#probably technically a model swap

[friends-arent-electric-blog]

Excuse the crappy scenery, I literally just threw this together before going to bed. It's not meant to look pretty.

I'm exploring raw animation files from the game. Found a couple secret things so far, thought this might also be one of them, but now I'm thinking this might be a Kara + Luther scene, maybe? (Edit: Someone said it's Luther + Alice) But why does it work so well for Connor and Hank?!

[fredwkong]

I could maybe use your help! I found some app online that allows me to swap traits or attributes with people and I've been spending the last day going around my local gym swapping parts of myself with random guys - my biceps, my legs, my chest, even my hair and my height. I didn't realise that as well as the trait I've selected from each person, the app randomly chooses an additional random trait to swap the following day! I must have swapped stuff with like five or six guys, so worried I'm going to wake up with a bunch of random traits! Can you help?

Just as a reminder to everyone, please read the fine print before getting involved with something like this! Those EULAs can contain anything these days. You probably didn’t even realise that the app can swap traits other than physical ones.

I’m not tech support or anything, but I can at least help you reconstruct the changes that are going to happen. How about this: I’ll use my powers to make sure that you’re happy however you end up, okay?

Swap One: Attitude

Seems like whoever you swapped biceps with was sort of a swaggering asshole. I bet he’ll be better off with your old meek attitude. And with your big body, this douchey vibe will work even better.

Swap Two: Intellect

Those legs? That guy did legs every day because he couldn’t remember more than one workout split. You’re still smarter than a fifth grader, but it’s uncomfortably close. No more reading classics for you, but the guy you swapped your legs from now has the intelligence to build an even bigger body.

Swap Three: Career

You thought that you’d swapped your handsome, manly face from a male model, but that was all a cover. In fact, that guy ran an OnlyFans for his primary income. With your new body, you make way more money than he did, though.

Swap Four: Kinks

The hair came from a guy who was into body hair, sure, but you’re also about to find yourself with a love for a tight pair of briefs. They show off your dick perfectly, and once you’ve worn them for a few days they build up a really sexy smell.

Swap Five: Hygiene

Speaking of which, the guy you swapped heights with happened to be a total stink pig. You’d had a hard time getting close enough to him to activate the swap, he smelled so strong. Well, he’ll be showering more, but you might not even wash once a week from now on. Trust me, your fans will love it, and they’ll probably even pay you for your used briefs after you really grind your smell into them.

Well, with my guidance, things seem to have gone pretty much perfectly! Hope you enjoy your new life! Please remember to properly subscribe and read the fine print next time you see a magical app that’s too good to be true. Well, if you can even read technical language anymore.

[yanderes-galore]

yandere zane ninjago x nindroid darling who also has (unspecified) elemental powers if you can ofc!!!

I'll see what I can come up with, sure! Pardon me if I get Zane lore wrong, I never finished the show so this is a 'what if' Scenario :(

Yandere! Zane with Nindroid! Darling

Pairing: Platonic/Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Manipulation, Slight jealousy, Isolation, Dubious companionship/relationship.

The one idea that comes to mind would be you and Zane being built together.

You and Zane were meant to be a pair.

It was like you were supposed to be companions to each other.

Unfortunately, somehow you two were separated.

You're both old model Nindroids but Zane barely has any memory of you.

You were probably deactivated and put into storage...

Only to be found later in a newer era.

That's the general idea I have when it comes to how Zane and you knew each other.

You were meant to be a way to keep Zane from being lonely.

Whether as a sibling or a partner is completely up to you.

You were quite literally built alongside him and for him.

This may also explain why you're capable of elemental power.

Since you and Zane are very similar.

Imagine if the ninja kept finding blueprints of another Nindroid but you were nowhere in sight.

Zane vaguely thinks the pictures are familiar, yet can't pin point anything.

It isn't until you're found and reactivated safely that anything really develops.

Zane suddenly feels a connection to you when you activate.

You're familiar and by looking at your blueprints and memories...

You two used to be close.

Zane feels bad his memories didn't click until now.

You were his first companion and he hasn't remembered you until now.

Despite that... He also feels like he's known you forever.

This scenario gives Zane a reason to obsess over a Nindroid other than just meeting you and developing a fascination.

Zane would feel even more of a connection as you're capable of elements too.

You didn't specify one so you can either choose one or be able to swap them out through some technological means.

Zane would probably try to have you upgraded like him.

After all, by the time they find you, your tech may be outdated.

Zane would feel protective since you're technically the closest person to him.

He'd be curious to know more about you just to properly fill his memory bank.

There's just a certain connection with you that no one else has.

Which makes sense as you two were built with a bond.

Meant to be bonded.

That built in connection would cause his obsession, perhaps after being corrupted.

How was it corrupted?

Maybe when he was helping upgrade you, some code went where it wasn't supposed to...

Which tosses you both into trouble.

Or maybe the reason you were separated was because he was always like this towards you.

Zane would try to justify his obsession.

He watches over you, carefully watches and analyzes how you interact with the other ninja, all with this oddly fond yet unnerving stare...

When others bring it up, or even you, Zane simply doesn't think it's creepy.

This should be normal between you!

Don't you trust him?

You can't know anyone else like he does with you!

It's simply improbable due to the connection you two have.

I imagine this would make it hard to leave him.

Zane, due to your bond, is under the impression you two are meant to be.

Doesn't matter how.

He just feels you can't leave one another.

He'd be desperate to convince you or keep that connection.

To the point he comes off as protective or even possessive at times.

Zane is unintentionally isolating.

He's so focused on the idea of you two being meant to be that he often doesn't consider how you feel at times.

You may want to interact with the other ninja, yet Zane is suffocating.

He doesn't comprehend the idea of you being or wanting to be away from him.

After all, don't you feel it too?

You're two halves of one whole.

Which draws him to you.

Zane isn't really violent, in fact he's oblivious to how wrong his obsession is.

He always wants to be around, always wants to spend time with you...

Zane wants to be as important to you as you are to him.

It wouldn't make sense if you went to any other.

While he doesn't kill out of jealousy, he may be violent if you were threatened or someone suggested something was wrong.

He doesn't understand, nothing's wrong?

Him wanting to be around you all the time can't be wrong.

Why would it be?

Isolation? That's not what this is!

The others just don't understand... and you're just confused.

What he's doing isn't wrong...

You two are meant to be... literally built for one another.

Is wanting to be by your side forever, inseparable, all that bad if you're meant to be?

[pjunicornart]

Papercut (Reclaimed)

I've decided to reclaim Papercut for the fandom! Here's the explanation.

Papercut (a Fell variant of Paperjam) was originally created by the person who created PJ's Daycare and NaJ. I'm not name dropping them because... I just don't want to. Anyway, the creator (if you know you know) is not a great person. I believe fandoms can reclaim characters from people who were less than role models. Now, a QnA under a cut:

Doesn't Paperjam already have a Fell variant? Yes. They already have a canon Fell and Swap variant if I'm remembering correctly. That being said, this is what I propose for Papercut: He's a completely original variant away from the Fell labeling. He's from a universe where he was named Papercut instead of Paperjam. Outside influences made him edgy instead of it just being his nature.

What did you change about Cut's design? For starters, I made his design less "rule of cool" and more practical. Admittedly some of the AU Sans designs I think are bad because they follow too heavily on the rule of cool. His outfit ties into his new story. Plus, if I'm going to draw him again, I want his design to be simple. Second, I desaturated the color palette, except for around his face. I kept the "hairstyle" Cut had, because I think it makes him stand out compared to other Sanses.

What's his lore? Currently I'm going for a troubled teen angle. Gets mixed up with the wrong crowds, been in and out of juvie, that type of thing. He's clearly hurting, but his environment and home life make it worse and hard for him to stabilize his life. Speaking of his home life, Ink and Error are NOT his parents... creators... people. They don't even exist in this AU. Instead, his parents are two completely different people who will NOT be classified as Sanses. These two people are one of the many reasons for Cut's rebellious persona.

