#There is one more of these in my inbox but it requires more art

[gethoce]

🍨 (Ice Cream) for Heiadoze!

[🍨 (Ice Cream) - The Invader Armour undergoes a drastic transformation depending on its pilot. If they were to wield it, what appearance would their mech take on? What abilities would it have?]

Here is a crude doodle of the Sleep Robobot Armor, aka the walking bed. Guarantees a good night's sleep while transporting her to her next destination.

[megtrns]

Hello! Wanted to start off and say how much I love your writing, and it's awesome you feel able to do it again. Thank you, and I hope you're having a good day!!!

Secondly, if your inbox isn't too full already, could I maybe request a little scenario of idw megs receiving a painting from a secret admirer so to speak? It's not exactly hard to find out who made it, doing a painting at cybertronian scale is a huge undertaking for a human, and would likely require some assistance (something i doubt would stay secret for long), but, despite their usual spunkiness, the human just got a little too nervous to gift it directly.

a/n : hi dear, thank you so much for the sweet message, i'm glad to hear you enjoy my writing ! i hope you're having a good day too. i hope i do justice to your request because it was so fun to write for <3

florence. megatron / gn!reader. sfw !

You once told him a story about a (rumoured) condition in which people, when confronted with profound artworks, are seized by a range of mysterious symptoms—from mild dizziness to falling to their knees, with some even fainting—the Florence syndrome, as they called it. A strange and rare phenomenon in which one crumbles at the sight of intense beauty.

Megatron is aware of your passion for art. Your hands are often smudged with ink or paint whenever he sees you, dried flecks of grey and red adorning your forearms. Once, you had infamously splashed an entire bucket of paint over Rodimus, pleading to your captain that it was not premeditated. That he just had the spoiled luck of entering your makeshift art studio while you were 'experimenting'.

Work for you above the Lost Light was scarce, and in space, the days all blur into one — long and seemingly endless, no one stopped you from indulging in your hobbies. You had a range of artistic passions, but one Megatron finds curious: painting, both the act and the result of the action. The technique is different from what they did back on Cybertron. And Megatron cannot remember the last time he saw one, denied of such privileges as someone forged for the mines (and by the time he could roam the streets freely, there weren't many buildings left for him to set foot in. Regrettably, he made sure of that.)

He has seen you do it before, wrist moving in delicate concentration, guiding liquid paint — which he learned to be particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil — across a white canvas. You made it look effortless, like a dance you perform for yourself, one he privately wishes he could see more often. But these days, you were being secretive, often excusing yourself away from your usual table at Swerves to return to your studio, where the windows were tinted so that not even sly, conniving mechs like Whirl could peek inside. Everyone assumed you needed the solitude; living in a ship with over a hundred rowdy bots can overwhelm a person. So he lets you go to tend to your latest project, disappointed that even when suspended in space, the time you two shared passes so quickly.

He would be lying to himself to say that he wasn't curious, going as far as surprising himself by feeling jealous at the sight of Ultra Magnus and Fortress Maximus walking out of the studio — idly chatting in the hallway as if they hadn't just entered what is (currently) known as the most secretive place aboard the whole ship. Even Rodimus had thrown a fit at the rumour that the two point-one-percenters had seen your latest painting before he did, and Megatron was somewhat relieved that the former Prime acted as a distraction, afraid that you saw right through him, past his armour and down to his envy.

Until he sees the painting in front of his hab-suite, leaning against the door.

His servos twitched to touch, optics widening at the sight.

It was him.

You've painted him as he is, iron and silver, standing proudly under the light. His eyes red like a rising sun. It was almost like staring into the mirror, yet his image was looking away from the viewer — both he and the audience acting as discreet observers. But there was a sudden, slow pulling at his spark when he realised that even when he's not smiling in the portrait, you made him look kind. Gentle.

And the ex-warlord didn't know how to feel aside from astonishment. Is this how you see him? That despite his marred and ugly history, you see art in him ?

When he saw you the next day, optics skimming the crowd to land on a pair of nervous eyes, Megatron didn't even notice he was smiling — a small, rare gesture that had you blushing so beautifully.

You tried to act as if the painting wasn't from you, dismissing his 'thank yous' and shrugging it off with both hands in your pocket (as if Ultra Magnus and Fortress Maximus had not admitted to being the one to carry you above their open palms for hours so you could reach the corners of the giant canvas.) Megatron, however, doesn't need a confession. He didn’t miss the satisfied grin you tried to hide when you saw the painting in his room, clearly cherished by the way it hung right where he could see it at all times.

Megatron has barely received anything in his life worth treasuring, but this painting was almost like a silent admission — intimate, sweet, something so far removed from what he thought was possible in his life.

So yes, he has heard of people trembling and shaking at the sight of grandiose paintings, going so far as to weep and collapse. Megatron couldn't understand it until he pictured you standing in the middle of your studio, neck craned to admire your portrayal of him — the vision enough to make his processor spin.

[neosprites]

Digital Stamp Making Tutorial

Hello, and welcome to the long-awaited(at least on my part) digital stamp-making tutorial from neosprites! I’d like to preface that I learned what I was doing from this tutorial so it may be a bit redundant, but if anything I get a bit more specific. Thank you so much to @graphic--horde for your work, it changed me as a graphic maker. This is gunna be a long post so feel free to bookmark it for later. Now, onto the show!

The frame I will be using for this tutorial (which is the frame I use on 99.9% of my stamps) I found from the above linked post, which I believe is from a creator that OP lost track of. Its inner dimensions are 94x50 pixels and its outer dimensions are 99x56 pixels. Here it is!

Find your material! - I recommend using websites like Tumblr and searching with the “GIF” filter only on, or alternatives such as Giphy or Tenor. Your browser may let you directly save the .gif file; if not and you are noticing it restricts you to save it as a .webp file you can try an extension like “Save webp as PNG or JPEG” (for Firefox but I image other browsers have similar functions, but I really recommend you switch to Firefox). To use this you will right click on your source .gif like normal but instead of clicking on “Save image as…” click “Save webP as…” and then click “GIF”. You should be redirected to the website ezgif.com where we will actually be doing all of our editing! Here’s the .gif we’ll be working with.

Convert to GIF (optional) - if you used the extension from the above step you should already be ready to click the blue “Convert to GIF” button. If not, go ahead and open ezgif.com and click on “webP” and then “WebP to GIF”; then convert to a gif with the blue button.

Resize the GIF - now that we have a gif ready to edit, let’s make it the right size. The easiest method I have found is to change it directly to the frame’s inner dimensions, 94x50 pixels. [EDIT: Make sure in the aspect ratio drop drop menu you select "stretch to fit" and not "center and crop to fit" like I did in the photo example.] Click “resize” and then type [94] in for the width and [50] for the height. Next press the blue “resize image” button.

Add the frame - next click “overlay” then click the thin blue button that says “Extend canvas size(use if overlay exceeds GIF sizes)”. This will give us some extra room to add the frame onto the design. Next click “Browse…” and find the frame you have saved onto your device, then click the blue “Upload image” button.

After that it’s going to be misaligned, that’s normal! It will say you have the option to drag it into place, but don’t bother. That’s one of the reasons my old stamps look wack, it’s just harder to do. Instead type [44] in for the Left box and [22] in for the Right box. It took me a while to figure out these dimensions to be honest, and I’ve only tested it with this frame so I don't know if it works with others. Then click the blue “Generate image” button.

Crop the transparent edges - click on “crop”. You will have the option to check a box that says “trim transparent pixels around the image” however, I don’t recommend this as it tends to crop a few of the frame’s pixels with it sometimes. Next, set the Left position to [44] and the Right position to [22]. For the other dimensions we will use the outer dimensions of the frame which are 99x56 pixels, this will trim everything except the tiny spaces in between the stamp frame’s spikes. Type the width as [99] and the height as [56] and click the tiny blue button that says “set”. After that click the blue “Crop image” button.

Save and use! - all that's left is to click “save” and upload the graphic to your liking. (best seen on dark mode obviously)

If you’d like to tag me in stamps you’ve made using my tutorial I would love to see them, but it’s not required!! Make sure to always give credit for pictures/gifs when you can and try not to make stuff out of personal/fan art. Thank you to the person in my inbox who requested this tutorial, I had been meaning to for a while but it was just the kick I needed. :)

[beefscrap]

!!! DESIGN A STORY CHARACTER CONTEST !!!

Finally, it’s here! To celebrate 400 PLUS followers now, I’m hosting a WOF design challenge/contest! Your mission is to design a character that’s going to appear in TBoFS 2. The character is already decided, and you’ll be given information/prompts to design them. First place winner will have their design be the official design for the character, and anyone who doesn’t win can keep theirs! So keep in mind that if you win, I’ll be the ‘owner’ of your design and the character.

