#I did a cool and fun little symbolism thing…….if you can figure it out you get a cookie :)

[froggychair05]

Scene from Chapter Seven <3

[0omillo0]

A concept: seungmin and girly, wholesome reader having a 90s anime dynamic where seungmin is secretly UWU over this woman but is too tsundere to admit it so he has to mask it with his sarcasm and teasing.

SEUNGMIN X READER school au! ♡𝜗𝜚

a/n: hope you like this! I tried to write it with a “texts style” <3

Y/N hated chemistry, but she hated asking for help even more. The formulas, the balancing equations, the strange symbols—none of it made sense to her. But there was one thing that always brought a little light to her dreadful study sessions: Seungmin.

They had met during the first semester of their chemistry class. Seungmin, always sharp and sarcastic, had taken notice of Y/N’s struggle. Rather than offering help with a kind smile like any normal person, he simply dropped a teasing comment one day:

“You know, if you keep staring at that periodic table like that, it won’t magically start making sense.”

That was the beginning of their strange friendship.

Seungmin ended up tutoring her, but the help never came without its fair share of teasing. He was always quick with a sarcastic comment, often poking fun at her lack of chemistry knowledge or her inability to balance equations properly. Over time, their study sessions became less about the subject and more about spending time together, with Seungmin’s teasing tone becoming strangely endearing to Y/N.

The truth was, Seungmin’s constant teasing masked something deeper—his growing feelings for her. He didn’t want to admit it, not even to himself, because that wasn’t how he operated. He was the sarcastic friend, the guy who always had a witty comment ready. Being vulnerable? That wasn’t his style. But Y/N had started to mean more to him than just a classmate who needed help.

Meanwhile, Y/N enjoyed the banter they shared. She couldn’t help but smile whenever Seungmin playfully poked fun at her, but there were moments when she wondered if there was something more behind his teasing. She’d catch him staring at her a little too long when he thought she wasn’t looking, or notice how his smirk would falter when she mentioned another guy.

One day, after weeks of contemplation, Y/N decided she needed to know the truth. Was Seungmin just teasing her because it was his nature, or was there something deeper behind his sarcasm? She thought up a plan—a prank, really. It was risky, but she needed to see how he’d react.

That’s how she found herself texting him, her heart racing as she typed the message that would set the wheels in motion.

Y/N:

Hey, guess what?

Seungmin:

You finally figured out how to balance a chemical equation without my help?

Y/N:

Rude. I actually did that yesterday.

Seungmin:

Sure you did. 🙄 So, what’s up?

Y/N:

I have a date this weekend! 😁

Seungmin blinked at his phone, feeling an unexpected pang in his chest. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but he couldn’t think of what to say. A date? With who? And why did that make him feel… like he’d just been punched in the gut?

Seungmin:

…What?

Y/N smiled to herself. It was working. She knew Seungmin well enough to know that he wouldn’t react well to the idea of her going out with someone. But still, seeing his short, blunt response made her a little nervous. What if she’d miscalculated? What if he didn’t actually care?

Y/N:

Yeah! Can you believe it? Someone actually asked me out.

Seungmin felt his throat tighten. His mind raced, trying to come up with a sarcastic comment, something to mask the flood of emotions he was feeling. But all he could think about was that someone else had asked her out first. That she was going to be with someone else, not him.

Seungmin:

I… didn’t realize that was possible.

Y/N:

🙄 Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Seungmin.

His heart pounded. She was going out with someone else. The thought sent a rush of panic through him, and for a moment, he forgot how to act cool, how to pretend that this didn’t bother him.

Seungmin:

No, seriously. How do they even tolerate you? Like, do they know about your weird obsession with those cheesy romance novels?

There it was. Sarcasm. His defense mechanism.

Y/N rolled her eyes at his attempt to cover up whatever he was really feeling. She could practically hear his voice through the words, the way he tried to sound casual, but she knew him too well by now. There was something else lurking beneath the surface, and she was about to push him further.

Y/N:

You’re the worst. 😒

Seungmin’s mind was spinning. Why was this bothering him so much? He’d always made fun of her—teased her like it was nothing—but now the thought of her with someone else was making his chest ache in a way that terrified him.

Seungmin:

I’m just saying… whoever this guy is, he’s probably gonna regret it. ㅋㅋ

Y/N bit her lip. She was starting to feel guilty about the prank. But she needed to see where this was going. She needed to know if Seungmin actually liked her.

Y/N:

😑 Are you jealous or something? You’re acting weird.

Seungmin froze. His hands were shaking now. Was he jealous? Of course, he was. But he couldn’t say that. Not out loud.

Seungmin:

Why would I be jealous? I just care about your poor date’s well-being.

Lies. All lies. His stomach twisted with anxiety as he waited for her response.

Y/N:

Sure, Seungmin. 🙄

And then there was silence. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but nothing came. He couldn’t joke about this anymore. He couldn’t laugh it off. The idea of Y/N with someone else was too much.

He stared at his phone for what felt like an eternity. His heart was racing, and the usual witty comebacks were nowhere to be found. He couldn’t breathe properly.

Suddenly, the words he had been avoiding for months—maybe longer—came spilling out, unfiltered.

Seungmin:

Fine. I care, okay? Happy?

And that’s how it happened. The confession neither of them had expected, brought on by a teasing lie. But Y/N’s heart soared as she realized that the guy she had fallen for—the guy who had helped her through every chemistry exam, even if he was a sarcastic pain—felt the same.

Now, all that was left was for her to confess it had been a prank.

Y/N stared at her phone, the screen lighting up with Seungmin’s message. She could feel her heart racing, and her stomach twisted with both excitement and guilt. She hadn’t expected this, not really. Her plan was to tease him, push him just enough to see if he’d slip, but not like this—not a full-on confession.

Her fingers hovered over the screen. She didn’t want to mess this up. She liked Seungmin, maybe even loved him, and this whole thing had been a stupid prank to see if he’d crack. But now that he had, she felt a pang of regret. She couldn’t just keep playing along; she had to be honest with him.

She started typing.

Y/N:

Wait… seriously?

Seungmin sat on his bed, his phone in his hand as he stared at Y/N’s message. His chest tightened as he reread what he had just sent her. He had really said it. He had just blurted out his feelings like some cheesy confession in one of Y/N’s romance novels. His hands were clammy, and he suddenly felt exposed, like he had just stripped away his sarcasm and armor, leaving himself completely vulnerable.

What if she didn’t feel the same? What if he had completely misread their entire friendship, and now things were about to get awkward?

He didn’t know what to say, how to fix this. Could he just backtrack? Turn it into a joke? His mind raced with possible escape routes, but none of them felt right.

Then, her next message came in.

Y/N:

Omg, Seungmin, it was a prank.

His heart stopped. A prank? She wasn’t serious about the date? All of the emotions he had just worked up, the fear, the anxiety, the pounding of his heart—it had all been over a joke?

Seungmin:

Uh.. What?

Y/N could feel her nerves kicking in. She hadn’t expected him to confess so honestly, and now she felt like she had gone too far. She didn’t want him to think it had all been just a game to her, because it wasn’t. She liked him too—more than she wanted to admit.

Y/N:

There’s no date. I just wanted to see how you’d react

Seungmin blinked at his phone, trying to process what he had just read. She had tricked him? She made him go through all that panic, just to see how he’d react? Anger and embarrassment rose inside him all at once. His fingers moved furiously over the screen.

Seungmin:

YOU DID WHAT?!

She knew she had messed up. Teasing him was one thing, but pushing him to confess like that—she hadn’t expected him to actually spill his feelings. And now he was mad. Really mad.

Y/N:

Don’t be mad!! I thought you’d just tease me like usual. I didn’t think you’d actually confess!

Seungmin tossed his phone onto his bed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. She had tricked him, but what really stung wasn’t the prank itself—it was how easily he had let his guard down. How he had thrown out all his sarcastic defenses, all his usual teasing, and shown her how he really felt.

And now? Now he had no idea how to take it back.

But then, his phone buzzed again. He sighed and picked it up, reading Y/N’s next message.

Y/N:

But hey… at least now I know you like me.

And… I like you too, pabo puppy.

His breath hitched. She liked him? For real? He blinked, reading the message again just to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. The anger he felt moments ago melted away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief—and something else, something warmer, more hopeful.

His heart, still pounding in his chest, began to beat a little lighter now.

Seungmin:

…You’re lucky I like you. Because that was evil.

Y/N smiled when she saw his message. That was the Seungmin she knew. She could almost hear his voice saying the words, that usual sarcastic tone back in play. She typed back quickly, her thumbs tapping across the screen.

Y/N:

Hehe, so are we still on for Saturday? But, y’know, together this time? And not doing chemistry… :)

Seungmin stared at her message, his lips twitching into a smirk. He couldn’t believe it. After all the teasing, all the banter, all the hidden feelings they both tried to ignore, it had come to this. A prank had forced his confession out of him, but maybe that wasn’t so bad after all. At least now he knew the truth.

He took a breath and replied.

Seungmin:

Yeah. Together.

But I’m never letting you live this down.

Y/N let out a sigh of relief, a wide smile spreading across her face. She had been worried for a second there, but it looked like everything had turned out better than she had hoped. Seungmin liked her—he actually liked her—and now, after all the teasing and awkward chemistry sessions, they were finally on the same page.

Y/N:

Deal. 😛

Seungmin tossed his phone back onto his bed and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. He could still feel the adrenaline from earlier, but now it was mixed with something lighter—something that made him feel like everything had shifted between them.

He smiled to himself, thinking back on all their chemistry sessions. Maybe he’d have to find something else to tease her about now. Or maybe, just maybe, he’d actually let himself enjoy being with her without hiding behind sarcasm.

But that would be a problem for another day. For now, he was just happy. Finally.

And so, what had started as a prank ended with two confessions—both of them clumsy, unexpected, and a little bit awkward. But for Y/N and Seungmin, that was just perfect.

They had always been a little bit of a mess, after all.

[ominous-horse-noises]

not done talking ab fhjy actually so i'll just say some of you guys who go on about how you could've done better themes and narrative arcs can't even think critically about the one in front of you.

i do wish that the other bad kids had interacted with their foils more this season because it was fun seeing them trade insults, but i also dont think it would've done much for them. i mean, people forget the tbks did try to turn reuben early on (they literally saved him from grix even though it was his fault he showed up trying to kill people). adaine thought oisin was cool and tbks were onboard with thinking maybe he wasn't that bad, and then he sent his grandma to murder them and their entire school. fabian tried to get an 'in' with ivy and it nearly cost him a genuine relationship with a character who had a way better chance of helping them figure things out without the risk of being betrayed. kipperlilly had an ego-driven hateboner for riz since BEFORE the rage stars and killed her own party member in cold blood just to stick it to kristen, and you're telling me that she could've been my little ponyied into giving up her chance to squash the symbol of all her inadequacy? buddy and maryann are the only rat grinders who havent fucked them over meaningfully and guess what? they're not thrilled about having to kill them- they're actively avoiding targeting them! almost like theyre capable of distinguishing between someone not on their side and someone who's proved to be a threat!

brennan made it pretty clear that trying to befriend trgs in their rage forms was futile and actively punished it ingame. you can have your opinions of that, but it definitely had a narrative point: if you get rage starred, you cant be 'this isnt youuuu'd out of it. you think ONLY of rage, and rage can't be reasoned with. it's arguably worse than death, bc at least someone can revivify you and there's no lasting consequences. think about how hard brennan was trying to push the ihs into taking rage tokens. he knew exactly how dire he'd made the consequences and that was on purpose. the season has no stakes if you can just talk your way out of being rage starred bc tbks could save each other easily. the whole climax literally can't happen if trgs arent being evil bc porter can't be a living god of rage without followers. tbks hating trgs isnt a flaw in the story: it IS the story.

[the-dixon-effect]

Just a Girl

requested by: @dixonsgirl93 which you can find here -> masterlist

A/N: thank you so much for the request my love!! i love this concept so much that it had me up at 4am writing it after recovering from a long-haul flight, so so sorry that this took so long for a little drabble xx

It was too tempting.

Not after years of stumbling around in dirty rags and a single pair of worn combat boots. Not after fighting for your life every single day, were you going to pass this up. Today, you were safe. And right in front of you, in this completely empty mall, were a pair of pristine black stilettos.

You held one in each hand as you admired them, a treasure of a world lost in time. You felt like a different person just clutching them.

