#i eventually was able to design that character

[alcalystrasz]

Eleven's ring is very much into the topic in the moment and I want to talk about it a little bit with a total neutral perspective. Keep in mind that this ring has not been mentioned anywhere. It wasn't mentioned in the show, or by the Duffers on any media. We, as for now, don't know where this ring comes from and we can only speculate about it. (Links of the websites I did my researches on are in blue).

So, in S4 we discover that Eleven has now a ring on her right hand, and specifically on her index finger. So we know how the creators, including the costume designers and the people in charge of the decor and all, do things on purpose and place certain elements on certain spots...

The ring El has, is golden colored and it seems to have a small little diamond on top of it. Mileven shippers say it is a "promise ring". So, a promise ring is a ring given from one partner to another in a romantic relationship to signify commitment. It's given from one partner as a token of their fidelity, and in turn worn by the other to show that the commitment is mutual (theknot). So if Eleven do, in fact, wear a promise ring, it means that Mike gave it to her as a sign of his love and total fidelity towards her, and as a response, El agreed to wore it to signify that his love and fidelity is mutual, she shares his feelings.

Promise rings are mostly given during Valentine's Day or for a birthday, or even a holiday. Remember in S3, Mike tells El that he could come for Thanksgiving, as his mother agreed, and that she could eventually come for Christmas. So he goes to Lenora for Thanksgiving and she goes to Hawkins for Christmas. Both are holidays, and he could've technically give her this promise ring on any of those two days. Mike couldn't have been able to give it to her for her birthday, since she's born on June 7th, but he could've for Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day or Christmas.

Now, S4 is settled in March, on the 21st of March to be precise. So the three days are possibilities. Although I don't think Mike went to California to see El for Valentine's Day since he would come in March (and lovers day is in February), so he wouldn't have been able to give it to her on person this day. Maybe he sent it by letters, it could be, but it would be less romantic if the two don't see each other while sharing it. So only 2 possibilities are left. Neither of those 2 holidays were mentioned by Mike or El, or any other characters in the show, so we don't really know if what they said in S3 happened. But we can think it did because it was said, so technically, logically, if it was said they'd meet, they did. But we don't have actual proofs that Mike gave her this ring on one of those 2 holidays.

S3 is settled in the end of June/beginning of July (since we see the USA independence day happen in the show, which is July 4th). So, both Thanksgiving and Christmas are very far holidays from July, they are separated by 5/6 months. Now, we don't know if they actually did move for the 2 holidays, neither do we know if it is indeed a promise ring Mike gave El, but let's go over the facts:

– The Byers don't have much money, we see they don't have a big suburban house like the Wheelers, they lived in a small house in the middle of the forest. Joyce wouldn't even have enough money to buy her son a Ghostbusters costume, she sewed it. So, in order for them to have enough money to pay 4 plane tickets to go to Hawkins and go back to Lenora would already be quite expensive. So, you'll tell me "They sold their house in Hawkins, and we see they have quite a nice house in Lenora." True, but Jonathan's car has not been repaired since it was broken, probably when they arrived there. Plus, they live in California, in a desert, so the houses there are not very pricey. So, it means they don't have enough money to pay for someone to repair it. Meaning, they don't have money for plane tickets, even the cheapest.

– Although the Wheelers do have lot of money, Mike wasn't able to buy a good gift for El in S3 because he only had $5 on him. With only 5 bucks you can't do quite much, the teddy bear he wanted to buy El was 300 dollars. Far from his budget. So, I don't think Mike had enough money for himself to buy her a promise ring, knowing that most of the promise rings start at the cost of $199 (real ones). Mike could've buy a cheap one, but... a cheap one for his girlfriend? Really? After she lost Hopper and she moved out of California? No.

– Promise rings usually are worn on the ring finger, on the left hand. But remember El wears it on the index finger on the right hand.

So, could it be a promise ring? Maybe. It is not 100% sure like it isn't 0%. So it could be one.

But let's move to another theory. In some cultures, a ring on the right index finger symbolizes marriage (for Jewish marriages. Typically, a plain gold band goes on the index finger of the right hand). It is believed that the right index finger is closest to the heart (Fromtheangels + lovetoknow).

So, traditionally, it is used by Jewish people for marriage. However, the Wheelers are not Jewish. But in modern days, the meaning of a ring placed on the index is different.

Wearing a ring on the index finger symbolizes ambition, confidence and leadership. This finger is linked to Jupiter in astrology, ruling all over, which is why we use the index finger to point the way. It has been tradionally thought that wearing a ring on this finger is symbolic to strength, power and authority. Additionally, because the right hand's index finger is associated with Jupiter and indicates masculine energy - regardless of gender - wearing a ring here could represent ambition and increased influence (wikihow + hoospeak).

Now we have a bit more information. This placement has a lot of symbolic, it could mean anything. And because of the fact that is a simple ring placed on the index finger we can speculate about it:

– Joyce gave it to Eleven as a gift, so she can feel more confident and stronger about being herself, and also being a woman. We know that Joyce, just like Nancy, face the fact of being a woman in the 80s society. Whenever things are going on, Nancy and Joyce are on the front no matter what, Joyce is ready to do anything she can to help her boys. In S4, she calls her boss "prick" while Eleven's voice over the scene says "she likes the freedom" (talking about her new job). And Nancy had struggles about it in S3 because of her job at Hawkins' Post. Both face the complexity of being a woman in that period of time and break the stereotype of "women's place" by holding guns and fighting demons trying to destroy their town.

