#i wrote so much lore shit while doing this project i should draw them more

[tizzymcwizzy]

here's my final comic for my storytelling class!! super super happy with how this turned out :))

[codorcraft]

The end of Codorverse

It's not an April fool's joke, I'm not participating in it today. But Codorverse is gone now

(This is something I’ve been sitting on for a while subconsciously, but I finally pulled the plug; this wasn’t an impulse decision)

I wasn't originally going to make a big post about it, but it feels to just not mention it in detail, considering it’s like… the only thing I have been making content for since 2014. But there’s a lot of reasons that I’m abandoning it, and it’s for the best- the story and world just doesn’t bring me joy anymore. I think it tells a lot that I was more invested in side characters and an AU that I made for them rather than the main story.

I don’t know where to begin with the issues I have with Codorverse… there’s many. First of all, I made a lot of the characters back in elementary school, for roleplays. Do you know how hard it is to salvage characters from rps and make them into their own story and world when you’re 12 and know nothing about story writing? It’s so hard. It’s much easier to start with the world and plot, rather than building a world around the characters. The rp I based the loose worldbuilding on was… horrible writing all around and terrible because, like, we (me and my roleplay partner) were 9 and 11. Kids write stupid shit. And bad worldbuilding.

I attempted to start drawing it so many times, and I got stuck. The script always threw me off, and a lot of plot points were so convoluted because they were from the original story and it just… didn’t fit. My first script I wrote was 30k words and only 17 chapters. I thought 100 pages was the normal amount of pages for a chapter. I knew NOTHING about making webcomics, and I’m still learning. It was too much of an ambitious project for me to make. I don’t know how many chapters it would have ended up being, but probably somewhere around 50. I would probably be working on it until I died if I were lucky to make it that far.

It was also super dark, and always has been, but slowly I’ve been starting to gravitate myself towards more light hearted stuff. Nothing wrong with edgy, but it felt way too dark for a story about mental health, and I don’t think it would have been done well. Hard to swallow pill for 13 year old cal who wanted the ending to be everyone dying but it is what it is, you dumb bitch.

Speaking of plot points, I realized I had topics in there that were a bit too heavy for a story that’s supposedly focused on mental health, like… plot points that I don’t think should have been included. Maybe someday I’ll get into specifics and spill all the Codorverse lore, but one of the big things was the inclusion of history of genocide and I wracked my brain HARD to try and figure out how to approach it appropriately, but every time I came up with an idea, it fell into the fantasy racism trope and I really didn’t want to do that, I hate that trope. Especially since the oppressed group was demons, I feel like it sends a really bad message and over time I just felt uncomfortable with it, and I’m glad I’m scrapping it.

And also the inclusion of mental health, I don’t know if I was approaching that well, either. I think I perpetuated stereotypes especially for people with personality disorders, which I should know better since I have one. It wasn’t very much a great look for me.

There were other themes I don’t think were approached well, especially topics of things I haven’t experienced myself, like religious trauma. I was raised atheist and I never really experienced that stuff, and as I went on to write that stuff I started realizing that although I could tell that story, I don’t think I’m the right person to tell it, because I don’t think I did it very respectfully.

Basically there are a lot of bad plot points I feel were very problematic and it was hard to salvage them and I had to accept I need to scrap most of the universe and build from bare bones. I mean, there are other reasons like worldbuilding not making any sense, but the problematic elements are the main reason I’m doing it. I don’t think I can achieve having both a light hearted fantasy story and a deep story with a big meaning that goes in depth combined together and make it work well. It just doesn’t work. But another important reason I’m scrapping the story is that I’m not having fun anymore. It’s not fun, it’s stressful. And I don’t want a passion project to be something that stresses me out.

That being said, I’m not done with the characters. I’ve split them among two universes- I don’t have names for them yet, and I don’t know which one I’ll be doing first, but they’re ideas that I’m much happier with. One is a light hearted fantasy and the other is a romantic slice of life that deals with getting over trauma and mental health. See, two of them! I can have two of them. As a treat.

Codorverse has meant the world to me- in school, during any freetime I had, I would write by hand in notebooks lore and sometimes even scripts for chapters if I didn’t have access to my phone. Half of the contents of my sketchbooks are concept art and detailed descriptions of designs and drafts of references. It helped me cope with a lot of mental health and trauma, but it’s time for it to go, I think. I think it did its job, for me. Because I think the moral of the story is something that I needed to hear and understand- it was something for me, not for anyone else. It was my subconscious way of telling myself that everything is going to be okay and I’ll get better, and it’s true- I’m much better off than I was even six months ago, and I’m trying my best. Things will get better for me.

So thanks for joining this journey of mine over the last 8 years of pouring my heart into this silly story, even if it made no sense. It was fun, and I don’t regret it. Maybe someday I’ll release what I had written for the plot, or the 2+ hour compilation of every codorverse video from 2010-2022. I don’t know yet. But thanks. And I hope you look forward to my new content and stories.

[duhragonball]

Luffa Story Arc Breakdown

“Ah shit, he’s talking about his OC again!   I told you not to wear that shirt!”

“Hey, sun’s out, guns out, my dude.”

I should have #159 up shortly, and this weekend I gotta get 160 figured out.   July is my next writing month, and I’ll be trying to add 30000 more words to this damn story.   But I still have to figure out what to do with the loose bits that I haven’t posted from the previous writing months.   It’s the same rigamorale I dealt with in 2019 and 2020, but on a much smaller scale.    So I gotta nip that in the bud before it gets worse.

Every year, I think I’m going to do proper chapter summaries on AO3, and I never go through with it because it’s just a big hassle.   By “hassle”, I mean I have to re-read the entire fic and catch all the spelling errors and plot holes that I missed the last time around.  

Honestly, reading my own work is kind of fun sometimes, provided enough time has passed that I can get some distance from it.   Someone will like an old post of mine, and I’ll check it out to remember what it was, and Tumblr Mobile will recommend other posts of mine, including my own fic, and I’ll check it out and go “Hey, this guy’s pretty good.”  

I need to tell myself that more often, because these recent chapters I’ve been posting just feel like noise.   I’ll read ‘em and they look right and I see nothing else that needs to be changed, but I just can’t stand looking at them, and I know that’s just Editing Fatigue because I had a blast writing all this Frieza stuff.   Back in January, I found a YouTube video that was just a supercut of the Frieza fight before Goku showed up, and I’d put that on and work out how to cram a time traveler into it.   Then I found another supercut of Frieza vs. Base Goku and did the same thing in April.      That may be what makes it so boring for me to read.   It’s not just that I wrote it, but I adapted scenes from another work that I already saw, and recently.   Hell, a few weeks ago I re- watched the Frieza Saga again, because I was hunting for Track M814 uses.   So it feels dull even though I know it’s hot stuff, so maybe I should re-read my older material for an ego boost. 

But I’m not gonna do that right now, because I’ve got a lot to do today.   Instead I’ll be trying to sort the chapters into “arcs”.   I’m hoping this will get me a step closer to whatever it is that I need to do.

