#artists out there keep up the great work 💕💕💕)

[ailius-suffers-through-art]

hey just so you know your tags on my silly doodles filled me with so much joy that if you can think of anything you'd want to see me doodle I will get it done no questions asked. ;w; ;;;;; totally serious thank you so much aaaagh

Im super glad my lil tags can bring you some seretonin!!! Honestly, the only request I have is for you to keep on drawing stuff that make you happy hehe (since im into generally the same stuff as you this is really a win-win). Love your stuff and I'll gladly gobble up whatever you put out! Have a lovely day <3333

[prettygirl-gabi]

Prologue: A Shattered Beginning

Rating: General Audiences

Warning: none

Paring: Paige Bueckers x !photographer fem reader

Fandom: Women's basketball

Summary: watch out!!

Welcomw to the start of my New full length series called :Through The Lens. I hope you all enjoy and there is more to come...stay tuned my loveies!! 🏀💕📸

The sound of the crowd roared through Gampel Pavilion, the energy so electric it felt like the walls themselves were vibrating. I crouched at the baseline, my camera poised and ready, the lens trained on the action unfolding before me. UConn was up against their biggest rival, and the intensity on the court was palpable.

Paige Bueckers—the heart and soul of the team—was everywhere at once. Her defense was relentless, and her offense was unstoppable. She was everything my professor had talked about when he suggested I use the women’s basketball team as my muse for my final project.

“Find a subject that tells a story,” Professor Gold had said, his voice filled with the kind of passion only an artist could muster. “You’re at UConn—home to some of the best athletes in the country. Capture their grit, their triumphs, their humanity. Tell their story through your lens.”

I’d chosen the women’s basketball team reluctantly at first, unsure if sports could align with my vision. But the moment I stepped into the gym, I understood. These players weren���t just athletes; they were storytellers, their movements and emotions weaving narratives on the court. And no one told a better story than Paige Bueckers.

I focused my lens on her as she positioned herself near the key, her eyes scanning the court like a hawk. A split second later, she leapt into the air, blocking a shot with an elegance that seemed effortless. The ball flew directly toward me, too fast for me to react.

The impact was sudden and jarring. My beloved camera—the one I’d saved for years to buy—shattered in my hands, the lens cracked beyond repair.

The gasp from the crowd felt louder than the actual hit, and I froze, staring at the remnants of my favorite piece of equipment. My heart sank.

After the game, I lingered outside the locker room, debating whether I should try to talk to Paige. It wasn’t her fault, of course—it was just bad luck. Still, I couldn’t deny the pang of frustration as I thought about the cost of a replacement.

But before I could make a decision, I heard her voice during the post-game press conference.

“Paige, great game tonight. That block in the second half was incredible,” a reporter said, chuckling. “But… it seems you also managed to take out a photographer’s camera in the process. Any comments on that?”

The room erupted in laughter, and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Paige grinned, leaning into the microphone. “Yeah, that was definitely not my best moment. I think I owe someone an apology—and probably a new camera.”

The sincerity in her voice surprised me. She didn’t brush it off as a joke; she sounded genuinely remorseful.

I didn’t see her after that, but a week later, I found myself back in the gym, this time armed with my backup camera. My professor had encouraged me to keep going, even after the incident.

“Adversity adds depth to your work,” he’d said. “And honestly, there’s no better way to connect with your subject than through a shared moment—good or bad.”

I wasn’t sure if he was right, but I couldn’t deny that something about Paige intrigued me. Maybe it was her effortless confidence or the way she seemed larger than life on the court. Or maybe it was the way she’d taken responsibility in the interview, showing a side of herself that felt real and grounded.

Whatever it was, I was determined to keep going.

And as I set up my camera that day, I had no idea that Paige Bueckers was about to step into my life in a way that would change everything.

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

-Thank You For Reading!🩵🩶

-prettygirl-gabi🎀✨️

Tag list: @sayurireidotcom , @astroeliza .... (more to be added)

[piastrisun]

the grand reveal.

pairings: franco colapinto + actress female reader.

summary: the cameras have always loved you, but tonight, for the first time, you let them capture the truth—franco, by your side, no longer just a best friend.

genre: fluff.⠀word count: 2k.⠀ warning: none.

request: franco x actress!reader at the oscars or at some premiere of a movie she's been part of? 💕

notes: inspired by mary and tanner from cobra kai because i find them so endearing. and currently considering making a smau about this story as well. thank you for the req, i hope you like it!!!

the hotel suite is bathed in the soft glow of the golden hour, the warm light filtering through the tall windows, casting long shadows on the polished floor. the city skyline stretches out beyond the glass, the world outside buzzing with anticipation for the premiere of your movie—the one that has your name on billboards, the one people have been waiting for.

inside, it’s quieter, but the air is thick with something else—excitement, nerves, maybe even a touch of nostalgia. you stand in front of a massive vanity mirror, dressed in a stunning gown, the fabric hugging your form perfectly. it’s elegant, timeless, with just the right amount of sparkle to catch the light as you move. the dress makes you feel powerful, like you belong on that carpet, like this is your night.

and yet, as much as the premiere is about you, your thoughts are fixated on the man behind you.

franco stands near the edge of the room, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. he’s already dressed—black suit, perfectly tailored, crisp white shirt underneath, a picture of effortless charm. but even as he focuses on the small details, his attention keeps drifting back to you.

you’re breathtaking. he’s seen you in a thousand different ways—barefaced in the morning, bundled up in sweats on lazy afternoons, laughing so hard you can barely breathe—but there’s something about this moment that feels different. maybe it’s the way the dress moves when you shift, or how the anticipation makes your eyes shine just a little brighter. maybe it’s the fact that tonight, for the first time, you might actually let the world see what he already knows.

his fiancée. his best friend. the love of his life.

you meet his gaze in the mirror, and a small smile tugs at the corner of your lips. he’s caught staring, but he doesn’t even try to look away.

“so,” you say, breaking the silence, voice teasing as you turn slightly toward him. “i was thinking about what you said.”

franco tilts his head slightly, a playful glint in his eyes. “which part exactly?” his voice has that casual tone, the one you know all too well. “i remind you that i’m good at talking.”

you smirk and glance over your shoulder. “haven’t forgotten. you’re a great talker. you just gave a whole talk about that superhero movie you watched last night.”

franco groans dramatically, moving to lean against the vanity beside you. “oh, come on! it was a great movie. maybe the plot was predictable and the effects were… questionable, but it was still good.”

you arch an eyebrow, your expression skeptical. “really? you think it was good?”

he huffs and crosses his arms. “okay, fine. it was barely decent. happy now?”

you laugh, the sound light and easy, shaking your head as you take a seat in the makeup chair. the artist starts working on the final touches, but your attention remains on franco as he watches you, eyes filled with something unreadable.

“so, getting back to it,” you continue, your voice softer now, more serious. “i was considering we could walk the red carpet together. properly this time. you said it would be fun.”

he stills for a moment, caught off guard by the suggestion. you see his throat bob as he swallows. you don’t usually hesitate to bring things up with him, but this is different. this isn’t just another premiere where he’s there as your best friend, the way people have always assumed. this would mean something else. this would mean stepping into the spotlight together, not as longtime friends, but as the couple you’ve been behind closed doors for the last three years.

his brows knit slightly as he watches you through the mirror, but you don’t let the pause deter you.

“we’ve been together for a while now,” you say, eyes focused on the buttons, your voice steady. “and we’ve been discreet about it. or at least, we’ve tried.”

he takes a step closer, eyes narrowing in thought. “but… that way, people would actually know we’re together, right?” his voice lowers, lacing with a thoughtful tone. “we don’t have to do this, you know. i was just messing around.”

you turn your head slightly, catching his eyes through the mirror again, your tone soft but certain. “i know that. but… it must be nice, though, to have people know we’re a couple. a very much in-love one.”

franco watches you carefully, his jaw tensing just slightly. he’s always been protective of your privacy, of keeping your love out of the chaos of the public eye, but there’s something in the way you say it that makes his heart stutter.

“are you sure?” he asks, and there’s something vulnerable in the way he says it.

you smirk, tilting your head. “what? getting scared now, colapinto?”

“no, no,” he says quickly, his voice slightly more urgent now, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “i want this. i want people to know we’re together, that i love you. i just… i just want you to be sure about it.”

you feel your heart swell at his words, your gaze softening as you meet his eyes. “i’m sure,” you say, and the conviction in your voice is clear. “i want this. i want everyone to know you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

his lips part slightly, as if your words take him by surprise. then, slowly, he reaches for your hand, his fingers grazing the ring he gave you. the diamond catches the light, subtle yet undeniable.

“so what?” he teases, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. “you’re gonna show off that ring i got you?”

you smile, your hand instinctively touching the ring, its simple elegance, the diamond catching the light. you shrug lightly, your eyes mischievous. “maybe.”

franco laughs softly, the sound of it filling the space between you. “is that so?”

you nod, a wink in your eye. “why not? let’s tell the world.”

for a moment, he just looks at you—really looks at you, as if he’s memorising every detail of this moment. and then, he exhales a soft laugh, shaking his head in that way he does when he’s completely, hopelessly in love.

he steps closer, hands resting on either side of your arms, his touch light but grounding. “then let’s do it,” he murmurs, voice just for you. “let the world see how much i love you.”

your heart flutters, a slow, warm smile spreading across your face. the final touches of your makeup are done, and as you stand, your heels clicking against the floor, you turn to face him fully.

reaching out, you adjust his tie slightly before smoothing your hands over his lapels. he watches you the whole time, his eyes filled with something indescribable.

with a playful tilt of your head, you extend your hand. “shall we go make our debut?”

franco grins, taking your hand in his, squeezing it just slightly. “let’s show them. together.”

and as you step out of the hotel suite, hand in hand, it’s no longer just another premiere. it’s the start of something new. something real. and for the first time, you’re ready for it.

the air outside the hotel is electric. the streets are lined with fans, their voices blending into a constant hum of excitement, the flashing of cameras already starting before you’ve even stepped onto the carpet.

as soon as you step onto the red carpet, the world erupts around you. the photographers call out, their voices overlapping in a chorus of eager requests. the evening arrives, and you stand at the entrance of the venue, the red carpet stretching out before you like an endless sea of flashing lights and eager faces. the sound of photographers shouting, “over here!” “please, a smile, miss!” fills the air as you step onto the carpet, your heart racing despite all the experience you’ve accumulated over the years.

the flashing lights are blinding, but you navigate through them with practiced ease. even after years in the spotlight, it still makes your pulse race. you’ve done this before, so many times, but somehow, the attention always makes your cheeks warm. not out of discomfort—just a lingering sense of disbelief that this is your life now, that people care this much about a movie you’ve poured your heart into.

still, you smile, giving the photographers what they want, offering small waves and graceful nods. you make your way down the carpet, pausing at the right moments, your dress shimmering under the flashing lights. you hear the way the photographers compliment you between their calls—little things like, “stunning as always!” and “you look incredible tonight!”—and despite yourself, your face heats up. you can’t help it.

as you walk down the carpet, your eyes seek out franco. he’s standing a few steps behind, looking as handsome as ever, watching you with something soft in his expression. he’s been in this position before, always lingering nearby, the best friend at your side. but tonight, it’s different.

his eyes meet yours, and a wave of comfort washes over you. this is your moment to share with him, and you can’t help but feel a thrill of excitement at the idea of walking this path, not as “just friends” but as a couple.

you gesture toward him, the subtle motion barely noticeable to the crowd but clear to him. his expression shifts from calm to a soft grin as he picks up the pace, closing the gap between you two. you meet him halfway, your hand reaching out for his as he steps to your side. the cameras react instantly, the shutters clicking even faster, a fresh wave of voices calling out.

