#as well as a whole ton of design work i need to get through

[raddagher]

Arcane is over (😭) and I have some criticisms so here are my lists of who Won and who Lost in no particular order

LOST SEASON 2

1. Isha

Literally wasn't even mentioned after she died, like wtf was that

We couldn't have a memorial or anything? Come on

Her sacrifice was ultimately meaningless because Warwick got brought back anyway

2. Sevika

Didn't get a single line through all of Act 3

Where is my wife

At least she didn't die?

3. The entire Undercity, to be honest

Where did the independence thread go

Giving Sevika a council seat wasn't enough

I don't like that so many of them had to fight in Enforcer uniforms, that felt wrong

That was the MAIN CONFLICT for most of the show. It felt so weird to gloss over it at the end

4. Vander/Warwick

Gonna be real I wasn't super crazy about most of his presence here, I don't feel like it actually contributed much to anyone's development, except MAYBE Viktor's

We would not have lost anything if they didn't have the flashback scene with their mom

Super didn't like Jinx's ending as it pertained to him

5. Jinx

Hey I super don't like that every character who had a moment of suicide ideation or attempt ended up dead or "dead"

I don't like the way she "died" it didn't feel earned

I don't feel like the ending she got aligned well with her character at all. She spiraled and then just. stayed at the bottom of the spiral :(

They put a TON of family stuff in act 1 and 2 that didn't get resolution in 3

I think they kinda did my girl dirty I'm sorry

6. Loris

Clearly would have had more of a role if they didn't have to cut him for time

NEITHER WON NOR LOST SEASON 2

1. Vi

I want to say she won because she got to bang her cop girlfriend in a prison cell and the sex scene was good as hell but

She also was just taking massive L's the whole time

Like it never felt like she ever had any real wins other than that and that bummed me out

Didn't get enough time to be a dumbfuck with Jayce :(

Caitlyn

Didn't get enough proper resolution for her wonderful fascist arc

She felt a little dropped in Act 3 as well

Glad she got that Vussy tho, good for her

And I did like the vs Ambessa fight, that was also good

I honestly feel like Viktor and Jayce's romance was written better than her and Vi's, and as a gay woman who is constantly watching mlm relationships get so much more attention, it rubs me the wrong way

WON SEASON 2

1. Viktor (OBVIOUSLY)

The fucked up robot army. The religious imagery. The body horror. His robot alien design is scary as fuck. Absolutely incredible work

Got to be taller and stronger than Jayce hooray

They're canon. That was the gayest shit I've ever seen in my life

I do wish they had spent more time overall fleshing out more of the disability commentary, I feel like it was a little lacking in the end

Nevertheless BEAUTIFUL and HORRIFYING and TRAGIC

2. Jayce

See above

Yeah he also got to be a big hero and got to be resolved really well

Did NOT see his death coming that was crazy

They Magnus 200'd his ass, damn

He chose Viktor over everything I'm emo

They made a heart when they touched their foreheads together fuck OFF

3. Heimerdinger

Literally just living his best life

Love that he didn't tell Ekko he can't die, he just let the poor boy think he got fuckin atomized, king shit, that's hilarious

I would have stayed in that universe too tbh

4. Ambessa

The single tear over Kino. Her love for her children at direct odds with her need for control. Her arc was explored so well

Died a warrior's death at the hands of her brilliant daughter, I know that's how she would have wanted to go

Also was very hot in every scene. Good for her (and good for me)

She just got a lot of love from the writers and I'm very happy to see that effort put into an older Black woman character

5. Mel

Speaking of gorgeous Black women

I was so worried she was going to get dropped but her ending was SO good

Her glow up with the gold is fantastic, she looks amazing in the white hood

Love that they gave her abilities that would inherently change her priorities AND gave her the throne of Noxus, I have high hopes that she'll be prominent in another show in the future

They made her such a powerful badass but still let her be merciful and forgiving. Absolutely amazing. She is the wolf

6. Ekko (?)

On the fence about him

LOVED the au scene. Perfect

And I loved that our boy savior got to be the one that set off the bomb that stopped Viktor

But he was kind of dropped otherwise? Like what happened with his tree?

Generally wish he had more development and screentime in this season

But I'm happy he was so pivotal to the climax

AND I'm happy he got to kiss Powder. He and Jinx would never have worked out

7. Maddie

Haha I never liked you. Get fucked you horrible little bootlicker. Typical cop

8. Singed

How come YOU get everything you want?

Fuck you.

Basically all my criticisms boil down to it feeling rushed overall. It's clear that they intended to have more time, and that breaks my heart. We all know Netflix's reputation for cancelling stuff out of the blue, and I've heard that maybe certain parties were unhappy with the depictions of gay romance and realistic social revolution. Whatever the reasons, I wish they had a third season, because I think they could have solved every problem I have with it. Regardless, it's an incredible work of art and very likely one of if not THE best animated series ever made.

[fidgetspringer-art]

It's a very cool feeling to finally have a character you've written over 110k words about, be able look back at you from the canvas.

[midnightechoes]

Five years ago today, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power premiered on Netflix. I had seen a few preview articles about it, and liked what I saw. Those articles mostly focused on She-Ra’s, Adora’s, Glimmer’s, Bow’s, and Catra’s redesigns, and I thought they were fabulous. I loved Adora’s new red jacket and bouffant hair style. Glimmer’s entire redesign was inspired, and I loved that they made Bow black so we could have more diversity in the main cast.

It was She-Ra’s and Catra’s redesigns that caught my eyes the most, though. They made Catra an actual catgirl, and not just in the anime sense where she's just a cute girl with cat ears and maybe a cat tail. She was a full-on furry. It was a brilliant design choice. Honestly it’s no wonder that so many were instantly drawn to her.

And of course, She-Ra herself. I loved her new look, and her huge ass new Sword of Protection. In fact, I loved it so much that I drew this picture of her before the show even came out:

Then the show came out, and needless to say, I fell in love. And honestly, it changed my life.

I know, I know. That sounds very hyperbolic, and to an extent it is, but in a lot of ways, I’m absolutely serious.

Alright, I have to back up a little. Back when I was in college, and for a few years after, a couple of friends and I tried to make a webcomic called The Devil’s Gate. It was minorly successful but eventually floundered. Then I met some people and we tried to make a video game, which also failed. After those few years, I found myself on my own and trying to rework the concept of my webcomic. Making comics, creating stories, those have always been my dream, and I was desperately trying to figure out a story I could make work, something that I believed in. But it never truly got off the ground. By the end of 2015 I had given up on the comic, realizing that after working on it for years in different forms that I needed to step away from it.

I didn’t really know what to do after that. I was still doing my quick daily doodles, but I wasn’t writing, I wasn’t drawing anything of note. I felt emotionally and physically drained of my creativity. I was honestly getting to the point where I thought it might be time for me to give up on trying to be creative or making things all together.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power came out on November 13, 2018, but despite looking forward to it, I didn’t actually watch it when it came out. It wasn’t until that weekend that I decided to check it out.

I was instantly hooked. I binged through the entire season in two days, and did plenty of crying and cheering. And then rewatched it immediately. I was in love. I was obsessed. It had been a long time since anything grabbed me like SPOP did. I loved the characters. I loved the colorful, sci-fi-fairy tale world of Etheria. I loved how unapologetically feminine it was. And most of all, I loved how queer it was.

I hadn’t done a ton of shipping before SPOP. I’ve been down bad for harlivy for what feels like my whole life, and I was angry when Mika and HG didn’t get together in Warehouse 13, but more often than not I had just been conditioned not to look for queer things in mainstream culture, and even barely in subculture.

That is to say, when I was smashed in the face with Catradora I was surprised how much I glommed onto it immediately. I was absolutely taken with Adora and Catra and their relationship. Both characters were so relatable, and despite not quite being text (although the subtext was so loud and obvious it might as well have been text), it was impossible to not read their feelings for each other as romantic.

It wasn’t just Catradora, even if that was a lot of it. Spinnerella and Netossa being canon from the start was wonderful. How much Glimmer and Bow screamed “BISEXUAL DISASTERS” from the start was adorable. Scorpia’s crush on Catra was as cute as it was sad in its one-sidedness.

I had never really been in a fandom. That is, yeah I’ve liked things, loved things even, but I never found other people to talk about it at length, never found discords just for that thing, never read or wrote fanfic, barely ever drew fanart. 

But, I watched SPOP, and then I watched it again. And then I drew Catra. And then I drew Adora. And then I drew them again. And suddenly I was on AO3, a site I never frequented, reading Catradora fics. And then I had an AO3 account. That December I participated in Catradora Week 2018 (I’d never heard of this kind of thing) and drew two pictures for it and wrote my first fanfic.

By the end of February I had drawn more in the three months since the show had premiered than I had in the previous year. I was working furiously on a long, multi-chapter fanfic, and writing more words than I had in the previous couple of years combined.

I was inspired again.

In the 18 months that SPOP ran for, I drew more than I had in years, I wrote hundreds of thousands of words. I felt so rejuvenated and happy about my creativity and free for the first time in years.

It’s hard to put into words exactly how it felt. I was so close to giving up my art and writing, which honestly, would have been giving up a part of myself. An important part of myself. It’s not overstating that SPOP saved me, or at least my creative spirit.

I also learned about the wonders of being in a fandom and fandom things like fan weeks, big bangs, zines. And I made some wonderful friends that I cherish to this day.

Even as I inevitably moved onto other hyperfixations, my love for She-Ra hasn’t diminished. Plushie Catra and Adora sit next to me on my desk every day. Catradora art still hangs on my wall.

The inspiration that SPOP ignited in me hasn’t died either. It’s carried me through a tremendous level of creativity that I’ve been riding since the premiere. It let me create a ton of fan art for SPOP, and then RWBY and then the Witch From Mercury, and I’ve written a ton of fanfics for RWBY and Supergirl. And perhaps the best, that inspiration has helped me create more OC stuff in the last couple years than I had in a long time.

I owe She-Ra and The Princesses of Power so much. I am so happy that it exists and that it happened when it did. I’ll always cherish it.

And for real, Netflix, SPOP spin-off movies WHEN?!

[lovelytsunoda]

proud mary // han lue

summary: now living a quiet life with their daughter, han and y/n reflect on how they got there, and all the good moments that are still yet to come.

pairing: han lue x wife! reader

warnings: this is a big one so listen up: mentions of post pregnancy mental illness, mentions of pregnancy and starting a a family, weddings, ignoring tokyo drift canon because I fucking can, (actually I ignored a lot of canon) han is about to activate a shit ton of daddy issues

I left a good job in the city, working for the man every night and day and I never lost one minute of sleeping, I was worrying 'bout the way the things might've been.

big wheel keeps on turning, proud mary keeps on burning. and we’re rolling, rolling, rolling down the river

2009, tokyo, japan.

the garage was dark, lit only by the moonlight and the small lamps atop the workstations. han lue had closed up hours ago, and everyone was gone save for him and his lover.

“han, what are you doing?” y/n laughed, sitting at a table scattered with nail polish bottles and a shellac brisa light. “it looks like a smudge.”

