#(will admit though there WAS a period where the art was all done and i just kept forgetting to biro it for visibility 😭)

[ace-the-fox]

Hcs of Mpreg latter (howdy’s brother) of Mpreg beeya (howdy’s brother in law and seeya husband)

@boomerroomer

Hi!!! Sorry, FINALLY getting to these. Thought I'd stick them together because they both involve the same character in some way lol.

I couldn't find all that much on them bar from Tumblr, and I also haven't actually been following Welcome Home in AGES lmao, but I have some notes and some art to make up for it :D

(Cba to find my banner but, as always, ⚠️SFW INTERACTION ONLY⚠️)

He looks grumpy, but he's excited I promise :)

Latter Pillar

He's just busy coming up with a sophisticated, poetic baby name lol

From what I can tell, he seems a bit... left out in the family. He hopes starting a new one will make him feel less lonely :)

He's hoping for a girl, but it doesn't really matter <3

Beeya and Seeya

(Pretty sure they canonically have twins lol)

Seeya gets big baby brain lol. For the last few months, she spends it doing the nursery, buying baby clothes, thinking up names.

Beeya's happy too, ofc, but twin pregnancy is draining and sometimes it is a bit... much

She rubs his sore back in return, so it's not all bad lol

[66stitches]

dating abby headcanons

Art by fjorgust on instagram

Daily click - Palestine masterpost - TLOU and israel

divider creds

꩜ She isn’t super big on pda, but does little stuff like grab your hand or give you occasional kisses on the forehead just to remind you of how she loves you (and to let everyone know you’re hers).

꩜ With that being said, she’s all over you once you’re home.

꩜ Absolutely loves lazy morning cuddles and kisses far more than she’d like to admit.

꩜ I just know she listens to dad music. Definitely a big fan of The Offspring.

꩜ Loves to spoil her girl, but even though she doesn’t admit it, she secretly loves being spoiled and coddled as well.

꩜ Has a pretty high pain tolerance, but would sometimes exaggerate her pain just so you’d coddle and baby her, especially when she’s on her period.

And you know she’s fibbing, but you knew that if you confronted her she would immediately deny it and get super defensive (which is how you know she’s lying).

But you love babying her, so you’re more than happy to play along.

꩜ She snores, but it’s pretty soft and light, so you don’t really mind at all. It’s actually pretty comforting.

꩜ Shares her coin collection with you. You don’t really get the fascination, but seeing her ramble on passionately about what new coins she found only makes you fall in love deeper.

꩜ Reads classics. A huge fan of Dostoevsky. But also she loves nonfictions.

꩜ Absolutely sucks at video games. If you play, she’ll ask if she can try, only to get your character killed like five seconds later then complain that “something’s up with your controller.”

꩜ Loves having her hair played with. She would have trouble sleeping sometimes, but once your fingers are on those golden strands of hers she’s out like a light, already softly snoring into the pillow.

꩜ Sleeps completely naked with you. Not for any sexual purpose, but just feeling her bare skin against yours as you’re sleeping makes her feel closer to you than ever. It’s an innocently intimate and loving moment she likes to share with you.

Honestly just imagine cuddling to sleep at night completely naked. Everything is quiet and you’re peppering sleepy kisses on each other’s face, neck, shoulders, and rubbing each other’s arms and back 'til you fall asleep oh god I’m SICK.

꩜ This woman is in love with sitcoms and I will not be elaborating any further.

꩜ Claims she doesn’t like cats, but once came home like an hour late because she got caught up playing with a stray cat. Refused to tell you the real reason why she was late.

꩜ Cracks the dumbest jokes you’ve ever heard that only put a smile on your face because of how stupid they are and how cute she is when she says them.

Remember that scene where she was trying to joke around with Lev but she’s just super bad at it and he didn’t even try to play along? “You know our dogs can play cards like that?” Yeah, she does that with you too.

꩜ Cries after arguments (canon) but can’t stand people seeing her cry. She’s a pretty emotional person methinks.

꩜ Loves festivities. Will go all out on christmas and halloween, decorating the entire place and buying gifts (pesters you with questions about what you got her).

꩜ Pesto. She loves it on everything.

꩜ Loves massages. Back, shoulders, feet, scalp. Loves them all and only wants them from you.

꩜ A caregiver. (If you’re on meds), she’ll always make sure you take them and take them at the right time. She ensures that you eat three meals a day and get enough sleep, and even doesn’t let you stay up for too long. She just wants her girl to stay healthy.

꩜ She’s a total book hoarder. She promises not to buy another book 'til she’s done reading the ones she has, only for you to find a paper bag with ten new books the next day.

꩜ Loves you endlessly and has your entire wedding planned out in her head. She knows exactly what songs she wants to play and how she wants your dresses to look.

[hkthatgffan]

"End" of the Kiki-Kit Saga (For me at least)

Okay, I've been waiting for a while to make this post and quite frankly, it's one I really didn't expect to make. But, having started this topic in October, I felt it was important to also end it even if it's not a great end overall.

You may remember back in October 2024 that I made this post regarding the artist Kiki-Kit. She's pretty well known in the Gravity Falls fandom and worked on Lost Legends. Long story short, she'd been ghosting me and many other people for months regarding commissions we had gotten from her in January of that year. That first post goes into detail about it all and has the specifics but basically, after finding out there were people waiting years for her to respond to them, I felt compelled to make that post to call her out and hopefully get more eyes on this issue as Kiki had seemed to be getting away with this behavior for a while. Well, good news (sorta), for me at least, it's now over...

Kiki-Kit Refunded me!

I'd love to be happy about it but quite frankly, to even get this was a pain in the ass. As I said in the first post, Kiki never responded to DMs or even the email she had set up for commissions. So, as a last resort, I contacted a friend of hers that she had mentioned back in January during her commissions request period. I won't name them as they never were involved in this, but I got in touch with them via Bluesky and asked if they could let Kiki know I was trying to reach her but can't. And low and behold, the very next day she actually FINALLY DM's me for the first time in over a year!

I should say, this happened back on February 9th of this year (it'll make sense in a sec why it took me so long to make this). On one hand, it was nice that she did finally DM me but I can't lie, it felt very suspicious and off to me that it literally had to take me contacting someone she knows about it. Someone who never was involved in this and had no reason to be and that in turn was what finally got her to respond to me.

Kiki did explain herself and without sharing her PM, I will say I fully understand her position. As she stated back in June 2024, she's going through a pretty rough time and even her reasoning for doing these commissions were for financial reasons I am sympathetic to her for. I wanna make clear again, this was never a case of "artist is taking too long on my art and I am impatient!" I get it. Everyone like me in this situation gets it! Artists are humans like you and me and things can happen and they have every right to take breaks, be offline, etc.

But where the problem was, was that Kiki-Kit NEVER responded to any update request going back months. I tried every appropriate channel of communication I could to no avail. I'm understanding, but I also am a paying client and if nothing else, a simple update would suffice. She never gave me even that until now and the way I had to get it out of her was beyond what someone should have to do to get that.

She did admit to me she is aware of this problem of hers of not communicating properly and seeming to ignore clients. If nothing else, I was appreciative she admitted where she was wrong. I told her back she really needs to improve on that and also, given she gave me the choice, I asked for a refund. Even though she offered me assurance she will get these commissions done, I'm not dealing with her anymore and I wanted my money back.

And then guess what? Kiki-Kit GHOSTED ME AGAIN!!

This all happened on February 9th. Well, March 9th, one month after that first exchange rolls around and I still hadn't heard from her. I follow up, no response. She hadn't communicated at all since February! Finally, on March 25th, the day she refunded me, Kiki FINALLY gets back with some excuse about why it took so long and again apologizing. I'm not even gonna bore you with what she said this time around as it was another of the same excuses and "I'm sorry." At least this time I got my money back.

I was as nice back to her as I could be but holy fucking shit, I was beyond angry and disappointed in her. It really didn't seem to sound like she really even cared. I mean, the fact it took her over a month again to get back to me after apologizing and saying she was working to be better at communicating really left me running out of sympathy for her.

And again, I should stress, I'M NOT MAD AT KIKI-KIT FOR NOT DELIEVERING MY COMMISSION! IDC if I had to wait a year for it if she had been proper in her communication and transparency about why she was offline and not responding. This was always a communication issue, NOT an issue with it taking so long. Yes, she gave a reason in June, but then vanished for months yet again and still technically speaking, she hasn't officially posted anything since August 2024.

If you pay someone for a service and they then just vanish and not pick up your calls or respond to your texts or emails, you're gonna be suspicious. Excuses are a whole other story but even so, at least you are getting a response. I could've understood it if that was what she did. But a year without any response whatsoever, only one update in June 2024, multiple people coming out and saying they too have been waiting for months or even years for a response to no avail and finally me having to contact a 3rd party just to get her to fucking respond? Either Kiki-Kit is the worst at keeping track of her DM's, or she purposefully is banking on people not saying anything about her ghosting and just hopes they forget they ever bought something from her or give up after enough time with no response and accept they lost that money.