“franco! look this way!”

“side by side, please!”

“one with the two of you together!”

franco leans in slightly, his arm instinctively wraps an arm around your waist. the photographers shouting for more smiles, more affection, their flashes still blinding in their intensity.

you look up at him, your voice soft, but still carrying a playful edge. “you ready?”

franco lets out a small laugh, his eyes gleaming with affection as he glances at you, his hand tightening around yours. “yeah, as ready as i could be.”

and then, with deliberate ease, you lift your left hand—the one with the engagement ring. the one the world has never seen before.

the cameras catch it instantly. the flashing intensifies, and a fresh wave of excitement ripples through the photographers.

“wait—is that—?”

“miss! the ring!”

“are you engaged?!”

you don’t say anything—not yet. you just smile, subtly adjusting your fingers so the diamond catches the light, making sure there’s no mistaking it. beside you, franco chuckles under his breath, barely containing his amusement at how effortlessly you’ve just dropped this revelation on the world.

“well,” he murmurs, voice full of teasing warmth, “i guess that’s one way to tell them.”

you glance up at him, eyes dancing. “go big or go home, right?”

he laughs, his grip around your waist tightening just slightly in silent affection. “remind me never to underestimate you.”

and as the noise around you swells—the shouts, the cameras, the realisation spreading like wildfire—you know there’s no turning back now. the world knows.

and you couldn’t be happier.

you smile, a mix of joy and nervousness bubbling in your chest as the weight of the moment settles in. it’s not just a simple red carpet stroll anymore. you and franco are no longer hiding in plain sight. this is you, standing proudly together, side by side, sharing your love with the world.

franco leans closer, his breath warm against your ear as he whispers, “so, what now? more pictures?”

you laugh, the sound light and free, as you glance back at him with a playful grin. “now we own the spotlight, i think.” you squeeze his hand, feeling the weight of everything—the love, the excitement, the fact that this is no longer a secret.

©⠀piastrisun original work. please don’t translate, claim or repost any of my writing, 25’.

[sleepyskydraws]

!! Help me get into VGen !!

EDIT: I got a code! Thanks so so much to everyone who helped, I'm keeping this up to remember all the support 💕 Shout out to Shiimosa on BlueSky!

Hi! I usually just post fanart here and only ever ramble through the tags, but this is important for me, so please read

TL; DR is that I need this post to reach 100 likes and 5 unique comments in order to be accepted into VGen. Here's the full explanation:

I've been drawing seriously for about 9 years now (here are some examples)

For all this time, I've only ever done commissions to people I've known personally, but after all this time I feel like I've gotten to the level where I feel confident about beginning to try to work with this and go after my dreams

After some researching I found out about VGen - a site design to help both artists find clients and to help people to not end up scammed by fakers. I found it great, but issue is that getting in VGen as an artist can be hard. I'm not friends with anyone who's in so I cant ask for a code directly, I tried the contest but it didn't work out and I don't want to have to rely purely on luck - this is where you come in!

Another way of being approved is sending in a post with the tag and having it reach 100 likes and 5 unique comments. I don't like asking for engagement, but Tumblr is the platform I've done the most numbers on and I feel like this is easier than spending months trying to win at the contest

Any reblog or like genuinely means the world to me and it only takes a few moments of your time. Alternatively, if you're in VGen and have a spare code, I'd be eternally grateful if you were so kind to share it

If this doesnt work, I'll probably just keep adding the tag to my next posts until something eventually gets there. Regardless, if you read this far, thank you

[therealcocoshady]

Prank gone wrong

A/N : I recently saw this reel in which someone gives a baby a fake knife and family members freak out and I thought to myself « OMG that would have been such a great idea for that Knife Play Kinktober prompt » 👀. Anyway… I couldn’t resist using it for some Marshall and Lily cute moment 😅. I hope you like it ! ✨💕

It was one of those rare, quiet mornings when Marshall had the house to himself with Lily while you were out with some friends, trying on wedding dresses. The wedding was fast approaching but you had yet to find the gown of your dreams. You had been overwhelmed with the wedding preparations, work and Lily. Your fiancé had offered to look after Lily so that she’d be out of your hair and you could enjoy a relaxing day to yourself. The air was filled with that kind of calm that came with slow sips of coffee, the distant sound of cartoons playing, and Lily’s soft babbling as she toddled around the living room.

Stevie, however, had other plans. When Marshall had introduced you and Lily to her, she had been quite wary but, recently, she had been warming up to Lily a little more. She seemed to find her new little sister’s endless curiosity both annoying and adorable. And, being a typical teenager with a bit of a mischievous streak, she saw a golden opportunity for a prank that would be, as she put it, “hilarious.” So, while Marshall was engrossed in his coffee and a half-hearted attempt to read the morning news, Stevie slipped into the living room, handing Lily something she’d picked up from a novelty shop for some artistic project—a realistic-looking toy knife with a shiny, dull plastic blade that looked disturbingly real at first glance.

With a wide grin, Stevie watched as Lily took the “knife” with both hands, her little eyes lighting up as if she’d just been given the most interesting toy in the world. She toddled into the kitchen, clutching it, her innocent little face beaming as she approached Marshall. When he looked up and saw her holding what looked like a real knife, his heart stopped. “Lily!” he yelped, practically leaping out of his chair, his coffee spilling all over the table as he scrambled to reach her. His face went pale, his mind racing through all the worst possibilities as he lunged forward, carefully taking the “knife” from her tiny hands. Lily blinked up at him, her face full of confusion as she tilted her head, clearly not understanding what all the fuss was about. “Daddy?” she mumbled, her small voice soft and questioning.

Marshall took a deep breath, clutching the toy knife in his hand as he turned and saw Stevie standing in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear. His face tightened, and a flash of anger crossed his eyes. “Stevie,” he said, his voice low and controlled but unmistakably stern, “what on earth were you thinking?” Stevie’s grin faltered slightly, but she shrugged, trying to play it off. “Relax, Dad. It’s just a toy. I thought it’d be funny.” Marshall clenched his jaw, his gaze fixed on her. “Funny? You think it’s funny to give your little sister something that looks like a real knife? Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be, or how it could have freaked her out?” Stevie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms defensively. “It’s not like she was really in danger! I was right here the whole time.”

Marshall took a deep breath, fighting to keep his cool, but his voice was still firm. “Stevie, she’s two. She doesn’t understand the difference between a toy and something that could hurt her. And you know better than to mess around like that.” As his voice rose, Lily’s lip began to tremble, her big eyes filling with tears as she looked up at him, clearly distressed by the sudden tension. She toddled over to Stevie, clutching her sister’s leg and looking up at Marshall with pleading eyes. “Daddy, no!” she whimpered, her voice breaking as she tried to shield her sister.

Marshall’s anger softened instantly as he saw the look on Lily’s face. Her small hands were gripping Stevie’s pants tightly, her little face scrunched up as if she was about to burst into tears. She didn’t understand what was happening, only that her dad was upset with her sister, and that was something she couldn’t bear. Marshall took a deep breath, letting the anger slip away as he knelt down, reaching out to gently pull Lily into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her small body shaking as she let out a heart-wrenching sob, clinging to him as if to make him stop yelling. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, Lil,” he whispered, his voice full of regret as he rubbed her back gently. “I’m not mad at you, sweetheart. I’m sorry if I scared you. Daddy just got a little worried, that’s all.” Lily sniffled, her head resting against his shoulder as she peeked over at Stevie, her small face still damp with tears. “Daddy… not mat at Stevie,” she mumbled, her voice muffled but full of sincerity.

Marshall felt his heart soften, his frustration melting away as he looked at both of them. Here was his little girl, protecting her big sister, even when she didn’t understand why he’d been upset. He glanced over at Stevie, who looked down, clearly a bit guilty but trying to mask it behind a casual shrug. “Alright,” Marshall said, sighing as he reached out and gently ruffled Stevie’s hair. “I’m not mad anymore. But, Stevie, just… be careful with the jokes, okay? I get it—it was meant to be funny. But let’s keep the pranks a little less, uh, heart-stopping?” Stevie nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips as she reached out, giving Lily’s hand a little squeeze. “Got it, Dad. Sorry about that,” she said, her tone softened with genuine regret.

Lily, sensing the tension was gone, brightened up immediately. She looked up at Stevie, her tears already forgotten as she gave her sister a big, toothy smile, as if nothing had happened at all. Marshall held her close, feeling a mixture of gratitude and affection. Watching Lily defend her sister, even in her tiny way, reminded him of just how much she adored Stevie, even if their bond had been a bit rocky at first. Stevie hadn’t been Lily’s biggest fan in the beginning, but now, it was clear that they’d formed something special, something that only siblings could share. As he sat down on the couch with Lily still snuggled in his arms, Stevie plopped down next to them, giving her dad a small, teasing smile. “You’ve gotta admit, though, Dad, your face was priceless.” Marshall chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. But don’t think I’m letting you off the hook that easy.”

[forzarma]

world’s best teacher

lewis hamilton x fem! Reader x students

A/N: i couldn’t stop thinking about this so i had to do it😭(not proofread)

10 years ago, you found out you were pregnant. You were buzzing, but your happiness unfortunately didn’t last long as you discovered you had a miscarriage. Your life was miserable, but thank God, Lewis was with you through your ups and downs. After 12 years of marriage, you’re still together, stronger than ever.

After 3 years of your miscarriage, you decided to go back to work as a school teacher. After you got pregnant with twins in 2017, it lightened up your life.

You can’t say being a teacher is an easy thing, if you’re being honest, but you love your students to the moon and back. You even treat them as your kids.

Of course, they know that their teacher is married to one of the best F1 drivers in history, if not the best, and they love it. They don’t go a day without mentioning how you are their favorite.

They even met your kids multiple times before, during school events where you brought them with you.

“Good morning, everyone,” you say as you enter the classroom.

“Good morning, Ms.,” they say back.

You greet them as you wait for the others to enter the class.

“So, I want to discuss something with you guys,” you’ve said.

“As we all know, last exam, you guys really disappointed me with the results,” you continued.

“Hmm,” they hummed.

“And we all know the next exam is in one month, so I want you to prepare as best as you can. And I have a surprise for you: if you score above 90, you can pick any reward you want. It could be anything, for example, a concert ticket of your favorite artist, a paddock pass that comes with meeting the drivers, etc. Which means you’re going with me, or a football game ticket to watch your favorite team.”

Your students buzz with excitement.

“Really, miss?”

The room erupts with chatter, feeling their energy and determination.

A month later, you’ve already graded the exams. You stand in front of the class with a stack of papers.

