#and your art has improved SO MUCH while i was gone like just take the crown you dropped it's yours<333< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[yuriyuruandyuraart]

heavy breathing

*big inhale*

GLITCHYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! omG OMG just when i wanted to send you an ask you big big sweetheart!!!!!!! hello hi just came back to this hellsite how are you doing? :'Dc <3333

[signed-sapphire]

@rascalentertainments Hey! As an apology for being gone and missing the official announcement for this DTIYS, I humbly offer my take on Asha and Star!

This was too cute to resist! I love how excitable Star is and I’m working my way through reading your, Wave’s, and all other rewrites that have updated during my absence.

Original:

Notes under the cut because this is getting pretty long lol

So I tried a new colouring style for this one

I was inspired by a lot of the artists I saw on Art Fight, and tried to incorporate that into my style

Specifically, the bold lineart and colour-blocked sections

It’s both easier for me long-term, and helps me create a finished piece without too much shading

That said, I did go crazy with the shades and tones in this one, because I just loved the glow

I do like the touch of a slight sunset/sunrise in the background, as it adds more warmth and magic to the piece

I LOATHE that bold line around Star’s cape but this is the photo I emailed over to my phone, so this is what you’re stuck with

While we’re at the improvements, comparing to your piece, Star and Asha look a bit stiff. I’ll have to work on some gesture movements

On the other hand, I really like the sky! It reminds me of Princess and the Frog

I also think the flow effect I did around Star looks reminiscent of pixie dust, which is a cool nod to Peter Pan!

The metal (?) bracelet I’m proud of— again, learning form other writings on Art Fight

I’m. Not sure about Star. He has a very cool face shape, nose and eyes wise, and I think I sort of generalized him here. Oh well, this means I’ll probably be doing more practice doodles of him in the future!

I do think that your Asha and Flicker’s seem very similar in my style, so I’ll work on making them more distinct in future pieces. I think RFTS!Asha has more doe eyes and a smaller nose, as well as distinct braids in her hair, where your Asha can have more upturned eyes and loose hair

I will have to find a way to make hair look loose and free in this style, but I’m quite happy with the finished result

Aaaaanyways… I hope you enjoy this! Now if you’ll excuse me, Imma go to bed lmao

[wokecipher]

p. 1 // p. 2

After Weirdmageddon.

This is LONG so I'm just leaving it ALL under the line!

MORE ART AND LORE VVV

Things went bad. Like I mentioned in my previous post, Tony takes over and Anthony is put into hiding. Once Anthony comes back out, Tony is an adult and they are still a child.

Ann (Anthony's nickname) slowly grows up with Tony taking care of them. They're scared, alone, don't know what happened with Bill, and Tony is different now, not in a good way. Tony has been ruling over the Nightmare Realm (he's decided to ignore the threat of erasure for now, a rather horrible decision, but you do you I guess) for almost a decade. Not much time for the henchmaniacs or residents, but a long time for both of the twins.

Tony quickly shields Ann from the worst of it while Ann grows up, but is incredibly verbally abusive, alongside minorly physically abusive. Once Anthony is "old enough", Tony starts using them for help with "keeping everyone in line" and soon enough, Ann is doing all of Tony's dirty work.

Anthony is easy to keep on a leash, they're so scared of Tony rejecting them, they'll tolerate doing things for him even if it means hurting other people. Tony uses threats of abandoning Anthony often to keep them in line, too.

This goes on for millions of years, time starts losing meaning and both twins are also slowly losing their sanity and morals. The threat of the Nightmare Realm being erased is slowly feeling more an more real. It was billions of years off, originally, why should two kids care about that? That's unfathomably far away! But time passes, and that window starts closing faster and faster.

Tony is unconcerned, Anthony is terrified.

Tony refuses to do anything about it, Anthony is frantically searching for a solution.

And meanwhile, Tony is getting worse, she thinks power is the only meaning of existence, she's continuously horrible to everyone around her. Tony knew people wanted her dead, gone, but she never really expected her own sibling to turn on her.

Anthony attempts to assassinate Tony. The two get into a nasty fight, which ends in Tony dead and Anthony scarred. Anthony is left alone without the only person they'd learned to rely on for so long, and it leaves them near non functional.

They could not handle the things they had done for Tony, the things Tony had done to them, and now, what they had done to Tony.

They were haunted by this, horrified and shocked. They had to do what they did, they had to. Tony was making everything worse, hurting everyone, what was Ann supposed to do?

This is when The Axolotl finally presented themself to Anthony, with an irresistible deal too. All their crimes can be washed away if one day, Ann calls upon them. Anthony takes the deal, scared, alone, unknowing. and The Axolotl is pleased, and leaves Anthony to their own.

Anthony spends the next few hundred years sulking and minorly attempting to save the Nightmare Realm, these efforts are in vain however, and they eventually die one way or another. Maybe assassination, maybe the Nightmare Realm finally erases itself, maybe something worse.

It doesn't particularly matter how it happened, but it did, eventually, happen.

And they, alike to their father before them, was sentenced to a life in the Theraprism, making up for their crimes and misdeeds. Unlike their father, they will change, they will get better, they will improve.

They will be reincaranted.

I still do not know if the two will even be aware the other is there, I'll leave that to readers interpretation. If Bill knows Anthony is there, if Anthony knows Bill is there... if either meet? That's up to you!

Here's some extra art for your travels, friend.

[judgeanon]

So about that DETECTIVE COMICS #1084...

As a big Shiva fan, I really, really liked that. Maybe my favorite issue with her since Hill's Outsiders run. I made a thread in another site about it but I liked that issue so much that I'm gonna take a sec to repost it here too, so hit that jump if you wanna read an in-depth analysis of 'Tec #1084... or at least, its backup feature!

I'm kinda kidding, I actually enjoyed the main story too. I liked seeing Bruce and Talia reunited in a very touching moment of romance that gives way to grim tension as the unfortunate complications of the strange and violent world they live being to slowly rip them apart once more... and then Shiva happens. For one panel and in a flashback but it was really fun to see Talia call her a friend for a bunch of reasons.

The most serious one is that I genuinely think that, given enough room to work with, Talia and Shiva could be a very compelling pair. Shiva is known to be interested in people who are in a state of flux, who find themselves in crossroads trying to figure out where their true path really lies. And Talia, for better or worse, has been there for, like... years now. I've always thought that Talia, endlessly torn between her love for Bruce, her love for her father, and her love for the world, might even find something tempting about Shiva's absolute detachment, about her comparative freedom from all connections. Which would be fun to explore.

The other reason comes from the issue's backup story by Alex Paknadel and Robbi Rodriguez, which I didn't expect at all but ended up being a huge treat for me, since it aligned so much with a lot of what I consider the most interesting elements and perspectives in Shiva and Cass' relationship.