Luffa #1-10: The origin story, to keep it simple.  I did a prologue in #1 to introduce the character, and I think I gave her a gold breastplate, like a Roman Soldier would wear, because I had this goofy idea about constantly switching her outfits that didn’t last.   Then we flash back to Luffa’s time on Dorlu Prime, her failed defense of that world from an invasion force, and her unlikely escape from captivity.   Also, the title character turns into the titular Super Saiyan, thereby fufilling the titular legend.

Luffa #11-16: Bigreen Arc.  Luffa can’t control her new form, so she ends up on a planet that specializes in medical science to figure out what’s wrong with her.   This one is designed to explain some of the disconnects in Saiyan lore.   Luffa’s not the first Super Saiyan, but she’s not even sort of familiar with the transformation, even though she’s heard tales of all the old heroes.   So this arc tries to fill in that gap. 

Luffa #17-23: Overnight Sensation.   Luffa has to figure out what to do with herself now that she has this Super Saiyan power.   She tries to go back to mercenary work, only to find it as boring as it is profitable.  So she starts asking herself what she really wants (revenge), and how she plans to get it (founding an interstellar Federation).

Luffa #24-28: Luffa’s increasing popularity frightens her old enemies and attracts the attention of new ones.   As Kandai flees in search of refuge from Luffa’s wrath, an old acquaintance shows up to reconnect with Luffa in an unexpected way.

Luffa #29-37: None So Blind.   As Kandai becomes entangled in the political upheaval on Planet Goldwall, Luffa is drawn away from her new Federation project by seductive new power, one that promises an escape from her old problems, but at the price of her very identity.   Meanwhile, the Federation is invaded by a powerful enemy from across the stars.   Can Luffa return in time to deal with this new threat.   Will she even want to? 

Luffa #38-49: Liberation of Extraliga.    Luffa launches a counterstrike on the occupied world of Extraliga, then takes the fight to the invaders.   Her offensive leads her to Kandai, but she also has to contend with the Shockmaster.   Can she defeat them both, or will she have to choose?  

Luffa #50-60: Training Arc.   Well, not just training, but I wanted a lull between the first Shockmaster arc and the second, and this is it.    I did a lot of fun stuff here.   Luffa drinks a whole bottle of waffle batter, Zatte gets into a Stand Battle, the characters from an old Dungeons and Dragons ad make a cameo appearance, the Shockmaster gets an origin story, and oh, Luffa might have gotten a little married somewhere in this mess. 

Luffa #61-69: Second Extraliga War.   The Shockmaster invades the Federation again, begging the question of why he should want it so badly.    This time, he conducts his business in person, but Luffa is read for him.   Or is she?

Luffa #70-76: The Luffa Way Arc.     Long story short, I needed an arc to explain why Luffa never taught any other Saiyans how to transform the way she can.   For one thing, most Saiyans are too afraid or resentful of her to want to learn.   In this story, Luffa meets a small band of Saiyans who accept her teachings, but it still doesn’t work out.  

Luffa #77-96: Pozet Arc.  The King of Planet Saiya finally reaches out to Luffa for reconciliation, and Zatte convinces her to accept the invitation.   But it turns out the King wants more than just friendship.   Rehval has a problem, one that concerns the entire Saiyan population, and he is convinced that only Luffa can help him solve it.  

Luffa #97-100: I’ll be real with you chief, this is just a collection of one-offs I wrote before moving on to the next arc.   First, Rehval’s wayward daughter, Princess Seltiss, has her own plans for the future of the Saiyan people, and she and her boyfriend take the first step in making them a reality.    Next, Zatte dictates a letter to her marriage counselor.   Then Luffa tries to figure out whatevr happened to Drang Dedruhn.    Finally, on the world of Archeo, Phyper Notro plots to deconstruct the legend of Luffa, only to discover the truth is much more dangerous than the rumors.  

Luffa #101-108: Trismegistus Arc.  While Luffa persecutes the Saiyans for any leads to track down King Rehval, a group of Saiyans searches for a mysterious alchemist rumored to possess a secret potion that will give them incredible power.   

Luffa #109-117: Jindan War, Part 1.   The Jindan Cult launches an attack on the Federation, and Luffa cannot take the fight to the enemy, since she doesn’t know where their secret base is.   Unable to defend multiple Federation planets at the same time, Luffa reluctantly accepts an alliance with Princess Seltiss, leader of the Saiyan Free Company.   Seltiss fears that the mysterious Trismegistus may unravel her father’s work to unite the Saiyan species, but her only hope of defeating the cult is to win Luffa’s trust.

Luffa #118-130: Jindan War Part 2.   The war continues, with neither side able to gain a clear advantage.  Luffa and her allies manage to repel the invaders, but are worn down in the process.   The Federation grows weary of Luffa’s inability to end the conflict, and the only one who seems pleased is Trismegistus, despite the high casualties and lack of tactical gains.   Eventually, his followers begin to question his motives, but do they have the courage to take action when they discover the answers?

Luffa #131-141: Jindan War Part 3.   Luffa learns the location of Trismegistus’ headquarters, and assembles a fleet powerful enough to crush him in a single attack.    Can Trismegistus survive her offensive?   And can the universe survive the outcome of this battle?

Luffa #142-146: Xenoversal.   In the distant future, a wish is made for a powerful warrior to defend time itself.    And so, Luffa is recruited to join the Time Patrol, led by the Supreme Kai of Time, and the mysterious swordsman Trunks.  But where is she exactly, and when?  Can she ever return home?  Is there even a home to return to?

Luffa #147-156: Ginyu Force Arc.   Luffa now knows how far in the future she’s traveled, and her Time Patrol work seems to be the only thing left that can give her life any purpose.  But can she even accomplish the dangerous missions that lie ahead?   Trunks has his doubts...

Luffa #157-161: Frieza Arc.   Uh, yeah, she fights Frieza in this one.    It probably speaks for itself.   I’m trying to remember a particular moment that happens in the Frieza conflict that would be of great importance to Luffa, but I’m drawing a blank.   Sorry.

[unfortunate-stranger-losers]

What are your headcannons for the kids from the four main All the Wrong Questions series?

oh geez there are so many 

Lemony Snicket

Listen every character in the Snicketverse is autistic but Lemony? HIGH.KEY. This boy cannot stand sensory overload and also stims with verbal recitation. 

After several months in Stain’d-by-the-Sea, the Associates got used to him just showing up and taking food. He eventually stopped asking, and then eventually stopped using the door. Moxie has, more than once, come downstairs to find him sitting on her counter eating cereal. 

Beatrice snuck into town once to see how he was doing, saw him and Moxie trying to jump off the roof of the diner with a tablecloth parachute and Jake dragging them back and screaming, and she just turned right the fuck around and reported to their friends, “yeah he’s fine.” 

Kit made him promise not to tell Jacques that she was almost in jail. 

