#they'll get a better ref at some point

[wileys-russo]

Could you do Katie mccabe where Katie sees r always gets like picked on during matches and she's finally had enough so she tries to teach you to stand you to people but reader gets a red card cus it gets quite physical

shirt tugs II k.mccabe

you grunted as once more you went slamming down onto the pitch, your legs flying out from beneath you as your back thumped onto the grass and you took a moment to catch your breath, letting out a wheeze.

"you alright??" alessia hovered over you in concern as you nodded, holding a hand up that you just needed a moment as she stepped back to give you some space, both caitlin and stina doing the same.

"ah come on ref that's bullshit she took her fucken legs out!" you heard an all too familiar accent yell angrily as you slowly got back to your feet.

"katie it's not worth it, please! i'm okay, i promise." you assured, inserting yourself and pushing on your girlfriends chest to get her to back off with a pleading look.

she glowered at the ref behind you who was speaking with the number twenty who took you down, though no cards or penalties were awarded.

"mccabe! cool it, you're already on a yellow." kim warned seriously as she appeared by your side, katie puffing air out of her nose angrily but storming off as the whistle blew to signal the end of injury time and the first half.

"you okay? you're taking a flogging out there." jen slung an arm over her shoulder walking off the pitch with you as you sighed and nodded. "gonna have some bruises to show for my efforts tomorrow, that's for sure." you shook your head, shoving the taller girl who made a comment about katie kissing them better.

you sat through the half time talk listening intently, nodding along as you sipped at your water and forced a gel down with a wince, well aware of your girlfriends eyes burning into you.

"what?" you turned to her as jonas finished talking, a few more minutes remaining as he began to go over some new tactics with his intended subs. "why do you let them do that to ya?" she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"oh yes i let them push me down babe, in fact i welcome it!" you rolled your eyes, going to stand as she slid in beside you and tugged you back down. "darlin i don't mean like that, but you never fight back or stand up for yourself, or argue to the ref!" she spoke a little more calmly now, concern clear in her eyes as you squeezed her knee in appreciation.

"there's no point wasting energy on that. if the ref doesn't call it as it happens chances are they won't anyway, no point in holding up game play for a silly argument." you smiled softly, melting katie a little but the concern didn't dissapear from her eyes.

"well the more you don't react the more they'll do it if they get away with it. cmon let me teach ya something. pelova! come here." katie called across the change rooms to the younger girl who appeared with a confused frown.

"right. so lets say i'm you, and vic here is the opposition whose just tackled ya!" katie stood and began to explain, giving the dutch girl a murderous look as she attempted to take her down.

"if the ref won't call it, you get back up to your feet, face your opponent and-" she suddenly lurched forward, grabbing the back of vic's top and forcefully pulling it up and over her head.

"see!" katie grinned clearly proud of her work as you shook your head, helping vic get herself free as she swore at your girlfriend in dutch, shoving her and storming off.

"are you trying to get me sent off?" you laughed, playfully knocking your boot into her shin pad. "nah just tryna make you smile, worked a charm!" she sat back down beside you, leaving a sloppy kiss on your cheek as you playfully punched her shoulder.

"but seriously baby, stand up for yourself. if they aren't being carded for a push or a shit tackle you're not gonna be carded for a few cheeky insults or a returned favour. i've seen ya angry i know it's there, and it's very hot." katie whispered the last part in your ear making you smile as the two of you stood, following the others back onto the grass.

as the half resumed once again any time you had the ball it seemed a pair of boots would fly at you, and time after time if it wasn't your ass thumping down onto the pitch it was your stomach, your uniform stained green and your patience very slowly thinning.

there seemed to be two repeat offenders, both defensive wingers you'd come across at national and club level, and given you'd scored the only goal of the game so far and watched them converse closely with the coach during the break, you figured it wasn't a coincidence you were being targeted.

alessia was too, the two of you seeming to spend more time on your assess than your feet this half, and you could feel the teams frustration that there had been no fouls given building.

with both teams now becoming increasingly pushy and aggressive, the referee very close to losing control of the game if she didn't start to at least pull out some more yellows.

and sure enough, that's exactly what happened.

once again you found yourself with a perfect cross in from wally making a beeline for the goal, dribbling around two players with easy and making a break for it. until suddenly someone slammed into you from behind, clipping your ankles and sending you practically into a forward flip as your head smacked against the ground.

the ringing in your ears was nothing compared to the uproar from the crowd and your team mates as a full on shoving match ensured between both teams in the middle of the pitch.

you watched on as you slowly sat up, the same number twenty from before sending you an amused smile as she began to walk away, and you couldn't quite tell what came over you but something did, and you'd finally had enough.

puffing air from your nostrils angrily you jumped to your feet, ignoring the mounting tension and pain in your neck, storming over to the twenty and shoving her in the back as she stumbled forward.

you noticed a few of your team mates attention switch to you at the out of character action, but you weren't done yet. the roars of the crowd thumping in your ears you leapt forward, grabbing the back of the girls shirt and pulling it over her head, pushing her forward so she fell back onto the pitch.

you felt hands grab at you from behind and turned around to swing, jen grabbing your hand in hers with a shocked look as you winced hearing a shrill whistle in your ear. and then suddenly, you really were seeing red, the card held high in the air as every ounce of anger deflated instantly from your body and you crumpled.

"mate what happened why did-" jen started to ask as you shook your head, cheeks burning with embarrassment as you tugged your hand away and began to walk off the pitch with your head hung low.

suddenly arms were slung around you again as you glanced up, your girlfriend on one side as alessia was on the other, it would appear it had been a triple booking.

the three of you entered the change rooms, alessia disappearing to shower as you sat down rubbing your temple, stretching your neck which was growing more sore as each time passed.

"well, i did sort of tell ya to do that." the irishwoman grinned, kicking off her boots and sitting back with a proud smile as you rolled your eyes, rubbing your neck, your girlfriend pushing your hands away and telling you to wait for the therapist.

"plus, once we get home i'll give ya a little special massage, as a congratulations for my girls very first red card."

[quitealotofsodapop]

This was in my notes for a long time

MK glanced up at the ringing of the bell. The food truck was bustling, full of people all over the city looking to enjoy Pigsy's Noodles during their New Years while they await the parade. At the sight of the partially glamoured face of a ginger haired person with a heart-shaped birthmark around his eyes wearing an orange hoodie and maroon pants, he felt his face pale considerably. Especially as the very obviously glamoured demon was accompanied by four seemingly human children, having apparently put more effort into their glamours than his own. A quick flash of Gold Vision confirmed MK's suspicions. His mom and siblings.

"Oh boy..." He groaned, glaring at the snickering of one of the twins. They pointed at their headphones and stuck their tongue out before bringing their attention back to their sibling. Right, lotus ears. There's no verbally spoken secret within a mile that can be kept from the twins simply because one of then was born with their father's ears. Before MK could return the rude gesture he felt a hand shaking his shoulder, startling him.

"What's up, monkey man?" Mei was grinning, "You look like your mom jsut walked in on you or something!"

"That's because he did." MK groaned, pointing to the group, "He brought my siblings too."

"Oooh, tough. I'm totally gonna record the entire thing, it's bound to be good blackmail."

MK rolled his eyes as he pushed himself to the front where his mom was watching the whole interaction with amused golden eyes.

"Mom! What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Can't a fella come to his son's workplace on the holiday?" Wukong joked, instinctively reaching out to stop Luzhen from grabbing at Yuebei's hidden tail, "With the New Years I thought it'd be a good idea to bring your siblings down to the parade for a better view. We're jsut stopping by fir seem food before we go down to the festival."

"Well you came to the right place! What can I do ya for?" Pigsy grunted as not too gently pushed MK aside for some room. For a moment the glamoured monkey demon was frozen at the unexpected resemblance before shaking himself a bit,

"Oh, uh... something vegetarian please. Make sure mine is cooled."

