#I must say I had a lot of fun drawing all the details. I love how many accessories the enstars outfits have

[dunephase]

Art block was harsh last month, and so I present to you: Rei Sakuma from the music/video game/anime series Ensemble Stars as a Furby. July 2023.

[Begin ID. A cartoon digital drawing of a Furby toy version of Rei Sakuma, a teen vampire idol character. The furby is mostly black, grey, and purple, with lots of decorations such as a jacket, a leather collar, a microphone, and a hat. End ID.]

Permissions: You may not trace this image, use for AI image generation or training, or crypto/NFTs. You may repost, modify, or use this image for non-commercial purposes. Credit/link-back appreciated. Feel free to message or @ me if you have any questions! :>

Also, here's a bonus purple-lines version. Same permissions apply.

[hampink]

i went to see the special G Rosso shows with the kingohger actors on january 2nd and 3rd! here's my little report on the 11am rita/jeramie/kaguragi show~~ it was so good and fun waa!! T-T

(ramblings of a jeramie fan below)

jeramie/masashi ikeda was so beautiful i thought i was gonna pass out. i still cant believe i saw him IN THE FLESH. i literally could not stop staring at him I COULDNT BELIEVE HE WAS REAL!!!😭 he was smiling constantly and he looked soo happy :'((

when it was jeramies turn to talk the first thing he says is that hes friends with all the kings now and that we should all cherish our friends too aaAAAGGHH

also he had WAYYY TOO MUCH FUN ON STAGE IS2G SOMEONE NEEDED TO SHUT HIM UP!! that man ALWAYS had smth to say even if it wasnt his turn LOL 💀 every time jeramie said smth like 俺も好き♡ (i love you too) or いい夢を♡ (sweet dreams) the lady hosting would be like “uh oh the audience are all blushing now😭😭 but im afraid we must move on!” im glad this theater kid spider had fun being on stage,

also minor detail but it gets me so bad: he kept waving to the audience and he always did it with his bugnarak hand😭😭 and he literally wouldnt stop waving even when the others were talking im sure he waved back to every single kid/person who waved at him wahh

also he really went BAAANG at the audience unprompted out of nowhere and everyone screamed.. (i hear he went crazy with the BAANGs in a later show). speaking of things he did unprompted he made heart hands for 0,1 seconds and apparently a lot of people missed that BUT I SAW IT. I SWEAR IM NOT CRAZY AND SPREADING MISINFORMATION AKSHDJS

when all three of them came closer to wave at the audience everyone all went jeramieee!!! jeramieee!! and kaguragi (still smiling) was like "kaguragi is here too~" KSHSHDBBDDBJ

the kids love jeramie its true… i also saw a little boy dressed up as him and it was the cutest thing ever i couldve CRIED....

ah... i can die happy now....... :')

i also saw the yan/hime/gira show so i may draw my memories of that one too when i have the time!! i just had to get the jeramie one out of my system first KAHDJKFSD

[herefortheships]

Similarities between the sequel and the Beetlejuice cartoon (Beetlejuice TAS, season 1)

I finished watching the first season of Beetlejuice: The animated show, and I noticed a lot of little details that seem to blend the toonverse with the sequel, and I thought I'd share them with you all.

Let me preface this by saying, I know that the toonverse is its own thing and is not supposed to be considered canon (at least not to the movieverse), but, as a fan, and totally ignoring that 😆, I just thought it'd be interesting and fun to compare the sequel and the toonverse. You can take this one seriously or not seriously at all. It might have been coincidences, but I don't think so. I personally think the writers either watched a few episodes, or had people watch a few episodes for them, and they derived some details from the animated show to include in the sequel.

We have to keep in mind that the animated show ran for years, and while of course many fans originated from the '88 movie, there are probably many more who became fans of the Beetlejuice universe by growing up with the cartoon, and only later discovered the movie. So, keeping this in mind, it would be natural if Tim Burton wanted to give a little nod or include some little details from the cartoon in the sequel, starting with Betelgeuse himself being considerably more like a PG-13 version of his cartoon iteration than his original movie self (now that I've been watching the cartoon, I can definitely see that his personality is a blend of the two).

I'm sure Tim recognizes that a huge section of the fandom comes from the animated show, plus Burton himself had his hand on the animated show as well, so it wouldn't be a crazy thing to consider he might have wanted to blend in elements of the toonverse with the movieverse.

So. Without further ado, here are some little details I noticed! I wish I would have watched the first season with this post in mind. If you want me to point out more similarities between toonverse and movieverse, while I'm watching the entire animated show for the first time now, let me know. I will pay more attention this time (just started season two tonight).

Here are some similarities between the cartoon's first season and BJBJ, in no particular order because I didn't take notes and this is at the top of my head:

Let's start with the most obvious one, and this starts from the very first episode: Dancing in the air. It definitely must be part of Tim Burton's vision for Lydia and Betelgeuse that they love to dance together (well, in the movieverse they aren't there yet lol, but they do have a lovely dance in midair in the movie, which is reminiscent of them dancing in the show all the time). It's even the first thing Beej does when he joins Lydia in the first episode. They danced in the air in several episodes this first season alone, and I'm sure I will see more dancing as the seasons go by.

They open a door to the sandworm world by pulling a lever, which totally reminded me of Betelgeuse pulling a lever in BJBJ to send Jeremy to hell. lol

Talking about that door, it also appears on the floor, which made me think about the moment Astrid draws the door to the Titan moon on the floor of the church in BJBJ. Not sure if this one is worth mentioning, because the shape of the door I think is round in the cartoon while in the movie it's a square door, but the fact that it's on the floor and the sandworm erupts through it is definitely a similarity I want to point out.

Talking about Astrid!! There are parallels between Astrid and Lydia: there was one episode (the Spooky Tree episode) in which Lydia is concerned about the environment and even does a form of activism to protect the tree. Astrid is also concerned about the environment.

This one might not be important, but I think it's worth mentioning since we're in the topic of Astrid and cartoon Lydia parallels: in one episode Lydia has a bag of piranhas she had bought for her dad's aquarium. (I just looked for the episode and this was on episode five "Laugh of the Party"). It's funny because... Astrid's dad was being eaten by piranhas when he drowned. This gives me a vibe that cartoon Lydia may have been part of the inspo for Astrid. Funny coincidence that both Lydia and Astrid's dads had a piranha moment?

Beetlejuice has a photo of Lydia. And it's almost exactly like the one he has in BJBJ. It also has cobwebs stuck behind it, just like his photo of her in the sequel. This was in one of my favorite episodes so far, "Out of my mind". Worth mentioning here as well that Beetlejuice literally has a giant photo of Lydia in his head, showing that she's pretty much the most important thing he thinks about. One could say in BJBJ she's also constantly in his head as well, considering the man waited over 30 years just for her.

Another detail, and I totally sent a screenshot of this one to my sisters: there's a man sitting in the afterlife waiting room with his body half-eaten by a shark. The shark is still attached to him, but the fact that there is a man half-eaten by a shark immediately made me go "huh!" when I saw it in the cartoon because that is how Charles Deetz died in the sequel. Another funny coincidence? Nah, I think not!

Edit: I forgot to add this one! In one episode, Beetlejuice and the gang become performers (armpit music lol). There's a scene Beetlejuice says he has a romantic number to dedicate and he takes his heart in his hand. Maybe not that significant, since he's not aiming this at Lydia (he isn't dedicating it to anyone in particular but the audience), BUT he did take out his heart to dedicate a romantic number, just like he did in BJBJ, so I'm including this.

Edit to add Another Lydia and Astrid parallel: In the cartoon, this blonde girl, Claire, picks on Lydia for being odd, basically. Lydia stands out because of her strange and unusual personality. We can see in BJBJ Astrid also gets picked on due to her family's connection to ghosts and her mom's show. Astrid also stands out as strange and unusual at her school.

Additional stuff:

Inflatable Beetlejuice. Pretty sure this happened several times in season 1, though not quite like in the movie. It was even part of a song Lydia and Beej sing in the first episode. lol

Beetlejuice turns himself into a pretty wild Babyjuice in the first epiosde. Didn't include this one on the list above because it's Beej who turns himself into a baby, vs him manifesting an "inner child" baby and a nightmare baby in BJBJ.

This is it for this post! Feel free to add more if I missed something from season one! Will probably make a post like this about season two as well if I notice more similarities between the toonverse and the sequel.

[tswhiisftteedr]

Sleepover with a Queen! ☆ One Shot (Part 2 of ‘Hair Prank!’)

☆Dorm Leader!Vil Schoenheit x Choatic!Pomfiore Student!Female!Reader:

It has been 3 weeks since the kiss Vil’s room, the both of you had grown closer in that time, so he had proposed a sleepover to spend some more quality time together. And let’s just say you grew way closer by the end of the night…

Warnings: Mention of groin but in a non-sexual context, suggestive tones but nothing happens. Kissing, 1 or 2 swear words. Not proofread.

Ask: yahoo~ could I request the second chapter of the oneshot with vil? reader and he are having sleepover in his room? fluff and a lot silly reader's behaviour! pillow fight is an essential thing! she brings energy drinks and a lot of junk food🤭

Note: I didn’t think I would get asked for a part 2 honestly, but I’m very grateful for the detailed setting that I could draw inspiration from! This one shot is a bit more on the sentimental side. Also handrail is just when you slide/grind your skateboard downa stair rail.

| Part 1 | Part 2 |

☆ More under the cut. ☆

Tonight's the night of the sleepover, you could not wait to see what Vil has in plan for the both of you. It seems that the two of you have formed a strange relationship, yet it feels oddly nice. As you walk through the halls to reach your first period class, you can't help thinking about how you would spend the night in the same room you and Vil had shared a passion kiss 3 weeks ago. You have no idea just how much he has prepared for tonight.

You arrive with the junk food and energy drinks, and you see that Vil is still waiting for you.

His expression is one of anticipation, it seems like he's been looking forward to this as much as you did. He leans against the doorframe, playing with a strand of his hair as he gazes at you. Once he is faced to face with you, he smiles warmly, his tone taking on a flirty and playful tone. "Ah, there you are! How kind of you to bring the essentials. No party is complete without food and drinks, right?" He tells you.

“Yeah I couldn’t agree more! I also brought more ‘healthy’ option for energy drinks, so not to mess up your ‘super star’ diet too much.�� You tease.

"Well, I wouldn't put it past you to try and sabotage my diet. I'm glad that you took the time to consider my health in the choices you made for our little party. Although, I must say that I'm more than happy to indulge myself in a few unhealthy snacks here and there, so don't worry about having to force your healthy options upon me." He comments sweetly.

“Than I’m glad, I won’t be the only one snacking away at the treats I brought after all!

Anyways you got anything particular for us to do tonight, you did say to leave all the planning to you?” You question excitedly.

"Hmmm, I did indeed say that I would take charge of the activities for this evening. And let me tell you, I have come up with quite the itinerary for us. We're going to have so much fun tonight that I have a feeling we may not even make it to bed by the end of the night." He says, with that suave voice of his, almost bewitching you. You honestly consider if ‘he did put a spell on me or is it just my imagination?’

Getting back on track with your playful persona, “Oh but isn’t that going to ruin your beauty sleep my Queen?” you ask mischievously to the beautiful man standing right before your eyes.

Vil stares at you with a smirk and raises an eyebrow. His expression is teasing and playful, his tone is full of humor. "Don't worry, I have no problem with missing a bit of my beauty sleep for one night, if it’s to have some fun with you. Besides, I'm more than confident that I'll look just as lovely in the morning. So, don't you concern your adorable self about it anymore."

“Alright whatever you say ‘dear’.” You say accentuating your last word to tease, as you pass by him, stepping into his room.

Vil's face full of amusement when he hears you emphasize the word "dear", he seems to enjoy it too much to say otherwise. He chuckles softly and follows you into his bedroom, the cheerful smile still plastered on his face.

He shuts the door behind himself, the sound of locks clicking fills the air. He seats on his big lavish bed, tapping against the cover gently signalling for you to take a seat beside him. His hands clasps in-front him to bring attention and a look of excitement on his face. "Well, in the first activity I have planned for us tonight, how about a little game... a classic really, Truth or dare?"

“Truth or dare, only at two people? Never done that before, but why not!” You did question it at first but you quickly came around the idea with your second sentence.

"Perfect! You go first. I'll be the one asking the questions. Would you prefer a truth or a dare?" Vil inquires from you.

“Then truth it is, I don’t want to be the first dare.” You tell him.

"Alright, truth. Let's start with something simple, just to warm up. What's the stupidest thing you have ever done in your life?" He asks, ready for a handful of a story from someone as chaotic and careless as you.

“Oh damn, um, probably was when I handrail 15 steps, even though I knew my board was in bad shape, like the type that is going to break soon. That did not end well, more precisely my board broke in half about three quarters down the rail.” You inform him, a bit bashful at telling about one of your mistake yourself instead of him figuring it out on his own.

