#maybe this belongs on the art blog i dunno.

[holofizz]

If someone offered to pay me a livable wage with the caveat that I wasn't allowed to draw Jeffrey combs ever again, I'd choose poverty.

[dailydemonspotlight]

Mokoi - Day 80

Race: Night

Arcana: Death

Alignment: Neutral-Chaos

July 26th, 2024

During my research about this topic, I found myself finding out about an ongoing health crisis relating to the yolngu people, and this post is dedicated to spreading awareness. Please remember to treat all of these topics with respect.

Aboriginal folklore is very separated from itself, oddly enough- In spite of Australia being the smallest continent, several beliefs are spread throughout in specific areas, making for a colorful tapestry where you can never be sure what the next area will believe in, in spite of the general overarching themes of Dreamtime. Case in point, the Yolngu people residing in northeastern Arnhem Land, an aboriginal tribe living in the Northern Territory who believe in systems of kinship and a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Important to this culture as well is conceptions of magic, and, more importantly, what to avoid- the deep, dark underbelly of said world of magic. If one is to partake in the dark arts, after all, they would meet with a fate most undeserving- to be cursed by today's Demon of the Day, Mokoi.

As with a lot of Aboriginal folklore, Mokoi are relatively obscure in many respects. Most of the time, sources only state a line or two going over this monster, whose name literally translates to 'Evil Spirit,' describing it as a monster who would eat naughty children and devour sorcerers who dared to step into the realm of the dark. This is strange, though, as Mokoi appear to be an incredibly important fixture in Yolngu tradition, being described as the main source of death throughout the people-group... so today's gonna be another deep dive. And so soon after Arahabaki, too... ah, well. Thank you again to @eirikrjs for providing a very good rundown on this demon in this post. How do you keep coming through for me in the most random ways? Whatever, let's get into this.

As attested to in the 1970 article Myth as Language in Aboriginal Arnhem Land, the book Mortuary customs of northeast Arnhem Land, as well as... an Australian tonic blog, no I'm not kidding, an ancient tradition of the Yolngu people states that there are two different parts of the soul- one of the good, another of the bad. These parts of the soul are referred to as Birrimbirr and Mokuy, and when someone within the tribe passes away, their soul may take either of these forms based on their actions in life. However, while a birrimbirr will typically head back to its place of origin and pass peacefully, a mokuy will stick around, generally being a nuisance with asocial and unpredictable behaviors while haunting the deceased's belongings. This plays into a common tradition in Yolngu folklore, that being of the avoidance of uttering the deceased's name- not only will saying the name of a dead person possibly bring more grief to their family members and friends, but it may also bring their spirit back restlessly into the form of none other than a Mokoi, which appears to be an alternate spelling of Mokuy.

The Mokoi are dangerous spirits that appear frequently as a sort of boogeyman, attacking those who don't go out of their way to avoid them. It's to the point that the Yolngu people frequently make sculptures of the Mokoi, likely to alleviate the threat of them getting upset with them (or maybe they just wanted to sculpt them, I dunno). These spirits attack any who defile their graves, or even get too close to said graves, and those who do so or invoke the name of the dead long after their death may risk a sort of 'Spiritual Pollution' wherein they and their family suffer illness and eventual death. The consequences of speaking the names of the dead will lead to eventual death of oneself, after all. It's said, though I can't find a direct source for it so take this with a pinch of salt, that more people in Yolngu culture die of a Mokoi's attack than old age.

The importance of the mokuy and the birrimbirr cannot go understated, as well as the love and respect the Yolngu people feel for the dead. It's to the point that mentioning the name of a deceased person, even if one isn't afraid of an attack by the mokuy, is still frowned upon, and honestly, I find that beautiful. The amount of love and importance these people put on their ancestors is incredibly high and the love and respect everyone in their community shows that they are still people, deserving of love and respect. With that, though, how does a Japanese franchise portray a being from a completely different and closed-off tribe? Well, it's mixed.

Mokoi doesn't seem to take much inspiration from the Mokuy sculptures that typically depict it, though I can see them being hard to adapt.

Instead, it seems to primarily base itself off of the patterning of the sculptures, looking more like a green being loosely based on them carved out of wood and carrying with it a kylie to likely tie it even more with Australia, given that, well, boomerangs are the Australian stereotype. It's a bit stereotypical as a result of that, but I still do enjoy how it looks, being a funky and iconic design for a demon that still seems to carry some weight behind it.

However, through my research I came to learn that a lot of the yolngu people are in need of help, and I'd like to take a moment to rectify a mistake I made in my lwa analysis and actually speak on this. I don't have much room to actually speak on a still thriving community of people that I'm not a part of, but the yolngu people are currently going through a health crisis and I'd like to use this post as a way to spread awareness about this. As a still living people-group who are experiencing damages, and had their areas of worship ruined by various policy changes in Australia, I'd like to ask you to try and help them in any way that you can. While I'm not sure if this one has been vetted, please try to use any charity possible to assist these people in need, as they have gone through a lot.

[stephdrawsjohnlock]

SH – :Couch Cuddle: (FTH #2 for @discordantwords) Procreate on iPad Pro

I would love something domestic and Johnlock-y, though I don't have anything very specific in mind. Maybe Sherlock and John on the sofa in 221B watching a movie? Or looking after a dog or cat? Or cleaning up after one of Sherlock's messy experiments? Just something where the boys are enjoying each other's company together where they belong. I'm not overly picky, I just want to see them happy. :)

Here's pic two of three for my @fandomtrumpshate pieces for 2023, this one for the WONDERFUL @discordantwords, who gave me pretty much free reign on what I wanted to do, as long as it was Domestic Johnlock!

I absolutely wanted to do a piece with a puppy after I saw that suggested, here's our favourite (married!) duo with a new Redbeard puppy!

They're supposed to be lying down on one of those L-shaped couches but it looks weird to me, I dunno. DiscordantWords seemed really happy with this one, so I'm gonna just ignore all the things I think are wrong with it, LOL

One nitpick I will make is I think I should have made the couch a different colour because Redbeard is hard to see, LOL. Ah well. Hope y'all like it, anyway.

And thank you DiscordantWords for this fun prompt! I'm so happy you liked this! <3<3

🖼 I’M ON INSTAGRAM at stephdrawsfanart 🎨 @stephratte is my Primary Fanart Blog! Art © to S.G.M. Ratté. Do not repost or sell.

(Tags below cut, dm to be added/removed)

@discordantwords

@queerbeess

@ayryn-art

@antisocial-otaku

@havetardiswilltimetravel

@yorkiepug

@tea-and-gingernuts

@quantum-sparrow

@chinike

@chained-to-the-mirror

@almosttomorocco

@loveismyrevolution

[whentheleahvesfall]

It’s difficult to know for certain now what I want to do with my life. I know a lot of the time I do ramble a lot both irl and I guess online, but a lot of the time I feel lost and without purpose without feeling I have a good place in the world. Whilst I know I’ve been wanting to get back into doing art and writing, I guess finishing uni has made me think a lot about the ups and downs of my life and how far I’ve gotten to the place I am now. I dunno… I feel lost? Scared? A mixture of it all? I haven’t the slightest clue at the moment.

I don’t know how many of you guys who read my posts a lot of the time know about this, but I’ve got Autism. I’ve had it since I’ve been about 8 years old, and for the last 13-14 years of my life knowing I’ve had this as something affecting me, it’s made me question a lot about the stuff I’m good at.

Am I good at being a writer, an artist, a student or even just a person?

What do I offer that I feel is a strength for myself?

Do I even consider myself a person who deserves to be loved, despite fearing he always constantly upsets people?

And… I guess that’s how I’ve been really feeling. A lot of the time, I don’t know whether anything I’m doing is something to be considered “good”. Do I belong here? Do I keep making mistakes so much that people don’t want to be around me?

Maybe I overthink things a lot and that’s what these thought patterns are. Yet when you’re a guy who has mostly dealt with things on his own for most of his life, I uh… I don’t know how to really be me in a stream full of people.

I guess maybe I’m not someone who can answer these questions I have about myself. But despite that, I worry a lot of the time. An awful lot. And even still, underneath it all… I feel like I’d like to try and be who I am for what I am, but my brain and the way my life’s been up until now makes me question if I do have a place in this world for people to even appreciate just myself.

For what it’s worth, thank you for everyone who has liked the dumb stuff I’ve done since I first joined Tumblr or who know me from elsewhere. I don’t know why people enjoy it for what it is as I don’t consider myself good by any means, but it does make me smile knowing there are at least a few of you who do like me for me.

I’m just thinking about I suppose what’s next for me. Do I continue to just try and participate in the communities I’m in? Or fade away and hope people forget about me so I move on with just perhaps living a normal life?

I… I’m not honestly sure. I wish I knew how to be positive for myself and to keep moving forward, but without much of a goal, what do I really hope to accomplish for myself? Do I make any of you guys happy? It’s okay if I don’t too, but I feel maybe I need to reflect better on myself, but I don’t know how.

