#god one post on this blog has the most messed up hand i drew and i live in constant cringe that people see it lol

[drawnfamiliarfaces]

arting struggles...

[randybutternubber]

More goo kid and worker drawings for the like… one other person who remembers them. If you wanna see my first post and drawings of them plus HCs (they’re better than these I swear), you can go through the goo kid tag on my blog. And also one shadow kid snuck in

@mjrdm

I guess I’ll sprinkle in a few more HCS

In the third picture I basically just drew my idea of why the goo kid looks like a burnt up hairball covered in tar. They were chased by a worker(s) into part of the factory that had large vats of that weird goo liquid. The worker ended up attacking them, tearing one of their overall straps, and with no other choice, they took the plunge and proceeded to get lost in the sauce. Quite literally.

The goo isnt something that they can just wash off, especially since they kept putting it back on as a way to blend in with the workers. It’s kind of a part of them now.

The goo ended up blinding them in one eye when they initially fell into the vat

I guess warning for more dark HCs, although I feel like they all align with the darker content in LN

The goo is made up of whatever the workers don’t use from the body of a child, oil, tar, melted plastic and other things that you probably don’t want to be smeared on your body. After a worker kills a kid, they essentially strip their body for parts like fabric, metal or plastic from buttons, teeth, etc. basically any sort of material they can use. Most fabrics and other materials that the workers can’t use are sent up in a dumbwaiter to the chained lady so that she can hopefully find a use for them. Most of the organic parts of the kid can’t be used, so they burn them in a furnace that’s very similar to the one in the maw. It likely has a hand in powering the factory as well. The ash is then processed with some other materials to create the goo. This goo plus some other bullshit or something is how workers are made.

Something something pink sauce McDonald’s

If you actually look at the factory/stone giant as a whole, a lot of it doesn’t actually make sense or should work logically. There are a lot of machines that just shit out their products into god knows where and a lot of them are just needlessly complicated

The reason why goo kid adjusted so well to life in the factory is that they were taken to the nowhere at a relatively young age. The incident with the vat happened shortly after they arrived. They basically grew up among the workers, and while they aren’t really friendly towards them, they aren’t outright aggressive unless they mess with the machines. They probably see them as a defective worker or something.

All workers have mouths, but not all of them have permanently exposed teeth

Workers are VERY fast and able to react quickly, especially to light, but they do still sometimes get limbs torn off by the machine. All workers are ambidextrous, as in they do not have a dominant hand and can use both with an equal amount of skill, so they usually just use their other hand, but since they sometimes use two tools at once, they might use their mouth to carry it or tie it to whatever is left of their arm. The goo can stick to it, but they will usually tear off part of their overalls (most commonly the leg parts/cuffs which is why a lot of workers have torn short overalls) until it grows back.

Goo kid got most of their food from the upper levels of the stone giant- just eating whatever was thrown down into the trash

Workers do eat- but not for sustenance. They use their stomachs as just a place to store stuff. it’s mainly because not all of them have tool belts or pockets, so they might swallow down some nuts (don’t) or bolts or other small objects so they can regurgitate them while working.

Most workers start out decked in the same or very similar clothing (overalls, tool belt, hammer, wrench, etc) but they like to steal from each other, plus it’s a factory setting, and it’s very common for them to get their clothes ripped. Workers do occasionally get new clothing, and while they are somewhat of a hive mind, they do vary in personality, especially when away from others. Some workers also differ visually. They can have all different lengths of hair, unless it’s ridiculously long and gets stuck, which usually isn’t a problem though as the goo mats their hair. Different overalls are usually because the person who makes them, (chained lady or the really weird doll with the sewing machine) sometimes use different materials or different styles

Workers are highly flammable, but do not react if set on fire unless the fire is damaging a machine. Unlike shadow kids who are very scared of fire, workers really just don’t care. It doesn’t hurt them like light does.

Workers are a bit larger than most LN children, it’s just that goo kid is small because he’s younger/just short which might give the appearance in the images of them being a lot bigger

Goo kid wears worker’s overalls but they’re sinched since they’re quite short

Workers can climb on all fours on sheer drops while facing downwards since their feet can twist the other way, similar to a few kinds of cats who can also do this

[soleminisanction]

Chuck Dixon and the Rawhide Kid - How a Famous Batman Writer Fell From Grace

Context: I originally wrote this post for r/hobbydrama over on Reddit but figured I'd go ahead and archive it here, too, since I'm gradually waking my blog back up. If you've seen it before, that's probably why.

----

This is an old drama that I stumbled on while doing research for something else. I’m mostly typing this up ‘cause it’s at the risk of being lost to digital decay, and I think it’s a story worth preserving.

For those who don’t know, Charles “Chuck” Dixon was rather the Batman comics writer of the 90s. After establishing himself with smaller publishers and finding critical success working for Marvel on Moon Knight and The Punisher, Dixon joined DC Comics as the writer for the first Robin miniseries, a book successful enough that it led into two more miniseries and an ongoing monthly. The monthly series went on to run for 15 years and almost 200 issues, 100 of which Dixon wrote himself. He was also given runs on Detective Comics, where he helped create the characters of Bane and Spoiler, as well as on Nightwing, Batigrl, Birds of Prey, Catwoman, and Green Arrow. He was also one of the primary orchestrators of the various big “Bat-family” crossovers that happened during that time, like the Knightfall, Contagion, and No Man’s Land storylines. To this day, his social media pages tout him as "the most prolific writer of American comics ever."

Then, in the early 2000s, he left the company. The official reason, the reason that’s on his Wikipedia page, is that he wanted to focus his attention on CrossGen, a smaller publisher that was struggling at the time and would eventually go bankrupt. However, in the years that followed, Dixon would go on to claim that he had, in fact, been “blacklisted” from DC for his, quote, “conservative beliefs,” specifically citing a certain incident involving the Marvel cowboy character the Rawhide Kid.

See, the Kid—a character originally from the 1950s and apparently a favorite of Dixon’s as a child—had either recently been or was about to be the subject of a controversial five-issue miniseries from Marvel’s mature-audiences MAX line, in which he was re-imagined as being gay. Not in the sense that he ever gets to kiss a man, but in the sense that he is just flaming. For god’s sake, they called it The Rawhide Kid: Slaps Leather and released it with covers like this.

It’s all played very much as a joke but not, in my opinion, a mean one. Like, the punchline is less “ha-ha funny gay man” than it is “ha-ha, that gay man just kicked your macho ass and it didn’t even mess up his hair.” It’s camp, is what I’m saying. Even with the constant asides about moisturizer and criticizing everyone’s fashion sense, the Kid still plays the role of an archetypal lone gunman riding into town to defend the innocent completely—for lack of a better word—straight. All of the expected emotional beats for such a story are represented and are reasonably well-executed, and overall it’s just a romp, it’s not anything serious.

Dixon, however, took it very seriously, apparently before it ever hit the newsstands. He gave an interview...somewhere, in which he complained about the inclusion of homosexual characters in comic books, comparing their presence to introducing children—specifically his children, a phrase he uses repeatedly—to the concept of STDs. He also made the completely baseless accusation that the book’s artist, John Severin, had been tricked into drawing it.

Quote:

“Am I to understand that John Powers Severin is drawing this wretched piece of expolitational (sic) trash? John objected to (but finally drew) a western story I wrote in which an unmarried couple were shown together in bed. Could he have willingly participated in this? I doubt it very strongly. I’ll bet he was handed a plot with no idea that the subject of the Rawhide Kid’s ‘secret’ would be revealed in the dialogue.”

Unfortunately, this interview has now been lost to digital decay—and, frankly, to Dixon trying to cover his own tracks—so I’ve had to piece a lot of this together from other people’s commentaries from around the same time. That quote comes second-hand, from the statement that Marvel’s then-Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada made in reaction. You will be unsurprised to learn that he was not well pleased that he and his senior editor were accused of taking advantage of an 82-year-old industry veteran, nor that said 82-year-old industry veteran was implied to be too stupid to know what he was drawing. Someone eventually just asked Severin himself, and he made it clear that he had known all along, worked from a full script, and thought the whole thing was funny.

It’s never been officially confirmed that this interview got Dixon blacklisted at Marvel, but it would make sense, as publishers tend to frown on working with freelancers who falsely accuse them of major ethics violations. That said, according to Dixon—and only Dixon, from what I’ve been able to find—there was also, apparently, a “certain editor” at DC Comics who happened to be gay and who took offense to his statements. This editor brought his complaints to the publisher, who demanded Dixon make an apology. Dixon refused and was, supposedly, "blacklisted."

Since then, Dixon has retold the story several times, each time removing a few more details to paint himself as a victim of “the Perpetually Offended.” It’s very clear that he thinks—or at least thought—that his politics, specifically his views on homosexuality, are what’s kept him from getting any work at the Big Two since about 2008. Whether or not that’s true—and, to be clear, I don’t think it is, I think he was just dropped for being grossly unprofessional—this opinion has, apparently, led him to spend his 2010s writing for infamous alt-right activist and ComicsGater Vox Day. Most infamously, this collaboration is responsible for producing two issues of a mini-series titled Alt Hero: Q, which, yes, is about that Q.

I’ve read it. It’s far more boring than you think.

Dixon’s online presence has diminished significantly in the decade since. Most notably, he pulled both the blog and the forum from his personal website, purging several re-tellings of the Rawhide Kid incident and other comments now preserved other people’s responses, including one where he confirms that he pushed Green Arrow II, Connor Hawke, into sleeping with a ghost-woman despite his monastic vows specifically to discourage the reading that he might be gay.

In August 2021, Tim Drake, the Robin character with whom Dixon originally built his reputation, was revealed by the comics to be some variety of not-straight and entered into a tentative romantic relationship with another boy. As of time of writing, Dixon’s mostly-inactive social media pages have no comment.

[hellreads]

Hello, I just stumble on your blog. Seeing a comment from Wrienne which I also read on AO3, I wanted to ask if you also have AO3 recs..?

hi there darling, of course, I have some recs for you! since you didn’t ask for anything specific let me just share a few faves that you could only read/access on ao3 (I would also recommend you check my ficshelfs and use the ao3 filter to find stories exclusively posted there + i’ll still include wrienne’s works for other readers :3 ) | 🍒

OT7/MULTIPLE MEMBERS

❥ Right of Way by fringesofsanity ➴ Infidelity!AU | Jungkook x Reader x Jimin | Series ➴ In theory, things were simple: your best friend was Jungkook’s girlfriend while your boyfriend, Jimin, was Jungkook’s best friend. In reality, things weren’t always that simple. And mutually exclusive.

❥ The Hills by minlouvre ➴ Vacation/Exes!AU | Yoongi x Reader x Hoseok | Series ➴ A ski trip with old friends sounds like a fun time, right?

when your ex-boyfriend (who you hate but somehow always end up in bed with) and your stepbrother (who you are harboring not-so-secret feelings for) tag along at the last minute, you have a feeling it won’t be an uneventful weekend.

but fun? debatable. that remains to be seen. ❥ A Hundred Percent Human by Wrienne ➴ Hybrid!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series ➴ In which you (reader) are forced to take care of seven hybrids in a twist of fate.

After your estranged mother passes away, you're left with an unwanted will and the heavy burden of responsibility. Although you're desperate not to stray from the familiar path you thought was laid out in front of you with a fully human boyfriend who loves you more than anything, your life is thrown upside down once more after another unfortunate incident (that may or may not have to do with said boyfriend) occurs.

Drunk and down on life, you finally decide to deal with the house and the unsavory business your mother left behind. However, to your shock, you find that seven very different hybrids are included with both the house - and the business. Seven hybrids you never even met before - even less agreed to take care of.

❥ Dead Leaves by Wrienne ➴ Detective/Exes!AU | Yoongi x Reader x Jimin | Series ➴ In which you (reader) are a homicide detective about to face the biggest hurdle both of your career and life.

Married to probably the kindest but most boring man you’ve ever met and living in a town where nothing ever seems to happen means life for you is dull. Dull enough to drive you crazy with boredom and dissatisfaction. However, life changes abruptly when your old boss retires and a new man takes his place - a man you used to love (and sleep very regularly with) more than a decade ago. Especially when your husband comes home smelling of perfume, you’re unable to resist your more carnal urges and dead women start showing up across the city with unnerving frequency. ❥ See Both Sides Like Chanel by minlouvre ➴ FWB/Rich Kids!AU | Namjoon x Reader x Hoseok | One-Shot ➴ You, Namjoon, and Hoseok are inseparable. 

Three best friends that grew up together since you were all in diapers.But lately, Namjoon has been drifting away…

So on his birthday, you and Hoseok remind him just how inseparable the three of you really are.

⤷ or alternatively: a little less twenty-one candles, a little more “touch me”

❥ Love Is A Dog From Hell by yourlocalhoney ➴ FWB/Lovers!AU | Yoongi x Reader x Jungkook | Series ➴ You and Yoongi agreed on being good friends, co-workers, and friends who help each other out under the sheets. What you never agreed on was to catch feelings for each other.

Enter, accidental feelings.

Enter, Jeon Jungkook.

❥ The Uncanny by Sinsirella ➴ Arranged Marriage!AU | Jungkook x Reader x Seokjin x Jimin | Series ➴ (Y/N) is a young girl whose Life turns upside down. One day her mother surprises her with news of her arranged husband, forcing her into her new chaotic lifestyle. Join her journey and experience her new life through her eyes. Will she get along with her husband? Or someone else? What are they hiding? ❥ Seven Deadly Sins by mintedmango ➴ Hell!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series ➴ You stood suddenly, chair being pushed away by the backs of your legs, the rest of the sins standing with you as you looked around in panic. All except Sloth who was out cold in the corner.

“Oh, little pet, indeed, I am still hungry.”

❥ Walk Through The Fire by shellflower ➴ Supernatural!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook | Series ➴ In a world of supernatural beings, a normal human like yourself always found attraction and wonder towards these creatures. It was your kind heart that led you to become a doctor to treat such people. And it was your kind heart that led you into the arms of a young Alpha wolf who will accidentally force you down a path you were never meant to follow... ❥ Into Temptation by coconutty  ➴ Demon!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook | Two-Shot ➴ It was just a dare...

❥ Won’t Be Nice by coconutty ➴ Lovers/Poly!AU | Taehyung x Reader x Hoseok | One-Shot ➴ A night by the pool just got interesting...

KIM NAMJOON

❥ Covenant by fringesofsanity ➴ Arranged Marriage!AU | Namjoon x Reader | Series ➴ You are betrothed to Kim Namjoon, the heir of a real estate mogul. To say that it was a fairytale romance would be erroneous. You’re instead loped in the sad tale of the rich and melancholy.

❥ Read You Like A Book by coconutty ➴ University!AU | Namjoon x Reader | One-Shot ➴ Come get an attitude adjustment in the library, courtesy of Namjoon.

KIM SEOKJIN

❥ Éffleurer by @sugaurora / sugalights ➴ Office!AU | Seokjin x Reader | Series ➴ There were always whispers in your office about what secrets Seokjin hid behind his clean image. Now, you knew at least one of them. ❥ The City Comes Alive by minlouvre ➴ Musician/S2L!AU | Seokjin x Reader | Series ➴ Seokjin is a street performer who falls for a girl who is always passing him by. ❥ Seaside Sabbatical by dark_muse_iris ➴ Working Man!AU | Seokjin x Reader | One-Shot ➴ After an accountant in your firm is sent to prison, you are assigned to clean up the mess he left behind. Sorting out your clients’ disastrous business records proves beneficial when you meet the fisherman who teaches you the value of taking a break. ❥ Cake by yeyeniejjung ➴ Yandere/Killer!AU | Seokjin x Reader | Series ➴ "I was always hungry for your love. Just once, I wanted to know what is was like to get my fill of it. I wanted to be fed so much love that I couldn't take it anymore, just once." ❥ The Lord Taketh Away by dark_muse_iris ➴ Medieval/Werewolf!AU | Seokjin x Reader | One-Shot ➴ Every autumn, the dwindling harvest summons fears for the impending winter and its promise of scarcity. For Seokjin and his wife, faith lies in God and their local lord’s generosity to provide what their ailing son needs to survive another year. With each season, however, the lord grows cold-hearted and greedy, squeezing the young family to the brink of despair.