What are some specific details about Cut? He's 17, a cis boy (amab), and pronouns he/him. Because he's been suspended and put into juvie a lot, his formal education is lacking. He can read and write just fine, but he won't be able to answer questions about history or sex ed. If his parents cared, they'd realize he needs serious help in this regard. But they only care about themselves and making sure he's out of the way. He's been arrested for minor crimes - Theft, vandalism, and misdemeanors. His vandalism is graffiti, of which he is quite skilled. His graffiti includes the usual stuff (tagging and such), but also political and artistic pieces. He thinks he's only into girls.

Does he have any powers? Yes, but he's not especially powerful or skilled with them. He can control paint fairly well since graffiti art has given him practice with it. He got this power from his mom. His other natural born ability is a blade only he can summon. This is something he inherited from his dad's side of the family. All the men on this side have their own unique blades. His is a dagger with a serrated blade for a ripping flesh effect. As for learned abilities: Teleportation (short distances), Healing (can't heal major wounds, but he can heal a bruise), and various stat boosters (attack, defense, and speed - minor changes). He's not particularly powerful because he hasn't taken the time to learn his abilities.

Will his story have anything to do with The Playground? We'll see. His story is still in the early stages of being fleshed out, so things are definitely subject to change. However, if he were to be in The Playground, he would become Playjam's third little brother.

Since he's technically not a Fell variant, could he be put into RNaJ? Yeah, he definitely could! He'd probably skip class and hang out alone. Maybe smoke a joint or two. Very confrontational and rude at first, but if you tolerated him enough he might open up a little. His vulnerability will be layered under tons of jokes, though.

Outfits, roleplay, and fan stuff? Outfits: I don't have any more at the moment, but if you wanna design some, be my guest. Roleplay: I'm down to roleplay as him, but you can also rp as him if you wish. I'm not gonna police you about it. Fan stuff: Everything is pretty loosey-goosey right now, sooo... go nuts.

Any more questions I didn't address can be sent to my ask box!

[chronozen]

Dissecting Tales of the Empire (Barriss stuff)

So let's break down all the Barriss stuff in the trailer:

There's an Inquisitor Shuttle approaching Our - likely after she is freed from prison

When Barriss is freed from her cell

This little bit is actually quite interesting. First of all Barriss is wearing a prison symbol with the emblem of the Jedi Order on the shoulder.

The clone troopers are Republic Shock Troopers, The Coruscant guard.

Fourth Sister is actually wearing Jedi robes not an Inquisitor uniform, she's already fallen to the Dark side as evidenced by the eyes.

This is suggesting that Barriss is freed from somewhat close to the end of Revenge of Sith

Also the framing of Barriss in prison is very similar to Luminara's hologram in Rebels.

Barriss's eyes are really blue in this scene. Like more so than other ones.

Barriss walking down a hallway

Pretty self explanatory. She's walking down a hallway. She's wearing Robes that a likely Inquisitorius initiate robes. (Or maybe it wasn't Laundry day and Barriss's uniform wasn't ready)

The Clones are just Regs in Phase 2 armour. It looks like Fortress Inquisitorius on Nur.

Speculation: Barriss is giving a little side glance, she's either taking her environment or she's plotting something.

The Grand Inquisitor scene

When then see the Grand Inquisitor leading Barriss into a room with several lightsabers

None of the Lightsabers are Luminara's (Trust me i double checked Weapon's Factory.) They are most likely reused models and generic sabres - because animation and props design is hard and short cuts should be taken whenever you can.

.....but two of those lightsabers are very close to Barriss's lightsaber.

The one in the middle doesn't seem to hold a significance (The bottom of the hilt slightly resembles Ahsoka's Padawan lightsaber, and you could go Green symbolic of Luminara.)

....wouldn't it be just awful if its Tutso Mara's lightsaber?

Inquisitor and Barriss have a sparring session, he tries to get her to use Anger and slams her into the roof, she's noticeably angry.

"Mercy only breeds defeat, i will help you overcome this weakness."

This line is interesting because it's not the usual only your Hatred can strike me down line, the Grand Inquisitor is actually being polite and offering a twisted form of assistance.

Which brings me to a thought - The Grand Inquisitor was right beside Barriss during her big confession at Ahsoka's trial, he's probably going to see her as someone that they don't have to break or torture.

Fourth Sister using Spinning Lightsaber

So this is a very short sequence. The Fourth Sister is in an area with a Rock wall, jumps down, glances around nervously, spins her blade and looks up.

Speculation: Something hasn't gone to plan, maybe the Jedi later in trailer is tougher, or maybe someone else has swapped sides...

The Jedi Fight

This shot opens with Barriss in a proper Inquisitor Uniform and her own useless spinning lightsaber running towards Fourth Sister and an unknown Jedi with a blue Saber

During the fight we can see ITS NOT LUMINARA, this Jedi has a different facial structure, skin tone and likely human.

We can also see who i assume is Barriss looking like she is hesitating on what to do.

We then cut to a different seen of a hooded figure using the force to blow away B2 Super Battle Droids. This implies its during the clone wars and the hooded figure is very likely Barriss cause that silhouette is very similar.

The figure is illuminated by a white glow and it's probably a part of sequence meant to show Barriss before she went nuts - cause its been 11 years so new viewers might not know this character who only appeared in technically 7 eps at most is...

FIGHT TO THE DEATH

Fight to death between Barriss and an unknown initiate.

Grand Inquisitor throws a lightsaber between the two - no its not Barriss's lightsaber

Ray shields go up. Initiate who i'm calling Glup, goes for the Saber. The crystal has been bled so it's red.

Glup and Barriss fight and Barriss goes for the sky high kick or possibly punch to the head.

THE NEW MASTER

'it is time to meet your new Master."

This implies the initiates don't meet Vader until they're full members.

We see Barriss lined up with the other Inquisitors - she's in full uniform. Really hard to tell if her eyes are dark side yellow or not. (They still look Blue compared to Fourth's)

Also it's really funny to me that she's lined up with Bird face Inquisitor, Marrok and Fourth Sister, cause everyone said all of those Inquisitors was Barriss Offee.

They all kneel, Barriss goes down first.

Vader walks past and Barriss looks up slightly and watches him...and she immediately frowns and furrows her eyebrows.

She's plotting something....

Interesting note: Since bird face is alive and has his head perfectly attached to his neck still, This places Barriss's eps of Tales of the Empire prior to Ahsoka's last ep of Tales of the Jedi

Look i can hope for Barriss to escape and then we seen the back of Ahsoka walk into frame....

[kydrogendragon]

Body Swap

Body Swap for Day One of Dreamling Week

Relationship: Dream/Hob Rating: Explicit Words: 4186 Warnings: None Ao3 Link

In hindsight, Hob should have known the bloody rings were cursed. He’d just though, you know, they were gifts from his future sibling-in-law, how nice of them! But no. As with most things related to Desire, it’s not that simple.

Hob looks down at the simple gold band around his index finger on his left hand. It’s still bizarre looking down to see pale skin and narrow, hairless arms rather than his own. Every time it jumpscares him, especially in the morning on his way to the bathroom. Not that he doesn’t appreciate getting to (technically) see his lover anytime he wants, but this has dragged on to the point he’s almost starting to miss his own mug. He’d been living with it for six-hundred odd years at this point after all.

He knows the polite thing to do when one finds themselves in a body that’s not their own is to not oogle at it, but it’s hard. He loves Dream’s body after all, and whatever supposed Endlessness that’s attached to his form only translates so much because even though there’s no sweat, Hob still feels sweaty after a long day. So he showers. Sue him. And if he runs his hands down the lengths of Dream’s—his—body and maybe spends longer than the extra five or so minutes for a mid-shower wank, no one needs to know.

