#I keep thinking and redoing the formats

[thesimselfsworld]

Jace Long (Human) ---> Wildfire Bishop (Spellcaster)

After Renee Bishop recognized his potential and granted him Spellcaster abilities, Jace compared his previous life, in which he was bullied, neglected, and alone, to his new life, in which he felt powerful, loved, and accepted, and resolved to leave the past behind. He changed his name, appearance, and personality as his self-esteem grew, becoming the wild, loveable, and loyal Wildfire that the Bishops and other Glimmerbrook residents know today.

There are times when he misses aspects of his old life, such as his parents and siblings, as well as his dog, all of whom had long forgotten him after he requested that Renee erase their memories of his birth; however, he consoles himself by reminding himself that there is a reason he was chosen, and that the life he lives now is far more ideal than his previous one.

JACE's traits and Aspiration:

WILDFIRE's traits and Aspiration:

Hidden trait (lol): Bookworm

[sleepytimestables]

Nova's story haunts me...

why can't this thing just spring out my head like Athena from Zeus

[quibbs126]

I didn’t mean for this page to have like, the exact same format as the last one, but it does

I tried to design the kids from that one TFA fanfic I read once because they come into my brain every now and then. I feel like I’m undermining the fic by saying that. It’s part of a collection, called Blessings in Disguise by Quiet_Shadow on Ao3 (idk if they have a tumblr), where basically post Archa 7 and being kicked out of the Academy, Optimus finds out he’s sparked, and later has twins who were sired by both Elita and Sentinel, one for each, and he’s basically raising them with his space bridge crew, since Elita’s supposedly dead and Sentinel keeps ignoring Optimus’ repeated attempts to contact him. The kids are named Ariel and Dion, in reference to the War Dawn characters, and I think are also supposed to somewhat resemble them

I felt I should give a summary for anyone who doesn’t have yesterday’s context. The fics are both relatively short and the second one remains unfinished, but I liked it well enough

But yeah, as alluded to yesterday, I’ve been debating whether or not to draw the kids, and after yesterday I decided “screw it, why not”

As it turns out, the first fic actually did have descriptions for each of the kids, so I had more to work with, which honestly I probably needed

I don’t know how to draw sparklings, so I think I ended up making them look older than they’re supposed to be in the fic. Sorry

And also, while Ariel I think turned out really well, Dion isn’t the best. I actually had to redo him partially because I was trying to give him a Sentinel chin (though far smaller), while also trying to give him a helmet like he was supposed to have (in the fic he has both), but it wasn’t looking right so I changed it to what it is now, which is still kind of wonky. He’s also described as looking a lot like Sentinel, but because I wanted to give him Optimus’ blue skin, among other traits, he ended up resembling Optimus far more than Sentinel

I also gave them both Optimus’ chin thing, initially as coincidence but screw it, shared trait

Ariel was described as pink, so I conceded that she’s pink, but I gave her a more peach tone instead, and overall I quite like her color scheme. Dion too, just not as much

I’m not super sure about the bodies though, particularly the arms. I was drawing that part while bored at work, so it may have affected my creativity. I mean, I guess they’re fine, but I don’t know

But yeah I’m not sure I have more to say, so just know that I did this

Honestly it actually was a lot of fun, at least until the struggle with Dion’s head came into play. I really do need to get around to making my own fankids at some point

And also with this and yesterday, I really do see why people like the TFA style, it’s pretty fun to draw. I need to incorporate it more, but my AU already has another style it’s trying to emulate

*sigh*, if only I had a way to incorporate the TFA style more while also drawing characters and designs separate from the continuity, just borrowing a similar style. I don’t know

[aesethewitch]

Divination Troubleshooting

One of the more difficult aspects of divination, I think, is working out what to do when things don’t work the way they’re supposed to. When you’ve done everything technically right, there’s a chance you still won’t get answers that you can interpret, that make sense, or that are correct. If you have an occasional problem with divination, that’s totally normal — nothing will work 100% of the time. But when it happens consistently, it might be time to do a little troubleshooting.

This post is far from a complete list of possible problems. I’ve spent many years trying (and failing at) different forms of divination, so these are things I’ve personally run into and the things I consider when troubleshooting.

The basic format of this post is the form of problem, a short description of what the problem looks like, possible causes for the problem, and multiple suggested solutions for each cause. These recommendations are fairly general and non-exhaustive. You may find that you need to employ multiple solutions before the problem resolves, and you may find that none of these proposed solutions solve the issue you’re having. Some listed problems are specific to a particular tool, but most are applicable to more than one type.

Sometimes, determining the cause of your issue can be difficult. It can take a good amount of discernment to figure out, so don’t feel discouraged if you can’t fix the problem on the first try!

Unclear Answers

You’ve drawn your cards, cast your charms, selected your runes, and… it makes no sense, or maybe the answers you receive are too vague to be useful.

Cause: Lack of practice or familiarity with the tool Solutions:

Perform practice readings with the tool

Study the guidebook, if you have one, to determine whether there are additional meanings to glean

Look up potential alternate meanings to the individual cards/runes, or consider another perspective (Three of Swords not always meaning heartbreak, for example)

Ask for a second opinion by taking a picture of the reading and sending it to like-minded practitioners who would be willing to help you interpret

Request a reading from a more seasoned diviner to confirm the information you’re able to glean from your own reading (if you do this, I would suggest letting them know that you’re seeking clarity from a divination you did for yourself)

Cause: No thoughts, head empty (brain fog, sudden blanking, fatigue, etc.) Solutions:

Set it aside and come back to it later with fresh eyes

Do grounding or energizing exercises before redoing the divination

Take care of your mundane needs (drink water, eat something, sleep, take medicines, go outside/get fresh air, etc.) and then return to it

Ask for a second opinion

Write down what you can understand and return to it later to check your interpretation and/or reinterpret it

Cause: The question was poorly worded, or you’re asking the wrong question Solutions:

Reword the question

Ask a different question related to the situation

Consider whether the answer given is to another question or another facet of the situation

Ask the tool, spirits, deities, etc. what you should be focusing on, if not the question you’re asking

Ask follow-up questions to clarify specifics

Cause: The tool isn’t suited to the question you’re asking Solutions:

Try a different tool

Reword the question to suit the tool better

Request a reading from someone else (if you only use one type of tool)

Cause: Stagnant energy is lingering on or around the tool Solutions:

Cleanse the tool and any containers you keep the tool in

Reshuffle, shake, etc. thoroughly before attempting to divine again

Allow the tool to “rest” so it can “cool off” and lose some of the stuck-on energy

Cause: Missing context or information Solutions:

Write down what you can understand for now and come back in a few days/weeks to see if it makes more sense

Walk away and come back to it in an hour to see if new details come to mind

Work on phrasing your questions to account for information you don’t actively know

Cause: One single card is standing out, not meshing with the rest of the reading Solutions:

Let the querent know it’s a confusing card, explain what it typically means, and allow them to offer clarification or possible meanings to it

Decide ahead of time what you will do with cards like this and what they could possibly mean, so that when they come up, you can seamlessly deal with them

Disregard the rogue card entirely

Allow the card to stand on its own, almost like a separate reading within the existing reading; redraw for the position if doing a spread

Consider alternative or unorthodox meanings to the card, especially if it’s in an odd position in a spread:

The card may be referring to another question or situation; if so, set it aside and consider doing a separate divination with that card as a focus

The card may indicate a particular person; determine who it may be and what their impact is on the overall situation

The card may be a message from a spirit, related or unrelated to the situation; set it aside and consider doing a separate divination to see the full message

The card may indicate an unexpected element, upheaval, discomfort, or mismatched priorities; the interpretation largely depends on the card and position

Wrong Answers

You thought you had it, but the divination ended up being completely wrong. One time is normal, but consistently very wrong divinations are less so.

