#code of claw

[tangents-within-tangents]

Love is Mrs. Cormaci giving Gregor a new pair of shoes in almost every book

[yesthefandomfreakblr]

Okay but 12 year old Gregor threw a whole ass doctor when he found out they moved his mom. This boy is fucking DONE WITH REGALIA'S BULLSHIT.

[neon-jackal]

Why The Twist In CoC is umm uhhh umm

Each underland chronicles book gets it's own big twist, all with varying levels of quality, but today I want to focus on the twist in Code of Claw, and why (in my humble opinion) it doesn't really work. I actually really like Code of Claw, it's my second favorite in the series behind MoS, but this is by far my least favorite part of it, and probably my least favorite part of the whole series. So why is it so... not good?

First, let's talk about what makes a twist work. I think this really comes down to 4 main factors

Does it make in-universe sense? Pretty self explanatory. It's always good to keep writing consistent with the world building & lore of the series.

Does it fit with the characterization? Beyond it making logical sense, does it fit with the writing of the story? Is it foreshadowed at all? Does it feel like something the character(s) would do? Essentially, does the audience buy it?

Does it further/change the story? Also pretty self explanatory. A twist should have impacts on future event in the series, or re-frame previous events in a new way.

Does it work with the stories' themes? This is especially important for a series like TUC. This is a series with some strong messages, so it's important not to undercut them.

Now let's look at the big twist in CoC. For any who've forgotten, the reveal in this book is that Sandwiches' prophecies are fake. Ripred tells Gregor he doesn't believe in them 5 seconds before the final battle, and Gregor decides he's probably right. So how does this do as a twist?

Does it make in-universe sense? Hard no. Sure, the prophecies can be vague, and a lot of things can be left up to interpretation, but they describe way too many things way too accurately to just be coincidence. You're telling me that a super rare plague starts going around, and they need the help of the one guy that does all the stuff, and the cure for the plague is developed in it's place of origin, and Sandwich just got a lucky guess predicting all of that to a tee? Fuck off. This just feels like such a bizarre and rushed thing to throw into the series, and it feels like something that was thought of well after most of the other books had been written.

Does it fit with the characterization? Not really. CoC establishes that Sandwich isn't a great dude, so him faking a bunch of prophecies does feel believable for him, but like I said before, all the other books treat their prophecies as legit, so this feels kinda out of place. It also feels weirdly cynical? Gregor makes tangible progress on his quests, and sees really sacrifice too, and CoC is essentially saying "all of that was for nothing". Again, this ties into my personal belief that the other 4 books weren't written with this in mind.

Does it further/change the story? Again, no, not really. Even if you do buy the twist, all of the other quests were successful, so like, what's the point? It does set up Gregor surviving the final battle, but I feel like there just would've been much better ways of doing that.

Does it work with the stories' themes? Actually, kinda, yeah. It ties into Regalia's shady government and the ways they keep order, and fits the 'forced into a destiny you don't want' thing Gregor and Bane have going on. The whole "Sandwich can't be a prophet, he's evil!" thing the book tries to do is pretty dumb though, and I feel like there were so many more interesting ideas the book could've done with this.

Now let's compare this to arguably the best twist in the series, in CotW. Does it make in-universe sense? Absolutely. It fits into the prophecy perfectly. Does if fit with the characterization? Fuck yeah! The Regalians are evil bitches, so this is 100% in character for them. Solovet especially works so well as an evil-CIA type figure. It expands really well on her talk of wanting to 'punish' the rats in PoB. Does it further/change the story? Yes on both counts! Not only does it completely re-frame the entirety of CotW, it also sets up the humans' general shittyness, which we already kinda see in PoB, but really kicks into high gear in CoC. Does it work with the stories' themes? My guy. It IS the stories' themes! It so perfectly encapsulates the gray morality and overall pointlessness of war, the shady actions of government behind the scenes, and everything else these books are trying to say, and it gets expanded on even more in the next 2 books.