– Will/Jonathan gave it to her. It wouldn't be surprising if this ring wasn't given by Joyce or Nancy, but by another family member such as Will or Jonathan. They know what it's like to be different, Jonathan faced bullying and being called weird all the time and so did Will (by also adding the fact that he's gay, very stigmatized in that time). So to show her she's not so different, they offered her a ring that symbolizes strength and confidence so she can feel more at home. Overall, any of the Byers could've given Eleven this ring, at Christmas also, who knows.

So, to conclude. It could be a promise ring, just like it could be a gift from anyone than Mike. We, as off this day, still don't know what this ring is about, and I personally don't think it is a very important piece of element, but I think it is more of a sort of easter egg about the fact that she's got a new life at Lenora. It could have more symbolics, probably, but we don't know that for sure, so until then, let's not focus on one piece of element that we don't have anything about, and focus on the other stuff we could speculate about the show.

[crabsnpersimmons]

Hello there!

I'd like to know your advice on drawing tablets?

As in, what do you use for your digital art? Is there any you suggest?

I'm planning on getting one, but there are so many options, and I'd like to know your opinion and preference.

Thank you ^^

hi anon! thanks for the question!

i draw with a samsung galaxy tab s7!

BUT if this is your first time drawing digitally, then it's a good idea to test out if you like it with cheaper options first (so you don't drop a whole lot of money on a hobby/medium of art you don't enjoy)

some suggestions:

if you have a smart phone, try drawing with your finger using free to use drawing apps like ibispaint X or HiPaint (i recommend HiPaint cuz the UI is a lot simpler and less overwhelming, but both have a good selection of tools. i wanna say ibispaint has better text tools tho and there's A LOT more tutorials and resources online) drawing digitally with your finger is different from drawing digitally with a pen AND drawing traditionally, but this is a good way to familiarize yourself with digital art tools. a very simple entry point if you already have a smart phone.

if you don't want to draw with your finger (understandable, i personally couldn't stand it) you can try simple drawing tablets, which are the tablets that you plug into your computer/laptop, come with a pen, but they don't have a screen you draw directly on. they're actually a lot more affordable nowadays (i saw some for under $50 CAD, which is WILD), so that’s a good starting option if you want to draw with a pen. with a pen, you have more control with line weights than you do with your finger, but it takes practice to get used to. it also takes some getting use to drawing on a tablet and looking at your monitor, but this is where i started haha. i still have my old bamboo wacom create drawing tablet. but nowadays, other brands like xp-pen and huion are very comparable to wacom, so definitely consider getting a cheaper one to try out first. of course, if you go with a drawing tablet, you'll need an art program on your computer. i've used photoshop and clip studio paint and they're very good, but probably overwhelming for people who are new to digital art (they are loaded with tools and you have to really familiarize yourself with the menus and everything). there are probably simpler options available... but i'm not as familiar with them. oh wait, i think there are some drawing tablets that can also connect with your smart phone too nowadays. man, that's so cool. that's probably a better option instead of purchasing photoshop or clip studio paint right off the bat.

if you REALLY want a screen display experience, try a cheaper general tablet. iPads are a popular option if you're comfortable with the Apple ecosystem (i'm not 😅) but they can be pricey PLUS you have to buy the Apple pen separately. for Android, I'm pretty sure even the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 is a solid choice and it comes with a pen unlike an iPad. the SPen is built with Wacom tech, so you know it's quality. and while iPad has Procreate, HiPaint is available for Android and it's basically a Procreate clone (i explain more about HiPaint here) otherwise, ibisPaint X is also good and infinite painter is probably the most sophisticated free to use drawing app i've encountered (sophisticated as in it does a pretty good job at imitating traditional media in their brushes. it's cool, but the free version is very limited).

also if you like watching videos, Brad Colbow and Teoh on Tech on YouTube are great resources. they specifically review tech from an artist's perspective.

why i suggest testing it out is because if you're used to drawing traditionally, then switching to digital is a different experience. some artists can't get used to drawing digitally, and that's fine. that's why it's a good idea to test it out with a cheaper option first to see if you like it and to give yourself time to familiarize yourself with drawing apps/programs. i actually kinda hated drawing digitally at first. i didn't have the same level of control that i was used to with drawing traditionally. and overtime i made a lot of bad habits with my digital art that i had to unlearn by switching back to traditional art for a couple years (some bad habits like: relying on the Undo button to make "perfect" lines; trying to draw really fast because the pen glides over the screen unlike a pencil has friction against paper) so... give it a try and just let yourself have fun. don't worry about making anything perfect, just have fun!

[soy-bean-factory]

had some thoughts about certain characters having halos with specific looks to them, so i drew it.

//explanation(?) in the tags if your curious vv

[transformers-bold-bright-brisk]

HOT SHOT REDESIGN + Illustration✨

I’m so goddamn detail-oriented it’s not even funny…

Let me tell you, I was locked 👏 the fuck👏 in 👏

This was legitimately so proud of myself for not making the outline perfect. I mean, don’t get me wrong—I love a good neat lineart layer, but where’s the fun in that?

Also the TF Skybound comic’s artstyle has been scratching my brain in a few good places.