"Cooled?" Pigsy raised a brow as he glanced at MK, a cooled bown the noodles is rarely something people want.

"Mom had an accident when he was younger that makes it difficult for him to eat hot foods." MK explained, writing the order down for his boss. The pig shrugged, muttering something about ice as he began the order. MK returned his focus to his family as they chatted, Wukong quite forcefully demanding a hug from him.

What MK didn't realize was the conversation going on behind him.

"So that's very obviously a glamoured demon." Tang was pointing out as they watched the family interact, "So our theory is looking more and more true."

"Yeah, kid's a demon. Or the least his mom is. Poor guy." Pigsy said in return, "Still that isn't a good glamour."

"I've seen glamours before." Sandy chimed in, "I don't think it's because he's bad at it, just look at his kids! He's probably jsut putting all his energy into keeping his kids' glamours up."

Ref.

Oh gosh poor MK getting mega-embarrassed by his mom and siblings XD

I love the detail of the Eclipse Twin with the lotus ears teasing MK before they even get there. No secret is safe from the twins; one hears all and they both share everything.

I love Wukong being so focused on his kids glamours that he barely has enough magic left over for his own. And ofc Luzhen trying to grab Yuebei's invisible tail - cus where did it go? XD

I love hcs of Wukong not enjoying hot food cus of his lore. Him like his noodles lukewarm at best.

And the noodle gang cofirming their suspicions that MK is def a glamoured demon (or at least half-demon). Imagine the shock they'll get when they learn exactly who MK's mom is! XD

[madebysoupy]

Say hello to the Links of LatL!! (again!)

Link and the Links is my Links Meet AU I'm working on a comic for!

There were some design and art style changes I wanted to document and share. I hope you all like it!

Like last time there's more info below if you're interested!

(please do NOT tag as LU/Linked Universe!)

The Plot

The Links find themselves in a mysterious forest that seems somewhat familiar to all of them yet none of them know where they are. Forced to work together in order to get home, they'll discover a thing or two about each other and grow closer!

The Cast

A little introduction to the lads! I'll probably post individual refs/intros at some point and go into more detail there, but for now here's this!

I'm including age, height, how long it's been since their latest adventure ended, and a little blurb about them

Birdie (Skyward Sword)

18

160 cm (5'3)

Roughly 6 hours after defeating Demise

The start of it all. Unbeknownst to himself and the others, the space they find themselves in was created out of his desire to meet the heroes that came after him. He feels terribly guilty about the curse and very much blames himself for the possible suffering of future heroes. His main goal is to check up on everyone and help where he can!

Grasshopper (Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask)

10

125 cm (4'1)

4 days after leaving Termina

Somewhat disoriented after his journey still, he tags along simply because he thinks Birdie is an idiot who would get lost without him. He doesn't like to talk a lot, or communicate with the others at all to be honest. Hopefully he'll warm up to them at some point

Seagull (Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass)

13

145 cm (4'7)

6 months after leaving the domain for the ocean King

He's a real genuine pirate, yarr!! Or so he'd like you to believe. He talks a great deal about his strength and bravery, but really is just afraid and terribly homesick most of the time. He wants to fit in with Tetra's and her crew's toughness so much he might go a little overboard on the act in a way that may or may not end up biting him in the butt.

Choo (Spirit Tracks)

14

151 cm (4'9)

6 months after peace returned to new Hyrule

He wouldn't call himself a hero, in fact he'd say it's a miracle he made it out alive. Self-esteem and confidence really aren't his strong suits, he often finds himself dragged along and unable to say no. He is very friendly however, and if you just give him a little space he might even open up to you.

Wolfie (Twilight Princess)

21

175 cm (5'7)

4 years after defeating Ganondorf

Left Ordon after intrusive thoughts convinced him he was a danger to his village, now works at Telma's bar as a waiter in exchange for a room. He's responsible well liked, though he's not too fond of himself. He has some complicated feelings about the whole turning into a wolf thing

Apple (A Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages/Seasons and Link's Awakening)

20

164 cm (5'4)

Just a few seconds after Koholint disappeared

He's a kind and soft spoken, weirdly wise sort of guy and near instantly becomes the heart of the team. With a tendency to push his own feelings aside he prefers to take care of everyone else's.

Wallflower (A Link Between Worlds)

19

158 cm (5'2)

4 years after wishing upon the triforce with Zelda

Bitter doesn't even begin to describe this uh.. pleasant fella. After being bossed around for the better part of his life he doesn't take orders from anybody and is this close to quitting his job as a blacksmith. He hates being stuck here, he hates these strange people, really there's not much he doesn't hate. But that can't be all there is to him...

Puzzle (The Legend of Zelda and Adventure of Link)

18

150 cm (4'9)

1,5 years after waking Zelda II

Confused, disoriented, but still happy to help and ready for adventure. Though some of the others don't really like him around he's still just as friendly to everyone. Since he struggles to communicate he tends to stay quiet. He appears to be simple minded on first glance, but he'll prove to be a valuable member of the team.

Sprout (Minish Cap)

23

139 cm (4'5)

13 years after defeating Vaati

After his grandfather died he retreated into his house and dedicated himself to improving his blacksmithing skills to live up to his grandfather's name, he was quickly forgotten by his community and faded into obscurity. Now he may be the best blacksmith in Hyrule, so good that even the royal guard hires him, but among the general castletown population he's nothing more than a forest cryptid. He only leaves the house when he has to, carefully avoiding people. Not because they disgust him, he just has a major case of social anxiety!

Squire (Breath of the Wild)

14

147 cm (4'8)

3 years pre calamity

This absolute rascal couldn't be happier about his current circumstances. These unknown woods are his playground and all of these weirdos are his friends now! Though everyone's pretty sure he's a knight trainee, he insists that he's just a stable hand for the guard. His chaotic and carefree nature surprisingly doesn't get in the way of things as he's eager to help out wherever he can, seeing the whole journey as an impromptu camping trip.

Some funfacts :]

Most of them are neurodivergent in some way!

Birdie and Seagull have ADHD, Grasshopper and Choo are autistic, Squire gets the combo platter AuDHD and Wolfie has OCD

Additionally, Birdie has auditory processing disorder and dyscalculia, and Squire has dyslexia

A few of them also have speech disorders

Choo stutters and Puzzle has cluttering speech disorder

Apple has a weak voice, so after a while his voice gets tired and gets hoarse

Choo enjoys drawings and cartography, two skills that will be very important!

One of Seagull's hobbies is photography! He takes his pictobox everywhere

Wolfie also does entertainment at the bar from time to time! He sings or does card tricks

Sprout knows HSL (hylian sign language) because his grandfather was deaf

Seagull's piratey way of talking is 100% for show and painfully inconsistent

Wolfie speaks in a thick southern (in universe ordonian) accent but he's trying hard to mask it since he moved to castletown

Wallflower absolutely hates Puzzle

Squire's special interest is horses

Birdie is a bit of a doormat so he has the ideas but Wolfie is the one to actually get them through

A number of them are blood related (has nothing to do with the colours of their names in this post, I had to reuse some because there weren't enough orz)

[minas-linkverse]

Ngl I was going to ask about Breath of the Wild but I’d thought you’d get a million of those asks lol. I was also torn between asking about Wind Waker, so whichever one you want to answer more is chill!!

haha yea I thought I'd get a million asks too! Somehow even now this remains the only botw ask, I guess people just figured it must've been sent already 😅

Now to actually share my thoughts on botw... Man I hope people don't get mad at me.

I did not like it!. The first play through I had was mildly exciting simply due to there being a whole unknown world to see, but after a while that gimmick wore off. I knew that if I made my way to the cool looking mountain or interesting abandoned building I'd just find a bokoblin and/or a chest with a gem. Whats the point of a gorgeous expansive world when all I find is the same...! 😫

Oh wow! A town with a whole new atmosphere and culture I sure wonder what I'll get up to h- Ok they have the same shops with slightly different items. Ok cool. There's like a few small quests for more inventory filler I don't really need. Cool cool.

