#and do most of my drawing during downtime

[euphreana]

So... the next comic I'm working on (the pancakes comic) has Goldenheart kissing and I'm not sure how good an idea it is to work on it in the open here at my job. (I live in the south.)

I don't fear for my safety or of losing my job, but still... 😅

[thistlerock]

All of the bad kids have darkvision (even Kristen, not bc of race but twilight domain clerics get like crazy darkvision??) which is neat to me.

Idk, it definitely opens opportunities for strategically taking away major light sources in battle and makes stealthing at night easier and means travel through dark caves or forests during adventures isn't as dangerous as it might be for other parties (oh. Did it help with the Night Yorb?) etc etc, but it can also just be silly I guess. It's getting late at a sleepover but they never turn on the lights and they draw on Gorgug's face after he fell asleep but most of them see in grey tones in the dark but they kinda. Forgot. And now the colours are all wrong :(

I've also seen someone say yeah Gukgak apartment almost always dark and just. Yeah. Lights out unless it's really late and they have a non dark vision guest (rare). I think there are times where Fabian gets up at the ass crack of dawn because he has to fix his hair and he just does it in the dark so no one can tell he takes that long. I think the Mordred Manor gang in a super busy week if they're stressed with school/work will set the table and sit down to eat and almost not notice it's so dark for no reason until someone goes hey my food looks kinda dull that's weird. (Assuming Jawbone has dark vision. Which he should lol. Shifters do and that's what he should count as I think??) Also all of these scenarios I'm assuming it's like winter and it's dark out for longer so dim natural lighting at best.

Oh also something something Bad Kids ultimate hide and seek dude. In weird dark caves or mines during their (not world saving but just part of school) adventures because they goof off sometimes. Riz is always hidden the longest for very very obvious reasons and he also finds everyone the fastest for equally obvious reasons (if he uses investigation rather than perception, which I think is fair even if you'd typically do perception vs stealth because it is hide and seek, then after junior year all of his friends mechanically fully just. would not be able to hide from him* without a critical success ((and raw you can't crit on skill checks lmao but in the world of Spyre you can)) and this is really funny to me) but hey technically this is awesome exercise for a rogue to keep his mind sharp during downtime this is in middle school intro to adventuring books for sure. Maybe they rule it so that Riz wins if he finds them on a very small time limit so it's actually a challenge.

Idk idk I think it's fun if people consider stuff like darkvision in fics I want darkvision that'd be so convenient

*for clarification if you're reading this without having their stats memorised like some loser it's like. Riz's investigation is +14. He has reliable talent. The worst he can fucking get is a 24. Not to mention passive investigation is a thing that they've used (when Riz being in a room auto revealed the curse artefacts that one time) so it's kinda established that he wouldn't even have to "roll". Which in universe would mean he wouldn't even have to make an active effort I guess?

None of the bad kids (other than Riz ofc) are proficient in stealth and therefore none of them could beat a 24 with stealth without critting lmao. Fabian, with his maxed out dexterity, can match it on a 19. So if Fabian rolled as high as possible without critting and Riz rolled as bad as he can does Fabian have a slither of a chance? The ruling on what happens when you tie on contested checks is kind of weird because "oh the situation doesn't change" which is obvious with like, contested athletics but in cases like these it's less intuitive. What does not changing mean when it's hiding vs searching?? Does it mean the hiding person stays hidden? Or would this be less of a contested check since they don't happen at the exact same time and more of a hider sets the dc for seeker. In which case Riz would auto succeed because you just have to meet dcs to beat them. I am thinking too much about the mechanics of some (probably drunk) teenagers playing hide and seek. As I'm typing this I'm remembering that he wouldn't have to roll to meet a 24 because yeah passive investigation of a maniac (affectionately). Yeah okay he would just notice even Fabian in all cases but the case of a critical success.

Here I note that I don't put it past Fig to acquire Pass Without Trace (magical secrets) just to gain a chance at beating Riz in hide and seek. She'd fucking do it. She goes to visit her wood elf relatives to get pointers and all. Wow this derailed this was about darkvision at first.

[koboldfactory]

Do you have any art advice to try to get better at art, to go along with "keep drawing to improve"

I do and I will do my best to convey it in a way that is actually comprehensible as I am a terrible teacher lol.

A SUPER important thing I started doing when I was very young to learn art was to mimic a drawing without tracing it to try to understand how it is composed while not just turning my brain off and tracing over lines. Like having a piece of art open right next to where you are trying to draw the exact same thing. While there is something to be learned from tracing, that well kinda dries up quick. I found this to work much better, especially as I had already learned to draw basic things on my own. People like to lump all tracing in with stealing art but like just be polite about it and credit the original artist if/when you post it! most people will be chill if you just ask first and are doing it to learn! (especially if youre not even postin it)

Another thing is to give yourself what I like to call "silly sketching time" in between constructive learning pieces. Just draw the most garbage, easy to draw, fun thing you can possibly think of! If it's work work work all the time you're gonna burn out! but not drawing at all during downtime can be detrimental too. Just let yourself be silly with it!

Final big piece of advice for now is learn from things you LIKE. sure standard stuff like anatomy and perspective and geometry are important, but you can also learn those things WHILE drawing the stuff you're actually interested in!! try to understand how your favorite thing is constructed and learn techniques by drawing inspiration from it!

[live-laugh-legolas]

Hello!! Could you do headcanons of the fellowship + Faramir and what art they like/do as a hobby? Like painting, music, knit, and so on. Thank you!!

I was working on this but it got pushed to the back as I try to prioritize asks so this is perfect!

Hobbies of the fellowship (+Faramir)

Aragorn:

-Whittling

-He has a lot of downtime during his time as a ranger

-And he is surrounded by sticks and stuff and was probably already fiddling with a knife

-He often doesn��t take the little animals he makes with him so he either gives them to kids in a village he is near, or just leaves them around for someone to find

-I can also imagine him keeping a guitar with him so he can play around a fire at night during his travels

-A very humble player but also not shy about playing or singing if asked

Legolas:

-Anything physical really

-Climbing, swimming, gymnastics, etc

-He just needs to be moving

-He also has a habit of taking in orphaned or injured animals to nurse them back to health

-Would just have a squirrel in his pocket like Bob Ross

-His father has had to tell him multiple times that bunnies are not allowed on the dinner table

Gimli:

-He plays the flute

-Don’t ask how I know because no one will ever see him playing

-But he does

-He also enjoys jewelry making

-He’s a dwarf who appreciates a pretty piece of metal work or a perfectly shiny jewel

-I have an uncle who will sharpen knives at family gatherings because he doesn’t really want to talk to anyone (and I can’t blame him) but he also loves glitter and stuff, and that’s loosely how I picture Gimli

Boromir:

-I love that you mentioned knitting because that is exactly what I picture this man doing

-He’s not particularly good, but also not bad

-Mostly just makes scarves to relax

-Faramir has so many scarves and hats

-He definitely donates the extras that aren’t given to his brother

-Side note, he cannot crochet despite trying to

Frodo:

-Learning languages

-We know he has learned elvish to an extent and I think that this is a passion of his

-Loves to teach his friends “swears” that are actually compliments

-He also likes making origami

-Nothing too extravagant, just little cranes and stars maybe

-But he makes so many he doesn’t know what to do with them

-He will hide little cranes all around the shire for other hobbits to find

Sam:

-I mean this one is obvious…

-He loves gardening!

