#i do not own them and all credit goes to the artists who made them

[the-kingshound]

For reasons i will not divulge into, can u tell me what armor aesthetic/historical accuracy you have in mind for the hound?

While I do take inspiration from some historical settings (in particular, 5th, 6th century), TKH is not meant to be historically accurate at all. It has fantasy elements that not only include magic, but also many magical creatures, traditions and a whole continent that I completely made up.

So, with that in mind, this is kind of the armor aesthetic I imagine (note: you are very free to headcanon or imagine story elements different from my references):

[marragurl]

Ok so like…. Who makes Ratio’s statues? 

Because every possible explanation just opens up a whole new can of worms. 

I’ve been trying to go through as much info about him as I can, including his character stories, but I can’t find anything??? 

So I’m just left stewing in the dark, which usually leads to my humor coming into play. 

So like… are the statues of Ratio’s own making??

Because that would insinuate that he takes the time out of his busy life to constantly make new statues of just himself, including the multiple plaster heads. And if it’s not him physically and it is a manifestation of his Imaginary powers, he’s still making them right??? 

So he still chooses the poses! 

Why??? 

What is his thought process??? 

Physically made or Imaginary Powers made, it’s still his choice on what the statue should look like right???

And if it’s not a conscious decision, then WHAT DO THE JOJO AND CUTESY POSES MEAN

IS JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURES FUCKING CANON IN HSR??

IS IT A SHOW THAT EXISTS??

ARE YOU TELLING ME ARAKI FUCKING EXISTS IN HSR??

AND RATIO IS A FAN?????? 

DON’T TELL ME IT’S JUST A FUN REFERENCE BY THE HSR TEAM, YEA IT’S META TO US BUT IT’S CANON TO THE REST OF THE UNIVERSE THAT RATIO HAS A STATUE OF HIMSELF DOING A JOJO POSE

On the other hand, if it’s not Ratio himself making them… who is it????

Is Ratio commissioning some artists?? Multiple artists? Only one?!?!? 

Is it some weird form of extra credit for his students???

(Student A: Hey wanna hang out tonight? 

Student B: Can’t. Gotta finish up this statue of Dr. Ratio examining his codex by Friday if I wanna get a passing grade in the class

Student A: You can sculpt???

Student B crying with 100 tabs of ‘how to sculpt’ videos and wikiHows pulled up and no sleep: I’m trying my best here Sharon)

Is he like those Renaissance time rich people who basically paid for their favorite artist’s livelihood in order to just make nice art in return??? Is there now a really well-off sculptor somewhere in the universe who is just constantly being paid by THE Dr. Ratio to make stone statues of the man??? Does the artist just put that down in their tax returns?? 

(back at it again with Topaz suffering from Ratiorine’s antics, she’s the one in charge of Ratio’s Sculptor’s taxes)

THAT STILL DOESN’T ANSWER THE STATUE POSE QUESTIONS

DID THE ARTIST ADD IN THE JOJO POSE AND HEART POSE AS A GAG??? AND SURVIVE RATIO SEEING THEM?? 

WORSE- DID RATIO COMMISSION THE POSES??? WHAT WAS THAT CONVERSATION EVEN LIKE??? DID HE HAVE TO POSE?? DOES THE ARTIST JUST HAVE AN ENTIRE SCRAPBOOK OF RATIO DOING DIFFERENT POSES FOR CONSTANT REFERENCE?

FUCK IT, DID AVENTURINE GET IN CONTACT WITH THE ARTIST AND PAY EVEN MORE MONEY FOR THE CUTESY POSES??

(Whole new thought process, the artist is making statues of Ratio for both Ratio AND Aventurine, and all the cute statues are actually commissions by Aventurine for his little Dr. Ratio idol crush shrine. There’s a constant slapstick comedy routine of Aventurine trying to hide them anytime Ratio comes over to his place and barely getting away with it. Does he ever come clean when they start dating? Do they start dating because Ratio finds the statues? Fuck it, if Ratio is the one making the statues and not an artist, does he teach Aventurine how to sculpt?? Does it become like something they do together to spend time?? Ok damn wait that’s kinda cute wait-)

WAIT ADDING ON TO THAT- DOES THAT MEAN FOLLOWING THIS THOUGHT PROCESS THAT AVENTURINE IS THE JOJO FAN???? HE’S A FUCKING JOTARO STAN???

(wait- brisk MC who’s rude to everyone but soft on those he cares about and has the muscles of a Greek god and eventually goes into academia, oh my fucking god Aventurine has a type)

PLEASE

I NEED TO KNOW WHERE ARE THESE STATUES COMING FROM

EVERYONE SEEMS TO KNOW ABOUT THEM, THEY AREN’T A SECRET

IS HIS HOUSE JUST FULL OF STATUES???

DOES HE HAVE A WHOLE-ASS GRECO-ROMAN-STYLE GARDEN FULL OF HIS OWN STATUES???

DOES THE ARTIST SEE A STATUE DISAPPEAR FROM THE GARDEN AND IMMEDIATELY KNOW RATIO USED HIS TECHNIQUE TO SLAM ONE DOWN BREAKING IT AND JUST GO “fucking hell man, I was just about to go on break! Now I need to start a new one!”

IS IT A HOBBY?? HOW THE FUCK DID HE GET INTO SCULPTING AS A HOBBY WITH HIS SCHEDULE???

ARE THEY GIFTS?? 

FROM WHO, STUDENTS??? ADMIRERS? FUCK IT, AVENTURINE???

DOES THE ARTIST BEING COMMISSIONED EVEN HAVE A LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE RATIO STATUES??? DO THEY EVEN HAVE THE ABILITY TO SCULPT ANYTHING OTHER THAN RATIO AT THIS POINT??? HAVE THEY SEEN ANY OTHER BEING OUTSIDE OF THEIR STUDIO AND THE HUNDREDS OF RATIO STATUES???

PLEASE I NEED SOMEONE TO ANSWER ME

[wanderingsoul6261]

Credit for gif goes to esqueciment-o

Title: Heavenly Skies

James beaufort x Reader

Warning: hella sad. Mentions of death.

The entire school could name two people who haven't been there for an entire week.

James Beaufort and Y/N.

Lydia had also been gone for a few days, and she would be seen coming and going with a large workload. But the other two have not been seen.

The entire school as a whole about where the two could have gone. The entire scandal was that maybe they had decided to elope to get away from their families. That they had been stripped from their statuses within their families and were left on their own.

Little did they know, that that was far from the truth.

Reluctantly, James parents had allowed him to stay with Y/N's parents as plans were made. Their parents had allowed an arranged marriage between the two, helping strengthen the connections between the two families. In the meantime, James and Y/N had plenty of time to get to know each other, eventually falling in love.

It was rare amongst arranged marriages, in which both parties felt the same mutually about each other on the topic of love, but the two had made it work.

James was sitting in a study within the manor that belonged prominently to Y/N. Book shelves, filled mostly with classics, lined one of the walls. His head turned to the other wall, where canvases, filled, empty, and half filled, lined the wall and floor. His heart swelled as his eyes traveled over the paintings, taking in the sight of them. Most of them he had seen already, as the two of them had spent alot of time here. He would watch while she painted, often joining in and attempting his own paintings. James wasn't anywhere near as good as she was, but Y/N always told him that he did a fantastic job no matter what.

A smile came to his face as a tear rolled down his cheek, remembering the conversations.

"You did good, James! I swear on it!" Y/N had leaned into his side as they stared at his painting. It was a landscape painting, and for a person of no experience, he did well enough. She her arm around his, her other hand coming up to rest on his bicep.

James had looked down at her, a small smile on his smile.

"I don't know love. It doesn't compare anywhere close to yours." His eyes drifted from her to the paintings surrounding the room. "And yours are astonishing." He said, finally looking back at her. The corner of her mouth quirked up.

"Do you know how many artists out there in which people thought they weren't good enough? And look at where they are at now. Sure, most are dead now. But, I'm just trying to prove my point. It might not look the greatest to you in this moment, but I adore it."

James scoffed. How ironic it was in this moment. His eyes trailed from the floor to the two paintings centered on the wall. It was the two paintings they did that day. He took a few steps close to the wall, his eyes moving over the two paintings, his heart thumping against his ribcage. James lifted his hand, his fingers gingerly tracing over the details of her painting.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, knowing that it was likely either Lydia, telling him about what everyone is saying about him and Y/N at school. Or it was quite possibly Alistair or Cyril, checking in on him.

It didn't matter, because he was ignoring his phone. And he had been all week.

James moved from the wall, never taking his eyes off, as Y/N's mother walked into the room.

"Oh, James. I didn't think you were still here." She said. The exchanged soft smiles as they gazed around the room.

"You feel closest to her here, don't you?" She asked. James let out a heavy sigh, his eyes fluttering as he gazed at the floor.

"I do." He said quietly.

"There isn't anything wrong with it, James. Me and her father sit in her often." James looked up at her, tears swelling in his eyes and in this moment, he decided that he would allow himself the ability to be vulnerable.

"Why her." His voice sounded thick. "Of all the people in the world. Out of everyone on this entire planet. Why Y/N?" He croaked, the tears rolling down his cheeks. Her mother had her own tears rolling down her cheeks. She shrugged, shaking her head.

"We ask ourselves that every night." She said, a sad smile on her face. James took a few staggered steps towards her, before allowing himself to collapse against each other. They hugged each other tightly.

"She loved you James. Don't forget that. And tomorrow, you'll get your chance to tell her how much you love her back." She whispered.