!!! GENERAL INFO !!!

- 1ST PLACE PRIZE: Your design will be the official design in the story! You also get a free dumb doodle from me of any OC (or character) you want.

- 2ND PLACE + 3RD PLACE: You’ll each receive a doodle, as well as being featured as winners when they’re announced! Of course!

- Anyone else who submits a design will get honorable mentions, and your design will be linked when winners are announced.

- Very little artistic bias is involved. Not being able to ‘draw well’ isn’t an issue, as long as you have good ideas and a good imagination!

- DESIGNS ARE DUE BY [ Friday, December 20th ] !!! I’ll have results by December 25th!

- I’ll personally be picking the top 3, then put a poll up that lasts for 1 DAY. This will determine the winners.

- TO SUBMIT YOUR DESIGN: Either tag me in a post or send in my asks inbox! I will be reblogging/posting with the hashtag #TBOFS2DESIGNCHALLENGE (and you can post with the tag too ofc!)

- Please ask questions if you have them!

!!! RULES !!!

- I have faith in people but PLEASE BE NICE! I don’t want fighting for any reason, I don’t want unwanted criticism of people’s designs, etc. I want this to be enjoyable for EVERYONE, even if you don’t win!

- You may only submit ONE DESIGN! If there’s some sort of issue where you need to resubmit, just let me know!

- Another reminder that the first place winner gives me ownership of the design, and I’ll put them up on my Toyhouse folder. Please don’t submit to win if you’re uncomfortable with this!

- I have faith about this too, but just in case: don’t submit inappropriate art. If I find out you draw gross feral art/sexualize dragons I won’t accept your design and you’re blocked.

- Similarly, no design you submit should be offensive or hateful in any way.

!!! DESIGN INFO !!! finally the fun stuff

- The character is a PURE NIGHTWING.

- I prefer to stick to MOSTLY canon color choices, but some deviation from this is welcome! Ask if you aren’t sure, but feel free to look at the character designs in my TBoFS Toyhouse folder. That should give a good idea.

- Adding accessories and even little headcanons for the character are fully welcomed and encouraged (keeping in mind that some headcanons may not end up to be true, lol!)

- Name ideas are welcome, too!

- YOUR GENERAL PROMPT IS: a snobby, intelligent, standoffish Nightwing who does not believe in animus magic as it exists.

- Keeping my prompt pretty vague so you can have fun! The best designs (to me) are ones that’re recognizable. Not necessarily jam packed with accessories and colors and stuff… just recognizable.

- Your designs may be sketched, lined, etc, but my main requirements are that it’s at least a fullbody + colored. You CAN add more visuals to the design if you want (front face view, mouth view, paws, wing view, etc etc). It does NOT have to be digital!

Woo hoo! Have fun and thank you again for your support!

[danieyells]

hi there,

thank you so much for all the voicelines you post !! if it’s okay, can i request subaru’s ?

thank you again !

You're welcome! At some point I might go back and put in the ones I leave out because they don't appeal to me as much lol but since i always end up posting 99% of them anyway I think it's enough for most people hahaha. It's all of them now! Sorry for the delay.

I WAS GONNA OMIT ONE OR TWO BECAUSE OF SPOILERS but eh i'll just warm for like. extra spoilers. since after doing more code peeking it wasn't the spoiler i thought it was. SUBARU IS A SWEETIE THOUGH. I also read Subaru's chats which were put in the code recently and. Man this guy needs anxiety meds. I have a small guess as to what his stigma is, but we'll learn in a few days anyway.

Hello: (the first time the game is opened after that character is set as home screen NPC. Only happens once per day, unless the character is switched out and back.)

"I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting. It's wonderful to see you again."

You've Got Mail: (whenever there's something in the inbox, usually Arena rewards)

"It looks like there's a notice for you. I'd be happy to go pick it up for you if you've got your hands full. Oh, forgive me if I'm overstepping."

oh no he's anxious about helping--

Default: (requires no affinity, has no time constraints)

"I really am so lucky to be surrounded by so many kind people like you."

"I never thought I'd get the chance to enjoy the lifestyle of a student until I came to Darkwick. Every day truly is fulfilling here."

it feels like subaru is like. . .the only one who actually enjoys school life here. . .or who really enjoys being here period lmao. . . .

"You think I'm always smiling? Ha ha, I hear that a lot. It just happens when I'm around all of you."

"I may be the captain, but it's just in name. I think Haku is much better suited for the job than me."

"I've been working since I was four, so people often said I was mature for my age. But the truth is, I've still got a lot to learn."

that makes two characters whose parents have essentially been keeping them from normal life and normal childhood for work reasons since they were four year olds. . . .

Affinity 1: (between 5am and 11am)

"I tend to just have hot water for breakfast. I know it would be better for me to eat a proper meal, but it's just so much effort."

DO WE REALLY HAVE TO START WITH "I NEED THE GHOULS TO EAT PROPER FUCKIN MEALS". . . .

Affinity 2: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I'm sorry I'm so late. The campus is so crowded I can never manage to walk in a straight line, so it always takes me longer than I think. Silly, isn't it?"

baby you're hardly the first person i've met with anxiety about crowds. you're fine.

Affinity 3: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"What would I do without Haku's help? Hotarubi would be a mess without him."

Affinity 4: (between 8pm and 5am)

"I wonder if I should apply early to take out any common artifacts I might need for this mission. I'll ask Haku what he thinks..."

Affinity 5: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Ah!  You surprised me there... I just got back from a small errand. Do you need something?"

Affinity 6: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Ever since I was a child, the performing arts were my only focus. Maybe that's why people always say my mannerisms are so peculiar. It bothers you too, doesn't it?"

poor boy doesn't know how to act if he isn't acting. . .he doesn't know how to exist off-script. . .no wonder he made a deal with a demon. it's probably the first thing he's ever done for himself.

Affinity 7: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I'd like to go to the cafeteria, but the line is always so long. I feel bad taking time to choose while people are waiting behind me. The bar of entry feels a little high."

i am once again suggesting subaru get anxiety meds. hell go to sinnostra and get some weed, i bet they sell that. i hear it can help.

Affinity 8: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"I'm just about to go and meet a friend. I hate to inconvenience you like this, but if it's something urgent, could you speak to Haku about it instead?"

Affinity 9: (between 8pm and 5am)

"What am I going to do? We're supposed to be meeting up in an hour... If I cancel now, they'll hate me..."

Affinity 10: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Whew... I'll walk you back to your house, {PC}. Oh, it's no problem at all, I assure you! I wanted some fresh air anyway."

Affinity 11: (between 5am and 11am)

"I have an Anomalous Ecology test coming up. It's such a fascinating subject, I couldn't help but stay up all night studying. Now I'm a little sleep-deprived."

Affinity 12: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I'm going to stretch my legs a little. I might not have a show to practice for right now, but I need to keep putting myself through my paces. I'll get rusty otherwise."

Affinity 13: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"I'm sorry my phone's been making so much noise. I recently downloaded an app by mistake, and it won't stop sending me notifications..."

awww he's also technologically incompetent. . .poor guy was probably raised with such a heavy focus on his career he just. never needed a smartphone. anyone he needed to contact or who needed to contact him was probably always very close by. it sounds like he didn't even properly go to school before going to Darkwick. Somebody please take this boy on a walk. like anywhere. take him to a library. buy him a churro. can sho make churros? this is somebody who's never had any sort of normal social experience and sees how different he is and wishes it weren't the case, unlike Ritsu who assumes everyone else is like him, i think he'd like to have some more Experiences.

Affinity 14: (between 5am and 11am)

"... ...Oh! Hello, {PC}—I didn't even notice you there. My mind was somewhere else."

Affinity 15: (between 5am and 11am)

"Good morning! Sorry? My hair's messy? You're right, it's sticking right up at the front... That's embarrassing. I'll fix it right away."

Affinity 16: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I usually have lunch in the dormitory. I do eat on the terrace with Lyca every now and then, but he seems so busy these days..."

Lyca is one of the members of Obscuary, btw! Seems like he and Subaru are friends.

Affinity 17: (between 10pm and midnight)

"I didn't take you for a night owl, {PC}. Since you're here, I suppose I'll stay up a little longer. You're sure you're okay? You're not sleepy?"

Affinity 18: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Do you visit Sinostra very often, {PC}? I see... Oh, no reason. I was just making conversation. Ha ha."

why do you ask that. . .a certain mafioso captain wouldn't happen to be suspicious of you would he. . .or maybe you owe them money. . .or maybe you used to be part of Sinostra and moved to Hotarubi. . . .

