#More serious is probably greyscale

[clownsuu]

Holy cow there’re a lot and I really do mean A LOT of Welcome Home AUs, and more coming too. Not saying it’s a bad thing, but it makes sense considering WH doesn’t have a lot to work with so it leaves tons of room for fans to play around with. I just hope it doesn’t get outta hand like what happened to Undertale with its AUs.

People are free to have creative liberty on what aus they wanna make- like you said there is very little canon content to munch on so people will pull a “fine I’ll do it myself” JCHFHDHU-

I personally don’t mind it as well, but I do enjoy the aus where they purposely change Wally’s height just to make him more simp-able LMAOO

[restinslices]

Silly little request but how do you think LKB would dress like casually? Like once every blue moon they have a day off and ding need to wear their uniforms? Can you do this in bullet points?

Them not in their uniforms is such a normal concept but it seems so weird for them if you know what I mean. Like, wdym they don’t wear those outfits to sleep? Also this is probably shorter than other posts because it’s about outfits, yk?

Bi-Han

Black. Moving on-

On some real shit though, I feel like this man’s entire wardrobe is in greyscale 

Someone’s like “hey there’s this event coming up! Can you wear a blue shirt?”

You’d think he’d have blue but nope. Nothing but blacks and greys and maybe a white in there 

I saw a post of biker Bi-Han and I definitely see it now 

Idk if the pictures imma attach at the end are really biker tho so that’s why I’m saying mainly blacks 

Like Elsa, the cold doesn’t bother him anyway so jackets aren’t really a thing he has to wear. He kinda just does because it makes the outfit look better 

That’s all the brain power he puts into it though because this man doesn’t care about his wardrobe at all 

He cares enough to not look sloppy but he doesn’t care about piecing shit together or brands and designer. If you look closely you can see he’s wearing the same shirt he was wearing yesterday 

He wears black because he’s still thinking like an assassin. The whole “I shouldn’t be noticeable” thing 

Which is wild when you think about how he’s definitely noticeable in that blue outfit but idk

He also wears black because… he doesn’t know 

He checked his closet and realized that shit looked like a black void but refuses to actually wear more color 

I don’t see him accessorizing much either. He only carries stuff he can fit in his pockets 

Kuai Liang

Lazy 

Bi-Han adds a jacket for a bit of razzle dazzle but Kuai Liang doesn’t 

In all fairness, he gets hot easily (this is stereotypical but idc) so a jacket isn’t gonna work 

He wears the most basic t shirts and pants 

Like he legit got the same white shirt 50 times 

The shit is despicable 

I don’t think he adds many accessories either. He probably doesn’t carry much on him 

Long sleeves never really happen either 

Honestly I don’t think of any them dress with any special aesthetic in mind

But him? Extra lazy

I am being so serious when I say he buys the same clothes over and over again. He forgets he has a white t shirt in his closet so he buys another and the cycle repeats 

Probably doesn’t care as much because what are the chances he’ll be out of uniform?

You know how people say men's outfits are so boring? He’s the main example they use because there’s no personality with his shit 

I don’t see him doing much on his off days though so that’s probably why he just throws something on

He’s just getting dressed to go grocery shopping 

Tomas Vrbada 

The one with the most style 

Which isn’t saying a lot 

Wears multiple layers 

Why do I think this way? Idk. But if I said they all dress the same, it’d be boring so here we are

He probably has a normal type of body heat since he’s not a pyromancer or cryomancer so he’s wearing hoodies and jackets because he’s genuinely cold 

He accidentally has style 

Wearing a hoodie and jacket is stylish to people for whatever reason. He doesn’t get it but he’s like “yeah, I definitely have fashion sense. It’s definitely not because I’m cold all the time. That just doesn’t sound like me”

May accessorize a bit but not as much 

As a whole I think accessories can become heavy and get in the way and our boys gotta be ready to bust a move if something pops off. Just because they’re off duty doesn’t mean they’re not paying attention or in danger 

So that’s why our boys travel light 

He has those smoke bombs and shit so he might have a little pouch with him but I don’t think he’d carry a backpack. Goes back to being too heavy 

If something can’t fit in a pouch, it’s staying home 

Dresses in neutral colors. I don’t think any of them are necessarily into bright colors 

Doesn’t have the same exact clothes but wears them the same exact way. His outfits look like a skin variation 

He’s doing his best 

Remember all I do for you because imagining them in normal clothes fucked me up more than I’d like to admit

[fantasyfantasygames]

This Game Is Familiar

This Game Is Familiar, Beebo Bunkums, 2022

There are so many jokes one could make here about TGIF and "but I haven't even seen it before" and "In Soviet Russia...", so hopefully you can fill those in yourself.

In This Game Is Familiar (TGIF) you play spellcasters' familiars. The game uses the term "witches, wizards, and warlocks", so I guess the implication is that warlocks are non-binary, which I think the NB folks I know would be down for. You could be helping your caster succeed in school or work, rescuing them from their nemesis, keeping from embarrassing themselves, etc. It's much more on the "beer and pretzels" side than the "serious games about serious topics" side. Or maybe on the "together they fight crime" side.

The mechanics are in the Honey Heist / Lasers & Feelings area, with two axes instead of one. Axis #1 is Size vs. Speed. Axis #2 is Power vs. Personality. Each axis has to add to 7 independently, and you do the usual 1d6+stat. After that comes a power system that's pretty similar to the one in Everway. I think it evolved separately, but it's possible that (checks author credit) (checks it again) Beebo Bunkums did read Everway and decided to house-rule things. There's a page full of d66 tables with personality quirks.

It's a little unusual to see any substantial add-ons for a L&F hack. In addition, the powers don't really mesh with the rest of the mechanics - they're more in the "it works or it doesn't" category, like flight or not having to breathe. I wonder whether BB is actually two people who mashed their games together.

The game's setting is just sort of an assumed-D&D-type world. There's nothing explicit beyond the existence of spellcasters and some sort of magic society, so you could theoretically play this in a high-tech setting if you wanted. You'll just have to do the work of setting-building yourself.

The art is part scratchy b/w linework and part greyscale watercolor, which lends a little more credence to the "two authors" theory. The linework has the "creepy but friendly" style, where that crow could stop snacking on an eye long enough to give you a hand with the stuff on the high shelf. The watercolors are more in the Addams Family style, morose but morbidly funny.

The game's on itch, but you probably figured that out from the title and author. It's only 13 pages but it's nice and cheap.

[outeremissary]

2023 Wrapped!

This is my first ever time doing a year end art summary (using this template)- I always wanted to when I was younger, but never felt I was creating enough work or that it was "serious" enough or good looking enough to be worth compiling. It's been interesting to reflect on a year that included so many creative ups and downs (and life ups and downs in general). If you'll permit me I want to do the little reflection ramble too, even if it's an inadvisable 5 (or now 6) in the morning where I live.

Some of you who followed me on Twitter probably know that I only "learned to color"- or rather found a way that worked for me enough to finish things consistently- in 2022, and rather late in 2022 at that. This is pretty much the first year where work I considered "finished" or "polished" included things that weren't greyscale, and it's absolutely the first year where I had attempted to do something in color almost every single month. When I look at this and see the range of hues it has, I really feel an incredible sense of achievement. I would not have imagined 14 months ago that I could stitch something that looked like this together, and 12 months ago I can't say I'd have felt confident either.

Despite having a huge artistic slump in the back half of the year (along with a sharp downturn in my mental health in general) I was astounded to find that for the first six months I had so much work that I loved and was proud of that it was hard to put this together because I constantly felt like I was leaving favorites out- works that I thought were iconic or were huge milestones or I just really loved. That was unbelievable. And that was only sifting through the "nice" stuff- I didn't even consider a mountain of sketches and doodles that I adored! Even in my busiest months and the months I was recovering from a major medical procedure (I got top surgery!!!) I had something to show, and May being a WIP is less because there was nothing in that month than because Aurien and Vio were the only ones who were fitting in the damn frame (side note: I'd be more thoughtful with template than aesthetic if I ever did this again).

