#not… sure how to improve this tho

[toytle]

a lot of comic art styles are so genuinely, distinctly ugly in a way that i desperately wish to capture

[bacchuschucklefuck]

no more fan-ta-sizing about it! everything's already changed~

[vilevampirez]

[ID by @princess-of-purple-prose: Mairimashita! Iruma-kun fanart.

Colored art of Iruma wearing dresses. The left shows him wearing a purple dress with a glittery purple-to-pink skirt, doing a peace sign and looking flustered. The right shows him as Irumi, wearing a pink dress while winking and smiling widely. The center has small icons of his face for each version.

Uncolored line art of Irumi smiling and doing a rock hand.

A sketch of Iruma looking startled and blushing.

Irumi looking flustered.

Iruma with a big smile.

Iruma smiling happily, a heart floating next to him. End ID]

woe. mairuma art be upon ye

[eyes-of-nine]

they're so childhood friends to lovers bodyguard au coded to me 😌✨ (they have killed so so many people)

[spotaus]

Okay! This one is less rendered than the other two, but here's some doodles of Tulpa figuring out how to co-exist! (Aka Fresh not taking training seriously while Dream is trying desperately to get his friends to think he's normal.)

When Dream first returns to the Star Sans', he finds himself in a pickle, because he needs Fresh to move his body. Sure, they made a tentative agreement that Dream trusted Fresh not to break, but Dream hadn't been specific enough with the guidelines.

Fresh pilots Dream's body based on the commands from his soul, but more often than not Fresh simply decides not to listen. Sometimes when they're training, Fresh will suddenly make Dream fumble his bow or send an arrow flying way off-target. Dream is always frustrated by this, unaware that Fresh it doing it for his own good and is forcing the guardian to take a break.

Blue was also made aware of Fresh very early on. One day he was passing the kitchen where Dream was cooking and spotted how Fresh's little form was wiggling out of the hole on Dream's skull. Blue made Eye-contact with Fresh, but said nothing since it seemed like Dream was aware and didn't mind. He waited until Dream told him to acknowledge the parasite directly, but suddenly a bunch of Dream's weird actions made sense to him. Blue regularly makes sure to check in on Dream, before abd after he's aware of Fresh, because he knows Dream works himself into the ground.

Dream (eventually) figures out that Fresh was being clumsy for his sake and nearly cries about it (even his mother and the villagers never did that for him, and Blue was the only other person to ever pull him away from training for his own good) so he gets a bit emotional. He feels bad for how angry he used to get at Fresh for doing that, but Fresh never gave him a proper explanation either, so it was a two-way street.

And while Fresh was lienent around Blue and Ink, he never slipped up around Nightmare's gang. Though, he did fight seriously, which to him might look like goofing off, which is completely separate from Dream's fighting style. (For now Dream uses Arrows and his Bow, but I'm thinking Tulpa has a T-Shirt Canon or a Nerf Gun by the time they make-up.)

Ideally Fresh cannot be seen during combat because he actually pilots from around Dream's soul, but sometimes his parasite form expands to support Dream's weak joints and act like a shock-absorber.

[sarafangirlart]

Just read how Hebe is described as “the most beautiful of the goddesses and walks forever in Olympus beside her mother Hera, goddess of marriage” (Nemean 10) … Considering Hebe eventually gets married and has kids but is still on Olympus and always within her mother’s range, I think the sight of them would make Demeter’s heart sing in envy :(

(Not that I think Hebe and Persephone are close in age, just similar in some ways)

Demeter wouldn’t be the only envious one I think, Ares and Hephaestus would see their mother being kind and attentive to her youngest child in a way she never was with them. Kinda like how older siblings watch how their younger siblings get more gentle parenting than they ever did.

[dovesick]

it’s all chaos for the birds (april 2023)

[sea-jello]

Day 21/October 21: Day of the Departed || Reminisce (??)

