#even mini comics are hard XD

[goldsnek]

So, I saw the question about tips for aspiring comic artists and it actually reminded me that I am curious about the topic as well😅

I like to write stories and I like to draw so it seemed logically for me to try my hand at comics as well but I'm struggling extremely with the layout.

It's seems very daunting when you sit in front of the empty page and you have to consider how to arrange the panels.

I'm the kind of artist that sometimes does big changes to almost finished works, so the idea of having to make a final decision before I even start with the actual drawing process, is kind of terrifying for me.

Long story short, how do you put your drawings into panels?

Do you really have to make a final panel layout at the beginning, the way I've been attempting to, or are there other possibilities I simply haven't thought of?

Last but not least, I want you to know that I absolutely love your comic, both because of your spectacular art and the amazing story! ❤️

Hello! Okay this is going to be long but I'll try my best to explain and be concise (and truly sorry for the english!) So, the first rule you need to have in mind is that you don't imagine the scene PER PAGE but PER SEQUENCE. What I mean is, you don't have to imagine a comic (like ''what I'm putting in this page'') but you have to imagine it as a video in your head, like you're directing a movie ( movies and comics are a lot more similar than we think as a media) For example, try to imagine someone waking up and going to open their window, that's a full sequence. it can be done in various ways, depending on what your character is doing and what's the ''mood'' of the scene. Remember always that your character emotions sets the mood for the entire scene. A thing that helps me a lot is ( like I said XD) watching movies, I focus on the mini sequences, a kiss scene, a fight, I pause the movie and rewatch that scenes various times, trying to understand the mood of the scene and how is shot. A sequence can even take 3 or 4 pages or even 10, it depends from whats happening, even more if it's a fight! But like I said the number of pages comes later. another importart thing to remember is that your characters needs ''a place to live'' If you make a story and never show a single panel with a background, the story is gonna lack something 100%; and I know... backgrounds are hard (I hate them) but you need at least 1 panel where you show the places your characters are living in. That is called establishing shot and it needs to be used when your character are moving to other locations. (or if you're talking about other characters in your comic and they are somewhere else) I'll show u some establishing shots now:

Took 3 different comics (narratively and stylistic speaking) Bone, Batman and TinTin to show you that even if the setting of the panels is extremely different, they still all have an establishing shot. Now, of course you don't have to put this in EVERY page, but like I said at least at the start of your comic, or when the characters are moving somewhere else, it's very important to show that. Also remember that the biggest panel you need to have in your sequence is the one where the most important action is happening. For example, if two people are fighting and someone gets slapped, that's the most impactful scene, so that's the scene that will need the biggest panel on your sequence, because it's the most important. Another rule is to make the camera breathe. Let me explain this properly, you, as a comic artist, are like a movie director with a camera. You need to turn the camera in various ways, up and down left and right, but always remember this : Never make a page of faces only. example, here are character A and B having a conversation, a page like this is extremely wrong, because the camera is basically attached to the character face and the viewer/reader is going to feel like they're suffocating in the room with the story characters :

You as an artist have the power to zoom the camera in and out, showing extremely tiny details or making a big panel that shows how Idk... beautiful or eerie or mysterious the background is. The biggest advice I can give you is to read a lot of comics, try to find series you love and study them, see how they make the panels, how the sequence are shown etc. The last rule (there are a lot more so if you have more specific questions just ask) I can give you and this is about your question in specific is that: Yes. Unfortunately you have to make the structure first and that has to be your final decision, if you make a 10 pages comic for example and you decide you don't like some stuff anymore and decide to change all the pages, you're just gonna end up in a endless cycle of always fixing and fixing and never be satisfied. Remeber this: The sketches and layout of the pages are the MOST important thing in a comic. The coloring, lineart, etc... it's just decoration. So hang on and start making layouts, and focus only on those for a period of time and then when you're 100% satisfied with the structure, you go and start adding the ''decorations'' Hope this helps! I'm not very good at explaining , especially in another language, but I tried my best XD

[darqx]

More BP flavoured asks!

Wish granted lol °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

Hello! And funnily enough when you sent this a friend of my niece was also in Kazakhstan, what a small world! I am indeed very interested in creating something based on the BP au and am working on a comic :) Trying to thumbnail as many chapters as i can at the moment - it was supposed to be a short project but there's...a lot of chapter prompts now |D

I actually had several flash mini-games with them in it, alas they have been lost to Flash player going the way of the dodo 🪦

It will depend on which AU you're looking at as they are technically separated, even if there are some aspects of them that cross over 😅 My current project is BP so the basic premise of that is that demons and humans coexist, and a priest accidentally half-exorcises a demon (which had never been done before in universe) and they go on a road trip to try and somehow "undo" it.

You can find some random info about them in my "answer", "answer dump" or "rire answer dump" tags :)

BP Izm is a demon and so they don't have an equivalent human ethnic background. The closest they get is their species/breed, in which case Izm is a Deal Maker type of demon called the Aleores.

They have also been transferred :) Unfortunately I dont think we get to see what Tish looks like except maybe in passing 🤔

Yes...to some degree.

It is a game to some of them indeed lol. Also much can be said about human greed/folly/choices.

I will be real with you - questions about games are often hard for me to answer because I am not a gamer and more likely then not dont know anything about the game referred to XD;;

[viole-santori]

MINI-COMIC: DES MEETS MINA 🦂☀️

This is a mini-comic featuring Viole/Des meeting another OC! Mina is @twtysevapr's OC! Thank you for letting me draw your OC!! ^^ I hope I did her justice- The first time I draw something is always messy 😭

Mina was fun to draw! I like drawing girls with long hair even if long hair can be hard to draw. I also had fun with the little chibi Mina with bowing Des. Little teenies are fun to do!! >w< !!

Quick Akuma OC Lore: Des has a habit of referring to people by full name (similar to Ortho) or my strange titles that may be part of Briar Valley's way of speech not converting well to modern English. For example, Ruggie is called "hyena" so in Des Logic that makes Mina's title "friend of the hyena." But Deuce is referred to as his full name or his first and middle name "Deuce Aldan" (the middle name is my headcanon lmao)

!!! Also, all the Japanese is in hiragana for clarity and are correct to my knowledge as a J2 student. You do not need to know Japanese to follow the comic as the Japanese sound effects and phrases are all additional/adding to the comic. All necessary dialogue is in English.

Edit 11/16: the sound effects should be in katakana but only one of them is (Mina's). The bowing sound effect for Des should also be in katakana. The things I notice days later, eh, everything else is fine xD

Mina Minami (c) Anya, @twtysevapr Viole Santori (c) Akuma, @kiyomizuki Twisted Wonderland (c) Disney Japan

I didn't realize it before but Mina and Des' last names have the same syllable so it was fun to read next to each other xD

Below the cut is the full version with no dialogue.

[aventurineswife]

College AU part II

Ok but what if reader comes home one evening (alhaitham is away for a while) and finds kaveh on his maybe 4th glass of wine so they know he is stressed...again. And while they try coax him to get some rest, kaveh in his half drunk state blurts out he likes reader.

Reader is of course stunned, but thinks they can figure it out in the morning when kaveh is better and if he remembers saying it. Just after reader tucks kaveh in, he grabs them and pulls them down next to him and cuddles them, falling asleep right then and there. Unfortunately, reader has no way out of his iron grip and falls asleep there.

Kaveh might have a mini heart attack in the morning XD just two silly idiots who are pining for each other so hard, its too comical (yes, you can end it with a more proper fleshed out confession blurted out by both at the same time, we love silly idiots in love)

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other” | Part 2

Summary: You come home one evening to find Kaveh on his fourth glass of wine, clearly stressed from his work. As you try to coax him to get some rest, he unexpectedly blurts out that he likes you. Stunned but uncertain, you decide to wait until morning to see if he remembers. After tucking Kaveh in, he unexpectedly pulls you down beside him, cuddling you tightly as he drifts off to sleep. Trapped in his embrace, you eventually fall asleep too.

Tags: Kaveh x Reader, Modern AU, College AU, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Lighthearted Romance, Confessions from both sides.

Warnings: Alcohol Consumption, Potential minor implications of intoxication.

A/N: AHAHA I KNEW IT YOU WERE GONNA COMMENT SOMETHING LIKE THIS ANON!! 🤭

Part 1

You stepped into the apartment, the familiar scent of Kaveh’s notes and scattered architectural plans filling the air. You called out a casual greeting, but the only response was the soft clink of glass against wood. Frowning, you moved toward the dining room and found Kaveh slouched at the table, a half-empty bottle of wine by his side, the remnants of his fourth glass pooling at the bottom.

“Kaveh?” you ventured cautiously, noting the slight flush to his cheeks. “Are you okay?”

He looked up, his sharp red eyes slightly glazed over. A lopsided smile spread across his face, the kind that hinted at a lighthearted spirit struggling against the weight of his stress. “I’m... splendid!” he declared, raising the glass like a trophy. “A true artist needs his inspiration, after all!”

You stepped closer, assessing the chaotic spread of sketches and blueprints littering the table. “It looks like you’ve been at this for hours. You need to get some rest.”

Kaveh waved his hand dismissively, though it was less of a confident gesture and more a sign of his unsteady state. “Rest is for the weak! I can’t stop now; I have to finish this project for the exhibition next week! It’s... it’s my masterpiece!” He emphasized this last word with a theatrical flourish that made you chuckle despite the concern gnawing at your heart.

“Your masterpiece can wait until tomorrow,” you insisted gently, moving to pull the bottle away from him. “You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep this up.”

