#hoping i can continue making good art all year!! or at least having fun making it even if it isn't good lmao

[jojo-schmo]

✿ Forgotten Land Roleswap AU ✿

✦ 3rd Anniversary ✦

I was hoping to get this Light Novel cover redraw finished by today, but I haven't been feeling well and ran out of time- but I still wanted to at least share this WIP and muse on how much things have grown during these three years, and how much this project has meant to me so far.

April 12, 2022 was the day I created posted the first doodles that would, unbeknownst to me at the time, germinate the idea that would transform into a passion project spanning multiple years. I had just finished Kirby and the Forgotten Land's story and slowly getting back into the Kirby fandom space for the first time in years. It had been a long time since a game made me feel as wonderful as Forgotten Land did. I've loved Bandana Waddle Dee since I first played Return to Dreamland on the Wii when I was a kid, and wished he had more opportunities to shine outside of directly supporting Kirby in the game. I also love "What If" and "Roleswap" AUs, so I considered what would happen if I swapped Bandana Dee and King Dedede's role in the game.

The posts didn't really get much traction at first, which was fine. But I kept going back to the idea after a few days and thinking about how to push it further. Instead of just swapping Bandee and Dedede, what if Dedede was Player 1 to increase the stakes of rescuing the kidnapped Waddle Dees? Dedede wouldn't have access to Mouthful Mode, so how would the gameplay work then? Instead of Kirby taking care of everything with his own Mouthful Mode, it could be more fun to have Meta Knight be Player 2 instead, and explore their teamwork dynamics and problem-solving methods together!

So I explored an alternative- Combo Mode! And developing and researching ideas for that lit a spark within me! I had to keep going after that!

Now I had to consider, if I'm already swapping around all the main characters, I'm starting to have an entirely new universe here! What's next to change up? For the heroes' companion, I felt like Elfilin wouldn't behave very differently in this AU than in canon, he would probably continue to be friendly and helpful and sweet. Which would be okay- but to make things more interesting for myself, what if I played around with the origin story of the missing pieces of Fecto Forgo and switched "Elfilis" and "Elfilin" around? That way there's new obstacles and possibilities there and maybe I can even surprise some people with the lore down the line!

Now I'd had my Dream Team shuffled around, a very different mysterious companion for them... And why stop there? Why not play with the Beast Council's roles too while I'm at it to make things even more interesting for myself to write?!

From the early days of this AU Project...

To my more recent work...

...Now here we are.

It'd been a long, long time since I enjoyed the creation process of anything for myself like this! I was coming out of some pretty hard times in the early 2020s, and in a lot of ways, this AU has been there alongside me during a years-long journey to get help for my mental health, to become more confident in who I am and what I can bring to the world around me, and to love myself. Now I'm the best version of myself I've ever been, and I can pour so much more into my art and writing, especially with this AU!! <3

AND MAN, does it feel good to see physical evidence of my art style's evolution side-by-side! Like comparing my first Light Novel cover redraw from 2022 with my current WIP!

Creating this AU has taught me so much about storytelling, the medium of comics, organization, and most of all, to enjoy the process and really push my personal limits in a positive way. I've met so many amazing people since starting this story, some of whom have inspired me in ways I never could've imagined. Some very key people have even helped me ponder different mediums to tell this story.... Some animatics... or maybe even more interactive storytelling...? I am slow cooking some fun ideas, dear reader....

This AU gave me the confidence to become more involved in the fandom space and find community among people who have taught me so much. I am so, so grateful for this project.

I know it's taken some time to get here. I still work full-time and now I'm pursuing a second bachelor's in hopes of a career change that will allow me more time to focus on creating someday. But for now, free time can be frustratingly limited for me. It's also taken this long because I've put a lot of thought into how to set up the metaphorical "dominos" in the forms of foreshadowing and world-building I want, to do my best to make the wait worth it for the future plot pay-offs and reveals I have planned!! I'm hoping to continue to pick up speed with updates as I increase my skill and solidify my master plan for this story... MUAHAHA....

I plan on seeing this project to the very very end, and I can't wait to continue this journey with you all. Especially with the announcement of Star-Crossed Worlds!!! I'm not too worried about it turning my AU lore upside-down quite yet since it's post-game content and my bigger lore drops are still a little bit away, so I have time to navigate that when it does drop :3

Thank you to everyone who has read, enjoyed, and supported this project in any way, whether it's a like, comment, reblog tag, dm, carrier pigeon, paper airplane- whatever!! <3 I love, appreciate, and am beyond grateful for every reader, supporter, and friend I've gained in the past three years!!

Cheers to a successful three years under my belt, and I look forward to the future!! By the end of this journey, I hope you will enjoy reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

🫧 Love, Jojo T. Schmo 🫧

★○★○★○★○★○★○★○★

♫ Laughing loud! Even if you're far apart, they're right by your side. Hearts full of love! Everyone is welcome to live in this new world. ♫

｡⋆｡˚ ʚïɞ ˚｡⋆｡

[jaehaeryshater]

Ygritte and her daughter Bael Whitewolf

art by: @nautieval

I am so grateful that my oomfie worked on this commission for me. This is literally my fifth Ygritte commission 😭😭😭 at this point I’m her biggest fan. I think that it turned out so beautifully. It’s also the first art I’ve paid for that includes Ygritte’s daughter beyond the fashion sheet Nata made me for the entire House in December. I love Ygritte and I love Bael, I’m so happy to see them together and see Ygritte as a mom. Obviously she has many faults and is a violent person, but at least with small children she canonically does have a soft spot and I think she would have loved being a mother so long as she didn’t have to compromise who she was a person.

This is from my AU where Jon becomes King Beyond The Wall before he abandons the Freefolk. The AU predicates on the theory that the Others will only negotiate with a Stark and that all other attempts to get rid of them will fail (obviously I don’t think this is true canonically but the AU is if it’s true), based on the very first chapter of AGOT where the Others were communicating over Royce, perhaps they were wondering whether he was a Stark, which would mean they should capture him instead of killing him. It actually isn’t all that relevant if it’s true, only if the Freefolk believe it is. Mance wants the best for his people and he wants them to survive, so he passes his metaphorical crown to Jon. That’s when Jon forms House Whitewolf and he marries Ygritte since he decides he will try to negotiate with the Wall instead of going back to them entirely (his need to feel important and needed of his own volition, especially since his brother was also King, is also a factor as to why he stays). Please please please, I am begging you, don’t complain that he’s married to Ygritte instead of Val. This all occurs without the Battle of Castle Black and with who Jon is as a person, the responsibility he feels he owes, and the fact that he believes he is in love with Ygritte, is the reason that in an attempt to maintain as close of a character as he was in the books, he marries her. If you want an AU where he marries Val, I encourage you to make it because it is quite fun to do. Back to the timeline, Bael is born on the march down to the Wall, where Jon is hoping he can get the Freefolk through. They don’t stop for long for her birth, only during Ygritte’s labor, then they continue, as time is of the essence. Bael is Jon’s heir until her brother is born three years later, which is a foreign concept to the Freefolk as they previously did not pass Kingship on that way. But she shares Jon’s blood and should Jon come to pass, she would be their only hope of ever communicating with the Others. She’s also important in the negotiation with the Wall as Alliser tries to coax Jon into giving up all his demands and surrender himself for execution as long as they let Bael and Ygritte through the Wall.

Ygritte is a very good mother and protective of her daughter. She loves her with all her heart, as does Jon, but as Jon is incredibly busy, she does have a special connection with her oldest child. She raises her up like a Freefolk woman and she’s as soft with her as a quencher of the Freefolk could be expected to be. She’s so proud of the human she’s created and that she has fulfilled her ultimate person from the Old Gods. When Jon is off in battle, she serves as a regent in her daughter’s best interest.

I have a whole headcanon post for this AU and House Whitewolf, if anyone is interested. I posted it on either November or December. I cover everything from Bael to the rest of the children, the children’s hobbies that are influenced by indigenous cultures. I talk about where the Freefolk eventually settle as well as what changes Jon makes to their culture and how him being King is different than Kings of the past.

I cannot think @nautieval enough, they honestly got this out really fast for me and didn’t need a lot of references. The art is super pretty, their commissions are open as of now so I of course encourage anyone and everyone to reach out and purchase a commission from them.

[riddle-me-ri]

Multi Riddlers x a Artist s/o. Bonus if they meet during a heist.

a/n: this is giving deja vu to riddler's story in joker's asylum more or less his tendency for art galleries in general lmao sorry i skipped some riddle boys I just felt it was getting a tiny bit repetitive...and i just realized I sorta missed the "meet the heist" bit sorry anon lol hope this still works regardless!

The Riddlers with an Artist!Reader

Arkhamverse Riddler:

- Aahh yes an extra pair of hands to help with his enigmatic propaganda!

- He will not hear any of your criticisms either…if you even dare try to give him any.

- Which by the way…probably don't do that…

- And don't you dare suggest another color! Do you have any idea how long it took him to solidify green as his color?!

- He does appreciate your creativity, but mind you, he never shows it–

- Edward is definitely likely to see a design or figure you draw and try to replicate and it “make it better” or “make it his own”

- Sure, some of the work gets repetitive, but at least Ed keeps you well supplied in art supplies.

Reevesverse/Dano Riddler:

- Ed wishes he can see the world the way you do…

- To be able to express his thoughts, emotions, ambitions like you do…

- He's enamored by how you put so much into every sketch and stroke on a canvas.

- Ed feels special whenever you allow him to look at your sketchbook or if you show him a work in progress.

- When the city turns down your series of art or your desire to paint a mural…

- It just continues to fuel Ed's ire.

- This city doesn't appreciate the likes of you or him, but they all will one day.

Gotham Riddler:

- Eddie thinks your craft is super neat.

- Eddie was always intrigued to see if you had anything new sketched out in your sketchbook.

- Has definitely tried to sneak a peek or two without you looking.

- If you're ever in an art block, Eddie has plenty of visual ideas in his head.

- And yes, there will always most definitely be some question mark hidden in the drawing he suggests.

- Cause that's what makes art fun! You could draw anything in plain sight that some may not notice!

- Definitely never a dull moment with Eddie supporting your art.

BTAS Riddler:

- Edward has always been appreciative of the arts…

- After all, some games are only as good as their design and overall visual appeal.

- When he discovers you're an artist he's instantly fascinated and wants to see your work!

- I also imagine this Eddie being artistic as well…

- So he will show you his work if you show him yours.

- Likely to be the first one there if you ever open up a gallery

- And extremely supportive of all your projects and artistic endeavors.

Zero Year/Capullo Riddler:

- Oh whoop de doo

- You can draw, paint, photograph, or whatever…

- Ed is the most indifferent to you being an artist.

- Likely to see you as lesser than–

- But it's all for show…and because he's a huge asshole.

- He does think it's kind of neat…

- He also absolutely knows of ways he can take advantage of your talents.

Young Justice Riddler:

- You're genuinely one of the coolest people he's ever known.

