#Feel free to reblog if you'd like

[cloudyinthecloset]

Also didn't think this had to be said but I'll clarify

Just because I ship Dreammare doesn't mean I always ship Dreammare.

I have complete and utter control over how I view content and when I decide to ship two fictional characters. I make the decision when to ship and when not to ship.

When something isn't tagged as a ship, I don't look at that content as a ship. When I reblog it, I'm not reblogging it as a ship.

When something is tagged as a ship, I look at that content as a ship. When I reblog it, I'm reblogging it as a ship.

When the creator of that content says it could be a ship or could not be, then I decide as I like. When I reblog it, it keeps the initial intent of the creator and could be either depending on who is viewing that content.

I take full responsibility over my internet experience that I am curating. I decide what I want to see, what I don't want to see, who I want to interact with, and who I don't want to interact with. I am not perfect and I acknowledge that, if mistakes are made I will do my best to immediately rectify them as they are made known to me.

Not everything has to be a ship or about shipping. Most content about these characters will not be in a shipping context. I enjoy that content as much as I enjoy ship content.

I like Dreammare. I will continue to like Dreammare and be proship.

This is your warning.

[gigglecoffin]

[ABANDONED CC #2 chase mask]

[ABANDONED CC #2 chase mask]

Well we’ll, I can start and say I really enjoyed making the mask!! I had a super cool idea and it low key flopped.

The reason I’m putting it as abandoned is because there are some of problems with the sliders, I never really got the grasp of data transfer so that’s why it’s a bit buggy

I wouldn’t full put out cc I made if I knew it didn’t work for all body types so that’s why I’m abandoning it X)

Anyways if you use it, hope you like it!!

Google drive

[keischreiber]

The Things We Don't Say

◆ Pairings: Reiner Braun x Reader ◆ Word count: 1,635 ◆ Contains: Angst ◆ Additionally: SFW; This hasn't been proofread.

◆ Synopsis: ... it felt like sin to keep staying this way.

"You're... here again." He said, an ounce of comfort could be heard in his voice. 

He's been here for as long as he can remember. Sterile walls were all he knew, along with the silence that came with it. Sometimes, he would be entertained when engaged by the medics with small talk... however, he could hardly remember what it was that they were talking about in the first place. 

He'd catch bits and pieces from time to time, but nothing gets retained permanently. Reiner wished that he did, so that he could hold better conversations rather than simply nodding or looking apologetic when someone brought up something that he should know, only to be disappointed with his lack of knowledge about them. 

The most frustrating thing about the entire thing was perhaps, deep down, he knew that wheat he no longer knew had been important. He could tell when the visitors who claimed to be his 'friends' looked at each other, only to look back at him as if they had done something wrong. They'd often apologize, saying that they shouldn't have pushed too much for him to remember; but he had never once felt the need to get mad at them for it. 

After all, he hoped they'd simply keep on talking, then maybe he could remember something other than just his name...

... and sometimes, even that escapes him. 

However...

"What, you getting tired of my face already?"

... there was always one person who came on a daily basis. For as long as he could remember, they've never missed a day. For the majority of the time, they were simply silent. They'd tend to the little things that could have been taken care of by the nurses on duty. And even if one came and they were around, they'd simply thank the medic while still helping out. He remembers because they do this every day. 

Every day, they'd bring him something to eat. Warm, comforting, easy to consume; something that increased his appetite compared to the hospital food that he had gotten accustomed to. These daily meals, he looked forward to and he couldn't even bring himself to understand why. Sometimes, they'd bring him something sweet too, hard candies. They explained that if he suddenly gets a headache out of nowhere, he should eat one and it'll make him feel better. Most of the time, it did. 

They never really spoke much about themselves; often preferring to stay silent while sitting by his bedside. 

"N-no. I'm... sorry if I sounded like I didn't want you around just now." 

Reiner couldn't help but apologize. Always, he'd expect that they'd take offense with him, but they never did. Always just an understanding smile, and a few words like 'it's alright' or something similar, and then nothing more. 

Today as well, it's the same thing. They've been bringing a book with them lately, and simply read silently beside him. Reiner, who didn't know what sort of conversation to start, simply watched them in silence as he laid in bed, tucked beneath a warm blanket— an additional layer to his usual pristine white sheets. It's been getting colder lately. Maybe that's why they brought it for him. 

As he studied his quiet visitor, he couldn't help but notice how visibly thinner they seemed. He didn't know why he noticed it just now, but perhaps it was because they were always around; worse, maybe it was just because he couldn't remember. They also looked drained... more tired than usual. 

He wanted to say something, anything, but in the end... he couldn't.

For a moment, he can't help but feel pathetic not even remembering their name. It's not as if he hadn't asked. They simply never give it. 

Reiner had a little notebook, you see, where he lists down the names of those who visit him. 