“I’m really proud of all of you,” you begin. “You’ve worked really hard, and you guys did not disappoint this time, so let’s see the results.”

“First, Livvy, you’ve got a 92. What would you like as your reward?”

Livvy beams. “I want to go to a Raye concert.”

“Done,” you replied, making a note. “Jason, you’ve got a 95. What about you?”

Jason grins. “I want the paddock pass.”

“Excellent choice,” you wink at him. You always knew he was a die-hard F1 fan.

You continued down the list. “Olivia, 89, so close but still great job.”

Olivia nods, smiling. “Thank you, miss.”

“Finally, Nick, 91. What’s your pick?”

Nick thinks for a moment. “I think I’d pick the football match.”

“Alright,” you agree. “We’ll make it happen.”

After everyone has chosen their rewards, you gather them together.

“I want you all to know how proud I am of each one of you. You’ve worked incredibly hard, and you deserve these rewards. Remember, this is just the beginning. Keep striving for excellence, and you’ll achieve great things.”

After saying goodbye to your students, you head home, still feeling excited. When you walk in, you see Lewis, and you can't wait to tell him about your day.

You give him a big hug and say, "Lewis, today was amazing!"

Lewis smiles and asks, "What happened?"

You tell him all about it, from the rewards you gave to the happy faces of your students. Lewis listens carefully, proud of you the whole time.

"Wow, that's awesome!" Lewis says, giving you a kiss on the forehead. "I'm really proud of you."

You feel warm inside, knowing he's there for you. You spend the evening talking and enjoying each other's company. As you go to bed, you feel grateful for your life together with Lewis and the twins.

theycallmelivvy has posted

Liked by yn,lewishamilton and 3,268 others.

theycallmelivvy: MS y/n appreciation post🙏🏼

See 350 comments

jasonthecoolest: hail my glorious queen

whatthesigma: oh how i love her

yn: i love you guys🥹💕

f1.wags has posted

liked by f1.paddock,ynupdates and 350,679 others

f1.wags: apparently yn hamilton. Lewis Hamiltons wife has made some incredible promises to her students sources say she said if they got above 90 she’d reward them with whatever they like and some of her students chose the f1 race choice what an incredible teacher💕

view 78,572 comments

ibelieveinlestappen: oh my teacher could never

ilovelewishamilton: how i love her omgg

F1updates: god bless my queen

theylovejackey: THATS MY FREAKING TEACHER EVERYBODY

f1fantasy: that’s why there were some people we’ve never seen makes sense now!

[traceyc-uk]

I love your art and comics so much!!! You are like the queen of HL comics for me!!! ❤️❤️❤️ So much so you've been inspiring me to start making my own comics (it has been since high school since I made comics and let's not get into how long ago that was 😂).

I was wondering if you would be willing to share some of your comic making process, especially in the early stages? I had much of a process in pre-planning stages, but now I'm trying it to see if it will help with my storytelling.

I hope you have a great day!! ❤️❤️

Thank you! 😭 that’s so cool you’re making comics again! And bashful by your ask as I do it for lols and still figuring it out myself. I refer a LOT to a couple of my favourite comic artists too, which I think is noticeably incorporated in mine but I’ll try and show my workings best as I can

Think it’s already obvious I love drawing expressions, is usually my first starting point doodling idly what would become the key frames

Of course study your favourite artists! The ones I look to is Akira Himekawa - Zelda Twilight series and Adam Warren - Empowered (not for under 18s)

I dragged out some previous comic pages I think are appropriate examples of the initial paper scribbles, rough lines to final.

venomous valour is an example of messing up as I focused too much on the faces and the speech gets cluttered.

Crucio attempting to draw the eye where it needs the main focus.

A couple of pages from Shadow Mountain, the fight was drafted more to keep a consistent line of action and not let it get disoriented on the geography, personally I try and stick to the 180 rule. The arc here was more a happy accident but helps lead movement across the page

Dialogue I like the least, but this page the speech bubbles lead the page layout so it’s read in the correct order reading from left to right

Generally I try not get too fussy about the details and aim overall for readability:

- Clear silhouettes, in figures, framing and composition. I often check rough pages within drafts on my tiny phone screen, does the focus get drawn where it should

- Is there enough information on what is happening or about to happen, like an anticipation in a pose to lead into the next panel

-Show intentions without having to say it, ask myself if no dialogue is the intent still there? Using your lovely Serena and the Fifth-Year as an example

It shows when I get lazy and draw my panels like a film frame and I use principles more rooted in animation so I make blunders or newbie mistakes when translating into a comic format but it’s all in good fun. Anyway I hope this helps you in your process and look forward to seeing more of your comics too! 💕

Extra: the ineligible scrawls of the shadow mountain and ancient magic drafts

[doyoulikethis-videogame-song]

Ask Masterpost 10/12/2024

I will be answering all the BLOG RELATED asks I have received since opening my inbox here :). Going forward, this is how all asks will be answered (if they are not time dependent or something). I will make a new post with new asks every saturday.

my friends and i have been including youtube links in our submissions. is that helpful or annoying?

It's helpful! Thank you :)

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Have you gotten a lot of repeat submissions? Like, songs requested by multiple people? If so, what’s the most requests you’ve gotten for a single song? (You don’t need to say what song it is if it’s one you haven’t posted yet)

I don't remember the name, but I've received a song from 'In Stars and Time' about seven times now

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I submitted a song from an indie game listing the author as the composer, but then I realised that's not exactly true, as all the music in the game is from a public free gallery. because of that, there's no official upload on youtube. would that still be ok? p.s. thank you for your work, I've come to really love this blog and i look forward to the new polls every day 💕

I'm going to say no, even though the song is in a video game it's not technically intended for the video game itself. I'm curious as to what game this is though.

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@kaerran said: Speaking of which: I avoided submitting a game earlier because the only versions I found on a quick search were entire-soundtrack-as-one-video and I wanted to make things easier on you. Is it okay if I submit my mid-90s games even if they don't have nice convenient Youtube links?

Of course that's okay, I'll find a way to work around it even if I have to crop the specific song out myself.

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Say a song that's made for a game and is in said game gets an official release of an alternative version that *isn't* in a game. (Ex: an extended version or a version with vocals) I assume that the in-game version of the song is acceptable, while an alternative version that isn't in any games are not. Asking because I've already submitted a couple in-game versions of songs that have official extended/vocal versions that aren't in-game.

Both are acceptable, for two reasons:

It's an official, original release/remix, presumably on an official album, for a video game, so it is technically a form of VGM even if it's not in the video game itself

I wouldn't be allowed to post the official NieR remix albums if I excluded these types of songs

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@moonlight-fox said: Hey. Question for when you reopen submissions - For songs that have lyrics, do you want the name of the lead vocalist as well as the composer, or just the composer?

If you know both, feel free to include both! Specifying would help a ton as well. Submitting the artists is optional as I'll almost always go verify it myself but it is very much appreciated.

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are there any games with more notable soundtracks that you're surprised HAVEN'T been submitted yet (if any)?

As of writing this, I haven't seen a single song from Persona 5.

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Hi, love the blog! Is there any way you could tag similar series? Like, tagging all the soulsborne games with a from software tag, that sort of thing? If not, it’s cool, I would just find it useful. Have a great day, keep up the awesome work! <3

I started doing this when I saw this ask, I hope the way I've categorized things is good so far! If anyone has any suggestions for further categorization feel free to send them in my asks (within reason, lol)

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can you put the number of the song in the anonymized title? would help us keep track of which song we're listening to if we're also scrolling

I also started doing this as soon as I saw this ask, thank you for the excellent idea.

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Are songs from live-service video games that have ended service permitted? I'm guessing that the answer is yes because I think I saw Dragalia Lost here but I just wanted to be sure before preparing songs to submit next month. Also, I noticed in your pinned post that it still says "submissions are always allowed" - since the rules are different now, you might wanna change that just in case some ppl get confused :3

Yes, songs from live service games that have ended are permitted :) (provided I can access the songs somehow of course)

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are we allowed to submit official live versions of video game songs? does its availability online matter (like how the splatoon concerts were officially uploaded, but the kirby 30th anniversary concert was only livestreamed once and has to be pirated now)?

If it's on an official album, I'm going to say yes. So no to the kirby concert -- but if the splatoon songs are on an album, they're allowed.

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i cant find if youve answered something like this already, but whats the verdict for songs thatare in video games, but werent made for them? like for example the inclusion of pre-existing low roar songs in death stranding.

As of now, I'll only accept songs that were intentionally made to be included in the OST/album/music of a video game series -- so no preexisting non-VGM songs or anything like that.

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out of interest, how far along the submission queue has been posted? when were the most recent posted songs submitted?

3.8% of the entire submissions I have received have been posted. Everything in active vote right now was submitted in July, hence the need to severely restrict submissions...

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are we allowed to ask if certain games/series are in the queue? because i cannot for the life of me remember if i submitted something a while ago and dont want to accidentally send it again when submissions reopen ^_^;

You can DM me for this as to not publicly post any spoilers :')

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@disgustedorite said: Um, when were the most recent songs submitted? I submitted a batch a while back when submissions were open and there's been no sign of any of them...I hope Tumblr didn't eat it @_@

Tumblr may have eaten it, but it's probably just as likely that I got a million gazillion submissions ahead of you :')

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genuine question did someone submit the entire destiny franchise at once or is it that popular and i just never see anything about it

Yes, in the very early days of this blog -- about the tenth submission -- someone submitted ~30 destiny songs.

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Do you accept music from mods? I mean, obviously you dont accept anything right now, but ykwim

Yes, as long as it's an original composition/remix :)

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@woolooism said: has any song won with any of the "i don't like it" results? if no, which one has the biggest relative percentage of it?

I'll have to check, but I think (off the top of my head) the song with the most "I don't like it" results is the Ao Oni chase theme

Edit: Apparently, it is actually this song from Lisa the Joyful!

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@violetsquare111 said: i'm curious, do you know when exactly the currently-running polls were submitted? curious just how far off mine are lol. (but i would guess mine are still a few months out based on the insane number of submissions you shared. 3000... oh god...)

July, so... yours are far off :')

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Do songs created for an event in a community engine driven rhythm game (i.e. original songs for custom charts in a rhythm game/community driven game engine) count for submissions? If so, how will they be counted?

I think I'm going to need an example of this scenario because this seems REALLY highly specific, haha

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A suggestion. When a song has lyrics, use a video that shows the lyrics in the reveal post. Please and thank you.

I'll do my best, but these aren't always the easiest to find, and I try to use songs from official sources as much as possible to prevent the risk of the video getting copyright stricken off the playlist.

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@only-blogging-2-save-rock-n-roll said: Would you ever consider doing joke polls for April fools day? Stuff like those MIDI remakes of song from Franchise A in the style of Franchise B

Probably not, only because it's not an official remix. I may post funny songs depending on submissions.

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would you be willing to maybe make a tag for just the polls, even if they're already over? i like going through them all without knowing what game they're from and i also dont keep super on top of checking this blog for new polls. thanks!!

