#the way I doodle and still have nothing to post because it isn't complete is appalling

[minyakii]

omg I drew something??? but also I just don't feel like doing my homework lmao

so little doodle of like a college au? where scara on bus to school cause he can't drive 😌

He just like me fr tho 💔

[skyenish]

Twisted Wonderland Personality Swap AU

Thanks so much for the support on my previous posts, it really means a lot to me. Because of that, I've decided to continue writing for this AU and keep you all updated! I'll also be using this post to answer some of your questions. (In this AU the Housewardens and Vice-Housewardens switched personalities)

I went ahead and made some doodles for Ruggie, Leona, Jamil and Kalim (Ruggie with Leona's eyes scares me tbh)

Questions/explanations/clarifications:

-I didn't change the characters' backstories (unless specifically stated). Riddle still has a horrible mom, Trey's family still owns a bakery, Leona is still second prince, Ruggie is still dirt-poor, etc.

-What changed is how the characters reacted to their respective trauma I guess, which resulted in their personalities changing.

-Their personalities are not exact copies of eachother. For example, Riddle isn't just Trey but with red hair. He's very similar to Trey, yes, but they have a few differences in their personalities too.

-I'll explain how the characters became the way they are over time. Plus, it's also fun to think about it yourself, right?

-I've already worked out Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Octavinelle and Scarabia.

-I'm planning on doing every dorm, but I play on the English server so I haven't finished book 6 yet.

-Yes, I'm planning on having the Vices + Kalim overblot, and to do that I'll be using their already canonically established backstories.

-I am NOT a professional artist, nor do I have ANY experience with drawing comics, but just know that I'm passionate about this little project and will work hard to make it as good as possible.

-I'm busy with school (I'm busy in general lol), so I don't have a lot of time to work on this AU- I've been sick for the past 4 days, which is why I could post so much.

-If you have literally any questions, just ask. I love to read you guys' reactions!

Characters:

Jamil wears his hair in a loose braid in this AU, since I don't think he has the patience to braid his hair the way he originally does and his hair is kinda connected to his personality. Jamil is much more optimistic and positive, and he's always supportive. People seem to naturally like him, which annoys Kalim. Jamil always tries to look at things from a positive perspective, trying to make the best out of his situation, though it's not that bad for him, because Jamil genuinely thinks that Kalim is amazing. When he got an invitation to NRC he INSISTED that Kalim come as well. Jamil always wants to throw feasts, and if his master allows it, he'll disappear in the kitchen to cook enough food to feed 3 entire dorms for a week. Jamil frequently tries to get Kalim to relax, because he just wants him to be happy, but Kalim then reminds him that they're at NRC to study. (I already talked about Kalim in a previous post but I'll copy paste it here too)

In this AU, Kalim is much stricter, much more focused and MUCH more responsible. He studies rigorously and insisted on actually working hard to earn his position as Housewarden instead of his family buying the position for him. He’s very sharp, quite intelligent, and is annoyed by his naïve servant and his carefree attitude, who keeps following him around.

Leona is a menace, playful, optimistic and cunning, but he also puts a lot of work into his dorm and school. He knows he has to work had to achieve his goals and he knows that he has a lot of responsibilities. He values hard work.

Ruggie is the complete opposite to Leona though. He is lazy, quick to irritate, and forces lower-classmen to do his work for him because he just wants to sleep. Ruggie is a terrible student, never showing up for class or duties and never putting in any effort. He feels like no matter what he does or how hard he works, he'll never make any changes and his life won't ever get better anyways, especially with a high-and-mighty prince as his Housewarden. He thinks that nothing he does is of any use , so why bother at all, right?

Thanks for reading this word vomit, reblogging would be appreciated lol

[crossroadsnumber1doctor]

{ this post is entirely ooc }

Hello there! Welcome to this Roleplay Blog out of a million however you might have gotten here. First, something important to get out of the way before getting into the actual intro info:

i am not part nor affiliated with the official BOGGIO team, personally being just a fan of the game / characters, and therefore nothing of which I say or do here should be taken as canon, this is simply a roleplay / parody account of one of their / PHIGHTING!'s characters. I can't possibly know every single detail about, well, anything and will very likely mess things up especially since I don't have a twitter and therefore can't exactly access any twitter posts made about phighting lore and such unless it's directly shared with me. Most of what's here is either taken by Soda's tumblr QnA, the Official Phighting Wiki ( the fandom.com one is outdated ) or my own personal Headcanons.

If you're still here and would like to continue reading this intro then without further ado lets get onto it ( click readmore )

( this is going to be a very long post )

---

This is primarily just another silly little RP / Ask / Parody Blog for Medkit from the game PHIGHTING! on Roblox. I'm not exactly the best roleplayer however and might possibly get a tad out of character from time to time if I'm not careful, which I do apologize if that ends up happening.

It might also take me a while to answer and respond to stuff due to the fact that I tend to like to think for a good while before deciding to do so ( or i might just straight up forget / get distracted in which case you are welcome to direct my attention back to it ).

I'll likely also send in some Roblox screenshots and such both IC and OOC. ( with something to differentiate which is which of course )

Although my art's not exactly the best I will likely try to respond with a simple doodle or drawing from time to time because well it's fun to do and I feel that it could make some things seem more interesting and such. :)

Most of the drawings and SS's here are simply my own but I will make sure to provide credits and such if I use someone else's stuff for my own purposes of course!!

Aslong as you aren't NSFW ( gore / graphic stuff is fine by me but will be tagged just incase anyone else isn't fine with it or is made uncomfortable by it ), Racist, Transphobic, Homophobic, A proshipper / comshipper, abelist, aphobic, zionist or otherwise just not really that good then I'm completely open to interactions most of the time! If I don't answer right away then I'm probably busy / distracted but I will try to get to it as fast as I can when I do notice it. I don't mind AU or OC interactions but try to let me know the context behind relationships and such beforehand!

I am relatively fine with shipping aslong as it, yknow, isn't bad, forced or a proship / comship or anything but due to personal preference and the fact that I do headcanon Medkit as Demiromantic I would prefer to take it slow at first atleast. I might also ask for reasoning though that's just out of curiosity if it's something I'm not familiar with.

The Mod / Blog Runner doesn't exactly take things too seriously most of the time and swears a lot so that'll probably reflect in OOC posts. I have pretty bad bad grammar / English aswell so if there's any particularly bad mistakes do make sure to point them out so I can fix them.

Not sharing the main blog for the time being but if you do recognize me then.. Hiiiii!

All in all, I am looking forward to interacting with this community and seeing what happens! :D

---

Pronouns for Medkit - He / Him

Pronouns for Mod / Blog Runner - He / It / They / Xe

---

Caution;

Do take in account that due to the nature and backstory of the character that this blog revolves around it will likely touch on some topics of extreme violence or atleast the aftermath of said violence, PTSD, Paranoia and Cults / Cult Life.

All of the above will atleast have an attempt to be properly tagged whenever directly mentioned / brought up. Please do let me know if I miss anything or need to use different / more tags.

More will be added to this if seen fit

Although for most of these I either have personal experience and / or tried to do excessive research about please do also let me know if I can do / portray something better!

---

Key;

Normal Text in any way -> OOC

Chat + Italics -> Narration / Actions

" Green Chat in Quotations " -> Speech [ Italic Green Chat in square brackets ] -> Thoughts

Bold text in any of these likely just means that it's important or atleast that it should be a focus point. Small text will likely be less important or whispering / mumbling / in a quieter tone of voice depending on the context.

Will add more if needed

---

Headcanons;

Suit / Main Reference made by myself.

If text too hard to or unable to read due to coloring here's the text left -> right, top -> bottom

Farsighted

Long Fur + Fands due 2 being blackrock born demon

Long, long-furred tail

Other than longer fangs nothing too remarkable about mouth

he / him under a transmasculine flag

Small Holes in gloves allowing unsheathed claws to stick out

Other;

Due to his current circumstances Medkit probably isn't really looking for love or a romantic relationship in the first place, nor would he probably be able to completely trust anyone viable for that position to get close enough or those feelings at the moment. That doesn't exactly mean he CAN'T but it's very unlikely.

Probably tired most of the time and all the caffeine from the coffee probably isn't helping. And back pain. Can't forget the back pain. This dude literally sleeps on a desk i cant imagine how that back feels.

Medkit usually doesn't let anyone other than the people he trusts on his blindspot / left side while idle and able just so that he can keep an eye on what's going on, frequently preferring to have that side closer to walls and other obstructions otherwise. Also likely so that he knows that someone would be watching on that side while he can't.

