#I'm learning to do faces... it's tricky still lol

[candycryptids]

Day 4 of Glamtober - Aldenard ! Full Glamtober Promptlist [Here] There's a lot of Glam this time so it's under the cut ! Along with a full body of the Elezen Merchant+ some bonuses :) Also, Keathan belongs to @dustedbooksandreadingnooks When Tuesday first arrived in Ishgard- it was in a crate! Keathan had to power him on for the first time... and then ask him one of many firsts; would you like to change clothes? He agrees; not because the Maid Dress is uncomfortable or particularly embarrassing, but because he stands out among most Ishgardians dressed as he is, and a nice coat would protect his core and joints from locking up in the cold :) Keathan has to help him a bunch with getting dressed and undressed- his fingers aren't very dextrous and the clasps and buckles of Ishgardian clothing prove to be a challenge....

Keathan is wearing- White Beret- Salmon Pink Heirloom Tunic Of Healing- Pastel Blue No.2 Type B Gloves- Salmon Pink Ruby Cotton Sarouel- Pastel Blue Wayfarer's Boots- Currant Purple/Pastel Blue Tuesday part 1 is wearing- Housemaid's Brim Housemaid's Apron Dress- Cream Yellow Sky Pirate's Gauntlets of Maiming- Snow White Housemaid's Bloomers Housemaid's Pumps Emerald Carbuncle Earring Tuesday part 2 is wearing- Highland Hood- Ink Blue/Ash Grey Seigneur's Jerkin- Ink Blue/Vanilla Yellow Hraesvelgr Gloves- Sylph Green High House Breeches Wolfliege Thighboots- Soot Black Fashionable Elezen Merchant is wearing- Alpine Coat- Rhotano Blue Roseblood gloves Gleaners Breeches Ishgardian Thighboots- Charcoal Grey aetheryte earring

She was hastily put together because I was having trouble posing the actual npc behind the counter. She’s real cute though I like her :) I like to think she wants to make her clothes a city-wide household name, but that’s about as far as my brain-train got. Here’s those extra bonuses I promised!

Tuesday is so super handsome and cute I just want to shake him around like a Mii. Shader is Neneko [Vanilla Natural [Gameplay]]

Notable Mods are Hrothgar And Viera Hats [Heliosphere] [NexusMods] I had to do a tiny bit of colorset editing on the Hat specifically because the ears part of the Highland Hood were not linked to the second dye, so I matched them to the grey instead of being firetruck red like it was originally ^^; Other than that, Tuesday is near totally vanilla! (I have some bunny teeth in for him but you can't really see them!)

[meanbossart]

Another much overdue ask compilation! Some short-ish lore asks (Gale, Gort, DU drow relationships and pet-companion preferences) and a couple of art/advice ones sprinkled in. THIS IS BY NO MEANS ALL OF MY ASKS so as usual I appreciate everyone's patience!

I actually think he'd give them a pass entirely as soon as he noticed. Correct me if I'm mistaken but half-drow get No love from underdark drow and are usually surface babies right? So that fruit is miles away from the tree lol. I think he generally has a bit of a soft spot for mixed kinds since he himself feels like an amalgamation of sorts.

Thank you! They're kind of a pain in the ass to draw at times for that very reason but man I do like the look 😩if other people like it too then that makes it all worth it!

THAT'S TRICKY TO ANSWER BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES I'M NOT... REALLY TRYING. I've draw a ton of horror comics for mine and my partner's series' SAD SACK and SORTIE, so I think it just comes naturally to me 😅 also I do genuinely find expressive and, uh, rugged faces more attractive? (I think they look rugged, again that's what people tell me at least.)

I think the secret might be adding bits of realism in there. I get a lot of comments about the wrinkles and eyelashes I add to my art, as well as the way I draw individual teeth (though I've lately been making an effort to simplify my style in favor of drawing faster, so I haven't done that as much or in as much detail.)

