#Do not be afraid to ask questions
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rogdona · 4 months ago
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mayasaura · 1 year ago
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Kabru is always my favorite tho bc I fucking love characters who are both ruthless and genuinely kind. Who have noble goals and strong ideals and will make compromises in order to reach them, especially when they aren't punished for it by the narrative. Kabru will straight up commit vigilante murder because he's done the math and judged it to be the action with the most harm reduction, and he's good at math.
Kabru is the only person in the series both on-scene and thinking about the larger implications of the actions being taken, and I love him for it.
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toadletthethird · 5 months ago
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The moment of clarity is so ruthless. Can't believe they made skeptic get a liberal arts degree
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kessfansworld · 2 months ago
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i’m gonna ask the question that has been on my mind for a while. what do people think about the fact that there’s accounts who have ai generated voiceover reading tumblr posts, because these videos get so many views. sometimes they even go viral. sometimes the username from the original user is cut down and there’s just no way to find the original account and give them love. it’s mostly from dc fandom, which i frequent. i don’t know, just how do people feel about this? how does the fandom feel about this, because what i would perfer is them sharing the original tumblr post, leaving a link for us to find the og post and give them our love and respect, and also leave the username in, don’t cut it out and not that ai voiceover. that’s what i would perfer but this isn’t about me. i just can’t imagine coming up with an idea and seeing it going viral and my username isn’t even there, and it’s ai voiceover. i don’t know—something about it is just off. i know i’m big believer of generative ai having no place in fandom
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bikananjarrus · 5 months ago
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Do you want to start reading The High Republic books, but aren't sure where to start? This reading guide has you covered!
The High Republic era has given us so much material to explore and enjoy, but that also makes it a bit daunting knowing where to start and what order to follow.
This will serve as your, maybe not quite one-stop, but hopefully very comprehensive guide to getting into all things High Republic!
[Note: I say this isn't quite a "one-stop" reading guide, as I am certainly not the first person to have made such a list. The official Star Wars site has a reading guide (though it is out of order; so if you use it, pay close attention to the publication dates. Helpful, though, for seeing the covers of everything, if you're a more visual person). I personally have found the Wikipedia guide to be incredibly helpful. And (especially for the comics), please feel free to do some of your own research into other reading guides; I did my best to list everything, but there are more detailed comics reading guides out there.]
TL;DR: If you want the shortest answer possible of where to start, Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule. It was the very first book published in this project, and is the perfect entry point into The High Republic era.
For more details and the full reading guides, keep reading below the cut.
Let's get into it!
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First things first, What is The High Republic?
The High Republic is a multimedia project, which includes books, comics, manga, and audiodramas (audiobooks but they have a full cast of voice actors + sound effects and music.) This era takes place hundreds of years before the prequel trilogy, during the golden age of the Jedi.
The High Republic has been published in three phases:
PHASE 1 (Light of the Jedi) takes place about 200 years before The Phantom Menace. [COMPLETE]
PHASE 2 (Quest of the Jedi) takes place roughly 150 years before that, so ~350 years before TPM. [COMPLETE]
PHASE 3 (Trials of the Jedi) goes back to the Phase 1 timeline, so ~200 years before TPM. [INCOMPLETE at time of posting. The final three novels and remaining comics are set to be published this year in 2025]
Do I need to read ALL the books, including YA and middle-grade?
Short answer: it depends! If 24 books is really daunting, or you just aren’t sure you’re going to have the time to dedicate to all of that, i would say no, you don’t have to read everything. You could read just the adult novels (which is the main-main storyline for everything), and be just fine!
However, if you are looking for a more well-rounded, full picture of this story, more characters to enjoy, or just want to read as much of this era as possible, than yes, i definitely recommend reading everything! the YA and middle-grade books have been just as well-written, and while you don’t need to read them to understand the main storyline, they fill some gaps in, introduce a lot of really fantastic characters, and make the story as a whole more full and fulfilling.
Now, where do I start?