Affinity 19: (between 10pm and midnight)

"It's getting late, {PC}. How about we finish this tomorrow? Thank you for keeping me company all this time."

Affinity 20: (between 5am and 11am)

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to come all the way to my room to wake me up—I'd feel terrible. I do very much appreciate the thought, though."

it's okay buddy jin already makes them do it, one more pit stop won't hurt.

Affinity 21: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Oh, hello, {PC}. Sorry, I was actually just on my way out. I should be back by evening—do you mind if we speak then?"

Affinity 22: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Lyca has seen my message, so why hasn't he responded to it? I hope nothing bad has happened to him..."

Affinity 23: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Lyca will adapt well to human society, I'm sure of it. I'm so relieved that Darkwick chose to trust him. I can't thank you enough for your help."

he really likes Lyca huh? that is his dog.

Affinity 24: (between 10pm and midnight)

"You can't sleep? Then let me tell you some stories. Legend has it that evil spirits appear once you've told a hundred. Now, what number was I up to..."

BOY IS TRYNA GET YOUR ASS HAUNTED.

Affinity 25(max): (no time constraints)

"I don't want to seem like I'm testing you, I just... I get really anxious sometimes... I'm sorry. I'm being weird, aren't I?"

he's the type to ask 'are you sure you love me? are you sure you wanna be with me?' after you get married and move in together and own a house and have two kids with another on the way. he's the hyper anxious 'i'm sorry we disagreed about our favorite colors do you hate me?' friend(affectionate) I wonder though, is he apologizing for seeming like he's testing you because he's using his stigma to see what you've been up to or something. . .? Probably not lol it's more likely he just keeps asking if you like him

Spring: (March-May) (between 5am and 11am)

"There is no time like spring. Everyone seems more relaxed this time of year. It's reassuring to see."

(between 11am and 4pm)

"I have some sakura mochi. I was just about to prepare some tea to go with it—would you like to join me?"

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"They have no control over whether they bloom, and yet they get made a spectacle of nonetheless... Oh, sorry—I was talking about the cherry blossoms."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"There are many different flowers growing in Hotarubi, but I think the wisteria are my favorites. This is the best time to see them, so you should take a walk around."

Summer: (June-August) (between 5am and 11am)

"Hot today, isn't it? It's always raining in Hotarubi, so it does provide a little escape from the blazing summer sun, but... Ha ha. It is very humid, isn't it?"

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Summer makes me think of the ghost story Yotsuya Kaidan. The scene where Oiwa becomes hysterical, having realized her her face has been disfigured— incredible."

Yotsuya Kaidan is one of the best known japanese ghost stories! It's extremely violent, so read the summary at your discretion. The scene in question has Oiwa shown her reflection by her sister's boss to see that the cream she was given by a woman who was in love with her husband was actually some sort of poison that instantly scarred her face. She grabs a sword and goes to kill her, only for her to accidentally slit her own throat.

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Hotarubi House holds regular festivals during the summer months. If you need a yukata to wear, I'd be happy to pick one out for you."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"I don't mind scary stories, but when that biwa in the tea room started playing by itself, it did make me jump a little..."

slight spoiler, although you can probably figure it out from this but. . .Zenji is a ghost. Subaru currently can't actually see him or hear his voice. . .only Haku, the pc, and, perhaps not so oddly, Towa can afair. All of his youtube content doesn't have him or his voice in it because he can't be recorded by cameras. So Subaru doesn't realize that the biwa playing on its own is actually Zenji playing the biwa.

Autumn: (September-November) (between 5am and 11am)

"The air has gotten crisper, and the leaves are changing color. I know it's only natural for the seasons to shift, so why does it make my heart ache so much?"

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Oh, these? They're some chestnuts I found. I know—I should give them to Sho. I'm sure he'll be able to make something delicious with them."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"That's another kuchikiri tea ceremony under my belt. It's an annual tradition where one cuts open a tea jar to reveal the tea that was preserved from the first harvest."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"On long autumn nights when the moon is shining beautifully in the sky, it's hard to resist taking a walk outside. Don't stay out until too late though, {PC}."

Winter: (December-February) (between 5am and 11am)

"...Oh, {PC}. Good morning... I had a hard time getting up today. It must be the cold... Ha ha. Not very captain-like, is it?"

Jin, Taiga, and Ed are all prone to not getting out of bed. and Yuri falls asleep on operating tables when he has down time. Trust me Subaru you are perfectly captain-like.

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Today, I'm going to order ingredients from one of my favorite stores so we can all make negima—tuna and scallion—hot pot together. Please, do join us."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"It's cold out today. I was just thinking about lighting the fire. Would you like to come and warm up with me?"

oh subaru you don't even know how that sounds

(between 8pm and 5am)

"People say winter makes you want to snuggle up with someone, but I find that a good blanket does a much better job."

i agree that blankets are much easier to manage than people lol. probably warmer too.

His birthday: (February 20th)

"A present? For me? Thank you... I didn't expect you to do anything for my birthday, so I'm a little caught off guard. I really appreciate it."

Your birthday:

"Um... Happy birthday.  I really hope this year will be a wonderful one for you."

New Years: (January 1st)

"Happy New Year. I hope I can depend on your guidance and support again this year."

Valentine's Day: (February 14th)

"Chocolate? Oh, It's Valentine's Day, isn't it? Does that mean these are for me...?"

nah i just wanted you to look at them. YES THEY ARE FOR YOU BBY. why would you be showing him chocolate if it wasn't for him! On any day, not just valentine's day!!

White Day: (March 14th)

"These are for you, {PC}. I put in a special order for monaka from my favorite confectioner in Ginza. They're wafers filled with bean jam—I hope you like them."

April Fool's Day: (April 1st)

"Earlier, Haku told me he was switching houses. It gave me a real shock— I'm very relieved that it wasn't true..."

i bet subaru made the most scared kicked puppy face and started apologizing for being such an awful captain and blamed himself for that haku would go to a different house and haku had to quickly explain it was just a prank for fear that subaru might burst into tears.

Halloween: (October 31st)

"Happy Halloween. I know it's nothing special, but I've prepared some treats for the occasion. Oh... But you're more than welcome to play a trick instead."

please don't trick him. april fool's day was hard enough for him.

Christmas: (December 25th)

"Merry Christmas. We already have our New Year decorations up in Hotarubi, so it has a real east-meets-west atmosphere now. I hope everyone is okay with it..."

Idle: (about 20 seconds without interacting with the game) (below 13 affinity)

"Everyone seems busy at the moment. Maybe I should use this opportunity to tidy the garden..."

(13 affinity and above)

"{PC}? Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I was just worried because you were so quiet..."

Absent: (logging in for the first time in 2 or more days?)

"You're back... I'm so relieved. I was worried I'd done something to make you feel uncomfortable..."

this man shakes like a chihuahua 24/7. like you can taste the anxiety coming off of him. i love him. he's so pathetic(affectionate). i wanna squeeze his hand reassuringly and tell him everything's gonna be okay. i wanna hug him and pat his head. i wanna take him places so he learns more about the world outside of working. i wanna watch him do schoolwork excitedly because he's never really gone to school before and it's a new and exciting experience. i want him to experience the most mundane aspects of life with wonder.

good boy. yeah. get him anxiety meds /nodnod

[writingquestionsanswered]

Do you have any tips on making characters more plot relevant? I have characters that are important to the story because of who they are and their interactions, but when it comes to their page time or POV I struggle to make their side and individual story meaningful. I’ve been able to add more events that they deal with and add importance to their character, but I feel as if it’s too secondary. I won’t call them afterthoughts but they kind of are. I struggle with having character arcs and development that are a part of the main plot but don’t deal with it directly often.

Making Characters More Plot Relevant

If you have characters who are important to the story in terms of their relationships with other characters, and who you feel need to be a bigger part of the story, here are some things you can do to give them a stronger role in the plot:

1 - Give Them Agency in Main Plot Events - First and foremost, you want to make sure these characters have at least some bearing on what happens in the main plot. Each character should make decisions or take actions that directly affect the main plot, at least once in a while. They can even make decisions or take actions that initiate major plot events even if they're not involved in them.

2 - Create Subplots That Feed into the Main Plot - Can you think of any "side quests" (so-to-speak) that need to be carried out in order for the story to progress that these characters could do? For example, maybe your protagonist has to pull off a big heist in order to solve the story's external conflict, so they are gathering their team. Perhaps some of these characters could go on a "side quest" to locate one of the potential recruits.