MIN YOONGI

❥ Zelus by SugaAconcept ➴ Lovers/Sugar Daddy!AU | Yoongi x Reader | One-Shot ➴ Yoongi becomes jealous when your close friend Jungkook puts his hands all over you right infront of his face. So, Yoongi decides to make sure you know who you really belong to. ❥ Carpe Diem by fringesofsanity ➴ Idol/Lovers!AU | Yoongi x Reader | Series ➴ Working for the UN, you are tasked to handle the poverty reduction campaign of a certain boy band. A certain rapper from the group however decides to mix business with pleasure.

JUNG HOSEOK

❥ Feel You From The Inside by coconutty  ➴ Idol/Staff!AU | Hoseok x Reader | One-Shot ➴ You've been watching him for months, little did you know, he's been watching you.

❥ As You Are by fringesofsanity ➴ Lovers!AU | Hoseok x Reader | One-Shot ➴ You're not the girl for Jung Hoseok. Him - who was sunshine and daisies and fireworks. You - who were back-alley darkness and used needles and burnt cigarettes. But he doesn't care. And you fucking hate yourself for it.

❥ The Thin Blue Line by bluesxde ➴ Pregnancy/E2L!AU | Hoseok x Reader | Series ➴ One badly-judged fling with Jung Hoseok, the son of a company-rival, leaves you with a little surprise.

PARK JIMIN

❥ His Throne by hseoks ➴ Royalty!AU | Jimin x Reader | Series ➴ You, a maid for the royal family, have sex with the irresistible Prince Park Jimin on his throne.

❥ Ineffable by fringesofsanity ➴ FWB!AU | Jimin x Reader | One-Shot ➴ You’ve only shared your body to Jimin, mostly silent after the act. The one time you decide to bare so much more, you find yourself baring your soul to him, far more than you bargained for.

❥ Blue Side by hoseokiehopie ➴ Ghost/Lovers!AU | Jimin x Reader | One-Shot ➴ You’re all too familiar with the legend that says the dead can walk freely on Halloween. It’s a secret you hold deeply within yourself. When a classmate starts to break down the walls you built so strongly after your boyfriend’s passing, you have to decide if you’re going to remain in the past with the dead, or live among the living.

KIM TAEHYUNG

❥ Effervescence by fringesofsanity ➴ Idol/Fling!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series ➴ Just like the fizz of a cola on a hot summer’s day, your encounter with Taehyung is short but sparkly sweet.

OR Getting married in three months, you and your girls attend Ultra Miami to cap your single life, a final hurrah of some sort. What you didn’t expect is meeting a beguiling boy with a boxy smile who gives you a festival you’ll forever reminisce.

❥ Minutiae by coconutty ➴ Stalker!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series ➴ Y/N meets a mysterious and alluring photographer and wants to interview him. Along the way things start getting a bit strange. What happens when you draw the attention of someone who always gets what they want?

❥ Flower Arrangements by iq_biased ➴ Pregnancy/Lovers!AU | Taehyung x Reader | One-Shot ➴ From the moment you met Taehyung, his flourish for life drew you in completely. It wasn’t long before you fell head over heals for the tattoo artist who was so wrong for you, it felt right. But your story hasn’t always been an easy one, and just recently it’s become a whole lot more complicated…

❥ Freaks Forever by yeyeniejjung ➴ Criminal/Psych!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series ➴ "So tell me, Mister Kim, what's your ideal evening?"

"Ah..full moon, sex and drugs all night."

You are the psychologist to the world's most dangerous criminal, Kim Taehyung. Kim Taehyung is the man solely responsible for some of the most horrific crimes that the world has ever seen, from burglary, drug possession, sexual assaults, to brutal homicides of a total of 37 victims, though there are suspicions that there are more, that range from children to the elderly; both male and female. The two of you form an odd bond between your weekly sessions, causing you to somehow completely miss his blatant manipulation that soon controlled you in every aspect; resulting in his escape from prison and his bloodthirsty ways and eyes to be immediately turned onto you..but will he spare you in the end of the torturous time he keeps you or will your fate be the same as any other past victim of his?

❥ Slow Burn by fringesofsanity ➴ Idol/F2L!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series  ➴ He was just supposed to be one of those clients. But then he gives you a night you’ll never forget. ❥ Noona by yuu14045 ➴ Neighbors/Lovers!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series ➴ Taehyung, Jungkook, and Jimin lives in same apartment building. One day Taehyung received a mail for another Kim. She turned out to be Jimin's new neighbor.

❥ Snapped by Kpopyandere ➴ Yandere!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series ➴ Your relationship with your boyfriend hasn't been going well lately. His twin, Kim Taehyung, decides to take advantage of this.

JEON JUNGKOOK

❥ If You’re Struggling Like I Am by @btssavedmylifeblr / bts_ruined_my_life ➴ Idol/Lovers!AU | Jungkook x Reader | Series ➴ You are hired as a makeup artist for BigHit working with BTS. You are older than all of them, yet, despite your best efforts, you find yourself slowing falling in love with the youngest member.

❥ My Cheating Amnesic Fiancé by Wrienne ➴ Idol/Arranged Marriage!AU | Jungkook x Reader | Series ➴ A series set in our world featuring Reader, the sole heiress of a multibillion-dollar company, and the Bangtan Boys' Golden Maknae - Jeon Jungkook. Mainly a romance, though doused with angst, drama and the twisted ways of fate. ❥ Return by Kpopyandere ➴ Yandere!AU | Jungkook x Reader | Series ➴ As Seokjin's girlfriend, you're off-limits, but Jungkook doesn't see it that way

[vv3nti]

i mean it — part one

jj maybank x reader

summary: jj would take the fall for any of his friends, he’s always ready to intervene and save the day. whenever y/n needed his help without question he was ready to move the mountains for her, he would do anything for her even if it meant giving up a lot himself. 

warnings: drug usage, soft jj, i didn’t read this over yikes

inspired by the netflix original series the society and the heart-warming scene of jj taking the blame for pope so he could keep his scholarship. there is a chunk of dialogue from the society— all rights to them. 

a/n: hello this is my outer banks side-blog you can find my other writing here at @nostalthicc​. send some request. 

you never want to be the one on the outside looking in but for y/n’s friends that precisely what they were going through. for the last hour or so, kiara, pope, and jj have been posted outside of y/n’s room door waiting for her to let them in and explain what’s going on. she was honestly an open person, so this caught everyone by surprise, what would happen for y/n to spend hours crying in her room? none of them knew what to do or what to expect; that’s why the pogues stayed at her door listening to the horrifying sobs, waiting for john b to get here with some food and drinks.

“what do you mean she won’t come out?” john b asked calmly as he pinched the bridge of his nose, pondering for a solution. food didn’t work, nor did her favorite drink. they needed to get creative because everyone was restless, and jj was ready to kick down the door- this was strongly disapproved by all the pogues. “okay, okay, listen. clearly, she doesn’t want all of us to see her right now, so we send one of us, right?” everyone nodded in agreement before all their eyes trailed to jj.

he rolled her eyes, gesturing john b to give him goods, it was no lie when it came to jj and y/n, the two of them had an unbreakable bond, and they were hoping that would help him get through to the girl. “i’ll call you in an hour.”

once the rest of the pogues were gone, jj slid down the wall, he knocked a few times announcing he was the only one left but still no response. after many failed attempts, he did the only logical thing to do, jj pushed a perfectly rolled blunt under the door.

a few moments later, he heard her hoarse voice. “i don't have a lighter.”

a smirk graced his lips, jj knew weed would do the trick, it always does. he was close to sliding his lighter to y/n, but an idea popped into his head. “if you want it, you gotta open the door.” he hesitantly spoke, hoping it wouldn’t cause her to inclose herself back into the room but to jj's luck y/n opened the door. it was difficult for him to take in her appearance, her hair was a disheveled mess atop her head, her eyes and nose were red from crying, tear stains ran down her cheeks, and y/n had a broken look in her eyes. jj hated seeing his friend like this, he would give anything to see a smile on her face instead of her dull expression.

"stop starring and give me the lighter." y/n held her hand out. "please." she added, not looking the boy in his eyes in fear of him asking her more questions. but she should have none better; this was jj.

"hey, wait, wait, wait." he began, getting onto his feet. "you don't get to lock us out of your room when you're clearly hurting and then act as though nothing happened. uh-uh y/n, not with me. you and i both know i don't work that way."

"well, maybe you should have let kie or pope stay because i have every intention of pretending nothing happened. i'm fine." a scowl was evident on your face, but he knew she was hurting and trying to push him away, he'd done it a thousand times himself.

jj drew a long breath before stepping into the room, noting she didn't try to stop him. "doesn't matter. i'm here, and you are not fine, so tell me what's up."

y/n wanted to tell him, she really did, but none of this was his problem, y/n knew jj already had enough on his plate and didn't need to be plagued with her difficulties- none of them did. she needed to figure this out on her own, the pogues wouldn't help her get out of this one. the smoke from jj's hit drew y/n out of her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed he had made himself right at home on her bed.

"okay, hit me." he leaned towards the girl, handing her the lit blunt. she declined, turning away and dragged her fingers through the mess on her head. "something's definitely wrong, you don't want to smoke. what's going on, you opened the door for my lighter but not to light the blunt? that doesn't make a lick of sense, not one bit. you know you have to light it to smoke it, right?"

his rambling was overwhelming the girl, she couldn't even begin to think when jj wouldn't shut up. of course, she knew she had to light the blunt, she wasn't an idiot, but the consequences that came with the blunt weren't worth it. before jj could send her into another spiraling break down y/n rushed to the bathroom, unintentionally slamming the door. little did she knew it allowed jj the perfect opportunity to get some answers, which he indeed found.

"y/n, i'm not playing this game again, open the door." he hissed while tugging on the doorknob. "the rest aren't here to stop me, i will kick this down." silence. "i know, y/n, i know you're pregnant, just come out."

"i'm scared," she confessed, a sob raking through her body.

"i know, sweetheart, but if you open the door i can help you, we'll figure this out, okay?" jj smiled triumphantly when y/n slowly appeared, but it instantly faded when he regarded her broken stance. quickly he swept her into his arms, holding her in a tight embrace as she cried.

y/n momentarily pulled away. "i fucked up bad, i fucked up so bad. what am i supposed to do?" jj didn't want to engage in such a touchy conversation until she had calmed down and was in the right headspace, so he held onto her tighter, rocking back and forth.

when y/n finally regained herself and dried all her tears, the two were able to sit face to face, one pogue to another, and have the awaited conversation. although y/n would admit it, she was relieved to have the weight lifted off her chest.

"it's not mine, though, right? i don't remember anything, but i've been pretty drunk in the past." the boy teased, earning a small smile from his best friend, a smile he has been waiting to see for ages. y/n threw a pillow at his face claiming this wasn't a joking matter, but jj didn't miss the giggle passing her lips. "seriously, do you know who the father is?"

"i don't ever want you to ask me that question again ." y/n was slightly offended he would even fix his mouth to mutter such a question, but she pushed her offensive away to reply. "just respect that one thing,  i don't want him in my baby's life, ever. that's the end of it, don't ever ask me that again."

jj apologized; those were not at all his intentions, but he was curious about who had landed the girl, not many others. he had a few ideas of his own; however, he chose to not further push the subject. he adverted his attention and proposed more simplistic questions, the basics; when did you find out? how did you find out? how are you feeling? do your parents know?

most we easy, straight-forward questions, yet one specifically caught notice. "yes, they know, i needed to ask my mom for guidance, they just want to know who the father is and i can't tell them, i won't tell them, but i fear what will happen if i don't."

"this guy, you really don't want him anywhere near you or your baby?" jj entreated, y/n replied with a nod. she could see the wheels turning in his head, which never resulted in a good idea. "then i'll be the father, i'm the father, simple."

y/n eyes grew the size of saucers, she had no words, no thoughts, all she could do was stare closely at her friend who wore a look of eagerness upon his features. y/n wasn't sure she heard him right. "no, you don't have to do that?"

"why not? jj counted.

she scoffed, rolling her eyes at his attempt. "this isn't like taking the blame for me when i almost blew up the chemistry lab-."

"-god, you owe me so much."

"i'm serious, this isn't a joke, jj." she tucked a few fly-aways behind her air. "it's big, and it's forever. you don't get to say that if you don't mean it." a mix of emotions were coursing through her veins; sadness, confusion, anger, gratitude, hatred. y/n couldn't pinpoint exactly which one, but they all were making her dizzy.

"you're my best friend, and i love you. of course, i mean it." jj placed a light kiss on the top of her head, he often made impulsive decisions especially when they involved the people he loved, but this one felt right. y/n felt right, she had done so much for him, and he was ready to do this for her and the baby. his baby. "i'd do anything for you y/n, and that'll never change, i will do everything to protect the two of you."

she watched with admiration in her eyes as jj explained all the details, she has a new level of respect and love for him, one that can never be replaced. y/n was content; finally, an emotion she never thought would plague her being after she found out the news, she was awaiting the future, but the future didn't have as glorious as plans as the pair hoped for.

jj had convinced y/n it was best if they told her parents as soon as they got home, he didn't want her to face y/f/n and y/m/n's wrath any longer. they were typical, uptight, materialistic kooks, and he had soon how disapproving they could be up close and personal. once they were informed, y/n and jj could better plan for the future, like a doctor's appointment as soon as possible. maybe it didn't go as smoothly as they planned, but at least it was over with.

"a pogue?" y/n's mother gasped, earning a stone-cold glare from her daughter. her father's reaction was much less surprising as if he expected the news. "as if you hanging around them wasn't enough."

"y/m/n, calm down." mr. l/n spoke in a somber tone, sure maybe he wanted to throw around some unkind words of his own, he was keeping his composure together for his daughter's sake. "that's not what we need to focus on." he began, scratching at his chin. "i'll make an appointment with dr. chen on the mainland, we will help you financially, but we expect you two to show some initiative as well."

y/m/n scoffed, her eyes zeroed in of jj, disgust was written on her face. she hated pogues because she used to be one and since she married y/n's father. y/m/n had wholly forgotten where she came from. "we'd be better off sending y/n to live with your aunt, you think he will be able to support y/n and her baby."

"-our baby." jj intervened. "you're not sending her or my baby away. i may be a pogue, but i know better than anyone how important family is, and i will assure i will do everything for these two." y/n's heart clenched as he spoke, she couldn't help but feel guilty for the way her parents were treating him when the baby wasn't even his. he shouldn't have to worry about providing for the baby, none of this was fair, and y/n felt ashamed for allowing jj to do this.

shortly after jj's rant, the two were able to get out of there and away from her mother. now it all came down to somehow explaining this the pogues. the entire drive to the cut y/n kept asking the boy if he was absolutely certain he wanted to go through with this, that there was still time to back out and live his life, but jj continuously assured her this is what he wanted to do, and he wasn't changing his mind.

the group had mixed reactions, which jj and y/n had expected. john b was mainly confused as to how this happened, the pair had never shown a romantic interest in each other, or a sexual one either. many questions plagued through his head, but john b decided to wait because he understood how overwhelming this is for his friends. pope was freaking out, going on about how a baby is a lot of work and it's presence throwing off the dynamic of the group. he shared his troubles with y/n's schooling as well as other minor concerns, pope sounded more like their parents than a friend. and lastly kiara, she was a bit leerier about the subject, she was a hard believer of the no pogue on pogue macking rule and with good reason to. what's done is done, and she made it clear she was the baby's godmother, this caused john b and pope to start bickering about how got to be the godfather.

y/n was happy with her friend's reaction, sure they may not know the entire truth, but the pogues treat her or act any different. it was merely another hardship they'd have to face together because it takes a whole village to raise a child, right? but no all good things last and y/n's pregnancy announcement spread very fast through the outer banks, and it may have caught a certain kook by a bit of a surprise.

