#but I'll figure it out somehow

[reluctanttrabbit]

they're matching :3

[thesiat]

I think the really important thing that writing Thesiat has really made me pay attention to about Vlad III of House Drăculești is that he was a defensive warlord/king, and that is very different than a conquering one. I think we are so used to colonialism and empire mindset that it's hard to remember not all rulers had it.

As a non-Romanian it's also critical to remember that he is a hero to Romania and considered one of the most important rulers Romania has ever had. He was a real person with a real life.

I include him in my story not just because of the outside-of-Romania connection to him as a vampire, but also because once I started studying him (as much as I could), I was... not surprised, because that would imply I hadn't thought of him as a real person before, and I did; but I was excited in the way I always am when I get a clearer picture of a historical person's humanity. It quickly became clear that he was, actually, genuinely the best person to be the king of the vampires, like that was such a natural and organic choice, not really having anything to do with Stoker's work at all.

I'm actually very pleased that I (almost) wholly ignored Stoker's work and my 'Our Friend Mister Drăculești' is based almost entirely on the idea of 'What if the historical person had become a vampire'.

[egophiliac]

I love how you draw Grim the size of a small cat. It genuinely blows my mind that according to the game he's actually approximately 70 cm tall... Like, Ortho is 148 cm. That's only two Grims! If Grim stands on Ortho's head, they'd be just a bit taller than Malleus (who is 202 cm and I'm not sure that's counting the horns)! The proportions are just so wild to try to imagine realistically... (and I do like the small cat Grim take more, it's very endearing)

every time I remember Grim is actually supposed to be the size of, like, a medium-to-largeish dog, and then I just...draw him cat-sized anyway. I also think it's cuter that way! 🤷 (let's just say he's not allowed to ride the servant unless he takes the shrinking potion first.)

ultimately I figure we all get a little artistic license in our fanart, and mine are:

cat-sized Grim

Lilia with hair spikes up to the heavens

w i d e Silver

[little-pondhead]

Day 15: Field Trip

“It’s good to see you, Mnemosyne.”

[Full comic without text under the cut.]

[kibby-reaper]

disclaimer: mod reaper and i made this when we were only several weeks into the game

- mod kibby

[upathosarts]

Suspiria (1977) redraw w/ karen (commission from twt)

[dirty-droid]

So I played through some more dbh last night and woke up thinking, God, there is a good reason Markus and Kara, and their respective companions never got as popular as Connor and Hank. Literally The Bridge is surrounded by the most *do everything for absolutely no reason* chapters, and there's no comparison.

First the Kara chapter wastes your time, she barely gets any small talk in with Luther, then the car breaks down, then you're just doing tiny tasks, doing a shitty sum up of her story so far when Alice asks you to make one up- they could have done something interesting with that story but they chose not to, literally anything specific anything that would function as a parallel to their journey would have actually had some value. Then you barely start a conversation with Luther, where are you maybe get a hint of his personality before we're back to just talking about the plot and Alice, but then it's over again and you meet the Jerries and you learn almost nothing about them.

It is a chapter where you do nothing interesting, and you learn almost nothing about the main characters, for a downtime chapter, I expect character development and get barely a sneeze of it. There is so much room and so much time for you to really push and question your main characters but it just doesn't get used.

Honestly I think the protagonists all could have probably really benefited from the audience getting to hear their internal monologues if they weren't actually going to talk to their companion characters, but even that would just be a substitute for decent writing.

Either way, after that, we come back to Connor and Hank, who do almost no tasks in this chapter, *but spend the entire time TALKING.* They talk to each other in a constant volley back and forth for the entire length of the chapter and it's probably one of the best chapters in the game, it's certainly one of the most important in their story. You spend the entire bridge scene learning more about Hank and Connor's inner worlds, and how they think, and how they feel, you spend the whole chapter learning so much about their perspectives, this chapter is all about asking the hard questions about both of their individual characters, and the tension is high, it's a straightforward chapter to play, and it really fucking feels like your choices matter here, there will be immediate consequences, not just walking through your environment trying to find the right answer, or being dragged through an interaction. It's just plain good.

