#I always draw my younger self from when I was like 12

[estarz]

Me with my pet trimming! 7-9 years old.

[http-tokki]

need to know

~ choso kamo x fem!reader (tattoo artist choso au) ~tags/cw: tattoo artist choso, fem reader, tattoo artist au, tattoos, needles, satosugu is canon, modern au, choso has a scar over his nose instead of his markings, strangers to friend to lovers (strangers rn) tiny lil man verbal bashing cause men are weak lil babies when getting tattoos, reader is a lil chubby, choso is on antidepressants, smoking/vaping, drinking ~ wc: 2.9k ~ "Dude, he is so fucking hot. I wasn't expecting him to look like that!! What do I do?!! Help?!?"

You: Wednesday 8:45pm Hi, I was just wondering if your books were still open? It says they are in your bio but in case I've missed it and they're closed, please ignore this message, sorry! :)

Kamo: Wednesday 9:23pm Hey. No, they are still open. When were you looking to book? Do you have a specific design? Or are you looking for a flash?

 

You: Thursday 11:36am Oh, hi, awesome! Thank you for getting back to me so quickly! I was looking to book next month, towards the end. On a weekend if that would be possible (I don't mind the time), and for the design, just a flash (design 3A) on your latest post on my upper arm, around 15-20cm. :)

You: Thursday 11:52pm Unless you think it should be smaller or somewhere else, I'm not picky! I really want something of yours tattooed on me :)

 Kamo: Thursday 12:15pm Sure, no problem! I have the 24th free at 12pm. Does that work for you? The spot and size are fine, but I'll make up smaller and bigger stencils on the day in case you change your mind. The total would be $600 for the piece. However, I require a $100 deposit to secure your spot. I can send you the payment details once you confirm your interest. Please read through my FAQs on cancellation policies and further information.

You: Thursday 12:20pm 24th at 12pm is perfect! Thank you!! I'll send a deposit through now! Ahh, so excited! :)

 

Kamo: Thursday 1:07pm You're welcome. Here is the link x. Please send a screenshot of your payment as proof. For the rest of the amount, I accept cash only. If you have any other questions, feel free to message me. See you on the 24th.

You: Thursday 3:30pm Sending it now! Yay! Thank you so much! Super excited, see you! :)

Kamo: Thursday 4:35 pm Seen 

--

 "I sound like an idiot, don't I?" you grumble as your friend reads over your chat with a tattoo artist.

You watch your friend tilt their glasses down, squinting at the screen as their mouth curls into a grimace. They try to hide it with a sniffle, disguising their obvious disgust over your intense enthusiasm.

"Not an idiot," they hand the phone back to you, a frown set in the crooked way it always did when they were uncomfortable. "Just really, really eager, which can be cute if you like that."

--

Choso is growing tired. 

At what? There are too many contributing factors to the headache that had begun blooming his eyes five minutes after stepping into the studio to pinpoint the main culprit of his budding exhaustion. Maybe it was the late night/early morning combo, or perhaps it was the horrific lack of water and food he hadn't consumed in the last twenty-four hours. When was the last time he had taken his medication? Choso begins to run through the previous days in an attempt to remember when he had even glanced at the Zoloft sheet sitting in the bottom drawer of his trolley, but his attention is diverted from his lack of self-care to the man sitting in his tattoo chair. 

It is coming up on the two-hour mark since his client walked in. With a brazen attitude that could rival a Greek god, the man had outlined what had to be the simplest fucking tattoo known to man. Choso had rolled his eyes at the frankly impressive and thorough drawing done by the twenty-something gym bro before shifting the paper off to his younger brother. 

"Come on, it's easy! An hour tops, and then you've got like two fifty in your hand! You technically owe me an observation session, and this can be it." Yuji had gripped his brother's sleeve, tugging on it the way he used to when they were kids. 

Taking in his younger half-brother as his apprentice was a good idea in theory. The two lived and worked together, so there was ample time for obvs and practice, but today was already busy, and Choso was feeling like complete and utter shit. 

"Yuji, I don't want to do this. I have a client coming in at twelve for a full session, and I've got this headache and-"

"It's easy money, come on! Please." it technically was easy money. The design was a small band wrapped around the bicep, with no adornments or script, just a flat black line; it was the client himself that made Choso apprehensive. 

"Fine." Choso sighed, and Yuji almost jumped into the air in excitement. "You prep and clean him; I'm not doing anything but the actual tattoo." 

Yuji nodded eagerly and just about ran into the front room to confirm the walk-in appointment. 

That was almost two hours ago, and Choso is still here, finishing up the outlines of the band on a guy twice his size but carrying on like a toddler. Each touch of the needle on skin had the man flinching and hissing through his teeth, and there is only so much Choso could take. 

Choso eyes the clock nervously, his next appointment slot ticking closer but the second. There isn't going to be enough time to get out and grab a coffee or snack from the corner store. After another quick glance at the amount of work before him, Choso calls it fifteen minutes to twelve and clicks off the tattoo gun with a disappointed sigh.

 "Hey, I'm sorry, but we might have to split this into two sessions." 

He looks back over at this current client, who is sweating profusely. It takes everything in him to scowl in disgust at the once brazen man before him, but not the look on his client's face; Choso knows some form of repugnance had slipped through his composure. 

 "Yeah, sure, man, no sweat," the client replies, relief blatant in his sigh. "Sorry for taking so many breaks. I've got a weak pain tolerance."

That makes Choso feel a little bad.

"You're fine. I've just got a pre-booked client coming in like ten and need to set up." A little lie to hurry the man up. 

Hope is so close. So attainable that Choso can almost feel the sun on his face, but the shop bells slice through any dream of a break. 

"Hi, I'm here for my twelve with Kamo?" 

Choso slouches, attention now on the conversation happening in the front room. It's not even twelve yet! Why would she be here so early? 

"Yep! We've got you down for twelve, but Choso's still with someone, so if you wanna wait here, that's okay!" Yuji giggles in response. 

"Ohh, I'm just here to ask if umm…Choso wanted a coffee or anything?" his name is a question on her tongue. "I'm going to go get one and wanted to ask if anyone wanted anything so you don't have to wait in line." 

That's nice. Choso thinks and leans back on his chair, attempting to glimpse his new client, who has Yuji giggling at every word. 

"I was just about to step out to get coffee so I can come with you, but I can get Cho's; you don't need to pay for him." Another giggle. God, his younger brother is shameless. 

"That's okay! I can get them; just write your orders down so I don't forget!" the girl insists.  

"Ohh, but-"disappointment fills Yuji's voice. 

"Yuji, can you come here please!" Choso shouts down the hall, pulling his brother away from his new crush. 

Yuji groans, then the shop bells ring again, and then the sound of footsteps shuffles down the hall. 

"Yes?" 

"Can you wrap him up and finish the payment? I need a smoke." Choso rolled back from the bed, handing over the second skin he has yet to unwrap. 

