#this is technically a post about a couple of ocs but do not worry about that just rb & move on

[nobody-knose--archive]

that one friend who’s always cold: i’m cold

that one friend who can see ghosts: which is weird because you’re not even being haunted right now or anything

[bevirspnsblmnt]

Can we see your durge? :oc if not no worries I'm just curious!

Of course! Have a lil WIP of her in all her evil glory 🥰 (Hope I can finish this anytime in the next century lol)

Her name is Sandra, she's a war cleric of Gruumsh/oathbreaker paladin and she's Totally Bad Not Good Unredeemable. I haven't posted much about her bc I'm still in ACT1 with her (Im replaying Khael and campagn that takes priority).

fun fact before I even got through half of ACT1 of all the compainons only Astarion and Shadowheart were alive/present. I dont know how long theyre going to last though lmaooo

She's another iteration of my DnD character Alasandra, who Ive played for a couple years in a homebrew campagn! I also played with her in Solasta (another DnD game, that I suggest checking out!) He's all three of her together for the meme:

I also technically have a Redeemed Durge character that's based on another DnD character! His name is Chan, he's a warlock and a cinnamon roll who can do no wrong 🥹 (which makes me chosing him as a durge an awful parent)

and here's how he looks like!

[the-trinket-witch]

8, 12, and 28 for Albert, Tidus and Lazaro!

(Ask meme here) (And I assume you mean 20 instead of 28 so I'mma answer that)

8. Is there a character your OC doesn’t like, if so why?

His longest standing 'Ick' with anybody has only ever been Ace. Albert finds the dude abrasive and is irritated by the joking way they kinda 'not' flirt with Eu. The harshest he's disliked somebody was Jamil. (See Ch 4 stuff). Ch 6 is coming around (I WILL WRITE IT I SWEAR) where there's gonna be some...events that will require Al to see that Jamil ISN'T just a snake in the grass.

12. What is your OC’s favorite event(s), what was their role?

The Airborne Afternoon Fan Event is actually coming up here in August if people wanted to start thinking about what they want their OCs to do/look like. I'm actually in the process of making an SR card for yall as well-

Actually, Halloween! Autumn is already his favorite time of year; couple that with all the merriment and spookiness that NRC goes All Out with, it's a lot of fun! His dorm actually takes control of 'Main Street's decorating, and subsequently where the Magicam Monsters meet One Hell of a Tour Guide 😈

20. What chapter does your OC get the most personal character development?

it's actually going to be a combination of Ch 5 events as well as Ch 6. I've already written and posted up to Ch 5 in the timeline, but you'll have to see how he changes even more in Ch 6

8. Is there a character your OC doesn’t like, if so why?

Funny or not funny: Sebek. Tidus has heard at some point that Sebek is half human, so doesn't understand why the Knight is so admonishing of his own culture? They've actually gotten to bumping chests over whether something Human was considered 'lowly' or not.

Lilia had to have a talk with Sebek about 'being careful of the nice ones, especially when they're much bigger than you. Don't be 'The Reason'.'

12. What is your OC’s favorite event(s), what was their role?

Portfest! Like everyone else, he's there to greet folks, work the churro stands, and play a bit of music (Bass Drum being his UvU)

20. What chapter does your OC get the most personal character development?

I actually hadn't thought about that OvO Most of my development for him actually came from RPs with Squidwen, and that was all orbital to Main Story events.

I WILL SAY: Tidus does grow a bit more of a spine after One of Squidwen's OCs tries staging a union walkout and another needs protection from Jade for having a mushroom-shaped hat.

8. Is there a character your OC doesn’t like, if so why?

Azul! He's not a fan of that sneaky, double-speak way he runs things. "Pulpito needs to quit worrying so much about everything. Can't get down every detail just right, there's always gonna be improv."

12. What is your OC’s favorite event(s), what was their role?

Another Port Fest Fan! What's there not to like about Churros, music and getting to make townsfolk smile?

20. What chapter does your OC get the most personal character development?

Laz is a rather minor character. If he were more central, his big arc would also be Ch 6. He and Idia technically grew up together in the Isle of Woe, albeit in different districts. Because of what he'd heard Idia was going home for a bit, he thought he might as well take some time to come with him. After all, the Isle of Woe (personal HC) is more or less a 'company town', where everybody in some manner has experience working for STYX.

TAGLIST: (lemme know if you want added/removed)

@ceruleancattail @squidwen @thecosmicjackalope @vaporvipermedia@writing-heiress

@oya-oya-okay @k-looking-glass-house @thehollowwriter @rainesol @cyn-write

@heartscrypt @honey-milk-depresso @br3adtoasty @jackiecronefield @ruggiethethuggie

@hoboyherewego @achy-boo @oreoskys @oseathepebble @oathofoaks

@tunabesimpin @hamstergal @fumikomiyasaki@valse-a-mille-temps

@hallowed-delights @kimikitti @plutos-hell @thetwstwildcard @atwstedstory

@comingyourlugubriousness @ice-cweam-sod4 @twst-the-night-away @nammanarin @scint1llat3

[obscureother]

self insert ref sheet

this is one of two self-inserts I have. They use xhe/she/they, so don't worry too much about pronouns. She's pretty flexible, nonbinary probably Demigirl or fem leaning something.

this is Moe. I'm exposing her/me, as she's been a pretty known OC of mine amongst my friends and family, but I figure. . ill prolly be ok. whatre they gonna do? goof on me for liking old men? i goof on myself for the old men i would love on.

She would be one of those "well she looks like any other brunette neko/fox girl" things, except she's fockin' GREEN. so that's why I never showed her before.

🌑

For the quick version of lore or things:

once only referred to as "s/i 1" but now exposed or known as Moe with tag:

🌑 obscure s/i: 🦊

fox alien

nonbinary (xhe/she/they)

oc/self-insert combo

shapeshifter (to some extent)

fire powers woosh 🔥

minor healing (lick your wounds om nom)

gets hooked up with all the f/os, even the worst ones

The Baby™ of the group (but she's really 20 y.o. yall.)

🌑

For the long version of lore or things:

Moe is an extraterrestrial. She looks simple yes, and she kind of is visually. I made her years n years ago in junior high, there's a whole story to how she exists, but basically I saw fox girls (like the nekos but foxes, i never remember their names. . not kitsunes, but??) when I was small and I thought they were cute, so there she is. She's a fox-girl alien thing. She shapeshifts and has a lot of kooky abilities, like minor healing, fire elementalism, and sounding like a M a n . She has weird vocal chords that give her a wide variety of fox noises but she can also mimic people and instruments n stuff. She does fox stuff too. No she doesn't shit sparkles out her butt, I just thought it would look cool on the ref for the time being.

Their eyes aren't really that big btw lmao, i just goof on them because they got the big brown eyes look most of the time. truly "🥺??" moment. They have normal size eyes lolol.

They have other forms, I just didn't draw them here. The other one they use sometimes is just called "anthro," which is just your basic fursona-lookin' thing with the same colors n all of their fox form. Their forms, however, can only stray from some kind of fox monster so much and they don't work like normal shape-shifting i dont think. theyre goofed.

Moe wasn't entirely made for selfshipping. I was too young to know what that was, but she is kind of an oc/self-insert hybrid. She's very adaptable given her lore can land her anywhere, so she doesn't have one universe she's "canonically" in. She goes wherever I want her to go. But because of that, she evolved a lot of lore and alternate versions/outcomes of her life including those where I was like "fictional person go brr" and threw her in there.

They do have relations to s/i 2 (who ill edit onto this post later sometime, they'll be revealed later.) Consider her their "younger sister" or something.

They go with all of my f/os, unlike s/i 2 who only really gets shipped with or interacts with a couple of them.

yes, you technically saw them once on some 🌑 buck the crocodile 🐊 posts, but she wasn't colored so i didnt worry about her then.

🌑

one could ask questions of or for her if you want to, tho. she's got lots of lore to get into if you care to read of them. that goes for s/i 2 when they come out too. there you go tho, one of the self-inserts for the obscure.other.

[chaptersonetoinfinity]

For the ask game, how about 2, 6, 12, 15, 23, 27, 31, 33 and 47? Sorry that it's a lot of numbers^^'

Fanfic Couples*/Relationships Ask Game

HELLO VIL! :D

NEVER BE SORRY about asking a lot of numbers because I will go on (and on and on) and I’ll be very pleased about it all. And well, since Scarlet Cross is my first Black Clover series, I might be pulling some answers from my past fics for Sense8 and The Magicians. 

But don’t worry, you don’t need to know those to enjoy the sheer chaos of my answers. And I’ll put most of this post under a cut line for those who prefers to scroll through the Sas ramble!

(Sas from the future is coming back here to say: thanks for the ask! This was so fun!)

2 Of the ones you've written, what's your slowest slowburn? How slow is it?

My slowest of slowburns will have to be my very first fic, Veracity, for the Sense8 fandom. It was a 330k behemoth of a fic, during which one couple met in chapter 1, and had a kiss in chapter 38 (a one-sided one, where the Dani gave Felix a kiss at the airport and then winked and said “byeeeee” and left him questioning his life), and finally had a fully-reciprocated, legit kiss—in chapter 40, while fireworks were going off because this was New Year’s Eve! Needless to say, it was a long wait. And so many of their friends stepped in to nudge them together.

