#way longer than i expected it would

[thecandymaticart]

A silly little idea I had

[kusanagihaku]

running in love in the season of you 

⭢ haru x mc, 4.4k

k is for kindergarten. ˖⁺‧₊⟡ alphabet series | ao3 for @aayakashii!

Children typically speak their first words between 12 to 18 months of age (Zubrick et al., 2007). 

The first time you meet Haru, it is in a blaze of fire and light. 

Or rather: the first time you meet Haru, he is lit by the bright of a summer bonfire, eyes crinkled up in amusement and laughter shimmering in the air between him and his friend. His hair is messy and wind-swept; as he runs his fingers through them, the fiery red catches the light and catches your eye. 

You nudge your roommate. “Who’s that?” 

She squints in his general direction, bringing her hand up to shield her eyes from the glare of the bonfire. “Haru Sagara, I think. I heard he’s an Early Childhood Education major. Lives on the third or fourth floor, maybe?” 

Before you can ask her anything more, though, she is swept away by an enthusiastic acquaintance, disappearing into the noise of the dorm welcome party like smoke in the night. 

You sigh. It shouldn’t be surprising, with the way she’s always been a social butterfly, but you feel some shade of helplessness all the same. Maybe she was right – maybe you do need to make some new friends at this party.

You sip slowly at the cup of Coke you’ve been nursing so far. The cold condensation on the outside of the cup leaves your hand dripping and uncomfortably wet; you hope nobody asks to shake hands. 

Your eyes return again to the man on the other side of the bonfire. His head is thrown back in laughter this time, cackles floating through the crowd as his conversation partner, a tall blonde man in a black turtleneck far too thick for the summer, regales him with some story or another. 

In the heat-shimmer of the fire between you he looks almost like a mirage. 

You watch as he lifts his cup to take a sip, then makes a little frown. He pouts at the man opposite him, who laughs and motions for his cup before standing up and walking away. 

He turns back to the bonfire. 

His eyes meet yours. 

All at once the roar of the bonfire fills your ears, a crackling hush that dims the rest of the party to a dull murmur. Your cheeks burn with the embarrassment of having been caught; yet there is something in the way he holds your gaze, lips lifted in the beginnings of a smile, that stops you from looking away. 

Haru tilts his head. It is as much an inviting question as a quick puzzlement, but before you can decide which one it is his face splits open in a blinding smile. It reminds you so much of a puppy you barely have time to register it before you’re smiling back. 

Perhaps, perhaps you should—

But his friend returns, red cup in hand dancing at the edge of your vision, and just like that the moment shatters in a spit of sparks.

He looks away, mouth rounding out a response to an unheard question. 

You stand, and leave. 

(Or rather: the first time you meet Haru, he is lit by the flickering glow of a bonfire and a radiance of his own making. He sends the thump of your heart racing faster than the rush of summer wind, his smile a glow that will suffuse through your dreams for nights to come.) 

—

Children typically develop two-word combinations between the ages of 12 to 26 months (Brown, 1973).

The second time you meet Haru, it is in a dingy elevator lazing its way to the basement. 

The elevator slows to a stop on the third floor, red digital display flashing twice before dimming. You shift your laundry basket to your other hip. 

The door dings open. 

You come face to face with a shock of fiery red, tamped down by a cream white hoodie emblazoned with the name of your university, similarly balancing a laundry basket on his hip. 

His eyes meet yours, half-formed smile already dancing on his lips, and it slips a laugh out of the both of you as you shift to make way for him.

“Hi,” he says. His voice is far brighter than the artificial warmth of the elevator lights. “I’m Haru.” 

You grin back. “I’m Y/N.” 

He hefts his laundry basket higher. “You were at the dorm welcome bonfire, weren’t you?” 

“Oh, yeah. Good memory.” 

Haru hums. “I remember wanting to introduce myself! You left before I could, though, and I couldn’t find you afterwards.” 

The elevator slows to a stop. You try to keep the sudden loud bumping of your heart under control, try to keep the stray spark of his grin from landing on where your throat has suddenly been lined with gasoline. 

“I decided to turn in early,” you say, carefully. The doors slide open. 

He waves you forward. “Healthy sleeping habits?” 

You snort. “As healthy as sleeping at three every night can be.” 

“Eh?” He looks at you incredulously. “Here I thought I had the bad sleeping habits.”

You learn, as you’re putting your laundry into the washing machines, that Haru’s not only a double major (Early Childhood Education, of course, along with Animal Studies), but also a volunteer with at least three different clubs. His schedule is more packed than you expected from a college student – he spends his Wednesday nights building huts for turtles and feeding owls at the local animal sanctuary, then his Sunday afternoons conducting book readings in the warmth of the children’s library, not to mention the occasional nights he delivers food scraps from the university dining halls to the nearby animal shelters. 

It makes you feel like your twenty four hours aren’t quite the same as his, and when you tell him this, shovelling armfuls of clothes into the cranky white washing machines, he laughs, loud and boisterous.

“Can’t help it, I guess,” he says. He dumps the last armful of clothes into his front-loader and shuts the door. “I’m interested in far too many things to give any of them up.” 

“I’m sure they appreciate your help, though,” you say. You slip the last pair of pants into your washing machine and reach for your detergent. 

Haru hums. “My grades sure don’t!” 

It pulls a laugh out of you. “What classes are you taking, anyway?” 

Haru squints at the level of liquid detergent he poured into the washing machine. “Marine Conservation… Ecological Policies… Literature of Children and Adolescents… what’s the last one…” 

He drips a little more blue liquid into the washing machine, then leans back, satisfied. He caps the detergent bottle. “Ah, Child Language Acquisition!” 

“Oh,” you say in surprise. “I’m taking that.” 

Haru turns to you, eyes widening. “No way!” 

“I didn’t see you last week at the first lecture, though?” 

Haru looks thoughtful for a moment. “I usually sit in the back row. Where do you sit?” 

The washing machine under your hand starts with a groan. You set your empty basket atop it. “Front row, but all the way to the right.” 

“Huh,” Haru says. “A good blind spot. They never pick on students sitting in the aisle seats… I should try that.” 

You laugh. “You’d catch anyone’s eye no matter where you sit.” 

Too late you realise the implications of your words; Haru’s ears flush red as you sputter a retraction. “I mean, with how bright your hair is and all, it’s hard not to notice you!” 

Your tongue stumbles along to the beat of your heart, but thankfully Haru buys it. His responding laugh is slightly awkward, but warm, “Gahaha, can’t refute that!”

“Anyway,” you say, trying to pull away from your inadvertent compliment, “I heard that class is pretty content-heavy.”

“It’d be nice to have a study partner,” Haru hums in agreement. He stuffs his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants. Neither of you make a move to leave the laundry room, despite having already started your machines.

You run your thumb along the tooth of your keys. You don’t want to overstep, given that you’ve just introduced yourselves to each other, but there is something in his easygoing smile that glints so hopeful it sends a rush of words out your mouth. 

“We could study together,” you say, and watch his eyes light up. 

You realise, heart sinking and hopeful, all the reckless things you might say to get him smiling at you like that again. 

“Maybe I can get your number,” Haru says, and he beams so brilliantly you couldn’t bring yourself to refuse even if you wanted to. “That way we can figure out some sort of schedule?” 

The offer is taken up, of course – you input the digits into his keypad with hands you barely remember moving, and are rewarded with the soft September warmth of his smile. 

It stays with you long after you part ways in the hazy grey of the elevator, and lingers in your memory for the rest of the week like the tail-end of summer, sweet and sparkling on the tip of your tongue. 