Choso's brother sighs but offers the male client a friendly smile, sits down in the now vacant rollaway stool, and begins to prep the skin for wrap-up.

"I'll be back in five; if anyone needs me, tell them to wait." Choso grumbles the last part and offers a stiff wave to his current client before disappearing into the hall. 

 The knots in Choso's shoulder have been building for days now, and no amount of rolling or stretching seems to relieve the tension in his muscles, but it is nice to stretch and feel the blood move around him again. Heavy boots echo through the small shop as he stalks to the front desk, floorboards creaking under the weight of thick rubber soles. His fingers slip into his back pocket to reach for the small pack of menthols hastily shoved down after the abrupt end of his morning break. 

Stepping out into the world, Choso is blinded by the sun. Having forgotten about the passage of time while being stuck indoors all day, he now stands stunned in the small alcove of the shop's entrance. The sun nears the centre of the sky, beating down the world in a heat never seen before. It wasn't even the beginning of summer, and the sweltering days were breaking temperature records. Choso shields his eyes with a hand, and even then, his vision is blurred as his retinas adjust. 

The street is quiet; an abnormal silence had fallen over the usually busy road, but with the rising blistering temps, he suspects people aren't willing to brave the heat to shop or eat. Choso finds the familiar recess in the wall, a door had been there years ago but has long since been boarded up and now acts as refuge for him and his brother. Through any weather, time of day or season, the small alcove is a sanctuary for tired and burnt-out artists needing a second away from the constant buzz of tattoo guns. 

Choso scans the few open cafes and bars for his mystery client. Mainly office workers on lunch break and mothers with strollers waiting for the afternoon pick up; he can't see anyone that fits the image he had concocted in his mind on the short walk over until he spots a girl standing in line across the way. The tattoos that adorn her legs are what Choso notices first. Patchwork pieces from different artists in black and white with pops of colour here and there, but for the most part are monochromatic, all spaced far enough to be their own pieces but not so much that they seem gap-y. He is impressed at the choice, knowing that when getting patchwork pieces, they are usually slapped in any available location, but from what he can see, every piece flowed into each other and told a story against her skin. Her arms are equally as covered, though with more room, and he is eager to see the works up close. A flash of pink catches his attention, and he narrows his attention on the pink My Melody backpack that she swings at her side, pink wallet clutched in her free hand as she shifts her weight from her toes to her heels. Choso smirks at the bag and finds himself willing her to turn so he can see the face of the girl who we had been staring at for the past five minutes. 

He is staring and he needs to stop before he gets caught. Shifting his attention from the random woman, he fishes out his phone and focuses on the seemingly endless DMs and texts stacked on the lock screen. Sometimes, he wonders if he really should have gone into a career where his livelihood relied on communicating with strangers. With expert precision and one hand, he pulls a cigarette from the crumpled packet and slips the filter between his teeth. Biting down the filter, the taste of menthol fills his mouth, and relief floods his veins before settling in the deep groves of his brain. The cigarette isn't even lit yet, but his nervous system knows that the taste of mint will soon be followed by nicotine, and all will be well for a few minutes. Breaking the habit of smoking has been on Choso's New Year's resolution lists for the past three years, but he only ever lasts a few weeks before turning back to the comfort of those overpriced joints. Maybe next year will be the year. Choso digs through his pockets, fingers grasping for the lighter he keeps in his right pant pocket, but there is nothing. Maybe the other side? Still nothing. Third pocket? Fourth pocket? Nada. Zilch. Zero. Fuck. 

There isn't enough time to go back inside to search for matches, and he had already popped the filter and doesn't want to waste the smoke, but it would get gross sitting in the packet- his headache grew. 

"Choso?" a soft voice asks from above.

Choso looks up from his lap and is greeted by the most stunning woman he has ever seen. Breathing is no longer automatic as he stares at you, and when his lungs start to contract almost painfully, he realises and takes in an all too obvious breath.

It wasn't fair to look like that. With the sun illuminating your silhouette, cradling you in an angelic aura that has Choso debating on whether he should get on his knees and pray to you, but too much time has passed since you spoke and he acknowledged you that he has to say something, but all he can manage is a muffled yeah?

"I'm your twelve, but you look like you need a light?" you hold out a bright pink light between pretty pink manicured fingers. 

Choso offers a tight-lipped smile to prevent the cigarette from falling from his mouth and takes the lighter, flicking it to life. "Thanks, I owe ya."

He holds the flame to the tobacco, and only when it glows bright does he pull the disposable away.

"It didn't cost me anything, so nothing to owe."

There is a beat of silence as you throw the light back into your bag before bending down to pick up the coffee you had set at your feet. "Also, a coffee." another offer towards him. 

"The guy at the desk gave me your order, and I always buy my artists something before a session. I'm not hitting on you."

Your admission of this not being a move stirs something in him. Choso accepts the cold cup with a soft thank you, angling his hand away from yours, careful not to burn you with the lit smoke.

 "I'll meet you inside. Give you a moment to yourself." you nod towards the door of the studio, feet already turning to start walking towards the entrance. 

He watches you walk away, a smile creeping on his face despite not knowing why. You're as cute from the front as you are from the back, and he's glad the girl he had seen in the coffee shop is you. Soft curves make up your figure, dipping at your waist before filling out again over your bust. Choso feels his stomach twist in that familiar feeling, but he can't think of you like that; you're a client and nothing more. There is a mesmerising way in which you walk that has Choso unable to look away, and even when you've stepped into the studio, his gaze lingers on the empty space you once stood in until the rancid taste of burnt filter fills his mouth. Never in his life has he been as thankful for coffee as he is in that moment when burnt paper fills his senses. Taking a big gulp of the sweet but still bitter drink, it takes everything in him not to spit in the street, but he was raised better than that and will wait until he is in the small bathroom to spit up the gross contents.

 --

 When Choso returns, you are sitting on the small couch in the waiting room, filling out consent forms. Head down as you read the number of your ID and scribe it down in the open line; he walks past you, suddenly horrified by his heavy choice of shoe. The thick thud of the rubber soles on the hardwood has you lifting your head and smiling at your artist. Choso feels his stomach flip.

"So," Choso starts, but the smoke still in his throat chokes the word. He clears his throat and restarts his sentence. "So, do you smoke, or do you just carry the lighter?"

"My best friend smokes, so I just carry it 'cause you never know when you're gonna need a light." Your laugh is contained, almost forced, as if the interaction you are having is uncomfortable for you. Had he done something wrong?

"Ohh." Is his only reply as you return to the balanced folder on your lap.

Another moment of silence before Choso steps towards the hall. "I'll let Yuji check you in, and then just come in when you're ready." Had he already made you that uncomfortable in the two minutes you had spoken outside? Choso takes a deep breath as he steps into his space and suddenly wishes the whiney baby was the one getting tattooed.

