#tried some digital painting and i personally like how it came out :]

[circusclowne]

osc gift exchange 2024! @justanapplenothinghere

happy new year !!

[runa-falls]

the baby-making protocol - 2

pairing: mickey barnes (17) x afab!reader

cw: mentions of human experimentation (ofc), short mention of vomit + sickness, suggestive thoughts, a spark of emotional connection, mickey being cute again :), not beta-read

wc: ~1.6k

note: slow updates btw (lol)

---

Mickey didn’t make it to the new room with you. 

Halfway through your journey, he collapsed in the hallway and puked up the small pieces of artificial meat he had at dinner along with the usual slop he had earlier in the day.

At first, he tried to downplay it:

“O-oh��” Mickey looks down at the mess he made, face flushed, “Um, my bad. I must’ve gotten too worked up after eating or something.” His eyes are bleary, his hands are shaking, and his jaw is tense like he’s fighting back pain. You can already tell that this is more than just food poisoning. 

“...Mickey, what did they feed you?” 

You attempt to approach him, but he quickly stops you.

 “No, I’m okay,” He struggles to prop himself up, “y-you don’t have to come any closer.” 

“Let me help.”

“I-it’s–” 

He starts convulsing.

And as any sane person would – You start freaking the fuck out. 

In the end, someone from the lab was alerted about his reaction and came to collect him. Apparently, it was a test to see how safe a new type of imitation meat was. 

And you watched defeatedly as he was dragged away like a piece of livestock.

—

The room they assigned to you both is only slightly larger than the single room you had before. Instead of a double bed, a queen-sized mattress is awkwardly wedged into the corner, resting on a metal frame that also serves as storage – you suspect they included it because there's still barely enough room for one person's belongings.

The room sticks to the same monotonous blue-grey palette that you’re used to – accented by metal piping carelessly painted over, jutting from the walls in a way that seems almost hazardous. It really leans into that “landlord special” aesthetic that nobody asked for. 

The usual exposed wiring that hangs over every dwelling is visible here too, snaking across the ceiling from all sides. Now that you think about it, you’ve never figured out exactly what the wires are connected to…for all you know, they could just be there for decoration. It’s truly remarkable how far Marshall goes to offer his crew nothing more than the bare minimum.

On the multi-purpose table sat a sheet of instructions, a vase of plastic flowers, and a fake candle boldly emblazoned with the words, “Happy Baby-Making!” – If this was their idea of setting a romantic mood, you have serious doubts about the success of this mission. 

You scoff at the vibrant petals of the fake roses, running a finger over the fraying polyester threads that stick out from them. These are going straight into the incinerator after tonight. 

You turn your attention to the sheet of paper, curious why they bothered to print out the instructions when a digital memo had already been sent. 

The instructions were fairly straightforward: 

Get to know your partner: Ask simple questions like “What’s your favorite color?” or “How old are you?” to build a connection. 

Practice proper baby-making etiquette: No protection allowed—make sure to fulfill your duty at least once a day. 

Stick to your assigned partner: This isn’t a free-for-all; we’re building a sacred community, not a random collection of individuals. 

Attend all scheduled appointments: No skipping! 

Most importantly, have fun!

At the bottom of the instructions are some suggested sex positions – some of which you’ve never seen before and, frankly, don’t believe are anatomically possible. You can’t help but laugh at the exaggerated stick-figure genitalia that distinguishes the man and the woman as they fuck ‘for the sake of humanity.’ 

There's one called “Straddle the Laptop” (essentially just cowgirl — but since it takes place on a desk, they’ve thrown in some tech-inspired terminology for flair), that sparks your interest. Not only does it require the man to be at the bottom, helpless to the ministrations of the person on top, but also forces the couple to look into each other's eyes. 

You could just imagine the way Mickey would fall apart for you, staring at you in awe with those pretty blue eyes as he whines for more. How his hands would clumsily grope against the contours of your body as he braces against pleasures he’s never known before. 

You clutch the page of instructions enough to crumple the edge as the scene plays in your mind. 

You mustn’t get ahead of yourself. 

It’ll probably be a while before you get to that point in your relationship with Mickey anyway.

You set the piece of paper down and look around at the empty room. So this is your life now. 

—

He didn’t come back until the following night. 

You assumed the delay was due to the printing process, which takes about a day, so you braced yourself to meet Mickey 18. After all, each new Mickey is an exact copy of the last—yet subtle differences always emerge. 

For all you know, the next Mickey could be a freak… but you’re sure that no matter how he turns out, you’ll probably fall for him too. 

It’s still Mickey, after all.

But as it turned out, you didn’t have to worry about that. The Mickey returning to you was still 17.

After he was taken away, he was given an experimental medication that successfully counteracted the effects of the lab-made meat. Of course, after barely ten minutes to recover, he was immediately sent to the back storage room of the ship to fix a collapsing corridor—because why not?

Which is why, despite coming back as the same Mickey 17, he still bore bruises, scratch marks, and a slight limp.

Trust the science sector to throw Mickey into a mission the second he recovered from food poisoning!

You expected to return to an empty room – one cluttered with unpacked boxes, your few belongings, and an unmade bed. But instead, Mickey was sitting on the bed, printed-out instructions in one hand and the flimsy bundle of gaudy roses in the other.

There’s a palm-sized bruise on his neck – probably from the indelicate syringe that the scientists like to poke him with – and a few scratches on his forehead and arms. 

He looks up from the paper as you enter, wearing the same confused expression he had at dinner the night before.

“So the fake meat didn’t make me hallucinate this…” He mumbles in disbelief, eyes bouncing between the paper, the roses, and you. 

“Mickey, you’re…” Still alive? Still 17? Still – “...here.” 

“Yeah – I-I’m sorry you had to see that yesterday.” He’s suddenly sheepish as he recalls the last time he saw you. “The experiments are usually more isolated, but I guess they just wanted my authentic reaction to the food or something.” 

You walk over and sit next to him on the bed. He subtly scoots over to give you more space, eyes widening at the sudden loss of distance between you. You wish he wouldn’t, but you don’t say anything.

“No, don’t apologize. I’m just… happy to see you.” You offer him a small smile. “The same you.”

“You noticed?” He looks surprised, like no one has ever really paid attention to him before. 

“I always notice you, Mickey.” Your voice is soft, yet the words carry so much weight.

Again, those pretty blue eyes widen, silently asking about every layer of meaning in your admission—so close to you. Then, he breaks eye contact, preferring to look at the floor as he turns your words in his mind. You notice subtle blotches of pink coloring the base of his neck and the tops of his cheeks.

Oh no. Maybe he’s uncomfortable…

“I-I mean…I saw that you still have that one healed cut from the other day…” Amid your rambling, you miss the small smile that tugs at the corner of his lips. “...not that I’m watching you or anything, I just guard the lab most of the time and see you–”

“Thanks.” He interrupts you with a soft voice – quiet enough that you would have missed it if you weren’t so intent on noticing his every move.

“...Thanks?”

“For looking out for me. You’re the only one who treats me like a human being and not some…lab rat.” He looks down at the paper in his hand, “I’m actually…kinda glad we were paired together for this protocol.”

Your heart skips a beat at his words.

He’s glad? To be with you?

“Really?”  

“Yeah. We’ve known each other for a while…and you’re a lot nicer than anyone else on this ship…” His eyes flick up to meet yours, “I’m sorry you got roped into this though…”

“It’s okay, it was bound to happen at some point.” You shrug, still riding the high that he likes you enough to endure this twisted experiment by your side, “It’s what we all expected when going on this voyage.” 

He rubs against the blotchy bruise on his neck thoughtfully, “But we’re the first ones to…you know…”

“Procreate?” 

He blushes when you say it. “Yeah.”

“If it makes you feel any better, we can start slow.” 

“But don’t we have a schedule to keep up with?”

"Okay then, we can start slower." You take the paper from his hand and glance over the list. "The daily check-ins don’t start for a few days, so… how about a date?"

“A date?”

“Unless you want to jump right into it.” You tease.

“N-no,” he stammers, “I didn’t mean–”

You rest a hand on his thigh, and he instantly falls silent, eyes fixed on where you're touching him. “Tomorrow let’s do something, just the two of us.”

“O-okay.” He immediately agrees. 

[mishtiikrishna]

play 20 questions with me!

except it's one sided and all about ✨me✨

1. hii! what do i call u?

call me mish (as my dear companion @foursixtwonineoh-pizzas-of-lego (evie 😘)) does or mishti.

2. how did u chance upon here and what do u do here everyday?

i came here for #drarry and #tomarry and #merthur fics and arts (they're so out of this world, man) stayed here for the people and my lovely moots and shitposts. left one time to focus on my studies and now i'm back. permanently. hopefully. everyday, i come here for shits and giggles and to interact with the lovely (bi/gay, i don't think none of my friends over here is straight) friends. lol

3. you mentioned #drarry. what fandoms are u in/interested in/know?

1. harry potter (have to admit that I've only seen the movies twice and read only POA and majorly fanfictions. u have no idea omg)

2. heartstopper (i've read the webtoon AND s1 in netflix s1, haven't got the time for the later seasons tbh)

3. sherlock holmes and adj (books and robert downey movies and bbc sherlock)

4. DC (some comics and some warner bros movies am not in deep as some of my dear friends 😭)

5. marvel (..through fanfictions and song edits ONLY)

6. bbc merlin (couldn't finish the whole show, but i do know the ending 😭)

7. mahabharat starplus (haven't seen the whole show but know and love enough)

8. anne with an e

4. fanfictions, you read. do you write in general?

yes! i do! they're all under this tag -> #mishti writes. hoping to write and update on here more, honestly. i write about a lot of stuff mostly independent but not on the level of writing fanfictions yet. i feel pity for myself tbh

5. what're your other creative outlets?

i sing, i can do digital calligraphy and art (not really good at the latter) and painting/colouring! i hope to start this journey too here actually.

6. do you read and write and all only in english? what're some other languages u know?

i enjoy reading and writing creative stuff in english only right now. i can write in hindi too if i tried really hard. i also know malayalam, tamil, kannada, sanskrit, french (duolingo lmao), html, markdown and python.

7. u know python? which level?

i learnt it for school for 2 years (years 11 & 12). i have created a wordle clone that works on NYTimes' wordle logic except pastel colouring and it works offline. planning to make it bigger, actually.

8. computer nerd huh? anyway how do i become friends with u if i want to?

wouldn't call myself a nerd lol. there's nothing much to do if u want to become friend tbh. the ask box is above this post and start a conversation with me, we'll take it from there ♥️

9. do u have any checklist for being ur friend that I should fulfill?

yes, actually. u must be:

[ ] happy talking to me

[ ] ready to tell when i'm doing something wrong

[ ] ready not to force me to do anything

[ ] ready for my countless apologies at any given time (yes i'm serious)

that's all, i think. i don't mind anyone here as long u check these out!

10. what's ur stance on the LGBTQIA+ community?

since almost all my friends here are either bi or gay or on the spectrum here, i really don't mind them. i support the community as long as i don't get hurt. i think i'm aroace myself but i really dunno, i must admit.

11. u keep reiterating 'friends'. may i ask who ur friends are on here? or would that be personal?

i don't mind u asking about my friends. in fact, i've made a friend list, here.

12. time for misc questions!! what's ur favourite thing to do in the rain?

it's been raining for a good few days at the time of writing this post, and my favourite thing to do is lie on my bed on scroll thru..Tumblr. embarassing i know. but that's what i have discovered as of now. but i know that'll change in like 3 days max 😭 i think it'll be sitting at my desk, the one in front of the window, listening to the rain and either sketching or ✨writing✨

13. what about drinks? hot drinks or cold drinks in autumn?

cold drinks throughout the year. even in winters yes. i have cold water everyday 😂

14. would you prefer looking after a toddler or a teenager for a week?

after having a sister, i would pick the baby. they can't talk back or be rude to me or anyone really. and no feelings will be hurt, so no fights 😍

15. cat or a dog person?

neither, i'm so sorry. i am allergic to both, i believe.