Cause: Lack of practice or familiarity with the tool Solutions:

Perform practice readings, either with actual questions, hypothetical scenarios, or no prompt at all to work on weaving meanings together and identifying messages/symbolism

Ask others if you can practice your divination with them to get more practical experience

Study the guidebook (if there is one) or other guides and articles on the tool to determine whether you missed a meaning, theme, or detail that would have made the reading more accurate

Study how you asked the question, performed the divination, and interpreted the output to see what may have gone wrong, if anything

Cause: The tool you’re using isn’t suited to you Solutions:

Try a different type of tool

If using tarot or oracle cards, try a deck with different imagery

If using tarot, try a deck based on a different system (Thoth vs. Rider-Waite-Smith, for example)

Cause: You’ve asked the same question too many times in a short period, and now the readings are so muddied nothing is accurate Solutions:

Take a break from divining on the question or topic

Consider the answers you’ve already gotten and determine which is the likeliest to be true (or untrue)

Ask a different question

Cause: Misleading or incorrect phrasing and information from the querent Solutions:

Clarify the situation with the querent

Before beginning the divination, let the querent know that they need to be honest with you or results may not be correct

Rephrase the question or prompt to be more honest about the situation

Cause: Blockages or disruption between you and the divination target Solutions:

Ask the querent to temporarily allow you through their protections

Cast a spell to break through the barrier/blockage before trying the divination again (note that if the barrier is a purposeful protection against prying eyes, there may be consequences to busting through)

Request spirit assistance with breaking through the blockage

Ground yourself and clear away any blockages or reluctance within yourself to see and understand the truth

Accept that the target person doesn’t want you divining about them

Cause: The question was poorly worded for the tool you’re using Solutions:

Try a different tool better suited to the type of question you’re asking (pendulums for yes/no, magpie oracle for general life readings, tarot for advice, etc.)

Reword the question to suit the tool

Practice asking better divination questions overall (proper wording, understanding the tool’s capabilities, etc.)

Conflicting Answers

When you do separate readings on the same topic and get different answers, it can be confusing! Which one do you believe? Which will actually come true?

Cause: You’ve asked the same question too many times Solutions:

 Take a break from divining on the topic or question

Consider the answers you’ve already gotten and determine which is the likeliest to be true (or untrue)

Ask something else, either relating to the situation or not

Cause: Circumstances have changed radically since you last divined on the situation Solutions:

Divine on what’s changed and how it’s caused the shift

If the change is undesirable, ask how you can get back on track to the future you want

Compare the readings to see if you can determine the links between them

Cause: The future is mutable, and there are separate, very different possibilities branching out around the situation Solutions:

Divine about the causes of each outcome already gathered to see what’s causing the vast difference in readings

If there are many people involved, do smaller, more specific divinations to determine their impact on the future

Accept that you may not get to know the future perfectly

Ask instead how you can attain the future you actually want, rather than what may happen

Always Exhausted Afterwards

After doing divination, you feel absolutely drained of energy. Whether that’s physical, emotional, or spiritual energy, when it happens often, it can be discouraging and make you want to never do divination again!

Cause: Your energy is depleting naturally Solutions:

Do smaller divinations

Only perform one divination in a single sitting, rather than attempting several back to back

Request assistance from spirits to boost your own energy or borrow theirs for the reading

Eat a nourishing meal beforehand and have a snack afterwards

Cause: The querent, tool, spirits, etc., involved are draining your energy Solutions:

Bolster your area’s protections with a focus on keeping your energy to yourself

Wear something like a veil or other protective clothing, jewelry, or accessories during the divination to prevent the drain

Do a grounding exercise beforehand to center your focus and keep your energy to yourself

Pause the divination if you start feeling yourself draining to refresh and protect your energy

If working with spirits which are draining you as part of a deal (whether spoken or unspoken), make a physical offering instead of an energetic one

Practice energy work to learn how to better contain your energy so that it isn’t as free for the taking

Cause: You didn’t have the energy to begin with, but divined anyways Solutions:

Request a reading from a trusted source

Seek ways to boost your energy before beginning

Take care of your mundane needs before performing divination (eat something, drink water, take a nap, get some fresh air)

Spirits Aren’t Coming Through or Assisting

You’ve invited spirits to the table, but it doesn’t seem like they’ve got a hand in the divination results you’re getting.

Cause: You haven’t made an offering equivalent in value to what you’re asking for Solutions:

Set out an offering before starting if you haven’t already

Determine what the spirits might want other that what you’ve already offered

Offer something more personalized to the particular spirit

Make a sacrifice, rather than a simple offering (give up the last cookie, lay a piece of meaningful jewelry on their altar, etc.)

Cause: The spirits think you aren’t ready to know the answers you’re looking for Solutions:

Seek answers from another source

Wait a while and try again later

Ask a different question

Cause: The spirits you’re trying to contact aren’t immediately available/answering Solutions:

Call on the spirits before you start divining and let them know what you’re doing and why

Perform the divination at their sacred space, if possible

If working in an animist sense, “wake up” or “activate” your deck’s spirit in some way before beginning (knocking, speaking to it, etc.)

Cause: Another spirit is interrupting Solutions:

Ask the intruding spirit to back off (for now or forever, that’s up to you)

Perform a banishing if the spirit is unwelcome and will not leave when asked

Find out what the interrupting spirit wants and either decline or fulfill their request

End the divination and come back to it later on

Pendulum Won’t Swing Consistently

The pendulum swings willy-nilly with little to no rhyme or reason, providing no clear answers.

Cause: The cord, chain, string, or other material isn’t long enough Solutions:

Replace it with a longer cord, chain, string, etc.

Use a different pendulum

Create your own pendulum using a length of string (or twine, etc.) and a crystal, stone, pendant, coin, or other relatively heavy item

Cause: The pendulum itself isn’t heavy enough, or it’s an uneven shape Solutions:

Replace the pendulum with a pointed stone, crystal, or piece of glass Thread other, heavier beads, charms, crystals, stones, etc., onto the pendulum’s cord/chain

Cause: Your source for answers isn’t working with you Solutions:

If working based on your own intuition, do a grounding exercise and try again

If working with spirits, make an offering or see whether the spirits are present before trying again

Cause: There’s a breeze making it swing Solutions:

Wait until the wind dies down

Move indoors to try again

Close windows, turn off fans, and turn off air conditioners in the immediate area

Cause: The energy in your area is causing interference Solutions:

Perform a cleansing of the area to clear out excess energy

Banish any rogue spirits hanging around who are messing with the pendulum on purpose

Perform a ritual to calm the energy around you, like soothing a storm or lulling the wind to sleep for the duration of your divination

Keep Dropping Cards

Dropping your whole deck of cards may be an issue with grip strength, clumsiness, or joint bendiness… or, it may be a sign of an underlying issue or message.

Cause: The deck is too large or cumbersome to hold and shuffle easily Solutions:

Try another, smaller deck of tarot cards

Try a deck with standard card shapes (round or very large cards are personally super hard to shuffle neatly)

Ignore jumping or dropped cards, and only take cards you consciously draw

Cause: The shuffle itself is difficult Solutions:

Try another method of shuffling

Practice shuffling with regular playing cards, then with the deck you want to be using (this makes a fun fidget while watching shows)

If all shuffling is difficult, spread out the cards on a flat surface and mix them together before putting them back into a pile and drawing accordingly

Cause: The spirit(s) you’re communicating with don’t want to provide answers right now Solutions:

Provide an offering or payment for services rendered (especially if you haven’t in a while)

Take a break and try again later

Investigate the root cause of their reluctance and plan accordingly

Never Feels “Right” to Stop Shuffling or to Pull a Card

You’re shuffling. And shuffling. And… shuffling. You’re waiting for a sign to stop and pull cards, and it just never comes.

