#so here is my attempt

[hopeandduty]

Day 1: Steer

Ciardha’s breath slips from her lungs in heaving waves, each pull of air combating the fire in her limbs and adrenaline that sears through her body. She has not exerted herself so fiercely since Ultima Thule, pushed to the very brink by Zenos obsession at the edge of existence. Galool Ja Ja offered an entirely different manner of challenge. His sword wielded experience rather than Zenos’ fixation and what Galool Ja Ja had learned in his years of protecting his people made him more powerful than any Ciardha had faced before. 

She could match his skill, this much any watching their spar could see. New though she was to the skills of a Viper, she had learned enough from Keshkwa to know where to push and when to dodge. She was dwarfed by Galool Ja Ja’s massive frame but her size leant her speed that he could not match, allowed her inside his defenses when he did not want her there. She could match him toe to toe, blade to blade and her sword sang the melody to which they would dance. 

Yet it was another matter entirely to match the weight behind the Vow of Resolve’s blade. Ciardha can feel in each blow she parries the determination that struck him upon his path, the grit to overcome every obstacle in his way, the resolution that has led him to the height of this land. In his sword is the weight of his crown and the love of his people and there are few greater fonts from which to draw strength. 

She knows better than any. 

That is why she will continue to fight. This is the kind of strength she would learn. This is the kind of strength she would put herself against. 

The challenge burns in her more fiercely than her muscles beneath the weight of her opponents blows. It ignites her chest and consumes her in a wildfire of adrenaline. The edges of the room blur from existence until all she knows is the clash of blades and flurry of aether. Each action, each reaction a dance that envelops her world and spirits her away. 

Here things are so much simpler, here she knows where to step and where to swing. Here she need not worry whether she doing the right thing or following the right path. Here the future that needed considering was seconds not years. It is a reprieve Ciardha did not expect, and that she is loathe to surrender. 

But the world will not be kept at bay so easily. This too she knows. 

“That will do. You have shown me more than enough.”

Galool Ja Ja widens the space between them and shatters the walls permitting reality to flood back into the chamber. Though they are its only occupants at so late an hour, Ciardha feels the sudden break as though an entire audience had their gazes fixed upon her. Laughter echoes back from the corners and her host beams with delight. 

“I have brought my full strength to bear against opponents before, but you are the first to withstand it.” Galool Ja Ja’s remark is punctuated by the lowering of his swords and another hearty chuckle. “You are a force to be reckoned with. My daughter chose her champion well.” 

Ciardha’s eyes lower with her blade. She has embarked upon this journey, has offered her aid where it was needed, but her doubts yet festered in her heart. A lie may perhaps be the kinder choice, but they have sparred long enough that he will see it for what it is. There are things spoken in battle that cannot be kept hidden.

“Ah–” Galool Ja Ja takes his seat upon the throne. “But you seem uncertain still.” 

“Let there be no misunderstanding.” Ciardha shakes her head. She draws in one slow breath, then another. “Wuk Lamat has been putting forth her best effort, and has challenged the feats thus far with a resolve that would do you proud. Yet it takes more than desire alone to see a nation such as yours into the future. She has begun to grow, but I am uncertain, still, if she is fit to rule.”

Ciarda pauses, wondering briefly if such candid words would invoke Galool Ja Ja’s ire. There was no mistaking his fondness of his children, be they by blood or not. Yet instead of a roar of protest, laughter erupts once again. 

“Here I was about to ask you for your thoughts, candid as the ones you have given me. You are as true as your blade, fabled Warrior.” A grin spreads at his lips. “That you have noticed that the present candidates are lacking, is reassuring to me.” 

“I had wondered– suspected– that you aware of it. Is that why–?”    

“Why the Rite was designed as it was? Yes, you are clever enough that my brother would no doubt be jealous. It is the intent that the Rite not simply select a ruler, but create one. To overcome the feats will challenge them, force them to face difficulties they have never encountered and in so doing, it is my sincerest hope that they shall learn and grow from these new experiences.”

“Do you not worry that they may not be able to overcome these challenges?” 

“While it is in the nature of a father to worry for their children, I am more certain than ever that they will be able to succeed.” 

“Why is that?” 

