#its like a priority bug

[spitblaze]

I'm not sure why confusion seems to override sadness/anxiety/fear/almost any powerful negative emotion but I'm very glad it does

[reel-fear]

While I won’t deny that misogyny definitely plays a role in it, I also feel like one of the reasons people tend to want to focus more on Blitzwing than on Blackarachnia in fanworks is the same reason people are so obsessed with the secret bosses in Deltarune: the overall mystery surrounding his character.

Blitzwing and Blackarachnia are both unique, one-of-a-kind models, so people are naturally going to have three questions running through their minds upon their debut: what happened to them, what led up to that point, and who they used to be beforehand.

However, despite Blitzwing making more appearances than her, there’s still so little we know about him in comparison with Blackarachnia, who basically has her entire backstory revealed to us in her first spotlight episode. Even the information we do get regarding his past raises more questions than it answers, and that information’s Schrödinger’s canon at best. Fans are naturally drawn towards mysteries, so of course they’re going to be more interested in making content exploring and trying to solve those mysteries rather than just restricting themselves to stuff they already know.

I feel like the writing team showed their cards too early with Blackarachnia and left people with much less of a mystery to play around with other than “is techno-organicness reversible” and “will she cure herself or accept herself for who she is”. I think that maybe if they had had her make more appearances and held off on revealing her backstory until much later, while maybe dropping subtle hints of her knowing Optimus and Sentinel from somewhere and having once been an Autobot, people would feel like they had much more to work with.

(Also, from what I’ve seen, most Blitzwing fans are well aware of the ableist portrayal of his character but are usually neurodivergent themselves and thus have reclaimed him in a sense, alongside portraying him in a much more accurate manner to real-life DID and OSDD in fan works while still acknowledging that he’s an alien robot whose processor is much different from a human brain and thus would logically not be a complete one-to-one regarding analogous disabilities and mental disorders.)

So, I have been admittedly sitting on this ask for while bc it's been hard to digest and fully think about the points being made here. I don't want to get defensive on an impulse so I wanted to kinda stew on it a bit and read it over and over to see how my thoughts change. But really my thoughts are the same as when I first saw it which is most of this? Really just reads as excuses for Blitzwing's popularity that distract from the real causes being sexism and fandom's bias towards conventally attractive characters.

I want to go through this point by point but the TDLR; almost everything said here is also true for other characters who are very much not as popular as Blitzwing usually bc of sexism or not being the kind of characters the fandom cares to pay attention to. Sure you could point out all the things Blitzwing has that BA doesnt and say 'those are the things that make him more popular' but that ignores all the things BA has that Blitzwing doesn't. [Motivation, a personality, complexities, story relevence, she's not a horrible potrayal of the mentally ill, narrative focus etc] That the fandom just pretends don't exist and barely awknowledge, you can't just shy away from the reality that Blitzwing massively benefits from the misogyny present in this fandom because he's ur fave and you like him. That's only being complicit in it and turning a blind eye to it. Sure you could project a lot onto a bland male character and say you like him but you should also keep in mind the female characters who are ACTUALLY complex and interesting characters you tossed to the side to focus on him. I get that you 'awknoledged' the misogny in the first bit of the ask, but when you follow that up with... That it really doesnt come accross as genuine.

Anyways I'm gonna disect this message and talk about why I simply do not buy it.

Firstly

"While I won’t deny that misogyny definitely plays a role in it, I also feel like one of the reasons people tend to want to focus more on Blitzwing than on Blackarachnia in fanworks is the same reason people are so obsessed with the secret bosses in Deltarune: the overall mystery surrounding his character.

Blitzwing and Blackarachnia are both unique, one-of-a-kind models, so people are naturally going to have three questions running through their minds upon their debut: what happened to them, what led up to that point, and who they used to be beforehand."

I'm going to be blunt, this is something SO many characters in TFA have going on. Lugnut is a great example of a character who has way more screentime than Blitzwing [remember Blitzwing disappears by S3 and is replaced by Shockwave as an evil minion but Lugnut stays] but is still almost entirely a mystery in terms of backstory motivation etc. But Lugnut is almost NEVER the center of fan content unless being made to be the butt of the joke and when he does appear hes usually just used as a tool to progress Blitzwing's character, someone to pressure him abt being in the cons, someone to be mean to him, etc.

But Lugnut is an entirely unique design with a helm look no other character has and claws that resemble the ones given to empurata bots in IDW. We don't even know why he hates the autobots so intensely but seeing how fucked up the autobots are in TFA why isn't there more theorizing about what exactly they did to make him need to see their downfall so badly? To the point where Lugnut is constantly at the feet praising someone who he doesn't even know would throw him to the side and leave him for dead the INSTANT it was convient for him.

You could say people don't explore it bc its played as a joke but so is everything about Blitzwing's character, esp his DID which is in increadibly poor taste. No, it's because Lugnut is fat and 'ugly', the fandom has no interest in him, same way they have so little interest in Bulkhead compared to other characters. He's just not hot enough to become the little sexyboy of the fandom. So he's tossed the side same way Bulkhead is. Not to mention characters like Arcee also have a ton of mystery surrounding them but they're women so...

"However, despite Blitzwing making more appearances than her, there’s still so little we know about him in comparison with Blackarachnia, who basically has her entire backstory revealed to us in her first spotlight episode. Even the information we do get regarding his past raises more questions than it answers, and that information’s Schrödinger’s canon at best. Fans are naturally drawn towards mysteries, so of course they’re going to be more interested in making content exploring and trying to solve those mysteries rather than just restricting themselves to stuff they already know.