I mean, @foxieskullz was waiting since 2019 and similarly to me, it was her persistence and constant talking about it that probably was what finally made Kiki-Kit respond.

As of today, April 26th, it's been 1 month since Kiki refunded me. I told her once again when she did that she needs to contact all the other people she was paid to make art for and give them the same offer of a refund or promise to finish their art. Given it's been a month since that, I decided to reach out to some of those people to see if Kiki actually made good on that.

I contacted my friend Darkshade on Discord who also bought a commission from her that January about if she had heard back from Kiki and sure enough, she hasn't!

I also contacted @animepianistgirl2 who also has been waiting and similarly, no response from Kiki-Kit either. Hell, I was looking through my old posts about it and I saw even stephreynaart said she'd gotten a commission from her and still no response. That was back in June, so I haven't asked her yet about if she got a response or not since then, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a no too. When even a person as respected and popular in the fandom as Steph is probably in the same boat, then things really are looking bleak.

IDK what else to say. I'm disappointed beyond belief. Maybe this is my GF fandom version of "never meet your heroes," but I still am so upset that of all people, Kiki-Kit could be like this. She's a legend in this fandom and was respected and loved by fans long before I ever joined. Her fanart was some of the first I ever saw and I celebrated with the rest of the fandom in 2018 when she got her moment to shine as an illustrator in Lost Legends and even meeting Alex Hirsch in person at a book signing event for it.

She's been in so many fan projects. She's a name everyone on GF Tumblr probably knows and respects. So, yeah, to have to say all this about her is not easy even now. I am so grateful to all of you who heard me out in October when I made my post about this. I was afraid to post it given even with all the people who came out and said the same thing, I was worried people would side with her due to the notoriety she has and just the thought that someone like her would never do this. But the response was incredible (I even had long time GF fans and artists who were friends of Kiki-Kit agreeing that her actions here were not right) and if nothing else, I hope it maybe helped spread word about this and get people to be more aware.

Kiki-Kit, if you see this, know that I am upset. I really hope you are doing okay and that you can overcome the hardships in your life that maybe led you to being like this right now. I don't believe you meant to be like this with malicious intent but it's what happened and you now need to fix that. I appreciate that you refunded me, but I am still mad. You have not refunded anyone else or even spoken to them even after I told you that you should. You ignored everything I said, even after you admitted yourself that you have a problem with communicating.

I hope you seriously work on improving your communication. I really hope you offer everyone left waiting a chance to either get their art finished or refund them. My posts are not going away. If you ever try to open commissions again, I am making sure people see these and know what kind of person you are to those who pay you. I hate having to spread negative shit like this on my platform, but if it spares another fan from losing money to you, then so be it. I had to wait only a year. Foxie was waiting since 2019 (and you gave her a similar set of excuses and apologies and probably never read anything she told you like you did to me)! And don't forget Jolliejackdaw who you blocked on Twitter and has been waiting since 2020!

I don't want anyone else to be in this same boat. Either commit to better communicating with your clients, or don't bother asking people for commissions next time. This could've all been resolved privately if you just bothered to talk. But you didn't. And now this all had to be said.

So, all this to say, while I don't anymore have to deal with Kiki-Kit, others are still waiting. And I'll keep asking around to see what happens. But unless something else big transpires, this is it for me in regards to Kiki. I hate making posts like this but it had to be done and tbh, I hope if anything it serves as a lesson to both artists and clients. Communication is key. Without it, stuff like this can spiral out of control fast.

I hope Kiki-Kit can mend her name in this fandom. I'll always be a fan of her work, but I am never commissioning from her again. And quite frankly, until she seriously fixes her communication ability, neither should you.

[artdcnaldson]

ok so the thing is, at this point in time, art is so mean and cruel to reader, like hes hot and sexy, but mean. and he absolutely prioritizes his own pleasure far above hers. so i was thinking a little thought, im 100% convinced that art would pinch readers nose closed while fucking her face... :) probably after she said something extra bratty, or flirted with one of the guys from the tennis team. basically hes sick of her bullshit and wants her to suffer the consequences. whilst either or maybe alternating between, holding her head down on his cock, and smacking her cheeks. all whilst calling her a little slut :(((

i luv him, i need him

-🐞

Ohhhhh agree <3

We got a little of it in the vignette where Art fucks her throat at her house and pinches her nose closed (pre-breakup) but I knowwww he would’ve done it before.

He sees you talking with one of his teammates (a sophomore named Ryan) at a party after he told you to stop fucking hovering around him. He knew it was to get back at him, the way you smiled and put a hand on his arm while you laughed at his jokes. Ryan wasn’t that funny. Ryan wasn’t funny period.

But yeah </3 he has to tug you into a spare bedroom, push you to your knees, and sink his cock into your mouth. You moan around him, lashes fluttering as your eyes grow all wet and slick with tears. He pops your cheek and you whine.

“You looked so fucking trashy throwing yourself at the team. You know people talked about it in the locker room, right? About how desperate you were. I’m teaching you a lesson. This is how guys treat sluts,” Art moans. Your tongue laves at the underside of his cock. He doesn’t know how you know to do that— you must’ve been whoring yourself around. It pisses him off just to think about. He thrusts deeper, holds your head down on him until your throat constricts and you gag.

You’re panting when he pulls you off, lips drooly and strung with spit. You look up at him, suck on his tip, swirl your tongue around the head like you would a fucking lollipop. It makes him crazy. You do that to him. “You’re such a— fuck- god- that fucking mouth— a fucking whore.”

You nod, press a sweet kiss to his tip. “I wanted you to notice me,” you admit. “You only notice me when I’m with other boys. You’re jealous.”

His jaw ticks. That was the wrong fucking thing to say. He grabs the back of your head, bottoms out until his dick is buried in the warmth of your throat. It’s hard for you, he knows, but you must’ve been practicing, or something, because he finds less resistance than he thought there would be. “I’m not fucking jealous,” he says, breathy and fucked-out just from your mouth.

You look up at him, and there’s a sort of knowing in your gaze, an understanding. He can’t say anything to convince you otherwise. He is jealous, you know it, he wants you so bad, you just have to convince him more.

It pisses him off. He pulls out of your mouth, lets you take a few deep inhales, and then he’s thrusting back into your mouth, holding your nose closed so you stop fucking thinking it’s a reward for being such an easy slut. He fucks into your mouth, all hot and wet and suctioning around him. You’re whining, all muffled and drooly. Small little hands pushing against his thighs as you claw for air.

Jesus, that shouldn’t get him hard. He’s a better person than that, he’s not Patrick.

But you’re looking up at him with half-lidded eyes, crying out even though your words are muffled by his cock down your throat. He pulls off, lets you take a heaving breath, and buries himself back inside that perfect fucking mouth of yours.

He doesn’t cum in your mouth, even though he wants to. You’d probably like it if he did. He pulls out, leaves you panting and gasping beneath him as he glazes that pretty face of yours with his cum.

He grabs his phone, snaps a picture before you can react. Your eyes widen in surprise and you stand up, scrambling to take it from him. “I could fucking send this around, let everyone know how easy you are,” he threatens.

“Art, stop—“ you whine. “Delete that.”

He laughs at the sight, of you jumping for the phone he’s holding above your head, lips swollen, face painted with thick ropes of his cum. He could tell you to fucking roll over and you would. He grins. “I’m not going to, because I’m a good person. Because Patrick would fucking kill me if he found out you were getting run through by the tennis team.”

“So what’s the point?” You ask, as you grab one of his shirts and wipe your face off, grimacing at the sticky smear on your skin.

Art just shrugs, settles on his bed. “Maybe I just like seeing you be the one to squirm for once.” He rolls his eyes, pats your cheek and nods for the door. “I’ll see you at the party Shawn’s hosting, right?”

Confusion flickers across your expression but you nod. “Yeah, uh, if you think I should—“ He nods and you smile, all pretty and hopeful. “Okay, yeah. I’ll see you then.”

You’re practically skipping on the way back to your dorm.

WE’RE BACK WITH STANFORD ERA PATRICK’S SISTER AU AND EVERYONE CLAPPED!!!!!!

Angst is fun but i missed the mess i missed the drama. I hve to return to my roots (being crazy)

[askthehedgehogs]

This is a question for the mod! What inspired you to start this blog? And what is your favorite sonic game/show/comic?

[hello!! I started this blog for a couple of reasons, really:

One is that I had done Month of Sonadow in feb followed by animating a Sonadow music video to Could Have Been Me (please watch it I had never really animated anything before and put my Whole Soul into this) which took the whole of March and half of April, and then in late April I was like... Having sonadow art withdrawal 💔 so I wanted to trick people into sending me drawing prompts HAHA.

