#my tags for easy navigation

[tobyislame]

tobyislame intro and tos

abt me ...

im toby and im a psych major in college :] check out my carrd if you wanna know more

im very autistic and very awful at talking to people if you ever wonder whats wrong with me its that

i had unrestricted internet access as a small child so ive been in the creepypasta fandom since i wus like 10 . i have roots in quotev and (gags) amino

what i post ...

i basically just post about ticci toby . headcanons mostly, but i do writing and x reader stuff when i have free time (when im on break/dont have school)

my dms and ask box are open for whatever, say anything you want i love talking to you guys :]

requests ...

as of now requests are open season, havent really got a feel for what im willing/not willing to write yet so go wild lmao . just keep in mind i only write for toby

if i ever dont respond to a request/ask it either means i didnt understand it (autism) or i didnt know what to say (autism) . its nothing against you (its autism)

if youre <18 DO NOT REQUEST NSFW . i get that you cant really regulate that cus yk anons but i would hope you guys respect my wishes at least . i regard all of you as my friends please be kind to me

my tags ...

#tobyhcs are my headcanons

#tobyxreader is writing that pairs toby and the reader

#tobyworks is for any writing that isnt a bulleted hc post

#tobynsfw is for when i inevitably start writing porn

#tobywords is when im just yammerin or it isnt particularly crp related

dni ...

if youre <18 DO NOT INTERACT WITH NSFW I MAY POST . you will get blocked if you do im so serious i WILL be checking

if youre <18 please dont try to befriend me

links ...

my toby playlist

my spotify

my youtube

my pinterest

[dunyun-rings]

New year, new pinned post 🪴

Pronouns: they/them

🍊 my commission prices

🍋 my shop

🥭 my tip jar

🍇 my side blog

email: srpointon@gmail.com

[1alchemistart]

The way you draw poses and expressions are really lively and so nice to look at!! ✨ :0

If you don't mind me asking, how did you learn to make good expressions and poses? + Any tips you can share?

thank you very much!!! ✨✨✨

well i've always been most excited about drawing expressions and i grew up with very expressive styles as my reference point (W.I.T.C.H. and atla are big examples in my mind for this, as well as just . animated movies. lmao LSDKL) so i never really took the time to break it down before, but i can explain some of the stuff i do!

as for posing, i think THE thing that helps the most is figure drawing, so i suggest looking into that for anyone wanting to improve their posing!

to be clear this is not a tutorial bc i don't think i'm qualified for that, it's simply how i do things SDFLKLSD i'll also include some links that might be helpful! all under the cut

here are some links you might find helpful on the topic of expressions!

"How to draw expressive faces" by Magdalena Proszowska

"How I Draw: Facial Expressions" by Emirichu

"Drawing Simple Clear Facial Expressions" by Aaron Blaise

another thing i personally have found helpful when i was still learning the basics was this specific challenge, 25 Essential Expressions by napalmnacey, and various expression memes are a great starting point as well!

as for what i personally do,

i REALLY have a fondness for assymetrical eyebrows and just generally kinda squiggly ones! they add an uncertainty to the expression of a character, and imo can really enhance a saddened expression or make a comedic one a bit funnier!

including eye wrinkles (when they make sense ofc) is an easy way to add some exhaustion to sorrowful expressions, but i also find it a good way to make happiness feel more unrestrained and joyous

i also think it's very good to look at how its done in other works or from other artists with very expressive work. dunmeshi comes to mind!

other things can be kept in mind, like nose wrinkles or smile lines or the shape of the lips, and additional details like redness and sweat drops or the size and detail of the iris can be used to emphasize an expression or add complexity :OO

also, hands and arms may be annoying to draw but they're like one of your MOST helpful tools when conveying an expression! is your character embarrassed or overwhelmed? they may wish to hide their face! or perhaps they tend to scratch their cheek when they're uncertain, or they're frustrated and holding their head! hands are a very important thing to add :D

i hope this will be helpful to you!!