[slugwan]

this isn't proofread. at all. sorry if there's mistakes lolol, there is nsfw here but i will mark where it starts this is my first "official" post on tumblr here goes nothing warnings: brief mentions of choking word count: 951

something about artist!seulgi and her supportive girlfriend irene's calm life.. i've been thinking about it often.

i think it takes a while for seulgi to really decide that art is her passion - though irene has anticipated that it would have happened all along, seulgi had an infinite love for all kinds of art. whether it be dancing, drawing, or painting, she'd look so good doing it and best of all - happy. so this is what she wanted, right? irene gets the memo, and she goes to art school.

there's some settling in to do, because irene is used to having her seulgi with her all the time, now what was a few ten minute doodles turned into days stacked on days of projects and work that irene likes seeing the final product of, but there's nothing about the process of it being made she likes. she liked having seulgi's attention on her twenty-four-seven, but it was fine. seulgi would pay more attention to her when she was done.

when they get their time together, since it's spaced out and in seldom, they take their time. seulgi sings to irene, goes on rainy day walks with her and shares the umbrella with her. her shoulder gets wet, the umbrella isn't big enough, but it's fine because it's with irene. there's the occasional date to karaoke, which is seulgi's favorite because she loves watching her lover show off that pretty voice of hers. irene's favorite dates are to dinner. she knows seulgi doesn't eat much, always putting her art and irene first over her health and sleep, so having a way to make sure that she's eating is reassuring. it's also a bonus to listen to her laugh, to have seulgi's phone under her nose because, "look at this, it's so cool, isn't it?"

// nsfw

the sex is still good too. irene needs reassurance, and seulgi is there to reassure when the time lets for it. long, warm nights in bed are usually transformed into talks of "do you know how much i love you?" to hours of kissing. it usually ends there, because both of them are tired by then, but sometimes they feel like doing something extra.

the sex isn't carnal fucking anymore, compared to how they used to, they savor every moment of it. irene usually tops, though seulgi doesn't particularly like to admit it, but sometimes when in need of reassurance all her hyun needs is a good fuck.

so she provides.

seulgi likes to tease, fingers just barely circling over her lover's tiny clit as she whispers sweet nothings to her. irene is impatient, not because she wants it to be over but because she doesn't like being teased, she wants seulgi on her now. her lover understands with a dainty hand pushing her head downward, and then moans fill the room. typically, joohyun isn't vocal, but it's been such a long time and her needs pent up over time. she tries not to mess with seulgi's head between her thighs, suddenly she's so sensitive from her girlfriend's hair on her thighs and she just can't help but to roll her hips and to cry that she loves seulgi, that seulgi is so good to her. seulgi edges irene out of a want for it to not end, until she's crying from oversensitivity and dripping so much that seulgi can't lap it up anymore.

when she cums, irene tries to change the position so seulgi is on the bottom but she refuses, saying that the night was about her - and that's when irene notices the sex feels different. it doesn't feel like a quick one-and-done type of deal where you make each other feel good, it feels more like an act of love. and that's what makes irene cry even more, the feeling of overwhelming emotion.

if seulgi is gentle, like a warm summer, then irene is a harsh winter.

seulgi likes the feeling of submitting completely, and irene likes some responsibility. she likes being choked sometimes. when irene's hands control something as important as her life, it's somehow liberating. she is quick to cum, but irene knows seulgi has stamina and often times abuses the fact, tying seulgi up in navy blue silken ropes (because her lover can have only the best) and forcing orgasm after orgasm out of her, until seulgi begs her to stop because it feels too good. when nights run actionless and irene feels the need to, there's the occasional quickie while seulgi paints where she's just so needy, wandering into her lover's art room to undo her pants.

through questions of "hyunnie, what are you doing?" to pleas of "please, please make me feel good," with legs wide open, welcoming irene's lips and fingers she doesn't fail to please. seulgi likes the element of surprise, too, when her projects reach a plateau of improvement her mind wanders to situations like this.

she likes it. wants it, even.

irene is rough with her lover, leaving marks of possession all over seulgi's neck so that everyone that goes to her university knows that the pretty girl who majors in art belongs to someone, even though seulgi wouldn't cheat ever. among rough bites and wanton sucks, there's little kisses peppered all over whatever exposed flesh to show seulgi just how much she's loved. by the end of what irene calls foreplay, seulgi is so sensitive she only lasts a minute or two with irene's fingers and all she can say is "thank you," and "i love you."

it's good enough for irene. maybe art school wasn't so bad - admittedly, she was hesitant at the start of it all but it really isn't the worst thing in the world.

[doorbloggr]

Inktober Part 2

Motivation and Stress

Sunday 20/11/22

(All art in this post are my own creations)

Linktober 2022 Day 25: Zelda

As an artist, a constant struggle is finding the time and effort to sit down and just do the thing. Be it motivation or inspiration, it is difficult for creatives to start (or finish) pieces of art. This applies to writers, visual artists, musicians, and any other type of creative.

This year in particular, I had multiple months where I produced maybe one or two pieces of art if I was lucky. This is because art is a hobby for me, and there is no revenue in it. Maybe it is because of my motivation that there isn't? But from experience is past years, I know that nothing gets me in the mood for creativity like a deadline.

But that mood isn't always a good one...

Linktober

I first participated in Linktober in 2018, where I just did the regular challenge. And as someone who doodled sporadically in my spare time, it was a refreshing change to have structure to my art. The first issue I usually have when I want to sit down and commit to illustrating is... what do I draw?

Linktober, as discussed in my previous post, is a variation on the Inktober format. For every day in October, artists will post a drawing. Each year the folks at Linktober will cook up one or more Calenders of prompts to follow, so that I have a direction to follow for each drawing. Each prompt is still up to interpretation for what specifically you draw, but it's something.

Linktober prompt listsfor 2018, 2020, and 2022

So there's two aspects of a month long challenge that help my artistic drive. 1) The direction, and 2) the quota. Now for a while, in particular last October, I have thought of Point 2 being more "Deadline", but I think it is better to think of it as a Quota, and we'll get into that soon.

Direction

So a lot of the struggle to start doing art is to do with inspiration. In 2020 I had a fairly consistent inspiration for art since that was the year my D&D group played the most regularly. But this year, adult scheduling has meant that we haven't played as much, and as a result, less D&D art happened.

And it wasn't just that I could call on D&D as a loose concept to do the art, since these "session arts" were pieces based on highlights from our sessions. Before I did Linktober, I did a month long Pokémon drawing challenge, where each day gave me a Pokemon Type, or category of Pokémon (e.g. starter, eevee, legendary). Now sometimes when I was in the mood, I would draw Pokémon anyway, but with this challenge, I was given instructions for 31 drawings.

POKEDEXY, a Pokémon drawing challenge I did in 2017

All this to say, although good art can happen spontaneously, I personally found that I have the best artistic drive if I already know what I'm drawing.

The Quota

Again to use the D&D session arts as an example, part of the reason I was so consistent with my posting of those arts was because I wanted to get last week's art out before we had our next session.

Session Arts for Chapters 9-18 for our D&D "Everift" campaign.

Part of the artist's motivation problem is... why finish? Sure if you have the direction for a piece, you know what you're making. But when will it be complete? Unless you have a client, most artists are not working to a strict deadline, so it is up to the artist when (or if) a piece is completed, and when/if it's shared to the world.

The pro of a month-long challenge like Inktober is that you are given the when. For Inktober, it's October. You'll be aiming to finish and post your artwork during October, and if you're on schedule, that'll mean you release your first drawing Octover 1st, your 10th drawing by October 10th etc.

The Struggle

I've highlighted the benefits of a monthly challenge to an artist's drive, by they can also be detrimental if approached in a suboptimal way. I wanna discuss how my relationship with Linktober has changed.

When I started Linktober in 2018, Breath of the Wild had come out the year before, and a combination of DLC and challenge runs meant I was still playing the game regularly. The Legend of Zelda has long been one of my favourite fandoms, so of course the next year, I did it again.

In 2020, Age of Calamity came out, and I was playing competitive Smash Bros all the time, with Link as my main, so Zelda was still regularly a part of my downtime entertainment. So 2020, I doubled down on Linktober, and actually made 31 days of art for two separate challenges (occasionally crossing over). I was able to keep up that year because that time of year, I wasn't working a lot, and always prepared ahead of time.

My Linktober 2020 (left) and Linktober Shadow 2020 (right)

When it came to October 2021, I had stopped playing Smash Bros, and had been waiting for new Zelda content for a while. I told myself I would restrict myself to a simpler art and colouring style, so that I would be able to complete the challenge with less prep time. As a result, I was almost always preparing art on the day it was due. And the most unfortunate part was that I didnt enjoy Zelda as much as i used to. It was the most stressed I'd ever been about art. Linktober had become a job, and nothing kills creativity more than making it work.

I usually post updates during Linktober on my Instagram story. For Day 27 in 2021, I did not finish in time, and posted it a couple days later. It made me very upset.

So the point I made earlier about a schedule being good had it in fact killed the fun of art in 2021. I was creatively drained and didn't enjoy it.

