#how soon is too soon to post art for act 2

[kidovna]

You mentioned before that you imagine stranger things as an animated series in your head and I was wondering if you picture it in your own art style or someone else's?

Either of these styles:

can you imaging the running up the hill sequence animated??? 😩

[the-enhanced-project]

Headcanon that Kyra is an absolute menace when it comes to work

I’m talking sneaking around the kitchen in the middle of the night with fifty books, only light is her laptop, surviving purely off of coffee and spite

Adam is v concerned for his gf

@corinneglass @sunflowerrosy @eon-tries-writing @lunesartsworld @ark-inkweaving @nykenima @mymomsaysbobcipher @houndsofcorduff

[flawseer]

Hi! I’m a big fan of your art and work over all

I’ve been wondering, since I’ve seen you give your thoughts on some other dragons, what are your thoughts on Clay?

On Clay...

Clay. I’ve talked about him for a bit in a previous post somewhere. He is the first protagonist in the entire series and thus serves as our introduction into this world. While he enters the story with his own emotional baggage, he pretty much resolves all of that within the first book and mellows out from then on, fading into the background as a quiet support character.

Because of that it is maybe easy to dismiss Clay as that big guy who talks about food a lot and doesn’t do much else. But I do think he’s a bit more complex than that and is a well-rounded character with things going on in his own right.

CW: Discussion of physical abuse.

Formative Years

Clays early years were molded heavily by his belief that he almost killed Tsunami while she was hatching. He believed this because his guardians, mostly Kestrel, insisted this is what happened. Of course at the end of the first book we learn that this wasn’t the case and that they were just misinformed about how Mudwings work.

To us, this may all seem absolutely ridiculous. We look at Clay and see this obvious gentle giant without a malicious bone in his body angsting about being a blood-crazed monster. But for Clay himself, this was a very real, very horrifying situation. Suspend your disbelief for a moment. His entire childhood was marred by the crushing guilt of almost having murdered his surrogate sister at birth, and he couldn’t remember why he did it. He understood nothing about this situation, and didn’t know if this secret violent side could even resurface one day. Basic things like going to sleep would become terrifying; he may have laid awake, wondering whether his body might act on its own as soon as he fell unconscious. Just like back then, when it acted before he could even form coherent thoughts. The fear of losing control to the monster and waking up on top of a loved one’s mangled body was always there.

This perception of himself as a violent killer was at odds with his social nature as a Mudwing. He loved his surrogate siblings with the same intensity that any Mudwing would love their own, and thus he hated the part of himself that threatened them. As a direct response to this dissonant view, Clay developed a desire to protect them. If he willed himself to shield them from getting hurt with all of his strength, he would never be able to harm them again. This was his way of coping with the fear.

It is pretty apparent from the text that at least Kestrel was physically abusive towards them. Dune was possibly too, Webs I don’t think so, but he also didn’t do anything to stop it. As Clay grew older I think he began to recognize the patterns. He would start deliberately acting in ways so that most of Kestrel’s ire would be redirected towards himself instead of the others. This is why all the Dragonets of Destiny have such deep respect for Clay; they remember him always standing between them and Kestrel, even as he ended up with more and more scars for it.

Luckily, he is able to reconnect with his Mudwing heritage at the end of book 1 and learns that he never was that blood-crazed murderer the guardians insisted he was. But even so, the scars and memories would never fully fade, and he’d never lose sight of the need to protect his loved ones.

Personality and Interests

Clay’s love of food and eating is well-established, to the point where it sometimes seems like it is his only character trait from book 2 onwards. This is normal; he’s got a big body and I assume the self-regenerative properties inherent to Mudwings burn a lot of calories, so he needs to eat a lot to refuel them. I think there’s a bit more to him still though.

Clay is at his happiest when he can either prevent someone else’s pain, or take it away. Conversely he becomes distressed when he sees someone suffering. I believe he is incredibly earnest and built close to water. He cries easily, though never in response to his own pain or suffering. He feels positive emotions very strongly and can get overwhelmed that way, especially when he sees his loved ones happy. When he cries, he does so openly and without shame. It is very unsatisfying to tease him because he will usually just take what people say to him at face value and thus make them feel bad.

He’s also very physically affectionate and huggy.

People who meet Clay often get the impression that he is book dumb, or just stupid in general. This is not the case, as Clay does have a capacity for learning even complex subject matter. I just think he struggles with subjects he can’t see a practical application for, or aren’t relevant to things he wants to do. He has little interest in memorizing ancient figures or learning how to measure the sides of a triangle

When Glory fights Deathbringer in book 3, she makes mention of a “dragon anatomy class” which I assume was taught by Webs. Clay, as much as he struggled with history and numbers, excelled at this particular class because its insight could be used to keep people safe. As such, whenever the need for it arises, Clay is usually quick to act as the group’s primary healer/medical advisor.

(Excerpts from WoF graphic novels 2 and 3, censored for blood.)

This notion is further supported by the fact that, once they all become teachers at the Jade Mountain Academy, Clay is the one to lead an anatomy class, just like the one he attended before.

In conclusion

Clay is pretty much everyone’s big brother. While he isn’t as eccentric and colorful as the people he is surrounded by, his earnestness and general benevolence make him the backbone of the Dragonets of Destiny. Whenever anyone has a deeply-rooted, serious problem they are hesitant to bring up with others, Clay will usually be the first person considered as a confidant. Tsunami and Starflight know he would never judge or shame them no matter how ridiculous the thing they approach him with. Glory trusts him with her emotions whenever her stoic facade cracks. And Sunny has an incredibly strong bond with him.

I think that makes him pretty cool, even if he doesn’t really have much to do anymore once he overcomes his personal demons. I’m happy that he gets to be happy in the end.

[bearhaironthechair]

"Blitzwing Gets Back His Ant Colony Confiscated by the City of Detroit" - Part 2 Links to the comic strips: Part 1 | Part 3 The ant colony has been returned to its rightful owner. Notes: God in Heaven above, this particular comic strip was out for my blood trying to get it finished! With that said, I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT IT DONE! I've made an actual FOLLOW UP to a previous piece of visual storytelling that I also made! Self evident as this is, this is kind of a big deal for me and how I understand my capabilities! I mean, you also wouldn't BELIEVE how many times I listened to "Starlight Brigade" by TWRP in a row to keep me motivated through the significantly more demanding portions of making this, but such is the creative process! Well, 22 days later, I have followed through on my word and given Blitzwing back his ants previously confiscated by the City of Detroit! I would like to thank @rintinningvt for their incredible continued collaboration and camaraderie acting as a German translator for my works! They are also a highly skilled Blitzwing and Blitzbee artist whose blog I would encourage you to check out for yourself! I am thankful to @crispyclouddragon for informing me of the inclusion of image descriptions on posts. This allows me to provide a form of transcription for my images that can make even my nonsense doodles more accessible for a greater number of individuals! I'll be sure to go back to Part One soon and add an image description as well! I am thankful to @p12lysanderdelanne for encouraging me to get more creative with the visuals of the dialogue itself in my doodles. They make some really cool and stylized Transformers art that you should go take a peek at! And, of course, I am thankful to @lunarfoxdragon for a joke made in passing on Part One of the comic that was too funny for me to not include in the comic itself! I always appreciate a laugh, especially one worth sharing! As always, it puts such a smile on my face to know that people are enjoying my ridiculous headcanon and are taking part in the fun I am having with it! Any criticism or concerns on how I can improve are welcome, and I hope I can continue to provide the bit of levity with my future works that my past works have done so far! Oh, and, yes, I gave Bumblebee a banana tongue because I thought it was funny.

[apollonia4]

☆ Walk the runway! ☆

MC is a famous model in the human world - how do they act about it? ((Older brothers version))

Genre: fluff, not like tooth rotting though.

Pt.2

Ever since you were young you knew who you were. You always adored picking your own outfits thoughtfully, looking through fashion magazines and designing your own clothes. You were born into a family of artists and as soon as you could understand the things happening around you, you were in awe. Art was your refuge. Scattered clothes here, dirty canvas there and music blasting around in the house. It was all so chaotic and messy. But above it all it was comforting. Being a teen, you managed to sign your first ever contract with a modeling agency and the industry turned out to adore you, opening many many doors for your career.

And now you are more succeful than you could've wished. The people you met in the Devildom don't know this. You figured it's not necessary, you didn't feel the need to be a star everywhere you go.