[jayjmaybanks]

𖤓˚𓅆𓇢𓆸 navigation ⋆.˚𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋⋆☾

☼𓋼𓍊 𓆏𖧧 hi I'm caitlyn! ˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗ -ོ 𓅰

☆ tracking: #usercaitlyns

☆ links:

my blogs

my creations

navigation

series by episode/character/etc

blogroll

tagged in

media tracker (still working on this)

☆ castlegc:

my most absolute beloveds who changed my life forever and mean the entire world to me (genuinely can't thank you all enough for being the best people in my life ILYILYILY !!!):

♡ @charliexspring ♡ @ellaxlopez ♡ @elliewlliams ♡ @gaygentdanvrs ♡ @jemmaasimmons ♡ @laffertys ♡ @laurenxgerman ♡ @leojfitz ♡ @mauraeyk ♡ @mazykeen ♡ @richcrdcastle ♡ @salvatoreselena ♡ @trixiedeckerstar ♡ @twelverriver ♡ @useragarfield ♡ @useryoumna ♡ @violet-bridgerton ♡ @youkilledpetunia ♡

☆ mutuals: also here

If we’re moots, ILY (even if we’ve never talked!!) p.s please don’t be scared to message me whenever, I don’t bite. We can be awkward together akdjfjjd!!! I wanna hear about the things you love or whatever you wanna scream/fan girl about or how your day’s going or literally anything you want to tell me!! I care and I want to listen !! ♡ anyways thanks so much for following me and I’m glad we somehow found each other on this hellsite! Muah!! Sending a big hug your way besties!!!

@28goldens @amalgamads-aneacc @ashleyyroses @bestofcastle @biathecreature @chippythedog @calia-lynn @charliexspring @daomaikeng @delphines @dreamersdivingheadfirst @dxnny-art @esmealux @elliewlliams @evenasyoungastheyare @greenforestworshipper @ghost-roads @haroldsmoon @huggieshalo @holyshit @horancover @harrysmaison @handgf @harrysputa @icarusinterlude @justthinkingaboutlouis @lululawrence @lebesyej @laurenxgerman @lassos-welton @leojfitz @laffertys @laurens-german @lavenderberries @larriescompass @lucy-mclean @mauraeyk @mayasbishop @morningstaraurora @mazykeen @moon-sun-thyme @niallonlyknows @pearlblue2 @pocketsized-healer @pop-punklouis @sason-judeikis @suesheroll @salvatoreselena @stedelasso @sneaky-salty-bitch @stayprettyandsmile @starrynightniall @sunshineysprinkles @sharpesjoy @softcherubhips @seeleybooth @sunmoonandrainbows @sthabit @sunsmile-lou @tomlinshires @thelarrielouie @trixiedeckerstar @toherlover @useryoumna @useragarfield @violet-bridgerton @welllbeafineline @wecantalktomorrow @wendersfive @youkilledpetunia @zourried

*if you're on this list and confused why I tagged you it's bc you follow one of my sideblogs lmao

☆ about me:

pronouns: she/her

animal & nature lover, directioner since 2011 (ot5), biologist and photographer by day - fangirl blogger at all other times, scorpio

music: love pop, rock, lofi, really just anything tbh, I'm literally always listening to music ALWAYS

shows: castle, lucifer, obx, ted lasso, young royals, virgin river, sex education, psych, adow, heartstopper, bridgerton, & sooo many more

movies: the little mermaid, anyone but you, pride & prejudice, sleeping with other people, la la land, the greatest showman, shazam, narnia, barbie & a ton more

watch list/to read list: NEVER ENDING (but listen...I am always open to suggestions...honestly please send me reccs I would absolutely love to hear what you guys have to say/what you're currently into)

drafts/queue: also never ending (the struggle is soooo real being in so many fandoms afsjjgk)

I’d love to make more friends on here, please say hi! I'd love to talk & make new friends (although I suck at replying quickly akjdfl but I def still wanna chat w you)

[justplaggin]

kawanishi takumi stop impersonating anime characters challenge (failed spectacularly)

[fatuismooches]

𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬! ♡

#smooches talks - basically my tag for a bunch of rambling and talking to my anons!

#suggestive.content - the tag i use for stuff alluding to suggestive stuff!

#lovely writing <3 - reblogged writing from other creators that i adore!

#harbingers love notes <3 - short brainrots that include all the harbingers~

#pierro love notes <3 - short brainrots that include the director~

#capitano love notes <3 - short brainrots that include the captain~

#dottore love notes <3 - short brainrots that include the doctor~

#columbina love notes <3 - short brainrots that include damselette~

#arlecchino love notes <3 - short brainrots that include the knave~

#pulcinella love notes <3 - short brainrots that include the rooster~

#scaramouche love notes <3 - short brainrots that include the balladeer, wanderer, and kabukimono~

#sandrone love notes <3 - short brainrots that include marionette~

#signora love notes <3 - short brainrots that include the fair lady~

#pantalone love notes <3 - short brainrots that include regrator~

#childe love notes <3 - short brainrots that include tartaglia~

#zandy bb <3 - short brainrots that include dottore's child segment~

#harbinger birthdays <3 - short brainrots when it's their birthdays~

#fragile reader <3 - short brainrots (and also long fics are included) where reader is sickly~

#playable reader <3 - short brainrots where reader is a playable character~

[void-wolfie]

Welcome

Not the best writer, but I need an outlet for all my ideas :)

Important:

*Warning, some of my content contains mature themes, viewer discretion is advised.

