#i'm sorry to anyone who's been waiting for more art or stories

[kezibun]

Hello again tumblr ^-^

It's been a while...😅

[exoticb-utters]

Hello!

So I saw that your requests were open, and would like to ask for a Hank McCoy (Wolverine and the X-Men) x Reader short story, if that isn't too much trouble. If that's not on the table, I'm sorry for bothering you.

YES OFC, I haven’t been writing much, and instead, I’ve been posting a lot more art so it’s about time I get back in touch with my roots 🙏🏽 (sorry this took me forever omg) pls enjoy 😘

Confessions

Hank x Mutant Reader Word Count: 2.7k Words

Mutant Power: Water Manipulation

You’ve been a member of the X-men for the last 3 years. Yes, that’s almost 3 years you’ve had a crush on Henry McCoy. 

I mean, how could you not? He was so sweet, and always put aside time for you whenever you needed it. He’s also, like, insanely hot…

While you do have a huge soft spot for Hank, everyone had given you a warm welcome when you joined of course, this team was your family. More of a family than your parents; who called you a freak for doing ‘tricks’ with their drinks.

You’d make frequent trips to the lab, knowing all too well there would be a big blue hermit waiting for you. As you did this, Hank could never bring himself to admit the embarrassing fact- but your frequent visits were the highlights of his day.

The rest of the team were amazing family to him of course, but no one checked in or visited Hank as often as you did.

Most of the time anyone usually ever came down was if they needed something; nothing this personal. It was new, but it was nice for a change. 

Your jokes with him never got old, and your smile that came with it could only make it better. The willingness you had to sit around and let him rant about the latest experiment that had him losing sleep, to even offer a hand with whatever he was struggling with. Your innocent praises glorifying how smart he was had him hiding his growing blush by looking behind a microscope. 

“I’m afraid blue blushes too, my dear…” He would joke, causing you to smile and chuckle. Ugh who loves a hot, funny nerd. You’d chuckle to yourself. 

Oh who was he kidding, Hank was head over heels. While he tries to use his brain to rationally sugar coat things, he knew he was helpless. 

Your attention to detail was incredible, you somehow remember all of his favorite things without fail. You were just so…thoughtful. 

He couldn’t help but feel a bit selfish, wanting more than your visits down to his lab, the long talks, your presence. He was going crazy.

Then, every night you’d find yourself laying awake in your thoughts, knowing he couldn’t possibly feel the same.

You’d never put your friendship on the line for something so…selfish. 

The thought ate away at your conscious, the numbing sound of your fan tuned out by your busy mind. You sigh, rolling over to your side while pulling your blanket with you. 

You don’t know why you were like this.

You and Hank are…friends. Which is fine- even though it hurts. You are fine with it, and you’ve been fine for the past 3 years.

…for the most part anyway. 

♡ ♡ ♡

You were now hanging out with Hank in his lab, legs dangling over the edge as you talked to each other. Something about a new opera showing happening in town.

Suddenly, you hear Xavier telepathically call for the rest of the X-Men to meet him in the control room, suited up. Must be a mission.

You were informed the Jaggernaut had escaped custody, again.

All X-Men that were on stand-by were now assigned on this task. The team consisted of you, Hank, Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and of course Storm. Stacked team if you say so yourself.

Everyone was in the Blackbird with the sole goal of neutralizing the Jaggernaut before he caused severe harm. 

Cyclops was put in charge, giving direct orders as he looked to you and Ororo. “I need you and Storm to direct him towards us, we need to keep him separated from civilians. Meaning I need a tall wall of water, Storm you freeze it making sure he won’t be able to get through.” 

You both looked to one another with nod. Scott then turns around to Hank who was piloting the jet. “Hank you go with them and watch from above and make sure things don’t get to out of hand. If they do we need your strength to counter-attack.” 

Hank replies with a “on it” before tilting the jet to left, bringing the stealth instrument closer to the designated location. 

“Logan you’re taking the wheel while those three get dropped down. Everyone else is with me.” Scott said finally while Hank clicked some buttons before switching with Logan. The bottom hatch of the plane opened up, allowing you, Storm, and Beast to exit. 

Storm flew to her position in the air, leaving you and Hank free falling towards the ground. Hank turned to look at you expectantly, blue hair blowing wildly in the wind. 

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” You chuckle. You outstretched your arms towards a nearby pond you spotted earlier. Pulling your hands back to your chest in a stream-like manner, a large funnel of water shot out towards you and Hank. 

You grabbed Hank’s arm as the funnel reached you, changing the water into a shape similar to a slide with your free hand. You surfed down the water, holding onto Hank making sure he kept up- and knowing him, it was also preventing him from falling off.

As you neared the ground, you spun the water into a wide spiral to slow down your momentum for an easy landing. 

“I’m still impressed you can do that with your hands.” Hank comments as you reach the ground, earning an amused huff from you. “Well it took some practice,” You trail off, your eyes now looking at his crazy wind blown hair. 

“Actually, I’m more impressed your hair can take that shape…” You snort, biting on ur fist to hold in your laugh. It looked like he had an insane cowlick…well, maybe if the cow had 4 tongues.

“…what?” He said before quickly bringing up a hand to his hair. While he was busy fixing his crazed hair, you spot Storm flying over.

“I’ve located the Juggernaut, he’s down the street!” She briefly informs you before taking off, flying further down the street. 

“Right right, back to business.” You say, waving an arm around yourself to recollect your water. Hank takes off, leaping after Ororo as you ride your stream of water. 

You hear loud commotion around your surroundings the further you went, hopefully you arrived in time. You spot the Juggernaut on the street, wildly flipping cars as if he were in a mad rampage. One was now launched and flying in midair- towards you, specifically.  

You expertly weave around it, spinning upside down in doing so. Before he can flip anymore cars you jump, using all surrounding water to form a wall as Scott instructed. 

You hear a crack of thunder overhead as you land, the air chilling and the clouds growing darker. With a strong gust of wind, the walls you made froze over. You see Storm fly into view along with the rest of the X-Men behind you.

Beast jumps onto a light post, swinging on the end before propelling himself onto the large wall of ice.

The Juggernaut’s actions were now solely limited to facing the X-Men head on. Realizing this, he began charging with full force towards the rest of the team.

“Get his helmet off!!” Cyclops orders before bringing two fingers to his visor, firing off his laser beams.

Night Crawler bamfs around the brute, landing on his shoulders for brief moments, attempting to unlatch the dome.

You shape your water into a whip, ready to attack if the villain closes in. You see Storm raise her hands, calling down thunder as lightning begins to target the Jaggernaut.

You even see Jean pressing her temple with two fingers, using her telepathy with the other outstretched hand to slow down the pursuer.

He wavered just barely under her prowess, the strong bolts only slowing him down slightly before Wolverine decides it’s time he steps in.

With a growl, Logan leaps towards him with his adimantium claws extended before being swatted away by the Juggernaut’s large hand.

Not a moment later he grabs onto Nightcrawler and tosses him aside as well, throwing him on top of Wolverine.

The X-Men were losing options, and fast.

You had to do something.

You swing your water whip from underneath the Juggernaught before quickly whipping it back against his head, effectively tripping him and causing him to topple toward.

Before he could regain his footing completely, you call back all your water to blast him with as much force as you could muster.

And…It was working! He was regressing in distance.

…Until he took a step.

And then another.

And another.

It wasn't long before he began fully charging toward you.

Your concentrated expression quickly fell to one filled with fear and disbelief. “Watch out!” You heard Jean, Scott, and Cyclops warn in unison.

Their cries were all in vain, a large hand splashing out of the water had taken hold of your face. You felt your feet lift off the ground as you were directly dangling in the air, at the mercy of an unstoppable force. In this position, the Jaggernaught could easily crush your skull if he so pleased.

“I will find Xavier. And I will make him pay.” The brute speaks as his grip on your head steadily tightens, your chest burning as you screamed in sheer horror at the increasing pressure.

From above, Hank was almost hesitant to give away his position as the others before you attacked- he knew they could hold their own. But watching you face the Juggernaught head-on…Seeing how your life was in such jeopardy, hearing your screams, Hank had no second thoughts about intervening and saving you.

With a distant roar, you hear Beast come down on the Juggernaut. He releases you, but at the cost of you falling; and of course- hitting your head on the pavement.

Your head began pounding, ears ringing as the corners of your vision grew fuzzy with dark spots. All you could see was a flurry of blue viciously wrestling with a large brownish blob. More figures rushed into the picture before a redhead precluded your vision, concern written all over her face.

“Stay with me! Don’t close your eyes and just listen to my voice…“ Her words began to fade out as the black dots in your vision clouded the world around you.

Your head rolled to the side, your closing eyes finding the blue figure before your heavy eyelids inevitably shut.

Hank.

♡ ♡ ♡

You slowly awoke to a steady beeping of a monitor nearby, your eyes softly fluttering open. Looking up to the ceiling, you recognized it as the flat cement ceiling of Hank’s Lab.

Before you could get up, you felt the intense throbbing pain coming from the back of your head. Had you really hit your head that hard?

Well if it had knocked you clean out it must’ve been…

“You’re awake!” You hear a familiar voice call out to your right. It wasn’t long before a blue face came into view, blocking the blinding glare of the overhead fluorescent lights.

“How are you feeling?!?” Your vision slowly focused in on the figure in front of you. “Good…I think.” You slowly sit up, rubbing the back of your head tenderly.

You notice you had an IV inserted into your right forearm. Without another thought you removed it, ready to go…to wherever you were needed.

“Woah, there- you should slow down it’s been…a bit and you're still recovering.” Hank warns, grabbing your wrist to keep you from moving any further.

You looked to his face…he was worried??? “Hank, I’m fine! See?” You said reassuringly; though, Hank himself didn’t find himself too convinced.

“Hey, what are you so worried about?” You ask, brows drawn together hoping to get a straight answer out of him.

He was worried about you, obviously. You suffered several traumatic head injuries within a short span of time! If you had not been a mutant…he didn’t even want to think of the possible outcomes of that situation.

Hank sighed heavily, organizing his racing thoughts. “I thought I’d lost you.” He managed to drag out.

Huh?

Scared??

That he lost...YOU?!?

“Hank, I think I’ve suffered greater injuries. You should know this.” You say with a small laugh before quickly stopping, his solemn expression instantly killing your attempt to lighten the mood.

His large hands grab your wrists firmly. “You have been out for a month.” His words shook you, so much so that you found yourself shaking your head in disbelief.

You hadn’t been out for longer than a day, right?

Hank must’ve sensed your reluctancy to believe your current situation because he started again. “You suffered several fractures to your skull, luckily, nothing broken or opposing threats to your brain. Unfortunately the stress your skull took on added with the hard contact of the ground practically split your head open.” He explained, running a hand down his tired face.

You hadn’t realized this had happened. “But I’m…I’m okay now, aren’t I?” You ask hesitantly, raising a hand up carefully to the back of your head. You felt stitches, running up the back of your head. Your stomach dropped.

“I performed an emergency medical procedure…which I won’t go into details with you so soon…” He sighed heavily once again, plopping down in his wheeled office chair.

“I hadn’t realized…” You quietly trailed off while fidgeting with your fingers out of nervous habit.

Hadn’t realized what? How bad the situation was? How worried the other X-Men must be? How much Hank went through to make sure you were well?!?

“Please, it isn’t your fault. If anything, this situation has made me realize something…” Now it was Hank’s turn to dramatically pause, his head in his large, blue hands.

“What? What is it?” You ask nervously, fearing your health was in critical condition at this point.

He grabbed you by the shoulders once again, looking into your eyes deeply, “Because…because I fear I’m falling in love with you.”

You stared in utter shock. Had you heard him correctly? He feels the same way?!?

“I-I want to come home to you, to kiss you like it’s been eons since I last saw your face. I need you safe, I don’t know how I’ll live with myself if you aren’t-” You didn’t need to hear anymore. 

