#lawrence you are very difficult to draw.

[kb11rd]

Accidentally deleted the request but anon asked for hoffdon so hoffdon it is

[quinngefail]

Um. So

Wanted to do an inverse of that last drawing set, and the initial plan was for this one to also have an overall goofy tone. But I couldn't think of ways to spin humor into this one (save for the last image) given what I wanted to touch on, so...

I guess here's some divulgence of my post-bathroom-trap Lawrence characterization, but with a weird juxtaposition between Writing and Visuals because I still ended up using the Little Guy art style HRKGKG...

And same as Adam's post, if my writing is difficult to read, it's all in text form in the image descriptions! ^_^

I feel rather self-conscious about this one overall. But y’know, fuck it man. We're posting it regardless

More thoughts under the cut:

So basically... In my mind's eye, this is a man who has developed an extremely guilty conscious following the bathroom trap, and is now hyper aware of the consequences of his actions. He's been separated from his family, and is desperately determined not to fail anyone else; something that especially applies to Adam, and their relationship in general. And despite Adam having long forgiven him for what happened in the bathroom trap and making it very clear that 'I don't hate you, I could never hate you', Lawrence just cannot internalize this, and constantly has this 'it's the least I can do for you after everything I've done' sort of mentality towards far too many things in regards to Adam.

While also having serious bouts of that whole "You're just manipulating him so you can get your cheap validation and feel good about yourself-"

I'll elaborate more when I write my full thoughts out because there is SO MUCH MORE I could talk about but. FOR NOW THIS IS AN INTRODUCTION TO MY SICK AND TWISTED BRAINROT 🙌

Okay and like the overall tone on Adam's drawing set may have indeed been more goofy, but DON'T GET IT TWISTED that is not my perpetual approach to the way I think about + want to depict his struggles and all that. It was just certainly easier to throw comedy into his pieces lmao. And I've also got a whole lot more to elaborate on with him and his 20 million issues </3

And then lastly!! With the final image it's like I IMAGINE LAWRENCE DOESN'T GET AS CAUGHT UP IN BEING EMBARRASSED OVER BEING ROMANTICALLY CHEESY AND SHIT but y’know. Sometimes you're saying "what's cookin', good lookin'," to your boyfriend with no problem. But other times your brain crafts up "MI ADAM-ORE" and you just have to take a step back after actually going through with saying that one. And have your moment of regretting your every life choice. Y’know

Once they both realize + embrace how cringe + cheesy + corny they truly are. It'll be all over

That's all lol thank you for reading 👉👈

[nomisong]

saw characters react to you asking for their pronouns:

adam stanheight:

"he/him. or you know what, just use any of them. i know you want to. i don't care. are you gonna buy the adderall or not"

lawrence gordon:

"What does that mean? Oh, like what pronouns you should... refer to me in? Well, he and him I guess. And his, can't forget the possessive. That's weird, I've never been asked that before. I haven't seen my wife naked in 8 months."

amanda young:

"[stabs you] she [stabs you again] her [stabs you again] hers"

john kramer:

"You Know, kids these days Love asking people's proper Pronouns. It's like they don't even know how bad it feels to have to give people the wrong pronouns because they're closeted, Or To have their Gender identity questioned in Front Of an Audience. This Is Why some people, Much to the surprise of many, Prefer to have their pronouns assumed. However, it is very Difficult To know where to draw the line. Should you ask for pronouns or Assume? Many don't take the time To Assess. They Have their Insensitive pronouns circles and put people Through Hell. There is no nuance. Today, I want You to make a nuanced choice. In front of you Is A Copy Of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. I need you to write an Essay analyzing the character of Fitzwilliam Darcy with a Focus on the role of Social Transgression in the events of the story surrounding his Relationship with Elizabeth Bennet. Strapped to the chair next to you Is an English 101 professor. He will grade your Paper. If you get a C or Under on this paper, you Will Both Die. Good luck."

mark hoffman:

"Normal pronouns. There's only one gender."

[painted-bees]

Raf 14, Cortes 18, Margs 19 but excluding Cortes

hah, I just answered 18 for cortes! but for the other two...

14. How important is friendship to Raf? Do they prefer to have one or two close friends or a large group of casual friends? Or do they prefer their own company over that of others?

Raf would love to have friends. In an ideal magical world where altruism shines brightly in the heart of every man, woman, and child, Raf would delight in having a broad pallette of various friendships, a robust circle of friends he can be ride or die for, that he could trust to do the same for him.

Unfortunately, this is not the world he lives in, and behind every smile, sing-songy tone of voice, and kind guesture--is an ultirior motive. It's very difficult for him to feel secure in the belief that he's not just being played for a fool in the majority of amiciable social interactions he's met with. His instincts make him see red flags in the behaviors of aquaintences who'd otherwise be an amazing friend to him if he'd just let them... But he can't trust that anyone wants to befriend him for the simple joy of the company he provides.

And so--he has many amiciable aquaintences...but he becomes very quickly skeeved when an aquaintence tries to assert themselves as a "friend". He would love to have more friends--people he can trust. He longs for it, even. But he can't suspend his disbelief enough to allow it to happen. Or--when he does, oftenly, something will strike him "off", and he'll suddenly fall out of touch for months on end, effectively religating that person back to being an "amiciable acquaintence" again, at best.

That said, he hates being alone almost as much as he hates forging new relationships. Sometimes even more. So he does have his tiny selection of people for whom he'll suffer consiquences if they ever drop the other shoe on him by, at last, taking their pound of flesh.

He knows this is disordered thinking and tries to self soothe on that knowledge. But at the same time, is it really?

19. Has Margie ever had an experience with the paranormal or the divine? What happened? Was it a one time encounter or is it a normal part of their life? Did they find it terrifying or thrilling?

Several times as a kid, she'd be half-awake in the dark hours of the morning, and imagine a black cat emerging out of the walls of her bedroom. She wasn't allowed to have pets growing up and always wanted one, so she considered that dream kitty to be her pet.