Vil laughs quietly at your answer, a smirk forming on his lips. His tone is playful and teasing. “That's quite idiotic indeed. I'm sure that hurt like hell. Did you get injured?"

“Oh talk to me about it, the pain I got when my groin hit that stair rail could not be compair to any of scrapes I got my limbs that day.” You admit,

Vil's eyes widen slightly, though he still has the same tone of humor. His expression is surprised, but he can't help laughing a bit. "Goodness, that is really horrible. I assume you learned your lesson though, huh? Or are you still so reckless when skateboarding?"

“Well I sure as hell won’t go ever handrail with an almost broken board anymore. Never again.” You say a bit strongly the pain resurface from your memories, ‘Yeah never that again’.

Vil smirks when you say that, it seems like that little mishap that caused you so much pain was enough to teach you a lesson. He nods in approval, that was good to hear.

"Good to know you can grow up a little and learned your lesson. Now it's time for you to ask the next question."

“Okay then, truth or dare my grace?” You ask, almost getting used to calling him revering words, instead of just doing so to tease.

"Hmm... I choose dare darling" Vil answers, following your lead.

Vil's tone is calm and firm, as if he has his mind set on being able to handle whatever kind of dare you would dish at him. He leans against his bed frame, taking one of the sugary snacks you had brought along, his gaze is locked with yours as he munch on the treat. His mouth is curved into a devilish little grin as he watched pounder for a good challenge.

“Then.. I dare you to do your make up and post on your magicam story, but, you have to leave it unblended.” You dare him.

Vil's face is initially filled with a look of disbelief. He couldn't believe that you had the guts to ask him to do something like that, but he also had to hide his amusement. Vil's tone is still calm, but it's also laced with humor. "What? You want me to make myself look like a fool on social media, just for your own entertainment? What kind of a dare is that?"

“Well are you to scared to do it~” you playfully egg him on.

Vil's mouth curls up in a smug little grin, he seems amused to be called out. His tone is flirty, his expression mocking. "Is that so? You may believe that I'm too scared, but I'll gladly do this dare of yours and take my revenge on you later. I wonder if I'll get more embarrassing comments or compliments though..."

“Okay then, get on with it pretty boy!” you tell him.

Vil's grin only grows bigger as he moves over to where his desk is. He grabs his makeup set and starts pulling out the necessary materials. His tone is playful and mocking, though he still seems a tad bit hesitant. "Fine, if it means that I'm going to get back at you later for making me do this, I'm all for it. Just keep in mind that you're the one who asked for this in the first place. So no complaints."

“Don’t worry, I won’t~” you reply.

Vil snickers, he's getting excited to see the reaction of everyone when they see the outcome. But he wants to give you a good show. Vil goes over to the mirror to start applying his makeup, he doesn't even try very hard to make this look good. He does the bare minimum to apply the foundation, eyeshadow, blush, lip-stick and mascara. Though the end result is still sloppy and the blending is not present per your request, it is horrendous, Vil still has a playful grin on his face.

A couple minutes after posting…

Vil's fame has given the result he had expected from this dare, and now multiple people are commenting on his social media. The comments are filled with mockery and insults for Vil's sloppily done makeup. While Vil isn't offended by the insults, he can't help but find them humorous and is almost tempted to respond with some snarky retorts to make his audience laugh even more.

“Damn people are mean, didn’t expect to be that bad.” you say as you look at his phone over his shoulder.

Vil chuckles, he's glad to see that you're concerned for him, but he's not taking any of the insults seriously. One thing he's learned about fame and popularity is that there will always be people who want to tear you down or criticize your every move. Vil's tone remains flirty and smug, he still has a playful and teasing look on his face. "Relax, I'm not bothered by their comments. I'm used to it. Besides... I kind of invited it. I did look pretty foolish after all."

“Yeah but I still don’t like it, anyways your turn to ask me something. I pick truth by the way.” You tell him, grimacing at some of the nastier comments.

Vil nods his head in understanding, it's nice to see that you care so much. He smiles warmly at you and decides to ask you a question. His tone is still very flirty, the playfulness hasn't left his voice yet. "Okay, truth. I had a feeling I knew what you were going to pick already, and looks like I was correct. So, hat is your biggest weakness?"

“Your pretty face~” you tell the man beside you, but you quickly reflect and speak out a more profond answer. “Just kidding, honestly I would have to say the fact that I get into trouble too easily, sure it’s fun at first but sometimes I can really hurt others with my antics, I really don’t like it.” You tell Vil with a tone full of sincerity.

Vil grins mischievously, he can't help but find your first answer humorous as well. But when you deliver your second comment, Vil's expression softens slightly as he's surprised by your honesty. He nods his head in acknowledgment and smiles warmly. His tone is still playful as he chuckles, though now it's mixed with a little bit of flirtation. "Ahh, I see, I suppose that could be quite troublesome in some situations. So, you must get into trouble on a normal basis then?"

“I’m not the smartest, but I’m not dumb enough to admit something you don’t already know about dorm leader.” you tell him, like ‘hey I’m not on the same academic level as the housewardens, but I’m not stupid enough to tell you things so you can punish me.’

Vil giggles at your response, it seems like you're not the type to admit your past shenanigans that easily. Of course, he is your dorm leader and he has probably seen some of your antics. Vil's tone shifts slightly where it now has a flirtacious quality to it in addition to the friendly teasing. "That's fair enough. But I have to say, despite your mischief, you are still quite a charming person. So I'm sure you can just charm your way out of any trouble that you get yourself into, right?"

“Oh shush, the sugar from the snacks are making you delirious. Anywho truth or dare?” You play off his compliment, trying not to think about too hard.

Vil's eyebrows raise in amusement as he laughs a bit at your response. The flirtatious tone still lingers in his voice. "Oh, so you think it must be the sugar from the snacks? Hmm, guess we'll find out how correct your assessment of the situation is. You’ll be the one asking now. And I choose truth again."

You wanted to keep things playful, truly. But ever since the kissed that took place in this very same room… you couldn’t help but see Vil in a new light, feeling a bit insecure about his opinion of you.

“Do you actually like spending time with me? Like are you just doing it for the sake of our friendship, to keep things between us amical so I don’t cause you more trouble?” You ask softly, avoiding eye contact after such a vulnerable question.

Vil's gaze narrows slightly upon hearing your question, he's not sure how you want him to answer. But after a moment of hesitation, Vil shakes his head. There's no way he would let you doubt his intentions. "Of course I enjoy spending time with you. I think you're quite an amusing person, and I always look forward to having conversations about anything and everything with you. I believe that our friendship is quite genuine, and of course I'd never want you to just cause me more trouble. So relax... there's no need to doubt me."

“Oh alright, thanks… anyways I pick truth again.” You tell him, hopping the fact you were flustered at the sweet and honest reply, didn’t show in your voice.

After a moment of thought, the corners of his mouth curl up in a playful grin. “Hmm, truth, huh? What a predictable outcome," He teases.

“Alright then, my sweet y/n are you interested in me, as in ‘is the kiss from last time a one time thing or did it mean more to you?” He asks you leaning forward, barely closing the distance.

Obviously you deny as a first instinct, fight or flight type of thing.

Vil chuckles again, he finds this rather amusing. Your attempts to hide your feelings are quite easy to see through. The truth is clear, you are obviously attracted to him, at least to some extent. Vil stares at you for a moment, letting the tension build before letting out a teasing groan and leaning back against the bed frame once more. There’s no need for you to say that you’re attracted to him bluntly, when you are so obvious about it. A slight grin plays on his lips as he teases you further. "Oh come on, you know you are into me.."

“Your so vain my Queen, but.. I mean our kiss, it’s not something I would mind doing again” you begin,

“Is that so?” The actor inquires.

“Yeah, um- so truth or dare?” You ask, trying to change the subject.

“Truth.”

“Are you truly attracted to me, or was the kissed we share last time just a thing of the moment?” You ask, basically reworking his his question, like you would do with a thesis statement when writing a conclusion.

“Wasn’t that my question?”

“Well we never agree not to repeat questions,” you point out.

“Alright then. To answer your question, yes I am truly attracted to the chaotic, annoying, and wonderful person sitting in front of me.” He admits to you, with a now sweet smile plastered on his face.

Did Vil start crushing on you about the same time you started crushing on him, yes. Was he going to tell if you didn’t ask him even though he asked you, also yes. If you want an answer out of a Queen like Vil Schoenheit, you had to work for it. Or at least be brave enough to ask in your case.

“Oh, that’s good to hear.” You say shortly.

“Is that all?” he teases.

“Yes, Truth or dare?” You were persistent on not underlining the fact you liked him too much.

“And I thought we were getting sentimental in here, boo hoo, crossing you out Y/N.” He said with a crossing motion from his right hand following it. “Anyways dare.”

“Well since we’ll since you’re into me, and gracious am I.” ‘fuck, I’m starting to sound like Crowley.’ “ I therefore dare you to kiss me.. please.”

Vil looks at you, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. He leans in closer, his voice low and seductive. "Well, since you asked so nicely, how could I refuse?" He closes the distance between you, capturing your lips in a passionate kiss.

This kiss felt different from your first shared one, this one felt romantic not just a way to blow some steam.

Once you part lips, you stay slightly dazed, that is until you feel one of Vil’s silk cover pillows hit you square in the face.

The room soon fills with the sound of a pillow hitting the wall as the two of you engage in a playful and energetic pillow fight. Some of the horrible make-up Vil was wearing stained the pillow covers of the ones that actually managed to hit him. Laughter in the air as you both enjoy the silly and lighthearted moment together. And creating memories that will last a lifetime.

As the pillow fight comes to an end, you find yourself lying on Vil's bed together, catching your breath and enjoying the moment.

“What next?” You ask.

The night continued, you had moved on to the next activity which was a couple rounds of ‘Last one’ which was this world’s version of uno and a game that was similar to monopoly.

Than you moved on to movies, Vil had picked out quite a couple that you both enjoyed. But you had insisted on watching one more movie, one he starred in, due to the lack of his appearance in the previous ones.

And honestly, you knew he was famous, but damn, his acting was wonderful, you almost cried at the simple romcom which in he was the male lead.

After watching it, you were both too tired to keep going. So after finishing your skincare routines, with the mandatory silly face selfies with the moisturizing masks on, you layed done on Vil’s Alaskan King bed.

Then…

“Do to think you would be interested in going out with me?” you ask, turning to your side to fully look at him.

His gaze meets yours, and there's a spark of something way past friendship in his eyes. He takes a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking.

"Actually, I've been wanting to ask you the same thing. I've enjoyed every moment we've spent together, and I can't help but feel a strong connection between us. So, yes, I would love to go out with you." His voice is filled with sincerity and a hint of nervousness, waiting for your response.

“Well I can assure you I feel the same.” You tell him now looking up at the ceiling.

He then grabs your face softly and placed a peck on your lips. “That’s marvellous.”

Then you both giggle…

Come the next day,

You had woken up later then Vil, he was probably already at breakfast. Meanwhile the disturbance that brought back from dreamland to the real world was still persisting.

So you stood up from your spot on the large bed, and a grab of your phone only to see the flooding of teasing text from your friends on magicam, multiple had linked a singular post. Of course you clicked on it, and lo and behold. It was a picture of you, with lipstick very much so overly lined, in addition both of your eyelids were covered in a mush of purple and black eyeshadow.

You opened your camera app for a second, only to see that the distasteful make up was still on.

You quickly checked who was the poster behind that atrocity, and as expected it was Vil. Mister Vil Schoenheit had posted a picture of you in a horrendous state to his magicam, one followed by over a million of people.

‘But hey, at least the caption was sweet.’ At the bottom of the photo you could see ‘My girlfriend’ written, followed by a couple of heart emojis.

Well he did say he would get his revenge…

Thanks @bananaseq for requesting!

©tswhiisfttedr. dn translate, or plagiarize.

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[icycoldninja]

Can you perhaps write the DMC boys with a reader who’s quiet, reserved, nice and can be quite extroverted at times but can be incredibly vengeful when time calls

Basically if you have:

+ crackhead energy with a dash of spitefulness from a crashed out honey badger

+ The Punisher’s motivation to get to the end of Earth to enact his punishment

+ Amy Dune’s vengefulness and Homelander’s psychopathic and sadistic tendencies

All combining these elements you shall have the reader herself

———————————————————————————

Now normally she’s pretty chill, can easily converse with and overall a nice person but if you do something that particularly ticks her off or what she deems are ‘morally wrong’ or ‘unfit’, she’ll make sure she’ll get back at you based on the severity of the situation.