You grabbed him by his lab coat, pulling him into you as your lips pressed together in a flurry of passion.

He held onto you, hungrily chasing after your lips as he poured all the love he’d helplessly held in for so long.

Your hands slowly slid up his broad chest and towards his neck, finding themselves tangled in his soft hair. “Hank” You sighed against his lips, the kiss ripping all oxygen from your lungs and leaving you breathless in the process.

He groans into your mouth in response, his tongue running against your bottom lip, silently begging for access.

Your heated ‘session’ was abruptly cut short by the lab door sliding open. Hank shot up, nearly taking a tumble trying to remove himself from you- to avoid any suspicion of…previous actions of course.

Though, the scene didn’t look too convincing; seeing how Hank’s glasses laid crooked on his face and his hair was well tussled. You had to cover your giggle at his appearance.

It was Morph, Cyclops, and Logan. They all start laughing, causing the rest of the X-men to come in, groaning in defeat.

“Woah, woah- were all of you just standing outside the door?!?” Hank exclaimed.

“Pay up, daddy’s waiting.” Logan holds out a hand expectantly towards the other X-Men, a smirk displayed across his face while completely ignoring Hank.

“I knew I should’ve bet with Logan.” Rogue mumbles, fishing out money from her pockets along with the rest of the team.

Oh yes. This was only the beginning of a long, beautiful (and heavily teased) relationship with Hank.

I hope you enjoyed this cute little one-shot! ;)

If you want more like this or want something written, please hit up my ask box! Requests are always open 💕 Until next time🫡🫡

-Mae

[unofficial-underfell]

Hey guys, I've been thinking about making this post for a long time and I think its finally time I do so. After realizing that some of my last work was done over a year ago, I don't think I can really ignore it anymore. While I haven't quite thrown in the towel on this quite yet, it's pretty evident to me and I'm sure to everyone who still follows this blog that my fervor for the project has drastically decreased. And has been kind of dead for a while. The comic has not been a priority to me, or posting online much at all actually. I did some soul searching and found that I'd started relying on outside approval for my art instead of doing art for the sake of wanting to tell a story and express myself throughout my work. I have limited energy and depression and sometimes it feels like i get such little progress done even though it takes all of my energy. While I'm trying to go to the gym more and build better habits my energy levels and mood still have a lot to be desired, and I'd rather use the limited energy I have to work on something I'm more passionate about.

I've been trying to grow my skills and absorb more stories and I've moved around a lot and started to listen to what I really felt, and I found that a lot of the art I want to focus on deals with heavier and more mature topics. I do love this story, and all of the characters and I feel like I could make a really clever subversion of what is expected from an Underfell comic. But I feel like in these uncertain times with the world and with all of the stuff going on right now, I'd like to use my energy to work on stories that hit closer to the things that I feel are important. So that's why I've not been posting much.

I'm working on a book, and I've actually got quite a lot of progress done on it, but because of all the horror stories online about people stealing author's original works, I'm kind of holding off on publishing any chapters before I can copyright the first draft of the novel. So my online activity will still be pretty scarce for a bit, though I'll still post occasionally on my @cosmicpixel01 account. I'll try better to not be so radio silent though lol. Even if that means I'll post something boring about my dog or books I'm reading just so everyone knows I'm still alive.

I don't want to call it quits on the story. But I also feel like you guys have been kept waiting to see what happens for a really long time, and that makes me feel so guilty. I will try to finish up the pages I have in the works, and I'm probably going to switch to a different format that is some drawings, some writing to finish the story. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to finish it the way I intended for you guys, even with all of the support and kind words and even the fanart that I've kept in a folder on my desktop. I am letting a lot of you down, but I feel like the radio silence is probably more irresponsible than just going out and saying something. And I'm sorry I've kept you all waiting for a not-so-happy update on the blog.

I hope that some of you will continue to follow me for some of my other exploits and see whatever other things I have going on, but I understand that you all followed me for Undertale so I don't want you to feel any sort of guilt if you decide not to. I'm just happy you all supported me for so long.

I'll try to work on this blog again soon, and if anyone has any questions, my asks are open, though I'll probably keep the asks private. Until then I hope everyone stays safe out there. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

-Avery

[chronicbeans]

hello hello! I'm a little embarrassed to ask but could you please request a jealous (even somewhat possessive) Wally Darling x villain reader? the reader is the villain of the show although in reality they are just a goofy thing that likes to create chaos and trouble, and they usually show up at Wally's art sessions to ruin them or "kidnap" Wally for his friends to go look for him (when the reader does that it's just chatting about any subject with the reader wandering off, those days where the reader takes Wally made them close with Wally seeing that the reader is really someone kind and caring or something) but to the confusion of Wally, the reader has not appeared for weeks and when trying to look for him, he finds that the reader began to focus on someone else, taking away all the attention that was supposed to be for Wally (because he is the "star" the reader is supposed to just focus on him) I ran out of ideas and sorry it's so confusing! (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) (also if you write it, could you add that Wally calls reader "his" villain?) (⁠｡⁠ŏ⁠﹏⁠ŏ⁠) I'm so nervous about doing this

That sounds like a pretty cool dynamic! Okay, I'll give it a shot!

Wally Darling with a Villain Reader:

TW: Possessive Behavior, Obsessive Behavior, Kidnapping

🍎 You are such a... sour person. Wally doesn't want to say "evil" person, just sour. Your actions tend to leave a sour taste in everyone's mouth, so that is what you are. However, Wally is slowly finding that he LOVES sour things.

🍎 It first started with you destroying his paintings. He would work so hard, sketching the painting, mixing the paints together, then lovingly brushing it all onto the canvas, just to have you ruin it. Splattering black paint all over it, breaking the canvas, or even just insulting him and making him feel bad about it, causing him not to share it with his friends. Mean bully. Villain.

🍎 So when you one day show up at his painting session, he is prepared for whatever you have in store for him. At least, he thought, because he wasn't prepared for you grabbing him by his cardigan and dragging him deep into the woods. He's terrified! What are you going to do to him? You treat his paintings so harshly, who knows what you are going to do to him?

🍎 After having such a huge shock, he gets yet another one once you sit him down by a waterfall and whisper "Shh... it is alright! I just want to talk. I'm sorry." His eyes widen, before he tilts his head "What?" You chuckle, once again shocking him as you say "Your paintings... I am just jealous. You are good at art. It makes me jealous. I'm still going to ruin them, though. Your expressions are funny! I do everything for the funnies!"

🍎 You keep shocking him with what you do! It is weird how it makes him feel. The neighborhood has been a peaceful place up until you showed up. It's like you ruined everything, but in a good way for Wally. The way it makes him feel so lightheaded and exhilarated whenever you show up is weird. You are so, so mean, even if you don't mean to be, so why does he like it when you act that way towards him? Is it the attention? Maybe...

🍎 He quickly begins enjoying these conversations. Despite you being a bit mean or chaotic on the surface, he quickly realizes you have a lot of nuance. You have motivations, hopes, dreams... the villain in his story has a lot of love deep down, but doesn't know how to show it! He wants to teach you how to express it! He can teach you how to make art, too! Or how to write! As far as he is aware, no one in the neighborhood is an author, unless you count Sally's plays. But writing books! He doesn't think there is anyone. You can fit in that way!

🍎 He becomes desperate to have you give him more attention, even before you focus on someone else. He will paint more with the hope of having you barge in and destroy it. He will sit out in the open, pretending to sketch the scenery around him. In actuality, he is waiting with baited breath for you to whisk him away.

🍎 So, when it all suddenly stops... he is in a panic. He will go out in search of you, still pretending to draw the area around him. Then, he sees you tripping Eddie, the clumsy mailman. He quickly realizes what has happened. HIS villain thinks that they can just abandon him and become Eddie's villain! Wally is supposed to be the one you go after... Like a damsel in distress! That's his role, right? The star who has been captured, with his neighbors as his saviors, and you as his loveable villain! You think you can just change it up, huh? That won't do... Actually, maybe it will?

🍎 Maybe you just got bored of the dynamic you both had? It does get boring to kidnap a willing victim all the time. Wait, maybe YOU want to be kidnapped this time? Where would he take you, though? It would be cheating to just take you to the same place you take him. He does have this secret place in Home, which is the basement nobody knows about. It would be so fun watching everybody trying to find you!

🍎 So, one day, as you are on your way to trip Eddie again, you see Wally nearby. Normally, you would grin and wave to him, but he doesn't look... normal. His grin seems darker and his eyes seem to be hiding something from you. He quickly walks over to you, asking "Are you looking for Eddie? I think I saw him by Home." You shake off the uneasy emotions, simply excited to go play your prank for the one millionth time. Eddie always seems to forget, which makes it even more fun than your pranks on Wally. Maybe Wally seems to off because he is helping you in your chaos.

🍎As you skip over to Home, you barely notice how Wally seems to follow you. The only moment you realize that something is wrong is when it is too late. As you pass by the front door, Home opens it, and Wally quickly grabs you and drags you inside. The second you try to scream, he clamps a hand over your mouth as he says "No, no... Be quiet. It will ruin the game. The others have to find us, remember? I think I found a good hiding place for you, my little villain. It's a bit cold and dark, but I put out a few candles and some blankets and pillows for you!"

[okay-babe]

Hiya Dot! Sorry for the random ask but I am so in love with your writing that it single-handedly got me into this accursed fandom, and now I'm wondering where to start with other authors. Do you happen to have any fic or author recs??

Hi there, anon! I'm so glad you asked because I definitely have some author/fic recs that I'm more than happy to share with you/anyone else who comes across this post!

Before we begin though, shout out to all of the people I mention below! I hope none of you mind being tagged/linked but let me know if you do and I'll remove everything asap :)

1. Starting off strong, we have the amazing @jyoongim! She's been my mutual since I think like day one or two of me creating this account, and I honestly cannot think of anyone more kind or welcoming. Plus, their writing is amazing! Like genuinely so good, I cannot recommend her highly enough. 2. Also, if you're into smut, I am always utterly baffled at the quality of @hazelfoureyes' work. Like, as someone on the ace spectrum, I can say very firmly that sometimes, I don't want to read smut, but even so, I will always read a new post from Hazel when I see it because they're just so well written that I simply cannot wait lol. Plus, their sense of humor is just *chef's kiss*. Love them, truly. (Note: I used they/them here because I don't know Hazel's pronouns, but if anyone does and they aren't gn feel free to let me know and I'll edit this post asap) 3. Additionally, if you like headcannon style writing @a-hazbin-reader is incredible. I've spent actual hours on her page just reading through some of the absolute art she posts there, and it is always a treat. Plus her interactions with her readers are usually either hilarious or incredibly sweet/kind, so it's a good time all around.

As for story/specific fic recommendations, I do have a few of those too!

1. The Deer Dolly series by @ohproserpine (Genuinely incredible writing and a killer story line). 2. You & Me for the worst eternity to come by Notafraidtosimp on AO3 (Definitely not your typical x reader series, but I love everything about it and would never forgive myself if I didn't use this opportunity to share it with everyone). 3. The Partners in Death... and Life series by @safination (This might just be my favorite Alastor series I have ever read, the writing is incredible and I simply cannot recommend it highly enough). 4. Even Death Can Never Part Us by JuliaRobHURTS on AO3 (This is an amazing ongoing long-fic that makes me gasp audibly every time I see that there's been an update. The way the characters are written is utter perfection every time).