The other main reason is because work has been bumming me out lately and in times of stress I always start ask/art blogs (Good Omens during my school exam periods, Yuri on Ice when I was doing my thesis at uni...)

I always feel like a bit of a fraud for admitting this, but I kind of stopped being a Sonic fan between Secret Rings and, uh, last year. Not for any particular reason, I just didn't consume any Sonic media in that time 🤷 so I've missed a LOT of Sonic stuff. So I apologise if my lore is totally off on anything I haven't played (and there's a list of what I HAVE played/watched in my pinned post)

That said, I think even if I had played every Sonic game out there, Sonic Adventure 2 will ALWAYS be my favourite. I must have spent thousands of hours playing that game (or watching my brothers play) from ages... 6-13. And then recently completed it again on Steam (AND GOT ALL A RANKS IN EVERY SINGLE MISSION AND STAGE! CAN I HEAR A WHOOP WHOOP the only emblem I'm missing is the Hero Chao Race one because I only levelled up my Dark chao sobs)

Shadow the Hedgehog also holds a VERY special place in my heart. I felt like everybody hated that game, but little emo child me adored it. I was fascinated by games where your actions impacted how "good" you were and what ending you got (was super into the game Black & White before playing Shadow the Hedgehog)

As for Shows/Comics, I watched a lot of TAoSTH when I was a wee babby but other than that I haven't watched the shows. I am currently on S3 of Prime though and I love it!!

I enjoy the movies too, I just feel like they're pretty separate in my head from the games. I do have a couple of movie!sonadow fics, but they're so different to game!sonadow haha.

I have sadly not read any of the comics... Maybe someday...

Whew, sorry for rambling but thanks for asking!!]

[year2000electronics]

HIII I'm immediately obsessed w your Just Say Yes au like GRHRGGRH I'm gnawing on this foreverr. as a sweater twins enjoyer though it's UGHH. angst <3 . but angst </3

even when mabel and dipper eventually reconcile (because I'm getting the feeling they will, at least someday) could mabel and ford ever reconcile? I'd imagine she blames him more than she blames dipper for the whole ordeal, and with stan inadvertently kinda making it worse (not to mention bill just. being bill.)

UGH and he'd probably still be too stubborn to admit or apologize even to his niece (I say this w love I promise). god save ford from the wrath of an arts and crafts girlie. the multiverse couldn't prepare him for her.

this is a tough question, and one i have been GNAWING on. ive been working on a full plot for just say yes beyond just the initial premise (there's a lot of stuff i have to consider! i'm even trying to consider whether there even should be an eventual weirdmageddon or not) so its like, i dont know the ending to it all yet, but i know that i want like. a happy ending but REALISTICALLY happy, yknow? so its not all kittens and rainbows but i think dipper and mabel are definitely gonna make up and theres gonna be the chance to heal. the chance is so important.

but that still leaves the question of the stans, and by extension, the stans' now-splintered relationship with their "opposite" pines kids. its tempting to say mabel never want to talk to ford again, right? he came into their lives, punched their grunkle in the face, made everything awkward and stressful for the entire time he was there, and by the end of the summer, took her brother away and then was part of the reason he became a paranoid shut-in.

but i think it eats at her that they have something in common that nobody else currently alive can say they have.

a friendship with bill.

it's not JUST that bill is some master manipulator, its more about what he represents for both ford and mabel. both of them were approached by bill during a period in their life where they felt more lonely than they ever had before (especially in the wake of a rift between them and their twin) and bill purposely used that against them. how can they explain to people that they confided in bill, and they ignored the signs? how can they explain why on earth they would trust a DEMON? who could sympathize with the twins who sold the world?

i think thats what could be the key to mending the relationship between all four of them. ford being the one to reach out to mabel after everything's done, after she either helps billie bring about weirdmageddon or ALMOST bring it about depending on what i decide. i think for ford, whos been slowly realizing that he is hurting the people he loves, and has been forced to reckon with that because unlike fiddleford and stan, he's living with dipper and seeing him slowly grow into a reflection of his own negative traits. and he realizes that him and mabel separating was In Large Parts His Fault.

the fact that ford would reach out to mabel and try to extend the olive branch during the period of her life where she probably feels the most like a pariah, more alone than even before billie, to say "sometimes we do selfish things. but that doesnt make us irredeemable" is a sort of atonement for both her and himself, and also a way for him to admit that yes, he did hurt people

[coquettemouse]

Maybe

Leo reached for the pepper sauce but it was just out of reach. He glanced over at Georgina, who was busy poking at her mashed potatoes.

"Georgina, pass the pepper sauce," Leo asked casually, already expecting she might make him work for it.

Georgina gave him a long look, then huffed dramatically. "No."

Leo blinked, leaning back. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

She sighed heavily, as if this task would take every ounce of her energy, and shoved a spoonful of food into her mouth. "Get it yourself," she mumbled through her bite.

Leo raised an eyebrow. "You serious right now?"

Before Georgina could respond, Emmie’s voice cut through the air, firm and final. “You two—enough.”

“She's just keeping you on your toes," Jo added with a grin, spearing a piece of bread from the basket in front of her. "Speaking of keeping on your toes, remember that time we went grocery shopping, Em?”

Emmie gave her a knowing glance, one eyebrow raised. “Oh, don’t tell me you’re bringing up the cart incident again?”

Leo perked up, curious. “Cart incident?”

Jo leaned forward, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Oh, it’s a good one. So, we’re loading up the car, right? I’ve got like ten bags in each hand—showing off, you know—when I see this runaway cart heading straight for Emmie. And of course, I leap into action.”

Emmie snorted. “More like you tripped into action.”

Jo grinned, unfazed. “Well, yeah, the oranges didn’t exactly help. But I still stopped the cart... with my face."

Jason’s smile widened. "Let me guess—Emmie saved you?"

“She did. Quick reflexes,” Jo admitted, tapping her temple. "A true hero."

Georgina, now fully invested, giggled into her plate, and Leo tilt his head, giving a smile that made Jason think about that weird cat from that weird movie with the weird girl. “Guess the Waystation’s been full of action even before all the demigods started dropping by.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Emmie said dryly, but affectionate. “You should ask her about the time she ‘fixed’ the roof.”

Jo let out a loud laugh. “You never let me live that one down, do you?”

Emmie smirked, nudging Jo’s arm gently. “That’s because I saved you from falling through it. Twice.”

Jason leaned back in his chair, contentedly listening to the flow to them. It was comforting. He catches Leo’s eye, the two exchanging an amused look as Georgina finally, with a sigh of defeat, slid the pepper sauce toward Leo.

“About time,” Leo teased, ruffling her hair.

Georgina roll her eyes and give him a look, one he gladly responded with a smirk.

"Fixing..." Jo hummed, glancing at Jason from across the table. "You’re done with all your temple stuff, right, boy?"

Jason nodded slowly. "Yeah."

Jo smiled, clearly curious. "So, what are you planning to do once you’re done studying?"

Jason paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. The question hung in the air. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about it—he had, endlessly—but the answer was still hazy. He didn’t know where he belonged, or what exactly he was supposed to be. He liked art, but everything around him was far more complicated. He finally spoke, almost as though the words were foreign to his tongue. "They’re planning to make me a Pontifex Maximus."

The title rolled off his lips with a kind of uncertainty. Emmie’s brow furrowed slightly, her gaze sharp and inquisitive. "Do you want to be one?"

Jason hesitated again, the air growing still. "I..." He trailed off, the truth weighing heavy in his chest. It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered it—he had. His life was filled with doubts, but always with a period, choices someone else took for him. You can't get an answer if you've never been allowed to ask a question.

If a bird lives in a cage, the his world is that cage. If the bird lives on any street, his world becomes the street. Jason was a bird who just learned there is a corner on the border of his world.

"I don’t know," he admitted, the confusion settling over him like a shadow. "Not really."

Emmie studied him carefully, her face still but firm. "Is that your only chance to be Pontifex Maximus?"

Jo cleared her throat, leaning forward slightly. "Jason, they plan on making you a Pontifex Maximus," she repeated his words carefully, tilting her head to the side. "They," she emphasized, gesturing with her hands, "not you."

Jason shifted in his seat, feeling the weight of her words. "It’s a good chance," he rambled, his voice unsure. "It’s a good position. I can take care of people... of the city."

"You can do that in other ways," Emmie said, raising an eyebrow. "We’re helping people here."

Jason felt his words catch in his throat. Emmie was right. They are helping people. They are giving lost demigods a home, a place to belong, people who had no one else.

As he struggled with what to say next, Georgina kicked her feet under the table, completely absorbed in her meal. Between bites, she piped up in that straightforward way only a 7-year-old could. "You could help mommas."