He pouted, a mix of frustration and exhaustion in his eyes. “But you don’t understand! Everything I do has to be perfect! I can’t let anyone down!” His voice wavered, revealing a hint of the pressure that had been weighing on him. You sat beside him, feeling a swell of sympathy.

“You’re not letting anyone down by taking care of yourself,” you said softly, placing a hand on his back. “You’re more than your work, Kaveh.”

For a moment, he seemed to consider this, his expression softening. “I know, but—” He paused, taking another sip of wine. “But you’re the only one who sees that, you know?”

You felt your heart flutter. “I’m just trying to help you, that’s all.”

He leaned back in his chair, suddenly serious, the laughter fading from his eyes. “You really care, don’t you?”

“Of course I do!” You could feel your face heating up as you met his gaze, but then he startled you with his next words.

“I like you,” he blurted, words tumbling out in a rush. “Like, a lot. You make me feel... happy, and I—”

The weight of the moment struck you like lightning, leaving you utterly speechless. Your mind raced as you processed his confession. “Wait, you like me?”

“Yes, I—”

But before he could continue, you shook your head slightly, wanting to ground the conversation. “Kaveh, you’ve had a bit too much to drink right now. Maybe we should talk about this in the morning?”

He blinked at you, confusion swirling in his red eyes. “But I mean it,” he insisted, slightly slurring his words now. “I really do like you... a lot.”

Trying to keep a straight face amid the internal chaos, you nodded slowly. “Okay, let’s get you to bed, and we can figure it out when you’re sober.”

With some effort, you helped him to his feet, guiding him toward his room. He stumbled slightly, and you laughed softly, feeling a mixture of affection and exasperation. Once in his room, you helped him settle onto his bed, pulling the covers over him gently. “Get some sleep, Kaveh.”

He turned onto his side, looking up at you with a sleepy smile. “You’re not going to leave me alone, are you?”

You hesitated, glancing back at the door. “I—”

Before you could finish, Kaveh reached out and grabbed your wrist, tugging you down beside him with surprising strength. You landed beside him, flustered and caught off guard. “Kaveh, what—”

“Stay,” he murmured, already drifting off. “I like you... so much...”

And with that, he wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close against his side, his warmth enveloping you like a soft blanket. You felt your heart race, trapped in his iron grip, unable to escape. You’d never expected this turn of events, yet you couldn’t deny the comfort of being beside him.

With a resigned sigh, you nestled into his side, feeling your eyelids grow heavy as you tried to process everything that had just happened.

The sun filtered through the curtains the next morning, the warmth of daylight creeping into Kaveh’s room. You stirred awake, blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings and feeling the weight of Kaveh’s arm draped possessively over you.

Panic shot through you as you remembered the night before. You carefully extricated yourself from his grip, only to find his eyes fluttering open, blinking against the light.

“Good morning,” he mumbled, voice thick with sleep. Then his expression shifted from drowsy to horrified as realization washed over him. “Oh, no... Did I...?”

“Uh, yeah,” you admitted, trying to suppress a smile. “You might have confessed your feelings while drunk.”

Kaveh shot up, wide-eyed, his hair a wild mess. “I what?!”

You chuckled, leaning back on your hands. “You definitely did, Kaveh. But it’s okay. We can talk about it if you want.”

He put his head in his hands, mortified. “I can’t believe I did that! This is so embarrassing!”

“Relax,” you said, a teasing lilt to your voice. “You weren’t wrong in what you said.”

Kaveh looked up at you, confusion etched on his features. “What do you mean?”

Taking a deep breath, you smiled softly at him. “I like you too, Kaveh. A lot. But maybe we should both be sober when we talk about it more seriously.”

His eyes lit up, and he sat straighter, a spark of hope igniting in them. “Really? You—”

Before he could finish, you both blurted out at the same time, “I like you!”

You stared at each other, a mix of surprise and joy on your faces. Laughter erupted from both of you, the tension breaking like a wave.

“Okay, so we both like each other,” you said, feeling your heart race at the realization. “Now what?”

Kaveh grinned, the nervousness replaced by his usual exuberance. “I think we should start with a proper date. I’ll even design a place that’s beautiful enough to impress you!”

You laughed again, shaking your head at the endearing absurdity of it all. “I’m looking forward to it, Kaveh. Just try not to spill your feelings after too much wine next time.”

He smirked, leaning closer. “No promises!”

And with that, two silly idiots finally embraced their feelings, their hearts in sync as they began to carve out a new chapter together, full of beauty, laughter, and love.

[lunchtimebedamned1997]

Alastor Painting Experiment :3

(Timelapse and other stuff under the cut)

I'm really happy with this, all things considered! I gave myself a couple of little challenges when it came to this painting:

Try to make something unsettling! I usually go for - heh - less unsettling and more fluff (?) in my art (even my Radiosilence comic that is - not strictly... pleasant lmao - is still just more angst than creepy, yk?)

I wanted to keep things really loose! Focus more on vibes than 'rules'. Not worrying about if it has an internal 'logic' as to how i painted it (as opposed to sketch -> cleanup/lineart -> color)

To play more with non-traditional lighting like glowing eyes, teeth, and stitches; glitchy bg that doesn't contribute to the lighting on Al but still 'works' aesthetically, etc.

No deleting lines. I could paint over things, but I couldn't sit there finessing everything within an inch of its life. (This goes back to the keeping it loose thing)

I wanted this piece to be really experimental and outside of my usual process. I really like what I've been making lately, but especially towards the end of making my mini comic I felt so stiff. Moreso mentally than anything else. Trying to keep things that consistent was really hard for me XD Not to mention I feel like the best way I've found to improve, is fighting through the discomfort of new-ness and moving past the fear of something 'not turning out good' to just see what happens. That's something I've been embracing a lot this year, and I've seen more of an improvement in my art over the last six months than the six YEARS before that.

I'm not usually a horror fan (I like my horror Buffy-ified, pls and thank you! XD) (AKA: Mixed with other genres and not too graphic (for those who havent seen BtVS)) but something about how fucking unsettling Al is - is like... weirdly cathartic???? This whole fucking show is cathartic. I - yeah. Anyway Al's magic looks cool and I wanted to make art about it again bc I didn't get to play with it as much as I would have liked to in my comic bc I was so pressed for time.

Here's a closeup of the face bc I LOVE the details and textures here. I switched to CSP right before starting this tumblr, and I'm still just so blown away by how great the brushes are???? I had to fight so fucking hard to get anything to look good in Photoshop. These just??? Work as intended??? Like its intuitive????? Fucking lovely lmao

Anyways, here's the speedpaint! Mwah <3

[egg-emperor]

Hello! I hope you're doing well! I wanted to pick your brain over Eggman in Frontiers to hear your perspective.

I honestly found Eggman lacklustre in Frontiers. I was disappointed. I have a few questions to see if I'm missing anything and if you can put my mind at ease.

What were Eggman's motives for booting up the Ancients' technology? He mentions secrets but what for? Any other game story is a motive for world domination. How will the Ancients enable this?

I saw the relationship he and Sage had as uwu and sappy. I can't visualise Eggman as a father. I certainly saw him act paternal towards Sage. It's not to my liking haha. I preferred the original ending where he had to fight for his personal victory and bring Sage back online.

Why was Eggman laughing at Sonic being corrupted? I assumed he personally wants to finish Sonic off. I think of Sonic 2 8 bit in Underground Zone where he saves Sonic to finish him off.

Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing your analysis.

Hello! I'm doing pretty good thanks, much more positive now I'm no longer struggling with the difficulty of the update XD Feels like I've been needing to recover though because I've been tired af! Hope you're doing well too ^^

He definitely deserved to do a lot more. Final Horizon improved by giving him a bit of action but he was still sidelined hard. I still feel so teased by the MC texture pack of Eggman and Sage in Wyvern, that would've been so metal in game lol. Even having even just a side boss is always better than none. The more action the better! It's not boring for him to be a boss and the villain he is and get some action. Especially since they easily could've incorporated the Titans by having Eggman take control, or he could've at least been a mini boss.

But I actually like everything we did get and I'll be getting into a lot of why here! And I appreciate the interest and you asking me for my take on it. I hope I can possibly offer a new perspective but either way, thanks for hearing me out. ^^ But buckle up because it's gonna be a big one lol, I decided to really dig in!

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"What were Eggman's motives for booting up the Ancients' technology? He mentions secrets but what for? Any other game story is a motive for world domination. How will the Ancients enable this?"

His interest in The Ancients is just the classic story finding about an ancient power and checking it out to see what he can do with it. He knew there was a civilization with impressive and valuable technology that was attracting the emeralds, and understandably went to check it out. The prequel comic sets it up like this:

While his initial discovery wasn't revealed, he learned about the islands where an ancient civilization possessed advanced technology and it started attracting the emeralds. So he goes on a trip there, looks around and sets stuff up as we see traces of his presence left behind with ships on each one and Death Egg robot on Chaos Island where he was farming geothermal energy from the volcano.

He came across the Cyber Space structure as a piece of that tech that intrigues him so he wants to override their cyber security to access and take control of it for himself, so he had Sage downloaded to the data pad thingy and uploaded her to it to do so. He was then was supposed to get tech like their soldiers and Titans under control and use them in his plans, then he could discover more of their secrets and find a way to use all of their advanced tech he finds as a tool for world domination.

Immediately upon merging Sage with Cyber Space to try to get past that security, it summons the soldiers and the Giganto is seen in the back, so there you already have potential new power for him to take control of so he was correct. If he did succeed in harnessing and utilizing it and uncovered all their secrets in his surveying of it, he could have total control of the islands, get himself new minions, and discover more about their technology with Cyber Space and all and use their power for his selfish gain.