I feel like the writing team showed their cards too early with Blackarachnia and left people with much less of a mystery to play around with other than “is techno-organicness reversible” and “will she cure herself or accept herself for who she is”. I think that maybe if they had had her make more appearances and held off on revealing her backstory until much later, while maybe dropping subtle hints of her knowing Optimus and Sentinel from somewhere and having once been an Autobot, people would feel like they had much more to work with."

Gonna be honest these paragraphs really piss me off LMAO, BA's mystery goes so much deeper than the two questions provided here such as the fact when trying to cure herself it's almost always potrayed as painful and life THREATENING! The mystery and tension of her character isn't' will she cure herself and can she?' its whether or not she will KILL HERSELF trying to cure her disability. Will she leave the cons? Will she grow to become a better person or keep spiralling down into evil? Fans are drawn to mystery sure but only when that mystery involves a sexy man, when it involved a woman character whose biggest mystery is whether or not her self loathing will kill her, its uninteresting and not worth their time, if they even bother to awknowledge it instead of just making her a scary villain/abuser for their male faves to be sad.

I also have to ask on this point too, fans tend to HEAVILY ignore any canon Blitzwing has either way, nobody awknowledges the bigotry towards organics/techno organics he displays, nor the levels of cruelty so why does canon even really matter in this discussion when as far as fanon is concerned it doesnt? It's excuses. It only matters now bc now people wanna justify the reason BA is a mean evil woman and Blitzwing is a sad puppy boy with so many complexities in fanon without facing the actual reason that is.

And while we're talking about things Blitzwing has that BA doesn't let's talk about all the things BA has that Blitzwing doesn't.

She's not a horrible potrayal of DID

She has complexities to her character beyond being an evil minon for the sake of being evil whose also 'the Crazy one'

She has narrative importance

She got told she should fucking die by one of her friends bc he hated her scarring so much.

She is shown to at least somewhat care for others when she spares Prowl and Bee despite not having gotten her part of the deal.

She has likely faced that sort of bigotry all the time and had to flee her home bc of it.

She has so much mystery behind how she joined the cons, why she joined the cons when they seem to show the same disgust to her as the autobots.

She's an interesting character.

I could go on but I'm not going to. F- on this point.

Now the last point which to me is the most BS

(Also, from what I’ve seen, most Blitzwing fans are well aware of the ableist portrayal of his character but are usually neurodivergent themselves and thus have reclaimed him in a sense, alongside portraying him in a much more accurate manner to real-life DID and OSDD in fan works while still acknowledging that he’s an alien robot whose processor is much different from a human brain and thus would logically not be a complete one-to-one regarding analogous disabilities and mental disorders.)

this is just not fucking true, 99% of content of Blitzwing I have seen either has people declaring him good rep [I have seen this several times] or is just talking about how sexy he is, its very very rare the horrible potrayal of his disability is awknowledged. Hell Blitzbee has such a deathgrip on the fandom and one of the nicknames Bee constantly uses in that content is BLITZBRAIN, literally making fun of his disability more. Not to mention how much of it is purposely making the scary disabled character scary on purpose. I'm not saying you cant enjoy or consume that content but you seriously have to be dumb to think the fandom is aware of or cares about this issue.

Also on the 'making him more accurate' I've never seen fanon do this truly and honestly. Where is the childhood truama? The awknowledgement that DID doesn't work the way Blitzwing shows it? I almost never see any fan content that wasn't just copying what TFA potrayed with him. Where are you finding this?

And lastly you can't just say youve 'Reclaimed' something and suddenly its okay, Hasbro knows how much this fandom loves TFA Blitzwing, you guys spend money on him you praise him you dont talk about how bad rep he is. If Hasbro rereleased TFA Blitzwing right now so many fans would flock to get him not even thinking about the fact THAT ENCOURAGES HASBRO TO THINK THAT THIS POTRAYAL OF THE MENTALLY ILL IS OKAY. This is just an excuse to consume content of Blitzwing uncritically to produce content of him uncritically! What about all the times DID swag polls esp ones involving good rep for them INCLUDED BLITZWING?? Did the runners of those who might not even know what TFA is say it was okay to send in a character who is clearly a mean spirited potrayal of them?? You can't just say Blitzwing is reclaimed and therefore its okay, you guys haven't even properly awknowledged all the things wrong with his character being a horrible potrayal of DID enough to get the sense to not fucking submit him into polls abt it. Let alone to produce half decent content of him.

Anyways thats it, I dont mean any of this aggression directly towards you anon, writing and posting a bad opinion on the internet does not justify harassment or hatred, but I dont feel a need to pull my punches when the fandom has been justifying this for so long, therefore. I didn't. I said what I thought of this message and if others agree then maybe I have a point.

Either way this is a discussion long Long overdue so Im putting this in the tags bc I think this fandom seriously needs a wake up call.

[quietwingsinthesky]

🌹:O

:3c

Lucifer doesn't care how the labcoats say it works; he knows there's no such thing as a clean break from a drift the minute the plug is pulled. Instead, Michael goes from a second consciousness beside his own to being dragged out of Lucifer the further Lucifer gets from him, both of them gripping tight to the connection until it slips, until it snaps, with a violent recoil that knocks Lucifer's brain out of alignment and reminds his legs that they don't work. His next step falls too fast, too heavily, and refuses to take his weight. It's only Michael, now only a voice outside of Lucifer's head yelling his name, catching him from behind that allows Lucifer to collapse to the floor with his dignity intact.

[itsalwaysdark]

ended up on a reddit thread of anti-piracy ppl and their brains are so fascinating to me

[caleanamajored]

i wonder if ill ever be as interested in like...gender and identity as i was when i was a teenager. im at the point in my life where im she/her in my head, he/they to those who know me, she/her to those who dont. idc abt the minutia of my identity. i sure used to! perhaps it only served me when it was a function of self discovery wrapped and layered among the other self-discoveries of the teenage years. but its occurred to me now that those who dedicate their lives to things like gender studies, its a passion for them. its not just a byproduct. they may have discovered that passion during that phase of self discovery, but the bug that bit them held on, whereas i guess i shook it off at some point.