Leo glanced at her, then at his moms, giving them a knowing look, raise brows and tilted up chin.

"Leo’s already suggested that," Jo added, nodding with a grin. "Smart kid."

Jason turned to Leo, catching his eye. He met his gaze but didn’t smile—there was no need. The offer was genuine, no strings attached, but it made Jason feel even more out of place, like a puzzle piece from the wrong box.

"Thanks for the offer," Jason began, his voice quiet, "but no need. I don’t want to be a bother."

Emmie scoffed, her tone dry but caring. "We don’t need to. We want to." She gave him a firm look. "You teenagers are all the same, huh? Always thinking you’re in the way." She clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "You wouldn’t be a nuisance."

Jason swallowed, unsure of how to respond, the warmth of their words battling the insecurities in his chest. Maybe, just maybe, there was more than one way to find his "where".

"Sorry, bro, but you're stupid if you don’t think you're part of the family," Leo said, raising his brows but flashing Jason a playful smile. "Of our home."

Jason couldn’t help it—Leo's words made him smile, a warmth settling in his chest. Leo noticed, and his grin widened, soft and genuine. "That’s cool," Jason murmur, nodding slightly, like everything the son of Hephaestus said was the most right and certain thing in the world.

Jo’s eyes darted between them, a small smirk playing at the corners of her mouth before she broke into laughter, shaking her head. Emmie, always a little more reserved, let out a low chuckle, while Georgina, watching the whole thing unfold, frowned, confused by all the adults grinning at each other.

"What’s so funny?" Georgina asked, her tiny face scrunched up as if she had just missed the punchline.

"Nothing, sweetie," Emmie replied, reaching over to brush a strand of hair from Georgina's face, her smile still lingering. "Boys being boys."

[eventinelysplayground]

The Green Eyed Monster

Kinktober Day 30: Jealous Sex | Window/Balcony

Pairing: Theo x Female Reader

This fic has a bit of Halloween thrown into it. Originally it was becoming way too long so I had to shorten it down and it's still over 2k. I may write this from Theo's pov later just to do a bit more flushed out version idk though. Theo takes you home from a ball early and although you miss out on the fun there you get to have a different type of fun at home. NSFW so minors do not interact. WC approx 2106.

“I have to say this is quite the party isn't it?”

“Cedric! Good evening and yes it is, Comte really goes all out.”

Cedric gives you a friendly smile and you smile back.

“I take it you're dressed as a vampiress tonight?”

“Haha yes I am, I thought it would be a fun change of pace. You're a Roman senator?”

“ I am! Is Theo dressed as…Sherlock Holmes? I didn't know he was a fan.”

Cedric inclined his wine glass towards Theo who was busy talking with some potential clients or maybe investors and you turned your head to look at him. You had to admit he looked good in the outfit but the headache it caused when Arthur saw him was almost not worth it.

“Ya well, just don't let the flirty priest near him.”

Cedric gave you the most confused look and you coughed before changing the subject. The two of you talked for a bit and then the music changed. Theo was still engaged with the gentleman and you let out a soft sigh, you had already danced with several of the residents while waiting for Theo but his conversations just seemed never ending.

“Since Theo seems occupied, would you do me the honor?”

You take Cedric's offered hand and began to dance. You talked about the ball, art, Theo and most interestingly a very cute looking cat girl that Cedric had his eye on, he'd already danced with her once and was hoping to save their second one for the end of the night. The dance came to an end all too quickly and Cedric led you back to the edge of the dancefloor where you were met by Arthur.

“I dare say that really is quite the dress luv.”

You rolled your eyes as Arthur raked his across your figure. Yes the dress was a bit low cut and had a thigh high slit but it was Halloween after all when else could you dress like this and not be given a lecture, especially in this time period.

“How about a dance? Though I'd also take a tumble in the sheets.”

“If you keep saying stuff like that while dressed like a priest you're going to burst into flames, assuming Theo doesn't get to you first.”

“Just a dance it is then.”

Leaving no room for argument Arthur took your hand and led you to the dance floor. As you began to move in time with the music Arthur's hand began to travel lower than was socially acceptable even for a couple let alone the two of you.

“What are you doing?”

“Just having a bit of fun luv.”

You glared at Arthur and he moved his hand back up your back but then he pulled you closer to him.

“How about a little bite instead then?”

You were so surprised by his words that you couldn't speak but you didn't have to.

“That's enough you perverted priest.”

“Theo old boy, would love to chat but I'm in the middle of a dance.”

“Not any more you aren't.”

Theo moved Arthur aside taking his spot and danced the two of you away from him.

“Thank you for-”

“As soon as this dance is done we're going home hondje.”

“Oh…okay Theo.”

You were disappointed, even if you weren't getting to spend a lot of time with Theo tonight you were still having a lot of fun. True to his word as soon as the song came to an end Theo led you off the floor and towards the door only stopping briefly to let Vincent know the two of you were leaving.

The whole carriage ride back to the mansion Theo was quiet and rigid and you knew he was upset.

“I'm sure Arthur was just joking Theo.”

Theo let out a huff but said nothing as he continued to stare out the window leaving you to sit there with your own thoughts. When you got to the mansion he helped you out of the carriage and quickly began walking away. Clearly he was still very upset and in mood to talk, surely he knew Arthur only did it to get a rise out of him? As you stood there thinking to yourself Theo abruptly turned around.

“Come on Hondje.”

You jumped slightly at the somewhat harsh tone in his voice before shaking your head.

“Coming Theo.”

You had to jog a bit to catch up to him but you finally did when he stopped to hold the door open. Once you were inside and the door was shut he grabbed you by the wrist and led you up the stairs not saying a word but the look on his face told you that he wasn't okay. As the two of you reached the top of the staircase he stopped and turned to face you lifting up your chin with his free hand. His sea blue eyes had a storm of emotions rolling inside them and you swallowed hard.

“Theo?”

“Good, you still look alert enough.”

Theo let go of you chin and began walking down the hallway, his one hand still wrapped firmly around your wrist.

“Alert enough for what?”

You had reached his bedroom and he ushered you inside before shutting and locking the door behind you. That done Theo let go of your wrist and wrapped his arm around your waist pulling you flush against him.

“Alert enough for more training, you clearly need it.”

“What did I-”

Your words were cut off when Theo's lips crashed against yours in a fierce and demanding kiss. He bit at your lower lip before dragging his tongue along it and you parted your lips. He wasted no time as his tongue quickly slipped into your mouth claiming every inch of it. As your kiss deepened his free hand came to rest on the back of your head keeping you from being able to break the kiss. Just when you thought you'd run out of breath he pulled back then let his lips brush against your ear as he spoke.

“Did you forget who your owner is Hondje?”

“No.”

“Really, it sure seemed like it tonight. Dancing with Broer and the others was one thing but…”

Theo's words trailed off as he brought his face back to yours and the hand on the back of your head lightly gripped your hair.

“Your mine.”

“Of course I-”

Another fierce kiss landed on your lips.

“You belong to me.”

Another kiss.

“I won't have you wagging your tail for other men.”

“I didn't… is this about Arthur? You know he was just trying to rile you up because of the Holmes costume right?”

“Of course I know what that klootzak was doing.”

Another kiss and bite at your lips.

“Then?”

As hard as it was to think while Theo kissed you like this you tried your best to go over the events of the night.

“Still can't figure out what you did?”

You shook your head in defeat, if it wasn't the incident with Arthur then you were out of ideas. Theo's hands released their hold on you and he walked over to the bed grabbing a pillow and tossing it at you.

“On your knees hondje”

You just stood there blinking as Theo walked back over to you.

“Do I also need to teach you your basic commands again?”

“No.”

“Good. Now on your knees.”

You drop the pillow on the ground and kneel on it as you're told and Theo comes over to stand right in front of you and runs a hand through your hair.

“Goed meisje hondje.”

He removes his hand from your hair as you look up into his eyes and he smirks at you. His hands move to his pants undoing them enough so that he can let his hard cock out.

“You can have this while you think about what you did tonight.”

You place a hand on his hip while the other grabs his hard cock and slowly begins to work up and down its length. You know that if you don't want to be here all night you have to carefully think over everything from tonight, Theo wouldn't be making you guess if you didn't have all the information you needed to figure it out. Your hand continues moving up and down his length as you begin sorting through the events of the evening. Every so often you bring your lips to his cock and kiss it and each time you do it twitches slightly. Soon Theo's fingers are back in your hair and he lets out a low growl when you kiss his tip.

“Hondje, zuigen.”

You look up at him to find him looking down at you and you wrap your lips around his tip. Slowly you swirl your tongue over it before taking as much of him as you can into your mouth. As you start moving up and down his cock the tingling sensation between your legs grows and you press your thighs together.