------

James had arrived to the funeral home early with Y/N's parents. Lydia and their parents would be following behind them.

He made a b-line to the casket. There she lay, herself and everything she had been on full display. Tears already began to swell in his eyes as he neared it. He thought he was ready, but with each step he took closer to the casket, the more difficult it became.

Once beside it, he stared down at her. Just as beautiful as the last time he had seen her, which was only about a week and a half prior.

She had met him on the lacrosse field before he started practice. They had bid each other a Goodnight with a kiss to go.

It was only a few hours later that James heard about the accident.

Y/N and her chauffeur were killed in a drunk driving accident.

James put his hands on the edge of the casket, unsure if he would be able to stand on his own.

"Your mother told me you loved me. Always knew you could never resist my charms." He teased quietly. James drew in a shaky breath before swallowing thickly. Tears pricked the corner of his eyes. He glanced down at his feet. James slipped his hand inside the casket, letting it rest on hers currently resting on her stomach.

"I know you know this already." He started, his thumb gently rubbing along the knuckles of one her hands. "But I love you, Y/N. And I always will." James smiled, gazing softly down at her face. Her expression was so peaceful, and it was almost as if nothing happened.

Oh how he hoped that she had only been asleep.

More tears rolled down his cheeks and dripped onto the dress she wore.

"You'll paint some more heavenly scenery for me. Right?" His voice grew thicker, and he drew in a shaky breath. James blinked the tears out his eyes before closing them. He imagined her voice and laughter. It was followed by a gasp, as he started crying.

He leaned over the casket, his hand moving from hers to her face. James pressed his forehead to her own, his tears dripping his cheeks and onto her own.

He was suddenly aware of others in the room, and he had only expected her and his parents to have filed in. Were his parents really there for him. Or were they only there to save face? He rubbed his thumb gently on her cheek.

"Nothing at Maxton Hall could have prepared me for this." He said quietly. "Nothing could have prepared me for losing you. My heaven here on earth." James eyes drifted across her face, just hoping that it was a sick joke and she would open her eyes right then and there. That she would wrap her arms around him in that moment and console him, telling him that everything would be okay. He wanted everything to be okay. "Y/N. The one good thing I truly believed in." He brushed his lips against hers.

"You will continue to be that one good thing in my life. No matter where you are." He said softly, sniffling quietly. James stood upright, never taking his eyes off of her.

"I love you, Y/N. Paint the skies for me."

------

Taglist:

@honethatty12 @lifeonawhim @ashamedtobewhitemanswhore27 @maryvibess @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @imasimptoowth @wheredidmyeyesgo

[theloganator101]

The Designs for the Main Cast Makes me Wanna Fucking Cry

Okay I'm going to propose a scenario that's relevant to this post. Say you're someone who has NEVER seen or heard anything related to Hazbin Hotel, then I come up to you and show you this picture of some characters from the show.

I ask if they are the main cast of the show and you reply probably. Well TOO BAD FUCK YOU ONLY TWO OF THE MAIN CAST ARE HERE! Now THIS is what the main cast is compiled of.

As someone who likes to do character designs, I take GREAT issue with how their all designed.

And I'm sure I'm not saying anything new as I'm sure everyone and their mother had brought it up, that the excessive use of red in this palette is just NOT GOOD! It makes everything blend together in a bad way and no real distinction between the characters and the background.

Speaking of the characters! Let's talk about those deisgns!

Vivziepop, I have to ask... Why does all the main characters has to have red in their design? Even to those where red is NOT their color? *CoughVaggieCough* It makes them all look the same color scheme wise and tells very little about themselves.

A personal rule I have when it comes to designing characters, one that I'm not sure if many people know, is that the main characters should have their own unique colors and combinations of them to help them stand out more AND get their character across.

The ONLY one in this main cast that DOESN'T have some form of red in their design is Angel Dust, so that makes him stand out more and would probably trick people into thinking HE'S meant to be the main character... when it's actually Charlie.

Which again doesn't help that almost every character in the show have some shade of red in their design so it doesn't help distinguish who's meant to be important or not.

Vivziepop, you have a world where people from different eras of time are all living together, why do you NOT take advantage of this fact to give everyone respective designs to make them stand out more? Why are a majority of the male characters just wearing suits and tuxedos? Hell I've seen people redesign your characters that makes them look better!

(Credit goes to the artists that made these awesome designs)

Just... USE THESE AS INSPIRATION TO MAKE YOUR CANON DESIGNS BETTER PLEASE!!

And if you guys want, I'll be more than happy to come up with my own redesigns on how I would draw the main cast.

[blackaquokat]

First IF MCs Post!

So I've been playing IFs going on five years now, but I think I've only ever made one post about who they are, like, a year or two ago. They mostly only exist on the discord discussions or DMs with fellow IF fans because I also have no art skill (though I should post the Infamous fics I have in my drafts eventually--).

All that to say, getting a shoutout from @loveandleases herself (STILL RIDING THAT HIGH) has finally given me the kick I need to post about some of my MCs. This might open a floodgate for MANY of my OCs that I still yet have to talk about, so everyone beware!

(Picrews used will be credited at the bottom of the post)

First up, my Cam-mancer, Peridot "Dot" (last name tbd)! (Might change her eyes to hazel, but I'm keeping this picrew image for now.)

She started out very similar to my Infamous main, Genevieve, but now she's come into a life of her own. Has been hopelessly in love with Cam for most of her life, but resigned herself to just happily being his best friend (not knowing, of course, what the rest of us know about Cam--). Chris and Jade's betrayal stung, especially with what it solidified about the kind of people those two are, but I think a big part of her arc is realizing that she's not as heartbroken as she thinks she should have been about it. Then it's just her reconciling the years lost.

Anyway, she's a quiet, sweet woman, who normally doesn't mind not having attention on herself, but she's mostly become that way because of Jade demanding so much. She's also an artist, often preferring to spend evenings in the quiet, painting and sketching. I think she definitely has a stash of paintings she's made of Cam's pictures that she gives to him on bad days or his birthdays. She's a passable cook, but a far more enthused baker. It's mostly a calming activity for her when she's stressed, though her friends and loved ones certainly enjoy the results. The Clarke parents still talk about her pear custard recipe, even after the breakup.

She's still relatively new, along with the other MC I'm about to share, so I'll probably think of even more details as they grow and as the game progresses!

Anyway, now for Jumana, my G-mancer!

Jumana (last name also tbd) goes back to my usual trend with making MCs: she's of Lebanese heritage. She's a departure, however, because she's got grey eyes instead of brown like I usually give my Lebanese-coded MCs. She also met G during her goth phase in college (it slowly just turned to grunge), so this is the look that eventually grabbed G by the throat. She's not afraid to throw punches, but will try to talk people down first. Unless she's mad. Then all bets are off. Someone will be thrown across a desk. She is Very strong, and Very scrappy and she will not be fucked with.

Anyway, she's also a Literature Nerd and is almost always reading, especially in inconvenient spots. It drove G insane, because they never seemed to see her study in public, so HOW was she keeping up with their grades--

I do think, however, she's not a particularly ambitious person. I think she got high grades like G and that got under their skin and their reaction tickled her so much that she just. Kept trying to get high grades so she could keep getting a reaction out of them. Honestly, if G hadn't been there, she might not have tried so hard in college. But she definitely had a crush on them well before they probably realized their own feelings. Losing G gutted her, they were It for her. Chris was absolutely a rebound, and maybe a bit of self-punishment. Maybe a terrible part of her hoped being with Chris would one day get G angry enough to come back to her life, tell her to be with them, not Chris.

Now that Chris and Jade have royally betrayed her? Well. Jumana has ideas for making their lives miserable without her actually getting involved with them again, and that goes for her parents too, for their own betrayal--

I'm sure I'll think of more as time goes on, but in the meantime, these are my gals! Can't wait to see how they fit into the game!

Picrew used for the images:

[echantedtoon]

Father To Be: Haishira Edition ft. Nakime

Did a similar one for the upper moons so here's the reactions of the Haishira holding their babies for the first time/reaction to the birth. I made it ambiguous so you can imagine it as x reader or not.

Muichiro is included as a what IF scenario if he had survived and went on to have a family like Tanjiro or Inosukes had. So aged up future Muichiro. All art was found on Pinterest and not mine. Credit to the original artists.

Warnings for mentioning of pregnancy/labor/birth/etc.

MUICHIRO:

-IF Muichiro had survived and then went on to eventually find someone to settle down with and have a family like Sanemi or Giyuu did, i think he would absolutely love the idea of being a dad and having a family again.

-Honestly when his wife goes into labor he'd be half terrified out of his mind and half calm. Definitely is going to hold his wife's hand and encourage her but silently. He's too terrified to not trust himself to not shriek out in fright so his encouragement is more in smiles, squeezing her hand back, and patting her on the shoulder/back/cheeks and whipping away any tears. Very attentive and silent during this chaotic tense moment.

-Eventually when all is said and done, and he's holding his children (I'm pretty sure he'd have twins considering twins run in his family), he's still silently smiling while embracing his two littles and happy crying from joy. If his wife is ok with it, he'd definitely want to name the twins after his father and brother. If one or both are girls then he instantly wants to name one after his mother and the other after his own wife.

TENGEN:

-He's not going to lie. He's actually quite scared upon learning that one of more of his wives was expecting. The demon war had just ended, and as much as he wanted to settle down and start a family, he didnt want to have any until he was thirty or so so they could have some peaceful years together.