[snekdood]

ppl need to stop equating being messy with being unhealthy

[a-b-riddle]

check tags for warnings

In the mood to write angst. Imagine you’re the conscientious observer who accidentally sees how your team talks about you behind your back.

Your morals were… complicated. You didn’t believe in killing anyone. Your faith told you that killing someone is wrong and even if it’s to save your life, handling a gun is something that doesn’t sit well with you. You’ve been to gun ranges. Mandatory for your position in the military that you have basic fire arm knowledge. But having something in your hands that could so easily take a life made you uneasy.

You were pescatarian, but tried to limit meat. Cried anytime you saw chickens in those trucks heading toward their demise. You fed stray cats around your house back home. You tried to be kind and cherished life in all most of its forms. The exception being garlic butter shrimp that was too good to give up and anytime of bug resembling a cock roach. And yes, palmetto bugs were still cock roaches.

And wasps.

Fuck wasps.

At the same time, you were pro-choice. Initially, you were pro-choice for other women, but you didn’t think you would have the strength to get an abortion. It wasn’t until you were holding your friend’s hand as she got her D&C that your views on your own body autonomy changed. It didn’t have to be medical to be necessary.

But you still refused to hold a weapon. Which is why even though you were a very talented medic, you were always judged for not carrying any sort of defense while in the field.

But no one on base would dare say anything to you about it. At least not to your face…

You got stuck instructing a training seminar when your phone continued to buzz in your back pocket. But even with the consistent messages, you didn’t falter by showing the newest members how to give basic first aid until health could arrive.

Nearly two hours later, you finally fish your phone out to see what’s going on.

Dozens of text messages in a group chat between you, Captain Price, Johnny, Kyle and Simon. You had gotten close to them over the last few months. You were halfway through your contract and were already dreading leaving knowing they were staying behind until the job is done.

You open it, your phone taking you to the first unread message.

Cpt.: Hows the arm healing up?

Soap: Fine. Hen did a good job of keeping the sutures nice and even. Should barely scar.

Gaz: Wouldn’t have a scar if she just fucking carried.

Soap: You think she honestly would even know what to do with a gun if you gave her one Garrick 😂

Ghost: Still think she’s a liability. Someone who won’t raise arms against an enemy isn’t meant to be on the team.

Cpt: Already tried. Laswell says we need the numbers. As long as she does her job there’s nothing I can do. We can’t be down a medic and it’s either her or nothing.

You shook as you continued reading the conversation.

Liability. Coward. It went on and on about how weak you were. Why couldn’t you just carry a small pistol instead of expecting everyone else to keep you safe.

It then switched to your personality. No one should be that happy. Annoying. A yapper. Couldn’t get a word in most of the time.

On and on they went until you realized they spoke so freely because they didn’t realize you were in this group chat. What did they say when you weren’t around?

You felt like a fool having extending more than just trying to be a civil coworker, but a friend. Taking on tasks that weren’t your responsibility simply to help them.

Getting a floral arrangement delivered for Johnny’s sister after she had given birth. Talking on the phone to the nursing home where Price’s mother resided trying to sort out her insurance. Taking priority Kyle when he was injured after falling out of a plane (both times) over your other patients. And always having the electric kettled going in the morning so Simon could have his tea without waiting too long.

You were helpful. Just because you had one boundary didn’t mean their words held any merit. But still you couldn’t help the deep feeling of just… betrayal? Rejection? You weren’t sure there was a word fitting enough to sum up how utterly stupid you felt.

Maybe they were right. This wasn’t a civilian setting. This wasn’t just life and death for your patients, but for you. You were out in the field with no form of protection except from others.

You weren’t abandoning your morals. You couldn’t. Not when every fiber of your being told you to remain steadfast. There was only one solution.

You didn’t have much to pack. Uniform was issued to you. Your stethoscope and some other tools came out of your own pocket. Your laptop, phone, charges. You packed all your lounging clothes and miraculously everything fit into a military duffle. Which wasn’t actually anything impressive given how big those things are.

You were confident in your decision even if it made you feel like a failure.

As you stood outside the office door you returned back to the group chat. One by one you proceeded to block all of them. You knew when you left the group they would know that the notification would pop up and they either wouldn’t give a shit that you finally knew what the actually thought of you or they tried messaging you to make amends to cover their asses. You weren’t sure which was worse.

Once you had blocked the last one, you left and knocked on the door that you had been idling in front of. A faint ‘come in’ was granted before you walked through.

“Hey, Kate.” You greeted. “Can we talk?”

[with-my-calamitous-love]

I DONT LIKE ANYONE EXCEPT SOMETIMES YOU

shinso x reader

thoughts about how shinso would act in a relationship. same premise as the kirishima ver.

inspired by backburner

hitoshi shinso, who’s facetimes with you always run late into the night. you ramble on about your day while he hums in response, knowing that you know he’s not the talkative type. he never asks “how was your day?” he always says “tell me about your day.” because he really, truly wants to hear about your day. you could have cured a disease or simply just gotten out of bed, and he’d still want to hear every single detail simply because its from you.

hitoshi shinso, who loves to cook. only you're aware of it, because he doesn't always like sharing personal details with others, but you never complained- it just means more for you. you're always the first person that gets to try his food, though he claims you're not a very good critic. but you can't help it, everything he makes tastes so good. and with every compliment you shower him in, he'll hit you with a 'yeah, yeah, whatever.' and then next moment, make you more so you can always stay fed during long days at UA and long hours during hero-training. its his silent way of telling you he loves you.