You try to keep thinking back on the night but the way his cock fills your mouth and the way it responds to you is too distracting and soon you've forgotten all about what you're supposed to be doing and just enjoying his cock. You pull it all the way out of your mouth and lap along the sides and top of his tip, cleaning the pre-cum off it. As you lean in to place a kiss on the tip Theo thrusts his hips pushing himself all the way into your mouth and throat. You weren't ready for it and let out a small cough but quickly adjust and begin deepthroating him.

You can feel the wetness between your legs now making you squirm as you rub your thighs together. Theo's hand firmly grips your hair as he sucks in a breath and pulls back from you. Before your confusion has time to take hold he pushed you down on your back on the floor with your dress pushed open at your thigh slit and his hands pulling off your panties.

“Who do you belong to hondje?”

“You Theo.”

Theo's lips close over yours and you wrap your arms around his neck quickly becoming lost in the kiss.

“Who's your master?”

“You are Theo.”

This time Theo trails kisses down your neck as his hand traces along your curves.

“And who do you wag your tail for?”

“Only ever you Theo, wait you said something similar earlier. Did you think I was wagging my tail at somebody else?”

You look into his eyes and everything he had been saying begins to click for you.

“You look more beautiful than usual tonight hondje, then you were smiling and dancing with him-”

“Theo, were you jealous of Cedric?”

Theo doesn't say anything but the look on his face tells you your right and you let out a small giggle.

“It's not funny, hondje.”

You bite at your lips to stop the laughter before bringing a hand down to caress over his cheek.

“Theo I love you, only you. You don't need to feel jealous over anybody, nobody can compare to you.”

You lift your head up and kiss him gently and he kisses you back.

“I know you love me, still…”

Theo kisses along your neck before biting you and slipping his cock inside you at the same time and you let out a gasp. You feel the heat and pleasure spreading through your body as he thrusts deep inside you, filling your insides completely with him.

“I want to show everyone, including you, that you belong to me completely.”

He licks over your bite mark and begins to thrust even faster.

“I can't show these to everyone but that doesn't mean there isn't another way to show them. I don't care how long it takes, I'll prove you're mine.”

Theo bit you again, sinking his fangs even further and between that and the feel of his cock inside you you quickly hit your peak as you cry out his name and your walls tighten around him. It doesn't take long for Theo to follow you and soon you feel his cock twitching as you're filled with his cum.

Normally Theo would move to lay beside you and take you in his arms but tonight he stays where he is while being careful to keep his weight off you. As you begin to fade into unconsciousness he kisses your forehead and you can see the storm in his eyes has subsided. You know his jealousy isn't a good thing but if it keeps ending like this well, the aftermath certainly is.

[forbidding-souda]

Mod monomi~ how about a headcanon with Mahiru where she has a boyfriend that likes it when she gets stern. Like he'll get giggly and blushy when she gets stern with them

Mahiru Koizumi x Giggly!Male!Reader

Mahiru reminds me of this girl I knew in middle school who would tell me I wasn’t playing the saxophone right (I wasn’t) When she had literally never picked up a saxophone or any other brass instrument lmfaoooo. I was so annoyed at this girl but we were in art club together so we kinda became frienemies and I lent her my sword art online manga and she returned it six months later with the spine halfway ripped. But I mean I can’t get too mad at her because she unknowingly rescued me from the SAO fandom.

-Mod Monomi

♡ Mahiru has high expectations for her boyfriend… Or at least she thinks she does.

♡ She’s the type who always crows at you to keep your dorm clean, get your work done, and take good care of yourself.

♡ Regardless of this, she doesn’t mind dropping everything to help you do them (Or do them for you), giving you a “Jeez, you’re so hopeless.” or a “What would you boys do without us girls?” Even if you were fully willing and capable to do it on your own.

♡ Mahiru would never admit it but she loved taking care of you. Usually, she treats you nicer than most, scolding you in a more teasing way, but she could still crack down on you like you like an annoyed mother. 

♡ She noticed that you seemed to find it funny when she spoke like this. At first, she found it a bit annoying. After a while though she was genuinely upset about it. 

♡ Were you not taking her feelings seriously? Did you not appreciate all she did for you? Did you even care about her? These were all things Mahiru wondered about during this period. She just didn’t know how to communicate that to you. 

♡ Until one day she just kind of… Blew up…

♡ “Hey Y/N! How did you do on your test today?” 

♡ “Oh um… Honestly not too well… I have to make it up…”

♡ “Ugh, what am I gonna do with you?”

♡ “Heheheh! Sorry, Mahiru!” You chuckled, your bad mood disappearing suddenly. Mahiru scoffed. 

♡ “God, you men… You’ll just laugh at anything won’t you!?” You laughed and blushed, pulling her closer to your side. Mahiru grunted again and pushed you away. She shouted at you “Do you even appreciate anything I do at all?! I try so hard for you and you think it’s funny?!” She looked angrier than you had ever seen, unlike all of the other times she ever scolded you. 

♡ After that, you finally had the dreaded conversation. You explained that it wasn’t that you didn’t appreciate everything she did, you just thought she was so cute when she got all strict with you. At first, she was stunned and even happy on the inside. And then her reaction was, well, certainly in character.

♡ “You mean… You like it when I talk to you like that…?” Mahiru didn’t know what to say… Just what to think. “Is that like… Some perverted boy thing?” She asked, scrunching her nose.

♡ After this is explained to her, she doesn’t mind you doing it anymore, since deep down, she’d do anything to see your smile! <3

♡ Love you darlings!!

[hiveworks]

OBELISK - Interview with Ashley McCammon

September 2023

The year is 1908. Evelyn Reuter is dealing with the affairs of her deceased father in her hometown of Manhattan. While she takes solace in the homes of her queer friends, grief presses in around her until one day... the mysterious Margot appears in her life.

Obelisk is a 16+ gothic horror/romance comic about vampires and lesbianism. In celebration of Obelisk's return from hiatus, we asked author Ashley McCammon @draculings for an interview.

What was the spark behind making Obelisk? Why a webcomic versus another style of publishing (print, self pub, etc.)?

My original inspiration for Obelisk was in my frustration with lesbian vampire movies - there are so many of them, and none made for a lesbian audience, let alone involving butch women! I wanted to tell that story, and celebrate that point of view. It’s similar to why I chose to set the comic in 1908 - the early 1900s are something of a transitional period, something not explored often when we aren’t talking WWI or the Titanic. I wanted to tell a story about the radical change happening in just a few, unusual people’s lives, in this transitory period. As for it being a webcomic - as a young artist, I always wanted to make one! It’s such an accessible, experimental way to tell a story, where even the website can be part of the atmosphere. Making a deeply atmospheric, spooky comic, that feels the most fitting.

For new readers, how would you describe your two lead women?

Evelyn is muscling through her day to day when we meet her - she’s putting on a brave face, or one that she hopes exudes confidence - but really feels like she has no idea what she’s doing. (The impostor syndrome is incredibly strong - something I think a lot of people can understand!) She’s been left with this enormous responsibility on top of the grief of losing her dad, and having that job and security is pressed on her as something she should be grateful for. She’s absorbed that idea and really hasn’t taken a moment to breathe - or to consider what she really wants for herself. Margot is quite the opposite - she’s a vampire who lives only for her own desires, a hedonist who’s been floating through existence that way for as long as she can remember. For all of her self indulgence though, she’s never connected much with anyone. She holds herself far above people, only ever showing them this facade of a regular person. It’s very arrogant - but it must also be very lonely! (Not that she has anyone to admit that to… yet ;)   )

What can you tell us about what's lurking for Evelyn in the upcoming chapter?

Evelyn makes a very bold choice at the end of chapter two, one that scares her - putting her own desires first, impulsively, in a way that will change everything and surprise even Margot herself. (Patrons read way ahead and will get to see this very soon, and the time she spends with Margot throughout chapter 3 as a result!)

Obelisk is a traditionally inked piece, with some digital final touches. What guided your decision to make this a traditional comic versus a digital one?

It really wasn’t a choice, to be honest - traditional media is where all my passion for making art lives! Obelisk is drawn and inked traditionally, and finished with Copic markers and the occasional paint pen or colored pencil for that killer red highlight ;)

What are some of the challenges in working this way? What do you find rewarding?

It can be tedious to scan, piece together and clean up my pages, but ultimately I have a fairly streamlined process for it and I don’t mind. I love having a physical final product to look at and hold when I’m done with it, it gives me a sense of accomplishment and connection to my work!

Do you have any tips for other comic artists on resuming a series after an extended hiatus?

Put your health first, and spend time reconnecting to your story before diving back in. It’s easy to feel obligated by the hamster wheel of social media and garnering attention, but your own connection to your work in the long-term is what matters most. Obelisk wouldn’t be the same story if I hadn’t had that downtime, and it’s off better for it!