“it’s a drifting car!” han laughed, staring through the large magnifying glass that was allowing him to see the design he was attempting to paint on his lovers thumbnail. “see, there’s the spoiler and those are the headlights!”

friday night manicures had become somewhat of a tradition. y/n hated painting her nails with her non dominant hand, but she also didn’t speak enough japanese to venture out and get her nails professionally done. when she and han started dating, he offered to do it for her, easing the aggravation that sometimes came with doing mail designs yourself.

“well, now that you’ve pointed it out.” she laughed, kissing him on the cheek. “I love you.”

they had been together coming up on two years. two long, wonderful years. she was a mechanic and he was drifter, it was almost meant to be. she stopped him from getting himself killed, and in return, he loved her unconditionally.

they were sympatico like that. she loved his sense of humour, his protectiveness. he loved her smarts and the excited way she talked, animatedly and with hand gestures.

“what do you say we get out of japan for a bit?”

han should have known this question was coming. y/n was a restless spirit, never meant to stay in one place for too long. in a way, han was as well. he could tell that his lover had been more restless than usual, either from missing home or needing a change of scenery.

“a friend of mine, his name is dominic torretto, he’s got this place down in the dominican republic.” han started slowly, unsure of how much he wanted to involved her in. y/n was his whole world, and what dom and mia would be running was far bigger than street racing in shibuya.“he called me the other day wondering if I would run a job with him. but it’s not entirely legal and I don’t blame you if you don’t want any part in it.”

“baby,” she frowned, placing her hand inside the blue light machine. “of course I’ll go with you. I never pass up a chance to go somewhere sunny, and you know that I’d go anywhere with you. what we’re running here with twinkie and sean isn’t exactly legal either, you know. I’m a big girl, seoul-oh. I can handle myself.”

“I know. I just want you to know what you’re getting into. you’re important to me, y/n.”

“I know.” she said softly, running her hand up his arm as she rested her head on his shoulder, gently kissing his neck. “so when does our flight leave?”

“whenever you want it to. I haven’t even bought the tickets yet. are you ready for an adventure?”

“fuck yeah.” y/n smiled, pressing her lips to his. “but you have to paint my other nails first.”

han laughed, the kind of laugh that would always set loose the butterflies in y/n’s chest, the kind that reminded her why she fell in love with him in the first place.

“I don’t think I have it in me to paint another drifting car.”

“then what are you going to paint on my thumbnail?” y/n laughed back, looking down at her nails and realizing that her lover had actually done a very good job painting a drifting car manicure.

“I don’t know,” han shrugged. he would deny it if asked, but he actually loved painting y/n’s nails. he thought it brought them closer together, built up intimacy in their relationship.

they were moments he wouldn’t trade for the world.

“I’ll just do like a checkered flag or something.”

“but you did that on my index finger!”

laughing, y/n turned her head to kiss him. “come on, you big dork. the sooner we get my nails done, she sooner I can model that new lingerie set I bought last weekend.”

“sold!” han laughed, knocking over bottles of gel polish as he searched for the bright pink he had used to paint the car on his girlfriends other hand. “drifting car? f1 car? whatever my gorgeous gorgeous girl wants.”

“I love you, han lue.”

“love you more, pretty girl.”

2010, monte carlo, monaco.

it was set up to be another sleepless night without her lover by her side, and y/n was having none of that as she wandered the deck of the comfortable yacht, looking around at the decorations that the crew had spent the day putting up.

she was just praying that it wasn’t going to rain.

nothing was about to spoil her big day.

she scurried below deck, past a half open door through which she could hear roman pearce’s guttural snores. fingers curled around the door knob, she tried not to make any noise as she eased the door open, slipping into the cabin.

“you couldn’t sleep either?” she laughed, looking at the king size bed where her fiancé lay, phone in his hands as he texted his mother, who the crew was picking up in the harbour in the morning before the ceremony began.

“got a lot on my mind.” han shrugged. “fucking tej won’t shut up about the reception and the playlist and I’ve told him a million times that it’s not going to be some crazy rave kinda thing.” the man sat up, gesturing for his soon-to-be wife to come closer. "it's doing my head in. seriously, he wants to do a club mix of 'i would do anything for love'."

y/n snorted. han thought she looked like an angel in the low cabin light, a halo glowing around her head and shining off her white silk pajamas, the ones with the tiny shorts and 'bride' embroidered on the butt. "how the fuck do you turn the best meat loaf song in existence into a club rave song?"

"the fuck if i know." han shook his head, hands sliding up her thighs as she came to stand in between his legs. "jagi, sarang-hae."

honey, i love you.

"mhm." she hummed, a smile on her lips as she leaned down to kiss him sweetly. "i love it when you speak korean. it's so fucking sexy."

the last year had been stressful. the dominican job had been way more complex than y/n had expected, and it took a while for han's old crew to warm up to her. it took a while, but eventually she managed to crack dom toretto, and two weeks later, han got down on one knee and asked y/n to marry him.

hence why they were on a yacht off the coast of monaco, the entire thing decked out in fairly lights and tulle.

"if you think tej is bad, you try getting in between letty and those large plastic ribbons on the back of the deck chairs." y/n laughed. "who knew letty ortiz was so serious about weddings?"

she was practically sitting on his lap now, head resting comfortably on his shoulder as the boat rocked back and forth.

han seoul-oh was her home. her safe harbour. she always felt safe in his arms, at his side, even when they were plunging into almost certain danger like they had in the dominican.

"i brought you something." y/n hummed, reaching into the pockets of her shorts and withdrawing the small cardboard packet.

"fake nails?"

"help me put them on? for old time's sake." she passed him the glittery white french tips, no doubt chosen to match her dress for the ceremony tomorrow.

"i can't wait to spend my life with you. and believe me, there will be plenty more manicure mondays."

2014, monterrey, california.

"daddy, where's mommy?"

"i don't think she's feeling well, poppy." han lue frowned, looking over at his daughter, who was perched in her little kiddie chair at the kitchen table. "i'm going to go check on her, okay? stay right here."

how do you explain depression to an infant? poppy jae-i han had been one of the best things to have ever happened to han seoul-oh. but in the almost twenty-four months since their bundle of joy had been born, something had felt off about his wife.

everyone hears about the mental health complications that can come with childbirth, but no mother ever thinks it would be her.

every husband fears it, too.

"y/n, jagi?" han tried to keep his voice level as he eased open the bedroom door. the couple had bought a ranch house in monterrey when they learned they were expecting. it was one of the few things they used their ill-gotten gains as a part of dom's crew for. "poppy's asking for you."

it broke his heart to see his wife like this, hair messed and greasy, red splotches under her eyes from where she had been crying.

"am i a bad mother, seoul-oh?" she asked, voice small. she seemed so tiny and fragile underneath the layers of blankets on the queen bed. "she always seems to cry when i'm around, but never with you. poppy loves you more than she loves me."

"what?" it was all han could do to stop himself from crying as he sat on the bed, gently running his fingers through y/n's hair. "sweetheart, what's brought this on? poppy loves you. you're her mom. she needs you."

"mia makes it look so easy." y/n sniffled, pulling herself up to a sitting position. she's lost weight. not a noticeable amount, or even an unhealthy one, but enough that her husband knows. there are many things that you can hide from the man you share your bed with, but han knows. he knows she's not doing well. "and i'm fucking shit at it, han."

"look at me, pretty girl." han encouraged, reaching for her hands. "you are such a good mother. i know you're struggling right now, and i know you're hurting but you need to know that poppy loves you so much. she was asking about you over breakfast, you know."

"i don't know who i am any more. i've lost my sense of self."

han frowned, brushing a few strands of greasy hair away from her forehead before leaning down and gently kissing her hairline.

"listen, i was talking to brian last night-"

"of course you were fucking talking to brian."

"-and he thinks you should talk to mia. they're passing through town today on their way back from dom and letty's, brian and i are going to take the kids out to the zoo or whatever, and you and mia should do something." he suggested, running his hand comfortingly up and down his lover's back. "go to the mall, get a coffee. i think she could really help you. she's been through this before."

y/n inhaled shakily, pulling away from han. "what if something happens to poppy and i'm not there?"

"y/n, everything is going to be okay. i promise. brian will be there, the kids will be in great hands. go do something with mia, darling. find yourself again, yeah?"

"okay." y/n nodded, still clutching his hand like it was her lifeline. "i can do that."

"mommy?" a small voice called. poppy had managed to get herself all the way from the kitchen to the master bedroom, where han had left the door ajar just in case poppy needed them. "are you okay?"

"oh, sweetheart, come here." y/n said, tears beginning to fall.

because how could she ever think that her little bundle of joy didn't love her as much as she did? poppy waddled over to the bed, and han hefted the toddler onto the mattress so that y/n could pull her close.

"you know that mummy loves you, right?"

"yes. i love you too, mommy."

"see." han smiled. "you're going to be okay. we're going to get through this."

2017, monterrey, california.

"i genuinely can't comprehend that roman pearce is getting married."

the family of three was walking down the nail care aisle at walmart, a welcome addition to their weekly shopping trip as y/n scanned the packages on the rack for a set of acrylic nails.

han laughed, one hand around his wife's waist and his chin on her shoulder as he leaned against the shopping cart. "it's not going to last. they may be getting married on saturday but i bet that by christmas roman is going to call and tell us she asked for a divorce."

"don't be so cynical." y/n laughed, kissing her husband softly before holding up a small white box. "do these go with my dress?"

"they'll go with anything, babe." han said, moving to whisper in her ear “they'd look even better wrapped around my c-"

"i want nails like mom's!" poppy han's shout cut him off, the little girl looking at the array of disney princess nails on the lower shelves.

laughing, han knelt down next his daughter, one hand on her shoulder. "which one do you want, princess? do you want frozen, tinker bell? mulan?"

"i want the ariel ones." poppy smiled, reaching for the pack of little mermaid nails. han helped her get them off the hook before lifting her up, carrying the six year old securely against his chest.

"seoul-oh, she's like six, you're spoiling her by carrying her all the time." y/n laughed, dropping both packs of nails in the cart.

"what, she's not heavy, sweetheart." han grins. "besides, i have to stay in shape somehow."

y/n rolls her eyes. "sweetie, it's bold of you to assume that you were ever in shape. but i loved you anyways, didn't i?"

back at home, they settled in the living room, near the large bay window. y/n watched contentedly from the kitchen as han sat at the coffee table across from poppy, delicately brushing nail glue across his daughter's tiny nails, dropping the glittery little mermaid nails on top.

it had taken a while to get to this peaceful, quiet part of their life, but y/n han was so glad that they had made it. that she had seoul-oh and that she had little poppy.

"be careful with your nails, they might come off. now, go get your homework done before we make the pizza, okay?"

poppy scurried off down the hall to her room, and y/n padded across the shag carpet, looping her arms around her husbands neck as she gave him a kiss.

"i'm so lucky, you know that. i'm happy and healthy again, and i have you and poppy. that's everything i could ever ask for." she said softly, resting her head against han's chest as the man tilted his head down, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

of course they both missed the good old days. the days of adrenaline and adventure. but brian and mia had left, and then y/n and han, and soon after was letty and dom. they were moving on with their lives, a chapter of glitz and glamour coming to a close.

"i want another one."

y/n froze, pulling back from her husband. "what?"

"i want another baby. and i know what we went through last time, and i fully understand if you're not willing to take that chance again, but god, y/n, i want a big family with you." han explained, holding his wife's hands. "poppy is growing up. soon she's going to be too cool for dear old dad. and then there will be boys-"

"or she'll be like you," y/n cuts him off with a laugh. "in which case there will be lots and lots of girls."