-He feels so accomplished when he gets to watch his plants grow, and eat fresh food from the ground

-Potatoes

-I also think he would secretly enjoy writing poetry

-I’m pretty sure Bilbo taught him how to read and write and he makes sure to put it to use so he doesn’t forget how

-He may not be Shakespeare but it is always sweet and from the heart

Merry:

-Riding

-He loves to take his pony around the shire

-He also likes experimenting with cooking and drink making

-It’s not always good, in fact it often isn’t, but it’s the process to him that matters

-If he were in modern days he would love the movie Ratatouille

Pippin:

-He is a very musical hobbit

-When he’s not stuffing his face he’s playing instruments and singing at the Green Dragon

-I also think he would really love making pottery

-The feel of molding the clay on the wheel really quiets his mind which frankly he really needs from time to time

Gandalf:

-Ok hear me out

-Ik this isn’t technically really a hobby but he likes napping

-He wants to find the most peaceful spot and just close his eyes for a little

-He’s a man who is always on the move so being able to take time to relax is always important to him

-(One of my favorite things to do is take a nap on the couch with my cats and I’m insistent that this is a hobby lol)

*Bonus Faramir:

-I think he likes to draw

-He doesn’t really paint, but he likes to sketch with charcoal and pencils

-He carries around a little sketchbook so he can just sit somewhere and draw

-Boromir loves to see his brothers art because he is so proud of his little brother

[hoiststowline]

haunt

spinister x f!reader

Typically, unless necessary, he finds himself intervening in situations that he sees can be played out without his assistance. It's not laziness, lest he tells himself, but he's also not a mother and most certainly not a judge. Krok's the leader, he makes the tough decisions and has no time to deal with the shouting and-

Your door is open, stopping just shy of the entrance as many objects he doesn't know the name of bounce around the room. A shoe even flies out into the hallway, tossed by your hands as you scrounge around the room for something. You've gotten him intrigued in the least, taking a step forward and over the sneaker, now standing in your doorway.

"Everything okay-?" The question barely leaves him before a loud clang can be heard, not realizing you were underneath your bed, yanking things out and throwing them in all directions. At the sound of his voice, startled, the back of your head smacks the bed frame, loudly. Krok knows that hurts, so he masks his expression as best he can. 

"Ow..." He watches you slide out from under the mattress, an annoyed but upset pout to your lips. If he knew any better, you were distraught looking for something you could not find. "Have you seen my book?" 

The book in reference he knows quite well, the one Misfire teases is a diary, and the same that you have to find a new hiding spot for hourly because of the damn mechs that can't keep their servos to themselves. This isn't the first time it's gone missing, but it's the first instance where he's seen you near tears. "I haven't, no. I'm sure Misfire has it, y/n, I'll go get it from him."

"He doesn't, and neither does Crankcase or Fulcrum. It has to be in here then, but where, I don't-!" He observes as one of your palms comes to your chest as if to quell your heartbeat. "It's in here somewhere."

"What about Spinister?" It's the only member of the crew you have left to mention, and he thinks you know he has nothing to do with the stolen goods. Krok only knows it by its cover, the black marker doodles that litter the front, and how you always seem to have your nose in it during downtime. "You haven't asked him?" 

You swallow thickly, and to this, Krok finally laces the pieces together. "Ah. You don't know if he has it, but you're praying he doesn't."

"I'm so stupid to think I could keep a journal on a ship with teenagers at best." You groan, hand running the length of your face. It wasn't a diary, it had started as a daily log of sorts, something to keep your mind busy when you had some time to yourself. Over time, it had swayed into more of a sketchbook, little annotations littering the borders. There weren't obvious depictions of your in-house romance, or lack thereof, but one could draw a massive conclusion based on the hearts and smiley faces that cover page after page. 

"Yeah, that's kinda on you." He agrees, taking in the mess you've created in such a small space. "Look, you keep searching in here, and I'll go find Spinister. If I come back with the book, then you gotta figure your scrap out."

"Deal." You warble, shoulders drooping in defeat. At this, he backs out of the room, taking the hallway down to the central command, and then hanging a left towards Spinister's quarters. 

"Spinister can't even read Cybertronian, dude. You're fine," Misfire had said, shrugging his shoulder in indifference. "If he can read English before he can count to ten, I'll buy you seventeen journals."

While that was not reassuring in the slightest, your face comes to sit in your hands, sitting cross-legged on your bed. Maybe it was thrown out of an airlock, spinning in deep space and torched to nothing. You'd rather that than have to deal with your feelings prematurely. 

To Krok's surprise, Spinister was in his room, but fiddling with his gun and in his immediate survey, did not have your journal. The large mech blinks at him expectingly, as if beckoning him to state the reason for his visit. 

"Nothing." He lies, shuffling his weight from pede to pede in the entrance. "y/n lost an item of hers, I just wanted to ask if you had seen it perchance, but clearly you've been busy with this." 

"What is she missing?" It piques his interest, that's for certain, and Krok can't pinpoint if it's when he says your name, or that you had misplaced an object that remains unnamed. 

"Don't worry about it." Why he's instigating this further, he doesn't know, but he's decided to play matchmaker today. "I'll let her know you've been in your berthroom all cycle." 

At this, the marksman tosses his weapon on his desk, standing abruptly. "I'll go." Is all he says, and when Krok goes to ask where, he's already shouldering past him and heading down the hall toward your room. 

Now rummaging through your closet, you push aside fistfuls of clothing in the hopes it got tangled in there somewhere. Krok must've left your door open because upon hearing heavy footfalls, you jump back and stick your head towards the hall, optimistic that he had found it-

What you weren't expecting was Spinister to be standing there, his shadow bathing the room as his red optics scan the area, only stopping when they land on you, sitting on the floor. "Krok said you lost something." Is all he says, tilting his head to the side when he can't process the look on your face. 

"Yeah." You sniffle softly, leaning back on your hands as you realize this is the end, the damn thing had you entirely stumped. "I think I'm about to give up."

"Would you like help?" Your brow raises, moderately amused that he'd help look for something he has no idea what it is. 

"That's okay, thanks anyways. If you don't have it, and neither does anyone else, that means it's doomed to wherever it ended up." Relief washes over you in waves, pleased to find that Spinister did not have it, but it did mean that it was somewhere on this god-forsaken ship.

"Your room is a mess." He remarks, unsure of the last time he was in the space. "Did you do this?" 

"I did, trying to find my book." Spinister takes a hesitant step inside, and then another, eventually coming just shy of your feet before carefully lowering himself to the ground. "I'll clean it later. Maybe while I'm cleaning, I'll find it."

"I hope so." Once in a sitting position, he's much less intimidating, at least he anticipates. "I lose things all the time. Can't say I have great success in finding them, but I understand the feeling," 

Your smile makes him physically melt, and the first few times his processor couldn't properly translate the reason or purpose of the action. Now, he looks for it, waits for it, and every time it has the same never-ending reaction. "Well, next time, let me know. I'll help you look for whatever it is you've misplaced." 

