#originally posted May 12

[madreesatelvanni]

Apologies for the delay, dear readers. I'd have written sooner, alas, Aratron and I have been making our preparations for our tri-annual trip to Necrom. The visit itself is a formality, mind you. Yet, in our preparations, one of Aratron's experiments escaped its cage and we had to spend a few days chasing the stinky little vvardvark down.

Do not ever introduce intellect fortification potions into a vvardvark's diet if you wish to keep it as a pet.

But perhaps it was for the best; during our rests between chases I could take my time and relax with The Locked Room. Seeing as we are dealing here with a work of fiction rather than a political treatise, we shall be shifting our focus away from rhetoric. Instead, we'll be looking towards characterization, as well as setup and payoff. Once again, we shall be analyzing only a handful of passages, to keep things brief.

Our first stop is to analyze the first three passages of the book.

"Yana was precisely the kind of student her mentor Arthcamu despised: the professional amateur. He enjoyed all the criminal types who were his usual pupils at the stronghold, [...] They were always interested in simple solutions, the easy way, but people like Yana were always looking for exceptions, possibilities, exotica. For pragmatists like Arthcamu, it was intensely vexing.

"The Redguard maiden would spend hours in front of a lock, prodding at it with her wires and picks, flirting with the key pins and driver pins, exploring the hull with a sort of casual fascination that no delinquent possesses. Long after her fellow students had opened their test locks and moved on, Yana was still playing with hers. The fact that she always opened it eventually, no matter how advanced a lock it was, irked Arthcamu even further.

"'You are making things much too difficult,' he would roar, boxing her ears. 'Speed is of the essence, not merely technical know-how. I swear that if I put the key to the lock right in front of you, you'd still never get around to opening it.'"

The opening here gives us a strong choice of words to mull over regarding characterization. Yana is immediately singled out from Arthcamu's typical stock, labled as a "professional amateur", and always seeking "exceptions, possibilities, exotica". In short, Lyttumly paints the picture that Yana is taking these classes for the love of lockpicking as an art. She has no intention of breaking and entering into anything.

Further, Lyttumly makes some very specific word choices in regards to Yana's age. While he never gives an exact age for either Yana, Arthcamu, nor any of the other students, he introduces Yana as a "maiden", and from then on is always referring to her as a "girl". Our protagonist is not an adult, either she is a child or she is a teenager. Regardless of which, she is always "flirting" with her tools with a "casual fascination", and always opens her locks eventually, "irk[ing]" her teacher. Not only, then, is Yana painted with a playfulness, but she is shown to be a prodigy. Yana is very good at what she does.

Yet, Arthcamu nonetheless is frustrated with her. His focus is wholeheartedly on the time spent on a lock. Thus, his ire. I have little to say about the third paragraph on its own here. Though, I will say, think of what else Lyttumly may have said instead of "roar". "Yell"? "Scream"? Neither convey what "roar" does. To roar is primal. To roar is to express a deep rage from within. Arthcamu is at his wit's end here.

On to setup & payoff, we'll take a look at the fifth paragraph of part two. After Arthcamu traps Yana in a cage with a slumbering vampire, Yana gains the inspiration to trick Arthcamu into the same cage under the guise of testing her "unpickable lock," further sweetening the deal by telling him that she'd leave the class soon after.

"'I need to leave now,' called Yana from the other side of the door. [...] It's getting dark, and even though you aren't able to unlock the door, the vampire might be less proud about using the key to escape. Remember when you said 'If I put the key to the lock right in front of you, you'd still never get around to opening it'?'"

The payoff is subtle and easy to miss; Arthcamu certainly did. But Yana here is giving Arthcamu a hint as to the key's whereabouts. It's only when Arthcamu fails to open the lock and the vampire attacks him that he takes notice of the key around its neck.

It's important to take note of the cyclical nature of this narrative. Arthcamu berates Yana for taking her time, decides to trap her in a deadly time trial. In revenge, Yana devises an unpickable lock, traps Arthcamu in the same trial. When brute force fails, Arthcamu makes an attempt at Yana's casual style of lockpicking, and still fails. The narrative loops around itself in such a satisfying manner.