For example:

+ If you make fun of her outfit or doing minor troublesome things then she’ll orchestrate a detailed plan on how she’ll insult you next time or have you subconsciously do something embarrassing to put you in line or…very rare, spare you

+ However, if you’re caught doing something severe to her, her friends and family or morally wrong like stabbing her into the stomach and got her sent into the ER, k!lling her friends, etc then pray you’ll evict yourself from life fast enough before she can find you again because the next encounter…won’t be pleasing. If it means fully enacting her vengeance, she’ll even swim from the coast of South East Asia to Antartica just to find you, or maybe even hunting down your entire bloodline just to know your whereabouts…Once she finds you, it’s basically either you gave your life up to her just for her to draw your death in slowest ways possible or do yourself a favor and put yourself to rest in pieces…Like I said, she’s pretty sadistic and vengeful, so once she got you, be prepared to go through multiple torture methods that will put even the medieval torture methods to shame in terms of severity

In conclusion; fuck around with her and you’ll find out in the worst way possible. She may forgive but she’ll never forget

Sparda boys + V x Crazy determined!Reader headcannons

¤ Dante ¤

-Dante thought you were a lot of fun to be around, thinking you'd make for a great partner in crime or something like that.

-Then someone happened to cross you one day and he got to see how terrifying you could actually be.

-You were up all night pacing back and forth in your room, mumbling to yourself, drawing weird charts and graphs, and generally appearing insane. Dante was, for the first time in a long time, quite scared.

-The next day you took off to find that person's house, and did not return for a full two days. Once you arrived home, you proudly declared revenge had been taken, and when Dante watched the news the next day, he found that same person's face flashing about on the screen. He wasn't dead, though, just jailed for improper public behavior.

-This led Dante to realize how determined, vengeful, and absolutely crazy you could be. He loved it.

-Though you guys do need to discuss when such behavior is appropriate and when it isn't, Dante still stands by his first impression of you: you're a lot of fun.

■ Vergil ■

-Vergil noticed your bizarre, wild personality the moment he met you, and decided in that moment that he must watch over you like a hawk.

-Your determination to get revenge on anyone who inconveniences you is both remarkable yet absolutely horrifying. Vergil cannot imagine the sheer amount of chaos you could cause if allowed to roam free, because if he does, he will have a stroke.

-He once got to see your sadistic vengeance for real when someone tried to hurt your family for whatever reason. Needless to say, when he cut open the portal to that person's house for you, he was genuinely concerned. Not for you, for that person.

-When you returned, you returned covered in blood. The next morning, there was news of a person mysteriously disappearing without a trace in the middle of the night. Vergil made the connection.

-He knows you would never hurt him because you're crazy in love with him, but he still makes sure he has an escape route planned before bringing up any issues or faults.

-At least he can rest easily knowing you're able to protect yourself when needed.

□ Nero □

-Nero loves you because you're just like him, but louder, a lot louder, and a lot more free.

-You do have your quiet moments, which is good, because Nero needs to be able to sleep every now and then.

-He didn't think you were all that threatening until he witnessed you go full on psycho in your bedroom after someone insulted you in public one day.

-You were apparently concocted a convoluted plan to get revenge on this person, which involved a lot of humiliation, and depending on your timing, jail time.

-He thought you were nuts but didn't want to stop you, nor did he pay any mind to the news the next day. As far as he's concerned, he was never even home that night.

-He now thinks you're crazy, but you're a cool kind of crazy. He thinks it's so hot.

● V ●

-V found your extroversion to complement his quiet introversion, and rather enjoyed those rare quiet moments when you were feeling like being silent.

-The fact that you have the energy of a chaos gremlin is something truly entertaining in his eyes. He loves watching your shenanigans.

-When someone tried to mess with you, both V and that person learned how psychopathic you really are.

-Though he was rather shocked by how far you were willing to go in order to achieve your goals, V was not frightened.

-He trusted you and understood that you would never do anything to hurt him, especially when he never gave you a reason to, so why should he be afraid?

-He won't assist you in your criminal endeavors, however. Your business is your business alone, he will not meddle.

[espumado]

So, google pointed me this old article (probably because of The Bear😅) and everyone knows Kasama, and Genie Kwon, the chef and one of the owners, who appeared in 3x10, during Ever's funeral dinner. It's about the way they started and operate and for me how this can be an example for The Bear restaurant.

Made me think about how Carmy thought about this restaurant when he and Syd needed inspiration, maybe he wasn't talking just about the food but also about the place itself.

When Syd talked about get a star with her dad she said she wanted one -"it's a personal victory and very good for business...that will keep us consistent, low to the ground, but a little bit above it- sounds realistic! But they never really discussed that, the number of stars they want! Carmy seems to be operating in 3 star mode this season, right? Not what Syd had in mind. And one star means: High quality cooking- something they could achieved with the team they have. And three stars means: Exceptional cuisine- something that maybe only Carmy and maybe Syd are ready for. And that's probably why Carmy is acting like only he can do this and taking all the responsibility for himrself.

What I mean is that the way Kasama operates seems like the ideal model for The Bear to follow....that's how they started:

Just like Nat, Carmy and Syd did during the renovation... And that's how they wanted to start, and their "philosophy" and how they work:

They do not want the trappings of fine dining, they cared about their neighbors and customers and the menu prices, cared about food waste and control cost, and found the balance between daytime sandwiches and fine dining... These are the problems that The Bear is having and need to resolve! Nat and Syd are more aware of it and trying but Carmy is lost (mainly in his own mind but he is also terrible with business and math). A lot of people are saying that they have to go back to how everyone were in the first 2 seasons, the love and care for each other and the community, and I agree. Carmy needs to remember or decide how he wants to operate the restaurant, why he wants a star and of course, he and Syd MUST have that conversation!

***side note: I don't know where the showrunners get the idea for this restaurant model like The Bear -with a window for sandwiches and fine dining and a bar- but i realized that none of the real chefs and their restaurants who inspired the show and are Storer's friends (like Mr Beef and Avec) seem to have this kind of model...So made me think that maybe Kasama really was the inspiration for them???***

I think Kasama is a good example for them to follow, they opened at the beginning of the pandemic and "thanks to a smattering of virtual events, sponsorships, and a long patio season, but most of all, those regulars" has managed to keep working which is not easy in this situation (They'll still need outside help and Uncle Jimmy is going broke so who knows... maybe Donna could be help???) But they have a good model with healthy motivation, with sandwiches by day and dinners by night, and costs under control, and the star was just a consequence. Maybe even Richie, who is not happy with the way they are operating and the search for the star, might relate better with this much more functional and healthy model, right?!

Anyway, the fact that this restaurant is run by a couple is just a detail, of course 🙃🫠 These last seasons Carmy is in search of his dream restaurant but also amusement and enjoyment (because he thinks cooking and run a restaurant isn't fun and he needs to look for it outside of work completely), trying to figure out what really makes him happy, and also have a personal life, which is fair. But honestly, to me, maybe not the business part of it, but it seems like what he loves is cooking, or at least it used to be and he needs to rediscover it (he enjoyed cook with Mikey and working at the other restaurants before Chef David, and he asked Syd if she "still love to cook" under the table, as if that was important to himself too). Maybe he'll find a balance, maybe even with Claire (but they will need to talk about it, and he'll need stop acting like one is stopping the other), but here's what Genie Kwon and Tim Flores say about work and personal life, a little about legacy, the star and the people they cook for that both Syd and Carmy could listen:

Like, it's okay not to love the whole thing, the whole process, it happens. But if you like what you do, it may becomes your personal life too and that doesn't need to be a problem, you just need to find balance. And that was what Genie Kwon said during the funeral dinner: I feel like an impostor because I feel like I don't like cooking as much as everybody else does. Um, I knew that I always wanted to make things for people (that made Carmy stop focus on Fields and look at Syd) And then, growing up, you know, my parents were never in a good place, but I always knew that I could make something so specific that would hmmm... bring them joy, you know? (now we see Luca) And that was the thing that I got addicted to, (and now Syd) and I think that I seek approval out of people every single day.

Ps: Now I want to see why Syd started cooking, what motivated her, why she likes to take care of people, if it's because of her mom or dad, something like that...and also Carmy, we know that cooking was the common ground between him and his brother, but how it started? Mikey invited him to the kitchen? It was an escape from their mother? Maybe flashbacks? Maybe they could have a talk about it?...anyway, just wondering...

@brokenwinebox @whenmemorydies @moodyeucalyptus @currymanganese @thoughtfulchaos773 @ambeauty you might like this article

[kaledya]

Hürrem reply !🌸

Yeah that moment was LIVE ! It happened in the same time ! I was so surprise ! _

Well for her form, for me Vassago has giving her education about the Goetia for sure. So she probably know how in theory but doesn't have the practice ?

Her father,  in his eyes, (even if he never said it to her and their relationship of father-daughter is complex) Hürrem is for him a Goetia and he doesn't care she doesn't have the title or the secret that she is.

But in another way because of his mistake (he think it is his mistake), he has lost his best friend for this child.

Both Parvin and Vassago where just sad and they know each other so well, skinship just happened, in a hope to feel better just for a moment, even if there is not really true love (except the love of friendship) and Vassago gay.

I think that night they must have been in depressed drunk mood.

So in conclusion I think Vassago try to give Hürrem the best without truly being involved. He also need to be careful of Paimon.

_

Ahah the dialogue was so funny ! It make me think of Kuzco, at the end of the movie he just take potion and transform in bunch of animals (he want the one that would change him in human) and some guards are running after him and each time he take a potion he transform in the worst animal ever for the moment

Kuzco *needs to fly* Also Kuzco *transform into a parrot with wings so small we can't even call them tiny*

Same with Hürrem there ! And I just LAUGHED imagining Giovanni's face like "Well, that was not exactly... what I have in mind."

_

Also I realise I actually can rumble and show details and 'spoilers' about Hürrem! Like its not Lolicia.

Sooo I draw Hürrem genealogy tree on her mother side !! I had so much fun !

So some little things and details !

  - I didn't have a name for the grandmother yet, so I call her Miss Bunny ! She is absolutely the bunny girl from Bambi as inspiration.   - Paimon thinks *"damn it. Too pretty."* about Miss Bunny.

Fun fact : Miss Bunny and Parvin have bunny tails !

  - Hürrem actually look like her grandmother a lot! She has the same hair texture, rabbit's weaskers and shape of face with the plump cheeks. And also her dad, with her general shape.   - Parvin looks a lot like her dad! And has a narcissistic guy, Paimon probably love her more for it and that is why he kept her close to him even if he asked her to stay in her palace all the time.

Miss Bunny, Parvin and Hürrem all have horns that get smaller.

Miss Bunny has big horns with two shades of pink. Parvin has medium horns with two shades of purple. Hürrem as small horns with shade of white and dark green.

Fun fact : Parvin's nose has the shape of a bird beak but she has a normal mouth underneath.

Parvin is truly half Demon, half Goetia. Where Hürrem is a Goetia with parts of demon (bunny fur on tail, weaskers, horns)

Fun fact : the tip of the two feathers on top of Hürrem's head is plum color like the feathers on the back of Vassago's head.

Miss Bunny, Parvin and Hürrem all have two shades of colors in their hair.

Parvin is half-rabbit and half- great horned owl or raven (whatever Paimon is)

Where Hürrem actually developped the parrot form of Vassago to be a special type of parrot : a sun conure parrot.

Also Parvin has purple eyes and stars on her cheeks because of the meaning of her name.

Parvin has bunny ears because in the early design of Hürrem, I draw her with bunny ears but I change my mind.

That is all ! Sorry I rumble a lot but I can finally say some things without spoiling anything! Hope you like it !

_

I will dwell into ibis paint things ! I'm not forgetting ! Have a great day 🌸🌸🌸

Yes, it was quite logical that she knew it in theory but not in practice.

I really liked his father's attitude towards Hürrem from this aspect, even though their relationship is complex, it is nice that he still sees her as a Goetia.

Yes... This is something that really happens in real life too, some fathers can unintentionally blame their children for the loss of their wives (in his case his friend), and this leaves a gap between them.

And I really love how Vassagon tries to give Hürrem the best without getting too involved.But of course he needs to be careful with Paimon.

-+-

Yes lmao I remember Kuzco, it was one of the really good cartoons!

And yes, I can't remember Kuzco ever turning into an animal he wanted throughout the series. Usually, when he wasn't a llama, he was the wrong animal in the wrong place.

And LMAO Yes!! And now he'll have to run away with those little legs because he can't use his wings.

Yes, the same goes for Hürrem. She can't be whatever she wants.But on the bright side, it's a really cool scene when it happens.

And yes that was exactly Giovanni's reaction *Takes the little parrot rabbit and starts running on 4 legs*

---

YIPWPWPWPWEPEPE SPOILERS✨✨✨

First of all, I seriously didn't expect Parvin to be this beautiful.Seriously the design is 10/10 It totally gives off the royal vibe and seriously, whether it's the color palette or the look.

I seriously can't describe in words how beautiful she is.

And I just realized that technically Parvin is Stolas' half-sister. Did they know each other?

--

I think Miss Bunny is pretty good nickname. And Paimon is right, she is really pretty.

-Yes, Hürrem definitely looks more like her grandmother than her mother.And as you said, a little bit of Vassago

-Yes, someone like Paimon would probably like his daugther more just because she looks more like him, but to be honest, Parvin is really beautiful.🛐

-It seems normal for the horn gene to become rarer as the generation progresses, as a result, noble blood becomes more dominant over time.