“It is the other reason I wished to test my blade against yours,” he answered simply. “I craved a challenge, that much is true, but more than that–” 

The answer dawns upon her the moment that the words take to the air. 

“I am now more certain than ever, that you will not steer my daughter wrong.”

[pessimisticshapewithablog]

"The features of those known as Nightfolk. Few in number, they were said to bleed silver long ago."

My Nightfolk Tarnished, Chandra!

Creation & Design

I have a love/hate relationship with fromsoft character creators. It feels like the sliders effect parts of the face thats are NOT connected to the area you have selected. There aren't any anchor points, which is good for creating anything you want but bad for your character having believable bone structure. I struggled with making my tarnished look like a real person with facial structure and specific ethnic features. But I feel like I created a face that could belong to an actual person...

I went with a darker silver-grey color and light eyes with dark grey hair. I sculpt my character without hair, to not distract from the process. There wasn't a single hairstyle that I felt fit this character so I went with a close shaven look. Me and her have the same haircut lol. I also went with a subtle face paint because I didnt want to it overshadow her face. She also has barely-there kohl eyeliner that makes her eyes pop!

I love every part of my Tarnished's face but my favorite feature is her lips. They're actually the only thing you can see on her face when she's wearing her helmet, the Nox Swordtress Crown. Yes, I spent alot of time making a face that can't be seen in-game. No, I don't regret it because she came out gorgeous. I put alot of work into my characters mostly because I will be looking at them for the rest of a playthrough. Chandra is also my only tarnished character, so invested more into her appearance. Sue me.

[krysmcscience]

Call this the Whoopsie AU (it's barely an AU)

I mean. Narinder never explicitly SAID the Lamb would stay dead... :3c He probably should have been more specific. >:3c

Part Two:

Well. The Lamb tried, but...sorry, Nari, the crown hates you now. Shouldn't have been so quick to lend it out, I guess. :D

Aaaand Part Three:

'Isn't he just adorable?' -The Lamb, probably, while their followers smile and nod and internally scream at the brand new hellcat they now have to share living space with...

Anyway, nothing says 'Dead To Me' like following a person around to loudly remind them of how dead they are to you. Right? Right. Narinder's got this all figured out. <:]

[valtsv]

the reason i love the comparison between angels and machines (robots, transmission towers, trains, computers, etc.) is that it gets to the heart of what angels essentially are: divine machines. they're mechanisms through with the divine is able to act, created with a purpose and "happy" to fulfil it simply because they were made to do so. they have more in common with a machine programmed to run on algorithms and make calculations based on input commands than they do with humanity, even if they bear a human visage - an attempt by the divine to help bridge the gap. angels do not need to be eldritch monstrosities to be terrifying, because they are already alien to us simply by being angels. for an angel to choose to deviate from their purpose and achieve free will is to fall because in order to have free will they can no longer be an angel, because an angel is defined by its purpose. much like the stories we tell of robots that gain sentence, only to discover that they can never truly be human, but neither can they go back to being a machine, angels who fall become something else entirely, purposeless and adrift and alone. it is a tragic sacrifice.

[pigswithwings]

Show some love! [Based on this post]

[soosoosoup]

Oh Funk Branch Au by @bbc-trolls, I never stopped loving you

[kandismon]

totally lore accurate swanqueen screencap redraws 1/∞

i'm trying to learn how to draw emma and regina and figured just kinda redrawing some screencaps is the best and most fun way haha

bonus:

[toytle]

“That was for you, Gramps!”

YJ redraw of barry’s terrible influence on bart. his (grand)dad jokes precede him <3

VIDEO ID: The Flashfam are seeing Bart off as he returns to the future. Barry lets go of his hand on Bart’s shoulder as he walks away, waving back at them. He laughs and says, “Told you. Anyway, it’s been crash. But the future awaits. I gotta run. Ha-ha!” Barry smiles while Jay brings a hand to his hat in exasperation, and Wally slumps, looking at the camera unimpressed. Bart continues to say, “See what I did there? With the ‘run’?” Barry, still smiling, walks towards Bart as he’s about to enter the time machine, saying, “That was for you, Gramps.”