"god help us all. my little girl is going to break a lot of hearts one day."

"and you want another one?"

"honestly? yeah, i do."

"then i guess we'd better start trying. multiplication isn't that hard, so poppy's gonna be looking for us within the next hour." y/n hummed, kissing her lover softly.

han smiled against her lips, hands slipping into her jeans pockets to cop a feel of his wife's ass. "i only need half that."

TAGS:

@libraryofloveletters @magnummagnussen @mignonricciardo @sidcrosbyspuck @cartierre @monzabee @scuderiamh @daydreamingleclerc @diorleclerc @oconso @cl16version

[wasyago]

unsure if you’ve been asked this before but what is your character designing process?

i have already answered in this post (you can go read it if you want), though it's more jrwi based, so i feel like i can answer again! i doubt I'll end up saying something new but hwhatever who cares dhhdhd

obviously this isn't math, so there's no specific scheme i follow every time, and each design is different and it all varies heavily.

in general, when i start working on a design i already have *some* sort of idea in mind. normally not for the entirety of it, but some bits and pieces here and there that help me characterize the design in my head! i try to get those on the canvas first. they're like key points, and i most likely wont change them.

(and if i don't have an idea, i don't start drawing. and instead scroll through my gallery or pinterest in search of inspiration)

let's take my Gem's recent design as an example! i knew i wanted her to be a squirrel, and i already had squirrel scar and cub designs to base it off. so the key points were big pointy ears, curvy tail, claws. i also knew i wanted her clothing to look regal and floral, and reflect her main base. this is an idea that i haven't fully visualized, but i kept it in mind and knew in which direction i had to move.

after that comes the point where i start making stuff up 👍👍 i enjoy thinking my designs through and making them make sense in my head and be practical. so the process consists of me asking myself questions and then answering them in a design. with occasional "oh wouldn't that be cool" thrown into it.

continuing with gem. she needed to have her clothes be suited for a tail, so her underskirt splits in three parts to make it easier. i still wanted the design to be recognizable as gem and have it resemble her skin; so i kept the white sleeves, the green skirt, the corset. i wanted to make her and scar's designs match, so i changed the corset to green with this long piece of cloth but decided to change the patterns on it. because the brown from the corset was gone, i removed it from her shoes as well and made them black instead, so brown wasn't part of the color pallett anymore. i will introduce pink into the design later, so getting rid of one of the colors wasn't that big of a deal. plus, brown makes her look more down to earth, whereas i want her to look elegant and rich, so its a win/win. i wanted to keep her antlers, but obviously she's not a deer anymore, so i turned them into a crown and made it black to match the shoes. etc etc. i can ramble for three more hours about this hdgshsh.

well, that's how the well thought designs work.

sometimes it's just "im gonna draw all the things i think are fun and cute until i can't think of any" and there's no rhyme or reason to it. that's why things like "doc as a unicorn", one-off series designs, random concepts, aus exist!

sometimes its a "i have no idea what to do with it, so im gonna merge all the layers together and just keep fiddling with it until i figure it out", and that's exactly what happens. if i feel stuck with a design, merging it together and working with both line and color helps a ton, because it helps me to see the design as a whole and i dont have to divide my process and think of which parts im gonna do in color and which in line! recent example is hypno's design. here it is when i didn't know how to make it interesting and the final version:

(funnily enough i still like the first concept, the fact that all the clothes is the same color is quite tasty. but i know that if i needed to draw this design in the future, i would struggle with keeping the clothing layers separated and shading and all that stuff.)

visually i don't think there's much difference between how i design things (?), but the process varies and in my head they're all on like, different tiers.

hopefully this was somewhat helpful! if not it at least let me ramble about my design process which is great hdhsjsh

[therobotmonster]

Guys I think should be in MOTU: Origins

My love of MOTU Origins is not very hidden, and they've hit tons of great points, but there's so much further to go. So, here's my rundown of what I'd want to see joint the MOTU Origins lineup.

Section 1: Give it the Sun-Man Treatment.

Blackstar

The proto-He-Man of yore, Blackstar as an IP is probably well within the price range for Mattel to sweep up to sprinkle into the line the same way Sun Man's universe was.

For advantages, it's VERY aesthetically compatible and has several strong character designs. It's no more obscure than Sun-Man, and I want hordes of those imp-demons, damnit.

BraveStarr

Again, a no-brainer. Find the character rights holders, get the rights. New Texas is out there in space, use it as an excuse to do MOTU:Origins versions of the New Adventures designs ("space travel" He-Man) and Rio-Blast. If they already own all the rights then them not having already done this is toyetic malpractice.

Advantages are obvious. BraveStarr rocks. You have a POC lead hero, Tex-Frickin'-Hex, and Thirty-Thirty, who would be well worth the extra tooling to make a deluxe figure of (you can always do an upgraded Stridor repaint). You would scatter them through waves to keep from overloading with the Space Cowboy thing, but def a winner.

Also, Rio-Blast. Rio-Blast, Yo.

Skeleton Warriors

It was never strong enough to stand on its own. Give Skeletor some friends. 'Nuff Said.

One-Off Guest Stars

This section is a little different, as these wouldn't be permanent integrations, but more fun crossover one-offs rather than being a whole theme. Characters pulled from other Mattel-owned lines of the past:

Mojo Ken and Thunderpunch Barb-E

Here's the thing. This line is dead stupid, and should remain that way. Give Ken two heads (one 'bad' Mojo head and one 80s toy Ken style one) give Barbie weirdly plausible MOTU gear, the joke alone is worth the parts reuse. Best if nestled in with some Princess of Power characters.

Lets give Captain Power a hand, folks.

Its that live action TV show that interacted with the vehicles that landed in the uncanny valley between family TV and advert-traintment that never quite works!

Captain Power and Lord Dread are pretty much the only ones you'd want to hit, maybe the Soaron Sky Sentry. And really, they're not that hard to do. Captain Power could easily be made with Roboto legs and upper arms, any number of gloved hands, a new chest armor and a new head.

Any newly tooled pieces would be useful in MOTU movie and new adventure characters.

The Construx Alien demands your respect.

I know it makes no sense, I don't care, it's my list. He's amazing and needs to be big and buff with a weird hand.

Major Matt Mason has nothing better to do.

This set's a stretch, as it would require a chunk of new tooling, but again, maybe worth it for the New Adventures and She-Ra applications, plus hey, Astronaut prequel Biff Bestman, Evelyn Powers, and Captain Marlena parts!

He-Man's space-man friend is a role that could still be filled.

Next Up... Crossover Potential.

[fineprintedsunsets]

AFTER HOURS

This Is For Haunted Hoedown Day 7! | My Haunted Hoedown Master-List

summer camp au + "i can't stop thinking about how perfect we would be together"

Synopsis: Ari Levinson is a lot better after hours. 

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: (this is definitely a tribute to my childhood) good ol' angst. pool sex. dirty talk. lifeguard!ari levinson x f reader :). use of pet names "mama" etc. brief mentions of injury. unprotected sex. (reader is on the pill although never mentioned, #stayawaypregnancytrope) (wrap it before you tap it, kids) sweet, worried ari.

It’s days like today you find yourself appreciating Lifeguards more. It’s not just about shirtless men baring their pecs for the whole world to see, (although a bonus) It’s more than the praise and hero complex.

It’s about wanting to make a difference, to be a savior, sure, but going to bed at night is just a bit easier knowing you helped a human being breathe again. Ari was a lot like that, you noticed.

His tanned cheeks would lift in a slight smile when anyone congratulated him on his newest rescue. Ari didn’t care about the compliments, or how he was perceived-

“You gonna say hi, or just stare?” Lou’s voice breaks through your head, causing you to stutter, your eyes breaking from where Ari sits on his post, searching the pool for any trouble.

“Staring is good enough.”

Lie.

It wasn’t.

You murmur, continuing to wipe at the Snack Bar counter. The adults were more messy than the kids. Sweat breaks above your brow as the heat fills your veins, wishing you were inside the pool or inside an air-conditioner.

Either one would work.

“Those vultures have been gobbling him up all night, guess your one of them too,” Lou says, her brows lifting in amusement. She takes her yellow rubber gloves off and lays them down on one of the chairs The Snack Bar was designed with sliding windows that face the pool, mostly to receive money and dish out snacks, but you had found a much better use for it.

Oggaling.

Lou wasn’t wrong either, four women well into their 50s had been sitting out tanning all day, not even bothering to watch their kids. Each set of eyes had never left Ari’s body, and although you were just doing the same thing-

“Don’t say it’s different. It’s not.”

You huff, throwing down the rag on the table you were just wiping down, leaving it half-completed.

“Do you have anything better to do, Lou?” You get a glimpse of her ponytail and her small body. Although a pest, Lou was almost like a mother to you. “Summer Mother” that is.

Every year you worked at Camp Constaga’s Snack Bar. Although it meant switching TV for bracelet-making and campfires, it didn’t matter. If anything, you’d prefer the woods over home.

She flashes you her lucky smile, throwing a rag over her shoulder, making the edges of her uniform damp. “You know I don’t!” You shake your head, a smile blooming on your lips.

Lou tosses you a look, clearly seeing the blush on your cheeks. “Go!” Throwing her hand up in mock threat, she disappears into the back of the bar.

Yeah, that’s right, Go prepare the chicken nuggets. It takes you a couple of moments to realize she took your rag, the one you need to finish cleaning the tables.

“Bitch!”

The only sound is the rustling of frozen chicken nugget bags and the echo of Lou chuckling.

👙

“Shut Up And Dance” plays loudly over the pool speakers. It’s the anthem of every summer, and boy does it never get old. Night falls silently on Camp Conastoga’s pool, tonight is a very special night.

It’s glow swim.

It’s a camp tradition, every month they hold a “glow” swim. Kids and adults wear trippy bathing suits and a whole shit ton of glow sticks are thrown in the pool. It’s simple, but fun.

Really Fucking Fun.

“Lou! Where did you put the paint?” You call over the loud splashing of children. The lifeguards are already on duty, and the adult swim doesn't start for another hour or so. You see her signature auburn ponytail exit the bathroom, her bare stomach, thighs, and arms marked with glow-in-the-dark paint.

“Handprints? That simple Louie girl?” You tease, grabbing the paint from her hands. You bought a whole array of colors yesterday, the kids used all of the pool’s supply.

“I’m sorry, shall I draw a pentacle?” She adjusted the strap on her neon green bathing suit, pulling it to snugly fit on her shoulder.

You elicit a chuckle, filling the pool’s backroom with the ungodly sound. “It would fit, you are a demon.”

“Very funny.” Lou rolls her green eyes, sending them back into her head with far more exaggeration than necessary. Holding tight onto the bottle of green paint, you turn around, and walk away from her, heading to your cabin to receive the other colors.

“See you out there-” You choke down a strangled whine, your face colliding with something hard and solid. Pain shoots through your jaw, and the only thing you can hear is labored breathing and music.

Upbeat and happy music.

Not very fit for this situation.

A backless dress and some beat-up sneaks…

My discotheque, Juliet teenage dream…

I felt it in my chest as she looked at me…

And then darkness.