"Hey, Maggie!" you are unable to control the wide smile cast across your lips. "Look what I found!" the girl glanced in your direction from the entrance of the store, scoffing at your excitement.

"Whatcha gonna do with those?" she asked, chuckling, as she jogged up to the display table coated in a thick layer of dust.

"I don't know. Walk around. Dance. Put 'em on a table and forbid anyone from touching them," you said quietly, smiling as you palmed at the crisp black leather. "They could be a symbol. Y'know, Lord of the Flies style," you joked, meeting the farmgirl's eyes. Strangely enough, the ghost of a boutique was relatively empty apart from these shoes, a few scraps of useless clothes scattered around and many plastic hangers adorning the white-tiled floor.

"Alright, fine. But ya' have to bring that little black dress back, too," she teased, in that familiar Southern drawl. Pointing to a rack of clothes on the other side of the store, you spotted a lone black dress threatening to fall off the flimsy hanger. It was no surprise that when the remaining survivors came through these parts, rummaging through stores and kitchens and bunkers, a pair of high heels and a mini dress didn't make the cut for the survivalist supply list. It had been a couple years by now, and indeed no one back at the prison would care if you indulged in a bit of fun. Besides, you're just a girl. And a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do to get by.

~

Most evenings were spent in the foyer swapping stories and enjoying the ever-expanding group's company, now that everyone was feeling more comfortable in the prison. Daryl was perched on the second step of the cool, steel staircase fletching some bolts for his crossbow, after the fairly uneventful run earlier. One thought did linger in his mind, however - as he tuned out to the rest of the conversations engaging in his midst. You had briefly shown him what you managed to pick up back at the abandoned mall, some scraps of food, some comics for Carl, and... what could only be described as an image from one of his wildest dreams. Or worst nightmares. What the hell would he do with himself if you suddenly appeared in that dress? And those heels? Probably run, and hide someplace where nobody would notice his reaction. And just when he was imagining what you would look like in that outfit from earlier, he heard a voice call out from upstairs.

"Hershel! You better believe these things are harder to walk in than a peg leg!"

The foyer erupted in chuckles as conversations ceased while everybody looked up at you on the balcony, held up firmly by Maggie who couldn't control her laughter either.

"Come on down, Y/N. Betcha can't do it!" the grey-haired man exclaimed as the rest of the group watched you stumble to the top of the staircase.

Oh God. She's so popular. And beautiful - were the thoughts swirling around in Daryl's head as he turned a swift 180 and looked up at your perfect figure. You looked so pretty when you laughed like that; a face that lit up the room - lit up this rotten world - when the sweet sound that even a siren couldn't mimic echoed over the walls of the dismal building. And that outfit; the smooth black dress that clung to your thighs so perfectly with a neckline that revealed just enough to make him go insane. Those heels. Daryl always had a thing for girls with nice legs, but he was always too embarrassed to mention it. It may have slipped out in front of his older brother once upon a time, and for the years to come he never shut up about it. Humiliating Daryl whenever a gorgeous girl like you walked past. Daryl never denied it, though, that you and that perfect body of yours were gonna be the death of him someday. And that felt like right now.

"Maggie, don't you dare let that girl fall!" Michonne shouted, laughing as she kicked her feet up on the cafeteria table and leaned back.

"Daryl, I swear to God, if you don't catch me I'll kill you," you began, addressing the archer that was gawking up at you, the one slightly obstructing your wobbly path down the staircase. Everybody in that cell block watched the poor man snap out of his daydreams as he shot up and grabbed your hand as your knees threatened to buckle beneath you. Maggie let go of her tight grip on your shoulders and erupted into giggles, as though she were playing Cupid.

"Thank you, Daryl," you said sweetly, not realising that Daryl is physically suffocating as you clutched Daryl's calloused palm. You took the opportunity to steady yourself on both feet and do a little twirl, lifting Daryl's arm up over your head as you spun around as gracefully as you could manage. A couple of cheers escaped from your audience, making you smile deeply. You hadn't felt this pretty in a long time.

"Whatcha doin' playin' dress-up anyway?" Daryl drawled, quietly.

"Well, I'm just a girl."

taglist: @alldevilsarehere90 @poisonmenegan @radcollectivesoul @emilykolchivans @pinchoftheoutsiders guys the taglist is looking a little lonely!!

[nightlyrequiem]

hello there :] hope ur well!

could u possibly write some hcs of Valeria with a tattoo-ist (?? idk wtf theyre called) s/o? I feel like it would be sweet for Valerias girlfriend to help touch up her tattoos!!! (or forcibly etch 'el sin nombre' into a targets skin ..)

or like, imagine Valerias girlfriend tattooing Vals initials into their thigh? Or a subtle hint to Valeria, like a little scorpion tattoo? Asjjsjsjskk wholesome wholesomeness!!!

i ask u to add a little sprinkle of nsfw .. have that interperated as u will, i wont tell u what or how .. but just .. do it 😈 nyehehhehe

I ask of readers prns to be either fem or gender neutral (Valeria is for the gals, i refuse to believe otherwise)

stay peachy!! 👽

Hi :) I am just dandy, thanks. Hope you're doing well too! That sounds like a fun dynamic to write about

Don't worry about the pronouns, you'll never catch me writing Valeria with a man. She is a lesbian. It's canon, she told me so herself

Valeria with a Tattooist S/O

Most of Valeria's tattoos are thanks to you. She had a few done when she was younger by a few different artists but ever since meeting you she will only let you ink her. It's important to have a relationship with your client. You two certainly have a good relationship.

You did all of the tattoos on her left arm. She has one tattoo that says Lillu or Lilto, I genuinely can't remember but I saw someone else a few months ago figure it out. The name was of a goddess of power I believe. I'm genuinely tweaking because I can't remember. It's a really cool detail though. You did that. You should be very proud of yourself.

When Valeria was eighteen, she got a really dumb drunk tattoo, a tramp stamp. Something stupid like a pig. She thinks it's supposed to be a pig anyway. The artist did a terrible job. You had the fun job of covering up. A little scorpion, as is her self-acclaimed symbol. You gave yourself a matching one high up on your inner thigh so she can see it while she eats you out.

That isn't even the only tattoo you've given to yourself attributing her. You aren't supposed to tattoo your partner's name on yourself but it's Valeria. Why wouldn't you want her name on you? You'll just have to never break up, which is fine with you. You got her name tattooed right under your left breast. Right (More of an approximation.) where your heart is.

You tattoo her men too. They make up most of your clientele and are quite respectful. Not like they have much of a choice. It's no secret who you belong to, and they know if they don't act right, they'll have hell to face. You still overcharge the ones you don't like though. A few times Valeria has made you tattoo her little nickname onto the foreheads of the traitors she didn't kill.

Here's where things get kind of freaky. Valeria gets a little turned on by the pain. She can hardly wait for you to finish up inking and cleaning the tattoo before she's pushing you into the chair and having her way with you. You don't mind at all. Seeing her skin still red and tender after having a needle repeatedly pushed into it does something for you as well.

Also, she grunts when getting tattooed. Just going to leave that here. Imagine it how you will.

[inchidentally]

Lando's eyes always sparkle when he looks at Oscar and it captures my heart every time. You can see that Lando likes Oscar very much and his eyes don't even hide it. God, their relationship is so intimate that sometimes it's hard to watch without feeling like a third wheel. Oscar, I don't know how you did it, but as a Lando fan, I'm grateful that I get to see this version of Lando every time he's around you.

straight up anon, the shift in Lando when he got a teammate who exists on the same natural wavelength as him has been a thing to behold ??

like, Lando is someone who goes through life looking for romance and he so easily gets a crush on anyone who populates his world with something special or beautiful. that's what has made Oscar such a unique relationship for Lando because Oscar doesn't consider himself or his life at all in the world of romance or fantasy. he considers himself extremely practical, "low frequency" and enjoying the simple things in life. he's not at all a typical heroic figure like Carlos or a big camera-ready personality like Daniel. Lando's interest in Oscar has been a slow but steady curiosity that has grown even without Oscar initiating a joint hobby or going on outings together or playing up a bromance for fans. Lando was definitely a little unmoored by the lack of all of that for a while!

the only two aberrations in Oscar's calm and cool are his pursuit of F1 and his fascination with Lando, which we know to have been intertwined as early as him moving to the UK at 14. there is serious romance in the way they ended up as teammates and major drama of Oscar's determination to get that seat.

but! then there's Lando saying how he sees them as similar to each other back in July 2023! bc Lando had always used self-mockery to interrupt his moments of earnestness and in a lot of ways was always striving to be Just A Guy to fit in with the guys in his life. his creativity would pop out very occasionally but mostly he became known for being naturally funny and able to click with just about anyone by matching their energy and adapting to their humor. he even took great pride in The Lando Effect - which ironically was more about Lando changing to suit Carlos and Daniel, who he has almost separate versions of himself with. he was the baby brother as always, wanting to hang out with his older brothers and wanting to fit in.

and then he gets Oscar as a teammate who seems content to just stay back and watch Lando and observe Lando and learn everything about Lando he doesn't already know. who seems to have no limit when it comes to handling the full range of Lando's personality and never tells - or even jokes - that Lando should change a single thing, even when it directly impacts Oscar. Lando doesn't have to match Oscar's energy and it turns out! they both like it best when Lando doesn't try!

which is when we started seeing lando.jpg reemerge and 7 podiums and a new hunger for even more and higher expectations of himself and a calmer, more authentic - less cartoonish - Lando on camera in challenges and social media. he even said how Oscar taught him by example the importance of "keeping calm and being yourself". of course silly, fun Lando is still there! he's still little brother to Carlos and Daniel and George and Alex! but those are now some of the many facets we've gotten to see in the past 14 months!

the winter break was a revelation because Lando spoke to fans solely through his camera lens and the reflections of the beautiful world he saw as he traveled. no goofing, no pretense, no corporate. his chosen pose for all his photos was partly in fun, partly symbolic of his confidence that he didn't need to sell these photos as selfies for them to blow up all over social media.

and all the while Oscar was quietly on his own down time and training, liking Lando's posts and saying "you went everywhere!" and listening to Lando recount it all.

then Lando came back to work this year and everything about him wore a new sheen of beauty and romance to it, including him having grown more beautiful. he's used his beauty more consciously when modeling and even LN4 and Quadrant took on a more stylized look. his new McLaren contract announcement was an entire aesthetic complete with a short film.

like, obv this whole post is me going off on a whole stupid thing but just. Lando was always meant to live his life in a unique way and he was always meant to see things through romance and art and music. he wasn't supposed to apologize for enjoying racing as a means of attaining perfection one day. and there's Oscar who reflects back to Lando all the quirks and things that make Lando unique that he's memorized over the years, listening to Lando's music in place of the usual silence in his own driver's room, helping Lando navigate unknown food and new lengthy words and knowing when Lando is comfortable to take the lead in public speaking and when Lando needs Oscar to step in and handle it. pushing Lando all the time as a teammate and the whole friction creates the pearl analogy.

idk it's just not as huge a leap as I thought last year to say that Oscar's comfortable, placid life has long had a splash of color in it at last in some part because of Lando and that Lando has become the most authentic and brilliant version of himself at least in some part because Oscar is there to always appreciate it.

like this little moment of Lando giving Oscar a nickname and Oscar finding it the best thing he's ever heard and Lando's half-stunned and delighted smile at being able to do that to Oscar is just all of that distilled:

Oscar's confidence has returned and he's smoothing over the awkward PR duties while Lando is relaxed and confident and the little quips like this just come so naturally. (the way Lando actually wriggles in his chair with delight over Oscar's reaction !!) like, Lando doesn't have to try ! he doesn't have to try to be anyone but himself ! there's someone here at work with him all day and every day who is delighted by him no matter what !

and what's even better is apparently! now that they both understand and exist on that wavelength together, they've returned from winter break circling around each other and looking for each other more than they ever have <3

[seeminglydark]

I'm in love with Caro's style! It's a super cool mix of masc, fem, and vaporwave kind of look. As an enby who, at first, thought I had to look a certain way after coming out as non binary, I was wondering how Caro found their style after they started transitioning and figuring out who they were as a person.