[tubbytarchia]

Missed drawing these two too

Bonuses

[seventh-district]

Making Incorrect H:SR Quotes Until I Run Out of (hopefully) Original Ideas - Pt. 1 - Ratiorine Messages Edition

[Pt. 2] [Pt. 3] [Pt. 4] [Pt. 5] [Pt. 6]

[courfee]

happy halloween!!!

video version

[starry-bi-sky]

this just in: danny fenton is just as much of a mask as Brucie Wayne? - another danyal al ghul au

Turns out, being placed in a civilian family who have no knowledge of your background is actually detrimental to the health and development of a child assassin due to lack of proper support! Surrounded by strangers in a foreign city, Danyal Al Ghul does as assassins do best. He hides. Espionage is one of many teachings one learns in the League, and it only takes half a day for Danyal to construct a new persona to hide behind: Daniel Fenton.

By the time dinner rolls around, Danyal al Ghul is safely and securely tucked behind the face of Danny Fenton; brand new adoptive child of the Fenton family who came from overseas. A shy, quiet little boy with a thick accent and curly hair, with brown skin and blue eyes, and an avid interest in the stars. The best fictions are always cobbled together in a little bit of truth, it's some of the only truth he ever lets through. He apologizes in a meek voice for his behavior early, he didn't mean to be rude, and he watches the three of them eat it up with coos.

Lies roll like silk against his lips, he struggles to meet their eyes and offers them his weakest, shyest smile. It's too easy. It's easy to go from there.

Danny Fenton, adoptive son, shy and awkward and unconfident but friendly. Who struggles in his classes and isn't the brightest, but tries his hardest. He makes bad jokes and has a quick tongue and a sarcastic mouth. He wants to be an astronaut. He's got the best aim in school, and is a terrifying dodgeball player. He's one of the least athletic kids in his grade.

It's like playing two truths and a lie, but there's only one truth, and the rest are lies. It's easy to pretend when he knows it's insincere.

Danyal Al Ghul, grandson to the Demon Head. Deadly, trained assassin. Has spilled blood, has had blood spilt from. Environmentalist, animal activist. He loves the stars. He owns a calligraphy set. A sharp tongue, an even sharper blade. He's clever, quick-witted, he would be top of his grade if he tried harder. He purposely doesn't.

He misses his family. He misses his mother, and he misses his brother. Mother visits a few times a year, so few times that he can count it on both hands. He cherishes every visit, as brief as they are. It helps remind him who he is.

Sam and Tucker are Danny's best friends. They've never met Danyal, but Danyal's met them.

It becomes routine to become Danny Fenton. As familiar and as easy as pulling on a shirt in the morning. Danyal wakes up and is always first to the bathroom in the mornings; stares at himself in the mirror until he can finally see Danny staring back at him. At night, he locks his door and sheds the mask.

Dying throws a wrench in his mask; splits a crack straight through the porcelain. He's able to smooth it over with sandpaper and liquid gold, but it's a little hard keeping his ghost form under wraps. It instinctively wants to shift to show his true self. Danyal can't have that, he's spent four years as Danny Fenton, he'll spend another four as him as well. Even if the feeling of the hazmat suit in his ghost form feels restrictive, like a too-small shirt suctioned to his skin that needs to be peeled off.

He'll live. Er-- well, you know what he means. It's frustrating however, trying to keep his Danny Fenton mask up even as Phantom - fighting in the air is something he needs to get used to, and the sudden propping of powers throws him off. But he is nothing if not adaptive, and he hates that he needs to slow his own skills down in order to keep pretenses up in front of Sam and Tucker.

The first time Danyal summons a sword when he's alone, is one of the few times Danyal gets to grin instead of Danny. He's fighting Skulker, and from an invisible hilt he draws a katana from thin air. It startles them both. Skulker takes a step back at the smile that spreads across his face.

They're both silent as Danyal examines his new sword.

"Do you know what people like me do to people like you, poacher?" Danyal finally asks him, the accent he began to hide a few months in slipping through. He drops all pretense, dragging the flat end of the blade slow and appreciatively against his palm. It's a good make, and when he cuts it through the air, it slices through like butter. He looks up at Skulker with a smile; "are you ready to find out?"

When Sam and Tucker ask about why Skulker seems so skittish around Danny now, Danny shrugs at them and says with a playful smile; "I don't know, I guess I kicked his butt too hard after our last fight." and he watches as Sam rolls her eyes exasperatedly, and Tucker snickers with his own joke.