3 - Create Main Plot Conflict for Them - Each of these characters should have their own internal conflicts and their own motivation for working toward the story's goal. Can you think of some way to create conflict for them between what they want and what actually needs to happen? For example, maybe they were trained in the dark arts and the reason they are with this heist group is because they left that life behind and no longer want to practice dark arts... but maybe their role in the heist will require them to use dark magic. How will they overcome this conflict?

4 - Utilize their Unique Skills or Knowledge - Consider giving some of these characters unique skills or knowledge that can be used in the fight toward resolving the conflict. So, in the case of the example heist story, maybe one of these characters is really good at creating forgeries. Or maybe another character has incredible stealth skills. By making their knowledge or skills invaluable to the "mission," you can give them more weight and make them invaluable to the plot.

5 - Consider Combining Characters or Reassigning Tasks - Quite often, if you're really honest with yourself, you can probably take some of these important-but-not-plot-relevant characters and combine them. In other words, if you have one character who is important because they're the protagonist's love interest, and you have another character who's important because they're a main character's sibling, is there some way you can combine this into one character? So that this character is both the protagonist's love interest and the main character's sibling? Another option would be to look at important tasks completed by other characters. Can any be reassigned to a character who needs something more important to do? Or could they play an important role in assisting that character with the task?

By utilizing some of the tips above, you should be able to give your characters more relevance in the plot.

Happy writing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[carlsangel]

MATCH UPS ARE BACK

THE WALKING DEAD

STATUS: CLOSED

i’m opening match ups back up for all twd characters!!!! so anyone who hasn’t gotten one can get a chance if they’d like!!! (i won’t write another for someone who’s already received one.)

so you could always go back and look at my original post (here) for this but i’m making a new one, just because i have some new stuff i’m adding.

REQUIREMENTS: for a match up i ask that you are following my blog!! also i WILL NOT be writing for anons, im sorry!!!

WHAT TO EXPECT: so i’ll be adding a bit more this time!! you will get your twd match, the usual 3-4 headcanons and a small drabble that also comes with a banner to fit the vibe, but i’ll also go a little more in depth. i’ll tell you how i think you would’ve met your match as well as a runner up and random facts about your relationship.

WHAT TO SEND: PLEASE SPECIFY WHAT GENDER MATCH UP YOURE LOOKING FOR! i do ask that you try to be super super descriptive on your personality AT LEAST, i really need stuff to work with. tell me your physical description (things like your eyes or hair, anything you want focused on in the drabble. you can send photo refs if you’re comfortable, picrews, art, wtv).

you can send your personality types or zodiac signs, your favorite things, your love language, literally anything that defines you as a person i can work with. if you give me short and undetailed descriptions, it wont be easy for me to match you with someone and it may be inaccurate and will take longer for me to write.

NOTICE!!!: i will not be writing any smut for these match ups, everything will be safe for work. i won’t write for anons because i don’t reply to asks regarding match ups, i feel weird putting people’s information out there. if you send me a reference photo, it won’t be posted as every time i write a match up, after it’s completed and posted, i delete the ask from my inbox.

go ham but not too ham cuz i’ll cry. they won’t be posted one by one i hope, instead it’ll be all written and then i’ll post them over the course of a certain amount of time, probably a week. ok i love you bye!!!

[myfandomrealitea]

I wish I had a place to post my fucked up arts without being cancelled 😭

Honestly I think the drawn arts have suffered perhaps the most out of modern censorship. Especially the communities, too, because when sites ban things to please advertisers, investors and the handful of people squawking about protecting the children, it creates this mentality of; 'if its been banned its bad, so whoever makes it or enjoys it is bad too.'

There will literally always be at least one person who comes after you for what you create. Lord knows I enough enough angry anons in my inbox on a daily basis and all I do is rant about antis and occasionally knock my braincells together with enough force to say something vaguely helpful.

My best advice for avoiding being 'cancelled' is to heavily, heavily curate your online space and the people you aim to include within it. This could be by:

Following specifically other blogs who post similar content or express interest in similar content to what you produce or your interests.

Pre-emptively blocking blogs who express disgust or hatred for the content you produce or like, blogs who express moral stances conflicting to yours, ect. This is expressly helpful on sites like Twitter where options to limit engagement are limited.

Tagging properly, and including trigger and warnings tags whom others are likely to have blocked. This prevents people from seeing something they don't want to, and also gives you coverage if they try to accuse you of 'spreading it around.'

In cases of art that may have more extreme content, try using spoiler flags or any filtration option that requires viewers to actively consent to viewing it. Relevant to above, nobody can cry wolf about 'being exposed' because they would've had to physically reveal the work to themselves.

DeviantArt unfortunately recently changed its policies to a frankly ridiculously constrictive degree, so while I previously would've recommended that as a place to host your artwork and find a safer community, I can no longer. Hopefully someone is successful in pushing for the site to reform to its previous rules soon.

ArtStation is an option. The site is not eligible to anyone under 18 and sexual, gore, fetish, and 'mature' content is allowed provided the usual stipulation that you aren't using it in order to cause, infer or threaten harm against someone. A lot of the site is geared toward marketing artwork, though, so you might be hard pressed to find more of a community aspect to it.

Rule 34.com is... Objectively one of the best places you can host your artwork if you create content that is based on sexual themes. The protective rights aren't the greatest, but anyone who uses Rule 34 has no leg to stand on regarding morality and censorship.

Reddit has a lot of subreddits for sharing art, and a bonus is you can find subreddits specifically geared toward artwork based on things like gore, violence, sexual content, ect. Filtering options and monitoring are basically non-existent, however. Also, Reddit sometimes spontaneously decides a specific post is against its TOS and yeets it.

There's also the option of building a Discord server based around sharing artwork of certain themes, which is objectively the format that allows you the most control over who views it, but it also means your art has a limited presence. (Can't be reblogged, ect.)

If you do check out any of the websites, always be thorough in reading the Terms of Service and the Community Guidelines.

[mashup-writing]

Backstage Brainstorm (Resident Lover; Cassandra Dimitrescu)

-------------------------------------------------------

Requested? ❌

"Hurry home, let's never leave the house."

Summary: It hasn't even been a week since the Romeo and Juliet play had It's closing night but Cassandra, the ever sky-reaching star, is already trying to think up her next play that will be shown on the Campus theatre next year. It's up to you to convince her to get some much needed sleep.

Warnings: None

Genre: Fluff

Resident Lover Masterlist

01-11: I swear, there was someone who asked me to make a Cassandra fluff fic but I can't find it in my inbox so now I'm not sure if I just accidentally deleted it or if it was in the RL Server that someone asked..

----------------------٩(◕‿◕｡)۶-----------------------

Light assaults your eyelids and you can't help but groan in sleepy annoyance. It's not bright enough to feel like sunlight, plus there's a lack of warmth in the air. You're forced to slowly blink your eyes open as your mind starts to wake itself up in the attempt to decipher what the light source is.

You turn in the bed, arm extended to reach for...

Cold sheets?

You crack one eye open to find the culprit behind the brightness: Cassandra's over on her writing desk, with the night lamp turned on as she types away on her laptop, occasionally turning to a book by her hand before turning back to her laptop.

You untangle yourself from the sheets before slowly getting up and walking over to where the theatre director is.

"Hey there."

The clicking of the keycaps stop as you place a soft kiss to the top of Cassandra's head, keeping a hand buried in her hair even when you've pulled away. She tilts her head up to meet your gaze, and a sheepish smile grazes her lips as you raise your eyebrows at her. A silent question of "What are you up to?" conveyed clearly enough by your expression.

Cassandra sighs, taking your free hand in her own and placing kisses on each of your knuckles. It puts a smile on your lips, it was a habit Cassandra has developed ever since the two of you had started officially dating which she does whenever you're in very close proximity and she's gathering the words in her head before letting them leave her lips.

"A rough script draft of the play that I'm thinking of bringing from pages to a theatre stage. For this incoming year I was thinking Frankenstein, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, or Faerie Tale- I'm thinking Innsmouth but I still have no idea how we'll be able to set the stage for the parts that require an oceanic backdrop.."

The Actress has looked back over to the book on the table and her eyes skim the pages with a very focused look in them which you would have found cute if not for the very dark bags underneath.

"Incoming year."

Cassandra looks back over to you with a raised brow. "Huh?" is the only sound that leaves her mouth. You shake your head in fondness, how she's both basically a genius and a dumbass all in one is something that will never cease to surprise you. She offers no complaints when you take your hand out of her hair and go about saving the file on her computer before shutting it down. The look you sent her when she tried to start complaining was enough to shut her up.