And then Markus infiltrates the Stratford Tower, and you get the most boring and useless and frustrating chapter in the game that doesn't seem to serve any purpose beyond looking cool. If Kara's last chapter was only to gain sympathy and create some soft and fuzzy feelings, this chapter is only about looking cinematic. This is probably my least favorite chapter in the game, honestly I've just gotten lost on that yellow ass office floor building too many times, even though I'm very familiar with the game now I still managed to get lost again last night.

I will admit that eventually it does become an opportunity to decide between pacifism and violence but that seems to be the only real development for Markus, and it wouldn't have been hard to make that kind of opportunity in another setting. Because we get next to nothing watching him get past the front desk, or from walking around that floor, just some outfit changes and pretending to be a machine and a little more Android hate in the background, Markus is almost completely silent yet again, there is almost no talking with North once she appears. We actually get more about North's personality here than Markus', she just feels like she has more lines somehow, because sometimes she just talks without it being connected to the plot and Markus never does.

This bit is more speculative, but my fiance and I were going off last night about whyyyy did they have to break into the tower? We're never given any reason for what the steps are and why they are important, just usually pretty important in these mission impossible type scenes, they're usually explaining in a voice-over why they are taking the steps that they are taking. But we get no explanation for why he needs to go to the 47th floor or whatever, No explanation for why he needs to change into a maintenance Android uniform, why North was in the stairwell, how Josh and Simon got in, it's all just handwaved, and whyyyyyy they couldn't have just?? Made a recording and then hacked the station's broadcast remotely and basically just posted the speech? I don't know, it's just a particularly frustrating chapter to play, personally, but it isn't strong.

Either way, you've got two chapters with next to no character development, that just have a lot of empty space and time where the characters could have been talking or could have been doing something else, but didn't because the vibes were more important, sandwiching a simple scene with ten pounds of character development and it just feels weird. And once I noticed it, it just made the Kara and Markus chapters look incredibly weak and poorly written... And conversely, make the Connor and Hank chapter look much, much stronger in comparison.

It's like Detroit become human almost needs it's own type of Bechdel Test, just to show how much they fail Markus and Kara. "Do they talk about something that isn't the plot?"

"Do Kara and Luther talk about something that isn't Alice or getting to Canada?" "Does Markus talk about anything besides his speech for this chapter?" "Does Alice talk at all beyond basic communication with Kara?" "Does Markus or his buddies talk about anything that's not the revolution or just Markus himself?"

... They don't pass a lot.

It's just hard to take these characters above simply *likeable* when they just, don't, ever, talk. There's little to no development for Markus or Kara, and because they've just become deviants, there's hardly any character establishment in the first place, they barely even get the chance to just be flat, because if they don't really know who they are, we don't really know who they are.

Connor and Hank's friendship is more functionally the main plot, more so than the deviant investigation, and for Markus and the team, and Kara with Alice, that's simply just not the case, there is hardly any relationship, they're just in the same boat. This is why Connor got astronomically more popular, and why he and Hank have the staying power that they do.

Markus and Kara just don't ever talk, and Connor does. And I'm fucking mad about it. The amount of time that was just wasted in their stories, I could probably take a damn stopwatch to all the moments where there could have been a little something-something, and nothing was put there. It's not to say Connor doesn't get some quiet moments too but he always gets the chance to make up for it.

Even at the beginning of the Stratford Tower chapter, I noticed that they could have had Simon and North talking about something maybe unrelated when Markus walks up, but there's nothing, only silence until Markus comes in with a plan. And of course we know about every time Luther tries to bring up the fact that Alice is an android, only to be shut down and walked away from. It fucking kills me how much time Mark is has the focus of the camera but it's only so he could look cool for a minute, and share no thoughts of his own, none of his new feelings, everything is only implied and then followed by the action where he is only allowed to be the leader of the revolution and never just Markus. There's a tragedy in that, but they could have driven it home harder by *pointing that out.*

[viperwhispered]

I have acquired some supremely cute eepy lil guys from @kamapon

I mean just look at them (they're lucky I can't be pinching their cheeks rn tho I promise I'd be very gentle tucking them in)

[imtrashraccoon]

This is actually the longest chapter yet, somehow?? I think I just got really into it. What can I say, I like writing little character introspections.