Cause: Your brain and/or intuitive thinking is exhausted Solutions:

Take a break from divination and other magical practices

Do a grounding exercise to reconnect with your intuitive thoughts and try again

Replenish your energy by eating something, drinking water, having a nap, and otherwise taking care of your mundane needs before trying again

Cause: You aren’t meant to know the answer to the question you’ve asked Solutions:

Ask a different, related question to see if you can get answers

Try again in a few days

Try a different divination tool (different tools can provide different answers with varying levels of detail)

Failing troubleshooting, accept that you can’t know everything that’s ahead and simply plan accordingly (magically and mundanely)

Cause: Blockage between you and the target of the question Solutions:

Cast a spell to break through the barrier/blockage before trying the divination again (note that if the barrier is a purposeful protection against prying eyes, there may be consequences to busting through)

Determine whether there are missing details about the situation that may help break through

Request spirit intervention to get around the blockage

Ground yourself and clear away any blockages or reluctance within yourself to see and understand the truth

Accept that the target person doesn’t want you to divine about them

If the reading is about a situation, a spell of “true seeing” or clarity may help

Cause: The querent isn’t being fully honest about their question (misleading phrasing, leaving out information that would impact the reading) Solutions:

Clarify the situation with the querent

If divining for yourself, consider all facets of the situation and question before rewording it more clearly and honestly

Talk or journal about the situation before beginning to get as much information as possible

Cause: The spirits you rely on for divination have declined to provide answers Solutions:

Ask why they aren’t answering

Try again later

Try another divination tool

Use another source for answers, such as the universe on the whole or your own deeper intuitive self

Reword the question to be more specific or general, depending

Cause: Something about the cards or shuffle themselves isn’t right Solutions:

Try another shuffle/pull method (spread out cards and pull at random, create piles and take the top of each, etc.)

Try a different deck of cards

Try another type of divination tool

Give the deck a cleanse

Look for a way to “wake up” or “activate” the cards

Too Many Jumpers

Even if you read tarot like I do with all jumpers, having a ton of cards leap out at once can be daunting — and even annoying, if it keeps happening consistently.

Cause: Your deck is too large for your hands, or it’s an odd shape (circular, non-standard number of cards, above-average card size, thick card stock) Solutions:

Try a deck with fewer cards or a more standard shape and paper weight

Create your own deck of cards that fits more securely in your hands

Try a digital deck of cards

Disregard jumping cards completely and only accept cards you’re pulling on purpose

Cause: More possibilities or details about the situation need to be brought to light than expected Solutions:

Try another spread to accommodate the jumpers

Ditch the spread altogether and read the cards as they fall instead

Treat the jumping cards as amendments or extra information about the card whose position you’re drawing for (for example, if drawing for a “Self” position and you get two jumpers before pulling your card in your usual fashion, the two jumpers modify the Official Card)

Cause: Spirits are interfering with the reading Solutions:

Cleanse the area or banish the offending spirits if they’re not ones you’ve welcomed into the space

Request that they chill the heck out and not throw any (or as many) jumping cards

Make an offering to quell their mischief

Pay attention to why they’re acting this way; if you’re not sure, ask for their reasons

Applicable to Now, Not Later

Your reading describes your situation as it is right now with perfect clarity, but it doesn’t reveal anything new or give insights into the future.

Cause: Your current talent lies in revealing the present Solutions:

Practice with readings explicitly about the immediate future

Practice targeting a specific moment in the future, such as a particular future month’s events

Fine-tune your questions to specifically request information you don’t know

Employ spirits or deities to expand your abilities to encompass the future

Try another tool or supplement your reading with another tool

Cause: The question or prompt is too open or general Solutions:

Ask a more specific, carefully worded question

Ask what you mean, rather than a general question around the situation (“What do I need to know about my relationship with X?” vs. “What do I need to know about my love life?”)

Cause: There will be little to no change in the timeframe you’re asking about Solutions:

Expand the range of time you’re asking about

Choose a time further in the future (next year instead of next month, for example)

Make an active choice to change the future if you’re dissatisfied with things as they appear to be now

Can’t Get into the “Right Headspace” for Divination

You’ve sat down and have your tools ready, but you just can’t get into the zone.

Cause: Your environment is distracting Solutions:

Move to a quieter location where you can focus more

Perform a grounding exercise to shut out distractions and focus on your divination

Wear headphones and play music that will help you focus (I suggest unobtrusive music without lyrics, so that it doesn’t impact your interpretations; personally, I use crackly fireside sounds over lo-fi beats)

Cause: Your environment isn’t inspiring you to get into the right headspace Solutions:

Create a space specifically for performing divination, whether permanent or temporary

Curate an aesthetic for your divination space with candles, crystals, plants, divination cloths, and other things that are meaningful to you

Go for a walk in a place that does inspire you and perform a divination there, if possible (cemeteries, parks, museums, rivers, etc.); if not possible to do divination there, absorb as much of the inspiring energy as you can and carry it back to your divination location

Cause: You don’t have the energy for it right now Solutions:

Focus on replenishing your energy with food, water, sleep, and other self-care tasks before divining

Request assistance from spirits to boost or borrow energy

Request a divination from someone else

Cause: You just aren’t in the mood for it Solutions:

Create a ritual that will help you get into your desired headspace for divination (putting on specific accessories, preparing your space, calling on spirits, etc.)

Request a divination from someone else

Walk away and come back to it when you feel more motivated

Scroll through others’ divination posts, watch a video, or listen to a podcast to get inspired to do your own divination

Conclusion

Again, there are countless possible issues and even further countless possible solutions to those issues. In general, walking away for a while, having a rest, practicing asking questions, and becoming more familiar with your tool over time will be the best tools in your belt. And if you can’t find a solution on your own, there’s no shame in crowdsourcing ideas for fixes! Ask your friends, your favorite witchy blogger, your Discord servermates, make a public post for others to comment on, or otherwise reach out. The best ideas often come from conversation.

Feel free to drop questions in the reblogs, replies, or my ask box if you’d like to ask me in particular about your divination troubles! I’m always happy to help out where I can. And if I’ve got no clue, one of my followers or mutuals might have a thought to share!

If you enjoyed this post or my other work, consider tossing a couple dollars in my tip jar! (And check out my commissions for custom spellwork and tarot readings!) Everything goes toward keeping me and my partner afloat on our bills, so it’s very much appreciated!

[clockworkreapers]

I want to do a video kinda like what you do for TFTGS, but I don't know how to start:[ How do you typically start projects like that???

Of course! And you totally should- they do take a lot of time and work though so pace yourself. You have no obligation to anyone to get it out at a certain time, that parts very important. You gotta remind yourself you are doing this for yourself above anyone else, Its to make you happy before anyone else. Song wise make sure its one you enjoy, cuz you will be sick of it by the time you are done. Make sure its one you have ideas for or can picture things happening in tandem with the music. Look up the lyrics and break down the lines so you can pair the lines you want to use with the images in your head. Id rec starting with a SHORT song one thats under 3:00 if you can help it because the longer the song depending on BPM the more images you will probs end up with. Then comes the hardest part, storyboarding. which looks a lil like this:

(using the boards from the most recent video) This one ended up being 50 shots in total by the time I was done because this is the DRAFT, this is you getting all your first ideas down. Sometimes you redo panels or add more or take away others but this is where you draw out all your most basic sketchy starting points. And no one sees this stuff unless you choose to show them so they can be super messy as long as you can come back to them and know ah I know what I was drawing there. I say it is the hardest part because this is where you're trying to visualize what is in your head which is difficult. A few ways to make it less difficult though is -for backgrounds pull up sims or minecraft or a 3D program and build a set to then use screenshots for placeholders so you can go over them later. - I recently found this amazing site called sketchfab that has a huge store of 3D models for anything you are looking for, this is good for references of objects at ANY angle or you can use the models themselves. From there all you need to really do is line/color (to any level you prefer, don't strain yourself) some extra stuff you may find useful: - A standard video format is 4800 x 2700 px aka 16 x 9 but to not brick your art program you can lower to like 12 x 6.75 or lower (as long as you keep the same aspect ratio tbh) and 300 dpi and it will still be HD. - Try to think about what ways you want the camera to pan when boarding because if you want something to pan UP or DOWN dont make what's in the image too wide because you will need to zoom in a bit for an image to be able to pan like that without it hitting a hard edge. - I use Shotcut to edit these together which is a free video editing program but it can only be used on a computer. USE THE KEYFRAMES to pan and move shots, DONT use the sliders trust me its a lot more accurate to keyframe and learning how to use them is very important.