-

At three years of age, children begin to play beside one another engaging in the same activity (Stagnitti, 2021). 

Haru, as it turns out, is notoriously busy. 

Every time slot you suggest is occupied in one way or another by the others’ classes, club activities or volunteering work. You had no idea it was even possible to fit so many activities in one day – if you didn’t believe so ardently in the sincerity of Haru’s offer you would have suspected long ago he was avoiding you on purpose. 

It takes a bit of back and forth to settle on a time, but it opens up the opportunity for semi-regular texting, at least. 

Did you know, Haru says, in the bruise-purple of Friday twilight, that red foxes have an extra toe on their front paws? Isn’t that amazing? 

Dining hall ran out of eggs (´Д` ) nooooo, comes bright and early Saturday morning. It coaxes some form of fondness from the morning fog of your brain – you can almost hear his voice through the text. 

Read Ten Fat Sausages to the kids at the library today, arrives in the slant of Sunday sunset. One kid asked me if she could listen to it since she was vegetarian… 

Every text he sends sends a jolt up your fingertips; every piece of himself that he shares spreads a giddiness along your veins. If anyone else notices how much you’re smiling at your phone and jumping at notifications in the past few days, well, no they did not. 

How’s Thursday night sound? Your phone buzzes. 

You swipe to check your calendar. Bingo! 

That’s my laundry night, you tap back. If your laundry basket is full you’re welcome to join. 

Amazing!!! ψ(｀∇´)ψ I’ll get my detergent ready!! 

If you were alone you’d be kicking your feet and giggling. But your roommate is asleep, as is the healthy thing to be at two in the morning, and so you settle for closing and opening your messaging app a few times just to give the butterflies in your stomach time to settle. 

Gotta make it through tomorrow’s lecture first! You tap back, then watch as the three dots above your message bar dance and pause, dance and pause, dance and pause. 

Can I sit beside you? 

Your heart jumps a little too high, and lodges somewhere between your last two braincells. Before you can reply, however, another message pops up. 

Just so we can cross check study notes, of course!! 

And then– I promise not to call too much attention to myself!!!! 

You think your cheeks might cramp from smiling so hard. As long as you pay me back for compromising my blind spot. 

Haru’s reply breezes in seconds later. Deal! ٩(˃̶͈̀௰˂̶͈́)و

Payment comes the next morning in form of a warm white paper cup balanced precariously on the edge of a tiny lecture chair table. Haru slides into the seat next to yours with a grin, rust-red hair tucked under the hood of his jacket, eyes waned into crescent moons. 

“I wasn’t sure what you would like,” he admits, sheepishly, “so I made a guess.” 

You crack open the plastic lid. The moment the smell of coffee hits your nose you lean back into your seat with a satisfied groan. “God, just what I needed.” 

His eyes crinkle up in amusement. “Coffee addict?” 

“You have no idea,” you say, taking a sip. “Mm, is this the honey oat latte from round the corner?” 

Haru beams as he sets his laptop on the table. “You’re so well-versed in their menu! Or is it your favourite? Did I get it right first try?” 

You laugh. “Unfortunately not.” 

“Aw.” His face falls so quickly you briefly think about saying that now it will be, but before you can, he’s smiling again, leaning his cheek into his palm as he turns sideways to face you. “Well, good thing I get to keep trying!” 

Your cheeks burn, and you spend the entire lecture telling yourself it is from the heat of the coffee and not at all from the sun of him, bright and radiant and all too breathtaking for the muted dim of morning. 

-

Children begin to develop the grammatical use of additive conjunction ‘and’ at age three (Glória et al., 2016). 

It becomes an all-too-regular thing – you and Haru, front row on the right, matching Monday take-away cups and coffee-tinged sighs. 

Your study sessions turn more-than-weekly too; you find yourself side by side with Haru more often, textbooks cracked open and lit by the soft glare of your laptops as you sit without the groan of washer-dryers in the back of your minds. Not that you spend much time studying when you’re with him – most of the time is spent talking about something or another, basking in the light of his laugh. You learn more facts about marine animals over the course of the weeks than you ever thought possible. 

In some ways, you do spend time studying – you learn that Haru’s favourite colour is orange, and that he takes his coffee with way too much sugar. You learn that he is way too popular with everyone, with people from different clubs constantly waving hi or coming up to ask him about something or another, and that he talks to them all with the same dazzling smile on his face, welcoming and tireless. 

(He complains to you about his club members sometimes. You learn the way his voice slips into a whine when he tells you about how Ren can’t clean the rabbits’ cages properly, and learn the way you can’t take your eyes off his lips when he pouts.)

You learn that Haru smells like morning rain and linen, a gentle sort of clean, and that he types quicker with his left hand than his right. You learn the jangle of keychains he keeps on a metal loop, the sparkle of his hum when he’s distracted, the glint of the hoop piercing on his left ear. You learn the four-beat vibration of his phone he set specifically for his roommate so he’d never miss a call from Rui. 

(You learn, then, that Rui is astonishingly bad at remembering to bring his keys out, and that Haru is very good at picking locks.) 

And, oh, between the two of you you learn that his hands are always rough and warm, that his ears tint pink. You learn how dark red can be when he meets you after a shower, and how rich it can be when he is fluffy and sleep-mussed. You learn the angle at which his eyebrows tent whenever he’s worried, the lop of his frown whenever he thinks too hard, the curve of his eyebags whenever you decide it’s time to turn in but somehow cannot bring yourselves to leave. 

You learn the way Haru looks at you. You learn the way it makes you feel like you’ve been holding the stars in your lungs, too much and not enough. When your roommate asks you for your weekend plans, the “Haru and I” that graces the start of your sentences leaves you that sort of glowing, breathless, weightless. 

It makes you wonder if maybe being with him is how flowers sound like, all slow and soft as they grow into what they are meant to become. As the semester melts into the cold of October you begin to wonder what it would be like to bloom. 

-

At 3;6, children begin using subordinating conjunction ‘because’ (Glória et al., 2016). 

Sunday finds you in the cosy, sunlit reading room of the library next to the park. It is full of caregivers and their children, bustling with laughter and yells of children excited for book-reading time. 

It is more packed than you expected when Haru invited you to his weekly volunteer session, and you seek to tuck yourself into a corner, sitting cross-legged on a cushion underneath a painted display of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Haru sits at the front of the room. He has two books resting on his lap as he chats with the children sitting in the front row, eyebrows dancing through expressions as he gasps and exclaims in response to their clamouring. The delighted giggles of the children in response to Haru’s dramatic begging for them to go one at a time sends a strange sort of fondness through the swell of your heart. 

But at last it begins; Haru claps his hands to be heard over the noise, and the din hushes instantly. 

“Deep in the fridge, and behind the green peas,” Haru starts, “way past the tofu and left of the cheese…” 

If he wasn’t already the centre of your attention, he would be now – when he reads, dancing through the pages in different voices and pausing to ask the children questions, his hands arc through the air, animated and bright as he pulls laughter and gasps from his young audience. The story is appropriately entertaining, you think, but you don’t remember a word of it.

Instead, as his eyes alight on yours again and again, bright and twinkling, you find yourself smiling in time to the rise and lilt of his voice. The sunlight sings through a nearby window; it paints Haru in the glow of the afternoon and sends tangles of fire-gold through the rust-red threads of his hair.