16. u mentioned u were a computer nerd before. what're some craziest things u've done related to it?

ok. so i have done quite a few things (you may choose to believe it or not, i don't mind either way!) which i used to think and still think is not that impressive:

jailbroke an iPhone 3g at the age of 12; exorcised macos x lion from a polycarbonate 2009 macbook and proceeded to install 15-20 linux distros at the ages of 14-15 (no arch linux, i just read the documentation and gave up); illegally (maybe) installed and ran windows 11 on a device that shouldn't have ran it from one sketchy youtube tutorial at 15; built wordle (mentioned above) from scratch with python and tkinter in 2 days (that's it lol)

17. how does ur music taste look like?

mainly electropop with epic instrumentals and the occasional sanskrit verse. i suppose.

18. what're ur likes and dislikes?

likes: computer, tech, math, chemistry, some parts of physics, cold stuff, digital stuff, art, fanfics, writing, pastel colours, rain, gold jewellery, fancy af hairstyles, cooking, pens (pentel 🩵), pencils, any sorta stationery, my sister and my family

dislikes: anon asks for help (not in a position, i'm sorry!), hot (as in temperature) stuff, wearing glasses (have been a glass wearer for the 11th year now), chores (to an extent 😂), and romance (i just don't understand it..doesn't matter if it's wlw or mlm or straight or whatever)

19. what're some numbers u love? do u believe in lucky numbers?

i love the number 7 for some reason. also 19th cuz 19th may is my birthday. and 2 and 5, idk why.

20. ask me in the reblogs if u've reached till here! u're obligated to, at this point lol.

[kat-creations]

Jax x fem reader flower prank

Ok the flower prank is when you get flowers for yourself and telling your s/o thanks for the flowers. You could also say that that flowers came with a card that said thanks from secret admirer.

It was another day in the amazing digital circus. Your boyfriend, Jax I was born and came into your room to see if you had anything to do. That was interesting.

Do you know they had had a plan to prank your boyfriend. Since he is very good at pranking others and you want to give him a little bit of his own medicine.

Since the last prank he pulled on. You was a bit mean, and you lost half of your wardrobe to paint canons. So you were wearing a pair of his overalls over a sweater you had.

Right now you both were on you couch watching some drama show that you had on your TV. As he was basically sitting on your couch, and you sitting on his lap as he hugged you from behind.

After a bed, there was a knock at the door, and you told Jax that you were going to check the door.

He only gave you a slight nod as the drama show that was on was very interesting. As you got up from his lap then went to the door.

After a few second he head you give a surprised and happy sound. After you opened the door to your room. He was curious on why are you react that way so he turned his head from the TV to see what was going on.

The moment he did, he saw you at the no close door as you had a bouquet of flowers in your hands with the slightly surprised and optimistic look on your face.

Hmm? What’s that?

He asked as you walked back to the couch and he passed the TV. Then stud up and walked over to you. With one of the most confused face he made yet.

I don’t know I just open the door and saw this bouquet of flowers in front of it? Did you get them for me?

You told him as you close the door behind you and walks closer to Jax. As Jax paused the TV and got of the couch and walked over to you.

Well no I didn’t but if I did I wouldn’t do things like this. I would have brought it them with me and given them to you from the start.

He said in a bit of a sassy manner as he looked at the bouquet of flowers that you had in your hands. Then noticed a small card in between a few of the flowers.

Hmm what’s this?

He then took out the card out the bouquet and started to read the card.

So what dose it say?

You asked trying so hard to not break you acting, and stay confused and curious as you try to keep the prank going.

Well it’s a love poem and at the end it says from a secret admirer.

Jax then looks at the note and then back at you as you held the bouquet in your hands admiring the rose flowers. He then got a bit of a jealous and pissed off look.

He then walked up next to you and took the bouquet of roses out of your hands.

Plus roses! That’s pretty cliché and boring. I would have gotten you some flowers that tell what you mean to me.

You then got a bit nervous on what he was going to do now that he had the bouquet in his hands now.

What are you doing with the flowers?

You asked a bit worried now that he has them.

I’m going to ask everyone if they sent then to you then give them back to the person that got them for you.

Jax told you as he held the flowers up high so you can’t get them. As he walked to the door and do what he said.

Wow what no need to do that the flowers are nice and you don’t need to do that.

You told him as you try to get the flowers back that you got for yourself. Before Jax tried got rid of them.

What! Why do you care about the flower so much? I can get you better ones myself.

Jax’s asked confused on why you cared about the flowers so much. Then he opens the door to get out of your room and ask everyone on how gave the flowers to you.

Wait NO! You don’t have to go and ask who gave them to me!

You told in a panic and went in front of the door. Blocked him from exiting( well as best as you could.)

Well why do you care so much are you seeing someone behind my back? Or something like that?

Jax asked as you held on the door and trying will everything you have to not let him leave your room. As he trying to get you to let go of the door without being to hard on you.

ITS A PRANK!

You yelled out so Jax doesn’t go around and trying to find who the secret admirer that doesn’t exist is.

What? The only think Jax said as you finally reached your breaking point and yelled out the truth.

The flowers and… the note. It’s a prank.

You toldJax as you stop blocking the door. And looked up at him with a nervous smile as he looked down at you with a bit of a pissed off and surprised look. You couldn’t tell which one he was actually at the moment.

You what?!

He asked you in a very straightforward and bit more pissed off voice, and you would expect

I Pranked, you

You said quietly, looking down at the floor, not wanting to look at the face Jax was making.

For a few seconds, he thought he was very mad at you since you didn’t respond. Until you heard a little chuckle turn into almost crazy laugh.

Huh?

Was the only thing that you said as you were so confused as to why he was laughing.

Oh.. doll face haha

Jax then put his hand on his face covering up almost all of it.

You got me good~

He finally said as he lifted a bit of his hand showing the side of his face that had a that cocky grin and sly eye that he has.

What?

Was the only thing you responded with as you were still so confused as ever. But now you had a bit of blush on you cheeks from that face he made.

You did good darling~

Jax then leans forward down to your hight. Putting his hands on his knees, and then kisses your cheek.

You pranked me~

He then stud up and gave the bouquet of roses back to you.

I’ve been the longes one in here. Well after Kinger that is, but still.

He then walked back to the couch an sat down as he jesters you to join him. You then walked close to him as you put the bouquet in a already prepared vase you had. Then placing it on a desk of to the side.

No one has been able to prank me back successfully~ We’ll until you darling~

Jax then turned his show back on. And pulled you into his lap as if nothing happened.

But I will say this. You had me worried for a bit there. I was ready to go fight whoever gave you the roses.

He then started to softy kiss your neck.

What?! Why!

Jax stoped his kisses on your neck. And then whispers in your ear.

Well your my girlfriend and if any want to date you or even try to. They are king have to go throw me first~

He finally said then kissed your lips.

Plus if I were to get you flowers. I would get you some that were more unique just like the girl I loves a prankster like me~

[zeke-fanfucs]

So uh.. hi my lil anomalies.. I been writing a lot. Which good! I hope you like them all.. but like.. I am running out of ideas. I want to write about other series but none of them are like BW or BvsZ who I’m obsessed with. So if someone can making me little descriptions for every character (which will help me write the characters) and maybe some background that would be great! Any characters or even Original Characters!

Anyways back to fanfic:

Modern AU, All humans (description from the Actor AU sort of)

Chapter One: I HATE MONDAYS

Kamor stretched with a groan that was more spiritual than physical, arms arching over his head like he could stretch the weekend back into existence. The cold morning air bit at his cheeks as he shuffled down the cracked sidewalk, backpack slung lazily over one shoulder, hoodie half-zipped, and earbuds dangling without music. He didn’t have the energy to plug them in yet. The Monday blues had already won.

He stopped at the crosswalk outside the station, blinking up at the glaring digital billboard above. “Start your week off right!” it boomed in neon optimism. Kamor flipped it off in his head.

He hated Mondays. Hated the grating rush of people, the coffee breath in close quarters, the awkward shoulder nudges, the way the train always smelled like wet socks and desperation. Hated how even his job—a quiet records office—felt like too much noise.

As the doors slid open, he squeezed in with the rest of the half-dead commuters and beelined to his usual corner. Left back seat, near the window. Safety zone. He slumped down, arms crossed, and exhaled like a balloon losing air.

Then he looked up—and almost choked on nothing.

Standing directly in front of him was a man who looked like he’d been ripped out of a fantasy novel and dipped in the finest sin. Dark skin smooth as obsidian, eyes sharp and golden like molten metal, and slash-like white marks streaking his face and neck like someone had painted him with moonlight. Tattoos maybe? Or scars? Kamor didn’t know, didn’t care—his brain was too busy short-circuiting.

Oh no. He’s hot.

Kamor immediately looked away, ears tingling with embarrassment. Great. First train ride of the week and he’s already simping over a stranger like a horny teenager. He pressed his mouth into a thin line and tried to look uninterested.

He probably has a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend. Or both. Or he’s married to his abs and a gym membership

Kamor risked another glance.

Still there. Still gorgeous. Still looking like trouble in leather and steel-toe boots.

He groaned softly. “I’m 31 and still single. Why is my first reaction to beauty internal panic?” he mumbled under his breath, then remembered, oh right—he had no voice. It came out as a sigh instead. At least that meant no one heard him self-deprecate.

The train jostled, and the man reached for the railing above him, lifting his shirt ever so slightly as his arm stretched. Kamor died inside. His face probably looked like a tomato left in the sun too long.

He tried to think about literally anything else. Taxes. Paperwork. Pineapples. Existential dread. Nope—still thinking about the slash-mark hottie.

This is going to be a long ride. The crowd thickened. Every stop just added more bodies and less oxygen. Kamor could feel his personal bubble popping like soap with every jostling shoulder and accidental elbow.

A hunched elderly woman stepped on next, gripping the pole with trembling fingers, eyes scanning for a seat. Kamor groaned internally. He liked his seat. It was his seat. His comfort zone. But he wasn’t an asshole.

So, with a sigh of a martyr and the soul of a grumbling grandpa, Kamor stood and gestured for her to take it. She smiled warmly at him—sweet, grateful. He gave a polite nod, clutching the overhead rail like it was the last shred of patience he had.

Now he was standing. In the crowd. In a train that smelled like old coffee and someone’s broken dreams.

He shifted, then side-eyed the hot stranger—who was still there, sitting like a painting come to life, long legs stretched, head tilted slightly like he was halfway paying attention to his surroundings and halfway lost in thought. Kamor’s brain went somewhere it shouldn’t have. He blamed the gods.

I could fall into his lap. Just a little stumble. Let fate take the wheel.

He scoffed at himself. No way. He was a mean little introvert with the emotional range of a squirrel. He’d trip, fall face-first into the guy’s crotch, and then evaporate out of pure mortification.

Yeah, no. Dumb idea.

And then—because the universe is a chaotic little goblin with a sense of humor—the train screeched around a rough bend. The crowd swayed. The metal groaned. Kamor’s balance betrayed him.

He stumbled.

Fell.

Directly to the floor.

Right in front of him.

Not into his lap. No, that would be too easy. He landed right between the guy’s legs like fate wanted to tease him without giving him anything.

Oh god.

Kamor’s face exploded into red. He didn’t dare look up. The man’s thighs were right there. One sharp tilt of his chin and he’d be staring at his crotch like a sinner at a shrine.