Both symmetry and the lack of it can also add to that effect. I have employed both facial unevenness and almost point-perfect symmetry to achieve something a little frightening or otherworldly in my work. [MORE UNDER THE CUT]

Thank you so much!!! The contrast is very much intentional, that's what DU drow's character is all about ;)

Hahah well I somewhat doubt Bhaal would care that his spawn gets named, but either way he stripped himself of his name as soon as he killed his foster parents and abandoned the Underdark. He had a drow name that I jotted down somewhere but it's completely irrelevant because nobody has used it since he was a child, and he doesn't remember it (even pre-tadpole/having his brain scrambled.) Here's a little write up about his origins that might shed some more light on that: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/739688837431836672/did-drow-ever-have-a-childhood-before-the-temple

And about his original drow-given name and the reason behind it: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/741350986692591616/drow-had-to-have-been-given-a-name-by-his-adoptive

Everyone just referred to him as his supposed race, or as Bhaalspawn or Bhaal's child, and any other similar titles. Orin called him "kin" and "brother" and Gortash likely called him his associate. Post-tadpole the camp grows entirely used to calling him "the drow" and he has no desire to change that or to choose a proper name.

THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH😭 no reason to be intimidated, I'm just some rando drawing BG3 fan art LOL I've been drawing since I was a child, and started taking it semi-seriously when I was 16 years old, so twelve years ago! That's around the time where I got my first non-display tabled and used that well into my twenties, prior to that I only did stuff on paper and liked to do inks color with pencils. I never really ventured into traditional painting at all except for a little bit of water-coloring in college.

Traditional and Digital art are very much different beasts. Which one you want to start with is, in my opinion, just dependent on what you want to do. Digital art gives you a lot of tools that makes learning easier, but you might find yourself having much steeper of a learning curve if you ever decide to do traditional art instead. If you want to be good at both, you need to practice both, since the skill doesn't entirely translate from one medium to the other.

Naturally you will be able to draw well on either, it's just... Different. I will say though, that I think if you're still learning you should use whatever allows you to look directly at what your hand is doing, so either traditional or display tablet/Ipad. I have no idea what a non-display tablet would do to a beginner, but remembering my experience with it I feel like it might be a huge detriment to developing the skill (feel free to share your experiences in the replies if you disagree, as I would definitely be curious to read them!)

YOU KNOW ME BABY IT WAS MESSY AND COMPLICATED the tldr.: is that they were "buddies", absolutely no romance intended there on either mine or DU drow's part, but due to his nature the friendship was extremely weird.

Here's a couple of replies where I go into more detail about it: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/739191190871818240/i-dont-have-a-particular-question-in-mind-sorry

https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/744952815768764416/so-not-sure-if-youve-covered-this-but-i-thought

That's definitely reserved for the vamp LOL DU drow very much enjoys when Astarion teases and fusses over him, and while Astarion probably got a kick out of acting that way around such a big and scary looking guy at first, I think by "now" (later and post-game) he's pretty much immune to DU drow's looks and just enjoys doing it in earnest.

He's not at all averse to being touched (even rather intimately) by close friends, but he wouldn't be quite THAT vulnerable with anyone else.

HE REALLY DISLIKED GALE... He irked him out by seemingly fostering a rather persistent romantic interest in him for at least half the time they spent together (very much based on my interpretation of their in-game interactions at the time, though my Gale might have been a little bugged.)

But also they had a... Fairly in depth relationship still? Gale was a staple in my party, and even though I antagonized him constantly by the end of the game it still felt like they had so much weight in each other's lives, if that makes sense. I might need to do a bit of an "update" on the DU Drow/Gale lore sometime, I feel like I've had some thoughts since that warrant more exploration of their dynamic (you can find a lot of old asks about it if you just search the Gale Dekarios tag in my blog though).

The gist of it is that DU drow found him arrogant and duplicitous, his constant optimist irritated him to no end and felt like it veiled a stream of self-pity (two things DU drow despises) Gale's attempts to get through to him only added insult to injury. By the end of the game he decided to pursue the crown of Karsus and this only lost him even more respect in Drow's eyes, seeing as he doesn't value godly power at all.