The image of him just like this, haloed and gentle and looking at you from across a room that is too big and too small all at once, freezes and melts, stretches and folds in the space between you, and then collapses, neat and sweet under the tip of your tongue. It dawns on you, slowly, that maybe you were wrong all along – Haru has never been sparks and summer, has never been the scorch of fire and sun. He has never been the blaze of midday, but the gradual warmth that creeps in with sunrise, the quietness of dawning light. 

The promise of him blooms over you as you sit, still and quiet, amongst the muted shout-laughs of the children. Maybe loving Haru, all along, has been like spring – like the arrival of the season he has wrapped himself around you, slowly, completely and surely. Without you noticing the thought of him has already sunk its roots into the crevices of your days despite the business of his own. 

You exhale, and with it comes the sudden undeniable certainty that yes, yes, yes, you are in love with Haru and the way he is filled with love. The way he gives so many parts of himself away and still manages to find more. The way he has been fitted with a heart five sizes too big, the way he will stretch himself thin to make time for all the things he cares about. The way his hands and arms are scarred from things that have hurt him, over and over again, but the way he will not keep himself from reaching back out to help. 

There are a million reasons to love Haru, you think, but perhaps they all boil down to this – when his eyes meet yours again at the end of the storybook, crinkled up and flitting across the thrum of the room, his gaze feels like it is sliding home. 

-

Speech intelligibility is expected to reach nearly 100% at four years old (Coplan & Gleason, 1988). 

“Maybe I should just drop out,” Haru says forlornly. He drops forward, resting his cheek on his arms as he tilts his head to look back up at you. 

You laugh, and set your pen down next to your coffee cup. If you cross your arms maybe you won’t feel as tempted to run your hand through the fluffiness of his hair. “Come on, two chapters to go.” 

“I can’t cram anything in my brain anymore,” Haru whines, and he looks so adorable you give in. 

You rest your fingers on his head. You ignore how soft his hair is under your fingers, and ignore how close he’s sitting, with your thighs nearly pressed together under the table. “You’re already doing so well. Just two more chapters!” 

Haru blinks up at you, small pout forming on his lips. “You’re so encouraging… maybe you should be the kindergarten teacher instead.” 

You pull your hand back – if you don’t, you’ll never stop threading your fingers through his hair. You focus instead on the smattering of freckles across his nose bridge, studying the constellations of sun that have painted themselves across his cheek. “That’s not true. You’re going to be the best kindergarten teacher your kids will ever have.” 

“They’ll never have a kindergarten teacher if I don’t graduate,” Haru grumbles. His cheek is still smushed against his arm, slightly slurring his words. You bite back a smile. 

“You’re going to graduate just fine. You’re perfect for this job, kids love you,” you say, softly. You can’t imagine anyone not loving him. 

(Yourself included.) 

You fish a small plastic-wrapped sweet out of your pocket. The wrapper crinkles between your fingers as you free the yellow candy from it, and when you nudge the sweet at him he opens his mouth obediently for you to slip it between the soft pink of his lips. 

“You’re going to be their favourite teacher,” you continue, and leave the wrapper next to your cup. 

“Will I be your favourite teacher?” Haru says, and he smiles a little, a sweet grin that bursts behind your teeth and makes your next breath feel all sorts of fragile. 

The way he looks at you, wide and trusting, hitches in your throat. You daren’t speak for fear of shattering the moment, the anticipation in his eyes glass-thin, but the words build themselves in your tongue anyway– 

You will always be my favourite. In a room full of people you will always be the only one I’ll be drawn to. In a crowd your voice will always be the first I will hear. 

But Haru tilts his head, looking up at you, and something bubbles in you with a reckless confidence. 

You lift your hand. Your fingertips brush along the soft of his cheek. 

“You’re already my favourite,” you say, quietly. “You’ve been my favourite since the moment we met.” 

He sits up, then, a slow unfolding of himself, sunflower-like. 

“From that day at the bonfire,” you say. You let your hand and your gaze drop back into your lap. “And that day in the laundry room, and every day ever since. You’ve always been my favourite.” 

There is a huff from your right. You look up, half-expecting another self-deprecating laugh as Haru is wont to do, but you are met with eyes twinkling and soft and fond. The bright grin that he gives you as he leans in is warm, like cloudless days on rolling hills, all blue skies through the clear of a window, all Haru. 

“Come on,” Haru says, and as he takes your hand, carefully and gently, it fills you with the sort of dizzying, giddy golden you can only imagine fields of daffodils shine with. “You’re my favourite, too.” 

-

By four years of age, children are able to compare things using words like bigger and smaller (Sheldrick et al., 2013).

The first time you meet Teacher Haru, it is in a riot of colours and clamour. 

Or rather: the first time you meet Teacher Haru it is across a small wooden childproofing gate, painted a delightful blue and littered with misshapen origami flowers. The wattage of his smile the moment he catches sight of you matches the blinding yellow of his apron, but he barely opens his mouth before he is swept away again by the cacophony that accompanies playtime in a kindergarten class. 

You squat down next to the child for whom you’ve been called in to do a speech assessment. You wait until he looks at you, then smile kindly. “Hi, Boo.” 

The boy’s eyes round. He stares warily at you for a moment, clutching a small, red toy truck between his hands, before whispering, “Hi.” 

It takes a while for him to open up to you, but you are nothing but patient – you eventually get him to respond in longer sentences at the end of fifteen minutes. 

You prod at the toy truck that now rests between you. “Who’s your favourite teacher, Boo?”

Boo gives you a shy smile, then glances away to the front of the classroom. “Teacher Haru.” 

You can’t help it – your eyes slide back to where you know Haru is standing. The sunlight streaming through the open classroom windows haloes him, basking the red of his hair in a familiar, golden sort of warmth. His head is thrown back in laughter, hands fending off crayons from a gaggle of enthusiastic preschoolers as they clamour for his attention.

In the sea of noise between you he looks almost like a mirage. 

He turns, slightly, to look at you, his gaze brimming with a familiar fondness, a magnet finding its way home. 

His eyes meet yours. 

“Guess what,” you find yourself saying. The toy truck drifts from your fingertips as you smile back at him. “Teacher Haru’s my favourite teacher too.” 

[burstfoot]

Figured I'd make a post outlining Arknights' auxiliary material for those who want to see more of the universe and aren't aware of all that's out there! ANIMATION Arknights Prelude To Dawn (S1) and Perish in Frost (S2, currently airing): [Crunchyroll]

A straight up adapation of the main story, up through Chapter 0 to Chapter 6! It's much more fast-paced than the story, so I wouldn't use it to replace actually reading it, but it's very cool to see some of these scenes in full animation. Lee's Detective Agency: (Youtube)

A mini-series animated in a chibi-style with a comedic tone focused on the adventures of the Kuroblood-illustrated Lee's Detective Agency! Distributed by Crunchyroll globally, but entirely free to watch.

Closure's Secret Files: (Youtube)

A cut-out styled series of shorts hosted by Closure which outlines a lot of the game's basic mechanics!

Holy Knight Light: [Youtube]

A short Youtube OVA focusing around Penguin Logistics delivering a package, celebrating Arknights' first anniversary!

