#might tweak a couple covers as well

[unclefredandjohnnierutter]

CCPT23 is over and I want to say thank you to everyone who listened/reblogged/liked/commented on my playlists!! Ive been sitting on this project for like six years and its finally done and I feel very seen

It was so good to reconnect with the games and do a quick review of them all. The random order worked so well imo and i loved how the games still played off each other even tho it was random, i just think its neat!

I dont engage with fandom a whole lot but I’m glad yall are still here posting about these silly mystery games on tumblr.com. A lot of the music included has personal significance/fits into my interpretation of the games and its okay if you dont like them. I had a lot of fun combing thru spotify and making the images with snapchat and i hope you got some enjoyment from somepart of it too

Thanks again, cluecrew 4ever 💚

[luveline]

hello might i ask for sassy badass reckless reader who is the #1 leading cause of aaron's gray hairs pls 🤞🏻 he is SO exasperated with her like he is TIRED™ but also tweaking bcs he's horrendously down bad for her he's gna throw up

Good morning. I hope you slept well, honey. Can you come to work early, say 6.10AM? I’d like to see you and talk about something in person. 

You squint at the text that’s just come through. Another follows as you’re finishing, lighting the dark of your room.

I love you. Sorry, I know you don’t like when I forget to tell you in the mornings. 

Your own response is sent without propriety. I love you too handsome. 6.10 is not gonna work.

Can you make an effort for me? he asks. 

You do your very best. 

“It’s almost seven,” Hotch says when you finally get there that morning, his frown audible and plain to see. 

You hold up the bag of sugar donuts you’d purchased from the truck on the square just outside of Quantico’s endless parking lots. “Necessary delay.” 

“Unnecessary. I asked you nicely to come early and you’re barely on time,” he grumbles. 

How adorable. You put the bag of donuts on the desk and ignore the paperwork laid out waiting for you in favour of his side of the desk. He smells like cedar, his suit sleeve starched under your hand. You lean back against the lip of his desk and pretend you hadn’t been thinking about climbing into his lap —he’s formidable and lovely and that’s the best combination for lounging about atop someone, especially when that someone is very good at pressing you backwards, and better at kissing your neck. 

He knows what you’re thinking. “You’ve woken up in a mood,” he murmurs. 

“A good one,” you promise. 

You take his coffee and steal a sip. Hotch, resigned, lays a hand on your thigh. “I have important things to talk about, you know? I thought I made that clear this morning.” 

“You made a couple of things clear.” 

“Don’t say it like that.” 

“Like what?” 

“Like I…” He tilts his head to the side. “Like I’ve been sending you dirty texts or photos.” 

“Is that an option? I don’t think I’ve subscribed to those emails.” 

“You make me out to be this salacious lark–”

“Aaron, I don’t do anything of the sort.” You can hardly hold back a laugh. “I’m sorry I implied you were sexting me, okay? I wish you had been.” He sighs a long-suffering sigh as you carry on. “But you were very formal. I’ll be sure to tell HR the same thing.” 

His hand slips between your thighs. Nowhere it shouldn’t be, just trapped between soft flesh. “Don’t tell HR anything.” 

His coffee is lukewarm and unsweetened on your tongue. Would it kill your uptight love to add just a dash of cream and sugar? Wrinkling your nose, you set aside the mug and press your mildly heated hand to his cheek. Just quickly, brushing a thumb up to the skin below his eye before you let it fall. “Tell me what you wanted me to come in early for. And, for the record, I’m sorry for not trying to get here before, just I didn’t sleep well, and my neck hurt too much to rush.” 

He looks like he wants to ignore your apology. He doesn’t ask you for much, and showing up when he’d wanted you to would’ve been the kinder thing to do —he can be annoyed as both boss or boyfriend. 

But he doesn’t have it in him. 

“Why didn’t you sleep?” he asks softly. 

“Thinking too much about my nice boyfriend.” 

“Really?” 

You slouch a little. Cover his hand where it rests between your legs. “I don’t know. It was really hot, and my mattress is getting old, probably.” 

He ushers you down for a sympathetic kiss. He’s always so sorry to hear about your minor ailments, he must like you too much. 

You attempt to crawl into his lap, curling an arm behind his head. He, disgruntled and yet far from reluctant, lets you take a seat. 

[bbluefllame]

hcs on how I think mha characters sleep

contains: pure silly stupidness

characters: tomura shigaraki, touya todoroki, keigo takami, izuku midoriya, toga himiko, plus one katsuki hc😭

note: LISTEN GANG I WAS SLEEPY BUT I COULDNT SKEEP SO I WAS LIKE OH EM GEE!!! keigo's went out of hand 😔😔😔

tomura shigaraki

- he usually sleeps in his normal attire, he has no energy to get up and change

- sleeps 4 hrs MAX

- his thumbs are always I mean always are covered by the rest of his fingers tightly, he probably decays mattresses every couple of months by accident

- either super light sleeper or super heavy no in-between, probably doesn't even sleep most of the time

- there's no pre-sleep routine. mf just plops down into the bed and blacks out OR he sleeps in his gaming chair😭

- if you're sleeping next to him, he would make sure he's facing the opposite side with his hands dangling at the edge of the bed just to make sure nothing happens to you.

- one thing that makes him black out is playing with his hair, like blackout like snore mimimimi type shit

- he's so still in his sleep, barely moves to the point you might think he's dead if he wasn't breathing‼️

- Overall he'd be a pretty good person to sleep next to (if he even sleeps) just make sure he doesn't have nightmares or everything is done and dusted (literally)

touya todoroki

- he either sleeps naked or something that can't snag on the staples/ irritate his scars (probably naked bcs have you seen his room?? ITS EMPTY EMPTY THERES NOTHING BESIDES HIS USUAL CLOTHES)

- I give him 5-6 hrs maybe then he wakes up but on nights where he's in too much pain, he takes a shit ton of painkillers and tries to sleep just to wake up 2 hrs later

-biggest snorer out there, complete opposite of tomura. esp w those lungs of his omg.

- you could be sleeping and BOOM 🚉 SNOREEEEEE HONKKKK you need earplugs with him, then he wakes up and goes "I don't snore, fuck you mean??"

- he tosses and turns 24/7 also he will 100% steal the blanket and kick you off, at this point it'd be more comfortable to sleep on the ground than to sleep next to him

- yk those videos where it's like someone tweaking while sleeping, like they roll around steal blankets and kick and stuff and do the craziest shit, yeah that's touya

- idk if he has a pre sleep routine I'm leaning towards it depends? he usually just makes sure his scars are clean so he doesn't get an infection and yk die!

- I conclude, a horrible person to sleep next to. Would much rather kms than tolerate a night of his torture!

keigo takami

- this bitch has 2 options, blackout the second he gets home in his hero attire, or if it's a day where he has to recover from an injury or something, these specific navy blue sweatpants and a black t-shirt

- depends on the day he's sleeping either 3 hrs or 9 hrs

- he doesn't snore but he talks in his sleep about the weirdest shit ever "noooo pls don't put me in the airfryer" he 100% has the weirdest fucking dreams to ever exist

- he never sleeps on his back, literally always on his stomach so his wings don't get in the way

- also on the topic of his wings, during said weird dreams if he's running away or something they start flapping and shit😭 it'd be so annoying to sleep next to him

- he sleepwalks 100% you look at that face and tell me he DOESNT?? he's a really light sleeper as well esp for nights where he might be called in

- definitely has a pre sleep routine (if he doesn't immediately blackout) ESP if you're living tg oh em gee, he'd have a longer skincare routine than you (tbf the skincare routine is kind of obligation from him to appeal to the civilians nd shit)

- he'd have a headband on his head pushing his hair back, washing his face, using a toner etcetera, and then going "baaaaaabeeee where'd you put my cosrx snail mucin, I know you used it" and he'd be all sassy and shit (twink cough cough sorry)

- if he's having a calm day, he's being the clingiest cutest little shit, you wanna go to eat? "nooo 5 minutes" . You wanna go to the bathroom? "Ugh be quick" while he's guarding the door waiting to tackle you and drag you back to bed. He's such a little (loving) shit

- he just lays there on top of you not willing to let go with a serene expression on his face, those days are rare though (fuck the commission 😠)

- random but he has some of the worst bed head you could ever see

- overall, kind of annoying to sleep next to (funny as well) but for him, who wouldn't tolerate it 🙏🏼

izuku midoriya

- before OFA bro used to get no sleep he'd have the most fucked up sleep schedule to ever exist ‼️‼️ like during weekends no sleep at all just staying up analyzing new heroes

- w OFA he's sleeping healthily or too much with the amount of energy he uses ESP in the first seasons when he breaks his bones a shit ton

- HIS SLEEP WEAR LMAOAOA funniest thing I've seen i don't have to say anything abt it 😭 a fucking shirt w " t-shirt" on it or sumn

- doesn't snore but moves a lot, and not even kicking?? just flipping side to side or clutching the blanket like he's a woman clutching her purse in the 1800s (no one's taking it from you calm down lil bro)

- occasionally he might talk but it's like 2 words then he flips to the other side

- no pre-sleep routine but that's bc he doesn't need one, his pre-sleep routine is studying or training, BUT bro has to be like wrapping his arms and hands at night or something bcs he's in pain (his arms are fucked up there's no way he doesn't have chronic pain)

- if you're forced to sleep next to each other (insert ur own fanfic idea of why) he would be so tense he'd have his hands by his side tryna not sleep so he doesn't annoy you, at this point, you'd be annoyed by how tense he is

- he's not a bad person to sleep next to tbf, just like he might be kinda annoying that's it

Toga Himiko

- she has pink pj's and everything she's such a cutie (some have blood on them but whoops accident!)