I was pretty overwhelmed by the game at the start so I actually missed a lot LOL including Scratch. I did get the owlbear cub though, which DU drow gladly welcomed into camp since it was injured - but I think he would have wished for it to remain a wild animal and to return back to it's home after it had grown up a bit. He didn't really make a "pet" out of it more than he just looked after the little guy in the way it's mother might have, probably with Shadowheart's help.

He wouldn't be opposed to proper pets though if one were to stumble into his life. He'd definitely be more of a cat guy because of their independence and strong little attitudes.

It is very hard to build proper rapport with him. He will be "friendly" to most people who have a good sense of humor about them, but friendSHIP is another thing entirely.

I think it's kind of circumstantial. He's very economical in his relationships and doesn't really seek them out at all - so a situation where he's forced to be in someone's company might be the only way to develop a bond with him, as he doesn't appreciate insistence either and that's more likely to push him away. He doesn't value status or titles either (kind of looks down on them really) so that won't help.

I think he just likes people who are true to themselves and their nature, sometimes even if the nature is one he disagrees with at it's core. This is why he liked Gortash, why he and Shadowheart got along so well, and why him and Astarion fit together so seamlessly despite seeming so different. Likewise I think it's why he didn't jive with people like Gale or Wyll, because they seemed to be rather... Dishonest with themselves and their own end-goals.

[kaiowut99]

Some GX Remaster thoughts, as memed shared over on the NAC Discord the other night...

but tl;dr me seeing all the hype they did at these Japan events to promote the remaster, only to see what feels like little love being given to it as they make it another cropjob, only not even giving it a "20th Remaster" logo like with DM's:

Okay let's fire this up and se--okay wHY IS THE LYRIC FONT SO BIG

And cropjob it is, sasuga Konami [NAS?]

From all the work they did advertising it as the "GX 20th Remaster," to not even bother updating this bit in the OP to include the logo like they did for the DM Remaster openings, I'm...

Still not fully sure how much of this is from whoever encoded the video (a "JibaRaws" release) because wHAT is this filter they added to whooshy scenes??? (Judai running in the city isn't even that whooshy??) wild sepia tone appeared

RIP, even less Yugi--but at least they seem to have thoughtfully cropped this shot since the same amount of his face is there

They didn't try to fix the error with the one orange "face-down card" Big Shield Guardna's duelist had that I fixed here, lol.

I thought they would have at least fixed this one like I did, but the error with Misawa's LP dropping from 3000 as Ring of Destruction resolves is still there... They did get better about fixing those rare errors by Season 3, but I wonder if they don't have access to the original project files with the LP counters as their own layers that they could fix (though I guess if they did they'd redo the counters as they crop the shots, since DM's counters would be cut off slightly here/there too in its remaster iirc).

Random whooshy-scene sepiaesque filtering again, but also love how you can barely see Featherman's card [though with it being a zoom-out shot, it was probably a bit tricky to crop well]

No "20th Remaster" even on the cropped eyecatches, shame 😔

They cropped the "gotcha!" 😭 [how will this new generation learn the finger pose]

Well, I guess one upside to this whole thing--aside from the Limited Packs coming out with 10 previously anime-only cards finally being printed like Linear Magnum, Titan's Matadors, and Asuka's Prima Light (and hopefully a chance at a long-awaited Sound Duel 3 for the remaining unreleased OST)--is a bit of a better shot of grabbing the Heroes' anime artworks from the Battle on the Edge/Genkai Battle ED [a proper 1080p upload would be niftier for this, I'm sure]

Kinda bugs me they didn't crop this to put the title in the center [unless they maybe did it this way to account for two-liner titles in the future]

It is cute they brought back this "tune in next time" card from the TV airings too