[Upcoming]: Kay's Daily Doodles: (Twitter Annoucement)

Another free youtube mini-series that starts airing December 1st, focused around Ceobe! Here's some additional animations! Each event usually also has a 15 second 2D animated preview of the event, but there's so many of those that I can't list them all. Official Anniversary Event 3D Animations: Lone Trail Where Vernal Winds Will Never Blow Il Siracusano Ideal City Stultifera Navis Invitation To Wine Near Light Dossoles Holiday Under Tides Bonus 3D Animated Shorts: Legend of Chongyue Arknights Special - IL Siracusano Lo Scontro Youtube Shorts: Ch'en and Lin's Watermelon Splitting Game Part 1 Ch'en and Lin's Watermelon Splitting Game Part 2 Amiya's Siracusan Food Guide Part 1 Amiya's Siracusano Food Guide Part 2

Comics, Manga, Manhua

Officially Translated Rhodes Island's Records of Originium: Rhine Lab: (Offical Website)

A canon manhua centered around the circumstances that lead to Silence falling out with Saria and joining Rhodes Island with Ifrit, as well as Ifrit's attempt to save a dying infected stowaway on the landship. Essential reading for understanding the Rhine Lab storyline and characters - read it right after Mansfield! One of the characters, Darya, is mentioned in both Ifrit's module and briefly in Lone Trail.

Rhodes Island's Records of Originium: Blacksteel: (Official Source)

A short story focusing on the lives of the Blacksteel operators aboard the landship. While it often gets overshadowed by the Rhine Lab manga which is bigger in scope, this is a great read especially if you're interested in Franka or Liskarm.

Rhodes Kitchen -TIDBITS-: (Official Source)

An anthology story related to the cuisine that's important to a variety of operators. While it might seem unassuming, the art is gorgeous and it's really well-written. I particularly recommend the Goldenglow (Chapter 4) and Rosa (Chapter 5) chapters.

Unofficially Translated

Arknights Comic Anthology: (Mangadex)

As the title says, a series of non-canon anthology stories regarding the cast of Rhodes' Island! Note that the link provided only has complete translations up to Volume 4 (and Vol. 4 is missing Ch. 7), and most of the chapters avaliable after that point were MTL'd, so I can't vouch for their accuracy. Chapters I'd recommend are: Volume 1: Chapter 12 (focused on Myrrh trying to improve her medicine), Chapter 14 (focused on Saria and Silence trying to put apart their differences to take Ifrit on vacation, afaik the only place where they are directly referred to as her "moms") Volume 2: Chapter 1 (Manticore tries to make friends), Chapter 3 (The LGD gets drunk), Chapter 11 (Texlapp and Mosexu yuribait), Ch. 13 (Magallan tries to find a pet), Chapter 16 (Ethan spies on the interior lives of Rhodes operators) Volume 3: Chapter 6 (Snowsant, Ifrit, Nian and Shaw are forced to make friends), Chapter 7 (Gummy flashes back to Chernobog), Chapter 10 (FEater and Shaw yuribait), Chapter 13 (Blackout on the landship, as well as Ayerscarpe and Leonhardt yaoibait)

Volume 4: Chapter 4 (Thorns tries to make friends with Weedy [this one is my favourite]), Chapter 6 (Tomimi tail spankings), Chapter 9 (Elysium helps Frostleaf get along with Dur-Nar) Volume 6: Ch. 1 (Whisperain opens up to others) [this one isn't MTL'd afaik]

123 Rhodes Island: (Mangadex)

A series of non-canon gag 4komas! Many of the games' offical stickers are done in this series' art style.

Arknights: Operators!: (Mangadex)

A compilation of 4komas posted on the official ArknightsJP twitter account! Thank you to @sleepywoodscans for their work on translating these, please show them some love!!

[Edit: For clarities sake, the only stuff here that has used MTL is later chapters of the Comic Anthology! Sleepywoodscans’ work on Operators! is all done by hand (they’re a native Japanese speaker). Again, I really appreciate their work!]

Arknights: A1 Operations Preparation Detachment: (Mangadex)

Part of the Terra Historicus website and not yet officially translated, focusing on Fang, Kroos and Beagle, and a catastrophe striking the Columbian city of Tkaronto. Unfortunately, only translated up to Chapter 6, but one of the characters (Elba) has a brief cameo in Light Sparks in Darkness! Edit: Chapter 7 has been translated by @pooce-art, and they're working on Chapter 8!

Angelina: Sketches of THIS Messenger's Journey: (Mangadex)

Also published as part of the Terra Historicus website and not yet officially translated, focuses on the adventures of Angelina travelling across Terra as a Messenger! Recent chapters relate to the upcoming Sami event & IS4, as well as the upcoming So Long, Adele.

Prelude Suite: Unrestrained Play: (Wiki)

Unfortunately, I can't find a full translation for this one - an epilogue to Hortus De Esscapismo focusing on Arturia's background. Of course, major spoilers for Hortus apply - if you can find a full translation yourself.

As well, an upcoming manhua focused on the Break the Ice cast was annouced during the 4.5 Anniversary stream. As far as I'm aware, chapters have not begun releasing yet!

Other:

Arknights Ambience Synesthesia: (Youtube)

A series of concerts (3 so far), focusing around Arknights' music! A live performance has been done every year, with skins released in-game for the concert's theme & 3D animations produced featuring the skin's cast in 2022 and 2023.

Monster Siren Records: (Spotify) (Official Website)

Arknights' official (and-in-universe) record label publishing game OSTs, themes for almost every 6 star operator that releases, and occasional bonus songs.

Arknights: Endfield: (Twitter)

An upcoming 3D action gacha game from Hypergryph, set in the far future of Arknights' universe on another planet. Currently in closed beta testing for their CN servers!

Arknights: Nomad City: The Founders: (Youtube)

A to-be-released CN Arknights board game! Unclear of if it will ever be translated or released globally, unfortunately...

Terra: A Journey: (Wiki)

An upcoming CN lore book focused on the intricate details of Terra's worldbuilding. As well, unclear if it will be translated or released globally.

UNOFFICIAL:

Some fandom-developed tools that might be of use to you are the Arknights Terra Wiki - which just transferred from FANDOM to wiki.gg, and has very detailed information on both game mechanics and world-lore.

As well, the Arknights Story Reader can help you catch up on stuff you don't want to or can't read in game!

Finally, Aceship's Toolbox provides access to a variety of tools, including a levelling calculator, a calculator to ensure the best recruitments, and all the CGs, backgrounds and character sprites that are avaliable in-game.

Conclusion:

Thank you for reading! I hope this provided some new information to you or at least provides an easy reference resource in the future. There's a lot to check out even outside of the game, and I hope you find some stuff you enjoy!

[anonymous-chicken-was-taken]

There is a man named Stanford Pines.

Just about anyone in the scientific community knows his name, and most know his face. It would be hard not to. It's plastered on magazines, on websites, on informational guides about the Institute of Oddology. Stanford Pines is synonymous with the word odd, peculiar, strange; it takes very little digging to find that.

Yet, when it comes to actually meeting the man? No matter who you ask, the answer is almost always no, they have not met him. Everyone knows of him, but nobody knows him. They see his face, they hear his name, they read his papers, they know his arguments. A lucky few even converse with him through email, or letters, or phone conversations. However, meeting him face to face seems to be an occurrence even rarer than the beasts he writes essays about.

Sometimes, he makes a public appearance. Sometimes, someone will see him walking about in some small, secluded space. His co-founder follows him like a shadow, never long taking his eyes away, full as they are of both care and peculiar caution.

Even more unheard of, sometimes, Stanford Pines will do something that interacts with the public. Once every few years, he will appear for an interview, or a photo, or something else to please the magazines that fill up his inbox. McGucket will be with him, every single time, and afterwards there will be whispers on the very internet he created from the people he'd spoken to. By all accounts, Stanford Pines is a very subdued, polite gentleman. Someone who is very intelligent and awkward, and attached to his co-founder at the hip. A man who is followed at all times by an army of personal security and NDAs. "For safety," McGucket will say as Pines' face goes dark. No one ever explains who's being kept safe, or from what.