But of course it didn't go quite as planned as it seems that Sage sensed the danger and decided to seal Eggman in Cyber Space as a protective measure, so he gets trapped in there instead.

When trapped in Cyber Space he's fascinated by how advanced it is to the point he admits it's more than what he's dabbled in before. He continues his analysis of what he sees and throughout the memos, he finds out he was right to be curious and with all the research he gathers about the capabilities of Cyber Space and begins questioning how he can use this power and knowledge to his selfish benefit. Classic Eggman 💜

Sage was also able to somewhat control the Titans, it's just something was blocking her from taking full control but she was able to use them against Sonic and Eggman was very pleased. I'm assuming this was part of his initial plan, to take control of their power and use it against Sonic, then explore the capabilities of the rest of the tech on the islands to utilize for his bigger plan in world domination.

He was always planning on taking control of their creations and using them against Sonic and exploring the islands, uncovering their secrets and analyzing and learning about them like the scientist he is, then using that knowledge to figure out how he can use it in his schemes.

He finds out there's even more about their tech that could be useful with the capabilities of Cyber Space throughout. And he starts taking interest in The End when he learns about it being an even greater more powerful force for being able to wipe them out despite their own impressive power and creations. Which had even more potential if could've found a way to handle it, like he displayed a willingness and confidence in being able to do because of his genius and skill.

( Gotta love how he spits in the face of The Ancients' being wiped out by thinking he can do better. Sure is super sympathetic towards them huh ;D )

So had he not been trapped in Cyber Space, he could've used The Ancients' soldiers, Titans, and The End and if had utilized them successfully, I'm sure he would've had a lot of power that could help him take over the world with some plan. He clearly believes they could've done so themselves, to him it's just a question of why they didn't go ahead beyond a few "piddly" islands because of course he'd do so in a heartbeat.

It's funny because it's also another example of how he's incapable of considering that they might not have that same greed and desire for world domination like him, he can't fathom it lol

So he already knew enough to be aware that they possessed power that he could use in his plans, so he went there to check it out and take control of their tech. Then he was going to find out what else he could do to use their tech to his advantage to achieve world domination. While a lot of this unfortunately fell apart, he still spends his time uncovering more and analyzing everything he finds out while trapped inside Cyber Space too, as we learn about in the memos.

It really shows how during the entire main game and even in the update with the island conversations, he was thinking about what he could do with their power. People saying he's morally gray in this game confuse me because of his obvious villainy and desire to scheme with the only things stopping him being trapped in Cyber Space and then in danger of The End. The intent and desire is still there from beginning to end!

And the potential was there too. Eggman had a reason to be interested in The Ancients' secrets and I would've loved to see him actually put all this knowledge to use. It feels like they teased it waaay too much to never have him actually do anything with everything he learned... so I wonder if there's a chance he'll actually do so in the future?

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"I saw the relationship he and Sage had as uwu and sappy. I can't visualise Eggman as a father. I certainly saw him act paternal towards Sage. It's not to my liking haha. I preferred the original ending where he had to fight for his personal victory and bring Sage back online."

I don't think the game did too bad of a job at showing what the real true dynamic of Eggman and Sage really is, ever since I paid closer attention in my second playthrough. I regret letting fandom influence how I thought and felt during my first because it ruined my first experience and made me believe things that weren't true. But now I love it because it's way different to fanon!

The most important thing to consider is the entire basis of Eggman's side of the dynamic and the specific reasons he comes to value and praise her at all, all said in his own words in the memos:

What kind of normal good wholesome caring parent brags that their child would be "loyal" and "perfectly effective"? Exactly. Those aren't things selfless, good hearted, good intentioned, genuinely caring parents expect of their child and that's the point. Eggman is already fucked up for that alone. Then to hammer it home, BOOM there it is:

The reason he recognizes, praises, and values these things in Sage as much as he does besides all the ways he benefits from them- is that he can take pride in being the one that made it all possible as she's a reflection of his genius- praising her is praising himself as her creator. And this is why Flynn said it was unsettling and that he warmed up to her for all the wrong reasons.

It's important to remember and consider this when analyzing absolutely every interaction between the two in this story.

In the prequel comic we see he specifically built Sage to protect him and he wishes aloud for a creation that will just once make him proud:

Upon hearing this, it may have prompted Sage to try extra hard to please him on top of her programming. And he was already calling her his "latest and greatest" like he does all his creations lol. So she also may have felt the need to try extra hard to live up to that high standard and expectation too.

Anyway, whether that's Sage's intention or if she's going purely by her stated programming, she does live up to fulfilling her programmed function and Eggman's wishes for a creation that will fill him with pride. She's loyal, efficient, and protects him multiple times throughout main story and Final Horizon.

Eggman takes note of her efficiency and her being crucial in his survival in the memos.

She shows true loyalty, efficiency in serving and protecting him as created, and prioritizes his safety and desires. She talks about saving him and the world for him to rule specifically, which he smiles smugly at like "finally somebody here understands it's all about me >:D"

All the times he praises her highly throughout the entire game are for doing exactly as she was created and asked to do, or surpassing those expectations in pleasant ways. But then every time she does something he doesn't want her to, even in cases where his best interests are still in mind, he snaps at her for it not being exactly what he wants: (Click through for better view/open in new tab on desktop, I don't wanna make the post even longer)

Also there's also him suddenly switching to being appalled, jealous, and pissed at her just for admiring Sonic

This all shows how conditional it is. He'll snap and yell at her and thump the Egg Mobile when she doesn't do what he wants in the exact way he wants one second, and praises her highly when she does the next. It's really represented best by these scenes:

First he was yelling at her for daring to suggest something he doesn't want to do, smashing his fist against the Egg Mobile in anger, and flying off. Then he was in danger of the G.U.N helicopters, she jumped in and saved him, and then he immediately switched to praising her highly and saying he was proud of her. What makes this especially significant is that you can get the second scene to play immediately after the other, if you trigger them right with the unlocking of the emeralds. Literally changes like the weather between her doing something he hates to something he wants.

I also want to bring up the flashback montage:

It shows Eggman doesn't actually do anything selflessly nice. All he does praise her for what she was created to do and she just applied love that she learned from watching Sonic and friends to those initiatives of loyalty and protection she was programmed with, the way Eggman praised her for fulfilling them, and to any likeness to family like him as her creator and Orbot and Cubot as his too, the idea of having a home, etc.

Eggman's side really is shown to be shallow, self-centered, and with his own interests and benefits in mind all along, while Sage's is more professional at first but becomes much deeper and more meaningful over time, as she witnesses what it means to be a family born of love from Sonic and co interacting. She looks to Eggman as her creator for that dynamic and applies the feelings of love she learned from them to it, even though their master creator and servant creation dynamic is much different to that. She doesn't have that but wishes she did.

Sage also clearly has doubts about him caring for her when she has to ask Sonic if he really thinks Eggman does, and it shows in her songs as she questions whether he'll be mad at her, or if she's asking for too much just to be with him, as I talked about here. This also shows that Eggman hasn't given her enough to convince her and we can really see that in the scenes. Even Sonic mumbles that Eggman "cares" for her "in his own way" because even he knows he isn't capable of loving and caring about people in the traditional conventional expected way.

They played some moments for the cuteness factor as they knew it'd appeal to a wider audience and it sure did but that part has no appeal to me. I instead like how the unsettling undertones are still there and make it interesting to analyze. And with the specific ways he praised her in the memos and the specific circumstances in mind, it makes sense as they're always the reasons that Eggman's side of the dynamic is built on.

It makes sense for Eggman not to trash her, he said she was crucial to his survival. Sure she pissed him off but so do Orbot and Cubot all the time and he keeps them around because ultimately they're useful and do their jobs (plus I also think he enjoys getting to boss them around and discipline them harshly as he does because it gives him a sense of power and control over others). And so does Sage, but with genuine enthusiasm, loyalty, and much more efficiency, and has his best interests in mind and a genuine desire to protect him. So why would he get rid of her and then not want to bring her back after her sacrifice? That would make no sense.

And it makes sense for him to praise her and be proud of her too. It's just like him being proud of Gamma. In fact, the way the scene of him yelling at her comes right before the one where he's saved and praises her highly and says he's proud of her, is a parallel to this scene where he was yelling at all the E Series calling them all dummies but then immediately changing his tune when he saw Gamma and saying he's proud of him for doing exactly what he wanted. I did a whole comparison here.

And it makes sense for him to take pride in her as an impressive life like creation, which he finds superior to organic natural life for it, and the ways he can benefit from her loyalty and efficiency. He can also take pride in her for being her creator/father, as she's a reflection of his genius and scientific skill and is useful to him. And by calling himself her father, it's also appealing to her desires for a familial bond which will also give her even more enthusiasm to serve him.

Eggman doesn't do any of this in ways that don't suit his character. He's valuing, praising her, and acting paternal on these conditions specifically, which is the only way it can work with his narcissism, ego, and selfishness intact. It's great that they didn't change him and instead found a way to further develop and solidify his already existing traits, by showing how a father daughter dynamic can work with these things in mind. It serves an an example rather than an exception to them, and this is what a lot of people are missing.

I also like The Final Horizon's ending as Eggman isn't the overly physically affectionate gushing and throwing arms around people type, it doesn't suit his demeanor and behavior and I'm glad to see that hasn't been suddenly forced with Sage. This isn't over the top and uncomfortable OOC like fanon.