MODERN AU: Gets into twitter and tumblr fights with obvious trolls. Tried to call CPS on Theodora just to see what would happen. Can recite any “Unraveled” YouTube video on command. Has an extensive knowledge of Pokemon. 

Moxie Mallahan

listen this girl is a lesbian in denial and she wrote Ellington Feint a note that said “get out of my town” because she didn’t know what else to do

She always kinda knew that her Mother was never coming back for her, but she didn’t admit it aloud until after Lemony left. 

Moxie: I can eat ten marshmallows at once. Kellar: You are a hazard to yourself. Lemony: And a coward. Do twenty 

Moxie knows how to pick every kind of lock, and how to break into every window. She takes her journalism very seriously and will get the truth even if she has to flip the world off as she does it. 

MODERN AU: Blogger. Once spent a week straight putting together a project and then passed out for forty-eight hours. Still carries a typewriter with her everywhere. Had to physically stop Lemony from eating a tide pod. 

Ellington Feint 

Had literally no idea Lemony had a crush on her because she’s just that gay. 

Actually popped up around town inbetween books constantly, mainly to chill with Cleo, Jake, the Bellerophons, and even Ornette. They just all neglected to mention this to Lemony. 

She doesn’t remember anything about her mother. All she knows is what her father told her; that her mother used to make music boxes, loved coffee, and died in a fire. 

Goes through a huge rebel/outlaw phase after escaping with Kit, because she’s completely lost and has no idea what to do or who to trust; her own father never gave a shit about her, as she now knows, so how could anyone care? Eventually she made her way back to Stain’d-by-the-Sea, where Moxie found her crying in the attic of Black Cat Coffee and awkwardly invited her to live in the lighthouse. 

MODERN AU: Has been on the run from CPS for so fucking long. Quotes Gilmore Girls almost daily and will argue your ear off about why Rory/Paris should’ve been endgame. Once ate a tide pod. Cries while watching the Addams Family. 

Kellar Haines 

Even after the Train Incident, he basically lives with Moxie. He just can’t trust his Mom anymore, and while he claims otherwise, they didn’t really have a good relationship before then, either. Lizzie stays with him. 

His special interest is in codemaking. He would’ve been really valuable to VFD if he’d gotten recruited. As is, Moxie kicks the ass of anyone who tries to kidnap him, so he’s fine. 

He’s also super good at crafting, and can make really cool art projects whenever he has the time. Lizzie used to give him art supplies whenever she could, and still hangs his drawings on the lighthouse fridge. 

He just gets so tired of his friends’ shit. He’d be a Mom Friend if he made any effort to stop them but as is he just kinda watches crap go down. 

MODERN AU: Constantly goes to the movie theater just to chill. Addicted to YouTube. Is the only one of the squad not freaked out by the Watership Down movie. Asks existential questions at random to scare the squad and then immediately says “yeet” in a deadpan voice and throws Squeak across the room. 

Pip and Squeak Bellerophon 

They took over the taxi for their Dad when he fell ill. He died a few months later, and they kept claiming he was alive, in fear that they would get separated by whoever was in charge of their case. The only person they told is Jake, because he eventually followed them home to ask their Dad why the fuck he didn’t feed them and found that they were living alone, and Cleo, because Jake can’t keep secrets from her. 

Pip and Squeak used to fight a lot, though they never intended any real harm. They slowly stopped after they started living alone, and Pip started kinda taking charge of keeping him and Squeak safe. 

They used to be very tight with Qwerty, because they were constantly at the library. He suspected their situation, but never confirmed it and was alright just making sure the kids were okay. Squeak would sometimes climb on the bookshelves and knock them over, but thankfully Qwerty thought this was funny. 

Squeak likes to “adopt” stray animals he finds in the backyard. Whenever he walks in going “gUESS WHO OUR NEW SIBLING IS,” Pip has to guess whether he’s going to bring in an injured baby bunny he can nurse back to health, or a squirrrel he just caught who is still struggling and about to destroy half the house. 

MODERN AU: Pip has a Nintendo Switch that Squeak can only play Animal Crossing on. Squeak keeps posting photos on Instagram of him and Pip driving illegally but everyone thinks they’re edits. Squeak once very seriously told Pip that he would have to marry Jake so they could keep getting free food from him (before they found out he was dating Cleo). Have slept in library closets before and will again. 

Cleo Knight 

Identifies as Demi-bi. She and Jake met as preteens, when she wandered off and got lost, and went into the diner to use the phone and call Zada and Zora. Afterwards, she kept sneaking out to visit him. 

Was much closer to Zada and Zora than her parents. She used to hang out in the kitchen with them, laying on the counter and practicing calculations or studying advanced chemistry while they cooked. 

Also very very autistic. Can only eat certain things, because she has huge texture problems. Only Zada, Zora and Jake have ever gone out of their way to accommodate her without complaint. 

Is incredibly reckless and never thinks anything through. While everyone knows she can take care of herself, it’s still nerve-wracking to see her run out the window, leaving only a note saying she’ll be back in three hours after trying to find a chemical, and coming back covered in blood that’s not her own. 

MODERN AU: Was a Guardians of Ga’Hoole kid. Would exist on a diet of cheetos, cereal and sprite if not for her boyfriend. Once, Ornette helped her break out of the house to go to the movie theater to watch Lego Batman. Super into Stranger Things. 

Jake Hix 

Literally is the only reason the Associates are still alive. He gives them food and makes sure they don’t kill themselves doing some stupid reckless stuff. 

Surprisingly, though, Cleo has had to physically stop him from fistfighting S Theodora Markson, who keeps forgetting to feed her fucking apprentice

Jake: As soon as I hit 18 I’m adopting you. Pip and Squeak, not even glancing over: Lit. 

Has been in love with Cleo since they met. Since their relationship is technically “secret”, Hungry pretends not to notice, despite how increasingly obvious it gets. She knows she should technically discourage this, but he’s just. so in love. When he’s not working, he spends his time in him and Cleo’s garden. 

MODERN AU: Has threatened to put parental locks on Lemony and Moxie’s phones multiple times. Keeps quoting The Princess Bride at Cleo, to the annoyance of the other Associates around them. Actually super into Doctor Who. Also keeps beating everyone’s ass in Mario Kart. 

Ornette Lost 

Has never once understood what was going on, but honestly she just rolls with it. “Guess we’re doing this now? Okay.” 

Keeps bringing stray cats into her Uncles’ house and adopting them. She has twelve now. There is no stopping her. 

Super close with Cleo and Jake. Mainly because she doesn’t mind third-wheeling, and will just fold origami when she gets bored, but also because she’s pretty good at dropping life advice and also is shockingly hilarious. 

Lemony: Ornette. Why did the toaster blow up. Ornette: Hm?Lemony: Toaster. Blew up. Ornette: Oh. Yeah I blew it up Lemony: why Ornette:  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

MODERN AU: Very into anime, especially Fullmetal Alchemist. Lives on ice cream. Has OPINIONS on the Disney Reboots. She got expelled from school because she graffitied GAY RIGHTS on the side of the building, and then a couple of middle fingers. 