What are some comics that inspire you? Do you have any reading recommendations for fans of Obelisk?

As far as webcomics go, I’m a big fan of Tiger Tiger, Hemlock, Barbarous, and Heirs of the Veil!

What is the best way for fans of Obelisk to support you?

The very best way is through my Patreon! Patrons have immediate access to the next six months of Obelisk pages (that’s my whole buffer!) as well as tons of behind the scenes work as I develop the next chapter and share work-in-progress shots right from my drawing table.

Obelisk updates Wednesdays and can be read for free at obeliskcomic.com 🩸Be sure to white list the site on your ad blocker and follow @draculings for more info and updates!

[changterhune]

ATTACK OF THE NEW NOVEL!!!

I started a new novel about a week ago and no one is more surprised than I. 

For starters I’ve not been focused on writing of late. Most of my free time has been devoted to art or music. Some writing but only on existing stuff like the mythical 4th issue of Bunnyhead, a horror novel and writing for Igloo Magazine.

The main reason though has been due to my chronic clinical depression. Yes, I’m an artist suffering from depression. Ain’t that a surprise? But seriously I have it and it’s been better and worse depending on the time of day you ask. Heh. But it’s real and for whatever reason I’ve not been too interested  in it frankly. 

The pandemic was what kicked off my dry spell. My father’s death in late 2021 flattened me and I’ve spent the better part of the last two years grieving and recovering. Writing seemed to be the hardest thing to do in that period. Story ideas came and went but few made me feel like they needed to be written down. It was low on the list of priorities. I’ve been more focused on music of late so writing wasn’t where the muse went to either gift me or shit on me depending on how you look at it. 

About two weeks ago though a funny thing happened. I’d been thinking about a character in the horror novel I’m working on (sporadically I admit). And I had a revelation about them after wondering about that age old question one ponders when they write fiction: what makes this guy tick. 

Then all of a sudden it clicked, this thing that I’d been wrestling with suddenly came together. I wrote several thousand words of diary entries for them and they held up under the fierce scrutiny of the morning after. I edited, wrote more, edited again and wrote more. It was a good work and I looked forward to more.

A couple nights later I was watching tv with my wife and out of nowhere this idea hit me. I was surprised because it was later in the night and I was thinking more about sleep than anything else. But the idea stuck in my head. I tossed it over a bit as one does when this happens, wondering if it had legs or not. So I did what I often do and wrote some notes, basic premise and rough outline.

I did go to bed kind of excited because it had been so long since a story. The next morning it seemed good enough to write so I sat down and started typing. First chapter emerged pretty easily considering the writing muscles in the brain hadn’t worked in a while so there was some awakening of those. But the words came and after a bit I’d enough to write out a rough general outline of beginning middle and end then some more for a possible second book. 

Well then…

As I said no one is more surprised than I. The detail will remain with me for a while until it’s time. But writing’s continued apace and will until it’s either done or I’m sick of it. 

Next I’ll say about it you’ll either hear I’ve got a book deal or I’m self-publishing it. 

Until then stay away from the demons unless they’ve got pizza.

[psychologicalwhorefare]

I see your point and I'm really willing to agree with most of what you're saying. I admit that dubstep was a kind of meme answer. But if you're really willing to talk about this, then I have to say I simply disagree.

First of all I'm not trying to objectively present anything here. Art is a form of communication and as such can only be perceived subjectively. There is no objective to criticize art. Period.

That being said, you can absolutely apply hierarchy to this if you really wanted to. For example NSBM is a genre. Nazi Black Metal. Because of the statements of this genre, the participants and the aesthetic. It is inherently worth less than other forms of music. Especially since it tries to put other art down. The music itself does have a merit for its target audience and it does reach its intended purpose.

I fully understand where you're coming from with statements like this, because I used to think like this as well, but especially your focus on genres as set categories instead of loose relatives of similar roots and styles, is unhealthy, I think.

for sure this all gets hugely into subjective-land - i think that's pretty inevitable when discussing the rhetoric around anything. i've got my opinion about how we should talk about art, you've got yours, everyone's got theirs, such is how it goes. and i'll grant you that i probably do place too much value in genres as rigid categories! i just love to sort things, i'll admit it. but at the same time, these trends in the creation of music are still "real," in whatever sense one wants to accept, because the music itself is real and we can observe the patterns that exist within what we label as genres. if we stop accepting genres as something we can engage with as though they were more than just a name and a vague gesture, then the whole conversation has to switch to a much smaller scale where we talk about individual artists or even individual releases and the context around them, which can be valuable in its own right but is a different ballgame than the one we've been playing here. my argument is that we shouldn't criticize art by generalizing one genre to be inherently worse than another because it's reductive and unfair. that's all. the nuance that exists within discussion of any given genre remains untouched by my statement and equally as valuable as it would be under any other framework of viewing these topics.

as for NSBM...... that's tough. certainly it's a repulsive thing that exists, and i want to really stress that fact because of what i'm about to say next. so. FUCK ALL NAZIS FUCK ALL FASCISTS. to be clear. now, if we imagine my framework here, where all genres are, when observed in a vacuum, value-neutral with equal potential to produce good music and bad music, then that must include NSBM, right? and unfortunately, it does. because, as we agree, the evaluation and critical analysis of art is necessarily subjective, regardless of whether it's done on the level of the individual or by consensus. so despite the fact that ideologically NSBM is reprehensible, it is possible for a band in the genre to produce a record with a lot of technical skill and passion, and for someone to evaluate that record (again, subjectively) as being "good," if that person happened to be a shithead. evaluation of NSBM (and in fact the genre's existence in the first place) is not a damnation of the genre, because again the issue here is scale as well as subjectivity. it's instead a damnation of the broader political climate and like, the existence of vice within mankind, which is perhaps the most necessary thing out of any of this stuff to have discussions about, but is decidedly outside of the range of topics that i feel qualified to have a full intelligent conversation about in public.

[thefoxdenrp]

"So", Valerian begun with a casual tone. "I bought something that immediately made me think of you. And, honestly, that was the hopeful reason I bought it in the first place. It's the game called Palette of Worlds: The Artisan's Legacy." Valerian looked up the pictures of the game from 4yousearch website. He held up his phone, showing Tori almost classical artwork on the cover for the game.

"The premise is that the world is slowly losing its color, its very existence, fading into a monochrome void. You play as the Artisan, who wields this magical paintbrush. This isn't just any paintbrush. It has two main functions: paint and thinner. With the paint, you can restore elements that have faded, bring back vibrant hues to landscapes, even materialize objects from sketches you find or create. Say you need a bridge across a chasm? Sketch it, paint it into existence. Need to befriend a hostile creature? Just revitalize them with a splash of paint, and they remember their true, colorful selves." Valerian now looked at the image himself with a faint smile.

"The thinner, as you probably guessed, is for removal", Valerian explained. "Obstacles? Gone. Unfriendly enemies? They simply… dissolve into nothingness if you are efficient and precise with it. It's about selective creation and careful destruction, shaping the world to your will. And guess what? The entire game is rendered to look like classical paintings. You transition from, say, a ancient cityscape to a lush, Impressionist garden, all done with incredible fidelity to the techniques of the periods from the past."

He paused, letting the description hang in the air. "It's a game about bringing beauty back to a fading world, about choosing what to preserve and what to let go. And the entire time I was watching the trailer, I couldn't help but think of how you see the world. It just felt like… a shared canvas. I could enter into your world in a way, even though I suck at art. I was hoping you'd give it a chance. That we could make a save file together?"

Tori took Valerian's phone after getting permission to do so and looked through some of the pictures about the game. It looked incredible.

"Wow... I don't have any words." The idea behind the game sounded wonderful. Bringing a whole world back to life with her art. There were some games out there where you got to paint in them, but many of them tended to be very limited in what you could draw. An example Tori thought of was Okami. She loved that game but there wasn't much drawing in it. You did bring color back into the world and got to use a paintbrush as a weapon, drawing your attacks against monsters. Only that was the only painting you did, just presets the game gave.

Tori felt her cheek grow hot as her face flushed. She liked to show others her views of the world through her art, but what Valerian was talking about seemed like on a whole other level. Playing this game together would mean that he would see her process from the very beginning. She kind of got shy when others watched her draw or paint since there were times when she seemed to start over multiple times until she was satisfied.

"I think that would be really fun. And you know how to fix 'sucking at art'?" Tori mocked his tone at that part. "By practicing. I started at stick figures and just kept working to move from that to actual people. I will admit that digital art can be easier for some people. A lot of the art programs have tools to help with shading, making straight lines, and matching colors."

[clairethecutepup]

Tip: How to Handle an Account Lost to Hacking/Otherwise...

