#very big thank you to everyone who interacted with my art this year

[bobomcfoe-art]

Art summary for 2024 :)

[cozylittleartblog]

GRAAAHHH SORRY THIS IS SUDDEN BUT OH MY GOD I FINALLY FOUND YOU. IM THE BENREY THAT RAN UP TO YOUR BOOTH AR AMW THIS YEAR AND MY FRIEND BOUGHT ME LIKE ALMOST ALL YOUR VALVE STUFF, I LITERALLY CRIED WHEN I GOT BACK TO THEIR ROOM CAUSE LIKE DUDE. THAT MEANT EVERYTHING FOR ME, I WAS GENUINELY SO SO SO HAPPY TO SEE THE FANDOM IS STILL ALIVE AND IVE BEEN LOOKING FOR FANS IN THE WILD FOR YEARS. THE EXPERIENCE WAS ENLIGHTENING TO SAY THE LEAST AND IM SO SO JOYOUS ABOUT IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH !1!11! :•3

:D !!!! HI!!! I REMEMBER YOU!!! THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY, I'M SO HAPPY IT WAS MEMORABLE FOR YOU!!

people who are so enthusiastic about the things i make and the fandoms i rep at my booth are THE #1 coolest part of the experience 🥺 i feel like convention artist alleys these days are mostly filled with the same 4 popular anime/mobile games and it's really hard to find less popular anime, let alone things like video games and webseries. you would not believe how many comments I got that people never see things like Team Fortress 2 or Portal in AAs, let alone stuff like Infinity Train or HLVRAI 😭 the people who recognize them are always SO excited and then I'M excited and we are BOTH excited and nerding out together. it's fantastic!!!

the hlvrai fandom is definitely still going strong! i still see a lot of fanart and community posts and my sales on my few hlvrai things on my etsy have Not slowed down lmao. i'm sure if covid didn't happen there would have been so many benry cosplayers in 2020. we were ROBBED </3 i've seen You and one benry cosplayer at ACEN last year and that was IT </3 </3 </3

[waywardstation]

I want to once again thank everyone for your patience on my interactive reblog comic. I still see people liking and reblogging it, but nobody has asked me where the next part is or how long it’s going to take, and I really do appreciate there is no pressure.

The next part is 16 pages, 33 panels. It’s very big. Almost all of them are lined, but I lost 4 completely lined panels the other day. I can’t work on them much right now as I’m having hand problems, I’m sick, and things happening in my life are incredibly upsetting now. But I am hoping to get it done very soon.

I admit I’ve been very sad and tired lately, and I do not feel like my mind is all here and I can’t take in what is happening around me right now. But whenever I manage to get some time and energy to focus on my fics or my art for this blog, or anything submas/PLA in general, I am always happy. When I get to be here on this blog, I am happy.

I am hoping next year will be kinder. To me, and to everyone else who has had a difficult year. I’m hoping the time ahead will be much easier and happier for everyone!! Once again thank you for sticking with me, and for being patient. I’m looking forward to getting this next part out when I can :)

[thankskenpenders]

IDW's Knuckles 30th Anniversary special

I'm still working on finishing Shadow Generations and writing up a big thing about it (yes, yes, it's taken me a month to finish a four hour game, I know), but in the meantime we've got another new Classic era comic out from IDW! Let's talk about that.

The last Classic era release we got was the Fang miniseries earlier this year, which I mostly enjoyed but also found a bit underwhelming. It felt like we were getting diminishing returns with the Classic comics. Ian seemed to be struggling to make the Classic era feel fresh within Sega's current restrictions for that branch of the brand, a branch that by its very nature discourages experimentation and new ideas in a way that the ever-evolving Modern era doesn't. He was mostly just playing the hits, sticking the currently permitted Classic era characters next to each other in straightforward one-off adventures and letting the art team do their thing. We were getting the Ian who was happy to simply be able to take these toys out of the toy box. Again, these comics have been fine, and the art's always a treat, but the novelty of simply seeing a comic with the old character designs was wearing off for me when the stories didn't have as much meat as Ian's (or Evan's) excellent Modern era work.

And then along comes this Knuckles 30th Anniversary special, which is by far my favorite Classic Sonic comic Ian's written for IDW.

...I can't really talk about why it's so good without getting into spoilers, though. The short version is that it's a really nice little story about Knuckles and another character from the games, who's used as a great foil for him... except the solicit didn't even say which character it is, so I'm hesitant to say here. But if you're a fan of Knuckles, you should definitely just go read this. It's great. This one's mandatory reading to me.

And with that out of the way, let's dig deeper and get into the spoilers.

The spoiler zone

After an opening that very blatantly homages Tyson Hesse's old Knuckles comic (yes, the very same one that helped inspire the name of this blog), Knuckles realizes that Angel Island has drifted near the Northstar Islands from Sonic Superstars, and decides that the Master Emerald must be giving him a mission to train the archipelago's own resident guardian.

Yes, this isn't just a Knuckles comic. It's a Knuckles and Trip comic!

I was really delighted by this. I like Trip a lot, and it's nice to get this chance to expand upon her as a character. I think this is her first speaking role, even? I'm glad to see her stick around, and I'm glad to see her appear in the comics so soon, especially since we're still waiting for the mainline comics to incorporate Sage. She's still clumsy and fairly timid, like in the game, but without the looming thread of Eggman she gets to let loose a little. She's very exuberant and expressive and playful, especially thanks to Aaron Hammerstrom's fantastic art throughout the issue (complemented with inks by Rik Mack and colors by Valentina Pinto). It makes sense why she gets along so well with Amy. I hope we get to see those two interact more in the future!

Anyway, so Knuckles shows up on the Northstar Islands after contemplating his lot in life, and realizes that he and Trip have a lot in common. She's not as strong or confident as him, but they're both the last of their kind, these lone guardians of these ancient magical gemstones. He's showing up under the pretense of training her, but you can tell it's nice for him to have a kindred spirit, someone who might be able to really get him.

And then Trip's like... wait, you think I'm the last of my kind?