--

You: Saturday 12:05pm Dude, he is so fucking hot. I wasn't expecting him to look like that!! What do I do?!! Help?!?

Number ONE best friend: Saturday 12:06pm suck his dick? ik guys like that :P 

You: Saturday 12:06pm Idk what I expected from you. I need actual advice, please Saturo. U owe me!

Number ONE best friend: Saturday 12:07pm ooh first name, you're kinda scary. Okay, here is what you do. You act like a normal human and then flirt a lil and suss out if he's into it and then ask him out to drinks?

You: Saturday 12:08pm That works if I KNEW HOW TO FLIRT. Ugh im screwed, he's so fine fuck

Number ONE best friend: Saturday 12:09pm eww, you're getting ur jizz all over the screen. just breathe and be normal okay, pretend he's me.

You: Saturday 12:10pm  Ignoring the first comment. Im gonna sneak a pic and show u BRO YOU NEED TO SEE HIM

Number ONE best friend: 12:10pm creepy but okeeeeyyy. Sugu also says to breathe and be normal but to ignore anything you think I would do

You: Saturday 12:11pm Thanks, Suguru, please kill him for me, ill talk to u guys in a bit

Number ONE best friend:  good luck bestie 8======D

a/n: okay so there is going to be a part two but I'm not sure when, please give me feedback if you want it or want me to stop, put the laptop down and go outside lmao lil texting format, lemme know how y'all feel about that

[il3x]

copin with yearningTM by drawing and writing the Weirdest Fuckin AroAce Relationships... just the most incomprehensible unconventional intimacy... and what fits the bill better than lisa/*ziz?

*not platonic not romantic not sexual not queerplatonic but a secret fifth thing. thematic.

yeah I nerfed the simurgh's size but that was the price to pay to redraw the statue it is based on.

an important thing abt my lisa/*ziz art is that lisa is always gonna be higher... the simurgh is reaching for her. the simurgh is a shard construct; her purpose is to collect data, and she collects it from people, like lisa. she needs lisa (metaphorically) to be fulfilled, in a way that lisa doesn't need her. the simurgh sought lisa out, chose her; lisa spent most of that time just thinking "ohgod oh god when can I get away from scary bird lady". no voluntary seeking out on her part! also, the simurgh is younger than lisa, and she's a shard construct. she doesn't yet have a fully realised, independent sense of self [might be headcanon, but that's how I see it]. she is learning humanity from lisa. she is the dependent one in this relationship

based on a statue by: Giovanni Scanzi (1840-1915) [finished by Luigi Brizzolara (1868-1937) upon Scanzi's death]Twice25 & Rinina25 uploaded: 2006-12-1, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

[luckyshouse]

i guess it's drudging up old feelings of being a really unwell child on deviantart and being met with the same mocking attitude i got from my dad by a bunch of 15-20+ year old men on deviantart, and the other preteens surrounding me mimicking those behaviors to try and appeal to those men. i was in a group called "sicksonas" or "sickponies" which were just essentially ponysonas based around your trauma and it was a very good way for me to express my feelings as child going through intensive emotional abuse and hospitalizations, and its what led to me being groomed by an older guy on deviantart because he made parody "fan"art of my "sicksona", and hid his anger behind him pretending to try and offer "actual criticism." and because i was abused and sheltered and 12 years old i didn't understand that he was making fun of me, i thought his criticism was valid and that i needed to "fix" my art. this eventually lead to me being groomed by him to be essentially a gore fetish machine for him and a bunch of other people who acted like that.

and i'm oversharing mostly because while my case is extreme, it's like, man the kids you're making fun of are not well. you are not making fun of children who are okay. i don't understand where the justification of mocking kids for cutting themselves is that theyre just "privileged spoiled children who need to make up issues by hurting themselves" because if you know anything about child psychology it's very clear that cutting and self injurious behavior is nowhere near normal or okay for a child to do and is almost always indicative of child abuse. and people know this, they know this and then they just conveniently ignore it when they want to make fun of the edgy emo kids on deviantart. it just breaks my heart. it reminds me that no ones willing to actually listen to them, and thats why they end up in the positions they're in.

i'm definitely over reacting to this drawing, but also, i mean, its on theme with my blog. every single drawing i do, all the art i put my effort into, its a homage to the 13 year old i was online. it's a love letter to every edgy oversharing mspaint drawing done on deviantart, an appreciative work for the art that i made and loved when i was younger, that helped me get through a genuinely bad time. i've spent too long embarrassed and ashamed of myself for my weird "creepypasta-esque" edgy teenage deviantart art, im sick of it. that IS a real expression of emotion and abuse i was going through and that needs to be respected, and if no one else is going to do it, i will.

[32bitterra]

Heya hi howdy! Hope your days been well! Anything you’re looking forward to you wanna share? Or any doodles? Any Headcanons you’ve always wanted to talk about but never had the opportunity???

I dunno! Mostly just wanted to say I LOVE your works and look forward to seeing your posts on my dash <3

Oh and, Hi Quentin! (,’

Helloooo! I've been alright. I'm kinda looking forward to when my sister leaves once more so I can play PN1 on her laptop and do Very Important Camper Research on the weekend, but that kinda sounds mean like I WANT her to leave lol. It's not the case.

I've actually been meaning to revisit/redo the previous time I shared headcanons when you asked, but I haven't gotten around to it. I basically took some bulletpoints from my "Thought Compilation" doc and some of my guidelines and observations got mixed in with what could be considered "headcanon" or "interpretation" or whatever. Some of which have been altered/changed due to better understanding the characters as I draw and observe/learn about them more, so that post has become somewhat outdated. This is also part of why I considered making a side blog or something, but I dunno.

ETA on that: Eventually.

Now for doodles. Anything I've done recently will be compiled in a post like I do monthly/bimonthly, so look out for that in August (or whenever I feel the time is right.) There are some things in there I think you may like, but I am not ready to share them yet.

But I do not want you to go empty handed, so I will show some fun things I call "absolute rejects." Some of which do not even exist anymore and the only proof they existed is from crusty phone pictures. I will also share some doodles I did not deem good enough to post. This post is getting long, so I will put them under a handy dandy cut:

This is from October 28, 2023. It's hard to tell, but Lili is the one tickling Raz's nose.

(November 13, 2023) PATHETIC.

(January 22, 2024) Older Phoebe.

(April 12, 2024) An earlier version of older Crystal.

(October 18, 2023) I showed my sister and she said she looked like a mouse. This is why anthro Tala is a mouse.

(October 28, 2023) Benny die lmao. I think this was a request?

(February 11, 2024) I'm not sure how to explain the context.

(February 12, 2024) Or the context to this one either. They are repelling like magnets.

(February 14, 2024) OK!

(March 7, 2024) It is my duty to Megaman-ify everything I like.