Right from the start, we have Shiva being able to read Cass and figure out what's wrong with her just from a couple of fighting moves, which I absolutely adore. What looks like a fight is really just them having a conversation, at least for Shiva, who is very quickly able to get at the deeper emotions troubling Cass and holding her back.

(Also, that one panel of Snake Style ThodThodThod's really made me smile. I love the idea of Shiva using stranger, more exotic martial arts than anyone else, especially in Gotham)

On my first read I wasn't really onboard with Shiva's words about not killing Cass, like there was something about them that didn't quite click, but after mulling them over for a while I feel like they can be read as Shiva intentionally picking at Cass' perfectionist nature and competitive spirit. It's less "I spared you and now you owe me" and more "You trying to be Batman makes you suck, here's why, now be better." But I might be reaching a bit there.

Still, it does work, which I really enjoy. I like Shiva being able to prod Cass into reaching deep within her, figuring out what's wrong and improving herself. And we get a lot of that in the next couple of pages, where Cass grapples with the Azmer while also grappling with her own nature. Cass' training with David is an extremely defining element of her character. It's her instincts, her mother tongue, her main method of expression, but it's also something that causes her a ton of inner turmoil, due to the intentions of that training.

Cass is presented in this story as someone inwardly ashamed by her nature, worried of the assassin skills that are weaved into her very nature and what that may say about her. Of course, this is something that Cass has been through before and has developed quite a bit, maybe even outgrown but with Batman dead and gone, it probably makes sense for her to lapse a bit back into self-loathing without that symbol to guide her and with her failure at trying to emulate it. Which I think is a very human thing to happen. Your worst traits are never really gone, and tend to slip back into you when you're at a low point.

Which is why I really like the last few panels of this story.

Although first, Shiva calling Talia an "associate" makes me giggle a bit. C'mon Shivs, don't be so tsun-tsun... anyway.

On the most basic level, we have Shiva offering Cass some solid advice that ties the whole story in a neat bow. But it takes on an even stronger quality when you remember this is Lady Shiva talking here. Shiva, who we know wants Cass to be more than just a Bat. Shiva, who understands the strength that comes from finding your own path and following it. Shiva, who maybe more than anyone knows exactly how strong Cass can be once she embraces all aspects of her own nature and finds harmony in herself.

From almost any other character, that last phrase would just be a nice little canned moral. From Shiva's lips, it carries the weight of decades of character work for both Cass and Shiva. It's a solid ending that's elevated by the history between its characters. It hits SO many of the notes I want to see, the things that I think make Shiva's relationship with Cass genuinely compelling. Shiva being able to "read" Cass through a fight, her wanting Cass to be herself more than anything else, and all of it unhindered by any kind of easy moral judgment from Cass or the story itself.

Shiva is not presented as a monstrous villainess who Cass must reject, but as her own character with her own story that happpens to cross with Cass' for a moment. And from Shiva, there's no berating Cass for being a hero or choosing not to kill. There is berating, sure, but it works because it speaks to something a lot more personal for both characters than generic notions of good or evil. It speaks about Cass' need to find and be herself and stick with it no matter what.

(Which this arc also touched upon a couple months ago in 'Tec #1082, which very elegantly made it clear that Cass had the heart of a hero before she even knew what a Batman was -- an incredibly powerful statement made in just two captions)

So this is a story that hits pretty much all the right notes for me. I wish it would hit them a bit longer, or in a few different ways that didn't involve Batman, but it's just a perfect example of most of the elements that I think make this relationship worth exploring. Even the fact that this makes it the sixth major appearance of Lady Shiva in a row that is ultimately dedicated to her relationship with Cass doesn't bother me because this is precisely how I want this relationship to be written. If they were all this good, I wouldn't even mind.

And on top of all that, this issue is also a good example of something I'm always thinking about: tempting as it is, you don't need to make every Shiva appearance be huge and bombastic and lead to some massive story arc. It can be something small but meaningful, a quick appearance with some very choice words, Shiva walking into an ongoing story to, in her own way, help others get through an inflection point.

If I had to say something I disliked about it, I do think it's a little blunt in its themes and execution. Paknadel has Shiva quite literally spell out the problem for Cass, which I guess is fine given how short the story is, but it does lose a bit of elegance because of it. Still, it was a great little treat and while I know Ram's 'Tec run is coming to its end, I do hope he'll find a place for one last bit of Shiva in it.

And I also hope he gets to write her for more than just one wordless balloon because Ram V's Lady Shiva is a dream book in my book.

[justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms]

Headcanons for @chantillymoon

This was really fun to do! I am currently up to episode 261 of One Piece (Water 7) so please keep that in mind while reading. Because I haven't officially met Brook yet, all of my headcanons are based on what I've read in fanfics and a bit of research so hopefully I'm not too far off.

Platonic headcanons on the rest of the Straw Hat crew can be found here!

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Brook and Usopp x gn! Reader (separate and platonic)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thoughts on being friends with the Straw Hat crew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I see Brook as someone who’s always got a song stuck in his head. And he’s going to make it everyone’s problem. But is it really a problem when he actually has the voice for it? Yes. Yes, it is. Especially when you’re listening to him humming the same part of that one song for the tenth time that day.

At the same time, he’s great to have around if you’ve got a song stuck in your head. Brook knows so many songs that you’d be hard pressed finding one he couldn’t sing for you. And if he doesn’t know the song, he’s pretty good at picking up tunes quickly.

Have sore muscles? Those bony fingers are great for digging into twisted muscles and sore spots. Brook may have gone through a lot because of his Devil Fruit but he’s glad he can do something with it to help his friends.

He’s got a surprisingly good eye for fashion…if he had eyes! In all seriousness, please take him with you next time you need to go shopping for clothes. Between him and Nami, you’ll get back to the ship with a whole new wardrobe full of amazing clothes that suit you perfectly.

Whether you’re quiet or talkative, Brook loves just being in your presence. If you’re on the quiet side, he likes the tranquillity of sitting in companionable silence with someone. And if you’re talkative, he enjoys listening to everything you have to say.

Similarly, Brook’s great to talk to if you want to get anything off your chest. He’s a good listener and won’t spread around anything you’ve told him unless he thinks it could harm the crew (even then, he’d most likely keep it secret for a while). He also gives really good advice.

Brook missed out on a lot during his time in the Florian Triangle so he enjoys having a younger friend to help bring him up to speed. That being said, he’s an absolute menace with the way he mixes slag from his era with modern day sayings. Think something along the lines of “oh, they know their onions, they're no noob” and "ok you cad, time to catch these hands".

If you want to learn how to play an instrument or sing, Brook is more than happy to help. He’s had decades of practice and, even though he’s a bit rusty at explaining things to others, he’s patient and dedicated to teaching you.