I understand that the game is really fun for some people, they'll do quests just to get to play more of the game. They want all that extra stuff to upgrade armour and really get into the nitty gritty mechanics of the game... But I did not. It was not for me.

Also ouugh the puzzles...! My favourite part of Zelda games is the puzzle solving, but these were in no way satisfying and often more fun to just break. Why would I bother even trying to get into the devs heads when A) I could just break it and B) I have too many options to consider! I can't possibly get a clean eureka moment when everything from monster guts to just climbing could be the solution...! Where's the engaging simplicity of knowing exactly what you have and following the devs' clues to reach the solution!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaa--

I also disliked the story, all the interesting bits in it happened a 100 years ago and I feel like I arrived late with a starbucks. I also will not get over the weird ending cutscene!! After countless fascinating memories of Zelda having very complex emotions at Link... What do you mean you're just going to have a vaguely romantic "Do you still remember me?" YEAH I DO, I thought u disliked me! Which is a fascinating story direction I would've loved continued but OK! I guess we're ignoring that! Women cant be angry that makes them less cute and marketable, I guess!!!!

I... Sorry this is so ranty, I've been holding it in a long time. I think there's a lot to love in botw and I wish I wasn't so sour about it. Other people's love and excitement for it is wonderful and I hope they keep making the art they love. If its your first game in the series and got you into it, that's nothing to be ashamed about. I'm just a grumpy old man waving at cloud /ref.

Honestly I think botw could've been wonderful if it was a new IP. It feels all the Zelda stuff was sort of glued onto a concept that wasn't prepared to carry that mantle. It would've been better off with a new exciting world and cast of characters. It still wouldn't be a game I much care for, but the freedom that could've granted the developers would've been a treat to see.

It's worth adding that even though I dislike botw, I want to treat the characters of that game with respect and care in my comic. I may not love them in game but I can see the passion others have and I am committed to make something worth their time. Your special guys are safe with me. I have 0 desire to dunk on them, and instead wish to honour the love you all have. In a way I'm learning to love them myself through that.

[citruslllad]

Love your qsmp au, it’s been haunting my brain for the past few hours. Jacob questioning his sanity makes me cackle. Love the concept of a character having a prominent person in their life being lost or replaced and having to find them. I’m particularly curious as to the dynamics Jacob has with the other qsmp members once he arrives on the island. Anyone they like, despise? How do they interact with a certain cat boy conspiracist and our resident eldritch care bear?

Also unrelated, love how Jo is just a concerned observer in all of this. His friend went from pretty okay mentally to “No Jo I’m telling you I’ve definitely had a roommate this whole time! You’ve met her in real life several times by now! Stop gaslighting me about the plushies I’m not a plush guy I wouldn’t buy these on my own. Fine, if there’s no roommate JO, then why is there a drawing tablet in that other room? There is a LIVE BIRD IN MY LIVING ROOM and yet I’ve never expressed interest in owning one. Worse yet, I haven’t MONETIZED IT?! THIS ISN’T FUNNY JOE MY LIFE HAS BECOME A TWILIGHT ZONE EPISODE”

ANON I LOVE YOU THANK YOU FOR THE INBOX RAMBLE <<<<33333

the thing is, they first realized something was off when they were on stream and chatting w/ friends, said something along the lines of "yeah haha it's been so quiet without Jaiden around, hope she's having a good time" and someone goes oh who's Jaiden? and you can practically see the gears in his head turning. at some point he's like we'll they'll HAVE to believe me if i bring them over and they all see her room and setup and stuff right? and then some of their buddies arrive and go lol Jo you had such a weird setup before you left and Jo's just going along with it like yeah haha I don't even remember it, it was a weird time in my life and Jacob is FUMING

regarding dynamics, focusing on Cellbit + Jacob first, I don't think they trust each other at ALL at first. they're both nice to each other for the sake of being polite, but they literally CanNot trust the other, Cellbit because last time he trusted an "ally" he became employee of the month, and Jacob because not trusting anyone on the island comes with the package. over time, they begin to bond over their shared stressful experience, but it's a while till then

(taking this ^^^ into account, Cellbit is secretly ECSTATIC to have Jacob around. not because of Jacob himself, but because they can remember everything about the outside world whereas Cellbit cannot. they bring him a small sense of closure)

he definitely get along better with some of the other members, though. the first people that come to mind are Slimecicle, Roier and Baghera. other than that, he doesn't exactly have all the time in the world to interact with everyone on the island, so he's mostly neutral (except for those he knows has willingly worked with the federation, like Foolish or Elq. he doesn't trust that in the slightest)

with Cucorucho it's a bit of a different story. they've never interacted with it, and all they know about it is from Cellbit, so it's safe to say they'd rather keep off of it's radar. when he DOES meet with it, however, he's very offput by it. they laugh at first, yes, because Cucorucho literally looks like a life sized stuffed animal, but he very quickly gets disturbed by it, something made to look so friendly and undeceiving being capable of so much. he isn't a fan.

(here are some refs i doodled while watching jaiden vods btw <3)

[tokillamockingbird427]

May i ask for some Merrick hc? He's so sweet, but gets so little love

<3 MERRICK <3 *Slam dunks him like a basketball*

Definitely the guy who pretends to be a hardass but is a massive softie at heart. And it's hardly that. He's just very frank with his words and isn't very affectionate, but he really does love his team. They're everything to him. He's winning if they're doing well, and there's nothing Merrick likes more in life than winning.

Classical music enjoyer.

Pretends he doesn't understand the bear jokes made about him. Absolutely is aware what a "bear" is in regards to the gay subculture. Thinks it's so fucking funny and quietly eats it up every time. He also enjoys that they'll call him "papa bear" sometimes, always teasing and sometimes as a ref to the gay-subculture joke, but it makes him feel nice that they more or less know he's there to protect them.

The rock! Not Dwayne The, but he's the guy on the team everyone can rely on. If there is nothing else to hold onto, there is Merrick. He is aware and very proud of this fact.

Very good cook! Kinda specializes in Italian american food. Really likes pasta.

Incredible guy to have a heart-to-heart with. For someone who seems pissed 98% of the time he's actually very laid back and non-judgmental, so mixed with the stalwart protector vibes and boom: Like every Ghost (Or even just teams they work with for long enough) will recall some convo they had with him that just let the world stop for a moment. Shit is healing magic. Has been in the past and will be in the future a good solid shoulder to cry on. (Just not literally. Please, he has tissues. Spare his shirt.)

Absolutely so adores the boys, even if they don't really realize it. Like even over his other teammates he's known longer, he just adores them to no end. They're Elias's kids, he'll say, he owes it to the man to look after them. But that's not his only reason, and it's hardly a reason at all. Logan and Hesh are his boys. (Yes, even Riley falls into this.) Was crushed after the beach when he realized the consequences of letting the boys go after Rorke. He lost. And Merrick hates nothing more than losing.

Hates mint flavored anything. Even toothpaste. Especially ice cream.

Merrick is unflinchingly loyal to Elias, to the point that he could point at a cliff and say "Jump Tom!" and Merrick would fly off without even a chute to slow him on the way down. It's not something even Rorke got from him, and it only cropped up once Elias took lead of the team... after Caracas.

Actually likes kids. He wouldn't mind having some of his own, but work comes first, so he's alright with just spectating rather than being a parent. Plus, he's not very sure how he'd do with the 24/7 care of a kid. Playing with them and babysitting is one thing, raising a child is another. That's a can of worms he'll leave well alone...

Mama's boy. For life.

A guilty man. He doesn't like to talk about it, unless the situation calls for it (Like during a heart-to-heart.) but it's not that he thinks he's a bad person: He just thinks he could have done better. Related to him liking winning and hating losing... he remembers each tally on either side of the board.

If you wake him up before 10 on a Sunday you better have a damn good reason. Someone dying isn't even a good enough reason. He's slept through base attacks.