LUCIFER

☆ He knew that you were a model since the start of the exchange program, it was mentioned in your files which he looked through personally. He didn't mention it in the beggining though since there were more urgent matters to attend to.

☆ You had to leave for the human world because you were doing a show in a few days. You mentioned it to Lucifer and he expressed an interest in going with you.

☆ He actually surprised you by securing himself a seat in the show, you thought everything would be full. Ever the pridefull demon, he knew you were gonna walk the runway for some time now - yes, he is obsessed.

☆ And when he finally saw you on the show, looking elegant, stylish and sooo..alluring. He was actually in awe. Fashion was your domain and you made it known for everyone in the room. He took in everything, from the way you walked, the way your attire hugged your body perfectly to the way you winked at him slyly while walking back. You were astonishing.

☆ He enjoyed the show, everything was so well put together, the lights, the music, the aesthetic of it all. He could see the photographers and the way they were obessed with you, capturing every moment of you on the runway. He was full of pride, his jealousy out of the way, not bothering his mind as he wanted to show everyone just how perfect you are.

MAMMON

☆ Mammon was nowhere near aware of your human world career. When you first arrived down in the Devildom he "couldn't bother" to be interested in you (he was).

☆ He found during one of his mindless scrolling sessions on the Devildom's equivalent of Insta. He had just finished his own modeling session and was only planning on lazing around when he noticed a post about a famous human world fashion magazine.

☆ Nothing could've prepared him for who was on that cover. It's you! He had to do a double, no thriple take. You were beatifull and SO hot. Mentally - he was giggling and kicking his feet. Physically - he made a run for it to your room. Paying no mind to how he startled you when he barged in with no warning he started ranting about why you didn't tell him?

☆ Mammon loves you and he loves fashion. Seeing the two things he adored fused together makes his head spin. From this point forward he insisted on taking him with you when you did photoshoots or shows. It was your little thing, you watching him, him watching you. The way you were shining when you stepped down the runway was almost identical to the way Mammon's eyes shined when he watched you.

☆ Sometimes you'd both pull a couple of strings to do a shoot together or have Mammon walk in the same show as you. Your hard work actually inspired him to try and become a runway model too, seeing as he only did photoshoots before.

LEVIATHAN

☆ Leviathan didn't really fancy engaging in human world's social media so he had no bussiness in knowing what you were up to there.

☆ He found out about you being a model when he was doing a stream, thanks to one of his viewers. They'd asked him to introduce them to his model friend and Leviathan in question, couldn't be more confused. Which friend? Surely not Henry 2.0..

☆ He did his research after he ended the live. You really had a whole career out there. Your demon boyfriend was fanboy-ing like never before. However cool he thought you were before, his opinion on you just skyrocketed. How does someone get so cool?!

☆ He's very curious, once he musters the courage, he starts asking you all sorts of things. How is it backstage? What was the craziest outfit you wore?? Do you not get anxious?!?!

☆ You didn't mind his enthusiasm and answered all his questions with a smile on your face. From this point forward whenever you went to the human world for the purpose of your job, he always asked you to send him pictures or vlogs from your stay here and your work. He'll rarely go with you cause he doesn't like crowds but everytime he sees you he has to resist the urge to squeal.

I'm like experimenting with some prompts so if you want me to continue something or write anything else then yall know where to go ♡♡♡.

[lemondropicedtea]

How ships grow in my head will always fascinate me. Season 1 vanco literally never crossed my mind. And I wasn't in the fandom much so I didn't even see people ship them. I don't think I saw them as brothers. I just didn't read into it at all, I was too interested in Powder and Viktor in Act I.

Season 2 rolls around. We get the AU scene. I'm like... okay that's cute he's alive? And they're cool with each other Didn't really catch the vibe yet but a seed was planted. So still didn't ship.

Then I saw a close-up posted on Tiktok of Silco's hand on Vander's shoulder and started analyzing the scene a bit more. I noticed how Vander was a little upset at Ekko then totally relaxed with a smile as soon as Silco moved his hand to his skin instead of his clothes. I was like... oh, okay. Yeah, I can see that. Somethings cooking...

Then I saw the concept art from the artbook and my mind freaking EXPLODED. I was like oh... oh... ohhhh. And my Zaundads obsession was born. I'll be honest, I mainly ship them in the AU. But that's probably just because my shipping of it was born from the AU.

[whatdidtheydotomygirljinx]

Why Episode 7 is the worst episode in all of Season 2.

This fuckass Timebomb ship is the worst thing to ever happen to Jinx's character.

Ok so finally we're gonna talk about Boy Savior Complex and AU Girl Next Door Powder

This is gonna be long. Also, we're not only talking about Episode 7 and Timebomb, we're also discussing Jinx's suicide attempt and how her character's resolution is actually really sad.

First of all, Jinx never liked Ekko back. Season 1 makes it pretty clear that they're friends, and that Ekko has an unrequited crush on her. His feelings are clear, but she never shows any reciprocation. And, no, the art book that came out after season 2 concluded doesn't count. You can't just put "the boy with the unrequited crush" trope in your story and then retract it.

And now to get to the serious part... who the fuck is AU Powder?

Ekko gets transported into this alternate timeline where we the audience soon realize everyone is happy and none of the conflicts that plague the original story exist and everything is perfect and "as it should be". So this is the ideal world and the one where all these characters reach their highest form of happiness. Even Silco is back with Vander.

And in this ideal world Powder is... a waitress at The Last Drop? I rewatched this episode and I genuinely tried to pay attention to see what does she actually DO. Like what occupies her time in this universe. And between Vander's line about how she's "too smart to be spending her life in a bar" and the fact that she is at one point behind the counter (while Ekko is studying his books... imma get back to that) and the fact that we never see her in any other places besides the bar and her hideout and that one time Ekko takes her out... this seems to be it.

So in the perfect timeline, Powder has decided to stay back with her family once she's grown up, to remain with Vander and help him run his bar, and implicitly has no big ambitions of her own, and definitely no ideas that she would sacrifice her family life for.

Now... Powder/Jinx as a family person is not actually wrong characterization. This is pretty congruent with her character in season 1. Her entire story and literally everything revolves around her family and not much else. When she's Powder she's attached at the hip to Vi and when she's Jinx she doesn't seem too interested in the world outside of her hideout and Silco's office. So considering all we know, yes, Jinx does place family first.

And this is pretty assumed by the show. Now, I also characterized her like this in season 1! She is a family girl. And Jinx happens to have all these people with big revolutionary ideas around her, be it Vander or Vi or Silco or Sevika, but she herself never actually seems much interested in that. She has a small moment in arc 1 of season 1, which i think it's significant to mention comes right after Vi plants the idea in her head. It would've been one thing if these ideas stayed with her, but post time-skip she doesn't bring anything like that up again. She mostly acts like a bored teenager whenever Silco drags her to the river to tell her all about his tragic past that radicalized him. Overall, any time she exhibits any revolutionary spirit, it seems to actually be more of a personal vendetta for her.

So, okay, Jinx is a family girl and she's never really actually been about all these big ideas, I can agree with the writers that this represents her character.

It's just that... this much?

Man, COME ON. There were people making "Everything's Perfect" AUs since season 1, and they almost all had Powder be a student at the Academy. This girl was clearly passionate about her little inventions, her bombs didn't work but she kept and kept trying. You're telling me she would be completely uninterested in learning more about engineering, in getting a formal education in that, in doing anything with it? Since in this world, there's peace between Piltover and Zaun, we can't talk about any barriers to her becoming a student. And, for that matter, in League lore there's an academy in Zaun, too, that she could have attended.

Even Ekko points it out, man. Now, to the writers' credit, the story acknowledges quite clearly that Powder choosing to stay with Vander and help him run the bar is weird. It just... never explains it. Like why is she like this, though? Let's throw out some possibilies:

(1) in some scenes, there seems to be a little "jinxiness" in this Powder, too. maybe she's aware of that side of her, and doesn't like it, and fears that if she went off and did what she wanted, and was truly herself, it would ruin what she has, "things are good now" (in this case, this Powder is actually a tragic character. nowhere near ideal timeline stuff.)

