#//sorry I'm so wordy

[curlyhairedhimbo]

Good afternoon, Captain of The Tulpar.

Your co-pilot is complicit in murder.

Whose murder, you may ask?

Mine. I was the victim. This is my spirit haunting you...

...and you look familiar. But that's beside the point.

I extend the request I made him to you.

Keep Anya safe. Or you may need a new Copilot.

Regards,

@atombombskilledtheradiostar

"W-what? Jim would never kill anyone! I've known him for years!" Curly felt beads of sweat form on his forehead. Ghosts weren't real, right? So... he had to be hallucinating? Hearing voices?

"My crew is perfectly safe with me around." He knew he shouldn't be speaking to them if they were indeed a hallucination, but he couldn't stop himself. The warning reminded him him too much of a recurring nightmare he'd been having.

[blown-to-kingdom-come]

the fuck was up with this guy anyway

[gin-juice-tonic]

Hey Gin! I just wanna say that as a fat trans kid, your trans falls comics have really made me feel affirmed. I'm very lucky to say that this week is my first week I'll be on testosterone, and I am so grateful for your work because they make me feel confident about all this. I'm excited to have shitty facial hair for the first time. I'm excited to not have to hear my voice yet far too high when I'm excited. I'm excited for whatever weird shit gets hurled at me. And for the first time, I'm confident about getting older. I'm far from Stan/Ford's age, but I can actually see a crotchety old version of me in them. I love that thought. So, thank you. I wish you the best.

Soos spent all night bending those

Congrats on the start of a new journey!

[lm-thallen]

Minor Nimona Spoilers

So I just finished watching Nimona and for some reason two scenes paralleling one another that really stuck out to me is the Small-Minded Questions one and how Nimona reacts to them, because it feels so relatable as a queer person

The first time it is used, it's after Ballister, without realizing it, asks Nimona to justify her existence

"How did you get like this?" or "why are you [x]" is certainly a question that many queer people must've heard throughout their life. It's trying to act someone to justify their existence, treat something intrinsic to their nature as something "other" that corrupted them, not as something that is just... part of them And Nimona is understandably upset

And then the second time the words Small-Minded Question are used, is after Ballister asks this question

And this time she takes it a lot better. Because he's stopped asking Nimona to justify being who she is, and now he's asking about her experience, what it feels like from her point of view.

And I think for many queer people, they'd always prefer to be asked the second question rather than the first. To share our experiences with the people around us, without being asked to justify it and treat it as "other"

[prismatiger]

AGREE WITH YOUR PREVIOUS POST. I like mean Loop as a facade only, but we know they still care and love...

Now I have a question, what's your favorite Loop takes/headcanon

Oh my god I'm so sorry I took like two weeks to answer this one I prommy it's not bc I'm exclusively a hater or whatever. I just straight up forgot to answer Oopsie. I'm putting this under cut bc it got long enough that you all would shoot arrows at me for putting it on your dash

Anyways there's a lot of Loop Thangs I like frankly. A big one that I enjoy is when fic authors in postcanon make the transition of Loop into the party structure kind of rocky. Usually bc Loop's neuroses creating a level 12 psychic barrier between them and the party + the inherent awkwardness of meeting somebody who's apparently super close in a way (that you'll never fully understand) to one of your friends. Who let's be real I feel like half the party (coughIsabeauandMirabelle) would catch the aura of "oh they do not like us at all" from Loop. I want Loop to be happy and with their family but you just know this bitch is going to make it as difficult for themself on purpose. The Siffrin Special.

I also just generally like when they keep Loop as a star postcanon. I'm not at all a hater towards Human Loop (in fact I think it can be itself an interesting setup for a Loop fic) but I do like Loop as a star more thematically. Something about having to accept that things have changed and moving on from it regardless. Also bc Loop being dysphoric about their body scratches a very transgender projection itch in my brain Yessss little star you're stuck in a body that draws unwanted attention and which you have no control over how it looks and functions in a way that feels fundamentally wrong to you. (Pointing at canonically transgender character) Yooooo this guy is such a cool trans allegory omg