(June 16, 2024) ???

(June 17, 2024) I actually thought about including it in the June doodle compilation, but decided against it. I have a soft spot for very early Psychonauts fanart. This is me channeling my younger self to pay tribute to that lol.

Wait, I've got one more thing:

Hello from Quentin. I also want to thank you for leaving kind and enthusiastic words on my drawings! I highly value them and it makes my day to read them.

[animalsalvationassociation]

Small Q&A:

No I’m not back but I had a few generalized questions about the blog popping up so I thought I’d answer a few just to clear the air. Yes I am still on hiatus.

Question 1: Watermarks

For anyone confused as to the watermarks that are on my art pieces — @cookiecrumbles52palace is my main user for all of my art blogs except for secondary art accounts like character creation pages on Instagram/TikTok.

[ Here is an official link to all of my socials. ]

—

[ And this is if you want to learn more about me ]

—

Question 2: How do art??

“How are you so good?”, “Wow I wish I could be like you!”, “You’re so talented I could never!”

It never gets easier answering this. Every artist/creative would agree with me, these are by far the most asked questions I get on literally a daily basis. They bring me joy and the validation I’ve always wanted but at the same time they make me extremely sad and uncomfortable.

As of 09/2024 I will be hitting my 12 year mark of being an artist and a writer. It’s a rough estimate of when I began, but I basically started in September around the age of 11.

“What got you started?” you ask?

The Ninja Turtles.

When I was a kid that’s all I wanted to do. I wanted to be a comic book artist for a living (my favorite show at the time being Nickelodeon’s 2k12 TMNT) I remember my lonely days of sitting on my bedroom floor spending hours a day drawing just a few panels at a time. And although I was a kid with no friends, starting a new school year in a new house/school/state, I at least had my stories however monstrously drawn they were.

Now nearly 12 years later I’m self taught, I work a part time job in retail, I live at home with my family at 22. And my dream is to be a published author illustrating her own stories. I’ve already illustrated a published book but eventually I want to create for my own novels.

I’m still learning how to adult and take care of myself. And let’s be honest I don’t do a very good job at either of those things, I have a lot of health problems and my emotional state keeps me from doing a lot of things. But I wouldn’t change my situation for the world because even though I’m struggling, I’m happy.

Basically my point is . . . no matter where you are on your creative journey you have a bright future ahead of you. You’re going to make mistakes and hit a million roadblocks, but if you keep working and believing in yourself then you’re gonna go far. My best friend in the whole wide world is my younger self, because she kept pushing even when others had given up on her and I couldn’t be more proud of what she became. Even if it’s hard to look in the mirror sometimes.

Question 3: DM / Asks / Art Requests / Comms

I’m officially sorting through my asks. I’ve been having some spam asks recently and I will be deleting some of the ones I don’t feel comfortable answering. I am sorry but I have my limits, if your ask gets featured then it gets featured I don’t know what else to tell you. (I don’t know how to phrase this kindly)

Adding to that, do not follow me if you expect to get art requests in return. Just because you asked nicely doesn’t mean I’m going to spend my precious free time making something for you. If I wanted to do commissions or requests then I would put that in the bio or in a pinned post.

Art is one of the single most important hobbies for me alongside my writing. It’s a way for me to escape without having to leave my room/house. Please understand, there are plenty of other artists out there with amazing art that would love to handle your commission or requests that probably have so much more free time than I do. And I would be happy to point them out to you because they probably need the money more than I do.

Question 4: Returning??

“Man Cookie, you’ve been gone for a few weeks like you said you would, but do you have a date of when you’ll be coming back??”

Tbh with you, no. I’ve been trying really hard this year to involve myself in Art Fight, and so far I’ve been having a lot of fun doing that as well as working on some other projects like my Voltron fanfic or my novels.

But when it comes to Octonauts I’ve been really nervous about getting back into things. Which is pretty silly but kinda makes sense considering everything I’ve been creating in the last few months all on a whim.

I think my plan is to finally start posting again the second or third week of August. The first week and a half I’ll be at a family reunion, and if I’m correct I should have some time to just relax and get into my own head space.

No promises but I may end up working on a headcanons post for the A.S.A. Au to help solidify some things for our wonderful Octonauts. Not sure when it will be done but I’ve already started on Kwazii’s. Other than that no art until I’m off my hiatus.

I promise I haven’t forgotten about any of you, and thank you for the wonderful comments you left on my last post. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry all over again! 😭

Have a wonderful day and please stay safe/healthy! I love you all! And a special thank you for making it to the end of the post, you’re wonderful. Here’s a cookie 🍪

[spicymiilk]

Work up today feeling Blegh so instead of actually writing or drawing or painting I will be teasing Crop Circles with a list of Modern Au Nocorro HC’s enjoy

- this one has been in my head forever. Spider has a septum piercing, 100%. He does all his piercings by himself in someone’s basement with the most unhygienic needles known to man and it’s a miracle and a testament to his rock hard immune system that his ears haven’t fallen off. He and Neteyam begin to bond when Neteyam (who has to try to break out of perfect first son mold) asks him to pierce his nose

- projecting here, but Neteyam is a pottery guy. He’s on the debate team and quite frankly he’s insufferable and stupid smart, but in his downtime he goes to the local ceramics studio and goes on the wheel and makes things.

- spider’s a foster kid, which inherently comes with so much trauma and problems but one of his biggest unseen ones is he’s always living life with one foot out the door

- Neteyam’s damage is absolutely his insane, balls off the wall self-management and the expectations he has for himself. He’s incredibly uptight but not in a good way, he’s just incapable of relaxing. A chronic fixer, always looking for solutions to every single persons problem

- in this AU, Neytiri is gods gift to mankind. She met Jake before he become paralyzed, and stuck through with him and practically got a second degree in nursing (her first was geophysics, our educated queen) while learning how to help

- the Sully’s begin fostering when Lo’ak and Kiri turn seven (yes, they are twins again. You can pry twins Lo’ak and Kiri out of my cold dead hands) and stop for a while after Tuk is born. They see many different sorts of children and Neytiri, who works from home, becomes AMAZING at reading kids

- Jake is the Dad ever. He’s so good. There’s something inherently soothing about his presence, and he’s a tiny bit gruff sometimes, but only on bad pain days. Otherwise, he’s instrumental to showing a bunch of kids that fathers and men could be good people. He plays with little kids and teenager fosters alike, and he religiously talks with Neytiri to find out what each kid needs

- once neteyam hits 15, he starts helping out with the younger fosters as well, as a big brother figure. Tuk teaches him a lot, so he’s able to tune in to the soft and mushy gushy part of himself to hang out with children

- he tries to employ some of these techniques with Spider, since he forgets to turn that part of himself off, and Spider thinks he’s literally insane

- Like Neteyam will slip into like baby-talk while Spider’s in the room and they make horrible, split second eye contact