I definitely recommend starting with Phase 1, Book 1: Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule.
This was the first book to be published, and is 1) a fantastic book, and 2) a great introduction to the galaxy at this time.
From there, I recommend going in order of the Phases, which would essentially be publishing order.
HOWEVER: this is not the only way to read the books; this is just my recommendation. I started with Light of the Jedi and it pulled me right into this era. But I know others have gone in timeline order (ie reading Phase 2 first, then Phase 1, then Phase 3) and really enjoyed that reading order as well.
(for more insight about starting with Phase 2, see this post.)
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READING ORDERS
NOVELS ONLY READING ORDER
[*Though I did not include the dates, the following list has the books in publication order, and is the suggested reading order.]
 READING OPTIONS
You for sure will want to read at least all the adult novels. At the very minimum you could read just the adult novels for Phase 1 & 3, and get a full story. I do really recommend reading the Phase 2 prequel novels, but reading is individual, so go with whatever reading amount and order will bring you the most enjoyment!
If you know you want to dedicate to more than just the adult books, you can add YA and Middle-Grade books into your reading order as it works best for you.
Level 0.5 - Phase 1 & 3 Adult Novels Only (TOTAL = 6 Books)
Level 1 – Adult Novels Only (TOTAL = 8 Books)
Level 2 – Adult Novels + YA Novels (TOTAL = 16 Books)
Level 3 – Adult Novels + YA Novels + Middle-Grade Novels (TOTAL = 24 Books)
PHASE 1
Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule (adult)
A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland (middle-grade)
Into the Dark by Claudia Gray (YA)
The Rising Storm by Cavan Scott (adult)
Race to Crashpoint Tower by Daniel José Older (MG)
Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland (YA)
Mission to Disaster by Justina Ireland (MG)
The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray (adult)
Midnight Horizon by Daniel José Older (YA)
Phase 2
Path of Deceit by Justina Ireland & Tessa Gratton (YA)
Quest for the Hidden City by George Mann (MG)
Convergence by Zoraida Córdova (adult)
Quest for Planet X by Tessa Gratton (MG)
Cataclysm by Lydia Kang (adult)
Path of Vengeance by Cavan Scott (YA)
Phase 3 
The Eye of Darkness by George Mann (adult)
Escape from Valo by Daniel José Older & Alyssa Wong (MG)
Defy the Storm by Justina Ireland & Tessa Gratton (YA)
Temptation of the Force by Tessa Gratton (adult)
Beware the Nameless by Zoraida Córdova (MG)
Tears of the Nameless by George Mann (YA)
Into the Light by Claudia Gray (YA) [Publishing April 1, 2025]
A Valiant Vow by Justina Ireland (MG) [Publishing May 6, 2025]
Trials of the Jedi by Charles Soule (adult) [Publishing June 17, 2025]
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NOVELS + EVERYTHING ELSE READING ORDER
This list includes all novels, a short story volume, audiodramas, manga volumes, and comics.
If you have the time to dedicate to reading everything, the audiodramas are really well produced and the comics + mangas have been incredible. All these other publications typically follow characters that aren't in, or are featured very little, in the novels, so the stories remain fresh and new and aren't rehashing what's in the novels.
I know all of this additional material (especially the comics) can be a bit overwhelming. Here is a continuation of the reading levels above, based on what I will be easiest to add into your novels reading order:
Level 4 – Adult / YA / MG Novels + Audiodramas (TOTAL = Audio x3)
Level 5 – Adult / YA / MG Novels + Audiodramas + Manga (TOTAL = audio x3 + manga x6)
Level 6 – Adult / YA / MG Novels + Audiodramas + Manga + Comics (TOTAL = audio x3 + manga x6 + comic TPBs x27(ish))
[Note: for the comics, I divided them up based on trade paperback (TPB) volume, instead of individual issues, to keep things simpler. For the separate volumes, I placed them after the "wave" of books they coincide with. There are a few one-shot comics I didn't include, because most of the one-shots are included in the TPB volumes. So whether you buy the TPB or check it out from the library, those one-shots will likely be included and make it so you don't have to track it down separately. (and if you've got a library card, the Libby app has all the High Republic comics!)]