-The detail on Parvin's nose was very clever!!

-I think it is a very nice design idea that all 3 of them have 2 colors in their hair. It really adds liveliness to the character's hair.

-Paimon is probably a great hornet owl.

- I'll look into it when you mention it. Sun conure parrots are really beautiful, they remind me of mangoes.

(Another Nickname for Hürrem lmao)

-The color of Parvin's eyes and the stars on her cheeks are truly a wonderful detail!!

-Rabbit ears would suit Hürrem, but I think it would be a better choice for her to look more Goetia.So I think you made the right decision.

No no no you don't need to apologize for rumble I seriously love reading what you write!!!! And I seriously love learning more about of your characters, too.Thank you for taking the time to write!!!

But ahm, I mean you can say spoilers, I don't mind UwU

I wish you good luck with ibis paint

Have a good day🌸🌸

[thequietkid-moonie]

S/o with in-depth knowledge of psychology

[ HEADCANONS ] [ Mei, Teru ]

[ Toilet Bound Hanako-kun / Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun ]

⚠️ A little bit of spoilers in Mei's part

hehe want to heard something funny? I'm actually a psychologist soooo this may contain hints of actual psychology concepts and things... not too deep because there are waaaaay to much theories and ways to practicing psychology (test, exercises, branches of study, diferent theories, and so on, psychology encompasses many things) besides this should be just for fun!

Thanks for requesting it, I had a lot of fun with this!

Mei Shimiya

Mei sometimes feels trapped in her own rumor, having to always be painting can be pretty tiring at times and the gossips about the die of the Mei that once was alive just make it more tiring for her, but having you around definetly make it more bareble for her, she always has a sincere smile in her lips whenever you are around

Even if you aren't much of talking she always motivate you to talk about whatever you want while she paints, and even if she doesn't seem like it she always pays a lot of attention to what you say, even if you talk about silly things she heards you

She likes when you share your aknowledge about psychology with her, she isn't that interested on the topic but she does like a lot the passion in your voice, if you know so much it must be something you really like and that feeling give her some comfort because it reminds her to the human Mei Shimiya, the one who's wish was so stronge that even was able to pass death with her

Since she always paints you end up telling her about all you know about the psychology behing the art, about how the details are so important and can tell a lot of a person from it, although most of the time is used in specific test, asking for specific drawings and that each drawings reveal important and diferent things about the person. Or, also how there is a branche of psychology more based in the person's perspective, having of example the famous inkblots

As much as Mei likes hearing you rant about all of it she prefers if you don't talk only about art since she gets pretty tired of it quickly. She is actually really interested about all the aknowledge you have and is always willing to heard you rant about all you know, she can't help but smile and feel almost proud whenever you came to her to tell her something new you have just learn

Although, there are moments where Mei just want to stay in silent and enjoy your company, so she look at you in an attempt for you to catch what she is trying to say, if not she will ask you not so politely if you two could just talk about anything else, something that doesn't make her think and maybe cuddle. There are some times where also she need to be alone, all by herself, but if you really wants to be with her and talk about everything and anything she may end up drawing something with what you could distract yourself (she is willing to actually draw another Mei so you could just have her but also leave her alone)

After some time Mei will gain the courage to start asking you her own interest about psychology, by all the information you had share with her, Mei now has a better idea about the complexity of humans and now she can start asking herself, she tries to make it more general at first but slowly goes further and further in her point, asking about the humans in a aspect close to dead, as well about human's desire and passion, how they can get so determinated for something they want

Mei wants to be able to understand the human Mei Shimiya, the one that had unconsciously created her with her passion and wish of finishing that painting, she wants to be able to understand her so bad that she is kinda using you to try and understand her, she loves that you are willing to share your aknowledge with her because of love and that is why she hesitant so much while asking, she doesn't want to feel like she is using you or that she only wants you for your aknowledge or passion (and will hate for you to think that), and, in the other hand she is also a little scare of the answer, what if the answer she gets when understanding Mei doesn't let her satisfied or something? What would she do then?

Teru Minamoto

Teru's life is pretty rough, always having to worry about his studies, about his work as an exorsist, about his family, and for you too, he can't help but worry about you, but it isn't like more weight for him, he loves you so he doesn't mind at all having to look after you (even if you don't need it is just like a second nature for him)

Teru is really smart and is always taking seriously his studies since he wants to keep his status as the perfect student, so there are high chances that he also know a few things about psychology, although the field of study of psychology is so vast that it would be difficult for him to have as much aknowledge as you have (you can actually brag about how you win over him in this, it hits a little his pride but won't say anything because he loves you)

If you like talking about all your aknowledge Teru will be more than happy to heard you talk about it, maybe you two can debate about it with the little knowledge he owns, besides, he learn quickly so it won't be much trouble for him to follow you in the conversation, he likes to point out what he finds more interesting and hearing you own opinion about the topic, as well he will like to know what psychological current do you prefer, it may sound silly or simple but it could help him understand you more and the way you see the people and the world (but he won't tell you that, you could catch his protective intention on that)

Teru may or may not ask you for some advice with his brother, specially when he start feeling sympaty for the supernaturals, but aside from that he don't ask for much aplication of psychology in real life. If you do give him any advice for himself from psychology's point of view he will thank you with a smile but is more probably that he won't actually do it, not because he doesn't believe you, he is just too stubborn

Teru may be pretty easy to be tricked if you use any psychological technique on him, but only because he tent to let his guard down with you (unless he feels the need to protect you), although, is probably that it won't take him much time before he notice it and his reaction will depend on what you were trying to do, like trying to help him to get off of a bad habit he will just laugh at it and find adorable that you wanted to help him (and probably will finally listen to you), but if it is something that goes deeper and even gets into the limit, crossing to be more manipulative, you'll lose all his trust (even if he doesn't say it out loud)

If you two are together then you have to already know about him being an exorsist, and that lead him to warn you about the supernaturals, saying that they are a total threaten and there is no way they would feel any kind of sympaty for humans, so he insist that you shouldn't waist your time trying to aply psychology in them because they are far different from humans, it won't work anyways, the more you insist in trying to understand the supernaturals the more pushy he will be. But at the end he won't hurt you or stop you so if you really want to give them a chance he will make sure you don't go alone while trying to go and interact with them (even if is just you watching them from afar, you have him at your side), at the first and smallest threaten he will be already shielding you and vanishing the supernaturals, if it end up upseting you he will apologize but Teru can't just take the risk of something happening to you

[tolbachik-art]

How does one become good at drawing planets

Hey, thank you so much for the kind words & the question!

I'm still definitely a beginner, and have a long way to go, but it really warms my heart to hear you say that. For starters, getting over any perfectionism you may have is a big must!

I know a lot of people always say this, but practice, time, patience, doing studies, and having fun are the most important ways to get better!

I'll walk you through my progress, and what I've done to get where I am today with things! I will warn you, it did turn out to be a long winded post. If you want the jist of it, you can scroll to the bottom!

So, I've been doing digital art since say, mid 2015 or so. I didn't have much of a grasp on art, and while I grew up loving space and space exploration, I didn't quite understand how things worked.

On August 2nd, 2015 (when I was just 15), I posted my first piece on DeviantArt.

This was my first foray into space art. It may not be the best, but I remember being very excited about it, and actually making a piece like that.

This first piece is a big sign of what issues I would face with space art until very recently; a lack of detailing, leading to a soft appearance.

This would plague me for quite some time; I would put very little effort into detailing, and wouldn't even zoom in on the canvas for quite some time. I would do things from afar, not wanting to zoom in for some weird reason. This can be seen in the following paintings, as well.

This one, also of Neptune, was posted two years after the first one. The framework is kind of there, but only barely. The perspective is off, and once again, the detailing is too minimal and too soft. On top of that, the shading isn't nearly as harsh enough. Compositionally though, I was starting to get a grasp of some basics.

There would be a brief artless period in my life from 2017 to 2020; every once in awhile, I wouldn't do art for a few years. Then, suddenly, I would get back into it and put out several pieces, all before growing quiet once more.

2020, once Covid-19 started happening, would see the return of me to the world of art now that I was suddenly without a job.

Once again, Neptune will be a demonstrator of how my skills changed.

I was starting to get there; in terms of composition, much better than my older works. Coloring is a bit off, but overall, I was starting to actually understand how art works, and why things like detailing were important. One big thing here though; I was still painting with color. That would be one of the last big things for me to get over, although I didn't even know it then.

From the period of 2020-2021, I made a lot of paintings and mission patches for my one friend's KSP youtube series (seen here).

Doing what were essentially mini paintings, I learned a *lot* about composition and detailing. I think the one I spent the longest on was Heywood, in which I did my best to follow imagery from Voyager. Looking back now, however, it isn't quite accurate; that's the south pole! I still had a lot to learn in regards to doing accurate portrayals of celestial bodies, down to inclinations and the like.

Anyways, doing all that really burnt me out, on top of doing free art for people I didn't even know. That's another big lesson; only do gift art if you feel up to it, and for a friend. Do not do it for strangers.

It wasn't until late 2022, in September, that I actually finished a piece again. My illness had been pretty bad, leaving me bedbound for quite some time. However, during that time, I hadn't lost my skills thankfully.

This would be one of my first somewhat decent portrayals of Jupiter and one of his moons, using SpaceEngine for getting reference images and making sure all the parts were in the right place. This would set the groundwork for later paintings, as I always use SpaceEngine now to make sure I have the orientations and sizes of things in the sky right! It's been an invaluable tool, I quite literally don't know where I'd be without it.

Anyways; after that, it was very sparse once more, up until quite literally this year. Sickness sprung up again, and I had a rough winter due to the loss of my grandfather to Covid-19, among other things.

2024 saw, in my personal opinion, the biggest and best change to my art yet.

PAINTING IN VALUES!!!!!!!!!

I cannot stress this enough; understanding what values are, and how to see them in every day life literally changed my entire perspective on things. On life! I cannot go outside anymore without comparing and contrasting values of objects and natural phenomena.

This was before values. Not bad, but still not great. Detailing was getting there. This is from March 27th, 2024, and was part of an art trade with @dan-asd of their worldbuilding project.

And this, this is 3 months later, from July 16th, 2024. Commission for @corvidist, my very first. This was a massive leap in the way I understood and processed the world around me, and in turn, what my art looked like.

Everything is in values. Your phone, with the seemingly pure black LCD touchscreen to the blue and purple phone case. The clouds, with their bright white tops and dark bottoms. The river, with the murky green waters contrasting with the bright orange stones. All values, just differing shades of gray with color added! Everything is light! Everything is the absence of light! Light is the entirety of your piece; you just have to understand where light falls, and where it doesn't.

Apart from that, everything is just rudimentary shapes and lines. The universe is made up of different kinds of lines and shapes. Entire worlds can be reduced to light and lines, people can be too. You just need to know what to look for, and how to process that into artwork.

I cannot stress how much understanding that, and doing tiny little paintings really helped me get a much better grasp on things.

Take some time, get a small canvas out, and paint your favorite celestial body. Take as much or as little time as you need, and just have fun with it. Play with color, play with values, whatever your heart desires!

Once you're done, take a step back, and compare it to the picture. Analyze what areas you didn't enjoy, and what areas you did. Look for what doesn't line up with the picture, and think of how you could better approach it. Think of how you can change the lighting to make it seem more real, what effects are needed to bring it to life.

Art is the process of taking what you love, and putting it to paper (digital or not!). Focus on what you enjoy doing; it will all come naturally with time. You'll start to pick up on things, big and small, that will bring your pieces closer and closer to what you want it to be.

And please, for the love of everything that is holy, have fun with it and don't overthink it! You will be so disappointed in yourself if you hype yourself up for a piece, only for it to come out not the way you expected. That's ok! That's part of learning! It can be disheartening, but if you take the time to look at how and why you don't like the piece, it'll come out so much better next time around!

Talk to people, too! Talking with my dear email-pal Eduardo was my first step into understanding astronomical art, and thinking on how to improve my work. He really helped me step into the right direction when I was just starting out, which I am still eternally grateful for to this day. I think of him and his work often; he really was a massive help.

In more recent times, talking to @whirligig-girl helped me to get a better grip on realism, and how better to portray celestial bodies. She was a huge help in giving me pointers for fixing up my View From Amalthea piece, as well as the ones that followed after. Talking to artists more experienced than you and getting critiques is always a huge help; it can really show you things in a new light!

Speaking of, don't be afraid to let a piece rest and marinate for a bit. A day, a week, or even a year. It doesn't matter. You will come back to it, and you will see new things you never saw before, and think of new ways to improve upon it. I have a piece that's been in limbo for YEARS, and I still have yet to actually get to paint it (the top one, the alien one (i will never finish that Uranus piece though lol)). I have it perfectly envisioned now, so waiting really did pay off in the end.