I definitely forgot some amazing fics/authors here in my haste to get this posted before class, so everyone should feel more than welcome to comment some other recs if they want to! <3

[ranticore]

happy anniversary STBH!! i bought both books while on a week break and read them both in two days voraciously despite my phone failing to decipher the epub files (squinting at a 200x zoomed pdf is a painful way to read but it was so worth it). i am periodically rotating the characters round my mind like the hypothetical apple number 1. Cain especially has been placed in my little mental cabinet of curiosity that i drop by during quiet hours to think about. love that man. number one cain fan. chewing him like an interesting stick. i love every other character as well though theyre all so fascinating and v human

anyway all this ramble to say i love your works and im patiently waiting for the moth release. ur prose is so lovely and i love love love the way you interpret folklore and mythology and your art

question for the stbh gang: what actually are their daemons? i know felix has estibarith the swan but im so curious as to the rest...

omg noo i'm so sorry the epub didn't work! i know you already suffered through it but for anyone else with this issue, i have a recommendation for google books app (if using android) but even if that doesn't work, you can always contact me and we can make something more readable (like a pdf with big font or something) that fits

i'm so happy that cain resonates with people, that old man is a favourite of mine even if i did forget to change his name from the original placeholder (whoops). he's a lil fucked up now but his story is far from over

as for tha daemons..

Islin: i narrowed it down to two potentials?? That i kind of bounce between. I tend to lean more towards a polled bull than anything else - a same-sex daemon which would be the only one in the cast i think, which i tried to parallel in pern story with him being the only one who doesn't match the canon rules for rider sexuality & dragon colour. but regardless the daemon is called Tarannach and the overall symbolism is a massive powerful dominant animal who is nonetheless "de-fanged" in some way (polled cattle naturally lack horns!) and appears more peaceful as a result. Tarannach is wilful and domineering, disagrees with Islin frequently (before Islin has his spine-growing moments), and unapologetically takes up space. would also be a massive inconvenience in day to day life but that's kind of the point. Before settling as a bull, Tarannach went through phases of wanting to be smaller and smaller.

Bowman has a dog daemon. It just has to be that way, there's no getting around it. I joked around that she would be a poodle but actually I would lean more towards a collie instead, a herding type. Something that looks rough and ready but is actually surprisingly high maintenance. Her name is Nell/Nellie. Her personality is irreverent, never takes anything seriously. She turns into a feral animal during the full moon.

We know Estibariz is a swan but some more about her - she wanted to be a lioness, something big and fierce, and Félix insisted that she would probably end up a serpent or a fox, something with connotations of being a sneaky liar, and he felt that when she did settle, it would be an externalisation of some inner ugliness he never wanted anyone else to see. when she did settle she enjoyed a big I Told You So. When he was taken by Puck and spat out again, she returned as a form-shifting daemon again, and had gained the ability to separate from him and travel long distances. She never shapeshifted willingly though. The first person to touch Estibariz aside from Félix was Bowman. The second person was Helena.

Clarion is the only one whose daemon was actually, for real, a horse. His name was Drey and he was a dapple grey draft breed.

Senca is obviously a witch so also had a daemon who could travel far from her. He was a bird, I thought maybe a nightjar or collared dove. Never got that far in the au so didn't pick a name. We'll just call him Namiliyath

Léa's was a thorny devil

Jean's is a ferret and her name is Missy. It looks like it could potentially be an ermine, a symbol of nobility, but no. It's a common hunting animal, white with black eyes.

Erica's is a magpie

Pascal does not have a daemon. There's something there that looks very swanlike, but it speaks with his voice. In a human au, it's a golden eagle.

I don't think I made anything for other characters, again I never got that far writing it

[orangepanic]

Finished Fic: Smoke

It's finally done! My fic for this year's @wipbigbang is one of my longest-running WIPs and also one of my personal favorites. My apologies and thanks to anyone still waiting to find out what happens to Equalist!Asami and her unexpected lover - I hope the ending is both satisfying and believable.

Story Title: Smoke

Fandom: Avatar: Legend of Korra

Summary: When General Iroh is captured during the Battle of Yue Bay, it's up to Asami to extract information from him that will win the Equalist revolution. By any means necessary.

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, major character death, suicide attempt, major character injury

Characters: Iroh II, Asami Sato, Hiroshi Sato, Amon | Noatak, Amon's Lieutenant, Tarrlok, Mako, Lin Beifong, Zuko, Izumi, Original Equalist Characters

Pairing: Iroh II/Asami Sato, other background pairings (some canon, some not)

When I Started: February! February 2021, that is. Eek.

How I Lost My Shit: Most people who know my writing know I'm a die-hard panster, so while I had a loose idea of how this fic would go from the beginning I of course didn't write that. This was my first time writing a real Enemies to Lovers (like literally they try to kill each other a lot) and I found that as a consequence of that I needed to make changes to the story along the way in order to fit the genre. A big decision was to slow down the action to make the romance believable, and another was to flesh out more of the Equalists and their operation in order to avoid a "good guy good and smart, bad guy bad and dumb" dynamic which wouldn't support the kind of story I wanted to tell. All this in turn led to a time skip and whole second half to the fic that I hadn't anticipated followed by a few long breaks myself while I tried to figure out where the story needed to go from there and who with. Mostly because the main characters both wound up killing people I hadn't planned for and so there was a whole legal thing I had to puzzle through that eventually ruled out the original ending I'd had in mind. Nobody listens to me, you know? And I now know an awful lot about immunity and extradition.

How I Finished My Shit: @chocolate-cringymuffin, an existing reader of this fic, incredible artist, and dear fandom friend, agreed to be my artist for the WIP Big Bang. I could NOT let them down. There's really nothing more motivating than fan art from someone who cares about your story. I might not have finished this fic without their enthusiasm. I certainly wouldn't have finished it today.

ALSO CHECK OUT THEIR BOMB-ASS ART!!!! HOLYYYYY CRAP!!! It's so beautiful I'm crying. They're so happy. I also love the choice of scene, which comes at a part of the fic where I think both of them really commit to letting the past be the past and their new life together.

A/N: Thank you so much to the mods of @wipbigbang for putting on this event again! It's a great forcing function. I also want to give a shout out to @alishatheninth who, while not a beta reader, gave me a lot of feedback that I needed to hear about what was working and what wasn't early in the fic and in general has been an invaluable critic and cheerleader on this grand adventure. Alisha, I'm lucky to know you and I'm sorry I killed your favorite LOK character in a truly horrible way. Mostly.

[dorothytheexplorothy]

People I'd like to know better tag game!

tagged by @the-least-undefinable-ordinal

I don't get what the game is so I just stole their template lol hope that's ok

last song: been listening to Nir Knaan's new album on loop, espפסטה בשמנת (= Pasta with Cream Sauce) - [my interpretation is] it's a waltz about a guy making pasta for his partner who, unbeknownst to him, is just about to break up with him, as a metaphor for a love story between the guy and the pasta, itself a metaphor for eating disorders. it has so many ingenious pieces of lyrics (for example, it uses the word "ta'ale", which is both the third-person future feminine and the imperative male form of "go up" - so both "she'll (the partner) go up by stairs" and "(talking to himself) you, go up by stairs"). it fills me with such love of art. there's also a beautiful music clip for it on youtube

favourite colour: probably light blue - I like how calming it is; also, it has its own word in hebrew ("tkhelet", which actually used to mean "purple") and that's cool too

last book: I don't like reading, but uhh I sometimes leaf through Winning Ways for your Mathematical Plays bc I'm irrevocably conway-pilled

last movie: rewatched Glass Onion (: A Knives Out Mystery) bc I was bored. not as exciting on the second watch but whatchugonnado

last tv show: Ranma ½ (the netflix reboot)!! I like trans media what can I say, I only wish it could've been made with a more modern mindset, there's some missed potential. I'm also planning on watching the original after that bc the animation there is so pretty. also watching Brooklyn 99 bc I'm a comedy nerd

sweet/spicy/savoury: savoury :) I've had depression and anxiety, there's no other answer

relationship status: single and way too scared to mingle

last thing I googled: idk but my newest open tab is the nlab page on reflective subcategories - opened it bc I wanted to know what they are, left it open bc I don't get adjunctions :(

current obsession: just found a series on yt called "therapist plays Slay the Princess" (by Euro Brady). I love(!!!) Slay the Princess (still best trans allegory!!! and no one gets it), and the therapist is so empathetic and sharp, it's really fun watching them try to understand it (they haven't mentioned gender so far but I still agree with a lot of their analysis)

looking forward to: uhhh nothing I can think of rn. my main emotion is anxiety lately :( but soon I'm traveling to the US (and meeting my ex-wife🤭) even if it's just for a bit!! that's something! and I'm waiting for some bureaucratic stuff to go through so hopefully things start moving again

tags: @jansjo, @hewsos-from-lesbos, @thegneurshk, @bubbliterally, sorry if any of you got tagged already. also - anyone who wants to play and hasn't been tagged - say I tagged you and I'll edit this post to say that, no one has to know >:3

[triassictriserratops]

What's your headcanon for Katniss and Peeta's children?

How old was Katniss when give birth to their daughter?

How many years apart between them in age?

Your headcanon for their name?

Who gets the singing and art skill from their parent?

Bonus question : please give recs of your fav everlark post-Mockingjay fanfic.

Thank you :)

@curiousthg

@curiousthg (thank you for the ask! I have to say, it's still wild to me that ANYONE gives a shit about my opinion AT ALL.) AS A DISCLAIMER. THESE ARE ONLY MY PERSONAL OPINIONS. I FULLY RESPECT OTHER OPINIONS AND HEADCANONS. THESE ARE JUST MINE, PERSONALLY. Q.) What's your headcanon for Katniss and Peeta's children? A.) Just a few things I kind of like to think about: - There is a third toastbaby born after the epilogue. - Toastbaby girl grows up to become a veterinarian. She's quiet and serene but wildly clever. Dangerously smart. And Haymitch Abernathy is probably her favorite human being in existence. - Toastbaby boy is a wild menace to society and makes Peeta specifically tear his hair out. Constantly pulling him off of cabinet doors, scaling building walls, pulling him out of hiding places where he camps waiting to scare someone (usually Peeta) They judged parents who used child leashes until they had their boy. Likes to follow the Cresta-Odair spawn everywhere whenever he's visiting them.

Q.) How old was Katniss when give birth to their daughter? A.) Just based on the math from the book she would have been 32/33 when her daughter was born.

Q.) How many years apart between them in age? A.) In my mind it's about 3-4 years. Katniss says that her Good Things List is tedious after more than 20 years and mentions that they teach the Hunger Games in school and that Toastbaby girl knows her parents played a part in them, so i'd say she's about 7 in the Epilogue. And she specifically calls out Toastbaby Boy's "chubby toddler legs" struggling to keep up with his sister, and that he'll be learning about the Games too in a few years, so i'm thinking he's anywhere from 3-4 at the time of the Epilogue.

Q.) Your headcanon for their name?

A.) I'm so sorry to say this, i don't actually have any! I personally don't like to give them names. I FULLY AND TOTALLY respect the names other people come up with and I've seen some that are quite popular. But I've actually always REALLY connected with the fact that Katniss specifically chooses NOT to give us their names. She was forced to give so much of herself to Panem, to other people, even (on a meta level) to us as readers. Within the 1st Person POV we are privy to her every personal thought and experience. The capitol denied her autonomy and privacy. The rebels did the same. And, in the end, so did we as the reader. It's a FASCINATING lens to look at the books through! (Especially if you follow the fun idea that this series are her memoirs.) But here, at the end, Katniss is choosing to close the curtain. We're not allowed to have her children's identities. Because those are precious to her. Because they belong to them and them alone. I just find that kind of beautiful and so I've made a conscious effort to never pick names for them. Q.) Who gets the singing and art skill from their parent? A.) Toastbaby boy is the singer (and hunter). The third toastbaby is the artist. Toastbaby girl loves baking with her poppa.

Bonus question : please give recs of your fav Everlark post-Mockingjay fanfic. I'm going to be lazy and direct to this post I just wrote where I include a list of Post Mockingjay Fic Recs!!!

(BUT one VERY specific callout recommendation, just in case people don't click into the link, for Us Among the Living by the WONDERFUL @vasilissadragomir. It's beautiful and I have so much love for that story. The characters are lovingly preserved and the tone so realistic I sometimes feel like i'm reading something Suzanne Collins might have written. HIGHLY recommend!)