[styxxsyringe]

evolution of starsaints kiddos. first was from around 2021 . i wanted to give them a greater difference in color pallete and shape. my least favourite iteration of them is the 2nd because i can't get over the fact that they literally look identical, my same face syndrome was terminal back then

[smallidarityfan]

*oc-ifies smallidarity's lore child* wait what who did that

[triglycercule]

guys its finally done

after exactly like 3 months the killer analysis is FINALLY done......oh my trio we're so back WE'RE SO BACK!!!!! in exchange for this long awaited victory i will be working on a little comic.........killer WILL be featured there will be no more of excluding him here ‼️

here's a wip panel from it x3

[theultimatepumpkinpie]

I finally made an actual original design for something! And my own DnD character no less! God I'm so overjoyed right now. Fuck you aphantasia you ain't got shit on me (it definitely definitely does but I'm still winning despite it)

[strawbs-arts]

Hello! I don’t have much art to post yet other than these sketches (going through Art Block!! D:), so I compiled a huge lore post explaining my version of the Welcome Home Magical Girl AU! Yahoo 👍

Magical Girl AU:

Wally: paintbrush, art magic, artist/apple

Julie: yo-yo, plant magic, flowers (both)

Frank: net, butterfly magic, butterfly (both)

Poppy: shield, healing magic, chef/plus sign

Barnaby: hammer, elasticity, clown/heart

Eddie: scissors, paper magic, paper/spade

Sally: staff, weather magic, sun/stars

Howdy: bag, item conjure, clover

(order: weapon, magic, theme/brooch shape)

* Home is the mascot and the source of most of their magic, which is kept inside fancy shaped brooches that fit character’s themes. Their brooches allow them to transform into magical girls!

* They fight monstrous goop entities that have suddenly appeared from a mysterious place, while trying to live their day-to-day lives in their neighborhood! The setting is about the same with more fantasy magical girl aspects.

* Everyone gets the standard magical girl abilities (enhanced strength, jump ability, durability, senses) plus a signature power & weapon. They can change the size of their weapon as they wish.

Wally - Wally is the leader of Welcome Home’s Magical Girl team! He has the ability to manipulate art by controlling paint, crayons, ink, and graphite. Typically, he uses his trusty magic paintbrush, which has everlasting and color-changing paint on its bristles. He can make any drawing, whether his own or someone else’s, into come to life as he wills. He’s mainly in the backlines painting creatures and items to help his friends, or just painting appealing shapes on the ground!

In a last resort situation, Wally can summon an ocean of black paint that will gradually swallow and drain the life everything in its path, even himself. While using this magic, he will be in an unresponsive state that can only be stopped under certain circumstances [force, death, or Wally just has to force himself out of it]. Paint hands will also arise to protect Wally from harm, but they can be destroyed or blown away, although they will respawn within a few minutes. The paint will immediately disappear and stop its effects when Wally snaps out of it. Eventually, Wally will be able to master this power and control this form.

Julie - Julie has the ability to grow and manipulate all plants, but she typically sprouts flowers and roots all around. Her weapon is a yo-yo that she uses to grab things, whack ‘em, and turn it large to roll somebody over! Julie is the first to spring into action when something goes awry in the neighborhood, usually followed by Frank (who’s always dragged into the fight. Poor guy!).

Frank - Frank’s ability is butterfly manipulation: he can summon swarms of them to disorient enemies, and he can also “see” through his butterfly’s eyes to spy. Frank’s magic also allows him to take on the physiology/abilities of butterflies, such as flight, cocoon generation, and poison spit. His weapon is a bug net, which he waves around to ensnare and smack monsters!

Poppy - Poppy is the main healer of the Magical Girl team! As is her role, she has the ability to heal all injuries and ailments. Her healing magic can also bless food, so you can take a bite out of her seed treats and feel better instantly. She hates battle and prefers to stay on the sidelines to heal her friends. In tense moments, out comes her mighty shield that’ll protect her and her friends from any sort of danger!

Barnaby - Barnaby’s ability is elasticity, which means he can stretch himself as far as he wants. It’s a useful power for grabbing things a little too far away, slingshotting, or just being plain silly. His weapon is a large squeaky hammer—even with its usual soft squeakiness, it could still hit hard with a bit of momentum from wound up arms (just like Popeye)! He can perform all sorts of crazy feats with his bendy puppet limbs!

Eddie - Eddie is the neighborhood mailman, of course, but when he’s not handling packages, he’s working alongside his friends in their magical girl escapades! He has the ability to generate and manipulate paper: it can fold and move according to his control. For more precise crafts or battle, he uses his magic scissors to snip away! Before he de-transforms, he always makes sure to create more paper for his letters and envelopes.

Sally - Sally has the ability to control the weather! Her powers can draw out different weather conditions, sun, rain, snow, (you name it) and direct towards a certain area too. Her weapon is a staff with a sun-shaped topper, modeled after the shining star herself. Sometimes, during one of her stupendous plays, she summons thunder for dramatic effect—which she quickly changes back to sunny before the wind and rain can destroy her whole stage.

Howdy - Howdy has the ability to create any object he desires. Technically, His main “weapon” is his bottomless bag, but he typically uses his other creations to support his neighbors. Although in desperate times, his bag can still totally pack(aha) a punch! Most of his creations stored in the bag, which he knows like the back of his four hands. He’s the only one who can even navigate it!

