#the specific characters in question that I want to make out with:

[ai-the-broccoli]

enemies to lovers / but you'll never own my heart

@luzon-dove happy birthday, Quinn!! As a present, I decided to draw a piece fanart of your "blood in the walls of the yagami house" AU fic series, since I found it very well-written and full of super interesting ideas and concepts. I hope you like it!

[seastarblue]

new year, new me, new intro! as always this is subject to change as time goes on <3

all ids in alt ~ ✶⋆.˚✶⋆.˚✶⋆.˚

Nice to meet you! You can call me Sea, or Seastar, or whatever really I don’t mind too much!

-> About Me:

She / Her

18

AroAce

Black and Muslim (feel free to ask about either ^^)

Somewhat neurodivergent but I don’t know what exactly …

My favorite colors are red, yellow, and blue! Classics.

Favorite food is really anything my mom makes 🙏

I try to be funny sometimes and idk if it works but I’m doing it anyways

I’d like to use more tone indicators (like /pos, /gen, etc) and to ID more images here ! sometimes I forget…

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Anyways. Onto…

-> what I do and post about:

I’m a writer (or I try to be), artist (again: try to be), and a professional Silly Lil Guy 😌. I’d like to be a pharmacist soon, I’m planning on going to college for that !

This is my only blog, and here I post a plethora of Things, including but not limited to:

My original writing / doodles (more on those later)

My cool mooties and their characters

I wanna start writing prompts and such! For others to get ideas from!

This isn’t quite a whump blog per se but I do like whump and I do post about it occasionally so!

Yeah that’s basically it I’m ngl

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I’ve got a pretty decent tagging system if I do say so myself ^^ so a quick guide to that here:

#sea speaks! - for when I have random stuff to say! not always about writing stuff though

#sea draws - self explanatory

#sea’s asks - self explanatory

#sea’s games - for now, its tag games I’ve participated in! hopefully I’ll start making my own games soon…

#sea’s moots - for things that my (Aweseomesauce) mutuals have done

#osea: character name - for posts about specific ocs (or oseas >:D)

#o(sea’s) - for posts relating to a whole bunch of characters!

#sea’s story 1-3 - posts relating to WIPs of mine! more on those… in a bit

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-> Important Links:

I have two tag lists! This one is for writing and this one is for tag games! Dm me if you want on either ^^

here’s my master list for prompts! hopefully I’ll fill it up soon ^^

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now onto…

-> My Original Works:

All art that’s done by me is under the tag #sea draws (I’m SO bad at tagging sometimes tho so expect some stragglers)

I’ve got a grand total of …*checks notes* three main writing WIPs, and two tiny little ones I haven’t fleshed out at all!

more about them under the cut:

-> Ardenia WIPs:

(Psst, the following all come from one specific world, of my own creation! In order, it’d be the unnamed one, Interwoven, then TGS, then AGGTRG!)

Interwoven - lovingly tagged as #sea’s story 1 status: hiatus as I figure out more Plot — outlining Genre: Fantasy Themes: family, friendship, grief, loyalty, power, justice, belonging

Kaiden Evania is a cursed bounty hunter focused on very few things: paying off her brother’s tuition, keeping her little family safe, and enacting bloody vengeance on them. Bounty hunting isn’t a ‘proper’ job, however, and eventually Kaiden is imprisoned on charges of murdering a Guard.

She’s—begrudgingly—accepted her fate, and awaits trial, when a mysterious offer comes right to her cell door, promising everything she wants and more. Despite her skepticism, she takes it.

And with that, she and eight others are thrust into a kingdom-wide web of death, lies, brutality, and spirits.

———

A Golem’s Guide to Regaining Goodness - lovingly tagged as #sea’s story 2 status: brainstorming and shitposting Genre: Post Apocalyptic Fantasy Themes: Identity, belonging, morality, family

A former war golem, Arbor, and his young dragon companion Fiamma, travel the now war torn continent of Ardenia. Join them as they meet new people, explore the realm, and search for the answer to a single question: “What makes someone good?”

———

The Guiding Star - lovingly tagged as #sea’s story 3 status: brainstorming only because I don’t have enough Plot to shitpost Genre: Steampunk Pirate Fantasy Themes: (idk yet)

Zenith, of the Guiding Star, is no different than other pirates. They’ve lied, stole, and killed others, all in the name of fame and riches. They and their tiny crew of three others are unassuming, small fish compared to the gargantuan crews that share their skies.

When the Goddess Andromeda’s stars start falling from the sky, the Guiding Star’s crew are the first to pounce on the opportunity for power beyond their widest imaginations. Little do they know, they are not alone in this hunt. There are others, pirates and kingdoms alike, who will stop at nothing to collect all the stars and use them for their own gain. (will fill this out more later)

———

[Title Pending.] Status: just an idea Genre: Fantasy (structured like a field guide) Themes: (idk yet)

A field guide of Ardenia, written a long time ago.

———

and now the WIP that isn’t a part of Ardenia:

[Title Also Pending]

Either way, it’s a whump story surrounding a healer and a crownchain knight, both of which are trapped in a fighting ring against their will!

It’s set in the Crownchain universe, which was created by @whumpdreaming and I HIGHLY recommend their content ok peak whump right there!

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Now that the yapping’s outta the way… I’d like to take a moment and say…

to all my lovely lovely moots and followers: I love yall sm <3

stay funky, and have a wonderful day!

[boopshoops]

No Yan Sim OC questions! (by quartztwst!!)

1. Does your OC have parents or family in the AU? If not, what is their current living situation?

Jocia has a mother, father, two brothers, and two sister- no longer with a twin since in order for her to appear, she dies. HOWEVER she is not currently living with them. She's temporarily rooming in an apartment with three other people.

2. What are their thoughts on Quartz?

Given the blackmail clues Shi left behind in this scenario, it is overly evident that Quartz is one of Jocia's suspects- how MUCh she suspects Quartz comes down to how much and in what manner she interacted with Yuu Shi with- hell, if she was even the one to off her in the first place. She doesn't have any specific thoughts or opinions on Quartz on a personal level, all she has is the constant reminder that she needs to keep watch.

3. What is their thoughts and relationship with Azul? How did they meet Azul?

...W ho?

4. What are their relationships with other characters/OCs?

Student Council: Some of the council members offered apologies for Jocia's loss- particularly Riddle, Kalim, Vil, Idia(though brief), and Malleus given they had worked with Shi to varying degrees. This was enough to leave a decent impression on Jocia, but she hasn't really interacted with them much outside of that.

