#ive been sitting on this a while

[itty-bitty-sunshine]

Needed an excuse to draw sun in his natural habitat (unpaid babysitter).

[lucabyte]

"So what's the weirdest possible first (second) impression Loop could make on the party in postcanon?" "Yeah, that, probably."

+ Bonus

theyre just standing there in direct party order while this happens. normal tuesday.

[pricetagged]

MEDIEVAL SCAMMER GHOAP?! Please enlighten us🙏🙏🙏

Since you both asked so nicely, have a snippet of a whisp of a concept😅

I have an idea. Not fully fleshed out. I could go in two directions, either historical Ghoap working as Pardoners and taking advantage of ignorant village reader (corruption kink, religious themes, abuse of power etc.).

OR, for my monster-lovers, has anyone seen Dragonheart? I was picturing, like, one of them is something beastly, the other plays at knight = profit? Fantasy scam and rescue? So, it would go something like this:

(Tw kidnapping and kind of mean Ghoap)

---------

Your situation didn't look any better flipped on its head. Flipped on your head, rather. Snatched and thrown over a bulky shoulder, high– higher than even your standing position. It was discomfiting; it was terrifying. Blood rushed to your face not only in fury but also in shame as your skirts fluttered in the breeze.

He noticed, too. His greedy fingers dug into your thighs, skimming down like he was soothing a skittish horse. But you felt the way he lingered. The way he chuffed and squeezed tighter when you kicked out with all the strength of a skittish colt.

Your fists pounded uselessly against heavy splint-mail, hands-catching on rough nodules and spikes that didn't quite register as pain. Not to your panic-stricken mind, thoughts flying off in the wind behind you as the beast carried you off.

But the smack registered.

Perhaps it was the sound, the harsh slap of flesh on flesh. Whipping crack, like the snapping of a great branch. The precursor to an eerie stillness, violence begetting obmutescence. And it worked–

–for a second. For the time it took for your stinging nerves to catch up with your racing mind. Then you howled. Kicked and clawed and hissed like a feral cat as tears welled in your lash-line.

"How dare you–"

"Quit yer fashin'. Ye'll bring the whole kingsguard down this way–"

"–good–"

"–and then I'll have tae kill them all," That had your attention, legs tense under the heavy band of his bicep. "Dinnae much feel like sharin' ye around."

"Oh, you beast! You foul, vile, disgusting–" Your voice was high, words scratching as they hitched out of your aching throat.

It hurt to speak, vocal cords already shredded from the way you'd screamed when he'd first ransacked your village. Coughing on heavy, acrid smoke and crying futile warnings about the Black Knight and his monster-in-arms ('Quiet, girl. Viper-tonged harlot, slither off and for gods' sake, quiet!') . But it hurt more to be silent. You flung insults like broken arrows, hoping that they would somehow land. That they would hit, fortuitously, and pierce the thick-hide of this brute. But hope is vain, and the fancies of men make gods laugh.

You landed hard on something soft.

Ego almost as bruised as your knees, you kept your eyes low. Sweeping. Marshy, wet silt. Topsoil sluiced off, only mud and clay and reeds to your right. A cheerfully babbling brook just beyond, water murky and discoloured with backwash from– the water flowed past the estuary of the village so it must be– no–

The realisation was caustic. Mordant. Burning at you like the scorched air in your lungs.

"You're a monster," you spat the words, mouth watering in your haste to let ichor drip forth and blacken him as much as the foul, brackish water ahead.

"Noticed that, did ye," he laughed, words glancing off like feeble blows. "Best not tae piss me off, then. Stay there and behave yersel'. Company's comin'."

Glancing up at him was like a blow to the stomach, wind punched out and body shaking. You already knew that he was big, inhuman. But now you could see every inch; monstrous, twisted mockery of natural features. Like a man formed of rock, too immense and hard and jagged to pass for anything but artificial. Counterfeit. Contranatural. Creation's bastard. All tusks and teeth and shorn hair. Hair everywhere, even down his bare, bulging forearms and thick knuckles. Coarse, dark.

His eerie, bright blue eyes blazed around black, pupils wild and blown. It could be the thrill, cruel playfulness of an apex predator. Berserker-wide, coming down from the kill–

But he'd been carrying you for a while, bloodlust long-since sated on the men and manse of your homeland.

You shivered, sweat and cold mingling in a discomfiting damp that raised the hairs on your arms. (The hairs on the back of your neck were already needle-stiff and prickling).

You pocketed a stone, a big jagged filthy shard. One you hoped could bruise and slash and poison, turn wounds weeping and sick.

Now that you were silent, he seemed especially strident, swaggering around the barebones of what you supposed must be a dwelling. You felt the slight whistling of air from the cave behind, cavernous and black. If you had to run, to hide, you'd take your chances with the forest and river ahead. To be lost in the appetites of the mountain abyss would spell death as surely as at the hands of this creature.