- she sleeps with plushies (her room is adorable. search it up pleek‼️), changes the plushie every night so "every single one of them feels loved"

- she sleeps pretty healthily although on the low side 6-7 hrs prolly, she's told by compress "You're a growing girl, you need your sleep" or something similar when she wakes up too early

- she's more giggles in her sleep rather than anything, maybe whispers a name then goes teehehehe, she's pretty calm in her sleep honestly

- she has a pre-sleep routine and it's adorable, if it's in the broke era she steals face masks (specifically hello kitty ones), moisturizers, toners, face washes and skips back to the base with a smile on her face

- has 100% forced a couple of the league members to use the face masks

- has music blasting (for some reason I see her playing like a g6 and bopping her head while putting stuff on) at 10 pm, she 100% has been forced to turn it off bcs it woke everyone up

- she's such a cuddly person as well but in the best way possible, before sleeping though 100% there's gonna be gossiping or just yapping tg

overall my favorite !! silliest girl to ever exist I luv her

bonus katsuki

- bro sleeps like a Victorian child dying from the plague, waiting for a true loves kiss type shit you'd see him and go "wtf okay disney princess😟"

[wonderjanga]

Drugs

Marvel doesn’t like drugs. They’re like a plague. If you try even one you’ll get hooked and it’ll slowly destroy your life. That’s what an old homeless guy told Billy one time anyways. What Billy actually doesn’t like is how many of the homeless population have their hands on drugs. He’s literally grown up huddling around fires with these people. He’s doesn’t like to see them act like addicts. So, that’s why when he first became Captain Marvel, one of the first things he did was work his ass off to get drugs off the streets. Like actually. One of his first major things besides fighting his villains, was a big drug bust.

Drug Cook: *cooking*

Marvel: *leans against the table next to him*

Drug Cook: *doesn’t notice him*

Marvel: “Hey.” *picks up a chunk of meth and takes a nice big crunch out of it*

Drug Cook: *pauses at the crunch and slowly looks over to him*

Marvel: *knocks him out* “Geez, how do you just not notice that everyone around you is knocked out? Is making crystal that interesting?”

So you might be wondering, why did Billy just eat one of those? Truthfully, he himself doesn’t know either. Fear factor? Maybe. Honestly, he just did it because he could. It’s not like Marvel can be affected by drugs anyways. No like seriously, some guy once threw a kilo of crack at his face and it exploded. He was fine, but he did end up having to walk out of there looking like a crackwhore times ten.

Reporter: *runs over to him, holding mic to his face* “Captain Marvel- oh my god.”

Marvel: *entire upper body is covered in crack cocaine* “Miss, I gonna have to ask you to take a whole step back because every single individual little white speck of powder on me is crack so if you inhale this, you will be inhaling cocaine.”

Reporter: *shares a speechless look with the camera man and takes a couple steps back*

Assistant: *runs over using his shirt of cover his nose and mouth to give Marvel a mic so they can still conduct the interview*

Crack-Covered Marvel became a meme. Why? Because he looked like he literally wanted to be anywhere but there. He was also covered in cocaine so that too. Also, a lot of people were wondering how he went through the entire interview without tweaking in the slightest. This made the JL reconsider asking him to be a member.

Flash: “You don’t just take what looks like a kilo of cocaine to the face and shrug it off. What if he’s like that because he built up a tolerance??

Batman: “It’s been well established he isn’t a human being. Perhaps his species isn’t affected by the drug the game way humans are.”

Supes: “Do you think he might be Kryptonian?” *sounds excited*

[quibbs126]

So today I decided to try and draw Skyfire, in the same sort of vein as I did the War Dawn trio, to try and practice him

I mostly chose Skyfire since I made a couple posts about him/skystar, so I figured might as well draw him, especially since he shows up far less than his counterpart

To be perfectly honest, I think I still need a lot of work in drawing these guys, as I’ve said many times before. I think I can get the heads, but I start to get wonky with the chests, and I really didn’t know how to do his shoulders

Anyways, so this design is based on his g1 design, mostly this one image I got of him

But I also wanted to take some liberties with his design, at least in the head area. I’m realizing I didn’t actually change much of the rest of the body outside of omitting bits, as per usual

I don’t know, I think I like the head design, I just need a slight bit more consistency with it. Also in my head, he’s got a visor that drops down to completely cover his face, but the issue there comes in his colors. His glass is blue, so logically his visor mask would be blue too. But the top of his head is also blue, and it’s really the only other place the blue shows up in outside of the glass. So either I’d have to make his mask red and break consistency, or change the top of his helm to be another color (probably red) and get rid of one of the few pops of blue he has

I also just don’t know how to draw his chest things, the sides that pop out. So that’s why they look weird

And also, his shoulders are like the one part of him that’s circular outside of his helm, and it really annoys me because it sticks out so much to me, with basically the rest of him being rectangular

Also also, I don’t know how to do the arms either, in part because of the circular bits and also I don’t know how to make the triangular prisms

Where was I going with this? I don’t remember. All I know is that while I like his head, I’m well aware my drawings of him aren’t the best. I still need to learn how to draw Transformers properly. Which I’ve been saying for quite a while now, but I’m not sure how much progress I’ve made on that front

But anyways, last thing to talk about I suppose is the design itself. I quite like it, but because it doesn’t belong to any continuity, only being me tweaking his g1 design, I’m not sure what to use it for. I could use it for my own if I really wanted to, but of my random AU ideas, I don’t really know where to fit Skyfire in them. And would I make all subsequent designs for this hypothetical AU based on their g1 designs? I don’t really want to do that with Megatron, I don’t really like his helm design in g1 (it’s weird and ill defined to me)

But for now I guess, I have made this Skyfire design. Not the best work of mine, but I’m still trying to learn Transformers, so I’ll take it

[lj-lephemstar]

Progress Checkup! (Nov. 2024) | Scratchin' Melodii Devlog

​​Hey again guys! Sorry if it's been a bit since the last devlog. With how much I've been up to, it sure feels like it!

Let's get right into it. For starters, the 3rd rival battle of Act 2 is complete! I'll likely be showing a gameplay preview of it sometime soon. This is the first song to use the new framework that I'll be using for all the other stages going forward, which also means I've had to spend the past couple weeks getting the previous songs working with this new system too... Did you know that in the demo builds, if I wanted to change something about the gameplay, I'd have to manually go back and change it for EACH individual song one by one? Well now, imagine all the songs had like a peace treaty to just share one good, clean, and organized system that I can easily tweak and add to as I please. So development is gonna be smoother than ever from here! This is how most games are SUPPOSED to work, but I was a liiittle too stupid to figure out how to do this until recently!

While I was moving Cream Cheese Icing over to this new system, I took the opportunity to make the chart a bit more beginner-friendly! For example, the first line went from this...

To just this!

As you can see, it has less notes, therefore it is less scary for new players. Believe it or not, I actually never intended for Cream Cheese Icing to be so difficult for new players in the first place! Naturally, being too good at my own game can make gauging the difficulty curve a bit tricky at times, but I think I'm figuring it out!​

You may have also noticed that the characters have new UI icons too! I felt like the old ones were too flat and boring, so I did a new take on them, aiming for more dynamic shapes and angles, not to mention how my art style's just kinda grown a bit in general since I last drew the icons. I also ended up leaving out the circles behind them. I was a little worried I was gonna run out of unique colors for all of them at some point, plus SOME of these guys can have really big hair and/or hats that pretty much just cover up the whole circle anyway. (hi rensa)

Speaking of artwork, here's a little look at some of the updated animation I've done for Stir & Mix! (Try to imagine it in not highly-compressed-gif-form. I promise it looks better in-game!)

When working on Stir & Mix related stuff, I can't help but feel a bit of a sense of dread knowing how people may react to it... Honestly, sometimes I kinda wish it never got as popular as it did in 2022. But hey, doing my own thing regardless of what's expected of me is the most Scratchin' Melodii thing I could do!

Speaking of which, Mia learned a ton of new stuff while doing the VOCALOID tuning for the last rival battle we worked on, so we might revisit Stir & Mix's vocals again at some point before release to give it even more style! (By the way, Mia and 2cada are the same person! Sorry if I refer to both names interchangeably! She's been the one doing all the VOCALOID tuning and vocal mixing for the game since 2023.)

Well, I think that's all for now! Here's another friendly reminder that there will NOT be anymore demos of the game. Any new content will be saved for the full game's release. I know I've said it before, but I probably won't stop saying it until people stop getting confused about it LOL. Thanks for reading!! I appreciate you. - LJ

[mistressroxielove]

Hey everyone~ I got some more stuff for ya~

Long story short, I've discovered the new Fairly Oddparents reboot, absolutely loved it and was inspired to make this AU idea for the show! With a slight reimagine/redesign of the characters as well.

Here's some more info about my AU:

Fairly Odd Parents AU/Rewrite

Au Name: FairlyOdd Brother

Summary:

Perri (previously known as Poof) recently graduated from Fairy Godparents School and is eager to start granting Wishes for his very own godchild! Only problem is that with his lack of experience Jorgen is weary of giving him an assignment and keeps finding excuses/reasons to not give him a godkid. Realizing it might be a 1,000 years before they give him a chance to be a Fairy Godparent, Perri decides he needs to be a little bold and perhaps, bend Da Rules, to get his foot in the door so to speak. And his answer comes to him from a new neighbor in his human home, a family with a sweet shy 10 year old girl who is absolutely miserable. Perhaps Perri might be able to offer this girl a little comfort and fun as her new Fairy Godbrother!?

(Basically the same premise of the show, except Perri’s first godchild is Hazel, and through a technicality in the rule book, becomes her god brother instead of her godparent.)