Music Club: Given these individuals were where most of Yuu Shi's close friends were, they all also offer apologies- some even attempt to befriend Jocia or include her in club activities. As nice as that is- Jocia has denied all offers.

PE Club(s? idk lol): She's showed interest in these clubs, though very mildly- and talked to Leona about it once or twice. She is too caught up in her own goals at the moment, though. Maybe if something changes?

Teachers: Honestly, they're concerned. Her transfer on its own felt... odd, but now she barely attends class or eats or bonds with others at all. They don't know her well, but they know she's up to something potentially dangerous and have occasionally urged her to care for herself better during the hard times.

Others: Again, she just got here. That, and she is much more focused on her own motivations than other people. It is possible to bond with her, sure- but that would force her to realize that she has to allow herself to grieve and heal, and she does not have time for that at the moment. A few other students, though, have paid their respects to her. (I feel its necessary to mention that she looks more intimidating to approach than usual- she's tired, drained, and struggling to care for herself, leaving her more disheveled as time goes on)

and more!! (Feel free to come talk to me about possible interactions with your ocs in this au!! i'll edit this and tag you here however pls know that during the events of the au they will be meeting Jocia for the first time)

5. What grade/year is your OC?

Third year. Junior. She is 18 in this AU.

6. What is your OCs goal for the school year or in life?

Apprehend her sister's killer. Protect her family- or make up for the fact that she failed to do so.

7. Your OC is being framed for murder of another student by Quartz, how does your OC react to that? Does your OC know it's Quartz?

This would probably be a defining moment where Jocia comes to the conclusion that it was Quartz- (Again, whether she actually killed Yuu Shi or not- Jocia isn't entirely in her right state of mind). Jocia would act out, again, in anger- lashing out at the people around her, and- if anything, making herself look worse in the process. Anger would quickly turn to desperation: listen- she has other siblings to care for. She doesn't want to leave them alone- she left her sister alone, and look how that ended up. It wasn't her, please-

8. Your OC notices Quartz carrying a weapon in her skirt pocket. That's strange since the female school uniforms don't have skirt pockets. Does your OC report this?

Jocia would not report this. She would take matters into her own hands once the time is right. Admittedly, yes- she's putting herself in danger, she's not thinking things through properly and fully driven by impulse. However, if she is successful (and doesn't use lethal force) she would report this after incapacitating Quartz.

9. Where is your OC usually with or at during school? Classes? With Azul? Skipping class? Where do they eat lunch?

She is often skipping her classes to get familiar with how the school grounds are laid out. Either that or to look for overly suspicious behavior. She has not been eating lunch properly- she just eats what she can once she goes home (The longer she goes like this, there will be more possibilities for an opening to get her off Quartz's ass). This often leaves her alone, but that is typically intentional bait.

10. How are your OC's grades?

Prior to transferring, average- maybe a little lower. Now? Well- she barely goes. They tank quickly.

The brain worms.. tHE BRAIN WORMS..

Anyway no yan sim oc pt. 2 "you offed the sassy cunt" edition.

I will expand more on her mechanics and possible relationships later but please note her character is very exaggerated here and in like- every other setting she'd grieve in a more tame way ok? Ok!

In basic summary of what I have mind, she's like if the delinquent characters actively tried to smite u ✨

TaaaaaAaags wowowowowo

@lowcallyfruity @cecilebutcher @kitwasnothere @skriblee-ksk @justm3di0cr3

@techno-danger @scint1llat3 @the-trinket-witch @thehollowwriter @distant-velleity

@beneathsakurashade @kathxrat-01 @qsoap @twsted-canvas @prince-kallisto

@tixdixl @twstinginthewind @sillyslipperybananapeel @nemisisnemi @jadelover69

[tigsbitties]

you there. i wanna ask you a question. In the Dialtown Phone Dating Sim Universe would yaoi be a word used to describe m/m pairings like it is in our world or would it be used to describe pairings between two phone headed people? I ask because out of universe Oliver and Karen are both described as "gay", but this only extends to them wanting to date exclusively phones or typewriters-- gender doesn't actually factor into the equation at all. And from an out of universe perspective it is simply set up this way as a compromise so characters don't all have to be vaguely bisexual but players don't have to play the game as any specific gender if they don't want to. Which is all well and good. but it opens a beautiful world of implications.

First. we have to ask ourselves if this is the standard everywhere or just how these two specific characters experience sexuality. Like there very well could be characters who are, for example, exclusively attracted to women and the head type doesn't matter. The topic simply isn't explored enough in depth within the game itself to make any definitive conclusions--but i have to assume there's variation on this given the nature of human sexuality is hardly rigid.

It should be noted that head type and gender often going together but not necessarily correlating is a progressive stance in universe. Typewriter=girl and phone=boy is both, likely seen as a more rigid, unchangeable rule by more conservative people and is something that the game itself doesn't really challenge outside of the player character. There are no canonical phone women or typewriter men npcs in the game. So even in Dialtown, a place said to be more progressive than other areas in terms of object head politics on account of being its origin point, its not particularly common. And the assumption is if your head doesn't correlate with your gender identity than you would want to change it.

But like. Gingi can't be the only person with the potential to defy this. statistically speaking. There have to be phone women and typewriter men who either can't get their head changed for one heath reason or another or simply want to have their head not one to one correlate with their gender either as an expression of identity or occupation. I'm sure their are male journalists or authors who have typewriter heads or female telemarketers or hotline operators with phone heads for the sake of convenience who have nothing extraordinary to say about their genders otherwise. After all, occupation seems to outrank gender in terms of head presentation, at least in Dialtown.

Plus, the head type gender dichotomy is extremely arbitrary (as all socially gendered things are) and is only set up that way because one guy 50 some years ago liked the idea. But that doesn't change what is and isn't considered ""normal"" in the game's world. Is head/gender discrepancy a big enough issue to have a bearing on pop culture? is yaoi only yaoi if its both m/m AND phone/phone because thats the baseline expectation or does only one half of the equation have to be true and if so WHICH takes precedent

[b1asho]

Erm, oc comic? Just click on the images idk how to change the image position formatting here yet :(

This is what I've been doing all this time, I need to practice putting these things together. I like some things and had fun, but it also looks kind of yucky.

Oh well

Featured here are Rinshi, a muttreazik, and their boss/sister Maro, a Sundyne who's been (violently) ousted from her extremely politically important clan (for terrorism and attempted assassination :D )

The two are hiding from authorities in the SEZ, and not having a great time in general.