Lizzie Haines 

INCREDIBLY protective of Kellar. She had more part in raising him than their mother; she was reluctant to leave him for her apprenticeship, but he convinced her he’d be fine. 

Sharon was a huge perfectionist in regards to Lizzie’s talents and studies, so Lizzie always felt very distant from her. When she left for her apprenticeship, she ended up bonding with Sally Murphy, to the point where Lizzie saw her as more of a parent figure. 

Lizzie noticed suspicious activity going on around town, and started investigating, even though Sally didn’t think anything was wrong. Lizzie had a conspiracy board and everything. She was kidnapped just as she was piecing everything together. 

It took her quite a few months to break out, but once she did, she immediately went hardcore and figured out how best to knock people out and keep them away from her. She had a lot of trauma that emerged after the Train Incident, but Kellar got very good at figuring out how to calm her down. 

MODERN AU: Hangs Christmas lights around her room and glowing stars on her ceiling. Knows more about Sonic the Hedgehog lore than the other Associates could ever understand. Huge Marvel/Star Wars fan. She has memorized all of Chicago, Hairspray, Black Panther, The Empire Strikes Back and Mamma Mia. 

[twilight-adamo]

Author’s Notes: Brave New World, Chapter 3: Dreams and Wishes

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19709434/chapters/47618575

Almost two weeks since the last chapter! I fear we’re slowing down a bit, and will be slowing down a bit more as I turn my focus to other projects and spend a little more time laying foundations for the chapters to come. I’ve said previously that I have roughly the first eight chapters of this story properly outlined, and a general sense of where the story will go after that. Well, I am now almost halfway down the path I’ve already laid for myself, and we are done with the fluff. The time has come to double-check my research, fill in the details, and make some difficult decisions. And, in the process, I had probably better lay a bit more road.

This is easily the most fluffy and self-indulgent chapter I’ve written so far. I tried not to make it sound too much like a travelogue, and I tried to hit some beats that will become important later, but even so, I let myself do the literary equivalent of drawing a hot bubble bath and sinking into the water with a generously poured glass of wine. This chapter was so self-indulgent, in fact, that I wrote part of it ahead of Chapter 2, because I was feeling down and I wanted to write something that would make me happy. What’s coming up next is a lot of work - delving into Alice’s past, meeting up with vampires, discovering new mysteries - and I just wanted to let these four have a good time for a little while. And, of course, there are plot developments, but I guess I should put the rest under a cut for the sake of anyone who hasn’t yet read the chapter.

I’ve said that I’m trying to push Bella somewhat off the self-insert mark I set when I first began writing this story. That’s still very true, but I admit I pushed more of myself into this chapter than I have in a while. Disney World is easily one of my favorite places on Earth, and despite my criticisms of the corporation itself, I am a second-generation Disney fanatic. My mother was a big fan, too - the office in my family home was once covered in Disney memorabilia - and so indulging my fandom makes me feel close to her. I suppose I’ve only become more obsessive since she died.

I do also Disney Bound as a hobby - I’ve found I really like devising and perfecting outfits inspired by my favorite characters. I started with Ariel, of course (and will be debuting the third iteration of my Ariel Disney Bound on my vacation this year), and have since added outfits inspired by Belle, Rapunzel, Maleficent, and Rey to my repertoire. I also cosplay as Ariel and plan to start cosplaying as Rapunzel next year, but Bella isn’t quite that far gone down the road of geekery yet.

And, of course, there’s the proposal, which is absolutely me indulging a fantasy. I don’t know if I’ll ever get married - I’m not even in a serious relationship right now. But I’ve definitely thought about how my perfect proposal will go, and since I have no idea if it’ll ever happen, I decided to go ahead and write it into the story. I expect I’ll be fitting some details of my dream wedding into the story when the time comes as well.

Of course, in order to write my perfect proposal, I had to grapple with the fact that there wasn’t really a set location to meet Ariel in 2005 - New Fantasyland and Ariel’s Grotto wouldn’t open for a few years yet. She appeared at various character dining experiences, of course, but that wouldn’t be quite the intimate experience I wanted. I didn’t want to deal with homophobic reactions to a public proposal - I really didn’t want to write a fully public proposal at all - and I know from my experience attending Gay Days at Disney World in 2004 that, while other guests can be assholes, the cast members (i.e. staff and performers) at Disney are usually cool. Ariel’s Grotto only admits a few people at a time, so it was perfect for my needs. It just...didn’t exist yet.

But there was nothing really preventing most of New Fantasyland from existing back then, and as I turned the idea over in my head, it occurred to me that this was another opportunity to show that the world Bella had found herself in wasn’t precisely the world she remembered. Fragments of her desires and her memories - and those of others - shaped this new world. Moreover, her cognitive dissonance over the resort being somewhat off afforded me the opportunity to show that all is not entirely well with her, not just yet.

I’ve dropped a few hints of this so far. First, there was Eleazar’s reaction when he examined her powers toward the end of As Dreams Are Made On. Then there was the dream that opened Chapter 1 of Brave New World. And now we have these little episodes when Bella runs into something that doesn’t quite seem to fit, something that nags at the half-abandoned, half-forgotten recesses of her mind. There is more to come, and this will feed into one of the major plot threads of this second book.

The Haunted Mansion is absolutely my favorite ride, and it is in fact a tradition of mine that it’s my first ride on any Disney vacation if possible, followed by a stop in Adventureland for a Dole Whip float. I wasn’t really going to write a scene there, but...well. I don’t want to say too much. Suffice to say that this world is stranger than even the Cullens realize, and this story will bring them in contact with things they never imagined. I wanted to raise the possibility. (And I did in fact live in a haunted house as a teenager. My experience wasn’t precisely as Bella describes, though I made use of the broad strokes. I’ve told the story before on other accounts - I don’t think I’ll repeat it here and now. Perhaps another time.)

The Adventurers Club was one of my favorite spots at Disney World, particularly when I returned as an adult. Sadly it closed in 2008, and has since been torn down and replaced with a restaurant - none of the old Pleasure Island is still there, really. Elements of the old Club have been woven into Disney lore across the world, and there have been reunions of the actors and inductions of new members now and then, but the Club itself is no more. Since I was doing a bunch of self-indulgent shit anyway, I figured it was a good place for our heroes to stop for a drink and celebrate the engagement.

I decided a while ago that Rosalie would be Bella’s maid of honor. This is partly for the reason she gives - she wants Callie, another experienced witch who is familiar with Bella’s own beliefs, to officiate - and partly because I think Callie and Bella’s relationship has grown somewhat strained over time. They’re still good friends and even sisters, but the simple fact of the matter is that Bella has become a wholehearted part of this world while Callie is still holding part of herself back. That’s a fundamental disagreement, and it’s hard to get over something like that. Multiple people have told me Callie is their favorite character, so don’t worry, she’s not going anywhere, and she and Bella aren’t about to break off their friendship, but it’s going to take time for them to rediscover who they are to one another. In the meantime, Bella and Rosalie have grown extremely close, finding a sisterly relationship that Rose doesn’t quite share even with Alice, so the maid of honor thing felt fairly inevitable.