Random notes and trivia:

* Wally’s power doesn’t work on photographs, printed artwork, clay, and fibers (RIP he can’t control his funny cardboard cutout.. Eddie probably can though)

* Wally’s paintbrush can be used as a blunt object

* Julie can accelerate the growth of a plant, but its fruits/vegetables will taste lackluster so it’s better to just let it grow by itself

* Frank’s summoned butterflies are not alive unlike the various bugs in the neighborhood.

* Frank’s cape opens up like wings when he flies!

* Eddie is the only neighbor allowed to have a sharp weapon

* Howdy and Eddie can both produce paper

[solplease]

finally finished redesigning my old ocs,,,, now im just writing notes on em (mainly for myself lmao…)

[bonyato]

One remarkably funny aspect of my experience w/ DGМN was all those instances in which Id favor a digidеstined's critter more than I did the kid they were partnered up with. it felt exactly like this image

[lexicog]

some doodles from recently

[hiraethwrote]

ADMIRING FROM AFAR

pairing : choso kamo x f!reader summary : suddenly the quiet, alternative looking guy catches your eye in class and you're unable to shake the idea of him. from afar, you start to create a fantasy of what he might be like — and eventually your imagination has made up a character you slowly find yourself falling for cw : university au, non-curse/modern au, fluff, pining, pierced and tattooed!choso, smoking, one mention of a party, yuki cameo, terrible ending bc i suck at writing endings, no use of y/n word count : 3.6k

Hallway crush!Choso who didn’t stick out to you until you were halfway through the semester, on a random Tuesday.

The only reason he caught your attention in the first place was because he actually raised his hand to answer the professor’s question, something he had never done before, or since.

His husky, yet surprisingly soft voice, broke the deafening silence that came after the question was asked. Nearly in a trance, your head shot up to get a look of the mysterious guy.

Never had you been more thankful for the mandatory core courses you were forced to sign up for — you would never have encountered him otherwise.

Sitting two rows in front of you and five seats to the left, you weren’t able to get a clear view of the guy. However, what you did see, did not disappoint. Tufts of black hair was tied up in two buns, and silver jewlery decorated his ear. He was wearing all black, shy lines of ink peaking up the neck of his shirt and past his sleeves.

From that moment, you were hooked on the idea of this stranger.

Hallway crush!Choso who you spotted nearly daily now that you were aware of his existence.

You had an assignment due in one week, so you decided to go to the library to actually get some work done for once.

Three hours into your study session, you had to exhale deeply as your motivation was running low. So you let your eyes roam the peaceful scenery of fellow students, some more dutiful than others — when you suddenly spot the mystery guy from class, sitting with three other people.

He looked so casual, leaned back in his chair, arms loosely crossed across his chest as a chuckle played on his lips as a response to something the person sitting next to him said.

Now that you had the opportunity to get a proper look at him, you noticed how extremely good looking he was — the type of breathtakingly handsome that hid in plain sight by how he never tried to stick out whatsoever.

For the next hour, you would subtly shoot glances in his direction. In all honesty, you felt somewhat embarrassed by how you found yourself a little infatuated by a guy you didn’t even know the name of.

All of a sudden he raised from his chair, having you straighten your posture. He pulled his leather jacket over his shoulders, his bag across his chest and put his headset on — with a smile and a nod, he begged his friends goodbye and left.

Hallway crush!Choso who, despite having his small group of friends, tended to stick mostly to himself.

Yeah, he sat with his little crew for a few hours, but he always left before the rest of them. Not to mention you often spotted him walking from one class to another in his lonesome.

On the days the library was absolutely packed, and it was impossible for you and your friends to find any available seats, you would sit down at one of the sofa groups in one of the university’s many long hallways. None of you complained either, as there wasn’t the same pressure to remain quiet.

It just so happened that the man who had captured your interest, walked right past your designated spot at least three times every week.

His headset was on like always, walking with easy determination. He simply seemed to mind his own business as he smoothly made his way through the hallway without bumping into anyone.

Your attraction to the dark and handsome stranger wasn’t as subtle as you first had thought, when it didn’t take your friends more than a day to notice your admiring gazes hanging onto him for the few seconds it took for him to walk by.

“Who’s that?” Your friend asked with a playful lilt to her voice, leaning forward and placing her chin in the palm of her hand.

“Hm? Just someone in my social science class,” you answered nonchalantly with a shrug just as he was out of sight.

“Just someone in your social science class,” she repeated mockingly. “And what’s his name?”

Hot embarrassment raised up your neck, “I don’t know,” your voice weak as their teasing chuckles filled the space.

“So you’re just ogling a stranger, essentially?”

“Shut up, he’s hot,” you fired back as you fell back in your chair, desperately trying to ignore their laughter.

Hallway crush!Choso who only continued to remain a mystery as the weeks went on.

It quickly evolved into somewhat of an inside joke — a game almost, all of you pitching in with silly little ideas of what he might be like.

“He looks like a cat person,” your friend whispered as he walked by.

“Oh, no doubt,” you agreed, eyes glued on his back. “Probably grew up with a family cat that always sleeps at the foot of his bed.”

“You think he greets the cat before his family?” She giggled.

