#But the cover art is amazing anyways love the colors on all of them my gosh

[eudikot]

It's all coming together

[merp0515]

Fanfiction Writer Apperation Post!

Ayo all Merp here! I hope everyone is having a great time whatever time zone you got. I'm a simply derpy ass artist that likes to draw stuff that the Internet has shown me! That includes lovely fanfiction stories I tend to read a lot about. Which is why this post is here to bring a HUGE appreciation for someone in the SMG4 community more from the SMG34 squad! My great friend and a badass from many projects featuring their own series such as "Next Step With You!", @shygirl4991 !

We all have known them from many spots that they are part of like the one they are doing with @lizaluvsthis in "Brewing Romance", "The Chains of a Fragile Soul" with @b-r-i-n-g-x , and "Spilt Into Three's/Six Splits For Four" with the artwork done by @alianarepasa !

They have also done some cool group collab with lots of people, bringing out the artworks each group puts out such as "Coffee Prince and The Frog" (collab with Liz and Aly), and "Shadow Vision" (Bringx, Liz and Aly)!

They never fail to be inspired by many other people that sometimes have ideas for our favorite gays but either don't have the time to do them or they want to do it but don't know how to put into words! Some of these beautiful ideas that came to life thanks to Shay's amazing writing skills are "Just A Dream", "Trade For You" ideas inspired by @therabbitdemon , and "Death Of SMG3" requested by @anartisticalniche !

I had the honor of making the cover art for their cute fluffy "Doll Confessions" fic they made a while back collabing with Bringx's adorable GMod photos she did! Even though what got me into their stories was through "Brewing Romance", there's another story that got me into them and had me always checking fanfiction sites to see if they made anything new and that's one of their many solo projects "Azure Potion!"

It's always fun making art covers for them or draw out characters they've created over time with the plethora of stories done by our lovely writer! I highly recommend checking out their other solo stories such as "Forklift Date", "Mistletoe Wars", "True Colors", "Trapped In a Bleakly Winter", and "A Shot of SMG34"!

There's definitely more stories they've written for these lovey gays but it's gonna take me a while to put them on here lol. Nonetheless while we artist have a blast in creating art for all your favorite fanfictions, please don't forget to show some love to the brains behind the whole thing! Without them, we wouldn't be able to enjoy making all the amazing art to show our love and appreciation for ALL of their hard work! As one that does both art and writing (even though I don't really post many stories on here because my writing style is still a work in progress), I'd love to be recognized by both my art AND the writing I do! Remember to see who's the original writer first before commenting anything!

Anyways……

THANK YOU SHAY FOR ALL THE BEAUTIFUL STORIES YOU CREATED FOR THE FANDOM! WE ALL LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK LAD!

Never stop doing what you love and keep on writing! 😄

And to all you lovely writers in this fandom. We love and appreciate all the hard work you all do as well! Keep on writing and create lovely stories to share with everyone! :)

Have a mini colleague of some the art I made for Shay's stories in the past including the cover I did for "Doll Confessions"!

[tshortik]

Hiiiiiiiii 👀 👉👈 thats SUCH a cool redesign for Zariel, it got me so excited to DM a DiA campaign. Any tips for running it? I LOVE YOUR ART ITS SO AMAZING AND THE COLORS ARE SO PRETTY, THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT OKBYEE

Aww thank you so much! ❤❤❤ I LOVE Descent into Avernus, but my love is a complicated one. I do think it is a really good, albeit difficult module, to learn how to become a better DM, though... I will explain.

The lore in DiA is pretty flat and the campaign is pretty railroady by design. If you have a roleplay-heavy group, I think it is best to heavily alter the module and incorporate things in there, that are very relevant to your players. That is also its magic though, because you can make the conscious decision to just use DiA as a base and structure, that you then heavily alter. The premise of the main quest is cool and imo easy to follow, so taking that and shaping everything around it can be pretty neat. I don't think I would have learned as much as a DM, if I had just used a "perfect" module that already did everything for me. If that is not what one looks for though, that's also understandable.

Tips:

In DiA, the characters start in Baldur's Gate, which is imo the absolute worst decision I've ever seen. Elturel's fate is integral to the story, so I recommend having your PCs at least see what happens to Elturel. I recommend the oneshot The Fall of Elturel for that, where the PCs become witness to Elturel's fate from afar. It will also cover the low-level sessions in a neat way. Having at least one player character with a connection to that city also really helps. Otherwise, your PCs will just go "Oh wow how terrible. Anyway, I'm not from there anyway, don't know anyone from there, never been there, whatever lmao."

Some people cut out the Baldur's Gate part, but my group enjoyed that area a lot, so you can use it for roleplay-heavy sessions and fleshing out the lore. It is also a great sandbox to figure out how you as the DM will implement your characters goals and backstory into the plot, before venturing forth. Having a player character from Baldur's Gate or with a connection from there is also perfect. SPOILERS: Same thing with Candlekeep as well. It is a wicked cool location that is not explored in the module at all, but it might end up a very interesting mini arc for your PCs if you approach it on your own terms.

To flesh out the lore and make everything feel more lived in and logical (note: there are some very silly bits in the module, that would make a thoughtful player immediately go "that makes NO sense lol"), I recommend checking out the Alexandrian Remix. It can go on huge tangents that are unnecessary for your own means though, so don't feel like you have to stick to it 100%. It does have some really neat ideas and fixes for the lore though, and I have ended up using it more than the actual book lmao.

Avernus as a Sandbox is also great. In general, if you find a way to give your players choice in where they go in the Nine Hells, they will probably have a good time. I think they should def feel pressure and know of a goal, but also make sure that they have power over what road they take there, you know?

I mentioned Candlekeep – Elminster's Candlekeep Companion is also an amazing resource if you wanna flesh out that location. I have also heard of some people adding adventures from Candlekeep Mysteries in there, but I didn't do it myself cuz my players felt time pressure.

Contrast the evil, awful and depressing with moments that are nice and calm, even if it's just roleplay opportunities. Otherwise everything will feel like a drag. On the other hand, don't be afraid to then overwhelm your players by throwing a bit too much at them afterwards. High tensions and emotions are perfect for the setting imo, but you need to design it with ups and lows as to not overwhelm.

I have completely rewritten some of the Forgotten Realms lore, changed characters' genders and names and races in the book (Ravengard is a woman in my story, Reya is a dragonborn, etc.) especially about the deities. Don't be afraid to make the story your own. I also incorporated the player backstories heavily into the plot, which makes them sometimes go on completely homebrewed sidequests. Embrace that and don't be afraid of it!

Sometimes players also see connections where there are none, or they speculate about super wild stuff – and this might be controversial – but sometimes it is really neat to take some of those ideas (not all! otherwise there is no surprise) and make them actually relevant, even if they weren't before. If your players are engaged, that is always the best possible situation. Making some of their thoughts true can be on one hand extremely satisfying for them, and on the other hand they will make your own made-up-world much more interesting, because they collaborated unknowingly in making it so much richer and complex.

It really helps the flow of the campaign to have at least one PC that is: Morally dubious, or interested in deities, religion or lore. If not, you as the DM can attempt to make them more interested until they actually get to Avernus, through new goals or revelations. The themes of the Nine Hells have a lot to do with corruption and betrayal and emotions, so having characters with themes that go into that direction will make it easier to keep your players engaged.

This is my own opinion, but maybe play a couple devil npcs with this motto: There are certain good deeds only a devil can commit. Devils are the enemies, but they also have to become your allies. Your characters will be literally walking through a plane that is inhabited primarily by devils, and they will have to speak to some of them or parlay, if they don't want to be ripped to shreds immediately. Devils are smart and cunning, and many would prefer to talk it out, instead of risking their lives in the Nine Hells. This can also be an opportunity to explore corruption or redemption arcs, or to explore fiendish pacts. Both can flesh out the story tremendously. 👀

The setting gives you the opportunity to explore some esoteric and theological concepts. IF that is your jam (it is certainly mine), think about how you make that digestible to your players. They could find lore in a library, find strange ruins, meet a powerful deity, get visions by other deities, be manipulated by archdevils, etc. You don't have to leave it all as subtext, because devils and angels and otherwise literally become a central point of the campaign. Also don't be afraid to get weird about angels and devils. They are from a different plane – making them a little alien, letting them have absolutely wild opinions about the universe, not needing to fit them into our ideas of science – that is rly interesting stuff to explore as a PC and also DM. Resources (optional)

Flee Mortals by MCDM, Tome of Beasts (2023), Tome of Beasts 2, Creature Codex have really awesome monsters

Encounters in Avernus

The Encyclopedia of Demons & Demonology by Rosemary Ellen Guiley is a book that I own privately for some creative projects, but I got some neat inspiration from it for my campaign too!

A lot of the lore in Dnd is very questionable, but especially in the older versions you can find some wild and creative shit (and also lots of problematic rubbish you can just filter out lmao) that is mentioned once and then never again. Little nuggets like that usually inspire me the most and a simple sentence can spawn an entire lore or mission idea for me. Some books that you might find interesting (try to find a pdf version online cuz they aren't printed anymore) are Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss, Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (3.5), Guide to Hell (2e), Manual of the Planes (3.5).

[legendofmorons]

Smudged pages (Wild)

This is the 1st place prize from my 300 follower event. @daeyumi requested this one, and it took longer than I'd like, but I'm pleased with how it's turned out.

Pairing: Wild x reader

Rating: G

Summary: Wild loves when you draw- so he decides to leave you a little gift in your sketch book.

Warnings: None

Other: Wild is so sappy, y'all- if I missed anything, please let me know

-------

You are an artist - you carry a sketchbook around everywhere. It may be in your bag sometimes, but still.