[Note #2: Star Wars: The High Republic and Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures are the main storyline comics that have run through every phase. To distinguish which Phase they are part of, the year of the first comic in that Phase's run has been included (Phase 1 = 2021 / Phase 2 = 2022 / Phase 3 = 2023). This does not mean all comics in that run have been published in that years, just the first one.]
Phase 1
Light of the Jedi
A Test of Courage
Into the Dark
Star Wars: The High Republic (2021), Volume 1 (issues #1-5) (comics)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures (2021), Volume 1 (issues #1-5) (comics)
The Rising Storm
Race to Crashpoint Tower
Out of the Shadows
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – The Monster of Temple Peak (comics; mini-series)
Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott (audiodrama)
Star Wars: The High Republic (2021), Volume 2 (#6-10) (comics)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures (2021), Volume 2 (#6-10) (comics)
The Edge of Balance Volume 1 by Shima Shinya and Justina Ireland (manga)
Mission to Disaster
The Fallen Star
Midnight Horizon
The Edge of Balance Volume 2 by Shima Shinya and Daniel José Older (manga)
Star Wars: The High Republic – Trail of Shadows (comics; mini-series)
Star Wars: The High Republic (2021), Volume 3 (#11-15) (comics)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures (2021), Volume 3 (#11-15) (comics)
Star Wars: The High Republic – The Eye of the Storm (comics; mini-series) [included in TPB of THR Vol. 3]
Phase 2
Path of Deceit 
Quest for the Hidden City 
Convergence
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures (2022), Volume 1 (#1-5) (comics)
Star Wars: The High Republic (2022), Volume 1 (#1-5) (comics)
Star Wars: The High Republic – The Blade (comics; mini-series)
The Battle of Jedha by George Mann (audiodrama)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures (2022), Volume 2 (#6-1 0) (comics)
Star Wars: The High Republic (2022), Volume 2 (#6-10) (comics)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – Quest of the Jedi (comics; one-shot issue)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – The Nameless Terror (comics; mini-series)
Quest for Planet X
Cataclysm 
Path of Vengeance 
The Edge of Balance: Precedent by Daniel Joƛe Older (manga)
Tales of Light and Life by Various Authors (short story collection; not technically part of Phase 2. Has spoilers for Phase 2, so recommended reading spot is between Phase 2 & 3)
Phase 3 
Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight (comics; mini-series)
The Eye of Darkness
Escape from Valo 
Defy the Storm 
Star Wars: The High Republic (2023), Volume 1 (#1-5) (comics)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures (2023), Volume 1 (#1-5) (comics)
Temptation of the Force 
Edge of Balance Volume 3 by Shima Shinya and Daniel José Older (manga)
Beware the Nameless 
Tears of the Nameless 
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – Saber for Hire (comics; mini-series)
Star Wars: The High Republic (2023), Volume 2 (#6-10) (comics; TPB also includes Star Wars: The Acolyte – Kelnacca one-shot comic issue)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures (2023), Volume 2 (#6-10) (comics)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – The Wedding Spectacular (comics; one-shot)
Tempest Breaker by Cavan Scott (audiodrama)
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – Dispatches from the Occlusion Zone (comics; mini-series) [TPB not publishing until July 1, 2025]
Star Wars: The High Republic – Fear of the Jedi (issue #1) (comics; mini-series. issue #1 publishing February 19, 2025. Release date of final issue #5 TBD. Release date of TPB is TBD)
Into the Light [Publishing April 1, 2025]
Edge of Balance: Premonition by Daniel José Older (manga) [Publishing April 8, 2025]
Edge of Balance Volume 4 by Shima Shinya and Daniel José Older (manga) [Publishing April 22, 2025]
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – Echoes of Fear (comics; mini-series) [TPB Publishing April 22, 2025]
Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures – Crash Zone (comics; collecting Crash Landing one-shot, Crash and Burn one-shot, and THR: Adventures Phase III Annual one-shot) [TPB Publishing April 29, 2025]
A Valiant Vow [Publishing May 6, 2025]
Trials of the Jedi[Publishing June 17, 2025]
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And that's all! I hope this helps you get started on your High Republic reading journey!