- They know each other from school, and Spider used to be a grade above until he failed a year and had to repeat a year. He n Neteyam are seniors at the local high school, but run in drastically different circles

- spider is a massive loner, with like a diehard bestie who’s probably a bit of an addict or a fellow foster kid and Neteyam’s got fake friends galore, in the most stereotypical high school way. They had one project together in some English class way back when and it’s Neteyam’s only memory of Spider, but they were like 12 and Spider is drastically different now, and Neteyam can’t really reconcile with that

- go read @be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie ‘s fast food AU HC list a BUNCH of shit will pop up in this modern au

[cowboylikeekatie]

ben hanscom is JUST as important as every other character and i am going to ramble about him real quick!!!

ben, he’s strong, but he’s also soft at heart. he’s there when he’s needed but he’s a poet in his blood and it’s painfully obvious so little people fully grasp what he’s gone through? being bullied for your body, something you can’t change very often, and being harmed physically for it, is something that’s definitely extremely hard to go through. ben loved beverly for 27 years. he kept her signature in his pocket. he’s kind and brave and always there when his friends need it. he’s a writer and he’s a lover, not a fighter, he’s beloved by me and maybe like 12 other people in this fandom. he appreciates literature and history and his kindness shines through. he has a rough home life on top of his school life. His biggest fear is having nobody and being lonely and he self loathes. ben grew up and lost the weight and proved everyone wrong, even though it wasnt necessary. he’s a beautifully written and portrayed character and i love him.

i think people cruelly make fun of ben and sometimes i wonder if they too are going along with the bullying he receives. you don’t have to love a character but excluding him (and mike) from the losers club is so unfair. drawing him age like 14 and younger as skinny, also wrong. growing up he was one of the only times i saw myself..fat…on the big screen and despite the representation being a little off i was truly excited because in a world where at the time it (1990) was released, plus size people only had the opportunity usually for comedic relief, i felt more at home. IT has always struck a chord with me because of the bonds but seeing someone similar to myself in that friendship made me feel at home. while i’m a teenager right now so im definitely not in the same age range as a lot of the people who saw IT(1990) were when it released i was taken aback in a positive way from the emotional aspect of bens character in all films and the book. i look really similar to ben like if u genderbent 2017 ben i think you’d probably have a carbon copy of me and i lived my whole childhood in self loathing and to see myself on the big screen without being comedic relief made me feel some sense of safety. ben hanscom is such a great character and i feel so bad that he receives sm hate.

ok ramble done:) (tysm to the people who reblogged this ily guys🫶🫶)

[proxythe]

some of my fav p3 hcs:

☆ junpei takes on a big brother role with ken. lending him manga and video games rated teen/mature that he knows contain content that is okay for his age. taking him out at night to the arcade/for "secret" menu items. sneaking fun snacks into his room so he has something to feast on besides milk. this makes ken feel seen as an equal rather than as a child bc junpei is so genuine in his antics that it doesn't feel belittling/mothering.

☆ mitsuru begins truly seeking out her own style after she + yukari deepen their bond in november. at first, this results in some truly horrendous outcomes bc yukari wanted mitsuru to select what she liked for once instead of a stylist choosing for her. it comes to a head when mitsuru walks out one sunday wearing a red leather jacket, tan cargo pants, a retro graphic tee, and crocs. she eventually lands on a casual alternative style under yukari's strict guidance.

☆ akihiko is prone to forgetting about things outside of his goals or the people he cares for. this leads to many situations where he finds himself standing head empty, no thoughts in the middle of the grocery store or during casual conversation with family/friends/acquaintances. his tell that he's forgotten something is the tips of his ears turning bright red. when younger, he'd steal shinji's beanie to cover them out of self-consciousness. his notes app is clogged with dozens of nonsensical ramblings such as "milk" or "sun outside" in an attempt to remember such things.

I LOVE THESE 😭😭😭

junpei (along w yukari, minato/kotone, fuuka, n aigis) being older siblings to ken is so important to me… idk how to explain but it just hits different …!!!! i love when ken shows up and junpei wants to be his older brother so bad lmfao. i feel like him (and the other second years) being closer to ken’s age makes it easier for them to understand him so it’s way easier for them to get along. only downside is junpei cannot help ken with any of his work. it could be the easiest problem youve ever seen and junpei will be like “sorry i cant help you”

the thought of mitsuru not having any sense of style is so funny bc i’ve always just been like “yeah i mean she can probably dress decently on her own” but it would b cute to think she just picks out whatever she likes without thinking if the outfit will actually look good together or not. she sees a funny little cartoon on a shirt and is like This is delightful!!! and grabs it and pairs it with the most expensive and beautiful pants you’ve ever seen. then she wears a hideous pair of shoes to top it all off. without yukari, i imagine she wears her ugly ass outfit to go out to eat w like. aki or something. she shows up n akihiko (who knows how to dress) is just like what the hell are you wearing

now that u say this… akihiko is kinda sim coded. does workouts anywhere he goes. forgets what hes doing the second he enters a room. & omfg. him blushing to the tips of his ears is something i put in my drawings all the time idk if it’s noticeable but i love it so much… + the notes app thing so real but also imagine him sending texts to ppl to remind himself of certain things. mitsuru waking up in the morning to see akihiko texted her “Water” at 3:42 AM. shinji picks up his phone and has 12 notifications from akihiko within seconds of each other (its a grocery list). ken doing his homework and akihiko texts him “Koromaru” and nothing else (he needs to take koromaru for a walk later)

[mazm-imagines]

Notice! (NOT THE END OF THIS ACCOUNT I PROMMY)

Aheeem aheem wheemper...

Hi guys. Sorry for making false assurances again... just forgor to get to the halloween asks even over my fall break. However I do want to talk about certain things. I want to explain this creative block and for a moment just be vulnerable on here. There's been so much in my life right now I've been feelin like dogshit and then last night i was talking to a friend snd it all clicked. This is a really long post so I'll put it under a cut.

I have to admit... my passion for mazm is dwindling a bit. I wont be dropping the blog or anything not at all. The memories I've made here cheered me up when I was at my worst moments.

I like to write and draw to make people happy. I remember when I was 12, I came onto mazm tumblr tags to just look at things. I came across an incorrect quotes blog, and while I don't think it was the highest effort content, it still put a smile on my face because I could tell whoever ran it was passionate. People were passionate. The mod left around 2020ish??? And i remembered being so sad.

It's hard to make content for small fandoms. Heaven only knows others have it worse... some only have 3 people instead of 5/lh

I've watched mutuals leave the fandom as they lost interest. Which is completely normal like it happens. But it just. Sucks. Its hard to make art/writing when you dont have people to exchange ideas with. I know I should be writing for myself, but I also would like to know that there are people reading and watching. I want to make people happy in the same way i was happy in the past.