You find it helps to be able to create art while struggling to stay above the water that is this hylia damned quest.

Between creating art and the lover you've found- you're handling things better than you thought you would be.

Wild has seen you draw before - you like to draw by the fire at night. You've even shown him things on occasion. The odd bird sketch or colored plant life. Or even just half finished lines that didn't quite work out.

He likes to sit beside you while you create - it always calms him a little.

The way your hands are often covered in smudged art supplies is more than endearing. He likes that there's proof of a hobby you enjoy so much. Wild likes to take your hands and trace them while he counts the smudges of charcoal or pencil or paint or whatever you've used this time.

If he has a few pictures of you with art supplies smudged on your forehead - well, that's really not really anyone's buissness. (He will, of course, delete them and stop taking pictures if you ask, he dosen’t want to make you uncomfortable.)

He definitely smiles when he sees that sight, though. Wild has always loved when you allow yourself to just exist.

He's continually amazed by your skill. He looks forward to when you share your art with him. It always takes his breath away.

(You take his breath away.)

So far, his favorite piece you've done was of Epona, with flowers in her mane and a water colore-esque background. It's beautiful, and when you'd shown it to him and Twilight, they had both loved it.

Wild has a picture of that one on his slate, saved to a special folder for your creations.

Other works of yours he has saved in that folder include a sketch of him cooking with fireflies around him, a river landscape, and a sketch of all of the boys and you. There are more, of course, but those are the ones he treasures the most.

Tonight finding you is pretty easy. You're all staying at an inn.

The others split into groups. Though they are all settled across the backyard of said inn, chatting happily amongst themselves.

He spots you talking to Time and Legend by the stairs.

Before he can walk over, he hears his name and stops.

"Hey, Wild?" Twilight asks as he walks over.

"Yes?"

"Do you have any more mushroom skewers? A kid was asking about them."

Wild snorts, resigning himself to helping Twilight entertain the kids.

He'll catch up with you later. You have all night.

This gives him more time to figure out what he can give you as a gift. He doesn't have a particular reason, but he wants to anyway.

He can always ask Sky and Time for advice - as long as he doesn't ask Wind.

The sailor is smart and kind - but the last time Wind gave relationship advice, it was clear that he was still a little young. (It wasn't bad advice perse but none of the others thought that 'shmoopie' was what they wanted to call a partner.)

Wild sets himself to the task of finding the mushroom skewers within his slate, careful to pick the ones that won't give a side effect if eaten.

-------

It's not until after the inn has provided dinner that Wild realizes he hasn't seen you in a while.

In fact, Wild hasn't seen you since you arrived at the inn, and neither have Hyrule or Sky when he asks them.

It's not exactly worrying, but he does find himself a little anxious. He knows this isn't your hyrule, and he's always worried you'll get left behind - which he knows is silly.

And he definitely trusts you- but anxiety has never cared about logic.

He takes a deep breath, reminding himself that not only are you more than capable of taking care of yourself - this seems to be a fairly peaceful time.

He relaxes a little, the reminder doing him a little good.

After looking around a little more, Wild finds you sitting on your own with your sketch pad.

You look fairly at peace, sitting on a large rock by the inn. The lowering sun shines across you in a flattering way.

Wild smiles softly when he sees you. He's very happy to see that you look so content. He has to resist the urge to snap a picture. (A habit he's picked up after losing his memories. He wants to have pictures of everything he cares about, so if he forgets, he dosen’t lose it all.)

Wild walks over to you and sits down beside you. He's just glad to be around his beloved partner.

"Hey Wild." You greet, looking up from your work with a smile.

"Hey, (Y/n)."

"It's a nice evening. It makes me jealous of your all's times." You say with a wry laugh.

"It's still odd to think you can't see the stars back home."

"Mh- I guess. It's always been that way, though." The shrug you give is nonchalant.

Wild gives you a surprised look, brows raising as he tries to imagine such a thing.

He can't. Your world sounds foreign and impossible to him. And yet- you exist as the pinnacle of your home.

He supposes he's glad that ypur home existed - as odd as ot seems to him because you would've exist without it.

Wild looks back to the sky - back to the stars.

"That sounds absurd." He says with a snort.

"It feels like that these days."

"Huh."

You look back to whatever you were working on and put a few more artistic strokes down.

"Do you think I'll ever learn all the strange constellations you have?"

Wild looks to you after you ask that, something warm swelling in his chest. "I can teach you."

"I'd like that."

The delighted look that crosses his face is definitely something to remember. It's amazing how easily he goes all smitten and fond around you.

-------

It's not until later that evening that Wild sees your unattended sketch book. And he has - an idea. One that he hopes will make you smile.

What if he puts something in your sketch book for you?

A doodle?

A note?

A portrait of how he sees you?

All three?

Maybe just the portrait and the note. Maybe if you see yourself through his eyes, you'll see why he's so fond of you.

Wild knows that you get self-conscious sometimes. He'd like to help.

His decision is made.

He thinks this is exactly the kind of give to leave you. Non pressuring and personal.

Wild picks up your art book and begins his work.

He takes a moment to try to picture what he wants to draw.

What angles? Should he include a background? Should it be flat or shoukd he add depths and shadows?

Once he knows what he wants to draw, he sets to work.

First, he starts with a light pencil sketch of you. First your head, then your neck and shoulders, then your features. He pays special attention to the skine in your eyes.

It takes him a while, but eventually, he finishes his work, erasing the guidelines and putting in shadows and highlights.

He writes his note, and then he closes the sketchbook.

He will wait until you find it.

He silently hopes he can see your face when you do, though. He also hopes that it makes you smile. He does love your smile.

-------

You are taking a break by a creek, a little ways from the others when you find the two pages Wild left something for you.

The first is a picture of you - all done in pencil, and yet there's no lack of detail.

You can tell that every line, smudge, and stray erased part is full of love and until fondness.

You are posed in a three-quarters view, laughing as your eyes look straight to the viewer of the art.

The background is filled with your favorite flowers, all carefully done.

It's like looking at yourself through a softened lense. Your eyes seem brighter, and your laugh is more genuine.

It's unbearably soft.

The shadows are carefully done, and

You know, without asking or even looking at the note that this is Wild's work.

You wish you weren't so touched by how he's chosen to portray you. Not because it dosen’t matter but so you could better find words to express the feeling.

Then you look to the note.

'(Y/n),

I don't think I've told you how much I love your art. Not enough, at least.

I'm not sure that I can ever tell you how much both you and your art mean to me. I don't know how you feel about it, but I've always seen your art as an extension of you.

You made it after all.

Your art is so amazing. I'm always excited when you let me see what you've made.

I hope you can see yourself through my eyes now. And I hope this isn't rude to do- but I wanted to do this.

I wanted you to know how much you matter to me. I'm so thankful to have you in my life.

I wish we could have met a more natural way- but I'd fight the shadow the rest of my life if it meant I get to have you in said life.

I will treasure every single picture of you I have. You're so stunning - it takes my breath away every time I see you smile.

I appreciate that you go out of your way to make things easier for all of us.

I appreciate it when you stay up on watch with me even though you don't have to.

I hope you know how much it means to me that you treat me like a person outside of being a hero. Thank you.

I am going to keep trying every day to make sure you know how wonderful you are.

And I hope you know that I love you for you, not for what you do.

I love your sense of humor, your smile, and the way you interact with others.

You're my safe place - if that makes sense? I hope it does.

Anyway, I know this is probably silly, but I thought it might make you smile.

Love, Wild.'

Oh- that's really sweet! You need to find him and thank him and maybe kiss him just a little. (Maybe more.)

You can't ignore the way your chest warms, and your adoration flutters like a butterfly.

This is truly lovely - you've never had someone do this for you before. But it's super sweet, and you are head over heels all over again.

(Maybe ass over tea kettle is a better descriptor if we're going to be honest. But that's just between you and Hylia.)

You close the sketchbook carefully before moving to find Wild.

Finding the man is easy enough - he's cooking lunch.

You walk over to Wild, and the sketchbook is still in hand.

"Hey, firefly." Wild smiles at you, stirring the stew before him. He seems to be at ease for the most part.

"I saw the note and picture you left me."

You watch his reaction - his ears flush a little, and he looks a little like a deer in headlights.

But he relaxes enough to say, "Oh! I hope you liked it! I hope it wasn't too weird..."

"I loved it - it's one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me!"

You pull him into a hug, beaming at him.

You can't find the words you want, but you really hope Wild can tell just how much you love his little gift.

You'll hold onto it forever - you should get it framed when this is all over. That's a good idea.

"I'm glad you liked it. I'm not that great at art -"

"You're amazing at art. What are you talking about?"

"Purah and Zelda are better than me. I'm not the best. But I get by. I don't think I'm awful." Wild explains with a shrug.

"You're amazing at it."

Wild laughs, shaking his head a little. But he dosen’t defelct, instead he just says, "Thank you, (Y/n). I appreciate that."

"I mean it."

"I know."

Wild, let's the spoot rest on the pot, turning to fully face you. He's so thankful you're in his life. And he's so glad you liked his surprise.

"After dinner, we can work on those constellations." You say as you smile at him.

"That sounds nice." He smiles.

"So... could I ask you to draw me again later? I ... have never seen myself the way you made me look."

Wild softens more, which seems impossible until it happens.

And everything is - well maybe it isn't perfect but it's very nice.

[coco-bee]

COCO'S REVIEW: BLUE'S STORY

Welcome to Coco’s Review! Where I review and breakdown episodes, movies and etc and overthink every tiny detail and/or give my thoughts and opinions :D !! THE STORY I’M ABOUT TO DISCUSS HAS TOPICS ABOUT S/A AND OTHER DISTURBING TOPICS PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION !! Ok so this may not be something you’d expect me to cover but I wanted to discuss this series on my blog for a while now! Today I’m discussing Blue’s Story by Victaton!

