#KIND OF I GUESS I'LL PUT THIS THERE.

[theminecraftbee]

okay so. hear me out. but. au concept--

joel is one of many people affected by a Vanishing. its a phenomenon sweeping the country--people simply not showing up for work, school, life one day, as though they've vanished from the face of the earth. it's almost possible to mistake for normal missing persons cases, if it weren't for the way a few of the higher-profile Vanishings have happened to people who shouldn't have been able to vanish at all, let alone in a way that wouldn't be noticed until too late. look at joel's hometown. the people monitoring the dam were supposed to be redundant, and yet--

anyway. not like he cares or anything, except for the fact this stupid disaster or whatever has left him without anywhere to live or anyone to live with, and he still has a year of high school left, so he can't just do whatever he wants. luckily there's this school in a town called new hermiton that agreed to give him a scholarship to finish his education in the name of recovery and solidarity or whatever, and it's kind of a shwankier school than he'd normally go for, but it's free and, more importantly, they're willing to pay for his lodging, and he can't really turn that down. and it's not like he has a choice but to upend his entire life now. so packing what few of his belongings survived into a bag and getting on a train and moving across the country to a new school it is, he guesses.

(he's been having nightmares that inexplicably feature swarms of blue butterflies. last time he checked, lakes don't have butterflies in them. although maybe it's a metaphor or something, on account of the butterflies saying stupid stuff about how people who are remembered can't disappear, and even a false world cannot be erased if it's watched over, and how fate depends on him holding people in his heart. thanks for saying the same stupid shitty platitudes his social worker told him, just more cryptically, butterflies. real cool.)

new hermiton, it turns out, is a small city. while new hermiton academy is a newer school, much of the city is older. he's moved into a nice enough flat in an older apartment building. he has another cryptic butterfly dream. he thinks he remembers someone trying to urgently warn him of something, but it's all... shaky. that morning, he goes to the school for the first time. he's greeted by a fellow transfer student, skizzleman, although apparently he already knows some of the other folks in town, and transferred here so he could stay with them. but it's at least someone else in a similar enough situation to joel, especially since joel can just tell by the way people are looking at him that skizz didn't have much of a choice but to be here, either, and best friends with impulse or not, he's on his own too.

so. a friend. maybe this school won't be that bad, even if joel keeps having nightmares, and even if the weather here is weirdly cold for july, and even if his new homeroom professor keeps on looking at him really weirdly. (aren't professors supposed to be better about stupid rumors anyway? what's that mr. hills's deal?)

and then, two days later, he waves skizz off at the end of the school day, and gets skizz's friend, impulse, at his door, desperate to hear that skizz had just come to stay the night in joel's shitty lonely apartment, because otherwise it looks like--come on man. joel's already having a shit time. the universe deciding to go after his one existing friend too? he promises impulse to help investigate that night, in the vain hope that Skizz isn't one of the Vanished. joel gets a splitting migraine trying to follow their path back, though, and they have to stop for the night.

skizz is reported missing the next morning. joel resigns himself to cutting himself off from the people around him, as per usual. then, strangely, mr. hills corners him as he goes home.

"you'll need this," he says, and shoves what feels like a cheap butterfly knife into joel's hands. "uh, remember, trust your heart! you'll know how to use it."

"what," joel says. "hold on. you're supposed to be a teacher. why are you giving me this. i know for a fact my file says i have like, ptsd or whatever, which is stupid, but you definitely aren't supposed to be giving me a knife, you weirdo?"

"you'll know how to use it," joe hills says again. "goodbye! believe in yourself!"

mr. hills sprints behind a building before he has to explain anything else. joel is left standing on the sidewalk holding a knife, staring after him.

so. that's weird as hell. joel shivers in the cold and continues on his way home. the butterfly knife feels heavy in his pockets. he should probably report that guy to his social worker or something, but actually talking to his social worker feels like conceding defeat. joel can take care of himself. he can prove he can take care of himself. just watch him. step one: go out to get ramen because he forgot to buy any food for his apartment.

he sees impulse putting up signs as he eats. impulse looks miserable. joel thinks about how skizz, just in the short time he'd known him, had sort of unintentionally given away that he felt isolated after his mother Vanished. that impulse was a great friend, but impulse didn't understand what it was like. he never really SAID as much, but--

it's not fair to impulse, for that to be the last thing impulse remembered of what was apparently a friend since childhood. and joel doesn't care about any of these guys, but he can still pay his check and go out and help impulse go looking. he's no good at comforting people and doesn't know this guy, but joel had been alone too, sitting on the roof and crying, when the helicopters came.

except when they go back to the path by the school, joel's head starts to hurt again.

he looks up and there's a butterfly.

