#thanks for reading :3

[coladaminx]

( ͡👁️ ͜ʖ ͡👁️) this is good

maybe its just me... but i feel like their upping rontoto sweetness each episode like there is more emphasis on how much impact toto has on Ron and other characters can see that to and it's adorable!

[kitten-kokomo]

This isn’t Kris

Hear me out. This isn’t Kris. Whatever they are, they’re possessing Kris, just like we are.

If you haven’t watched the chapter 1 ending cutscene in a hot minute, here’s a video. Go ahead, watch it. I’ll be here when you’re done.

*sips hot cocoa*

Oh! You’re back already? Great!

You might have noticed that Kris doesn’t get out of bed like a normal person. Granted, they are not a normal person, but it’s still really odd behavior to squirm in your bed and then throw yourself onto the floor. Looks like it hurt, too. Now, maybe it’s your headcanon, but I don’t see Kris as a masochist.

This. This is weird.

So Kris is on the floor, and then they get up. And they start doing a little zombie shamble. That’s weird. Nobody just walks like that. And yes, if you’re missing a soul and running on pure determination, maybe that’s a reasonable way to walk, but not before you rip it out.

Something isn’t right here.

Also worth noting that ripping their soul out clearly hurts. A lot. Weird choice, I’m just saying. Maybe a choice that someone desperate would make…or maybe a choice that someone who isn’t affected might make, that someone who doesn’t belong in that body might make.

Food for thought.

The next time Kris’s soul is removed, in Chapter 2 they’re just standing in front of the sink, and then randomly fall down. It’s odd, because, again, the soul is still in their body. They appear perfectly fine, and yet, they just topple over. Again, weird. Then they rip their soul out and shamble off to slash tires (probably), and come back.

And the next time, they shudder a lot before ripping out the soul, getting up and shambling.

You see the pattern, don’t you? Kris seems to not be in complete control of their body, even before removing the soul. And we know Kris is capable of moving normally, such as when they save Susie without prompting at the end of chapter 1, or back away from Susie at the beginning, or even the handful of cases during cutscenes and whatnot where they walk by their self. It’s only when they’re about to remove their soul, and afterwards, that they move like they’re half dead. Therefore, we can logically conclude that their shambling state is unrelated to their SOUL being in their body at all.

And, following that vein of logic, if this is a state that is unrelated to whether Kris’ SOUL is inside them, it’s also most likely a state Kris cannot choose to enter. Why would they? They have a perfectly functioning motor system, why would they choose to stop functioning? It is logical to conclude that something or someone else causes that state. Furthermore, unless we learn of a reason that Kris would choose to use the periods of time when their legs stop working to slash tires and open a Dark Fountain in the living room, it’s logical to assume that whatever entity causes Kris’ shambling state is also controlling them during it. That makes sense–of course an outside entity would have trouble controlling a body that’s not their own, especially if Kris is able and trying to fight them.

So there’s the proof that Kris didn’t open the Dark Fountain, slash the tires, or eat the pie. But that begs the question: who did?

*cue dramatic violins*

…the Knight. It’s the Knight. 100%.

It’s fair to assume that the thing making Kris open a fountain in their living room is probably the same thing that is known for opening fountains in places. So let’s run with that, shall we?

It’s possible the Knight started possessing Kris long before the events of the first chapter; the birdcage has apparently seen several crashes (or possibly the narration is talking about the wagon, it’s unclear), which could imply that this has happened before, maybe to create the classroom dark world, or even the castle town one in the closet?

Even if not, the Knight still takes over Kris at the end of Chapter 1, eats some pie, and possibly creates the computer lab fountain. (It’s also possible the Knight can possess multiple people, and used someone else to make the computer lab fountain, we don’t know what their deal is or how they’re doing this, it might work on multiple people and they just enjoy making Kris suffer)

Then Chapter 2 happens, and the Knight takes over twice—once to slash the tires, and once to open the door and make the fountain. Why? Who knows, this is all speculation, and until we get more info, there’s no way to figure out what their motive could possibly be.

