#less of a focus on reblogging OTHER peoples art like i do here

[llwelleyn]

>:| been struggling to draw ocs for months now and suddenly I decide to do a face in an angle I've never done before and I

Can????

Draw??????????

W H A T

[myceliacrochet]

I feel so overwhelmed. I have no income, no stable place to live, and hundreds of people coming to me who need thousands of dollars each to avoid getting incinerated, starved, tortured. I make crochet -- when I can get supplies -- and I'm trying to make stickers, when I can get supplies... I'm not very employable and everything is so expensive and it's all falling on my roommate.

I need to hold a fundraising event

Everyone is either stretched to their limits helping or can't be bothered

I'm doing my best to reblog, follow, and react every single campaign I can that is either vetted or has a clean RIS. I'm telling myself that I'm doing enough by contributing art and promoting these campaigns, but the reality is people need money and I'm giving them condolences and things that may not help much.

I had a bit of success promoting Omar's campaign and foolishly believed I could get those kinds of results again. Tumblr staff is being beyond ruthless, attacking even the critical and dangerous vetting work people are risking their lives for on the ground.

I don't know what to tell people who are coming to me for help in what may be their last moments and I'm like "hey here have a shitty art I made that might make a miniscule difference but probably won't. All the best!" I try to respond through my actions instead of words because like Kurt Vonnegut said there's fucking nothing to say about genocide because no one's meant to say anything they're just meant to get blown up. So then I'm ignoring the people who most need help in the world, coldly turning away. So I say sorry and offer these small useless things as if it means anything and every day I lose more sanity and meaning in my life because doing less than what I can to help people not get genocided takes all the color out of my world. I can't imagine truly relaxing or enjoying anything until there's no genocide happening anymore, and I don't see that happening. I feel hopeless like I did in 2016 but this time there's no back door out.

Every time I start to work on something I feel hopeless like it won't work

I have to get my ass into gear, which means I need to:

- pick up my prescription for strattera, I guess I have that now. That will help me focus

- get back on my antidepressants as soon as Fatima's campaign hits $10,000. That will help me keep moving

- talk to other organizers so we can work together.

I am drowning, I am burning in this hxll created by my own culture. Every day they torture the children and the adults come into my DMs and scream help us please please someone help us.

All I can do is do my best every day. I'll keep moving forward

Doing something is better than doing nothing, gxddammit, which means I'm doing a good job I guess, it's just little comfort as I watch the children get engulfed in flames.

Like, I know I can't end all genocide on my own but there's got to be more effective things that I personally can do.

I guess I'll check out one of those lists of things you can do other than donating money

If anyone has yarn to donate and/or could cover shipping or help me find free yarn in my area, that would be so helpful. Because there's nothing I'd rather do than tune out and crochet most of the time and sell it for myself and others.

Please talk to me about how we can work together to help these precious people!!! I need to do more

@monstermashpotato @sylvianritual @gazavetters @determinate-negation @dlxxv-vetted-donations

@gaza-evacuation-funds @gazagfmboost @fly-sky-high-09 @90-ghost @nabulsi @halalchampagnesocialist @huzni @hussyknee @notallmensheviks @neechees @fuckyeahmarxismleninism @fayruz0-blog @gothhabiba @radicalgraff @marxism-transgenderism @marxist-lesbianism @voyagerprobe @workersolidarity @cheezbot @gayspacemonk @bogleech @slitherbop @butchniqabi

I guess I just need to work on my small business... Idek if I'm even helping by reblogging all this stuff, I'm just spending hours a day spreading stuff around to other people who can't really donate. I just seem to be wasting people's time who are going through genocide, I might even be only adding to their suffering. I don't know if I have the moral fibre to do this work, idk I just seem to cause bad things to happen to myself and everyone around me by dedicating so much time to reblogs instead of just securing an income, paying my bills, and being content to give a "reasonable" portion to genocide relief. I can't do that, I have to give all or most of myself but then I'm just a burden to my roommate and others. Or going all out and doing something really big that could really bring in the money they need

I'm sick but people need me

I guess what I'm seeing here is that I need to switch gears to working on crochet more and that will help me be able to help people and it will also be better for my mental health. I'll work on getting the supplies I need to continue. But idk I'll come back to this later and figure it out.

Thank you for listening I wish I could just let my brain scream to death but like people need me to keep it together so I can actually help but I'm at a loss as to how to help

I'll do it gxddammit I'll fucking get it done I'll crochet for this and it will make a difference and I don't have to suspend happiness until this is over I have to maintain some of that light of happiness within. It's not all on me we are working together

Hey 🩷 So I wanted to let people know that I am safe now. I'm back on my most necessary meds, I've applied for SNAP and general assistance, and I'm feeling stronger after having some more success promoting campaigns.

We are living during multiple holocausts. I take comfort in doing the work. We're making a difference in people's lives.

Thank you for helping me keep my head up. Let's keep going.

[millenianthemums]

there’s not much i can do to make a difference in the world. but sometimes when i try, i’m able to bring a little joy to other people by being kind and whimsical. so i’m gonna focus in on that. i’m gonna do my best to make the parts of the world that i can change a little bit better.

if i’m gonna do that, i need to be nicer to myself and not obsess as much over things i can’t control. i’m gonna try to spend less time scrolling on here. i’m gonna use this blog mostly for my art and writing and less as a collection of reblogs, like i’ve been wanting to pivot to for a while. i’ll still reblog stuff, but i can never really scroll these days without seeing things that scare me, so i’m mostly just gonna try to clean out my likes.

anyway. i love you all very much. i am not going anywhere. i swear to god i am going to outlive that miserable man and you better do the same

[queengiuliettafirstlady]

Love Booth Challenge

Love Booth for underrated characters.

Ikemen version

Hello and welcome to my first challenge. I am proud to present to you the Love Booth challenge, a month long exploration of love for the underrated characters of the Ikemen games.

General Rules

Works and art of all forms are welcome! Fanarts, fanfics, headcanons, moodboards, playlists and everything you can manage to think of is included. 

Limited to Ikemen fandoms and to certain suitors, due to popularity of some characters more than others I have decided to host a challenge exclusively for the less appreciated.

I had this idea since forever what took me so long to post it was the creations of the prompts I created in association with my lovely friend MO @xxsycamore.

I did my best to include most of the less loved characters from the Ikemen games exclusively with an English version.

That said if you think about other less popular characters, belonging to one of these games or to other Ikemen games that are not out in English yet, You are allowed to use these prompts as inspiration.

The main focus is to show love to characters not so loved by the fandom/game all year around without limit for this reason I won't make a masterlist.

When posting your works, use the tag #love booth challenge - you can as well tag me @queengiuliettafirstlady in your posts! It will help find other creations for those interested to check them out.

Posting to other sites is allowed - as long as you mention the challenge and its creators.

Reblogs are appreciated!

Content Rules

This challenge features a list of prompts, and dialogue prompts which you can match to your liking, if you want to. You can create more than one work for the same prompt, too!

Under the cut, you will find the prompts linked to the characters included in the challenge, that can be mixed up with prompts from other challenges happening around the fandom in the same month.

Any additional rules are up to the artists. You are free to choose the rating (make sure to mark your NSFW works accordingly, and if you’re minor, make sure not to interact with such!), and also the genre (the challenge’s main focus is romantic love, but it is not obligatory for your work to be of such genre), all characters and ships included are up to you (OCs, character x MC, character x character, etc.)

You’re free to take requests from your audience using these prompt lists, again please make sure to mention the challenge and its creator.

You’re absolutely free to post your works for this challenge whenever you feel like.

The final and most important rule is to have fun and not pressure yourself about full completion of the challenge. Do only as many works as you wish! :)

Here is a free-to-use banner/header for the challenge!