[bababaka]

Tell me a story. And i'll tell you a thousand more.

Missed chap 1? Here it is.

Chapter 2 - Tests

word count ≈ 5.694

A/N: hm... yeah. That took sometime and a lot of effort. Please, appreaciate and be grateful. Things are getting interesting. And i have no idea how i'll develope Jade and Reader's relationship, but that's a problem for future me. Also, in this chapter, you'll notice i hate Robbie. If you like him, im sorry. Enjoy, guys.

Taglist: @gabriella-aesthetic

You woke up to your mother screaming your name, telling you to wake up or you would be late. You couldn't feel your body, or your soul. The previous day had been brutal, and it was only your first day of school.

You didn't want to get out of bed. Your comfortable, soft, and oh so cozy bed. But your mother quickly took away any hope of getting back to sleep. She opened the door like a hurricane and pulled the covers off you.

"You're going to be late! Wake up!"

And she left, as quickly as she came in. You groaned, completely tired and not wanting to go, but you persevered. You finally got up and ran to get ready.

You were going to be late.

Your mother, a beautiful soul, gave you a ride, and so you were saved and arrived on time.

But you were still dead. You practically crawled through the halls. You didn't talk to anyone, or even bother to acknowledge anyone's presence.

When you arrived at the classroom for your performing arts class, you threw yourself into the chair closest to the exit and lowered your head. Maybe you could sleep in this class. Surely, Sikowitz wouldn't mind. But apparently, you couldn't have a moment of peace. Someone called you.

– This is my seat.

In front of you was the goth girl (not exactly, maybe, alternative? Good sense of style? She did look good) from yesterday. Black eyeliner highlighting her beautiful green eyes. Black skirt, black combat boots, shirt and a loose black crop top. All black, and still beautiful. And still intimidating. She raised her eyebrow. Waiting for the answer.

Oh, yes, you had to answer.

– We don't have assigned seats.

The girl's expression became even more serious, however, she didn't give up, she shouted the teacher's name.

- Sikowitz!

And he fell from... somewhere. You only heard the sound of the fall.

– The seats are marked, aren't they?

– On the contrary, you can be free as birds and... - She kept her eyes on Sikowitz, who had stopped, and now looked scared. You couldn't see it, but if you had to guess, you would bet the girl was threatening him with her beautiful and assertive green eyes. And was successful, since the teacher spoke again, somewhat hastily. - Yes, the seats are marked. Then, the girl turned around, a smug smile on her face.

– Now, get out of my seat.

For a moment, you didn't know how to react. Had she really scared the teacher? This had to be considered some kind of crime, or misdemeanor. Could it be considered abuse? Harassment? Coercion?

– You clearly forced the teacher to say that the seats are marked. I'm not leaving.

She continued to stare. Thirty seconds, and then a minute. Complete silence. You didn't dare say anything, you just returned the deadly gaze and... Were those scissors in the girl's hand? Did she intend to use the object on you? What kind of psychopath was this girl?

She was trying to do the same thing she did to the teacher to you. The problem was that you had already been through yesterday, and she didn't hold a candle to your new ballet teacher, whose presence loomed over you, unlike this girl. It wasn't going to work. Finally, you had had enough.

– Look, either you can stare at me and we won't get anywhere or you can sit next to me and pretend it's your precious seat. I'm not part of the drama course, I'm only staying for the basics, so I'll go to my class and you can have the damn seat.

– How about you just get the hell out of here?

You shrugged.

– Nah, I like this seat. – You smiled. You weren't going to leave. You didn't mind confronting the girl, in fact, you were even enjoying it. The bully wouldn't be able to make you cry like the girl from yesterday. So, it was funny to see how the girl in front of you became increasingly frustrated at not getting the expected reactions from you.

(And it was also the closest place to the exit. You didn't want to be late for ballet. Nope. Nope.)

The girl glared at you, in a last futile attempt to scare you, but in vain. You weren't easily intimidated. And, after your ballet teacher, you reached a new level of boldness. In the end, she gave up. She huffed and sat in the chair next to you.

– Whatever, I didn't even want this place anyway.

The class started and Sikowitz stole everyone's attention, including yours, so you turn your visage to him.

He started talking about the bird scene. A test that everyone would take, and those who failed would not be able to participate in any school plays or projects.

That was bad.

School projects, especially those that took place outside of school, were an opportunity to be noticed by professionals from all over the world. Not participating in the projects meant saying goodbye to any chance of achieving something big without having any kind of connection with people who were already in the industry. Also known as being a nepo baby, which you very much wasn't. So, You couldn't, under any circumstances, fail that test.

The teacher handed out the book to everyone. And said that the tests would start tomorrow.

Shit.

As soon as he finished, he yelled at the class to start playing superheroes with body aches. Everyone jumped out of their chairs to act. You remained in your chair for a while, still thinking about how screwed you would be if you didn't pass the test. Until a boy, with beautiful, silky hair and an alluring smile, pulled you to act with him, still in character complaining about how he dislocated his hip after defeating a battalion of dwarves. You smiled and let yourself get involved in the acting, starting to complain and limp around the room.

Some students joined you and acted alongside you, Beck and Cat being constant presences, but a skinny boy with curly hair (and you think you've seen him around with a puppet or doll, whatever) also participated in several conversations amongst you. Time barely seemed to pass until the bell rang. And quickly the smile that rested on your face disappeared.

Ballet class.

You ran to gather your things and make the quickest way to the dance room. Until you noticed movement next to you, and there was the goth girl, with beautiful green eyes and murderous personality, though her face didn't show it.

For a moment, you felt like saying something, anything, maybe even cursing her. Telling her that she wore too much black, or giving her a moral lesson about her attitude, but you looked at the clock. 10 minutes until class started, but you had 3 minutes to get there. You looked one last time at the girl, who was gathering her belongings.

You said your goodbye to Cat and Beck and ran out of the room. Ballet class was more important. And besides, you didn't even know what to say.

You arrived at the classroom with 5 minutes left before class started, promptly wearing your leotard, ready to stretch.

– I’m glad you managed to arrive on time today, Miss Tardy. – The girl from yesterday said, and you grimaced at the nickname. Danny(?) stood next to you with an amused smile, and you snorted, trying to calm down.

You arrived “early,” yes, but still, you felt nervous, anxious, as if at any moment the teacher would jump out of nowhere to scream and embarrass you in front of the class, again.

– Yeah, believe me, I’m happy too. – You looked from side to side.

– Did the teacher traumatize you yesterday?

– A little, yes. I’m just... paranoid.

– A lot of people are, believe me.

– And are you part of that group?

– Cautious, maybe, but not paranoid. – She smiled. – At least, not yet. Have you stretched yet?

Your eyes widened.

Shit.

The girl next to you laughed.

– Come on, there’s still time. I haven't stretched either.

You looked at Daniela(?) and found yourself wanting to be her friend. So, you tried to make conversation.

– So, am I the only one who’s completely sore after yesterday?

– Wow! Yes! – Delilah says enthusiastically. – I’ve been doing ballet for years but still, yesterday was brutal. And we still had classes in the afternoon! Honestly, I fell asleep in history class, the teacher’s voice just lulled me to sleep. You laugh and nod.

– I understand you. I didn’t doze off in class, but if it weren’t for my mother, I wouldn’t have woken up for class today. Dolores groaned, frustrated and dramatic. You sympathize.

– Yeah, I just hope she’s not so strict today.

You laugh. But this time at the expense of the girl next to her.

– Being delusional is a choice.

– That I will choose! - she gasps, trying uselessly to defend herself. – And that is hope!

– Uh-huh. Of course.

But before Da..rla could respond to your sarcasm, the teacher entered the room. And at that very moment, the conversations ceased – as if announcing a bad omen – and everyone got into the correct position and posture. The teacher smiled sideways, appreciating the scene. But she soon stood in front of the mirror, ready to start the class.

– Good morning. Before we start our warm-up, I have an announcement for the class. - she paused, the room in a tense and absolute silence. Satisfied, after a few seconds, she continued. - You will have a test, a friendly competition between yourselves tomorrow. What you will do is simple, you will present an original choreography. The theme and music are free. Try to stay in ballet, but it will not be mandatory. For now.

Some murmurs spread throughout the room, and you, in a state of confusion, panic and anger, spoke out loud.

– Wait, what? But, tomorrow we already have Sikowitz's text!

– Can't you handle both of them? - The teacher's sharp and disdainful gaze fixes on you. For a moment, you shiver, shrinking into yourself. She looked like the grumpy girl in your drama class, yet much scarier. You took a deep breath. Trying not to stutter.

– But, it's the second day of school. And you both scheduled the test the day before it happened. There's not much time!

– Then you better start preparing. I don't accept anything less than excellence, I know that with Sikowitz it will be the same. After all, the school has a reputation to protect. – The teacher said with a rigid and stormy expression on her face and a tone that didn't allow for answers.

You fell silent. The teacher then started the warm-up. Giggles could be heard in your direction.

- Don't worry. You'll do fine tomorrow. - Da...ph stood next to you, putting a hand on your shoulder, no doubt with the goal of comforting you. It didn't have much effect.

The routine ended and the teacher dismissed the class to get ready for lunch.

Da...phne.. approached you, before you even finished packing your things.

You had to admit, you were feeling terrible. Daphne was being so nice, and you didn't even remember her name, it was unfair and rude of you. You also hadn't bothered to ask, but you hadn't cared so much yesterday and today it just seemed like a jerk of you.

"Hey, what's your name again?"

"You don't remember? After everything I've done for you?!"

Okay. Maybe it was a little dramatic, but still.

– Miss Tardy. – Daphne called as you approached you. You groaned. You hated that nickname.

– Are you seriously going to keep using that nickname?

Daphne laughed.

– To be honest, I only call you that because I forgot your name.

The relief was instantaneous.

– Oh! That's great! – You let out a little of your happiness with the information. This seemed to confuse the Scooby Doo girl. You decided to explain. – I also forgot your name, and I felt really guilty, you've been so nice to me.

The girl laughed, then approached you and extended her hand.

– Daisy. Try not to forget this time.

– Look who's talking. – You said in a joking tone, and introduced yourself. Again. Daphne (or Daisy, but you preferred your nickname, call it revenge) waved, and this time she accompanied you to the bathrooms.

– So, do you have any idea of ​​what you're going to do at tomorrow's test? – Daisy starts a conversation. You sigh loudly. 

– No, none. You? 

– Nothing. 

Daisy shrugs, without any concern, as she takes the items she needs for the shower out of her backpack. You look at the girl leaning over the bag, almost open-mouthed, your eyes slightly wide. 

– You're not the least bit worried? 

– Nope. – She turned to you, smiling. – And also, unlike you, I don't have two tests. I only need to focus on one. I'm sure that by tomorrow, I can think of something. 

– Wait, wait. What do you mean? Didn't Sikowitz give your class a test? 

This time, Daisy laughed. 

– No, silly. I just don't have drama class. – And upon noticing your expression of continuous confusion, she continues. – When I had to choose a class, I chose drawing. 

– Drawing? But I thought acting was mandatory for everyone! 

– Well, my parents have a lot of influence. So, they pulled some strings for me. 

– Who are your parents? 

Daisy smiled mischeviously. 

– Nah. It's more fun to let you find out. 

– What's your last name? 

Daisy laughed, leaving your vision. 

– I'll see you tomorrow, Tardy.  

And you were left, with only your belongings in your hand, and with a nagging on your brain. However, you already had enough things to worry about. You just say goodbye and turns to leave the room. 

In the cafeteria, you sit at the first empty table you find. You were sure Beck and Cat would join you later. You take a deep breath, trying not to freak out. Oh, you loved ballet, but you were actually freaking out. Damn teachers. Who passes a test in the first week of class?!

– Hey. How are you? – Beck Oliver sat (or should I say slid?) next to you, backpack on his back and no girl (or boy) glued to him.  

– Yeah, okay. – You sighed. – Just... A lot on my mind.  