Wow this post post kinda got out of hand uhh if you're still reading this thank you for listening to my ramblings and point out anything I missed in the notes. If you think I'm wrong about anything, feel free to start a giant argument in the comments.

TL;DR: CoC is very good but the twist in it is not great and CotW does it much better.

[overandunderland]

Just once Gregor should have hit Solovet with a-

[noirs-multiverse]

was thinking today abt how luxa and ripred somehow BOND at the end of code of claw and somehow no one,,,, ever,,,, questions it? cause it just creates more questions that literally never ever get answered within the book?

isnt luxa already bonded to aurora? can you bond with more than one person then? what even is the significance of a bond then?

aurora is apparently okay with this but,,, it does not make that much sense really. also, "if you think so, then i can survive it" (luxa to aurora, a little after the bond is made),,, that's. not very,,,,, bondlike or any good prospects for luxa and ripred's bond unless luxa is being sarcastic but i doubt that?

all throughout the series, bonds have always been between humans and fliers. this does make sense because a human and flier duo is pretty great for fighting and survival + travel within the underland, they complement each other. i don't think a human could have that with any other species. (idk how to articulate but like, fliers provide the Flight and humans provide the Attack yk, there's not much a gnawer can provide to a human in that regard if you get what i mean)

also, bonds are sought with someone who have a connection or understanding with. someone whose loss you would actively grieve. luxa and aurora, howard and pandora, hazard and thalia (😭), and so on. i mean,,, a bond is clearly a significant concept within the underland, the breaking of which is literally disastrous (ares being punished with exile before gregor saves the day). if i'm not forgetting anything, the only time a bond breaks is either a betrayal (henry and ares!!! they are a great example of how bond ≠ peace), or your bond dying (howard and pandora).

observing luxa and ripred's dynamic, they do not quite have the understanding that creates a successful bond (Luxa Was Literally Ready To Send Ripred And The Gnawers To The Uncharted Lands, HOW DID THEY BOND™️ LIKE 2 SECONDS LATER??? I reread that part just now and I lost several braincells, just to confirm if I was right. Anyway). i just. don't see how luxa could say that treaties have failed,,,, a bond can fail too?

especially considering how badly henry's betrayal affected luxa throughout the series, it just feels,,,, Not Right to see luxa doing this when henry's bond with ares failed? like, would she not have considered this before placing so much faith in a bond between her and ripred?

unless there is actual magic involved, nothing really guarantees that luxa and ripred's bond will preserve peace or anything. bonds in tuc seem to be more of a cultural/interpersonal tradition of high significance as opposed to an actual magical construct with any weight that ISN'T assigned by cultural/personal association.

i read more of that part just to check and this quote? "I need one human to genuinely approve of what I just did." (said by luxa)

THE WAY THIS LOOKS,,, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A VERY BAD MOVE FOR UM. YOUR "image"???? How could you make such a huge move without even consulting anyone properly, right ? Luxa, bonding with A GNAWER who you Threatened with Exile/Banishment does NOT bode well for your reputation, which you need if you are going to actually want to preserve any peace? Bro you could've just signed a treaty,,,,,,,

and i mean, if you CAN bond (bonds are one of the most,, iconic? idk what other word to use, features of tuc, just to put that here) with other species instead of just humans and fliers, i feel like that's not something you would ever just put at the end of the book and never really explore in depth,,,

anyway i feel like i missed something but like,,,, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE QUESTIONING ON THE LUXA AND RIPRED BOND BECAUSE IT'S SO OUT OF NOWHERE,, and detracts from a proper understanding of what a bond even is

im pretty sure this is my first proper uh essay??? post on here so um lmk what u think, id love to hear all ur thoughts in general and stuff. i will prolly reblog this post if i have more thoughts on this, let's see haha. anyway, have an awesome day/night!

[oneunexpected]

Here's the Code of Claw playlist! This might be my favorite. When I started this project, I made a long list of songs I thought I might want to use just because they reminded me of the series, and I feel like this playlist is the one that has the most of those songs that I knew right off the bat would fit perfectly.