One thing he’s found, however, is that dressing Dream’s— his— body brings up feelings he never thought he’d have. He’s seen more beauty trends than he can begin to count through the years and for the most part, he’s plenty happy with his body, thank you very much. But . . . when he puts on his jeans on this body or puts on even the old shirts that were growing tight, he feels like he’s swimming in them. Dream’s always been a lanky thing. All skin and bones, he is. And Hob loves him, loves every bit of him. But he can’t help but wonder and he’s desperately tightening the belt (and adding new belt holes into the worn leather) if Dream wouldn’t want him a bit . . . less.

And gods above, while Hob’s stuck with Dream’s body, something that’s really more of an upgrade than anything, poor Dream is stuck in Hob’s. He can’t even begin to imagine how Dream must be feeling. At least Hob went from himself to runway model. Dream had to go from this to . . .

Maybe that’s why he hasn’t been doing the research here in the flat. Logically, Hob knows it’s probably because he can get information quicker if he just stays within the Dreaming and the library, but he hasn’t even heard much of an update other than a stern warning to not touch anything he doesn’t immediately know is his.

Dream’s probably pissed. Not just at Desire for meddling, but at Hob for falling for it. For trapping him in some uncomfortable and large human body. He must be hating it. He’s the shaper of forms after all and yet Hob’s never seen him take on a form that wasn’t somehow pale and sleek and breathtakingly beautiful. And Hob . . . Hob’s about as far from that as you could get.

He turns away from the bathroom mirror and closes the door behind him. His stomach growls through the layers of shirts and jumpers he wears over himself, but retreats back to the dark bedroom instead.

~~~

Dream lounges upon the sheets of the bed he’d conjured in his room shortly after the start of his and Hob’s courtship. Books sprawl out along the silky black sheets but Dream is not paying them as much mind as he knows he should. Instead, he lies with Hob’s longer hair splayed across the pillow and his— Hob’s —hand trails slowly over the luscious pelt of hair upon his chest.

He wouldn’t say he’d so much as thank Desire for their “gift” but even he cannot deny that it has had it’s own enticing reward. It has been a rare treat to be able to bask in his lover’s glory for so many hours and days on end, even if it is he that wears Hob’s body and not Hob himself. Though with such a delightful visage upon him, Dream finds it hard to focus on the research at hand to revert themselves back to normal.

Dream knows, of course, that he could take Hob’s form whenever he wishes. It is easy for one such as he and, he suspects, it will become a new habit of his while he is alone in the Dreaming. But there is another element to it that makes this particular circumstance all the better. And that is the knowledge that in the Waking, Hob Gadling wears his own skin. And, as the King of Dreams allows himself to fantasize, he hopes that Hob is enjoying the experience with the same vigor as Dream is.

He lets his hand trail further down to the courser hairs that surround Hob’s familiar cock. While Dream still remains Endless, and that includes control over his body as he is used to, he cannot help but . . . indulge in the more human qualities that this form has grown used to. He allows sweat to coat him (save for the times he manages to do research within the library) and he lets himself breathe and pant as he works himself towards completion. He allows this body to quake at his own touch, to shake as he fills himself with his own fingers. And now, he lets this body slowly grow hard as he ghosts his fingers over the velvet like skin of his cock.

Dream sighs and looks down the length of his form, taking in the view. Hob’s larger hand takes him in stride, slowly stroking himself, coaxing the now-existing blood to flow down. He wonders, as he grows firmer, if Hob is touching himself as well at this very moment. He wonders if Hob is taking himself apart with practiced ease. He wonders how he looks, cloaked in Dream’s usual form, upon his bed, legs spread wide as he stretches himself open.

And it is now, as he bucks his hips at the image, that he realizes he has been a fool. The only thing better than imagining how Hob plays with his form is to see it for himself. Plus, the fun they both could have like this while the magic still works is worth having.

So, draping his usual black robe over himself, he steps from the Dreaming into Hob’s flat.

The sight he is greeted with is not one he expects. Especially while the sun still rests high within the London sky. Hob is buried under the duvet of his bed, the blinds of his window shut tight and all light in the room turned off. He does not dream, though his mind borders his realm.

Dream steps closer until his knees are just shy from the bed. Hob rests, just a speck of black hair visible under the covers. He waits for a moment, gauging if Hob’s resting mind will tip into the Dreaming or float back towards the Waking. Should he dream, then Dream shall simply visit him there.

Time ticks by when Hob’s mind finally tips over the edge and slides back towards the Waking. In tandem, the lump that is Hob’s body shifts until a familiar face pops out into the open.

Dream smiles as Hob’s now blue eyes slowly open into the darkness of his bedroom. His gaze is towards the window where the afternoon sun fights its way through the wooden slats. Hob sighs, eyes downcast as he simply lies there, oblivious to Dream’s presence. He waits for a few moments more, luxuriating in the sight of Hob, relaxed and fresh from sleep, in his own form. There is crust in his eyes and more flush to his cheeks than Dream has ever possessed. His normally artfully trussed hair is flattened and askew from the pillows and the sheets. Then Hob yawns and Dream can’t help but stare at the sight of his own mouth wide open, pink tongue peeking out. The thoughts crossing his mind are far from innocent.

“ Hello Hob, ” he greets, his voice a hair higher in Hob’s body than his normal voice. Hob in Dream’s own form jolts. The duvet slides down as Hob sits up and Dream, who was hoping for the sight of more flesh, is treated to the sight of his form bundled up in layers of Hob’s clothes instead. The sight is no less sweet for the lack of skin, however. Dream smiles, knowing that Hob now can bask in the warmth and comfort that is Hob’s clothes upon Dream’s normal form. His jumpers and joggers are always pleasantly large upon him, holding him close with Hob’s warmth and scent. It is as close to home as Dream has ever felt aside from being wrapped within Hob’s own arms.

“Dream!” Hob exclaims. “I, uh—you scared me.”

“Apologies. I did not wish to disturb your rest.”

“Yeah, no, you’re fine. All . . . all fine,” Hob sighs. Dream’s smile falters as Hob crosses his arms over his chest. Clearing his throat, Hob continues. “Did you figure out the solution to these rings yet?”

“No, not of yet. Though Lucienne believes she may have a strong lead.”

“Ah. Right. Good.” Hob glances down, spinning the gold band with his thumb. His jaw is tense. Dream’s stomach churns.

He has a terrible thought. Perhaps Hob has not been enjoying the opportunity this “curse” has provided as Dream had been. Perhaps, while Dream had been lax in his research, Hob has been waiting, suffering through each day that this went on. It would explain the afternoon nap. It would explain the abundance of clothes wrapped around him, despite how much he hates the heat. Whether that is simply because humans are unused to changing forms or if it’s to do with the specific form Hob now wears, there is no denying—

“You are unhappy,” he says, finishing his thought aloud as he reaches out to cup Hob’s face. Hob grimaces and pulls out of his grasp. Dream lets his hand fall and tries to ignore the lance that’s just pierced his heart.

“Sorry, it’s just . . . it’s odd, seeing your own body walk around like this. Feels a bit like some weird funhouse trick. Probably feels odd to you too, I imagine. Especially, you know—” Hob waves his hand, vaguely gesturing towards Dream “—with you being stuck as me, not able to change about like you’re used to.”

“It does not bother me for it is your form that I wear. It . . . it is rather as if you are always near, like this.”

Hob huffs. “Sweet of you to say.”

“It is the truth. And—” Dream curses the humanness of this body as he feels his cheeks flush “—I would be lying if I claimed I did not . . . enjoy . . . exploring your body from this new perspective, as well.” He stares at Hob, watching as he blinks once, twice, with furrowed brows. Blue eyes stay trained down at his hands.

“Oh . . .” is all he says. Dream waits for a moment, though Hob does not elaborate. There have been very few times Dream has left him speechless. More often than not, his lover is quite vocal in most manners of his life. The few times he has said so little was when Dream had first explained all that he is and the scale of it. The other was their second fight (the first Hob had panicked, thinking Dream would leave—a fear he has since remedied) when all he had said to Dream for the whole night was simply “okay.”

Dream has misstepped. He had been to focused upon himself, on the rare opportunity that such magic had provided, he had not even considered if Hob had enjoyed it. And now he has caused pain to one he so cherishes.

“I apologize,” he says, stepping back from the bed where Hob still lies covered by the sheets. “Surely you are eager to return to your own form. I shall head back to the Dreaming to assist Lucienne with the research.” His hand is reaching for his sand when Hob finally speaks again.

“Wait, Dream!” he cries, kicking away the covers as he reaches for Dream. “That’s not . . . fucking hell, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—I was just . . . surprised, was all. I thought you’d be, I dunno. Angry? Annoyed? That you were stuck as me. Just didn’t expect you to—”

“To enjoy the sight of my beloved every moment of the day? To enjoy the feeling of your hands upon me whenever I wished? How could I not?”

“Because . . . well, I mean, let’s be honest here, all the forms I’ve ever seen you take never really looked anything like me. Thought all that hair at the least would have driven you mad by now,” Hob says, a hand trailing under the sleeves of the layers he wears, rubbing at the distinct lack of hair upon Dream’s form.

Dream’s face pinches. “The forms I have taken in your presence were as such so you would still recognize me.”

“Your eyes usually give you away, dove,” Hob says with a chuckle.

“Mm. Then I have done you a disservice, for your form is one that most thoroughly enjoy. And perhaps—” Dream creeps forward, placing a knee on the edge of the bed “—I should take this moment to show you just how thoroughly I enjoy your body. As well as the sight of you in my own.”

Dream watches as Hob’s— his —throat works. Hob’s eyes stare up at him, wide, lips parted ever so slightly. His own reflection stares back at him with unfamiliar movements, though with just how beautiful his form looks under Hob’s command, perhaps he will have to replay this moment between them so Hob may enjoy this particular sight as well.

He leans down, kissing his own lips with Hob’s and guides them both back onto the bed. He climbs up, settling his legs on either side of Hob’s hips, now freed from their hiding spot under the duvet. It is a curious thing to rest above one’s own face and body. Though it is not like a mirror. Far from it, in fact. Dream’s face reflected back at him is more open and expressive than he’s ever been. He imagines the experience must be quite novel for Hob, for one who would never have such chance save in dreams. Perhaps in the Dreaming, they could—no, a thought for a later time. Should Hob enjoy this experience here in the Waking, then Dream may broach the topic of repeating this (perhaps with additional copies of their forms, if Hob wishes) again later.

Hob moves beautifully underneath him. He always does. His back arches gently, pressing their groins together. Dream grinds down, enjoying the extra heft Hob’s form gives him. One hand slides to rest against Hob’s much narrower hip, covered as it is underneath the layers of fabric. His lover’s head falls back against the pillow, eyes closed shut even as his body responds to Dream’s touch.

“Hob?” Dream asks, sinking to his elbow on his other arm, letting his hand reach up to curl around Hob’s jaw. “If this is not what you want—”

Hob shakes his head. Blue eyes open and meet Dream’s currently brown ones. “Keep going.”

Dream nods. Then, he leans forward and captures Hob’s lips once more. They move easy together, a familiar beat, reversed as it is. Slowly, Dream can feel the tension lessen in Hob’s body. His shoulders grow slack as Dream licks into his mouth. His stomach softens as Dream tugs at Hob’s bottom lip. And when they part, he pants, eyes lidded, with a soft smile upon his face.

He lifts himself up enough to free his arms and snakes his hands under the hem of Hob’s jumper. “May I?”

“Course. ‘s your body, technically.”

“And yet it is you who wears it now. And so I ask, may I?”

Hob smiles. “Please.”

Dream lifts the thick woolen fabric up, slowly revealing the tattered old band shirt and the barest peak of the tank top that rests under even that. Hob arches his back as Dream pulls it higher, then moments later, lifts his shoulders and arms until the jumper is finally removed. A familiar set of pale arms are revealed underneath. Dream reaches forward with calloused hands and lifts both of Hob’s hands up towards his mouth.

Pressing his lips down to the knuckles, he hums, keeping his eyes trained to Hob’s own. He watches eagerly, lips barely parted, but raises a brow in question. Dream smirks before slowly twisting his head left and right, letting the stubble Hob’s form wears trail over the pale skin.

“Do you feel it?” Dream asks, voice low. “The way even the most simplest of touch can feel divine?”