[hongkongaton-imagines]

so hey guys! i really wanted to make this a post so here it is. i also included cyborg noodle (but i usually call her ramen) because i love her and i think we should appreciate her more :D)

- Gorillaz + Youtube -

Murdoc

he watches a little bit of everything

he probably watches tutorial videos on how to do random shit and still ends up not doing whatever it is

he tried to follow a nerdy nummies baking video but the dessert ended up becoming charcoal by the end

he might watch a gaming video or two

he prefers to watch game grumps and supermega since they make a lot of dirty jokes

he went to a game grumps live show secretly and still has merch to this day

but he hides it in a secret cabinet in his closet

he laughs out loud when watching youtube videos no matter whos around or where he is

Noodle

definitely used to watch liza koshy at one point

watches a lot of jenna marbles videos and cried when she found out jenna was quitting

gets involved with a lot of youtuber drama (she rants about all the problematic ones on her tumblr blog)

has made a ton of shane dawson related jokes that no one understands (mostly roasting him)

she's definitely apart of greg (danny gonzalez's fans)

listens to danny gonzalez songs on repeat and plays them throughout the house

will beat you up if you talk badly about drew, kurtis or danny

2D

gaming videos all the way

watches the big three (markiplier, jacksepticeye and pewdiepie)

also watches crankgameplays cause he "would do anything for ethan" (his own words)

follows his favorite youtubers on every social media platform

has a lot of merch but its mostly just shirts and some plushies

he used to have a small crush on pokimane and callmecarson respectively

is subscribed to over 200 people but cant remember why he subscribed to most of them

Russel

bless this man's soul

he watches cat videos and cooking tutorials

as the only person who can cook something without causing a mess, he needs to know multiple different recipes

he watches binging with babish religiously

god, i love russel

he tried to help murdoc make whatever nerdy nummies dessert he was trying to make but was immediately shut down

"alright, fine. if you want to burn down the kitchen, doc, im not gonna stop you. just don't ask me to find the fire extinguisher when you do."

usually watches videos with 2D and noodle at the same time (usually roblox videos because "what the heck is a roblox???")

is late on a lot of internet trends since he's so focused on real life (he thought gangnam style was still a thing people did

Cyborg Noodle aka "Ramen"

her favorite channel is game theory but she watches all the channels made by matpat

always makes it just in time for gtlives

has met matpat and stephanie once and cries happy tears (or happy oil tears??) whenever she thinks about it

bought a ton of game theory merch and wears it everywhere

knows all of the fnaf lore like she knows the back of her hand

she also follows a lot of args and watches night mind and channels like his

her favorite args have to be petscop and pizza time pizza

[blooms-of-ice]

Wyda is officially retired...for now. She had a good run, and I loved writing for her! GOD the existential dread I felt as I drew closer and closer to running the event that would end her.

Her story continues through another. Give a follow here! :D

I’ll be keeping this blog up as an archive, although I might still post every now and again. But since her arc is done, here goes! An unedited, unfiltered slurry of words-directly-from-brain-to-keyboard about Wyda! I’m warning you, this is true farm fresh to you stuff. And spoilers for many events in FF14. Read on if you dare.

Strap in, it’s going to be a long and bumpy ride.

Did I say that I love Primals?

Primal lore gives the FF14 devs a lot of creative freedom when it comes to designing bosses. Want the arena changed? Want something/someone to look absolutely wack? Want to spin up a threat without having a villain train for years prior? Bam, primals.

It also gives us, the players, the same creative freedoms when it comes to roleplaying!

The requirements to summon one are humorously low. At first, primals result from misguided and zealous beastmen shenanigans. Ifrit, Titan, Ramuh, Leviathan, Garuda...but then we get a bunch of weird summonings. Like when Ga Bu summons a funky version of Titan through his despair alone. Or when Yotsuyu brings forth Tsukuyomi because she really, really wants to see the world burn. Hell, Gilgamesh just thinks about his friend Enkidu in the presence of some crystals, and that’s enough to bring forth a primal. So I guess the only requirements for a primal summoning are 1) crystals and 2) thinking kinda hard? Strong feelings, especially negative ones, seem to be more effective but then again! What the heck happened with Gilgamesh? Who knows?!

But this is one of my favorite things in FF14. It’s a powder keg of a situation that will, and HAS, gone off multiple times.

Being tempered, meanwhile, is a fate worse than death. You’re forced to change sides and fight for the enemy. You don’t even find peace when you die - tempered souls linger in Eorzea thanks to how messed up they are by the process. But you don’t become a mindless servant either. *Points to Emet-Selch who is....kinda...on your side (???) but also on Zodiark’s side*

Things aren’t nearly as dark now that tempering can be cured. I’m very thankful, since otherwise my campaign would’ve had a very, very depressing ending. One that I originally planned for but STILL. I’m weak. ;_;

Riding off the Rails

Primal lore is flexible. In ARR, the rules are established, but later expansions took those rules and went “Well, what about this? And this? And this?” In other words, this is me admitting that I’m shameless and will stretch this lore until I reach the moon.

Developing Wyda was a ‘chicken first, egg later’ sort of situation. Though trite, I gave her amnesia in order to give myself an excuse for knowing nothing about FF14 lore (and because I was new to roleplaying). When I finally sat down to flesh her out, my mind kept returning to primals. I love ‘em and their potential for drama! So yeah, I was determined to make it work.

There were a lot of questions I had to answer. If Wyda is a primal, then why isn’t she tempering everyone she meets?! How is she getting away with being a ‘normal’ person? And how do I avoid power creep? I know, for a fact, that if I walked into an RP event and just said...hey. My character is a primal, are you cool with that? The answer would be a solid no. Nooooo! I’d tell that to myself! So I wanted to solve these questions in a fair way that would allow others (and myself) to remain immersed in the roleplaying world. Luckily, FF14 lore is like a bottomless chest of building blocks. It was just a matter of stacking them carefully.

Primals are summoned when someone thinks around some crystals (Ah, Gilgamesh...)

The primal’s purpose is based on the summoner’s desires, but with a monkey’s paw twist (Ga Bu’s Titan punching the other kobolds away is indicative of this)

The amount of aether used in the summoning determines how powerful the primal will be (Shinryu being beefy as hell)

Primals can be summoned out of thin air, or be channeled into someone’s body

When a primal is channeled, the summoner needs the Echo to resist (Ysalye and Ryne). Otherwise the summoner is tempered by their own creation.

Now, with those blocks in hand, I started spitballing...and it led me to this thought. If a primal’s purpose is to NOT be a primal, what happens?

Would they know that they’re a primal?

Can they still use their primal powers?

What happens when the primal is based off of someone who still exists?

For Wyda, I chose to swing this way.

Her memory is garbage because she’s a primal based on someone else. Even if you know someone really well, you can’t perfectly recreate/emulate them.

She’s normal-powered because all her primal magic is going towards suppressing her powers. Extremely inefficient. And she’s very human-like because she’s possessing someone else’s body, as opposed to being made purely of primal aether.

Primals temper whether they want to or not - aether leaks, and it corrupts. To solve this for Wyda, instead of leaking aether out of the wazoo...thanks to the nature of her summoning, she just leaks a tiny bit all the time. Not enough to temper.

But I also wrote myself into a corner. If Wyda isn’t going to behave like a primal, then how does she exist for so long? They need a constant source of aether to survive, and she’s not doing primal stuff since she’s too busy being human. And so...the answer is that she doesn’t. Once her aether runs out, then poof.

See? Fun! (But also pain. So much pain.)

Playing with Fire

Eorzea (like most fantasy RPG settings) is a nightmare factory. Most, if not all, who make their living ‘adventuring’ are scarred from what they have to face. For every success story (WoL), there are countless more tragedies (Avere). And even if you survive...who wouldn’t get trauma if you were an adventurer and it was normal for your buddies to be eaten by a beast, tempered by a primal, possessed by a ghost?

Which is to say, Wyda's scars run deep. Shit goes down. 

To repeat that in slightly more words: Wyda is an accidental byproduct of Cravendy’s grief and longing. At her lowest moment, Cravendy (a Seawolf pirate) thinks of her friend Dots and the unfairness of it all. And oops, there are crystals nearby. So now, we got Wyda walking around in Cravendy’s body, thinking that she’s someone named Dots. By the way, Dots is still alive! Very awkward.

Wyda is a denial incarnate. She is Cravendy’s dream for safety, family, and happiness for Dots. But denial does not erase the past, nor does it change how you feel. By existing, Wyda suppresses those feelings for Cravendy and freezes the other woman in the past. With the both of them like this, Cravendy will never accept her trauma and Wyda will be plagued with a stranger’s guilt.

Primal souls are weird. I have no idea where they come from, but they seem separate from the summoner’s. So as Wyda’s influence wanes, Cravendy’s soul begins to resurface. This forces Wyda into a cycle of self-discovery and self-destruction that, unfortunately, convinces Wyda that she ought to disappear. It’s a tragic conclusion she reaches after having her worldview shattered. She’s a copy of Dots, she’s a primal. What’s real, and what’s not? What even matters?

The Power of Love

Love is a persistent theme for all of my characters. For Cravendy, love is why she hurts, so she would rather forget it than bear any more pain. But Wyda is the opposite - she loves too much. When all else is a sham, Wyda trusts that the love she feels is real. And ultimately, this love dooms Wyda and saves Cravendy.

Wyda’s fatal flaw is her self-destructive selflessness. Thanks to being mistaken for Dots all the time, Wyda develops a low sense of self. Then events of the campaign erode that into nothingness. She’s a second rate copy full of brittle memories, she’s a fake! And discovering Cravendy’s sleeping soul only pushes Wyda further into her flaw. Here is my purpose, she thinks! My original! And I’ll save her no matter what, because she deserves to live!

But it’s a mistake. Certainly, Cravendy is saved, but Wyda deserves to be saved too. Although she loves with all her heart, Wyda never learns to love herself and see her own self-worth. She doesn’t understand that her friends don’t share her view of herself - as a worthless copy that can only find value in saving another. Her selflessness loops into selfishness.

Maybe Wyda will come back...She certainly has a lot to learn still!

The TLDR version of all this is that I accidentally pulled a Kingdom Hearts plot with this character, and now I understand, Nomura. I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU BRING BACK YOUR CHARACTERS. ;_;

[themousefromfantasyland]

The Yule Man (1/7)

As told by ME

This was meant to be a short story, but it became too big, so I separated it in seven parts. I want to turn my blog in a space where I can share my writting every once and a while.

This is the first time I post one of my stories on a public space. This is the first time anyone besides my sister will be able to read, so I'm pretty exciting and anxious. I want honest criticism. I hope you all enjoy it.

"It's he who brings the Yule ice and snow to Arnsberg." The little girl said.

Everything seemed somehow brighter and warmer on that peaceful afternoon.

The lines of holly hanged above the walls and windows gave an otherworld feel to the street. The jingle of the bells of the market down the avenue helped to remind how happiness sounded like. Silver bells adorned the rooftops. The traditional statues of silver stood on the churches’ terrains.

They promised that the Silver God would once again bless his holy season. The store windows promised an affable and cozy night. That was not what that beggar boy received.

The confectionery attendant shoved him away with all scorn and disdain possible in a man. Why did he should show him kindness? The boy couldn't pay, and he was so filthy dressed he would drive customers away. And as he said beneath his breath while coming back to the store:

"Magic only brings trouble."

Mia Hayek and her baby sister were stepping in their carriage when they saw the scene. The poor young man looked at the sweets in the windows of the confectionery with so much craving. He looked as if he hadn't eaten anything in a long time.

She took out her long wide hat and her cotton scarf and asked her sister if she knew that boy. The little girl, with all sincerity that a child is capable off, responded.

He had a slender and thin body, but the enormous, hooded fur coat worn swallowed it completely. He carried a huge bag of shabby cloth against his back. The fur hood and the cloth around his lower face made it hard to give him an age. Mia was sure he couldn't be older than twenty.

Everyone in Arnsberg knew the boy. Always seen wandering without destination in the Solstice Eve carrying that stained bag. He arrives in town no sooner than the first snow. He stays for the twelve days of the Yule Festival, then he disappears. And no one can find him before the next one.

Mia saw him in the last year. He lived near the park in front of the bakery. The baker shoved him away as if he was a stray dog. He has not changed a thing from then.

"He never changes." Sophia mindlessly added. "Even mother remembers him from her time. He never changes."

Mia stared at the boy. Ragged and disheveled. Time had devoured those clothes, tattered and grimy as they looked.

"Is he magical?" Mia asked.

"Yeah!" Her little sister nodded. "But he can only bring the snow, he can't control it. He's harmless."

"Stay here!" She told her.

Mia stepped out of the carriage and walked in the direction of the boy as fast as her boots allowed. Noticing being followed, he turned. She stopped in the spot.

The hood obscured his face. He maintained his back bended, and he avoided looking into her eyes. By the way he stayed quiet, she knew he was nervous. People dressed like her usually didn't had nice things to say to people dressed like him.

"You're beautiful!" He whispered to himself, hoping only he listened.

She smiled back.

"Thank you!"

She heard and he could only blush in response.

"Sorry, but I always see you around here during this time." She began saying while messing with her curly hair. "The town can get pretty cold. Do you have where to pass the night."

The boy chuckled, and she could see a vague spark in his eyes.

"The cold never bothered me anyway, madam."

"What do you carry with you?" She came forward and touched his long bag. It felt so freezing that she immediately withdrew as by sheer impulse.

He lowered the cloth that covered his face and looked up to her, allowing Mia to take a deep look.

"I... I should already release this thing, but... I got distracted. I wanted to find something to eat first, so..." He sounded so nervous, trying so hard to justify himself, as if fearing punishment.

His face was pale and soft, still with signs of boyhood. His eyes were big and innocent, in bright green. His beard was as red as a fox, and it was shaggy and full of pieces of ice.

"...and now I don't know where to release this stuff."

"Do you have where to spend the holidays?" She interrupted him.

"No." He answered embarrassed.

The question really pierced through him. She saw how it affected him in the wrong way. A second question slipped through her mouth before she could have time to re-evaluate it.

"Do you found somewhere to eat?"

He didn't respond.

She drew his hands, letting his bag land on the ground. It surprised her how soft and warm they were.

"Stay the Yule with us."

Mia could just have brought him food and then forget anything about him in the next day. Any normal person would do that. Maybe she felt a genuine urge to help him. Maybe her pity for him spoke louder. Perhaps she found him too adorable to let go. Whatever the real reason may be, something drew her to him.

"My father is wealthy, but generous. I'm sure he'll allowed it."

He smiled to her by a second, as if he loved the idea, but then he frowned, as if he remembered something.

"I'm sorry. You have been very kind, but I can't."

"Please!" She insisted, her voice cracking a little. "You can't spend the Yule in the streets and in the cold."

""I already used to it."

He forced a sly grin, as if trying to tranquilize her. He continued. "I'm sure you mean well, but it's better that I stay here."

"Our mansion is always open to those who need it, and you'll be well treated there."

"A mansion?" He frowned.

"My father is Mr. Hayek. My name is Mia Angela Hayek. Ravi de vous rencontrer." She greeted him with the dress.

"Never heard of him." He joked.

"Please, stay with us. We...

"Is it comfy..."

"What?" She asked surprised.

He spoke in a tone that made her think of a timid small boy.

"Your mansion. Is it comfy and cozy? That's how I always picture these places to be." He didn't want her to see he smiled.

"Of course." She nodded.

"Does it have a fireplace?"

"Yes. You can drink hot cocoa by it and eat some gingerbread cookies if you want."

"I never eat a gingerbread cookie."

"You can eat all sweets you wish. The kitchen has smelled wonderful since morning. My father is giving a big ball tonight. It will be so full of cakes and sweets. It will make even the most illustrious confectioneries envious."

Mia saw how much the idea pleased him, how much it tempted him to say yes. Yet, something held him back.

Against his better judgment, he said:

"Okay."

The air grew colder on that moment. The winter breeze brought chills down her spine. Whatever it was, the boy felt it too.

"But just for one night." He soon added.

"What's your name?"

"I don't have one." He said while pulling back his bag.

She tilted her head.

"How come you have no name?"

"Never needed one."