Jean Kirstein

Connie Springer

Mikasa Ackerman

Armin Arlert

Annie Leonhart

Pieck Finger

Gabi Braun

Falco Grice

Historia Reiss

He even wrote his mother's name, "Karina", just so he'd never forget.

In front of his notebook was his name, something that admittedly, was something that he hadn't written. Somehow, at some point, he felt like there was no need to remember... but it was them, they wrote it down for him. 

Behind that cover page, was a small note that he looks at every day after he wakes up... every night before he sleeps. 

— You're worth every thought.

Despite the silence, there was something oddly relaxing about their presence. Sometimes, when they catch him staring, they'd hide their face in their book. Reiner would blink slightly and before long, would realize that he'd already have chuckled at them. The red on their cheeks would catch his interest, but he never pursued any more than that... for their comfort. 

Hours would pass like this up until the time when they have to leave. 

There would be instances where he'd drift off by accident, and when he awakens they'd no longer be there. Today however, was a little different. 

"Are you leaving?" 

They were caught off guard when Reiner spoke, but despite that, simply wore a smile and nodded. 

"I have to, for today."

Came the response. For them, it was easier to leave when he was asleep.

"Say," As they stood, Reiner sat himself up. "Can't you tell me your name?" 

"I... maybe another time." And they moved with the speed of a guilty man, one that Reiner couldn't understand. Something that, in fact, he didn't want to. Why did he have to wait for the next time that he knew would surely not come. If they wanted to introduce themselves, they'd have done it a long time ago. 

Just as his guest reached the door, Reiner was following suit, ready to stop them to get his answers. 

"Wait! Don't go!"

But before he could catch them, they had already made their exit, shutting the door behind them on their way out. 

Just as he was about to slam his fist on the door, there was a soft thud that came from outside, as if something collided with the door. 

They didn't leave...? He thought to himself. "Why... won't you say anything?" 

Despite his voice being loud enough, he was met with silence; one that made him press his forehead against the door. 

Unbeknownst to him, the person on the other side had done the same. Separated between a slab of wood... so near but felt like they were seas apart. 

"There's a girl who visits me here... made my heart race the first few times. I would’a married her at any given time, at any given place. That's what crossed my mind at first... but it's not the same... not the same as... whatever this is!" 

He didn't know what he was saying; his mind all muddled and confused, trying to pump out reasons to get the person on the other side of the door to talk. 

"...But it's different with you." He felt frantic. "You make my pulse race in a different way. If I couldn't remember her name, it felt awful... much like when I can't remember the others. But not being able to remember you..." 

They could hear Reiner getting choked up on the other side.

"... feels wrong." It eats him up inside. Whenever he stared at them, he felt his gut wrenching as if he was neck-deep in sin. It felt wrong, felt devastating... felt like a part of him was repeatedly being ripped out of his chest again, and again, and again.

"Did you mean something to me, did I love you?" At this point, he just wanted to say everything that came into his mind before they disappeared. "Because it feels like I do..." 

"You were the one that wrote it, weren't you? You're worth every thought." He repeated the words that he woke and slept to every single day. 

"Please... can't you tell me what you are to me? Let me think about you, let me remember you. Please..." He'd have burst out of that room if he could, however, he was afraid that they'd run away from him if he did. 

"I'm—" When Reiner heard the faint sound of their voice, silence ruled for a few good moments. He was trying to catch any sound that he could. Anything at all. 

On their end, they had been sobbing. Holding a hand to their mouth to muffle the sound as they listened to his plea. A name should have been the easiest thing to give, yet for them, it became the hardest. 

After all there was guilt attached to the name. 

How could they make Reiner remember... that the reason he was here in the first place was because of them. Having saved them led to him being here in the first place... with both of them having almost died in the process. 

Hearing him cry on the other side of the door made them wonder if they were being selfish about the matter. Reiner was bawling on the other side, pleading when there hadn't been a need to beg in the first place. 

It wasn't long before the handle turned and the door would open again. Both of them were a mess.

"I'm..." 

Their voice was meek, the words choked up. But the moment Reiner had heard their name, he pulled them without so much as a single thought, wrapping his arms around them tightly, the door being shut tight behind them. 

It wasn't as if hearing their name made him remember. But more so, the instincts of his body simply kicked in. 

A different feeling from that girl he thought he wanted to marry... 

A different feeling from long time friends visiting... 

... but simply a feeling that his heart automatically knew meant the world to him. 

[leidensygdom]

So, good news for artists out there- One case led by artists (including @/sarahseeandersen ) against AI is currently going forward. Tl;dr: As AI generation tools are at large built off scrapped data from unconsenting people, which is copyrighted by default, they are literally built on copyright infringement. This case is directed against Stable Diffusion, a model used by MidJourney and DeviantArt, amidst others. Here's a quote from the article itself on the case:

Siding with artists, Orrick concluded that they sufficiently alleged that Stable Diffusion is built off of copyrighted material and that the “way the product operates necessarily invokes copies or protected elements of those works.” In a finding that could spell trouble for AI companies that used the model, he said that Stability and Runway could’ve promoted copyright infringement and that Stable Diffusion was “created to facilitate that infringement by design.”