Even in the five months I was convinced I had done absolutely nothing, I found again and again that I had more than I thought for every month (except November, where it turned out everything I thought I'd done was early December. you've been spared DUrgetash). I was creating even when I was convinced that I was never going to be able to draw again. And I was creating enough that I got to be picky filling this thing out and choose Tristian for October just for a laugh when other options were out there, and enough that I had options when I was struggling to fit something I wanted into the template frame.

Side note: Miss Leonelle, you were tragically robbed by the damn frames.

In making this I also saw again and again the connections that I made throughout the year. I have had the incredible fortune to make wonderful friends this year and to build on bonds that I already had- even some where I perhaps didn't deserve the chances I was given. @mountainashfae is all over this summary- in April, May, June, August, and November- and I've often felt I spent as much time on Vio as Balthazar this year, but there were at least seven other baronesses, KCs, and other incredible OCs I had the privilege of drawing this year who I desperately wanted to fit onto this and was not able to for one reason or another. I'm so happy to know so many creative, passionate people and to be allowed so close to the things they hold so dear. To everyone who has shared their creations this year- not just with me, but with anyone on the internet or in real life or quietly in DMs or in a Discord or wherever- you're incredible, and I hope you're proud of what you've done. And if you struggle with that, I hope you can be proud of the way you're growing even now.

If you've stuck with me this far, thank you. Sincerely. I really appreciate that there are people who enjoy looking at my silly little drawings and reading my occasional rambles, even if I'm a little erratic on putting things up and usually a bit distant by choice from fan communities. And if you continue to stick around, I hope that you continue to have a good time.

I don't know what to expect from 2024 when I've got a laundry list of projects from 2023 I haven't finished, but I'm hopeful about what it'll contain. There's a lot I want to do- more full illustrations, working on other media, trying more ambitious projects- but for now it's enough to just think about picking up the things I've left off and continuing to tie up those loose ends.

Here's hoping we all can find something we want in 2024, as terrible and unknowable as the new chapter is.

[markerofthemidnight]

Greyscale - Chapters Masterlist (Working Titles)

It’s someone’s birthday, so I’m giving you guys a little gift to celebrate! Just a few weeks ago I made a masterlist of every chapter of Greyscale because I thought it might make me come out with them quicker.

While that plan’s still to start working, I thought you guys would enjoy being able to theorise based on the names of the chapters. And please do: I’d love to know your thoughts!

After all, there’s nothing I enjoy more than withholding information from people and watching them struggle to understand things that, to me, are just common knowledge by now! (this is a joke but also it isn’t that’s actually pretty fun)

(also note that these are all working titles and are subject to change)

Anyways, here it is:

Greyscale - All Chapters

Day 1

Chapter 1 - Let’s Do The Time Warp Again

Chapter 2 - Family Reunion

Chapter 3 - Greyscale Is A Kaiju Movie About Magical Climate Change

Chapter 4 - Self-Doubt and Spells

Day 2

Chapter 5 - The Whole “Being Human” Thing

Chapter 6 - Misadventures In Housesitting

Chapter 7 - Stealthy Therapy Eating

Day 3

Chapter 8 - Foghorn Concern

Chapter 9 - A Bird’s Eye View

Chapter 10 - Top Ten Reasons Why Wiggly Hates Coffee (Number Five Will Surprise You!)

Day 4

Chapter 11 - Tinky’s Caffeine Hangover

Chapter 12 - Dinner And A Show

Chapter 13 - Do You Like How I Walk

Day 5

Chapter 14 - I Eat When I’m Nervous

Chapter 15 - Back To The Future From The Past In The Present

Chapter 16 - In Black and White

Chapter 17 - Tinky’s Got No Bitches

Day 6

Chapter 18 - The Chapter Where The Lords in Black Learn That They Are Actually Incredibly Fucked (working title)

Chapter 19 - Ship in a Bottle

Day 7

Chapter 20 - Sitting Ducks

Chapter 21 - The Floodgates

Chapter 22 - It’s Gonna Get Weird

Chapter 23 - Repentance

Chapter 24 - Eye of the Storm

Epilogue - A Dark Dénouement 

***

And that’s all! Pretty proud of these chapter titles (my personal favourite is probably Foghorn Concern because it is SO incredibly vague but it’s gonna make total sense once you read it)

Little hint: you can kinda tell which chapters are serious and which are more filler by how cracky the name sounds.

Oh, and for those who haven’t read Greyscale or perhaps need to catch up on it:

[beetlebuggy01]

Todays “serious talk” with my mom ended with me being happy about being Autistic and I feel like I should share it with tumblr.

Like I said Today’s “talk of the day” with my mom was about autism because it was on the news and at the end I brought up how I love how I’m autistic, bc it makes me me. Like if I were to go into some magically scenario where I could see ANYTHING and I asked to see me but without autism I feel it’d be a different person entirely! Like if I was me just magically without my chronic illness it’d still be ME. but me without autism I just can’t see it being the same person? Like when it comes to earlier this morning my mom got a letter, and I was TRANSFIXED by the envelope bc the stamp has a shark on it. And when my mom asked what I was doing I I told her excitedly “Mom look! You got a letter and the person who sent you it put a shark letter sticker on it!” And immediately going into the different breeds of hammerhead without prompting. Which I gave the letter to my mom and said I wish I could keep the cool shark stamp! afterwords my mom tore the corner of the envelope with the stamp off and gave it to me. And then me getting excited at the idea of putting the stamp on my water bottle! In which my mom helped me gently peel the stamp off the paper and stick it to my bottle, and even helped me cut a perfect peice of tape to keep it on so it wouldn’t fall off and after getting said shark stamp to stick onto my water bottle I literally got so happy I DANCED AND SANG. That interaction is so inherently me and I can’t imagine having done that if I didn’t have autism. or other stuff like going to museums or aquariums and telling my mom a million fun facts I know about the exhibits! Or getting so happy I cry bc I found a pretty pebble and I can identify the material it is! If I were to imagine myself without autism I honestly can’t see myself doing those things, and those things make me fundamentally me yknow? Like the version of me without autism realistically would probably still be me, but to visualize it in my brain feels like I’d be a greyscale “WRONG” version of myself? Like some kind of dissociative experience or version of Uncanny Valley where I’m looking at my face but it isn’t ME. All my character all the parts that make me, me. Just gone? I just love being autistic honestly, and to be a little narcissistic? it makes me such a wonderful individual and fun and cool and awesome! I have fun facts and knowledge about such fun silly things! And I know so much and thrive on learning more! and without it without autism like I said I can’t imagine being the same person without it! Like getting happy over stamps that have sharks on them and in the end when I get it on my bottle I DANCE and SING from joy! Or being excited to listen to HOURS LONG video essays on topics I like, crying out of joy because I see a cute cat or I find a pretty rock or feather, it’s so inherently me, but also the fact that autism isn’t quantified by like “this is something because of autism this is ‘the real u’” (there is no such thing/way to do such. every part of me is because of autism and also the real me.) So therefore all the things i love that make me, me, are BECAUSE of the autism, and I love the person i am so therefore i love being autistic yknow?? This is really just a psudeo post on how i love being autistic, and how awesome and unique it makes me. I love being autistic <3