You might be inclined to draw a parallel between this hallucinated sleep-cat with Lawrence but that can't be possible. Lawrence is stormy grey, not black. Totally different animal.

Also, Lawrence clearly prefers Raf, so...nah, impossible.

[deadpresidents]

Watched “Oppenheimer” last night, and I keep thinking about the scene with Gary Oldman as Truman. While I absolutely believe that Truman would have claimed all the credit & blame of dropping the bombs for himself, and also that Truman would have called Oppenheimer a cry baby and an s.o.b., I am struggling to think of Truman as being so naive that he thought that Russia would “never” develop their own bomb. I checked the reference — Ray Monk’s “Robert Oppenheimer” (2013) is the source for the scene, but I can’t get at his sources to see what he’s drawing from. McCullough’s “Truman” corroborates the cry baby comment and the blood-on-my-hands but not the “never” quote.

Do you have anything to hand about Truman’s belief in the Russian’s ability to build the bomb? How could anyone think that the Russians would “never” create a bomb?

In American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer (BOOK | KINDLE | AUDIO), which I believe was one of Christopher Nolan's major inspirations for the film, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin go into detail about that meeting between Truman and Oppenheimer and the scene in the film takes almost word-for-word what is written in the book. Truman is actually quoted in the book as saying "Never" after asking Oppenheimer when he thought the Russians would develop their own atomic bomb and not getting a response.

The sources that Bird and Sherwin list for that meeting and the "Never" comment are Nuel Pharr Davis in the 1968 book Lawrence and Oppenheimer, and Murray Kempton, who wrote about the meeting and the comment in the December 1983 issue of Esquire Magazine and his book Rebellions, Perversities, and Main Events. I haven't read either of those books, but I did read Kempton's Esquire article and he also directly quotes Truman as saying "Never".

I agree that it seems really naive of President Truman to not think the Soviets would ever develop their own nuclear weapons. The only possible explanation that I can imagine for that mindset was that the meeting between Truman and Oppenheimer that is portrayed in the film took place in real-life on October 25, 1945. (In Kempton's Esquire article, he says it took place in 1946, but he was mistaken because Bird and Sherwin researched Truman's Presidential appointment calendar and were able to pinpoint the correct date.) The U.S. dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9, 1945, respectively. Japan surrendered on August 15 and the war officially ended when Japan signed the instrument of surrender on the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. So, the meeting between Truman and Oppenheimer took place less than two months after the war finally ended. I can only imagine that Truman had still not fully shifted towards what the next conflict might be and was focused on trying to stabilize what was left of the world and mobilize the government in a different direction than it had been after 15 years of Depression, economic recovery, defense preparations, and fighting the war.

Plus, it's worth remembering that Truman didn't know anything about the existence of the American nuclear program until after President Roosevelt's sudden death thrust him into the White House and the military realized, "Oh shit, we should probably tell the new President that we're very close to building the most powerful weapon in the history of history!"

I don't think it was necessarily naivety on President Truman's part. I think, as Kempton suggests in the Esquire article, that is was just a fundamental lack of understanding by Truman that the Soviet Union didn't need Oppenheimer to build the bomb, especially since the war was now over and they wouldn't be under the time constraints or immediate pressures that made the work of the Manhattan Project so much more difficult. The knowledge was out there and the very fact that it had been proven by the Americans made it clear to the Russians and everyone else that it could be done. Harry S. Truman was a provincial politician from the outskirts of Kansas City who had a healthy dose of American Exceptionalism in him even before becoming a national figure, so the realities of nuclear physics were probably not easy for him to decipher.

[rachlaw7]

The blog goes to REST

I'm going through a very difficult period right now, and I need to focus on my problems for now, not on drawing.

If you want to support me, then:

rachlaw7 or Rachel Lawrence#5249 in discord

rachlaw7 in telegram

[collar-shocked]

REN HEAD CANINS PLEASS PLEASS PLEASS PLEASS

//ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE MY LOVE

Ren had very little after leaving home, Including language. It was very difficult to learn after being thrust into a whole new environment, but he eventually did with the help of some quiet friends he met in niche spaces. These friends had also allowed him to crash at their homes during his low-points, and even introduced him to anime, an interest that would never leave him from that point on.

Ren decided to stay in Canada because it was one of the very few places he was able to see in his movies at home, and thought it looked very beautiful and comfortable, though he did not intentionally arrive. He simply went wherever the wind (free rides abord private/cargo transportation) would take him. His movie portrayed it a lot differently than it was, but that's stereotyping/little research done for you.

He was incredibly sheltered as a child- and for good reason. He was the only "successful" offspring his mother managed to have. Because of this, he is very ignorant to a lot of the world and how things work. This has, however, given him the trait of silly-little-learner. He LOVES learning new things and expanding his horizons. He keeps a little note-stash of things his "roommate" says as a result. Not just in his native tongue, in which Ren does his best to write down accurately and fails, but sayings, words, and phrases he's never heard before. It's like a little puzzle to decipher what they mean! "No skin off my bones"- is that a literal statement? "Charcuterie board"- a word he mistakes for German, absolutely spelled Sharcootery. This is a hobby he carries with him even into his 40's! It's one of the reasons he was attracted to Lawrence at all, with how new and different he seemed. Used words he never heard before. Did things he never saw before.

Speaking of Lawrence.. He did hold affection for him, even at the time of the slaughter shared between himself and MC. He convinced himself that he was harder and colder than he is, and that Law was a tool, or a potential pet, and that's all he was meant to be- but Ren's heart is far too big for that. Lawrence was his friend. His first genuine, real friend after he was freed. He misses watching his phone light up at 4 AM. He misses having someone to keep him company online. He misses sending and receiving the weirdest ass memes that nobody else would get. He misses their silly inside jokes that nobody else would get. He misses him a lot.

Ren gets DOWN to Foo Fighters and Radiohead. (As well as The Hush Sound, but not so much after Lawrence's "unfortunate passing." They remind him of what he's lost.)