Hello! So I did draw an entire four page little comic thingy to answer this, but I'm going to post it tomorrow cuz I wanted to draw a cute little cover for it ha. Figured I would answer you in text today though, and then you can have the visual tomorrow <3 First thing I'm going to say is that there is no 'certain way to look' for any gender identity or sexuality, cuz thats important, for those who dont wanna read through this text dump. Dress how you want forever.

SO! *rubs hands together* how Caro found their style! Background to those who havent read my comics, Caro grew up as a super high femme kid with crazy helicopter parents who controlled every aspect of their life, including how they dressed. They participated in pageants, modeling and wore a LOT of pink. Not that Caro didn't like pink, they did, but they liked purple better.

After Sully (highschool sweetheart) left, and Caro was on their own, they cut their hair off in a fit of rage and suddenly had to grow up real quick because they were on their own. Whats that got to do with fashion, RJ? Everything, dear reader! When they left, they had a bunch of Sullys shirts and his battle jacket. All 10 sizes too big of course, so paired the oversized tops with their own jeans, workout shorts etc. They had their cheer sneakers. And that is what they wore for a few months, til they got a job at the local gas station. The gas station employees were like, what is going on here with this little girl wearing too big clothes with a fucked up haircut, so, they pitched together and got this kid a proper haircut, during which Caro tearfully explains they arent a girl at all, they dont know what they are and everything is very scary and please dont fire them. Bev, one of their older co-workers decides they need better clothes and takes them to Seattle to thrift! Caro never thrifted in their life and found themself enamored with tacky 80's clothes and patterns, bright colors, funny tee shirts, etc. They worried, because maybe that wasnt what a boy would wear. Bev tells them theres no such thing as what a boy or a girl would wear, something Caro had never heard before, and that gives them mental permission to gleefully grab all the things they never got to wear growing up. They looked like a roller rink carpet threw up on them. they loved it.

The Gas Station Adults buy them a jacket that fits as well, GasCo purple of course, with their chosen name on the name tag. a symbol of acceptance. Caro started hearing things about genderfluid and nonbinary, and looking into what that meant, and what it could mean for them. Their podcast project, Mil-Liminal goes viral. Goldie, their agent, helps them get on low t. they realize how much fun body hair is and LOOK they can wear crop tops to show off their new tummy trail while still hiding their boobs. Whats even more fun? Getting tattoos. Taking their body back. Making themself into the person THEY want to see, and whats makes them the most happy. Still looking like an arcade carpet threw up on them, still loving it. They get top-surgery. Goldie asks them if they want to do a public face reveal. They've kept themself hidden this entire time, and realize they dont want to do that anymore. They shouldnt have to. They want to show the world this person theyve become. Which also means choosing a signature look for Mil-Liminal.

A Mix of their Highschool Varisty Jacket, and their GasCo Jacket. Sneakers. A nod to the pieces of clothing they always felt comfortable in.

Shorts and crop tops or mesh tops. Show off the tattoos, and the scars they earned becoming the person theyve always been.

Wear their identity on their sleeve, because not everyone can, but they are in a position where they want to make a difference and be seen for those who cant, cuz they know how it feels to be lost and scared and not have any idea how to move forward. Let their voice BE a voice.

A SnapBack. A call back to the first date with their highschool sweetheart, who listened, and put his hat on them and took them out and let them be themself, and loved them for it.

The most important thing to take from this anon, is that there is no Look. There is no way to dress or act or look if you're non binary, its not fashion. The same way clothing has no gender, anyone can wear whatever the fuck makes them happy. Put clothes on that, when you look in the mirror, you feel comfortable and happy. Its a very personal thing, and its about YOU, and how you feel. and your gender journey. Gender and Sexuality is as vast a spectrum as the human condition.

Thank you so much for the ask and inspiring me to make a look book and fashion journey post, I'll put it up tomorrow <3

[yooitsyorick]

The Division Book from Today's Short! (Featuring some very rushed doodles from me)

A NEW SYMBOL

At the beginning of this story are two symbols: addition and subtraction. For the longest time, that’s the only thing numbers knew. I’m not exactly sure how the numeral species took so long to discover anything outside of these two symbols. Maybe they were content with what they had discovered already – Maybe they were just stupid.

Anyway, back to the story at hand. Actually, no. We need to go a bit deeper here, I think. First graders learn about multiplication and division. How were they just unable to figure this out? It’s really not that hard. I’m just being honest here. Why should anyone be interested in this “tale” when it’s predicated on such an unbelievable premise? An entire population of sentient, powerful beings and not a single one of them could come up with an array? They’re literally numbers for crying out loud! I just feel like they could’ve figured this out earlier, I guess.

Whatever, quick recap, the numbers only know about addition and subtraction for a long while. They had a lot of fun adding into each other and all that. They really liked it.

Multiplication, which is really just doing addition multiple times in a row, (Think about it, four multiplied by three is just adding four together three times. Isn’t that cool), was discovered shortly after. There were some problems with it, and there are still problems with it. A lot of numbers don’t really mess with multiplication anymore. Every single time they try to, something ends up going wrong. It’s not fun! Addition is fun. Well, I find it quite boring, but they find it fun.

Division, however, stayed a mystery for the longest time. Which it bears repeating, is absolutely unbelievable. Division is literally just opposite multiplication.

Remember when I said multiplication is just addition multiple times in a row? Well, division is just subtraction multiple times in a row. Again, shocking that it took them so long to figure this out. I can imagine the moment now.

A lot of the time, the stupid people among us tend to have the best ideas. A lot of great ideas are unsaid just because they sound stupid. Like, imagine being all smart and educated in the 1500s and suggesting the idea of electricity. Oh, wow, magic beams from the sky can power gigantic and complex machines? Get out of here, man. But that’s actually how it works!

So I don’t really know what happened, but we can probably guess that someone stupid – 9 or 7 – brought up the idea of “reverse multiplication.” I’m not sure. Maybe those two weren’t even alive, I’m not exactly sure why I was the one chosen to pen this history into the annals of time. I really do not know a single thing about what actually happened.

Anyway, let’s just say all the numbers were just sitting around, having a lot of fun, and playing on the seesaw, 9 walks in after a visit to the local multiplication symbol. She has a weird thought in her head, and she confidently brings up the idea of division. She’s laughed at and made to feel very, very dumb. Little did they all know, however, that the idea of division is very, very real. It had just been forgotten about. More on that later.

THE POWER

The division symbol is theorised to be extremely powerful, giving its leftward user the power to split themselves into multiple parts. The amount of parts the leftward number splits into is equivalent to the value of the rightward number in the equation.

The graphic below displays the basic capabilities of the division symbol. 16 being four multiplied by four can get divided by 4 into four four. These fours are all 16, just split up in between four different bodies. They all act like 16 and share 16’s colours. This is because these four 4’s are 16. 16 has disappeared due to splitting themself up. Imagine if you were split into four identical bodies – that’s what ended [up] happening in it. Only in the graphic, of course. 16 is kind of a scaredy-cat, so I don’t think they would be keen to split themselves up like this. Which is frankly weird to me, I think of it the same way I think of people who chicken out of riding roller coasters. Like, you stand there for an hour and a half and watch thousands of people stream in and out of the coaster. Not a single person dies. When’s the last time you saw someone fly out of their roller coaster seat? It doesn’t happen! So, what is there to be afraid of? Do you think you’re special or something? You’re not. You’ll survive. Roller coasters are fun. Why are you robbing yourself of the experience?

Sorry about that rant, this book wasn’t really the place for it. I think I could just delete it, but, um, I really don’t feel like it. I got commissioned to write like at least 200 pages of this thing, and I’m kind of already running out of ideas. You saw it yourself, a couple dozen pages ago I went into a 2 page lecture about the history of devilled eggs. I literally just copied that from Wikipedia. I’m starting to think I’m not being paid for my writing ability, but just because someone was too lazy to do what I’m doing right now. Insane! This thing should be like a pamphlet at most.

Whatever, I should probably get back to the topic at hand. The division symbol is very powerful because it allows the user to split themselves up. This is beneficial for manual labour and especially fighting.

Imagine how much you could get done in a day if there was a clone of you around. That’s like, a basic sitcom plotline. It’s relatable! The numbers, lucky as they are, get to live in a reality where this is possible. You need to lift up a really heavy, wide object? Just divide yourself in two. Of course, you’d have to find 2 in order to divide yourself by them. That’s really the only downside of the symbol. A lot of the smaller numbers don’t like being “used” for division. They have their own lives!

But yeah, division is, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very powerful

THE LOSS

Those who ruled the numeric realm at the time were not pleased with the existence of the division symbol. You know how people say when you’re alone you’re weak, and when you’re united you stand. Well, yeah, extrapolate that concept to this. Do you think those who enjoy power over a population of powerful numbers like the idea of them splitting themselves into a million little equally-powerful pieces? No!

So those in power really did not like the division symbol at all. Like, they really, really did not like it. Like when you walk by a group in public and they start reciting jokes you swear you saw online six years ago to each other. Like, are you that unoriginal? You think you can impress your friends by stealing other people’s jokes? They aren’t even that good of jokes! It’s just sad, honestly. Just show them the joke on your phone, or something like that.

It just really grinds my gears, honestly. So I can really imagine how it feels to be whoever ruled the land of the numbers [was]. I don’t really think it was justified; in fact, it was kind of evil, honestly. But like, if I happened to have dominion over those idiots? Yeah, I probably would want to get rid of the self-destruct button they randomly found and learned how to use. Especially if there are 2 other self-destruct buttons out there for them to use. I say 2 because subtraction is kind of useless. Like… It doesn’t really help anyone. Multiplication and addition are pretty cool though!

So, yeah, one night the numbers were having fun, partying, and just generally enjoying themselves – as numbers are known to do. They generally liked to hang out around the division symbol, actually. They really liked it! It was probably one of their favourite things in the world. Of course, everyone had their own personal favourite thing. 9’s favourite thing was his sunglasses, the real retro ones. They had a rainbow gradient instead of a desert gradient. Doesn’t that sound cool? Meh. I don’t need your approval anyway. Who cares. 8’s favourite thing is when all of the other numbers are quiet. What a weirdo.

So the numbers partied all night. They sang songs and danced around. Blah blah blah. At the dead of night, the last number finally decided to go to bed. Numbers sleep, by the way. I don’t think they really need to? I’ll be honest I know almost nothing about these things. They’re kind of useless? They’re also annoying.

While they were asleep, however, the evil ruler of the realm took the division symbol and removed it from its place! It’s a pretty heavy symbol, so I’m actually kind of amazed that a group of people were able to just pick it up like that. As you’ll see later, 2 is also able to just pick it up on their own. Isn’t that insane? Like, 2, let me know your workout regimen or something. I could use a tip or two. Haha, two, 2.

Ok back on track for real, now BFDI season 1 is the best season. Like, by a mile! It’s just so whimsical and fun and awesome. My favourite episode was episode 6, The Power of Three. What’s up with 3 anyway? Why aren't they in these things? We’re all thinking it, right? This is meta, lol.

For real this time, let’s get back on track. The numbers woke up the next morning to find their precious division symbol gone! All that remained was the discoloured patch of grass that lay under the symbol for so many years.

The numbers were shocked and horrified by the division symbol being taken. 9 cried for like, three days straight, I think. It would’ve been cute if it wasn’t so pathetic. Like, you’re an adult, man. Either way, it was still a tragedy, though. The symbol meant a lot to these freaks! And now it was gone! The fun was over! They got over it quite quickly, though. Like, I’m not kidding, they all forgot about it the literal next day. It was like it never existed. Isn’t that just crazy? These things are so weird, man. Like. Gosh. Just crazy.

THE SEARCH

Leading spots where experts think the division symbol might be hidden. It’s not clear why they think these spots have the most potential. But they’re experts! So listen to ‘em. Also, look, map! Go obsess over what this map means or something if that’s what you’re interested in. Go wild!

Why am I still writing this. How many pages are even left! Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

The typography on those “blahs” is really, really ugly. So I’m going to stop using them to fill space. The numbers embarked on an epic search for the division symbol, but were a little too stupid to end up finding it. Who would’ve guessed! This is partly why I said they just forgot about it earlier. They tried searching for it, got lost, and instantly gave up! What losers! Can’t commit to the simplest of tasks.

If I remember this correctly, 7, the genius he is, started climbing a tree to get a good vantage point. The only problem with that idea, though, was that the tree had like eight different hornet nests on them. He turned as red as 3! Because of the stings, of course. He was pretty embarrassed too, though. He tried really hard to play it off, making excuses. He said something about how the redness came from getting a sunburn… Which, like, isn’t that much less embarrassing than getting stung by thousands of hornets?