It's a subtle and small gesture, extending his arm with hand out to her but looking away and forward. He's quiet, solemn, and reserved. His demeanor and body language is important. He takes a breath that seems like a "sigh well, here goes" kind of way then mumbles it, not much, just small words of praise towards her doing the very things he created and praised her for before- doing what he wants her to and serving her purpose as his protector like she protected him in the fight, and calling her his daughter also has the same effect in encouraging her and he knows it, as well as how it's appealing to him for his pride as he said in the memo.

It's very important to acknowledge he's not shy at all, that's the last word to describe him. He has the highest self esteem, self love, and confidence and it's all genuine. It's just that hyper affectionate super warm and mushy gushy-ness, be it through feelings, words, or actions isn't his thing. The most he's ever going to hype someone up close to it is in a performative manipulative way to urge them to continue doing what pleases him, and he forces it in some cases more than others, you get varying degrees.

But I like how it's on the more subtle side here a lot because it's even more telling of his true character. When he's acting like this it aligns with that reasoning again but with a new look at his style of showing it in a physical subtle manner, with his behavior being similar to the scene where she saved him in Cyber Space and said he was proud of her for it- only it was only through words then. We've now seen how he can show this verbally and physically and I like it a lot, it's the only way this can work and they did it.

I truly believe he doesn't feel the typical conventional idea of "love" for anyone but himself because he is the biggest egotist and narcissist in all of existence and is extremely selfish and people seem to be forgetting what that entails for his behavior and personality feelings, and mindset with his self absorption and low empathy. There are no sudden exceptions to this, Sage is literally just another perfect example of it, nothing has changed with him.

Also, think about the terms of which he's praising her in all of their "cutest" moments together:

Eggman is delighted that Sage has succeeded in getting Sonic's ass beat and hearing the battle reports. She's proving herself to be very useful and efficient, so he decides to take full advantage of that by properly giving her control of the Eggnet which is a huge promotion. So he uses it to butter her up to make it all the more inviting.

(again click/open in new tab for full view)

She is indeed a good change of pace from Orbot and Cubot as they're often less efficient and don't have the same enthusiasm. Sage brings everything they do but better in appealing to Eggman's interests and serving him well. And at first he takes a dig at them as he hates them immensely without an ounce of fondness but when Sage displays interest in them as being like family, he decides to play along with it and it pleases her, which is also going to make it even more inviting.

But when he first praises her most highly to her face beyond the offhand mumbling of her actions being "commendable" by saying he's proud of her, it's right after he was saved by her from the G.U.N helicopters. Then in The Final Horizon ending where he says she did good and held her hand, it's because he's saying she did a good job in protecting him from the line of fire in the final boss, helping him in destroying The End, and saving the world for him to conquer. Same goes for the original ending for the latter half, for him to revive her and say "that's my girl"

She's done exactly as asked, and he's praising her for it because it genuinely is a job well done and is exactly what he wanted and him reacting with praise encourages that. It's always because he got something out of it. It's not selfless, it's not sweet for the sake of it because he's just feeling sweet and fatherly and kind-hearted. There's always a reason in it where he has benefitted from it. It can be considered emotionally manipulative for that and very conditional too. She goes to great lengths with her actions and he rewards her with mere words- except for when it comes to her biggest accomplishment in The Final Horizon, he takes it a bit further. And what does he offer then? Just a small simple hand hold, while he looks away, seeming quiet and reserved. But it's enough for Sage and it works. It keeps her loyal and loving, he'll need to encourage it to keep her useful and enthusiastic in it.

These are all the specific reasons he praises and warms up to her, also for how calling himself her father is another way to take pride in her as her genius creator, as he said in the Egg Memos. It's all for selfish, self serving, self praising reasons. I like that a lot, it's very in character that way and how it's possible for such a dynamic to exist with his narcissism. Sage is the one giving things to him, protecting him, serving him, and showing loyalty, support, and respect for his desires while Eggman just takes. She does exactly what he wants as she’s created for and is willing and enthusiastic unlike a lot of creations of his. Eggman still hasn’t done shit for Sage, except praise her when she does what he wants but then becomes grumpy and snaps at her every time she does something he doesn’t.

So that's why, while I don't care for the cutesy way they're framed, I can see why Eggman would act that way to appeal to her desire for the family dynamic and encourage her to stay loyal and efficient. So now when it comes to the dynamic, I realized that I shouldn't just write off the entire concept as OOC. The question doesn't lie in "would this situation make sense for Eggman to do at all?", instead it's in "does this have in character reasons and basis for this to happen?" and in my opinion, it absolutely does, so it works.

------------------------

"Why was Eggman laughing at Sonic being corrupted? I assumed he personally wants to finish Sonic off. I think of Sonic 2 8 bit in Underground Zone where he saves Sonic to finish him off."

He does really want to be the one personally finish Sonic off. XD He does say this in the English version and in the Japanese version he says he wishes he could've been the one who bury him.

I absolutely love this scene because it really emphasizes that he does hate Sonic as he says, despite any respect he also has and any credit he gives where it's due for him being a formidable adversary. And it's the funniest moment in the game hehe 💕

I think he'll be happy about Sonic dying in any way, as long as it's not being stolen from him from someone else like the Deadly Six for example, so he saved him at Lava Mountain so he could destroy him with his Eggrobo instead. In the Sonic 2 8 bit, I imagine it's because him simply falling into lava also would've been an unsatisfying demise.

In cases where he wasn't the one to directly finish him off, if he still has some hand in it, he can accept it. This doesn't apply when just almost falling into lava like Sonic 2 8 bit or when lackeys of his almost succeed in killing him when they're no longer on his side, like the Zeti breaking the bridge and Sonic almost falling into the lava, so he saved him both times so he could try to kill him himself after.

But in this game, since he helped kick off everything, he's partially responsible for the corruption and can at least settle for that. While he celebrates his supposed demise, he voices that his only regret is that he couldn't finish him off with his own hands for the ultimate satisfaction. Still, it's good to have him out of the way either way, a victory is a victory.

Exactly when and how he wants him to die tends to change a lot though, it's like it depends on his mood lol. Like how sometimes he will very clearly try to kill him during battles as he threatens his life and yells at him to die, how he tried to shoot the capsule out into space, and how he even wants creations or lackeys to actually try to kill him. I guess as long as it's by his orders he can settle for that but again, I think he'd be slightly disappointed that he couldn't do it by his own hands after the fact.

It's kind of like how we know that Eggman would prefer to show him his completed empire before "banishing" him (definitely meant killing) in Forces, which is why he actually kept him alive and imprisoned for six months. Yet he'll always very clearly be out for blood during battles and want him dead there and then. So I feel it depends on how desperate he's feeling to get rid of him in the moment and maybe in the case of Frontiers, for at least one good thing to come out of it. But ultimately, he'll always celebrate his demise if he has some hand in it at all and gets to finally succeed in his goal!

----------------

I love Frontiers Eggman so much. 🥰💜 I love his characterization and what he did actually get to do and I'm really glad I gave him another chance after my initial disappointment. The only things I'd change are a couple of English lines because they didn't make sense or would've been more in character rephrased but in most of those cases JP fixed it- and I'd give him more action, though the update improved on it a bit and gave him a chance to go up against the boss. But I really enjoy the new directions they took him in as new interesting ways to further explore and solidify his already existing character. It made it a lot of fun for me to analyze too!

[blackstarchanx3new]

I just binge read all of FSR in one sitting and GODDDDD THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT 11 YEAR OLD ME CRAVED WHEN HE FIRST READ FOUR SWORDS... Thank you for all your hard work!!

Sorry I ended up rambling.

It's so funny to me people who liked FS for years enjoy it considering I got into it back in March/April. XD (Read Akira's other works as a kid but as far as I know the first time I ever picked up FS was cause I got it as an early B-day gift.)

I really wanted to make smth that felt like a sequel.

The tone is much darker but I think that fits considering Link's older and the reason behind the split is, depressing lmfao. Diving into the mentality and how it affects on the wielder of the four sword has been fun.

My biggest question was "How did Link cope with his adventure" how would ANYONE go back to normal after being torn into 4 parts?

How did the four sword mechanics REALLY WORK?

I love media analysis and I've got SO MUCH TO SAY about the OG Four Sword manga I really wanna make a video essay on it one day just because I have a LOT of takes. A lot of outside of the box ones I guess considering nobody's really tackling the stuff I wanna see. (To not get too deep into it: fan FS content doesn't appeal to me 99% of the time, OOC shit/ONLY focusing on vidow and not doing them justice when focused on, tend to be the main issues to me in a lot of fan work. That genuinely was a huge part in what spurred me to make FSR I think hah. There's a HUGE untapped gap in FS manga fan content around an idea for a sequel/the four heroes TOGETHER despite...ya know. the messaging of the manga, in general while NOT having an "Anti vidow" bitterness behind it, at least imo.)

So I did it myself haha.

Really in a way SU future is the only thing I can think of as a comparison in terms of the idea of it? XD (Yes the Link fusion monstrosity was based on the force gem fusions/mini clusters/Learning with Pibby just as a fun fact.)

I'm glad I'm expanding on stuff people want to see from the OG story tho. It's really a project that's seen in the way I want it to. (Which, hasn't been the case for some of my past comics oomf. TTuTT')

Smth I've been enjoying thinking and planning for is just making characters who never got to speak to each other 1 on 1 talk more. XD We were robbed of more volumes of FS and I'll stand by that.

Dark Link was a huge curve ball as he was BARELY In the OG draft, and he actually replaced Vaati in the scene he first appeared in. XD Which is why his dialogue is kinda OFF compared to his other appearances. I'm kinda flabbergasted I basically snuck an OC into the mix and people like him lmao. It's hilarious.

Anyways I got derailed and blabed that's a lot of words to say:

I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's been fun so far. XD I'm excited to get even deeper into the story.

