#companions not accessories

[honeycombhank]

LETS BE REAL RIGHT NOW.

ANIMALS ARE NOT TO GET BECAUSE YOU ARE LONELY.

Animals need love weather you are feeling lonely or not!

Animals are not UNTIL I FIND A PARTNER

They are not FOR ATTENTION OR ATTRACTING

THEY ARE LIVING BREATHING CREATURES

Animals are NOT ACCESSORIES

IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO READ AND LEARN ABOUT THE SPECIFIC ANIMAL YOU ARE WANTING

THEY HAVE THEIR OWN THOUGHTS AND WILL NOT BE EXACTLY AS YOU WANT THEM TO BE ALL THE TIME

Animals need vet care and a healthy diet and require lots of love and especially patience.

They also need a CLEAN environment to live in.

Ugh, I just felt the need to remind people out there.

[khazure]

[sakemilktea]

You got booped by Panini the wanderer frog

He likes you very much and wishes you good booping day

(or only day if you aren't into booping)

He also documented it on his little journal

Image ID

A photo of a green and white belly hand knitted frog wearing a lavender hat and yellow hoodie carrying a little crossbody bag and booping to the camera (frog + clothes are bought but handmade from local ladies, the bag is made by me)

The same frog as before but with an upper photo. He's holding a pencil on his left hand and a journal over his little legs that has a frog hand with "1 apr 2024" and "boop" written on the left page and a "today i booped strangers on tumblr ♡" with a little self portrait below on the right page. At his left side there is a pen holder with other pens and a calendar, and oh his right a plate with cookies and an empty mini cup, he already got his morning tea!

(frog + clothes are bought but handmade from local ladies, the bag + journal is made by me, the other thingies are from sylvanian families sets)

[bhaalsdeepbat]

I think Lae'zel would really enjoy having her nails painted. she wears warrior makeup all over her face and neck, she has those lovely little braids, she took the time to bead her hair. i think she likes having a little bit of polish to her look

[weeewooobitsfallout]

can we please talk bout the lack of shoes in the wasteland??? Like maybe it’s just me with my old people feet but walking for more than an hour in most shoes HURTS. How can one person in 200 year old shoes walk all of Boston and the surrounding area in one day? not an amusement park? When I was around areas like that I have to have insoles and arch support, and even then I can’t do it all in one day. Like I know it’s a video game, yet why aren’t shoe options available? Most outfits have boots but some just have bandages or ripped converse. Shoes are so important!!!!!!

sorry for the rant :)

[lavampira]

caught up on yesterday’s iwtv I’m not okay and will not be ever again.

[t1meslayer]

Going in for round 2!

I had a lot of fun with my Debrief for "Stone-Cold Lovers (Ch. 3)," and I think there's a bunch of interesting, insightful aspects to my writing here given Splatoon's setting offers plenty of aquatic-themed worldbuilding.

So, let's get into it! Check out my full author's commentary below the cut — but only after you've had the chance to read "By Moonlight," my latest Splatoon fanfic.

I've been playing Splatoon since the 2015 original on Wii U. But to be completely honest, the series never hit me until Splat3. I never bought Octo Expansion (though I did watch most of it), so "Return of the Mammalians" may have just become the first time I truly appreciated how insane the series' lore is. Playing through the final battle during a road trip back from San Francisco with a couple of buddies is something I'll remember forever.

I also fell in love with Shiver and Marie as a couple, spawning a whole host of fanfictions.

But that's neither here nor there. Because this story is about Pearlina.

(The featured image evolved over time)

Another consequence of my foolishness circa Splatoon 2 is I didn't realize how much I liked Off the Hook's music. In fact, the origins of this very fanfic came from a brief obsession with Marina's piano-playing prowess on songs like "Tentacle to the Metal" when Splatoon 3 released in 2022. A connection to the 1st Movement of "Moonlight Sonata" was baked into the premise by their similar set of three notes playing in succession.

Though, I should be clear: I am not a classical music nerd, nor any kind of music nerd. I have a pretty terrible ear for music, and as a result don't listen to much (video game soundtracks notwithstanding, most of my ambient noise is YouTube videos, TV, or podcasts).