ALSO please note this AU is more of a slight reimagine of the original show, meaning I did tweaked / changed some of the characters personality to match the new story I made for them. Nothing majorly different, but again just a heads up before you read on. Hope you like it~

Name: Devin “Dev” Dimmadome 

Age: 9/almost 10

Sex: Male

Physical Description: 

Is basically the same as in the show, though there are a few key differences. 

-Despite having slicked back hair he always has a single strand that no matter what always sticks out, he hates it and is always trying to move it back into place but to no avail. In reality without the hair product he has natural curly hair like his father, though his curls are a little more difficult to comb and manage than his father, something that he doesn’t like about himself

-Has freckles! But always wears makeup to cover them as according to Dale’s research are ’less desirable’ and would statistically do better with them covered up

-Also has heterochromia, one blue and one green eye, but always wears either a blue or green contacts to hide his ‘flaw’, again being told to do so by his father

- Though he is always required to wear a branded white hoodie, Dale actually lets him wear whatever shirt he wants underneath, just with the promise Dev never takes his sweater off in public. Dev usually wears all sorts of geeky and nerdy shirts, mostly love meridian and Crimson Chin related stuff, it's the closes thing he’s allowed to wear ‘freely’ without requiring his father’s approval. Again this ‘freedom’ is kinda pointless since he still has to wear the hoodie, but he still appreciates it.   

-As you can see in the photo above I showed what he looks typically on the left, and on the right is basically what Dev would dress like if he had no rules or restrictions.

Personality: 

It's basically exactly the same as in the show, I really like Dev both in a story sense and a comedic sense so nothing to really change. The only slight difference is that Dev in this version clearly gets a crush on Hazel in this version. I think the show is ‘hinting’ of them possibly being a couple later on, but in my version I wanted to make it a little more clear that he has a subconscious crush on her. Basically think Anya and Damion from Spy x Family if you want a good example. He likes her, but being a 10 year old boy with severe daddy issues has no idea how to handle this and ends up being kinda mean to his regret. 

Other fun facts:

-I won’t get into it now, but his relationship with his father is a bit different, as I have a unique take on Dale and who he is as a person. I’ll probably draw him next but for now just know Dale isn’t an evil heartless father and there’s more to him than it seems, and thus the relationship between Dale and Dev is a little more complex.

-And yes though it isn’t important yet, he does end up getting Cosmo and Wanda as his fairy godparents instead of Hazel as the AU would suggest.

- In this version Peri is also not a big fan of Dev. As he obviously doesn’t like how he’s mean to her at first, but as they become friends and Peri soon realizes that Dev has a crush on Hazel this leaves Peri horrified at the thought. And of course being a proper big brother is completely against and despises the idea of Dev and Hazel ever ending up together. He’s not too over the top about his dislike, but definitely would be sitting in to conor with his arms crossed, while trying to subtly tell Hazel she could do soooooooo much better than him.   

I hope you guys like this, I'm personally really happy with how this design turned out, especially his 'real Dev' design on the right. But I would love to hear your guys thoughts and opinions about my designs. Do you like them, hate them? Feel free to tell me below.

Also tomorrow I'll post a version of this photo with a transparent BG and maybe upclose shots of the design as well, just so you can see the design easier without the BG

Previous - Next

[viquipo]

No bc I'm so mad rn I usually post my rants on ig stories but I need the tumblrites to tell me if I'm crazy or what. Jwcc/ct spoilers WHATEVER

First of all I want to preface this by saying that this is just my opinion on the matter, I'm not saying your headcanons are "wrong" or whatever tf, it's a kids cartoon where they unironically use terms like "fam". You can play with the characters however you'd like.

That being said, this is why TO ME it does not makes sense for Ben to be anything other than gay. Again, if you think he's bi or straight or anything else that's cool. I'm also leaning towards the opinion that he does actually have a girlfriend. I don't think the shows gonna pull a 180 on it because, realistically, 2 queer characters is already a lot for a DreamWorks kids show. As much as I'd like it not to be.

But, since the beginning, Ben has been very clearly coded as exclusively into men to me. Before finally going into it, I remind everyone on here that I'm a lesbian. I have felt an affinity with his character specifically for the experience of only liking the same gender. I might be totally projecting.

Ok, so.

1. The arc Ben goes through during the show is yes, one of self discovery, but also one of self acceptance. He changes a lot from the start of s1, but he also comes to terms with stuff himself or other people didn't like about him. He doesn't throw the dork pouch away or tells Kenji to keep it, the first thing he does when he takes it back from Kenji is put on hand sanitizer. He is covered in dirt, he's not afraid of filth anymore, but he still does that action because it's part of who he is as a person. He also becomes very unashamed at the things he does. He went from being embarrassed of his carob bars to eating grubs in front of people who he knows think it's gross. He knows himself as he is and he accepts it. To me (and to lots of other people) this works very well as a gay metaphor, and pairs up pretty nicely with the whole "jungle boy? Jungle MAN" arc being a trans metaphor. But how does this make Ben uniquely into men?

Well, it doesn't. But I think this next one does.

2. Enter Yasmina. She's pretty, she's smart, athletic, funny, all that good stuff. I'm not saying that means every wlm character should automatically be into her, but it certainly helps. Now forgive me if I don't remember specific episodes/seasons, but we all remember that episode where Ben convinces himself that Yaz is in love with him for some reason. When he "rejects" her, he says : "I'm just now starting to find myself". That's cool, cause I'm pretty sure Ben's " finding himself " personality wise was over and done a couple of seasons ago. To me, that is a really good hint at him dealing with his gayness.

3. He's also the first person Yasmina talks to about her feelings for Sammy. Now, in this particular context, the options for Yaz to talk to were Darius, Brooklynn, or Ben. It would initially seem to make more sense for her to confide in Brooklynn, since the two of them are far closer than her and Ben, and it also wouldn't be the first time she brings up Sammy as a romantic interest for Yaz (see: everyone tweaking abt that one line back in like s2). So why does Yasmina, a very private and reserved person, choose Ben to talk to about her same sex crush? She has probably gathered from the previous conversation that Ben relates to her struggle in a unique way in which Brooklynn just can't. Ben seems very receptive of what Yaz is saying ("feelings, am I right?") and it seems like he REALLY gets where she's coming from.

4. This is one I don't see talked about a lot, and maybe it's just cause I'm too out of the loop with the fandom, but I want to examine it as well. It's when Ben decides to not actually stay on the island. Everyone (except Sammy) already knew he wasn't going to stay in the end, but still didn't force him out. I think this is especially clear in a line Darius says when they reunite on the boat that goes something like "you needed to figure it out on your own" *smile hand on shoulder combo*. No explanation needed I think

I am diagnosed with autism did you guys know what

[jeannereames]

Do you have any thoughts/theories on what it would've been like if Alexander ever returned to Pella? (sorry if this was already asked, tumblr's search system isn't really helpful)

What if Alexander Had Lived to Turn West?

First, I agree on Tumblr’s search system. It’s become increasingly bad. Even I can’t find posts I KNOW I made and tagged. I’m starting to compile a list of the more important (and lengthy) posts on various subjects, for my own reference. I wish Tumblr would let us pin several posts, not just one. (I’ve also sent a complaint feedback to Tumblr about this.)

Anyway, to the question: before we get to the “fun” (speculative) part, let’s address how likely it is he’d GO back. And as part of that, we need to ruminate a bit on what he might have done, if he’d returned west. So, let’s play a little “What-if?”

We must also keep in mind travel time. In the modern world, we can forget how long it took back then to get from Point A to Point B. Had he lived to attack Carthage (as I think he planned to do), or at least circumnavigate Arabia—both are on the southern coast of the Mediterranean. (See my tweaked map with significant places I mention below marked in purple, and recall that they tended to sail along a coast, not straight through the middle.) Macedonia is in the NW corner of the Aegean Sea. Such a side-trip would have eaten up a couple months. There might have been a sneaky reason for him to do that very thing: to come at Carthage from the north. (See discussion below.) But only if Arabia was a ruse all along. If he did mean to attack Arabia (and I think he intended that too), he'd go the southern route, then after, check on the progress of Alexandria (and visit the shrines for Hephaistion that he’d ordered built), before heading west.

If he did choose that southern route, he wouldn’t have returned to Pella before attacking Arabia or Carthage. And after…well, Italy was on the way back, so he’d probably have gone there first. And yes, I think after dealing with Carthage, he’d have used avenging the death of his uncle (Alexandros of Epiros) as an excuse to attack the Greek colonies in S. Italy. If he’d been successful against Carthage, I’m pretty sure south Italy, and possibly the north too, would have capitulated to avoid being leveled. Even Rome. At that point, Rome was in no position to fight such a titanic military powerhouse. Too many think of Rome later and backread the extent of Roman resistance into earlier periods.

Depending on the length of the campaign (e.g., how hard was any opposition), he’d have been in his mid-30s by then. Incidentally, if you’d like a speculative “What if Alexander went West,” I recommend A Choice of Destinies by Melissa Scott. (Ignore the cover.) She does have him return to Greece first, but because Thebes is in revolt (which called him back in the first place; he never reaches India). That’s the sort of event that would get him back to Greece.

There’s been speculation in both fiction and history that he didn’t want to go home because he was avoiding “his terrible mother” (as Tarn put it). I’ve written before on why Oedipal Complexes are both very modern and very wrong to assign to Alexander. I can’t now locate that post (annoyingly), but did find this one about Alexander’s relationship with Olympias in later years. So, I don’t think avoiding Olympias would have kept him from Greece/Macedonia before going west. If anything, the opportunity to see his family would have been a draw, not a dissuading point.