Hmm what else. This is more of a sloops thing but I always enjoy in fics when they lean into the fact it's selfcest frankly. I've become a selfcest enjoyer bc of this ship I'll never get over that act 5 dialogue abt the cautionary tale where Siffrin says he never understood the moral of the story bc the idea of having somebody just like him who understands him. Oh my gyoooooooooooooooood. I want them to melt into sludge I'm always thinking of that analogy from superflyghtheart on discord comparing Loop and Siffrin to endlings of an endangered species. 💥💥💥It's like. This is less sloopy now but I'm caught between the intersection in my head of "Loop would probably benefit from developing their own identity as a person separate from Siffrin bc they need Something they have control over" and "Loop is of the Siffrin Species and they are significantly too sentimental to let go of the shreds of what they used to have, especially after having lost all of it once already". Both of these things are yummy as fuck when ppl smarter than me explore them and they're kinda the main Story Paths for postcanon Loop anyways so I'm always winning. So like idk tldr I like it both when ppl have Loop diverge a lot as a person and when they have Loop try their best to stay as much of a Siffrin as possible!

I'm limiting myself to four paragraphs so you don't all want to hit me with hammers but I do have Loop Biology Headcanons. I've explained mythoughts on their guts before and don't feel like recounting them but whatever True #codacheetahwarriors remember my deranged rambling. ANYWAYS I kind of mentally run on the assumption of Loop's body as like. The Universe couldn't keep Loop in Siffrin's body, bc they needed Siffrin to be in it (and I guess a system situation introduces too many factors of its own? idk). The Universe operates with the goal of fulfilling wishes with the least intervention possible, so The Universe makes a body out of cheap inorganic material (star-scrap basically). Miniature star for a head fueling the body with Craft energy (I'm not going to get into my conspiracy that all Craft is the same here). Molds the star scrap into a vaguely Siffrin-shaped/sized vessel and plonks Loop's conscious into it and calls it a day. So Loop's body as a poor simulacrum of a human body is like. They're capable of breathing but they only really benefit from doing it on a psychological level. They can't eat or drink and don't have a mouth because it would require a significant level of added effort to make a digestive system, when they can just derive energy from their star. They don't have reproductive organs because they're not made from organic material anymore anyways. They don't need to sleep bc their body never gets tired but they still do it because it's not really a great idea to leave your brain on running for too long anyways.

I fucking lied I'm on paragraph five bc the block of text is annoying me. To continue that's all a preface to say I think it's super fun when Loop has body functions that are weird and unpredictable. Their little frizzles on their body are reactive to their emotions the same way their headstar is, and feel like static if you touch them. Their head has a vague boundary so their eyes have something to be rooted to but the function by which their optic nerves work is unclear to everybody including themself. They glow based on intensity of emotion and the temperature of their star changes via specific mood. Bc I think it would be fun if the battlefield in twohats when from ice cold to boiling hot frankly. Ok these are all just my headcanons (temperature one very loose though I'm not a hard subscriber to it) but they're not uniquely mine it's just examples of what I mean. One I don't have as a personal headcanon but I do enjoy is when Loop feels the same physical sensations as Siffrin bc it's funny and I like inflicting misery on the star.

I'm going to shut up now like actually . Loop for your troubles

[gloriousmonsters]

the entire vibe of twilight princess is just *touches ground* something terrible happened here

edit: OKAY a few people requested/expressed dismay that so much was just in the tags so I'm taking them from the tags and putting them under a cut here :P i'm happy people like them

#no gerudo in the gerudo desert. the twili being the product of ancient magic mass incarceration. zelda's depression and guilt and fuckin#'i don't deserve a bedframe' type room. the triforce of power keeping ganondorf alive - what do the gods want? guess they must be crazy#or maybe we kiiind of fucked up (no gerudo) (arbiter's grounds) (there was a war in ocarina and we don't talk about it)#(and there is an implied war potentially one of attempted extinction hidden between the pages of TP's history)#(hyrule's very good at not talking about its wars) (zelda says 'this is the least i can do' and tries to kill herself to save midna)#(your shade from the past teaches you how to kill and tells you to seek power and teaches you to kill again)#(putting an enemy on the ground isn't enough unless you finish them quick)#(your shade from the past wears armor. the spirits slipped chainmail under your kokiri clothes.)#(the monsters that claw blindly at you are the warped souls of the captured. the benevolent spirits of light insist they're beyond saving.)#(the arbiter's grounds is so so full of the furious dead. in the desert. the gerudo desert)#(the princess sees you not knowing who you are but only seeing that you are a monster and are chained and she apologizes)#(zelda gives her life to save midna and when ganondorf dies she prays in silence)#no esteemed deed is commemorated here etc etc#anyway. ignore all that. i'm obsessively thinking about the idea/theory of link fighting on the side of the gerudo in the past of TP#(hence his appearance on Ganondorf's armor) bc it makes everything Even More Fucked Up#thinking abt this game depresses me so much. i love it