Blue’s Story is a series by Victaton over on youtube that mixes gacha life 2 character designs along with animation. I like to think of the gl2 designs as character models and Victation expands on it through animation. The series doesn’t have proper episodes, its installments mainly continue music videos that go in a specific order. The story is about Blue, a man in his early 20s entering the company his older sister works in with a positive attitude only for it to fade away as a lot of women in his new job want to get in his pants and cause irreversible trauma on the poor guy. This series is meant to show how abuse in the workplace can happen and how s/a can be done anywhere and by anyone. It seems to be a response to the misconceptions of how men who are preyed on by women are not valid victims of s/a and how they should’ve enjoyed it or that only women can be victims (which is never true). Though keep in mind I’m not qualified to determine if the way the story conveys s/a and just abuse in general is shown accurately because I have not had these experiences myself but my heart goes out to the victims in the world who could resonate with Blue’s Story and I wish for nothing but happiness and peace for you guys. You all are very strong and deserved much better<3

I can tell Victation really touched people’s hearts and according to some people in the comments who are victims the story is pretty accurate to some experiences and some research has been put in this series which I heavily appreciate. So I’m happy people can feel seen with this!

So with this series I want to start off light and mention the animation- AND MY GOODNESS DOES THIS SERIES HAVE AMAZING ANIMATION!

I really love this art style that Vic has going on here

Like I said the gl2 designs seem to make the base and Vic uses their art skills to expand on it It really gives a dynamic feeling and you can hardly tell it’s gacha

Vic has a lot of dynamic poses and a great understanding of body language with these!

AND THE EXPRESSIONS<33 I LOVE THE WAY VIC DRAWS FACIAL EXPRESSIONS! IM SUCH A SUCKER FOR VERY EXAGGERATED AND STYLIZED FACES

And I’m not even showing the best parts! But I want to keep it as a surprise for those who are interested in watching the series. I just couldn’t stop praising the visuals enough! Vic is the most experimental gachatuber I’ve seen when it comes to the visuals!! I hope to talk with them sometime to get some tips or to post how their creative process works because THE ART IS SO GOOODDDDD! AND THE CHARACTER DESIGNS RADIATE SM PERSONALITY AND ADD TO THE SYMBOLISM AND UNDERTONES OF THE STORY! It’s so fun to see :D and the color associations are a very interesting character design choice! It helps add a very colorful look to what is otherwise a very heavy story and makes it very easy to distinguish the characters and give them certain color motifs. Anyway I want to talk about the characters in Blue’s Story! Mostly by order of their debut! And I’ll only talking abt the characters that have a big impact on Blue (So I won’t be talking abt Magenta or her brother) and the ones that don’t have a definite character (So the red eye people won’t be mentioned) Anyway now that that’s established the character I want to talk about first is well- Blue himself! After All this is his perspective we’re following

Also quick appreciation for the silly little Blues that Vic draws<3 Anyway Blue is the most interesting character I’ve seen in a gacha series. I like how Vic doesn’t use Blue as a representation or a role model for victims to take after but a person who goes through his own stories and has room to be human. You can see his descent in his own trauma and self loathing in his story. Which leads him to make mistakes and have a difficult time navigating his relationships and how to make meaningful connections. Seeing him go from confident and upbeat to quiet and reserved is so heartbreaking. What I find so great about Blue is that not everyone can relate to his situation but his thought process is near universal. I can relate to having to be in survival mode when it comes to relationships after being done dirty by different people. Not to mention people would do the same things Blue did, they just went through different experiences. It’s a really great touch to the writing. What’s also interesting I find about Blue are these different personas of different ways he handles the trauma caused by all these women.

This is sorta a mix of my interpretation of what these versions of Blue are plus what Vic actually calls them From left to right 1.Hypersexual Blue (confirmed) 2.Heart Eyes Blue (confirmed) 3. Reality Blue (not confirmed) 4. Cyan Blue (confirmed) 5. Numb Blue (not confirmed) I’ll expand more on these personas when I do a character study on Blue (which is something I REALLY wanna do sometime)

Next up is Pink Who is the first character we meet when Vic started this series

Pink is a married woman around Blue’s age who he engages in an affair with. And one of the women Blue has a significant relationship with throughout the series since Pink was the first one in the workplace to have her way with Blue. A truly manipulative bitch 💀 I don’t have much to say about her because Vic themself made a video discussing the women in Blue’s life and their thought process on writing them(?). So I’ll just give my thoughts! Pink is a very interesting case of the “Abused to Abuser” situation and not to mention how she’s not one dimensional. She’s an abuser to Blue but also a victim to a different man. (her husband) There are scenes where she is being a nice person (highlighted with her scenes with Lilac) but what’s preventing her from being good is her philosophy of how men cannot be victims. How could they be? To her the most heartless person she knows is a man, while it’s close minded, it’s understandable but not excusable why she perceives men this way. Which I find very interesting! There’s also a cool animation choice with her lipstick color! Her lips are white when she’s doing nice things or is not perceived as a bad person, then grey when it’s more neutral (I think) and finally black when she harms Blue. Hence why her kiss marks start from white to black.

What’s also interesting is that Blue pursues her first! Since he started out so confident and upbeat he wanted to try and shoot his shot with an attractive woman. But backs off when he learns that she’s married, but things didn’t go as planned. But I find it very interesting how that’s how things started. Next we have Purple who is the CEO or just the boss of the company Blue works in

Purple imo is definitely the most uncomfortable character to watch (what am I saying ALL the abusers make things uncomfortable to watch) but Purple just gives me a chill up my spine. Especially with her design, it has been confirmed by Vic that Purple is in her 40s and would prey on much younger people. First she attempted to prey on Red (who is confirmed to be 19), but was unsuccessful then went after Blue, and was successful.

Not to mention she’s very inconsiderate of her workers, example in the second part of “Baby Hotline”.

Up next we have Red! Who is my personal favorite in terms of how she is written and her design! (I do not condone her actions)

I love how Vic went for a more cutesy innocent look for Red!

But not without giving her sharp black nails to show how harmful she is

It really nails the message home on how anyone can be an abuser no matter how they look like. I also want to appreciate her little heart eye effect that Vic does with her that’s constantly looping like HOW DOES VIC DO IT- IT LOOKS SO DIFFICULT TO PULL OFF- I’m guessing it’s green screen With Red she is an obsessive stalker who has feelings for Blue and is constantly pursuing him even if he doesn’t return the feelings. It starts off as an innocent crush but turns into something more harmful. I don’t have much to say that’s not been said by Vic on their video. I just really want to appreciate how well designed she is and I rly like the heart motif she has. You can tell she’s a naive girl who can’t understand how harmful she is. I’ve met someone who was my equivalent to Red and while thankfully I had people who managed to protect me, doesn’t mean the harm did not get to me. While they were not as intense and Red, I was still being harassed verbally and I just didn’t feel safe. ALSO HOW DOES VIC DO HER HEART EYE EFFECT I NEED ANSWERS Now we have Lavender who is Blue’s SISTER

YEAH THATS RIGHT- SHE IS BLUE’S SISTER And I swear everytime I see her I just want to punch her in the goddamn face and wipe that stupid smile off her face- Lavender is an example of non-physical s/a and incest with how she had sexual thoughts about Blue and would show it through more subtle actions. Not to mention she’s also a bystander to Blue being abused by other women and doesn’t do ANYTHING about it. As an older sister myself with my own little brother- Lavender ENRAGES ME! I could never imagine doing what she did to my own brother. He drives me crazy but I’d protect him no matter what. What is fascinating about her design is definitely how her eyes are constantly closed, as if she’s turning a blind eye to the harm Blue is a victim of and/or how she’s hiding so many things. Especially with how she only opens her eyes when she’s preying on Blue.

SHE'S JUST AS TERRIFYING AS PURPLE Lastly we have Lilac! Who debuts in the same video as Lavender

WHO IS THE ONE PERSON THAT DOESN’T TREAT BLUE LIKE SHIT She’s a very fun character! She’s a single mom who works in the same company as Blue. She has a lot more significance in later installments so I won’t spoil but I just love her<3 She’s so sweet I just can’t- it’s such a breath of fresh air compared to the toxic waste Blue’s been getting from the other women. Her relationship with Blue is so interesting to watch and I am just rooting for them to at least stay friends.

(Also she looks so pretty here) AND THAT’S ALL THE CHARACTERS!!

Overall I really enjoy this series but I do have some gripes with it. The pace is definitely a bit much- so much can be happening in a span of a few mins. And there are stories that could rly benefit a longer time limit. This problem comes up most with “Baby Hotline” where I hardly understood what was happening. Like I got the gist but I didn’t get the specifics. It can be difficult to keep up with. So yeah the series could work with a longer timeframe- “Sweet Little Bumblebee'' is a great example! Not everything is too fast and everything makes more sense while “Baby Hotline” tried cramming a lot in one minute. Well the first part of ot, the second part of “Baby Hotline” was at a much better pace in my opinion but still a bit hard to keep up with at first.

Anyway in conclusion! Blue’s Story is a really interesting story that deserves the recognition it gets and is worth your time if you are into really deep stories with heavy subjects!

(Credit to Vitaton for all the art presented) This is Coco typing.. Thank you for reading!

[solar-bean]

Hello! I saw you fan fiction of the Wolf and thought it was too cute not to make fanart of. Hope you like this quick little sketch of your art Y/N.

