#I just needed to get this out of my mind

[evelinadodge]

Merry christmas!!

*gasp* what do you mean santa isn't a rich ex-salaryman ??!!

kdj was blackmailed selected to be the designated santa for the day (he isn't wearing the beard cause it's itchy). The kids weren't supposed to see him, but whatever, they seem to enjoy it and that's what matters.

+ bonus gif I made for my mom lol

(and yes that's kdj too cause that man lives rent free in my head)

[screamingcrows]

Hi. Don't mind me uh- this was also supposed to be a 50 word post.

Dr. Ratio x reader, soft, fluff, domestic, established relationship.

While not exactly unprecedented, you can count on one hand the number of times Veritas has left without kissing you goodbye.

But then again, he had seemed almost stressed as of late. Not that you'd been able to pry the reason from those delicately sculpted lips anyway. So here you were, alone beneath the plush covers, with nothing but the fading warmth of his presence beside you.

In lieu of better, you rolled onto his side to bury your face into his pillow and inhale the familiar scent of his favored shampoo. With your eyes closed, it was easy to imagine that the soft sheets were instead the planes of his abdomen, the weight of your blanket the press of his arms when he would pull you close and kiss the top of your head.

Perhaps it was for the better that he'd seemingly left for work early. The grey clouds looming outside the window combined with the fog in your mind from a night of less than stellar sleep - you weren't entirely certain either of you would've left the bed today if you could've gotten your way.

A smile tugged at your lips while imagining how fussy Veritas would've been at the mere thought of cancelling his classes for no good reason. With his admirable, if at times annoying, sense of responsibility in mind, you pulled yourself from the little nest.

Goosebumps spread across your skin as you stretched, curiously studying the trail of water across the bedroom floor. He truly must have been in a hurry to not dry off properly in the bathroom.

Another conundrum was waiting in the living room, proper posture thrown aside in favour of a hunched back and tense shoulders. Droplets of water glistened against his bare skin as it steadily dripped from the tips of his hair.

Wanting to continue observing, you barely managed to stifle a chuckle when he cursed under his breath, tip of the pen lifting from-

That wasn't his usual notebook?

And wasn't it past the time he would normally leave by now?

The questions stuck at the tip of your tongue when he snapped the book shut, expression tinged with panic for just a moment.

"Has no one taught you to knock?" Too much effort went into his nonchalance, leaving his usually smooth voice sounding almost strained.

You shifted against the doorframe, curiously eyeing the book peeking out from beneath his broad forearms. It was ridiculous. Even with two hands, reaching around one was a tight fit.

"You want me to knock when I enter my own living room." You made certain to grin, not at all worried about whatever he was hiding, enjoying the frustration creeping into his eyes when he realised his mistake. Moving to his study had been better if trying to keep some secret.

"Getting up quietly isn't usually your forte," he raised a brow when you knowingly remained quiet, refusing to let him grasp control, "neither is getting up early on your days off."

"Mhm, and you're being unusually sloppy."

Months of study had your eyes immediately recognising the slight clench of his jaw, how a muscle in his neck briefly shifted beneath the skin. Your choice of words had the desired effect.

"I simply have something to finish before-" his throat bobbed when you stepped closer, "before you got up."

You came to a halt, frowning slightly at the admission. Veritas sounded uncharacteristically defeated, and the way his fingers pressed against the pen certainly weren't normal either, usually one to handle his tools much as he did you, with a care that bordered on reverence.

Restraining your curiosity when the book - bound in fabric the colour of his hair, you mused - was pushed towards the edge of the dining table, proved difficult after noticing how he turned his head away, going so far as to run a hand through his damp hair.

"You mentioned wanting to go back and experience our first night after my-" butterflies fluttered in your chest, feeling laughter rise alongside tears when he continued, "declaration. Thus, I reasoned having a written account of events would be beneficial. Not to mention that experiencing it from a different perspective might also prove entertaining."

"Veritas..." Your hands were trembling a little when you opened on a random page, eyes skimming down rows of carefully penned letters. The paper was off-white as well, fitted to a preference you'd never uttered aloud. "Did you?"

"I did. Would have, at least, if someone hadn't decided to get out of bed early for once. The last page might be a little smudged given how I closed it before letting the ink fully dry-"

He went quiet when you wrapped your arms around his bare shoulders, a sigh of relief leaving his lips in time with a fond chuckle from yours.

"I love it."

The feeling of his palm sliding underneath your shirt to rub against the small of your back felt familiar enough by now that you easily relaxed, pressing your lips against the top of his head.

