#i will not be elaborating as a lot of it isn't mine to share

[do-you-know-this-adhd-character]

I've had a really bad day. I know it should technically have been up already, but I'm not sure I have the energy to put a poll up today. I'll do my best, but just so you know, there might not be one today. I know I promised one every day, but holy shit today was A Day.

[vershl]

Okay I think I made y'all wait long enough LOL

SORRY THEY'RE ALL UNCLOTHED BTW, I HAVENT FIGURED OUT OUTFITS YET- 💀

I don't really have a lot to share tbh in terms of lore/plans. This AU is very VERY fresh in my brain atm. But I will fill in some details for you guys so you somewhat/mostly understand the current characters I have for now.

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Shadow

He is a red diamond (ultimate lifeform yada yada), and as stated, a "blood" diamond. I mean this somewhat in modern terms, but not entirely. In real life, diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to fund the costs, hence "blood". In this case; Shadow was created by the other diamonds (primarily white) as a weapon, the plan was to have a gem on equal footing in terms of strength and power that they could order around to do their bidding and do their dirty work.

Clearly, that didn't work out the way they wanted. Shadow pretended to be obedient, following white, and the other diamond's orders. He shattered other gems for whatever reason the diamonds deemed fit (among other things I haven't decided on yet), only doing so to avoid the risk of being deemed defective and shattered himself, or the gem being shattered regardless by someone else.. he at least knew he could give them a swift end without pain.

Once Shadow gained the diamonds trust to wander around as he pleased, the moment no one was looking, he stole a ship and left Homeworld. Going as far as he could into the universe until he found Mobius and crash landed there. It wasn't very long before Sonic found him, and eventually became allies, inviting Shadow into the Crystal Gems, to which he accepted, and chose the name 'Shadow'. He didn't want to be called 'Red' or 'Red Diamond' anymore. He was free now. (This is as far as I got with him, sorry y'all HAHA)

Sonic

Sonic is a yellow prism in the shape of an isotoxal star (the yellow is a nod to super Sonic). In my AU, because offical SU lore with gems is relatively limited, different colored gems even if of the same type, give different abilities/powers. In Sonic's case, yellow prisms give the ability of super speed, because of course, and he chose his name based on that fact as well.

Lore wise with Sonic-- He's the leader of the Crystal Gems (makes more sense considering the CG's signature symbol is a yellow star, so I just ran with that but changed the normal star to the isotoxal). But that's all I have for him.

the rest of these characters have 0 lore at all, i will just try to explain their gems a bit- sorry

Amy

Amy is a Mimetite, a heart stone which helps with emotional stability, inner balance, serenity, joy, and adventure (according to google). Because Amy is basically canonically that 'therapy' friend, mimetite fits perfectly with her personality. As you can see, there are only a few designs that have weapons currently, Amy's being obvious because it's her signature weapon and just works here in the AU as well.

Tails

Tails is a yellow peridot, it's obvious why, and I don't need to elaborate LOL. There isn't much different between peridot colors, it's more-so personality traits than abilities. Green peridots are quite egotistical and arrogant in themselves, while yellow peridots are more adventurous and selfless.

Knuckles

Sorry for his naked hands btw. Honestly, I don't think I have to explain why Knuckles is a garnet. It just tracks. (Reminder that in the show, Garnet isn't a real garnet, it's just what she decided to call herself. In this case, Knuckles IS a real garnet.) Is his signature gem weapon gauntlets/gloves, yes. Did I steal the idea from Garnet? Shut up. :] Besides, Knuckles needed his usual gloves somehow, and he fights by punching shit anyway, so why not? Star on the back of the gloves ofc for obvious reasons.

Rouge

GOD this stupid bat bitch, aaaanyway, ahem. In my AU beryls are information gatherers, either by stealing it or manipulating their way into obtaining it. Beryls are generally under diamond control and report back to their assigned diamond with information they demand for, obviously Rouge is part of the Crystal Gems, so she gathers information for them. And more often than not...is her usual self, and snoops around, digging up dirty secrets/information about her comrades and teases them to no end with it (Shadow being her favorite to torment for... reasons.)

Silver

I chose Silver to be a sapphire simply because of the fact that in the Sonic universe, he can time travel. So instead of time travel in this Steven Universe AU, he gets future vision. I mean it works, right?

Blaze

We can talk about her gem right.. right? It's really tasty and I want to eat it. So; opals are very, VERY rare (which fits with her whole being a princess thing or whatever). She was originally going to be a fire opal... that is until I found out about dragon's breath opals and changed my mind. Blaze is an absurdly rare gem, who knows, maybe even the only one of her cut. :]

Her gem gives her the ability to control fire as a weapon, and her unique cut gives her fire more power as well as makes the flames an unusual pinkish hue.

---

And that's everyone for now! I'm doing some little doodles that I might post a bit later on to compile together, but you can have the two I made of Shadow for now. eats him

[edges-of-night]

Hello! With your comeback I had a grand time re-reading all your past imagines :> they're marvelous! Hope you don't mind me requesting - I had an idea of lotr characters with reader that is in adoration, love, and interest with their hair (and also them! but that's just predictable isn't it, how can you not love them). Even if it's dirty, reader would sometimes help take care of it, and her hands would just go to them on their own. Reader would also love to play with them, and marvel at texture, colour, lenght when they're clean. I had a few characters in mind (Eomer, Boromir, Faramir, Aragorn, Arwena, our 4 lovely hobbits) but I do know that's a lot of them. I am also happy with you choosing only few characters of your taste, or deciding on a completely different one! Quite honestly I'm happy about reading whatever you wish to write in this theme. Pretty please, but also no pressure! And have a great day/night, whenever you end up reading it :>

Thank you very much for your kind words! I know I said the same about the last request I posted, but hair prompts are an absolute weakness of mine haha! I hope you’ll enjoy what I’ve written for your characters, nonnie ♡

(so many glorious L'Oréal style gifs to choose from! ↓)

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･ﾟ✧ Aragorn.

Rangers are not among the fairest creatures of Middle Earth, but you couldn’t care less – you are in love with Aragorn’s hair. When you’ve first voiced the thought, he was irritated, then amused. Now he softens whenever you go on and on about how beautifully his hair frames his face, how gorgeous he looks when it falls into his face as he’s lost in thought, humming some ancient Elven melody to himself. He may have pondered cutting it short before, but the thought is now discarded.

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･ﾟ✧ Arwen.

You often find yourself playing with Arwen’s hair whenever you’re close. You have spoken to her about it before, but thankfully Arwen has no problem with you touching her legendary dark and smooth hair. In fact, she likes the intimacy and finds your fascination with it cute. Though she has always loved her long strands herself, she is now in a good mood to try out elaborate, beautiful new hairstyles before your visits to Rivendell to surprise you – it’s like a secret language the two of you are sharing.

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･ﾟ✧ Boromir.

Boromir has never given his hair much thought; it needed to be practical and nothing more. Imagine his surprise when you offer to help him wash it after a long day of work, sweat, and dirt! He has much to learn in terms of hair care. But even if he was a little hesitant in the beginning, he enjoys your joint baths afterwards far too much! And you braiding his hair is just too romantic to miss. I figure Boromir would also be the kind of person to brag about how much you love his hair – perhaps not with the Elves, but all the more so with fellow Humans!

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･ﾟ✧ Éomer.

Seeing Éomer at the royal banquet in Edoras has you starstruck: The usually so haggard and modest horse lord wears his hair down in gorgeous dark blond curls, accentuated by golden strands framing the face you have come to love already. Those strands are usually pinned out of his face for practicality during riding and fighting, but now you cannot help but stare – which at first might irritate him. He may not understand your love for his hair right away, but he cannot deny the warmth your compliments spread in his chest and would eventually find it romantic to take care of each other’s hair.

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･ﾟ✧ Faramir.

You were enamoured with Faramir’s hair the moment you first saw him. His gorgeous waves make him look even dreamier than his kind eyes already do. When you first reach into his hair during a kiss, you blush and apologise – but Faramir loves the attention you give his waves and urges you to not hold back (in fact, he enjoys having his hair pulled). He would ask you about your opinions on which oils and waters to use in it and is in Seventh Heaven whenever you play with it during cuddles ♡

.