"hey, impulse, are butterflies common here?" he asks, a little desperately.

"i mean, not really, why?" impulse says.

"uh," joel says, and gestures. the two of them stare as the strange yellow butterfly circles in place.

"okay, so that is kind of weird," impulse admits.

"right?" joel says. "the only way it would be weirder is if it were blue." impulse gives him a look. joel does not explain.

it starts to fly away.

"we should follow it," impulse says, his voice getting a little dull. "yeah. we should follow it."

"what? no! no we should not follow the haunted butterfly, are you nuts?" joel says, but it's a bit too late. (maybe this is what the knife is for: stabbing impulse. it would be an effective method of stopping him!) he chases impulse down, down to the river, where yellow butterflies are swarming. impulse, as though possessed, simply steps into the swarm and falls through them to the water.

joel's, uh, freaking out more than a little bit? he'll admit he's freaking out. he dives forward to try to grab him, only to realize that he doesn't see impulse anywhere.

a single blue butterfly lands on joel's shoulder. "do you hold his heart next to yours?"

"i'm going insane," joel says.

"no heart is meant to be completely alone. do you hold his next to yours?"

"this isn't happening," joel says. "this is like a stupid manga or something. it's not happening."

"there is still time to save them; you must hold your heart strong, or the consequences will be dire. i believe in you."

the butterfly vanishes.

"fuck it," joel says. "if i drown then it's nothing people haven't expected of me anyway."

he steps through the swarm of butterflies.

that night, he drags both impulse and skizz out of the river. they're all freezing cold. shadows and strange, yellowy liquid still cling to all of their skin. also, joel stabbed himself, which like, glad to know that's what the knife was for, apparently, and the scar is warm and comforting. he can feel his--persona, and don't ask him how he knows that--shifting under his skin, under the mark on his hand. it said its name is pygmalion; it says it is a piece of joel's soul.

this is all patently insane. but skizz and impulse are alive and NOT eaten by shadow monsters, so even if they're both a little unconscious, joel takes that as a win.

they lie on the ground outside the river. someone stumbles across them. "well give me some teeth and call me an alligator. you got out on your own," breathes a fellow student clutching a dagger. joel thinks he's in the class across the hall. also--

"what are you talking about," joel wheezes.

"you found it on your own. you can find them?" the student says. his eyes are wide. something in joel's soul recognizes something in the student's. something in joel's BRAIN puts two and two together and realizes why mr. hills gave him a knife.

"no. no, go away, i don't want to be involved in this," joel says.

"well, don't you think it's too late for that?" the student says, and joel passes out. he's pretty sure the butterflies have to be laughing at him. in fact, as though to mock him further, after passing out, he doesn't even get to avoid it forever, because he wakes up in a glowing blue boat. there is a man with white-blonde hair, blue eyes, and a blue outfit leaning over him, poking him.

joel takes no responsibility for punching him. he'd do it again, too, as the long-nosed man sitting next to the unmanned steering wheel welcomes him to the velvet room.

(this, joel realizes later, all rather sets the tone for what the next year of his life is about to become.)