To quote one of my favorite comments of all time (a very unique format of commenting where @kinoglowworm and my tumblr mom @gear65 chatted with each other while they read my last chapter at the same time, then copy pasted the chat log as a comment so I got their “live reaction”): 

gear65: UGHHHH The slow burn Kino: The teamwork this has required as much patience and coordination as breaking into bpo did

(For context, “breaking into BPO” was literally the main conflict/major climax of the whole fic. I resolved THAT like, 3 chapters before I resolved this ship, and I’m not sorry.

6 Have you ever started to write a relationship and had it develop differently than you expected? How so?

My brain doesn’t really plan in a chronological manner, so I don’t often find this happening, because I can “envision” the end goal pretty early on before my mind takes me back to “how it begins” and I’ll just build the path that gets them to said end goal.

That said, for Black Clover, I did once plan a canon divergence AU from the Spade Arc onward, but I ended up with a lot of worldbuilding and not a lot of plot. So while I technically didn’t start writing them, I certainly had different plans for how Astelle will unfold in that fic. But while I was stuck, I got the idea for a genderbend universe, and I rolled with the punches.

Now my “Astelle” is a sweet little F/F ship (same energy as Regular Astelle except gay!). I suppose this counts in some ways, because I’m adapting a vast majority of my worldbuilding from the fic-that-never was into this Scarlet Cross AU. But even if Noelle and Talia have the same core personalities as they do in canon, their dynamic does change as a result of girl!Asta being a different gender, because the gender changes also trigger some butterfly effects in this AU with long-lasting consequences!

12 [Couple] has just found an interdimensional portal, and one of them just walked in! Does the other go after them?

Hmm. To see their counterparts in other AU-verses (like, the OCs in my world visiting your world and their counterparts in there?) Or to explore other worlds? Anyway, the answer is definitely yes, for all the pairings that I ship in all my fandoms (including the OCs), just to make sure they actually get their person BACK at the end of the day, ha! 

But the ones with more brain cells like Yuno will tie a rope to his waist and nail the rope to his own world first, or something, if the portal doesn’t shut itself and will stay open. That way Yuno can find his way back (and drag back his Cyrus, who had definitely wandered in because he smelled some plants that their world didn’t have, so he MUST get a sample).

15 Are there any relationship dynamics/tropes you would never write?

I’m open to nearly everything! Dynamic-wise I’ve done it all, M/F, F/F, M/M, even trios (Penny/Kady/Julia from The Magicians). And same for non-romantic dynamics: love a good friendship/found family/mentor and mentee type of bond. But I’m also down for family drama and the less wholesome side of those & tags on AO3. (Silva Family Drama = yesssss, bring it on.) Trope-wise, I tend to prefer serendipitous tropes, like chance encounters that unfold into unexpected relationships (Zora & Cyrus’ friendship or Mereo & Talia+Yuno in Scarlet Cross, for example). 

Which means I’m not likely to write a Soulmate AU. Ha, I finally answered the question! I’d have a hard time describing an “inexplicable pull” towards someone, because the ships in my setups tend to come across as very accidental (both romantic and platonic ones). So! I’m leaving Soulmate AUs to the authors out there who can pull them off (@f-oighear comes to mind because her AU is such a fandom classic at this point, but I know you and @kalolasfantasyworld got some soulmate AUs too, right?) while I lurk in my own little corner of chaos and “happy accidents” (as Bob Ross would say). 

23 Do you think you idealize relationships in fiction, or are your depictions grounded in reality? How often do your characters make mistakes?

My characters make nearly as many mistakes as I do! …But in different ways than I do. Some put their foot in their mouth and some will dig their little hole of denial and bury themselves there until their loved ones bring out a proverbial shovel to help dig them out. And some will be so clueless until the truth hits them in the face like a rake that they step on during a comedy skit. Some do all of the above. Heh. 

I’m also a big fan of multiple third-person POVs where I get inside the character’s head and show all the biases in their thinking, so my style makes the characters sound even less perfect. Because my poor characters can’t keep their thoughts private when this annoying author is around, exposing exactly how much they don’t understand (or how secretly or openly mean they are)! I’m spilling all the tea, like how Noelle has zero tact both her head and out loud, and Talia ditches her train of thought halfway when it becomes “too much thinking” and she’s confused. So on and so forth. 

27 Do you have any characters who are hopeless romantics? How do they interact with the story?

Surprisingly, Talia is the most “hopeless romantic” one to me in my current WIP! She’s romantically dense and oblivious like canon Asta, but she’s very loud and clear about wanting to marry Sister Lily. And she fantasizes about riding back to Hage on a white horse and a billowing cloak and all that romantic jazz. Except, unlike canon!Asta, Talia stops proposing out loud after a while (and hell, we’re all thankful for that). 

Since I’m pairing Talia up with Noelle, that means Talia will come to realize that how she feels about Sister Lily is different from how she feels about Noelle. And how she feels about Noelle is different from how she feels about other friends she’ll make, like Leopold or Cyrus. So eventually Talia will become less hopeless and more straight-up romantic (but never STRAIGHT! ha, sapphic pun). 

But Noelia will off as friends. Here, Talia will be Noelle’s first “girl her age who’s a friend” instead of Kahono. So Talia has a more “organic” attraction to Noelle that grows over time the more they bond, and that helps her get clarity on what real romance feels like, and how “hopeless romanticism” differs from real feelings she’s come to have for someone she’s truly compatible with. Eventually. Maybe. We can only hope. (They will, but they’ll take a WHILE, and that’s why we need wholesome Yuno and Cyrus being wholesome in the meantime in comparison, right?!)

31 Are there any songs that remind you of [couple]? Are there any songs that remind them of each other?

I admittedly don’t listen to a lot of music (GASP! I KNOW!) because I’m the type of writer who gets 100% distracted if I try to listen to anything with lyrics while I write. That said, occasionally I’ll check out a song and the lyrics will give me the right vibes.

So I can’t think of any songs that remind a couple of each other, for the second half of the question. But! For the first half! When I was writing for The Magicians fandom, the song Bad Liar by Imagine Dragons reminded me of the storyline I had for Margo x Fen in my AU titled Come See About Me. 

Context from that fic: Margo had a really rough few years, romantically and otherwise, before she traveled to a different world and met Fen in a small village in the middle of the woods. At the start, Margo had a really low opinion of herself (due to her past) and believes she ruins the lives of anyone who is kind to her. But as her relationship develops with Fen, Margo finds the courage to try and be better (and not make the mistakes she once made with her ex-girlfriend Alice). And she also learns to forgive herself. So the lyrics from Bad Liar give me that vibe.

If you’re curious about the specifics, the last few paragraphs of chapter 23 exemplify this song the most for me! Just start with the line that says “I don’t know.” Fen sighs. “But I never want this to end.”

33 Are there any canon romantic couples, in any media, that you just can't stand?

I do see a lot of “forced” romantic couples in popular media, especially M/F ships! I can’t think of specific ships that I actively dislike (I’m sure I’ve had some in the past, but the names have slipped my mind). So I don’t have any big NoTPs for now, but a lot of ships I see aren’t convincing to me so they’re just “meh”, because it feels too obvious that the writers are *trying* to make them “a thing”. Maybe being a writer myself plays into that in some way, like “oh I see what they’re going for, but meh, I’d have set it up differently”. 

47 What's the most self-indulgent relationship you've written? Are there any particular moments/scenes that you wrote just for you?

I would say the most self-indulgent ship I have in the works is Icarus (Yuno/Cyrus) from Scarlet Cross. I can’t even “see” regular Yunosa in canon given how little screentime they’ve spent together (and Mimosa’s crush on Asta to boot!). But Yunosa fanart? Absolutely adorable. And I love a height difference and a “stoic one falls for the soft one” dynamic. 

They’re also a great contrast to the sheer chaos of Noelia (Noelle/Talia). So I could’ve shipped Yuno and Cyrus/Mimosa with anyone—they’re some of the most shippable characters in BC, imo (with xCanon and xOC!)—but nope, gonna put them together to complete that cute little aesthetic with two and two, an F/F and an M/M, perfectly balanced because I can :P. All for the vibes.

For moments/scenes that I wrote just for me, I once wrote another Magicians AU titled When the World’s Unkind (also with Margo x Fen as the main ship) where Fen gets turned into a bunny due to aa magical mishap, and Margo has to hold Fen in her hands while they travel. Eventually she gets indoors to a safe place and puts Fen on her lap, and after some awkward silence (and bunny snuggles), Margo blurts out her feelings. Animals have that therapeutic effect, huh! That scene was purely self-indulgent and I had a blast—especially because I wrote it from Fen’s perspective while she’s stuck as a bunny.

[livewireprojects]

Pride Month 2024 Sonic Sketches

Second pic made in Procreate, kinda excited about it

Made a few sketches for pride month, kind of started out with a comic were Silver comes out to his mom as bisexual along with a pic of Blaze after telling her dad then decided to draw everyone at a pride parade & showing their pride

Everyone here is kind of based on my own ideas for the characters especially Mephiles since anything involving him has to do with the version I made for him for post-06 reboot. Also some stuff is in color(Blaze's forehead gem, Cosmo's necklace, Amy's headband, Sonic's hair clip, ghost aura stuff) cause it seemed fitting due to the meanings behind the colors on the pride flag.(Like purple for soul)

Middle row

Like the text says Blaze told her dad & he made her a frog hat to support her. He's a nice/friendly guy that cares a lot, it's unfortunate that Blaze's late mom was so terrible & left with Blaze for her own intentions.