Imagine the contempt you feel whenever you see someone walking around with an ugly full-body sunburn. Like, what an idiot. You couldn’t take the basic precautions to avoid this? You couldn’t put in the 10 minutes of work it would’ve taken you to drive to the local pharmacy and buy a can of sunscreen? It’s so easy! And yet, here this dope is, fully sunburnt. Whatever, I went on a tangent again. What do you think the person who commissioned me to write this is going to think when they check my work. My guess is they’ll just see that there’s a lot of words and instantly give it their seal of approval. If you’re reading this, that is exactly what happened. There is almost zero to be actually gained from reading this book. I’ve gone on the same tirade about how little I care like 50 times now. In fact; all of this is just copied and pasted from 10 pages earlier. That last sentence was too! I’ve reused this same passage about three times now, I’m gonna do it again, too. I’m out of ideas.

Anyway, the numbers stopped searching pretty much immediately. I think Eight maybe looked for a day or two more, but he eventually gave up too. He tried to do this thing where he’d split up into four different grey 2’s… It was low-key a little weird but some people seemed to like it. I just made all of that up.

Last paragraph on this page, better make it count. Lalalalalalalala. Uhhh… Yeah I can’t make this one count. There’s really nothing to talk about with “The Search.” There literally basically wasn’t one. There’s no way anyone is reading this far down. Whatever. Bye.

[fayoftheforest]

human kite & antisemitism

In the notes of my recent meta on Vampire Kyle AUs, a user reflected on how similar antisemitic stereotypes might overlap with his TFBW character as well. Since I also have some thoughts on this and enjoyed putting together the last lil post I thought I’d do another on this subject too :) 

South Park Fandom Wiki states that Human Kite is heavily inspired by Superman, “being a faraway alien with the ability to fly and to shoot lasers out of his eyes, even wearing a costume with the color red, yellow, and blue and a symbol in his chest to match.”  I think this is pretty cool! Superman was created by Jewish immigrants and is very Jewish-coded in his origin story, being “a refugee with the Hebrew-inspired name ‘Kal-El’ who escaped a dying world and fought Nazis during World War II” (JewishUnpacked). I don’t know if Tratt were aware of these roots, but either way, I think it’s pretty neat :)

South Park Fandom Wiki also claims that Kyle playing an alien character “may be a reference to how Adolf Hitler did not consider Jews ‘human.’" This is. Uh. Less neat.

Similarly upsetting is the name itself, Human Kite, which is a play on words with the horrific ethnic slur “kike.” American Jewish Committee posits that the term “is derived from the Yiddish word for circle, ‘kikel,’ a reference to how Jewish immigrants at Ellis Island signed their entry forms: a circle as opposed to an X, which Jews associated with the cross of Christianity. Immigration officers described those who signed forms with a circle as ‘kikel,’ eventually being shortened to ‘kike.’”

Did Matt and Trey really create his entire character just so that Cartman could call him Human Kike that one time? I can’t say for certain, just in the same way I don’t have a direct quote from them confirming the reasoning behind their selections of names for Kyle and Ike. But I can tell you that if you put ‘em together and you get… yeah. Yep. “Kike” again. Thank you, Tratt, very cool 👍Get a new joke maybe :/

Now, let’s talk specifically about his laser powers. Up until researching for this meta, I had presumed that Kyle’s ability to shoot lasers from his eyes was a direct reference to the Jewish Space Laser conspiracy popularised to the public by terrifyingly influential political figure Marjorie Taylor Greene. In 2018, Greene wrote a Facebook rant speculating that the California wildfires were caused by a giant laser floating in space, owned by the Jews. Very normal thing to believe :|

However, during my research, I realised that these timelines did not match up. As mentioned, Greene’s rant was shared in 2018, but didn’t go viral until 2021. Meanwhile, South Park’s The Fractured But Whole was released way back in 2017! What I had initially assumed was another antisemitic reference is in fact just a dreadful and ridiculous coincidence. Nonetheless, It’s still a commonality that’s worth pointing out, I think.

Just as an aside, I’d like to take this opportunity to give a shoutout to cousin Kyle’s version of Human Kite. Everything about him is an egregious Jewish caricature, from his irritating, snivelling voice to his long list of health issues. It’s not my fault that the limited Jewish gene pool has fucked me over, Tratt! Leave me alone! A meta about antisemitism within Cousin’s Kyle characterisation would be a mile long, so I’ll spare you that for now.

Anyway, what does this all mean when we’re creating fan content around TFBW? Must we just chuck the Human Kite persona into a blender and never speak of it again? Not necessarily. Speaking as a Jewish fandom member, I quite enjoy reading and writing Human Kite. It’s a fun character to play around with! Despite his unfortunate roots, I don’t believe including him is innately antisemitic. It just depends on how you go about doing it! If he’s not secretly running the world, controlling the banks and Hollywood, or consuming the blood of innocent Christians, you’re on the right track. 

You could even go for a little meta-commentary and acknowledge the antisemitic coding within the text! Here’s an example of how I did that in my upcoming TFBW reality swap fic (don’t question why there’s two of everyone, it makes sense within the text lmao)

“Wait, you’re telling me in an alternate reality we’re all aliens?” Kyle gawks at this funhouse-mirror version of himself, who’s busy gawking right back. “No, Kyle, just—just you,” Kenny says. “Oh.” Kyle narrows his eyes. “You know, it’s difficult not to interpret this with antisemitic undertones.” “What, like the Jewish Space Laser conspiracy?” Cartman asks. Mysterion frowns. “Jewish people have space lasers in your universe?” “No,” Cartman sighs and shakes his head forlornly, before muttering, “it’s a made-up rumour to perpetuate mistrust and hatred towards the Jewish community.” “Alright, don’t sound so disappointed,” Kyle huffs. “Guys!” Stan says. “Can we not start this argument again?” “I never said it was a cool rumour, Kyle!” Cartman snaps defensively. “Obviously it’s super harmful and whatever. All I meant was that it would have been cool if it were real. Because, like, space lasers are awesome! Right?” He looks to Kite, apparently presuming that they’re an authority on the matter. “Um.” Kite blinks, then says hesitantly, “I can shoot lasers… from my eyes. And once I did sort of fly up into space and magnify the lasers to destroy Chaos’s tin foil factory. So, uh. Does that help?” Cartman’s face lights up and is split in half by an enthusiastic grin. “It helps a lot, actually.” Kyle groans and pinches his nose. “You have no idea how much education you’ve just undone, dude.” He opens his eyes to glower at Kite. Kenny glances at Chaos. “Tin foil factory?” Chaos waves a hand dismissively. “Outsourcing proved more efficient.”

There we go! A lighthearted little nod, which acknowledges potential antisemitic readings of Human Kite, without justifying or excusing it. It’s not at all necessary when creating fan content around Human Kite, but just know that that’s an option to you, if you so choose. Just make sure antisemites are the butt of your joke, and not Jewish people, lmao.

I’ll finish up by returning to my general sentiment that I held in my Vamp!Kyle post. If you conduct your creations with a basic level of awareness and self-reflection, you’ll probably be alright. Just stay in the know, and you’re all good to go 😎

[osleeplessflowero]

Hi! I saw your post asking for requests, this is my first time asking so sorry if I break a rule just delete if it makes you uncomfortable. Can I get a platonic reader x bad sanses or star sanses? (Or whoever your want I'm not picky) maybe how the reader sees them as a brother or father figure? Thank you in advance!

you're totally fine anon! this is a great request!! :] let's see..i've done quite a few bad sanses oneshots previously, how about we show the star sanses some love? 🌸

CW: Light Emetophobia, Ink is known to throw up when he gets too excited! It only happens once and for a brief second.

It's a peaceful day in the corner of the Doodlesphere that Ink had placed the Star Sanses base in. You sit in your assigned room on your bed, playing one of your favorite games on your laptop. The lights from outside shine in through your window, imitating sunlight. It gives the room a nice, comforting feeling. It's peaceful for a little while, until Ink BURSTS into the room, leaning against the door and holding it shut. You raise a brow in confusion, lowering your headphones.

"Hello Ink." You greet him with a blank look, waiting for him to explain himself. He chuckles sheepishly, jolting when something begins hitting the door.

"Heeey, you! So, funny story.." Another thud. "I kiiinda made Berry mad at me and I need to take shelter here, is that cool?" He holds up his hands as if to pray, pleading with you. You raise your index finger to your chin, contemplating.

"What did you do to Berry to get him this mad? And where's Blue?"

"Blue's in his universe, he left Berry here because they were gonna talk about stuff. And uh..I may or may not have hit him with paint balloons. Bright, neon colored paint balloons."

"Ink, you dumbass-" You sigh, saving your game and closing your laptop. "You know not to provoke the kid."

"Okay, but in my defense, it was insanely funny." He snickers, moving a box of random things you own in front of the door and plopping down on your bed.

"You do realize that won't hold him for long, right?"

"Yeah, but I'll savor my freedom while I still have it. Soooo, what have you been up to? Haven't seen you a lot today." He lies upside down, looking up at you with the goofy grin he always has.

"Well, I was just playing my favorite game and chillin'. At least, up until you broke in." You poke his forehead, earning a chuckle from the skeleton.

"Hmmm..sounds like it would get kinda boring after a while." He rolls over, resting his chin between his hands. "You should come hang out with me, Dream's busy and Blue's gone."

"I mean, I could. But what would we do?"

"We..Huh." He blinks a few times, the small symbols in his eyesockets changing each time as he thinks. "How abouttt.. we go paint the outside of HQ? We could make a masterpiece!" He grins, sitting up with his legs crossed. "C'mon, what do you say?"

"Sounds pretty fun, Ink. But if you throw paint balloons as me as well I might have to kill you."

He laughs, giving you a playful nudge.

"Wait, so does that mean you'll actually join me?"

"Yeah, just let me change first-"

He grins wide, shaking you back and forth excitedly before pausing, running over to the nearest window. You wince as you hear him throw up a bunch of ink, letting it fall into the depths of the sphere before closing the window and leaning back in.

"This is gonna be great! C'mon!" He gently tugs your hand, before the door bursts open. You both freeze like deer in the headlights, looking down at the skeleton approaching.

Berry was a small fellow, much smaller than blue and having an overall cyan color scheme in comparison to Blue's calmer tones. A bandana with a large ribbon behind it is tied around his neck, his eyelights constantly being shaped like stars, where in comparison Blue's only occasionally do the same thing. At the moment, those eyelights have shrunk to mere pinpricks, as he holds up a comically large knife, pointing it in Ink's direction. He hides behind you, as if you were able to defend him. Gee, thanks Ink.

"INK- You Have Dared To Cross Me, And Now You Will PAY!" You can't help but snicker a little at how adorable the little guy looks, covering your mouth with your hand.

"Look, Berry, I said I'm sorry!" Ink struggles to hold in a laugh.

"You'll Be Sorry Alright, WHEN I GET YOU-" He charges forwards, but you interfere, grabbing his head. He struggles against you, swinging his arms to try to get to Ink.

"Now now, Berry, let's just cool it. Ink apologized, let's move on. You wanna come paint with us to make up for it?" You smile as the little skeleton perks up at that, making his blade disappear into his inventory.

"Really?! You Mean It?" He grins wide, his eyelights expanding to a much bigger size.

"Yeah! Right, Ink?" You turn to him, watching him nod before looking back. "Well, it's settled then."

You pause, hearing the sounds of shortcuts, before grinning and running into the living room. Blue and Dream seem to be having a casual conversation before realizing you're there, smiling towards you. Blue promptly runs over, picking you up and spinning you around.

"Ha Ha! I've Returned! Did You Miss Me?" Blue grins before putting you down, putting his hands on his hips.

"You know I did, Blue! How's Paps doing?" You tilt your head, genuinely curious. He chuckles at your reply.

"He's Doing Well! He Wanted Me To Give You A Small Bag Of Suckers That He'd Been Holding Onto, So Here You Go! Try Not To Go Through All Of It At Once, Okay? Sugar Rushes Are.. Scary." He briefly glances over at Berry, narrowing his eyes. You let out a laugh at that, putting the little bag he hands you into one of your pockets.

"Noted." You turn to Dream, who holds his arms out for you. You grin as you leap into his arms, embracing his warmth and the pleasant scents that surround him.