[tawnysoup]

the fritter (frin critter)

[buggachat]

i do just have to say though.................... i feel like people who really really loved the movie's portrayals of the characters are adding aspects of the show characters onto them? you know what i mean? like i see people say that adrien and marinette were more likeable in the movie than the show, when movie adrien didn't perform a single act of kindness in the entire 2 hours despite kindness being a core trait of adrien in the show? marinette was normal and not particularly weird at all and just kind of a generic protagonist? were adrien and marinette actually more interesting in the movie than the show, or are you just cherrypicking the aspects of them you like the from the show and putting them on the movie characters to make your favorite amalgamation?

marinette fell for adrien not because he showed vulnerability and forgiveness and kindness and opened his heart up to her.... but because he awkwardly tried to help her up after being kind of weirded out by her? so like i guess she thought he was hot and that was basically it? chat noir fell for ladybug not because she was strong and confident and showed determination in the face of fear... but because she begrudgingly helped him up in the middle of a battle? so like i guess he thought she was hot and that was basically it? they fell for each other over just the bare minimum interactions? most of their relationship was a montage? like, did the movie do the work to convince you of lovesquare's romantic potential, or did you go into the movie already shipping them because the show had already convinced you?

thats totally a valid way to enjoy the movie ftr! i'm just saying.... idk it's weird to see people praising the movie for being "better" when i feel like a lot of the enjoyment of the movie actually hinges on watching the show as context for their characters. and i guess im just a cringe slow-burn enjoyer but i find it weird that people are using "faster" as a synonym for "better"

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Wardrobe Woes

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[celestialrealms]

Decided to make this bingo card for the upcoming season as a salty and tired Triworlds and trio fan to inject some fun into a season I'm not particularly excited about. It contains things only I, and maybe like two other people, care about.

(Didn't bother labeling it as season 3 because I'll be shocked if a lot of this isn't a concern for future seasons.)

[sforzesco]

CAESAR AUGUSTUS AND MARCUS LICINIUS CRASSUS

this is about the spolia opima that crassus was robbed of lmao. like, yeah okay octavian could've asked him not to claim it, but nevertheless. a kind of theft happened there.

Fact and Fiction: Crassus, Augustus, and the Spolia Opima, Catherine McPherson

[canisalbus]

Hello I made you some more art!! IDK Why your little guys have just stuck in my brain as of late but yeah I'm just on a roll I guess!

This piece was inspired by wondering who was present around Machete's assassination, and how people around him would react to his downfall. So I had the idea for a portrait of a final lover's embrace, as Vasco holds his dying beloved in bloodsoaked arms.

I tried my best with the clothing -- especially the shoes -- and I think I did a pretty good job but BOY were they hard! XD Anyways, I hope you like this one, it was a blast to draw! I love machete sm istg <3

.

[toscrollperchancetomeme]

Interpreting Marius from an historical angle with consideration of the values of ancient Rome and Renaissance Italy is valid.

Interpreting Marius from the angle of the author’s intentions and statements about him is valid.

Interpreting Marius from the angle of gothic romance/gothic horror is valid.

Interpreting Marius from the angle of 21st century values and modern social politics is valid (and can be very interesting!).

Preferring one or several of these interpretations to others is valid.

Behaving like having/preferring a certain interpretation of a literary character is morally superior or morally reprehensible is, actually, a bit of a dick move.

And also, sorry to say this, but… the interpretation of a person who has read all available canon material about a character, will always be more valid than that of people who have not. If you want to discuss the books, you have to actually read them. And yes, of course this takes time, but it’s not hard to contextualize interpretations and statements with a sentence like “I have only read books x and y at this point" or even to say "I don't feel like I know enough to give a balanced interpretation on this yet."

[soonysy]

Day 172 is Grian

That's all you have to know :P

[the-eclectic-wonderer]

Your stunt double was murdered right in the middle of your kitchen.

Not just any stunt double, either. The one that spent 40 years, an entire lifetime, taking hits and rolling under cars and throwing herself into open fire as you. The one that's not you, but at the same time is maybe a better version of you, the you you would be if you had been just a pinch braver, just a pinch more likable; the one that's not you, but at the same time was the same character as you, and maybe she actually is you, in some ways (after all, you two are so similar that she was killed in your place, wasn't she?).

She was your stunt double, yes. But she was also the one who took your falls, who propped you up, who made sure you didn't spend your lunch break alone. You shared a role, you shared an apartment, you shared a girlfriend.

She took care of you in every way you can take care of a person.

And now she's gone.

