#always happy to answer questions

[overlookedfile]

Hey I noticed you used to update by definition a bounty every Monday. It’s been a while since you posted a chapter and wanted to make sure everything‘s all right. I love the story that I can’t wait to see where it goes, but I’m completely understand as someone who writes themselves like writers block, and all that so take your time too if you need it.

Hey! I'm really glad to hear you're enjoying the story. 🥰

I'm still working on it, but for a while I couldn't figure out why I was unhappy with the yet-unpublished parts I'd already written. It turns out that I'd rushed through a pivotal moment in the next chapter and so everything after it felt weirdly off: kinda like a runaway cart with momentum of its own.

I guess I got too excited for a particular moment (Viggo making Erik say "I love you", to be specific) and tried to place it earlier in the story than it needs to be. 😅

I'm still struggling with exactly how to phrase/restructure things to get the story back on its pacing, but at least now I know what the problem is. Unfortunately, I still don't have an ETA of when I'll be ready to post again.

As thanks for checking in, here are some tidbits about what's ahead:

* Some fun moments with Erik's other dragons

* Nora giving Viggo a stern talking-to

* a spontaneous Volstead festival

* meeting Ryker's childhood crush

[budder28]

Thank you and thanks for asking!

I had been thinking about drawing Dabi for a while. I wanted to create a more vulnerable and quiet scene. I was thinking of a specific scene of the latest season; the one where he’s lore dumping across national tv (best way to put it without spoilers lol). He’s showing off his scars, which is a pretty revealing and vulnerable thing to do.

I often draw ‘spread out’ poses, so I wanted to tackle a more ‘scrunched’ pose. A juxtaposition of how he was showing off his scars. I also struggle with male anatomy, so it was double practice. I figured having him curled up into himself was the best way to challenge myself; and to express the symbolism I was trying to achieve.

I used a combo of references to achieve this.

It was tough finding exactly what I wanted, so I hunted down some photoshoot examples. I used these two to find the kind of angle I wanted. I sometimes find it a bit difficult to reference still life shots; so I used this as a starting point to find a more stylised reference.

Unfortunately I couldn’t find the original artist. I tried reverse image searching and tracking down those links. No results though :(

I much preferred the angle of the stylised reference, given that I was aiming for an anime adjacent look.

As for the hands, I just used my own ✋🤚

I also included the alternate version as a “what could have been.” if things were different for him.

Most of my art is either “oh wow, cool thing” or “I wanted to draw hot people”, but sometimes I put effort and thought behind my art lol

I waffled on a bit, but thank you again for asking^^ ✨

This started as an anatomy/pose study, and turned into some self indulgent fanart.

Below the line is a spoiler version (if you haven't watched/read any of the newer seasons/volumes of bnha)

Toya version

[barghest-land]

normannognathus :) colors were based on the brown pelican

[yiddishknights]

you seem like the right person to ask about jewish knights and judaism in general in arthurian legend

Hello! Apologies for how long it has taken me to respond to this! Throughout the Middle Ages and the early modern period, there were a number of Arthurian texts written by and for Jewish people in Jewish languages. The one I specialize in is an Old Yiddish text called Vidvilt, which is part of the Fair Unknown tradition and based off an earlier German text called Wigalois. This text was super popular in the Yiddish-speaking world for about three centuries or so and was reworked and reprinted a number of times. I already discussed some of those adaptations a while ago in response to this ask.

Predating Vidvilt, there was a Hebrew Arthurian text written in the 13th century which is now commonly known as Melekh Artus. This was based on Old French sources and tells the story of Arthur's birth and Lancelot's affair with Guinevere before breaking off unfinished. The most common edition of the text used today is the one by Curt Leviant, though I just read a fascinating article in the latest issue of the Journal of the International Arthurian Society calling into question some of his transcription choices and the conclusions he draws in his analysis of the text.

I also recently read that a fragment of an Arthurian text in Judeo-Catalan was recently discovered, but I'm afraid I don't know much about it as yet other than that it's apparently a late medieval adaptation of Jaufre.