"I've cancelled my lectures today and would have made us breakfast in bed..."

"I don't mind going back."

It truly was amazing what time could accomplish, already now having your bodies working in tandem to press closer, his head against your chest as your cheeks began to ache from smiling. You'd take time to read his account later. Maybe have him read it out loud.

The faintest whisper accompanied by a kiss to your sternum drew your attention to your lover, "happy anniversary."

[go-go-devil]

✨💎 The Domhnall & Eidas Theory 💎✨

Aye, Shwmae!

Here I would like to present to you all a theory I have that revolves around Domhnall of Zena and Eidas the Weapon Craftsman, and the connection these two seemingly unrelated characters may have.

I haven’t found anyone else who shares this theory with me yet, so I’d say it’s about time I provide an explanation so maybe, just maybe, some of you can understand where I’m coming from with this.

Let’s start this off with a simple question: Who the hell is Eidas?

I won’t blame many of you for forgetting this character exists, so let me quickly summarize!

Eidas is a very minor npc whom we only know the name of due to the item description of the Avelyn, which states that it was “cherished by the weapon craftsman Eidas.” Although this remains the only reference to this person in the game, it is highly likely that we do actually meet Eidas in the flesh. Or should I say, crystalized flesh.

Look at the intricate design and gold plating on the Avelyn’s stock.

Now compare it to the design of the crystal knight’s armor.

Considering we fight the crystal knight AND find this crossbow in the Duke’s Archives it is almost certain that this knight is indeed the same Eidas mentioned in the weapon’s description, having since gone hollow and guarding the chamber of Seath the Scaleless.

I’m certainly not the first person to see this connection, but I should state that, as far as I know of, there are no design documents that outright confirm that the knight is Eidas. However I’m 99.99% certain my observation was intended by the devs so I’m going to treat it as “basically canon” for this analysis.

I’m also going to refer to Eidas with he/him pronouns since it seems the general Souls community agrees that he is a man, though it should be noted that there are no pronouns associated with Eidas in-game and his armor set does not change cosmetically if worn by a female character.

Anyway, now let’s move on to Domhnall!

What’s there to say about him? He’s a friendly adventurer/merchant who sells us helpful items and acts as an unexpected bright spot after slogging through the disgusting depths. The only thing more unusual than his optimism in this accursed land is his absolutely outlandish outfit, which he even made a copy of to sell to us!

He’s also quite a cheeky fellow. The design of his armor looks more like something he stitched together himself from various fabrics and trinkets he found in his travels than any proper set of armor. Even the descriptions of each piece simply describe the concepts they’re “believed” to represent, as if he’s banking on the Chosen Undead not knowing enough about his culture and taking his word for it to help sell his meticulous craftsmanship.

(Though then again he is also the only Zenian rep we get in-game, so his culture could very well revolve around clothing like this. Even still I do think the symbolism is something he’s exaggerating for the sale, but that’s just me.)

Some may see him as very greedy, particularly in how he refuses to give helpful advice unless we buy something from him. This is all true, but I don't think greed defines his personality nearly as much as some people think. All of the practical items he sells are all reasonably priced while the truly pricey gear are his armor sets, which to me says more about what kinds of items Domhnall sees more value in than anything else.

I also always assumed his adventuring lifestyle was the narrative excuse for how he gets copies of boss armor to sell you; he’s either traveled enough to have found replicas or had heard enough about these figures to make them himself. The fact that they, much like his own armor, can’t be upgraded supports my theory that they’re not the real armor sets (the one exception being Artorias’s set which could’ve been a VERY lucky find on his part, but I won’t get too far off topic here).

Domhnall is a self-proclaimed man of peace who avoids conflict and always keeps a positive attitude despite the danger around him. This makes it a little odd that some of the items he’s selling are weapons, but only crystal weapons.

It’s also bizarre that a merchant would station himself in two very hard to reach areas. If he had insatiable greed, then why would he set up shop in such spots where he’s likely to get the fewest, if any, customers to trade with? He could easily go to Firelink Shrine where there’s more sane undead, but chooses not to. This sort of behavior doesn’t seem to make sense for such a jovial man such as Domhnall.

However, it does make sense for someone who wishes to be avoided.

Let’s look at the context clues here: Domhnall has crystal weapons on him, is first found in the lowest area of the Depths, and relocates under the aqueduct where he remains for the rest of the game.