GRAHH ITS STILL THE 21ST SOMEWHERE i’m apparently using morrotober to try new things this one’s a new lineart brush that i’m sorta warming up to and the POSE and the BACKGROUND and the LIGHTING i’m surprised i finished this at all tbh. and also new morro design

bg lineart and sword vs neither plus the green ghost fog thing i do basically if you zoom in really really close the lines aren’t smooth on the lineless bgs but icba the pedestal can be chipped or something. i kinda like without the sword and fog cause it gives him a more isolated feel yk (that was my original idea lmao)

this one’s my attempt at funky mannequin hands

[reinabeestudio]

Been talking about old OCs, which made me remember I've been reworking on my (former) f/naf gang for a few years now. For now, I humbly offer Clyde 👍

[freakinator]

man i make such different critiques for uu and ls lmao

like for ls i tend to critique the members' actions while for uu i tend to critique its editing (i also do vice versa ofc but not nearly as often as those), ig this has something to do with my expectations of each respective server; for ls the member interactions are what im there for, while for uu the storytelling is what im there for. on the other hand i basically never critique plot points lmao, as far as im concerned shit just happens sometimes and thats ok

[destinysbounty]

....huh. So when I was 16, I wrote a fic in which post-Skybound Nya and Zane talk about their experiences with dying. Now I'm beginning to think it needs a sequel taking place post-Crystalized, where they talk about what it's like to sacrifice yourself, what it's like to lose your memories and forget your loved ones, to lose your humanity and sense of self, to become consumed by your own power, and to return knowing that you're not who you used to be anymore, and that your sacrifice is what caused your family to fall apart in your absence.

[danothan]

i’ve been having a hard time realizing and grieving my naivety/lack of intuition, especially relating to autism and ocd. there’s smth so helpless in feeling like you can’t trust yourself. but i think i’m starting to reach a point of balance. ik i don’t have the best judgment, but maybe my intuition can be the kindness i judged as naivety

i just couldn’t accept the idea that kindness (as far as i understood it at least) could have led me into harm’s way, especially bc protecting myself feels so “cruel,” so maybe that’s not the narrative i have to accept. sometimes i feel like i’m slipping into old habits when i catch myself giving someone a second chance, or the benefit of the doubt, but it’s not the same now as it was before. kindness never led me into harm’s way, it was my lack of trust in myself. i don’t need to dial in my kindness, i just need to strengthen my trust. i need to practice informed kindness

[aeide-thea]

06-07-23 Why Patagonia helped Samsung redesign the washing machine

Samsung is releasing a wash cycle and a new filter, which will dramatically shrink microfiber pollution.

Eight years ago, Patagonia started to study a little-known environmental problem: With every load of laundry, thousands (even millions) of microfibers, each less than 5 millimeters long, wash down the drain. Some are filtered out at water treatment plants, but others end up in the ocean, where fibers from synthetic fabric make up a surprisingly large amount of plastic pollution—35%, by one estimate. Fragments of your favorite sweatshirt might now be floating in the Arctic Ocean. In a collaboration that began two years ago, the company helped inspire Samsung to tackle the problem by rethinking its washing machines. Today, Samsung unveiled its solution: A new filter that can be added to existing washers and used along with a “Less Microfiber” cycle that Samsung also designed. The combination makes it possible to shrink microfiber pollution by as much as 98%.