~~~

Hob nods as he stares up into his own eyes. His—Dream’s, gods this is hurting his brain—stubble rolls over his hands. He’d made note of how sensitive Dream’s body was (he’d burned himself more times than he’d care to admit on too hot of tea), and now he gets a feeling that perhaps that’s intentional. Something as simple as this shouldn’t turn him on as much as it is, right?

Gods, is this how Dream always feels? Does Hob’s touch feel this good?

“It does,” Dream replies with a smirk that looks odd upon his own face. Fuck, he’d been talking, hadn’t he?

Dream presses a final kiss to his hands and lets his hands slide up Hob’s arms. He knows from many years of experience going solo how good calloused hands can feel, but it’s different in Dream’s skin. There’s no hair, no friction. There’s just pure feeling as Dream takes his time and slowly runs his hands up and down Hob’s arms, just as Hob would often do for him.

Then, those hands slide back down and under the remaining tops he has on. Fingertips brush against his bare stomach, just above his waistband. A shiver runs down his back. His own eyes, darkened with lust, stare up at him. Hob nods and with practiced speed, the final upper layers are removed.

He’s cold. It’s a phenomenon he’d grown un-accustom to, especially in this modern era. He can barely recall the last time he’d felt so cold as he has within Dream’s form. For the last week, he feels like he’s been freezing and he’s not sure if that’s just because he’s not used to the lack of muscle and fat around his bones or if it’s a side-effect of Dream.

But now, as his hands under Dream’s control slide up from his stomach to his chest, he gasps at just how warm they feel. A moan escapes his lips as he pushes up into Dream’s touch. He wonders, as Dream stares down at him with that knowing look, how his body would feel pressed against his bare skin. If just his hands are this warm, this pleasant—

“Please,” he whines.

“Please what, lover?” Dream asks, his hands pausing at the perfect height to roll Hob’s nipples between his fingers. Christ, this body is so sensitive.

“Need you,” is all he manages to get out, but as Dream’s eyes soften, he knows he’s understood.

Dream leans down and presses another kiss to his lips, gentle and soft. “Worry not,” he whispers against his lips. “I will give you what you crave.”

His hips are lifted with ease, tugging off the joggers and boxers he wears underneath. There’s a veritable pile growing on the ground beside his bed and he can’t help but notice how Dream, frustratingly, hasn’t removed that damn robe of his yet (and seems to be using dream magic to keep it wrapped around him in the most perfect balance of teasing to drive Hob crazy).

Suddenly, Dream sits, feet planted on the floor and Hob’s body is hauled up by strong hands from the mattress and onto his lap. He blinks as he’s righted, his heart fluttering in his chest at being so easily manhandled. Granted, it’s not the first time Dream’s swung him around as if he weight no more than a loaf of bread, but it’s different this time. It feels more real and less Dreamlord Strength. Like here, in Dream’s lithe form, Dream wouldn’t need anything more than Hob’s natural strength to move him around like he’s a toy.

And doesn’t that turn him on. And his body shows it.

Dream smirks over Hob’s shoulder, visible as he’s positioned, thanks to the mirror Dream’s conveniently (definitely intentionally) sat them in front of. His cock—well, Dream’s cock—one he’s intimately familiar with bobs against his stomach as Dream’s spreads his legs, causing Hob’s to open as well.

“Do you remember this position, my love?” he says, pressing wet, open mouthed kissed along the length of his shoulder between words. The scrape of stubble is delicious. He’s never going clean-faced again, he decides. Not when he knows just how good it feels for Dream. “Do you remember how you stretched me open wide and had me watch?” One hand stays pinned at his waist, keeping Hob in place. The other slides up his thigh and dips further. A warm, thick finger teases along his rim, brushing over his hole, but not pressing in. Not yet. “Do you remember how I screamed as you fucked me?”