Ren can draw really well! Though he mainly doodles for fun. He gets a good sense of normalcy from social media accounts he runs dedicated to these doodles, but even so, even that audience can tell he's a bit.. Interesting, by the way he speaks and words he says.

Ren has tried multiple times to give up his blood-soaked lifestyle. In fact, he never really stops trying. It's not often, but he always rounds back to the desire to disconnect from what he knows for the sake of self-perseverance. Sometimes he goes weeks, maybe even months without indulging in some kind of gore or snuff- but it always comes back around. The need for violence has been written in his veins since his birth. Strade was simply too blind and egotistical to see he wasn't the one to put it there. Such potential, lost to the wind.

Had Ren ever been paired with a beast-kin who clashes with his own animalistic biology, a predator animal with a prey, to say, he would have a very hard time keeping to himself. Their scent is enough to draw him in, and all he can do is stare at their warm, blood-plump neck.

He is obsessive in his company. He doesn't know what normal, healthy relationships look like, so he doesn't bother to keep them. If you're someone to enjoy, he kind of treats you like a fave. Draws fanart of you. Will write HC's and ask if he's accurate. Asks if he can be accurate. This doesn't mean he can't learn to be healthy, though.

Despite retaining almost none of his original tongue after fleeing from home, something he has always kept, unintentionally, were some lullabies. "Nene Cororiyo" specifically is a real ear-worm when he's bored.

Ren is the greatest ride-or-die you will ever encounter. The greatest yes-man you can have. The greatest ass-kisser you will ever come across. If you jump off a bridge, he's not just following you, but he's doing a flip.

Ren in his 40's is who Ren in his 20's thought he was. It was also around his 30's that he came to the realization that, that is who Strade was not, and never was. After that point, realizing the scariest thing in his life was actually a little bitch, he evolved into who we see as Fox. He would not only never be hurt that way again, but he will be worse.

He is highly emotional and proud of it. He cries often, and barks his laughter loudly, and is very generous with his hand-gestures when telling stories. He is unapologetically emotional and believes many men should let go of the embarrassment and do a better job to normalize this for themselves.

Ren hates what he looks like when hiding his ears and tail. Not because he's dysphoric or because his reflection looks different, but because he doesn't have human ears to compensate and looks stupid as a result. He is forever bound to a bob until he can get it figured out. (He never figures it out. He just waits 'til beast-kins are more "public friendly.")

Ren's favorite kind of toy to play with is a yo-yo, and he's damn good at it. He just keeps on yo'ing.

Ren's other kind of favorite toy is a basic fleshlight. One with a grip. He may be small in stature, but he's got strong hips- resulting in him needing a replacement every so often.

[definitelynotafurinasimp]

Them with a reader that likes being overly dramatic

Characters: Eula/Candace x gn!reader (separate)

Warnings: none

a/n: Guess who’s back? Back again?

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Eula

While it was slightly hypocritical of Eula to complain about you blowing things out of proportions for no other reason than to wanting to see how she reacted to it, when she herself had overused her “vengeance-talk” so much that simply mentioning the word would make her image pop up in most people’s heads, the Lawrence still couldn’t help but feel an intense urge to either shut you up or disappear before people realised you were with her whenever you started.

“I simply cannot believe you would do such thing on the birthday of my father’s cousin’s best friend’s birthday, and here I was thinking I actually meant something to you. You’re the worst, Lawrence”, you proclaimed while striking a hurt pose, immediately drawing other people’s attention to you, and by proxy Eula, causing her face to slightly redden as she grabbed you by the arm and pulled you closer to her.

“Could you stop? You’re making others stare”, she half whispered, only to let out an internal sigh when she saw the huge grin on your face.

“I’d also stare if I saw such a beautiful woman on the street”, you joked, Eula’s face heating up even more as she mustered enough strength to glare at you.

“How can you say such things and act this way in public without being embarrassed in the slightest?”, she asked in a mix of anger and embarrassment, only to finally notice the small blush on your own face.

“Oh, trust me, I am. But if a bit of public embarrassment is enough to see your reaction, then that’s a price I’m willing to pay”, you responded honestly, shooting her an even wider smile before carefully removing her hand from your shoulder.

It was in that moment, that Eula realised that there was no reason in bargaining with you, instead letting out a slightly frustrated sigh. “If that’s everything, we can go home. If you insist on continuing, you can do that on your own and return once you feel like it. But be assured that I will have my vengeance for today”, she threatened, knowing full well that there wasn’t that much she could do, but feeling better off attempting to make you warry anyway, only for you to nod with a smile on your face before happily following her back home.

Candace

While you had always heard tales about Candace’s gentleness and kindness when taking care of any wounded and other townsfolk after a sandstorm, unfortunately for you, you were a solid enough fighter to not get wounded by the threats encroaching onto the village, leaving you to only watch and help as Candace took care of the others.

So, when you actually felt one of your opponents cut you ever so slightly, you were quick to use it as a way to experience it for yourself—after you had taken care of the remaining monsters of course.

“Are you alright? Is the wound deep?”, Candace bombarded you with questions the moment she rushed over to you, feeling uncharacteristically stressed out by the possibility of you being hurt. And while you at first planned to at least pretend your wound hurt more than it actually did, you found it impossibly difficult to do so now, quickly opening your mouth to assure her.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a cut… I guess I’m just too used to walk away from a fight completely unharmed”, you tried defusing the situation with a small joke, moving your arm around to demonstrate that the wound wasn’t bad, only for it to backfire when you let out a small gasp upon realising that it did—in fact—hurt.

“No lying. Come, let’s get it treated”, she stated before dragging you to the village’s physician, watching you intently as he wrapped your arm in bandages after treating the cut, only to return to her usual collected self once you two were out of there.

“…Thanks for taking care of me. That turned out to go very different from how I planned”, you silently thanked her, only to realise that you said a bit too much, immediately reopening your mouth to correct yourself.

“No one plans on getting hurt during a fight. Just promise me you’ll be more careful next time”, she was quick to respond with her usual smile, causing you to silently nod as your face heated up in embarrassment and a bit of shame.