OH MY GOD!!! THAT'S BEAUTIFUL!! I'M GONNA CRY THANK YOU SO MUCH😭💕💕💕💕

This really got me thinking of how Death would react to it so here you go☺️

Y/n's mood improved exponentially after their encounter with Death. Their friends, although still in shocked and horrified that they unknowingly let their pal spend time with such an entity, were happy to see them doing better. Y/n made sure to have more fun and relaxation like the wolf had encouraged. Before they knew it weeks turned to months and still no creation was made. They tried not to let it bother them. ' Let it come naturally', they remembered.

Then in a sudden burst of power they got it! Something fun and simple for them to make and possibly put into a gallery: art pieces for the colors of the rainbow. They loved exploring colors so this was perfect. Now all they had to do was think of a subject for each color. Red was first. It was a no-brainer on what the subject would be since it was always on their mind anyway.

They finished it in two days, taking their time and loving every second of it. It was evening when they'd finished cleaning everything up. They were pondering on what to have for dinner when a knock came at the door. They couldn't help but gawk when they saw who was waiting for them.

" Hello little red."

" It's you!" they exclaimed, pulling Death in for a hug. " I can't believe you're really here."

" I'm here querida," he held them gently, " I'm here. Sorry it took me so long."

" No apology needed. I'm just happy you're back." they guided him inside by the hand. " Come in. I was just about to get dinner ready."

" Ooo, what's on the menu?"

" Not quite sure yet, but I've got a few ideas. I can get you something to drink while you wai-" they came to a halt, " Hm?" looking back at Death, they saw his gaze fixed on something.

The canvas covered by a tarp, resting against the wall amongst closed paint cans.

' Oh no.' Y/n thought.

But it was too late. Death had already been looking at them with an overly amused grin.

" You made something." his voice was full of endearment.

" I did." they let go of his hand to wipe off their sweaty palms on their clothes.

" Well aren't you gonna show me?"

" Uuuhh...no."

The wolf made a mock sound of offense, hand clasped over his chest.

" Why? You aren't going back on our deal are you?" he sighed.

" No! Not at all."

" Then why can't I see it?" he leaned in, eyes curious and ears perked.

" Because..." they sighed." I'm worried you won't like it. I'm still a bit rusty you know and uh," they rubbed the back of their neck and averted his gaze," it's kinda about you."

Death's brows shot up.

" Me?"

" Mhmm"

After a few quiet moments, he carefully took hold of their face and gave them to softest look he could muster.

" I'm sure it's amazing." he got closer and rubbed his fluffy cheek against the side of their face, a low growl similar to a purr was heard. "Please give me the honor of seeing it first."

That's all the encouragement Y/n needed. With shaky steps and sweaty palms, they marched over and ripped off the tarp the same way you'd rip off a bandaid. Then they waited. And waited. And waited some more. Dear god this was torture! They finally mustered the strength to look at him and he was just...standing there. Eyes wide and no tell to what emotion he was feeling.

" S-so uh...what do you think?"

Still nothing. Was he even breathing??!

" It's the start of a series for every color of the rainbow. Red's first and your eyes are the prettiest red I've ever seen so- Oh my god please just tell me you hate it so I can-"

" I love it."

Y/n could've swore their heart stopped.

" What?"

" I..love it." he said again. Then a wide smile spread across his face. " I love it!"

In seconds Y/n was scooped up into the most crushing yet safest hug ever. They both laughed as he spun them around.

" Really? You really like it?"

" Yes of course I do! It's amazing." He pulled back to look them in the eyes. " You're amazing. I'm so proud of you Y/n."

Y/n sniffed and buried their face in his cloak to hide the tears that were forming. They remained like that for awhile, content as ever.

" How long will be staying?" they asked not bothering to move and neither did he.

" A week. Is that enough time for you querida?"

Y/n pulled away to give him a small peck on his nose.

" It's perfect."

[thebardisabird]

Hey Bard, may I ask for an imagine of the boys receiving an extremely fancy and detailed oil painting group portrait from their artist S/O? I think they deserve something extravagant as a little treat. :3c

Of course, Mika, what a sweet gift to give them 🥰 Hope it's okay if it's on the long-headcanonish side with this imagine. With his eyes lighting up, Osomatsu's immediate reaction is to shout "WOAHHHH!" He knew you were an artist and always admired the talent that you possessed, but to see it actually involve him and his family? He can't stop starting it at, it's so amazing to him! Your face ends up covered in kisses accompanied by very loud 'thank you's. "I can't believe I'm in a painting, haha oh man! No one better ever tell me I'm not worth anything ever again!" The second brother is rendered speechless. His eyes won't leave the painting, taking in every stroke and color that covers the canvas. Karamatsu knows the time this must've taken you (he sometimes watches you when you paint), and it touches him that you picked him to be part of your subject muse. He's overwhelmed with an amalgam of emotions - he tries his hardest not to cry as he thanks you for such a beautiful piece of art. "My love, I...I don't have words. This is beyond incredible, to be portrayed this way by you, I...thank you."

Choromatsu takes the painting with gentle hands, his mouth agape at the sheer artistry of the piece. He comments on all the little details you got in: the skintones, the shading, even little character accents. He's so impressed by your skill and even moreso that you thought to include him in this. There's sincerity in his eyes when he holds the painting close to chest, a gentle smile on his face as he voices his appreciation. "You even got the the shape of my mouth perfect. I swear this looks like an actual photo! You're amazing, you know that, right?" Breathless at the reveal of the painting, Ichimatsu's gaze holds some serious admiration. He carefully traces his fingers over the canvas, small whispers of astonishment escaping him while he physically feels the strokes of your genius under his fingertips. When he sees his face in the painting, he freezes. The tears that slide into the corners of his eyes are unstoppable. He's hoping you don't see them when you ask if he likes the painting, but they fall anyway. "Of course I do...it was something you made. For me...with me in it...I...I love it."

Jyushimatsu becomes instantly animated - so much so you swear you see sparkles and stars bouncing off of him. He catches sight of his face in the portrait and his grin grows even wider. Switching between looking at you and looking at the painting, his pleased laugh warms your heart. Even moreso when he makes that jovial face you adore so much when he gives you his thanks. "Wow! Is that me? Did you paint me?! I look so real! Can I keep this? I wanna hang it up so I can look at it allllll the time!"

The squeal that Todomatsu lets out almost hurts your ears, but it's followed by a rapid fire succession of words of gratitude. He's gawking at the piece with stars twinkling in his eyes. You're almost touched by his extreme excitement for something you worked hard on. He presses a hard kiss to your cheek before immediately taking off to show his family his elegant gift. You receive a series of text messages later that day thanking you for the phenomenal art (as well as an apology for just ditching you the way he did, he was just too excited and couldn't wait to show it off). "I promise I'll make it up to you! Coffee on me this Friday? I'm so sorry again, but can you blame me? You made me so cute! I just HAD to show everyone!"

[seriowan]

um, is there a dad!rex request in? because imagining that man as a loving father is something hot as fuuuu. I bet he hangs up all of the kids drawings on the fridge, indulges in their tea parties and plays dress up with them. he would just love so so much to see his own children grow up and never want to miss a single moment of their smiles.

FINALLY A DAD!REX REQUEST! I've been itching to write one for him since talking about dad!rex with @rexxdjarin and now that the opportunity is here i am SO EXCITED!!

more dad!clone fluff below the cut!

"-and then i kicked the ball really hard, daddy! i kicked it so hard and it got in the goal and my teacher was so excited!"

rex smiled as he listened to his adi'ka ramble, cheek in his palm with eyes full of adoration. his little one had just returned from school, full of stories and recollections of the day. he was caught in their adorable snare the moment they sat down at the dinner table together.

"uh-huh," he smiled, eyes crinkling with love. "and did your team win?"

they shrugged. "no, but that's okay because the game was fun! oh and look, i had arts and crafts today and i made this for you!"

they threw their tiny blue backpack atop the kitchen table and zipped it open in a rush, rummaging through the mess of papers and crayons before pulling out a little drawing covered in glue and sparkles. they ran up to rex's side as he turned, offering his knee for them to climb up into his lap.

hovering over his little adi'ka, rex couldn't help but laugh rich and deeply when he saw a crayon portrayal of him and his brothers.

fives had his typical tattoo but the '5' covered his entire forehead and there were stickers stuck everywhere along his armor. echo had not one, but two hands painted on his chest, covering his chest plate like a seashell bra. half of jesse's head was covered in grey - he guessed it was the republic cog but it looked more like a little smudge. dogma, hardcase, kix, and tup were there too, each of them sporting odd but close portrayals of their haircuts and tattoos. while he found it shocking that his little adi'ka could remember such details, he couldn't help but love their interpretation a little more.

"this is amazing, adi'ka," he praised, causing his little one to grin as hard as they could. "can i take a picture and send it to your uncles?"

they flushed, biting their lip in uncertainty. "uh, it's not very good, daddy."

rex gasped, splaying his hand across his chest as if utterly shocked. "are you kidding? this is the best thing i've ever gotten from you so far! you sure you don't want me to show your uncles?"

after a moment of contemplation, little adi'ka finally nodded with shy red cheeks. "okay. you can show them."

rex grinned. "good, 'cause i was going to anyway."

"daddy!"

he laughed, setting his adi'ka up on the edge of the table. he handed them the picture and said, "hold it up and smile, adi'ka."

they giddily obliged, cheesing as hard as they could while holding up their little artwork. rex snapped a picture, biting his lip to contain his cheeky grin while he sent it to the 501st group chat.

"nice job, bubs," he smirked, holding his hand out for his adi'ka to place the picture in his palm. with a turn, he faced the fridge and clipped it up with blue magnets, taking a step back to admire the collection of drawings and pictures that coated the fridge's entire surface. "i'm really liking this whole blue theme you have going on."

