#i haven’t drawn them since 2022

[princeweenie]

how couldn’t you trust this face? 💔

[cable-salamdr]

Are you all ready to meet my old blorbo(s) that I consistently made angst about before Morro or Lloyd or Nya. I don’t think you are

[hanjisungs-bigtittyg0thgf]

Kinktober Day 12: High sex with fuckboy!Jisung

Trigger warnings: recreational drug use

Content warnings: names (babe, baby), oral (f receiving), a couple ass slaps, jisung is a huge tease with a little crush

Summary: He’s an old friend and a terrible influence and he’s determined to give you the best night of your life.

A/N: hi all 🥰 after much consideration, i’ve decided to repost my kinktober 2022 stories. i had a great time writing these a couple years ago and want to share them again now that it’s been a while and i’ve had time to fall in love with them again. i hope you all enjoy! and by all means, feel free to send a message or comment here if you’d like to be part of the new tag list!

Word count: 3k

Tags: @bahng-chrizz

Smut below the cut

It had been thirty minutes since you’d had your gummy and the fifty milligrams of Delta 8 was hitting faster than you’d anticipated. It usually took an hour for both of you but this was a different brand and you weren’t exactly mad about it. You couldn’t be mad about it, not when your senses were pleasantly dulled and your friend was sitting across from you looking like a whole damn buffet.

You watched as Jisung slumped in the cozy chair, manspreading as he got comfortable. He looked unbelievable like that, all relaxed sighs and lazy grins. He was stoned out of his fucking skull and it showed, given he was usually extremely animated and goofy. He tugged the front of his baggy charcoal shirt down, likely trying to adjust the collar, and your attention was drawn to his lap, where loose gray sweats outlined every inch of his lower half in excruciating detail. Fuck…

“Whatcha starin’ at, babe?” He teased, quirking an eyebrow at you. You took a deep breath and blinked back the fog in your mind, realizing you’d completely zoned out while staring directly at his dick. What had you been thinking about again?

“Hmm?” You looked at his face and he seemed to be checking you out. That couldn’t be right. You’d gotten high with him plenty of times - in fact, he was with you the first time you got high - and he’d never stared at you with such intensity before. You suddenly felt like his prey, just a piece of meat he clearly wanted to take a bite out of. Was something on your shirt? It had to be. Why else would he be staring at you like that? You looked down at yourself and found nothing amiss so you turned your eyes back to him and waited.

“You were totally checking me out.” He accused in a clearly amused tone and you shook your head immediately. No way. He was an old friend. Sure he looked like fucking Adonis, but there was no way you’d been checking him out. Right? “You were.” He chuckled and shifted in an attempt to draw your gaze back to his lap. It worked. You looked at his lap for a brief moment before quickly averting your eyes upon noticing the slight tent in his sweats. “You just did it again.” He teased. “Why don’t you come here and sate your curiosity?” He challenged and you finally looked at him again.

“Is this what you’re like with all women?” You rolled your eyes, amused and very obviously flustered.

“Only the pretty ones.” The way his gazed raked over your body was entirely deliberate. He glanced back to your face and winked at you, one corner of his mouth twitching upwards in an obnoxious smirk, before letting his eyes fall back to your chest. “The ones I wanna fuck.”

“Oh…” Your face instantly heated up and you grabbed your phone, opening instagram immediately to avoid addressing that.

“Come on, you can’t seriously tell me you haven’t thought about it.” You began to worry your lip with your teeth, not responding, and he continued. “Well I have and there’s a whole bunch I wanna do to you.” He paused, watching you as you stared at your screen and tried not to squirm. Fuck that was hot... You weren’t scrolling through posts anymore, you were just staring blankly as you tried to avoid looking at him, panties already damp from the confirmation that he wanted you. “Wanna hear about it?”

You noticed him lean forwards, elbows resting on his knees as he scooted to the edge of the massive chair he was seated on. You did wanna hear about it but talking about sex was never easy for you despite having had plenty. It felt awkward unless it was with your very best friend, who told you all about her exploits in great detail. You slowly lowered your phone away from your face and locked it, holding it tightly as you cautiously met his eyes.

“I knew you would.” He grinned triumphantly as he sat back. You quickly looked at the table between you, trying to avoid checking him out. “You can look. We both know you want to.” Your cheeks burned even hotter at his comment and you pulled a throw pillow onto your lap, picking at the threads along the seam. “Hell, you can come touch if you want.” You certainly did want that but didn’t move.

Finally, after what felt like years of waiting for him to continue and almost forgetting your embarrassment due to the fog you were in, he carried on. “I’ve thought long and hard about what I wanted to do to you if I ever got the chance. Truthfully, I’ve wanted you for years now.”

“Me and every other female on this side of the grave.” You snorted. He laughed, knowing it was true, and resumed.

“Yeah but you’re special. I know I’m a slut, I wear the title proudly, but you’re different from anyone else I’ve ever hooked up with. All those girls were passing interests. But you? You’re the one girl I can’t seem to get to.” He sounded like such an asshole, like he was entitled to the attention of every female he came in contact with and you were just another woman to be conquered, but you still wanted him. It was kind of pathetic to be honest. “You’re the one girl I’ve spent longer than two weeks fantasizing about. I’ve always wondered what you’d look like underneath me, how you’d feel…I’m thinking about it right now.”

You watched as his hand slid from his thigh to the front of his pants, pressing his palm firmly against his erection and tipping his head back. He let out a short sigh as the pressure offered some sort of relief, lifting his head and looking back at you as he let off. “You got me all fucked up right now, babe.” He groaned softly and you felt like you’d explode if he didn’t touch you right then.

“My room.” You finally said, standing abruptly from the couch as you tossed the pillow and your phone down on the cushions. You didn’t wait for a response, immediately taking off towards your bedroom.

He sprung up from his chair and followed closely behind you, teasing you as he walked. “Already? I didn’t even get to tell you what I wanna do to you.”

“Then start talking.” You shrugged, opening your door and stepping aside for him to enter the room after you. He stood frozen in place for a second, staring at you in mild disbelief.

“And here I thought you were the shy type.” He scoffed. “Shy girls are too cute. So much fun to break down. So obedient, too, once you coax them out of their shell.”

“Talking about fantasies is different from acting on them.” You said as you grabbed his wrist and tugged him into your room since he wouldn’t get out of the doorway. “But for the record, I am.”

“Sure doesn’t seem that way to me.” He chuckled as you turned towards him, feeling suffocated as soon as you were facing him with your back to the door. “All the fun thoughts I’ve had might have to be revised.” He hummed as he trapped you against the cool surface behind you, one arm propped above your head.

You couldn’t avoid looking at him given the proximity so you simply avoided his eyes. “There she is.” Your hands curled into fists at your sides in anticipation when his free hand came up under your chin and gently forced your head back. “Normally I wouldn’t do this, but it’s you. I have to.” His voice was quiet as he inched closer, finally pressing his lips against yours after a moment of hesitation to allow you to back out if that’s what you wanted.

It was clear his reputation was spot on from the way he kissed you. Despite his claim that he didn’t shove his tongue down other girls’ throats, he was an expert at this and you found yourself getting worked up even further. Your hands unfurled and moved to his sides and his arm that was above your head dropped down to snake around your waist, pulling you against him rather roughly and earning a soft gasp. He lightly bit your bottom lip in response and you gripped his shirt so tightly your knuckles went white.