To the students at the Institute of Oddology, it's even stranger. Nowhere does it say that seeing or meeting the core founder is guaranteed -- in fact, in comparison to other institutes, it's hardly even advertised that he's there -- but it's still surprising. If Stanford Pines is seen at all, it's almost always from behind a screen. Some students graduate without ever having seen him in-person. He does not attend events. He does not greet families. He does not make speeches unless he's being projected on a screen, a stark contrast to McGucket and his exaggerated mannerisms as his very real and present form hovers nearby. He holds no office on the entire campus. It is not unheard of to see him taking a walk with his co-founder, but it's rare enough to be shocking.

Rumors fly. Some are silly, absent things that would seem implausible to anyone who hasn't spent time in Gravity Falls. He's a vampire. He's a robot made by McGucket. He's a whole eldritch entity. Some rumors are more serious, whispered when his reclusive nature rings suspicious among the masses. None of them change the facts.

Perhaps it would make more sense if his co-founder was similar. However, Fiddleford McGucket is the polar opposite of Stanford Pines. He responds to interviewers asking about his computers. He makes speeches. He wanders around campus, stopping to chat with anyone who cares to listen. He's amiable and approachable as long as you can get past his rather extreme eccentricities, with an open-door policy and only one question he won't answer. If anyone builds up the guts to ask about Stanford Pines, and why he's so gosh darn reclusive, his only response is a sad, painful smile and a change of subject. In general, however, if one were to ask a given student of the institute where they could find Fiddleford McGucket, the chances are would be they'd be able to relay the information. However, like so much having to do with Stanford Pines, there is always a but.

At least three days a week, Fiddleford McGucket disappears for hours at a time. In theory, this would not be unusual. There's a section of the campus, slightly separate from the rest, dedicated to research. It takes much clearance to get to this area, for it is full of many very dangerous things. Some of the newer students fall under the misconseption that this is where he goes off to. However, there is a secretary at the entrance to this section of the campus, and when McGucket disappears, no amount of asking will get them to respond that he lies within. There is no summary of what he's there for, and there is no estimate of when he'll be back in his office. He is not there. For those hours, it's like he's vanished off the face of the planet.

There is another building seperated from the rest, barely visible through the trees. Tucked far behind the research area of the campus and heavily guarded at all times. No amount of clearance, or ID, or begging, will get anyone in. This place, most know, is where McGucket goes. No one can be certain, but there's a conviction there that this is the truth. It's the same way people know that this is where Stanford Pines resides. In those hours, McGucket disappears to the same nowhere at all that his co-founder lives.

No one tries to get there. Not anymore. There would be no point.

In order to do so, one would have to get into the research zone of campus. Already, this requires more clearance than most students could imagine. From there, one would have to go through a building only staff can open, at the very back of the campus, where only the most dangerous of research is kept. A security officer stands ever-vigilant at a back door leading to a winding pathway, intersected halfway through by a pair of guard stations. Past them lies a towering locked gate, centered in the midst of a towering electric fence. There is no guard station at the gate itself, though guards patrol the perimeter, even though the underbrush is too thick to walk through. There is no visible way to unlock the gate, but if one managed to get through regardless, they would find that the obstacles were still not over. The acre the fences encircle is thick with security, only some of which is human. It's impossible not to get caught, but if somehow, someone did, they would find themselves face to face with the sloped roof and charming wooden exterior so vaguely visible from the more well-trodden paths.

If one were to make it behind the reinforced door and yet one more pair of security guards, they would find nothing of note at all. In fact, were the windows not so thick, and the place not full of rooms with no place in a residence, and the path not so elaborate, and the whole area not so heavily reeking of isolation and uncanniness, one could almost mistake it for a normal home.

Inside, one would find Stanford Pines. Shorter than his head-and-shoulders shot makes him seem, and with a tangible air of melancholy about him that no projection could ever communicate.

Above all, Stanford Pines would appear incredibly alone, with only security, a McGucket Computer, and shelves upon shelves of books for company. If this someone who somehow managed to sneak in got lucky, they would arrive in this not-quite-a-home while McGucket had disappeared to there. They would find the two of them in deep conversation, and Stanford Pines would appear happier and more animated than most any living soul had seen him in decades, content in the company of his one connection; his shadow. Even when they had serious conversations, about the most serious topics in the world, something about him would be just that bit more lively. The visit would end, every time, with McGucket asking the same question. Every time, Pines would shake his head sadly as he responded; would the answer have been different, they both know that McGucket would have been informed long before he arrived.

Upon his co-founder's departure, one would be able to see Stanford Pines either sigh and sink right back into his melancholy, or the energy persist for another handful of hours. One would wonder why he was so reclusive, if he seemed so much brighter when he was among friends. One -- the impressive, unstoppable individual who managed to get into such a heavily monitored area -- would more than likely leave confused.

They wouldn't realize, unless they stayed within the bounds of the not-quite-home until it was far too late, what the hoards of security was designed for. Wouldn't realize that just as much as much as they are meant to keep someone out, they are also meant to keep someone in.

[cylove]

raijinshuu/thunder legion headcanons:

these will be about dynamics within the group ! some of these hcs will be under the pretense that they all live together

bickslow designed laxus’ tattoo design. i personally see bickslow as an artsy guy, if we consider his dolls to be self made. i like the idea of bickslow helping laxus with a form of self-expression since laxus had identity issues back when he was younger. i think it would have been one of the major moments in their friendship

bickslow calls everyone in the group baby INCLUDING laxus. thats his babe. i dont know when laxus starts allowing that to happen, but its definitely a thing now. it probably started with only freed and ever being called baby, but one day he called laxus baby too and reallyyyyy deep inside laxus enjoyed being close enough to have that term of endearment too

everyone knows the names of bickslow's babies. they could pretend and say "they're all so similar, how am i supposed to know who's who??" but they know. i would even go so far as to say they can discern the different personalities of his dolls. like the raijinshuu have been a thing for years, its not unbelievable that they remember the names of 5 dolls during that time. sure they all sound very similar but its not impossible to get it right

i see the raijinshuu as family but not any concrete dynamics like mom/dad or siblings like some people hc EXCEPT bicks and ever that feels like an older brother terrorizing his little sister. everyone has seen the way he teases her about elfman lol. this getting slightly off track but i do ship bicks and lisanna, because the day that bicks and ever actually become siblings will be the funniest day ever

their hypothetical house is soooo interesting to me. like i wouldn’t say it’s ugly but… it certainly has character. it’s like bickslow’s paintings and woodcarvings on the walls or coffee tables. freed’s knitted throw blankets and filled bookshelves, evergreen’s potted plants near the windows and not as unsettingly stone statues, and laxus’ persian rug in the living room RANDOM IK but i think he’d bring something beautiful to the table. that and a nice record player. he’s considerate and keeps his leopard print to the bedroom

in terms of cooking, freed does it the most, hes pretty skilled (except for the flying fish incident) and more importantly more driven to not let everyone fend for themselves for food

evergreen can cook too, but only a select few recipes which shes really gotten down. shes lazy to cook though and since freed has that sense of duty, shes more than happy to let him take over

bickslow is fine, many ppls interpretation of his backstory notes he used to be in a circus and i agree! i hc he was one of the older teens there and he probably had to help out with cooking from time to time. but again freed is there, so he chooses not to. if hes in the mood he'll make food that tastes perfectly fine and with a fun presentation. think likeeee the sauce being drizzled around the meal, stuff like that