//Please consider liking & reblogging if you enjoyed this post

[project1939]

200 Films of 1952

Film number 161: Breaking the Sound Barrier (aka, The Sound Barrier)

Release date: Dec 6th, 1952 

Studio: London Film Productions/British Lion Films 

Genre: drama 

Director: David Lean 

Producer: David Lean 

Actors: Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick, John Justin 

Plot Summary: J.R., a wealthy British airplane manufacturer, helped design a jet engine that makes breaking the sound barrier possible. A brilliant test pilot is chosen for the first flight, but he is also J.R.’s son-in-law. J.R.’s daughter Sue is frantic with worry over her husband’s safety, and she cannot understand why his life must be put into such danger. 

My Rating (out of five stars): ***¾  

This is an early David Lean film made just a few years before he became a superstar with The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago. This is a much smaller and simpler film than those, and if you hadn’t told me Lean directed this, I don’t think I would have guessed. Overall, this was enjoyable, and it definitely had its thrilling moments, but my main problem with it was the balance between the thrilling moments in the air and the family drama on the ground. (some spoilers!)

The Good: 

Ralph Richardson as John/J.R. His performance was very moving. For the first ¾ of the film, it was easy to believe he was just a cold unemotional man with a laser focus on work. As the plot unfolds, it slowly becomes apparent that it is absolutely not the truth. The script lays most of the burden to communicate this on Richardson, and he runs with it. 

Ann Todd as Sue. I immediately liked her- she wore very little makeup throughout, she had a wit about her, she was pretty in a fresh appealing way, and she didn’t completely succumb to the “Hollywood Good Wife Syndrome.” She caught a case of it, for sure, but thankfully it wasn’t deadly.  

Nigel Patrick as Tony, Sue’s test pilot husband. He was dashing, charming, and very likeable. 

The highlight of the movie was all the exciting flying scenes. There were several of them, and most were either real or highly convincing. They were edited and paced well to draw you in and keep your eyes glued to the screen. 

There were lots of real locations used and actual flying footage. It didn’t feel like a soundstage film. 

The orchestra in the background was fantastic. I enjoyed the score as well, but the orchestra itself sounded so beautiful I had to remind myself a couple of times to actually watch the movie and not just listen to it. 

The emotional complexity of J.R. As I mentioned when I discussed Richardson, I think the actual heart of the movie is this story arc. Because of Richardson’s performance and the delicate way it was written and shot, it was very affecting. 

The traumatic plot twist about 1 hour and 20 minutes in. I did NOT see it coming, and when it did, I kept writing “No! No! No!” in my notes. It was a very brave choice to make at that particular time within the film. In most films an event of this kind would either happen near the beginning or near the end. There was still 35 minutes of runtime in this. I give that plus marks for the uniqueness and audacity, and I think it ultimately made the film more powerful. 

I liked the relationship that developed between J.R. and Tony, his son-in-law. The way they became close tugged at my heart-stings, and yet the film never really veered toward the sentimental.

The Bad: 

Erasing Chuck Yeager from history! Now, I am no aviation expert, but even going into this film, I could have told you that American Chuck Yeager was actually the first person to break the sound barrier. How did I know that? From a movie, of course! 1983’s The Right Stuff! 

The film had a difficult time explaining why breaking the sound barrier was important. It seemed very hesitant to talk about the Soviets or Communism, or anything to do with the military. That was frustrating, especially when Sue was desperately trying to understand it herself. 

This movie was a mixture of a family drama and an adventure/thriller, and it didn’t work as well as it could have. The balance between the two was off for me- I think too much time was spent on family stuff, and not enough on the actual flying. I appreciated that it didn’t just half-heartedly cram in a little bit of family stuff, which is what most adventure films do, but it may have swung too far to the other side. 

Wow, the movie certainly believed baby boys were better than baby girls! It was deemed hugely important that Sue give birth to a boy.  

Women in the film were minimized in other ways- all of them were housewives who worried while the men went off to do important manly things. HOWEVER, this film gets a lot of points for making characters like Sue and Jess fairly well rounded. Neither of those women were just sweet little pushovers. Sue also appeared to have been in the Service at some point.

Oh god, more East Asian racism! It’s thankfully been quite awhile since this kind of “humor” has reared its disgusting head in my 1952 watchlist, but this was one of those horrible “Chinaman” jokes told for “comedic relief.” The less said, the better. 

There was a pretty clunky scene that used Sue as a conduit for the probable aeronautic ignorance of the audience. It briefly became an educational film that spelled things out like a mini-lecture on what the sound barrier actually was, the requirements for breaking it, and the dangers of doing so. It was helpful for me to have some things explicitly explained, but as a scene it felt awkward and contrived. It also seemed dubious that Sue would've been totally ignorant of this.

[sexualizing-that-old-man]

Character Bio - Carylin

[Placeholder image until I finally draw her]

Race: Human

Gender: Female

Age: 25

Alignment: Neutral Good

There was never much of particular interest about Carylin. She couldn't cast a single spell of any sort, was hardly strong enough to pick up a good weapon, and wouldn't have the skill or courage to use it even if she could. She liked to read, and draw, but only as hobbies in her spare time.

She worked the day shift in a little tavern to make a meager wage, coming home to her parents' house to eat and rest and chat about the minor adventures of the day. This was perfectly fine for her. Her life provided little stress, and little excitement. Though she tried to be kind when she could, she knew she was no hero - heroes risked their lives regularly, after all, and often died in horrendous ways. No, working at a tavern suited her just fine.

But one day, Carylin was pulled astray from her comfortable duties - into working the evening shift at the tavern. And it would get even worse. She already wasn't used to the increased traffic, and the increasingly rowdy patrons who consumed far more alcohol than the lunch crowd. She was frustrated, and stressed, and when the next person opened the door to the tavern, she initially thought she must've been seeing things.

But she wasn't. She blinked, and stared, and the thing in the doorway stared back, seemingly just as stunned to see her.

She screamed, and dropped the drinks in her hands, and ran toward the man behind the bar. With a trembling hand and shaking voice, she pointed to the door. To the mind flayer that hovered there, motionless.