*DMs / Asks - open (rules: none really, just be polite).

*Requests - currently closed

About Me:

Call me Ari (or whatever you want really), she/her, 20, queer, one hell of a hot mess. Always open to talking to new people and if you have any questions feel free to reach out.

*If I don't respond to your comments/reblogs/tags etc, it's just the anxiety holding me hostage. I love seeing and reading all your comments. Don't be afraid to share your opinions y'all :)

Masterlist

Jenna Ortega

The Moon and Saturn

Music to My Ears

Music to My Ears [2]

Puppy Love

En Garde!

Inhale

Memorial Day

We Had Matching Wounds. Mine's Still Black and Bruised.

Falling Head First

How'd You Do That?

You Drew Stars Around My Scars

It's Not About Dinner

Family Ties

Insomnia

I Love You. I Support You.

Paper Rings

Carving Commotion

It's Hard When I Hate Myself.

Heartbeat

Forty-Five Days

I Can't Live Without You

Other

Look At The Stars. Look How They Shine For You. - Tara Carpenter x Reader

Seventy-Two - Tara Carpenter x Reader

Daddy Issues - Samantha Carpenter x Reader

Poison - short / drabble - Wednesday Addams x fem!Reader

[plasticfangtastic]

American Royalty-- Masterlist 1/2

A Homelander x F!Reader/Dadlander fanfic

This is being done for archival purposes and to make it easier to find chapters.

[aipurjopa]

★ INTRO POST ☆

I’m Ai aka Purjopa

she/her

I draw stuff 👍

Main blog: @purjopa (except I don’t post anything there but when I submit asks or reply to stuff it’ll be on that blog because this is technically a sideblog. All my posts will be here though)

How I Tag

Art tag: #purple’s art

A side note about my art tag: tumblr broke a while back so there’s two of them yet they look identical. One of these two tags is missing half of my old art while the other one has everything. Not sure why, keep that in mind!

Text Post Tag: #sketchy.txt

Reblogs: #reblogs!

Spoiler tags: #[media name] spoilers

Commenting on a video/stream I am currently watching: #[cc name] liveblogging

Main Interests

Mcyt: Unstable Universe, Lifesteal, Hermitcraft, Life Series, (ex)DSMP

I often draw: Parrot, Wifies, Spoke, PlanetLord, Mapicc, Kenadian, Wemmbu, Zam, Squiddo, Ashswag, Reddoons, Grian, Scar, Pearl, Impulse, Mumbo, and Tommyinnit.

Nothing mcyt related that I draw is intended to be ship art (so please don’t tag it as such either) unless I’ve specifically used a ship tag on the post/specified it’s ok (ex: if it’s clownzy art I’ll tag it as clownzy and also lifesteal shipping). If it is ship art, it’s between the characters and not the cc’s!!

Generally speaking tho I personally don’t really like romantic shipping in mcyt spaces (mainly because of how muddled the line between cc and character can get sometimes) so i’d appreciate it if you don’t send asks to me asking me to talk abt a romantic ship or smth.

Rhythm Games: Project Sekai, Bandori, Enstars

My Favorites: Airi, Akito, Saki, Aya, Hina, Ran, Souma, Tori, Esu, Hinata, Yuta

Other Games: Sky Children of the Light, Genshin Impact, Minecraft, Honkai Starrail

Other Media: Frieren, How to Eat Life Series (by Eve), Skip to Loafer, Spy x Family

Other tags I commonly use

#🌌: Havoc duo (parrot and spoke)

#words per second: unstable universe protagonists (wemmbu parrot spoke)

#🌀: FOCUS (squiddo, 4c, mr.cube)

#devotions: mapicc and zam

#🪐⚡️: pride duo (planet and spoke!)

#swap au: my prsk swap au (the one with runaways)

#vivid street: next gen! : my next generation vbs au (featuring chasing x destines, my ocs)

#long lived au: my frieren inspired prsk au

#mid week supplementals: doodles/not colored pieces

#sketchy sketches: my old tag for doodles/wips

#video: [video title] - [cc name]: title of the video that i’m talking about (usually when i show clips/screenshots). i’m like really inconsistent about using it tho…

#[abbreviated cc name] live blogging: when i’m watching a stream/video and posting abt it as i’m watching

#[series name] spoilers: spoilers for the current running season of that series

[turtle-ly]

So i think now is a good time for y'all to once again look at my bio and my pinned post on account of the tags i use for sexual content reblogged here! bc like. i dont wanna surprise my followers with sudden monke dick and balls on your dash or sth in the (very near) future. have fun blogging 👍

[superfluouskeys]

wip whenever ♥

Thank you so much to @myreia for the tag!