– Do you want to talk about it? 

– It's just the stupid tests.  

– Tests? Sikowitz's test?

– Yeah, Sikowitz's and... – you realize you don't know your ballet teacher's name. Wow, you didn't even remember Daisy and now your teacher. Well, it's not like you made a point of memorizing them. You continued. – There's also one from my ballet class. Both of them are due tomorrow. – You banged your head on the table. Beck laughed.

– Everything will be fine. You'll do fine. You just have to... study.  

You looke at him with the best "seriously?" face you had. Beck raised his hands, in an act of innocence. You bang your face on the table again. Sighing.

– The problem isn't even the tests, but the day. They're both due tomorrow, both of them!   

– What did you expect? This is the best art school, after all, of course they're going to demand a lot from you.  

You look up at Beck and huff. 

– I don't know, I just thought I'd have more time to adjust before they throw me to the pigs like that.  

– That's a little dramatic.

– No, it's not. You're only saying that because you haven't met my ballet teacher.  

– If you want, we can rehearse the bird scene together, I just can't help with the ballet audition for, well, obvious reasons. 

As soon as Beck offers it, you light up.

– Oh! Yes, that would help me a lot!  

Beck smiles.

– BECK! – you hear someone shout, along with someone else shouting your name. For a second, you are confused where to look, but you obviously look for the person who shouted your name, and there was Cat, the little redhead you were quickly learning to like. She came to your side, squealing.  

– Hi! – she says, even though you had already seen each other in Sikowitz's class. You smile. She was so cute.  

– Hi, Cat. – you say back. – How was your singing class?

– Amazing! The teacher is really good! And very kind! – Cat sits down next to you. One thought only crosses your mind "I wish". But you don't say it out loud. Instead, you just keep a lighthearted tone.

– That's great, Cat. I'm happy for you. 

As the redhead sits down, only then you notice the presence of two more people at the table. More specifically, two boys, who you recognize from your drama class.  

– Girls, this is André and Robbie. - Beck introduces them, pointing to each boy. André was the dreadlocked boy, he had a charming smile and a calm and friendly temperament. While Robbie was more... eccentric. And you wished it was in a good way. The boy seemed kind, a little shy and clumsy, but nothing too much. The problem was Rex. The ventriloquist dummy. Controlled by Robbie. So, yes, Robbie, with glasses and curly hair, was strange. 

So, it's safe to say that you liked André better. 

Ignoring a sexist and disgusting comment from Rex, you ask:

– So, what courses are you taking? 

André quickly answers.

– Well, I've always been passionate about music, so. - he smiles sideways, positioning himself in the chair and taking up more space, while his arms pointed towards himself, as if he was showing off. You smiled. Genuinely.

– So, do you sing? - you ask and notice Cat perk up next to him, letting out a small “Yaaay”.

– No. I mean, yes. I sing, but that’s not my focus. I focus more on the instrumentation and songwriting part, like music theory. 

Beck turns to André. 

– That’s pretty cool! You didn’t tell me that. 

The boy with dreadlocks shrugged. 

– You didn’t ask. Unlike her. - he pointed at you. You winked in Beck’s direction, playfully. 

– The trick is to ask the right questions. 

Beck laughed lightly.

– Noted. 

That’s when Robbie butts in, making you jump, almost forgetting about him.

– Uh, yeah, I do performing arts, but I don’t want to be an actor. I want to be a stand-up comedian. - he says, to which Rex quickly replies “you’re not funny at all. You’re pathetic”. Robbie retorts, and for a moment the two argue, and in fact, it seems pathetic. 

– That's great, Robbie! - Beck – Bless his heart – is the one who finally breaks the argument between the boy and his doll. 

– Huh? Ah, ah, uhm, thanks. 

– So! – André exclaims, placing his hands on the table, making a slight noise, the smile on his face revealing his excitement. – Have you decided how you're going to decorate your locker? 

– Decorate the locker? What do you mean? – Beck asks. 

– It's a tradition. I heard it from some older girls. 

– Yay! Traditions! – You laughed at Cat's excitement. Sometimes, she reminded you of a puppy. 

– Yeah – André continued. – Apparently, it's like a rite of passage. Like officially being a Hollywood Arts student. 

– Interesting. – You hum. – What do you think, Cat? What would you put in your locker? 

– Purple giraffes. 

You frowned, confused. 

– Purple giraffes? 

– Purple giraffes. – the redhead repeated, solemn, staring at you. It was weird. 

– Hey, it’s valid. Giraffes are cool. – Andre spoke up, which made Cat smile, in that way that would melt any heart. 

– Yeah, they are! – Robbie joined in, as if his breath had been stolen from him. That brought the attention to him. 

– And what would you do, Robbie? – this time, Beck's the one who asks.

He shruggs. 

– I don’t know. Something that brings comfort, maybe something that reminds me of childhood? 

And again, the damn doll, “so, what are you going to do, hang yourself by your underwear in the closet?” 

You completely ignore him – you had a feeling you would do this a lot with Robbie – and turn to Beck. 

– And you?  What did you think of for the locker? 

– Nothing concrete yet, but I want something that reflects my personality, that shows something about me. – He stopped, his eyes traveling around the courtyard and the people around him, to return to you. He shook his head. – I’m still deciding. You smile. 

– I’m sure you’ll find something. 

– And what do you plan on doing? – Beck asks, but before you could even try to open your mouth to answer him, Andre’s voice rang out loud. 

– Man! I just want something classy! Musical! Something to jam to, you know? 

– That’s actually very creative! – Cat replied, with Robbie agreeing. You turned to Beck again, with a promise in your smile, and laughter in your eyes. 

– It’ll be a surprise. – and You turn back to the conversation at the table before you could see the brunette’s reaction.

So the break passed, between conversations and laughter, and small outbursts due to academic activities (mostly coming from you). The bell rang, signaling the return to classes. 

You say goodbye to your friends, but when you turned around, you felt a hand stop you, holding your forearm. Beck Oliver. 

– Wait. I meant it, when I said we could practice for Sikowotz's test. - he pauses. - Here. Put your number on my phone. That way, if you decide to take me up on my offer, you can text me. 

You take the phone. You hesitate for a second, your brain processing what was happening, but when you did, you smile. 

– Smooth. 

Beck smirks. 

– Whatever do you mean? 

You type your number, and save it on his phone. 

– I’m onto you, Oliver. 

You give back his phone.

– I have no idea what you’re talking about. – he shrugs and you squint your eyes, playfully.

– Sure you don’t.

He smiles this time, seeming to be genuinely enjoying himself. 

– I’ll text you. - he says goodbye, he waves, his back turned to you, now, definitely, going to his class, allowing you to go to yours. 

In the afternoon, you find out that you have history class with Daphne. 

– Will I ever get rid of you? - Daphne says, as she sits right next to you. 

– You say it like you’re not happy to see me. - You roll your eyes, smiling. 

– You’ll never know.

– Oh, really? Why did you sit next to me, then? 

– Maybe I just like this place. Have you stopped to think about it? 

– Uh-huh. Sure. Keep fooling yourself, Daphne. – you turn around, when the teacher starts to introduce himself to the class. 

During this same class, at the end, the teacher was kind enough to let the students talk and socialize with each other. 

At this point, a student, skinny and strange, with restless eyes and anxious hands, introduces himself to you and Daphne. Sinjin, the boy's name. He wasn't problematic, so to speak, but he was invasive, he got too close to both of you. And the way he articulated the words was strange, it made your hair stand on end. He was a creep. The last straw was when he talked about a website that everyone used, theslap.com, and suggested that you let him record you. Which in itself was aggravating, but the way he said it, instead of sounding attentive and helpful, just sounded like he would lock you in the basement and leave you for the rats, while leaving a camera in front of you. 

Your response to this was to simply say no, and push him away. 

– Don’t ever talk to me again. 

Daisy laughs, but commiserates since he indeed went about that shit like a creep. But then, she comments about how there really was a site where most of hollywood art students were, and how most of them became a bit famous in it, so it became something akin to something you have to do, to gather attention and have a sort of leverage over other unknown artists. 

That means…

Shit.

You’re gonna have to be on this social media. Whatever. You might as well. It’s your future. You’ll have to be careful with what you post now. 

You can’t focus on this now. You’re sure you’ll be fine. Right now, if you have more important and pressing things to fuss about. Like your damned tests. 

Classes end, you say goodbye to Daphne who laughs at your expression of pure despair. 

When you get home, you inhale the food your mother prepared. And you almost ignore all the attempts to make you talk and consequently, steal your precious time. You excuse yourself from the table, explain in a few words that you had schoolwork to do for tomorrow, and she doesn’t bother you anymore. Thank goodness.

You didn’t have time to waste. 

For about 30 minutes, all you did was walk in circles around your room. In a panic, no idea came to you, nothing magically becoming obvious and clear. You started cursing the teacher and everyone involved in the education system, it didn't help at all, but it was good to simply get angry and let yourself be carried away by the feeling.

Your despair grew exponentially when your mother came into your room to tell you that it was very late and that you should go to sleep. You threw yourself at your phone. The numbers shone painfully before your eyes.

10:00 pm.

Shit. Shit. Shit. You put on Spotify and search for some song, some melody or lyrics that would give you even the slightest idea. Screw it. You had to come up with something. So, you just picked the song you listened to the most at the moment, and forced yourself to dance to something, and from there, something came along. You changed some steps that you didn't like. Again. Again. Again. And again.

You heard the damn song more times than you cared to count. Dance. Listen. Correct. Repeat. Dance. No, again. Correct. Again. Wrong. Bad. Again. Correct. Dance. Listen. Repeat.

When you realized, it was already midnight. And you hadn't even read the bird scene. But you had to sleep, or you ran the risk of simply forgetting the choreography or freezing in the middle of class due to exhaustion. And that couldn't happen under any circumstances.

It didn't matter. Your focus was on ballet, you would figure it out later in class. Sikowitz certainly wouldn't be that hard. It didn't take long for you to fall asleep, despite all your anxiety, you were tired.

Waking up wasn't extremely difficult, after all, you were nervous and anxious. You almost jumped out of bed. But, since you had to go to school alone without your mother this time, the morning seemed long.

Every step you took seemed slow and groggy. The lack of sleep was taking its toll on you. Your eyes were heavy and you yawned every minute. You felt like crap. A zombie who, even dead, refused to accept its state and dragged itself through the school hallways.

You arrived at the place where your drama class would take place, and looked around the room, and your eyes landed on your chair. Contrary to what you would imagine, it wasn't empty. No. Quite occupied, actually. By the rude and probably psychopathic goth girl from yesterday. Her smug green eyes met yours, and deliberately and too forced to be casual, she slouched across the chair, trying to make herself comfortable. Trying to get a message across. Rubbing it in your face that the place was hers. This time.

You rolled your eyes. You were too tired and busy to even have the energy to feel angry. You just ignored her and sat down next to her. You sighed. Your mind wasn't there. It seemed foggy. Your movements slow, heavy.

God. How were you going to get through the day? You took a long sip of the coffee you bought on your walk to school, hoping it would sustain you through the day. For a moment, you wondered why you hadn't bought (or stolen) an energy drink. Surely, you knew it would be much more effective. Was there still time to get one now?

Your thoughts were interrupted by the door opening with force, and Beck with a frown on his face, walking towards you with long, heavy strides.

– I waited for you all morning! And you didn't show up! You didn't even answered me!

Shit!

The rehearsal with Beck!

– I sent you a text.

You frowned. Did he? You opened your phone, and there it was, Beck's contact in big letters.

Beck 

Hey, so im here already!

Are you coming?

7:00

Where r uuuuu?

7:20

R u okay? 

7:40

Damnit.

You try to say something, your mind slow and messy, looking for reasons or excuses to say. 

– I didn't say I was going to rehearse today. - is what you decide to say in the end. Which isn't exactly a lie, you didn't confirm it. But, it was the wrong thing to say, since Beck's already slightly closed face contorted even more. 