Anyways, that’s my crack-but-seriously-this-could-work theory, thanks for sticking with me! If you’ll excuse me, I have a fanfiction to stare at without making any progress.

[casually-prish]

something i love about the twins is how they were doomed from the start.

their beginnings are debated so skip to their childhood: waking up with the sun's rays patterned on their faces, peeking through the curtains to see if it's snowed, their father calling them down the stairs both at one time, one name before the other like it has always been and how it will always be, nosebleeds and scrapes from bikes, taking off raincoats and draping them gently across the kitchen's radiator, running upstairs to scream curse words in anger and acting like nothing happened over a warm plate of food

as teens they are worse. shivers, sighs, all nighters. looks for reassurance that it will be okay, it has to be, but look at me the same way you did years ago when it was. one has calloused fingertips and a dream, the other a mouth that speaks woven silk and the fear of god. come spend time with me? miss me.

as the poet fell from grace the twin could only watch. hunched shoulders and split lips. eyes darting nervously and getting angry over his 'delusions,' as the other called it. what a fool.

i like to think he faltered when he found out, maybe he even saw it? the shimmering sword dripping with his brothers blood clutched in his father's clammy grasp. the unmoving shape of something that used to be... him? maybe he thought that this was fate, that his twin's reckless behaviour could only end in his demise and to hope for a different outcome was just childish. but, i think he knew. you could tell it from the way he shrank into himself over the next few months. the way his throat would tighten when someone asked about him, the cold sweats he woke up in after seeing him, flushed, smiling proudly, standing side by side, as twins, where he belonged.

something i love about the twins is how they were doomed from the start <3

[eebibly]

The Fairy Tail anime should not have made the Eclipse Spirits arc.

Spoiler Warning

I was super excited for this arc. I knew it was filler and would end up relatively inconsequential to the main story because it can’t (or at least shouldn’t) mess with manga canon, but I felt like the Eclipse designs were really cool (most of them anyway) and the celestial spirits were finally getting the attention that they so deserved! So when I finally got to watching it as the episodes came out week by week, I was so disappointed to slowly witness the anime equivalent of a train wreck that only got worse with every new release.

It’s bad. Might as well start with that. Plain and simple. It’s horrible. It lures the viewer in with an intriguing premise: Lucy’s golden spirits aren’t appearing when summoned, her silver spirits are harmed and in distress. Suddenly, her beloved Zodiacs appear before her —having taken on completely new forms— to declare their freedom from the shackles of celestial contracts; even though they have no memory of Lucy and what they’ve been through together.

And, already, therein lies the anime’s first mistake. The Zodiacs, simultaneously, have absolutely no recollection of their previous lives or masters, and yet also harbour a deeper resentment for both. So much so that they are willing to give up their immortality and lives just for a taste of some ‘true freedom’. This implies that, despite the amnesia, there is deeply-rooted residual trauma that Lucy and friends could have addressed in order to reach out to them. Although Lucy, famous for being especially respectful of spirits, may not have done anything specifically wrong, this could still be a good chance for her to better understand what freedom, bond and loyalty actually mean to her spirits. And then, she could readjust to meet their needs. Instead, the anime gets very stuck by the fact that they’ve forgotten everything. So the spirits just end up sounding like petulant children, covering their ears. The anime can’t decide whether we, the viewers, should be taking their concerns seriously or just feeling bad for Lucy who has to deal with her oddball pesky spirits again- But This Time, They Might Die!! Edition.

One could argue that the anime didn’t want to explore the same concept of freedom 12 times over. Except, they didn’t have to. There are so many different ways to explore what freedom means to each spirit, especially since each one has a room dedicated to them. It’s a perfect yet wasted opportunity to actually delve into each spirit and how they feel about their existence. Some quick, underdeveloped ideas: Leo could have been a reflection on what it means to have power, but the way that that power is used is out of his control; Aries could be a deep-dive into how to deal with abuse and trauma when stuck with a soft heart; Aquarius could have a been a deliberation on independence vs codependence; Virgo— exploring the difference between loyalty and servitude, etc.