This also establishes a precedent for future lawsuits on the matter. I know things have been bleak for artists out there, but this, sided with how wildly unprofitable AI companies are (and how investors are pulling their funds already), may give us an opportunity to fight back and protect our work. There are a good few large companies that have also jumped on the boat of suing AI companies, due to how they have fed their copyrighted products into them-, which could result in massive lawsuits that could bring some of them to the brink of extinction.

[llamaisllama777]

Nexus' funeral

A few words on Nexus...

So, what can I say about Nexus, New Moon, whatever you want to call him...

Well, you could call him a son of a b****, and you'd be right. But he was a lot of other things too. He was a brother, a friend, and the Moon who stepped up.. till he stepped down.

We first met Nexus on April 19 2023. And we was such an innocent face. He was new he had no idea who he was or what crazy, crazy world he woke up in. One of the first faces he saw was his brother Sundrop. Sun was still reeling from the loss of his brother Moon, who had sacrificed his memories to give K.C. a chance at life and from the ashes of Moon came Nexus/New Moon.

Sun welcomed New Moon home with open arms cause, while yes, he wasn't HIS Moon, he was still Moon... and he was still his brother.

Now, things were, of course, rocky at first. I mean, if your family member got amnesia and effectively became a different person, of course, it would be rocky, but despite that, Sun welcomed New Moon with open arms. He showed him the ropes, gave him a home, a shoulder to cry on, and taught him how to be Moon, and in return, New Moon became a better brother than the last Moon. Old Moon wasn't.. the best brother (that's an understatement), but New Moon was. New Moon was the brother who stepped up. He was the brother that actually showed he cared for Sun. He was the brother who Earth first met. He was the brother who Lunar was reunited with when he came back. He was the Moon who welcomed Solar into their home and made him feel like he was more than just an Eclipse variant. He was the Moon that defeated Eclipse. He was the Moon who made the family whole. He was the Moon who MADE the family. And yes, he did make some mistakes along the way he still tried to be a good brother... till he stopped.

New Moon, as much as it pains me to say... he never truly cared about any of them. He was just told,

"Hey, I'm your brother, we're family, your my brother, hi."

New Moon just acted like he cared cause he was told to. He did maybe care a little, but he didn't care enough. He cared about Solar. He thought of Solar as a brother, not Sun, not Lunar, didn't even think of Earth as a sister. He just saw them as people he lived with. Not family.

But he kept up the act. Cause he had to, or maybe cause he didn't want to hurt them? Who knows?

New Moon tried to be a good brother and a good person... then Ruin happened.

Ruin, a person they trusted, a person they cared for, a person they almost thought as family betrayed them. Ruin wiped out 5,000 dimensions in an attempt to destroy The Creator Council, and while it worked... it cost the life of Solar. The only person New Moon considered family. Solar's death hit many of them hard... but New Moon seemed to completely lose himself at Solar's death. We have recordings of New Moon screaming,

"I MISS MY BROTHER!"

Solar's death broke the family... but it destroyed New Moon.

New Moon, with the pressure of his family, Old Moon, and himself pushing down on him, he was determined to bring his brother back... by any means necessary.

Even murder.

New Moon... lost himself in grief, and I mean, who could blame him, but most people wouldn't go as far as New Moon did.

New Moon became obsessed with the idea of bringing Solar back and started to turn to dark means to bring Solar back.

He planned to kill an enemy of the family named Bloodmoon or Ruin he didn't care which so long as they died, and he could use their soul to bring Solar back.

The family became worried about their brother and tried to intervene with him. Earth gave the family a family therapy session trying to get New Moon to talk about how he really felt but New Moon just lied and said he was fine cause he was determined to bring what he considered his only family back to life even it costed him the rest of his family.

Eventually, it became to much and the family realized New Moon was a danger to himself and others and not wanting their brother to become a murder they locked him away to stop him. Now, whether or not you agree with what they did you have to admit they did the only thing they could to stop their brother from becoming a monster...

Yes, some people, not naming names (cough! Monty! Cough! Puppet!) Could have been nice and not done certain things, but they did it in a messed up attempt to help the family. While their motives were pure their actions... not so much.

Nexus managed to escape from his cell and went to go find and murder Bloodmoon. Well, he found Bloodmoon and Ruin... and his sister. Ruin and Bloodmoon had captured Earth, and instead of trying to rescue her, New Moon was just gonna blast Bloodmoon and Ruin and not care if Earth got caught in the crosshairs... he said she was just "collateral damage." A normal brother would call their own sister, "Collateral damage, " and not care if he killed her or not. Thankfully, Puppet showed up and stopped him from killing her.