I know there's a lot here and it can get a bit confusing, so if there's anything you have questions or need clarification on, or if you simply want to share about your reading journey with these books, feel free to send me a message or an ask! :)
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forcedhesitation · 2 years ago
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astarion origin playthrough worth it just for all the extra moments where he does the "sad wet cat" face
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teddybeartoji · 8 months ago
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satoru facetimes you at the store bc he wants to double check whether he's buying the right pads/tampons lmao
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vaguely-concerned · 4 months ago
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the only thing that brings me more joy than emmrich being SO endearingly peevishly unimpressed with ingellvar pulling watcher 101 platitudes on him as a 'get out of emotional vulnerability free' card is rook's utter cheerful lack of repentance or pretence about doing it
#ask a deep personal question get a deflective answer I'm not quite sure what you expected here; the rye ingellvar story#dragon age#dragon age: the veilguard#dragon age: the veilguard spoilers#dragon age spoilers#oc: Ellaryen Ingellvar#emmrich volkarin#rook's ability to say 'lmao no. mortifying ordeal of being known not on the schedule today I'm afraid' in the friendliest#and most interpersonally slippery manner possible... legendary. they tell people 'piss off (no offense)' in such a plethora#of unapologetic yet also weirdly hard to spot and non-confrontational ways.#sort of a 'sorry about that no hard feelings you didn't do anything there's just something deeply wrong with me' energy lol#save me rye rye save me etc. I just need my brain to. not today. I need to. not. so fill it up with gazing upon blorbo#also I have so many feelings/thoughts about the running theme of mourn watchers seemingly having a culture#of quoting pieces they clearly expect to be familiar to both parties as a way of making their points#and creating connection. rook and myrna in the first conversation if you say the necropolis is still their home.#emmrich will slip into poetry sometimes to elaborate on/emphasize something he's expressing in normal conversation#rook does this thing and clearly holds on to the language of the rituals even if you make them more pragmatic#about the role of watcher in general. it's just very extremely cool that these guys have a clear in-universe literary identity#and tradition haha
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starshapedspider · 30 days ago
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finally made a proper commission sheet and updated it! i have 5 slots open until they’re filled, feel free to contact me by DMing me here, on my main @cowpokebeetle, or my email [email protected]!
more examples of my original work is on my main <3
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chloesimaginationthings · 2 years ago
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the way you draw miguel makes me think of vampire jotaro
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Honestly Miguel and Jotaro in general give similar vibes to me
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heal-the-ashes · 6 months ago
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I feel like Hershel and Desmond would both be afraid of themselves.
If they stop and look at themselves. If they realize what they're doing came from years of pain. Would it all lead to a question of "Who else am I going to hurt?" "How many people have I unintentionally hurt because I never realized what I was really doing?" "How many things of my life have I missed because of this?" "How many things do I—or will I—regret?"
I feel like Layton self-sacrifices to a fault. That others get hurt trying to protect him. That he unknowingly drags other people through pain to get to where he thinks he needs to go. To solve every mystery there is. To get rid of his pain from outside sources, he needs to make as much of it himself under the titles "Determination" and "Amazing at solving things" and "Helping others" because then, how could those things ever hurt him? How could they ever be seen as pain? They're not like his (other) traumas. They don't cause pain at all. Not to mention what he thinks about danger. Danger? What danger? There's no danger here. Just people who are willing to hurt others to get what they want—Which is very sad and shows their pain and he'd very much like to help them in any way possible, if possible. If they show that they don't want to be helped, then it's better to leave them be.