"duh, daddy. it's my favorite color."

rex hummed, smirking. "right, right." after an extended moment of appreciating his little one's artwork, rex turned with his hands on his hips, nudging his head towards the couch. "nap time? or tea time."

his little one gasped out, clapping their hands in excitement. "tea time first, nap time later!"

rex nodded, holding his hands out. his little one grasped them both, jumping down from the table with a happy cheer. they didn't let go of his fingers as they led him out of the kitchen and down the hall, guiding them toward their bedroom.

"can i wear the blue tutu today?" they asked with big eyes. "and you wear the pink one?"

rex didn't have a single bone in his body that could deny such a request, so he nodded. "sure, bubs."

as he settled down at his adi'ka's little tea table, watching them bring out the assortment of cups and plates, the comm in his pocket began to vibrate over and over and over again, humming and droning with replies from his brothers.

jesse: i want a framed copy to hang in my bunk. immediately.

echo: can i add the second handprint to my armor? i like adi'ka's version better.

fives: if anyone hears crying in the barracks, it's definitely not me.

-

ALSKJHFLSKJAHF my favorite one so far i love this prompt so much!!

inbox is open for more dad!clone requests and headcanons!

[bloomboxygo]

Very well, I shall share my thoughts, as best as I can, right here. We've been waiting much for this, and there are things to be discovered about them every hour, so I can't really say that this'll be a complete analysis. Nevertheless, now it's really the time to go back on stage! These talks will talk about the cards purely on their role, their design, and references. I won't insert any of my fanfic thoughts there, though I have a few.

Let the new tour begin!

Melodious Concerto

So we start off with the simplest card to talk about. This is what is essentially a Polymerization searchable by the new support, only it summons a Fairy Fusion and can use the Pendulum Zones as materials, which isn't much trouble in Melodious' case, as you'll see. This doesn't even require Melodious Monsters so... It could have potential even outside of a pure version. The GY effect is also kinda neat. It's the first Melodious card that can let you draw, which can make for some topdecks with its randomness.

Also... Aria and Elegy on the art. You know why they're there. Actually though... It's a bit weird of a pose for a Fusion Spell. They're not swirling towards each other, really, and they shouldn't exactly be used as Fusion Materials from the Field to begin with... It looks more as if they're on the Field, with their effects activated to protect the whole board. The pentagrams in front do seem to form a wall, after all.

Refrain the Melodious Songstress

Refrain comes up, belts one out with a grit that's hardly showed by the Melodious in their singing just so she could announce that she's pretty much all we've been waiting for: a Pendulum Melodious that the archetype lacked, a GY dumper (with an annoying caveat) and a Stratos (that works EVEN ON NORMAL SUMMON). These two things alone were amidst the most asked for by players, the first for theming and second for consistency. And she's great in both.

I say so because both Refrain and her companion, who's next up, can place themselves in the Pendulum Zone after a Melodious Fusion is Fusion Summoned as they're in the Extra Deck. That does mean that they can't do this off of Ostinato, but the card became so good in here anyways that they can afford to wait before going there.

Her on-summon effect is Stratos, not much to say, that's amazing and new to Melodious. But her pendulum effect is annoying because it brings back a tradition with Melodious Support that no one missed: conflicting with Aria. Because it Targets in order to get a Melodious from your deck to the GY... And it has to be a Fusion Mosnter so there aren't many opportunities for this. Then again, it's not that big of a deal right now, as there aren't any Main Deck Monsters, even in this set, that have effects off being sent to the GY. But it definitely has potential!

Design-wise, she looks lovely. But I'll reserve most of my thoughts after her companion is covered, which is warranted since they're meant to be parallels of each other. A thing unique to her, though, is her hat and her fiery-colored scheme, especially the hair. I wonder if that's actually a reference to Halil...

Remember this kid? He was the one who actually prevented Yuzu's first Pendulum Summon, and his theme consisted of Fire Genies. Could it actually be that the designers were somewhat inspired by this? It's all vague for me, but it would surely be cool if true.

Couplet the Melodious Songstress

And here comes Couplet, manifesting our joy in her songs! Let's see what, of her own, she can offer.

Her Monster effect is quite interesting: a Special Summon of a low level Melodious if it's revealed while added to your hand in any occasion besides the Draw Phase draw. Any occasion also means Shopina, Bloom Prima, and Soprano's effect of retrieving a Melodious from your GY. And she shares Refrain's effect of placing herself in the Pendulum Zone at the same condition. For her Pendulum effect... Well, she's a Spell/Trap searcher, as opposed to a Monster one. However... "Melodious" Spell Traps are actually very little. Most don't have that name, so the only targets are Illusion (very much a meme) and the new Concerto. Still good as a follow-up, but it's a shame she doesn't add Ostinato. Probably would have been OP though. Oh, and to keep the theme of Melodious being somewhat pure, you can only Pendulum Summon lights with her (very good) scale.

Admittedly, I couldn't find a specific reference in the design. She's cold color coded, the opposite of her companion, so maybe you can link it to Olga, Halil's Tag Duel Partner. However, I do very much like her skin tone being green. Weird, exotic colors were pretty much a staple with the Melodious Divas at the start, but we haven't really had a standout since Soprano. It's nice to see them back, even it's really only the case for Couplet and another Monster.

But... Let's do an extra segment.

Refrain and Couplet complete one another

It's evident that these two were designed as a pair because they mirror each other quite a bit in their effects, and their scale can Pendulum Summon the whole of the Melodious archetype. However, it's not just the effects that synergize, but also the designs.

Both artworks share certain elements such as the hand-over-chest pose, the light (very much the Pendulum's light) shining from above, and the most relevant one, double-ringed bracelets with a gem on the middle, just like Yuzu's! Refrain and Couplet also have differences in design that makes them mirror of each other: they share the color scheme and design of the dresses of Mozarta and Shopina respectively, albeit the armored, plated parts are different (Refrain has chest covered, and plates on her left hip with a blue gem on one, and one on the right shoulder, and Couplet has her torso covered with plates on right hip with a gem I can't quite make out -higher res is needed here- and left shoulder). There's some more asimmetries between their outfits as well, so they do look weird unless you see them together, which you should in a Duel. And they both have neon pentagram-shaped butterfly gown wings and that's just SO PRETTY. And both have black markings down their opposite eyes.

Bach(a) the Melodious Maestra

Now THIS. THIS IS MONEY.

In both ganeplay and design, this Card is just incredible, I might just be in love. I'll unashamedly admit that she's by far my favourite card of the set, and I know that another one has risen way above the rest in terms of popularity (in one day, which is legit impressive).

Let's get over how she's in game: a beastly extender who also acts as Fusion support. She requires 2 Melodious Monsters, making her the prime target for Ostinato. And she has 2 Special Summons of Melodious: 1 from Deck when she's Special Summoned, and one from the GY when she's sent to it, BY ANY METHOD (so also Diviner and Brilliant Rose). Well, this excludes herself, but it's still 2 Special Summons from favorable places, and it can be, in the second case, EVEN THEIR END BOSS. AYO. That's unbelievable enough, but here's another thing: Fusion Melodious' effects cannot be negated while she's on the Field. So that means even her own Deck Special Summon. Fantastic, she's legit incredible.

And now how about that design. Also incredible. The elegance and majesty of the Maestras was effectively brought back full force, and with an imposing black and orange scheme with gold accessories (even a huge treble clef that her left arm goes through), and red underdress, like a rose. Also her Hair's a bass clef and with her red eyes, hat and everything, I can feel her OP-ness and elegance, this is just magnificent.

That one-eyed golden mask of hers is also a really cute nod to Lunalight, albeit I don't know whether that makes her red eye glow more of if the other's obscured by the hat. But still... Red eyes, dark scheme, transparent gray veil, imposing pose, and inspired by Bach... This can go very well as a Parasite Fusion. Well, in this case, it's a reenactment, a gloomy one... And upon researching Bach further and remembering his songs... Dark, disturbing tones, especially with his Fugue in D Minor, really hammers the darker tone a Parasite Fusion card oozes. Not to mention the shade of purple of the background, as well as ORGAN PIPES AS BACKGROUND... The inspiration is too much, this is GENIUS. UNBELIEVABLE.

But she was not the main star of the show. In the fandom, for who she represents, and as a Card, we now have the main star of the concert:

Flowering Etoile the Melodious Grand Choir

As soon as Melodious was announced to come back, she was front and center. Well, of course! Not only is she the end boss, but she's also the Anime Character stand-in that all ARC-V decks got as of late! That's right, Yuzu has finally joined the Melodious Ensemble and become their End Boss.

This makes her position similar to Brave Masurao of Gongenzaka inspiration. However, while at launch Superheavy Samurai was more focused on efficiently going for generic negates, Melodious has to stay pure, so she's going to be core to any threat and disruption they can pose. Making her a 3 material Fusion also prevents Ostinato from just launching her in one move.

And yeah, while it's limited to essentially have just her (and Schuberta) as disruption, she's a really fun and potentially devastating one: she makes you banish any number of Melodious Monsters (until the End Phase) in order to return up to the same amount of your opponent's cards to their hand. You can do one or two early to disrupt combos, or call off the whole board while they're about to be wiped out and save them. Also the bounce doesn't target, and it's the same idea I had with my custom end-boss! That does mean, however, that the Melodious don't count themselves as Special Summoned anymore, so if Aria or Elegy get banished, they've lost their script. However, this does mean you can reset Schuberta's "once while face-up on Field" effect.

Also, if her opponent disposes of her except returning her to the Extra Deck, she can Special Summon pretty much any Melodious besides her.