But the tavern owner didn't pick up the weapon he had behind the bar, normally used to break up brawls. He didn't even join her in her fear. He stared at her like she'd gone mad, and as Carylin looked around, she saw the exact same look on every patron's face - confusion, anger, almost embarrassment. But she continued to insist there was a threat to the tavern, to the entire city, right in front of them. She looked from the door to the patrons to the door and back to the owner, getting increasingly desperate.

And then, the figure in the doorway was gone, as suddenly as it had appeared. The tavern owner finally pulled her aside, and tried to calm her. Then he promptly fired her, for 'embarrassing him' and 'making a scene'. She was ushered out of the tavern, gently yet firmly, and told not to come back.

Carylin was without a job and beginning to question her own sanity when she started to trudge home in the darkness. She was nearly halfway there, with only the moonlight to guide her down the dirt path, when she heard a voice in her head.

"What are you?"

She whirled around, and found herself face to face with the mind flayer - or with a figment of her imagination, for all she knew. Knowing that it could very well be the latter, she wasn't so scared. She was mostly angry, and shot its own question back to it.

"My name is Lawrence," it said, "and I am an illithid, though everyone in this city perceives me as a human. Everyone except you. Which brings me back to my question: what are you?"

The last of her fear finally ebbed away, replaced by rational thought. There were two options, as she saw it: the thing in front of her was a genuine mind flayer, in which case she was dead already. It could kill her any time it wished, and given the response from the tavern, nobody would believe her if she told them her story.

The other option was that she was really mad, and only seeing things. In either case, it mattered little what she told the aberration. So she explained to the mind flayer that she was just a human, and one without a job thanks to it.

It was difficult to discern any sort of emotion from the tentacled face of the thing, but Carylin could've sworn she saw a bit of excitement from it. The mind flayer told her that it had a solution to her problem (entirely ignoring that said problem was its fault, much to her irritation), and offered for her to come to the temple of Kelemvor to become its assistant.

She was puzzled, and began to explain that she didn't know the first thing about serving Kelemvor, or any god for that matter. But when the mind flayer reached into its pocket and withdrew some coins, offering them to her, she quickly shut her mouth.

This was to be her first day's pay, it explained, putting an entire weeks worth of her old pay back in its robe. All she had to do was follow it around as it did its own job, allowing it to observe her.

Carylin did some quick calculations. If 'Lawrence' (she doubted that was its real name) was a genuine mind flayer, she was doomed whether she said yes or no. If it was a mere figment, her mind would likely spiral even further into insanity soon enough, and yet again she was doomed.

But the glint of gold in its hand looked real enough to her. And as she thought about that, she realized that there was a third option: the mind flayer was indeed real, but she had a chance to live. While it paid good money to 'observe' her, she would make her own observations. Find the thing's weaknesses, and save the city and herself.

Maybe she'd be a hero after all.

Random Facts:

Carylin was born with a complete immunity to psionic power. Whether this is by an incredibly rare mutation, some blessing, or something else entirely is unclear. All Lawrence knows is that he can't use his powers to influence her, read her mind, or even detect her presence. To him, it's like she doesn't even have a brain. (How does he use telepathy to speak with her? He just kinda shouts into the void, telepathically, or something...don't think about it too hard.)

She eventually realizes that Lawrence isn't actually a bad guy, and uses his powers to do a lot of good in the city. It's not much longer after this that she starts to become sort of a friend to him and later even more.

She takes a while to use the right pronouns for Lawrence, and even longer to use his actual name. Until then, he's referred to by an assortment of nicknames including but not limited to: tentacles, asshole, stupid squid, and stinky squid man. That last one actually leads Lawrence to develop a theory that she's able to see through his disguise by smell (he has no sense of smell, like all illithids), which he attempts to test by using cologne. Unfortunately, Lawrence has no idea how cologne works, and assumes that a bottle is a single-use item. When she next sees him, he smells like an entire flower shop just exploded. She still laughs about that even years later.

[notinmyvocab]

All odd number questions!

Buckle up lads, it's a long one!

What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting? -Usually whatever the default font is, though sometimes I'll use the Comic Sans trick if I'm stuck. Sometimes i'll get fancy and use a typewriter font.

3. What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed? -the fact that I don't have one. Very cursed.

5. Do you have any writing superstitions? What are they and why are they 100% true? -that if I talk about my current work in too much detail with someone, I lose the motivation to write it because now the idea exists outside of my head. So if I'm really passionate about a piece, I won't say much about it.

7. . What is your deepest joy about writing? -putting that guy in situations. And the milfs

9. Do you believe in ghosts? This isn’t about writing I just wanna know -hell fucking yeah I do.

11. Do you believe in the old advice to “kill your darlings?” Are you a ruthless darling assassin? What happens to the darlings you murder? Do you have a darling graveyard? Do you grieve? -I don't grieve, but I am pretty ruthless.

13. What is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you write about? What is easy? -smut. Some people think I'm good at it and when I'm drunk, it comes easily but mostly I can't just write smut. Bloody imagery comes really easily though.

15. Do you write in the margins of your books? Dog-ear your pages? Read in the bath? Why or why not? Do you judge people who do these things? Can we still be friends? -sometimes I'll write in the margins of pages. I don't dog ear them because a lot of my books are old and doing that will rip the paper. I used to judge people who did these things but now I see it as a sign of love.

17. Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text. -oh god. Gonna do Woe Begets Misery (so @yourlocaldisneyvillain here's a little present!). Um, let's see... Isabel Noble lives in a haunted house in Los Angeles, though we won't be seeing it in this installment. She was adopted and her birth mother was clairvoyant. Her birth father was named Lawrence and was driven to madness both by the haunted house and Isabel's mother (girl power). She has had her heart broken a million times and will never learn from it. Her adoptive father, Derek Noble, has a face claim: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. He was a good dad, but his death wreaks havoc on Isabel's mind.