Because the chapters are longest in this book, you may beat each song to the end of the chapter. Sorry about that.

Listen along here. My explanations for each choice are below the cut.

1 - Bad by U2 - Aw, come on, you knew there would be U2! Since Gregor hasn’t really reacted to his impending doom yet, I chose this song to focus more on the reactions of Vikus and Mareth in this chapter, particularly Vikus beginning to break down and say he’d trade places with Gregor if he could. “If I could, through myself, set your spirit free / I’d lead your heart away / See you break, break away / Into the light / And to the day.”

2 - Hello Earth by Kate Bush - Kate Bush, badass she is, wrote a concept album within a bigger album about a woman who gets shipwrecked, has an out of body experience, and is ultimately rescued (or maybe she dies. I personally interpret it as she lives. That’s neither here nor there though). “Hello Earth” is when she’s closest to death and begins reflecting on her life and how she got herself into the situation in the first place. The release point of the song is her wailing, “Why did I go, why did I go?” before the song abruptly cuts to Gregorian chanting. That reminds me a lot of Gregor’s panic attack in this chapter, where he calms himself down with the thought of the stone knight in the Cloisters, where he says Gregorian chants are always playing softly.

3 - Blue Monday by New Order - The second verse in particular reminds me of Gregor and Solovet. “I can and shall obey / But if it wasn’t for your misfortune / I’d be a heavenly person today,” in particular. It also just sounds cool, which I thought would be fun with this chapter where Gregor’s escaping and riding back to battle.

4 - Orange Crush by R.E.M. - This is R.E.M.’s best-known anti-war song, and I chose it particularly for its interlude, which is this sort of rambling from this soldier (or perhaps officer) who enjoys the war. “This here country, hell, any country, it’s just like heaven here … I knew it all, I knew every back road and truck stop,” the narrator says. Gregor and Ares have their weird little moment of euphoria here, so I chose this song for them.

5 - Dirty Paws by Of Monsters and Men - This song tells of a war between the birds and the bees (don’t ask me if that’s supposed to be a euphemism I really don’t know), as the bees decided “the sky wasn’t big enough for them all” and attacked the birds. But then! “The birds, they got help from below / From Dirty Paws and the creatures of snow.” Bees = rats, birds = mice, Dirty Paws = Luxa, creatures of snow = Regalians, case closed. Mostly I just wanted to put this song somewhere in this playlist.

6 - Urn by Childish Gambino - I also just wanted to put this song in this book. It’s only a minute long, so you might have to repeat it a few times. It’s about staring down death and not being afraid, which fits Luxa pretty well, and the lines, “Don’t ever leave me, my love / Keep holding on” could represent Gregor begging Luxa not to die.

7 - Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears - I thought this song would be perfect for the dungeon sequence, and not just for the line, “There’s a room where the light won’t find you,” but that certainly sealed the deal. It’s a good song for living under Solovet’s shadowy gaze.

8 - Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths - One of the first lines in this song is, “You’re scaring us, and some of us love you / Achilles, it’s not much but there’s proof” which reminds me of the way this chapter opens: with Gregor enraged and Mareth, Nerissa and Ripred deeply concerned. Even though Gregor sees their actions as an emotional betrayal, they acted out of care for Gregor. “Today, of all days, see / How the most dangerous thing is to love” works really well for how Luxa’s become such a big vulnerability for Gregor, too.

9 - Agnes by Glass Animals - This song was the toughest for me to choose. The song’s subject matter as a whole and the chapter don’t really fit that well, but it works in the sense it’s a narrator trying to calm down a friend with mental health problems, a little like Gregor and Lizzie. More than anything, I like it for the last line before the chorus and the chorus itself: “I want to hold you like you’re mine / You’re gone but you’re on my mind / I’m lost but I don’t know why.” It reminds me of Ripred, the way he must have felt seeing someone so much like his daughter. One thing I really love about this song is that the first chorus is just hummed, like there’s still some sort of restraint, or perhaps it’s because the narrator still can’t admit how much losing their friend hurt. I don’t know. Ultimately, it just felt right for this chapter to me.