While not all narratives need be so cyclical, always bear in mind the importance of setup and payoff. On that note, Aratron and I have taken to calling the vvardvark "Yana", in honor of the character. The little creature's escape artistry has become somewhat endearing, and Aratron hopes to study Yana's capabilities.

[tomatette]

Episode XIV

more [or click here for more roommate shenanigans]

[bl0ssom-skies]

Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄

[basoogil]

its spocko time again wahoo

[luck-of-the-drawings]

when i was in highschool one o my biggest coping mechanisms was drawing all the kids i hated getting killed and eaten and killed. and well. time is a slowly ascending spiral. you will find patterns.(i work as a blackjack dealer. gamblers are FASCINATING

[maicaronns]

its my day

[larissa-the-scribe]

Inktober, Day 12 — Spicey

Larissa judges her twin's culinary choices (they're getting ready to watch the World Cup) (rumo a hexa ✌🤞)

[dazzelmethat]

HOLD UP!! I'M FEELING SO INCREDIBLY NOSTALGIC FOR MY HIGH SCHOOL ART..

I frequently go through my old deviantart for prompt ideas

I WAS SO SO SO MEAN TO THESE PIECES THINKING IF I THOUGHT OF ONLY THEIR FAULTS I COULD GET BETTER FASTER.

Even art from middle school when I actually was a child I'm still so mean...

Why did hate make me feel like I could progress faster??

I wish I could be nicer to the parts of myself that once was..

If they were real they'd forgive me I think.

[giratina-plushie]

what this is teaching me is that im funnier and more correct and i should make more posts

[lesbianredhoodedmercenary]

yeah i'm also. kind of done with n corp at this point. canto 3 was very good but it almost feels antithetical to it, at least imo, to have the n sinclair identity. and you're so right about not getting an identity for rodya, she should have been the tingtang gangleader if we're not going to get any more canto 2 ids!

Yeah, I think N-Corp works well as antagonists but they also work in small doses. I don't need any more of them than we got in Canto III if I'm being honest.

And, as someone who's not a big fan of "Bad Ending AUs" or whatever the N-Corp Sinclair just feels like. why does he exist? Sinclair's conflict was about his bodily autonomy, with both extreme ends of the spectrum being him losing it. (getting surgery he doesn't want because it's what's expected of him. or becoming a violent religious extremist who will inevitably end up brainwashed because N-Corp uses their singularity to make their employees eat false memories to keep them compliant.) We don't need to see what one of the worst endings for Sinclair would be, especially because the whole deal with the themes of his book are moving beyond the black and white "good and evil" way of thinking about the world.

I'm saying this as someone who enjoys tragedy stories too, I think that when writing a tragedy, you have to make it some parts inevitable. (I have thoughts on why I actually feel that Yuri's death in Canto I is really well written because of this actually. I know that's another controversial opinion so it's a post for another time.) So when we get N-Corp Sinclair it feels. Idk we've already seen the side of this story where it doesn't happen and it's way more compelling to me when Sinclair doesn't fall down the rabbit hole. It also kinda proves Kromer right that in some world, he would be just like her. It feels just like the edgiest, worst possible ending for no real reason.

And as for ids for the other cantos, I wish we got more than 2 but. no we get 5 (maybe 6 depending on what the 00 for this banner is) N-Corp ones.

I think G-Corp Gregor goes hand in hand with the themes of his book. Alienation from society, and feeling like society is disgusted by him as a whole, represented by becoming less human.

And alas I don't think we'll get to see a Yurodive Rodya but it would be interesting to see how that would explore her desires to be a hero and the hollowness of exceptionalism.

Tingtang Rodya would also be fun, just 'cause.

However N-Corp Sinclair goes against the themes of his book, about things not being split into black-and-white good and evil. Because he does just go down one path without finding enlightenment.

[eemoo1o-kuroo]

I know the “My R” song is outdated a bit on the internet, but imagine an animatic with Sk8, for Langa. Braided hair girl is perhaps Cherry about Joe or Tadashi about Adam, or even Hiromi about his boss; the petite girl is Miya. “Someone every day” would then include flashes to Cherry, Joe, Reki, etc. Eventually, there’s the final physical apparatus: Adam.