Please. Kill me. I am ready.

The stranger looked down. “You alright?” His voice was smooth. Deep. Velvet wrapped in smoke.

Kamor quickly nodded, still on his knees. He scrambled up like a broken puppet, silently cursing every deity in the pantheon. His legs felt like jelly, his face was lava, and he couldn’t even talk to defend himself.

Smooth. Real smooth, Kamor.

The man raised a brow, a small smirk playing on his lips like he knew what was going on.

“Careful, pretty boy,” he said. “Don’t wanna get hurt fallin’ for strangers.”

Kamor’s heart flatlined.

He just—he—DID HE JUST—

He wheezed silently. His brain was buffering. His hands twitched. His face. Oh god, his face.

He sat back down the second someone else stood up, trying to look unbothered. But his ears were still bright pink and the stranger was still looking at him like he was the most amusing thing on the train

Monday might suck.

But this stranger? This stranger might be the only damn highlight of the week.

[evelmiina]

Love your work! I wanted to ask what your process is like when it comes to coming up with a design/composition to a piece? Do you have any specific methods you use or it is more improvised:)? Thanks!

I'd say both - method and improvisation. To me all pictures are basically shapes organized in a pleasing way. Even when I draw lines I think more about overall shapes together and how I feel about them. There's a lot to consider about design and composition, some pretty smart books on the subject are Marcus Mateu-Mestre: Framed Ink and Hans Bacher: Vision - color and composition for film. I'm still learning all the time and I make mistakes but I think method to making composition comes down to: readability and narrative intention, moving from simplicity to complex. But it's also fun and important to play around and see what works, that's why my process is not always the same and I can show some examples. Here are the sketches and final I did for my Magic card illustration:

This is my go-to method when I want to rely on tried and true process and I know I won't get lost once I start drawing/painting because I can rely on my steps. I don't always do things this way, but for paid work I want the client to have as clear idea of my intention as possible. The reasoning why 3 worked the best is because it's more dynamic and dimensional than 2, but more readable than 1. It also best showcases how the tower is supposed to be huge, something that was important for the design.

This on the other hand was personal work and I approached it in more relaxed way just to see where it goes. Still I think what made me want to finish it is I liked the variety of shapes and rhythm of the room, like how the screens lead towards the doorway, lot of rectangles but varied in their size and angle. If it was client work I probably would've been called out in the sketch, because the focal point is this empty wall that makes no sense. I came up with the idea of shadow of a window while making it and in the end it worked, but it was an example how I made a big design problem for myself that I was gambling on to figure out.

This one had very specifically just one photo reference, but I did the sketch to put down the essentials of what I was seeing in the photo. In the end I referenced dog's face and pose more from the photo so it looks more natural, which was also funnier than my own initial interpretation

Sometimes the initial comp just doesn't pan out exactly. I did the sketch for this Unicorn fanart and I even drew the interior at some point, but it just Did Not Work for me, I also discarded the idea of medieval dragon in the statue for same reason. So it sat in my folder for a while until I could look at it again and after taking a break, I still liked the statue and the general idea, but decided to make the surroundings easier to look at so that the statue stands out better.

When I did the sketch for this dragon I wanted it to feel big and heavy, like lifting its head from the ground. But I didn't want to do vertical picture which lead me to painting over digitally and extending the picture, then painting the whole thing traditionally anyway.

[chaosmagetwin]

I took a deep breath, knocked on the wooden door, and felt my tail flick with nervous energy. "Hello? I'm from the Bureau of Device Regulation? Is this... Is this the home of Sofia Way?"

"Oh! Just a minute!" An elderly voice called back, and I felt my heartbeat quicken. It'd been a lot of travel to get out here, away from the offices and bustle of the city. A couple trains, a bus ride, and a thirty minute hike past the wind farms that I'd underestimated. Worse, it was hot, making sweat drip down my chest and soak the blouse I'd chosen to look professional.

The door opened, and for a moment, I took in the sight; an elderly woman with silvery hair kept in a tight bun, an old frumpy dress, and big round glasses that had been in fashion a few decades ago. She was taller than me, despite her slight stoop. From her head sprouted a couple of horns, black, the paint on them peeling slightly, revealing cold steel in patches. She gave me a kind smile, and opened the door the rest of the way, revealing her cane. "Hello, dear. You must be the update tech." She had a husky, raspy voice.

I gave her a shaky smile back, and tried to remember my training for a minute. "Yes ma'am. Uhm. Obsolete Cybernetics Technician, Eliza-Kat Jones, ma'am." Her eyes crinkled, and I felt myself relax a little. Sometimes people took offense to the name, with the tail. Too 'on brand' or something. Usually they were more mad that it was obvious I chose my own name. "It's time for your one year checkup. Digitally speaking, I mean. Do you mind if I come in?"

"Sofia Way. Charmed, Eliza-Kat. It's lovely to see you. Please, come in. I have some water on. Would you like some tea? It's a local variety." She let me step into her home, and I glanced around, taking it in quickly as she lead me to the living room; the photos on the walls, the old furniture, the soft pastel three color flag displayed proudly on the wall, the old electronic piano, and stack of consoles attached to the television. All pre-revolution. Some newer ones, too, produced more ethically.

"Yes, please," I say absentmindedly as I take it all in. Strange to see photos. Ancient technology at this point. Even stranger, there was no A.R. paint, nothing my eyes could pick up at all in the digital way. I guess older folks never really made that transfer. Not even digital sticky notes, or timers, or... or anything. Plenty of people kept it to a minimum, of course; no one likes clutter. But none felt... how did one stay organized? There were literal bookcases, filled with paper books. I recognized some of the titles; classics, here and there, but mostly romance, if the covers were anything to judge by. And art books, too.

I let myself sit on the couch and felt myself sink in the too soft cushions and fall. I struggled for a moment and found a slightly stiffer cushion, and hurriedly fixed my hair. "So! Uhm! You have a lovely home, Miss Way." It was eclectic. Funnily enough, it felt similar to mine in some way. An organized chaos. Old technology. A wide range of interests, some with more dust on them than others.

"That's a lovely thing to say. Now, what can this old demon do for you?" She spoke as she came into the room with a tray, setting it down on the messy coffee table before sitting opposite from me on an armchair. Neither of the cups had liquid yet; it must be steeping still.

"Oh, well, uhm, we got your email a month ago. And, we just... we wanted to make sure you weren't making any rash decisions, you know?" I winced at my phrasing and grabbed my tail out of anxiety, trying to pass it off like I'd sat on it wrong. "What I mean to say is, are you sure you want to stop getting updates?"

She laughed softly, covering her mouth demurely as she did. "Oh, Miss Jones. I'm afraid the updates aren't necessary any more. I... know that I am the last person in the country with this piece." She tapped her horns carefully.

"Yes, ma'am. They're a sensory type, yes?"

"They are! I got them while I was quite young, to supplement my failing hearing. Too many loud parties and raves. It was offered to me as an option, instead of a simple ear replacement." She smiled wanly. "You understand the mechanics of it?"

"Yes... though it's not my specialty. Only about three hundred were ever made, and the company went out of business a few years later. It's... err, sensors on the inside of the horn that vibrate with sound, right? Mimicking a natural eardrum and the vestibular system?" She nodded. "It wasn't a very... popular cybernetic implant."

"Not exactly, no. I was thirty when I got it. Just before the revolution, though, that company went out of business first. I didn't think it would really need updates when I got it. Physical repair, sure... everything wears down, after all." She pulled wryly at her skin with a bemused expression. "But updates caught me off guard. One day, I heard it beep, and suddenly I was simply deaf. Not long after that, the BDR was formed, so I suppose I should count myself lucky. I wrote in a letter, and they got a technician out to me in less than a month, and replaced the parts that had been designed to fail."

"I understand. May I ask, then... Why are you discontinuing your updates? You've indicated that you're not getting new implants to replace it..." I felt my voice tremble. I knew the answer. "May I ask why that is?"

"... oh, you know how it is. We old people are stubborn...." She sighed, and looked out the window, and I saw a deep well of sadness. "My... wife died, some time ago now. And I'm just... out of energy. You're young, still... What are you, twenty four? Twenty eight?"

"Twenty three, ma'am..."

"And already working for the government! Impressive. You must've done well in tech school. You should be proud!" I could hear the pride in her voice, and flushed a little. "As you get older, things slow down... even, sometimes your mind. I'm sure you've heard it before, but, entertain me..." I nodded, though I felt my teeth grit. "For you, this old technology is a curiosity. And, now your job. You trained to repair and reprogram it. How many updates have you put into this piece? Three, right?" I blinked, surprised, then nodded. She gave me a wry smile. "I can tell because the quality has gone up considerably under your care. I can tell you care about your work. Not just eliminating bugs, but improving the processing with the hardware already present? Impressive."

"T-thank you! I... I didn't think it would be that noticeable!" I couldn't help but beam in pride. It was nice to be recognized. Sometimes, this work was a little thankless, and it was rare to actually see the faces behind the implants.

"It was! I heard things I hadn't in years. Including, funnily enough, the whine in electronics!" I flinched. "Hah! Don't worry, dear, I don't mind. The reason I am not switching is because it's pointless now, not your work."

"... but.... if we stop updating, you'll lose your hearing..." I couldn't keep my voice from catching. I knew what she would say next.

"I know. It's okay. I know that you saw the other part of my letter." She paused as I looked away, my hands squeezing on my bionic tail, making pain flare up my back. "I'm sorry, my dear. I know you trained a lot to learn the coding language for these old horns."

"It's not that! You! You're the last person with these implants! And you're dying, and you won't replace them, and you won't let us update them! You're just.... you're just dying."

She nodded, smiling calmly at me. How could she be so calm? "Yes, I am. I've made my peace with that. My doctor broke the news to me a few months ago. It turns out, the horns are... killing me. I didn't understand the reasoning behind it. Something about old implants breaking down..." She touched the skin where the horn connected, and I felt my heart break, and with it tears began to stream down my face. It wasn't fair. "They, my doctor, said it was too late, really. I should've made the swap twenty years ago. But, I never could have, you know? They're.... part of me. It's like someone offered to cut off my hand! Not because it was doing anything anyone knew about, but because it was old! Twenty years ago, I was sixty. Already old, or so I thought...." She chuckled again.

"You still have time! You have... you have friends, right? Won't you want to hear them?"

"Oh, I'm afraid that I'm quite alone now. Life hasn't always been so kind to me... many of my friends died in the revolution. Fighting for the world we live in now. After it, the ones who lived... Well, not everyone is kind to people like me.... like us." She looked pointedly behind me, and I followed her vision to the flag. "Especially not after the war. It's always two steps forwards, one step back. Many of them were caught in the one step back parts of history. Then by things like cancer, or homelessness... then by things like heart attacks... and then, two years ago, by old age. Aneurysm, technically. I don't mind being alone, you know. It wears on me, but I've enjoyed the quiet most of my life, and I remember all the love I've felt through it. It hasn't gone away. And it makes me so glad to see young people these days, so out and free. It's what we all worked for. All of which is to say.... is that I'm ready. My affairs are all in order." She finished her sentence as I forced myself to stop crying.

"It's not pointless..." I said through the welling up tears. "There'll be people there! And.... and you'd be passing in total silence! You wouldn't even hear anyone say goodbye...."

"Plenty of people do. There's nothing wrong with that," she said gently as she leaned forward, and poured the tea. "Here, drink up. It should be ready now." I took the cup gratefully. "You seem awfully invested in this. Shouldn't you be happy your workload is being lessened?"