10 - Dummy by Portugal. The Man - This song’s a bop, which is good, because that distracts you a little from lines like “My religion is a piano hanging over my head about to break free” and “The light is going out / The light in my life is going out.” The lyrics reminded me of Gregor’s desperate agreement with Ripred to get his family home, since Gregor would presumably be dead, and the tonal dissonance with the lyrics reminded me of how Gregor’s trying to hide his despair from his sisters.

11 - Violet Hill by Coldplay - This song has a good battle-y beat to it, and I also chose it for the line “I don’t wanna be a solider / Who the captain of some sinking ship / Would stow / Far below,” because that reminds me of how Gregor feels when Solovet sidelines him.

12 - As the World Caves In by Matt Maltese - This is one of the more peaceful chapters of this book. Gregor hangs out very briefly with his mom and then admits his feelings to Luxa. I thought it would be fitting to pair those interactions with a song about waiting for the world to end with a loved one.

13 - I Gave You All by Mumford and Sons - An angry song for an angry Gregor. This chapter is long, but he’s kinda mad throughout, so I hope it works well enough. “I gave you all / And you rip it from my hands and swear it’s all gone” represents how he feels towards Solovet — almost everything he’s done in the Underland has been for her ends, and still she takes more from him, in this by moving his mother somewhere he can’t reach.

14 - Losing My Religion by R.E.M. - In the South, to lose one’s religion means to lose one’s temper, basically, but I’m using it a little more literally here — this is where Gregor loses faith in Regalia, loses faith in Sandwich. Learning about the genocide against the diggers is the tipping point.

15 - Hurt by Johnny Cash - Sorry to people who prefer the Nine Inch Nails version, this is just my preference. Gregor’s literally hurt in the aftermath against the diggers, and this song has the sort of desolate tone that matches his state of mind at the time, and I could see Gregor feeling the sentiment of the chorus towards his sisters and Luxa, but but I also chose it for the ending of this chapter, that pivotal scene where we learn about Ripred’s pup and mates. The outro of the song goes, “If I could start again / A million miles away / I would keep myself / I would find a way,” which reminds me so much of him telling Lizzie he decided “it all had to change.”

16 - Heroes by David Bowie - A great song about doomed lovers, perfect for Gregor and Luxa’s first kiss. “Though nothing could keep us together / We could steal time / Just for one day / We could be heroes / Forever and ever” are great lyrics for this pairing, but what I love most is the emotional release point of the song: “I, I can remember / Standing by the wall / And the guns shot above our heads / And we kissed as though nothing could fall.” While I chose it for Gregor and Luxa mostly, I hope it carries you through the battle with the Bane appropriately, too.

17 - You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen - With this song’s addition, I have included my whole trifecta of Songs Written By Dying Men in these playlists. The first was I Can’t Give Everything Away, which I used for Book 3, and the second was Hurt. This song is the darkest of the three, and not just for the title, and if you give the lyrics a listen you’ll see why. It’s a message from Cohen to God, essentially accusing Him of allowing so much suffering on earth, but at the same time the narrator is acknowledging he’s ready to die. Gregor’s accepting he’s dying and that Sandwich, evil as he was, must have been right. This song is lyrical genius and Cohen is one of my favorite writers of all time, so I encourage you to read it, but I’ll point out a few that led me to choose this song for this playlist. “It’s written in the scriptures / And it’s not some idle claim: / You want it darker / We kill the flame” reminds me of Sandwich’s prophecies, all of the death they call for, suggesting that Sandwich “wants it darker” — and the Underlanders fulfill them, essentially killing the flame at his request. Further, I really like the line “I didn’t know I had permission to murder and to maim,” just from a standpoint from comparing the Gregor who couldn’t own a pocket knife to the Gregor who’s a proficient killer. Also, isn’t it nice that this is the chapter where all the lights go out? Thanks, Suzanne, you made this one easy!