(2) in act 1 of season 1, the reason Vi makes Powder stay back is because she fears losing her, after Vander tells her that she might lose Powder in a confrontation with Piltover. since Vi dies in this universe, on a job, maybe in that moment Powder internalizes that rocking the boat in any way is bad. Vi was spirited and had big ideas and wanted to be someone and it led to her death. so maybe this Powder gave up on all of that then. Vander seems like the type to give her a "look what happens" speech, too.

But these are just my theories. This doesn't ever get properly explained in the show. So then maybe Powder is actually content like this and likes this and maybe these people constantly pestering her that she could do and be more are just annoying nuisances to her, same as Sevika is an annoying nuisance to Jinx in the original timeline (although there it makes significantly more sense).

(Also, why is Vi even dead in this universe? They could've easily found another way for Piltover and Zaun to make peace. Guess Jinx doesn't even get to be happy in the Perfect Timeline, goddamn, girl really is cursed after all.)

If you're gonna spend an entire episode on fix-it fanfiction that is supposed to pander to fans and give them, on screen, what they always wanted to see, why didn't we get grown up Powder in a cute academy uniform, being a top student and working on school projects and being loved by her professors cause girl was a prodigy.

Instead... this is Ekko in this universe, actually.

Ekko is the "big idea guy" and he's working on an entry to the innovations fair and he gets to be Heimerdinger's pupil. To her credit, this Powder still seems to be very smart, Ekko comes to her for help cause he can't actually build his invention alone. But she only uses her intellect to help Ekko. I always thought it would be Powder who would be Heimerdinger's pupil. Instead, here, she's hanging off Ekko's arm, and being all cute, as he discusses Important Stuff with Heimerdinger, stuff that she doesn't get to be privy to, but that she is expected to help them with anyway.

So AU Powder is this very smart girl who is helping her boyfriend build his entry for a contest because he can't actually do it himself but it's okay she'll help him of course and no he can take all the credit she doesn't want to be recognized or anything or to go to like University that would be crazy she's doing it cause she loves him and she's sweet like that and she likes to help others and she doesn't have any character traits that make her difficult she's just a cute funny and relatable down-to-earth girl and she pokes fun at Ekko but like in a loving way and she likes being a waitress and she'd rather be recognized for her dancing skills and................ I'm sorry.....................

So you're telling me Ekko gets transported into an alternate timeline in which his childhood crush who never liked him back is stripped of all her personality, has no goals or ambitions of her own and has no interests besides being his supportive girlfriend, is devoid of all the traits that might have made a relationship with her difficult, and despite the fact that she never showed interest in him in the original world, here she is head over heels for him, always acting all lovey-dovey with him and being nothing but a cute and affectionate puppy.

This is every little boy's with an unrequited crush dream right here. Man, Ekko won more than any other character in this show. And she's mentally ill, too! He's hit the jackpot. Y'all what the fuck am I watching.

I'm sorry but literally ALL I COULD FUCKING SEE WHEN I WAS WATCHING THIS STUPID DANCE SCENE was that in this universe Powder is a good christian girl who stays home with her dad and loves her boyfriend and is always happy to help WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS GOOD GIRL PROPAGANDA get this bullshit OFF my fucking screen I cannot fucking believe what I'm watching here

Moving on.

Ekko has hurt Jinx more than any other character in the show.

Physically speaking.

Ekko is the one who does this.

Which leads to this.

Which ultimately leads to this.

It has always confused me and it continues to confuse me why no one in this fandom treats Jinx being injected with shimmer as a big deal, when this is the worst thing that happens to her post episode 3. And it's a point of no return for her character, she can't undo this. And yeah I know everyone thought Shimmer Jinx was cool in season 2, but her being turned into a half-dead monster is not a good progression for her character. She also goes through agonizing pain in the process.

Singed agrees.

It's Ekko who forces Jinx between death and being turned into a half-dead corpse. It's actually insane to me that no one in the fandom considers this and that this is never brought up in the show. If they wanted Jinx and Ekko to be a thing, you'd think this would be a big deal in their relationship. Ekko has changed her irreparably, for the worse.

Idk, is the guy who beat you up and left you for dead really boyfriend material?

This is the first moment Jinx shows any interest in Ekko. Interesting timing.

I'm pretty sure she doesn't even mention his name post act 3 of season 1. She doesn't wonder about whether he's alright after the bridge fight (for that matter, neither does he). The first time when Jinx looks at him with any hint of affection is when she's standing on a ledge, ready to throw herself off.

Jinx has no one anymore at this point. Her old family is long gone. Silco is dead. Isha is dead. Vi has decided having a good time with Caitlyn is more important than her. This is Jinx at her lowest moment. Does she like him back or is he just the only one who showed up?

Ekko is a winner once again. His crush has been abandoned by everyone, and he is the only one left to comfort her. Luck like this is hard to come by. And of course, she's gonna be super impressed and touched by any sliver of affection now. Probably gonna look at him with big, grateful eyes, and see him as her savior. I'm disgusted.

By the way, this should have never been Ekko. If Vi was too busy with fucking Caitlyn, this should have been Sevika. Sevika is the only character who has known Jinx since she was a child, and who has been with her through every iteration. And she's the only character who has never cared whether she's Jinx or Powder or any other persona she decides to take up, to her she'll always just be an annoying kid. And to Jinx this might actually be comforting. Sevika is the only one who has a realistic perspective on Jinx, and recognizes her flaws, so her talking her down might have actually been very touching, and there are things she could tell her that neither Vi nor Silco could.

(The fuck could Ekko tell her, honestly? That he went off to an alternate universe where she was his perfect girlfriend, so she shouldn't kill herself actually? What the fuck.)

I also wanna talk a bit about Jinx's resolution as a character. Not her fake-out death, but her in the last episode. I think it's interesting that everyone who had a connection to Jinx is gone, namely Silco and Isha. Silco and Isha are both people she chooses, actively, and she is herself around. Instead, now, she's back to Vi and Ekko, the same people that were with her in her childhood. This is a full circle moment for her.

This is Powder right here, guys. Powder was a little girl who made a mistake and then she went off on this journey where she met new people and she was someone else and it was fun for a while but ultimately she realized what she was doing was bad and she came back to her family and is ready to be that little, sweet girl again. The problem with the Powder-Jinx dichotomy is that Jinx, as much as she represents all this bad stuff that the show has made clear, also represents Freedom and Power, two things that Powder definitively lacked. Her coming full circle, coming back to Powder, is not actually a good resolution for her. She's right back where she started, with Vi and Ekko. Her venturing off on her own and making her own decisions was ultimately a mistake that only lead to her suffering. We can take this all the way back to when she decides to venture off on her own with that bomb, despite Vi's disagreement, and the consequences plague her for the rest of the story.

I know everyone thought it looked super cool when she lifted off that hood, but I could only think it was tragic.

[meanbossart]

LORE ASK COMPILATION: "Still not banging Halsin, Squid Games, Sun King, Failing at love quizzes, Bottoms, Tops, and Cats" Edition

He didn't, Halsin wasnt around for act 3, too busy healing land and saving ghost children or something!

THANK YOU/I'M SORRY, I'm surprised there isn't more Bhaalist Dark Urge/Spawn Astarion stuff out there. Don't get me wrong, I love a good evil power couple, but who can resist the good ol'heartbreak of a vicious unending cycle brought on by your own senselessness!

That wasn't something I was interested in previously just because acquiring the slayer form isn't part of his canon, but I've been looking at enough fromsoft games' monster designs that I might be a little inspired to try LOL

Also I am just a fan of the canon design and never before thought it needed altering. But I'll let it cook ;)

God damn it.

DU drow was VERY antagonizing towards the emperor since the moment he dropped the facade, which made the attempt ESPECIALLY hilarious - that poor guy is so, so lonely.

I don't recall the exact wording in-game, but once the emperor took his shiny squid pecs out and shot his shot, DU drow recoiled and called him disgusting. After having the visions of Stelmane forced upon him to make whatever baffling point the emperor was trying to make, DU drow smugly asserted that he had finally let the mask slip and their very terrible date ended with the Emperor enforcing their reluctant need for one another, for the time being.

In-prose, that would honestly be pretty much it. DU drow would have reacted with absolute revulsion at the prospect of being hit on by a mindflayer, and taken the Emperor's (miscalculated) moment of lashed-out vulnerability as a win - as proof that he was exactly as duplicitous as he always assumed the Emperor to be.