[dragonsgirl572]

You know what? Fuck it.

Mar 13 -> The amount of notes that this post gets by the end of April is the amount of words I'll write for one of my books.

Update: May 1 -> AND TIME!! Thank you all so much for participating! The amount of words I got, at the time of me looking at this post, are...

Holy shit that's a lot-

Update: May 2 -> Currently outlining a storyline! I couldn't decide which fandom I wanted to do so I'm just doing a self-indulgent crossover.

Update: May 12 -> Got an idea for an Optimus-centric story. I'm keeping my original storyline but I'm started to plan out this new one.

Update: Jun 1 -> Nevermind. Currently rewriting a story of mine. I think that'll be the chosen one. Though, I have seven planned chapters so I dunno how the hell I'm gonna do it.

Update: Jun 28 -> Nevermind x2 lol. I'm continuing on with the Optimus-centric story. It was inspired by Not A Prime Situation and it's a really good book, I highly recommend it. I asked permission from the author to start writing and I got it so chapter 1 is in the works! (P.S. I'm gonna wait until after all 21 chapters are finished to start posting just in case I lose motivation halfway and stop writing for 2 years again.)

Update: Nov 6 -> Sorry y'all, suffered through multiple depressive episodes and a massive writer's block. I'll try my best to write this though.

[2dmax]

Abood's Wife Needs Medical Treatment (NEW UPDATE DEC 17th 2024: DONATE VIA PAYPAL BELOW)

Original post text:

@abood-gaza7 needs $135 today for his wife's treatment tomorrow. They also need to buy clothes for the winter, and every day the price of all goods in Gaza increases.

I wanted to make a special little donation drive for Abood and his wife. For TODAY (11/02/2024) only, donate to grow this flower and help Abood's wife get the care she needs. You MUST message me with proof of donation for it to count towards this flower's growth!

Tiers: 🌱🍃🌱🍃🌱🍃

$5 -- a drop of water

$10 -- a cup of water

$15 -- a watering can full of water

$20 -- add a good luck charm (you may describe it!)

$50 -- plant a new seed (you may describe it!)

$135 -- DM me for an original full artwork gift

12/17/2024: Abood has given me an update that his wife’s condition is worsening and more money needs to be raised for her surgery. Please use PayPal to donate to him.

Donate the amounts above to his PayPal, and for any donation made today 12/17/2024 that you inform me of, we can continue to grow this flower! 🌱 🪴

Updates will -not- be live as they happen, but I will honor each donation I am informed of. I am not affiliated with Abood’s campaign, and his campaign and need for donations will continue and be independent of thisnpost.

Can't donate? Share + Crosspost

THANK YOU! 💞💌

Update 00

[where-does-the-heart-lie]

More Doki Doki Battle Academy OP AU

even MOOROEEE of themmmmmahhhhhhh babyeyyy i even added some dialogues fir some extra flavourrrrr (kuma and bonney's gif there would be a sprite he would have in his dialogue scenes. i dont think it would be a gif like this, more like everytime you look back at him, bonney would be in a different spot)

original DDBA designs post (has more lore there, go look at it plese :3

ASL dialogue video

imagining the vinsmoke/strawhat beef going like this video

design stuffs and more lore:

preface: sorry this is so much writing and im not going to grammar check it cuz aint no body got time for that.

The world of this au is like pokemon with different gyms you can fight through and beat, there's a big league of pro fighters, and there are schools for teaching you to be a better fighter.

One of the schools is called the Germa 66 Private Battle Academy, it goes from grades 1-12 and its where the Vinsmoke siblings all went too (at least until sanji broke off from the family at some point) and its run by Judge Vinsmoke, their father.

i am thinking that the Vinsmoke kids would still be genetically modified and Kuma would be a cyborg in this too.

design stuffs:

Ichiji: i tried to make him as punk as he would feasably get away with living under his father's rule. Big "combat" boots, fingerless gloves, black undershirt. He likes his style and would probably go all out if he didnt have to conform to his school uniform, thus i put a little heart on his boots.