"You-" At the mention of your lost book, Spinister knows exactly what you're referencing. Though typically most information leaves him at a certain point, he has that journal committed to memory, only because he's spent so much time staring at you across the room whilst you write within it. It's the only time he can do it without getting caught, or have others rag on him for it. 

Just out of the corner of his optic, something blue catches his eye, the edge sticking out from underneath your nightstand. "Found it." He announces, digit pointing towards it, and he watches with gratification as your eyes alight, gasping.

You jump to your feet, scrambling over to the side table to look beneath it, a squeal of happiness tumbling from your lips. "Spinister! You are a gem, thank you so much!"

"I'm not 'a gem', I'm Spinister," He drawls, eyeing you curiously. "But you're welcome."

"I know you're Spinister, Spinister." You laugh, opening your top drawer and stuffing the book inside, a hiding place that is overused but is remotely fine, for now. "But you saved me a lot of time and heartache. I owe you one." 

"Heartache?" Maybe you could have left that part out, but the words just tumbled out of your mouth naturally. "Is your heart in pain?" 

"No, no. I...a lot of my thoughts are in here, I guess is a good way of putting it. Stuff I'm not quite ready to share." The toe of your sneaker runs across the metal of the floor, unconfident in how to proceed. "It's the only thing that won't judge or criticize me."

"I wouldn't. Or won't. I know Misfire would, and probably Fulcrum." Spinister decides he likes your room, it's uniquely you, and he thinks the image of you standing within it is otherworldly, just by your presence. "But I won't."

"I appreciate that, thank you." You're smiling so hard your cheeks begin to hurt, enjoying the conversation even if it's coming rapidly to a conclusion. "I may have to take you up on that, someday."

Krok thinks you're crazy, having feelings for a mech who forgets what he's saying in the middle of a sentence, but he also knows that Spinister has the gentlest spark out of any of them. He's deadly, but none of that seems to matter to you, heavily impressed by his marksmanship and his surgical expertise. There are plenty of humans and mechs out there who'd be vying for your attention, and yet? Your heart was easily stolen by Spinister, and no one can figure out whether to commend and support you for it or try and break it to you in the gentlest way possible that it may be a poor choice. 

Spinister can't figure out what he did thirty seconds ago, how on Earth was he ever going to realize he was in love with you as well?

"You can, anytime," Spinister affirms, nodding his helm once. "I was cleaning my blaster. Wanna come?" 

There was little you could deny him, and he had no idea about any of it. "Yeah. I do, Spin. I would love that." 

[emmg]

Okay, but hear me out: a fic where Ketheric meets someone at Moonrise—maybe a servant, a soldier, idk—and they just happen to look exactly like his dead wife. And of course, because Ketheric is completely stable and definitely not still grief stricken a million years later, things start getting weird real fast. Like, he just casually asks this poor soul to pretend to be Melodia during his downtime. Not for anything grand, mind you—just for the most random, mundane stuff.

Imagine Ketheric watching them brush their hair with Melodia’s brush, making them wear her clothes and jewelry—but only while they’re in her room, because apparently, that's where he draws the line. Then he’s sitting next to them while they read Melodia’s books or recite her favorite Selûnite prayers like it’s a totally normal Tuesday.

He starts correcting her. Every. Single. Time. Maybe her intonation’s just a little off, or she has the wrong accent, and suddenly Ketheric’s all upset because apparently that’s a dealbreaker in his undead-wife-reenactment fantasy. Meanwhile, this poor person is just stuck there, trying to appease him, because they’re all in on the Absolute and this half-elf general is basically the closest thing to their goddess. Like, what’re they gonna do, say no to the guy who’s practically their divine rep?

Maybe she doesn’t wear her hair the right way, or her nails aren’t painted the way Melodia’s were. She’s either too much of something or not enough of another, and Ketheric’s just stewing in his creepy, dead-wife-obsessed trauma, while this person is desperately trying not to screw up again.

And, naturally, this turns into a full-blown deranged obsession while the person slowly loses all sense of who they are because they’re too busy becoming Mrs. Dead Wife 2.0. The potential for some peak-level angst and overall unsettling vibes is immaculate. Someone please write this—or I will, just to stop it from haunting my brain.

[justsomerandomfanfic]

hi hello, i hope you have an amazing day, i was wondering if i can ask for a dc matchup? a romantic one please?

im a very shy person, which makes me seem cold because im not comfortable talking in public and have an rbf, one of the things most of my friends tell me after we befriend each other is “before we got close, i thought you were a bitch”

but once im comfortable with someone, im extremely clingy and actually become quite loud. i also have the habit of dropping random facts about anything- but it’s usually something geeky, such as comics, or green mythology, astronomy, etc.

my hobbies are drawings or reading, i don’t have a set favorite music genre as i genuinely like everything, but if i had to choose it would be r&b or maybe old rock? i genuinely enjoy everything tho.

im 5’7, slightly fuller size, i have hazel eyes, and hip length black hair with red streaks. im 19, almost 20! my zodiac sign is taurus, uhh my pronouns are she/her, and have a preference for men.

i really hope this wasn’t a bother!! have a good day/night and thank you in advance

Hello!

I hope you also hope you have a good day/night! And do not worry! Not a bother at all! <3 I love doing these when I can!

I would love to match you up with one of the amazingly lovely guys in DC!

So, I hope you enjoy!

<3333333

Romantic Matchup; DC

~~~

Romantic;

~~~

DC;

Jaime Reyes -

You first crossed paths during a small altercation in the city.

Jaime was out on patrol, trying to get a handle on his powers, while you were on a mission of your own.

You had both ended up at the same place, each dealing with the same group of bad guys.

You were hesitant at first - after all, you didn’t know this other hero and preferred to work alone - but Jaime’s enthusiasm and determination to help won you over.

He kept cracking jokes while you fought side by side, making the whole situation less stressful.

He was just... So genuine in his effort, even when things were messy.

After the fight, Jaime approached you nervously, clearly a little shy around you, but you were both able to laugh about the battle.

You exchanged quick introductions, and Jaime’s fascination with your unique abilities - along with your dry humor - immediately sparked a connection.

At first, Jaime would occasionally stop by to check in on you after missions, eager to talk and share stories about the world of superheroes.

You were guarded at first, but over time, his persistence made it clear that he wasn't going anywhere.

It wasn’t long before the two of you were exchanging more than just casual pleasantries.

Jaime found your passion for obscure geeky facts about mythology, comics, and astronomy to be absolutely charming.

He'd ask questions just to get you talking, especially when you would drop these random facts out of nowhere.

His eyes would light up, and he'd eagerly ask, "Wait, tell me more about that!"

He loved the way you would get lost in your drawings during downtime and would often sneak peeks at your sketchbook, genuinely amazed by your talent.

On the other hand, you adored hearing Jaime talk about his family and his journey to becoming a hero.

He always talked about his mother and sister with such warmth, and you couldn’t help but find his caring side so endearing.

Your banter with him was easy.

Jaime’s crush on you started small, like the quiet excitement he felt when you agreed to train together or when he saw you smile for the first time in a while.

It was the little things, like the way your face would light up when you got lost in one of your geeky facts, that made him realize just how much he cared for you.

You started noticing him more too.

His goofy antics, his loyalty, his compassion.

It all started to sink in.

And while you’d never admit it right away, you found yourself getting a little excited every time you saw him.