But the dwindling activity on here + the lack of participation in the community events such as MazM week makes me want to give up trying sometimes. Not giving up trying to write nor answer asks by any means. I do those of my free will. But give up trying to reach out. I absolutely hate forcing interest, i don't like to harass others.

As i grow older, and younger members join the fandom, i start to feel a disconnect. Not because they are doing anything wrong, and I am happy that children get to enjoy MazM the same way i used to. It's more that my tastes mature, but i don't have anyone to discuss it with. It feels strange.

There's also the fact that I've always been more fond of MazMs original works such as Pechka, Thy Creature, and Hyde and Seek. I like Phantom of the Operas more original aspects ironically, but was never quite fond of Jekyll and Hyde. I often think a large part of MazM discussions involve the adaptations rather than the original aspects. Which again, I feel a bit out of place with.

All of this, and it starts feeling a bit lonely... I must be self pitying because the discord is pretty alive and I do see people in the tags. I appreciate all the creators i see, from the bottom of my heart. Everyone that creates something or speaks their mind or participates, that is what keeps it alive. If anyone ever wants to reach out to me I am more than happy to talk and share ideas.

But I've felt my old work was juvenile. I keep rereading my current work and looking at my current art. I keep feeling "not enough". Its leaked over to my other interests too like IDV. I have to drop one of my biggest projects because I've lost passion for some of the characters due to lore shit. And the other fic, I just couldn't read my prose without cringing. Which sucked because that project was for myself, it wasn't meant to be serious it was just yume shit. But... maybe that just reflects upon how I feel with myself now. That if no one reads, then I must be doing something wrong.

I love mazm from the bottom of my heart, I admire the team so much. It's why I started to draw seriously, it's why i started to read and analyze seriously and heavily influenced my writing. I AM MAZM FAN NUMBER 1!!! i am super excited for the new edgar allen poe game of course i am. It's just seeing the team members leave one by one and the format change so drastically... i don't know. The magic is different. But I will always support MazM despite it all.

So this is where I am now. Burnt out, unable to look at my own creations properly, cold lasagne hate myself. All very kafkaesque im sure. I don't want to put out low effort posts, so that's why I've just been keeping my askbox preserved. To all the people that sent me asks, thank you so so so much. You guys are the reason i am not letting this blog go anywhere. And I am very sorry to keep you all waiting.

[your-old-sins-tournament]

12 YEAR OLD OCS; SIDE A

Aldara [@kozzax]

I've carried her with me as long as she's existed. Even just doodling her in the corner of a notebook has gotten me through some of my roughest days. She's everything to me. Her story and world have developed so incredibly far from her original creation-- which, for the record, was for a school assignment --but she's always, always been here for me. Yeah, she's changed over the years as I've grown as a storyteller and artist, but the thing about change is that it's not always bad. She's still Aldara, she'll always still be Aldara at her core. When I draw her as a comfort for myself, it's like a piece of me from a time when everything was just that little bit easier has come up to the present and told me that everything's going to be alright. When I work on developing her story, it's a gift to that younger version of myself. A promise that we can grow and develop and change and yet we can still keep the parts of ourselves that are the most important. She means the world to me.

As for propaganda about her, on her own-- she was originally meant to be a "little sister" sort of character. Kind and caring and bubbly and happy, with a naivety that followed everything she did. Her original story had her simultaneously being the protagonist of the story who couldn't read, when everyone else could, and being old enough to have had kids that were stolen from her by her ex-husband. She's never been an active player in the plot, which is now an intentional choice but in my childhood was very much not.

Back when I was twelve, she'd been part of a group trying to free a bunch of cats who had been experimented on by humans, except her group just kind of naturally had magic powers as well. While her powers were never overly powerful, she was always good enough to stand alongside people with far more training than her and who were objectively more powerful than her without much, if any, consequence.

I've refocused her, now. She's kind, still, and she cares about people in a way that a lot of my other characters just don't quite reach. She's still naive, and still a sweet person who lights up any room she walks into. At her core, she hasn't changed. All that's changed is that the world she exists in suits her better, and the role she fills in it makes more sense for her.

I don't think she'll ever change, at her core. Her design changes on a regular basis, but the core concept will always remain the same. Her personality has never changed, not as long as I've had her, besides fleshing it out further. She'll always be Aldara. She'll always have the bits of myself that I put into her when I was twelve, and I'll always love her for that. She's maybe the best thing I ever started creating, and I will always consider her and her story to be a love letter to my childhood self and the way the creativity that poured out of me at that age let me develop into who I am today.

Description: No matter how long I've had her, she's always kept the same set of colors. She's always kept the way her tailtip is colored, and the arrows on her forehead and chest. She's always kept the colors on her wings, though they have changed locations over the years, and she's always kept her ear tufts. While her design may have grown more complex over the years, I've fought hard to keep the essence of what makes her recognizable as herself. I don't want to erase the character that I created when I was twelve. I never want to erase that character. She holds the shards of my twelve-year-old heart, and I will never let myself forget that.

Dan (Hanson Ōkami) [@cabincryptid51]

My trans awakening. I played as him in a Maximum Ride Amino even though I didn't know anything about it! My friend made me join so I could play their love interest and Dan is who I made. He already had a name in the lore but I didn't like it so he ended up having about 20+ secret identities. At some point his evil brother kidnapped, making everyone believe that he was dead and then the role play group stopped. But my friend and I had lore that continued because we wanted to have an arc were he died then came back to life where he would loose his arm and get dragon wings (I have a picture of this but I literally have no idea where it went). Anyway, I love him <3 My silly goofy himbo boy!

[muffimtv]

https://www.tumblr.com/ashe-hallows/724195547623407616?source=share

ALL

1. what medium do you use most?

digital art, using my ipad and procreate! i also sew an insane amount

2. most popular piece?

probably my fursuit (a few hundred thousand views on youtube if that counts?)

3. your favorite piece(s)?

MY FURSUITS!!!

4. piece you wish got more love?

my sticker designs!

5. how would you describe your art style?

cutesy, simple, colorful

6. favorite thing to draw?

animals

7. easiest thing for you to draw?

sharks

8. thing you struggle to draw?

HANDS.

9. whats something you always come back to when drawing?

colors, i always change the colors on my piece one billion times

10. how do you deal with artblock?

cry, watch something that inspires me, cry

11. do you listen to anything while drawing?

music! i listen to EVERYTHING

12. describe your process while drawing

rough sketch (shapes, no detail), second sketch (detail), lineart, color, change color, change color again, lighting, tiny detail

13. talk about a wip you like!

MY STICKER SHOP. i have all my designs done i just need to actually set up a website!