[majimasleftasscheek]

'The Majima Dilemma' Anon here, looking for some feedback on how would one write Goro Majima's other half Goromi so that it doesn't sound offensive or cringe-worthy. I have the basics - like some stuff noted from the game, but would like to hear someone's idea on Goromi-chan - how she acts around Kiryu or other people etc.

ohoho so I think that the best way to write her (subjectively of course) is to treat her sincerely. of course there's the elephant in the room depending on how you interpret her - I'm going to be viewing her as genderfluid cuz that's my thing so for my purposes, she's an amab dude in a dress. as such, I don't point out said elephant unless the point of my story is to talk about that specifically and with it often comes discussion of gender, etc etc. if I'm not talking about that, I talk about her as if she's any other woman doing her thang.

example: if I had a basic scene where she's putting on lipstick, I'm not going to write her as if she's struggling or being incompetent "because man unga bunga." I'd just have her put on lipstick. that same scene could change depending on the "when" too. maybe early Goromi did struggle but! it's important to portray that struggle with sincerity. write her being anxious, clumsy, etc. don't try to make it comedic tho as it'd be inappropriate imo. if there is anything funny, it shouldn't be at her expense.

so, the game treats the Goromi encounter like a joke, basically just a reason for Kiryu to fight her on the basis of "haha man in dress doesn't that just piss you off." so if you take anything from the game, the conversation they have in the minigame is where it's at, in regards to how Kiryu feels himself around her, how he doesn't have to put on airs, how Goromi's genuinely surprised, things like that. with such a short encounter, you really have to rely on your own imagination to expand upon it but even just that lil bit of exchange is a good base. beyond that, I wouldn't take away from the game that much tbh.

I write Goromi pretty much how I write Majima, with all the usual vulgarities and mannerisms since the way I see Goromi is that she's still very much the same person but with a femme flair. I know some do like to write her significantly different as a personality of her own so that too is an option if that's your thing. I project a lot of my genderfluid experience onto her so when I'm personally feeling flip floppy, I'm not really anyone new, but the way I act, the way I carry myself does differ to varying degrees.

so when Goromi's around Kiryu, for example, she's still up to kicking his ass and being a rude lil shit but she'll carry herself a bit more refined, generically ladylike but surface level - some of it being playing the stereotype of a woman, another part her actively trying to be someone else or "removed from being a typical man." for example, if I wrote Kiryu flirting with Majima, I'd make him get embarrassed but in a sort of aloof way with performative confidence typical of Majima. flirting with Goromi tho is different as she's being very vulnerable, very open about herself and when you love her, you love a part of Majima that he may feel self conscious about.

speaking of the previous mentioned elephant, if you wanna talk about Goromi being a dude, I think that's fine tbh if done with tact. I make it a point in my art to portray her as masculine because for me, the cis part of being genderfluid is just as important as everything else. so I like to see Goromi with her beard and muscles and dick bulge cuz fuck it. I don't shy away from that stuff but I don't make fun of it either. one of my best friends is a transwoman and respecting her as a woman no matter how passing she is, is very important to me. but it's not sunshine n rainbows either. if you do talk about that sorta thing, it does come with baggage and handling that doesn't always have the most right or the most appropriate answer. comes down to respecting people as people imo and I think with common sense and empathy, you can certainly write something well intentioned.

interaction-wise, I think she would try to act the part around most people, maybe being at odds with herself because she's not ignorant to how to she looks or behaves so she tries to be more elegant, more ladylike in order to be likeable, acceptable. but at the same time she's still very much Majima and that crassness doesn't just bleed but hemorrhages out of her. it's a battle within herself to decide how to behave so when people are being genuinely nice, she fumbles. I think it'd be normal even around people she's close to cuz even tho she knows she has their respect, it's almost unreal and she gets very flustered 😌 to an extent, I like to think she even rejects some of that kindness cuz her self doubt makes her think she doesn't deserve it or that people are being dubious to get on her good side.

she's good at faking it too. if you need her to be a perfect lil peach or put up with a lotta crap, she can do it. she'd more so do this if the situation required it so I can see her being polite around those of a higher status or if she was in a situation where she shouldn't be a goblin. she'd be pleasant but cold towards strangers, cautious you can call it, until she can place their vibes. there's an RGGO story (idk if you know what that is but it's basically yakuza gatcha on mobile) where Goromi (before Kiryu ever gets to Club Shine) very seriously plays the part of a hostess and wildly excels so she can very much be a totally different person if need be.