You were no longer as uncomfortable around him, and his presence started to feel familiar, almost comforting.

The day you realized you might feel something more was when Jaime took an extra minute to make sure you were okay after a particularly tough mission.

He was talking to you with such gentle concern, even though he was clearly exhausted.

The care he showed made your heart flutter, and you couldn’t deny that you liked him more than just a friend.

The confession came one evening after a fight had left both of you worn out, sitting together on a rooftop overlooking the city.

Jaime was unusually quiet, his gaze fixed on the skyline as the sunset.

After a few moments of silence, Jaime turned to you, and there was an almost nervousness in his posture.

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking at you with those bright, warm eyes.

"I... I just wanted to say... I really like you. More than I should, probably," He confessed, his voice quieter than usual. "And I know I’ve been a dork around you sometimes, but I just… I just want you to know."

You were taken aback at first, but then, something in your chest tightened.

You didn’t know what to say immediately - your shy self wanted to hide under a rock - but the sincerity in his voice made your heart swell.

You finally looked him in the eye, and without overthinking, you leaned in and kissed him.

It was a soft, tender kiss, full of emotion that both of you had kept hidden for far too long.

After the confession, everything changed between you two, but in the best way possible.

There was a newfound closeness between you, where everything felt natural, comfortable, and full of unspoken affection.

Jaime would check in on you more frequently, sending sweet messages throughout the day or dropping by to make sure you were eating and resting after tough missions.

When you’d forget to eat, he’d show up with your favorite snacks, joking that he'd saved you from starving.

You began spending time with his family too, joining them for meals or helping him with small errands.

His sister would often joke about you two being "cute together," and his mother would give you approving glances, which made you both flush in equal measure.

On days when you were exhausted, Jaime would pull you into a cuddle on the couch, his arm wrapped around your shoulders as you both watched old superhero movies.

He'd randomly squeeze your hand and plant a kiss on top of your head, letting you know he was there.

There were also nights where Jaime would play the guitar for you, serenading you with his favorite songs or making up silly tunes about your hero adventures.

The little serenades always made you laugh, and your heart would flutter at his sincerity.

You’d often surprise him with small, thoughtful gestures like drawing a picture of the two of you together or writing him short poems based on your favorite adventures as heroes.

Jaime, ever the dork, would pick wildflowers for you during your walks or battles and give them to you with a shy smile.

He’d also sneak in little “I love you”s, and you’d always respond with a kiss on his cheek.

When you’re both stressed, Jaime would suggest a quiet night in.

Jaime would often be the one to plan fun date nights, knowing your love for simple things.

He’d make sure to have the perfect combination of snacks, games, and your favorite playlist ready for a cozy, laid-back evening together.

Jaime would always have your back.

Whether you’re facing danger as a team or you’re just dealing with the mundane stresses of life, he’d be right there beside you, ready to do whatever it takes.

He’d work on finding creative ways to support your hobbies and interests, like surprising you with comic books or astronomy books you didn’t have yet, or joining you for art sessions when you just want to relax.

Jaime would help you with your more shy moments, whether it’s dealing with social interactions or just calming your nerves.

He’d reassure you that you’re not alone and always listen to your concerns with patience and understanding.

You’d be the steady support Jaime needed, helping him with his inner struggles as he continued to grow into his role as a hero.

You’d offer him a safe space to talk about his fears, doubts, and victories, always listening and offering a comforting presence.

You’d always encourage Jaime to take care of himself, especially when his duties as Blue Beetle start to take a toll.

You’d make sure he’s eating right, sleeping enough, and taking breaks when needed, even if that means dragging him away from his hero work for a little while.

[iamthecomet]

-swings in-

I have a little story time for you today.

About a week or so ago, I went to the mountains with some of my friends (had about eight people packed into one house and managed not to destroy each other), and during the downtime on night one we were discussing art and showing not telling in terms of how actions and spaces could tell you about a character's personality etc.

Anyway, at some point, we got onto the topic of drawing/writing what you want and how it's okay to just roll with something and let it pan out as it will without stopping or editing, stream of consciousness stuff, ya know?

Well, a couple of my friends know my, uh, preferences, but I would say a majority of them do not.

One of these friends was on this trip and learned in real time that I write cryptid boning content and then had to reconcile with that knowledge for the next two days lmao

What's funnier, is that they went, "Wait, so Lamp is into that??" and two of my friends were, like, "It's Lamp."

Mind you I'm not at all secretive about my preferences in terms of what I find attractive irl, none of my group is really, but I tend to be a bit more "reserved" with that stuff in that it doesn't come up that often/at all for the most part.

However.

However...

One of the friends who chimed in... did not know about the cryptid boning content.

They just looked at me at some point and were like, "No, no that tracks. They would fuck a monster given the chance."

This was a casual, two second exchange that veered into the topic of what movie we were gonna watch (Spirited Away), and I think it says something about my friend group that we can discuss stuff like this openly without any real judgement, just a, "Oh, neat." kind of attitude.

But now they know.

They know.

...We also learned who out of the group has had sex and how recently, so there's that, too.

These topics are unrelated.

-looks away-

Anyway, how have you been?

Hi Lamp!! I love your storytimes! Sounds like an eventful weekend. I do love dropping random lore on friends who are not expecting it--but also yeah now they know. It's so lovely to have friends you can discuss those things with though. I love when "taboo" topics just become casual conversation. That's how you know you really do vibe with someone--that this friendship is legit. It's also always entertaining to get to that point. Just sort of whittling away at the borders until there's nothing and you can just talk about whatever the fuck you want. I also love that no one was surprised. Because, of course not. Turns out there are "warning signs" about liking monster fucking haha. I've been good. Real life is busy and overwhelming sometimes, but I am much better than I was a year (and even 6 months) ago so THAT'S GOOD. Went skating with a friend today. I used to skate a lot--but haven't in like fifteen years. We went last weekend too, and it took a minute but your body really does not forget how to do some things, which is really remarkable. It was a lot of fun. I have forgotten how to skate backwards and I am not as effortlessly steady as I used to be, but I'm hoping to have a lot more ice time this winter to work on both of those things.

[open-hearth-rpg]

#RPGaDay2024

An accessory you'd like to see

The accessory I’d like is probably one I need to write up myself. There’s probably versions out there– but I want to shape this to how I run. A while back I wrote up a list of 100 'kingdom events' (Part 1, Part 2) . I intended to use these to generate incidents when “time passes” in Legacy and Free from the Yoke games. I want something like that for cities. 

For each entry on these lists, I had a set of questions. I might do the same here. But I’d like each result to have a 1d6 of additional details, to give further complexion. For example, A Sinkhole Appears would have 1) Of mysterious origin 2) Magical aftershock 3) Failed public works 4) Criminal malfeasance 5) Natural disaster 6) Monstrous activity. 

You’d roll a die to see the scale of the incident: 1) House 2) Street 3) Neighborhood 4) Important Site 5) District 6) City Wide. In this case scale would be the reach of the consequences and how much attention it garners. Then you’d have a table to determine which faction or factions is involved with the situation. 

Then I’d have those collaborative questions which the GM can answer or open up to the table. 

It seems like you could get at least a hundred interesting ideas. Just off the top of my head– riot, sewage overflow, plague, strange postings, omens, caravan arrival, holiday, martyr, public punishment, etc. 