Essentially, it all boils down to this:

Everything is light, or lack thereof.

Don't overthink it, and have fun.

Do not do free art for strangers.

Everything is shapes and lines.

Step back and look at your pieces, deconstructing them in your mind or on paper.

Examine your everyday life, and see how everything interacts in terms of values and color.

Do studies, please god, do studies they're so fun and eyeopening

Warmup! Warm! Up! WARMUP!!!!! They are critical to getting your mind in the art headspace! You will feel less interested and less focused otherwise!

Don't worry about your medium, just do what you enjoy and works best for you! There is no such thing as a perfect brush!

Talk to other artists in fields you enjoy!

I love talking about art, I really could go on for hours, but I will stop myself here.

You decide what you get out of art; it's your skill, your time, so do what you desire! These are only anecdotes about my experiences with art; they aren't universal, but I do hope they've helped. If you have any questions, any questions at all, don't hesitate to reach out!

Lastly, here are two resources for you for any future artworks you may do:

I got this book many years ago, but the lessons it gave me were invaluable. I mean it; they helped me to understand the importance of doing studies, and for detailing!

Paid membership, but an organization dedicated to doing astronomical art. I have yet to join, but I've heard lovely things about it! Hoping to join later this year, funds allowing.

I will finally end this here. Thank you so much for the ask, and I hope you have a lovely rest of your day!

[bberetd]

Hey there! Since you also reblogged the post saying you want people to send you asks (actually I even reblogged it from you), here I am to ask you a question. A potentially very tough one. Ready?

If you had to pick only one (1!) favorite Mario character who would it be and why?

I'm just trying to get to know my mutuals a little better, y'know?

But most people seem to be using that 'send me asks' post as another opportunity to say mushy stuff to each other, so let me also do that! I'd like to remind you that I'm very glad that I'm following your blog. You're certainly a fun and kind person, and must say I like you very much 😀❤️ Thanks for always supporting my art, it really means a lot to me.

Also please teach me your ways to draw so fast, I just finally finished sketching my latest fanart today (yeah, that ambitious one) and it took embarrassingly long. And this one is supposed to have a proper lineart too💀

Oh, that reminds me: I'm really excited for your animations! Once I'm done with my current fanart, the next bigger fan project on my list is also one animation I've been thinking of, so I hope we'll be able to motivate each other a bit 😁👊

OH just oneeee? 😩

Whew, okay, well... while Daisy has a huge place in my heart (especially lately, as you can tell 😹), my all-time favorite will always be Luigi.

See, the funny thing is that I hardly cared for him before the movie, and even a little after I watched the movie. My first favorite Mario character was actually Rosalina when SMG came out, because I was SO obsessed with space when I was younger (and still kinda am), and blue was and is my favorite color (such a deep reason, right? :P)

I always tend to lean towards the underdogs of a franchise, yet I don't remember the exact moment that drew me to him. There were just a bunch of edits and videos of him flooding all of my social media pages when the movie hype was still fresh, and I guess one day I decided, "yup. that's my guy."

I think the moment that really solidified my love for him was when I replayed Luigi's Mansion (I kiiinda played it before, but I was 4 and just pressing buttons lol... it's strangely a core memory for me). His bravery throughout the game despite his evident fears and anxieties is just... so inspiring and real to me, genuinely. And a little bit of him shone through his commentary of some of the objects throughout the mansion, which was also endearing 😆 The game gets creepier the deeper I think about it, and I just can't help but give him more flowers for going through it three different times!

plus, he's just so happy and awkward and silly. how could you not love him?!

But in short, he's my favorite because he's relatable to me, and I find his little quirks adorable and endearing.

yet despite all that, he knows when to lock tf IN. that's my hero <3

anywhoooo...

Mugi!!! I couldn't be any happier that we're friends and moots! You've blessed my timeline with your gorgeously detailed art and commentary, and I'm so grateful you support my art just as much ♥️♥️ I admire and like you very much as well, you're amazing <3

as for quick art, basically-

and thank you!! the animation might take longer because classes start tomorrow for me, and year 3 of uni is definitely gonna be more challenging and, er, expensive. 🫠 Hopefully I'll learn to manage my time better so I can make decent progress every day, but I do know where I want to go with the animation. Big yes to motivating each other!! I know that ambitious art will be PHENOMENAL when it's dropped, and I can't wait to see your style in motion! :))

[mr-orion]

ok I must have more lore on this Icarus I keep seeing since I’m officially in love with him and want to kiss

he and I should kiss

also may I draw him bc that drawing you posted of him gossiping tickles my brain so much-

"I guess if the inspiration strikes... me being your muse must happen."

Oh boy. He's a bit of a firecracker and not very PG. He's in fact, kind of mean. As for the kissing, you and Ray both, though I think Icarus will shake you down for all your cash before you start getting any affection. As for drawing, yeah! I'm always grateful for any drawings and honestly treasure each one I get!

I don't see the harm in saying it as it is. He's a prostitute and escort. Man is raking in the big bucks working under Stags INC. The only reason Ray and him are friends is because Icarus has a lot of intel on the people manning the cartels. While Ray initially got his cooperation by bargaining to sweep his drug use under the carpet, he found Ray is a fun guy and not too sleazy to be around. Plus he's fun to tease, which is Icarus' favorite thing.

He's a Stav'raw, as opposed to Ray who is an Auveri. Unlike Ray he cannot fly. He has dense bones and his wings are only good for a glide. Which, he doesn't preen them. He was never taught so he is absolutely matted with feathers he hasn't thought to pull out. He's actually much more vibrant but because he's so fucking crusty with feathers from his whole existence you can't really tell. Additionally the sclera of his eyes is black. Along with his mouth and lips. He also gave himself a split tongue.

He comes from a very neglectful household with a mother who was a first generation Earthian and a non-existent father. He found his profession as a way out of that bad situation. Though Icarus' dream job is being able to help kids someday. He wants to be a pediatrician for alien children, believing that if one adult had noticed the abuse happening to him he could have been helped.

While Icarus doesn't think he'll make it because of his job history, Ray encourages him. Also reassures him that there are other ways he can help people. While Icarus is bummed he's only just starting to get into the 9 years of schooling at 28, he remains hopeful.

His hobbies consist of video games, nursing classes, clubbing, taking his dogs for walks along the beach, and riding his motorcycles around.

Another fun fact is that this man is absolutely the best of friends with Rays older brother Rowan. Though he has no clue the two are related because they look nothing alike and it's just never comes up. It will be chaos when all three of them figure it out and Rowan tries to beat him for trying to rizz up his beloved sibling. Ray will also get a scolding for bringing sweet, innocent Icarus into his less ethical detective practices. Ha.

Additionally, in freak coincidence Rowans child, is also his niece! He genuinely had no clue until one night in a deep conversation his best friend opened up about how similar Icarus looks to his niece, Onyx's egg donor. Icarus developed an even deeper hatred for his twin sister that night upon Rowan opening up even more about what his sister did to him. (It gets real fucking dark, so I'll spare those details.)

Icarus absolutely hates talking about his blood relations unless its Onyx. Who he treasures deeply and is so proud of. And by proxy Rowan. Of course. Who is his bro, his best friend, his pogchamp.

I can't think of much more, if you want to know something specific please feel free to send more asks!

[fractiflos]

Okay, for months I have had so many fic ideas revolving around the first three holders, I've decided to put them all down here for the Three Weeks of Trioholders Event hosted by @aimportantdragoncollector, to help inspire others. Feel free to use these for the event or any future fics (or drawings), since I don't think I'll have time to write them (and I didn't want to overwhelm the ask game lol).

Cheerleader bet: The first 3 holders make a bet; losers have to wear a female cheerleader outfit. I like the idea of Yoichi winning, so he gets to see Second and Third in cheer skirts waving pompoms, but this is your fic (or art)

An AU where Yoichi works as a nurse and Second lands himself in the hospital with a gunshot wound

The 2nd and 3rd are scientific rivals forced to work together by the government to oversee the creation of an important new technology

Ichinii kindergarten AU: Second and Third love pretending to be knights and rescuing people, but Second hates having to rescue princesses because "She's not pretty enough to be a princess" until one day, Yoichi Shigaraki transfers to their school and volunteers to let them rescue him, but wants to pretend to be a princess, much to the amusement of the other boys. Oddly enough, Second has no complaints about this princess.

Deku and Bakugou's uncles both come on the same day to pick them up from preschool, bump into each other, and would you look at that Second, love at first sight is real after all. Meanwhile, Yoichi just thinks of him as a friend at first.

Deku and Todoroki are studying together, when his Uncle Yoichi walks in, with his two best friends, Second and Third, along with his cousin Hikage. Naturally, Todoroki sees the green eyes and pale hair, and immediately thinks that Hikage is Yoichi's secret lovechild. All that's left to do is figure out who's the father, Second or Third? Meanwhile, AFO catches wind that Yoichi has a secret lovechild, and assumes that the father must be All Might. (I left a lot of details out, but it's fun to see what people fill in. I submitted this as an ask, but I was super tired, so it ended up being barebones and I hated it, so I'm rewriting it here)

A modern AU where AFO has been secretly scaring off all of Yoichi's boyfriends. It's actually pretty easy as even without his quirk, he's still terrifying. Then one day, Yoichi brings a certain spiky-haired man home, and not only does he look like the rebel bad boy from every father's nightmare (very different from the previous nerdy cowards Yoichi's dated before), but none of his previous tricks can drive him off.

Genderbend! I guess this is more geared for art, but hey, who's to say our first three holders aren't unlucky enough to be hit with a genderbend quirk while out on patrol

Angel and Devil! Yoichi is an angel, the brother of the Big Guy himself (Yep, AFO gets to be God). Tired of the rules of heaven, he sneaks into hell, where he meets a pair of very interesting (read: hot) demons.

OR REVERSE: Angels, Second and Third are tired of following the overly strict rules of heaven and sneak into hell, which is ruled by Demon King All For One. There, they meet a rather attractive white-haired demon...

After a terrible incident with some hair dye, and a friend who is now on very thin ice, Second's pink hair has now been turned into a really ugly shade of orange, and he has a date in less than 48 hours (I refuse to get over his hair color)

College AU: Second and Third have been friends since they were in diapers, and are now getting physics degrees. One day, Third decides to introduce his childhood best friend to the new friend he made in art club, Yoichi Shigaraki. Then ends up having to Third-wheel as they spend the whole-time flirting

Romeo & Juliet AU. This time, it's Second & Yoichi. I mean, they're both star-crossed lovers doomed by the narrative to die, so why not?

Victorian Era! Yoichi is secretly in love with his servant(s), but is engaged to marry someone else

Second is a horror writer with writer's block. When his apartment lease is up, he decides to finally buy a house out in the countryside, thinking the nearby spooky woods will inspire him. The house tends to inspire him more, what with the random oozing, slow opening of doors, and breezes that sound like whispers. It's almost as if he's really haunted...

Yoichi is in college now and away from his strict brother. He decides to go with his roommate to a party, but his sheltered upbringing has left him woefully underprepared for the wildness of a college party and... Has he been drugged? Don't worry Yoichi, your heroes have come to save you!

Baby Izuku Midoriya is babysat by his uncles! So, while they do all sorts of fun baby things that somehow turn out to be extremely dangerous, Hisashi has a nice dinner with Inko.

Done! I hope I've managed to inspire someone.

[fandomfluffandfuck]

S that latest poll answer makes me sad for you. Did that inspire that fic you wrote about Sebastians body image and thr beetle?

related to my tags on this poll & this fic of mine "The Kids Aren't Alright"

This gets personal and kind of intense, so it goes below the cut!

Trigger warning for discussion of general poor mental health, depression, suicidal ideation/self harm, eating disorders, body image issues, etc.

The short answer is an overwhelming yes.

"The Kids Aren't Alright" was very much something that I wrote because it struck a chord in me--Sebastian talking about his experience with body dysmorphia always hits home for me as a guy with body dysmorphic disorder, and the first time I heard Mackie admittedly very affectionately teasing him, saying he got stuck in the VW Beetle, I was a little horrified, I mean, secondhand embarrassement, imagining embarrasment so vividly it was horrible, really. So, naturally, I had to make it into a fic.

Also, I hope you don't mind, sweets, before going on, I'm adding onto your ask with another that I got even more recently:

youre very generous with what you share, so ignore this if im over the line, but its mens mental health month and that suicidal ideation post made me think of your mental health, whats been your experience with it?? i dont have a lot of men in my life who are willing to share with me, so i thought i would ask you 🥰🥰 please delete this if youre uncomfy tho

which is related to this

Both of you are such sweethearts!

Thanks, though, I don't exactly try to share a shit ton 🤷🏻‍♂️ I guess, eh, being somewhat anonymous in this corner of the internet yet being honest in the form of the spectrum of emotion from raw feral angst to private domestic fluff to shameless shut coaxes me into being so forthcoming? Not that I'm, like, super reserved otherwise, lmao.