Yes, the Northstar Islands have actually been inhabited by a whole civilization of sungazers like Trip the whole time! We just didn't see them in the game because, y'know. Eggman was attacking. So Trip told everyone to find shelter and hide from the Badniks. (This actually makes a lot of sense, since you pass by this very village in Speed Jungle Zone. Somebody's gotta maintain those straw roofs and light those torches, and I can't imagine Trip managing all that upkeep herself.)

This also includes a grandfather for Trip, who's been training her as the archipelago's new guardian. Naturally, this has led to some speculation from fans about the old "mandates." In the wake of the Penders lawsuits and Archie's reboot, Sega declared that the comics could no longer create comic-original relatives for the game characters. Has that changed now?

Well, I'm hesitant to read too much into this. For one, as Ian has tried to drill into peoples' heads for years now, the so-called "mandates" aren't a set of concrete commandments from Sega, they just have some general guidelines for the brand, some of which have more wiggle room than others and some of which have changed over time. There's also the simple fact that Sega is working way more closely with the team at IDW, and that people like Ian and Evan are literally on the official Sonic lore team now. Ian can presumably work with the lore team and Sega to figure out Trip's family, and then go and work what they've decided on into a comic, so it's entirely possible Trip's grandpa isn't considered a comic-original character so much as he's a character conceptualized at Sega who just happens to have appeared in an IDW comic before anything else. The lines are a lot blurrier now with all this cross-pollination, compared to the Archie days when it was a separate creative team and a separate canon.

But, again, I don't want to speculate too heavily about what goes on behind the scenes. Regardless, Ian was able to use this comic to expand upon the world of the games and the characters that inhabit it, and I love it for that. It's the first of these Classic comics that feels like truly mandatory reading for the way it builds upon the games. These days we so rarely get to see communities like this in the Sonic world with their own cultures. It's not like we know anything about "hedgehog culture" or whatever. So this is a nice change of pace. The Northstar Islands feel totally different now that I know they've actually been inhabited the whole time, and knowing that Trip is part of an active community with their own history and customs puts a whole new spin on her as a character.

It also makes her a great foil for Knuckles here. He showed up on the island thinking he'd have a lot to teach Trip as someone who's got more life experience as a lone guardian, only to realize his assumptions about her life were completely wrong. Trip brags to her grandpa that Knuckles is gonna train her, but he quickly realizes he doesn't have much to teach her. She may be kind of cowardly, but she knows her way around the island, she can think on her feet, and she can handle herself well enough in a fight, in her own slapstick way.

He doesn't say as much, but you can tell Knuckles is embarrassed about all this. This clumsy kid is showing him up, even though she won't even really listen to his advice! He's also, perhaps, a bit jealous. It's not like he had a grandfather to train him in the ways of being a guardian. (Not in this continuity, anyway.) He doesn't get a whole village of echidnas to teach him about his heritage. He doesn't get fancy ceremonial armor. It's just him, a big green rock, and his two fists. He thought he had this whole guardian thing figured out, and he'd be able to give a kindred spirit like Trip some advice, but it turns out she's lived a whole different life, making him question if he even knows what he's doing. He quickly gets fed up with both Trip and himself, blowing up at her a little.

After reflecting a bit, Knuckles goes back to Trip and comes clean. He doesn't really know how to train her, because no one ever trained him. He figured things out on his own. If he had anyone there to raise him, they've been gone since he was too young to remember. He just knows he has to protect the Master Emerald. That's it. It's a pretty vulnerable moment for Knuckles, one where his dissatisfaction with his life comes to the surface.

Still, Trip sees things differently. He may be used to the fact that he lives on a giant floating island powered by a giant magic emerald, but she thinks that's, like, the coolest thing in the world. HER islands don't fly! And while Knuckles might wish he had someone to train him, Trip thinks that Knuckles becoming such a fearsome fighter all on his own, without even armor to protect him, makes him super awesome and admirable. With both of them feeling better, Trip takes Knuckles to Golden Capital to talk about her heritage as a guardian of the Northstar Islands a bit more, and Knuckles tells her that he thinks she'll be a great guardian before he heads home, once again feeling pretty good about himself.

While this is a pretty straightforward little story about how the grass is always greener on the other side, it's a very effective and sweet one that I enjoyed reading a ton. Aside from the fun of learning more about Trip and the Northstar Islands, it's just a great showcase for Knuckles. (It's definitely a way better showcase for him than his Paramount+ show, as much as I took sick pleasure in that show's baffling creative decisions.) There are also some fun details about his life in here, such as the fact that Sonic, Tails, and Amy have taken camping trips to hang out with him on Angel Island, and the fact that he trained Amy in using her hammer better.

It's just real good, and it feels like the most meaningful addition to The Canon out of any of these Classic era comics Ian's written. We're still gonna be getting more in the future, so hopefully this is a sign that Ian and the lore team have found that happy middle ground where they can keep the Classic comics familiar and nostalgic while also being able to branch out and expand upon things.

Speaking of future comics!

Coming attractions

The end of this issue confirms some things that are in the works for IDW Sonic. For one, we're getting a Chaotix 30th Anniversary special next year. Neat! They also mention some kind of Shadow one-shot dropping following the movie, however fans seem split on whether this is referring to a new story or just the "Best of Shadow" compilation one-shot that's coming out next month. So don't get your hopes up about that in case it's the latter, I guess.

And while we're still waiting for issue #75 of the main series, the IDW team is already thinking all the way ahead to #100, which should drop sometime during the 35th anniversary of the franchise in 2026. Clearly the team's still confident about the longevity of IDW Sonic and excited for the future. And I am, too! Bring on #75!

[meanbossart]

Ask Compilation: Gorp, Questionable Child Rearing, Progressive elves and some campaign lore!

As always, I apologize if your ask isn't here/ hasn't been replied to, it is unfortunately impossible for me to answer to every question I get to the extend I would like to. Occasionally I also just don't have a very interesting answer to offer 😅 and I try to avoid spamming people's feeds! But thank you so much to everyone who interacts with my stories, characters, art, and is curious about my thought process and writing! The response is frankly just as overwhelming as it is deeply appreciated, and every word of encouragement or message about how I inspired you to draw or write more of your own stories makes my day.