I’d want to write it broadly enough to be useful across fantasy and semi-fantasy settings. I’m running Blades in the Dark right now, so it would be a useful thing to generate some additional background color to have during downtime. You could also wrap that into the Fallout phase. 

I have some great books for city stuff, like the Citybook series. But they’re often a little too focused on the vibe and feel of a particular series. For example, I really dig Into the Cess & Citadel, but it has a specific city and ethos it is going for. Or they are tied tightly into the play assumptions of the game. Like Campaign Builder: Cities & Towns is fixed firmly on D&D and similar games. It has random generators, but they’re more focused on encounters. 

I can also imagine retooling this for a superhero, urban fantasy, or cyberpunk. My fav citybook– though it doesn’t deal with background happenings in the city– is Augmented Reality. It would be great to combine the feel & atmosphere generation of that with a generator to make the city feel alive. As with most random tables and generators, it’s mostly a way of creating inspiration. I only rarely roll/draw/generate a result with these things. Instead I usually go through them before a session to prime my imagination. 

Might also use these to generate a couple of things which have happened recently in the city– events which might have an aftermath. Alternately generate three things coming down the pipeline and then foreshadow them in play.

[des-no9]

Des! DES!!! Shaking you most rabidly especially as I just got to see Vanquish on the Githmap! This is a question I've had in mind for a while but didn't want to ask you since I KNOW it can be super hard task to describe and I wasn't sure you had thought about it much : What do you imagine Githyanki dances across history and artistic movements to be like? What limbs do you think they focus on? Is it quick rounds but impressive performance or endurance based? What kind of individual and collective formations would there be? Who dances with who if relevant? What peoples on Earth do you draw inspiration from in your head?

I know I know many questions all at once, apologies, but exploring fictional dances makes me very excited oops.

Omg okay NO I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED this has for some reason been on my mind a lot. It stemmed from thinking about Vanquish asking Voss about githyanki dance culture and asking him to show her some. And Voss being so old, he's known what they've had from the beginning, those lost now, some that only live on in him maybe, and he's learned so many through his lifetime.

Anyway.

Okay. I'll kind of start from the beginning with thoughts in their slavery under the ghaik at maybe the possibility of dance, movement and community there.

Githyanki, and dance

note: this is very long!!!! enjoy x

Githyanki, then

I think a lot about what possibility of their community they could have had, what it could have been during then beneath the ghaik. I like to HC that it was probably quite different depending on what colony you were in, what purpose you served, how big it was etc. A larger colony probably had a little more freedom in 'community'. A smaller community is much easier to govern stricter from above. Tighter leashes.

But still, colonies where the githyanki (I'll use that term for them even if they weren't that during that period) were used for bodyguards and bred to fight, yes the ghaik would command them to do as such, but training them to understand fighting separate from commands, to stop bodies atrophying and for their bodies to understand the movements for innate reactions, the githyanki would have trained together.

Potentially from this in any down time they had, or even during their training, they could have developed some sort of dance from their fighting techniques. A way for them to detach from what they know they have to do, to something more pleasurable. For them, and them alone.

Now I'm just speculating at the amount of control the ghaik had over them in their slavery and thralldom. I'm sure there were many varying degrees of control in many situations. Many a small constant to know you are leashed. And then full control for shorter periods when necessary.

And I know there are people that understand when under abuse or slavery after so long, and being giving freedoms, sometimes you cannot, or won't leave.

Anyway, from this period what I'm trying to visualise is that maybe they constructred dance, a dance, various dances, from their training during fighting.

Something that could be easily hidden. Something that was only theirs. Something that could be practiced on 'downtime' and easily covered up as sparring, but when alone and the wrong eyes looked away, the right eyes looking on, it was art and beauty and love and laughter.

With dances like this, I think a lot clearly about the motions and movement of capoeira.

Githyanki, free

Looking at the other side, the other colonies that maybe unlike the martial ones, or the larger ones (I HC Voss was from a martial one, but a smaller, strict, and quite horrific one. #1 blorbo must suffer) and I think sometimes about the fact that maybe a lot of newly annointed githyanki weren't used to touch.

Touch in a gentle way, affectionate way. A mutual way. A wanted way. Maybe many had never touched another body other than their own, or an enemies. Maybe they'd never seen their reflection but in the mud stained blood stained puddle they'd been ordered in their head to run over can't stop can't stop-

I like thinking a lot about in the early days of githyanki for maybe a large section of them was discovering their own bodies. The bodies of their kin. What it really felt like to touch someone and laugh and feel something other than rage and fear and pain. Joy and life and love.

Those from the larger martial colonies who had dance, maybe started to offer a way to help them explore this through their dance. And so from this, new githyanki dance(s) evolved.

Exploration. Intimacy. Curiosity. Joy. Intensity.

I see a lot of these dances maybe initially being led by the more knowledgable partner. Letting the more inexperienced and curious one feel the other's body through the moves of dance. Slow, often. Lots of continual body contact. Barely any clothing. Lots of movement of limbs to understand their movement in dance and outside of 'normal' functions. See what your body can do! Let me show you! I visualise a lot of the movements and motion here with ballet. Especially modern ballet. Ballet dancing movement for githyanki just fits for me.

I think there would be so much reconnection for the githyanki at this period of time with their bodies. I have HCs that there could/would be some physicaly variation in the githyanki at this period too, depending on which colony they came from. So dances like these would be wonderful for different looking githyanki physically to explore one another's bodies and differences and connect, that even if we look different, you bled to kill, I to breed, we are kin.

Those who would be githzerai

Another area I was thinking about in regard to this was those who started to fall in with Zerthimon. Those who followed his teachings, and eventually became the githzerai. I even think here about Orpheus and his honour guard because in essence they fight as monks. (and then I HC Orpheus as Zerth and Gith's son and a whole thing anyway lmao).

Originally, those in the martial colonies I think would have really loved the capoeira style of dance and developed that even further within their fighting and dancing style. Some may say when watching a graceful monk fight it is between dance and violence. When watching some of the more power punch heavy ones fight though, that's pure strength that you can feel rattle your teeth.

I don't think as much about githzerai as I do githyanki (a failing on my part I know lmao) but I think maybe one of their styles of dance is quite similar to the Indian classical dance of Kathak. I just like thinking about it a lot as a form of storytelling and maybe this is a way the githzerai enjoy telling stories in a place where there is more of a family presence and also the passage of time, unlike the Astral Sea. Also there is a lot of upper body and arm movement in Kathak and monks and githzerai = punchy lads.

I also think a lot about githzerai having a lot dances that you can do solo, in contrast to the githyanki who have a lot more dances you do with someone, or even more than one person. That physical connection with someone else feels to me like a source of such integral just, being for githyanki. Whereas githzerai maybe it's a little more different.

Githyanki, now

I think the initial dance of exploration of body has survived in the githyanki to now, in that it has evolved in different ways throughout the years. This intense intimacy of a cotninual body contact dance. Not once letting go of each other as we dance together. Our bodies as one, experience teaching inexperience. Let me bleed into you and give you what I know.

Maybe as the githyanki grew more detached from community, family, love - as Vlaakith I took power and the further Vlaakiths cemented their power and ideologies to now as we see the githyanki of today, the dances changed. Grew rougher. Maybe with more violence.