One may argue that it would have taken too much time to do that though, considering the allotted amount of episodes for the arc (being 15). But I would argue that some of the *checks Wikipedia* 10.5 extra filler episodes before and after this arc could have been used for this purpose, instead of filling more space with (cute, but mostly mediocre) one-shots that, honestly, could have just been OVAs. I don’t think they’re useless or anything, I just feel that those episodes could have been better spent on making the Eclipse arc actually good. (Except Kemo-Kemo~ sweet baby’s story is exactly where it should be and he deserves so much love.)

However, we instead get a hodgepodge of slapstick gags and situational ironies in nonsensical minigame-esque battles. Taurus getting defeated because he’s a germaphobe? Really? You’d rather make fun of OCD (or other related neurodivergent diagnoses) over just actually having a meaningful conversation about what Taurus wants to achieve out of this rebellion? A boring Game Show where Levy is forced to reveal her oh-so-not-secret crush? Magic The Gathering Scorpio??? Don’t even get me started on Aries and Virgo… On top of that, the characters speak to one another as if they’ve resolved… something (for example, Wendy and Aquarius wanting to play together again someday), and will see each other again in the spirits’ eclipse forms—which I had assume they were trying to revert. Unfortunately, there’s literally no point to any of their bonding… especially after they forget it all when they become normal again anyway.

Not to mention, every other conversation is just a looped wall: “Loke, I’m saving you cuz you’re my friend and Lucy is sad!” - “My name is Leo!!!”; “Virgo, let’s talk, I don’t want you to feel enslaved, I swear!” - “Yeah right, stupid human, have some mayo down your tits”; “Please, Libra, I just wanna be friends again!” - “Shut up, balance is all”. Worst of all, these are the few examples where the humans managed to break through to them minimally. Everyone else simply had no brain cells left and were just like: “Welp, guess I lost. Peace out.” It is just the laziest writing. They even chose to ignore Loke and Gray’s canonical friendship, all for the sake of making Natsu shine again… (listen, I love Natsu- but THE BROMANCE C’MON. It all just felt forced.)

And on top of that, you know all those interesting themes that could have been explored but that ultimately amount to nothing? The story then pivots and decides: “you know what? It actually DOES mean NOTHING!!!” Because (plot twist!) the freedom they actually wanted was from their power-hungry overlord beast of a King! (|Sarcasm incoming->) But of course, that wasn’t a believable enough reason for wanting freedom, and they’d rather die than ask humans for help. (Sarcasm over|) The fact that Ophiuchus tricked them into giving up their lives “for the king” without the Zodiacs realizing is probably the worst plot twist I’ve ever read.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily mind “we did this all for nothing” or “we tried to help but ended leading them to their demise” premises. Having said that, not only was this one poorly executed, but it also removes any reason for the viewer to take the spirits’ concerns seriously. After all, they were just taking out their misunderstood fear on the humans. Their feelings were misplaced, therefore we no longer have to worry about them wanting to actually leave Lucy or choosing to die. Also, why did they hurt the silver keys? Were they just acting out? Were they working under the influence of the king? Or is the implication that it’s actually the king who hurt them? If it was the Zodiac spirits who hurt them, despite the fact that the silvers are also under threat of the beast- WHY???

*siiiiigh*

In short, just because filler arcs should be inconsequential to the canon story line, that doesn’t mean that they can’t have something meaningful to explore or add to the existing story. Instead, Fairy Tail anime decided to waste everyone’s time on half-baked battles, cheap (borderline offensive) gags, and a plot twist that ultimately implies: “if the spirits don’t belong to Lucy (and Yukino), then they don’t matter.” And then— The spirits don’t even remember being saaaaved. *slow clap* Veeeery funny, anime. What a clever clever this-was-all-for-nothing final jest.