It was possible to believe otherwise when she was just an absence on the other side of a phone (even though you knew, right from the start, that something was so, so wrong). It might even have been possible to believe it was all a colossal joke as you were cradling the iron trophies she was so proud to host in her bones. But luminol is unforgiving: you turn off the light and there it all is, her blood, her life slipping away from her right there on the tiles of your kitchen, and the message she left for you, the one thing she knew you'd understand right away, and there's no denying it anymore.

You are Charles-Haden Savage, and your stunt double was murdered in your place right in the middle of your kitchen.

Your hands still tingle with her ashes.

[front-facing-pokemon]

[pocketwei]

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe

[katsigian]

── ⁺⭒*˖₊☽ ⁺˖ ᴏ ᴄ ɪ ɴ ᴛ ᴇ ʀ ᴠ ɪ ᴇ ᴡ ˖⁺ ☾₊˖*⭒⁺ ──

I was tagged by the lovely @mercymaker to fill out these questions for an OC, thank you! There will be a blank version and a tag list below the cut ♡

─── ⁺ ɴ ᴀ ᴍ ᴇ: ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ʟᴇᴇ ᴋɪɴʟᴀᴡ

─── ⁺ ɴ ɪ ᴄ ᴋ ɴ ᴀ ᴍ ᴇ: ꜱᴛᴀʀʟɪɢʜᴛ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪꜰ ᴀʟɪᴀꜱᴇꜱ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀɪɴᴛ.

─── ⁺ ɢ ᴇ ɴ ᴅ ᴇ ʀ: ᴄɪꜱ ᴍᴀʟᴇ, ʜᴇ/ʜɪᴍ

─── ⁺ ꜱ ᴛ ᴀ ʀ ꜱ ɪ ɢ ɴ: ᴀʀɪᴇꜱ ꜱᴜɴ, ꜱᴄᴏʀᴘɪᴏ ᴍᴏᴏɴ, ꜱᴀɢɪᴛᴛᴀʀɪᴜꜱ ʀɪꜱɪɴɢ. ɪ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʜɪꜱ ꜱᴛᴀʀ ꜱɪɢɴꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴜʀᴘᴏꜱᴇʟʏ ᴘɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴍᴀᴛᴄʜ ʜɪꜱ ᴘᴇʀꜱᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ ʜᴅʜꜱᴊꜱ

─── ⁺ ʜ ᴇ ɪ ɢ ʜ ᴛ: 6'4" or 193cm. ʜɪᴍ ᴀ ʙɪɢ, ʙɪɢ ʙᴏʏ.

─── ⁺ ᴏ ʀ ɪ ᴇ ɴ ᴛ ᴀ ᴛ ɪ ᴏ ɴ: ᴠᴇʀʏ ɢᴀʏ.

─── ⁺ ɴ ᴀ ᴛ ɪ ᴏ ɴ ᴀ ʟ ɪ ᴛ ʏ/ᴇ ᴛ ʜ ɴ ɪ ᴄ ɪ ᴛ ʏ: ᴀᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ꜱᴄᴏᴛᴛɪꜱʜ, ɴᴏʀᴡᴇɢɪᴀɴ, ꜰʀᴇɴᴄʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʀɢᴇɴᴛɪɴɪᴀɴ ʙᴀᴄᴋɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ.

─── ⁺ ꜰ ᴀ ᴠ ᴏ ᴜ ʀ ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ꜰ ʀ ᴜ ɪ ᴛ: ᴏʀᴀɴɢᴇꜱ! ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴍᴇᴀɴɪɴɢ.

─── ⁺ ꜰ ᴀ ᴠ ᴏ ᴜ ʀ ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ꜱ ᴇ ᴀ ꜱ ᴏ ɴ: ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ. ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ɪꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ ʙᴏʏ, ʟᴏᴠᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴇᴠᴇɴɪɴɢꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀʀᴍᴛʜ. ʟᴏᴠᴇꜱ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ɪᴄᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴅ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴅʀɪɴᴋ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʜᴇ ꜱɪᴛꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴜɴ. ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴡʜʏ ʜɪꜱ ꜰʀᴇᴄᴋʟᴇꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴏ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴛᴀɴɴᴇᴅ. ꜱᴘᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴏᴜᴛᴅᴏᴏʀꜱ.