If you have any additional questions, I’ll be happy to help. There is no such thing as a stupid question, so don’t hesitate to get in contact with us! I wish you happy creating!

THE LISTS

Ikemen Vampire

Dazai - Storyteller - A walk under the cherry trees.

Jean - Monster - "I am not worthy of love."

Mozart - Music - "You are my muse."

Sebastian - Secrets - "My composure is an act."

Shakespeare - Bard - A poem for my lover

Faust - Alchemy - "Behave for me."

Charles - Obsession - "I wish we could stay like this forever."

Isaac - Scholar - "I don't understand people at all ... yet I found myself quite curious to know everything about you."

Ikemen Prince

Keith - Duality - "Trust me."

Luke - Bear - "I will protect you."

Jin - Sweets - "All I need is our love."

Rio - Pet - "I will love you always and forever."

Sariel - Discipline - "It will do good to remember I am quite a strict tutor."

Nokto - Facade - "Were the truth lies ?"

Licht - Scar - "No matter what I do this scars will not heal, but your presence made me forget about them."

Yves - Fashion - "Would you like to get ready together ?"

Ikemen Revolution

Zero - Identity - "I am human because of you."

Harr - Magic - "I only want to keep you safe."

Loki - Abandonment - Seeking comfort on a rainy night.

Blanc - Gentleman - "Do you remember what I warned you about when you came in Cradle?"

Mousse - Dreams - "You are the subject of my dreams. I want to know even more about you."

Dean - Strict - Stern gaze softening upon an endearing sight.

Dalim - Flirt - "You shouldn't have trusted me."

Oliver - Creativity - "The best part about my creations is seeing you smile."

Ikemen Sengoku

Kennyo - Revenge - "You make me feel complete with your love."

Ranmaru - Loyalty - "I will always be there for you."

Sasuke - Companion - Fanning over the fanboy.

Mitsunari - Knowledge - "Let me take care of you."

Yoshimoto - Beauty - Admiring art together.

Kanetsugu - Strategy - "I found quite difficult to keep my composure when you are around."

Hideyoshi - Devotion - "You're my number one priority."

Ieyasu - Teacher - Collecting herbs together.

Once again Have fun and Happy Creating! I can't wait to see all your creations. 🧡💟💌🤗

[spork-supremacy]

saw a post about how cliquey the fandom can be, can’t find it for the life of me to reblog but thought I’d share some observations I’ve had over the years of basically being a ghost on here. Granted this is less on behaviour and more on how we can section ourselves naturally.

I find that the bigger the fandom the easier it is for it to get divided into little subsections, especially if it has a lot of content in season variation, characters, and location. Ninjago is a very big prime example of this with around 17 seasons, 2 specials and the pilots, many with themes attached to them. there’s a lot that you could cling onto and make it your one big focus on the show.

It also has a giant cast especially when you include roles that are either small or season specific, once I just tried to see how many I could name alone from memory and I got a little over sixty and I’m sure there’s more. When it comes to location we don’t have too much in mainland Ninjago that begs to be further explored considering most people we actually take notice in live in the main city. But add in the 15 other realms and we have a whole host of interesting locations to explore.

To circle back to characters we also have a lot in our main cast, with a standard of six ninja, now three students, and if you still want to count Pixal, Misako and Wu because you are in denial, and Garmadon’s two season stint in the title sequence, we have 13 who’s been included in the main cast at some point , creating multiple dynamics we can work with and latch onto.for me personally I have always gravitated to the Jay focused side of the fandom because that was where I was most comfortable, looking over character studies, art, headcanons, general Jaya stuff because I have a favourite ship dammit, and skybound analysis because despite how strange of a season it was it was also somehow my comfort season, my favourite one I dare say. I admit it was mainly because I didn’t really think about themes and subtext back in the day and just always loved a romance heavy season of anything. I was simple sue me.

But now I love it because as much as I don’t wish to admit it I can see a lot of myself in early seasons Jay, not necessarily a good thing but watching him grow out of specific negative behaviours helped me to do so myself. With the season itself it’s just fun to pick it apart and notice what exactly was so off to me when I was younger.

And something like this can apply to everyone in the fandom, which is why they stick to their own corners, because that’s where they’re most comfortable. They may stick to a character like Lloyd because he has a lot of angst attached to him to play around with, or someone like dare that because he’s a completely comedic character and prime for crack scenarios, or Nya because of her journey of self discovery. There are definitely still people obsessing over SOG or TOE, or possession. And what I do see is people happy to share their thoughts on their own “fixation season” as I call it.

This is at least how I sort pretty much all media in my own brain and I think it’s kinda neat how the internet can work like it. With a whole branching system that if you take certain doors can have you starting off in the surface entirety of the show to looking over really obscure details like how much the word wish is used every season (great post if you can find it).

this definitely became way more in depth than expected but this is what I have noticed. I very much like how much the internet aligns with my thinking patterns and the imaginatory map of my brain.

Now I just need to figure out if this is neurotypical behaviour .

[dokidokitsuna]

...I just remembered I wanted to make my own statement on the AI thing. ^^;

So you've probably heard, but in case you haven't: Tumblr just sold out everyone's data to the AI trash compactors, they probably did it long before they gave us the option to opt out, and even if you do opt out they're probably still taking and using your work anyway (telling people to opt out instead of actually asking for their permission is already scummy business practice, but when it comes to AI it's functionally meaningless. :/ It's always "well, we're telling them not to use these people's data and we're hoping they'll be nice and go along with it" with no regulations or consequences if they decide to just steal everything indiscriminately...)

Despite that, I am not leaving Tumblr anytime soon. I'm looking into other sites*, but at this moment in time, I have nowhere else to go. ^^; Besides, I still like it here. When I left DeviantArt I was already getting sick of the place, having my art stolen regularly by "fans" and paradoxically getting less and less interest in my work over time. By the time the devs turned the website into eye-blinding slop with Eclipse, I was more than ready to move on.

But I still enjoy using Tumblr. I like writing long text posts that no one would bother to read anywhere else, I like answering asks, and I like the unique sense of humor and style among the users here. ^^ It would take a lot to force me out.

Also, I can take a little solace in the fact that AI-bros do not value "low-quality" art like mine. ^^; If messy cel-shaded sketches with visible pixels ever become popular, then I'll worry, but for now I think it's highly unlikely that anyone will want to wholesale regurgitate my art. If anything, I think prioritizing it in their datasets would only make them worse...and on that note, if you do have "high quality" detailed/painterly/semi-realistic art that would be targeted, I'd recommend 'poisoning' it with Nightshade/Glaze. Although I heard a rumor a while back that AI is "building immunity" to Nightshade and already learning to work around it, but I'm really hoping that was just a wishful lie from the trash compactors themselves. I haven't heard it repeated since then, so I think it's still worth a shot. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So anyway, like the post I reblogged said, I think the best thing we can do now is to make it clear that WE DON'T WANT AI ART. We don't care how easy it'll be to instantly generate thousands of hours of mindless 'content' to look at; we don't want it. Since regulation is lagging so far behind (wanna know why Disney's copyright hounds didn't shut this down on sight? Most likely, they're hoping to profit from it down the line) the only way to fight this right now is with individual litigation and consumer demand.

Don't support projects made with AI**; don't hate-watch them or spotlight them. Focus your energy on the millions of human artists who are still here, and need your support now more than ever.

*I've heard people mention moving to Twitter and/or Artstation: fam, you're jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. ^^;;; IIRC, Arstation was one of the FIRST art sites to start flirting with AI, and Twitter has been selling off its users' data for several months already. Go there if you must, but don't go under the impression that it's "safer".