Lastly, just for some extra info you might find helpful:

Hope this is enough solid info to get started on your own projects!

[silenceofthewave]

IMPORTANT UPDATE BELOW

sooooooooo hi yall

pretty sure everyone has noticed that ive been less than active here? and thats because ive been kind of avoiding this announcement and the changes that come with it.

i am reformatting this blog and the contents within it.

i am, at heart, a lit rper. i enjoy sending huge paragraphs back and fourth and crafting stories that way. while ive had a lot of fun with just dialogue rp, that isn't really. my style.

so im not really sure what this means for the chaosverse ( u 1024.14 ). im thinking its going to be a backburner thing that i will participate in when i want to, but its not going to be my main focus anymore. i love everyone that i've met, and the stories we've told together, so please don't think i have any kind of beef or whatever. im just back in my groove and it doesn't feel right to keep stringing my u 1024.14 friends along like this.

with that being said, im going to probably redo my intro post, try to make my blog a little more professional. im still stuck on mobile and in the app so don't expect any sort of funky formatting. but imma give it a whirl to see how i can make my blog a little more appealing.

im also officially going on selective status. meaning that i more than likely will not be responding to most posts im tagged in unless a prior conversation has been had regarding them. all of my general asks will be considered asks, not rp starters, unless theyre actual lit starters. (in which i reserve the right to pick and choose from).

aaaaaand i think thats it for now!! if u have questions please dm me. ilya and i hope you have a good day/night!!!

[moonsapprentice]

Can you do some general headcanons for the neighbors? If not that’s okay! I just really like the neighbors :]

Hii so I really love the neighbors but Mark and Jon are kind of bland to write ( FOR ME PERSONALLY !!! ) so I just did Eduardo bc I love him and I wanna peg him ( /j ). I’ll update this post if I think of any other stuff.

ALSO I’m trying out a new format for headcannons so I might be redoing all my old headcannons with this one. Think of this as a test run of sorts.

I also totally did not let this ask sit in my inbox for 5 months 😁

⋆✶✷𝔈𝔡𝔲𝔞𝔯𝔡𝔬 𝔥𝔢𝔞𝔡𝔠𝔞𝔫𝔫𝔬𝔫𝔰✷✶⋆

𝔄𝔭𝔭𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢

✩ Eduardo has brown scruffy hair which perpetually looks like he needs a haircut. It’s a deep brown that resembles dark chocolate. Whenever he wakes up it’s completely all over the place and takes a shit ton of combing to manage as it’s thick. I’m also a firm believer that man has body hair. Chest hair, arm hair, happy trail, the whole 9 yards. The only part of him that he keeps a bit managed is his facial hair, which he prefers to have stubble.

��� His eyes are the same shade of brown as his hair, but have speckles of hazel in them. Occasionally you might catch a hint of green in them from radiation (power edd episode). Also has pretty lashes but he’d kill you if you pointed them out.

✩ His skin is a deep tan with warm undertones. He absolutely loves hot weather, but he’s really bad about putting sunscreen on. ALSO. MY MAN IS CHUBBY ! ! ! HE DRINKS DIET COKE ALL THE TIME HE IS CHUBBY ! ! ! He used to be 6’1 but again, radiation made him taller. So he’s 6’3

✩ khaki pant enjoyer

✩ very hot body temperature. During the winter it’s awesome because you have your own personal full body heating pad. During the summer however. . .

✩ has dimples

ℜ𝔬𝔪𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔠

✩ one of his favorite things to do is to pick you up and literally throw you. Could be nsfw but also in a silly way. During the summer he 100% picks you up and tosses you in the pool, and before bed sometimes he’ll pick you up all gentle and sweet then toss you onto the bed like you’re a small dog.

✩ his love language is mostly acts of service and quality time, with occasional touch. The most common way he’ll express love is cooking for you.

✩ love/hate relationship with pda. If he’s around someone he hates (edd) he’ll purposely lay it on thick to annoy the shit out of him. Any other time though, he doesn’t do anything more than hand holding and brief kisses.

✩ when you’re alone with him he’s just the sweetest. Obviously a bit of a brat, but still sweet. He loves to cuddle.

✩ loves to kiss you on the temple and lips, loves to receive kisses on the lips and cheek. Sometimes the ear too, if you’re whispering something sweet to him.

✩ loves hearing your giggles when her rubs his stubble on you

✩ hugs from behind at any given moment.

✩ enjoys a good scalp rub. Scratch his scalp a bit and you’ll get endless kisses

✩ makeout sessions are also very common. He’ll prop you up on his lap and just hug and kiss you for hours.

✩ one time Jon walked in. Now he locks the door.

✩ as for love he likes to receive, he adores physical touch and words of affirmation. Especially if it has something to do with his appearance.

✩ surprisingly likes to be the little spoon more often than not. Of course he has days where he likes to hold you, but he likes to be scooped up

✩ especially because he can have easy access to your waist and your neck

✩ he dreams of settling down with you. He’d prefer to get married but would go at your pace. He’s open to having kids too, but could live without them if you don’t want them.

✩ carries you on his back

✩ purposely hides things/puts them on high shelves so you ask him for help (nothing super important, things like cereal boxes)

ℜ𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔬𝔪

✩ deviled eggs fan

✩ sneezes and coughs obnoxiously loud

✩ snores.

✩ very loosely Christian. Believes in the faith but he doesn’t go to church every Sunday or anything. He wears a gold cross under his shirt

✩ grandparents immigrated from Mexico to England

✩ speaks Spanish (duh.)

✩ literally just acts like a cunt for no reason other than to make people mad.

✩ owns a ps4 and plays gta on it

✩ the most KNARLY hairy toes

✩ screams like a woman

✩ cannot handle scary movies

✩ fast and furious fan (I’ve never watched it but like he gives off that energy)

✩ goes to sleep early (9pm)

✩ would probably sleep in his boxers but I can see him wearing those goofy ass long dresses and the hat with the ball at the end. (Yk the one)

✩ prefers coffee over tea

✩ doesn’t really like energy drinks as he thinks they’re too sweet

✩ prefers things that are savory/bitter

𝔑𝔰𝔣𝔴

✩ his favorite position is cowgirl, specifically when he’s sitting up on a couch or something so he has your chest in his face. And so it’s easy to give you kisses. He also enjoys pushing you against walls with your legs around his waist.

✩ when you’re home alone, he loves to prop you up on the kitchen counter.

✩ HARD (haha) BELIEVER IN MORNING SEX ‼️‼️ If he slept as the big spoon, there’s a 60% chance he’s waking up hard. He’ll be all groggy, making sure you’re okay with having sex right then.

✩ during that situation, since you both are bit sleepy, he prefers spooning or missionary

✩ enjoys hickeys but only if they’re hidden. He likes to give them right in the middle of your chest (between your boobs, if you have them) so he’s the only one that’ll ever see them. There, and your way lower back. Right where your pants lay. He’ll take them anywhere but especially enjoys the tail end of his collarbone and on his pelvic bone.

✩ he mostly goes on the rougher side but not enough to hurt. During morning sex though, he goes very slowly and sensually.

✩ grunter and groaner.

✩ an average sex drive. He obviously has to dial it down because of the roommates, but if they’re gone for an extended period of time he jumps at the opportunity.

✩ he can get very loud too. He doesn’t even realize it until you smack a hand (or your lips) over his mouth.

✩ prefers boobs over ass (even if you aren’t fem)

✩ he can go 2 rounds on average, up to four if you’re home alone, and only 1 if it’s morning sex.