The hand he held under your chin moved away, trailing down your body until it rested on your ass, which he promptly squeezed. He licked into your mouth and you let out a soft whine, making him smirk against your lips. You briefly chased his lips when he pulled back and that damn smirk was still on his face when you finally opened your eyes. “I’ve thought about that a lot.” He whispered.

“What else have you thought about?” You asked meekly, trying your hard best to maintain eye contact.

“Stripping you down and eating you out for hours. Fucking you in every position I know and then inventing new ones just so I can hear you slowly lose the ability to form any words that aren’t my name.” Your breath hitched as a fresh wave of arousal washed over you, making you clench in anticipation. “How good you’d taste, how pretty you’d sound, how tight you’d feel around me…so many things, babe.” He began to guide you towards the bed as he spoke. “Can I do that? Fuck you ‘til you see stars and find out all the things I’m curious about?”

You could only nod as his fingers slipped under the hem of your shirt. He swiftly removed the loose material and let his arms circle around you to unhook your bra. He was wasting no time here. It made sense considering how long he said he wanted this.

As soon as you were entirely naked on your top half, he hauled you onto the bed and leaned over you to attack your chest with kisses and bites. You let out a soft whimper and brought your left hand up to your mouth, muffling your sounds with the back. A cloud of warmth enveloped your body as your mind went hazy again. Your impairment heightened your awareness of your physical being and you were ten times more sensitive to the pleasure you were receiving from his suckling on your breasts.

Your eyebrows knitted together as he began to move lower, muttering something you couldn’t comprehend about how badly he wanted you. You allowed him to tug your pajama pants off and propped up on your elbows to watch helplessly as he mouthed over the wet patch on your panties. He took a deep breath, appreciating the scent of your arousal, before running his tongue up your slit. “Can’t fucking wait to taste you…can I take these off?” He asked, looking at you through his lashes as he hooked his fingers in your waistband and paused.

You nodded vigorously and watched with what you assumed were wide eyes as he slid the thin cotton down your legs. The way he stared at your pussy made you want to vanish, to hide from his view, but you couldn’t bring yourself to move as he let out a low groan. He cursed under his breath as he briefly admired you before urging your thighs over his shoulders. Once he had you how he wanted you, he wrapped his arms around your thighs and pulled you the slightest bit closer as he buried his head between your legs.

Your head tipped backwards and attempted to bite back a moan when his fingers spread you open for his tongue to circle your clit. “Lemme hear.” He mumbled, voice muffled since he didn’t want to pull away from your cunt for even a millisecond. As soon as the words left his mouth, he dove back in and there was no chance of keeping quiet when he sucked on your sensitive bundle of nerves.

Your arms gave way as you allowed yourself to fall back into the mattress, losing yourself in the moment. You were certain you’d never experienced such intense pleasure in your life and you knew it was because of the drugs. I’m gonna want him every time we get high now…

He was a fucking expert with his tongue and you realized why he was so popular with the ladies. You were certain he was going to suck your soul straight out of you through your cunt.

You couldn’t be sure how much time passed with his head between your legs, lapping and sucking at your dripping pussy, but it felt like he was pulling away all too soon. You let out a distressed whine and lifted your head from the bed, fully prepared to object but stopping in your tracks the moment he stood. He looked like a god towering over you the way he did. He only took a moment to admire you before he quickly stripped himself, your mouth going dry at the sight.

“Condoms?” He asked, hoping you had some nearby so he wouldn’t have to take time to fish through his wallet. You shook your head and he stepped back but you sat up and pulled him back by his wrist.

“It’s fine, I’m on the pill, please just fuck me already.” You begged, still pulling him closer. He groaned as he processed your words and leaned down, crashing his lips to yours for a brief, messy kiss.

“Hands and knees.” He commanded as he pulled back, wrapping a hand around his thick shaft and giving a few strokes. You eagerly complied, flipping over and letting out a delighted hum when he grabbed your ass. You immediately laid your head down on the bed, ass up and back arched, and he gave your soft flesh a slap before placing one hand on your hip while he used the other to line up. You shimmied back onto his cock before he could even ask if you were ready and he just barely managed to contain the choked sound he wanted to make. He had to at least pretend to keep his cool even if he had already revealed his hand to you.

You let out a pathetic moan at the stretch and he squeezed your hips with both hands as he bottomed out. He felt the need to make this memorable for both of you since he didn’t know if he’d get the chance to do this again, though he knew your memory would be lacking tomorrow if you were as fucked up as he was. He could barely string together a coherent thought and was working on pure instinct as he rolled his hips against yours before pulling out and slamming back in, setting a rough pace. He was gone.

He was correct in assuming that you would struggle to remember, of course, because you were floating through time and space. Everything felt pleasantly fuzzy as your muscles gradually grew more tense. His grip was tight as he drove you into the mattress and you felt like you might just catch on fire.

You felt his hands slide from your hips to your back, one resting on the slope of your spine while the other slid higher until his hand was tangled in your hair. The simple touch sent a thrill through your body and he hissed, cursing under his breath a moment later when you clenched around him. “Careful, baby.” He warned, knowing he’d fall apart if you tightened around him again.

You took it as a challenge and he pulled out the second he felt your walls gripping him tighter. You wanted to pout but didn’t get the chance as he flipped you over onto your back and pulled you towards him. He urged your legs around his waist and easily slid back in, resuming his previous actions.

You rocked your hips in tandem with his thrusts, desperate to get off. Time was passing strangely so you had no idea how long he’d been fucking you but you were getting dangerously close to the edge. You warned him of that and he reached between your bodies to thumb over your clit, pulling a moan from you.

You clenched around him in an attempt to get him just as close as you were to orgasm and the band in your belly snapped. You let out a series of pathetic, broken moans as your walls fluttered around him, your whole body spasming as you came. He managed to pull out just before he let go as well, cumming across your stomach with a loud moan that was several octaves higher than he’d intended.

He collapsed beside you and both of you stared at the fan whirring above your heads for what felt like hours but could realistically have only been two minutes. Finally, you looked over at him and broke the silence, grinning as you spoke. “I made you moan like a girl.”

He laughed and rolled over to face you. “Don’t go around telling people that, it might give them ideas.”

“I didn’t plan to share this with anyone but now I’m having ideas.” You teased with a giggle as he sat up.

“Well keep those ideas to yourself,” He started as he got up from the bed and grabbed a towel from the hamper by your closet to clean you with. “You’re not pegging me.” Both of you burst into laughter as he came back and wiped his cum off your stomach. He tossed the towel back across the room and laid back down beside you, pulling you into him. “I’m so fucking sleepy.”

“Me too.” You mumbled, shivering when his fingers began to lightly massage your scalp as he held you. “We should do this again.” You added as your eyes forced themselves shut and sleep took over. You definitely needed to do that again.