[poll-ventures]

Perdition 1.1

Someone was gently shaking me awake. The room was lit with a soft, early morning sunlight, colored blue by the glass bead curtain that covered the open window.

My eyes fluttered open and closed. The plastered white ceiling of the apartment was unfamiliar. I wasn't in my bed. 

Of course not.

"Hey, Parker. Wake up." A woman's whisper.

"What?" I asked stupidly, smacking my mouth open and closed. God, my tongue was dry.

"It's time to wake up, buddy." A soft breeze drifted past me, bringing the smell of cold morning mist and spent gasoline into the small apartment. The glass beads of the curtain clacked gently.

"Mmph,” I groaned. My breath was horrible, and my ribs ached. I sat up on the couch, moving the scratchy wool blanket off of me. “What time is it?" Sam was crouched in front of me, looking out of the window politely. I replaced the blanket over my chest, shifting to sit up on the couch. 

"Five A.M.," she said, standing and turning to stare out of the window and into the street. A train passed above the road, and with the window open, its horn was near deafening. Sam walked to the window, closing it swiftly.

"Five? Jesus, why?" I exhaled slowly, hooking my binder back in place while she had her back turned to me. My ears rang in the comparative quiet.

A groggy, masculine voice spoke from behind me. "Because we both have work, and you can't just be in our apartment all day." Jack walked past the couch to the dining room table and placed two cups down. “Although, I wish you could.”

Sam turned around to face me, smiling tiredly. "So, sleepyhead. What's the plan?"

"Well, first, I'd like to freshen up,” I said. “Then, I guess, we can talk about a plan." 

"Sounds good," Jack said. Sam nodded, then sat down at the table with Jack.

I stood, half dressed in yesterday's wrinkled clothes. I folded and threw the blanket onto the back of the couch, then stretched, groaning. Walking to the bathroom, I could hear Sam and Jack start talking. When I closed the door, their voices became inaudible. 

The mirror greeted me. I looked like a mess, and felt like one too. I cleaned up quickly, splashing my face with cold water, the hand soap stinging at my eyes. I tamed my hair with a quick rinse of tap water, and washed my mouth out, which helped it taste a little less like the pits of hell. I left the bathroom feeling considerably more awake. Sam and Jack quieted, then turned to face me.

Jack was drinking a brown-green sludge from a glass, while Sam was sipping coffee while gripping Jack's hand on the wooden tabletop. The dice and character sheets of last night's D&D session had been messily cleared to one side while I was cleaning up, leaving a clear space for the three of us to discuss. One chair opposite the two was pulled out from the table, a clear invitation.

I held back, standing behind the couch, closer to the front door than to them. The blue sunlight flitted across the couch and the empty bottles on the coffee table just past it, illuminating particles of dust floating in the air. The silence hung heavy in the air. I took a breath in, and slowly blew it out, watching the dust fly in and out of the sun rays. 

"So," Sam said.

"Yeah," I said. "Sorry about last night."

"No!" Jack and Sam said at the same time. They looked at each other sheepishly, and Sam finished the thought. "It's okay. We've all been there. We were glad to help." Jack nodded.

"I really do appreciate it. I'll head out now, if that's okay."

Sam shook her head, standing and finishing her mug, which she held out to Jack. "No. How much do you remember from last night?"

I thought back. "Uh... We finished the session, did our shot... Danny went home, and then... Oh. I talked about my situation." I crossed my arms.

"That's putting it lightly. You were pretty much screaming, honey." She smiled ruefully.

Jack chimed in, taking Sam's mug. "What happened? If you don't mind me asking. I was asleep by then.” 

Sam looked towards me, questioningly. I nodded, still holding my arms to my stomach. "He lost his job and his home in the same day," she said.

"God," I moaned, bending over and into the back of the soft couch, face against the rough wool of the blanket. "It sounds so much worse when you say it like that." The couch muffled my words. I slumped down, knees on the ground with my arms over the back of the couch, chin up, so I could see Jack and Sam.