I'll start with a short answer again before I go into deeper detail, which is just to say: my experience with it has been rough. I, a queer man, grew up in a small, red town with a very traditional family, so... yeah. It was not fun.

Okay, longer answer now because when given the opportunity, I. will. yap.

I think I will start with masculinity here because I feel as though a lot of my experiences with mental health and issues with my body tie directly into my masculinity. I don't have problems with being a man, I love being a man, it's who I am, I just don't love some of the expectations of being a man on a grand societal and interpersonal level, y'know?

Masculinity, to me, was always presented as the thing you have to be or else. Or else my parents were disappointed; or else the other boys wouldn't like me; or else I felt bad about myself: or else there must be something wrong with me; or else I must be gay; or else.

I have older siblings, and my older brother was in Boy Scouts when we were kids. Both of my parents fucking love the outdoors. So, of course, they loved that. My dad, specifically, spent all his time doing Scouts shit with my brother or organizing similar activities just for them when not at work. (I had a traditional western family unit, my dad worked, my mom was a stay-at-home mom.) And while I do enjoy the outdoors and camping and hiking and all that, just in smaller doses, I never wanted to join Scouts. I nearly immediately attached myself to art, so I just didn't have the interest. I can't do art if I'm outside digging in dirt, fighting with sticks, practicing knots, doing target practice, and backpacking (or whatever else the boys in the troop were doing), can I? That meant, if I wanted to draw or do crafts or something creative, I was inside, and my mom was looking after me and my sister while my dad and brother were out.

That did not sit well with my dad. He wanted me outside, joining Boy Scouts and fixing cars, playing mechanics with my brother. I did not want to. He tried very hard to get me to be as interested in more stereotypically manly activities with him and my brother, and it didn't work.

I'm just more artistic. That was always a clear disappointment.

To add on, as I grew up, I was not physically traditionally masculine, either. I've cracked jokes here and there that I'm not too dissimilar to pre-serum Steve before. It's not far off. I'm about 5'6", a little taller, and skinny.

I grew up waiting desperately for puberty, waiting for my muscles and growth spurt and... it didn't happen. My voice dropped way deep (which meant it cracked wildly and super noticeably, and, of course, I got shit for it), and I enjoyed that. I never had a pressing issue with my dick, I mean, I would hazard a guess that anyone with a dick worries about size at some point just because that's something etched deep in social sexuality, but I had more pressing things to obsess over. Like, at first, when body hair started to kick in, I was psyched to see it, and then it kept coming and suddenly guys in the locker room were pointing it out and making fun of me for being a "little guy" with so much body hair. Puberty also did fuck my face up with acne which destroyed a lot of my self-esteem, too. I had to go on Accutane not once, not twice, but three times. I still have a robust routine to keep my skin clear (but it is clear these days and I'm still reeling thinking about it, it took someone telling me I had really nice skin for me to snap out of it and realize I wasn't still covered with acne, actually. And that was recent!).

I didn't have my pre- to post-serum sudden increase in height and muscle moment, so I continued to feel scrawny and weak. Having pectus excavatum, a birth defect where my sterum curves in instead of going down in a straight line, never helped, either--I got made fun of for that, of course. I remember a comment about how one guy in a locker room wasn't going to dare to hit me/slap me on the back because he would clearly just break me... yeah, that didn't help feeling like the odd one out, unmasculine, fragile, and unattractive.

My self-esteem is much better these days, I will gladly say, but I genuinely used to get sick to my stomach just thinking about what I looked like, never mind actually looking in the mirror. I felt horrible that I had to go out in public and subject people to looking at my face. I'm an avid journal-er, and I have old entries where I just go on and on and on and on about how I felt like a monster. Disgusting and hideous.

It doesn't matter that I know, objectively, that I have a fairly masculine and even an attractive face. My jaw is square, I can grow a beard, I have a deep voice, my eyes are green, I've been very lucky to have straight, white teeth without braces and all that. Plus, people seem to like my cheekbones and curly hair. My voice, too, people seem to enjoy my voice and my mouth. So, evidently, others seem to appreciate my face. So many people spread over so many years have no real reason to lie. I'm complimented. I've not had problems when it comes to dating and relationships or whatever. Yet still, it's just not what I see. I say I know objectively what I look like because I know facts about myself, but I...

I don't really know what I look like, if that makes sense? My reflection shifts a lot, over the years I have had a problem with every part of my face, every part of my body, and I know I can't trust what I see in the mirror. I fixate on things, and it consumes my viewing experience.

Part of the consequences of all... that... all those issues above have been my experience with eating disorders. I've had some fun [sarcastic] mix of orthorexia, binge eating disorder, and anorexia over most of my conscious life. From the moment I was aware of myself and my own body, I've had problems fueling my body. It's a cycle over years and years that's been going on since late elementary school (around 10, 11), where I'm fucking sick and tired of feeling weak and useless and not masculine, so I push myself too hard in the gym and kitchen--working out until I'm physcially ill, blacking out, blistering from running and lifting, I've torn a few things that way, while obsessing with healthy foods at the same time to the point that it's unhealthy. That happens for however long I can take it. Then, eventually, I break. And I get into a cycle of binging that destroys my ability to go to the gym, so it's just binging. Cycles of it, uncontrollable. That morphs into feeling too big and disgusted with myself in the opposite way that I started with, so my brain fixates on restricting. What goes up must come down, though, so with enough of that... then I feel too small again and, yeah. It starts over. 🙃

I have worked very hard to break it with the help of friends and a short lived experience with therapy (he was a terrible therapist, then my insurance stopped covering it, so I couldn't afford to go or find a new one), but I've--dare, I say--gotten into some kind of balance more recently.

To end on perhaps a hilariously on-theme note and something happier, what I have found is that sex helps. Therapy and supportive friends and good environment are obviously irreplaceable. But, sex is good, too. When I was in the thick of all that, younger with my mental health challenges way more out of control, I'm sure I was just getting away from the numbness and hurt--endorphins, oxytocin, y'know, all that.

Then, I'm sure it was added to by the fact that suddenly, with sex, women (I am queer but when I started fucking around, I only felt safe enough to be with women, I didn't think I could be out where I was, and now... that's just the way it's worked out. It happens to have been women) were enjoying me. Enjoying what I could give them. Complimenting me explicitly or implicitly. Saying I'm hot or, clearly, if we're having sex, I'm not so disgusting that you don't want to fuck me.

But, sex helps beyond those rudimentary things, too. Finding kinky people and sex-positive people has inadvertently led me to find body positive people and find examples of real bodies--people really actually enjoying themselves. Spending more time naked is beneficial, too, haha. Slowly, I'm learning to appreciate myself more. This is my body. It's the only one I have to live in, I may as well make peace with it. And I will take the pleasure that my body can give others. I appreciate that I can do that. I like making people feel good, I like having their faith put in me to make them feel good and treat them and their bodies well, like they're desired, or not 😏, depending on what they're into. I want to pull that pleasure out of them. I want to make them feel good, bad, whatever. I want them to feel in their body.

Did that answer the question, lmao? I just rambled 💀💀

[labyrinthofsphinx]

Statistical Outliers

Part 7 of drabble. I'm calling it. I'm just writing them long now. Also, this one has Valentino and Angel, just as a heads up. Nothing graphic but a warning. Also a little suggestive because, again, Valentino.

“Welcome to the show everybody! Hope everyone’s been having a marvelous week!”

Vox spun in his chair, greeted to the captive audience behind his televisions. The morning show was a fan favorite, always has been. Honestly, he takes a lot of pride in it. It’s just him for the most part, spouting off whatever relevant nonsense there was for the time. He gave a brief recap of what was going on in the world above, something he had to sneak in from sources that actually went up there. If he got a few details wrong, eh, no big deal. It’s not like anyone can fact check him down here anyways. For the newly introduced to Hell, it was a good way to grab their attention. And that only meant more viewers in the long run.

“Coffee’s done.”

The kid ran over into his monitor room, pulling his attention away from his cyber studio for a moment. The smell of warm coffee jumped up to greet him, and he gladly took it off the kid’s hands. Ah, as perfect as last time.

“Still a crap cup of coffee.” He said. The kid didn’t believe him anymore. He just swayed happily in place as Vox kept taking sips.

He kind of wanted to squeeze the ever loving hell of out him. He settled for roughing up the top of his fur.

“Hey, I just fixed that!” He tried to bat back the invading assault, but Vox had much bigger hands and a much longer reach. There was little he could do.

“Yeah? Complain to someone who cares.”

The programs went on, switching from news, to commercials, to the morning sitcoms. He noticed the kid paying attention to his spy drones’ footage, of his fellow hotel mates dragging themselves out to go look for him again. Alastor noticed the camera. He posed for it, the smiley freak. He flicked the footage away, switching it to the camera just outside.

Velvette was there, pacing. She was deciding how she wanted to start this, Vox knew. Was she going to try for the innocent act? Was she going to storm in raging? She had a hundred different faces for her followers, but Vox fell for exactly zero of them.

Delighted, he took another sip of coffee.

“Don’t say a word.” He told the kid.

Bang! Bang!

“Vox! Open the fucking door, now!” Brattish it is then! Wonder how long she’ll keep it up. “And fix the fucking Wi-Fi! It’s been buggy all day!”

“Be there in a moment, Vel!” He lied. “Still running some new security features into the mainframe. The Wi-Fi will probably be a little spotty for a while!”

“Ugh!” She screamed. “Is my toy in there with you? I couldn’t do my morning post without him!”

Vox rolled his eyes playfully. The kid had to cover a laugh with a hand.

“Yeah, he’s here! Not to worry, I’m taking good care of him until your done with all those projects you’ve got!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Give him back right fucking now! He’s mine! You gave him to me!”

“And I’m just taking him off your hands until you’re less distracted, Vel! If you have more than enough time for pranks, surely you can finish those clothes for Val, draw up plans for the next season, and throw out a few more ads for our products.” Act like a child, don’t be surprised when you’re treated like one.

His sharks have taken a special interest in the kid, and not in the ‘I want to eat it’ way. It was rare that Vox let someone into his space for long. Even Vel and Val were only momentary intruders. Sure, they saw them in the conference room, but they tended to ignore them since nothing fun ever came from the conference room. The kid couldn’t have been more enchanted by his vicious friends. He didn’t touch the acrylic on Vox’s orders, but he was getting as close as he could and ogling.

“Vee, come on! That’s not fair!” She called out, a little more pained this time.

Ah, already switched from ‘Vox’ to ‘Vee’. The Wi-Fi thing must really be bothering her.

“Can’t be helped! Not to worry, the update is almost done.” He lied again.

He gazed out into the sea of his audience. Many of them had those headphones of his, quite a few of them had the eared version. Some odder cases seemed to be trying to make the standard one look like those special editions, but the ears were wrong and didn’t glow right. He noticed though another new fad popping up. Long shirts and oversized hoodies with homemade designs on them, especially running up the arms. In particular, different tread marks seemed to be of interest. Huh. One look at the kid explained that one.

It wasn’t widespread yet, but he could see the pattern before it emerged. Velvette would pick it up in no time, patent it, and let it sell like hotcakes. Well, best let her get started on it then.

“Darling,” Velvette’s voice was much softer this time. He did always like being called ‘darling’. Something about it just rubbed the right way. “please open the door? The prank was just a stupid-”

The doors opened themselves. The kid gave him a look, a joke hiding behind his lips. Vox quietly shushed him.

“My dear, I’m sorry about the wait. You know how absorbed I get into things.” He said, swinging his chair around as she walked up the catwalk. “The update should be done now. Let me know how it works.”

She checked her phone for a second, then brought herself back to look at him.

“You’re not still mad? Right?”

“I wasn’t mad to begin with! Only concerned. Can’t have my best girl stressing herself out and pulling herself too thin. Next time, if you have an issue, just bring it up. You know I’ve got a fix for everything. Especially ways to de-stress.”

With that, he snapped his fingers. His former technician that had been dangling above the shark tank, paralyzed by a complete excess of volts running his system, was unceremoniously dropped. The kid pulled back in silent horror as the man was quickly ripped to pieces. He looked like he was going to hurl. That’s what you get for mistaking his sharks as friendly dogs, he wanted to tease.

Velvette watched with half interest. Then, from the blue, she jumped up and kissed the side of his face. Her black lipstick left an obvious mark, but she didn’t wipe it away. Must be feeling slightly possessive then, he assumed. She pulled him in for a quick pic, being sure to get the kid in the background looking around the room. She didn’t post it though, instead made it her new screensaver.

She was still for just a moment, then she stole his coffee mug and took a sip.

“Ugh, Vee, you have the worst taste in coffee.”

Velvette was the type to go to a coffee store and make the barista regret ever getting up in the morning. If she was at the bar, she was just as bad to the bartender, especially if the drink didn’t look good enough for Voxtagram. His tastes were a lot more simple. Nothing he drank ever made her happy. She still insisted on trying it though, almost every time. Lipstick stains on his mug and his face, she was finally content enough to head out.