<-d-11 | d-13->

[yosajaeofficial]

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER UPDATE

Heya everybody! We’re back for a double episode of, “The Monthly Jayce Myles Comics Updates”! The reason why August wasn’t fulfilled like normal was due to college and how busy I immediately got when entering in, which is what I figured would happen so I’m not too surprised with it to be honest. I took some time in order for me to make a fulfilling update instead of doing a rushed one to pump out yk? We’re now gonna get to the updates and bonus content I’m gonna show.

Buckle your seat belts, close your eyes and take your hands off the wheel cuz this is gonna be a ride~

THE COMIC

(OFFICIAL W.I.P: PAGES 28 & 31)

The comic’s gotten slower due to college, however, I really needed a break from it in general so I could prioritize my personal life and also refresh myself on drawing what I want to instead of rushing my age physically and turn 78 years old when I haven’t even reached 20 yet. Nothing much to say but showing the w.i.ps because of the slower progress, it’s getting there though. We got to 30 pages! Which means that the first section is sketched out (calculated to be approximately a fourth of the full chapter done, it could go lower or higher in the numbers depending on what I want/vision). I’m hella proud for getting 30 of them pages done honestly. A huge accomplishment for doing this story for a long while.

Ya’ll don’t really know, but I am indeed changing things here and there about the story where I’m shifting small details, doing redesigns, and reboots with other small things overall. I would be honest and say that’s where I’m progressing the most and not the debut chapter, I’m able to have a clearer vision of the story in my head and on paper when doing future chapters yk? I won’t go into details about redesigns or those details being changed since they’re hella spoilerish and a bit unnecessary considering that the JMC hasn’t even debuted yet. Ya’ll will get those details later when the comic functions and I will reveal more in future updates!

Also, last month Jae, no you haven’t drawn the turtles yet. However, we’re close to their debut for the chapter so keep strong! You’re doing great! :3

BONUS CONTENT: Jayce Myles Over The Years

Many of you know that Jayce Myles, whose name is in the title of the series, is our protagonist for this ROTTMNT comic! She’s my OC that I’ve had when going through my senior year of high school. We’re gonna be getting into a deep dive with her as a character and how their designs came to be during the process!

This is the first ever drawing of Jayce that I’ve done, the day I made it is so vivid in my head because I was going through it… I was in my Pre Calculus class and I had failed another test after multiple attempts through the school year. My initial idea was to cry (which I did) but then I just started doodling on my phone and I created this drawing, then from there it was history. This was in 2022, not too long ago. I became a Rise fan a couple weeks after the movie came out (which I didn’t know at the time, it was a pure coincidence) and I wanted to create a Rise OC for a while. So that day in Pre-Calc, I was able to take advantage of my mathematical suffering and create my magnum opus (exaggerated). She didn't have a name at the time so it was actually a stand in for me. Jayce got their full name until a couple days later.

EVOLUTION OF JAYCE MYLES

(October 2022- February 2024)

As you all can see, Jayce did indeed have lots of designs and ideas being sketched out while I created her as my official Rise OC. I had ideas for them to have an androgynous look from the start based off of my own self! I knew they were gonna have a Rise comic, but there were ideas for them to originally come from the 2012 TMNT universe with their "serious demeanor". It was quite interesting but there isn't much media of those ideas since they were cut a bit early on.

(Older Renders of Jayce from 2022)

Their signature color looked like it was gonna be this denim blue for quite a while but then I scrapped it cuz I thought it wasn't showing their personality like how I want it to. There was also another scrapped concept where Jayce's demeanor would be more monotone and "soft" (as in a blank slate, which doesn't give her a true personality). It was cut because it made me think that I wasn't giving her the best potential as the protagonist then I should've been giving them. Jayce was more introverted and quiet, but now they're much more expressive and full of personality. Ya'll will see in a more better light when the comic debuts, I'm not holding back with Jayce's personality anymore.

("Issue 1: Graffiti" Panels from page 1. The only page that was completed until the plot got scrapped.)

There were lots of pitches and concepts for the JMC over the years too, where lots of storyboards got drafted and one of the first of those drafts got their first page completed. However, I'm pulled a Richard Williams and kept being like "No, I don't like this" and kept going back to the drawing board. I like to look back on these old drafts especially after seeing the older interactions and how different they're gonna be in the official comics. I for sure was learning over 2023 and 2024...

Now finally, we're gonna touch on the last thing for this update~

JMC'S FINALIZED PILOT (ADDITIONAL CHARACTER)

We are going to talk just a teeny bit about the debut chapter but I'm able to become vague without spoiling too much since lots of the older pitches were scrapped. But yes, this was when I came up with the idea, "What if Jayce had a job?"

That's where the idea of Jayce working at a deli joint came from. Where she would have to get a 9-5 and possibly fired, it was pretty funny when doing the drafts since I never knew how a real deli worked and my dumbass just used my mom's experience at Denny's as referenced (she walked out and quit after almost a year).

Thus, our pilot was born.

You can go read a non canon comic I did that touched on this concept when it was fresh in development right here! [Jayce and Mikey Phone Call] & [Splinter/Randall and Jayce Interaction]

The shop itself was based off of a friend's film back in junior year. He made a FNAF parody called, "Five Nights At Fernando's" and it was such a stupid assignment but that gave me the idea of making use of the dumbass "Fernando's Shop" and make it a reality. So then Fernando's Taco Shop was created and we had the shop Jayce worked at. We already talked a bit about Archie and his deal in the first JMC Monthly Update and I can't say anymore due to spoilers but he was also involved of the creation of the pilot.

The older pitches had a cashier or a manager be like some NPC ahh character that never was gonna be brought up ever again but something in me thought it would be a cute idea to create an actual character for this manager that wasn't a stupid bossy ass hoe. It was very sweet in the drafts so I thought I could create more with that concept in mind.

Introducing: Rogelio Andazola!

(Rogelio Andazola Evolution: 2022-2023 | Still Not Showing The Finalized.)

His design is one that is the most consistent when compared to the rest of the roster, I guess that I hit the nail with his because I couldn't imagine him any different. There are only minor changes like his gray strands disappearing (bro reverse aged) and his facial expressions are much more expressive after I played around during the soft reboot. Once again (and as annoying as it is), you will all see where I'm coming from when the debut chapter releases! Rogelio as a character has also altered his personality, he's based off of my grandpa, can't wait to show you how that comes into play in the story!

Thank you all so much for sticking around for this very heavy update! I worked way too much for the photos to be sent on here and dug up lots of my old art in order for this to become a reality! It was actually insane that I kept lots of it instead of making it turn into lost media, I'm happy I got to show lots of it instead of having to make it the fuck up by memory (which I wouldn't have done in the first place and is an exaggeration). The comic is slaying in the runway and I'm working on it here and there at my own pace. Maybe next time I can finally show ya'll the turtles in the next W.I.P in the comic section. Have an amazing day/night everyone and we're on the way to victory!

[strawberryraviegutz]

Ok LMK fandom.I need a little help here.I have a question. So I used to be rlly into Lego Monkie Kid and was mainly drawn in due to a TikTok I saw of Macaque I saw a long time ago. I instantly fell in love and started to selfship with him immediately and continued to watch the rest around the time when it was gaining popularity around the first to second season.

Though sometimes in 2022(I think??) was when I came across ppl saying it’s disrespectful to chinease culture and Buddhism to selfship/simp and sexualize Wukong and Macaque or something. I was genuinely confused because I was under the impression that journey to the west was a fictional story since that’s what LMK is based off of.