– Seriously? I said yesterday that..! – he cuts himself off, exasperated. - You didn't even tell me you weren't coming! You just ignored me! 

– No. I didn't ignore you! - but when you tried to explain yourself, Sikowitz came in, starting the class and putting an end to all the side conversations that were happening in the room, including yours. 

You hear a small laugh next to you, the psychopathic and idiotic girl. 

– Nice going. 

You just turn around, with hatred in your eyes, without the patience to deal with her. 

– Shut it. 

If she answered, you didn't hear, already having your attention directed to your teacher, who was in the middle of explaining how the test would take place. You only caught half of what he said. But, not too late, you move to another room, with the intention of just leaving the teacher and the student who would present alone.

The rest of the class wouldn't be watching each other's performances. You didn't know if that was a good thing or not. On the one hand, you'd have time to practice on your own if you weren't the first one to be called. On the other hand, you wouldn't have any other performances to base yourself on.

In the end, it didn't matter. You stuttered and stumbled between words. The enthusiasm and energy were gone. And the way you moved around the stage was nonexistent too. You stood there, reading the book in front of your teacher. It was just awful and pathetic. You weren't surprised when you looked up, uncertain, a little and almost faint "so?" leaving your lips, and in a second wkthout missing a beat, you heard the word, failed.

You didn't pass.

But what did you expect? You hadn't prepared. Still, it hurt to fail. At least you had the consolation of knowing at the end of the class that the whole class had failed too.

You tried, for a second, to meet Beck's gaze. Try to show something like contrition on your face, the regret of having left him alone at school waiting for you. But the boy simply ignores you, too busy talking to one of the girls surrounding him. You don't try more than once, your eyes landing on the clock, this time showing that you didn't have time to waste with Beck. You would apologize at lunch.

You arrive at the classroom, and are greeted by a sepulchral silence.

No one spoke, not even whispers could be heard. Everyone was in a state of nervousness and focus. And the ambience, this seriousness, only increased your anxiety. Daisy was also in the same state. And your few questions, if she was prepared, if she felt anxious, were all answered with nods. You keep quiet then and try to prepare yourself as much as possible.

When the teacher arrives in the classroom, upon noticing the atmosphere and the selene air, she nods in approval and begins the class, announcing that she would start calling names to take the test. Which would take place in front of the entire class.

You took a deep breath and shook your head and limbs, trying to calm yourself down and shake off the tiredness of a bad night's sleep.

You're doing badly in the dance. You don't need to see the teacher's reaction to know that. Your arms were heavy, your feet slow and out of rhythm, your expression dead and uncomfortable. You felt like you didn't do well because, for yourself, you didn't meet your own expectations. And that, on top of anything the teacher might scold you or argue with you about, breaks something inside you.

You feel your chest tighten and your eyes burn, your breathing ragged. You look up at the teacher, who remained silent and had a closed expression and a frown. She doesn't criticize you, she doesn't get lost in a long speech about how bad you were and didn't deserve to be there, no. She just lets out something like a slight sigh. And asks for the next one, whispering something about your movements.

You hold your tongue. You spent a good part of your night creating a choreography. You only had one night to prepare.

One.

Asking for perfection from a freshman was basically sadism. It was like asking a child to cook a five-star meal in 10 minutes. Impossible. Asking someone who had learned to speak to recite tongue twisters without stuttering.

It just wasn’t fair.

The worst part was that you did poorly, but other people did well. It was a punch to the gut. Because it was one thing to fail at the impossible. It was another, frightening and painful thing to realize that all of that was possible, very possible, you just weren’t good enough.

– Very good, Jaqueline. You created the choreography by yourself, yes?

– Yes, i did.

You weren’t the worst—a small and slight consolation—at least you had tried. Some people simply danced famous choreographies shamelessly. Those were the ones who got a huge scolding and reprimand. You felt so bad for yourself, you couldn’t even feel bad for them.

When the tests were over, the teacher didn't say anything. Not a word. She just sighed and let the students out of class early. Which gave you more time to sit and think about everything that had happened and gone wrong from yesterday to today. Even Daisy, who hadn't done as badly as you, seemed shaken and preferred to keep to herself.

You had no choice but to be alone with your own thoughts. Which, on days like this, didn't usually go well. You couldn't stop replaying the scenes in your head. The bird scene, how you stuttered, Beck's hurt and angry look, Sikowitz's expression, your clumsy and sleepy dance, your teacher's sigh, which somehow cut through more than words could.

Failed. At everything. Beck. Theater. Ballet. You sighed. At this point, Cat had found you and was sitting next to you, babbling about something you didn't have the energy nor interest to pay attention to. Your head slipped through your arms to rest on the table. You only realize when you hear the shrill sound of the signal that you've slept.

[eemamminy-art]

hi! 5, 6, & 8 for the fandom ask game!

These are long ass answers so... under the cut they go!!

Fandom/fanfic asks

5. Favorite platonic pairing?

Okay so this might be just a thing between me and my friend, but we have this AU where Emet-selch hid away Ryne/"Minfilia" to keep her away from Hydaelyn's influence, but then he still dies as normal and Zenos is the one to find her alone and rescue her? 🥺 And long story short she's now his little sister who is single-handedly saving him from himself and all the trauma his father had inflicted upon him while trying to give her the childhood he never had. I…… am SO emotional about it!! 😭😭😭 They are THE found family siblings, I just get so soft thinking about them 🥺 Genuinely…!!!

I think the only other one that comes to mind, which idk how much this counts since one half of it is my OC, but I'm thinking very much all the time lately about the friendship between my OC Mal and Sebastian!! If you've been reading my fic you might say, "what friendship? Sebastian is a total dickhead to him!" But!! Trust me!!! It's gonna get there eventually!!!!! They are gonna be talking about their feelings and watching frogs together in no time (it will actually be. A long time. But you'll see!!) I haven't really talked about it much because I don't want someone to be like "ehehehe and maybe they are into each other? 👀" but they are strictly just friends and it is going to stay that way!! ���� One day I'm gonna cave and draw something cute with them hanging out, just wait and see lol

6. Favorite headcanon?

I think the one I've been lingering on most lately is the one you brought up recently, of Zenos being autistic! It makes so much sense, and I already subscribed to it before but I've been thinking about it more since you brought it up! Thinking about him laying in the wol's lap in the royal menagerie, and they're counting the petals on the flowers together to calm him down. :3 Idk, little things like this!

8. Fandom you're a part of that's the most obscure?

Mmm here's where I wanna split hairs on terminology sorry haha okay so to me "fandom" is like, a community, a place of active participation with other fans: whether that's sharing fan works, looking at/reading fan works, or discussing the canon material. That to me is fandom!

So like, to me I would say something like utapri feels obscure, because I'm very passionate about it and don't really have people to talk to about it in much detail, I'm picking up little crumbs about it from pixiv or tumblr, but it feels so tiny to me. But I know it is a big series in Japan! It was popular in western spaces for a time too, like a decade ago-- is that obscure? I don't know, I don't think so, but it feels obscure in the sense of like, I don't feel as if there is all that much community for me to connect with about it.

There's also games like Omori, where the fandom is largely minors so I haven't wanted to interact with the larger fandom space and thus it feels small-- or games that I am deeply fascinated with like Dead Plate that I have no clue if there's any fandom at all and am a bit scared to look for one because it's a very small indie game and thus feels like any fandom would feel too intimate, somehow-- or games that are so old and obscure that I would love to draw art for (and even have in the past!) but finding anyone who has played them is like a needle in a haystack, like my favorite game of all time, Arcanum!

Is a fandom just "things I like that I like"? Or "things I make fanworks for"? Or "a community where I interact with others about this shared interest"? What's obscure in one of those definitions wouldn't be in another definition! Sorry this is a total non-answer but I can't find a way to answer the question in a satisfying way because the question varies based on how you would define fandom!!

[littleplasticrat]

Writer Interview Tag

I'm grateful to have been tagged by @tellmeallaboutit, @my-favourite-zhent and @beesht. Sorry it took so long for me to get around to. Honestly I am blown away that anyone would put me in a 'writer' bucket with the other word crabs

Tellmeallaboutit's interview

My-favourite-zhent's interview

Beesht's interview

My answers below the cut for some NSFW discussion

When did you start writing?

The most recent bout of writing started in December 2023 and was prompted by being insatiably horny for Gortash. This is the first time I've written fanfiction.

I wrote a short novel from 2012-2013 and would put that in the fantasy YA category about a magician who falls in love with a phoenix.

As a kid, I wrote a lot, up until around the age of 16 or so when I realised that I didn't want to live the life of a struggling artist and so set my sights on getting work with more consistent pay than writing books.

I actually do quite a lot of writing for my current job. It's industry-specific instructional writing but I feel that some of the meta-skills are applicable between the two genres.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I really only read horror short fiction recreationally, and I've only written one horror story - which I found super challenging and wouldn't really want to tackle again. Luckily, I'm able to excise the horrors by running TTRPG games and thus don't have to deal with the difficult challenge of making something sound scary.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I haven't been compared to any writers - I simply haven't written enough stuff that isn't solid filth XD

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

Up until I moved house last week, I had a dedicated home office with a large drawing tablet and my mother's boarding school desk from the 1960s. Until I can get an office set up in the guest bedroom of the new house (I'm in no rush), I'm on my laptop at the dining table downstairs or a local cafe.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

I try to preach that a hobby should be treated like self-care and so not be a source of stress, but I have the heart of a procrastinator and the bones of a perfectionist; if I waited for the muse to strike me with creative stuff, I wouldn't get anything done.

So, if I'm feeling wigged out about life, I'm not going to force anything, but otherwise I have a 'smash it out' approach of breaking down the work as much as possible and going from there. Any writing I do therefore starts life as a series of bullet points of what exactly I want to happen and in what order, and I build out methodically from there.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

The thrill of fancying someone a lot? Horniness? Butt stuff? LOL

What is your reason for writing?

I want to be the freak I want to see in the world.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Any comment I get is like JAZZ HANDS. Seriously! It's so flattering to have someone slow down and look at my stuff, let alone acknowledge it.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I once read a shitty horror novel where the villain was able to destroy the protagonist's life, because she'd read all his books and so knew him. That rattled me so hard! There's no way I'm skillful enough to develop an authorial voice that isn't my own. So, like, don't think about what my disgusting fanfics say about who I am as a person please [jk]

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I'd say the action is pretty clear, and I can crack a joke at the right time. What more could a reader ask for?

How do you feel about your own writing?

I would like there to be more of it but my art will take priority for now <3

I think most people I know write on here have already been tagged several times, so I shall not tag further.

[definitely-not-a-mew]

Heyo y'all! SO I made a decision to do a lot of writing alongside art, as the way I started with this kinda,, was very draining for me!! SO without further ado, the part got a little long so under the cut it goes!

The howling of the blizzard slowly fades away as the ragtag trio make their way into the cave. The light from the outside gets dimmer and dimmer, leaving them in the damp, chilly darkness. "So... whats our game plan here?" All eyes turned to the two glowing white pinpricks in the darkness. They flitted out of existence and reappeared as Egg blinked. "Can you not do that? It's.. creepy." The Mew shuffled in the darkness, cuddled up in the dirty labcoat they ended up stealing from Cole. "Do what?" it yawned blearily, flicking it's tail, not that anyone could see it. "Your eyes- they're just. Glowing. It's freaky." The two went back and forth about creepy caves, being tired, and glowing eyes for a bit, right up until they bumped directly into an obstacle. A.. strangely warm and fuzzy obstacle. "Is.. this some kind of cave moss?" The fuzzy wall began to shift, and tiny sparks of flame lit up the darkness. Several balls of flame appeared in the air, floating around the area and illuminating the cave. It became Very apparent the three had run into a pack of Arcanine, who were not happy to have been woken up. Egg, Cole, and Cheese all began to back up slowly, staring wide eyed at the large dog Pokemon. "We should probably go-" Several barks echoed through the cave, bouncing off the walls and ceiling, surrounding the three in a cacophony of noise and flame. Within seconds the pack had them surrounded, growling and nipping at them when they moved even slightly. "I don't suppose they'll let us go?" "Does the growling suggest they will??? Or perhaps is it the jaws snapping that screams 'mercy' to you?" Cheese shot a glare at the purple Mew. "They're Pokemon right? You're a Pokemon too, just. Talk with them or something." "Yeah okay, like they'll listen to me-" All at once, the growling stopped, leaving only the sound of crackling pyre. The circle around them parted as a very large Arcanine with several scars on it's face stepped towards them. "Why are you here." she growled menacingly, showing off her numerous fiery teeth. She seemed ready to rip them to shreds at a seconds notice.