･ﾟ✧ Frodo.

Frodo always makes sure his brown Hobbit curls look orderly and enjoys fancy oils, waters, and scents. He is genuinely happy about the presents you gift him to use in his hair. Your love for his curls doesn’t escape his attention, far from it. So, when your hands finally gravitate toward them as you read with Frodo, lost in thought and the legendary stories of your books, all he does is chuckle, letting you play with them until you self-consciously draw away.

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･ﾟ✧ Merry.

Since he is a bit vain in general, Merry is very protective of his hair. That said, he does have trouble taking care of it sometimes. Luckily you’re here to help! You help him wash it and compliment the colour and texture, which he delights him. Perhaps he would serve you a trick by casually telling you he would cut it short today – but you know better: This Hobbit loves both his hair and your fascination with it far too much for that!

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･ﾟ✧ Pippin.

Pippin wastes no thought on his hair: It gets stuck in branches, twisted in petty fights, and spilled by beer in the Green Dragon. Since he knows are you are “a hair expert”, he one day arrives at your door with a bunch of thistles stuck in his curls. Not only does he appreciate how well you take care of his hair, he loves how much you like it, too. He would kick his feet anytime you played with his curls and especially loves you ruffling them!

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･ﾟ✧ Sam.

When you tell him how much you like his hair, Sam initially thinks you’re joking. After all, both the hair on his head and on his feet is usually dirty and sweaty from gardening. And besides, who has the time for hair care anyway? But Sam soon realises you’re serious, especially after you stroke and caress his blond curls when you’re lying in his arms. You love how they fall into his green eyes when he looks at you all sweet ♡

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･ﾟ✧ Bonus: Galadriel.

Galadriel’s long, smooth, golden hair is the stuff of legends, which is why you were so surprised to hear you have been appointed her maid to take care of it. And Elves are so particular about hair, too! It is among your sacred duties to untie your Lady’s braids and brush her hair every night, shining in the lights of her beautiful Elvish rooms in Lórien. Sometimes, she would start humming and smiling and telling you how much she adored you taking care of her like this. Needless to say, she would eventually gift you a strand of her fabled hair ♡

[guiltygearconfessions]

Submitting my thoughts as an Indian and Pakistani fan of GG, but I'm kinda disappointed that a lot of analysts who cover Zepp don't seem all too concerned with looking closely at aspects of South Asian culture and history or anything outside of India when it comes to Zepp. Yes it is Indian but you can't discuss India and just magically divorce it from shared cultural ties with Pakistan (and by extension Bangladesh, however I am not Bengali and thus can't speak much on it.) For example Gabriel's blue uniform is so clearly based on a veshti combined with the female air force uniform for Pakistan, or that Zepp's symbol is based on the Garuda Commando Forces logo- even the uniforms of said force match much closer to Zepp's uniforms than any stated "inspiration" I've seen. Hell even the slavery system within Zepp is a reflection that our countries still struggle with caste and class based slavery on a much larger scale (it's affected my own lower class family). This isn't even to mention Potemkin who seems much more tied to how Indo-Pak militarism, nationalism, and facism can affect areas like Kashmir. People are quick to call "German and Russian" influences but the only ones I remotely even observe as a brown person are literally just Pot and Gabriel's names. I dunno. It's just vexing to me. Like it's a country made by dissatisfied Indians post-crusades, so the idea that the old government was somehow less south asian is like. Weird to me. Like there's nothing to indicate that other than people conflating out architectural styles with Russian ones too. Like a lot of Zepp seems to resemble Rajasthani and Punjabi (both sides) architecture in particular but I'm just saddened knowing nobody will look that far into it simply because they might not have that same cultural attachment to it.

Side note I'm also not a fan of how Daisuke refuses to give names to Zeppian characters that match with their ethnic background. For every Leon Mining, Gabriel, and Potemkin, we could've gotten like... actual references to our rock and metal scene. Even "Zepp" as the country name dissatisfies me. Creators and fandoms have such a bad habit at making something or acknowledging something as "South Asian" and then refuse to elaborate on it beyond a few visuals. It feels gauche.

Something something the prevalence of ki not being touched upon for any of South Asia / Zepp by extension within GG is also a major annoyance when we share a lot of faith based aspects with regions like China and Japan.

This has been kinda long winded but holy shit fighting games really just annoy me sometimes with how they treat South Asia as a whole. I just feel it very strongly with GG in particular since Daisuke was very close to peak. So close. I will say he clearly put in a lot of effort that non-south asians probably wouldn't recognize at a first glance, but the smaller details surrounding Zepp and some of the assumptions made about Zepp fandom wise combine into a "nobody will get it like I do" situation.

It's genuinely very cool to see someone's perspective and analysis on it who has more experience and understanding than most western gamers. I appreciate you sharing!

[taylortruther]

re your tags "the way taylor views and approaches love is way different than mine" "so in general a lot of her songs don't strike me as super romantic"

promise im not trying to start discourse or anything, im just very curious for you to elaborate on that because i find it fascinating. how exactly do you see the way taylor approaches love, and how is it different from the way you do? and can you elaborate on why you don't find her songs romantic in light of that?

the reason im curious is because ive always felt that some of her songs describing situations i think she finds very romantic, always give me mild ick (namely "the other side of the door," i find the idea of begging for someone back who cheated on you and admitting you "need them" kinda icky, but i think she finds it romantic in a way), so its interesting to me your tags kinda echoed that feeling and im curious for you to elaborate

you dont have to answer if you dont want though

well tldr you know how i am a ~touch grass~ nondramatic blogger? i am that way in my relationships too fjkadsl. and i don't think it's a hot take to say taylor isn't like that. she wants to be a lil melodramatic and romantic and passionate and out of control--she described wanting that (and thinking love should make you go crazy) for a long time. and i like passion and intimacy but i do NOT like feeling out of control and the times i allowed it were bad for me.

BUT!!! the really great thing about taylor's view of love is that we have seen it evolve and grow over time. she's addressed a lot of these things herself, because she's tried to unlearn a lot of behaviors that were hurting her! the archer, and much of lover in particular, is so stunning (to me) for that reason--she goes through her mentality of wanting conflict, going for the jugular, running away when things got hard or scary, icing out her partner, and basically begs him to help her through it. she said in so many ways, "don't let me let you go because i am my own worst enemy and i want to learn to be a good partner, not someone who cuts and runs." ie, she learned that cruelty works in movies, but life isn't a movie, life is about support and having healthy conflict so you can grow together. significantly different from "if this was a movie, you'd be here by now." i think she's been really clear about putting the work in and i love that and i will acknowledge that forever because it is hard to change, and she doesn't get enough credit for it within the fandom.

and this is completely normal/expected when you look at the maturity and growth of a high schooler to a 33-year-old woman. you live and you learn! it's really fascinating to see taylor do that in front of us, and i feel lucky she shares that with us.

but in general think taylor is also really driven by proving people wrong, and romanticizes her struggles more than i do--it is what makes her such a hard worker and beautiful artist and so growth-oriented. i'm not like that at all LMAO. like, i grow but i am just... different in my approach. and that's neither good nor bad for either of us.

[nuikasa]

Soo, my friend made RuiKasa AUs, and since kk you have a really good analysis for each AU, I was wanting to know your opinion on them :D

oh hi!! it's surprising to see people asking me for opinions over aus, it makes me happy to be able to share my thoughts about it!! so let's see what we have here.

okay, the concept it's not bad in a sense but I have a few questions about it. First, something I think should be obvious but how does ruling work this world like, alright dragonkasa is the "king" and rui has ulterior motives to become his minister, but how does exactly the world itself works in here? you gotta elaborate that a bit and also add a reason behind why Rui wants to do take that role, what he will do to achive this goal, afterwards, why does he become obsessed with that idea? there's a lot of things that could be added here to make it interesting because at first sight it's too simple. For example, it could be that dragonkasa is not a good ruler? he is a tyrant/egoist king? maybe that's why Rui wants to become close and have some position there so he can take the throne? maybe there's some revenge in the process? this is one of the many things you can use to justify why this is happening because the story needs to make sense.