- Eddie is always curious to see what you're drawing when you're sketching away at something.

- Literally can't imagine a higher honor than to participate in your artistic creations or see them.

- Definitely wonders if you have ever drawn him

- (may or may not fantasize about you drawing him with little hearts around it)

- (omg he may actually faint if he ever saw that aaahhh)

[the-colourful-witch]

Artsy Update :)

Hi everyone, it has been a while since I posted. I've been incredibly busy with a few high-demand projects for which deadlines are approaching swiftly.... *send help please* However! I did continue the Valentine's Day couple series. Here are the final three sketches I did:

Hinny, Jegulily and Jegulus <3 I have to say that while I enjoyed doing these sketches, this style is not exactly my thing :) I love doing character line-ups and story illustrations more, but trying different poses and practising new colour combinations was a lot of fun. I had a blast :) I'm sorry if your favourite ship hasn't been drawn. I could only do a few in the time I had. But there's always next year! <3<3<3 As for the other things taking up my time at the moment... I have a big deadline for a picture book I'm working on. Only five more weeks to finish. When April comes, I'll (hopefully) be done with it and then I'm taking a teeny tiny holiday to rest and gather energy for new projects! I might actually leave the house for that... :)

The other big thing was my first art market of the year! I had a stand at Fantasy Fest in the Netherlands last weekend. I prepared a lot for it, making new prints and stickers and even creating some brand-new artwork :) The result was a booth filled with colourful goodies! I sold a little less than I had hoped for during the weekend, but I did have a lot of great conversations and managed to put a smile on people's faces with my art. And that is the most special thing in the world <3

I loved my little booth. The lighting was great and I had some lovely neighbors with whom I chatted all weekend. My mum also came to help for a day and she stood in front of the booth to play the very convincing 'interested customer', drawing in some more curious onlookers :) I love her, she is my number 1 supporter <3

Now, these are some of the new (and older) products I designed for this fair:

This is the Fantasy Characters collection: a series of 12 fantasy characters in a cool set! I made these specially for the fair and had so much fun with them. I picked out a nice paper, got to design a cool border to tie the whole thing together and even wrapping the sets in a colourful label was so so fun to do! I will definitely do more projects like this in the future. It's the best!

I created a bunch of prints from some of my traditional artworks. Most of them come from the book of fairytales I illustrated last year. They were a hit! Especially the map. That one was my bestseller :)

And of course, I had to add fanart, too. I sold a couple of Marauders band posters. That made my day. It was so cool to meet fellow fans :) (All of these are available in my shop, by the way, in case you're interested :)) Last, but not least: I made STICKERS! In January, I bought a Cricut machine for the first time and after postponing for a month to learn how to make it work, I managed to create these sticker packs:

They are my favourite new creation. It's so cool to be able to make my own stickers! I have four sets: Toads and Toadstools, Owls, Ollivander's Wand Shop and the Stars and Moons doodle sheet.

The little stickers are super fun to fill in empty spaces in your journal and the big ones are a showstopper for any surface. I already stuck a bunch of them on my planner, phone and sketchbooks... I have no shame. This is the best thing I ever made :)

I had a lot of fun!

I am looking forward to more cool art in the near future. I have one more project to finish. A picture book that has been a rollercoaster and not in a good way... I'll be happy when I've got my work done on that. It's still going to be a lovely book, it was just the publishing house that I had some trouble with. I will share something on the book whenever I can :) Right, I'm going to stop yapping! If you made it all the way to the end, thank you! You're amazing! Hugs, Fleur

[thoughtfullyrainynightmare]

Because it's been a while since any of these have been around

APPRECIATION POST

@loosesodamarble - You are one of my fandom wives, and I couldn't be happier about it. I love your OCs who are complex and deep, and they explore very humane emotions and wishes (such as locking emotions away after a loss), and combine into a world that both fits so well into existing canon, and expands on it in a very natural manner. On top of that, we get scrumptious pieces of meta and japanese language tidbits, for which I am ever so grateful. I'm overjoyed to be able to call you as not only a mutual, but as a friend

@lyranova - You are also one of my fandom wives and oldest friends here. You have written, what I dare say, is one of The most popular fics in the fandom, but you also have wonderful OCs, with which I love playing during out metaphorical 2D doll play-sessions. I know that over the years there have been a lot of emotions, both for good and bad, but I think that is just how life works. And I am beyond grateful that we've stayed friends throughout all the storms in our lives, and continue to be friends in the future. I am also very proud to call you not only a mutual, but a friend too

@koneko-pi - Third fandom wife! I know we haven't been in contact for as long, which is... over a year still at this point XD And dare I say I was surprised to get a DM on IG from you because I admired your art a lot, so... what can I say? I was just perplexed to see you in my DMs. And it was more than apparent that you are an absolute sweetheart, and I cherish your presence in my life. Even if such things as work dare interfere in having fun times. Also the memory of you saying "I am the floridan man" is inscribed into my brain (affectionate). You are a fey creature to me, and I wouldn't have it any other way. You are an equally valued friend

@wildflowerwoodsworld - I hope that I've at least implied by now that you are a force of nature, and very brave. I feel like I can be honest with my opinions with you, and I value someone with strong opinions in my life. Like, even if we wouldn't agree on something, we can still manoeuvre around the discussion. Your input into the fandom is also notable, in the form of fanfic, theories, and rants; but also, I adore Lia. She is a rascal, and that is what makes her so great. (And I still find myself giggling over a lot of the stuff that has happened in our dnd campaign, for which the credit should be divided equally among all the players, but you are a vital part of that group). Also, I find your characterizations to be peak

@acacia-may - I know that due to irl, you haven't been around much, but I wanted to take this opportunity to send out my gratitude for you; someone who takes so much time in exploring the platonic relationships of BC, which is an important component of BC at large. And you are an absolute sweetheart as well

@kalolasfantasyworld - My 4th fandom wife in the making? (*holds out a ringbox*) I'm still surprised about being the first to talk to you, because like... I'm pretty sure I wasn't the first to see or rb your art? I feel like the pieces had circulated a bit before that at least? But still, I am so happy to have you in my life. I'm not sure how exactly to put it into words, but I feel like we understand each other. And being able to complain over school (and speak latin to you :P ) is just an added bonus. I am really happy to have you as a friend. Simple as that. I value your presence in my life so much

@faewraithsworld - I love Acy! That probably shouldn't be my first thought, but that's the thing that got us connected. So, perhaps appreciating the OC that connected us is alright XD You also are just an absolute doll, and I love having you in my life. Even if life keeps both of us busy too, and the interactions are scarce

@t-f-t - Can I just say that I love the fandom discussions with you? Like they tickle my brain in a nice way? Again, while we might not agree, we get a good discussion out of it, and to me that's much more valuable than agreeing (especially on the spot), because it's a way of widening one's view to things. Also, holy damn your backbone, because of things, and the BCM project T-T

@funky-sea-cryptid - You are adorable, and I feel you to be a little bit of a silly gremlin (affectionate). And I love the fics and the art and the generally just good vibes you bring into this corner of the fandom. If I had to write your blog slogan in 6 words, it'd be "write fic, do art, love WIFE" <3

@purpled-royalty - I am incredibly happy to have you around in my circles. And even though we've only recently started talking, I feel like I can be genuine with you, and that we both are on the same wavelength regarding time and effort. Like, even when we go back and forth about our OCs' stories and characterizations, I don't feel pressure to reply instantly, y'know? You just have this way of feeling... Idk if "soothing" is the right word here, but something along the lines ^^' I value your presence ~

@the-black-bulls - You are one of the fandom olds, and I appreciate immensely that you've stuck around throughout all these years Cy. And that you keep your blog alive even due to irl. I wish only good things to you, and clear skies in the future

@yellowgreendinno - I love your energy Ginny! You keep things light, and bring just a dash of bright yellow into this corner of Tumblr~

@yukiblob - Your art is so tasty! They really are paintings, and I think your style is very unique~

@valtoswife - A lot of great art has crossed my dash because of you, and I am so happy that it has. So, I appreciate your presence here as well~

@cringeyvanillamilk - I know you're not around as much anymore as you used to either, but over the years you've contributed to the fandom so much, and the Fuegoleon plushy comic is still one of my favourites. So, I wanted to take this time to express my gratitude

@crazycookiemaniac - You are an absolute sweetheart, and you've also contributed to the fandom so much over the years. And you've made one of the best known art pieces, or so I think, which would be the Magna comic where he's giving a supportive message. So, thank you for being here~

@artificialpillow - I know we haven't yet interacted much, on Tumblr at least, but you're adorable, and I'm happy to have you join in on the fun <3 Also Eloise is so cute~

@f-oighear - I wish I had your organization skills and ability to write such good commentary. Like I feel that your fics are always outlines, they come timely, and you are also very structured in your feedback. And you've given the fandom The Nozessa fic, so that definitely is a feat as well ^^

[jello-library]

The Roommate Program (PT 2/?)

Finally part 2!! This one focus more on the reader/self insert!

Also I want to try writing the letters so you can get a feel of what being written instead of just getting vague descriptions!

I hope you enjoy it! 💛

Your first letter from your pen pal was…something else…to say the least. Paired with a prickly friendship bracelet. You felt like you opened Pandora's box with that first letter.

You sigh as you sit down in your office chair looking down at the blank sheet of paper nervously. What in the world do you write back? I mean, writing a letter about yourself is easy but continuing conversations is harder than it looks. What do you say now “Hey I heard you went to solitary confinement was it fun?” Like how you continue talking with him?!

Twirling the pen in your hands your wings twitch and flutter nervously. You joined the program because being a past patient at the Theraprism who managed to opt out of the recarnation ceremony praise the axolotl for that one. You thought it was nice to try to give back to them you know to show that redemption is worth the effort! You felt like you had a pleasant experience there or maybe because you were more cooperative than your peers.

But after the copious amount of interviews and several months of being on the waiting list.

You finally were met with a small envelope congratulating you on your approval into the program and your pen pal. You thought things were finally going well for a chance.

Until…you were brought to have a one-on-one conversation with THE Axolotl themselves you felt like maybe this wasn’t a good idea anymore…They wanted to talk about your pen pal, Bill Cipher. You were somewhat familiar with the name mostly being associated with the chaos he left in his wake.

He was a force to be reckoned with.

Was…

“He is someone who is quite..um…complex..” Look up from your teacup to glance at the other being across the table. The word “Complex” still feels like an understatement to you. The axolotl smiled down at your eyes laced with slight concern before continuing.

“I’ve read your file..” Shit. ”You seem to have been the star patient during your stay. Self-admitted leading to 500,000 years stay before you were released. The top storyteller during puppet hour.“

You can feel yourself getting hot with embarrassment as you sink into your seat. “Yeah, Dr.Oswald says he misses my shows…” You swirl around the remaining tea left within the cup. You don’t know what to say or why they brought you here to begin with. Did all the other participants go through this conversation as well?

“I already know why he joined the program. But I hope for a better outcome than another trip to Wellness Void and I think you can help me with that.”