You watched him, cocksure and comfortable as he shucked off his warhammer and began unbuckling his braces. If you could read the snarl of his crooked teeth, you'd perhaps say he was in high spirits. He sent you a wink as he shrugged off his splint-mail, gravelly laugh echoing in the cavern behind.

It disguised the approach of your visitor.

"Grabbed the wrong one, Johnny," you shrieked as something grabbed your forearm, hauling you up. Looking down you saw the muted sheen of a spiked gauntlet. Black patina, flaked in iron rust. You swallowed hard, lump in your throat so big that it caught any words that might try to escape. Him. The Black Knight. The Liar. 

"Ye said to grab the pretty one by the fancy house."

"She's not the magistrate's daughter. No ransom for her." He spun you around, metal biting hard into your chin as he arched your face towards his.

Cloaked in ink-black helm and visor, you could just about peer in to meet his gaze. He looked back with cold, assessing eyes. The voice that rumbled forth was as harsh and breccial as you remembered, words rending you apart with serrated precision: "Not worth a rescue mission."

He released your chin with a final shake of your head, huffing amusement as you rubbed at the thin scratches he left behind.

It was hard to breathe now, stomach swirling and head-light. Even if you could will yourself, it wouldn’t help. There was already a faint coppery smell leeching from the Knight; your heart recognised it even if you would not give name to it. It sped up, fast enough to rush past your ears with discordant force. 

You didn’t feel the other one step up behind you, not until it was too late. There, trapped between man and monster (man the monster), tight enough that you couldn't even shiver. You felt the power of the creature even more now without the armour, all muscle and fat, sheer power close enough to sink your fingers into. But you couldn't move, your shallow breaths already catching in your throat into soft, hitching whines. 

"Shh, it's alright, bonnie," Rough, clumsy fingers swiped under your eyes. You felt him crouch lower, stubbly hair and tusks digging into your powder-soft cheek. "Looks like we're gonnae have tae keep you, then."

------------

[ihaveforgortoomany]

Greetings Comrade! Proceeds to flesh out the dumb au running in my head.

Heres a more complete layout of the Possessed! Vertin AU (maybe another name) (this is long)

Didnt expect a squad swipe lmao. Generally I imagine everyone more or less come out alive since its Vertin, even if shes being possessed by Arcana and has assess to her skills she wouldnt be able to properly utilise the mass power of Arcana

(So think Engima's statement on humans attempting to use the ritual initially, like overloading a household appliance: here Vertin is a tiny light bulb hooked to a plane's engine. Arcana made Vertin use Schneider's gun, while probably a way to manipulate Vertin, I think Vertin is limited in Arcane range)

(Also it draws out everything and yes I spent too long thinking about this au)

So uh heres a couple stuff on that battle between Vertin and the suitcase. (Not all because thats 60+ people and we know not everyone is there and its a surprise attack)

Most severely injured: Madam Z (no one goes unscathed, well mostly) Sonetto, probably the main team so think Regulus and Druvis

Scenerios: (i think if its Arcana shes probably gonna mess with everyone because its Arcana)

(If you have Schnieder alive in this scenario then Arcana is deffo recreating that scene again but ten times worse)

Idk why this thought has been running around but: Kakania hostage situation, because ofc Arcana can manipluate probably the most unstable member of the suitcase Isolde and therefore force everyone into a stalemate.

(This is bordering fic wow) consider this the scene in Book 6 but Kakania's life is on the line, maybe shes disarmed and coincidentally her gun ends up with Isolde and Marcus is there. (Yeah i write essays not fics so do what you will).

Arcana possessing Vertin probably just gives her access to all her trauma so probably threatens Madam Z with it (Breakaway Incident stuff).

Outcome Im suggesting here is that Vertin is restrained, and as a last ditch attempt to save Vertin is AS, since we know multiple ppl can enter the same one with Lilya and Sonetto doing that training one in Book 4 - this is Mesmer Jr's part in this.

(Why not immediate execution? Remember this is pandora's box you are threatening to release, its no longer 5 or so people, is much much more and more sources and abilities available - a stalemate between the suitcase and Foundation is agreed to attempt to save Vertin or execute her if anything goes wrong)

This becomes basically a Persona plot (or PTN Black Ring or Limbus the Sinner's memories when they approach a Golden Bough) , enter Vertin's mind and eradicate Arcana in there. Maybe the AS takes the form of Three Doors, probably have Sonetto, Regulus maybe Lilya and / or Matilda enter. Maybe go all crazy and say they meet the voices (the Old Man and Grandma) chilling out in there, maybe their existence retains shreds of Vertin holding on. Maybe in memory both Matilda and Sonetto find out the truth to the Breakaway Incident.