Favorite color is teal, and there's a reason for it: His high school sweetheart, whom he dated for all four years and broke up with because he went to basic, ADORED the color. Painted her room the color, her nails every Friday, every notebook she owned was a shade, etc etc. He's not still mopey over her or anything, he just hasn't found a different color he'd care to like as much as teal.

Dog guy. Absolutely pats the shit out of Riley, who cannot get enough of it. He does have a favorite dog breed, American pit bull terriers cus of their big heads, but German shepherds are alright in his book.

Beard care to the max. Oils and combs and that shaving foam pot with the bristle brush. Hesh came to him wanting some advice for his own facial hair and Merrick had never been so ready for anything in his life. Broke that shit down like the birds and bees talk.

Will take the clothes off his back for someone he cares about, will ask them why the fuck they don't have their own?

All of the people he's ever met in his life remain important to him in some way shape or form.

[chocodile]

art fight???? how???

hey, could you explain a little about the art fight thing? i want to fight people !1!1!

Art Fight is an art gifting and trading game! It's been running in some form or another since (quickly checks about page) 2007 apparently but I've been playing it since 2016.

The way the game/event works is outlined here on the site's About page. Basically you just pick other users and draw free art for them of their characters--art you make for other people is called "attacks", and if you're lucky, they'll get "revenge" by drawing something back for you of one of your own characters, too!

There's a light framework of "teams" and "points" overlaid on top of that "draw art of others' OCs" concept to gamify it and give it a fun aesthetic (with team themes like sun vs moon, vampires vs werewolves, etc), but there are no prizes for the winning team, you can freely draw stuff for people on your own team, you can switch teams at any time, and... honestly most users don't really care about teams or points and are just in it for the OC gift art aspect of it.

I'm a huge fan of it because Art Fight feels like one of the last places on the internet that is by and for artists exclusively. On Art Fight you can openly relish in the fact that you're obsessed with one of your characters, or show off this idea for a cool story and setting you want to turn into a novel someday, or proudly display the fact that you've been worldbuilding in-depth dragon lore for a decade and be totally and completely surrounded on all sides by people who not only get it, but also are all doing the same thing. It's also a great way to give some love and support to beginner artists.

Some tips on how to have a better Art Fight experience:

Don't go in with the expectation that you'll get a ton of art, especially your first year. Your main goal should be to make gifts for other people.

If you are hoping to get "revenges" back, try to "attack" people who are definitely playing this year (as in, have drawn at least one attack this summer) but who aren't already swamped with a ton of attacks to "revenge" already. (Attacking only very popular/professional artists who get more attacks then they could ever possibly keep up with will leave you feel disappointed... that said, it's arguably worth attempting a few, just in case you get lucky, because that's how I got a drawing from Shoomlah, one of my childhood art idols!)

If you have an art blog, promote your Art Fight stuff to your followers there so they know you're playing. Playing with a group of friends is also more fun than playing solo 'cause you can always attack each other if you're not getting many revenges. Leaving nice comments on other people's characters and art can also help make you more visible/leave a good impression if you're brand new to the game.

Points and teams seriously don't matter at all, even a little. I suggest not paying them any attention at all beyond picking the team theme you think is cooler.

It's best to at least skim a character's profile and rules before drawing them. Not only does it help you get a better feel for the character, sometimes people put useful design details there instead of on their refs.

One more thing: Don't take Art Fight too seriously! You and everyone else are here to have fun. Don't get hung up on art "quality"--lots of people (including myself) are only doing headshots or sketches. Don't get upset if someone forgets a detail on your character or doesn't draw them quite "right". Don't get hung up on numbers or "ratios" or feel too stung if someone doesn't comment on or revenge something you draw for them. After all, Art Fight is for all types of artists, including young artists who don't fully understand netiquette rules yet, busy adults with full time jobs, people with disabilities that make it hard for them to communicate or hard for them to type or leave them with limited energy... etc. That doesn't mean they didn't appreciate what you drew for them!

Wow, I wrote too much. I should probably stop typing and go draw something for Art Fight before it gets too late in the evening!

TL;DR: Fun art gifting game. Great to rub elbows with other creatives for a month! Feels like an online convention of sorts! A+! Would recommend.

[sommerregenjuniluft]

everytime i remember both barty & james are setters in ur haikyuu au i go a little insane...... what r they like when they're playing each other?? constantly taunting the other, doing setter dumps back and forth, telling each other the exact play they're about to do, etc....

cass my light my love i'm so glad you asked i only just thought about them yesterday

so back in january i've been watching a lot of international volleyball games on youtube and like taking notes and through that found out how i want james and barty to play. i bet you remember this post. both james and barty do this but in different ways. iranian national team setter saeid marouf does this thing where no matter how good or bad the receive is he always manages to keep his players in a tight rhythm. they're on a time limit so to say and he passes the ball accordingly fast after taking it on, urging his hitters to sped up their last two steps before the jump, which increases their hight and power. it's so mercyless and trusting and how talented you have to fucking be to keep that up let alone invent that so that's our james right there. for barty he is less of an obvious genius (i'm not 100 sure yet if i'll leave it like that or might add something but for now) he always sets percisely in the hitting window to let them also make decisions of their own because they're all so cunning and observant he knows they'll decide on the right thing. slytherin has a wild variety of plays that all are very confusing to their opponent (lots of players attacking at the same time and curved sprints, switching places and everything) even after a bad receive they manage to pull a complex play (they're much like seijoh in that aspect). barty signalizes them the play he wants to do and waits until the last second with deciding who he wants to set to, he's a calculating monster. always having the opponents players in view, how his own hitters are doing, how the receive was, everything. his unpredictability makes him dangerous.

now when they're playing against each other is mostly a disaster waiting to happen. barty is a first year and he's constantly getting admonished by his upperclassmen and the second evan only so much as suspects barty's concentration is slipping because he's too focused on beating James instead of gyffindor he sends him the biggest death glare to reign him back in. and while james is also only a second year, he is captain. sirius has to do so much damage control as vice whenever his temper gets the better of him and it's, if understandably when against barty, a lot.

slytherin is a downright mean team. they block the view to the person serving. they aim where it hurts. yknow how the teams assemble after each point for morality/celebration to like pat each others back? whenever gryffindor makes a mistake and esp when they fumble a serve, slytherin cheers just a tad too loudly. like it's bordering on disrespectful/bad sportmanship. also (and while they def dont need to resort to such measures) they love questioning the referees. they insist there was a block touch or they insist that the served ball was outside of the line etcetc. ofc james is the first to also stand by the refs, shaking his head and desperately trying to remain calm because he does not appreciate getting cheated.

barty being our deceptive king probably would do something like revealing his plays when he hears some of the opponents talk about it, but he'd have to do it under his breath and in secret because the thrid years dont appreciate him being that cocky (because they dont know yet that he can pull it off). also one time after a bad receive he yells Quick! but instead of a middle blocker quick he sets to an outside hitter and everyone is like ?!!?!? but yeah 100% setter dumps back and forth i can easily see james doing one at the very beginning of a set or match even. constantly taunting each other. like in my mind i think it would take quite a lot to get james to lose his uplifting/confident demeanor (as in sad/resigned to a loss) but he does get annoyed/infuriated from time to time, esp about someone outsmarting him (cough atsumu core). and barty is just overall pissed at james keeping his form and not fucking up and petty asf and he 100% trash talks near the net. maybe even about sirius and regulus

[shadow-the-artist-idiot]

Anywho, taking a break from the TMA posting(i swear i'll post about more than just tma, its just clawing at my brain) to yap about my SKRUNKLY !!!! MY SILLY !!!!! MY,,, DRUMROLL PLEASE,,, SONA !!!!

Little trigger warning for Self Harm and Suicide n all that. Uh.

Though shes really more of. Just an oc at this point.

....

