lamented.
“Yeah, that’s why lil fishing villages don’t win wars. A legion is five thousand infantry with warships, supplies, siege cohorts, and command companies. If’n it’s a real fight, then they might deploy all ten Imperial legions. Then start raising more if’n they’re losing. We ain’t never gonna try to fight that. No nation in the world has ever picked that fight and won.”
To counter the grim tone settling over his celebratory dinner, Grigory chimed in with a reassuring smile, “We’re loyal Hyruxian subjects, and the legions protect us. We pay taxes in full, we’re on the right side of all this. We just want a bit of security against more, uh, regional actors. Besides, a large well equipped force lends our diplomacy weight we wouldn’t otherwise have.”
Now that the table was filling up and his men looked satisfied with his answers, he raised his voice to the kitchen, “How’s it going in there?”
“Good! I bought a deer from one of the hunters this morning, and it turned out just right!” Stanisk replied, personally putting the finishing touches on his creation. Aethlina moved across the kitchen to watch Stanisk work, making Grigory do a double take. He hadn’t realised she was even in the building.
“Oh! Capital! Everyone in the entire company is here now! Even better!” Grigory said, motioning Aethlina to sit by him. He was glad he’d made the full number of chairs!
Stanisk and Klive brought out plates heaped with slices of braised venison, steamed tubers and sautéed onions. Tubs of butter, bowls of gravy, and finally a heaping basket of fresh buns followed. Stanisk took his seat and, smiling with pride, “What’re you helpless kittens lookin’ at? Never seen dinner ‘afore? Dig in!”
The feast was a perfect end to a troubling day, and even though the conversation died down as they ate, Grigory observed every single one of his hirelings intently, relieved to see not a single one seemed put off by a meal made by demons. Catching Stanisk’s eye, he made an empty cup gesture.
“Imps! Bring us all some drinks! Wine, beer and water!” Stanisk shouted to his imps. With speed and efficiency, the little demons filled clay cups and brought everyone three drinks, exactly as ordered.
“Ah, dammit, I meant—It’s fine. Drink what you want and I’ll just dump the rest!” The chief of security’s good humour faded for an instant before returning twice as bright.
“No, I love having three drinks! And the water and beer are cold! In the summer! The gods themselves envy me!” Rikad declared.
“Uh oh! It looks like Mage Thippily made imps, but the imps made the real monster!” Kedril retorted, gesturing at Rikad holding three cups between his hands, rotating them to drink out of each, while spilling beer all over his own arm.
Their high spirits encouraged Grigory. He’d worried they would be morose and frightened tonight, after making them to live in what could be described as a hive of demons. Joking about the imps was beyond his expectations, so he smiled without speaking, sipping his red wine. Not his cherished Malaentian Red, but a nice varietal from the mainland he’d recently imported a few cases of. Once the plates were empty, Stanisk had the imps clear the table and start washing up while everyone remained seated at the long pine table, bellies full to bursting.
“That was spectacular Stanisk! Thank you!” Grigory offered, and everyone else chimed in a breath later.
“Nothing like a lifetime of bland ration bars for months to really spark an interest in what good food ought to be! I’m glad ya’se liked it,” the big veteran said dismissively.
“How is everyone finding their new accommodations? I know I don’t have all the furniture done just yet, but is everyone good for tonight?” Grigory asked, ever the eager host.
The men nodded and looked at each other. Complaining was frowned upon and nothing here was remotely a hardship.
“Capital! Glad to hear it, and by all means bring it to my attention if your needs are unmet!” Grigory sat still and everyone kept looking at him.
Now’s as good a time as any. It’s not even a surprise, I think I mentioned it a few times already.
“Ahem! So! I’d like to present each of you with your own imps! Some ground rules though; there may be people that aren’t ready for this style of magic, so I ask that you don’t mention anything about them anywhere outside of the factory. Or even imply there are any magical creatures, just that things get made here?”
He waited until they all at least nodded.
“Alright! Here you go, I have one for everyone! The imps are identical, so don’t worry about which ones you get. Um. Good luck?” With a shrug he reached down beside his chair and from a leather case he pulled a series of carved wooden boxes, and passed them out to everyone sitting at the table.