James Hayek had all the reasons to be jolly during the holidays. This son of immigrants became the most important merchant in all the North Kingdom. The Hayeks were the wealthiest mixed family in Arnsberg. This filled him with pride, but also a deep sentiment of duty. As a child of Arnsberg by heart he felt as his duty to retribute all his good luck back to the community.

The Hayek Mansion was a charming building located near the road down to Arnsberg, far close to the forest. Mr. Hayek certified himself that its doors would be forever open to the town that welcomed him.

It was the Solstice Eve. Tomorrow the Yule Festival would begin, twelve days of tradition and merriment. A gigantic fir-tree of nine meters was brought to the mansion's courtyard. The servants of the Hayek family surrounded its needles with all sorts of ornaments. They garnished the Yule Tree with silver, gold, and all kinds of jewelry. On its top, the Solstice Sun ornament promised to shine brighter than the real one. Not even Queen Ava's tree in the Royal Palace was as beautiful as the one who stood now in the Hayek Mansion.

Dozens of statues of goats surrounded the tree, all carefully made of pure straw. A somewhat forgotten tradition that Mr. Hayek couldn't let go in any capacity.

Two full tables had been already set. Roast turkeys and ducks, steamed hams and caramelized cods covered the first table.

The second table looked like a small child's fever dream. Colorful palaces of gelatin and chocolate sprinkled with sugar. Snowy towns and castles of gingerbread covered with white marzipan. Fountains and rivers flowing with chocolate. Towers of cakes and pies. Mountain chains of pudding with nuts and chestnuts boulders. It had enough to maddening the youth.

When Mia and Sophia arrived at the Hayek residence, the Yule Log had been already tossed into the fire. Both her and her sister helped the fur-cladded boy stepped out of the carriage. No sooner they crossed the golden gates, the servants already whispered between themselves. They couldn't help but gaze at the peculiar young man with awe and curiosity.

As soon as the girls walked upon the carpet in the living room, their parents rushed to speak to them. When Mr. Hayek first heard the news, he had to come to see it by himself.

"You brought the Yule Man?" He gave a strong laughter that came straight from the bottom of his belly.

The boy didn't know how to react, so he stepped behind the sisters and gave him an awkward smile.

Mr. Hayek was a cheerful and youthful old man. Mrs. Hayek could be the proudest woman the world has ever seen. She fitted the role of the women who dressed to show the world her social status. Her blue eyes had troubles showing affection. Her corn-like hair was stylized in the same way as the fashion magazines. Meticulously armed.

She approached Mia to talk in particular.

"You should be getting dressed." She spoke with veiled bitterness.

Mia tried her best to argue back.

"Sorry mother, I was doing shopping when..."

Her mother definitely didn't want to know. She twisted her eyebrows and said:

"Why are you so irresponsible. I'm tired of sorries. And what are you wearing for the gods' sake" She started yelling.

Mia swallowed her mother's sermons with her best poker face. Since she was a child, she knew how harsh Mrs. Hayek's criticism could be. Nothing different from the woman that searched for defects in everything.

"You know how this night is important. It's your first ball. My daughter shouldn't look like a hag." She took a pause to breath. "Go get dressed!"

Sophia came forward.

"Can the Yule Man spend the Yule with us?" She asked with manipulative eyes.

"You can't bring him here." She whispered while offering a false smile to greet the newcomer boy.

Fritz and Thomas, Sophia's elder brothers, looked at him with intense curiosity.

"Magic always leads to trouble." She put.

"Mother, he needs us." Mia shot back. "Besides not aging, there's not that much he can do. He is harmless."

"Mia, can you stop arguing..." Her mother tried to shut her down as she always did.

Mia had other plans.

"Father..." She turned to Mr. Hayek. "This is the true Yule Man. You can show him to the town's children tonight.

"I like children." His tiny voiced ricocheted off the living room walls. They turned to face him.

"They are nice to me." He said in a small tone behind them.

They almost had forgot he was still there.

"My dear, I don't know..." Mr. Hayek gazed at his unhappy wife.

"Remember when you were young and poor, and they chased you off that department store." She pointed to the boy. “They shoved him out of the confectionery as if he were nothing. He doesn't have where to spend the Yule days. He never had."

Mr. Hayek grew quiet. Not everyone had been nice to him. The way he looked had closed a lot of doors before. He promised to never take part in any judgment by appearances.

"You win." He winked at her. "Okay. Welcome to our Yule party Mr. Yule Man.

The boy looked at Mrs. Hayek. He saw her eyes steaming.

The guest started appearing around the evening. The parties in the Hayek Mansion always yielded weeks of conversation and gossip. They were more accessible than official public events. Open to everyone who wanted to participate. Thanks to that Mr. Hayek received the charming nickname of the "Father of the Poor." from his enemies. He liked it.

In her bedchamber, Mia wore a ballgown that had the color of the winter night sky. A low busted and short sleeved gown that drew attention to her silhouette. It was richly embroidered with snowflake patterns that surrounded her skirt. A delicate bow tied her curly brown hair back, drawing attention to her delicate face. Her strong red lipstick contrasted quite well with her light-brown skin tone.

When she went down the staircase. She gasped at how beautiful her house looked. Decks of holly, ivy and winter roses scattered everywhere. When the Yule Man saw her, he gasped at how beautiful she looked. He raced to her, still with his bag.

"Why are you still wearing this thing?" She pressed her lips together. She sounded just as her mother.

"Sorry If I was too rude. Do you like it?"

"No. No. I don't like this thing at all." He chuckled while eating a huge piece of marzipan with his free hand.

"So, why do you wear it?"

"As if I had a choice." He smirked.

He had finished his attack on the table of sweets. His mouth still was stained with sugar and chocolate. She noticed he had pockets in his suit, because they were full of gingerbread cookies and pieces of cake. The corners of her mouth lifted a smile as soon as she realized it.

When they arrived at the courtyard, the guests already crowded the place. The music had begun. The youthful couples already waltzed together amid the chatter of their families. That scene never failed to fill Mia's eyes, and now she could be officially a part of it. Her first ball as a woman.

She saw her mother approaching.

"What are you wearing." She yelled in her lowest tone.

Mia stood in her defensive position.

"Mother, you promised I could pick my own dress."

Mrs. Hayek exhaled.

"Yeah, I did. You look beautiful."

Mia smiled in relief.

"You too mother."

"You look perfect, and it's Yule, but don't exaggerate on the food." She laughed. "You know how the woman in our family have problems with weight."

Mia forced a yellow smile as a good daughter. As soon as her mother departed, the boy tried to cheer her.

"That was close. You survived the attack of the amazing shrew. Good job."

Mia laughed out loud. He felt proud with himself.

The children on the place couldn't stop looking at him with amazement. She turned to him.

"You don't really have a name?"

His smile disappeared.

"No."

He tried to physically walk out of that social interaction. She followed him.

"Do you at least have parents or relatives?"

He spent a couple seconds thinking.

"I don't know. I believe that I don't."

"Where you go when you aren't in Arnsberg? Do you visit other cities?"

"I prefer not to think about that." He said as politely as he could.

"Can I ask about the bag?" She joked.

He handled the bag over to the other hand.

"Nope!"

He really didn't like the direction of that conversation.

"Can I least ask you about the beard? Do you like it?"

He stopped. He looked at her.

"Not even a little." He laughed. "It's shaggy, it scratches, and it annoys me so much."

"Why you don't shave it?"

"As if I had a choice."

That was getting on her nerves.

"Why wouldn't you have a choice?"

He looked deep into her eyes.

"Because only real people have a choice."

On that same moment, a man wearing a red fur cloak and carrying a sack full of toys and stepped out of the servant’s door. The children gasped and cheered his presence and rushed in his direction. The adults were left amazed. Santa Claus had arrived. By his side, a very tall man came closer, wearing a wooden goat mask and wearing a very thick coat. On his hand he carried birch branches. The children surrounded them in seconds. The Goat-masked man asked in his spookiest voice if they had been nice or naughty that year. Santa had already start delivering the presents to all the children.

Mia nudged him.

"It's my father. He lives by the Yule Festival." She boasted. "He loves to dress like Santa. He's the only black St. Nick in the town."

"I find funny how you always seem to agree that he's an old fat man in red."

He left her confused.

"Excuse me."

"St. Nicholas is way younger than that. And he drinks." He chuckled. "A lot."

She tilted her head and frowned.

"How can you tell? No one can see him."

He stayed quiet.

"Do you know the real Santa?"

He broke the silence.

"He's a good man. He's nice to me. The Yule Goat is bad. He's very bad. He beats children."

He nodded to the goat masked man. Mia saw that it unsettled him a bit.

"Calm down. It's just Edgar, our butler. He likes to scare kids, so every year he dresses like the Yule Goat."

All the kids after receiving their presents ran to his side. Mr. Hayek as the jolly saint came closer to Mia at said in direction of the young man:

"This man..." He certified himself to be heard by everyone. "...is the Yule Man. Today he will show us the magic of the Yuletide season."

The crowd turned and stared at him in intensity. The typical hypocrisy of mortals: They fear magic but can't lose a chance to see it close. The boy himself stayed quiet as a mouse in his spot.

Mia asked in his ear:

"Crowds make you nervous"

"Yep" He almost couldn't be heard.

"I realized."

He walked to the center of the courtyard without saying no more words. Near the fir-tree he tossed his bag on the ground. Mia attended all that closely.

He pulled the knot that tighten the bag closed and opened it. A single snowflake came out first. It flew like a white butterfly in the direction of the wind. Calm, gentle, beautiful. It shimmered like nothing else. Some of the children ran after it and tried to catch. A second came out, and third, and a fourth. The snowflakes then burst out of the bag, billions of them. Small bright crystals that looked more like pixie dust.

He opened his arms and allowed the endless wave of light blast off and fill the skies. The crowd clapped and cheered in a mad frenzy. Mr. Hayek couldn't believe his eyes.

Mia stood there, speechless. The sight took all her ability to think properly.

The Yule Man closed his eyes. He shook both hands together as quick as he could. The bright outburst ceased. The bag dissolved in icicles. As if the world's largest swarm, they dashed up, up into the sky, while the snow started to fall.

He turned back to them.

"And this...This is how the Yule snow comes to Arnsberg."

The crowd clapped in pure ecstasy. He exhaled relieved.

The kids chased him. The adults had troubles understanding what happened. Mia stayed quiet in her thoughts processing everything.

The north wind blew over them all. The boy felt the message sent to him down to his bones. A dark figure appeared in the corner. He knew there were consequences to be dealt with.

Mia searched for him when he appeared and shook her hand.

"I'm grateful for everything..." He started. "... but St. Nicholas saw me. I already violated too many rules."

And he ran away.

"What!"

She stayed behind, left speechless again.

Mia marched to her parents close to the mansion's entrance.

"Father, what did you said to him?"

She took Mr. Hayek by surprise.

"Nothing, I..."

Sophia stopped playing with the other girls and their new toys and walked to them.

"It was not him. It was the real Santa.

"Hey!" His heart broke. He said visibly offended. "How long do you know I am not..."

Mia interrupted him.

"Sophia, why are you talking about?"

"St. Nicholas came here to talk to him."

"How I didn't see him?"

She responded with such innocence that terrified Mia.

"He's invisible to you."

Mia rushed back inside and searched for him everywhere. She found him when he was getting nearer the front gate.

"Why did you leave?" She approached him behind pulled him by the arm. You said you would spend the night here."

"I can't. I simply can't. St. Nicholas talked to me...

"Santa? Santa threatened you?"

"No. St. Nicholas is nice to me." He argued. "Only a few like him are. The North Wind brought him here. He told him how I was breaking the rules. Different from him, I can be seen by mortals. He thinks it's not wise for me to get too close to them, to you."

He paused as soon as he realized how that sentence could be interpreted.

"To you guys, the mortals, your family." The awkwardness possessed his body.

Her forehead furrowed while pressing her lips together.

"What are the rules?"

He scratched his head and lowered it down.

"I arrive to Arnsberg by the first light of the Solstice Eve. I must leave before the first light after the Yule days are over."

Her expression lightened.

"So, you can spend the festival with us."

"Do you even listen to me?" He cried out loud.

She placed her hands over his shoulder.

"Listen, you will not violate any rules. As long as you left..." She gesticulated for him to continue it.

"Before the first light after the Yule days are over." He added.

"I know you liked here. So, what do you say.”?

"Mia, I can't."

She raised her voice.

"So, they want you to spend the holidays in the street?"

"I don't have a choice." His jaw clenched and he shut his eyes.

She drew him closer.

"Yeah, you do."

That simple phrase teared down his walls. He no longer felt the ground under his feet. His eyes teared up.

"Do you really believe that." He said in a cry voice.

She struggled to look him in the eyes now.

"I do." She smiled to him.

He closed his eyes.

"Okay, I will spend the Yule Festival with you."

He heard the wind blowing outside. A very bad omen indeed. For some Mia sensed butterflies on her stomach. She felt a sweet taste in her mouth. Something sweet and warm inside her chest.

"Okay, I will ask Edgar to lead you to the Guest room."

He shook his head.

"It isn't necessary. I hate giving people trouble. I can sleep anywhere."

She raised her eyebrows.

"But you need a name. Can I call you Christopher? I always found a beautiful name."

"Yeah, you can." His eyes twinkled while the corners of his mouth quickly turned up.

She stepped closer.

"Happy Yuletide, Chris!"

[missbecky]

Okay, time for another long post about a cool weird thing that happened with my cards last night. I still don't know how I feel about deities, I don't know that I'll ever worship one, as that's just not me to worship. But I have felt as though there was an entity, goddess, force, something trying to reach me. Any time I've tried to glean information on who it was, I kept getting a door slammed in my face. I kept getting messages that I wasn't ready. And I was totally fine with that.

I'm unemployed right now, I'm a single mom, and I live with my disabled mother to help take care of her. With COVID-19, we don't take chances as my mom is in the high risk category. What that all means is that I've had way too much time on my hands. So I've been like a sponge, soaking up all the knowledge I can when it comes to witchcraft. Not being ready wasn't that big of a deal, because it just meant I got to do more research and keep putting off stuff I didn't really want to do.

Yesterday, I did my daily card draw, and the message was suddenly way different. Change has always been in the messages, but also the stopping in order to be ready for the changes. Yesterday morning I drew the the star, the chariot, and the hanged man reversed. I took that as a go for it.

Later that day I was prowling all the research servers, and the went to Google something about deities, and found an article/blog post someone had written about wishing people would stop using a very specific tarot spread for deity identification. Naturally, I decide to do that very spread. It was a five card spread, I wrote down what I wanted to know, and started shuffling. I shuffled for what felt like forever, and then when I laid the cards out, without thinking, I laid out 7. At first I was going to put the last two back, but decided to leave them. And the cards were all over the place. But I looked at it, and thought, "whoa, whoever this is, is not messing around.

So this is what I laid out.

Before I get into breaking down what these cards meant and how each one directly correlates to one specific deity, I want to point out where my head was at going into this.

I basically really actually got started with everything like 2 weeks ago. I'm basically still a newborn, right? Anyway, as soon as I start researching, I keep getting drawn to Deities. That's weird because I'm an agnostic and basically have no interest in higher powers. If they're there cool, if not cool. I have always believed that if there is some kind of being that could mold and shape the world, then my puny human brain can't comprehend them anyway, and it's really none of my concern. So, it's been really strange that this repeatedly keeps sticking out for me. I get the distinct impression that whatever energy is reaching out to me is female, a tie to the moon, the feeling of 3 was there, I knew it had to be associated with motherhood, and just a general overall feel of the empowerment of women. Naturally, I just kind of assumed Hecate, but that never actually felt correct to me.

So the 3 of cups being the first card just kind of reinforced the sense of 3 to me, and the whole sisterhood aspects of women empowering women. I wrote down 3, sisterhood, and good times. In the spread that was supposed to be 5 cards (and I did 7), the first card was supposed to sum up who the deity was.

I love my tarot deck for the strength card the most, I think. Strength is a mama bear. Again, this confirms my feeling of being tied to motherhood. The second card was supposed to represent the deities weakness. I wrote mama bear, power, and overly protective.

The third card was the chariot, and according to the spread this was their strength, their power. I wrote down action, strength, determination, will-power.