...this one has the same problem, what's the reason behind Rui's actions? he is in love but how did he fell in love? and how does exactly backfire? how does Tsukasa actually get to know this? what exactly Rui does to make Tsukasa fall in love, actually how does this magic work. I'm not really a big fan of romantic plots with no sense at all so this one feels way too boring for my liking, not that the idea itself it's bad, I consider that ideas itself are not bad but most of the time they are bad execute, for example, this could have a start or not, it could start from the middle or even from the end of the story when things are settled but you can start showing how it reached to that point in so many ways. Usually people like to start when things are "settled", in this case, when one of them is already in love, others start from the beginning, how did they meet and how these feelings started to appear. But I feel background stories for each characters are also important to develop a good story so if none of them don't have one, the idea doesn't work. So going back to the first questions, why is it Rui a sorcerer? and what has to do with OG Tsukasa? what is Tsukasa actually doing there? and I could make more questions about it to fill the holes.

All what I said it's said objectively, whenever I come up with a new Au, I think what role has each character and what truly motivates the character to do certain actions before setting any kind of "plot" between them so it makes sense, if you set first the plot and not the roles of each character, it feels like something isn't connecting correctly between them.

For example and this I said it on Twitter, when you want to make your audience feel something emotional or connect with the characters of your story, you can't just throw a lot of things in a bowl and expect people to get emotional with that; i.e if you make two characters cry a lot, that won't make people feel sad just because they are "crying", you need to build the emotions from 0, not from nowhere and expect people to feel sorry for them. It's more effective a story and has more impact. This is might be a very personal opinion on mine because I see most people don't care about how it's build the emotions in a story, as long the design/art style is pretty, the background doesn't matter much, unfortunately.

This is just my personal opinion, a small advice for the future if you or your friend decide to take these words to heart and work hard on it, like I said before there's no bad ideas for me just need to polish them a bit and add more content and it can become in a very good idea. Hope this helps a bit and I always am welcome to get more requests about aus and give my thoughts about it, for writing and drawing tips again!! thank you once again and hope you have a good day!

[crownmemes]

Supernatural & Paranormal Sentences, Vol. 2

(Sentences from various sources for muses exploring the unexplained. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"I think this case is nothing more than a murderer taking advantage of local folklore."

"It's very dangerous to believe people. I haven't for years."

"It's been said that the fear of the unknown is an irrational response to the excesses of the imagination."

"I've always put my trust in the accepted facts. What I saw last night... For the first time in my life, I don't know what to believe."

"I have to confess that I, for one, will be locking my door tonight."

"Creatures like us are not supposed to interfere in your world."

"That's why I like you! Your ideas are weirder than mine!"

"There is still a lot about this that doesn't make sense..."

"Nothing disappears without a trace."

"You ever had the suspicion that you've been abducted by aliens?"

"I heard reports of several UFO sightings in this area last night. Did you see anything?"

"This house is supposed to be haunted."

"I'm assuming you're familiar with the early indications of repressed memory?"

"Maybe some mysteries are never meant to be solved..."

"What the hell? Was that real?"

"I've seen too many things not to believe."

"It's not places which are evil, it's people."

"I can offer you no satisfactory explanation."

"Did you ever look up into the night sky and feel certain that not only was something up there, but it was looking down on you at that exact same moment, and was just as curious about you are you are about it?"

"What would be the chances of someone like me seeing a UFO?"

"Do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?"

"Did you see that?"

"You ever experienced a period of missing time?"

"What you are looking at, it exists nowhere in nature. It would have to be, by definition, extraterrestrial."

"It can't be aircraft. Aircraft can't manoeuvre like that."

"I did not say that "people" believe this; I said "conspiracy theorists"."

"Just because I can't explain it, doesn't mean I'm going to believe they were UFOs."

"You put such faith in your science, but the things I've seen, science provides no place to start."

"Are you at all familiar with the phenomenon of cattle mutilations?"

"I hope you're not thinking this has anything to do with government conspiracies or UFOs. "

"I shall never forget what I saw this evening."

"You make an effort to appear conventional, but I know that you share my love of all things bizarre."

"There's something unexplainable here, but it's certainly not unidentifiable."

"You're saying that time disappeared? Time can't just disappear!"

"Fact is, we've got a cannibalised body. Someone - or something - out there is hungry."

"Why are you so determined not to believe me?"

"I thought you'd be pleased that I'd opened myself to extreme possibilities!"

"The government can't control a deficit or manage crime. What makes you think they can plan and execute such an elaborate conspiracy?"

"It's happening again, isn't it?"

[anonymityisfunwriter]

The Heir and The Spare - Part 2: "Fire and Ice"

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Stark!Reader Summary: Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Heaviest is the head that was always second best.

The Heir and The Spare Chapter List | Steve Rogers Masterlist

"The answer is no. That is my final answer."

"The offer is more than fair. It's a hell of a lot more than anyone else will offer you for your shares. You're being completely and totally unreasonable."

"Keep pressing the issue and I'll show you unreasonable," you retort, sitting further up in your chair. "I'm sure the board would love to hear all about this. We all know how much they love you."

Tony slams his hands down on the conference table, "We're not kids anymore!"

Happy flinches at the booming sound Tony's fists on the sleek mahogany table. The same table that he had to replace the last time you and Tony spoke - though you both maintain that Happy fell into the table.

At least this time, Pepper and Happy had the sense to keep you two sequestered on opposite ends of the table.

"Tony..." Pepper cautions, but neither you nor Tony hear her words.

You slowly rise from your seat, speaking through clenched teeth, "Precisely, we're not kids anymore, and yet, you're acting like a child demanding a toy that isn't yours."

Though you both inherited the notorious Stark temper, the anger simmering in the room was just another one of your many differences. Tony was a hothead. His rage burned quickly, threatening everyone in its wake. You were sharp and stoic. Your words were cold and calculated, aiming to kill. 

Happy pinches the bridge of his nose, softly sighing at the fast deterioration of this conversation. Pepper sits at the head of the table, her eyes volleying back and forth with every quick witted retort.

"It is mine! You and I both know that!" he accuses. 

"If it was your's, you wouldn't be standing there begging." It's a low blow. Even more so when considering that Tony Stark doesn't get told no. He most certainly doesn't beg, and yet here he is, asking you to give up what is rightfully yours. Each word crawls under Tony's skin, adding more fuel to his rage. A sense of satisfaction creeps up your spine when you see the vein on his forehead popping out. Standing tall and rigid, you toss Tony's proposal in the very center of the conference table. "We're done here. And the next time you feel like extending an invitation, please, don't."

"That's it, then?" Tony spits. "This is the way it's always going to be?"

His question catches you off guard. You freeze, faltering as you reach for your blazer.

It's been this way for the better part of your life. You've spent two decades with your grudge against Tony being one of your few companions in life.

You wish you could say that you didn't know another way, but you remember it. You remember how it used to be, how it could be. You know what it feels like to have a loving, protective older brother. You want that back - desperately so.

But you also remember the day Tony took that all away from you. And despite all the time passed, you haven't quite worked out how to forgive him for that.

You simply don't have an answer to his question. And you're not sure you ever will.

You swallow the knot lodged in your throat. Slipping on your blazer, you turn to Pepper with a tense smile, "It was nice seeing you again, Pepper."

She gives a placating, mostly apologetic smile, "Will you be staying in New York long?"

"A few days of mostly meetings. Happy knows my itinerary."

"I'd love to get lunch if you're available." Before you can politely decline, Pepper elaborates on her invitation, "Just the two of us."

Tony guffaws, "Pepper, whose side are-"

"I'd like that," you agree, cutting Tony off. "Happy can work out the details."

"Of course I can," Happy grumbles under his breath. 

With that, you walk out of the conference room with your blood still boiling. You'd like to say that you can't believe Tony would do something like this, but you can. You believe it.

After all, there was a reason Stark Industries remained at number one all these years. Tony Stark simply didn't care if he had to step on and steamroll a few people, he'd do it without a second thought. It's strictly business. It always has been and always be strictly business.

Your heels clicking through the hall is the only sound that fills the silence. Not even scrolling through your packed schedule is enough to distract you from the anger you feel towards Tony.

That is, until heavy footsteps coming from behind you catch your attention.

"Come to escort me out of the building, Captain Rogers?" you ask, not needing to look over your shoulder to know that it's him.

He chortles, rubbing the back of his neck, "Is it too late to apologize for that?"