I have seen other ppl say it’s the opposite and that it’s fine to simp for them but I’ve never actually found a definitive answer to my question and as a result I stopped watching the show(haven’t seen the season 4 special nor any of season 5). With the recent seasons kicking off I started feeling sorta nostalgic about the show and part of me wants to get back into it. Tho I don’t wanna do anything wrong due to my potential fictional crush on macaque.

Is it actually disrespectful to Chinese culture and or Buddhism to selfship/simp for Macaque? I’m genuinely confused and have been for a couple of years now. Pls help/gen

[fraiserabbit]

Hi! Just wanted to let you know, that since I've seen your art of them, I've started shipping Daisy x Ryan. Thank for introducing me to this adorable ship! I salute you!🫡

(P.S, I have a little animatic idea for them, but I don't know if my skills will allow me to finish it. Lol. But if I ever doooooooo, I'll tag you!)

HEHE I’M GLAD I GOT U TO JOIN US RYANXDAISY ENJOYERS >:3

(YES PLS OMG)

ALSO I HAVEN’T DRAWN THEM SINCE 2022??? ERM…NOT ON MY WATCH ☝️

[renyen808]

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The TV Show We (and Disney) Needed

Back when I was a child, I had a difficult time reading. In fact, I loathed it. I never understood why we had to read in the first place, it seemed extremely tedious to me. It had gotten so bad to the point where it became obvious that I just did not want to read. It wasn’t until my parents signed me up for this reading thing at my elementary school, where after hours, like dinner time, they would give us a book to read. I wasn’t a fan of this because why the hell would I want to be reading at 7 pm on a Wednesday night? Yes, you read that correctly, a Wednesday! The first session, they made us read a book from an author in Hawai’i. They wrote a children’s book and they made us read it, which I didn’t because it never interested me. So, the next Wednesday comes around and I just expect it to be the same. Just give me my copy of the book that I am never going to read again and I’ll call it a day. But that didn’t happen. For the first time, I actually found a book I was interested in: The Lightning Thief. 

(Credit: Goodreads)

Everything about Percy entrapped me in this mystical world of Greek Gods, monsters, and half-bloods. I was never like this before, reading page after page just to know what happens next. Along with that, since I started reading them when I was twelve, it was a great way to see myself in these different characters, feeling the triumph and betrayal throughout every twist and turn of their adventure.

I read all of Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus throughout my time in school, and also watched the movies, but, while watching the movies, I was disappointed to find that it wasn’t like how I imagined it. They changed aspects of the story that didn’t need changing and in doing so, kinda destroyed the magic that made it so great. Grover was a kind hearted boy and while I like Brandon T. Jackson, I didn’t buy him as Grover. Sure he was a great friend to Percy, but he wasn’t Grover to me. Logan Lerman was the perfect Percy, just the wrong time for him. And do not get me started on Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth, she was the worst offender of the three in my opinion. Them changing every aspect of the story just made me super upset, and do not get me started on that second movie (Love you Blackjack). The point is, as a Percy Jackson fan, we needed better, we deserved it!

(Credit: Wikipedia)

During 2020, I finally got my wish when they announced that the show was greenlit. Everyone around the world rejoiced as we finally got our chance. Once that happened, everyone started to wonder about who would be casted as the titular character. Then, April 2022, Walker Scobell was announced. At this point, I haven’t watched the Adam Project or anything that he has done, but after watching it, I was stunned, I was like, ‘That’s Percy…’ Then, Leah Sava Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri were casted as Annabeth and Grover and the world lit on fire in the community.

(Credit: Polygon)

As a woman of color myself, not African American, but Asian, I was ecstatic to see Jeffries take on Annabeth. I’m the type of person that cares more about if they embody the soul of the character than the appearance. Daddario may have looked like Annabeth, but Jeffries IS Annabeth. There are still portions of the community that cannot wrap their head around that the beloved daughter of Athena is a different race, but I don’t care. It is especially prominent in this Facebook group (yes, I still use Facebook) I am a part of to share my love for Percy Jackson. I try to surround myself with like minded people, and sometimes, a few of the racist ones just come through.

As you can see, I loved the series. From the moment I heard Scobell’s voice, I knew the series was built with so much love. I always felt drawn to Percy, being from Hawai’i, the ocean is special to me. I always found his snark and humor relatable, since I am similar with my friends and family. I also was drawn to Annabeth with her no nonsense attitude, along with being a strong female character. Also, cannot forget Grover, the literal glue of the group. The quest would have gone completely wrong if not for him. Scobell, Jeffries, and Simhadri all played their roles to perfection. They are truly the Golden Trio come to life. 

(Credit: Town and Country Magazine)

I need to also call attention to all the different actors and actresses who played supporting roles throughout the series. Virginia Kull’s masterful performance as Sally, showing just how difficult it can be on the mortal parents of a demigod child. Glynn Turman as the perfect Chiron, showing a sense of care and concern as Percy’s mentor. Jason Mantzoukas’ performance as Mr. D is a standout, with him completely capturing what it means to be the punished director of Camp Half-Blood. Megan Mullally was an amazing Alecto, bringing a sense of fear immediately into Percy’s life. Timm Sharp played an amazing Gabe Ugliano, showcasing a different way that Gabe could be portrayed for an audience today. Adam Copeland, also known as Edge in the WWE, plays Ares, a terrifying force in the book that Copeland captures perfectly. Also want to shout out Nick Boraine, the voice of Kronos, who brings a sinister feel to the series, showing he is the big bad of this story.

(Credit: PopBuzz)

I wanted to make a separate paragraph for the last supporting character: Luke Castellan. Luke is played by Charlie Bushnell, who really sold me as a demigod feeling betrayed by the gods. Just from his acting in Episodes 2 and 8 solidified to me that this is how Luke is. Granted, the confrontation scene is not as sinister as it is in the book, I believe that the TV series did it better, where Annabeth is there in person to see the betrayal happen. I mean, that is literally her brother betraying her, I cannot imagine what she is going through. Bushnell really sold it as Luke honestly, showing he’s an upset demigod who believes the gods have turned their backs on them. He made use of his time on screen, and I cannot wait to see him in future installments as our big bad.

(Credit: IGN)

Overall, this series is what we all deserved! I understand that people are upset that it was not completely faithful to the books, and that is a valid argument, but I will say this: if you want a faithful adaptation, read the books and recreate it in your head. Nothing will ever be a perfect copy of another, not with humans around. I think instead of nitpicking the differences and inconsistencies between the two, we should embrace the changes. Embrace the fact that this was even created in the first place and be grateful for it. Embrace the fact that we have a great TV show, but god forbid they forget about the scorpion that Luke poisons Percy with. The books, movies, the TV show, they’re all interpretations of the same idea, and we all have different thoughts about the idea, that at the end of the day, at least one person will be a hater. Anyway, with millions of views each episode, I’m sure season two is coming, and with that my boy Blackjack!