Chivalric romances of both Christian and Jewish origin were extremely popular among medieval and early modern Jews in general. There were a number of non-Arthurian knight stories that were very popular as well; for example, the most famous and influential work of early Yiddish literature was a chivalric epic called Bovo d'Antona, and a survey I read of the literature in Jewish households in early modern Italy shows that the most popular non-religious work among Jews at that time was Orlando Furioso.

It is worth noting that, even though some of these texts were written by and for Jews, that doesn't necessarily mean that the characters in them were Jewish. Jewish writers generally tended to modify their Christian source materials by gliding over or obscuring references to religion, rather than depicting Judaism directly (the reasons for this are complex and could constitute a whole paper, so I won't get into it here). That being said, medieval Jewish knights did exist in real life, too! There are a few medieval historians who do research into exactly when, where, and under what circumstances Jews were allowed to bear arms, but it definitely wasn't exclusively a literary thing.

[alevolpe]

You know, sometimes I think about the fact that we never met a Chibiusa who had a truly good childhood. Mostly talking about a childhood with present, loving and caring guardians and parental figures. (Less about people trying to kill her and stuff, though I'm sure that as its effects as well)

Like idk wtf Usagi and Mamoru have got going on in Crystal Tokyo, they get possessed by a more asshole version of themselves, but they don't feel like the Mamo and Usagi we know from the series grown up. They suck at parenting, it's canonically shown. And not even in the funny ahaha trying parent, no, they are BAD parents.

I also don't know what the inners are doing, finding literally anything else to do but taking good care of this neglected child.

Idk, just things that make me think about the Chibiusa we got to meet and the one who is synonymous with the person we know as Chibiusa.

[blimbo-buddy]

what would see inside phillipe be like?

Ohoho you're in for a treat. First off, some concepts:

Phillippe -> Pippy

To contrast with him appearing as a bug often seen as cute; I wanted to instead make him appear as a bug that isn't seen in the same good light

Stuck between a scorpion, fly, and roach (not pictured here)

Scorpion has deeper meaning but also I imagined a Fly if I wanted to keep closer to Phillippe's original appearance

Scorpion would have a little cork on the end of the stinger

I might do a poll to see which idea you guys like better

Now onto the actual story beats with him:

His whole thing with using the bug disguise to trick the party into being consumed by Spore Mother is still there

But instead, he actually feels horrible amounts of shame for it; this is the only purpose of his existence, to deceive and feed Spore Mother more victims

This is his inner turmoil while leading evil Sam/Bram and the party to Spore Mother and it's where it finally reaches a boiling point

I'd imagine in game dialogue would point out that Pippy is seeming very antsy which only gets worse when they're closer to their destination

At the last second, Pippy reveals the truth that he's a spore mimic and instantly drops what's going on

He cries that he doesn't want to hurt people

He doesn't want to feed Spore Mother anymore

He doesn't want to be a mushroom mimic

He wants to be Pippy

In the fight against Spore Mother, Pippy fights with evil Sam/Bram and the others. Unfortunately, Pippy sacrifices himself for the survival of the others.

Though thankfully, in a shocking moment, evil Sam/Bram feels a wave of remorse wash over him - though doesn't show it outwardly to the others in that moment- and takes his remains. He'll remember him, not as a mushroom, not as a monster, not even as something who was trying to lead them to their deaths; but as Pippy.

[iamhereinthebg]

The clock keepers deserve to have the full shaded promo art for their volume 🙏🙏

Edit: I HAVE THEM ALL!!!

[tothelasthoursofmylife]

Countess Cloudia Phantomhive and Victorian Inheritance Customs

With the snippet of the Phantomhive family tree now having been shown in the anime, I decided to make a little post to hopefully answer some of the questions that might come up!

Could a 19th-century English noblewoman...

... inherit her family estate? Yes, she could.