Everyone has that one artist friend. And Usopp definitely falls into that category. He’s constantly got a sketchbook with him and will draw anything and everything. If you’re also into art, you’ll definitely bond over that.

Will absolutely hid behind you in battle. Whether you’re taller than him or not, he feels comfortable enough around you to chose you as his hiding spot.

Makes up stories about your bravado and wild adventures as well. While the other straw hats might react badly to Usopp telling stories about them, even if they are meant to improve their reputation, he hopes you will react differently.

In the same manner, Usopp would love to practice his pre-battle speeches with you and get some feedback. He’s a theatre kid at heart but he needs someone he trusts to work on his lines with. As one of his closest friends (and someone hopefully less judgmental than Nami), you fit that description.

He is also the perfect person to tell you stories about the other straw hats, especially if you joined later. He’s an entertainer and, even if he exaggerates his role in events, you’re able to piece together their adventures to date.

Much like Brook, Usopp has a good eye for fashion, but more from the perspective of figuring out what colours and patterns go together. If you’re struggling to put together an outfit, he’s more than happy to give you his two cents worth.

Gossip buddies! If you like gossip or have a way of knowing things about people, you, Usopp, and Nami are the designated “gossip squad” of the straw hats. Usopp is always a good source of information, even if he tends to embellish sometimes.

If you have long hair and don’t feel like tying it up, Usopp should be your first port of call. Sure, Sanji’s amazing with styling hair but he’s usually busy in the kitchen and Nami and Robin usually wear theirs down. Usopp has the free time and skills to help you out. Fair warning though, he may get carried away by his creative tendencies.

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Hey, did you enjoy this? If you like my writing, please consider donating to my Ko-Fi page! This will allow me to make some money off my writing, something I enjoy doing.

ko-fi.com/justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms

Important Note: Please only donate if you are financially able to. If you are currently in a position where you can't donate, a like, comment or reblog will mean just as much.

[stergeon]

at some point i will figure out how to write the post-canon, post-empire edelgard autonomy fic of my dreams. it just feels like a very big task and maybe like with playing the dane, i’m simply not old and traumatized enough to manage it yet.

but my vision is thus: it’s set years (realistically, decades) after the end of crimson flower, when everything has gone as right as it can possibly go. fódlan is thriving. the social reforms have taken effect. the nobility system is nearly eliminated, if not entirely so, with titles made merely symbolic. social mobility, welfare, and prosperity are high. there’s an explosion in arts and culture and technology. brigid and duscur have gained independence; relations with sreng and almyra are much improved; heck, maybe they've even figured it out with dagda. in my most idealistic version, leicester and faerghus would eventually be ceded back to become autonomous regions, essentially disbanding the adrestian empire. rule is no longer hereditary, but merit-based. there's a roadmap for the future, and everything is on track—and more than that, people at all points on the power spectrum have already seen it bear fruit. with or without edelgard, it will be pursued. there's buy-in. they believe.

of course, it's not perfect—nothing can be—but edelgard's vision has been fulfilled. the people are empowered. humanity is free. fódlan has healed.

and somehow, she's had enough time to resolve her goals outside of politics, too. those who slither in the dark have been eradicated. edelgard and lysithea's second crests have been successfully removed, allowing them to live if not full lives, then substantially longer ones than they would have with their twin crests intact. who knows—maybe she finally gets around to having that wedding.

point for point, every item listed in edelgard's manifesto has been checked off. the ghosts of her past have been laid to rest. she can finally take off her crown. she can finally pursue the quiet, humble life she's wanted for so long. she can finally breathe.

... but can she?

edelgard is nothing if not driven. her intelligence, vision, and sheer willpower allowed her to plan and execute a revolution against two countries and the most powerful institution on the continent, all while she was still a teenager. as royalty, her life was never truly hers even before she became heir to the adrestian throne, with all the additional baggage of survivor's guilt and the desire for vengeance and her need to ensure nothing that happened to her can ever happen to anyone else, ever again.

so what happens when that drive has no outlet? what happens when someone who has been constantly in motion, constantly working and planning and preparing every spare second of every day since she was fourteen years old, suddenly has to stand still? what happens when someone whose hands have been bound for so long—first literally in the dungeons of enbarr, then by the weight and responsibilities of her crown—is set free?

being edelgard, she would step away from the throne, no matter how hard it was for her to give up control. she's always been focused on the endgame, and she knows that if she doesn't let go, she'll be setting the wrong tone for fódlan's future. she's too devoted to that endgame to cling to power much longer than she needs to, though i could see her making some excuses and trying to iron out just a few more things to buy herself some more time to mentally prepare before she's done for good.

but who would she be then? who is the woman without the crown? what becomes of a machine once it is no longer needed, when it has made itself obsolete? what about when that machine is a person with legs and arms and an innate unwillingness to gather dust on a shelf?

what happens when you get everything you want? what happens when all your wanting has been for others to thrive, and now you have to want only for yourself? how do you discover who you are when you've spent decades being everything for everyone else? how do you find meaning again? how do you find purpose?

after a lifetime of devotion and passion and movement, how do you learn to sit with yourself, and be quiet, and be still?

gosh, i would love to meet her. i would love to pick her brain. but boy, i do not envy the work that girl has to do.

[flightyalrighty]

IDK if this counts as too spoilery to answer, but do they also use this memory altering to control their hosts? You described Sonic as being stuck in a 'prey animal stuck in a corner' mentality due to his parasite, but is that because she's fucking with his fight-or-flight instinct for the adrenaline or because she's literally gone in and messed with his memory to the point where he genuinely thinks something is out to get him and he's struggling to remember it's not supposed to be like this?

I guess another way to ask is is she just hitting the "Panic right now!!!" button over and over or did she go in a rewire him to the point where he's hitting the button himself? And how much is he able to think for himself right now? (Also that parasite must be in heaven rn. She jumped into Sonic? Adrenaline junky running at the speed of sound Sonic??? She is living the dream and I hate that for him 😭)

Also gonna use this ask to gush about how much I love this comic and concept. It's so well drawn and it feels grounded if that makes any sense. It feels like everyone is acting the way real people would act. I'm actually glad to see you say this is gonna have a bittersweet ending because I genuinely can't see how it could have a perfectly happy one you know? Pop off OP and have fun with this 👏 I'll be here for the years it'll take for this comic and the sequel to be made 👌👌

(Also also can I say the panel that really got me hooked was the one where Shadow was looking at Rouge after taking off the heart monitor? God it felt like it wasn't just him looking at her and then there was the foreboding flatline in the same scene and it's just 💗💗💗💗💗 love that feeling it gave 10/10 would love feeling that horrid sense of dread again)

Okay so first of all can i just say

This is both a very insightful and very nice ask -- Thank you for sending it! Genuinely such a sweet thing to wake up to this morning, and I'm happy to hear you'll be sticking around for more!