Then I get to the 4th card, the lovers. This is supposed to be what they rule. This one had me scratching my head. Now the author said this one will be harder to figure out, because the deities could even try to be snarky with this. I didn't even know what to do with this card, but like it made sense later. As I was going through each card individually, however, I came up with nothing, and in turn wrote nothing.

Card 5 was to be their symbol or association, and I had drawn 7 card. Anyway, I began analyzing the reversed hierophant, and the reversed 2 of cups. By that point I'm feeling personally attacked. And then the King of swords felt like a slap in the face. Words like logical, smart, level headed came up, which is honestly the person I've always prided myself on being. What was that person doing trying to contact a deity? I basically had to stop and ask myself wtf I was doing.

Like all shadow work, I decided to go browse the internet to distract myself from having to think about it too much. So I start googling triple Goddess and love, even though the lovers definitely didn't feel right, I'm like what the hell? Why not? Hecate and Diana come up, well that's not right. So I decide to take away the triple deciding I could just be way off base with the whole 3 thing. So I Google goddess of female empowerment and found a list of badass goddesses, and Artemis stuck out to me. But I'm like, no, that can't be right. This peace loving hippie couldn't possibly identify with the goddess of the hunt (which was the extent of my knowledge about Artemis). I then Google goddess of sisterhood, envisioning a woman running with a girl gang fucking shit up. What the fuck do you know, but that is Artemis.

After that Google search, I decide I clearly don't know enough about Artemis, and had recently downloaded some Greek mythology books, have never had the slightest interest in Greek mythology, but I saved them in my Google drive just in case. After finding out a bit about Artemis from Google, I turned to the digital books I had.

It was crazy how each of the cards began actually tying into the mythology of Artemis. She traveled with like a gang of nymphs, which I'm sure there was some sisterhood there. She helped her mother deliver her twin brother, and became like the patron God of childbirth. She defended babies and Young girls. She only ever wanted to belong to herself and so she requested everlasting virginity. From what I read she was very protective, straight up murdered rapists, and she was strong to a fault, which made sense why the strength card was listed as weakness. Apollo challenged her to hit a target way out in the ocean that she couldn't see, telling her she couldn't do it, she did it to prove she could and there was no better sharpshooter than her. The target was Orion, the only person she ever loved. So the reversed two of cards made sense. The reversed hierophant made sense because she was not traditional, she went against the grain. Her story is far from ordinary, even by mythological standards. She was a straight up badass that lived life on her terms and no one else's. There's nothing more rebellious than a woman with such control of her own life and destiny. And of course the chariot would be her strength identification, she was nothing but action oriented. The lovers could be interpreted several ways, but I take it as a woman who loves herself so fiercely she had no need for any other kind. But also when I think of love, I don't think of romantic love, I think of the bond i share with my daughter. She fiercely loved her brother, and maybe because she helped with his birth it connected her to him similar to that of a mother and child? That of course speculation. But the lovers card could also be a jab at her eternal virginity. And the King of swords sounded exactly like Artemis.

So I'm convinced this spread is talking about Artemis, but I can't shake the aspect of 3. Can't let that one go. Don't know why. So I'm looking through the l The Greek Myths by Robert Graves, and in it he speculated that Artemis was in fact a triad/triple Goddess!!!

Needless to say, I lost my fucking shit after reading that one. I was right in what I felt about what traits I felt the energy having, and the fucking spread related with every gd card.

Oh, and apparently Artemis chose to spend most of her time in the mountains. One of my favorite thing in all of the things is the mountains of Colorado, second only to my daughter, and I even identify as connected with earth elements the most because of my love for mountains. Makes me wonder how long Artemis has been trying to get my attention 😉

Anyway, I don't know what this all means to me personally yet. I've been ridiculously drained today, it's already 11 pm, and I only just now felt like I had enough energy and focus to write this out. So haven't had much time to sit with everything I experienced and felt last night.

However, it was very exciting! And I had to share my experience!

[franeridart]

Anon said: YOU DREW SERVAMP AS WELL??? JUST IN HOW MANY OF MY FANDOMS ARE YOU OH MY GOD I FEEL SO BLESSED I COULD CRY

Aw man, sort of, yeah!! I can’t say I’m actively into the fandom anymore, since I’ve lost track of the translations for the manga and I’m definitely behind at least a dozen chapters, but !!!!!!!!!! yeah man I love servamp it’s such a good manga TT^TT

Anon said: Ok since you like fire force *slides $20 bill* can you draw some Shinra x Arthur?

Whoops, sorry but I don’t ship it just yet! (might happen? might not?? we’ll have to wait and see what Okubo has planned for my poor heart this time around) but! hold that thought and the $20 cause I might actually open up commissions soon enough if my money situation doesn’t change, so!! >:3c

Anon said: do you think kirishima would be taller and bigger than bakugou in the future?

My ideal adult!KrBk are the ones I posted a few days ago, so!! Not really, I prefer them remaining more or less the same size as each other, just different body types - exactly as they are right now in the manga, just !!!! adult!!!!!!!!

Anon said: I Just want to say: I totaly love your content! Your Art is amazing and full of life 🥰 You are my fav. KiriBaku artist on hole Tumblr. My fav. part is your Fantasy AU art. I fucking love dragon Kiri and his king. But i really like your full content. Pls keep going!

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!! (TT^TT)<3<3<3 I’m glad you like my stuff this much!!!!!!!!! 

Anon said: Just wondering, do you like any femslash ships in BHNA? If so, which ones!!

I do!!!!! MomoJirou and MinaJirou are def favs of mine, and I dunno the ship name but Kendou and Yui got my heart beating really fast, ngl <3<3 there’s something in the aesthetic of it, it just gets to me! Also Nejire and Yuyu, such a good ship (oTT^TT)9

Anon said: Heya, sorry for this stranger call. I just wanna ask if i could use your Kiribaku Comics for comic-dubbing. If i post it on social Websites i will give credits to you of course. I'll wait for a answer. I couldn't ask you that per dm so I need to doing it here

I’d prefer it if you didn’t, sorry!

Anon said: Reading your essay about bakugo finally things into place!! Thank you!!! I guess I just didn't fully grasp the whole "he expects you to just get it". He IS a character that requires more than a cursory glance to figure out and i love that about him! And i love the endearing things he does like you said, especially his unexpectedly great fashion sense. Personally another thing that gets overlooked about him is how smart he actually is. He doesn't just go BOOM BOOM all the time. He a smart boi.

I find like the whole “he says one thing and expects people to understand another” is made pretty clear in the arc right after the overhaul one, even if I think it was present enough before then too - but in that arc he says one thing, and then another character says a thing that has nearly nothing to do with what he said, and he goes “that’s what I said!” and when he explains what he meant with the first thing he said it makes it clear that he just, has a terrible, horrible way of expressing himself that’s way more aggressive than what he actually means? He’s been doing this since the start, going around yelling die and I’ll blow you up at things and people and then when he goes to act on it his actions turn out to be way milder than what he said ????

but yeah!!! it’s made more clear the further we go in the story and that’s one thing I really really love about him hahaha

Anon said: It's not that you put Baku's ring on the wrong hand, is that Baku is too much of a rebel to use the ring in the traditional hand! :D

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ll take it!!!! 

Anon said: I seriously just come back to your blog sometimes to go through your art and it's like straight up drinking happy positive energy I'm in LOVE with the way you portray both Bakugo and Kirishima and their relationship and the rest of the boys and it's such a blessing and a delight and I feel like I will never be able to be thankful enough. Thank you for sharing your beautiful art with us, thank you for sharing your throughts, thank you for sharing your love for these two boys. Thank you 💕

You are!!!! Too kind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (TTATT) thank you for being so genuinely wonderful to me!!! and thank you for liking my stuff this much, it means the world to me!!!! <3<3

Anon said: I just read your Bakugo answer to that anon and honestly, there's so much love in it to be fair it obviously shows throught your art as well but reading that made me tear up a little. What an amazing character. What an amazing BOY I love him too thank you for sharing your thoughts and your amazing art you are one of my favorite artists in the fandom and I'm so glad you love him as much as you do and I hope it makes you as happy as it makes me when I look at your art 💕💕

GOSH thank YOU for loving him as much as he deserves, honestly!!! He’s such a wonderful character and has been making me happy for so long now!!!!! (TT^TT)<3<3

Anon said: I legit don't understand why people are taking things out of proportions I can assure you nothing outside of the usual squabble is going on in bnha fandom.There are some assholes on both sides but I think that since most of us haven't actually 'seen' it and just 'heard' of it means it's not exactly as prominent as they're making it out to be, probably just the assholes being assholes to each other exclusively, so please don't worry about it,they're messing up their own enjoyment of fandom really

I don’t really know what brought this ask on, to be honest!! But as things stand I have withnessed people being very, very horrible to others lately inside the bnha fandom (and obviously, specifically between ships) so! there’s that! then again it’s also true that the bigger a fandom gets the more easily rude people will find their way in it, so I guess it’s just something you learn to live with if you want to stay in the fandom - personally, I’m just doing my best to stay in my corner and draw my sappy comics without bothering anyone hahaha

Anon said: Just here to say that your art is like, my life at this point because I would be like big depression if I hadn’t found your blog. Not to rant but my week has been an absolute hell and your art makes me feel so much better and just please keep drawing because this means the absolute world to me ok thanks bye.

THANK YOU!!!! SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so SO glad I can help your mood even just a bit, that’s really all I try to do with my doodles T^T fix my own mood, and maybe if I’m lucky help someone else along the way <3

Anon said: this may be all over the place, but I have the need to thank you? I was feeling very bad and down tonight, full on anxiety but I turned some music on and started going through your account and it calmed me down. I cant even count how many times I've gone through probably your whole account and just... thank you. your posts are so unique and funny and pretty and just sososo beautiful. I love how you built up bakugou and kirishima's characters and their relationship. just sososo beautiful.

Gods, you guys are going to make me cry for real (TTATT) you’re!!!! too nice!!!! again, I’m so happy to hear my doodles can help you feel better!!! I hope your days have been better <3<3<3

Anon said: So I keep rereading your latest kiribaku comic and its so fucking soft and I'm cry. It's so perfect and I just, it makes me so soft and happy every time I see it. It's honestly goals. I love ALL of your comics tbh, like, they're literally all perfect. Please continue to be your wonderful self!!!!

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!! thank you thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! asks like this one are the reason why I keep sharing what I draw!!!!! <3<3<3<3

[snarkandsarcasmftw]

2020

Uh oh, it’s time for the cranky smol one to get sappy af. Prepare yourselves. Because yeah, I’m gonna get sappy.

This past year has been… To put it bluntly, it was one hell of a ride. I moved from state to state after spending the past two years taking care of my mother, I lost important people in my life (some through my own stupidity, others simply because they showed their true colors) and I lost a pet that for 13 years roughly, was a huge part of my life. I rescued a cat. I feel like this past year taught me a lot but the most important thing that it taught me was to be thankful for who/what I have in my life, because I might not always have these things/people.

Since there’s a loooot, holy shit so much.. I’ll put a read more.

REGRETS:

First of all, to the one person I’m no longer speaking to/following on here. I just know that you were a blessing in my life while you were around. I know we couldn’t ever really be close friends like we were before everything played out, but I truly hope the best things in life happen to you. You’re a good person, always know that. I hope you’re happier now and I hope that you eventually find and embrace your own inner truth without anxiety or fear. 

Secondly, there were a few people who I misjudged/let go of this past year that maybe I wish I hadn’t. If any of you are reading this, I’m so so so so sorry. I don’t know what made me do it, but I know that I just… Felt like I wasn’t as good as any of you and like I never really fit in, so rather than make you all keep dealing with me, I did what I thought was best and cut the cord. I really wish I hadn’t and I know it’s probably way too late, but I really am sorry. You were great people and I really do miss our talks and stuff. I just felt like I was in the way, so I took myself out. Anxiety is a real bitch and while that’s not an excuse for me just going silent / blocking you guys, it’s the simplest truth. I was in a bad place for a while there and in my own head too much. I’m better now, but I’m fairly sure that it’s too little & too late. So, once again, I’m so so so sorry. 

NEW FRIENDS:

Oh god, where to start? I made so many new friends this year on this blue hell-site. So many. And I’m thankful for every single one of you even if I somehow miss your name. On that note,I’m sorry in advance if I do and I mean nothing by it. Also, these are in absolutely no certain order. If I tried to go alphabetically, I’d probably wind up messing it up.

@xladyxfatex I am so, so, so, so glad you sent me that meme and we started to talk. It has been so much fun rp’ing again, and I’m really enjoying getting to know you better. I love our rp and you’re such a sweet person. I can’t wait to see where this year takes us.

@writtingrose you are an amazing writer and you’re a down to earth and sweet person. I was moved by your Beautiful To Me series (it’s plus size reader, you guys MUST go read it.) and I’m so glad I reached out. I can’t wait to start our rp, if you’re still down for it. I love reading your writing and I can’t wait to get to know you better.

@komaniac I absolutely love your love for Kevin. I really don’t get to talk to you often, but I’ll see your Kevin posts and I’m like sitting on my side of the computer screen silently nodding. Your Kevin content is always making me smile. I love you for that, never change.

@rampagewriting… I can’t remember which of us reached out first, but girl. I am so so glad we’re friends. You’re an amazing and strong person and I love all your fics. I love opening our DM and yelling about things with you, whether it’s Zak Bagans ( we deffo need to go ghost hunting one day, tbh) or any of our other favorites. I’m so glad we’re friends and I hope that we get to be even better friends during 2020.

@the-ville-idiot Wren, I love you. Seriously, I love you. You’re always so bubbly and happy and like… I legit enjoy our random conversations. We have a lot in common.

@doedreamss Ashley, I mean Doe. You’re such a sweetheart and I wish I had half the life experiences you have. I love you. I enjoy talking to you about certain cowboys and certain bad boys. I love your writing, I wish I wrote more like you did, tbh. I hope you never change and I hope we stay friends. If you ever need to talk or want to talk, you’re always welcome in my DM’s.

@robwiethoff I LOVE LOVE YOUR LOVE FOR HANGMAN. I aspire to love something/someone as much, tbh. I know I’m probably annoying af, but honestly, I enjoy talking to you. I hope to get to know you better, you’re a sweetheart. I love reading your writing / hearing your ideas and honestly, just.. I send you hugs.

@adamcolesteeth I’ve really enjoyed talking to you and I genuinely thank you for the random fake fic title prompts, because I’ve really had a blast doing them. I loved your Christmas Luchasaurus fic, it was so much fun to read.

@hardcorewwetrash we may not like the same football teams, ( roll damn tide, lol) but I honestly love to read your posts. You’re a real person and the world needs more of those. You speak your mind. I honestly wish I could just do that sometimes. It’s been so fun talking to you / seeing your posts on the dash. 

@country-believethat-gallowaywwe AHHHH. I LOVE THE TALKS WE HAVE ABOUT DREW. Also, thanks for all the picture inspiration you send me that one time I really, really, really needed it. I think you’re a sweetheart and I hope to get to know you better / have more talks in the future.

@twdeadfanfic I love your fics, first of all. You’re an amazing writer and you blow me away with each new one you post. I know we don’t get to talk often, but I enjoy talking to you. 

@heel-rollins you are a sweetheart. I love talking to you and I wish we got to talk more, tbh. 

@hamstxr I love your posts, they always make me smile. I wish we get to talk more and you seem like a really sweet person. 

@kittysilver86 Kitty, I love you. You’re a positive and sweet person and your writing is so good and so fluffy yet dirty, I love it. I love Ava as a character and I love these little universes you make up. Your posts always make me smile and honestly, I just wanna hug you. I really enjoy being friends with you even though we don’t get to talk often.

@schizoauthoress You’re a really kind person. I really enjoy your posts on my dash and I love the talks we’ve had there. If you ever wanna talk my DM’s are always open. You seem really down to earth and really open and I love that. I hope to get to know you better this year.

@vonschweetz Von, I am so proud of you. You’ve been through a lot and you went above and beyond to rise out of it all and you’re thriving now. You’re a huge inspiration and you’re so freaking sweet that like.. If anyone ever tried to hurt you, I’d probably give them these hands. I love talking to you, I love looking at your edits and I really, really, really love your fics. You always make me smile.