So, we can postulate two possible return scenarios. The first would be a side-trip on his way to Carthage as trickery to conceal his real target. After leaving Pella, he’d circumnavigate Greece to the Peloponnese, then cross the Ionian Sea to Sicily (a typical Greek trade route), and then sail around the southern edge of the island to pop across to Carthage from the north.

In this scenario, he’d be in “swing-by” mode. He’d already asked Antipatros to bring him fresh troops, so he’d have been picking them up, or acquiring more. As a recruiting campaign, it would have been short, but he’d no doubt make several religious sacrifices at Dion, Aigai, and Pella, and perhaps even visit Delphi for a prophecy about the west.

He would not bring his Asian wives with him in either scenario. First, it’s a campaign, not a family visit. But also, he intended them to stay in Babylon (or Susa). By that point, Roxane and probably also Statiera would have given birth. If both infants were male, Statiera’s would be designated heir in Asia. If only Roxana’s was male, he’d still be the “spare” by dint of his mother’s lower birth, but better than nothing in the meantime.

It’s quite possible that he intended a divided but hierarchical rule not so different from Assyrian patterns, where one heir was sent to Babylon while Daddy ruled in Nineveh and trained the other. He almost certainly meant his son by Statiera to rule in Persia/Asia, but perhaps a different son to rule in the west—one likely not even conceived yet.

I do not think he’d have married a Macedonian. He’d be looking for another political marriage, maybe to a Greek (Athenian, Syracusan…), but more likely, he’d marry a Carthaginian after any war (or as part of any peace treaty with Carthage). At that point, Carthage was the powerhouse in the Western Med. Remember, Rome had only begun her consolidation of the Italic peninsula in the wake of the Gaulic sack of the city. Alexander in Italy might have stopped that cold.

Anyway, whatever marriage he made in the west (or couple of marriages) would have been intended to produce an heir to reign there, probably subservient to any son by Statiera after Alexander’s own death, but it’s hard to know for sure. Roxana’s son (and Herakles by Barsine) would have been third and fourth fiddles. That’s WHY Roxana killed Statiera. Her status wasn’t high enough, and her son would have been destined to be regional governor in the NE territories (where his family was from): e.g., troublesome Baktria/Sogdiana. Herakles would probably have been given Asia Minor (where his Persian family was from). (More on Herakles in another post.)

But back to this scenario: if he visited on the way, it would have been a quick trip until he was off again to another campaign. (Not unlike Daddy who, in his latter years, didn’t spend much time in Pella.)

Now, let’s look at scenario #2: a visit after any victories in Arabia, Carthage, and possibly Italy. That would be a different homecoming, less pressed for time.

That said, he wouldn’t have intended to stay. After securing the eastern/middle Mediterranean, he might have driven up into Europe, to re-secure Thrace to the Danube and scout for river connections between the Black and Caspian Seas. There aren’t any, but they didn’t know that. In fact, late in his campaign, he’d already sent somebody north to do that very scouting, so this would be a follow-up.

Thrace had fallen away from Macedonian control in in his later years, thanks to the powerful Odrysian King Seuthes III. Also, Alexander hadn’t forgotten those Celts who’d been singularly unimpressed by him early in his reign. (ha) Alternatively, he might have decided to go South of Egypt to Meroë, or west of Italy to Spain. But as he was centered in Greece, my bet is north into Eastern Europe. He already had incentive from a rebellious Thrace.

What would this homecoming have been like? STUPENDOUS, of course. All the stops pulled out. Macedonia was a gift-exchange society, so bringing home a fair bit of booty would be important. We’re told he sent presents home regularly, but this would be above and beyond. It would serve two functions:

First, he’d get to claim to be the wealthiest, most successful Macedonian king EVAR, and then some. So personal fame and honor would be on the line.

Second, throwing around oodles of wealth would be a great recruiting tool. His constant warring meant he was also in constant need of new troops. In his last years, it was clear he was happy to get troops from a variety of peoples, but the Macedonian core remained (as in the Successor Wars). Of course, continually draining Macedonia of men was bad for the future population, but “sustainability” was not in any way an ancient concept, whether in resources or in manpower. Early in his career, he did show a little awareness of this, sending back men for a “conjugal visit,” but as the campaign continued, he stopped worrying about it.

Anyway, he would also probably take the opportunity to build that giant tomb for daddy that was part of his Last Plans. Hard to know how much of those plans were either exaggerated or entirely invented, but that sounds like something he’d do. He might also have taken time to improve on local religious structures (such as at Dion), and set up something (no doubt monstrously large) at both Delphi and Olympia, as panhellenic sites.

As for the reunion with his mother and sisters, as indicated, I don’t think he was staying away to avoid Mommy Dearest. So, I expect he’d have been happy, maybe even overjoyed, to see them again.

[heyclickadee]

Screw it, I need to get this out of my system. A thought about the guy in the Clone X armor on Pabu:

So…okay. I’ve seen people pointing out that there are resemblances between Tech and the mysterious clone x guy we see standing in front of the Archium in the trailer. And, honestly, they’re not really wrong.

There are some very, well, Tech-like shapes to this guy’s outfit (the dotted lines are ones I wasn’t so sure about):

They’re not an exact match, because some of the line proportions of the similarities I pointed out are different, but the similarities are there. There’s even a similar effect—not shape, but effect—to the lighter green outline around the eyes calling attention to the area as Tech’s goggles had—the difference being that we can’t see this guys eyes behind the glass.

And, yes, this mystery man does have a really similar build. And shoulders. And general proportions. And there’s that freaking shin pouch. They gave him a shin pouch!

And then, of course, the basic silhouette of the Clone X helmet is very similar (not exactly the same, but similar) to Tech’s helmet, minus the visor and the ear cuffs:

Now, there are major differences as well. The Clone X armor is much more streamlined and less bulky than Tech’s; the pauldrons have similar proportions but a much more rounded shape; the breastplate fits a bit tighter and is also significantly shorter; the overall shape and muzzle of the helmet is very similar, but the Clone X helmet muzzle is about half the length because the covering for the eye-ridge area juts out that much farther, and it has more of a fluid “backswept” effect overall; he’s only got a few pouches, two, maybe three if the arm-band works as a pouch.

But the overall effect of this particular Ckone X character is that he reads as a somewhat Tech-shaped individual. And I have a few thoughts on this.

First, I do think this might be on purpose. Yes, the base armor, minus the shoulder and arm straps and the pouches, is basically identical to the Clone X armor we see in season two. I think it’s more or less standard issue to clone assassins and, apart from a couple little tweaks (again, the straps and the pouches), is not at all unique in that regard. That said, if the production team knew what the story was doing with Tech in advance—and I think they did, I don’t think this show was written from beginning to end at the start, because that doesn’t happen, but I suspect they had the major story beats outlined before moving forward—it’s possible that the design team used Tech’s armor as the template from which to derive the clone X armor for season two. I’m not saying that happened, but I am saying it’s possible.

Second, I’m not saying this is Tech. I’m not sure if it is. I’m leaning that direction right now, but I might lean otherwise in an hour or two. We’ll see. What I am one-hundred percent sure of, however, is that these shots of this guy are Grade A Tech speculation bait—and intended that way. I think we’re meant to speculate about whether this is Tech or not. The TBB team gave us absolutely no indication that Tech is dead for real, nothing final, just the same shot of Tech’s ambiguous fate with a Sad Filter, and then they offered up this very mysterious and Tech-shaped person standing in front of an emotionally poignant location. Whoever he actually is, even if he’s just some random guy, Mystery Clone X guy is here in the trailer to drive Tech discussion during the lead up to season premiere.

Third, if this is Tech, if that’s him, then I think the trailer is being incredibly misleading about what he’s doing there. It looks like this Clone X is leading a squad of stormtroopers in an invasion of Pabu. I’m not sure that’s what’s happening—the stormtroopers are probably there to wreck Pabu, but I’m not sure this Clone X is leading them or even on their side. I don’t think we’re getting an imperial or brainwashed Tech scenario, especially not with how late in the season this shot is probably happening. I think it’s a lot more likely that this outfit originally belonged to the Clone X guy we see speaking in the trailer, Tech jumped him, used the guy’s armor to disguise himself, added some pouched because of course he did, and then inserted himself into a situation to see what he could do to help out. And I don’t think they found Pabu because of Tech, either—the empire has plenty of other ways of doing that.

Fourth, if—if!—we do get a brainwashed Tech, I think it’s going to be short-lived and, hopefully, very different from Crosshair’s situation. I almost wonder if it’s going to turn out to be a bit of a schlocky b-movie mind control helmet situation (I notice that the Clone X from season two only took the face of his helmet off). Like the clone x helmets interface with the inhibitor chips somehow, and it doesn’t work with Tech, because he doesn’t have one, but he plays along so he can get something else done and have a chance to escape. Or something. I’m thinking out loud. Anyway, whatever happens, even if we get an imperial/brainwashed Tech scenario, I think he’s going to be fine and himself well before the end of the series.

Fifth, brainwashed Tech is probably my least favorite of the Tech-lives options. I don’t like it. But this show has a habit of getting me on board with plot choices I did not want, so. If they go that route, I’ll see how they do it, and evaluate from there. I still don’t want it right now, though.

Sixth, there are lots of reasons for it not to be Tech at all,

[pepperwebsblog]

I absolutely love your fic A Patchwork Family!!!

I keep re-reading the fic from the beginning whenever you post a new chapter (which takes quite a lot of time at this point, i probably won't be able to do that for much longer)

At the notes of chapter 1, you mention that you made a timetable of birthdays and a floorplan of the house. Is there any way you ever will want post this?

I want to know everything!!!