The three could only stare as the huge dog impatiently waited for an answer. After what felt like forever, Cole finally spoke. "Ah- I'm sorry. We didn't mean to disturb you or your family, we were lost and caught in a blizzard. We didn't know anyone was in here- we just escaped from somewhere and needed a place to stay." The scarred Pokemon paused for a moment, thinking this over. "How odd. You aren't here to hunt us then?" she pondered aloud. Cole vigorously shook their head in response.

The blaze in her mouth puttered out swiftly as she approached, deeply sniffing the human. "You smell of chemicals and.. like an old friend. You lack the necessary tools to capture us. What a strange creature. I believe your story." The fires in the air dimmed down to a cozy glow as the ring of Arcanine relaxed around them, and calmly dispersed. Growlithe could be seen a few paces deeper into the cave, huddled into a puppy pile. "You may stay here until the blizzard calms down. If you truly are lost, then I know a dear friend who may be able to help. If you are lying, I'm sure you know the consequences." She punctuated her declaration with the snapping of her teeth. The regal leader stepped back and padded over to her pack, turning around a few times before laying down once more. "That was... terrifying." said Egg, who was quivering and balled up as far as they could go into the labcoat. "How did you know what to say? I thought we were dead meat when you started talking." Cheese hissed out, still scrambling for their breath. "I... don't know, I think she just wanted to make sure we weren't a threat I guess? In any case she said we could stay until its safer outside... so I guess it all worked out." Cheese stared at Cole like they had grown a second head. "Okay.. I'm not going to ask how you know that. As long as we aren't dog food or freezing." Cole scooted over and picked up Egg, pulling both of the Pokemon towards the heap of sleepy fur. They propped themself up against a wall close the pack of Pokemon, holding Egg close to their chest. Cheese decided to curl up right next to them, shutting their eyes and slowing their breathing. Eventually Cole drifted off into an uneasy sleep, lulled by the warmth of the cave and the soft, rhythmic breathing the Pokemon nearby.

[thisnameisnotspokenfor]

🌵🐝

🌵I don't really have a playlist mostly because I just use whatever youtube throws at me- and youtube doesn't let you save those playlists- but I do like listening to this music:

((Adam Young is Owl City- who also wrote music for Paint the Night Parade- which is another track I like to listen to whenever writing:

🐝- ((I tage people for this one, right?)) *grabs a chair and reading glasses for this* Let me just start off by saying that I appreciate you all for reading/sticking with me through these ahhh- *looks at Asha/Cepheus* strange times I guess! It's crazy to see people reading this story because ngl- when I originally made it, I was super scared because I feel like my Asha is kinda mean and a lot of it strays from being in the original Wish territory. But it's super encouraging to hear from you guys!

((I was SHOOK reading my first comment lol))

I'm sorry if I miss anybody! These are just a few I can think off the top of my head! (I just woke up and I'm not feeling too good.)

@aquamiun - I think you are a fantastic theorist- and I enjoy your theories/questions! You're super funny ((Ceph still hasn't forgotten the things you said about him tho))

@firstdove15 - I appreciate your commentary and perspective on things- especially when you pick up on Cepheus's *ahem* non-human way of thinking! ((You've inspired Asha to werk while suffering- so thank you for that!))

@tiredmiddlechild and @pinkshgumis and @millspyxis are fantastic artists- seeing your illustrations is so unreal to me?! The attention to detail/expressions/colors and everything is so amazing?! Your art gives me strength to drive Asha insane! ((I have more angst I'm waiting to unleash on @millspyxis ))

@guineapigwitch your asha among us powerpoint/slides was amazing- I can't stop laughing at how in character it was! (You also probably predicted how Nachos/Cepheus’s relationship is going to go down in the future)

@musa-style your theories are also amazing ((have you guys seen the pie charts/graphs?!)) I appreciate your comments and your little conspiracy club lol. Also RESPECT TO A FELLOW ATLANTIS LOVER!!!

@bi-pisces07 : lol you are very bad for enabling Ceph's murderous tendencies- but you are definitely one of my funniest readers/followers!

@squiggledude no joke- I feel like you've been with me for the longest (or one of the longest) and I appreciate reading your comments with every chapter (you're super encouraging!)

@iprincezzinuyoukai I appreciate reading your comments as well! You're pretty perceptive when it comes to spotting little things in the lore- that I usually try to hide. ((We'll see how well some of your comments age))

@rylxdreams I had a super good laugh when I read your comment on the noble girls ((yeah they do need water or something-))and the library chapter! ((Funny story- I rewrote that chapter like 3 times- it was KILLING me))

I once again apologize for anyone I missed (I’ll come back and update this if I missed anyone). But I do appreciate you all reading the story on AO3 and here on tumblr! (Especially all my A03 readers who don’t have a tumblr account or I may have not fond you on tumblr!)

You all are amazing! You also are in trouble! (But don’t mind that part! We’ll cross that bridge when we reach it 😌)

[lagacomicofficial]

LAGA Promo Short #2: Dependence

This is a canon short story for the upcoming webcomic I'm writing with the art part being handled by @lorddialtones! This story is about the relationship between Charlotte and Ida and the history of it. Here's the bios/designs for all the characters in the story: https://www.tumblr.com/lagacomicofficial/762357644240601088/art-by-lorddialtones-name-ida?source=share https://www.tumblr.com/lagacomicofficial/763711298361049088/a-curious-and-cunning-personality-with-a-strong?source=share https://www.tumblr.com/lagacomicofficial/761011380261388288?source=share hope you love reading!

PANEL 1: 

Ida pridefully matches into the hallway with Skyla and Charlotte following behind. Charlotte looks happy and hyped up and Skyla, while she has a smile, you can't tell any other emotion as there's nothing in her eyes. 

IDA: Hello, how is everyone today? Lovely, I hope?

CHARLOTTE: Oh, you know I'm doing fucking awesome, Ida!

SKYLA: Doing lovely, in fact. 

IDA: Anyone know where Victoria is? 

PANEL 2: 

Ida turns around confused, with both hands on her hips, standing in an aggressive stance.

CHARLOTTE: Probably couped in her room feeling sorry for herself again. Did a psychic with her earlier aaaaaaand she doesn't wanna go anywhere today, believe me.

SKYLA: Of course. Should we even waste the time inviting her anymore? 

IDA: Hmph, well, don't want to disrespect her. Besides, she's been doing a lot of work and has been improving a lot recently. Let's leave her alone today. 

SKYLA: I won't miss her. 

PANEL 3:

Ida, Charlotte and Skyla walk into the library with Ida giving Skyla the side eye with a glare. Skyla closes her eyes, but otherwise looks completely unaffected, while Charlotte is awkwardly holding both arms, looking nervous. 

IDA: Skyla, she's our friend. We’re supposed to help her. She learns you’re talking about her like this, she'll feel very hurt. 

SKYLA: What she doesn't know can't hurt her, yes?

IDA: Or we shouldn’t do things that could hurt her for no reason. 

CHARLOTTE: Uuuuuuuuuuuuh, ayo, if we supposed to be studying next? Let’s not get distracted and start a fight, kay? 

PANEL 4:

Charlotte now looks ahead confident, as Ida looks a lot more relaxed and happy, with Skyla keeping the same happy but guarded look. 

IDA: Excellent point, I’ll calm down and Skyla should do the same. 

SKYLA: Right. 

IDA: So let's study and study hard now. 

CHARLOTTE: Actually, before that, can we talk, one on one?

PANEL 5:

Ida looks back at her intrigued while Skyla gets a mischievous look on her face, and Charlotte goes back to looking nervous, pointing at Skyla. 

IDA: Oh, what about? 

CHARLOTTE: Uuuuuuuh, don't wanna spill anything in front of the school’s number one source for student news over here. 

SKYLA: Who, me?

CHARLOTTE: Wouldn't be talking about Ida! 

PANEL 6:

Skyla leans in towards Charlotte with a cheeky grin while Charlotte looks back at her annoyed, while Ida looks back at them annoyed and very awkwardly. 

SKYLA: Oooooooh, why not? C'mon, I don't bite.

CHARLOTTE: You don't bite but you yap! I ain't telling you shit! 

IDA: This is a library. Please be quiet. 

SKYLA: Right, apologies. 

CHARLOTTE: Yeaaaaaah, sorry. Let's go and talk now, okay? 

PANEL 7:

Charlotte and Ida walk away from the table while Skyla sits by herself reading a book. 

IDA: Yes, let's. Skyla, sit there and study please, we'll be right back. 

SKYLA: Ooooook, I'll be waiting for you right here. 

IDA: Good. 

CHARLOTTE: Yeah, yeah, let's hurry up. 

PANEL 8:

Charlotte and Ida stand in a secluded corner of the library, far away from anyone. Charlotte looks very disgruntled and Ida looks at her with a sharp confidence. 

IDA: So what is it? 

CHARLOTTE: Well… didn't get any sleep last night. 

IDA: Oh, that's not good. If you're here for an enchantment, I have many that could help, including some Beast of the week potions. I believe you love those, correct? 

CHARLOTTE: Oh, fuck yes! If you have one, I’ll take it! But… I wanted to talk to you about, uh, why I guess?

IDA: Please do. 

PANEL 9:

Now Charlotte looks very sheepish while Ida now mixes her fierceness with annoyance. 

CHARLOTTE: Well, I got to thinking about the last exam and how I didn't make the leap in rankings I thought I would. 

IDA: And I've told you it's not the expectations that matter most. It's if you’re getting closer to them and what work you're doing to reach them. And you’re doing amazing work and you’re getting closer. You can see the last exam results and compare, you’re closing the gap. 

CHARLOTTE: Well… yeah, I know that but all this and I ain't even close to getting first again. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I don’t know if I ever will and if I can’t. Then why the fuck am I even here, you know? 

IDA: Hmph, I’m disappointed. You already know better than to let such stupid doubts run around in your mind, Charlotte.

PANEL 10: 

Ida stands strong with a confident and happy expression, while Charlotte looks up at her in awe. 

CHARLOTTE: Uuuuuuuh, well sorry then, I-

IDA: No, no, no, no apologies. All you should be doing is hearing me out. You need to acknowledge that you're still years behind the class. You spent all those years going backwards while most of our classmates were making progress, which means the fact you’re making progress now is catching up to where you were supposed to be and therefore you’ll be back on top soon, then! 

CHARLOTTE: I mean… you definitely right but fuck, it's hard to feel like it. Especially with this new girl coming in and getting second. That changes those calculations, yeah? Didn’t have to worry about her before. 

IDA: Don't worry about her. Her attitude will catch up to her soon enough. And as long as you keep doing the work, your brilliant potential will shine again. And that’s what matters most to you and your family, isn’t it? 

PANEL 11: 

Charlotte still looks sheepish while Ida crosses her arms and looks extremely thoughtful.

CHARLOTTE: Hmmmmm… you right, but when will I catch up to where I should be then?! I can’t wait forever and my parents sure as shit won’t! And it sucks waiting for it all to pay off, one day. 

IDA: Right, well here's what you should do.

CHARLOTTE: Yeah? 

IDA: Look at me. 