**Please keep a cool head when discussing AI art, and keep in mind that it used to mean something other than "mass theft". Artists have and still do create AI tools that are built on limited data sets with permission/compensation, that are used to aid them in their work and encourage human artistry (Vocaloids and DAW's, for instance) rather than stamp it out. Until a specific word evolves into popular use for exploitative AI, we're kinda stuck with this confusion, so remember to get the facts before you speak out.

P.S. Praying every night that this is a dumb fad that will soon die and go to the same hell as NFTs. >_< Praying every morning that the influx of AI art into its own datasets will eventually corrupt itself and make it useless. >_< >_< Praying every afternoon for both at once! >_< >_< >_< Like to charge, reblog to cast, all that

[shipcestuous]

Valentine's Day Challenge/Event

Unfortunately, at Christmas I didn't have the time to make our incest Christmas movie event happen - hopefully happening Christmas 2024! - but there was some discussion about doing something for Valentine's Day instead. I'm not going to call it a contest because I don't want it to be a competition, but it would have the general vibe of a contest, in the sense that people will be encouraged to create and submit. More of a challenge, I guess.

Here's my idea for the event:

Participants will create content [in the medium(s) of their choice] based on a prompt, and then submit it to my blog or send me a link to a rebloggable tumblr post. I'll post the submissions into a specific tag for the event (this tag). (And I'll try to be very timely about this and check my inbox every day.) The plan will be to have all submissions in by February 13th (but I'll still post late submissions, of course), but as I said, there won't be a winner. Submissions can be anonymous, using a nickname, using your username, or whatever you want.

This is what I was thinking for the prompt, which can be for original characters or characters from popular media, as long as it's an incestuous relationship:

Not Together Yet - How the incest pairing of your choice ended up on a date on Valentine's Day. The general idea is that they're not an established couple and this happened accidentally or through a series of unforeseen circumstances. Or it's not supposed to be a date, but by the end of the night it basically was one. Not a date but totally a date.

Established Couple - How the planned romantic date of the incest pairing of your choice ended up going awry and they ended up doing something completely different but still romantic in the end.

(Fantasy/historical settings are welcome to pretend like Valentine's Day exists more or less like it does in the present-day real world, or to create an equivalent holiday. Or to use an anniversary.)

Hopefully those prompts make sense and are sparking ideas already.

Other Guidelines:

Must focus on a pairing of familial/related characters, who either are already together or aren't together yet but eventually will be/will want to be (whether or not that falls within the events of the submission) = shippy content. Stepcest, cousins, etc. all fine - no restrictions on that.

Submissions can take any form that addresses the prompt - plot summary, fic or ficlet, art, mood board or collage, art, graphics/edits, poem, fanvid, playlist, etc. I assume a typical submission will be a description of events based on the prompt, similar to a movie synopsis, and an accompanying image, but it doesn't have to be that.

You can make multiple submissions if you want to.

No NSFW images or anything that is in conflict with Tumblr's rules. Anything questionable, controversial, risky, or potentially offensive will likely not be posted for the sake of the blog.

The entire submission has to be contained within a single tumblr post. But double posting is fine - put it on AO3 or whatever you want.

I can also create the post myself if you provide me with the content, especially if you're having trouble submitting. (And I believe if you use an incognito browser you should be able to submit anonymously.)

I wanted to have my own submission ready when I posted this, but it's not quite there yet.

What do you guys think? I'll make a second promotional post in a few days that is less long-winded and will be better for reblogging. I imagine this will be a small event, but it will be fun to have even a few to browse through.

I'm definitely interested in suggestions for something low-key that doesn't involve a lot of moderation/facilitation for the future. (And if anyone wants to take on something more ambitious, or a fic-a-thon, I would be happy to step aside and support and promote it.)

[megamagimugi]

Hey there, my friend! I saw you reblogging an artist ask game, so please allow me to make you a few questions 🥰

How about 2, 12 (I'm interested if you're willing to share!), 15 and 25? 💖

Sure thing, my friend!

Based on this:

2. How long have you been drawing?

Short answer: for as long as I can remember.

Long answer: I drew a lot as a kid (fun fact: I used to make quick uncolored pencil drawings to tell stories, kinda like storyboards; I would do it for hours and use so much paper that my parents eventually told me to draw on both sides😅). The fact that my older sister was very good at drawing - and I was very competitive - also motivated me to work hard and try to get as good as her. Then I drew less often in high school and in my first college since I had less time and was focused on schoolwork, and then started doing it more often again as I now study graphic design and would like to maybe become an animator if possible - the dream job of my childhood that I gave up on too early. When it comes to digital art specifically... I got my tablet, the very same one I use to this day (Wacom Intuos 4), for Christmas when I was about 15 or 16. Because it was so hard for me to learn how to draw digitally, and like I said I soon started spending less time drawing in general, sometimes I didn't use my tablet for long periods of time. That, of course, eventually changed into using it nearly every day.

12. Is it okay for people to ask you about your process?

Yes, it's okie dokie to ask!

...Or did you mean you wanted to know right now?

In which case, well, it depends on the medium and the specific piece since I don't always do my art the same way. Generally in digital art, for the characters I like to do a rough sketch first, then either a cleaner sketch or lineart (I rarely bother to do both, even in animation - unless my initial rough animation is like... really rough and basic, just to get the feel of the motion). Then I do flat colors, often on separate layers, and then shade/render each part. Or I do the whole character minus the sketch on one layer, it really depends. For example, I did Mario and Luigi both on one layer in my Brothership repaint/wallpaper, other that the yellow glow on their hands. For backgrounds... it really depends, but I usually build them up layer after layer, from general shapes to details, like a normal painting. Of course, I use some sort of sketch for most of them too, unless I don't need it because the BG is very simple or abstract. If I don't want my sketch to be visible, I basically just remove it and refine the parts that look bad without it, sometimes adding some brush strokes imitating lineart in some places. Happens to both characters and backgrounds. I use different brushes to create different effects, but in the majority of my works I've been sharing on here, I only really use a hard round pressure opacity brush for both the final sketch and rendering.

15. How long does an average piece take you to complete?

This one is always tricky to answer (yes, I've been asked this before by some classmates). Uh, several hours? It's really hard to tell exactly simply because I rarely just sit down and complete a whole piece in one go. Unless it's just a simple sketch/doodle. So in reality my average pieces often take me a few days.

25. Do you like to draw in silence, or with music?

There's one piece of advice in Richard Williams' fantastic book The Animator's Survival Kit that I don't think I'll ever be able to heed. It's this one:

Sorry but no, I do almost everything with music. It makes things more enjoyable and ironically makes it easier to focus in the long run. So, definitely drawing with music💯😁

Thank you so much for the ask, @silenzahra!😊

[hssprimefan]

New Start Poster Art Analysis

Mac @ih8harley

Louie @triciabeloved

Blair @hsslilly-blog

I think it’s really cool how everyone interperates this moment.

Edit: changed Mac’s pronouns to she/her based on ih8harley’s tags

Mac, with the most horrified expression, is drowning in red light coming from the poster in her hand.

Louie looks more betrayed, posters and writing more chaotically arranged, and the environment is blurring around him as his world makes less sense now.

Blair is also hurt but, despite receiving the most violent slogan (guillotine! wtf Ace!), they only let their face show sadness and concern as they ask “why are they doing this to me Ace?”

But the really crucial similarity to me is how all 3 pictures only show MC and the hate they’re receiving.

Why are you alone?

This is not a criticism. All 3 captured the feelings of the MC incredibly well. You do feel alone. And I think Mac and Louie are at this specific point in the story.

But even here your friends are chasing after you. You are not alone.

At school one day, Autumn, Payton and Julian are all blocking the bulletin board very obviously cause they’re not good at subtlety.

And they continue to try dismissing New Start after you see it. Julian literally destroys if for you

But it doesn’t matter now. The people want you gone. You won’t listen to anyone trying to reassure you. You’re dealing with this alone.