Linktober 2022

This year, I made Linktober more enjoyable by removing any restrictions I had on myself. No uniting artstyle, no expectation that I finish the 31st piece by October 31st, and since the last week of September fell during School Break, I had a solid week of preparation time. And once I hit my stride, I actually got way ahead of schedule. Finishing 30 pieces before October 1st. That final piece stumped me for the same reason I had been stumped for art the rest of the year. The final prompt for Linktober is always Free For All; artist's choice.

Usually this is my Smash Bros Day, but I had left the Smash competitive scene on a bitter note. And the bigger problem I had the previous year was still present. The lack of new Zelda content meant that I didn't enjoy Zelda as much as I used to. My new main "fandom" was D&D. So although I am happy with my art for October this year, it may be my last Linktober.

Free For All this year I ended up making it about Mario Kart, since I play MK8 regularly with family.

Even if I fixed the Deadline issue, the original draw of Linktober, that it's all Zelda, became a restriction. Why all Zelda if I don't enjoy Zelda as much as I used to?

What to learn from this?

Direction and Quota can be great for art motivation. Having that push to tell you what art to do and when to finish it is great. But don't let that become the only time you do art. If you don't have the time to do art every day, weekly challenges are just as valid. And if the subject matter of a prompt list doesn't appeal to you anymore, feel free to change it up every once in a while. For October 2023, I think I might do a different iteration of Inktober that better reflects my current interests.

Have fun and do art.

[lusciakoushiro]

December

With the year coming to a close I knew I wasn't going to get everything I wanted to finish or even try done, but I still had things I could do of course.

Drawing is the easiest as I can do that anywhere. Both of the ones I did this month took from 15-20hrs start to finish. But something was going to get in my way...

At the beginning of the month I was hit by a car on my walk home from work. I managed to walk home and at the insistence of my husband went to the ER to make sure nothing was broken. Thankfully nothing was, but healing is and will take time. That said I couldn't craft because sitting normally at the table hurt my knee a lot. Even sitting at my desk at the office killed me.

Thanks to a coworker who found a step stool I could elevate my leg with a little bit, I was able at least return to drawing some.

After doing the redo of Luscia in the lake (inspired from a screenshot from LUNAR 2 Eternal Blue) I wanted to reimagine it slightly.

And this is what I came up with. Lus had just stepped into the water before turning her gaze to the moon and this is what Dem sees. I am very proud of this one, especially the scales. That took A LOT of patience.

I have been resting my leg since the accident and I finally deemed it well enough to try and sit at the table for some crafts. I will say sitting with my knee bent for two hours isn't ideal as it became very sore and super stiff. So, if I was gonna craft, I was gonna need to take breaks and the squishy I started was the best way to force breaks since I needed to wait for the paint to dry between layers.

If you guessed I was making Keith's wolf, Kosmo, than you wete correct! I have mad respect for those who do these on the regular, this was not easy. But, for my first try ever I think he came out great and super cute!

And as the year got closer to the end I wanted to draw at least one more pic.

I made a glamour inspired by Bayonetta and just had to draw it. Originally I hated it, things just looked weird, but then I doodled a chibi version (no pic to post. I haven't scanned it) and went back to it and I actually really like it now. I might change a couple shadows, but yeah, I love it.

And as of 11:30pm est, I finished my friend's FFXIV figurine I started a year ago with Nerdecrafter's Not Another Crap Kit.

I had the whole idea of making it look like he was in the middle of the lotus from Scortch. The petals are a little skewed, but I made it work with what I had. The method I had watched didn't work as the tape that the wire was attached to completely cured with the resin instead of being able to be peeled off. When it didn't work after three attempts I decided to freehand a mold and that worked more or less, I still cant quite get them to hold the bendy shape, but for my first attempt I think I did okay.

I'm so proud of myself for actually completing my New Year's resolution. It was fun and I learned a lot. Just because I don't finish something right then on the day I started doesn't mean I never will. Sometimes things just won't work and require more research or an alternative to see it through.

Here's to more art in 2023, whether it be a big project or small, stay creative! 🖤❤

[sylverstorms]

Mother Miranda x Lawyer!Oc ----Tilted Scales

Hello guys :) This is another commission I wrote for the amazing, wonderful @saltwatereulogies

Your support has been insane, I can't thank you enough. Hope you enjoy the story ❣

Three days.

That is how long you've been in the village, after years of studying abroad, before everything turns to shit.

As you slowly blink focus back into your eyes, you try to clear the haze from your mind. It feels as though you've collided with a truck. Your body hurts, your wrists protest in their iron cuffs, stuck to the wall as they are, having supported your weight while you were unconscious.

Desperately, you try to recollect the events that led you here...

A grey sky. A bleak day. One moment you were making coffee for your mother, excited to be able to sit down with her in the mornings again... and the next you heard the echo of screams.

Overcome by adrenaline, you bolted out of your house, only to witness a scene straight from a nightmare; humanoid monsters ripping villagers apart, cries and blood and animalistic growls all blending together into one mad mix.

And before you could even warn your mother...

Damn it all, what the fuck happened!

You suddenly struggle against your bonds, hard enough to rattle your whole frame. Your wrists burn from the grind against metal, but you don't care–

“Stop that. It is pointless and you will only injure yourself.” A cold voice, strangely familiar, says from far to your right.

You peer deep into the shadows, searching for the only other person in the empty room... until you see her. A mask advances on you, gold and shaped like a crow's visage, then wings folded into a cloak come into view.

You would be a fool to not recognize her. The local saint. The village's prophet. The very 'saint' your mother prayed to, for your safe return, all these years. Mother Miranda.

The sound of her heels bounces off the walls until she comes to stand directly in front of you. Looking past the openings of her mask now, you realize....

This isn't possible.

She hasn't aged a day. Not a single day, since you left the village. The years should show around her deadly blue eyes, somewhere, and yet they don't.

“I see you remember me...” she says, while you're still trying to find your voice. “Miss Warren.”

“What is going on? Mother Miranda, what happened to the village?!” you demand.

Her expression shows nothing. “The village is in need of... renovation.” she speaks, even, regal. “Repopulation, even.”

You stare at her with wide eyes.

“Now, don't give me that look. You would not be here if you weren't of the ones I chose to keep.” she continues. “You see, from now on, every single person in my domain will make themselves useful in some way, or they will be replaced. And you... you have been abroad studying law for a while now, yes?”

“I... yes.” you reply, still not fully having wrapped your mind around your situation.

“Excellent. What I need from you is simple. You will make the village independent from the state’s taxes as a religious organization... and you will keep foreign investors out from that point onward.”

What... what part of that is simple?!

“Do that for me and in return I guarantee your mother and you will go back to your house safe and sound. You will have no shortage of Lei for as long as you live, Miss Warren.” Miranda promises.

But it is not the sweet part of the deal your mind stays glued to. “And if...” you gulp. “If I can't work around the law to do that...?”

Miranda blinks slowly at you, like you shouldn't even ask such a basic question. Like the answer is obvious.

“Well. Then I have no further use for either of you.”

It is in this moment that it dawns on you.

This woman is no angel and no saint.

She is a devil.

-

-

You spend countless sleepless nights pouring over every single paragraph, every little opening or ambiguity in the law you can use to free the village of taxes.

To keep your mother in the dark about this, you work in the office Mother Miranda has provided for you, in her very stronghold.

Although technically it's her home, you don't see her nearly as much as you initially thought. She is gone throughout the day and returns late at night, not even sparing you a glance before heading for her chambers, at the upper sections of the building.

The days she does come into your office to inquire on your progress are few and far-between, your conversations always short and cold.

This evening is different.

“How is your work coming along, Miss Warren?” the prophetess asks with her aggravatingly nice accent, seating herself like a queen on the chair in front of your desk.

Your eyes are tired, but you force them on hers, through the mask obscuring her face. “I think I've got it. I'll be sending the necessary papers tomorrow and the answer shouldn't take longer than a month.”

“Very good.” she nods, a miniscule curve to her lips.

Icy eyes then drop to the wine in the whiskey glass at the corner of the desk. You think she will make a comment about drinking at work, but instead she says;

“Pour me a glass, will you?”

You will your hands steady as you comply, then carefully slide her drink over.

Miranda takes her mask with claw-shrouded fingers... and soundnessly sets it on the wooden surface. Then she pushes the veil at her hair back, shaking long, platinum locks free.

You do a double take you hope she doesn't notice. Because what the actual fuck.

You didn't think her hair was that long, or that straight, or that it would fall over her shoulders like she's staring in a shampoo ad. You didn't think her lips were shaped like a cupid's bow or that her skin was this flawless and radiant.

The helplessly lesbian part of you could begrudgingly admit she was beautiful before... but now you arrive to the painful realization she's drop-dead gorgeous.