But then again, nothing can ever be someone's fault other than his around him. I think he goes over betrayals thinking, "There must have been something I could have done." or "There must've been something I did." or "If I learn from this, I can make sure it never happens again." or... ... I think he has a hard time accepting that things really aren't his fault / there's really nothing he can do about some situations. Actually, when it comes time for Unwound Future and the whole Evil Layton arc... The only time in which he actually raises his voice is at himself. Is at the version of him that betrayed all of the morals in which he's held onto for so long. But a part of me thinks that, if he knew things were actually his fault, he'd have a problem with that, too... I mean, look at how he reacts to him getting puzzle answers incorrect in CV. In CV. In the 4th game of experience that he's had with puzzles. And a movie. With all that experience and he gets something wrong... he's disappointed in himself. Going back to the UF/LF thing... "I demand an explanation!!" I don't think I'll ever forget that line. I think, from his journal... We know he was trying to think of reasons why he would do something like this. Idk. I'm. Thoughts are not thinking anymore. Um. Wow I really lost my thought process. I was also gonna talk about Desmond. But I guess that's not happening at the moment.
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faaun · 3 months ago
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said goodbye to him feeling weird!
#hes abt to go skiing w his friend im abt to go back to the uk to an ordinary life#he is perfect and I've felt appreciated none of the time and i think it's not his fault idk#not how racemic compounds work not how amphetamines work not how people work#french suits his mouth but german does a bit more i think . climbed to a very beautiful place#asked him to be my boyfriend then almost took it back yesterday. chemistry is not his strong suit#he carries things for me he catwalks he gives me his jumper when im cold he's good at kissing#he got me a beautiful necklace on a riverside in amsterdam he lights my cigarette with his#he holds my hand and his only complaint about me putting lipstick on his lips is that it wasn't evenly spread#his eyelashes are long and he's sharp and scarily productive and very good at navigation#always on time always the right place . i make a comment about being a beautiful collective and he says yes but it's odd that we havent#received the social benefits of it. what you mean? well when im alone or with friends people just...give me things. flowers baked goods#compliments a pack of cigarettes he says. he asks me if I've ever had to pay for a pack. i felt genuinely SO UGLY like am i. downgrading u?#ppl see me next to you and..what you get negative attractive points? gosh.#unfortunately shutting the fuck up is not my strong suit so i never let that go. he says nooo it's just you are So Gorgeous that you scare#people away. OK!!! he knows he's pretty and he uses this to his full advantage#you're cool and you're friends with all the club bouncers and you take such good care of me and you know#the state secrets and we can scheme murders together and i love that you love your friends#but when i joked we wont get to see each other in months and you said 'so?' that rly did smth very upsetting!!!!#twisting and backtracking is his strong suit but unfortunately seeing it happen is mine#and sometimes it's endearing and sometimes i want to kill him about it. he would be a very good diplomat#who the fuck stumbles gracefully on cliffs? anyway his voice is gentle and he says i don't want you upset#he holds my hands he says lets talk about it please i want you to know i appreciate you#he says all the correct things i believe 0 things out of his mouth and he can tell#i am snappy and terrible and calm. i tell him he's sweet and i want more i want to be missed#SHUTTING THE FUCK UP IS NOT MY STRONG SUIT! would you be ok being just friends? eventually.#and the next day ive decided what to do with you. what is that? you can still be my boyfriend. he says thank you.#walking is our strong suit so we go everywhere. i tell him about my best friend his head looks great thrown backwards#im afraid this is too good for me and I'm also afraid it's not enough. not asking questions is not my strong suit.
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meltedmush · 1 year ago
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how long does it take you to draw your sketches/doodles? also do you have any tips to draw faster? đŸ™‡â€â™€ïž
I generally take 30 - 60 minutes a sketch,,,, but honestly really depends on how detailed it is.
Like a Chibi will be done in 20 - 25 minutes (Counting in the extra time I spend on minute details like a perfectionist 😭)
I for some reason really like spending egregious amounts of time on random objects too??? Unless it’s the in the background, I’ll spend 40 minutes refining it.