But let's talk to the bigger reason she's broken through and risen above the rest... Her design and inspiration.

Well, I'll open this up with a take that I'm not sure you guys are going to like. Nevertheless, I've always been fairly open with criticisms. Even still, I promise to be fair.

I'm very ambivalent to this design. I like how she looks as Yuzu, but I don't like much how she looks as a Melodious Monster.

I'll go for the latter first. I feel like her style is very much contrary to how the Melodious dress in a way that she feels way more like an Idol rather than a classical singer. And Yuzu wasn't really much of an Idol, unless the Mikiyo duel, which had as much focus as anyone has on breathing when not told to do so manually, became the prime inspiration for this design. The bottom part is SO BUSY. Flowers, medals, gown after gown, ribbons, stars, it's just too much! If you changed her eyes a little bit, she would look like a Trickstar Monster! Also I can't make out what her hairstyle's supposed to mean, unless it's all kinds of bass clefs strung together.

That's where my conplaints end, because here comes the other part of the design... Which tends to be more of the focus when it comes to porting a character as a monster, which is the character part.

As Yuzu, the references are fantastic, simply put. She's pretty much got everything (besides other characters' themes aside from one) that Yuzu represented:

The bracelets are back, Yuzu styled, and on both hands this time.

The Hair colors are exactly like Yuzu's: soft, light pink with some darker tones, and it's somewhat reflected on her dress as well. Also the treble clef hairpins, doubling up as a callback to Yuzu and Bloom Diva!

Her flowers are Citrus flowers, and Yuzu is very much Citrus in japanese!

The mail below the flowers has an interesting pattern: one plain, one orange with a bright star, just like Yuya's goggles.

Admittedly this one's a reach, but there seem to be white butterfly-styled hair clips and white flowers on her slippers. You know... Like Pendulumstatue White Butterfly and White Flower? Kinda, the styles of such are not the same.

THE PINK PENTAGRAMS OF VICTORY! They're on both of her hands as tatoos!

So yeah, this one looks as if she had more of the job of referencing Yuzu than being a Classical Melodious Monster. It's definitely growing on me, especially as I've seen fantastic artwork of her already (IT HASN'T BEEN A DAY) and there's one last thing about her that makes her super valid: the Japanese name "Melodious Floral Song Goddess".

Yuzu joined the Melodious Ensemble and became their goddess.

Perfection.

Miscellaneous thoughts and conclusions

Ok! Phew! Each Monster is now covered, although here's some more of my thoughts before we close this off.

No Ostinato searching makes our Hands still reliant on having it already. Well, it's to soon to say that, because the theorycrafters are still working on the combos and it looks like Refrain and 1st Movement are also excellent starters, so we'll see!

Sadly, there aren't any references to Masumi and Sora in any of Melodious' presence, which is a shame. Heck, pretty much anyone besides Yuya is missing, and it's a bit of a blow considering the many great friendships she had. But I have hope for the future now that it's confirmed they haven't left Melodious to languish. Who knows, something even greater might happen!

There's no way Melodious is a top contender: that would require alienatingly strong support and more, because Melodious tends to be Pure in Monster variety. They'd need an entire revamp whereas these add another step to their current one while making it more active and fun.

Overall, I'M SO HAPPY that the support came back, and this fully inspired me! No doubt, you'll see more from me about these lovely ladies and their performances! I've got the ideas rolling, all that's left is letting them rock.

It's good to be back, weirdos!

[purely-interests-here-not-much]

Absolutely amazing piece of art of my Digimon OCs I requested from the ever-so-lovely and pleasant, @makkiah-draws (seriously you have no idea how happy this made... (❁´◡`❁)❤️🌟🍎🐧), please give them a follow and like on their respective platforms to show them your support! Anyways... these are my OCs from my own little Digimon AU/story, Akasa Oginome 「荻野目赤佐」 and her "partner", Kiran the Impmon 「キラン」, or in my case for him, my little fan-variant of him, "Impmon Rascal" 「インプモン ラスカル」 (basically, a little sword-wielding Impmon, or a toy sword that he's wielding based around the Long Sword from the Digimon World 4/X game), I do have a whole fan variant evolution-line made up for him! Strangely... he remembers that he has a name, but nothing much else... he's just one of the Digimon that follow her around the "Digital World", as I have few more but I kinda wanna make this short and simple. ^^'

Kiran may still keep some of the traditional quirks of an ordinary Impmon, but he usually likes to playfully pretend to be a "Noble Knight", protecting the weak and his Princess/Prince, though he can be a bit of an cowardly lion and a crybaby, I.E going against a bigger Digimon, knowing full well that he might get his butt handed to him, but he doesn't let that stop him from protecting Akasa and friends! Little tidbit, even throughout his evolution line, ending at my variation of an certain tall (albeit... "big 💪"), dark, and handsome biker... Kiran is more so a sweet-tooth than an meat eater, and secretly likes to be held, or digivolves to flip it around to hold you. u///u Which Akasa (+CO.) usually likes to poke fun at him for, teasingly calling him her "Little Prince"... u///u She may not "show" much, but she secretly has a penchant for pranks, even so more than Kiran, but ones that borderline on the surreal/absurd (I.E, like Mai Minakami's pranks for Nichijou). Usually to get a reaction out of them for fun... ^^'

Decided to include the original just cause, made through an old flash game of an Digimon character creator, as I really can't draw worth jack... (wish I could -.-') Her Digivice would be based around the Smartphone Digivice from Last Evolution Kizuna, her smartphone having changed into a Digivice upon waking up in the Digital World.

Akasa's name and outfit drawing some inspiration from a multitude of sources I love, her last name, Oginome, in particular being from an anime that's near and dear to me... Mawaru Penguindrum, with her outfit bearing some similarities to Heather Mason from Silent Hill 3. In some ways, her outfit sharing a somewhat-similar color scheme to both her and Ringo Oginome's respective outfits? Though "shorts" underneath are supposed to be black leggings under her skirt, considering the flash game was from all the way from 2012 (feel old yet?)... had to make some adjustments. >>' I kinda originally imagined her with lavender hair, à la Rika Furude from Higurashi, but thought this made her stand out a bit much, as I wanted her to seem... "normal" to say? Kiran in the pic is wearing a small black, sleeveless hoodie and shorts his size, with his neckerchief being a red scarf he covers himself with, underneath it as bears similar scars/markings like Beelzebumon/Beelzemon from Xros Wars. As he would state, saying he felt a little... "naked" for some odd reason.

Anyways, this post is long enough as is, just wanted to share this and the artist here, once again, please give them a follow to support their work! ^u^

[dollywheeler]

September 19th, 1996

Dear diary,

Happy birthday to me!

As far as sweet sixteens go, it wasn't anything spectacular on account of it being a Thursday, but everyone made sure to make it memorable anyway. Dad went into work late so we could have a more luxurious and lazy breakfast than usual, and Nancy called early to wish me a happy birthday.

Whitney and Dylan covered me in glitter and tinsel the second they got into my car - luckily it's just sticky glitter make-up because I would have murdered them if they'd brought loose glitter into my car. Thankfully, they know me well enough not to put me through that torture.

At school, the rest of the cheer team had decorated my locker and tied balloons to our usual lunchtable. Whitney actually baked a cake and it looked and tasted amazing! They're the sweetest friends anyone could ever wish for and I'm so grateful to have them. It's crazy to think I've only been close with them the last couple of years - I feel like we've been friends forever. We've made some amazing memories together.

Danny left us to our make-shift party and though it was thoughtful of him to let us girls alone to celebrate, I missed him being there. I've really been getting used to his presence and it's like every time I see him now, we just have more and more to talk about. It was a lot of fun though, and it was nice to get to focus on just my friends. And in the end, he caught up with me on our way to our English class and he gave me a ribbon for my hair! It's a beautiful baby pink and he even tied it around my pigtails for me. I think I could have died happy on the spot.

I was in such a good mood, I completely forgot we were heading to Mike's class until I sat down at my desk and found an envelope with my name on it. It was obviously Mike's shoddy handwriting, so I looked up involuntarily to catch his eyes, but he was writing something on the board, purposefully not looking at me. He was either nervous or trying to follow my wishes to not interact with him, so I opened it as he started his class without delay.

I was baffled that he'd actually gotten me a birthday gift. I don't think he's given me anything in the last ten years - if ever. The necklace is nice, pretty even, if a little juvenile. Still, it's in my favorite colors, so he must know that much about me. I thanked him after class, and as I don't have art today, asked him to thank Will (and Max) too. He seemed happy I'd accepted the peace offering, but didn't push which I was grateful for.

We had cheer practice after school so we couldn't go to the mall or anything, but I didn't mind. I enjoyed cheer and we still went to get milkshakes after, which is all I really need anyway - milkshakes, a good mix tape to shout along to, and a car full of my favorite people.

Love, Holly

[stacywaters]

Purple Ink (RM)

[Words in bold are in Korean]

I begin another doodle on my arm. It's nearly filled now with sketches from my ballpoint pen.

"Seriously, I can't believe your soulmate's never asked you to stop. Your drawings are everywhere at this point" my friend Stacy laughs.

I finish up the rose I'm drawing, "I'm sure they love my drawings. They've told me themself."

Stacy sighs, "I wish my soulmate talked to me more.. do you think I'll ever find them?"

"Easy. Just write your name really big on your forehead, they won't miss you."

"That is FAR from a solution, Y/N."

I laugh and look back down at my arm. A small heart appears next to the flower.

----

A Weverse notification interrupts my thoughts as I walk through the door. "RM started a Live" I open the live.