👙

Waking up in the infirmary was not the plan tonight. You blink your eyes, once… twice… You can see a window to the right of you, it’s pitch black outside. You stir, quickly trying to get up, but a hand on your stomach stops you, splaying against your belly and pushing you down.

You whine, squirming against the hand. It’s big and feels as if sparks are being emitted through your body from the fingers. When you open your eyes, you understand why.

“Hey-”

“Shh…- It’s okay, sweet girl.”

All it took was a few words to get you rising, slowly this time as Ari’s hand fell from your stomach, tanned fingers grabbing your elbow to ease you into a sitting position. The pain has reduced to a dull ache, you don’t focus on it, not when Ari is standing above you, lifeguard shorts on, shirt nowhere to be found, and is that…worry in his eyes?

You grab at your head, attempting to find the source of your pain. You must have hit something, now it’s reduced to just a small headache. “What happened?” The words you speak are discombobulated as you try to adjust to the light in the infirmary.

Children can be heard screaming and splashing outside.

So you hadn’t been put in a coma.

You aren’t going to wake up to a zombie apocalypse.

This is very good news.

“You slammed into my chest, I’m so sorry, mama.”

Mama? Surely it was just a name lifeguards give to crying little girls, it was a cute, sweet nickname.

Until it came out of Ari Levinson's mouth.

“What time is it?” You shift, still holding your head, expecting the headache to just disappear at your touch.

It doesn't.

“10:00” Lou answers from seemingly nowhere. Did she just watch that interaction go down?

When she steps in front of you, the gleam in her eye tells you all you need to know.

“Adult swim starts soon, I have to put my paint on.”

“Woah, you sure? You did pass out on us, mama.”

God.

Will he shut up and keep talking?

The heat that pools between your thighs isn't normal, and you can’t stand to be close to Ari anymore. If you would… there’s no telling what you might do.

Something you would regret. Ari doesn't even know you.

“It’s just a headache. I’m not dying.” The words have more bite than you wish, but this room is getting crowded, and the heat that encircles you is suffocating. Especially when Ari tilts his chin up, his fingers perching on his hips in confusion.

You didn’t want to be rude, but it seems it may be the only way to get out of this room.

“I gotta go get the paint.” You slid off the table, hearing the paper crinkle beneath your weight. Lou moves out of the way, and when she does, you accidentally clip Ari’s shoulder. You don’t turn around to apologize though. The heat is too much, you need to get that paint and get in the pool.

Even though being away from him has made the heat worse.

👙

Adult swim had started the moment you finished in the pool bathroom. All over your body are neon pink swirls and made-up symbols, matching your pink bikini. Ari sat perched on the very end, his eyes wandering over the kids complaining to their parents.

You were aware of the way your nipples hardened against the thin slice of fabric, how your breath picked up when Ari’s eyes landed on your face. His usual sunglasses were gone, and even from across the people, his blue eyes drilling holes in your body.

You turn away, internally wishing your hips wouldn’t swish as you did so.

They did.

Traitors.

“Hey! Over here!” Lou and Reed call from their positions in the water, the reflective surface bringing the night sky into the pool. Your head still ached, but enough that you could get some swimming in. You wouldn’t miss this night for the world.

You walk to the side of the pool and before Lou or Reed pulls you in, you jump. There’s a moment when you do so, where the rest of the world disappears, it’s only you, the wind, and the water you're about to plunge into.

The glow sticks leave a path to which you follow, feeling your breathing dissipate as you're pulled into the water, swishing your hair around, wetting the fabric of your bathing suit, and crowding you in cool relief.

It’s the polar opposite of Ari’s warm presence.

You come up for air, swimming to the top of the pool. Lou and Reed are already next to you, splashing from every angle. “What are you five!” You yell, despite doing the same, gathering water in the scoop of your palm and tossing it across your best friend's faces.

For the moment, for the night, you would forget about Ari’s eyes burning into your back, watching as you splash your friends, hearing your laughter fill the pool as it gets lost in the night.

This is purgatory and paradise at once.

Being away from him, but relishing in the memories you're creating.

Both hot and cold.

You sink into the water again, allowing it to swallow all your fears, soon they would come back, you were on after-hour duty. With none other than Ari himself.

👙

All of the adults left hours ago, Lou and Reed went back to their shared cabin, and the Camp Children gathered around the campfire deep in the woods. It was just you and Ari, and the simple task of gathering all of the glowsticks.

You let out a breath, your fingers finding the smudge pain on your hips as you stand over the edge of the pool. The sky is deeper than before, the stars shining bright above you. And the waning crescent moon, hidden beneath crowded clouds.

It was a beautiful night indeed.

“You ready?” Ari’s voice breaks through your head-space, before talking yourself out of it, you turn around. It’s hard not to roam Ari’s body, his tanned abs, his long blond hair, and his beard.

No one could ignore that, no one.

You stomp a foot on instinct. “No one could ignore it” was your excuse for “this man turns me on with just his smile.”

“Yeah.” You squeak, watching Ari’s arms form a perfect dive pattern, jumping into the water with ease. The glow sticks make it visible to you, how easy he glides, picking up each stick as his path goes dark.

You do the same, jumping on the opposite end, with less grace than him. Usually one of the other lifeguards would be doing this, but most went to join the campfire. The pool gets darker and darker as you pick up each glowstick, resurfacing every few seconds for breath. You break from your trance when something hard hits the top of your head, the headache rocking through you with a sharp pain. You know it’s Ari, he must have been going for the glow sticks in the middle of the pool.

“Mama.” Ari resurfaces, watching as you do the same, rubbing the top of your head.

“Are you okay? Goddamn me. I don’t mean to keep hurting you, sweet girl.” Ari’s hair is wet, framing his features perfectly. A dozen glow sticks reside in his palm, matching your own.

“Come here.” He leads you to the very edge of the pool, and although you shout at your body to stop moving, your legs ignore your pleas. The heat grows with every second you spend in lifeguards presence.

You both toss your glow sticks into the basket, as you pool yourself up and out of the pool, water splashing as you turn around to sit on the edge, your legs still in the water. Ari stands in front of you, not exactly between your thighs, but very fucking close to them.

“Does it hurt?” He asks, running a hand over his wet hair, looking to the top of your head.

“I’ll be fine.” You utter, looking away from him. This man will be the death of you. They kick up a little bit of water, watching it swirl at your feet.

“Look at me, mama.” Ari pleads, moving through the water, so close to where your knees touch his chest.

“Please.” It’s almost inaudible, but you catch it, you see the desperation in his eyes,

“Fuck, Ari.”

You don’t even try to talk yourself out of it. You jump back into the pool quickly, water droplets spraying everywhere as you grab the back of Ari’s head, pulling him down to your lips.

He’s surprised at first, but when you groan, feeling the heat of his lips, the way they kiss and wrap you in warmth, he kisses back. Moving you to rest your back against the side of the pool, pushing you gently into the smooth tile.

Ari pulls away first, and the way he looks at you, it seems as though he is fighting with himself. “Sweet girl-”

You bring a finger to his puffy lips, silencing him. “No talking, more kissing”

Ari doesn't pretest, because this time it’s him that’s pressing into you, water grabbing at you both, your tongues intertwining in perfect harmony. You both pull away for air, the buzzing sound of crickets overwhelming you.

“Do you want me here, mama?” Your eyebrows quirked up as your hands still rest in his hair, forever tugging him closer.

“I will take you anywhere, Ari.”

It’s all the permission he needs. His fingers come around to your back, reaching for the tie of your pink bathing suit. Your body racks with anticipation as Ari tugs, and the fabric falls away, revealing your nipples to the cool night air.

His breath heaves as he stares down at you, his eyes locking with the point nubs. He groans. “Your perfect, sweet girl.”

“Fucking perfect”

He dives down, taking a peak into his mouth, and swirling it around his tongue. You arch your back away from the pool tiles, pressing into his hardened cock. The water makes it easier for you two to move, as Ari nurses your breasts, you undo the string of his lifeguard shorts.

He removes his mouth from you with a pop, helping you free himself from the restaurants. Your top and his shorts are thrown with the glow sticks, forgotten. His cock is hard against his chest, even in the water it’s not hard to tell.

His tanned fingers find your bottoms, running over your stomach, until they're stationed at their ties. “You ready, perfect girl?”

Your breath fans, your response is merely a rasp as Ari crowds you, his cock pressing against your stomach. “No.”

“Good”.

The ties snap as he tugs at them, water crowds you, between your legs as your slick folds are exposed to the cool sensation. Ari takes your right leg carefully in his rough palm, lifting it to pin the appendage against the pool tile. He pushed further, his cock lining up at your entrance.

He wants this as much as you do.

“Open for me, sweet girl.”

You part your other leg a bit, leaving enough room for Ari to settle comfortably in between your thighs.

“Doing really good for me, this is going to hurt.” You nod, not caring.

The heat is bubbling, threatening to boil over now and the anticipation is getting irritating. Ari places a kiss against your temple, his beard scratching against your skin as he thrust, pushing the tip of his cock against your folds.

You yelp, grabbing at his bare back, feeling the water around you, paired with his cock dipping inside of you was otherworldly.

“That’s it..” Ari smiles, his unoccupied hand coming up to cradle your face, tilting your head down to where your bodies meet.

“Watch as you take me, mama.”

You do, with both pain and pleasure as Ari inches his cock into you slowly. The reflection of the water enhances his every feature, and the wins of his cock are pulsating with pleasure.

“Good girl, just a little more-” His voice is husky with need but still soft and caring.

It turns you on just the more.

“I’m gonna fill you up, Breathe for me alright?” His words are so filthy yet so… soft.

Caring?

Ari watches you, your eyes still on your pussy, watching it take more of his cock in, feeling the pain as he stretches your walls. You take a deep breath as he asks, and scream when he thrust to the hilt.

“Shh…Good girl.” Ari drags out each syllable as he whispers, his cock buried inside you, as his body fully presses into yours, his hand balancing your pinned leg against the wall.

“Can I move, mama?”

Words do not escape your throat, you just tug at Ari’s hair, clenching around his cock a few times, attempting to adjust. You nod as your lips collide, it silences the scream as he deals his first thrust.

Your heavy breaths fixate on the point of completion, each time Ari drags his cock out of you, more water fills its spot, adding stimulation to your clit. Your fingers wrap around the pool's edge, your eyes snapping shut.

“You take me so well, sweetheart.”

“Don’t worry, I’m gonna get you over that edge.”

Ari’s words make you clench harder, a smile passes his lips as he groans, feeling what he does to you, feeling what you do to him every time his cock pulsates at your tightness.

Your breath speeds up with Ari's thrust, your back arching against the pool tiles as he fucks you deeper into the concrete, making sure your head never hits the ground. The words that come out of your mouth are rushed, but nonetheless true.

“I can’t stop thinking about how perfect we would be together.” You say them with urgency with rush, as if they were slipping from your mind. Ari’s thrust doesn't cease, he only groans, melting against you.

“Me too, sweet girl.”

“Me. Fucking. Too.” Your orgasm is so close, it feels like you're drowning in pleasure. Your nails find safety in Ari’s back, holding onto him for support as his fingers dip into the water, finding your clit and begging to rub.

He knows you're close.