It is once again time to bother you with original thing! Up til now I've been posting pretty much sequential pieces but I'm skipping ahead a lil bit this time bc I'm way too excited about the Lore TM.

part 1 || part 2 || part 3

It's been awhile since I bothered ppl so let's see I shall tag @eemamminy-art @delirious-comfort @quinnthebard @thepapernautilus @yourlocaldisneyvillain and anyone else who feels like sharing a wip!

===

At first glance, the town of Nodig does not appear so very different from Godsplace.  It has the same small, crowded feeling and a similar sort of age-old architecture.  But as they make their way into the little town, Tamsin quickly decides that two places could not be more different.  There are streetlamps and shops, all of them well-lit and welcoming, and the streets are bustling with people even at this late hour.  The people are happy, smiling and laughing and greeting one another as they pass, not huddled together with eyes downcast, afraid to be seen or heard.

The tavern, too, bears almost no resemblance to the one Tamsin knows.  That place is well-known as the dominion of lechers and drunkards, not a place anyone who cares a whit for his reputation would like to be seen.  This tavern is clean and well-tended, and there are a mix of men and women, most sat at tables and ensconced in their own private conversations.  They barely take any notice when Althea and Tamsin enter.  Nodig is used to travelers from all over the world.

The only person who takes any note of their arrival is the man standing behind the bar.  He is grey-haired and nondescript, and he greets Althea with a curt nod of his head.

“I’ve brought an unexpected guest,” says Althea.  “I hope it won’t be any trouble.”

“Of course not, Miss,” says the man with another nod.  Then he disappears into the back room.

As the bartender leaves, a man sat at the far end of the bar turns on his stool to take a look at them.  He speaks up in a clear, piercing voice.

“Unexpected guest?” he wonders.  “Not a soon-to-be initiate?”

Although he is sitting down, he appears to be a slight man, and his sweater hangs loosely upon his shoulders.  He has dark hair cut in a simple, clean style and wears thick, dark-rimmed glasses.  He doesn’t look particularly young or old, but he lacks Althea’s gravitas.

Althea, for her part, seems markedly unimpressed.  “Tamsin,” she says, her gaze fixed upon the wall somewhere behind the bar, “this is Vivius Moonbright.”

Tamsin looks from Althea back to the man, matching the name to the face.

“A pleasure, I’m sure,” says Vivius, extending his hand in greeting.

Tamsin takes his hand.  “Moonbright?” she repeats curiously.  “Forgive me, but I’ve never heard a name like that.”

Vivius laughs good-naturedly.  “Yes, it does sound rather frivolous around these parts,” he says.  “And in most parts of the world, if I’m being honest.  But in my homeland of Almyst such names are quite common, I assure you.  Moonbright, Silvermist, Windsong, and so forth.”

Tamsin smiles.  “They sound like names out of a heroic tale.  What is it like there, in Almyst?  Do you miss it?”

Vivius hums.  His thoughtfulness strikes Tamsin as markedly different from Althea’s.  It is bright and animated, like the overture to an old, favorite song.  “It is beautiful there,” he begins.  He gestures that Tamsin should sit, and retakes his own barstool next to her.  “And the people are largely…how shall I say this?  Good-hearted, to be certain, but decidedly serious.  The nation has a difficult past, and its people reflect that, in some ways.”  With a wink, he adds, “And let me tell you, they would not take kindly to any comments on their peculiar naming conventions.”

“Oh,” Tamsin flusters.  “Forgive me, I meant no offense.”

“None taken, I assure you,” says Vivius, waving a hand dismissively.  “And you, Tamsin?  Where did our Keeper Althea find you?”

Tamsin glances nervously over her shoulder toward Althea, hoping for some guidance, but Althea is still pointedly ignoring them both.  After all she has been through in recent memory, Tamsin is not inclined to trust in someone Althea doesn’t seem to like very much, even if he seems perfectly friendly.  But Althea does not acknowledge her, and so Tamsin is forced to make up her own mind.  She reasons that whence she hails is no great secret.

“Godsplace,” says Tamsin at last.  “Have you heard of it?”

“Heard of it, yes,” says Vivius.  Even when he speaks severely, there is a certain lightness to his voice.  “Not for the best reasons, though.  I’m sure it possesses many charms that go unreported.”