And now Ace is the only one you trust to help you instead of comfort.

You really are alone

It’s so cool to me how everyone independently made this same artistic choice to omit the friends, zoom in and isolate their MCs because that’s their headspace and the focus of the pieces!

It’s so good! Everyone here is so talented!!! Like I feel so lucky to be on tumblr and share this game with you

And of course im interpreting these artworks, but we might have different views on the pictures like we all do on the scene itself. I’d love to hear other thoughts

Also reblog with other examples of this, cause I might not have found everything. Especially cause you’re not necessarily going to tag Ace in one of these.

[nightsdreamgates]

NiGHTS Into Dreamgates — Ask Blog focused on NiD content * .

" Welcome dreamer, I am your main host and owner of this blog, Tyloon, but you can call me shortly as Ty. My purpose is to bring your dreams to truth, answering requests from my ask box, posting headcanons and unique characters from my still work in progress Alternative Universe called NiGHTS Into Dreamgates (NiDG); With more I can give, such as drawings, doodles to the most detailed and colourized ones. But for your dreams to be fulfilled, I require your attention to conduct this blog's Terms of Service, like rules of what you can and what not. Please take this seriously, if none of the details from it does not satisfy your desires, then I reccomend for you to leave and even block me. Nonetheless, make it fair for both of us, as well for fun. Let's start this with a small Introduction, you can skip it anytime you wish. "

Quick Intro. 🌙

• Host's Personal Info:

— Name & Alias: Tyloon, Ty and Tyla;

– Age: 19 years old;

— Gender & Pronouns: Cisgender . She/Her;

– Nationality: Brazillian;

— Hobbies: Digital Art, Writting and Singer;

– Favorite Characters: Reala, NiGHTS, Claris, Elliot, Wizeman and Puffy.

Terms of Service (ToS). 🎶

[1]. Theft V.S Inspiration:

• I do not consent by the idea or the action of having my ideas, requests and drawings taken — even if is a repost, with no credits — without my awareness.

• Rather choose having my posts kept in my blog, reblogs and notes are always welcomed, what I do not accept is people taking my artwork and writting as their property; If I find any residues of you using my work for their own benefits, you'll be instantly blocked and reported.

• About taking inspiration about my artworks and writtings, I am fine with it, and no need to ask for it, just by you crediting or mentioning me, already satisfies me.

[2]. NSFW & Illegal Content or Demeanor:

• The highest I will settle my content is 16+ only. There won't be hardcore smut written fanfiction or headcanons about explicit scenarios of each characters. For I create a 18+ only content, I might create a separated blog for it, making this blog more open for everyone.

• What's gonna be in the 16+ content will surround more graphic details that people around this age range and older can tolerate; Such as violence, angst, serious topics (with content warning obviously) and spicy scenarios with no explicit details into it.

• I want to keep my blog safe and comfortable for people around that age range (or even less), I will not accept sensitive topics such as: Non-Con, S_uicide, P_edophilia, C_aniballism and other heavy topics.

• Please be respectful and mindful about this, I will ignore any ask requests or even uncomfortable comments about the characters. This is supposed to be a safe haven for all users who wants to interact and make questions from this fun content. Anyone who tries to enforce this behaviour onto me will be blocked and reported.

[3]. Drama, Harassment & Awareness:

• I ain't no saint, as I myself ended up reblogging and ending up spreading some drama over my blog, but it was never for a stupid reason. Is not even drama from the context behind it, as my behaviour and intentions always surrounded in confronting the user.

• It will not be repeated, not even encouraged or accepted in my blog; Do not send hateful comments towards anyone from my personal space or trying to bring myself into trouble. This can include with people who wants to confront me for any reason.

• My goal is to focus in writting and sharing my fixation over this blog, anyone who want to condone this behaviour here, will be blocked and reported for their actions.

• Now what I will mainly do is tag some posts that is in or out of the topic or from this fandom to spread awareness; Either being about problematic users to posts to help people from their situations.

[4]. Opinions V.S Critics V.S Suggestions:

• I've never really cared about small opinions or share of different views; I'm a open minded person, even if I disagree I will still take little time to read and look into your perspective.

• My breaking point is when people reach to criticize me, invalidate my own views and opinions, also wanting to enforce their beliefs onto my headcanons and work. I appreaciate sharing ideas, but now wanting to assume what's right or wrong (especially if I made clear in my explanations) what I should do on my works, all because I identify a character differently from yours, is getting too far.

• A good example I can give, from NiGHTS fandom, is the gender debate about the characters, here's a note: NiGHTS and Reala are both genderless creatures, including the rest of the nightmarens and other dream creatures, despite that they are aware what gender is, they all are featured by "default", so viewers can have their own perspectives on the characters in game.

• I am open for suggestions and opinions that are REALLY necessary for my AU, writting and drawing improvement. Any "critical constructive opinions" about my work as a way to mock or enforce your headcanons onto mine, will be ignored. Please be respectful.

[5]. Racism, Xenophibia and Transphobia:

• This should be a common sense, don't be racist, xenophobic or transphobic in my asks OR posts. And if you want to become political, please at least be political to share awareness (re-read rule #3) about serious circumstances, not because I interpretate NiGHTS as a androgynous guy and Reala as a buff masculine leaned woman.

[6]. All my work is FICTIONAL and FANMADE:

• Obviously not going to write bad down horrid topics because I am against of it, I am putting this here to make it clear that my own interpretations, my own beliefs/headcanons put around characters and AU and everything I do with the characters are FAN-MADE and FICTIONAL.

• Do not associate my work, especially if I share content warning that relate to some realistic topics such as war or violence, with the real world or my own behaviour; All I do about it is to bring reflection, depth and a philosophy behind. If I do end up getting inspired by real events, I always make sure to not base it disrespectfully and making it unique yet meaningful.

• Also what I write about the characters, headcanons or those about my AU, majority of them are fanmade, not canonical, so please check and don't use my artistic interpretations as a wikipedia of informations about the character that are not identified or confirmed as canon.

[7]. Mutuals, Collaboration & Share:

• As a human being myself, I have my own life and group of friends; I am fine into making new friends, create mutuals or equals.

• Collabs, either art or writting, I am totally down to it! So if you're looking for someone to write with or draw, please ask me.

• I am fine if we share stories together or ideas, debating and talking about theories are always fun and I want to put this here to acknowledge that is fine if you want to talk about it on asks.

• Now my DMs are open to only those I follow, if you want to talk with me, please make sure to ask and wait patiently while I think about it.

ASK General Info. 🔮

[1]. Crossovers

• The fandoms I am open to do Crossovers with NiGHTS Into Dreams are BWW, Kirby or any popular midia that I am in; Besides that, if I don't know about the midia you're asking to do crossover with NiD/JoD then I will reject it and let you know about it.

[2]. NiGHTS Content ONLY

• Will not write headcanons for other fandoms singularly, at maximum, only do crossovers with NiGHTS Into Dreams; I'll not make exceptions.

[3]. Open Requests for OCS

• Writting and drawing requests are open for now, I can write content for your OCs, such as OC x Canon, quick ideas or headcanons for your OCS (from the information you share to me about your character) and I can draw them if you'd wish, but do not expect super detailed or a quick answer for these requests.

[4]. AU Content

• My most popular AU content from my blog is Swap!NiD AU and NiDG, a AU that explores the worldbuilding of Nightopia and Nightmera along with a deeper story and navigation within the knowledge about human's conscience, inconscience and dreams. I will write and draw contents of my AU along with my original characters.