Random characters that are fully colored and rendered with take like 80 minutes.
The comics take usually take an hour or two per page. (If I decide to cross hatch it, my entire day will be gone with 4 pages
 so I’ve been trying to find shortcuts. But not without sacrificing the quality for time lol)
I don’t think there’s any trick or magic to drawing faster. It’s really about weaponizing your artistic knowledge, and finding what’s comfortable or convenient for you!
There was a period of time where I would spend 11 or 12 hours on an illustration, and it wASS UGLYYYYY. (Some of these artworks are still available on my tumblr,,, but it’s SO LONG AGO, AND IT WAS MY 1ST OR 2ND YEAR GETTING INTO DIGITAL ART)
Overtime I learned what worked best for me, and practiced till I felt more comfortable with what I was drawing. Eventually I managed to shorten the time to 4 hours or less! Ambition was my biggest enemy but at the same time my biggest motivator. (And it still is LMFAO) 😭
EDIT (bit more to my way too long tangent): ALSO??? BRO DON’T BE AFRAID TO USE YOUR MESSY SKETCH AS LINEART OR DRAW ON TOP OF IT. I’VE DONE IT FOR YEARS NOW AND IT ADDS SUCH A GOOD EXTRA BIT OF TEXTURE,, AT THIS POINT I DON’T EVEN USE LINE-ART ANY MORE UNLESS IT’S A COMMISSION,, (IT’LL ADD LIKE AN 2-4 HOURS TO MY WORK)
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#mushyrt#asks#that word minute bothers me so much#I look at it and want to refer to it as the time minute#this sketch took about 3 minutes when it should’ve been 1 minute#BUT I WAS SO HYPERFIXATED ON THE EYESSS#i say these pretty words#but THE REAL TIP IS HONESTLY THE LASSO TOOL#LASSO TOOL IS THE BEST#IT’S MY FAVORITE TOOL FOR MAKING BACKGROUNDS OR QUICK SHADING OR COLORING#OR ALSO THE MASK TOOL#TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM#THEY’RE SO GOOD#Procreate mask tool kinda sucksss#SO USE ALPHA LOCK IF YOU ARE A CONFIDENT PERSON#OR NOT AFRAID TO F**K UP#Bro I sometimes draw on 1 layer and use alpha lock and my friends look at me like I’m a menace#BUT IT!S USEFULLLL AND SO EASY#This little tangent definitely should’ve been my answer for the ‘how much do you draw’ question#but I’ve been thinking about it for a long time#AND I’M A MANIAC WHEN IT COMES TO DRAWING 😭😭#even if you rob me of a paper or pencil I WILL FIND A WAY TO DRAW#I WILL SCRATCH INTO YOUR SHIRT AND ROCKS AND MAKE AN ARTWORK OUT OF WATER OR CAT FUR#YOU WILL NOT DEPRIVE ME OF MY CREATIVE ENDEAVORS#This didn’t stick out to me until one of my friends said ‘omg ofc she’s drawing’ under her breath#like I spend every second of free time I have drawing unless I find something else interesting#The only time I’m not drawing is when I’m on the toilet or doing random everyday stuff#I forgot to talk about this but greyscale to color is insanely useful too; it teaches you different values while also being super fast#i tend to use greyscale to color when I do a BW sketch I end up liking#TL;DR - Lasso Tool + Layer Mask + Alpha Lock + Sketch as lineart
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spetura · 1 month ago
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my mother (cis) was telling me (trans) today that all her friends (cis) are accepting of me being trans (nonbinary), but one friend who is a gay man (also cis, just to be really clear on the matter) said he has trans friends who would say i'm not trans for not specifically Changing One Gender To Another (whichever that may be),
and i'm sitting there having briefly forgotten the word for transmedicalism, fully remembering truscum but not wanting to use that word because it's unkind and requires extra explanation whereas transmed feels easier for outsiders to swallow, nodding and saying "yeah mum not everyone is in agreement about these things."