"That bites," Jack hissed. 

"More than bites,” Sam said. “Absolutely sucks. Did he even say why?" she asked, pushing her chair in.

"He who?" Jack asked, finishing his protein shake and heading to the kitchen to wash the cups. He put his hair into a quick ponytail. 

"My employer," I said, following him with my head and raising my voice, so he could hear over the running water of the sink. "I was a nanny slash tutor to a rich kid going to Somerset." 

His hair bobbed as he turned his head to the side, still focusing on the cups. "Sounds like good money then." He turned back to the sink, sighing. "Fucking Somerset kids. You know we beat them at every-"

"At every sport, yes dear. I'm sure Parker knows about your Ferret pride by now." Sam rolled her eyes, turning to me and sticking out her tongue in a 'isn't-this-guy-crazy' face. "Seriously though, they let you live in the house?" she asked. 

"Yeah," I nodded. "Emphasis on let. Apparently they found a better tutor. All my shit was on the front lawn when I came back from class."

“I bet they just got one of those new condo kids for a cheaper price,” Jack said. “Worst things that we’ve ever built, in terms of effect on the city. I’d rather work on another fucking ski lodge.”

“Probably. It’s all your fault, then,” I said, smiling slightly.

"They didn't even talk to you? No goodbye?" Sam asked.

"No, just a note. The girl I taught, Noel, was there though. She said I wasn't to blame, her parents were more mad at her than me.”

"What for?" Jack shouted.

"The usual reasons. I guess they thought I taught her more than just good ‘school knowledge’."

"Bullshit," Sam said. 

"Fuck that," Jack agreed.

"Yeah," I nodded, standing from the back of the couch, my back quietly cracking. "I just hope her parents come around to respect her as she is." 

Nobody spoke, the small cacophony of rushing water filling the room. Sam looked down, away from me.

"Well," I said awkwardly. "It's not like I get unemployment. All that work was under the table, and now I'm fucked, basically. Nowhere to go."

Jack turned off the water faucet, and disappeared into the kitchen, rooting around in a cupboard. Sam looked at me sheepishly.

"What?" I asked.

"Uh... That's not what you said last night," she said.

"Shit. How much did we drink?"

"A lot. You said that the liquids were the heaviest thing to carry, so you wanted to get rid of as much of it as you could before you left. I obliged." Her eyes flicked across the empty beer and wine bottles strewn across the love seat and coffee table. “Good stuff, too.”

"Sounds like me," I sighed. "Did I... What did I tell you?" 

Her lips made a line, and she blinked, then looked me in the eyes. "About your Dad."

Fuck. 

I crossed my arms again, gripping my elbows firmly. In the kitchen, Jack cracked ice cubes out of an ice tray and placed them in a cup, the clatter filling the silence.

"Ah. Sorry you had to hear all that," I managed.

“Nah,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. "It wasn't all that bad. I get it. You said he might be able to help, but that you'd rather-"

"Shove your hand in a box full of used syringes," Jack finished. "The imagery kinda stuck with us."

"Yeah, well..." I started, then faltered. I took a shuddering breath, looking out the window as I finally spoke. "He's an option. Not one I want to choose." 

"Okay, that’s our backup then," Jack said, quick on the rebound. He walked back into the living room, holding a glass of dark juice with ice in it. He held it out to me, and I took it, sipping it lightly. 

Cranberry juice. "Thank you," I said, grimacing slightly at the sour acidity. It was good. 

He nodded, returning to Sam's side. She sat as he approached, and he began to idly massage her back with his knuckles. "So, alternatives then. No vacancies in this building, sadly, but there's always a few on Main."

“Yeah, condos, condos, and more condos,” Sam said. “Pardon me saying so, but I don’t think our friend here has blue blood.”

I drank the juice carefully as they looked at me, then wiped my lips. "Actually, I have, uh... I don't have any money. No cash. Nothing in my bank account."