-Unfortunately life had other plans for him and surprise, surprise. He's going to be a father in just under a year. Honestly he's super scared of what's happening but he doesn't want to cause the wife who's pregnant stress so he just hides it under his usual smiles but his wives can all see through his facade.

-When time comes to give birth, the INSTANT they go into labor he legitimately starts having a panic attack. Hyperventilating, panicking, tripping over himself- Remember how panicked he was when Gyutaro had a hold of Hinatsuru? He's that panicked but much worse and with more gasping for breath.

-He's scared and a million things are going through his mind. Is his wife gonna die?! Will the baby be ok?! Will both of them be hurt?! What does he do?! Whatsdoeshedowhatdoeshedo- He only stops because one wife yanks him to another room to gently calm him down, while the other goes and helps the one who's in labor.

-He's not allowed in the delivery room, not because he's incompetent but because he's genuinely panicking and crying the entire time into one wife's shoulder and no one wanted him to have a worse attack during the delivery. Time seems to slow down as he finally hears the first cries of his baby(ies) and he just freezes up. Staring long and hard at the floor.

-Its all a blur really. One moment he's in the hall trying not to pass out, the next he's sitting next to all of his wives and the doctor as one of them is moving his arm to help him hold a whimpering bundle of fabric. He's silent the entire time. Mind blank as he stares down at the chonkiest baby he's ever seen. Complete with his paper white hair and pomegranate eyes.

-After a long moment all he can do is start bawling himself. Not out of sorrow but relief and unexpected happiness in the moment. Give him an hour and he'll be going on about how flamboyant his baby is for now he just has to get all these emotions out.

KYOJURO:

-The MOMENT this man knows he's going to be a father he's hugging his wife absolutely ELATED that he'll be having a child of his own soon. He's running off to tell his best friend, he's jabbering on about it to all the other Haishiras, and he even kicks down the door at his father's estate to tell his father and brother the good news!!

-He's VERY attentive. In fact he's THE MOST attentive father out of all the Haishira dads. Getting his wife anything she crave, taking parental leave the entire nine months if he could, and plans ahead for anything including what his brother and father should do to help her if he's not present to help her.

-Luckily he's staying with her the moment her water breaks. All that planning and preparing months on end comes in handy because he knows exactly how to help her lay down, remaining calm and telling her to breath, and sending his brother to fetch the nearest doctor/midwife while he prepares towels and warm water for their arrival. Don't let his calmness fool you however. He's stuttering his words badly and his hands are shaking as he lets his wife hold onto him and tries to get her to remain calm.

-He's an absolute nervous wreck but he's doing his best to cause as less stress as possible during this time. Absolutely let's his wife destroy his hand and gives her assurances as he winces from how hard she squeezed him(he had no idea she had that much strength). Might offer assistance to the doctor but is more likely to remain at his wife's side.

-Faints partially when he finally hears his son crying. No amount of preparing could prepare him for finally hearing his child cry for the first time. His vision goes black for a little while before he wakes up after a minute finding himself slumped over on the floor but he quickly sits up looking around like a startled ostrich.

-He's very excited to finally get to hold his son right after making sure his wife is ok. Once he gets to hold his boy his entire heart melts away like the day he first laid eyes on his mother. "It's like I've fallen in love all over again." His own words. His son's the spitting image of him(those Rengoku genes hella strong) but he'll give all the credit of giving him the little chubby hand holding his finger to his beautiful wife.

SANEMI:

-Contrary to popular belief with how be have towards Genya and others, he actually WANTS to have a family. The only problem was that he's scared that there's a possibility that he'll turn out to be just like his own father no matter how much his wife assures him otherwise.

-So when his wife goes into labor he's a full blown mess. He freezes when she first starts. Full on blue screens as she clutches her stomach in pain. It takes her yelling at him and throwing a harmless pillow at his head to get him to a doctor NOW!!

-He absolutely scares the doctor looking crazy and kicking in his door leaving it broken in two. "MY WIFE'S HAVING A BABY!! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND HELP HER!!" He's so scary that he scares the doctor into submission with helping her even if he didn't mean too. He just looks really scary when he's freaking out and barking orders at someone is a habit that hasn't gone away.

-HE. IS. NOT. LEAVING. HER. SIDE. PERIOD! If the doctor even suggests that he might be more useful waiting outside he's given the scariest look of his life. "Say that to my face again! I don't think I heard you right the first time." He's scared if he's not right there next to her something bad will happen so even if she tells him to get out, he's staying RIGHT THERE holding her hand. Part outta fear, part out of stubbornness, and part because he's frozen to the spot.

-He doesn't really faint. In fact he doesn't really register anything that's going on the entire time he's there. Not her screaming in pain. Not the doctor running around him. Not how she's committed homicide on his hand. Everything's blurring together and his ears are ringing as he stares off into the great nothing. The only thing that cuts through the ringing is the shrill noise of a loud crying in the air. It makes his choke on his spit and he gasps for air he didn't know he was holding.

-Literally. He's coughing and gasping for air to the side trying to catch his brief as the cries continue turning to soft whimpers and whines right behind him. He's almost afraid to turn around but his excitement causes him to turn wide eyed, eyes hyper focused on a small pair of hands that he sees waving out of a bundle the doctor's handling.

-Once he's finally given the option to hold the baby he's super nervous. Almost refuses to hold them due to the fear, but eventually he's holds out his hands and the small moving bundle is placed in his hold. He freezes up again as he looks at the child in his arms .. before the rarest of genuine smiles graces his face and happy tears start to fall down his cheeks. He's in love with this baby and he vows nothing bad will ever happen to them.

GYOMEI:

-Having his kind of background and considering his important position as the strongest Haishira, having children isn't on the top of his list of priorities. He's not against the idea but he's not really planning for anything even with his wife. His mindset is 'if it happens it happens but it doesn't it doesn't'.

-So when it does happen he's rather calm. Actually he's THE calmest one out of all the haishira(meditation really helps and having raised multiple children in his teen years). He's really elated at the news, don't let his calm reaction fool you, he's half expected this to happen so he's not completely surprised.

-He doesn't have to prepare much unlike Kyojuro who goes crazily wild when planning. He was there for Kagaya when his children were born so he has an idea of what to expect, but he still asks Amane questions about what to expect with his wife.

-He's unfortunately not around a whole lot during this time so he makes arrangements for her to temporary move into the Butterfly estate so Aoi and Shinobu can care for her while he's not there. Even then he prays much more for the safety of his wife and child. When he arrives back sometime months later it's coincidentally the same time his wife is about to give birth.

-He's calm as he waits outside. He trusts Shinobu and the nurses skills to help her, and he'd rather not get in the way considering how large he is. So he opts to sit outside and pray for the well being of his wife and child as he hears the pained screams. He only stops because he hears the sounds of a baby crying nearly three hours later.

-he still opts to wait outside patiently until Shinobu or Aoi comes out to inform him that his wife was perfectly fine and he could hold his baby now.

-Constantly cries as she places the baby in his arms. They're so tiny that he can hold them with one hand. Gently counts all their toes and fingers choking on a sob as he feels a tiny hand grab a hold of one of his fingers. He's going to be crying much, MUCH harder than usual while holding them.

OBANAI:

-This man deadass faints when he first finds out his wife was pregnant. Honestly no one really expected that reaction out of him even his wife. If anything everyone expected Uzui would be the more likely one to faint. So even Kaburamaru seems taken aback. Give him a few hours to reboot. Eventually it'll sink in.

-He panicked more than anyone. Even Uzui who's terrified something will happen to his wives. He's gonna be a dad?! HIM?! It can't be possible! There's absolutely no way that he's gonna be a dad before someone else! Hell. GIYUU had a higher chance of becoming a dad than he did. But no. Here he was rubbing his wife's side back while she was expecting, and the reality was something he couldn't escape.

-He's NOT leaving her side for the entire duration of the pregnancy. He talks to Ubuyashiki about this and somehow got paternity leave unless he was REALLY needed. When he couldn't stay, he made absolutely sure that she was gonna stay at the butterfly mansion. Honestly he's stressing himself out more than needed. Was he the one pregnant or his wife?

-Once she is about to have the baby there's a loud THUD sound as everyone turns to find Obanai face down unconscious on the floor with Kaburamaru trying to wake him up by nudging his head. Rengoku tried to wake him but he was PASSED OUT so they resorted to move him to a bed at the butterfly mansion and prioritize getting Shinobu to help his wife.

-He wakes up a few hours later all wobbly feeling and lightheaded not knowing what happened until it all comes rushing back to him hearing the distant pained screams of his wife. He's not allowed back in the delivery room because Shinobu doesn't want him in her way. It partially works out because he just drops in a faint again once he hears the cries of his baby.

-Eventually he wakes up a second time to Shinobu internally laughing at his reaction and holding up the small bundle in her arms. By the looks of him you'd think he'd just gotta out of a long fight and hadn't slept in days. Shabby appearance, his hair is sticking up everywhere, half his bandages are loosely hanging on, bags under his eyes- Almost looks like he tried to fist fight a tornado.

-Before he has the chance to faint again, Shinobu's already shoving the bundle into his panicked arms and he freezes up upon looking at the chubby face framed by blankets they were swaddled in. He's not moving or saying anything for a good five minutes just staring at the baby to the point someone suggests that they take the baby from him- He finally reacts narrowing his eyes and slapping their hand away. "Touch them and you die!"