And y'know, some years back, when I was still in college, I was told by someone that my art was good but my writing "sucks." While I shouldn't have let that bother me, it's a comment that has haunted me to this day. I'm glad you like my writing, Symbio-Ratio. Makes me believe I've improved since my days of suck-fullness.

My favorite comics tend to be the ones that are, like you said, "grounded," at least in tone. Maybe Spider-Man: Blue and Hellboy rubbed off on me, idk 😜

To answer your question: To a degree, the parasites do use memory altering to control their hosts -- Less to manipulate their emotions and more to ensure they don't believe anything is wrong (and therefore seek help before she's settled in). So she targets memories that are points of major stress for the host and attempts to delete them, since getting a bug inside you would, uh, be a very stressful memory. It's trickier to do on people with PTSD, however.

The parasite does, in fact, hit that button over and over, forcing their host to lose their ability to reason while subjecting them to an overload of panic and anger until they furiously lash out at their "attackers" with a strength they can't normally use under non-panicking circumstances.

And yeah, unfortunately, Sonic is basically the parasite's dream host.

Thank you very much for sending this! :]

[gemsofgreece]

Hello! Firstly, I wanted to thank you for the work you do on this blog. My mother's side is Greek and came to the US around WW2, and as I've gotten older and tried to learn about Greek culture, I've found that it's hard to find sources that aren't inundated with American pop-history. It's been really lovely being able to learn more from your blog for the past couple weeks.

Second is my question -- re: the pop history issue, I've noticed that people in the American queer community have a knack for "reclaiming" figures in history and mythology without always having an abundance of evidence for their claims. And like, I'm trans. Obviously the idea of some of things being true is cool, but it also feels disingenuous sometimes. Do you know of any good resources or books written by actual queer Greeks about either their contemporary experiences, or the history of queer people in Greece that isn't just conjecture?

Thank you again! Have a great day :)

Hello! It makes me so happy that you found my blog suitable to inform yourself on this part of your ethnic / cultural background. I hope the blog will keep being a useful source of information.

Because I am not going to lie, the way Greek history and culture, more like a snippet of it, has been almost forced into American pop culture is indeed through a disingenuous conjecture. Honestly, it's not so much a matter of accuracy per se. It's more that a niche piece of the culture has been taken and presented as almost the entirety of this culture, which eventually leads to tremendously false impressions, no matter how earnestly this niche part is explored. There is also the tendency to shape ambiguous evidence into unquestionable conviction.

I will attempt to explain why this can be a problem. Let's take the axiom - because it has reached the lengths of being treated as an axiom - "Ancient Greece was gay or Greece is gay or Greek culture was gay culture or Greece is / was a gay haven". If we really study Greek history and culture in its entirety, in a span of 3,500 years or more if we also take into acount the pre-Greek civilizations which eventually helped produce the Greek, while the existence of gay people (i.e Sappho), non-straight sexual practices (i.e erotic amphoras), ambiguous literary relationships (i.e Achilles & Patroclus?) and varied expressions of sexual desire observed especially in male deities are 100% well attested and recorded, they still comprise overall a very tiny part of the Greek civilization. Whereas it is often portrayed in western pop culture as the very essence of Greek civilization, exploration and studies of sexuality and gender identity throughout its history could amount to maybe a 1-5% of all documented knowledge associated to the Greek ethnos, its history and its legacy. Think of it this way; Greece happened to be in the epicenter of many formative achievements of humanity; spreading, contributing or improving on science, arts, extant religions and linguistics. It has been an area extremely ravaged by war because it has a very strategic position on the map. It has been in the core of three of the world's largest empires and it has been positively or negatively influential to all three (and the generator of one of them). There are so many things, struggles and achievements, to study and explore and draw from as part of your identity, that a constant foreign obsession and trivilization and sensualization of the sexual practices of people long gone eventually will start sounding disingenuous or lacking or even demeaning. Just like every individual aspires to be acknowledged and respected for more than just their sexual or gender identity (i.e skills, feelings, talents, achievements, personality), it is the exact same with culture and heritage. People want their culture to be appreciated in its entirety and not for a super niche area that is also exaggerated, if not exploited to serve foreign agendas, trends and marketing (because let's be real, not all have noble representation motives).

Okay, now I have to ask: do you know Greek? Because I can recommend you some sources, however Americans do not translate Greek works unless they are from 750 BC :)

Here's a quick heads-up:

The Greek society is a pseudopuritan society - one where people act like puritans when it comes to judging others but not at all when it comes to themselves. The gay male community has by far the biggest visibility nowadays. Lesbians come second. Other sexual orientations follow i.e bi, poly, pan. Gender (trans, non-binary, fluid etc) identities have less visibility. Asexuals also have near non-existent visibility. Most non-het non-cis people face problems in their families rather than in their studies or in urban environments. Non-cis people, especially AMAB people, might also face hardship in the workplace (like not getting easily hired).

Because the society is pseudopuritan, it tolerated and embraced and worshipped several LGBT people, except if they attempted to communicate their experience. Great composers and authors were openly gay and Greeks knew it and loved them, because they didn't explicitly involve their sexual identity in their work or because they didn't expose the pathogenies of the Greek society. If they had done that, the reception could have been different. Because of all these reasons, most of my sources will be from the perspective of gay cis men (the most visible LGBT+ community) and it will be mostly the great work and legacy they left behind, rather than their explicit documentation of the experience of living as LGBT+ in Greece.

LGBT poets and authors:

Constantine Cavafy (1863 - 1933), one of our best poets. This can be useful to you because his works are actually translated in English.

Napoleon Lapathiotis (1888 - 1944), openly gay in such times, he wrote a lot of erotic poetry.

Augoustos Korto (1979 - ), a married gay man, successful writer and activist, he has written extensively on the topics of death, depression, motherhood and love, often drawing from personal experience.

Kostas Tachtsis (1927 - 1988), poet, distinguished author and activist for gay rights during the Colonel dictatorship in the '70s. He suffered in his life and in his death as well. His murder has not been solved yet. He has written an autobiography and numerous novels with autobiographical elements. He was gay, either cross-dressing cis or maybe trans or non-cis (we don't know that back in time how exactly he identified) and had also been a sex worker for some time.

Napoleon Lapathiotis

Music:

Music won't give you direct information however it could be a way to bond with people you could connect with over similar experience.

Manos Hadjidakis (1925 - 1994), one of our two greatest composers and a rare genius, was openly yet "discreetly" gay, not out of shame but because privacy on all aspects of the human experience was absolutely essential and sacred to him. He was also an Oscar winner, although he would hate me for saying this (he threw his Oscar in the trashcan). Besides listening to his music, I would recommend watching interviews or listening to excerpts from his radio shows, because of the ease with which he could challenge anyone's intellectual capacity.