[garyholt]

I have more ocs that aren’t Dante they also suck really bad though and I haven’t drawn them since 2022

[nuclearjacks]

13, 15, 23 for ask game 👀

13. A character or ship you haven’t drawn/written for yet but would like to someday?

MegaRod 100%. They're one of my favorite ships in the TF fandom but god I can't believe I've never made content for them ;-;

I have one spicy wip that's been laying around in my folders since 2022, and was going to make a comic for a zine I had to drop out of with hints of MegaRod but it's all stuff I never got around to or never finished. I need to fix that in the future >:)

They are my beloveds who are such beautiful mirrors of one another, on top of I relate so heavily with their characters for one reason or another so they mean a lot to me <3

15. Have you noticed your style change over time?

Absolutely! It's much easier to notice the changes over a larger amount of time like my art now vs my 2021 art. You can see the drastic change in my lineart and especially with my shape work and how saturated my colors are now pictured below vvv

But there's definitely still some changes I've been noticing here and there in the past year, much more subtle and much more gradual. I've been improving on my speed and simplification of designs into my style, especially with Transformers. And I've also been getting a lot better with backgrounds/actually adding backgrounds in now bdavbdkvb not to mention, experimenting with lighting and learning about things like sub-surface scattering, reflective lighting, ambient lighting and a whole bunch of pretty overwhelming concepts tbh sdbksdbv

This year so far has mostly been a lot of experimenting and much more experimenting to come and I'm excited to see what my style evolves into next : )

23. Has your favourite character/ship changed over time?

Probably more my understanding of my favorite characters and ships.

I still ADORE MegOp and the mix of tragedy, pining and fluff it is but my understanding and interpretation of their characters has changed drastically from when I first entered this fandom at 18, now 23.

There were definitely influences from my anime fandom days where I thought "Orion is so baby and is a precious cinnamon roll who couldn't hurt a fly, lookit how smol he is with his big beefy warrior boyfriend who protecs him" to "Orion is a capable character who, while naive about the world, could be just as smart as Megatronus and in doing so created a whole other faction that inadvertently worked alongside a corrupt political system that Megatronus was trying to deconsruct" (Also not hating on anyone who still likes character interpretations like the first, it's just not my thing that much anymore personally kjbdvksbv)

I still like the concept of big beefy warrior boyfriend protecting his small librarian (cause c'mon that's just fun ksdbvksdb), but I merge it with my larger understanding of the classism themes, alongside the inherent religious themes of Optimus becoming a Prime that I'm such a bitch for kdbsdkjbv

Same goes for Rodimus in MTMTE. He went from "Haha he's just like me fr, lookit this ADHD baby who can't focus for a second haha he always forgets paperwork and has never done wrong I don't see how someone can hate him" to "Rodimus has done so much wrong and that's what makes him an insanely relatable character. People hate him because he's genuinely fucked up so bad and placed blame on everyone but himself because he wants so badly to be the hero of the story instead of the person everyone sees as the 'fuck up'. The fact he keeps trying to live up to a title that's bullshit and to a person (Optimus) who doubts himself every second of the day and doesn't see how fucked his own lineage actually is because the person he looks up to most is hiding things just like him and has fucked up just like he has, as has every other prime before him. But damn it, he's going to try and do better this time, he has to. Also he's so ADHD-coded it's not even funny."

Tldr: I merge the simpler concepts I loved when I was younger with the more complex concepts I love now that I'm older to create a nuanced narrative of the characters and their relationships while being a self indulgent fangirl skbgsbbihuft

[fleur1005]

YiZhan Fandom Interview with Renren !!

Preface:

In my attempt to sort out all the massive information that is generated almost daily in the BJYX fandom, I came up with an idea to interview prominent 🐢 for pointers, recommendations and advice as kind of a starter compilation kit for newbies.

Also, my intent is to provide some translations of the interviews (if you’re also interested in translating, let me know thru’ my twt acc below) for international fans and contribute my grain of salt to thin the language barriers and get to know more fans or simply, know your fave person in fandom.

With that being said, this is my first interview, so any constructive FB is welcome!

-::-::-::-

Thanks so very much for accepting my first ever interview, Renren 🙏

So, the first question is kind of a mandatory introduction.

Q. Please, tell us a bit about yourself. How you like to be called or how do you go by in this fandom and how long you’ve been in the swamp?

I’m Renren, but most folks call me Ren. I’m a fic writer and a szd shipper (which for new folks means I believe they’re actually in a relationship, this is also called being a tinhat lol).

I watched The Untamed in January 2021, and then watched the official BTS, and saw a shipper in the comments and was like “huh, people ship real people?” I was no stranger to shipping fictional characters (I’ve written Reylo before), but RPS was brand new to me. But the more I watched of the BTS and then the unofficial BTS, I was like, oh yeah, there’s something here. The cave BTS sealed it for me.

So, I’ve been in the pit since January/February 2021. I lurked for a long time, then joined fandom more actively in the fall of 2021, and started writing and released my first Yizhan fic in Jan 2022.

This is your first RPS? Wow, how cool is that? To debut with such a power couple! ☺️

Q. When you were a lurker, which SNS did you mostly use?

Which leads to the next question…

Q. Where are you most active/ favorite place to dabble in fandom-wise?

I lurked on tumblr mostly, and read Twitter without an account. I didn’t make one until August, and I don’t think I used it to post until September/October 2021.

I’m active most on Twitter, with Tumblr set up as my backup to Twitter.(@renren85105)

I’m also on AO3 as TheDevilandMrsRen.

Tumblr

By the way, you have very distinct profile pic (wyb with an octopus plushie on his head!). Did you always use it?? Is there a reason why you chose that? 🤭

I think I had a different one when I signed up, but I can’t remember it - I chose it because I like tentacles lol

As in a fic trope/kink? or something else? 😆

Both lol, I’ve always loved octopuses, I think they’re darling, but I also enjoy tentacles as a trope.

We’ll come to that later~~! There’s a question regarding that afterwards.

Q. What was your first drive/motivation to start writing about them? Would you share a link to your first fic?

It was Xiao Zhan’s lightsaber video!!! I had this idea for a Star Wars AU with the two of them, and it took me over body and soul and I finally had to write it. The first story I posted though was the first Golden Girls AU,

then the Star Wars AU came out a month later.

By the way, you guys have to go read Renren’s Golden Girls AU cos I can assure you, you are going to enjoy it SO much, if you haven’t already!!

So on to the next one!

Q. How many fics have you written so far? Which one is the one that you’re most fond of and why?

I’ve written 15 Yizhan fics so far, and drawn 10 mushroom fanarts! I’m not sure I can pick a favorite, but it’s between “Fireworks in the Stars” because it’s an original concept that I’ve been playing with for years and want to eventually write a full original novel with it, and “Houseboat of Love”, because I had so much fun with the exes-to-lovers concept. It was a bit angsty but I also wanted it to be a fun time with Xiao Zhan thirsting hard for his not-actually-ex-husband.

But I love everything I’ve published, if I don’t love it, I don’t release it.

I had totally missed that Renren’s mushroom posts are fanarts! I had to rush to see them and they are all SOSOSO Adorable, with capital A! The puns are sublime. I loved them all to bits and she has confirmed there’s more to come in the future!! Be on the look out, you guys!! 🥹🥹

Q. What’s your favorite trope to write/draw or a new one that want to try this year?

Oh, that’s hard! Because it’s different from my favorite tropes to read.