"Shit," Sam said. "Neither of our jobs are hiring, right hun?" She looked up and behind her at Jack, who shook his head solemnly.

"I used to work at the Trench. I think it’s hiring. A cafe down on Main Street," he explained, turning to me. 

"Oh, the one Lev works at? Shit, is it Lev?” Sam asked.

"Lena, last I heard," Jack said.

"It's a possibility," I said. "I have something lined up with one of my professors. Supposed to be really good pay, but I'm not sure I'll get it." 

"Wait," said Sam, cautiously holding out a finger. "Is this the same professor who's a vampire in disguise?"

"Huh? Wait, what?”

"That guy," Jack said, "You were saying he only holds office hours at night, classes only after the sun goes down. You've never got a good look at his face,” he said, moving his hands from Sam's back to make fangs with his fingers. “You know-"

"Vampire shit," Sam finished. She raised her arms, quickly replacing Jack's hands on her back without looking away from me.

"I... I guess that constitutes vampire shit," I said, taking another sip of juice and resting my other hand on the back of the couch. "Anyway, yes, that one. He's offering a job as a research assistant, and whoever writes the best historical essay of Old Hill gets the position."

Jack smiled. "I'm sure you'll get it, you big nerd. But if you need a back up, the Trench is always there for you. Not great pay, but Lena's good people."

"She used to be our roommate," Sam explained. "Jack met her working at the Trench." She was smiling too.

Jack's smile faded quickly. "There's a reason she's an ex-roommate, though."

Sam nodded. "She can be very quick to help, to make friends. Definitely a helper."

"Yes," Jack agreed, nodding morosely.

I finished the juice, then nodded once. "Noted. Well, sounds like a plan. Thank you guys, for everything." I stepped past the couch and placed the cup of lightly melted ice cubes down on a coaster, then went about cleaning off the coffee table. Sam stood, Jack and her both helping me collect the myriad bottles into a trash bag. A few moments later, we stood in a somewhat cleaner apartment.

"Okay," Sam said, moving past me to grab her coat and purse. "Let's hear the official game plan then. 'Cause you can't crash here again tonight." 

"Sorry," Jack said, smiling as he slid a heavy wool sweater over his head. 

I shook my head. "It's cool. I appreciate that you let me stay here at all. I know we've only known each other for a little bit, so-"

"Oh, hush," Sam said, shrugging into her pink down jacket. "It's been almost every week for over a year. You're our friend. Don't think we wouldn't let you stay if we could." Jack nodded, head popping out of his sweater.

"Thanks." I smiled. "Okay, plan. If I call my Father, I need quarters for the pay phone."

"Can't use your phone?" Jack asked.

"They've banned my number."

"Wow," Sam sighed.

"Yeah. So, I'd need a few quarters. Sorry," I said sheepishly.

They checked their pockets, jingling loose change. Both of their gloved hands deposited three quarters into mine. A dollar fifty. "Thanks again,” I smiled. “I'll pay you back."

Sam looked at me as if I were crazy. "And with interest," she mused. "I'll expect a whole dime extra!" Jack chuckled as he put earmuffs on, handing Sam her pair.

"Then, I'll talk to Lena. We'll see how it goes. Then later today... Maybe I get the assistant position, maybe I don't. I'll always have the cafe to fall back on."

"That's the attitude," Sam nodded, smiling, and wrapping me in a hug. "You've got this, Park. Just call if you need anything."

"Seriously, do call," Jack said with a smile and a wink. He patted my arm, his heavy glove on my coat sleeve, and stepped out into the hallway as Sam opened the door. 

I nodded, stepping out with them. Jack locked the door, and the two walked down to the nearest staircase entrance. 

“Same time next week?” I asked, still standing awkwardly in front of their door. 

“Always,” Sam said, smiling warmly with a wave. "Good luck!" she yelled, then disappeared behind the door into the staircase, leaving the hallway empty. 