“Maybe,” says Tamsin charitably, but she labors to think of any at the moment.

“Not too sad to be taking your leave, I see?” Vivius observes.

“No,” Tamsin agrees with a self-effacing smile.  But it feels wrong to speak ill of her homeland without some further explanation, and so she amends, “There’s…not really much left for me in Godsplace.”

“Ah,” says Vivius knowingly.  “And so very much to be found for you at the Academy.”

Again Tamsin glances uncomfortably in Althea’s direction.  “You know much about it?” she presses hesitantly.  “The Academy?”

Perhaps it is her imagination, but Tamsin is sure she hears Althea let out a quiet, derisive scoff.

“Actually,” says Vivius, with the air of barely-contained excitement, “I am nearly as new to the Academy as you.”

Tamsin whirls around to face him fully.  “I beg your pardon?”

Vivius ducks his head and shrugs sheepishly, the kind of affected modesty borne of one who is in truth quite proud of his achievements.  But before he can say anything else, Althea cuts in coldly.  “Don’t bother demonstrating.  She can’t see.”

Both Vivius and Tamsin look up, surprised by her sudden interjection.  Althea is still looking away from them.

Tamsin’s mind is slow to catch up.  New to the Academy, demonstrating, can’t see—  “You have the Gift?” she turns back to Vivius.

Her tone is perhaps more openly incredulous than she had intended, but the idea is something of an absurdity.  She’s never heard of a man with magic.  Why, the people of Godsplace would be in an uproar.  She tries to imagine one of those gruesome scenes in the Town Square with the roles reversed, nonmagical women in official uniform dragging unwitting young men up onto the stage to put them to the flame.  It would never happen.

Again Vivius shrugs good-naturedly.  Tamsin begins to feel acutely embarrassed by her inexperience.  “I’m sorry,” she says quickly.  “I don’t mean to be rude, really, it’s just that…”  It’s just that where Tamsin comes from, women are put to the flame for witchcraft, a fate even the most dreadful man, someone a thousand times worse than Teddy Page, need never fear.

“It’s all right, Tamsin, I’m quite accustomed to the shock,” says Vivius, holding up his hands in a show of surrender.  “Men who possess the Gift are exceedingly rare, but we do exist.  As I would gladly demonstrate, but the Keeper informs me such a show would be lost on you for the moment.”

“Yes, what a shame,” says Althea icily.  “One wonders why you ever left the Academy at all, Vivius, if you’re so fond of impressing wide-eyed idiots with parlor tricks.”

Tamsin winces at Althea’s cruelty, but Vivius seems remarkably unfazed.  “Don’t mind the Keeper,” he says to Tamsin.  “She’ll be a different person once she gets her meal.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” says Althea.

As if on cue, the bartender emerges from the back room balancing three large plates on his arm, all filled to overflowing with foods that are unrecognizable to Tamsin.  She’s been so preoccupied, she barely even noticed her own hunger, but now her mouth waters, and her stomach aches.

The food is rich and heavy, not at all what Tamsin is used to.  She cannot identify a single thing on her plate—even the type of grain is unknown to her.  The meat is cooked in a way Tamsin could never have imagined—it seems to her to be covered in some sort of bread crumbs and cooked in a heavy oil.  When she wonders aloud at this ingenuity, she draws both Vivius and the bartender into conversation with her, and they happily explain the origin and preparation of each of the unfamiliar foods, and many others besides.

Althea continues to ignore them.  She eats her food at the other end of the bar in self-contained silence.

In spite of Althea’s coldness, Tamsin finds herself warming to Vivius.  He is friendly and forthcoming, and he doesn’t answer her questions with long, weighty pauses or meandering riddles that aren’t really answers at all.

“Keeper Althea mentioned that there aren’t very many new students at the moment,” Tamsin prompts him, attempting to sound casual.  To her left, she would swear she can almost feel Althea bristling, but Althea doesn’t say anything.

“Yes, well, it’s to be expected,” says Vivius.

“Why is that?”

“Well, because of the prophecy,” says Vivius, as though this should be obvious.  He takes a bite, evidently unaware that this warrants any further explanation.

“Prophecy?” Tamsin echoes.

Vivius looks up mid-bite, his eyes rendered somewhat comically wide by the thick lenses of his glasses.  He finishes his food and sputters, “Oh, goodness, forgive me, I really thought even the nonmagical knew about that.”

“Not me,” says Tamsin simply.

“Oh, well, uh—“ Vivius glances somewhat nervously toward Althea.  “I don’t know if I’m the best person to explain it.”