Here's a buncha other info, aka i want to talk about my wretched ocs :

-Rinshi is a mancer, meaning they're a muttreazik with a degree of control over matter around them (think telekinesis). Their blue eyes aren't the result of my choice of coloring, thats the color they are all the time (a highly highly unusual color for muttreazik, even in the 'other' color category).

Rinshi is also a 'they' in the same way you'd call an animal an 'it' rather than a 'he' or 'she' if that makes sense. They don't think of themself as nonbibary in the human sense, instead it's more of an "outside of the binary and therefore a nonperson" way that Cerest use for xenos. It's the only option that's not male/female/he/she that they're aware of in this point in their life

Maro is a she (and VERY upset that it means she can't ascend to God emperor)

Rinshi is hunting with a nail that they’re controlling with their mind because that’s a lot easier than chasing down the alien rats yourself.

Normally this would be very easy for them but they’re kind of going through it right now, thus the major space-out and eye-bleed at the end (which normally happens to mancers who either overextend themselves or try to do stuff without any energy support from the body)

Not all Cerest-homeplanet animals have a decentralized nervous system like Cerest themselves do (such as these two animals, who have all their thinking meat in their head), but either way a shard of metal through the face isn’t good for anything

There are pockets of Cerest wildlife in the SEZ if you look for them hard enough, which Rinshi has to do because they’re currently in the outer reaches of it away from any inhabited districts where you could just buy/steal meat products. They're spending a considerable amount of time doing this since they're trying to keep a large hypercarnivore alive right now.

Maro got her face and torso cut up pretty bad during her.uh. Incident. Luckily Cerest heal fast, though infection and only eating rats has complicated and prolonged things. They’re currently living in an old habitat pod, which she can hardly leave thanks to the healing process (which has left her pretty much unable to walk. If she could, she'd definitely be the one doing the hunting because she has fewer qualms about killing things than rinshi does.)

This conversation is pretty out of character for her, but like she said, it's boring spending most of your time asleep in a garbage heap rather than pursuing your ambitions of ruling the world. Thankfully, she can always just ask her trusty retainer about things they don’t want to talk about.

‘et kerusit’ is just the Cerest version of like ‘my liege’ but specifically in the Sundyne female context and specifically for someone in Maro’s (former) rank/position in her (former) clan. "Princess" is also a pretty close analog but neither really sounded right so I made up some words. "Retainer” is the closest word I could find for what Rinshi is to Maro, and it fits fairly well (there is probably a better word out there but i like the old-timey knight vibe) they were originally employed to her clan as basically her little assistant and mandatory friend/bodygaurd/ally/etc. This happened mostly as an insult to her because that role should normally fall to a fellow sundyne and not a 'lesser species', but she has made it work.

I'm still testing this out but the Cerest language conventions are also why the question marks are out front most of the time, they don't change tone to indicate a question and instead just say an "I'm asking you a question" word at the start.

Rinshi also has a sort of stutter no matter what language they're speaking, with different words and sounds causing prolongations or repetitions. They didn't have any kind of support for the issue growing up, so theyre not great at managing it. So that's why some of their words are like that

The aforementioned rank difference is also why Maro gets 2 << instead of 1 when speaking (she's using a different enunciation of words to indicate her status, as is Rinshi. Basically ï for royalty i for commoner, or something. If they were speaking a Drecu dialect rather than a Sundyne one, their words would be in these things -> [[ ) .

As I’ve mentioned up there, they see each other more like siblings in their own mini clan (but she definitely calls the shots in their relationship )

Muttreazik think rebirth is real and they’re kind of right (at least within their own species). Rinshi does NOT want to dwell on where they used to live but those ideas were drilled in at a very young age.

[wasabiburger]

I haven't run into overly narrative answers to questions but one thing I have run into a lot are players who try to surprise me as the GM by not speaking to me out of character. As in, I ask them what they want to do, they give me a vague answer, so I ask them what they are attempting/what they are aiming for so that their vagueness isn't being misunderstood by me and they just tell me "You'll see". Not that I'll definitely react in the way they want and give them what they want necessarily, but it will give me a better idea that we are on the same page about the imaginary situation we are communicating from our shared brainwaves.

I can't tell you how many times I have disappointed a player because they wanted to surprise me with some crazy shit but they don't tell me what they want to do so I have the character or world react in the way that makes sense to me but nullifies whatever weird idea they had planned for me to see which we could have avoided if you just told me what you were attempting or communicated in some way that kept the surprise but made me understand what you were trying to do more.

It's like a ttrpg equivalent of those jokes that need the specific response for the joke to make sense, and if you get the person to respond properly just by chance then great but 90% of the time you have just confused the other person and now you're not happy at the awkward situation you've created.

Another effect of the whole "roleplay v rollplay" nonsense people do is refusing to answer ooc mechanical questions in plain answers, which is some of the most irritating behavior.

"What's your bonus to perception?" "I am quite adept at noticing the unseen".

"Oh that was a big hit, how much hp are you at?" "I am at death's door".

I hate it. Makes me jump through mental hoops to try and figure out what they mean and there's absolutely no reason to do it.

Yeah seriously. Like, what the fuck Derek, the game mechanics are an abstraction: my Cleric might not know what the fuck a hit point is but that's the language I the player have to make sense of the game state right now, we can safely assume that if you give me a straight answer as to how many fucking hit points your elf is missing my Cleric who is specialized in healing spells will know how many healing spells he should use. Shut the fuck up Derek, Christ.