"Oh, I've missed you! How've you been doing while I've been away? Good, I hope? If not I'll have to give Ink a stern talking to." Dream glances at him from the side, earning a laugh from the more colorful skeleton.

"Don't worry, I've been alright. I've just been hanging out in my room, and I just split these two up from a fight." You point towards Berry and Ink, the former putting his knife away the moment he's spotted and smiling innocently.

"Goodness, Berry! What Did I Tell You About Having Knives In HQ?" Blue frowns, walking over and carefully taking the blade away from his shorter "cousin". "You Know Better."

"Sorry, Blue.." Berry pouts, crossing his arms. The taller skeleton pats his skull, smiling a bit.

"Just Be More Careful Next Time! You Don't Want To Hurt Anyone, Do You?"

Berry looks at Ink. "..Maybe."

"Berry! Bad!" Blue frowns again, poking the smaller skeleton's forehead as you finally let go of Ink.

"Me and Ink were just about to go outside and paint, if you'd like to join us. You guys don't have anything else to do today, right?" You offer, silently hoping they'll agree.

"I'd Love To Join In! It Could Be Good Exercise." Blue puts his hands on his hips in a hero-like manner, his cape swaying out behind him.

"I'd like to join, even if I just end up watching. Ooh! I could make some tea for everyone, how does that sound?" Dream smiles as everyone agrees with that idea, stepping into the kitchen to make some magic-based teas for everyone. He made sure to remember your favorite kind in advance.

Everyone moves outside, Ink stopping you a moment so he can use Broomy to paint a grassy area for you all to stand on, grabbing some paint cans he'd left beside the house and walking over to the first blank wall.

"Okay everybody, let's get started!" Ink grins, handing a smaller brush to you. You pause a second, realizing that due to getting caught up in your excitement you forgot to change into something you're okay with getting paint on.

"Wait a sec, I'll be right back." You run back inside to your room, changing hurriedly before rushing back outside. Ink paints a few step stools using Broomy so those who can't reach taller areas can use them, balancing on the large brush to paint patterns with smaller ones.

Berry jumps up onto Blue's shoulders, standing up on them so he can reach the upper areas thanks to the bigger skeleton's height. Blue doesn't seem to mind it all that much, instead focusing on what to paint outside of his room. Dream walks out and places down a yellow gingham blanket, then goes back inside to sit the teacups down where everyone can easily access them.

You stand outside your room, beginning to paint whatever comes into your head that relates to you somehow. You want to ensure that the space feels truly yours, so you put a lot of thought and care into each stroke. Of course, you could always just repaint later, but it's the thought that counts. Berry eventually runs out of ideas and goes to talk to Dream, so Blue takes the opportunity to paint a little bit beside you.

"So, how's adventuring been, Blue? Is it..everything you'd hoped?" You paint a little star pattern. He hums thoughtfully, completing a heart you'd forgotten to finish.

"I Suppose You Could Say That! It's Given Me A Lot Of Opportunities To Meet New People And Experience Other Worlds. But That Can Also Be Kinda Stressful..Especially When You Start Running Into Variations Of You That Are..Well.."

You both look over at Berry, who's currently zooming around a very confused and startled Dream in circles.

"Yeah..I don't know how I'd feel about seeing so many of Me. I mean, the three of you guys alone is a stretch. Imagine if all of the variants were in one place?"

"That Would Be Very Much So Impossible- Which Really Makes You Think..Just How Big Is The Multiverse? What Parts Of It Are So Closed Off, Even Ink Hasn't Seen Them? It's All So..So.."

"Mysterious?"

"Yeah! Exactly." He smiles at a little cutesy painting you made of him right below his window, looking as if he's holding it up. "But I Suppose That's How It's Always Been."

"I feel that. It makes me wonder if we've ever met before, in some other timeline. You think things would be much different?"

There's a short pause.

"Nah, I Don't Think It Would." He smiles, you share it. You continue painting side by side in peaceful silence, until you hear the sound of something splattering. Sharing a worried look, you turn back to see Dream looking down at the ground, a green paint balloon having hit his head. Ink is frozen like a deer in the headlights, and Berry is laughing hysterically.

"I- I am so sorry, Dream, I meant to hit him, not you--"

Dream looks up, an eyesocket twitching as he picks up one of the balloons Ink had left lying on the ground, throwing it and hitting him square in the face. Berry collapses, laughing even louder.

"Oh Dear, It Seems Ink's Declared War." Blue chuckles, laughing a little as he speaks, watching them begin to form more paint balloons to throw at each other. A devious grin crosses your face as you look back at him. His expression slowly shifts to a worried one. "Oh No. Don't- Do Not Even Think About It-"

"I'm joining in!" You pick up a balloon.

"Pick your side!" Ink grins, getting hit in the side of the head with a red balloon.

You shake your head. "Nah..I'm taking my own side!" You throw balloons at the both of them, before getting pelleted with them yourself. Blue huffs as he watches you, before going still when he feels a presence behind him.

"Nothing Personnel, Double." Berry grins, throwing a cyan balloon at Blue's back.

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN PHRASE IT RIGHT-" Blue sighs, joining in the battle. Paint balloons fly across the yard, splatting the walls as well as everyone laughs, having a great time. The commotion grows so great, even Error finds himself popping his head in from the Anti-Void, before closing up the portal to avoid a balloon to the face.

After a while, you each grow tired, huffing and raising up little white flags before drinking the tea that Dream brought out (that thankfully is somehow still warm, and paintless). You then turn to the walls, seeing a beautiful mess of color accompanying your art from earlier, smiling a bit at your collective handiwork.

"Y'know, I think it looks good like this." You hold up your hands like a camera, smiling.

"I think so too! Hey, you know what would fit?" Ink turns to Dream, seeing if he'll catch on.

"Oh! A picture!" Dream rushes to his room, grabbing his camera and running back out. Everyone stands in front of the wall together, grinning and posing. "Say cheeeese!"

"Cheeeese!"

Getting to spend so much time with the skeletons you both look up to and admire is an experience you wouldn't trade for anything in the multiverse. Anything at all.

"IIIII say..on this momentous occasion, we should all watch a movie. First one to fall asleep gets their face drawn on!" Ink holds up a washable marker menacingly.

"I've got coffee, you won't be getting me anytime soon." Dream grins, going inside to clean off the paint and change his clothes to wash them later. Blue follows after him to do the same.

"It'll probably be you first, Ink." You snicker, using a towel to get some fresh paint off of your face. He calls out after you as you start to head to the bathroom attached to your room. "NUH UH!"

"YUH HUH!" You shout back, going to take a warm shower to get all of the paint off of you.

An hour or two passes, and you find yourself building a strong pillow fort with Blue and Berry. Dream sits to your left, Blue to your right with Berry leaning on him, already looking pretty tuckered out. Ink observes everyone from his spot in front, eagerly waiting for the moment someone falls asleep.

Dream whispers to you as Blue looks through a selection of movies for you to watch together. "Did you have fun?"

You whisper back. "Yeah, I've had a lot of fun with you guys today. I love having peaceful moments like this..it's really nice. I really have to thank you guys for taking such good care of me lately..it means the world to me." You lean on him a bit, and he smiles as he places an arm around you.

"Of course. You're a very dear friend to us, never forget that we care for you. We'll always be here for you, no matter the circumstances."

You yawn a little, the comforting aura emitting from him making you feel safe enough to rest. "Thank you, Dream.."

"Careful." Ink grins like a cheshire cat, watching as your eyes begin to close. "There's still an active threat in the room." He says in a sing-song tone, waiting to attack.

"I'm gonna fucking Get You later."

"I'd like to see you tr-" Ink pauses mid-sentence when he sees that Berry's fallen asleep, grinning madly. "Well. Looks like you'll be spared after all."

"Oh boy." You snicker, the rest of your little group grinning amongst themselves as the movie begins. Ink claps his hands so the lights dim, sitting closer to you and relaxing on some pillows, giving commentary from time to time. Soon your eyes begin to close..those around you growing tired as well from a long day of adventuring.

It's peaceful for a while.. the perfect environment to relax.

..Until a portal opens.

"IIIIINK!"

"Ah fuck."

"Language!" Blue frowns as Ink stands up to go outside. Blue considers carrying your sleeping form to your room like he always does, but decides not to since Dream's already asleep with you. He'd rather not disturb you both, at least not until he needs Dream's aid..

Oh boy.

[velkynkarma]

The book you binded looks so cool!!! I've been meaning to get into book binding as well, especially for One Piece fics and I love the format you did it in with Zoro's logo. How did you edit it? Would you be willing to share tips on how you did it? Did you watch book binding YouTube videos?

Thanks, anon! I'm glad you enjoyed! And I'm absolutely willing to share what I learned!

For the general book-binding, I used a couple book binding how-to videos.

Turning Fanfiction Into the Hardcover Book it Deserves by Jess Less

This one helped with:

How to use an old book cover/used book for the cover of the fanfic (you can also MAKE covers, and she has another video on this as well, but I love the idea of recycling old unwanted books into something new and loved)

The basics for formatting the pages (her bit about adding a compass design for the chapters is what inspired me to use Zoro's flag logo)

How to print and prep the pages/signatures

How to finish putting the whole thing together and add some interesting design elements

I especially liked this video because it's very beginner-friendly and casual, which helped the whole project feel a little less daunting. You can get special tools for book binding (there are kits online) but as shown, it's also simple enough to do with a thumbtack and some corkboard if you're low on cash.

That said, I found the stitch in this video a bit confusing, so I used the stitch from this video instead:

Folding & Sewing - Rounded and Backed Cased Book // Adventures in Bookbinding by DAS Bookbinding

Stitch prep is specifically around 7min in if you just want to skip to that. But the whole thing is an interesting watch too. This is more professional bookbinding and he has a lot of other interesting videos if you want to do some more complex things. However I found this stitch to be very straightforward and easy to follow and assemble, so I ultimately used this one when I put together Seven Deaths.

As for my personal tips and things I learned while doing this project?

Turns out Google Docs is kind of useless for this. You'll want actual word processing software like Microsoft Word. If you don't have the cash to spend on Microsoft's ridiculous subscription policy, you can use LibreOffice which is free (I did, and it works very well).

Fics are way longer on paper than they are digitally. Seven Deaths is 'only' about a 50K fic (less, in fact). But it still makes a 200+ page book. Pic a smaller fic to start with while you figure out everything you want to do.

Do some research on good book fonts for the body of your text. You can get crazy with other things (chapter headers or title pages) but pic something recommended for your text body so it's legible.

To add character symbols (like Zoro's flag) you'll need a transparent copy of it to save as a png. Once you pull it into the word doc you can resize and arrange as needed.

Also look at other "real" books you have lying around for ideas for things to add to your book! I turned an author's note into a "Forward", added an "about the author/publisher" section at the back, put in a table of contents, etc. There's other things I want to experiment with next time. Go wild! Have fun!

Test print a couple pages before printing the full project, just to be sure it's actually the right page size, your font is legible and spaced well, etc. If you don't have a printer and you don't want to pay a print shop for some expensive test pages, try your local library! Many let you use their computers and printers for an extremely low cost.

If you don't have a printer (or not one that can do quality printing for 200+ pages) you'll need to go to a print shop. DON'T bother with places like Staples or OfficeMax. I tried this, but their machines automatically staple "booklets" out of your signatures, which messes up your paper and costs extra for this "service." Instead, track down a local print shop in your area. It's easier to talk to them directly about what you want and the quality is better anyway.

On that note, this is an expensive hobby! Printing for Seven Deaths was about $87USD. The quality was worth it, but definitely do not start if you don't have your own printer or a little bit of spending money.

You do not need as much glue or thread as you think you need. Go less. Waste not.

A lot of the end stages is just...waiting...for...glue...to...dry.

You will inevitably, invariably, mess things up on your first project. I sure did! I underestimated the sharpness of some tools and put holes places I didn't mean to; some things glued in a bit sloppily; I didn't set up my page organization exactly right my table of contents ended up on the left page when I envisioned it on the right. But you know what? It doesn't matter! Because at the end of the day you have a book that YOU MADE. And it's still fucking awesome! And now you've learned some things for next time. Do it anyway and have fun with it!

Happy crafting, anon. I hope you are able to add some personal favorites to your bookshelf soon :)

[thedragonagebigbang]

Bang Creator Interview: Tumblr: @mortalitasdeeznuts 

The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Dema, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!