whenever I write an upset Goromi, I like to make her revert to tough guy Majima strats where she'll do her damnedest to not let anything get under her skin but it never goes well, especially if it's personal. if she's not crumbling under depression, she'll be snappy then pissy, handling anything with a fight over pouring her heart out. she's prone to spiraling and holding grudges, preferring to suffer in silence alone which is very much how I'd write Majima normally.

a happy Goromi is bombastic, moreso than Majima if that's even possible. and depending on the context, very very sincere. because the theater in my brain never stops replaying the same scenes over and over, I always have this mental picture that Kiryu says something sweet about Goromi and she's just on the quiet side smiling in a sad sort of way like she can't even believe he actually means what he says. and he looks at her worried like he said something stupid and she has to reassure him she's just happy to be so lucky and that tough exterior opens up just a lil more each time. Majima is a big softie and as Goromi, I feel he can explore that a lil more freely if hesitantly.

I hope this stuff helps! it's my own thoughts so of course take things totally subjectively. I think writing Goromi sincerely does rely on taking considerations of femininity, especially in regards to how a man would approach them and how society would view that. it's a lotta reactionary stuff and I think if you can empathize with that, you can write her well enough. Goromi is a divisive topic for people so you're not going to please everyone but trying to write her in order to please everyone wouldn't be sincere imo. she's a mixed bag of things, some good some ugly, so write her in ways you feel good about while also being considerate/respectful of course.

[mollymarymarie]

I completely understand your rightful aversion to JKR and her horrendous views, but oh, selfishly I really wish you would continue to write Wolfstar. You write them so beautifully, and I think your art highlights, celebrates and encourages queer love stories like no other. Your work is certainly very important to me personally and helped me through some things in my personal life, and I'm truly sorry to hear you feel like you have to give it up because of her. She's taken so much from all of us - if writing Wolfstar brings you joy, why let her steal that from you too? (This is all said with the greatest love and admiration, of course)

oh friend 🥹🥹 you are so kind, thank you

honestly, that was why i KEPT writing wolfstar, as a big queer fuck you to jk for being such a fucking garbage can of a person. i kept writing them because sometimes, people told me the same thing you did, that my stories helped them/you through personal shit. i kept writing because i knew she could never take them away from us, not the wonderful myriad of versions that WE created of them.

and then i got shit for being over 30 and writing fanfic, being over 30 and writing HP fanfic, writing fanfic in general, writing HP fanfic when jk is such a piece of shit. so, unfortunately, it wasn't JUST jk's transphobic bullshit that made me shy away, it was other people.

i know this probably makes me sound childish (mean people on the internet were picking on me 😫) but i'm just a person with a regular job and i was doing it for fun. posting my words for fun. so when i started associating that activity with those mean people on the internet, it gave me more stress than anything else. i think i'm still easing back into writing, in general. long periods go where i don't write at all. i still struggle with analyzing everything i say or do.

but i'll never stop loving wolfstar. it was my biggest hyperfixation for so long, i don't think that will ever go away. and maybe i will get back into writing them, i'm not sure. if i do, it will be because of messages like yours that gave me a reason to remember why i started <3

[squwhims]

Joker Out Members Ranked on Their Ability To Aid Someone Bringing a Ring To Mordor

Very niche ranking, but I was cleaning out my google account and remembered that I made a google slide titled, "The List: Fictional Men Who Make Me Kick My Lil Feet Up & Giggle"...number one man on that list being Samwise Gamgee. In that, I made a compare and contrast section and one of the slides is ranking the fictional men on how good they would be at making the journey to Mordor.

Obviously, these guys here are not fictional, so take this with nuance since I am pulling these opinions out of my butt, but I love it when people post their thoughts on Joker Out as (blank), so I will too!

Number One: Nace

Nace definitely has it in him to get someone through this type of situation. This ranking is not based on "physically could he get you to and from Mordor" (because the whole premise of this trip is that a man under 120cm managed to do it), but I do think Nace's strength would be an added bonus. I think that Nace has the best emotional capabilities for this quest. Out of everyone in the band, I feel like he is the most grounded and down to earth member. I think he would have the patience to deal with the emotional toll of the quest, like, it would be difficult to get through, but I feel like he has a very persevering spirit and would be able to survive off of memories of the things he loves back home, and he'd always try his hardest not to make the situation worse with negativity. He's got humility and I don't think he would judge someone for breaking down on the quest. I have no lived proof of him being a safe man, but he seems very safe, you could trust him to guard you while you sleep. He would stay loyal through the whole trek to Mordor and he would tell wonderful stories at the campfire that comfort you and remind you of where you started.