Would've been a nice touch to retroactively do "Today's Best Card" bits for Season 1, but then I guess most of the key cards became Best Cards later in the show anyway [also too much effort to expect given the effort already shown here]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Sooo, overall, it's a bit of a mixed-bag remaster there--mostly a cropjob as I was expecting since we saw the logo drop at its announcement event being a crop of the logo shot from OP1 (though I'm curious to see how much the "remastering" for GX in ARC-V's 777 OP or in those Duel Select re-airings [where they re-aired a handful of fan-fave episodes like Judai vs Kaibaman or Fubuki vs Asuka] stack up to this), and things like not even bothering to give it the "20th Remaster" logo they used in promos in the OP/eyecatches or even trying to fix art/animation errors mostly sours it for me, but if it finally gets us more anime cards and a new Sound Duel of unreleased music as mentioned, I guess I'll embrace it. also Fire Dragon pls Also, not sure how much of it is my GX brainrot because of all my time fansubbing it (check out my finalized episode 1 subs, ft the aforementioned animation error fixes, here if curious!), but it's so awkward seeing it so cropped and zoomed in, lol.

...also, apparently these aren't airing with closed-captioning either??? which, welp, there goes the other benefit I was hoping for with this lol. I'm curious how Japanese fans are seeing this, though the couple of Twitter comments I've seen are also picking at the cropjob aspect.

Though I am kinda glad they didn't try to mess with the OP/EN like they did with DM's--but then, you can't mess with perfection, after all 💁🏽‍♂️

[deerbourne-if]

Only recently found this story but I love it already!

I already got weird vibes from Florence, but her attitude at breakfast when MC didn't bring Bug made me go "i Do Not trust you to be around MC's kid. You WILL stay a minimum of 50ft away from Bug at all times or you're gonna be the one sent to the woods, creep-o."

I like Jordan, but them immediately exposing MC for thinking the commune is a cult (which. It really is if you think about it for 2 seconds lol. You best start learning about cults, Jordan, because you're in one!) made me go "oh! Can't trust you! Probably can't even talk about the weather with you without you announcing to the whole inner circle that MC isn't very fond of rain or something! Snitch behavior!"

So far the only weird thing about Hunter is that he doesn't eat any of the food he makes which ???????

Don't have much of an opinion yet about Annikah or Nadia. Vardah seems fun though.

Silas is the only one i trust so far, and that's mainly because he keeps antagonizing Florence. Back talking the weirdo cult leader, we love to see it!

Thank you so much! I'm so happy you're enjoying it!

Florence is a tricky lady. It's definitely best to keep an eye on her. I will say, however, that Bug is safe with her. But you? Hmmmmm. Stay on her good side.

Jordan is taking a licking for their cop behavior, and I totally get it. They're coming at it from the mindset of 'I need Deerly to be crystal clear on what challenges she might face, and those I might face keeping this place safe.' They still don't know you, but they know Deerly (who, despite everything, is protecting her flock). Their allegiance won't shift so quickly. Trust is key.

Silas has secrets. Not for long - Patreon folks already know some since it comes up in Chapter 3. But he definitely might not seem as innocent as first thought.

Annika is a slightly tragic case whose story is told, at first, through vague mutterings and flashbacks. The gardener route will see more and faster, naturally. She is definitely a byproduct of being born and raised at Deerbourne, tying her entire life to a man who ended up dying young, and not realizing there were other options.

Nadia is fun. Nadia is very fun. She isn't a big part of it yet, but there is a reason that Initiates aren't allowed to handle the food prep anymore.

Vardah is… something. I adore the little kookybean. The librarian route sees more of her oddity faster, of course, and gets a peek at her and Bug's odd kinship for one another…

And Hunter. Oh Hunter. Another tragedy, but of his own making. He needs someone to help him... and toughen him up.