I smiled, a soft warmth in my core as I headed for the elevators. I took a deep breath as I pressed the button for down. 

*****

The sun still hadn’t risen by the time I made it outside, and I was well on my way to Main Street downtown before it decided to peek above the horizon. The sky was fading from the light blue-black of a sunless morning to a bright pink of a full sunrise. It was beautiful, which helped me ignore the sharp wind slicing right through my too-thin parka.

The winter months had been kind to Old Hill so far, only blowing out three truly horrible snowstorms in December and January. Apparently, Father Frost felt it appropriate to fill the void with wind chills just above or just below zero degrees. I breathed deep, lungs swelling as I took in the beauty of the street, and the woods beyond it. Birds twittered on the electrical poles, and every minute or so, a car whizzed by.

Some folks, mostly commuters, felt the wind as a blessing. Others, like Noel, bemoaned the lack of snow days. I didn’t blame her, really. Who wanted to go to school when it was like this outside? It was much preferable to stay warm inside. I had to admit, though, there was a charm to the chill February wind, just as long as you have somewhere to go to leave it behind. 

After about fifteen minutes of walking, I could tell I’d made my way to downtown proper. The grain silos, woods, and strip malls of the cracked suburban roads had slowly been replaced by restaurants, condos, and coffee shops on the freshly paved Main Street of Old Hill. 

The light traffic rolled complacently through the two lane street, a wheel-on-cement hum accompanying the croon of an old man strumming a guitar just outside the White Picket Trench. He was right next to the pay phone I intended to use. A fresh coat of black paint adorned the payphone's metal shell, forgotten and painted over stickers adding a dappled texture to the metal.

Walking closer, I strained to listen to the old man’s song. I couldn’t make out the words he sang, but the harmony with the chords he strummed bled pleasantly into the air. He sat in a flaking white metal patio chair, his guitar case laying open in front of him.

Wrapped in a blanket with a coat and snow pants underneath, his eyes were closed as he leaned back, almost unknowing of the world around him. A slightly damaged cardboard sign was taped to the inside of the case, reading, ‘Homeless and Hungry. Every LITTLE Bit Helps, or Just Listen A LITTLE While.’ The case was empty. 

I stepped up to the payphone, and his eyes opened as I took the receiver off the hook with a metal clatter, the dial tone buzzing in a discordantly. He nodded to me, then closed his eyes again.

His muttering song turned into a hum, strong and throaty, carrying farther. He adjusted the guitar in his lap, playing just a little louder. I looked from the pay phone to the man, squeezing the six cold quarters in my gloved left hand.

[how-to-cast-your-mana-comics]

Hey there. So since drawings still been a bit rough for me to do consistently I suppose I may as well start writing down things little snippets about the characters and world lore because I'll be honest there's some things I haven't completely figured out but there is a lot that I have. So for now let's start with the titular character Wilderin.

Wilderin is a young man in his early 20s, at about age 6 he went off to a boarding school in a city a long ways away from his home town, and graduated from it at age 16 with high academic records, and the school was eager to be rid of him anyways due to his magical curse's destructive and rather disruptive nature. Speaking of his curse he's had it since infancy but it only started affecting him negatively at age 4 when he had a traumatic surge of magic.

Since graduating he's been on the road traveling from town to town doing odd jobs and searching for something to help with his curse. However oddly enough he does not want to 'cure' his curse, more so he wishes to learn ways to better live with it to where it doesn't cause him constant suffering to himself and those around him.

And that's all there is to really know for now without spoiling much. I'll make more posts in the coming days and weeks talking about other characters and even a bit about the setting that this story takes place in. hopefully I'll be able to sprinkle in bits of art and doodles along the way until I can start posting comics and stories proper. ;w;

[peepos-prose]

Hello lads! Coming back from Artfight, I wanna start talking about Illusory again (mostly to pump my interest back up), so if I were to do some infodumps;

I'll be coming around to all these at some point, but I want to keep things interesting for you! I'll be compiling a master post after the fact, too, but for now, lmk what you think!