***
With a muted clatter, Taritha watched as the small dark boxes were distributed. She wasn’t sure if there was one for her, being fairly new to the company. She wasn’t sure how she felt; owning demons seemed like a big step, but the ancient urge to possess something nice or powerful was one she wasn’t immune to. Her heart leapt as a heavy box slid in front of her.
With trepidation, she touched it with one finger; it appeared to be regular wood, perhaps stained oak. The box was small and rectangular, quite thin, and she held it easily in one hand. It was narrow enough to fit comfortably between her thumb and fingers, its weight noticeable but not oppressive. She had expected dread, palpable evil, or something, but it just felt a bit heavy. Turning it over, she saw no visible clasps or hinges. The outside was covered in the flawless ornate carvings she was starting to grow familiar with. This time, the carvings depicted joyful industrial scenes—strong men swinging square hammers, smoke stacks, and laden ships and carts. The central image on each side was gilded with gold leaf, making it strikingly dignified.
Ignoring the excitement and increasing movement around her, she felt as if she were in her own universe. She slowly pulled on the lid, finding it opened on tiny hidden hinges, revealing three ebony totems inside. They were the size and shape of a fairytale wand, resting on a bed of lush green velvet, held in place by a broad ribbon tied in a perfect bow.
Even without considering the priceless nature of the artefacts, she was impressed, almost distracted, by the quality of the presentation. He didn’t have to go to such lengths; she’d expected them to be simply handed to her.
She slid one of the totems out without undoing the bow. It was cool and heavy but otherwise seemed normal. She could see layers of impossibly fine carving, this time gilded with silver. She could sense the potent magic in the object, but it felt strange. She’d examined other enchanted items before, and their enchantments were all transcendently beautiful in a complex and technical way. This was so dense it felt like nothing. Or perhaps everything? She wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t at all like the other objects. Stilling herself and trying to puzzle out its secrets brought her no closer to any revelation. She shook her head and resolved to investigate further in private. She returned the totem to its place in the box and gently closed it.
Only now did she notice the table was thick with imps, more than twenty darting and leaping energetically. Her colleagues had summoned theirs and were already giving orders.
“You two, throw the third imp as high as you can!”
“Merp!”
“All of you, cross the table as fast as you can, but walk on your hands!”
“Merp!”
“Duel with these forks!”
“Merp! Merp!”
The men were laughing and pointing between shouting out fresh orders. All the commands were pointless and frivolous, making Taritha powerfully uncomfortable. These were forces of nature, extraplanar beings of unimaginable power, and they were being made to sprint into empty mugs to see how far the mug would fly!?
She shot a questioning look to the master demonologist to gauge his reaction. He was smiling and complimenting their creativity, so maybe she was overreacting? Still, she had no interest in wasting them on silly games. Emergencies only. Or at least serious concerns only. Not for dodging knotted linen napkins, that’s for sure!
With the burden of responsibility successfully dodged, she was free to watch everyone else’s fun. The cacophony of excitement was so infectious that she found herself giggling and pointing at them racing as makeshift horses, with an imp bent over holding the tiny waist of the imp in front of him, while a third one sat atop as a rider. They were so silly looking and energetic.
“You’re sure this doesn’t hurt or anger them?” Taritha asked.
“Oh my no, it’s not like that at all. They have minds, but lack awareness, or awareness of their own mind I guess? It’s fine! They are just made out of the same stuff as demons, but not actually demonic.” The mage stood up and stretched. “They are remarkably durable, it’s unlikely anything short of silvered steel will harm them. I, on the other hand, am at risk of being badly over-tired already! I trust you will be okay, left on your own! I’ll see you in the morning!”
“I’se properly tired too, but if you want, let's pop into the factory and I’ll show you how to get them to make their own clothes. It’s just tellin’ ‘em to do that, so you’se might not need too much hand holding!” Stanisk pushed himself away from the long table, and motioned for them to follow him.