There is one! It's #closed vote :)

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@sparrow-va said: Hi! I've had the hare-brained idea of possibly making some Youtube vids of listening to & reacting/trying to identify songs from this blog starting from the oldest submissions for my channel (LaserBearCat Gaming), is that something you'd be okay with? Obvs we would credit & link your blog for the source of the tracks c:

Go right ahead!

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I noticed the rules about submission has changed to one song per period per person, which I can totally understand given the amount and when trying to keep a fair chance for everyone will this rule be applied retrospectively too? just wondering because I had been submitting more than one song and just would like to know if I'd need to submit them again one per month now if I would like them to be considered as a submission eventually Also thanks for running this blog it's become one of my favourites and I check it out almost daily

No, It's not going to be applied retroactively -- I don't even know if I'd be able to enforce that because the sheet doesn't record who submitted what (right now).

[arealtrashact]

Hi! I know this message is a bit out of the blue, but I just want to say that I was very surprised to see that you followed me back! I don't know if you meant it or if it was a mistake, but either way, it doesn't matter because whenever I see you in my notifications I always go "omg, that's arealtrashact!!!" and it makes me a lil bit happy because you're one of my favourite artists here!

I've talked about how much I love your art in the tags before, but what really strikes me about your work is how you seem to have a very keen eye when it comes to your subjects, so when you translate your interpretations into illustrations they're always so meaningful and vivid; it's like they're bursting at the seams with the subject's essence. It always leaves me in awe. I've got to admit that I think a lot about your Elvis in the Army and Elvis in Las Vegas pieces. But I also adore all your other work of other musicians, Homelander and even things I'm not familiar with! I'm not an artist myself, so I feel like my vocabulary is falling short of what makes your art so great to me, but it's just *so* striking! And the way you use colour and the fluidity of your character's body and mannerisms are just superb.

Anyway, sorry for the lengthy message! All this to say that you're one of my favourite bloggers, and whether you're sharing your art or posting about the things you love, it's always a pleasure seeing you on my dashboard. You make this place brighter! Thanks, and I hope you have a wonderful day! 💕⚡️

Th........ank....y....youuuu

This is such a beautiful, sweet message. It's taken me twice as long to answer it because I keep scrolling back up to reread it. I never know how to respond to stuff like this beyond blubbering my thanks and it never ever feels like enough. It means so much to me. . . More than I can put into words.

My following you wasn't a mistake. I thought you seemed cool and clearly I was right. Thank you for taking the time to write out this lovely message. I'm treasuring it like a precious stone.

[pansy-picnics]

First off I need to just mention that your Uknighted dream art is top tier elite and i am in love. Like you have no idea.

Okay, now thats said, do you have any soft ot3 headcanons/scenes that you can imagine happening but can’t figure out how to write etc etc.? 💕

God is all of them an option bc the answer is all of them

I SWEAR I. HAVE SO MANY IDEAS AND THOUGHTS TAKING UP SPACE IN MY BRAIN (Both for ukd and for the entire family tbh) that i just CANNOT bring myself to draw or write or anything. If i had the time to be able to draw everything that popped in my head it would be OVER for yall i stg. And then theres my in progress fic i have up right now which i last updated in like (checks notes) January but i swear i’ve been THINKING about updating it again and that counts right

- Ummm. this is just something i find very funny but i absolutely love the idea that before they “Formally” announce their relationship, the public have just been spreading rumors left and right about the princess’s “affair”. cass and rapunzel somehow NEVER notice this but for a while it seems like eugene cant go ANYWHERE without someone either awkwardly being like “Soooo how are things going with the princess ^_^;;;” or just straight up asking “Hey is your wife cheating on you?” with no hesitation.

and eugene, being the attention whore he is obviously just Went with it and was like “Well yeah duh. Who do you think set them up”

EVERYONE GOES CRAZY.

before long literally EVERYONE has heard about it. rapunzel’s fucking Parents have heard about it. people in other KINGDOMS have heard about it. Meanwhile eugene’s having the time of his Life. He’s got disguises just to go in and listen in on the servants’ gossip. at this point he’s just started Making shit up and every day he’s spreading a proposition thats somehow even more absurd than the last. Most of them don’t even make sense. Like “Oh yeah no the reason rapunzel and cass are always sneaking off together isn’t because they’re having a steamy love affair it’s actually because they’ve been making blood sacrifices to the underworld to make sure zhan tiri never returns. Just girl things yk?”

“No see you’ve got it all wrong thats not cassandra at all. That’s shorty. He and rapunzel are having a book club together. It’s not going very well because shorty keeps eating all the books.” Or his personal favorite, “Wait you thought RAPUNZEL was the one having the affair?” gets them EVERY TIME.

Cass and rapunzel finally declare things officially only for everyone to become even MORE confused and they finally realize eugenes been fueling the fire for the past 3 months and he had just Assumed they were already aware of it

eugene: ….Wait you guys didnt know about that?

raps: i

raps: NO????

eugene:

eugene: um. Oops

cass: THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN “OOPS”?????

- this is kind of random but i PROMISE its going somewhere bear with me. In my head eugene is NOT the captain of the guard because a character becoming a cop is literally a fate worse than death. instead i like to imagine he does some kind of social work and is also an author…Eugene has a rlly strong connection to literature and is a great storyteller, hes got a flair for the dramatic and a strong imagination and seeing how much the flynn rider books meant to him in his childhood, i think he’d absolutely want to create something like that for other people 🥹

Anyways one of my favorite ideas w them is a modern au where rapunzel and eugene are both starving artists who are making a webcomic together…Eugene is still trying to publish his first novel and is writing for the comic in the meantime. theyre aspiring towards turning it into a graphic novel. Cass is literally just forcing everyone around her to read it. You’ve already read it? Read it again /J. She’s their number one hypeman but she’s trying to act sooo chill about it to keep up her Cool stone cold butch aesthetic. She’s like going to cons with them and hands out business cards and helps sell merch and she has a side account on twitter where she gets into heated arguments with anyone who hateposts about it.

Bonus points: it’s a fantasy comic about a lost princess, her knight girlfriend and her rogue boyfriend and is loosely a reference to the events of the canon show

- OH OH something that DEFINITELY fits this category has to be the girls taking eugene to the lagoon for the first time…….I think cass and rapunzel still spend a lot of dates there just the two of them, and no matter what it is very much Their Spot ™, but after things become official it just. Doesn’t really feel right to keep it exclusively between them anymore. i have a LOTTTT of thoughts on this…..rapunzel bouncing around and showing everything to him and cass just being dragged along for the ride…picnics together by the water while cass and raps are eagerly telling him all the stories of what he missed out on. it’s their quiet place i think they escape to whenever they don’t want to be bothered at the castle LOL. eugene officiates the cassunzel wedding there….. not to mention if/when they have kids 🥹 Augh. They make sooo many memories there i think🫶🫶🫶

- Not a specific scene so much as just a silly hc but rapunzel LOVES it when they “fight” over her. Usually it’s just a playful thing and rapunzel finds it so cute and endearing. They have the exact same banter every time and the same fake “duel” for her hand and raps will NEVER get tired of it

- oh and SPA DAYS. God cassandra’s self care routines by herself have always been SHIT. I love that girl but i think she absolutely reeks. Her hair looks like something died in it and whenever it gets too long she just grabs the nearest sharp object and cuts it off in one swoop. Eugene and rapunzel are UTTERLY horrified by this and they do not let that shit fly as soon as she’s living with them. They have little self care nights at least once a week, sometimes just with the three of them and sometimes the rest of the family gets into it too, it depends on the day. eugene helps do her hair for her and they pick out all sorts of fancy products for her skin and her curls and just absolutely SPOIL her. at first shes kinda whiny about it but once she realizes how much better she feels on a day to day basis she reluctantly apologizes for ever doubting them

[skiptomyylu]

HAPPY FEMME AZIRAPHALE FRIIIIDAAYYYY ONCE AGAIN

Aziraphale lovers great and small! Welcome to yet another wonderful, incredible, magnificent: FEMME AZIRAPHALE FIRDAY!! If you aren't aware of what Femme Aziraphale Friday is, allow me to inform!

Every Friday, we take a little time to celebrate Aziraphale presenting more femme or with a more female aligned corporation! It's just for fun and definitely not required, but we'd love to see your beautiful works! Everyone is free to join in: Writers, Artists, Musicians, Poets, etc... The more the merrier!

If you'd like to share any of these works, all you've got to do is share whatever Femme Aziraphale related post you'd like using the tag #Femme Aziraphale Friday ! It'd be such a treat to see so many beautiful posts flood the tag :>

Every version of Aziraphale (femme or otherwise) is beautiful and valid, so don't be afraid to show yours! I'll probably fall in love with her (/gn) immediately heheheheurhhehfufeh

Unfortunately this week has been a bit busy busy busy, so I haven't been able to prepare anything for this Friday! So today I'll just be doing some highlighting of some previous Femme Aziraphale Friday posts!

:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ

Let's start off with a GORGEOUS art piece by the talented @fawnim

SAVE ME SINGER AZIRAPHALE SAAVEE MEEEEE!!! Goodness, this work is so gorgeous! The shimmer on the dress and the light reflecting off of Aziraphale really draws you in! 😫💕 Also please do consider buying Nim a Kofi!

:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ

Next up, the very FIRST official Femme Aziraphale Friday fic ever by the astounding @forsssnaken

Aziraphale experiments with a feminine form and the events that follow are both adorable and amusing! Honestly I wanted to give her a smooch through the screen as I read along omfgngirlhae

While you're add it, check him out on A03, and take a gander at its other works!

:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ

Finally...omg...it's me heuhehehheuehuheu

This is one of my own personal depictions on Femme Azira! I love her so very much and I think if I got to hug her just once, all my problems in life would be solved.

I actually do wanna start posting art more consistently, so keep an eye out for me heuheheheuhehheuheuheu!

:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ:･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ

Tis all for now my loves! Until next FAFriday!

Toodleooooo!

[e-dubbc11]

The Sweetest Christmas

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Tattoo Artist Billy Russo x F! Reader

Warnings: None, really. Maybe a swear word or two. All of the fluffy bunnies and unicorns.

Word Count: 4.7k-ish

Summary: Little Anna Raven is just starting to understand what happens during this time of year and she’s very excited about the gift she asked Santa for. Billy has a special gift for you also.

A/N: This is for my lovely @jvanilly who probably loves this series more than anyone. She asked for more of The Sweetest Pain series so ask and you shall receive! (I also have more of Out of Left Field coming for you too.) Thank you for loving this series and to everyone else who loves this series. I just love writing for them. ♥️

Oh, one more thing…I realize some on my tag list may have fallen out of like with my Billy or just have fallen out of like with me or maybe you’re just goin through some shit, I understand. So even though I don’t want to, I plan on removing people on my tag list that I haven’t chatted with, haven’t commented or even thrown a ♥️ on my fics in awhile. I’m sorry but I don’t really want to waste your time if you’re not interested in them anymore or haven’t had the time lately, it’s ok. I do try and keep my masterlists up to date so you know where to find them, absolutely no hard feelings! ♥️♥️♥️

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

The brisk December air stung your lungs as you walked along the sidewalk toward the tattoo studio. You pulled your winter hat back down to cover your ears as the wind smacked you directly in the face while reaching for the handles of Anna’s stroller.