"You can certainly try, but it's not necessary, Captain Rogers."

"Steve. Please, call me, Steve."

You bite back the smile that tugs at the corner of your mouth, "Steve."

"So how'd it go? Everyone still in one piece?"

The smile melts off your face as you're reminded that the only reason you met Steve Rogers is because Tony wanted something from you. "It went about as well as you'd expect."

"With Tony making an ass of himself?" Steve guesses, walking alongside you as you make your way to the elevator.

You snort, still looking down at your phone, "He doesn't see it like that."

When you finally look up from your phone, you see it. It's striking, blindsiding you completely. You see the charm that oozes from Steve, from his smile, from the way he holds himself, those sky blue eyes, and from the way the doesn't automatically take Tony's side. You can't remember the last time anyone did that. Steve laughs, "He never does."

"Well, Steve, is there something I can do for you? Quite frankly, I'd rather be anywhere else but here."

"In my company or at Stark Tower?"

"Surprisingly, the latter."

"Why is liking my company so surprising?"

"Like I said, you're much less charming in person." This time, the words leave your mouth in a lighter, more teasing tone. This time, you don't mean it. 

"How does that bode for my chances on asking you out to dinner?"

You quirk an eyebrow at him, pressing the elevator button, "You're quite presumptuous, aren't you?"

"I go after what I want."

"And that is?"

"Dinner. Tonight, if you're free."

Your lips purse slightly, weighing your choices. You had plans, of course. Business plans, as per your usual. Social plans, you had a difficult time remembering the last time you had those.

You look back down at your phone, then back at Steve. You were certainly not free tonight. You'd also run the risk of sending Happy into cardiac arrest if you asked him to reschedule everything you had scheduled for tonight. The elevator finally dings above you. And still, you can't help yourself. "You're in luck, I am free tonight."

"Great," Steve beams as you step onto the elevator. As the doors begin to shut, he frantically asks, "Wait, how will I-"

"Be ready by 8," you call as the doors shut.

You're pleasantly reeling as you make your way down the elevator. Smiling to yourself, you can't remember the last time you left Stark Tower feeling anything remotely positive.

By the time you make it through the lobby, Happy is waiting beside the door of your black SUV. 

"What's that look on your face?" Happy questions, opening the car door for you. He slides in beside you, not wasting a moment before scrutinizing your expression, "You're smiling."

You roll your eyes, trying to bury your smile by examining your schedule, "I'm allowed to smile, Happy."

"A good mood usually takes several days after you talk to Tony. It's why I booked the meetings of people that aren't nice to me tonight."

"Are you insinuating that you build my schedule on when you think I won't be nice?"

"I'm insinuating that you're a little on edge after your family reunions - and that sometimes, people need a firm hand."

"A firm hand? Because they're not nice to you?"

"Exactly," Happy agrees. "Now back to your schedule, you've got a packed few days here, but I think I can pencil in lunch with Pepper on Thursday. Your meeting with those investors is tomorrow. You're meeting those charity people for lunch on Wednesday already, so that won't work but-"

"Happy?" you interrupt. "What do you know about Steve Rogers?"

"And I guess we're done talking about your schedule," Happy sarcastically remarks. He puts down his phone with a huff, "Why are you asking me about Steve?"

"He asked me out to dinner."

Happy's eyes widen, "And you said?"

"And I said yes," you reply as nonchalantly as you can.

"You said yes?"

"Tonight at 8." 

"You have a meeting tonight. Several of them!"

"Send my regards and let them know I'll reschedule as soon as possible."

"Sure!" Happy over exaggeratedly beams. "It's not like I planned those months ago or anything."

"I can always count on you, Happy."

"Just - Please tell me you're not going on a date with Steve to spite Tony."

"Please, Happy," you scoff, rolling your eyes. "Steve asked me. And in spite of what you and Tony might believe, I don't live my life trying to spite Tony. I was simply asked out on a date. Spiting Tony is just an added bonus."

"An added bonus," Happy bitterly mutters, rolling his eyes. "I better get an added bonus."

"You always do," you remind him. "So?"

"So?"

"Tell me all about Steve Rogers."

Next Chapter

AnonymityIsFun Masterlist Steve Rogers Masterlist

As always, let me know what you think! Reblogs and comments are always appreciated! 💛

Taglist: @marianita195 @meli18gonzalez@ludicbouquetfromearth@matchat3a@famousbreadcherryblossomsstuff@valoraxx@blue786sworld@buckyandgeraltsupremacy@geminigengar@ansaturn@ecolle@lexhalstead3@ybflkmj@mediocre-daydreams@shanye1112@thegirlnextdoorssister@toomanyfanficsbruh@moonlightreader649@breathtaking-cynthia@mirikusashes@beans-and-toast@niyahcoca@katiechikin@elxvrr@antiheroxsblog@infamouslyclumsy@krissydclayton93@buckysbarne@deadheadwbedhead @qualitygiantshoepsychic@whitexwolfxx310

[lovely-lotus]

Do you read much fanfic these days? So you have any current favorites (any fandom)?

I'm sorry for this very belated response!! I've been holding off because I wanted to make a whole rec list, and still plan to do so, but I thought I might as well just respond with a couple of fics I've been reading to make some progress. Getting started is better than nothing after all <3. As a heads up, this list contains many incomplete fics. I know a lot of people don't read incomplete fics but I often find the character dynamics, prose writing, and/or worldbuilding worthwhile and fascinating, even if the story isn't done yet. So, here are just a few stories I've been reading and why I recommend them. Note: This list is 18+. Please check out and mind the tags and ratings for every story.

aurora polaris by AGlassRoseNeverFades: Why I recommend it: This story is just gorgeous. Beautiful prose writing and a premise that'll just sink its hooks in you. I've reread this like 4 or 5 times at this point. I'm so obsessed with the bond Tom and Harry share in this story. If you want a lot of non-verbal (and verbal) intimacy, this story will be your cup of tea. In general, I love romance stories with lots of love. My favorite romances always make it abundantly clear how much two people love being together, so this story was just everything I ever wanted.

paved with the best intentions by ailora Why I recommend it: Cutest baby Tom ever!! I absolutely adore him so much. His and Harry's relationship makes me so soft. I think the author does an amazing job on the dialogue and on portraying baby Tom's perspective and how he feels about Harry. If you want a really cute story with a helping of angst and lots of tension, this is the one for you!

anemone by A_Single_Cactus Why I recommend it: I usually like Ginny. Tbh, she's not my favorite (the girl/boy-next-door type / best friend's sibling usually isn't for me), but I understand why she and Harry ended up together in the end (which is ofc all leading back to TMR again). However, I've recently been loving the trope of TMR coming up with some elaborate plan to steal Harry and this story kickstarted that completely. I really enjoyed the pacing of this story and it has such good reread value. I think the author is very good at conveying emotions.

hologhost by vash (hanamichi) Why I recommend it: Some of the most gorgeous prose writing I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Floaty and gossamer as a dream. This story reminds me of an impressionist painting with a faint undercurrent of panic through it all. I cannot wait to see where it goes.

Anything by mosiva. At this point, I will read any Tomarry that mosiva writes. Absolutely gripping, thrilling dynamics between them in all of their works.

the world is yours and mine by othernight Why I recommend: I'm slightly foggy on this story, but I have a really positive impression of it in my mind. I think I loved the worldbuilding and the burgeoning Tomarry dynamic. I also remember really liking Harry's characterization.

Thank you so much for your ask and I hope you find something new to read!! Sorry again for how late this response is.

[the-dominant-wife]

Hi I noticed a recent post of yours where you were rightly bragging rather wonderfully about how you can make your hubwife cum from pegging.

https://at.tumblr.com/the-dominant-wife/703933322795024384/dl9enqoe7t1i

I wondered whether you could elaborate and maybe share your approach, techniques and equipment you use to achieve this?

My submissive is in p.a secured chastity on a permanent basis and I have no desire to unlock him, I use him sexually to provide me with oral on demand but he will never be permitted to have penetrative sex with me. I may decide to cuck him in the future but for now his talented, eager tounge is very efficient and well trained at this point so my need to replace his penis is not currently a priority or need of mine.