(Obviously only if it doesn't interfere with your writing and developing of the story)

Hello lovely! thank you so much for your kind words. I love the fic so much too it is very dear to me. Oh my gosh, yeah it's getting quite long you wont be able to keep re-reading it (or well, maybe not if you want a decent bedtime lol!)

aha! yes, I did make spreadsheet and floorplan... and I'm so embarrassed at how rubbish they were -especially the floorplan omg, you'll see below it was a scribble on my phone! So I have spent the past day making cleaner versions that can be shared!!

Ages, Dates and Events

So, with the spreadsheet of ages and dates.... I have a version here which can be viewed and it doesn't give any spoilers of the fic cos there are characters and events I have plotted out who haven't appeared in the fic yet. So it's up to date as of chapter 8 of Patchwork Family and I'll try and update it every couple of chapters from my master doc. (please remind me if I don't!)

Some things to note:

I may tweak birthdays around, for example Maedhros' birthday was supposed to be 2nd September but that's when Elwing passes away so I moved it later in the month. This might happen with other characters.

I really wanted Caranthir and Curufin to be born close together so yes I did work out conception dates and Nerdanel was hardly out of the fourth trimester before getting pregnant again. I can imagine she was very sick of being pregnant the following summer.

Yes Elrond and Elros are born on Valentine's day, I thought it was cute!

Nerdanel's birthday is 1st December I can imagine her being excited each year as it's beginning of advent.

Maglor and Celegorm's birthday's are a day apart and I can imagine they HATED this growing up because it often meant joint birthday parties and joint presents which sucks!

House and Floor Plan

Regarding Maedhros and Maglor's house, I found these really nice pics on pinterest which is how I imagine the front of their house looking. A smush of the two basically.

I actually really enjoyed doing the entire floorplan of Maedhros and Maglor's house, it's HUGE, oh my god, and it was fiddly to get the rooms where I wanted cos I really had the visual in my mind that the grand piano is on the left when you come into the house. And Maglor's studio was in the annex on the side. But after puzzling it all out like a jigsaw I got it!

Ground floor:

You can see here the two pianos, one in the living room, one in the kitchen. The library is where Maedhros likes to spend time and read to decompress and chill. It also functions as another sitting room if a person doesn't want to watch tv with the rest of the family.

Maglor has his studio off to the side. I've not covered this much in the fic but since retiring as a concert pianist Maglor now writes and records music, either releasing it on his spotify or selling it for jingles in ads or tv shows, he makes a decent income from it and it's very flexible working. It's crammed full of instruments. Also please imagine instruments all over the house. Maedhros does a round up once a month and puts them all back in the studio, but they inevitably wander all over the house again.

The kitchen is the main room, it's light and airy and faces onto the garden. So Maedhros will be able to be in the kitchen having tea and watching the kiddos.

There's the dining room where the brothers had their family meeting, but apart from that it's not used much at all.

First Floor:

this was the hardest floorplan to work out to make sure every bedroom had a window and the space was used. Maedhros' office faces out onto the front because I think he'd want to see who was approaching the house and also he can watch for Maglor coming back with the kiddos after picking them up from school. It can also be an extra bedroom if needed.

There's a window at the front of the house with a window seat which makes the hallway lovely and light.

Maglor's bedroom is at the front it's got huge windows and he's got a walk-in closet (of course) and an ensuite bathroom (with bathtub because he's a tub girly) Also instruments and sheet music everywhere. His room is a mess, Maedhros doesnt touch it.

There's three spare bedrooms on this level, basically enough (plus the one upstairs) that all the brothers and Nerdanel can stay over if they want (or there was until Maglor commandeered two attic rooms for Elros and Elrond, but we'll get to that)

There's a big family bathroom with a tub and shower. Maedhros and Maglor will do bathtime with the kiddos here.

Maedhros' room is at the back of the house and it means he can hear all the lovely birds chirp in the morning as he wakes up early. He's got an ensuite too.

Second Floor/ Attic:

Lot's of storage up here in the eaves of the house.

This is where Maglor is currently busy turning one of the bedrooms into Elrond and Elros' and then he decided they also needed a playroom too next door. The twins do have a big bathroom up here but they dont use it too much.

There's a spare bedroom up here with an ensuite, I imagine Nerdanel would stay in this room if she came, it's probably the most peaceful one. Or it was before Elros and Elrond!

Basement:

Down here is where you can come in from the garden and dump muddy football boots (Elros) and the laundry/utility room and extra storage.

There's garden storage for bikes and tools.

And there's the gym as well which can be access independently from the outside along with a washroom. Maedhros spends time here running on the treadmill and doing his strengthening exercises. Maglor also uses it time to time but he prefers to swim so goes to the local pool down the road or when it's sunny, the lido in town.

and this was the first scribble

Hope this was helpful and useful!! Any questions let me know!

[wistfulwanderingone]

"Radiant Rebellion"

- Lance Ira & "Reader"

Fandom: Court of Darkness

Characters: Lance Ira & Reader (named Lilia)

Word Count: ~2600

Summary:

A dazzling noblewoman. A push too far. And Lilia, Lance's paramour, must step in with an action that speaks far louder than words.

The grand ballroom shimmered with opulence, a breathtaking display of crystal chandeliers casting a soft, golden glow upon the elegantly adorned guests. Amidst the glittering crowd, Lilia and Lance gazed upon the spectacle. As always, Lance exuded an air of disinterest and annoyance, his gaze fixed on the ornate floor. His reluctance to engage with anyone was well known, earning him a reputation for both unapproachability and rebellion.

The headmaster had coerced him into attending the ball, much to his chagrin. The purpose? To rub elbows with high-ranking nobles and diplomats—a duty he detested to his very core. However, he understood that if he cooperated, his people of Ira, especially those so often overlooked by his father, could benefit.

The lavishness of the ballroom made his skin itch beneath the weight of his formal attire. “Dragon’s teeth, it’s hot in here,” he grumbled under his breath, tugging at his collar. Saligia’s high society, with its meticulously crafted personas, felt like a suffocating cage. “I despise these events.”

“Don’t let the headmaster hear you use words like that with all the dignitaries around,” Lilia teased, reaching up to tweak his nose playfully. The corner of her lips quirked in amusement. “Now, go make nice with them, and I’ll be right over here with Rio and Sherry if you need me.” She offered a reassuring squeeze of his hand. “And don’t forget—you owe me a dance.”

Lance nodded at his paramour, though his sullen expression remained fixed. He appreciated Lilia’s attempts to cheer him up. She understood him— his distaste for pomp, his aversion to empty pleasantries. Yet, she also knew that sometimes, even a prince had to play his part in the political theater, whether he wished to or not.

After watching Lance begrudgingly step into the throng of nobility, Lilia walked toward the back wall where tables overflowed with decadent delicacies, joining her friend Sherry. Sherry’s joyful giggle echoed as Lilia approached, while Rio pushed a plate toward her, balancing an alarming number of appetizers in his free hand.

“I’m so glad the headmaster told me I didn’t have to do anything besides be here,” Rio exclaimed, mouth full. “I’d much rather enjoy the food with you two.”

“It’s unfortunate Lance has been pulled away from you, Lilia,” Sherry said, nibbling on a delicate pastry. Her gaze flickered toward the crowd with mild amusement. “He’s going to be lost without you.”

Lilia’s cheeks flamed. “Oh, Sherry. You know he’s perfectly fine without me.”

Sherry giggled, her gloved hand covering her mouth. “I don’t believe that for a second. You two are always together.”

“She’s right.” Rio grinned. “You’re like those Volarion lovebirds—always in each other’s orbit.”

Lilia’s flush deepened. “We don’t cling to each other all the time.”

Sherry’s laughter spilled into the air. “Oh, dear, Rio, I think you might be confusing them with another couple,” she teased.

Rio’s eyes widened. “No, I’m certain it’s them. Just yesterday, I saw them—”

Lilia swiftly popped a cookie into Rio’s mouth. “Here, have this.”

Sherry chuckled, her eyes glinting knowingly. “Now, let’s check on your prince. Where is he? Oh.” She halted mid-sentence, her expression shifting to astonishment.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Lilia pivoted, following Sherry’s gaze.

As Lilia’s eyes landed on Lance, her heart skipped—then tightened. He was engrossed in conversation with a stunning woman, draped in an extravagant purple gown that clung to her form like liquid silk. The woman’s gaze was fixed on Lance, her lips curved into a knowing smile. Lilia’s stomach twisted, a mixture of intrigue and unease coiling within her.

“Who is that?” Rio’s voice brushed against her ear as he crunched another bite.

She scrunched her nose, tilting her head slightly away. “You’re invading my personal space, Rio.”

"Apologies," Rio chuckled, stepping back.

"I don’t recognize her," Sherry murmured, her expression a mix of curiosity and mild disapproval.

"That’s Isabella," Violet remarked, seamlessly joining their trio. "She’s practically a breath away from Luxurian royalty.”

“What?” Lilia breathed. Her heart stuttered. Luxurian royalty? The weight of comparison settled over her, uninvited. Her fingers curled slightly against the fabric of her gown.

"And it appears she has her sights set on our Lance," Violet added, her tone edged with concern.

Lilia watched as Isabella hooked her arm through Lance’s, leading him toward a quieter corner of the ballroom.

"Let's sneak a little closer," Sherry suggested, her fingers lightly wrapping around Lilia’s arm. Her eyes flickered toward Rio and the five buttered rolls he held. "Rio, darling, be a dear and keep watch? We may require an extra set of eyes…for observation purposes.”

With their plan in place, they stealthily approached, slipping into the shadows near the stairwell. Peering around the corner, they leaned in.

“How fortunate for me to catch the elusive Prince Lance’s attention tonight,” Isabella purred, her tone thick with practiced allure.

Lilia’s irritation flared.

“Or unfortunate,” Lance replied, voice clipped. “Take your pick.”