The little squeals of excitement as you pushed her faster made you smile. She didn’t care that it was freezing outside or that you were cold, your little miss was having a great time. Her chubby little finger shot out to point in front of her and she turned to face you with her rosy cheeks to tell you something.

“Daddy!!” She yelled excitedly.

Anna recognized the Anvil Tattoo logo anywhere and it made your heart swell to see how excited she would get when she knew she was going to see her father at work.

It’s a good thing she was strapped into the stroller because she started to bounce up and down in the seat; she was so excited. Sometimes you wondered if she was excited to see Billy or excited for all the treats she knew she would get. It was probably a little bit of both.

The holidays seemed to sneak up faster and faster every year but especially now that you had an addition to your little family. This would be Anna’s third Christmas season and she was just starting to understand what it all meant.

It was getting easier for Billy too because this time of year had always been hard for him but now that he had a family of his own, the bad memories of being alone during this time of year were becoming distant ones.

And he loved focusing on you and little Raven. Anna wasn’t the only one learning all about holiday seasons and family traditions…Billy was too and ever since your first Christmas together, he liked it more and more.

“We’re almost there, baby girl. Are you cold?” You asked.

Little Raven shook her head furiously. “Let’s go, Mommy!”

She was really starting to talk more now, her sentences weren’t so broken anymore and she was like a sponge, picking up every little thing you said. She’s even picked up a few colorful words courtesy of her Uncle Frank but you knew it was only a matter of time before she started repeating those words.

You and your husband didn’t always keep your language clean around little Raven either but her Uncle Frank was a heavy influence on her, at times.

As you opened the door, a gust of wind almost took the handle right out of your hands. Strands of your hair were caught in your mouth as you tried to spit them out while still holding onto the handles of the stroller. Anna had started to giggle while watching you struggle to get the hair out of your mouth and eyes.

“Mommy can’t see.” She said with a wide smile.

Billy rushed from behind his desk to help you and to make fun of you at the same time. He pushed your hat away from your eyes to see them better and said, “Is it windy out there or somethin’?”

He bit down on his lower lip to try and keep from laughing.

“Well aren’t you soooooo funny, Mr. Russo. Keep it up and I’ll send your Christmas presents back.” You replied with narrowed eyes.

Billy cupped your cheeks, gazed down at you with his endless brown eyes, and smiled his million-dollar smile at you. That smile always made you feel better.

“My little firecracker.” He said as he gently pressed his lips to yours. “Ok, I’m sorry. You don’t have to use fightin’ words.”

You instantly felt warmer as the heat rushed to your cheeks and warmth spread across your chest. Billy’s slender fingers brushed down the side of your neck as he kissed your cheeks and your forehead.

Anna was turned around in her stroller watching the two of you as you kissed and caught you both off guard when she asked, “Daddy, what does Mommy taste like?”

Nothing like a toddler to ruin the moment but you couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Billy crouched down to unbuckle Anna from the stroller.

“Mommy tastes sweet like candy, little miss. And you know how much Daddy loves candy.” He said with a smile, staring into her eyes that were just like his then glancing up at you to give you a wink.

You bit down on your thumb as a smile stretched across your lips and you could feel yourself blushing.

“BILLY!!” You playfully scolded him.

He chuckled. “Oh she doesn’t know what it means, sweet girl.”

A deep voice boomed from the back of the room. “She may not know but the rest of us do, Bill.”

It was Frank.

“Now stop poisoning my goddaughter’s ears with your filth…Come here, sweetheart.” He said sarcastically with his arms outstretched.

Little Raven jumped out of her stroller and ran right to Big Raven who scooped her up and started to playfully bite her neck.

Anna let out a loud belly laugh.

“What’s Santa gonna bring you, little Raven?” Frank asked her.

Billy held you close to his chest, kissed the top of your head and said, “Go ahead, baby girl. Tell Uncle Frankie what you told Santa you’d like for Christmas.”

Anna smiled and eagerly said, “A JEEP!!!”

Billy told Frank all about Anna’s first encounter with Santa. She was nearly four and wanted to see how she would react seeing Santa for the first time. She had no fear…didn’t even turn around to look at you or Billy but went right up to him and told him she wanted a Jeep for Christmas.

For the past couple of months, Anna had been fascinated by Jeeps. She had seen a picture of Billy sitting in one from his time in the Marines and since then, she has not stop talking about it.

As Anna made her daily rounds to gather her snacks and stickers, Billy asked Frank if he wanted to help him put her Jeep together after Anna goes to bed on Christmas Eve.

The Castle family was coming over for dinner tomorrow night and you were looking forward to seeing Maria and the kids plus there was always a possibility of a show when Billy and Frank worked on anything together.

“A Jeep?!! Well, have you been a good girl this year?” Frank asked, picking her up again.

Anna nodded. “Yes I have Uncle Frankie.”

Billy loved to joke with Anna all the time, you did too but he did it pretty often and you accepted the fact that you were probably raising a sarcastic asshole but at least she would be a polite one and you didn’t doubt she would be able to take care of herself as she got older.

“You sure about that, little miss? Mommy said you didn’t eat all your vegetables last night.” Billy joked.

You cracked a smile and playfully slapped Billy on the shoulder. “Don’t tease her, Billy.” You turned your attention to Frank. “So, we’ll see you guys tomorrow night, right?”

“We’ll be there.” Said Frank.

“Great, see you tomorrow…” You turned back to Billy, wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him close for a kiss. “And I’ll see you later, handsome.”

“Does Mommy still taste like candy, Daddy?” Anna said with a wide smile.

Billy smiled warmly looking down at you and kissed you again. “Every time, baby girl. Every…time.”

**********

Flurries of snow floated down past the window in back of the Christmas tree. You couldn’t remember the last time it actually snowed on Christmas Eve.

Frank and Billy were just about finished with cleaning up dinner, each of them with a dish towel draped over their shoulders, and bickering with each other about where things go while you and Maria finished playing a game of chess.

Frank Jr. and Lisa played with Anna all night, they really did treat her like a little sister, and it was so cute to watch.

Maria wanted to give Anna her bath. It was a big help and she loved doing it because she sometimes missed having little ones around. Anna ran out of her room wearing her new Christmas pajamas and Maria chased after her.

You made sure to remind Anna to put out milk and cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.

“Can I have one of those cookies?” Asked Billy.

Anna giggled. “No Daddy, they’re for Santa!” She exclaimed.

“Ok baby girl, time for bed. Now you gotta go to sleep otherwise Santa won’t come, so say goodnight to Lisa and Junior…” Anna gave them hugs and kisses. “And say goodnight to Auntie Maria and Big Raven.”

“Goodnight little Raven…you get some good sleep, yeah?” Frank said.

“Ok Uncle Frankie.” Said Anna.

You put Anna to bed, put out coffee and desserts and you and Maria waited for the show to start. Billy brought out the Jeep box, his tools, and he and Frank went to work while you and Maria sat back and watched.

Billy has always been very organized, everything has its place, his studio is always neat and clean so it didn’t surprise you when he removed everything from the box and started to group certain pieces together and separate all of the hardware.

But whatever Billy took out of the box, Frank picked up and tried to start fitting pieces together, he just wasn’t AS neat and organized as Billy was…it made you and Maria laugh all the same though. Even Junior and Lisa were laughing at their dad and uncle.

A few days prior, you mentioned to Maria that Billy was going to ask Frank to help him put the Jeep together for Anna. He thought it would be a fun project for the two of them to do together but you decided, behind their backs, to make a little bit of a drinking game out of it.

With the exception of Frank, no one knew Billy better than you did and no one knew Frank better than Maria.

You both knew how they operated, their mannerisms, their sayings, and just how they were when they interacted with each other so you traded sayings back and forth that you knew they would use on each other and every time they said one, the two of you would take a sip of your wine.

“That’s not where that goes, Frankie.” Said Billy.

Sip

“What are you talkin’ about?! Of course that’s where it goes.” Frank bellowed.

Sip

“Just hand me that piece over there, please! No, not that one…the one next to it!” Billy said, getting frustrated. “Oh we both know that you can’t put a sticker on straight to save your life, I’m doing that.”

Sip

“You tightened that, yeah? Show me…” Frank said.

Sip

“You two are enjoying this, aren’t ya.” Billy said with a furrowed brow and narrowed eyes.

Sip

You turned to Maria and asked with a smile. “More wine?”

Maria giggled with Frank glaring at her and shaking his head back and forth. You just smiled at Billy, only mocking him a little bit, “I love you!”

Billy tapped Frank on the shoulder, “I think you’re gonna hafta carry Maria outta here.” He said, his slight New York accent peeking through.

Lisa and Junior fell asleep on the couch while watching Christmas Vacation, two empty bottles of wine were resting on the coffee table next to small plates of half eaten cookies, and discarded wrapping paper from the kid’s gifts. It had been such a fun night with really good friends.

“Looks like you two are almost done…Anna’s gonna love that.” You said.

You watched as Anna’s father and godfather put the finishing touches on her Jeep, Billy took the stickers away from Frank, and made sure to charge the battery so it would be ready to go tomorrow morning. When you looked at the clock, it was a few minutes before midnight. It will be Christmas soon.

“There’s two celebratory beers waiting for you two in the fridge when you’re all done.” You said with a warm smile.

“Yeah? You sure you didn’t drink those too?” Frank joked.

Maria quipped back, “I make no promises.”

Billy was such a perfectionist. He knew his little girl would be riding around in it and even though it didn’t go really fast, he still made sure it was as safe as possible by double checking everything.

“Looks ready to go.” Said Billy.

Finally, Frank added a large red bow to the hood and an oversized gift tag that said “From Santa” and you handed Billy and Frank their celebratory drinks.

“Cheers, Frankie.”

“We did it, Bill.” Frank said, clinking the bottles together.

The clock said 12:05.

“So close, you ALMOST finished before Christmas morning.” You said.

Billy pulled you into his chest and kissed the top of your head. “Hey as long as we finished before the little miss wakes up, I call that a win.”

“Damn right.” Said Frank.

“Merry Christmas, sweet girl.” Billy said gazing down at you with his beautiful onyx colored eyes…Anna had the same color eyes.

He cupped your cheeks and smiled just before touching his lips to yours, you felt butterflies in your stomach as if it was the first time he was kissing you, and never failed to show you how deep his love was for you in that kiss. His kiss was always meant to be yours.

“Merry Christmas, handsome. I love you. And Merry Christmas, Castle Family! Wake up kids!Your dad and uncle Billy finished the Jeep.” You said, trying to keep your voice low so as to not wake up Anna.

“Looks good, Dad.” Said Lisa.

“Thank you, sweetheart. Your uncle helped too.” Joked Frank.

Billy couldn’t help but let out a little laugh.

After cleaning up all of the cardboard, Maria and Frank gathered their gifts and the gifts you and Billy gave the kids, and after a handful of goodbyes and thank you’s, they headed for home. Maria reminded you to take a video of little Raven’s reaction to her new wheels.

