#i appreciate every single one

[yeagrave]

Hello hello! I just wanna say a huge thank you to everyone who sent requests (I’ve still got a few to do so keep an eye out!) and also all of the lovely comments and tags on my posts!!

I feel like I say this a lot but, the top gun fandom has been so warm and welcoming to me and I am so happy you all like my silly little drawings :’)

[glitchedcosmos]

✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊

THANK YOU FOR 1,100 FOLLOWERS

THANK YOU !

✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊ ⊹˚✧ ‧˚₊ ❆ ‧ ₊

[unforth]

Gentle reminder that very little fandom labor is automated, because I think people forget that a lot.

That blog with a tagging system you love? A person curates those tags by hand.

That rec blog with a great organization scheme and pretty graphics? Someone designed and implemented that organization scheme and made those graphics.

That network that posts a cool variety of stuff? People track down all that variety and queue it by hand, and other people made all the individual pieces.

That post with umpteen links to helpful resources, and information about them? Someone gathered those links, researched the sources, wrote up the information about them.

That graphic about fandom statistics? Someone compiled those statistics, analyzed them, organized them, figured out a useful way to convey the information to others, and made the post.

That event that you think looks neat? Someone wrote the rules, created the blogs and Discords, designed the graphics, did their best to promo the event so it'd succeed.

None of this was done automatically. None of it just appears whole out of the internet ether.

I think everyone realizes that fic writing and fanart creation are work, and at least some folks have got it through their heads that gif creation and graphics and moodboards take effort, and meta is usually respected for the effort that goes into it, at least as far as I've seen, but I feel like a lot of people don't really get how much labor goes into curation, too.

If people are creating resources, curating content, organizing the creations of others, gathering information, and doing other fandom activities that aren't necessarily the direct action of creation, they're doing a lot of fandom labor, and it's often largely unrecognized.

Celebrate fan work!

To folks doing this kind of labor: I see you, and I thank you. You are the backbones of our fandoms and I love you.

[timsutton]

[mmso-notlikethat]

EXPRESSIONS ✨ 1/2

[spookberry]

girl of all time

[royalarchivist]

Pac: [Sighs] I'm trying to find someone, a person who's– a good person, a good person, a partner–

JV: No no! You only want bad people, Pac. Sorry, sorry.

Pac: No, I get it. And actually, I– I actually– I want someone to harm me, Fun. I want someone to hurt me– I want to have regrets, you know? I want it.

Fun: Wait, wait– A "she" or "he" or "whatever"? Hold on, I'll put whatever–

Pac: Whoever, whatever. ❤️💜💙

[ Full Subtitle Transcript ↓ ]

—

Fun: What's this?

Pac: This is it! Let's see- let's see if I stop being single, right guys? I'm trying, right? The party brings new opportunities to appear and everything, right?

Fun: Ah, you're trying to stop being single?* What's your type? Let me– let me be Tinder, dude.

Pac: I am–

Fun: Your type.

Pac: [Sighs] I'm trying to find someone, a person who's– a good person, a good person, a partner–

JV: No no!

Pac: What?

JV: You only want bad people, Pac. Sorry, sorry.

Pac: No, I get it. And actually, I– I actually– I want someone to harm me, Fun. I want someone to hurt me– I want to have regrets, you know? I want it.

Fun: Wait, wait– A "she" or "he" or "whatever"? Hold on, I'll put whatever–

Pac: Whoever, whatever.

Fun: "Whoever," then. Freaky or crazy, a vibe like that?

Pac: Yeah, exactly. You get it?

GuhZera: I like that vibe, I like that "crazy" vibe.

Translation notes:

* Fun uses the verb "encalhar" here, which is colloquially used to mean "to stay single," especially for women.

[secriden]

*cracks knuckles* Okay lets talk about the elephant in the room: Style going to the support group for those who've suffered loss and telling what appears to be a fake story about losing his pet dog.

I'm going to point out a few things that I think provide a framework for Style's actions here. Not because I think it excuses what he did, but because I think a nuanced read is what the character deserves.