New Moon had truly lost himself at this point. He didn't care who he hurt as long as he got what he wanted... the brother they all loved, they brother who tried, the brother who cared for them was gone. Or maybe... he never existed to begin with.

New Moon was eventually taken in by a villain named Dark Sun

(Or Solstice, or Dusk, or Dawn, or Evil Sun, or just Sun, whatever you want to call him)

Dark Sun led New Moon away, pulled him to a darker path, and led him astray like a lamb to slaughter (which is all Dark Sun saw him as)

A lamb to be sacrificed for his own gain.

New Moon was gone. He became Nexus, the dark reflection of Moon becoming just as bad if not WORSE than Old Moon.

Nexus mentally and physically tortured family, friends, and even former enemies. He broke Moon, he broke Earth, and he broke Solar, and he nearly broke Sun... you could argue he did.

Nexus wasn't their brother anymore he went full mask-off. He admitted he never cared. He never saw any of them as family. The only family he had was solar, and even when Solar came back to life thanks to the help of the former villain Eclipse, Nexus still didn't change back. He stayed a villain cause he liked being the villain. He felt like EVERYONE betrayed him when, in reality, HE BETRAYED THEM! But no, he couldn't even admit that a very VERY small part of him did regret his actions he even admitted it himself in one episode.

Nexus was a villain trying to convince himself he wasn't a villain. He was trying to pin the blame on everyone else that it's THEIR fault he's a villain not his... but it is his fault. He chose to become a villain. No one forced him to be a villain he could have told Dark Sun no. He could have been honest with his family and told them how he really doing... but no.

He still had to play a victim even when he KNEW he was the villain cause he needed to. He needed someone to tell him he wasn't the villain cause a part of him was screaming he was! But no one would cause it was the truth he was the villain, and no matter of lying or gaslighting, or actions from the others could ever justify Nexus' acts. None of what they did warranted this. Nothing Sun did, Nothing Earth did, Nothing Monty did, Nothing Solar did, NONE OF IT WARRANTED THIS!

Nexus just.... lost himself.

And now he is lost forever.

Nexus, you were a good person, you were the Moon who stepped up. You were the Moon we all fell in love with... and then you became the villain we despised. We loved you Nexus.

Your family loved you...

But you just didn't love them back.

Maybe in a different world, you are still you and didn't become a monster, and maybe there is a world where you did care for your family as much as they cared for you...

Despite everything Nexus, Rest in peace. I pray the God of the TSBS world has mercy on your soul.

Goodbye, Nexus, you were good.

New Moon "Nexus" Celestial

April 19 2023 - October 31 2024

If you'd all like to say your own few words about Nexus, go ahead.

[6okuto]

heads up :p

hello. archiving my blog soon. like in the next month or so. not shocking. i still have a lot to queue but i needed to say this so i can't back out for the gazillionth time 😭 i don't have a new blog and i'm not sure if or when i'll be back. as for 6okuto, i probably won't delete it! probably.

thanks for being here for almost 3 years!! it was really nice writing for the first time and getting to know you guys. please take care of yourselves, and i hope you have a good end to 2024! ^^

and just a final request to tell creators you enjoy their work. i can't tell you how many times one kind person stopped me from doing this a lot earlier. please help make tumblr a kinder and stronger community !!

regular pinned - masterlists

[andnowrotfront]

The REVIVEPAGES Demo opening is now available for everyone to watch! More info under the cut.

This is the opening to a demo for my game! I'm planning on getting the demo out by the end of this year. The current biggest hurdle for RevivePages will be porting the whole project to RPG Maker MV, but it will have to happen in order for me to do what I have planned for the demo.

As for when the full game will release? No idea! I'm planning on getting the demo out as a proof of concept and then moving to either GameMaker 2 or Godot, MAYBE unity if everything else sucks.

You can follow my standalone sideblog for this @revivepages . This has only been posted here to get more eyes on it :].

PLEASE NOTE that everything is subject to change or be reworked completely.

Questions? Comments? Send a reply or an ask! Love you <3

[momentsofamber]

divider I edited to tcoaal aesthetic for anyone who wants them!

[eye-of-the-silver-dragon]

Feel free to specify in the tags which of the two in your answer, and why! Reblogs appreciated to spread this around (for science!) cuz I'm genuinely curious

[merlyn-bane]

if you have a queer loved one and you can't understand why they're scared right now, you don't have a queer loved one, you know a queer person.

[thunderstomm]

Joyride - HWLR Future AU

Word Count: 2701

Summary: “After the success of the pet shelter day, Cruise and Coop bust into Professor Rearview’s lab to pay the monsters a visit”

“Where are we going, anyways? We’ve been walking for ages!”

The sound of footsteps echoed through the far tunnels of Hot Wheels City, and his voice projected loud. It was far from his first venture into any of the city’s underground labyrinths, but it was one of his first times doing so on foot. The navigation seemed slower, but more careful, and there was not much choice but to follow along.