✩ creampie kind of guy

✩ 7 inches with a bit of a downward tilt. Trimmed but not shaved

GUYS PLEASE I PROMISE I’M WRITING FOR TORD SOON I WAS JUST RANDOMLY INSPIRED TO DO EDUARDO IM SORRY 😭😭😭 also if ur reading this I saw your Matt ask and I totally agree he isn’t written for enough!! I’ll get to him soon!

[pixeldistractions]

upcoming stories and plans and stuff

Hello, friends, who wants a long texty progress report?!?

Nobody? Well, you’re getting one anyway! 🤪

First, Thanksgiving is about to plow through everybody’s motivation for a week or two, right? Happy Turkey day to all who celebrate! 🦃 Then Christmas and New Year will be right behind it. 🎄☃️🎄 Let’s not set the bar too high, right?

In my noveling life, I have made exactly 800 words of progress on Miserable Ghost Story last month because my brain is stuck on Boxes and Squares instead. (B&S stories got about 12,000 words added, for a comparison.) Oops. I keep going back and forth on what to focus on first. MGS is a good little book, and if I could focus, it would be quick to finish and get out the door, but I’m just so damn obsessed with my B&S characters. My stupid brain writes what it wants to write about. 😖

And mostly, in writing, I feel like it’s a good idea to go where the energy wants to go. When a story is calling, it’s a lot easier to work on something that is calling than trying to force something that is not calling.

But I think also why I’m so obsessed with the story and getting through book 5 is because I feel like it’ll free up my brain a little to work on other things, both in sim stories and otherwise. There’s this mid-story climax point we’ve been building toward and we’re almost there!

So, plow ahead forward? Right? Right???

But wait…

Now I’m kind of picking at some things from book 1 that never got to be part of the blog version, and I want them to be. Some things that were part of old gameplay stories that I want to revise and expand.

Don’t redo old stories… don’t redo old stories… don’t redo old stories!!!

Except I kind of want to go back and redo old stories. 😂🤣😂🤣😵

I guess I’m a bit of a completionist. I know the blog version is not going to include everything from the novels—it could never—but it should include the important things. The things that develop characters and explain motives and maybe just a little bit of the absolutely precious fluff that deserves to be illustrated with sims, just because.

And I do intend to leave the blog version up when the novel version is published (because I’m an indie author and I do what I want!), so I want them both to be as full as they can be for their format.

Because, at the end of the day, this sims story version is here to please me, and please you guys, and it serves no other purpose than that, really. So, it would make me happy to go back and redo some of those earlier pre-story sections, like before even My Sweetheart. So I think I will.

Because I really do want to get back to Colette in #5.3 and she really does need to get laid! But funny enough, after her shock in #5.2 pt 10, then drafting Colette in #5.3, I felt like she was wanting to dig so much into her history of that time and the failure of that relationship. So I’ve been spending a lot of time in that era anyway.

So, a quick flashback story first??? (I said quick, but I didn’t say little. It’s not really very little. But with the writing done and grabbing a few select pictures, I think I can post it quick.)

The flashback story begins almost one year ago in story time, on Maria’s birthday. It’s an expansion/retelling of this gameplay post, which was their first real story on the blog (not as supporting characters), with Maria and Jordan in their flirty coworkers era, and Jordan and Colette in the last months of their quickly deteriorating togetherness. Then it also fills in the gaps in and around “my sweetheart #2” and what drove Jordan to decide to ultimately blow up his life.

As it stands, it’s about 10,000 words (I’m so so sorry! I promise they’re good ones? 😬😬😬) and will be split into 3 chapters of 4-6 parts each.

Some characters are super excited to be back in this era:

Look at her absolutely cheesing at this man! 😆

Girl, stop and get back to work! You’re not even getting a kiss out of him for another 8 months!

Others are not so happy to be back in this time of their life:

He’s like, “Why, oh god why are you doing this to meeeeee?!?!?”

So, coming soon. Unfortunately, I need to build something for the first part, but this is a real historical save point, so all their other houses and locations are ready to be filmed in.

[theshipsong]

i have opinions about how we fanfiction for the internet, and i don't mean literary or aesthetic ones: i mean your experience of writing it!

this is just my markdown manifesto again:

there is no reason to tangle with google or microsoft for writing copy that will ultimately be rendered as HTML on ao3 and tumblr!! rich text editors are slow as hell on desktop and mobile, both in performance and how much time you waste formatting, which takes your hands from the keyboard whether physical or touchscreen. most users end up redoing that formatting entirely in their destination site's embedded rich text editor and inevitably miss things anyway!! google docs and microsoft word and their ilk were made for printed documents no matter how much they try to mutate to stay relevant—i'm side-eying google's "paste markdown" here, nevermind gemini and copilot!

commonmark markdown is quick and easy to learn. enable markdown on tumblr and all you have to do to is copy and paste (only on desktop, unfortunately). if you don't bother with headers or dividers, the most you have to do afterwards is add a "read more" cut. ao3 is less perfect; you might have to ctrl+R formatting marks for the plain text editor and annoyingly add forward slashes to end tags, but there's still explicit fidelity to the formatting you defined while writing that the clipboard cannot lose. yes, i know "paste with formatting" exists, but it's not a problem for me because I live like this. in markdown, your writing isn't tied to any website or service; it's really yours.

that said, you still need a markdown editor, and there are several:

obsidian.md (windows/android/mac/iOS/linux): i used this for more than three years for grad school and writing. i still use its android app since i sync my notes with a git repo instead of the cloud. without paying for obsidian sync, you can keep your vault in your desktop icloud or google drive folder so you can access it from your phone. it's a great way to learn a version of markdown and get comfortable with just how lightweight and portable your drafts can be. this is a good fit if you've ever used and liked notion and want to focus on words

@ellipsus-writes (web app in open beta; no mobile app yet but the mobile site is functional): they don't market themselves as a markdown editor and clearly aim to replicate a gdocs/word-like, mouse-dependent formatting experience, but they support markdown! if you feel trapped by google because of file sync and being able to share docs privately, this is one of your best bets. i haven't tried this, but i think exporting your work from ellipsus as a .md file and then pasting it into tumblr is Great option

i haven't tried these extensively/recently but know they're out there:

simplenote (android/iOS/windows/macOS/linux): i used this forever ago and it looks like it's grown a lot!

bear (macOS/iOS only)

and another thing is: i think it's nice to use different programs for different parts of life. i use google docs for work and yes, using their awful markdown support, but it still makes a difference to write my fanfiction somewhere else (in the terminal, because i'm the most annoying person alive)!! compartmentalize beyond different accounts, don't let the bastards get you down

also i'm not gooning for a brand here i personally use neovim

[ninjapotatohead]

Let's say you were taken back in time to redo Sonic Prime. You have to keep the same theme (Sonic in multiverses where he never existed, has to remake his reality) but aside from that you have a relatively large amount of leeway to do what you want, keeping things in a TV format of course. What is your plotline through the series and the character arcs you'd do?

Well, obviously, make Sonic... well, not a childish jackass. Lol

But as far as what else I'd do or what direction I'd take the show? Well...

• While I'd still have the Paradox Prism shatter in the ensuing battle between Sonic and Eggman (it is the inciting incident after all), I would instead have Sonic breaking it be an accident; having it shatter as a side effect of him and Eggman fighting over it.

• I'd also downsize the Chaos Council immensely, mainly because it never made sense to me why Sonic's friends had Shatterverse counterparts in each dimension, but all of Eggman's are just confined to New Yoke. You know, make it so that each Shatterspace has an Eggman to go with it as well. This may tie into my next point, but I'd have the Chaos Council start off with just one version of Eggman, and MAYBE have the other hypothetical Shatterverse Eggmen come together and join forces so they become the big bad later in the show. I always found Nine uninteresting as the main antagonist of the entire show, tbh

• If I were absolutely required to keep the narrative theme of Sonic learning to value his friends a bit more, I guess I would run with the idea of each of the Shatterspaces having a version of one of the main cast as its antagonist, so that if and when Sonic goes to get a better understanding of their problems, he's one step closer to understanding the friends he has back in his home world. And I think the show was going that route initially (Thorn Rose for the Boscage Maze, Dread Knux for No Place, Nine Tails for New Yoke), but I feel they didn't really go all the way with that concept; I mean, there aren't even Shatterspaces where a version of Rouge or Big are the antagonists, so I'd also formulate new Shatterspaces centered around them and what problems they might have.