GIYUU:

-Ironically this would be the first ever time anyone other than Ubuyashiki would find out Giyuu had a baby on the way let alone a whole ass wife! Because his first instinct after she tells him she's expecting was to take her straight to Shinobu to confirm it.

-Everyone is shocked to find out he had a wife and even more shocked about him having a baby on the way confirmed by a pretty surprised Shinobu. He himself is also pretty shocked by the news. He slowly blinks as it settles in. He's going to be a father.

-Is surprisingly actually pretty calm about the entire thing, mostly because he's seen a lot of surprising things and being deathly calm is his default emotion by this point. Don't get him wrong. He's SUPER excited about the possibilities of settling down and having a family, he's just not going to panic like Obanai or get over excited like Rengoku.

-Follows his wife around like a lost puppy. If she needs anything then he's right there ready to provide it. Honestly it's pretty cute to watch him get so excited over something in his own way. He does panic eventually when it's time for the baby to be born.

-Like everyone else he allows his wife to destroy his hand wincing slightly from the sudden Hercules strength she possessed. Offering kind words but he's mostly silent as hell breaks loose around him until the sounds of the baby reached everyone's ears.

-He's calm and quiet as he waits for the baby to be handed to him. Mostly staring in wide eyed awe the entire time the baby is taken cared for and then held out for him. He's slow to take them but he just stares at them inspecting to make sure nothing was wrong before he finally allows him to start crying lost in the moment.

MITSURI:

-Finding a man who loved her enough to marry her was enough to make Mitsuri's life complete but finding out she's expecting was certainly something that had her shocked but she was VERY excited all the same.

-Honestly she hadn't even known she was expecting. Her appetite had always been big but she had started to crave certain items and weird combinations. Five tons of Sakura mochi with chili powder, six giant beef hotpots with fruit instead of veggies cooked in the broth, a pound of rice with teriyaki glazed apple slices- Her poor husband probably becomes a master chef after all these things.

-So she's SUPER excited to find out if it's a boy or girl or how many she's gonna have in the future(She had five kids with Obanai in cannon so she's definitely having more in the future).

-As much as she's excited she is NOT prepared for her to be munching on the food and her baby to suddenly decide to be born. Her reaction was to panic lightly but somehow her husband manages to get her to Shinobu. Luckily she's not panicking so much about the pain or fearing the possiblity of harming the baby, but boy she would NOT recommend this to literally anyone else.

-When the baby arrives at last and leaves her exhausted, she's crying harder than she had after defeating Hantengu while holding the little baby that looks so much like her. Her husband's crying too. Half because he's overjoyed seeing their child...and half because she accidentally broke his hand while squeezing in pain. Oops.

SHINOBU:

-She's blank minded. Shocked as her husband as they both stared at the seventh doctor/midwife that Shinobu dragged him to in desperation for a second opinion for someone to tell her she was wrong. She found out WAY before anyone else but was just hoping she was wrong but after the seventh or eighth doctor/midwife she has no choice but to accept that she's going to be a mother.

-Doesn't want to be a mother. Never planned to be. She had no time no ambition and no desire. So logically her idea was to keep doing Haishira duties and handling poisons while expecting. Her husband can't convince her to stop the results to asking Ubuyashiki to force her to go on maternity leave and to stop handling her poisons. She's salty and gives him the silent treatment for almost the rest of her pregnancy for that bit.

-Eventually she does get attached to the idea of having a prodigy to take over her work if she fails to avenge her sister. However she's pretty prepared being a doctor herself insisting on handling it herself...Yeah that's not happening. When she goes into labor her husband drags her kicking and fighting to the nearest other doctor or midwife to have the baby.

-She's extremely salty and annoyed during the entire time she's in labor and even after exhausted and looking at the chubby baby in her arms. Probably says something along the lines of- "You better be worth all the pain you put me through." Very salty when they giggle at her.

BONUS:

NAKIME:

-including Nakime because I forgot to add her with the other demons. Honestly she's just as shocked as everyone else is when she discovers that she's going to be a mother.

-She's not scared or anxious or anything. Just very very shocked as usually demons were unable to have children. But she takes this new development in stride and doesn't let it affect her much. Honestly the pregnancy as a whole doesn't affect her much in emotional or physical ways. She still craves certain thing such as a liver specific all salted on one side or a thirty year old woman's arms, and her husband or Muzan if he's feeling generous will always provide it for her.

-The labor and birth itself doesn't affect her very much either. Demons have high pain tolerance and great regeneration abilities so the entire thing doesn't last for more than one of two hours at most. When all is said and done, she acts like nothing happened and simply goes back to her duties right away. Only this time she'll be either holding a babbling baby in her lap or have them strapped to her chest.

*****

[risingchaos]

In episode nineteen of season three of Star Trek: The Original Series, Requiem for Methuselah, our main three go down to a planet to find a cure for an epidemic on the Enterprise. They run into a man named Flint, who takes them back to his home and offers help. While there, Kirk falls in love with a woman, Rayna, who turns out to be an android. She was designed to be a lover for her creator, Flint, and when she finds out she’s an android while Flint is threatening the triumvirate, she’s so torn between her love for creator and her love for Kirk that she actually dies. Obviously there’s a lot more to the episode but that’s the basics. There’s a few bits in here I think about a lot.

At the end, after Rayna dies, Spock says this after some dialogue.

Spock: The joys of love made her human, and the agonies of love destroyed her.

Fucking insane quote to have, especially from Spock. Near the start of this episode, Bones had offered Kirk brandy and half offered it to Spock with his normal “Spock hates fun” jabs, but Spock took him up on it and even opened up about how he was experiencing a new emotion. Envy. Envy of the man’s house they were in, which contained a lot of originals never seen before from a variety of famous artists.

Now, Spock saying that alone in the same episode where it was clear we had a teeny focus on Spock’s emotive capabilities was so great. We love a glimpse into the odd mind of our resident Vulcan, but it gets better. Spirk shippers, listen up.

Just before they find out Rayna is an android, they were about to travel into an unknown part of the complex they were in to retrieve said cure that had been hidden in there. Before entering, Spock steps in front of Kirk, saying he should go in alone as it might be dangerous. Obviously Kirk puts up a bit of a fight, and McCoy jumps in, pressuring Spock into letting all three of them go. He relents, and they go in.

Again, maybe not the most impactful on its own, but it’s a very important thing. Spock wanted to protect specifically Kirk from whatever danger might lie within. We later know this is because Spock wanted to hide Kirk from finding out Rayna is an android, but still. It’s insane.

At the very end, right before credits, Spock goes to Kirk’s room where the man in question is mourning the loss of Rayna. He compares himself to Flint very despondently.

Kirk: Very old, and lonely man. And a young, and lonely man. We put on a pretty poor show there, didn’t we? If only I could forget..

He puts his head down on the desk just before McCoy walks in. McCoy makes a comment about Kirk finally sleeping, tells Spock that everything is alright on the ship, then drops this absolutely insane paragraph.

McCoy: You wouldn’t understand [love], would you, Spock? You see, I feel sorrier for you than I do [Kirk], because you’ll never know the things that love can drive a man to. The ecstasies, the miseries, the broken rules, the desperate chances, the glorious failures, and the glorious victories. All of these things you’ll never know, simply because the word love isn’t written into your book. Goodnight, Spock.

Spock: Goodnight, Doctor.

McCoy: I do wish [Kirk] could forget her.

McCoy then exits, leaving Spock staring at the asleep form of his captain. Spock approaches, quiet, and leans down. He gently placed his fingers on Kirk’s face, and whispers something right before credits roll.

Spock: Forget.

Spock, out of love for His Captain, grants his wish and uses his abilities to help him forget what had happened.

Spock loves Kirk. I don’t know how anyone denies this.

[greyyson-but-no]

hey guys heres a couple reasons I don't like taylor swift and maybe yous should consider your own opinions on her, no enforcement, just a suggestion

Being a billionaire will never not be bad for the economy (The Eras Tour is expected to make around $2 billion by the end of it so there is no denying her being a billionaire now).

She brands herself as someone that completely build her own fame from nothing - this is not true both her parents were extremely wealthy which meant that she had the ability to fly weekly to NYC to get singing and acting lessons and was working with a talent manager at the age of fourteen. She could not be at the level of fame she is at today if it were not for that but she brands herself as if that is the case. The issue is not with her actually coming from money but that she brands herself as someone that isn't — it creates a fake sense of security for her young fans that believe they can do the same.

She takes the worship she recieves from her fans and (for lake of hetter word) uses it against other artists and communities to attack them through the way she advertises her new music and speaks about them in other songs. This is not me saying that those other artists are perfect either (eg the kanye situation), but instead that this sentiment creates further uneccessary drama which she uses to boost her fame and popularity.

Taylor Swift only speaks up about certainly world issues when it benefits her. She hasn't spoken up about the genocide in Palestine at the moment, it took her 21 years into her career to collaberate with a woman of colour and she is clearly the poster girl for White Feminism. Not only this, but dating Matty Healy of 1975 is proof of that. He is an extremely racist, xenophobic and generally controversial person, and since Taylor once stated "i want to be know by what i love", those same attributes can automatically be associated with her.

The Eras Tour that has been completed so far is only a small amount of her carbon emissions (the first leg of the tour ended with 139 tons of CO2) and that isn't including the equipment being transported and her individual trips to run errands and see her boyfriend three times a week. Her buying carbon credits does nothing, carbon credits will not rid the world of the CO2 she has emitted and in fact only pay governments to 'support the reduce, reuse, recycle' project which we all know is not where that money actually goes. Recently, she flew 30 miles and don't give me the 'its easier and quicker' argument, thats equivalent to a 20 minute drive.