Sotiria Bellou (1921 - 1997), a lesbian or perhaps bisexual woman, she is worshipped for her unique voice, which became the ultimate symbol of the heavy-duty (underground at the time + now part of UNESCO's cultural heritage) rembetiko music genre.

TV Shows with representation:

Maestro in Blue on Netflix, a big part of the story is the romance of a gay couple suffering in oppressive families in the province

Milky Way, one of the main characters is pansexual and non-binary, and the actor is gay IRL. There is also a brief lesbian romance or a side narrative of supressed female homo- or bi- sexuality. This show will soon get in some international platform but I don't remember which one (not netflix), so keep it in mind.

Milky Way

YouTube:

There are a lot of LGBT+ people in Greek YouTube but my faves are:

ΚΡΙΜΑ by ZoePreTV: Zoe is a lesbian or bi herself (not sure but I know she's openly in a relationship with a woman) and she makes lengthy very informative quality podcasts with celebrities or everyday people, often belonging to marginalized groups, and they talk about their experiences. If you can understand Greek, this might be the best source for what you ask. I watched a fantastic episode with a trans woman and sex worker talking about her life. It is one of the greatest podcast episodes I have ever watched, hands down.

Eponimos. Zoe's best friend, who is an openly gay man, although he approaches matters of sexuality very delicately as he values his privacy a lot. He doesn't talk often about such matters (recently he did) but his channel is awesome for his lighthearted humour and the maturity of his positions. I love watching his content.

The podcast I mentioned.

LGBT+ Magazine: ANTIVIRUS. ANTIVIRUS also has this list with recent queer literature, featuring both Greek and foreign writers. Here is the link. It's in Greek though, like everything above...

Art: Yannis Tsarouhis (1910 - 1989), one of the most influential and successful Greek artists. He painted a variety of themes, he was inspired and developed Greek folk and Byzantine art, however he was also particularly notable for his love for the masculine physique and he established the classic image of the "Greek sailor" in art, theater and cinema internationally.

A great photo of Tsarouhis in his atelier.

I wouldn't consider myself well-versed in the topic, so I invite anyone who knows sources that could also ideally be easily accessible to the Anon, to give some recs in the comments. From my side, Anon, hopefully I was of any help.

[zombeebunnie]

Trembling Essence:💙Script progress + Updates💙

Hello and welcome new followers, long time no see! I was very busy most of this month, but I am back and ready to continue from where I left off on the game! This game development post might be a bit long but I tried to condense everything! :]

"How are things going so far?":

It's going slow and steady! I haven't been able to do too much these past few weeks, however, I wrote a few parts out before I got too busy and couldn't do anything else.

I want to be very careful when it comes to spoilers but, based on your choices, some of these areas will give off immersive cozy/homelike vibes that really express Noah and the player(Y/N)'s view towards each other. In the old 2023 script I was very new to writing so the small semi-hints of romance weren't the entire focus compared to the horror aspect but there's a better balance between both genres now and I'm still aiming for a meaningful slow burn versus it just being all over the place. :] I liked writing them a whole bunch which lead to a lot of these taking place in the mid/end of Day 4+, they just need to be placed in specific areas that call for it. With that being said, it felt really comfy adding key details about Noah and creating meaningful sections in the game. I was even going to draw out some of the unseen script/scenes but I believe the best thing to do is give deeper lore from the [Extended Demo] first. Even though my writing style has improved I still have to fix the multiple pacing issues I wrote last year.

"Playtester's advice":

I wanted to continue working through Noah's backstory but I kept having moments where I'd get sidetracked into wanting to fix up the start of the game again. Eventually, I talked to my play testers about it and they gave me a few encouraging pointers.

To help keep my process at ease, I will fix the beginning of the game when I take breaks from writing up Noah's backstory. :]

I talked about this during early 2024 but the start of the game that leads up to the cabin is still getting reworked. I was able to get some of it fixed for the [Extended Demo] but I wasn't done. Things are still up in the air but, I will say that I have a better view of everything than I did before. :] Another priority that needs fixing are the backgrounds! I've improved a lot on drawing and they need to be optimized. When you first start up the game, you wake up in a holed out tree in the swamp with the choice to leave this area and possibly end up in the forest. I was going for a very immersive form of symbolism that only a few noticed but, I believe I can do a better job about this. Unfortunately I don't have any new backgrounds to show right now but maybe next week I'll have some finished up! :]

"Art process/Noah's sprite sheets":

As far as Noah sprite sheet goes, it's still in sketch mode.

I didn't draw anything since I was gone so I need to do a few warm ups before I get to them. There are some old drawing prompts I wrote down and old sketches that I never got a chance to doodle so hopefully I can get to them at some point with some attached lore. :,]

My Q&A / Ask box has been reset!

Thank you to those who have sent in asks in the past, unfortunately they all disappeared except for 1 while I was gone. I have no idea what happened but I can only guess it just got reset.

If you have any questions about Trembling Essence/Noah feel free to ask or resend them in here please. This makes it easier for me to see and answer accordingly! I would really like to hear from you guys!

This is all I have to share so far, Thank you to everyone for the continued support and patience while I was gone! I was ready to accept the interest for this game to fade out and coming back to see that it didn't happen makes me happy, I really appreciate it. :,]

[thickness-protection-program]

Kev i just want to say that your art is just so unbelievable it's so clear how much you love making it and how much hard work and dedication has gone into making it/achieving your level of technical skill and I really truly admire it so much!! your work is literally gallery quality and my fav thing is opening this app and seeing you drop a new masterpiece like it's no big deal ksjdvnksl thank you for sharing your art and I hope you are well <3 <3

Hehehe thank you! I needed to hear this today honestly 🥹 I've learned a lot over the past 3 years of drawing and while I still have room to improve I'm very happy with where I am now. And I'm happy you guys enjoy it too! I didn't know my stuff was considered gallery worthy but wahoo I'll take it thank you again! 🫂

[choccyhearts]

A Walk in the Park // R.M.R x Reader

Note: Part two to this fic ^_^

CW: Fluff, g/n!reader

It had been a week since Renfield had met you at the cat cafè. Your brain wouldn't let him go, constantly replaying that day. You were so charmed by him and you were craving to see him again.

Today, you were closing up. On Sundays, the cafè closes early so you had the rest of the day free. As you finished wiping down the last table, you walked to the front to turn the sign to close. Just as you reach the front, you're met with Renfield standing in front of you.

You jump slightly before smiling widely. He smiles back as he opens the door.

"Hello, again."

"Hello", he never breaks eye contact as he walks inside. You toy with your hands as you gaze at him hypnotized. Renfield stands with his hands behind his back, his face flushed.

"So...oh!", you snap back to reality. "We were just about to close, but I can get you something quick."