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going? -I started writing when I was veryyyyy little. I wrote a diary when I was six but it was fictitious, so that was the start. Lot of bumps. Finally got into playwriting.

21. Could you ever quit writing? Do you ever wish you could? Why or why not? -Nope could never quit writing. My mind is too full.

23. Describe the physical environment in which you write. Be as detailed as possible. Tell me what’s around you as you work. Paint me a picture. -My thoughts are around me. I tune out everything. It's just me and a blur. And a hot drink.

25. What is a weird, hyper-specific detail you know about one of your characters that is completely irrelevant to the story? Isabel Noble had braces and wore a retainer.

27. Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why? Gregory House. He's complex and I tend to soften him more than he is.

29. Where do you draw your inspiration? What do you do when the inspiration well runs dry? Life. My own horniness.

33. Do you practice any other art besides writing? Does that art ever tie into your writing, or is it entirely separate? I do some painting, but keep it separate

31. Write a short love letter to your readers.

Dear beloveds,

You are genuinely the reason I keep going.

35. What’s your favorite writing rule to smash into smithereens? Incomplete sentences. Sometimes the cadence calls for it.

37. If you were to be remembered only by the words you’ve put on the page, what would future historians think of you? "Get this girl some therapy... I hope she found a milf to love her."

39. What keeps you writing when you feel like giving up? My ideas.

[skippyv20]

Notes on a rainy day...

Hi Skippy & Friends-Pilgrim checking in on this holiday Monday. ** The new statue in Boston leaves much to be desired. This is supposed to be about an inspiring love story, celebrating a major international award! The joy of the moment is missing IMHO. 10 million invested, when Boston has so many other big bills to pay with a brand new Govenor taking over just this week...on top of all the "immigrants" that arrive in the dark of night, flown or bussed in that will now be automatically given an official MA driver's liscense and freebie$$? NYC is totally overwhelmed too with "immigrants" along with untold small towns being quietly invaded. The public is not encouraged to mention it because we are told these unvetted people are not really illegal...sooo...does that mean the King in the olde fable WAS wearing clothes???

** How refreshing to see the Duke of Wales speak English correctly. His younger brother seems to think it is proper to say over and over, his pronoun first..."me and my wife" showing how poorly educated many Americans are.

** The portrait drawings of ERII are fantastic. It's hard to believe only 5 months have passed-especially for her family carrying on!!! Barely time to catch ones breath with the powerful images of her funeral; joyful celebrations of her last Jubilee AND the ugly war of the Harkles. ** From the story about her fabulous, sweet PJ brooch...perhaps they will make one with fine crystals in silvertone for those of us who can't afford the real deal. Otherwise I will look for something similar, circle with Lily of the Valley and Thistles. A long time ago I was introduced to collectible costume jewelry which was a major industry right here in New England, mainly Providence, RI. From 1930-60's popular brands signed their jewelry lines which became really collectible due to their fine workmanship, high end crystals, plating and priced for the average lady. In the 80's a couple of Italian collectors published a fabulous "coffee table" book featuring some of their best finds. That began an international collector craze which I joyfully joined by accident. I was lucky to find many beautiful "book pieces" still affordable over the years. Anyhoo, this brooch reminded me of those good times hunting at flea markets and antique malls in cities across the country. Every year I wear a favorite Christmas brooch on my coat. Yesterday I decided to keep this up changing them out for fun, even if brooches aren't in fashion. If ERII thought they were a good thing to wear then why not keep up the tradition in our own little way? If you visit a Canadian site called N & N Vintage Costume Jewelry, Masterpiece section, I think you will find lots to study for inspiration! There are many beautiful books now about who the top designers were and their best pieces.

** With so many difficult things happening around us it is mind blowing to try to take it all in. I admire Princess Anne and Sir Tim Lawrence as they quietly handle massive responsibilities supporting the public. Also, the very busy Catherine, Princess of Wales who simply said when asked about Harolds insulting claims, that she was "baffled." Boom! Right there I sensed the Harkles are toast. Yesterday's news. Tempest in a teapot as in, the ship has left the dock and the sun is sinking in the west...LOL At least one can hope...off to my easel to take care of MY mental health.

Thank you, great post❤️

[bunnyprismatic]

I’m so so sorry @grovebeast​ this took way longer than the “couple of days” I said ;;3;; So, this is speed paint of how I do it. 

So all I really do is draw a head as normal and put the helmet features on top, as if it were a human wearing a suit of armour. Because I do it this way the head is a little smaller than the way Milne or Lawrence draws him, but it works best for my style and I stress a lot less keeping it “near as dammit” than really on model.

A couple of other things I’ll add under the cut

I always have Refs on had, both examples of my past work to keep consistency, and comic panels of Rodimus. As well as refs for the expressions or pose. 

I use both the sub view window in CSP as well as PureRef (works with both Mac and PC. For iPad I use VisRef) with a collection of images to refer to. 

With reference images I find a collection of both folks fan art as well as canon material is handy. It’s good to see how others interpret the character to see what details read as “Rodimus”. Obviously don’t copy another artist work, but seeing what details others have focused on, what they’ve omitted, and what they’ve changed to work in their style helped me be less rigid with drawing TFs.

I have the crest of his helm follow the shape of his eyebrows. This works in my style, but it doesn’t work with everyone’s. Experiment to see what works best for you!

We all want to follow Milne’s example, but his very detailed style can be difficult to adhere to. That’s totally okay, because if you look at all the other artist who worked on the comic (and connected comics) you can see they took liberties with Milne’s original design to work in their style. It’s still Rodimus, but their interpretation of him.

And lastly 

Having a look at peoples fan art as well as the canon art side by side really puts this into perspective. I get the perfectionist beast, I struggle with it a lot too, but the more I relaxed and had fun drawing them, the more confident I got. If the drawing reads as the character, and you’re happy with it then you’re golden. Anyways hope this helped, and again so so sorry for how long this took to get done :”D

[gnostichymns]

Snow has finally melted and birds are singing anew. Spring draws nearer every day, promising warmth and bountiful harvest and, most importantly, more work to be done than ever!