hitoshi shinso, whose cats love you more than they love him. he has three triplets, a black british short hair, a siamese, and a grey ragdoll- pepper, lexi, and mustache- he absolutely hates the last name, but he had just adopted the kitten and you named it for its white streak right below its nose. he'll deny it forever, but he gets pouty and huffs in annoyance whenever he sees the cats run to you, even after he's fed and taken care of them for all of their lives. but he also cant deny the way his heart skips a beat whenever he seems them cuddled up with you on his bed, wearing one of his big t-shirts. it softens his heart in a way that nothing else does- your love fills his heart more strongly and more passionately than anything does.

hitoshi shinso, who is the closed-off, funny but quiet dickhead of his friend group. he's known for his out-of-pocket roasts at the right times and his nonchalant nature that contrasts with the loud, spunkiness of his multicolored-haired friends. but with you, he softens. the few times he's brought you along with him to movie night or training sessions, you've softened his heart enough for the love in him to seep out towards others as well. whenever you crack a joke, make someone else at the table smile, and draw laughs and happiness from their chests, a blush blooms across his cheeks. obviously, he fell for you, how could he not?

hitoshi shinso, who's favorite activity with you is your sunday-ritual. you'll wake up together, either in the same bed or over the phone, and bike down to the coast. you'll bug him about wearing a helmet, but he always complains that it ruins your hair. he'd never admit that its because he thinks you're absolutely adorable when you dote on him. afterwards he'll share a smoothie with you- he hates all the flavors except for mixed berry, which is the one he always insists on getting. he hates the the overpricing for what the product actually is, but loves the smile it puts on your face after a tiring bike-ride. and afterwards, you two will go back to either his of your place. his place if your parents aren't home, and his place when his parents are home, and binge watch a long t.v show of your choosing. he'll always complain that its stupid, poorly written or drawn out, but get pouty whenever you watch an episode without him. it's the one thing he looks forwards to at the end of a long week, drawn out with endless studies, training, and burnout. you're his safe place, and he needs it more than he'll admit.

hitoshi shinso, who somehow remembers every tiny detail about you. his mind works like gears, arranging formulas and deciphering codes, but the intellect of his mind makes you its priority. he remembers the way you pick your nails and cuticles when you have anxiety, and how placing his warm palm over yours soothes some of those thoughts. he remembers how prefer to tie your hair back during training but how you somehow always forget a hair tie- and he knows how you always give him a peck on his cheek once he shows off the one he's been keeping on his wrist for you. he remembers how you can't sleep without your nightly calls, and how he needs to hear your voice before he drifts of too- maybe more than you need it. he remembers the first day you met, the first thing he said to you, the first time he ever felt love for you. he remembers all of it and keeps it embedded in his heart. hitoshi shinso may seem like he hates everyone, but the one exception to that is you. and he'll remember that forever.

[heartfullofleeches]

With its happiness being their top priority, Bugman's cult family will do anything to secure its future with its darling. Bugman seeks their help in courting Darling because they have never experienced these type of feelings before and trust its family to have some tips for them.

Some advice is more beneficial than others...

-

Bugman: Auntie, Brother.... There is something I need to ask you both. I have...a friend. It pains me to call them that as my heart yearns for a different bond with them. Do either of you have advice for me on this matter?

"Aunt": [sniffles] Our little Benjiman has grown up so fast. It feels like I just blinked and you're already in college. Just be yourself, dear. Ask them about their interests and hobbies, buy them some flowers if they aren't allergic- Oh, I'm sure they'd love to see your collection of glass bugs you adore so much. I can't wait to plan the wedding..

"Brother": They got an ex? Someone they hate? Two words. Blood. Sacrifice. Shows off your loyalty, your strength, and your willingness to protect them from anything.

Bugman, writing everything down: I knew I could count on you two.

[turbo-tsundere]

Content warning for gore, blood, burns & body horror.

A king with no crown and a holy fool.

(The element of venom/poison, stabbing/puncture wounds and destruction of a whole body is present in both of their deaths. Kokichi's pristine white clothes also end up being shoved down the toilet, and the poison made it difficult for him to breathe, so there's plausible callback to Miu also. Karma at its finest?)

If I could be the devil, you could be the sinner.

(Don't mind them, they're just spilling their guts)

(...)

(Concepts for scenes from a Gonta-centric survival horror game I'll never make. But it was fun to daydream about - maybe one day I'll finish other sketches and doodles relating to it into a more presentable state. The Cat Lady OST was playing on constant repeat while I drew this - Lily of the Valley, Don't Follow the Light, String, Plainwalker, Early Winter, Storytelling, Susan's Blue Sheep (alone again) - those in particular are now stuck in my brain when I look at those drawings, and what I imagine the "game's" mood to be like, at least the opening segment.)

(I felt both heartbroken and like a monster when drawing this one... But I wanted to draw something that doesn't conveniently erase nor tuck his mangled, swollen face away from view. Sure... in game it looks goofy. But I think mockingly disfiguring him was the point in all of this, too. And given the venom, the Schmidt pain index, how it rates some wasp species, the fact that those robot wasps could be packed with anything necessary really... it had to be awful. Really, every stage of Gonta's execution was excruciating and enough to kill a person on its own, but due to his strength he likely suffered through them all. I remember begging in my head he was at least spared the flame, that he was already gone by this point... But it's foolish to pretend it definitely was the case.)

I wanted to post something new, but I was either busy, ill, or focused on something else, so another sketchdump with oldies and wips it is. This time strictly 2020-21 stuff, drawn during the first few months after finishing the game; mostly to process the post-game/Ch4 sorrows. All very emotionally raw, very edgy stuff that I felt, to be honest, too shy to show before.