Interview with Ascindio

Ascindio and Dema talk symbolism in art, the collaboration process, and strategies for constant improvement 

Dema: So first: welcome to the bang! We're about a week into the collaboration period – how is that going?

Ascindio: It's going great! I have a very clear image of what I want to do, just waiting to see if my writer is cool with the idea. The story they've written is wonderful.

Dema: Without spoiling too much, can you describe your idea using 3 words or less?

Ascindio: Disappointment, hurt, chasm. [EDIT: there has since been a pivot! The new words are: almost, chance, tentative. But since we were angsty before we're rolling with it. -Dema out.-]

Dema: MMMMM delicious.

Ascindio: I do so love angst.

Dema: I am reminded of that very gorgeous Lavellan piece you did. What is the strategy you use for conveying that angst?

Ascindio: Ooowh thank you! I loved doing that one. For angst, I wait until I have an idea/feeling that just grips me and I kind of churn it over and over in my brain until I can start to form a visual. I am very much in love with symbolism, so pretty much every emotional piece I do is bursting with it, hahaha. I have to have a very clear idea of what I want to get across.

Dema: Where do you draw your symbolism from? Is it all from the DA lore itself, or are you incorporating symbols from other sources?

Ascindio: Mostly the symbolism is from artistic choices. For example, in the one that you mentioned, she is the focal point, but the frame is much larger than her. I'm trying to show her loneliness and how sometimes she feels small, regardless of how Grand she is. She's an unwilling religious figure, hence the halo.

Dema: The orb halo is SO cool. 

Ascindio: There's more, obviously, but just to give an idea of what I mean. Pretty much every choice I make in the composition is deliberate.

Dema: I love that! And so exciting that you already have an idea for your Bang piece. Do you do many collaborations?

Ascindio: I don't, but I'd LOVE to do more, I looove collaborating and making art with/for others!

Dema: Is this your first Bang?

Ascindio: Yes!

Dema: What about the collaboration process is appealing, as an artist?

Ascindio: One of my favorite things is the challenge of trying to bring to life something from someone else's brain, and then put my own spin on it. I just find a lot of satisfaction in it. It's like one of the best ways I know how to connect with people.

Dema: That's one of my favorite parts of this kind of event, too. It's so fun to relate to the specific visuals of the fic!

Ascindio: Yes!

Dema: Does the timeline feel intimidating at all, or are you pretty comfortable?

Ascindio: The only thing that's intimidating me is that I need to keep it secret for so long 😂 I usually work on a piece for like 10 ish hours over one or two days and then immediately post it because I have No patience lol!

Dema: Oh yes, the secret-keeping is so hard. I understand! But the reveals are SO exciting when they do happen.

Ascindio: I cannot WAIT to see what everyone does.

Dema: When you work on pieces for yourself, especially in long stretches like that, do you have a particular environment you prefer? Any creative rituals?

Ascindio: I just recently set up a new little work station, with a couple monitors and I love it. So I have a rainy fireplace ambience on YouTube going, then I have a spread of inspiration/reference collage app I use called PureRef and I either listen to music or have some tutorials going from an art patreon I subscribe to, and I try to put a new skill into every piece I do. And I paint on a huion using ibis paint.

Dema: That is such a great idea to incorporate a specific new skill or technique into each new piece. Does that keep it fresh for you? Or is the goal just to keep improving?

Ascindio: It is my idea of fun haha, also I am always completely unsatisfied with just about everything I paint. So yes, it's definitely also to try to improve little by little without overwhelming myself.

Dema: I am very sympathetic to that feeling, haha. What was the latest new skill you tried out?

Ascindio: Owh okay so the latest has been working on creating a more harmonious color palette! I've always had a hard time with color theory as I'm self taught and the colors I choose often seem to stick out and draw attention to themselves when the focus is supposed to be something else. So for example choosing a murky white for a white shirt, when in reality a lavender may be better for a specific piece and it will still translate to white without being so Look At Me.

Dema: Ah, yes! I find that color is so much harder in digital art, as well. Maybe because you have access to All Of Them. At least, that has been my experience 😂

Ascindio: Yes, so tempting to say oh a blue shirt, I shall choose a Pure Blue. It is very rewarding to see little bits of progress here and there.

Dema: Yes! Do you have any go-to color schemes, or palettes you gravitate to?

Ascindio: Oowhoho yesss. It's funny you can see my main color palette shift over time when you look at all my pieces in chronological order. Right now I'm very into nature sunset color schemes. For example:

I actually have a Coolors chrome extension, so when I open a new tab it goes to a randomly selected color palette.

Dema: Oooh so very saturated, very warm?

Ascindio: Lots of purple, blue, pink, and green, with a bit of gold.

Dema: Lovely! Thank you for sharing so many great tips and rec's, as well as for taking the time to talk to me today!

Ascindio: Thank You! It was very fun!

[ashysmultifandomcatdump]

trying my best to make out what the storybook fourteen is reading says so that you don't have to

last night after the subscriber special came out i spent an hour and a half trying to read and type out the contents of this book!!! i got most of it but there's still parts i couldn't read due to lighting esp towards the end so if anyone has been able to read those parts please let me know!!!!!!

A NEW SYMBOL

At the beginning of this story are two symbols: Addition and subtraction. For the longest time, that's the only thing numbers knew. I'm not exactly sure how the numeral species took so long to discover anything outside of those two symbols. Maybe they were content with what they had already— Maybe they were just stupid.

Anyway, back to the story at hand. Actually, no. We need to go a bit deeper here, I think. First graders learn about multiplication and division. How were they just unable to figure this out? It's really not that hard. I'm just being honest, here. Why should anyone be interested in this "tale" when it's predicated on such an unbelievable premise? An entire population of sentient, powerful beings and not a single one of them could come up with an array? They're literally numbers, for crying out loud! I just feel like they could've figured this out earlier, I guess.

Whatever, quick recap, the numbers only knew about addition and subtraction for a long while. They had a lot of fun adding into each other and all that. They really liked it.

Multiplication, which is really just doing addition multiple times in a row, (Think about it, four multiplied by three is just adding four together three times. Isn't that cool), was discovered shortly after. There were some problems with it, and there still are some problems with it. A lot of numbers don't really mess with multiplication anymore. Every single time they try to, something ends up going wrong. It's not fun! Addition is fun. Well, I find it quite boring, but they find it fun.

Division, however, stayed a mystery for the longest time. Which, it bears repeating, is absolutely unbelievable. Division is quite literally just opposite multiplication.

Remember when I said multiplication is just addition multiple times in a row? Well, division is just subtraction multiple times in a row. Again, shocking that it took them so long to figure this out. I can imagine the moment now.

A lot of the time, the stupid people among us tend to have the best ideas. A lot of great ideas are unsaid just because they sound stupid. Like, imagine being all smart and educated in the 1500's and suggesting the idea of electricity. Oh, wow, magic beams from the sky can power gigantic and complex machines! Get out of here, man. But that's actually how it works! So I don't really know what happened, but we can probably guess that someone stupid— 9 or 7— brought up the idea of "reverse multiplication." I'm not sure. Maybe those two weren't even alive. I'm not exactly sure why I was the one to pen this history into the annals of time. I really do not know a single thing about what actually happened.

Anyway, let's say all the numbers were just sitting around, having a lot of fun, and playing on the seesaw. 9 walks in after a visit to the local multiplication symbol. She has a weird thought in her head, and she confidently brings up the idea of division. She's laughed at and made to feel very, very dumb. Little did they all know, however, that the idea of division is very, very real. It had just been forgotten about. More on that later.

THE POWER

The division symbol is theorized(?) to be extremely powerful, giving [??] leftward [????] the power to split themselves into multiple parts. The amount of parts the leftward number splits into is equivalent to the value of the rightward number in the equation.

The graphic below displays the basic capabilities of the division symbol. 16, being four multiplied by four, can get divided by 4 into four fours. These fours are all 16, just split up in between four different bodies. They all act like 16 and share 16's colors. This is because these four 4's are 16. 16 has disappeared due to splitting themself into quarters. Ultimately, 16 is splitting themself up. Imagine if you were split into four identical bodies— that's what happened to 16. Only in the graphic, of course. 16 is kind of a scaredy-cat, so I don't think they would be keen to split themselves up like this. Which is frankly weird to me. I think of it the same way I think of people who chicken out of riding roller coasters. Like, you stand in line for an hour and a half and watch thousands of people [?????????? i CANNOT make this out sorry]. Not a single person there. When's the last time [?????????????]? It doesn't happen! So what is there to be scared of! Do you think you're [?????]? You're not. You'll survive. Roller coasters are fun. Why are you robbing yourself of the experience?

Sorry for that, this book wasn't really the place for it. I think I could just delete it, but, um, I really don't feel like it. I got commissioned to write like at least 200 pages of this thing, and I'm kind of already running out of ideas. You saw it yourself, a couple dozen pages ago I went into a 2 page lecture about the history of devilled eggs. I literally just copied that from Wikipedia. I'm starting to think I'm not being paid for my writing ability, but just because someone was too lazy to do what I'm doing right now. Insane! This thing should be like, a pamphlet at most.

Whatever, I should probably get back on the topic at hand. The division symbol is very powerful because it allows the number to split themselves up. This is beneficial for manual labor and especially [????i don't know what that word is fighting? tighting? tichtong? what!].

Imagine how much you could get done in a day if there was a clone of you around. That's like, a basic sitcom plotline. It's relatable! The numbers, lucky as they are, get to live in a reality where this is possible. You need to lift a really heavy, wide object? Just divide yourself by two. Of course, you'd have to find 2 in order to divide yourself by them. That's really the only downside of the symbol. A lot of the smaller numbers don't like being "used" for division. They have their own lives! But yeah, division is very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, powerful.

THE LOSS

Those who ruled the numeric realm at the time were not pleased with the existence of the division symbol. You know how people say when you're alone you're weak, and when you're united you stand. Well, yeah, extrapolate that concept into this. Do you think those who enjoy power over a population of powerful numbers like the idea of them splitting themselves into a million little equally-powerful pieces? No!

So those in power really did not like the division symbol at all. Like, they really, really did not like it. Like when you walk by a group in public and they start reciting jokes you swear you saw online six years ago to each other. Like, are you that unoriginal? You think you can impress your friends by stealing other people's jokes? They aren't even that good of jokes! It's just sad, honestly, just show them the joke on your phone, or something like that.

It just really grinds my gears, honestly. So I can really imagine how it feels to be whoever ruled the land of the numbers felt. I don't really think it was justified; in fact, it was kind of evil, honestly. But, like, if I happened to have dominion over those idiots? Yeah, I probably would want to get rid of the self-destruct button they randomly found and learned how to use. Especially if there are 2 other self destruct buttons out there for them to use. I say 2 because subtraction is kind of useless. Like... It doesn't really help anyone. Multiplication and addition are pretty cool though!

So, yeah, one night the numbers were having fun, partying, and just generally enjoying themselves— as numbers are known to do. They generally liked to hang out around the division symbol, actually. They really liked it! It was probably one of their favorite things in the world. Of course, everyone had their own personal favorite thing. 9's favorite thing was his sunglasses. His old ones, the real retro ones. They had a rainbow gradient instead of a desert gradient. Doesn't that sound cool? Meh. I don't need your approval anyway. Who cares. 8's favorite thing is when all of the other numbers are quiet. What a weirdo.

So the numbers partied all night. They sang songs and danced around. Blah blah blah. At the dead of night, the last number finally decided to go to bed. Numbers sleep, by the way. I don't think they really need to? I'll be honest I know almost nothing about those things. They're kind of useless? They're also annoying.

While they were asleep, however, the evil ruler of the realm took the division symbol and removed it from its place! It's a pretty heavy symbol, so I'm actually kind of amazed that a group of people were able to just pick it up like that. As you'll see later, 2 is also able to just pick it up on their own. Isn't that insane? Like, 2, let me know your workout regimen or something. I could use a tip or two. Haha, two, 2.

Ok, back on track for real, now. BFDI season 1 is the best season. Like, by a mile! It's just so whimsical and fun and awesome. My favorite episode is episode 6, The Power of Three. What's up with 3 anyway? Why aren't they in these things? We're all thinking it, right? This is meta, lol.