[11vein]

Hello! 11vein, this is my first time sending you an ask so I hope I am doing this properly! Anyways—

I want to know what inspired you and everybody else in Team 6x11 to choose to set the story of Qualia Automata in Iraq, out of all the Middle-Eastern countries. Like, I know that Carbon Monoxide on your team is Iraqi, but still, my question remains that why Iraq specifically? I’m not Iraq, but I live in an Arab country and, from my observations of cross-cultural representation, countries like the UAE and Iran and Saudi Arabia, as examples, are usually represented more often in stories set in the Middle East. So I was wondering why you folks chose Iraq as the setting for the story of Qualia Automata, and I’ll be glad to hear how you were inspired to do so as well. Tell me all about what brought the team to the decision. Reply back soon, please!

i wish i could say we had an elaborate reason to make QA's story based out of a futuristic iraq, but it was kinda spontaneous haha. we were deciding the ethnicity of tamari and went with iraqi because some of the members knew someone who was iraqi (carbon monoxide) who we could consult for further ideas. this later led to them being added to the team :) i asked carbon for further input: "while i can't speak for why the team chose to make tamari arab initially, i can say that i haven't seen too many experiences related to my specific ethnicity depicted in media, and it's something i've been wanting to work more towards. iraq occupies an interesting place in american culture, i feel; most americans know of iraq ofc and know of the iraq war, but if u were to ask a random person on the street, they likely wouldn't be able to tell u much about the country outside of that. my family had to escape as war refugees when i was extremely little, but i'd very commonly fly back home to spend long vacations with extended family. i'm very intimately familiar with the effects of war, it was fundamental to my development and my identity as an iraqi person. infrastructure was still ruined from bombs dropping, streets were destroyed or not maintained at all, power would very routinely go out and i vividly remember need to grope around in the dark for flashlights and fighting with my cousins for the limited supply of lamps, and that's all stuff that was YEARS after the actual conflict. not to mention all the generational trauma, the metaphorical and cultural scars that war creates that has ruined people and families.the first-hand accounts of war from the perspectives of my mother and older siblings were extremely harrowing.

when i first moved to america, it shocked me how little people knew about iraq, how deeply-embedded imperialist propaganda was baked within the fibres of american culture. a lot of people i'd met were completely ignorant to this thing that shaped everything about me before i was even born, that blew me away.

qualia automata of course isn't ABOUT the iraq war, it's set years afterwards and it was never meant to really reflect any sort of real-world historical events. but i put a lot of myself and my family into these characters, and just by virtue of me being iraqi and helping write iraqi characters, i've seen war refugees from my country comment on how they relate to what's being represented. fayrouz in particular was the character i had the biggest hand in shaping, and she's someone who's deeply-molded by generational trauma, and the attitudes iraqi women had to adopt in order to survive during such awful times being passed down throughout the years. it's the type of thing only other people with these experiences would be able to immediately point out, but i'm always happy when people do

that and i think it's very useful to just write about iraqi people as, well, people. there's a stigma around arabs especially, but like i said before iraqis occupy a very unique space within american culture, so i think it helps normalize these cultures and experiences by just, having characters exist as they are!"

[heedzhee-art]

my new character, his whole deal is that he's low-key.... uhhhh ....

So this is Luciano, basically he was born out of my interpretation of 2p Italy (alt design of hetalia Italy without a personality) being too different from how he's usually depicted in the fandom and the headcanons slipping into a separate setting that couldn't mix with hetalia (and I didn't want to make it hetalia either), I also got very heavily inspired by Schmalgauzen music (Ukrainian cabaret band) last January and then boom I hallucinated a backstory and a setting for this guy so I decided ok he's mine now

So personality-wise, Luciano is into sophistication and theatrical wit, but also has a playful, silly side. Throughout his life he's caught between a longing for connection and his fear of vulnerability, shaped by a past that left him grappling with identity and self-worth, and his main struggle lies in overcoming the scars of abandonment which make him question his place in the world and whether he’s deserving of love. Despite this, he radiates charm, humor, and a love for the dramatic, finding joy in life's finer details like make-up, sweets, fashion, collecting fancy stuff, and art. He deeply craves the feeling of belonging. He is also an intersex man, which is a big part of his identity since having PAIS shaped Luciano’s worldview in multifaceted ways. Negatively, it deepened his feelings of being "other," contributing to the belief that he had to earn acceptance. Positively, it cultivated empathy and a rebellious confidence as he grew to embrace his unique self thanks to challenging societal norms, so he comes off as unconventional and strange to most people, but grows to embrace it. Neutral aspects include a heightened awareness of individuality and a nuanced understanding of human complexities which shaped his intellectual and artistic pursuits, so most of the things he paints have to do with that. Ultimately I imagine it made him introspective and resilient

Now to the fun part, he was born to wealthy Italian parents who expected a "normal" child but got him instead, they panicked, tossed him into an orphanage, and pretended they adopted him later to save face (so he was deadass adopted by his birth parents), his teenage years were spent under the "guidance" of his adoptive father, a shady businessman with an absurdly specific niche in illegal antique firearm sales, involved in a lot of gunrunning, where he also learned to use weapons and charm a room in equal measure. He was also largely shaped by the streets of an ever-so-slightly haunted villa... Luciano eventually got tired of the criminal world’s chaos (especially after he faced legal consequences with his family) and set out to reinvent himself, embracing art, cooking, and vintage collectibles as if it were a full-time job. He later managed to earn himself a privilege to travel to other countries, particularly he's been to a lot of France. He couldn't be viewed as a legitimate business heir and instead got the training of an agent/guard/spy. Also, he has a white pet kitty. Yea

With all that I would like to also explore themes of fabricated memories with his character (Schmalgauzen song reference 😒); growing up in a volatile and high-stakes criminal environment might have led Luciano to subconsciously block out memories as a defense mechanism, then substance use manifested in memory issues, with confabulation as a subconscious way to fill in the gaps. So his life story focuses on figuring out which of the things he remembers are real while trying to find a place he could belong to where he's loved. Then there's fear of abandonment, his identity issues, unstable relationships, self-sabotaging behavior, impulsivity, brief moments of feeling emptiness. Also he's only about 25 years old and I've decided it's all happening in like 1960s

Schmalgauzen lyrics also inspired me to come up with a lot of abstract visuals for his character, which I want to use in future art with him, hopefully someday 😭 I kind of hate when this happens, one moment I look at a random design and the next I have a bazillion ideas that seem too overwhelming to apply to one concept, but I clearly have vivid scenes and ideas for plots I could put him into, like he's a tragic and complicated guy when I lay every little detail out about him, but if I have to imagine him behaving, he's a really sweet and fun character, and I don't wanna abandon this concept, so I didn't want it to just sit in my head forever, at least now it's also on my Instagram and Tumblr... mucho texto...

[cuppajj]

Is this the ask box? If not I'm so sorry I'm not used to tumblr literally only got it to follow your au. It's great btw love everything about it.

But anyways can I bonk Dragonberry on the head with a stick to get her attention and say hi, but with a really long stick so I'm not close to her when I do so? She's my favorite but she's scary and I while I would prefer to write her a letter but I don't want her to have my return address.

