#I’m just absorbing whatever knowledge comes my way

[sodacowboy]

oh. oh no. I don’t know ANYTHING about music.

[g3l3mb]

how to generate creative ideas:

(i need to get this out of my brain)

Make moodboards, playlists, keep a list of people who inspire you. Before starting a project think about the general vibe you want it to embody. Ask questions like “What would this concept sound like if it was a song?” ,“What would this concept be like if it was a person?”. Create a shirt that looks like a building you like, literally anything can be combined.

Take unrelated things or concepts and mix them together. Let’s take Addams Family as an example. “What if it was a story about a typical suburban family…but GOTH!”. It basically flips everything upside down. Or “What outfit would someone wear, who’s personality is the mix of the vibes of these two songs?” Random word generators are amazing for this if you don’t know where to start from.

Try making something truly BAD and then add a twist to it. It’s a great way for your brain to let go of expectations and then think outside of the box. But you can also use this to find out what you do not wanna do under any circumstances.

Think without worrying about the limits of what you can do and when it’s time for excecution, find a way around what’s impossible. It births more creativity and adds uniqueness.

Consider what your idea is NOT before considering what it is. Limits are the best way to avoid getting overwhelmed and giving up. Don’t ALWAYS do this though (unless you wanna…), it’s just something to try out when you feel like you’re seeing too many possibilities to the point that they’re contradicting each other. Unless your goal is to make something full of contradictions, you’re a Free Man, do whatever you want.

Keep a list of random ideas you have throughout the day in your notes app or something and then at some point actually review them. Keep what you think is worth exploring and then act on it.

Find out how something works very throughoutly so you know which aspect can be changed to create something new.

Take a concept and break it down into smaller concepts, ideas, questions, key elements and then also break those ideas down etc. This will naturally lead to associations, unique ideas you wouldn’t think of without doing this. I found that this is a great way of coming up with metaphors.

This one is similar to the last two: take a piece of art you really love and try to find out the thought process behind. What’s the story, where did the artist get inspiration from, how did they incorporate those ideas in their work. How did an artist combine their personal interests and knowledge into one big thing. For example: Tolkien was an erudite linguist, so much so that he created entire functional languages in his work, such as Elvish in Lord of the Rings. Hirohiko Araki loves 80’s music so much he named characters in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure after music references. This is why no knowledge is useless knowledge.

Think about the times you’ve been the most creative before. What were the specific circumstances? For me my best ideas always come when I have a strict deadline for something unrelated, like school (which I’m way too willing to sacrifice), or when I’m doing something mindless like walking and listening to music, or playing a game that requires no thinking. Most of the time after 10p.m. This doesn’t mean I can’t “force” myself to be creative (tips above), it just means these are the times ideas come most naturally. For some people this might be being out in nature or experiencing high emotions, maybe having their life on the line idk, to each their own.

You can’t just create. You also need to consume. The more information you absorb, the more possibilities you have with your ideas. So if you’re not feeling that creative, that’s fine, it’s the perfect opportunity to learn something new.

If you don’t already do these things and you’re looking to get more creative my advice is to ACTUALLY TRY THESE OUT. You’ll best understand them in action.

[moomoog017]

headcanons ᯓᡣ𐭩 admire

Tech x gn!reader

Synopsis: tech often gets ignored because of his constant chatter but you sit down and listen.

Genre: FLUFF FLUFF FLUFF. One itty bitty pinch of angst

Word Count: 791

Warnings: none

A/N: just thought it'd be cute and wholesome. Can be read as platonic or romantic. :))

“Good morning Tech.” You announced, your voice running like honey. There was a grogginess to your words. Tech and you always woke up first, it had just become routine after the few weeks you'd been with the Batch. “Good morning y/n.” Tech replied, his eyes glued to the new project he was working on. His back hunched over in the chair. Curious, you make your way over to his side with a drink in your hands. “What are you workin’ on?" Tech moves his face a little closer to his project, “I’m working on a portable communication device; also known as a ‘com link.’”

“Can I look at it?” You spoke softly and genuinely interested. Your words hit Tech’s ears and he stopped. "Uhm sure, just don't touch it.” He swivels out of the way letting you come closer to investigate the item. He pushes his goggles up intensely watching you interact with his project.

“This is super cool!” You moved your face closer to look at all the intricate mechanisms of the device. Tech's eyebrows relaxed feeling a sense of pride in his work. "Thank you y/n.” No one ever really payed attention or listened to whatever it was he was making. He was slightly confused on why you were so interested. He analysed you and your actions, deciding to speak his hypothesis.

“Are you perhaps looking to create something similar?” You looked over at him, “oh kriff no, I don't have the talent you do Tech.” Your response baffled him even more so, “well thank you but then why the indulgment in my project?” Your eyes softened, “I just think it’s really cool.” Tech’s face was stagnant so you elaborated, “I appreciate the small details and knowledge it takes in order to basically build something mechanical from scratch. I admire it.”

He finally understood, “ah I see now, your lack of knowledge on basic mechanical systems fascinates you that’s why you're admiring mine.” Ouch you thought, but he wasn't wrong. You sigh, “I tried to word it a bit more poetically, but yeah.” You looked back at the device, Tech stayed silent he was debating something in his mind.

“Apologies if that was a bit harsh, I was just confused as to why you would be interested other than for your own benefits. I’m not used to…people being interested in what I’m doing or saying…” It was a heartfelt apology, you knew his brothers got bored of what he was saying, not out of malicious intentions they just weren't invested. Your face saddened at the device, “I forgive you Tech, I know you weren't trying to be mean.”

He released a heavy sigh of relief and spoke, “If you want to learn more about my technology and mechanics I could teach you.” Your eyes shifted, “sure.” You smiled knowing it would make both of you happy. Tech fixed his goggles and came closer to you and the device. “Well when’s my first lesson?” Tech grabs a tool, “right now.” You smiled softly, “so first it is undeniably important that—” His words drifted through the air as you absorbed them, taking in all the information and asking questions.

Time seemed to fly by that morning and you two were completely indulged in his creations. While listening you couldn't help but think how good it must feel to talk to someone who wants to listen to you. It only made you more eager to ask questions, and made you feel good. With your attention completely captured you didn't see the other men huddled together gossiping about it.

“Looks like they're getting along.” Hunter’s lips threatened a smile, seeing his brother happy. “I’m hungry!” Wrecker groaned in a whisper. “Let Tech have this a little longer, even I can only take so much ‘Tech talk.’” Echo rubbed his temple recalling all the moments where he had been close to drifting off to sleep while Tech lectured him about mechanics. Crosshair said nothing, only his typical scowl and toothpick in his mouth. He watched you two interact and he was totally going to tease you for it later.

A loud rumble was heard and it had disrupted Tech and your attention. It was Wreckers stomach growling, he sheepishly smiled. “Sorry.” You chuckled. “We’ll continue this lesson later y/n,” Tech spoke and got up placing his device in a safe space. “We're you guys just waiting?” You raised a brow. “You looked like you were having fun.” Hunter smiled.

“And Tech most of all.” Crosshair finally spoke pointing his toothpick at you. Tech heard this and a the edge of his lips lifted ever so slightly. Your ears heated up, you grinned. “Stow it Crosshair,” Echo hissed. You just chuckled enjoying the mens antics.

[sadly-in-active]

Sorry I didn't see any of your older posts, but what's SilentIvory?

Oh wait I just looked and I realized what it was nvm

But can I get a Silent Salt + Longan Dragon x fragile reader? Could be hcs or a one shot if you like

SilentIvory x Fragile Reader: Cuddle Time!

(Yes this is a ship between Longan and Silent Salt + the reader. Don’t come at me I just really like these two.)

Summary: You, as a fragile and sweet Cookie can’t help but be…cherished? Yes, that would be the word. Cherished by your Dragon and Beast Cookie lovers. It isn’t really that bad, the three of you getting all cozy together. You just have to ignore the fact that they’re both murderers and Longan actually ate Cookies-

TW: Bickering. Old marriage kind shit. Beast x Dragon, and all this is my personal headcanons turned into lil oneshot

The evening was…surprisingly peaceful. Usually there’d be some mumbling and bickering coming from your two partners, Silent Salt and Longan. Despite living with them for quite a while, they always treated you as a child. It was probably because you’ve been known to be frail for your whole life. They treated you like a glass swan, basically. You loved them both, of course…but there were times where you knew you could handle a task and they’d baby you.

You quietly stepped over to the bedroom, where you overheard a little whisper. Longan, you thought, was the one speaking. You knew their voice was that soothing yet intimidating voice, while Silent Salt’s voice was more…quiet, perhaps raspy in a way.

“We should rest. There is no use in arguing.”