I think maybe even some took something sacred like this and took it into their raiding culture and turned it brutal.

For example, capturing an istik you are unfamiliar with, and exploring their new body without consent with this dance in-front of all your githyanki friends at the raid. What is the istik going to do? But it feels very raiding culture githyanki thing to do. Especially if you do not know or understand the origins of the dance in a way that someone like Voss would understand it. Maybe the origins of it is lost, hidden, forbidden, warped. For something like that is SO long in terms of history. Far over a thousand years. Just think about something over a thousand years in our history. Accuracy? Forget it.

Other types of dances for githyanki that exist now I think would be: For solo, I think they'd do something like fancy sword dancing? I remember seeing a video of a guy doing this insanely beautiful sensual dance with his sword and I thought.......githyanki lol. Like the githyanki fighters treat their silver swords like an extension of their own bodies. I really think they'd have a dance that would show that. All grace and fluidity and lots of skin showing for the danger.

Also if they're a gish maybe they would fire dance, or use magic in some way. I just think githyanki love to show off lol. And skirt with danger a lot. Also fire is associated a lot with their dragons. They're comfortable with it.

Foreplay. Now, I think a lot about githyanki sex (clearly from 2 secs on my blog). And a lot of the young, wild raiders are in and out (lmao) or rough and wild and don't give a fuck. Trophy istiks. Take and you're mine. Blood and fuck. Maybe some older ones too. Especially with modern githyanki with the way they have all been twisted and turned into a cultish society by Vlaakith(s) and their creche system and the void of family and nurturing community and the inability to spell love.

But, the githyanki aren't a monolith. They are spread wide and far and pockets of creches in different planes and some grow at different paces and anomolies in ages (Voss lol) and different hearts and heads and then Orpheus is back and a rebellion has been slow brewing as long as Orpheus has been in chains and and--

what I'm trying to say is that there are probably so many different styles and dances that vary by creche and region and even Tu'narath style for X dance compared to Githmir style or Creche T'lak style and I could go on.

And then there are githyanki that love foreplay. That agonising, but beautiful build up to when there is nothing in these planes but my skin your skin the taste of your blood and mine.

Dance is foreplay.

I thnk a variation of the 'explore and understand your body' has DEFINITELY survived and turned into this. And maybe the leader/more dominant urges their partner to dance and touch and move where on their body they like to be touched, want to be touched, never breaking contact, but not touching their partner with hands until sex. Just body to body, hands free. Maybe brushing together as they move. But no hands to body. Just body, to body. Show me how you move. Let your body move in ways you didn't know. See corners of mine you didn't.

The above is what I was thinking about a lot with Voss and Vanquish and what Voss teaches her. This and the original dance he learned as a newly annointed githyanki. Voss was one of the ones who needed to learn his, and others bodies, and this dance means a lot to him, and he's kept the original close and deep in his heart and sharing the original with Vanquish is a Real Moment for him. Exposing and probably another way to say "I'm letting you in, istik no more".

Side note, githyanki with partners who aren't githyanki I think also like using the body exploring dance a lot as a bonding experience. But I HC githyanki just innately have much less hangups about their bodies than istik do, so it might take a little bit of build up or stepping stones to get the full githyanki dance experience. But when they do.... :3

Okay I think I have rambled A LOT about githyanki dancing and I think that covers some of the ideas I had LOL. I hoped you and anyone else who read this enjoyed. It was an absolute delight to write. As it always is to write any githyanki HC and worldbuilding.

-Des x

[mikecardensolofolkalbum]

for the next cruise, which has already been scheduled but does not yet have a lineup announced, here are my suggestions:

book a boat with bigger or more pools, OR find another way to setup a pool deck stage that doesn't literally cover up one of the pools

more activities that aren't day drinking or just shows that are also FREE. yeah there was bingo (paid) and like emo trivia or whatever, but most of my downtime was spent wandering around doing fuck all. a lot of the activities were late night activities too, after all the bands played. idk about y'all but i was tired and was not about to go do more stuff after a late night show. moving those late night activities to the day time would be better

warped tour style scheduling. have some bands do late morning/early afternoon sets, like 11a-2p so a) acts could be more spread out during the day and b) so there's something to fucking do during the day

maybe don't have soco finish their set at the exact time tai starts theirs. the venn diagram of soco and tai fans is almost a circle and a lot of people felt like they had to choose. and most chose soco and arrived late for tai's set and they werent too happy about missing parts of tai's set and not getting good seating. with so much time in the day where literally nothing is happening, maybe don't schedule headliners back to back like that (also don't underestimate tai's pull! they were a huge draw for a lot of people on that boat)

prioritize merch! all of the merch sold out day 1, and almost everyone i talked to didn't even get to see the merch that was being sold (for all artists, not just tai)! i get there were probably limitations due to storage, but seriously?

don't close one of the free dining options and not offer a substitute? the fuck? like yeah the one buffet was awesome but a little overserved because there were supposed to be 3 free dining options but there ended up only being 2 and the other one had like 5 menu options. so basically we had one dining option for 3000 people. and yes there were other restaurants but they were an additional charge and extremely expensive!

the gym wasnt a private room where you could work out in peace. it was a sales pitch with treadmills. 0/10

why did i pay $600 for an unlimited drink package but i couldn't get a vodka red bull? oh i have to upgrade to the PREMIUM unlimited drink package for an additional $1000? just for a red bull? no thanks.

girl just give us the wifi. that should just be included with the stateroom.

[pondering-my-rat]

Soft Dungeons- what happens when you slaughter the hell out of a sacred lamb.

Alright, I'm in the process of re-writing a bit of an article on my approach to Solo gaming, and turning it into a little less of an autobiography. While that's brewing though, I thought I'd share a short piece on my Soft Dungeons- how I generate them and the possibilities of modularity, enjoy!!

Being full of myself

Admittedly, I do genuinely believe that this system is bringing something new to the sphere, which is quite easy to see when you consider I decided to give the whole thing a catchy name. Clearly, my ego is doing just fine.

So, what actually are they? At this point in the development process, the key to my generation method is a Dungeon Deck (standard playing card deck with all face cards pulled out). Previously, I handled it with a frankly obnoxious amount of dice rolls every time you entered a new room, which slowed down the process by a looooooot.

Dungeon Segments

Once again... a catchy name, but aside from that, a neat way to break down my POIs into more manageable chunks (which also serve as a lovely way of bringing my sessions to a graceful stop).

First up, I draw 9 cards from the Dungeon Deck, and shuffle 2 jokers into it, creating the Segment Deck. Now, 9 is a pretty arbitrary number, so as with a lot of the things I will talk about, it can be adjusted very freely- the less numbered cards are in a segment, the less downtime you'll have between fights, creating more intense Segments.

Each numbered card will be a single room in the segment, but more on those in the next paragraph. Jokers are the interesting part here, as the 1st one drawn in a segment will modify the next room to have a Warband- a relatively deadly conflict, as opposed to the minor Ambushes, which come up in all Ace-card rooms!

Now, If the fight proves too challenging, you may flee a segment at any point except during an Ambush. There is no numerical penalty for this, only the fact you will miss the 2nd joker! The second one to be drawn will place a Stash in the next room- a major part of progression, sporting better loot than practically any other loot pool.