I've decided that the most suitable and appropriate way for @female-leds-boy (my submissive) to orgasm on a strictly controlled monthly basis should be while still secured in chastity and from me pegging him. I've so far been unsuccessful after numerous attempts and would very much appreciate any advice or techniques you might be able to share with me. It's my desire he should only ever cum for me this way.

Thank you in advance.

In admiration and respect of your FLR.

MS xx

Thank you for what is clearly a well-thought out question. I also think it's admirable that you're being so considerate of your submissive and his needs while at the same time establishing parameters that fit your needs!

Chastity doesn't mean someone can't enjoy orgasms. Sure, they won't be orgasms that a more alpha male will have, but nonetheless, it's an orgasm and one befitting of their status.

I'll share what I've found works for me and in turn, works for her/hubwife :)

First let me say that I make love to my hubwife this way (pegging) because I find it enjoyable. I do take her feelings into consideration but my enjoyment is the primary motivating factor to "fucking" my wife. Her enjoyment is really a by-product of my own.

Also, her orgasms are never "guaranteed." In other words, she doesn't orgasm every time I make love to her. I would say that it happens probably about 60-70% of the time. Here's a list of things to consider:

Finger Fuck Your Sub: The first thing I would recommend is your (the Domme) becoming familiar with your submissive's prostate. Using plenty of lubricant and your finger, do some exploring of his boi-pussy. If you find it too messy use some latex gloves...make believe you're a doctor doing a prostate exam...lol. Get in the mood with him, get him to relax, and gently "do your thing" and see if you can bring him to orgasm this way. It might take time but it can be lots of fun. Here's a link to WebMd that discusses the prostate and orgasms. I think it would be very helpful: Prostate Orgasm: What is it?

The Strap-on Dildo: Once you've enjoyed finger-fucking him, it's time to move on to doing it with your "girl-cock!" While women love a man-sized cock, a boi's pussy isn't made the same way as ours. It might make for great pornography, but the pictures of Dommes with massive sized dildos is simply not realistic or for that matter, safe. Find a realistic looking dildo (don't ever buy one that is hollow plastic) that is of reasonable size, sturdy and somewhat flexible. It shouldn't cost a fortune, but to look for the cheapest either. You get what you pay for. Shop around, read reviews, etc. If possible shop in person. Big cities have fetish shops that usually have quality toys.

The Harness: Next, don't skimp when you buy a harness. Shopping online is ok, but I bought the harness I use in person, at a fetish shop that sold quality leather goods and other toys. You want something that is going to fit you comfortably and can be worn securely. The dildo you use also has to be attached securely. You want to be able to "go through the motions" naturally without things becoming loose or flapping around! Bottom line is: Get quality toys.

Lubricant: More important than anything else is to make sure you use plenty of it. "More than you really need" is always better. In my opinion, thicker lube is better. You may want to explore by trying out a few different ones. It's worth the effort and time, and it's not like you can't have fun with the exploration. Here's a link from Women's Health Magazine reviewing different lubes: 19 Best Lubes for Anal Sex, per Sex Therapists.

Technique & Positions: I've been able to give my hubwife orgasm in different positions. Variety is good and it might depend on your own mood. I like the missionary or "diaper" position because it lets me look into her eyes when I'm making love to her. I've done it a couple of ways both when we're both on the bed or with her at the edge of the bed while I'm standing on the floor. The diaper position is probably my favorite. Doggie style is good for when I'm feeling more dominant, getting her on all fours and slapping her girlish ass at the same time, maybe grabbing her hips as I thrust into her (I'm getting a little horny just writing this...lol). You'd also be surprised at how well you can penetrate your submissive lying side by side, you behind him in a spooning position. Again, explore them all.

When it comes to technique, take it slow. While you're the Domme and in charge, this shouldn't be a rape scene for the two of you. Though he will experience some "fullness" and different feelings, it shouldn't be a painful experience for him/her. Be sensual about it. Tease him gently with the tip of your well lubed "cock" rubbing against his pretty little rosebud. Penetration should be slow. Go back and forth just a little bit at a time. Don't be in a hurry to go deep all at once. Note that the aforementioned finger fucking I recommended will be a big help when it comes to developing your own technique. You'll know when the tip of your "cock" brushes up close to your sub's prostate. Be patient. You'll get there!

Set the mood: Know what turns your submissive on. Be tactile if necessary. Words matter....be verbal with them. If you're a good dominant, you already know how to push their buttons. Now's the perfect time to use that knowledge. In my case, I honestly believe that my words are what really set her off. I may tell her what a good fuck she is, make her beg for my cock, etc. It could be a blend of sexy talk, humiliation or whatever works for both of you. The mood you're in is incredibly important. Remember, the brain is the most powerful sex organ, it's there that all orgasms begin and are enjoyed!

Other Toys: Something else you may want to experiment with, particularly in the beginning of your "journey" is the use of a vibrator against her chastity cage as you are penetrating her. It's a form of masturbation I suppose, but it will bring her to orgasm most times. Maybe consider it a treat!

Preparation: This is something that isn't discussed very much. It's hard to get comfortable and difficult to enjoy yourself if your submissive's rectum isn't ready. You get what I'm talking about. If you're planning a lovemaking session with your submissive ahead of time, you might want to make them douche. It'll be worth it. If you're into making love this way regularly, make sure they are on a healthy diet that is high in fiber. Here's another link from WebMD: Anal Douching: What to Know

As you can see there are several factors that in my opinion, are necessary to consider if you want to enjoy pegging your submissive and bring him to orgasm. In many ways it is a trial and error process but a worthwhile one as you figure out what works for you. Providing a chastised male, sissy, hubwife etc. is a beautiful thing - a gift they will certainly appreciate.

Best of luck. I'd love to hear how you progress!

[cringelordofchaos]

My personal theory on why I believe Craig Tucker is an autistic-coded character.

I wish to preface this with the fact that I am neither qualified to professionally diagnose anyone, and I am not autistic (as far as I'm aware.)

To elaborate on what I mean by "autistic-coded", I am trying to say how he is most definitely not an intentional portrayal of autism, because if he were to be written with that intention, it would be glaringly obvious, it would be said out loud and, let's be honest, he would be a different character than he is now.

By autistic-coded, I moreso mean that he does exhibit a fair amount of traits commonly associated with autism, that some autistic people may identify with as well.

I will say though, he primarily aligns with a specific stereotype of Level 1 ASD/ what some people call "high functioning autism" or "asperger's syndrome" (both terms typically disliked for a multitude of reasons)

You are allowed to disagree with me, or call me a "cringe tiktok south park fan" as people have called me before (despite not using Tiktok.) I just wanted to share this headcanon of mine to someone, because it's all I've been thinking of the past week.

I also wanted to say that craig tucker, by no means, is the ultimate symbol or representation of autism. As autism is a spectrum like all else, you could put two autistic people together in a room and they could have almost nothing in common. While one autistic person may experience low empathy, another may experience high empathy. While one autistic person may be extremely sensitive to noise, another may be completely unbothered by it, or find it difficult to hear (i have a level 3 autistic classmate that is not bothered by noise whatsoever, while i get quite upset with a lot of sounds (sorry for using myself as an example here, even though im most likely allistic (not autistic), i just wanted to explain how not all autistic people are bothered by loud noise.) While one autistic person may do exceptionally well in school, another may do horribly bad. And so on, and so forth. What I am trying to say, a lot of autistic people are very different from one another, so if a person doesn't act like Craig Tucker (who happens to be a relatively common autistic stereotype), that doesnt mean theyre definitely not autistic.

So, to list some potential symptoms he exhibits.

Oppositional defiance - oppositional defiance is more commonly perceived in kids diagnosed with autism. It is when one is deemed to be defiant or disrespectful or rebellious towards a higher authority figure (at least as far as i know.) the reason why this might be more common in people with autism is due to some symtpoms and traits of autism being associated with "troublemaking" or "being rude", even though it might've jut been one's autism making them much more blunt or such, or they might not understand "politeness". Craig may be shown to express a type of oppositional defiance, and it was confirmed he is (or perhaps was) sent to the principal's office on a daily basis. Due to his reputation, even parent's of his peers believe he is a troublemaker, or a 'bad influence' on other children, and blame him on kyle, cartman, stan and kenny going missing in the episode 'pandemic' due to his reputation, despite him being the one dragged into all the chaos. I will say though craig might show less care for authority or how others perceive him, so he isn't afraid to flip off anyone or be extremely blunt, which might get him into trouble more often. he also said he doesnt know why he cant behave. he just is the way he is. Though, he appears to not be as much of a troublemaker as some may make him out to be, like when he said he never fought anyone before the episode Tweek vs Craig, and neither did he know how to. this was a bit of a stretch, but oppositional defiance is more commonly associated with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities so i wantedto at least mention it.