Looking back down at the blank sheet of paper the pen feels more lighter in your hand now. Just breathe and relax if you mess up you can fix it later.

Dear Bill,

Sorry for my first letter being so plain I can honestly admit I’m a bit nervous about messing this up. I never knew how to talk to someone without it feeling awkward so this is a new step for me. As someone who used to be in the same position you’re in I feel like I can you some advice on how to make your stay less boring! Like, if you want to get out of group therapy it’s time to start taking advantage of art time!

Start doing big projects that take up time with this when art time is over you can ask to stay. But it’s important to say it so can present your piece to the next time group therapy session! Use this advice sparingly those counselors in there are nice but they ain’t dumb! Also if the vending machine is still in the cafeteria hold down on the C button it should give you an extra snack but it’s sadly randomized.

Well, I hope this letter finds you well and also thank you for the bracelet I hope to make you something special when I write to you again!

Sincerely,

██████

[littlebvtterfly]

The time of year where people in love give each other supermarket flowers and single people don't give a damn has come once again: Valentine's Day. Or, as I like to refer to it, Palentine's Day. I did an exchange last year and since people seemed to like it, here we go again. I thank you all for your continued trust in me and your lovely gifts. I hope we can have fun and contribute to each other this holiday once more. Mwah!

The Rules and regulations are simple, but they exist nonetheless, so here they are:

The exchange, for now, is open until February 16th. May extend it if people are interested.

You may make 1-2 requests but I will probably reblog it, saying you can ask for more if I'm still bored.

Please reblog this post to spread some awareness, please. You can like for remembrance but just a like doesn't count (you already know this; I know my 5 regulars who come here every time)!

As aforementioned, this is open to my regular drunks and new patrons alike, so please do not be shy. Think of me as I think of birds; I am more scared of you than you are of me.

Fill out the form linked below and find the password in the form!

Please only send me face claims with good quality and plenty of material to use. Also, no cartoon characters. Video game characters are all right if it's motion capture. I'm not trying to discriminate; it can just be really tough for me to find material for cartoons, anime, video games, etc. as I edit by making little video clips first and so on. However, if you slide in my DMs, we might be able to discuss some stuff.

Please, please, please fill out all the columns I need and choose at least two gift options. It makes it infinitely easier for me to make something for you. Just remember I can't read minds and it's worse when I can't find anything in your blogs.

Remember the pleases and thank you's, pleases and thank you's make my heart grow fond.

I don't do Harry Potter OCs or Stranger Things OCs and while I don't have a specific list of FCs I don't use, I ask that you do not request anything for overtly problematic actors. Thank you!

I accept pretty much any gift in return: gif edits, moodboards, playlists, story reviews, drawings/art—anything is fine. If it's a story review, please let me know in the form so I know you did, as I don't check my accounts every day.

I'm fine with gifts for any of my OCs; my master list as well as the link to my Pinterest and Spotify are in my pinned post.

FOR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, FEEL FREE TO SEND ME A MESSAGE AND I WILL TRY TO CLEAR EVERYTHING UP!

HERE IS THE LOVE FORM; THE LOVE FORM IS HERE; THE FORM FOR LOVE IS LOCATED IN THIS PLACE

TAGLIST: @eddysocs @ocs-supporting-ocs @foxesandmagic @veetlegeuse @decennia @hiddenqveendom @arrthurpendragon @luucypevensie @nikosasaki @noratilney @wordspin-shares @oneirataxia-girl @endless-oc-creations @stelstellakidd @andromedalestrange @far-shores @rose-of-oz @bibaybe @come-along-pond

[pleasantspark]

The Last Straw With VivziePop (Why I am no longer supporting Viv.)

Viv knows she's not gonna get a good response from the critical community in the same sense as the fandom is, so why bother? Why don't you ignore everything that doesn't exist in your dopamine fueled bubble, oh wait you can't, you feel the need to constantly look in the critical tags, or even have your fans do your work for you.

It's best to ignore people, because this shits sad, back then you would probably get less eyes on you (probably) but now that you're known and most of your info is out there (alongside your posts being public on a VERY public Insta.) your online shit's gonna bleed in your offline life, I had hopes you'd actually admit fault but this is gone way worse, you cater to the twitter cancel mob too easily, instead of actually writing out a coherent proof filled response you resort to name calling, throwing fits and acting like a child rather then someone in her thirties, your fanbase is out of control because you lead them by the way you act.

They see you as a parasocial mother, and I know you won't see this, but the fact you cannot handle pressure or your own fandom then maybe you don't deserve it at all, you abuse your platform to condone harmful interactions yet it crosses the line that someone asked your VA to sign their work?

You couldn't resist the urge to make fun of someone because your Fandom did, your fandom is responsible for two suicides, an attempted harassment/doxx, aiding Pedos and keeping them hidden in the fandom, you interact with people you claim in your response post as being deplorable (DaniDraws draws in her words "Statuary Rape Art"), you defend fetish art of SA being made as someone whose into CNC it's NOT RAPE it's literally an act of rapeplay it's different from SA as it's consent between both parties beforehand while the other one is a fucking crime, then you defend said artist sexually harassing a minor KNOWING minors are in your fandom, Your friends have weird shit going on with them you surround yourself with people who WILL bring you controversy and people who does things you SAID YOU DIDN'T SUPPORT.

Yet, you still have them around? I am literally done with hearing people make excuses after excuses after EXCUSES for deplorable behavior. It exceeds the amount of word limits I have on twitter. Like what the fuck is your priorities? Feeding into people who actually likes the shit you put out or doing the right thing? Your behavior aligns with Dream. At least Dream had the dignity to stay out of the light after his last response, you continue to hang around people that can only ruin your image further and your behavior and those in your immediate circle has harmed so many people that you ignore it.

I am disappointed, and you won't care as a rando on the internet, but for years now you continue to prove that you can't "take criticism" it's not because you can't Vivienne you won't, just like you won't admit there's a problem with your works, a problem with your fanbase and a very problem with you.

Your hubris is what blinded you, and you're just NOW realizing the effect of the cause you had, I hope to whatever God there is you do actually write a actual good post, admitting to everything you did in the past, including Dollcreep and the past ZooPhobia shit, because this shits never ending because your behavior is repetitive and people are just now realizing it and are tired.

I am just done supporting and giving the benefit of the doubt to people who forces others to essentially make people forgive you, you can't forgive Viv if you're not the group harmed by her. People are quick to accept whatever BS she says and this shit's borderline Slander and Libel at this rate.

2025. Do better.

[sunkissedchld]

𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃

𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆

dedicated to @nashikahan for suggesting the idea ❤️

relationships are important of course, no matter if it's a friendship or romantic or work-related or otherwise, but one of the greatest and most important types of love is the love we receive from ourselves.

i've said this before (a very long time ago), but in general, when most people are interested in tarot, they tend to ask about and lean towards content that speaks about the future (ex. future spouse, next 5 years, next career endeavor, etc), but i’ve realized that falling into that trap of future readings can be harmful if it’s all one ever thinks about.

thinking about the future is great of course, and it’s fun and sometimes comforting to think about the future and what successes and highs one might claim, but too much focus on the future makes it hard for one to focus on the present.

you can’t ever reach that future if you’re so wrapped in the fantasy of it that you forget to bring yourself to the present and work on whatever is needed in order to get there.

therefore, this PAC is not about the future. it's about the now. it's about what you need to hear right now in order to find comfort and love for yourself the way you need it.

the piles go from top left to right. so, "you are exactly where you are meant to be" is pile i, "be kind to your mind" is pile ii, and so on and so forth.

take the time to close your eyes, breathe, and meditate on the PAC prompt, then open your eyes and let your guides lead you to the pile for you.

i hope you enjoy and learn to love yourself the way you deserve to be loved 💖

(TW: slight s*icidal mention in pile vi)

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐈

Shufflemancy:

"Rover and Benz" by Aint Afraid

"Blazed" by Ariana Grande

"Lose" by Wonho

Reading:

i think this is my creative pile :)

life is always moving and as hard as it is for you to be okay with it you always find a way to get on the right footing despite there seemingly not being a reason to.

are you a dancer? or at least, do you wanna be? if so, don't deny yourself that art form. i can tell you pour your heart and soul into it. i think it's where you tell the story of your pain. please, continue to use it to continue to be the strong person you are.

you're a fighter and a creative. i don't know a better combo than that to be honest. i don't think you hear this often enough, or you doubt people when you do hear it -- your art form is enough. as a matter of fact, it's more than enough. it's exactly what's needed for the Earth right now and for years to come.

the card i pulled literally says, "SHARE YOUR VOICE" in all caps like that and everything. your mind, your voice, your creativity, your dance, your art is valid. even if self-critique is necessary, also remember that you've come a long way from your very first piece to right now.

the other card i pulled says, "YOUR LIFE IS A CANVAS". continue to use it as such. continue to foster your art. it's beautiful. every ounce of love you put into it can be seen. it's so obvious that art (in whatever form) is of and in you.

love it.

especially your own.

love your own work.

(i promise that it's good enough).

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐈𝐈

Shufflemancy:

"Donald Trump" by Mac Miller

"Run The World (Girls)" by Beyonce

"The Vapors" by Jhene Aiko

Reading:

know that you have a reason to be cocky!

i can tell that you're a hard-worker. every action you take is calculated and in an effort to reach the "promised land" of what you want. what you've always dreamed of. although recently (and maybe just in general) you may feel as if this uphill climb feels harder than ever.

the card i pulled says, "it's happening for you. not to you". i think those words may be of help to you right now. sometimes you may feel like God has put you up against these seemingly unwinable battles, but they are winnable. you're the one that can win them.

although you put in the work and action behind all of your wants, i think you mainly need to hear that you're not alone. you are being supported.

more than anything, i think you need to focus on healing yourself before going any further. specifically, go outside. breathe in the cold air and let it hurt your lungs. let the humidity frizz out your hair. listen to the waves as the crash violently or splash little by little.

i think you already know that you're strong, but also know that it's okay to rest.

it's necessary to rest.

please, allow yourself to do so.

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐈𝐈𝐈

Shufflemancy:

"Songs About You" by Chika

"Fool For You" by CeeLo Green

"Silent Cry" by Stray Kids

Reading:

there's a calling for you to do something, and you're avoiding it.

now babe.. you know better than to do that!

you feel like logic isn't aligning for you to be able to do it, or you doubt your own abilities, don't you? yeah.. you gotta stop doing that like immediately.

that dream or urge you have that feels so integral to your person and so primal to you in terms of needs is something you can totally achieve, but you have to believe in yourself. pay homage to yourself.

you are unique and honestly, your alignment is not of this world. that's why it feels as if the logic is off because they logic you've been conditioned to follow is not the one you should be following.

listen to yourself. listen to your body. trust that you will end up at the right ending because you're the one who knows how to best lead yourself. the cards i pulled say, "trust where you're led" and "surrender to the alchemy of life". i think that's important for you.

the most important thing i can say is that you control your destiny, and know that there's a path for you that so beautifully laid out, and you naturally lead yourself there.

you are worthy of your own trust.

you know exactly what you're doing -- even if it doesn't feel like it.