@owl-bones

First, Previous, & Next Day

Bad Sansuary II: Dust - Restrained

Word Count: 2,094

While you had been able to run away, you knew the guards would catch up to you eventually. They knew what you looked like and, because you were an obvious outsider, would soon track you down to the tavern. You hadn't encountered any other dog monsters in the city either and even if you had, once news spread, no one would be willing to hide you. The other problem was that you had a feeling getting out of the city would prove impossible.

So what should you do?

This was the first time you had had a run in with the law. You had looked up to soldiers your whole life, believing they served an important role in keeping order, and for a time you did your best to do the same. Ever since choosing to abandon the Klasical Kingdom and stay with your soulmate, you knew you would eventually end up in a sticky situation like this. You knew your comrades weren't good people and, by choosing to align yourself with them, neither were you at this point. This new reality was difficult to come to terms with, but now wasn't the time to contemplate such things.

Using natural handholds, you hauled yourself up another wall and then up to an overhang. After resting for a moment, you climbed onto the roof of the building, finding yourself across the street from the tavern. You could even see your room's window that you and Reven had climbed out of earlier.

For a moment, you stood there under the open sky, staring at the building. The rain had picked up again and your armour was soaked, but you barely registered it. The mission was a bust. You hadn't learned what was going on with the weird eye symbol and now Reven had been arrested. If he hadn't resisted too much, there was a good chance the guards would keep him alive while they looked for you, but after that, his fate would be a grim one.

The punishment for murder was death. Some kingdoms had different methods for how the death penalty would be carried out, but the result was always the same. It didn't matter if the guards knew just how many murders Reven was responsible for or not. When the guards caught up to you, they would probably charge you with accessory to murder which, while generally considered a less serious offense, would likely mean execution for you as well.

You sighed and ran your fingers through your sopping wet fur. You had two equally difficult choices. Either you could hide until they eventually found and dragged you off to jail, or attempt to rescue Reven and restore your honour. There was a high chance you would die no matter what you chose, but to you, the right thing to do was obvious. It was far better to fall in battle than to die a coward's death in a futile attempt to change your fate.

You returned to your room long enough to gather up whatever gear you had left behind, namely your rucksack and your bow. They would have gotten in the way so you hadn't been bringing them along on your nightly escapades. Besides, if you couldn't see your target in the dark, you certainly weren't going to hit it.

You picked up the sound of footsteps and raised voices downstairs as you were slipping back out the window. It looked like you had just managed to get out in time. While it might have been entertaining to wait around and watch their reactions to finding the room empty, you knew better and decided to make yourself scarce.

After making sure you were a safe distance away, you crouched down on a roof to figure out your next move. You would need to figure out where Reven had been taken, but you also knew that the longer you waited, the harder it would be to rescue him. Even if you knew where he was, going in now would likely also prove to be a bad idea as it would be swarming with guards. It seemed you would have to handle this situation with the utmost care if you wanted to have any chance at succeeding.

~ ≈ V^ᴥ^V ≈ ~

You watched a guard exit the barracks, silently counting the seconds as they walked away. You were perched on a roof where you had a clear view of the door but still out of sight from the street. From what you had observed, word had spread pretty quickly among the soldiers and they were out in full force searching for you. Luckily, they weren't expecting you to be here and were out scouring the city.

You had been here for a few hours now, just observing and memorizing their movements. Your keen ears had picked up a few snippets of conversations between a few of the guards about "a crazy paladin" so you were confident you had found where they were holding him.

After a few seconds, you dropped down next to the door and carefully turned the knob, finding it unlocked. With a quick glance around, you crept inside the building, closing the door behind you again.