“…self-absorbed…nightmare fuel.” Silent Salt had grumbled back, and a scoff came from the dragon.

You noticed that Silent Salt turned their head towards you, seeing you in the doorway and calmly walking over to look at you. Their helmet was off, you noticed. Scars were littered across their face, and their blind eyes softened despite not truly seeing you. After all, their helmet was enchanted, letting the knight see whatever came their way and more. Vulnerable was an understatement when it came to your quiet partner, so you were lucky that they trusted you and Longan enough for them to take away something as precious as sight.

“Ah, our apologies, y/n. Just some bickering, nothing that would concern you.” The dragon murmured, walking over to you and pressing a kiss to your forehead before picking you up and taking you to bed. The Ivory Dragon could see your small frown and frustrated look, and they raised a brow in confusion.

“You’re upset. Why is that?” While the dragon was quite the intellectual, they certainly couldn’t process the fact that you were upset about something. It unsettled them, in a way. After all, they were the all-knowing and all-seeing Longan Dragon themself. It frustrates them when something happened without their knowledge of it.

“I just wish that you would both stop treating me as if I’m a child. You know that’s not what I am. I know of the things you’ve done, the cookies you’ve harmed and plan to harm….and I can’t help but feel left out. I wouldn’t mind hearing the two of you bickering. It makes me smile. I’ve had a few petty comments about you myself.”

“…” Silent Salt’s ears practically perked up, and they started to walk over to you and Longan, before reaching out for your face. You allowed them to with a soft smile. The knight could practically feel your smile brightening them up, and they smiled back.

“…you’re right, I suppose. Come…time to rest…” murmured the Beast in their raspy tone, eagerly grabbing onto both yours and Longan’s hand and dragging the two of you to bed. Of course, Silent Salt had already gotten used to almost all the rooms within the Lustrous Longan Palace. There was no need to doubt that.

—

As the three of you settled into bed, Silent Salt taking off the last of their armor and changing into more comfortable attire, they walked back to the lavish bed, wrapping their arms around you tightly and pressing little, yet ticklish pecks to your shoulders and cheek. Longan stared at the two of you and couldn’t help but let out a content sigh, before wrapping their much more larger arms around Silent Salt and you, effectively and effortlessly spooning you both.

“You two are like little mice compared to me. It’s amusing, is it not?”

“And what are you, a snake?”

“…don’t compare me to a lowly serpent.”

“But you were practically asking for that.”

“…shush. Rest so we can…argue about it tomorrow.”

[kathaynesart]

I love your storytelling! I was wondering if you’d give tips for outlining and planning a story, I adore your pacing and different arcs. I’m new to writing and I’m having trouble keeping things cohesive even with an outline and I just wanted to know if you had any perspective or tips to share. Don’t feel pressured to answer. I love your replica au and hope you are doing well!

Aw thank you so much!  Sure I can talk about that.  Mind you aside from a screen writing course I took in college I am entirely self taught.  This is just information I’ve absorbed and worked out over the past couple decades of personal writing. More below the cut.

WRITING/OUTLINING STYLE

For starters you need to figure out what style of outlining works for you.  I’ve been told there are two types  of writers.   The Architect and the Gardener.  The Architect is someone who has the entire framework plotted out and builds off of that.  The Gardener starts with a basic setup and lets the story flow naturally and chronologically from there, basing it entirely off of their extensive knowledge of the world, characters, and how they interact within it. 

There are draw backs to both sides. Gardeners can often times write themselves into a corner or lose track of where the story should go (leading to lots of unnecessary fluff and loose ends).  While architects have a habit of ignoring a lot of the important “middle stuff” that leads to their major predetermined plot points and sometimes don’t realize how the story is naturally leaning in other directions, making it jarring when they try to force it back on track. 

I like using both methods but in different situations.  For example before I even put pen to paper I already knew what I wanted the beginning and ending of Replica to be as well as a few pivotal scenes. I had a basic framework.  However that framework has grown and changed over time as I’ve nurtured it.  So I’ve come up with my own term I like to call “the Greenhouse Method,” where you may create the basic framework but understand that things within it can change and warp the structure to something entirely new. Just make sure it doesn’t go too off course. 

That method may not work for everyone  so I recommend looking inward to see what variation of the methods work best for you.  Because if you’re not enjoying the process then there’s no point. 

With this method I tend to list out major scenes of importance and then slowly figure out how they flow or cut into each other.  Doing this involves several other factors I will state below…

THEMING

One important thing is to know what is the theme or message of your story.  This doesn’t have to be obvious but every good story normally has an underlying theme.  There needs to  be a point.  For example, Sherk is about accepting yourself for who you are.  Jurassic Park is a warning about playing God.   

Replica at its core is about cherishing your self worth and holding onto hope and loved ones even in the darkest times.  Even when they’re not there anymore.  

Whatever it may be, find that theme that means something to you, and make sure that feeling stays with you and the plot, even if subtly.  

CHARACTERIZATION

Have a strong knowledge of the characters in your story.  I achieve this by doing little exercises on how they would react to certain incidents or answering questionnaires.  By doing this it allows them talk to each other within any scene I have setup but leave void of my own input. Instead I simply take notes rather than force them to say something they’re supposed to say (very Gardener style).  Often times letting the characters be themselves allows them to say and do things I find far more entertaining than what I initially had planned. 

It’s important with characters though that you make sure you let them be themselves rather than have them act out for pure drama/plot sake.  I see that a lot in fan communities where characters will begin to cry or overreact in ways that seem out of character and it can really break my immersion. So know your characters.  Know everything about them from what their favorite cookie is to how they deal with trauma.  It’s all important to lead to the most natural of interactions. 

SCENES

When plotting out scenes make sure that every one of them has a point. Every single scene.  If there is nothing new to be learned, or changed, or shared, then there is no point beyond a few brief sentences to transition it to the next important scene.  Avoid fluff that is just fluff for the sake of fluff.  You can have fluffy scenes, sure, but make sure there is something else to be gained from it.  I’ve read scenes that are literally just the same character harping over the same issue they’ve been dealing with without coming to any new conclusion or going through any sort of change, be it internal or external from the plot.  I don’t like having my time wasted as a reader and neither should you as a writer!

THE ZONE

I don’t see many people talk about this but I think it’s important for any writer to find a space where they can zone out and let the story bloom in their mind. No judgement, no analyzing, just pure fun. For some this happens in the shower, or sitting in front of the laptop with a cup of tea, or me driving too fast down the freeway blasting music in my ears.  I come up with all my best stuff while driving.  Sometimes I will extend a drive just to finish a scene properly.  Whatever it is, find what helps you get in that zone and see if you can play something out in your head.  It helps keep me inspired for sure. If you've managed to come up with something you like, make sure to write it down and then come back to it later to look at it from a more analytical perspective. Does it work with my theme? Are the characters reacting realistically? Where does this happen in the timeline and how can it impact future store plot points? Etc.

EXTRA: EASY MISTAKE TO AVOID

This isn't so much about outlining, just writing in general, but when you start writing, be sure to choose a tense and stick with it.  Many writers, myself included, prefer past tense.  Though I’ve seen some people do present that can work well.  Just make sure whatever you do stays consistent. 

Example BAD: “Jane WENT to the store, hoping to find some crackers.  She  SPEAKS with the clerk to ask if he had any.” 

Example GOOD: “Jane WENT to the store, hoping to find some crackers.  She  SPOKE with the clerk to ask if he had any.”  

SUMMARY

Know your theme/message

Know your characters

Know your genre

Every scene should have a point and be interesting in some way 

Recommend for beginners having an idea of where you want the story to conclude and see how that links up with your theme

Hope that helps.  Sorry if I went off on a tangent but I feel like a lot of the story telling process is interconnected when done correctly.  Let me know if you have any more specific issues you want addressed!

[theseawillbringdarkness]

I rarely write reviews for things, because honestly, I’m just a regular person with no experience or knowledge on the details of game development, and I get anxious that I may misunderstand something due to being unaware of how certain mechanics work or subtle aspects of storywriting, but I decided to give «Cryptid Crush» a more detailed overview than just a little post full of me gushing over this project that I made originally (spoiler alert: this review actually is just one giant post of me gushing over all the things I love about the game, because I just wanted to note down everything that caught my attention). I’m putting it under the «read more», so folks that didn’t play it can avoid spoilers. And also because I got a bit into oversharing\infodumping mode (aka, a LOT of text), and there is a lot of images too. Buckle up for a ride and let’s-a go!

All screenshots are from the game “Cryptid Crush” by Drowsy Drake Studios.

This is a big read. Seriously. 3378 words. Don’t ask me how it happened, I was in the zone.

Spoilers!!