Namjoon and Hoseok are painting. I giggle as Namjoon spills some ink on his arm. Shutting my phone off, I go to take care of the pile of dishes in the sink.

As I pull my sleeves up, I notice a splatter over my wrist.

"What the.."

I run over and grab my phone. Pulling up the app again, I stiffen at the sight.

Namjoon's purple ink stain covers his wrist, a few splatters on his palm. Exactly like mine.

"No way... it can't be" I mumble.

Slowly, I grab a pen and write a small note on my arm by the splatter. Like clockwork, it shows up on his arm: "Namjoon?"

-----

The next few days, twitter had been blowing up about us.

"Namjoon's soulmate is an ARMY?"

"Guys! She knows! She found him!"

"Aww, that's sweet. Let's be happy for them."

"Wait, you mean they haven't met yet?"

I sigh, bringing my head to my hands.

"What do you want to do about it?" Stacy asks.

"I don't know.. I'm happy but I'm sad and I just don't know what to do. I'm surprised that he's someone I've admired for so long, but I feel dumb for not ever noticing. And I never imagined meeting my soulmate would be like... this. What if ARMY hates me? I don't want to cause him trouble. What if-"

"Relax, girl. I've only seen supportive comments so far. Everyone knows that you can't control soulmates, I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Yeah, I just, i dunno." I slump down in my chair, "it's not like I'll ever get to meet him anyways. It's a lost cause."

"Hey! Chill out. What you need to do is give him a way to find you."

"Such as?" I grumble.

"Such as posting your art online. I've been telling you forever, your creations are too good to keep to yourself! And if you post them, soon enough either he'll find you or ARMY will"

"That's... that's not a bad idea."

And that's how you got here. You'd been posting for two weeks now, but only had about 12 followers.

"Trust the process! He'll find you. It takes time to build an account." Stacy assured you.

"I just feel like the art should be for me, not a faceless algorithm."

"I'm sure he'll find you. He sees your art every day."

"I hope so" I mutter.

-----

I scrolled on my phone half-awake. I couldn't fall asleep, so I decided to explore my feed on instagram. Suddenly, I received a like. And another like. And a follow. And soon enough, a message.

"Who..." I mumbled.

My eyes widened as I see the message they sent me. (Messages by them are in THIS COLOR, messages by you are in THIS COLOR :))

"I'd recognize your art anywhere"

I shiver at their words. Looking at their account, it doesn't help in figuring out who this is. A part of me carries a small hope. It must be Namjoon! He must have found me! But I don't want to get hurt.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Namjoon :) You draw on my arm all the time.."

No... no way. It can't be. What am I supposed to say to my soulmate? What if it's just Stacy pulling some sick prank on me?

"Hmm, prove it then."

Suddenly I feel a tingling sensation on my wrist as words begin to appear.  'Hello artist'. I quickly scratch out a message in our chat room.

"Oh my god, it's really you! I never thought I'd find you.."

"Well you did :) I love your drawings by the way. I'm a big fan."

"No, that's what I'M supposed to be saying. You're music is seriously amazing. I can't believe I get to be your soulmate.."

"You're so cute"

I blush. Not sure what to say, I wait for him to speak again.

"How long have you known?"

"That I'm your soulmate haha"

"Oh, uh, I was watching your live with j-hope"

"Ah, so when I spilled the paint on myself? That isn't very romantic..."

"Well, I'm glad you did regardless."

A question sits at the back of my throat. Suddenly my fingers begin to type it.

"How did you find me?"

He begins to type.

"It's actually kind of similar. I've been following you for a while now. I found your page maybe, two weeks ago? You didn't have too many posts up at the time but as you started posting more, I guess I just kinda realized one day. Like your drawings felt like home to me. And one day I was looking at your art on my Lock Screen, and then down at my arm, and it just hit me. So I decided to message you haha"

"Dfbivaldhflvahf ok wait you made my art your Lock Screen?"

"Shoot. Shouldn't have sent that part"

I giggle.

"Um, I guess where do you live?"

"No no not like that-"

"I feel like I'm messing this whole soulmates thing up already??"

"Like do you also live in Korea or..?"

"Ah, no.. sorry. I live in (INSERT COUNTRY NAME)"

"Don't be sorry! Y'know.. we're actually going to be doing a comeback soon with a tour :D"

"I'll talk and see if we can go there!"

————

I shiver in the cold hallway. He told me to meet him here, is he still coming? Maybe I should leave.. NO! That's silly. He's coming, Y/N. Just be patient.

Suddenly I hear sneakers squeak against the tile. Turning to my left, I notice him. Him. The boy I've been messaging for 7 months now. The one I've been waiting to meet. The one I love.

His dark hair bounces as he runs, star-like shimmers glimmering in his eyes. He slides in front of me, skidding a bit on the slick floor.

"It's you, you're here, I" He pants.

"Hi Namjoon" I smile.

Suddenly my head goes blank. All those months of texting, and I have nothing to say.

"Erm, good luck with the concert."

He checks his watch, "Oh, right, haha. I was so excited to meet you that I forgot about the concert."

"Hey! ARMYs paid good money to be here tonight. Don't forget about them because of me"

He smiles and pulls me into a hug. We swing from left to right as we talk. After around 15 minutes, a staff member informs us that we have to go for him to perform.

Once he leaves I sink down to the floor, clutching my phone to me. I daydream about reality, the moments only seconds ago that somehow already feel so distant. Wonder when I'll see him again. Wonder if it'll be soon.

"I can't believe she's his soulmate"

"I know, right? I mean, is the universe sure that they're destined?"

Laughter from the two staff members pulls me out of my lovely daze. Why are they so rude? What did I do? Do they assume I don't know Korean just because we spoke in English?

A third girl working there spoke up, "C'mon guys, let's not be so mean. We don't even know her yet!"

"Yeah, but like, have you seen her?" The previous staff questions.

"Yeah, what about her?"

"She's just... not what I thought she'd look like."

"She could be listening now," the third girl said, "I think she seems perfectly nice. You should give her a chance."

Without another word she walks out of the room and into the hallway, where I was listening. I look up to her from the floor, my eyes glistening with tears.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! You must have heard them. They're like that to everyone, don't worry."

I nod and turn away, "Yeah no, it's just... old insecurities coming back"

"Well don't let them," she smiles, "I, along with I'm sure Namjoon, think you're gorgeous."

I laugh, "Thank you. You are too"

"I have to be! It's hard keeping up with my worldwide handsome boyfriend" She jokes.

"Wait, are you?"

"Minji, Kim Seokjin's soulmate" She grins.

We talk together while we watch the concert from the waiting room. Apparently she's been with the boys for 2 years, which is a little intimidating. Am I going to have to meet them later? What if-

"Everything alright?" Minji asks.

"y-yeah!" I nod.

"Don't worry, you'll be okay"

I turn to her. Did she know? Suddenly, Namjoon and the rest of the members pour into the room.

He pulls me into a hug, "How did we do, baby?"

I blush at the nickname, mumbling, "You guys were amazing"

"Were you nice to Y/N?" Seokjin asks Minji.

She sighs, "yes, but Ari and Chaeyeong said stuff about her"

"What did they say?" Namjoon yells.

"They were just being rude. Talking about what she looks like and if she's good enough for you, and...y'know"

Unknowingly, I had begun to tug harder at Namjoon's shirt while tears threatened to form. He pulls his arms tighter around me, "Hey, hey, it's okay. You're perfect. Don't listen to them, Minji's right. They're always like this. We are all here for you, we love you. None of the things you're insecure about mean anything to me. To me, you are perfect."

"I-I.." He pulls away to look at my face.

"You're crying but you're smiling.. I don't understand"

"They're happy tears" I grinned, "Because, I can't believe the universe thought to give me the luck that is you."

[playroom-sekaii]

Ever since I've stumbled on this shop on my way home that sells stickers, whenever I go little at school, i just always end up giving them out or pasting like;;; half of a pack cause little me is like "Stickers!! Stickers everywhere!!!" and would just want to give her friends cause friends deserve shiny cute stickers too!!

Anyways, it just got me thinking like. Emu. I feel like she would absolutely just have sheets and sheets of stickers sets too!! Lots and lots of her drawings have stickers on them and they're all colorful. She slaps them on every thing she owns, you know which are her things cause there's lots and lots of stickers on and she gives them to her other littles or if she's a cg she hands them out as rewards

Sorry if rambble-y, i really really love stickers;;; (I just bought some again earlier to give to my friends >:DDDD)

Oooo absolutely, that's adorable she so would! She buys those big books of hundreds of them or whole rolls just to end up using all of them within a week TwT they're just so amazing for arts and crafts and they're amazing gifts for her friends! Plus, they're colorful and sparkly, as the best things are!