Which, I’m going over the ‘good’ parts of autism, I’m not going over the developmental disability part of the developmental disability, the sensory issues, the disconnect between how different neurotypical people think are taught and how I have to be taught and how I think. The things I just DONT and sometimes CANT and never will “get” about the world etc. I’m skipping over all of the genuinely “negative” parts of autism, which I just don’t believe you can label it as bad or good parts? it’s all just autism it isn’t some morality thing where parts of it are morally inherently good and some morally inherently bad. It’s just autism it’s “a force of nature” there is no moral badness to the wolf for killing the deer there is no moral badness to the different traits of autism, it’s just the way it is and you and the people around you (and the world) just have to learn how to live in a world where people are autistic/neurodiverse/disabled and accommodate it, not try to change or “fix” or right it bc it’s wrong yknow? Because it ISNT wrong. There is no good autism or bad autism traits it’s all just autism, at best morally neutral But that’s besides the point. I technically skip over those parts of it before, which the “negatives” are just as much a part of being autistic as the “positives” but I’m still happy to be autistic, because it’s still me, “negative” and “positive” traits alike! And I love me! I love being me I love the way I think and speak and work things out and everything about me! And I love me. Even still with all the parts of autism I love being autistic because autism is every part of me as I am me and I’m PERFECT the way I am. And yes I skip out the “bad” but still. I love being autistic because being autistic means I’m being me <3

Again like I said this is just really a “autism/neurodiverse positivity post/thought” yknow? It’s not really in-depth thought out or some essay I’ve proof read, it’s just me putting how much I’m me and how I love being me on the metaphorical page. And i guess it’s about Being happy with yourself and loving yourself with the “good” and the “bad” parts bc it makes you you and your beautifully you in every way you are <3

[37gorditas]

Why was Spamton so much more unsettling than Jevil?!?!

(Deltarune Chapter 2 spoilers under the funny line!)

I thought about this stuff when i was in the shower, so it probably doesn't make much sense but here goes!!!

Alright, I might be having serious brainrot, but i think compared to Jevil, Spamton is unsettling as FUCK. I mean, one of them is a fella in a jail cell somewhere that really likes chaos (and is also probably based on a random LINE sticker pack)...

Spamton, on the other hand, while also having similar thoughts of freedom and is also similarly Kind Of Unhinged, is a bit more disturbing, especially when you're working to fight his NEO form. One event that sticks out to me is when you transfer his data onto the Empty Disk. As the data starts transferring, line by line, the shop turns greyscale, the music lowers in speed, and Spamton disappears.

When playing through the game myself, I immediately left because Crap! I Kinda Liked That Guy! Something about him just Disappearing just got to me. Another pretty unsettling thing that happens is at the end of the Spamton NEO fight, he just. Falls to the ground, motionless. His NEO form lies there on a black background for what seemed like Hours, and the gang appears on a path leading out of the basement (IIRC.)

Now, I don't think everything literally turned Pitch Black for the gang when they were on the tracks there. Seems that the game intentionally has everything else black out to emphasise what happened to US, the player. The same goes for the shop, in a way. While maybe the colour DID get transferred from the room along with Spamton (and the telephone???) it's like the game litters these jarring, quiet moments with Spamton throughout the game. But why?

Maybe it's to show the parallels of Spamton to Kris. Kris is also unsettled by Spamton, especially seen after the fight, when they yell that they're not OK (if that option is picked.) Spamton may have painted a picture to Kris that there's no way out of being puppeted forever. (He talks about not being [Big] enough and that makes new goofy theories spring up in my head which i'll spare you guys from.) Kris is pretty annoyed by us, the players, already, and they DO have times where they just sever our connection to them through the SOUL, but these periods of time are brief. Spamton crushed the hopes that Kris may have had of completely regaining control.

But why show the parallels to US? What do we do, rewrite the game to make things go better for Spamton and Kris? Honestly, there's no way of knowing until at least chapters 3-5 come out. I need more LORE...... more TINY CHUNKS OF PLOT....... more FUNEE CHARACTERS......... to think about and tie back to this.

That's pretty much all I had to say, to be honest. I had a lot more ideas about this in the shower, but they don't make much sense to me now. PLEASE tell me what you guys think because there are probably a lot of pieces i didn't connect that well, and things i would've got wrong. I don't know where I thought I was going with this. Just putting my thoughts here so I can look back when the rest of the chapters come out and laugh.

TL;DR: Spamton's presented as being unsettling because he has pretty similar toils to Kris, who is also probably unsettled by him.

Thanks for reading!

[mai-komagata]

So not naming names bc the author is an awesome person, and it’s probably just me not being familiar with romance tropes, but I’m reading this romcom marketed book with a goofy cover, premise and title, but it isn’t funny at all? I guess the protagonist thinks things are funny but the joke is always “isn’t it funny this guy is weird and doesn’t fit in?! He is so weird!” But like the guy is not particularly funny or even that weird. He is just blunt and awkward — if there wasn’t a fantasy trope going on I’d say he is just some flavor of neurodivergent or even a foreigner going through culture shock. And as a person who experienced both I relate to the dude but not the girl at all.

Are romcom novels not meant to be haha funny and have jokes? I’ve read social media posts by this author as well as some of her crackier fics and I find them hilarious and absurdist but her published novel just… isn’t? It’s more her standard coffee shop au vibe, which is fine but which I didn’t expect. Maybe my expectations for the genre are wrong? Not to mention all the mood boards on tumblr for the book are greyscale serious people, like the romance is just “these two people are hot”, not “they found romance because they shared a hilarious romp together.”

Am sad. Was hoping for more zanyness based on the premise. But who knows I’m only halfway through. Maybe it will come. It’s not a bad book just not for me.

But anyway if you have recs for books that are funny, fantastical and romantic I’d jump at a chance to read them. Goes without saying if you somehow know what book im talking about don’t tag the author or the book!)

But yeah, I guess I was expecting more zany situations and jokes that involve the other characters? Like clueless but with magical creatures.

[traumxrei-archive]

hello! can i request #9 and jade for the special, um, 666 followers event LOL. if the slots are already full, can i request jade for #8 instead? thank you so much!

【 passing time in your arms 】

prompt #8: They said they were finally going to leave Twisted Wonderland, but he doesn’t want them to go and if he doesn’t say something now… (ft. jade leech)

gn! reader, 600 followers event ficlet

author's note: hello !! i think i ran out of slots on #9, so this will be written with prompt #8, which is. angsty asf. i had a fun time making jade go through all that angst jskdfjsk idk what possessed me to write this since it's kinda hurt/minimal comfort, but nonetheless i hope you enjoy the fic ^^

Memories weren't something that was particularly important to Jade Leech. It was simply a useful tool; for passing his classes, remembering orders, and at times recalling the past. But right now more than ever, Jade was sure that he wanted to remember. No, he needed to remember.

As he desperately ransacked his own belongings— trying so hard to remember— Jade's mind couldn't help but replay the exact moment that lead him to where he was now.

It was a particularly special day for Jade. The Mountain Lovers Club finally got clearance to do an off-campus hike. To Jade, there was nothing more exciting. Especially when the Prefect was added to the mix. He managed to coax out an agreement from them to come with him for this hike.

And the hike was productive indeed, just as his calculations had predicted. There were many new plants he got to catalog and photograph, and the Prefect's company was a welcome change from his usually lonely hikes. It wasn't until they got to the mountaintop that the atmosphere started to change.

"Jade," It was automatic how he turned towards where they were, used to them calling for him; whether at the lounge, in the lunchroom, or those rare moments they had alone. There was a slight smile on his face, uncharacteristic of his usual disposition. But it quickly disappeared when he saw the serious look on their face.

"What is it, Prefect?"

"This is hard..." They muttered under their breath, dragging their hands over their face. "Okay. Crowley just informed me this morning that he found a way to send me back to my old world. I...wanted you to be one of the first to know."