OLD FRIENDS:

@helluvawriter you’re a kind person and I love you so much. You’re a really amazing writer and you’re always so down to earth. You were the first friend I made in the wrestling fandom way back when and even though we don’t get to talk much anymore, I love you and I love our talks when we do. You’re an amazing mother. I hope if I ever get to be a mom, I’m like you. I’m so glad we’re friends.

@andie01  holy shit.. You’re so much fun to talk to. I love that you’re as blunt as me and that we can just DM back and forth about total randomness. I love Beasts, it’s one of my favorite fanfictions of all time. I love you so much. Like.. you’re an inspiration to me and i don’t think you realize that. I’m so glad we’re friends.

@wrestlingismyguiltypleasure First of all, you’re an amazing mother. And I am so happy for you and your little family! I love talking to you, even if we don’t get to talk that much anymore, I enjoy our talks when we do. You’re going to get me to write Alpha!Ethan Carter III yet, I promise. It’s coming. You inspire me and I love the random things you send me to look at. I’m so glad we’re friends.

@kayah16 I wish I was half as creative as you. I love reading your one shots and I love you. You’re a really amazing and kind person and honestly, the world could use more of that. There are so many times I’m having an absolute shit day and I log on and you’ve sent me a recipe or tagged me in something that makes me smile. I wish I could hug you. I hope I can help you as much as you’ve helped me. If you ever need me, I’m here. I’m so glad we’re friends.

@missjenniferb I love the random thirst tags and the dm’s at 1 am, they always make me smile. I love that you tag me in Bucky things now, because that’s kinda how I got so deep into him. I blame you for that. I really have so much fun talking to you because it’s like… the lengths of our dirty minds combined, and i live for that. You always make me smile, I just hope I make you smile too. I’m so glad we’re friends.

@heelsamizayn you’re also another person I started to talk to way back when and honestly, I really, really, really love you. You’re a sweet and blunt person who isn’t afraid to say what she thinks. I love talking to you, whether it be about any of our thirsts or whatever we’re writing or random stuff that irritates us both during the day. I’m so glad we’re friends.

@bo0kitten I really love our talks. We like a lot of the same bands, and you always have these well thought out opinions / facts on things. I love seeing you on my dash and I really wish we got to talk more often. I’m so glad we’re friends.

@chasingeverybreakingwave BB you really didn’t think I was going to forget you.. Noooo. Never. I love talking to you and I love your posts / live blogs. You dragged me kicking and screaming into Jimmy Havoc and I love you for it. You’ve also gotten me into music that I hadn’t ever heard before too. Never change, bb! I’m so glad we’re friends.

@calwitch MOM HI! I love you. And I will totally let you adopt me. You’re kinda stuck with me now. I love your posts and you never fail to encourage me when I need it most. You’re a sweet person and totally down to earth and open. Some of your comments on my fic posts have given me that little nudge when I needed it most and I can’t thank you enough for that. You’re an awesome and fun person and I love that you don’t hold back on anything. I’m so glad we’re friends.

@markostuntthesehoes I absolutely adore you and I love your writing. I love our talks, the things we’ve bounced back and forth over DM’s. You’ve gotten me to really appreciate people that I wasn’t sure about before talking to you. Your posts always make me smile and you’re an absolute gem. I’m so glad we’re friends.

[ledabunnie-rp]

Snippet of the ‘Gemini Coven’