DU drow and Gortash had what I would describe as a "Toxic Friendship". They got along well enough, had little friend dinner-dates, drank together, superficially shared their woes in ways that benefited no one, and DU drow ultimately had a great deal of respect for Gortash - except you would have never known that by the way he treated him.

DU drow belittled, harassed, and even destroyed Gortash's property on whim alone. Every compliment was back-handed and every display of friendship was somehow sarcastic. Gortash let everything slide right off his back for reasons I like leaving obscured. Here's a particularly intense write-up I did about their relationship a long time ago that still stands. I think it serves really well to illustrate how intense DU drow could still be about his friendships.

PFFTT, I don't know why that would be a female-child only thing, but maybe that's just a colloquialism?

DU drow actually talks pretty similarly to children as he does to adults! He just doesn't set the same expectations on them. Children don't ask stupid questions because the world is still new to them, nor do their respond reasonably to everything, they also don't understand some big words or complex ideas depending on how you present it to them - he understands this and adjusts accordingly. But otherwise his tone would be the same, even with his his own child. He's that guy who's good with kids on the basis of treating them as to-be adults rather than.. Well, just a child.

The Astarion assessment is fair, LOL.

[MORE UNDER THE CUT]

(Surface) elven kind strikes me as fairly gender-indifferent overall! And while I enjoy theorizing about how their culture has shifted over the years from exposure to "urban life", for both better and worse, I like to think this is an aspect that has remained mostly unchanged, even for elves who may have had a really mixed-up upbringing from living in a city as diverse as Baldur's Gate.

I believe Astarion (and by extension Shadowheart and DU drow) are fully aware that they read as their respective genders and that for other races, such as humans, that means something; but for them that is a different custom that doesn't really apply outside of pronouns and reproductive expectations. So, I actually believe that Astarion would be pretty indifferent to life as a woman save for occasionally missing having a dick for the obvious reasons (only to then shift back and lament the opposite, probably).

ALL THE TIME!

But I know that you meant to ask if I will ever draw it.

VERY LIKELY THAT I WILL.

As a side note, thank you for showing interest and excitement for male-on-male sex that isn't just anal, LOL.

CW for the obvious, though nothing too descriptive or awful.

I understand if people disagree as a knee-jerk reaction, but I would say that Astarion's character demonstrates a shocking amount of self-control and emotional regulation. I went into this more in detail in an older post, but basically: the guy always brings himself down from his own outbursts, is exceptionally good at reading the room, is extremely forgiving and pragmatic, and knows when to send the jokes outside and respond to vulnerability in kind. I stand by this as more than a headcanon; it's in his actual writing and dialogue.

All that to say, I don't think Astarion would ever lay a violent hand on his own children. I also don't HC him as having endured corporal punishment as a child, hence not really having that instilled in his mind as a possible example to draw from.

I could see DU drow implementing physical punishments that he doesn't consider to be actually painful, like pulling, pinching, or squeezing a child while you reprehend them; things a parent might do because they think it's harmless. Astarion would probably be the one to say he's not really achieving anything - so it would likely be short-lived.

I DO think they would both be okay with setting up their children to pretty arduous physical labor, though, both as punishment and just in general to toughen them up. You could argue there's a way to do this that is reasonable, but they would prooobably push that line into dubious territory.

Buddy, WHO said low fat, what do you think the meat and taters that he's eating is swimming in!

But back to your question, he can enjoy a sweet treat every once in a while! He just far, far prefers savory. Personally, I think the guy would go crazy for a panettone. Or a big sugar-powdered crepe with some berries.

I kind of flew through the Circus in DU drow's playthrough because I was SO excited to get to Baldur's gate. They were only there long enough for DU drow to make Astarion mildly pissed off during the dryad's weird love quiz.

I also somehow missed Lucretious and never got the Dribbles quest - probably for the best.

Becoming a big ol' squid seems like a deal-breaker for his character in-game - so, same thing applies here. He'd let him down gently but potentially want a friendship for as long as DU drow is still himself.

... Buuuut it would never come to that; DU drow would most likely end his life pretty swiftly if he were to turn into a mindflayer, so Astarion wouldn't have much to worry about 😬

Alas, she pretty much never crosses his mind since he has no recollection of the type of relationship they had prior to DU drow's amnesia.

Or at least she won't as long as nothing weird ever happens that potentially jogs his memory 😇

Hello! I also love the escorts, but due to both DU Drow's and Astarion's respective attitudes towards drow and that kind of activity they didn't really hire his services. I do like to think him and his sister had a lot to gossip about as soon as they turned their backs, though, LOL.

[pachimation]

redrawing my very first chiscara comic/art i ever did for chscr day!!

old comic under the cut!!

lol a bunch of sappy semi serious stuff below bc i cant help but be a bit genuine about this ship today :’3

i cant possibly put into words how important this silly little ship and its community mean to me haha,,,, this comic was made in 2021 but i didnt really get serious about chscr until late 2022 after a bunch of pretty bad interpersonal stuff happened and i needed an outlet,, COINCIDENTALLY a certain someone was announced to be playable around then and i was already thought chscr was Pretty Neat™️ so i ended up diving headfirst into the ship. it also gave me a good excuse to work on more comics too!! i’d done a pretty big zhongven comic earlier that year in the summer, but in terms of lore there was only so much i could have worked with at the moment.

childe and scaramouche have that perfect combination of silliness and angst and violence that could be explored or expanded in so many ways and i love love love seeing other people’s interpretations of their dynamic and relationship. they’re so complex,,,,they’re narrative foils,,,they’re narrative parallels,,,they’re trans allegories,,,they’re flies in the spiderweb of the games lore,,,they’re my stupid little meow meows,,, they’re just two losers i want to see make out,,,

in a nutshell, they’re everything to me. well, i hope i get that kind of sentiment across in my own comics,,,,

and i cant get started on all the people ive met through chiscara or the way that having something i can call “my thing”, as in, the thing that i like and that i will spend a lot of time and effort (and money, but lets not talk about that) to surround myself with because it makes me smile. its stupid to say, but being a nerd about these two stupid guys who have never had a single canon onscreen interaction in some random game has made me a much happier and confident person that i could have ever imagined back in my freshman year of college,,, when i say i dont know who i’d be if i hadnt gotten into chiscara, i really do mean it lol

i’m actually surprised i’m making it to over a full year of regular-ishly making art, especially for the same game and ship! thats never happened before and my art has improved so much over this past year!! more than anything else, i’m happy! i get to be excited talking about these characters with my friends and i love to see art of them pop up on the tl. i make stickers of them and decorate my phonecase with them and have little figures of them in my room that i look at when im up late at night working on schoolwork. sometimes just the thought of finishing a comic or daydreaming about a scenario or seeing what my mutuals are up to are some of the few things getting me through a tough day.