As soon as you closed the door, Billy’s lips collided with yours, his hands migrating from your cheeks down your neck to the buttons on your shirt as he parted your lips with his tongue. The man was still crazy about you after all this time and you were still head over heels in love with him.

“I’ve been wanting to do this all night, baby.” He whispered in your ear.

Your mouth split into a smile against his lips as he continued to kiss you, the scent of green soap still clung to him from working at the studio earlier in the day and you could taste the citrus from the beer on his lips.

His body heat was warm against your chest, the kisses he placed up and down your neck made your core flutter and turned you on. You wanted to have him right now.

As soon as you started to pull his shirt from his jeans, you realized you still had to put out the rest of Anna’s gifts. Breathing heavily, you pulled away from him even though it killed you to do so, it had been a little while since you and Billy had any alone time together. The holiday season had been a busy one.

“Billy…Billy…wait…” You purred into his ear.

You watched your hand rise up and down on his chest as he panted, trying to catch his breath.

“W-what is it, beautiful? I thought we were…uh, ya know.” He smiled and winked at you.

It was so hard to resist him when he looked at you like that, the desire he had in his eyes, and the way he touched you…he knew what he was doing and how hard it was to say no to him but you resisted.

You snaked your arms around his neck and pulled his face toward yours until your foreheads were touching.

“I’m so sorry, my love…we still have to put out the rest of Anna’s presents and fill her stocking.If we continue what we’re doing, you know that’s not happening so we really have to do that first.” You said, disappointingly.

Billy kissed you on the forehead again, he always did that to comfort you or to help you relax.

He knew this month had been draining on you both, trying to get everything done while trying to work and take care of a little one.

“Ok sweet girl, let’s get this done.” He said as he gave you a quick kiss on the lips.

You started to walk toward your bedroom.

“I’ll get the rest of the gifts from the closet…you eat the cookies and write her a note ‘from Santa.’” You said, pointing at the cookies resting on the little end table.

“Why do I have to eat the cookies?” Asked Billy with a sly smile.

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Oh please, you’ve been eyeing those cookies all night, Billy Russo. And I know all about how much you love sweet things.” You said with a wink.

“Well for the record, my love…I’d rather be eating you for dessert.” The corners of his mouth curled up into a wicked smile while he raised his eyebrows at you.

Feeling yourself starting to blush, you scolded him in a lighthearted tone. “Get to work, lieutenant.”

“Yes ma’am.” Billy replied.

Your second wind came at a perfect time, you managed to finish everything you needed to before going to bed and you relieved some of each other’s stress when you were in bed. Instead of rushing, like it had been with the two of you lately, Billy took his time with you.

He probably kissed every inch of your body, exploring it like he had when you first got together, telling you over and over how much he loved you and how you were the sweetest thing he’s ever tasted.

You probably had the most restful sleep you’ve had in the past three weeks that night, the bristles of Billy’s beard brushing against your bare shoulder as you drifted off to sleep, excited to see the look on your little girl’s face when she sees her new Jeep, and excited to give Billy his gifts too.

Little did you know, Billy had a special gift for you also that he could not wait to give you.

Christmas Morning

One thing that Anna Raven did NOT have in common with her father was being light on her feet. You had converted her crib into a daybed so she could climb in and out by herself which also meant she could rush down the hallway and burst into your bedroom whenever she wanted to.

And now that you were a mom, you were tuned in to when she got in and out of bed so when you heard her little feet hit the floor, you made sure you were covered.

You had fallen asleep rather quickly after last night’s after hour’s activities, Billy had also so he was still asleep when you heard the pitter patter of her tiny feet scurrying down the hall.

Although you were used to getting up early since becoming a mom, waking up early on a morning when you didn’t have to was difficult but waking up this morning was exciting. You couldn’t wait to give your husband and your daughter a nice Christmas.

The bedroom door knob turned and little Raven practically fell through the door, she was so excited. “Mommy!! It’s Christmas! Wake up, Daddy!”

Watching her smile almost brought tears to your eyes. “Merry Christmas, baby!”

Billy must have been sleeping hard, which usually doesn’t happen, because he sat bolt upright in bed.

“What?! What happened?!” He exclaimed and his head hit the pillow again as he fell backwards.

Anna grabbed your hand. “Come on, Mommy!” She said, trying to pull you out of bed.

“Ok, ok Anna…we’re up. Can you go wait out in the hallway for one minute, please? Then we’ll go see if Santa came.” You said, in the middle of a yawn.

Anna was jumping up and down, she was so excited. “Hurry, Mommy!”

She ran out into the hallway and closed the door behind her.

“Come on, stud…let’s go.” You leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

Billy’s eyes were still closed but a smile stretched across his lips. “Gimme one more kiss, sweet girl…please?” He pleaded.

Slowly, Billy opened his eyes, brushed a stray hair away from your eyes as you inched your face closer to his and smiled warmly before you gently pressed your lips to his once again.

“I love you so much, Billy…Merry Christmas, my love.” You whispered against his mouth.

“Merry Christmas, my little firecracker. I love you too…more than anything.” He replied.

You could hear muffled sounds coming from the bottom of the door as Anna’s little fingers darted into the room from underneath the door. “Puhleeeeease come out, Mommy!”

After quickly throwing on some lounge clothes, you told Anna to back away from the door so you could open it.

“Let’s go! We have to check your cookies too, little miss.” Billy said.

You and Billy quickly followed Anna to the living room. The Jeep looked even better in the natural light and Anna noticed it right away.

She let out a high pitched squeal and ran over to it. “Is this my Jeep, Daddy?!” She asked full of excitement.

“Well, let’s look at the tag…It says ‘To Anna…From Santa…’ It looks like it is, little Raven.” He said. “That’s what you wanted, right?”

Anna climbed into the driver’s side and put her hands on the steering wheel. She had pure joy all over her face and it made this moment better than you could have ever hoped for.

“YES!! It’s like the one you were sitting in, Daddy!” She said excitedly.

“That’s why she wanted a Jeep? I thought she just saw one while you were out one day, I didn’t know…” Billy said to you with a slight hitch in his voice, his shoulders dropped and he inhaled sharply.

You closed the gap between the two of you, gazing at his wild brown hair, his beautiful obsidian colored eyes and you leaned in to softly press your lips to his.

“Our little girl loves her Daddy.” You whispered against his mouth as he looked over at Anna and then brought his gaze back to you.

Billy wrapped his long slender fingers around the back of your neck and pulled you even closer until his lips crashed onto yours. His kisses always made you feel so loved and cherished, more than anyone ever has and no one else will ever have your heart.

Although it was a little difficult, Anna wanted to drive her Jeep around the apartment and after she did that, you let her take it for a drive outside the apartment in the hallway. She was having such a good time while you took photos and a few videos to send to Maria and Frank which they thoroughly enjoyed.

It was challenging not to go crazy buying gifts for her because she was so much fun to shop for but you didn’t want to spoil her too much. Her Jeep was her big present though and she received a few other new toys, books, and clothes.

Christmas morning had been so relaxing so far. Watching Anna open her gifts, playing with her toys and the three of you having breakfast together pushed the stress you felt all month further away, just as lying in Billy’s arms last night had done wonders for you too.

You loved your little family so much.

Sipping your coffee on the couch, you noticed Billy whispering in Anna’s ear. What was he up to? He gave you your presents already and you gave him his, though he could be sneaky when he wanted to be.

You smiled nervously as little Raven wandered over holding something behind her back and had a smile stretched across her face from ear to ear.

She stopped in front of you as you leaned down so you were eye level with her. From behind her back, she pulled out a small black velvet box.

“Merry Christmas, Mommy. It’s from Daddy.” She said leaning in for a kiss on the lips. You gave her a quick kiss and she said, “She does taste like candy, Daddy!” She was just tasting the peppermint mocha coffee creamer but you weren’t going to say anything.

“What is this?” You asked. “I thought we opened all of our presents?”

Billy's lips curled up into his perfect smile. “Well you have one more, sweet girl. It’s something I’ve been meaning to give you for a long time even though you said you didn’t need one.”

You still didn’t know what it could be so with slightly trembling fingers, you opened the box and inside was a beautiful diamond ring, an engagement ring.

When Billy asked you to marry him, he didn’t have a ring to give you and on your wedding day the two of you exchanged wedding bands but he promised when he had the money, he would buy you the ring of your dreams. You told him that you had a wedding band and didn’t need an engagement ring but that wasn’t good enough for him.

And now the two of you were both making more money, living comfortably, and providing for each other along with providing for little Raven. He could finally keep his promise and buy you the ring you’ve always wanted.

It was an oval solitaire with smaller diamonds all around the band which matched your wedding ring. You were left speechless, it was so unexpected and it brought tears to your eyes. He didn’t have to do this.

“Billy…you…really…” You said, swiping the tear away from your cheek. “It’s so beautiful, you really didn’t have to do this, baby.”

He stood up, his long legs took him right to you and sat down next to you on the couch. The mid-morning sun bounced off the top of the diamond and it sparkled against the ceiling as he took it out of the box and held it between his fingers. Billy doesn’t normally get nervous but his fingers were shaking slightly as his eyes darted from the ring to your eyes.

“Yes I did.” He replied. “What do ya say, baby? Can I still be your husband?”

A tear streaked down your cheek, both Billy and

Anna were smiling the exact same smile at you as you answered him.

“Of course you can, handsome.”

You almost didn’t finish getting the words out when his lips collided with yours, he slid the ring down your finger so it rested against your wedding ring.

They looked beautiful together.

Your thumbs brushed against Billy’s beard as he drew you in close again, he always kept you as close as possible and suddenly you were in his lap, his hands brushing the soft fabric of your t-shirt and migrating under the t-shirt to touch the supple skin of your lower back.

The two of you almost forgot Anna was there when she chimed in.

“Mommy, I already know what I’m gonna ask Santa for next Christmas.” She said with conviction.

Billy kissed your forehead. You looked at each other as if to silently say “Well this should be good. I can’t wait to hear this.”

“Oh really? Ok, so what are you gonna ask Santa for next year, Anna?” You asked her, taking a sip of your coffee.

She bit down on her lower lip, jumped, clapped her hands together and said, “Do you think he could bring me a sister?”

It took a minute before you could recover from the coughing fit after choking a little on your coffee.

“Y-you want a sister for Christmas next year, little miss?” Billy asked.

Anna looked at you and Billy with her beautiful brown eyes and replied, “Uncle Frankie said I should ask Santa for a sister next year.”

She was so innocent and you couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“I’m gonna kill him.” Billy said, also cracking a smile.

You laced your fingers with his, kissed him on the cheek, turned to Anna and said,

“Well baby girl, it can’t hurt to ask.”

Tag List: @mindidjarin @saintmurd0ck @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @xdervyxccgh @mattmurdocksscars @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams @idek-what-to-put @anastasianeedstoread @ratsys @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf @danzer8705 @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes

Others that might enjoy: @itwasthereaminuteago @fluffyprettykitty @jvanilly @imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend @russosafehaven @mrsbillyrusso @ittybxttykxttytxtty

If you’d like to be added (or removed from) my tag list(s) for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕💕💕 If I tagged you but you didn’t want to be, just let me know and I’ll never do it again.