[celestialscribbler]

Nice mini comic on Philip accusing Catherine. Do you think Caleb not stepping in and disciplining his brother is one of the reasons he’s goes down the road he did? For the mini story shows two things that sum up the core of Philip’s issues: lack of empathy and he’s inability to accept error. I mean you can see how his schemes start off harmless but slowly get more dangerous and his attachment issues lead to some messy things happening. Do you fail that Caleb being too nice and young himself meant he never wanted to put his foot down on Philip(sorry for ranting just getting off my chest)?

I have some very specific ideas about their upbringing that I'm gonna explore in the main comic but yea, Caleb absolutely helped feed Phillip's burgeoning god complex. I don't see him as completely lacking empathy as much as having a twisted worldview that justifies denying empathy. If a kind person had snakes appear in their bedroom he'd probably feel bad for them and think they'd been cursed by a witch, but when it was someone who wronged him he'd justify it as a divine punishment they brought on themselves even tho he was the one who put the snakes there.

Kids are very bad at appropriately disciplining other kids, but Caleb was put in an especially hard position. He doesn't have the same authority as a parent but seeking help from adults in town would likely result in overly harsh punishments to the point that he would instead feel the need to cover for Phillip to protect him. When he could actually enforce a punishment he would be easily emotionally manipulated into rescinding or at least apologizing for it to keep his only surviving family from hating him. If it was an especially serious offense that he'd hold his ground on it could make Phillip feel bad enough to confess to others and get both of them in hot water. At this point it's spiraled into Phillip being perfectly willing to threaten Caleb for even a gentle suggestion he doesn't like (getting rid of the mask) so what is Caleb to do about something like the Catherine situation? And I had already made this lil Pip comic just for myself but it kinda fits so here ya go xD

[elvenbeard]

Elven goes Comic Park Artist Alley 2023

Here it is, the post I threatened to make! It's gonna be long and full of ramblings, but I wanted to write everything down and idk, maybe you'll find it interesting to read! xD

So, this was my first time tabling at an artist alley. I had applied to another con near-ish me a couple of times in the past but never got accepted, so I was quite floored when it worked here at first try this time around xD I was hella nervous all the way up until the day I actually had to go and leave for some reason. Beforehand, I gathered some inspo at other cons for table setups and invested a little bit in one of those wire-shelf thingies, cause since it's very modular I would have also been able to make good use of it if it turns out artist alleys aren't my thing after all. I got a small collection of prints printed, I wanted to stick with a theme (namely, my original fantasy stuff, since fanart is a legal grey area and I wanted to be on the safe side - also, themes are nice!).

I managed to fit everything I needed for the table into two big Ikea bags and left on Friday noon for the con (we were allowed to set up starting at 2pm that day, the actual con starting on Saturday at 9am). I also set up two small shelf units for putting on the table upfront to save some time!

My cat was not impressed.

Setup and everything worked out without problems, the helpers were all super kind and welcoming. The only thing that was kinda chaotic was that the con organizers and the owners of the location (the artist alleay was in a whole new building, and the location overall is insanely pretty) seemed to kinda work against each other in a way xD Communication didn't quite work, and I think if we as artists and our helpers had received at least some kinda document or ID or a little coloured wristband that said "exhibitor" or something, it would have prevented a lot of arguments and delays. But alas, maybe next year!

Since I had a quite long drive and didn't wanna do that twice every day, I stayed at a hotel nearby. It felt a little like a mini vacation, which was nice xD Cost-wise, I would have ended up paying the same amount in gas that I paid in hotel fees.

As I said, as soon as my table was set up, all nervousness from before had kinda vanished and despite my days starting super early and ending very late, I had a blast overall xD Only thing is, I didn't sleep well (but I rarely do when I know I have to get up early, the anxiety of missing my alarm haunts me in my dreams).

My view for the weekend xD I love how creative some of the other artists' setup was, let alone how amazing their art was! There was a huge variety of styles and products, from prints to pins to handmade jewelry and plushies, and I didn't even get the chance to see it all xD

I guess this being my first table and the fear of accidentally missing out on a conversation with someone who likes my stuff I kinda didn't dare to venture very far from my table xD So I didn't see much of the rest of the con, but thankfully a lot of people found their way to the artist alley anyway! My personal highlight was having the ultimate, first-hand V experience. I randomly look to the right, and suddenly:

Johnny fucking Silverhand! Including an ominous duffle bag that might have said NUKE... or NIKE, not sure... (find him on instagram @_iggyizzy_). Had a short convo with him both days, he was absolutely living his role, and yes xD Best quote that'll stay with me: "Don't make me laugh, or my beard is gonna come off!" Cosplay problems, I relate so hard :D

Some other highlights:

Explaining my dark fantasy world and setting with the target group "21+" to some very enthusiastic young kids who liked the pretty pictures xD

Talking to other creative people and seeing their projects - also loved the fact that there were several others tabling for the first time, and they all had different approaches that I all loved!

In general being told my art is good by complete strangers who know nothing about it was a huge ego and morale boost xD And being able to talk about a very dear-to-me project I'm passionate about in general was awesome

Talking to likeminded people who got inspired what I was doing <3

Nerding about my favourite video games with people

People really liking my inktober stuff a lot, which I wouldn't have expected

Ending the con with a long conversation with two cosplayers/gamers/creative people discussing tabletop games, Dragon Age, and Cyberpunk for about half an hour :D Was such a nice note to end the weekend on!

As I said, upfront I read up on some random resources online, some dos and donts and useful tips for artist alleys. Some of the tips really paid off ("pack a little emergency bag containing all sorts of materials to improvise if need be") which was useful to adjust some price tags and stuff! Others didn't quite turn out to be as accurate, with my most expensive item selling best in comparison to more affordable ones. I also hadn't planned on offering doodle commissions (which I'd seen people do at other cons) but I will definitely do if I ever get a table spot again, cause they were quite popular. And they made me realize once more why I miss doing commissions and will get back into them soon here, too!

Kinda negative things that come to mind regarding the whole experience are really minor actually, as I mentioned already the slightly chaotic organization here and there, but overall there were always good workarounds to that available, too. And I think/hope next time will work out better! A personal annoyance (but that is just my life in general xD) was getting misgendered quite a bit cause I'm not really passing, and me being too scared of irl confrontation in that reagard to correct people XD But I'm working on it. On the other hand, also had a really nice convo with a fellow queer dude about the abundance of pride flags and stuff, which was fun xD

And what I also learned is that the majority of people who do this regularly work Monday-Friday jobs... which makes sense, that enables you to go to cons on weekends, cause you always have the weekend off. Me, I get one weekend off per month at random (I could request specific days, but they're never guaranteed). So yeh... time to find a better dayjob I guess, if I wanna do this professionally xD Or luck out with my day off requests.

Anyway though... my personal takeaway and what I'd do differently next time:

I enjoyed the whole thing a lot more than I would have guessed

I'd make my stand more visibly lgbtq+ themed, to get people interested in queer fantasy art and writings that would walk past generic-looking dark elves

Also I'd add somewhere that this is an original project I'm working on, cause most people I got talking to assumed "oh this is just dnd stuff" and were pleasantly surprised when they learned "no, this is actually a whole setting and story"

I'm gonna wear a name tag with my pronouns on it (I wanted to do it this time but chickened out at the last moment, cause I'm just with one toe out of the closet irl and got too scared XD one challenge at a time)

I did like how my table was set up overall though and apart from some minor tweaks would set it up like this again

I would like to try to walk around more and get talking to other artists more, but I was too glued to my seat and table and everything (also, mild social anxiety, but everyone that I did talk to was so kind, so yeh XD one challenge at a time!!)

So yes. So much to my report on being at an artist alley the first time XD Would love to try it again some time, cause I had a blast, and cause of the stuff I'd like to improve on.

I still have a bunch of leftovers, too, posters, postcards, and a few booklets... But for now I'm gonna set up a Ko-Fi-Shop (which I'd wanted to do for a while) and put some things there for the time being. Once it's up and running a post will follow!

And if you read this far: thanks for reading ♥ xD

[pixelatedraindrops]

Awaaaah!!! 😭✨💕 THIS IS WONDERFUL🫶

Thank you for drawing yet another lovely mini manga for me!! 💜🫶 I know you worked super hard on it, so of course I’ll show my appreciation for it here as well. I’ll try to make it shorter than the other comic (but no promises!) 🤭

I hope you indulge me to gush about it in full detail once again! (I’ll try to use easy words)

First off I like how you made Makoto look super diligent in doing all his work only for him to be very tired by the end as he takes a break. And he removed his suit! From that alone you can already tell something is wrong and I love that! And the subtle hint of him pulling his shirt’s collar to show he’s definitely feeling a bit warmer than usual. 🥵🌡️ That is such a nice touch! I also see that little drop of sweat for the subtle hinting too! Very nice!! (I also like to think he wears the mask to use the voice changer to hide his weaker voice due to the cold)

Yuma walking in surprising Makoto with an unexpected visit. I love how sweet and friendly Yuma looks as he walks in with all the souvenirs he got from the city for him. Only for Makoto to rub his pounding head telling him that he’s come at a late hour likely with an annoyed tone. Thats really good… 😔👌

This is probably my favorite part of the story, when Yuma removes Makoto’s mask revealing the truth. That’s my favorite type of scenario to how someone finds out that Makoto isn’t well. And of course Yuma notices right away! After all, he knows everything about his double.