We ignore

ANYWAYS idk if you noticed. But shes Fucked Up™️. MOST of her scars are from just absolute random bullshit i put her thru when i was younger to get anger n frustration out. So i AM trying to fix that. Once i get her backstory straight, ill make another lore dump post about this stupid motherfucker i prommy.

Anyways, fun fact, this stupid bastard was my first oc EVER!!! Shes my stupid motherfucking bastard and i love her <33

Shes AroAce(just like me fr fr), n uses she/her. For now. Itll PROBABLY stay that way, cuz ive hard her like that for a LONG time, but if i start using other pronouns then ive prolly decided that shes pangender. Like me. Sparkles.

ANYWAYS heres a few random fun facts about that stupid whore

-Shes a Living Shadow, which is my own lil custom species. Idk if I'll end up lore dumping about the species itself or not.

-She has a DAUGHTER. Her name is Melody and shes both incredibly responsible and also a menace, and we love her for it. Shes also based on an axolotl.

-Shadow was just a full on Queen for a few years, before she finally was able to pass it down to Melody. She then proceeded to be even more of an absolute bastard to make up for those years she was forced to be responsible. Shes a little chaotic motherfucker, and if you see her in the castle you better run the FUCK away.

-Shadows like. Old as hell. I dont remember exact age, but iirc shes like mid 40s. Note, this is because i was roleplaying her in a chaotic ass server with a chaotic ass timeline and i simply cannot be bothered to age her down(if i did, Melody would poof out of existence and i dont want that, i love ky fucked up little queen)

-Shadows a SHORT ass motherfucker, and contrary to the fact above this one, i DO remember how short she is. Shes 5'2", and she holds enough rage to kill 56 grown men in her small little itty bitty frame(this does not reflect irl, i am unfortunately average height)

-Funnily enough, Shadow has both the goofiest and most traumatized backstory behind her scars. Like, a LOT of her scars are from self harm/suicide attempts, but also shes missing her hand because a character of mine from a complete other universe appeared and gnawed it off(bryseis my beloved).

-Shadow pissed off the Goddess of Death so much that she made Shadoe unable to die. Now you may be asking yourself: How the fuck is this a punishment. WELL. At the time, she was INCREDIBLY suicidal. Still kinda is. At this point, its switched from a punishment to just something thats kinda there now that Shadow and Trius(goddess of death) are friends.

-Shadow canonically has a MASSIVE alcohol problem. She bounces between drinking so much she passes out, and just putting a little wine with her coffee(it tastes disgusting) (she doesnt care)

-Shadow would probably have a smoking problem too, if she knew they existed. Nobody tell her cigarettes exist.

-Shadow drinks the strongest coffee you can possibly imagine. No its not healthy. Yes she drinks it anyways. Yes its kinda necessary(she has INSANE insomnia)

Anyways uh, shadow has some silly magic,, which is why in her ref she has illusions. She can create illusions, open portals, and melt into shadows, though that last one is something all Living Shadows have.

In Living Shadow culture or whatever, scars are INCREDIBLY frowned upon. Meaning, typically, if someone has even a small scar, they'll probably be hiding it with illusion magic. Shadow does the same thing, which is why I vary between drawing her with scars and drawing her without them.

Jesus this post is long as hell, im gonna explode. Okay uh ive talked enough methinks, if you wanna art Shadow then absolutely feel free !!! Just make sure to tag me so i can reblog that shit!!!

:DDDD

[many-faced]

More Labyrinth stuff! This is technically the third designed character but Anchor is giving me some design issues for her concept ref,,, I'll get there eventually

WARNINGS BEFORE YOU LOOK AT THE ART AND THEIR LORE Leech features the following design elements:

Eyes in unusual places [tail, inside of mouth]

Clusters of eyes [no more than three close together in each cluster]

Slightly warped bodyparts

Flower mouth [like that thing where the mouth is split four ways and it opens kinda like a flower]

'Listen, down here you lose your mind or you lose your body. Sometimes you lose both. It's better to make the choice before the Alterworld makes it for you.'

Leech, interestingly enough, has not been here as long as Anchor. Though you wouldn't be able to tell based on the corruption of their body and mind for that matter. Leech has no memory of who they were before the alterworld, and would not recognise their old face if shown a photo of it. After forgetting their name, they started calling themself Leech after their razorlike teeth and general facial traits.

Despite their patchy memory, Leech is still very intelligent. They even provably think faster than non-corrupted humans, with a much quicker reaction time and the thinking speed to accompany it. Leech can deliver several quick blows with their claws and a bone-crushing bite faster than almost anything can respond. At some point during corrupting, they became an obligate carnivore. They don't seem to care what source they get the meat from, as long as they eat.

Despite their antagonistic attitude and hunting behaviours, they are fully open to talking to anyone who still has the ability to. Because of this, coupled with their intelligence (and loneliness, but they'll never admit that), Leech makes a very loyal ally in the Alterworld.

[thegeminisage]

it's tng update time.

we did. and you know this. because i made. i counted. 18 posts about it. "half a life." and of course: "the host" (honorific).

half a life: part of what makes the ep after this so wonderful is that THIS episode was so genuinely upsetting. it was a huge bummer. it was awful. the only fucking episode lwaxana troi has been in that cathy actually watched and she had a valid character arc. i was furious. and then we got into it and i was like. oh.

first of all, kudos to charles winchester from mash for being here. cathy caught a 4077 ref that i missed bc i wasnt paying attention. i cant believe he was gay when he did this

secondly. the fucking. ethical implications of. people who are infirm should be dead for their children's sake and for their own sake. like it's better to be dead than in a nursing home. when you're 60 time's up. parents care for their children so children should care for their parents. your aging parents are mortal and they'll die one day. your daughter wants you to kill yourself. you want to die and can't wait to kill yourself. you don't want to live and then you do want to live but you still have to kill yourself. you're 60. you're 60. YOUR DAUGHTER WANTS YOU TO KILL YOURSELF. when she is 60 your daughter WILL ALSO KILL HERSELF.

i think the most fucked up part of this was that lwaxana ruined him. she meant well, and for once i saw her point and her arguments as totally valid (i usually think she's horrible), it was like maybe the only semi-selfless thing she's ever done aside from the ferengi business we will not be discussing. but she ruined him. when he was fine with dying and he had to die, fine and whatever. when he wanted to live?? no longer fine. if he lives his people will hate him forever. his daughter will regret him living because he can't be laid to rest in the family plot. because he can't die with his friends and family surrounding him. but he's 60. people live to be well over a hundred in the star trek universe, other aliens live even longer. he's SIXTY. he's healthy. he has work to do. a planet to save. and he's gonna die knowing his work meant nothing and his planet might die and his grandson may have nowhere to grow up. live or die, he will be miserable either way, just because he was introduced to a different way of life. it's SO fucked up

i think i had more to say about this after it ended but i have clean forgotten all of it. like it's been blasted out of my memory which is probably for the best. the short version is, i am living at home taking care of my mother who turned 58 three days ago. i didn't need any of that.

but then.