I can assure everyone that I am as entertained by the thought as the rest of you and it is in the cards for future art, I just have... So many prompts... I have at least 5 different mini-comics I want to make, BESIDES singular pieces, BESIDES the fanfic... I wish I had more time and more hands.

But DU drow's unlikely semi-success as a parental figure is hilarious to me. I think about it constantly.

I haven't entertained that thought much because its antithetical to DU drow's character. Whether "good" or evil, he wouldn't allow Astarion to ascend because of his fear of no longer being needed and his reluctance to watch his partner be consumed by out-sourced power and changed into something he despises. Realistically, in a world where Astarion is allowed to ascend they could only break up and inevitably kill each other soon after.

That said, I am fascinated by the Sun King and the implications that path has for his character. So far that is an arc that I can only really see Astarion taking on alone, though - that might change in the future, might not. We'll see!

IF I CAN MAKE IT NOT ENTIRELY MISERABLE, I JUST MIGHT.

He got 2 out of 3 questions wrong - which is to say he was way too honest and Astarion didn't like that.

Except for the "when is he the happiest" question, which he correctly answered with "when he's neck deep in gore".

This is not even a lore-embelishment, this is actually how that scene went for me and I cackled about it for ages.

He would love to get tied up for old-times' sake. I doubt he knows much about fancy knots but Astarion might (though I might be in a minority that doubts his enforced "sex life" was actually that interesting at all.)

Thank you so much!

You are mostly correct. Bhaalist drow, both pre and post tadpole would be much more keen on the idea of having people around who fulfill their every desire - EXCEPT for killing. That is a joy they take on for themselves.

"Canon" DU drow values his independence a lot, on the other hand. He's neutral on the idea of slavery (what a sentence) and wouldn't be opposed to temporary servicing, but the idea of having someone around waiting for orders doesn't attract him at all, or at least would get on his nerves quick. He much preffers to do things himself and makes sure that other people see how much he does not need assistance.

The answer is yes, basically LOL.

DU drow both adores and despises Sceleritas presence and he doesn't know why. It very much reflects the type of relationship they used to have prior to DU drow's memory loss, and it's one of those things that he has conflicting feelings about but not any context for them.

I sadly doubt that the boys would become parents during Shadowheart's lifetime (it's for the best, they have a lot of work to do before I would trust them not to drop a baby), but honestly she strikes me as really liking kids as long as she doesn't have to, well, have them LOL.

And thank you so much for enjoying them and humoring me!

I think it is less about bottoming-topping and more about enjoying a more submissive role during sex, as well as in other scenarios. He believes that giving control away is, in a way, a show of devotion that goes both ways - his own for the willingness to do so, and his partner's for not taking advantage of it despite his wanting them to do so.

With one-night-stands (which he occasionally had pre-tadpole) he would still bottom without any of the submissiveness. This is because he didn't have the capacity to understand what it was about bottoming that attracted him, and led him to feeling constantly unfulfilled and frustrated (he just isn't build for no-strings-attatched type of arrangements, lol.)

This means that he really could operate either way depending on the partner as long as he got that fix of docility, whether it be from the bottom or top.

I think of Astarion as being similarly versatile but leaning more in the opposite direction when it comes to power-dynamics - though it being less about dominance itself and more about being pampered and catered to - and, of course, getting to do what he wants. Though he's willing to try most things a partner is particularly enthusiastic for just to see how he feels about it.

That said with DU drow he does prefer to top for a plethora of reasons.

I didn't have this piece of lore thought-up at the time, but I should have made them look like the lady he lost his virginity to.

Him and Astarion were gobbling those things up until the emperor reveal, then they both quit it cold-turkey after DU drow stomped the astral-tadpole dead (and back then you didn't have to roll any dice to do it, because otherwise we would have weird veiny DU drow to deal with for sure because he would NOT have suceeded that save.)

DU drow's feelings towards animals is a constant in every iteration of his character. They are organic little pieces of art wandering about the world that act upon their own laws and regulations, ones which humanoids aren't privy to - except for when they intrude into that world through magic and try to understand it through their overly-complicated systems and concepts. If a cat made the temple it's home, it can stay.

[imsosoheee]

lose my cool, [preview]

SYNOPSIS. yn doesn’t believe in labels—only in late nights, fleeting kisses, and the freedom to leave before things get too real. but everything shifts when she meets eunseok—calm, steady, and impossible to shake. through midnight hookups, misread silences, and all the ways love can go unspoken, yn is forced to confront the one thing she’s spent her whole life avoiding: feeling too much.

(heavily) inspired by: nevertheless - kdrama & 'lose my cool,' by kali uchis

PAIRING! art student!eunseok x fem!reader art student

GENRE! college!au, angst (as always with me haha)

WARNINGS! swearing, a lot of angst, loneliness, coldness, and miscommunication, drinking, yn is scared of feeling, descriptive kissing, suggestive themes, sex implied and smut // EACH PART WILL HAVE THEIR OWN CONTENT WARNING

WORD COUNTS:

pt. 1: 3.2k

pt. 2: 2.9k

pt. 3: 3.9k

TAGLIST! @hrtfelt4u @karebearyu @jaellymint @thevirginsuicidenotes

send an ask, dm, or reply to be added! i'll be posting soon (within the next week)

author's note! hi guys!!! my first full fic! i can't express how much this fic means to me lol.. (hence why i wrote 10k words in total, heh) i've had the idea for a while, but never had the time to write it until a few days ago and wrote it all in one night. i hope you guys can enjoy it and feel all of the emotions as much as i did <33 as always, thank you to @karebearyu for reading beforehand ིྀ

* feel free to send asks / requests anytime :)

preview under the cut

word count: 878

you couldn’t stop looking at him. not when he walked in carrying his own charcoal set, not when he put down his thermos of black tea, and especially not when he started sketching.

you didn’t look at him in a heart-eyes, rom-com way. more like... you were trying to figure out what made him tick. what made someone so closed-off and serious keep showing up to work with someone like you. maybe you liked pressing against quiet boys until they cracked.

you started to see him everywhere: at the library. in the studio. in your thoughts, embarrassingly.

you still swiped on dating apps, still went to parties, still flirted with strangers just to feel wanted. but after enough shallow hookups, you started noticing what they didn’t do: they didn’t ask how your day was. they didn’t listen when you talked about the piece you were working on. they didn’t look at you the way eunseok did when you weren’t paying attention.

he never tried to touch you—never leaned too close, never made a move, never said anything suggestive. you couldn’t tell if he wasn’t interested or just had self-control like a monk, but it came to piss you off.

one night after class, he walked you home. you didn’t ask him to. he just noticed it was late, and cold, and you weren’t wearing a jacket. you unlocked your door, turned to him, and said, “you can come in, if you want.”

he paused. “i’m good.”

“just for a drink.”

“yn.”

you blinked. “what?”

“you don’t have to try so hard.”

you stared at him, as if you had been slapped. he smiled, soft but tired. “goodnight.”

and then he walked away. you closed the door slower than usual.

you still kept things playful—always teasing, always flirtatious—but sometimes you caught yourself watching him too long when he wasn’t looking. the way he tucked his pencil behind his ear. the way his hand curved around the edge of a page like he was afraid to smudge it. the way he listened. he really listened.

“so,” you said one afternoon, sitting on the studio floor, paint on your leggings and sweat sticking your hair to the back of your neck, “tell me your type.”

he looked up from his sketch. “my type?”

“yeah. everyone has one.”

he thought for a second. “i guess... someone sincere.”

you wrinkled your nose. “ugh. boring.”

he smiled. “you asked.”

“you’re telling me you’ve never had a crush on someone objectively bad for you?”

“probably,” he admitted, “but i didn’t act on it.”

“why not?”

he glanced at you. “because i knew it’d hurt.”

you tilted your head. “you think feelings make people rational?”

“i think they make people honest,” he said. “eventually.”

“no one expects anything from a hookup,” he said softly. you raised an eyebrow. “judging me again?”

“no.” his voice was firm now. “i’m not judging you, yn.”

you searched his face for a trace of mockery, but there was none. just that same, even calm that made you want to scream and kiss him all at once. “you just think it’s dumb.”

“i think it’s lonely.”

you blinked. he didn’t press further. didn’t look smug for getting under your skin. he just started erasing something on his paper, like he hadn’t said anything personal at all. you sat in silence for a while. then, trying to shake off the weight in your chest, you leaned over to peek at his sketch. “you’re drawing me,” you said.