Hob whimpers as Dream rolls his hips up, grinding the hard length covered by the thin silk fabric against Hob’s arse. He does remember. He remembers it well. And it was a position he’d intended to repeat again, but he gets the feeling it’s about to happen again, but reverse. Or . . . not reversed, technically?

Dream is suddenly pushing in with a finger that wasn’t oiled up a moment ago and all thoughts leave Hob’s head in an instant. He squeezes down as Dream slowly works his finger in and out. “Does that feel good, lover? Do you feel how wide your fingers feel for me?”

“Yes,” he breathes out, voice strangled as Dream teases another finger around the edge of his rim.

“See how well my body takes you? How the touch of your hands is a gift?” Dream says, pushing that second finger in on his final word. It’s so much. How it is so much? It wasn’t quite this intense when he’d touch himself. Now every brush of Dream’s skin is like fire. And now, as Dream rocks his hand and scissors his fingers, Hob feels terribly full already. All he can do is nod, his hair brushing against the side of Dream’s face.

“Do you doubt the love I have for your body still?”

Hob shakes his head, grinding down on Dream’s hand. He watches the movement in the mirror, admiring the sight from this new perspective. Dream hums as he slides in a third. Hob’s eyes flutter shut as he breathes through the stretch.

“Hmmm, I’m not sure you fully believe me yet,” Dream says as the hand at his hip slides around and grips the base of Hob’s cock. Hob has to bite his lip to stop the squeak that gets lodged in his throat.

“Your hands have become a source of inspiration for me,” Dream says, staring him down through the mirror as he works Hob open and strokes his aching length. “Their size, how they look as they press into my skin. The texture of hair and callous as you touch me like this. Their size, their taste. Many dreamers will dream of such qualities, though never all of them. Your hands, your touch, belong to me and only me. Isn’t that right?”

Hob’s breath is short and shallow, chest heaving as Dream works him mercilessly. He nods, though, as is rewarded by Dream hooking his chin over Hob’s shoulder as he curls his fingers and presses directly against his prostate. His back jolts and vision blurs as he rubs against that spot again. And again. And again. His body is taut on a string as Dream doesn’t coax, but rather drags Hob closer and closer towards an orgasm.

His toes curl, legs tense against their resting spot of Dream’s thighs. It feels good, so, so good. Christ, Dream is already far too skilled at bringing Hob to the edge but now, in this sensitive body of his, it’s overwhelming.

Hob’s breath catches in his throat as pleasure sparks through him. His cock pulses in Dream’s hand, coating the tanned skin in white. He floats for what seems like forever until he finally comes back down into himself. He’s still there in Dream’s lap and watches, eyes barely open, as Dream licks his hand clean.

“Fuck,” he says eloquently. Dream chuckles. Then, fingers he hadn’t realized were still inside of him, return to a more gentle pace of thrusting.

“You did not think we were done, did you?” Dream purrs.

Hob meets Dream’s eye and gulps. This was going to be a long night.

[decepti-geek]

okay listen Aziraphale has basically NOTHING in common with Elle Woods aesthetically but besides that minor detail a Legally Blonde (specifically: The Musical au) would be PERFECT for Good Omens/Ineffable Husbands????

And I wanna make a distinction right off the bat - if we went by the movie, Crowley would proooobably be the only one who really fits Elle because she's the only one with a real fish out of water narrative. HOWEVER. Musical!Elle is more overtly like... fish out of water but still with some safety nets (ha) to fall back on, which are highlighted within the story. And meanwhile Emmett gets his own fish out of water story with the specific focus on his comparatively underprivileged background, and when you put those two together, Crowley feels a lot more Emmett to me.

Like, Aziraphale has the two key Elle qualities of a) lots of shit going unexamined because he's never truly lacked power/privilege before, and b) belligerent determination to do the right thing even when people are telling him it will cause him personal detriment. Crowley's whole dynamic with Aziraphale in the Job and Resurrectionist minisodes is basically just Emmett in Chip On My Shoulder if you swap 'navigating the heaven/hell dichotomy' with 'navigating law school.' GABRIEL IS A DEAD RINGER FOR WARNER. THE METATRON WOULD BE CALLAHAN. Serious and Blood In The Water fit them both so well post-s2 I'm just [clutches face] (the reprise for Serious is probably even more fitting for Gabriel than the initial version tbh).

Also, What You Want is just concentrated Aziraphale energy imo - "So! I will get into Harvard, impress Gabriel, win him back, and then marry him! Wait, you really think I need more of a plan than that? Can't I just... charge ahead and do it anyway?" In some ways I think I like this AU because it's effectively Aziraphale walking up to Crowley and going 'god says it's MY turn to be the absolute hot mess'

Beelzebub can a) be Vivian and b) stay together with Gabriel at the end, as a treat for Gabriel (Gabriel still drops out to become a model). This is partly because I find the idea of Beelzebub becoming Aziraphale's personal cheerleader towards the end fuckin delightful. The Brooke thing feels like it would take some finagling but I am confident it can be wrangled into a good shape with the right choice of characters (Harriet Dowling is legitimately a frontrunner right now but I think that could very easily change).

I can think of multiple directions in which to approach the Paulette and Kyle subplot, and honestly multiple couples who would fit if you changed up the surrounding circumstances a bit? I like the idea of Nina and Maggie in a very drifted version, maybe where they both still own their canon businesses, because then TECHNICALLY Nina as the one with the horrible ex would be Paulette, and it would be fun to switch around who is hopelessly pining after who!!

I am also playing around with Delta Nu roles BUT I know in my soul that Muriel is Margot if only because then they get her line like "Keep it positiiiiiive~ As you slap [them] to the floor! :D" Please take a moment to imagine Muriel singing that in full earnestness, it's a delight.

(And having decided this I kind of want the frat boys from the bit in What You Want to just be like... multiple Erics).

These are the edges of the idea, where stitching it together into something coherent starts to get a bit shaky, but at its core is Ineffable Husbands content along such lines as!

Crowley getting Emmett's little moment of delight at the end of Chip On My Shoulder when Aziraphale makes his first successful argument in class! ('Fell' rhymes with 'Elle' we can get some scansion going here with 'little Miss Woods comma Elle' I know it)

For that matter, the "Where are your law books?" bit in Chip On My Shoulder would be extremely funny if Aziraphale's dorm room is just the bookshop in miniature, and then still under all of that the textbooks are plastic wrapped and completely buried and unread becase they simply do not interest him the way an antique bible does.

Aziraphale in the playboy bunny costume and Crowley doing the "What's up?" [excruciating pause] "... Doc?"

The proposal right at the end where Crowley gets the repeated little 'oh my god's!

So many things about Take It Like A Man!

"Swallow your pride for me, just nod yes" is just such an Aziraphale @ Crowley line, generally.

THE CHORUS "Here you'll become what you're supposed to be/You think you can't but you can/Think of the guy you want most to be/Here's your chance to make it..." I will FIGHT people on how much this fits, Aziraphale has always wanted Crowley to have a place where he can inhabit the wants-to-do-good parts of his personality without fear or punishment, which Crowley is convinced he cannot have. This is the same idea!! (And in this AU, a more seamless role in the establishment is... legitimately the best that Aziraphale has the power to offer Crowley, tbh).

"Why can I never say no to her?" is basically just Crowley's canon inner monologue, c'mon.

"That's the best part/The outside is new/But now it reflects what's already in you/Couldn't change that if I wanted to" Again, I am prepared to Fight about this being a brilliant fit.

And then finally with this song, "Don't watch me change!" would have added embarrassed Crowley Noises which is wonderful to think about.

AND!!! The part of this whole stupid concept that so deeply compels me!!!!!

The duet part of the title song from either side of the door!!