The only other place in the game where you can find crystal weapons is in the Duke’s Archives. It’s also where you can find the majority of the Channeler enemies; mages infamous for kidnapping the undead to be used in Seath’s experiments. The first Channeler you meet is in the Undead Parish, while the second one is in the Depths.

You may already see where I’m going with this, so I won’t stall any longer…

Domhnall was a prisoner of Seath the Scaleless who escaped with pillaged weapons in-tow, went on the run and is currently still in hiding.

That second Channeler was pursuing him and only stopped its chase after becoming distracted by something far more important in the center of the Depths, that being the Gaping Dragon.

Domhnall only moves out of the Depths once the boss (and thus the Channeler) is defeated, and relocates to the most out-of-reach safe spot he can find to avoid being caught again.

The reason he only asks for souls despite implying he normally trades for other items is because he’s now far more focused on gaining enough souls to strengthen himself than wasting time with whatever trinkets you have in your pockets. He knows how fragile of a man he is, and thus will need a glut of souls to increase his health/endurance/etc. to prevent another near-disaster of that scale before risking his next adventure.

So that’s all well and good, but how does Eidas fit into this?

Simple. I firmly believe that Domhnall and Eidas were together when they were captured.

Look, Domhnall is not a fighter. There’s no way someone like him would’ve been able to get through Sen’s Fortress and Anor Londo without the help of one much more adept at combat, and Eidas certainly fits the bill in that regard.

I also like to entertain the idea that Eidas may have been traveling with Domhnall even before they got close to the Duke’s Archives. His armor set is certainly more beautiful than it is practical, just like Domhnall’s, and it too also cannot be upgraded. Eidas, like Domhnall, strikes me as someone more concerned with artistry than raw power or defense, so I could see him appreciating the company of another eccentric who put so much care into the intricate design of their armor as he did.

Not to mention that Eidas doesn't seem to have been trapped in the Archives for that long of a time. His armor still looks pristine and is only partially crystalized, unlike the other hollows whose bodies and clothing are entirely coated with crystals. This tells me that his transformation only happened recently.

Eidas’s armor is most certainly as unique as his Avelyn too. No other hollow in the Archives wears it, and it only becomes available near the Crystal Cave which itself can only be accessed after killing him right before the fog gate leading to the first encounter with Seath. One can assume after his defeat his hollowed body couldn’t take it anymore, expiring in the grass before he could even reach the true dwelling of his master to defend him once again.

Or maybe Sieglinde landed the true killing blow and got captured while being distracted in her fight with him?

Anyhow, unfortunately this is where all the canon information I can gather about these two ends. While I feel confident in theorizing that they were together when they were captured, there is nothing that could tell me what their relationship was, or how they got to the Archives, or why only Domhnall was able to escape. Everything else after this is pure blind speculation.

But that’s the beauty of Dark Souls! There are so many vague bits of intrigue with no definitive answers that entice the player to fill in the gaps however they wish!

Maybe Domhnall and Eidas were jolly traveling companions, or maybe Domhnall merely stuck by Eidas solely for his own safety in this treacherous land. Perhaps he was the one who convinced Eidas that they could sneak into the Duke’s Archives to access its incredible knowledge and treasures, and maybe save a few fair maidens too (as any good knight would surely strive to do!) which led to their capture.

Eidas could have selflessly taken on a swarm of crystallized hollows buffed-up by the spell of a Channeler to allow Domhnall to escape at the cost of his own freedom, or Domhnall could have tricked Eidas in order to lead more foes after him and save his own hide.

Or maybe it was already too late for Eidas. Domhnall's armor is special in that it is highly curse resistant, but the crystalline armor set is not. If Seath was able to strike them with his crystal breath attack, only Domhnall would have had the chance to wake up in that cell without any crystals beginning to grow out of his body.

Whatever happened, it certainly ended with the weapon craftsman having his beloved Avelyn fall onto the top of a bookshelf below and him being converted into a near-mindless hollow.

Considering Domhnall’s cheerful attitude toward us, it does paint a picture of one who isn’t all that bothered by the loss he suffered in that ordeal. With an attitude like that one can assume he never really cared that much for Eidas to begin with.

Yet even still, what if instead the reason he’s always so happy to see us is because our Chosen Undead is now the only sane undead left who goes out of their way to spend any time with him? Just because a character in Dark Souls is an optimist doesn't mean they aren't hiding an intense depression or dread, and Domhnall could simply be VERY good at hiding his true feelings for our sake.