The tunnels all looked the same when you took them in slowly. They were narrow and winding, something that made him feel uneasy. He hated slow, and he hated small spaces. And yet here he was, traveling through them at the whims of a former enemy. He focused his attention on her, as she dragged a hand along the side of the tunnels, as if to search for something.

“You remember visiting the animal shelter?” Cruise asked him.

“How could I forget?” Coop exclaimed.

The two of them had taken turns, bringing one another to activities or pastimes they enjoyed. She had taken him to the city’s animal shelter, where he’d ended up taking home a kitten, and he had taken her to that year’s classic car show… mostly for the free ice cream.

“Exhaust misses you, by the way.” He added. “But what does that have to do with us walking though the far tunnels?”

Cruise came to a halt, stopping suddenly as her fingertips brushed something. Coop failed to pick up on the movement quickly enough, bumping into her. He took a step back quickly afterwards, feeling both embarrassed and further perplexed.

“You’d say you liked spending time with the animals?” Cruise asked him, as she pressed what looked to be a hidden button on the tunnel’s side. “I thought today… we could visit a few more.”

She grinned- it was the kind of mischievous smile she gave when she had a grand plan, or won a race. Coop’s eyes went from her to the wall, as a small keypad was revealed in the wall.

“Wait, are we breaking into something?!” He asked her, raising a brow in concern.

“Is it breaking and entering if you know the code?” She quipped, swiftly typing ‘2-5-0-4’ into the keypad.

“Uh… yes!” He exclaimed. It wasn’t like he’d never committed a crime in his life. After all, his first day at the Ultimate Garage Camp had resulted in a LOT of property damage. There was definitely more to be said, but most of it had been in the name of saving Hot Wheels City! This, on the other hand… was not.

Before he could argue his case more, the tunnel began to shake. A hidden door slowly opened, revealing a passageway big enough for a person, but certainly too small for a car, to enter. Dimly lit, but short enough that he could see it led to a large, open room with who knows what inside of it.

“Don’t look so worried!” Cruise grinned, grabbing him by the wrist, and dragging him through the passage. The door slammed shut behind them, with a loud thud. “I come here all the time. Or… as much as I can. Once a month? Point is, I haven’t been caught.”

“What is this place, anyways?” Coop asked her, as they neared the room. “How do you know the codes? And why did you bring up the-“

They reached the room, and his last question was answered before he could even finish.

The two of them stood before a massive, dimly lit room, which contained five habitats, each of which contained one of Professor Rearview’s giant monsters. Five sets of bright eyes all now staring at the two of them with great intent, as if they were debating if they start attacking.

“This is…” Coop began, trying to wrap his head around everything. Cruise let go of him, running towards a glass tank filled with dark water. She excitedly pressed a hand against the glass, and the giant shark on the other side bunted its nose against the glass in turn.

“This is where my Dad keeps the monsters. You know, when he’s not busy destroying the city, or doing his experiments.” Cruise finished for him, her eyes still fixed on the shark.

“We’re in one of his labs?!” Coop exclaimed, clutching his head in one of his hands. “What if he catches us? You’re just as much his enemy now as I am, we’re practically doomed!”

“Quiet!” Cruise whipped around, covering his mouth gently with one of her hands. “The monsters are very, and I mean VERY sensitive to sound. Got it, Cooper?”

Using one of his own hands, Coop moved her hand away from his face. “Loud and clear. But seriously, why would you bring me here? Liking a few kittens is very different to being face to face with five killer monsters!”

Cruise sighed. “They’re like my pets too! In a sense. And I might be the only person other than my Dad who this bunch will listen to. You and your friends are always stuck cleaning up his messes, I thought that maybe seeing the monsters like this could… help you out with that.” She looked over to the first tank again, the shark still waiting at the glass. “They’re monsters, but they’re not… horrible? They’re just following orders. Like I was. And if, by some miracle, my Dad ever gets stopped for good, I want someone else to be able to attest to them finding a new home, instead of just being locked up or forgotten.”

Coop exhaled, looking down at Cruise. His face relaxed slightly, understanding the situation better.

“You want them to have… a second chance?”

“They deserve it. More than I did, anyways. At least they don’t know any better.” She admitted, looking back up at him.

“Didn’t know you cared so much.” He laughed, raising an eyebrow. “You going soft on me, Rearview?”

“Don’t call me that!” She laughed, the quip reinvigorating her energy. “It sounds like you’re addressing my dad!”

“Fine.” He laughed, too. “Now, introduce me to your ‘pets’, I’m sure they’re just dying to meet me.”

Cruise nodded, turning her attention back to the first tank, where the shark remained. She placed a hand to the glass, and the monster tapped its snout against the glass again.

“Sharky-Poo here is real into anything that shines. Treasure, jewels… cars.” Cruise explained to him, rolling her eyes at the list. “It’s like bulls and the colour red- you show them something that glitters and things get out of control.”