Also I've had my own au in the works but never actually bothered to start writing or properly figuring things out till after coming across your au which inspired me to start doing so and I just wanna know how you set everything up and figure out how to use who where and how you split stuff into arcs? I currently have 2 arcs based on the continent one being Crispia and the other being Beast-Yeast and both have chapters but Beast-Yeast is becoming a lot longer than Crispia due to how my au is set up and the fact the canon Beast-Yeast storyline isn't fully out and I was just wondering if you have any advice on what's best to do? I do want to eventually post my au and I've already gotten to work on the designs but I don't know the best approach to make it into something that others who are unfamiliar can understand.

Also sorry this turned out kinda long!

You can!! Though would advise against using the stick bc if she feels like it she could grab it and fling you while you’re still holding it

As for your second question about how I use arcs, it really just boils down to being a way to manage all the characters that are in the AU. Each saga focuses on one beast (including their respective of the original 5), the protag who is usually related to them in some way, and whatever story takes place in that specific arc alone. They’re meant to be mostly self contained, but they’d feed into a bigger narrative. The Vanilla Saga is a little different because while it’s technically self contained, Crepe as the main main character dabbles in a little bit of everything; but only crepe (also choco technically). You’re not likely to see Princess in the Lily Saga unless the two stories surrounding Dragonberry and Midnight Lily overlap.

I do have plans for sagas to overlap before the “all stories converge for the final saga” part, for example the Vanilla and Berry sagas will converge in Parfaedia well before that, but that would be a single story arc before they split up again. Some sagas can/would share the same events but would still largely be self contained.

Im going off on a ramble here but basically, BAAU’s sagas are just info management lol. With so many characters and stories to handle, it would be very confusing and bad if all of them were crossing over at every turn. When you’ve got a plot line that can serve as its own thing, it’s easier to tell where pieces of information belongs.

So that being said I should really start tagging the sagas in some of my baau posts 😭😭😭

[mrschristensen]

Double's Always The Better Trouble

WARNINGS: smut/sexual content (READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!), female s/o, dom James + Sam/sub s/o, threesome, slight age gap (James is 20, Sam and s/o are freshly 18 but you can kinda imagine otherwise if you want), unprotected sex, piv sex, oral (m receiving), pet names/name calling (doll, sweetheart, bitch, slut), praise, degredation/dirty talk, a little bit of cucking, creampie, throatpie, slight nipple play, slight aftercare, lmk if I missed any!

synopsis: James finally gets it down with the girl he's secretly been crushing on... with another guy who was ironically in the same situation.

-> note: I've taken a pretty big break from writing it seems (I hate writer's block)... but I'm back! This is a request from @nitesnchocolate, so I hope you enjoy! Please let me know if you want to be on the taglist (in general/for all works or for a specific character/characters) <3

WC: 789 words

"You're playin' with fire, doll," James growled as he watched his very smug, brand-new girlfriend readjust herself on his lap for what he swore was the hundredth time. He had finally gotten the courage to confess to her just minutes before, and now she was determined to give him a show for whatever reason. However, he wasn't the only one watching and enjoying it.

Sam sat right next to them on the couch, stroking his cock that he had just barely taken out of his pants. For some reason, it was turning him on to watch the girl he'd been crushing on for who knows how long with another guy. Obviously he wasn't just friend-zoned or anything, since he was also apart of this relationship now, but it nonetheless got him off. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy, but the erotic sight before him was quite well worth it.

"What's the matter, Jamie? Can't take a little movement?" she questions tauntingly, rubbing her ass just right to brush against his painfully hardened erection, causing him to hold his breath. His jaw clenched slightly, and wrenched her head back forcefully yet smoothly, trying to make sure he wasn't hurting her.

"You know what happens to naughty girls, right sweetheart?" he asks, to which she just holds his intense gaze and stays silent. "They get punished."

She hummed, rolling her hips against his and making him groan, fingers digging into her hips. "Is that so? Punish me then."

"Gladly."

In a flash she was rolled over onto her back with him on top of him, and he swiftly brought them up so she was laying horizontally on the couch, so none of her body was touching the floor. He caged her in with how close he was, and made quick work of discarding clothes.

"I'm joinin'," Sam said; he wasn't requesting, he was telling. He scooched so he was right at her head, and smirked down at her before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her lips.

As he did so, James tugged his boxers down as fast as he could and buried himself inside her with one fluid thrust, groaning at how warm and tight and perfect it was. It was heaven.

"Fuck, baby," he breathed and reveled in her muffled moan (since she was still in the middle of kissing Sam), a hand coming up to pin her wrists above her head, "you're so fucking sexy. So perfect, so warm."

He started to bring his length in and out of her, keeping his pace hard, thorough, and steady. He could practically feel his tip kissing her cervix, bruising it for at least the next few days to come. "You like bein' treated like a slut, bitch? Yeah, I bet y'do. Squeezin' me so tight like y' never wanna let go."

Sam finally broke the heated kiss, but in contrast to James, didn't really care about fully taking off his clothes. He just wanted to make them feel good. He stroked her cheek, listening to her noises of pleasure now at regular volume, before shoving his dick inside her throat. Her gags and chokes on his cock was music to his ears, and his head tilted back in pleasure as she sucked him off.

"Such a good girl," Sam gasped, "oh fuck, that feels so good..."

"So the slut can make dick feel good both ways, huh?" James chides, chuckling as he intensified his pace, causing her to swallow more of Sam's dick. "Good to know."

"Oh fuck, 'm gonna cum," Sam warned, his fingers tangling in her hair. "Shit, shit, shit-"

"I am too," James grumbled, putting his lips to use and kissing down the column of her throat, latching onto a hardened nipple and sucking harshly. She moaned at the sudden stimulation, giving vibrations to Sam's cock still inside her throat, and it quickened his coming release all the more. "Can tell she's gonna too. Grippin' me like a fuckin' vice."

And finally all three of them came in unison, the blissful and intense sensation washing over both of them. James and Sam both moaned out loud, Sam also breathing her name like a prayer, as they both shot their loads into her throat and dripping, eagerly waiting pussy.

They both slowly pulled out, and all of them were gasping and panting. James rested against her, and Sam laid on his side so he could be near her too.

"Holy shit," he panted, "that was..."

"Perfect?" her and James asked in unison, making the three of them chuckle a little bit. They cuddled up with each other, stroking hair and bodies and murmuring words of praise and "I love you's," and dozed off peacefully.

[moonshine-nightlight]

So i just read Nothing's Wrong With Dale for the 4th time, and I just wanted to say thank you. I fucking love that story so much it's insane!!

I have a few questions that I keep thinking about of their life after the story ends. (Some of them are silly, sorry!)