,,,,so believe me when i say, to both childe and scara and to everyone else as obsessed with these pathic losers as i am, thank you! i’m having a lot of fun!!!

(also i just found out tumblrs copy/paste doesnt work on my ipad??? idk if this ends up legible i may or may not have deleted smth by accident and im not in a mood to proofread haha)

[nedlittle]

hey i don't mean to be mean or anything i'm just wondering about that marauders fans post.

how would a marauders fan art benefit jkr? how would a fanfic about gay and trans characters benefit her? i feel like it does her more harm that people think of her characters as queer. and i think most marauders fans already know not to buy her books or go to the wizarding world or watch the new show or whatever.

like when it comes to spending money everyone's careful to not support her except terfs and people support her ideology and whatnot.

i'm trying to think of how someone posting headcanons about these characters on tumblr can somehow benefit jkr

again, i don't want to come across as hateful or anything i'm genuinely trying to understand your point

thank you for asking this in good faith. i've been having trouble wording stuff lately, so apologies if this isn't as coherent as i'd like.

participating in the marauders fandom continues to benefit jkr simply because you cannot divorce the marauders from their larger context. the fandom may have turned the marauders into something more than glorified side characters, but they cannot exist without the framework of the harry potter universe which has bigotry baked into its very core. imagine we're all playing in a sandbox. marauders fans may be making beautiful sand castles and art with their own two hands, but they're using the sand toys that jkr left for them and the sandbox that they're playing in is in her backyard and in order to play you have to get your hand stamped by joanne personally.

it would be so easy for people to just....make their own ocs or switch to a different fandom. the marauders are hardly characters to begin with, but the inability to let go of a text which gives them basically nothing as characters ensures that the bloated corpse of the harry potter fandom continues shambling around long after it should have died.

and for the most part, the marauders are not relevant to normies. i think even if someone was a big fan of the books in middle school, but has moved on, they aren't going to think of the marauders beyond the characters we actually see on page. the prevailing cultural view of those characters in the context of how they were written is not "look at this cool and diverse friend group coming of age in the 70s and sticking it to the man" or w/e it's "those guys who were mostly in the background." most people do not think of these characters as queer because they aren't doing the mental labour of filling in jkr's world for her.

but because this fandom is so popular--it trends every other week, pinterest is filled with it, youtubers are making video essays on marauders fandom as a queer utopian reclamation of hp--jkr sees the continued relevance of people talking about her characters. she does not see the caveat that you are taking this character who is just a name on a page in some supplementary material and making her into a black lesbian (which is a whole other thing where ppl treat diverse headcanons as a "punishment" for bigoted authors in the same way that twitter libs will qtwt homophobes like "i hope your kids turn out to be gay" which is....not activism but anyway). she doesn't see desi james potter and gay trans boy remus lupin, she just sees the interaction between creator and consumer. she sees this as "people still care about the art i have made and must agree with my views". it makes her believe she still has an audience, which she definitely does unfortunately, which is why we're getting the series reboot and theme parks and merchandise for a piece of ip that peaked what? 15 years ago? i'm not looking that up

tl,dr in jkr's brain support of her work = support of her views

[robinofgothamcity]

“I leave quite the impression, five feet to be exact.”

Character: David Howard Thornton / Art the Clown(?)

Authors note: Okay so y’all REALLY gotta hear me out with this one. I’m so in love with him (like in a normal and not parasocial way LMFAO) Like is it my daddy issues? I’m sure it is but omfg, guys pls pls hear me out. If y’all are allowed to simp over Pedro Pascal I’m allowed to be in love with DHT.

Being on the younger side of the cast did have its benefits. You were exactly the type of girl Damien looked for when he needed promotion on other platforms that other cast members didn’t know how to use. You weren’t necessarily the youngest as you were now in your late 20s but you did know how to use TikTok, Snapchat, and a few other platforms well.

You were also casted in a minor role in the film so you did have some acting experience behind you as well. When you first arrived on set, it was like a breath of fresh air. You had dreamed of this since you were a kid and to be in a role with the likes of David and Lauren really made this entire experience surreal. You knew that this entire project didn’t come around very often so when you were offered the role as a minor character and a social media strategist, you took it quicker than you could realize.

That was about a year and a half ago and now all of you were doing press for Terrifier 3. This time around you were stuck in New York for a small con in Albany. Given that it was early December, you were freezing your ass off in the Uber as all of you were waiting for the call to be at the panel.

“You nervous?” You heard David ask you. You gave him a small smile, “I can feel throw up in my throat and I’m not even there yet,” you responded as you shook your leg in anxiousness. David lifted his glasses and put his hand on your shoulder, “Crowds can be scary but I promise you aren’t alone. I’ll be there and so will Damien and everyone else you’ve been with for the last year and a half.”

You looked to David and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. He grabbed your hand, giving it a small smile squeeze as the two of you arrived at the convention center. Although you were on the panel with the rest of the crew, you were on duty for social media before hand. Giving out prizes, fan interviews, and anything that had to do with the convention goers.

Almost immediately you were dragged out to the convention floor as you grabbed your mini microphone and the phone provided for you. This was the only down time David had so he figured there was no bother in seeing you do what you do best and talk to people on the floor. He figured he’d blend in with the crowd and not make himself noticeable so you weren’t caught off guard.