The room seemed like an office of sorts but thankfully there wasn't anyone in sight. There was a desk with some papers and what looked like a book for record keeping. You also noticed a few rough wooden benches against one of the walls and two doors, one behind the desk and one near the benches.

The door near the benches was more heavily reinforced and you surmised that it led to the dungeon. Unfortunately, it was locked but you found a key hidden in one of the desk drawers that thankfully fit in the keyhole. You figured it must have been a spare for when whoever owned the desk was away.

Beyond the heavy door was a set of stairs going down. Pocketing the key, you took a deep breath before beginning to descend into the dungeon. You kept low, being careful not to scuff your paws on the stonework and give yourself away.

The deeper you went, the more obvious it was that you were in the right place. The air smelled stale with a hint of blood and other bodily fluids, and occasionally, you could hear the sound of metal on metal, like chains being rattled. You couldn't hear much movement though, so there was a good chance the guards were still away.

You reached the bottom of the stairs and carefully examined your surroundings. The only light was from a nearby lantern hanging from a nail and a flickering candle in a room off to the side. Slowly, you crept forward, peering around the corner.

There was a man lounging in a chair facing away from the door. He was wearing a similar uniform to the guards but lacking the helmet, which you noticed sitting on the table in front of him along with an opened bottle of spirits. You were debating whether you should just sneak past, when you noticed a ring of keys on his belt that presumably would open up the cells.

Drawing your dagger, you tiptoed forward until you were right behind the jailor. In one fluid motion, you covered his mouth with one paw and slit his throat with your weapon. While you couldn't help but silently revel for a moment in the small burst of energy from absorbing his EXP, you knew you had limited time before someone came to check on things. Carefully, you propped the man's head up so it would appear as if he was asleep and swiped the keys.

Now you just needed to find Reven.

There was only one other prisoner, but they seemed to be asleep or maybe too out of it to care what you were doing. Maybe if they had noticed, you would have been willing to let them loose as well, but as it stood, you couldn't afford to have any extra liabilities.

Reven was chained up to the wall by his wrists in the farthest cell. His gear was gone, leaving him in a pair of tattered pants with his upper half on full display. His bones were littered with small cracks and scrapes, several of which were leaking small amounts of dust, but you noticed there were several older scars across his ribcage as well.

Despite your best efforts, the keys clinked together as you fiddled with the lock, but Reven only looked up when you managed to get the door open. At first, he just stared at you, as if he didn't believe what he was seeing was even real. Only when you hurried to his side and started working on the wrist irons suspending him, did he even attempt to say anything.

"you shouldn't have come..."

After unlocking his restraints, you pried open the metal bands, letting him ease himself down onto the stone floor. He was weak and you didn't even want to imagine what he had gone through in the hours since being captured.

"...i deserve what comes next," he muttered, slumping against the wall.

You shook your head. "No, don't give me any of that. You're a valuable member of the team and I'm not about to abandon you, no matter whether you think you're worth saving or not."

He stared at you, a mixture of disbelief and shock in his eyelights. His gaze briefly flicked to your left, focusing on something unseen and he mouthed a few words under his breath, but you couldn't understand what he was saying.

You could tell he was in no shape to run and you didn't know any healing spells. Then you remembered that you had packed a health potion before entering the city, just in case something happened. You quickly fished the small vial out of your rucksack and pressed it into Reven's hand.

"It's not much, but we're going to need to move quickly and I can't carry you the entire time."

He blinked, as if he'd been shocked back to reality, before popping off the cork and downing the potion in a single gulp. The effect was immediate and most of the cracks across his bones began to close, although the old scars remained untouched.

"why do you care so much?" He rubbed at his eye sockets before adding, "i thought i made it clear from day one that i didn't like you..."

You nodded, "Oh I know." Holding out your hand, you smiled at him and added, "I don't need to be friends with you, just knowing you have my back is enough in my eyes."

He grasped your hand and you helped him to his feet. When he stumbled, you quickly moved to support his weight, wrapping your arm around his shoulder blades.