“Cutie pie, come on! We’ve got work to do. Val’s whores aren’t going to dress themselves.” She called the kid over with a flick of her finger. He didn’t immediately follow. Instead, a silent exchange happened between him and Vox.

Yeah, go with her. She’s fine.

And he bounded after her.

When the door closed again, Vox took to his chair. Vel’s lipstick added a sweetness to his drink that wasn’t there before. He always liked how it tasted, but maybe next time not in his coffee. Before him, Hell kept turning. The morning news gave way to the TV specials and his reality shows. ‘Yeah, I Fucked Your Sister, So What?’ was showcasing a double feature, two sisters and one guy. He’s not sure if they were going to kill each other first or their so-called man.

Whatever the case, he scrolled through some of his other work in the meantime. A few inventors tossed ideas up to him, hoping to gain favor and get their products endorsed by the biggest tech name in Hell. Most of them were scams, and not even well-hidden ones. He put a special tab on these ones and set them aside. He had a special show for those types, one where he, Velvette, and Valentino sit in hotseats, picking apart people’s designs and ideas. Vox already did all the work behind the scenes. He knew which ones were worth the investment. It made for good television whenever all three of them seemed to agree that an idea was great, and it also was just as good when an idea was so bad that they dropped the presenter into the tank below.

It made everyone feel like they had a shot at getting a contract with the big bosses, if you were willing to bet it all.

And, personally, he always loved watching them squirm, even when he knew he wanted the product.

It wasn’t too long later that he decided that he really ought to check on Alastor’s loser squad. Now that the kid was gone and he didn’t have to see the sad eyes, he brought it back up.

He nearly had a heart attack.

Alastor’s malicious sneer was dangerously close to one of his drones, too close for the camera to survive the onslaught of his dark magic.  Symbols and green wisps of evil started to strangle the life out of the little machine. Al’s yellow teeth contorted like a snake and goblin shark hybrid.

“Hello, old pal.”

Vox disconnected the drone. He just completely shut it down, dragged the code from the mainframe. If he even tried hacking in, the whole system would fight to push him out, considering it the same as a virus.

Everything is fine, Vox. You’re fine. Deep breaths.

The kid’s still here. He’s fine. He’s with Velvette.

…but just to be safe.

He found him right by Vel’s side, holding a bunch of clothes in his arms as they climbed down the levels in the elevator. See? He’s fine. Nothing bad’s going to-

Wait. Were they going to Val’s studio?

He spat out his coffee. Vel? What were you doing? You can’t take him in there with all those…well, Val’s people.

It got worse. It got so much worse. Because Angel Dust was there early, already on set and already ready to jump into that sultry little dress Vel made for the movie poster.

Oh, no. No, no! Bad! Very bad!

Vel, do something! Get him out of there! Wha-! No! Don’t just walk away! That dime store whore doesn’t not need your attention as much as the kid does right now!

Vel walked off to dress the girls, leaving the kid holding a great big pile of clothes, in the middle of Val’s set. Angel Dust looked like he had the wind dragged from his sails. Even the makeup could only do so much to cover up too many sleepless nights. He dragged his feet and sat down in his studio chair, a sigh ripping from him.

“You know, I really wish on days like these that I wasn’t trying to stay sober.”

Apparently, those big ears weren’t just for show. Despite everyone else in the room, and the smooth music, and the re-wind of Val and his director’s cut of the film, the kid lit up.

“Angel?”

The spider reacted like someone just shot something hard straight to his brain, like he might be concerned he was going crazy. All eight eyes sprung wide as the kid put the clothes down on a nearby loveseat.

“Drift! Oh my God! You’re alive! Holy shit!” He leapt up, arms open wide to grab him.

Panic leapt into his chest. He didn’t know the specifics of Val’s deal. Did it only apply if Vox handed him over? Did it only mean they had to ‘try’ to find the kid? What did he specifically mean about the return policy? There were too many ‘ifs’. Far too many for Vox to let this go any further.

He tore into the wires, moving as fast as possible. Lightning could move almost as fast as light could. Even following the current, Vox made it in more than enough time to rip right out of the nearby camera and directly in between the two of them.

All around, everything buzzed. The lights flickered. His rush left a small wake of rumbling sound, echoing with the acoustics of this place. He kept a smile plastered to his face, but anyone could tell it was more of a threat.

Angel, surprisingly, jumped straight from shock to rage.

“You motherfucker-!”

“Now, now.” Vox started. “Let’s not do or say anything you might regret.”

“Ah, Angelcakes! I see you’ve met our newest little pet project.” Val sauntered over from his director’s chair, stepping up behind Vox. His four arms dipped down. Two of them grabbed the kid by the shoulders, keeping him snugly in place. The other two played with his face, grabbing his muzzle much too hard and forcing him to look up at him. “He’s just adorable. The perfect little plaything.”

The kid was shaking. He couldn’t struggle from Val’s grasp, and he’s not even sure how much he could breath with Val holding his face like that. Worse, how Val had said that. Even to Vox, it sounded wrong.

Which is so weird, because he knew that Valentino had no interest in kids, ever. Not because he was bothered by it or something, but more so because kids weren’t ‘sexy’.

That didn’t change the fact that, that had creeped the fuck out of Vox.

And if it had creeped Vox out, he can only imagine what Angel’s mind jumped to. Soul contract be damned, Angel looked ready to tear Val’s face off.

“If you touched that kid, I swear to god-”

“Val.” Vox interjected. His new speakers drowned out any other sound in the place, including the rest of Angel’s little rant, just in the nick of time. “A word. Alone.”

Valentino was a little too pleased with himself. He put the kid down slowly before directing Angel back to the set. The whisp of smoke formed a chain for a second, tethered to the spider’s neck.

“Sit right there and don’t move. I’ll be back in a minute.”

While Val was doing that, Vox leaned down to the kid quickly.

“You okay?”

“He can’t do that to Angel.” He argued, coughing as he wrung his hands by the harsh lines now imprinted on his neck.

“He can do whatever he wants to Angel. He owns him.”

“That’s not fair-”

“Fair or not, Angel’s an adult. He made his own decision.” Did he really believe that? Sort of, consent was always questionable with addicts. “But if you don’t want to get him or yourself into worse trouble, don’t move. Don’t go to Angel. Just stay right here until I get back.”

It destroyed him on the inside, Vox could see that. All he wanted to do was run over and check on his friend. But, thankfully, it seemed like he trusted Vox’s judgement enough to heed his warning. He stayed still, tail pulling between his legs as the surrounding employees just seemed to notice what was going on.

Vox gestured for Val to follow him to Angel’s dressing room. It was mostly soundproof, for obvious reasons, which made it ideal for what Vox had in mind. Val strolled in, but not before giving one last look between the two hotel mates. It made Angel’s skin crawl again.

“What is it, Vox? Can’t you see I’ve got things handled?”

Handled? That was what he counted as ‘handled’?

He slammed the door shut behind him, shocking Valentino.

“Oh, Val. What do you think you’re doing?”

Reflexively, the moth backed up a bit. His antenna flicked in alarm. Vox could be scary when he was angry. And when he was truly pissed?

“I was…I was…” The words seemed to die on his tongue for a moment. “I was securing an asset. I want Angel back and you’re getting too attached to that brat and-”

“You want Angel back?” His voice warped as he stepped too close to Val, where he had no room left to back up. “Is that really what you want?”

“Um…yes?” He sounded uncertain now.

Vox’s teeth bared too wide to seem friendly.

“No, Val.” He said, his voice coming back down. “You don’t want that.”

“Yes, I-!”

He grabbed his collar, pulling him down to Vox’s height for the time being.

“No, you don’t. You don’t want to force him back like that. You want to prove him right? That the only reason he is here was because he had to be? No. He should want to come back to you.” His harsh grip turned softer, claws combing through and dancing towards the line of his neck. Val gulped.

“You want him on his hands and knees. You want him begging to be back in your arms.” While his one hand teased, and plucked the first button off Valentino’s shirt, his other hand wrapped around. He dug into the flesh of his back, just by the base of his spine. Val squeaked and dragged himself closer.

“But…but the kid-”

He chuckled.

“Were you worried I forgot about you? You?” Vee tower was his plaything. It was all an extension of him. Like an arm, he could twitch the nerves to pull as he pleased. Holographic screens played across the walls. The whole room beamed with light, before flicking to different scenes.

Valentino posing for a shoot. Valentino with blood on his hands and fresh gun smoke in the air. Valentino stretched out across his lounge, counting his money. Valentino laid out on Vox’s sheets, inviting him over with a lick of the lips.

“You’re a star, Val. My star. You think there’s ever a moment I’m not watching you? You think that there’s another soul in this decrepit place as intoxicating as you?”

Valentino eating his chocolates a little too slow. Valentino ruthlessly tearing apart a rival. Valentino dancing around the room in the morning wearing Vox’s robes.

“There’s no one like you, Val. And there’s no one that can take my gaze off you.”

He pulled down, dragging him into a dip. Instinctively, Val’s legs flew up to wrap around Vox. His whole body shuttered with delight as poison dripped hungerly down his face.

“Oh, you’ve ruined me.” Valentino said, almost groaning. Vox knew he’d be thinking about this and only this for the rest of the day. His arms interlocked around Vox’s neck.

“Not yet. Maybe tonight. But I don’t want to hear any more nonsense about me not keeping my eyes on you.” Vox teased.

The way Val was looking at him now, the minute they started making out no other work would be achievable today. And, if Vox had it his way, Val wouldn’t be able to walk afterwards.

“Now, we really have to do something about yours and Angel’s new deal.”

“Oh, screw that. He can come back when he begs for it.”

That’s exactly what Vox wanted to hear.

…

Composing himself to look somewhat professional was harder than he expected. Val had messed up his jacket in his pursuit for purchase on his back. He’d also messed up his bowtie, something he’d unfortunately neglected to notice until after the kid gave him a funny look.

“Angelcakes, back to shooting.” Val directed with a wave of his cigarette.

Angel’s face dropped in panic.

“Val, the deal. What about our deal? You’re supposed to give the kid back!”

“Correction.” Vox interrupted. “The deal was if I found the kid, and I gave him to Val to give to you, then you’d come back to work, fulltime.” He went over the specifics with Val right before walking back in. He was a stickler for wording. “And I don’t feel like handing him over to anyone.”

He walked up behind the kid and, purposefully, put his hands on his shoulders a little tight.

“I think I’ll keep him.”

The spider’s eyes all focused on Vox, fury rising in his throat.

“You think that I’d just let that happen? Oh, Smiles has been wantin’ an excuse to knock your head off. Just wait till I tell ‘em.”

“Nobody is telling anyone, anything.” Val mentioned.

“Oh yeah?” Angel challenge back.

“Oh, yeah.” Val confirmed. “If you try anything, there won’t be a kid left to rescue, Angelcakes.”

The kid was being so well behaved, mouth zipped tight. Angel could assume from what Val said that Vox had his contract, and the kid’s attitude only played into it. Was it worth the risk of the kid getting his soul ripped apart?

Angel’s face fell.

Yeah, didn’t think so.

Then, surprising Vox, the kid ran over and grabbed Angel in a hug.

“It’s okay.” He swore. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”

A few tears slipped out Angel’s face, especially when they had to let go. Vox snapped his fingers, and the kid ran to his side again.

“We’re leaving.” He said. If Vel wanted him back, he could pick him up from Vox’s room again. Val blew him a kiss as they walked back into the lift.

When the doors closed, a weight pulled off his shoulders.

“Thank you.” The kid looked up at him, and odd truthfulness to his words that shook something in the core of Vox’s head.

“…for what?”

“For saving my friend. I’m not…it’s not worth the price he’d have to pay.” He pursed his lips. “And he never would’ve let me go unless you made him. So…thank you.”

Despite himself, a grin pressed to his face.

“I didn’t do it for him. Maybe I’m getting used to the annoying buzzing sound of your voice. It’d be a shame to get rid of it now.”

Oh, fuck me. The kid was happy now. Cuteness aggression was a bitch. He kinda felt like squeezing him until he popped.

“I like your voice too.”

He grabbed his muzzle and playfully closed it.

“Shut up, kid.”  

Part 1/ Part 2/ Part 3/ Part 4/ Part 5/ Part 6/ Part 7/ Part 8/ Part 9/ Part 10

[temporalhiccup]

🌤️

🌤️Share your favorite mechanic from a game you’re working on.

So @ostrichmonkey-games and I have been working on [a yet unnamed space pirates! game], which we're designing in the more narrative OSR space (discussing my understanding of OSR/NSR/etc is a whole other thing but anyway). Suffice to say we're having a lot of fun working out the machinery of emergent narratives! I wanted to create a way for the space pirates to be able to assert some control over how the exploration procedure, or basically how the crew travels the void tides. But I wanted to keep to the grungy-spooky-cool vibes Josh and I were aiming for. Also, I wanted to draw inspiration from one of Josh's cool little tool kits: Distant, Cold, and Beautiful.