“Big Terrifier fan, I love it,” you had said into the microphone as you bent down to see the not even one year old in a mini Art costume. The mother giggled as the baby smacked the microphone to make the funny noise it did a second ago, “Insightful,” you said as you looked to the phone. David couldn’t help but start laughing as you thanked the mother before approaching another group of fans.

This time, it was a group of boys who seemed to be around your age. You asked them nicely for an interview in hopes of getting some more footage but only one of them agreed, “Hi, I’m here with?” You asked as you gave the boy the microphone, “Jackson,” he replied lowly. You gave him a smile as you noticed that he finally realized that you were one of the girls from the film, “you played Tiffany right?” He asked. You nodded as David’s eyebrow quirked in slight jealously, “You were one of the best characters, the way you tried to fight off Art was so sick!” You couldn’t help but start laughing he took out his Terrifier pop and asked for you to sign it.

David knew he was not in his rights to interrupt the interview but seeing the way the boy was practically drooling over you and the small interaction in the Uber upped his jealously even more.

There was tension between the two of you, some that others noticed and while it wasn’t news that David had a thing for you, no one ever said a word. You figured that the small interactions between you and David must’ve been something that he did with everyone. You had grown to appreciate David but you never said a word about your feelings to anyone else out of fear of being called a gold digger who only slept with the main star of the show to get more screen time.

“Panel is on in half an hour,” David said through a text. You read it and immediately excused yourself as you ran to the back of the convention center where everyone was meeting at. Before David could bolt and meet you there, the same boy that you interviewed noticed him and ran to him with a sharpie, “can I get your autograph? I just met (your name) and having your signature right next to hers would be everything to me.”

“Was she nice to you?” David joked as the boy agreed, “More than nice. She’s even hotter in person. If I had even one more minute, I’m sure I would have gotten her number.” David couldn’t help but roll his eyes as he turned to face him, “She’s in a relationship fortunately enough.”

With that, David left the convention floor to meet all of you.

-

The panel was nearing its end and David could tell you were a lot more comfortable with speaking with the crowd. Your mannerisms were now more relaxed and the fan questions seemed to be more directed towards David and Lauren. That was until a girl came up with a wide smile and your action figure in her hand.

“So my question is for (your name), I know you do a lot of TikTok’s for the films so my question is, have you seen the edits of yourself on your for you page yet?” You immediately hid your face in your hands as David stared at you, “edits? What’s that all about?” The girl immediately giggled as she whipped her phone out and brought up the edits she asked about, “you know, edits! Like fan made videos of (your name) if that makes sense?” She tried explaining.

“I have seen them but I haven’t actually watched them. I didn’t think my character was popular enough where I’d get edits of my character but I do appreciate everyone who makes them, plus, the music choices are solid,” you answered as you felt your face get warm from the looks of David and everyone else staring at you.

You gave the microphone back to the moderator as you tapped your pen in anxiousness. The looks from the crowd immediately made you flustered and you hoped that the questions were off of you for now. You knew that the panel was ending shortly with all of you agreeing to get dinner after it was over and your stomach was rumbling for the pizza you were planning on having.

It wasn’t until you heard your name being called again when you realized someone was calling for you, “sorry, I must’ve zoned out. ADHD makes me do that sometimes. Can you repeat your question again sweetheart?” You asked the fan, “I wanted to ask if you had a special someone! And if they were excited to see you make your debut for Terrifier? But if that was too personal, I guess my next question is, do you have a favorite horror film outside of the ones your in?” You bit your lip not really knowing how to answer it. Your unspoken feelings for David didn’t really count as a special someone but you knew better than to lie.

“I can hope that the special person in my life enjoys my acting considering I put my life’s work into that 30 minute screen time,” you managed to blurt out, “but to answer your other question, it definitely has to be Halloween 3, the score for the film was one of the best scores in a horror film for me personally and the movie is so underrated in my opinion.”

The girl thanked you as you gave her another smile to indicate your appreciation for her question.

Once the panel finally ended, you got up from the chair and smoothed out your skirt before jumping off the stage and getting photos with the fans who asked. David knew he wanted to wait for you as he watched your interactions with the fans from the back of the makeshift stage. Jealously was not really his strong suit as he hated that feeling all together but seeing how many men surrounded you for pictures and some even asking to get your number really irritated him. You were nice enough to decline, stating that you didn’t give out personal information to fans but you appreciated their support.

After photos and autographs, you met with David who brought you in for a hug, “you did so well out there for your first panel,” he said as you sighed in relief. “I don’t know how you do it David, all those fans staring at you at once really made me sweat through my cardigan,” you joked. David shook his head, “you were perfect even after getting asked some of those personal questions.”

“Are we still getting dinner? I’m starving and I don’t think I can wait any longer,” you said as you felt your stomach growling even more. David checked his phone to see that all of your cast mates and coworkers had left to either get more time on the convention floor or went back to their hotel rooms, “We can go get some if you want. Everyone else decided to ditch us for their partners.” He replied.

You nodded as you grabbed your bag and followed David through the back doors and into the Uber that he ordered a while ago. The two of you decided to get dinner at the restaurant that was attached to the hotel you were both staying at. It seemed fancier than what you both expected. You were in an ankle skirt and a cardigan as David sported his usual red and black flannel.

The two of you ordered a bottle of wine to start decompressing the night as you both inhaled the pizza you ordered, “I didn’t think someone would ask me about my love life but I guess everything is up for grabs when your in the spotlight,” you said through a mouthful of pizza, “and that’s to put it lightly,” David joked.

“Well, I didn’t really feel like saying that my love life was non-existent so was it wrong to lie?” You asked as you were now on your third glass of wine. David had matched your pace and the two of you were now feeling the wine in your body, “It’s not wrong to lie especially if you were doing it to protect yourself and others.” He whispered as his lips touched the rim of the glass.

You agreed as you heard one of your favorite songs start to play, “ugh, I love this song, it was my college anthem,” you stated as you immediately started to sing the lyrics. David tried hearing the song but couldn’t recognize it to save his life, “David, I really need to start schooling you in what’s popular these days and my first mission is the music of today.”