I say “review”, but it’s just my personal opinion, not entirely written in a serious manner, because I by no means intend it as some serious and professional writing.

TL;DR: play «Cryptid Crush», support it’s creators ( @cryptidcrushvn, @squidinu​ ) and check their website!

I actually stumbled over this game by accident, because one evening I was in especially sour mood and decided to lose myself in one of dating simulators or visual novels, so I was browsing Itchio to see if anything catches my eye. «Cryptid Crush» instantly did just that, because I’m absolutely in love with monstrous characters and I loved what I saw on the game’s main page. Normally, due to whatever weird neurodivergent way my brain works, I can hardly make myself play new games\watch new shows\movies\cartoons, because that requires certain mental preparation from me (aka «the stars must allign in a specific way, or else I’ll stare at the game icon forever, unmoved like a statue»). No idea why it works like this! I have whole lists of things I want to play\watch, but I always have to catch myself in a mental state that is perfectly accepting of getting invested in a new story, even if I know there is 90% chance I will like it. And let me tell you, I’m very glad that I gave «Cryptid Crush» a go. Actually, this is now my comfort story, and there is a lot I want to praise the creators of this game for.

Mechanics

Click to progress the story, which means I can drink tea\coffee AND enjoy a good story. That’s already a win in my books, especially if you’re looking to settle down for a cozy, relaxing evening. Ability to simply scroll back in case you accidentally skipped a dialogue line or want to read it again can really come in handy. Actually, while I’m at it, I have to say BIG THANKS for such detailed menu when it comes to picking where exactly you want to start after you played both chapters. Rather than having to play from the beginning, you can pick a scene to start from, which is especially great for when you want to replay certain moments or conversations in the game.

TTRPG mechanics: at first, I was a bit intimidated, because I always have troubles absorbing technical information about how certain things work (which often looks like an overwhelming cluster of information for my brain), and while I make sure to read through everything, it takes some poking around or even winging from me to get a hold of how something in the game works. However, here it wasn’t so bad at all. I love how «throw a dice to determine success or failure of selected action» here is both used in battle mode AND at a few points in the story, to see if you can get additional information from the characters or get away with a small lie.

When it comes to fights, I enjoyed them more than I expected - said TTRPG mechanic wasn’t so hard to understand after all, and little comments and dialogue lines made the process even more lively and enjoyable. I greatly appreciate the way tutorial was smoothly integrated into gameplay and for a chance to pick difficulty when it comes to fights. I’m a simple person, I play on «easy» majority of the time, so it worked perfectly for me.

Character customization: while the look of the main character, Robyn, is pretty much «set», there are still details you can change, like picking a different color for the coat, hair length, etc. And you can choose whatever first and second name you want (so, like usual, I just used the name of my main OC). Also appreciate the ability to pick pronouns, because I didn’t think too long before picking «they\them». Am I having some sort of self-discovery? I don’t know, but I always appreciate having that option for some reason.

Artwork

The visual part is stunning! The art style is so beautiful and cozy! I love the thicker lines on the outline (no pun intended) of characters, the soft colors, the creativity of monstrous designs. Love how big hands some of characters have (like August in werewolf mode, Oz, Jamie, Mike, etc.)!! My absolutely favorite part, as usual, is facial expressions, of course. Backgrounds also have each their own atmosphere (like cozy one at Robyn’s place, or creepy haunted one at the Elkhorn radio station. Actually, this bit has tons of details - a nice example of «environmental storytelling») and vary in level of detail, allowing some scenes to have more focus on the characters. This pencil-painting style looks great, by the way!

Story

The story in «Cryptid Crush» is very intriguing and allows you an easy integration in it’s world, being a good mix between supernatural and something familiar to all of us. Like dealing with mysterious curse, living in a town full of various cryptids and all the shenanigans that come with it, while at the same time being a relatively regular person, who is just trying to navigate the chaos of their life and worrying about groceries. There is a main story of searching for answers about said curse, but plenty of other storylines that entwine with it, enriching the story and making it feel so full of life. The world here truly feels alive, and there is one part that I love so much.

Despite characters facing hardships and things being rather scary at times (like Robyn’s trip to the void, their first nightmare and what Mike had to face while dealing with Mr.Walker), the story is so. Very. Wholesome. It’s in everything, in the way characters communicate between each other, and especially in their relationships. I’m a big fan of the «found family trope», it always moves me, and I truly believe that sometimes a family can be just a bunch of dysfunctional adults that love each other and try to get along, and seeing those little details or these heartfelt talks that characters share (like the talk between August and Atlas, for example) - they warm my heart so much. My own life may be a mess at the moment, but somehow, this story gives me reassurance that it will work out. Things can be tough sometimes, but they don’t stay tough.

On that note, I absolutely have to mention the amazing writing. Different people obviously gravitate towards different writing styles, but this one is great in so many ways. The descriptions are dosaged perfectly - they’re not dry or, on the contrary, stretch so much that it significantly slows down the story. They’re perfect in giving you enough information to imagine the scene and atmosphere well, without turning into cluster of words (I enjoy big descriptions, but sometimes they may be more fitting for an actual book, rather than a story with a certain flow). And when you’re given lore at the library, it’s also written very interestingly (and the illustrations are so great!!), giving you a better outlook on the world of cryptids. I love the way that size and type of the font (or little details, like «shaking» letters) is used to better convey emotions. All characters feel so alive, they each have their own very different personalities and little quirks. I also absolutely have to applaud the sense of humor that comes into writing and makes it such an easy and comfortable read! I don’t have enough words to describe properly how much I love the writing, okay.

Characters

Usually, I always have a few favorite characters when it comes to stories (I’m personally very fond of Oz, for instance), while I’m rather neutral towards the others, sometimes warming up to them as the story progresses and I get to know them better. «Cryptid Crush» is an exception, though, because I actually love all characters that were introduced to us so far?? So allow me to spam a little with silly little commentaries for each of them. Also, I may mention it about dozens of times, so let me say it here: all voice actors are doing spectacular job! I’m legit in awe of the talent and range, and it’s clear they’re doing their best and having fun in the process too.

«Mothman»

Not gonna lie, I keep asking him for «dad advice» just for fun (I can’t believe his sound effect is straight up «hi Hungry, I’m dad»). The answers are simultaneously the worst and the best.

«Robyn»

I’m fairly certain they’re a mom friend at heart, being a voice of reason on different occassions. Probably unsuspecting that they’re in need of the «found family», but also I hope that it certainly awaits them. Absolutely love it how they’re just trying to ignore all the weird things that are happening in their life currently. I mean, sure, there is a ghostly cat and also now another ghost that haunts your phone. Doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about breakfast.

«Taro»

She is a little goblin of a cat, and I love her. I mean, I’m aware she is a cat, but at the same time she is so... CAT. If you know what I mean. Waking you up by putting a paw on your face (or through your face in this case), demanding food and attention. Love her, and the voice is absolutely perfect for this type of personality! And her monstrous form looks awesome!

«Atlas»

The quote that comes to mind right away is «I only had them for an hour and a half, but if something happened to them, I’d kill everyone in the room and then myself». Many bits of his personality feel so relatable, especially the urge to infodump\overshare (like what I’m doing right now, whoops). Side note, but in Chapter 1 «Leviathan Waltz», during the phone talk before bed, I always got the picture of Atlas chilling in the attic, identical to the one at the intro of the chapter. An alternative, creepier version was unexpected, but that was a really cool surprise! In any case, I love Atlas dearly, and his enthusiasm towards things is very contagious. I’d absolutely watch a trilogy marathon with him (if there are subtitles, or I’m gonna miss 40-50% of information).

«Jamie»

I didn’t know what to expect at first, but with all the «Let the crimes commence» and casual trashing of the haunted radio station, I did not expect how gentle they are (not with Mike, for obvious reasons, but you know). I adore the manner in which they wrote the message to Robyn the next day after the trip to Elkhorn radio station, almost sounding like what one would write in a full on letter, as well as their overall manner of speech and also being a voice of reason, taking care of their friends. Also, they have a skull-face, which automatically makes me love their design. And bright blue details go so well with the rest of their palette! Also also, I was really thrilled to see a character that goes by «they\them» (okay, yeah, maybe I am going through some self-discovery here).

«Mike Madhouse»

I have to note right off the bat: Mike’s voice actor really be WILDIN’. The absolute charisma that drips off every voiced dialogue line, the unrestrained enthusiasm and madness?? Absolutely amazing. I’m not the person to genuinely laugh that easily, but sound effects for Robyn’s haunted phone crack me up every time. As much as various facial expressions Mike makes (I swear, you guys cranked it up to 200% and I’m loving the result). I’m looking forward to seeing him getting some character growth, and I was happy when he didn’t turn out to simply be defeated and leave the scene for good. He is a complex character, not easily showing his true emotions, which only makes these moments hit even harder (like the sad face he makes at the mention of Atlas, when they’re about to leave for Edith’s shop). «MeAt GrInDeR!!!» moment is definitely one of my favorite ones. (Also, different variations of sprites during the fight, like Atlas Madhouse and demonic looking Madhouse, look epic!)