Point 1: An irresistible opportunity

The subs put the "Support Group for Loss" on the image in the notebook, but I'm not sure there's anything to suggest that Style would've known that was what this image represents until he showed up and saw the sign on top of the door.

In episode 2, Bison says, "He plans everything down from years, months, weeks to days" and then tells Kant:

So Style is literally just going to addresses/locations at given days and times, potentially not knowing what to expect. And as much as Fadel is certainly attending this meeting as a response to having that heartbreaking flashback (😭), this is also something he attends regularly and has planned to attend way in advance. So Style has no reason to think Fadel is attending this meeting because of a recent resurfacing of his pain.

What we, the audience, and what the characters know are very different things.

Now, should Style have turned his cute ass right around once he realised what this meeting was? Of course he should. But that wouldn't have been true to Style's character. We've been told by his best friend that he is "crazy" and been shown repeatedly that he lives right up to that description.

Style is impulsive. He's all base instinct and he acts on his desires without thought or contemplation. And by this point he is desperate for a deeper connection with Fadel. He's fascinated, captivated by the mystery that is Fadel and this is an excellent opportunity to finally see behind the wall Fadel so carefully maintains.

When Style sees the sign above the door, Style looks at the notebook (which, again, shows nothing but people sitting in a circle with the words RISE UP) like he's just realising what it means. He then gets this amused, almost rueful look on his face (like he's thinking "am I really going to do this?") before it shifts to determination and he walks through the door.

(My soul for the ability to once again gif something because FUCK Dunk is doing SO MUCH in this show!!)

To Style, this is just too good of an opportunity to give up.

Because let's be real, Fadel is so clearly lying and hiding something:

Fadel is shady as FUCK. He is simultaneously actually a really good cook (Style finally tries his burger so he knows, now), and also has the skills to work at a strip host club, and also can take on 3 guys in a fight, and also can break a man's arm with his thighs. Can you honestly blame Style for losing his mind just a little bit about wanting to get his hands on something, anything, to figure this man out?

Style is being absolutely consistent in his persistence to understand Fadel. This isn't about the car or about finally 'winning' the fight (thank you @airenyah for giving such a detailed framework to understand what Style's been doing until this point) anymore. This is about Style wanting to know Fadel himself.

Point 2: The potential implications of the setting

Now, what might give us a bit of insight as to why Style is this way? I have a theory (albeit one that could prove to be very wrong, but hear me out). I think this whole entire show is set in what could potentially be quite a small town/suburb.

There's a few things that make this theory plausible:

(1) Fadel and Bison are in hiding after Bison blew their previous cover. They're probably on the run from some section of the authorities and so it makes sense to settle in a quiet/out of the way place.

(2) Style seems to be really familiar with the people in the area. Like he grew up there and its the kind of small town where everyone knows everyone and everyone is in everyone else's business.

(3) Style is clearly the darling of the market aunties and uncles.

Style just lost her a sale and potentially a loyal customer, and she's still rooting for him? In episode 2, when Style asks the uncle to let him borrow his cart, it takes nothing but his word for the uncle to give Style his entire cart of produce for his ridiculous scheme.

Style is so clearly someone they all know well and have great affection for, and a very plausible explanation for this is that they all watched him grow up and the entire market (town/village) is fond of him.

And honestly?? Yeah, we see the way Style is actually quite sweet in that careless, guileless, thoughtless way. He goes the extra mile to fix his mistake with Fadel by replacing his car parts for free in episode 1. He helps out by taking orders in episode 2 without being asked and takes it seriously. In episode 3, he tries to drive more business to Fadel's store (bless him, he so clearly does NOT understand how restaurants work, but he MEANS well!!), and can we all acknowledge that it works?? He understands how to appeal to potential customers in the area because he knows the people there. It's not (entirely) his fault that Fadel wasn't remotely prepared for an actual rush crowd and Bison was off getting kinky with Kant and not doing his (fake) job. He is so clear about not judging Fadel's host job and tries his hardest to help him (to absolutely NO effect, but still) when the 3 guys gang up on Fadel.