If we want to get really deep into the weeds of how pathetic I am, my main attachment to "Moonlight Sonata" stems from Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak (2002) on the GBA.

My rendition of Marina playing the song even ends at essentially the same point as this game's usage, since it's baked into my soul.

When's Hamtaro coming to Nintendo Switch Online, cowards?

That being said, I largely based the in-universe playing on this video by Rousseau, a YouTube channel that creates fancy visuals for piano covers of classical and pop music:

My original plan was to have Eight gift the Beethoven book to Pearl and Marina as an oddity acquired through raiding Grizzco facilities following "Return of the Mammalians." However, the idea came back in full-force with the release of Splatoon 3: Side Order. There was a brief period where I considered applying to the Pearlina zine "You and Me Against the Universe!" with something similar, but that was before I fell into my drive to write for zines.

Side Order definitely feels like a test run for more fleshed-out Roguelike modes in future Splatoon games, but I'm enjoying it all the same. And I just had to include tidbits of lore like Eight joining Off the Hook's world tour.

As one final note on "Moonlight Sonata," this is the first time I've written a musical performance as prose. My Mariver fic "Harmonic Frequencies" ends with a bit of choreography for Deep Cut's tribute to "Calamari Inkantation," but that's about as far as it goes. Luckily, my sister is studying Music Education and Music Performance in college (and she graduates soon!), so I was able to lean on her as a source of knowledge.

She just had to suffer through my insufferable gay seafood to get there.

Her main advice was to think of writing musical prose not as a literal translation of sheet music, but instead to really hone in on the emotions of listening to music. It took a bit to figure out the right balance between describing the performance itself and the more emotive images it conjures in Pearl's head, but I love the outcome!

My sister said, "Also the moonlight stuff is fire af." Clearly I've peaked.

===

Fun Fact: She told me I should look into the creepier aspects of "Moonlight Sonata" while writing. Did you know that the song is dedicated to then-16-year-old Countess Giulietta Guicciardi (per Brittanica), a student whom he fell in love with (per New York Times)?

Because I didn't.

===

My presentation of Pearl changed a fair bit over the course of this writing. Pearl's They/She pronouns were pretty spur of the moment, and the idea of They/She Napoleon has since become a running in-joke between me and my beta reader, the incredible artist Trybard (who was the source of my great screencap preview post that I blocked out for anonymity of personal socials).

Pearl with full tattoo sleeves was also a sudden decision that's entirely inspired by a Twitter post; I unfortunately cannot find that post anymore, it disappeared after I shifted pages. Likewise, Pearl learning Octarian is part-cute girlfriend stuff, part-excuse to use the joke about them reading Beethoven as "Beat-Havin'" that came to me in a flash of divine inspiration.

Marina doesn't get nearly as much love in the personal headcanon department, it was Trybard who suggested she might wear a citrus-y perfume smell. I added the motor oil.

I also added the fact that she's living it up in Pearl's downtown apartment, and lending out goofy manga-themed sleep shirts.

Off the Hook's apartment setting only includes the windowed hallway and main foyer (which I hope adds to the sense that Pearl is rich enough to afford the most ridiculously huge apartment of all time). However, there are two tidbits about the setting that I quite enjoy:

First, did you catch the bit about the charred piece of hull? I wanted to keep it subtle in writing, but my intent was referencing the NILS Statue! Did Pearl or Marina take the trophy? Who knows.

Second, Off the Hook's wall of records went through hefty trial-and-error. I settled on the idea of giving them Gold/Platinum/Diamond records (ala the real-world practice of Recording Industry Association of America certification) while listening to the collective works of Off the Hook. Given this is pre-Splat3, I imagined that the new recording of "Nasty Majesty" and their Splatfest theme "Color Pulse" would have among the most attention.

I also imagined that Splatoon wouldn't just use an exact 1-1 copy of our record certifications. Thus, the Recording Industry Association of Inkadia (RIAI) was born.

Rather than using precious metals to delineate sales, I decided to go with the more Splatoon-feeling marker of "neon records." I actually did a minor amount of research, predominately leaning on the website of Brigham Young University physics and astronomy professor Harold T. Stokes to figure out Neon's color spectrum.