I sipped my tea, trying to steady myself. "I just... I didn't think it was fair. My supervisor brought me the letter. When I took your case, you'd been the last person with these implants for.... five years. The person who had been assigned to you, they quit, because you wouldn't update. They didn't understand! They don't know what it means! The importance of... of being supported. Why the BDR exists." The tea was excellent. Of course it was. Why would I be surprised? Fresh, flowery. The subtle hint of green tea flavors. "I read your case file."

"Yes, I suspected as much," she said, bemused.

"I didn't mean to pry. It's just... I needed to know who you were. Why it was important... because it's never just the function with some implants." I flicked my tail forward, showing it. "I've always had a bad sense of balance. I'm so lucky that implants exist at all. But, I had a lot of options that weren't this. Different ways of achieving the same thing. I had the choice, and I chose this. I know what it's like! And.... and I broke the rules, and got invested." I couldn't keep the shame out of my voice as I looked away, embarrassed. "We're alike. And... I know that I don't know you. But I feel like I do! I didn't want you to..." My voice cut off as my throat closed, unable to say the words.

"That's very kind of you, Eliza-Kat. I wrote that letter to release you from your obligations. You are very talented. These past few updates have truly changed my life. You've done so much for me. I wanted to let you put your talents to work in more modern implants. You could be helping a lot more people than just me."

"I do! You're... You're just one case. I work on dozens of obsolete implant models, from the years 2030 to 2060... I... I help hundreds of people. But I took your case intentionally! It doesn't matter that you're the only one! You deserve to have someone working on your case! You deserve to not have to die in silence, and I know! That a lot of people do anyways. But.... you don't have to. I came because I wanted to offer that to you. To offer.... I want to keep working on your implant, until the day you don't have it anymore. And I know... I'm being selfish. My boss told me. My therapist told me. I know it's... disrespectful of your written wishes." I put the tea down, and gripped my skirt with shaking hands. "But I wanted... to offer it." Why was talking to people so hard? Why did my eyes always betray me with tears? Why did my throat close up like this? I just wanted to talk. Like a professional. To make this offer with a cool, calm voice, and change her mind, because.... because I wanted her to change her mind. It wasn't fair.

The pained look on her face made the sob burst free of my chest. She put her own tea down, and offered her hand. "Oh... my dear, I'm so sorry." I took her hand and held it, failing to control myself, and had to cover my face with the crook of my elbow. I don't know how long I cried, or when exactly she moved to sit next to me, holding me, comforting me when it was her impending death coming. It was frustrating. She didn't know me. I barely knew her, and it was only from a case file. To be this emotionally invested....

When I finally came to a hiccoughing stop, she pushed the tea into my hand. "Drink, please. You need the water." Her voice was so soft. Understanding. Like she didn't blame me for being like this.

"I just... I find you so incredible," I whispered. "You were a revolutionary. An activist. You were a part of the force that steered this country away from self annihilation, and into a better world. All before I was ever even born! It's not fair that someone like you be alone at the end. I... I'm sorry. I don't... I don't mean to make this about me."

"... it's okay. To be honest, it's something I've had practice with. I never thought I'd make it to thirty, let alone eighty! Let me make a counter offer. Stop working on my horns. And don't let me be alone when I go. I've a date picked out, and I got the news yesterday that my doctor consented as well. If you are afraid of me dying alone... afraid of you dying alone... then why don't we change that?"

What could I say, but yes?

The day of her death, two months later, was one filled with joy. It'd taken effort, but no one had ever accused me of not working hard. I handed off my cases, took a sabbatical, and wrote to as many old revolutionaries as I could. Her close friends were gone, but she had more people who remembered her than she realized. People who were happy to show up. It was practically a party. We said goodbye in written words, and sign language. We brought flowers. She'd turned her implant off a month earlier, though she wouldn't let them be removed. She wanted to be cremated with them. We talked to each other through messaging services, through written words, through stumbling signs, and she told me about her life. Lessons she wanted me to learn.

Her funeral was a day later. People stood up to speak over her casket. They spoke of her life, parts never talked about in her case file. Of how she touched their lives without ever knowing it. A few were like her. Like me. Not every story was positive, but that was okay. Some were funny. A few talked about how she'd bump her horns into door frames when she was young. Some talked about how she and her wife had been disgustingly into each other. Or how she loved to talk about her latest fascination, like some show that came out. Some talked about her activism; the younger members about how something she had said had changed their perspective.

And then everyone left, and she was returned to the soil. And I went back to work, still alone, but completely changed.

[berrystarred]

Megatronus X Orion Pax

Part 2

Read Part 1 first!

The next day, Orion walked down the busy streets of Kaon. He kept his arms crossed over his chest; It felt like everyone was watching him.

Was it the way he walked? His fresh, clean coat of paint? Or maybe the glint in his optics from his first time visiting Kaon.

He walked nervously toward the arena Megatronus had told him about.

He held his data pad firmly, afraid that any of the bystanders, who seemed to be sizing him up, were planning on stealing it. The data pad held sensitive information that would be horrible if it ended up in the servos of someone dangerous. It also contained personal information and messages from Senator Shockwave that could soil his image.

He reached the arena. He could hear loud chanting and yelling coming from inside; it made the outside streets seem calm and quiet. He steeled himself and headed in. As soon as he did, he was surrounded by bots twice his size, and probably a hundred times more violent. They all swayed from side to side, and pushed one another around as they cheered and placed bets.

He moved towards the front, and tried to get a view of the arena. It was so much bigger than he had imagined.

"Wow..." He breathed out as he stared over the enormous pit.

"Megatron's gonna blow this place sky high! I swear I've seen 'im kill five guys without a weapon!" A nearby mech said, as he swung a cash box around.

"No way!" Said his friend, "That's not just unbelievable, that's impossible!"

"I suppose that's the thing about Megatron, he makes the impossible look easy. You know how he got started don't you?" A third bot chimed in, as he pushed his way into the group.

"Dunno. Whadda ya mean 'got started?'" The first mech asked.

"He killed a guy! Tried to off a Senator too. Apparently he's like some sorta hero to the working class or some kind of figurehead for a new group..." said the newcomer.

"The Decepticons?" Orion asked, and the three bots looked over at him. He choked a little, not entirely sure why he spoke up.

"Yeah, them." Said the third bot, pointing a digit at Orion, "He's got them wrapped around his finger like the senate has Kaon,"

"Damn the senate! All thems ever did for us was slag all over our opportunities. Frag 'em all, I say!" The first mech slammed his hand down on the railing near Orion.

Orion chuckled nervously, now almost entirely sure Megatronus' invitation was a trap.

The second bot came between Orion and the other two, resulting in all three of them being pushed forward against the railing, "Hush everyone! Looks like the fight’s starting!"

"Megatron?" The mech with the cash box said as he shook it in front of them.

"Megatron." The other two bots said, placing money in the box.

He looked at Orion, "You placing a bet?"

Orion perked up and looked over at them, "M-me?"

"Yes you," He said.

"Don' bother, this little thing's prolly never watched a fight in his life!"

Orion grunted, "Yeah, I'll place a bet." He took out a few Shanix and put them in the box.

The other bots laughed. They looked into the box at his cash.

The second bot whistled, "You got a lot to go around, eh?" He said, nudging Orion playfully, "Where you from kid?"

Orion tensed up, "l- look, Megatron!" He said as he pointed down at Megatron, striding into the arena.

The other bots looked down into the pit and cheered loudly. The enormous roar made Orion's audials ring.

Megatron held his Arms up and lifted a medallion into the air, followed by an enormous thunder from the crowd.

"What is that he's holding?" Orion asked and the other bots looked at him.

"Why, that's his badge." Said the first.

"His Decepticon badge." Said the second.

Orion looked down and Megatron looked up at him.

Orion was surprised that the gladiator could see him; but after looking around, his face flushed in the realization that everyone else around him had dirty, subdued colors and his bright red paint job stood out like a sore thumb.

The fight started. Two large bots entered the arena, weapons in hand. The first thrust forward wielding a heavy spear. With expert precision and timing, Megatron dodged. The warframe stumbled forward and spun to face Megatron; The other mech charged him from behind with a large cudgel. Megatron extended a flail from his hand and whipped it in a tight circle. He waited for the first bot to thrust forward again and brought the weapon down hard onto his helm. The mech dropped his spear and Megatron kicked it up on his pede. Megatron flicked the spear up and caught it, using it to parry the other bot’s attack. The second bot pulled back and swung for Megatron’s legs. Orion was surprised how quickly Megatron reacted, leaping up to avoid the strike and waiting for the next swing. When the bot swung at his legs he made a quick movement and trapped the cudgel between his legs. He twisted his pedes and ripped the staff from the mech's servos. With a surprised yelp, the bot was struck with a quick blow from Megatron.

Orion was brought back to the crowd by a roar of shouts and applause.

Megatron’s fists tore through the bot; taking hit after hit, unable to register the speed of his attacker. The mech grabbed Megatron's fist and swung a strong punch into his gut; the crowd deflated. Megatron huffed but didn’t stop, he swung his fist into his attacker again, smashing their optics and sending energon and shards of metal across the ground. Before the mech could figure out what was happening, Megatron’s pede plowed through the bot's helm, sending him to the ground.

Everyone cheered and Orion’s eyes brightened. He then realized the crowd was shouting; the other bot was charging Megatron from behind.

“Behind you!” Orion shouted on impulse, and Megatron turned to the mech too late.

The mech crashed into Megatron, bringing him to the ground. The crowd roared and Megatron tried to get up. The bot gripped his neck and straddled him, holding him to the ground. Orion could practically hear Megatron’s neck denting in under the bot’s servos. Megatron took notice of the lack of restraint on one of his hands and strained it as far out as he could. With a flick of his wrist he tossed his flail over the bot’s back and caught it in his free hand; he then cracked it against the mech’s face, sending him flying across the arena floor.

The crowd exploded and Orion covered his audials. Megatron sprung to his feet and charged at the bot, assuming the same position the other bot previously had over him. He grabbed the bot’s jaw, gagging him and cracking his frame. He slammed the bot’s head into the ground and drew his flail. He stood up and slammed the flail into the bot’s spark chamber. With a sickening pop and a flash of light the mech’s spark exploded. Everyone cheered, including Orion.

Each fight became more and more intense, and every time Orion became more enthralled. He became closer to the bots around him and became more comfortable. As the fights ended, he raised a fist and cheered for Megatron. The mech next to Orion grabbed his shoulder and shook him roughly.

“Yeah! Me-ga-tron! Me-ga-tron!” He chanted and everyone joined in until the entire crowd was cheering his name in time.

The bots surrounding Orion eventually settled down and collected their bets. Shortly after, the crowd by the exit had dispersed and Orion made his own way out.

Third and final Part comes out next!

[rosie-kairi]

Hey sup bestie I had a Sad Thought™ thinking about Roxas and I need to share it to the masses.

So you know how in Days/KH II he starts getting super pissed off wanting to know why everyone is lying to him? Why no one is willing to give him any answers? So he goes off on his own and finds Diz and Namine and they tell him the truth and he kinda freaks out?

Well what if before he has to fight Xion, attempts to summon Kingdom Hearts, and get shoved into a digital simulation someone else came to see him? Someone else who treats him like an actual person with respect and feelings?

Roxas is in Twilight Town when he hears someone call his name and he turns around and sees a boy around his age. Curly silver hair, wide blue eyes, red scarf blowing in the wind and an all too friendly smile. Roxas at first sees him as a potential enemy but the boy keeps a cool facade and promises Roxas he's not here to hurt him just to talk and introduces himself as Ephemer.

Roxas relaxes a little and decides to hear this kid out since what else has he got to lose. Eph starts by acknowledging the awful situation Roxas is in and expresses how sorry he is that this has happened, he also validates Roxas' personhood and agrees that Roxas does have the right to exist but he also says that Sora deserves to wake up and live as well. At first this makes Roxas angry thinking Ephemer is trying to manipulate him into giving up his life for some kid he never met.