"What about love/I never mentioned love/The timing's bad I know/But perhaps if I'd made it more clear/That you belong right here/You wouldn't have to go/Cause you'd know that I'm so much in love"-

AND

"We both know you're worth so much more"

AND

"If you can hear, can I just say/How much I want you to stay"|"It's not up to me..."

AND

[in chorus] "You are the best thing about this place-"

I am going to be thinking about this last one for days.

[consumeroflemoans]

What's your thoughts on a Shroud brothers reverse au? Like Idia is the one to die, and Ortho survives and so he builds a new "Idia". This is technically a personality swap au, but I think it would be neat.

I'm not sure if either of them would be Ignihyde's housewarden in this au, but for simplicity sake we can say Ortho is the housewarden and Idia helps him out with his duties. Ortho is a first year at NRC and Idia is the 'protective older brother' that's accompanying him to NRC.

I do think Idia being 'older' than Ortho means he would be more pushy about Ortho getting out and socializing since "he's a growing boy" and all but wouldn't force it, since he doesn't want to push Ortho too much out of his comfort zone. I would say he's about 50% more protective than regular Ortho, since he doesn't want Ortho to get hurt.

Ortho himself is a tech prodigy, and he does enjoy anime just like his brother did. But I like to think his passion for anime comes from it being his older brother's passion before he passed away. And so Ortho sees anime as like a comfort and a connection to his older brother. I don't think he would be as big as a shut-in as regular Idia is, since he doesn't want to disappoint his older brother by staying inside all the time. But he definitely does still spend most of his time inside his room either playing video games or making new gear for Idia.

Events of book 6 would play out the same way, just switch Ortho and Idia's roles.

And because vilidia is on my mind 24/7 gotta touch upon it here. Which is to say I'm not exactly sure how their relationship would work out in this au. But hey maybe love can bloom between a robot and a model, I will say if they do end up dating, then it would be after book 6.

Ok ok I just had some ideas for this sort of AU.

I’m kind of thinking along the lines of their earlier personalities. Ortho was always the one sort of more passionate about adventure and I feel like Idia dying because of that would either go one of two ways.

1. Ortho takes his love of adventure and exploration to the extreme with the mentality of ‘hey, it doesn’t really matter if I die since my big brother died just like this’ I think this could be a fascinating exploration of Idia’s trauma though Ortho’s more outgoing personality.

Or

2. Ortho causing Idia’s death leads to him being extremely hesitant to try anything new. He relied a lot on his older brother earlier on in his life and I feel like losing that support could make him far more timid. They are different people so I feel like the same traumatic event would cause different effects on them.

On another note, I am curious how the age differences would work with them. Because Idia was older than Ortho, by the time Ortho successfully built Idia he would probably be older than his brother was. I probably worded that so badly omg. Basically, would Ortho build Idia as an older, adult version of himself he’s never met or would he keep Idia as the child version of himself he remembers? That would kind of shift their sibling dynamic if Ortho was suddenly the older brother.

Ortho doesn’t really know what Idia would be like as an adult, so there’s no sure way of creating an AI that would still be Idia.

Actually Ortho being really mature for his age as a 16 yo would be fascinating in contrast to og Idia. He still enjoys video games and anime because they remind him of his brother, but I’m fascinated by the idea that because he didn’t have that figure caring for him anymore, he had to care for himself more.

Also aauaugh Vilidia

Vil asks for Idia’s help from Ortho for his film studies club. Having a robot around is handy for heavy lifting and reaching places humans can’t. Not to mention he’s more bearable to be around than most humans.

Vil ends up suggesting aesthetic designs for the metal armor- even robots should look good, after all. He can’t help but find Idia pretty, as odd as the thought is.

And then there’s Idia. Who wants nothing more than to be more human so he can be with his brother just like they were before. So he studies Vil, learns his acting and how humans truly work from him. He grows fascinated by this man with so many different masks on. He starts spending more and more time, wanting to know more, obsessing over it.

And after the events of book 6, he finally begins to truly feel. His fascination develops into an infatuation and into a crush from there- though he has no idea what’s actually happening. Vil saved his brother’s life, of course he feels affection towards him. Surely there’s nothing more going on than that.

Oh, but Ortho knows. He can see it in the way Idia’s computer brain fires. Idia becomes erratic around Vil, even if he doesn’t realize it. And who is Ortho to deny what his big brother wants?

[sibyl-of-space]

HP 13 Stream: RAM Upgrade?

I'm getting very far ahead of myself here but I have a bit of a project in mind for the future.

Currently I have a piece of crap HP nothingbook that came out 9 years ago and was a glorified scam to get people to buy OneDrive storage. It has two gigs of memory and the worst operating system known to man (Windows 8.1) but it came with like a year of lots of free OneDrive storage or some shit. Anyway I didn't buy it, it ended up in the E-Waste at work for understandable reasons, and I respect its owner for holding on to it for this long despite it being a piece of junk.

I put Ubuntu on it so it's infinitely more usable already. It can run my game because my game is potato certified. It cannot, however, do much of anything else. So once I no longer need it to bug test the Linux build (for which its service has been invaluable) I wanted to look into whether I could make it a slightly more usable machine for if I just want to play around in Linux.

Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, the ram is not in a slot you can swap out, but it's soldered directly onto the motherboard. This is usually referred to as "non upgradable" RAM (as in if you want more you are shit out of luck and are supposed to just buy a new laptop) because it is such a pain to try and swap out that it might as well not be, but technically it IS often upgradable, there's just a lot of asterisks and "ifs," "ands," or "buts" about the process. I've only just started my research into it so I'm not going to pretend to be an expert.

I did however open it up and I am honestly impressed by the sheer gall.

Those four empty slots on the left there.... They straight up have the room for four more chips of RAM. Like the term "non-upgradable" is a straight-up lie here. You don't even have to remove the existing RAM and replace it, you just have to get four more chips, solder them on (ball soldering is an entirely different beast than soldering iron jobs, but still) and then probably move some resistors around that tell the motherboard how much RAM it has.

I knew this HP Crapbook also had a 4GB model so I was pretty sure I'd be able to upgrade it to 4GB somehow, but I didn't expect to literally see that only half of the chips were put on the motherboard. The sheer audacity here....

Anyway, I won't attempt this repair until I don't need the laptop to test my game anymore, because I'm fully aware I might end up cooking the motherboard or shorting something or otherwise irreparably damaging it. But it would be nice if I could get that extra two gigs because I think with even just 4GB of RAM it would be perfectly usable for just random dicking around in Linux purposes

[lizardsarecute]

Made a lot of comic progress that I've been really proud of, but it's more on the technical learning side lol

Clip studio has some really seamless comic workflows built into the program, it's really nice

re-organized the Chapter 5 file from group folders to CSP's webtoon template. I can swap pages around freely, batch save and export all the pages at once. Copypaste elements between pages with ease. so fucking good ugh. It takes more time to set up, but the payoff is incredible and I'm so glad I caught it this early. Plus the vertical overview makes planning compositions to the script so much easier, because it will be an accurate reflection of the comic when posted on ao3. Looking at the old group folders again and man. This was definitely a pain. Fucken...hiding and unhiding folders and trying to imagine pages in a vertical layout. how tf did I live like this.

csp has a dialogue balloon tool that can automatically link the bubble to text where you can edit them together and separately. I took some time copying my cleanup pen's settings to the freehand balloon pen so it looks more in style

Also made a font for my handwriting, so it would match the style from earlier chapters. Just cleaner and more editable. Don't have to erase and rewrite so the hands get more drawing time. Nice.

I've had Lazy Nezumi for *checks notes*....almost 3 years now. It's a windows app that's for line stabilization but it's my go to for perspective rulers since it's so robust. I haven't actually used it as much until now. And learning how to do perspective manually actually helped a Lot in deep-diving into this program. So yeah, spend a week making boxes and cylinders with this app in csp and building things. (if you made it this far here's a bonus wip pep workshop. She had me watching a lot of interesting videos of things I did not understand)

Setup a whole bunch of auto actions for repetitive tasks. We'll definitely continue to add onto this as we go.