But Then.

the host: what can i possibly. i mean. the sheer. the fucking

like the fucking MOOD WHIPLASH alone

i had heard of this episode years ago. so i knew beverly's bf was a parasite and he eventually jumped into a woman and i was made to believe she was super homophobic about it. i was prepared to look completely past all of this and enjoy not-quite-gay SUBTEXT. i was NOT prepared for ANY of the rest of it

to get this out of the way: as i said, though i miss wesley very much (ask catherine i say so like every episode) it's so fortunate that he was not here. i think bev finally hit menopause because her horny levels were CRITICALLY off the charts and this whole debacle would have been so awkward for him. i'm glad he sent her a letter god bless i'm so glad he's fine wherever he is

the BABY BUMP THIS GUY HAD. this i was not expecting. i didn't know we were doing pregnant men in this episode. i figured the entire episode would be about beverly being like "this is weird cuz idw fuck you now that you're a woman" i had no idea his ass would jump into RIKER

riker did amazing bg work in this ep too before he got to star. he gave beverly and her bf some KNOWING looks. at one point the following exchange was uttered: "HE knows they're fucking." "yeah he wishes it was him." apollo and the dodgeball.....

the fact that after that i literally did have the thought "yeah except he'd never fuck beverly. she's one of the few people who are off limits." lisa simpson dot jpg

and then riker's pregnancy, what can one say. beverly put a little worm in his body. i'm only sad we didn't get to see the baby bump because that would have been extremely funny

i spent the whole ep thinking no way can beverly fuck riker. they have to work together. she has to look him in the eye after this. AND THEN THEY DID.

like it's so insane. it's not even that i dislike the concept because the fallout could lead to some extremely meaty interpersonal drama except for the fact that star trek generally isn't about interpersonal drama and we didn't see riker again after he got possessed. we didn't get one word from him. the silence seems so calculated so as to avoid having to write his reaction. BUT I WANTED HIS REACTION. will he not tell us how it feels to be possessed and pregnant and FUCKING BEVERLY CRUSHER? genuinely this is the first time i've been tempted to look up tng fic. someone tell me there is fic

also, like, he only had 18 hours until he got a new body. she could have waited to fuck the new guy if she felt weird about it being riker. SHE didn't know the knew guy was gonna be a woman. like it had to be menopause

the fact that deanna condoned this, even suggested it, is INSANE. not only because she didn't consider riker's ability, or lack of ability, to consent, but because THAT'S HER BOYFRIEND. quasi-boyfriend. sometimes exes sometimes fwb. like it's NUTS.

their discussion was so wild too. like "what do i miss...his hands, his mouth...no, there was more than that" girl they were 5 more minutes away from discovering the split attraction model. actually i don't even normally like the split attraction model but this episode made me like it a little more. growth <3

actually on that subject quasi-exes are weirdly chill with each other on this show. picard and beverly are kinda dating and kinda not, the same way deanna and riker kind of are and kind of aren't. and picard is like...beverly whatever else i am to you i'm also your friend and i know this fucking sucks. do you want a hug. like that is SO chill and cool of him. and ik they probably do this bc they don't want to have to maintain character development but it winds up accidentally feeling really refreshing

anyway: The Woman

i can't believe that beverly can fuck riker, her "sort of "brother," but not this hot blonde lady. and i know it's because they can't be gay but ACTUALLY

i was SHOCKED that gender didn't come into it at all. like yes it was the elephant in the room but nowhere in beverly's dialogue did she say she couldn't do this because odan was a woman now. copypasting:

"Perhaps it is a human failing, but we are not accustomed to these kinds of changes. I can't keep up. How long will you have this host? What would the next one be? I can't live with that kind of uncertainty. Perhaps, someday, our ability to love won't be so limited."

NONE OF THAT MENTIONS GENDER. none!!! the only part that could be interpreted as a gender thing was when beverly said bring HIM in, and was smiling bc she was about to meet the new version of her bf, only for her smile to drop when she encountered a woman. you could sort of read it as "a woman will be even weirder than riker and i just don't have it in me to go through that acclimation process again" BUT LIKE. like she's CHOOSING not to. not that she couldn't eventually adjust. to a woman. beverly just found out she's bisexual fr

like the wrist kiss was SO SENSUAL. LIKE WHAT THE FUCK. i can't believe they let two women do that on tv in 1991. holy shit. AND!!! they said i love you to each other. i did quite literally stand up out of my seat. it feels very progressive considering when it was written

and like it's a shame this was in the same episode where riker gets knocked up bc that distracted from the entire gay thing. i WISH the whole episode had been odan in a woman's body and riker had had his own episode to do all of that in later. like it would've been incredible. sexuality is fluid <3

anyway. wow. next time: "the mind's eye" and "in theory," two episodes i already feel sorry for because they will Never live up to all of that.

[pine-niidles]

Looking Back on 2023

Heyyy folks! Long time no news from me huh. 

I'm struggling to think of what to even say about my silence. I've not been doing so bad I'd call myself depressed, but I'm doing a tad worse than just a slump. It's been a rough 6 months, not because of one big thing. Instead, a bunch of medium-sized reasons all piled up on top of each other to leave me extremely drained. I've mostly been working on the two commissions I still had in my queue (thank you to my commissioners for being so patient with me, I'm so sorry to make you wait so long <3). I've done a little personal art other than that but didn't have the leftover focus to keep up with sharing it on social media or writing up any updates about my situation. I've pretty much only been active sharing things in my art discord. I'd like to say I've been doing better in the last month or so, but I hesitate to make any promises at this point! We'll just have to see how things go :)

Artfight

So you were promised a more in depth artfight review but I think I missed the right timeframe for that... instead have this look at 3 years of unfinished artfight thumbnails from my new year's wip clean-out!

Year of Art Summary

All things considered I made a lot of art this year, and I'm really happy with how most of it turned out ☺ I did a bunch of experimenting with more playful techniques and color schemes and I think they suit my style a lot. I want to try and much those limits even more next year to see what kind of fun art I can create! Something with colors specifically really clicked in my brain after that witch drawing I did in April, before then I would spend a long time figuring out the perfect color scheme and doing a bunch of adjustments but ever since that drawing things have really been coming together super quick? I'm not sure what changed but no complaints from me. 

Life Drawing Summary 

I rarely post my life drawing but I've been keeping at it! Actually, I put together a few pdfs showcasing all my life drawing going back to 2022, you can download them for free in my itch or ko-fi shops! :>

I also put together a yearly art improvement comparison going back to 2015 that I was planning to put here. However, seeing how long this is already getting... I'll make a separate post for it.

Commissions

I've been gearing up to open commissions again after that unintended hiatus. I don't want to open slots until I'm sure I'm back to being able to finish them in a reasonable timeframe, so I've been using that leftover energy I do have to think about revamping some things and new styles to offer. Back in November I ran a survey on what people want to see from me (it's still open if you'd like to fill it out and help me get more stats!) 

here's a preview of what's to come based on that & my whims:

- stamp commissions were super well received so they'll be added to my main repertoire

- A combo of me reading too much dun meshi and wanting to offer some kind of comicky commissions led to this idea of comic pages of characters eating together, I have a couple examples in progress, when they're done I'll add this style to my main offerings!

- I'm still not 100% set on sketchpages but I like the idea of them so if this test goes well I'll add them as an option

Onward to 2024! 

I already completed my new year's resolution on day 1 of 2024, it was to pet a cat. I've made a second one which is to get a library card whenever my visa is approved and I move back home. It's been something I've been wanting to do for a while but never got around to, hoping this will be the excuse I need to do it.

Art-wise it's not a new goal, but I've been trying to focus on improving my rendering! Though I've also been playing around a lot with screentone... the two don't have to be at odds 🤔 

I'm dedicating this year's personal art time to making new references for as many ocs as possible with nude bases so I can easily design new outfits for them whenever I want to without fully making a new ref from scratch.

Otherwise I'm just trying to take it slow, work on things one at a time and see what happens from there.

[sothischickshe]

4?

Thank you 😘😘

4. How much do you trust the reader?

Oof well the reader im most concerned by atm (cos ~theoretically stumbling through a draft😓) is me, and I'm not sure I trust that bitch at all 😅😅

This concept [particularly re ~comprehending the story/aspects] is a bit of a tricky balancing act I think, bc if you as the writer have sat with something for a long time espec while editing/rewriting/tinkering it can be really hard to get a sense of what does come through clearly, espec in a first/single read. And with serialised fiction like multi part fic which isn't published at a fast regular clip, it's impossible to know how much a reader might recall about what's happened already (maybe fic chapters need a 'previously on' segment?!).

Plus and maybe especially as a lover of ambiguity, it can be really hard to know if the sense/s you've tried to convey as an author have come across coherently. I think that's just something you have to accept if that's a style you prefer, and you can figure out how to develop certain aspects/skills better to help; if you want to be surer of things coming across relatively clearly you may have to explicate pretty explicitly and/or repeat more.