For real this time, let's get back on track. The numbers woke up the next morning to find their precious division symbol gone! All that remained was the discolored patch of grass that laid under the symbol for so many years.

The numbers were shocked and horrified by the division symbol being taken. 9 cried for like, three days straight, I think. It would've been cute if it wasn't so pathetic. Like, you're an adult, man. Either way, it was still a tragedy, though. The symbol meant a lot to these freaks! And now it was gone! The fun was over! They got over it quite quickly, though. Like, I'm not kidding, they all forgot about it the literal next day. It was like it never existed. Isn't that just crazy? These things are so weird, man. Like. Gosh. Just crazy.

Leading spots where experts think the division symbol might be hidden. It's not clear why they think these spots have the most potential. But they're the experts! So listen to 'em. Also, look, map! Go obsess over what the map means or something if that's what you're interested in. Go wild!

THE SEARCH

Why am I still writing this. How many pages are even left! Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

The typography on those "blahs" is really ugly. So I'm going to stop using them to fill space. The numbers embarked on an epic search for the division symbol, but were a little too stupid to end up finding it. Who would've guessed! This is partly why I said they just forgot about it earlier. They tried searching for it, got lost, and instantly gave up! What losers! Can't commit to the simplest of tasks.

If I remember correctly, 7, the genius he is, started climbing a tree to get a good vantage point. The only [???????? the rest of the paragraph is like impossible to read]

[honestly this section and the next several paragraphs are so hard to read i can make out a few words and sentences but most of it is illegible for me it's not worth typing them out at this hour. pains me to do this but i must skip to the end...i did my best]

Last paragraph on this page, better make it count. Lalalalalalalala. Uhhh... Yeah I can't make this one count. There's really nothing to talk about with "The Search". There literally wasn't one. There's no way anyone is reading this far down. Whatever. Bye.

[creativesplat]

Mipha!

Mipha… where do I start!? 

First impression: 

I thought she was a very pretty fish-lady, and was instantly blown away by how romantic her memory with Link was (some poeople already know, but before I played the game I looked at fan art and stuff and really liked the concept of ZeLink people were drawing - it must be a canon ship if people are so intense about it right? and I almost always fall for the canon ship in a piece of media. So I got into the game wanting to rescue the princess Link was in love with. Turns out that princess wasn’t Zelda, and from my first impression I was like ‘oh ok, so we’re not avenging zelda then… we’re avenging fish’

Impression now: 

She was so wonderful why did she have to die!! Link loved you, your design is so cool, why did you die!! A strong powerful (dagnam play AoC and you’ll see what I mean) warrior princess who loved her people and her family and Link. what a woman she was (and is in aoc).

Favorite moment: 

Okay, so I know its a bit basic and there are some awesome moments in AoC (like the date her and link so on) but the first memory, the first time you’re introduced to her, it still gives me chills. Mipha's touch is and always will be my fave. I love it. 

Idea for a story: 

The tensions between Hyrule and Zora’s domain bubble over, leading to a siege or something, and link betrays Hyrule to join Mipha and bring the war to an end. 

Ooh another one: Link tries to run away from the duty assigned to him and is forcibly kept at the castle by Rhoam but the champions help zelda and link and they leave central hyrule to try and figure out the various powers without the added trapped in the castle stuff. Mipha rescues link from a tower like rapunzal effectively. 

Unpopular opinion: 

Link should have rescued her instead being with Zelda during the calamity. She was strong and could battle effectively, but if Link had gone with her, they would have dominated water blight as a badass couple. If link and mipha had defeated water blight, they could have joined the rest of the champions (due to the sheikhah slate being available for teleportation), weaken Gannon through attacking the blights and then go and kick is butt in the castle. What a good happy ending that is! (I think I just described AoC a little bit…) anyway. 

Favorite relationship: 

LINK AND MIPHA THEYRE SO CUTE TOGETHER AND SO BADASS AND I LOVE THEM. 

They are the perfect couple, and the proposal armour is just so sweet and I adore them both :) 

Favourite headcanon: 

Oooh. There’s a lot to pick from… 

The symbols on the Zora armour represent Link and Mipha’s marriage, and tying the families together:

the Rhombus with the luminous stone is what I head canon Link’s family sigil/ crest to be:

And obviously the three cresents are Mipha’s family crest 

And here we see them combined, with a white stone in the middle 

White gems are often related to hope (link), healing (mipha), unity, and wholeness. So a unity between the rhombus and the crescents and the ideas of healing and hope? Am I reaching. Yes. Do I also love this head canon? Yes. 

2) Link understands Zoran (the Zora language) but can’t speak it very well on account of the fin movement and whistling required. Mipha regularly says ‘I love you’ or other comforting things via subtle tail or fin movements when in company. He has little hand gestures he uses, sign shorthand I guess, to tell her the same.

3) the champions all knew about Mipha and Link's relationship. because their little found family deserves to have a fun time trying to set them up on dates or make them do things together, so that even though things are tense between hyrule and the domain, the two can spend time together.

[ditch-lily]

Idolistic - titles and symbolism

Thanks for those who encouraged me! So here it is, idolistic chapter titles! Not all of them are symbolic, and some are obvious lol. But a few have made my brain light up in nerdery because I’m a little into connecting/crafting simple phrases into symbolism. Also puns (sorry). Idk if that even makes sense but, here we go!

Be aware idolistic spoilers for up to the latest chapter, chapter thirteen. Also warning for some of the quoted scenes, as they have canon typical violence.

Idolistic 

So, actually - I’ll start off with the fic title. We all know it’s a play on words/pun I figure. It’s a play on idealistic/and idol, and idolistic is the worship of idols, in a religious context. For me the title feels like it’s more Chay’s POV, which is interesting as idolistic is my Kim epic lol. 

But it’s that journey from having an idealistic view of your idol slowly turn into something real. Chay’s literal wall of idolatry (wik shrine my beloved) turning into Chay’s real interactions with Kim. So for Chay, it’s like Kim turning into a real boy, and all the unexpected scary things of Kim’s real life running into that idealistic view of an idol.

On the other side of it from Kim’s pov, the symbolism in idolistic is what he’s seeking from the world. He wants to escape into a singing career – an idol career. And he’s idealistic about all the things this world could give him, safety and normalcy. A haven away from his family’s world.

Also - being idealistic about something in my view doesn't mean what you believe is false, or you're being naive, it's just your hopes and dreams and what you want out of something.

Chapter 1. The mortifying ordeal of being known 

Uhhh alright this one isn’t all that deep. It’s just the meme. But it’s chosen for that spike of intense suspicion / fascination Kim gets when he stumbles across Chay’s stan account, and all the ways Chay shows he knows Kim without them ever having met. Like Kim is so into being known. What a little freak (affectionate)

Chapter 2. Dirty pool

This is a fun one! It’s a phrase meaning ‘underhanded or unsportsmanlike conduct.’ It's Chay cornering his idol and putting kittens on his lap until he’s too burdened down by all the tiny little creatures he’s got to look after to move. And then Chay smiling sunnily and going; hey, how do you know which school I went to?

And for anyone who’s like, Idolistic Chay is more suspicious than the show, one of the first questions Chay asked in the tutoring scene in kp was how did you know I have a brother. Kid knows!! But he’s like this is my beautiful babygirl idol? I am hanging out with him right now and if he’s a little weird? Okay that’s cool I don't mind, I like all sides of him :)

Okay also thanks jeff for now giving us literal photos of the scene

Chapter 3. Three times in the back, with a serving knife 

Okay, no this is just cluedo. Murder mystery Kim. Kim so into being the hot nightclub singer who gets to stab people on screen. Nothing deeper than that.

But thanks Jeff for also like giving me a visual ref after I posted that chapter. Helpful.

Chapter 4. The reel in 

The reel in is where I start playing with lines. This chapter title comes from a line in the previous chapter, here’s the whole paragraph:

The man was a loose end, his father didn’t have the right strings to pull at the right time. Kim had just had an interview, the T-pop segment, his face broadcasted to thousands of new viewers. The call the next day, the reel in. Kim can still feel the echoes of it, that night. The crack that reverberated through him, his hands. The pull on his muscles.

Chapter four is where Kim gets drawn back in on an errand. It’s the first time we see it on screen in Idolistic, rather than as a memory. This is the reel in, him being dragged back. It’s also playing double duty, the reel in, after the job is done, he’s almost magnetized and makes his way on autopilot to Chay’s house. 

So it’s both the worst part of his life, being drawn back into the violence of his family and father, but then it’s also the other side of it – one of the best parts of it, being drawn into someone else’s sphere, someone who he’s attracted to and wants to be around.

Chapter 5. Cupid's bow

Another link! So, this is the love chapter for me. The title links back to chapter three:

Chay gently traces over the shape of Kim’s lips, the tips of his fingers trailing across the bottom lip, then the top, gently pressing against the cupid’s bow.

And it’s playing on different notes in the chapter, but all the same theme. Cupid's bow – Kim is falling for Chay. It’s him reciprocating Chay’s interest, the return of affection, falling into the beginnings of love. It's Kim being shot with an arrow from cupid's bow. But its not just the metaphorical, it's also a physical real thing - the cupid's bow on the lips. So it becomes a real world expression of how Kim returns that affection. He doesn’t know how to approach it, so he echos Chay’s affection back to him, caressing him in return:

Chay’s eyes are dark and intent on his, his face flushed from kissing. Kim reaches up, tracing the evidence on Chay’s lips, an echo of Chay’s touch from last week– bottom to top lip, a press against the cupid’s bow, then lets his hand fall away.

Idk, it's just profoundly Idolistic Kim to me. He doesn’t know exactly how to express things, but he’s intently paid attention to how affection has been expressed and acted upon onto him. 

Chapter 6. Debts cleared 

This one I feel isn’t that deep. It does hit more than one beat I feel, but it’s not complex. Debts cleared is the act of Porsche giving up his brother and his way of life to leave and clear their debts, so Chay can live free of that burden. 

But it’s also Kim, learning that Porsche is involved with his family, and not understanding how/or why that’s happened.

That bit of it comes from this paragraph:

Porsche’s entry is there. The amount owed is large, but Kim stares. There is a small notation next to it. It means, debt cleared. Kim flicks his eye over to the corner of the page, quickly checking. If a kill order was given there’s usually another mark, just a small circle to indicate. 

While it literally means you are clear of debt, to Kim it’s like, my family does not just wipe the board clean of debts. That's not how this world works, so this is suspicious, and shows something else is going on here.

Chapter 7. The soft launch

Okay this one is silly and simple. It’s just a soft launch, which in social media world is posting an informal picture of your partner, without a formal announcement. It’s like hey what up I’ve been hanging out with this hottie 

Anyway forever proud of Chay and his game and the way that boy must have just shocked his fellow stan following by posting this pic of Wik. Like boy get it

Chapter 8. Choose your fighter 

OH THE RED HERRING the side accounts. So, when I wrote the first few chapters the side accounts and that aspect of the story was meant to be a little bit more of a core theme, but I just went in a different direction. I like the direction it went lol, but it really means Kim’s side account and the plot of that got scrapped.

What does that have to do with the chapter titles? This is the chapter both Kim and Chay choose their fighters for their upcoming battles. In Chay’s world at that time, his biggest concerns are his brother (who’s ‘away’) his suddenly complicated but amazing dating life, and then – the things that link back up to that, say, a certain side account who is releasing personal information on his new beau.

So, Chay who has freshly met Kim’s team and manager is like, hey I have resources now, and chooses his fighter – P’Mod, for his upcoming sting operation to oust the account leaking sensitive Wik information. 

It's really only shown briefly but here's where it went down:

By the time he gets back to the office it’s lunch time. P’Mod is at her desk, going through files, talking to someone on the phone. Her tone is serious, and Kim inches forward, eavesdropping.

She’s talking about the Riverfest leak. “That account has always been annoying.” She hums with agreement over the phone. “Yes, that’s true. But don’t worry too much, if the source really is that close it’ll be an easy job.”

She taps her lip, considering something. “Y’know, you’re becoming a very useful addition. But don’t stress too much kid, I’ve got it handled.”

For Kim, it's his battle with his father. This is the chapter he chooses to risk it and approach Vegas. He needs someone that his father wouldn’t suspect he’d work with, and that’s Vegas. 

Chapter 9. Three for three

So, this is a baseball term lol, but I never learnt it from baseball. Baseball…isn’t really popular in my country. But it means three things were attempted and the person was successful all three times. 