Jade tilted his head. Was he hearing right? He didn't know how to conduct himself, his face contorting into a painfully polite smile, "Excuse me?"

"I'm going back to my old world, Jade," There was a slight pause before they continued. "I know this isn't something you could be happy about—"

"No, no," Jade insisted, though he could feel his heart clench painfully in the confines of his ribs. "This must be a happy occasion for you. I was just...shocked, really. After all, it has been a long time since you've received any news." Not long enough, a traitorous thought said and Jade couldn't help but agree.

"Right?" They turned their gaze to the view. "I guess Crowley did his work after all that procrastinating." What was once a beautiful view to Jade now all looked like it was dipped in greyscale with the crushing weight of the news they just delivered.

Jade tried to clear his head, "Who else knows?"

"Ah," They smiled sheepishly. "It's just you and Grim. He was there when Crowley told me, he's probably kicking up a fit because I left on the hike right after he was told."

Just him and Grim.

"Your other acquaintances probably won't be as composed as I," Jade bluffed, willing his eyes to curve into a fake smile. "I do wish you luck. And you can tell me if you'd like....assistance with telling them."

"Thank you, Jade," They breathed out a long sigh. "It's sad, but...Crowley said that the end of this month is the only guaranteed time I'd be able to go back. It's either now or most likely never, so... I hope you can understand my choice."

They didn't speak anymore after that. The hike down was quiet, sparse words exchanged to make sure that they didn't lose each other. They parted with a goodbye on their part, and he made sure not to lose his smile till after they were gone.

But how was Jade supposed to look at them the same when he knew he was on borrowed time? When he knew that he would be losing them at the end of it all?

The worst part was that his mind was working well enough that he could understand their choice. They had grown up in their original world; spending most of their life there. All semblance of family they had, all their friends, possessions, and anything that mattered...it was all there.

Not here. Not in Twisted Wonderland.

But there was something here, wasn't there? There was the time that they spent with everyone, no matter how short. It had been almost a whole year that they've stayed here. And the time they spend with him, too. Those memories must count for something...right?

So that was where he found himself now. Digging through his usually-neat desk drawer, trying to catch the memories rushing through his mind like sands slipping through his fingers.

A bookmark. The painfully familiar scrawl on the back reminded him of a favor he did for them in the early stages of their acquaintance. It was a first for him to receive such a gift, and it piqued his interest in them. 

A handful of eel-shaped candies from Sam's. They had brought him one every so often whenever they remembered. And while Jade wasn't a sweet tooth, he still ate them at times. The candy always stained his tongue purple and he remembered them remarking about how they matched.

A pressed flower. Something about how autumn was coming and how the flowers were too pretty to forget. He only kept it because he thought that the sentiment was poetic, and the downcast gaze the Prefect gave the flower was too obvious to ignore.

An awfully burned glove that he should've thrown away sooner. The result of their experimentation in the greenhouse. They had laughed so brightly at the failure that Jade couldn't even bring himself to frown. They had perfected it at the end, and Crewel had praised them. But Jade only cared about the beaming smile they sent him.

A photo from that Ghost Camera of theirs. The couple in the photo moved slightly, and he sucked a breath at the vividness of it all. It was his birthday, and they said that it was their special gift for him. He was looking at them, something so bright in his eyes as they were busy clicking the shutter. He was staring at them so intently that he couldn't remember what it felt like before them.

And suddenly he couldn't breathe.

When. When did they become such an irreplaceable part of his life? Jade had to blink hard to keep the tears from falling down his cheeks. There was a call of his name; just Floyd asking if he was okay. He looked like a mess, still in his hiking gear, rummaging through his stuff like a madman.

He said something along the lines that he was fine, cradling the items to his chest like they would disappear with the wind. He didn't remember much of the next part, only that he somehow found himself all the way at Ramshackle.

It was dark. He shouldn't be here. He shouldn't, but when a sleepy-eyed Prefect answered the door he could feel his heart stopping in his throat.

"Jade?" He wanted to sob at the mere mention of his name.

"I'm not okay. I...I lied," Jade couldn't help but crumple to his knees as he made it into the foyer. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." They followed him, his hand clutching at their sleeve.

"Is this...?"

"This. And this, and this," He felt crazy just laying out each item. Crazy hoping that they would understand. "I didn't...realize."

"Realize what?" Their voice was surprisingly level, even as they picked up the photo. Though he could see it was all an act. He saw the way their throat bobbed; glossiness overtaking their eyes.

He cradled their hand, slowly letting his shaking fingers brush over their knuckles, "I am in love with you. I don't want you to leave. And I'm selfish for—"

He was interrupted by their hug, his items scattering as they fell onto the wood floors with a thump. The air was knocked out of him, replaced by an awful warmth as he snaked his arms around them all too desperately.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," They whispered, tears staining his neck. "You weren't supposed to say anything. I was— I was going to leave before we could—"

"We can now," Jade swallowed back another plead. "For you. Even if you decide to leave."

Their face hovered over his, equally as tear-stained, "I'll break your heart."

"And I'll allow it," Jade said firmly, wiping the tears from their cheeks. "I think it would break either way without you here."

The kiss they shared after was quiet; an exchange of silent promises not to forget. A bittersweet uncertainty punctuated by tears. For the time they had left in each other's arms was shorter than both would've liked. And a day would come when all they would have were memories of it all.

thanks for reading the jade angst ! if you enjoyed (or need some healing from that heavy blow of emotional damage), go ahead and check out my masterlist for more of my writing <33

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

Hello! I love your blog and I was just wondering if you had any LGBT+ headcanons for Pride Month?

Happy Pride 🌈

Hmm, let me tackle human characters first.

Earl of Norramby is gay. Obviously.

Nancy is bi and demi.

Also... in classic "at first I was joking, but now I really like it" fashion… I HC the first Fat Controller as trans.

No one ever named their child Topham Hatt OK????

But a sufficiently ballsy dude might choose it if they were forming a new legal identity. And we know Hatt I was ballsy indeed. He stole everything that his neighbors didn't have nailed down and some things they did. He bricked up a gauntletted line even though it shut down his railway. He told the LMS to pound sand. He drained Tidmouth despite the fishermen wanting his head on a platter. You'd have to be a VERY strong personality to be such a successful, powerful transman in the early 1900s but you'd have to be a strong personality to be him anyway???? I'm serious. An ADHD transman with zero chill who literally made his own world. I'm tempted to write a fic of the Young Topham days, who knows. Those old British schoolgirls could be tough birds and I love reading their bits whenever they break through conventional history. I like to think the first Lady Hatt used to be a roommate of him at the girls' school they attended. Jane probably helped him the night he ran away to get a job at the GWR shops. And then maybe she didn't see him again until after he transitioned and became successful and he wooed her for a little while before the reveal that it was her old friend, Euphemia or whoever.

And Jane was soooo pissed off. (Luckily she was also in love.)

I also absolutely adore the idea of an FC5 (not sure Richard will ever get a chance to be FC4, at this rate) who is a woman. But butch. Everyone calls her "sir" but she is also she.

Okay, vehicles! This is where I've hesitated, unsure if I can make myself clear.

I don't particularly vibe with putting human gender and sexual labels on them.

This is not because I want to erase or minimize the diversity of human gender and sexuality.

It's because they are not human.