Rouge & Knuckles at pride, I was a little worried about how well I got Rouge's bisexual flag makeup. I eventually fixed up the lipstick & added matching earrings. Knuckles unintentionally looks like a pirate cause I can't draw his hat at angles. So yeah my version of Knuckles & Rouge are bi, Knuckles use to date Sonic(in my ver) & Rouge has some interest in women in the past.(Especially Topaz at one point)

Here's Blaze & Silver, Silver has a bi flag cardigan. Pretty much at some point the two realized together they're bi. They eventually told their parents(well Blaze's mom is gone so she only told her dad) & they luckily have supportive families.

Surge isn't in my Lost Prince stuff but I thought she & Amy were cute together in the fanart people made. I also think Metal was interesting with Amy, at some point gets with her in the future in my Lost Prince AU. Metal at some point stops working for Eggman & tries to make their own identity after a talk with Sonic especially since they were becoming more sentient. Metal wasn't sure what he wanted but eventually figured things out.

Right row

The context of the sign is that this is meant to be Tails, Cosmo(revived as a plant/mobian chipmunk hybrid) & Cream when they're older & in their teens or later. The time skip is mostly cause at the moment Cream is pretty young in present day, Tails is too but he's slightly older. I guess you could say Tails & Cosmo had a puppy love or something then things got serious when they were older when Cosmo returned then later Cream joined them.

Cream is pretty accepting of who she's into, I dunno what Cosmo is into(I guess technically bi since she's dating Tails & later Cream when Cream joined the couple), Tails I think maybe straight but I dunno. At the very least Tails is supportive of his friends & brother.

Context for this is just I wanted to add Vanilla & her late spouse so them from the future. Added Vector cause him & Vanilla are kinda cute so he's her relationship from the future. So Vanilla's late partner is my OC Cake who despite willing to be called a dad by their kids(Cream & at some point Sonic cause I like the idea of the rabbits adopting him) & only them, Cake was nonbinary. The rabbit family is pretty accepting of people.

Decided to bring in Gadget & Zero/Infinite, the guy in the corner is Zero's late dad who I'll explain at a late point

And then there's these three. I'm not entirely sure what my thoughts on Shadow & Mephiles are, at some point I think I realized demisexual felt right for Shadow. Like I said before any of my thoughts on Mephiles are specifically for the version I made of him for post-reboot in Sonic 06. I was originally thinking of giving him the male gay pride flag but given what I've done with him in Lost Prince AU I kinda realized he fits in with demisexual too. While my version of Sonic identifies as male he likes dressing in whatever he wants & isn't exactly gender-conforming.

Sonic mostly dressed up for pride & tied a pride flag to his neck like a cape. For some reason Mephiles is the only one I tried making designs for on his outfit.

Here's a cropped version of the comic. Pretty much Silver & Blaze realized they were bisexual, at some point Silver got the courage to tell his mom & later his dads.*

For some context Silver's mom is male & in a relationship with men*, he's pretty accepting so Silver doesn't need to worry much. However his worries are understandable because of being around Blaze a lot & seeing how her mom treated her. Blaze's mom was strict & caused a lot of issues that Blaze is still recovering from. Blaze left with Silver & Venice at some point leading to meeting her dad & becoming estranged from her mom. Her mom is gone now but as said Blaze is still recovering. Silver's family(along with Blaze's dad) understand & reassure Silver, Venice & Blaze that the three are accepted/safe.

*I dunno if the marriage is legal at best I know Silver's dad & his mom's marriage is legal. Venice's(Venice is Silver's half brother) dad went missing for a few years(Eggman was behind it) & ended up joining the relationship after being rescued/talking things out. Venice's dad was able to be part of the wedding as another groom but I dunno if this counts as official/legal by human standards.(I guess technically official by Mobian standards)

Thought I'd make a version without the color for everyone to see. The text about the frog hat is missing because it was connected to the frame I made for the comic involving Silver & his mom.

[thesmallmeggles]

Welcome to The Angst Cafe, what can I get for you?

I was scrolling through the self ship tags the other day and found a post related to the Unsent Project. I thought I would assign unsent texts for some of my personal non-canon ships: 3 with an SI and 2 with OCs

👇They're all down here👇

🍍Zanzo🍍 and 🟣Violet McCormick 🟣

I've talked about these two before. My poor babies, suffering through a second break-up 💔

🦋Ted🦋 and 🔮Pearl Seely🔮

When I encountered Ted for the first time in Bad Day On The Midway, I thought he was exactly the type of character I'd get attached to. And it happened! Lol

Suspension of disbelief is required since these characters exist in the 1960-70s before texting.

Alternate Text Version

(Combination of two different Unsent Messages. Only Pearl here.)

Pearl: I think about what we could've been more than I should... I wish you were still here

☎️ Spamton ☎️ and 🛡️Molly Ehlert🛡️

This one is more OC × Canon than SI × Canon. Miss Ehlert is a robot based on a Molly Guard, which is a (physical or virtual) safety device that prevents accidental activation shutdowns. Spamton dated her in his Big Shot era.

Nothing came up for Spamton obviously- pretend "Sam" is "Spam".

I think a more canon compliment Spamton response would be like:

Spamton: LOOKING TO ENJOY SOME SWE3T [Hyperlink Blocked] WITH [Man Woman Or Child] OF YOUR ?!?! E-Z!!! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS- [Your Call Has Been Forwarded To An Automated Voice Message System]!!!

...

I miss you.

Alternate Text Version

(Still based on Unsent Project texts)

Molly: I am worried about you. You do not look or sound like yourself anymore

Spamton: YOU WILL ALW4YS HAVE A [Specil Place] IN MY [Heart Shaped Box] IT"S SICKENING!!! YOU WILL- YOU WILL- YOU WILL

🐔Shane🐔 and 🌼Marjorie "May"🌼

My very first SDV Farmer was a self insert lol. She and Shane married Year 2 on Jas' birthday (sorry Jas). I deleted that save a while ago, but I saved hundreds of screenshots from Savory Farm. No joke.

Because of the nature of how their relationship ended (dimensional travel and magic induced forgetfulness), there is only a text for May. (Shane's still around, don't worry.)

🐇William Afton🐇 and 🔥Lucinda "Cindy" Schmidt 🔥

A wild (former) Mrs. Afton appeared! Technically canon x canon but we never see another Afton spouse in game or print (if they exist). In my AU, Cindy moved to another state (Arizona or Nevada) post divorce and lives there still.

I used nicknames for both William and Cindy because they are that kind of couple. Cindy = Light and William = Bunny

Similar to Ted and Pearl, they were together pre-texting so suspend disbelief again.

Bonus two written in text because I maxed out image upload:

William: everyday

Cindy: Do I haunt you like you haunt me?