I don’t usually ramble a lot on my blog, and for good reason as I don’t know how many of you genuinely care about the guy behind the scuffed shit and I guess see me for… I don’t know, the dumb nerd with a like for Mudkips?

I may be mistaken, but as this point I really can’t say for sure. Maybe these feelings of mine will subside, but as they are not going away right now, I guess I’ll throw them here and see what happens.

If you got to the end, then thanks. I’m sorry for making this feel overly negative about me, but I suppose sometimes when you really just want to find a way to vent… you gotta do it in the way that helps you to feel better. Sorry again.

I don’t know how much of this is my Autism, but… hopefully one day I’ll get over these doubts. Probably just not right now.

[twilightmalachite]

PORTRAIT - Ah, still delay—thou art so ■■■ 4

Author: Akira

Characters: Akiomi, Makoto, Izumi, Arashi

Translator: Mika Enstars

"I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Modeling Office

A couple minutes later, at the agency Kunugi Akiomi belongs to…

Akiomi: —I’ve returned!

(Whew… I only just came back, but I feel so very tired already!)

(I’ll grow old in no time at this rate. Just about ten years and I’m going to be decrepit!)

(It’ll be hard for me to continue my modeling career, and then I’ll be in a pinch!)

Makoto: ……

Akiomi: Oops, sorry. I had brushed you aside.

You can come in, Yuuki-kun.

Makoto: ……

Akiomi: (H-He’s kinda restless, isn’t he? He keeps looking around all over… He’s like a cautious small animal.)

(Maybe he’s a bit of a timid child. Maybe he’s scared, he absolutely refuses to make eye contact with me…)

(Well, I’m usually scared of places where only adults are present, too.)

Makoto: Onii-chan…

Akiomi: Ah, yes, Akiomi-oniichan is here~♪ Handshake~♪

Makoto: Not you… Where’s Onii-chan?

Akiomi: Ahh, you mean Sena-kun. But I told you as we walked here, I doubt he’s at our agency—

Izumi: Aaaaaahhhh!

Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!

Akiomi: (He is here~!? And he’s on a rampage while making some sort of strange noise~!?)

Arashi: Akiomi, Akiomi.

Akiomi: Oh, Narukami-kun. You’re at the agency this late again? Your parents will begin to worry if you don’t head home soon, you know.

Arashi: Home’s fine. Instead, do something about him, please.

Izumi: Aaaaaaaaaahhhh!!

Akiomi: Umm… He’s hard to see since he’s in the dark, but that’s Sena-kun, isn’t it? What is he doing here? And why…?

Arashi: Please don’t flood me with questions.

Um, I’m not sure why, but apparently he’ll be working at our agency from today on.

Akiomi: Is that right? Come to think of it, the president did say something about a transfer to our agency, didn’t he…?

He didn’t look too happy about it though, so I figured it wasn’t anything like a famous model.

I see. So maybe that was Sena-kun he was talking about?

Arashi: I dunno. Instead, can you hurry and do something, Akiomi?

Akiomi: But I don’t know what I can do…

Akiomi: Uhh, Sena-kun, what’s wrong? Are you okay? If you cry, your eyes will turn red and interfere with work tomorrow, you know.

Arashi: Akiomi, you’re so bad at comforting others it’s almost sad.

Akiomi: I’m being pitied by a toddler!?

Izumi: Aaaagh! Shut up, shut up, shut up!

I’m quitting being a model! There’s no point if I can’t work with Yuu-kun! I hate hate HATE Papa and Mama!!

Akiomi: Huh, Yuu-kun?—

Makoto: Onii-chan!

Izumi: …!? Yuu-kun!

Makoto: It’s Onii-chan~…♪

Ehehe, it was true, Onii-chan really was here!

Thank you very much, umm, Akiomi…-oniichan.

It’s all thanks to you. I’m always indebted to you.

Izumi: Onii-chan? Yuu-kun, what are you calling this guy “Onii-chan”?

Izumi: Isn’t that supposed to be meee? Isn’t it I who's your Onii-chan, Yuu-kuuun?

Makoto: Mhm! ♪ But, this person is… Onii-chan, too?

Izumi: So you guys are a threat! You guys are my enemy! All of you, everyone in this agency is my enemy!!

Arashi: …… (Doesn’t say anything and smacks Izumi in the cheek)

Izumi: …!? Aaaahhh! Did you just hit meee!? I’ll kill you!

Akiomi: Wait, don’t fight! Why did you hit him, Narukami-kun?! You can’t use violence!

Arashi: ‘Cause he was annoying…He’s annoying and unpleasant and should just go away.

Izumi: I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!

Akiomi: P-P-P-Please calm down, Sena-kun! I’ll make sure Narukami-kun apologizes!

Arashi: Why should I? Isn’t it his fault for making all that noise?

Makoto: Aha~♪ Onii-chan looks cheerful and happy today!

[ ☆ ]

← prev | story directory | next →

[hansirilow]

alright. so this is weird. 

i logged into this account while i was looking for a bootleg post i had saved years ago. first time i've logged in here in like.... five years? i saw the names of a lot of friends i had on here. i saw some inbox messages too, i dunno how old they are. i saw some old posts and messages and just reminisced/spiraled a little bit. i used this blog religiously from when i was 14 to like 18ish. i went thru a lot on here. i had community on here when i was at my loneliest. i was volatile and so scared and trans and queer and i guess in some ways, nothing has changed. im 25 now, gonna be 26 in a couple weeks. i figured i could make a little post to update y'all. i dunno if anyone will read this. but i've been thinking a lot about my friends i made here lately.

i turn 26 in a little over a month. i'm still jasper, havent transitioned yet, but i might be the gayest i've ever been. my coming out process has been Awful to say the least. but my 9 year anniversary with my partner jer is coming up. i'm spending my 26th birthday with jer in salem, mass, my favorite city in the world. 

i have an associates degree in theatre and a bachelors degree in english with a creative writing concentration. not doing anything in those fields yet but i'm figuring things out. it hasn't been exactly easy. 

i'm figuring my life out i guess! i went thru a very traumatic falling out with a group of friends that abused me during the pandemic. i lost a lot of my college life to a horrible group of people, it's a whole thing i'm not gonna get into right now. in some ways i'm still recovering from that. in some ways i'm better than i've ever been. 

i'm like high key a furry now tbh. i have a fursona named salem who kinda saved my life i guess. he is everything to me. 

no shock here but i still love fall out boy with every part of my heart, maybe even more than i did when i was a kid. i got my first tattoo and it's a fall out boy one. i also got into a lot of other alternative bands! i adore ghost a lot, i'm seeing them in july. i also love sleep token, spiritbox, bad omens, linkin park, and poppy. music has gotten me thru the worst of the shit i've been thru. 

and despite everything, i still love musicals and andy and spring awakening and everything. i actually logged in looking for a wicked bootleg in the wake of the movie coming out. i saw andy as jonathan in tick tick boom in cape cod a couple months ago! front row in this old little local theatre, what a magical night it was. i'm planning on getting andy's handwriting tattooed on me still, and i want some other musical related tattoos eventually (i'll probably be covered in a couple years: gender affirming care). 

also i really love spiderman now but no one's shocked by that either, that's just transmasc rite of passage i think. 

i guess i'm still the same in a lot of ways. that weirdo little gay boy that felt too much and definitely shared too much. i am so sorry for being way too TMI when i was younger. i was way too young and unsupervised and lonely as hell. i'm happy to say i'm a bit older and a little less lonely and a little more reserved in what i share online now lmfao 

that being said, i do art and stuff still! i post my art on instagram (sometimes) at @/witchcityspider and on bluesky @/kingofpentacles if anyone wants to find me there. or if you want my discord or my personal instagram you can let me know. i made another blog at one point that i use here and there: @shadowacademy 

i've thought about reaching out to people i used to talk to here but i didn't wanna freak anyone out, so i'm doing this instead. 

i'll keep this blog up, check it here and there. in some ways i miss it. i miss the community i guess, having a place i belonged. i've gone through a lot and lost a lot of friends over the past couple years. i mean, hell, i went through a lot on here. it was a huge part of my life, somedays my little sect on here was all i had. and i hope that, even my friends that have deactivated or aren't active, i hope you all are well and happier than we were in 2015. almost a decade ago. 

i guess i just wanna hug my little 15 year old self and i wish i could warn him about what has happened to us since, but i can't. but we made it out. despite everything, it's still me. 

anyways. i'm around if you're looking to find me. i'm off trying to be cryptic and mysterious but just coming off as a certified yapper elsewhere. i don't wanna be weird and interrupt people that don't wanna see me again, but i do miss so many people from here. i wonder if they ever remember this or think of me and wonder where i've been. maybe it's selfish or maybe it's just human, i'm not sure. 

but i'm here. figuring my shit out, but i'm here. 

i love all of your lights. you are fabulous creatures, each and every one.

jasper morningstar 

or hanschen rilow 

whichever you prefer 

x 

[starpuncher]

so i've been doing some yaoi archaeology recently regarding mid 2010s homestuck fandom. presumably we've all been there and the audience is still with me.