Calling her a lesbian/queer icon is just completely wrong and doesn't work in any circumstance with her. She is openly straight and has never even been open to questioning her sexuality or gender at all. Just because she released 'you need to calm down' during a time of queer peril, doesn't make her a queer icon. In fact, there are many other lesbian artists that are either growing in popularity or have the potential to, and giving that title to her brings down actual queer artists and their opportunities.

"Tortured Poets Department"? Are we even serious at this point? Who exactly here is tortured because its certainly not the white straight billionaire, that's for sure. Having a song that basically says it was okay you dated a racist because you were 'heartbroken' is not okay. To have little digs at Joe and him being depressed using the excuse that he broke your heart is not okay. Using metaphors that link to you being in an insane asylum is not okay. Insane asylums were extremely torturous places to be and there is no moral decision in comparing the music industry to a place with that much terror and injustice.

here I have only spoken about two of her partners in a passing mention, there is much more that I could add to on these subjects but I've decided not to because I don't think they hold the same weight the points I've already made have. this will probably be edited and added to in the future.

I'd like to emphasise this is not me forcing swifties to completely turn on her and hate her and everything she does. all I am doing by posting this information is allowing people to make their own educated decisions on how they go about interacting with taylor swift and her community however they deem fit. personally I have her removed on spotify because that is a decision I have made. my decision.

it wasn't easy for my either. a lot of songs of hers I associated with my grandad who recently passed, which meant having stop listening to her music lead to a big part of mine and his bond was erased, but that is again, a decision that I have made. her negative impact on the world, the music industry at the media is just too much for me to defend. again, I will reiterate that is my opinion and my decision, what you guys decides to do effects me just as little as what I decide effects you.

[colourstreakgryffin]

Yuichiro and fem!s/o please! 😌 Yuichiro thinks she has a crush on Muichiro and gets overprotective, but in reality, she likes HIM. Maybe he overhears her or something? And please do his reaction after and what he does! Tysm,,!! <3

Ommfhdkdjjjakakajjffgggg. That’s sooooo cuteeeeee! I imagine it’s a add-on to my Hashira Yui post! Let’s goooo!

Tokito Yuichiro- A Bad Feeling

It was so obvious…Of course you have a crush on his twin brother… Muichiro is kind and considerate to everybody he meets whilst him… he’s rude and cold that most Hashira avoid him like the plague

No woman wants a man like him…

It makes sense that you don’t like him in that way. Yuichiro was quite heartbroken as he watched you through the thick strands of his long black to mint green fade hair. Sat besides the brother he had a personal love rivalry against, Muichiro didn’t even sense Yuichiro’s distress over his messy lovelife

What he heard that day as he wondered over to your Estate for a visit. Kanroji suggesting you were interested in Muichiro when he drifted around the corner to a halt, it all clicked whilst you nervously stuttered at the Love Hashira’s confident statement about who you truly crushed on. He has never been nice to you once, all in spite how kind you are to him

You were just being a genuinely good and kind person, something he is not. You were just being friendly to him since he is the identical brother of your long term crush, the one you want. Unaware to Yuichiro, his cemented view on which Tokito Brother you liked was wrong. He didn’t know that you actually liked him, not Muichiro

Sitting besides Muichiro with a sweet smile and your lunch bento box laid calmly on your lap, looking directly at the Mist Hashira to politely listen to his words as he blabbered on and on so cutely about him and his twin’s efforts at their shared missions. Fishing through your bento, you had no clue Yuichiro was sat up on the short brick wall wrapping around the thick tree, facing to the other way from where you and his twin brother chatted loudly and cheerfully

Yuichiro grumbled in pure defeat after a few more seconds, throwing down the bento box he just couldn’t force down his dry throat anymore as he stands and stomps over to the laughing duo behind him. Both you and Muichiro raise your heads up at the Haze Hashira as his gorgeous mint greens burned with a charring jealousy at his own flesh and blood. Sending a shiver of intimidation down Muichiro’s spine, his older twin glared at him like he was a demon

Yuichiro aggressively pinches your wrist and yanks you up just before you could roll out your concerned question of his name. His baggy and loose uniform matching Muichiro covered his limbs as he lifted you up onto your feet and begun dragging you carelessly away from your spot as you felt your cheeks flame in pale rosy red blush

You were a little scared that he was mad at you but feeling his grasp and his eyes on you made you feel so flustered… you just really liked him

Yuichiro finally stopped in place but didn’t dare let go of his intense grip, twisting his head around to scan over for his younger brothers before he twirls on his heels in a quick pace to face you, those mint greens made you feel a amazing wave of power and beauty overwhelm you as you clamped your lips shut to avoid making him any more angry than he seemed to be

“Can you… not talk to my twin? You’re wasting your time and your effort with making friends when you should divert your time into training and being a good Hashira, Dokusha”

The credit of the art above, goes to the incredible artist Ei497, please go support him/her/them!

[the-curse-of-neoclones]

Moderneopets Artist Mistreatment

Edit as of 11/16/23 10:40 AM NST:

Removed names where I failed to do so before. I'm very sorry to the affected parties, this snowballed so far out of my intended scope.

Edit as of 11/16/23 5:30 PM NST

Please see this post for a small update.

As of 11/16/23 10:10 PM NST, Hazer the site owner has formally and publicly apologized to myself and Velu, the other affected artist. As far as I'm concerned he has officially handled the situation as best as he could, and I hold no further qualms with Moderneopets. I hope to hear of its management continuing in this direction.

The following post is left up for archival purposes only.

*****

Hello, I’m wren. I'm an artist responsible for some of the pet assets on the neoclone, Moderneopets. I'm just going to get into it.

Hazer was extremely lucky to somehow cultivate a dense group of largely professional artists to work together to make assets for his site. When it comes to his own management as a site runner, he’s largely hands-off of the art department, which is a good thing! If he can’t be active in the art panel enough to know what goes on in there, he shouldn’t be running it— we have many strong, capable artists on the team who are passionate about recreating the neopets style, who work together on every pet that has been released ever since critique became a requirement. 

It makes sense that, with a project this large, Hazer should have to designate moderators to enforce rules when he is absent. Choosing to bring on moderators was also a good decision. Unfortunately, he chose poorly. 

Art panel issues should have separate Art panel moderators to take care of them. People who are not overburdened with generic moderation duties from the many other channels of the server, for example. In the same vein, artists should not be moderators. When an artist has an issue with another artist, who happens to be a moderator (which has happened many times, with many people— If the mods actually open threads for all complaints they receive, they should have evidence of this & if they don’t they are not being truthful), the artist would likely not feel comfortable approaching that same artist-slash-moderator to complain about what happened. It breeds an aura of fear and discomfort any time there is an issue with an artist/mod, and that is why the two moderators on the team should have to choose one or the other if hazer wants to cultivate a healthy atmosphere in his panel. 

I’ve created many pets for this website. Neopets has been a passion of mine since the third grade. I’m also one of those professional artists I mentioned— my work is also art, industry or otherwise. I care about breaking neopets down into their core, recognizable shapes. I care about keeping them on-model and in the spirit of the original TNT art team, with improvements made where I and the other panelists think they make sense. I have redlined for other artists to an even greater degree, just as other artists have redlined for me and helped me finalize each pet into something simply good: something that made sense to get put on a little passion project website for other people with a similar passion to enjoy. I found the panel to be a community of likeminded artists with which to discuss our favorite childhood petsite while we made art for a clone, as if we could pretend we were making art for neopets-dot-com. It was nice. 

It wasn’t perfect, though. In fact, shortly after I joined in 2021 I took a hiatus because the art panel was fairly dead. I came back a little while later to see we had several new species, as well as an art director, and lots of activity! That was very exciting. Over the next year I would reach out to the panel or, if nobody was sure of how to proceed, I would reach out to the art director to propose ideas for how to make the panel a little more functional; quality of life updates, if you will. I don’t take credit for all of these alone, there were other artists with similar ideas all communicating to the director in private, but some examples: 

A designated “collab” zone where artists could seek out other artists to complete pets with. 

“The Purge,” in which the team was whittled down to ~25 current, active artists to refresh the team and allow for new artists to join. 

“The Approval System,” which I first sat down with in my workshop (public to all artists) to hammer out the details with as many other artists as wanted to give their input— a method for pitching new ideas to eventually break through the “new species/color freeze” that had been plaguing us.

Speaking on the approval system: like most things that required Hazer’s direct input in the art team, it was left without response for a very long time. Artists with ideas for custom species or colors would occasionally murmur about their excitement for the system to get a look-over by hazer, to see if our approval system pitch would be approved. But hazer is busy, as we all know, and the pitch sat for a while. We had new & returning artists on the team to keep everyone busy. 

What I would expect from a years-old panel of artists, when new additions arrive, would be some manner of tutorial. New artists would need to know the pipeline (here’s your workshop, you can post WIPs and anything else in there; here’s how you ping for critique, here are the spaces in which to ask for it; make sure you always ping before your work is submitted on-site), and there would likely be some acclimating on both sides. What I did not expect (but should have), was pushback from new artists on things that hadn’t had pushback in a long time. Why can’t [x] color be a posechange? Well, we’ve created many already and none of them were posechanges. Why can’t I use colored lineart? Well, that isn’t in line with the style standards set by this color; see, nobody else is coloring their lineart. 