Style is so loved and more importantly so very loveable.

Point 3: What this could mean for Style's character

So, potentially, Style is someone who grew up in a small town, who has been well loved, potentially spoiled and coddled, but also very much kept within the confines of the narrow viewpoint that a quiet, country town places on you.

It's in the way his dad scolds him as if he was still a child when he's at least in his mid to late 20s. It's in the way Style was so mad at Fadel for scolding him ("thanks for the lecture, dad"), like that hit a sore point for Style. It's in the way no one in the market takes him seriously; they're fond, but he's still a kid in their eyes. It's in the way he has an abundance of free time like he doesn't REALLY need to work at his dad's shop. It's in the way he sees Fadel beat 3 guys up with ease, starts wondering if Fadel is an assassin or a hitman, and is completely unfazed like he doesn't quite have a handle on reality.

It's in the way his best friend is a man who has no qualms about lying to him and putting his life in danger, and how Style seems to have no other friends or people (aside from his dad) in his life.

@wuxian-vs-wangji made a comment to me about Style being desperate for a meaningful connection, and I think she hit the nail on the head. Because along comes Fadel, a mysterious stranger with a suspiciously versatile set of skills who is also very hot and keeps giving Style these wonderfully complex reactions? Who sometimes wants nothing to do with Style, but at other times seems to be at war within himself about desperately wanting him? Who treats Style with anything but apathy?

This is catnip to Style; he never had any hope of resisting this.

Breaking news: Style is a complex and imperfect character...

Here's the thing, though: he was never going to try. The show has been incredibly upfront about who Style is as a person. Regardless of whether I'm correct about why he is this way (ie. that he is very much the product of the environment that didn't know how to handle a kid with Style's personality), episode 3 shouldn't have surprised anyone about Style. He's been incredibly consistent and true to himself.

He wants Fadel and he's "crazy" enough to go all in, no holds barred about it, and the Support Group was the biggest doorway to finally discovering something REAL about Fadel.

And its not just about sex or to prove his superiority anymore. Because if it was just that, then Style would have reacted very differently to their first time.

In this scene, Style is pleased and evidently enjoying himself, but he isn't exuberant. He isn't overcome with joy. If anything, he was more happy and excited when Fadel let him help out in the diner (I mentioned this in the tags in this post too) than he was when Fadel is literally fucking him. He lets Fadel set the pace; barely moves to touch Fadel except to hold him close. Almost like he doesn't want to accidentally mess this up, like he's worried he'll take too much, so he'll take what Fadel gives him and no more (please appreciate @braceletofteeth's amazing tags on this post). For a character that has been so aggressively on the offensive, this is shocking until you realise that sleeping with Fadel - while it's a step in the right direction - isn't Style's end goal anymore.

And he makes that abundantly clear in this episode:

Does Style even fully realise the weight of this desire? I doubt it. But I do believe that Style is in earnest. He doesn't fully understand his own feelings, but he also doesn't really care to either. All he knows is that he wants Fadel, wants his attention and his passion and his focus and his heart.

...but Style is also kind of, sort of, perfect.

Because he's exactly, precisely, breathtakingly exactly what Fadel needs.

Because Fadel is hurt and broken and bleeding inside. Because Fadel is barely holding it all together for Bison's sake, but has already given up hope for any true happiness for himself. Because Fadel can't trust anyone or anything in his life, when he's been used and used and used by the family who should've loved and cared and protected him.

Because it's going to take nothing short of this kind of unwavering, unshakable, uncomplicated determination to give Fadel even a chance of healing and opening his heart to love again.