David chuckled as the two of you paid your bill. You were now walking with a bit of a wobble in your step. Both you and David were now very wine drunk but he figured he’d help you to your room before you ended up at the bar of the restaurant and asking for another bottle, “this night had to be one of the best nights of my life. Meeting all the fans, signing autographs, and even the kiss you gave me on the cheek!” You exclaimed as you put your head on his shoulder.

“You enjoyed that kiss on the cheek?” You nodded excitedly, “and here I thought you were going to leave me for that boy at the convention earlier today,” you couldn’t help but let out a dramatic laugh as you shook your head no, “He was just a fan who I knew wanted something more than my number but I guess if we’re being honest, the only man who can get what that boy wanted is you.”

You whispered that last part in his ear as he chuckled lowly, “don’t start anything you can’t finish darling,” he said lowly as you giggled in slight excitement, “I don’t start things knowing I can’t finish them,” you stated, your lips brushing against his as you were now pushed against the door to your hotel room, “but I think that’s something for you to figure out tonight, right?”

David hummed in agreement as you pushed your lips against his and started running your fingers through his hair to bring him in closer. David nipped at your lip as confirmation to continue. Your hands wandered from his hair to upper arms as you started to push off his flannel and squeeze at his shoulders.

“I think we can finish this inside,” you stated as you swiped your card over the lock and practically dragged him inside, “I want to see if the rumors are true. I need to see if Art is really packing.” You joked as you grabbed his hand and brought him into your room.

[sootchild]

Hey, I’m just reaching out to people on Tumblr, it’s not one of those weird sexual blogs trying to get your attention. I’m just curious, you’ve probably heard of Jesus and God, but have you ever reached out to Jesus for problems in your life? Big or small. If you don’t want to talk, that is completely fine, I truly don’t want to force anything on you because that isn’t very kind and it kinda sucks. I hope you’re having an awesome day!!

Also!!

Your art is amazing!! 💕

If this wasn't an Anonymous, I'd have just politely ignored and deleted the message. I don't like to drag people but because in the book of Matthew (5:15-16, ESV) it states:

"Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

This ask is Anon so free game in my opinion.

This is the second time this type of message has been given to me. Now were I to have shared some sort of trepidation or worry of late, like for example my current contract coming to an end Fed 21 (which true), and you went, "Oh my, you are feeling insecure! Let me share with you something that gives me comfort, maybe you will find comfort in it!" Then fine, I'd thank you for the thought, BUT that isn't what prompted this.

You looked at my body of work and went, "Oh my! This person clearly has no relationship with the Lord! I must tell them there is a better way!" You made an assumption as to what my personal relationship with the divine is and unprompted and anonymously tried to "save" me. Being previously an Evangelical, I get it. I was once young and fervent, wanting to champion for the Lord. I learned that like anything in life, consent is king and leading by example and enriching the lives of others is so much better than proselytizing.

For clarity, I am in fact Christian. I maybe a Polyamourous, pansexual, hedonist, but my relationship with Jesus, pretty tight. Been so my whole 37 years of life. To the point that I tell my retired pastor of a father that I am older in the faith than he is (he hates this, it is hilarious). EDIT: Also it doesn't matter that I am Christian, I clarified to show that assumptions can one look foolish. Even if I were of any other faith or without faith, it is arrogant to assume to know a person's relationship with the divine. There is so many different ways to interact with the universe and as long as we are adding goodness to it, that is the important part.

I get that you meant well but rocking up to my Asks being like, "I think you need Jesus! But let me put a pretty bow on this message by saying you make nice art!" Not as flattering as you think it is.

I wish you the best and sorry if this cuts deep but so everyone knows, I don't appreciate this sort of unprompted messaging.

[cometcare]

Requests for sch characters + official aus are still open!! In-character asks are also open! Taking breaks on and off, for my own sake, and no ocs as i’m unfortunately not comfortable interacting with the fandom at large. <- I also don’t reblog fanart any more for this reason!

I’ve been drawing and loving these characters literally almost every day for over eight years, they’re very very very important to me personally.

Please be 18+ if you interact! i also am severely avoidant and wary in general, so if you message me/send an ask and i don't reply, it's not personal at all!

if you don’t want to see sch content, please block me + the “#sparklecare fanart” tag and be safe!! the “#sparklecare situation” + “sch situation” tags are for any serious talks.

my art tag

personal uni design ref

personal mood design ref

be safe, and kind.

this post got long, so important things moved under the cut:

i’m not going to make a big statement on current happenings, i’ve been incredibly stressed for multiple reasons and my mental health has already taken a heavy toll. i am not mentally or emotionally able to engage for my own sake. all love to anybody who’s been hurt.

if you are here because you think not wanting to tank my mental state even harder makes me an abuse enabler, see here! (<- the situation’s been settled by now, but i’m keeping this up just in case.)

if you think contacting a CSA victim’s abuser and putting them in physical danger is EVER justified no matter how much you dislike them or what they’ve done, see here.

harassment is bad unless it’s against fascists, and dehumanization on every side is actively dangerous. if this is spun as me supporting pedos or whatever you will be dunked in the Slime Vat <- It was spun by a stranger as me “enabling abuse” two days in I cannot make this up. think critically before throwing around serious terms with meanings!!! fact-check where you can, and never spread assumptions as truth. everybody deserves human rights, even if you don’t like them. this goes for everyone, not just me.

👆thank you for reading you’ve been sniffed by a rat

[hpowellsmith]

Some Honor Bound Acknowledgements

Today I want to highlight the amazing jobs that lots of people did to get HONOR BOUND where it is. It wouldn't be anywhere near so polished without their hard work!

My editor Abigail C. Trevor pushes my games into shape from concept to release, from big-picture feedback to meticulous edits.

Abby has a particular knack for teasing out the potential of an idea and pushing it further. At the very early stages, the PC was assigned to Ozera because of an injury but not because of any particular other issues, and Elene's Prospect was not the PC's hometown (and therefore there was no prior connection with Denario)!

Abby also writes games! Her first game, Heroes of Myth, is about a con-artist called to really fix a magical crisis. Her latest, Stars Arisen, is a fantasy doorstopper about being the child of an immortal deposed tyrant queen who wants you to seize back control of the city-state. Highly recommended!