There was no law that stipulated that someone had to bequeath their possessions (estate, wealth) to a male relative. The rich and the noble wanted to protect their possessions, of course, and created wills that ensured that their estates and wealth would not fall into just anyone's hands but remained securely within their (close) family. If there was no close male relative (or none they wished to make their inheritor), it was not uncommon for people to will their possessions to a close female relative instead.

In Jane Eyre (1847), she famously inherits her paternal uncle's entire wealth of 20,000 pounds (the book is set sometime during George III's late reign, making the last possible (full) year 1819; this would make her inheritance 2,32 million pounds nowadays (she only keeps £5,000 = £580,000)) because he chose to will it to her, overlooking, i.a., a nephew simply because he once had a terrible fight with said nephew's father (his brother-in-law/his sister's husband). In The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848), Helen is the heiress to her uncle's fortune, not her brother (who inherited their father's estate already). Wuthering Heights' (1847) Catherine Linton (Catherine Earnshaw's daughter) was the heir of Thrushcross Grange.

Female heiresses were not restricted to fiction though:

(Women and Marriage in Nineteenth-Century England by Joan Perkin; Ch.3)

The rich and the noble had access to a private law system that was administered by the Court of Equity. This allowed noblewomen to have their own estates and incomes, albeit secured by trust funds/trustees. This system protected their inherited family wealth from their husbands even under coverture. (While single women, feme soles, could possess their own property, they would usually lose all rights to it to their husbands upon marriage because of coverture laws. The trust system prevented this.)

Marriage settlements (marriage contracts that, due to their complexity, could only be afforded by the rich) could also protect the daughters of noble and/or wealthy families as they, i.a., stipulated how much money she would receive monthly or annually (pin money), and how much money she would receive upon her husband's death.

(Courtship and Marriage in Victorian England by Jennifer Phegley; Ch. 1)

This was the best case scenario for women of the upper classes (and the wealthy middle class).

(Feminism, Marriage, and the Law in Victorian England by Mary Lyndon Shanley; Ch. 1)

Nevertheless, the rich knew how to protect their wealth, then as now. The aforementioned private laws also helped to pave the way for women of all social classes and statuses to have their own possessions.

Little excursus:

Their vast fortunes also granted certain freedoms to rich heiresses, i.a., the freedom to choose a husband as they pleased. After all, they did not have to think about "making a good match" anymore. They were themselves filthy rich already after all! The fact that their wealth was protected also kept them safer from vultures.

(Women and Marriage in Nineteenth-Century England by Joan Perkin; Ch.3)

"Love" emerged as a reason for marriage in the late 18th century and became more common and popular throughout the 19th.

(Love as Passion: The Codification of Intimacy by Niklas Luhmann; Ch. 14)

However, that never stopped matrimony from being a serious business. No matter what, many people put a lot of care and thought into deciding who to marry. After all, divorces were an expensive hassle until 1857 (previously, one needed a costly Act of Parliament to obtain a divorce, and the process of obtaining a divorce was particularly difficult for women too: between 1827 and 1857 only three divorces that were petitioned by women were granted; the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 established a civil divorce court and expanded the rights of women). It was easier for rich women to choose to marry for love; still, many opted to remain cautious nonetheless.

(For example, what about the children one might have within a marriage? Upon a wedded union's dissolution, women had difficulties getting custody of their own children. The Custody of Infants Act 1839 allowed women to petition for custody of their children if they were 7 or under. It took until 1873, with the Infant Custody Act, for the age to be lifted from 7 to 16. It also removed the 1839 Act's stipulation that she would not be given custody if she had committed adultery. Before 1839, the father always got full custody. Caroline Norton believed she made a "good match," only to get stuck with an abusive husband who, i.a., beat her and did not let her access their children upon their separation for years.)

... keep her surname?/give her surname to her husband? Yes, she could.

The nobility and the rich, naturally, were very attached to their surnames. After all, it was their family marker, and they were proud of their family history, may it be because they came from a long line of nobles and/or because their ancestor created the family business that gave them their wealth.

When there was no (suitable) close male heir and a female one was chosen instead, the question arose, "what of the family name?" Women often took their husbands' surname upon marriage after all; in this case, however, it might mean the "end" of their old, history-charged and/or important family name.