“Come for me, mama. Make a mess on my cock.” Ari echos, his cock fighting the force of the waves he’s making, slamming into you each time, his fingers rubbing faster. You whimper, meeting his thrust with your own attempts, chasing the pleasure. You clench down hard, “There you go…doing so good.”

Your orgasm hits you at full force as Ari pumps his cock, his fingers riding you through it. Until he halts, filling you with his release. The warm feeling settles deep into your stomach.

“Mama.” Ari finishes, you can still feel his cock pulsating inside you, his labored breathing slowing to match your own. Despite the cool water, sweat runs down both of your bodies.

“Your-” He starts, you giggle, deciding to cut the sexual tension. Ari’s brows turn up, waiting to hear what you have to say,

“Hot? Beautiful? Fantastic? Best sex you’ve ever had?”

“Mine” Ari whispers against your lips, shutting you up.

His.

[angelofchaos001]

Meet Shale!

Okay I made a proper introductory post for Shale! (Schist will come once I figure out their design) I'll make them a separate post for all the dialogue I came up with.

some spoilers for the game but not a lot, also tagging time: @doodlebug091 @mellow-mooon @sawyer-is-eepy @a-crawling-chaos (Just poking at my followers/moots who I know like Outer Wilds)

Alright! Let's start the bidding at this beauty of a reference. I know it's got some messy colors and no I don't know which layer the two random dots are on to erase them, but I'm proud because I drew this without needing to reference someone else's posing art. I just used my own arms and legs to figure it out and winged it and it looks like a person. I'm proud.

While we're on the topic, I might as well discuss my thought process for their design. This is Shale when they're not busy exploring dangerous ice asteroids. I tried to make the design look comfortable, and that's the main thought behind it. Shale likes scarves. They like fingerless gloves. They like baggier shorts. They despise long pants. They don't like wearing bright colors. They like grays and browns. It's Shale in their peak of comfort.

And then we've got this one! Also done without a pose reference. I actually did draw a whole spacesuit originally, but then covered it up with that big coat they're wearing. Anyway, Shale's suit is designed to be bulky, thick, insulted, everything they'd need to explore space properly. But to add onto that, they brought the scarf and coat for extra warmth on the Interloper. A lot of their patchwork fixes were done by them on the fly, and they even made their viola case all on their own. Shale uses yellow as their bright coloration because they hate the color orange. They have a ton of rope, ice picks, and grippy boots because they knew they were going to an ice place. And that antennae on their helmet is meant to pick up distant signals, so far it has not picked up anything new.

Now it's time for what nobody came here for, the infodump about their history and personality!

Shale developed a fascination with space at a very young age. Extremely young. All it took was young Shale getting one look through a telescope to become completely obsessed with the idea that they, someday, would join the well-known travelers out there and do something legendary. Sometimes, when things lined up right, Shale got to opportunity to talk to the travelers over radio. They loved hearing stories of Feldspar's glory and dreamed to be immortalized like they were.

Once they were allowed to join Outer Wilds Ventures and start learning how to be an astronaut, Shale wasted no time being both a delight to teach and an absolute headache to watch over. Whenever they weren't learning or doing their part in the village (Shale helped keep the observatory clean), they were working on their own little project. With some help from Slate, they attempted to make a jetpack just like the spacesuits had. They got precisely two attempts at this before they were shut down, but the first attempt went off mostly fine. Despite the device not working, Shale landed mostly safely in the water and their only injuries were some scrapes and a sprained ankle.

Shale never stopped writing new ideas, but didn't physically attempt any more jetpacks for a while. Instead, they focused on studying and getting closer to the other trainees they were learning alongside. They did grow close to the protagonist, and another recruit named Tin, though weren't able to click as well with the slightly older hearthians, Schist and Bismuth. Most of their time was still spent with their mentors, but whenever hatchling wasn't working with Hal on the translator, Shale liked to be around them.

When they were a little older and nearing the end of their training, Shale made their second attempt at the jetpack, and came out with a promising result. However, this attempt went far poorer than the previous one. For one, they moved the attempt location to avoid being caught by anyone, sneaking away to some of the further-out geysers with Tin (in case something impossibly went wrong). They even snuck a spacesuit (yoinked from the Zero-G cave), since their plan was to launch from a geyser and leave the planet, just for a moment (They didn't take the jetpack there because the entire point here was testing theirs).

The plan went smoothly, with Shale indeed getting launched from the geyser and coming close to leaving the orbit of the planet, except for the part where their jetpack failed. Catastrophically. It actually exploded on their back, pretty much destroying the "borrowed" suit, but more critically, burning Shale badly. Luckily, they had brought someone else with them, so Tin was able to (try and) catch them so the fall wouldn't kill 'em and then get help for them.

Shale got taken to be medically treated, and everyone agrees they're incredibly lucky to have survived as well as they did. In spite of the massive burns, the suit protected them from the worst of it and it was really only their back that got hurt severely. While the smaller burns along their neck and arms healed fine, much of their back burns scarred and took a lot of time and effort to heal.

So. Obviously Shale got in massive trouble.

Such trouble that not only did they move their launch date back (both for recovery reasons and punishment reasons) significantly, but the others considered forcing Shale out of the space program. In the end, Shale was allowed to stay a recruit as long as they 1) Did not try that again 2) Agreed not to sneak around again 3) Helped repair the suit they'd broken and 4) Spent some time after healing not being in the program (think getting suspended). While in this suspension period, Shale got to watch Schist launch off, still fantasizing about that being them.

Shortly after Schist was Bismuth, and as Shale's own launch date approached they were eager. Tin launched a few days before their own, and so Shale spent a lot of time reassuring them that it'd be fine and they'd do great things. Eventually, it was finally Shale's turn. After camping with Slate (and having an amazing conversation about 'Why did you do the stupid thing' - 'Why did you let me do the stupid thing'), they set off for their ambition: The Interloper. They were determined to find out where it came from.

This ambition proved harder than they'd thought, but it didn't deter Shale from their goal. They became an avid studier of ghost matter by extension of their Interloper studies, and theorized a lot about what happened to the core of the asteroid and it's origins. They also spent some time studying how to make ships designed for deep space, hoping that the frozen Nomai ship they found on the asteroid could hold the answer for that.

Some time later, Tin sent everyone frantic radio messages to come back to Timber Hearth and that they'd discovered something new. Tin desperately tried to explain how they'd found a new hidden spinning disk thing, but as time passed with Tin being unable to provide real evidence, Hearthians began dismissing their claims. Shale was one of the last to give up on Tin's ideas, but eventually waved them off as mad like everyone else. They feel bad for Tin and their situation, but don't disagree with their grounding and truly believe their friend went a little crazy.

After that, some time passed, and then we hit the events of the game. They did radio Hatchling plenty of reassuring words before their launch, though!

[daziechane]

Consent, autonomy, kids, and ourselves

Not gonna lie, it's going to get weird for the next few years. "Grab 'em by the pussy" will not only be locker room talk but the law of the land. It's time to prepare and protect our kids and ourselves.

But how?

Register your kids, ALL YOUR KIDS, and yourselves for an OWL class.

Our Whole Lives is a series of six comprehensive sexuality curricula for children, teenagers, young adults and adults published by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries.[1][2] Publication was the result of seven years of collaborative effort by the two faiths to prepare material which addresses sexuality throughout the lifespan in age-appropriate ways.

The Our Whole Lives program operates under the idea that well informed youth and young adults make better, healthier decisions about sexuality than those without complete information. OWL strives to be unbiased and teaches about heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, and transgender sexual health. In addition to information on sex, OWL is intended to help children, youth, and adults to be emotionally healthy and responsible in terms of their sexuality.[3] (x)

TL;DR: OWL is a comprehensive, lifespan sexuality education curriculum that promotes healthy, informed, and inclusive attitudes about sexuality, relationships, and identity. Designed for various age groups, OWL emphasizes self-worth, sexual health, responsibility, and justice in a values-based framework.

Lifespan you say? So, you're teaching little kids about condoms and anal?

No, you eejit. Each curriculum approaches topics differently based on the age of participants. The K-1 curriculum, for example, looks at bodily autonomy, family, trusted adults, and that a sperm, egg, and uterus are required to make a baby.[6][7] The curriculum for older adults, on the other hand, might discuss aging, disability, dating as an older person, and body image.[7] (x)

But it's religious and I'm not.

Look- I'm a heathen, and proudly so. And I'm a trained OWL facilitator. This curriculum is designed to be offered with a liberal religious component or without. Find one that works for you. There's no proselytizing, no guilt, no judgement.

I have a ton of kids; how do I know which class is best for each one?

Each of the seven curricula speak to participants' needs, by age group: - grades K-1 - grades 4-6 - grades 7-9 - grades 10-12 - young adults - adults - older adults (x)

I don't want someone else teaching my kids sex ed. I'll be able to handle it when it comes.

OWL is designed to augment what you teach your kids. In fact, one of the things that each class starts with is an adult orientation that affirms parents and guardians as their children's primary sexuality educators.

I already know everything.

No. You don't. Trust.

I'm not in the USA. What is there for me and my family?

There are Unitarian Universalist organizations in Europe that may offer OWL. OWL has been offered in the Philippines. I don't know about elsewhere, but I'd be happy to help you find something if you're outside the US. If nothing else, you can download the Books and Media Recommendation list and start the discussion with your kids yourself.

I'm still unsure.

That's ok. Here's a short video that will give you an idea of how topics are presented, even to the little ones:

I'm not telling you how to raise your kids or how to act as your own grown-ass adult. I am suggesting that we're all going to need all the tools in our toolboxes to make it through the next few years and the rest of our lives. Here are some more for you to use.

Let me know if you have any questions. I want to help.

[sevilemar]

If you're a GM, and a player asks you for a 'go out in a blaze of glory' ending in the final boss fight, do everyone a favour and say no. Because it does not work. The medium of ttrpg is not made for pre-made stories like that.

If it happens organically at the table, and you all lean into it in the moment, it's such a great experience for everyone. But if you try to force it, plan it beforehand and try to make it part of the design, it just falls flat and feels wrong.

For those of you who follow me, you know that this request from one of my players was what gave me the most headaches in planning my final boss fight. It felt weird from the start, but it was my first campaign as a GM, and her first time in an rpg ever, and I thought I'd at least try.

Here's why it didn't work for us:

- Communication. Turns out the player had quite a specific image in her head, but I understood it in broader terms. She wanted to look bbeg in the eyes and have a shootout, killing each other. I heard 'I want my character to sacrifice herself, enabling the other party members to kill bbeg because of it'.

- I do not control my PCs. Once I set the scene and combat starts, I relinquish most of the control to my players and the dice. I do not know if they will go for the things I think they will go for, or who will do what where. Sure, you can lead them by the way you describe things, but not to the degree that you'll need for something pre-planned like this.

In this case, it went like this: The players killed my distractions way sooner than anticipated, so they were free to concentrate on the bbeg way sooner than I thought. And another PC decided to help the one on a suicide mission, since that's what players do in a situation like this. And before I could offer the suicide PC their blaze of glory moment, the other PC did the last hefty bit of damage necessary with a lucky shot, and I was bound by the rules I had already established to let it happen.

And so the suicide PC still died while doing the lion share of helping their friends take out bbeg as the player wanted, but it was by the hand of a party member, and there was no fanfare about it, and their death could have easily been prevented if they hadn't played to loose. It felt very contrary to the spirit of these kind of fights, and it does not sit right with me.