Kris Lorischild copyedited this 595K word monster. This would be a massive undertaking even without my tangles of code to deal with and Kris truly polished Honor Bound to make it shine.

Kris was narrative co-lead/localisation producer on Cozy Grove, created You Are Jeff Bezos and more, used to be Senior Curator for Critical Distance, and has copyedited 20 CoG games. Check out their itch page here!

Adrien Valdes aka @defenestratin did the cover art. Adrien's illustrated three of my games now and knocks it out of the park beautifully every time. He's also illustrated many other CoG and all of the Heart's Choice games. See more of Adrien's work here!

I don't know all the names of the continuity readers, and although I've tried to thank the playtesters directly, I may have missed some—but from finding bugs, to noticing typos or awkward sentences, to letting me know where I was falling short of my goals, their work was invaluable.

Jason Stevan Hill, Mary Duffy, and Dan Fabulich from the Choice of Games team worked wonderfully on this release. Special shoutout to Rebecca Slitt's editorial review of the full draft which guided me in expanding and enriching a ton of moments that needed it.

These days Rebecca is mostly an editor and runs the Heart's Choice label (and many of my favourite games were edited by her), but she also created Psy High, a brilliant teen-psychic CoG game!

Shortly after Honor Bound was released, my friend and fellow writer Eiwynn passed away. You can find out more about her here. Eiwynn was a tireless pillar of the ChoiceScript interactive fiction community, helping writers and players old and new. Ever since I started writing with ChoiceScript, she gave me support and encouragement, and I know she did this for many, many more writers.

Thank you for everything, Eiwynn. Your warmth and kindness will be sorely missed by me and countless others in the community.

Finally: my wife Fay Ikin is my first reader even at the concept stages and helps me arrange my ideas as well as helping me untangle when I'm struggling (in writing and in life!).

Teran is loosely based on her TTRPG campaign from many years ago. I'm very grateful that she let me steal her setting!

Fay isn't on social media, but she makes interactive fiction as well. She's best known for her intense gladiator-pit romance game HEART OF BATTLE in which you can fight and/or romance your fellow gladiators, a magic medic, or a fabulously wealthy patron. It's a brilliant game, and I would say that even if I wasn't married to her! She also made ASTEROID RUN: NO QUESTIONS ASKED, a gorgeous and very underrated scifi thriller.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making HONOR BOUND what it is!

Steam | Google Play Store | Choice of Games on Android | Choice of Games on iOS | Choice of Games on Amazon | Webstore

[a-weepin-willow]

(Okay so how do I even start this?)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY IN STARS AND TIME!!!

I guess you could call what I’m going to write here a thank-you letter :>

Thank you ISAT!

Thank you for this year.

Thank you Adrienne for making this amazing game.

Thanks to everyone who I’ve met through this fandom.

Before Isat I didn’t really interact with anyone on tumblr, was taught stranger-danger at a young age very strictly hehe

But to me most of you aren’t strangers anymore, you’re friends, mutuals, people who’ve seen me grow!!!!

Thank you @abarelysapientpairofshoes for reblogging my first isat post I ever made making you one of my first isat mutuals!!!!!

Thank you @tealgoat for letting me write things inspired by your art!!!

Thank you @radioroxx for recognising the obscure reference I made to lucids on an isat post that made us bond over lucids and then isat!!!!

Thank you for making me meet so many more people in this fandom!!

I have so many more people to thank but I fear that tagging you all would be annoying😖

Just know that whoever you are, whatever you’ve done in this fandom, wether big or small

Thank you!

Thank you, Bonnie

Thank you, Odile

Thank you, Isabeau

Thank you, Mirabelle

Thank you, Siffrin

Thank you, Loop.

And once again

THANK YOU ADRIENNE FOR MAKING THIS AMAZING GAME!!!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone here I hope you all know that in this moment you are loved.

And in this moment I feel loved.

[bruhstation]

Hello Senja! I’ve been following you for a while, and I absolutely love your art style. I also do some TTTE fanart myself and have a few questions I’d love to ask you.👉🏻👈🏻It seems like you’ve been drawing TTTE for quite some time, so I’m curious—when and why did you start creating TTTE fanart? Also, I feel like TTTE fanart isn’t that popular, so how have you managed to keep going with it? I often feel discouraged because of the lack of attention,/supports，and sometimes I think about quitting fanart altogether, but I really want to keep my love for it and keep creating. (Also, I’m not very familiar with the aesthetic standards in the Western fanart community, and it’s been a bit of a barrier for me.) Do you have any advice? Thanks so much for your help!🥺

hello, anon! first of all, thank you for sticking around. looking at the archives, I’d say I started posting around may 2022! I launched this blog with my now-dusty pokemon mystery dungeon AU… I started bruhstation because I’ve been watching ttte clips to cope with the harsh high school dormitory life of 2022-2023. “wouldn’t it be silly if I made thomas gijinkas for fun lmfao” fast forward 3 years later. it doesn’t matter that ttte fanart doesn’t always make it big — I’m enjoying myself here and I’m sure the same goes for nostalgic folks coming to take a peek

as for followers… I never really chased after that high ever since I started high school? I prioritize my education first. also because I have a pretty sizeable following so worrying about followers is one of the last things I have in mind. from my observations, my blog exploded when I actively posted about casa tidmouth’s story… so that’s that. I kept wracking my brain coming up with their backstories and characterization and engaging with my inbox.

getting into your questions; what kind of arts are you making? fanarts in general? or are you making AUs? find a good balance between comedy and insightful characterization. too much comedy will make your story incoherent like “lol random humor XD”. too much tragedy will lessen the impact of serious moments in the story. yes, you are free to make whatever art you like, but once you start wanting an audience, you might have to treat your stuff with a little bit more dignity. also if you really watched tommy and the pals show you know how stupid some of these engines can be

people would often say “make art for yourself! who cares what others think?” but it’d be nice to be noticed once in a while, no? it’s very human to desire inputs and attention from others. everyone wants their work to be appreciated. I don’t know you nor the content you make, but keep improving bit by bit every day. watch lots of speedpaints. study coloring values and canvas composition. use references and try techniques you never tried before. don’t just draw characters smiling in a white void in the same 3/4th facing angle. make them interact. have beef. your circus your monkeys