1. Would you ever consider doing a sequel?

2. I feel like personally Dale would be an amazing father, but do you think they would ever have children in the future? If so, would they be half demon?

3. How would Dale react if another woman hit on him? I have a feeling he would be so oblivious at first.

4. What would Dale do if 'reader' is jealous of said woman?

5. What do you think would happen if someone in the 'readers' family accidentally found out?

Sorry if this is a lot, I'm just love this story so much! You are such a wonderful author 💜

Damn! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story enough re-read multiple times! That's so sweet!

i love questions about my stories, especially Dale! Since some answers will be spoiler-y and speculation, please see below :)

(Mild disclaimer: all of this is just speculation and half-baked ideas, nothing is canon because nothing is written etc even if i am the author. if anyone personally disagrees with any of this for their version of the reader and Dale--I fully support you)

I have considered it and while i do have ideas for some little spin off/side short stories, currently i don't plan for a full sequel. I just don't have a compelling idea for the overall plot/character ? Some of my bonus ideas are: POV story from Miss Adir&Mr Murray called "Peculiar Creatures" about reader and Dale; Dale hunting down Two; dale confronting the patrons of the assassination; a Midwife POV story; and a mini-romance story with Breighton and Teresa. I also do want to write more stories about different romances set in the Dale universe, with potential cameos by Dale and reader (each with at least 1 human and 1 demonic person).

Dale will certainly put his all into being a father. Not set in stone, but I think they'll have three kids and they are all part demon. If i ever was to write a full sequel it would probably combine some of the above short stories into one longer story covering readers pregnancy with their first born and the ramifications of a partially demon pregnancy lol while learning to take over Northridge. Dale felt very alone when he was young and so he'd put a lot of effort into making sure his child wouldn't feel that way--especially since the kid will be singular (no swarm) which Dale would see as very lonely. Both want multiple kids so that gets alleviated in time. They do have to be careful about letting Dale's grandparents around their children until they can control themselves lol

You're right, he likely wouldn't pick up on the nuance between "general manners" "sucking up to powerful people" "general flirt" and "flirting with him specifically". If he did notice, he'd be relatively polite but also ignore it or, if persistent, just leave to find the reader lol. If reader was there, he'd just be like "my lovely spouse" in greater and greater frequency/emphasis--like the other person is oblivious to the fact that he already has the best spouse.

I don't think reader would be jealous, they're married and stupid in love, but Dale'd probably just be confused if they were. Like, jealous of what? lol (I mostly find jealously fun to write/play with either before the couple is together or if its about non-romance things)

Reader's family finding out is a very interesting idea. It would definitely depend on who and when they find out. Callalily is the most protective so she'd be worried about the danger to the reader and generally everyone, not just violence but also manipulation. Douglas would be suspicious and wary and would need to interrogate Dale directly--fearing the reader being controlled in some way. He's seen the damage demons can do and takes it super seriously, but knows individual demons vary wildly. Marigold and Asher are both the most likely to hear the reader out and not jump to conclusions, for different reasons. They have more open minds and trust the reader to know themself/trust their judgement the most. All are more likely not to run screaming the longer they've known him/any children the couple has. The reader's parents would immediately tell everyone, they would have to be actively kept from spreading the word.

thanks for sending this ask and these questions in! It was a lot of fun to think about and share, especially since i hav basically no time for anything but work (which i should be doing now lol)

I'm always happy to talk about Dale ^^

[that-ari-blogger]

Where Do We Go Now? (Horde Prime)

The fifth season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power begins on a pretty dire note. I’m not going to spoil the series in this introduction, so go watch the show if you don’t know what I mean, but suffice to say that this isn’t the best of circumstances.

Except, it’s not actually the worst of circumstances either. Things are bad, don’t get me wrong, but if you are really obtuse, you can see a balance emerge here, and I am nothing if not obtuse.

Let me explain.

Spoilers Ahead: (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Star Wars Skeleton Crew)

She-Ra is a story about escaping the cycle of abuse, most clearly exemplified by the horde, but also through Light Hope and Shadow Weaver. From a certain point of view, season five opens with that being accomplished.

Catra is on the other side of the galaxy to Shadow Weaver. She has lost that power that corrupted her, and she has a nominal friend in Glimmer.

For all intents and purposes, the Horde has been defeated. Hordak is no more, and this new enemy is so aesthetically and practically different from its predecessor that it doesn’t feel like the same thing at all.

Light Hope has been set free, She Ra no longer inhibits Adora or acts to control her, and she is showing incredible combat skill without it.

Those are the stated goals of the series and the thematic endpoints of every idea that the series was building up towards.

If it wasn’t for Horde Prime, the series could have ended with the last season and been genuinely quite satisfying. The characters claw their way out of the tragedy, Glimmer was tragically lost, Catra couldn’t be saved.

Instead, the series kept on going and scaled itself up a bit. We suddenly see the full scope of everything, and despite their escape, our characters are still barreling towards tragedy. Breaking free didn’t matter, or at least wasn’t everything.

I think that every season in this show has a different thematic angle to be read through. A different question to ask.

Season one, for example, asked “how do relationships change?” As such, the season spent a lot of time developing the history of Shadow Weaver and Micah, as well as the fall of Entrapta and of course the focus on Adora and Catra. But it also showed the gaining alliance of the Rebels in the context of the previous fall.

In contrast, season four asked “what about everyone else?”

That’s why I pointedly avoided discussing Catra and Adora in detail. The season was about Glimmer and Light Hope and Perfuma and Scorpia. It was about everyone who was tangentially related to the main story but was being broken down because of it. Season four was a season concerned with collateral damage.

Which brings us to season five, and to the question: “where do we go now?”

The events I mentioned at the start of this are only positive from a certain point of view. To everyone else they are either negative or simply different. Everything is up in the air, everything has changed.

Last season, the show wrapped up, and now we are on a different story entirely. We are in a different place in the galaxy, the villain is different in every way imaginable. We have a different arrangement of characters. We have a different genre aesthetic, moving from quirky fantasy to full science fiction

My reading of this season is that it is the hardest step of removing oneself from the cycle of abuse: deprogramming.

The new Horde is aesthetically a modern or psuedo-modern cult, and the verb for breaking free from that is "deprogramming".

This is a story about what happens after someone escapes from that cycle of abuse in the physical sense, and suddenly has to resolve how they act. These are new situations that provide the characters with an opportunity to be whatever they want, and this is the story of those characters making those choices.