─── ⁺ ꜰ ᴀ ᴠ ᴏ ᴜ ʀ ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ꜰ ʟ ᴏ ᴡ ᴇ ʀ: ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʟɪᴋᴇꜱ ᴀɴʏ ꜱᴏʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ʟɪʟɪᴇꜱ. ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ʜᴀꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴏꜰᴛ ꜱᴘᴏᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴜɴꜰʟᴏᴡᴇʀꜱ.

─── ⁺ ꜰ ᴀ ᴠ ᴏ ᴜ ʀ ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ꜱ ᴄ ᴇ ɴ ᴛ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ʜɪꜱ ʜᴜꜱʙᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴍᴇʟʟꜱ ᴀᴛ ᴀɴʏ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴀʏ ᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴍᴇᴀɴ ᴀɴʏ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

─── ⁺ ᴄ ᴏ ꜰ ꜰ ᴇ ᴇ, ᴛ ᴇ ᴀ, ʜ ᴏ ᴛ ᴄ ʜ ᴏ ᴄ ᴏ ʟ ᴀ ᴛ ᴇ: ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ᴅʀɪɴᴋꜱ ᴇꜱᴘʀᴇꜱꜱᴏ/ʟᴀᴛᴛᴇꜱ 80% ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪʟʟ ɢᴇᴛ ᴀ ᴄᴏꜰꜰᴇᴇ ɪꜰ ᴇꜱᴘʀᴇꜱꜱᴏ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ᴀᴠᴀɪʟᴀʙʟᴇ. ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ʜɪᴍꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ʜᴏᴛ ᴄʜᴏᴄᴏʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴏɴ ᴏᴄᴄᴀꜱɪᴏɴ, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴡʜɪᴘᴘᴇᴅ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴏɴ ɪᴛ. ᴍᴏꜱᴛʟʏ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴄᴏʟᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴡɪɴᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇ ꜱᴇᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴀᴅꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴᴀʟ ᴘᴇᴘᴘᴇʀᴍɪɴᴛ/ᴇɢɢɴᴏɢ/ɴᴜᴛᴍᴇɢ ᴅʀɪɴᴋꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴇᴛꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴛᴄʜ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ.

─── ⁺ ᴀ ᴠ ᴇ ʀ ᴀ ɢ ᴇ ʜ ᴏ ᴜ ʀ ꜱ ᴏ ꜰ ꜱ ʟ ᴇ ᴇ ᴘ: ᴀɴʏᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ 3-8 ʜᴏᴜʀꜱ. ɪᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴅᴇᴘᴇɴᴅꜱ ᴏɴ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴇʟꜱᴇ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ. ꜰᴏʀ ᴇxᴀᴍᴘʟᴇ, ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴏᴜᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴏɴ ᴀ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ, ꜱᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴅᴀʏ ʜᴇ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘꜱ ɪɴ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ʀᴇꜱᴛ. ᴏʀ ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ʜᴇ'ꜱ ɢᴏᴛ ᴀ ʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴏꜰ ɪɴꜱᴏᴍɴɪᴀ (ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪꜱ ᴘᴛꜱᴅ) ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴʟʏ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘꜱ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ ʜᴏᴜʀꜱ.

─── ⁺ ᴅ ᴏ ɢ ᴏ ʀ ᴄ ᴀ ᴛ ᴘ ᴇ ʀ ꜱ ᴏ ɴ: ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ʟᴇᴀɴꜱ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛᴏᴡᴀʀᴅꜱ ᴅᴏɢꜱ ꜱɪᴍᴘʟʏ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ ʜᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡꜱ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴄᴀᴛꜱ. ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ᴅᴏɢ ɢʀᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ɢᴇᴛꜱ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ʜᴇ ꜱᴇᴛᴛʟᴇꜱ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ. ʜᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇꜱ ʜᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ᴏᴜᴛꜱɪᴅᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʜɪᴍꜱᴇʟꜰ ʙᴜꜱʏ.