So, people simply decreed in their wills that, whoever their heiress married, would have to take her surname upon marriage.

Further, men who wanted to marry rich heiresses, of course, thought the wedding to be an honour and did not want to offend their powerful and wealthy in-laws. They, thus, often chose to hyphenate their surname with their wife's. (And the more important surnames you can show off, the better too!)

(Women and Marriage in Nineteenth-Century England by Joan Perkin; Ch.3)

Some examples:

Charles William Stewart took his wife's surname Vane (not even hyphenated!! it fully "replaced" his) when they got married in 1819 because Frances Vane was a rich heiress and her father stipulated in his will that her future husband had to take her surname, period.

In 1811, John Ward changed his surname to Ward-Boughton-Leigh after marrying Theodosia de Malsburgh Boughton-Leigh. "Boughton" is the maiden name of Theodosia's mother, "Leigh" her father's surname. She was the only heir to the fortunes of both her parents, so all families had to be honoured.

The marquessate of Salisbury belongs to the Gascoyne-Cecil family. Up until 1821, the family name was just Cecil. "Gascoyne" comes from Frances Gascoyne who married James Cecil; James hyphenated his surname with hers. She brought a considerable "Liverpool fortune" into the family. The Cecils were (and are!) very powerful and they still changed their surname.

Men also retroactively changed their surnames to their wives' maiden name if she suddenly received a great inheritance. (This could lead to some fun names like "Cresswell Cresswell.")

... hold a noble title in her own right? Yes, she could.

Henrietta Godolphin was the Duchess of Marlborough in her own right (suo jure) because of an act of parliament in 1706. (Her younger brother was meant to inherit the title but he died before their father and it went to her instead.) Henrietta's eldest son William became heir apparent to her dukedom (and his father's earldom, but that would only have been a "secondary" title because dukes > earls). Unfortunately, her son predeceased her, and the title went to her nephew instead.

This was not the first or last case of a woman holding a title in her own right. The Wikipedia article on suo jure lists more such cases.

Also: Vincent and Francis are full siblings! (Yana's tweet/Ducky's translation)

No matter whether Cloudia was married to Cedric or not, Vincent and Francis would never be bastards and always legitimate children in the face of the law.

*Note: Laws on women's property rights/custody/divorce/etc. changed multiple times throughout the 19th century; their effects on women also differed amongst the different social classes. As this post is about Cloudia's (possible) situation, it mostly deals with laws and such that would have applied to her as a noblewoman (late 18th to mid-19th century/1866).

A chronology on English marriage law:

(Courtship and Marriage in Victorian England by Jennifer Phegley)

[kings-highway]

Okay I've seen enough AI discourse discussion today but there's one thing I absolutely have not seen anyone else talking about and I simply need to get my 2 cents in here

Writing is not about the end product. And no, I'm not going to say some philosophical nonsense about the passion or heart or humanity put into it, I'm sure most of you are already aware of the philosophical difference between AI and real writers. What I'm talking about is what, about storytelling and writing, makes a writer a writer.

If, theoretically, being a writer was JUST about conveying an idea, plot, or set of themes to the reader, AI wouldn't be that big of a deal. Because it truly would be just about the quickest way to get your idea into someone elses' head. But it's not that.

It's not that at all.

When I was 14 my father (a screenwriter) told me that his favourite part of writing was editing, and that, if I continued to be a writer, one day I'd probably feel the same way.

The amateur is enamoured with the creative process - the writer is enamoured with the craft.

Writing doesn't stop when the words are on the page.

My father was right.

Nowadays, a first draft is a tedious first step I need to climb the mountain of to get on with things. And, of course, I love this step! It's the creative heart of being a storyteller, playing with characters, exploring themes. And, yes, most of my fanfiction is a first draft, but thats because fanfiction is a different kind of craft to me. Also not something AI can replicate but that's a different story and not what this is about.