“you asked if i did before. figured you’d want proof.”

you grinned. “you think i’m pretty again.” he didn’t deny it, and for a second, something fluttered in your ribs—sharp and uninvited. you turned away before he could see it on your face. “you’re still not my type,” you said over your shoulder.

“i know,” he replied, not missing a beat. “you like the ones who leave.”

your smile faded. you didn’t say anything after that, and neither did he. but somehow, that silence felt louder than anything else.

“kiss me,” you whispered.

“yn—”

“please.”

he hesitated. you could see it in his eyes—that hesitation. not because he didn’t want to. but because he did, and maybe that scared him more. but then he leaned in, and you didn’t think about anything else after that. he kissed you like he didn’t know if he was allowed to.

his mouth hovered over yours for a moment too long, warm breath meeting yours. you could taste the faint bitterness of the beer he’d finished an hour ago. you could feel the hesitation in the way his hand hovered near your cheek, not touching yet, not until he was sure. when his lips finally pressed to yours, it was feather-light. nothing urgent. just a question asked in the softest language. you kissed him back before you had time to think about it.

you pulled back first, just an inch, forehead resting against his for a moment. his eyes peered into yours as you caught your breath. he searched your face. like he was trying to decide whether he believed you. whether he believed himself. your mouth met his again before he could finish thinking. that was the last time either of you tried to make sense of it.

[ice-cream-writes-stuff]

The Nightmare Before Christmas Lost in The Book: Over The Spiral Hill

{1} {2}

“Hello… You. A wonderful person who sleeps in my arms. I wish you could open your eyes…” 

A voice whispers closely by your head, feeling fingers ghosting over your skin. You recall the previous events that had transpired. The book Grim found on the floor of the bookstore, Yuu and you reaching out to save him from being sucked in along with your friends…

Where are they!?

Feeling your body regain consciousness, your eyes admittedly search for the group, relief settling into you once seeing them asleep near you. Yuu holding Grim within in their arms as they snooze quietly together.

The worry you felt lowers, relaxing into the warmth of the pin-stripped suit holding you close.

Raising your head to the stranger, you feel your words falter in your throat. Dark sun-glasses covered his eyes, yet they lowered when he too eyed you more closely. The color of blood-orange irises astonished you, the brightness in his gaze reminding you of a lit jack-o-lantern.  

“Augh… My eyes feel heavy..” Grim grumbles, waking up as Yuu stands up clumsily with the fluff-ball in his arms.

“Grim! Yuu!” You call out, attention away from the newcomer as his lips tilt into a confused frown.

-

The male that held you previously was named Skully j. Graves, or Skully for short, introducing himself with polite flourish. Until… He gone up to everyone in kind, kissing their knuckles happily. Causing a good chunk of your friends screaming, until finally settling his sights on you at the tail-end of his kissing spree.

“Oi!” Epel calls out to the taller male, about to step in, “Don’t try that on (Y/N)!” Skully ignores the purple-haired student. Walking up to you with a beaming smile on his lips as Yuu shoots you a thumbs up. “He’s a gentleman.” They state loudly as Grim puffs out his chest with a pout, unhappy that his fur was touched.

 Holding out his towards you he bows graciously, waiting for your move, you reluctantly take it. He straightens his body, holding you close as he presses a kiss, eyes closed as yours’s widen.

You grin, choosing to reappreciate you leaned closer, pressing a kiss to his forehead near the diamonds around the crown of his head.

The male pauses, this time, he seemed shocked at such a gesture.

A jovial laugh leaves his throat as he eagerly scoops you up into his arms. Grinning like a fool as he twirls you around, not minding the glares he received.

-

Idia grumbles under his breath. "Ugh... This is nauseating, such a crowd..." He shrinks in his seat during the Halloween Town meeting, "Too many sparkling ikemen... It's like a new costume event in I.R.L..." He bemouns quietly, seeing a few of his classmates stand up to greet the townsfolk as politely as they could.

Glancing at his seatmate, Vil eyes the crowd skeptically. The blondes stare scared him even more!

Hearing the commotion on Halloween should be celebrated, Idia glances at Yuu and Grim and the Ramshackle House-Warden. "H-Hey... What about you..." He mumbles to them, unsure as he fiddles with his tailcoat.

"Hm?" You think for a minute...

"Halloween has a complicated history from where we're from." You explain to Idia. As your fellow NRC friends become interested at your own ideas. "There's so many people that celebrated it differently. Skully's example is actually not too far off from-"

"Eh-!?" Epel exclaimed, shocked. "So it's really dull' for you?"

"Well- I meant to say, since there's so many cultures and religion it just depends on how YOU feel about celebrating. Kinda like Chris-"

"Oh, not that made-up holiday again!" Grim whines as Yuu laughs.

-

[Yay! I really love this twst update! I've been playing a lot! I hope Skully gets a card! I enjoy his v.a's acting for him! Hopefully I can post a part three soon when the event updates again! Thank you for reading! Art, reblogs and comments are super helpful! See You!]

[santae-salt]

Hey, this is former artist (and briefly art director) Keshi. My anxiety over how I had to leave has prevented me from speaking up about anything, and has even prevented me from publicly interacting in Sancord or anyone affiliated with Santae (I really do miss a whole bunch of you though). With the current events, and the many times the teased breeding mechanic has been brought up, I’d like to finally break my silence, and share my experience.

First off, the situation CJ has put Ember in is horrifying, I do not wish to take attention away from this appalling selfish act with my post. I cannot fathom what would bring a person to do this to someone they call their friend. CJ should truly be ashamed of himself, this is going way too far. I never really got the chance to interact with Ember, but I am so sorry you are going through this and I hope things work out for you soon.

A little background on me, I have worked for Subeta and MisticPets in the past, and done commission work for various petsites and games. This experience is spread over the last 18 years, so I’ve seen my fair share of drama on these sites. I’ve never witnessed this level though.

I was willing to (and did) put a lot of time and heart into the egg and hatchling art. I was aware of the amount I’d need to draw, and was ready to commit to what I thought was a desired fun feature with really cute art. I had no idea that this mechanic was not wanted, that it had been stated it would never be a feature on this site. And while I know it wasn’t my decision to make this happen, I am so sorry that money was spent on me creating those images. I am saddened that the feedback on this feature wasn’t respected and listened to. At one point, the AI art incident was brought up during a discussion with CJ, and that the NPCs were being revamped. I am strongly against AI art, and I offered to help fast track the revamps by working on some myself. This was turned down, and I was only to focus on the breeding images.

When it was made aware that Whixy was to sadly step down, I was surprised to be offered the position to take over. I probably triple checked that there definitely wasn’t another artist who had been there longer, who wanted to role, and was reassured no one was interested. I accepted the role, and was excited to be closer to the team and feel I was actively contributing more to current events and features. With access to the calendar and full trello, I could see how many events were planned, the artwork we needed, and that we were, in my eyes, quite behind schedule. I want to preface that this was in no part, Whixy or the previous and current artists fault. They are all amazing, and were doing the best with what they could. I expressed my concerns on how much we needed in a short time. I had offered that I could help get us ahead by working on some items, but I was reassured that we were doing fine and once again the breeding artwork was to be my focus. (Despite this claim, CJ then proceeded to assign/reassign tasks last minute to various artists, and I was informed after the decision was made. So I can only imagine what staff members like Ember, Whixy and Ermineleader would have been through during their time, so much respect from me there)

After realising how much CJ continued to mismanage the site and staff, and witnessing his public conduct in front of users on the discord server and beyond (just in the 2 months I was there), I knew I couldn’t align myself with him. I finally looked into this blog and read the staff letter+ the statement on toyhouse, and my heart was heavy. This, along with many long days/late nights dedicated to drawing for the site, and working on my new art director roles, my body and mind kind of gave up. I won’t go into detail, but it was a sign I had to leave. I know I chose to work as much as I did, but I’m a chronic people pleaser/overachiever (and I also needed the extra income).

The art team was not informed that I had left, and it took almost a week before I had the strength to come back and let them know. I still feel some guilt, like I let everyone down during an already rocky time. I’m so sorry I couldn’t help more.

I have my fears in talking openly about this, but I’d love to lift this weight off my shoulder and finally move on. I know my experience is a small fraction compared to what others have endured, but thanks for allowing me the space to share it. An emotional breakdown over a virtual petsite was not on my 2025 bingo card. I hope everyone left on staff, and those negatively affected by the site both past and current are doing okay.