You laughed along as you slowly shook your head no. “Don’t think so. He greets his mom first,” you turned your attention to your notebook, your pen drawing mindless doodles across the pages. “He’s a mama’s boy. But not in a weird way, you know? But in a green flag way.”

They would all laugh along to the daily chatter that filled the group before turning back to their own work, forgetting all about him until he would walk by again.

You, however, couldn’t shake him from your mind quite as easily.

The more they fuelled your fantasy with their fun and innocent ideas of who he might be, you fell deeper into the spiral of your crush.

When left alone with your own mind, your imagination went beyond the small quirks your group came up with — you started to imagine meet-cutes.

What if you “randomly” bumped into him at the little coffee shop just off campus?

What if you were paired up for a group assignment?

What if you ended up next to each other in the kitchen at some random frat party, and the conversation would just flow so naturally?

However, you kept those made up scenarios to yourself, because it was too shameful to admit to your friends that you were slowly falling for the person you had made him out to be — still without a name to put to the face.

Hallway crush!Choso who broke your heart just a little, though totally unaware of the fact.

“I didn’t know your man had a girlfriend.” You shot your friend a confused expression before following her gaze.

That was a first. You had never seen him walking down the hallway accompanied by someone. Let alone a tall, blonde and absolutely gorgeous girl, pure confidence running through every fibre of her body.

After that, you saw just the two of them more often than you liked. And you knew it was absolutely ridiculous to even be bothered by the pair, but you couldn’t control how the lump in your stomach formed at the sight of how well they seemed to fit together.

Her look wasn’t quite as edgy as his, but they definitely had the same vibe. Not to mention they seemed to be close, evident by how she always leaned in and grabbed onto his upper arm when he made her laugh, or how just the two of them would leave their study session in the library to share a cigarette.

You hoped seeing them together would eventually kill the proximity crush your brain had stupidly nourished — it turned out to be the opposite.

Watching him interact with her only granted your imagination new material to build on. Whenever she spoke, he had all his attention directed at her — genuinely listening to every word she said. You watched how he was gentle with her, careful not to be too harsh in his movements whenever he made contact with her.

He just seemed like such a good guy, who made your heart beat a little faster every time you saw him.

Hallway crush!Choso who one day actually did crash into you in the line in the cafeteria.

At first you thought you were dreaming, because the scene played out exactly how you had imagined it so many times in your head.

It was lunchtime, meaning the cafeteria was obviously packed. You were blissfully unaware of his presence behind you, having stayed up a little too late the night before to try to get some understanding of the material you had been assigned.

It wasn’t until a random bystander bullied their way through the crowd in the opposite direction, causing him to stumble forward into you and he quickly uttered a polite apology, that you realised exactly who it was.

Strong hands had grabbed onto your arms to help steady you. When you turned to face him, you wished you were able to utter your own apology — however, the words never made their way past your tongue, too startled at the sudden close interaction.

“People really don’t look where they’re going, huh?” he said, a shy curve to his lips as he let go of you.

“That’s people for you,” you tried to joke once you found your words again.

Your heart was beating a million miles an hour as you watched his eyebrows narrow. “Hey, don’t we have social science together?”

He recognised you.

You cleared your throat and nodded weakly, trying to serve him a sweet smile but you could feel the waver in it.

“I’m Choso, by the way,” he smiled casually, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Once again you tried to smile, but your lips only managed to pull into a thin line as you introduced yourself.

You expected that to be the end of the conversation, that he would pull out his phone in an effort to smoothly round it off without it being too awkward for either of you — but to your surprise, you saw him contemplate his options before opening his mouth again.

“How’s the assignment going?”

“Well,” you started, hoping he didn’t notice the little crack in your voice. “The words are, at the very least, being put on paper, if that tells you anything.”

He chuckled.

You made him chuckle. It was low and coarse, but a chuckle nonetheless. “Sounds familiar.”

He continued to keep the chatter light as you moved along with the queue, completely oblivious of the effect he had on you.

It wasn’t much, but just based on the little interaction, he seemed even more lovely than you had imagined, which only did more damage to your already smitten heart. Because being effortlessly attentive when listening and engaging in the conversation though he didn’t need to, only brought a piece of reality into your fantasy.

Your palms were turning clammy as your heart was pounding against your chest so loud you were sure he heard it. He was, after all, standing closer than one normally would a stranger due to the thick crowd of hungry students surrounding you.

“Well,” he sighed once you’d both paid and stepped into the hallway. “I need to get going. But it was nice to finally meet you for real.”

Finally.

Nice to finally meet you.

“Yeah, you too,” your lips twitching in a smile, heat travelling to wash over your face. You had always thought him to be so incredibly handsome, but you had underestimated how charming his smile was up close.

“I’ll see you around.” The curve of his lips continued to linger as he backed away before he eventually turned his back towards you and removed his headphones from around his neck to put them on.

Hallway crush!Choso who slowly started to gain the title of acquaintance after the reenactment of one of your made up scenarios.

It started very casual — he would greet you with a quiet “good morning” as he walked past you in the auditorium before taking his usual seat two rows in front of you.

“Morning,” you smiled in return while he held your gaze for a little while.

Waking up the days you knew you had class with Choso became a little easier when you knew what friendly routine was waiting for you.

After three weeks of the innocent interaction, he decided to disrupt the comfortable pattern you had fallen into. This Tuesday morning, he didn’t continue walking down the stairs after wishing you a good morning.