"Actually, I wanted to see you...", he pauses before wincing at himself. "Sorry, I mean I wanted to ask if maybe you would like to go out with me?"

"Go out...?"

"Oh, I mean, would you like to hang out? I thought we could go for a stroll in the park or something. I really would like to get to know you better." He has a nervous smile on his face and his eyes are filled with hope.

"I would love to. Today is good for me."

"Wonderful", he sighs.

"I just need to finish cleaning up here and we'll be set."

Renfield sits down at one of the tables as a couple of cats go over to him. You talk with him as you work, finding out a little bit more about him. He has a bright and optimistic outlook on life which he told you was new. He was tired of letting life get him down and now he's focusing on his needs and wants.

"That's beautiful, Renfield. Really. That's a perspective more people should have. It's important for everyone to work on improving themselves."

He smiles bashfully at you. His eyes wander through out the cafè.

"Where's Cheddar gone?"

Your shoulder slump slightly.

"Oh, he's at the vet currently."

"Oh no", Renfield sits up. "Is something wrong with him?"

"He's had some trouble eating lately. They said it might just be a stomachache or something, nothing too serious. I'm not too surprised, honestly. He loves sneaking food from customers", you giggle.

Renfield chuckles and relaxes back in his seat.

"That's good, he's a good cat."

"Yeah, he really likes you."

Renfield helps you usher the cats into a room in the back where they stay while the cafè is closed. After, you grab your bag and turn off the lights.

"Let me get that", Renfield dashes towards the front door and opens it for you.

"Thank you, Renfield." You lock the door and you both begin walking.

A few blocks away is a small park with a playground and walking trail. Renfield talks about his love of the architecture and street art. You notice how much of a gentleman he is as he walks on the side of the street and delicately holds your hand as you cross the street. He does let go of your hand each time you've made it across and you can't help but want him to stay.

"Sorry, I know you're a grown adult, you probably don't need me to hold your hand, but...you can never be too safe", he keeps his focus on the ground.

"That's okay, I don't mind", you smile up at him. He looks at you and smiles back and for a moment you both are alone in the world, just like when you first met.

You break the silence by pointing ahead.

"Oh, there's the park!", you take him by the hand excitedly and lead him.

He keeps up with your pace and looks at the scenery. You both slow down again and walk along the trail.

He points out every animal and bug he sees, reciting a short bio of each one.

"Ooh, that's a beautiful ladybird, or I guess, ladybug here", he chuckles. "Did you know that they're part of the beetle family? It makes sense once you realize but many people don't know."

"You really like wildlife, huh?"

"Yes, I love learning about all creatures."

As you continue your stroll, you bump into Renfield each time someone walks past you both. You move aside to let them pass which causes you to turn your body right into Renfield. One particular time when a small group of people pass, you trip over your own feet and Renfield is quick to catch you in his arms.

"I'm so clumsy, I'm sorry!", you laugh nervously.

"Don't worry, it's a quite narrow trail." He helps you back on your feet and holds on to your hand. "Here, so you don't get swept away again."

You feel heat rise in your face and chest as you continue walking.

"You're quite the gentleman. I didn't know people could still be chivalrous."

"I guess I'm just...an old soul", he lightly scoffs with a smile on his face.

"It's nice. I like it."

When you reach the playground you find it unoccupied.

"Do you want to go on the swings?", you ask.

"I've never been on swings before", he sheepishly admits.

"That's okay, we can just sit."

Your feet crunch the mulch below. Neither of you say anything as you sit down on the swings. It's a nice silence filled with the metal creaking of the chains, birds chirping softly and the breeze blowing in intervals.

"I haven't had this much fun in a really long time."

You look at him as he stares at his feet.

"I'm glad you're having fun. I was getting worried you might think I'm boring."

"I could never find you boring."

You look into each other's eyes. The wind blows his hair into his face but he ignores it. You outstretch your hand to him and he accepts it, letting your connected hands sit in between your swings.

"You're a very beautiful person", Renfield confesses. You bite your lip but refuse to break the trance you're in.

"So are you. You're divine."

"I know I said I walked into the cafè for the cats, but I stayed for you. You showed me this kindness that no one else has and I'm very thankful."

Renfield brings your hand up to his lips and softly grazes it. He looks up at you as if to ask permission and you nod. He closes his eyes and softly kisses your skin before returning your hands back where they were.

You hear a couple of kids laughing and running towards the jungle gym and you both straighten up.

"So...you've never played on swings before?"

You spent the rest of the afternoon showing Renfield how to swing. After getting the hang of it he had a blast, going as high as he can.

You leave the park and he walks you back to your car that's still at the cafè. You both stand next to your car, wishing this day never ended.

"This really was fun. I would love to do this again." He takes your hand softly in his.

"I would too."

He strokes your hand with his thumb while he thinks.

"Why don't we go to a movie next weekend? I'd love to see what it's like at the theatre now...", Renfield pauses as if he regrets saying that.

"Oh, because of the pandemic?", you question.

He nods and laughs relieved, "Yes, yes. I haven't been since before the pandemic! That weird, weird year."

"I'd enjoy that. Sounds like a date", you smile before getting flustered yourself. "I mean, like, sounds like a plan. Not a date. Like a date date."

"Of course", he nods. His grip on your hand tightens a bit. Not in a weird way more in an almost protective way. "Unless you would like it to be a date?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He kisses your hand again. "So it's a date?"

"Absolutely."

You open the driver's side door and Renfield holds it for you.

"Oh, by the way, Cheddar is supposed to return on Tuesday."

"Then I guess I'll see you on Tuesday."

"I'll see you on Tuesday."

Okay, this is turning into a little series cause I want to keep writing so I will make another part soon ^_^

[bartonsarcheryacademy]

Story Idea dump #2.

BALLET AND MUSICIAN AU:

(Yes, I enjoy AUs)

The setting: Natasha and Clint used to be ballet dance partners, winning awards and tournaments around the world. Now they‘re settled in Brooklyn NYC and run a dance and music school together. Natasha teaches the ballet class, Clint teaches piano and other instruments. The people they teach are a mix of kids from difficult backgrounds and rich offsprings. They charge whatever the parents can afford to pay, some kids get taught for free, but the high class parents happily pay horrendous sums, because of the standards of class and the many titles Natasha and Clint won. Bruce also has a room at their building, teaching Yoga and Meditation to kids and adults. It‘s an older brickstone building in industrial style, high ceilings and big windows.