Like with any wip I posted before, I do hope to finish some of them properly one day, even though I don't know when. But that's fine, I've signed up for a very long ride with the bug man. Taking it easy is the priority.

Speaking of long-term projects, maybe there's no need to, but I do want to talk about my Gonta fancomic, so here goes.

It's a bit long, so I will continue under the cut.

(Some panel teasers first! ...Gonta sanity fine.)

I took a few months long break from personal drawings - an *actual* break, not just sitting in front of a screen, tired, stewing in guilt that I'm tired, and that I can't magically muscle through burnout, or headache, or exhaustion.

My brain was stuck in a loop of berating myself for underperforming, not doing well enough, for taking so long on "mere" 27 pages, when in the past I could finish a 90-page webcomic chapter much faster. I wouldn't let myself rest, because I didn't do enough; but I couldn't do enough, because I didn't allow myself to rest. And it's been going on for months and months.

What a stupid, unconstructive thing to do to myself. I was only spiralling down, intimidating and overwhelming myself with work on the one thing I specifically wanted to keep doing out of joy, not ambition and pedantism. So I decided to just say "fuck it" and stop for a while. Like, actually stop, do something else and try to feel unapologetic about it.

So I briefly took up sewing, a creative activity I had no personal stake in, and then I started PVP-ing in DS3 (sorry if I happened to kick your butt in there. Rest assured my butt gets kicked just as much), which did wonders, too, as non-artistic pastime.

And, in the end, it seems it worked.

I finally feel this internal drive to draw again. Sadly, I can't spend all of my free time on the doujin (I might need to open commissions soon), so my pacing will still be glacial... But there was an internal change from "I have to, I have to, I must..." back to "I want to". And this is all that matters.

Still, that makes me think... while technically I don't have deadlines, the comic has taken so much longer than I thought it would - and it will take a while still. Thus, I wonder if I shouldn't change my approach re publishing it.

The initial idea was to post it all at once when it's fully finished, but I debate releasing it one page at a time instead, while it's still work in progress.

Thing is, I don't think it would be good for overall pacing. I don't want to sacrifice it, plus I can't guarantee regular uploads, esp since I don't exactly work on the pages in chronological order (While the first page is done, it was drawn after I finished a few in the middle & at the end; and there are still a few important pages/panels in first half I'm a bit too afraid of touching just yet, wanting to do them justice. This is how I work in general, jumping around rather than sticking to overly strict linear order.)

The compromise would be to post like 3-5 pages per post, making it so each upload covers a specific scene, however, same issue arises - I can't promise regular uploads. In the end it feels like a half-measure. But maybe it's a good idea, despite that impression?

There's a secret option, too - if this takes absurdly long, my plan was to just post the storyboard, after replacing some panels/pages with already finished drawings. The thing is readable as is, and long finished on that front anyway. My personal deadline for that was "right before my current lease ends", but, well… I plan on extending it anyway, and again... it's just a back-up option for when everything else fails. In the end, I just want to finish the comic, and present it how it's meant to be presented, however long it will take.

All those things considered, I'll stick to the original plan for now... and then we shall see. I simply wanted to share where things stand currently, and where they might go.

And that's it! If you've read this far, thank you. See you in the undetermined future.

[driftersreverie]

For the lifetime he has lived, Scaramouche had nothing to favor.

There was nothing for him to pick, anyway. He had no hobbies, for all the tasks he learnt to do in the past were just that - tasks. He'd done those out of a need for a purpose, a drive for validation, but Scaramouche was no longer a fledgling stranded on a branch. Flowers and trees are all the same to him, and this unsubstantial world never lacked its flora anyway - always something new to find, to marvel at, then to be bored of in the end. Don't even get him started on mortals — animals and humans alike — that lived the most boring and short and miniscule lives when compared to the lifespan he spent alive. Scaramouche would spit and scowl and curse -- how absurd for one to think he'd care for another worthless life that would just die out in barely half a year he'd know them.

Scaramouche had nothing special to call his favourite, and there was no reason for him to do so then.

But the Wanderer does now.

The Wanderer wakes up in the morning, mechanically so yet humanly still blinking away the fog of sleep. He forgets not his hat, not his scarf, and definitely not the personality of a man-puppet that's lived 500 years and more, then he leaves Buer's side to find you.

His day only truly begins when it's your face that he sees first. He wastes no time; he greets you, says his 'hello's, maybe add something remarkably sassy just to see you hold back your irritation and force a smile so awfully unlike you. The Wanderer snickers, a battle won in which he knows you liked him enough not storm off like a certain "senior" Kshahrewar (he's older, mind you) or scatter like bugs on a kitchen floor. Without warning, you then held his hand in yours, perfectly fit as all things should be, and he doesn't shy away - at least, you don't think so. The only thing that gave him away, had you looked closer, is the downwards tilt of his hat, and the uncharacteristic smile he cannot suppress.

With you, the Wanderer finds good company in ridiculous, inaccurate history books; in boring, nosy lectures he loathed to join; in the busy streets and bustling bazaars that he disliked strolling through; and in the stillness of the night and his quiet mind. He never realizes it, but he looks forward to seeing that wonderful smile on your face. Every sarcastic quip he would anticipate your bright laugh, no matter how many times he'd call it grating for his mechanical ears. In each and every joyous expression, this childish and naive puppet hopes that he'd remain the sole reason for them.

Yes, the Wanderer fails to see a reason to start having favourites in this new chance of life, but he didn't need a reason nor excuse to allow you to claim your place in his heart - his number one priority and first exception to everything.

(And because I partake in EBG; @iceunhie @naraven . Thank me later ;D - assistant)

[zeldadiscussions]

The repeated use of the specific word imperialism in fandom discussions of TotK really bugs me because like… we know what imperialism looks like, right?