what's striking to me about perusing these ancient cave drawings is how differently i experience them in the present compared to my impression of them in the past, at 12-15, which i felt at the time was significantly younger than both homestuck's target audience and the fandom population at large. my memory of homestuck fandom is that it was this bottomless cornucopia of incredible fanart; i've said to friends in conversation that i didn't think i would ever see a fandom with artistic output like that again in my lifetime. on reflection, though. on reflection, by which i mean a series of blog crawls through fanart archives going back over a decade, i may have been somewhat mistaken, and also thirteen years old. it turns out that to an untrained eye all fanart is equally incredible; there are pieces i remember as masterpieces that i now view (fondly!) as... kinda bad. this isn't a flex, it's just weird to realize that i surpassed 90% of my 13 year old art idols back in college. even as the eye improves, memory preserves amateur yaoi as comparable to an enlightenment masterpiece. then again, my memory sucks.* modern trigun fandom's output is probably more artistically on par with what i remember homestuck being, and even then not quite there.

due to tumblr's salted earth policy towards tits i can't say how much of the pervert aspect of homestuck fandom was true to my teenage recollection, but what scraps remain aren't super far off. based on limited records it SEEMS to have been both hornier and at once less (broad gesture towards the western slash hentai flavor of nonconsent)(a different beast entirely than yaoi nonconsent trust me there are different artistic movements at play here, influencing one another asymmetrically) than i remember. the layers of secondhand midwestern christianity continue to peel. i wouldn't describe my teenage self as being scared of sex/averse to internet porn as a rule, and yet interpreting what seems to have been a generally sex-positive fanart as notably debauched has a distinctive aroma of that mild psychosis. while the, uh, choices in ships were, hm, certainly more varied (the coward's description), the particulars of the fanart were fairly in line with modern fandom ship content (note: on several blogs, even what's been wiped retains hints in the tags applied to what are now blank images) (additional note: the author is considering the output of twitter fujoshis as constituting a broader slice of 'modern fandom ship content' than may be accurate).

whump, like actual no bullshit whump, is what i most notice as present in past fandom, now extinct beyond its most watered-down subtypes. think diary comics about depression. trigun volume 10 and the fanart it's spawned hurt, yeah, but that's a tragedy. that's a narrative. maybe (MAYBE) it's a positive indicator for the health of the larger organism that i don't see fanart of anime boy self-harm anymore. but i doubt it. i think gore fanartists still exist, in theory? gore as a focus is to me a different category than fanart with gore as an artistic inclusion. guts mean different things spilling out of what is essentially a blank canvas than they do when they belong to, i dunno, that pink bitch from jujutsu kaisen. what the fuck was his name. jujutsu kaisen is one of several recent shounen serializations that reflect a trend towards more overt gore/body horror/aesthetic grimdarkness in the mainstream, occurring parallel to the broader fandom retreat from similar visceral pain (and blood and guts and all that). i'm off topic. gore is itself different from whump, and you can still find gore if you look for it. gore is about flesh (as metaphor, but flesh regardless), whump is about suffering. there is frequently no metaphor to be had, or what is there is diaphanous and possibly accidental. i've seen several posts to the effect of 'we've lost weird sex in fandom' but i've seen what people do to vash's pussy on twitter. i think we've lost something else entirely. the weird sex remains, however cloistered by the architecture of a failing website inherently hostile to search and archival functions. the naked edginess (rawness? (is this a joke about flesh)) of whump is, for better or worse, not really a current part of the fandom ecosystem. i cannot remember the last time i saw an anime boy cut himself.

and again, maybe that's a good thing, but again, i doubt it. shockingly, i would not describe the broader internet populace as 'more mentally and emotionally healthy than 2014'. the word i would use is probably 'worse'. just worse. just like so much worse that any attempt at a similarly overlong retrospective on that sea change would be eligible for a hugo nomination by wordcount. discourse around the state of the very online public's comfort with discomfort focuses primarily on depictions of sexuality (for what i think are valid reasons, see blood knife's epochal 'everyone is beautiful and no one is horny') and, yes, that is often a proxy for other, parallel critiques, but, but, but. but is that the only place where boundaries on acceptable expression have narrowed? or just the one with enough intracommunity disagreement to be notable? there was for a period of time a lot of talk about hostility towards 'ugly' mental illness, the ways it often manifests not as easily-digested inaction but as violence, self-inflicted, omnidirectional, destructive. i don't really see that talk anymore. the parameters of what is acceptable in depictions of mental illness have been quietly agreed on. ask yourself, 'could you put this in a buzzfeed listicle?' and there you go.

returning to modern trigun fandom as a counterexample to heyday homestuck trends, i think of the way vash's near explicit suicidal depression (manifested as alcoholism, avoidance, a tendency to self-sabotage, a general late-series vibe of being unsafe to bring near a bridge) is generally ignored, or alluded to only in contexts where his yaoi wife can kiss it all better. the combination of suicidal depression and physical mutilation leads in a straight line to a door with nothing behind it, a vacuum left unfilled. i think of being 15 and scrolling past an mspaint comic about the minutiae of dave strider's abusive home life, at the time only implicitly canon, through a reading that much of the fandom still rejected as ooc. a picture of bro holding dave as a child, blood on the frame. bruises. straight red lines on #FFFFFF. let me remind the homestuck newcomer that this guy wasn't an explicit abuse victim in 2014. these agonies were whole-cloth inventions. do we still do that? we still invent new shapes for alien dicks (the trigun/homestuck comparison serves me again) and apply questionable interpretations of bdsm dynamics to whatever m/m is in fashion.

zooming out from my adolescent focus on dave fanart (yeah yeah i know i know he was everyone's favorite whaddya want), i wonder if commercialization plays a role, because it always does. that question is never answered in the negative. you weren't allowed to sell homestuck merch at cons. no one was making money off homestuck fandom. is that why it was like that? i don't know. i have laundry that i should be doing.

[especiallyhaytham]

More Redbubble bullshit

I get that they probably had to do something with people selling intellectual properties on their platform, but reading through the FAQs this is hands down the dumbest thing I've ever seen. I'm still going to let my work be posted (maybe), but keep in mind they told me it might take weeks for the brand to review it and now I'm losing money I could have gotten from audience engagement when I first posted the thing (it would have been pennies, but still). I'm holding off posting it on Instagram for just that reason, since that's where I get the most interaction.

I dunno. Honestly there's never been a very good reason to sell through Redbubble- they take the majority of the sale price, and I only used them because I was posting edits for stickers until now, no actual art. I made like $10 yearly. Now they're out here using an algorithm to auto-flag fanworks, and saying the license no longer belongs to the artist when that happens. It doesn't feel right. I'd be better off selling independently, and now I have no better reason to.

I might still let it be posted, might not. (What is Ubisoft gonna do, serve me a cease-and-desist for leaving RB and selling fan art of their least-popular property?) We'll see. I'm just baffled at this whole thing right now. The last thing I want is Ubisoft making free bank off work I'm doing for them (or selling it, since they now want to take the license). If anything, they should be paying me for just running this damn blog, let alone making fan art.

[be-good-be-safe-be-kind]

been a year since this sideblog was started n dunno really what to do with that info. a whole year n nothing really to show for it, at least in terms of the original goal, n what is shown is just ... dunno. maybe expected this space to be more honest-y than the other ones, since it is unconnected to the other blogs, but looking at the archive is simultaneously relieving and annoying. most posts are recognizable (panels from comics, gifs from shows, pictures drawn for fandom events) and others are understandable (thoughts on religion and mental health) and a few are confusing (items, locations, other 'original'/journaling/📝 stuff).

not to fall into the 'should statement' trap but a whole year maybe 'should' at least look like something? feel like something? maybe not accomplishment or growth or pride but like, something, yeah? even if absolutely none of the 📚 books started were ever shared past the first chapters, even if the fandom stuff is rambling and not actual insight or fic, even though those and the 🎨 art is deliberately untagged because no one is meant to see them - the books were still mostly read, the fandom stuff informed unposted fic drafts, the drawings were done in media/methods that were new. that 'should' mean something, maybe?

everything looks somehow close yet far, familiar enough to belong but also just unfamiliar enough to feel off, to feel like reading through it all is stalking someone when we were supposed to be cut out of their life.

the 👤 posts 'should' be the most familiar, since they are the default, i am the default, but apparently there's a divide there and maybe i'm not who i think i am. the 🛡️ seems to modify their posts or 🐻‍❄️'s, rather than stand on his own, which makes sense for both 🛡️ and 👤. not so much 🐻‍❄️ since the content seems to differentiate/speak for itself which part of them it is. then again, if the whole point is distinction and parts knowing things others don't, makes perfect sense. which also explains why 🦄 is louder and quieter than i thought. and now my headache's worse and reading this draft back is not helping

[sasster]

I dunno if you guys can tell but I haven’t done a lot of fantroll stuff lately. Or really. Much of anything. But I DID write this.

Mind this is just some oc species shit, BUT it would mean quite a lot to me if you guys read it. Since it’s the... Longest thing I’ve written in .. All of 2021? Yike!