(...We came in? Isn't this where...)

~~~

Cindy: How can our very last conversation end in the most hurtful lie you ever told me.

[popironrye]

🐥☁️🎀🧸 (just on anon cause I don’t really have a main blog (I do roleplay) and didn’t want to make you uncomfy with that just cause I love reading your stuff! Haha)

Oh, no need to worry! There's not much that will make my uncomfy, I promise. 😊 I like roleplay too. But WOW! Thank you so much! 🥰That means so much to me! ❤️

Since this is technically a self ship post, I'll do Erin and Dwayne (The Lost Boys) since the last question one was with them, but I would love to info dump about any of my ocs, fcs, or sonas if you're interested. 💞 🐥 - how are mornings for you guys? are you groggy and grumpy when you first wake up?

While she may get a little groggy, Erin is a pretty chill person first thing in the morning. Just kinda going about her normal routines. Dwayne is much more on the grumpy side. I imagine as a vampire it's not so much any feeling of tiredness, rather than immense hunger first thing. Like he and the boys need to take at least one person off the town census before they're ready for a night of fun.

☁️ - whats your nighttime routine? is it easy for you guys to fall asleep or does it take awhile? do you have anything you do before bed, like reading or journaling?

It doesn't take too long for Erin to sleep, especially if she's had a hard day. Stomach sleeper all the way, only a couple minutes after hitting the sheets and she's out for the night. Sometimes she has to toss and turn a few times, but usually once she's asleep she'll sleep all night. Dwayne's sleep schedule is like a tight switch. He follows the time of the sunrise to a t and once he's set on it, he's out and he's a very heavy sleeper.

🎀- do you two enjoy dressing up? or would you rather stick with comfier clothes? what are you guy’s favorite outfits?

Erin LOVES dressing up, at least to the best of her abilities. She loves feeling cute with minimal makeup, spinney skirts or dresses, high heels, and all sorts of accessories. She doesn't get the chance to dress up often, so when she does it's all or nothing. Dwayne on the other hand is comfort over style every time. Although there was a time Erin convinced him to wear a white button down with suspenders and black slacks, and the look on her blushing face was worth every moment of it.

🧸 - do either of you have any stuffed animals? how does the other feel about them?

Erin has a few stuffed animals. Mostly cat ones, a couple dogs, a bat cushion, and a purple unicorn from when she was a small child, but her favorites are the sea based ones she has including a giant puffer fish and an octopus. She doesn't sleep with the animals, instead they're on display in a book case where Erin keeps other knick knacks like figurines and desk ornaments. Dwayne doesn't mind them and in fact when Erin gets one to show him, she'll light up in excitement and hug them which he finds very cute. While they're mostly decorative, they're a comfort to Erin, and Dwayne wouldn't risk them getting ruined even a little bit.

I have SO MANY ocs it's actually crazy, and like 99% of ocxcanon ships. I am open to any and all questions for any of them. I'm afraid to talk about them without people asking cause I don't want to annoy anyone, but if there is a specific one you wanna know about, LET ME KNOW. pls :3

[sanrielle]

To any of my readers who might be interested:

I know I haven't posted anything lately, but I've been working on a character study for an OC (Korra's daughter) that plays a significant role in my post-Lok fic. You don't need to know anything about that story to enjoy this sweet mother-daughter scene!

Setting: Sixteen-year-old Kiriko has decided to meditate in her backyard in preparation for her firebending mastery test. Korra joins her after a few minutes.

Rating: General

They sat facing each other in a lotus position, eyes closed, for several silent minutes. It was just like the other hundreds of times Kiriko meditated with her mom, except totally different at the same time.

For once, the sounds of birds didn’t distract her. There were no random itches to pull her focus. There was just…breath. The air around her was hot. Sweat dripped down the back of her neck and it only barely flitted across her awareness. 

A clear sky overhead seemed to open up and swallow her whole. The sun at its zenith—so bright, even through closed eyes. Breathe. In and out. An endless cycle, a solar storm. And she sat with Korra in the center of it.

Kiriko let her eyes drift open. Her mother’s face was as tranquil as she could ever remember seeing it. But where had those lines around her eyes and mouth come from? When had that happened?

“Mom.”

“Mm?”

“Will you take me into the Spirit world?”

Korra finally opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. “Really?”

“I’m ready to try again. I think– I think I can do it this time.”

She’d been through the portal a few times, of course. It was right there in the city—a highly regulated tourist attraction. Korra had never wanted to take them too deeply in, so it hadn’t been as exciting as it could’ve been.

Anisa had meditated in loads of times, with Korra guiding her, but every time Kiriko had attempted it, she’d failed miserably—to the point where the mere suggestion of trying would piss her off.

In answer, Korra held out her hands, which Kiriko took. There was no need for words; they’d done this many times. Calluses gripped calluses. The summer heat seemed to ripple between them on a breath of wind as she closed her eyes and tried to find her earlier tranquility.

It came more easily than expected. All she had to do was focus on those hands. The hands that had carried her, held her, fed her. Picked her up when she fell. Wiped her tears away. Hands that had fought off countless enemies to make the world a better place. Hands that were as gentle as they were strong.

She was falling, but slowly. 

“Open your eyes, Kiriko.”

They fluttered open with a soft gasp. “I did it…” She looked around and swallowed hard. The grass they sat on was a vibrant green—a vast meadow with rolling hills and a distant forest. The sky was a burnt orange, like sunset but far too bright, and a flock of rainbow-colored birds with huge wings flew overhead. “Well, I guess technically, you did it.”

“It wasn’t just me. I can’t force someone into the Spirit world, only guide.”

Though she already knew exactly what would happen, Kiriko stood up and tried to summon her chi. “This feels…weird. It’s like I’m empty.”

“Yeah, that feeling doesn’t go away.”

“I feel so vulnerable.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t let anything bad happen.”

The confident smile she flashed made all of Kiriko’s concerns evaporate in an instant.

“I’m not afraid. Not with you here.”

“C’mon. Let’s take a walk.”

They strolled through the grassy meadow, hand-in-hand. Kiriko looked around in wonder. Everything felt so big, So open and colorful and just…endless, and she was so small.

“Where are we? It’s different than when we went through the portal.”

“This is a secret place. A hidden place.” Her large hand gave Kiriko’s much smaller one a squeeze. “I found it years ago, before you were born.”

Kiriko peeled her eyes away from the bizarre sight of what looked like a tree slowly roaming across the open space. She craned her neck to look up at Korra, who no longer had lines around her eyes. It was a vision out of the deep past, back to Kiriko’s earliest memories.

They stopped walking and Korra crouched down to be at her eye level. She took Kiriko’s head in her hands and pressed their foreheads together. 

“If, one day, you can’t find me,” she whispered, “look for me here.”

“Don’t cry, Mommy,” Kiriko said when she noticed the tears, though her own eyes were welling up. “You won’t get lost.”

They separated and Korra’s hands fell to her shoulders. There was now a strange, distant look in her eyes. Her attention was elsewhere. “Time to go, Fireheart.”

“Go where?”

But the question didn’t need to be answered. A thick fog rushed in and swirled around them. Kiriko squeezed her eyes shut, scared for just a moment, and opened them again to find herself back in her body. She was tall and strong once again, no longer the child she had temporarily become. Chi flowed through her veins and chased away a lingering sense of loss. What had they been talking about? Like a dream, it kept slipping out of her grasp.

Asami was crouched next to Korra with a hand on her shoulder, but it was Kiriko she spoke to with a fond smile. “It’s almost time to go. Are you ready?”

[acacia-may]

Have asked already? Gosh, I getting tired! 3, 55, 73 and 96 <3

Hello friend! No, you hadn't asked already, but thank you so much for this one! I'd be happy to answer these questions for you!! 🥰

3. On a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy incorporating romance into the average story?

In general, probably a 1 or (a very generous) 2, but I think it really depends on the story. I'll admit I will sometimes use romance as a plot device or just to make jokes and then I have a little fun with it, but I took this question to mean legitimate and serious incorporation of romance, in which case it's generally not my cup of tea and even if it's a pairing that I really like, I don't find a lot of enjoyment in it because I don't have a lot of practice writing romance and really get in my own head & worried that I'm going to mess it up. Meet-Cutes and Established Relationships are okay (because they're not super dependent on me being able to write a compelling relationship progression), but when it comes to writing characters actually falling in love or focusing on them deepening their relationship, I get really nervous because I know that's not my strength as a writer.

This is true even when I have a pairing that I made up myself. I had my sister laughing at me when for my self-indulgent birthday fic, I actually wrote our OC into the story but kept her relationship with her (eventual after a decades long slow burn) love interest platonic on purpose. My sister was editing and there's this scene where they like unintentionally brush hands and she just stops and says, "It's your birthday. You know, you can make this relationship super romantic if you want," but I was like "No. I don't think I will. I like them as friends." Cue my sister just deadpan blinking and pointing out, "You literally made her up just to eventually marry him [under these ultra-specific circumstances]" And yeah, that's technically true, but if it's up to me and what I enjoy writing, I prefer writing them as friends (with like optional, super subtle somewhat romantic undertones). I don't mind the hints at possible romantic feelings, but when it comes to anything overt, I think it stresses me out to write more than I find enjoyment in it.

But that's just me. I have nothing against romance on principle. I just don't trust myself to write it and find more enjoyment in writing even my favorite pairings as friends or in an intentionally ambiguous relationships. I have been trying to push myself to write more romance, but I don't think I'll ever consider it a strong suit of mine and I go out of my way to avoid it. In the series I mentioned above which actually does have a CC x OC pairing in it that's actually integral to the plot, the (eventual) couple didn't even officially meet until literally over 55,000 words into the story. And now they're just going to be friends for like 10 years before any dating happens. The story is just not about that. This is what I mean when I say I don't do romance lol 😅😂

But I do try my best because I want to grow as a writer. It's just when the question asks "how much do I personally enjoy writing romance," the answer is not much at all (even for an OTP or a ship I made up myself).

55. Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

Yes. Too many to count 😭 In most cases, I lost momentum, changed interests, moved on from the fandom, or just couldn't figure out how to make the story work. I also tend to get distracted by other projects and ideas. I'd like to return to some of my wips someday because it bothers me to leave things unfinished (especially if part of them had been posted), but we'll see.