Number Two: Jure

Now, this ranking is based more on "could he physically get you to and from Mordor" because although he doesn't capture the pure-of-heart, patience, down to earth, loyalty that Sam represents, by god...he would plop you down on his motorbike and the trip would take no more than a week. I raised myself the question, "how would he handle the emotional toll though?" and I raise myself the answer: I don't think you'd have time to dwell on the fear and homesickness and dread. I think Jure would be a busy-body on the quest. I think he'd be foraging, cooking, cleaning all the gear, putting unknown plants into his pipe and smoking it just to see what happens, and he'd be climbing EVERYTHING. I simply don't think there would be space in his quest to feel anything. Closer and closer to the doom of Mordor he would be speeding things up. He has the least amount of apparent Sam-like qualities, but this ranking is not called "Joker Out members ranked on their Sam-like qualities", this is based purely on COULD HE GET YOU THERE IN ONE PIECE?! Jure could simply walk into Mordor and that is enough.

Number Three: Bojan

This was a real toss up, because on one hand I feel like he has quite a bit of persevering, mental strength, he is a bit of a silly goose and would be a hoot to travel with...but on the other hand I feel like he is leaning closer to the Frodo side of the spectrum deep down. The quest would start off with high sprits, you know, he'd be leaving home with a smile on his face and pep in his step. He'd be so excited to see the elves and the world and meet new people...but then one bad thing would happen at the start of the second quarter of the quest and he would begin to crack. Gandalf/other mentor figure in this hypothetical situation would die and that would be his breaking point. Working through the emotional toll of the trek would be HARD. Physically, I think he could do it...but mentally...idk man. The guy already gets panic attacks on the regular and I don't think he would be of any help to someone who needed to dispose of a ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Maybe that would be beneficial to the team because he'd be down in the dumps with you despite the fact that YOU are carrying the weight of the world around YOUR neck. So idk, we're all in this together? I'm sure he'd have good moments. He would definitely try his best to stay positive.

Number Four: Jan

Too Frodo coded to aid someone on their quest to Mordor. I'm not saying this to wimpify Jan, because physically, I do think he would be capable— really, the quest is just a long walk in the woods, so I feel like he would start the quest off doing fine. Sight-seeing with a cane in his hand: delightful. It would be a very quiet quest, but he'd be present. However, I feel like the pressure of getting to Mordor would be weighing on him the whole time. I don't think he is built to carry that much weight in his heart all alone. The fate of the world resting on his shoulders? He's gotta get his buddy across the world and through countless dangers? Doesn't know if either of them will survive? Once you start, there is no going back? Yeah, no. I don't think Jan is built to play the Sam role on this quest. He is Frodo. Someone is gonna need to be there to pick him up when he falls face-first into a bog due to lack of will to live and cut him free from spiderwebs and shit.

Number Five: Kris

Gonna be honest, I don't think Kris would have went on this quest. If Gandalf told him he had to go with Frodo I think that Kris would have said no. He has assessed all the potential dangers of the quest, he doesn't have anything to prove, he doesn't even really like Frodo that much; he would say no to going. Of course, it is mandatory that he goes and he gets forced into going. I think that Kris would have a good time with the elves, his brothers and sisters in height. Yeah, he'd have a great time with them. You'd be on your deathbed getting healed after being stabbed and Kris would be getting philosophical with the elves, learning archery and shit. He'd be feeling pretty good after that and more at ease going on the quest, but I don't think he would really care about you. Like he doesn't want you to die (because that would mean that now he'd need to hold onto the ring) but he decided a long time ago that he is working through his emotions on his own, and you are working on yours alone. Not a bad quest buddy if you are stoic. This sounds really mean, I don't mean to be mean!! He'd make a really great Legolas!

[myuminji]

I don't have much to ramble about but having 4 reincarnation aus on the go is so real, trimax -> tristamp reincarnation au drives me insane on the daily. begging to hear about the other reincarnation aus pretty pls

(also your art is so charming and lovely!! I love your comics hehe)

UOHOHOHO I SEE WE THINK ALIKE ANON 🤝 reincarnation AU ALWAYS drives me insane too!!! Trigun especially is giving me too much power for me not to waste em yknow?😩😩

(heads up: there's LOTS of rambles, and they're all VW-centric)

Timeloop/Reincarnation AU where Vash reverses the time every time he fails to save Wolfwood, despite having the guilt of knowing Wolfwood will have to go through everything again had Vash chosen to loop the timeline again...