And for the first time, here's the taglist! (I am so professional XD)

Illusory Taglist (-/+ on request!)

@kingkendrick7, @kahvilahuhut

[beepboopappreciation]

Is this anything

[sonykatzen]

pretty boy

[rozer0ry]

//SONIC MOVIE 3 SPOILERS

Comic based after the events of sonic 3 PART 3

Read the previous part here!

[bluegiragi]

left on read.

--

last year i finally read "all that's said in the low light" by headlocket which i feel like has developed its own reputation by now, but just in case you don't know - it's kind of known in the fandom as a massive tearjerker. As promised, I cried buckets over it and it left an enormous impact on me.

I drew this comic (after getting permission from headlocket) as a what if on a situation in chapter 12, where Simon goes through a period of radio silence from Johnny after essentially giving him his blessing to date other people, the utter clown. We only see it from Johnny's side, who is really going through it, but the mental image of Simon staring at a slew of his own unread messages really stuck with me...did he think this was it? That that shitshow of a conversation he had with Johnny might've been the last they ever had? What if Johnny just never responded to him again? Did he regret giving him permission?

bonus - simon's forlorn and temporarily one-sided conversation:

[stageturn]

(slides u a jon) got time for a draw this in your style?

use #stageturnDTIYS to participate :D

HAVE FUN!!!!! (closeups under the cut :3)

and here's the actual doodle of s1 Jon

[paper-lilypie]

Your Sonic fic had me giggling and kicking my feet happily.

IM GLAD BC THEY GOT ME GIGGLING AND KICKING MY FEET TOO

[xitsensunmoon]

He's a bit too excited to see you clock in

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

Hedghodg Snugglz

[ayoharuko]

Storytime! (Things that happened to me irl, might do more if you guys love it :3)

Embarrassing storytime!

This short story is about how my ✨A D H D✨ affects my life (in a good way), for all purposes I promise you all no one was hurt and this is just me being silly irl🥳

I think you guys might find this short story funny since it was embarrassing but a funny memory!

~ Start ~

Ok so this one was actually not too long ago, me and my S/o were both at the mall just browsing around since we were too bored at home lol

So we were at H&M and and they were inside the changing rooms while i too was inside a changing room checking to see which skirt (i love skirts) fit me more, then my S/o knocked on the changing room door (We were inside a big changing room with stalls) They asked me if we could take a short trip to the restrooms since they had to go urgently.

Now you might ask, why don’t they just tell you and go on their own? Well…i’ll get lost.

Like I’ve been to that mall A THOUSAND TIMES and i still get lost…even when i have a map…

My sense of direction is just like Zoro’s🥲

So yea we were almost exiting H&M when the beeper or detector i actually don’t know what its called started ringing on us…

We both got so confused and a worker as well as the security guard looked at us with almost an blank/deadpan expression…..

We were so confused and i immediately started saying that we didn’t do or steal anything, the employee sighed and looked down at my body and I obviously followed their gaze and oh my fucking gosh…

I WAS WEARING ONE OF THE SKIRTS I TRIED ON😭😭😭

My mind immediately blanked as my S/o snorted (I smacked them on the shoulder dw) at the situation.

If it wasn’t for my S/o’s amazing ✨T a l k i n g✨ skills then the police would have actually been called on me🥹

When that whole ordeal was over i asked them why didn’t they tell me that i was wearing the skirt and they answered that they also didn’t know as they were distracted, so..the point is…that my adhd almost caused me to get arrested-

But its ok! I brought the skirt-

Yea thats the story, i hope you cringed, laughed or cried :D

Has something similar ever happened to you guys? Also tell if yall want more eheheheheheh

I honestly don’t mind sharing some of my irl stories with you guys cause honestly almost all of them are hilarious🤭

Oki thats all, have a wonderful day and thanks for reading this far~!