I really like to write getting together stories, especially if there is only one bed/they’re stuck together in some way.

But this is the year I’ll finally write tentacles, which is actually so much harder than I thought because a) I want to do it justice since I love it so much and b) there is SO MUCH choreography involved with all the extra limbs. You Belong in My Arms is my tentacle WIP, with chapter one out. Chapter one just has a cute octopus and tentacle kink, but no actual use of tentacles in a sexy way.

I will just restrain myself to say that Renren’s octopus is so cute like an underwater jianguo. I am hopelessly hooked to her fic that am anxiously looking forward to new chapters! But I digress…

Q. Are you bjyx, zsww or lsfy? Is this dynamic important to you when writing? (Or reading?)

So I am a bjyx-leaning lsfy. I enjoy reading everything, but I prefer writing bjyx or Yibo top lsfy.

That sounds like it’s the same thing, but the power dynamics are different between them (bjyx Yibo is IN CHARGE while it’s much more neutral in lsfy).

You mean like, Yibo makes the move? Or that he decides how he wants XZ?

Yeah, in BJYX makes most of the decisions, he’s very dominant in the bedroom and outside of it.

I like strong Yibo, indeed 😏

Q. What’s your most fave 🍬? Have you written about it? Where do you get most of your 🍬 sources?

My most favorite candy is the tattoo cpn! I have used it, most literally in an unreleased work, but I love to give both of them tattoos in my works anytime I can.

My candy sources are from Twitter (overthinkingthis, ecah, shirasagis, ventus for older candies) and tumblr (accio-victuuri), and I avoid folks sharing stalker footage or making wild claims like they know someone in the business or disparage their co-stars, because it’s harmful to the boys & just flat out rude.

I think for us newbies, we need to be careful and prudent on that and not fall for everything we see or outright edited (fake) info, cos it’s becoming harder to distinguish 😵‍ (out of my own experience)

So, the next question is selective, you can choose either or both…

A) Did you read THE fic? The controversial 22/7 one? How did you like it? How would you end it?

AND/OR

B) Do you wanna talk about wyb’s latest NYG’s LtS performance?

A) I didn’t. I didn’t even go looking for it, it has so many emotions and events attached to it, I think it’s best to just let it rest. No judgment for folks who decide to read it, though! Just my opinion.

B) Yes I do!! it was gorgeous and emotional, all about the yearning and longing you feel when you’re away from your partner and the bright warmth you feel when you’re back with them. It felt real, like he was pulling it from the depths of his soul.

It’s raw and vulnerable, and he did such a good job, I’m so proud of him! (And no, I don’t think it’s a breakup song or born from anything other than long distance relationships being hard.)

That performance was so heartfelt indeed 🥲

Q. Who is a content creator (writer, artist, v/blogger… etc) you would rec to a newbie? (Name as many as you wish) And lastly, a piece of advice for newbie 🐢!

Oh gosh, so many people! It’s hard to not just list all of my friends lol.

OldObsess/Overthinkingthis is a fantastic writer and candy librarian, her fics have great footnotes with all the different things she references in her fics.

Elisamiao is another amazing writer and she is so supportive of new writers in the fandom. I call her the fandom’s librarian because she is fantastic at fic recommendations, and can find what you’re looking for so fast!

Jalpari runs great events, and is a prolific writer, her Yizhan Through the Years is the first/second most kudos’d fic in the fandom. She is also very supportive of new authors/artists in the fandom!

BJYXObsessed is hilarious, her fics are so good and her meme threads are laugh out loud funny, I see them all over the place as reaction memes.

Bjyxnoa is a great update account on Twitter, and for deep cpn and candy discussions I like to go to Accio-victuuri on tumblr.

A piece of advice I have for new turtles is to not worry too much about proof of their relationship. They don’t have to prove anything to us, and each person has to decide for themselves how to interpret the things they do tell us. Everyone has their own “realness” comfort level, and that’s okay! It’s okay to be 100% szd and it’s okay to not be!

Lastly, their privacy is extremely important. Stalker footage is wrong, even if it “proves” what you want to see.

And don’t break the fourth wall with them, for example, if Yibo makes another Instagram post, don’t flood the comments with shipper comments, their social accounts are for work, and so we should keep our comments to the individual and the work they’re doing.

END

-::-::-::-

I can’t thank Renren enough for accepting my offer and come on board with this wee project of mine, and especially her wise words of advice 🙏🙏🙏

It’s a great reminder to all of us 🐢 that we ought to keep in mind and keep our recklessness in check. If we really love and support them, we must first respect their individual works.

And that’s it for today, folks! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it.

You can find me on twt @fleur_1005 for suggestions and/or comments!

[solar-tl-27]

Your marion won't have that giant hair like in the series, right? I kept asking myself how her didn't fall with all that weight😅

Oh boii have i been struggling with Marion! I have been struggling with her SINCE SUMMER 2022

Fun story she almost had me call an ambulance on myself because i was alone at the time sitting outside just concepting her

When i all of a sudden got a major medical emergency 😭😭 (it wasn’t that major everything was ok)

I haven’t drawn her since but I have been thinking about how to tackle her definitely not doing the large upwards hair might lean more towards the movie design like i did with oritel or a very different route but I’m keeping her ginger obviously!

If i find the concepts i did make i would show them off but i genuinely can’t remember if i even kept them.

Im probably gonna reference the girls a lot as well for marions design

She’s definitely the least worked on out of bloom’s family

But I’ll figure it out once i get to her again!

[kadenza-teufel]

Hey ya’ll! I’m back with some more of my oc lore dumps! Next up is:

⛵️👑Cameron King 🚬🍹 (they/them)

Cameron is my softhearted, scum lord who loves drinking wine with grilled cheese and always being around or in water. Cameron’s core characteristic is their fascination in culture/art preservation. They have a twin sister, Cassandra. I’ve yet to draw her but eventually 💕

✨🫧🪸 Cameron now comes with dragon form. The current version of Cameron. Originally redesigned for a post-apocalyptic setting with dragons and magic users. Cameron is a water + poison dragon. I took on the design elements of certain sealife, like anemones and lion fish for their dragon form. I haven't drawn a dragon in a good while, so it still looks like how I drew them back in high school haha (c. 2022)

I dont feel like getting into the backstory for this Cameron, since theyre like 1600~ years old, but I plan to bring this version back for a summer camp setting where they are closer to just a 150~ years old Still debating if I want it to be an rp group or a short-ish comic.

🏺🖼️ Og Cameron, created to be an anti-hero of sorts for a paranormal setting. Originally human, Cameron is an art preservationist turned art forger, but nothing comes of this version of Cameron. (c. 2020)

[rrosyan]

Tagged by @saikkunen. Thanks a lot, I like doing stuff like this and it’s been a while :3

What book are you currently reading? Brisingr (for those who’ve never heard of it, the third book in the series Eragon starts). I’ve read it few times before, but it’s been a while since I last did it. Still love the series. Also there’s Mariel of Redwall, with which I’ve been stuck for more than six months now. It is dangerous to re-read a book for a millionth of time when you remember that oh no, next is the part you don’t care about.