[5]. NxR shipp & Others

• Okay, this one will be bit long and taken bit personally, but I will be clear; I don't care really if you do not see as siblings or as siblings, to me, in both contexts, NiGHTS and Reala will ever be rivals and twin-complex characters. The whole excuse that they are created to serve by a deity as powerful beings and not to be created as children to them, sound pretty vague to me as I view they see eachother as extreme opposite counterparts that always end up in a certain conflict or misunderstanding. Either way so, I will not attend requests for NiGHTS x Reala content, please respect this. This also includes any other shipp like Wizeman x NiGHTS or Reala, NiGHTS or Reala x Visitors, etc...

Extra / Others. 💜

[1]. NFT and AI content

• To make it very clear, I am against any AI content that involves stealing data and artistic styles and identity from other artists without consent; This includes users of NFT (which I am surprised they still exist) stealing other people art's to send as NFT merchandise. Do not take my art or use my content for AI test and generation for your own benefits.

[2]. Scam or Baits

• Using my content or posts to promote suspicious links or works, you'll be reported. Very simple. I will make sure to spread awareness to my viewers if anyone tries to scam me or others from Tumblr.

[3]. Don't be afraid

• Despite the rules and everything here, if scared you, don't worry, as long you just want to ask something silly or pretty safe, you'll fine to go! I made these rules and fixed everything so I can make my blog updated and more organized.

⭐`. * —

* . • ° . , ' Thank you for reading — For any questions or doubt please send me a ask °. * , `

[spotaus]

💙Pinned Post 💙

Hey folks! I'm Spotty/Spot/Spotaus, I'm an artist just doin' art things! I go by any pronouns (<- nb/a-gender/general gender tom-foolery. When in doubt, go with they/them) and I'm ace. I've got this side-blog running for UTMV posts I wanna reblog, as well as my personal art for old/ongoing projects!

If ya want to see my art, check #Spot!Drawn

Yes, I do take Requests, and they are Open

This blog is a Side Account! If you are followed by @spotlightstudios that is me! We might be mutuals, but it only shows properly on my end :')

[Info about Projects, AUs, and OCs below the cut!]

Projects:

If you see me posting about these, they're personal projects! (Usually a solo-act, but a few have co-creators.)

#Eternal Ashes is a 2nd Gen story about the ship-children of the Multiverse! Kane, elder son of Reaper and Geno, is killed in a battle between the Star Sanses and Night's Gang. This send the multiverse into a forced truce to avoid more crossfire killing, and Reaper's wrath... Only, Reset, Reaper and Geno's younger son, isn't satisfied with his brother's death. He and Orchid (daughter of Error and Nightmare) team up to bring Kane back to life, and end up settling into motion a multiverse-wide murder spree that spans years.

#DoppleTale is an AU I finally brought to existence recently. The monsters of the underground are all shapeshifters who fed on human flesh, until they were locked away in the mountain. With Humans becoming rarer by the day the monsters feast on Monster Candy and practice desperately to perfect their human disguises (which only get worse the less they remember what humans look like). <- This story is #Pretender!Sans 's origin au!

#Catacombtale is the oldest remaining AU that I have. It follows the story of a Human Hero who is sent to the catacombs of Mt. Ebbott to face the gods trapped within. Of course, sone if the gods are helpful, others can't forgive humanity for dethroning them. (Most of the story is pre-entrapment lore, with worldbuilding and a focus on #Ichor!Sans, my special-est tired old immortal guy who loves mortals more than he should on every given occassion.)

#Ec-4o.verse is a multiverse world (kingdomtale style?) where the earth, in a stage of Robot/Monster/Human co-existance suddenly went into a war. It wiped out a lot of people and places, and sent the world into chaos. Ec4o.verse follows Blue, a young mechanic (Techie) who's skilled in the old ways of robot repair and creation, uncovering the secrets of what started the war he's known all his life. (<- This one is both my pfp, and I draw dustedafterdeath for it pretty regularly.)

#DreamEater AU A self-indulgent Fresh × Dream fic where Dream is hit by an attack during battle that paralyzes his body. But never fear! Your trusty parasite was looking for a new host anyways! Fresh bites into Dream's soul and then realizes he will never run out of magic, so he just sticks around! Pilots Dream's body while also helping him through his Savior Complex trauma! You can also find info under the tag #Tulpa as that is their combined name/identity towards the end of the story.

#New Age AU An au inspired by Real Age AU by @ancha-aus that is set in a land of kings and queens. Night, tyrant ruler of the land, accompanied by his loyal band of murderous knights, finds himself back at Age 13, the Age he was when he first ate the apple of prophecy. Without the power, he's struggling to keep his twin at a safe distance + maintain control. (Very much Found Family here :])

The New Age Masterpost can be found here.

#Timeless AU A story of the underground. What if Dr. Gaster was alive? And living? And raised Sans and Papyrus? And Revived Asriel successfully? And was madly in love with Asgore, and got w/ him after Toriel left? Yeah, it answers all these questions. Basically, Gaster is an unintentional father to all the beloved cast in the Underground, and Asriel grows up with Sans and Paps as brothers.

Then, of course, there's my persona, N!

Yes, I do takes requests (They're currently open! Send me an Ask w/ an AU, Oc (<-with ref), or UTDR character!) but I don't always actually complete them. Motivation as a uni student is few and far between.

If you see this skeleton around, it's just my insert! N (in reflection of me) goes by she/they/he pronouns and is a menace. Most often you'll see doodles of her with my oc Ichor, Killer, or my moots personas (such as Ancha!).

And for the record:

Yes, you can draw my ocs. I don't think anyone would, but you're welcome to if you get the urge! Just, be sure to tag me! (And obviously don't claim them as your own. That'd be shitty.)

Yes, I do chat. I'm a very anxious person, tho. If you start a conversation or tag response or smth, I'll be ecstatic!

This blog is (as far as I know) going to remain SFW. I don't intend on reblogging nor creating graphic content, especially not of these god damn skeletons, so this is more or less a safe space 👍

[thelunarsystemwrites]

Looooong ass vent

TW for: Self hate. Lots of swearing. Use of not nice words. Eating disorders, purging, self harm, suicide, rants, venting, tons of triggers, dissociation, lying, all caps, me whining, me being a bitch, mistreatment, body shaming, hateful stuff, mental illness, all that- like seriously this has more TWs than I can think of. .

I'm a jealous person. I'm sorry, it's true. I'm jealous when other people have art that gets 40, 50, more notes. I get jealous when my friends have better friends than I ever could be. I get jealous of song writers because damnit please I want to make music. I get jealous of others art,voices, bodies. I get so jealous I get mad at nothing over nothing. I get jealous at others art styles, at other success, i get jealous at my own FRIENDS wow I'm awful

I'm selfish. I'm greedy because I can't just- be fucking happy with what i do have. I can't be patient to get better at drawing, better at recording my voice, more freedom. I am never satisfied, I'm a fucking whore for any sort of love and attention and likes and reblogs. You hear me? I'm, a, whore.

And I'm fucking awful because I can't take criticism for shit, I get so fucking unhappy at it and I lie and I say I'm happy to receive it. I lie all the time like this, I'm a dishonest whore, that's worse than a normal whore! I get so bent out of shape!

And I want to make it big in the Tumblr community BUT FUCK IT BECAUSE I NEVER FOCUS ON ONE THING

M so impatient

And when I talk to my friends I-

I forget all that. I calm down, I feel... wanted.

But I'm burdening them. I'm burdening them I'm burdening them I'm I'm fucking selfish and horrible because they give and give and give and I take like a needy selfish greedy whore.