“So. I've heard you won cases others would describe as impossible.” she begins.

“Nothing's impossible. You just need to know where to look.” you reply. Law is your comfort zone and she is not that far above you here. “But how do you know that?”

“I have my sources.”

"Nobody truly leaves this village, huh.”

“Not without my consent, no. But I knew you'd come back.” At your slight frown, she elaborates, “You would never leave your mother behind.”

She's right. There was a whole world of opportunities waiting for you out there and yet... here you are.

“Good work, so far. You can take the next two days off. Your eyes could use the rest, Miss Warren.” Miranda speaks, finishing her wine.

“Sarah.” you say. 'Miss Warren' is for clients and she is your boss.

Miranda's lips give a slight quirk that may or may not be a trick of the light.

“I know.” she replies and exits the room, long hair billowing behind her back.

-

-

The taxes were only the first challenge. Now that the village is free of them, investors are flying in circles around it like vultures over meat.

In the meantime, Miranda comes to talk to you more frequently.

Lately, it seems she has more free time. You wish that was a good thing, but...

“So... are you like... going to stay here?” You ask after reading the same sentence five times to make sense of it, because her gaze on you is distracting as fuck.

“I'm not getting in the way of your work.” she says. You want to argue she is, but can't quite do that in a way that won't get you killed.

“I'm simply not used to working with company. Isn't this boring for you?”

“No, actually. I find it interesting, even though science is my field of expertise.” she answers. “And the way you take notes is… amusing.”

You try not to blush as you look down at your notebook, filled with different colored markers and post-it squares with tiny stick figures pointing to the more important paragraphs. You have been doing this for so long to sort out information you didn't even realize you were keeping it up in her presence.

“What is this supposed to be?” she asks with a small smile, the first of its kind you've seen.

To your horror, her clawed pointer aims at a particularly silly doodle, barely the size of a pencil's eraser.

“A... bird.” you grimace like you've been stabbed.

“Ah, of course.” Miranda holds back a chuckle but you can tell she's dying to make a comment.

Studying becomes hell for the rest of the time she's there with you, those sharp eyes picking apart every little move you make. At the same time, though, the hours you spend with her make you realize...

She's not a saint, though she may look like one. She's not completely a devil, either, even if she may act as one, at times.

She's human.

-

-

Miranda shares nothing about herself when you chat, but she seems to like it when you speak about your time abroad and all the things that left an impression on you there.

Your conversation over wine is cut short, however, when you receive a call from a number you learned means nothing but trouble, lately.

“Sorry, I have to take this.” you tell her.

The one calling you is none other than this month's rival lawyer, trying to dispute your claim over the land for his own boss. He's lost to you before, so it's also personal, but you are confident you have cornered them good with the latest papers you sent them...

And you are proven correct, when, a few seconds later, he is all faux polite on the other line, resorting to offering you money for you to withdraw your arguments.

Miranda comes to stand next to you, listening in to what he's saying.

The problem with that is, the second her arm brushes yours and you catch a whiff of her perfume –which always lingers in your office long after she's left— youare the one who stops listening to him.

Your attention flies to other things, like the inches she has on you, the exact color of her pale blonde hair, the little glint of victory in her stunning eyes.

Oh, no. God, no...

You know what this is, the feeling in the pit of your stomach. Alarm bells go off in the back of your head, as though your own mind is telling your body how foolish it's being.

There isn't a worse thing you can do to yourself than be attracted to Miranda.

-

-

Over time, familiarity with the prophetess brings higher levels of difficulty into your 'try to ignore your crush on her' game.

Miranda joins your side and leans over your shoulder, sometimes, to peer down at what you're doing. You don't move and don't breathe until she's within a safe distance again.

Then there are the wayward 'reward' touches, when you turn another investor away from the village. She may pat your back or leave her hand on your shoulder, or even scratch your nape with her claws as a job well done.

You hope your poker face hides the fact you feel her touch on you for far longer than you should, after she's gone.

Tonight, the situation is the toughest it's ever been for you.

There is a rainstorm going on outside; the waterdrops are tapping against the windows of your office as though they're trying to break it. Miranda has pulled her chair next to you so you can talk easier, without having to shout over the cacophony.

“And basically the judge's decision was that—”

You are interrupted by a blinding flash of lighting, during which your mind lets you know the stronghold is easily the tallest structure in it's vicinity—

When thunder cracks down the sky and strikes the building, you nearly scream. Your body tenses and you jump; but Miranda's hands come to your biceps and hold you steady, against herself and your desk.

Another flash comes before you really have time to think about your proximity. She covers your ears with her palms before the thunderclap can send you into overdrive again.

“You are with me and you're scared of a little thunder?” she teases when things quiet down and your heartbeat eases.

It's true; Miranda is the more terrifying force of nature. At the same time, however...

You feel oddly safe to be this close to her.

“Well... I'm not scared right now...” you quietly admit.

Her pointer comes underneath your chin and lifts it so you are looking straight into her hypnotic blue eyes. How is this color even real...

“And why is that?” Miranda asks, her wings coming around you both. They're curtains of black, cutting out some of the storm's sounds.

You want nothing more in this moment than to run your fingers through each individual feather.

You lick your lips. That's...not a question you can answer if you want the balance in your arrangement with her to remain.

Perhaps, though, the scales have tilted for you long ago. You just haven't been brave enough to admit it.

You have the courage to face it now when she leans down and covers your lips with hers, warm in a manner you never imagined she could be.

Her wings pull tighter around you and your mouths slide more firmly together. Lipbalm and creamy lipstick mix, tongues brush, tasting of wine. You are shaking so bad on the inside from how much you want this, more of this, the rumbling of the thunder be damned.

Miranda's palm cups your flaming cheek when she pulls back, perfectly composed and staring at you with a little smirk in place.

You dare to turn a little, lay a tiny kiss on the inside of her wrist, beyond her rings and accessories.

You aren't very fond of storms, but...

You willingly walk right into the eye of this one.

[goji-pilled]

I’m about to hit you with a few of my thoughts that I’ve been harboring for a bit. I hope you’re ready to answer questions and share your own thoughts.

First off, I want to hit you with a question. If Mami and Sayaka were to fight for some unknown reason, who would exactly win? Mami with her insane tactics and power, or Sayaka with her great abilities and stupid healing factor.

Secondly, this is a random thought I had. We saw that Homura pulled Madoka out of God Madoka in Rebellion, essentially splitting her into two halves I believe. So I was wondering, if that occurrence were to happen to say I dunno, Oktavia for example, do you think that would split Sayaka from Oktavia, since ya know, Oktavia is a product from Sayaka’s negative feelings. Or do you think it would instead split them into like a good Oktavia and a bad Oktavia?

Lastly, this is nothing too thought provoking. I’m just here to say that I still love the tiny pocket Gretchen doodle you made one time. She’s still my favorite witch lmao

Now I just wanna hit you with some of the ideas I have for the writing I’m doing. It’ll be nothing like spoilers and the like, just a few things I have planned.

Firstly, I wanna say that a story with just one character wouldn’t be super entertaining. So I’ve already come up with a secondary main character besides Mizuki, essentially another OC. I’ll tell you her name and color theme but I’ll save everything else for the writing. Her name is Iku Shiomi, and her theme color shall be orange.

Secondly, involving the new character Iku, I plan to give her and Mizuki a Kyoko/Sayaka-esque relationship. It’s not gonna be exactly like it of course, I just want it to similarities to it at best. So yeah, these bitches gonna be gay!!!! (Of course it’s not gonna be explicitly put out there though, just know they’ll love each other very much by the end)

Thirdly, after I complete the main story for my writing I totally wanna write a second part to it. One that covers Mizuki post witching out, since I thought of a neat way to continue it. I don’t know what exactly it’ll cover, but I’ll figure that out when I get to it.

Finally, I wanna write (funny) short little side stories involving Mizuki and Iku that aren’t gonna be connected to the actual story at all. One of the things I have planned for it is that they’re both messing around one day, and then Iku gets the funny idea to toss Mizuki’s soul gem, which gives a pretty obvious result. Iku then has to carry a “sleepy” Mizuki on her back whilst going on a journey to find Mizuki’s soul gem again. The second part to the main story will also have short little side stories. It’ll probably involve Amalthea having funny adventures with her familiars/minions. (man I seriously need to hurry up with the actual writing instead of just brainstorming ideas 24/7)

Ok and that’s about it for all my thoughts. Hope you enjoyed everything that goes on in my brain lmao

1)Easy question, Mami. In fact Mami>>>>the entire Quintet (minus the godly powers thing yknow). Sayaka's healing is strong but she can only do so much before her soul gem can't take anymore + Mami's a veteran who beats Homura, the one who literally stops time.