You take both her hands in yours, gently pulling her up from her seat before leading her back under the blankets. Cassandra settles into your arms, head tucked underneath your chin. The sigh of contentment she lets out results in a chuckle from you.

"Much better than hunching over a desk isn't it?"

There's a beat of silence before Cassandra begrudgingly agrees with a muffled "I guess so." that could've been mistaken as nothing more than a grumble. But you know better.

"Vacation's just ended, Cass. I know you're in love with the Theatrical Arts, but now's the time for you- For us to catch up on sleep and take the breaks that we deserve."

She places a kiss to your collarbone, agreeing with a hum before nuzzling back into her comfortable position being tucked underneath your chin.

"You've got a point that I refuse to argue, and that's coming from someone in pre-law so you know you've won big time."

You both laugh, and the air in her room is filled with the essence of comfort. There's no place you'd rather be and even if you can feel that sleep is starting to creep up on the both of you, you can't help but try your best to delay it in favor of hearing Cassandra's voice for just a little longer.

"How come The Shadow Over Innsmouth was your first choice?"

"Well, the book literally starts off from the point of view of this traveler in a bus who ends up in an almost-abandoned village off a coast. He's heard stories about his destination but he's also very skeptical cuz most of the rumors legitimately sound like the story-tellers are off their fucking rockers-"

Cassandra's words start to slow and slur, and you're having difficulty in stopping her words from blurring together.

There's faint traces of bright sunlight peeking through the curtains of Cassandra's room, but it bothers neither Juliet nor her Romeo as the two both start succumbing to the inescapable pull of sleep.

The only sound that can be heard within the room is the faint synchronisation of the lovebirds' breathing.

----------------------٩(◕‿◕｡)۶-----------------------

01-11: Cassandra fluff!! Cassandra fluff!! Cassandra fluff!! I still can't believe that this Campus heart throb has the "Tamest" cult ending possible.

[juicezone]

Hi! I'm TL, and I do agere/petre art requests! You can find my queue # and open status on my header! You can also check out this link to see my current inbox details/scheduled posts! Please read the rules below, thank you! It helps to reblog this to spread it around :D

you must obey the dni of this account. especially please do not request or reblog if you are k!nk, nsfw, generally not safe for kids. you will be blocked.

If reqs are closed, you may DM me and ask me to send you a message/heads up when I re-open then!

please be kind when asking :) these are not commissions, i am not required to do them!

if your request is something i’m not comfortable with doing, i’ll priv answer so you have the option of sending another if you’d like! (this is easiest to do if you're not on anon/you leave an @ of your sideblog! If it's a nameless anon, it's likely to just be deleted, sorry ^^'

please put separate requests in separate asks! IE: if you ask for Character from Fandom A and character from Fandon B, please send two asks! (Unless you want them together which is fine :P)

not a rule but feel free to give suggestions! IE: “Can you draw character with a green paci” or “can you draw character as a fox pet-regressor?” or “can you draw character and character as cg + regressor?” "character in a dip" (just make sure to specify who is who!) Honestly, detail helps a lot with being able to draw and do the req!! (NEW 4/28) I will draw stuff like characters being upset, crying, ect. I'll draw characters in dips but atm i'm not necessarily comfortable drawing accidents themselves (unfortunately, i had a problem with one post i made + deleted being basically immediately snapped up by unsavory blogs ): so)

I’d prefer to not draw your persona/sona/ect! I don’t mind drawing in a “blank/YN” type character, but I no longer would like to draw personas/sonas/ect. Sorry! (NOTE: THIS IS EXEMPT FOR FRIENDS LET ME DRAW YOUR AGERE OCS/INSERT SO BAD)

Requests may take a while! I work 30-40 hrs a week on top of being a full time student. I might get it done immediately, it might get done in three months or longer. Usually I do them in order, but not always! If you come into my inbox and repeatedly ask abt it (esp if ur rude) i will delete it. and i will block you.

FANDOMS I'LL DO

I'll do most any media! It's REALLY best to just ask me!! Bluey, MCYT (characters ONLY. *), Star Trek, Pokemon, FNAF, Warrior Cats, Nintendo, Disney - Honestly, it's best to just ask! As long as the media isn't primarily NSFW in the 18+ way, I probably don't mind! Complex chars like in Genshin Impact are fine as long as you're okay with me simplifying/putting them in different clothes (free free to request them in diff clothes even!!)

*Will not do dsmp at this time or characters who are primarily based in that fandom - sorry! just not comfortable with it <:)

FANDOMS I WON'T DO

Harry Potter, Hetalia, IRL People (as in the Content Creator - see below for more detail), Attack on Titan, Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss, Country humans/Country balls/Anything based off the countries, Rick and Morty, DSMP, The Magnus Archives, Mouthwashing

ABOUT IRL PEOPLE

Will do: MCYT for example! Because my design is based off their MC skin. It's like actors v their characters if that makes sense Won't do: Things like Sanders Side or Marki/plier ego stuff, because it's like. there's nothing there for referencing other than the literal person. idk its hard to explain TLDR: thats just my comfort level sorry ^^''

[percheduphere]

honestly I'm more at a loss when people say sylki is canon. I am...very confused by what people mean by that. they were never anything romantic together? I honestly feel like I've missed a whole season of the show when that gets said. that's not from a shipping standpoint; that's from nothing happening that'd make them "canon"

like, to ship sylki is still to ship something that isn't and didn't become "canon". it's still wanting something that didn't happen between them

like, even if sylvie was an intended "love interest" (was she? even? on the basis of her being a woman that loki connects with?), I don't call that alone a romantic relationship between them being "canon". Like, if elizabeth bennet and mr darcy never became anything, they're not "canon". that's just something that could have been but wasn't.

they were never actually anything?

LET'S TALK ABOUT "CANON" & BISEXUAL REPRESENTATION, THE SERIES' MIDPOINT & THE THEME OF BETRAYAL, AND THE SUBJECTIVITY OF ROMANCE

I've been sitting on this inbox comment/ask for a long time because I wanted to make sure I respond in a way that feels productive, kind, and doesn't step on other fans' joy. Having said that, as a Lokius shipper, I think it's really important for Lokius shippers and Sylki shippers to unite on at least one subject and that's positive bisexual representation. This isn't meant to be a harsh reply--I understand what the anon is saying from their point of view--but I also want to delineate between canon and personal interpretation/taste.

I also want to note that it's unfair to disavow Mobius and Sylvie's impact on Loki, Loki's impact on each of them as a result of his individual relationships with them, and thus the impact Mobius and Sylvie have on one another separate from Loki. Doing so really halves the overall richness of the story, and taking this into account is why my metas are so annoyingly long. This one, in particular, is a mess but hopefully I've managed to wrangle it into some kind of coherence that addresses the anon ask that is respectful to Sylki. Fear not, Lokius shippers, I discuss Lokius in this post, too. But first, let's talk about canon and bisexual representation ...

CANON AND BISEXUAL REPRESENTATION

Canon is often defined as: 1.) what is actually written in text (as opposed to subtext), AND 2.) what the creator(s) verbally confirm.

I've said before and I'll keep repeating: the most important aspect of art is art's relationship with the reader/viewer. Individual interpretation is what escalates a medium to a deeply personal and, at times, spiritual level. Art is supposed to make us think and feel. We're supposed to interact with it and do with it what we will. This is particularly important when we consider that much of consumable art is hampered by the demands of capitalism. Fan-interpretation democratizes what people without power want to see and hear, whereas canon (especially mass media canon) often self-censures to sell to the widest audience.

From the creators' standpoint, Sylvie has always been intended to be Loki's romantic interest, and Loki was always intended to have romantic feelings for her. This is what the creators tell us. Whether or not one likes Sylvie and Loki together is subjective.

As for the text, the plot between Loki and Sylvie has the markers of a romance, albeit one that doesn't come into full fruition. By full fruition, I mean a happy ending with each character affirming one's love for the other and committing to being together. Now, a relationship doesn't have to be successful or reciprocal to be considered romantic. Heck, it can be absolutely toxic and still be romantic. Whether or not the plot is convincing in its execution of romance, however, is also subjective.

What romance requires is: 1.) at least one of the characters desiring the other, and 2.) at least one of the characters willing to sacrifice for the other. Sacrifices don't have to be big, either. They can be small and cumulative.

Canonically, Loki fulfills both of these romantic requirements for Sylvie. (More on Sylvie below).

Subtextually (that is, not canon as defined above), Loki and Mobius fulfill both of these requirements for one another.