Sometimes, you draw both jokers for the same room.. it makes it a lot harder to run when you know treasure is so close

Interestingly, Segmentation has made tracking time far easier as well. I've never been a fan of tracking torches, but 1 torch per segment could serve as an even bigger incentive to explore the entire deck before moving on, and making forked paths even more valuable!

Room Cards

Alright, you finally drew a normal card- no more jokers and ambushes. A room awaits!

The main thing we look at is the number, I have a list of 9 Curios (shout-out Darkest Dungeon!), and pretty much all numbered rooms contain one of them, determined by the number drawn.

For example, all '4' cards contain a Fallen Champion. Much like the others, there's a 1d6 table of results, determined by an unmodified roll after you pay the interaction price. Spending a key to open a chest, supplies to use a campsite, or in this example: a point Miasma.

Interacting with the twisted curiosities of the Wealdland has a tendency to corrupt our heroes. As the value grows, enemies will become marginally harder to fight off- a small price to pay for the trinkets and boons the Curios reward you with.

Now! After the room decor has been placed, it's time to look at the Suit of the card drawn.

This element of this system has seen the most revisions, as I experiment with chance. Currently, drawing two cards of the same suit in a row will interrupt the linear structure of the Segment. They can create forks in the road, resulting in a branching path, long corridors that let you sneak up on the next room, or even special Chambers.

Soft Dungeons, finally!

Now that you know the structure Skulltrove's Dungeons follow, we can finally talk a little more about the ways you can depict your delves!

Personally, I don't get too much of a kick from drawing out elaborate grid maps, so I usually opt out for something more akin to a point crawl. I used to mark the card number for each room, but my current system is somewhat more clear.

Each dot is a single room, W and S are the Joker locations, and squares are special Chambers. I fill in rooms as I go through them!

Now, if grids are your thing, the rules for corridors, large rooms etc. can also be used in order to differentiate the map a little. I have mapped one dungeon like this, although I can't find the paper... You'll have to use your imagination!

If both of these sound like too much work on a given day- there's also nothing wrong with reading straight from the cards you draw, for example arranging them in a 3x3 grid (as I have in the first picture) or even stack them on top of each other.

I make sure that every element I add to this process can be used in any and all of these ways, even going as far as providing lists with prompts for Journaling play (which I've become quite a bit fan of lately, although I use a small handheld recorder instead of a journal).

At the end of the day, that's the two most important parts of my Soft designs- Modularity and Accessibility. Some of the highlights are:

- All the decks can be adjusted to your liking, for example each dungeon type (14 total, so far) gives you the option to replace some of the Curios, meaning you could even create your own list of curiosities to encounter.

- I haven't had the word count to talk about it here, but combat encounters have also been broken down so that they require almost no setup at all (more about that soon!).

- The Curio list doubles as a narrative tool, so if you decide to ditch some of the resource management from the system, you're still left with a number of evocative prompts and set-pieces.

- The Suit-Doubles' effects can also be configured to give more mechanical, material or narrative twists to your Segments.

Closing Statement

Honestly, I could sit here all day, typing away all the small ways this can be configured. In truth, I think this goes for a whole lot more games than you might initially imagine- Splicing is a core value of the Solo experience, as you're the sole Judge, Jury and Adventurer of the game you make, and ultimately all rulesets are just a heap of compatible tips and bits to use as you see fit.

I understand this system is not entirely groundbreaking, however I do think making it purposefully highly modular might appeal to new players attempting to bridge over into this sphere, after only using rigid group play systems before. At the end of the day, I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say that being able to play Solo is a skill, and not an easy one to learn at that.

As I said before- the primary goal of this game is to serve me and my preferences, but if I had to pick a secondary one, it would be to inspire others to do what I do. I still remember the first time I played Talisman, whether I won or lost is irrelevant, as it was a very easily-tweaked game I could tinker with on my own, eventually getting bolder and bolder, going as far as to create my own Talisman-like game out of cardboard and Bristol board. It wasn't great, or good for that matter, but I had fun making it, picking the parts I liked away from the ones I didn't, and even if a single person can experience anything close to that thanks to something I've written- I will be happy, for I made the world a tad more enjoyable- small deeds go a long way.

Well... That turned into a bit of a rant, but I refuse to banish this to the growing list of Drafts plagued with irresistible tangents. Even if you've only read the first part, or even just checked out the pictures and scrolled all the way down here, thank you for stopping by!

I wish you all a perfectly moist night or day. Enjoy the lack of dry skin or sore throats, and I'll see you next time!!

~ Maple <3

[captainmazzic]

The memorial went well, extended family has been visited, and I am back from my hometown. My gamer cousin is actually TWO gamer cousins, which is fabulous even if neither of them play SWTOR. XD

I have tomorrow off of work but I go back to the usual on Sunday, which... bleh... but I DID get a lot of writing done in my downtime during the trip. Next chapter of Opening Dialogue is almost finished, but... I uh... I might have started yet ANOTHER fic in the process.

It's one of my older outlines that I've never done anything with, but one of the characters in it is showing up in Opening Dialogue and I love him very very very much. I don't have many actual Empire Sith, he is a delightful and unsettling monster of a man and very different than writing Adrestin and company XD

Relatedly, I know a handful of people were annoyed that I yanked the story about Sirdae and Vialis, so if you liked those two you'll probably like this new guy's story as well. I want to finish this one completely before I post it so I won't have a repeat of what happened before lol. I'm fixing to draw him and another character he interacts with tomorrow, and then work on more writing.

p.s. I know most of you are here for the fanart of Maul or Thrawn instead of the OCs, and I DO intend on drawing Actually Popular Characters (tm) again soon, IswearIcanchangepleasedon'tleaveme

[buglvr24]

i’m just making this post because there are thoughts in my brain i need to write down. i’m sure it won’t sound as fancy as i want it to because it’s my ramblings and i’m sure most of this has been said before but oh well. personally with the way i see the world there is no grand reason why we were put on this earth. that does not make our short lives meaningless. there is so much meaning if you know where to look. and i think so much of that meaning is found in each other.

i am an intern at an accounting firm. a lot of my job includes simple but necessary tasks, but i like to joke that my official job description is to spread joy and whimsy. in other words i got comfortable enough in my job to just be myself. i make silly drawings on sticky notes during my breaks. most are stuck up on my desk but some i have given to coworkers. they aren’t anything super artistic but they are from the heart.

at one point i was given a task that was essentially waiting for things to be downloaded. this gave me several minutes of boring downtime. i started making origami during that time. mostly cranes, but sometimes other things. i started hiding them around the office. at first there was a little voice in my head reminding me that i was an adult working an office job. but then coworkers started telling me how much they loved my origami. how it brightened their day when they found a new crane hiding among the office supplies. maybe it really is the little things. when one of the older accountants was out for surgery, we got him a card. i slipped in a little origami crane. i hoped it would brighten his day. when he came back he told me that he really liked it. today he told me that it’s up on his mantle, next to some special family photos and candles from his wife’s passing. sometimes a gesture that you thought was just silly and sweet turns out to be so much more.

not to get to sad on main but depression was really kicking my ass last fall and winter. most days i couldn’t see the point of doing anything. i think it’s safe to say i’m doing better now. i thought being crafty and artsy was just a fun little hobby until my coworkers started commenting on how they love it. i think we always mean more to people than we think.

there are a lot of people to love and lots of life to live out there. make the most of it. make that person smile. do the things you want to do even if you’re not a perfect talent. make good food. eat good food. share. wear that cute outfit. put on some body glitter and sparkle. wade in the creek and skip the stones. do it all!!!!!!!

i love you tumblr users. i love you mutuals.