Suddenly there was a divide between veteran artists, the director, and the new blood. The divide felt greater when Hazer came to his new artist’s aid to say, approximately: “Eh, if someone wants to go above and beyond and make better art, they shouldn’t have to adhere to the guidelines.” Then he threw the art director under the bus for not somehow knowing that his intentions were always to keep the panel loose and unstructured. But don’t worry, that isn’t the first bus and won’t be the last.

My personal investment in the panel waned around that time. I think a structured “work” environment with easily accessible rules and deadlines is necessary to any project of this size. If we didn’t want to enforce color standards, nor prioritize certain colors for release, and anyone could just submit whatever Nice Art they wanted, why not open it up so any user could submit pet art? Why have a panel at all? Isn’t Hazer taking any opportunity to dunk on Leopets because he wants his site to be better? How is this different? 

But I stuck around. This was a hobby I really enjoyed, after all, and I really believed it could get better. It had a good core, and despite my grievances with individual artists, none of them were bad people. 

But I noticed some trends. New artists would receive feedback that they didn’t agree with and retaliate by bringing in their emotions or personal preferences. Any disagreement where multiple veteran artists stepped in to say their piece would escalate to the point of very long messages on both sides, and would need to be left to hazer to give a final input. Often he didn’t come around to it, because he’s busy, as we know. I didn’t step in to every argument; they became cyclical after a while, and I didn’t have the time or energy to spend simply tapping the proverbial sign (or style sheet). I would try to give positive suggestions when I could, for example: I don’t think this color needs another alt for just one single design, but we did talk about eventually making this color that your design would fit into really well. 

I’ve done my time having arguments on the internet. I really just want an art environment where the rules are set and people actually enjoy following them, because I do— I see art rules as helpful guidelines at best and obstacles to cleverly navigate at worst, which is still fun. But of course not everyone is going to feel the same way, that’s normal; that’s life. 

On 11/9 I was given this message by Hazer: 

It reads:

Hello wren,

I am reaching out to you today to inform you that effective immediately you are being dismissed from the Artist and Consultant Panels. This decision has been reached through discussions and based on repeated offences in the form of user harassment and subjecting the panels to a toxic atmosphere, after multiple reports and concerns brought up to us by other users.

While we understand concerns regarding panel management, there is a distinct difference between criticising and condeming the way the panel does things and criticising and condeming users that are on the panel, and we believe this line has been crossed one too many times, further supported by concerns brought to us.

We appreciate the passion and drive of our team—all of them—and we understand you have been very passionate about the panel. Given some of the messages we see, we have also concluded that due to things in the panel not working out as you have wished, it has caused you much stress and upset as well, which we do not want. All in all, we've decided that the atmosphere of the panel and your own enjoyment of the website are hampered by your presence on it. Because of this, we have decided it is best to have you part ways with the staff sections of the website.

Effective immediately after this message, we will be permanently removing you from the panels. While normally we do a temporary removal, in this case we've seen that your compatability with our management and handling of the panel will not improve, and it will just bring stress to both sides.

We understand you have put a lot of passion into the projects you have been working on for release in Moderneopets, and in lieu of that, we offer you the option of having the project(s) still be released even after dismissal. Rewards will still be granted for releases per usual, and credit will still be given. If you decide, due to dismissal, you do not want your unreleased work to be released on Moderneopets, simply state it as such, and we will discard all progress on projects you have been working on to respect those wishes.

This decision is final and will not be revoked.

Best wishes to you,

The Moderneopets Team

[end caption]

My response:

It reads: 

No warnings huh?

[end caption]

Hazer didn’t have an answer for me. I was already removed from the panel. 

This came as a shock. I’d been there for over two years, I felt I had a good rapport with the other artists, I felt I’d been a helpful and active addition to the team. Like I said, I’ve done my time having arguments on the internet… what toxic behavior? Discussions over style guides? Giving redlines to people with permission? Working with the whole team to bolster several new color releases? I had an entire species that Hazer wanted ready to go since March— I just pushed through the Swamp Gas release, I just created the Mystical alt? 

No warnings?

Let me reiterate: I have never been spoken to by any staff about my behavior. Hazer, his then-four moderators— none of them have ever been in my DMs to issue a warning. I have spoken TO the mods about others’ behaviors, and nothing ever came of it. The one time (and I mention this for full transparency only) the art director came to talk to me about something I said, it was stated clearly that it was not a warning, and even so I adjusted my behavior around said issue accordingly. And that was well before the purge. 

But, don’t take my word for it. Here it is from hazer himself, speaking over his mods who were busy telling the rest of the panel that they always issue warnings: 

It reads:

No in this case I do agree that this has been an abrupt situation and I understand the blind-sided-ness of it. No official warnings were given out regarding the actions that resulted in the removal of artists today and that’s on fault of myself and deebs not working things out properly despite the moderation team bringing issues to a us a few times – also due to our lack of availability recently.  [end caption]

So… What happened? Well… here it is from Hazer, in longform: 

For those who use screen readers, above are several enormous discord screenshots; I've placed it in a paste bin here: https://pastebin.com/dHLiBRTF

Two other artists immediately stepped down. Hazer admits here in his message that he and the mods had multiple tickets opened about my behavior, that they had known they wanted to remove me. They never gave a warning, never talked to me until the moment of my dismissal, but they had known it was coming for months? 

Why did Hazer and his gang of mods let me continue working on art for their panel? Why did they let me work so hard to pull Swamp Gas together for an official release? Why did they let me put together a whole custom Alt and workshop it for so long? I’ve been active this whole time. Why did you let me keep working if you knew you wanted me gone? 

I am a professional artist. My work is art. Hazer made the knowing decision to exploit my time and effort for his website. He’s not paying me, he’s not paying any of us. It’s volunteer work. But I did not volunteer to be mistreated like this. To not even be given a chance to defend myself. To him, artists are disposable. To him, if someone has worked on your team for years but speaks up when your friend tries to overturn the system, even civil discussion is cause for disposal. Civil discussion negates years of effort, passion, time and care. 

I didn’t have to make art for you, Hazer. And you don’t deserve the team you have. How many artists have voiced their discomfort with your actions? How many artists are taking a break from the panel because of how you handled this? Ah, wait, you wouldn’t know… you’re busy. 

Hazer and his mod team are just another corrupt group of individuals unfortunately heading what could have been a fun and promising petsite. Everyone who speaks praise of modneo does it by and large because of the new and unique art. Hazer was extremely lucky to cultivate a dense group of largely professional artists to work together to make assets for his site. 

If Hazer wants to show any sign of his potential to be a better person, I believe he needs to formally apologize to his site for the misuse of his power and the mistreatment and exploitation of artists on his team. He needs to apologize to you, the players of his game, the subscribers to his patreon, for allowing this to happen under his watch and under his word. You know you fucked up, hazer. You shouldn’t have sided with your friend without any actual evidence of misconduct. You shouldn’t have spoken about me like I was a toxic, subhuman hindrance to your art team. You shouldn’t have treated me like that. I didn’t deserve it. None of us did. You can apologize to me and the other lost artists publicly.

[e-adlirez]

A Callout Post

You've read the title, and Geronimo Stilton fandom, today's subject is this guy, @geronimosothercadilac.

Warnings: Misogyny, hypocrisy, crappily done suggestive art

Do not be deceived by the blog's innocent title, he is.... well, we're gonna get into it right here.

See, Cadillac, on top of the occasional post about the Geronimo Stilton movie and some nifty old illustrations of G, he also makes R-16 content of Geronimo, mainly him having an open shirt or having no pants. Viewer discretion is very much advised when browsing his blog.

Now, for some this may not be a problem, since we live on a hellsite. However, the line has been crossed since Cadillac has also been reported to have harassed fandom residents into making art that suits his "tastes". (These screenshots are from a dm between me and deadkat, and a dm between deadkat and ratonahat, respectively.)

And the line has been crossed even more with sheer hypocrisy, because he's gone on record being a prude about mundane things that have appeared in the Geronimo Stilton books.

This reply comes from a Violette sketch by melonforbrain, and yes, you're reading this right. This same guy who's made at least five MS Paint edits of Geronimo with his p$nis uncensored, is being this much of a prude over this sketch post that has since been unfortunately deleted. Have a look and feel free to make your own judgments on it (credit goes to @melonforbrain give them some love please). Please keep in mind that this was a WIP at its time of posting.

If you think the rabbit hole is done there, then you have another thing coming for you. The guy's also pulling a door-to-door salesman and sharing his posts in DMs with random people.

(Little warning for uh, his Geronimo Stilton open shirt MS Paint art)

Yes, that is him roping in people who have and want absolutely nothing to do with him! He mentions @2deadkat in these DMs and says they can vouch for him, but uh, around the same time Kat had him blocked for harassing them on similar grounds. (I've tried finding an @showdraws and I couldn't find anything, I think it might be showdrawn, who I don't think does any work for this fandom?? idk, all I know is that uh, no one's on this man's side fr.)

Also with him talking about an open-shirt G not being "suggestive"? Can I just point out that he's called this cover of Thea "sexy" and "seductive"? Do you smell the hypocrisy and misogyny yet? I sure hope you do because this man is pathetic. Do Not Interact, block this man's ass to kingdom come.

And Cadillac? If you're reading this, this is my message to you: Take down those reposts of 2deadkat and ratonahat's drawings you made without their permission, as well as these ones where you didn't even credit an artist. Leave us alone, and don't you dare say someone else is sided with you. I can assure you, no one is. Take your creepy art and your rotten vibes to R-34, you freak.