Im an optimist! They do remove Arcana (ofc she doesnt die) but this is a pyrrhic victory. More is lost than gained, whatever happens next is unclear, whether Vertin will be sane or Team Timekeeper could be restored. (Ill leave it open ended enough maybe someone can transcribe this plot into a fic, because deffo I cannot)

Have fun

Greetings!

I offer the possessed! Vertin AU (inspired by @cheemken 's AU and ideas on Twitter)

Arcana already wants Vertin for some reason so this post 1.9 is an AU that somehow Vertin is infected during that final battle and slowly loses to Arcana.

Kinda the Manus infected Vertin possession by Arcana where she slowly infects Vertin, like the subtle infection where only people like TF, Madam Z, Sonetto and probably Mesmer Jr and Matilda notice personality changes in Vertin until right in the middle of Foundation Headquarters all hell breaks loose. Maybe a critical point with Constantine bringing up the Breakaway Incident that finally sends Vertin over the edge.

Consider an all out battle with suitcase and co. Plus the threat of a higher up using the Scorching Heart Incantation to just eliminate Vertin as she becomes the greatest threat to the Foundation.

(Vertin gets the Manus drip ofc ofc)

Outcome? Up to you.

(I really can go really angsty with this, like Sonetto getting injured by Vertin probably will send her over the edge)

But again up to you 👍

Bites you, hard.

Comrade, what the fuck is this? (Starts thinking about the outcome)

You know me, lover of Slight angst and hurt/comfort.

On the POSITIVE side, like the good ending, Vertin is able to get out of Arcana's possession. After the whole fight against everyone in the suitcase - final boss style, Vertin's connection with Arcana breaks because Arcana wants it to. Much like with Schneider, after having destroyed so much, injured so many people and ruined everything for her and the others, she is released.

There's Sonetto lying on the floor, holding the wounds caused by Vertin's arcane skills given by Arcana, deep wounds I must add. There's Mesmer Jr in a corner, unable to participate because she doesn't trust her Arcane ability and then there's Matilda, unconscious maybe alive maybe dead, the reason why Sonetto is still alive is her.

And there's The Foundation pointing their guns at Vertin, there's Madam Z unable to do anything, there's Tooth Fairy with a face worse than simple pain. Everyone has no idea what to do, then, she gets taken by the Foundation.

The people in the suitcase are being taken care of, Team Timekeeper no longer exists because there is no Timekeeper, they become soldiers of different branches of the foundation. There's a couple of dead bodies in those. Those who tried to get close to Vertin to stop her never made it too far, the healers are doing their best to bring them back, healing the wounded and treating the traumatized.

It's a mess, really. And Vertin is sealed until they're able to take care of Arcana, and maybe, she might not be released.

But it's the good ending, because she's alive and despite what has happened, there's still a silver chance to repair what has been broken, to severe that connection with Arcana.

And perhaps the deaths of her close friends, Matilda who gave her life away (we all know that if she had the chance to save Sonetto she would jump), she would feel insanely guilty.

As for the bad ending, however... Not a lot get the privilege to live. Vertin doesn't go back because she's Arcana's priced pawn, and she needs her for more moves. So they're gone, most of them either way. The British branch of the foundation in shambles, those who managed to survive are trying to save Vertin. It's too late though, Vertin will never be the same as long as Arcana has her claws around her.

It's the end.

[slavhew]

jakey + dirkjake sandwiched between my organic chem notes. a poem in there somewhere

[trancegnder]

go my scarab (tfem d16)

thank u @princepqul for inspiring me to doodle this

[archivebottles]

"You don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself now."

[12u3ie]

I love the bisexual red-headed girl on Hermitcraft with a habit of killing people. and the other bisexual red-headed girl on Hermitcraft with a habit of killing people.

[dottie-n-stripes]

linus has always needed his tightknit friendgroup!! i call them the chums. my philosophy with crafting them all was making it feel like they are a sitcom ensemble and it's been so fun putting them in situations together. i had a blast designing these sea creachers in a splatoony way and i'm super proud of how they came out, i hope u enjoy them too!!

[mozzarellamint]

good luck with that man

[doofus-spoofus]

is anyone even ready for this? i dont even think i am wtf. oh my god. (dont ask why the style changed between the pages, i dont know why either)

[marciaillust]

smoke break 2

[gammagoop]

save me heavypaint studies save me

joel speedpaint below cut :] i have the others too but i can only put one video in a tumblr post </3

[overchromatic]

The way you draw Kieran just itches my brain so hard /pos

SLAY, he is so epic and poggers <3

[shaadowmilkcookie]

One of Shadow Milk’s many prop replicas of himself, left behind. Even though the eyes are forever staring straight into the distance… Oddly enough, you still feel like you’re being watched.

But surely, though, it won’t hurt to take it home and touch up the colours, right? :)

[baconplasm]

(hands them over)