[MONDSTADT] The Knights of Favonius’ famous cavalry team has been missing in action for some time due to their expedition with Varka, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t horses to be tended to. Some drunkard accidentally stumbled their way into the stables, caused a whole commotion, and set the horses free. Lawrence and Swan were almost crushed beneath the speedy canter of polished, metallic horseshoes, and the fine debonair of their flowing manes and tails. Currently, they’re grazing on the outskirts of Springvale. Please guide these majestic horses back to their stables.

[LIYUE] Cheers to a fantastic Lantern Rite, adventurers! Liyue has been properly shaken (positively) by the fireworks, festivities, and overall unity that this event always brings. Of course, the days that come after are never fun, and the Qixing has requested our help in cleaning up the port. In particular, a lot of the firework mortars need to be collected and there is an excess of streamers, ash, and general garbage that was left of the streets in the merchant districts. Report to the Yuehai Pavilion for your assignment. 

[INAZUMA] Watatsumi Island, known for its cascading waterfalls and gorgeous scenery, is a major tourist attraction in the coming months. However IAGSHA (Inazuman Adventurer’s Guild Safety and Health Administration) won’t allow tourists onto the island without fixing some very glaring safety problems. The Sangonomiya Shrine is heading the operation to install scaffolding for wooden bridges more than 10 above any lower levels, and that all the railings are above 42 inches in height without dipping below 39 inches. Offer assistance in any way you can. 

[SUMERU] Paradis Dhyai, a small research location for the Akademiya, is known for its exquisite green houses and rare flora. However, a recent addition to one of the greenhouses, an Inazuman specialty flower, Dendrobium, has led to some unwanted visitors. Electro and Hydro fungus have begun to populate the greenhouse holding the new flowers. While fungus are generally easy to deal with, the potent mixture is making research on these flowers even more difficult. Please assist in removing the fungi.

[FONTAINE] What new, silly technological advance is Fontaine making today? Well, that’s up to you! The Fontaine Research Institute has apparently run out of ideas, or are just in the mood to hear some ridiculous inventions and patents. Live at the Opera, dive into The Marlin Myre, where five genius minds of Fontaine are given the freedom to invest in a portion of businesses, whether they’re just starting up or well established, and they need your ideas! Honestly, it’s not our money, but please do be mindful. Report to the Opera Epiclese to sign up and give those radical inventors your two mora.

The Fishing Association is a small grassroots organization made by people who love catching fish for people who love catching fish. Have you got mad angling skills? Real good with bait and tackle? Well, now's your chance to show it off to all of Teyvat, or at least the fishermen of Teyvat. We’re hosting our annual Slumdog Fishing Cup, where you can compete to show just how good you really are. Rules are simple. Whoever catches the biggest fish wins. Spearfishing, hand catching, fishing rods, whatever method suits you is allowed. 

I sure hope you can hold your breath for a long time because we have several reports of skippers who aren’t good at their jobs. While there have been no casualties, these novice boat savvy men have sank several ships at major trading ports, and they need to be broken down. Otherwise, helmsmen who actually know how to do their job might risk actually injuring someone. Please report to your nearest guild for further directions.

[NEW] Everyone is always looking for that little magic in a bottle. That sweet little drink to take the edge off, help with your next presentation, give you some grit to hunt for longer periods, or even just to win that arm wrestling competition. Well, we need some alchemists who’ll work very diligently to brew some potions useful in everyday life. With our eyes on stocks and demand, we need you to help make some potions.

[NEW] As a little reward for all the hard work you adventurers have been doing, we’ve set some special scouts out to each nation for a treat. A scavenger hunt with a sweet treat at the end. Hints and riddles have been left inside of some plastic eggs, hidden around your nearest Guild location and surrounding landmarks. The first hint is free though! It’s posted at your local commission board, good luck!

[NEW] There have been recent reports of Delusions being sold in some kind of underground market. While we have no idea who supplies these shady businesses, we do have a few leads as to who might be putting these dangerous tools into unsavory peoples hands. They’re being used to commit crimes and pose an incredible risk to both the user and civilians. Report to your nearest Guild location and track these scoundrels down.

[tiramisiyu]

Tears of Themis - 1st Anniversary Commemorative PV

Translation Masterlist | Original Video

Please turn on Closed Captioning to see the subtitles!

Note: This PV contains references up to Chapter 6 of the Main Plot. 

Transcript below cut-

Text: The gavel of law falls, and the public discusses right and wrong But not everything can be judged by law

Outside the court of law, there is always frustration

Xia Yan/Luke: Some say, people of the city are coldly indifferent, and the world is frigid. But often, it is not the city that is cold - rather, they are the hearts that have been lost in desire.

Mo Yi/Vyn: The boundary between love and hate is distinct, yet it shatters at the slightest bit of weakness. When an excessive "love" becomes a sharp blade, what replaces it is a lifetime of belated regrets. 

Zuo Ran/Artem: Evil is not the source of all tragedy. Those original intentions that lost their way will also be protected by someone.

Lu Jinghe/Marius: After a great fire, the wilderness becomes a scorched land. Some only see destruction and vengeance, while some plant flowers of hope amid the ashes.

Xia Yan/Luke: An avalanche descends. Tiny snowflakes accumulate, abruptly becoming a demon to destroy everything. Fortunately, there are always warriors willing to face the catastrophe, and there are always good people who protect the soul's home.

Zuo Ran/Artem: Victims becoming perpetrators is something that no one wants to see. All of our effort is to cut off the flourishing vines of evil and save those who have sunken into the abyss.

Text: Fate never stops walking forward or turns back time. But the warmth in life keeps moving forward

Xue Xinran/Winnie Cooper: I'll be heading to a mountain village this summer to participate in an education program. I hear that the scenery's gorgeous there. I'll take some more photos for Grandpa Vern - he'll definitely be really happy!

Jiang Mingyue/Jen Mendoza: Miss Lawyer, my own brand shop will be opening next month. This is a little gift I've designed for you - I hope you'll accept it.