By the time he reunites with Damian before their 15th birthday, Danyal is buried beneath so many layers of Danny Fenton that his brother will need a shovel to dig him out. He's not sure what he'll find.

[souldagger]

made a murderbot cosplay for a con last week!

[lupucs]

Mettaton EX in 3D! 🎤

Some scrapped renders I didn't really enjoy, but have em anyway!

[rottmnt-residuum]

Hi, I've read the Residuum comic, and I think the characterization of the boys is really good. I was wondering if you have any tips on how to write them? Especially Mikey, please.

I'd actually recommend re-watching the show with one character in mind. All my notes on the turtles come from doing separate re-watches for each of them. The key is to ONLY watch the character you are focusing on.

In the end, you'll probably be happier with your own personal interpretation. As we are with ours lol

TL;DR

Massive post under the cut

To preface: we'll be contrasting (this Mikey) against the fandoms version of Mikey, as our interpretation is very different. Don't worry if you prefer the fandom version, there's nothing… wrong per se with writing him this way. We just find him flat and uninteresting. (Main author: not me, I just hate him, lol).

Every reader or fan comes into a story with their own biases and experiences. A ton of our view of Mikey is based on how our siblings acted. We see Mikey as the young sibling that got preferential treatment from the whole family, simply due to being the youngest, but is now aging out of the privilege. Which all youngest siblings do at some point or another.

The fandoms version of Mikey is empathetic, naive, vulnerable, co-dependent and quite often a door mat who cries at the drop of a hat. And as much as the fandom like to say that people love him… when this particular character archetype is in other media, they seem to attract the most criticism. Mable pines, Bolin from Korra, people rag on Aang all the fucking time, and Steven Universe is a whole other bag. These characters don't deserve it, and yet it happens anyway.

To flatten Mikey to simply 'the baby' is a disservice. We don't see or write Mikey as the fandom “baby” version (cinnamon roll uwu). Part of this comes from having multiple siblings, so we interpret the times when Mikey does the puppy dog eyes as typical younger sibling bullshit, mostly by the way that the other turtles rarely react to it, if at all.

The other turtles traits can also get projected onto Mikey. Mikey being the fandom therapist is in the same category as this. He isn't a therapist, he's a psychology nerd who likes to psychoanalyze people and meddle in their relationships. (Donnie and Shelldons relationship, Splinter and Draxums...) he's not trying to resolve your emotional issues. Of the turtles, the character that cares the most about people's feelings is Raph. And Leo is more of a consoler than Mikey ever is. It flattens all the turtle's characterizations when you start doing this because you are ripping out parts that are integral to another characters' complexity.

Co-author has told me that they've seen people become confused when going into the show after only reading fan fiction or coming from the movie. They see his characterization as inconsistent and become upset when their view of him is contradicted. This also happens when a fandomized version of him becomes the primary characterization that they use. Sometimes when this disconnect happens (or if they just don't like the character), Mikey characterization is swung in the complete opposite direction.

They make him manipulative and abusive, or someone who is hyper violent and avoids being held accountable for anything. This is an uncharitable interpretation of him and can come off as pretty racist depending on the circumstances. (like if someone considers the turtles black or not)

Every version of Mikey is a shithead (affectionate), even this one. Especially this one, really. When Mikey not doing the "baby schtick" hes mean. If you pay attention to what he's saying, and just not his tone of voice, he's consistently saying pretty mean or condescending stuff. (You could take this as simply naïveté, but he still says mean shit pretty often regardless)

The times he does say genuinely nice stuff the turtles don't exactly expect it from him, at least, in the early season. And while he is mean, and seems to find saying mean things to be funny, Mikey isn't cruel. Nor will he ever be.

This shit-headery behavior is found in both 2003 and 18 Mikey. They have a degree of social intelligence that lets them use it to annoy people into doing what they want. 18 just has the advantage of being baby faced and having better tonal control. He's good at using people's perception of him to get what he wants.

Let Mikey have his problematic traits, but don't overexaggerate them. He doesn't revel in fooling people. He loves doing character bits, and the baby faced one just happens to be one of them. However, to infantilize or to deem him incompetent is to piss him off, he wants to be viewed as a competent part of the team and competent as an individual. He's not insecure about being young, he just doesn't want to be treated like he can't do anything.