💜 Keshi

☁️

[raguiras]

SKETCH COMIC: Deuce/Yuu at the beach

Reblogging is highly appreciated! 🥹🙏

AAAAA finally another Spade of Storms post! Today is their 150 days anniversary, so I just HAD to post!! More coming soon ^^

♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤

NOTE: My Yuu is named Allen and primarily uses he/him pronouns. However, I tend to change this in comics for general insert purposes.

Part 3 of the relationship timeline (= how they finally got together) below the cut!

More ship content

Previous parts of my Deuce x Allen ship introduction: 1 // 2 // 3

Deuce x Allen blog: @spade-of-storms

Event where you can draw this ship & get art of your own ship back :3

♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤

Relationship timeline (pt. 3)

♠︎♤ POST BOOK 7 ♤♠︎

By now, pretty much everyone at NRC knew that Deuce and Allen had a thing for each other, and many people even assumed that they were a couple already.

Nobody could blame them, though: the two boys were not only inseparable and constantly smiling at each other, but also extremely touchy nowadays. Having built unparalleled levels of trust and being incredibly comfortable with each other, Allen and Deuce did more and more together, eventually even cuddling in public on the regular.

One day when Deuce had done incredibly well on a test, Allen gave him a cheek kiss out of sheer euphoria. This absolutely made Deuce bluescreen and he later rambled to Ace about it — it was his first ever kiss!!! Did Allen like him back?! Did this kiss mean anything?! Would it be okay for him to give Allen a kiss as well?!

When they were watching a movie together in Allen's room, Deuce decided to spontaneously kiss Allen's cheek, too. The blonde boy got incredibly nervous as he had not expected this in the slightest — after all, he was "disgusting and unlovable" — and simply laughed it off.

Another time, Deuce was comforting Allen during one of his low moments. As Allen went on about how much he hated his body, Deuce was basically rendered speechless and could reply with nothing but sincere compliments on Allen's appearance. This warmed the Ramshackle prefect's heart a ridiculous amount... did Deuce really mean it? Was Allen actually beautiful to him...? Why was Deuce not growing sick of complimenting him and instead always sounded genuine...? After a quick gaze was exchanged, Allen suddenly found every area of his face other than his lips being covered in gentle, soft kisses. "I'm here for you. You're so beautiful."

These happenings caused them to occasionally kiss the other in various places (except for the lips) — yes, including their necks — which shocked everybody due to the physical distance both held with other people. However, it was still strictly "platonic" as neither Allen nor Deuce dared to say a thing. Everyone around them was losing their minds in the meantime — how could they act this lovey-dovey with the constant cuddles, gazes and kisses and STILL not be a couple?!

Deuce was convinced that he was way too average for someone like Allen. Despite the Ramshackle prefect's many flaws, he was the embodiment of perfection in Deuce's eyes. Allen would definitely want someone prettier and smarter, right...? Deuce surely couldn't compare...

Allen, on the other hand, still firmly believed that he was not only ugly, but unlovable, undeserving, and easy to replace. In his opinion, he had to be absolutely perfect in every way to be a worthwhile partner, and his crushing fear of rejection held him back anyway.

Both boys were terrified of destroying their friendship through a love confession. While they strictly avoided the topic of the rumors and of them potentially getting together in each other's presence, both Allen and Deuce secretly rambled to their friends and were desperately searching for advice. No matter how often everyone told them that the other one definitely liked them back, neither of the two teenagers could/wanted to believe it.

Sometimes, Deuce and Allen even talked about their crushes together, describing them to each other's face in hopes of them realizing that the other one was their crush. However, this backfired A TON: neither could believe that the described positive traits applied to THEM, and instead, Allen firmly believed that Deuce was crushing on someone else (and vice versa).

Ace couldn't stand it anymore and forced Deuce to gift Allen a red rose to test the waters. While the Ramshackle prefect did want to believe that the gesture was of romantic nature, Allen instead decided that it was a platonic souvenir from Heartslabyul's gardens — after all, Deuce had described his crush as "beautiful, kind and the most perfect person he had ever seen", which SURELY couldn't have been Allen...

Deuce didn't know what other hints to drop (outside of the fact that he regularly gave Allen gifts, complimented him a ton, got touchy with him despite hating it with other people, was eager to hang out with him all day, and literally KISSED him). Allen simply appeared to be oblivious to absolutely everything.

One day when they were cuddling on Allen's bed while watching a movie, Deuce yet again planted little kisses on Allen's neck and spontaneously decided to be bold, asking Allen if they could finally kiss on the lips. The Ramshackle student blushed and was taken by surprise, but obviously agreed. Their first kiss was innocent, loving and downright PERFECT — both felt as if they were about to explode — until Allen brushed it off as "practice" with a sad chuckle. Deuce's heart was broken within a second.

Allen was so heavily traumatized and convinced that he was unlovable that he genuinely thought Deuce wanted to use him as practice for his future relationship with the aforementioned "perfect, kind and beautiful" crush. Deuce thought the same about Allen — so this wonderful kiss was only practice for the blonde boy's upcoming relationship with his crush, huh...?

Both yet again talked to their friends in search of help, but all they got was further reassurance that the other one DID like them and that there was simply a massive misunderstanding.

At some point, Deuce couldn't wait anymore. He loved Allen more than anything and he NEEDED him, but Deuce knew full well that he'd likely get too nervous and stumble over his own words if he confessed to Allen in person. Instead, he decided to gift the boy another Shiba plushie, place it in front of Allen's door, and attached a letter to it.

Unfortunately, this also backfired. Allen was convinced that the letter was a prank; he was convinced that someone was impersonating Deuce and recreating his handwriting with magic in order to give Allen wrong hopes and possibly destroy the friendship he had with Deuce (however, Allen did keep the letter and plush Shiba). When Deuce heard about this, he was even more saddened — what did he have to do for Allen to realize that he was not only worthy of love, but actively loved by Deuce? What did he have to do for Allen to realize... that Deuce wanted him more than anything else in life? There was only one way left...

Deuce planned the confession in detail and even practiced in front of his mirror. He bought twelve red roses, two matching gumball machine rings, and another plushie. Additionally, Deuce also wrote a second love letter.

He then invited Allen to a blastcycle tour, which the Ramshackle student obviously agreed to. When it was time for them to go, Deuce showed up at Allen's window and blasted "Baby" by Justin Bieber at full volume, and once inside Allen's room, Deuce gifted him the bouquet. But this time, Allen couldn't just mentally brush it off as a platonic gesture — he saw the desperation, sincerity and love in Deuce's eyes, and took the flowers with a bright blush while nervously thanking Deuce.

The two teenagers went off to the beach, with Allen holding onto Deuce tightly as they rode the blastcycle.

When they arrived at the beach, Deuce's heart was pretty much beating out of his chest. After a short walk, the blue-haired boy gathered all his courage, breathed in deeply one last time, took the gifts out of his bag, and went on one knee in front of Allen.

Allen's heart was beating out of his chest as well. He couldn't deny it any longer, his insecurities couldn't deny it any longer — this was indeed a confession.

Allen opened the letter and teared up immediately upon reading Deuce's sweet words. It was another sincere love confession, this time handed to him directly by Deuce. There was no excuse and it couldn't be mistaken for a prank. The Heartslabyul student kneeled in front of Allen, looking up to him with the most desperate, nervous puppy eyes — Deuce wanted nothing more than to date him.

Allen couldn't believe it yet and started crying. Deuce actually loved him... Deuce genuinely wanted to be with him. All his life, Allen had been told that something like this was impossible... but here he was now, being confessed to in the sweetest way by the sweetest person he had ever met. He was loved.

Deuce slowly got up to comfort Allen, but instead, the Ramshackle prefect initiated a kiss. This time, it wasn't "practice" — it was their first genuine kiss as a couple, and it became one of their most treasured memories for both of them.

They were officially together now... and little did Allen know that they'd stay lovers for the entirety of their lifes.

"I love you." — "I love you, too."

Deuce and Allen had fixed the mistakes of the past; Allen's previous incarnation had died before Deuce's got the chance to confess. And in their next lifes, they'd be together as well.

They were destined to find each other in every universe.

♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤♠︎♤

Fun fact: There are 3 Spade of Storms days.