The way he gently places both his hands on the mask, then removes it. Revealing the flush across his double’s face indicating the fever and revealing the cold he was trying to hide. Never underestimate the top detective. His intuition on Makoto is always correct! 👍

And I love how sweetly Yuma tells Makoto that everyone in the city loves him and they worry about him. All while he gentle strokes his hand as he holds it 🥰💕 Absolutely heartwarming. I love how it states in the game that everyone in the city loves Makoto and is happy to continue following him despite his crimes. I think that would make Makoto want to work very hard for their sake. So he would likely make his own health a secondary concern. Thats my personal opinion anyway.

I love how Makoto starts to get emotional over it so when he tears up he immediately covers his face making up an excuse to tell Yuma to go away, likely not wanting to show that emotion in front of him. But his excuse is understandable as he does not want Yuma to catch his cold either. I think thats very in character of him to do. Though I kinda wish Yuma stayed and cared for him, this is probably more accurate to how he’d act.

Yuma giving him the medicine as a parting gift before leaving is also sweet. He probably knew deep down Makoto was pushing himself and got the medicine just in case. Showing that he really does know him well. And even Makoto admits defeat knowing his original is just too smart for him to keep anything from.

Maybe next time he’ll let Yuma stay with him 🥰

Hopefully he will go to bed and not keep working!

I will cherish both the beautiful mangas you drew for me and I love to see Yuma and Makoto be vulnerable with each-other. I think it’s one of the biggest means to establish trust in a building relationship. And these two need all the love they can get 💕

I love how cute you drew them and the expressions were very pleasing to look at as well. I especially love how sweet Yuma looks <3 Even with his memory back, he still has the same kindness 💙💜

Thank you again! 💜💜💜

Just know your hard work was not in vain! ✨🫶

(oops it ended up longer... sorry! XD)

RAINCODE manga

Yuma visits Makoto who is working too hard for Kanai Ward.

A request from @pixelatedraindrops

Thank you.

⚠raincode SPOILERS below⚠

↓↓↓

[kudalyn]

as you can see, he is,,,,, bestest boy,,,,,

[no-psi-nan]

Jumping in on @oatmealcrisp-freak's 2022 Top 3 Fanworks Challenge with EGREGIOUS cheating!!

#3: My Aikechi propaganda

Aiura x Akechi is SUCH a funny and god-tier ship for me and no I will not shut up about it. Every reblog and tag and comment mentioning that someone new was considering the pairing is a personal win for me. I may multi-ship but this is the rarest yet most deserving combo so I'm stanning it hard lol.

This year I've written meta about it, posted a lil ficlet, and drew 10 mini comics! I'll be posting the first chapter of a longer wip for them soon too, hopefully!

#2: My fanfics

Yeah I'm putting them all in here as one thing. And what of it? I didn't write+post as much as last year but considering the circumstances, I'm very proud of how much I've created!

I've written over 80k words this year! My ongoing post-canon fic series is about to hit 100k, posted a series of cute lil fluff bits for my favorite pairings, wrote a wild semi-collab KuboSai AU fic, and even fed the ToriSai fans, as much as I like to complain about the ship being contagious XD

I'll hopefully post a couple more things before the end of the year too! 🤞🏾🤞🏾And big thanks to everyone who comments, kudos, bookmarks, and/or subscribes to my work! 💜💜💜💜💜

#1: Touma Tuesday

TECHNICALLY not purely *my* fanwork but I'm taking credit for getting the ball rolling, and together we all made over 50 posts and art pieces for Akechi Touma! Big thanks again to @desitenya for inspiring this one with their fantastic @tomakechi blog, and to everyone that joined me in celebrating this blorbo so great that he inspired my first 100k note post (or at least it will be pretty soon lol)! 😂😂

What were your 2022 top 3 creations?

Don't forget to tag em #MyTop3!

[katnip225]

So remember that au where the dream smp is a comic book in the manhunt universe. Well more of that. This is what manhunt!Dream thinks of each character. Now I will just be using the real names but in the comic the names are different. Not doing the tales of the smp characters. Might also get some backstory for Manhunt!Dream

Techno - As stated in my prev post, this is Dream's fav character. He has regularly copied ideas from him. He loves all the pets that Techno has. And how no matter what Techno always follows his beliefs. Might also remind him of his childhood rival.

Phil - finds the character very funny. The 3 months thing. Through does have some very good serious moments like Nov 16th and Doomsday. The guy is clearly not perfect but he really has a hard time hating the guy. Only time he did hate Phil was during Doomsday for letting Friend die and hurting Ghostbur.

Wilbur - easily his 2nd fav. The way his fall was done. It was so heartbreaking. Then his revival. To find out about being alone for 13 years was rough. Dream feels for the guy since being on the run is very lonely. The only people he talks to is when the hunters get close enough for banter. He really hopes that Wilbur gets the help that he needs.

Ghostbur (yes counting this as a different character) - loves the guy. so sweet and just wants to help. Through feels very sad because of the memory thing and the blue. Plus the speech that he gave on Doomsday.

Tommy - this kid can't catch a break. He feels so bad for the kid. Tommy is a good kid that overall does not mean harm. The only thing that Dream hates Tommy for is killing the cat. Dream likes animals and while can understand why Tommy did it, still found himself crying over the cat's death. Dream always wanted pets but his life before on the run was rough and now there is no way he will get one

Tubbo - another kid he feels sorry for. Dream feels bad for Tommy but for some reason Tubbo hits harder. Maybe it is because Tubbo reminds him of one of his neighbor's kid. They are pretty similar in personality from what he remembers. He was sad when the neighbors moved. The scene of Tubbo crying hurt so much. He really wanted to jump into the comic and comfort him.

Ranboo - Easily his 3rd fav. The memory book. The ender walking. The weird connection to main bad guy. The begging to be locked up in the prison. Plus love the marriage to Tubbo. Really hopes they can talk to each other. This comic needs one healthy relationship that lasts. Reminds him of this enderman hybrid that helped. Found the kid lost in the woods and badly hurt. So helped get the kid back to help then took it to the village with the nice baker lady. It was a nice village so hopefully the kid is okay.

Michael - yes doing their son. Super cute. The in comic reason for keeping Michael inside is for safety. I like to imagine there is a small mini series of Michael playing pretend or sneaking out to meet the other kids.

Fundy - neutral. Does not like him but does not hate him. Through is curious about the seeing the future thing. Wonders if this is his god's blood in work. (in the comic, Wilbur is confirmed to be a demigod. Only Phil and Techno know about it but it was confirmed)

Yogurt - cute kid. Hangs out with Michael when he sneaks out.

Puffy - a cool pirate and therapist. Kinda wish that she was his mom. He does not have any parents but he feels like Puffy would be a cool mom. She went feral when Foolish was killed.

Niki - reminds him of a baker he meet once while on the run. This was before he was well known so he could risk being seen. She gave him some free cookies and gave him a discount on the bread when she saw that he did not have much money. Super sweet and nice but also not one to be messed with. He saw how that baker handled an attempted robbery. Sad to see her wanting to hurt Tommy but was so happy that she is healing.

Jack: Feels bad for the character since he is put through so much. Even had to crawl out of hell.

Karl - love the guy. The time travel spin off series is super cool. feels bad for the losing memories things.

Quackity - flip flops between feeling bad and hating the guy. Quackity has been through a lot and Las Nevadas is cool. But he is just doing what the main villian did. Please just heal so you can be at peace. Hopefully him and fiancés will get back together

Jschlatt - great villian. hated the guy. Also reminds him of his neighbors. The father. Through was a much better person. Actually wanted to give a better life for his son (Yes in this au, DadSchlatt is a thing and he is a good father)

Purple - felt bad for the ufo being blowen up but does not feel anything towards him.

Punz - He respect the guy. Reminds him of a mercenary person that once was after him. Through stopped after realizing that the pay was not worth all the chase. Needed to be payed more

Ponk - felt bad for losing his arm but otherwise neutral for the character

Skeppy - over all neutral. Nice guy and feels bad for the possession thing.

Eret - liked the guy then hated the guy then went back to liking him. Glad the character was making up for the whole betrayal thing.

XD - does know what to make of this character. Through does not trust the god with George

Drista - a fun character that can cause a lot of chaos. Would want as a sister. Yes he might get attacked by a fork but hey he already has a younger brother.

Kristen - not much is known about her. Only that she is Wilbur's mom (in the comic, Wilbur does say his mom is a fridge but I am going on what Phil said. Which is that Wilbur got confused when Phil pointed to the fridge which had a pic of his mom)

MD - fun guy. So sad to see him die. Was really helping Tommy

Mamacita - another fun character through has not been seen since MD's death.

Sally - in the comic Sally is a shapeshifter through the writer wanted them to be a fish. Their editor refused to allow that. Not really shown much outside flash backs. I go back and forth on how good of a mom she was. So if she was good then Dream liked her. If not then he hates her.

Slimecicle - very confused. not like conflicted. Just confused.

Sam Nook - like him. Only one he trusts Tommy with. If he could becomes friends with Hunter!Sam would totally ask if he can build something like Sam Nook

Sam - really hates the dude. Does not care that the main bad guy asked Sam to build it. Sam has control so everything is Sam's doing. Plus the whole thing with Ponk. Part of him does remind dream of Hunter!Sam but that was earlier in the comic. Hunter!Sam would never hurt his partner (Yes Hunter!Sam is dating Ponk)

Ant - again the character remind him of Hunter!Ant. Through overall neutral. Does feel bad for the whole possession by the egg thing

Sapnap - hopefully gets back with Quackity. The dude really gets the short end of the stick. Also reminds him of Hunter!Sapnap. Through hopefully his relationship goes better then dsmp!Sapnap (yes Quaickity and Karl are his boyfriends)

George - reminds him of Hunter!Geroge. The weird dream comics were funny. feels bad that the character can't tell what is a dream and what is real.