Gong Yuze/Harry Grant: My school just set up a gene repair research project. I've already submitted my application - not just for Joey; I also want to help even more people.

Mu Ziyou/Hugh Moss: Big sis lawyer, this is a drawing that my teacher just taught me to draw. I want to give this to you. Will you like it?

Cui Yuan/Lawrence Myers: Rebuilding a destroyed reputation is very difficult, but I won't give up. I will bring back my and Van's origin.

Xia Yan/Luke: Since you've decided to walk forward bravely, then I'll be your strongest backup. When you encounter hardship, remember that you aren't alone.

Zuo Ran/Artem: Bearing cool calmness without discarding warmth, you are my most ideal partner. I was lucky to have met you. Together with you, I want to head to broader worlds. 

Mo Yi/Vyn: Your clear gaze and your pure soul always inadvertently heals wounds. You make me trust my belief more; you make me more sure that effort can accomplish anything. 

Lu Jinghe/Marius: Meeting you, nearing you, understanding you - you made me believe that life is not a nonstop ebb and flow of zero-sum games. You changed me, and on the road of the future, you let me create more possibilities for you.

Text: On this thorny road, I will walk forward with you

[youllallriseintheink]

13 Henry and Joey 💫

The words are “I’m worried about you.”

I decided to do a kind of best-case-scenario with them, where Henry stays at the studio and they have a mostly-healthy relationship. I hope you enjoy.

Word count: 951

---

Joey and Henry had been friends for ten years now, artistic partners for eight, and lovers for seven. Joey had been a Godsend back when Henry was young and lonely and newly on his own in a new city. He could still remember calling Joey up for a night out on days he was homesick, or Joey demonstrating how Heny should talk to girls (and enjoying himself a little too much as he did so). In some ways, he’d been the best partner Henry could have asked for.

And that’s why Henry was about to go behind his back and break the lock to his private study.

It wasn’t without reason- Joey had been acting in some concerning ways as of late. When Joey had demanded that everyone bring an item from their workplace as a sacrifice to the Gods, Henry had thought it was some strange team-building exercise. And then he’d seen the bandages around Joey’s wrist.

Suddenly, all the other signs Henry had seen but not registered as important- the hours he spent locked away in his “study,” his newly acquired ability to stay up for days on end, his sudden rants against law enforcement- they all started to come together. They were the behaviours of someone developing a dangerous habit, and whose mind was beginning to fray from it.

“I’m scared that he’s had some kind of mental break,” Henry explained to Jack, a good friend of his who he knew could keep his secret. “I’ve already tried asking him if anything’s wrong, but he won’t open up to me. I’m hoping that if I break in to his study, it’ll tell me something about what’s going on with him.

Jack nodded solemnly. “Best of luck Henry. I hope he’s alright.”

Henry picked up a book on lockpicking, and on the next night Joey was out, he tested out his skills. It took most of an hour, but he finally heard that tell-tale click.

The room on the other side of the door was small and ominously dark. The carpet was pulled back halfway across the room, revealing concrete covered in pentagrams the colour of dried blood. In the small, still-carpeted portion of the room, a bed was pushed against the wall with a lamp and end table stacked on top of it- this had been a guest bedroom before it was a place to hide secrets. Two bookshelves- one containing numerous black books and the other containing jars of dried plants, red and balck fluids, and flesh-looking items Henry didn’t even want to hazard a guess at- shared the remaining space with a desk, which contained a radio, one of those huge, black, unmarked books, and a cage containing a dozen live rats.

“So that’s why Joey didn’t want to call pest control about the squeaking.”

Henry hadn’t expected anything good. Drugs, maybe- or tools for self-harm. Something that would require a difficult conversation and for Henry to show Joey ongoing support. But at least with that Henry would have known what to do. He had no idea what to do with this. He immediately shut the door, reset the lock, and left for his drawing desk. He needed to draw. Needed to be a little distracted to think of something.

Maybe an hour later, Joey arrived home.

“Henry!” he called, clearly happy to see him. He kissed him on the cheek. “Heh, don’t you get enough of that at work? Well, so long as you’re after your hands.”

Henry dropped his pencil and sighed. “Joey, I...”

“Yes?”

“I’m worried about you. I thought you might have a drug problem, or a mental problem, or something, so I got into your study. And now I’m even more in the dark. Please just tell me if you’re okay.”

Joey was alarmed. It was good- and very sweet- that Henry was more worried about his well-being than anything. Maybe he could use that. He hugged Henry, who was in obvious distress.

“I’m fine. I promise.” Would that be all Henry needed?

“What about the bandages on your wrists?”

“I tried a few blood rituals, is all.”

“And the staying up for nights on end?”

“Spells work better than coffee. You should try it!”

“And the rats?”

“Look- we eat meat. It’s no different from that, really. And anyhow- all the stuff in there? Totally outdated. Now that I’ve started a project operating in the studio, I was going to bring all my supplies down to its basement. I know more about what I’m doing than I did when I bought all of that. I promise, Henry- the project will be lawful, cruelty-free and you don’t have to see any part of it that bothers you.”

“Okay. I guess it’s all okay, then. God, I’m glad...”

Joey was glad, too. “Yes. Well, I hope you get more comfortable with this over time. There are some spells that I’d love to share with you. But for now, mind showing me what you’ve been drawing?”

---

Years passed. The ink machine was built. Joey’s magic supplies were moved into the basement of the studio. Henry and Joey went on as a couple, and Henry even warmed up to magic a little and let Joey use it to fill him with energy or ease his hands when they were sore from drawing.

After the deaths of Norman Polk, Buddy Lewek, and Sammy Lawrence, Joey moved the art department to the most ink-free area of the studio to keep Henry safe, and made sure he had a story for why Henry’s adorable little art mentee had suddenly disappeared.

To everyone else, Henry seemed oblivious to the strangeness that surrounded him, but the truth was that he just wasn’t worried. He saw the moving ink and heard the scratching in the walls, but he trusted Joey to keep things under control for the most part. He was okay, Joey was okay, and everything was fine.