[…] Patagonia’s team connected Samsung with Ocean Wise, a nonprofit that tests fiber shedding among its mission to protect and restore our oceans. Samsung shipped some of its machines to Ocean Wise’s lab in Vancouver, where researchers started to study how various parameters change the results. Cold water and less agitation helped—but both of those things can also make it harder to get clothing clean. “There are maybe two ways of increasing the performance of your washing machine,” says Moohyung Lee, executive vice president and head of R&D at Samsung, through an interpreter. “Number one is to use heated water. That will obviously increase your energy consumption, which is a problem. The second way to increase the performance of your washing machine is to basically create stronger friction between your clothes . . . and this friction and abrasion of the fibers is what results in the output of microplastics.” Samsung had already developed a technology called “EcoBubble” to improve the performance of cold-water cycles to help save energy, and it tweaked the technology to specifically tackle microfiber pollution. “It helps the detergent dissolve more easily in water so that it foams better, which means that you don’t need to heat up your water as much, and you don’t need as much mechanical friction, but you still have a high level of performance,” Lee says. The new “Less Microfiber” cycle, which anyone with a Samsung washer can download as an update for their machine, can reduce microfiber pollution by as much as 54%. To tackle the remainder, the company designed a filter that can be added to existing washers at the drain pipe, with pores tiny enough to capture fibers. They had to balance two conflicting needs: They wanted to make it as simple as possible to use, so consumers didn’t have to continually empty the filter, but it was also critical that the filter wouldn’t get clogged, potentially making water back up and the machine stop working. The final design compresses the microfibers, so it only has to be emptied once a month, and sends an alert via an app when it needs to be changed. Eventually, in theory, the fibers that are collected could potentially be recycled into new material rather than put in the trash. (Fittingly, the filter itself is also made from recycled plastic.) When OceanWise tested the cycle and filter together, they confirmed that it nearly eliminated microfiber pollution. Now, Samsung’s challenge is to get consumers to use it. The filter, which is designed to be easily installed on existing machines, is launching now in Korea and will launch in the U.S. and Europe later this year. The cost will vary by market, but will be around $150 in the U.S. The cycle, which began to roll out last year, can be automatically installed on WiFi-connected machines.

[shattered-eluvian]

life could be a dream

Babies first solavellan mini fic thingy... I am very new to writing as a whole so I cannot attest to the quality ;w; but I think I at least have Solas' voice down pretty ok? I hope??

I am very very shy sharing my writing 😂 but I wish to be brave...

____

Evie Lavellan/Solas || set after the balcony scene because it always seemed so abrupt and sombre and then the next romance scene is Halamshiral where he's relaxed in the relationship and having a grand ol' time, and I felt there had to be some manner of heart to heart/getting over some hang ups for them in between to get there!

it's free real estate, baybee.

“Ar lath ma, vhenan.”

His words carried a melancholic timbre as he turned to leave. Striding his way past through the balcony threshold and headed towards the stairs of Evie's quarters. This wasn't the first time he appeared to be unnerved by his feelings, with any glimpse of emotional vulnerability quickly buried under a mask of distant stoicism, and any glimmer of happiness chased away as quickly as it arrived. To Evie it was as frustrating as it was heart-breaking; he always seemed to carry the weight of far too much for any one man.

“Solas, wait.”

He paused at the top of the stairway, finding himself unable - or unwilling - to turn to face her. The gnawing dread of inevitability then began to creep through him. He knows this won't end well, and he will only have himself to blame when it happens. 

It was a losing game any way he played it, but he just can't seem to stop himself.

He was a man caught between living in a dream - to be seen, and loved as he is - and waking up and facing the cold unshakable reality of his duty. 

Would it truly be so terrible to dream, just a little while longer?

"Do you have somewhere you need to be in such a hurry, emma lath?" Evie said in as playful a tone as she could manage, in an attempt to mask her growing concern. 

He sighed, tense shoulders falling in defeat. He was a cornered animal, in a trap of his own making. 

"I- I'm sorry.” he sighs again, feeling himself uncharacteristically shrink in on himself, “I fear if I were to remain here, what little restraint I yet have would invariably falter. It–" he throws his hands up as he finally turns to face her, if only to further punctuate his statement. "It wouldn't be right.

"Restraint..?" she shot him a small puzzled look, "And what exactly are you holding back?"

He shook his head, unable to do anything but huff a small sad laugh. What indeed?