[yujeong]

I hope it's ok to throw up some Pete thoughts into your inbox, but that last rb of the fake vegaspete scenes has me thinking soooo many thoughts too. Even thinking about the original scene with Pete giving Porsche blocking advice... Do you think it's hard for Pete not to just see the violence in everything? Do you think it's hard for him to tell the difference? Was it easier for him to project his trauma onto Vegas than it was Porsche? Sorry sorry, my brain is kicking around so many hypotheticals that I almost want to write poetry

Oh anon, first of all, you can always come and throw at me *all* the Pete thoughts, I assume you've seen my blog and know how I'm like about that man. Second of all, damn, those questions are fascinating. I've never actually thought of Pete and violence and sex in that way before, at least not consciously (I think - I've only been thoroughly obsessing over him for almost 2 years lol). But anyway, for starters, I don't believe Pete is a stranger to sex. Even if he's a virgin in the show (something that was never confirmed), he's not oblivious to it. No matter the show's insistence at using Pete for comedic purposes in regards to him not knowing KP were a thing, I refuse to believe it! So, while, unfortunately, the scene with Porsche and the hickeys cannot really be interpreted in any other way than Pete having misunderstood what he saw on Porsche's neck, your question raises a good point for his character: does every act, including sex, involve violence for him? In my opinion, yes. Yes it does. Pete seeing the potential violence in everything could be a trauma response or a defense mechanism, both of which highly probable, as evidenced in ep4 with the table scene (though in that one, we had actual violence and potential escalated violence, depending on Tankhun's behaviour which Pete tried to control). Because of this, I don't think it's a matter of him finding it hard or not; it's a subconscious thing. I also don't think it'd be hard for him to tell the difference, but rather, Pete wouldn't *need* to tell the difference, because sex isn't something made for him. He's never thought it'd be something he would experience in his life before Vegas, so why distinguish one kind of violence from another? This is one of the main reasons why I utterly love their NC scene: it wasn't violent. Sure, it might have been painful - Pete hadn't completely healed yet, he was still wearing bandages and, depending on one's headcanon or not, penetration surely hurt to some degree - but it wasn't violent. It was hot kisses and licking necks and ass eating and slow thrusts and more kisses and.. yeah, you get the point. I believe it wasn't what Pete expected, same as the audience who witnessed it. Perhaps he expected another kind of violence, but got something completely different in the end, which is why Vegas using the handcuff again hit Pete so hard. The usual kind of violence returning, after the lack of it. He got too comfortable. He forgot to protect himself from the violence. Now, in regards to your last question, I believe Vegas' trauma is easier for Pete to project himself onto because it's a mirror (something @loveliesblood has actually said, because their brilliant character interpretations are brilliant). Pete's been there before, so he can empathize with a lost Vegas who's only response to the abuse is to blame himself. There's also the safety of distance: the days he'd been subjected to boxing against his will are over, so he's not in direct danger of his father abusing him like Vegas is. With Porsche, it's a little tricky. Taking as a hypothetical that he learns about what happened to Porsche somehow, the story hits a little *too* close to home for him to be able to process the trauma. There's no distance this time: it's here and now and he has to face it. But Pete is a hypocrite with no clue of what introspection means, so he shields himself from it, like he tries to do in ep13, in the infamous bathtub scene with Porsche, my favourite scene in the whole show. He cowers and hides and deflects. It's gorgeously agonizing to watch and I love it so, so much. This ended up being a little too long and I'm scared that I fucked up your incredible ask, but to salvage it a little bit, I'd like to highly encourage you to write the poetry you mentioned; we can never have enough of it, especially in the VP fandom. I'm sure it'll be wonderful ❤️ (Shoutout to @musictooth and their series of made-up vegaspete scenes, thank you so much for the brainworms haha)

[knoepfl]

Howl You Doin'?

Request: "some of your monster high shots and would love a request of clawdeen wolf! I have a feeling she'd be super protective of her friends if they got bullied or something so maybe a scenario where she stands up for them with that sass of hers lol" From: Anonymous ---

Hey thank you so much for your request^^ I'll try my best! Tbh I never did something for a girl so I don't know how this will turn out XD I hope I understood you correctly       I'm a bit worried you wanted a Reader added to the friends. In this it's only the original characters from Monster High. As   I'm writing it I started to notice  I have no idea on how they act. I'm from Germany and always watched it in German so I have no idea how they talk.XD I hope I still made it somewhat accurate.

If you wanted a Reader in this just tell me and I'll make a new one with the Reader. Anyways! I hope you enjoy it!