No, he stopped dead in his tracks, pointing at the empty seat beside you. “Is this seat taken?”

You swallowed the lump in your throat, and shook your head. “No. No, all yours,” you stuttered as you moved your bag for him to sit down.

He uttered a weak “thanks,” and made himself comfortable, pulling out his leather bound notebook and pen.

Hallway crush!Choso who turned out to be a lot funnier than you had first imagined.

Too caught up in the potential romantic gestures that entertained the depths of your mind, you found yourself so giddy whenever he whispered a silly joke during class for your ears only.

Hallway crush!Choso who accompanied you for the few minutes it took for you to walk to your friends after class finished.

“I’m headed in that direction anyways, so I’ll just tag along.” You’d be a fool to decline his offer, cutely biting your bottom lip and clutching your laptop closer to your chest, feeling like a love struck teenager.

When coming around the corner, you avoided looking in the direction of your friends at all costs. You knew you wouldn’t be able to suppress the embarrassment that would flush your face if you witnessed their shocked expressions as a reaction to walking alongside the guy you had fawned over for months.

It wasn’t until he was out of sight that you spun around — sure enough, they all sported exactly the facial expression you had expected, staring wide eyed with their jaws slacked.

“Okay? Something you forgot to tell us, babe?” One of your friends gushed once you had taken your seat. You shrugged innocently, trying not to let all your excitement spill over at once.

“Hope you at least know the name of your stranger now,” the one sitting opposite you teased.

You nodded slowly, “Choso,” you answered simply, enjoying the interrogating looks they were giving you.

“And? Give us the details!” All three of them had pushed their school work aside — this was ten times more important after all.

So you began to explain of the happy accident that had taken place a few weeks ago, and it had eventually ended with the two of you always sitting next to each other during lectures — none of them failed to match your energy.

“Wait, but I thought he had a girlfriend?”

And as easy as that, your girly and romantic fantasy shattered into a million pieces. Guilt was written all over your friend’s face as one could literally see the realisation dawning on you.

Having lived in the pure bliss of your new friendship, you had completely forgotten about the goddess he was so often seen with.

You started to reflect over the fact that you couldn’t remember seeing her in a while, and felt sick that you might have been too wrapped up in Choso that you just hadn’t noticed her recently.

Thus your excitement was short-lived, not ever wanting to be that girl.

Hallway crush!Choso who noticed how your mood was drastically different than normal the next time he met you.

He had looked forward to seeing that sweet smile tug at your lips when he wished you good morning, but instead he was met with a cold “hi”. You didn’t even turn to look at him.

Had he done something to upset you? The last time he saw you, nothing seemed to be off. You were your chipper self, greeting him with a curve to your lips so wide, your eyes would crinkle.

Class started, and you had yet not said another word to him. He shot you a glance, seeing your fingers hurriedly travel across the keyboard of your laptop, and every once in a while letting your eyes flicker up to look at the professor.

Maybe it was just a bad day. Maybe you had an exam in a different course that was causing you unnecessary stress.

Or maybe, god forbid, you’d come to the conclusion that Choso wasn’t someone you wanted to waste your attention on after all.

Hallway crush!Choso who decided to walk you out of the auditorium, despite your cold front trying to push him away.

It was awkward — incredibly awkward, a feeling that really hadn’t been present in the newly blossomed friendship. Still with no words exchanged, you packed your stuff and pulled out your phone.

Once outside of the auditorium, Choso wanted to try and start a conversation to try and disclose whether he’d done something or not. He only managed to catch your eyes when calling your name before a bolting figure came crashing into his side.

“There you are! You’re an impossible man to catch these days,” the girl exclaimed.

Choso saw the discomfort that subtly traveled down your face, awkwardly shifting your weight from one foot to another.

“I’ll see you around, Choso,” you said shyly, about to turn around and walk away before the blonde captured your attention.

“Wait, is this the girl you’ve been talking about?” You quickly spun back around, eyebrows pinched together in confusion as the blonde girl had peaked your interest.

Switching your attention to Choso for a second, you noticed how dusty pink had coloured his pale cheeks, his eyes wider than you’d ever seen them.

“It might be,” he said before clearing his throat and rolling his shoulders, hoping you didn’t notice the stress that was residing in his body.

“Finally,” she groaned, her hand shooting forward to initiate a handshake. “I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while. I’m Yuki.”

You still weren’t able to completely put the pieces together yet, blinking at her as you accepted her hand and introduced yourself.

“Oh, I know,” she mused, flashing you a cheeky grin. “This one right here,” patting a flat hand against his chest, “doesn’t really stop talking about you.”

A shy smile spread across your lips as you quickly shifted your gaze to him. “You’ve been talking about me?” You spoke softly.

“Well-” he stuttered, the pink quickly deepening into red.

A teasing scoff shot past her teeth. “Isn’t he cute when he gets shy,” she said as Choso’s shoulders grew stiff under her embrace. “You have that effect on him.”

When the opportunity to properly observe the dynamic between the pair in front of you, as well as digest the things Yuki was actually telling you, the pieces finally fell into place — they were just friends.

You had worried and spiralled for no reason, having spent the days since you had last seen him to prepare you to distance yourself from him.