• Shadow, for the most part, I'd keep unchanged. However, I'd change his and Sonic's conflict to revolving around something else entirely (since I'd be rewriting Sonic's character here).

• I would stay true to Sonic's character and have him realize through the time he's spent in the Shatterverse that the Shatterspace counterparts of his friends... simply aren't the friends he has back home; sure, they may functionally be manifestations of the sort of internal struggles and various problems they themselves face, but they're ultimately completely different people (complete with their own personalities and wildly different histories).

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head.

[quibbs126]

I think what I’d mainly want from a new Transformers continuity is for the Autobots and Decepticons to be incredibly grey. The Decepticons aren’t entirely bad (and probably had a good reason for starting the war), and the Autobots aren’t entirely good. Though there still are bad Decepticons, just that it’s way more complicated

I mean I think this applies to IDW, but I need it specifically in a TV show format. It’s just how I like to consume this series

You would then have the problem of how it makes Optimus look, especially if things have been grey-ish from the start, but I guess a solution there would be to simply not have Optimus be the leader of the Autobots, at least not right now. He’s a commander or something, but not the leader

And heck, maybe with Optimus being not the leader, maybe have Megatron as not the leader of the Decepticons either, so they can keep on an equal ground. Not that Megatron can’t be above Optimus in rank, he is in Animated, but I think I prefer when they’re equal

They could both be commanders of squadrons of Autobots and Decepticons that happen to be fighting on Earth right now or something

I don’t really know what the full plot would be, or any real other ideas, but that’s what I’ve got right now

Edit: mkay, you know what, thinking on it now, not sure how much I agree with this. Like the initial point, yeah, but my ideas later down in the post, I don’t know. Listen, it was at the end of my break in a break room that quite honestly is a bit too cold, my fingers were somewhat shaking by the end of writing it, I was not thinking entirely clearly. Okay maybe that’s an exaggeration

But to be honest, I’m half considering deleting this post and redoing it once I actually think more on this concept and have more cohesive thoughts. But I’m not sure if I will yet

[anim-ttrpgs]

Vote on How You Want the First Chapter of the Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy Rulebook to be Structured.

We have recently finally finished fully copy-editing the first chapter of the Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy rulebook, and have also redone its structure. We will be redoing the structure of each chater as we finish fully copy-editing them. (Also we moved the Skills section down to the Character Creation chapter.)

This chapter contains all of the core game rules except for combat, as well as the “gameplay philosophy” of Eureka, and is about 115 pages before formatting. (Every chapter is going to be way fewer pages when we actually format it to look like a TTRPG rulebook and not a big text document.)

The core rules are, obviously, core rules. They tell you what dice to roll, what the numbers mean, what succeeds and what fails, etc.

The “gameplay philosophy” sections tell you what kind of “philosophy” the actual rules and mechanics for Eureka were written based on, and therefore how to approach it for the best possible experience. This section tells you what we had in mind when we wrote the rules, gives guidelines on how a GM should run Eureka, what kind of PCs players should make, how both players and GMs should approach the game, what kind of situations should call for dice rolls and why or why not, how to handle PC mortality, etc.

It is my opinion that the “gameplay philosophy” sections should come first in this chapter, and then the core rules come second, and my reasoning is that the way Eureka wants to be approached is actually quite different from a lot of the current dominant TTRPG zeitgeist, and I think that reading and understanding how Eureka’s “philosophy” differs from most more popular “philosophies” on TTRPGs will be helpful in internalizing why some rules are written the way they are and how this is supposed to work in practice when you then read the core rules. I also feel that reading the core rules before you read the “gameplay philosophy” sections will have them memorizing internalizing Eureka’s rules through the lens of Current Most Popular TTRPG, which may cause some core rules to come off as off-putting, bizarre, or stupid—or even just not work in practice because their intent runs counter to the intent of superficially-similar rules in Current Most Popular TTRPG.

However, many people express that they hate it when a TTRPG rulebook buries the introduction of the core rules like 30-60+ pages into the rulebook, and some have said that putting these “gameplay philosophy” sections up front may turn off would-be fans.

So, I’m asking the fans to vote. You’ve heard my arguments for why I want to put the “gameplay philosophy” parts first, so what do you think? Vote in this poll.

Here is how the first chapter is currently structured, with the "gameplay philosophy" parts coming first:

(Do also keep in mind that the Eureka rulebook includes a “What You Need To Read” section that tells you the bare minimum sections to read in order of importance in case you just want to jump straight into playing without reading the entire 300+ page book cover-to-cover first. It also includes the "Quick Terms" section at the top that gives one-paragraph explanations of almost all of the core concepts, including how to roll what dice and how to define success and failure before you read anything else.)

Because I feel quite strongly about this, and it’s my rulebook, I may still put the “gameplay philosophy” sections first even if putting the core rules first wins by a small majority. If it wins by a very large majority, then I’ll listen to overwhelming fan preference and put the core rules first, but I might not be happy about it.

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is going to launch on Kickstarter on April 10th and we need all the help we can get. Set a reminder from the Kickstarter page through this link.

If you’re interested in a more updated and improved version of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy than the free demo you got from our website, there’s plenty of ways to get one!

Subscribe to our Patreon where we frequently roll our new updates for the prerelease version!

Donate to our ko-fi and send us an email with proof that you did, and we’ll email you back with the full Eureka prerelease package with the most updated version at the time of responding! (The email address can be found if you scroll down to the bottom of our website.)

Or, if you can’t afford any of that, join our TTRPG Book Club and then just ask. At the time of writng this, Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is the current game being played in the book club, and anyone who wants to participate in discussion, but can’t afford to make a contribution, will be given the most updated prerelease version for free! Plus it’s just a great place to discuss and play new TTRPGs you might not be able to otherwise!

[myuntachi]

Loulou*di THINK OF ME: CHOOSE Translation : Project Archive L3-21

proofreading: dimi, tsukimi

[general clamor]

Ageha: Please bring that post a bit further this way. It’ll be in the way of the formation change.

Stagehand A: Um, y-yes, of course. I’m on it.

Ageha: It seems that the artistic direction was also changed a bit from our finalized plans, no? The timing of the lasers is also off, and the sound system isn’t in the specified location. 

Stagehand A: I-I apologize. But, we have to keep the next artists in mind, too…

Ageha: What a pitiful excuse. To lower our own performance quality for other artists…

Isn’t it your job to adjust the program accordingly? I would appreciate it if you would drop that train of thought of yours.

Stagehand A: Ah, no, I didn’t mean to–!

Ageha: "To deliver the stage of Loulou*di’s creation"... We have devoted ourselves to our work with that single idea in mind. 

Even if you don’t share our vision, the least you can do is to complete your work without error. 

Stagehand A: R-Right.

Ageha: There’s a few more details of the video production that I’d like to verify. Please be sure to fix everything that was changed from the original plan before the performance.

Stagehand A: Understood.

Ageha: *Sigh*... PLANTs, let’s go.

-

Stagehand A: *Sigh*

Stagehand B: Good work out there. Everything all good with Loulou*di’s check-in?

Stagehand A: It’s far from good! I heard the rumors, but they’re even worse than I imagined! Karasuma-san’s expectations are way too high, it’s impossible. Loulou*di isn’t the only artist who’s going to use the venue. 

Stagehand B: Those expectations are why the world holds them in such high regard.

Stagehand A: But, it’s impossible to understand Loulou*di’s world on the level Karasuma-san wants. Of course we’ll try to take it into account as much as possible, but we can’t incorporate all of his ideas if we can’t fully understand them. 