This is related to Kim being reeled back in, into a fairly violent and worrying errand. And its Kim’s instincts of no, I can do it. I’m fairly on the nose with it in the chapter lol:

He is good at it, he knows. He does like being good at things. And he’s always had a skill here.

There are nine men. A much better number than twenty. Survivable, if he's quick. 

There’s three on watch, three out the back counting merchandise. Three in the main room, smoking and drinking. Nice and balanced, and he's ready to see if he can do it. If he can go three for three.

And as we follow, he counts down the men until we’re at the end, with his self-affirmation of three for three: 

One left, running for the door. Kim sets chase, knees screaming at the speed. He leaps onto his back, teeth bared and breath heaving. He takes him down, rides him down to the ground with his arm around his neck and his knife in the man's side.

There. Done. Easy.

See? He can do it.

Chapter 10. Fools rush in

No fancy linking of previously written things for this one! This is our fools performance, our clown car full of Theerapanyakuls crashing into a wall lol. This is our chapter of secrets coming undone, and for me it really is Kinn and Porsche, crashing into Kim and Chay’s world. It’s the collision of secrets and brothers and relationships, both romantic and fraternal, and how that unearths everything.

It's also Chay getting to see how he may have rushed in, and thinking (oh poor baby) that he’s been made a fool of, after discovering everything that has been hidden from him.

Chapter 11. Outgunned 

Another non complicated one. It’s Kim being physically outnumbered by the men who come to kidnap Kinn and Porsche, but also being outgunned/outnumbered by the situation. He’s reacting to things, he’s not in control of anything. This is the aftermath of all his secrets coming out with Chay, and then the lack of control and power he has to save his loved ones when danger comes knocking at their door.

12. Three things to bring to a deserted island

Okay also not complicated! It’s a reference to the side ficlet, of one of Wik’s early interviews. Which then links to Tankhun’s little trivia challenge for Chay, where he successfully wins Kim’s hand in marriage. Not that he knows it.

Chapter 13. Line of sight

Okay I’m fond of this one! Line of sight is a phrase I’ve used for Kim referring both to Chay and Vegas, and his father. The way I use it, line of sight is a reminder to pay attention, both to things you love (Chay) and the things that could blindside you, and threaten the things you love (Vegas, Korn).

From chapter three:

He doesn’t want to show up to Vegas’s little pre-planned meeting, but it’s better to keep Vegas in your line of sight.

Chapter seven, referring to how his life is directly shaded out by his father:

All the spaces he inhabits, his apartment, his studio, they get shaded out in the evening. It’s from the sun, low on the horizon, stretching out the shadows from his father’s building.

A distance would be better, sure. But Kim’s always believed it's better to keep your goals in your line of sight.

And within this chapter, I went all in on it lol:

But now the real world is creeping back in, and Kim doesn't feel ready to not have Chay in his line of sight just yet.

And

Tawan has a gun on his brother, and Kim’s out of his line of sight.

He moves quick. A blur behind Tawan, sliding in between Porsche and his target. It’s seconds maybe, his signature move. He launches himself up, gets him around the neck. A sharp thrust of movement, a snap, and it’s done, Tawan collapsing at his feet.

So, this chapter is the consequence of Kim not paying proper attention to his sightlines. He should have noticed more of Vegas and his plots –in fact Kim is aware of them in my opinion. Not the particulars, just that they're happening, and he’s dismissed them because Vegas is always plotting, and Kim’s busy. But then he gets completely blindsided by Tawan, and gets wrapped up in that messy plot.

So, we get a Kim who reacts to Vegas’s plots, rather than foiling them preemptively. But also, it's not Kim’s job to monitor Vegas and his schemes against the main family. 

Back to sightlines, it’s also, keeping Chay in his line of sight – in the warehouse showdown, Kim is always aware of where Chay is, at all times. That's his priority. When he first wakes up, he’s like, get Chay out of the bad guys line of sight. And he does it.

But then it ends on a more complicated note. Kim is not being fully seen by Kinn, and he’s getting tangled up in all the family plots. Kinn is not paying attention properly and seeing the danger Kim is in, and deals with. Kim is not being registered in Kinn’s own sightlines, and that’s painful for Kim. 

So when Kim notices Tawan can’t see him, when Kim is ‘out of his line of sight’ and Tawan is also actively putting his brother in danger - Kim makes an impulsive decision. He wants to save his brother, but he also wants his brother to finally see him, and the violence that he has been a victim of.

It's Kim's own version of a confession, he puts himself directly in Kinn's eyesight and show's him what he's capable of.

Okay and we're done! Yes that was overly thinky and dramatic. I have too many thoughts. But I hope you enjoyed me being a ridiculous overthinker. Will future chapter headings have symbolism? Maybe, maybe not, it’s all a little in the moment when I think on the titles, so I guess we will see!

[hoardlikegoldenirises]

blurple time.

finally finished this~ months after he appeared 😅

you can tell there's a bit of a punk/industrial vibe infusing the whole design. i also drew from various details in the comics, and other random things like bulletproof leather jackets.

closeups, ramblings, (and a version with a cape) under the cut:

i was originally not planning to add a cape cause i wasn't sure if i could make it work and tbh. still not sure. i like the way the purple cape looks from behind but the inside is like. idk. if it's purple then it looks weird, but the black feels off to me too... I don't think any of the other colors would work.

oh also i decided this glows in the dark (predictable as always)

Helmet's been through some sketches and stuff, spent a while figuring out the mechanisms and so on and settled on this design in the end.

Obviously you can see here the top is leather, it's based on a combo of a motorcycle cowl (with an angled zip you can just see there, and then the shoulders from an armored motorcycle jacket i was looking at. then the blue is meant to be a (heavily) modified like, boilersuit or whatever those are. mechanic's jumpsuit.

Plus all the spikes. Obviously there's no spider-punk in this setting but I like the aesthetics, and I like giving Hobie like a little thing of his own in terms of hobbies/interests so I thought adding that punk aspect would be fun, esp as it ties into his whole thing with being unsure of himself and being a little different and so on.

the lenses are one piece each, just with different colors of film on them, like you see on a variety of custom motorcycle visors. used chrome silver for the white "eyes," which i think would look cool and matches the metal hardware. very reflective. hobie prob won't be the only design with chrome/mirrored lenses for reflective purposes (thinking about the hobgoblin) (well. technically peter will also have aluminized lenses at one point but that's a spare mask for fires, not a main look)

earlier concept which i drew on my phone actually lol. some of this i obv jus copy-pasted cause it was fine as is, other stuff got tweaked, like i ended up changing the lens shape to look a little more like the comics and i did end up scrapping that shape for the faceplate/chin.

and you can see there i edited a pic from the comics playing with what colors i wanted to use. i liked the steel blue that showed up in some of the older painted art from the Prowler's earliest appearances, and I felt like I wanted to give him a color other than purple and green, though I didn't wanna ditch the purple either, so I ended up with this kind of neon blurple + navy combo that I liked a lot. And the silver too.

back of the jacket and helmet. Didn't originally plan on adding all those spikes but then I was sketching this out and I was like, oh... that would look cool... so i committed!! i like how it looks.

Originally I also had no logo/symbol on the front of the chest so I decided to put one on the back. Then I ended up adding that flat panel to the chest and added the symbol there too, and decided to keep the back one as well. i can def see a 19 year old being like, hell yeah... sick... people will definitely take me seriously now. and you know what. he's right.

i will admit i ended up a little dissatisfied with the story i told involving the Prowler in the linked fic, but... I also probably shouldn't have tried to wedge it between like five warring subplots. But it was like, the spot that made the most sense. If this was a cartoon I think it would be a like... 1-2 issue special focused more on him. And also peter would jump out the window. (The real tragedy that I didn't include cause it's hilarious, poor Hobie XD)

Anywho. Is this mechanism needlessly complex? Perhaps. I tried to simplify it at one point but then the more I thought about it the less the simplified version worked so I stuck with the OG idea here. I mean, i guess I could have ditched the locking mechanism entirely but i thought it would be fun if the helmet was self-locking! I also wanted a way for it to rotate/go visor up even with the spikes, thus it being a pretty large rotating faceplate with the spikes on it instead of elsewhere. not that he ever puts it up in the fic. peter just takes hobie's helmet off there 😂

He's also wearing a balaclava under there which I didn't bother really drawing, mostly to protect his hair (which I put in twists for related reasons of helmet-wearing) (I briefly had been considering braids but then, well, ATSV and Miles G. happened and I said, well now I cannot do that XD) (I mean I COULD have but I wanted to do something else here lol) Anyway. The idea here is that it's a kind of slide lock with a spring-loaded peg that slots into the holes, and the square hole with the square peg locks the faceplate in place and prevents it from rotating, but when the square peg is in the round hole, the faceplate can rotate freely. The only wrinkle here would be that Hobie has to pull on both locks simultaneously or as close to it as possible or he'd risk cracking the helmet (i assume? stress and pressure etc.)

Sliding the lock forward also slides the whole plate forward, which lets me (in theory) have a flush, smooth silhouette while still allowing it to come forward enough to push up. It's not vacuum sealed or anything though. But it does have like... air filters and a voice modulator and some other things. MOST of the suit is super low tech and doesn't require electricity but the helmet probably has batteries or something. (peter's new webshooters at this point are also battery powered lol)

Helmet is pretty typical fiberglass construction with foam pads inside. Idea there is that Hobie made a lot of this stuff using campus workshop resources like autobody or machining shop on campus, for stuff like getting fiberglass, having a space to work in, making polycarbonate lenses etc. Though it's totally possible to do fiberglass work at home too. (peter also uses campus resources for his lenses specifically btw)

Gauntlets!!! Uhhhh ngl very difficult. Trying to design armored gauntlets that don't look like knightly armor is very hard for me cause I always just google reference pics of knightly armor. LOL. I think these came out alright. There's a hint of motocross influence there too (though really even in modern days armor is armor so there end up being shared traits) The gloves ended up being mostly leather with some armored parts, though there is probably some inner armor which is not visible. The claws I left bare since you would not be able to sharpen claws coated in plasti dip—

oh yeah the purple color on all the hard parts is plasti dip, which is basically rubber paint.

The wrist gauntlets are very very very loosely based on a guy's grappling rope web-shooter thing which you can see in this youtube video: link. though i didn't wanna just rip him off so i mostly just said, alright, tubes and a harness—which the prowler already has in the comics anyway, albeit smaller. so really it's pretty much like the comics anyway.

Right wrist has the green laser dazzler, both have grapples, left wrist has EMP (not pictured) which Hobie uses in the scene I have him and Peter fight except then I realized recently I didn't actually explain what that was or how it was working 😂 I probably should have done that scene from Hobie's POV in retrospect. It's an EMP though and it scrambles Peter's spidey sense via interference/signal noise.

(electromagnetic signals being responsible for several cases of irl "hauntings" —> spider-man's haunted)

waist utility belt... I like the way the silver belt on the old art looks! So I decided to make these hard silver hinged cases instead of soft pouches (originally were soft but I changed my mind while coloring) — IDK if these really are metal or if they're just fiberglass with chrome paint lol but either way, shiny chromey, hinged to open, the insides are probably padded... buckle is actually metal though.

Boots—modified snow boots. These are loosely based off of a real thing btw: link to blog post

The silver things are the magnets. Gauntlets are probably also magnetic but those are not visible like the boot ones. I also read some comments saying certain kinds of electromagnets would be preferable for something like boots but ultimately, IDK how to draw that, so I just drew it like they look in jen foxbot's prototype.

There was some other stuff I initially planned on including that didn't make the cut, aside from the cape. I was toying with stuff like a jetpack (or really, a jump jet), gliding/wingsuit, etc. but... I didn't use any of those. Kept it simple and streamlined for the most part. so no gliding for this Prowler, but hey, he's got magnet boots.

maybe in the future if Hobie ends up with an Iron Man-esque collapsible suit, perhaps he'll be able to fly, but for now, he's a college student making a supervillain persona so he can keep himself from getting evicted...

And his face!!! cutie :3 loosely inspired by Greg Eagles' face (the voice actor for grimm from billy and mandy) Not that ATSV had no impact on this design but that was the main thing. Twists to keep his hair protected in the helmet under the balaclava etc. and something he can do himself, and then a twist out afterward.

plus you can see the nose rings I mention in Creep here.