[laurrelise]

hi here’s some five sketches

can you tell which one is my favorite

[sakasakiii]

Hii! I just wanna say, your blog is life to me! Literally come here to scroll on tough days, and seeing all the character designs and funny comics makes everything better! Really love your art style and designs. I know this has been asked before but I'm wondering if I could use your art as profile pictures? I really appreciate the joy your art brings!

hihi hello!!! first off, thank you so much for your kind words! i'm sorry for how delayed this response has been (im just getting back into tumblr after one of many hiatuses... AGAIN!!!), but it warms my heart on my own tough days to hear you enjoy my designs and comics! it means a lot, so thank you again!! ❤️❤️

now onto your question about using my art as a pfp: that's absolutely fine! by the time i'm answering this it's likely a bit late already, but i hope this clears things up in the long run. im absolutely ok with anyone using my art as pfps/icons, just so long as you remember to credit me, don't claim as own, dont use for AI training, etc etc.... hope that clears things up, and sorry again for taking so long to see this!

[jovialoddity]

HAPPY HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!!!

I’m sorry this isn’t a more finished piece, but I wanted to put out a little something for the holiday just so I could gush for a moment about all of you.

The growth I’ve experienced on this account in the past few months alone has been UNBELIEVABLE. I never would have expected that people would like my art and my ideas so much, especially so many of you! I usually feel extremely nervous about putting myself out there, but everybody that I’ve met through this fanbase has been nothing short of wonderful.

This is one of the most interactive and lovely fanbases I’ve been in in a LONG time, and I seriously can’t thank you guys enough for all of the support!! Thank you so much to everybody who’s followed me, sent me kind comments and asks, left encouraging tags on my posts, drawn fanart for my AUs and even included your own OCs into them… just, thank you! I know I might not be the greatest with showing gratitude, but your kind words seriously mean the world to me, I’m so grateful to be sharing my work with all of you lovely people.

Merry Christmas to everybody who celebrates, and to anyone who doesn’t, I hope you have a fantastic day! 💖

[muscari-midala]

Your Heart Pulling Against Mine - pt 2

David 8 x Reader Words: 897 Part one is here Crossposted on Ao3 Thank you all for your love and support, you inspire me and I appreciate every single one of you!

Lying in bed, the two of you studied each other’s faces in silence.

Slowly, you reached up to touch his cheek, your fingers tracing his skin gently, searching for a difference from your own - but there is none.

He was convincingly human, if it weren’t for his slightly colder temperature.

Gingerly, he mirrored your movement, his hand lifting to brush a thumb over your warm cheek.

When you offered for him to stay, he accepted, sharing your bed because it helped you fall asleep faster.

It was nice, really, he technically didn’t need the human comforts of this room, but he still enjoyed them.

After that first night, it became harder not to instinctively gravitate towards each other, as if you’d found some unspoken connection, a need to be close.

“Can you feel my touch?”

Your fingertips ghosted over his brow, down his cheekbone, and along his jaw, mapping every subtle feature and detail.

“My sensors register the pressure, yes,” he replied, his gaze briefly flicking up to meet yours before returning to the path his own fingers traced along your face.

Humming, you continued your exploration and wove your fingers into his blonde hair, feeling the texture before giving it a small tug which brought his attention back to you.

“How about pain? Can you feel that?”

David observed you for a moment, then shook his head.

“No pain. I was designed to endure harsh conditions - it would have been impractical for pain to interfere.”

This made sense, and you didn’t know if you felt sad for his lack of sensations or if you were jealous of it.

Lost in your thoughts, you suddenly inhaled sharply as his fingers glided down your neck, causing a shiver to ripple through you.

Noticing your reaction, he propped himself up slightly, his gaze fixed on the goosebumps forming on your skin.

“Fascinating,” he murmured, his fingers drifting down to your arm, exploring the subtle changes in texture, his touch doing nothing to ease the shivers.

You caught his hand with your own, clasping it tightly as heat rushed to your cheeks and your heart pounded in your chest.

David's brows furrowed in confusion until he registered your flustered state.

"I'm sorry, miss." he murmured, sounding almost chastised as he tried to pull his hand back, but you didn't let go. Instead you wrapped your free arm around him.