But one look at his embarrassed face and tense body as a result of being teased about you, had all the butterflies come swarming back within seconds.

Choso kept most of his attention on Yuki as she went on to ask him what she’d initially come to talk to him about, but he couldn’t stop himself from letting his eyes dart over to you every once in a while.

“My god, you’re my saviour,” Yuki gushed at her friend, tugging playfully at his arm, before turning back toward you. “He’s truly a catch,” she said with a wink as she slowly started to back away. It had you grow a little restless, knowing you would soon find yourself standing alone with him. “Be good to him. And it was great to finally meet you!”

And she was off.

Slowly Choso turned his entire body towards you, his face having done the impossible and gotten even more red.

“What an interesting interaction,” you breathed.

A nervous chuckle slipped out of him in an attempt to remove the immense pressure that was looming over him. “She’s really something.”

“What was that part about me making you shy?” Tucking your bottom lip between your teeth.

“I mean-“ he cleared his throat. “I guess you’re seeing it in action right now.”

“Hm,” you said simply, causing him to narrow his eyebrows in response — both in confusion and slight worry.

“Hm what?” Swallowing the lump in his throat.

“It’s cute.”

Then he couldn’t stop smiling.

Boyfriend!Choso who managed to live up to every bit of your love dazed fantasy.

At times, you were scared you had let your fantasy go to far — that in your desperate hope for something more, you had created a character that no living person would ever be able to live up to.

Yet here Choso was, in the flesh, embodying every scenario you had made up when you had been tossing and turning on sleepless nights, and then some.

Small or big, he never disappointed.

He held the door open for you, he remembered your coffee order, he showered you with compliments and admiration.

It didn’t take long for him to learn how you yearned for grand gestures — so Choso made it a mission to fulfill those dreams.

Not only did he succeed, but he excelled well beyond your expectations.

He made sure to take you on dates frequently, but also spontaneously so you wouldn’t see them coming. He managed to make every occasion feel planned and intentional.

Boyfriend!Choso who was absolutely baffled once you told him about how you had admired him so intensely before you ever talked to each other.

The confession caught him completely by surprise, because he couldn’t in his wildest dreams have imagined you even noticed him before the little episode in the cafeteria.

Boyfriend!Choso who despite succeeding in making you his girlfriend, got just as shy about you now as he did then.

tags : @sad-darksoul

an : i hope it's a universal experience to create proximity crush that drives you crazy... dividers by @/strangergraphics comments and reblogs is much appreciated

©hiraethwrote 2025 . all rights reserved. reposting, translating and otherwise plagarisim is prohibited

[barrenclan]

"While You Were Dead"

This issue serves as a goodbye to our two most prominent deceased characters - the killer and the victim both. Two of my favorites to write (though not necessarily to draw; their designs are agonizingly complicated), and whose deaths both made huge splashes in the readerbase.

It still really charms me how popular Rainhaze ended up being, and I'm just glad everyone else liked him as much as I did. I got to explore a lot of interesting and complicated ideas within his character. Asphodelshine I sometimes wish I hadn't killed off, but only because it makes me miss her. Which I suppose is how I know I did a good job with it.

The title is taken from Cat Rambo's story "Tortoiseshell Cats Are Not Refundable": “He and Mindy would laugh about that together eventually. He wondered what that would be like, to be able to say, “While you were dead.”

Previous < > Next

[chowadoe]

my Metamy kid!! his name is Dusty Rose :D ft. single mom Amy Rose and Absentee baby daddy metal sonic LOL

his name's Dusty Rose after Dusty Miller, a plant that looks like metal/silver. Dusty Rose is also a pink color ! it also rhymes with Rusty Rose. im so smart (/j)

born from Metal Sonic's core and infused with Amy's biosignature, Amy and Metal Sonic had a very brief 'thing'... eventually Metal Sonic was soft rebooted and sent away yet again, but he left a piece of himself (part of his 'core'? infused with chaos energy..?) to Amy, which then became Dusty. leaving Dusty as the last true remaining testament of their love

(I just love the idea of Amy with a Waitress style character arc... finding love again in raising her child and not the way she used to think, being spent with another person)

Dusty would be very fixated on the idea of love, after all his mother raised him on the notion of that. Amy's standards for true love and fairytale romance have definitely changed being with Metal Sonic, but the root message being that love is all encompassing and transformative.

He was 'created' to look like Mobian, and Amy treats him no differently than any other Mobian/human. Still, he believes that he should hide all the parts that 'other' him from society, which means his robot parts. (legwarmers!)

He's got a bit of a bad boy edge to him LOLLL i kind of created him that he'd be an emo kid. (fall out boy.. my chemical romance.. a bit of IDKHow) really good at electric guitar and part of a band. eventually he finds his passion is in lyric-writing (all those love stories and inheriting his mother's gift for writing love letters)

he often wonders what a beating heart is like, as someone without one. he's interested in the heartbeats and the pulses of others, but he is a total sweetheart himself.. still, even to other mobians unaware that he is an android (a weapon at that), it's still a little off-putting..

more abt him belolow

Dusty's core is already made/designed after Amy's biosignature, and in meeting other people, he's able to read their biodata and stash it into an archive, but he doesn't reproduce it onto himself. (though unsure if he could? either his code has a blockade or he chooses not to)

Dusty, additional to his stash of weapons, has the ability to shift too like his papa... become something similar to Metal Overlord but not entirely... like a half robot dragon boy or smth.. IF he's under the right conditions to have it pulled out of him. or something

Dusty DOES "grow" up. basically, he's an inorganic being whose core is trying to emulate/copy the growth progression of other organic beings.