- Someone else had prior claim to the kill shot. My bbeg had personal beef with another PC, because she killed her mentor. That was the reason the party got together in the first place, and that was also why I wanted that PC to get the final shot if at all possible. If not, that's the game, too.

- Exhaustion. We had been playing for close to 5 hours by that point, all of which I had spent juggling a ton of henchmen and monster stats and strategies, made some up on the fly because my players went through them way too easily, while trying to keep the pace up and the tension escalating, coming up with rulings on the fly for the weird shit my players did, at one point directing a whole cavern full of monster's and NPC's, and remembering the history which my bbeg was taunting the players with verbally because I wanted them to have that information.

Plainly speaking, I was exhausted. And when I get tired like that, I get quiet. Now, that's not a good thing for a GM, who creates stories with words, and it certainly did not help me with making her death as meaningful as I could. I think I did OK, but I missed one crucial thing, which was giving her a glimpse that her sacrifice had worked. I wish I had done it, and I will definitely do it if I am in that situation again. And when I get together with the player next, I will offer to re-do it if she wants.

I'm gonna talk it over with the player one-on-one, see what she thinks about all of it. But I wanted to put this here as well, so you have a chance to learn from my experience as well.

[kitkatopinions]

I love the whole “their clothes are made out of Kevlar” thing because

1 that did so much for Weiss, clover, penny, and any other character that’s ever been stabbed, seriously the kevlar theyre buying has to be cheap

2 even IF it was Kevlar, the second most of the female characters in rwby get stabbed/shot on the chest it’s over for them

Like, Kevlar isn’t a magic shield, it still has to cover something to protect it

Yep, it's a defense that works on zero levels. Like not only is it (as far as I know) a headcanon with absolutely no canonical backing, it also does not make sense for Kevlar as we understand it to be super tight and form fitting. And not only is Kevlar as we know it not going to be effective against anything but bullets, but we don't even have the excuse of it being 'actually super special in-universe Kevlar that's works on more stuff' because we've seen spears and claws and arrows go right through the clothes hunter characters wore. And not only does Kevlar only work when it's actually covering the body whereas tons of female characters are designed with skin exposed even in areas that would crucially need protection like the stomach and chest, but it STILL doesn't matter at all ANYWAY, because the clear difference between how the majority of men in the show are designed versus how the majority of women are designed is STILL a problem.

IF we ignore canon and the logical conclusions that come from knowing the misogynistic fratboy like behavior of the early creators/writers of RWBY, and turn our brains off enough to pretend that Yang's short-shorts and low-cut croptop is actually some super magical kind of Remnant Kevlar that manages to grant her a full body extra shield against weapons... It STILL begs the question of why the writers chose to design men and women so differently- not just in regards to clothes, but also in regards to muscle-growth, and also in regards to how age is shown in male characters more than female characters (who tend to be designed to look just like the teenage girls.) Saying 'well the reason so many girls can wear short skirts and have boob windows is that their outfits are kevlar' doesn't mean anything when the real question is actually 'why are the majority of the female characters dressed in impractical or revealing clothes whereas the majority of men AREN'T?'

The Kevlar thing (which by the way, I have no idea who said it, it was just something I saw my friends talk about and share pics of) is just another excuse that doesn't actually work.

[doodle-do-wop]

You said you have lore that you made up LMAO might I know some of it?

YES YOU MAY!!!

You get Team V lore this time my friend and here it is:

Team V stays an established and functioning Team past (god knows what shannon is up to) and since the Council sends them off to meet with powerful people sometimes as part of their assignments and its not exactly the 'put together' look they wanna give when the address to meet the Team is Sophie's backyard full of screeching animals so the Council builds Team Valiant an official building in Eternalia called The Animus Sanctum (no the team did not get a say in the name mostly cause Emery didn't wanna deal with another round of 'The Council can't pick cool names so the teenagers call it the Stinky Dino Hut or something')

The Animus Sanctum is part Team Valiant headquarters part sick ass hangout spot for the team. Its got a very showy entrance, a glamourous meeting room fit with a pentagon table that seats all five of the team's members (four normal chairs with a custom diamond shaped panel displaying the color and animal for each respective member....and one Stina sized chair with the same stuff just specifically built for someone with Stina's legs because the girl is just short of being Goblin height), a library full of books, smaller meeting rooms more suited for sitting with important people and chatting(or just inviting a friend over and hanging out), as well as a healing station (yes that was added in because Sophie's on the team), there are livable spaces inside that are more homey as its expected that sometimes their work as regents will keep them very busy at the Animus Sanctum so they'd need the kitchen, living room, etc around.

The third floor of the building actually has bedrooms for each member of the Team to sleep in if they stay the night for whatever reason (not wanting to leap home so late, needing a bed to crash etc), and each bedroom has a lock on it (yes the lick strip locks, Sophie hated it and very much protested the design) and like the chairs have a color below the lock representing which room is which member's (similar to the chairs Stina's whole room had to have custom furniture because once again, the girl is built different)

The first two floors of the building can technically be accessed by anyone but there are guards posted to the building and the other two floors (its four full floors total plus an extra little floor that has the leapmaster) can only be accessed by Team Valiant members as the doors will unlock so long as they have their team pendants and lick the lock.

They have a training area but that's not part of the building at all, its a separate location that doesn't have any special name besides 'the training grounds' and its mostly just used for Team Valiant team building exercises that require more space than just the Sanctum.

The bedrooms weren't personalized when built(beyond custom furntire), that was up to the individual team members to pick how they decorated their rooms but if you go into Dex's room you'd think you just walked through a portal to his actual bedroom in Rymshire.

(there's tons more lore like the collection cards but thats a post for another lore dump)

[alexissara]

Play Thirsty Sword Lesbians

So on bird app I talked about how many community copies of Thirsty Sword Lesbians there was and now 100s of people have claimed community copies of the game [Note Community Copies are free copies of PDFs which are on many itch.io TTRPGs and even community made TSL playbooks]. Since a ton more people now have access to my favorite game and one I've worked on for every edition so far as well as making a fan playbook, I wanted to talk about what is special about the system, what makes me love it so much, and why you might want to give it a try.

Thirsty Sword Lesbians is a simple game to understand but it refines even the most simple parts of it's design to make a better experience. In Thirsty Sword Lesbian's there is no failure or success. You roll d26 plus your modifier then you are either given a down beat, a mixed beat, or an upbeat. None of these mean you did what you intended. You can have a down beat where you knocked out the guard you had been trying to knock out but it turns out she was your girlfriends sister and without the context she just witnessed you assaulting her family. You may get an upbeat trying to do something and trip and fall and end up landing perfectly knocking away the sacred stone that the villain needs to turn the world into skeletons, with witnesses now thinking your amazing where in truth you have never quite been good at this.

Playbooks are designed with great intentionality to them each is designed with an emotional conflict at the heart. Where classes and playbooks can often be more like picking your powerset, in TSL your picking a struggle. It's not that other things might not be also bothering you but the conflict is something internally you are dealing with that's standing above the rest of the other conflicts you might have. This is an element that just feels very queer, we all have our problems, our traumas, and we work through them together. Each playbook also has a core mechanic that makes it stand out from the others, these have a narrative weight and a textual weight. These core mechanics typically take the form as some advantageous ability but are also deeply rooted in your conflict. They encourage you as a player to roleplay just by using the most basic aspect of your character.

I have to be real though, the thing that first made me fall head over heels with Thirsty Sword Lesbians was how funny and cool the adventures were. When I was reading the playtest version of the game, before I was brought on to write Yuisa Revolution and later The Matriarch, I was just playing a one shot and thought the name sounded fun. I read Best Day Of Their Life and just knew, this game was gonna be utterly my shit. At first I was just skimming like I do with most TTRPGs at first glance, but I read the first couple lines of the setting and I decided "fuck, I have to read all of this." I read the whole thing, made a character for my one shot and right after that session signed up to run multiple one shots of the game so others could get to play it because I loved it so much.

I don't normally like to play in premade settings but each of these are simple enough to really build on with enough going on that made it easier to run if you didn't want to get super creative and make a bunch of new shit. It really made me fall in love with setting writing in a way I just didn't before. I had gotten asked to work on Mutants and Master Minds before I TSL but I thought it was so boring working on the setting I quit and left money on the table. However, when April approached me to write a setting, I said yes, right away, no hesitation and now I work in TTRPG design. I had done TTRPG design work before but I wasn't locked in after quitting comics, it was how exciting the settings were that got me so inspired to create.

While many refer to Thirsty Sword Lesbians as a Powered By The Apocalypse game and by all means it is in a lot of senses, I think Powered By Lesbians is a very distinct flavor. It cuts out everything bad about PBTA and adds so much to the table. Chiefly among them is the smitten mechanic which is a mechanic I wish like every game had. It is one of the most clever pieces of game design ever convinced of. Being smitten has you do a moment of dramatic introspection, while I am one for more bright and cheery and less drama focused stuff, it's amazingly juicy hooks for a GM to get into. It not only allows you to put out your characters personal doubts about a potential relationship but it also says to the GM and everyone playing "I like this character, I want to see more of them, I want to explore where this goes." It's also in addition a way for players to tell each other "I want to be romantic with your character" and if they chose to get smitten back it's mechanically saying without even needing an out of game chat "Let's roleplay some romance."

Thirsty Sword Lesbians is really something special, I could gush on and on but already a lot given I worked on it and am currently working on it but I just wanted to talk about why the system is special to me. I hope I got you interested and I don't make any royalties on TSL sales [yet] so like I am not really biased here outside of the pages I worked on and that I made friends with a lot of folks who worked on it over my time working on it and after. Go clash swords and cross hearts.

[snailmail444]

Boo! I'm being nosy!!

2, 6, 15, 32, 38, 42, aaaaaand 50 (is there something you wish your mutuals knew about you?)!

2 Well if we’re talking food wise I would pick Pepsi over Cheetos. HOWEVER in terms of color it is Cheetos bag orange ALL the way I am having an orange love era rn. I think it’s a really fine nice color to play with :3

6 oooh well in terms of SDV I stay on discord with @maylilithreign @birdielouwho and @beegyoshiwitdaheat and I love you of course moot @hopefuloverfury there are more beloved blogs and mutuals but I don’t wanna notify a billion people so we’ll keep that list short LOL

In terms of NOT SDV we’ve got my beloved. My favorite. Bee @pbflutist love you hiiiiiii

15 Weirdest would probably be appendicitis. I had it for uhh. Too long. Perhaps. And when I say too long I mean like a month. It was chronic appendicitis and I was really sick for a decent chunk of time with that one lol. My favorite two truths and a lie factoid

32 I’m a pencil person I need to be able to ERASE!! Chronically misspelling shit lol

38 THIS ONE is a joke with bee that was basically that I would send her smut via snail mail (printed out and sent through the US postal system). And then the 444 is simply. A vibe.

42 Earphones for life. Same me earphones. Earphones save me. I work in a cubical with other people around so I gotta be able to listen to my nonsense in peace lol.

