I saw you mention that self discipline such as fasting comes as a comfort to Machete because he feels more in control. Does this behavior reach the severity of an “eating disorder” or is it more mild/mostly harmless than that?
I’m under the impression that disordered eating and an eating disorder aren’t the same thing, and I’d definitely call Machete’s eating habits disordered, but probably not severely enough to warrant a separate ed diagnosis.
His relationship with food has always been troubled. He’s got sensory issues, and some flavors, smells and textures are deeply unpalatable to him. The spectrum of foods he enjoys is pretty narrow, and when he’s feeling unwell mentally or physically, that range gets even smaller. He gets nauseous easily and has a little bit of a sensitive stomach, which has made him cautious of trying new dishes. His longtime favorites are pretty bland and safe. Soups, stews, broths and simple fresh bread remind him of his childhood, even if those tend to be deemed peasant food in his circles. All of this could count as basic picky eating, but what I’ve noticed is that they’re also symptoms of something called avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. Again, probably not serious enough for a diagnosis, but something similar.
His faith provides him an acceptable way to shoot himself in the foot by encouraging fasting. Abstaining from food is used as a form of penance and as a way to build discipline. If you have a guy who feels guilty, inadequate and afraid of some unseen divine retribution and you tell him that eating less could get him closer to forgiveness and spiritual purity, he may take it too far on occasion. Moreover, he both yearns for and dreads punishment for his real or imaginary sins, and when it doesn’t come, he has to settle the scores himself somehow, usually by denying himself things he would objectively need and deserve.
I really love Vasco's name because of a funny coincidence, I'm Brazilian and Vasco is also the name of a famous football club here, so every time I show my friends the "gay dogs, Machete and VASCO" they start laughing
Hah, so I’ve heard! I didn’t know about them back when I was originally designing Vasco, I just thought it had a nice sound to it ´v`
I’m not Brazilian and I’m not that much into football in general, but I’ve been informed that Vasco hasn’t been acing it lately ;v; Is that still the case?
It gives me such weird feelings because while it’s none of my business, of course I’d like to see my dog’s namesake club do well.
Edit: oh and I doodled this when I first found out.
ludo's girlfriend being called anzola is funny for me, as a portuguese speaker, because minus the a at the end it becomes "anzol" which is the portuguese word for fish hook. so you got vasco with his boyfriend who's named like a knife and ludovica, with his girlfriend named like a hook
Pffcdh hahah :‘3
Dating sharp, inanimate objects, as you do.
(For the record, I like Anzola, but right now it’s still a placeholder name chosen by the artist. Ludo’s girlfriend doesn’t have an official name yet).
the idea of making Ludovica die for Ear to be adopted is really heartbreakingly sad to me, I suppose because I'm just really tired of seeing women (and especially lesbian) characters killed for the sake of men character's development or happy endings :( but Ear is a sweet little kid... agh I'm so torn. I love Ludovica so much I really hope we can see more of her sometime!
Oh, I think you might’ve misunderstood something somewhere, or maybe I’m misunderstanding your ask, but Ludovica wouldn’t be Ear’s mom! They aren’t related at all.
Ludovica has her own family and children in the modern au. She’s a close friend of Vasco’s so if Vasco eventually became a parent she’d be thrilled and eager to offer support.
Ear is in foster care and has crippling anxiety that he manages through frequent soothing rituals. The magic shop is on his way home from school, so her often goes trying to buy tarot readings among other things(even though they almost always refuse to charge him).
Machete sees a lot of his younger self in ear, so he and Vasco are like unofficial parents.
Honestly I’m picturing a scenario where Ludovica is like “Bro is your husband trying to curse our entire family?”
Meanwhile Machete, watering a small fleet of houseplants named after different people who are important to Vasco with scientific precision: “Clearly this friendship charm will help me get along with the in-laws.”
Unfortunately for Machete this is merely a Dumbo-esque “friendship charm” intended for socially anxious (magical) grade-schoolers and it doesn’t in fact have any effects other than giving you more confidence. And possibly more houseplants.
what's the history between azrael and machete, if i may ask?
Azrael and Machete aren’t connected on any way in-universe, Machete being from the 16th century Italy and Azrael having been originally created for a modern post-apocalyptic Eastern European setting.
But I drew them together three or four times some 10 years ago, not for lore reasons but because they’re kindred spirits, sort of. Both are characterized by their intense anxiety. Machete’s most pervasive fears are health and physical safety related and Azrael is afraid of the dark to a life-ruining degree. They’re lonely and reserved on their own, and I suppose it just felt oddly cathartic to imagine them being able to draw a little bit of comfort from each other. Plus their designs go together well, Azrael being solid black and Machete being all white.
just so you know i think it was very rude of you to switch our cups when my back was turned. unrelated but can you call an ambulance i want to get my stomach pumped for. recreational purposes
Ear is in foster care and has crippling anxiety that he manages through frequent soothing rituals. The magic shop is on his way home from school, so her often goes trying to buy tarot readings among other things(even though they almost always refuse to charge him).
Machete sees a lot of his younger self in ear, so he and Vasco are like unofficial parents.
Wait is that guys name literally Baby / Darling? That's so cute! Is that a nickname..?
Furthermore, judging by time-period, I think his name would be written in traditional characters if I may suggest :) I really love the bell collar - is that based on anything in particular?
Yeah I thought it’s most likely a nickname. He’s a big, strong, entire adult man that could snap a guy in two with his bare hands, but he’s supposed to have this sort cute, puppylike face and likable, mild-mannered and laid back demeanor. It could’ve been his childhood nickname and the rest of the troupe just defaulted to calling him that because he’s a lovely, darling person to be around. His actual birth name could be of Tuvan origin, I’ll have to look into that more.
Oh, I didn’t even consider that, good point! I don’t speak Chinese, I just used a translator that time ´v`’ Would this be correct? 寶寶
The bell collar was inspired by the thick, ornate collars you sometimes see on livestock guardian dogs, particularly alabais and kangals.
But also I was just wildly in love with bells and tassels at the time because I was (and still am) obsessed with traditional masked folk dances and carnivals, like the Bulgarian kukeri and the Sardinian mamuthones. I was putting bells everywhere I could.