[novasintheroom]

Can you imagine your wedding day with Vash?

It's sudden, that's for sure - both of you wake up one day, years into your engagement, and Vash has this look in his eye and asks, "Wanna get married today?"

Of course you say yes.

You both bully Wolfwood into officiating the wedding. He does it with grumbles, but you can see the pleased blush on his face at being so included. Meryl and Milly scramble to put together bouquets made of fake flowers and shiny metal bits found in the local pawn shop and just around town. Meryl complains that it should be more, that there should be a venue, decorations, something, but Milly can barely talk because she's so choked up about being made a bridesmaid.

Your dress is simple - something you packed away in your sack for fancier occasions. It's not even white, but it's special, now. You slip it on, pressing down the wrinkles from being at the bottom of your pack for so long. You have to go in your boots, and you worry you don't look like a bride.

That worry vanishes when you see the look on Vash's face.

You appear in the little church the town has, and you can hear the breath leave your man when you walk through the doors. He's staring. Of course he's staring, you look beautiful. Milly did up your hair the best way she knew how, and Meryl helped to clean you up and put some make-up on your cheeks. He's seen you in that dress before, and he still thinks it's perfect for you, how it hugs your curves and just screams you. Wolfwood has to nudge him a bit, giving him a cheeky smile when he sees the tears in Vash's eyes.

You walk down the isle to no music, and when you reach him, Vash reaches out his hand to hold yours. His thumb rubs your ring finger, absent of your engagement ring in favor of using it for the ceremony. "We'll fix that," he murmurs, and you smile at him with your own tears.

Wolfwood does his best at being a proper priest, for the most part. There's a lot of 'ums' said as he makes up his speech while going along. When you get to your vows, Vash pulls out a paper you didn't know he had and reads it:

"Mayfly, I didn't sit back and take inventory of your qualities and say 'this one ticks all the boxes, done.' I was drawn to you and profoundly lucky that you were drawn to me. And we started something that we still work on everyday, that gets deeper and wrinklier every day. I hope that doesn't sound unromantic, calling it work. I don't mean work like drudgery, watching the clock waiting for work to be over - I mean work the way artists talk about paintings as vital and prioritized. It's the most important work of my life, our partnership, and I cherish it. Also, to be clear, I am hopelessly in love with you. That helps. I am on a daily basis completely knocked over by the person in front of me; this crazy dancing, music humming, sweet and spicy woman that I get to spend my life with. It's just that life is long, and I know that loving well is a thing you do, not a lottery you win."

He goes on to promise to always cherish you, listen to you, love you the way you deserve. By the time he's done, you're a mess, and your make-up is running. You kiss him before Wolfwood can even say "I pronounce you husband and wife," but when have you two ever done things the "normal" way?

Credit to @cullinmcgree on TikTok for the vows I use here - her husband's vows; I fell in love with them and just had to share them in a short story with Vash! I hope one day we may all find someone who loves as ardently as that man loves his wife.

dividers

[ravenstargames]

✦ Lost in Limbo Devlog #8 | 02.06.24

AHA! It's February (has been for a few days, but I've been a bit busy as per usual) so that means another Lost in Limbo devlog! We have been recovering from our wrap-up, working left and right, and oooh boy aren't things getting interesting. Let's jump into it, shall we?

First of all...

🎉🎊🎊THE DEMO CGS ARE DONE!🎉🎉🎊

Raquel has worked SO HARD to achieve this, and the results are simply amazing. We could never ask for a better artist, and we can't wait for you all to see and experience every CG for yourselves. Sadly, we made a promise of only showing Gael and Amon's, so you'll have to wait a bit more for the others! ; v ;

And next! You thought we were finished with the characters?! NOT BY A LONG SHOT! As you may remember, our demo script went through a few changes, but this secondary character remains! We don't want to talk about them too much, but we also wanted you to have a taste of them, as they'll be the first character you'll meet... 👀💜

Our plan is to finish this sprite and then move on to the character's expressions. We have to figure out the most efficient way to work on them, though!

The dreaded section—but THIS MONTH we come with a wonderful announcement...

✨🎆Airyn has joined the team!✨🎆

And you'll ask, who's Airyn?! Well, she's an amazing person we met during our master degree; we have been developing a friendship for a while now, and as we needed an extra hand with our backgrounds, Airyn offered us her help! She's an incredibly talented concept artist who loves working on backgrounds, and we are so so thankful for her help! We literally couldn't ask for a better professional to join us during our demo journey :')!

You can see some of Airyn's work on her ArtStation, here!

She has already started to work on our unfinished backgrounds, and so far we can offer you this fantastic WIP of one of the places you'll visit in the demo! 💜

But Astro is not far behind! He's getting our last background ready, and so far he's doing an impeccable job! We hope these mysterious places are piquing your curiosity, because we definitely can't wait for you to visit them!

I'm reaching page 100 of our script, having left behind a few things to correct! Only 40~ pages left, which means soon we'll make a second round of editing and correcting. Allie is almost done with their first editing process and that's very exciting! We can't honestly thank her enough for her incredible job 💜(I think I say this a bit too much, but we gotta be thankful on this team!)

The CG's have been programmed and they work so far! Now each character has a CG to be unlocked and seen in full HD, and each in their own gallery, hehe. Next I'll have to play around with the credits because I was having trouble with something last time I tried to get them done—but as always, I'll get it done one way or another!

This month we have worked hard! January has been a good start of the year I think. I hope we can speed things up a bit now that we have Airyn to help us with the backgrounds, and hopefully she'll be a permanent addition to the team if everything goes well! I don't want to jinx it, but I feel I can see the end of the tunnel little by little. Planning stuff, looking up different things, getting busier and busier...Let's see if February, even if short, proves to be a productive month!

Also, we hope you all have been taking care and the start of the year has been nice to you. There's so many amazing things happening in the indie otome community, so make sure to enjoy it all! 💜

[coulsonlives]

Y'all. There has officially been "furry" drama on the neopets subreddit, and I'm crying. It's such a trainwreck.

Someone posted anthro artwork of their neopets OCs, which looked like this:

And I guess it was reported as NSFW by multiple people, because these neopets were really um, well. I'm not gonna lie, they look like naked people with super short fur, and they even have pretty big mons pubis (genital area) which for anthro characters, especially super humanoid ones, is normally covered by clothes and/or thick fur.

Plus the poses seem a little playful (tongue sticking out? toesies?) and could easily be interpreted in a sexy way, especially once you factor in the more realistic anatomy, which again, there are shapes there in the genital area that aren't even really hidden. So I'm not surprised a lot of people were uncomfortable.

My opinion? It shouldn't have been taken down (and it wasn't!), but people had the right to be confused about why it wasn't marked as NSFW.

My thinking was, you wouldn't want to open something like this at work and show it to your coworkers. Or leave it around the break room table.

But of course, the artist got snarky. Apparently this happened to one of their older posts too, so they were really annoyed and acted like the mods were spineless (literally, they said multiple times that the mods should "grow a spine"), and there was some weird implication that the mods were censoring women's bodies, or fatter bodies, or something. They also compared their OC artwork, which is of the above very-humanoid neopets, to the Fontaine Sisters (who ofc, are always fully clothed sigh), and said if the Fontaine Sisters would be allowed to be posted, their naked humanoid neopets should be, too. Uh?

Then, they made a totally separate rant post on the subreddit, titled "yes, neopets is a furry website", which was promptly removed (I didn't even get a chance to see it, rip).

But I'm scrolling through the comments, and oh my god.

Someone replied with this comment:

The <image> link goes to this picture, with a few comments:

This person also seemed to agree on the general interpretation that it was a very "sexy" rendition:

And someone else on the original post with that character:

So hrmm, okay. Nothing wrong with drawing what you think is sexy, but. Own up to it and accept it might get marked as NSFW.

Someone made the following comment...

And the third reply checks out tbh. If I was still working with kids, I'd probably get written up too lol. And no, not everyone has a hip with the kids, totally down to hang boss, so that's a weird argument. If you couldn't leave this in an office break room, like I said before, it's not okay.

This person explains why the NSFW tag actually is appropriate, even though the artist claims it isn't:

Another comment that points out the mons pubis:

To which the artist replies:

To give them credit, they're not wrong that humanoid animals and humans in general do have a shape in that region! And it looks weird to just have a totally flat silhouette there, especially if the rest of the character is super curvy. But. again. There is almost no fur. So it comes off as nakey + features too humanoid for some peoples' routine, at-work browsing.

Someone else comments:

When... the artist could've just dropped the subject as soon as their post was labelled NSFW, but instead they had a tantrum and made a totally new post to whine about the mods' decision and peoples' reactions? Um.

Here's someone else trying to explain peoples' reactions, and the artist's reply is just silly:

Those are dogs and cats and fish. They're. not. extremely. humanoid. anthro characters. Now I'm getting annoyed reading all of this stuff lol. Is this really the hill you've chosen to die on? This has happened twice now. Mods are gonna mod. Get over it or leave. Your art isn't the same as say, King Coltzan even if people do thirst over him too. He's fully dressed.

Another commenter who missed the point about how most neopets characters have clothes and aren't very, very humanoid:

But thankfully the mods came in and locked some of the comment chains:

So um. That was wild lol.

[arclundarchivist]

[Spoilers C3E100] The Nuances…

I am obsessing over the nuances that Downfall has brought when it comes to the Gods and Aeor.