Trouble with empathy and expressing emotions - craig's voice is almost always monotone and deadpan with his voice, with a few exceptions. Typically, in autism, strange expression of tone of voice may occur, and it may be expressed in tones such as a monotone voice, even if not fitting the circumstance at hand. This is one of Craig's core traits. Like when he said "okay now there are sparks shooting out of my eyes" with literal sparks shooting out of his eyes. Or when i believe he was talking about Stripe's deaths, his voice remained monotone, despite him being shown to deeply care about Stripe. To him, having a non-monotone voice might take more effort for him than for others, so he just sticks to what he finds comfortable. His facial expressions also remain neutral most of the times, and he generally expresses less emotion than other characters. It's not that he doesn't feel emotions, or that he cares less, i believe he simply doesn't express it as much as others. There's also possibly the case with him experiencing lower empathy. Now for many people, autism may cause uniquiedifferences in empathy in comparison to one's neurotypical peers. Typically being sorted into high empathy and low empathy (low empathy being more commonly represented.) (and some people might believe that high empathy is a super power, but for many people it can be difficult to manage and it still doesn't give you the ability to communicate accordingly in an allistic society). I believe, personally, that craig experiences low empathy, which might make it more difficult for him to understand other peoples emotions and react accordingly (like in 'Put It Down'). Again, it's not that he doesnt care about peoplelike Tweek, he just might find it harder to manage emotional conversations due to him not understanding emotions much. Though despite his struggles, Tweek indirectly helps him confront this struggle, and helps him understand to think more emotionally. Hes also been said to think extremely logically, and "tries to problem solve all the time", as said by Tweek in their argument, so Craig constantly thinking logically and finding it difficult to think emotionally is a consistent and persistent trait in him. This line of thinking can also be common in some autistic people, where they might think 'too logically', which can cause difficulties in personal/emotional relationships.

Repetitive routines - i feel like this is mostly shown in Tweek vs Craig (and arguably shown in Pandemic? though idk.) When Cartman goes to his house, and lies to him telling him Tweek insulted Stripe and that they need to fight now, Craig rejected the offer saying "i cant, red racer is on." cartman says "You can watch red racer any day of the week!" to which craig responds with "i DO watch red racer every day of the week." and then after some persuation, agrees to fight Tweek tomorrow, after the daily Red Racer episode, to which cartman replies with something along the lines of "of course." Idk, i feel like you can tell how much sticking to his routine of watching red racer means to him. Autism may make you more likely to be unusually upset upon routines being broken, which might've been the reason craig refused to give up watchin red racer that day to fight Tweek. You could also say Red Racer might be a form of hyperfixation for him, which is what some people (typically neurodivergent) experience? Though it's a bit of a stretch.

He may also grow deeper attachments to fewer things than most - which can be associated with autism. He really cares about Tweek, Stripe, and probably Red Racer, and space, and that's about it. Ive also heard that many autistic people find it easier to form bonds with nonhuman animals than with humans, and that may be applicable to Craig, though im not sure.

He's also, like ive said before, extremely blunt, possibly to a fault, and to a point where others may not like his company for this reason, or may call him overly negative or rude, despite him probably thinking that there's nothing rude about telling the truth. (Primary source for this: episodes 'Pandemic' and 'pandemic 2: the startling'). Bluntness and obliviousness to social cues are common in autism from what i know.

I also wish to say that his weakness/whatever it was called again in that one south park game was listed to be "communication". for a lot of autistic people communication can be much more difficult to handle and may drain energy, especially if they are made to feel like they're doing something wrong, like being 'too weird' to talk to.

I've also heard that him flipping off people in the earlier seasons might've been a tic? though i kinda doubt that, i thought itd be worth mentioning. neurodevelopmental disorders do increase the chances of having tics. ive also heard the headcanon that him saying "sooooo happy." could be a small stim? I dont know.

He also likes things to be nice and boring, which may be considered to be atypical for kids his age.

https://www.tumblr.com/trans-dwightschrute/713647004784508928?source=share and https://www.tumblr.com/cool-island-songs/676857435610316800/craig-tucker-character-analysis-canon-overview?source=share are both posts that may cover the subject of Craig possibly being autistic.

An argument against him possibly being an unintentionally autistic character that i've heard is that he's "too normal". Yes, in comparison to the majority of the centric south park characters, Craig does appear to be pretty ordinary himself. I mean, it would be difficult for him to stand out among a cast of downright insane characters among which one of them (for example) tricked his half brother into eating his parents. But Craig Tucker's traits have still proven difficulty to him in his social life (such as his relationship with Tweek and his reputation among the parents of his classmates), and he still fits a decent amount of diagnostic criteria, so I wouldn't say him being autistic is impossible.

I will say though, he was definitely never written with the intention of being autistic, though I don't think that completely erases the value of this headcanon, so it stays true in my heart.

Anyway, sorry if i upset anyone with this post. It is simply what I had noticed in the show. Feel free to disagree with any points made here.

(Sorry if i appear to be a bit over-apolagetic during this post. I simply copy-pasted this from a Reddit post i made, and i'm honestly quite scared of most reddit users lol.)

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Hunter x Hunter + Pokemon, let's go!

Like I mentioned earlier, this is the brainchild of my friend, @doodle-storm, who has completed only the Hunter Exam and Zoldyck Family arcs but knows a lot about Pokemon, with me, who knows all of HxH but barely anything of Pokemon, giving occasional suggestions. Enjoy!

We decided to do three Pokemon for the main five and only one for each of the more minor characters. I'll break it up into parts. My friend's thoughts are in green, and mine in purple.

Gon:

Togepi - "Because he's a cute egg boy! And he's filled with joy and happiness and they share it with kind people." "Aww. The spikes look like his hair too!" "Oh yeah! Also they tend to start to act like their trainers, so I can see them kind of jumping into things together."

Ursaluna - I told her a bit about Kon, who was sadly not in the beginning as he was in the manga. "He's a foxbear." "Ooh. Well, there aren't any foxbears, but there are bears..." "Maybe one that looks intimidating? Just because that's funny, and also Kon wasn't supposed to be... befriendable." "Right. Then there's Ursaring, but there's also this one, which looks more intimidating."

Wooper - "I feel like he needs a water type, you know, because of his fishing pole?" She was debating on Wooper and a few others for a bit. "...it looks holdable." "...you're right, it does. Okay, that's cute."

Killua:

Absol - "He needs dark types, I think..." She catches me looking at Absol. "Oh, right, Absol's your favourite, isn't it?" "Yeah." "I think that works. Absol shows up when there's a disaster, but it's to warn people. It's kind of misunderstood."

Sneasel - It was Lucario for a time, but she switched it at the end. "It's got the claws... also it can ride on his skateboard with him."

Alolan Raichu - "It is very important that his pokemon be able to ride on his skateboard with him. ...or!!! It could surf right next to him!"

Kurapika:

Gallade - "Oh, that looks right." "Right? It even has the red eyes, and it's a fighting type."

Cubone - "Hey, wasn't there a pokemon that... lost its family or something?" "...Cubone???" "That's it." "...yeah it wears its mother's skull." "...sorry."

Corviknight - "It also has red eyes." "He seems like he'd have a bird too." "Yeah. Also, you could give the Phantom Troupe a Tinkaton." "..." "...they attack Corviknights with rocks and hammers." "...why?" "Just for fun, I think." "...you're kind of evil for this."

Leorio:

Audino - "There aren't that many medic pokemon and they're all kind of too adorable I think?" "Oh but that would be kind of funny if he hid it behind his back or something." "That's true!"

Gimmighoul - "He needs his money. It's a little ghost!" "...oh. That's kind of sad actually." "?" "He only started really wanting money after he couldn't save his friend so... having the money pokemon be a ghost type is kind of..." We both became sad.