2)I genuinely don't know what the consequences of that could be. Because from my understanding based on the bits anons told me from Magireco it's sort of that Madoka is the Law of Cycles, but the Law of Cycles isn't necessarily Madoka.

Kinda like how all jacuzzis are whirlpools, but not all whirlpools are jacuzzis.

In the end I'd guess that whatever happens if you were to split Sayaka and Oktavia in the same way Madoka was split would be a disaster. Because the whole thing of being at peace and accepting everything that Oktavia is is vital to Rebellion Sayaka so... oof. Can't be good.

3)I AM!!! SO HAPPY!!!! YOU ARE HAVING ALL THOSE THOUGHTS!!!!!

Very excited to see what you'll show us humble little fellas on this hellsite yjlsdhskdh

[marshmallowprotection]

Sorry to bring this topic back now, but I'm honestly glad to see you talking about the passport tequila(?) thing. I haven't read your passport post yet because I wanna avoid spoilers for the passport just in case I manage to get it one day (but it'll take a while till that happens, seeing Cheritz still isn't shipping to Finland and I still haven't got the bodypillow I ordered from them in May), but I've seen two pictures of some of its contents already. The second one a photoset of him and MC (which btw was seriously adorable and made me wanna get the passport immediately, man he's so cute) and the first one I saw was the doodle of Saeran being passed out.

My friend messaged me about it, also pretty devastated and disappointed that the artist had drawn something like that in the passport, completely forgetting his past and trauma with alcohol. Honestly, because it was the first ever thing I heard about the passport's contents and the first doodle I saw, I was really disappointed and felt hesitant about ever getting it. I went on a whole rant about it back then and then later started feeling like I overreacted a bit...

But not gonna lie, it kinda upset me too because it just seemed so OOC for him to do? You pretty much already put how I feel about it into words really well. I just don't think he'd drink alcohol, seeing that's pretty much where his trauma came from, and also when I think about the friends and mutuals I have who've had alcoholic parents and swore to never drink themselves thanks to that, and how Saeyoung doesn't wanna drink because of his mum and they share that trauma…

Then after talking about it with a few friends I began to think that hey, maybe he wanted to try it out once and already after ONE sip went "too bitter DX" and didn't want more. He likes sweet stuff anyway, even if he didn't have all the trauma, I doubt his sweet tooth would like the taste of alcohol. The first impression my friend and I got was that he was DRUNK, but nah, now he just looks like he's suffering because it was too bitter lol

But then I saw someone here mention that it might not even be an alcoholic drink (or that he passed out from the heat) and hey, I'm just gonna go ahead and headcanon that now, it was just way too bitter for him

In the end I do think that the artist who worked on that passport wasn't entirely aware of his past, which is a shame. Or just didn't think about it. I think someone told them to "make some cute and funny doodles of him" and they thought "hey drunk Saeran lol that could be funny and cute" without thinking about it more, and that's how the doodle became a thing

You’re still waiting for that? Jesus, I hope that the mail service is able to open up soon for your country and that it’s okay for them to ship things around. It’s been a while now, I would’ve thought that they might have been able to work around to get it to you! Well, precautions are precautions, and those are important when the world is like this but huh. Odd that it’s not working around yet. 

It really unsettled me when I saw it. I thought, “Okay, maybe it’s not actually just straight-up tequila or booze, I can rationalize this away as something else cause it’s really not okay to me.” I know someone said in the post that it’s on the Wiki that Saeran’s not a big fan of soda because it gives him headaches, and I know that feeling, so if one wants to think it’s soda, they can. It’s easy to say, well, it’d be possible that it’s the dry heat of the country and he’s flopped over from that after finally getting something chilled. 

It’s easier for me to rationalize it in that manner instead of saying that it’s alcohol even though it’s clearly intended to be seen as that. I’ve unfortunately got similar trauma and I see myself in the Choi boys. Do you know how rare it can be to find characters that are adults that don’t drink or aren’t invested in drinking culture as a whole? I’m fine with people enjoying their vices and doing things in moderation but—

I just cannot relate to it. I’m nearly 24 and I cannot stand even the smell of that stuff. It’s fine if you enjoy your wine or liquor or whatever, it just feels in such poor taste to draw out someone drinking that has made it very clear that they aren’t comfortable with drinking, and they shouldn’t have to explain out their trauma to have their feelings justified. The whole, “Just one sip, it won’t really hurt you,” is so toxic.

Can’t tell you how many times someone has told me that when I’ve made it very clear that I’m uncomfortable with that and I would rather chug dish soap than be subjected to booze. 

I’m proud of Saeran for how far he��s come in his AE. I sincerely am, emotionally he’s doing so much better and he’s working on himself, but I really don’t see him or his brother ever trying alcohol. There could be a point where maybe they just say, “What the hell did she even see in this? What do people even see in this stuff?” and they try one singular sip, and go: “Yeah, no, this isn’t the thing for me, no thanks.” 

I’m cool with that if that is what they choose to do. It’s their body, their trauma, and their choice. 

Saeyoung and Saeran have very clear trauma from Alcoholism. It’s made very clear from the both of them that they don’t drink. Seven notes that he’s about as straight-laced as they come when it means alcohol or smoking. Unknown can’t really be counted as a smoker, he literally used that as an excuse during the SE to contact Mint Eye. So, I’ve never read him as a smoker, either. It was a good excuse. Neither of them gets involved with addictive vices that are legal for you to use. 

I struggle with fanon content sometimes because I’ll find stories or imagines where the writer has shown Saeyoung or Saeran drinking, and I just have to nope out of that setting. It’s not cute or cheeky. I personally don’t answer any requests that involve the boys drinking because I’ve made my stance very clear on the subject and how I feel about depicting characters that do not want to drink and have made it known that they do not want to drink as drinking. The rest of the RFA? Sure, some of them drink occasionally, fairly in moderation, which is alright. 

The Passport itself is really cute, no spoilers, but that’s the only thing within its contents that made me uncomfortable. The rest of it was definitely worth what I paid for and it made me smile if that’s any comfort to you. It’s just that one little doodle that just... yeah, I think I would go with your theory on this one, and that being that the artist might not have known specifically about the brothers or what they’ve dealt with in their lives, and just went with a cute idea they had and it’s not really anything huge. 

It’s fine to drink and all, but it’s equally important to respect when someone says that they don’t want to do it. That is a personal choice, and I just wish more folks would consider Saeran and Saeyoung’s feelings on the matter since it’s been stated in the canon plenty, specifically by Saeyoung during his Routes events in the game, and you can infer from Saeran fairly easily given what he was subjected to in his life. 

TLDR; It’s fine to drink when you want to do it, and there’s nothing wrong with it in moderation; but, it’s important to respect that not everyone wants to drink or get involved with that sort of stuff. 

[charrfie]

Alright now that its officially Forzen Friday let's try this post again since it didn't show up in the tags last time-

I'M FINALLY MAKING A FORZEN HC DUMP (kinda AU-ish territory but not really idk exactly) AND NONE OF YOU CAN STOP ME

There are also a few other hcs sprinkled in here related to other characters (like Darnold and Sunkist for example) but Forzen is the main focus!! Despite him being a minor character I latched onto him and fleshed him out sm yall have no idea

Everything under the cut bc this shit is gonna be LONG (and there's also some more doodles that take up a bit of space!)

Also uhh if people like this I might take one for another hlvrai character later bc I have a lot to say about everyone!!

Forzen moved from France to the US with his parents when he was around 12 or 13 (yes, I'm aware that Scorpy and Holly are French Canadian and not France French but that doesn't mean Forzen can't be, I'm just being sure to say this now before someone says something to me about it)

He wanted to go to college and eventually become a game dev, but he didn't have the funds or the support for it (his family thought anything to do with games would amount to a career that would go nowhere).

Because of this, he instead was recruited in the US military. He originally had no intent to join, but after constantly being harrassed recommended to join and being entertained with the concept of being able to afford and pay for college, he caved (hence him telling the science team that his only goal is "to graduate").

He doesn't like his job very much if that wasn't clear.

And neither do most others that have the same job like him.

He was put on a "team" of his own, Team Nice, which was likely arranged as a guaranteed way to get Forzen in the way of danger, and with no one else fighting beside him, he would be easily dealt with- no one would have to worry about him bothering them again. However, he somehow manages to survive all of this, of course. Somehow. He likely knows the real reason he was assigned his own team (if you can even call it that), but refuses to fully acknowledge it for his own sanity, and instead pretends that he's some big, important person on a team that ranks so highly, he's the only one qualified to be in it. (I apologize ahead of time for giving one of the most shitposty and throwaway characters in hlvrai this much depth and angst, there was just potential there leave me alone)

Fast forward to the actual events of hlvrai though. This hc is a little outlandish but I really like the concept!!! So, at one point, Forzen is killed, presumably by some kind of creature that was out and about due to the RenCas. The science team + Benrey stumble across him (act 2 part 2 at around 13 min in for anyone curious), and Benrey decides to use the healing beam Sweet Voice on him. While Benrey and Forzen may not be on good terms anymore, Benrey still very begrudgingly cares about him and didn't want to see him get injured or die. Forzen wakes up a minute or so after the science team exits the room, assuming that he just passed out, nothing more, and goes along with things as normal.