"i'm surprised you trust me not to stab you the moment you turn around..." he murmured.

You clicked your tongue, slowly helping him out of the cell. "When I served under Captain Undyne, we had a saying. It went like, 'No one gets left behind.' While I no longer take orders from her, I still follow that rule." You paused for a moment before adding, "If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have even left the Dark Fortress, let alone snuck into a city with you."

Reven said nothing.

By the time you reached the jailor's room again, he had gained back enough strength to walk on his own, but you still stayed close by just in case. Thankfully, his gear was still stashed away in a chest meant for prisoner possessions and nothing seemed to be missing. You stood guard at the entrance while he donned his armour again.

"Any chance you could teleport both of us out of the city?" you asked when he finished.

"i wish." He huffed and shook his head. "i'm pretty low on mana, but i think i could do it over a short distance, like through the gate."

You sighed and ran a paw down your face. "I was afraid of that... I guess we'll have to get there first, huh?"

Reven chuckled and started to climb the stairs. He glanced back at you over his shoulder, a manic grin stretched across his skull. "if you still trust me after this, i'll buy the first round next time we're in a proper tavern."

"Not if I have to carry you out in pieces, you sorry sack of bones," you responded with a snort.

[sketchcakes]

new phone lockscreens of the wife are here babes

[velociheroviridi]

I'm not fixated on Danny Phantom right now, what could you possibly be talking about?

After like 6 years of having the software, DP is the motivation I needed to finally understood the youtube tutorials on how to animate in csp I guess, so here's my first ever little animation! I know it's super rough but now that I actually know what I'm doing, I'll probably try again when it's not past midnight

[yvehattan]

Demons is a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Some might say it possesses you.

[koka-mi]

Oh my gosh whyyyy am I so obsessed with numbers I don't like it at all this is driving me INSANEEEE😭😭IT'S GETTING WORSE AND WORSE AS THE DAYS GO BY AAAA

[martyrbat]

perpetual mourning – batman black and white (1996) #1

[ID: a black and white panel sequence of Bruce Wayne as Batman investigating a murder. He performed an examination of the victim's body and found DNA evidence to convict her killer and then performed an autopsy to examine her stomach contents — which led him to a little 24/7 diner. He walks in, disrupting the cozy scene with his presence.

Bruce internally reflects, ‘People think i'm a knight. A savior. But in truth, I'm only a vessel to hold the memories of those who've passed on. Those who've no shell left to store them. They must think I revel in my victories. It must seem like I never lose a fight. I lose plenty. The ones I couldn't get to. The ones I couldn't save in time. Those are the ones I carry around inside of me. Those are the ones I'll mourn forever.’

He shows the only waitress a photo of the victim's face and asks, “Excuse me. Do any of you know this woman?” The waitress gasps and holds her hand to her head in shocked distress. She stammers, “That's Chelsea, she comes in here all the time. Sits in the same booth, the same time, reads the same book... um, what was the title...? She, uh, left here only a couple of... Why do you... Oh, god. No. Dear girl...”

Back at the morgue, Bruce solemnly gazes down at the woman as she lays in an unzipped body bag. He thinks, ‘Luckily, you hadn't digested your last meal, Chelsea. There're only a few places in the neighborhood where you were found that serve blueberry pie at this hour of the morning.’ He carefully zips the body bag entirely. The identification label states she was a thirty year old caucasian female. The name ‘Jane Doe’ has been scribbled out to now be replaced with ‘Chelsea Rain’. Bruce continues to ruminate, ‘You only have your thoughts and dreams ahead of you. You're someone. You mean something. I'll remember. You're within me now. Forever.’ END ID]

[grubus]

*sleepy stare into void* i don't think there are any ships in svsss I can't work with. Some I would struggle with but I would figure it out eventually.

[cleverreports]

We report: early evening, and we think we somehow lost the sunset in the rain. Our expert confided that they were excited for autumn to come, and we said something along the lines of "Come on, it is the middle of summer still!". Secretly, we very much agree. The rain is lukewarm.