73. How do you visualize scenes? do you see it like a movie in your head, or do the words just flow?

Both actually, so it kind of depends. When I'm initially planning/drafting a scene, I see it like a movie (often watching the scenes from the eyes of my POV character, though occasionally watching from the outside like an actual audience). When I'm ready to start writing, I can actually see the words I want to write like I'm reading them. That's generally when I know I'm ready to sit down and get typing (because otherwise I'm just outlining or mapping out scenes in my head).

96. Romantic/social sideplots: interesting or irritating?

It really depends on the work and on why that subplot is in there, but in general my favorite kinds of romance in all of fiction have always been subplots. Honestly, I think if I listed my favorite ships of all time they were all romantic subplots in stories that were otherwise just not about that, and I really liked that because I could enjoy them without them overtaking the story and overshadowing all of the other meaningful (platonic) relationships.

But, on the flip side, I think I am very sensitive to and adverse to "romance for the sake of romance" or just when a ship is shoved into a story gratuitously without it making sense or needing to be there beyond the creators deciding "well there has to be romance somewhere." Like...no, there doesn't have to be romance in anything, ever. In fact sometimes there probably shouldn't be.

Some of my least favorite ships of all time fit in this "romance for the sake of romance" category because it just feels so forced, unnecessary, and uncomfortable to me. But to be fair there are even pairings that I genuinely like & would have even said I "ship," and I still get sour & upset when they get forced together at the end of the story just because it's the end, when I feel they're not ready and/or there wasn't proper build up. In those cases, even though I technically shipped the ship & wanted to see them together eventually, I would have preferred if they hadn't forced it and had just left the relationship open ended.

This is an extremely random example but since I just changed my profile picture to Naomi & Gabe... Elena of Avalor actually did this open-ended ship thing really well imo, and I am immensely grateful that the creators stuck to their promise not to give Elena a canonical love interest at the end since she had so much going on in her life and her story and character journey was never about that. No matter how much I (and from what I've seen, a whole lot of the fandom) want her to (eventually) end up with Mateo, it was NOT the time and this show did not play. They literally had a magical alpaca cut off Mateo's ill-timed almost love-confession at the "expected" (but objectively bad) moment, and it was AMAZING! This was hard core and has my ULTIMATE RESPECT.

So yeah...it's a very fine line between compelling & irritating and understandable & forced when it comes to romance subplots. I think when romance subplots are done well and thoughtfully they can be super compelling and interesting, but when they're done badly or are thrown in there "just because," it's honestly kind of the worst... 😝

When it comes to my own writing, if romance is going to be in there, it is probably going to be a subplot and I hope it's not too irritating lol. 😅 Even in a "romance" story, I feel like the romance is usually still a subplot because it's vying for attention with the friendship between the characters in the ship or their own personal struggles as people or (more often than not) one the character's strained/otherwise complicated relationship with their sibling(s) or family members [i.e. all my fics that have any romance for either of the Spatial Mage Brothers are also heavily focused on the brothers' relationship with each other in addition to their respective romantic ships. I just can't seem to write Finral x Finesse or Langris x Finesse or Finral x Vanessa or ect. ect. without Finral & Langris' platonic brothers' relationship being in there too, at least to some extent]. I find it hard to get into a story when the only thing in it is romance personally, so I prefer when it's a subplot or just one part of a story with multiple things going on.

[doueverwonder]

Do you have Faroe Islands and Aaland islands OCs? 😊 Or other children of the Nordics. How do you view them? I would like to know

I do have Faroe and Åland oc's though they're both kinda work in progresses still 😅

for a total list you have

Denmark's kids

Kalmar Union - Henrik (deceased)

Kristiania - Benedikte

Sweden's kids

Åland - Kristiina

New Sweden - Johan (deceased)

Ladonia - Arvid

Norway's kids (not particularly in age order; my man got around during the viking age lmao)

Shetland - Liv

Orkney - Bodil

Faroe - Ida

Iceland - Ari

Isle of Man - Erik

Caithness - Ailsa

Sutherland - Solveig

Greenland - Sia

Helluland - Anders (deceased)

Markland - Aksel (deceased)

Vinland - Dagny (deceased)

how I view all of them would be a really long post so i'll just do what I have for Åland because out of the two you asked for I have more on her haha ( side note; I hc Finland as being trans and all three of Sweden's kids were mothered by Fin)

So anyway; Kristiina was born in the 1380s around the same time Kastelholm Castle was built. That makes her younger than all of Norway's kids by a good 300 years, but older than Denmark's oldest by about 10-15 years (aka her and Henrik were physically about the same age). Her childhood was interesting, cause not only was it a time when upper class/noble parents weren't all that involved in raising their children but also Björn wasn't around all that often, and Kasper really didn't get along all that well with Björn at the time and was distant not wanting to acknowledge they had a child together. All of her cousins were either far older, or had more responsibilities than her; because I do believe her and Henrik did a few years of their basic schooling together he reached about ten and suddenly was being taught things 'not appropriate for young ladies'. So she's alone again.

In August of 1521 when Harald and Björn got into their Last Big Fight, the Straw that would break the camels back; all she remembers about actually leaving are snippets where she woke up to her papa carrying her, and her parents whisper arguing about something (she couldn't tell you what). She was told she woke up at some point and asked where they were going but was just told not to worry about it, and to be quiet. There was a year or two where she was left in Lübeck in Germany with a couple different people to watch over her. She didn't really see either of her parents for those two years, they didn't even technically come back for her. A letter just came one day asking for her to brought to Stockholm. At the time she was just relieved to see her parents again, but now she sometimes look back at it in a bittersweet way, it took two years of being apart for them to be excited to see her.

I'm gonna jump forward to 1809; she's about fifteen physically when Finland and Åland are ceded to Russia. For the first time in her life she had no one to speak to except her mother, Kristiina had always gravitated towards Björn because he never well... he never seemed as if he regretted her existence, to be blunt. Even when he was gone on months long trips for some reason or another she would beg to go with him to avoid being stuck with just her mother. But her uncle was there at least, and Kasper turned into an entirely different person around Kalev; a happier person, even if comparatively the situation was worse.

It was still super odd for Kris, she had been around mostly her dads family her entire life and suddenly she's been moved from her home and is interacting far more with her mom's side of the family (her Finnish is iffy at best at this point). And her mother, a woman she had always known to be very quiet and fidgety was suddenly loud and always getting in dumb fights with her siblings. The big turning point in their relationship would be a fight they would get into where something along the lines of "Don't you want to go back to Stockholm? Don't you want to go home?" "Stockholm was never home." would be said.

jumping to modern day bc i'm bored

she's kind of distant by now, her relationship to both her parents became odd once she went to live by herself, and even a little more when Arvid was born because both of her parents were happy about him and it upsets her seeing them treat him differently.

It's not as if her relationship with them is absolute garbage, and she's bitter and isolates herself now. She's just an adult, and there's things from her childhood, and with her relationships to her parents she's had to reconcile. I think she's accidentally become very close to Kalev because he seemed like Kasper's opposite while still being family and someone she could see regularly. She did want to be apart of Sweden again for a little bit, but not in a 'would be upset if it didn't happen' way because she is also trying to be on better terms with Kasper.

I don't know... she just had a long and complicated childhood most nations do, and now she's just doing her best to hang on to the things she did like about it, while also trying to forget most of it? If that makes sense.

also kinda random side note: I think she prides herself on being more 'quiet and stoic' like Sweden but anyone who's been around her for more than five minutes knows she is neither of those things and is far more like Finland. Though no on is going to tell her that.

[masschase]

SR Boss Asks Answers

I realised how much space long reblogs take up on the reblog page (yeah, I'm new to tumblr) so I've copied this onto a new post.

But yeah, did them all, and I implore anyone who wants to talk about their Boss to do these, because even if no-one reads it, it was fun. There were a couple of things I didn't really think about, like the #16 Casey-cat moment which is my new favourite thing.

#17 is something I've just done a longer post on.

Apologies for formatting issues.

1.What’s their backstory? Cassandra ‘Casey’ Michaiła Clark was born in Stilwater. Her dad left when she was very young citing that he couldn't handle two kids. Ofc he leaves and has two kids with his new wife and barely sees Casey and her sister. He later claims he wanted to leave their mom, not them. Her sister rightfully points out that for all her flaws, their mom never actually stopped him seeing them so that's on him.

Her mom was from a slightly more affluent background than her dad (they met in college but dropped out when her mom got pregnant) and they were scraping by until he left. After that, her mom worked very hard to maintain the appearance to the outside world that they were not struggling with money, even though it sent them into debt. She was always very judgemental and religious, but also had a genuine anxiety disorder. She eventually got addicted to Xanax and would drag Casey with her to make excuses like that she'd flushed her last lot down the toilet/took them to school and they got confiscated etc.

It got to the point where she was pretty checked out and Casey's sister had to make sure they were getting to school on time, that there was food on the table etc.. When she was 14, her sister left home and this derailed her pretty bad.

Her best friend Mori(OC: Moriarty Alleyne- hoping to post more about him soon)'s mom Angela was instrumental in taking care of her from about the age of 12. She always made sure Casey was fed when at her house and gave her some of Mori's old clothes when she outgrew her sister's hand-me-downs. She did try to help where she could but wasn't fully aware of the situation for a long time. Even though Mori's friendship with Casey became a little strained due to his girlfriend disliking her, Angela would still invite her around.