They went into the cavernous factory, just across the hallway. What was an impressive and huge room in the daylight was now an infinite blackness, like a starless night. A few men had grabbed leviathan-oil lamps off the table, and they huddled in a small circle of warm, safe light. They gathered around a long low table, and Stanisk laid out a few bolts of fabric. The fine weaves were familiar to Taritha; they were the same as those used in the clothes she’d been getting from the company.
“It’s simple enough,” Stanisk said as he put a heavy leather bag of tools on the table. “Just say what you want, with as much or as little detail, and they’ll just make that.”
“Imps, make a suit of legion plate armour, imp-sized, out of shoe leather!” Rikad said with glee.
“Merp!” replied several at once, as they began cutting and forming the leather without hesitation. The imps even used grey wool for the under-mail parts, and tiny flares of hellfire to warp the leather into the right shapes. Soon, a tiny suit of black armour lay on the table, looking like what an imperial heavy infantryman would wear, but distorted to the proportions of the gawky imps.
“I dub thee, Imperial commander, Real Imp. Don thy armour!” Rikad ordered. “Do they remember their names?” he asked over his shoulder to Stanisk.
“Oh yeah, they’re proper sharp!” he confirmed.
“Create an imp-sized lord's robe with a sash of office! When it is done, you shall be known as D’Imp Lomat! I might need a minute to think of the last one though…” Rikad said to everyone watching his imps.
Reluctantly, Taritha opened the box and invoked her three imps. She looked at them closely; as far as she could tell, they were perfectly interchangeable with every other imp.
Looking over the fabrics, she chose a striking blue, a deep red, and a golden yellow. “Imps! Make imp-sized sundresses, mainly white with these colours as a main theme. and matching coloured sun hats,” she added hastily. Their heads were distractingly inhuman, so covering them might help. She watched them work, even interrupting a few times to ask for embroidered details and minor adjustments. Once they finished, she had them don their new outfits.
Oh! The hems seem scandalously short on their long lanky legs! Better than before, but not by a lot.
“Imps, please put on the hats that match the colour of your dress.”
“Merp.”
Much better! They look like ladies now!
“You are now Lady Bluebird, Lady Crossbill, and…” She paused at the last one, thinking of songbirds that were as bright yellow as the fabric. “Miss Goldfinch!”
She leaned back and admired her little ladies. They were far less threatening now, and their dull crimson skin really made the dresses look extra vibrant.
“Dang Taritha, how did you make yours so pretty? I want some pretty ones!” Jourgun commented as he looked over.
“Drool over your own demons! These are mine!” she said playfully. There was an undercurrent of possessiveness that she didn’t expect, but these ones were hers now. “Anyways, I’m going to bed too, you guys are too slow! Have fun, boys!” she said as she devoked her imps. The new clothes fell to the work surface.
“Oh yeah, they don’t take that with ‘em, wherever they go, so just keep it in a lil bag or whatever,” Stanisk said when he saw her distress. “They gotta get dressed every time you invoke it,” he shrugged.
So much to learn today!
With a brave smile, she replaced the totems in the box and gathered the dresses and hats. “Mind if I take…” she said as she slowly lifted a lamp from near Rikad.
“Oh yeah, all yours,” he said dismissively, fully engrossed in examining the tiny lordly robes of D’Imp Lomat.
She went back to the hall, up the wide even stairs to the third floor. She’d only spent a bit of time investigating it earlier, as she and Ros had been anxious about being late for dinner. She saw the heap of her worldly possessions against the wall where she’d left them. The only furniture here was the bed, but by the sounds of it, getting some tables, chairs, and wardrobes would be easy enough tomorrow. She placed the totem box and the tiny outfits on the floor beside the bed.
The bed itself was unlike any she’d ever heard of. Crafted with thick pine beams and topped with a mattress of imported cotton, it was probably wider than her entire hovel. A family of five could sleep on it and barely touch. She couldn’t imagine a more lordly bed. Its refined look and the luxurious softness were worlds apart from the coarse fabric and straw she was used to. Sometimes in the fall, she’d add freshly fallen leaves to her straw mattress for extra comfort, but that was a fleeting pleasure. This bed, however, promised constant comfort. She eyed the pile of heavy blankets at the foot of the bed. Recently, she had bought a single blanket from the market, thin and scratchy, but these were the mage’s blankets—thick, plush, and impossibly soft.