Stagehand A: Don’t lump us normal people in with that guy, he’s got a few screws loose.

Stagehand B: Come on, he’s not that bad. Of course, Loulou*di’s on a completely different level from us, but we can learn a lot from the work of musicians like them.

Stagehand A: That might be true, but it’s such a headache.

Stagehand B: If you’re struggling that much, let’s switch roles.

Stagehand A: Huh? Are you serious? It’s seriously a pain.

Stagehand B: Yeah, I’m sure. I’ve worked with them once before. 

Stagehand A: Really?

Stagehand B: Loulou*di’s performances are incredible. The world they’ve created is truly a work of art. The basis of it is well thought out, and there’s a lot of attention to detail.

They’re artists who won’t be swayed by others’ opinions, and they give a lot of specific instructions during show preparations. Thanks to that, there’s just no words to describe the feeling of satisfaction after a show ends. 

Stagehand A: But, we can’t work just to feel good about our accomplishments. Wouldn’t that kind of thing just be exploiting us using our own job satisfaction?

Stagehand B: Well, those kinds of artists, who can put on any kind of performance they please, are fundamentally different from us staff. So, don’t you think that it’s unprofessional to sit here complaining and cranking out half-baked work?

Stagehand A: I’m so sorry. I was being rash.

Stagehand B: There’s only a handful of us entrusted to work at this event, so let’s make sure to go above and beyond. Redoing things or doing things differently, don’t worry too much about those kinds of changes. I have a deep respect for Karasuma-san’s… No, Loulou*di’s professionalism.

Stagehand B: Moreso, it’s important to keep these kinds of artists in mind while thinking about the current entertainment industry.

-

Mahiro: Important… to keep in mind…

Stagehand: Yuuki-san, sorry for making you wait.

We’re ready to start Anthos’s rehearsal. 

Mahiro: Ah, right. Thank you. 

-

Ageha: Here is fine. You can leave now. 

PLANTs beeps.

Rui: Ageha, you’re home late.

Ageha: What time I come home is none of your business.

Rui: None of my business… huh. 

Ageha: Where’s Toki?

Rui: Ah, he’s over there.

Ageha: A tablet? Is he checking on things for tomorrow?

Rui: No, he’s looking at social media.

Ageha: Social media…?

Rui: The Music Awards are coming up. I believe he’s looking up the artists who are scheduled to appear.

Ageha: I see.

Rui: We don’t have to lift a finger. Right now, Tokibou is only able to maintain consciousness so long as what he’s doing is related to Loulou*di.

Ageha: As long as he’s able to fulfill his role to perfection, that much is fine. It's much preferred over someone who doesn't take the job they're assigned to seriously.

Rui: Did something happen at the briefing session?

Ageha: Shut up. Stop talking.

Rui: Ageha–

Ageha: There’s nothing for you to worry about. If you have the time to fantasize about such unnecessary things– *Sigh*.

Ageha: Whatever. Really… Every little thing is such a bother…

Rui: Ageha, you…

[flashback]

Toki: Hey, Rui-san. Did you know? People with cold hands have the warmest hearts. 

Rui: Is that so?

Toki: Ehehe, yup! It’s true! It was written in a picture book someone read to me when I was little.

Rui: A picture book?

Toki: Ahaha. Aww, what’s with that face? Rui-san, you don’t believe me?

Rui: No, if Tokibou says so, then it must be true. 

Toki: Ehhh?

Rui: If people with cold hands have the warmest hearts, then do those with warm hands have cold hearts?

Toki: Hmm, I suppose that would be true, if you’re thinking about it simply. But if that’s really true, can you really call those people human?

Rui: What do you mean?

Toki: Well, if someone has a cold heart, doesn’t that mean they don’t have feelings? In that case, maybe those people can’t be thought of as human. 

Rui: I see. 

Toki: Hey, Rui-san. Give me your hand.

Rui: My hand?

Toki: Is my hand warm?

Rui: … It’s a bit cold.

Toki: Rui-san’s hands are all rugged, with long fingers. 

Rui: That’s not what you were talking about.

Toki: It was a joke! Rui-san’s hands are… Hmm… Just lukewarm. 

Rui: Lukewarm?

Toki: Hahaha! Yeah, lukewarm. But, I like Rui-san’s hands that way.

[flashback ends]

Rui: Ageha… You…

Ageha: Stop! How disgusting…

Rui: A-Ah. Sorry. Hah… His hands are cold…

Toki: “Music Awards”… “I’m looking forward to Loulou*di’s performance!” And here, “I want to hear Ageha-san’s singing ASAP!”... 

Ah… This post… “Loulou*di… is like… a family…”

Toki: Family…

Rui: Ageha, dinner is ready.

Ageha: Dinner… What a joke, it’s just those capsules with that insipid filling again, isn’t it?

Rui: No, according to the notice from the company, they’ve prepared a special meal for us tonight. 

Ageha: Tch…

Rui: Ageha, what is it?

Ageha: It’s nothing… What about Toki?

Rui: Right, I’ll go get him.

Ageha: Hah… I see. This is our Last Supper[1], if you will. 

tl notes: [1] yes, he says the exact title of the painting in japanese.

[next]

[skekdris]

The Visitor - Behind the Scenes

"The Visitor" is my first big story of mine that saw the light of day. In this post, I'll be explaining my thought process behind why and how I made it. In a future post, I'll be explaining my Arhulian species, and my character Niadris in more detail. But for now, I'll be on to explaining my creative process. Firstly, a few months ago I got back into tumblr after finding the blogs of @chocodile and @kwillow. Their characters, their art, their stories. They moved me, they inspired me! Drawing was never my strong point, (I had to enlist @aryeonos to graciously sketch my species reference for me <3) but descriptive writing is something I can do! So through that, it was the avenue I expressed my creation. That said; Ary being my editor and proof reader really helped me achieve a level of polish I don't think I could have accomplished on my own. <3 The Amaranthine characters are so rich and vibrant, I just wanted to write for them. Their personalities just seemed really fun to write for, as well as gave me a clear picture of how each character would behave in a story. A solid baseline for my weirdo badger-pede to contrast with. So I poured over Kwillow's and Chocodile's art pages for information about the characters and the setting. I wanted to respect the lore and setting as best I can; as well as the fact, the more information I had, the easier it would be to write.

Feelin' A Bit Drafty In Here

In a very early pre-draft version of the story (where I was still ideating over it), I thought I would try to tell the story from Niadris' perspective, but Aryeonos felt it would ruin a lot of the mystery and suspense surrounding Niadris, as well as deprive me of character interaction moments for the rest of the cast. So I redid the entire tone and course of the story to focus on the Rising dawn quartet, (sans snoozing bunny) with Niadris being the add - an apt decision since the cast literally considers them an intruder! In the new story format, I thought about Theo being so nerve wracked by Niadris that he would try to poison them, only for it not to work, and for Niadris to then reveal their life-sensing ability to Theo and tell him that they are not mad because always knew where he stood as a veiled threat. The story would have had a more adversarial tone; but then after doing some more lore spelunking, I learned that Theo prefers to handle confrontation openly and honestly as opposed to taking the scoundrel's way out.

So after learning that wasn't a very gentlemanly move, I decided to shift gears and redo the story (again) to what you see today. After that, I looked up the other characters for pertinent lore and information about them. I was already pretty familiar with Hyden, and Theo was the first character I discovered since I'm a diehard rat/skaven fan and always combing the internet for rat characters!

Then came to Alex and Ridge. After having my "cast" in hand, I figured out what to do with them. In the current iteration of the story, I wanted Niadris being self-conscious of their frightening appearance (they've certainly been screamed and shot at enough) and opt to meet the cast in a way that does not end in violence. Hence the Arhulian observing the cast for a long time and then making their carefully planned move. Likewise, first impressions are very important, and Niadris trying to approach the situation in a delicate manner (whether or not it worked) was one of my central goals in depicting them, and Arhulians as a whole. They are far from mindless brutes... Switching back to the the Amaran quartet, they are not my characters obviously - I'm just writing for them - so I tried to make educated guesses on how'd they react based on the information I had at hand. So keep in mind these are my personal head cannons of these characters!