The Arch Heart is infinity seeking the finite. A tortured artist , a reveler who spoiled the revery. The fact that the two they chose to move through Aeor with are the one who hates them the most and the one who could grant them what they seek: Honesty. Finality.

They chose to be a work of mortal hands, they chose to create a place of merriment and life, giving a place to *be* for the creations and slaves of the dour and harsh kingdom around them.

They find beauty in an ending, *yet* they don’t seem to like the cost, *unless* it was for them alone.

They find beauty in Aeor, for their gift, taken from the hands of another, is what allowed it to be. Magic. Aeor, their mortal form, the Factorum Malleus, a poem, none of it would be possible if they had simply had restraint.

And the Spider Queen, she is the Goddess of Treachery. But how can she not be? When the *thing* she made was claimed by the one she first gave it to? Where is the credit? Where is the love? She is a Spider. She made the Weave. Yet the Clown has center stage.

The Matron’s nuance is best exemplified when you see the stark separation of her as a mortal and as a goddess. A harsh fascination with eternity and covetousness over death as she walks as a human once again. *Yet*, she lets her power flow and all be judgement *goes*, the harsh passion become soothing calm. She is not a judge. She is a guide. Her End is not final. It is a doorway. The next step. The Unknown. And I am reminded of her line in LoVM: “Death gives meaning to life.” Props to Laura for immediately channeling that energy.

Beauty and Death understand each other better than the others. Yet she, is not truly Kin, and *that* makes it easier to speak, because her understanding will not be colored by a joint past.

The Everlight, and her silent grief, the hole at the center of her finding a light she never could have expected.

“You are a miracle.”

A believer, in a den of deicide.

She means it, how could she not? She sees the innocence and the love, and the chance for this place to be built better.

She refuses to give up, *yet* again the hope she has for others is soured as the person tells her “We can help you, by murdering your kin.”

She doesn’t want that. No more than she wants Aeor to die.

There is only so many things she knows how to do.

But some wounds refuse to be healed. Some people simply will take the hand that aids.

She is stuck, in the midst of a fight she never wanted.

Because she loves. She can’t help it.

And there is something so interesting about Asmodeus’s reaction to that faith, that love.

It disgusts him, but why? Is it because he has had to force adoration, force loyalty, while for her she need simply be as she *is*.

Or is it because it forced him to remember when she had faith in him. When he loved her? Is the disgust internal?

Ayden believe so. The new Dawn, humble in his mean, recognizing the sorrow of the former and attempting to still find hope in this place where Hope should long be dead there is an naivety to him, and I have to wonder where it’s going to lead.

Because it is his soldiers, his forces that revealed the deception the plan. That rage that claim “if you wanted us to follow you, you should not have made us good” not misplaced and maybe it is just a mean he wears, but there is a goodness to him just as there is a goodness to Trist.

But you need not look far for where that anger could be funneling from a pious man of false face a very well accomplished liar. Would it be better if it is all just deception born from the archangel or would it be better if his rage were true because from the way, it seemed that angel before he died was on the precipice a fall of his own.

The Wildmother and the Lawbearer, ever dualistic, lovers representing concepts that many would consider alien. Yet they, more than any of the others know what the Calamity has cost Exandria.

Natural world devastated. Civilizations destroyed.

*Domunas Gone*

*Marquet Burned*

*Exandrians Dead*

Yet, one stood back while the other charged in when it came to a threat that could further unravel everything.

The Emissary, an attempt to bridge that gap. What is his purpose? A gift to her beloved? A being of the natural, elemental world, that seeks to comfort the ailing wild. He is so fascinated by love and life. He could he so much… Why did she send him, while she waits in the background planting a seed that will grow into something so foundational to the world. A new law. A new truth.

Yet the one time blame for so much of this devastation, seems to feel at least at times, a bit of remorse.

The Ruiner, was far from that once, a guardian, a defender, the first to act.

And destruction is not inherently evil, for they learned to wield it as a weapon against true entropy. Through their power something new would grow.

Yet… whose hand has marred the world more than theirs?

Of them all Torog is the one that is easiest to understand. He looked into the face of something even the infinite could not understand and it drove him mad. The pain, grants lucidity, why would he ever want it to stop? Pain is a lesson, pain is a teacher, pain reminds you what you must not do again.

The only I trust the least though… is Ioun. There is something she knows that she does not dare to speak. Why? What would it change? What good does hiding it do? Why do you pry so readily into the knowledge of others yet withhold your own? Has she been shaped by Aeor? Covetous of what she keeps?

All that is to say this story has compelling more than I thought it could, and I am both anxious and excited to see its end, to know the truth of the fall.

And my biggest worry, the biggest question that remains for me: “What are the Bell’s Hells thinking?”

[skippygiraffee]

dragon and history nerd raihan x art and pokemon battling nerd leon. thoughts?

Thank you for the ask!! I have a lot of thoughts on these two, SPECIFICALLY in the realm of their interests outside of battling (even though with Leon I think that can get a bit muddled). But I'll put them under a read more since it might get long >:3c

With Raihan, once I started looking into him as a character more, I found his fascination and love of history in the canon parts of the story (which to me always fall in the game and manga, as the anime does deviate and seem to have its own canon), and clearly he has a reverence and interest in Galarian history, despite battling in the tapestry vault. I've always pictured him as the sleeper intellect of the group, where it's obvious with someone like Sonia, but Raihan rolls up to the function listing off Galarian history facts like it's a Top 10 video. Honing in on that, I personally think Raihan's an architectural nerd kind of guy, where he's interested in Galar's historical castles, buildings, their style changes through the eras, ect. And of course this guy is the Dragon Type guy to end all Dragon Type guys. I don't think anyone who isn't locked in on every single aspect of how they work would also be able to manipulate the weather like that, while also giving other gym leaders, notably Kabu, help and recommendations on other Pokemon that aren't Dragon Types (they're Tor-colleagues!!). How that looks has been warped by my many hours of fic reading and talking with @beammeupbroadway about the subject, but I genuinely think he's interested mainly in two aspects: 1. the preservation of Dragon Type habitats in Galar and 2. ethical breeding and raising of Dragon Types for rehabilitation, training, or release into the wild. Raihan prides himself on the care and upkeep of his dragons, spending a lot of his free time dedicated to further research of that topic, all so he can keep up to date with it. I'm also a pretty big proponent of Raihan being the kind of guy who lets his Pokemon free roam around his living space, as it's also their space, and therefore it's a very dragon type friendly place.

Also, I know the ask says that Leon is the art nerd, but I genuinely think that's more Raihain, though I think Leon has an appreciation for it (I'll get into that). Raihan's thing is partly to do with his love of history and architecture, which turned into a deep appreciation and understanding of art, and Galarian artistic movements, while also being the selfie/Pokegram guy. As an example:

The back of his League Card made me laugh the first time I read it, because I do think he takes very stereotypical artsy pictures, uploads them, and confuses people because I don't think people quite get the vision or reference he's making.

For Leon, battling nerd goes way beyond just being on the pitch. I think canon has my back for that, with the Battle Tower, the two tournaments he's organized, and just his general love of the sport of it all. And, for once, I will credit the anime with showcasing that, where his battle with Ash was one of the few times I think it got Leon's characterization pretty well. More than that, Leon to me found his love of battling early, adapts easily, and at least always seems eager to watch a match, if not participate himself. I know Twilight Wings shows Hop watching reruns of matches, but I think Leon would as well. Sometimes his own, but often older matches, when they were first being recorded. Depending on how far back Mustard was Champion, some of those old matches (though Pokemon tech has always been something I'm iffy about in the timeline, and have been since I was a young kid). It's something he's genuinely hype about, and something he loves, to the point his experiences with Rose and being Champion couldn't kill that for him, and it's part of why I love him as a character. Cycling back to the art thing, I don't personally see Leon as an art nerd exactly, but I think he appreciates art. Kind of guy to like weird pieces of art in a museum and get weirdly attached to them. Museum dates between the two is just Raihan telling Leon why a painting is historically significant, and Leon staring at it like he's rewiring his brain. But, if you ask my opinion on his other big hobby, I think he's an avid reader. As Champion I don't think he had time for it, and I have a whole other tangent I'll save about my thoughts on his education, but I think he loves reading. If it's in book form, the topic could almost not matter, he would probably read it if it's well written.

How this all comes together? Both of them as a couple? First off, I don't think they stop talking, ever. They say goodnight, snuggle in bed, but one of them is still rattling on about whatever thing is stuck in their brain until sleep takes them. Second, when I think of them in my mind palace, they're always partaking in their hobbies together. Raihan is cleaning his dragons, caring for them, Leon is right there helping him, learning all that he can about it. Leon is working out his latest battle line up for whatever he wants to test out, Raihan is the guinea pig, happily, each and every single time. They're sitting in the sun, Leon reading his book and Raihan is posting his latest batch of pictures. Together, I think they have a lot of angst potential, but at the end of the day I think they settle into life where once they figure out how to channel all of the years of being made to be rivals and opposite the other, they come together in a harmony that works. I always picture them on very secluded dates, Raihan dragging Leon out to check on the dragon nests, or Leon begging Raihan to go get lost with him, or in those museums looking at old shit because why not? They have the time, each other, and they've spent years getting to know the other in battle, why not give the same energy and determination in life?

Honestly, going further in on this, my headcanon for Raihan, when he stops being a gym leader, is that he becomes a History Professor of some flavor. That isn't original, but I agree with it full stop. And I think Leon keeps up his battling facilities until it stops being fun for him, whenever that is. And they support the other, and it's nice to think about <3