«August»

He is friend-shaped. That’s it, I don’t have anything more to say, I bet he gives the best hugs. Well, of course not, I do have more things to say. For instance, how adorable he is when he gets flustered after being called, well, adorable. Actually, I only recently noticed the blushing sprite that flashes for a second when he turns around to jump through the window right afterwards. I mean, he wanted to get out of the clinic anyway, but that was a smooth escape. Also, I adore the «I was already a wreck» pun when Robyn apologies for hitting him with a car (I actually love puns, and sometimes I make it other people’s problem, pfft). The enraged snarling August makes upon realizing Atlas forgot to turn off the oven was both terrifying and hillarious in the context. (Lowkey, love all of his sprites and the fact that he has these different «stages» of his werewolf form too.)

«Oz»

I said this already, but when seeing Oz in Chapter 0, I thought he will only make a fleeting appearance and that’s it, which made me a bit sad, because he instantly caught my eye. So I was absolutely delighted to see so much more of him in the next chapter! I love how chill he seems to be, looking intimidating, but at the same time giving impression of a gentle giant who wouldn’t hurt someone without a good reason. It might be a bit challenging with a character who doesn’t speak majority of the time, but it also allows a lot of creativity with the way he communicates and expresses his feelings, and it makes it entertaining to see his facial expressions change at various comments the other characters make. The very rare «pleased» expression he makes honestly warms my heart. But also he gives a strong feeling of a «this bad boy can store so much PAIN inside-», which makes me want to give him a hug and a kiss on the forehead. I’m looking forward to see more of him in the future, his appearance in the dream sequence alone was very surprising (especially having him actually speak here). Also I loved the moment when he and August were in the middle of an argument, and Gus waited politely and patiently while Oz was writing down what he had to say. ALSO have to note that I absolutely love his color palette, which makes yellow eyes stand out even more on top of various shades of grey, black and white.

«Thursday»

Beloved goblin: Bird Edition! Thursday’s pleased expression is one of my favorite sprites. I’m losing it at the contrast between their «crow mode» and very sudden «deep-voiced man, enunciating perfectly clear what they got to say», the first time it took me by surprise.

«Edith»

I was wondering if she is a normal human, right until that one «it’s the charm that protects you-» sprite that made me go «grandma, why are your teeth so big-». At the same time, I felt for Edith in this moment, because I felt exactly the same on multiple occassions, whenever I had to explain something obvious to a customer. Looking forward to seeing more of her, but it’s obvious she is very caring.

«Hazel»

She is sassy, and she clearly had enough of whatever shit she has to put up with. But she still loves her brother, even if she seems annoyed.

«June»

Literally the most adorable ball of energy! I wish I had at least half of her energy.

«Goatma’am»

Her coat! Horns! And overall colors!! She is so pretty, and so nice and helpful! I love the way she is voiced, and I really enjoy listening to this specific kind of speech\voice for some reason. «Parsnip» bit made me snort, though.

«Robbie»

It’s actually very refreshing to see a Cryptid who is just as bewildered at many things about Longhope as any «regular» person likely would be. Lowkey, I loved that wobbling sprite of his when he was telling Robyn what people call cryptids where he is from. He seems to be up to some shenanigans, as well as being determined to find the «goddess sleeping at the river», so I’m hoping he will eventually succeed in his quest.

«Tessie»

She is a mysterious lady (and so beautiful too!), and I’m curious to learn more about her!

«Mr. Walker»

Despite looking rather simple, he’s got an eye-catching design (which I liked even more, because I love shadow-like monsters), and the fight had a lot of creativity put into it! It was a nice twist with Mr.Walker looking like a bigger threat and with smaller HP than the Lantern, seeming like the most reasonable target to take down first, only to swiftly come back into fight after being defeated. And the «Lantern cuts the lights» move was also nice. All in all, Mr.Walker makes easily a very disturbing and terrifying enemy, making the encounter at the graveyard so intense.

Music

Last, but not the least, is music (and it’s nice that you can see the name of the current soundtrack playing in the menu in the lower part of the screen). First of all, the soundtrack in «Cryptid Crush» is straight up enchanting. It always fits the mood perfectly, and I certainly got a few favorites. I kept «Dirt Nap Dreams» on while working a little while ago, and it was soothing and nice for concentration. The track itself is rather chill and a bit somber. «Thaumaturgy Thursdays» makes a perfect soundtrack for Edith, Oz and Thursday trio, having a bit of this «something wicked» energy to it. «Midway to Nowhere» appears to be rather chill, but has this very unsettling mood that is so great for certain scenes and places. And, of course, one of my most favorite ones - «Urgently Jammin’», both remixed version and the original! I swear I listened to this for days. But I also love «Supernatural Foe» for a nice beat and «Old Gods» for how dramatic it is and how it makes you really feel how high stakes are during fight with Mr.Walker.

Second of all, I just have to mention how well sound design is used in the game and how many details go into it. My favorite examples: 1) when Atlas tells Robyn he wants to show them something, and then suddenly «Urgently Jammin» breaks off instead of «Loosen Up Longhope», when he makes a big reveal of still being possessed; 2) «casual» soundtrack breaking off into intense and terrifying «The UNWELCOME Visitor» with Oz seemingly about to get Taro on Edith’s orders, only for everything to abruptly go silent as she goes «I’m joking» and slip back into «Thaumaturgy Thursdays» as the mood changes from threatening back to casual; 3) when Hazel and Oz are having an argument, «Elkhorn Radio Intro» plays out (which is associated at this point with the fight sequence beginning), only for things to suddenly cut back to normal when Robyn and Atlas enter the scene.

All in all, I just want to say that the attention to detail is insane here (another example I didn’t mention above is when Robyn is searching for Mike, and before you see the actual sprites of August and Oz fighting in the background, you see their icons and damage). It’s obvious how much hard work and love is being poured into this project, and I just want to say big «THANK YOU» to Drowsy Drake Studios for creating such amazing story with so many lovable characters. You’re doing amazing work, and we all appreciate it!

Again, I strongly advice to also check out their website for more information:

https://cryptidcrush.com/

P.S. Apologies if I forgot or misunderstood something, it was a bit hard to properly gather my thoughts, but I did my best! If you actually managed to read all of it, you’re a champ.

[billie-venus-wrote-a-book]

I am going to talk about God.

******************************

Elmsbury-Gallows Short Story

[this series can be read in any order]

******************************

First of all, i don’t think God is all-loving. I think Jesus is all-loving since Jesus was at least partly three-dimensional. God is more unknowable, more infinite and eldritch and amorphous. Whatever it- and it is an ‘it’- has planned could not be understood by the human mind. From what i read in my brother’s books, ‘God’ would most likely be not a creature that resides in the fourth dimension, but the fourth dimension itself. Everything, all over, experiencing it all: past, present, future, simultaneously.

Experiencing and watching with a hyper-human intelligence and a plan that nobody knows and ever will know because it’d all be so alien to us and we’d disavow it for that reason. It’s why it wants us to fear it. Fear is simply respect for ultimate power.

And it puppets, and it watches, and it laughs at us because it didn’t put us here, it just is around to watch us be here and my God i can feel it everywhere i go now it’s just fucking looking at me and leering at me and it knows everything that is going to happen to me and it takes pleasure in the fact that i don’t. I wish i could- one day i might know how it’s all going to happen.

Whatever Jesus was, he was a projection. That’s what the books said: that it never fully appears because it’s so incomprehensibly huge it physically can’t, so it sends down projections of itself. Smaller, three-dimensional holograms that aren’t even a millionth of a millionth of a billionth of the actual size of it. That’s Jesus to me, now, and angels. I mean, that has to be it.

I know ascension is real now too. That there is a way of bringing your body with you when it takes you into its maw. Then you can harness its power. I wonder if my brother ever got its power, like Phillip and Alexander say they did in the books. I wonder if he could levitate and tell the future and bring back the dead. I wonder why he kept it from me if he could. Not that it matters now. But in my reading, i wonder if death is really so permanent?

Even if i could bring him back, i’m never going back to that infernal town to get him. I love him enough to know that he is better off dead now. He didn’t even die at the hands of that murderer- at least, that’s what i know happened. A human killed my brother and made it look like The Elmsbury Vampire did it. Too much blood at the scene. That’s what gave it away. His soul is not in the fourth dimension, it would have taken his blood with him. His beautiful Borthwick blood.