50 What I want moots to know. The biggest thing that I don’t always say but isn’t necessarily a secret is that in my day life I’m actually a graphic designer/illustrator. I don’t draw a whole ton in my free time but it’s the other half of my creative passion. It’s a little funny because most of the people in my writing sphere don’t know that I make art, and most people in my day to day life don’t know that I write. Sort of creative double life I guess. I’m super passionate about it though! I especially love graphic design and then illustration when I have time is wonderful. If I can ever get my shit together I really want to make a comic so that I can bash my passions into one big creation. Just gotta actually. You know. Do it. lol

I should draw more. I always say that but it’s true. If anybody ever missed it this is my favorite piece of art I’ve made for the fandom.

LOVE YOU MOOT SO HAPPY TO SER YOU MOOT 💞💞💞💞💞

[snowblack-charcoalwhite]

Do you think that HotD creators are trying to recreate certain moments, quotes and even characters from GoT? I've seen this mentioned many times and I cannot say I disagree in general . For example, Daenerys imagery through Rhaenyra, Daemon being introduced in a Jaime Lannister style, sitting on the throne, too cool for the rules... Then smallfolk riots in KL with Helaena and Alicent in Sansa's role, certain one liners, the dagger and the prophecy ... There are many examples, really. I also saw a great analysis here about which characters (don't remember the creator now) from GoT they're trying to revive, e. g. Ned Stark with Viserys, Jon Snow with Jace, Dany with Rhaenyra, Jaime with Daemon, Littlefinger with Otto... I don't think these people are wrong, there is definitely certain aspirations from hotd writes to try and imitate some aspects of GOT because they see it as a recipe for success, and that's not necessarily a bad thing but is something they need to be careful with. The Dance should be be a whole new and different story and not a bunch of callbacks and references to another show. Anyway, have you noticed this or you disagree? Are there storylines and characters in hotd that seem to be types we already seen in GoT (some of the most mentioned are Daemon-Jaime, Rhaenyra - Dany Otto - Littlefinger, Larys - Varys, Aegon - Robert and Joffrey, Aemond - Ramsay (especially if they go with book accurate version from s2 onward). I disagree with most of these comparisons and I believe they are more fan inventions than necessarily something that the writers wanted to convey, but there are reasons for these parallels and I would like to hear what do you think.

Love your blog btw.

Hello! Thank you for the ask - and for the compliment:) And my apologies for the delay with answering.

In my opinion, HotD is definitely making callbacks (and a lot of them) to GoT - and the main reason for that is, as you said yourself, their reliance on the fame (and overall success - even taking into account the significant decrease in quality in later seasons) of the original show. And they are not alone in this: today a lot of ambitious media projects are sequels, prequels, remakes etc. of some successful, or even iconic, media created in the past years. I am definitely not against this on principle: for me the problems begin when a project is clearly being designed to either evoke a feeling of nostalgia or simply milk the popularity of the original media while lacking the actual quality itself.

As for the Rhaenyra - Daenerys parallel, I think that HotD is definitely going there intentionally in their desire to "atone" in some way for the way the latter was treated in season 8 of GoT after getting tons of fanhate for making a villain out of a female character (and not realizing that at least half of the complaints were about how poorly it was done and not even about the fact itself). And this is how we got a Rhaenyra who can't even order Vaemond's execution herself.

As for the other parallels - well, the imagination can run wild there. IMO Otto resembles Littlefinger just with the general scheming thing (he has always seemed more Tywin Lannister-ish to me) - and ASOIAF world definitely doesn't lack schemers. Aemond and Ramsay? Once again, the similarities are extremely superficial, as in both of them committing acts of cruelty - but Aemond wasn't a sadist, for starters, and, once again, there are A LOT of cruel characters doing cruel things in that universe. Aegon - Joffrey comparison doesn't work for me either (I addressed it in one of my earlier posts). The most ridiculous one, as I see it, is the Ned Stark - Viserys one. Comparing a man whose life was basically all about making hard decisions (which he did based on what he deemed to be right and honorable) to one who never had the guts to make even one and allowed his selfishness, weakness and self-pity to guide him which basically led to civil war that laid the foundation for the fall of his house? Nice try, guys.

Are the showrunners going for all the above mentioned parallels intentionally though? It seems to be the case with Aegon if we go by their own words; it might be the case with the rest of them judging by some of the official HBO Instagram stuff dropped earlier this week. Although, between HBO SM accounts messing up Vhagar's gender and posting a photo of Beyonce in all-black outfit with a caption along the lines of "Queen Bee has chosen the side", I don't even know what kind of professionals even run these accounts anymore.

Once again, thank you for the interesting ask, and all the best to you!

[crowskulls-art-and-fandoms]

Christmas at Tidmouth

(eyyy, I did it. First fic I've finished in a long time. Hope you enjoy it, happy holidays. 💕🎄🎁)

Christmas Eve on Sodor, and the Tidmouth household is bustling as the engineers prepare for a get together. Edward and James are working hard in the kitchen. Edward dipped a wooden spoon into the pot of stew, tasting it.

“Mm.. Not quite ready..”

He looks over and sees James pull the ham out of the oven, his nose scrunched up in discomfort as the heat of the oven hit his face. But he toughed it out. Pulling the dish out of the oven and setting it on the island counter, then he took the casserole and quickly put it in the oven after, closing the door before turning back to the counter and getting the aluminum foil to cover the ham so it stays warm for later. After that was done, he paused and sighed dramatically.

“Shouldn't we ask for some help from the others..?”

Edward asked, and James huffed.

“Nope, I don't trust any of them in this kitchen, and they have a ton of stuff they need to do to get the party ready. I just need everyone to stay out of the kitchen and out of my way-”

James added with a frustrated tone, but his expression softened when he heard Edward's little chuckle.

“What am I then?”

“The exception.”

James replied confidently, and slightly flirty, and he immediately calmed down. Edward’s smile grew warmly and he looked back to the stove. Straining a bit to reach the dishes on the back burners. The various vegetable options all looked great, almost ready. Then Edward stepped back and looked through the glass of the oven in front of him, multiple trays of Christmas cookies he had put in a bit ago. Right on time, the timer on his phone went off and it was time to take them out. He turned off the alarm then retrieved his oven mitts from the drawer. He opened the oven, stepping back a moment to avoid the wave of heat, then he leaned back in to get the trays.

“James, can you make sure there's some extra room on the counter for these?”

“Sure thing.”

And James moved any dish towels or dishes on the countertops, allowing Edward to take the cookie trays out of the oven and set them down. There were about five trays to make sure there's enough for everyone. James took up the counter space left so he could finish the salad bowl. Edward checked the stuff on the stove one more time to make sure it wasn't burning before he turned his attention to the hoard of freshly made cookies. There were multiple kinds; chocolate chip, oatmeal, nut, and Christmas decorated sugar cookies. Edward took a paper plate and began fanning the trays to cool them down faster so that he could plate them and put the trays away. It didn't take long for them to cool off enough to be moved. Edward got the ornate Christmas plates and placed the cookies very nicely on them, then he put the finished product in the dining room, on the designated dessert table with the other sweet dishes. He returned to the kitchen and went straight to the stove to turn off the burners, stirring the different pots then letting them sit to enhance the flavors. He leaned against the island with a sigh, taking the moment of calm to relax.

He glanced to the side when he noticed James coming out of the dining room, chocolate chip cookie in hand. Edward let out a soft chuckle.

“James, those are for later!”

He said light heartedly, James immediately smiling.

“C'mon, Eddie, you know I can't resist your cooking.”

He teased, meeting Edward on the other side of the island. He leaned his hip against it then broke the cookie in half, offering a piece to Edward. Edward accepted and gently took it from James' hand, taking a bite. He couldn't help but laugh a bit when he saw James eat the whole half in one bite, groaning softly with satisfaction.

“I swear, you're the best cook I know. Well.. Not better than my mom but still, heh. Might even be better than me.”

“Hehe, thank you, James. That's very sweet of you.”

Edward smiled, and James smirked.

“Well… Not as sweet as you..”

James purred, his smile widening when he noticed Edward's cheeks turn pink.

“Awe, James..”

Edward cooed and leaned closer to him, James warmly wrapped his arm around his waist.

“Merry Christmas, Edward..”

“Merry Christmas, James..”

The moment was quiet and comforting as the two stood together. Then they flinched as they were interrupted by a loud bang from the living room, and Gordon yelling.

“Thomas, we told you we need this furniture out of the way while we're getting stuff from the attic!!”

“Sorry, Gordon!”

Edward sighed.

“Oh boy…”

Meanwhile in the sitting room, Gordon and Henry were struggling a bit to keep balance with the large Christmas tree in their arms. Thomas and Nia rushed to try to move chairs out of their way so that they could get it down the stairs, Percy cleared a spot near the TV then moved so that they could set it down. Gordon grunted and stretched his arms when they finally had it in place. Emily was making her way down the stairs with her arms full of Christmas light rolls, Toby coming down behind her with the box of ornaments.

“Why do we always wait until Christmas Eve to put everything up?”

Toby asked.

“We never had the time because of work, so we've just gotten into the routine of doing it all on Christmas Eve before the party.”

Emily replied, handing Henry a roll of lights for him to hang up.

“Do we still need to do it all on Christmas Eve though? Our schedules are different now, we have the time to do it earlier.”

Gordon groaned as he plugged in the Christmas tree, its lights turning on and casting a beautiful glow around the room.

“It’s kind of fun! All of the hustle and bustle and doing everything together, it's like our own family tradition.”

Nia responded. Gordon couldn't help but smile.

“I guess you're right..”

Thomas and Nia pushed the chairs and sofa into the right places, moving the coffee table in correspondence, just in time for Gordon to sit down for a bit. Toby took up the job of putting the ornaments on the tree, Emily and Henry lining the lights on the stair railing and shelving, Henry lining the edges of the ceiling. James and Edward came into the living room after finishing up in the kitchen.

“Everything looks great in here!”

Edward beamed.

“Surprising, after hearing that ruckus a minute ago.”

James teased, Thomas rolling his eyes.

“Soooorry, we can't all be as perfect as you.”

Thomas snarked, but James just smirked.

“A shame, isn't it?”

He laughed a bit. Edward lightly elbowed him.

“Come on, no arguing, it's Christmas Eve.”

Edward stepped around the sofa and sat down, sighing softly. Gordon leaned back and relaxed, almost dozing off after a few minutes, until he jerked awake from sudden noise.

“I found the board games!”

Percy shouted from down the hall. Gordon just groaned and rubbed his eyes. Edward patted his shoulder comfortingly. Percy happily came into the room with a couple boxes in his arms. James cringed a bit.

“We really have that many board games..?”

“What's wrong with having a lot of board games?”

Percy sat the boxes down and sat on the floor, taking out every game and stacking them up next to him.

“Is it really necessary for a household to have like twenty board games??”

James pressed. Percy rolled his eyes.

“Twenty-three. And yes, it's good to have a lot of options, especially for the holidays!”

James just scoffed and smoothed his hair back.

“Sounds just foolish.”

“You sound just foolish.”

“I do not!”

Edward rubbed his temple as James and Percy bickered.

“James, can you start taking the food to the dining room, please?”

“No problem.”

James said with a suspicious smile.

“And don't eat all of the cookies!”

Edward yelled after him, hearing a groan of annoyance from James. Edward leaned back with a sigh, sweet silence once again. Then he opened his eyes and looked around, and smiled. The room sparkling with lights, the sounds of small chatter and decorations being hung up. And soon soft music started playing as Nia had put on one of the records. Edward loved this feeling, and it seemed Gordon did too as Edward caught him smiling a bit. Edward placed his hand on Gordon's.