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐈𝐕

Shufflemancy:

"Sorry Not Sorry" by Bryson Tiller

"in my head" by Ariana Grande

"I'm The One" by Ateez

Reading:

you allow people to walk over you too much :(

is it because you don't think you're good enough? do you think you're not worthy of respect? YOU ARE!

maybe you don't fit society's standard of things. education, beauty, intelligence, material posessions? to be honest, it doesn't matter because you are so much more than that. who you are inside and who you try to be is so much more valuable than any of society's standards.

you don't have to take on everyone's burdens in order to be of use. you don't have to break your own boundaries and beat yourself down in order to receive basic respect.

your unique knowledge -- your unconventional knowledge- is so special to you! it's such a unique trait that gives you a different way of thinking and experiencing than others. use these differences to uplift yourself!

so what you're different? so what you don't blend in with everyone else? THAT'S THE ENTIRE POINT OF BEING UNIQUE AND BEING DIFFERENT!

fitting society's standards isn't helpful to yourself or the collective.

embrace your differences. they are valuable.

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐕

Shufflemancy:

"Alone" by Ayanna

"Motivation" by Normani

"Do It Like A Dude" by Jessie J

Reading:

the people who chose this pile are changing! transtitions and transformations are in progress or on the way, and you feel unprepared for them. that's okay!

you keep holding on to old habits and old ways of thinking, but you need to trust yourself and the universe. the card i pulled literally says, "YES. just say yes". the other one says, "you go first. the universe will catch you".

your old ways of thinking and being don't work anymore because they're too mundane. your ability and your intrinsic nature is so much broader! so much bigger!

your personality and energy is so intoxicating to others. i wish you could see yourself through outsiders eyes. if you felt drawn to pile ii, then go ahead and read it. i think the message there also applies to you.

know that you are so much bigger than the little problems and intrusive thoughts that hold you back. for every pessimistic thought that goes through, write down a positive one.

also, learn to praise yourself. you deserve praise.

you are doing well.

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐕𝐈

Shufflemancy:

"Cuz I Love You" by Lizzo

"Without You" by Ledsi

"Practice" by Drake

"breathin" by Ariana Grande

Reading:

i think you're tired, just like the photo says.

you may feel like you don't wanna be here anymore. not even in a s*icidal way, but more so in a wanting to be away from your environment -- from Earth -- just for a little bit if it were possible.

the people who chose this pile a very likely starseeds. you miss home. you miss being around likeminded people, and more than anything you miss feeling as if you belonged.

you have so much love you want to give to others, but it's like people don't want it. like they follow the saying of "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink it".

i think you may be tired of hearing this, but you are here for a reason. more than anything you just want the backpack of rocks that lies on your shoulder to be lightened -- even if just by one stone. you're tired of hearing that you're strong and that you can handle it because if you feel that backpack get loaded with one more stone, then you;ll explode.

you don't have to be strong all the time.

it's okay to cry.

please cry.

you are human too.

you have emotions too.

it's valid and okay to feel them.

[ruewrites]

Creation

AO3

Word Count: 3677

Warning(s): None

A/N: I hope y'all enjoy! I had a lot of fun participating in the gift exchange @obeymeholidayexchange! my giftee was @spaceshxtking and the prompt I chose was "What Barbatos does on his (forced) day off". I HOPE YOU LIKE IT DIA-RYAN 💗

Barbatos scanned the rows of fresh fruits and vegetables, his human world attire fluttering gently in the morning breeze. It wasn't often he had a day off, honestly he'd rather not have one at all, he was in perfect condition as always, and his goals aligned with anything his young lord desired. 

Unless the young lord desired him to take a day off, that was simply out of the question.

His work was all he needed. It was his art, his craft, and he took extra care of it so that he stayed sharp and vigilant.  After all, what would become of him if he dared to let his skills falter? A dull butler was hardly fit to stand next to the future king of the Devildom, and Barbatos had tried to plead this case, but this was one of few disagreements that he would not win. Diavolo was insistent, he would not accept any answer other than an enthusiastic yes from the Time Demon. Not only an enthusiastic yes, but he also couldn’t stay near the castle grounds, and how much farther could one go before hitting the Celestial Realm than that of the Human Realm?

He plucked an apple from a cart and smiled. Even after all these years they still enjoyed temptation. 

They were all perfectly ripe and prime for harvest. Even if it was his day off, it didn’t mean he couldn’t indulge in one of his favored hobbies, and if his hobby was to result in a delectable apple crumb cake for his Master for dinner, who could fault him? Besides they were a most delectable red, a shade that would certainly remind his master of his favored fallen angel’s eyes. 

Who could fault Barbatos for being so thoughtful and generous with his never ending time? 

Dropping his payment into the seller's hand and pleased with his purchase, Barbatos continued to make his way down the row of stalls when a familiar voice reached his ears. Stopping, he focused, and listened. 

“Maybe you can have it when you reach it, kid.”

“Hey! That’s not fair!”

Cruelty disguised as humor was the lowest form of torture in Barbatos’ humble opinion. It was used by cowards too afraid to acknowledge their own shortcomings. The apple never did fall far even after generations, not since Adam turned on Eve. When the benefit of doubt worked in their favor and cast stones upon another they clasped at it with sweaty palms and whispered sweet words with foul breath.

They could at least be more creative with how they acted, and more clever.

“Teasing a child? I’d hardly say that’s a good look for business.”

Barbatos prided himself on his outward appearance. He must always appear calm and collected. It wasn’t necessarily about how one reacts in a situation, but about the aura one emitted. Onlookers were less likely to get involved if they didn’t immediately perceive a hostile threat, and the less obvious he could make himself appear, the better. 

He watched with interest as the man cowered before him. There was a specific type of fear that Barbatos enjoyed when a snake noticed a hawk, once they are no longer the apex predator they tremble like the worms they are, reminded of their proper position in the food chain. The way their shoulders hunch and their lips twitch betray their intentions as they step back in line. They remember they aren’t the smartest or the most tactful, that there is always a bigger fish lurker in the depths beneath them waiting for a given opportunity to strike. Suddenly the tiniest slip ups matter, the smallest mistakes could cost their final breath, and no other soul around is any the wiser. 

“I wasn’t-”

“You weren’t?” Barbatos mused, taking a step closer to the stall, “It seemed to me like you were.” His eyes flashed and his head tilted to the side. Despite the open streets and the crowded sidewalks his prey was cornered and alone. 

Sins had a price.

Especially sins against his own. 

“No, no sir! I just like to have a little fun with the kids,is all,” the salesman laughed and attempted to roll his shoulders back into a straighter position to regain his footing, “Makes them eat right and such so they can get big and strong. Ya know?”

Barbatos hummed in response and glanced at the bag of sugar in the man’s hands. 

Silence made the clerk squirm, returning to a state that Barbatos preferred him to be him. It was much more suited to his nature after all. The man cleared his throat, “You uh, you got kids? You know what I’m talking about right?”

Barbatos smiled and placed a hand on top of the mop of blonde hair beside him, “This one finds his way into my care quite often. So if you wouldn’t mind-”

“Oh! Of course! Feel free to take it at a discount! For being such a kind fellow.”

Barbatos was no such thing.

The young angel before him looked up at him with shining wonder as he handed over the bag of sugar. Admiration was painted across his features and he reached out to hand over the coins he’d been carrying, “You really are something Barbatos! How’d you get so good at bartering like that?”

“With a milenia of experience behind me. It is quite the pleasure to run into you here, Luke.”

Luke’s grin quickly turned into a frown, “You can say that again. I don’t know why humans act like that sometimes. Don’t they know how they’re coming across and how rude it is? I thought they would have known better.”  He thought for a moment, pondering as he and Barbatos continued to walk along. “Well, I guess even Solomon has his quirks, but he doesn’t really count as a normal human does he?”

“In some ways I suppose.”

That sorcerer was certainly  far from normal. 

“Speaking of not normal, why aren’t you at the Demon Lord’s Castle.”

It would appear that they were playing a game of Topics that would make Barbatos Bristle at the current time. How lucky for him.  

“The Young Master thought it would be an excellent idea for me to take the day off, and what better way than to enjoy the Human Realm and all the exquisite ingredients it has to offer?” Offering the young angel another smile, Barbatos forced his annoyance away. It wasn’t Luke’s fault that others failed to understand him and the importance of his work. 

Luke continued to hop along, looking over eggs at the next stall they came across, “I can see why they want you to take a break, because they care about you and want what’s best for you right? But I also think it’s a little frustrating.”

Insightful for a being who has not experienced creation for long. 

Well, perhaps for a human, maybe, but not for creatures such as angels and demons. If humanity were a speck in the history of creation, Luke was a slightly smaller speck. Maybe he would have been old enough to witness their Dark Age, but that was being generous, at least Barbatos thought so, but who could say? Most beings looked young to him with where he was now, it certainly made it hard to tell who experienced what when, even without all of the different possibilities at all. 

“Simeon sends me away a lot. Michael will give me a task and Simeon will say he can handle it, that I should spend more time ‘enjoying youth’,” a small huff left his lips as he placed the eggs gently into his basket, “But why should I? I like doing what I do, why should I spend my time doing something else? If I want to get anywhere later in life, pleasing Michael is the best way to do it. After all, Raphael was the youngest angel to become a seraphim for now- I’m going to be the youngest Seraphim ever in existence!”

Barbatos was silent for a moment, pretending to look over the other produce as Luke spoke. “I can’t say I disagree with Simeon all too much,” he said, “After all, he has lived much longer than you have, he knows a thing or two about growing.”

“But why Barbatos?” Luke asked, looking genuinely betrayed as he turned towards Barbatos, “I thought if anyone, you would understand. I like working. It's what I want to do with my life and it aligns with my goals. Isn’t that enough? Why should I not do it if it’s what I like?”

Barbatos stopped. For a moment he was genuinely stunned, and a sincere smile made its way across his face. Some angels liked to spread the word that they were above sin, especially to humans, but they were just like the rest of them. Perhaps they were above humans in some ways, but angels and demons were more similar than those particular angels chose to believe. The act of turning one thing into something else just made some angels more comfortable, and so they chose to turn such acts into (what they considered) more positive attributes. 

Or maybe it was all about perception. 

Perhaps there was no sin at all. 

At the end of the day, could intention matter more?

This was what Barbatos loved about creation, how curious it all was, especially younger spawns of her whimsy. They wanted to know everything, why and why not, how and how not. Some would even consider knowledge itself a sin, but was it really? 

Barbatos had been around for a long time, perhaps even since the beginning of time itself, whenever that was. Or should he say whatever that was? Oh he made himself chuckle from time to time. There was that word again, time-

But that was a different stream of thought for a different day. 

Or maybe a different him had already gone down that path, and he could review it as if it had happened now.

But now, now now, he needed to contemplate how to answer Luke’s question in the best way. 