Niji: i also made him like his style. The rings on his fingers, his nikes shoes, his big headphones. Like a gamer who thinks this is what fashion is. I think he would love listening to music too so i put his heart on his headphones.

Yonji: big stakly guy. Hes a lot more hands-on than his brothers so i put lots of emphasis on that area. i put his heart on his hand wraps because i think he would really love fighting. I think that Yonji is most like his father in that enjoyment, but i think Judge wouldnt like how casual Yonji's style is.

Reiju: y2k queen. I love this design on her so much im so bummed that she would have already graduated from the academy and i cant put her in a Hit Me Baby One More Time-esque uniform outfit, shed fucking KILL THAT SHITTT. Anyway though, reiju's heart is subtle yet in plain view, the locket around her neck. i dont think she would let anyone look at the contents but i do think that absolutly it would be her mother on one side and her brothers on the other. She wouldnt like people looking at it because that would mean someone could see that her dad isnt in there and she would get it a lot of trouble with her father about it.

Power ranger fits: i made them full on power rangers. its what they deserve. Since reiju has a butterfly motif in canon, i thought it would be fun to also give her brothers a bug motif of their own. ichiji is a wasp, niji is a dragonfly, yonji is a stag beetle. If sanji stuck around, hed probably be a lady bug lol. Also the masks they wear, the eye window part, it’s like tear tracks coming out but in a way that doesnt look like thats what they are. But it’s meant to show how judge forcing his children to be these people is causing them pain.

thank you @zethsdumpster for being my Vinsmoke specialist and helping me come up with a lot of their design stuff!

Doflamingo: i tried to make him a Nasty Nasty man. Like if a used car salesman made it big. Like if Macklemore was MackleMORE. i love the idea that he likes to tan himself, but he doesnt take any of his clothes off to do so, so he just has the absolute craziest tan lines ever. i put his hearts on the gold chain around his neck, he loves his wealth but not much else. i love the idea of him having two very expensive watches on each wrist. there may be more watches up his sleeve too. i also gave him fluffy dice around his neck, like he's one of the cars that he's selling.

Rosinante: i couldnt get away much longer without putting the heart man into the heart 'game'. i couldve went off more with the hearts of his design but i didnt want him to become nearly as flashy as his brother. i wanted him to be understated and fade into the background when doflamingo is around. he is dead in this au btw sorry :/ this is his design when he passed, but doffy's design is present day him. anyway, Rosi's hearts are everywhere, its in the outline of his big huggable fluffy coat, its on his hat thats pulling him down, it would be on his shirt too if it wasnt covered by his coat in this image.

Bonney: SHEEES SO CUUTEEEE AAAAAAAA i love her. I based her design off of Avril Lavigne with her iconic necktie/tanktop/baggy pants looks. i tried to make her outfit look like she could feasibly fit in it when she ages herself up, especially her big ol shoes. the heart in her design is in her neck tie. The stereotypical visage of a dad is a man in a tie who goes to work, and she loves her dad, so her heart is in her dad tie.

Kuma: I didn't change much of him from his design in canon, but since bonney would be more in his life in this version, i wanted to give him more visual indicators of her being there. like the height chart on his leg, or the fuzzy hat she crocheted for him (she also made her own hat for herself). Also, the pattern on his shirt is one that looks like a paw, but if you took off that outer layer, if the pattern continued, the design would be a sun, and i just think that was really clever ehe ehe.

Hancock: Basically i tried to make her the baddest bitch in the universe. My program crashed like 3 times making her which is so funny. Procreate couldnt handle her. I based her design off of Medusa. at first i had her snake be made out of marble, but it eventually wound up at Obsidian. She has no visible hearts on her design and thats because it would be the scar on her back, which she tries to hide. i like the idea that this very visibly revealing outfit would be perfectly tailored and reinforced to never move a single inch to let anyone see what theyre not supposed to. I dont know how i would justify her being able to turn people into stone in this AU, so im just not going to make a decision on whether or not she can do that.

ive been working on these designs off and on ever since i made the first post on this au and im real happy i can finally put more out.

if you got to the end of this, thank you so much for reading~ i hope you enjoyed :)

[endearmint]

vetted fundraisers from my inbox

happy new year! palestinians are still in dire straits due to rising cost of living and recent inability to evacuate as the IOF continues to devastate the state of palestine. if you are able please donate to any of the fundraisers below, or reblog the post so it may reach those who can spare the funds.