Man, never thought i’d make it back to this blog to post but lookie me here I am. This has been a WIP for a little over a year now and this is just a snippet of what i have been working on to show yall. I took inspo from season 6 of TVD bc i LOVE Kai Parker and the whole Gemini Coven thing was my absolute fav. So, Here are our babies in their own Gemini Coven. 

~~~~~~~

“Awhh.” The older wizard let out, patting his partner’s hand in an attempt at reassurance. “Matato… Are you jealous?” he teased. 

The tone in Matteo’s voice rose at least two octaves. “Jealous? No way! She is so bent on making my life hell. There’s nothing to be jealous of when she is just going to die soon.” 

“Oh.” Altair gasped. “So this is about the merge” 

Matteo choked up, his throat unconsciously closing causing him to gag. It had nothing to do with the merge. Well, it actually had everything to do with it but he wouldn’t admit it entirely. It made him look weak. “No.. well. Maybe!  We go last! and I don't know if I'll be ready for when..” he stopped. Thinking about the constellation’s merge brought on way too many fears and sleepless nights more than his own. He had no idea who would win, and he prayed to the gods that Altair would make it. 

Altair sighed, he figured that's what part of the issue was about. “When it's time for me and Vega to go? Well!” He nudged his shoulder into his boyfriend's neck, “don't you worry. We aren't going to participate. We refuse to live in a world where we have to live without the other. Especially when it's because of one of us.” 

“That's not how it works Altair.. you can't just, out beat the merge. If you refuse, you both die, then the whole coven dies. Mason dies, whoever wins the Mcatee merge dies, I'll die. It's not worth the risk of killing everyone.” Matteo gruffed out. How could his boyfriend be so stupid? They've known about the merge since they were kids, they knew there was no way to beat it. It was something that was going to happen and they had to face it. “You can't fight the inevitable”. Matteo couldn't accept it himself, the fact that one day, him and Mason would have to fight each other to live. To absorb each other's power and watch the other die in front of their eyes, by their hands. He refused to lose, but he also refused to kill Mason. It was a constant battle, literally and figuratively.

Altair was insulted. Why was Matteo being aggressive about it? All he wanted to give the boy was reassurance but he was blowing it out of proportion. His meltdowns were different from Vega’s. Matteo’s were insult driven, hell bent on making sure other’s feelings were hurt in the process.  “Sure that's true but there's always another way! There has to be another way. We are peaceful, lovers not fighters if you will. You wouldn't understand, you're nothing like your twin. Only thing you have in common is the womb you shared.” Matteo pulled himself up and out of that chair so quickly Altair just rolled into the crevice that was formally Matteo's body as he watched the other boy start  for the table across the room, then back towards him, then over to the book shelf. Matteo was starting to pace and needed to think. Think about what he wanted to say, how he wanted to come across. How not to strangle Altair right then and there.  Bad thoughts, bad thoughts. The freckled face boy pulled his sleeves over his hands and turned around to face the other. He needed to stop his hands from the ‘boi point’. 

“I'm sorry, but what? Another way? ANOTHER WAY? Generations of people died LONG before us and they never had another way. There were theories about how different twins in the same bloodline could merge but they both end up dying. DYING Altair.” Matteo didn't mean to be yelling near the end, he's just getting worked up. Too worked up. He needed Mason, or Estelle, or Altair when they're not having this argument anymore. The only way to not have it, was to not be there and right now though, he needed to go. Leave this whole situation and come back to it never. He was losing himself in his racing mind and the pacing started back up again.

“Hey! Hey! No! no! no!” Altair called out to the boy, clapping his hands as well. He stood up from the beanbag chair. “come back to earth. Come here.” He called out in a stern voice then pointed to the spot in front of him. 

Matteo snapped out of his thoughts of finding ways out and looked across to Altair, crossing his arms and raising his brow at the other. “what?” He scoffed then bit his lip, why did the other have to be so hot without even knowing? His cluelessness? such a cute attribute.  Altair was distracting him from the important topic at hand, though.  He started to turn back around but was stopped in his tracks. Arms were bound tight against his body; the same spell Celestina used.  His head turned towards Altair, ready to snap at him but the other boy had a hand outstretched and was chanting something Matteo had heard from moments earlier. 

Altair flicked his wrist up and sent Matteo sliding across the room without a chance to react. His hand flew back to his side when the other boy was in front of him again.  Now they could talk to him face to face. “No one is going to die Mayo. We have 6 years to figure out how to make it happen. You just have to believe that we will find a way” Altair reassured him in a calm soothing voice now as he started to wrap his arms above Matteo’s shoulders to hug him. If he could bring him close, maybe he could calm him down long enough to get a truth sigil on him, and help Matteo cleanse his mind of what was really bothering him. With his arms around the other, Altair lightly drew his three-symbolled sigil on the back of Matteo’s neck giving him a big squeeze and pulling away. 

Matteo wasn't digging the whole ‘getting dragged across the room’ situation and was ready to pop off but Altair cut him off way before he could get a word in. Before he could even comment on Altair's new comment he was getting dragged into a hug and having his neck tickled by the boy. He shook it off and when they pulled away he looked at him funny, something was off about Altair.  “You look weird. Too chipper for a boy who is currently in an argument with his…. Whatever you think we are. ” He said out loud, not meaning to at all. 

Altair ignored his comment about their status, thinking only of how awesome it was getting an honest answer from Matteo, for the first time ever. He needed to soak this up for however long he could before Matteo smudged the sigil. There were so many questions to ask, Altair didn't know where to start. He can't start with the obvious ones, otherwise Matteo would catch onto him more. “We’re in an argument? What about?” he asked, playing dumb to gauge how truthful he would be. 

Matteo scoffed and rolled his eyes unintentionally, sarcasm and annoyance controlling his voice as he spoke. “Really Altair? You're never as dumb as you look but today you really have been proving yourself. We were arguing about you really thinking you and Vega can out beat the merge by not participating when what will actually happen is you'’ll both end up dead.” As soon as it came out Matteo covered his mouth, eyes widening as he looked across at the other boy. Shaking his head he spoke through his hands. “that was not supposed to come out.” 

Well that hurt. A part of Altair was glad to know the mark worked but the other part, his most sensitive part, was very hurt. He knew he put it on himself, marking an asshole by making him tell the truth but dang.. He nodded his head then rubbed his face, pulling an eyelid down with him. “I’m sure it wasn't but Jesus Matteo, you're a fucking asshole sometimes.” 

The boy's curls started to flop around as he shook his head. He tried stopping the next words to come out of his mouth but he couldn’t. It was like he was cursed with honesty. “I may be an asshole but at least im not delusional like you are.” He gasped when it came out, he didn’t mean to say that. Well, he did, but only in his head not out loud. Matteo didn't know why he said that, why was he being honest right now? What was wrong with him? He felt stupid-no he was stupid- and he could feel himself starting to spiral but he couldn’t stop himself from saying what was on his mind. “At Least I know that when I go against Mason I’m going to lose but you won't even try to fight for the coven and you’ll risk all of our lives just to keep your ‘make love not war’ trope you have for yourself to stay true. It’s stupid to fight it Altair. You really want to die without even letting me put up a fight? That’s selfish, no, its actually fucking stupid.” Pink cheeks flushed against his freckles as Matteo started for the other boy, taking their hands into his as he spoke again.  “I..I didn’t mean that I’m sorry.  Please don’t leave me, Altair. I don’t want you to stop loving me, if you even do love me, I don't know what you feel, honestly since you won't even kiss me half the time.” Fuck! He needed to stop talking but he couldn’t. His brain wouldn't shut the fuck up. 

 With that Altair’s heart started to break as he released his hands from Matteo’s and backed away from him. Now he was the one who needed to leave this conversation. It went too far too quick and was starting to upset him. So with that he pulled Matteo in for another hug. Hand going to the back of his neck to rub the sigil off before he pulled away to look into his eyes. “You need to clean this place up before they come up here.” He told the other before pulling himself completely off the boy and walking towards the elevator to leave Matteo with the mess he made. He didn't look back either when he stepped between the elevator doors and they closed, but from the noise he heard coming from the other boy before the doors shut  Altair could tell he was heartbroken. He knew Matteo would be fine though. Tomorrow he will come back to school and have completely forgotten about this whole interaction. Things would go back to normal and it would be just another bump in their road. 

Except that isnt what happened.

@wishes-in-the--markmark @nerdynumme-rp

I hope I did ya’ll baby justice. Idk how to end the big story so enjoy this while i figure it out and decide when i’ll post the big thing. 

[this-writers-dream]

The Silent Coup

Hi all, this is the first actual original story that I’m posting to this blog, which has been its intended purpose all along. But hey, what’s a few year’s worth of delay to build some necessary anticipation! ...Right?

--

Title: The Silent Coup Words: 3120 Genre: Dystopian alternate history and humor

About: The fate of a nation rests in the hands of a wistful daydreamer with an unlikely power, who plays an important role in the rebellion against a powerful tyrant.

I’m going to tag some blogs because I’m not quite sure how this is done. :) Thanks!

@writing-prompt-s @writerswritecompany @ruinedchildhood @awed-frog @writeworld @liamdryden @moonlit-imagines @yeahwrite @scrawl-your-heart-out @prompts-and-circumstance @dialogue-prompts @justsomewritingprompts @thewritewire @the-modern-typewriter @daily-prompts @ilivetowriteandinspire 

Enjoy!

~

My stomach growled as I made my way down the long corridor with about thirty other Freedom Fighters, the elite forces of the resistance, or what was left of them us anyway. I hoped no one had heard - how embarrassing - and quickly looked down, pretending to fix my shirt so I could take a quick peek at the expressions of those nearest to me. Phew. I breathed a sigh of relief, everyone seemed to be lost in either their own worlds or deep in conversation. We were all headed toward the very back of the base where Stoakes would give her final debriefing in the large lecture hall.

As everything would begin in only a few hours, Stoakes would review the plan a final time and rally everyone together before it was set into motion. Most of the older rebels had been waiting decades for this moment, forced to sit back and watch the world rot around them while holding on to hope that their time would come to make a difference. Well, their time had finally arrived. I could almost feel a buzz in the air, excitement mixed with nervousness tinged with fear, but an undertone of hope surrounded us all like a tender embrace. Or like the hundreds of thousands of pounds of pressure pushing in on us from all sides, what with us being god knows how deep underground, I thought as I straightened and my gaze once more took in the unnatural and massive semi-circular shape of the Rebellion Base. I quickly focused on my feet instead. From the moment I'd arrived at the base about a year ago and the elevator travelled rapidly downward instead of up, I resolved denial would be the best method to handle underground bases. My decision is made, I thought sternly, Hope surrounds us like a tender embrace and nothing more. It was as if Stoakes' firm hand lay on each of our shoulders, urging us forward to a brighter future. It was her plan, after all, that had given everyone this hope. Neither the tyrant nor the government would see it coming, no one ever did. The only problem was that the whole thing relied on me using my special ability. Apparently, my time had come too. I gulped and my stomach complained nervously.

The walk to the debriefing room at the end of the corridor was long and I shuffled forward silently beside the others, favoring the comfort of my own thoughts to the inevitable speculative conversations about whether I felt up to the dizzying task ahead of me. Other than the - my eyes darted up to the ceiling - daunting pressure I felt with all the responsibility placed on me for the plan to succeed, and despite being imprisoned by tons of rock, concrete, and who knew what else, I felt freer among the resistance than I ever did in the Camps. Besides, it seemed to be mostly the same pretty much everywhere; shackles of labor in Juvenile Facilities or Adult Work Camps, or imprisonment in Detention Camps. The tyrant stood by the Equalist belief, "Separate but equal", which ultimately resulted only in many different forms of prison cells. At least my current cell is a Rebel Cell of Freedom Fighters, working to make a difference for the people.

I might have even preferred my assigned work at the Cellular Citizenship Identification Center (CCIC) above ground, but I'd only been granted admission to such a laidback, high-level facility because Stoakes cleared my criminal record before I'd even been born and assigned renegade hackers to track and alter my juvie test records so my work assignment would eventually land me at CCIC, where she she was assigned as an Executive, with the ability to aide my escape to the resistance. I owed her everything. If my mother's Criminal status had been passed on to me, upon birth my infant body would have been 'donated to the pursuit of scientific achievement and advancement'. Instead, I had been granted not only a life, but a purpose along with the means to accomplish it.

My eyes steeled as I arrived at the main doors to the debriefing room behind which a short walkway curved downward toward an impressive oak podium at the center of the stage below. Seats filled quickly as I made my way past rows of staggered seating toward a table with three chairs positioned beside the podium. As my stomach twisted in knots, I regretted my earlier decision to forego breakfast and hoped it wouldn't growl again. I thankfully downed the glass of water that had been provided as I took the seat directly to the left of the podium. It might be enough to quiet my hunger for now. By the time the glass was back on the table, the few seats that remained vacant weren't for much longer and the remaining two seats beside me had been occupied by additional resistance leadership. My heart raced, but I bowed my head and smiled at them in greeting as we awaited Stoakes. I was grateful the wait wasn't long.

She commanded such a strong presence nothing more than her arrival into the room was necessary for everyone to fall silent and listen. Stoakes wasn't physically large, a woman in her late sixties, she stood at a short five feet but her aura was fierce and she knew it. Lively green eyes shone intelligently beneath platinum blond hair cropped short to fall just over her ears as she stepped behind the podium and smiled out at the audience who'd begun clapping vigorously. Of course, her being an Executive Citizen also commanded a certain degree of awe. Although wrinkled with age, Stoakes had been the very first person with porcelain white skin I had ever seen. I imagined she must have been the first for many others in the resistance too, since the majority were like me, or darker.

"Renegades!" She began, her strong voice reverberating across the room. Positive murmurs traveled across the audience. "Rebels!" The murmurs grew in volume and assent. "Freedom Fighters!" The audience cheered loudly and Stoakes allowed them a moment before raising her hands for silence. As they quieted down, she continued, "The time for the Silent Coup has finally arrived!" More cheers. "We've been working toward this moment for many years," she paused briefly. "Decades! We have planned, we have trained, and we are ready!" Eruptions of cheers escalated after each delayed inflection. It was as if the audience was a finely tuned instrument in the hands of a professional.

I felt immune to whatever spell the rest of them seemed to be under. Perhaps because I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, Not to mention the weight of the rocks pushing down on us all! Cheers continued washing over the stage in waves but I no longer focused on the speech. The words Stoakes spoke became distorted and distant until I could ignore them entirely. I wasn't so certain I was as ready as everyone else seemed to be. It had been years since I had any need to use my ability before I met Stoakes, and while four years passed since then and I'd been training intensely, I couldn't help but doubt my ability to perform under such stress. My attention snapped back to reality as Stoakes clapped a hand against my back.

"...which will all be handled by our very own, Carver," she finished, directing her beaming smile at me and the crowd. More cheers rose up to meet her and my heart pounded in my ears. "At this stage of our plan, it will be inevitable that he," Stoakes almost spat the word, "the despot, the tyrannous President-turned-Dictator, will be de-shtooned!" Silence met Stoakes for a moment before a giggle broke out in the crowd. Her brows furrowed in confusion before she turned quickly to face me. The giggle gave rise to laughter but Stoakes barely missed a beat, acting as if it had been a part of her speech all along. "He will be DETHRONED," she bellowed and the laughter died down. Stoakes smiled and her hand found its way to my shoulder. "Just a glimpse of the power we have at our disposal to help us achieve our goals. Now, amplify this example a thousand-fold to the large scale relentless attack we have planned," she paused for dramatic affect, "and we will have our victory!" Thunderous cheers arose and I breathed a sigh of relief as she withdrew her hand back to the podium, averting the attention that had fallen on me.

She continued on with her speech, the audience never losing their cue. My attention drifted again as I longingly wondered what might be left to eat in the mess hall this late in the morning - I'd honestly be happy with plain toast at this point, I'm starved! I thought, before Stoakes' calm voice drew me away from my thoughts not for the last time.

"Carver, I can only imagine you must be nervous," she began in a kind, low voice. I looked around quickly only to find everyone had been dismissed. Stoakes and I were almost the only ones left in the room. "We've gone over this time and again, you must learn to have disciplined focus. You're capable of incredible things. The time has come for you to claim your destiny." She paused as if to allow me to respond, but I had nothing to say. Stoakes smiled with a sigh and motioned with her hand for us to leave.

"Why don't we go grab you a bite to eat before heading out?" I shot up, smiling and nodding, out of my chair immediately following her out of the room, happy to avoid the conversation she had been heading in.

--

The next few hours passed as if in a blur. I, along with three others who would travel with me, was outfitted with an Equalist security disguise to prevent detection from Loyalist forces as we traveled. Our first task would be to locate the White House, only a few mile's trek and short drive from where the base's elevator let out on the surface. We would then act as security reinforcement, ensuring Citizens remained a safe distance away from the stage that was set up in the middle of a large courtyard directly across from the White House. I would be in close enough range to do the deed, and then we would quickly disperse. It almost sounds easy when I lay it out like that, I thought in an attempt to mask my anxiety as I and the three other Freedom Fighters entered the elevator.

I wasn't sure what to expect when we arrived at the surface. I had never traveled very far on the surface before. When Stoakes helped me escape from CCIC, we had done so via interconnected underground tunnels. What I hadn't expected to see when the elevator doors opened atop a hill overlooking a good stretch of land were the massive concrete walls topped with barbed wire, crisscrossing deep into the horizon. The only exception to this landscape was the city where we were headed, the walls were much taller there, the buildings rose high into the sky.

My mouth gaped, They're are all Camps? I had only ever seen those walls from the insides, I could never have imagined they stretched on so far. My face fell, "No one's free?" The words escaped me before I could stop myself. I hated looking dumb by asking questions.

Two of my companions had already begun their trek downhill, a car would be waiting for us not too far from there, but the third companion had hesitated, waiting for me. When we made eye contact, hers held an almost tangible sadness.

"Executive Citizens are given Premium Upgrades™ but for the most part, it's like this everywhere," she said. "Welcome to the United Corporation of America."

We spoke little after that. When the massive white sky scraper I had noticed from atop the hill was only a few blocks in the distance, we parked the car in a well hidden alley and walked the rest of the way. It wasn't until we were in place, holding back crowds of Citizens as they fought for the best positions to see the stage, that I spoke again.

The tyrant retained few traditions from the past but one he humored was called, The Campaign. Every four years he gave an inaugural speech regarding his plans for the next four years of his 'Presidency'. Large cameras broadcast the event across the nation, but I never had reason to pay attention before now.

A booming voice spoke in what seemed to be an overly pleasant tone over the speakers, "Citizens, thank you for joining us on this momentous day! Before we welcome our President, let us proclaim the Pledge of Allegiance together!"

My eyes shot over to the Freedom Fighter that answered my question on the hill. She shrugged in response. We both took up the chorus as everyone recited the Pledge.

"I pledge allegiance to the nation

of the United Corporation of America,

and to the man for which it stands,

one nation under Trump,

indomitable, with equality and separation for all.

AMERICA IS GREAT AGAIN!"

As the last words rang out across the courtyard the cheery announcer returned, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Citizens and Executive Citizens, please rise to welcome, PRESIDENT TRUMP!"

I was taken aback when the stout man exited a large SUV and began making his way along a red carpeted route to the stage, surrounded by guards. My eyes shifted to my companion once more.

"He's not white," I hissed in surprise. "Orange, maybe tan if we're being kind."

The Freedom Fighter held back a smirk and frowned instead, motioning with her head and communicating with her eyes that I should begin.

My eyes widened in response, worried that I'd already messed up, but I quickly eased my mind as Stoakes had taught me and focused all of my attention on the target.

Everything became muffled and I could faintly hear my heart beat in my ears, soft and strong. The tyrant next worked his way through a crowd of Executive Citizens, shaking hands and greeting them personally. A perfect opportunity to begin. As his lips moved, I established a narrative in my mind, a sort of bad lip reading that under my directed focus would form a sync, causing the target to mirror the scrambled speech in my mind without their knowledge.

As the tyrant climbed the steps to the stage, a government official stepped forward to shake his hand.

"There's Tommy," said Trump jovially, the sensitive microphone on the podium already capturing his voice and broadcasting it. I would only later come to find the fellow's name was actually Edward. "Diggin' the formal shoes, buddy," he continued, "I like those." The crowd, who had all been smiling and cheering, began to falter.

As the resistance had hoped, the despot was too fearsome to correct. The man he had called Tommy nodded awkwardly and uttered a quick, "Uh, th-thanks."

"I like it in Vermont, it's cool," Trump said, waving and smiling as the cameras captured the moment. Tommy/Edward chuckled nervously, unsure of what to do. "Doesn't he look like he should teach at a university?" The tyrant smirked and waved the man off good-naturedly, taking his place before the podium. No one cheered now, many in the audience gave each other curious glances and concerned murmurs could be heard.

"Good afternoon, Citizens," Trump's voice amplified over the courtyard. "I'm kind of cramping up, so try to avoid the lasagna," he began, his face grave. Someone in the audience broke and a laugh erupted, causing others to join in.

One brave advisor must've realized what all the others should have noticed immediately. The longer they allowed their President to make a fool of himself, the worse it would be for them later. The brave advisor stepped forward, interrupting the tyrant in an unprecedented manner, covering the microphone and speaking directly in his ear.

I felt a gentle squeeze on my left elbow and my concentration broke. I made eye contact with the Freedom Fighter and she nodded, indicating it was time to disperse. I watched the tyrant be escorted off the stage toward the White House as I worked my way through the throngs of confused people to rendezvous with the others back at the hidden alley where the car would be waiting.