He meets Darnold a while after his first (concious) run in with the science team. Darnold has recently dealt with the science team and helped them out, but is pretty bummed that he couldn't travel with them, as everything was far too scary and dangerous for him. Forzen, wanting to escape Black Mesa and the military altogether, ends up making a deal with him that he'll handle all the dangerous stuff if Darnold can show him a way out.

Now, meeting Darnold is a very new experience for him, since Darnold actually enjoys his company, and actually wants to befriend him! At first, Forzen openly tries to act as if Darnold is a huge deal to put up with- he goes along with with the whole "if you're escaping outta this hellhole with me, you better keep up" kinda deal (despite the fact that he kinda NEEDS Darnold to escape and show him the way out). His walls are still very much so raised, and he doesn't let his guard down as he's not used to others caring about him and his safety. But as time passes, he begins to realize that maybe Darnold DOES want to be his friend, and the tough guy act becomes less apparent.

To preface this next one- Sunkist sensed that something was up (he has a next-level sense of danger when it comes to Tommy's safety) and got to BM as fast as he could, searching every hallway for his boy. This is when Forzen finds him!! He figures that taking Sunkist as a hostage would be enough to get extra info out of the team that's been practically plaguing him lately.

Darnold doesn't know about Forzen's plans to take Sunkist hostage, so is completely fine with traveling alongside him. At one point though, Forzen and Darnold get separated (Forzen occupies him, makes sure hes safe and then runs off to deal with Sunkist). Darnold immediately uses his surroundings to model a quick little teleporter device to get Forzen back, because, you know, the man's a genius. Idc if its logical or not just go with it shhh I've gotta fill in the plotholes with something. That's why Forzen disappears all of a sudden after he's cornered by the science team. He just pops back in front of Darnold suddenly, all confused and loopy from the whole teleportation thing.

As things begin to wind down, Darnold and Forzen make it out of BM and start making a break for it, no idea how they'll get away from BM and to safety somewhere- they didnt really think things through.

Fortunately (or unfortunately for Forzen really), however, G-man picks both of them up. He means to drop Darnold off at Tommy's party, as he observed that Darnold helped his son to safety and is grateful for it. Forzen, though, he intends to "deal with" for messing things up so badly with Tommy, Sunkist, and all of Tommy's friends. This is where Darnold finds out about everything Forzen did and frankly gets really pissed with him since he thought he only had good intentions??? Luckily though, Darnold convinces G-man to give him a second chance, let him go to Tommy's party and apologize, and try things again. G-man, for some reasons agrees- probably bc hes in a good mood, as it IS his son's birthday.

The party is pretty uncomfortable to say the least. Tommy's extremely hesitant to talk to Forzen, but he does, and they end up on neutral terms by the end of it. Uneasy, but neutral. Tommy and Darnold hit it off though, and Tommy opens the invitation to Darnold that he can visit his place anytime now that everything at BM is over with.

As everyone's getting ready to leave, Forzen mentions to Darnold that he doesn't have a place to stay, seeing as the entire military was kinda. Yknow. Wiped out. Obviously wouldn't wanna go back to check anyways. And he has no interest in going home to his parents. So Darnold agrees to let him stay with him since they've become good pals over the course of everything.

Over time, Darnold visits Tommy more and more often. He starts bringing Forzen along, which Tommy is iffy of at first, but their dynamic starts to change and become more comfortable once Tommy sees that Forzen isnt interested in being enemies anymore.

Sunkist and Forzen still don't get along for a very long time. Or, well- it's moreso that Sunkist is very wary about Forzen, despite him not doing anything to harm either Sunkist or Tommy.

Oh yeah and almost forgot to mention one of my favorite hcs (that I PROMISE you started out as a joke but then I got attached) is Sunkist can talk!! So his first spoken interaction with Forzen after Forzen comes over to visit for the first time is literally just him being all threatening and laying down the ground rules bc he doesn't want Forzen to hurt Tommy at all in any way. And of course Forzen about has a heart attack bc "HUH??????? THERE'S A DOG THAT IS SPEAKING HUMAN WORDS TO ME"

UHH I HAVE MORE (I've written out so much shit about dynamics and what I'd think would happen even after all of this) BUT I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE TOO LONG like it already is SO I SUPPOSE I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW!!!! I hope this isn't too ooc either, I just have Emotions about this series and write too much so why not share it yknow

[somelazyassartist]

Just thinking about the last time I did a full digital art piece. Like, not the little doodles I've been doing recently, like, full art pieces with backgrounds and shading and stuff. When did I do one last? November? December? It feels like it's been so long, and I really do want to do it again, I just. I don't know. I don't have the energy or drive to do it. I have the motivation and desire to, I have so many ideas I want to go all out on and I get so excited for the picture in my head, but I just can't bring myself to start without getting disheartened and quitting halfway through the lineart. I've ditched multiple big projects just because I can't bring myself to finish them (remember the "not all exits are made equal" animatic I was so excited about? Yeah. Pretty much trashed.) And it's not like I wasn't proud of what I did either, I'm still proud of a few of my big art pieces. It just feels like almost nobody cares. I've got two people I can name that consistently like/reblog my art. Anything past those 4 notes is lucky for me. And at first I thought, maybe it's my posting schedule, I should do some routine reblogs for people who missed it, but nope those don't do anything and it's crushing to me. And I know it shouldn't be about notes, it isn't about notes, but knowing that I put so much time and effort and care and love into my art and nobody cares at all really does hurt, especially because all of my self worth is tied into my art and I know that's unhealthy but it's true and I don't know how to fix it so that's just how it is at the moment. Art is my entire life, and I hate it. Yes I care about what I make, yes I make it because I care about my characters and my stories, but there's a lot more to it for me specifically. I grew up sick in bed a LOT when I was little and the only thing I could do was read and draw. When I first went to therapy the only coping mechanism I was taught was to make art and ignore everything else (and there's a lot of "everything else" so there was a lot of art) and now that it's been so long I don't know how to handle problems any other way without having a complete breakdown. When I started writing and making noticable improvements in my art I was immediately shoved into the expectations that I would make it my career and that trying to do anything else would be a waste of the one good thing I have, so I needed to constantly be working towards it and constantly improving and if I ever slipped up and stopped visibly getting better I'd be a failure and would do nothing useful with my life. At this point in my life, I cannot separate myself from my art and I cannot separate my art from me. People not caring about what I make makes me feel like I'm worthless because that's all I've ever been good for, and it's not other people's fault they don't care and I'm not trying to say I want to force people to pay attention to me all I'm trying to say is how I'm feeling, and I'm feeling bad because I'm stuck in this neverending cycle of "nobody cares about my art so I don't have the drive to put so much into it anymore, but now my art is worse and people shouldn't care as much, and now I feel horrible because nobody cares about my art, so I don't have the drive to put so much into it anymore" until my art gets worse and worse and worse and now it's just detached little doodles with nothing going on other than a character just standing in a blank space and I hate it and I hate me because I am my art and my art is me so if my arts bad I'm bad and I just feel worthless and nobody cares about me and half my family doesn't talk to me and I can't come out the other half because I'm worried they won't talk to me either and I'll be left with nothing but my art my art that I hate I hate art I hate art I hate art I hate art I hate art I hate art I hate art I hate art I hate myself I hate myself I hate myself so fucking much

[game-dev-duo]

The process and completion of the dialogue box.