AND I DON'T SHUT UP, I'm sorry I'm sorry I never shut up

...I'm... awful. And... I shouldn't keep posting shit like this, because nobody should have to read my rambling and shit and I'm overreacting and I want to die and

Im useless irl BTW. I've been nothing but a stupid moody bitch the past two weeks, I stay up all night doing nothing and wake up at 5 pm like a useless piece of human shit that should burn in the garbage

I keep forgetting who I am, who is talking too

Im sooooooooo uselessssssssssss

Its fucking because I think my family would be happier if I didn't exist. Because that'd be one less stupid moody bitch that can't do anything and hides in their room all day that they have to deal with

Im lazy I get apathetic I have no motivation to do anything and I don't cry at sad movies like a broken robot and everything about me is wrong

And my father wanted a daughter so fucking badly, but I'm not a girl I'm nothing and he'd be so mad if I ever told him

And BTW I'm literally awful like I've run out of things I'm a jealous whore

M a whore because all tye time I think of stupid sexual stuff and then I feel disgusted I'm disgusting I barely take showers

I'm pathetic btw I never finish anything I start I have so many half assed AUs and drafts and fanfics and art and chores and needs and shit

and I sit in my room all day and play on my phone like a fucking loser. Im also really stupid btw, I don't know half the shit I'm supposed too and I can't spell shit or know history AND I HAVE THE ABILITY TO LEARN BUT IM SUCH A STUPID FUCKING BITCH I NEVER DO ANYTHING

I'm also a hypocrite because I get so snappy and shit with my siblings when they do nothing wrong except be annoying or something but when I feel justified I shouldn't because I'm still a shitty person

I barely reach out to my friends unless they text first, I'm a horrible friend that never listens I'm sorry I'm sorry I never meant to abandon anyone

And I can't take blame or accountability I'm sorry I am shit why do I keep trying to hide behind myself??

Its past 6 am,people are statving and in here venting like a bitch

I never shut up

I Bother people

i sleep in and I'm moody and I demand attention like a whore whose demanding love idfk

I never know anything, I'm rude as hell

Im sorry

and I'm protective over shit nobody cares about, I'm so damn defensive

Im sorry I'm not doing better I'm sorry I'm not improving myself. I'm so mad at myself I have so much anger at myself I direct it at innocent people I'm sorry

I HAVE NO EXCUSES, IM SO FUCKING SELF AWARE OF THIS BUT I KEEP DOING IT KM SO DAMN FHCKONG DUM IM LUTERALLY COUNTING HOW MANY WORDS OF SELF HSTE

Its justified BTW, i deserve hate

I feel like I'm lying abt being a system and artistic and depressed and anxiety like what I'd I just suddenly decided I had them?? I swear I promise I'm not faking I'm not I don't want to lie I want to be good I never meant to hurt anyone BUT I FEEL LIKE IM A FAKING BITCH

I binge food and throw it up, I hide food like a greedy pig just to purge I take others food because I'm so gluttonous and I LIE about it

and I vent and vent and vent and... and I still hate myself

I'm so fucking manipulative because anytime I talk I CSNT STOP IMSGING HOW THE CONVERSATION WILL GO, I CANT STOP TRYONG TO FUCKING GET MY WAY IRL, AHHGHGBTIDDHDH I ALEATS ACT LIKE I KNOW EVERYTHING WHEN I DONT and I purposefully annoy my siblings so they leave thr kitchen so I can binge like a fat pig, I'm a hypocrite too in every aspect. I'm toxic ok im awful

I s/h and then i forget about it so its not even a problem but I whine like it is and I want to do it so badly rn I wanna go deep

AND I RUINED MYSELF WITH UGLY SCATS they're so ugly like me inside and out

And I wanna cry and

and I'm so awful because like I get so... idk, I am. I've done shifty things, I'm a shit person. I act sweet than a condescending little bitch

and sometimes the smallest things set me off

Im jealous of everyone else

Hell I'm fucking jealous of people I've never met, I want so much so badly I'm so greedy and lustful for it and selfish

In... conclusion? The world, would, be, better, without, me

I'm useless, lazy, stupid, jealous, slutty, angry, sad, pitiful, pathetic, fat looking, no good child, moody, stereotypical, ugly, hateful, chatter box, greedy, selfish. Gluttonous, messy, dirty. I'm all the bad stuff

Dont lie, these are facts. I have so much awful in me, the world wpuld be better off without me

[eonweweek]

🚀 RULES:

Have fun! 🤩

This event should not be the vehicle to characters hate, bigotry, racism, transphobia and other less savoury behaviours. This is a safe event for lgbtqia+ people and behaviours reflecting any type of threats against this community will be blocked without any tolerance. it’s 2024, get over yourself.

Nsfw / dark content / dead dove are accepted but should be tagged properly.

No AI generated works will be accepted, including ai generated art, writing, photo manipulation etc.

Prompts are here as a general guidance, you are free to interpret them as you want.

Respect other users’ entries. If something is not to your liking, simply scroll down. it is that easy.

Tag your entry with #eonweweek or mention this blog in your post to be reblogged.

⭐ FAQ:

❓ What type of work can I submit?

Writing, digital or traditional art, moodboards, your favorite quote, playlist, etc :) all that you want to create. Works generated via IA tools are not accepted and will lead to your banishment from the event.

❓ Are the prompts mandatory?

The prompts are here as a general guidance and to inspire you but you do not have to strictly follow them if you do not want to.

❓ Is NSFW / dark content allowed?

Yes but you must properly tagged it.

❓Are others characters and OC accepted?

Yes of course but we ask you that the main focus obviously remains on Eönwë.

❓ Is there an AO3 collection?

Yes (to be announced)

❓ My entry has not been reblogged, what should I do?

Give it some time, between irl duties and timezones, the Mods simply might not have yet seen it. If it has been a couple day, please ensure you have properly mentioned the blog and then you can send us a DM.

[orangeinecstasy]

cup of music, part two ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟryan mcmahon

✧: part one

paring: ryan x fem!oc

summery: erin finally gets a glimpse at the rockstar girlfriend lifestyle.

a/n: hey everyone! so i originally uploaded these to wattpad, but i wanted to have a bit of a platform change. please let me know what you guys think. my requests are currently open so please feel free to send in an idea you have. enjoy!

wc: 2.5 k

*likes, reblogs, and feedback are greatly appreciated!

It had been a couple of weeks since you and Ryan had last seen each other. Because I and school and Ryan had stuff with his band, it felt almost impossible for us to meet up. That, however, didn't prevent us from calling and texting each other practically every minute of the day. He would show you his art while you would talk about your classes and working at the shop. He was like a breath of fresh air on a hot summer day.

Today, thankfully, was a beautiful spring day. Everything around me was so green and vibrantly in bloom, making the fact that I had to study slightly less bearable. As I stared outside, the glass of the cafe window separating me from the world's beauty, my phone started to vibrate on the counter. Flipping it over, my face lit up once I saw Ryan's name across the top of it.

"Hey!" I say, answering the phone. I didn't know what it was, but my heart skipped a beat whenever he called me.

"Hey!! What are you up to?" I could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke.

"Just studying for this bullshit test. You?" I slip my pencil into my notebook and shut it to focus more clearly on Ryan. "Damn, that sucks, love. If you're free a little later, I was wondering if you wanted to get some dinner and maybe come to one of my shows?" I was honestly kind of shocked that he asked me to come to one of the shows so soon. There was a stereotype that people in bands had a reputation for keeping their relationships as open as possible. I knew Ryan, and I didn't have a set label, but that simple question caused my heart to give in to him more.

"Erin? You there?" I was so struck with shock that I forgot to respond. "Oh, yeah, sorry," laughing, I respond, "I'd love that. Just text me with all the details of that stuff." He hummed a soft response, "Will do. I'll talk to you later, yeah."

"Yeah!" The call ended, and I couldn't help but look down at my phone and smile. I was falling for him hard and fast.

After a few more hours of studying, I left the library and headed back home to change into something a bit cuter.

I didn't know much about Ryan's band. Just that he was the drummer, and Josh, the friend who came with him to the shop the last time, was their guitarist.