If it feels like the chapter ends on a slightly ominous note, well. To some degree it does. Bella is trying to be realistic without becoming entirely pessimistic, and there are in fact dark and difficult times ahead. Next stop: Biloxi, and Alice’s past. It’s not exactly going to be another trip to the theme parks, I fear.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

[highstrangeness-blog]

Men In Black

Okay, so here today we're just going to state some FACTS. I really only have time to discuss some of the more popular theories but being a rather experienced occult researcher, I am more interested in the conclusions you draw yourself than the rabbit holes of Creepypasta, anyhow.

So, I guess I should define the term Men In Black or MIB. It's a generic term used for any threatening/strangely behaved individual(s) who can be linked in some fashion with a ufo sighting. I'm sure you already have a preconceived notion of these people due to the popular movie by the same name. If you're thinking about Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, stop it. Take a second, maybe do a shot of whiskey, maybe hit the vape, whatever you need to do to open that mind hole of yours.

Okay, back to MIB. There have been a ton of MIB reports in connection to all things occult or supernatural, not just UFO sightings. There's a ton of theories on who these people are, and I mean a fuckin- shit ton.

The most common one is that the MIB are quasi-government agents; many people report MIB flashing “credentials of higher authority" before warning them to stop talking about the occult.

A lot of these first hand reports state the MIB as strange looking humanoids with very strange mannerisms pointing at the possibility that they are potentially the very aliens they're trying to keep secret. Many accounts of MIB report they look almost doll-like, completely bald without eyebrows or eyelashes, pale white skin, have thin, bright Ruby red lips, and speak almost robotically. One witness was approached by MIB after a "plane" crashed nearby. When he sat down to question the family, his pants revealed a bright green wire running up his ankle going into a brown dot on his leg. The witnesses asked the man if he wanted something to eat, the man declined but said he would need a glass of water in 10 minutes to take a pill. 10 minutes of questioning the family about the specifics of their bodies, tattoos, birthmarks, etc. The man's face became beat red, he requested the water. He took a large yellow pill and went back to normal. When he left he walked out the door, hailed a large, black Cadillac that pulled up with no driver, and pulled away with no headlights on. This is one of hundreds of strange but similar accounts of MIB encounters. Many others mention MIB having long limbs, skin cold to the touch, non-bending joints, and telepathic-like communication.

OK, so we’ve covered quasi-government agents and aliens. This third theory is much deeper than i can really get into, or fully comprehend but I’m going to do my best with a little help from Reddit user: farcaller on the What Is A Tulpa (No Bullshit Definition) Thread. First off let’s define what the fuck A Tulpa even is. A tulpa is an entity that was created by conscious effort of another entity; i.e, a manifestation or emanation as it’s known in Tibetan Spurl-pa. Ever feel like you willed a bad situation upon yourself by overthinking it? Tulpas can grow and mature over time just like that bad situation, the more thought power you give to it, the more powerful it grows. It’s believe that these thoughts will eventually reach a level of maturity whereupon they will develop and grow at a rate comparable to that of any other person. It is also theorized that mass meditation(or extreme emotion) can almost catapult this entity into consciousness. Like all living creatures (because tulpas are living things even if they are just thought forms) they need to feed on something, that something is extreme emotion, like fear. We all here, thinking and giving consciousness energy to this entity (MIB); we’re feeding the tulpa. Slenderman is a really great example of this. About 10 years ago Slenderman only existed in the dark corners of creepypasta, the more popular this lore became bearing memes, video games, stories, and “first-hand” accounts themselves it all seems to come to a head with The Slenderman Stabbings. If you’re not familiar; two young girls lead a third into the woods, killing her as a sacrifice to Slenderman. This began a wave of other crimes done in the name of slenderman. Taking lives and gaining power through fear is almost as real as any other living creature, being a perfect example of what a tulpa is and what the human mind can do (especially in mass quantities.)

Albert K. Bender famed UFOlogist living in Bridgeport, Connecticut created the international flying saucer bureau after becoming obsessed with the occult as a young adult. With almost 600 members, they were dedicated to furthering the study of mysterious crafts. Shortly after its founding, the IFSB reached out to members around the world through a quarterly journal, Space Review. The newsletter shared stories of UFO sightings and offered theories about the origins of these seemingly inexplicable objects. Soon after Albert organized the IFSB the researcher became hounded with ill health, strange phone calls, telepathic messages, the smell of burning sulfur and strange apparitions. November 1952, at a local movie theater Bender realized a strange man with glowing eyes observing him. On a separate occasion late one night on Broad Street Bender reported he was telepathically hypnotized and levitated. To further his experiments, Bender prompted readers of Space Review with an audacious request: memorize and silently recite, on a particular day and time, a letter penned by Bender. Albert’s goal was to connect with Alien life via the simultaneous thought-projection of hundreds of IFSB members. World Contact Day, or as Bender and the IFSB officially preferred, “C-Day,” commenced at 6 o’clock in the evening March 15th, 1953. The letter included a cryptic message, and warning: “The mystery of the flying saucers is no longer a mystery. The source is already known but any information about this is being withheld by orders from a higher source. We would like to print the full story in Space Review but because of the nature of the information we have been advised in the negative. We advise those engaged in saucer work to be very cautious.” (Remember Tulpas are created through, conscious energy and are given strength through mass meditation and high emotion) July 1953 Albert Bender was visited at his home by three men. Bender stated “All of them were dressed in black clothes. They made it clear to Bender that he was to immediately halt all UFO work. They communicated telepathically: “Stop publishing.” Before departing, the MIB confiscated copies of Space Review and in their wake a yellow fog materialized and the smell of burning sulfur returned. And finally, The telepathic messages, headaches, his being stalked, and of course the surreal warnings by authoritarians in black suits, compelled Albert to shut down the International Flying Saucer Bureau in October 1953. ‘