I've never let anyone read my first draft of original work. Ever. Because I hate my first drafts. I finish it, and immediately start thinking: "i need more scenes that make the twist villain sympathetic early on to increase the impact of the reveal" or "i should make sure that the main character is shown reaching for chocolate flavoured treats more often to tighten the character persona" or "i think the middle is too short, there's not enough time to build drama."

I start crafting the story. Picking apart how I want my readers to feel, adjusting minute details - or massive, large details - and playing with the rhythm of the story. Maybe a villain gets redeemed instead of killing them, maybe I switch up the order that characters meet in to change their dynamics, maybe I change their names to have greater symbolism and more cohesive identities. Editing is a difficult skill, but the process of getting my hands on each paragraph is intoxicating. Of being able to turn this story into the best version of itself.

I spent 4 minutes on one line, yesterday, changing the word "terrible" to "horrible," removing a comma and switching up the word choice in the dialogue. I played and I fiddled and I made sure that this one sentence had the exact right melody to it, the exact right feeling to it to make sure that my reader could feel it like goddamn music in their bones, the precise reading experience that I, the writer, wanted them to have. These 4 minutes are the most fun I ever have writing. These moments are my favourite part of being a writer, they're what makes me a writer. Not simply that I have put words on a page, but that I have put these words on a page, exactly as I want them.

So AI art is not art. Because art is not the end product. People who use AI to write are not writers, because writers are not merely idea generators. If you're satisfied using AI to generate your ideas, go ahead, but you were never a writer to begin with. I don't want my work to exist on the page if I don't get to enjoy the craft. If I don't get to sit and play with my words, adjust character details into oblivion, stare at the screen until the words are music, then I simply don't want it. If everything in the world becomes AI generated, I will still be sitting at my desk with my computer glowing and keyboard clicking away, writing stories, because that is what I love to do. The act of it, the physical act, not the end product.

"I'm just using AI to bring my ideas to life, I can edit and adjust it afterwards if I want!"

You've already missed the point.

I'll just be over here wasting hours upon hours deciding on the name of a fake city, because it is the most fun I could ever have.

[justinegreenpie]

Move over Game of Thrones, we all know who's the real king of medieval fantasy!

[anxiousapplepie]

Heya!!! It's me again!!

Okay, so I figured I should ask some questions I've been rotating in my mind recently- (for way too long)

First! Can you tell us some world-build related stuff? For example interesting places in the RK world.

Second, what would be the team's reaction to Lapis being human?

Last, I'm a bit sad that u didn't draw Barbara with a braid (I know I've already drew it but my art sucks) so can you please draw her with a braid pls

It entirely depends on what you think is an "interesting" place, but some of my favorite RK locations include the Deja Brew Tavern and anywhere with massive stained-glass windows or street artists doing their thing Altho the edge of the forest with the 7 twisted dead trees is also a place I think about way too often The team have very different reactions to Lapis being human. That's all you need to know for now >:3 I have a very contrary creature inside of me. If someone wants me to draw something, my little critter crosses it's arms and huffs "well now I don't want to!" so forgive me for not wanting to comply without a fight XD

[firebirds-roost]

Starting to work on reference sheets for the main characters of Firebird's Roost! I'm planning to upload them in batches of two or three, since that's kind of how they're divided up in the story itself.

Naturally we're kicking things off with my progenitors and co-leaders, Fluffington and Wraith. Lovely couple, aren't they?

Design notes under cut:

FLUFFINGTON

-Pink patches glow and additional markings appear when using magic (Runes gene)

-Naturally inclined to walk on all fours but likes the more dignified feeling of standing upright

-Always smiling regardless of emotion; his eyes usually give away what he's really thinking

WRAITH

-Bandages kind of just... phase through her wings in the back, since they're all sludgy and not really solid

-Rarely removes mask, but has a pretty ordinary face under it (reference her on-site design for patterns)

-Wing membranes are translucent and constantly shifting

[vesper100]

I just wanted to say that I love your monk OCs and would love to learn more about them! Is there anywhere online that you've posted stories/comics about them besides Tumblr?