But I suppose this is why writing primarily for oneself is important -- if it works for you, then maybe by definition it works for this idealised reader 🤪 both in terms of quality but also of joy, eg if you include easter eggs which make you cackle, maybe they'll brighten someone else's day too!!

further, if you wanna trust the reader, you've gotta create a scenario where they can trust the writer, SuReLy? For example, if you as writer HAVEN'T nailed down what's happening with characters on and off the page or how truthful they're being (in convos but also ~pov) that tends to show; trust of hypothetical ppl probs needs to be earned too.

Ofc whomsoever 'the reader' is is gonna be varied! Can you trust that any reader is going to pick up on your context clues? Obviously not! But I do think writing towards an idealised good faith audience concept can be encouraging.

I suppose it also depends on what you're hoping to trust the reader to do tho! if you can identify, maybe you can ~aid:

Eg: to read your story? Well OK, maybe you can promote it better. To read your story alllll the way to the end? Well OK, maybe you need to focus on making it continually engaging; cut some chaff; have an endpoint in mind. Trust the reader to respond/feed back to the story? Well you can at least request that if it's important to you, and specifying what areas you particularly seek it for will likely help. Trust the reader to interrogate the story? Well, I think certain styles probably encourage this. Trust the reader to reread the story? Well, you better make it engaging then!! Etc etc

Ultimately, I've had ppl comment on my stories in a way which implies they've misunderstood what I was trying to convey, maybe that means I've left it too vague, or that they were bringing their own assumptions and/or didn't read carefully. Does that mean I should trust no readers/completely change how I write? I don't think so, espec when I've also had other ppl engage with the ambiguity in a positive way, or try to crack a secret of the story open, or take the time to try to understand references they weren't familiar with at first glance, or ref things implied-but-not-stated as if they were on the page. It DOES mean though I can consider that it may be worth clarifying or repeating important points if I want them to def be understood by more readers, and that there's some areas where it's probs worth being more specific (eg did I think the setting was obvious cos I could imagine it clearly but maybe that didn't translate and someone could get it totally wrong?). Also how you approach this for different kinds of stories can be v different! Eg a 1500 word short story can easily be v ambiguous & fun for a reader to play with interpreting vs a 200k one probs needs more clarity to not alienate the audience -- if you're referencing line 1 on line one million without any mention of that topic in btwn, I'm not sure you can expect ppl to remember what you're on about!

So I suppose it's about deciding what reader/s you wanna be able to trust -- just you? Just an idealised perf reader type? Or more broadly, and if so how wide? Can you make it work on multiple levels?? And overall yea, I don't think you can be asking an audience to trust you without making it abundantly clear you're trustable at storytelling!

Writing meme: ashamed edition!

[benayoung]

line dist [ with @bexstevie @lucielxbe @hangyeolbe ] outfit ref (third)

normally, nayoung would jump at any opportunity to perform. performing as a coach, with her team, though, is a new experience, and she isn't sure how she feels about it

their directions are to guide their teams, but not be the leaders. nayoung hasn't quite forgotten last season, when studio delta's ceo called her a poor leader for putting herself in the center of her group's choreography too often.

this time, she's very careful to let her team take the reigns. she mostly just observes them, and answers any questions they have, but much to her pride, they come up with a great concept on their own. better than anything nayoung could hope to come up with, honestly.

she does assign lines to everyone, and also acquires the instrumental a.maze themselves used for one of their performances that her team wants to recreate. the rest of the song is the same, aside from one impactful piano break in the bridge. in the original performance, one of the a.maze members played the piano, but in her team's version, they'll insert a dance break.

the idea of their concept is nayoung as the "puppetmaster," the controlling, manipulative one in this relationship that the others just can't seem to break way from. they're choosing to represent that idea in a literal sense, through some changes in the choreography to get their concept across – to make the boys seem like they're tied to nayoung by strings, and like she's controlling them to some degree.

on performance day, she's incredibly confident. she was always confident, really, from the moment her team's lineup was announced. as stacked of a team as you could have, in nayoung's opinion.

it's only standing backstage that nayoung realizes how long it's been since she's performed on a stage of this scale. extra excitement bubbles in her stomach. even though her main role is to make sure her team shines, she also has an important part to play, and she intends to do it well.

she makes sure her team is prepared, and when it's their turn to take to the stage, she thinks she's done everything she can.

now they all just have to deliver where it matters.

the stage and lighting does a lot of the work for their performance, helping to further drive home the concept of nayoung as puppetmaster, the boys tied to her with strings.

she gave out the parts with their storyline in mind. she herself has the lines that make the most sense for the most manipulative one of the story to sing – and only a few, at that. maybe it'll be a surprise to the judges that nayoung chose to take such a backseat. she kind of hopes so.

as the bridge approaches, nayoung's excitement builds, because that's when the concept really shines and come to fruition.

during the chorus before the bridge, nayoung moves from the back of the formation to hop up a raised platform, so when the chorus dies down into the bridge, she, the puppetmaster, is standing above the rest of her team. she sings:

did you still not give up in your foolish dreams?

luciel and hangyeol sing after her, and then stevie delivers what may be the most important line of the entire performance: sorry the number you have called has been disconnected.

with that, the unexpected piano interlude kicks in, as does the contemporary-inspired dance break and the boys' escape from nayoung's clutches. nayoung, atop of her platform, acts out trying to keep them connected to her strings, but she loses control, and the boys find their freedom. as they do, she falls to her knees atop the platform, and the spotlight previously lighting her up on the platform goes out, leaving her in darkness.

from that point on, her work is done. she gets to watch the last 30 seconds from her perch, as her team continues the performance, now a celebration of their liberation from the toxic relationship.

as it wraps up, nayoung prepares herself to be lit up to the world again, and makes sure to find the camera and show off her prettiest angle if they decide to zoom in on her face.

[paperanddice]

Derro antipaladins are beings that have dedicated themselves to the strange and terrifying thing responsible for their state of being. Channeling power from the mysterious cytillesh (Pathfinder) or the mysterious mind deep in the depths of the ground (13th Age), they bring violence and horror to other beings for the purpose of spreading the "word" of their patron. New non-derro have minds capable of withstanding this information.

This stat block is one that you should only bring into your game if you're very certain your players will be comfortable with it. Throwing a literal infant into a fight as an enemy is something a lot of people won't be comfortable with, for good reason, so consider your players and their limits. While this stat block is meant to show how far derro are willing to go, it could represent a chance for players to do something better. Rescuing the child is likely to be difficult; controlling a child raised in violence who can swap bodies with other people is a very harrowing prospect, and could derail many a game, but some groups may appreciate the difficulty, and for those groups give them the opportunity to resolve this in some kind of peace.

Derro are cruel and callous enough to bring any potentially useful weapon to bear; even their own infants. While most derro have some kind of innate magic, a rare few are born with the ability to swap their souls with other creatures. At first they'll change bodies with their parents and other derro they see nearby, but after a few months they'll learn to avoid attempting to possess derro, for fear of the punishment that follows. At that point, derro warriors place the child in a magically warded cage and carry it with them on raids and into battle, letting the child experience freedom by possessing the body of the derro's enemies. While in another creature's body the child lashes out gleefully and viciously, trying to cause as much harm as possible before it's eventually forced back into its helpless and bound true form.