~ Hello there! Tokki here ~ Recently I completed the dialogue box asset, so I thought it'd be interesting to share what the very first prototype looked like! As well as share the concept art with you. The prototype was made in the quest to really jump into the game and then start developing it from there, it was a starting point. We knew we wanted our game to have dialogue and the ability to speak with different characters, so that's where we began. At first, I made a mock-up with it and then I provided Crisp with a blank version so that he could begin coding a dialogue system. It started off as green because that's both Crisp and I's favourite colour. The characters used for the demonstrations are currently my original characters, I'm using them as placeholders until we have official character portraits of our own characters. Tabitha was used at first, however, once a core aesthetic was decided Vivian made for a better placeholder visually. ( Thank you for your initial help though, Tabi! ) From then on, we started to discuss what kind of themes we wanted to have and what setting it would be in. After that, I started to have a lot of ideas in my head about what it would look like visually and decided on a specific, cohesive aesthetic. A victorian-inspired journal/diary. So I started to doodle until I fell in love with the look of something, and that's where the concept art was chosen as something to model off of. Part of my artistic process is working until I love what I've made, if I don't feel anything then it's not right yet. And if I've been working on it for a long time and I still feel nothing, I know it's time for me to change directions and try again. The chain was incorporated as part of an idea I had, where based upon the player's progress/relationship with the character they were speaking to, the chain would gradually weaken until it fell apart. It would have been to give the player a sense of progress, a reward for their work once it fell and a visual metaphor of the storyline. Ultimately, I decided that it was visually disruptive and based on the nature of a dialogue box, it would have just covered up the dialogue text. I think it was a neat idea, but I just didn't care for it and it would have posed a lot of problems. Honestly, though, I do much prefer how it looks without the chain. When I was working on creating the official, polished asset, I ended up adding some nice detailing on the golden frames as I wanted to give it a really unique character/style. If the story ends up in the direction that Crisp and I spoke of, the detailing will be visually representative of some of the story's concepts! At first, the assets did not have any shadows around them but I later added them to make them able to retain visual strength and not have any difficulty with the background art that was to be added in future. It shouldn't blend in, but it also shouldn't stand out. The shadows also helped to make sure everything was visually consistent as the selection boxes I later made also have them. ( Something I heard whilst researching UI was that what makes a good UI, in a way, is that it isn't noticeable at all. It should be so seamless and pleasant to interact with that it's something a player barely notices. ) I later took a ridiculous ( maybe to some ) amount of time deciding on the fonts. I'm very happy with the selection I made! I'm glad I spent so long on it, after all, I believe every single thing matters and adds to the visuals of a game. I believe that the right font can help make a game whilst the wrong one can help break it. ( I'm talking about you, comic sans. ) One font I really loved for the name title didn't have the right licences so unfortunately, I had to remove it and replace it with a different one. I wasn't sure about it at first but after I gave it some time, it grew on me! I really feel it adds to the victorian feel, I wanted to give the player the sense that they've 'been formally invited' to the location the game takes place in. I feel as though the nameplate feels like it honours the

characters that are speaking. Something about that pretty, gold, handwritten calligraphy feels special to me. I've been researching like my life depends on it, trying to learn as much as I can about UI design and UX and in my research, I came across a UI/UX designer that said there should be around 15-26 words per dialogue box because it's far easier on the reader. And it also allows the characters more chance to use different expressions alongside their dialogue. This totally opened my eyes as it was something I hadn't thought of before, and he's right! My prototypes were far too dialogue-heavy, so I resized the box to be smaller and that ended up making it look a lot more visually appealing, too. I was unsure about the character portrait sizes so I took a look at lots of visual novel games to see what they had done and I realised that my characters were scaled far too small. I personally didn't love the sizes that most games chose to go with, I find them to cover up too much of the screen, so I decided to go with my own in between. Not too big and not too small. The last thing I'd like to talk about is the indicator! After staring at our mock-ups intently for far too long, I couldn't help but feel as though something was missing like I could add one last thing to really perfect it. The cherry on top. And then it occurred to me that we're going to use an indicator to indicate that the dialogue is finished and you can click to see the next dialogue. So I played around with it for a bit and then I had the perfect idea! A quill!! What better way to add to the visuals of the dialogue box than to make the indicator a feather quill. I'm ridiculously in love with this detail and think it's the best idea I've had so far, haha. Sorry to write such a long post, but this is the first update I have and a lot ( not a ton but a significant amount ) has happened since the game's inception. My next updates should be a lot shorter, I just wanted to take you through the process and progress of how we've gotten to the place we are now. One thing I'd like to mention though is how important these small things are to me. I really truly believe that every single detail is incredibly important and that's why I take it all equally as seriously as I would with any other aspect of the game. I believe it all adds up eventually. If every single thing shines as an individual, the whole thing can shine together to make something beautiful. Every single thing is part of the game, so every single thing should be treated with care. I want that to show. I want the player to be able to look at this game and see straight away that a lot of love and effort went into it. Thank you for your time reading this, I hope you have a wonderful day and I hope that it was of some interest to you! ~ Tokki 🌸

[destinywillowleaf]

Apollo Justice, prosecutor of Khura'in in @greentrickster's AU is done! Split the sheet because I couldn't get it all visible in one shot.

This was probably the hardest of he sheets to fill out completely. If it wasn't obvious, I took the more Khurainese/concept-based designs from Nahyuta's pages and used them here, with the character actually living in Khura'in.

One of he hardest parts - as you could probably tell between the back and forth of it - was figuring out what to do with Apollo's hair. Would it look better in the front, like his father, or would it look better spread out? I'm still not sure which I like better. There's also one with somewhat of a rat tail ponytail but that was just for dramatics. The surprised Apollo at the top is a similar joke, because seriously what if his surprise animation were the spikes standing up like they usually do.

This got longer than expected so details under the break, as well as some AA6 spoilers if anyone still cares about those.

The first sketch was the upper left one, pulled from one of the final drawings in Nahyuta's concept art. A lot of these are just concept art on Apollo really but with a twist: the bell sleeves to cover his bracelet. When he bends his elbows too much and poses like the one to the left of the start, though, his bracelet can be seen.

Brought back the outfit from 3rd sketch page, no. 4, again with the extended sleeves. Final of that probably would have some sort of cuff on the end for extra style points.

Bby Apollo is actually like 10-11 there and look I just really like the outfit I will find a use for it and no one can stop me.

Last one in the first image is just trying posing, obviously distressed over something... But what is it?

Second image!

Starting at the top, Rebel Apollo. I have a feeling that he worked with the Defiant Dragons for a while in the field, acting as a lookout with his insane eyesight and loud voice. He's got a bandana a la Bowser Jr., with the mouth of a dragon painted onto it(though in the sketch I was pulling more inspiration from the Chinese Guardian Lions and the komainu). People knew of the "Dragon's Dog" but not of who they were. This does sometimes get used in the Plumbed Punisher when Dhurke is saved by a mysterious shadow.

Going across now to the short cloak, pulled from one of Nahyuta's earlier concepts. The Khurainese Prosecutor's badge is on either side(left and right), and he's wearing an outfit like Dhurke's underneath.

The small doodle to the right of it was my attempt at making a bit more of an action-y pose because he's a monk and more willing to fight than expected. Also, the ponytail. That's here.

Serious mode, with another concept sketch. This one was pulled from the teal outfit with the red shoulder scarf thing but obviously here t would be a different color. I have no idea how the buttons work either, I was just trying to replicate what was in the picture.

... and immediately next to it he reason I made my earlier post about overthrowing he government and getting a lousy t-shirt. He's very displeased. Nahyuta has a matching one. It was worth every penny. Give me the little things.

Apollo and Ema are most definitely salt friends. He's the Prosecutor's Office for less than a day, set up right next to Klavier, and he has to listen to guitr all day. Klavier isn't a rock star anymore why is he still doing this. He brings it up with Ema once and she is more than willing to talk and gripe about him. Often over Snackoos.

And finally, the one that's a combination of a number of different designs. The cloth from the late stage concept just as a belt, the canon Nahyuta shirt thing but way shorter(so like the one with the scarf), and something like Dhurke's jacket over it.

No, I still don't know how to draw shoes. For either of them. But I do know one thing: this Nahyuta is really, really fun to write. He's got the same tiredness of Apollo but with more internal anxiety over his appearance. I've got a few little ideas that I want to write up when I get time(something I don't really have right now, to be honest /_\")

Honestly one of the best things about this AU is exploring how events could have gone down. Nahyuta's lack of Gramarye sight means he can't detect lies and he has to take more roundabout methods to finding the truth when Trucy can't help. Apollo being in Khura'in means he's closer with his father but still knows nothing about who he is or who his parents were. Even though he didn't know Lamiroir was his mother, Phoenix could still figure out the identity of Thalassa's firstborn. Reasoning changes for why characters do certain things, and the final showdown of AA6 is even more emotionally taxing for the main character.

I really hope there aren't any typos in here...

[imaginetonyandbucky]

Over-protective Avengers, with Rhodey in first line, are blocking Bucky when he want to stay alone with Tony. Ofc Tony isn't aware, and Bucky doesn''t know if he should kill them or be thankful that they care for Tony. Brownie points if Steve is in Rhodey's team.

How to get away with (murder) Tony - Chapter 1 of 2

“Ithought you had that briefing with General Whatshisname like…five minutes ago?”Tony squints at Rhodey from the other side of the dining table.

“Hecan wait,” the Iron Patriot shrugs, sending a meaningful look Bucky’s way.

IfBucky wasn’t so hungry, he would gladly give up his PB&J sandwiches andsmear them all over the Colonel’s smug face.

“Soyou can finish your breakfast? Wow, Rhodey, you’re going all kinds of rebellately. I’m proud,” Tony chuckles, completely unaware of what is reallyhappening here – as usual.