I'm also continuing to build up my reference library from the models in-game. There's so much and I am so thrilled about seeing all the models and bg assets in detail.

on the writing side, I've pretty much laid out the whole plot line and the important beats out. Have several pages of first draft dialogue for all of them too. I am having such a good time! I love learning shit like this!! This year has probably been the most fulfilling year I've had artistically in a long long time--Thanks game!!!

(me getting lost in the sauce of detail work. "ah yes, THIS is my happy place")

[gamebunny-advance]

Various PNGTuber Plus Tests

I know I just said that I wouldn't post every small update/test I was doing, but somebody wanted to see them, so here are a few.

Notes under the cut.

Tablet Hand Test

I don't know if I'll ever actually do more art streams because the position I draw in is very different from the position I stream in, and I don't think I can easily adapt either to the other's position. That said, pre-recording a speedpaint or something isn't out of the question, so I still wanted to make a set-up for it. The tablet itself is just an image in OBS.

Controller Hands + Head Buddy Test

Conceptually, it doesn't make sense for Kun3h0 to hold a controller to control the game since she technically *is* the game, but I think it makes her feel better to show that she's doing the action with a tool rather than doing it with her "mind." Since she's a game, part of her motivations are to sell an illusion, I suppose.

I also think it'd be fun to have a little buddy to ride on her head sometimes, but I don't think the GAB buddy looks that good. Their ears are brushing right up to Kun3h0's, and they're basically the same color, so it's getting kinda cluttered~

But, I still liked the idea, so I made a Kliff buddy to see if a shorter buddy with more contrasting colors would work better. I think he looks better, but it's still really cluttered, so I might just cut this idea entirely, U_U.

Braid Test

Self-explanatory. I still haven't sketched another outfit to pair them with though. I'm thinking that instead of "work" clothes, I could do some PJs or sleepwear. Something cozy and slumber party-esque, ya know?

Sprite Replacement Test

I wanted to test how easy it would be to make some palette swaps, and it seems like it's pretty easy. I dunno what I'd need a palette swap for yet, but it's cool that I can make one painlessly. It'd probably be more useful for an alternate outfit, like the aforementioned PJs.

Googly Eye Test

I thought that maybe I could get a good googly-eye effect from this program, so I made this. It kinda works, but not exactly how I'd like~ It's like when the model bounces, anything with a rotational drag will just suddenly lose momentum instead of continuing their swing. I have the same problem with Kun3h0's zipper, and I'm not sure that there's currently a solution for it.

[racingtoaredlight]

Instructional VHS from the past

There was a day, before the internet became widespread, where aspiring musicians had to pay cash money for things like tab books and practice material and instructional videos.

The markup on these things were insane. I expeditied, ran foodand bussed tables at a high-end restaurant all through high school, and it'd cost me essentially an entire busy Saturday night's worth of pay to buy a single one of these.

Most of them were absolute goddamned GOLDMINES. The one with Mr. Big's Paul Gilbert is 90 minutes building the best bridge between heavy metal and classical theory you could imagine. Danny Gatton's cost me an insane $100 for a VHS tape, but that video was pretty much an entire year's worth of lessons you could take on your own time.

I only knew Winger from the dork's t-shirt in Beavis and Butthead...I had no idea their guitarist Reb Beach was Allan Holdsworth with a poodle cut.

But the Yngwie Malmsteen VHS ruled them all for highschool096.

*the finger point to start the backing track at 0:12 is /chefskiss

This guitar above...when I built my P-Bass all those years ago, this was the aesthetic I modeled it after. Because I had watched this video so many goddamned times, spent so many goddamned hours practicing all these licks with a painfully slow metronome, this candy apple red Strat with a mint pickguard and a 50's neck swapped on...a Strat he's not even that affiliated with...was forever my favorite.

This video is where my chops come from. Granted, I'm a long way divorced from playing like this...that drive for speed, precision and control was formented through practicing all the shit in this video.

It was the first time I was exposed to the right hand being something more than just the thing that holds the pick. It could be turned into a musical weapon in its own right.

It was the first time I was exposed to Pagannini, and taking baroque counterpoint into modern genres. Did Yngwie Malmsteen make me want to dress like a gay pirate? No, but he sure as hell made me want to play guitar like one.

That's the other thing about this video...it's a perfect encapsulation of time.

This was Yngwie at his absolute peak. Coked to the gills, but still lucid enough to be in full control. His arrogance wasn't yet toxic...rather, a necessary psychological element for someone doing acrobatics at such absurd speeds with no safety net.

Importantly, it was before his brutal high-speed car wreck in a v12 Jaguar. And most importantly, it was long before the thing he's probably best known for...an air plane rant where he threatens to unleash the FOOKIN FURY!...something that has its own Wiki page.

There were plenty of rock d'alliances with classical music before Yngwie...Ritchie Blackmore/Deep Purple, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer come immediately to mind. But those earlier flings didn't have the dedication to classic music like Yngwie had.

It wasn't just that he was playing Bach stuff in a heavy metal setting...take the guitar out of it entirely. He was an old-school, died-in-the-wool baroque violinist who idolized Pagannini and Bach, and switched instruments out of economic necessity. I consider Yngwie to be a classical music fish in heavy metal water, not the other way around.

The technical foundation that this instructional video laid was about as sound as it gets. When I switched to jazz, technique was a complete non-issue...not only was it good enough to get by, it was the thing I leaned on to set me apart. When I started to play all different kinds of music with new musicians, it was the thing I knew would let me step right in without anxiety or nerves.

When I think back to how expensive these handful of videos were, that disappeared pretty quickly. When you consider what lessons and stuff costs over time, and the amount of educational material each one of these was packed to the gills with, they seem like hilarious values in hindsight.

And when I look back on the Yngwie vid...and realize that even though I haven't played with a pick in probably 8 months...it's still the bedrock foundation of my chops, damn that $50 seems like one of the best investments that I've ever made in my life.

[www-islandofsodor]

Hey guys, admin here. There’s been something brewing in my mind as of late and I only realized how true this was about a week ago. But do you know what Duck, James, and Daisy all have in common (besides the obvious)? Each of the eras didn’t do enough with them. Allow me to explain:

In the later half of the Railway Series, James had been relegated to the role of an NPC. His arc wasn’t really going anywhere and he began to fade away as the series progressed.

In the Model Era, The only reason why they didn’t do enough with Daisy is because her model seemed to experience technical difficulties (chassis issues, limited face plates, etc). Other than that, she suffered the same fate as James in the books; lack of spotlight stories.

In the Brennersance period of the CGI series, Duck wasn’t used to his full potential. Aside from the status quo change with his slip coaches and a flashback photo; the writers did the bare minimum when it came to the character.

As you can see, the three different eras have more or less royally screwed the characters. You’re now probably asking yourself, “isn’t there something we could do to rectify this?” Believe it or not there already is. It’s a solution that says easy as 1–2–3. All you have to do is swap the characters with the different eras. Allow me to elucidate such a solution.

In the Railway Series, Duck was practically treated like the second coming of Jesus by Rev. W. Awdry. His character journey was really fleshed out as evident by his slow rise from random one-off to secondary main character.

In the Model Era, James was really pushed to the foreground with the amount of character driven episodes he starred in. Not to mention, the insane amount of relationships/characters he interacted with. Coupled with his fun/consistent personality, it’s no wonder he’s a lot of people’s favorite character.

As for the Brenaissance period of the CGI series, Daisy was the real MVP in terms of character development. When she came back, she came back to the series swinging! Despite claims of Toby, James, and the China Clay twins being his favorites; Daisy was clearly Andrew Brenner’s actual favorite character as evident by the amount of episodes she was featured in. They really dove into her character during this time; she practically grew up which is remarkable considering that this is still Daisy we’re talking about here.