22th March: The day when I first decided that I want them to be together in an old rp server. It was likely the first official confirmation of the ship, and it was 150 days ago.

20th May: The day when they got together in the canon lore.

27th July: The day that's exactly in between of their birthdays (3rd June & 20th September).

Thank you very much for reading! 🥹🥹

[onlyancunin]

Just musing about creativity today. About how that one incident made me almost disappear from my socials, compared to how much I posted before.

As I opened my YouTube app today, my first recommended video was I can't keep doing this by struthless, a creator whose takes & approach are very close to my heart. Published 18 h hours ago as I'm typing this, he talks about how deeply the hate comments/DMs can affect us if they reopen a very particular wound.

For me it's cross-platform harassment - this anonymous hateful tumblrer popped up around the time I was (am?) experiencing a phenomenon on Reddit, where someone would downvote almost every single one of my comments minutes/hours after it was posted. The reason why I'm thinking is just one person, is that it happened notoriously over 2-3 weeks - and the only reason why I'm using the past tense is that I'm not posting much anymore. My comments would go from 1 upvote to 0 shortly after publishing, and only then the upvotes would start to amount. Even comments that ended up having hundreds of upvotes were initially downvoted by somebody.

This made me feel... observed. Looked at. Stalked, even. At first I tried to brush it off with the "I have a hater, so I must be famous" attitude, but then this hateful tumblrer decided to let me know what they think. And - a certain Redditor went through my posts history & dragged my personal trauma into an unrelated discussion. What's even more alarming is that they were alluring to something I posted on my previous account, which means I have been already not-fondly remembered.

The moment it became multi-platform, it got a little too personal for my taste.

Now is all this all just one person? I doubt it. From the way this reddit discussion was going on, I got the feeling they were coached at least by one other person. The comments seemed unrelated to one another and lacked continuity of thought and topic, as if after each comment of mine someone outside of the discussion went "now ask them about xyz and see what they say".

Or this could be, obviously, just my galloping paranoia.

Storytime: back when I was in elementary/junior high (in 2004, I'm a fossil), I started posting my art on a fandom message board. I was experiencing soul-crushing bullying at school at the time, on the grounds of me being poor & "weird" (and that's not even an exaggeration - an abusive family will shape you that way). Publishing my works online gave me an escape and quickly became my safe haven, as I was getting mostly positive feedback & support. But of course I had my haters even then, piling up on me under the commandment of one jealous girl on the same message board. And I'm saying "jealous", because looking back I don't see any other reason why a 19 year old soon-to-bee art school student would go off so hard on a 15 year old posting her fanarts online. This, and also other people on this board would tell me the girl is clearly acting jealous and insecure.

So that was school and this message board - and then there was my little website I set up some time later, where I'd publish my works. Back then there instead of comments there was something called "guest book", where people would let the author know they came by, shared their opinion & whatnot.

I was getting mostly kind words, until one day I got a very nasty, hateful comment on there, telling me to "have some shame" and that my works are "flat and ugly" and that I am overall "stupid". If memory serves me right, I tried to discuss them, explain myself, tell them off. I don't remember the details of what I said, but I remember the harassment stopped only after my then online best friend used very vivid language telling them to go f#ck themselves. Suddenly - silence.

The harasser's nickname was "sinister". I still remember it to this day, despite not knowing the meaning of this word at the time.

All of this to say I've unfortunately experienced cross-platfom harassment before.

And that worked just beautifully with what my Cazamom was preaching, which was that "people would only ever like me for my drawings", due to my "oversensitiveness". The combination of attacks on my character & online thrashing of my art created a stress fracture on my psyche that never truly healed. I'd wager that's the reason why for the longest time I hated all artists (including myself), and why I sometimes got into the mindset of inviting hate towards myself, acting against societal norms. And no, I didn't do it on purpose, but it just kept on happening.

As if me being hated was just... a given. A matter of time.

Which circles back to the video I shared in the beginning - and the importance of sharing even little parts of ourselves, because those little pieces of us might be huge for someone else.

So I'm sharing - about what I learned and what I'm trying to come to terms with, now that it resourfaced in my mind. Hopefully some of you find this interesting and/or insightful.

And - if I may - I encourage you to let your favourite creators know how much you like them / their art. Throw in reason(s) why, if you feel like it.

This is not me fishing for compliments (unless you have some, in which case please feel encouraged), more like asking to help balance out the general feedback an artists might be getting. The supposed "healthy" ratio of negative to positive comment is said to be 5:1, but with something as personal as art, I'd bump the ratio up even by tenfold. All depending on artist's vulnerability.

So tell the people you like that you like them, before others shut them off. Tell them you like their art, before someone tears them down for it.

And remember - if you wouldn't ask someone for advice, don't take their "constructive criticism" to heart either. Each comment is an envelope containing a message for you. Unpack, understand and recycle the ugly envelopes. Keep your mind's place safe and nice. It's the only one you've got.

Picture: WIP of a piece with the idea of Astarion hesitantly accepting love.

[beaft]

you almost got arrested for armed robbery?? how????

(re the tags on this post)

at the time this story takes place i was 19 and an art student, which is shorthand for “emotionally unstable and taking a lot of drugs” so please do not judge me on the basis of this incident as i am now much calmer and less prone to making foolish decisions, or at least the foolish decisions i make tend to be mildly embarrassing rather than illegal and/or life-threatening.

be me

attend house party

vibes are rancid

decide to dip and find a convenient rooftop so i can sit and look at the moon

while i am sitting on this rooftop looking at the moon and basking in the effects of the 2 tabs of acid i just took, i cannot help but notice that there is a commotion happening in the apartment block across the street from me

lots of shouting

windows are being smashed

tvs are being carried out and loaded into vans

“huh” i think

“That’s not good”

at which point, naturally,

the cops show up.

they start shouting and gesturing, clearly indicating that they would like me to come down from the rooftop

i obey

(2 tabs of acid)

i have just enough presence of mind to slip the additional baggie of coke i'm carrying in my pocket into a nearby wheelie bin so they don't find it if they search me

(TRAGEDY.)

as soon as i’m off the roof the cops swarm and start asking various questions like “what's your name?" and "what did you see?” and “what were you doing up there?”

all questions that i would find quite easy to answer if i had a working tongue and brain

i am attempting to seem like a law-abiding citizen but even in my extravagantly deranged state i can tell i am not pulling it off

cops are getting more and more suspicious

cop 1’s radio crackles with an onlooker's description of one of the suspects who was, according to the onlooker, “acting as lookout”

suspect (we are informed) has short blue hair and is wearing a leather coat

the cops stare at me as this information is relayed

i stare back, undeniably blue-haired and leather-coated

it abruptly occurs to me that i am being treated as A Suspect in this armed robbery

which. yes. obviously, very silly, because i'm a gay art student who can't buy energy drinks without being ID'd and stammers when making phone calls to anyone who isn't my mum. but also it's hard to see the silly side when you're being grilled by the police and your only defence is "i couldn't have done this illegal thing because i was busy doing this other, unrelated illegal thing"

i would describe the following conversation to you but unfortunately i was so high and in such a haze of unbridled panic that i remember very little of it

however at the time of writing this i am not in jail so we must assume that they decided I was too stupid to have been involved and let me go home

my only other recollection from that night is coming down to discover that i was sitting in my friend's creepily empty flat and couldn't remember how i'd got there, and for some reason i was halfway through watching "high school musical two" on DVD and enjoying it thoroughly. i had also lost both my shoes.

was a good rooftop though 10/10 would climb again

[raintemper]

More of them,, but they’re robot cats this time lol… I’ll draw Moon and Pebbles soon, and some others maybe

I’ll do anything but actually draw them as Iterators apparently

Don't look too close, Ive never drawn such mech heavy designs until now...I don't know what I'm doing. I got a little more confident with NSH but I was absolutely just going blind with Suns. It took me 2 days to figure out how I wanted to start with Suns...

Some background info dump of them for this? Au??? Idk yet lol, under the line if interested

Erhm. Set in a post apocalyptic world, much like how Rain World actually is. Alternative timeline where iterators don't exist?? Failed??? The ancients have not yet ascended?? Maybe??? Idk the details are still blurry to me also 😞. They are in a high security lab facility ground type setting. (Perhaps just an excuse for me to draw apocalyptic higher tech designs????) It is cold outside, some failed iterator structures still produce rain, and occasionally the air may become toxic.