So Ephemer takes him to a park where they stand to the side and watch a bunch of little kids run around playing with their parents either sitting to the side watching or playing with them. Ephemer asks Roxas what he knows about family's and receives a confused stare back. Family? Isn't that just friends? Ephemer laughs and says while Roxas isn't entirely wrong there is a difference and explains how a family is traditionally the parent's one is born to. This still confuses Roxas so Ephemer starts again.

He explains how Roxas wasn't born like other humans, not only did he come from the heart of a young boy he also came out more or less fully grown as a teen. That all humans start out as little babies born to a mom and dad whose job is to be their caretaker, their teacher, and protect them until the baby grows into an adult and the cycle repeats itself. Roxas at first thinks the organization is his family since technically they do that but Eph says no at best the organization are his legal guardians, parents aren't just who one is born to but also taken care of by someone who deeply loves you.

Maybe at this point they see a kid fall and get hurt, he starts crying and immediately a set of adults come rushing over to help. The Dad picks his son up and cradles him in his arms soothing the boy and wiping away his tears while the Mom cleans the scrap and puts a bandaid on. The parents shower their son with kisses and a reassurance that he's okay now and a warning to be more careful. The boy bounces back quick and scurries off to play with his parents watching him with love and concern.

Ephemer goes on to explain that Sora was born to a set of parents as well, and that for a parent to lose their child is the worst thing that could ever happen to them, speaking from experience from when he was alive and had children of his own. Ephemer tries to paint the picture that Sora isn't inherently more important because he came first, or because so many hearts are connected to his, but that he's still ultimately a little boy with parents anxiously awaiting their son to come back home. And if he never wakes up he'll never see them again.

Roxas slowly starts to understand, he technically doesn't have parents, doesn't have a home, never had a childhood even though he has the equivalent lived experience of a toddler. But he never realized how little he knew about humans and their relationships. Suddenly he felt conflicted, he still didn't want to disappear but after seeing a set of parents take care of their child he couldn't help but wonder did Sora get hurt like that? Or sick? Did his parents take care of his wounds? Soothed his nightmares? If those parents were to lose their son forever could Roxas really be okay with his life?

Ephemer could see the internal struggle and emphasized it's ultimately Roxas' choice what to do and though he didn't say it out loud he did have an ulterior motive. He could feel Ventus' heart housed inside Roxas. After years of mourning and centuries of unrest Ephemer finally found Ven and he knows it's selfish he knows it's not right pushing an innocent boy into this position but he can't leave Ven like this. Ven's heart is still badly damaged and the only way it can heal is to go back and take refuge with Sora again. Ephemer can't help but see the echoes of his long lost friend and brother hidden away and wants Ven to get his second chance that was cruelly taken away. Even if Ephemer can't be there like he wants to he still feels a responsibility to his fellow union leader to protect him in anyway he can.

Looking at Roxas Ephemer can't help but wonder is this what Ven currently looks like? Is he really that grown now? He's finally the same age everyone was when they were to lead the dandelions. It's bittersweet Ephemer is so proud of Ven but also wracked with guilt for not properly keeping him safe and now he's in danger and he's helpless to save him.

When Roxas does ultimately go back to Sora Ephemer is there with him, even if he can't feel or sense him he reassures Roxas that he's not alone and it won't hurt it'll be as easy as falling asleep. He feels so bad about sacrificing Roxas like this but deep down he knows there isn't anything he wouldn't do for the sweet little boy who once faced down Darkness ready to sacrifice himself so his friends could go on. It may be too late for Ephemer and maybe Roxas but it's definitely not too late for Sora or Ven.

imagine meeting someone who will genuinely treat you like the person you know you deserve to be, but you're still not the person they wish you were. You are not a means to an end, but you still are in some way.

anyway. sobbing and crying and throwing up at this thank you

[gamerbot-22]

Demo Version

Prompt: Headphones

TW/CW: None, barely proofread and I appreciate spellchecks!

Word Count: 898

A/N: Last Ficlet before my break! I’m writing this while I watch the Oscars with my mom, which feels mega fitting. Anyways! Robin! My sister’s girlfriend’s favorite! I think she’s def won some awards in the game if it hasn’t been stated officially. Could you imagine her in like… Penacony Wicked… Transcendent, tbh. Also yeah, there's a pretty direct reference to the above mentioned sister's gf because I can do what I want! Woo!!!

Translation Notes: Normally this is for foreign language in dialogue, but I thought I would throw this in for people who don't know ballet/don't know it well (like I do.) Adagio means a slow piece, and pas de deux is a dance for two!

Likes and Reblogs appreciated (reblogs > likes) and Requests are Open! Read this story on Ao3 here!

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The dividers in this post were made by @/gamerbot-22 (me!) ☆

© All rights reserved by miHoYo

It was intensely common for Robin to get fan mail. Physical, digital, occasionally hand-delivered at events, the starlet was practically swimming in it at all times. She tried her best to get back to all of it herself, and while she was still firmly of the opinion that every single letter get acknowledgement, most of the workload had to be handed off to her assistants.

Still, they saved the best for her to look at, and those letters and messages never failed to lift Robin four feet off the ground with pride and joy.

Especially when they motivated creation. From fanart to music to everything in between, it was a joy Robin wouldn't give up for the world to know that she had touched the heart of even one person in such a way.

On this Mail Day in particular, Robin had gotten quite a few creation letters, with most of them being beautiful pieces of physical or digital painting and sketching in a variety of styles. So when she saw that one message came with an .mp4 attached, Robin couldn't help but get a little more excited.

The letter was from a young lady probably not that much younger than her, from a planet far away. She talked about school and her friends and how she had first found Robin's music through her then-friend, now-girlfriend. It was all very sweet, but what especially caught her eye was the very last paragraph:

"so obviously this isn't me telling you that you have to bc you don't have to do anything, but you've been such an inspiration to me since i started listening to your music! so much so that i actually thought i'd try composing something? there's no lyrics and i'm still new so i have no clue if this is any good, but... even if you would listen to this, it would mean a lot.

thank you! i love you and your work!

- ��

attached file: with-wings-unclipped-demo.mp4"

Robin quickly plucked up her headphones from beside her computer's monitor and set them on her head, minding her halo and the wings behind her ears to avoid any discomfort. Earbuds would probably be less trouble, as her agent and brother were so fond of reminding her, but headsets had such better sound quality in her opinion.

So with her headphones on and the file opened, Robin settled in to listen. The progress bar at the bottom showed her that it was on the shorter end of a song--clocking in at only a minute and a half--but demos were meant to be short, and the fact that a self-admitted amateur composer had made that much was something to be proud of!

She hit play and settled against her desk, resting her chin in one hand as she watched the bar at the bottom of the viewer begin to slide seamlessly along.

The first few seconds were just room noise--the kind of white noise that no one notices until there's a microphone around--with the faint sound of breathing and fabric shifting against itself. Then, softly, almost imperceptibly, there came the sound of a piano. It was old, and maybe a little out of tune, but as the chords started to grow more confident, more loud, it was made so clear that the tuning did not matter.

The music swelled and swayed, a beautiful adagio of notes that turned between Robin's ears like a wind-up music box. The starlet shut her eyes and let herself be carried along with each measure, humming softly in Harmony...

...Only to find herself suddenly joined by the sound of a violin. No, a viola, actually. The strings wrapped so perfectly around the piano's notes, the perfect compliment in this newly revealed pas de deux, like the instruments were two pieces of a puzzle that were made custom for one another and nothing else.

Robin turned the music up and let herself get carried away, following each note as it caught in her wings and carried her off with it, right towards the stars. It felt so intimate, being brought along with such a perfect pair.

Then a third sound joined. A voice? For a fleeting moment, at least, she thought there was a voice. Well, the composer said they were still in school, it was probably just a roomma--

"...in?"

Huh. That one wasn't on beat like the first one. It wasn't ruining the demo by any means, but--

"Robin!"

Oh, that was for her--

Robin turned quickly in her chair, only to be met face-to-face with Sunday, her brother, with a rather skeptical, if amused look on his face.

"Oh! Sunday!" Robin quickly paused the track and pulled her headphones off. A rush of warm embarrassment flooded her cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

"I noticed," he chuckled, the wings by his ears fluffing up a little smugly. "I came to tell you that dinner is ready. You've been reading and answering fan mail all day, you should get something to eat."

She nodded gently, still a bit off-guard from the surprise of Sunday's sudden appearance. "Of course, of course, I'll be right down."

Sunday's eyes looked to the monitor, then back to her. His smile widened just a bit, reaching his eyes a little more as he backed up. "Be quick, alright? Don't want it getting cold, now."

[nickeverdeen]

Hiya! Can I request an arcane matchup?

I'm black and light skinned with either peach or gold undertones depending on the lighting I'm in. I'm 5'3( I stopped growing since 7th grade and I hate it), and bisexual (I prefer girls tho) I go by she/her, or him I don't really care. (I've been mistaken for a boy many times before I grew my hair out)

Speaking of that, I have shoulder length locs and I love to put hella charms in them!! Sometimes when I don't feel like doing my hair I would normally wash them the night before and let them down or something. and omggg the shrinkage is REAL! Every time I get a retwist my hair shrinks so bad the day after and it looks like my hair is short (which it kinda is but ykwim)

but anyway I was born with a birth defect called unilateral cleft lip and pallet, so there used to be a split on my lip and the roof of my mouth which caused my gum line to mess up completely until I got surgery..

I grew up with a really bad lateral lisp and I had to go through speech therapy. It's getting better now a little bit but my s and z sounds are a bit hard and I fumble up my words a lot. I don't have braces yet, but if I did have them they'd probably be blue right now lol, it's my favorite color!

Fun fact: I have no uvula!

I have like 5 beauty marks, the only one that's on my face is underneath my nostril and it's really noticeable. I have two birthmarks, one on my leg and one on my back! I used to have one on my cheek when I was 11 but it faded and I lowkey miss it. I have really big brown eyes but poor eyesight (my mother and sisters are blind, so it's like a genetic thing)

Now for my hobbies and interests, I love to draw, paint, color, crochet, make bracelets, and all! I completely suck at digital, tried it once, never again.. well idk

I am very athletic, I grew up playing basketball with my dad and it has grown to become one of my favorite sports, and I can run fast!

I'm in love with fashion! I dress pretty basic tho .. I normally wear baggy jeans and graphic tees, or on SOME days jerseys & jorts with my sambas and gold jewelry, but if I do have time to spend 3+ hours putting together random stuff in my closet I'll just wear that out.

Sometimes I like to switch up from dressing really fem to masc, or even a mix of both.

Dogs or cats? Although I do adore them both, reptiles. I have 2 leopard geckos, a bearded dragon and a ball python!

I have a very diverse music taste, wouldn't say I listen to EVERYTHING but I do listen to anything. R&b is my favorite tho, I'm an old soul.

Relationships.. my love languages are quality time, gifts, and play fighting! I was like a REALLY rough kid , especially when it came to those pretend wrestling games in the bounce house . (I almost broke some kid's finger once, but we're not gonna talk about that.) If I'm comfortable with someone, I would would definitely yap nonstop about any and everything. I would probably accidentally say too much and regret it later, but I can't help that, my mouth constantly runs and like NEVER stops.