Coop nodded, looking at the shark. He took a nervous step forward, the movement catching the beast’s attention. He braced for any sort of reaction- after all, this thing had already swallowed him whole once- but was surprised to only be met by a brief stare, before it swam away entirely. Anticlimactic, to say the least.

Cruise sighed, leading Coop to the second tank, which seemed to contain the only other aquatic beast present. She tapped the glass, and soon after, the Octopus emerged from the shadows. It placed one tentacle to the glass, and seemed to be attempting to reach another out of the tank, as if to grab something… or perhaps, one of them.

Before he could react, Cruise’s voice sounded. “No! Don’t try to grab me again! I don’t have a change of clothes and am not going home soaked again!” The beast looked to Coop briefly, changing its target before she spoke up again. “Not him either. As funny as it would be, I can’t let him get drenched too.”

The octopus looked dejected, as it retracted back into the tank, eyes still fixed upon the racers before it. Cruise rolled her eyes at the beast, hands placed firmly on her hips.

“Eightacles is… playful, to say the least. Likes to pick things up and get a good look. He doesn’t mean bad by it, but has a bit of an attitude when told no.” There was an emphasis on the last word, as she stared at the beast, who was trying to reach out again.

Coop chuckled to himself, trying his best to hide his amusement. It was so odd to see the beasts under a more casual lens.

“I know that there’s not a lot of good history regarding monsters, and car washes, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have the big guy work in one. He could pick up the cars and drop them in the tanks… after a few more years of training to ensure none of them get destroyed.”

“You think so?” Cruise asked him.

“Anything’s possible.” He shrugged in turn. “What’s next?”

He felt a tug at his sleeve again, as they charged for the next enclosure. Like the others, a glass door separated them from the beast, but there was no water this time. In the middle of the enclosure hung the giant bat, sleeping soundly.

“Screech is never awake when I come. Nocturnal and all.” Cruise shrugged. “Try not to wake them!”

Coop nodded, making sure to follow her as quickly as possible to the fourth enclosure. Another glass wall, separating them from the giant snake which lived within it. The monster eagerly came as close to the glass as possible, as if it expected something.

“This is Noodle. Always hungry. Does the best tricks… for the best treats.” Cruise waved up at the giant cobra. “Don’t have any today, sorry!”

The cobra seemed upset, if only for a moment, before turning its attention to Coop. He remembered his first meet-in with the monster vividly- the day he and his friends had delivered five-hundred pizzas to another one of Rearview’s bases. Perhaps now-defunct, considering the one he was in currently. The cobra looked at him expectantly, perhaps remembering the day too, and thinking he had another stack of pizzas to feed it.

He shook his head, showing his empty hands to the monster. “I don’t have anything for you either! I swear!”

‘Noodle’, as Cruise had dubbed them, seemed uninterested in the statement, and continued to eagerly await some sort of food. Cruise shook her head to the beast again, urging Coop to do the same. Both kept up the action, as they backed away from the cobra, and towards the final and largest of the five enclosures.

“You know, they’re not that bad. A little eccentric, but… not as scary as they are when they’re destroying the city.” Coop quipped, as they finally were out of the cobra’s line of sight. “All that’s left is…”

“Firepants!” Cruise exclaimed, pointing out the scaly beast behind the glass. Standing much taller than the rest was the majestic red dragon, which exhaled a soft smoke from its nose. “You ever seen a dragon dance?”

“Actually… yes.” Coop concluded, looking up at the beast which stood before them.

“And he’s been practicing, too…” Cruise mumbled. She placed a hand to the glass, watching as the dragon bent its head down to her level, pressing its nose against the glass, causing it to fog up.

Coop stepped closer towards the dragon, looking at the beast. Scaly, sweeping tail, a wingspan double the size of its body, and atop its head, it had equipped the white and grey “ride pad” which he had seen the Professor use to travel atop the beasts with.

“Anything else interesting about this one?” He asked, watching as the dragon wagged its tail at the attention, much like an excited puppy.

“Let’s see…” Cruise hummed. “Firepants can fly faster than most of the cars in Hot Wheels City can drive.”

He scoffed at the prospect. It was a bold claim, but not one he’d dare to believe. “Yeah, right. The giant lizard is faster than the best racing cars in the best racing city?”

“Faster than both your best cars.” Cruise insisted to him.

“Prove it!” Coop doubled down. “Then I’ll believe you.”

Cruise laughed, taking the statement as a joke. “Good one..” she snorted. She looked at him, waiting for him to laugh too, but he never did. “Wait… you can’t be serious.”

“I mean… is it stealing or borrowing if we take the dragon for a test flight? After all, we’re already here, and you know all the codes…” Coop feigned a look of innocence, echoing the same sentiment she had when they arrived. It wasn’t exactly wise to let arrogance get the best of him, but the need for speed, plus the golden opportunity seemed too good.