[funishment-time]

🔵 Kodaka BlueSky Q&As: Misc Rain Code & Other Questions

⚠️ DISCLAIMER: Please be advised! Translations of all Japanese answers derive from a combination of Google Translate and my manager's three-quarters-remembered Japanese. We've tried our best to work out what he's saying, but there will be mistakes here and there. Do not take this as gospel!

To avoid spreading too much misinfo, where we're completely boggled about an answer, we've decided not to even make an attempt. We'll still list the post, but mark it accordingly.

💕 FEBRUARY 2024:

Q: While I'm at it, could you please tell me where to send fan mail for Rain Code and Danganronpa?

A: Please send it to Spike Chunsoft.

/////

Q: What's your favorite furikake?

A: The ashes of the dead.

NOTE: Furikake is a type of Japanese seasoning. Kodaka is a weird guy.

/////

Q: Is it okay to send a New Year's card to Too Kyo [Games] as a fan letter to you?

A: That's fine. I'll watch for it.

/////

Q: Can I send a birthday present for a character to the company?

A: Please send it to Spike Chunsoft!

/////

Q: Please tell us what games you've played! What movies and shows have you watched? What books, manga, and comics have you read? What media have you consumed?Please tell us! We want to know what are your inspirations. I don't know what media I should consume. And we all want to know more about you!

A: I am inspired by all kinds of games, comics, novels and movies. I used to work part-time in a video game store. I love Tarantino.

/////

Q: Do you have a favorite line or phrase from Danganronpa or Rain Code?

A: When I search for "Danganronpa quotes" and look back at the lines that come up, I think, "This is a great line!" For Rain Code, it's any line that Shinigami-chan says that helps Yuma get back on his feet!

/////

Q: Sorry for the second question! I have a lot of questions about Rain Code, but I'm hesitant to ask them here because it would be a total spoiler for the main story... I'd love to have the opportunity someday to ask questions with full spoilers OK. Are there any plans for that at the moment?

A: That sounds great. I'd love to do it. But I don't think I'd be able to reveal spoilers openly unless it's a real event.

/////

Q: Excuse me for the second question!! Previously, there was a Danganronpa collaboration with Identity V, but are there plans for a Rain Code collaboration...!!!!!

A: We would really appreciate it if you could send a persistent message to Identity V!

/////

Q: I'm sorry it's not Danganronpa or Raincode... I love both series, and I'm really looking forward to the release of Tribe Nine. I have a question about Tribe Nine. Sonoda from the Oota Tribe could kill Haneda at any time, even though he has murderous intent towards him, so why does he keep him alive by just beating him up until he's on the verge of death? Also, why is Sonoda the only one who is a little better dressed (in a suit and tie) than the other members?

A: When it comes to Tribe Nine, to be honest, Akatsuki has a much higher weight than Too Kyo Games, so only Akatsuki can answer that question...!

NOTE: Akatsuki is the company publishing the upcoming Tribe Nine game.

/////

Q: Are there any other Rain Code characters besides Dr. Robot that are favorites of Mr. Komatsuzaki? Also, I would like to know more about Mr. Komatsuzaki and would like to see more media exposure for him.

A: Basically, I think they are all my favorites. I'm very particular about it, and I've made many drafts over the years. But I'm sure ramen store owners would love him [Akira].

NOTE: We're pretty sure "Dr. Robot" is the character listed as "Akira" in the credits, but we're not 100% certain. Also, Komatsuzaki is the artist behind Danganronpa and Rain Code.

/////

Q: What is your favorite foreign movie?

A: Tarantino!!

/////

Q: Is there ever a character that you liked so much that you thought it would be a shame to kill them off, but you still ended up killing them anyway?

A: On one hand, I want to get to know them better. If the character isn't well-defined enough to the point where I want to get to know him or her better, there's no point in letting him or her die… So, I let them die while wishing I could depict more of them.

/////

Q: Mr Kodaka, can I please ask another question? Persona 3 RELOAD came out recently. Have you played it yet? Did you play the original Persona 3, including Persona 3 FES and Persona 3 Portable? Have you played all of the Persona games, including the spinoffs? Are you a fan of the Persona series?

A: i have played all the persona series, from 1 to 5. I haven't played any of the spin-offs though, I'm waiting for the release of 6.

🍀 MARCH 2024:

Q: How did you and Mr. Komatsuzaki meet and start working together?

A: We met in the smoking area at work.

/////

Q: Please tell me how to cook delicious rice🍚

A: Mannan rice is great for dieting.

NOTE: Mannan rice is a (usually) microwavable kind of rice that's part konjac (you know, the thing Kirumi has trouble cutting). It's low-calorie. The joke here is probably that Kodaka doesn't cook, he makes things in the microwave. Relatable, really.

/////

Q: What are your favorite indie games? Have any indie games inspired and/or influenced your own games and works? If so, what are those indie games that inspired you as a creator? Are there any indie games that you recommend we should play? Or what indie games should more people play in general? 🙏 🙏 🙏

A: If Hotline Miami is an indie game, it is Hotline Miami. I love it the best.

/////

Q: Can I please ask another question?🙏 I really enjoyed watching Akudama Drive, so I would like to see the concept art and character and setting materials, but I don't know where to find them. I especially want to see drawings by Rui Komatsuzaki, Cindy H. YAMAUCHI and the staff. Is there a book? 📖

A: The artwork for Akdamadrive has not been released. Maybe not much is made in the case of the animation. Please submit a request to Studio Piero for Komatsuzaki and Cindy's designs, as well as Kansai's designs, which are awesome!

/////

Q: i'll ask another! piggybacking off another question on here, what games have you been playing recently? what games are you excited for coming out in the future?

A: I've been too busy lately to play games. I want to play cruel games.

/////

Q: I love games with interesting stories like Danganronpa and Raincode, but Mr. Kodaka, who writes the scenarios for such interesting games, is there a game whose story you thought "this wowed me!"?

A: Resident Evil Code Veronica, FF7, and Killer 7 are fun. When I first played Persona 3, I thought that Megaten [Megami Tensei] killed it.

/////

Q: if you had a forte which would you want to have? i want to have desuhiko’s disguise

A: me too!!!!!!

🥬 APRIL 2024:

n/a

🌺 MAY 2024:

Q: Are there any plans to make a Happy Rain Code where the train incident never happened?

A: I'm sure Melami would solve the first clock tower case. No, she won't wear those clothes…

NOTE: A reference to the flashy clothes you find in Melami's room during the first case.

/////

Q: Mr. Kodaka, you often respond to illustrations drawn by your fans on Twitter, but do you also watch the hand-drawn videos that your fans post on YouTube?

A: I don't watch YouTube because it takes a long time. I can see the pictures right away [on Twitter], so I just respond to the pictures and hope that people who like them will follow me.

/////

Q: Which do you prefer, liberal arts girls or science girls?

A: I like both!

/////

Q: Was Mr. Kodaka a super high school level film director when he was in high school?

A: During my time at university and as a part-time worker afterwards, I was a really low-achieving film director.

☀️ JUNE 2024:

Q: I have a question about the world of Rain Code. I heard that there are about 1000 super detectives in the world of Rain Code, but are there detectives with the same abilities and titles?

A: There are similarities, but no exact matches.

/////

Q: Regarding Raincode's special detective abilities. In the story, it was stated that if one acquired special detective abilities during his two-year training period, one would be registered as a super detective. If one were to express an ability that could be considered a special detective ability while working as a regular detective, would one be re-registered as a super detective?

A: Abilities often depend on innate talent, but that's a possibility.

/////

Q: Is it decided how old the characters in works such as Danganronpa and Raincode are? If so, how old are they?

A: Of course, Danganronpa is mostly in their teens. Raincode has a wide range, but even Yakou is in his 30s.

NOTE: This is kind-of hilarious, because I'm pretty sure it's canonically stated Yakou is actually in his late 20s...in something that Kodaka himself wrote. I'll have to go find evidence.

/////

Q: Why do you have so many cats in your work?

A: Because Komatsuzaki likes cats. I like dogs.

NOTE: Komatsuzaki is Kodaka's usual artist. He's worked on Danganronpa, Rain Code, and the upcoming The Hundred Line.

/////

Q: There have been various spinoffs for Raincode and Danganronpa, but can we assume that the interpretations and character settings discussed in these spinoffs are official?

A: I'm not sure about the official take [from Spikechun], but if you enjoy it, enjoy it, and if you don't want to accept it, don't accept it. I think it's all up to the player's freedom.

NOTE: By "spinoff," this probably means the anthology mangas, light novels, audio dramas, etc.

🎇 JULY 2024:

Q: Do Rain Code and Danganronpa take place in the same world? Do any of your games and works have a shared universe with another? Or are they all separate? 🤔 💭 I'm asking because I just had a dream about Rain Code today!

A: I won't make a clear statement. I am not sure what will happen in the future. Anyway, please spread the Rain Code around the world.

/////

Q: Can I change my clothes before changing into the Final Defense Academy uniform in Hundred Line? I like the original clothes because they are so unique... Or do you wear uniforms only during battles?

A: We'll give you more details later, but they usually wear casual clothes and change into their uniforms when they fight!

NOTE: I'll start a Hundred Line section when the game comes out next year. For now, I'll put Hundred Line questions in here or in Game Development.

🌭 AUG 2024:

Q: What percentage of people in the world of Rain Code have special abilities? I wonder if most people have the ability to do something like "ordinary psychometry" like Halara did in the past.

A: No, it's still rare. I guess it's about as rare as Devil Fruit users.

🍁 SEPT 2024:

Q: The specific ages of most of the characters in Danganronpa and Rain Code have not been revealed, but is there a reason for this?

A: I thought age was an unnecessary filter.

🎃 OCT 2024:

Q: The collaboration between Kodaka and Ryukishi07 hasn't happened yet. Why?

A: Collaboration won't work unless there is a good amount of compatibility and compromise.

NOTE: Ryukishi07 is the pen name of the author who created the When They Cry VN series.

/////

Q: In The Hundred Line there is a girl with a tomato head. Who was the one who suggested that character, Kodaka or Komatsuzaki?

A: I told him to imagine a pumpkin, but that would be too Halloween-like, so Komatsuzaki made it a tomato.

/////

Q: There are supposed to be 16 playable characters in Final Defense Academy, but only 15 members are known at the moment. Does this mean that more members will be added along the way?

A: Hawawa…!

NOTE: "Hawawa" is an expression of surprise, rendered as "はわわ." I believe it's typically considered cutesy and feminine, which is why, if I recall correctly, Usami/Monomi uses it a lot. Regardless, I think this poster stumbled across something Kodaka didn't think people would notice!

/////

Q: Do you prefer girls with high or low voices?

A: Hmm, both are cute.

/////

Q: You said before that Rain Code was inspired by Tim Burton. Was Shinigami based on Beetlejuice? Also, have you seen the new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? Or have you watched Wednesday on Netflix? Or which Tim Burton films exactly inspired Rain Code?

A: I referred to some kind of atmosphere. I didn't refer to it that clearly.

/////

Q: If your allowed to answer this question, is the girl in the middle originally Takumi? Or is it the boy on the top right?