I'm an estp! I'm really hyper most of the time and always find ways to smile. If you were to ask my friends what they thought of me they would probably say I'm funny, sometimes I don't even try to be funny and everyone's already on the floor, but I do laugh at my own jokes most of the time. I am really impatient and sensitive, I cry over the smallest things, but it's better than completely crashing out.. When I get really angry I quite literally destroy everything around me . I would say I have anger issues, but it really came from my past trauma that I went through alone, so it's something I also can't help. During arguments, such and such, I will NEVER bring up personal things and use it against people, it's just not in my heart, because I know how it feels to have family problems, etc. I've been through it all too.

The problem with me is that I don't take my own advice, I am a good therapist to many of my friends, mostly my younger family members, but when I'm giving them advice it's mainly just me comforting my past self.

But yeah, that's it!

Your Arcane match is…

Vi

Vi would immediately notice your strength and resilience, especially with what you’ve been through, and she’d admire how open and empathetic you are with others

She loves your style, especially your locs with all the charms, and would make a game of spotting the different ones whenever you changed them up

Vi would always be encouraging you to talk and say whatever’s on your mind, appreciating that you feel comfortable opening up to her

She loves your confidence in your mix of masc and fem looks and would be happy to lend you any of her own clothes to incorporate into your style

Vi would absolutely be in love with your art and would keep little things you made for her with her at all times, finding comfort in them when she’s away

She’d find your R&B taste perfect and would constantly be asking you to play your favorite songs when you’re together

Vi adores your playful side and wouldn’t hesitate to spar with you

Expect lots of play fights and wrestling matches that inevitably turn into laughter and goofing around

She’d admire your athleticism, and the two of you would be competitive about anything and everything

She’s secretly thrilled whenever you can keep up with her

When she finds out about your reptiles, she’d be impressed, and though she might be hesitant at first, she’d warm up to them quickly

Vi would be the most patient listener, knowing that sometimes you worry about saying too much but still loving every little detail you share

If you ever got upset or frustrated, Vi would be there for you, not trying to fix things but just being present, letting you vent as much as you need

She’d be protective of you and would always have your back, especially in stressful or triggering situations

Vi would love your spontaneous personality and how you’re always finding reasons to laugh or make others laugh, often joining in and egging you on

When you’re hyper or really in your element, Vi would just sit back and enjoy it, loving how much energy and life you bring to her days

She’d notice your impatience and try to slow things down for you, but never in a patronizing way—she’d just help you keep your cool when needed

She would always check in to make sure you’re okay after intense moments, showing her softer side and genuinely caring about how you’re feeling

Knowing that you’ve been through a lot alone, she’d make it clear that you’ll never have to go through things by yourself again

She would always be gentle and kind with you, respecting your boundaries and never pushing you to talk about your past unless you wanted to

She respects how you handle anger, and she’d trust you deeply because she knows that you’re a safe place and would never use personal things against her or anyone else

[dereality-existence]

Got a good question for u :>

Since I find ur artstyle very nostalgic, and as an artist myself (i usually draw traditionally), i was wondering on how ur art journey was like (like how u found ur style, how much u enjoyed other ppl's art + ur art, etc), basically, how would u say ur art journey was like? (u can summarize it into a nutshell if u wanna XD)

The question is indeed interesting. I've been drawing for as long as I can remember. Both of my parents used to draw, one of them actually graduated from art school. So, this is apparently invested in me, ahahaha. For me, drawing is almost like a "necessity". I can sit quietly, and at some point the "need" just arises to sCrIbbLe something, u know. This is just a "need" of mine; that's why I wouldn't entirely call myself an artist. But I would certainly call myself a varied creative person??? Like… There's a whole story about this topic, but it will be too long to write about it here. Therefore, while I was a toddler and then a kid, I redrew a lot. There were a lot of coloring books that I painted, or special magazines on drawing. I started trying to draw seriously at age ten when I got access to the Internet. I am a passionate Sonic fan, and we have a huge base of fan characters, which I naturally wanted to join back there. So I drew and came up with a lot of characters in Sonic style. Then I saw digital art of fan Sonic characters, and I wanted to do the same. I studied this topic, downloaded the necessary programs, and drew for the first time with a mouse, in addition to my traditional drawings. Then, I wanted a tablet, and my mother saw the point in buying it for me, so she bought it for me. At the beginning, I just drew Sonic fan characters of mine. Drawing people didn’t work out for me for a very long time, although I tried. I suffered for a long time because of this. Something started to work out only in my teenage years. It somehow came out on its own, and my style formed on its own. I won’t say that there was a certain inspiration from someone. Actually, I love other people’s drawings more than my own. In general, I have a very negative and contemptuous attitude towards myself, so to speak. I still struggle with this; it’s hard to draw something when you always don’t like what you get, hate yourself, and envy others. I really can’t adequately say whether my drawings are normal or not; I see everything in a bad light. I'm in some unhealthy love-hate relationship with myself and my stuff lol. Consider me to love anime style, anime style of visual novels (so in love with cg art of visual novels⸝⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝⸝), and some cartoons. By the way, Hazbin style is very convenient for my hand as it is close to my original style. Especially Charlie’s nose; this is how I usually draw all noses in general, so it's really comfortable.

[slutterhaus]

.bargaining

AN: This probably has typos and is ooc because I'm posting this with one eye closed and the other on life support. No thoughts, head empty, pretty braces boy makes sleepy brain go brrrr. CWs: Mentions of drugs, smut, knife play, blood play, reader has female anatomy and pronouns, honestly just jumbled word vomit. Let me know if I missed any!! Other: Third Person POV, no proofreading we die like men because this is self-indulgent anyways lmao. Casanova belongs to @cannibalsweetheart

Her eye twitched in light annoyance. As much as she loved him, adored him— Hell, even worshipped the very ground he walked on, his addiction got on her nerves 90% of the time. Part of her felt guilty, having promised him that she would love him as he was, but the cocaine worried her for his well-being.

A soft chuckle left her lips, imagining how anyone else might have bet money on the cannibalism, the organ harvesting. But no, her issue was watching him shove something up his nose.

She genuinely didn't want to say something in a way that would hurt him, so the cogs in her head started turning until a small smirk tugged at her lips. Casanova usually coddled and spoiled her, but maybe throwing on one of those tight little dresses that he bought her wouldn't hurt her chances of trying to bargain with him.

And that's how she ended up bouncing on his lap in the dining room, the metal from his Jacob's Ladder piercings making her shiver every time she took him from tip to base. Her fingers were shoved into his mouth, tongue lapping and swirling around the two invading digits that (ineffectively) tried muffling his noises. One of his hands gripped her waist tightly, helping her set a fast, rough pace. The other, however, gripped the handle of one of his very pristine, very sharp knives.

There was that look in his eyes again when she admired him, a dangerous glint behind those glassy, lust-filled eyes. She could see it in the mirror when he was getting dressed and she had brought up the exchange. Maybe her agreeing to this made something inside him switch, something he kept buried. But it also, in some fucked up way, excited her.

Taking her fingers out of his mouth, a long trail of saliva followed, still keeping them connected before she licked them clean.

"Mi vida, fuck...!" His moans and groans nearly drowned out the lewd squelching noises every time he bottomed out. "Breathe." As soon as those words left his lips, she took in a deep breath and braced herself. The cut was deep enough that blood steadily ran down her shoulder towards her chest, and she hissed through gritted teeth while Casanova licked his lips and flicked his tongue against her nipple.

Her blood had slightly pooled on the flat of his tongue, a whine leaving him as the coppery taste was more than welcomed in his mouth. He was diligent, not letting a drop go to waste before his mouth enveloped the cut and drank as if he was dehydrated. Both his hands were now on her waist, bouncing and grinding her on his lap at a bruising speed. Growls mixed in with his moans and muffled dirty talk, and she soon found herself clenching and spasming around his cock. Her toes curled, a gasped sob leaving her from the intensity of her orgasm.

Her mind was hazy, whining out at every thrust of his hips while his pretty mouth was still latched onto her shoulder. The dazed look on her face made it clear he was fucking her dumb. His thrusts were sloppy, almost despreate, and his teeth let go of her skin only to let out a long, shrill moan as he came. Thick ropes of cum painted her walls and stuffed her to the brim.

While she panted and tried to calm herself, Casanova went back to the bleeding wound on her shoulder. Her body was limp against his, forehead on his shoulder and a satisfied smile on her lips. As much as she hated to admit it, she could get into having him drink from her. Even when he was so good and agreed to sober up without putting up a fight.

What actually made her nervous was the other part of their agreement. Because even though she was currently a secretary, she had never been Mr. Valentine's secretary.

That, however, was a problem for tomorrow.

[imagine-knb]

hello, i'd like a matchup for my oc Dory (cis fem, she/her)! she's an INFP and, sadly, while in high school, she's not having a very good time, as she's being bullied for being weird. as a result, she keeps to herself, only speaks if spoken to and doesn't really have any friends. it takes a while for her to warm up to someone, but once she does, she lets herself be weird freely (she's a lot more talkative and energetic around someone she's comfortable with)

she really likes the deep sea and its creepy critters, animals in general and as she's an aspiring animator, she vibrates with excitement whenever she sees cool animations (and will info dump/fangirl/talk someone's ear off if given permission)

she dislikes being the center of attention, people who are mean just to be mean and mint

she is an artist (digital and painting), likes to listen to really really loud music and while she's not very sporty, she does enjoy watching her school's baskeball matches (she's a Seirin second year)

as for preferences, anyone from GoM (minus Midorima) + Himuro + Kagami + Momoi + Riko

sorry for how long this got, i got over-excited

Type of Romance

Admirers to Lovers

How You Two Met

As the coach of the Seirin basketball team, Riko was often very aware of who was in the gymnasium at any given time. She'd seen Dory more than a handful of times, both in the gymnasium during practices and in the classroom during school hours. Since Dory was often by herself with headphones on (where loud music could always be heard), Riko had just assumed that she preferred to be alone.

It wasn't until, one day when leaving for the gymnasium earlier than she was supposed to, Riko ran into Dory having a little trouble with some bullies that she really started to pay attention. It sort of clicked that this classmate of hers who was always alone wasn't doing it on purpose, but rather was forced to be that way due to her circumstances.

Having a strong sense of justice herself, Riko couldn't leave Dory well enough alone.

The bullies screamed as mucky water was dumped onto them, running away from the scene before anything else other than their uniforms could be damaged. When Dory looked up from her position on the floor, glancing toward the opposite side of the hall, she noticed Riko standing there with an empty mop bucket in hand, her own glare fixated on the space where the bullies had once occupied.

That angered expression softened when she turned her gaze toward Dory. Setting the bucket down, she reached a hand out to help the other girl up. "Are you okay? I think they should be gone at least for a while. Did you want to get a teacher?"

After helping her up and being assured that Dory wasn't as hurt as she'd originally assumed, Riko gave a sigh of relief. Still, she didn't feel comfortable leaving the other girl alone. "You know, I see you at practice sometimes. If you want, we could walk together from now on."

How She Fell For You

From that day forward, Riko would always try to hang out with Dory whenever possible. At first it was almost like a sense of obligation, wanting to see her classmate safe, but after a while it became more to Riko. She genuinely enjoyed spending time with Dory, learning about her interests and info dumping to her about her own.

Riko was always talking about Dory to her other friends and classmates, hyping up her art projects and praising the animation work she would show her. It came to the point that a lot of the boys on the basketball team often teased that Dory was the only person Riko talked about nowadays.

In fact, you could say that the guys realized Riko's feelings for Dory faster than she did.

"What? No, no, no, no! No way!" Riko tried to protest, but the way her cheeks seemed to heat up, flooding her entire face with an embarrassed red, said otherwise. "I don't have a crush! I don't get crushes!"

But the more she thought about it, the more Riko couldn't deny that she often felt so giddy at the thought of another day spent with Dory. The long hours of texting back and forth was something she looked forward to. Finding her in class and getting to see what new projects she was working on was one of the highlights of Riko's day.