What’s your favorite movie you saw in theaters this year? I only went to see one movie in theaters in 2022 (yeah it’s already 2023, shut up), and it was Sonic 2. I did go see it 3 whopping times, so it’s pretty safe to say it’d be my favourite even if there were any others.

What do you usually wear? Uhhhh hoodies, fitting tank tops or t-shirts, loose pants. Colors vary, mostly black but there can be others.

How tall are you? 169cm.

What’s your Star Sign? Do you share a birthday with a celebrity or a historical event? Libra. I do not know, Trafalgar Law from One Piece is close enough to a celebrity for me.

Do you go by your name or nickname? I choose to think this refers to irl, so name. My dad is literally the only one to ever call me nicknames or pet names.

Did you grow up to become what you wanted to be when you were a child? I never really wanted to be anything but a tango queen when I was a kid, and that was when I was 4 or so. So, I guess ‘no idea’ came true.

Are you in a relationship? If not who is your crush if you have one? Nope. Also no crushes.

What’s something you’re good at vs something you’re bad at? Uhhh I guess I’m kinda good at drawing and writing? Maybe? Good is such a vague term. I do enjoy those, and I think that’s more important than being ‘’’good’‘‘ at things. I am bad at playing any instruments. Too many things you’re supposed to do simultaneously with your body.

Dogs or cats? Cats!!!! Dogs are also good, but cats make me more stupidly happy than any other creatures I’ve met.

If you draw/write, or create in any way, what’s your favorite picture/favorite line/favorite etc. from something you created this year? I have drawn some pretty good pictures this year, but I haven’t posted them online and I don’t feel like doing that now either. I do enjoy one undead wolf knight thingy I drew. I also like (still partly wip) doll’s bed I made a lot. I have written a lot, but isolating a single line is impossible.

What’s something you would like to create content for? Currently I’d like to doodle all of my favourite One Piece characters, but we’ll see when I’ll get to that. I have also been redrawing my oldest ocs with the same kids’ color pencils and other stuff as 20 years ago, and it’s been lots of fun. Overall I wanna work on my original projects more.

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with? Stardew Valley and Sonic Frontiers. Too bad I already completed the latter, I am waiting for the dlc’s to come. Also obsessed about my original projects.

What’s something you were excited about that turned out to be disappointing this year? Dissapointment is for those who do not know how to keep their expectations and excitement realistic. Jokes aside, I am honestly fairly good at being realistic about things I’m interested in, and it is a very rare occasion I am actually dissapointed about something I was excited for first, and it didn’t happen in 2022.

What’s a hidden talent of yours? It wouldn’t be hidden if I told you, would it. Tbh, I have no idea. Organizing material things maybe? Keep your timetables and whatnot away from me, but let me rearrange those messy drawers and closets of yours.

Are you religious? Nah. I am slightly spiritual pagan of my own brand though.

Whats something you wish to have at this moment? Does not-ill body and mind free of constant anxiety count? If not, then Freedom Planet 2 Switch port would be nice, but that won’t be out before next summer.

Tagging: Nah, don’t really feel like atm. If you wanna do this, consider yourself tagged.

[nathanpenlington]

Books of the year 2022

I'm not sure where the year went, but here we are again at my books of the year list. 

Like my previous books of the year posts, date of publication is not relevant for this list. This year I had to reread about 70 Choose Your Own Adventure books for a project - they are still as smart, funny, and engaging as ever, but as my love for those is so well documented I haven't included any here. 

So, these are the best books to find me - for the first time - in 2022.

#1 - My favourite thing is monsters - Volume 1 - Emil Ferris (2017)

This book is truly incredible, but not an easy read. 

Drawn mostly with Bic ballpoint pen, it breaks the conventions of graphic novels in many ways. On the surface Monsters is a coming of age story set in 60's Chicago, but it is a multi-layered narrative that catalogues monsters in all forms - those in pulp comics, those responsible for the horrors of the holocaust, and monsters that enable brutal sexual exploitation and abuse.   

It's embedded with sadness, weighed with the heaviness of human struggle, but shot through with light and love. A genuinely important work. 

Volume 2 is forthcoming, I hope in 2023. If so, I can't see it not making next year's list.

#2 - Acting Class - Nick Drnaso (2022)

I loved Nick's previous books - Beverly, and Sabrina - but Acting Class, for me, surpasses both. In Acting Class, as you'd expect, a disparate group of strangers join an amateur acting class. But what the title doesn't give away is the David Lynch like sense of uncanny, an under the surface oddness, which makes the ongoing narrative full of tension. It's compelling in every way.

  #3 - The Labyrinth - Simon Stålenhag (2021)

All of Simon's other books have made my previous books of the year lists, The Labyrinth deserves its place on this year's list too. 

In short The Labyrinth is a brutal sci-fi graphic novel, in which guilt and redemption collide. The art and words work together to build a darker world, where everyday horror seeps into an alternate past future.

  #4 - The Confidence Men - Margalit Fox (2021)

During the 1st World War, two British officers conspired to escape a remote Turkish prisoner of war camp. What follows is a true story of an elaborately planned, long running con, involving seances, spirits, and sleight of hand trickery. It's an outstandingly researched and written book. Film rights have been optioned by Fox, which doesn't surprise me, but the detail in the writing is a joy.

  #5 - Magritte in 400 images - Julie Waseige (2021)

Rene Magritte has been one of my favourite artists since discovering his work as a teenager, tucked away in the tiny Abergele library  in a book on surrealist painters.

This book covers a huge amount of his output, in chronological order. It's interesting to track his obsessions and motifs as they recur and develop. Magritte's use of the ordinary made strange creates a quiet unease, at odds with the more fleshy surrealism of someone like Dali. Magritte's work often playfully explores aspects of illusion and unreality, an area I'm constantly drawn to.  And the best children's book we've read this last year? My oldest daughter is now 6, she's learnt to read using the Biff, Chip and Kipper series (created by Roderick Hunt and illustrated by Alex Brychta in 1986). The illustrations are full of incidental details that are brilliant asides to a world bigger than the story. Creating compelling stories using a limited vocabulary is a constraint greater in challenge than anything used by George Perec.

  My daughter's favourite books have been the Pizazz series by Sophy Henn.

Imagine a girl who is a reluctant super-hero, embarrassed by her super-power (glitter jazz hands anyone?), always wearing her too long cape (chosen by her mum), having to save the world before school, and still forced to do homework. We read them all in a month, thanks to the well stocked Hackney library. Pizazz is funny, smart, and identifiable.

[from-chaos-make-art]

2023 NY Resolutions (& 2022 Reflections)

This past year (2022), my one real resolution was to make certain changes to my diet to gain particular results. I just got my test results back from my physical and I can happily report that I did it!! 

Now for 2023, I’d like to continue to focus on my physical health. I work a desk job where I’m sitting the vast majority of the time, and at home, I tend to work et al. in bed, so my back and neck have definitely suffered. This year is the year of moving my body consistently. I don’t want to say I’ll work out x amount of times a week or that I’m going to do specific exercises -- I’m going to see what I can do and go from there. My success will be in if at the end of 2023, I am consistently moving my body every week, and those are all the limits I’ll put on myself. (we gotta start somewhere, otherwise we’ll never get anywhere). 