Plot: Planning on meeting with an organization to set up a bigger educational program in Brooklyn, Clint gets involved in a car wreck on the way to the meeting. I will not say too much about his injuries, but he get discharged from the hospital after several weeks barely able to walk alone, with damage to his ears and some metal in his body. Safe to say he doesn‘t take it well at all. He can‘t dance, he can‘t teach music anymore- it triggers a cocktail of anger, sadness, depression, and hopelessness. natasha and Bruce try their best to help him back on his feet, but as impatient as he is, he doesn‘t see much improvement. (Different from our hero Renner, who has the determination of a superhero). Enter Bucky Barnes, Natasha‘s highschool dance partner and long term friend, who just recovered from losing his arm in a military mission overseas. Equipped with a high end prosthetic arm made by Tony Stark (bear with me. Wakanda didn‘t seem like an option here), he agrees to helping out with the ballet classes. Clint is devastated to see himself ‚replaced‘ by Bucky. He‘s pissed. He is sad. Bucky, after having just gone through endless hours of therapy himself, sets him straight. He can either work on himself and claim his life back, or he can be angry and miserable and accept nothing will change. WinterHawk development while Bucky helps Clint recover through forcing him on his feet, exercise, and work through the trauma of the crash- that he remembers more of than he ever told anyone.

Can‘t tell you the end development, because I plan on writing this one day. Who would read it if you knew how it ends *evil cackle*

Oh, and there is art for this plot already. I did some, and a friend of mine who is amazingly talented did art of Nat and Clint dancing, and Clint playing Piano. So, cross your fingers that this might see the light of day.

Thanks for your attention…until #3 <3 >>—->

[kaksparkz]

for the artist askgame, idk how many youve answered already but 3,4,10,12,21,24 and 35!

hello helloo!! sorry im just answering this now, been pretty busy^^ (also, using this chance to thank u for your support!! i always see u interacting with my stuff here hbasfcyhdb you're a sweetheart😭💕)

Your fav piece/s?

Probably this vergil one! i still love how it looks djddgnds my art peaked here im afraid,,,,,

Piece you wish got more love?

hmm, this is an interesting one!! tbh i dont mind it much but this johnny fanart got waaaaay more attention on instagram!! i mean,,, i have a lot of mk moots there so it makes sense lol (and also just got to 1k followers on IG!! crazy stuff💌)

How do you deal with artblock?

to be honest, once i realize i have artblock i stop drawing for a couple of days. if i keep insisting on drawing i just get more and more frustrated and it makes it worse imo. so i like to spend some time doing my other hobbies!!! (´▽｀)

usually i just come back to drawing once i regain motivation or i get a cool idea that i need to sketch so i wont forget. and when that happens, my artblock is usually gone!! so,, i guess i just wait for it to go away? lol not much advice i can give on that sadly :/

Describe your process while drawing!

CHAOTIC. to say the least.

i spend like. half an hour on pinterest beforehand getting inspo & searching for refs and ONLY THEN i can start drawing. i start on SAI1, do the sketch and if i like how it looks, i just clean it up. if it dont, i do 'proper' lineart. after that i start coloring and shading!! this is my fav part tbh. once im done shading i color the lineart so its not completely black. then i open up SAI2 and start doing more rendering, adding overlays & effects. that part is also SO FUN cause it makes everything come together so nicelyy. my art process is a pretty big 'trust the process' till that part lol.

there's ALWAYS music or yt videos playing in the bg, and me taking A LOT of 15 minutes breaks cause that one song is so good and i have to stop drawing and start singing while looking at the spotify lyrics like im hypnotized LMAO

What do you thin you artstyle woukd taste like?

people always say my art looks so tasty and. i kind of agree!! like. smth very sweet. it really depends on the colors i use on the piece but,,, either hard candy, gummies, marshmallows or even syrup i think!!!

What's a compliment about your art that has always stuck with you?

i get super giddy with every compliment i get so i dont think i can remember one in particular??? but istg people always say the funniest, most sweet things ever and it's so nice to hear :3 but if i had to say smth,,, i once had the chance to talk with this one incredibly talented illustrator, and he kept telling me how he thought my stuff looked amazing. and i was like!!! wow!!! you actually like my stuff?? what!!!!

Piece of advice for my younger artist self

i would sit this little girl down and talk to her for hours tbh poor thing was STRUGGLING 😭😭😭

i guess my best advice for her (and for anyone who reads this, too!) is to not be so hard on yourself. art is a skill, and it takes a lot of time to build it up!!!

i used to get SO extremely upset when my stuff didnt look the way i wanted it to and ughhh. took me literal years to find my artstyle too and that didn´t help AT ALL with how frustrated i was feeling. i felt,,, stuck??

but now i look back at my art journey and. wow have i improved!! maybe if that little girl saw the stuff i do today she wouldn´t be so sad about her art :´] not to say i don´t struggle today, i still feel stuck and frustrated often!! but i guess i learned to be kinder to myself. but i still have lots of things to improve about my art!! i wonder when i´ll take another look back and see how much i´ve progressed since today,,,

thank you for the ask!! (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

[phantaemon]

artfight this year was, in terms of VIBES, utter dogshit

But at the same time it was the best artfight I've ever had. I've never gotten as many attacks before, just like I've never attacked as many people. I got so much more confident in my art and I genuinely had fun, and since I had improved even before it started I was able to get so many ocs on the platform, ocs that lacked art and that I wasn't confident enough to post on the platform before otherwise. They didn't all get art (most of it went to my sona lmao) but it's nice. Even got in a pretty high effort mass attack last minute- which was relieving considering everyone went paranoid about those in the beginning (for fair reasons sometimes)

I think just randomly selecting OCs from the recent page, and attacking mutuals was the best choice here.

This year's social media coverage was insufferable too. Some of my mutuals refused to join at all due to this, not just the odd tiktok trends and the entitlement, but also the "OH YOU NEED TO PREPARE 30 REFS TWO MONTHS IN ADVANCE, AND MAKE YOUR PROFILE LIKE THIS OTHERWISE NO ONE WILL ATTACK YOU! AND LOOK AT THE ATTACK RATIOS! AND DON'T FORGET TO POST THE CARD IN EVERY SINGLE SERVER YOU'RE IN! AND YOU NEED TO DO THIS THIS AND THIS BECAUSE I DON'T EVEN LOOK AT PROFILES THAT DON'T DO THIS AND THIS"

Oh my god. Way to discourage beginners from an event that's supposed to be FUN. I wasn't affected by this due to having enough motivation to draw on a daily basis for a while now, but artfight is NOT supposed to be stressful like that. YOU ARE MAKING IT STRESSFUL. Sit back. Upload one fullbody of your character, heck even a halfbody works in some cases, my friend has a character like that and she still got attacks. If you have a big, detailled ref, good for you!

You don't even need a profile besides your boundaries because unless you 1) subscribed to someone 2) attacked someone and they want to revenge you or 3) go out of your way to link your profile everywhere, people will NOT see it, they'll just see your character through tag search or recent and EVEN IF PEOPLE SEE YOUR PROFILE you only need simple boundaries which can be put in your character warnings ANYWAYS!