Genocide either by murder or assimilation, leadership that is either of the conquering race or loyal to it generally for personal gain, control of the conquered’s resources, and a social climate where the conquerors are considered superior.

But in this Hyrule none of the other races had their cultures erased, they aren’t governed by Hylian leaders and the local leaders’ first priority is taking care of their people, they manage their own trade affairs, and Hylians don’t constantly subject others to put downs about their race.

If a Hylian man dares enter Gerudo Town without the Chief’s permission, they kick him out or put him in jail. That’s how much control the Gerudo have over their own territory and how little being a Hylian matters if you mess with them.

Rauru is accused of hoarding power but he literally gave his secret stones out to the other races and they remain in possession of them to this day.

Basically the only time the other nations seem to actually follow Hyrule’s lead at all is when facing common threats or working towards common goals. Hyrule only ever meddles in other lands affairs either to lend them aid (Link and Zelda fighting for everyone, the folks at Tabantha Bridge Stable providing disaster releif to the Rito, etc.) or requesting aid from them (Rauru and Zelda asking the Sages and Champions to help them fight Ganon[dorf].) They lead like a team leader leads.

Sonia and Rauru didn’t found an empire.

They founded an alliance.

I know I’m beating a dead horse here but to my eyes at least (for now) there is zero solid evidence of Hyrule exerting control over the daily lives of non-Hylians or stealing their resources, two major defining traits of imperialistic rule. Hyrule is at the head of the alliance, yes, but an empire isn’t the only system of governance that has one group or individual at the helm of a coalition. The difference is in the details and the details here are that Hyrule leads the others but it does not dominate them, and that is key.

The only empire in the game would have been the one Ganondorf was trying to force on everyone and that was pretty bluntly depicted as being a bad thing. How can we say it’s pro-imperialistic if the main conflict is preventing the rise of an evil empire?

You can’t effectively analyze a narrative by completely ignoring everything about it and its meta that contradicts a knee-jerk viewpoint. What is even the point of analyzing it at all at that point?

[sanji-simper]

Headcanons time ^_^ SaNami edition🚬🍊

• Sanji's cookbook is mostly filled with porn and unreadable recipes in French.

• If Sanji were to be kocked out or incredibly injured, Nami would probably be the one to cook.

• Nami is good at cooking. Nothing special, but she probably cooked with Bellmere enough to know how to make basic recipes.

• Both Bisexual with a preference for women, but Sanji is incredibly closeted.

• Ace had a crush on Sanji, probably. But he could tell Sanji was way into Nami so he just gave up.

• Sanji tries to smoke less around Nami but always ends up failing.

• Sanji smokes because he never wants to feel hungry again.

• Tsundere X DereDere

• Sanjis ALWAYS gives Nami his clothes without her even asking.

• They go shopping together whenever they can, Sanji always holds Nami's bags and makes it his #1 Priority.

• Sanji gets INCREDIBLY jealous when another guy so much as looks at Nami! However, Nami doesn't get jealous easily.

• Sanji would stop simping for athor women for Nami. However he wouls still highly respect them.

• Sanji fell for Nami's laugh (Canon)

• Nami fell for Sanjis bravery

• Sanji was love at first sight (canon) but Nami was just slowly falling for him.

•Robin knew abour Namis feelings before Nami did

•Nami is Sanji's favorite girl (Canon?? its hevily implied in my opinion)

• Sanji uses pet names 24/7. All day everyday XD.

• Nami sometimes uses pet names, but when she does, Sanji just passes out.

• Sanji shows his affection through words, while Nami shows her affection through actions.

•They both absolutely DESPISE bugs (canon) and will scream at the sight of them.

•Sanji would go like "I'll protect you, Nami-Swan!!!" And then either runs away or agressivley tries to kick it (and misses)

• In the end Usopp would either save it or kill it.

•Zoro hates them together😒

[narrans]

A Small and Tall Collection | Chapter One | Snow Place Like Home

Winters are an unforgiving time, northern winters especially. Trees and vegetation are few and far between. Snow is thick and deep. When those delicate flakes begin to melt on one of those few warm days where the wind doesn’t pass right through your body, they create a sheet of slick ice which hides beneath the unassuming snow.

Any time spent outside could spell absolute disaster, but there were few options at this point - especially for her.

Ashlynn, pack on her back and desperation in her heart, had decided to brave the great outdoors out of pure necessity. Too many things were wrong that venturing into the frostbitten conditions outside of the safety of her home seemed like a better alternative.

As a Borrower, no one ever took moving lightly. It was a dangerous thing to attempt, especially because standing at a proud five inches flat made the world that much bigger. Everything - roots, bugs, animals, plants - could prove an impossible obstacle. Still, she had made the decision. There was no going back. How could she?

The thought of being captured and confirming whether or not she’d been seen was not on the agenda for today or any day in her future. There were other things too, but that was the last thing on her mind at the moment. Right now, there were higher priorities on her ever-growing laundry list to accomplish.

First and foremost? Finding shelter - a proper one.

As she pried her eyes open, the edges feeling as though they were covered in a light frost from the morning, she knew that colder weather was on the horizon and there was no chance she’d survive another night like the one before. Sleep tugged at her lids, begging her to return to the bliss of unconsciousness. It was a luxury she couldn’t afford. What little warmth existed between the blankets she’d managed to haul along with her weren’t going to be enough.

Even now, she could feel how her body shivered and ached as the cold seeped in through the most miniscule of gaps between her and the blankets around her. She dared not stretch, even though she desperately wanted to, in fear that the blankets had shifted in a way for her to break that precious seal between her and the cold followed by plunging her feet into the snow.

Waiting wouldn’t do any good.