“No creature is perfect, and oftentimes our greatest strengths, can also become our greatest flaws.” Barbatos continued to act as if was examining the produce as he spoke, picking apart each individual molecule with his eyes as he went. “A star burns bright, but its light is snuffed out so quickly. Ambition is like that. You burn until you have nothing else to give, and at that point you fade from existence.”

Stepping back, he finally turned towards Luke, “You won’t become a seraphim if your wings no longer exist, now can you?”

Luke’s eyes cast downwards towards the ground as he shook his head, “I guess not. That’s why Simeon and Diavolo both want us to take breaks huh?”  

There was no possibility in which an honest lesson wouldn’t have turned against him.

“After all, he can’t be a great king if his loyal butler isn’t by his side. Right?”

Another chord struck inside him, this one softer and more melodious. 

To be young and naive of the world. Any demon would know what dangerous game they were playing with Barbatos by bringing up his profession, he was even well known among gifted humans and circles of angels who whispered his name. He was certain there were angels who thought Simeon more than foolish to allow Luke to be left in his care. Even Raphael threw him a wary glance from across rooms. Any danger Luke had once perceived from him had vanished, and wouldn’t that be quite the complex problem for the Celestial Realm to untangle?

Was he not still an enemy or a scheming foe?

The young lord’s plan to unite the Three Realms was not without controversy after all. While the Celestial Realm was participating, they weren’t without their hesitancies. Then there was the issue of how both angels and demons viewed humans. It all came to the same conclusion for many angels: Demons were monstrous, unholy, and sinful creatures of the dark. It was no fault of their own, it was how they were taught. How could they ever learn any different. 

Had it not been for Simeon’s more personal affections towards his fallen comrades, he would have likely been the same. 

“Barbatos?”

“Yes Luke?”

“Do you want to bake together?” Luke glances at Barbatos’ bag and then back up at the demon. “That’s what you were planning on doing right? You were going to make something for Diavolo on your time off?”

“Observant as ever Luke, in fact I was.”

“We could go to the Angel’s Halo! Simeon won’t mind if we borrow the kitchen a bit for baking,” Luke said, grabbing Barbatos’ hand without waiting for an answer. While initially hesitant about demons and their nature, the young angel was eager to share his joys and hobbies with Barbatos. Perhaps his view of demons was changing, or perhaps Barbatos was an exception to the rule. “Did you have plans for what you wanted to make?”

“How would you feel about an apple pie?”

***

Flour was powdered across the counter, coating it as the world was covered with the first flurries of snow in winter. The timer ticked away slowly as the demon and angel talked about everything and nothing. Barbatos spent most of his time listening as Luke spoke of all he learned, what had happened since last they’d talked, and his hopes for the future. In many ways, he reminded Barbatos of a young Diavolo. Children were all so similar. The young lord and Luke had grown up in similar environments, taught to hate their enemy and all of their flaws. 

Yet his young lord grew up wanting to unite the three realms and bring peace. 

Maybe Luke would grow to be less hesitant by the idea. 

Day by day his worldview was changing. 

Day by day those ingrained beliefs were fading. 

Simeon had left a note behind, informing Luke that he had gone out on his own shopping trip but that he’d soon return. So the butler and the angel were left with the kitchen to themselves, to create and craft from their own mind’s eye. Now the dough was forming, morphing, changing into something new, something they wouldn’t truly know until it was done. Barbatos swiped away the flour from the counter as Luke washed their dishes. The clinking of metal and the gentle stream of warm water were calming to Barbatos’ ears. He hummed along softly and he revived the counter back to her former sparkling and pristine form. The transformations always pleased him, watching something filthy and soiled become new and glorious once more. 

When he caught his own reflection on the surface, his chest welled, and a smile was staring back at him.

Cleanliness was close to godliness, and Barbatos revelled in removing the dirt that smudged perfect visions, even if he was the one responsible for cloudy vision in the first place. 

Sometimes the joy of a mystery was giving someone a push in the right direction.

Sometimes teaching involved holding back and giving nudges to the answer rather than saying it outright. 

Swiping his cloth once more across the counter, he was finally pleased with its appearance and nodded back towards his reflection. 

“Barbatos?”

“Hm?” His ears twitched as he focused on Luke’s voice.

 “Why do you think people like baking?”

“I find it relaxing for one, I imagine others do as well,” Barbatos chuckled, “Or perhaps it’s the generosity of sharing with others.”

Or the never ending search for praise and adoration, to have another hung so close on something that had been made and to have them indulge in it. There was truly nothing better, especially not when someone relied on him so heavily. It was a wonderful feeling, to be a confidant and close friends. 

There were some who would call his desires fiendish, yet others would know the deepest parts of him and still call him a friend.

How dare the latter demand him take time off for his own wellbeing. It was nothing short of cruel even if well intentioned, but once again, that was his own interpretation. His Master would never see it as cruel. Even if he did, well, Barbatos doubted that would make him change his decisions. The young lord was the Prince of Demons after all. In the eyes of some, he was torturing Barbatos for no other reason to be cruel.

In his personal opinion, he had just taught his Master too well. 

He’d probably end up teaching Luke too well too. 

How ironic life was.

“Well I guess.” Luke’s brow furrowed in frustration for a moment as he searched as to why Barbatos’ answer wasn’t satisfactory. Barbatos knew it wasn’t the answer he was searching for, that’s why he gave it. Now he waited as Luke worked through how to clarify what it was he was searching for. “But why?”

“Elaborate. I told you why.”

“What makes us like our hobbies? Why like baking? What about making things is so…fun?”

Barbatos nodded and closed his eyes, “I think we all love to participate in the acts that allow us to be here.”

Before Luke could finish cocking his head in confusion,  Barbatos continued, “We are all creatures of creation. At one moment in time we weren’t here and at another we were. Or we were something before we became something else. Or we were unconscious and then gained consciousness. Regardless of the circumstances of our birth, or what the definition of birth is, the act instills something into our very nature. We yearn to touch the stars and craft them. Even if we can't, we try the next best thing.”

Barbatos grabbed a container from the cabinet before walking closer. “Cup your hands.”

He tapped the container a few times into the angel’s hands, and then the two of them watched as the golden sprinkles sparkled in the light of the kitchen. Luke moved his hands from one side to the other, making the tiny stars flicker in his palm.

“Do you understand?”

The oven timer rang out in the kitchen. 

***

Barbatos sat by and watched as Luke changed the fluffy crust of their pie into the leaves of a tree. He added tiny detail etched in with his glaze. The small details he added never ceased to surprise Barbatos. The way he changed the viewpoint of the tree intrigued him. Fluffy clouds had been added around the border, making it seem as if they were viewing the tree from above.

Why this choice?

Perhaps he would never know.

Or maybe he would, just not now. 

“It smells heavenly in here.” 

Simeon entered the kitchen with bags in both of his arms, “Hello Barbatos, it’s surprising to see you here. Is Diavolo around?”

“I’m afraid not. I’ve been sent here on mandatory vacation. Could I assist you with those?”

“I believe I’ve got it. Besides, I wouldn’t want to ruin your mandatory vacation.”

How irritatingly polite of him.

“Plus, I think you and Luke have been hard at work here, haven’t you?”

Luke nodded, finally peering up from his work  to allow Simeon a better view of his handiwork, “We made a human world apple pie. I decorated the crust myself.”

Simeon’s eyes sparkled as he looked down at the young angel’s work, his hands clasped close to his lips and hardly hiding the smile behind them. “Wonderful work Luke! You know, I think Barbatos has inspired some of your best work I’ve ever seen.”

“I merely offer support and guidance, I leave Luke to his own creative devices,” Barbatos chimed, keeping his spot back by the other counter, “Still, I would say he is my star pupil in the kitchen.”

“Don’t let Solomon hear you say that.”

“I would say it louder if he were here.”

Maybe Barbatos imagined it, but he could have sworn the angel stifled a laugh behind his hands. He was more than aware of how Barbatos felt, and certainly more than aware of the antics of that sorcerer. 

“Of all of them, Luke is the shining apple of my eye, and right now he looks like an apple too.”

Luke stood between his mentors, face red and looking as if he wished he could sink into the floor between them. Despite that, there was something about him that was beaming, a small smile toying at the edges of his lips, his eyes fixed on and reflecting the sparkling sugar that coated his crust and sat delicately atop his glaze. Both made by his own hands.  

“Well, I think it would be more than appropriate if we invited you to stay for dinner and tea,” Simeon said, starting to open some of the cabinets, “By some twist of fate, I had gotten some new tea blends while I was out and they just so happened to remind me of you. Consider it my thanks for being such a wonderful influence in Luke’s life.”

Simeon’s views were changed by his own experiences. He was aware just as much as Barbatos was how it could hurt him later. They both knew that Simeon should be keeping Luke farther away from Barbatos to keep a powerful select few in The Celestial Real happy. They both knew that they would question Simeon and his suitability as a guardian further. They would question where his loyalties lied. 

 Yet here they both were, creating and shaping the future of another in tandem.

Their actions would have irreversible consequences, for Luke would never forget the silent lessons they taught nor the experiences they shared.

Every decision, every minute singular act, was one of irreversible creation. Not even Barbatos was yet sure what their rebellion would birth.  

Perhaps this outing wasn’t as much of a cursed punishment as much as he had believed. 

Perhaps this was one of those set moments in time that would forever impact the future.

“I would be more than delighted.”

[sheepheadfred]

Ectoberhaunt Day 14: Murder Mystery

Summary: Who killed Danny Fenton? Wes is starting his new job on a train and has to check all the passengers to figure out who done it.

Ao3 link

New day, new job.

A thought passes through this young man's head as he manages to board the train 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

Really hope I don't fuck this up.

Grabbing his name tag upon arrival and writing his name, the newly dubbed 'Wes', now officially a recent hire. Wes is nervous however, and wants to do well to impress his boss.

Working the dining car today and nerves are flaring.

C'mon! It's just the dining car!

"Wes, did I just see you hitting yourself?'

He slaps himself to snap out of his first day jitters and someone saw! How embarrassing!

He takes a second to process the person in front of him. An older gentleman in a decorated uniform giving off a kind and easy going smile.

AND IT'S THE CONDUCTOR!!! Nooooooooooo.

"M-Mr. Conductor, sir!" Face beat red from being caught, Wes replied. "How, uh, how are you doing this morning?"

"Ho ho ho, quite alright! Though feeling a bit bittersweet."

"Is everything alright?"

"Alas today is my last day as conductor! I'm retiring after thirty- two wonderful years." A wistful look passes over the older man's face, "Time for me and the 'Mirage Express' to say goodbye to one another."

"Oh! Congratulations on retirement, sir!"

"Thank you, young man! My wife is very excited about it. Shes already got our plane tickets locked." Looking a bit sheepish, the man continues,"Our shower has been on the fritz, so I'm excited to use the hotel's. Fahahaha!" The conductor finishes with a hearty laugh.

Oh, I can see why his wife is so excited then.