Shouldn't he let him finally get his peace? Isn't it cruel to make him suffer yet again through this horrid nightmare?

(Have you ever imagined if his "I can see it in his eyes" or "all I see is a man forcing himself to play the devil while his heart cries out" is because Vash knows he's actually not like that? That the man he knows has been kind, kind to him. But will also fear what will happen to him if he pushes his belief upon Wolfwood... Would he rather see the Wolfwood he'd known from his past? Or would he let him kill; a cold murderer, befitting of his title as 'The Punisher' in favour of his survival? But could you still call him the same Wolfwood he's known from before? Should he even try to reverse the time again? Hadn't he suffered enough?)

Reincarnation AU trimax VW but focusing on reincarnated! Wolfwood instead, chasing after Vash at every cycle of his life so he can protect, and ultimately, save him from his misery.

(He fails, quite a lot of times. But Vash doesn't need to know how many times.)

Everything was all white. And before he knew it, it was dark. Wolfwood wakes up again in a different place than he used to live in. But more than that, a different body (It was confusing at first, but he's quick to connect the dots when he finds a familiar face he could not mistake for others, now in a wanted poster, spanning across the walls of the buildings: "Vash The Stampede" it says. Wolfwood remembers: it was the man who greets him every time he enters the shop; him donning an apron as he serves other customers and he in his working outfit, back from a job he can remember no longer...)

Star-crossed Lovers where Wolfwood eventually realised he only dies because he tries tp save Vash. He could've lived a long, normal life, even stop his loop! But he didn't. Wolfwood who'd rather live short lives and die countless times just to save him... and the closest he's been with him relationship-wise is where his death is mourned the most...

(whether he thinks it's shit or not, Wolfwood still doesn't know. But had he known it'd be the last time he sees him, he'd have at least pulled him into a kiss. Say sweetheart, how about a thank you kiss?)

Reincarnation AU (trimax->tristamp) but this time both of them have bits of recollections of the past they never told each other they know.

Vash being more deadset on stopping Nai and now EOM as his main objectives, passively avoiding visiting orphanages at all costs in his travels,

Wolfwood as a kid who knew what will become of him when he's selected by the EOM but still joins and persists through his experiments with the thought "This could help the spikey his memories seem so keen on remembering" or an "I could only meet him this way, protect him this way"

Imagine the panic that settles when the timeline doesn't line up with their previous life, "what do you mean I met the gang before the July incident, and who is this old man??" Wolfwood

Eriks going missing for 2 years as written, thinking he should really, really avoid Wolfwood for good before he gets dragged any deeper, maybe he should run away from everything this time?

And Wolfwood desperately searching for him for the whole 2 years, even though he knows he'll find him again, fearing how he gets closer to the time because "what if something is different this time and I can't meet him?" or "What if I'm not supposed to be by his side this time?"

The last one is the one I talked on prev post! Reincarnation AU (trimax->tristamp) but it's only Wolfwood who remembers, and it's mostly a "trying to move on but failing miserably because you can never say no to your (reincarnated) partner"

Wolfwood reminiscing how similar yet so different this life is... thinks how "the ticket to the future is blank, and it led me back to you"

[overlymetaromantic]

Hello!!! I really like ur comic and art style(⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠) I want to make comics like u but I don't know where to start༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ any tips/advice

Aww, thank you so much, I'm so glad you've been enjoying my silly little comic! 💕

It's deeply cliche advice, but in all honesty, the best way I've found to make a comic is just to start it!! I do think that comes with a couple of caveats though lol 😂 First, if your goal is to start a comic you plan to finish, I highly recommend starting out with something short! Whether it's a unique short story, mini fan-like comics based on your OCs (or just a media property you like), or a smaller adaptation of a bigger story you want to tell, creating something that has a limit to how long it will be both gives you a chance to learn how you want to make comics and increases your chance that you'll end up with a completed work under your belt. So much of creating comics is learned by doing, and there's arguably no wrong way to make them—the best thing you can do for yourself is to understand what parts you enjoy, what parts you DON'T enjoy, and adapting your process to best suit both those points so that you're able to enjoy the whole thing.