Evie moves to slowly close the distance between them, that growing concern now clearly etched upon her features as she met his gaze. He was always such a carefully guarded man, and she knew that seeing this side of him was a rare glimpse into his soul that very few - if anyone - got a chance to see. His loneliness. His guilt. His distrust. All bricks in this fortress he built around himself.

And it pained her.

"Would letting go… would it really be so terrible?" 

"You deserve better."

"And who are you to decide what I deserve?"  her tone is amused, if mildly incredulous, "What does that even mean, anyway?" she sighs as she takes another step closer toward him. "And why does it even matter? You are who I want to be with." 

"You truly have no idea what that means, vhenan."

"So tell me."

He looks at her - forlorn and defeated - he knows he should just walk away and end it now. But he won't. He knows full well he won't. He can't.

His expression shifts into something far more steely, his posture and demeanour returning to his typical, far more in command neutrality.  

However this was going to pan out he needed his composure. 

No cracks. No weakness.

"I've been hurt more times than I can count." he began, "So much betrayal, and people lost... I couldn't put that heavy burden on you."  He frowns as he paces where he stands. His hands firmly planted on his hips as he tries to keep his emotions in check. “You've shown me more kindness than I deserve. If you only knew what I have done? I'm not so sure you'd welcome me so freely… yet to lose you? That would break me. But to stay would be a far crueller fate."

Evie let his words wash over her like a sombre melody. He had - as he often had - said so much whilst saying so little. 

But it was enough. 

"Solas..." her voice barely above a whisper as she closes what little space remains between them, "Whatever it is you've done? Whatever you've been through? It’s in the past. I only know the man standing in front of me right now." She reaches a hand to touch him, placing it gently on his chest, "And what I see is no monster."

A crack. A weakness.

His composure briefly falters, the hand on his chest like a searing brand, the weight anchoring him in place. 

If only she knew.

Evie was the first to break this tense silence between them, she could see plainly that Solas was agitated, that she had opened up some old unseen wounds. And she had no desire to push him any further. 

“Solas. Ir abelas... I’m sorry.” She moved her hand to gently touch his cheek, the sensation snapping him out of his thoughts and back to her. “I didn’t mean to cause any upset. If you need time, if you need to leave…?” She takes a step back then, giving him space and a gentle smile.

He regards her for a moment, this small, mortal thing. A shadow of who she should be and yet filled with far more compassion than he had seen in millennia. It was all too real, and he found himself utterly powerless. Laid low by something as simple as unwavering kindness and a gentle heart.

It terrified him.

But he wanted more. 

“Thank you.” he finally spoke, his demeanour softening as he did so. “But that will not be necessary.” 

The anguish on his features seemed to melt away in an instant, replaced with a look nothing short of complete adoration. 

He chose to dream.

“Are you sure..?” she asked, somewhat bemused by his sudden change of tune. 

“In truth, there is very little I am sure about in this world, vhenan. But for you? I think I can make an exception.”

“Oh, well!” she laughed, “I’m honoured! I think?” 

Evie barely had time to appreciate the far more relaxed atmosphere that replaced the tension from earlier, her playful laughter cut short as Solas all but pounced on her, arms pulling her into a heady embrace that left her breathless. With one hand pressed at the small of her back, pulling her closer, and another gripped into her hair as he kissed her in ways that let her know his proclivity for tongue was not limited to the Fade. 

He was lost in the moment, enjoying being just Solas. The weight of his guilt and duty set aside even if only for the briefest of moments. Being seen – being loved – as just a man, and not some symbol greater than himself, for good or ill.

It delighted him.

The kiss soon broke just enough to give a very dazed Evie a chance to catch her breath. Solas pressed his forehead affectionately to hers, the tender gesture a contrast to the devilish look in his eyes as he all but admired his handiwork. 

“Fenhedis, Solas!” she huffed, “A little warning next time would be nice!”