PANEL 12:

Ida looks at Charlotte while she grabs one of his shoulders looking directly at her intensely,which gets Charlotte to shrink. 

CHARLOTTE: Uuuuuuuh okay, sure!

IDA: You've been the best in the world for your age, you're a teen, you still can be the best in the world again, you're doing the work needed to accomplish all that, and if you don't believe in you, then believe in my belief in you! 

CHARLOTTE:... Yeah, I mean it's paid off so far so-

IDA: Exactly. Progress isn't simple. Yes, there will be people who are far ahead of you and those who are also continuing to make progress, but they'll have their rises and falls and they'll fall because they abandoned their processes. So don't abandon or doubt yourself and you won’t fall again. And isn’t that what you want most? 

PANEL 13:

Charlotte looks back at Ida with a cocky smile and Ida looks back at her with a confident smile. 

CHARLOTTE: Yeah, you right. Alright, I'll put that energy back into me and turn it into focus and confidence and energy to get me back to that top, where I belong! 

IDA: Now that's what I love to hear, Charlotte! Now one more thing, dear! 

CHARLOTTE: Wassup, sister? 

IDA: You can't use me to gain confidence for you forever, you know that, correct? At some point, you have to have your own supply. 

PANEL 14:

Charlotte is now completely caught off guard as Ida stands there authoritatively. 

CHARLOTTE: Uuuuuuuh, whatcha mean, Ida? Kinda confused, not gonna lie! 

IDA: Every time you feel insecure, you come to me for help which I appreciate, but if you don't have your own supply of confidence, then you'll be surpassed by those who do. But you already know that, don't you? 

CHARLOTTE: Hmmmm, yeah I guess. 

IDA: Of course, but more importantly, it's because you're a hard-working, compassionate and kind genius who has every reason to be confident in themselves so therefore should be! 

PANEL 15:

Charlotte and Ida walk together towards the table. Charlotte blushes while scratching her neck looking away from Ida, who looks back at her with a very pleasant smile. 

CHARLOTTE: Oooooooh, uh, damn thanks. I really appreciate it, dude. 

IDA: Of course. 

CHARLOTTE: Riiiiiiight. 

IDA: Oh Skyla, thanks for waiting. Hope we didn't take too long! 

PANEL 16:

Skyla waves happily towards both Charlotte and Ida. Ida hitting her back with a happy wave of her own. Charlotte sits down looking very contemplative. 

SKYLA: Wasn't a problem at all! Got a lot of studying in, don’t you worry!

IDA: That's excellent. Let's begin studying together, then!

SKYLA: Yes, let's! 

CHARLOTTE (INNER THOUGHTS:) I know Ida’s right buuuut… 

PANEL 17:

Charlotte continues looking contemplative, while Ida and Skyla talk to one another excitedly.

IDA (FADING:) Let's focus today on form and poses. 

SKYLA (FADING:) So doing yoga and stuff?

IDA (FADING:) Correct. 

CHARLOTTE (INNER THOUGHTS:) She’s helped me out sooooooo much when I was down. 

PANEL 18:

Three years ago. 

Charlotte is dressed mostly in black and gray, and she’s in her room by herself, looking incredibly sad and disheveled looking out the window. Someone knocks on the door. Charlotte is sitting on her bed. 

CHARLOTTE: Not taking visitors.

IDA: Even me? 

CHARLOTTE: .. Uggggggggggggggggggh, fine, but don’t make it long.

PANEL 19:

Ida walks in with a smile, which picks up her mood a little now, smiling a little. Her eyes are still sad though. 

IDA: Hello, Charlotte. Why are your eyes so sad? 

CHARLOTTE: Oh, u-u-uh, hi and I mean, you know, how life's been and shit.

IDA: Well yes, but that's no reason to bring someone as great as you down. 

CHARLOTTE: Aaaàaaaàaaaàh, well, I don’t know about that. 

PANEL 20: 

Ida, now sitting on her bed in front of her, lightly grabs her chin and makes her turn to look right at her. 

IDA: Look at me. 

CHARLOTTE: Uuuuuuuh, yeah? 

IDA: You come from one of the most brilliant families in all of magic, yes?

CHARLOTTE: Well, yeah?

PANEL 21:

Charlotte now looks at Ida with no help, as she looks at Ida with awe, as she speaks to her with kindness and grace. 

IDA: And you've been at the top before, correct? 

CHARLOTTE: Hahaha, yeah. 

IDA: So then you're a naturally talented witch with all the resources to help train and grow that natural talent then, correct? 

CHARLOTTE: Uuuuuuuh, I suppose?! 

PANEL 22:

Ida looks back at her with a genuine but amused smirk, while Charlotte looks more sheepish than before! 

IDA: The correct answer is yes, Charlotte. 

CHARLOTTE: Aaaàaaaàaaaàh, well I mean… who the fuck are you to know?! 

IDA: I know you’re brilliant, so it makes me question why someone as brilliant as you wouldn’t believe the same thing?

CHARLOTTE: Gah, y-y-y-you can't say shit like that! 

PANEL 23:

Charlotte turns away from Ida, now a embarrassed mess, while Ida looks at her confused as fuck. 

IDA: Why wouldn't I? Isn't it a fact? Then I was merely stating facts. 

CHARLOTTE: No, and what do you mean it’s a fact? Says who? You?! 

IDA: Of course, not me, it's the world. I already told you why that's true. You have incredible natural talent and all the resources in the world to expand on that, so I’m curious why you aren’t taking advantage of that? 

CHARLOTTE: The fuck, what’s your problem then?! 

PANEL 24:

Ida softly grabs her shoulder looking very authoritative while Charlotte looks up at her, hopeful. 

IDA: Mmmmmm… veeeeery difficult for me to explain, but it’s hard for me to see someone so great hold themselves back so much.

CHARLOTTE: Oh, uuuuuuuuuuuuh thanks, I guess.

IDA: So I’m simply curious why you’re blinding yourself from these truths. 

CHARLOTTE: Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I'm lying to myself, then? 

PANEL 25:

Ida looks back at her with a lot of confidence while Charlotte has stars in his eyes. 

IDA: Yes, since you've lost sight of what you’re capable of. 

CHARLOTTE: Kay… I mean, I hope you're right. 

IDA: I am, so why not join me in training? Could be 15 minutes. Then I can show you or rather you can show me!

CHARLOTTE: Uuuuuuuh, sure, fuck it, let's go.

PANEL 26:

Charlotte and Ida walk out of her room. The sun shines on both of them as Ida looks at her with a big smile and Charlotte looks back at her with a small smile. 

IDA: Excellent! Please, follow me!

CHARLOTTE: You got it. 

SKYLA (Fading:) Charlotte, oooooooh Charlotte, Earth to Charlotte! CHARLOTTE! 

PANEL 27:

We're back at the library in the present day now and Charlotte looks like she's waking up from a nap, with Skyla looking at her amused but in contrast, Ida has a clear sharp annoyance. 

CHARLOTTE: Oh, uuuuuuuuuh, sorry guys, lots going on in my head, y'know? What we talking about again? 

IDA: If you were paying attention like you should've, you'd know we were about to go and do stretches to gain better flexibility that'll make us better at executing spells. 

CHARLOTTE: Aaaàaaaàaaaàh gotcha, awesome. Any specific stretches or parts we focusing on or is it whatever?

IDA:  Yes, we'd focus on finger joints mostly since that's what's most important for spell casting. 

PANEL 28:

Charlotte, Skyla and Ida get out of their seats. With Charlotte awkwardly smiling, Ida smiling back at her and Skyla turning away from both of them and stretching her arms. 

CHARLOTTE: Aaaàaaaàaaaàh, alright, ready to start captain!

SKYLA: And look at that, so am I! 

IDA: Let’s start. So Charlotte, Skyla, let's aim for greatness now! 

SKYLA: Of course!

PANEL 29:

Charlotte looks star struck at Ida who smiles at her. 

CHARLOTTE: Oh, I’m made of greatness! No way I’m doing any less! 

IDA: That's exactly what I want to hear, Charlotte! 

CHARLOTTE (INNER THOUGHTS:) Ida, don't you get it? 

PANEL 30:

Ida is showered in sunlight as she smiles in a very pleasant way as Charlotte looks on in admiration.

CHARLOTTE (INNER THOUGHTS:) You gave me the confidence to be me to begin with. Without you, I never would've climbed out of the hole I put myself in. And I guess I'm scared of falling back in and you not being there. And I know what she'd say, oh but that's not for certain and then it's still not my confidence, if I'm renting it out to her some other wise stuff. But I suppose that if I stay around long enough and see what makes her tick, I can have the same endless vat of confidence and motivation she does. 

[cupcakeshakesnake]

You have m o r e ?!?!? Omg they're amazing, I love them already and it's only been like 90 seconds (I've just been staring at them because. Wow.)

Wait but are you actually getting rid of them/ discontinuing their story? I mean, I saw that post about Sisyphus, but I would love it if we got to see more of these guys. I mean, no pressure if you weren't but I just wanted to let you know that I'm a really big fan of your work. I appreciate that, for your nonhuman characters, while their designs are very visually appealing in the artistic sense, you can tell that they're not at all supposed to be attractive in any modern human idealized sort of way (and what does it mean to Objectively Attractive anyway? Popular opinion is so hypocritcally subjective) but instead that each individual drawing, whether it's a character of your own creation or your take on a preexisting one, is crafted to serve their exact purpose on the page (whether it's Humor of Incongruity, expressing frustration, evoking the beauty in the imperfect, etc.), because you can see both the soul of that being and the way the Otherness of their design sets them apart as new and interesting yet accentuates the uniquely human part of their character (however buried and twisted that part may be, in some cases. Looking at you, Valek.)

. . . I was going somewhere further with this but I lost where I was. I'm sorry, it's late and I'm tired, but I just saw this and felt I had to say something (other than "cool monsters go brrr"). I know we're just strangers on the internet, and I'm not any sort of people person. We don't know anything substantial about each other, and we'll probably never meet. But I hope you know that, for whatever it's worth, there are people out there who see what you're doing. And that it's beautiful in all of it's imperfection, and beautiful *because* of it. And that, miniscule though my knowledge of you may be (because who can truly know anyone?), I can *see* the beauty of your soul shining through the crack of your art. And that I get a little bit of joy and inspiration every time I come across your work, so I hope this clumsily, hasty little message can give at least some of that joy back to you.

(P.S. I wrote this as a AtNC reblog, but by the time I finished writing this I figured it'd probably be better to send as an ask, so that you can decide what to do with it. You are in no way obligated to make any sort of response to this. From what I understand, you don't believe in a benevolent higher power, and that's okay, I'm still on the fence about whether I do or not, but I just... felt oddly compelled to write this. Like something was telling me I had to try to convey this to you, because you needed it. It's fine if you don't understand what I'm saying, I'm not sure even I do, but just hope that wherever you are, whatever you are doing, whatever you are going through, you know there's someone out there who cares for you, and that your existence is w o r t h something immeasurable.)

I hope you're okay. You are stronger than you know.

First of all, thank you. It took me a while to reply because I've been very busy with schoolwork, but I've reread this message at least several times a day and it has brought me such joy each time.

To answer your question, no, I'm not discontinuing or getting rid of anything - I assume this has to do with my monster OCs, and there are two major stories of them so far.

One is Walter, which I simply decided not to use for schoolwork after being told its plot is too boring. That's all. I will do what I want with it in my own time. The other is that one with the mutated office workers, which fortunately got the OK from the professor. Both are still very rough works in progress.

I'm very glad that you like the way I draw... er, things, for lack of a better wording. Things I draw for myself may turn out far from "conventionally attractive", but I like it that way. You made me think about an aspect of my art that I never really considered before, but you have a point; in a way, I could be trying to humanize characters not by giving them a more human face but by giving them their own ways to express humanity.

That being said, I don't know what an "AtNC" reblog is supposed to be, but I wouldn't have minded either way. Your kind words are appreciated all the same.