It soon became undeniable fact to her: she liked Dory.

What a Relationship with Her is Like

A relationship between Riko and Dory is a little awkward at first, simply because Riko had never imagined herself falling for another girl. She may have tried overdoing things at first, being overly sweet, acting overly chivalrous, being too over the top. It takes her a while to realize that just being herself was the best thing for the relationship.

Unfortunately, Dory is subjected to a lot of Riko's cooking attempts. Riko's love language is acts of service, so she often tries to make treats and snacks for the two of them to share (to which they also often share stomach aches afterwards).

And despite their relationship starting with Riko acting as some kind of savior toward Dory, she never holds that over her girlfriend's head. Instead, she always encourages Dory to be stronger and stand up for herself, hoping one day a little bit of her own confidence would shine through.

"And if they try to bother you again, you can just wham!" Riko exclaims, swinging the clipboard she was holding much like a weapon as she swung it through the air. The action had Dory laughing, watching as Riko over exaggerated her self defense lesson. "Okay, come on, it's your turn to try."

Riko watched as Dory mimicked her actions, swinging her sketchbook with a little less force than Riko had done.

"No, no, with more umph, like this." Riko walked over to Dory's side, placing her hands over her girlfriend's. She guided her in swinging the book with enough follow through to hurt a person. Then, realizing how close they were, Riko blushed red. "O-okay, now try again."

Match Up Requests are Closed

[serafiel-jacobs]

Baby Hotline (Fanfic)

New chapter from my main series 🩷

Geppetto had just finished teaching Pinocchio about different subjects, right now, his son was in his room, while he was sitting in the living room. Geppetto had forgotten to read the newspaper so he was doing that now, the main headline again was about another dead body being found, whoever this killer was they had a kill count of double digits and it didn’t seem like they would stop any time soon.

Then he read about that earthquake that happened yesterday, it was strange but not the first time Krat had been hit by one, and usually they aren’t a big issue like the one from yesterday. Geppetto is glad that was the reason his son took his time to get back home the other day.

After finishing reading the newspaper he set it aside and was going to go to his workshop but he stopped to look at the portrait of Carlo. It… feels strange seeing it now, he has always loved it, he treasures it, and was devastated when it was stolen. Carlo didn’t like staying still for the painting and he didn’t stop making that angry expression, but Geppetto didn’t care, he was just happy to have the painting of his son, something he could treasure forever.

But now, it doesn’t feel the same, not after Dorian Gray tried to murder Pinocchio. It’s still the same portrait, the one that he loves so much, and yet…

“Ugh, why am I overthinking this so much?!” Geppetto said to himself; everything had been fine, he had been fine, even after they returned from London. Why is now different? Maybe it’s not just him, maybe it’s the tense atmosphere.

The entire city has been tense, first because of that serial killer, but also because lately, it has just been bad news after bad news. The newspapers only seem to want to mention every single bad thing that happens in Krat and sure, it’s not like this place was perfect before, far from it but it’s almost as if the media wants to show the worst of the worst.

For Geppetto, there is also the petty work drama he has to deal with, and dumb gossip because he is a public figure. Again this has been happening more lately for some reason, yes people disliked him back then, but he ignored those sorts of comments or gracefully shut them down, Antonia gave him a few tips on how to deal with those situations and it helped tremendously. Now he is having a harder time dealing with them, sometimes he thinks maybe it's the age but Antonia is slightly older and has no issues, then again you don't mess with Antonia everyone knows that.

He is sure that’s also getting to Venigni because he hasn’t been to work in a few days.

Speaking of work, there is an annual work event that he has to attend tomorrow.

He has never liked it and he isn’t the only one who feels this way, there is a reason everyone at work calls it “gossip day” because every person from every department wants to go and just air out every small rumor they heard or just talk badly about those who they don’t like. It’s not like everyone does it, but a handful of people do and they are always the loudest so they dominate the event, Conrad for example loves this event, and hasn’t shut up all week about how excited he is about it.

It’s a special event because family members of the workers are welcomed, he did bring Carlo alongside Romeo on a few occasions and he may or may not have told them to ruin the party on purpose, last time they came was when Carlo was 15 years old, funnily enough, Conrad was there and he went too far, insulting his late wife in his usual passive-aggressive tone, one he could just claim that his words got “misunderstood”. He was furious and so was Carlo but his son took a deep breath and left the room with Romeo. Before Geppetto could even try to look for them, the sound of the fire alarm resonated in the building, the sprinklers activating and everyone becoming soaking wet.

Conrad did mention how expensive the suit he was wearing was and how it needed to be cleaned with water at a certain temperature. Geppetto wonders how Carlo was such a quick thinker.

Needless to say, after that day his son was banned from the event, but he gave him and Romeo a little reward for that little stunt.

…Okay maybe Antonia is a little right about him not being the best influence but that situation was justified.

Geppetto didn’t want Pinocchio to go because as already stated, he dislikes the event but as soon as Pinocchio heard about he was begging him to go because he wanted to spend time with him and he simply couldn’t say no after that. Pinocchio looked so happy that they were spending time together, more than usual, maybe that earthquake has him on edge? He tends to act clingy when he is upset, it's not an issue for Geppetto, he only worries about his son's feelings.

He promised himself not to make the same mistakes. Leaving Pinocchio all alone at home doesn't seem right, specially since Antonia and Eugéne are busy that day, no one else he can go to since Venigni is also attending.

He looked again at the painting, it really is a beautiful portrait, maybe he truly is just overthinking everything, despite who this painting came from, it's special.

“Sometimes…” Geppetto was speaking out loud, “I wish you would have met your brother”

Meanwhile, in his room, Pinocchio was scrolling the pages of the notebook that he had found underneath Hotel Krat. He recognized some of the symbols that were drawn as the ones that were in the sword, there were many drawings about the human body arrows pointing at certain things, and most of them were of the brain and heart. Pinocchio doesn’t know anything about medicine so he has no idea what these notes are talking about. Something about neurons and the nervous system, heartbeats, and arteries/veins.

Most interesting Pinocchio found notes about magic, actual magic, he wondered if he should try and test if they worked, the writings about divination were interesting.

“Look Gemini is this kind of about you” Pinocchio read the passage out loud, “The chirping of a cricket in pitch darkness is an omen of lighting the way”

“I am even more special than those crickets pal, and I will never leave your side” Gemini was sitting on Pinocchio's shoulder, reading alongside him.

There were notes about Ergo but these were in a different language he couldn’t recognize, he could only tell that they were about Ergo because the word was the same. He found a page dedicated to the gold coin fruit as well, but it was things that he already knew. The notebook was thick, pages had been added with different paper and notes pasted next to other notes.

Pinocchio set the notebook book aside for now and decided to make small talk with Gemini.

“You won’t say anything right?” Pinocchio was talking about how he lied to his father.

“I won’t” Gemini gave out a sigh, “Although I think you should eventually tell him”

“But that is only going to make him more worried; I know I shouldn’t get involved in this anymore but I just want to help others” Pinocchio doesn’t like it when others are hurt and this situation is awful, “What if someone like Simon is out there? I can’t let what happened last time happen again”

“Pinocchio you weren’t even there when Simon first started his plans” Gemini understands too that the boy wants to help but he can’t go on adventures like this all the time, “You deserve to live a normal life without having to constantly save others”

“But-“

“No buts Pinocchio, think about it, if you get involved your loved ones could get hurt, you don’t know what kind of person is leading this and if they are anything like Simon…”

That idea is terrifying, but Pinocchio is still torn about what he should do. In the end, he decides to listen to Gemini but if he does end up in trouble he will help.

Although with his luck most likely he will end up in danger sooner rather than later.

——

Pinocchio was at the event with his father, and he realized that maybe he should listen to him more often when he says things relating to his job can be boring. His father is talking with his coworkers about things he doesn’t understand, and Pinocchio has lost count of the times he has overheard people calling him and his father names behind their backs.

At least he has had some pleasant conversations, some of his father’s coworkers are nice and his uncle Venigni is here, although he was acting a little strange, well he is strange but not his usual kind of strange, but maybe he is just stressed like his father. His uncle did say that he wanted to speak in private after this was done.

Suddenly his father pulls him even closer to him as a man approaches them, he looks a little familiar to him.

“Geppetto good to see that you actually came and didn’t decide to skip another work duty,” Conrad said in a snarky voice, “Hopefully this son of yours doesn’t cause any trouble as Carlo did in the past”

Pinocchio didn’t like this man, he was being so mean for no reason but he knew that he should keep his composure, his mother taught him well how to stay calm in these situations.

“Conrad, you have never properly met my son, maybe before continuing to talk you should introduce yourself to him properly” Geppetto is also trying to stay calm.

Conrad wanted to roll his eyes but people were watching he couldn’t make his dislike for Geppetto that obvious.

Conrad extended his hand “It’s nice to meet you, I’m the supervisor of the quality control department of this union, but I’m sure your father has already told you about me”

“Um no” Pinocchio didn’t realize it but his blunt innocent honesty made him mad, “But it’s nice to meet you, my name is Pinocchio”

They shook hands, he could tell that Conrad had a firm grasp and he didn’t understand why, Conrad knew that he was very sturdy. But unbeknownst to Pinocchio it was because the man was trying to figure out exactly what material he was made of, thankfully for Pinocchio, Conrad isn’t smart enough to figure it out.

“Geppetto good to see you, and you brought your son how nice,” Said a voice from behind, “Oh sorry, I guess I never properly introduced myself to him, I am Harvey the subdirector of the union”

If Geppetto were to step down, Harvey would be the one to get the role, that's because of all the hard years of work. Conrad was not happy when he wasn't chosen to be the subdirector but it was left to vote, not just by all the members of the board but by other workers and Harvey won by a landslide.

Conrad spoke up again “The plans for the re-opening of the Grand Exhibition are going well” Technically, it was never opened, but that was how they had chosen to call it, to not get confused.

The Grand Exhibition was canceled due to the frenzy but now it’s being planned again, to show all the technological advancements Krat has achieved, even know Krat is still known as the “city of the future”. There are still doubts in the minds of the people but time has passed and this could make the city prosper like never before.

Pinocchio remembers how he was saving everyone back then, how he first got rid of the puppets, and how he… was attacked by those alchemists helping Simon, he didn’t think about it back then, just like he didn’t think about how he murdered those stalkers, he had to defend himself but now he feels guilty, he feels like he did something wrong. Everything felt so wrong at the Grand Exhibition, how those puppets mercilessly attacked him; his fight against Victor; the confrontation against Simon.

“Geppetto’s creations are truly marvelous, me and your father used to be collages you know”

Simon, the man who spread the petrification disease, the disease that killed his brother.

Pinocchio had a firm grasp on his weapon, he didn’t trust Simon, and the man could tell that he felt on edge.

Simon rolled his eyes, “Oh come on I did you a favor”

Pinocchio still remembers the words Simon spoke before leaving the place.

Simon had a smug grin on his face “If his dumb brat hadn’t died, you wouldn’t be here today”

“Son, are you okay?”

Pinocchio had snapped from his trance, but that bad experience was still on his mind, so he leaned in closer to his father, hiding behind him, even if Simon was gone it made him feel uneasy.

“I’m fine” Pinocchio lied but unlike his other lies, this wasn’t convincing.

Geppetto knows that this more than his son being shy, he is going to talk to him once this is event is over to see what’s going on.

The conversation kept going about the plans for the re-opening, almost everyone was too entranced in the conversation. Everyone but Conrad who had something else in his mind, still thinking about how Geppetto built Pinocchio.