As it would grow in size (and Dusty's cognition "matures"), his mother and her friends would modify as needed to adjust his frame, etc, but rarely were things ever replaced. Like a mollusk, its shell growing in size- but one needing accommodations. A heart bigger than its own body that threatens to spill- a chick that has outgrown its shell, well before its expected date- needing modifications to keep it inside and protected

Metal Sonic and Amy would have something profound-- one of those tragic, star-crossed enemies-to-lovers dark fantasy romance stories Amy's always loved to read about- but then having it play in real time and having to come to terms with the real world implications of actually having one. It's just that- a fantasy. and metal sonic would grapple with the ideas of love, which i think would be inherently dark and a little possessive given his upbringing-- but what him and Amy have would be sweet at the very core of it. so him giving a piece of his core that reads and adapts to Amy's biosignature and oops... accidental baby....

Dusty finds himself drawn to music. his mom and dad couldn't quite communicate love language physically (with Metal Sonic's claws and his lack of mouth) so I hc that Amy taught Metal Sonic how to hum and sing and communicate their love through music and vocalizations (which carried onto Dusty)

4th pic is Dusty doing breathing exercises with his mama... Dusty gets embarrassed super easily so him and Amy would regularly do breathing exercises so he doesn't overheat like a PC

[writer-freak]

Twst birthday headcanons

Characters: Leona, Vil, Idia, Lilia and Cater

A/n: So today is my birthday!!!! And I wrote some headcanons for my favorite twst boys and how they celebrate with you <3

Leona Kingscholar

You wake up with Leona's arms around you, sunlight barely shining through the curtains because he made sure they were drawn shut the night before. He’s not a morning person, and if it were up to him, you wouldn’t get out of bed at all.

"Tch. You’re already awake? Go back to sleep, it’s your birthday. No one’s expectin’ you to be up this early." He grumbles, pulling you closer.

Eventually, after lots of coaxing (and maybe a few bribes in the form of kisses), you are able get out of bed.

Leona’s not the type for big parties, but he does something thoughtful in his own way, like making Ruggie organize you a romantic picnic in the botanical garden. He doesn’t even complain when you take loads of pictures with him.

The day ends with you lying in bed the same as that morning, Leona holding you in his arms, muttering one last “Happy birthday, herbivore,” before drifting off to sleep.

Vil Schoenheit

Vil insists that you start your birthday right, which means waking up in silk sheets, with a a perfect breakfast that is perfect in taste, aesthetic and nutrition because you only deserve the best.

He personally supervises every step of your morning routine, making sure your skin is flawless and that you’re as radiant as ever. "It’s your day, and I won’t have you looking anything less than perfect."

You’re going to to be pampered the entire day (even more than usual). A shopping trip? A spa day? A private dinner with an exclusive menu? He’s thought of everything.

His gift is something incredibly personalized, maybe a fragrance he designed just for you, or a limited edition item from your favorite brand.

At the end of the night, he sits with you on the balcony, sharing a quiet toast to another year together. "My darling, every day with you is a gift. But today, the world itself should celebrate you."

Idia Shroud

The morning starts with you waking up alone, only to find that Idia technically never slept. Instead, he was up all night setting up the ultimate birthday gaming experience for you.

"G-Good morning! Uh—sorry if I woke your up, but look! I made a whole list of games that fit your tastes, and we can play all day, no interruptions."

He isn't the type for regular parties but maybe he set up a virtual surprise where NPCs from your favorite games wish you happy birthday.

His gift? Probably something like a customized controller, or even him buying you any game skin you want. He tries to act nonchalant about it, but his ears are burning red when he gives it to you.

At the end of the night he shyly offers you to lean against his shoulder while you continue gaming. "I-It’s fine if you wanna sleep here. I mean it’s your birthday, so… whatever makes you happy."

Lilia Vanrouge

You wake up not because of an alarm, but because Lilia is already hovering over you, grinning mischievously. "Rise and shine, birthday star~!"

He’s so excited. Probably already made breakfast especially for you (though whether it’s edible is another story).

The whole day is a bit of chaos and fun, he drags you to some kind of adventure, even if it’s just sneaking into different parts of the campus for fun.

His gift is maybe something sentimental like a charm with protective magic or a handwritten letter filled with reasons why he loves you.

The night ends with him humming a soft melody for you, coaxing you to relax. "Another year older, another year more wonderful. You’ll always have me by your side, my dear."

Cater Diamond

You wake up to your phone blowing up, Cater’s already posted a barrage of cute birthday messages and pictures for you. "Gotta make sure everyone knows it’s your special day, y’know?"

He wanted to really make your day special for you so he hid little gifts all over for you to find. Each one has a cute note attached, making you feel extra appreciated.

His actual gift? A scrapbook filled with memories, photos, little doodles, messages from your friends. He loves seeing you smile while you look at each of the pages .

At the end of the day, he insists on a sunset selfie, just the two of you, with the golden light making everything look unreal. "This one’s for the memories, babe. Here’s to another year of being iconic together!"

Divider by: @saradika-graphics