There was a dark and mischievous quality to the chuckle she got in reply. He was far far too pleased with himself.

And all Evie could think at that moment was; Varric was right, it really is the quiet ones…

“And where would the fun in that be, vhenan?” 

The low, salacious quality his voice took on as he emphasised that otherwise rather innocuous endearment made Evie feel a little giddy. Seeing this side of him was certainly a rare treat, and one she would happily savour.

She could feel his eyes begin to bore into her, his body tensing like a coiled spring under her every touch.

Yet despite his obvious eagerness, he was waiting, patiently holding himself back until she, presumably, gave him some kind of sign that he could continue what he started. 

And she was more than happy to oblige. 

Twisting her fingers around the leather cord of the jawbone necklace he was never seen without, she gave it a coaxing tug as she took a step back toward the bed. 

He didn’t need telling twice.

________________

Sunlight gently filtered through the stained glass windows of Evie’s quarters, the colourful dappled light soon rousing her from sleep as it shimmered against her eyelids. With a sigh she wearily blinked her eyes against the light, wanting nothing more than to just roll over and go back to sleep.

Surely the Inquisition could go one day without her.

Wriggling herself under the blanket – just five more minutes – she patted the side of the bed where her lover should be, only to find it empty. 

She found she unfortunately wasn’t all that surprised by this outcome, but her heart still sank all the same. 

One step forward, two steps back.

“Ah! You’re awake. I took the liberty of getting the kitchen staff to bring us some breakfast.”

Evie jolted with a start at the unexpected voice, throwing the blanket away from her buried head to see Solas standing at the foot of the bed, half dressed with a platter of what looked to be griddle cakes and fresh fruit.

Bewildered, she shuffled herself to sit up, tucking the blanket around her naked form.

“Solas! I–” she hated how surprised she sounded, and likely how surprised she looked. “I thought–, I assumed you’d already left!”

There was a briefest flash of pain on his face. Her surprise at him still being here was far from unwarranted, his track record had sadly, hardly been admirable. 

It made him want to do better.

She deserved better. 

“Ah, but how could I leave, and miss out on seeing you like this.” his voice an impish lilt, smirking as he cocked his head, “Or for that matter, how would I be able to bring you breakfast?”

He moved to his side of the bed, crawling back beside her as he placed the platter of food on her lap. Evie watched him intently as he settled himself comfortably beside her, his arms soon snaking around her in an embrace as he placed a gentle kiss at her temple.

Still somewhat bewildered, it was all she could do to absentmindedly pluck a berry off the plate in front of her, popping it in her mouth as she was lost in thought. 

If there was one thing she could say about Solas, it was that he was hardly lacking in surprises. 

Settling into his embrace, she wrapped a free arm around him in turn, lightly dragging her nails over his scalp as she continued to idly pick away at the fruit platter.

The way in which Solas leaned into her touch made her smile. It was a bit like she was petting a needy cat - or perhaps a dog - although, she mused, maybe owing to their equally hairless nature, a nug would be more apt? 

She giggled at the thought.

“Is something amusing, vhenan?” he mumbled, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. 

“No.” she turned herself further into his embrace, “No. I’m just happy.”

Solas hummed with approval into her skin as he began to pepper kisses along her neck and jaw. There was an unhurried, almost sleepy quality to the way he grazed his lips over her. His hands lazily trailing down her body, oblivious, or perhaps simply uncaring to the fact he almost knocked the food off the bed. 

“Solas.” she huffed in mild amusement as she moved the plate away just in time, placing it carefully on the small bedside table, “I take it you have no need of breakfast, then?”

“My heart.” he drawled between kisses, his grip pulling her body flush with his in a manner that let her know he perhaps had altogether very different things on his mind, “I have all I need right here.”

[sysig]

I somehow forgot how fun Spider Bites is to draw ♥ (Patreon)

[onehundredfallenpetals]

Shuake ft an attempt at accompanying poetry