Put simply: “What do you want?”

Catra and Adora come into centre stage with mirrors of each other, specifically through their echoes of their previous deeds.

Both react to this new circumstance through changing next to nothing about themselves. They are on the path to redemption, sure, but neither seems to acknowledge that this is a wholly different situation.

“The Horde's the Horde, even in space. As long as I'm of value to Horde Prime, I've got a place in this world. I can work my way up here, just like I did before.”

This gets pointed out in the story as an insane thing to say. But it highlights Catra’s mindset in a concise way to remind the audience and explain her to new viewers.

Catra’s life has been ruined by her desperation for power. She wants to be safe, but instead of seeking that out, she takes the feeling of safety instead, and she does that through clinging to power. I will stress that safety and the emotions associated with it are different things, and Catra’s actions are more in line with an addict looking for one more hit of that dopamine gained from feeling secure.

If she wanted to actually be safe, she would have left the Horde way back in episode two. But if all characters always did the logical thing, then the story wouldn't exist. This isn't a plot hole, it's a character beat.

The key here, as gets stated by Glimmer, is that the feeling of safety is hollow. That ignorance is going to get Catra killed or worse.

Adora weilds a staff in this episode, which has two meanings. One, it's about as far from a sword in how it's used as possible. At least, far from a longsword like that of She-Ra, greatswords are a bit different. It's a different fighting style that has different strengths and weaknesses. But also, we've seen Adora wield a staff before. In episode one. When she was with the Horde.

Similarly, Adora is wrestling with the fallout of no-longer being She-Ra by falling further into her hero complex. She has to save everyone and will burn herself down to feel any warmth. She doesn’t sleep, and devotes herself to duty to take her mind off the situation.

The lesson she learns is that she is not alone, but there’s something else, and it’s the really small moment of the kid with the doll.

The child is obviously enamoured with Adora, and they carry the doll of She-Ra because to them, the two people are one and the same. To them, Adora hasn’t lost anything. To them, that admiration hasn’t gone anywhere.

I will remind you of what we know about She-Ra. Most recently, the First Ones claimed that they chose Etheria because it had She-Ra. But earlier on in the series, Madam Razz said this:

“She-Ra was here long before your people arrived.”

Adora never heard this, as it was spoken to Mara, but the point stands for the audience. Adora hasn’t lost She-Ra, she has shaken off the thing that controlled that part of her life. Now she needs to learn to do it a different way.

In other words, she needs to relearn how she interacts with the world. She needs to deprogram herself of everything the First Ones and the Horde taught her.

Speaking of deprogramming, this episode is named for it’s villain, and there’s something important to discuss about that.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is a series about growing up and leaving your bubble. It is about preconceptions and imagination. It is about change.

Part of how it explores this theme is the villain, Jod Na Nawood.

Jod is introduced as a heroic mentour in the first cliff hanger of the episode. But for the rest of the series until his true motivations are revealed, he is the most obviously suspicious character in the series. To the point where the kids notice.

There is a consistent thing with blue and red lighting in this series, in that everything keeps trying to shoot Jod in blue, but he keeps changing the scene or moving towards the red. For someone who's entire thing is helplessness and forced evil, he certainly makes a lot of bad decisions. Put simply, he is telling you the world is awful while actively removing any good in it. It's the childish excuse: "It's not my fault, it was like this when I found it." No. No it was not.

Obviously, this plays into that idea of not reading a book by its cover. But this is a character who keeps coming up with names and monikers, and who wears a mask at every opportunity. There is more to this man yet.

Then we get the final episode, and we get his backstory, and remarkably, he is wrong about everything.

He claims the galaxy is cruel and uncaring and that there are “a few pinpricks of light”, and yet everyone in the show has been kind to him except the people he actively did harm to. He caused his own misfortune, and people are still kind to him. The kids break him out of jail, their parents save them even at great personal cost. Jod Na Nawood is wrong, and the series ends by flooding him with light just to get the message across.

This is not a morally grey character. This is a villain with a cohesive backstory. Nuance and moral greyness are not the same thing.

But here’s the key thing, Jod is a child who never grew up. He is forever trapped in a moment that the Galaxy isn’t anymore. He says the world is awful and then takes steps to make it worse, and that final shot of his defeat makes it abundantly clear.

Jude Law is hot, but he’s also an incredible actor. If you combine that with good cinematography, you get a moment where the camera looks directly at him as the light illuminates his expression, leaving nowhere to hide, and he looks like a scared child recovering from a tantrum. He looks about to cry. He looks like he's about to say "it's not fair".

There's something to be said for the simplicity of Jod's design in comparison to the rest of Star Wars. Jaba is a slug gangster, Darth Vader has the hat and the cape, and Jod has the helmet. But when you take that away, which the show keeps doing, he's just some guy. He wears clothes that are slightly too big for him, and he has a big ol' gap over his chest. He's vulnerable.

Jod is not good at scheming, he got defeated by children. He’s not particularly charismatic, he lost his crew repeatedly. He’s not a good leader, see my previous point. He’s a traumatised child who refused to grow beyond that.

In that sense, he is a thematic opposite to the main characters. They represent hope (a new hope, you might say), and he represents stagnation. The series asks which idea will prevail, and Jod’s does not.

In She-Ra, the villain is Horde prime, who acts as the symbol of isolation and lack of agency.

Everyone around him is a vessel for his will. He is another version of Shadow Weaver turning her victims into another version of herself. Horde Prime does that literally with the mind chips that will become more important later on in the series.

His interaction with Glimmer is all about confining her. He limits her magic, he shows her images he knows will break her. He messes with her free will.

He's also an eejit. Catra was willing to give him the weapon practically for free. But no, he took the extra effort because he wanted to feel powerful. He's petty and cruel, and he's blind. He's got so many eyes, but he can't see the easiest rout to his plan when it is handed to him on a platter.

This has been a story so far about taking your own agency and being your own person, and Horde Prime is the person who says “no actually, you shouldn’t do that.”

His throne room is a vast emptiness, his power set is about embracing oblivion.

In that way, Horde Prime is a thematic opposite to the themes of the series. The story has been teaching our characters to be free, and Horde Prime tries to get them to surrender.

We will see which idea comes out on top.

Final Thoughts

I want to talk about Shadow Weaver for a moment. This is a season that delves into redemption, and it offers that to everyone, Shadow Weaver included. We will see how that ends, but for the moment, there is an interesting dichotomy.