She shut the heavy door and took off her tall boots. The floor felt smooth under her bare feet. Even having a floor was a new luxury; she was accustomed to hard-packed dirt floors like most everyone else. This wasn’t just a floor; it was a delicate herringbone pattern of different kinds of wood, obviously done by the agile imps. It was cleaner, smoother, and more level than any table she’d eaten off before the mage came to town.
She stopped admiring the floor and stripped to her shift. She felt exposed being so undressed around so many men. She reasoned it out—the iron and oak door was stronger than a hide flap, and this would doubtlessly be the safest sleep of her life. Just a reaction, not a reality. She left the lamp on the floor and got in bed.
With a panic, she yelped as the whole bed flowed underneath her, as if she’d stepped on the tail of a sleeping cat. She tried to get up but her feet were already off the floor, and she couldn’t find a stable purchase with her hands. She froze up to think her way out of it, and the bed stopped moving almost as soon as she did.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
Was this an enchantment gone awry? Some bed demon?
Slowly, she log-rolled towards the edge of the bed, and the mattress under her also slowly moved, but not enough to stop her. Slow and steady, she might get free yet. Finally, she was close enough to put a foot down and stand. The bed flowed back to being perfectly flat.
She stood up, with a hand to her sternum, trying to catch her breath.
Think! What did the mage say about this today? It would magically adjust? Maybe that was all it was doing?
She leaned over and gently pushed down with a single fist. It was super pliable, then increasingly firm. But it felt unlike anything else—stacks of clothes or hides all felt different when they got pressed.
It must be magic. No time to be timid, and it would be humiliating to go to either the mage or the chief about this.
The only spell she could reliably cast was a gesture of Mana-Visualization. It caused the invisible lines of arcane energy to glow visibly, in bright colours that hinted at their use and purpose. She cast it to better examine her bed. It wasn’t enchanted as she expected; rather, hundreds and hundreds of things inside it were, and they linked and overlapped in ways she wouldn’t understand if she studied enchantments for a decade. She involuntarily took a step back from it, like finding a hundred warhorses inside a small cabinet.
She dismissed the gesture. With renewed determination, she slowly sat down on the bed. It shifted but only a bit. It was very soft and comfortable. Slowly, she turned and laid back, fighting her panic as the mattress kept shifting everywhere her body touched it, unnervingly lifelike. Fully laying down, she stopped and the mattress stopped. Even as her eyes were still wide with terror, she started to calm down. To test her theories, she rolled onto her side, and the mattress under her hip grew softer, and the part under her ribs grew firmer, until the pressure equalised. Rolling back, she felt it shift again, and once more the mattress's firmness changed all up and down her body, stopping once it was the same shape as her body’s pressure, resulting in sublime comfort.
Oh. This is incredible. I get it now!
She reached to the foot of the bed, pulled one of the soft blankets up to her chin, reached down to extinguish the lamp and drifted off into a better sleep than anyone in the history of her family ever had.
Prev

Sorry for the ultra generic title and specific request. I’m on a roller derby team (it literally consumes my life, iykyk) and I have a TON of yarn to plow through. We’re always low on funds since we’re a tiny team, and I’m looking for some fun items to craft and sell to raise that good good cash money.
I’m terrible at sewing pieces together, but slowly getting better. That said, items that are crocheted in one piece are usually more doable for my skill set. My tension is usually phenomenal, so that at least helps lol.
Bonus points if you have pattern resources for roller skate themed items! 🛼✨
Thanks, yall! This sub truly has such a rad community, it’s always great to see people supporting each other here. Love you, stay safe, unclench your jaw and pelvic muscles, be feral, have a little treat, destroy your demons 💖

I would love to get some feedback on my Etsy shop: https://jocelberries.etsy.com

• I sell unique handmade toddler clothing. I started sewing for my daughter because she had some weird niche toddler obsessions (pigeons and beetles), and I was able to find fabric that was perfectly on theme, and make her some clothes. She was delighted by the clothes with all of her favorite things and I was getting a lot of complements on her unique outfits. I figured there must be other parents out there that want to give their weird kid some weird clothing!