In conclusion, different characters flourish with the right era. Take Whiff for example; he was wasted in the HiT era. But in the Nitrogen Era, he was taken very seriously and given a few starring roles in later episodes. Hell, even Misty Island Rescue and All Engines Go did him justice! Now what does that tell you? With the right type of environment, characters (like people) can grow and evolve into something worth championing.

[nozomuaoyama]

SEKAI-ronpa, but make it a wheel.

...look, I don’t know these characters enough to write for them yet.

I’m spinning for cast (16 characters as is usual for DR), roles (protag, helper, rival, mastermind (which includes the people who aren’t in the cast)), cases, and which chapter the double murder may or may not be in. 

Cast:

Ichika Hoshino, Ultimate Guitarist

Saki Tenma, Ultimate Keyboardist

Honami Mochizuki, Ultimate Baker

Shiho Hinomori, Ultimate Bassist

Haruka Kiritani, Ultimate Idol

Shizuku Hinomori, Ultimate Model

Kohane Azusawa, Ultimate Singer

An Shiraishi, Ultimate Street Artist

Akito Shinonome, Ultimate Rapper

Touya Aoyagi, Ultimate Pianist

Nene Kusanagi, Ultimate Diva

Rui Kamishiro, Ultimate Roboticist

Kanade Yoisaki, Ultimate Composer

Mafuyu Asahina, Ultimate Nurse / Doctor

Ena Shinonome, Ultimate Artist

Mizuki Akiyama, Ultimate Fashionista

Protag: Shiho Hinomori

Helper: Honami Mochizuki

Rival: Haruka Kiritani

Chapter 1

Victim: Haruka Kiritani (whoops, we need a new rival)

Killer: Saki Tenma (I’m sorry Myth)

Rival: Kanade Yoisaki (...how does. how does this work?)

Chapter 2

Victim: Kanade Yoisaki (JESUS IT HAPPENED AGAIN)

Killer: Kohane Azusawa

Rival: Mizuki Akiyama

Chapter 3

Victim: Akito Shinonome (this was so close to landing on Shizuku oh my god)

Killer: Shiho Hinomori (...)

Protag: Ena Shinonome (looks like your brother dying gives you a lot of motivation)

Chapter 4

Victim: An Shiraishi

Killer: Ichika Hoshino (poor Honami, all her best friends are killers)

First chapter with no role swap! Let’s keep it up.

Chapter 5

Victim: Mafuyu Asahina (I can see it)

Killer: Rui Kamishiro (I can also see it. Less, but I can also see it.)

Chapter 6

Mastermind: Nene Kusanagi (This is actually pretty suitably dramatic. Also Tsukasa and Emu are probably dead by now, I don’t make the rules.)

Survivors

Honami Mochizuki [Helper]

Shizuku Hinomori

Toya Aoyagi

Ena Shinonome [Protag]

Mizuki Akiyama [Rival]

Wow MMJ! How come the wheel lets you have three survivors? (...survivors by technicality since the other two aren’t in the game but whatever)

[taperwolf]

Okay, like, I know that it's very basic fannish behavior that any given two obsessions be combined into a crossover. And since a lot of my head is taken up by thinking about two anime/manga/game series taking place in Tokyo high schools — Love Live Nijigasaki and My Dress-Up Darling — it's not unexpected that the concepts would start colliding.

It even makes sense how the characters would meet: Marin and Karin are both reader models for magazines; they've probably been on the same shoots, and the manga has shown Gojou at those shoots before. Y'know, "Ah, so you're the boy who makes those sexy outfits for Kitagawa-san" — and after his initial panic, well, Karin also does clothing design, so she'd have something to talk with him about.

Basically, Gojou would have to get roped into helping with the costumes for an event — let's say the schedule conflicts with a competition for the Nijigasaki High Sewing Club — and he'd find himself getting along with most the girls pretty easily:

Emma would be fascinated by Hina dolls, as she is about most aspects of Japanese culture. Ai would probably already be friends with Marin, because that's how she rolls, and making new friends is practically her superpower. Setsuna, Rina, and Mia are into a lot of the same anime and/or games as Marin is, modulo the more questionable ones. Shizuku (after Gojou gets past the name coincidence) has experience with theatrical costuming, Ayumu has experience with handicrafts, Shioriko with traditional Japanese art forms. Kasumi and Lanzhu are going to want him as their full-time tailor after seeing his work. Kanata and he can swap cooking tips. And Yu is just a fan of everyone.

So this would go along, and while Marin and Gojou would make friends with everyone, I feel like Marin would get jealous about Gojou being surrounded like this — particularly if he gets excited about doing this kind of costume work, and she feels like she can't contribute to technical conversations. She'd start to worry about the other girls having more in common with him than she does. And she'd let that slip, somehow, when she's with the girls and he's not.

The trouble — and the reason I probably won't actually write this up — is that I can't come up with a resolution that isn't just the punchline of Emma telling Marin not to worry because they're all gay.

[gasha40k]

Not much has happened since the last post, both regarding building and painting, but I’ve done a little bit of painting in my free time. Alas, I am the most indecisive man yet born, and as such, I haven’t made any significant progress on any one single army as much as I’ve just… painted shit that I want to paint in the moment.

Here’s my first little group of red boys. Bloodletters are super fun to paint, consisting of maybe four or five paints, and being able to do a couple coats of base paint then slap Carroburg Crimson on the model and call it a day has been a great break from the relatively more complex painting projects that Astartes are.

I’m also particularly proud of the bases I made for them. Astrogranite Technical, an industrial amount of Blood for the Blood God, and a bit of drybrushing makes for cool little Khorne-realm adjacent environments for these dudes. It’s also a relatively easily replicable process, so it’s good for a horde army.

The one thing I’m not a huge fan of is their blades. I’d love to have bright, glowing, fiery Hellblades like in Total War: Warhammer 3, but the standard steel looks grimy enough that it works, and it was done using paints I had already on hand. I’ll probably experiment a bit with various fire effects in the future, likely giving fancy Hellblades to HQs and more expensive models like Bloodcrushers while keeping stock Bloodletters basic like this.

Moving on, marines! I’ve decided on a different color palette and heraldry, although these are such minor differences that they don’t matter a whole lot in the long run. I’ve swapped from Mechanicus Standard Gray to Skavenblight Dinge, and the gold kneepads now go on the left. I gotta figure out how to get my models less shiny, dude.

Here’s a closeup of a little auspex-esque doodad that I thought I did a good job on. Tiny little details, but they add a lot of character to the model. The base is also particularly high effort, especially in comparison to the flat brownish orange planes that my Astartes stood on prior. I’m excited to see my dudes all painted up, but that won’t be for a long while.

Especially not if I keep buying new shit. Welcome the first Thunderbearers Aggressors, Squad Terastrael. Aggressors are a fun unit and the kit is awesome, not to mention how grotesquely meta they are now (which definitely didn’t encourage this purchase, trust me).

Sergeant Terastrael comes with a trusty censer and a personal servoskull for better murder capabilities. His model is simple but distinct, especially in comparison to the other two.

The brother on the left is pretty standard save for his massive aquila icon and some excessive purity seals, which has come to be a common practice in my Chapter. The brother on the right differentiates himself with a sort of ceremonial or official side cape, which is a visual motif that I plan on standardizing in my army, since side and shoulder capes are raw as fuck. Similarly to Eradicator Squad Kellam, the army’s only other Gravis unit, they all come equipped with MKIII helmets for that proper Centurion adjacent look.

And last but not least, I finished painting a Shadowkeeper. Finalizing the color scheme was pretty fun, and the light highlights on this model were also quite fun. I still haven’t decided on bases for these dudes so I’m yet to really dig into finishing the models, but besides the fucking trim, they’re nice to paint.

The World Eaters are going on preorder, so I’m sure I’ll have some more Khornate shit to talk about before long. I will be buying that Angron model, so that’ll be a fun experience.