Anyway, as usual, here is a link to a google doc if reading it on my blog upsets the minds eye.

----

“You know that we are practically Gods in comparison, right? It is a marvel that my people are not in the conquering business. We would be very good at it, do you not agree?”

Their captor spoke with a high in their voice, Qei was positive that they’d gotten their hands on some sort of mind altering substance to get them into the mindset that they were in -- Well, how else could you explain prattling on your master plan to a supposed lesser species? He found it rather foolish for the younger Cardali to speak so loudly and so boldly in front of newly rounded up prisoners. That was to say nothing to the tragically gaudy and unnecessary large castle-like structure that he and the four others of his crew were dragged to. Truly, he’d never seen such high ceilings outside of the Temples on Cardalith. What a waste of resources.

The upside is that the People of Aeilur were a remarkably easy species to mimic. They have no real sexual dimorphism, at least not one noticeable from the outside looking in, nor do they spend a lot of their time on ridiculous beauty standards. They were just a product of their world. Aeilur is a beautiful planet, actually, lush with fauna and vegetation long extinct on most other worlds. A strong, sturdy, practical people, with pacifism practiced down to an art, they wouldn’t raise arms even if an entire army to make a grab for their planet and it’s bountiful resources. It was Falarittus’ responsibility to help keep such things from occurring.

Qei could see how an opportunistic megalomaniac might have taken advantage of such information, he just never thought that he would see the day that one such megalomaniac would be an Ambassador of Cardalith, one of their own. He was disgusted.

There is a tug at the shackles that restrain his top set of hands, indicating that while he was lost in thought he’d stopped shuffling behind. He emits a low inquisitive grunt, he was going his usual hm, but he supposes that this is the only translation his current form could offer. How fascinating! He’d have to make plans to spend more time with the People of Aeilur. Under less pressing circumstances.

There is another sharp tug at his reins and he resumes trudging along behind the madman. How humiliating. Demoralizing. It was important for him to experience this though, so that he could speak to his short experience under their thumb when it came time to trial. There would be a trial. Not that Qei was worried that Falarittus would have much of a case. It would be short.

Not as short as it would have been if Qei were to let his patron in on the manhunt -- Why that temperamental giant would have lost it before they even stepped foot into this… Mansion? Seriously, this thing was gaudy. Might’ve burned the whole thing down Himself. No matter, this was always going to be a job for Qei. He even felt bad bringing along a crew with him. Diollea insisted he bring back up “just in case”.

He threw a worried glance over his shoulder to gauge them. They seemed comfortable, and he breathed out a sigh of relief.

Oh. Right, Falarittus was still talking.

“Once they see what I’ve done for the people of this world, the Gods themselves would shower me in praise. My peers and superiors would turn to me for guidance in the new age!”

It looks like Qei tuned back in just in time for a gem! He couldn’t help himself as the air quickly expelled from his new and quite long proboscis, which resulted in trumpets quite a bit louder than he was anticipating. He thinks this might be what a laugh is for this species. He did not intend to be laughing, but the idea that their creators would entertain the idea of the subjugation of any species, let alone one so peaceful as the People of Aeilur, was preposterous!

Only an idiot who made their home the size of a mall would have such delusions.

“What is so funny, worm?”

Worm! Perhaps not letting Diollea come was the mistake, this miserable pile of goo would long be ashes in that event. The trumpets were coming in spurts now, and Qei’s guess was that these were the equivalent of hiccups or maybe wheezing.

Qei’s crew took some steps back as Falarittus took the several steps to close the gaps between them. Now, naturally, Falarittus and Qei were eye level, but in this form they only came to just about chest level with him. Gentle, emphasis on the giant, indeed. The latters trunk swayed between them with a gentle undulation in a behavior that Qei was actually quite familiar with! Taunting.

He’d only seen it when three sisters prepared for a friendly bout of wrestling upon their reunion; It was cute. This was not.

“Oh, did you want to fight? Is that it? Did you plan to be the warrior of your people?”

Qei merely held up his two sets of shackled hands, hands big enough to hold Falarittus’ head in it. Hands that could crack their skull like a fragile piece of pottery if he were so inclined. He could not disrespect this form with violence, though, he thinks.

The bitter laugh that erupted from the man opposite him was unlike anything he’d ever heard come from the mouth of another Cardali, and he has met many of them in his day. It was almost ear splitting and made the hairs from his arms to his chest stand on end. Danger receptors? Very nice.

“It is not in you to fight, but please raise your hands to me so that I may cite self defense back to my superiors.”

There was a sick smirk on their face as they pulled a set of keys from their robes -- Robes, they were wearing robes like some sort of high priest in a fantasy story book -- and began to unlock the cruel piece of metal from Qei’s top set of arms. This was ideal, as he was fairly certain this is the set that translates back to the singular set of arms in his natural form, as they did not rudely burst from his shoulder blades like the second set did.

“Let's keep it fair, I only have the one pair after all.”

“Fair?” His own voice was quite alien to him, raspy and guttural as it tried to form words unfamiliar to the vocal cords tongue he borrowed to speak. Standard was not a language that belonged in this mouth.

“Fair. Say it with me. F-er.” Holy. Xenophobia. How did this pass the sniff test? No, there had to be another traitor in their ranks for such an awful wretched soul to have been left alone here. An example was to be made, and Qei would make sure that it was handled swiftly. The only good news was that this was so early on, that there was just this region of the planet that experienced it. Which was a really bad thing to think was a good thing. But there was a chance that the People of Aeilur would continue to allow Cardalith’s aid.

“Fair.” Qei said, once again the word barely made it past his tusks in one piece.

Falarittus cackled wildly at this attempt as Qei closed his eyes and focused his energy intro retracting that disrespectful set of arms back into his body, he’d been shifting for quite long time at this point in his life, so the rest of the shift passed by with a pleasant hum and totally not worth describing from the inside.

He reopened his eyes to the sound of metal hitting the floor, he was now looking at his own hands, ambient green glow and birthmarks exactly where he’d left them. They were clenched into tight fists. Most importantly, though, he was staring straight into the shell shocked eyes of the once quite full of himself clown.

“Fair enough?”

“Qei’eleritte, wait, let's talk about this --”

He swung hard, possibly with more force than intended, because they crumpled to the floor almost instantly. Behind him, he could hear the humored trumpeting of his still disguised crew behind him.

This could have been so much worse.

[ivesambrose]

Pick a card that evokes a feeling of Nostalgia or if any of the imagery carries with it any symbol you may have been seeing in dreams, in daily life or when you meditate. That has your answer.

The reading is timeless 💚

DM or email me at jovescorpioreadings@gmail.com with to book a personal reading with me 🌙

EDIT: Pictures are not mine

I found them on Pinterest and forgot to credit the artists at first.

As rightfully pointed out by @fischotterhexerei in the comments.

Art belongs to -

sachcell

Stef Monterde

Jamiee Peterson

Respectfully

If you'd like to order prints etc please visit their pages 💞

Maybe life has been a little too much overwhelming and you don't have a sense nor grasp of time anymore. It's the same old feeling of emotional and mental exhaustion and taxation. You've been fighting battles not many can see on the surface. The weariness will wash away soon. Specifically by end if August and start of September.

1.

The blessing of rest, solitude and emotional healing.

You can keep your guards down now.

You'll finally be seeing things clearly, you have learnt what you had to. Now you're blessed with wisdom and a lot of ideas to showcase to the world or a selective group of people, it's up to you.

You'll find your answer in something you don't often look at. It's a tiny detail of something.

Maybe some of you might start writing a book or blog (poetry even perhaps)

Something gave you a lot of sorrow than joy. It took a lot from you emotionally and now you seem detached. Perhaps some of you don't believe in love or anything good for you anymore, you're about to be pleasantly surprised though.

The only trick here is not to fixate on the past too much that you don't even glance at the opportunity right in front of you.

Life will feel more structured than before too incase you've been feeling too unstable and ungrounded.

2.

Blessings of good karma/deeds or you're having your saturn returns.

You'll be experiencing vivid dreams, deja vus, signs, intuitive hunches etc a lot. You're gonna guide your own damn self the most.

The blessing is luck, completion of cycles that have felt ungoing for too long, finishing of tasks, getting recognition, travel, news from afar, life changes, taking steps and decisions that are well thought out and not impulsive.

Capricorn season will be significant also something about the number 10?

You'll reap what you've sowed.

A lot of you are going on a journey or will be relocating.

There shall be renewal. I sense some of you might be going for further studies too or have been studying for something and that will come to pass.

Lot of awakenings but you'll feel calm about it.

Just keeping working towards your goals and yourself, luck will favor you at its max. Remember to practice gratitude and you're good to go!

3.

Your manifestions, intentions and finances.

Be very mindful of what you intend, be mindful of your words too, all your manifestions will come to you sooner than you expect.

I see a lot of getting fame for your skills.

Things just working out for you

A glow up but the boss bitch kind.

If you're starting a new business venture or are already in a managerial or ownership position things look very positive for you. Slow and sure progress than will be long lasting.

You're making your own path and going on an adventure.