When Althea remains steadfastly silent, Vivius amends, “But I’ll do my best.”

He puts down his fork and steeples his fingers while he thinks.  “So, how to put this?  I think I ought to start by saying that the average person cannot actually confirm whether the prophecy really exists.”

“It does,” says Althea quietly.

“Right,” Vivius falters, “as I’ve said, the average person.  It’s important because interpretations vary widely the world over.  And of course, like all prophecies, the actual contents are extremely vague and open to interpretation.”

“What are the actual contents?” Tamsin asks.

Again Vivius glances hopefully toward Althea, but she keeps her counsel.

“The story goes,” Vivius continues cautiously, “that a child born at the crossroads of time will set the darkness free of its shackles.”

A moment’s silence follows.  “That’s it?” asks Tamsin.

Vivius nods.  “That’s it.”

In spite of her stony silence, Tamsin glances back toward Althea.  “But that’s hardly anything!  That doesn’t answer my question at all!”

Vivius chuckles.  “Yes, it is infuriating, isn’t it?”

“Why does that amount to no new students at the Academy?” Tamsin presses, not a little exasperated.

“Well, let’s break it down, shall we?” says Vivius, in the manner of a kindly schoolteacher.  “What do you suppose qualifies as a ‘crossroads of time?’”

Tamsin balks at him for a long moment before she even deigns to consider what he has said.  Nameless nobodies do not get much education in Godsplace, and it has been a long while since she was a student of anything.

“All right,” she sighs at last.  “I don’t know.  The start of a new year?  The changing of an Era?”

Vivius nods.  “Excellent guesses.  Also the most common interpretation.  Most people believe that this fabled child was born at the changing of the Era, perhaps even at the very turning of the year, right as the clock struck midnight.  If so, how old would that child be now?”

“Sixteen,” Tamsin answers easily.  The child would have been born in the same year as she.  “But then how—“

“And what sort of person do you imagine could manage a feat like breaking the darkness free from its shackles?  Someone ordinary?”

Tamsin falters.  “Well, no, I suppose not.”

“Almost certainly one of the Gifted, yes?” Vivius nods.

“Sure,” says Tamsin.  “But what does that even mean?  Setting the darkness free and all that?”

“Now that explanation I shall leave to your teachers at the Academy,” Vivius laughs.  “Suffice to say, there is darkness in this world, in a very literal sense.  It is a kind of magic not so very different from your own Gift.  Very powerful.  But dangerous.  Unpredictable.  It is said that once the darkness finds you, you can never truly be free of it, even if you manage to resist its whispers all the days of your life.”

Tamsin shivers involuntarily.

“No one knows exactly what it means, setting the darkness free of its shackles.  How could we?  Scholars may theorize, but they are going off of next to nothing, little more than stories almost as old as time itself.  But a world plunged into darkness does not sound very appealing on its face, now, does it?”

“Well, no,” says Tamsin uncertainly.

“As I’ve said, interpretations abound the world over, most of them probably wildly inaccurate.  But nearly everyone agrees on one thing: the prophecy cannot come to pass.  It would destroy the world as we know it.”

Such heady concepts are, for the moment, wholly beyond Tamsin’s comprehension.  She is more focused on one simple matter.  “You still haven’t answered my question,” she points out.

Vivius laughs, abashed.  “No, I suppose I haven’t.  There may be many reasons that so few young ladies of your age have made their way to the Academy.  Many have likely been hunted down and killed, as, I’m given to understand, is the practice in Godsplace.  Many, I expect, are in hiding, hesitant to submit themselves to the Academy’s scrutiny.”

Tamsin considers this, her mind reeling.  “Because, what?  What would happen?  To this…person the prophecy speaks of?”

“Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it?” says Vivius with a shrug.  “How can they know?  Public opinion on the matter is not generous, to say the least.”

“Should I be worried, then?” Tamsin wonders.  The idea had not occurred to her.

“Well, I don’t know,” says Vivius.  “You were born at the changing of the Era, but when?”

Tamsin shrugs.  “Sometime in the summer.  I’m not sure exactly.”

Vivius nods, as if that is the end of it.  “Well, then, it’s unlikely you’ll run into any problems at all.  The prophecy is open to interpretation, of course, but these things tend toward the dramatic.  To that end, perhaps we’ll start seeing more new students sooner than later, now that the timing is off.”

They fall into silence after that, Tamsin consumed by her thoughts, and the others concerned with their food.  When they have all cleaned their plates, the bartender comes to collect them, and he tells Althea that he has prepared another room for Tamsin.