John Keel is honestly, our main man in all of this. He is the main investigator of the Mothman and author of The Mothman Prophecies, investigated occult reports of all kinds and popularized the term "Men In Black" through his journalism. John used the term “Ultraterrestrials” to describe UFO occupants he believed to be non-human entities which can take the form of whatever they want. This maybe further evidence MIB are aliens along with Albert Bender’s(and many other)  accounts of them being unsettling weirdos that didn't look human. Keel would chase The Men In Black in attempt to confront them. He had the local police in many towns looking for them. When he was in West Virginia and Ohio, people would call his Hotel and tell them that the MIB were there, he'd race over to the location but they would be gone by the time he arrived. He reported being plagued by a burning sulfur smell, headaches, receiving strange phone calls, and witnessing strange apparitions. He also reported tons of MIB/occult accounts through his journalism like the time Mrs. Ralph Butler of Owatonna, Minnesota said an officer visited her in May of 1967 he went by the name Richard French. He was 5.9ft tall, had an olive complexion, dark long hair and pointed face. His clothing appeared to be brand-new, even the soles of his shoes were clean and un-scuffed. When Mrs. Butler offered him some Jello, he tried to drink the Jello and acted as if he'd never seen it before. Keel (and other high strangeness reports, like Mary Hyre) documented an influx of MIB encounters while investigating the mothman. It seems like almost everyone who had claimed to witness the “giant- human-bird like creature” in Pleasant Point, West Virginia more often than not also encountered MIB closely after. During his investigation Keel heard reports of a mysterious blonde woman in her thirties with a southern accent, who visited people in West Virginia and Ohio whom Keel had interviewed prior. She even visited those he had not mentioned in print. She introduced herself claiming to be "John Keel's secretary" thus winning instant admission. The clipboard she carried held a complicated form filled with personal questions about the witnesses' health, income, the type of cars they owned as well as their general family background and some fairly sophisticated questions about their UFO sightings. John Keel didn't learn about this woman until months later when one of his friends in Ohio wrote to him and happened to mention her. He didn't have a blonde secretary, let alone a secretary at all.

One Mothman Witness Keel interviewed, 18-year-old Connie Carpenter was driving home from church, when she came face-to-face with the Mothman, almost causing her to have an automobile crash. Almost four months later, Connie reported being nearly kidnapped by MIB. 8: 15 A.M., February 22, 1967. Connie left her house to go to school. As she started to walk down the street a large black car pulled up alongside her. She later identified it as a 1949 Buick. The occupant of the car opened the door and gestured for her to come closer. Thinking he needed directions Connie approached him. He was a young, clean-cut man of about twenty-five, wearing a colorful Mod shirt, no jacket (it was bitter cold), had neatly combed hair and appeared to be suntanned. This suntan was a very interesting detail, which has turned up in other MIB accounts. As she grew close the “man” grabbed her but she struggled and ran away. Another Mothman Witness Mothman witness, Linda Scarberry, said in an interview with Mary Hyre: "The men wore black suits, black hats, and sunglasses. They drove black cars -Cadillacs, I think. ... They looked like human beings, but their skin was somewhat transparent. You could see the veins in their hands very clearly. Their fingers were longer than a normal person's fingers, as well. Daddy shook hands with them, and he said they were awkward in shaking hands. They seemed to not know what to do or how to shake hands." She said: "One of the cars would follow us around. There were three men in the car. ... The MIB went so far as to follow us through the drive-thru of a restaurant. We were afraid to turn around, and just looked in the mirror at them.” Mary Hyre also encountered these strange men, herself. All reports state that they have asked questions about the Mothman and warned all against speaking about it.

So, as you began to read through accounts and reports of occult sightings in general we began to see a pattern in things just as we can see generalized patterns throughout society in daily life. Mistakes, miscommunication, hersey, anecdotal experience but still there's something consolidating about the mass reports of similar legends throughout decades. Whether these legends are passed down unknowingly through family trees or collective consciousness; there's something that reaches a primal fear inside of us when our children come home with stories about the same boogeyman we encountered at their age. There’s a part of the human mind who realizes it’s power, who sees the coincidences in the things we think and see in reality. No one has ever come out as an abductee or witness to something occult whose life has been left positively impacted by the situation. Regardless of who or what you believe in, you can see similarities or you can see differences. I hope I presented these facts to you as coherent and rational as possible after three months of researching high strangeness on Reddit. I hope you can pull your own verdict from the accounts and reports presented to you tonight, at the very least I hope it sparks something in you to at least question your surroundings. It's not all what it seems.

Brooklen Porter

[groundramon]

Homph I finished tri and I wrote down my thoughts as I was watching because I had too many funny shitposts and nobody to share them with bc charlie hasn’t watched tri yet

PS i wont be reblogging tri spoilers (besides MINOR stuff like, digivolutions of already confirmed digivolution lines or non-spoilery shitposts, but I’ll try to tag shitposts as #tri spoilers anyways [digivolutions specific to tri ill tag as well but not ones that were already basically confirmed]) for a while so ur safe here!  I’m just gonna like everything/most things because then I can rb em to hisyaryumon lmao (also u should check out hisyaryumon....its me n charlie’s digimon blog)

EP 1:

- ok. alright. ok. good. they’re dealing with kari’s emotions now instead of just. nothing.  ok. alright. cool.  Still dont like how obscure/”artsy” they’re being with it, this is digimon not kagerou project, but ok.

- Also. I stand by tk and kari being one of the few good straight ships in digimon.  just saying.

- kari: this is my fault... me: god damn it shut up you little brat also me: god relatable ALSO me: ill take whatever display of emotions i can get

- I love how nobody believes tai is dead like.  They’re upset and worried but they’re also like “nah. he cant be. that fucking asshole just left us in our time of need” (actually only matt is the last one)

- Gabumon i would die for you also im crying and I think that’s the first time tri managed to make me fucking CRY

EP 2:

- I had thoughts but then the 02 kids happened and I entered another plane of reality.  I don’t feel real right now

- the only one I can remember is evil!gennai being a dumbass and being like “SUFFER AND SQUIRM YOU PATHETIC HUMANS AS YOU FIGHT OVER THE LAST SEAT” 1. humans are KNOWN for their ability to care for others you dumb obvious fuck and 2. is. is the entire tube going? because that tube can fit too people if they squish.  This isn’t a joke I’m serious it can.

- oh yeah also when i saw whomstever the fuck his name is (adult guy who i love but fuck names) and he was all bloodied i was like “its a cold day in hell when i see blood in digimon” (I think there was blood in an earlier ep but shh idc)

EP 3:

- didn’t nishijima start off as a fucking life coach to these kids.  What the fuck he was supposed to help them find a career not emotionally scar them by bloodily dying in front of one of them

- im realizing that the reason hackmon was always in his cloak, in the shadows, standing still is that they cannot animate him in any normal position for the life of him.  I drew him with better anatomy when i was 14 and didn’t have a tablet.  No seriously, look:

I didn’t say it wasn’t bad, you guys are just underestimating how bad the anatomy on this poor creature is.  Why cant ppl draw dracomon or hackmon correctly imma cry

- ordinemon has the best reaction faces

the best part about these two screenshots is that they literally cut one to the other, first the first one to the second one and then it cuts back to the first one.  They were really proud of these stupid ass expressions.