Leo season will be significant or a Leo is significant here.

Contracts and agreements or any paper work will work out.

I dunno why I'm hearing you're gonna charm a lot of people and might even have a lot of admirers. But you've earned it. Remember to take a breather things are gonna take a joyful yet very eventful turn for you. Get ready to embrace life.

[sunfoxfic]

Ok, the first thing I have to say is new colors! Wow! They look really good, tho it's going to take me while to get used to them! Are they color-picked from your pfp? Your apple cinnamon rolls look so good; I might have to try them! I saw your post about what Adrien will do when he grows and I have some ideas. Well, ideas I've seen floating around here and like. A teacher, maybe inspired by Ms Bustier's kindness/support; a stay-at-home dad; or co-owner of Gabriel's (but with a new name obv) 1/2

w Mari. Or a superhero! I love future fics, but I find it unrealistic that Mari and Adrien give up their miraculous and kwamis so soon, when they don’t really need to, esp. when they just end up creating more child soldiers. I also think that they wouldn’t tell their kids until they’re old enough to understand how to keep a secret. (But Tikki and Plagg totally help with the kids as babies!). –Nameless Anon <3 2/2

You might have taken a meander into my pinned post in which you can see that Adrien I have my very own future fic. I wrote that.... probably from July 2020 to December 2020? I dunno, been a while since I did anything with it, but I got like 20k words of material. Not in any particular order, but it's there in my Google Drive.

In that fic, Adrien is actually the person who runs the business behind Marinette's boutique/also Chat Noir because Marinette actually runs a lot of that herself and Adrien has people to save. (Nino is a SAHD in that one, which I absolutely adore and will talk on more if prompted.)

I also freaking LOVE the idea of Marinette taking Adrien's last name (while Adrien takes Marinette's last name; you know, switcherooni) so that she can legally use "Agreste Fashion" without worrying about any copyright of any sort (though legally that copyright might belong to Adrien? I haven't brushed up on copyright in the EU in a while so).

I absolutely agree; it's always super weird when I read fics or see art about the characters' little kids interacting with kwamis and stuff. Like yeah, they're little kids and their word doesn't mean much, but that doesn't mean that it's okay for them to be saying those types of things, and it would be a very gradual transition from "this is information, and I like saying information!" to "Oh yeah this is a secret that I can't tell anyone under any circumstances." In my next gen ML AU, the beginning of the story is actually all of the kids receiving their Miraculous; the youngest, Hugo, is 14. (Yeah yeah, child soliders thing; tbf there wasn't a villain actively terrorizing Paris until they gave their children the Miraculous, which is kinda their fault but that's beside the point, I love all the legacies equally.)

And yes, Tikki and Plagg interacting with babies is. Peak. I especially love "Tikki who can't be around a sleeping baby to save her life and Plagg who is sadly the only person who can sing this baby to sleep."

(And yes! New blog colors! My old colors match my PFP from months and months ago, back before Mega Leech's trailer released and I got attached to Andre Bourgeois with a chainsaw, what crimes will he commit. I figured it was time for an upgrade that matched my current PFP.)

[pornosophical]

I dunno I figured it would be a bigger deal to people that this had already happened, you know? maybe I've just missed all the posts

“the way the data was queried for the initial data dump to Midjourney/OpenAI means we compiled a list of all tumblr’s public post content between 2014 and 2023, but also unfortunately it included, and should not have included:

private posts on public blogs

posts on deleted or suspended blogs

unanswered asks (normally these are not public until they’re answered)

private answers (these only show up to the receiver and are not public)

posts that are marked ‘explicit’ / NSFW / ‘mature’ by our more modern standards (this may not be a big deal, I don’t know)

content from premium partner blogs (special brand blogs like Apple’s former music blog, for example, who spent money with us on an ad campaign) that may have creative that doesn’t belong to us, and we don’t have the rights to share with this-parties; this one is kinda unknown to me, what deals are in place historically and what they should prevent us from doing.”

"Gage’s post makes clear that engineers are working on compiling a list of post IDs that should not have been included, and that password-protected posts, DMs, and media flagged as CSAM and other community guidelines violations were not included."

And I saw @staff put out a post and I just. Y'all believe them? You think checking a box is going to change anything? Our better bet is to start adding junk data. Write gibberish posts and reblog them, glaze all your art, make stick figures if you have to, and nightshade everything

because it's already happened

[oneboxofmatches]

Hi!!! May I request a HP romantic and friendship matchup on both eras? (Preferably male), thanks in advance! 💞

𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗦 + 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘

19, Libra, Neutral Good, enneagram is 4w5, Ravenclaw, and my patronus spirit is swan. Bi Pan Genderfluid girl using pronouns of She/Her or He/Him. A friend of mine told me that I (kinda) look like Marinette from 𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝘆𝗯𝘂𝗴, Musa from 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘅 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯, and Alexandra Trese from 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲 (a Netflix animated series), but the exception is I'm short (5'1.2") plus sized Southeast Asian woman with Spanish descent that has messy/wavy brunette medium hair, chocolate brown eyes, oriental skin and a small beauty mark on the forehead. My sense of fashion is in between emo and boyish plus korean glam.

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬

Distant and shy at first cause' I dunno how to initiate a conversation, but a total opposite if I open up---friendly, ambivert, witty, laughing loudly on a daily basis, talkative, awkward, daydreamer (I got embarrassed from knocking at the door even I'm inside the classroom 😂), EXTREMELY clumsy, secretly likes affection, easily overwhelmed, prone to melt over any wholesomeness, flusters on compliments, lightly blushes on cheesy banters, sarcastic person with a lowkey crackhead energy citing meme references, and talented girl who can be your no. 1 supporter and unashamed to be true to myself. In terms of leadership, I only educate and guide than being a prefect (I might take the role seriously), and will lift my group when there's lacking/incompleteness. About doing projects in school, I become too extra and prepared for efforts, but I'll forget the process in the end.

People thought I'm a demure self-effacing woman that looks "idealistic" or "one of a kind," (due to my protective parents, a reason why I've never been in a relationship) but the truth is, I'm eloquent, warm-hearted, willig to help, kind, intelligent, supportive, nice, creative, enthusiastic, determined, tough, competitive, and feisty outside, but a real softie that can be childish and dramatic crybaby filled with doubts, frustrations, and insecurities with fear of failure that pushes off the limits to to please everyone, yet I still managed to be stronger than ever, even it's a slow burn process. I can be intimidating, sassy, and a douchebag if I receive ends. Immature, headstrong, perfectionist, demanding, hesitant, jumpy, very indecisive, overthinker, quick-tempered, sensitive, and anxious (no joke, my nervousness makes me think worse scenario will arrive or I might break a belonging due to my carelessness). Though can be procrastinator and arrogant, I raised as a religious 𝖺𝗇𝖽 diplomatic person, willing to fight what I believe (including my dreams) 𝖺𝗇𝖽 what is right. In addition, I have a habit of staying up late and doing sign of the cross to ease nervousness.

Blunt but the loudest idiotic feeling-brokenhearted and bitter friend in the group who fangirl a lot, swears like sailor, will act like a silent backstabber on people that we loathe, will crack up over your stupid antics before helping, and bring gossips, but a hopeless romantic who tends to banter with sarcasms or pick up lines as an endearment (but gets grumpy if I received sappy or offensive one), still generous and concerned in a subtle way.

𝗛𝗢𝗕𝗕𝗜𝗘𝗦

My hobbies are singing, drawing, roleplaying, listening to music, chatting/browsing on social media, conceptualizing, writing, and reading some stuffs. 𝖨'𝗅𝗅 𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗅𝗎���𝖾 making corniest jokes/puns, 𝗌𝗅𝖾𝖾𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗀, and dancing when nobody's around or walking like a model if I feel so bold (even I'm terrible at both xD).

𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗦

Loves kittens, eating a lot, cartoons, watching YouTube videos (mostly pageants, ASMR, edit audios, and mukbangs), also enjoys playing games on my sister's PSP. Sucker for arts, choir, night sky, makeup, fun/deep/dumb conversations, Christianity, documentaries (about saints, real crime stories, and inspirational people), reading interesting stuffs, talking about social issues, and writings, chilling both indoors and outdoors. Beside that, my music taste are like late 90s-2000s songs (mostly rock, pop, and country) sometimes kpop and ppop, chocoholic, and a sweetooth as well.

𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘𝗦

Things that I hate are stereotyping, HUGE creepy crawlies (spiders, toads, snakes, and cockroaches), firecracker sounds, being left out, loneliness, heart break, blackout, and judgemental people. One random fact about me is, I 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 vent out EVERYTHING I despise in my entire existence---from bad soap operas to toxicity and worse scenarios in real life, because it's a big deal for me, and I consider forcing me to do what I'm not into and manipulating me as my major pet peeves.

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦

In terms of triggers...I only have two which are ta𝖨king about divorce/annullment/separation because I came from a generational broken family and religion/beliefs discrimination, cause' there are reasonings that doesn't makes sense because some are too hypocritical.

𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗔

My best assets are smile, eyes, personality, singing voice, artistic skills, writings, intelligence, and oratorical skills...so I can consider myself as a singer, artist, orator, and a top student who's a former active campus ministry member with three roles (choir leader, psalm singer, and reader). Currently an incoming college freshman, learning how to cook and have so many interests, to the point I don't know what I'm into because of my dreams to become a popular Filipino YouTuber, a novelist, and being part of a successful chorale competing internationally...I also consider joining pageants at school too once the pandemic ends, but maybe.

Thank you so, so much for requesting! I had a lot of fun with this one (as you can tell by some of the really long answers lol) and I hope you enjoy!!

In the Golden Trio era, I romantically pair you with…

CEDRIC DIGGORY

One of the most beautiful things about Cedric is that although he may show some introverted tendencies, he still manages to have a natural gift for connecting to others and allowing them to feel comfortable enough to open up. Really, your initial distance and shyness don't last nearly as long towards Cedric as they would with most other people.

Hearing your laughter brings the widest, cheesiest grin to Cedric’s face. Not only does he adore seeing you happy, but he also recognizes that your anxiety, insecurities, and strong emotions can sometimes cloud up your demeanor. Therefore, it brings him comfort knowing that (for the moment) you’re finding joy. He thrives when you thrive!

However, as much as he loves seeing your more energetic and happier self, it goes without saying that he’s the best comfort for when you’re not having the best day.

Cedric is an excellent listener, so he’ll most likely let you talk without interruption for as long as you need before even saying a word. He wants to make sure he truly understands your current state before acting. He may take a few seconds to process everything after you finish speaking, but then he’ll help you tackle whatever problems you’re facing. He’s especially talented at giving words of affirmation.

Cedric’s listening also comes in handy whenever you talk about your interests! He genuinely loves hearing about the things you’re interested in solely for the fact that you’re interested in them. Side note: you can count on him to be at any music performances, pageants, etc. you may have -- this guy is truly your #1 supporter.

Cedric’s a very good student (though I suspect he’s somewhat of a procrastinator himself), so I can also see you two supporting each other through schoolwork and celebrating each other’s successes.

Like you, Cedric has a strong urge to do the right thing. Talking to him about social issues stirs up a need to help, and I could see you two doing volunteer work together in your spare time.

I like to believe one of Cedric’s biggest love languages is quality time. Don’t get me wrong, this guy loves staying involved and busy. But taking a couple hours to be with you in small ways (even if that means just being in the same room while you scroll through social media) gives him a nice balance.

Overall, this kind boy will be there unwaveringly through the bad times and will laugh just as loud as you through the good!

As a friend, I think you’d best be matched with…

LUNA LOVEGOOD

You wanna talk about the best conversations, relentless support, and overall the most wholesome friendship you could ask for? Luna’s your girl.

Being unashamed to be true to yourself is one of the biggest reasons why Luna is so drawn to you. While she’s very friendly and insightful towards everyone she meets, it can get a bit repetitive for her to constantly interact with people who try to shelter their unique characteristics from the world. In her mind, these unique characteristics are what make people so fascinating! Why should anyone hide who they are?

Luna’s creativity is endless, and I can see it blending well with yours. Collaborating on a personal project outside of school (ex: novel, blog, etc.) together is definitely something I could see you two doing.

Speaking of creativity, finding creative solutions to everyday problems (both in school and in life) is your specialty as friends.

Admittedly, Luna isn’t usually drawn to louder individuals. However, the complexity behind your personality makes it easier for her to know you are much more than what meets the eye.

Speaking of, Luna has a difficult time standing up for herself -- whether it’s because she doesn’t feel a need to or she just doesn’t recognize the meaning behind certain phrases. She NEEDS a friend like you to stand up for her sometimes, and I know you wouldn’t hesitate!

Ranting to Luna is therapeutic to say the least. While her aloofness at times may make it seem as if she isn’t fully paying attention, that couldn’t be further from the truth. She’s actually catching every word, and once you’re done she’ll leave you with a philosophical solution that may seem borderline insane/irrelevant when you first hear it, but it strangely makes sense.

Overall, the lack of judgment from either of you is what draws you together. As a result, you build a unique bond that couldn’t be broken even if either of you wanted it to.

In the Marauders era, I romantically pair you with…

REMUS LUPIN

Let’s be honest, it would take you two so long to ask each other out. You were probably already really close friends, but the insecurities and “what if?” questions from both of you delayed an actual relationship.

When you finally started dating, you were both so relieved. You still share a laugh at how almost nothing changed in the way you interacted with each other.

While with mutual friends, Remus sometimes likes to sit back and just watch you, especially when you get really talkative because this is when you become the most expressive. He has the softest smile when you’re actively cracking jokes, discussing something you’re passionate about, or even calling someone out. Sometimes you may be too distracted to notice, but other times you’ll catch him.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing.” (While that same soft smile never leaves his face.)

You both hold really high standards for yourself in terms of school, so expect late-night study/work sessions to be your best bet for quality time.

Though the occasional instance of walking through/lying on the grounds becomes a favorite for both of you.

Remus listens when you’re particularly struggling through anxiety or strong emotions, but he has to consciously stop himself from interrupting because he can’t stand how he feels knowing you’re going through a tough time.

All he wants to do is soothe you during these moments. If you’re comfortable, he’ll hold you while speaking to you in a soft voice. Remus, the intellectual that he is, is also your best chance at finding a reasonable solution. So if you're not in the mood for calming words, he's also a great person to turn to for answers.

As for your ambitions, no matter what you choose to pursue, you already know Remus is going to be your biggest source of support every step of the way. He’s more than happy to help in any way he can!

Overall, Remus appreciates you, and he’s always going to make sure you know it.

As a friend, I think you’d best be matched with…

LILY EVANS

Lily especially connects to you because you manage to be determined, competitive, and intelligent without sacrificing your kindness, which is something she can relate to.

You and Lily are the C.E.O.s of doing the right thing. Neither of you hesitates to back the other up when it comes to confronting someone because you know it’s justified.

As perceptive as Lily is, you never need to tell her when something is bothering you. All it takes is a quick glance before she puts whatever she’s doing on hold to check in with you.

The reverse works as well. Typically, Lily really doesn’t internally struggle too much, and when she does she tries to hide it. You’re one of the only people who can see right through whatever she tries to pull.

The constant banter between you two is unmatched, but you both know it's because you really care about each other.

Overall, you and Lily have each other’s backs through anything, even when the other isn’t actively asking for help.

[jane-fucking-seymour]

Dancing In The Dark

It had been years since Six the Musical went dark.

The queens had since moved on with their lives:

Catherine had finally gone back home. The oldest queen took the funds given to her by the Spanish government and settled back in her home from way back when, unrecognizable at first but eventually found to be familiar. She had intended to live alone, not wanting to influence anyone else’s decisions about the next chapter in their lives, but of course Maria refused to be anywhere else but her mistress’ side. Catherine Parr, somewhat surprisingly, joined her, and the trio settled down in a comfortable estate and started up their own non-profit to help combat illiteracy for womxn around the world.

Anne Boleyn had immediately approached Maggie to live with her in France, offering her a chance to start up a new type of performance art: livestreaming on Twitch and posting blogs on YouTube. The duo became wildly popular online, filming anything from travel blogs to personal monologues to wacky edits that went viral as soon as they were published. Anne also worked closely with women’s shelters to help women affected by domestic violence get back on their feet.

Surprisingly, Anne and Maggie were not alone in the neighborhood: right next door was Jane Seymour and Joan Muertas, with some of the most successful baking and craft videos on the internet. Jane had expressed an interest in leaving England altogether long before the show ended, and once it did, she jumped at the opportunity to go anywhere but there. Anne and Jane’s friendship had come a long way since the start, and now the two were constantly collaborating, constantly working together as much as possible, the unstoppable duo of the internet being able to support themselves, their ladies, and their shared need to support women’s shelters.

Anna of Cleves had, naturally, been one of the more adventurous queens post-show, taking Bessie with her on a trip around the world before they both settled down in Germany. Bessie became Anna’s executive assistant at her fashion company, which was dedicated to creating fashionable wardrobes for womxn of all shapes, sizes, and budgets. Their company grew to become one of the most successful brands in the world, and Anna found herself sitting on a throne of her own making.

This left the fifth queen, Katherine Howard, who had decided to do something surprising: not only to stay in London, but to work at the Tower of London, of all places. At first, the other queens objected, and all offered (some begged) Katherine to come with them elsewhere. Katherine, though, always felt a pull to her death place, always felt connected to it ever since she returned. She had decided that it was where she belonged, morbidly enough, and she strived to not only overcome her fears, but to help others do so as well. She told her story to the world as the most popular tour guide in the Tower and then campaigned to strengthen laws and regulations regarding sexual assault and child exploitation, helping children around the world to never be in the place she once was. She became a beacon of hope for many around the world, dedicating her life to the cause with the Tower of London now her home away from home.

This led to present day, where Katherine was getting ready for the biggest fundraising gala of the year: the Howard Banquet.