laxus.. sandwich.. you may then wonder how he survived pre-shared living situation and to answer that he just ate at the guide before he goes home. or just eats out because hes a nepo baby. or chicken and salad, literally nothing complicated or else he messes it up. like he tried to cook for them once, but they all arrive home and its like "oh thank god you guys are here, help me im stuck on the steaks but the potatoes are gonna burn" freed unfortunately finds it very endearing and decides to cook with him

because everyone doesnt cook as much, freed makes them take up the other chores of the house, laxus and bickslow taking out the garbage (evergreen: did you honestly expect me to touch trash?!) , cleaning after dinner, etc

as for washing clothes its evergreen and laxus. evergreen wants to make sure everything is being separately or hung up properly. she and laxus probably have the most clothing items so it makes sense. as for laxus have you seen that one translated comic where freed breaks into his house? he was STRESSED leaving his clothes in the washer. he definitely cares for his leather and the likes

evergreen is laxus' backscratcher, he loveessss her long nails so they could just sit on the couch watching tv while she drags her nails down his back. ive always liked how casually physical she is with him based on 2 the times she hugs him, which is a pathetic amount but for side characters ill treasure it

evergreen whacks everyone with her fan if they annoy her she does not gaf. happens the most to bickslow for obvious reasons. this is a specific scenario but if shes hanging on the couch opposite to one of them, she'll also just shove her feet into their faces when they say something she doesnt like LMAO. its just playful fighting

they definitely get back at her, just simple stuff like shutting off the light in her room randomly and forcing her to get up, usually they do this when she has to be called for dinner. she throws her pillow at whoever's at the door and proceeds to have to pick it up for herself

laxus is a sniff kisser :) not super intrusive but still intimate, this is mostly towards ever and freed since theyre shorter than him. with bickslow he wears his helmet a lot so he doesnt have the chance to nearly as much. he does tease him and tells him he reeks when hes helmet-less tho. its just a very quick sniff kiss to the hair for all of them. hes a very sensory type of person ever since he became a dragon slayer and really enjoys the comforting scent of his friends

[shitty-proendo-blackout-posts]

Lets not be ableist

[theoryandahalf]

Team theorist alignment chart/

(I also randomly had a zombie apocalypse idea- I don't know why i get all my ideas when im busy)

Hmm..Ok. I'll give it a go.

Justifications

Tom: His Game Theories aren't as off the wall as the other hosts and he seems like the type to tuck in his shirt, idk. I honestly don't know where else to put him.

Dan: As a Guest Host Dan is willing to read MatPat's cringey lines but can't stop himself from leaving commentary on them. He also has the power of the Edit on his side but doesn't abuse the power.

Amy: Makes her friends sniff each other's armpits and wear peepee pants. But she will also wear the peepee dress and sniff the pits so she's pretty lawful in my book.

MatPat: MatPat has gone on record to say he thinks he's a chaotic neutral (which feels right, coming from the man who brought us Best Boobs in Gaming but also did a Food Theory just for his son). However if you factor in his entire career trajectory, he mostly falls under Good and might even be considered Lawful Good if not for the Luigi's Penis and "Dream is my Son" episodes.

Steph: The True Neutral. Could destroy everyone on this chart. Chooses tea instead.

Lee: I think Lee does a good job presenting the most questionable theories with an aura of professionalism. Lee. Please. Jax and Pomni are not NPCs, please I'm so tired. Film Theory also feels like the most evil channel, maybe its the red logo.

Ash: Ash "I did crime" GTLive is the politest criminal on YouTube. Respectfully.

Sam: Honestly could be evil, should be evil, but instead chooses to steal baseball bats using his ant army.

Santi: Repeatedly denies that corporate greed is ruining America. He also might be in this slot so that he is Tom's direct opposite because its funnier that way.

Also, I want to hear about the zombie apocalypse fic even if you can't work on it. Zombie AUs are fun.

[grouchythefish]

when people draw murderbot as androgynous like it is described in the books instead of just defaulting to entirely masculine features: do you know I would die for you?

[danieyells]

I can also see Romeo straight up setting a glory hole, tying your knees to your chest and shoving your ass in a hole. Basically renting the mc by the 15 minutes and bc he hates the mess and it would be annoying to send someone to clean every few hours so he is strict about condoms, tho if someone paid a few hundred dollars he might look the other way

Re: Sold by Sinostra(Frostheim edition) mini headcanons because i guess i have to give these a name i can remember

Oooh absolutely. Just shove them in a box so he doesn't have to look at them crying and being a disgusting hole, plus less mess! Although as far as cleaning goes i imagine a lot of it is just like. One of his goons comes in with a hose and sprays them down. Or there's some sort of anomaly that he sends in that cleans all the mess up, like an akaname. But I think 'if you don't want to use a condom you'd better pay a lot more' would also be very in character, no matter what you're allowed to do to the pc. Mortkranken has medicine if you have problems.

And since @jadeleechsupportgroup and @dewstickynotes said who they wanted next. . .

Sinostra! As you can see I've got ADHD that's so bad that it took me damn near a month to do something as small as this, so please do not stay up all night waiting on it lol. maybe Hotarubi next since you both also said Haku.

romeo got two since he's the catalyst for this scenario--or maybe just because i had two distinct things in my head for him. i don't remember what my initial idea for taiga was which is bothering me.

As Romeo is the one selling you, the opportunities are plentiful. But if he likes you a lot, he'll treat you very well. You feel more like an oiran the way you're pampered and dressed and only sold to people Romeo doesn't think will treat you too crudely. Not to speak of the price he sells your body for--as if you're a luxury good, not an indebted whore! He dresses you himself, making you up to his standard with makeup and skin treatments. After you're bathed(whether by yourself or a trusted underling) you sit at his feet in the VIP room, bare naked, like a pet, until he's ready to tend to you. He complains about how much of his time you're taking up, but he seems to enjoy treating you like a doll. "See? This isn't so bad, right? You'll be able to pay me back in no time this way!" After an hour of sitting nude at his feet, Romeo finally acknowledges you, stroking your head. His underlings bring a selection of clothing he must have ordered them to retrieve, and he stands you up as he decides what to put you in. An expensive-looking box of make up is placed on the table, but he turns your head to face his mocking expression before you can see the branding. "It would certainly have been better if you'd only paid what you owed, but you've done a good job so far of making the money back. Of course, I'm pricing you at far more than you're worth--so how about you say 'from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making me worth something, Romeo' for me?"

On the other hand, Romeo could want you all for himself if he likes you in a different way. For you to be handled by the filth out there when you ought to be his. . .in the end he wouldn't be able to take it. Once your fate was sealed he would tell you he needs to gauge how much you're worth. He knows most of the auction room customers who're out to purchase other humans are out for sex--so he'll have to evaluate your body and your performance. "Do well, or you'll be here even longer." But this 'evaluation process' seems to take quite a while. He examined your body like you were a dog at a show, and you blew him and cockwarmed him while he worked, sitting idly by when he didn't want you to touch him. When his underlings frustrated him, he threw you down and used you until he wasn't so angry anymore. You knew he punched walls and slammed tables, but you somehow didn't expect the spankings or the rough pounding. Somehow you got scolded over the bruises he gave you. "I've made a decision." He announced after his workday seemed to be over and he'd finished counting the casino's profits. "I think you'd pay off your debt to me better personally. So you'll be my property, for me to do with as I see fit, until I've decided you've paid me back. I tell you what to do, and you say 'yes, sir' or 'yes, Fico'. Got it? No backtalk, no bitching, and no questions! . . .If we're alone, I'll even let you say 'yes, Romeo.'" He talks as he leads you through the halls and to a room--his bedroom, by the looks of it. He sits in a similarly fancy chair to the one in the VIP room, and gestures to his feet, where it seems you'll be sitting more often for a while, then lifts your chin with the tip of his shoe. "Why don't you you start with showing me how thankful you are that I'm not making you a common whore, used by the rodents outside? I think that's worth a little worship, don't you?"