Character Dynamics

Hyden - Due to the way the story was structured, he was not utilized very much. Which, is a shame on one hand, but on the other, it leaves my options open for how he would react in a future story. He could be just as lost as the rest of the cast, then shift to be deeply fascinated by the unnatural being that is Niadris. Treating them like magic buddyTM Ambroys 2.0. (Though he may find it much more difficult sink his roots into Niadris, as they are far sharper, and not blinded by idolism like Theo.) Or, alternatively, Hyden being a time displaced scholar could know something about Arhulians the present day cast does not, and is trouser-browningly terrified. But that is as much as I'll reveal for now. We'll see what way the coin falls. :) Theo - Theopolis North was the most fun to write for. Poor little Rat man pinballed through many different emotions across the story. Firstly, fear. Secondly, he's even more unnerved by the fact Niadris can go toe-to-toe in his smartassery which means it's intelligent. And that's extra dangerous in his eyes. I thought about writing Theo being even meaner and more hostile, but I decided Theo has a few reasons to keep himself reeled in. 1) Theo - though a poorly adjusted meanie - has enough sense to know that trying to stress-test this thing's patience would not go in his favor if the matter escalated. Especially with a thing that could throw him across a room or eat him alive. Unmetaphorically. Best to let a sleeping dragon lie so to speak. 2) I've noted that Theo appears to be a dire misanthrope, so a thought occurred to me that Niadris is just so alien they just end up in a loophole of sorts. And I decided that is a funny dynamic, and I'm going to roll with that. :) 2.5) Theo's aggression seems to be heavily rooted in his own insecurities. Niadris is somewhere between socially illiterate to too logically minded to care. So in a way, from theo's perspective; that's big wall that isn't there for him. 3) As much as it agonizes him to admit, the alternative is telling this thing to sod off, resulting in them just roaming about unaccounted for entirely. At least this way, he can keep an eye on them... 4) Granted, he does not want to admit it outright and 'encourage' them, Theo is personally intrigued by Niadris. Although he hasn't quite put it together it yet; Arhulians are intelligent, sentient, beings that definitively exist outside of "ascension". The implications would be defining to say the least. Theo's name would go down in the books for sure... And lastly, this being gives him a sense of deja vu he tries not to think too closely about. Henceforth, I laid down the roots of what may be the beginning of a very odd "friendship" as hinted at in the closing paragraphs of the story.

Alex - From the lore I got on her, she jumped out to me as the most rational and calm-minded of the group. She's a cool, collected soldier. Her perception is sharp (and unlike Theo, it's not calibrated in entirely the wrong direction via paranoia). Her nature as a sniper means it's natural for her to sit back, absorb information, and think about a decision before making it. Because of this, it felt natural that she'd fall into the role of "team mom" because she's the most level-headed and surprisingly enough, the most socially adjusted of the group. Especially since her competition is: 1) Hyden; a washed up noble that doesn't know what century he's living in - whose social resume is bossing around servants and bullshitting noble asses.

2) Theo; a misanthropic, paranoid, bulgy-eyed weirdo that's a reclusive shut in. 3) Ridge; Likely the best of the three. But if I remember the lore right, it's heavily implied that Ridge was in jail for some time, so I'd wager that has not done his social skills any favors. So with that in mind, Alex is the glue desperately trying to keep (the now) quintet from unraveling.

Ridge - Of the four characters here, Ridge has the least information available that I could find, so a lot of his character is implied from his surface level details, like him being big and brawny, that he had spent time in jail, and is at the very least in a non-hostile relationship with Alex. With all that said, I guesstimate he has the least amount of emotional baggage and personality extremes, so I felt that Ridge would be the best fit for a layman character. Niadris - Beyond what I already mention here, I'd rather keep their inner workings hidden, as they are both a mysterious, and a still developing (both in-universe and in a meta sense) character...

What's Next?

Without giving away too much, the logical path forward to the story is that Niadris is playing it safe as they have never been around multiple people for an extended period of time before. So they take on a passive role to learn and observe the... odd group dynamic the rising dawn quartet have. There will be a great deal of funny character moments and learning experiences for all involved! Over time, Niadris will start to make their own waves as they get accustomed to the group, and begin manifesting their own wants once they feel comfortable exerting their own social pressure. Likewise, everyone is wary of the big, scary Arhulian. But on the other hand, their value as an asset is undeniable! And they would be a pretty definitive tie-breaker should a schism arise... Various parties will likely be setting plans into motion to try and vie for Niadris's loyalty now that this wild card has scuttled their way into the group. With the groundwork of Niadris' and the Arhulians' introduction laid, I have to spend some time thinking about the path forward; as this is the point where things can really diverge, so I must decide what direction the story is going to head in. So alas, I don't really have an ETA in mind for the next chapter of this fan-story.

[kuu-stuff]

13th February 2025

There is a period that comes back every few months where I kind of drift away. The end of the year/start of the next is always brutal on this regard, I overwork myself in October, then spend a month relaxing where I start noticing my art mistakes more then the next one I try desperately to improve my level but I just can't reach the skills I want so I feel frustrated, then in January I take commissions and they often overlap on February. And now I'm just so tired. I feel like I haven't drawn for pleasure in a while and it drives me away from my tablet. It's always nice to work on commissions but it's certainly not the right season for it and I take too many of them. I can't really work freely on anything until I finish them all, or it makes me feel bad for making my clients wait. But at the same time, my motivation is just dropping down day by day. Right now I still have 5 commissions to work on, and not small ones. And all this puts me in automatic drive and I just kind of work on my commissions then play video games and I don't think about anything and stop writing in my diary or work on my projects. Usually it helps to start new ones, since my current ones are kind of out of my mind at that time, but then it just gives me more work for the rest of the year. I'll try to start finishing what I can this year. I think I'll erase "Here, within reach" since that whole scenario will start in the main series soon and that one gets a lot of hate for some reason and it kind of demotivates me on Contained itself. I should try to finish "Remnants of our memories" since it's a shorter story. I want to redo the last part, I really didn't like how it end up looking like and it makes me feel like I broke the perfection of it. I'm coming to a part of Contained where I need to rewrite some scenes but the next part will be very short and it's the first thing I'll work on after I finish the next 2 commissions. Then, oh well, I'll see. Until then I'll try to work on my essay on Silas in between each commissions steps to keep me sane. ✰✶✰✶✰✶✰✶✰✶✰✶✰ Those last months were so empty and annoying that I have nothing to say even. Oh, right, I started "Cherished Nightmares" since last time. I started it on a whim, as always. I wanted to make it into a black and white more manga-esque quick series like "Remnants of our memories" but I ended up coloring it so it doesn't take me less time at all... I did change the format tho, I thought that it's nice to have at least once comic that could be printable. Tho I made each pictures a bit too big, the writings too, but so if you ever want to print it at home, having 2 pages on each side will be well readable. Paper saving. On the concept, I classified it as horror/drama. I'd have chosen psychological if I had the option. I certainly shouldn't spoil but I was heavily inspired by the video on time travel rendering you inhuman, as well as the again and again music. I had similar scenarios in my mind but I went for something more painful. As always the character has no self-esteem and want to save a character she loves. More as a sacrifice than hoping to ever being with him. The issue is that it's way harder than it seems and no matter what she tries, she can't find a way to do it and of course she blames herself. Feeling guilty, trapped in a world where she doesn't belong, trying to save someone she believes would hate her, she spiral further into insanity. Will it have a good ending ? I'm not sure yet. That's what "This time I can share it with you" is for after all.

[mangionebabymama]

I think when I’m finished with school, I might redo the formatting of my fic masterlist and my fics. I don’t know, I want to keep it cute, nice, and detailed, but also visually appealing? When I stare at it for too long, I start overthinking and reconsidering