It felt good to procrastinate the immense tasks set forth today, but it wouldn’t help her. Every moment she lingered in the coveted heat she’d created would only spell trouble later, especially if she didn’t find a suitable home by the time night set in.

Every scrap of clothing she owned already on her body, Ashlynn inhaled the warm air one last time before forcing her head out from under the blankets. The decision was necessary, but instantly regretted. The frigid air hit her like a slap in the face. The hard earned heat vaporized in an almost perceptible puff of air. The only good thing was that there were no bugs nestled next to her makeshift camp deep in the roots of a tree she’d managed to find.

Ashlynn hated bugs.

Too often she’d woken up with a daddy longlegs crawling over her to seek out the warmth of her body or one of those nasty little roaches skittering across the bottom of her blankets. The worst jump scare she’d received so far was a mouse that started creeping into her hiding place, too cold to be driven away by its fear.

Yes, a proper shelter was necessary, and Ashlynn intended to find one today as soon as possible.

She hoisted herself up out of her bed and rolled up her life-saving blankets and fastened them to the bottom of her pack before heaving it onto her shoulders. The gap in between the roots she’d found the night before allowed safe passage out. The sun, distant and cold, was shining bright through the naked branches of the tree high above her.

As Ashlynn surveyed her surroundings, a few things stood out to her. A fresh dusting of snow coated the ground, adding another inch or so to the already staggering three. She was basically at eye-level with the frozen flakes if she stood in the right spot, but that was common for a Borrower. Another thing she noticed was that the world seemed quiet and still. There were no noticeable signs of life.

No birds.

No rabbits or other small rodents.

No humans, and this was a good thing.

Knowing humans liked playing in fresh snow, Ashlynn felt like luck might actually be on her side for the time being. This was going to be a good day.

The Borrower moved swiftly across the trampled snow, noting how there was a subtle slickness to the ground as she stepped from tread mark to tread mark. This was going to be dangerous if she hit an ice patch, but did she dare slow down? At the moment, Ashlynn was standing what was essentially out in the open. There were houses to her left and right, but not close enough to make a successful mad dash to safety.

Injury wasn’t worth it.

“Just great,” she muttered as she forced herself to slow and walk closely near the piled up parts of the snowbank as a brace. Every step felt like a wobbly mess promising to make her slip and twist her ankles. Thankfully, she was as sure footed as a Borrower could be and managed to maneuver her way across the sidewalk and, finally, onto the road.

A human road seemed like an impossibly long distance to cover, especially with only her two feet and a heavy pack on her back. Even as she approached the road, a gentle breeze blew the thin layer of powdery snow across the way, making it look like the frozen tundra she’d seen once before on some kind of TV show she’d glimpsed years ago.

The beauty of the moment couldn’t be appreciated now. She looked to the left and then to the right before inhaling sharply and, relying on pure instinct, sprinted across the road. Between the furs on her body and with how small she knew she looked, any human who might’ve been looking out of the window at that precise moment might think she was some kind of squirrel or other household rodent.

At least, she was counting on it.

Ashlynn’s feet pounded hard and fast against the compacted snow. Each step she could’ve sworn that she could feel the ice trying to make her step slip. The snowbank was right in front of her. Fighting the frost and fatigue in her limbs, she pushed the last bit of energy she had to sprint up the foot tall snowbank in front of her and tumble over the ledge. She slid down the other side and, as luck would have it, spotted a baren hedge bush a mere ten feet away.

And next to that bush was the house she’d had her eye on from across the street.

Hopefully, this place would be a more welcome one than the others she’d visited, which immediately seemed to be the case as she noticed how the snow was compacted down and scraped away from some of the walkways. Ashlynn prayed silently that this was an indicator that the human inside liked spending time outside and would be leaving her alone inside the house.

The mere ten feet was a breeze to walk after so many days out in the elements and, soon after, Ashlynn found herself examining every crack and crevasse in hopes of finding a way inside of the towering walls above her. Perhaps it was sheer will and optimism, but as Ashlynn approached the walls by the bush, she found the smallest of openings and, even more exciting, felt a faint breeze of warm air brushing over her frozen cheeks.

The crack was only an inch or so wide and three inches tall, but that was more than enough for the miniscule woman. The Borrower slipped off her bag and set it to the side as she wiggled her way through the crack, forcing her head and shoulders in first before heaving the rest of her body through. The most difficult part was getting her bag through the gap, mostly because of the blankets and bobbles she’d attached to the outside because of the lack of room on the inside.

The moment she was inside, the relief of warmth began to seep into her joints and bones. Her body started to itch and ache, and she realized the warmth was probably the culprit. It was something that happened when she spent a lot of time outside in the frigid cold, though she wasn’t exactly sure why. All she really cared about now was the fact that she was going to be warm tonight.

Ashlynn fished through her pack, pulling out various items and borrowings, until she found her trusted hip lamp. The little light that was seeping in through the crack she’d entered through the house in certainly wasn’t enough light to see the labyrinth of walls and beams above her; and it certainly wasn’t going to be enough to see any pests she might have to fight off to claim this house as her home.

The light from her lamp glowed with its familiar yellow light and, just like that, Ashlynn could see the underside of the immense human dwelling. The first thing she noticed were the cobwebs and spare scraps of wood and brick that were laying all over on the ground. It was the perfect nest for dangerous things, especially because of the scraps of cloth and twig brush at the far end of the house, but she would have to worry about clearing all of that out during the spring if she decided to stay in this home.

Now was about finding her way inside. Ashlynn hoisted her pack back onto her back and followed along the floor joists until she spotted a tiny gap between the floor and where she stood on the ground. If Ashlynn had to guess, it looked like the house had merely settled and had separated ever so slightly from the main wall.

Bad for the homeowner, but good for her.