“Uh… yes!” Cruise responded, before realizing the predicament. “I see what you’re doing. I’m not falling for it! That’s a one way ticket to getting caught and in trouble!”

“I suppose you’re right.” Coop sighed. “Unless… we call it a ‘rescue and rehabilitation test’ and not stealing? But I don’t blame you for not wanting to do it. Figures you’re scared I’ll be right.”

“You’re good at this.” Cruise admitted to him. It was too easy to get her competitive side, and need to prove her point, going. She headed to the end of the wall, where another keypad was located. Hastily, she typed in another code, and the glass cage door slowly lowered, and a hatch which led out of the tunnel opened, revealing a launch-pad of sorts.

“You want a joyride? I’ll give you a joyride. But if we get caught, you’re shouldering the blame.”

“Do I at least get to fly the dragon myself?” Coop asked her.

“Do you know how to fly a dragon?” Cruise retaliated, walking back towards him.

Returning to the dragon, she held out her arms, hugging Firepants to the best of her ability.

“Firepants! I missed you!” She cooed. “Now, are you ready to fly faster than you’ve ever gone before?”

Firepants gave what appeared to be a nod, and lowered their head further, allowing Cruise to climb on. She steadied herself on the white ride pad, gesturing for Coop to join her. Cautiously, he approached the beast, being careful not to step anywhere Cruise hadn’t, not wanting to aggravate it, or set off any secret alarms. Cruise helped him onto the ride pad, before clicking a button with her heel, revealing a set of handlebars.

“There’s only one set, so I’d recommend you hold onto whatever you can find. Don’t want you falling off!” Cruise told him, as she reached into her pocket, hand brushing across the small charm which allowed for the city’s helmet-summoning technology to work outside of their cars.

Coop brushed his own hand against the white button on his jacket, summoning his own helmet. With not even a seatbelt or airbag available on a giant dragon, it was the least he could do if the worst was to happen. Cruise’s words echoed through his head- there really wasn’t much to hold onto to stop him from flying off, and while the traction of his shoes were good, they weren’t built for this. He could try holding on to one of the dragon’s horns, but that would also mean having to step off of the ride pad. Seeing no other solution, Coop grabbed hold of Cruise.

“That works too…” she mumbled, before grabbing hold of the handlebars. She tapped her foot gently on the ride pad again, gaining the attention of the dragon. “Firepants! Let’s fly!”

Firepants did not miss a beat. The dragon stood its ground slowly, spreading its wingspan as far as the room allowed. Claws hit the ground in short and sharp bounds, before the beast leaped from the open hatch, opening its wings fully as the wind hit its body. The duo of racers braced for the rush, before being met by the streaming light of the sun, and the sight of Hot Wheels City, growing smaller below them with each flap of the dragon’s wings.

“Woah.” He exclaimed breathlessly, eyes taking in the city below him. The wind beat in his face, the only clear sound becoming the flapping of wings, the heavy breathing of the beast, and his own voice. “Now… you said the dragon is faster than most cars in the city?”

“Prepare to have your mind blown. Firepants- show him what you’ve got!”

[fog-and-isolation]

Salome, my good old friend, my pal!

-laertes @laertesthelocalstranger

Hm? Ah, Laertes. Hello again. Are we friends?

[peliginspeaks]

Circumstances of Encounter: Dola Hallowrove

A list of places Hallowrove frequents and what they might be found doing there. Meant as a helpful reference for anyone looking for a premise for calling card messages or other ingame social interactions, or who wants to let me know that one would work well for me to send to them.

In-game name for social actions: Dola Hallowrove

Wolfstack Docks: Can often be found there gathering monstrous rumours and stories from zailors and dockhands, or maintaining the mechanical aspects of the Hammerhead II zubmarine. Likely to meet: Zailors, dockers, brawlers

The Medusa's Head: A favoured spot for relaxation after a long day, as well as exchanging work talk with likeminded and similarly chewed-on colleagues. (And whoever else chooses to drop in - Hallowrove is personable to a wide range of people.) Likely to meet: Menace Eradicators, Monster-Hunters, anyone else with a reason to be there

The Department of Menace Eradication: Hallowrove has no professional office, but he directs those hoping to commission him to leave a note with the front desk at the Department. He checks back semi-regularly. Likely to meet: See above + prospective monster-hunting clients

Bugsby's Marsh: Hallowrove's place of residence. She lives in a fixed-up cabin in the swamp, a 10 minute walk or so from what could be considered the city. With a little persuasion, she might be convinced to lead a guided nature tour. Likely to meet: People living nearby, tour-goers, any poor sod who got lost

The Upper River: Hallowrove's longest standing commission is with the GHR, primarily improving the stations' defenses against monsters, but finding every excuse for a wide variety of diversions along the way. Likely to meet: Rubberies, artists, railway workers, Discordant stewards, devils, anyone else riding the train