Isabella fluttered her fan theatrically. “Events like these can be dreadfully mundane, don’t you think? But a charming conversation partner can change everything.”

Lance’s gaze darted sideways—searching, almost desperate for an escape. “I hope you find one.”

Though her amusement was overshadowed by her jealousy, Lilia managed to suppressed a laugh as Lance's silence in response clearly rattled the woman

"Oh, but I have found one—it’s you!" she trilled. "I’ve heard so much about you.”

Lance’s brows furrowed. “You must have also heard that I don’t enjoy idle chatter.”

Isabella let out an overly saccharine laugh. “Oh, brawn and wit—it’s rare to find someone who embodies both so effortlessly!”

Lance exhaled sharply. His patience was wearing thin. “Is there a purpose to this conversation, woman?”

Isabella stepped closer, her fan grazing his chest.

Lilia ground her teeth.

"At least he's holding his own," Violet murmured.

Lilia nodded in agreement, her heart torn between her irritation at Isabella's advances and a strange sense of relief that Lance was able to handle the situation.

The trio returned to Rio, the vibrant hum of the ballroom wrapping around them. Lilia tried to lose herself in the cheerful banter of her friends, laughing at Rio’s antics and nodding along to Sherry’s teasing remarks. Yet, despite her best efforts, a twinge of unease lodged itself deep in her chest, refusing to fade. She forced a smile, willed herself to focus on their conversation, but her mind kept drifting—kept searching.

She almost succeeded in masking her growing tension. Almost.

Then, the orchestra struck its first note.

The melody unfurled through the ballroom like a spell, its elegant waltz sweeping across the polished floors and drawing couples into its embrace. The music, rich and intoxicating, stirred something deep within her— a reminder of why she had come tonight. Of the promise Lance had made.

Lilia's heart fluttered at the thought of finally being in his arms, sharing a waltz beneath the glow of the chandeliers, the rest of the world fading away.

But as she scanned the room, her anticipation twisted into something bitter. By the stairwell, tucked away from the main floor, stood Lance—and Isabella.

A slow, burning heat climbed up Lilia’s neck. She should have known the woman wouldn’t give up so easily.

Her fingers curled into fists as she took in the scene: Isabella standing too close, her painted lips curved into a knowing smile, her delicate hand trailing along Lance’s arm as she leaned in. Lilia couldn’t hear the words, but she didn’t need to. The intent was clear.

"Poor Lance," she muttered under her breath, her annoyance growing. She could see it—the stiffness in his posture, the flicker of irritation in his gaze. He was at his wit’s end, that much was obvious. Yet Isabella either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

A sharp pulse of determination shot through her. Without another thought, Lilia strode forward, her heels clicking against the marble, each step deliberate, each step fueled by purpose.

As she approached, Isabella’s voice reached her, dripping with feigned sweetness. “The night is young,” she purred, tilting her head just so, her golden curls catching the light. “And the atmosphere is charged with possibility. Perhaps we could find a more secluded spot to talk?”

Oh, hell no. Lilia’s vision flared red.

She didn’t think. Didn’t hesitate.

"Excuse me," she cut in sharply, her voice carrying an unmistakable edge.

Lance’s head snapped toward her, his expression shifting from exasperation to something else entirely—something unreadable.

Lilia barely spared him a glance.

Because at that moment, she was already moving—already delivering a swift, precise punch straight to Isabella’s perfect, smirking face.

The impact was sharp, sudden. A gasp rippled through the nearby crowd as Isabella staggered back, clutching her cheek in shock.

A stunned silence settled over the area.

Lance. Isabella. The guests who had witnessed the spectacle.

All of them, staring.

Lilia’s pulse thundered, adrenaline roaring through her veins. But she kept her expression calm—controlled. Because this wasn’t just impulse. This was a statement. She met Isabella’s wide-eyed glare with an unwavering one of her own.

“I’m terribly sorry,” she said, her tone silky smooth, yet laced with unmistakable warning. “I was reaching for my paramour.” Her smile sharpened. “Your unfortunate face just happened to get in the way.” She tilted her head, as if in thought. “But it won’t happen again…will it?”

The message was clear. Step away from Lance. Or else.

Lance blinked, once, then twice. Then, to Lilia’s satisfaction, the corners of his lips twitched. He stepped between Lilia and Isabella, his tall frame imposing. “It bloody won’t,” he affirmed, his voice carrying a mix of irritation—and undeniable amusement.

The air hummed with tension, charged and electric. Lilia’s heart raced, but she stood her ground. Because this? This was her stand. Her declaration. And she had no regrets.

Across from her, Isabella’s hand remained frozen at her cheek, her wide eyes flickering between Lilia and Lance. Then, slowly, that shock darkened into something sharper.

Anger.

Her lips parted, as if she meant to speak, but before the moment could spiral further, a voice sliced through the thick air, as smooth and effortless as silk.

"My, my… what a captivating tableau we have here."

Lilia turned just as Fenn sauntered onto the scene, his presence announced by his confident stride and the trademark charm that danced across his lips.

Lance’s annoyance was palpable, his exasperated sigh sharp enough to cut. Clearly, Fenn’s arrival was the last thing he wanted. But, as always, the Luxurian prince was entirely unfazed, his lips curving into a knowing smile. He studied the scene before him, his amethyst eyes twinkling with amusement as if the entire ordeal had been orchestrated purely for his entertainment.

“Fear not, my dear friends,” Fenn quipped, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial murmur. He winked at both Lance and Lilia, his grin devilishly playful. “I’ve come to extricate you from this rather...dire  predicament.”

With an effortless pivot, he turned his attention to Isabella, his expression shifting into something warmer, smoother—the practiced charm of a man who knew exactly how to turn the tide of any situation. “Is everything in order here?”

Isabella blinked, her earlier fury momentarily forgotten as she took in just who had addressed her. Recognition dawned in her eyes, followed by intrigue. The Luxurian prince. A man whose reputation rivaled his beauty. Her posture straightened, and though she attempted to compose herself, there was no mistaking the faint flush creeping up her cheeks.

“Oh, I’m fine,” she replied, her voice carefully measured.

Fenn’s smile deepened as he stepped closer, radiating effortless charm. His presence was a quiet symphony of confidence—his every movement designed to disarm. “Ah, but I should hope so,” he mused, his voice rich with warmth. “It would be a crime against beauty itself if someone as captivating as you were troubled in any way. May I have the honor of knowing your name?”

His words draped over the tension like silk, the flirtation unmistakable but never overdone. Fenn had a gift—he could turn a battleground into a ballroom with just a well-placed compliment or seductive flirt. And in that moment, he had chosen to wield it.

Isabella’s eyes widened slightly, her frustration visibly warring with the temptation to bask in his attention. After a brief hesitation, she executed a flawless curtsy. “Isabella,” she introduced, her tone noticeably softer than before.

Fenn’s gaze never wavered. “A beautiful name for an equally beautiful woman.”

With practiced ease, he took her hand, lifting it to his lips in a kiss so effortless it felt like second nature. “Might I have the honor of a dance, my lady?”

A soft pink dusted Isabella’s cheeks, her lips parting slightly before she regained composure. “Of course.”

Fenn’s smile was nothing short of dazzling. “Then do me the kindness of waiting by the dance floor while I deal with these two ruffians.”

Isabella let out a light, almost airy giggle, slipping back into her usual coquettish demeanor. With one last flirtatious glance over her shoulder, she sauntered away, her previous irritation seemingly forgotten.

The moment she was out of earshot, Fenn turned back to Lilia and Lance, his grin sharpening into something undeniably smug. He leaned in, his voice low as he murmured to Lilia, “You’ve quite the right hook, Treasure. Impressive.” His golden gaze gleamed with mischief as he straightened, tossing her a wink before following after Isabella.

Lance let out a sharp breath, running a hand through his hair. “It would seem Luxure truly has a knack for timing.”

Lilia exhaled, only now realizing just how hard her heart was pounding. “I guess so.”

Lance turned to her, his stormy blue gaze flickering with something unreadable. “Never thought I’d see the day you threw a punch.”

Her cheeks warmed at the memory, but she shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “I didn’t punch her. Her face just collided with my fist.”

Lance huffed a short laugh, clearly entertained.

Lilia’s expression softened as she tightened her hold on his arm. "I couldn’t stand watching her make you uncomfortable." Her voice dipped, turning more certain. "And I couldn’t let her think she had a chance."

Lance’s amusement faded, replaced by something deeper. His fingers brushed against hers—a small but deliberate touch. “You made your point very clear.” He paused, his gaze lingering. “But I hope you know she never had a chance.”

Lilia’s heart stuttered.

A slow smile pulled at her lips, relief settling into her chest like a warm ember.

“So,” she teased, nudging him lightly, “is it always like this for the elusive prince?”

Lance sighed, his shoulders relaxing for the first time that evening. “Unfortunately, yes. The title doesn’t deter everyone.”

Lilia’s expression turned resolute. “Well, they’ll have to get through me first.”

Lance raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching. “Feeling possessive, are we?”

“Absolutely,” she shot back, tilting her chin. “But I promise—no more accidental collisions with my fist tonight.”

Lance chuckled, shaking his head. “Funny creature.”

Whatever tension had lingered between them melted away, replaced by something lighter, something easier.

“I suppose I did promise you a dance,” Lance mused, pushing off the wall. His voice carried a note of reluctant amusement as he extended his hand toward her, his usual cool demeanor slipping just enough to let something softer peek through. “Care to hold me to that promise?”

Lilia’s smile widened, her fingers slipping into his. “Lead the way, my elusive prince.”

As they stepped onto the dance floor, something changed.

Lance, usually guarded, usually detached, allowed himself to be drawn into the moment. The music swelled around them, but for once, he wasn’t merely enduring the night. He was present.