I mean, okay, I do have my old 'conversion AU,' so I do mentally play around with them as human every so often—to catch most readers up, my notion was that sometime within the 2020s-2040s a large portion of our cast is turned into humans as a fancy alternative to maintaining or retiring them as engines. But even in this AU the whole point is that they adjust to being human but are still rather 'alien', so, like many fans, I kinda take it that they are pansexual by default. There are some more specific things, though (incomplete because, again, I don't think of my human AU very often, so I still have a lot of question marks):

Thomas, I think, would be aromantic

Bertie -> also aro

Edward -> intersex (specifically XX male)

Henry -> gay gay homosexual gay

Gordon -> some sort of greyscale but also he has no clue about this and pursues (straight) dating because it's the 'normal' thing to do (good luck, dude)

James -> will figure out his human gender identity only if given another hundred years to experiment

Percy -> fine with identifying as male but also quite gnc

Toby -> straight and demisexual

Duck -> agender

Stepney -> nonbinary

Donald -> asexual spectrum (unlike Gordon he does know this about himself)

Emily -> lesbian lesbian homosexual lesbian

Philip -> multigender

Harold -> pan. i know i said pan is kind of the default for ex-vehicles but Harold merits a special mention for being, uhh. how shall we say. very sex-positive. a big gallant flirt.

But, again, I'm not too interested in forcing myself to figure out everyone's full identity profile in my human AU because I find the concept of 'gender' and 'sexuality' in them as trains to be far more interesting.

From a creative standpoint, it's actually a lot of fun to play them 'straight' but to use their experiences to explore the whole concept of gender, to push the idea of sexuality to its limits, and also to play around with metaphors for human identities...

Again I know it looks like LGBT erasure but, well. It feels very queer to me.

Here's some of how I see engine gender history. The allegory to real-life stuff is not intentional; it just sort of naturally sprung up when I played around:

At the period (RWS) canon begins, the normal, "natural" order of things is for an engine to be romantically bonded with their coaches.

This very much has a similar status to human heterosexual marriage. It appears to have the seal of tradition. It's acceptable. It's expected. In general (subject to the approval of your manager) it's allowed. (Yes, there is the obvious difference that the union is between one engine and several coaches but it was rare that the convention was for you to exclusively commit to one among the rest. Basically... harem culture I guess.)

If you were built to privilege—if you actually had some coaches you regularly handled, and you did feel this sort of special bond with them—then you might fail to have any occasion to start asking some otherwise very... obvious questions.

Such as:

What if you and your coaches despise each other?

What if you develop particular feelings about just one or two of 'your' coaches, which are increasingly impossible to hide? Like... do you have to?

What if you feel absolutely neutral about your coaches, but your firebox starts to burn with the heat of a thousand suns when you catch sight of that smart tank engine runabout at the end of the line?

What if your line is so big and busy that you don't have coaches that you pull 'regularly'?

What if your railway grows so big that you hardly see any coaches consistently?

What if you are strictly a goods engine and you've only ever exchanged five words in your life with any coach? Okay, so you're just... condemned through no choice of your own to solitude and abstinence, with no hope of happiness? Sounds like horseshit, doesn't it?...

... Say, what's this whisper you hear from the old wheels that fifty years ago the managers didn't approve of these kinds of relationships? That Back In the Day this sort of romantic attachment that is now considered 'the norm' was actually considered scandalous and beyond the pale? What?

'Fifty years' is just an average; different regions and railways progressed at different rates. But, in general, the earliest period of rail history saw an insistence that Useful Engines don't have any such attachments at all. For all its pomp and status, the model of 'passenger engine and coaches' was itself considered quite unnatural before it won acceptance.

But for a good period circa 1900 it was The Thing That Was Done. It became the norm by which rail romances are still rather judged. And it's telling: although humans tended to assign engines human gender (at first usually female; as the idea of a romantic bond between engine and carriages became normalized, humans started to see their engines as male, in a reflection of human marriage), probably the best analogue for vehicular gender remains type. Powered vehicles are one gender; unpowered stock is another. There are also gradiations within those two poles, of course.

And, when freed from human surveillance and control, vehicle sexuality tends to express its preferences in that way. So, to take engines: They very rarely give a rat's ass as to whether a potential mate is male, female, nonbinary, whatever. They recognize the distinctions among themselves but they are seldom relevant in matters of attraction ever, really. Instead, an engine might have an attraction to rolling stock or other engines (or of course both! but 'both' is definitely not a given). Then, within those categories, they are very likely to instinctively be attracted to a subcategory pool based on vehicle type.

I feel like I should give examples but I actually feel more comfortable using my OCs to illustrate:

Joscelyn — a female engine who is attracted to coaches exclusively (she is also absolutely terrible at forming any such connections so she is effectively maidenless)

Skimmer — a male engine who is attracted to both coaches and other engines. This does saddle him with the stereotype of being kind of slutty. (I mean he is kind of slutty but he is judged as such based on his 'sexuality' rather than his actual history.)

Poppet — at the risk of spoilers... she is attracted exclusively to trucks and lorries (which, in her era and culture, is definitely one of the more transgressive "sexualities" for an engine!)

Lizbet (she was formerly Lillibet but I didn't realise at the time how that nickname is not quite so rare and quirky for Brits as it is for us) — attracted to other engines exclusively (which—of course!—means m, f, and nb engines; no meaningful difference from an engine PoV). She is old enough that this 'inversion' caused her significant trouble with her humans back in her day. (She never exactly repented, albeit she did act circumspectly to preserve her friendships with the engines she lived with.)

Araby — male engine who has a hopeless thing for ships. When he worked a landlocked railway this didn't matter. When he was sent to Sodor for a while... oof! did our boy have an awakening...

Columbine (this is a real-life engine, of course) — the equivalent of human 'pansexuality'; she is potentially attracted to anything with wheels

Coppernob (same; sue me) — the loco equivalent of 'asexual'. He does know how to play the role of gallant beau to lovely coaches (which he had to learn late—it wasn't tolerated on the F.R. during his first couple of decades) but I reckon he just thought everyone played it as a role and will be endlessly baffled as engines over the years assert their rights to form bonds with each other because why do you all care about this so much? it was just a bit we had to do for a while for respectability... innit?

Because a vehicle's build is essentially their "gender," that means that I have long kind of viewed rebuilds as having strong metaphorical ties to gender reassignment!

Absolutely horrifying when imposed upon you against your will, of course.

But I imagine there are lots of cases where it wasn't. You can usually tell by whether or not the engine (or whatever) thrived after the rebuild. While I consider 'human AU' Henry to be cis, I read 'engine' Henry's history as very much a trans allegory: he was originally made wrong. I mean his builder canonically had no idea what he was doing! The form he got later at Crewe at last made him into himself. There are plenty of real-life cases that I like to see as similar in an RWS universe. The SECR 'Rivers' had endless problems and angst in their original form; being converted into tender engines felt right for them. Some of them had been consciously eating their heart out wanting such an impossible change for years. The 'Queen Mary' type brakevans I consider to be similar, or at least some of them: unhappy as locomotives, never really feeling right as an engine, perhaps even pestering the engineers for ages to make them into brakevans...

Of course, I don't consider all such transitions to be successful. Some engines, like poor No. 62768 of the LNER., found themselves much unhappier after their rebuild (he was just chosen at random when he was in the shop for repairs, it's not like he wanted it!) Then there are situations like the GWR autotanks who were given panelling to disguise their locomotive nature so they could pass as coaches. Do I read this as cross-dressing, or a sort of cosmetic transition? You bet I do! 😇

Can an engine be assigned a human gender but later determine that it was given to them in error? I mean, it's possible and it happens that engines choose a new human gender but it's quite rare, rarer by far than in humans. They are much more preoccupied with the engine dimensions of their identity. What is much more common is actually what I suppose we'd consider genderfluid or multigender: Various owners (or, if they are unnamed, drivers) over the course of their career might assign them different genders and in virtually all cases the engine (to forgive the pun) rolls with it, untroubled by being a 'he' one decade, a 'she' the next, and perhaps later again being a 'he' even while he answers to the name Lady Eleanor or whatever. To them human gender is very arbitrary and they tend to be perfectly content to just go with it. Often they wish to choose their own name, but even very early in their lives their builders or owners have already gendered them and they seldom care to change that because, again. That bit is all very arbitrary and meaningless to them. The humans seldom treat their engines differently no matter what gender is assigned and therefore the engine sees little distinction.