The materials had always been what he was more curious about, the appearance was impressive, it must be some sort of synthetic skin, and those eyes, they look so real. What kind of voice box is that? The puppet does not have the usual filter, when he first saw him he expected the puppet to talk like Carlo, it doesn't sound like Carlo so it has to be something unique.

What type of springs, what type of gears, how his inner mechanisms work, how his movements run so smoothly. Conrad has worked with Geppetto on certain projects that can improve movement quality, yet when asked what method he used while building his puppet so that they can apply it he refused to answer.

What is powering him? Conrad isn’t stupid, everyone and their mother can deduce Geppetto used Carlo’s Ergo but there had to be something else about it. Ergo can only power so much, the things this puppet can do are beyond impressive.

But at this moment, what he is wondering about is the behavior of the puppet, it has the aspects of what anyone would like in a puppet, polite, well-spoken, and always respectful. But why is the puppet so… he doesn’t know how to describe it, it’s not just shyness, it’s almost as if every little detail can upset him, every time someone mentions anything related to when the frenzy it gets too nervous, the puppet was the one who supposedly saved everyone, shouldn’t the thing like bragging about his accomplishments?

Not to mention the crying, this puppet has that reputation, Conrad heard the crying when Geppetto was fixing the issue with the disruption crystal and he has heard of that time the puppet started crying loudly at one of the events held by Lady Antonia. Why would Geppetto want to deal with that? Crying is annoying and it doesn’t solve anything.

Despite all that, Conrad can’t deny how impressive the puppet is, it’s just, marvelous, but Geppetto keeps the secret all to himself.

“Geppetto are you planning on showing anything special for the Grand Exhibition?” Conrad asked.

Certain workers get to showcase things they build or plan themselves, Venigni for example would present his work with the trams and a few people from other departments present their team projects. Legion Arms are also being prioritized, they are revolutionary in the field of prosthetics after all.

“Not really” Geppetto is too busy supervising all the projects to do so, “Why do you ask?”

“That’s a shame” Conrad was preparing his words, if he sounded too blunt others wouldn’t be happy about it, “I know that as an engineer how important it is to protect one’s secrets, but I believe I speak for all when I say that how you build your son is wonderful”

Geppetto took a few seconds to process what he said and this time he wasn’t able to keep his usual composure.

“Are you asking me to show him off as if he was an object?!”

The atmosphere became tense, and because of the yelling many had turned to hear the conversation.

“Oh no, I didn’t mean it in that way”

Geppetto was furious of course he meant it that way and no amount of sugarcoating was going to hide it.

“Then explain to me, what you actually meant”

“Surely you would want the world to know of your genius insight, your puppet son is a good boy, perhaps you would want the world to see that, to see what a puppet is capable of being”

Pinocchio had stopped feeling on edge but now he was furious, at the way this man was upsetting his father and at the way he was talking about him, he was tired of others treating him as an object.

“In my opinion, we should focus our efforts on the new modes of transportation,” Harvey said, trying to de-escalate the situation, “I believe that is what could help other places around the world the most”

It worked and others started minding their business, Geppetto was waiting for the conversation to stop and find a way to excuse himself and his son. But Pinocchio was so mad his heart started pounding, loudly and it got to the point where it could be heard by others, his springs were reacting with force, resonating around the room. There was an awkward pause, but Geppetto took this opportunity to leave with his son.

“You heard that? It was an actual heartbeat, does he have an actual human heart inside of him?”

“But I could hear the faint sound of metal, it has to be one Geppetto made”

“How do you build a heart?”

“Those springs must be extremely resistant, any other puppet would have broken under such pressure”

Father and son were in one of the hallways, Venigni had also excused himself and joined them.

Pinocchio hugged his father tightly, he was having a really bad day, and unfortunately what he didn’t know was that it was about to get worse.

The sound of people talking loudly from the main room could be heard, soon they saw someone approaching them.

“Listen but unfortunately no one is allowed to leave until further notice”

“What’s going on?” Venigni had a bad feeling about this, a horrible feeling.

“A body was found on the back of the building”

Another murder was displayed as “art”, no one was allowed to leave for a few hours, while the police questioned everyone. As they were finally allowed to leave, there was a symbol drawn with blood on the floor, he recognized it, the symbol that was in all those Trinity doors.

Venigni could tell Pinocchio knew the symbol. “We need to talk, right now”

——

“It’s him, he is back,” Venigni said with dread in his voice, they had all gathered at his home.

There is no doubt about it, but how is this possible?

“According to my research,” Pulcinella began to speak up, “All the murders are the same as before, and just as before, a few reports of people who say the culprit ran away from arranging his scene, claim to have heard heavy footsteps, mechanical footsteps”

Just as before, the police dismiss those statements as mere imagination, the shock of seeing a dead body making them believe that they heard the footsteps of a puppet.

“But why would anyone bring him back? Whoever brought him back must have known what Arlecchino was capable of, why would anyone want a murderer running on the streets?” Geppetto couldn’t understand why anyone would do such a thing.

“I believe someone is trying to distract us from something” Venigni knows that all of this news, the coverage is too focused on this, all too take away the public’s attention from something or someone.

“It has to be the alchemists they must be up to something” Gemini chirped, there was not much doubt in his mind after what they faced inside the cathedral.

“But what could they be planning?” Geppetto is at a loss, but he never truly understood their motives in the first place, “They have been silent so far, not even an ounce of activity”

Pinocchio is feeling overwhelmed again, and the last thing he needs is a reminder that he lied to his father about what happened in the cathedral.

Suddenly the phone starts ringing, that’s too much of a coincidence, Venigni is hesitant to pick it up, it’s too much, he was about to do it when Pinocchio picked up the phone first.

“What do you want?” Pinocchio doesn’t want to play his stupid games anymore.

“What not going to let me have my speech?” The King of Riddles was heard from the other line, “Well since you are so furious is a good thing I’m out of your reach”

Everyone else got a little closer to the phone so that they could hear the conversation properly.

“I would have never guessed you were so rude, no reason to give me an attitude”

“Can you stop with the stupid rhymes and just give us the damn riddle?” Pinocchio is getting even madder, he has never spoken to anyone this way before, not the previous times he dealt with Arlecchino or even with Simon, even if they didn't deserve his politeness, Pinocchio has changed a lot since then, not afraid to show his true emotions and now the anger is consuming him.

“Fine, you are no fun, but first let me tell you what I’ve been up to”

Everyone stayed silent as Arlecchino talked.

“I’m not stupid, I know why I was brought back, so please cut me off so slack, I cannot say who brought me here even if I wanted, but at least my killing gets to be flaunted;

Venigni clenched his fist, just like the night his parents were murdered, he would talk like this, every word taunting his victims, never caring for the harm he caused.

“So Krat recently has been a mess Everyone living in such distress; It’s almost as if everything is broken, But tell me what can you break up Even if you never pick it up or touch it?”

Pinocchio thinks hard about it for a few seconds.

“A promise”

“Correct! Good job, you should treat yourself to a nice reward, I wonder what lies in the basement of the Opera House”

After those words were said, Arlecchino hung up the phone.

“Son come here,” Geppetto said while extending his arms, Pinocchio didn’t want to let go, today had been awful.

“This sounds to me like a trap,” Venigni said.

“It could be but…” Pulcinella was deep in thought, “Arlchecchino has always had issues with the alchemists, if one brought him back he mustn't be happy about it”

Venigni realized what Pulcinella was trying to say, “The alchemists are planning something in there, if we investigate and fail he wins by getting rid of us, if we succeed he wins in his plans against the alchemists”

Arlecchino is smart, it’s best to not underestimate him.

“We can keep talking about this tomorrow” It’s late and they live on the other side of the city, Geppetto knows they have to leave.

They said their goodbyes, Pinocchio hugged Venigni before leaving, he wasn’t going to let anyone hurt his uncle, he was going to put a stop to this.

——

As soon as they arrived home, Geppetto wasted no time on asking Pinocchio what was wrong.

“I… I don’t know! Everything!” Pinocchio began to yell, why did all of this have to happen? Why did he go to that stupid event? Why did Arlecchino have to come back just to torment his loved ones?

“Pinocchio it’s okay, I understand that-“

“No, you don’t! No one calls and treats you as if you are just a machine!” Pinocchio was too emotional to hear him properly.

“Son I know those comments are uncalled for and I have asked people to stop but as you can see people do it when we think we aren’t listening” Geppetto sadly can't stop it and doesn't know what else to do, “I’m sorry but this is the reason I didn't want you to come in the first place”

“Well I should have listened to you are you happy?!” Pinocchio was too frustrated now “I hate your work! I hate your stupid job and how your coworkers all see me! I wished you had another job!”

The room became silent, Pinocchio didn’t fully register what he had said until his father started crying and apologizing over again to him. How many times did Carlo say similar things to him? Even if the context is completely different, the sentiment is the same one.

“No Father, I didn’t…I was just…” Pinocchio doesn’t know what to say, it’s not like he truly hates his father’s job but it does bother him the things he has heard and he knows not all of them are like that but he is done hearing everyone talking behind his back.

“I’m tired” Pinocchio just wants this day to end.

The two of them went to bed, but Pinocchio couldn’t sleep that night, so he went to lie down next to his father, hopefully, this was just one bad day.

Hopefully, things will get better.

[turtle-sister-april]

Well I’ve finally binged all of the new avatar the last airbender live action Netflix show and I got to admit it was pretty good. Was it spectacular? No but it was better than that disgrace of a movie, but let’s be honest watching paint dry is better than watching that horrible movie. Below are my opinions on it and spoilers, so don’t click keep reading unless you have already seen it or you’re fine with being spoiled.

Now of course it had its good and its bad moments such as while it was rushed there was so much filler in the first book of the cartoon that it makes sense they would want to get rid of it. But how they decided to combine many of the stories so they could cut out the filler and keep the plot was a smart move in my opinion.

Of course that also came with it's draw backs such as they never explained the story of Katara's necklace and its significance. This took away from when June hunted them using the necklace to instead June hunted down Aang using Zuko's scent from the book Aang took from him. It also took away from when Katara fought master Pakku. Originally Katara fought him because she was not going to apologize for disrespecting him all because of a sexist rule in the northern water tribe. Pakku stopped the fight because he didn't think her worthy of his time but when he saw the necklace that he originally carved for gran gran he then agreed to train her and they changed that dumb rule. In this new one she just fought him so he could see how skilled she was and the rule would be changed so she could be trained.

There were many other story lines that were changed obviously but I'm not going to go too in detail there otherwise this would become too long. But the other main thing I think that they should have learned from the original show was the important rule of show don't tell. A great deal of the live action remake spent time talking about stuff such as why Aang didn't want to be the avatar, when originally Aang's struggles were summed up so nicely in one solemn look and 2 lines.

As for how they did with the characters, for the most part if the character didn't look the part they at least acted the part fairly well. Uncle Iroh was done beautifully. Everything about him was chosen so perfectly that it was practically its own work of art, but on the opposite end the writers did a horrible injustice to King Bumi. His character was supposed to be that piece of Aang's past that never changed, only got wiser as he got older. But in the live action they tried to give some logic to him by saying he blamed Aang for the state of the world and for just up and disappearing like he did, when King Bumi's logic is supposed to make as much sense as the mad genius himself. And I don't care how rude this sounds to the writers but they should be ashamed of what they did to King Bumi.

But aside from what they did to King Bumi and a few other small annoyances I personally have, over all for how they did the show I believe they did a fairly decent job story wise and with the digital effects they did stunning work which I must absolutely applaud them for.

Thank you to anyone who read this whole thing and for doing so here is a link to an adorable picture I found of Raph and Mayhem.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go practice using my ninpo/mystic powers. I want to go see if I can figure out how to use it like fire bending.