─── ⁺ �� ʀ ᴇ ᴀ ᴍ ᴛ ʀ ɪ ᴘ: ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴍᴏᴜɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ. ʜᴇ'ꜱ ꜱᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱɪᴇʀʀᴀ ɴᴇᴠᴀᴅᴀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴋʟᴀᴍᴀᴛʜ ᴍᴏᴜɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ, ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛꜱ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴡɪʟᴅᴇʀ. ᴍᴏʀᴇ ɴᴏʀᴛʜ, ᴜᴘ ɪɴ ᴄᴀɴᴀᴅᴀ. ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏᴜᴛᴅᴏᴏʀꜱʏ ᴛʀɪᴘ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ. ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ʜᴀꜱ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴄᴀᴍᴘɪɴɢ, ʙᴜᴛ ʜᴇ ᴛʜɪɴᴋꜱ ʜᴇ'ᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ. ᴄᴏᴏᴋɪɴɢ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀ ꜰɪʀᴇ, ꜱᴛᴀʀɢᴀᴢɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʟʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴘᴏʟʟᴜᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ, ʜɪᴋɪɴɢ, ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴘ ᴏᴘᴇɴ ꜱᴏ ʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴋʏ. ꜱᴏᴜɴᴅꜱ ɴɪᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ.

─── ⁺ ꜰ ᴀ ᴠ ᴏ ᴜ ʀ ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ꜰ ɪ ᴄ ᴛ ɪ ᴏ ɴ ᴀ ʟ ᴄ ʜ ᴀ ʀ ᴀ ᴄ ᴛ ᴇ ʀ: ɪ'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ 100% ꜱᴜʀᴇ ᴡʜɪ��ʜ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ ᴇxɪꜱᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʏʙᴇʀᴘᴜɴᴋ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ʏᴇᴛ, ꜱᴏ ɪ'ᴍ ᴀꜰʀᴀɪᴅ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴏɴᴇ!

─── ⁺ ɴ ᴜ ᴍ ʙ ᴇ ʀ ᴏ ꜰ ʙ ʟ ᴀ ɴ ᴋ ᴇ ᴛ ꜱ: ᴜꜱᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰʏ ᴅᴜᴠᴇᴛ. ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ʟɪᴋᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪɢ ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰʏ ꜰᴇᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ꜰɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴏɴᴇꜱ, ɴᴏʀᴍᴀʟʟʏ ɪɴ ᴀ ɴᴇᴜᴛʀᴀʟ ᴄᴏʟᴏᴜʀ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ᴘʟᴜꜱ ᴀ ꜰɪᴛᴛᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰʟᴀᴛ ꜱʜᴇᴇᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ᴜꜱᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴀʟʟ ʜᴇ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ-ᴡɪꜱᴇ. ᴘɪʟʟᴏᴡꜱ-ᴡɪꜱᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ.

─── ⁺ ʀ ᴀ ɴ ᴅ ᴏ ᴍ ꜰ ᴀ ᴄ ᴛ: ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ɪꜱ ꜱᴜʀᴘʀɪꜱɪɴɢʟʏ ᴀɢɪʟᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ʜɪꜱ ꜱɪᴢᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴏ ᴄᴀʀᴛᴡʜᴇᴇʟꜱ! ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ-ʜᴀɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴋɪɴᴅ. ʜᴇ'ꜱ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ꜱᴜʀᴘʀɪꜱɪɴɢʟʏ ᴠᴇʀʏ ꜰʟᴇxɪʙʟᴇ. ᴠᴀʟᴇɴ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ'ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏʙʟᴇᴍ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜᴘᴘᴇʀ ᴄᴇɴᴛᴇʀ ᴏꜰ ʜɪꜱ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴏʀ ʙʀɪɴɢɪɴɢ ʜɪꜱ ʟᴇɢ ᴜᴘ ʜɪɢʜ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀ ᴋɪᴄᴋ. ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʜɪᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅᴇʀ ꜰʟᴇxɪʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴏɴᴇ. ᴍᴀᴋᴇꜱ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪᴄᴋʙᴏxɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴊᴊ ʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ.