I was the last to arrive and by the looks of the other three when I did, they had already celebrated our win. I was received with congratulations and smiles, but it felt stiff. I was relieved when we decided to head out and the Freedom Fighter I'd been speaking to sat with me in the back.

"We should celebrate," the driver said, smirking into the rearview mirror and turning the radio on. As he flipped through the static to find a suitable music station, he paused at what sounded like a Nightly News® broadcast.

"Breaking news tonight on multiple fronts, Citizens. A terrorist plot stopped at the White House, and we have confirmation that the President has suffered a stroke. We're going live to-"

I slid forward, gripping the seat before me, "What! That's NOT what happened!"

The driver switched off the radio and the companion beside me placed a gentle hand on my leg, "We know, Carver, it's ok." I slid back in the seat and she pulled her hand back, satisfied once I'd calmed down.

"They had to make up something," piped up the third rebel in the passenger seat. "Make it seem like they know what's going on and have the situation under control."

"Exactly," barked the driver with a laugh. "Bet you they're shitting their pants right now."

A calm voice spoke up next to me, "The first phase of the Silent Coup has started," she said smiling. "The remaining dominos will inevitably topple and we will silence him for good."

All of their voices were happy, calm, and unworried. They felt none of the pressure I did. Guess it wasn't the rocks after all. What they said weren't lies, a crack in the foundation had been broadcast to the entire nation, something that had never happened before and it gave us an incredible opportunity. Stoakes' plan was coming to fruition exactly as she'd said it would.

"Be proud," came my companion's voice beside me once more. "Our victory today was all thanks to you."

I allowed myself to smile as I watched the world blur outside the window.

[crimsonshadow323]

IronStrange in the Snow

Soo this was for the Secret Santa in the SIU server. I got @a-blog-against-team-cap Prompt was: Post IW IronStrange. I added Peter because he’s awesome and one of your favorite characters. 

Characters: Tony, Stephen Strange, Peter Parker. (Others are mentioned)

Words: 1515

Ao3

Notes: It’s more bromance than actual romance but I hope you still like it! Also there is a smidge of Angst because it is after IW so there’s bound to be some angst. 

Hope you like it! :)

Five months. 

Five months since the end of the battle with Thanos. Five months since all those who had been turned to dust with the titan’s snap came back. Those five months had passed slowly it seemed, and there was more than one case of PTSD. But still, the world turned, and life continued on. Somethings changed, Steve and the rest of the rouge avengers for instance, were pardoned for acts of service and well, saving the world. There was also the fact that Tony made friends with the newly resurrected Guardians of the Galaxy.  

And of course the small fact of growing closer to a certain Wizard who used to be a neurosurgeon.  

Tony still wasn’t sure how that happened. Shared trauma he supposes, bonding through shared experiences that he’d rather not dwell on. In any case, they had gotten closer, sharing quips and moments of silence alike the two men bonded. 

Pepper was great and Tony still loved her, but she just… didn’t understand what they went through. She wasn’t there on Titian when… 

No he wasn’t going to think about that. Not now. Not ever again if he could help it.  

But yes, Pepper just didn’t understand Tony anymore. Not about something like this. It was like she had, had expectations of what would happen after… after the world was saved. Expectations that he was apparently not meeting.  

It’s not like he wasn’t trying. He was trying so hard and.. well everyone had bad days. It was just… it seemed as if most of his days were ‘bad days’. And no matter how hard he tried to get back in the swing of things, to return to the things that he loved he just… couldn’t.  

But Stephen understood. He understood more than most. After all he was there when-- (Nope. Not going to think about that. No sir.) Regardless he understood. So Tony found himself spending more time with the neurosurgeon-wizard. 

He still spent time with Pepper and Rhodey too and, surprisingly, the Parker kid had started coming around more often as well. Although if he was being honest with himself Tony had no idea why the boy decided to stick around. Even after how much he screwed the kid over, even after—No. he wasn’t going to be pathetic and start freaking out. After all Stark men don’t cry. 

Crying was a weakness according to Howard Stark. A lesson Howard had taught him repeatedly, sometimes with force aaand nope. There went that thought. 

“Are you okay Tony?” Stephen’s low baritone drew Tony from his rather depressing thoughts. And he looked up into those blue-grey eyes that sparkled with intelligence and a hint of worry as Stephen looked towards his shorter friend.  

“Yeah Wizard man, I’m fine,” Tony smiled but Stephen noticed how it didn’t quite meet his eyes. 

Stephen looked away after a bit deciding to change the subject. “So where is Peter? He usually doesn’t let you out of his sight. Not since…” His voice trailed off and he shook his head before continuing. “Well he hasn’t left your side in a while.” 

Tony gave a small smile as he thought of the kid which quickly turned into a frown as he remembered how Peter faded into dust as Tony held him in his arms.  

“Stop it Stark.” Stephen said his voice suddenly stern. He met Tony’s haunted eyes and felt his heart twist. “It wasn’t your fault. Not what happened with Thanos, not what happened to Peter. None of it. So stop blaming yourself and stop carrying around all this unnecessary guilt.”  

“But it was my fault Strange! I should have made sure he was safe, I should have made sure he stayed back on earth. I should—” 

“Stop blaming yourself for things you can’t control.” Stephen cut in smirking slightly at the glare sent his way. He sighed as Tony turned away from him and started fiddling with a StarkPad. “Look, what happened was horrible, no one is disputing that. But you were able to fix it. You were able to defeat Thanos and save everyone. So maybe instead of beating yourself up for something that had happened--that you’ve already fixed, maybe you should start focusing on the good things.” 

“Like what?” Tony asked his tone defeated as he stared at his hands. “What good is there in my life?”  

“Peter,” Stephen said raising an eyebrow. “He’s still alive because of you. Rhodey’s walking again because of the invention you made. No, don’t interrupt me.” He added when the inventor opened his mouth. “Hell half of the entire universe has been restored because of you. You’ve helped so many people Tony.” Here Strange held eye contact with Tony needing to understand. To understand how much Tony has helped people. Has helped Stephen himself.  

“Right, well, agree to disagree there Doc.” Tony said looking away with a snort. “The kid has PTSD now because I couldn’t save him. Rhodey fell because I couldn’t keep him safe. And the half of the universe that I ‘saved’ is probably either traumatized beyond all belief or I don’t know messed up somehow because Tony Stark tried to save the world. God I just wish--” Tony stopped giving his companion a glance.  

“What Tony? What do you wish?” Stephen asked dread settling in his gut, and sorrow squeezing at his heart. 

Tony looked down at his hands, eyes avoiding the other. “I wish I would’ve died instead of lived.” He looked up as Stephen gasped. “I’m so damn tired Stephen. My life just keeps getting worse and worse. And I…” His voice trailed off before he started talking again, the words a mere whisper. “I just want some peace. Is that so much to ask?”  

“Is—Is that true Mister Stark?” Peter’s voice came from behind the inventor causing him to jump. “You… you really wish you were dead?” Peter’s eyes were shiny with tears.  

Ah hell, he made the kid cry. Tony bit his lip as he tried to think of a way to fix this. “No. No Pete, I don’t really want to die. I just… I was being stupid. My emotions got to me or something.” 

Peter didn’t look like he believed Tony’s words. Not that Tony blamed him all that much. “But Mister Stark you promised.”  

Tony’s eyes widened before squeezing shut as he remembered the promise that Peter was talking about. It had been after the final battle with Thanos, when everyone was headed home. Peter was scared to sleep and so Tony told him that he’d still be there when he woke up. Peter made him promise that he’d stay until Peter woke up.  

“Oh kid, I didn’t… I didn’t mean…” He looked at Peter’s tear streaked face before opening his arms. “Come here kid, I’m sorry you thought I was going to break my promise.” He whispered into the boy’s hair, arms holding him close. “I didn’t mean it Pete. I’m not going anywhere. Not for a long while, you hear me Mister Parker?”  

Peter nodded into Tony’s chest mumbling something into the fabric of his old T-shirt. Finally he pulled away long enough to look up at his mentor. “Okay, mister Stark. I’ll make sure you keep that promise too.”  

Tony’s lips quirked upwards. “What, you don’t believe me Parker? I feel so trusted.”  

Peter grinned looking a little mischievous. “No I just think that you might forget in your old age to keep the promise.” 

Tony snickered and gave Peter an affectionate swat on the back of his head. “Brat.” He turned to glare at Stephen who was now laughing at the two. “What’re you laughing at Gandalf? You’re the one with all that sliver in your hair.”  

“You take that back Stark.” Stephen said his eyes narrowing playfully.    

Tony laughed and gave Stephen a playful look. “What’cha going to do about old man? Use some magic spell? Oh I’m so scared.” 

Stephen rolled his eyes before turning to Peter. “Was there something you wanted Peter?” 

“Hmm?” Peter asked before remembering the reason he had come to find Tony in the first place. “Oh! Right! Mister Stark you’ve got to come and see! It’s amazing.”  

“What’s amazing Peter?” Tony asked giving his protégé a fond smile.  

“The snow! It’s snowing outside Mister Stark! You have to come see.” Peter said now pulling on Tony’s arm causing him to laugh. 

“All right kid, I’m coming. Why don’t you get a coat on and then we can go outside.” Tony said giving Peter a pat on the back. Both Strange and Tony watched as Peter left with an excited “Yippee!”  

Stephen looked over at Tony giving him a fond grin. “You’re such a dad.”

Tony gave a mock gasp and pointed a finger at the magic user. “How dare you. That’s it. Wong’s now my favorite wizard.”

Stephen shook his head as the two went outside and watched as Peter jumped around in the snow. “Merry Christmas Tony.”

Tony smiled, turning to watch Peter as he made a snow angel. “Merry Christmas Gandalf.”

[aharris00britney]

ASKS 11

wip pic, complements ;-;, some meshing questions, and other stufffff

Anonymous said: Would you ever consider doing a version of your Sam and Briana hairs with the halo braid but as a pixie cut?          

hehe this ask inspired me to make something kind of similar but not a pixie cut SORRY ;n; here is a pic ; this will be the next speed meshing video/hair

@bluupxels​ said: what's ur opinion on dance the night away (TWICE comeback)?

I don’t hate it but it is in the bottom 2 for my title tracks ranking for them :( (OOH AAH is the bottom lmao ya’ll hear somethin?) The MV was pretty though and I like the side tracks on the album

Anonymous said: post selfies more often ;)

i never take photos of myself edfhvnb here is a pic i took a few nights ago bc i was wearing the same shirt Lucas had on in some pic of him lmao he just had some sweater over it

Anonymous said: Hey, for your meshing videos, are all the hairs yours? and are they WIPS? they all look great!

yeah they’re all my WIP hairs! I just do stuff a lot earlier than they get released and hairs get released through a voting system so it is kind of out of my hands on which/when hairs get released.

Anonymous said: AHH AJSHFL u are so cute hehe u have a pretty face :')

thank you omg ;n; I don’t think I do but ill take the complement XD

Anonymous said: r u gay? ♡

yes

Anonymous said: Not a question, i just want to say that i LOVE your cc hair's they are stunning <3

thank you so much!!! I am glad you like them <3

@garoto-estelar​ said: u're one of the best mm cc creators!! pls we need more male hair with bangss

I am super bad at doing male hairs @ayoshi-sims​ can vouch for me on this omg I am just... not able to do any good ones egdfbv I will try something though :P also ur header is gorgeous

Anonymous said: OMG THE SIM IN YOUR LATEST TUTORIAL LOOKS LIKE FANTINE FROM THE STAGE MUSICAL OF LES MISÉRABLES LMAO

had to look this up but omg the hair looks super similar rgfgbrgfdc

Anonymous said: where did you get blender from?

S4S has them linked but : Blender 2.76 (32x)  |  Blender 2.76 (64x)

Anonymous said: Oh gosh your content is perfect 💖 really love your blog ~alesimmers

thank you!!!! <3

@lrby01​ said: your sims are so prettyyy!! whats your secret?

most of the time i get a random off the gallery and use that as a base tbh, duplicate one of my main 3 sims, or use one of @ayoshi-sims​

Anonymous said: Hiya! Would the accessories you made in your newest speed meshing video also work w your Paige and Jennie hairs? Since they have the same headband? Thanks!

I think I moved the headband shape some so I’m not entirely sure, I will check before release though.

Anonymous said: WHY U SAY  IN JULY WHEN IT JULY

??

Anonymous said: You are f*cking perfect! love you

thank you ;-; I am no where near being perfect though lmao

Anonymous said: Sorry of you already are going to do this but will you upload that cute hair from your speed meshing video you uploaded? The half up half down one? It's so cute!!! I love your cc 😍😍😍

depends on voting :( currently I don’t think it will be released in August (there are 4 hairs that have more votes then it). Voting ends the 24th though so go vote if u want it :P

Anonymous said: do u watch reacttothek or like other kpop react channels? seems like ur into kpop haha and they’re my fave

I have seen some of the reacttothek videos!!! mainly just when someone I stan releases something new

Anonymous said: omg how ur soo organized 😂

I like neatness ;-;

Anonymous said: Hi, what's your ID? There I can find the sims that you use for every hair? Thank you <3

origin ID is aharris00britney

Anonymous said: I adore your hairs! I have so many of them in my game and it makes me so happy when I see what you have coming up. I was wondering if you have ever considered converting some of the hairs for kids as well as teens and older? I would love some kid hairs from you. Thanks for all that you do! <3

me and @ayoshi-sims​ are talking about collabing again and if we do then it will have some kids hair conversions :P

Anonymous said: Does the anathema palette you use for ur hairs have one for eyebrows?

I don’t think so :( not many people use the palette but I use the WMS eyebrows and then someone recolored the CC eyebrows I use in the WMS palette too. Links are on my resource page (which i know is broken rn but links still work)

Anonymous said: hi im sorry but are you a boy? ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

yeah! i am a boy lmao :P

Anonymous said: when i go to your resources page none of the pictures work?

I know ;n; all of my photos broke a few weeks ago (including all 140+ of my download page photos) so I had to change the links of the images from imgur to tumblr and it was a huge mess. I’m not happy with my current resource page so I am planning on redoing it eventually.

Anonymous said: Are you wcif friendly? If so where can I find the fruit choker on your last lovely sim. If not no worries. Hoping you’re having a rad day friend ❤️            

@ayoshi-sims​ drew it on, sorry ;-; thank you btw

Anonymous said: how close are you with ayoshi?

we’re engaged, wedding in winter

Anonymous said: let me just say I love the kpop references like the Minnie hair cause  kpop is my spirit animal but anyways I love you

yasssss

Anonymous said: f(x)?🧡💛

yeah i went to the funeral, what about it?

Anonymous said: So I just watched your speed mesh video and found myself wondering, what is the purpose of using edge split? I'm currently learning blender and though I've googled for various explanations, I'm unsure of what it achieves in terms of TS4 meshing.

sometimes when you remove doubles from the entire mesh, it makes weird shadows (you can see them in solid mode) that are super dark. Edge splitting gets rid of them without causing a seam to show in the mesh

Anonymous said: Wow, I've never sent an ask to you but I thought I'd just send some love your way! Your an amazing creator and I love that you take your time with each one of your creations. I love your edits and they inspire me to do better with mine! I love that you not only do straight hair but also curly, wavy and braided hair! Your sims are so beautiful and so are you! I always look forward to your cc too! :) Hope you have a great day/night!

thank you so so so much omfg i really appreciate it!!!

Anonymous said: hope this doesn’t sound rude, but why don’t you just release all the hair? I don’t know much about making custom content but it looks to me as if they’re finished, but I could be completely wrong of course. I was basically just wondering why you choose to do it this way if you don’t mind me asking :-)

I am trying to make sure I have enough to release if college gets super busy and releasing 3 a month is enough to have a pretty good amount of 36 hairs a year. Wasn’t a rude question at all btw :P

Anonymous said: OH MY GOD YOU'RE ADORABLE Anonymous said: omg you are literally the hottest thing ive seen all day and its 100 degrees outside *heart eyes motherfucker*         Anonymous said: ur cute    

i choked at these omg XD thank you

[hetaliaindie]

Going down memory lane

Just a little photo post.

June 9th 2017

I come back after more than a year, ready to try this out again.

I love how I'm always straight with ya guys in the tags yeesh.

July 4th 2017

The start of my first proper event, the Gandharva Event! (Though I've revised his design greatly ever since- there's no trace of Shiv in this anymore!!)

July 24th 2017

My first interaction with @grandparomeaskblog !!! When will I stop drawing your son in compromising situations-

August 28 2018

The very very first glimpse of Mr. G!

Also August 28

The day I started lowkey introducing the world to Shiv's 2500 year old crush.

September 1 2017

Young Shiv art!

September 9 2017

The most cursed artwork in this entire blog, thanks to aforementioned Grandpa Rome and Mr. Camel ( @de-beste-persian-empire) 

September 16 2017

I think, this is the first sridevi we got on this blog. No introduction, nothing.

Same day and we have Sridevi being as demanding of sweets as she always is, and our lovely Aarya! @ask-ladylotus​. The world deserves more india wamen.

September 21 2017

One of my favourite answers to date: Jugaad

September 24 2017

Gosh I don't like the art here at all, but here's the start of the lotus/god angst.

Same Day

The cutest darn Shiv ever. I hope I've kept this side of him alive.

Same Day

I think this is interesting because it seems that I was really fond of a more metaphorical approach to some questions and I'm still like that today: Jealousy

Same Day: Start of the God (dream) Event

September 30 2017

Yeah that's really what they looked like then.

October 5 2017

This may have happened nearly 2000 years ago but I do keep referencing it so here, boys and their issues.

October 24 2017

Same story, more details

October 26 2017

This is truly one of the most beautiful works I've made, and this is when I start getting very fond of this kind of storylike narrative, bright colours and literal metaphors.

November 3 2017

Jerks.

November 5 2017

Mr and Mrs. did have their casual pretend intimacy. Now she's alone but Mr. Gold has Zar. I hope we see her grow now that her fake love partner's dead and reborn.

December 19 2017

This is about when I fell in love with both of them tbh. Btw the baby was carefully delivered to an orphanage and quickly adopted by one of Mr. G's workers.

December 28 2017

The start of a legend. The Highschool AU. Would you believe me if I told you that Gypty and I still work on it casually or see various futures spawned from it? 

January 15 2018 (Welcome to 2018 my good folks, we made it)

This isn't important content but artwise, It's when I really started pushing for dynamic stylistic choices for my art.

January 16 2018

You really really see it here, and also I start indulging more in patterns to brighten up the simplicity of everyday life. I'd also say this is where the general body differences are most exaggerated between them all (even with sridevi as a child).

January 22 2018

A comment on Arthur Kirkland.

January 23 2018

A memory of the Sack of Delhi. It may strain your eyes (unfortunately I can't say that was on purpose), but it's a tribute to a nation who's heart has been stamped on by circumstances that no one can predict, yet its spark still lights. From an art standpoint, I was very proud of the expression I felt I conveyed well in this panel.

January 28 2018

Listen the amount of research I put into giving you a culturally intriguing gag response- 

February 2 2019

Mrs. Gold, I definitely improved a lot with colour usage here.

February 1 2018

This is where I have truly tried too hard on colours but I'm really warming up to it. (Oh nu is my icon that old- i'll get a new one soon I promise)

Please just take a moment, if you're someone who is an artist and is on a journey, to compare this piece with some of the earlier ones in this post. This improvement wasn't completely random. It started with looking for stylistic changes in the way I drew- in my case, really exaggerating the flowiness of my strokes and sharp points (messing around with a grittier brush, helped me a lot too, if you're someone who sticks with soft brushes or mechanical pencils, I couldn't recommend trying to use a textured brush or irl charcoal to get a grasp on the type of mood you want to evoke). At some stage it became a love story with color too, but colour takes time and lots of adjustment, which is why you won't see much of it in my blog.

March 5 2018

This is where I really start pushing the exaggeration on Mr. G, but only to get a feel for him. He evolved from a chunky nosed, physically imposing figure with a laughable quantity of gold, to something more desperate and dependant on money, something lean and mean with a nose that could poke an eye out. And here, most prominent is the shape of his lips, which had grown more prominent than before and very good for emphasizing his frown (and hell to work with when trying for his dimpled smile).

March 11 2018

I drew this for an rp starter since words couldn't describe what was in my head. I think it's a fine example of my adoration for patterns- but not just patterns, the idea of luxury beyond compare. It's prominent in my blog but only because I have the brain of a magpie and am constantly like ‘ooo shiny’. But really, I drew what I liked, so I improved. Find something you like drawing if you haven't yet. It can be skulls, it can be leaves, feathers, find your motifs and everything will honestly follow along.

May 17 2018

Post exam-hiatus, I am back with the gang, my art style is a bit rusty but boy have I got intimately involved with colours.

May 22 2018

I can't get colours out of my head, I'm thinking about them day and night, I need to create, I need to and so I do. (In all honesty I am certain that something greatly inspired me to do this but I cannot recall what).

June 12 2018

The Kill Cindy 2k18 movement is born. I can finally show you the Mr. G I have been hiding from you all.

July 1 2018

Something I can point out now is that while I think my colours work (honestly i was making use of patterns to distract you all at this stage- before I returned from my hiatus, I'd been rejected in an interview for an animation course and the key point my interviewer made was that my sense of colour was jarring, so I really was sensitive over it but seeking out improvement), what I would change is that adding a clear light source and allowing an atmosphere (by adjusting the main figures’ hues slightly to match the background) to emerge in my art would make it a lot better. And I start to grasp at this knowledge.

August 19 2018

The start of the bodyswap event, I swear I'll get back to it. I just want to use it as a stepping stone to get some meaningful character development out of it, thus it's ongoing.

See here, this is where I just stop caring about skin and character colour as something that should more or less be constant. Now it's vibrant and blinding for no other reason than I want to make you feel (granted, I did that too much here and it makes things hard to understand much less appreciate).

September 8 2018

Here I'm really just feeling the colours, Shiv's home is easy- everything is luxurious but at once welcoming (or at the very least, pampering), Sridevi's home on the other hand was shown to be neater and almost less personal, there isn't much immersion allowed in her place but in Shiv's..oh man.

November 2018

As you can see, activity has been dwindling what with rigorous college days and having moved to a new city. It should pick up eventually, but let me close this off with some new art.

Do I have something to say about this piece? Yes, I do! The point of view is Shiv's, thus the warm colours and the way he blends into the background. The main figure here is not himself or his 2nd player, but the vibrant peacocks, that exist in a shade of blue too vibrant to be real. In between the two sentient figures, is our young Mr. Gold, clearly he has the favour of these birds but he doesn't seem very affected by them- unlike the jealous Shiv. He's the dullest colour present and he wears the blandest clothing, the matters of peacocks (be they blue or orange) do not apply to him and he is at once alienated. 

Today, November 14th 2018

So after everything, here we are. Is this what all my art was moving towards? No it isn't, it's really just me playing around with photoshop brushes, but the mood of this image is something I feel that I've conveyed with integrity. That's what I want to keep striving for. Thank you all for staying with this blog as long as you have, thank you to all my newer followers, I've linked most of these points to their original posts, I hope that Tumblr does not break them. Love you all!