I think i’m being visited by an angel- a projection, to use the scientific term. It comes to me in the shape of a man with great, curving, antlers and a face like a bird’s. It doesn’t speak to me, it just whistles its tune. It’s so familiar to me, but i can’t think for the life of me where i’ve heard it from. It sings me to sleep. My guardian angel.

I know so little and yet so very much. I can feel the tunnel from my head in a trajectory upward so dizzying it makes me faint from vertigo- like staring up at the peak of a mountain whilst stood at its foot. Like looking into the eye of a kaleidoscope.

That was another thing, also, that they wrote about. The knowing. The mere revelation of this knowledge is enough to make you visible to it- it’s like it sees in infrared or something, it sees ripples or heat markings. Or maybe it’s like a hammerhead shark and it can feel the electro-magnetic pulse of your heartbeat as your frequencies shift and change and you ascend. Simply knowing your God will bring it to you. You don’t even have to believe in it at first.

God, just typing it all up here to share with you makes my soul sing. I’m calling out to it without even knowing, without even wanting to. It’s reflexive.

I’ve pored over those books, absorbing them into myself as i try to go deeper and deeper down this rabbithole but there’s just nothing out there in the worldly plane and i know that what i want to know- what i deserve to know- is down there still in that library. In our library.

My brother was descended from the Borthwicks, that means i am too. They’re my books. It’s my knowledge to seek out. My turn, now, to dig.

I’m writing this all up on here for you, my angel made it known to me that this knowledge works best spread. The fourth dimension is our internal world, after all- if i can make it a part of everyone’s internal world, then the knowledge can be spread. For lack of a more accurate term, you are now blessed.

Dig, dig. Turn your head toward the wych elm and dig.

[memoriesofgelmorra]

FFXIVWRITE Day 2: Prompt: Horizon

Here's my writing for Day Two. Spoilers for the end of Dawntrail Expansion!

“Gil for your thoughts?”

Chantelle had been lost in thought, gazing out on Living Memory’s Meso Terminal, until the familiar voice called out to her. She didn’t need to turn to know who the soft taps of the electrope walkway belonged to. But she did anyway, turning around and canting her head a little down to see a good friend approaching.

“One gil might be a bit cheap by now.”, smiled Chant. “I’m not missing anything important, am I, Krile?” Her habit of going to certain areas to think deeply could be inconvenient at times. This was a whole other shard from the Source, but at least, as this proved, she wasn’t the only one with access to Leynode Mnemo, Pyro and Aero.

Krile shook her head, as she stopped to stand by the taller friend. “No, no. I simply wondered where you had gone off to, and Alisaie said you told her you were going somewhere to think. I remembered the last time you did such a thing was when you stared into the Aitascope for many bells before you and the rest delved into it to speak with Hydaelyn.”

Come to think of it, that had been the last time her thoughts had been as turbulent with questions as this. By the Twelve, Krile was always delightfully perceptive! It wasn’t as if any of her thoughts had answers only one person could solve. Even a shard of Azem…

“I suppose there are worse things to be predictable about, to a friend.”, admitted Chantelle, as she turned back to their view of the dome’s horizon. “The fact that after the terminals were all shut down, we are left with a natural sky beyond this dome is only one of them.”

A similar crease formed on Krile’s head as she considered the question. Chantelle learned and theorized as she traveled, not unlike Alisaie and her ways. But there were reasons hypothesizing with Shtola or Krile was often effective. “That would indeed be one of the larger questions for The Scions going forward. But you have others.”

Her posture slumped, and she let out an accompanying sigh. “As The Warrior of Light, not to mention the shard of the erstwhile Azem, there are things that seem apparent others might not catch. The crystal, that key, before it was absorbed into Sphene’s form…it reacted to Azem’s convocation crystal. It glowed the same orange! A key for multidimensional travel, made by Azem must have been before The Sundering! But that just adds more questions… Not to mention the questions about which of the remaining Shards this is, and if there is anything habitable beyond this barrier. Not just for knowledge of the unknown, but The Scions owe you that, Krile.”

Krile, herself half way deep in thought at the comments, startled at that. “Owe me, for whatever reason why, Chantelle?” The smile that met her eyes was a warm one.

“You were born on this Shard! This has the right to be your home, just as much as The Source. There’s no guaranteeing what we find, but the discovery is more than just mere fact-gathering. For me, at the very least. Every new fact about a Shard means something to me. But this Shard created a friend I am glad to have. So anything I can gather is a gift only a traveler can give to you.”

“Oh, Chant, how can you pose such thoughtful questions and then make me blush the next?”

“I’d like to think it’s the talent of a good Bard! But it’s empathy that makes a good Bard in the first place. And if I can’t be empathetic to a good friend, what worth are my words and songs? That’s why sometimes I come out to these places, to gaze into the horizon and think on them.”, she said as she looked at the sights in the distance.

“I see,” said Krile, sounding thoughtful. “Mind if I stand and gaze at the horizon as well?”

“You’re always welcome, my friend.”

[ladysolidor87]

More thoughts on the season finale. WARNING: Spoiler Alert 🚨 Only read if you’ve watched the season two finale.

- Towards the end of the episode we see Sauron with Feanor’s hammer, which I assume he will use (alongside his own blood) to forge the one ring. We also see Elendil take Narsil, the blade that will cut the ring from Sauron’s hand.

We see both Sauron’s way to power and the beginning of his downfall. As Celebrimbor tells him, he creates his own doom. All his power in one object, an object we know will ultimately be destroyed by one person, Gollum. Celebrimbor pretty much predicts it for Sauron and Sauron hates it.

Sauron weeps. I’d like to think a small slither of him is sad for killing Celebrimbor but let’s be honest, he’s crying for himself. I’m almost certain, deep down he knows he’s doomed.

- It’s implied at the end that Durin may end up wearing the ring that led to his father’s madness and death. (Loved that he managed to take the bloody ring off in the end though) With oppositions rising to take the throne they all look to the ring, be it warily at the moment. I’ve got a dreadful feeling Durin will eventually put it on. I can foresee lots of horrid things and it makes me sad. I love them so much. But the dwarves do dig and Khazad-Dum does fall…gotta get there somehow.

- Queen Miriel is seen in chains before Pharazôn. Am I right in thinking that he marries her in text to strengthen his claim to the throne? Forgive me friends, my knowledge isn’t as complete as I’d like. If a learned friend could confirm or deny that would be great. Whatever the case, I hope Elendil raises a force to rescue her.

- I think Eärien will see the errors of her way. She looked rather uncomfortable at points, especially when the faithful were declared as traitors and she immediately went to warn her father. When Isildur returns I think she will turn against Pharazon if she doesn’t before hand. A nice mini redemption arc would be sweet for her. Bonus points if she bumps off Kemen (although I think Isildur will do that!)

- Gandalf has arrived. Not sure how I feel about his early arrival but I must admit it’s bloody lovely to have him! He is such a wonderful character and we see now where his deep love of the Halflings comes from. I do wonder who the dark wizard is though. Any theories? I don’t know Tolkiens work well enough to guess myself. (I’ve only read the Silmarillion once and my poor mind couldn’t absorb much of it.)

- Did we see the birth of Rivendell? That’s where the elves are, right? Can’t wait to see that explored in season three.

- Gil-Galad and Galadriel getting on for once was lovely 🥰

- Elrond is perfection as always. For the record, I don’t think the kiss between Elrond and Galadriel was at all romantic. Just my opinion! If you ship them then that’s great. I just think it was a farewell kiss and a bit of distraction. They definitely love each other but just don’t see the romantic aspect myself. I loved when he put on the ring. He was so reluctant but did it for Galadriel. Loved it ❤️

That’s all for now! Send me your own thoughts and theories. I genuinely want to talk about this amazing series. Also, for anyone who knows the texts inside and out, teach me! And correct me when I’m wrong which is…probably a lot 😆

[robo-writing]

whilst cid is a confirmed girl dad what type of dad do we think the other lads are, i have some ideas and i’m curious to how others think:

-clive: born to also be a girl dad but he has one son then 2 daughters with said son somehow inheriting even more protective big brother genes. his daughters probably think he’s super cool as a shield and try to become some of rosaria’s first female shields. the son probably ends up being more the scholar type by chance, the “i told you so” older brother.

-joshua: truly versatile but i think the universe would end up giving him a single boy that has all of his Bratty Younger Brother genes but More. it’s payback tenfold for the years jote and clive had to endure of him refusing to stay in bed whilst sick and having to attempt to father an even more stubborn version of himself. i also think he should have a kid that LOVES carrots like they eat it by the shovel-full

-dion: boy dad through and through. raises like 3 completely chivalrous fairy tail prince sons and has one 4th son who is such a rogue and trouble maker than he balances out his 3 brother’s personalities by himself. they’re also his biggest supporters, think he’s the coolest dragon to ever exist. probably would end up with one of them succeeding harpocrates and another being very artistic.