Using this, I equated:

Violet = Gold (500,000 sales)

Green = Platinum (One Million sales)

Yellow = Double Platinum (Two Million sales)

Red = Diamond (Ten Million sales)

I even formatted the text to look like an actual RIAA plaque, just with the color's name rather than a literal record. AO3's HTML formatting can only go so far.

I used the "acronym" formatting to add extra context in the form of each song's to-date sales, which was all I originally planned to say. Learned all about that option in my horrific opening chapter to the Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fic "Paradiso," in which Arven has a nightmare that breaks the text "House of Leaves" style.

And that, my friends, is all she wrote.

I could go way deeper into the minutia Pearl's boisterous tone or Marina utilizing mechanical terms, but the broad strokes of where certain ideas originate seems like a better use of my "Debrief" time. Let me know what more you might want to see me discuss going forward, or what ideas for Splatoon fics you wanna see added to my eternal backlog! (The poll-winning Stardew Valley piece has to take priority now — no more game release distractions~)

Though, as one final note: Yes, the title is a Sailor Moon reference.

You're welcome.

[honorablefrogs]

saw a post complaining about how being evil in bg3 means you'll lose companions and allies and like... yes because you're evil

companions in the game have agency and they won't blindly follow someone who goes against their ideals. if you're doing evil shit, half of them won't stick around. but half will!

[robinsnest2111]

Well, guess I'll buy some fabric and other craft supplies before work today to make the accessories for the spontaneous Mayura cosplay 😅

[veil-of-entheos]

Winter Sticker Pack now on Etsy

A Whimsical Journey with Cute Winter Characters Hey there, dear friends! I’m back with an exciting update to sprinkle some winter magic into your lives. My Etsy shop is now adorned with the whimsy of winter, thanks to my latest sticker pack featuring an enchanting collection of cute winter stickers. If you’ve been keeping an eye on my shop, you might have already stumbled upon these delightful…

[nerdylizard5]

Iconography mode activated

being a silmarillion fan is looking at a piece of fanart featuring forty different elves who all have the same shade of either black or gold hair and instantly being able to tell by their vibe who is who and which finwhatever is which

[tronform]

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[strangetownian]

Came back to Outer Worlds (Spacer's Choice ed) - graphics look way better than I remember BUT extreme jittering almost made me uninstall this game. Edges and surfaces flicker, esp. in outdoor city areas. Tried to look for a solution and found absolutely no helpful information. Not sure if my PC is 'special' or if people really don't mind?!! Anyway, I've just discovered that TAA shader (Temporal_AA.fx from AstrayFx) for Reshade can reduce the flickering issue. Maybe it helps somebody.

[nukenai]

Found out my neighbor down the street has not one, but FOUR cats, and they let at least 2 of them roam around outside. They have collars with tags and are unfortunately shy of strangers, otherwise I'd put passive aggressive tags on them berating the owners for being irresponsible. Their house is maybe half the size of mine and they told me they have 3 dogs along with the 4 cats.

I've pulled into my road to see the mom standing in the middle of the road with a very young kid and a dog with no leash. Luckily, hysterically screaming at the dog made it listen after the fifth time 🫠

[digitalartuadesign]

Adventurous Tales: 10 Digital Bookmarks for Young Readers

You can buy digital bookmarks in my Etsy shop here:

Embark on a journey through imagination with our collection of 10 vibrant digital bookmarks, each featuring a unique and enchanting character ready to inspire young minds. From culinary adventures with Whiskers the tabby cat to underwater odysseys with Squishy the jellyfish, these whimsical bookmarks are perfect companions for young readers aged 8 to 12. Let Rusty the robotic dog, Pixel the digital sprite, and their friends ignite your child's imagination and accompany them on countless adventures through the pages of their favorite books. Delightful illustrations, captivating quotes, and colorful designs make these bookmarks the perfect addition to any young explorer's reading collection. Download now and let the adventures begin!

[iamactivedoggy]

Unleash Your Creativity with the American Blue Nose Pitbull Hardcover Journal

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