I'm gonna soap box for the next two paragraphs, so you can skip over this if that's not your jam. Both romances, canonical and subtextual, can exist concurrently without erasing the existence of the other. Even if Loki and Mobius had miraculously become canon in S2 (it's Disney, this never would have happened but let's explore the hypothetical), that doesn't erase Loki's former romance with Sylvie in S1. To erase that history is bisexual erasure, which isn't okay. Likewise, quashing the importance of queer subtext in order to "kill the other ship" isn't okay either, as it reinforces optical heteronormative romance in mass media and is also a form of bisexual erasure.

What's more important than either ship "winning" is the positive portrayal of a bisexual character. This means a character who demonstrates genuine love and devotion to people of more than one gender. If we accept the canon AND the subtext (we don't have to like it; Sylki's not my cup of tea personally, but I accept it as real), Loki fulfills positive bisexual representation, however restrained that representation may be. The social goal is to get to the point where a media juggernaut like Disney allows its franchise characters to experience relationships with more than one gender canonically and positively. We're not there yet and I'll probably be dead before Disney ever gets there, but Loki can be seen as a historical stepping stone distinct from Aziraphale and Crowley (Good Omens) and Steve Bonnet and Edward Teach (Our Flag Means Death).

(NOTE: Polyamory is a whole separate subject matter, which I'm won't get into here.)

ON SYLVIE

There's fan dispute over Sylvie's interest in Loki. I've previously written meta on Sylvie's sexuality and how she responds to Loki's romantic advances here. In S1, while she starts off frustrated, I think Sylvie slowly develops interest and was cautiously hopeful that she and Loki could figure out their futures together. Loki has been consistent about wanting to be with Sylvie and supporting her up until the necessary plot conflict of the series midpoint (S1E6; the S1 finale). This midpoint is the root cause for why Loki and Sylvie's relationship becomes strained. Again, this doesn't mean that the romance never existed--the plotpoints are there--but it does mean Loki's character development got in the way.

So let's talk about the series' midpoint and the interplay of Mobius, Loki, and Sylvie's mutual impact. The three are so deeply entangled that it's worth untangling their cause and effect on one another.

THE SERIES' MIDPOINT & THE THEME OF BETRAYAL

I keep stressing in my other metas that the series' midpoint (S1E6) is the most critical. Structurally, midpoints are where the story turns. Midpoints occur on multiple scales: at the episode level (typically in acts 3 or 5, depending on how the screenwriter divides their screenplay), at the season level, and at the series level. Midpoints are what provide the overall narrative and character arcs with movement.

As a whole, there are 3 key midpoints in the entire series:

1.) S1E2/E3 - When Loki betrays Mobius for Sylvie (midpoint of S1)

2.) S1E6 - When Loki betrays Sylvie for the "bigger picture" (midpoint of the whole series)

3.) S2E3/E4 - When it's revealed HWR betrayed Renslayer; Victory Timely is brought into the mix, and Sylvie reluctantly joins the TVA (midpoint of S2)

There is another betrayal that runs near-concurrently with #2, which is Mobius's betrayal of Renslayer (it begins in S1E4 and continues into the S1 finale). Thematically, we can take Loki's betrayal of Sylvie and Mobius's betrayal of Renslayer as mirrors of one another because these are the only betrayals that are motivated by good rather than selfishness. The selfish betrayals of #1 and #3 bookend betrayal #2 to highlight the beginning Loki's readiness to become a hero in S1E6. Where S1 focuses on Loki exploring who he is, S2 focuses on the hero Loki will become. S1E6 therefore serves as Loki's turn, his launching point to get to where he lands in S2E6. The story is really well-structured!

The poetic irony is that Loki's S1E6 betrayal was not an act of villainy, but an act of character growth.

There is plot set-up for Loki's betrayal of Sylvie, and that set-up is 2-pronged: 1.) from Sylvie's end, her misinterpretation of Loki's intentions, and 2.) from Mobius's end, the provision of unconditional friendship. Building up to these prongs are S1E1 - S1E3, in which Loki's self-interest and impulsivity are emphasized. S1E4 pivots Loki from self-interest and impulsivity to consideration for others and caution. Sylvie did not bear witness to Loki and Mobius's interactions in S1E1-S1E2 and S1E4 in the time loop chamber. She has no context for why Loki would hesitate killing HWR. I'll discuss this more under "Prong 2".

PRONG 1: SYLVIE'S MISINTERPRETATION

In the scene below (S1E5), Sylvie makes an assumption about what Loki wants and Loki admits via subtext that ruling a timeline actually won't make him happy.

Sylvie smiles in response, implying she understands what Loki means, however Loki often speaks in double-meanings (he cannot be trusted) and Sylvie has doubts (she cannot trust). From Sylvie's point-of-view, Loki has discussed the desire to rule with her 3 times (writers' magic 3s again). Above is the third. The previous 2 are:

1.) In their first confrontation in S1E2, when Loki offers Sylvie the opportunity to be his lieutenant. (Can't find the gif of this. Grr ...)

2.) On Lamentis (S1E3) in the scene below:

By S1E6, Loki has no interest in rule.

He's honest when he says he's worried about the greater ramifications of killing HWR. Sylvie doesn't believe him. The question is how did Loki arrive at this point in his character arc? Why slow down now? Why worry about the consequences now?

The answer is in S1E4.

PRONG 2: MOBIUS'S UNCONDITIONAL FRIENDSHIP

It's established in S1E1 that Mobius knows Loki better than Loki knows himself and consequently better than Sylvie knows Loki. A lot of Mobius-haters despise Mobius's cold confrontational tactics but it is those same tactics that force Loki to self-reflect. And to be clear, Mobius uses cruelty in S1E1 because 2012 Loki would not believe in, let alone listen to, softness and compassion. Cruelty is a language 2012 Loki understands, therefore Mobius communicates with him on that level to get him to listen and start thinking about the answers to the hard questions.

Not exactly the gif I wanted, but close enough. In this scene, Mobius wonders why Loki, who "has so much range", wants a throne. He then asks Loki, what's next? The implication of these questions is that Mobius knows Loki will never be satisfied. He knows, deep down, a throne is a poor substitute for what Loki really wants: love, acceptance, and companionship.

Mobius's tone is mocking, his note that Loki has a wide range is complimentary, and the question is serious. Further, and this important, Mobius gives Loki respect in conjunction with his cruelty, his compliments, and his seriousness by acknowledging Loki's intelligence ("I am smart"; "I know") and his potential to be more than a villain ("That's not how I see it"). Understandably, this strange, dizzying mix of seemingly contradictory truths puts Loki off-balance.

Their tenuous allyship becomes a friendship in Mobius's eyes near the end of S1E2. Mobius is practically squeeing about Loki's multiple breakthroughs and how well they work together to Renslayer:

And Loki genuinely looks excited to help Mobius. Look at that fist-pump. Mobius doesn't see it, he's ahead of Loki, so his enthusiasm isn't an act. The seeds of mutual trust (rather than doubt) have been planted.

Unfortunately, Loki's poor impulse control and need to hedge his bets out of self-interest lead him to betraying Mobius. Both Sylvie and Mobius take Loki's betrayals poorly.

The key difference is that Mobius cannot resist the desire to trust Loki, to want to be his friend. This desire creates Mobius's doubt in Renslayer, which in turn leads to his betrayal of her.

Forgiveness isn't easy. It requires the ability to accept disagreements and another person's shortcomings. It requires good will, faith, and a willingness to move on. It requires compromise and, at times, letting go entirely.

Mobius torturing Loki with the Sif memory loop was awful. His personal hurt is directly tied to the below admission, which informs Loki what Mobius thought of their relationship:

And that revelation startles him. It forces him to evaluate his actions that led to Mobius saying such a thing (impulsivity; self-interest). Loki, who doesn't want to be alone, desires Mobius's friendship.

So when Mobius returns to Loki with an olive branch ...

Loki offers Mobius an olive branch of his own by affirming the friendship Mobius believed in but felt betrayed by.

Thus, Loki and Mobius accept each other's olive branches. They forgive each other and repair their relationship from there. This is critical thematically because Loki and Mobius each extend olive branches to Sylvie and Renslayer respectively, both of whom reject those olive branches more than once. Sylvie and Renslayer represent opposite ends of the chaos versus order ideology, for which neither is willing to compromise. Loki and Mobius also start out at opposite ends before meeting in the middle.

Sylvie unfortunately does not know anything about Loki's interactions with Mobius and how those interactions have impacted Loki's motivations. She doesn't know that Loki wants to "slow down and think about this" because the last time he acted on impulse, it turned out he almost threw Mobius's friendship out the window without realizing he had his friendship in the first place.