Bad - again remind him of Hunter!Bad. Only reason why Dream does not hate dsmp!Bad is because he is being possessed by the egg. He did not like Foolish being killed. Also finds it sweet that the character was willing to do something for Skeppy. (yes. Bad and Skeppy have the same relationship as canon)

Dream - is a great villian. very evil. Through as stated before. Does not like the prison treatment. Does see himself in the guy but it is like all his more negative traits were turned up to 1000. Through Dream is lonely and does not make attachments, there is one he can't get rid of. Since that attachment is why he is doing all of this

Foolish - can probably tell he really likes Foolish. reminds him of his younger brother. Foolish being killed was the one time he needed to put the comic down and take a break.

that is everyone. There are a few more that I really don't watch so have no idea what Manhunt!Dream's opinion would be.

[shotofire]

omg thank you so much xd, that was so hilarious i couldn't stop laughing 😂, you're amazing never stop writing, i would like another oneshot modern levi if you dont mind, but this time his girlfriend prank him doing the challenge "pretending to give him a head/blowjob" thank you you're amazing 🖤🖤

I never mind your requests! It makes me so happy to see them in my inbox :p Thank you, you’re so sweet!!! I had to look up what this prank was lol but I the gist of it

•MODERN!LEVI x F!READER

•Warnings: cursing, smut... but not all the way

•Season: Not set within the show

(This is sort of a part two for, Who the hell is Mike?, some parts may be confusing if you haven’t read it)

-

Your best friend Angel bursted out laughing as you told her what had happened with Levi. It had been a week since you gave him a mini heart attack. Her eyes filled with tears as the laughing continued, she definitely found it comical.

Even more so, she wishes you recorded it. Of course doing what you did was out of character for you in general, so recording was definitely a no go. Plus it’s not like you’d post it, so what’s the point.

“I’m trying to imagine this face you’re describing,” she lets out more childish giggles, “he scrunched up his nose? What if that’s like his jealous tick?”

It probably was, you’d never seen him do something like that before in all the years you two had been together. He was always calm and tried not to show expression, unless smiling, so seeing him do something so out of the ordinary was interesting.

“I don’t know, it may be,” you said and watched how her eyes sparkled with curiosity. Some part of you felt bad for what you had done, but Levi assured you it was okay. He even went as far as to say it was funny now that he knew you weren’t serious. He still would randomly tickle you and say it’s punishment for what you had done, but it was just an excuse to attack your sides and hear your uncontrollable laughter.

Even a week later he was still coming up behind you and holding you still while tickling you until he felt satisfied. It was okay for a few days but now he was just trying to annoy you, but in a way you deserved it. You had made him think you were cheating on him with some guy named Mike, so tickling was nothing compared to that.

Angel pulled out her phone, “I have something else you should do!” You raised your eyebrows skeptically, but she was already smiling. If it was something else that would hurt his heart you weren’t sure if you could do it.

Yes the facial expressions he made out of jealousy were hilarious to say the least, but his eyes had also softened in worry and hurt. That was something you didn’t want to see again. It showed you how much he loved you, and how the thought of you breaking the trust you’d built for many years scared him so much in that moment.

She showed you the video and you were kind of confused, just like the last time. It was a girl putting her hair up and leaning towards her, most likely, boyfriend then diverting her attention to something else. Angel laughed out loud, “Imagine Levi with that look of disappointment in his eyes.” You still were lost at what was going on and she noticed. She wanted to call you an oldie, but decided against it.

You truly were left out of the loop sometimes, but at the same time Angel admired that. It was rare in this day and age to have no desire for social media, and you probably had a healthier mindset than her.

The girl couldn’t help but roll her eyes at your confused state. “She made him think she was about to give him head, but she reached for the remote beside him and turned on the tv,” she explained like it was the most obvious thing ever. Maybe you didn’t get it because you never put your hair up when giving Levi a blowjob, he had a thing for holding your hair himself. You honestly didn’t think you could pull this one off due to that, Levi probably would just think you’re putting your hair up cause you feel like it.

“So uh, I don’t put my hair up when I give Levi head,” you admit with a blush, “he usually holds my hair for me.” Her eyes automatically widen and she lets out a snort at how embarrassed you were saying that. “Then you’re going to have to do something extra so he does think you’re gonna give him head,” she says with her hands waving in the air.

You let out a nervous chuckle unsure of how you’d even be able to do that. The idea was to make it seem like you were going to but at the same time not going to. You weren’t that skilled in the acting department.

Levi probably would tickle you till you can’t breath if you did something to mess with him again. But this wasn’t harmful for his sweet heart at all, the most it would do is give him blue balls. He could definitely live with that, he gets enough action out of you. The man may be older but he definitely still had a crazy sex drive. So, that made it even a better reason to mess with his hormones.

When a smile spread across your face Angel knew you’d made up you mind. “Look at you getting involved with the trends, I feel like a proud Mom,” she squealed with pure happiness. Heat rises to your cheeks, the girl had once again convinced you to mess with your boyfriend.

“Stop, you’re making me feel old,” you griped but had a playful smile on your face. She shakes her head at you and giggles before pulling up more video to show you.

Levi came home earlier than usual, Angel was still sitting on your couch talking up a storm. He thought she was a good friend, but he didn’t appreciate what she had convinced you to do a week ago. “You’re home early,” you said with a smile. You liked when he got off work at this time, it gave you two longer to spend time with one another. “Erwin gave me the rest of the week off with pay as a Christmas present,” he chuckled a bit remembering how awkward Erwin was as he called it a Christmas present.

You let out a light squeal and wrap your arms around him, “That’s so sweet! Now I get you all to myself.” Levi watched as your brows wiggled with suggestion and he smirked. “Well, I guess i’ll leave my favorite love birds alone,” Angel said with a fake frown. You gave her a hug and she was off, leaving you with Levi.

“Let’s watch a movie,” you propose, “we haven’t sat down and watched one in so long.” He agrees with the idea and you hug him once again. This was part of your plan, to be all clingy. Sure you two were attached at the hip but constant touching from you usually meant something. Plus you were getting him to be still, which was hard.

The man always wanted to catch up with work, but tonight he had no reason to, It was all falling into place. As if the universe wanted you to fuck with him again.

After Levi changed out of his work clothes into something comfortable it was really starting to set into motion. You’d already picked out the movie, made popcorn, and grabbed a hair tie from the bathroom. Purposely, you set the bowl of popcorn on the table next to Levi’s usually side of the couch. All the lights were out besides the luminosity of the television. “You sure are eager to watch a movie,” he said with a quirked brow. You’d already taken your seat on the couch and Levi followed suit.

You giggled at his words and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He kissed you back, expect on the nose, and your heart warmed at the gesture. He was making it harder to follow through with your devious plan. Why did he have to be such a sweetie? Minute after minute went by and your hands stayed on Levi. Wether it was playing with his hair, or holding his hand, you were being a touchy fanatic.

Right after you gave him a peck on the neck you knew it was time of time to trick him. His shoulders perked up when your lips had met his neck, sending a shock to his stomach. You sat up some and took the band off of your wrist before messily putting your hair up. Levi was looking at you with hungry eyes, you’d definitely fooled him.

You turned towards him and rested your palm on his lap. His heart was starting to beat faster and his body was becoming hot. Right as he thought you were about to kiss him you kept leaning past his face, grabbing the bowl of popcorn next to him instead. You leaned back into the couch and set the dish in your lap. Shock grew within him as you started to eat away as if nothing happened. As if you hadn’t made him turn into a horny mess within the span of 15 seconds.

It was so hard to not laugh at the confused and dumbfounded expressions on his face. In a way, to him, this was on a different level of cruel. His dick was straining in his pants as you stuffed your mouth with popcorn. “What was that about?” he finally said, not caring much about the movie anymore. You raised your brows in confused and munched away, “What are you talking about baby?”

He put the back on his hand over his eyes and slid it down his face. The last thing he wanted to do was be an asshole because he thought he was getting head. He kept telling himself he misread the situation and was being too much of an aroused fuck. But when you started giggling up a storm he knew you’d done it on purpose.

“It was Angels idea wasn’t it?” You nodded as an answer, still consumed with giggles. He huffed at you before grabbing your hand and put on his crotch. The feeling of his bulge made you almost automatically stop with your childish sounds. “See how easily you got me worked up?” you didn’t say anything, only watched as his grey eyes darkened in desire.

The action made you gulp. He grabbed the bowl of popcorn and set it back on the table next to him. You yelped as his strong hands pulled you onto his lap. Levi wasn’t going to let you win this time, he’d be damned if Angel laughed later on as you explained it. He was going to punish you in a different way now, one that would leave you screaming.

“I bet you’re a little worked up too,” his finger traces your collar bone and you can’t help but shiver. He bucked his hips a bit, making his member hit the right spot on your heat. When you let out a slight whimper he knew you were wrapped around his finger this time. You felt your parts become ignited from his touch. He definitely wasn’t holding back.

“I’m gonna make you beg for me to stop,” he whispers in your ear with his deep voice. Strong arms wrap around your waist as he carries you to the bedroom. Your stomach is filled with excitement and your heard is starting to spin at the adrenaline rush.

Once he sets you down on the bed his lips start to attack your neck. Sucking and biting almost every inch, moans slip past your lips in ecstasy. His hands play with your chest only adding to the feeling, and you’re in a fit on pleasure.

Your vision is blurred as his hands snake under your shirt. Lips move away for a second to lift the clothing over your head. You should have known Levi would react like this, he wasn’t going to let you get your way again.