Stoutland - "It warms up to people really quickly and is loyal. And it has a moustache to improve its social standing!" "Hey, Leorio's always wearing a suit probably for similar reasons." (Also I insisted after seeing it was called the Big-Hearted pokemon, though I couldn't elaborate on why to my friend.)

Hisoka:

Hypno - "It led a child into the woods. Canonically. A small child." "Ah." "Like there is no doubt that was a child." "...checks out."

Meowscarada - "I want to give him the evolved weed cat. Something about its smug face." "...'looks like this man's arms have turned into flower petals'..." "Also, since it's a grass type, it'd be strong against Gon's team." "You want our boy to be weak to Hisoka???" "Well, at first! Then it's more satisfying when he beats him!"

Gengar - "Look at that face. That grin." She said nothing more. It had already been decided.

[noirapocalypto]

ᴛʜᴇɴ & ɴᴏᴡ - ꜱᴠʟᴇᴍ

I saw the trend floating around, and I wanted to participate. I want to talk a little bit more on just how important Salem has become to me. 🖤

The picture on the left is one of the very first portraits of Salem I had taken. I think I had made him a bit earlier, but I officially introduced him to Tumblr on January 24th, 2022 (four days before his canon birthday, which funny enough, wasn't assigned until way after). And the portrait on the right is one of my more recent ones, that I've taken last month (June 19, 2023).

When I made him, he was just a side character. A little project that sparked when I discovered the genre of music I would eventually associate him and his character with. I wanted to create something that I thought was unique at the time. I wanted to do something different from the usual character tropes that I usually do. I didn't expect to fall deeply in love with his entire concept.

(Left picture: taken September 9, 2022 - Right picture: taken June 22, 2023)

I've always defaulted to female characters in any type of game where I could create and customize my character. I just never questioned it and felt it was what I should do, but I never really connected with them. I'd play around for a while, then get bored and move onto the next OC. And so on.

Salem wasn't my first male character, he was actually the last of my main six. But for some reason, the moment I started writing through his eyes, it just felt right. That's when the questioning started. What did that mean for me? Why am I suddenly far more comfortable writing through the perspective of a male than any of my hundreds of female characters I've been writing for all these years? Why am I now suddenly wanting to default to playing male OC's? I began to explore things through him, things that I've come to find out I really enjoy and connect with. Things that make me happy and feel right. It was through Salem that I figured myself out a bit more, that I wasn't what I was told I was my whole life by people around me. I think that's one of the reason he's so special to me. I found myself through my character.

But not just that, I also found people that mean the world to me through Salem. My social circle expanded--I now had people that shared the same interests as me, that liked what I had to create, that encourage me and support me. People that I could be myself around. I met my best friend (hi, bestie 🖤) because of Salem, who at the same time, met his best friend in their OC, whom Salem loves as much as I love mine. I met friends from all over that I care for deeply and love very much--people I would have never met otherwise. That's one of the reasons this fandom is important to me and why I stick around, no matter how hard things get.

(Left picture: taken September 9, 2022 - Right picture: taken July 11, 2023)

I know VP was never really my strong suit. A lot of my shots are very plain and simple, most of them are just portraits. In fact, I feel my style hasn't really changed much since my beginnings in this fandom. I'm never really going to be able to make all these elaborate set ups or be able to tell his story through virtual photography. My brain just doesn't work that way. I struggle a lot trying to improve and "catch up" with everyone else. And I'm growing to accept that. I think it's okay, that my talents and skills are stronger elsewhere. I just want to be able to capture him and share him with the rest of the world--to participate in the joy and camaraderie of loving the things we create so dearly.

While Salem isn't a self-insert, he does have a lot of me in him. Which I think is why I latched on so hard. He's all of my interests and beliefs personified. He's what I would like to be, how I would like to look. And he'll always be with me. Salem will forever be my main OC. Doesn't matter the fandom, if this one is still alive and kicking years from now--or if I've moved on to different media--Salem will always be my muse and he will always live on through my stories.

[xavierck]

An art question for you! I'm wondering if you have any advice/direction/insight into character design?

To elaborate: I'm a 3D artist (novice), and I'm interested in making my first humanoid character, but I have a hard time modeling anything without reference. However, I cannot draw people, and I certainly cannot design a character, but I'd really like to model a character that is mine, y'know? (I want experience with every part of the process!) To point at an actor in UE5 and say confidently, "*I* made that from scratch! :D"

I know that drawing people is a matter of studying anatomy, gesture, and all that, but design is a skill completely beyond my ken.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom you can share!

This is a very multifaceted question, so there are a few answers depending on your goals:

If you're trying to become a professional artist

If you're just trying to get better at art for yourself

If you want to be a generalist

If you're trying to become a working professional artist:

Most of the time as a professional, you're most likely not going to be concepting a character as well as modeling them.

If becoming a professional 3D character artist is your goal, then focus less on learning design and more on learning how to implement existing designs. In most cases you'll be working from someone else's concept art, and your expertise comes in how you implement things like a sketchily-drawn belt buckle, or interpreting how a given shape should be translated from 2D to 3D.

The best way to practice things like this is to work from lots of existing concepts and begin to understand how 2D artists tend to interpret what will eventually become 3D shapes.

Additionally, you'll benefit from learning things like anatomy, clothing construction, and how different materials bend and deform as they move across the surface of a character's body.

You don't need to know how to draw extremely proficiently to be a good character artist, but learning to draw will absolutely help you in the long run, so I'd highly recommend doing things like taking figure drawing classes and practicing drawing people.

If you just want to become better at personal art:

If your goal is to just make nice stuff for yourself, you'll still benefit from the above advice. However, learning to make better art for yourself also depends on you finding a style that fits your taste and vision for how your art is supposed to look.

Finding your style is all about understanding....

...Your taste in visual design

...How you represent objects, and the shortcuts you are comfortable with when representing them

Developing your taste is an active process, and isn't just "What's the thing I like?" Developing your taste in concept and 3D (and all art, really) is actually "What's the thing I DO like, what's the thing I DON'T like, and WHY do I like or dislike those things?"

As you develop your taste in art, you're also going to want to keep practicing so you can better represent the things you enjoy.

If you want to be a generalist:

First off, before anything else: Being a generalist is HARD.

Really, really hard.

As in, generalist positions simply don't exist in most companies, and the ones where they do exist are extremely rare and generally exist in the form of either indies or mobile studios.

If you want to be a generalist, you need to practice both 2D and 3D skills, and my suggestion would be to get very comfortable jumping between 2D and 3D for concept work. You can get an immense amount of mileage for concept art and illustration by doing super rough blockouts that you then paint/draw over.

For example, here's a rough 3D blockout I did to give myself reference for a very complex scene:

And here's the finished illustration:

If I had tried to draw that entirely freehand, it would've taken me literally weeks, and it would still look wrong. Building a blockout and rendering it took away a lot of the guesswork, but still left me room to reinterpret as needed.

You can do the same with less complex things, like getting general proportions for a character, then drawing over the top.

The same points from the above points stand if you want to be a generalist, but with the added wrinkle that it's going to be super tough to get a job doing it unless you're really fast and really good at both concept and 3D.

Further resources:

If you're dead set on designing your own characters, look to the best concept art out there and try to make things at the same quality bar.

That's really all there is to it.

(Additionally, make sure you're looking at actual concept art as reference, rather than illustration. Things like League of Legends splash images, or big brushy mood pieces generally aren't concepts, even though a lot of people think they are.)

To get yourself into a mental mode where you're thinking like a concept artist, try to replicate what you see on model sheets for characters from animation and games.

Model sheets help explain how you're supposed to see and construct a character, and as a 3D character artist you're going to have a unique ability to see where some of these model sheets might go wrong as you work with them.

Disney and Looney Tunes tend to have excellent model sheets:

For games-specific model sheets, look no further than the work of Sandra Duchiewicz and Rinehart Appiah on Total War: Warhammer:

Presenting your work in a way like you see above will drastically reduce the mental work of coming up with a good design because you're trying to come up with some shapes that work well from all angles.

I hope this is helpful, and good luck!

[2manyturbos]

🏁 Rules 🏁

Hi: You can call me Vile. They/She/He with a slight inclination toward They/Them. I’m 30+ and have been rping for well over a decade. Me nb grey ace gay cryptid that loves their villains.