In conclusion, sometimes an intricate Dark Souls 1 theory doesn’t have to lead into Godly conspiracies or massive metanarrative machinations being unveiled. I merely saw a connection between two of the oddest characters in the game and wanted to share it with you all.

Hope you enjoyed my ramblings! ✨

[wuntrum]

honestly love when artists draw copious amounts of fanart for a character and then start adding more and more personal touches or headcanons to how they depict them and then just change their name and adopt them as an original character. its like watching nature heal in real time

[lilybug-02]

City of Tears. But Mini.

I wanted to make an atmospheric art piece with Dewi. And the City of Tears is one of the most sorrowing, beautiful, and grand places to do that. This is a lot of firsts for me regarding the architecture and lighting. The shadows cover a lot, and it may have been too much. I'm happy with how it turned out tho.

No idea how Dewi found his way into the City. Probably magic. Probably plot too :) But oh boy, he is experiencing childlike wonder in his raincoat!

This is a better show of the line detail I needlessly covered up in the final lol

[fictionalsownme]

smash???????? who said that?????????

engineer doesn't get enough love on this blog considering how much I cannot express my devotion to him, so I’m working to fix that :) this is similar to what I did for damien but it took foreverr!! iswm lighting is so so pretty which makes it impossible to get right ;;u;; the saturation is really high and there's multiple light sources so in terms of rendering it, its like it was personally designed to leave me dead on the floor :))))) either way,, I'm happy with how it turned out!! he’s very prettie :))

also bonus:

[corpsentry]

pick your battles

[skateboardtotheheart]

there is just something about the difference between edwin's love interests and having the cat king's reaction to edwin in hell being "i'll be waiting when he gets back" vs charles "no version of this where i don't come get you" rowland convincing a powerful trans-dimensional being to open a door to hell just so he could get him back

i am insane

[dzknik]

McGucket is increasingly having anxiety problems, as he was before, and these anxiety problems are actually not problems, they are him being right about what they’re doing.

But he so wants to please Ford. I think McGucket sees his own value as “I’m the guy who builds stuff, and you’re the idea guy, and I’m valuable to you when I’m building stuff. And when I have a problem I can build a solution, and any time there’s an emotional issue, you build your way out.”

So the canon became that McGucket proposed such a thing (the memory gun) early on, and then was told “You shouldn’t do that”, and then like an addict, like an alcoholic who has a little sip and notices it takes the edge off, privately, he can’t bear to say it to Ford. He’s keeping a lot from Ford, he’s keeping just how scared he is of what they’re doing, he’s keeping just how concerned he is. McGucket doesn’t really know what’s going on, but he’s internalizing and thinking, “I just need to be a better partner. If I have anxiety, I’m gonna pop anxiety pills, and I’m gonna get through this.”

[fluffyartbl0g]

Holy crap this is like world record breaking pace guys

Speedrun/Time Travel AU masterlist

[cable-salamdr]

So anyways the reason I talked abt Ronin is because I binge watched Possession again and I realized. I have never drawn this bastard man. So here’s that (ignore that I didn’t add his hat it was annoying me)

+ me remembering that the Dobson brothers are all VAs that act in Ninjago as completely different characters and how much funnier certain dialogue gets with that context.

[doctorsiren]

Maybe you could call it Reunited Stans AU?

Also, how do you think the gravity falls locals would see those two? I think Ford would end up getting out of the cabin much more because of Stan. Maybe you could draw them going to town for drinks? I don't know.

I like to think the town locals would either be horrified of them and talk about them as cryptids in their own right, or just be annoyed by their shenanigans

I just remembered they’d be in their early 20s when coming to Gravity Falls haha

But yes they’d definitely start out as “those weird twins that live in the forest” but once Stanley starts feeling like he’s actually safe from that old life Ford pulled him out of, he starts going into the town, which then leads to him dragging Ford along

It’s probably a mix of both, where the town sees them as those odd guys and then also get annoyed by what they do, but also I think they’d think of them as a new endearing staple of their town once the whole “newcomer / stranger” title fades from them. It’d be sort of the same way Stan is in canon with the Mystery Shack, where even though people find him annoying, they also always come to the events.

Also Stanley 😭 your brother does not wanna be in that bar, let him go do nerd things

[kuromi-hoemie]

i am not immune to transmascs in sweatpants and a sleeveless top

im rly fucking weak about it actually

[marsspeedway]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Remember: The burning sensation is part of the process.

[fisherrprince]

Instead of writing a fanfic like a normal person this oneshot turned into two separate, contextless things,