The Howard Banquet was named after Katherine herself, who would bring in hundreds of millions of dollars to be split amongst charities worldwide. It took up much of her attention for the past few months to plan the yearly event, with celebrities and the best of people invited to celebrate the importance of the charities involved and to help campaign for better and more accessible resources around the world. It was to be done at the Pavilion at the Tower of London, as it always was, as a nod to Katherine’s own history.

The red carpet was set out and Katherine was the first to enter the building, going through the press line and meeting with some board of directors. Her flowing dark pink dress was a highlight, and she smiled brightly as she explained it was made by Cleves Designs, per usual. As she continued into the venue, her friends from the Tower of London soon joined her, and the party started.

She was enjoying herself on the dance floor when she suddenly stops, feeling… weird. Something in the back of her head was telling her to look around, that something was there… and sure enough, there was.

A woman in a dark yellow and black dress walked through the outskirts of the dancing, and Katherine barely saw her. Her hair was up in her signature ponytail, though, curly locks bouncing as she tried to swiftly move through the crowd. Even with the darkened room and strobe lights, Katherine saw the girl look for her out of the corner of her eye, eyes widen, then try to move faster through the crowd, towards the open bar.

Target acquired.

Katherine instantly was on the move, going straight past everyone else, ignoring the questioning calls from her friends as she beelined straight to the accelerating person. Just before the girl turned a corner, Katherine was suddenly in front of her, narrowing her eyes.

“... Maria?”

Maria de Salinas was trying to look everywhere but Katherine at the moment, even though she was cornered. She looked to her left, and Katherine followed. She looked to her right, Katherine moved right into her eyeline. Finally, Maria simply decided to look at the corner, and Katherine actually wedged herself between the wall and Maria to get the girl to look at her. 

“Maria!!!” Katherine says, smiling brightly. “Come on, I know you can see me!”

Maria sighed, shaking her head, before she looked right at Katherine.

“Ohhh, Katherine!” She says, giving a small smile. “Fancy seeing you here!”

“Yeah-huh,” Katherine replies, raising an eyebrow and not at all hiding the smirk on her face. “In my own gala? That is named after me?”

Maria scrambles for an answer.

“Funny coincidence, eh?”

Katherine stares at her for a moment more before throwing herself into Maria’s arms. Maria laughs, holding her tightly, swinging her around before Katherine continues to talk, not letting go of Kat’s hands.

“Why are you here?!?” Katherine asks. “Did they ask you to perform? They didn’t tell me the singing list, that wasn’t my department this year, but-”

“Shh, Kat, no I’m not part of the band,” Maria replies. “I’m just here.”

Katherine tilts her head. “Alone?”

Maria blinks. “Yeah.”

Katherine narrows her eyes again. “No, you’re not.”

Maria raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yeah.”

“You callin’ me a liar, Kitty-Kat?”

“Where is she?”

“Dunno who you’re talking about, babes.”

Katherine is still not buying it.

“You’re never too far apart, she’s definitely here.”

“Who?”

“Catherine!”

“Don’t know anyone by that name, nope.”

“Wot?!?” Katherine asks, and Maria laughs loudly.

“Listen, even if I knew where they were-”

But Maria realizes her mistake too late.

“THEY?!?” Katherine yells, so loudly it’s clear over the music and everyone stares. “THEY are here?!?”

Maria definitely realizes that she had said too much, and she mock-zips up her lips and refuses to budge afterwards, winking at the girl before rushing off. Katherine tries to follow, but Maria is lost in the crowd.

Kat huffs, annoyed, but not deterred.

She knows that Maria was headed towards the tables, so she casually wanders over there, trying to look the least suspicious possible. She sees Maria lock eyes with her across the way, then heads back towards the bar…

… but that doesn’t make sense, considering the lady was going for a drink, she assumes for Catherine and Cathy. Maria is definitely leading her astray.

With a smirk, Katherine takes her phone out and texts Cathy:

[Text: Parr] I know you’re here.

Katherine scans the room, waiting to see if there’s anyone around that opens their phone. She looks around long enough to get a reply:

[Text: Parr] Not sure what you mean, babes.

Katherine scoffs at that; she’s definitely here. No way she’s not. 

She wanders around the table section, keeping a close eye on who is sitting and her surroundings: there’s not much rhyme or reason to the people around her, so she goes one by one, looking for anything 

There’s a person in a tux.

There’s the host of the evening.

There’s a guy with a service dog.

There’s eight women with their backs turned to her trying to avoid being caught.

There’s a group of women from the shelter.

There’s a family receiving an award tonight.

There’s-

Wait.

She goes back to the third from last group, narrowing her eyes once again. There’s a woman in a gorgeous dark yellow dress, similar to Maria’s but a bit more lavish, golden jewelry complimenting the outfit. There’s a woman in a long, green dress, sleeves included. There’s a third woman in a black and white jumpsuit. There’s a fourth woman in a maroon tux. There’s a fifth woman in a blue suit. And finally, there are three women in dresses similar to the one in green, the one in black and white, and the one in red.

And all of them are absolutely refusing to look in any direction.

Again, the girl makes a beeline towards her target, avoiding even Maria’s call. When she gets close, she can hear them talking.

“Do you think she saw us?” Asks the girl in blue.

“I doubt it, there’s so many people here,” the woman in yellow says.

“I don’t know, she already caught Maria, I bet she’s definitely looking for Catherine,” says the woman in red.

“Maybe we should huddle up around her?” the one in black and white asks. “Might be easier to hide you.”

Katherine steps up and gently pushes her way into the group.

“Yeah, that might work,” Katherine says, as calmly as possible. “Maybe you should just call Maria back, might work.”

“Good idea, Kit-” the green dress lady says, but then she gasps.

The collective scream from the queens and ladies in the circle is enough to shock everyone around them.

Katherine is instantly embraced by the queens, laughing as they all take turns saying hello. She can barely speak with how excited she is, bouncing on her toes as she talks excitedly.

“You’re all here?!?” she asks, bouncing more and more and more. “Why are you all here?!?”

“We were invited,” Jane replies with a massive grin. “By your foundation. It was supposed to be a surprise, but, well…” Jane shrugs.

Maria happens upon them then, sighing playfully before she gently puts a hand on Katherine’s shoulder, causing Katherine to moreso bounce faster but not as big as before in place.

“I’m sorry, I thought I could sneak past her,” Maria says with a chuckle. “She’s too good at this.”

“I just! It’s been forever since last, and I miss you all, and-!” Katherine says, right before she goes for another hug to the most close person - Maggie this time, who welcomes the affection. “I missed you all a lot.”

Jane gently brings her girl into another hug. “We all missed you, too. And it was great fun catching up with everyone.”

Katherine nods happily, smiling so widely her face hurts. 

The rest of the evening, Katherine is never far away from her queens and ladies, dancing the night away. Even during the performances and the awards and the speeches, Katherine is arm in arm with at least one queen, clearly showing how much she missed them.

Towards the end of the night, Katherine and the others are outside, taking a breather in the warm night air, the Tower of London now a comforting sight behind them. 

“So, when’s the next time you lot will be around my neck of the woods?” Katherine asks, sipping on a glass of wine.

“Well, actually-” Maria starts, but Joan picks up.

“Jane and I are here for the next week,” she replies.

“Oh! Would you look at that?” Bessie says, looking at her smirking queen. “We’re the same.”

“Snap,” Maggie replies. “Anne and I are here for that long, too.”

“And us!” Maria finally gets in. “Cathy, Catalina and I are hanging out for the week.”

Katherine’s jaw straight drops.

“You’re… you’re all here? For the week?”

When they nod… well, Katherine tears up.

“Oh, love, I’m sorry,” Anna says, grabbing a napkin to help Katherine dry her eyes. “Is that too much?”

Jane is immediately at her side, a hand on her girl’s back, but when Katherine looks up, she’s smiling. They’re happy tears.

“I just! It’s been forever, and now I have you lot for the full week!” Katherine says, laughing loudly. “I just… I love you guys, you know that right?”

“Awww, Kit!” Anne says, moving to hug her cousin. “It’s okay. We’re here for the next week. For whatever you want.”

Katherine smiles brightly, nodding happily.

“I think this’ll be the best week ever!”

[undercoveravenger]

The Boy with the Pac-Man Tattoo

Original request: "Could i request a micheal x reader where Michael thinks the reader hates him because the reader is always glaring or staring at him but in actuality the readers just looking at him so he can draw Michael. One Day by accident the reader submits the drawing and it gets shown to a whole school and the reader gets embarrassed and runs off then Michael goes to comfort him."

A/N: To the anon who requested this: you are my absolute favorite! I love this boy so much, you have no idea. I don't care if my blog ever says requests are closed, I will always accept writing for him ❤

__________________________________________________________

"He's doing it again," Michael groused, keeping his head down as he pretended to work on an English assignment. 

"I'm sure it's not that bad-" His best friend started as he perked up beside Michael, looking around less-than-subtly to catch the supposed culprit. "Yeah, no, he's definitely staring at you like he wants you dead," Jeremy amended unhelpfully.

Michael groaned quietly, glancing toward the right side of the room again to see if he was still being watched.