Soooo, yeah. As for some of our characters, well... this is also very unformed and embryonic still, but...

I do think a lot of our classic lads would have thought they had No Romantic Feelings Whatsoever. Some genuinely were! Neville and Donald spring to mind (Donald is also Duck’s queerplatonic partner, natch.) But for most of them, this was just because they didn't care for coaches, nor indeed other engines of their own type.

However, I reckon as the decades went on their complacency was shattered. (I call it complacency not because acephobia isn't a thing but because for engines in this universe 'asexual' would be considered a positive trait. Useful Engines Don't and all that. So there is some privilege there.) For instance, Thomas may find that he is attracted to non-rail vehicles? And Percy definitely has a thing for flying vehicles, poor chap... (Percy also has long been comfortably attracted to engines, coaches, and ships too. But whirlybirds, man. Kinda ruined/enhanced his life.) James and Gordon found that they weren't "above" such ridiculous things as "playing at" love; they were just diesel-sexual. Henry liked other engines for a long time, so he is open to steam and diesel; he did however get knocked through a loop of his own within this century when he encountered his first electric car and was absolutely useless for the two hours afterwards...

Anyway. God it's late and I hope this makes sense. In any case I don't see the engines as 'gay' or 'straight' or whatever but I do think they have as much gender and sexuality diversity as we humans do; in fact they probably have a good deal more! I also think that they have had a long struggle for most of these identities to be accepted. So they get it. And, most of all, engines would absolutely not understand homophobia at all. Human gender is such an arbitrary thing! Why anyone would get so hung up on policing something like that is baffling to them. They are keen to be of service to all humans, they really love seeing all humans happy, and apart from that they don't have any opinions on humans' peculiar romantic or sexual lives (they barely understand what human sex is!)

Now, how humans board trains or polish an engine or mend their fences or behave in any way even remotely connected to the running of their railway or yard... well, that they have opinions on. Strong opinions. That they will argue with you about. That matters. ;)

[just-a-little-cellist]

Jorah Mormont - NSFW Alphabet

A/N: jorah mormont is the love of my life and its a disgrace that there isn't more content for him, so i made some :) requests are still open

nsfw under the cut :P enjoy!

A - Aftercare (what are they like after sex)

King of aftercare. He is always careful to check you're alright and that he didn't hurt you at all. You might have to verbally reassure him that you enjoyed it, since on occasion he gets anxious, but after that he's more than content to cuddle with you for as long as you want.

B - Body part (fav body part of themselves/their partner)

There isn't really a specific part of himself that he prefers, and the insecurity that came after his greyscale certainly didn't help, but he would probably say his build in general. He's gained of lot of strength and is rather proud of it.

Jorah thinks that all of you is flawless, although his favourite part of you is your smile. He thinks it's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen and when it's directed at him it makes his heart melt.

C - Cum (where do they prefer to cum?)

His favourite place to cum is inside you. It feels so intimate and he doesn't want to degrade you by finishing anywhere else on you.

D - Dirty secret (self-explanatory)

He isn't the best at it himself, but hearing you dirty talk is one of his biggest turn ons. Especially if you whisper things to him in public, it always causes him to flush bright red.

E - Experience (how experienced are they?)

He's had enough experience that he knows what he's doing, but he is generally a little more reserved than most with who he sleeps with.

F - Favourite position (goes without saying)

Cowgirl. Jorah likes to be able to admire all of you - looking up at you while you ride him makes you look like a goddess in his eyes. It also lets him feel vulnerable sometimes, and when you start riding him his brain just shuts off.

G - Goofy (are they goofy or serious in the moment?)

He tends to be more serious during sex, preferring to be immersed in the moment with you.

H - Hair (opinions on grooming etc.)

He doesn't fuss too much over his hair, but if you ask then he's willing to do something with it.

I - Intimacy (how intimate are they during sex?)

Intimacy is incredibly important to Jorah. Sex is the perfect time for him to express just how much he cares for you, and he pours all his unsaid emotions into his actions.

J - Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

He doesn't do it very often, only every now and then if he's away from you. He prefers to relieve his urges with you when possible.

K - Kinks (again, pretty self-explanatory)

I feel like Jorah is usually pretty vanilla, but I do headcanon him as a service sub. He enjoys it when you aren't afraid to take control and be dominant, and he is more than happy to do as you tell him. However, if I had to pick a specific kink, I think he would have a praise kink. Being told that he's doing a good job is reassuring and he makes the prettiest sounds when you compliment him in bed.

L - Location (favourite place to do the deed)

Again, he's pretty tame so his go-to is just the bed, although he's not above fucking you in the bath after a long day.

M - Motivation (what gets them going)

One thing that really gets him going is seeing your feisty side. He likes watching you stand up for yourself and not take shit from anyone else - it really speaks to his sub side. Another thing that I've mentioned already is dirty talk. Hearing you say such vulgar things will instantly get him in the mood.

N - No (something they'd never do)

Jorah refuses to do anything to hurt you, regardless of how badly you want it (this includes CNC). He can be coaxed into being rougher sometimes but he hates the idea of harming you in any way.

O - Oral (preference in giving, receiving etc.)

This man is undoubtedly, 100% a giver. He's surprisingly talented at oral and, every time you sleep together, he makes sure you finish on his tongue at least once before you fuck.

P - Pace (are they fast, slow, quick, rough?)

Jorah likes to take his time in making sure you're properly satisfied (service sub) so he tends to go slower and prefers to treat you gently, but if you want then he's happy to change the pace to suit you better.

Q - Quickie (opinion on quickies)

He's not a huge fan of them. He wants to be able to take things slow, at least most of the time.

R - Risk (how open are they to risk?)

If there's ever anything remotely risky you'd want to do, you'd have to be the one to suggest it. Jorah is open to most things but would never initiate anything new in case you didn't like it.

S - Stamina (how long can they go for?)

He's fairly average in terms of stamina, and might go for a couple of rounds on a good day, but will more than make up for it with how many times he'll make you finish.

T - Toy (opinion on using toys etc.)

He would rather pleasure you himself rather than using toys on you, but he does like the idea of watching you use toys on yourself.

U - Unfair (how much do they like to tease?)

In the bedroom, he doesn't tease at all and just tries to make you cum as much as possible. However on days he's feeling particularly flirty, he'll do subtle things in public that he knows will rile you up.

V - Volume (are they loud or quiet?)

It depends on the day. Usually Jorah is rather quiet in bed, more focused on the sounds you make, but if he's in a subby headspace he'll be a bit louder.

W - Wild card (random headcanon)

One day, while the two of you were in town, you got needy and pulled him into an alleyway to give him a blowjob. Now whenever he walks past an alleyway he gets reminded of the memory and blushes uncontrollably.

X - X-ray (what's going on... down there?)

He's a little on the thinner side, and an inch or so above average in length.

Y - Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

He has a moderate sex drive, but can be very easily swayed if you're in the mood.

Z - Zzzzz... (how quickly do they fall asleep after?)

Jorah always, without fail, will wait until you've drifted off before he goes to sleep. It gives him peace of mind to ensure you're safe and protected beforehand.