18 - Watching You Without Me by Kate Bush - Remember how I said Kate Bush wrote a concept album about a woman who gets shipwrecked and has an out of body experience? This is the part where she visits her loved ones before they know she’s dead (or in grave danger). It reminded me of the “rehearsal” Gregor walks in on when Lizzie and Boots think he’s dead. I can’t tie it much to the code cracking bit, sorry.

19 - Pyramid Song by Radiohead - In the midst of the code breaking celebration, Luxa gives Gregor a sad look, and he knows it’s because she’s thinking about his death. Then, he finds out Twitchtip’s dead. Well, this is a good death song. I knew this song would go somewhere in this playlist, but it ended up here because of Luxa saying Twitchtip was finally “safe.” That reminded me of “And we all went to heaven in a little rowboat / There was nothing to fear, nothing to doubt.” That’s how it works in the Underland. There’s only nothing to fear when you’re dead.

20 - After the Storm by Mumford and Sons - The verses of this song are pretty sad. There’s debate about whether a line goes “Well, I will die alone and be left there” or “Well, I won’t die alone and be left there,” but I’m choosing to hear the former for Gregor at this time. “Now I cling to what I knew / I saw exactly what was true / But oh, no more” goes well with Gregor sitting surrounded by all these prophecies by a man he no longer wants to believe. Despite the gloomy verses, the chorus is quite hopeful, promising there will be a time when things are better, mirroring the Peacemaker, which has its introduction in this chapter.

21 - Ladder Song by Bright Eyes - You know that gif of Goofy floating around a pool facedown? This song makes me feel like that. Starts out with quite a doozy of a verse: “Nobody knows where the ladder goes / You’re gonna lose what you love the most / You’re not alone in anything / You’re not unique in dying.” Well, Gregor is certainly reminded he’s not unique in dying while he’s watching the funeral services. This song in general is a great fit with this whole book. If I had to choose just one song to represent it, that song just might be this one. “Don’t hang around once the promise breaks / Or you’ll be there when the next one’s made / Kiss the feet of a charlatan” reminds me of the Underland’s whole cycle of making useless treaties to end wars only to violate them and go right back to war and then make new useless treaties. The charlatan is Sandwich. Anyways, the lyrics here are great if you love to be sad, give ‘em a read. I thought it fit well with this chapter and all the goodbyes Gregor faces in it.

22 - Motion Picture Soundtrack by Radiohead - The second half of this song fits with Gregor writing his note to Luxa. “Stop sending letters / Letters always get burnt / It’s not like the movies / They sell us on little white lies / I think you’re crazy, maybe / I think you’re crazy, maybe / I will see you in the next life.” Well, Luxa probably wouldn’t burn it, but Gregor’s not totally sure she’d ever want to listen to anything he had to say again. It’s not like the movies because in a classic adventure story, the two lovers would both live and they’d live happily ever after. They both think they’re crazy. And, well, there’s not much left for Gregor to say but “I will see you in the next life” — or the phrase he settles on, “One of us has to live.”

23 - 33 “GOD” by Bon Iver - “I would have walked across any thousand lands / I didn’t need you that night / Not gonna need you any time,” Justin Vernon sings, “Was gonna take it as it goes / I could go forward in the light / Well, I better fold my clothes.” This is the first hopeful chapter in a long, long time. Even though Gregor “would have walked across any thousand lands” for Sandwich, Gregor realizes he doesn’t need him and never has. The only thing remarkable about anything, Gregor says, is that Ares chose to save him. Sorry that the tone of this song doesn’t work with the last couple pages of the chapter. I’ll get back to sad songs soon.

24 - White as Snow by U2 - This is perhaps my most questionable choice, because this is a sad, slow song, not fit for the thick of combat. If you want something more battle-y for the first half, check out Exit by U2 because I briefly considered using it here. But I chose this song because it’s written from the perspective of a soldier dying. The last few verses are about how war makes everyone hostile to one another, leading to the last few lines: “Now the wolves are every passing stranger / Every face, we cannot know / If only a heart could be as white as snow.” I liked the line about a heart being as white as snow for the Bane. If only his life experiences were pure as his pretty fur. But this song, and its reflection on the narrator’s life, reminded me more than anything of dear Ares. I chose it for him.