You'd think Taiga wouldn't remember you well enough to get you out of this, but the way he coos "here, kitty, kitty" at you to beckon you to the bars of your cage to pet you says otherwise, as does the way he asks, more to Romeo than you, "what's my little kitty cat doing in a cage, huh?" But the cold and empty look in his eyes also tells you something important--he is hungry, and the tight grip on the back of your neck when you try and back away doesn't inspire much hope that he doesn't intend to use you to solve that. His underlings pay Romeo, and Taiga unlocks your cage himself before he parades you through the casino, despite your state of undress, to bring you all the way back to his room where his goons take their places guarding outside the door and you are shoved onto his bed and easily held down with a single hand against your chest. "You really wandered into some deep shit with your debt like that, huh! Lulu would've had you in there forever if I didn't come along and save ya! Y'know how literally you'd've been fucked if not for me?" He laughs, moving away from you to open the curtain to his torture room. "So, what should we play with today, little stray kitty? Then again, I'm gettin' pretty hungry. . . ." He takes up and admires a rather nasty looking knife. "But if I ate you right now, I wouldn't be getting my money's worth. . .you get what I mean? You weren't cheap, so you're gonna have to entertain me a little, kitten." He puts it away, retrieving his pistol and aiming it towards the ceiling. "I got an idea! How 'bout I be the cat today. . .and you be a little mouse. And all you gotta do is get off this ship before I catch you. . .I won't even have my mooks stop you from runnin' and hidin'. I'll give you a head start, too! Between that and how hungry I am, you can get out of here, right? Oh, but if I catch you. . .you cost a real pretty penny, like a real purebred kitten. . .so let's hope I can get as many meals outta you as you were worth." A click. A bang. Shattering glass and a pop and sparks before the room is shrouded in darkness. The doors slam open, Taiga's underlings bursting in in alarm at the gunshot. Your opportunity for freedom is marked only by Taiga's voice. "You've got 30 seconds."

"Vice Captain, this could easily be prosecuted as unlawful imprisonment under Article 220 of the Penal Code." Ritsu explains, gesturing towards you in your cage. "As far as this contract goes, the consent towards confinement has been retracted. I must advise that you return their clothing and allow them to leave the room." It's surprisingly easy to convince Romeo to yield under threat of law--although Ritsu only requires that you're released and ignores any other occupied cages in the room. As for your debt, Ritsu has already prepared a contract for you, allowing him to pay it off for you, subsequently making him your creditor. As you work with and are frequently paid by Ritsu, part of these paychecks will simply be withheld. . .it's a very thoroughly written contract, which you sign as it will keep you out of Romeo's 'private office'. An NDA is also procured for further discussion of this particular incident. "It would have been preferable if you had informed me of this debt of yours beforehand." Ritsu sighs in some disappointment, walking you back to his office. "For you to be burdened by such a debt reflects poorly on me as well, you know. So long as you and I continue our working relationship and you do well on your missions, I'm certain you'll be able to repay me in time. Now then, as for the fee for negotiations. . . ."

[prosekaiuwu]

akito and minori images? preferably ones that can be used as reaction images!

[hammill-goes-fogwalking]

I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI. I HATE AI.

[huntingrays]

Leo and Jason had been friends for ages. They had been childhood friends and grew up together.

Due to their closeness, Leo thought it was only natural that his thoughts around him strayed. He was so comfortable in his sexuality that he entertained funny thoughts about what it would be like to date his best friend. He specifically wondered what it would feel like to kiss him.

However, it wasn’t weird. They had such a close, unbreakable bond that he felt comfortable with the idea. They were both straight, so they’d never come to fruition, but they were amusing to think about. It was natural. Anyone would think about it if their best friend was as attractive and sweet as Jason.

Everyone thought that way. Right?

__

or, the five times Leo thinks it's normal to want to kiss his best friend, the one time he realizes it isn't, and the one time he gets kissed.

[oracleofsecrets]

Wip - fairy wings portion — (completed project here!)

First wing done. Buttonhole stitch was a meeeeessss most of the way through 😭 after doing the other wings I did cave and redo the worst of it

Much better on the first long wing. Bc I’m using mouliné floss I don’t love how the backstitch doesn’t lie very flat without pulling tight, which would then probably overstretch the organza

So for the large wing I did Holbein stitch instead, which kind of turned into semi-split Holbein, where I make sure I pierce through the previous thread when going up or down into a previous stitch. That seemed to make for a straighter line, too. Idk if it’s just this thread and fabric combo but doing regular backstitch makes the stitches seem a little wobbly even though I’m going through the exact same hole

A couple days later I finished stitching the wings For the second small wing I used I think a size 3 needle for at least the buttonhole edging, which turned out nice. Not very tenable though bc I can barely fit even a single strand of the mouline through the eye without that tail end frazzling quickly

Was p nervous about removing the stabilizer since this fabric is so delicate. No problems from the outside, but the inside was trickier. I did a bunch of stuff to try to make it come out easier than it did on the small wing up top in this pic…

I took a sewing needle and gently poked along the stitch lines just to get through the stabilizer but not the fabric. Then I used that needle near the edging to start a tear and switched to tweezers to carefully pull it away. But I also used cuticle / hangnail clippers to cut away along the inner stitching so that I wouldn’t be yanking on those. Took a bit, and I think there are still tiny bits of stabilizer stuck between the buttonhole but it’s not noticeable enough for me to care after working on this for like 5 hours straight today

I cut out the short wings but I’m so nervous that the organza is going to break off, so I painted the raw edges with clear nail polish lol. For the big wings, I put some fabric glue on the back side all along where I’ll be cutting so that hopefully that will keep the fabric from fraying once I cut it. I’m leaving that for tomorrow bc by that point it had been 6 hours of working on it and obvi the glue needs to set

After that it’ll be pompom cutting, shaping, and “dyeing” and then assembly :x

[demonio-fleurs]

okay. here's my thoughts. hopefully these are coherent.

koala doesn't wears clothes that might show her sun pirates mark, and only shows her sun pirates mark to people whom she is very close to. most of what she wears covers up her back, and she doesn't put herself in positions where people might be able to see it especially when she isn't on base.

and it isn't out of shame, either. koala doesn't seem like the type of person who feels shame about her mark. to me, it boils down to two reasons: one, everytime she sees it there is a lingering reminder, no matter how distant, of the circumstances behind why she got it in the first place (because trauma doesn't just go away like that). and two, and tbh what is to me the main reason, seeing it could raise some questions from people who don't know her as well as say, sabo hack and dragon.

like. she seems to work mostly in gathering intelligence and only seems to take an active fighting role alongside sabo and hack in very specific situations, so she really can't have anything that might draw attention to her. and seeing the mark of the sun pirates would almost certainly raise questions in any nation that she's in, not to mention seeing it on a human would raise more questions. it's probably much easier to just have it covered up than having to explain it over and over again.

hell, i would say that even on baltigo she probably either takes private baths or if there is a communal bath she probably waits till most people are asleep to bathe, because any new recruit who doesn't know her will see it and will almost certainly have questions, even if they don't ask her directly.

i also think this is why i really love when people draw koala with her back exposed and remember her sun pirates mark, because it is such a huge part of her, but because you don't see it much it's so easily forgotten. but it is there. and it is part of her character.