Suns is an offensive/surveillance model meant for fighting and protecting as one can probably tell with his tail blades. It folds back in an attempt to make it less dangerous and also functions as a way to swiftly cut into something if needed. They are the only one of them (excluding Pebbles for special reasons) to be equipped with a mouth hiding sharp teeth and/or lasers for even more attack prowess. They are also still huge. Sorry I run with the huge Suns agenda. He is a tower. Easily wrestles most lizards. I still like the idea of fluffy Suns, so he still has it as a robot cat. Some insulation for the colder outside temperatures, he's outside a lot. Suns is not built to be friendly. Mostly acts and behaves as an unassuming robot early on.

Moon and Suns were the first properly functional/successful projects. They were edited and reconstructed a lot from beginning to now. Maybe they were both originally purposed as therapeutic companions.

The overseers are little drones that fly around. They still project things and are still sometimes unhelpful with directions, follow at your own discretion. The lizards and predators mostly ignore them as well. They do recognize the different drones with time. They've learned to recognize NSH's drones, which sometimes might contain some edible collected material, so they do occasionally try to eat those. And most of the smaller predators try to leave the area if they see Suns' drones.

NSH is closer to a pet model. He is made for reconnaissance and scouting. He is still tiny because I like him tiny, he's adorable. NSH has three pairs of legs for rough terrain traversal, and is a fast little guy. He helps in collecting samples and materials from the outside, marking maps, as well as finding viable safe spots/shelters. He has no mouth but has a component in his chest where he can collect small samples, as well as storage units in his drones to store excess. He has small vials of decontaminate fluid to clean any samples he collects, they have to be refilled occasionally. Also, as mentioned in the art, he can open his neck and chest area and just swallow bigger samples. He can even keep them alive inside him if he wants to. Otherwise, they're killed and turned into power for him to use. Sometimes he finds lizards with cool patterns and tries to swallow them to show Suns, who oftentimes will kill it afterwards.

He was the experimental project for emotive programming alongside Unparalleled Innocence/UI, hence his fully functioning screen as a face. As opposed to Suns, who functions more as a security camera. I think NSH and UI are both similar in the more playful/chaotic personalities, so I decided for them to be created around the same time and put into the same testing. Overtime, UI did not respond very well and was repurposed (She's not gone). Emotive sentience was programmed into NSH first and then tested on Moon. It was generally successful in both cases. NSH really enjoys messing around and can even imitate his fellow iterators faces. It works really well temporarily scaring predators using Suns' color markings lol.

Because NSH and Suns are both outside often, they have solar panel components in their design for extra power. The two of them are very close because of their shared experiences. NSH likes the outside more, Suns has little opinions of it. They worry about NSH because he's so small and curious and occasionally brings back dangerous things.

Suns is a little bit of an outcast here because of his difference in role. He is mostly left to roam and function on his own/not approached as he carries his role. The others are research focused and Suns is more obviously purposed for battle, so there is a little bit of a divide. Not to mention, he technically does not have the programming for emotions that Moon and NSH have. Suns does learn on his own though :D, some of it is learned from NSH too

I will leave it here for now. I will probably talk more about Moon and Pebbles for their own post. And the others as well. I'm still thinking about their designs though.

Erhm hopefully this makes sense somewhat and was at least a fun read.

[drchucktingle]

DECONSTRUCTING DAMASCUS #1

hello buckaroos chuck tingle here to talk on my book camp damascus. i am very ADVERSE to spoilers and even though i LOVE discussing art i never want to discuss a book too soon, gotta give buckaroos a chance to read. i have been trying to find a balance of WHEN and HOW to have these talks because there is a lot to discover in camp damascus, and i finally think i have found safe way to do this.

i am going to write some posts talkin about various subjects relating to camp damascus themes and symbols and ideas. i will title these posts DECONSTRUCTING DAMASCUS and give them all the hashtag: "deconstructing damascus". if you do not want to be tempted you can go into your tumblr settings and MUTE hashtag "deconstructing damascus" until you are ready to come back and trot in this way.

i am also going to put all spoiler content below a READ MORE line so that buckaroos will not stumble upon it. you must click below to open these words up.

(EDIT: PART 2 IS HERE)

(EDIT: PART 3 IS HERE)

(EDIT: PART 4 IS HERE)

alright buckaroos lets trot. WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW

DECONSTRUCTING DAMASCUS #1: NEVERLAND

camp damascus is about SEVERAL things thematically, but i think in BROAD STROKES you can narrow this story down to two ideas. the first is about control through infantilizing victims of religious or conservative organizations, keeping them 'young and naive' forever, and the second theme is about taking a story and using the same text to pull out whatever viewpoint you want. in other words, there are MANY readings within a story and us readers see whatever story we want.

i will dive deeper into these topics in later DECONSTRUCTING DAMASCUS talks, but both of these concepts relate in some way to THIS discussion, which is the story of peter pan and neverland

camp damascus is about text having many interpretations, and so as a sort of META ART PIECE i wanted camp damascus to have many interpretations. i did this by creating thematic layers on top of each other in the SAME STORY, like a cake. in the case of camp damascus we have BIBLICAL LAYER, FAIRYTALE LAYER, and LITERAL LAYER.

today we are going to talk about the fairytale layer.

peter pan is the story of wendy darling, who is whisked away to a magical place known as NEVER NEVER LAND by peter pan, who is an eternally young boy. nobody ever grows up in never never land. in camp damascus we have rose darling, who is a resident of neverton, a small town in montana where all of to children are kept young and naive to their own true adult nature for as long possible. this is done in many ways, for instance all of the KINGDOM OF THE PINE kids act and talk like teenagers when they are technically adults (rose is 20). they are all still in high school due to intervention of the church. the practice of oppressing someones natural sexuality and growth into adulthood a way of keeping them young and 'innocent'. the KINGDOM KIDS are perpetually stuck between childhood and adulthood. when you are reading the book, there should be something about this age and behavior discrepancy that feels a little strange.

to capture this effect i also tried to create a book that was both categorically YA (young adult) and adult horror. there are topics and conversations and situations that should feel like you are reading a 'younger book', then moments of violence and layers of complex themes that feel like an adult book. it should straddle this line in an uncomfortable way.

now to the story itself. camp damascus is NOT a retelling of peter pan in any way. the plots are not the same at all. however it uses peter pan as a literary allusion in order to discuss the themes listed above. these references are to reinforce the idea of keeping buckaroos young and under the churches control by any means necessary.

many do not realize that the original peter pan character was quite a bit more sinister than the cartoon version. here is a quote from the original text about HOW neverland worked to keep the lost boys young:

“The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out; but at this time there were six of them, counting the twins as two.”

yes CAPTAIN HOOK is the big villain, but peter pan himself is just as brutal. this is where we get PASTOR PETE BEND, the current head of camp damascus. in his own way he is HIP AND COOL AND ETERNALLY YOUTHFUL just like peter pan, but he also falls into the roll of a ruthless captain who will do whatever it takes. to pull apart his name we have pete, as in peter, and bend. what is another word for bend? hook.

kingdom of the pine members wear a red band round their left wrist, which is where the hand of their prophet as severed. you can also note that when pete bend he uses a weapon he uses his left hand, which is pretty notable for someone who is right handed. consider where a certain captains weapon is permanently affixed.

also working for kingdom of the pine and camp damascus, under the direct orders of pete bend, is DR. SMITH. dr smith is a jolly henchmen with a white beard and glasses. despite his drab office he sits in a blue and white striped chair. i should also point out that a version of the name smee is smeeth. just SAYIN.

WILLOW is another interesting one. after her time at camp damascus she gets into photography. she turns to NATURE and TRUTH and as she takes these photos her finger is steady and rhythmic like a clock. click. click. click. click. click. could these photos eventually be the downfall of pete bend?

when we see willow early on she is drinking for a coffee mug with a certain reptile on it. her last name is crogall, which translates to the name of a specific animal in scottish gaelic. rose also goes to meet willow where she lives, one town over from neverton in a little village named lebka rock. i will let the buckaroos figure out what that means.

there is actually much more than this (who is saul for instance?) but i think i have said all that buds need to know to enjoy this layer.

thank you for reading. FEEL FREE TO REBLOG but try not to put spoilers in the tags. i will talk on OTHER aspects of CAMP DAMASCUS soon and i hope this has inspired you to look at the text in a brand new way. LOVE IS REAL