I think Shadow Weaver does care about Micah and Catra. She saves Micah’s life in this episode. But she doesn’t care enough to do anything about it. She doesn’t care enough to change her ways. Redemption is offered, and she doesn’t take it.

I think that sets up the concept rather well. Redemption is not just something that is offered, it is something that you have to take agency in. You have to redeem yourself. You can get help, and honey, you will need it. But, you have to do most of the work.

I think that makes Catra’s story a bit more impactful.

Next week, I will be looking at Launch, so stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[romirola]

Hey! First off, I just gotta say I love your work! The way you characterize everyone always feels so deep and full of thought, and it just adds onto the already interesting stories that you have going.

One character that I always enjoy reading from the perspective of in any fic is Babe, but one thing I've noticed is that there's not a ton done in regard to their dynamics with certain pack members across the fandom. While there are plenty of works out there featuring their dynamic with Asher (of course), Angel, Sweetheart, and sometimes darlin' and sam, I feel that there's rarely any exploration done with their dynamics with Milo and David. Longwinded preamble aside, I'm curious how you would describe your personal view of their dynamic with the two. Is there anything in specific you approach it with when writing?

Thanks!

Hi, Anon! Hey, thanks so much for stopping by and sending this ask. It means so much to me, and I really appreciate it. <3

Babe is an incredibly fun character to write and to read about. I love their tenacity and heart. I love their dry sense of humor, their ability to see the big picture, their courage, and even their vulnerability when the time is right.

As fun as it is to write bona fide Asher/Babe-centric stories, I also really enjoy mixing things up by having Babe interact with other members of the pack. Your question has been so much fun to think about!

I think one thing that's really important to note about Babe is that they are the FIRST unempowered mate of the Shaw Pack ever. That's a lot of pressure. To integrate into a world of magic is hard enough, but to be thrust into the role of beta-mate while trying to navigate this huge change in perspective? Babe strikes me as the type to want to know as much as possible, to fill in all those knowledge gaps as best they can, and to do so on their own because they don't want to be dependent on Asher. I headcanon that Babe can often be found at at the Empowered section of the Dahlia Library, studying as much as they can about not just shifter culture, but empowered society in general. They attend lectures, seek out classes, read on their own. Whatever it takes.

That's something I bring to bear on their relationship with David especially. Babe wants to be a capable, supportive mate to Asher. They want to make sure that his best friend and alpha views them as an asset to Asher, not a burden. So I think when it comes to David, especially early on, they often try to "prove" to him they aren't just some informed-idiot. (Apparently, they discover, that's a common phrase in magical society.) David always saw Babe as a wonderful addition to Asher's life, not so much for their knowledge (though he is often impressed by them), but because of their love for Asher. David sees the difference. Asher is more confident with them. He shares ideas more readily. He takes charge more frequently. He breathes a little easier. And David loves to see that. He never struggles with Babe, finding himself enjoying both conversation and silence with them. And lately, I've even gotten the chance to explore the deep connection I know David and Babe share. My current fic, The Prince Shifter, is an AU where I've cast Babe and David as cousins. Having that dynamic has really allowed me to explore a very comfortable vibes between them. AU and Canon, I think Babe has the guts to always tell David what he needs to hear, and David really respects that. They just... click.

When it comes to Milo, I think he and Babe hit it off right away, much to Babe's utter surprise. They know they come off as stony, stoic, even abrasive. It's usually hard for them to make friends, despite the friendliness and care lurking just below their surface. But Milo seems to take them in stride, never pushing for more than they are willing to give, yet very willing to meet them right where they are. It's fun. The pair really enjoy spending time together, plus Milo loves to see Asher fall in love with his person. There's a really small , brief moment in It Was the First Time (Things Felt Normal Again) where Babe helps Milo breathe as he suffers through a bout of "magic-stroke" (his post-Inversion injuries), and it's honestly a nice moment that I think demonstrates their bond.

Something I should probably also mention that underscores just how much Milo and David appreciate Babe: I headcanon Asher has had a string of truly awful partners. Users, cheaters, and worse. People who just took-took-took from a nice guy willing to give so much of himself over, and expecting nothing in return. It broke Asher's friends' hearts every time to see the relationship crash and burn, usually with Asher feeling devastated. David and Milo initially presumed Babe was going to be the same. Until... they realized, this was different. Babe was different. And they couldn't be more glad.

What do you think, Anon? That was long-winded, but I do so love the opportunity to talk about this stuff! Please do feel free to reach any time!

[hplonesomeart]

Would

(go to one of his theatrical broadway-wannabe concerts or perhaps a late night gameshow comedy hour sketch performance. I’m not too picky I’d be willing to pay money just to see him perform anything period)

Yea I felt like doing something silly in order to break away from the dread of finals week coming up. What can I say? I’m a professional procrastinator. But man oh man it was a good call this time around—I mean just look as this scrumptious masterpiece right here. Time well spent for sure. Genuinely I believe to have cooked with it chat /j

This is a version without the added stars by the way. And the second one is obviously just raw image reference/the original “bereal concert meme” source. I was very tempted to put Puzzles in that same exact outfit—however I decided it would be overly time consuming to make two separate versions. Maybe once finals are over I’ll be able to do that :)

[ckret2]

I have an offering for Bill Cipher. The first is Zooland books, specifically the 1980 version of them. They have the most amazing illustrations and I loved them as a kid. The second is Madeline Le'angles Wrinkle in Time books which is my favorite sci-fi series. Hope he likes them☺️

idk whether he'd enjoy zoobooks (all i know about them comes from those old tv commercials) but he'd be successfully hypnotized by them. book has pictures, he looks at pictures.

ngl I couldn't get past the first wrinkle in time book. Nothing wrong with the sci-fi worldbuilding, just the overall good vs evil plot was too... whimsical for my tastes? It's been years since I read it, I don't remember precisely what I didn't enjoy. so I don't know enough to decide whether he'd like the whole series.

[skunkes]

Does Al ever struggle with his weight / has he ever?

do u mean like, Self Worth wise or actual physical fluctuation wise? if the latter I do like drawing him at firm strongman peak since he's a farmhand but sometimes he isn't actively maintaining muscle so he's saggier (<- most of recent art of him) ....

as for the former I've never wanted to stray in that direction for fat characters, and any issues he has wrt self image (slim as he know's he's endearing and handsome) are more about how his overall size (big and tall) might be perceived as dangerous or a threat due to some formative and isolating events in his childhood, and less about it being focused on weight specifically ykwim. because otherwise he has no issues there ^_^