Because I didn't know what the video of the night would be, I settled on a black shirt with a low-scoping back that allowed for the tattoo of lilies of the valley on my spine to be exposed. Finally, I slipped on some jeans, a belt, and my trusty pair of black platform docs and headed out to meet Ryan at the dinner spot.

Thankfully the restaurant was only a five-minute walk from my apartment, so I decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and walk there. I hummed softly as I walked, and soon enough, Ryan came into view.

"Ryan!!" I call out to him, waving, his a giant smile on my face. "Erin!" he jogged over, arms engulfing me in a hug that slightly raised me off the ground. I didn't realize how strong he was, but that's what comes with being a drummer.

Hugging back, my lungs fill with his woody scent. "It's so good to see you." my feet again touched the ground as we slightly pulled away from the hug. I gently reach up, touching his cheek, and he leans into my touch. "It's really good seeing you too."

He took my hand, and the two of us walked into the cute cafe-style restaurant. "I hope you like this place. I've only been here a couple of times, but it's always been really nice." he squeezed my hand softly. "I'm sure I'll love it." I smile up at him, returning the squeeze.

Once we sat down at a table next to the large open windows and ordered, we spent nearly two hours just chatting. It was so lovely to sit there and talk with him about anything and every as we exchanged small touches. He was effortlessly funny and even more handsome than the last time I had seen him. After we finished, we decided to head out to the venue where he played tonight.

Our clasped hands swing between us as we walk to the venue. "So, you already know Josh. That leaves Eli and Robert. They're great, though Robert can be kind of... unfiltered at times." Nodding, I respond, "Cool! What type of music do you guys play? Should I be expecting jazz or heavy metal slipknot-type stuff?" he laughs, free hand running through his hair. "It's like alternative rock-pop-ish. You'll like it, promise."

"Hmm... okay, I trust you." leaning up, I kiss his cheek gently, leaving a berry stain on his cheek. "Oh, shit, sorry." laughing, I try and rub the lipgloss off of his cheek. "Don't be sorry. I like it; it's cute." I blush slightly at his comment.

The two of us got closer to the venue, fans coming into view. "Don't be worried, okay? They're usually super nice." He lets his hand drift on my bare back, creating a comforting touch. "I trust you."

Soon enough, the two of us got spotted. Fans started to scream Ryan's name as he walked past, some whispering to each other, asking who I was. But Ryan was unfazed, continuing to be his happy self as he waved back to the fans, returning some highs and I love yous. Seeing him be himself around the fans made him even more attractive. How confident and unwilling to create some rockstar persona showed me how lucky I had been.

Finally, the two of us were able to slip into the venue. "I hope that wasn't too overwhelming for you." looking down at me, he moved some hair from my face. "It was fine. They seem to really love you a lot."

Nodding, he smiles. "Yeah, they're the best. Ready to meet the guys?" I hum in response, his hand falling naturally back into mine as we walk to the dressing room.

The door was already open, allowing the chatter and music coming from inside to spill into the hallway. As we walked in, the smell of cigarette smoke, wood, and metal filled my lungs and mixed to have a pleasant smell.

Ryan cleared his throat, to which the music and chatter quickly stopped. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Erin." I wave as the guys start to stand. "Erin! It's good to see you again!" Josh said, pulling me into a tight friendly hug. "It's good to see you too." hugging back, laughing lightly at his enthusiasm. "I'm Eli. It's nice to meet you. Ryan seriously wouldn't shut up about you." we hug quickly before I meet the final band member. "I'm Robert. It's grand to meet you." I gave out the last hug. Though I was nervous before meeting the lads, they all seemed nice. "It's really wonderful to meet you all too. I'm super excited to watch you play!"

"I'm going to show her around a bit more before they let everyone in for the show. I'll see you, lads, in a few." As we walk back out of the room, I give them a little wave, hoping that I seemed friendly in our small interaction.

"Soooo, you always talk about me, do ya?" I nudge his side a few times before we start laughing. "I'm not even going to try and pretend like I don't. I like you a lot." he rubs his nape, making his slight embarrassment more noticeable. "I like you a lot, too." my arm loops around him as I rest my head on his shoulder.

We chatted as we walked around before, and finally, the two of us ended up on the stage. Ryan pointed out the guy's guitars before we got to the drum set. "It's so cool that you play the drums. It really fits your character." My fingers glide across the smooth cold metal of the symbols. "You're so fucking sweet," he kisses my head. "Here, sit down. I'll teach you how to play a little something." He settles himself on the stool, then pats his knee.

Sitting down on his knee, I move my hair, allowing it to lay across my shoulder, exposing my bare back and tattoo. "Holy shit Erin, this is beautiful." his hand travels down my spine, stopping at my mid-back. "I'm glad you like it. Lilies of the Vally they're my favorite." he takes a pair of drumsticks out of their holder. "I'll keep that in mind."

Handing me the drumsticks, his arms lay across mine, hands helping me hold the drumsticks in my own. "Okay, let me just test this," he stepped on the foot pedal, causing a thud to vibrate off the bass. "Hmm, okay, cool, ready?" nodding, our arms start to move together. It was just a simple beat, but it was fun to experience something Ryan was passionate about.

After a little bit of play, we stopped, the vibrations of the drums melting into the floor. I turned to face him, "See, you're not half bad." he smiled, hands moving from my arms to around my waist. "I think that's just because I have such an amazing teacher." I didn't know what it was, but at this moment, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. "Oh really? How good?" Ryan's gaze moved from my eyes to my lips and back up again. My heart beats faster as I lean down, our lips connecting shyly but soon melting together as the kiss becomes deeper.

Pulling away, my heart settled slightly. "Prove my point?" I move some hair from his face. "I think I need to test that again." he gives me a soft kiss, the biggest smile on his face. "Yeah, the point is proven." I shake my head. "You're such a dork."

Finally, it was time for the show. The fans' energy was terrific as they crowded into the venue, adorning cowboy hats and other fun accessories. Because I didn't want to take a good spot away from someone, I opted to stand on the side of the stage. "Hey, you're going to kill it out there." Squeezing Ryan's hand, I give him a peck on the cheek before he and the band member have to settle on the stage. "Thanks, love. I hope you enjoy." He returned the squeeze before the boys got the cue to go onstage.

The fan erupted in cheers as the boys walked on. Even though I only knew Ryan well, I was proud of all four lads. From what Ryan told me, they worked so hard to get where they are now, and it's so beautiful seeing someone you care about achieve their dreams.

The music was fucking amazing. I couldn't help myself from dancing and yelling along with the crowd. The energy was like nothing I had felt before, and being able to feel the mix of the instruments vibrate through the floor put me into some sort of trance. And Ryan, holy shit, it was amazing to see him play. Every once in a while, we would make eye contact between songs, or when the guys were switching out his guitars, even in a moment where he should feel like he's on top of the world, he would mouth things like 'Are you okay?' or 'Are you having fun?'. Fuck, he was literally the sweetest, and I made sure to show that I was enjoying myself to the fullest.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming out tonight. We'd like to dedicate our last song of the night to a very special person." Eli's voice melted into the microphone and out of the speakers as he spoke, his eyes shifting to glance at me. Cocking my eyebrow in confusion, I look to Ryan, trying to get some calcification. "Me?" I say, pointing to myself. He nods, before the start of When I'm With You starts blasting through the speakers, the fans screaming along with the lyrics.

I couldn't help but stand there speechless, my eyes never leaving Ryan. Once the song ended, the crowd roared, the guys saying their goodbyes, throwing picks and drumsticks into the crowd. Ryan was the first to walk off stage, his arms instantly wrapped around my body in a tight hug. "Did you enjoy yourself?" he looks down at me, the cheekiest grin on his face. "Enjoy myself? Ryan, I had the best fucking time. You're amazing! The lads are amazing! You didn't have to dedicate that last song to me," my eyes shift away from his, "You're the sweetest person I've ever met." we exchanged a small kiss, and the boys made some joking groaning noise that caused me to blush under the dim backstage lights.