The walls he had spent years constructing wavered, just slightly.

And in the glow of the chandeliers, beneath the weight of expectant gazes, he danced—not for duty, not for appearances, but simply for the woman in his arms.

Tag List:

@ithseem @chirp-a-chirp

If you want to be added to (or removed from) my tag list for Ikemen fics, just let me know!

[danime25]

Last Christmas

ao3 // normal masterlist // christmas masterlist

*Summary: Colt happened to overhear that there was a gift exchange. What will he do to get involved when he hears a member of the lighting crew shit talking someone else on staff?

*Rating: E for Everyone

*Content/Tags: Bittersweet Ending, Secret Santa

*Status: Oneshot?/Complete

“Ah damn.” Colt’s ears perked up as he overheard one of the lighting guys. He was in between scenes right now and he had another two hours of sitting on set before they’d actually need him for the day. So he did what came naturally to him, snoop.

“What?” The other guy asked, not looking up from the lights he was tweaking

“You know that one PA?”

“There’s a lot of them on set.” The other man rolled his eyes

“The one that hardly talks to anyone, and if she does she covers her mouth with that stupid clipboard she has?”

“Oh that frigid bitch.” His friend laughed. Colt raised an eyebrow. He knew the production assistant that they were talking about. He’d never had a problem with her in the past, and honestly she was probably the nicest member to him. She’d always make sure that he had enough time in between scenes to run to the craft table when he needed some coffee. 

“Yeah, her. So I got her for the stupid secret santa. Wanna trade?”

“Hell no. You think I want that bitch who sucked a cock to get her job?”

“Well I don’t want her either, and no one else in lighting fucking wants her.”

“Did you ask the prop department? Someone in there might be desperate enough…”

“I’ll take her.” Colt, who up until then had been silently listening made a couple strides across the way, “I’ll take her for the gift exchange or… whatever.”

“Okay.” The first guy looked him up and down, “Who are you anyway?”

“I’m the stunt guy.” Colt nodded

“Fine. Here. Give me your sheet.” The guy held his hand out

“What sheet?”

“The secret santa sheet.” He rolled his eyes, “Did you even sign up?’ “Yeah. It’s just… in my car.” Colt slid away for a second and pulled a sheet of paper out of a script someone left around. He copied the general format, and wrote down a bullshit name. He strided back in and handed it off to the guy, “There.”

“Thanks.” He looked over it for a second before a runner came and started screaming about how the director needed everyone in lighting over at the other lot. Colt took a look at the sheet that he had tucked in his pocket so as not to get the two confused. He frowned a little bit as he saw how little she wrote. A woman of few words, he guessed. If he was going to get her something she’d like as a thank you for all the coffee breaks on set, he’d have to continue snooping. He looked down at his watch and hurried to the set where his next scene was. She was probably setting up there.

---

Sure enough, he found her pointing directions out to other members of the crew. He could hardly hear her and he was only about 10 feet away. Maybe his eardrums were just shot to hell being next to explosions? He shook his head and walked over to her. He gave her a quick nod. Without missing a beat she quietly said,

“You’re early. You’re never on set early.”

“Yeah. But I’m on time.”

“Last time you were two minutes late.” She looks down at her phone. He sees the music banner on her screen and asked,

“What are you listening to?” He was fishing, but maybe that would give him some ideas about what to get her

“Nothing.” She looked at him, a bit confused. “I was listening to something on my commute.”

“Oh yeah?” He leaned against a cart, only for it to move out from under him. He tipped over slightly before catching his balance and giving her a thumbs up. “That could’ve been bad.”

“Don’t get injured.” She replied. That was nice of her. “Our insurance won’t cover it.”

“Ouch.” He laughed, “I mean you’re probably right.”

“Not probably. I am right.” She sighed, “I appreciate your company, but I really need to finish setting up for the scene… Mark will be mad if I don’t.”

“First name basis with the director?’

She sighed again, even more exhausted, “Listen if those… guys from VFX sent you to spy on me. I swear I’ve never done anything immoral to keep my job… I just come to set, do my job and go home.”

“No that’s not why I’m here…” He tried to explain, but how could he without giving away that he was trying to get her something? “I’ll just… sit over there.”

“Thank you.” Her shoulders loosened up as he sat quietly in the corner of the studio. Other members of the crew filtered in, then the actors paraded in. She started talking with the star about some rewrites the writers had come up with and guided them through it. He crept closer to listen in, given that it might change his performance too. She raised an eyebrow as she saw him move into her line of sight, but decided to not do anything about it until one of the actors piped up about the intrusion. Surprisingly, no one said anything and they got to work filming. The director guided both Colt and the man he was doubling for on how to perform the stunt correctly, the angle and distance the camera would be to ensure no one saw the switch between the two. Colt nodded along as if he were paying attention and his eyes darted back to the PA. She looked to be underlining the script with due diligence.

“And action!”

Colt watched the scene until it was his time to step in. It was a basic fight scene with a fall, easy enough. He landed on the mat perfectly and rested on it for a moment, waiting for his back to crack as he pushed into the plush pad. When he got up he walked back over to behind the camera, seeing her with her teeth pressed down into her lips.

“You okay?” He asked her

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You want some coffee?” He asked in a way that wasn’t really a suggestion. She nodded and he guided her outside the studio. When she knew no one was looking at her she started to sob. Something in Colt’s heart broke seeing her completely shatter that he took her into his arms and held her. She seemed a bit confused by the gesture but wrapped her arms around his and cried. After a couple heaves and a tear stained shirt, he asked, “You want to talk about it?”

“I… sorry this shoot’s been a lot. Doesn’t help that Mark is fucking asshole.”

“Yeah.” He never noticed it, but the director was kind of a raging asshole when he thought about it. “The shoot’s done for the day, right?”

“Yeah.” She sighed, trying to regain her composure

“Why don’t I take you home?’

“Okay,” she said with a little grin. It wasn’t a date, per say. Colt considered it a mission to find out more about her when no one else on set seemed to care. He just knew when he saw something in her house it would click like that.

---

At the Christmas party, Colt was eager to give her her present. He’d grown to really like her and he noticed her more on set. There was some kind of change in her that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. People talked behind her back still, but it was less about her being cold and her being ‘bossy’. Colt shrugged it all off because at the end of the day it really didn’t matter to him. His head kept turning instinctively towards the door every time someone came in, but she was nowhere to be seen. He almost decided to go home when he saw her walk in. Her hair was styled, but the curls were mostly deflated as she played with the ends at her shoulder. He waved at her and she caught his gaze, practically running over to him.

“Hi! So sorry I’m late,” she started to apologize to him, “I know I said I’d be on time…”

“It’s okay.” He smiled

“I just had to make sure my boyfriend, Nick… well he texted me that he had a flat tire…” She explained. Colt’s smile faded. He tried to pretend to be happy for her sake, but he hid the box behind his back.

“Is he okay?” He asked. It was polite, if a bit disinterested

“Yeah, he’s fine. He’s parking my car now.” She replied, looking over her shoulder

“That’s good. Glad you’re alright.”

“Thanks.” She smiled back at him. “Oh there he is.”

“I should let you go then…” He hesitated

“No, you two should meet, I think you’d really like him!” She pulled him over. “Hey hon.”

“There you are.” The other man pressed his lips onto her cheek once, then again on the other side. She hugged him tightly. It wasn’t personal, but Colt couldn’t help but see it as a reminder that she wasn’t his. From the looks of it, she’d never be his. After she pulled out of his reach, she turned to face Colt. She gestured towards her friend on set,

“Hon, this is Colt.”

“Nice to meet you.” Her boyfriend smiled back at him. He looked like he was in another world… Colt really couldn’t blame him. He held his hand out and Colt shook it loosely

“You as well,” He replied. He didn’t have much else to say to her boyfriend but he tried his best to keep a conversation going between the two of them while she went to grab a drink. She managed to find the person on the crew who she was Santa for and gave her her gift. They shared a quick hug and she came back to the two.

“I guess I should tell you, I was your Santa.” Colt rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand

“Oh!” She smiled, “Thank you. I’m sure whatever you got me is nice. You don’t have to give it to me right now if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah, I seemed to misplace it…” He acted like he dropped it when he went to get a drink, but really he left it on the table everyone had discarded their presents on. “I was just gonna head out then. I’m all partied out.”

“Oh. Okay.” She nodded, “I get that… Let me see if I can find my present before you go though. I’ll just hold onto it.”

“Okay.” He smiled at her as she went to find his present. Sure enough, she found the little box and she brought it back with her

“I can’t wait to open it later.” She smiled as she held it between the palms of her hands

“Yeah, I hope you like it.” His words seemed to deflate as they left his lips. He turned around and left the party. He sat in his truck for a moment before riding home alone.

---

The next day that they needed him on set, production had promised it would be his last. He came in with thoughts running through his head. Would she be mad at him? Would she scream ‘how could you give me this’? He wasn’t sure how she’d react. Maybe he didn’t really know her enough to have wanted to ask her for a kiss. He walked into the studio and it felt like nothing had changed. He followed her directions, the scene was shot and it was time to go home. Before he could though, he felt a tug on his shirt sleeve from behind him.

“Hey.” She said

“Hi.” He replied

“I…”

“Listen. I’m sorry about my gift. I just thought that we were getting really close. And I was gonna ask you that night for a kiss.”

“I’m sorry.” She bit her lip, “We’d just gotten together a couple days before the party.”

“Oh.” His heart broke even more. “He seemed really nice though. I hope you’re happy.”

“I am now.” She nodded, “I… don’t think I would have been able to talk to him if we hadn’t met.”

“Oh.”

“That’s to say… I feel like I owe you something.”