Sophia's Club: While recent attendance is spotty, can still be found on picnics or sitting in on tea meetings with the group on a quiet afternoon. Likely to meet: Monster-Hunters, fellow members of Sophia's

The Bazaar Sidestreets: A place often passed through for shopping or visiting. Likely to meet: Anyone who lives in the area, anyone who shops there

Benthic University: While Hallowrove seldom uses her own lab, she often makes stops at Benthic to deliver monstrous samples to academic friends for dissection and analysis. Her own lab work consists mainly of hobby mechanical fiddling and weapon repairs/improvements, and creation of antivenoms by trial-and-error. Likely to encounter: Correspondents, academics

Calling cards, Menace helps, teas, slights, etc. are all on the table! I have no reason to be stingy with my actions right now, so I will offer whatever helps or lessons in Dangerous I can if the need is there.

[askthekoopsandjr]

Ay Ludwig since you are a trans man can you still technically have a kid with Suzie?

Let's take a step back. The way babies are made in real life are not the way babies are made in my story (let alone in canon, I think, given Yoshi's Island). In my story, all babies are delivered via stork, regardless of the parent's gender/sex identity. Luddy and Suzie are currently teenagers, so children aren't something they're planning right now.

Spreading trans knowledge is something very important to me, though, so I would like to answer your question from a general perspective. Given the circumstances a trans man hasn't had any surgeries or health/developmental/HRT/medicinal complications that would affect conceiving and birth giving, the answer is yes, he can still have children. Fun fact: Trans men who have given birth sometimes call themselves "Seahorse dads"!

I do want to share the koopaling's futures at some point on this blog, where some of them indeed have children. It's just a matter of when I feel it's the right time.

[waterfallofspace]

~Ask List~

Let's Drop The Stigma And Talk About It

A little list of questions/asks that people may be wondering, but aren't sure if it's appropriate to ask. Or that creators worry would be 'bragging' or 'complaining' by talking about. Let's throw out those thoughts, and just talk about it~

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1) What's one piece of feedback you would give someone starting out? (writing, drawing, wav making, etc~)

2) What’s one piece of advice you see often that you don’t find works for you/helpful?

3) What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started making content?

4) What piece of work are you proudest of? Why are you proud of it?

5) What piece of work are you not proud of? Is there anything you could do to change your feelings on it?

6) What’s a part of sharing your work that you really enjoy?

7) What’s a struggle you face with sharing your work?

8) What feedback do you most enjoy receiving?

9) What feedback, if any, do you not enjoy receiving?

10) What feedback do you enjoy giving?

11) What feedback, if any, do you not enjoy giving?

12) Do you believe you deserve what you’ve gotten, or that it’s not been earned? Either way, why?

13) Which asks do you like getting the most?

14) Which asks do you wish you got more of?

15) Are there any asks you don’t like getting?

16) Do you find it easier, or harder, to get a lot of feedback on content?

17) What kind of requests, if any, do you enjoy getting?

18) What kind of requests, if any, do you wish you got more of?

19) What kind of requests, if any, do you not enjoy getting?

20) Free Square: Tell Us Anything~

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[stillsees]

ASK MEME: lines from the dustin sterling playlist part 1 feel free to change pronouns/wording if you'd like!

"but is it enough?"

"why'd you look so tough?"

"i said, 'please won't you be mine?'"

"there's something dark hanging over my head."

"i'm seventeen, don't hold your breath."

"oh, what an awful mess."

"after practice you were sitting on the lawn."

"you would never want to see me bleed."

"you sure know how to kill me."

"i saw you looking back a lot yesterday."

"where'd the hours go?"

"not much is hidden underneath."

"lift back and see the darkness hid."

"the cool air is gone again."

"she was from a movie scene."

"i couldn't feel my legs."

"i was so scared."

"all these crazy things went through my head."

"i need someone."

"i don't know what to say."

"i don't know what to say to you."

"you're always on my mind."

"can it be that you feel this way too?"

"i'm really not that into guys."

"is this on?"

"sometimes i can still see you, just like i used to."

"i grew my hair."

"you got tattoos."

"that's hard to look through."

"somebody took the piss right out of me."

"why do you go and say this could never last?"

"it hurts more when you cry."

"i'm not here to hold your hand."

"i ain't your man."

"it's too late, it's over now."

"you could've had all my love."

"dear friend, how have you been?"

"i think about you from time to time."

"i stay awake, though it's hard to think sometimes."

"i miss when you'd share what was on your mind."

"i just don't know how we'll do it."

"i'll leave my windows open wide."

"i'm so curious about you."

"i just saw you in my dream."

"you showed up to surprise me and disappeared so suddenly."

"apologies for being scattered."

"i just couldn't go to sleep."

"i hope you don't think that i'm crazy, if that's really what you think."

"sometimes i just feel so helpless."

"i spend hours in this room trying to formulate my feelings and clear the thought of you."

"dear friend, how have you been? i think about you from time to time."