• I’m hoping this will be a great way for me to exercise my creative outlet while also earning some extra money to put towards my child’s education. All profit will go straight to education savings for her (something I try to highlight in the About Me).
• I started building it up in April and really opened it up to the public via social media in May. I updated all my pictures with ones that use a nice clean white background (thank you old bed sheet) and am steadily adding listings as I sew them up on weekends. Since it’s been about a month, I’m looking for some feedback to expand my reach so I can find my niche. I’m only getting a handful of visits a day, even with Ads ($1 a day).
• My ultimate goal is to make 3-5 sales a month by this time next year.

Thank you so much!!

I’m using my sewing themed fabrics! Yay!!

I've listened to and loved 3.1 5.20 for years now, so my hopes for the finished product was high. It has however left me a bit underwhelmed.
Where as Atavista is bright, warm, rich and watery, 3.15.20 was rawer, grungier, more industrial, and at times quite experimental. More than anything however, it was a lot more continuous. The sound flowed progressively through most of the project, and made for a very immersive experience. The transitions, most notably between "Time" -> "12.38", "19.10" -> "24.19" and especially "12.38" -> "19.10", felt natural, or at the very least liminal. It sewed the project together to one long piece. The missing songs "0.00", "35.31" and "39.28" (the latter of which was downright poetic and beautiful) feel very absent in Avista. They gave the project contrast without breaking the path of the sound. Occasional "demo-like" songs like "0.00" and "35.31" made the old project feel more authentic, personal, and meaningful. In contrast, Atavista sounds like a "pop-ified" version of the original. There was some allure in the abstractness and mysteriousness 3.15.20 had, which the new track is lacking of. It comes off like a collection of tracks rather than one coherent track. The inclusion of "Human Sacrifice" is by no means unnecessary, but it doesn't contribute a significat role towards the wholeness of the album. The Young Nudy feature on "Little Foot Big Foot" felt completely out of place, and gives the impression of a last minute addition. The track "Atavista" has a nice retro sound and relates in some ways to 3.15.20 with its synth and lyricism, but it is a little detatched nonetheless, and sounds more like a single.
I might be biased when I say I prefer the original mixing and mastering despite the "better" sound, considering l've barely had a day to listen to the new album, although I would argue that the first did a much better job of painting a picture and settling on a theme for the project. Atavista is more scattered. It is still a great album, and I could definitely see people enjoying the more summery vibe. Personally I am more attached to the original.

I've listened to and loved 3.15.20 for years now, so my hopes for the finished product was high. It has however left me a bit underwhelmed.
Where as Atavista is bright, warm, rich and watery, 3.15.20 was rawer, grungier, more industrial, and at times quite experimental. More than anything however, it was a lot more continuous. The sound flowed progressively through most of the project, and it made for a very immersive experience. The transitions, most notably between "Time" -> "12.38", "19.10" -> "24.19" and especially "12.38" -> "19.10", felt natural, or at the very least liminal. It sewed the project together to one long piece. The missing songs "0.00", "35.31", "39.28" (the latter of which was downright poetic and beautiful) feel very absent in Avista. They gave the project contrast without breaking the path of the sound. Occasional "demo-like" songs like "0.00" and "35.31" made the old project feel more authentic, personal, and meaningful. In contrast, Atavista sounds like a "pop-ified" version of the original. There was some allure in the abstractness and mysteriousness 3.15.20 had, which the new track is lacking of. It comes off like a collection of tracks rather than one coherent track. The inclusion of "Human Sacrifice" is by no means unnecessary, but it doesn't contribute a significat role towards the wholeness of the album. The Young Nudy feature on "Little Foot Big Foot" felt completely out of place, and gives the impression of a last minute addition. The track "Atavista" has a nice retro sound and relates in some ways to 3.15.20 with its synth and lyricism, but is a little detatched nonetheless, and sounds more like a single.
I might be biased when I say I prefer the original mixing and mastering despite the "better" sound, considering I've barely had a day to listen to the new album, although I would argue that the first did a much better job of painting a picture and settling on a theme for the project. Atavista is more scattered. It is still a great album, and I could definitely see people enjoying the more summery vibe. I personally am more attached to the original.