- I started overcoming my dissociation shock from the second episode and my hypercritical mind was analyzing the shit out of everything that happened (it is Not happy) but then evil!gennai called kari and evil goddess and idk if he’s exaggerating to make her feel bad or if she’s literally a fucking god of chaos and destruction and either way im like

she did kinda like.  Watch wizardmon die, watch tai die, watch gatomon get absorbed.  The dark ocean is just a metaphor for depression and honestly if 02 wasn’t all over the fucking place I think Kari would’ve had some pretty decent development in it.  Actually you know what, I’m using that as an angle to approach Tri at now, wish me luck bc i might actually give it more leeway now

EP 4:

- I’m not dissociating but I forgot to say anything again and I already forgot what happened

- Cant believe mei is fucking dead

EP 5:

- I like to imagine that Tai got there like a few minutes ago, but he was like “well damn guess yall figured it out without me.  alright ill just. see if I need to do anything” and then meicoomon was Still Bad so he waited for when she struck just to make the most badass entrance possible.  Fucking extra ass bitch

- I forgot to write anything again but uhhh I wasn’t satisfied so anyways lets just get into the Juicy Details

Originally I was actually planning to be kinder to Tri than I expected.  Was very invested during it.  ‘Round the end of the last ep I realized hmmm no this isn’t working out.  Where are the 02 kids.  You should’ve brought them in to save the day.  That would’ve been SO cool and SO fun.  Fucking cowards.

god I’m kinda tired so I’m going to address a couple things I still had problems with, note that this isn’t everything it’s just everything I felt comfortable yelling about without rewatching past eps.  Like I forgot nishijima was all bloodied and presumably died in the last part until they brought it up and I was like “????” ALSO DID THE LADY WHO WAS HIS PARTNER OR W/E KILL HERSELF WITH THE GUN SHE FOUND, I JUST REALIZED LITERALLY AS I WAS TYPING THIS THAT SHE FOUND A GUN AND THEN I THINK IT CUT TO BLACK AND I’M

DID SHE FUCKING KILL HERSELF WHAT THE FUCK

anyways my problems:

1. They did joe. really dirty.  I’ll write a more proper rant on this sometime later (mostly bc charlie is MUCH better at talking about joe than I am) but basically I can tell you that his character development in the movies squandered his OG character development.  He’s basically an entirely different person.  Like Tri joe isn’t bad, besides being largely neglected (yes he has a whole half a movie to himself, no that doesn’t make up for it all), its just...not OG joe.  He’s a fine character just not the same character, and its NOT fine when you put the two together.

2. THEY DID THE 02 KIDS EVEN DIRTIER IM SO BITTER sorry you nostalgia-blind, money-hungry fucks at bandai, but the 02 cast is PART OF THE ADVENTURES UNIVERSE.  The only people who hate 02 are ones who like the characters but hate the mess of the storyline at the end, or are completely irrational and elitist about their love of the digimon series and would greatly re-evaluate their opinions if they watched the original series and 02 back to back.  They couldn’t even show them in some kind of group montage at the end??? Standing in the background when they call Mei???  Why couldn’t they call mei from a home phone also, but that’s a less important problem idc that much.  It was a cute scene besides the lack of 02 characters.  Whatever.  AND THE PROBLEM IS LIKE kari and tk?  This entire time???  Were like “oh they disappeared. oops” instead of being frantically searching for their lost friends???  Like i get tk and kari probably have fucking ptsd and can’t express any emotions because they watched important people die in front of their eyes at an incredibly young age but also 1. they didn’t address the ramifications of ptsd, so fuck that theory/excuse and 2. THAT??? WOULD ONLY MAKE THEM LOOK HARDER??? and put on a brave face as they look, but inside they’re so scared and so worried.  Not just “oh sweet, they were found/saved, theyre in the hospital but that’s fine” like WHAT theyre fucking assholes if that’s what they’d canonically do lmao.  God I am SO bitter over the ENTIRE thing with the 02 kids, it would’ve been BETTER if they were deleted from the fucking canon entirely.  Would I have still been bitter?  Yes.  But at least I wouldn’t be madder at TK and Kari too.

3. I stand 100% by the notion that Digimon is not and will never be cut out to be an adults’ franchise.  It wasn’t designed for adults, and it can’t be skewered towards adults.  These particular characters were designed for kids to relate to and find entertaining.  They do not work when placed into an adult setting.  Like, can you imagine a character like Ed from FMA going to the Digimon world?  I guess in a way that’s just Marcus but like.  Just imagine the FMA cast in Digimon Adventure.  It doesn’t work.  Digimon Tri is basically that except real.  Also Data Squad was darker than Adventure so my joke doesn’t even work.

I guess my primary point is that Tri isn’t mature enough of a setup for an adult audience.  It puts a focus on being “complex” and “philosophical” instead of working within Digimon’s constraints and making something good and adult out of that.  Like!  Digimon is a fucking TOY COMMERCIAL.  Don’t give me messages about the futility of human life.  I want bad puns and emotional characters.  That’s what Digimon has ALWAYS been, and ideally always will be.  Tri could’ve made itself more mature by dealing with the ramifications of the Digital World’s events, how it affected the kids psychologically and dealing with healing old scars.  It would’ve been a more mature take on a story we loved and would use things we loved about the story already - the fact that it took so much time exploring characters’ emotions and was surprisingly mature for the time - to make itself better.  You need to take the aspects that drew adults to the show and amplify them, not just slap on a complex story and unfunny dialogue and be like “oh this is fine, right?”

It’s not that Digimon can’t exist as an adult property, its just that if it repeats what Tri did, it’s got no merit and in my eyes the franchise is dead.  If it survives I guess I’ll be happy that people can still enjoy it but I find it unsustainable and unsatisfying to fans of the older series.  Tri is just a fuckfest of highly specific nostalgia that tries too hard to appeal to old fans without capturing what made the original series so magical, and in part thats because the original series WASN’T FOR ADULTS.  I don’t know about the Digimon Story games, bc they’re T-rated so perhaps they’re a better take on an adult Digimon story than Tri?  But you either need to make your own characters and lore specifically for an adult-oriented Digimon season, or perish.  Also, please make it a series and not a group of movies.  Getting four eps every 6-9 months was hell.

I stand by saying Appmon is a more faithful Digimon season than Tri to Digimon’s original spirit.  I believe it holds more potential for success than Tri and better embodies the spirit of the older Digimon seasons.  It’s dumb, its corny, it has horrible puns, but I LOVE it because it also has a deep dark story and emotional moments.  If you dislike Tri and you agree with things I said that make it unlikeable, I highly recommend giving Appmon a chance - if you watch a few episodes and think “oh yeah, I guess this is decent” you’re going to like it.  It’s everything Digimon has always been and hopefully always will be, just with a different concept.  And hopefully the end of the series doesn’t leave a sour taste in my mouth and I have to redact this statement haha since I’m not done with it yet, but I’ve heard good things about it so I’m hoping not so.

Overall, if you watch Tri, don’t get your hopes up.  It resolves everything okay-ish but it’s a pretty forgettable anime on its own and simply doesn’t work as part of the Digimon franchise.

I am, however, pretty interested in what evil!gennai said at the end about Diaboromon and Daemon.  It raises interesting questions about the timeline too.  We know Daemon is in the dark ocean, so perhaps that’s a hint at a future project?  (They did confirm a future project btw, in conjunction with tri being over)  But what about Diaboromon?  I dont believe that Our War Game (I think thats what its called?) took place after Tri, based on the outfits and ages and stuff, but I also don’t remember the movies that well.  Could Diaboromon still be out there too?  It’s interesting.