25 - Mars by Sleeping At Last - A song about young people off at war, and then how hard it is to piece their lives back together in the aftermath. Everything is so terrible for all these poor people involved in this mess. I miss Ares. Temporary RIP to Ripred. (The outro about trying to build a better life goes well with the negotiations beginning, too.)

26 - Death and All His Friends by Coldplay - “No I don’t wanna battle from beginning to end / I don’t want a cycle of recycled revenge / I don’t wanna follow Death and all of his friends” for Gregor, Luxa and Ripred helping each other establish peace. “All summer we just hurried / So come over, just be patient, and don’t worry” for Gregor and Luxa quietly spending their last bit of time together.

27 - Sweetness Follows by R.E.M. - I heard this song for the first time when I was packing for college and the first lines hit me like a bowling ball to the chest. I had to sit down. Anyways, I chose this because it offers a very bittersweet sense of hope. Life is hard, there’s a ton of death, there’s a ton of strife and disconnect. But I love the last verse so dearly: “It’s these little things that can pull you under / Live your life filled with joy and thunder / Yeah, yeah, we were all together / Lost in our little lives / But oh / Sweetness follows.” Sweetness follows. We don’t really know what that means, but that’s what we’re promised. Life’s tough, but at least we get to be together. Sweetness follows.

Wow, thank you for reading this far! These playlists were a ton of fun to make and I really hope you have picked up at least one new song you like. If not, oopsies! Oh well.

[rin-solo]

Cartoon Series Pt. 5 | Gregor and the Code of Claw Pt. 1

Here is part 5 in my cartoon/Phineas and Ferb style wallpapers of every TUC quest series ... except hold up, since when is there a quest in CoC? And why is it called CoC Pt. 1?

... Since A Henry Story, actually.

Yes, this is another original quest, exclusive to AHS. In the AHS universe, CoC has like 800% more plot than Collins' CoC. It takes up Part 2 and 3 of AHS 3 (while MoS takes up only Part 1), and so I have decided to do two wallpapers for it, as it's now warranted by the length of this story (for details, see below.)

Because it is original and most of you will have never read it, let me tell you a few core details about this quest and some changes that I've made to CoC in general (spoiling as little as possible):

The first change that I've made to this part of TUC is quite simple: For reasons that I shan't spoil, Luxa and Howard go back to Regalia with Gregor after MoS (not for long though.) And so, the purpose of this quest becomes clear—not long after this return, they all depart yet again to rally potential allies for the war.

Okay, but why do they all look like they suddenly hate each other when the last (MoS) wallpaper was so wholesome? Because war and prophesied deaths aren't enough. We're adding some interpersonal drama on top of that, along with a "mending and repairing relationships and old wounds" storyline. That's all I shall say for now :)

This quest is not particularly long, actually. Although the time passed during the events of CoC has been extended and some of the events rearranged to fit a slightly altered timeline, it only takes up about 2/3 of Part 2.

To give you a rough overview: This quest begins around when Gregor sneaks away to battle in the Firelands in the original CoC (which does not happen in that way), and their return coincides with that first challenge battle (now spanning around a week.) After that, we're following a dual POV (half of the questers remain outside of Regalia with Henry and half inside with Gregor.)

Now you're curious for some more info about the changes to CoC and how this is supposed to work, timeline-wise? I can give you some pointers:

Gregor reads the Prophecy of Time and fetches Sandwich's sword in between the MoS quest and this quest (as you can see, he already has the sword here.)

Gregor isn't in Regalia when the challenge battle starts so Lizzie arrives in Regalia shortly after he returns. Only for the battle after that does he meet Miravet and receive his armor.

The entire diggers plotline has been cut. It made no sense why they would suddenly join this war and overall didn't really fit in general, so they do not appear. The reveal about Sandwich and his war crime against them still happens, but differently.