When Casey was 15 her mom caught her making out with a girl she liked and it led to her mom throwing her out of the house. She stayed with Mori and Angela for two weeks straight but Angela started saying Casey should go check on her mom, and offers to go with her- having realised by this point that drugs are involved she's worried her mom might have OD'ed (Casey doesn't realise that's why until years later). Casey assures her she has been in contact with her mom (technically she has been, she's been sent texts about repenting her sins and guilt trips about leaving her at home the whole time) and pretends to go home but obviously can't.

So instead she finds herself on Saints Row at a really stupid time of night and… well, you know… Saints Row happens.

2. How old were they when they first joined the Saints? Fifteen, almost sixteen. Weird little angry kid born 29th June 1990. I think she has pretty obvious millenial tastes and tendencies. I find the post-SRIV dynamic pretty fascinating actually. She probably has a lot more in common with Pierce and Shaundi who I hc as similar ages compared to Johnny who is xennial, Kinzie and Asha who I think are borderline millenial/gen z, and 110% zoomer Matt. Then you've got Keith and Ben complaining that the ship is ran by kids and CID, Jane and Jezebel being extreme outliers to the whole thing.

3. Did they have a happy childhood? I mean overall she says it wasn't terrible. She had some nice moments with her sister. Kinzie calls her backstory "tragic" when she hears it and Casey disagrees calling it "just, y'know, a bit shitty". She heard stories of other kids going through physical and sexual abuse, she saw how Mori was affected by his dad's death and had to help him through some very dark times with his depression. She doesn't class her borderline sociopathy as a mental health issue until much later on. She starts therapy around the time the Saints rise to fame, around 2012-2013.

4. Do they have any siblings? Yes, she has a sister called Phoebe who is approximately 4 years older than her and as above, pretty much had to raise her. She left home when she was 18 which led Casey to feel pretty abandoned all over again, especially because she didn't fully understand her reasons.

5. Did they graduate high school? What about college? No, she dropped out of high school. She had plans to study English Literature at college had she got that far. She held on to school for almost a year after Phoebe left, still scraping Bs, but eventually it all took its toll. She got a job as a dishwasher in a small restaurant. If it wasn't for stealing food off of plates for a few months she wouldn't have had the muscle mass for the physical strength she displays in the first game.

6. What’s their sexuality?She self-defines as bisexual. Later she wonders if it should be pansexual. She didn't know what pan was in like 2003 when she was figuring it out, but either would fit her. Equally she would describe herself as panromantic but many of her friends assume she is fraysexual or otherwise arospec based on her choices around relationships.

7. What do they look for in a partner? She doesn't. She ignores or downright avoids that sort of interaction if possible. Suddenly becomes fucking mute again if she tries to talk about feelings. But she seems to be romantically attracted to people that are quite physically affectionate because she is very friendly emotionally but has trouble initiating non-sexual physical contact.

She does have the odd short-term partner, but tends to be drawn to people she doesn’t like all that much as something in her brain knows it won't last (talking days, I think her longest was like 10 days for many years). She has a lot of one-night stands/other casual hookups.

8. Are they currently dating anyone? Currently when? ;) Throughout the games, no, unless it’s a matter of days as described above. She's capable of romantic attraction but as above, doesn't want a relationship for practical reasons (actually fear) because a partner could be used against her.

9. Who do they love most in the world? Her friends. They are her family. She is unwavering on that. This doesn't change when she gets a partner or meets a blood relative from the pods. But it does shift a little some time in 2024.

10. Is there someone from their past they will never forgive?

Her parents. Anyone who contributes to the several deaths of her friends also but the difference there is that she doesn't let them live. So no need to forgive them. Hell she only considered letting Matt live because he reminded her of herself when she got dragged into the gang life at 15-16. The upgrades just sealed the deal.

11. What is their favorite food? Mori and his mom are Bajan-American so Barbadian food is a comfort food for her, especially salt fish and macaroni pie. Unfortunately none of the lieutenants stationed with her are of that heritage, so she often seeks out Carribean restaurants while still on earth. Phoebe's pecan pie is also a comfort, it was their grandma's recipe but she died when Casey was 6 and Phoebe was 9-10. Casey has the recipe but can't cook anything besides like frozen pizzas, instant ramen etc. She eventually tries to make the pie and realises burnt pecan pie is still good pecan pie! Despite this, lemon meringue pie is her favourite dessert. When the nice manager was on shift at the restaurant she would sneak her a piece every night. She also has a soft spot for fries because when she the dishwasher in the diner they were the easiest things to eat off plates before scraping them. Also pieces of burgers and ribs.

12. What are their pet peeves? She gets really restless when waiting on someone. Like she'll say meet at 2 and by the time Johnny gets there by 2.03 she's been pacing back and forth for five minutes. She doesn't mind all the gang being sarcastic with each other but if they all start talking each other at once she usually has to silence them. She is open to being called out on things like her white cis privelege or some of the hetronormative bias instilled by her background but she doesn't much like being challenged on some of her more bullshit 'rules' or lieutenants pushing back on her decisions once she's made them. She does eventually mature out of the latter.

13. What are some of their fears? Her biggest fear is losing someone she cares about. Unfortunately she's frequently had to live it. This is one of the things that contributes to her feelings on relationships.

14. How do they deal with injuries? Major: the Saints have a heavily bribed doctor in Stilwater, Steelport and DC. Minor: She usually asks Johnny to bandage if needed bc everyone else is too slow and gentle. Then more or less runs and hides until she's feeling better.

15. What is the MOST embarrassing moment in their life? That time she almost slow danced with Josh Birk at the 4th of July party is certainly up there.

16. Are they a cat or dog person? Cat, I think. I think she wouldn't have thought of herself of much a pet person in general because she grew up without any and she assumes she'd be too lazy to take care of them. But then she goes to a friends house who has a cat. Maybe Mori(which would be funny because his mom affectionately compares Casey to a stray cat). And she doesn't really know how to react around them so she's just kind of like "Sup.". Then the cat just kind of comes and sits on her lap and she's like… oh… warm! Soft. You are my new homie now.

17. Beside the 1950s sitcom, what else would their hell be?Again, just losing all the people she cares about. The only reason that was not her simulation is because Zinyak/the system he uses has a very shallow understanding of the human psyche, not surprising because Zin have a very conscious mind compared to humans where a lot is subconscious. This makes them fairly intelligent but also means they can adapt to changes due to their time travel easily because they just go "oh, a memory has changed.". See also: Pierce's simulation. Maybe everyone's.

18. Which death affects them the most? (Besides Johnny)

Oh this is different because they all impact such different areas of her life. Lin’s death probably had the greatest impact on her actions as a leader.She becomes very front-and centre/self sacrificing because of Lin.

On a more personal level I was going to say Carlos because she had pretty strong feelings for him but actually it's Aisha. Watching how her best friend, who she looks up to more than anyone and basically wanted to be, was just walking around with a piece of him missing really solidified her fear of relationships and anger at the injustice of life and death; things she might have otherwise grown out of/conquered with therapy.

19. What is their favorite music? She likes a pretty wide range of music because she doesn’t want to let anyone down by not following their recommendations and always finds at least one song she likes from the artists they like. Not taking that into account, she really likes '80s shit' and also ska but as a 00s teen she went through the pop punk phase pretty hard too.

20. What are some of their hobbies? Reading, definitely. Almost every spare moment when she gets to the stage where there are spare moments. In high school, Yu-Gi-Oh cards were big for her. Tbh she is pretty nerdy but because she's so technologically challenged her friends don't seem to pick up on that. I feel like in an AU 2020 she would get really into cottagecore during the pandemic then get really pissed because she can't bake or draw or knit.

[decadentrot]

2023 🎉🎉🎉

Ok new year and I thought since this blog is basically an archive of my fandom art, I'd also archive some "milestone" art and archive my reflection for the last year. Basically, I love art and I've always wanted to one day publish my own original comic/graphic novel and I've had this dream art school that I've always wanted to go to and then senior year rolled around and... I didnt submit my portfolio. Partially due to financial reasons, but mostly because I just hated my art (like most artist) and so I decided to take a "gap year" to take online courses and "fix" my art, but then I just didnt have enough money to even finish the courses so i just really gave up yk. I got very demoralized about school in general and thought art would just be a hobby and I should consider getting a "real job" as many of my family members would say, it didnt help that all of my friends were leaving for college and I was stuck at home. And so in my loneliness, I then created this blog because I still wanted someway to do art and be creative and share stupid ideas about my favorite characters and honestly I really really really enjoyed making fandom art. And after getting out of my slump and getting much encouragement from my friends/dad and lots of nights staying up with my anxiety as company, I decided I really should just do it and submit the portfolio and if I get in I get in and I should not be afraid to get loans and not let my financial problems get in the way of my happiness and wants. So I talked to the admission counselor and finally submitted my Illustration (Entertainment Arts Track) portfolio to ✨Art Center: College of Design✨ and a couple months later I actually got accepted woooo

So I'm sharing my accepted ACCD portfolio to by no means flex my art, I mean the anatomy and perspective still needs a lot of work and my traditional art in general isnt the cleanest, but when talking to the admission counselor, she definitely did see my faults but she also pointed out how even if my technical work isn't as polished, thats exactly what school is for: to learn and get better! And to be surrounded by likeminded people who also have a passion for art (and make those industry connections!) And something more eye opening I learned from her was that art isnt suppose to be perfect and "realistic," especially in the entertainment arts industry, what matters more is telling the story and making compelling characters. While knowing every muscle of the human anatomy is useful, as long as you get the message and purpose across, its good! (I mean look at the origins of one punch man).