Ashlynn set down her pack and, retrieving her hook from the back left side, spun it around and let it fly through the air. The silver hook lodged somewhere high above, and Ashlynn was relieved when it didn’t come loose as she tugged. With a couple more tugs, she left her bag attached to the bottom of her string and hoisted herself up the line toward the tiny gap she’d managed to spot.

The gap proved no challenge for the Borrower, but her pack was a bit of another story. It was a punch to the gut, but Ashlynn quickly concluded once she’d heaved her pack through the tiny gap that she’d probably have to leave it behind as she explored her new environment. There was nothing worse than having a pack slow you down, especially if you were in a pinch.

Her brother had learned that the hard way…

But she couldn’t think about that now.

At least it’ll be safe here, Ashlynn thought to herself as she tied her bag up on a nearby nail head that hadn’t quite stuck completely into the wall and fished out her essentials including her pin, her thumb tack, hip lamp, and her borrowing bag. She’d also stripped off several layers of her heavy clothing to remain agile and limber, even though she shivered as she did so.

Cold was enemy number one in her eyes. Always had been. Always would be.

Before she left, she also brough a little bit of spare thread with her to tie or drop to help lead her back to her only possessions. Starting from scratch after the week and three days she’d endured going from place to place was the last thing she wanted.

She’d barely made it three steps when another realization hit her, and it was quickly becoming priority one – food.

After pulling out her essentials, Ashlynn realized she only had a tiny piece of cracker left in her food supply, and now that she was warming up her insides were thawing and reminding her that she needed more than that by the end of the day. She thankfully knew how to operate when hungry, but in her immediate memory Ashlynn couldn’t remember when she’d delved into her food bag last.

So, priorities set of finding a proper base and decent food, Ashlynn set out into the walls, unsure of what she was going to find.

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

A Tall and Small Collection | Original Story

[bah-kinito]

I feel bad bcuz we can't copy paste the template but uh,,,

Can we get a 16 y/o headmate who's based off of moths? They'd be a bit unsettling or unhinged if possible >_○ 🌐

> Requested Alter_

Names: Mizo, Luna, Axel, Spencer, Avery, Bentley

Age: Chronologically 16 y/o, DemiAgeless, Superamicage

Pronouns: He/Him, Hy/Hymm, It/Its, Mirrored Pronouns (Foggy), Assumipronominal, Zilchpronominal

Genders: Cusper, Genderqueer, Genderfluid, Mothogender, Papiliogender

Orientations: Aroacespec, Biromantic Aroflirt, Novisexual, Aegosexualflux

Species: Emperor Moth

Personality Traits: Dependable, Patient, Observant, Paranoid

CisIDs: Insomnia, Generalized Anxiety

TransIDs: nullAFAB, Isointersex, transNocturnal, transMature

Roles: Hell-Bent, Scout, Nightwatcher, Hunter-Protector, Replacer, Overrider

About: Mizo is very good at paying attention, even if the topic isn't about it. He is very calm and understanding of a lot of things, though he doesn't take confrontation well in the slightest, often taking it as an attack.

He sleeps on the ceiling.

Appearance: He does have wings, even though they are not regarded in the face claims. His eyes are a light crimson color.

picrew1 & picrew2

Nothing could have prepared you for this. You gave me free control AND it's a moth. I'd like to let you know that I have the bug autism, and any bug related alters are a priority on my energy.

[l33bang24]

Clean Freak (One Shot)

Chan x Fem Reader x Minho

Summary: When cleaning becomes the top priority on Y/N’s to do list, sometimes eating becomes the least important thing. Thankfully, she has two people to remind her otherwise.

⚠️Warnings⚠️: cursing, OCD tendencies, little fluff, bug paranoia?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not many days do I get like this, but when I do, I go out. It all started when I found a bug on our mattress pad when removing the bed sheets. I have this paranoia about finding bugs in places where they shouldn't be, and I go through this deep cleaning phase to potentially get rid of it and any eggs of its species. I stripped the whole bed, throwing all the sheets, comforter, and mattress pad in the washer and dryer. I pulled out my steamer and cleaned the mattress. Vacuumed the room, disinfectant it, anything I could do.

At this point, I've been going at this for hours but I couldn't stop. I wouldn't stop until I was satisfied. I didn't know when the boys came home until I heard someone speak out. “Oh no. What did you find?” I turn to see Minho there with his bag in hand. Before any words come out of my mouth, Chan appears. “Honey, why is the bed completely stripped and you scrubbing the hell out of that floor?”

“She’s in her cleaning mode. This one is worse than the others.” Minho tells Chan just from the look of the house. There are cleaning supplies scattered everywhere, along with cleaning tools. The laundry room is full of bedclothes and their everyday clothes. Y/N’s OCD just hit the fan and they came home to the aftermath of what she discovered.

Sighing, I turn to both, “When I stripped the bed, I found a carpet beetle on the mattress pad. I stripped everything and have been washing them. I was almost finished, but I just found and killed a dog flea.” I turned back to my cleaning since I wasn't done yet. Chan comes over to take the scrubber out of my hand. “Have you eaten today, baby girl?” I shake my head. Minho appears next, “Jagi, you need to eat something. I bet you only had a cup of coffee this morning, didn't you?” I tried denying it, but all three of us knew I would be lying.

“Baby, you need to go eat something. Let us take care of the rest of this, okay?” I nod, and before the following words come out of my mouth, Minho beats me to them. “We’ll make sure to put the bed sheets back on how they're supposed to go.” I can't help but smile. “We learned our lesson after last time.” Chan smiles at me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As all three of us lay in bed to sleep, I asked, “Did you remember to empty the vacuum?” Both of them stiffen on either side of me. I couldn't help but smirk to myself. “I knew you'd forget something.”