Second, bouncing off of that last point, try to craft a story that you're comfortable giving roughly 75% effort to. Comics take a lot of work!!! So being able to call something "done" even if it isn't necessarily 110% perfect is invaluable both to getting things done and in protecting your literal health lest you risk overworking yourself :') orz Still, even with that being said, strive to make something you love!! Lean into the things that bring you joy, learn how you can best go about creating those things to maintain that joy, and continue for as long as it's fun and satisfying for you first and foremost 💕

Otherwise, if you're specifically looking for storytelling tips for getting started, I personally recommend figuring out what part of storytelling you enjoy the most and going from there. If you like making characters, throw some OCs in a mental room and imagine what kinds of interactions they might have! If you like worldbuilding, craft the basis of your story's world and then consider what elements of its premise would make the most interesting starting point for a story! I usually like to start with pitching a premise to myself (what if a BL but from an outsider's perspective) and then using that as my guiding template to draft the rest of the story out. Like with everything, especially if you're just starting out, it's honestly 100% okay to be as self-indulgent as you want, because being self-indulgent is going to be a huge motivation in and of itself to keep you going 💕😂 So, have fun!! And good luck with whatever you do make!!

[danwhobrowses]

Okay so this'll be the last post I make regarding Critical Role until c3e119 airs since while the antipathy and, for lack of a better word, deflation revolving around 118 has been a little disheartening, I do want to throw a few things that continue to bounce off the inside of my head out there before we get to the next episode;

I don't think it's needed (as someone who very much wants them all to survive - including ones I like less than others - and be able to continue figuring themselves out) for BH to die or be betrayed or be subject to additional punishment to justify what's happening. This fight IS their punishment, their consequence, their Finding Out after Fucking Around

Also, if the gods refuse to help BH - if asked - it proves Ludinus right. Refusing aid would indicate that they really are picking favourites out of self interest, plus the taking on Predathos option was only proposed to BH by one of their own, so it'd be double scummy

Campaign 3 has still had some great, funny and heartbreaking moments that we shouldn't forget about just because these current events are fresh, plus C1 and 2 weren't perfect - worth reminding that too

Honestly, if FCG were alive the same thing would've happened anyway; Matt would've made the coin flip be indecisive so the cast could make the choice and Imogen would've chosen the same way

While we definitely could've built to this better, this fight will provide the floor for BH to confront a key character motivation; be it preventing the overtaking and corrupting influence of a malicious or feral psyche, having to decide whether to trust that their ally can overcome it or follow through with what a superior entrusted them to do as a countermeasure, or simply trying to protect and prevent another friend from dying - which, alongside the likely map change and expected unique minis, is actually kinda exciting

Just, let's go into 119 with an open mind, okay? They have to earn it for sure but it's not over until it's over.

[arsprince]

i outlined brief character tidbits here, ages ago... but let me ramble a bit more about the evil bird prince and, specifically, how i approach the show canon. 🦉

with regard to the narrative. i portray stolas as an antagonist, as was intended originally in the pilot episode. i draw inspiration from the gothic genre, with stolas as the morally grey-but-mostly-wicked antagonist that looms as a constant threat / nuisance for blitzø and IMP, tackling themes of classism and the political structure of hell — given that their business only exists because stolas permits it.

with regard to his origins. i will eventually make a detailed lore post on the ars goetia. as detailed in the lesser key of solomon, or the lemegeton, there are seventy-two demons comprising the dynasty of the ars goetia. stolas himself is the thirty-sixth demon and he is ancient. abiding by demonology, the ars goetia, the most ancient of them, are the fallen angels that once served lucifer in his rebellion against heaven, aiding him in his quest against the Lord. (whether this rebellion was a war, as in paradise lost, or rather the mere act of tempting lilith & eve, as in the show.) for their loyalty, they were granted command over lucifer's legions and his magic & grimoires. stolas himself was young during the time of the rebellion / the fall, os his memories are only vague. of the ars goetia & their respective powers, stolas' domain is astronomy. he embodies the pursuit of knowledge, a scholar among demons if you wish to summon him, offerings he might appreciate are herbs, precious stones

with regard to his ambitions. stolas' ambitions have lain dormant for centuries; he had entertained himself by tormenting mortals before but gradually, hell's influence on earth has dwindled and the days of medieval wars and demon summoning are mostly over. with lucifer absent in the politics of hell, and the power struggles occurring, primarily within the pride ring with all the overlords and their turf wars, stolas thinks it's time hell went back to its former glory. he's mostly just bored of lounging around and gossiping with the aristocrats when once he used to command armies. he would like to amass more power, surely. strike a few strategic alliances.