14. whats your favorite thing about drawing?

seeing my silly ideas come to life

15. least favorite thing about drawing?

my godawful posture

16. how do you motivate yourself to draw?

i don’t! i get an idea in my head and it eats away at my brain function until i draw it

17. what is something youre confident about in your art?

i love love love my colors

18. something you feel like you need to work on?

people. since i started working on my stickers i’ve been neglecting my people drawing skills

19. where do you find inspiration?

a lot of inspiration comes from MilkyTomato! I work for her, and it’s really motivating to see her success

20. is your workspace, digital or not, organized (not neat, organized)?

my workspace for drawing is typically my bed, so uh. but for sewing it’s generally neat and organized! i have a pegboard for all my things

21. what do you think your artstyle would taste like?

rainbow sherbet

22. do you have a favorite color palette to work with?

pastels!

23. how many artstyles can you work in confidently?

three ish? my sticker style, my people style, and i can dip into realism on occasion

24. whats a compliment about your art that has always stuck with you?

a friend told me that my art feels huggable a year or so ago and i think about it always

25. what size canvas/paper do you use?

i typically use the square canvas setting on procreate

26. what do you physically draw with (pencil and paper, tablet, etc)?

my ipad babey

27. do you ever have multiple wips going at once?

always all of the time. i can never do just one thing

28. whats a piece you would like to redraw at some point?

i would love to redo some of my older ranboo fanart

29. do you use a lot of references while drawing?

oh hell yeah dude i cant live without references

30. whats something youre proud of about your artstyle?

COLORS

31. which fandom have you drawn the most for?

probably mcyt tbh

32. have you done a lot of collabs?

nope :(

33. have you taken a lot of classes for art?

not really? i took art in middle school and i did a semester of animation but that’s all

34. whats something you still like from your old art?

the love i can see in it

35. if you had one piece of advice to give your younger artist self, what would it be?

KEEP DRAWING!!! TRY NEW THINGS!!! GET SILLY!!!

[daydreamerfox]

SKETCHTEMBER #15

Here we have Velvet being the adorable being she is (Again, that's not her name but you can guess what it is, if you feel like it)

[Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6] [Day 7] [Day 8] [Day 9] [Day 10] [Day 11] [Day 12] [Day 13] [Day 14] [Day 15]

Do you wanna be tagged on the next ones? You can reply to this post saying so (wether you want to be tagged in all my art or just the sketchtember posts)

More about her and the sketch below the cut

She's the younger sister of Nolan. She went to the US a few years after Nolan did, their mother said she would have way more opportunities ther and she could help her brother if he needed it. She doesn't help him exactly because he doesn't want her dealing with that (not to mention that she has a phobia of blood), but he did train her to be able to protect herself... she knows only the very basics to keep herself alive. Since when she arrived Nolan was already well stablished and financially stable she takes advantage of that to go out and have fun (Now that she's finally allowed out of the house because 1) Nolan thinks she can defend herself and 2) he knew she would try to sneak out anyway.) He gave her her own credit card so she would stop stealing his. Velvet usually goes out to ride her skateboard at night and enjoy the brise (even though she usually feels cold, she does enjoy the feeling of the wind hitting her skin). Fire can grab her attention in a very strong way. It soothes her, and because of that she's always walking around carrying a lighter with her so she can distract herself from time to time... yes, she also set things on fire when she's bored or stressed, but she tries to be as careful as possible to not hurt anyone. She likes witchcraft, even if she doesn't really know much about it, usually she just lights up incenses, collect crystals and tries some minor spells that honestly she can't tell if they did work or not and she can read tarot. She has a particularly big collection of stuffed animals, but from all of them her favorite is a little orange bunny called Bombom. She's very impulsive and is terrible at self preservation. If you bet her to throw herself from a cliff to dive into the see she will try.

About the sketch: I always have a lot of fun drawing Velvet, but trying to remember all her piercings, rings, earrings and tattoes is a struggle hahaha. I have to always check other drawings I've made before to be sure if I'm placing them at the right place and the right ones (I've mix up left and right all the time). And every time, without exception I need to grab my sketchbook to see if I've missed anything!

[jitterbugjive]

halcyondaysdontexsist

I just went through this a couple years ago, so I 100% understand. The only things you really can do it talk about it with your therapist, and self talk. When you have those thoughts, fend off the self hate, guilt, shame and tell yourself over and over "I was very mentally unwell, I was groomed, I was a child, I didnt understand.". It's going to take practice and time, but it does work and get better. It's just rough rn.

I was a child when I was groomed, sure, but when I did and said a bunch of shitty things I was an adult who was rather fresh out of an abusive relationship with a groomer and the many years following without any therapy- but for some reason people expect adults to just know better about this stuff automatically, and because they’re adults there’s no forgiving what they did. I had dangerous behaviors when I was a minor with other kids my own age that carried into my adulthood because there was nothing anywhere teaching me that actually this was wrong. I thought I learned from when I was a minor because there were consequences and I didn’t really know any better until those consequences happened, but I underestimated just what exactly was considered adult content because I’d been exposed to a lot of extreme stuff as a child by my groomers and I was used to Deviantart standards which were abysmal.

Nothing I did was with any predatory intent, and while they were bad they were fairly small offenses compared to what an actual predator with intent would do, and it was only a couple of isolated incidents, not a pattern. I lacked boundaries and the proper knowledge to deal with someone younger than me because my own model of childhood was complete shit.

I don’t personally associate with minors any more, there will be no one under 18 in my friend group because I know now that as a porn artist it’s irresponsible to associate with a minor even if I go out of my way to make sure they aren’t exposed to any of my nsfw art. I didn’t think of this when I was younger because I had been drawing nsfw since I was 12 and didn’t think it was a big deal.

I also try not to assume peoples’ ages any more, I used to assume a lot of people were adults because of factors like them drawing NSFW or having alcohol, but that wasn’t always the case I found out.

I’ve been very prompt at cutting people out of my life who get revealed to be predators, when I found out someone I knew had been sending nudes to minors I immediately alerted everyone in my friend group that knew him so that we could all kick him out and let the police deal with him because thankfully there was a case against him.

Hell, I’m a mandatory reporter now. If I suspect any child is being abused I am required by law to report it, and I take that very seriously.

[quindriepress]

This week's spotlight is on Ell J Walker and their comic Catharsis. Ell is an Edinburgh-based artist who originally washed up on the shores of Orkney. She likes drawing sad men, horses, guitars and folklore. (@elljwalker | website | instagram | mastodon | twitter)

Catharsis follows Dimitri and Asha, two young heavy metal musicians. "Catharsis is about self confidence, figuring out how to express vulnerable and destructive feelings, and about seeking confidence from within yourself rather than from some outside source. It’s also about death metal, demons and young aspiring musicians, backed by the setting of remote coastal Scotland."

Read the spotlight below the cut!

"This comic is a bit of a mix of things - first and foremost I wanted to create something that I’d really have a lot of enthusiasm about. I’d had a really rough time creatively over the past few years during lockdown and the ongoing pandemic, and I really needed to be kind to myself and make sure the next thing I made was going to be fun. I remember thinking to myself when I was putting together the pitch: ‘if I’m going to be drawing 40 pages of this, it’s going to have to contain things I really enjoy drawing’. Hence the sad boy with long hair, the horse, the demon, the guitars and the sea."