We still need to playtest this a bunch but I'm happy with what I've wrangled together and Josh helped me work out the details. I had a lot of fun running a few simple tests between us too!

I'll run us through some excerpts, if you'll indulge me!

Ritual of Desire

When you wish to do more than follow the whims of the tides and instead wish to make demands of the Void instead, it is then time to perform the Ritual of Desire

The Ritual of Desire directly interacts with your crew position, one of the building components of your space pirate. So let's take a look at the Black Terror described as:

You may die with the Void filling your veins and pouring from your eyes, but until then your hair grows long and black with the Void and your voice will break any heart.

The leading space pirate has to spend a Whisper of the Void, and all pirates must sacrifice one Hit to the ritual. This grants a starting 1d20 to the ritual. Here are the Whispers from the Black Terror section:

A drunken story spun between two old hags

A blackened skull small enough to fit in the palm

A vision of a tentacled star beast consuming a station

Additional dice depends on what the Black Terror offers to the Ritual of Desire (different crew positions grant different dice, for different narrative costs):

1d12 - Burn away a love that keeps you steady

3d6 - Receive a fear deserved and compelling

So every space pirate makes the makes their offer for the dice for the ritual. So what do you do with all that dice once you've collected them? You cast them and seek out any of the following patterns:

The Twin Daggers of Levi - A pair of dice that show the same number (Reroll any of the Exploration die once, taking any result)

The Footsteps of Drowned Jack - Two sequential numbers (Mark a second location on the map)

The Three Sisters of Dreams Past - Three dice that show the same number (Move the results of the Exploration Die by one level)

The Four Star Crossed Lovers - Anything more than four dice showing the same number (Increase the tier of the results)

The Sea Wolf Howl - At least three dice of sequential numbers (Change the results of the Exploration Die to another type within the same tier)

The Path of Prophecy - At least four dice of sequential numbers  (portal to the desire or something similar)

The God-Siblings of Chaos - If no patterns appear at all, declare exactly where you want to go. You will receive a request from the God-Siblings, and it must be fulfilled before the end of the next session. Once fulfilled, your ship and crew will be taken directly to your heart’s desire. Shirk the responsibility, and the Star-Killers will hunt you down.

And laaaaastly, I wanted to somehow incorporate the idea of younger and older stars too from Distant, Cold, and Beautiful.

The stars know when they are being watched, the ancient skies will look back and observe in turn, drawn to the bright light of hubris. Should the hungry stars be moved to entangle their light with yours, prepare yourself.

If any of the final Ritual Die is a 1-9: The younger of the stars observe you and send out a Whisper of the Void.

If any of the final Ritual Die is a 10-15: The older of the stars wish to interact with you directly, the crew will soon meet a Void Stranger.

If any of the final Ritual Die is a 16-20: The hungry stars turn their baleful eyes on you. The Keeper unlocks a Sinister Unscene.

Basically I wanted to mimic the feeling of casting runes, charm casting, and similar ideas. I also wanted to experiment with blurring the lines between play and procedure, meta and narrative. But! Most important! it's all for fun, and rolling different dice is always fun.

[linabirb]

Go ahead, Lina, talk about why you like Rollo. I need a reminder on why he's the best ever :DD

SORRY FOR A LATE REPLY AURORA I GOT HOME A FEW HOURS AGO AND NEEDED TO REST and the power went out while i was typing this. why is this world so rollophobic

warning for lots of rambling under the cut!

first of all, his design.

"haha funny boy with a bowl cut and a huge hat" virgin vs "literally the most fun design to draw" chad. yes i'm the second one.

of course his design is heavily inspired by his counterpart but i just love it a lot! i really like the colors (some of them lowkey remind me of a bi flag JDKDLSLSL) of his outfit and i like how the color of his hair and his eye color look with them!

i actually disagree with people who say that he'd look better with longer hair or a more detailed/"unique" hairstyle bc i think in that case his design would feel very overwhelming? meanwhile here it looks much more balanced! when i draw him, it feels really nice bc i don't have to do much when it comes to his hair, i can just focus on the outfit! (though i had to get used to drawing his hairstyle, bc my art style is just. floofy hair.. soft hair..)

speaking of his hair..

I'M STILL NOT OVER HIM HAVING MORE MESSY-LOOKING HAIR AND EVEN HAVING AN AHOGE. I'M STILL INSANE ABOUT IT THIS IS SO CUTE. i've talked about it with my other friends and i hc that his hair is like that simply bc he wears a hat most of the time and.. yeah, your hair can become like that after you wear a hat. and like, maybe his hair has no choice but to look like that no matter how much he tries to take care of it and make it look better, so he also tries to hide it with his hat HDJKDKSLD.

also, i find it so funny how on some images it looks like he has really bad dark circles, meanwhile on other images you can clearly see that he wears makeup, so here's my rollo headcanon number 420 (i have so many of them. so many. literally about any topic. i am going insane): rollo tries to hide his dark circles with makeup, but fails miserably and he's really bad at it and nobody has a heart to tell him that he's actually not really doing a good job.

HIS CHIBI VERSION IS SO. SQUISHING AND BITING HIM. WHAT'S THAT EVIL SMILE FOR. YOU SILLY GOOFY MAN

now, his personality.

HE'S SO. SIFGHDHJFBDFBHDJNDVFDNM!!!!!! i love how rollo isn't just a "cold and emotionless anime guy". HE HAS EMOTIONS!! HE HAS SO MANY OF THEM!!! LITERALLY THE WHOLE MASQUERADE EVENT CAN BE A METAPHOR FOR EXPRESSING ALL THE FEELINGS YOU HAD REPRESSED FOR SO MANY YEARS AND ENDING UP DOING SO IN A WAY THAT'S HARMFUL FOR OTHERS (and probably you).

okay, i've said it before in my other post (the ask game one) but the fact that he's literally one of the few characters (if not the only one) who actually says that yuu must feel weird being the only magicless student and that it can be very scary and tiring. man. and like, when everyone has to split up into groups, rollo is the only one who asks what yuu will be doing. i could try my best to not go "this man is in love with them" at least for a second, but no, this man is in love with them. "oh it's only because they're magicless" shut up. so what if it IS because they're magicless. what if yuu is so pure to him, nobody can touch them. what if he wants to protect them from magic users. rolloyuu can either be the cutest and softest ship ever or they can be the most toxic ship BUT IN A GOOD WAY. IN A WAY THAT MAKES YOU GO "waittttt 👀👀👀 that's kinda. that's kinda. hold on a minute" LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYINGGGGGG. all variations of rolloyuu are good. all of them. his ghost room voicelines are also so. it's like, even if he's studying at nrc currently, you can clearly see that he still has favoritism for yuu. it really feels like he sees them as the only "good" student here. it feels like he's a little bit more.. um.. maybe he's more of a tsundere now, since now he knows that yuu likes magic? such as him being surprised when yuu shows him that they want to be friends with him and thinking that it's all just some kind of evil scheme and then being shocked that they're just genuinely nice and saying that it just makes everything even worse. OTOME GAME LOVE INTEREST BEHAVIOR. and him also kinda scolding them for "asking for a present" from him but then saying that birthdays really are important and that he hopes he won't disappoint them with his present. man. m a n. AND HIS OTHER VOICELINES STILL MENTION HIM FEELING SORRY FOR MC AND SAYING THAT THEY CAN ALWAYS RELY ON HIM AND ANYWAY ROLLOYUU ARE MARRIED-

but i should go back to the topic of his personality! you know what makes me insane. it's that rollo, no matter how hard he tries to look like this serious and organized person who has everything under control is canonically a dork in the most affectionate way. HIS FLYING LESSONS VOICELINES ARE SO FUNNY. the fact that he goes "WHY WON'T THIS THING LISTEN TO MEEEEE" when it's not working out, but when everything is fine, he immediately goes "oh, it's quite simple actually"?? i'm going to kiss you on the mouth, you idiot SJKDKDLSLS. he's also canonically a horse girl, which makes sense bc of his counterpart, but also HORSE GIRL ROLLO REAL. i need his lab coat sr. or at least let him take alchemy classes with his current card i want to know what he'll say.

his battle voicelines are so cool, i'm literally obsessed with them. HE LITERALLY SAYS THAT HE HAS UNFINISHED BUSINESS TO TAKE CARE OF AFTER BEATING UP SOME GUYS. HOW COOL IS THAT. some of his voicelines totally didn't make me giggle and kick my feet. totally. don't look at me. me reading "good, how obedient" and "it seems you still desire punishment" and choking on my tea

also i love how his vignette exceeded my expectations and didn't just make me go "i love him <3", it made me go "i need to take care of him, i need to give him a blanket, i need to force him to go to sleep when he needs it, i need to kiss his stupid face, i need to tell him that he's enough-". like what do you mean he eats the exact same things (and not just food, but also the exact amount of it) for lunch and i'm pretty sure he does the same with breakfast and dinner. what do you mean he wakes up BEFORE SUNLIGHT to clean the bell and the gargoyles. what do you mean he likes the bell of salvation (yes, i'm sticking to fan translations) because "it rings when it's supposed to", meaning that he likes predictable things and things that he "already knows" (i think you can say that it's also implied in one of his voicelines where he can't understand why mc is "acting so familiar with him". they're being unpredictable. it's too hard for him to understand them.) what do you mean even when he knows that it will be easier/more convenient for him to do something different, he still does it the same way that he always does. i need him to go to therapy, this man has at least one mental illness and i'm like 100% sure that he's neurodivergent. (i've said it so many times on discord but he's ocd-coded. i say that as someone who has ocd. that's it. i do so many of the things that he does, it actually was a little uncomfortable (but also validating) to read his vignette, i was like "?? DUDE?? PLEASE?? PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW UNHEALTHY IT IS?? wait i don't have a right to say that". the bit where he says that he eats the exact same foods to "avoid unnecessary desires" especially reminded me of my own behavior, because my brain often makes me stop taking care of my needs because "otherwise the Bad Stuff will happen". but i won't go into detail)

also i like how he's loved by literally all nbc students?? say whatever you want, call him manipulative and all that, but it takes hard work to make people like you and admire you and rollo is definitely hardworking.

now, his role in the story. sure, him and idia have very similar backstories, but rollo's past resonates with me much more, because i really wish we had more characters that express their grief and other negative emotions as anger. of course, some people cry, some people isolate themselves, some people become afraid of everything, but in those cases those characters are usually portrayed as sympathetic, meanwhile those who want to punch people, want to fight back, want to scream and yell at everyone, often get portrayed as unsympathetic, scary or even abusive and toxic or just evil. which is.. not good. not good at all. anger is a valid and understandable emotion and it's actually good to be angry about things. i actually was shocked when my therapist told me that i SHOULD "bite and scratch people more" (as i've said it myself) right after i was describing to her how easy it is for me to get angry we also found out that it's actually one of my alters' doing and i was like "i sound like some kind of monster don't i". so it's really nice and actually kinda healing to see him just steal everyone's magic, set the town on fire (with flowers, but whatever) and still hate magic and not really getting a redemption arc. it's okay, he'll get there someday. him immediately starting to sob the moment he remembered what happened to his brother also broke me.

however, there is one tinyyyy problem with his backstory, though that's just me, probably. you see, idia blaming himself for what happened to ortho was more.. i wouldn't say understandable, but it makes sense story-wise. he really was involved in it, even if it really wasn't his fault and he was only a child, i can still see why he'd blame himself. but in rollo's case, him secretly blaming himself.. doesn't really make sense to me? i mean, his brother just wanted to show him his magic, sure, rollo could blame himself for just standing and not being able to help him, but.. i don't know, it just feels a little bit weaker to me. so when the story goes "hey, look at him, he's blaming the magic users for not saving his brother, when he actually thinks it's his fault"! i'm like ". okay. what do you want me to do. do you want me to give him a hug and tell him that it really wasn't his fault." like, according to him, other mages really couldn't help and they ignored him, so what do you want me to do?? do you want me to point at him and go "HAHA SO IT REALLY IS YOUR FAULT"?? i'm not gonna do that!!

also, the thing is that rollo isn't selfish at all. i don't think he thinks that highly of himself. i actually bet that his self-esteem is horrible. when idia tells rollo that rollo wasn't trying to save other people, but he actually wanted to save himself, rollo is genuinely confused and can't believe it and idia himself says that it looks like rollo really did think that he was doing it for others. and even if he secretly wanted to do it for himself, i don't think him saying that he wants to save others and end their suffering is selfish. and he also says that he'd love to lose his magic too and he doesn't like using his magic.

his parents also being worried about him and making sure he's fine in the vignette also breaks my heart.

soooo yeah! that's all i can think of right now, but of course, there's most likely much more, my brain is just a little tired, haha.

maybe none of this makes sense and i'm just biased and i'm projecting, but who cares. at least i'm having fun.

if you've read all of this, thank you and congrats! have a pic of my croissant plushie (+ a bnuuy!!) :)