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chewyhanniebug · 2 months ago
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apparently twitter and tiktok villains are feuding. thank god they don't know we exist
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maybeitsalivescribbles · 1 year ago
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VH - The Thorn in Villains' side
“Wake up, you creature of the night, and despair !”
“Nooo, sleepy, beddy-bye -”
“I said wake up !”
Vampire Hero opened an eye, blinked and yawned. He didn’t look at Villain at once. That was the courtyard itself that caught his attention. He was in the middle of it, tied to a pillar. All around him were huge spikes of metal, as if he was in the center of a gigantic metal flower. They all were curved at different angles. You couldn’t step amid them without being scratched, at least. In a sense, that was pretty. Villain themself was on a balcony, their hands on the balustrade, dominating the scene.
“Kids”, he whispered with leniency. “What they do these days.”
“Shame”, said Villain who hadn’t heard him. “You interest me. I thought we could talk.”
Vampire Hero yawned again for all answer.
“Is it insolence ? Or is it the pain of having been under the sun for all day ?”
“Pain ? Why ?”
“You vampires can’t bear the sun.”
“Oh, I understand the confusion. No. Do you know how some birds fall asleep immediately when you cover their cage, because they think it’s the night ?”
“I suppose ?”
“Well, I work the other way around. I have a sunbeam on my face, I get sleepy. It doesn’t hurt me; I just take a nap.”
Then his tone shifted abruptly:
“All day long ? You mean I’ve been here for more than a day ?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
His voice was now icy. Villain had a delicate little cough.
“I admit I didn’t know about sunlight. What about silver, then ?”
“That would work on vampires, yes.”
“You’re in luck. All these spikes are covered with silver. If you want to free yourself, you need to get through them.”
Vampire Hero hissed in annoyance:
“Ugh. Any particular reason why ?”
“Unless you want to rot in here forever.”
“No, I mean. Let me get this straight. You’ve made all these spikes so I could walk over them for a couple of minutes ? It just seems kinda wasteful.”
“If you want to talk about waste, time’s ticking. Why won’t you have your little dance right now ? You have two minutes before reaching me.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Vampire Hero slipped out of his bonds and stepped forward. He whistled.
“That’s quite the thorn forest you have there. Gasp ! Curses, even. What’s a poor vampire to do ?”
He slowly turned his head toward Villain and smirked:
“Hey, watch this.”
He extended his hand and casually patted the flat side of the spike.
“Oh no”, he said in a toneless voice, while staring at Villain. “I’m doomed. Ouch. Argh. And such.”
Slowly he smiled, revealing his razor-like teeth.
“Do you see it ? Do you begin to see it ?”
“See what ?”
“Your mistake.”
“Show off”, whispered Villain.
“Possibly, yes. At least I’m not ordering useless death traps on a whim. I’ve always made sure they worked first.”
“Death traps ? You are a hero.”
“Now, yes.”
Vampire Hero took a couple of steps among the spikes, decided it was quite enough, jumped, caught the guardrail and climbed the balcony. He hadn't avoided all of them, far from it, but when he landed on his feet, his face was emotionless. There was maybe a twinge of exasperation. He stood still in front of Villain. They both stayed quiet for a moment.
“What are you ?” finally asked Villain.
“A vampire hero.”
“No you’re not. You don’t fear silver or sunlight and you had death traps. You’re neither. What are you ?”
“I am pissed off. I want to be home every night and you’ve prevented me to do it.”
“Why ?”
“I'm married. Just know you’re very lucky I am what I said. I’ll let you live. Reluctantly.”
Villain barely reacted when he pinned them against the wall, whispering in their ear:
“Now then ! You’ve made me lose time. You owe me a drink.”
*
Vampire Hero is now a recurring character. His job is to troll current villains. Click on the Vampire Hero Masterlist or Tag for more snippets with him.
Or back to Hero x Villain Masterlist.
94 notes · View notes