I am going to a black tie ball late July and was thinking this would be perfect as a floor length dress in a winter wonderland themed colour. The only issue I have is my tattoo on my left shoulder I would like to be covered up as it’s for a private school function and a bit more conservative. Any suggestions on how to add straps or even an alternative dress pattern to make. I am intermediate at sewing have made bras before and sew a lot of my daughters party dresses.
https://www.tammyhandmade.com/rose-cafe-bustier-dress-sewing-pattern-review/

Howdy, folks!
I'm finally getting to play PF2E from the other side of the DM screen! My DM is running a homebrew rendition of Strixhaven and I've decided to play a Cosmos Oracle with the Astrologer background that is attending the school in order to develop his knowledge of magic and the cosmos, and to restore the reputation of his noble house through his academic excellence. I'm looking for some advice on how to build him to suit his story and not be too gimped, but he's definitely not optimized.
School
He's likely to go Silverquill while dabbling in Prismari and Quandrix, but I'm not 100% sure. He's got the ambition and drive for Silverquill, and his primary skills will be Deception and Diplomacy which suit, but he's a softboi that will struggle in the cutthroat competition. Could make for some good character development, of course. On the other hand, he's a very artistic soul with proficiency in Performance which suits Prismari. It still fits Silverquill since they're artsy too, and his art is focused around music and poetry, so this isn't a strong draw but it's there. Lastly is Quandrix, which actually has Astronomy as a major. That's the crux of his education, but that doesn't mean he has to be a Quandrix student, does it?
Domain
I'm drawn to Moon for a couple reasons. Firstly, Moonbeam isn't a powerful Focus spell but it is a damage die upgrade from Divine Lance with a chance to Dazzle, which is in theme with Spray of Stars and doesn't push his Curse so he'll have an offensive option to burn Focus if he's ever Overwhelmed or on the cusp. Secondly, even with +3 INT I'm really strapped for skills in order to accomplish everything I want him to be able to do. He's got every knowledge skill as a highly educated nepo-baby along with Deception, Diplomacy, and Performance for his core Face duties, but I also want to give him Craft because he's actually dead broke due to his house's decline and has to sew his own clothes to keep up the facade of prosperity. However, picking Craft means I don't have a spare point to throw at Stealth which feels necessary if I go with the other Domain, Darkness.
Cloak of Shadow is quite good, and for an Elf Oracle with -1 CON and +2 DEX, being able to Hide whenever and wherever will really help him stay alive in combat. The problem is I have to sacrifice Craft, which isn't a huge deal but a bit of a roleplay loss, and him being trained in Stealth is hard to justify for a noble whose whole job is to be in the public eye. TBH I'm really just looking for validation on choosing the RP over the mechanics, which I'm doing a ton already but I worry I'm going too far and could be a straight up liability.
Level 2 Class Feat
Cantrip Expansion is great. He's starting out with Divine Lance, Guidance, Message, Read the Air, and Stabilize at level 1, and for level 2 I'm thinking he'll start taking combat training more seriously in his early schooling and pick up Forbidding Ward and Shield. Add on Heal, Command, and Sanctuary and he can stay relatively safe supporting his allies without relying on Stealth.
Alternatively, Divine Aegis is normally pretty lackluster but since we're in Strixhaven, where he's surrounded by spellcasters, this seems like a uniquely suitable situation for it to really shine. I could perhaps achieve the same support combo from level 1 by sacrificing other options, but I'm not sure what to drop. Divine Lance and Guidance are staples for a reason, and make perfect sense for RP. Message is just too good to pass up, especially in this setting where subterfuge will be quite useful. Read the Air is arguably superfuous next to Guidance but also very thematic, so I could lose it but I really want it. Lastly, Stabilize is peace of mind for a guy not trained in Medicine and only +1 WIS at level 1. If I were to ditch any of them, it would probably be the last two, but it's a tough call.
Thoughts? Opinions? Scathing rebukes? It should be abundantly clear I'm not minmaxing so don't come at me with that energy, but I am genuinely interested in still being an asset for the party. Thanks!