Corny message aside, for as much as I was stressed during the beginning of this year, I ended up really enjoying it after all. I'm still improving my art and I still have to worry about my financial issues and college, but overall I spent these last couple days with family/friends and doing personal art projects and I'm relatively happy with my art and my OCs. My SumRec comic will probably be postponed by like a week maybe cause I've been busy with family and friends and obviously I haven't been posting a lot of my fandom art due to RL stuff, but when I actually have alone time to work on it and im satisfied, then it will be posted !! So for anyone who read through this post, I hope you maybe get some enjoyment from my art portfolio and also enjoyed last year and I hope this new year will be even better !! (And if your an artist, keep going and creating !!) 🎉

Bonus: Not part of my portfolio, but during my junior year of high school, I wanted to actually complete an animation instead of a bunch of animatics, so I did! Its incredibly rushed and my old art is cringe, but it was my first completed animation of some very old OCs and their potential intro sequence if they had a TV showヽ(✿ﾟ▽ﾟ)ノ:

[substituted-shinigami]

Learning to Breathe

(aka Please Remember To Put On Your Oxygen Mask Before Assisting Others)

Characters: Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, and some Fourth Division OCs, (RenRuki)

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, some Angst, some Humor, Family

Rated: T (for mentions of medical tools such as needles and depictions of anxiety, but nothing is graphic or even really overly described. This story is more about the emotions than the medical drama)

Story Summary: Turns out purple eyes and short stature aren’t the only things that run in Hisana’s family, illness does as well. As Rukia and Renji try to help each other navigate through this new storm in their lives, will they remember to take time to breathe? (Rukia gets the same disease that killed Hisana (Bloodlines AU), Post TYBW, Post renruki engagement)

Click the link to read below or click here to read the story on AO3!

(6/7)

Chapter 5: Free Fall

AO3 chapter link

Chapter Summary: Attention passengers, due to the severity of the storm, we have experienced some major technical difficulties, and are now rapidly losing altitude in an uncontrolled manner. Therefore, as we make this “emergency landing”, please remember to put on your oxygen mask before assisting others. Thank you. (The chapter in which Rukia’s and Renji’s day becomes a complete disaster.)

I tried to tell them that there was nothing there, Rukia grumbled to herself, as the nurse began to put away the RIT supplies. But with Renji so close nearby, she didn't dare say it outloud. Despite Nurse Sato's best attempt, she hadn't been able to find a strong enough reiatsu vein for the RIT needle, and now Rukia had an extra hole in her for the experience. She barely suppressed the urge to glare daggers at the nurse.

"Sorry about all this, hun," the nurse placated, as she finished packing up, "But thanks for letting me try. I'll go and track down that specialist for you now." Rukia simply nodded as Nurse Sato headed out of the room. As soon as the nurse was gone, she felt Renji take her hand and give it a tight squeeze.

"You okay?" He murmured tentatively. Rukia looked down at the bandage on her arm. She didn't even have to look up at Renji to know how worried he looked. How he always looked ever since this terrible illness began. Rukia took a deep breath.

"You know…" she began contemplatively, "I heard that vampires didn't come out during the day… Tsk… Guess they were wrong." Renji chuckled wryly.

"Well, to be fair, the nurse took your reiatsu, not your blood."

"True," Rukia agreed with a nod, as she turned towards him, "So what is she then? A Bount?"

"I guess so," He said, scratching his chin, "And unfortunately for us, those definitely come out during the day."

"Crap, you're right! Drat!" Rukia said with a snap of her fingers. She shrugged, "Well, sucks to be me then!"

"Hah! Yeah…" he agreed quietly. He gave her hand another squeeze, "I'm sorry, Rukia." This time Rukia turned to him, and gave him a resolute look.

"What are you sorry for? We've defeated the 'Bount' before, and we'll do it again!" She proclaimed with great confidence, but ultimately, couldn't keep up the farce. So instead, she just returned his hand squeeze. "Let's…Let's just wait on the specialist, okay?"

"Okay…"

For better or for worse, they didn't have to wait long. This time, the nurse, the tech, and even the scheduler who Rukia had talked to on the phone earlier all came into the room together.

This can’t be good, Rukia grimaced.

"Hi, hun,” Nurse Sato began apologetically, as she sat down in the chair closest to the couple, “So we thought we would all come in together to tell you that I talked to our Relief Team Leader about this and he said that, unfortunately, all of the specialists who are capable of performing this task are either out sick or already gone for the holidays."

"Oh…" Rukia said slowly, "I see…"

"There is one more thing as well…" the nurse continued sheepishly, "He also said that he doesn't want to do a neck RIT for this specific test. He wants to use a reiatsu catheter instead. And that requires…a procedure."

Rukia felt her blood run cold. What?! A…PROCEDURE?! She felt Renji squeeze her hand worriedly, so she swallowed thickly. Keep it together, Rukia…

"A reiatsu midline catheter, you say?” Rukia replied instead, doing her best to keep her speech even, “And it requires a procedure? Can you tell me more about it?"

"Of course, hun," the nurse agreed cheerfully. She nodded to the tech who flipped through his clipboard, and turned it around to show Rukia the example picture.

"A reiatsu catheter," Tech Watanabe explained in his characteristic monotone, "is a large tube that attaches to your chest where there are larger reiatsu vessels than in your arm. It can stay in for several months."

Rukia's cold blood turned to ice. S-Several…months?!

"Don't worry, the procedure will only take a day," the nurse said quickly, "And we'll talk to your personal head nurse from the Fourteenth Relief Team to find out when they want it done first. But as you may have already guessed, this does mean we will have to reschedule everything," The nurse continued, looking even more sorrowful and apologetic, "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience."

Inconvenience is the least of my concerns right now! Rukia took another deep breath and looked up.

"It's…fine…" She got out, "How soon can we reschedule?"

“Yeah,” Renji agreed gruffly, as he pulled out his soul pager, “January is actually pretty busy for me. I usually have Sundays off though. Can you do Sundays?” Rukia’s head shot up at this.

“Renji, if you’re busy, then don’t worry about-”

“Actually, this building is not open on Sundays,” the scheduler said, looking at her chart. Renji pulled open the calendar on his soul pager.

“Oh, well, I guess I could go into work on Sunday, and then take off whenever you all have your next opening. When is that?”

“Renji,” Rukia said more firmly. Renji blinked and looked up at her.

“Yeah?”

“If you are busy in January, then you don’t have to take me. I…" Rukia took a deep breath and did her best to look at him resolutely, "I can go by myself.” Renji's hand faltered on his soul pager.

“Oh…okay. But-”

"Well, unfortunately,” the scheduler began sheepishly as she readjusted her glasses and looked up from her chart, “You probably won’t be able to get a January appointment anyway. We are pretty much booked, and it is about to be the start of the New Year's festivals. Also, I'm actually leaving to go visit my family in the first district of Rukongai tomorrow, and therefore will be gone till after the new year," She waved her hands quickly, "but as soon as I get back, I'll start looking for new dates for you, so don't you worry! But that does mean you probably won’t get a new appointment until at least February."

“Oh. That’s unfortunate,” Renji said quietly, with a bit of frustration in his voice as he switched months in his calendar app, “But at least I have more availability in February. Any chance that we can just make an appointment for February today-” but he stopped when he felt Rukia’s vice like grip on his wrist. He turned to look at her, but she was resolutely looking forward towards the medical team, a huge but eerie smile plastered on her face.

"Thank you all so very much for your time,” Rukia began in a way very reminiscent of the late Fourth Division captain, “I appreciate all of your help in this matter. Is there anything else you require before we head out?"

"Um…N-No, that's pretty much it," the scheduler stuttered. She looked as if she had just seen a ghost, but Rukia was unable to enjoy the humor of it. "L-Let's just verify your contact info, and then you can be on your way."

Rukia quickly gave it to them, and soon the medical team were leading her and Renji out towards the exit. Along the way, they frequently and continuously apologized for the inconveniences, and each time Rukia told them 'It was fine' and 'Don’t worry about it' as she continued to keep that huge smile plastered on her face. Renji, for his part, said nothing.

When they finally made it outside, they looked up to see the storm was raging harder than ever, matching quite well with the one going on in their minds. They stood there in silence underneath the covering, a little ways off from the entrance, watching the rain come down in sheets. Finally, Rukia spoke up first.

“Well, that sure was something,” She got out through gritted teeth.

“Yeah… A real appointment from Hueco Mundo…” Renji muttered while rubbing the back of his neck, “I’m sorry they put you through all that, Rukia.”

“Heh, that? That was nothing!” She declared as loftily as she could manage as she waved him off, “It was mostly just waiting around right? Nothing to be concerned about! I’m only sorry that you still haven’t had anything to eat yet. Speaking of which, we should-”

“Rukia,” Renji said, taking her by the shoulders, and holding her still, “It’s okay. It’s just us. You can admit to me that it sucked back there.” Rukia looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

“But…”

“But nothing!" Renji practically shouted, "They made you wait around for hours, stressed out of your mind, on no food. If that wasn't enough, they stuck you with a needle, even though you told them that it wasn't going to work. And then, after all of that, they tell you they need you to get a whole ‘nother procedure done, just so you can reschedule this whole thing and go through it all over again. That was a complete disaster of an appointment! It’s okay to admit that it sucked-”

“No, it’s not okay!” Rukia shouted back at him, “It’s not- It wasn’t supposed to…I am supposed to be stronger than this. I…” She squeezed her eyes closed, shutting out the tears that threatened to fall.

“Everyone has their limits, Ru,” Renji continued gently, “And they managed to hit most of yours all in one day. It’s okay,” he brought her trembling form into a hug, “It’s okay. I’m just glad I was there to support you. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to take off for the next one too, and-”

“No!” Rukia shouted, pushing against him, so that she could look up into his face, “No, you don’t have to do that! You already do so much for me…too much for me. I’ll be alright, Renji, so please don’t change up your schedule for me.”

“Doing too much…? Crap, Rukia, is that what this has all been about?! Is this why you’ve been acting weirdly cheery all day and not wanting me to help you? Because you were worried about me?” Renji asked, letting go of her with one hand to scratch his head, “By Yamamoto’s Bald Head, Ru, haven’t I told you before that you can rely on your friends?! To let us help you carry your burdens? You should always be able to get support from your friends and loved ones, Rukia,” He finished warmly, holding her in both hands again, but Rukia glared back up at him.

“Oh yeah?! What about you?!”

“M-Me?” Renji stuttered as a bead of sweat formed on his forehead.