Same thing for OC profiles you can have literally the least amount of lore for your OC people will still draw them, you can even just link an external profile (with proper warnings) if you don't wanna copy and paste the bio and layout or something

Don't get me started about the ratio, caring too much about them is overly punitive and utter bullshit, you cannot keep up a 50+ ratio without burning out in most cases since you cannot control when people revenge you unless you're doing a chain or attacking 100% revenge profiles. Holding people to higher standards or refusing to attack people because of their ratio defends the entire purpose of artfight, and is, quite frankly, an asshole move.

To enjoy AF you literally just need to upload some random ocs and draw some random ocs. Now I know that not getting attacks feels like shit. But artfight is about giving first and foremost. It's the first thing you see in the beginner's guide. You give free art to people who MAY give you free art in return. It is free art. You are not entitled to it, though I wish everyone could receive something at the end of the day no matter what.

Do not look at social media. Don't join the discord unless you need server uptime/downtime info. And it will seem way more calm.

Artfight has not gone to shit this year. It's a loud part of the community that has. I may not be posting this with any # as to not start discource but anyone seeing this I urge you to take the positives and take a step back from everything else. First week was stressful as hell for me, until I decided to just draw as if no one was telling me to make my account and ratio perfect. As we may say "Artfight is fun when you don't have a bitch in your ear telling you to fix your ratio".

[owlhousetarot]

Hey, I wanted to tell you that your art and the design of this cards are amazing. Can I share your art, obviously giving you credit, on the Owl House subreddit? Also, seeing your art inspired me so much, so I started drawing for myself. Do you have some advice for a newbie like me?

Aaaa thank you so much!! And yes, as long as you give me proper credit and link back to this blog, I have no problem with you sharing my art on Reddit. This ask actually prompted me to watermark all my cards, which I've been meaning to do for a while as this blog has gained a following, so thank you for asking! Many people would have just gone ahead and done it without getting permission, so it's nice to see people taking artists' wishes into consideration C:

And omg I'm flattered my work has inspired you!!! Full disclosure, I'm still a novice when it comes to digital art. I'm sure it's apparent from looking at my older cards that I've developed and improved my skills a lot since I started this project, but I still have a long way to go! My advice to you would be: take inspiration from many different artists and styles, and don't feel like you have to have a Singular Defined Style that you have to stick to no matter what, because all that's doing is limiting yourself. If you like how a piece of art looks, try to re-create the technique behind the elements that catch your eye, like certain line styles, shape language, or lighting effects, and eventually you'll develop an arsenal of skills you can choose from for different pieces of art. References are your friend!!

[jasper-the-menace]

So if we presume that planes continue to evolve as we saw with Kamigawa, does that mean that given their culture that New Capenna would, theoretically, be able to have gangs based on the families reenact West Side Story.

Could you envision more modern Capenna??

Do y'all want me to get into the weird poly thing the family heads have going on? Because this is how you get me to get into that.

The Obscura have always tread the fine line between "totally legit psychics" and "scam psychics". The invention of things like TV and phones would only exacerbate that already-existing problem.

The invention of new things would also open the doorway to more "methods" for the Obscura to use in their various divinations. They already had cards, crystal balls, and the like before, but someone invents the pendulum (only $9.99 if you call this definitely tolled number!) and it's all the rage for a few years among Obscura agents.

Raffine thinks it's funny as shit and has her own "psychic hotline" for the particularly wealthy to use.

The invention of more modern technology would also improve illusions and sleight-of-hand tricks. You can't tell me the Obscura wouldn't be all over that. Sure, they could just use their own magic, but if there's an easier and cheaper way, why not add that to your repertoire?

Conning people is just so easy in the modern age is what I'm saying.

The Maestros are going to be all over modern art movements, okay? Let's just make that one clear. Opening up the doorway to different types of art (such as pop art, which was popular in the 1940s to 1950s in the United States) leads to a broader range of museums with their own unique flairs.

While Xander hasn't been a fan of every art movement, he does get what they're going for and respects the grind, because holy shit they had to invent all sorts of new techniques and technology to make these pieces. He also has a soft spot for a few of the newer ones, but you'll never hear him say it aloud. (And yes, I'm saying his canon death didn't happen, fight me out behind the Denny's.)

Also, murder has gotten more easy! Or at least more interesting.

Of all of the families, the Riveteers would change the least. They're still a construction-based union, they just have cranes and bulldozers now. They've stayed in business due to demolishing and rebuilding as the years have gone on.

Ziatora still rules this mighty empire of loyal workers, directing her Riveteers on construction sites even as technology makes things faster. Though she does eventually have to invent OSHA because of how many of her workers she has to keep catching.

The existence of frat boys shows that the spirit of the Cabaretti is alive and well in the modern time, even if druidry has fallen to the wayside. A core foundation of the mortal experience is having fun, and the Cabaretti are still here to provide!

They also have their own version of the Michelin Stars going on. Like...I don't know, the Vantoleone Stars, after the Mezzio base that Jetmir refuses to let go of.

To give Jetmir credit, though, he's gotten a lot better about security for the revelries, in case there's a repeat of the Adversary-Crescendo incident. Of all of the family heads, he's adapted to the modern era the fastest.

Given everything going on above, yes, everyone still needs lawyers and security. That's where the Brokers still step in, though it's a lot more decentralized as different offices try to make their mark. Everyone still pays lip service to Falco Spara, but anything beyond that is up in the air.

Spara's still got sleeper agents all over the place, but he's a lot more guarded nowadays. Pretty much everyone is waiting for blood in the water to take him down from the top and put themselves in his place, so he's retreated from the public eye in favor of double- and triple-checking his contracts for loopholes. Even one could knock him from his perch. Rumor has it that the only people in contact with him anymore are his second-in-command and the other family heads.

...I almost feel bad for all the puns in this section.

As for everyone else, well.

The government and law system are still auctions rather than functional. (Though that's not too different from our modern day, huh?) Generally, as long as you get a mean enough Broker for a lawyer, your case is as good as won (or thrown out) regardless of your actual guilt status.

The angels are hanging around, adapting to either join the crime families (though it's very awkward between them and the demons) or creating their own merry bands of misfits. A good number of them work for the various newspapers, doing what they can to either help or hinder as they see fit - and according to their central color, of course.

Efforts to get back down to Old Capenna and see what's down there now have some public support, because enough time has passed that people have forgotten (other than Spara, who never forgets) what used to be down there. It's a free-for-all, as it requires a different set of survival skills from New Capenna, and no current attempts to rebuild down there have been successful with all of the monsters still running around.

Time continues to march forward, and so do the mortals of New Capenna. The primary question raised is how long the angels, demons, and avatars can keep up.

~Jasper

(P.S. All of the divider graphics were made by me, over on @jasper-graphics!)