This is a Side Blog: Follows are through vile-muses.

Content Disclaimer: Please use your better judgment when following. Expect heavy themes; this is NOT a coffee shop AU. Regardless that such themes will be tagged, if you can’t handle dark themes, I cannot recommend a follow. There will be morally grey if not outright immoral actions included on this blog. IC =/= OOC. This should go without saying, but I do not condone all the actions of my character. If this is a triggering subject or if you cannot divorce the writer from any potentially villainous characters they write, I cannot recommend a follow.

Obligatory Mention: I reserve the right to not RP with everyone, ect ect.

Fandom DNI’s: As a personal preference, I'd rather not see the following with high frequency on my dash: Harry Potter, FNAF (and similar “mascot horror”), South Park, Family Guy, Marvel, DC, Superheroes in general, My Little Pony, Star Wars, Homestuck, Disney Descendants, Twisted Wonderland, Once Upon A Time, Disney “Live Action” Remakes, K Pop. So I avoid blogs where it seems like I'll be seeing a lot of any of this.

Self Inserts: I don't roleplay with them. Sorry. In my experience there's always a problem with the inability to separate ic from ooc with self inserts. That and I'm just uncomfy with it in general. It isn't fun for me.

Accessibility Clause: If I can’t navigate or easily read your blog, I won’t follow. Ditto for post formatting. Accessibility is important. On the flip side: if there’s anything I can do to make my content easier to enjoy, please don’t hesitate to ask. I am a player to values accessibility over aesthetic.

Duplicate Muses: I will not allow duplicates of my own muse to meet each-other. I will allow my characters to meet other oc Turbos but NOT other versions of the original. Ties into me not wanting to focus on the multi-verse, as elaborated on further down. I will, however, interact with multiples of other characters.

Regarding Live Action Icons: If you cannot tolerate that I don’t always use them, I am not a good partner for you. I spent time and effort into developing my artistic skill and use my own art for some graphics; please be respectful of that. I have zero interest whatsoever in getting a rl face claim for Turbo.

Shipping: Highly selective. I need to trust you. I need to be familiar with your vibe, which requires months of me sharing a space with you. I do not like to ship with cis straight male muns, sorry.

Actions have consequences in my RPs. I don’t kill without consent, but don’t expect me or my character to be a doormat. If your muse antagonizes or annoys mine, expect an appropriate reaction. This goes both ways; my characters may not be terribly nice. Feel free to respond to their behavior in kind.

Assuming Relationships: I don’t do pre-established relationships (that aren’t canon) at all. I build IC relations from the ground up. If you want to plot out some -basic- history, or a sort of outline, that’s fine, but nothing too in-depth to start with. No long-lost lovers, children or family members. Please do not attempt to imply relationships I haven’t agreed to. If you have a destination in mind for their relationship (i.e. eventual family figures), I’ll slowly work up to it thread by thread, but I won’t go all in at first before I know what their chemistry is like.

I Am Slow: Please be aware I’m a working adult who may have to go on hiatus for months at a time. I can be a slow RPer and may take a week or more to respond to threads regularly. If potentially waiting a month or two for replies during my busy periods is a dealbreaker for you, I’m not the right partner. I do however do my best to give notice of hiatuses.

You Are Slow?: On the flip side, I don’t mind fellow slow RPers and I understand that life happens; in this case I will expect something in your rules, a hiatus notice, or even direct communication with me if replies will be slow. Don’t apologize for taking a month +, I’m very used to it.

Post Length: I regularly write two paragraphs (5+ sentences) or more. I don’t exactly have a firm wordcount requirement. As long as it seems like we’re putting in an equal effort, specific reply lengths aren’t a deal breaker for me. I never do one-liners; I honestly just can’t… unless it’s for crack threads lol.

My Artwork: This blog includes a fair amount my own art. Anyone is welcome to reblog my art. But please do not repost or reuse my art. Do not repost my artwork; no, not even with credit. Anyone doing so is doing so against my wishes and I will report you. Failing that, I will ask you personally to remove it. Failing that, I will go public. So please don’t steal my art.

I only rp with other adults. This is not an invitation to convince me otherwise. I will check blogs for ages; any blog without an age, I will assume is under 18 and will not interact. If I suspect you are lying about your age or are otherwise not mature enough in interactions, I’m within my rights to cut contact.

No Multi-verse Shenanigans Please: I’m not interested in multi-verse shenanigans. I don’t like plots where my characters are warped to another universe and will not respond to RPs that paint me into that corner. I’m an old rper who’s already done that to death and am bored with it. Instead, I would suggest just a mutual agreement between partners that our characters come from the same universe. Or, if you really want your character to come from a different universe, please don’t make it the focus of the rp.

Digital vs Real World: “Players” somehow entering the digital world is okay as a plot point for face to face interaction reasons. But please don’t put my characters into the real world without plotting first.

Story progression is a thing. What your characters do will be remembered thread to thread. If we have a relationship between our characters in mind, I will generally try to work to get closer to it thread-by-thread. Also, there will be changes to the character on my blog as time goes on. Development happens. I am a roleplayer to likes to keep track of continuity.

Passwords give me anxiety. Sorry, lol: I’m not going to have my anxiety invalidated either. I don’t follow people with a password requirement in respect to that. I read rules before I even follow/follow back to check if we’re compatible. If you don’t believe me, that’s gravy, but we’re not compatible.

I am assuming if you’re down here, you read my rules. I have no password requirement so *party horn*

[karasbroken]

Frell, how is it Wednesday again already? Welp. I'm complaining a lot about this WIP because I was really struggling to find the plot (as much as my stories ever have plot). But once I finally got that first chapter posted it's been going more smoothly. Meaning that I'm getting almost 500 words done a day, but when the chapters want to be 5k it still drags. I'm trying really hard to make this one three chapters, so I'm theoretically almost done, but realistically probably still a week to go, minimum.

I'm trying to write both an asteroid mining scene that makes sense, and a shopping scene that isn't boring. But I'm most interested in the end scene of John and Aeryn getting close and talking about what happened in Rhapsody in Blue. I just have a bunch of mismatched snippets, so this section--about John trying to get her to tell him her Delvian dream, and when she won't, asking if Aeryn is a virgin--might not make the final edit, but it amuses me, so I'll share:

Something in her tone must have convinced John. “You really didn’t? Even Sparky had a dream.”

She didn’t understand why Crichton used so many names for the Hynerion, or what any of them meant. It occurred to her that he didn’t have a whimsical name for her, unless ‘woman’ counted. “I had no dreams that I remember, John,” Aeryn repeated. “I woke because of starburst.”

Now he looked confused rather than accusatory “Wait, have you never--” Crichton stopped himself, and the creases in his forehead deepened. “No. I know you’re not a verjen.”

Aeryn waited but there was no translation. “I don’t know what that is.”

“Really?” His voice lifted in surprise. “You don’t have a word for that? It means someone who hasn’t... ever had sex.” She thought there was a slight flush starting on his neck. The topic was making him uncomfortable.

Now it was her turn to be puzzled. “Why do humans need a word for that?” She shook her head, not waiting for an answer. “I have had sex, John,” Aeryn said simply, not sure if he was expecting her to elaborate.

Her appetites were moderate, as might be expected of a mature woman. She had had more than a hundred partners over the cycles, but these days preferred to establish understandings with a few like-minded comrades rather than be constantly making arrangements. The last few monens were the longest she’d gone without, and the pressure was building. She’d actually had erotic dreams several times in recent weekens, some of them featuring Crichton, just not that particular day.

“The rest of us, even Zhaan, dreamt about the last time with someone we were close to. I don’t know why it didn’t work on you.”

Aeryn shrugged. It wasn’t a mystery she needed solved. It was just as well she hadn’t had a dream. Her last recreation partner had been decidedly unimpressive. Handsome, tall, strong, with a wide, interesting mouth, but no finesse in his technique. She’d had to take control to ensure her own pleasure and it had turned into a not very exciting wrestling match that left them both satisfied enough, but not eager for a second round. “You dreamed of someone you left behind on Earth?” She wasn’t eager for any details about the human’s last frellmate, but it was better than enduring more questions about her own.