Here We Are In The Future

sometimes people try to tell me that scientists are paragons of rationality and I have to break it to them that I have yet to work in a lab that didn’t have at least one weird secret shrine in it

The Chain of Acheron, Helltrooper Bark

Tiefling

Glamour Bard

Traveler, Author, Mercenary. Prior to joining the chain, Bark hitchhiked and drifted the timescape, writing and spreading tales of “his” exploits. He’s fond of his guitar for spinning his tales but will use the harmonica to cast a quick spell.

He decided to join the chain after what happened in alloy, seeing opportunity for adventure. After encountering Ajax with the rest of the chain, Bark feels closer to his company than anyone from his previous lives. Given the name Bark for his surprising lack of skill in combat. Despite being a less than average fighter, Bark keeps morale up among chain members and has made many friends.

L1 L3 C1

L1: What is their favourite fruit?

Mint really likes strawberries! In fact, when Mint probably used to have a bunch of strawberry bushes back when they had a garden.

L3: Any foods they hate?

Salted fish and/or pickled vegetables. They don’t like salt, for whatever reason. They will drink vinegar straight though, so who knows.

C1: How do they sit in a chair?

Like a fucking heathen. Mint has never sat normal in a chair Ever. They usually squat on the chair, but will try to lie down on it. Somehow manages to sit upside down. It’s a sight to behold.

I don’t think anime vs western animation are as different as people claim due to the fact they have inspired and fed off each other for decades (they’re friends!!), however I do think our environmental messages to kids are… significantly and interestingly different

whereas, say Ghibli films express a deep Shinto-based respect and reverence for nature:

fighting for it as a means of both self-preservation and expression of heroism revolving around justice

and a matter of other groups of humans (the government often) going up against the stalwart youth

This is contrasted to western animation which tends to be like…. hey! look at this funny bat! And pollution is an evil spirit you can fight like physically 

that isn’t to say the west doesn’t depict environmentalism as heroic and even involving collective action, Captain Planet is a good example of this

but individualism is still very present, the struggle is stalwart youths versus an individual or individual corporation, hell, sometimes you even get a sympathetic backstory for the corporation and weirdly cool rock song

to be clear, antagonists like Lady Eboshi in Princess Mononoke are sympathetic too, but it is… different, Lady Eboshi is trying to survive due to circumstances but it is all of Irontown that represents a system of corruption

In comparison, there is this western idea of corruption coming from individuals rather than systems as well as the fact they aren’t trying to save nature because we are part of it, but because nature itself is a person and thus worthy of respect

In Fern Gully the fairy’s represent nature, the Lorax represents nature, Captain Planet is literally just nature, all things we can talk to and relate to, where in Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa the ultimate nature spirits are something you can’t talk to and are frankly terrifying, awe-inspiring, and mighty

Western epistemology is heavily rooted in Christianity which says that man has dominion over fish of the sea, fowl of the air, and creatures of the land, ect, which leads to a utilitarian and separate view of nature– what can it do for us as separate (higher) beings, and the only way to combat this view is to say “actually nature is a person and thus worthy of protection”

Whereas Japanese Shintoism has much more emphasis on the idea that we are all part of a whole with nature, nature is the ultimate divine with nothing more important than the other, and something worthy of protection not because we can understand it, but because we can’t

“It’s a mistake to think about nature from the idea of efficiency, that forests should be preserved because they are essential to human beings”– Hayao Miyazaki

this is not to completely bash western animation, it does have other strengths such as emphasizing children’s relationship to empathy, empathy toward others in “Toy Story” and empathy toward themselves in “Inside Out” 

However, our methods of conveying environmentalism could use some updating and steering away from “goofy” and “relatable” and maybe a little more terror and awe involved with fighting the good fight

Chain of Acheron, Helltrooper Match.

“You see the docks on fire??”

> “I mean, technically yeah, but I also found the kid’s dog :D”

Okay so I spent more time on this than I had intended, but everyone meet Match!

half-elf sorcerer, rank-and-file soldier

5′8″, they/them

chaotic good

has a tendency to accidentally set things on fire hence the nickname ‘Match’

always has good intentions though!

is not allowed to light candles using the firebolt anymore

joined the Chain because they needed to quickly disappear after accidentally setting a noble’s house alight, stayed because they like the people

thinks they are smooth but is actually just a huge dork

always holds a match between their teeth because they think it looks Cool and Edgy™ 

Yesterday’s Eyeliner™ 

calls everyone darling

tries to play it smooth and aloof but will immediately melt at the slightest bit of affection

11/10 would squeeze Bigcat on sight because  b i g  c a t

(close-ups on my instagram: paper.shield.illustrations)

agnes montague kiss me challenge 

Chain of Acheron, Helltrooper Match.

fuck the zodiac tell me which sin rules your personality

why do wizards and mages and shit in stuff always have to use a fucking stick or staff to do magic. what’s so special about a gotdamn tree bone

Invalid D&D Alignments

Lawful Chaotic - loophole abuse. their goal is to carry out as many zany shenanigans as possible in an absolutely nonpunishable manner. Chaotic Lawful - malicious compliance. dredges up obscure laws that haven’t been implemented in decades or centuries and insists on following them. thrives on inscrutable bureaucratic labyrinths. Good Evil - the token evil teammate. a missing stair. an objectively terrible person but charming or useful somehow so people keep making excuses for them. Evil Good - always does the right thing, but, like, in the least comfortable way. call them in for big, big problems, and then spend a year wondering if it was really worth it. their approval fills you with shame.