There is a second main villain—a human—whose identity I won't give away :) Let's just say "When a secret plot is hatching" actually has a meaning now. And there is also much more emphasis on the in-species resistance against the Bane among the gnawers.

After the genocide, only around 30 nibblers are remaining alive. I have no idea why or how Collins thought it was believable that there still were hundreds of them.

Some more key phrases to pique your curiosity:

The truth of Prophecies is not related to the Prophet's moral alignment, and even that may not be as it seemed

It is easier to cling to hope and not despair if you have a working support system and a found family

The marks of secret make an unexpected reappearance

Belonging and family may be found in the darkest hour, not lost

Secret meetings and conspiracies

Recalling that you have choices and agency and that nothing can truly take those away from you is crucial

A knight embodying numbness may be haunting instead of comforting when you wish to cling to your kindness and hope

War is never just, but what follows afterward may be

***

Now, with that in mind, let's look at the art again ... I should probably introduce the characters you won't know yet:

(r.t.l) Hera (a flier they meet during TUC 3.5—more in that wallpaper), (ground) Luxa & Aurora, Ripred, (hanging) Ares, Howard, Gregor (ft. Sandwich's sword), [redacted gnawer name], (hanging) Thanatos & Nike, Henry.

Anyway, if that sounds interesting to you, go read "A Henry Story" 👉 I promise it is very cool, even if you somehow liked CoC, I am confident that you'll enjoy my version (I say this like AHS 3 is done ... I actually do not recommend reading AHS 3 rn, it is currently being massively overhauled and the ending is not done.) I have a post up on my tumblr where I link the first two books though, but you can also find them on Wattpad, Ao3, and Quotev (my favorite<3) as well by simply browsing.

And check out the rest of this art series (on my tumblr feed)! I plan on doing all the quests.

Disclaimer: the bg is a stock image; the rest is drawn by me!

[virtu4l-di4ry]

yall want complex characters and then hate him

[sunnylolli]

Canon fruk would throw up if they saw this- I am so deep

Set in the Punk Dad Au, after a handful of years of Fruk reuniting after some time apart from school. Alfred and Matthew are around 11/12 and Alfred's gotten his first film camera!

1980s Paris. Frenchman who thought he'd never find true love, happily married with kids. (Alfred cried more than Francis did, he's in a soap opera/sappy romance movies obsession phase, that he only falls out of when he's pushing 15- Cried that 'it was like real life movie moment'- He does in this au grow up to be a film director and cinematographer, so there IS a red lining!)

[dovewingkinnie]

did a small animation for the behind the codes au (again because this is one my favorite aus) i got inspired to do cats again because i thought it was silly save the cat from the claw machine!! for @skeletoninthemelonland !!! sorry for posting so much about this au i really love it 🙏🙏

[jasminedtookes]

♡♡♡

[princeson]

Tome and her Uncles 👽✨️

personally, I'm a big fan of the headcanon that yoshioka is tome's biological uncle that somehow ended up working as a security guard for a big terrorist organization.

Look at it this way, everyone already views dimple as the weird evil uncle of the group, so when he and yoshioka fuse, tome just gets a super uncle. a two in one deal, if you will. I also think it's super funny that dimple and tome would act more alike than her and her actual uncle would. like the both of them causing mischief while yoshioka strongly advises against it but still gets dragged along anyway. lol

happy dimple friday #31!

[dovescheck]

go my scarab! do a crime

[catspawcreates]

First Snow

Still a crime he never got to experience a year’s worth of wonders.

It snowed today and made me think of this.

[overandunderland]

Why I love Mrs.Cormaci.

This series is breaking my heart all over again.

[prettymorgueboy]

Whole heartedly believe Raphael purrs if you get him vulnerable enough, managing to sneak a nap in with him one day, he's resting against you after you managed to convince him to just rest and relax.

He's finally laid down. Finally tired enough to just rest and without thinking you pet his horns gently. Cooing him to a deeper slumber and boom, that fucking devil has a purr.