CreativeMaus

Ryvus has no curiosity. He's deeply religious, and things are the way they are because that's the way God made 'em, and it's not for him to question that. Ryvus and the plot are frequently at odds because he can't adapt his thinking or understanding fast enough to keep up with the world.

This one has purple. Purple's a fruit.

I had a really good week for my gaming collection. I snagged a replica copy of Pokemon Crystal for free, and bought a second PS2 for 60$. Then a friend gave me a Gamecube as payment for some help I gave them. Then my little sister gave me a Switch 2 for my birthday!!!

I bet you didn't know you needed anthropomorphic swine wrestling and a magical adventure in your lives. Trust me, you do.

And here I was as a kid thinking I didn't want to wear girly clothes 'cause they would slow me down while playing.

Uplifting graffiti

Nice day for feeding my birds. One of these things is not like the other.

Ryvus was raised as a child soldier. He was going to grow up to be a killer. Fortunately he was saved from that life and now just has dreams of being normal and having a family. He has no regrets about how things turned out, but his training is sometimes hard to shake. #WriteSky #WritingCommunity

Ryvus is fastidious about cleaning and organizing. His place is sparse but meticulously tidy. Mark never seems to find the time to clean. Her spaces are piles of clutter and things she's working on that she just hasn't gotten around to putting away yet but she was going to get to it, okay???

Owning the physical media is important to me, But I also get a rush of nostalgia looking at them and remembering the times when I played them as a kid.

is the danger zone near the neutral zone

Pretty excited about my haul from @bluenosemontreal.bsky.social yesterday. I traded in some games that I wasn't using and got store credit enough to buy these gems, plus some other ones I've never heard of before. Breath of Fire was on my acquisition list for a while now. #gaming #retrogaming

Animals detest Ryvus. During the war, he wasn't allowed anywhere near the horses or they would spook. He wasn't allowed on the hunting expeditions either for much of the same reason. He's sour over and decided some time ago that fine, he doesn't like them either 😤

Ryvus' kind don't need a lot of sleep, which works great for him because he sleeps too lightly and can't fall asleep around others. If he runs too long on no sleep, it affects his concentration and therefore his magic. Mark still has nightmares about the war, but sleeps better nowadays. Coffee helps

@justinryans.bsky.social Hey bud; feel old yet? 🫠

🖖🏼😎

Shut up and take my money

Ryvus has been trying to ignore the outside world for most of his life. He's just starting to catch on that the few people he cares about are part of that outside world, and stuff that happens out there will affect him both indirectly and, more recently, directly.

Ryvus was a medic during a bloody two year civil war. There's very little that he hasn't seen, and blood, gore and death don't phase him. Mark has seen her fair share too back then and accepted it then as normal. Now, during peace time, it's no longer an acceptable outcome and it upsets her more.

Self-own of the decade: BuzzFeed pivots toward AI slop, loses everything. futurism.com/artificial-i...

This was such a fun read. Want an off-the-wall concept that questions our relation to media? This is the book for you.

Ryvus has no interest in making friends and seems to go out of his way to piss people off. For the most part, he has a superiority complex, and feels that most humans are beneath him. But he also is bad at emotions in general. Even when he wants to try, he can't relate to people well.

This monster is 19 this year.

Good on these guys

Ryvus learned under Tennicus, one of the most powerful magic users to ever live. He's not as creative or skilled as Tennicus, but he just about can't be beat in raw power. Over the years, Ryvus' endurance has dramatically increased, and so has his patience and emotional control.

In this book we have Ryvus, one brother; Jarrick, and his father Tennicus using magic. We notably also have the other brother; Danny, and a new elf named Oz, NOT able to use magic. In this book, magic becomes a liability and suddenly the powerful magic users find themselves as liabilities.

For most of the series, it's been an important tool in the background of the story. A special skill that certain characters had that allowed them to solve problems. The cultural importance has shaped the world around them, though, and in this book it becomes a dangerous liability.

Ryvus? Terrible. Unless it's from his father, Tennicus. If so, then he'd grumble and argue and walk away, but he'd be thinking about what Tennicus said for days. His stubbornness and insistence that he's always right has been a Major Thing in every book.