“Please, don’t call me ‘miss,’ David. My name is (Y/N),” you said, your voice muffled as you tucked yourself against his chest to hide your reddened face.

Uncertain, he sank down again, his gaze lingering on the crown of your head before enveloping you with his arms, testing your name on his tongue.

He knew it, of course he did. He knew everyone's names, but no one had ever offered him the intimacy of using theirs so casually before.

His hand found its way to your hair, fingers threading gently through the strands. He imitated something he’d seen in movies, read about in books, wanting to calm you after noticing your racing heart, your quickened pulse.

But why? Why did you not push him away? Why did you seek his presence? Why did you treat him with warmth, like a person?

Peter Weyland, his ‘father,’ had declared in that video introduction that he had no soul. His ‘sister’ threatened to deactivate or destroy him at least once a day. And the crew? They didn’t see the point in kindness - why bother with pleasantries for something that wasn’t human?

But here you were, nestled in his arms. You had offered to share your room with him because all he got was a small storage room. Oh how furious you have been on his behalf, even if he did not mind. Or did he? Did he mind?

As long as his father lived, he would not be free, he would have to do his bidding - but with you he felt autonomy. With you, something shifted.

You didn’t command him, you asked.

You asked if he would like to do things.

What he wanted.

A concept he was not allowed to grasp until he met you.

When you finally mustered the courage to meet his gaze again, you froze.

There was a wet shimmer in his eyes.

You blinked, once, twice, as if trying to dispel an illusion, but there was no mistaking it. David was crying.

Gathering yourself, you sat up, your hands moving instinctively to cradle his face, wiping the tears away.

His name trembled on your lips, but before you could speak, he whispered yours.

You were not sure who moved first, maybe it did not matter.

But you found yourself with his lips on yours, yours on his, tentative, careful, as though either of you might shatter if the other pressed too hard.

Until you exhaled a soft sigh and leaned into him.

That was all it took, his lips pressed more firmly against yours, the careful restraint melted away as you let yourselves fall into it together.

It was just the two of you.

The ship, the universe, all of it faded into the background.

This moment was yours and yours alone, surrounded by the endless vastness of space, by millions of stars.

Tangled in soft sheets, bodies intertwined.

If he needed air, he would be breathless.

David realized something, something he never felt before.

He was loved.

[hakusins]

thank you to @propertyofkylar (nica) for the ko-fi !!

[enthusiastic-nimrod]

Scooby Doo and the Larking Library Labyrinth

A friend of mine said that this was my "villain origin story"; but I'd argue it was my White Whale. Every time I thought I was done with it I'd see a little extra room for something else, a line I'd like to shift, a detail I'd like to add- I think I have over five different "finished" variants of this in my files.

I ramble, but I'm actually super proud of this piece- it's the most detailed work I can remember drawing and I'm so happy with the results!

This piece was such a journey, but I'm so glad I saw it through.

[tannnnblogs]

Cooking something up and posting a wip so I'm forced to finish it

[xemmez]

my secret of gaining all of my confidence to be “cringe” is that i accepted i don’t want to jeopardize my harmless happiness to fit into societal norms. i’m already an intersex transfem aroace person who is in a relationship and uses neopronouns, society will never try to accept me as i am as soon as things get a little difficult.

all i’m doing while doing things like fursuiting or drawing furry art or making weird positivity posts is really accepting the fact these are the things that make me feel happy and that’s okay. i am not harming anyone, i am simply being another layer of authentically myself in a society that isn’t generally built for that level of self expression.

but, i will always support anyone who wishes to bloom into their authentic self against the world. detach yourself from self-hating ideals, take a step away from the social constructs you’ve become accustomed to seeing, and embrace the fact that you can live in so many different ways than the norm would have you believe.

you’re not a bad person for being what other people deem as “cringe” material. if anything, you’re someone who would make others feel safe who may be wishing to accept that part of themselves. you will find others to befriend.

live authentically, live happily, be cringe 🌈💕