The conductor apologizes for taking up Wes' time with his quibbles and hands him the menu he'll need for the dining care. Upon looking it over, he's stunned but feels like he should have seen this coming.

He is very unimpressed.

Menu:

Chili Dog

Instant Ramen

Chicken Cordon Bleu

At Wes' dumbfounded expression, the conductor informed him as such, "Why do you look so nervous...? All we have on the train is a microwave!"

He laughs a big belly laugh and Wes feels like the universe continues to play jokes on him.

Then his new boss, for the time being at least, quizzes him on what's on it. There are only three food items! He still answered him and completed the quiz correctly, but it was frustrating!

"Ding ding ding! Glad you read the menu, ok." And laughs yet again.

Well, at least it pleased my boss.

"Now, a little about the vessel. This is a state of the art high speed train with all the latest gadgets. This train can handle anything you throw at it!" The man took a deep, wistful sigh, "We've had a lot of great adventures together, me and this train. It's not easy to leave it."

Can't blame him for being wistful after working here for so long.

"This train is used exclusively for events," he continued,"it's not a passenger train."

Something he was aware of here, finally getting into what he has to do here!

"I remember that from the interview, what's the event for today?"

"A murder mystery party! Nothing better than some thrills to end my tenure as conductor."

A murder mystery sounded quite fun, in Wes' opinion.

"Guests will be funneled here to the dining care, a home base so to speak. I'll be here to help gather tickets, but after that you'll be on your own. So I'll need you to do everything in your power to make sure our paying guests are well taken care of, understood?"

Oh, I cannot lose this job.

"I won't let you down, sir!"

"Very good!" He exclaims, "Now, doors to The Mirage Express are opening, all aboard!"

The train's doors open and the passengers stepped on board.

A wide, eclectic cast of different people showed up. Reactions to the train ranging from fascination to apparently theft!

Man, what a cast of characters I'm stuck with.

"Get a hold of yourself, Wes. You're sweatin' through your uniform."

Fuck! It's that noticable?!

"Hey, pal," Wes nearly jumps out of his skin, "can I get one of those chili dogs?"

How was this guy so quiet?

"Ah, Righty-o friend!" Wes replied in the most customer service smile he could muster to hide how taken off guard he was.

"Well, aren't you friendly." The guy had a smartass smirk and a relaxed demeanor.

Before Wes could reply to that, the birthday girl herself interrupted stating they needed to assign roles before they get food. The now sheepish guy, apparently named Danny, relented and took his seat.

Time to take their tickets and learn their names. Wes has a feeling he's going to be interacting with them quite a bit for this.

The birthday girl, rich enough to afford this whole event, Sam Manson. Apparently a murder mystery party on a train was right up her alley. The conductor gave her a key that unlocks any door on the train as a special treat for being the birthday girl. It's practically a tradition to do so. She will be the journalist reporter and will move about the train.

Techy who looks hungry to take this whole place apart to study the train's insides, Tucker Foley. He and Wes brought the same snack on board. Assigned detective and stationed here in the dining car.

Aforementioned Danny Fenton, who seems to be known for something. The conductor mentioned he helps out a lot of people, but Wes is unsure what work he has done. He has been trying not to think about the Fentons and Phantom. A whole lot of good that did him. Apparently was supposed to bring the cake but looked nervous when it was mentioned. Assigned to be a ship captain in the conductor's car.

A jock who's more brawn than brains, Dash Baxter. The fool misplaced his ticket, at least that's what he claims. Wait, Wes picked up a dropped ticket earlier and assumed it was this guy's. Dash was relieved it was found and that he won't be kicked off. He will be the butcher and found in the library.

An elegant and classy beauty with apparently sticky fingers, Kitty. See flirted with the conductor and almost got away with sneaking 20 bucks from his pocket. Clearly not expecting to be caught. A business tycoon who will be in the casino.

A standoffish girl who has a clear sense of right and wrong, Valerie Gray. Her ticket was crumpled at the bottom of her bag. Seemingly nervous over such an expensive event. Assigned to be the sheriff who will be in the saloon.

A mysterious and demure girl, Dora. She had her ticket out before the conductor could finish asking. Claims to be a princess from another dimension and Wes is not sure he believes her. But she does give off 'royal air' of sorts. 'Princess Dora' says she is here for 'Lady Sam's' birthday and the cake from our dimension. Assigned to be a 'titan of the industry', will also be in the casino.

A sullen boy who looks similar to Danny, Dante Masters. He wanted a gift bag for some reason but when all Wes could offer him was a plastic grocery bag, he was given a cold stare that was icy enough to give him shivers. Then when told about the drinks, he said take just regular coffee beans later! What even? He was given the role of locksmith and stationed in the lounge.

A mischievous one with a grin that spells trouble, Dani Fenton. Someone who will mess with you if she finds it funny. Claims to read minds but is just good at reading people, learned it from an older sister. The poet who will also be found in the library.

One of them will be the 'murder victim' for this event.

The detective and journalist can't be the murderer for this to work.

Everyone else, suspect.

Let the game begin.

[rueberrymore]

The Art of Submission | A Nessian Fanfic

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 : Nesta x Cassian

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: MA (18+ y'all.)

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 2,251

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬: WIP

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:

Nesta doesn’t need saving. She needs something—but she doesn’t know what. Cassian sees it. Feels it. He knows it’s more than distraction. It’s longing. For release. For control. For more. Azriel’s private Pleasure club may hold the answer to help Nesta, but stepping into that world means learning what it truly means to trust, to yield, and most importantly-- to surrender

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:

established relationship, bdsm, past relationship(s), dom/sub, dominance, submission, masochism, light sadism, wing kink, spanking, bondage, fantasy, strippers & strip clubs, fluff and smut, light angst, slow burn

𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬:

nesta submits but only on her terms, cassian is so fucking patient, azriel is done being subtle, dom!cassian supremacy, inner circle but make it horny, velaris has an underground scene and azriel runs it, this is about healing and also about orgasms.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞:

I've not written fanfic in well over 10 years. However, I've been feeling the itch to be creative and to let my creativity flow. From that (and my deep love of the ACOTAR universe), this little fic was born. I'm writing for fun, and hope y'all can enjoy the ride with me. All mistakes are my own. Tags may change in the future depending on kink content within a chapter, but if I feel anything needs an extra warning I will put it before the beginning of the chapter.

﹒｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆｡﹒｡⋆｡ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆｡﹒

Chapter One // Smile, Archeron.

Nesta wiped the sweat off her brow before rolling her shoulders, bringing her hands up, and curling them into fists. Her and Cassian were doing their usual early morning training, and while they had done this every day for years, she still found herself more than able to get winded and sweaty. 

Cas still had a way of throwing her off balance yet, she couldn’t quite pinpoint how. It didn’t happen with others, but that was mainly because it never had the chance to. No one challenged her, and their enemies had long since been quieted through either war, or by whatever other means Rhysand and the inner circle had decided. 

Nesta never needed to truly still herself and her mind anymore for fighting, and since so much had become routine… She found herself continuously having this scratching at the edge of her mind. She wanted to be thrown off, just so she could feel herself use her mind stilling outside of just training. 

She didn’t necessarily want danger, but she did want something that would force her to remember how to master her own emotions. 

“Fuck—“ Nesta forced herself to pay attention to her mate because she could tell that he knew she wasn’t. 

“Distracted?” Cassian’s smirk made her grit her teeth. She didn’t care that he was her mate. She knew she wanted to knock the smirk off his face.

 As much as Nesta loved that Cassian knew her so completely , she also hated (and loved) that he knew her so completely. He knew her tells, he knew when her thoughts ran around her head, he knew when her breathing was off and when she needed to correct it. He knew everything. He was her Mate. She couldn’t hide anything from him— and even though she didn’t want to hide anything from him, she did want to at least be able to give a good fake impression that she was not distracted like she absolutely was.

Cassian took that moment swipe her foot from under her, and send her crashing to the ground. The fall knocked the wind from her, and caused her to release a small gasp before a long, annoyed groan. 

Such a complete rookie error. How could she be so distracted that she was able to be put on her back from simple footwork? She knocked Cassian’s hand away, and felt her face hot with exertion and a tinge of embarrassment. 

“I think I’m ready to go inside, Nes. I’m starving.” 

“No, you just don’t want to keep kicking my ass.” She rolled her eyes and stood up on her own, wiping her hands on her lighter leathers— the ones she used for trainings. Lighter than her actual fighting ones, her training clothes were made to be worn more frequently and for longer stretches of time. 

“Aw, don’t be sour. You were holding your own pretty well until something distracted you.”  Cassian walked over to the long table along the other side of the training ring, and poured himself a cup of cool water that the House had provided. 

Nesta scoffed at his comment before feeling a rush of adrenaline.  She began stripping out of her leathers, right there in the ring. Something they long since discovered they didn’t mind doing in their personal training area. 

She held Cassian’s gaze as he gulped the water in the cup down, and slid her body out of the clothes. She undid the buttons that lined the front of her pants, before sliding them down her legs.  Nesta smiled as she stepped out of them, and raised an eyebrow as Cassian’s now surprised expression.

“Who’s distracted now?” 

A jolt of electric pleasure went through her as Cassian’s huffed a small laugh— a laugh that told her a different sort of distraction was quickly approaching. She felt her body break out in goosebumps as Cassian set the cup down and strode over to her quickly— the look in his eyes saying everything his mouth wasn’t. 

Nesta let out a gasp as Cassian swept her up in his arms. 

“I am, and you’re about to be.”

A thrill went down her spine, and she welcomed herself to his distractions.

------

Cassian had kissed Nesta goodbye and told her he was going to visit Az, when she told him that both Elaine and Feyre were on their way to the House of Wind for their monthly bake off. (Something that Cassian was happy they begun doing.) It seemed to have helped wounds heal further between the three sisters. 

Cass quickly found himself at Azriel’s townhome— a gift that Rhysand insisted that he take; making sure the Shadowsinger knew that he didn’t approve of his only home being in Illyria. His mind had been going overtime since his time in the training ring, and he found himself turning Nesta’s lack of focus over and over in his head.

No sooner had he flopped on a couch and threw his leg over it, did Azriel immediately begin questioning him. The Shadowsinger always knew when something was bothering him, and Cassian wasn’t surprised either. He felt as if he was wearing his mood on his sleeve, and he welcomed whatever questions Azriel was sure to throw his way.

“Did you and Nesta have a fight?”

“Fuck off, you know we work out our fights.” Cassian laughed, but noticed that Azriel did not. “We didn’t fight. I’m more just…” Cass ran a hand through his hair, before adjusting himself and sitting upright and locking eyes with Azriel. “I got Nesta on her back in the ring. She wasn’t able to focus. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute. I could tell.” 

Azriel’s face went from serious, to somewhat amused. “So… Your Mate’s thinking too much and not fighting you enough?” 

Cass could tell that the Shadowsinger was holding back a laugh, and rolled his eyes before allowing himself to go back to slouching. No amount of sitting up and staring the male down would make Az feel this was a serious subject. 