Ryvus is working that out currently. He's never been considered as a viable romantic or sexual partner before (cultural reasons) but figures he'd be happy in a traditional relationship. However, the person currently courting him is a trans woman, and he's not sure how to label their relationship yet

Elven culture and religion revolves around magic. The humans, who can't use it, are considered inferior. Elves born without magic are considered pitiable and mercy-killed as children as soon as it's discovered. There is a caste system based on one's magical abilities.

For elves, it's a natural born ability. Any risks associated with using it poorly is a lack of attention on your part, like missing a step and twisting your ankle, or pulling a muscle at the gym. Plus, magic is associated with god, so it's a way to feel closer to Her.

Healing magic is considered the most powerful. It's a gift of life, something that Mother Earth alone controls. For someone to be born with healing magic is incredibly rare and considered holy. It's not even a magic you can learn; you have to have it naturally.

There are two types of magic for the elves. One is the basic form that all elves have, much like the Force. It can be used offensively or defensively. The other is rarer and only 1/100 have it. These elves can use elemental magic, and to great effect.

I've been wrestling with this myself lately. But I keep thinking of Captain Picard "With the first link, the chain is forged." We got to where we are in the world by not caring about the fire until it was at our front door.

Ryvus can blast a bigger fireball than most, but can't control a fire that's caught hold on something. Tennicus can. There are so many ways to use magic that there's no real way to master all of it.

Ryvus is mostly based on my husband; the prickly bastard that he is. Mark is loosely based on myself.

It's a physical toll on the body. It takes stamina, like any heavy physical exercise. Use too much and you get something called 'empty-well', much like dangerously low blood pressure. And pain can interrupt concentration, so magic users are vulnerable to disruptions while casting.

No words required, and technically no actions either. Some people use flourishing hand gestures to look fancy, and some spells that require a lot of force might have someone lean into the spell or make a follow-through after a throw. The really dangerous people give no indications at all.

The only thing someone needs for magic is a natural ability to channel it, then concentration, stamina and creativity. Focus is incredibly important, as a lapse in concentration can collapse a spell and leave the user vulnerable.

Ryvus is a pacifist who doesn't want to fight. He is perfectly capable of destruction however; his magic is powerful and he was trained by one of the best to ever live. Mark is an excellent marksman and pretty quick on the draw, too. She also boxes for fun and packs a mean right hook.

Without naming your job. Tell me something you say over and over again at work. 'What is that you're eating? It better not be shit, I swear to God.'

Ryvus prefers the forest to anything else. Any forest will do. He prefers to be alone with nature and with his thoughts. Mark's favorite place is her office. She's surrounded by people who like and respect her, she can do the most good there, and she knows her place in the world when she's there.

It's not fully understood. It's a natural force, and there's a genetic component to those able to channel it. Humans have been trying to use science for decades to figure it out (spolier- someone already identified the genetics involved and reproduced it artificially)

I'm too lazy to go fetch the snippet itself, but there's a moment when old man Tennicus pulls down a rain cloud and demolishes an enemy blockade. The force is described as being crushed by a waterfall, and everyone who witnessed it was very impressed. You'll have to take my word for it ;)

I wanted something that wasn't a deus machina to all my problems. I also wanted an explanation as to why not everyone could do it, and why there would be some science in this world if people used magic. I don't know where exactly I pulled my inspiration, it's been so long.

Ryvus fills up his free time out of necessity for survival, living off the land as he does, but will happily enjoy not having work so that he could meditate and pray. Mark would die of boredom (and yes, doing someone is one of her ways to keep herself busy) She doesn't like her own thoughts.

Only elves have magic in my story. They are all born with a certain ability to harness and use it, and some few are born with a genius-level ability to command it. Either form takes years of practice, training and mental discipline to use in any practical way.

There are three main ones that get used where magic is concerned. 'Kalis' means gift, and it's the term used for elemental magic that some elves are blessed with. 'Empty-well' is the sickness that comes from magic over-use. 'Ti-kapanis' means 'false elf' and it refers to those born without magic.

Magic in my world is a natural force, and elves can channel it something like the Force. However. Certain individuals are born with an ability to harness that same energy as elemental forces. It's a skill highly coveted, and they selectively breed for it.

The antagonist is charming and friendly and generally well loved. He's got some strong morals though, and they end up clashing with everyone else's. He doesn't want to oppose the main crew, but they're in his way and he's not going to let them stop him.