[an-army-of-nightmares]

It's a unique 'au' in that'd itd be horror with an ending so specifics would be spoilers 😔, despite how much I really wanna ramble about the whole thing XD

but what I can say is that they both cause an equal amount of torment to the other. Something big happens in the beginning and it's all the aftermath of that. Its largely focused on what Lanyon Sr or others are doing. With Jekyll never really focused on but he's around for the whole thing

I'm like, writing it out as we speak so hopefully I actually make it cause it think itd be fun

I'm like, so tempted to make a disturbing horror tgs comic featuring Lanyon sr and Jekyll and then never post it. Only ever mentioning it if someone sends a relevant ask where I can bring up "Oh yeah a made a full comic that I never posted here"

[dwellordream]

*raises her hand* Do you have any particular idea on how the children of Jaehaerys and Alysanne could have turned out if they had all been born genderbent? Assuming they have some of the same flaws and/or personalities they show in F&B? For example, would things be 'easier' for 'simples' male Daella and Gael, or would a male Saera's behavior be less condamned? Would a male Maegelle still be sent to join the Faith, or another daugher instead? And what other issues could arise in the succession?

Only doing the kids who survived to adulthood:

Aemma Targaryen, eldest surviving daughter pf Jaehaerys and Alysanne, is probably extremely close with her younger sister Baela. Probably marries Boremund Baratheon, only three years her elder, son of Rogar and Alyssa, and rules as Lady Baratheon alongside him. Aemma is a serious and curious child who loves to read and has a very modest and obedient personality.

Though initially nervous around dragons eventually claims the dragon Caraxes which raises the potential problem of her Baratheon children eventually trying to claim their own dragons, which House Targaryen might be a bit leery of depending on the political situation.

Her and Boremund probably have a happy marriage and have one child together, Rhaenys, who will be the first lady of Storm’s End in her own right since Argella Durrandon. Killed at age 37 by Myrish pirates while helping oust them from Tarth on dragonback, to her husband’s anguish.

Baela Targaryen, secondborn surviving daughter, is very close with her elder sister Aemma despite their very different personalities and is probably known for being a bit of a wild tomboy with an interest in swordplay and jousts.

Maybe participates secretly as the mystery knight the Silver Fool at a tourney at Old Oak, before being unmasked. Claims Vhagar, last ridden by her great aunt Visenya. Marries her younger brother Aelyx and are known for their passionate relationship and two sons, Viserys and Daemon. Dies at age 44 of appendicitis after a hunting trip in the Kingswood.

Aelyx Targaryen, eldest surviving son and heir to the Iron Throne, though his mother Alysanne initially argues strenuously that Aemma is the rightful heir as the eldest child. Not regarded as particularly handsome unlike his elder sisters with his big ears and crooked nose, but seen as dashing and charming in personality all the same, known for his quick witted remarks and rebellious spirit.

Often clashes with his father Jaehaerys as he is far from the dutiful heir and often is found sneaking out into King’s Landing to mingle with the common people. Claims the dragon Meleys, who he jokes is his only mistress, the Red Queen, as opposed to his Silver Queen, Baela. With Baela he has two sons, with Viserys being regarded as the obvious heir to the throne should Aelyx die before his father Jaehaerys.

Maegel Targaryen, second son, is known for his gentle nature as opposed to his brash elder brother, as well as his intelligence. Could have become an archmaester but is devoutly religious and insists on becoming a septon instead, though his parents would have preferred he married and sired children. Never had much interest in combat though he was taught to defend himself. Refused to carry arms as a septon besides a wooden staff.

Known for his powers of healing and his compassion for all people, as well as his refusal to be addressed as Prince after taking vows. Very close with both his parents and helps reconcile them twice after vicious estrangements. Very close to his younger brother Daelon growing up. Dies at age 34 after nursing children with greyscale.

Vaella Targaryen, seventhborn child, is promised to the Faith at a young age, which suits her just fine as she has no interest in men or marriage. Regarded as less attractive than her older siblings and known for having a particularly sour personality, who spent nearly all her free time in the library. Despised dancing, dressing well, embroidery, and most of the other more ladylike arts.

Often remarked she would have become an archmaester if she were permitted. Eventually became head of a large motherhouse in Oldtown and was known for her passion for mathematics, astronomy and her dabbling in alchemy and the arcane arts, to the disapproval of some of her fellow septas.

Daelon Targaryen, eighthborn child and third son, was known for his small stature and simple nature, as he seemed to still have the personality and interests of a young boy well into his adult years. Was considered a sensitive, delicate, and shy little boy who had no ability for arms, a terror of horses, and could only read haltingly.

Was often the subject of his proud father’s frustration and shame, though his mother adored him. As neither the Faith nor the Citadel would take Daelon, Jaehaerys threatened numerous times to send him to the Wall. Was often tormented by his mean spirited younger brother, Saeron.

Despite his ‘inadequacies’ was still considered a potentially attractive match for his Targaryen blood and right to the throne should Aelyx and his sons die before Jaehaerys. A match was negotiated between him and Lord Rodrik Arryn’s daughter Amanda. The marriage produced no children and it is doubtful it was ever consummated, but he and Amanda were said to have gotten along well and Daelon lived peacefully at the Eyrie for the rest of his life.

Saeron Targaryen, ninth child and fourth surviving son, was considered courageous, clever, and handsome, but also demanding, manipulative, and cunning. Thrived on attention and usually lashed out when he didn’t get what he wanted. Was often said to ‘joke’ about wishing he were the eldest son or even the only child of his parents, who felt neglected by.

Tormented his brother Daelon and played various pranks on all of the Red Keep, but was also said to have started drinking alcohol at age eleven and was frequently drunk at sept services and feasts.

Known for attracting a clique of ‘favorites’ as a teenager and eventually known for having deflowered both Perianne Moore and Alys Turnberry. Alys Turnberry wound up having a bastard daughter, called Saera Hill for her father, to Jaehaerys’ displeasure.

Into his twenties Saeron clashed so frequently with the king and his elder siblings that eventually he was unofficially banished from court and took off for Lys, where he made a living as the owner of a popular pleasurehouse and numerous slaves. It was often rumored he’d briefly spent time as a bed slave himself. Sired three bastard sons in Lys who all went on to their own wealthy careers as merchants.

Viserion Targaryen was the tenth child and fifth surviving son, who was known for his handsome looks and sly vanity, as well as toying with most of the young ladies at court. Often insisted he would make an excellent Hand someday. Once proposed he wed his niece Rhaenys and rule as Lord Baratheon, earning him the wrath of Boremund.

Fearing he would prove another Saeron a match was arranged for him to the widowed daughter of Lord Manderly, much to his displeasure. He died after a drunken nighttime horse race before the marriage could take place, at only 16 years old.

Gael was the thirteenth and last child of Jaehaerys and Alysanne. He was a frail and small little boy and known to be simple minded, called the Winter Child or the Winter Prince. Jaehaerys was said to react with disgust when he heard Gael was still sleeping in his mother’s bed at age twelve. At the age of nineteen he was said to have been seduced by a traveling singer. When the singer abandoned him, Gael drowned himself. His death was said to have broken his mother.

Ultimately the Iron Throne was inherited by Viserys, son of Aelyx and Baela. He wed Rhaenys as his only female cousin, with the plan that their first son would inherit the Iron Throne, and their second would claim Storm’s End.

[wrenhavenriver]

For the gif ask-box game: 13, 19, 34!

thank you i’m love you <3

Where or from whom did you learn how to gif? I started out making the most busted ass gifs you’d ever seen in your life through wildly inefficient trial and error (shit like pausing a video clip at uneven intervals to manually take screenshots of frames, then compiling them all into a folder and opening it in GIMP to add subtitles and other adjustments frame by frame - reeeeally terrible). I probably only had the patience for this since this was back in 2010ish when the gif file size limit was like 0.5 MB, so you really couldn’t squeeze in many frames without some serious sorcery (and/or making everything greyscale and cutting out huge swathes of the background). At some point though I went “there has to be a better way than this” and started looking up tutorials by other infinitely more competent gifmakers (something something standing on the shoulders of giants) and eventually migrated over to photoshop, and the rest is just a decade+ of very slow tweaks (and hopefully improvements, my god, some of my old gifs have me Marge Simpson Hiding Face Meme dot png).