Yep, same (h/c) hair, same red leather-bound notebook, same (e/c) eyes narrowed at him intensely. Their eye contact broke when you looked back down at your notebook, scribbling away at it in the same way you always did.

"What do you think he's writing?" Jeremy's voice snapped him out of his reverie.

Michael shrugged, beginning to pack up his things as the bell rang. "Probably different ways to murder me and make it look like an accident," he replied, waiting for his friend before heading for the door. "You and I both know he's hated me since we met."

The brunet winced as he collided with someone just before he could leave the room, the force knocking both he and his attacker to the ground. "Shit, I'm so sorry man-" he started, eyes widening when they met those belonging to the boy who'd been glaring at him all year.

"Watch where you're going," you growled, leaning forward to snatch up your journal from where it'd fallen before scrambling to your feet and disappearing into the crowded hallway.

Michael sighed, picking up his spilled things (and his what was left of his dignity) and standing back up. "Told you he hated me," he said simply, looking back at Jeremy.

Jeremy shrugged, shifting his backpack straps higher up on his shoulders. "Yeah, can't argue with that, I guess."

He shook it off, leading the way toward his beat-up PT Cruiser, knowing that both of them really needed a weekend of video games to take their minds off of the hell that is Middle Borough High School.

---------

"I really don't see why you won't just tell him you like him," Jake called, not even looking up from his phone as he spoke. He didn't really need to, after all, the three of you had had this conversation a million times.

"Yeah!" Rich chimed in from his place next to Jake, "It's not like he'd reject you! I'm, like, ninety-nine percent sure that Mell's into the artsy type anyway."

You rolled your eyes, putting the last couple of touches on your latest drawing. "Not everyone has perfect track records of not getting rejected like you two do."

Rich rolled his eyes, setting aside the xBox controller and making his way over to you. "You see this?" He asked, pointing at your drawing, "For one thing, this is fucking amazing, for two, it's kind of pathetic."

"Hey!" you protested weakly.

Rich rolled his eyes, "You know I'm right; you can't talk to the guy, so instead you draw pictures of him."

You ducked your head, unable to argue.

"You do realize that if you actually talked to him-" Jake started, sitting up and twisting around to face you. 

"You guys could be fucking by now!" Rich interrupted, waving his hands in the air over dramatically.

Jake blinked, staring at Rich for a second like he couldn't believe he'd just said that aloud. "I was going to say that maybe you could date him instead of just staring at him from a distance."

"Whatever," was all you could muster, visibly perking up when you heard the doorbell ring downstairs. "Would you look at that, an excuse to stop talking about this," you said sarcastically, turning on your heel and making your escape.

Rich waited until he heard your footsteps on the main floor before launching himself at your desk. He was methodical, pawing through drawers until he found what he was looking for.

"Rich, bro-" Jake was understandably confused, "What the hell are you doing?"

Rich turned around, your red leather-bound sketchbook in his hands. "I thought it was about time that they get their asses in gear."

"You know he doesn't like people touching that," Jake's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "What are you planning?"

The shorter male grinned, flipping through the book until he found one of his favorite portraits that you'd done of Michael before carefully extracting it from the binding. "Figured my buddy's art was good enough to be on display at the art show, don't you think?"

---------

The Middle Borough High School Art Show was one of the highlights of the school year for many students. It wasn't necessarily that they liked the art, but it was hard to dislike an event that resulted in classes getting postponed. Most of your peers ended up trying to sneak away with someone to hook up or sneak in a quick smoke behind the bleachers. 

Normally you enjoyed the art show just as much as the next guy, but this year you were a little preoccupied. First a few of your drawings had gone missing, then Rich and Jake started acting strange. Hell, one of them had latched onto each of your arms and were steering you down the school hallways purposefully.

They finally began to slow down when the three of you approached the end of the hall near the auditorium where a large crowd was gathered around one of the art pieces. Your heart stopped in your chest when Rich shouldered his way closer to the front, dragging you with him, until you could actually see what everyone was looking at.

Michael couldn't believe his eyes. Sure, the artwork had been blown up to about ten times the original size, thus losing some of the details, but it was all there. The shading of the leaves and placement of the tree branches perfectly matched those of his memories, the sunny sky paling in comparison to the glow surrounding the focus point of the piece.

The massive drawing focused on a young man as he stood under a looming maple tree. He faced away from the viewer with one hand holding a phone, head tipped down toward it, and the other arm hanging casually at his side. Even he was turned the other way, he was still drawn in such a familiar way that it felt like it didn't matter if you couldn't see his face.

Somehow, the artist had managed to make him blend into his surroundings and stand apart from them at the same time. Worn red fabric came across looking well-loved and warm and individual pen strokes made the polar bear on the back of his hoodie look soft enough to touch, while the mountain range at the base still looked jagged and harsh.

His hair looked wind-tousled and his headphones looked like they actually held weight where they were tucked over his ears. His skin was exactly the shade it was in real life, down to the way the light brushed over the Pac-Man tattoo on the subject's forearm, perfectly mirroring the one on Michael's own.

Really, it was undeniable that the drawing had been based off of Michael. Hell, if he'd had a photo of him standing and waiting for Jeremy after school, he was half-convinced that the artwork would be more accurate.

Michael was further surprised when his gaze drifted lower and he noticed the artist's name printed on a sheet of paper hung below the art. He twisted, turning to look at the faces around him. He paused as his eyes locked onto you. 

You looked… sick. It seemed like the very existence of your artwork on that wall made you feel like you wanted to vanish, and the expression only worsened as your gaze locked with his.

As Michael watched, you tore yourself away from Rich and Jake, ducking your head and curling in on yourself as you turned tail and disappeared into the crowd.

Michael didn't even have to stop and think before he took off after you.

---------

When Michael finally found you, it was under the same tree as the one in your drawing and he was struck by the irony for a moment. Eventually he forced himself to move, settling himself on the ground beside you as he tried to think of what to say.

It was you that finally broke the oppressive silence. "I'm sorry," you said.

It was then that Michael noticed how small you seemed in that moment. As one of the three most popular guys in school, you'd always seemed to emanate confidence- you were untouchable. But now, as you sat there with your head down and your shoulders hunched, he was struck by the fact that you were just as human as anyone else. "Why would you need to be sorry?"

"Isn't it a little, I dunno, creepy?" You laughed humorlessly, "For me to have been drawing you without your permission?"

Michael thought for a minute, trying to come up with an appropriate reply. He ended up shrugging, "I mean, it's better than thinking you were out to murder me."

That got a real laugh out of you and Michael couldn't help but grin in response. "No," you said once your laughter had subsided, "That's not something you'll need to worry about." Your grin faded a little, "Neither is the drawing thing," you amended, picking up the little red notebook that Michael had always seen you with and turning it over in your hands for a moment before holding it out to him. "I- uh, I won't draw you anymore and I figured that since you're in them, they technically belong to you."

Michael took the book from you slowly, fingers lingering on the worn leather and thumb brushing absently at a tear along the side. He lifted the cover slowly, gaze taking reverently at every drawing he uncovered, each one seeming to rewrite a little of what he'd thought he known about you. Each drawing unearthed something you treasured, whether it was a portrait of him (he couldn't help but blush at the sheer number of them, let alone the quality) or a quick sketch of a bird you'd seen and thought pretty.

He closed it after a few moments, nudging it against your thigh to get your attention. You turned back to him with a raised brow, clearly confused. "You aren't keeping it?"

"No," Michael replied, shaking his head slowly. "Who am I to keep an artist from his sketchbook, after all."

You still looked puzzled, "Really? I thought you'd be a lot less cool about this."

Michael shrugged, looking away with a flush on his cheeks, "It's kind of, I don't know, flattering, I guess? That you thought I was worth drawing."

"Worth drawing?" You mocked with a roll of your eyes, "If you were just worth drawing I would have done one and left it at that." You lifted the book pointedly, "I think you and I both know I've done a lot more than that."

The brunet chuckled, biting his lip as he tried to think of what to say. "You can, um, you can still draw me, if you want?"

You twisted around to look at him again, clearly shocked.

Michael raced to explain himself before you could say anything. "I mean, with me knowing about it this time, of course, but I thought- y'know, they're really good and with some better posing and me knowing not to move or make weird faces or something, then they could be really great and-" he cut himself off, face burning, and his hand twitched up to mess with the cord of his headphones the way he always did when he was nervous. 

You couldn't help but laugh, grinning fondly at the action you'd noticed in your time admiring him. You brought a hand up to catch Michael's, gently tugging his hand free of the cord and setting it back on his leg with a light squeeze. "You're in it for shared custody then, huh?" you teased, tapping a finger against the cover of the sketchbook. "You realize that means you'll have to deal with me more often, right?"

Michael's blush darkened and you ducked your head, "I… wouldn't be opposed?"

"Shared custody it is then." You grinned, laying back in the grass to look up at the clouds, content with enjoying the way your rocky day had turned out. Maybe this wasn't you asking him out, but it was a start.

Maybe by this time next year you'd be able to talk him into doing some nude modeling...