I’ve been wanting to make this advice piece for a while now, ever since I’ve been haunted by my own fears of such a thing happening to me. Just imagine, someone compromises or hacks your account: whether it’s a stranger doing the old fashioned hijacking from elsewhere or someone of your own household– like finding and using your list of written passwords –before they then use your account as they see fit and even ruin your reputation through it. Or perhaps it’s not hacking nor compromising being done, but people abusing the “report” feature and getting you unjustly banned. Now, now, I know: “It’s just social media, losing your account isn’t the end of the world– especially if it’s not even an account based on your actual, real-life identity.”

However, you need to remember that social media isn’t always just people trying to flex nor is it them just simply lacking a life instead: sometimes, people use social media because it’s the only way to promote their creative endeavors, such as content creators, or they rely on it for making money via commissions. Heck, some people actually can ONLY make money off of social media, in some unfortunate cases. Take me for example, who can only promote my own brand of content by social media: I do not have some actual studio to produce content for mainstream TV and all, and I do not have the money to pay actual people to do my work for me. A personal website and my socials are the best I can do to make my creative dreams a reality. So, it’d certainly crush me if I was left wondering what to do, if someone malicious managed to take over my accounts and especially reduced the name “Claire Vlcek” to complete mud.

I’ve come up with an idea of a possible solution, and I wish to share it in case any of you guys ever fear such a scenario yourselves or if you– Heaven forbid! –are actually experiencing it. Let me make something perfectly clear, though… This is NOT intended to be something that helps you “ban evade” when you actually warrant it (same with “block evasion”) and continue any disgusting actions. If you just try to make a new account to continue your habits, you’re only gonna dig the hole deeper (if you even care…) to where people might do more than report you and you’ll likely just get yourself banned again anyway by still doing what originally caused it. This advice is only for those who didn’t deserve to be banned or have suffered a compromised online presence in some way. Now then, let’s actually begin…

Firstly, do what you need to do to handle the anger/sadness of all your work being for seeming naught because of some asshole. Cry, hit a sandbag, whatever you need to first fix the EMOTIONAL aspect of things. Take as long as you need, too, as prolonging time will actually be quite important– even though you may feel a need to hop back in A.S.A.P.

Wait a good period of time… It’s generally best to lay low when it’s a raging fire instead of smoldering wood chips– y’know, let tempers and all simmer down. You can take this time to still work on your creative stuff: perhaps take up a new art style, learn more techniques, write/draw things to be posted on your inevitable new account… After all, you can make stuff without having to immediately post it afterward. I’d recommend waiting around a year or so overall; but if you think you can manage a comeback sooner, go for it.

Create your new account. Simple, really; although, it’s YOUR call if you want to admit to being hacked/compromised with your old account and reveal your original identity (ex: “My shitty sibling found my passwords and forced me to start with this new one…”). You’ll be able to better protect this one, if you recall how exactly you got your original one ruined. Plus, I’ve heard that admins don’t actually take ban evasion all that seriously– unless you’re REALLY causing some crap… –so it’s not like they’ll instantly peg you, if you’re someone who got wrongly banned instead.

Well, that’s all I can really think of as a way to help give you a second chance, if you were unfairly robbed of your first one. Remember: always keep your passwords locked away, never save them to your device, and recall that it’s not always over.

[alexglower]

The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This World (2011)

you see, back in my day...

Why do so many articles describe this album as "humorous?" Sure, authors typically use the words "dark comedy," but I'm having trouble hearing what's so funny about this.

I was introduced to The Caretaker a little before he went viral on TikTok for his "creepy" music, though that later virality was what made me pay closer attention to his work. Even if his six-part series Everywhere at the End of Time wasn't billed as the most disturbing thing ever by a bunch of teenagers online, it still would've creeped me out.

That series was released after An Empty Bliss Beyond This World, but it still has the same "theme" of representing dementia through music. Both works feature old ballroom recordings clouded by swarms of vinyl crackle and static. Both works sound ghostly, like their samples are rising from out of their graves. There was a period of time when I couldn't get past Everwhere's opening track because I felt like spectral hands were reaching out toward me, belonging to some long-dead soul trapped in a looping record. That's pretty embarrassing to admit, but I was young! I also was pretty depressed, so any "downer" work of art hit me with 100x effectiveness (another example was the video game Omori).

In a way, An Empty Bliss is sort of like Everywhere-lite---while it lacks the latter's overarching structure (slowly becoming less and less recognizable as "music" over the course of many hours), it endeavors to represent the same feeling in microcosm, as if representing a day in the life of someone with dementia, as opposed to several years. It's actually a pretty breezy listen! If you ignore the notions typically associated with old, slowed-down, reverbed music, it's pleasant and catchy. I could imagine this soundtracking a study session. Perhaps such a utilitarian use would seem sacrilegious, but I think it's pretty apt considering how this album is meant to simulate a wandering subconscious.

One may consider the minimally edited samples of An Empty Bliss to be a form of sound collage, but I hear more similarities to field recordings. Sound collage is the art of making something new out of many different sources, whereas field recordings usually try to invoke a singular thing as it "really is." Of course, the vinyl samples here aren't of "fields" (i.e. complete representations of spaces), but they're treated as if they are, as if the music holds some vital aspect of its original time and location. The staticy sounds that define these recordings are, apparently, not overdubbed---they're from the vinyls themselves, preserved as they are. Some tracks are barely legible beneath the crackling. If you strain your ear to hear, you might catch what sounds like the shuffling of people amidst the muffled sounds of music.

What's telling is what is edited. Most obvious are the time-based effects, like delay and reverb. Both of these effects serve to situate a sound in space (mimicking echoes, for instance), but in this case they also put the samples at a temporal distance. When a sound echoes, it feels like it's shucking off parts of itself, like the very act of being played is making it even murkier (a process that was done in a literal way on The Disintegration Loops).

Tracks also tend to stop and start at odd moments, so that you never know where you are relative to a song's beginning and end. Sometimes sections loop, sometimes they trail off in the middle of a phrase. The static and reverb make these samples feel like far-off memories; the structural shift-ups make the memories feel half-forgotten.

So with all that said, I can certainly see the "dark" in this album, but the "comedy" is harder to figure out. Maybe it has something to do with the catchiness of the recordings? How they are, ironically, relatively upbeat? Honestly, I can hardly hear these ballroom tracks as anything other than depressing, but maybe that's because of my pre-existing notions of "oldies" music. If you're someone who wasn't raised on tropey horror movies playing old songs for a scare, perhaps the irony is more apparent. For me, all I hear is darkness.

And it's great! An Empty Bliss taps into an unease that's relatively rare, one that's as comforting as it is disquieting. It feels like being smothered by a warm hug, like going to sleep for the last time.

Good album :D Listen if you want to feel cold wind blow over your grave, whilst beneath the soil your skeletal hand reaches out for a lover buried miles away.

[from-dre]

Many Million Dreams Ago • Ch. 6 of 10

“Your girlfriend doesn’t look too happy today,” other employees would sometimes say to me.

“Oh, that’s just how it is if she isn’t smiling,” I explained. It was true. If she wasn’t beaming with joy from ear to ear, she had a sense of annoyed anger. The smile she wore though—, it made all of that wash away and even sparked something angelic in her.

We’d plan on going out to romantic dinners every once in a while. We’d get to the place, take our seats, and immediately feel like we were more grown-up than ever before in our lives. We spoke at length about this and that while going over the menu and deciding which meal best suited our given mood for the night. Inevitably, the waiter would ask for our drink orders as well and with that—, we’d decide on two very mature choices. Wine or fancy margaritas or something else that seemed to fit with our vibe. I had reached the point in my journey where whoever I was dating and I could enjoy a glass of Chardonnay and not use it as an excuse to completely forget about tomorrow. It was a nice reminder that I too, was finally growing up.

When we weren’t out trying new restaurants or circulating through our favorite ones, we’d make a stop at the local church on Sunday mornings. It was surreal—, being in such an important place with such an important person by my side and all the while, knowing that there was no chance of ruining our good energy as soon as we’d step back out into the shining sunlight. Memories would sometimes come flooding back in; an old flame, a prior church, so many broken pieces of our hearts left out in those empty parking lots. It was just another example of how far I’d truly gotten.

That Christmas felt especially special. We’d both packed as many gifts as possible underneath my white light-wrapped tree I’d kept in the corner of my living-room which gave the entire place a nice, warm glow. I got her a couple of new outfits that I knew matched her style; dark army-greens and Earthy-browns. She’d gift-wrapped a huge rectangular-shaped board and upon opening it I saw a beautiful black and white picture of us kissing blown up to poster-sized dimensions and neatly framed all around.

“This is amazing,” I said to her, surprised at how artful the photograph turned out. It was from the very beginning of our relationship. Now we’d have a keepsake from that time-period forever hanging on my bedroom wall opposite my bed so that it’d be the first thing we’d see when waking up in the morning.