[starskullz]

new years kiss ;3

HELLO!!! this will be both my last drawing and post of 2024! it's just harp and elliott. i love them both to death HELLO

anyway, um. this year was. particularly uneventful for Me specifically. i mean, i did get into stardew, and make harp, and start posting here more often, but other than that? nothing big! i'm partially glad for that- i think i'd have been a lot more stressed out if i had more going on. 2025, though? i'm hoping at least a Bit more happens.

but yeah! all i really have to say is THANK YOU to everyone who's interacted with my content in 2024! whether it be a like, a reblog, a follow- THANK YOU!!!

i'm very, very close to 100 followers, and that would make the most amount of followers i've had anywhere i've posted my art! that is insane to me- even if, in comparison to some, it's a pretty small number- it means a lot to me! so, again, thank you all so, so much, i love you, and here's to a fantastic 2025!

[ahyesthesufferingoftvteens]

The Hollow Backrooms: Characters

Adam Pre-Backrooms

Hello folks! For those who don’t know: I’m actually a co-creator of The Hollow Backrooms with @valarioncy ! Val did the lovely lovely art while I compiled all the information about this particular Adam and formatted it into an image!

I’ve done this with all of the others, but I want to take my time presenting each one before I compile them all into a single post.

A big thank you to everyone that has enjoyed this AU so far, by the way. The first chapter of the four book series is up and the second chapter is under work! Now here: enjoy your Pre-Backrooms Adam!

Image text will be listed below:

— Adam (19) — ♉️

- Canadian. Originally from Sherbrooke, Quebec. Moved to Vancouver, British Columbia for college.

- Gay Man. He/Him. Afro-Brazilian with Quechuan ancestry, and Italian.

- Raised by his mom and dad. They subtly pressured him to succeed early in life and he’s developed perseverance and a strive for perfection from their insistence.

- No-clipped to The Backrooms by grabbing a knife from his kitchen and bumping his head against the edge of a drawer. He no-clipped with the knife.

- Cautious and stubborn. Distrustful. Quick to take charge and lead in a situation. Diagnosed with ASPD, undiagnosed with OCD.

- Carefully maintains his popularity in his college with the power of masking. Has friends, but finds it difficult to fully connect with them. Barely interacts with his roommates.

- Has a seven-year-old jack russell terrier named Puddles that is still living with his parents.

- Originally majored in business, but later changed it to gaming design against his parents wishes. Works part-time at a local pawn shop.

- His hair is naturally curly, but he uses products like gel and straighteners to slick it back.

- Raised catholic and went to church every Sunday when he was younger. Not very religious, but has bible verses stuck in his head.

[foibles-fables]

Foibs, I am placing the blame entirely on you for how unhinged eternal strands has made me. For a game that gives you so much amazing lore, I still have so many questions! I need the DLC. I need a sequel. I need a series of origin comics. I need a week long seminar on cultural practices within the Mayda😤Anyways, long way of asking a littlest big guy question. How does the rest of the band interact with Emryn? Also, very important: does he get to take naps curled up with Arva?

if you're looking for an apology, you won't find one here 😌😌😌ougghHHh we need so much more. a trilogy. companion novels. an art book. a lore podcast. merch. this gorgeous world YBG has put so much love into creating deserves to be fleshed out. i won't rest until i've yapped about it enough to help make that a possibility. THANK YOU for giving it a chance and for adoring it! so so so glad you've loved it.

and thank you AGAIN for your questions about Emryn--my heart is so happy!!!!

I do think Brynn and Cas keep their family plans pretty private until they're really ready to go for it--maybe Brynn confides in Oria, seeking advice and guidance given the way having a child would affect both her duties as point and the band as a whole, but that's probably the extent of it. The others are probably a bit surprised when the two of them announce their intentions, but they're thoroughly supportive from the start--then by the time Em is born, and they see how much Cas and Brynn adore him, any lingering surprise or doubt is long gone.

Despite the very frank advice Oria gives to Brynn about being a point and a parent--that it's not impossible, but not easy, and also not for everyone, herself included in that count--she is taken with him, and always speaks to him quite seriously as a full and equal member of the band from his infancy. It's not uncommon to see her standing at the scry while Brynn is out, wearing him in a sling (or, when he's older, letting him sit on her shoulders), giving Cas a well-deserved break. Most of all, she's proud of his mothers, having watched them grow so much both individually and together in the years since she first met them.

Sola and Dahm are the equivalent of the double income, no kids aunt and uncle who spoil the absolute hell out of him. A typical moment of overexaggerated exuberance from Dahm is what earns Em's first real laugh, and Dahm doesn't stop talking about it for weeks. (finally, some overt appreciation!)

As the band's alchemist, Laen has plenty to do with Emryn's conception and Casmyn's pregnancy--though they respectfully ask to be spared of any granular details regarding the former. (even as a dedicated lorekeeper, there are certain things you don't have to or want to know about your good friends.) When possible, they choose to love Em from a few feet away until he's old enough to hold a semblance of conversation--infants aren't their strong suit--but after that, they quickly become his favorite minder, with stories and panjal lessons galore.

One night, when Em is a newborn, Sev shocks the band by effortlessly soothing him from screaming to sleeping when even his mothers couldn't calm him. When asked, he mutters something about younger siblings before he left home to join his found.

As for the hearthsiders--Hirun, while typically stoic around children, often comments on his striking resemblance to Brynn, saying that if he acts like her, too, then they're truly in for it. (he does, and they are.) Arek is the epitome of Jock Uncle who gets him all riled up with playtime and then hands him back to his mothers when he needs to wind back down. (let's be honest, though—nine times out of ten, Brynn is also complicit in the winding-up.)

and ARVA. Oh, Arva. She's like a sweet and gentle golden retriever meeting her owners' newborn for the first time--Emryn is her baby, too. Even if, at first, there are times when she gets a little jealous of the attention he receives, she makes it known with nothing more than an indignant little huff or moo. She accepts all nap cuddles and is gracious about accidental fur-pullings.