Thank u so much!!! I post on insta too but nothing important that isn't already here... You can have some more doodles if you like them though ^_^

[driftsart]

Wait so, where does the story for the au take place, exactly? Are the Autobots and Cons still on Cybertron? Are they on Earth? When does it take place? :3

Autobots

The Autobots are divided up to look for Decepticons.

- Team Prime is Sentinel's group that changes location every now and then. Sometimes they're in autobot base (on earth) and sometimes they're on cybertron.

-Ultra Magnus' group of Autobot travel from Cybertron to Earth and back to carry messages, sometimes other autobots from one place to another, etc.

- The Earth Autobots are the autobots who have settled on Earth. Some of these include: Jazz, Prowl, Rung, Drift, etc. They live in autobot base and work alongside humans, except for Drift, who doesn't like to stick around near other autobots for long.

- Other autobots: Many autobots are allowed to travel between the two planets, others are on Cybertron, capturing all the decepticons there and others are on Earth trying to find the remaining decepticons there.

Decepticons

The decepticons are mostly scattered across earth and Cybertron, in hiding.

- Megatron's group, are in hiding since they first landed on Earth. With spare parts from their escape pods, they created a ship-like home, well hidden with Earth's nature. It's somewhere on a very very tiny island, not even found on maps.

- Tarn's group (Tarn, Arachnid, etc.), (Are Decepticons who are against autobots but against Megatron too. They see Megatron as weak and pathetic and they think the decepticons will lose because of his gentleness. They believe Megatron should be replaced) Is on Cybertron, because they refused to cower and escape Cybertron like Megatron.

- Captive Decepticons: Captive Decepticons are those who were unlucky and got caught by autobot soldiers. They're almost always sent to autobot prisons on Cybertron, where they're treated terribly (they're kinda like Concentration camps). Blitzwing's one of them.

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

Important Time Periods:

These time periods were the ones with most important parts that are important to the story.

⬇️⬇️

WW1

- WW1 was when the Decepticons arrived on Earth. It's when humans first made contact with Cybertronians.

WW2

- WW2 was when the autobots first landed on Earth. Sentinel was the first to arrive alongside Optimus. While Optimus was distracted with humans and trying to become their allies, Sentinel made some bad deals with the wrong allies.

- Blitzwing and many other decepticons were also captured by both autobots with the help of Sentinel's human allies (the axis 😬). Some were given to the axis for experiments while others were taken back to Cybertron to prisons.

Present

- The younger autobots start to become suspicious of Sentinel and begin doing their own research alongside their younger human allies. Some even start talking to some decepticons that are held captive.

- Tensions between the autobots rise and the younger ones refuse to follow orders more than usual.

- The Autobots are getting closer to finding Megatron's group.

[certifiedlibraryposts]

I've moved and want to get a library card, but my id doesn't have my current address and no mail has my name. Do I just have to wait

According to two of my local libraries' websites, they would also accept other proofs of address such as bank statements, utility bills, or rent/mortgage receipts.

That might not be universal though, so I would suggest getting in contact with your library or checking their website to get a more definite answer for you.

[httyd-art-requests]

I’m considering making a blog similar to this one but for a different fandom so I wanted to ask if you have any tips?

!!! That's great! Please let me know if/when you do make a blog, I'd love to see it!

Don't be discouraged if your posts don't draw in people immediately, it can take time for the right people to find you. I started out as a daily art blog before I changed to an art request blog, so my daily posting gave my followers something to come back for (aside from my infinitely likeable and charming personality, clearly) (joke)

I got lucky enough to be discovered by some very kind and very supportive people early on, who helped me keep up with the daily posting for much longer than I expected to be able to do. Give it some time, and your people will find you as well.

In my experience, it's very easy to get overwhelmed once you have requests coming in on the regular. Don't be afraid to take breaks, and don't push yourself to keep creating if you're not having fun with it anymore. Draw your boundaries where needed, and don't forget that It's Your House. You get to make and change the rules.

Be kind to people, be welcoming, and most of all: have fun!

(And tag me so I can reblog it :] )