“It’s not that… It’s more than that. She’s constantly going. Either she’s taking on tasks for the Library, or training Priestess’s in the ring, or helping Elaine in the garden. When she has a moment to sit with her thoughts… It’s like she has this restlessness about her that she hasn’t had since before she became a Valkyrie.”

The more Cassian talked about it, the more he wondered if Azriel was right with his initial reaction.

Perhaps he was being silly. She seemed restless, but it wasn’t as if her night terrors had come back. There was no crime in being bored, Cassian supposed, but that brought out a new fear altogether in him. A fear he hadn’t had before that moment.

“What if she’s bored? Bored of being a Fae? Bored of Velaris?… Bored of me?” Cassian felt a surge of panic swell in his chest. It wasn’t like him to be unsure of himself, but when it came to Nesta Archeron…. 

“Hey, don’t be crazy Cass.”

He felt Azriel’s hand clasp his shoulder and he looked to see the Shadowsinger had moved closer and sat next to him. 

“You know Nesta isn’t bored of you. But maybe she is bored in general.” Az raised an eyebrow and cocked his head toward the table that had ca decanter of dark amber liquid. Cass nodded, and let the male pour him a glass.  He sighed and took a sip and coughed as it burned going down.

He was no longer used to the way strong spirits tasted anymore. Since Nesta had a previous struggle with drinking, he simply didn’t keep it out and if the House had any stored anywhere, he wasn’t aware of it and neither was Nesta to his knowledge. 

“Just talk to her, Cassian. It doesn’t have to be bigger than that.” Azriel clapped him on the shoulder once more, and knocked back his own drink. “If she’s bored, then I’m sure the both of you can figure out something to help occupy her time.” 

Cassian huffed a laugh, and it seemed as quick as his panic had risen, it had died. He felt more at ease and let out a long sigh before following Az and finishing off his own drink.

“You’re right. She’s probably going to smack me when I tell her all I did instead of just talking to her.” He shook his head and set his  glass down. “How have you been? I haven’t seen a lick of you in at least 2 months outside of the dinner’s Feyre and Rhysand insist on hosting every other week—“ Cass squinted in thought, “— you actually missed the last one. What’s up with that?”

The Shadowsinger groaned— something that was out of character for him, and laid back against the couch. “Well, I was just going through papers for The Red Key, and I’m noticing some problems with staff. So, I’m trying to figure out what to do about that.” 

Cassian all but felt his ears perk as he sat up. 

The Red Key was one of Velaris’ best kept secrets. A Pleasurecraft club that was almost too exclusive and was ran by the Shadowsinger himself. Everyone in the Inner Circle knew about it, and it only grew by word of mouth, and entry was only granted after intense vetting and oaths of secrecy. 

In the aftermath of Hybern, Azriel had come to him and discussed his thoughts on building a place dedicated to the practice of Pleasurecraft— an erotic practice that most High Fae had given up due to the stress and instability of the war. He had thought it was an excellent idea, and so had everyone else. 

“What’s going on?” He asked, grabbing his glass and Azriel’s glass. He walked to the decanter, and poured a generous amount in both. He took a sip out of his glass before handing Az his. 

“Well, I’m having trouble keeping consistent staff.” Az laughed, “And it’s not because there’s a lack of fae who want to work there…” 

Cass watched Azriel swirl his spirits in his glass, and waited for him to finish. 

“It’s more that… Even though I technically trust everyone who wants to work there, I’m struggling to find someone to be my  second-in-command.” Azriel tightened his wings close to his body and sat up a bit straighter himself. “I’ve always had either you or Rhys to step to that.” The male shrugged a bit, “But between Feyre and Rhysand having their hands full with Nyx, and you and Nesta having your hands full with each other…” 

Cassian jabbed him in the rib with his elbow, even though he felt a slight pang of guilt at the realization that he really hadn’t made it a point to see the Shadowsinger outside of the scheduled time that Feyre or Rhys came up with. He had had his hands full with Nesta, and when he wasn’t busy with Nesta, he was handling duties that kept him pretty separate from his friend. 

“How much time would you need put in as second-in-command?” Cassian tried to act casual as he asked the question, but he knew Azriel would see through it easily. 

“I’d need at least 3 days of the week.” Azriel looked at Cassian over the rim of his glass, wondering if the General was seriously considering becoming his Second at the Key.  

“I mean, as long as I can choose the three days, I’m sure I could come help out…” Cassian’s sentence trailed off, and it hung in the air between them. He knew that there was a chance the Shadowsinger would decline his offer— Azriel didn’t like feeling as if he was a charity case, but Cass hoped the male wouldn’t see it that way. 

Cassian truly wanted to spend more time with his friend, and maybe he needed time to get out of his own head with things with Nesta. 

Nesta.

Cassian hadn’t thought for a second what his Mate would think about him working with Az at The Red Key— and it was almost as if Azriel could hear his thoughts, because his lip turned up and his eyebrow raised. 

“Should I let you inquire with your Mate first?” 

“Shut up.” Cassian said with a laugh, but nodded matter-of-factly. “Yes you should. Nesta will have my balls if I just volunteer at the Key without asking her about it.” Cass stood up, and blinked before shaking his head. 

The spirits were stronger than he remembered, and he definitely could feel the heat coursing through him from their drinks. 

“Well Cassian— I’ll let you talk to Nesta about it… And everything else you need to discuss.” 

Cassian’s stomach dropped slightly. He had almost forgot about the earlier panic he had, but Azriel’s words brought the conversation to the forefront of his mind once again. Cassian let out a small sigh, and shook his head. “Yeah. We’ll see how all of it goes.” 

He was more nervous than he cared to admit— and he consistently tried to push back the worry that she was bored with being a fae… Bored with the life of forever they were building together. 

As Cassian left the Shadowsinger’s home and shot into the sky of Velaris, he let the beat of his wings and the wind on his face calm him. 

He would simply talk to Nesta— both about The Red Key and about whatever was making her feel so restless with their life together. 

[echoeternally]

Haven't done one of these in at least a year, but...

New milestone achieved for Eternally Never Yours! The joy in seeing a new 100 checkpoint passed is always a nice one.

We're doing extra numbers going past 1000 now too, whoo!

As stated before, this isn't really significant in the Super Mario AO3 lists anymore, like not even remotely. But, I think it's ok to celebrate small stuff like this still.

After all, it's a story that's reached so many different readers, and can still maybe connect with more in the future. Plus, like, it's fun to see the progress over time. (True to the content itself lol.)

Thank you all once again for reading!! It's such a delight to write a fun Mario fanfic and hopefully a great gay story too. (Seems to be true on the reading end for a good number of folks, at least, haha!)

But, I am always grateful that this story is found endearing enough for a lot of readers out there, and it wouldn't stand at all without you. I wish I could do more, but my talents are limited and the Internet makes it difficult too, so, my thanks to you will have to do.

BUT ALSO!

Please support the artists that have created fan art for the story as well! They make great content in and outside of the Mario fandom, on top of unique artworks too.

You can find each of them in the 1k post above or right here since scrolling back up can be a pain when we're not feeling it. (Know what we are feeling? Those adorable Bowser/Mario smooches! ...Well, like, in our hearts, right? ...You are here for a reason, you know.)

Anyway, thank you so much for the continued support! Hope to see you continue to check in on the story, and hopefully we'll see more readers join as the chapters continue to progress.

Hmm...let's add some nonsense trivia (non-story related, at least not in-universe, sorry) and random self-plugs below the cut!

Yeah, I ramble *a lot* here, so, that's your last warning. And it's not ENY related, not entirely, so, double warning.

...Still reading? Well, ok then!

Fun trivia bit that I also discovered on these milestone posts: the post linked above, this current one, and the one back for the 900 marker were all posted in the months of Spring. Fitting for blooming love, yeah? ...Come on, that one wrote itself.

Another fun trivia bit for the current photo in the post: the view count was 51,151 total, which was funny timing on my end. Nothing significant about it, at least off the top of my head, but it's fun to see.

(Although, 151 always reminds me of Pokémon, since that was the first Pokédex number total...they're well over 1000 now too. Ah, wait, they're totally going to pass me whenever they do Gen 10...! Oh well.)

(On that note, I also write a gay Pokémon fanfic series, which is also gay and dramatic! And somehow in a more high fantasy setting than the Super Mario one. Did that years before they came up with Legends: Arceus, but it's still cute and fun!)

(Oh, and back on the Super Mario end, I also did a (much shorter) gay series for Peach and Pauline! It's got a third story that I'm working on...very slowly, but like, still cute! And it's one of the oldest that I worked on years ago originally. Like, Pauline hadn't even made her Odyssey comeback when I wrote the first two.)

Wow, I haven't gone that far off-topic in one of these before, and probably never should again. Um. Did you ever see this post that I did about the Bowser Buddies in the story? His loyal minions? Feel free to read up on them!

I should...probably update the old character pages for the others on my blog...and the story pages...but, that's for when I've got more free time. Which is hardly ever, but, that's life!

Speaking of, you should get back to yours! If you read this far, you can pat yourself on the back, because you've proven your continued dedication to my ramblings! That's very sweet of you to stick around for that...or, uh, nice that you skipped down here to read more, lol.

Seriously though, thank you so much again. Hope you're looking forward to more ENY content in the future; I know that I am.

Best wishes to you, and much love. Please take care, and continue to do your best, no matter what you face!

Remember, tomorrow always brings the unknown to light, and you never know what wonders await you specifically. (Maybe nothing too crazy, but like, hopefully something great!)

All the best, good luck!

[citrus-cactus]

Citrus' Art Summary 2024!

I made my own template this year, based on filling in all the squares of a 5x7 grid. Not sure I recommend this method; it was difficult to both place pieces in roughly chronological order and make the layout varied & interesting, and I feel like the final result is too easily divisible into (uneven) quadrants, which I wanted to avoid. Ah well, maybe I'll think up a better system next year! :)

This is a bit of an odd year for an art summary, because while I created something every month and I'm legitimately proud of SO MANY of these, I kind of... stopped publishing my art to the Internet in the latter part of the year. There are various reasons for this. I'm not sure all of them are good, especially given the above statement about being proud of everything I made on the whole. But I'll talk about that beneath the cut, since that's where I usually ruminate about the year. There are also links to full pieces (where they exist) at the very end.

***

First, the positive! I branched out a lot this year (or at least... continued the trends that were starting to form in 2023). I did a lot of uh... darker/more serious art? Which I have enjoyed immensely, though I know it can be a bit of a tone whiplash compared to most of my finished art from past years. I love cute, happy things!! But I have these other dimensions that have long been in need of exercising. My favorite thing that I did is probably the first Bad End Takuma piece from January, which was for Survive Week. I just... really love how it came together. It surprised me every step of the way, and it was full of happy accidents (despite the subject matter! Lol). I still look at it and am like "wow! I made that!!" But I really like October's piece too. It's an illustration for a fanfic I'm (still) working on, and it gives me emotions. Justice for minor characters. Justice for minor characters for 1000 years!!! XD

Besides fanart, I made some other things! I published a secret fanfic (it's absolutely not hard to find if you're willing to do a little searching, but there's no way I'm going to link to it ever! Sorryyyyy! :3). I spent two weeks in Iceland, and somehow that inspired a fair bit of artistic endeavors XD September shows a small sample of a digital collage that includes several photos my spouse and I took (as well as some other stuff. The full piece partially communicates my somewhat-cynical thoughts about being a tourist in Iceland). November shows a drawing from an 8-page zine about hiking the Laugavegur Trail, which was an amazing experience! I also cross-stitched a Christmas ornament for a family member this month! None of these were intended for an Internet audience, but they were all fun and somewhat different to do!