-barnabas: either no kids or a single child but he doesn’t act different based on the kids sex/gender. possibly adopted? most likely to adopt, i think he values an innate sense of discipline for the kid’s self benefit. but he seems like the type of king that raises a queen so well that waloed is also historically called a queendom during her reign. as long as he can teach them swordsmanship he’s chill

-hugo: bald and childless <3 he would only have kids with benne but she’s not fucking doing that, she knows medieval childbirth statistics.

gav: like 9 kids. like so many. he probably also adopts half the hideaway’s kids. they all develop his accent even if they’re adopted and it’s like hearing a warbling nest of birds. probably the most chill dad ever like they all say their secrets with such security he’s like in on all the gossip of their generation. he just comes back to the hideaway with a new kid calling him dad

Oh my god anon you’re so right for most of these, you basically did my job so lemme just add a couple ideas to compliment yours

Clive- absolutely a girl dad, and his one son becomes extremely protective of them just like he was to Joshua. He’s also the voice of reason between the three because his girls also inherited his sense of bravery, and they tend to get into antics a lot. Very active and energetic while big bro is more calm and collected (except when his sisters are in trouble, and it’s there we see that famous rosfield anger)

Joshua- a singular boy that makes his father’s life much more difficult than it needs to be (I wonder where he inherited that from.) He’s also very energetic, and is more than likely the mastermind of whatever scheme he and his two cousins get into. Too curious for his own good, just like his father, and absorbs knowledge like a sponge even if the methods used to obtain that knowledge are a bit orthodox. Keep an eye on him at all times, and if you hear silence from him, he’s definitely doing something.

Dion- literal Disney princes, the pinnacle of chivalry and honor, it’s as if you plucked them from a fairytale. He saw the man his father grew up to be and wanted them to be better, and have a better childhood than he did. Even when his fourth turns out to be a bit of a rebel you can still see that Lesage honor shining through and through, albeit in his own special way. While his first three sons might stop a bully by talking him down the fourth would sooner shut him up by breaking his jaw, for example. (He was harassing a poor student, he couldn’t just stand by!)

Surprisingly enough his fourth son is incredibly smart, top marks in all his classes effortlessly, if only he could get a rein on that temper.

Barnabas- he’s most likely to adopt, but he would love that child no less than his own flesh and blood. Firm but fair, he’d raise them to be strong, and to never take anything from anyone, ever. At the same time he enjoys that his child does not have that same bloodlust in their eyes that he did when he was their age. He doesn’t say his emotions outwardly, but rather expresses them with quality time, such as training or bringing them to royal meetings.

Hugo- childless lmao, even if he wasn’t obsessed with benedikta his ego wouldn’t allow him to take just one woman as his bride, and I highly doubt he’d be a good father. If he did have a child they’d be more likely to run away once they’re a teenager

Gav- oh sweet Gav, his nickname is the daycare with how many children he raises on a daily basis. Half of them aren’t even his, and does it really matter? He loves having a big family, it’s more entertaining that way.

[maaarine]

tech people are freaking out about GPT-4 and warning that users can easily be fooled by the chatbot, because it always sounds so autoritative and convincing even when it gives blatantly wrong answers

two thoughts:

1) they don’t seem to worry that this is exactly what Straight White Men sound like all the time

should we also warn and train people not to let their mind be fooled by those men’s air of authority and objectivity? I vote yes

2) it’s interesting that the chatbot’s apparent intelligence is purely based on language

the answers it gives emerges from statistical linguistic probability, from what is most likely to be said in the context

so in the same way that your phone can auto-fill words based on what you usually write, or correct the word “duck” to “fuck” because that’s probably what you really mean, the chatbot also processes the language it’s been fed, and comes up with the most likely sequence of words

and this whole thing reminds me of my niece, who as a very young kid would form complex sentences and sound totally legit, while I knew for a fact that she didn’t and couldn’t understand the meaning of what she was saying

it always struck me, how she managed to sound impossibly smart just by repeating what she’d heard adults say in a similar situation, and mimicking their cadence

the lesson I took from that experience is that this is what happens everywhere all the time, this is how people can sound so convincing without actually understanding anything

there seems to be a fundamental difference and disconnect between verbal ability and... whatever the other thing is — a meaning ability?

like there’s knowledge that exists in language form, and there’s Knowledge that exists in some kind of metaphysical form, and they run on different tracks, and can exist independently of one another

you encounter people who are human versions of the chatbot, who can give you the “right” answers because they’ve absorbed and averaged the language of the context, they’ve memorized the sequences of words from the textbooks

but their verbal ability is not a manifestation of a meaning ability, it’s like being able to solve equations without attaching any meaning to the math

and I don’t mean this in a “those people are sheeple NPCs who can’t think for themselves” kind of way

to be fair, I’m not sure what I mean

just that there are two kinds of “intelligence” at play here in a cognitive sense, and that it’s very hard to delineate and conceptualize them, because the meaning ability exists in an intangible realm

[maareyas]

Hey hey hey its been a hot minute, i hope life is treating you well? (It better - if not ill fight life for you in the ring)

I’m giving you the opportunity to info dump about anything. And i mean anything be it something to do with one of your aus (we love lore) or even about any interests you may have (i know you like the fun-guys, whats your favourite shroom👀?)

Sidenote i just thought of this when typing the shroom question, i really thought that during feb that you mightve dabbled with the funguary prompts. Idk i thought you’d really like those. Like pair up a shroom with a character or something and go wham with it. Idk where i was going with this… yeah

I JUST STRAIGHT UP FORGOT to answer this ask hhdhdhdg whoops. I lost whatever idea I had to ramble about so I'm going to use this as an excuse to ramble about my thought process thus far behind the merhog Shadow I'm working on

(I keep forgetting Funguary exists and my database of Fungi Knowledge is unfortunately not specific enough for me to parcipate ahfhjdjsjsj)

Anyways. With merhog designs, I tend to have a "speculative biology" approach to it, i.e the different merhog design elements make some sense in context. I think I mentioned before that designing Creatures and Robots scratch a similar itch in my brain; and this is why. You can tell a bunch about how a Creature moves, eats, and lives just based on their physical traits. Same goes for robots!

Of course, I'm still an artist first and foremost. So when it comes to creature design, I still put aesthetics and Vibes™️ first before realism XD

with that out of the way, here's the rambles about the In-Progress merhog shadow design. No images because I'm lazy ahdhdjs

My first thought with the merhog shadow design was that "I have to throw a little bit of Godzilla inspo in there". I've had Godzilla on the brain since I watched the new movie with Kong a few weeks ago lol. And bc I like bioluminescence way too much, he's gonna be a glowy boiiiii.

I'm thinking he does actually have atomic breath and can subsist off/absorb nuclear energy. In the hypothetical au this design is from, the ARK would be an underwater facility that was destroyed in a nuclear explosion of some sort. Shadow was the only survivor and he "haunts" the spot to this day.

Shadow's concept isn't as clear to me as Silver's was. Vaguely, I want him to be more reptile-adjacent as a callback to the Biolizard and the Black Arms. I feel like going full reptile would make him look too bulky and slow so I'm still working it out.

This is the current iteration of the design so far:

barely anything, but it's what I got XD

I like the idea of merhog Shadow having two huge front flippers that can sort of act like extra hands. the flippers were partially based by a winged Black Arms enemy I forgot the name of + humpback whale fins. the little bumps on the front side of the fins? they're for speed, like with actual humpbacks. The little claw is NOT biologically realistic at all, but it looks cool and im already planning to take inspo from godzilla anyways so. yeah.

In general I think I might just take a more fantastical approach to Shadow? It feels fitting with his canon origins being weird.

For his head, I decided to turn his quills into tentacles, specifically of the Vampire Squid. There are spikes underneath to protect the back of his head from roundhouse kicks (bc he's the only one allowed to do that lmao). I'm thinking he might also have a false eye pattern in the center of the tentacles? A deterrent to potential predators + as a callback to Doom's Eye.

His eye markings get a little change too. They can emit red light, just like Stoplight Loosejaw (yes that's a real fish name) which have organs underneath their eyes that emit red light to hunt prey with. I imagine merhog Shadow would also have its extremely messed up jaw configuration ✨ I don't know how I would draw it though ✨✨✨

As far as solid inspiration goes, that's what I have so far. I'm considering giving Shadow more whale-adjacent features. With how huge his front flippers are, I think it'd make sense that he'd be more of a power swimmer? aka he has a big tail that does most of the work propelling him forward, and the flippers are to reduce the energy cost while also increasing speed and maneuverability. It would be a close enough analog to his skating, maybe????