“Y'know, every year you say you find Christmas irritating… Still think that..?”

Gordon was silent for a while, looking around, and he didn't notice how his expression warmed at the joyful sight. Especially seeing his little brother so happy. Edward just smiled and patted Gordon's shoulder.

“Merry Christmas, Gordon..”

He said softly, and Gordon looked at him.

“Merry Christmas.. Dad..”

Across the room, Nia was placing little figurine decorations on the shelves and hanging up the tinsel. Then she heard James call to her.

“Hey, Nia! Can you give me a hand with this?!”

“Sure thing, James!”

She finished up what she was doing then went to the kitchen to help James set everything up.

“Can you get the table set up?”

“No problem. Do you need any help with the food?”

“I got it for now. I'll let you know if I need help though.”

“Okay.”

Nia turned away, but James placed his hand on her shoulder.

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

James pulled her closer and rustled her hair.

“Merry Christmas, girly.”

He teased and Nia laughed.

“Hahah! Merry Christmas to you too, James.”

She leaned in and gave him a strong hug before they finally parted and got back to work. Nia retrieved the tablecloth, napkins and table decorations from the closet, placing everything perfectly. Her and James perfectly weaved between each other as he brought in the platters and she went to get the plates and utensils. The plates sat on their respective napkins, the silverware placed neatly. She double checked everything, crossing off her mental checklist, and stepped back with an accomplished sigh as she beholded her work. Then she caught sight of James trying to sneak into the chocolate cake.

“Get out of that!”

She ordered with a small laugh. James groaned and sat the glass dome back down.

“Come on, just one piece!”

“You have to wait until after dinner!”

James crossed his arms with a huff.

“I made half the damn dinner, I should get to have some dessert before it.”

He grumbled, and Nia nudged him playfully.

“Let's get you out of here before the sweets mysteriously disappear.”

She joked. Her and James left the dining room into the kitchen to prepare the beverages, the last thing to make and then everything for dinner is done and ready. Meanwhile in the sitting room, Gordon was still sitting on the couch, his joints getting the best of him as he groaned in pain. Edward tried to help a bit by soothingly squeezing his knee. Henry paused what he was doing as he saw Gordon's plight. He thought for a moment then quickly went upstairs, retrieving Gordon's arthritis medicine from his room then coming back downstairs. Edward noticed what Henry was doing and reached over to pick up the cup of water from the side table, holding it to Gordon. Soon Henry sat down on the other side next to Gordon.

“What are you two doing..?”

He asked, Henry sighed quietly.

“Your arthritis is flaring up, I can tell. You should take your meds.”

He said, and Gordon grumbled, begrudgingly taking the pill bottle from Henry's hand.

“Did you eat lunch?”

Edward asked. And Gordon's silence said everything. Edward's expression faltered.

“Gordon..”

“What?? I just wasn't hungry, it's not a big deal!”

Gordon rebutted, quickly taking his medication and taking a few swigs of water, sighing heavily afterwards. He tensed up a bit feeling a hand on his thigh, Henry's expression concerned but still affectionate.

“You'll eat a full meal tonight, right..?”

Gordon was hesitant, but his expression softened and he sighed.

“Yes..”

“Promise..?”

“... I promise..”

Henry smiled, and Edward smiled as well. Then his smile turned sly and he stood up.

“I'm going to see how Nia and James are doing.”

He said before walking around the sofa and into the kitchen, leaving Henry and Gordon on the couch. Gordon suddenly felt his cheeks warm and his shoulders tensed. He cleared his throat and Henry laughed quietly. He laid his arm on the back of the couch around Gordon, which only made him turn more red. Henry looked around the room, seeing Emily finish up the tree decorations while Toby was picking up and putting away the boxes. Thomas and Percy were sitting on the floor, both equally excited about all of the board game options, talking about the movies they could watch, good snacks to have. Henry couldn't help but smile as he watched them, and he noticed Gordon was smiling too. Henry chuckled softly and nuzzled against Gordon's hair.

“You look nice tonight…”

He murmured, Gordon shocked by the sudden compliment.

“O-oh- uh… Th-thank you..? Um… You look nice too..”

He awkwardly replied, trying to hide the grin on his face, but Henry saw right through it. Then he slowly removed himself and stood up, adjusting his sweater. Gordon looked at him with a questioning gaze.

“Can I show you something?”

“Uh.. Sure.”

Gordon stood up, grunting a bit, though his joint pain was fading a bit and he felt better than he did a minute ago. He followed Henry out of the living room to one of the hallways.

“What'd you want to show me?”

Gordon asked as Henry stopped and turned to him, gently taking his hands. He glanced upward, and Gordon followed his gaze. Turning bright red when he saw the mistletoe hanging above them. His gaze met Henry's again, Henry couldn't help but laugh a bit at the deer in headlights expression on Gordon's face. He brought one of his hands up and gently caressed Gordon's cheek, and Gordon relaxed a bit more, leaning into Henry's hand. Henry's expression warmed as he gazed in awe. Then he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Gordon's forehead. The two slowly embraced, basking in each other's comfort. Henry didn't need a full kiss, this moment was more than enough for him. They decided to step away from the preparations for a bit, given they finished everything they needed to.

Back in the sitting room, Thomas and Percy placed all of the board games in a neat stack by the sofa for later. Percy went and got the coffee table decorations. Just a couple figurines and the candle display, placing them neatly, almost obsessively trying to make them symmetrical. He leaned back and squinted, trying to make sure it was right.

“Hey, Thomas, does this look right to you?”

“Does what look right?”

“The coffee table stuff, I'm trying to make it perfect.”

“Hmmm..”

Thomas examined it for a moment. Then he rearranged them a bit.

“Wh- what are you doing-?”

“There is such a thing as being too perfect. It shouldn't look so.. Static. More casual. See? Like this.”

He leaned back and held his hand towards it in presentation of the display. Percy looked at it for a moment and tilted his head curiously.

“Oh, you're right, that does look better.”

Percy looked around, seeing the decorations the others put up. He smiled, everything was just so beautiful. Then his expression fell once he remembered something, then he jumped up.

“The presents! We need to get the presents!”

“Oh, crap, you're right!”

Then the two rushed off down the hall to the big closet to retrieve the gift boxes. Toby couldn't help but laugh a bit and Emily shook her head lightheartedly.

“Told you they forgot.”

She said with a soft chuckle. Then Toby looked to her.

“Will Caitlin be coming tonight?”

He asked.

“No, she's in London with family for Christmas, we'll do something special together sometime this week though.”

Emily replied, helping Toby place ornaments on the tree where he couldn't quite reach.

“That's nice, hope you two have a good time.”

“Thank you, Toby. Suppose we'll just have the usual rowdy crowd coming over.”

“Heh, yeah, the twins always seem to get riled up during the holidays.”

Toby replied, he and Emily shared a small laugh at the memory of how excited the twins tend to get at the party, especially Donald. They always got super competitive with each other with the games, Douglas was always the one to hold more of a grudge when he lost. Regardless of who won any of the board games they'd always have a drinking contest after to determine the ‘real winner’. They'd always get equally hammered and it was always a random chance of who'd pass out first and be declared the loser. At least in recent years the drinking games have toned down a bit, now just to who can finish a certain amount of drinks in the shortest amount of time. Donald was the most frequent winner of this game, and Duck always seemed to say scandalous jokes about why that was. Regardless it was all in good fun. It was a good idea to keep Gordon away from the alcohol though, he always got really moody and whiny when he was drunk. Everyone can recall the times he'd fall asleep on the couch after drinking too much and waking up with a hangover that made him ten times as grumpy as he usually was. Admittedly for good reason.

Emily and Toby suddenly heard a crash from down the hall. It was silent for a moment before Percy called out.

“Can someone give us a hand-??”

Emily stepped away from the tree and headed down the hall, Toby stayed behind to clean up the trash and boxes to make sure there was a clear path while the three of them walked in with arm-fulls of presents. Percy made sure they were all organized and placed neatly so they could be easily picked up. Thomas got a bit distracted, shaking his presents to try to figure out what they were. Emily light heartedly smacked his arm.

“No looking until tomorrow, you know the rules.”

She said, and Thomas grumbled.

“Yeah yeah yeah, I know..”

He handed the boxes to Percy and pouted a bit, but smiled again when Emily gave him a hug.

“Okay, okay, I'm smiling, are you happy now?”

He teased and Emily laughed.

“Yes, yes I am. Merry Christmas. To both of you.”

“Merry Christmas, Emmy.”

Thomas replied, rustling her hair. Percy hadn't replied, and they saw it was because he was too focused on the sorting. Thomas poked his arm to get his attention.

“Huh? What? Oh- Merry Christmas to you too!”

He said, but his attention quickly returned to the gifts. Wasn't long until everything was placed just right, and Percy was very proud of his organization. Emily got up and helped Toby finish cleaning up the living room. And finally, everything was done. Edward, James, and Nia exited the kitchen, and Edward was in awe.

“Oh, everything is beautiful!”

He beamed. The lights, the decorations, the tree, everything was perfect. James just smiled at Edward's reaction. The holidays were beautiful and all, but the best part of it was Edward's excitement for it, especially Christmas. His smile and the way the lights sparkled in his eyes, it made James' heart swell with joy. Suppose that is the point of Christmas after all. Nia joined Percy and Thomas, and Gordon and Henry returned from down the hall. They were in awe of the decorations as well. They sat down on the couch, James went to the kitchen to get a drink, and Thomas, Nia, Percy, and Toby struck up some conversation. And it all seemed to be right on time as they heard the doorbell ring.

“I’ll get it!”

Edward said, walking away with a bit of a pep in his step. Before he even opened the door he heard familiar chatter behind it. And once he opened it, it was a more than welcome sight. Duck, Oliver, Toad, Donald, and Douglas. Donald was first to enter.

“The party's here!”

He announced. Douglas shook his head before following. Edward just chuckled. Oliver and Toad entered afterwards.

“Thanks so much for inviting us, Edward.”

Oliver said.

“Of course, it wouldn't be the same without all of you. You're a part of the family.”

“Awe, thanks, Edward!”

Toad commented. Afterwards Oliver and Toad walked down the hall to the sitting room, where the twins were already getting rowdy. Duck was certainly more calm, stepping through the door and out of the cold before dusting the snow off of their suit.

“They already said it but, thank you again for inviting us, Eddie. I always look forward to this time of year because of your amazing party.”

They said, them and Edward sharing a hug.

“Well, it isn't just me. Everyone pitched in. I really only did a fraction of it, heh.”

“In that case, I think it's safe to say that the Tidmouth household throws the best Christmas parties.”

Said Duck, and it only made Edward's smile grow. Duck gestures down the hall for them to walk.

“Shall we get to it?”

Edward nodded in response.

“Absolutely.”

And the two walked down the hall, joining the chaos already rising in the sitting room.

Routine chaos and joy that happens every year, during truly one of the best times ever for the Steam Team. Everyone getting together on the lovely snowy night, the house gorgeously decorated and the food made perfectly. With movies and games to last the entire night, and presents and fun still to be had the next day.

Christmas at Tidmouth was always a joyous time.