[axonthegoat]

So I've been working on/thinking of doing more stuff with my cotl au, And Since I need to know where everything is consistently for any writing,

Let me welcome all you starlings to a comprehensive Guide of the Map and Layout of the Cult of spirits!

To Start I'll Walk you through the main area of the Cult and the first place you'll see when entering!

We'll go from left to right ----->

We'll start under the cut because this is a real long one boys[gender neutral]

Layer one:

The Farm Farm is self explanatory the place where all the crops are grown, The seed stock, fertilizer, and Natural burial storage is all stored here!

The Farm is quite large with it being the main source of food for the Cult, a small part of the farm is provided Shade from overhang from the canopy!

Next up is the Dinning area! We have a brewery, two cooking stations some bathrooms and plenty of space to enjoy your meal! There's a cool wooden dragon statue here too :)

The Leader ordered that its a Rule to eat within either your own home or the designated eating area's! He say's its for easier cleanup and prevents damage to the flowers (He seems to really care for plant life huh?)

Past the Idol of the leader and the teleport circle you most likely came in through, Is the Temple! and all other amenities should you participate in the religion of the cult! The Second largest Garden in the Cult, The leader cares for lots of the plants here (the leader says its not necessarily important to have shelter with in the safety of the cult :)

First we have the Offering statue! want to give a gift to the leader? this is the spot to do it!

The Temple its self! Rituals and sermons are held here! (The leader would like me to state here to please stop pestering them about the Rite of Lust, they already did the yearly performance and will not do it again, thank you.)

On the other side of the temple you have the Shrine of Disciples! Those blessed as Disciples pray here to give aide to our Lamb when their out on a crusade!

next to that we have the confession booth! If your ever feeling down or just need to get stuff off your chest than the leader or one of his disciples will listen to you here!

Moving on next to that we have Have the space where the missionaries hut and where we have all our game stuff held! along with the Bonfire!

For communal games and fun! If you use any of the equipment make sure to put it back where it belongs! these are sport and other games for everyone!

Layer 2:

Moving down! We have a more relaxed area where the third largest Garden is! The healing Ward, An amazing Tailors tent with beautiful clothing and a statue to our God, The one who waits!

The healing Ward consists of the main tent, some smaller tents for sick patients and a Large garden, mostly of Camellias, but there's lots of medicinal herbs and flowers!

And just near by we Have our Apparel Tent! Mister Rue, and Miss Zelda (nicknamed Rose) hold Sewing lessons on the weekends! Why is the Tailors right next to the healing ward? Our Lamb Say's that it was common for people's clothes to get torn along with their bodies so eventually it was moved to where it is now so that while your body is being mended so too are your clothes!

Moving on we next have the upper layer of where our homes are!

We have a lovely Pond in the center and a tabernacle right next to it!

our homes are scattered about with the leaders home right above the pound there's lots of flowers in the area. Past our living quarters is the Garden of contemplation, You don't have to have something to contemplate over to be here! Its just called that since that's held the most effect at getting people to be quite here. (the leader says he tried calling it the Garden of silence but apparently that did even work?)

This garden is The Largest in the entire Cult, large and dense with plant life of all kind, and at the center of it is a small space with a weeping statue enshrined there, no one is sure what its meant to represent but this garden is of Great importance to our Leader and must be respected at all times. (Vio spends a lot of Time here...He always seems so melancholic, so please respect this space and be quite!)

Layer 3:

Our first stop on this layer is the cemetery! Unlike a lot of other places in the outer wilds Our Lamb disapproves of Cabalism! So when someone dies their buried here! (or turned into compost But most of those who are Signed their names in the list that tells us they want a natural burial!)

moving right along We next have a, Smaller, but still another section of the living quarters, I live up in the corner with Disciple Hyrule and Wild!

just past the houses we have a small tunnel going through the hill and leading into a large open free space and day care! this is where most of the young ones spend their early years after they were first hatched/born! Those who were found out in the wilds are also brought here

Past the gated area and a little further, is what's called....the Mating tent? Yeah....Its a space where if two people want to have a child (or if you live closer to the leader want to be...intimate) can go! the hatchery is nearby here as well! There's scheduled times when you can be here so please check the sign board out front, If you would like to request another tent be made than leave it on the sign board as well (As stated above if you live in a home closer to the leader and wish to spend time with someone please go here, and please follow the rules and guidelines for this space, for everyone's safety, anyone who does not follow the rules only has themselves to blame if they go missing in the next few days :)

And that concludes The main Area of the Cult! I'll briefly and quickly do the canopy (there isn't much of note up there) Then move onto the basement!

The Canopy:

The Canopy is a Large wooden platform built within the large trees surrounding the cult! It is primarily made for those who can fly or are good at climbing and prefer staying in elevated spaces!

Up here we mostly have lots of space for potted gardening, crafts such as banner and streamer making, weaving baskets wood carving ect ect, there's a Food court for the designated eating space, and hammocks for those who prefer sleeping in the Trees!

Please be aware that with who this space is designed for there are no stairs to get up into the canopy so

The Basement:

A large layered space under the Cult

Layer 1:

Entering in from either of the two entrance's on the surface Is the first Layer, Coming in from Stair #1 you'll be greeted by the Refinement and enchantment tables and storage

coming in from Stair #2 you'll be greeted by a lovely hot spring with a changing area in the nook just behind the stairs!

Layer 2:

Heading down the stairs from there, you'll come across the Training area! here everyone who helps with patrols, gathering materials, and protecting the Cult from heretics and monsters come here to help hone their skills! although its not uncommon to see sparing up in the main area for classes and focused training coming down into the quite underground is the way to go!

across from there we have an area set up for resting! with the gentle bubbling of the river on one side and the sounds rhythmic sounds of clanging metal its a nice nap spot!

and across from there is where we keep all our bone storage! The leader uses bones for lots of stuff! so here's where we keep them all!

The larger Pit is full of bones ripe and ready to go! The smaller one is full of contaminated bones! The contaminated bones are there waiting to be cleansed or burned!

Behind the Bone pits Is THE Pit, I have no Clue what it is! no one does really, not even the Leader! They say that its been here since they first founded the cult a couple thousand years ago! oddly enough not even The one who waits knows! I wonder if those freaky Mystic's the leader talks to know what it is?

Layer 3:

Now moving across the river and down into the next layer, this whole layer is The Archive! The Old bishop, Vaati, Cares for this space! They like this space to be kept quite, far enough away from the training area that only muffled sounds from it can be heard and they like it to be kept that way! Lots of people looking to study or find some of our oldest books and scrolls come here!

there's lots of good study space And Vaati tells some very interesting tales! The door in the back leads into storage with more books, scrolls and other various things to help tend to the space!

Aaaaaand that concludes the tour! Making these maps and writing all this out has been a lot of fun honestly, didn't expect to enjoy it that much, So send things off here's an un annotated version of the maps and a close up of Marin because she turned out really cute

[lapdogchase]

disabled queer pride flag edits !!

gilbert baker pride + progress pride / gay + lesbian / pan + bi / trans + genderqueer / genderfluid, agender / bigender + nonbinary / aromantic + asexual / polyamorous + aroace / queer chevron + intersex