So... yeah, the whole "not sharing art" thing. It started because I was... kind of frustrated with how few notes I felt I was getting compared to how hard I felt I had worked on some of these pieces? Which is... I mean, I know it's silly. More effort =/= more notes, especially since I'm focusing my creative efforts on such tiny little niches of the Digimon fandom (sadly, Appmon and Digimon Survive are just not that popular, especially compared to Adventure!), so any "engagement" on that art is going to be low, because the audience is just not that large to begin with. Plus, activity on Tumblr just seems to be tailing off in general. And I GET that numbers on posts shouldn't matter. I really, super-duper get that! But when something you worked really hard on and are excited to see people respond to only gets a handful of notes... well, it does kind of sting a bit, or makes me feel like I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up about it being received well. And then I end up waiting with baited breath for the usernames associate I with the fandom to react to it. If I don't see them in my notes, does it mean they hate it? Or did they just miss it? It's not something I have any control over, so why does it matter to me?

And it's NOT to say I don't appreciate the notes and comments I DO get. I appreciate them so much!! I just hate knowing that my worth as an artist has become tangled up in this notice-me-senpai attitude I seem to have created for myself. I hate caring about numbers (I know I should not care about them!), and I hate how much I seem to care about numbers. Posting used to bring joy, but now it brings... I don't know, anxiety and entitlement mixed with disappointment, I guess? So I decided to remove it from of my art process. I took a purposeful hiatus from The Numbers and caring about who sees my art to really just create for myself, for the first time in many years... and overall, I think it was a healthy way to hit "reset" on myself and my ego's ravenous desires.

But now... well, I don't exactly know to proceed.

There are things I do want to post, that I want other people to see! But the situation on Tumblr and on the Internet at large really isn't any different, and I'm not sure it's different in my brain, either. Can I continue to not care about The Numbers if I put them back in my life? I hope so, but I'm not certain. On top of that, I'm doing a lot of of art for a different fandom, and I'm still unpacking... well, let's call it what it is: a seemingly unending supply of middle school shame that I feel about Liking This Thing Too Much, which (apparently) never really went away. Yikes! This is a "me" problem, it has ALWAYS been a "me" problem. So that's a fun feeling to have (...not :/). Plus it's just... idk, different fandom, different people, different opinions flying around, I've been away from it for so long, do I really belong here?? But of course I do (even when I feel like I'm being so incredibly cringe... looking at you, August). I bring my own unique viewpoints to all the fandoms that I'm a part of (as does everyone!), and by sharing our ideas and stories and passions, we create our own community and extend the lives of the things we love. I do want to continue to be a part of that, but getting back on that horse is hard for me right now! I took a posting hiatus for health, but it also made me that much more shy. I have been thinking about my Return to Posting Art for months at this point, which again feels silly, because it's so easy to hit "post" on one of the many things I have saved up. I probably will go back to it... I'm just not exactly sure when. Maybe when I have something Digimon-related to share. Digimon is comfortable and safe. It's the only fandom I've felt like I really belong in. Sharing anything else feels... too personal somehow, and also too unknown. All of these have been thorny problems to grapple with, and I'm still working my way through them, carefully and slowly.

So yeah. Phew! If you made it through all that existential angst, you deserve a medal! But I can't give you one, so here are those links to the full pieces that I promised:

JANUARY: Bad End Takuma #1 ("Cooperation")

FEBRUARY: Survive Week Day 5 ("Villains")

MARCH: Dark Ages Gargirls

APRIL: HaruShinkai-Daily 4th Anniversary/100 Follower omake

MAY: Bad End Takuma #2 ("Darkness & Loss")

JUNE: Happy Birthday, Haru! (2024)

JULY: OC drawn on iPad

OCTOBER: “True” fanfic illustration

[operationmorewhitecollar]

Shall we play a game?

Nope, not chess or Parchisi. And not even global thermonuclear war. (If you get that reference, you might just be as old as we are!) But no, none of those games are where we're headed. This year, we're hosting a good old-fashioned game of bingo!

That's right, since we're almost two weeks into the new year, we thought it might be time to roll out our new creative challenge, which will continue throughout 2024.

As always, we're in the market for any and all fan creations centered on White Collar, and this year, we're providing prompts in the form of mini bingo cards, with new prompt cards coming out quarterly. (Jan, April, July, October) If you want to play, just let us know (comment here, dm, however you want to get in touch), and we'll get you a card so you can get started!

Some details:

When we say "any and all fan creations," we mean it--let your creativity run wild and make whatever you want to make! Draw, write, paint, record a podcast, shoot a video, whatever your creative preference.

We're using a 4x4 card format, and there is a FREE space, so that means a total of 15 prompts for three months. Complete a line of prompts, get a bingo; complete the whole card during the quarter, and that, dear friends, is a blackout!

Much like our drabble prompts, the bingo prompts are pretty broad, and many (maybe most?) are only one word. They run the gamut from theme words to genre to story length and beyond. (Not to worry if you're making art or some other non-written creations; we've got provisions for swapping prompts.)

Prompts were randomized to create the cards, and the card numbers were randomized to create the distribution order, so the prompts you end up with are strictly luck.

Okay, that's probably the most important stuff to know, except, of course, that we hope lots of you will join in and that everyone has tons of fun creating new White Collar stuff, because we're sure going to have fun seeing whatever you make!

So whenever you're ready, shall we play a game?

(We'll put a few more detailed FAQ items below the cut, but if you've got questions we didn't think of, just let us know and we'll make up an answer.😉)

Q: What can my entries be? A: Any type of creation you choose. fic, art, blog post, essay, cross-stitch, we're not picky. Interpret the prompts any way you like, in any genre, any relationship, any rating, any characters, you get the idea. (Unless, of course, the prompt is more specific.) As long as it's White Collar, it's fair game.

Q: Where do we share our work/how will you know we made something or got a bingo? A: First, put your creations somewhere we can see them! There'll be a collection on AO3 where most types of work can be shared. (We're debating if it's better to have just one collection for the year or one for each quarter; if you've got any opinions on that, feel free to weigh in.) If you're sharing here or on other socials, be sure to @ us, and use #WhiteCollarBingo. But, while we'll be doing our best to keep up, we're hoping there will be so many entries we'll lose track, so definitely tell us if you completed a bingo!

Q: Can I make one story/picture/video/etc. for the whole card? A: You may use as many prompts as you like in each entry, but only 2 prompts per line may be counted toward a bingo. (So you will need at least two entries to achieve a single bingo, and though we may have miscounted, we think that means at least ten entries to make a blackout.)

Q: Are crossovers allowed? A: Yes (and may even be a prompt!), but White Collar should obviously be prevalent in your work.

Q: How long do I have to complete my entries? A: We'll be issuing new cards each quarter (Jan-March, April-June, July-Sept, Oct-December), and in a perfect world, we'd like to receive entries within that quarter. But you know we've never been sticklers for schedules, and the point is to encourage more White Collar creations, so we'll be glad to get them whenever you finish.

Q: What do I win when I bingo? A: Bragging rights, and your name on our (soon to be created) bingo accomplishments page.

Q: What if there are some prompts I really don't want to use, but I want to try for blackout? A: We will provide a max of two alternate prompts. (This max does not apply if you're making non-written creations and somehow ended up with a card full of writing-centric prompts.)

Q: What if I just can't work with the card I receive at all? A: We'll exchange your card one time. Part of the fun is stretching our creative muscles.

Q: If I exchange my card, will any previous entries count toward bingo on my new card? A: Nope. It's a fresh slate, so examine your card when you get it to decide if it works for you.

Q: If I complete my card, can I have another? A: Yep, and we'd be very impressed! (and happy!)

Q: Where did these prompts come from? A: Many suggestions from our followers, and we've been hunting and gathering, too. But we want to have lots of variety as the year rolls along, so please keep those suggestions rolling in.

Q: Can something I made for another challenge count toward a bingo prompt/Can I submit my work to more than one collection or challenge? A: As long as it's new work, and if the other challenge doesn't ask for exclusivity, bring it on! And frankly, we'd love to see more White Collar activity in multi-fandom spaces. Also, we'll surely be hosting other events throughout the year (at least Mozzie Mania and Caffrey-Burke Day), and you can certainly use a bingo prompt for any of those challenges as well.

[theglareyousee]

Hi! No rush and absolutely no pressure, I was just rereading your story “forget me not” and remembering how much I love it! I love the way you tell your story and I’m enjoying your characters and how different they are dynamic wise without Mirabel. I know you usually take long pauses between chapters for the story and I promise I’m not here to beg for an update— I was just wondering if there was any fun facts or bonus content for the first 12 chapters that you were thinking of or wanted to add but weren’t able too.

Thank you again for writing, it’s all so amazing!

Hello hello!

First of all, thank you so much for continuing to support my fic!! I will finish it one day, I swear because I am just as invested in seeing the conclusion as you are!

This is quite serendipitous, because I've been chipping away at the next chapter of Forget Me Not, so I've been feeling a little nostalgic. I admit that I am not the best at archiving earlier drafts and delegated scenes, but I dug out my old notebook where I first drafted the idea for FMN.

Highkey, I remember feverishly writing this and sketching out the little thumbnail of what Mirabel/Valentina looked like in my head during one of my shifts at the library. (Occasionally, I do dabble in the visual arts xD) If you can decipher my chicken scratch, good for you! (Everything on there has already happened anyway, but there are some fun character questions about Mira/Valentina that I will try to explore in future chapters.)

more vibes for the visions in my head lmaoo

Some miscellaneous fun facts:

the entirety of all the published chapters of FMN add up to 141 pgs holy shit

In Luisa's chapter, I was originally going to have it end with her going back to Señora Flores with the milk and have it be, like, that one Andrew Garfield (I think) Spiderman scene where he brought Aunt May the eggs she asked for but I got tired and wanted to post the chap, so I ended it at the sewing shop, which I felt also fit too because Luisa got to take a break

i had a lot of potential titles for this fic and "Stranger's Eyes" was one of them, the rest were lines from poems (which will be featured in the remaining chapters so stay tuned)

i started making a timeline for this fic, but then gave up because i confused myself. but the entire thing is supposed to span like, a year

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to send an ask and also for loving this story!! I hope this was entertaining for you, at the very least and I hope to have the next chapter up soon (muse willing!) 💖💖