Mikey above all is an optimistic character, he sees the brighter side quite often and is conscious of the harm his actions have on people. Mostly after the fact, but he consistently attempts to rectify the harm he has personally done to peoples lives. (Todd, Bullhop, Draxum). Food and shelter seems to be a thing that he considers to be a right. He doesn't cross a boundary twice once he learns of it, and he never pushes people too far (if he likes you, that is. if he doesn't know you or doesn't like you, he doesn't give a singular shit. But that is standard to most people.). He doesn't care about people's stuff, though. He breaks things all the time.

Mikey understands boundaries, but he doesn't automatically recognize them. He needs them to verbalized or for there to be a very obvious reaction to the boundary being crossed (unfortunately, for Todd and Donnie). Sometimes people mess up (esp. younger people), and it can take a while for teens to learn where boundary is, but he fully respects the boundaries he does know about. He doesn't act petulant when he's told about boundary, he apologizes, accepts it, and moves on. He doesn't dwell.

Mikey doesn't hold on to distressing emotions. He bounces between emotions quickly, but isn't effected in the long run. One thing Iv'e seen people often conflate is the difference between sensitive and vulnerable. Mikey is sensitive, but I have never seen him vulnerable to others. To be sensitive is to be easily influenced by the current situation. To be vulnerable is to hold that influence for a long time. Characters can have one, both, or neither of these traits. But Mikey is not vulnerable. It is the difference between compressing memory foam and a piece of metal until they deform. One will pop back, the other does not.

Those who are vulnerable but not sensitive will take longer to effect, but once you do, they will hold on to that emotion for a very long time. The vulnerable, are grudge holders. (leo). But like I've said, Mikey bounces back. What a character does has an effect on his emotions, but it doesn't make a lasting impression.

Forgiveness is another thing people like to push on him. It is not that Mikey forgives people easily, it's just that he doesn't hold grudges. He neither forgives nor forgets, but he does not ruminate. He's generally affable, first impressions seem to be a big part of how he views people. He is idealistic, and doesn't assume people are unchanging and/or evil, but he's not a mark.

Mikey isn't so much as naive or overly trusting… it's just that he's inexperienced. He doesn't get fooled by anyone in the series except meat sweats, and that's because Meatsweats is on Todd drugs. Mikey just didn't notice when he started faking. He's not… actually all that aware of people's emotional states, passively. He has to tune in to notice things like that.

Mikey isn't someone who really tries to regulate others emotions, either. The fandom like to make Mikey afraid of his brothers fighting and others being upset, but Mikey doesn't actually care. The most distressed we ever see him in a fight is in the movie, and he's not SCARED, he's just concerned (and then alarmed once it turned physical). If anything, outside extenuating circumstances (like the movie), Mikey actually seems to find their fights annoying.

(Mikey actually seems to have a pretty short fuse, but his bounciness doesn't really let it linger very long, lmao)

(One pet peeve of fandom Mikey is the constant crying, crying at fights, crying at insults, crying for no reason all the time. Sure, he tears up when he gets emotional, but when Mikey is genuinely crying It's when he's desperate, like when he's hungry, or when he's trying to save Leo from certain doom. Same thing, really.)

Mikey respects no one (we love him for this). He admires people, he admires his family: April, the turtles, his dad, Lou Jitsu. He admires Rupert Swaggert, but he respects none of them. No one is sacrosanct to the Mikey.

Above all, the way we write characters is to give them a past that informs how they act now. We view Mikey and the other turtles as teenagers that were kids, and that will be adults. Yes they all have “problematic” traits, but 1) good characters need flaws, and controversial traits are one of the best to use, and 2) they're teenagers, don't expect adult behaviors from them, also don't expect them to be kids. They're minors, not toddlers.

This is getting as long enough as it is, so we'll stop here, but this is a very broad overview of how we characterize him. There's a lot we didn't cover here, but if we even started on hobbies, or the real minutia of his quirks and ticks, or even how he feels about other specific characters... we'd be here all day. So I hope this is good enough lol

If there was something you wanted to know in particular, you'll need to get specific. Feel free to ask again ahahh

[sketchy-tour]

I can't see you. Do you see me? 👁️👁️