For her, the seeds of doubt have already been planted: Loki betrayed the TVA to pursue her, Loki expressed shock at Sylvie's desire to "walk away" rather than taking advantage of the "ultimate power vacuum" once the TVA is destroyed, he expresses the desire to rule 3 times. Therefore, it's perfectly reasonable for Sylvie to assume Loki would betray her for power even though she had hopes to the contrary. Romantic tragedy? Absolutely. Believable? Depends on who you ask and what your personal taste is.

There must be some kind of sentiment on Sylvie's part, however, because she chooses not to kill Loki. Instead, she kisses him goodbye and throws him through a time door.

Mobius's friendship is therefore the catalyst for everything that unravels between Loki and Sylvie in S1E6 (the series' midpoint). I think it's safe to interpret Sylvie's tearing into Mobius in S2E4 as not only due to being in the TVA and having all her traumas brought to the surface, but also due to experiencing jealousy. This level of anger matches Mobius's outrage about Sylvie in S1E4! Note, however, that this interpretation of Sylvie's interaction with Mobius is subtext. Subtext goes many ways!

THE SUBJECTIVITY OF ROMANCE

Are Loki and Sylvie a believable romance? It depends on your taste.

A fictional couple's overall successful reception by the audience (which is rarely if ever 100%) is contingent on a few things:

1.) Character development

2.) Story execution

3.) Chemistry between the actors

Reception and interpretation of the above are all subjective. In addition to these elements, another important factor is couple trope. Depending on your preference, some tropes might be nope while others are yum. You might even like most tropes but the actor chemistry, character development, and/or plot are just not doing it for you.

Loki and Mobius follow the tropes of:

Opposites attract/Complementary set

Sunshine and cynic

Enemies to allies to friends to lovers

Sherlock and Watson

Slow burn

Ride or Die

Loki and Sylvie, on the other hand, follow the tropes of:

Exceptionally similar but with key differences/Matching Set

BAMF duo

Enemies to allies to lovers

Bonnie and Clyde

Fast and passionate

Ride or Die

Loki and Sylvie's romantic dynamic may be compared to the following couples in other media:

Batman and Catwoman

Jack Sparrow and Angelica Teach

Benedict and Beatrice

If you notice, they all have very similar personality traits. They also fight and fight a LOT. It's part of their charm and can add to their chemistry.

Personally, I didn't feel any chemistry between Loki and Sylvie, I didn't feel like there was enough warmth between them, and I really wanted Loki to be loved by someone who makes an effort to understand him rather understanding his core traits off the bat by being the same entity. Loki and Mobius hit all the right story beats for me. Tom and Owen's chemistry as actors is remarkable. I'm also a sucker for ball of sunshine and cynic dynamics.

But that's just me. That doesn't mean I don't see what the creators tried to do with Loki and Sylvie in terms of plot, character development, and couple tropes. Some people felt chemistry between Tom and Sophia, others (like me) didn't. Whatever the case, the canon exists and the romantic tropes are there. I just feel the subtextual romance between Loki and Mobius is stronger and that, again, is my subjective judgment.

[regular-gnome]

This is the first time I've asked a question, but first I just wanted to say that I love your art!! I wonder what the archivists' anatomy must be like, do they have organs? or they would be made of some space material or even have a vital core made of a star.

got two very simillar questions very close and one about skin that vanished for some reason from my inbox, so yeah, thanks for that tumblr, but anyway

The way I envision physical form is more of a mimicry of a body than an actual organic entity. Particles of stardust being moved and reshaped by the magic they consist of, sticking together to form an approximation of a mortal body and functioning as an outer shell to protect it. The thing about muscles is that they use relatively little energy compared to the work they do; they mostly need some to contract, tendons working as ropes pulling bones, while reshaping the whole arm to move it I imagine would require much more energy. (Its why as very small kids they are more glowy and "fluid" more reshaping). There isn't much difference between the Collector conjuring a doll in WaD and conjuring a form. With magic suppliying energy there isn't really a need for organs, its just the basic mechanical system to interact with physical world

For the bluish patches on the skin, it's where the magic seeps through. That's why they get darker and cover more area as they get older, having more magic at their disposal. Shapes are sort of souvenirs from the time as shapless magical creature mimicked the things around them, be it a bright star or a nearby planet they formed close to. As for why it's the color it is, it's just the color celestial magic takes in that form

Froooom a more design point of view, it looked better to have a bluish hue to me, and it's a element to distinguish between characters and keep them looking like family since drawing faces is tricky. And I do like the body horror aspect of unorganic creatures trying to mimic living

[megabuild]

dear megabuild is there like. required ethubs reading out there. posts that are good for ethubs understanding that come to mind maybe. i dont think I could handle a full ethubs phase but my hand is itching for the pencil regardless so I figured I’d ask

so this has been sitting in my inbox for about a week as i try to structure the best recommendations i can but truly the only thing i can come up with is that to understand ethubs you literally just have to watch them. it's hard to explain just how reliant ethubs metaposting and analysis is on an understanding not just of their current dynamic but the dynamic they've shared over 10 years- which is a lot of content and can sound incredibly daunting, but literally.

having said that:

— videowise, obviously the full life series from either perspective but specifically last life. if you don't have the time or don't want to watch a full series, morry's ll ethubs megacut is a lifesaver. i also made a short post with some key ethubs clips a while ago.

— recommending fic here may seem against the spirit of analysis but believe me: wind back the clock and do it again on ao3 as beat by beat dissections of their relationship, though i can't speak to how easy either are to follow without an understanding of the context.

— peter bellshazes our ethubs lord who art in heaven has made a *ton* of posts about them so i would advise checking out their tag for the general life series. for personal recs id say this recent post on their current sl dynamic

— a few misc ones i like- on dead weight, alternating, avoidance, comparing ethubs to homewreckers

— technically not ethubs but i'm going to go ahead and link my required reading tag anyway which only includes like two posts but provide a good context and framework to analysis of the life series as a whole.

basically any of the posts i've linked come from blogs i would trust as Professional Ethubs Analysers so if you go through their tags you'll probably find a ton more. and if anyone has specific episodes or posts that they feel are important or summarise their dynamic please feel free to reblog and link them :) happy ethubsing!

[errornonamegiven]

Introducing: All For 12 Days

A fan event dedicated to All For One to spice up this holiday season!

All For One needs some Christmas cheer this season and what better way to invite the holidays in than to kick it off with an event!

Event Details

As stated in the intro, this event is All For One centric!

This is an event, NOT a contest. There will be no winners selected; this is just for funsies you can participate if you would like.

The event will run from December 1 to December 31.

Can submit art or writings or both! You can submit as many works as your heart desires.

Rules

All works must center around All For One. These are his holiday gifts, after all.

Christmas (the holiday itself) does not need to be a main theme, but winter themes (snowy landscapes, cold weather, hot cocoa, etc. etc.) are preferred.

No explicit content will be allowed. Gore is allowed, but please appropriately tag your works. All other NSFW content will not be allowed.

Shipping is allowed, however, any and all underage, incestuous, or nonconsensual pairings will not be allowed.

AI is not allowed.

A minimum of at least 200 words for written submissions.

The event will officially start at 12:00 AM (UTC) on December 1 and end at 11:59 PM (UTC) on December 31.

Submissions

To submit your work, just @ me and tag it as your All For 12 Days entry. Can also send it straight to my inbox if you prefer. Writers, if you would like to post on AO3 as well feel free to, please just give me a link so I can view your work.

Final Gab

I think that covers just about everything. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

And just as a heads up I will be posting some prompts for you guys to use. It's not required, I just want to give you guys some ideas that you are more than welcome to use!

And finally, huge thank you to @fractiflos for helping me come up with the name of this event! Am very excited to see how this all turns out and can’t wait to see all your guys lovely submissions! 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

[druidshollow]

*punches a hole through ur door and opens it*hiii~ Tell me about your ancients I've seen some of your art of them but I do not know the deets if there's any public.

hello. i've decided to go absolutely off the wall with this one instead of answering like a normal person! :D

separating this into categories, i've made a masterpost of ancient headcanons. sorry this took so long to answer but i think you will come to understand as most of this only existed in my brain until you hit my inbox

Government/the Council Pillars

A local group is consisted of atleast three cities, and always has atleast one Council Pillar, typically on the oldest structure but not always. The Council Pillar houses the governing body consisting of the High Councillors, the Esteemed, and the local Low Council.

HIGH COUNCILLORS High Councillors are the highest government of their society and are responsible for many things, including punishment of criminals, judgment regarding severe crimes, assigning people to governing positions, and overseeing their Lower Councils and the Iterator Project. They are only chosen by eachother, and live in the highest rooms of Council Pillars. They typically come from backgrounds of privilege, scholars, rich folk and people of influence. They are the only people who aren't required to always have an ID drone on hand.

ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE ITERATOR PROJECT A position gifted to Iterator Project scientists who show special talent with and understanding of the iterators and/or organism purposing. Esteemed Members are directly responsible for an iterator in some way. They are administrators, project leads, bio-engineers and analysts, to name a few. They must be endorsed by another Esteemed or a High Councillor, and then be approved by the rest of their High Council. They are either chosen from the pre-existing team on an iterator, or from scientists and new scholars. Typically, the top student of the graduate class from the School of Solutions is endorsed and sent to a structure in need of scientists.

ADMINISTRATORS Iterator Admins are always Esteemed and are considered of more influence than their peers. They can access everything an iterator can about themselves as well as more. They are responsible for the continued functionality of their charges, as well as the quality of their workload. They are often approached by their local High Council for their opinions on issues and are typically held at very high esteem (haha) by society. Their rooms in the Council Pillars are always above the rest of their local Esteemed, and contains a large motherboard of sorts for their iterator. Here they can access their statistics, health, work, current processes, memories, overseers, and probably most other things you can think of. Iterators must run some things by their admins before they do them, for example purposing life.

LOW COUNCILLORS If a city loses a Low Councillor to death or ascension, candidates are chosen by their Council and an election is held after multiple sessions of debate. Low Councillors are responsible for less severe crime, city construction/welfare, management of emergency resources, overseeing festivals/celebrations, and governing law enforcement, as well as other municipal work.

Punishment for crime is usually things like public service, but severe crimes and sometimes breaches of sensitive information can involve more harsh punishment. Violent criminals or enemies of the High Councils are sometimes responded to with a... mandatory visit to the religious acid bath! (void fluid tub time babyyyy)

There is visible class divide. People still live below the clouds, away from the Iterator cities. These lower industrial settlements are often quite slumlike, and the high class are scorned and often disdained by them. These settlements tend to be quite close-knit and casual, very opposite to the professional and flamboyant nature of the higher class. They have eachothers' backs because the government doesn't seem to have theirs. Life extending treatment and easy access to void fluid are not available to these people. They must fight very hard to reach scholar positions and achieve "success" in high society's eyes.

Everyone outside the High Councillors MUST have an ID Drone so they can be kept track of. Ways around this are common among the lower class. Some even just smash them as act of rebellion.

Anatomy/The Ancient Race/Customs

Ancients share a common ancestor with Scavengers and are bipedal mammals. They have frills and barbells like scavengers do, and their "hair" is not really hair and is closer to large frills in a sense? to be fully honest I'm not fully sure how it works. The Ancients have large hands, long limbs, and three digits on their feet. They have flat teeth, except for four sharp shark-like back teeth evolved for breaking insect exoskeletons and shellfish shells. Ancients now typically live off of nectar and plant matter.

Sexual dimorphism is incredibly limited and is only really visible in the sin bits. Trans and queer people are widely accepted and pretty common. Having children is rarely a priority. There are medical advancements available mostly to the rich that allow for lifespans to be stretched much longer than natural, and many consider introducing new lives to the Great Cycle immoral.

Although their spiritual beliefs revolve around enlightenment beyond the self, they are an indulgent people. Celebrations and festivals take place throughout the major cycles, and body mods and fancy clothes are commonplace in iterator cities. There are alcohol and drug equivalents, i sketched a comic once (that I've never posted) in which Flowers gets absolutely wasted. I'll probably post the full thing sometime but it in general covers some pretty sensitive themes haha

Its a drunk evil man wow

I haven't chosen any specific festivals but I imagine there are some based on the seasons, and there is probably large celebrations when people of importance go to the void.

The Ancients are called that for their innate understanding of the Great Cycle, and for the old belief that their kind all have old souls. They've been around the cycle so many times that they themselves Are Ancient. Extended lifespans has resulted in the same people remaining in positions of power for very extended periods of time, and the desperation for a solution to the Great Problem to be found increasing. I have some confusing headcanons on how the cycle of life and death works- I'll spare you all that garbage for now mostly because I've already been writing for so long. All you really need to know is that if you die of any way that isn't old age or disease like the rot, you cycle back to the beginning of that day. If you DO die of age or destructive illness, you begin a new cycle and reincarnate. Extending their lives was intended to help continue scientific revolution but it just meant entrapping themselves longer. Their increasing desperation eventually lead to The Mass Ascension.

The Mass Ascension

(the following text is copy-pasted from the above picture so you don't read it twice lol)

A member of the High Council of one of the first iterator cities one day decided that they could tolerate the imprisoning nature of the cycle no longer. They developed a weapon of mass destruction, a device that would release a soundwave powerful enough to tear along the entire world. This soundwave was not the real weapon; rather it was the trillions of single cell lifeforms it ferried across the planet. These organisms were comprised of almost pure void fluid, were invisible to the eye, and were programmed to specifically consume Ancient matter and break it away in the same manner that void fluid does. Once they run out of matter to consume they die. This process happened much too quickly for the Ancients to have time to feel much pain, or even comprehend what happened.

Basically, it released a gaseous wave of void fluid across the entire world. This attack was horrifically efficient. Almost the entirety of Ancientkind were destroyed 30 hours after the attack, and those who were fortunate enough to somehow evade the blast were spread too far apart and were unable to carry society on their own. The Ancients went extinct.

This behaved like normal ascension. If you had reached enlightenment or were well-enough attuned, you properly ascended. If not, you became an echo. This most likely resulted in a lot of echoes.

It was the nuclear warfare rapture, basically.

(copy-paste text end)

One day I might give a name to the guy who ended the world but for now I got nothing, lol. I think I'll name the iterator they lived on Deafening Secret or something like that. I imagine the blast caused Secret considerable damage.

I'm sure I'm going to think of 500 things to add once I post this but for the sake of actually answering one of these asks I'm gonna post it, lmao. hope this sates your curiousity a bit!! thanks for the opportunity to infodump

[maycuryweek]

For Brian's birthday, we are giving him the best: Freddie! ❤️

Welcome to MaycuryWeek2024!

The dates for the event are 2nd-8th September, 2024. In the weeks leading up to it, we will post and reblog things featuring our happy couple.

Where to post:

The main places to post will be here on Tumblr and on AO3! If you use other sites, post the link here on Tumblr and tag us here at [blog] and use the #Maycuryweek2024 tag to make sure we see it!

What we want:

Any fan media celebrating Brian May and Freddie Mercury! Fic, art, phone wallpapers, playlists, anything you like—just as long as it's focused on them!

Anything you'd like to write, draw, create—please make sure it's centered around the relationship Brian May and Freddie Mercury! Polyamoury and platonic fanwork is more than welcome, as long as the primary focus is on Maycury!

Make sure you tag your works appropriately! If it's NSFW, use the correct categories on AO3 and tag it as such here on Tumblr as well! We wanna make sure people know what they're getting into.

Prompts are just to give inspiration! You’re welcome to use all of them or none of them, You may interpret them as loosely or strictly as you’d like. If you have something else you wanna do, do it! Other AUs and situations are welcome and encouraged!

Historical accuracy is not a requirement! That's the joy of events like these. Feel free to have fun with it all!

Please do not post or interact with the NSFW content if you are not 18+. Thank you.

Please don't interact with hateful comments. Delete them as soon as you can.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖

Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have!! Our inbox is open!

Maycury Week Prompts:

Day 1:

Line: “Try to be straight for one more brunch.”

Song: “Scandal”

AU: Same Luggage, Didn’t Check the Tags

Trope: Right Place, Wrong Time

Day 2:

Line: “Did you really have to be so honest?”

Song: “Love of My Life”

AU: Hallmark Movie

Trope: Stuck in Traffic

Day 3:

Line: “Would you like me to whisper it in your ear?”

Song: “Staying Power”

AU: Married at First Sight

Trope: Playing Scrabble to Talk

Day 4:

Line: “Have you ever wondered if Ben and Jerry made more than ice cream together?”

Song: “Save Me”

AU: Supernatural

Trope: Bringing Out the Silly Side

Day 5:

Line: “After all... I'm just a boy, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love me.”

Song: “It’s Late”

AU: Neighbors

Trope: Meddling Friends/Family

Day 6:

Line: “I can’t keep kissing strangers pretending they’re you.”

Song: “Jealousy”

AU: Soulmate Marks

Trope: Pretending Not to Date

Day 7:

Line: “There’s no place like home.”

Song: “‘39”

AU: Second Chances

Trope: Didn’t Realize It Was You

.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖

art and graphics made by @sunnymeddows