Even though I was beginning to feel a certain sort of joy again, the days were starting to blend into each other—, restaurants, movies, even going to church began seeming mundane. Like we’d already done it a thousand times before. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the outings and especially the company, but I was getting the faint feeling that we were becoming stuck. That this was it—, there was nowhere else to really go. No level to rise to, no separate stage to reach. We’d found out almost everything there was to find out about each other and now we just sat in silence, waiting for the night to roll around so we could head back off to sleep. Finally, she snapped me out of my constant daydreaming by asking a very grown-up, very mature question—, something I was far from having the answer to.

“So what’s your five-year goal look like?,” she seriously said. I had no clue as to what that even entailed. I understood the point of having such a plan, but I was the last person who’d ever truly considered it before.

“I’m..., not sure,” I admitted. I knew I’d at least want to move somewhere different again. That I’d need a change of scenery sooner or later—, and that I even wanted her to be there for it, but other than that, I was just a shadow sifting itself from former faults. I was still healing in a way, still dreaming that everything would somehow circle around and I’d be able to become all I’d fallen so short of long ago. It didn’t take much time for her to follow-up the question with something even deeper.

“We should look into getting homeowners’ insurance,” she suggested. I had no idea how little I actually knew about being a responsible adult. No wonder I’d been such an ineligible bachelor before. Still, she saw something special in me and that went a long way in my trying to appease her expectations for future plans.

“Yeah—, we should,” I finally said of the insurance. I just wanted to make her happy—, to make sure she didn’t regret the decision to open up her heart to me.

“My friend wants to have us over for dinner,” she unexpectedly said one day. “She’s getting married next September and wants me in the wedding, so we have to go.” She’d already been preparing her speech—, this was something very important to her and I needed to be on board one-hundred percent.

“Okay,” I reluctantly agreed, knowing I’d have to be on my best behavior around the prospective spouses. It’s not that I didn’t want to go, I liked being involved in her world, with her friends. They’d just lived a different type of life than I had. If they only knew, I’d think to myself, remembering all the wasted nights of being wasted and all the hazy days that’d follow. I was so much more acceptable now—, dressed better, spoke more sensibly, acted a touch above my previous years. Still—, the lit embers inside my soul burned onward, letting me know with each exhale of thick smoke that something still raged within. That young rebel never really did completely disappear—, he’d just fallen into a deep sleep that nobody else could wake him up from. How do I get back there? Do I even want to go back there at all? I didn’t know the answers to the many things which kept my mind racing in the middle of the night. All I knew was that once the sun went back down, I’d be laying next to her again—, and that she liked who I was.

The day arrived that we’d be heading to her friend’s new house. I maintained keeping my butterflies in check, knowing I was representing her and wanted to do as good of a job as possible in making her proud to show me off. We arrived and I readied myself to be the person I’d always known I could be—, sharp, stylish, and somewhat-cultured at the very least. The door opened and beyond it was a cozy atmosphere that just oozed nearly-newlywed love. Above the fireplace stood two wooden capital letters, one for each of their first names. The kitchen was neatly organized and the dinner table was beautifully set up for four people. It was all so—, grown-up. I needed to act mature and make sure that this was all very routine and customary for me—, to have such friends that bought nice homes in nice neighborhoods and lived nice, normal lives.

“Let’s eat,” said the fiancées. We took our seats and spoke at length about new movies, books we’d read, and slightly touched on when my girlfriend and I would tie the knot ourselves. My stomach slightly dropped at the question. Not because it was a completely foreign concept, but because I wasn’t anywhere near ready for that sort of thing at this stage in my life. I’d already looked down that path in the past and almost took the first few steps towards it, but now—, I was farther away from it than ever before.

We made our way back home and so, for the second time in my life, the arguments didn’t take long to follow. We’d been growing weary of one another’s mannerisms for a while and though I still found most of hers somewhat charming, she was probably getting fed up with mine. She could tell that I wasn’t as excited about things as I’d once been—, that the ditch of real life that I’d fallen into was keeping me stuck inside of it like quicksand. She needed to intercede with something—, anything. So she did.

“Just know—, if you’re not at that wedding, this relationship...” she trailed off. I knew what she’d meant. I’d felt it myself for a while. Still—, the thought of actually attending the event itself brought me down into a depression I couldn’t tell her about. Again—, I had nobody to confide in. I wouldn’t have been able to explain myself anyway—, that it was the atmosphere, the designer dresses, everything working together to remind one of what it truly meant to marry their soulmate, once and for all. I didn’t want to go to something like that. I’d been around weddings my entire life and always let myself daydream about my own someday. This was a new chapter of my life though—, and from here on out, I wasn’t allowing myself to lose anymore time doing something like that.

All of my negativities, pessimism, and destructive depression came back like a wrecking ball. She noticed all of it and didn’t know what advice to possibly give me that’d snap me out of my self-loathsome behavior and back into the real world she’d helped me face all this time. We’d begun arguing over the smallest and simplest things and always went on to regret it later.

On another random night, we’d been bickering for some time and had retreated to separate rooms of the apartment when the sound of her sobbing shook me back into the present moment. I walked into the bedroom and saw her curled up underneath the covers facing the wall.

“What’s wrong?,” I asked from the heart.

“I wish we could go back to when we first met—,” she said. “I wish things could start turning around for us.” I knew she’d been getting tired of the constant fighting, but this was a new side of her I hadn’t yet encountered. I felt a strong sense of empathy rush over me—, if only it would’ve lasted a while longer.

The arguments kept piling up—, one on top of another. It was a different type of personal disappointment though. One that seemed more advanced than the many nights I’d spent awake so many years prior. This time, it felt more consequential. Like I wasn’t just living for today or tonight but that my actions would have an affect on future emotions and moments altogether.

The perfect example of that came one morning when we’d both woken up with incredibly negative energies surrounding us. The way she rolled out of bed, got dressed, and was applying her make-up all felt so forced. Like she didn’t want to be there at all. Maybe it was just my imagination or maybe I’d been right all along about her fleeting feelings—, but either way, I couldn’t take much more of it.

“Problem?,” I asked her while she smoked before leaving to go to work.

“Not one—,” she coldly replied, smashing the rest of her lit cigarette into the black ash tray with all the hostility she’d been holding inside her and storming out of the bedroom. I just quietly stared up at the ceiling before noticing an empty cup on the nightstand. I reached for it, snatched it off the table, and hurled it as hard as I could at the hanging portrait of us kissing—, shattering the protective surface into pieces and leaving a giant mark on the photograph itself. Not two seconds went by before she came back into the bedroom, wanting to see what the loud sound was. She noticed the broken Christmas present she’d had specially made and just looked back at me with the most disappointed eyes I’d ever seen her make. Years later, she’d go on to tell me;

“That was the moment I started letting you go.”

Some time passed by but the wound never truly healed. Finally, on a day that seemed on its surface to resemble all the others before it, I was half-asleep on the living-room couch when I felt her presence walking right up to me. She bent down to kiss me on my forehead before standing back up. It’d be the last one we’d ever share together. She walked towards the front door to leave as I slowly began waking up. I could tell something was different about the way she’d let her lips touch my skin for so much longer than usual. There was an added sadness lingering in the air, probably from the night before or our last fight.

“So, tonight then?,” I asked of when we’d see each other again.

“Probably not,” she said with slight attitude.

“Why?” She just shrugged from the bottom of the stairs. That was enough to let me know something was wrong. Like we’d been heading down this road for a while but now we were finally at its end. I couldn’t make too much sense of it. I just knew I wanted to change direction. I wanted to change myself and my relationship and my life overall—, I just didn’t know where to begin. A thousand things were piling up inside my mind and I wanted to say all of them at once, but there was only one phrase that I could come up with. “Have fun at the wedding,” I said, slamming the door shut. I couldn’t see it, I couldn’t make out the tearing sound, but I knew—, on the other side in the stairwell was a heart breaking in two, just like mine had been for a while now. An already-broken bridge began crumbling apart, piece by piece—, falling into the nothingness underneath. There was no more structure linking our two worlds together. We were finally on our own—, again. A familiar feeling to say the least.

Things settled down after that. The apartment grew more silent by the day. The friends coming over got more impatient with my gloomy nature. Wine lost its taste but not its effect. The bed felt empty but not the sleep. Anything to pass another day. Anything to make it through another mundane week. I quickly realized that there was nothing else left for me in either the city or the state itself. The environments I’d made less-than-perfect memories in remembered my mistakes all too well. They’d remind me of them whenever I’d pass through. I needed a change of scenery, a change of lifestyle. It’d been time for me to move away for years, but only recently had I caught on to the notion for myself. There was only one place on the planet which could cure me of my despondency. I was finally headed towards my own personal heaven; L-trains, taxicabs, and crowds galore.