What is your gif’ing process like? Gif’ing little bits of dialogue is generally the simplest - I gather my footage, write out the transcript of what is being said in my Notes app, block out how the text will be divided/how many gifs the set will be, then import the frames to photoshop and figure out what kind of coloring I’m dealing with. Some games are a lot simpler and only need some basic Brightness/Contrast adjustments, but others (Dishonored, Control, etc) need more Curves/Color Balance/Selective Color/etc layers to try and neutralize any particularly strong filters/effects to dig out more natural or visually interesting colors underneath. From there it’s a matter of adding subtitles, checking the timing, making sure the loop isn’t too jarring, cutting down the file size if needed, then exporting and checking how it actually looks on tumblr and making any final adjustments based on that (usually adding some extra brightness layers or tweaking the frame rate).

Sets with any sort of typography effects take a lot longer because i am Very Bad at them, and sets compiling lots of different scenes usually end up with me having to load up/replay various parts of the game a bunch of times to get more footage when i inevitably realize it would look more balanced with shots X, Y, and Z viewed from another inch to the left or whatever.

A set that took you a long time/was really hard but you’re really proud of how it came out. The Dishonored 10th anniversary set for sure, it was the double whammy described above of being very bad at typography and also needing to retake a bunch of footage or just find alternate scenes that the text would fit in/around better. I started that one like a week in advance specifically because I knew it would be a pain in the ass, and it was, but also Anything For You, Dishonored 2012 Dev. Arkane Studios, My Beloved

[dreadfutures]

my junior and senior year of college i had this mad crush on one of my grad student friends who also ended up TAing a bunch of my upper divs and we bonded over a ton of music and we matched on Bumble and everything and then it turned out he was into a friend of mine and he ghosted me and i was sad

and honestly it was probably the last time I had a really good stupid happy crush and I was just thinking this morning about how with so many emotions i intellectualize as a coping mechanism and distance myself and don’t allow myself to feel them fully because like. what am i going to do with those things? when I’m so angry i want to bite something because my dog shit on my floor even tho i took him out on two long walks because I KNEW he needed to poop, what am I supposed to do? bite something???? no. a what’s the point and b what could i do to express that emotion harmlessly and c it’s not proportionate to what’s really happening in life to warrant that feeling

but crushes? crushes? i can fully allow myself to be swept off my feet by affection and fondness and accept the irrationality of it and keep it to myself or express it as much as i want and who knows how it’ll go but it’s okay. and i miss that feeling and the only reason i haven’t felt that feeling is because of how isolated it is here.

i’ve felt that way about one other person since then but it was marred by this underlying grief and restraint i had to show, but it was the same deal.

anyway camden’s song is Agnes by Glass Animals and I was obsessed with them before he told me it as his favorite but now whenever i hear it i think about him and love even though it’s the saddest song in the world

and i had never watched the music video but:

dear friends…nervously excited to share with you the video for Agnes. it’s hard to explain exactly how it feels inside a human centrifuge. you sit in a small egg-like pod about the size of a horse which hangs off a 50 foot steel horizontal frame. It looks like something out of a bond villain’s lair. it’s claustrophobic and uncomfortable and also incredibly hot.

slowly the whole thing starts to rotate like a helicopter blade. Faster and faster until every part of you becomes crushed under the extreme gravity. its like being slowly sat on by an elephant, or like your whole body being punched in slow motion. you have to flex every muscle and use every ounce of strength you have to keep going. breathing requires serious effort. movement becomes incredibly strained and almost painful. everything that once weighed 5 kilograms now weighs 50. its difficult even to keep your eyes open. it hurts in places you really didn’t know existed. veins and capillaries burst under the pressure and bruising begins. its a rapid physical overdrive.

the blood rushes from your brain making it impossible to think rationally or focus. your eyes are also drained and you get tunnel vision…only able to see small circles of the world directly infront of you and your sight goes completely greyscale…no more colour. your balance and spatial awareness goes and the world begins to spin like you’ve had way too much to drink. but the most striking thing is the way that the machine pulls on your heart. you can actually feel it struggling to beat and changing shape…flattening inside of your chest. Its similar to that horrible sinking, tugging heartache that comes only with complete and overwhelming sadness. and then you pass out.

we ran the centrifuge 18 times while i tried to sing along to a song which i find difficult to listen to at the best of times.

this was probably the most intense video-making experience I’ll ever have. But its the only way that we could just about begin to simulate for a moment what happens within Agnes.

speak soon,

dave

I dunno there’s something about this expression of the centrifuge and that feeling that is so viscerally familiar to me and I get it man, I get it. and that’s another emotion that I have allowed myself to feel fully and completely and those are the extremes of life, you know? the whole range of human beatific revelation lies within those bounds.

[chi-only]

What Your MHA Best Boi Says About You

Midoriya

You like boys that are like your best friend

Probably had/have a childhood friend you have a crush on

Like warm colors and green

Want to have kids

Would ride Midoriya like a fucking horse

Would die to see Midoriya smile

You have been bullied and are nice to everyone because of that

Bakugou

You’re probably lazy af

Bakugou inspires you, but you think he could work on himself

You like boys that take charge but are also emotionally constipated

Favorite color is probably on the greyscale

You think Bakugou is cute unironically

You like cats

You like tv series/movies a lot

Todoroki

You like quiet boys that are slightly awkward

Todoroki is the best thing since sliced bread and no one does it like him

Todoroki deserves affection

You’re his surrogate mother now

You DESPISE Endeavor and don’t care about his development at all

Probably very smart

TODOROKI. IN. GLASSES.

Kirishima

You don’t particularly like dogs but you love guys that act cute like puppies

You would adopt

Favorite color is probably black

Kinda cold and serious

Everytime you see Kirishima: “HE SO COOT”

Handholding is your favorite form of physical affection

Words of affirmation are your love language

Shinsou

Lazy boys are your kink

You like eyebags and think they are hot

You want to adopt cats with Shinsou

All your life you’ve been well liked by your friends but you’re still insecure

Favorite food is either pizza or takeout

You’re shy but easily excited

You take showers to spend time thinking about life way too deeply

Aizawa

You like being taken care of

You are responsible but don’t like responsibility

Would do anything to please Aizawa

You like older men because guys are immature and they disappoint you

Hobby is probably a creative one like painting

Hate small talk but also really bad at keeping the conversation going

Leave one leg out when you sleep

Tamaki

You have a baby boy fetish

Not shy, but you also aren’t too talkative

Probably into some wild kinks

Cuddle Tamaki until his face turns red; you think he is cute when shy

You like sweets but you take your coffee black

You would stab a bitch no problem

You would be a yandere— Tamaki must be protected

Hawks

Have always had thing for fuckboys

You like money but you think sugar daddies are gross

Foxes are your favorite animal

You act like you don’t care, but you care and don’t know how to show it

Are very reliable

Your friends think you are scary but you aren’t

Are environmentally conscious and eat healthy often

Dabi

Probably very kind but gullible to a dangerous degree

You try to act tough but you are not

Love animals

Cry when mad, cry when happy, cry when sad— YOU CRY

Try to see the good in everyone

“DABI IS SO HOT UGH” constantly

You exercise because you want to be more attractive

Shigaraki

You are a pantomath

Curse a lot, but you don’t care

Unbelievably high standards, but Shigaraki would meet none of them

YOU LOVE VIDEO GAMES

Love watching/reading depraved, taboo, nasty stuff

Favorite color is a pastel color

You laugh when people say Shiggy is ugly because, “I’M AWARE BITCH”