[messinwitheddie]

Vortian Minstrel, when did you started working for tallest Pepperoncini? When did the irkens take you in and how are those three babies of yours doing? What did you do after Cini died? Did you reassign to another position? Carry on to work for tallest Lich? Or did you retire or something?

(I haven't had a good excuse to draw Sow-Urr or Vortian minstrels in general. Appreciate this :D Wish I had time to sketch more for this.)

Sow-Urr "Hagg-Huss, my spouse, and I were armada vessel mechanics assigned to the same pitcrew of a few dozen other Vortian mechanics. We both happened to share a love of traditional folk music and dedicated our minor studies on the subject. Truthfully, we were not bonified minstrels, just university enthusiasts.

We were originally hired for the Viral flagship fresh after graduation. Our pitcrew did inspections on the ship; performed maintenance, repairs, apply upgrades if need be and all the like... Rudimentary laborers; that's all we were. Low in rank, but we enjoyed the work and making music during downtime.

When we lived and trotted, Irk and Vort were allies. Late Cini went to great lengths to keep the peace between the Irken empire and the Vortian technocracy. Our planets and species prospered despite the aftermath of recently ended plague wars. The future looked so bright; so promising...

One day, after a successful, productive meeting with our triumvirate, Cini retreated to his personal chambers. Hagg-Huss and I were jamming out during a scheduled union break down a nearby hallway. Cini must of overheard us and I guess he REALLY enjoyed our music. Ever since, he regularly requested us to perform for him.

We couldn't refuse, even if we wanted to. Amateurs like us to be be requested to perform exclusively for an Irken tallest, especially one as jovial as Cini... that's an honor we never in cosmic infinity expected to be offered to us.

Once our bleaties were born, we had to give up being minstrels for a while in favor of steady, reliable tech work. Cini was very understanding. He wished us and our growing herd well.

When news reached Vort of Cini's passing, we were devastated. Our occupations were not compromised, but we feared for the futures of our bleaties. Cini's predecessor, Lich, made it clear his political policies concerning Vortian and Irken relations would become hostile and predacious. The Irken empire relies heavily on Vortian technology, but they outnumber us by the shmillions and their territories stretch across the greater galaxies. Against better judgment and morals, the technocracy succumbed to the Irken agenda. Our bleaties and their bleaties and there bleaties are paying for it now.

The future of Vort looked bleaker with every Irken-sponsored news stream...

By the time our bleaties were grown, fully educated and entering occupations in their chosen fields of study, Lich had died in the final battle for Hobo13 against the Planet Jackers. Tallest Miyuki had been measured in his place. She actively worked to reestablish the good, cooperative relations our species had built with Irkens in the past... or so we passed away believing this to be true.

We are both relieved we died shortly before witnessing the launch of oporation Impending Doom and Impending Doom II... it pains us to know our fellow Vortians are facing genocide by Irken talons all because we lied to ourselves for too many generations...

We never pressured our bleaties to devolope an interest in performing old Vortian folk music as we had. Proud to say. the three of them grew up to surpass our contributions to the technocracy; Architect, Engineer, Programmer they trotted on to become... and their bleaties surpassed them. Most of them grew up to be military research scientists. At the time, our musical passion-hobby seemed frivolous. ..but in retrospect, maybe we should have encouraged them to sing and play. The songs of our ancestors may never be sung again if the Irkens wipe us put completely...

Silence is so oppressive. Hagg-Huss and I will gladly play for you, if you have any requests.

(Sorry this is a downer)

[midnightwind]

Self Promo Saturday

tagged by @pixiedurango (sending many handfuls of confetti in your direction~) and since it is now finally Saturday in my time zone, let's crack into my projects shall we?

Clipped Wings - Dragon Age Veilguard Fic

Following the adventures of Mirenna "Rook" de Riva, Clipped Wings is a slow burn Rookanis fic taking place right before the events of Veilguard up until the final scene, fates willing. Follow Renn's journey and adventure through the growing pains of an occupied Antiva and contesting with the elven gods from her discarded past!

It's up to 6 full chapters now! Currently on a bit of a break while I write more, replay the game for fresher scenes, and ensure the quality and plot are up to snuff. The masterpost for it over here has some extra excerpts you can peek while waiting for the next update, or you can peruse the published chapters over on AO3 or archived on my writing blog if you want to avoid my endless yapping here~ The published chapters make up a whopping 32,729 word read!

Read It: Main Blog - AO3 - Writing Blog

The Sound of Your Voice - Baldur's Gate 3 Fic

It was supposed to be a quiet morning, but a short, bitter exchange between Astarion and Shadowheart has Tav paying just a little too much attention to how words are shared.

If BG3 is more your speed, I wrote a oneshot that takes place inside Act 1 of the game! It's a Tavstarion ficlet featuring a nonbinary demi Tav! Just short of 5k words, it's a darling little read I'm still proud of!

Read It: AO3 - Writing Blog

Call of the Stars

Nikolai Zepar was supposed to just be the eldest child of the small town's doctor, but he's heard a call from the heavens his whole life. Waking from trances in strange places with no memory of how he walked there, he grew up afraid and isolated. Until one day, he finally answered the voice. Emera has gifted him power and purpose, but when you can't remember the price you paid for it, how good can the adventure be?

This is a loose collection of little writings and stories I've made for my dnd warlock, Nik. If you've seen me post my little purple bastard and wondered what his deal was, I've posted the design document, some pre-campaign writing prompts, and current game downtime documents! This is mostly an excuse to put my son in front of more people.

Read It: Writing Blog | See Him: Main Blog

do it for him

My Art

If reading isn't your thing, I sure do have a bunch of OCs I draw! Nik is the main one, but I have several dnd characters I swap obsessions with! You can browse my entire history of art (dating back to when I made this blog back in 2012! holy shit!!) or browse by character! I'm self taught and have been doodling for my whole life~

My Art | My OCs

My Videos

I also sometimes record my friends and myself gaming and make little highlights over on youtube! The last video I made was for R.E.P.O. and it's 21 minutes of little robot hijinks and death! I also have a playlist of individual highlights from playing Lethal Company, or longer vods from when I raided in FFXIV during Asphodelos, and have a chunk of my unedited play through of Endwalker you could watch! I don't stream much anymore because I tend not to have the energy, but I do have a twitch as well! (there's also a few Monster Hunter Rise vods over there, because I love that game)

My Channel

and that's most of everything I dabble in and share publicly! I don't really believe in deleting stuff once it's out there, so you can really deep dive my writing blog or art tag to see how far I've come (or how I've stayed the same lol) if you took a peek at any of my work, I thank you profusely! and thank you again, Pixie, for the excuse to show off all my little hobbies~ I've been creating stuff since I could hold a pencil and while not all of this is that recent, it's still fun to share!

if you want to share your work (and you should, it's very fun!) then please do your own promo post! you can blame me for it and I'd love to see what you guys get up to, too!