Inspired by the Tome of Beasts 1. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Pathfinder 2e

Derro Antipaladin Creature 5 Small, Derro, Humanoid, Unholy Perception +8; darkvision Skills Acrobatics +13, Athletics +9, Intimidation +11, Stealth +13 Str +0, Dex +4, Con +4, Int +0, Wis -3, Cha +2 Items heavy crossbow (10 bolts), kukri, leather armor, steel shield (Hardness 5, 20 HP, BT 10) AC 22 (24 with shield); Fort +15, Ref +13, Will +6 HP 75; Immunities confusion; Weaknesses vulnerable to sunlight Evasion When the derro rolls a success on a Reflex save, it gets a critical success instead. Shield Block [reaction] Vulnerable to Sunlight The derro takes 10 damage for every hour it's exposed to sunlight. Speed 20 feet Melee kukri +15 (agile, finesse, trip, sanctified), Damage 1d6+6 slashing plus 1d6 spirit Ranged heavy crossbow +15 (range increment 120 feet, reload 2), Damage 1d10+6 piercing Occult Innate Spells DC 19 ; 4th confusion (recharges in 1d4 rounds); 2nd darkness (at will); cantrips (3rd) daze, ghost sound Champion Devotion Spells 1 Focus Point, DC 19 , 3rd touch of corruption;

Derro Fetal Savant Creature 4 Rare, Tiny, Derro, Humanoid Perception +11; darkvision Str -5, Dex -5, Con -2, Int -2, Wis +1, Cha +5 Items enchanted cage (contained within) AC 12; Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +13 HP 20; Immunities confusion; Resistances mental 5; Weaknesses vulnerable to sunlight Babble (auditory, aura, mental, occult) 60 feet. All creatures except derro that begin their turn in the aura must attempt a DC 19 Will save. Critical Success The creature is unaffected and temporarily immune for 24 hours. Success The creature is unaffected. Failure The target is confused for 1 round. Critical Failure The target is confused and stupefied 1 for 1 minute. Enchanted Cage The derro his held inside of a magically enchanted cage (AC 20, Hardness 4, HP 60). While inside the cage, the fetal savant gains a +10 circumstance bonus to AC, Fortitude saves and Reflex saves, and can't be affected by rank 4 or lower spells. The cage can be carried (Bulk 4), and can't be targeted by attacks or spells while being carried except by the creature carrying it. If the cage is exposed to sunlight for 1 hour of cumulative time, it is destroyed. Vulnerable to Sunlight The derro takes 5 damage for every hour it's exposed to sunlight. Speed 5 feet (0 feet in cage) Soul Exchange [3 actions] (concentrate, incapacitation, mental, occult, possession) The derro attempts to take control of a creature within 90 feet of it. The target must attempt a DC 19 Will save. Critical Success The target is unaffected and temporarily immune for 24 hours. Success The target is stupefied 1 for 1 round as it fights off the derro's control. Failure The derro and the target swap bodies. They can control each other's bodies normally. At the start of each of the target's turns, it attempts another Will save. On a success, it forces the minds to swap back to their original bodies. Critical Failure The derro and the target swap bodies. The target is paralyzed and helpless while within the derro's body. The effect lasts for 1 minute, until the bodies are more than 90 feet apart from each other, or one of the bodies dies.

13th Age

Derro Antipaladin  Double-strength 4th level troop [humanoid]  Initiative: +10 Shadow Scimitar +9 vs. AC (2 attacks) - 10 damage plus 5 negative energy damage. Natural 16+: The derro can cast one of the following close-quarters spells as a quick action this turn. Cloaking Dark: All nearby derro gain a +1 bonus to attacks and defenses until the end of the antipaladin’s next turn (cumulative). Sonic Squeal: Two random nearby non-derro creatures take 2d8 thunder damage. R: Heavy Crossbow +9 vs. AC (one nearby or far away enemy) - 18 damage plus 5 negative energy damage. C: Infectious Chaos +9 vs. MD (one nearby enemy) - The target makes a basic attack against a target of the derro’s choice. Natural 16+: The target is also confused (easy save ends, 6+). Limited Use: 1/battle, recharges the first time the escalation die reaches 6. Smite Good: 1/battle, when the derro makes a shadow scimitar attack, it can give itself a +4 bonus to the attack roll and deal an extra 1d12 damage on a hit. On a miss, the derro deals half damage. AC 21 PD 13 MD 18 HP 106

Derro Fetal Savant  Weakling 3rd level spoiler [humanoid]  Initiative: +2 C: Babble +8 vs. MD (1d3 random nearby non-derro creatures) - The target takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls and defenses until the end of the fetal savant’s next turn. R: Soul Exchange +6 vs. MD (one nearby enemy) - The target is confused and weakened (save ends). While confused in this way, the target’s mind is trapped in the fetal savant’s body, which is incapacitated. If the target or the fetal savant are reduced to 0 hit points or get far away from each other, the effect immediately ends. Enchanted Cage: The fetal savant is locked into a magically warded cage that can be carried by another creature. While the cage is carried, it can’t be targeted by any attack. AC 19 PD 11 MD 17 HP 20

[skinni-girls-eat-books]

Thursday, January 25th, 2024!

12:49pm my brain feels so burnt out, it's difficult not to just return to bad habits. My body is tired and stress is wrecking my physical being. My back hurts, legs hurt, neck tension and headaches. Owch

Need to find better things to focus my little energy on. Things that feed me, I am very empty, like there's a hole at the bottom of me where everything leaks out. Old is bad, new is better. I want to stop going back to old, bad, tired situations. Nothing in the past changes. New is good.

Lots of just being in my own head, I want to get back to reality. I think that will help me not feel so floaty.

1:22pm omg I just realized my bad bitch playlist is public on Spotify and 6 ppl saved it?? Omg who are you guys and can we be friends what that just blew my mind and made my day how?? What?? I love it

3:24pm Reactive abuse is so real. I have to remember that I am NOT to blame for this shit. I actually didn't DO ANYTHING TO HIM WTF fuck him, he hasn't changed and only serves to prove me right and as a reminder again and again. I feel like he has moments where he'll admit this, or agree with me, but I think it's just breadcrumbing. Yeah so one day he says it's not my fault at all then the next day yeah it is kinda my fault like which one is it 😑 Rip but I know what I'm dealing with. The only reason I'm sad is bc the situation is so fucked up, it's more like grieving than actually being sad sad. It's just like damn wtf. I know I can pullllll when I want to though haha the issue is I just don't want to right now 🤭😁

I think I do need to get help for my depression/ anxiety though bc I don't want it to snowball into something so much harder to come back from. At least I'm aware of the issue, it's just deep rooted in me atm.

9:56pm Sat next to two of my bff's at the TB Lightening game tonight! Learned that there's 3 periods in hockey (I thought there was four) and the fights are REAL not like fake wrestling but the refs just stand there for too long and let them duke it out lmao?? I love my friends :)

Being happy lately results in me literally crying it's like feeling pure joy with no "waiting for the shoe to drop" :) I think I'm crying bc of relief? Grieving the fact that I was not happy for so long so I'm crying? Crying bc for example I've missed out on the past two years of these bc I didn't want to buy 2 tickets and for whatever reason.... It wouldn't work out or he would just be so embarrassing to me... Then it's going alone and ppl asking why he's not there?? It has been too much anxiety >> benefits in the past, but not anymore ❤️ I'm changing for the better. I miss the old me so much, but I know I'll love the new me even more.

Also yeah whatever technically some things were probably my "fault" bc of my anxiety...... But a partner who actually takes time to know you would be able to identify that or at least question the possibility that anxiety is a factor in decision making. But his actions/ emotional abuse >>>> way more impactful than just my social anxiety (plus I literally had the social anxiety for good reason if I can't take you anywhere without you smelling like weed and texting other girls while we're out).... Yeah I'm not fucking crazy, but I do need self-help. The intrusive thoughts are a lot still. They'll dull with time, even if it takes years I have a good feeling they will become submerged and buried under all the good memories I'll make. It's honestly already starting to happen if you ask me. I'm so ready for my birthday, what a new chapter I love it ❤️

11:45pm Went ahead and deleted the emails. He did not respond to me today so it's all moot point. He's abusive and idc if he doesn't know now and idc if he never figures it out. He's one out of 8 billion people on this planet and he needs to stay in the past. His loss I'm literally awesome af future doctor baddie and he's fucking retarded scrub bum byeeeee. Good way to end the evening ❤️