He doesn't sound very fast but then again, I imagine neither is merhog Silver lol

[ruelpsen]

heyyy I'm the anon who asked about submitting writing and happy to announce, it is done!

I loved the monster tropes so here are my characters Vesper, a Fae, and his human partner Salem with Vesper's stomach being sensitive to human food. Hopefully no typos in this!

Vesper was not good at self-preservation.

In fact, he was so bad at it, even his partner joked he had more of an anti-survival instinct if anything. He was great at being responsible for others but himself? He didn’t take that very seriously. Being a Fae, this wasn’t necessarily surprising, they tended to be a bit more reckless than many other species but also being a Fae living in the human realm, it was a little bit more consequential than under a lot of other circumstances.

These reckless behaviours didn’t stop at food. Salem was always quick to lecture them on both eating too fast or eating things they both knew would not be good for him. They could probably tell him a hundred times and he would still not learn his lesson, in fact they might have already have told him a hundred times. And Vesper of all people knew he should know better, he was a nurse, any other Fae might be uneducated about what they weren’t supposed to eat in the human world but he certainly was not. He just chose to ignore that knowledge because he had simply grown quite fond of human food.

And today was just one of those days were he just had to overindulge.

It had been a long shift, Vesper was exhausted and craved nothing more than to just get home. Well, that and fast food. After stopping in some random drive-through, he practically devoured his meal still in his car. Honestly, even at that point, he was very aware that he was going to regret it but it just tasted so good, he didn’t want to stop himself. At least he knew Salem wouldn’t mind, if anything they’d be just the slightest bit happy about it. They did seem to like rubbing his tummy and comforting him whenever he’d have an upset stomach (which was probably more often than he cared to admit).

By the time he had arrived at their apartment, he could already feel his stomach disagreeing with his choice of food, churning and gurgling and bloating uncomfortably. He attempted to relieve himself with a few quiet burps but none aided to ease the growing discomfort in his belly. It felt like something in him just squirmed and he made a bit of a face as he entered the flat. “Salem, I’m home”, he called while kicking off his shoes and hanging up his jacket. Nothing came back in response but that wasn’t unusual, his partner was probably just immersed in either an audio book or just studying. One way or another, Vesper didn’t bother calling again.

He found his partner nestled in their bedroom, huddled in blankets and surrounded by notes and books, apparently very absorbed in whatever they were reviewing. Salem looked up suddenly, having noticed the movement in their peripheral vision and immediately picked up on the visible discomfort on Vesper’s face. They took off their headphones, letting them hang around their neck loosely. “So? You got anything to tell me?” The Fae looked at the floor sheepishly, unable to suppress a hiccup rising from their throat. “Over- hic- ate a little after work…”

“And now?”

“And now I’m bloated…” He felt another burp rise in his chest but managed to swallow it down.

Salem sighed with faked resignation before putting away the scattered papers and books neatly on the nightstand and opening up their blanket cocoon with one hand. They petted their thighs with the other in an inviting manner. “Come here you big baby.” They weren’t actually mad, how could they when Vesper looked to cute when he was bloated and needed some relief? The Fae toddled over and wordlessly sat down into their lap. His partner was warm. So was the blanket they wrapped around him. It was comforting and hopefully it would help with the bloating a little. Salem’s hand snaked between their bodies and skilfully opened his pants. His stomach expanded near immediately, at least that’s what it felt like, but it did ease a tiny amount of pressure.

“When will you learn, huh? I thought Faes were so smart, yet you do this at least once a week.”, they teased.

Vesper pressed his forehead into their shoulder as their palm rubbed soft circles into his taut stomach. “I blame this on s- hicuuurp stress… Sorry…” Salem shrugged faintly. “No need to apologize. You know I don’t mind. You’re pretty lucky with that though, I bet not everyone would be so happy to comfort you.” He attempted to answer something, opening his mouth but instead of words, the only thing that came out was a huge, airy belch rumbling through his small body. “Ugh, that felt good…” They snickered a little. “Yeah, I bet it did. How can your stomach hold this much gas, you’re like five feet tall.”

“Five foot one, I’ll have youuuUUOOORRrp know…” At this point, between the teasing words and the relief from the gas finally escaping from his stomach, he did not attempt to do anything to stifle or hide his burps.

Vesper could practically hear the grin in their voice now. “And yet you make more noise than people I know twice your size.” “Well, Faes are magic- hic- magical.” He flexed his abdominal muscles, trying to force out more air but apart from some small burps nothing came up. “Hold on, it’suuuurp it’s stuck, ugh…” Salem hummed, giving another push to his stretched tummy and feeling something move but it only drew an uncomfortably noise from the Fae. “Hm… Okay, gimme a second and let me try something else.” Their hand moved slowly over his side and to his back and began rubbing small circles into his back. While it was somewhat soothing, it didn’t really help.

“What’s that supposed to do…?” Salem didn’t answer, just started gently patting his back over the middle of his ribcage. Again, it didn’t do much and Vesper was struggling to wonder what exactly Salem was trying to do until-

“buuurrrRRRROORRRP!”

The Fae moaned with relief, his stomach feeling suddenly much less full as the monstrous belch erupted from his throat. “Holy shit, that felt amazing…” His partner smiled down at him. “See? I knew this would help.” Salem leaned down to kiss him and before Vesper could do anything another throaty belch ripped through him. Hot embarrassment flooded his entire body as he pulled away and immediately looked down to avoid whatever reaction awaited him next. Not that his partner wasn’t used to his upset stomach and bloating but this had to be a new low. Instead, all he got was a loving pet of his hair. “That was so cute. You could do that more often and I wouldn’t mind.”

They sounded so flirty, it was completely out-of-character but it just made Vesper flush even more.

“Shut up, youuuurp- you and your stupid kink…”

Salem just shrugged again. “Come on, you gotta be stuffing yourself like this on purpose at least a little bit, don’t deny it turns you on a little bit that it gets me going.”

As his stomach rumbled once again when his partner began rubbing it again and he felt another burp rise into his chest, Vesper made the sudden realization that this was going to be one very long evening and simply leaned against their shoulder again in defeat.

Ooh, I love this! I just know people are going to love it too...

[best-beelieve]

It took months for him to tell me his name (6, I think?), and when he did I was so gobsmacked I just sat there. Tried to absorb the knowledge, tried hard to make sure I wasn’t talking to myself. Or someone else was fucking with me. I only had his word to go on, and I could only weigh that against my outspoken vow to never, ever have anything to do with him.

(Which … yeah I know that was just waving a big chunk of bloody meat at him. Bummer I didn’t figure that out before I just as loudly said the same thing about Odin. Fool me once it’s no surprise. Fool me twice … it really isn’t either. I’m not often the brightest bulb in the string.)

Anyway. Point being I just sat there with my metaphorical jaw hanging open and my wheels spinning fruitlessly until he said talk to [ ].

So I talked to them. Left a message, explained the situation, and, idk, did I ask for advice? I mean, yeah I’m sure I did, I just don’t remember how I asked. But whatever it was, their (paraphrased) reply was “Loki can give you back your life when someone/something tries to take it away.”

And that’s all it took. Those words changed everything for me because how the fuck could I resist such an idea? It was beyond temptation – at that point there was simply no other choice I could make.

~*~

Back in September I said I was going to be writing again, about him and for him. I was so wrong. What was a shining moment of hope, of light, that we could get back to where it started turned out to be just another oncoming train. The last four months haven’t been the worst of the last few years, but they were bad enough. Worse in all news ways, maybe that’s what it comes down to. Or maybe just worse because for a few bright, shining days I thought the darkness was past.

And here I am, back on the tracks once more. The light is so bright, I know it’s a train this time, but will it run me over, or stop and pick me up to take me to him?

~*~

Here’s another thing I’ve learned: hope hurts worse than despair.

I wonder what his take is on that. I wish I could ask him – which, I could, of course, there’s nothing stopping me … except knowing I won’t be able to hear his answer. Not now anyway. Maybe one day again. It’s hard to imagine it. Equally hard to imagine that September 22 will forever be the last time.

Sometimes I can feel him, off to the side somewhere, sitting on a fence, or a wall, stack of boxes, whatever is close enough for him to perch on. Waiting patiently for me to catch up. Watching me, chin in hand and eyes burning steady.

I don’t need to hear him to know he understands. He’s well acquainted with relentless physical pain, with deep mental and emotional trauma. Being bound by (and bound to) something in ways you can’t easily break free of.