‘Wonderful,” says Althea, offering the bartender a smile and a nod as she accepts her keys.  “Thank you.”  For the first time since they arrived, she looks at Tamsin.  “I’ll be turning in now.  Shall I show you to your room?”

“All right,” says Tamsin, trying very hard not to scramble to her feet.  “Good night, Vivius,” she says.  “Will I see you again soon?”

“It’s been a pleasure, Tamsin,” says Vivius with a wave.  “I’ll be heading out before dawn, but come and find me when you make your way to the Academy, won’t you?”

Tamsin nods, and she feels distinctly relieved to have at least one friend to look forward to at the mysterious Academy.  She turns around to find that Althea has just barely waited for her, and quickly scrambles to follow Althea through a small doorway and up a narrow staircase.  Outside, the moon is uncommonly bright, and it casts strange shadows through the open window.  The stairs shift and creak ominously beneath her feet, and the banister feels ready to work itself loose.

When they reach the second floor, Tamsin dares to speak up.  “May I ask you something?”

“You may,” says Althea.

“You don’t seem to like Vivius much,” says Tamsin.

Althea glances over her shoulder.  “Is that a question?”

Tamsin averts her gaze, embarrassed.  “Well, am I wrong?” she wonders self-consciously.  “Why don’t you like him?”

Perhaps Tamsin could have anticipated the way Althea weighs her question with a heavy sigh.  She stops in front of a door in the middle of the hallway and produces a key.  She ushers Tamsin inside and closes the door behind them before she even begins to answer.

“It’s not exactly that I don’t like Vivius,” says Althea at last.  “But have you ever in your life heard of a man with the Gift?  Even in stories?”

“Well, no,” Tamsin admits.  “It is strange to think of, but…”

“Strange, yes.  Almost unheard of,” says Althea.  “The thing that troubles me is that no one seems to know how it happens.  I mentioned to you earlier that the Gift is hereditary?  Not so with men, at least as far as anyone can tell.  Which is not very far at all, since there are maybe a handful total, in all of history.”

“Even still,” says Tamsin hesitantly, “you make it sound like it’s his fault.”

“As I’ve said, I’ve nothing against Vivius specifically,” says Althea curtly.  “But I do not trust his magic, nor do I support allowing a man into the Academy, no matter his talents.  He could just as easily go across the water, where he would be welcomed.”

Tamsin considers this.  “Do…others feel as you do?” she wonders.  “Other Keepers, I mean?”

To her surprise, Althea chuckles.  “You think my views are unusual?”

Tamsin averts her gaze.  “Well, I wouldn’t know.”

“But you disagree.”

“Well.”  Tamsin doesn’t know enough to agree or disagree.  She likes Vivius, but she trusts Althea.  She fiddles with the strap of her traveling bag.

“Opinions on the matter are mixed at the Academy,” Althea elaborates at last, with surprising good humor.  “Which, as it happens, is another reason for my objection.  Vivius’s mere presence at the Academy is the subject of endless debate, all of it a colossal waste of time.   There are far more important matters.”

“Like the prophecy?” Tamsin wonders, before she has fully decided to speak.

Althea sighs.  Again, she looks a little amused.  “It’s not as though I’m keeping things from you on purpose, Tamsin,” she says.  “There’s a lot to take in.  And frankly, the prophecy is not the sort of thing a new initiate should be most worried about.”

Still, Tamsin cannot help but ask, “You said earlier that…that you know it’s real.  You know it exists.”

“Yes, well,” Althea averts her gaze.  “I am among the lucky few.”  The light from the full moon catches in her eyes, and Tamsin is reminded of the way they glowed when she used her Gift.

Tamsin considers this.  “Is that why you came to Godsplace?” she wonders.

Althea quirks a brow at her.  “After a fashion,” she says.

“Is that why the burnings happen?” Tamsin presses.  “Because of the prophecy?”

“Not exactly,” says Althea.  “Godsplace has a long history of archaic practices.  But I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the reason you’ve noticed them happening more frequently.”

“Then…”  Again Tamsin fidgets uncomfortably with the strap of her bag.  “Then there are people in Godsplace who know about it?”  Could Bryce have known?  Would he keep something like that from her?

“Perhaps.  But this is all pure speculation, you understand.  I came to Godsplace because I heard about the burnings and I had a feeling I should go and try to intervene.  As it turned out, my feeling was about you.”

“Me?” Tamsin echoes, stunned.

“Well, yes,” says Althea, as though it were obvious.  “Following my intuition led me right to you in your hour of need, after all.  And I’d have allowed you to stay and say a proper farewell if I felt we had the time.”

“But…” Tamsin stammers.  “But I thought you said you came to Godsplace because of the prophecy.”