Diet-wise, I’d also like to limit my sodium intake a bit more. I have a tendency to eat pre-packaged, on-the-go meals, which are already sodium-packed, but if I’m being brutally honest with myself, cooking is not going to be a realistic goal for me next year. So I’d just like to be a bit more careful with my food selection process. 

I’d also like to eat more vegetables & fruit and limit my red meat intake even more (this was the primary goal for last year). Chickin gud. 

These are the three real goals for 2023. 

Now for the cherries:

Creative

This year, I said I wanted to improve on three things: digital work, figures/anatomy, and backgrounds. I took two classes -- Digital Painting & Background/Landscapes and Character Design, so those took care of the first and third things. My anatomy has suffered this year, just because I haven’t practiced it at all because I was struggling trying to figure out how to draw lines on a tablet ^^;;. I also wanted to improve my self-discipline to not just rely on classes to draw...and I think this is something that I really do need to work on. My last class ended in August...and I haven’t drawn since then. Tbh, I have needed a bit of a break, so I’m not going to beat myself up too much over that, but I know that I’m not at the level where I can take time off from practice and my skill not suffer because of it. So this is something that I do want to work on for next year as well, especially because I’ll start to take actual animation classes in the spring, which will very much challenge me. Tall order from 2022 was to draw a comic...yeah, no. No tall orders for 2023. For 2023, we draw and just get better, that’s it. (I think I’m finally getting the hang of this ‘realistic’ goals thing)

Ok, so my ridiculous ass thought I could read 15 books total, and read 3 books of poetry in three different languages...yeah, wtf 2022-me. (I know this is baseline reading for a lot of people, but I do tend to struggle to read long form material now). Now, I did actually deny myself graphic novels this year because I was trying to focus on books...so there’s that...the punishment worked, i guess >.> and I actually did start reading more poetry! but I ended up reading a whole 5 books and 2 plays in 2022...so in 2023, I will actually attempt to go back to reading 12 books, and once I finish 1 book for the month, I will read graphic novels the rest. :D (i give myself a leetle treat).

I did not end up doing needle work at all this year...I took a much-needed break, and I think I’m ready to start again...I’ll take 12 designs for 2023.

No non-travel photographs this year either...but I’m starting to get that itch again...I don’t know yet if I’m ready to commit to this...I’m realizing that this year, I needed to take a bit of a step back from the things I used to do and see if I still even wanted to do them...and if so, then do them with intention...I won’t force myself to take photographs if I don’t want to...just like with writing. If it happens, great. If not, it’s ok. 

I wanted to wear everything in my wardrobe at least once...I did not accomplish that, but I did end up wearing a lot more of my outfits! Some progress is still progress! And so, I would actually like to continue this as a goal for 2023. It was really fun and I very much enjoyed the process of going out if I told myself I was going to dress up for it. It was the first year I started to dress with intention and I’d like to continue doing so.  

New goal: more nail art! I’ve been really enjoying painting my nails over the last few years, but I’d like to get back into doing some real nail art -- I bought tools and everything! I’m just real lazy and I’d rather whip on a pretty top coat or have all the sfx nail polish do all the work for me -- but I have designs and dotting tools and butterfly stickers I need to use!! The rhinestones aren’t going to glue themselves! 2023 is going to be the year of the Claire’s goth. 

Leftovers from 2022: I watched 220 movies, 15 foreign films this year. (And I wonder where all my reading time went). I participated in the film festival and had a blast. I’m definitely going to do it again in 2023, it was really fun.

I wrote 14 songs and 1 poem this year....not the best output, but it is what it is. I’m actually pretty surprised about that 1 poem -- I don’t think I’ve written one for 7 years, so, cool!

Personal

I said I wanted to work on being more sympathetic, kinder, and less judgmental; to have my internal thought processes match my external behaviour; and to not be tempted into my inherent negativity. This is an ongoing resolution obviously, and will probably be the #1 personal thing to work on for the rest of my life, but I do think that I have gotten better this year. What helped immensely, if I’m being honest with myself, is the person that I was struggling to define boundaries with moved away and that allowed me to get more space (physical and mental) from them. I was able to process my emotions easier and to decide on the kind of relationship I wanted to have with them moving forward, which really helped me to stop being so judgmental towards them, and in general. This year, I have worked on trying to listen first, and hold space, rather than jumping to solutions/advice...I’ve also tried to give myself emotional boundaries so as not to get overly involved or influenced by someone else’s emotions/issues. Basking in negativity has been a tiny bit less on the personal side this year, but has been a whole lot more work-wise, and so I’d like to do a little bit less of that next year (but I have thoughts about that!!! anyway, we’ll leave the socio-political discourse for another post).  These are things I need to continue working on, as well as thinking before I speak, and taking things a lot less personally. I have a big tendency to be gutted by the things people say (who doesn’t), usually off-hand, in passing, for years and years afterwards, and stew in my little gremlin resentment hut and howl at the self-pity moon, and I’d like to be a little bit less influenced by other people’s bullshit and gtfo it. 

Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude! Again, something to cultivate the rest of my life. But this year, there have been so many things that I am truly grateful for -- the places I’ve been able to go to, the raise I’ve received, my living situation, my loved ones, the opportunities I’ve received, the experiences I’ve had, and my improved mental health. Life is so so good, right now...and I honestly can not believe that I am this lucky to be right here, right now, alive and well, after everything. When I forget and I feel down on myself (which I often do), I read my journal entries from even just one year ago, and I realize that I have truly grown as a person, even if it doesn’t seem that way to me, or even to other people. I can see it in the way I think, the way I write. As anxious or frustrated or insert-negative-emotion-here I am now, it is nothing compared to how I was. When I think of myself five years ago, or even three years ago, it’s day and night. I legitimately don’t know how I even made it through, quite frankly. And for that, I need to be proud of myself and give myself a break, because I deserve it. I really do. (hey, look, i can do affirmations!)

Lastly...I’ve been flirting with the idea of getting back into certain social scenes. I think I’ve been craving certain kinds of experiences that are intimate, but not inherently sexual. I’d like to explore more identity-based and exploratory-based communities...it’s been 10 years...I think I might finally be ready...maybe? also, there’s still covid, so...we’ll see...

[sillygoblinantics]

I had a double take for a moment cause like

Your goat looks just like my one stoner Tiefling dnd character! Like by pure coincidence! I haven’t drawn Melvin since I think either 2022 or 2023 but the vibes

Ok maybe not entirely but like it took me until now to notice even tho I saw this post earlier today XD

Lore tangent

Melvin is a Tiefling wizard college dropout who is a combination of midnight gospel talk show host and eda the owl lady from the owl house.

He’s the spouse of my dnd pc Nim

They combined last names when they had their lil union ceremony

@runningwithscizzorz I want to let you know that you’re character designs are overall spectacular and so animated every time I run across them on tumblr!

this is just me thinking this for no reason

im sorry, BUT-

why is it giving Jafar vibes-

New challenge: how many people can relate my work back to Disney characters? (spoiler, a LOT since Glen Keane and Jin Kim are some of my favorite artists and they’re extremely influential in Disney’s movies)

Nour hates it when people imitate them🤣