Atfirst, Bucky thought it was just a coincidence. He would come into the roomwith only Tony in it and within seconds someone else would materialize out ofthin air. He’d go down to the workshop for his scheduled arm maintenance andhalf of the team would already be there, even though they rarely venture downthere. He’d read a book instead of watching the movie the team’s picked up towatch and even two hours after the credits roll, Rhodes and Banner wouldn’t movean inch from their spot on the couch where the engineer fell asleep.

Itreally didn’t take a genius to figure out this particular pattern.

TheAvengers refuse to leave him alone with Tony Stark. Banner, Natasha andespecially Rhodes always keep hanging around whenever he could possibly end upalone with the engineer. Not that he necessarily wanted to be left alone withhim – or anyone, at first – but it’s been months since he’s wrestled controlover the Winter Soldier and had been officially declared an Avenger himself.

It’sclearly not enough to warrant him any alone time with Tony.

Dothey really think he would hurt the man?! Why would he? Tony’s been nothing butnice to him since the beginning. He’s helped him a lot throughout his recovery,not just with his arm that’s now more Stark-made than HYDRA, but in general.He’s been a good friend to him. The joking, the laughter, the nonsensicalscience babbling…everything Tony related makes Bucky feel all kinds of funnylately. Hell, even the Winter Soldier likes him. His normally imposing presencewithin his mind gets all…soft when Tony’s around.

AndBucky would love nothing more than to explore all that a little bit further…butfirst, he needs to figure out why is he on the Avengers’ Alone-with-Tony blacklistor he’s getting nowhere.

(read-more ahead) 

“Well,time to go to work,” Tony announces, refilling his coffee cup. “The new WidowBites are coming along nicely. I’m almost afraid to give them to Natasha…she’sscary enough as is.”

“Agreed,”he mumbles, earning a grin from Tony.

“Idon’t think you need to worry. Your arm versus the Widow Bites? My bet’s on thearm.”

Rhodeysnorts. “Widow Bites ain’t what he should be scared of,” he smirks, wigglinghis eyebrows at Bucky.

Yeah,the Widow Bites are nothing compared to Natasha’s savage combat techniques. Shestrikes hard and…aims low. Of all the Avengers – Hulk included – Bucky tries tosteer clear of her the most.

Tonyfrowns at his best friend. “Scared? What do you mean scared? He’s the WinterSoldier, he ain’t scared of nothing.”

Damn straight, the Winter Soldier agrees.He seldom emerges like this; ever since Bucky has control over him, he usuallystays silent, brooding deep within his mind. But he’s taken a certain interestin their current predicament.

“Surething,” Rhodey nods, careful not to sound toosarcastic. “I’ll be sure to tell Natasha how fearless he is.”

Sonof a b –

Just kill him, the Soldier suggests,almost sounding bored.

Buckyrolls his eyes and wonders if the Avengers maybe still have a point. Should heever lose it and snap into the Soldier, he would likely massacre them all –just to get five damn minutes alone with Tony.

We’ve been over this, Soldier. Killingpeople doesn’t solve problems.

It would solve this problem, the Soldier retorts and Bucky’s all out of arguments.

“Youbetter pray I don’t tell her about you stealing her knife from the gym locker,”Tony smirks this time and it’s enough to make Rhodeswiden his eyes.

GoTony.

“Youwouldn’t.”

“Hellyeah I would. Now, are you going to that briefing or what?” he asksimpatiently.

Rhodes glares at Tony first, then at Bucky and finally, he moves to leave.“Wanna share the elevator on the way down?”

SONOF A B –

“Liketwo teenage gossip girls? Of course,” he nods but pauses, glancing at Buckywith a strange look. He clears his throat and follows the Colonel out of thekitchen. “Later, Bucky,” he calls over his shoulder in a hurry and disappearsdown the hallway.

Kill them all, problem solved.

Hegroans, wishing it would be that simple. Not that he’d expect the Soldier tounderstand that killing someone’s friends won’t solve any problems at all. In away, Bucky’s glad – glad that Tony has someone looking out for him. All the time. Now if he could only jointhe protective squad instead of being the one they’re protecting Tony from.

Fine. Don’t kill them. Evade them.

Buckyraises a surprised eyebrow at the suggestion.As in…

Treat it like a mission. Evade theenemies. Get to the target.

Despitehimself, Bucky smiles. And if enemiessurround the target?

Play by your rules, not theirs. Usedistraction. Confuse them.

Right.Yeah! He can actually do that. So maybe the Soldier is on the road to recoveryhimself.

Or just kill them.

“Spoketoo soon,” he whispers, shaking his head, but a battle plan is already beingdrawn in his mind.

4AM is the perfect time. Nobody’s awake at this hour – nobody but Tony, whenhe’s in some kinda inventing frenzy. Bucky spent the past week carefullyobserving the team’s schedule and decided 4 AM is where it’s at. His chance tosneak into the workshop and –

“Ohhey, Bucks!”

Seriously?!

“Whatare you up to?” Steve asks, standing next to him by the elevator in his jogginggear. He never runs before five! What the…

You should have killed this one atleast. I told you.

It’sfine. It’s just Steve. Out of everyone else, Bucky believes Steve’s presencewas coincidental at best at all times. He’s going for a run. There’s no way he’sgoing to Tony-block him.

“Thearm’s bothering me. Thought Tony could take a look at it if he’s workin’.”

Idiot, the Soldier sighs in the background.When did the Soldier expand his vocabulary?

Stevesuddenly looks like a supersoldier caught in headlights. “Tony? In theworkshop? Now?” he blurts out.

“Uh…yeah?He’s been working all sorta hours lately…figured I could try goin’ down thereand - ”

“Yeah!I mean, that’s a great idea!” Steve smiles, but he still looks awkward. “I’lljoin in! He wanted some feedback on my suit upgrade, so might as well scratchthat off my to-do list before breakfast.”

Buckyjust blinks at his supposed best friend and numbly follows him into theelevator. Et tu, Steve?!

Saturdayevening is the perfect time. Bucky observed that after every mission, eachAvenger has their ritual. Clint makes himself an obscenely large bowl ofoatmeal and watches cartoons on Netflix. Steve stays on his floor and doodles.Natasha sharpens her knives. And so on. Tony spends his post-mission time onthe rooftop. Sometimes he lazily munches on various take-out foods, other timeshe just lays sprawled on the sun beds watching clouds or stars. Nobody evergoes there, especially if they were to disturb him. But Bucky is armed with apot of coffee, snacks and hopes it’s enough to grant him passage. Saturdayevening’s where it’s at, because they’ve just returned from a mission and –

“Poptarts! Sweet!” Clint exclaims, stealing the pack of sweets from him and rushingpast him on the staircase to the rooftop…where the rest of the Avengers alreadyare.

“Roofparty time!” Sam yells, excited, also sprinting past him. “There should be apool here, Tony!”

Theengineer, currently setting up an impromptu bar, sends him a glare. “I’ll getyou an inflatable kiddie pool, birdbrain junior, how about that?”

“Greatidea! We can pour Thor’s booze in there!”

Theparty only escalates from there and nobody leaves the roof until early morninghours. So Bucky just drowns in that kiddie pool.

TheShawarma place is the best place to meet Tony alone. Everybody hates it. ButTony is always in a mood for shawarma after he pulls an all-nighter or finishesa project. So the Shawarma place is definitely where – never mind.

“METALHAND BROTHER!” Thor clasps his shoulder, falling in step with him – no, morelike pushing him along. “I too had a sudden longing for the glorious meal thatis shawarma! ONWARDS! A-HAH! BROTHER OF IRON IS HERE AS WELL! SPECTACULAR!”Thor booms.

Withinminutes, the whole team is having a shawarma breakfast platter there.

TheTower’s server room is the most perfect place to meet Tony alone. Throughcareful observation, he is now certain that nobody even knows this place existsand even if they do, the number of DO NOT ENTER and DO NOT TOUCH signs all overthat place is a great deterrent to uninvited guests. That and the forcefieldprotected, bulletproof entrance you need a code to bypass. Or a metal hand. TheTower’s server room is w –

“Pst!The code is 666, if you wanna sneak in,” Clint whispers, head hanging from thevent above the door. He winks and his head ascends back into the vent, themetal grid clinking back to place.

Thisis impossible. Humanly impossible. So what if Thor can maybe kinda teleport,the others most definitely can’t and yet wherever he goes, someone is there.Doesn’t matter if he’s following Tony, or going where he is or could be. Evenif he goes somewhere Tony is most certainly not at, there’s someone else theretoo! It’s like the entire Tower is working against him!

Still don’t want to kill them?

Holdon…now there’s a wild thought.

Finally. Can I do it?

Nowonder the team keeps on materializing wherever he goes. If the Tower isworking against him, then…

I see. But…how do we kill him?

Buckygrins, making even the Soldier retreat in the face of his wrath.

TBC