"On top of that, I’ve been on a huge metal kick lately. It was something that helped pull me out of the strange, buzzing, numb anxiety that the pandemic had injected into me. Listening to metal was weirdly soothing - it felt like a way to feed the parts of me that had been depleted with music I could really feel. Growling, angry, monstery vocals, insane shredding, weird time signatures, the seismic thrum of double-pedalling bass drums, galloping rhythms - it’s something that helps me simultaneously soothe myself and really feel things. Maybe that doesn’t make a lot of sense. I just really like metal, and wanted to express both how it’d helped me, and how much of a valuable medium it is to safely express volatile feelings - a key theme in Catharsis." 

"I think since music has always run parallel to art for me, they naturally feed into one another, even if it hasn’t felt like it at times for me. I’m sure it’s different for everyone, but personally, playing music feels like tapping into an internal part of me that knows what it’s doing - it’s how I found confidence in my teen years. I was lucky enough to start learning piano from age 8 and guitar and bass from age 12 - so I got the awkward part of the learning process out of the way fairly quickly, when I didn’t have all that much self-consciousness to hinder me. And while I’ve never been super great at composing or improvising, having the confidence to know my technical skills let me perform always fuelled my confidence. Saying that though, like Dimitri, at times I do often struggle to play in front of people. Ironically, my younger, more generally self-conscious self was better at that than my current, more confident adult self. I wonder why that is? Maybe I should draw another comic to find out."

"Art, although I’ve been doing it for even longer than music, feels very different as a creative process. It definitely comes from somewhere else in me, somewhere maybe a little bit more introspective and personal, and therefore more delicate. I’m still grasping to find my art confidence - I suppose writing and drawing Catharsis is a reflection of that, and reminding myself that it’s just a case of finding it within yourself eventually, even if it means taking baby steps, and gradually practising how to express that vulnerability."

While music has played a big role in Ell's life, it hasn't been their only influence. "For a long time I’ve drawn inspiration from folklore and stories that appear fantastical, but can be read as allegorical or metaphorical. I think art and stories are made real by the viewer/reader and their interpretation, and ancient stories that are retold through the mind of someone new are super interesting to me - what new themes can be added by the reteller, and what original themes that were put there hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago, persist? I particularly enjoy the Hellboy comics for this reason (also because they’re so much fun) as well as the God of War games.

"I also take a lot of inspiration generally from the natural world around me, and how I feel when I’m in nature. I think having recently taken more time to practise mindfulness and work on my own mental health has really expanded how I think about stories, the world around me and how I relate to it. I want to help inspire others to find the strengths that exist within themselves that they might think aren’t there, or they can’t reach."

"I grew up in the town of Stromness, in Orkney (a small archipelago of islands off the top of Scotland, for those who aren’t familiar), and therefore spent most of my young life living about ten paces from the sea, so the sea in particular has always felt like a part of me and my development.

"I was taught to fear and respect the ocean from a young age, particularly because the sea could be incredibly rough and dangerous around the islands. I know of several people who have lost their lives to it in one way or another. I think the fact that such a powerful natural force that was nevertheless teeming with life - the contents of rockpools, seaweed, seals, otters, seabirds, fish, cetaceans - was just really fascinating and interesting to think about. Of course folklore is something else I heard a lot about as a kid, and being able to hear these stories, then go for a walk down the shore and imagine these creatures of myth and legend existing in the same place - or even to see the selkies watching me from the water - was an amazing inspiration."

Ell has this advice for aspiring comic creators: "Make sure you’re making comics for YOU, not what you think other people want! This is something I’ve struggled with for a long time (art school taught me to make what the tutors wanted, not what I wanted) and can be more difficult than you think. But ultimately if you have enthusiasm for your project, it will always shine through. If it’s a slog, and you’re not enjoying it, hit the bricks! Have fun with it and don’t let expectations, or worse, perceived expectations, curb what you enjoy making."

 You can pick up Catharsis, alongside the other three comics in our 2023 collection, right here on Kickstarter!

[bluberimufim]

For the ask game!

12. 🎧 HEADPHONES: Share a song that inspired your WIP.

8. 🧢 CLOTHING: What is your MC currently wearing in the most recent scene of your WIP?

6. 🪩 MIRROR: Which OC is most like you?

Hiiii I took a few days to answer this because of the clothes question. I was waiting for them to change clothes in the story and also I wanted to illustrate it. Oops.

Anyway! Let's go!

12. 🎧 HEADPHONES: Share a song that inspired your WIP.

Ok, you can technically say that "Devourer of Souls" was inspired by the entire Once Upon A Time (In Space) album, but I've talked about that one too much, I feel.

In a way, I'd say that the song "Kimi was dekinai ko" (trans: you are a useless child) by Kikuo helped me flesh out the relationship between Jane and the Goddess of Time. I used to kinda handwave the whole thing like "yeah, she's just another clone, it's fine", but then I realized that the Goddess of Time would probably kinda hate her because she's the only clone who survived. Like, she tried to replicate Theo for decades and the only clone who was strong enough to survive was the one that turned out wrong - and she doesn't even look like the daughter she's trying to replace. And because of the "malfunction" in her soul that gives her violent tendencies, Jane would probably feel like she's worse than all her sisters. And also, despite being the one kicking her out, the Goddess of Time would probably feel sad when she leaves and she's alone again.

Juicy divine family drama.

8. 🧢 CLOTHING: What is your MC currently wearing in the most recent scene of your WIP?

I got this answer in the last ask and I wanted to wait a little because I knew Seth and Theo would be going on a little vacation soon and they'd change clothes then. Also, I just really wanted to draw them in cosy winter clothes. So I did a quick drawing of it.

I offer you: the girls on vacation.

I love drawing them. It's always fun <3

6. 🪩 MIRROR: Which OC is most like you?

Since this is a mainly DoS post, ig I'll try to answer for that WIP. Despite none of the characters really being like me.

I think probably Dora? I mean, her personality is very much not like mine, but I feel like she's a bit of a manifestation of my fears regarding the future. She was really passionate about art when she was younger, but then she got dragged away by the Goddess of Time, who showed up out of nowhere saying she was her mother.

And then she spent the rest of her life unable to actually make the art she wanted and serving someone else against her will. She says that her life felt basically meaningless because she'd been separated from all the things she loved, and she just wanted to die so it could all be over. That's kinda - although unrealistically - what I am scared could happen to me if I let go of my passions.

But I think that's more of a retroactive self-reflection instead of the deliberate writing of a character who is like me. Dora basically wins the race by sharing an interest with me (art), which is more than any of the others can say, really.

Hope you enjoyed this answer!