A lot of her little gear is covered in them, like pacis or sippy cups, but they're more likely to end up on her clothes or on her face, much to the confusion of some of her cgs ("Won't they come off really easily that way? Feels a bit wasteful..." "Nn-nn, stickers are never a waste Nene-nee!"). She loves giving them to her fellow little ones or caregivers too, to show that they're amazing and she loves them so very much! Sometimes she'll even try to sneak them onto them, poor Tsukasa has woken up from naps covered in stickers before >m<

(Also she definitely does the thing where you stick the labels from fruit on your friends' foreheads, I don't make the rules)

And when she's a cg, they're the second best currency in showing that she loves her little guys! (The first is sweets, but she's gotten scolded for giving the smalls too many before >_<) She gets the kinds of ones teachers put on good assignments, to show how proud she is of her small ones! Good job on tying your shoes by yourself, or sharing, or just existing! Feeling sad? This t-rex says you're dino-mite! She also has plenty of gold star stickers, specifically for a certain little troupe leader of hers~

[centrally-unplanned]

H/t to @cozotoro on this one, they recently brought up a very cool Mamimi fanart that is apparently from something I did not know existed; The "GAINAX NET Art Musuem", a collection of CDs Gainax released assembled special art that they published on their website. Btw their OG website was amazing:

So this art wasn't just a "whatever" collection, they put some degree of work into it. The CD cover is great of course;

But anyway I just wanted to highlight a few of them that I think are neat. The original shared one is of Mamimi (from FLCL ofc) by Tsurumaki himself:

Which, being dated to 1999, makes this something from right in the middle of production. I love this piece because its hitting all of my boxes right now - after reading paragraphs of Tsurumaki talking about the manga influences of FLCL, how much this art screams the styles of Moyoco Anno & Kyoko Okazaki is a direct proof of that influence thread. The color stacked with the sketchy fill of her jacket really sells that haggard, aimless fog of the rebel teen. (Having no bra isn't hurting that vibe either)

Takeshi Okazaki being aggro as fuck on this one, love the perspective shot. Rei is portrayed as passive and without agency very often, but not so much with this level of vulnerability, and I like how it plays that note on both the physical and emotional levels.

Here we have Hajime Ueda doing fanart for The Wings of Honnêamise, which is exactly the tonal opposite of everything he stands for and therefore the perfect choice for his gremlin hands. Making everything a fish-eye lens so that the picture is itself a globe the rocket is taking off from is just cute shit.

This one actually broke containment, you see it in FLCL fanart dumps around the net. Yusuke Yoshigaki may be one of the youngest of the FLCL crew but he obviously gets it. Though he apparently hates Ninamori, poor girl getting very short billing here.

Fucking Princess Maker fanart, I have never seen Princess Maker fanart! Princess Maker 3 girl has a great outfit, what a trim, even if Princess Maker 2 in the middle is ofc the best game in the franchise

This Nadia piece by Nishigori works well for me, I love how smooth it is with the faded colors and thin lines while Nadia is still rocking things like a rainbow belt. The "modern AU" genre complete with girl-with-oversized-headphones is always a win, and hey now its retro; and I appreciate how modernized Nadia is while still looking like herself, its a good style blend.

Obligatory Imaishi Gonna Imaishi!

But yeah there is a lot more in there, actually this is one of several volumes of CD's. Definitely worth a look.

[animehouse-moe]

Ranking of Kings Season 2 Episode 9: Miranjo and The Demon | The Prince And His Treasures

I need to get my soap box and megaphone out so I can tell the world about how much I love this season. Maybe it's because I knew what we were in for before it came here, or maybe it's because Wit has been working animation magic these last few years. But this season of side stories for Ousama Ranking has been so amazing. Absolutely zero shortage of heartwarming and important and creative moments.

Starting with Miranjo's story as a child, where she finds the wish granting demon child in the forest. I think it's a really incredible story about duality. She finds herself lost in a deeper part of the forest after hitching a ride on some deer, only to spot the young demon feasting on a wild animal of some sort.

Right away, that dichotomy appears as Miranjo is peaceful and accepted by the wildlife, while the demon boy is shunned by it. You can say that they're also hostile and violent towards it, but that's a complete misinterpretation of the scene. They have to eat to survive, so they're unable to create that peaceful bond like Miranjo has, which I think is a rather impactful statement. And those comparisons and differences continue, with Miranjo always being in light and the demon boy remaining in the shadows.

But, the story turns on its head pretty quickly, as the demon child flees from Miranjo, and she chases after him before leaving him alone, and huffing and puffing on her way home before she gets lost. I think it's a really great pairing of pieces, as the foliage covers overhead of Miranjo in both scenes, dulling them in comparison to when the demon boy helps Miranjo find her way back home. It's incredibly cute because the light that Miranjo brought into the forest is the same light that the boy returns to her to help her home. The cramped forest that appeared around the demon boy, and that Miranjo poked through, is the same forest that the boy returns to so that they can find Miranjo. It's a circular story, reciprocative, as Miranjo brings happiness and light into the boy's life, and he returns the favor and in turn begins their friendship.

It's just so wonderful. The colors are amazing, the art style is incredibly precious, the direction is perfectly fitting for a fairy tale style, and I love how they use the forest to frame the various scenes. Using trees and foliage to create a suffocating and encroaching feeling before opening it up to allow for freedom and brightness later on. Such a wonderful story of how Miranjo and the demon boy came to be friends.

And quick side note, I really like that little backstory we got for the boy. Not cause it shows there's a whole town or whatever of demons, but how the story views adults and those seeking power as inherently evil and repulsive.

Anyways, on to part 2!

What a cute and endearing second half. Far less a cohesive story as it is the culmination of memories and experiences as Bojji runs all around the castle to deliver his treasures to the people whom they were discovered with. A lot of similar stuff, so I just want to highlight the importance/significance of the items.

First, we've got Bebin with the snake skin from a young Matsumata. Of course, it can signify his growth and the changes he underwent to get to where he is, but I'd also like to think it's a testament to how caring Bebin is inside that outer shell.

Next up, we've got Apeas (who was sporting some really awesome combat animation in his training), to whom he gives what looks like a piece of obsidian in the shape of a spear. I think it's an equally rewarding gift that commends Apea's honing of his abilities, and is in a way, Bojji recognizing the strength and power of Apeas, whom struggled greatly with that concept through the end of the first season.

Following Apeas, we have a double feature with Domas and Hokuro, who share the same gift of the shell of a cicada. I think this is a really precious one that does great at symbolizing how both of these characters have broken out of their shells and grown. Plus, over-emotional Domas is incredibly fun and endearing.

We've got another duo after this pair, with Hiling and Dorshe. Hiling sports a feather from some sort of bird, while Dorshe is given a fang. You'll have to forgive me, but I can't think of any symbolism or prior event for Bojji to give Hiling a feather for. Dorshe on the other hand? His gift of a fang makes perfect sense as a reward and treasure for how fiercely he defended Bojji's mother.

And last but not least is Daida's acorn. I think it's a really cute one that's equal parts innocuous and important. There's the whole idea of growth and strength associated with it, but more than that I feel its importance stems from the shared memory that Daida wants to cultivate with Bojji, by turning the acorn into a tree within the castle.

Now, there's a bit more to cover before I get to the end, so I just wanted to share some of the outstanding layouts from this episode. The use space and slightly warped perspectives through most of them is really creative and gives a refreshing twist on what can sometimes be typical layouts for "good" series.

This scene with Bojji giving Miranjo a crystal ball though has to be the best of the episode. Such a creative idea with incredible execution.

And then we get to the end, where they use the song from the first OP for the anime. Need I say much more? Incredibly endearing and precious, it's the perfect way to approach the end of such a nostalgic and memorable episode.

[maddiesbookshelves]

Always Never, by Jordi Lafebre

It's a love story in reverse. A platonic passion between two people. On the one side, there's Ana, a charismatic woman in her sixties, former mayor newly retired, a wife and a mom. A fighter with a big heart commanding respect. On the other side, there's Zeno, a confirmed bachelor, bookseller close to retiring and PhD student whose thesis took him forty years to write. A free spirit and traveller, as charming as he is mysterious.

Over the years, they have woven together an impossible and inexhaustible love. While going through the excuses that prevented it to happen, we rewind the clock on this romance, with all its twists and turns... Until its origins.

I bawled my eyes out when I reached the last page, it was amazing.

It was probably the most touching and beautiful love story I've read since... forever, maybe. The art style and the colors were what drew my attention first, and what was inside was just as beautiful as the cover.

The backward narration timewise was a really interesting way to tell Zeno and Ana's story because we know that something happened for them to lose touch and miss each other throughout the years, but we're left wondering what until we get there. It also means that some details come back at different points in time and we only understand where they come from later (the lilies were my favorite). It feels like we're being rewarded for paying attention to what's being said and drawn.

Anyways, much much love for this graphic novel, I'll borrow another one by Jordi Lafebre at the library as soon as possible.

French version under the cut

C'est l'histoire d'un amour à rebours. Une passion platonique mais éternelle entre deux êtres. D'un côté, il y a Ana. Sexagénaire charismatique, ancienne maire tout juste retraitée, mariée et maman. Une battante au grand coeur qui impose le respect. De l'autre, il y a Zeno. Célibataire endurci, libraire proche de la retraite et doctorant en physique qui aura mis quarante ans pour terminer sa thèse. Un esprit libre et voyageur, aussi séduisant que mystérieux.

Au fil des années, ils ont tissé ensemble un amour impossible et intarissable. Tout en égrainant les excuses qui ont empêché qu'elle ne prenne forme, on remonte le temps de cette romance et de ses méandres... jusqu'à sa source.

J'ai pleuré comme une madeleine quand je suis arrivée à la dernière page, c'était incroyable.

C'est probablement l'histoire d'amour la plus touchante et la plus belle que j'ai lu depuis... peut-être toujours. Les dessins et les couleurs sont ce qui a attiré mon regard en premier et l'intérieur de la BD est aussi beau que la couverture.

La narration à rebours était un moyen super intéressant de raconter l'histoire d'amour de Zéno et Ana parce qu'on sait qu'il s'est passé certaines choses pour qu'ils se perdent de vue et se ratent au fil du temps, et on se demande comment ça s'est produit jusqu'à ce qu'on y arrive. Ça permet aussi d'avoir des détails qui se répètent et dont on ne comprend l'origine que plus tard (les lys étaient mon détail préféré). On se sent récompensé quand on fait attention à ce qu'il se dit ou ce qui est dessiné.

Bref, gros gros gros coup de cœur, j'emprunterai une autre BD de Jordi Lafebre à la bibliothèque dès que possible.