The rest of the night, the guys and I hung out, just drinking and talking. It was nice to get to know the rest of the band. They were all so sweet and funny. I couldn't believe that I had found someone so perfect who had friends that I had clicked with. At around two in the morning, we decided it was time to pack up and get some rest.

The night had a slight chill, which prickled against my warm skin. "I'll walk you back to your place," Ryan said, loading the last part of his drum kit into the van. My hand extended to him, and he took it, the two of us walking down the street close together. "I really did have a wonderful time tonight. It means a lot that you invited me out." My head rests on his shoulder as we walk. "I'm glad you like it, Erin. Feel free to come to any of our shows, okay?" I nod, and the two of us finally reach my apartment.

My heart protested as the two of us stood in front of the blue door of my apartment, my hands still in his. "We'll see each other soon, yeah? Maybe go out somewhere in a few days?" he pulls me closer as he speaks. "Yeah, I'd like that a lot." I smile up at him before giving him a goodnight kiss. "Goodnight, Erin." one of his hands breaks away from mine. "Goodnight, Ryan."

He moves to leave, but I speak up before our hands can break away from their hold on one another. "Hey, do you want to stay the night?" he turns back, smiling. "I'd love that more than you know." The two of us enter my apartment, tangled in each other's arms again.

Even though it was early in the morning, we stayed up, talking, kissing, and never leaving each other's sides. Honestly, it was one of the best nights of my life. Who knew meeting a boy in a recorded story would change your life.

[salsflore]

BANNER DESCRIBED IN ALT. TEXT

ps shoutout to the “lesser known” selfshippers! followers and notes really don’t matter, but i know a lot of people get upset over the lack of interaction so hi – reminder that being popular or whatever doesn’t make you any more or less valid, you’re cool just the way you are, so pls talk about your ships! we need it! we want it! you’re contributing lots just by being here!

talk abt what you love! spam post everyday! even though it may seem like nobody is interested or do not care about your ships, the art you put effort in, the fics you write or the games you reblog ( i am positive there are many people out there who do, okay? )

please try your best not to let that discourage you from doing what you want! selfshipping should be for you, don’t get pressured to reach a certain amount of mutuals, notes or the asks you get because they ultimately don’t matter, so don’t let that stop you from creating for things that bring you joy. maybe even take a break if it’s beginning to feel that overwhelming for you, i promise we’ll still all be here.

+ even if there are more popular self ships out there or whatever, that doesn’t make them any more valid or ‘better’ than yours, so just keep doing what you want to do if it makes you happy, don’t focus on people other than yourself. ♡

btw if you want letters, if you want to gush, if you want asks, etc. my askbox is always open okay !! i am you and your ship’s number one supporter (real)

[writing-for-life]

Thank you for an amazing 2023!

About metas, fics and sparkly things…

This won’t be short, but you wouldn’t expect that from me, would you? 🤣

I’ve been on Tumblr for just a bit over a year because I needed to get off my family’s back after my three decades long Sandman brain-rot got worse again due to the Netflix series. I hovered around a handful of followers for months until things exploded (I still don’t know why tbh, I think it was one particular meta that kicked things off a bit), and I somehow ended up with hundreds of followers, which might not be much to some, but it’s a lot for me.

So to all of you I’d like to say: Thank you for being here. I don’t always manage to stay on top of things because my notifs are a mess and I lose track, plus I have a rather busy life and can often only write in batches and then queue, but each of you is appreciated, even if I accidentally forget to get back to you or if we aren’t mutuals.

I’ve made such lovely connections over the last year—my interest in The Sandman definitely does not align with the main focus that shan’t be named, and I’m glad that you folks are out there. You probably know who you are.

Now to the obligatory “your posts wrapped” thing—and I’m only doing it because I need to make a point (of course I do 🤣).

News and art

My by far most successful posts have been casting/shooting news and pretty pictures (two examples are linked). And I’m grateful for all the reblogs and likes of those, but apart from curating them, they’re not really me. They’re someone else’s work.

Meta analysis

Then you have my metas, which make up the bulk of the other posts that are doing quite well (you can find all of them in my pinned post).

Even if it wasn’t my most “successful” one (what does that even mean?), this one meant the most to me:

I love writing metas, whether they cover literary concepts, psychology, music or art because I’m a permanently brain-frazzled multi-hyphenate who has to talk about everything that won’t leave her alone.

I also love when you’re sending me asks btw. For the latter, I hope they pick up again in 2024 because they really nosedived since I switched off anonymous asks (which I won’t change, soz) after some people just thought it’s good sport to be an arse about my not being here to pray at the altar of the ship. I guess we have briefly covered the ugly side of Tumblr, too, then.

Writing

But what I'm most proud of when I think of all the things I've done in 2023 is my fiction and poetry. And that's both a happy and slightly sad thing to address.

My 31 Haikus for Sandtober started as a bit of fun, but they’ve developed a life of their own, and people seemingly liked them. The post also contains a bit of my fan-art:

I still intend to turn them into a hardcover at some point, but I won’t be able to create all the artwork myself, so if you’re a fan-artist and want to know what I’m thinking of, please get in touch (I’ll still talk about this in more detail at some point though).

The other thing I’m incredibly proud of is “The Light of Stars”.

I started it as a NaNoWriMo project in 2022 (I always use NaNo to do something that is less stressful than my professional writing projects), wrote it in a bit more than a month—and then did nothing with near 80,000 words until June 2023.

And then I thought “Fuck it,” and published it on Ao3. It’s a canon x OC fic, and this is where it gets a bit sad. Because for most of us writers, these are never the posts that get most engagement (the ratio is really something like 100 : 1 — 500 for a shitpost, 5 for an average writing post).

On Ao3, it gradually picked up because I published chapter after chapter, and I think I can say that it’s done fairly well over there in terms of engagement for an OC fic, and above all how people engage with it. Because it’s a bit deeper despite being romance, it deals with heavy topics like grief, and I’m so glad to have touched a few people’s hearts with it, and that it was meaningful to them. So much so that you all convinced me to write a sequel.

But here’s the thing: The general engagement with writing, especially non-explicit, non-ship, non-readerY/N on Tumblr is very, very low.

Writers who write canon x OC are still struggling to be heard through the noise (it’s not just me, I’ve had many conversations about this, so I’ll just say: I’ll speak for many of us). There are basically hardly any events for us to participate in (most of us only ever do so if we shift to canon one-shots, poetry or metas. If we don’t: Again, no one cares), and fandom often actively chooses to ignore us because “all OCs are self-inserts, ew.” Which is patently not true, and I could go on a long rant now why many canon x canon fics are very obvious self-inserts, which I won’t.

But even if all OCs were self-inserts, even if all characters were—so what? All writing is to a degree based on self-insertion because it comes from our brains—it’s not a bad thing. But apparently, it becomes a bad thing if the character is an OC, heaven knows why.

So if I had one wish (I’m allowed one, right?) for 2024, it would be that people engage more with OC fics and include them more in community events. That fandom, which prides itself in community, includes writers who don’t write for (the main) ship/s a bit more, especially if they don’t write smut (which I personally even do professionally, but I don’t want to have to do it in fanfic just to get engagement). I’m not holding my breath because I know that’s not where fandom’s oft single-minded focus lies, but a girl can dream, right?

And with that, I want to get to my proudest accomplishments of them all:

Being the curator queen of the sparkle realms:

Being one (arguably the main) instigator of the maddest crack ship that has ever graced (?) the face of the earth, spawned the most unhinged discussion (much truth in it though 🤣) and even NSFW fanart. I promise I’ll write that fic about Murphy and his Cool Hat:

Have a lovely 2024!