with regard to IMP and the grimoire situation. as mentioned, stolas grants them the grimoire for their business. he does this on the premise that they do his dirty work for him and take out whatever mortals he needs them to. of course, this is kept hush-hush as it is entirely illegal. whatever this means for his & blitz's dynamic, i leave on a per-interaction basis. i'm down to adjust this, especially in light of the new episodes, and plot something out!

with regard to my headcanons. i think it'd be neat to explore some political intrigue with the ars goetia, to have stolas actively engaged in a political chess game with andrealphus. i'd also like to explore more of his & stella's arranged marriage, and their dynamic, for which i'm open to all sorts of interpretations. basically, i'd love to plot out all the canon dynamics and see how we can make it work. also stolas making deals with sinners / overlords for mutually beneficial reasons.

[doubleedgemode]

I wanted to go on a drawing spree yesterday, but I could only muster these two before dozing off.

First one, even if I'm not that sure about how I drew her face shape in this angle (and most importantly I forgot her neck and torso bandages OOPS) I do really like how most of the drawing came out. And at least it isn't a bland bust this time, though I'm pretty sure I've already drawn a pose like this before. (Oh no the next drawing is a 3/4 bust again..)

Second, yesterday I saw an artist draw some of the coolest redesigns ever for a different media piece, and thought about the many awesome gg redesigns I often see so I wanted to give A.B.A a spin... Except I was out of ideas so most of this drawing is her regular design haha. I got too tired to even try to attempt to draw the rest of the body and half-assed the key but I like the vibes and pose (even if I.. think I made her neck a bit too long? Old habits die hard... Necks are my enemies when drawing!)

I like the idea of her having a key take on the classic frankenstein bolts (though wait, her head key is referred to as a screw. Would this also be a screw or key shaped bolts??-)

[jackfromthefairytale]

Erra recommendations or music recommendations in general?

I get to go off about erra!

id say that cure (the most recent album) is a good starting point, it's got ambience, breakdowns, a beautiful vocal balance and a healthy amount of erra-typical riffage and structure-fuck. i honestly couldn't give you individual song recs because they're all so different and all have a highlight. i do know that you'll probably like slow sour bleed seeing as you liked anything > human (and I think you also like nine inch nails?)

next, the 2021 self-titled, which is outright some of the best stuff in modern metal. snowblood is very metalcore, gungrave features the riff of all time, shadow autonomous is a complex, weirdly calming masterpiece, electric twilight is weird, eidolon is separately beautifully tranquil and crushingly heavy, vanish canvas is the prettiest heavy song ever written (and the deluxe includes the reissue featuring courtney laplante on guest vocals!), and i'll also mention remnant, lunar halo, divisionary, scorpion hymn and nigh to silence. and memory fiction which isn't a metal song but is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written

they also released two standalone singles - eye of god (2019) and pull from the ghost (2022) which are some of the band's best work and serve as a kind of bridge between albums

of their previous stuff, it's not as polished as their current stuff but is also pretty mind blowing. drift (2016) is melodic and pretty and neon (2018) is a darker, heavier follow on from that. my favourites from those include luminesce, drift, breach, ghost of nothing, safehaven, sleeper, unify, irreversible, skyline, hyperreality, expiate

their first two albums are a bit different, with the band having a mostly different lineup - the screamer and second guitarist left at the end of 2013 - but they've been considered some of the best in metalcore (with too many fans being unable to move on). i'd say pattern interrupt, the architect, heart, and white noise off impulse (2011) and pulse, hybrid earth, ultraviolet and augment/dementia off augment (2013) (i personally consider dementia to be one of the best songs ever written...) (I also don't really listen to their older stuff as much as their newer releases)

for other recs, staying within this vein of progressive metalcore i'd suggest invent animate - they're also very technically minded and are "sad boi metalcore". they're also a band that erra take on tour a lot and jesse co-produced some of their stuff and featured on their song naturehold.

another band are red handed denial. again, they're progressive metalcore but are really good at the pop blend without sacrificing the heavy. lauren babic is one of the best combined sing/scream vocalists in the game and one of my personal inspirations, and their 2024 album "a journey through virtual dystopia" is one of my albums of the year.

and obviously, as this is an erra post, i can't go without recommending jesse's alt rock solo project ghost atlas. dust of the human shape is one of the albums of the year, and other standout tracks include cry wolf, legs, sacred organs, sleep therapy, vertigo, mirror room, and elixir of life