However, because of the lackluster performance of Tri, I don’t have my hopes up and I really hope that this “next project” goes in a different direction.  Although I guess if they include the 02 kids, I’ll be somewhat less salty...

Side note, did they ever explain why the gennais went evil?  Like ?  That’s a pretty important thing.  The gennais helped SAVE the human world in 02.  And I get that apparently Tri is ignoring 02′s ending but still.  It’s shitty, because Gennai was still a good guy in the original too (and also they cant just keep is younger look and act like 02 never happened)  MAYBE its something I missed but I dont think so.  God there’s just.  So much wrong with Tri.  I’m very displeased and very bitter and I wanna get back to Appmon asap.

It’s got good moments, its got bad moments, I dont know, I don’t care.  There’s nothing wrong with you if you like it, there’s nothing wrong with you if you don’t, and there’s nothing wrong with you if you flip flop and are split like me.  I just wish Tri fulfilled its potential instead of becoming a boring mess.

[maahistrash]

all of them >:3 all the asks

OH WOW THIS BLOG’S FIRST ASK !!!!! OKAY VERY LONG POST AHEAD🕸 1. Who’s the oldest character of yours that you still use?vincent and francis! my boys have been through a fuck ton of development, from halloween of 2015 to now.. they used to be youtuber ocs, and.. well.. yeah i love them both with all my heart!!!⭐️ 2. Who’s the oldest character of yours, defunct or not?a pegasus named raven who is highkey defunct  (mlp oc oof) but lmao her story makes me think i should give her an arc, and maybe put her in another form.. 💡 3. Has creating a character ever made you realize something about yourself?a bunch of times this has happened actually.. vin made me realize im not straight, nargis made me realize im not cis at all, and vin/nate really made me realize how much i self-project, esp in vin’s case🦋 4. Any minor characters that have either taken over or branched off into their own stories?nar was originally supposed to be a very side character, but his concept hit me right in the spot and i wanted to make him a main oc! and kenny has branched off into his own story, so has alde!🐲 5. Do you prefer to make human, animal, monster, or _____ characters? Why?i like humanoid ocs better bc its a more familiar thing to me? its easier  for me to write human-like ocs than animals, but monsters are also REALLY FUN. demons are fair game, usually my ocs are humans with powers, or humanoids as i say.elves also  play a big role in my stories but i guess that also counts as humanoid!🎨 6. When creating a character, do you come up with the visual concept or the written concept first?it really depends on the kind of oc itself but usually i write up the backstory before i even try designing. that way its easier for me to add elements of their past in their appearance, for consistency i.e. scars, birthmarks, style, etc.📌 7. Do you have characters that you know you’ll never use, but can’t bear to get rid of/recycle?elijah :( i dont think i can fit him anywhere in the big story arc and that makes me sad bc i really love his concept! (he’s a half-swedish half-american water witch with gay moms) (and his last name is jerkeryoff… he was a joke oc i fell in love with)💖 8. Is there a character that embodies your good traits, or traits you wish you had?fran or nar have traits i wish i had. theyre both sweet, helpful, unselfish, and though fran’s slightly more a pushover than nar, they’ve both gone through hell and come back shining and stronger. i wish i could do that. i hope i can.💔9. Is there a character that embodies your bad traits? Several characters? Which ones and what traits?i put a bit of myself in all my ocs, and it shows sometimes. vin has a lot of my bad traits (mentally ill [badly], prone to addiction, self-doubt, actually self-loathing really) and nate does too (selfishness, aggressive, mouth runs before brain does)rip♨️ 10. Is there a character that explores your interests or fetishes (orrrr is that just all of you characters)?interests? yes. vin does music, which im VERY interested in, and fran is really interested in space and astrology, like me! fetishes? ………….maybe…. talk to me to find out :^)✒️ 11. If you have characters that embody certain traits of yours—good or bad—has writing them changed how you view those traits? Has it affected you in any way?yeah. it’s been both, tbh. vin’s family drama  and stuff and how it affected him kinda helped me, or is helping me, get through shit. it’s changed my view on divorce. not really elaborating but yeah. fran’s anxiety also worked this way, and his shyness too. the more i wrote of these things, the more i realized how much i empathized. then i realized i self project lmaO💭 12.  Do you fantasize about being any of your characters, or are you more detached?if i was detached from my kids would i make a separate blog for them and have tags……… i love them and i think abt them all the time,,, fantasizing is the #1 reason i have any backstories whatsoever!🎵 13. Do you create playlists for your characters?ive been WANTING to for a WHILE but theres so many ocs and not enough time. one day i will .. i can’t use spotify because its banned where i live so maybe youtube or 8tracks? idk but when i end up making these lists i will share them!!!🎇 14. When writing for specific characters, is there anything you have to do to get into the right mindset?oh yeah def!! i need to be able to relate to the character, and see myself in their shoes, otherwise it’s hard for me to write them properly !!🌻 15. Which character is your guilty pleasure?cam…. for sure audsdafhnai he’s what i aspire to be honestly🌩 16. Is there a character of yours who’s a real struggle to write/draw? Why do you think that is?nobody really, i have a good time writing/drawing all my ocs! 🔑 17. Which character is the easiest to draw/write?the ones ive had for a longer time, i find, are easier for me to write.. so fran/vin, honestly. ive had growth with them, it’s kinda like we went through development together, and we did!!💎 18. Is there anything you really wish you could do, character-design-wise, that you feel is outside your current skillset? A concept that you wish you could pull off but are uncertain about?yeah… i wish i could pull off demons and stuff related to them. i want to make my lore super deep but then it’s not easy bc i barely have time to give, and demons in my universe would be super immersed in the lore. or um.. yknow, ships within my own ocs, instead of other peoples.🏆 19. What’s more important to you: visual design, unique personality, a trendy character aesthetic, etc? If you’re not sure, then what’s the first thing you usually nail down in a character?the first thing i nail down in a character is how theyre related to the big story. this means how they can be linked to other ocs, relationships, familial or friendly, or even past romances. then i figure out their personality from these things, and then i make the design! to me an in-depth personality is more important than anything, it’s a key to character  development. people think cool designs are all that matters, but to grab attention, a complex character makes sense. of course, i feel this because i’m planning to write a book, not make comics. visual appeal does exist ! and i believe in it. but i link personality to looks, and making the personality complex is more realistic and it’s easier to avoid mary sues then.🎬 20. Do you ever plan to do anything (comic, animation, etc) with your characters? Or are you just happy to have them?originally i never wanted to write a book with my kids! i was content just roleplaying. but one of my friends said that they have potential in a story arc, and that the way these people are connected is interesting (this is 2016, with my first three, and oldest ocs, fran, vin, and nate) i was really happy to hear that and got interested in writing a book, hopefully a series, with my ocs! and i plan to make this happen!!!thank u for asking, droki!!