As always, there's zero pressure to share your results (or fill these out) if you'd rather not to ♡ and if you've already been tagged, then feel free to ignore this. There's no pressure to interact with this post if you don't want to. Let me know if you'd like to be tagged or would rather not be tagged ♡

@rindemption @noirapocalypto @spicyraeman @swanfey @skyllianverge @elenaril @kharonion @peaches-n-screem @quickhacked @mrdekarios @dameayliins @elvenbeard @westealtoys @f001onthehill @balverine2077 @thedeadthree @ravensgard @duskfey @strafethesesinners @aggravateddurian @opaleyedprince @envergothash @timaeusterrored @wilxfyre @vincentmatthews @seluned @yharnams @cove-holdens @skaterboisims @alphanight-vp @cyberneutral @aceghosts @florbelles @feykiller @minastirithe @leota-nexus @baldurians @aelyosos @gortash @hibernationsuit @ncytiri @cetra @nightcxty @vanoefucks @enverflymm @estevnys @cybertokyodog @dreadfulsanity @cloudofbutterflies92 (hi new mutuals♡)

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[swinging-stars-from-satellites]

live with me forever now (just not for long, for long); October '23

Fall Out Boy, Heartbreak Feels So Good // The Farewell (2019) dir. Lulu Wang // Fall Out Boy, Hum Hallelujah // unknown // Amy Hempel // Erin Slaughter // Sally Wen Mao // Richard Siken // Laura Makabresku, The Anatomy of Melancholy // Trista Mateer // A Softer World // unknown // The Farewell // Hosho McCreesh // unknown // Fall Out Boy, Heaven, Iowa // The Farewell // Kaveh Akbar // locket engraved with words by E. E. Cummings (source unknown) // Panic! at the Disco, Trade Mistakes // Hieu Minh Nguyen

[ectocs]

The Dirubael

What can I say. I think it's enjoyable to interpret things a bit strangely, as if I'm an alien who saw a handful of earth animals and has to guess the rest.

Fast doodles + some bonus stuff (gif warning) below :), plus the usual chatter:

Black, big as a horse, tail of an elephant. Easy-peasy, picturing a big ungulate thing. Jaws of a boar. Okay, huh. A few ways to interpret that, but I'm going with some tusks. Not too out there.

Unusually long horns that it can adjust... now that's something else. I wanted to imagine a reason as to why it could move the horns. This included any number of mechanisms -- literal horns that moved through strange muscle attachments in a socket? Interesting, but not sure how to convey that through art. Maybe 'horns' like a beetle has horns -- either part of their exoskeleton or as mandibles?

The description of how it fights is interesting. It obviously needs to be able to move its horns, then, or at least look like it's moving them.

I did a few very very basic doodles (by my standards), first of cattle... mostly water buffalo... to get a feel for their head shapes. In case you wonder what I'm doing when I'm not making 'decent', more complete sketches, it's this. Consider this extra behind-the-scenes stuff.

With the last one I played around a bit with the horns, but only barely.

At this point I decided to switch to something more boar-like, with a dash of beetle, but I couldn't come up with anything I really liked:

My issue was coming up with anything that could move, or even fake it. I started making that open-mouthed mandible boar, getting basically nowhere, when I had a thought.

What if we expand on that spiky bug limb idea. Bugs love having spiky limbs. More limb, less... uh... mandible or horn.

Inspired by mantids and an OC of mine, I created the first real sketch:

It looks like horns. From a distance -- because who would realistically want to get close to this -- it would look like horns, and like they were moving. Personally I like to imagine that they charge or stab with them, rarely extending their 'arms' save for pulling down vegetation from higher. I mean... trampling things underfoot seems like a better defense mechanism really...

I took a few cracks at drawing it but has struggling to refine it. I drew it once in a basic form, but couldn't do it again. That's when I decided to take things an extra step.

BEHOLD, THE MIGHTY SPORE DIRUBAEL:

Yeah, so. I made them in spore. Modded spore, specifically. No idea if they can appear in my world, but they're in there now, so maybe.

I walked this guy around and took a few screenshots as references before leaving. I did ask for some animated avatars, though. And I'm glad I did. I love this thing.

Here's a failed screenshot where I accidentally whacked my spacebar while moving my meaty hands to the mouse.. truly, a majestic creature, this is.

[velvetredskies]

DUEL