“Yeah! Do you think I haven’t noticed you running yourself ragged trying to help me? Do you think I haven’t noticed how stressed and tired you are? Do you think I didn’t notice you not even finishing your dinner last night, even though it was your favorite?” Rukia accused, jabbing a finger at his chest, “ You are exhausted, Renji, and whenever I try to give you even an iota of help, you push me off! So since you wouldn’t let me help you, I was hoping I could at least decrease your stress by showing you that even when you aren’t around all the time, I will be okay. That nothing bad will happen if you decide to take a break. That if you turn your head, you won’t turn back around and see me…dead,” Rukia finished quietly. Renji took a sharp intake of breath, his grip tightening.

“Ru…”

“Renji,” Rukia said quietly as she leaned her forehead against his chest. “I know that you are just worried about me. But I’m worried about you too, you numbskull. And if anything were to happen to me, then I don’t…I don’t want you becoming what Niisama became after Hisana died. And that’s why…" she took a deep breath, "...that’s why I have been downplaying my fears this entire time. You were right, Renji, I was nervous about the tests and I did want you to come. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but you were running yourself ragged, Renji. And I thought this was the only way to get through to you.”

Renji said nothing at first as he wrapped his arms fully around her, pulling her close. Finally he sighed, “Crap, Rukia, I'm sorry… I had no idea you had all this tumbling inside of you. I never meant to make you feel this way. I just wanted you to know that I would always be there for you, y’know?”

“Don’t apologize, you doofus," Rukia murmured into his chest as she returned the hug, "You shouldn’t feel ashamed for caring too much. And I know you will always be there for me, so just take better care of yourself, you big dork.”

“I just…the truth is," he took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "the reason I never take a break isn’t just because I want to take care of you,” Renji admitted as he buried his face into her hair, and tightened his grip around her, “It’s because, I’m afraid. I’m afraid that if I stop in order to take care of myself, I will have to think about what’s happening, and then…and then I might break. I might break, Ru,” his voice cracked with a barely contained sob, “And…if I break… then I might just get stuck like that. Just a broken fool on the ground, unable to help the one he loves most in the world. And if I do that, then what good will I be to you then?”

“Fool,” Rukia said gently, looking up at him. She cupped his face in her hands, “Idiot. What good will you be? Renji, you already aren’t just good to me, you are the best. Just as you are. You don’t have to do anything else.” Renji looked down, unable to meet her eyes.

“A fat lot of good I did you today…” he chuckled derisively.

“Renji...look at me,” Rukia growled at him. Renji’s eyes snapped back up to her and her voice changed immediately to tenderness, “Yes, days like today will happen, but you listened to me Renji. You listened to me, and stood by me, and it made me feel good to know that someone in there was on my side, who saw me as something more than just another patient. That my problems were more than just minor inconveniences to be brushed off. You acknowledged me, Renji.”

Renji sucked in his breath, “Ru…”

“So let me do the same for you. Your fears, your pain, they matter, Renji. This illness is going to be a tough battle for BOTH of us. And just like any other battle we’ve fought before, we need to finish our own fights, before we can go help the other person with theirs. You got that?”

Renji took a deep breath and let it out again, “Yeah…”

“Yeah,” Rukia agreed. Then she smirked. “And hey, if I need you, I’ll call you, alright? I think I might have your number stored somewhere on my soul pager,” She winked

Renji grinned back at her, “Oh, you mean the number you have labeled, ‘Sexy Tiger Man’?”

“Y-Your name for me in your phone is just as bad! 'Cute Bunny Girl?' Really, Renji?! That’s not even original!” Rukia countered back. Renji laughed heartily, before burying his face into her neck again. He sighed deeply, breathing in her scent.

“You…You will tell me though, won’t you?” he murmured, “When you need help? Even when I seem busy? I…I need to know I’m not abandoning you, Rukia.”

“You’re not abandoning me, Renji,” Rukia said, reaching up to gently comb her fingers through his locks, “But yes, I will tell you.”

“Thank you,” he breathed quietly.

“And keep in mind we can call on our other friends too,” She continued, “We could get outside help and develop a system for it, y’know?”

“Yeah,” he agreed.

“And tell you what, if I really need something, and we really can’t find anyone else who is available, then I guess you are just stuck with me! Deal?”

“Deal!” he pulled back from her neck and smiled at her, “Okay, I guess you’re right.”

“I usually am,” Rukia smirked as she cupped his face in her hands, her thumbs gently brushing away her tears. Renji’s eyes slowly closed at the soothing sensation.

“Yeah,” Renji murmured, “Yeah, you are.”

When she had finished, he pulled her back into his embrace, burying his face into her neck once more. Rukia wrapped her arms just as tightly around him. They wished they could stay there forever, in that peaceful bubble amongst the raging storm. However, they were interrupted rather loudly by the sound of their stomachs growling.

"Oh, right," Rukia said as she blinked bleary up at him, "food."

Renji chuckled as he loosened his grip, "I guess we probably should go grab something to eat. It's almost lunchtime now."

"Yes. Let’s get you something before you faint on me!" Rukia said firmly as she released him.

“Yes, ma’am!” Renji scratched his chin, and looked around. Suddenly he perked up, “Hey! Look at that,” he pointed to a poster on the wall next to them, “A new branch of that western style bar, Sandwiches, I Guess, just opened up right around the corner from here! Do you want to go find out if they actually make sandwiches or not?” Rukia raised an eyebrow at him and slowly turned to look at the poster.

“Hmmm. Well despite your ‘very enthusiastic’ promotion of it earlier, I’m not sure if I… By Yamamoto’s Long and Braided Beard, all alcohol is half off for their grand opening?!?”

“Hm?" Renji asked. He squinted at the poster, "Oh yeah, I guess it is. Huh.”

At that, Rukia immediately turned back towards him, a sparkle in her eyes, "You know what? Yes. Let's go. Right now. Who cares if they actually sell sandwiches or not? I wanna go get stupid drunk!"

"Alright!!!" Renji laughed. He looked up at the sky, "Hey, look at that, the rain is finally letting up. I think the sun's coming out too!" Rukia turned to look up at the sky and saw that the rain had indeed begun to slow, and that the sun was finally peeking out between the clouds. She spotted Renji out of the corner of her eye, who seemed to be smiling with his entire being.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"Ready to head back to the carriage?" Renji asked as he turned and offered her his warm hand and even warmer smile. She returned both eagerly.

"Yeah,” Rukia grinned back, squeezing his hand tightly, “Let's go."

[enki2]

So, as somebody who was paying close attention to both generative art and generative text years before GANs & LLMs were invented (both the actual tech on the ground and how the media & regular people talked about it), I have a couple things to add. (Also relevant experience: I've written freelance for outlets with varying degrees of clout, self-published, gotten my stuff published in small-press anthologies, gotten paid for non-LLM machine-generated text by a small press who was featuring gen art, commissioned art, and spent a bunch of time talking about GANs with both professional illustrators and people who do art commissions.)

For one thing, text generation that's good enough to generate shitty children's books & nonsense essays has been around for a lot longer. I absolutely do see writers freaking out about LLMs (and the writers I see freaking out about LLMs are exactly the same demographics as the artists I see freaking out about GANs: amateurs doing freelance/commission work), but I think freelance writers have more or less accepted that they've never been able to make a living off this stuff & they also have noticed that their shit pay doesn't seem to get substantially more shitty (or their commissions substantially more rare) even after all the scary articles.

For another, every minor advance in generating art of any kind (including visual and textual art) produces dozens of low-effort sensationalist articles about how robots are gonna take artists' jobs. (It doesn't matter how shitty the output is: look at coverage of that TV screenplay writing program from the 50s.) These articles tend to have a big but short-lived effect on the discourse, and then are completely forgotten -- with the same people freaking out about what is essentially the same article about the same technology several years later. GANs and LLMs have stayed in the news a bit longer because non-technical people were able to play with them through several generations of development -- but this doesn't guarantee that the freakout will "take" (nobody spent too long worrying about botnik's autosuggest-keyboard was going to put comedians out of work, even though a lot of people found it very useful for comedy writing). It may be chance that GAN sensationalism hit a particularly sensitive audience, who now is stuck doubling down on dubious ideas because people post a lot of GAN images & trigger them, rather than amateur illustrators somehow being less capable of critical thinkers than amateur authors.

There's also a much bigger gap between drawing furry porn on commission and being a professional illustrator than there is between writing blog posts and writing a book, in terms of typical workflow. Professional illustrators are used to painting over photobashed models (which is almost exactly the same as painting over a GAN-generated image -- which you'd need to do in order to make it into something of publishable quality) while amateur artists of the kind I'm characterizing here tend to come out of the "do not steal my OC" corners of fandom spaces & idealize originality in a way that's not really compatible with commerce. Meanwhile, both the random Medium publication that wants to republish your shitpost & the New York Times is gonna basically gonna do collaborative editing on google docs & then try to figure out a way to not pay you. So, writers in general are not under the illusion that their work is valued, while digital painters who have not yet interacted with The Industry often are under that illusion.

Another factor is that literacy is more common than visual literacy. Most people can tell that an essay is dogshit because they themselves wrote dogshit essays in high school & got reamed out for it. But most people cannot recognize the illustration equivalent of a C+ essay. What's more, most people can recognize when an essay is poorly structured even when all the words are spelled correctly, while an image with reasonable anatomy but poor composition does not register as an unacceptable image. (I think most people can tell when somebody really knocks it out of the park -- the image equivalent of award-winning poetry has exactly the same kind of impact as award-winning poetry -- but most art, like most writing, is mediocre, and it takes a lot of learned skill to distinguish between two slightly different shades of mediocrity.)

Honestly kind of interesting to compare the relative intensity of response to AI art from visual artists/illustrators and writers - there's plenty of, like, high-minded worry about the potential damage of people using ChatGPT as a search engine/personal assistant or whatever, but basically no one seems to viscerally loath it like people on here do Midjourney.

[toomuchdickfort]

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