(please check original post for latest updates. fundraiser amounts are current as of jan 9 2025, 2:00 pm pst)

Aya's fundraiser - €11,630/€15,000 (78%) [#100 on GazaVetters's list] Aya is raising funds to support herself and her 3 children, as well as 15 extended family members. ▶ Last donation: €5 - 2 days ago

Mosab's fundraiser - €13,934/€20,000 (70%) [#309 on GazaVetters's list] This fundraiser sponsored by Mosab's friend is to benefit him and Mosab's wife and child. ▶ Last donation: €10 - 49 min ago

Nareman's fundraiser - €1,496/€40,000 (4%) [Vetted by 90-ghost] Nareman is raising funds to support himself and his wife and children. ▶ Last donation: €25 - 2 days ago

Muhammad's fundraiser - €24,216/€82,000 (30%) [Vetted by 90-ghost] [Vetted by bilal-salah0] Portuguese artist Haruka Aoki is sponsoring this fundraiser for 17yo Muhammad and his 11 family members. ▶ Last donation: €5 - 17 hrs ago

Youssef's fundraiser - €46,916/€50,000 (94%) [Vetted by 90-ghost] Youssef is raising funds in order to afford treatment for his son's severe respiratory condition, in addition to supporting his 3-person household. ▶ Last donation: €15 - 1 hr ago

Moamen's fundraiser - €2,281/€30,000 (8%) [#322 on GazaVetters's list] Moamen is raising funds to support himself, his wife, and their three children. ▶ Last donation: €10 - 1 day ago

Nour's fundraiser - €8,069/€50,000 (16%) [#291 on GazaVetters's list] Nour is raising funds to support herself, her husband, and their two children. ▶ Last donation: €10 - 50 min ago

Rafah's fundraiser - £1,355/£100,000 (1%) [Vetted by bilal-salah0] This fundraiser is sponsored by a friend of Rafah to support her and her five children. ▶ Last donation: £5 - 3 days ago

Walaa's fundraiser - $14,101/$50,000 CAD (28%) [Vetted by 90-ghost (see linked post for further info)] This fundraiser supports a family that includes a child who has Type I diabetes. ▶ Last donation: $10 CAD - 3 days ago

Ahmed AlSaidi's fundraiser - £3,607/£30,000 (12%) [Vetted by 90-ghost] [Vetted by bilal-salah0] Ahmed is raising funds for himself, his wife, their 3 children, as well as his parents, his brothers, and his brothers' families. ▶ Last donation: £5 - 1 day ago

Majed's fundraiser - $11,355/$50,000 USD (16%) [Vetted by bilal-salah0] Majed is raising funds to support herself and her family. ▶ Last donation: $10 USD - 11 hrs ago

Mariam's fundraiser - $2,016/$30,000 CAD (7%) [#292 on GazaVetters's list] This fundraiser supports Mariam, her older brother, and their two parents. ▶ Last donation: $5 CAD - 15 hrs ago

Mohammed's fundraiser - £1,764/£50,000 (4%) [Vetted by 90-ghost] Mohammed is raising funds to support himself, his wife, and their three children. ▶ Last donation: £10 - 12 hrs ago

🆕 Kawthar's fundraiser - €9,443/€50,000 (19%) [#145 on GazaVetters's list] Kawthar is raising funds to support herself and her family, including her mother who suffers from kidney failure. ▶ Last donation: €10 - 2 hrs ago

[bluebeetle]

(Edit: *EVER not Never, typo but you can't edit polls after making them)

Pick the number closest to whatever number you actually got, there's only 12 options and I didn't want to clutter this with too many numbers... I may make another one if it ends up really skewed to the lower numbers, but I used my own posts as reference.