“Whatever it is, let’s just call it even,” he took her hand off of him

“No I mean… Colt.”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe… maybe it could have worked out.” She said after a moment of silence lingered in between them. She leaned in and pressed her lips onto his. He pulled away from her and looked at her. He had to walk away otherwise he’d never be able to live with the feeling in his chest of tearing her away from her happy ending. He dryly laughed and said,

“Well at least we weren’t under the mistleto…” She pulled the gift box from out of her pocket and held it out for him to see. He turned his back on her and walked away. She didn’t try to chase after him. Maybe they were better off this way after all.

[ren-rambles-often]

One of my resolutions this year was to be a bit more accepting of other's preferences and not bother with drama as much I did the past year...

Real Tohma bitches know there's no way in hell he's wearing that atrocity of a fit that is his casual style Card.

Sue me (I'll fucking win.)

This shit's been on my chest way too long but now I'm finally close to ending this second Jabberwock arc and Frostheim's coming next (as it fucking SHOULD) I can't keep this in anymore especially when my queen might FINALLY get a new fucking card!

We've still got a couple more weeks until the drop but I just gotta like say this now cuz I need to know if I'm the only one offended.

He's dripped out like a substitute teacher they called in last minute. He looks like he's about to try selling me courses. He looks like the artist typed in 'man snazzy outfit' on pintrest and proceed to pick the worst options for inspo cuz they had a grudge against blonds, he looks like...well you get the point?!?

All in all it's giving they hadn't settled on his vibe at the time and just went for it cuz even if they want me to believe this is like pre Frostheim transfer for whatever reason, it literally doesn't make sense for his physique, accessories and his fucking face.

Some of y'all may think differently and I respect that...just don't come near me.

This one on the other hand? I can work with! Perfecto! 100000/10, give me more maybe put him a dress (don't judge me.) It feels like Tohma here and even tho some have been known to call him a mid-level bureaucrat *koffs* he's undeniably killing this look and I am not taking any commens about his monocle its hot.

Not gonna talk about the blue ssr fit, that's a literal godsend even and you can catch me sobbing over my failure to get it a la here. Like I know it's just his formal outfit but we haven't exactly been fed anything.

Will literally start tweaking out if A) he doesn't get a new card at all or B) he does but it's a 'I have to wipe this shit from my memory' again.

Feel free to agree or disagree, I've got a fic to get back to and just wanted this off my chest (I wanna see more talks about Tohma help) and Happy new year to you strange soul who got this far 😭💕

Ps, off tangent somewhat but if I see another card with Jin have his damn tits out I'm going to lose it, cover them up up you fucking slut omfg

[amethyst-geek]

Which ones would go to prep school prior to the beginning of the story in my Total Drama Urban Fantasy AU

You know how it's a common trope for a high school or middle school story to begin with the protagonists already in their 2nd year? Well I was thinking of doing that here as well for a few reasons

It would save the trouble the having to tweak anyone's design to make them look younger.

I want each season to cover a whole semester (or summer break in the case of every third season), meaning it would take 3 seasons to cover an entire year (which does seem to be becoming a more common practice in animation). Thus if we were to begin the AU in the Island cast's Freshman year, it would take 11 season for them to graduate high school.

It would make the questions are how much younger the ROTI cast than the Island easier to answer. As mentioned in one of my previous posts, I wasn't sure if I wanted the ROTI cast 2 grade below the Island cast or just 1 grade below them. If the AU begins with the Island cast already in their sophomore year, than the decision to make ROTI cast TWO grades below them is a no-brainer (at least from a Doylist prespective. This would in turn mean the Pakitew cast is 3 grades below the Island Cast.

However, I'd want to retain the idea of the majority of the characters not having met one another until the events the AU, which would be harder to do if they've all been attending the same high school for at least a year prior to the beginning of the story.

Another potential issue is that some might find it strange that all of them are attending the same kind of school. For example, I think it was canonically mentioned that Courtney goes to a prep school, and Cody's online bio mentions him going to a prep school as well.

So to address both of these problems (and explain in-universe why the story is beginning in their sophomore year), I would have the inciting incident be the local prep school be shut down due to mysterious circumstances, forcing its students to students to transfer to other schools.

I will now go over who would be attending this prep school until it's mysterious shutting down.

Chase- I know that's from the reboot, but in my AU, he (along with several other reboot characters) will be a couple years older than the Island cast. In this AU, his family actually runs the prep school in question. He may or may not have had a part in the school shutting down.

Cody- Like I already said, his online bio says he goes to a prep school.

Courtney- again, I'm pretty sure she attended a prep school in canon.

Harold- In this AU, he was a scholarship student

Heather- she comes from rich family, so I can see her attending a prep school.

Justin- he strikes me as someone who comes from a rich family too.

Lindsay- her bio says her family is rich, so yeah.

Noah- he was offered a scholarship but turned it down so he could continue to go to the same school as his friends Owen and Izzy

Trent and Ridonculous Race!Emma- as I've mentioned before, my AU would have Trent Emma and Kitty's stepbrother (and Devin would be their much younger half-brother). I would also have them be attending this posh school partly because I picture them coming from an upper middle class family, but also because I wanna retain the idea of Gwen and Trent not having met until the beginning of the story.

Tyler- he bio also suggests that he comes from a rich family and I also like the idea of him and Lindsay already being a couple at the start of the story.

I'd also like to add that the AU also features characters from 6teen so I'm throwing Caitlin Cooke (and her soon to-be-former friend, Tricia).

Edit: I'm also thinking of making Bridgette a former student with the in-universe explanation being that her mom was a teacher there (allowing Bridgette's mom to get an employee discount on Bridgette's tuition) until the school's mysterious shutting down. This way, I can retain the idea of Bridgette and Geoff not having met each other until the beginning of the AU, with the added bonus of making the ratio of former preppies and already-attending-public-schoolers more even.

Edit: Also, I was thinking of making Bridgette and Caitlin cousins in this AU, so even Bridgette's mom doesn't get an employee discount on Bridgette's tuition, I can see Caitlin's parents helping out, so Caitlin could attend the same school as he cousin.

[bvannn]

Weekly Update March 8, 2024

I didn’t do as much as I had hoped over spring break due to still being sleep deprived, but tomorrow and the next night I should be able to catch up. I’m making a good deal of progress on stuff.

I figured out animation with Clip Studio enough to make a little gif of Romeo playing piano, to go along with his theme. I’m really happy with how it came out. That’s the biggest song I have ready, but I’m really close on another (unless I decide to get more ambitious, which I might), and I do have a smaller one scheduled to go up Tuesday. I’m feeling surprisingly good about music.

The main problem I’m having is kind of a ‘just finish it’ thing, where I’m just not motivated to go record melodies or melody parts for whatever reason. That’s what’s holding back a couple pieces now, but I’m hoping that I can do some tonight or tomorrow. I’m thinking tonight because I got hit with inspiration for another character theme melody, and I don’t want to lose it while I sleep tonight, but I’d feel bad starting in that when another character theme and some other miscellaneous pieces are also awaiting melodies and recordings. I’d like to knock a whole bunch out tonight, because theoretically they shouldn’t be that bad, the annoying part is dressing them up for use which doesn’t need to be done tonight. Im not sure if I want to tonight because I also want to draw, at a minimum I’ll record that character theme melody.

The other big music thing is a vocaloid cover of a song that I’m using to test out how vocaloid works. I got the audio back from the friend with the voicebanks, and it sounds a lot better than expected! There’s a couple things I do want to tweak, but I don’t think I’d be able to do it from within the program, it’ll probably be more me fiddling with the wav file. Idk song is going surprisingly well, shouldn’t be very complicated to round up instruments, I already got all the plugins set up it’s just a matter of recording. I’ve also managed to find a guy in my area who offers Guitar lessons for cheap, which I’ve been taking and I do think the two I’ve been to are helping. Maybe if I get really brazen I can record organic guitar instead of using a vst, since it should be mostly or entirely power chords, but it’s not the end of the world if I can’t.

I do want to figure out visuals to go with it. I was a little hesitant to really put in a big effort with it, until I heard that buying a license for cover rights is ‘not actually that expensive’. I don’t know if that means 10 or 200 bucks but worst case I can hold onto it until I’m comfortable enough to drop money if it’s really that expensive. I’d like to do a simple music video with the vocaloid character, since the original song’s video is also really simple, although I need to figure out character design. Might throw a few together and put up a poll.

I’ve been trying to get more drawing stuff done too, some miscellaneous animations mostly. I’m really trying to push myself to finish up the timings I need for my commission sheet, and honestly I’m pretty close. I feel bad because I probably will have to increase prices after all, but I’m also offering other options, which can still be cheap. I’m trying not to undercut myself for my level of work, but art commissions are so expensive that I don’t want to be overcharging either. Most of the comms I have done have come with tips, so I guess people are willing to pay a bit more than I was charging anyway, but even then I don’t want to crank the prices high just because a few people are willing to pay more. I’m charging based on time, I just need to sort out how long things take.

Final point, comic writing/thumbnailing is going well, I’m at 25.5/32. Unsure how bad editing is going to be, but I’m kinda editing as I go along so I don’t anticipate it’ll be that bad. I’m expecting to be able to actually start making pages soon. What comes next could either be a continuation or a pitch for the other story. I get more questions about the other story, so I’m tempted, but I also feel like it’s a harder sell than the first. Whatever I need to finish the first one first, and that’s what I’ll do.

I’m still messed up on sleep and flareups are also picking up pretty bad, but only in the mornings, so I bet if I get more sleep they’ll go away too. Either way I do have a consult for the next surgery to deal with that in a couple months, so I should hopefully be okay. Plan tonight is to either draw some more or record some stuff