A: She became a character named Shizuhara.

[The art in question:]

/////

Q: What's the story behind the Guren 5 manga? How did you come to work together with Yuuki Kodama? I read all the issues, and I was very impressed with both of your talents displayed in the work!

A: I miss it..!

🦃 NOV 2024:

Q: Why don't Rain Code characters get birthday comments and tweets like Danganronpa characters? Many fans have spent time and money to send gifts to Spike Chunsoft to celebrate their birthdays. So please, can you write comments for them too? 🙏

A: I want to write them, but it would interfere with my work. It's hard to even write comments just for the Danganronpa characters. I haven't been asked to do it as a job, so I can't ask the staff to help me. I've already started Danganronpa, so I'll continue as long as the gifts keep coming, but it would take courage to start Rain Code in the same way. If Spike Chunsoft would at least ask me to do it as a job, I could get the staff to help me.

/////

Q: There are five members of the Special Defense Forces at the Final Defense Academy who are not in the first classroom. Is it a coincidence that the gender ratio of the members is biased? Also, why are those five not there from the beginning?

A: That's a good question! The story starts off differently from Danganronpa.

/////

Q: I understand. Thank you for dedicating so much time to composing the Danganronpa character birthday tweets! And, even if you can only retweet for the birthdays of Rain Code characters, we deeply appreciate it and are grateful to you! Should I send gifts to TooKyoGames for The Hundred Line birthdays?

A: If you give it to Aniplex, I think they will collect it! Please love them!

/////

Q: Is there any significance to her wearing a different outfit than the other students?

A: That's a good question. I can't answer

[The "her" in question:]

/////

Q: Have you decided on each character's dominant hand?

A: When it's necessary for a trick. I don't want to discriminate against people based on their handedness!

/////

Q: Mr Kodaka, you said before that for the music of Rain Code, you made Masafumi Takada listen to music from the soundtracks of detective dramas. May I ask what the names of those dramas are? I would like to watch and listen to them as well!

A: [A link to this song on YouTube.]

/////

Q: Mr Kodaka, do you listen to the rapper duo Insane Clown Posse? Someone noted Darumi Amemiya resembles a Juggalo, that is, a fan of Insane Clown Posse? I know the Mystery Phantoms in Rain Code were based on KISS, but is there any influence from Insane Clown Posse or Juggalo subculture in Amemiya?

A: “I wasn’t aware of it at all.”

/////

Q: Mr Kodaka, what is your dog's name and gender? Rui Komatsuzaki drew them in Zilch Alexander's character art, and you post about them sometimes on Twitter and Instagram. Sorry, I don't want to be intrusive or anything, I was just curious for the past few years. Thanks for understanding! 🙏

A: He is a male Shih Tzu named Ritz.

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Q: Mr Kodaka, SIREI and NIGOU are described as robots, but are they sentient AIs (Artificial Intelligences) or are they remotely controlled by another person or persons?

A: It’s one of the mysteries revealed throughout the game.

/////

Q: So when will we learn more about the Special Defense Unit? Like when will we get some new names? Or a sneak peek of their personalities? Or is all of this Aniplex’s decision?

A: About 100 days before the release, the mysteries are revealed all at once.

🎄 DEC 2024:

Q: In Akudama Drive, Swindler cuts her hair near the end of the series. And back in Danganronpa Trigger Happy Havoc, you originally intended for Kirigiri to cut her hair but couldn't work it into the narrative. Was Swindler cutting her hair a reference to this canceled plot point? Or was it a reuse?

A: It is an expression of the moment when she became hungry, an idea of director Taguchi.

/////

Q: Kodaka-san, which of Uchikoshi Kotaro's works do you like the most? I recently started playing "ZERO ESCAPE: The Dilemma of Time" and it's really fun!

A: Hmm, Punch Line

/////

Q: Why did you decide to get a Shih Tzu out of all the dogs available?

A: I like their faces.

/////

Q: If Fubiki's Forte comes from Life Is Strange, Zange is modeled on Snake, and Vivia's Forte derives from Murdered: Soul Suspect. Are there any inspirations behind Desuhiko, Yuma, or other Detectives' Fortes? Or inspo behind any other characters? I know about Alice: Madness Returns, Control, and Eva

A: I have taken inspiration from Alice Madness Returns, Control, and Life is Strange.

[jiveyuncle]

Hi omg!!!!! I just saw the book you posted for TNAHP and I am dying! It looks GLORIOUS!!!!! Turned out so beautiful binded like that! And the art is absolutely stunning, may I ask what company printed it? Like what shop did you use? I’ve wanted to print certain stories just for myself so badly over the years but there are so many places and I can’t decide and this is exactly what I’ve been looking for!!!!! 😍😍😍 thank you so much for sharing!

Hi, anon! Thank you! 💕 I was so happy getting to hold it and put it up on my shelf! Look!!! 😭💕

I want to preface everything I’m about to say with this: if you use a third party service to print any material (fics, art, art in fics, etc.) please, please, please reach out to the author/artist and get permission to use the service before printing! It doesn’t matter if someone else already has permission, make sure *you* have permission. Also consider if the art in the fic belongs to someone other than the writer (like if the work was a collaborative piece or if it features fanart of the fic) and get permission from them, too! You may have to wait for a response, or you may never get one (in which case, don’t print without permission), but it really is worth it to make sure the authors/artists feel comfortable and confident that they keep control over their own work.

This is the first service I’ve used, and I have no experience binding, so I’m just sharing what I did and what I noticed with my untrained eye.

First, the service I used is Barnes and Noble Press. Here’s a link:

You can make books publicly for sale or books strictly private for personal use. If printing fanfic, be certain that you are creating a “personal” print. It will appear like this in your projects section (note the “PERSONAL” banner above the cover art):

As you can see - the price is pretty decent as far as books go! After tax, shipping, and handling costs, this book turned out to be $21.82.

You can choose how you want to customize the materials your book is made up of. Different materials cost different amounts (i.e. printing color pages inside is going to increase your price a lot). If you don’t know where to start, here’s the preference settings I selected for my copy:

Now, understand that they are not editing your book for you - you’re still going to have to do all the formatting and arranging in a document yourself and designing your own cover (so be prepared to still spend a lot of time on this project). They simply print and physically put all the pieces together for you.

Lastly, I want to address quality. While this is far better quality than I could manage on my own, it’s still not 100% up to quality of most books I can purchase in a store. For comparison, I’ll show a couple side-by-side images of the fic print next to my favorite published book, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.

Dust jacket: Feels great! Literally no complaints.

The hard cover: A bit cheaper feeling. Definitely noticeable difference with a printed visual texture instead of real texture. The printed texture creased and wore away to reveal the white beneath. It’s visible here after just a few openings of the book. Also, unfortunately, you cannot customize the hardcover under the dust jacket, so no spine labels and you’re stuck with this color blue:

Finally, my biggest concern, the binding of the pages: looks a lot more like a paperback that had its cover glued onto a hardcover than an actual standard hardcover. Again, I’m no expert and idk if that’s normal, what anything is called, or how this affects the lifespan of the book, but you can even see where the spine kinda hovers away from the hardcover casing and how that compares to the The Raven Boys.

Anyway, the service isn’t perfect, no, but it works for what I wanted, looks nice, is user friendly, and allows me to hold a fic I otherwise never would have had the opportunity to. I appreciate it for that.

Hope this was helpful! Print responsibly 😊

[starbeltconstellation]

Hello again! ✨💕

So… I know I was saying a while ago: “I’m almost done with my chapter, guyssss! 😜” like a lying liar who lies, but then the worst thing happened in my life, fr. 😭

My brother got put in the hospital (he’s okay now though! ❤️ Thank GOD 😭😮‍💨).

But anyway, it set me back on my chapter. 😭 So I’m not even gonna say I’m almost done or something. Ima just be like… I haven’t abandoned it and will never discontinue it. ✊😖 So… I hope that offers you all comfort. Lol.

Anyways! Moving on to more AWESOME things! Here is two ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL AND ASTONISHING fanart pieces on my SW Fic, Rewrite the Stars, focused on my SW OC, Melanie Bains, from the great and powerful artist known as @fangirlteallie ! 😁❤️💕

And there is also another doodle fanart page she sent me of Mel in different outfits that I always love so much. 🥰 Haha. Love that sleep deprived one and the one with Mel sticking her tongue out. Looool. 😂

As always, it is truly such an honor and a joy to have an an amazing artist such as @fangirlteallie so inspired and invested in bringing Mel to life. It’s so motivating to me as an author, and is one of the highest compliments an author can receive in my opinion. 😊 So just that future tip for anyone wanting a fave fic to start up again. 😂 Making fanart is a sure fire way to make an author go “Ahhhhh! Agsvsjhabsjbsb!!” ❤️❤️😂

Thanks so very much again! 💕

As always, still working on the next chapter 😭(I have decided to NEVER make a chapter this long againnn. 😖 I’ll just have to think up new Fic titles and quotes at the start of the chapters that’ll still fit the theme of the chapter, even if I have to split it up into two parts).

So very sorry, my little reader ducklings. 💔🥺 I just don’t want to rush it and spit out trash. 😭😖

It’ll be so, SO worth it when I’m done though, because you will have lots of Melakin scenes to tide you all over. Hehe. 💓🥰❤️‍🔥

My writing has also just improved a lot as well in general! So l'm very proud of this chapter, and will be so excited to share it with you all when I'm done. 💕🥰❤️

Until next timeee! 😜👋

The two AMAZING art pieces:

In the second one, Mel is holding Anakin’s right hand to her heart and pulling him subtly away from Palpatine. Anakin’s other is the one on her waist. The second art piece is one I specifically requested because it’s an idea that’s been stuck in my head for awhile from another art piece I saw on Obi-Wan and Palpatine holding each of Anakin’s shoulders, which shows the hold they both have over him.

So in this art piece, Mel and Palpatine are the ones fighting for a hold over Anakin. And as you can see from the crinkles in Anakin’s robes, dear old Palpy is trying to keep his claws dug in deep, because he’s already subtly losing his hold over Anakin as Anakin turns away from him and more towards the light (Mel. 🤭❤️💕). My and @fangirlteallie ‘s mindssss. The meta of it alllll. 🙌😌💙💙✨

The funny/cool Mel doodle of the week 😜:

Tags:

@ensomniaa

@heartfairy

@fangirlteallie

@xreadersunite

@shoniwake

[iknnk3lili]

Hmm, what's this i see? AN UNDERRATED COOL ARTIST! time to do my job >:]

I LOVE YOUR ARTSTYLE! THE WAY YOU DRAW IS GOOD! the lineart is pretty :> SERIOUSLY,I DO! wanna be like you one day lol :3

Anyway, question for your lil boy cuz why not: what does he do when he's bored? :D

Thank you so much for the kind words!! I really appreciate it AAAA <33 you're quite the artist yourself, and I love how well you draw! All of your posts are amazing btw!! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK💕💕(⁠つ⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)⁠つ!!!

To answer your question, Stripe usually walks around his AU and picks up rocks, sometimes even bringing it to his friends. (They called him weird lol ;w;)

Other times, he'd laze around or hang out with his brother ! :D