Someone is whispering in my head right now. This time I’m pretty sure it’s just me - but I'm also pretty sure this would be his answer:

It doesn’t matter how much it hurts. You choose it anyway.

Because at the end of the day, any other choice is unthinkable.

But also because it’s the only one that will lead back to him.

[polybiusplayer]

OKAY this one isnt an au question but still a fun one either way. how do you think nine, ten, and juice view their ages? like with so many possible ways to approach it theyre bound to see it differently

I don’t know where I’m going with this but thank you for the questions to rant about my spinterest I haven’t had a good outlet for these insane wacky thoughts in so long😭

Nine definitely views age in the way of uhh, like, you know how they have a build date that was before Ten so that makes them physically older, but they never woke up until significantly after ten, making them much younger in terms of like. Consciousness? It’s like their “body” is older than their brain. And then there’s the knowledge they’ve absorbed just from the radio waves that brought them alive.

I mean in 20020 I’m pretty sure Nine brings up somewhere about feeling like, behind for how old they are.

Boom found it.

I don’t even know, Nine views it from a lot of angles in this conversation with Mimi, I’m sure they have a conflicted understanding of it.

Ten though?? Hm, I believe she values physical age and wisdom quite a bit when it comes to it. She sees herself as old and experienced in what this world has to offer. She honestly has older sister energy not just to Nine and also to Juice! Even though TECHNICALLY she’s younger then Nine by a few years, she was awake for way longer, and feels older. Same goes to juice, he is both physically and (in my headcannon) awakeedly younger than her.

In the end though? I don’t think she even cares that much, other than to tease Nine. There’s so much time out there that to her? A couple days or a thousand years difference is nothing. when time continues to stretch longer and longer, age will only seem more and more insignificant

Juice though! He doesn’t care, like not for any philosophical reason like Ten, he just can’t be bothered! He was launched in 2023 thats his birthday he woke up whatever year who the heck cares, he’s just Juice and he’s too busy drafting some football game or talking to his friends to think about how old he is. He only really thought about it that one time to tease Nine

Like “oh yeah i guess i am younger than nine huh”

[amorhedera6]

the superparty

or if the party was a team of superpowers, who i think they’d be

el: obviously her current powers. telekenesis, and seeing other people from far distances (whatever her void things called) would definitely be helpful in fighting supervillains. i think her superhero name would just be eleven. this is assuming in aspects other than being a superhero, they have normal lives and her name is jane.

will: similar to el, but a bit more scarlet witch. he has psionic abilities like she does and he can fly, but he doesn’t have the mind control ability she does. i like to think his superhero name is cleric, but i’m open to suggestions, i don’t like that one super much.

mike: i don’t want to say “super soldier” bc im not a big mcu person and i already used the scarlet witch comparison for will but yeah, basically, he’s a super soldier. he’s super strong, fast, has better endurance, reflexes, all that jazz. enhanced senses too, smell, sight, hearing, etc. and a higher pain tolerance! he joins the team immediately because he goes straight to will and is like i just got siperpowers out of nowhere what the fuck do i do and will is like come join the team and that’s that. his superhero name is battlestrike, chosen by lucas because all mike could come up with was fighter man.

lucas: for lucas i’m thinking a beast boy power, he can change into any animal at will. can talk to all animals, befriends all animals really easy. he’s got like a herd of stray animals following him at all times and it pisses erica off which is basically why he does it. he’s called beastmaster, which for those of you who don’t know is something a ranger can become in dnd, and i love him.

max: super speed!!!!!!! she is a speedster and i know it in my heart of hearts. her superhero name is zoomer and she’s the reason i started this. love this so much. i need to see speedster max and animal powers lucas so bad like actually. i would pay for someone to draw me zoomer max.

dustin: dustin’s got invisibility! he can turn it off and on like a light switch bc he’s super cool. he goes by ghost and he’s one of the few that actually picked his own name instead of being assigned one by the public, because he was a spider-man type vigilante before he joined the team, and people asked his name. he likes to help people, feels like it helps him achieve his true purpose. not like in a religious way, but he feels like he (and all the others) were given these powers for a reason and that’s to help people.

steve: steve is an empath. the closer a relationship he has with a person, the better he can tell. he can sense what a stranger is feeling from a little bit away with clarity, but from the other side of the world he can tell dustin’s emotions as if they were his own. and he also has the ability to differentiate, he can tell whose emotions belong to who as he feels them. so even if he’s feeling themself, he can tell that the emotions are someone else’s. he is one of the team’s best fighters, and also the team member who keeps the healing station in business. they were still brainstorming on his name when he first went into a fight and was named redwood, after a strong and sturdy tree. he’s one of the public favorites.

robin: super knowledge!!! she can absorb knowledge super quickly and knows a whole lot more than the average person. helpful more in the planning stage, mostly does research on people, helps in the pre-stage. works mostly with jonathon, but has some basic training in fighting and helps out on some missions occasionally. when she does she uses a bow and arrow, because she did archery as a kid and can do that well. has the name cerulian bow, because the public only knows about the fighting figure of her and not her behind the scene work.

erica: erica has telepathy. for a while she didn’t tell anyone and just used it to freak people out, but then she asked lucas what someone with telepathy would do on his loser team and he’s both like how did you know i was on a team and also what the fuck. so she joins the team and basically uses it to figure out the villains plans. she’s not in the public eye at all because she’s the youngest of the team and no one wants the slack bc she’s a teenager (she’s like 16 in this au), they just bring her to fights to get information and get her out before anything happens. she then comes back to base and works the comms with robin and jon.

nancy: nancy’s got mind control!! and she struggles with it sometimes, with making people do things against their will, but she’s so good with her power. she can put her power into her words, and anyone she directs it to will do as she asks. think allison from umbrella academy, or piper from heroes of olympus. she can have short term control over a person to do what she wants them to, and it’s an incredibly good skill. she doesn’t use her power unless it’s against provably awful people, never on henchmen or the like. i’m the meanwhile, it’s good she’s handy with the gun. because she uses her gun and mental manipulation, her superhero name is neurobullet. mike calls her nutribullet

jonathon: i think jon’s our hacker, oracle style. he found out that will was doing this and insisted on helping him, and this is how he chose to do it. taught himself how to hack, how to do all sorts of techy things to help out, and as they both were recruited for the team, how to help everyone else too. he makes a lot of the plans, checks the security cameras, all that. he’s not in public eye, but he’s been discussed by the public before, because it’s known they have a computers person of some kind. he’s referred to as cyberear, since the public’s only experience with him is the voice in the team’s earpieces.

argyle: i think argyle’s out transportation guy. he’s a teleporter. he can take up to five people with him depending on the distance, but can go pretty much anywhere in the world. i like to think he’s not on the team, just besties with jonathon, so hen they need a quick lift somewhere, jon calls him up and asks him to help. he’s been invited on the team multiple teams, but doesn’t want to officially join. he likes to spend his time seeing the world and just like doing his thing. he’s not in public eye at all, and it’s widely believed that the team simply has teleportation devices.

eddie: shadow manipulation!!!!! think of nico from the percy jackson verse? that. he can shadow-travel, but only by himself and not super far without basically passing out (they typically rely on argyle for that). he can manipulate shadows, night vision, general umbrakenesis, etc. he’s obsessed with his darkness aesthetic and tries to pull off like a whole dramatic kjng of darkness vibe but he’s a nerd and a goof and he’s trying his best for the aesthetic and tbh we respect it. he’s called the dark shadow

hopper: hopper’s definitely the big-n-strong one. he’s the thing, the hulk, the guy who turns big and strong at the drop of the hat. i think he turns from a person to like a massive muscle man that’s like the color of like veins. i’m not attempt to Science it, but like his skin stretched out to become the big guy so he’s the color of his veins. like blueish purplish greenish mixture color. he’s called smasher and yes, mike mocks it for eternity.

joyce: i think joyce would be our healer. she can take away someone’s pain or solve their injuries by touching them. she used to just volunteer at a hospital that had a lot of “miracles” but when she found out what will and jonathon were doing she joined their team and helps them instead. she still fights like a badass when it comes down to it, but she tends to do the post-fight work. and she also still volunteers at the hospital when she has the chance. she’s not in public eye nearly as much as the others, but she’s called divinity.

murray: murray has the power of power control. he can give people powers and take them away at will. he chose the party to give powers, and either watched how they reacted to the power gain and made his choice, or recruited them immediately to his team. he’s basically the leader, the handler, whatever. he does the behind the scenes work that allows them to be a superhero team without governmental fire coming down and then and leaves them to do the work. he reveals to all of them that he gave them their powers, and they all ask how he got his, and he does not answer. he doesn’t travel a code name either, though they’re all becoming increasingly convinced that murray is a fake name.