Fingers looped around the waistband of your fuzzy pajama bottoms, slipping them off your legs. He kisses the inside of your thighs with wet lips which causes your breathing to become more uneven. His hands pressed into your sides once his mouth began to hover over your clothed core. His hot breath so close to where you needed him most made your body feel like jelly.

“Beg for it,” he whispers with a smirk plastered across his beautiful features. That’s when you knew he had a long night planned for the two of you.

[goosedawn]

can you explain a bit what’s going on in your last equivalent exchange au comic? I’m having a hard time figuring it out

i assume you mean this one with dream/dream XD and george? (if not,, the answer is that quackity is a shapeshifter and can do awful shifting tricks with parts of his body and made a mini puppet-quackity out of his hand)

and if you DID mean the dream and george one; its intentionally kind of hard to follow because its meant to hint at a lot of things but to make things clearer:

the crack theory is. mostly correct agdhdbdndvfj george made a deal, he was in a situation where theres no way he could have known the consequences, and he wants to be human again.

and for the comic itself: it is a dream. (as well as a jumble of memories in the way dreams can be)

George dreams of Dream being human sized, but quickly realises that it is a dream/memory of sometime before the events of the lore but... theres something off about it. when he realises that something is up, he slips into something more of a memory.

the blood on George's hands is Dreams, the perspective is is intended to be Dream's pov in that shot- Dream is a borrower! George is human. to save Dream, George makes a deal with a powerful entity, and its meant to imply that they have swap heights. but also yknow. theres other side effects with deals- especially ones with such powerful entities such as XD (for example. theres a reason XD and Dream look similar later on)

the text in the last few pages are from the minecraft end credits, and are intended to be kind of George and XD- George cares for Dream and is willing to make a deal with. god basically. "the universe said you have played the game well (and i will reward you for it)" as i said in the caption: the universe plays favourites.

and if you look closefully in the background of the XD page, you can see vague rectangular shapes outlined in dark purple ;]

at the end, George wakes up from the dream, as a borrower once more. (personally i dont think this next detail is clear in the comic, but i intended to imply that the dream was brought on/manipulated by XD, who also brought George back to the waking world. notably, the colours i used for XD are brighter/more neon, than Dream, but i assume its not that obvious cos of placement in the comic + black vs white backgrounds ;P)

i definitely think theres some things id change about that comic if i were to do this again but honestly i was so shocked and overjoyed that someone had sent me BASICALLY what i had planned for this big plot point for george that i just wanted to respond ahsjfbejfbej

i think its delightful that they guessed it, even as a crack theory shdjfbejbfjfbfkebfk

[wordupcomics]

How would you describe Bob's relationship with Tobey? And will your relationship get better as the comic progresses? ...🤔

Oh boy anon, you don’t How badly I’ve waited for this question! I love the dynamic between them and the progression of that dynamic!

In short, I’d describe their relationship as like a parent-in-law and child-in-law that don’t really like each other but are willing to accept each other in their lives because of the one or several people they have in common (for Tobey and Bob this person is obviously Becky, with Theo and Julie playing a role too)

Their relationship is complicated, and it will only get more complicated before it gets any less so.

That’s a relatively simple way to put it, as it’s constantly changing. So for a more thorough explanation, see under the cut

So I feel context is important here. Context both in terms of important moments in each character’s life and in terms of how they have felt about each other prior to this point.

First, since it’s a shorter bit, let’s discuss an important part of each character that is effecting their current view on each other

For Tobey, Becky’s comment in batch 4 says it all

“I realize you have an issue with the entire concept of abandonment...”

Tobey has huge issues with abandonment. And if he believes you abandoned someone, he’s going to take it very seriously.

Meanwhile Bob has sacrificed so much for Becky. She’s been his number one priority since the day she was forced into his life without warning.

Now let’s talk about how they felt about each other in the past, divided into chunks of time.

Also I’m counting Bob leaving as the same event because they happened close together and not really anything changed in that time

Pre bob leaving/ Tobey going good:

Pretty much indifference on both sides.

For Bob Tobey was just some punk ass kid trying to destroy the city every other week, so basically just another Tuesday

For Tobey, Bob was just the pet of some classmate, and Huggy was just a minor annoyance in his quest to get WordGirl's attention/affections

While Bob was in space:

Bob stayed at indifference, probably even less so than before. Before Tobey at least came to mind (or I guess was more forced into his mind every time a robot crime was committed lol), but while Bob was in space really the only person he thought about was Becky for obvious reasons. Yes, at some point enough time had pasted that Bob realized Becky was old enough that she likely had a family of her own, but Bob never considered the idea that Tobey could be part of that family. If you had suggested to Bob the idea that Becky might have married Tobey, Bob would have been like "I mean I guess it's possible, but I doubt it"

Tobey in general respected and admired Bob/Huggy in this time, the exact amount of respect and admiration changed, as it grew as he got to know Becky. As Tobey go to know Becky, he learned more about Bob, so his respect for Bob was much greater by the time Becky and Tobey were married than when the two were friends. As a parent, Tobey really wanted the kids to know about Bob and encouraged Becky telling the kids stories about Bob. The greater respect and admiration Tobey felt, the more Tobey was convinced that something had happened to Bob, as apposed to Bob leaving by choice. In Tobey’s mind Bob leaving by choice, leaving nothing but a note and practically no explanation, is the same as abandonment. And as Tobey heard about Bob from Becky, her friends and family, it was clear to him that Bob really cared about Becky, and therefore, the idea that Bob would willing leave Becky, abandon her, was not even a possibility. It didn’t make sense, so the only explanation was that something terrible had happened to Bob. Tobey’s perspective here becomes important later.

The very brief period of time where Bob had return to Earth and found out Becky and Tobey were married but hadn’t reunited with Tobey yet (lol very specific):

This one only applies to Bob, but I really wanted to bring it up. I found it very hard to visually show Bob’s reaction, because in my head Bob’s tone was very important, and I couldn’t quite get his facial expression right to translate that tone. So I’ve worried Bob’s reaction to finding out Becky married Tobey comes off as a protective and disapproving “Are you kidding me??? You married Tobey??? What were you thinking?????” Which is not what I intended. It was supposed to be more of clarifying, shocked “Tobey? We’re talking about the same Tobey as when you were a kid? Really? Well okay if that’s who you like...” Basically Bob understands that Becky is an adult and trusts that her and Tobey’s relationship isn’t something bad, he trusts that she’s a good judge of character and judge of what’s okay and not okay. He’s not disapproving, he’s just shocked that Tobey was able to get to the point that Becky would like him enough to marry him. In this time, Bob’s really just curious to see how Tobey turned out.

The Shift

Tobey and Bob each had a moment where their more positive opinions of each other switched to negative ones.

Tobey I made sure you could see his change in behavior.

From happy

To essentially a “Wait what?”

To mad

And notice when this “shift” was. The moment he found out where Bob really had been. The moment he found out Bob DID leave by choice. He did, in Tobey’s eyes, abandoned Becky.

And for Bob, his “shift” was the result of Tobey’s

“IF I HAD CARED ABOUT HER?!” Bob has given up so much for Becky, Becky has always been his number one priority, and Tobey has the nerve to claim that Bob didn’t care about her at all?

(Also notice how Bob referred to it as a “letter”, and Tobey called it a “note” showing how differently they seem the same situation)

In the near future (So for the rest of “Return to Fairy City”

I once mentioned that I wanted Bob to have a horrible first day back, to just have a lot of bad luck in terms of first impressions on Becky’s family. Well...the day isn’t over yet...

Bob has one more unfortunate moment to get through. And it makes Tobey’s life particularly hard. True, what happens isn’t really Bob’s fault, but Bob does cause it. It’ll make sense I promise. And what’s worse, it’s really Tobey’s problem that he now has to deal with. As you can imagine this doesn’t help things (this will all happen next batch btw)

I also plan to do a mini comic for a scene that I don’t have in Return to Fair City, this scene will show Tobey and Becky’s conversation about Bob (not the short one in batch 4, a different one where they are calmer and can actually have a conversation) and them coming to an agreement about the situation and this really dictates how Tobey acts towards Bob going forward. This scene will take place in between two scenes featured in the next batch. I’m thinking I will try to post that before the batch because I think you guys should know where Tobey is coming from when Bob accidentally makes Tobey’s life harder XD

Going forward (Beyond Return to Fair City)

Like I said, Tobey and Bob’s relationship in general is like a parent-in-law and child-in-law who don’t like each other but accept each other in their lives. For a short while, both of them are going to be a bit on guard, basically like “I’m going to try not to be near them, but I’m also going to keep my eye out to spot any potentially problematic behavior from them, and if I see anything, I will DEFINITELY be saying something.”

For Bob he’s on guard because he knows Tobey’s past, and doesn’t know his present. All Bob has to go on is Tobey’s comment about Bob not caring about Becky and that’s not exactly a good sign to him. However he still trusts Becky’s judgment, and he understands that Tobey, no matter how much Bob might not like him, is Becky’s husband and Theo and Julie’s dad. Bob’s not about to say anything that could damage, or worse, break up a family unless there’s something REALLY bad going on.

For Tobey this all goes back to the above mentioned conversation he has with Becky. The two will come to an agreement that works for both of them and Tobey’s actions are part of that agreement. Essentially it comes down to “say something if it’s a red flag, otherwise be civil.”

And spoiler alert, neither will find anything to “say” about the other, so they’ll each slowly move out of that and just into a “Just stay out of each other’s way” type thing.

I love developing their relationship and I look forward to having them go from “I don’t like you, but I accept you as part of my life” to “I don’t like you, but I do care about you” and beyond.