“I did,” says Althea.  “I’ve been traveling trying to find anyone who fits the description.”

“But I don’t fit the description,” says Tamsin.

Althea hums.  “No, not exactly.  Nevertheless, you are a Gifted who would likely have been put to the flame without my intervention.  An equally worthy cause, I should think.”

Tamsin shivers.  “But then…why are you looking for the prophecy?” she wonders.  “What will you do?”

Althea considers this.  “It’s more about what I will not do, if I’m being honest.  Many would see the prophesied child dead, as if something so banal would put an end to all the world’s problems.  If I can find her, I would spare her from that fate, and see that she is properly trained.”

“Why?” Tamsin asks.  “Would it be better?  Would that avert the prophecy?”

“I cannot know for certain,” says Althea.  “In many ways I am as much in the dark as anyone else.  But is it not better to try to avert such a prophecy with the power of reason?  With information and preparation?  Rather than expecting brute force to unmake the delicate weave of fate?”

Tamsin doesn’t know what to say to that.

“I would not see what is sure to be a talented young lady put to the flame before she can even realize her potential,” says Althea with a small smile.  “And I mean that as much for you as I do for the prophesied child, whoever she may be.  What happens after that is another matter, best left for when the time comes.”

Tamsin nods slowly.  Perhaps Althea is right, after all, and she has asked for more knowledge than she is ready to handle.  It is a lot to take in.

Althea pats her shoulder.  “Get some rest, Tamsin.“

It is perhaps a mercy that Tamsin is so unfathomably tired.  Her head is spinning, and on any other night, the brightness of the moon might have kept her awake thinking until her time for sleep had passed.  But almost as soon as she lays down, she feels herself drifting off.  In her dreams, she is being led into the Town Square all tied up with heavy rope, but she is not afraid.  She knows the flame cannot touch her anymore.

[mymp3]

why does being in your 20's feel like you've barely started your life, but your funeral's next week

[cowboylikeyouu]

the people who tag everything on their blog and have all their important & specific tags in their featured tags list:

i love you pls don’t die

[oviraptoridae]

i’m roswell, multimedia artist, computer user, internet animal, thing maker. i make a lot of stuff & this is where i post it!

what to expect:

furries

ttrpg stuff

electronic music

ink drawings

digital collage and glitch art

questionable programming

3d modelling

textile art

what not to expect:

consistency

i’m currently running a game in the Troika! system (and in the process, designing a Troika! compatible ttrpg). find stuff related to that project in the #silversea tag!

where else to find me:

bandcamp

youtube

personal website (will be revamped soon)

i don’t do commissions, but you can provide proof of donation to one of these organizations providing aid to Palestine in exchange for a free drawing.

i don’t believe in intellectual property, use my art for anything you want. i ask that you don’t paywall anything made with my work, and that you consider crediting me, but i won’t tell you what to do. unless stated otherwise, all original, non-contract work shared is under a cc-sa license!

[bottlehawk]

navigating my blog guide

#bottlehawk text -> all my text posts. includes homestuck meta, as well as #asks and #polls.

#bottlehawk art -> anything i draw. includes #wips.

#hs reblog -> homestuck-related reblogs. run by hourly queue. all characters tagged by #rb-firstname (ex: #rb-jade).

#other reblog -> non-homestuck reblogs. sometimes i tag other fandoms. (ex: #naruto reblog)

(BLOG SECRETS & TIPS UNDER THE LINE) 🔻

i tag all homestuck posts that come from me with #homestuck, with characters by their full names (ex: #rose lalonde.)

i tag asks i answer about how i draw things/do technical stuff with #art question.

#rb-everyone is used when there's so many homestuck characters on a post i don't want to tag them all.

i tag all real-life sketchbook doodles with #sketchbook.

my #hs reblog queue is set up to feature one character/grouping per day. it transitions between days. (ex: jade -> jade + rose -> rose). i have a big queue (with lots of old/obscure/forgotten stuff!).

i tag #rb-john and #rb-june separately.

guardians are tagged under their kid counterpart (excluding #rb-dad). same with troll ancestors (tagged by dancestor name.)

i tag content warnings by the actual thing (example: #birds). not like (#tw birds).

yes, i tag #rb-mayor, #rb-davepeta, #rb-davesprite, #rb-jaspers (includes jaspersprite), etc. i'm not kidding i tag almost every character. i even tag fan trolls/kids! (#rb-oc)

i AM an adult. but i won't really post 18+ (unless it's like. funny lmao. i'll tag it then.)

i don't care about "spam notifs" feel free to go as WILD as you want.