Characters:

1. Clawdeen Wolf

A bold and loyal werewolf who fiercely defends her friends.

2. Frankie Stein

A kind but self-conscious ghoul exploring her creativity.

3. Draculaura

A sweet vampire with a gentle personality, sensitive to criticism.

4. Toralei Stripe

A sarcastic werecat who often mocks others to cover her insecurities.

---

Trigger Warnings:

1. Bullying

Verbal mockery and targeting insecurities.

2. Public Humiliation

Characters face ridicule in front of a crowd.

3. Confrontation

Features a heated verbal exchange between characters.

---

Masterlist

Words: 705

---

It was lunchtime at Monster High, and the Creepateria buzzed with chatter, clattering trays, and the occasional squawk from a nearby gargoyle. Clawdeen Wolf sat at her usual table with her ghoulfriends, Frankie Stein and Draculaura, laughing over a particularly wild fashion idea Frankie was testing—a dress that glowed in the dark.

“Ghoul, that’s fierce,” Clawdeen said, eyeing Frankie’s sketches. “You gotta let me help you with the stitching. Glow-thread is so tricky.”

“Thanks, Clawdeen! I’ll definitely need your claws for this,” Frankie replied, beaming.

The moment of fun was interrupted by a loud, mocking voice from the next table over.

“Well, if it isn’t the ‘fearless’ freak trio,” sneered Toralei Stripe, leaning back in her chair, her claws tapping against the table. Her two lackeys, Purrsephone and Meowlody, snickered beside her. “You know, Frankie, maybe stick to assembling clocks instead of dresses. At least they don’t explode when someone touches them.”

Frankie’s bolts sparked slightly as her confidence dimmed. “I—I’m still learning…”

“And Draculaura,” Toralei continued, “Do you even eat anything, or is this just for show? You might as well give that blood fruit salad to someone who can actually enjoy it.”

Draculaura’s cheeks flushed pink as she pushed her tray away, looking down.

That was it. Clawdeen slammed her clawed hand on the table, her amber eyes glowing with a mix of rage and determination. She stood up, towering over Toralei’s table, her fur bristling as her pack instincts kicked in.

“Okay, first of all, Toralei, no one asked for your cheap opinions,” Clawdeen began, her voice dripping with sass and menace. “Second, if you’ve got time to tear down other ghouls, maybe you should spend it on getting a personality upgrade. Oh wait, they don’t sell those in bargain bins.”

The entire Creepateria went silent, all eyes turning toward the confrontation.

“Excuse me?” Toralei hissed, her ears flattening.

“You heard me,” Clawdeen shot back, flipping her purple-streaked hair. “Frankie is twice the ghoul you’ll ever be, and at least she’s doing something creative instead of sitting around acting like a knockoff villain. And Draculaura? She’s the sweetest ghoul I know. You could learn a thing or two from her about kindness—not that your cold, shriveled little heart could handle it.”

Draculaura let out a soft giggle, and Frankie’s bolts sparked brighter, this time with gratitude.

Toralei stood, trying to save face. “I was just joking.”

“Well, your jokes are about as funny as a werewolf in silver heels,” Clawdeen snapped. “Oh wait, that’s me, and I still pull it off better than you ever could.”

The Creepateria erupted in laughter, and Toralei scowled, grabbing her tray and storming off with her lackeys in tow.

Clawdeen wasn’t done, though. She turned to the rest of the ghouls watching. “Let this be a lesson to all of y’all. You mess with my friends, you mess with me. And trust me, you don’t want to mess with me.”

A chorus of cheers and applause broke out across the room. Even Headmistress Bloodgood peeked in, giving a small approving nod before continuing down the hall.

Frankie and Draculaura hugged Clawdeen tightly as she sat back down, the heat of the moment finally fading.

“Clawdeen, you’re amazing,” Draculaura said, her voice soft but full of admiration.

“No one’s ever stood up for me like that,” Frankie added, her voice sparking with excitement.

“Ghouls, I’ll always have your backs. That’s what pack is for,” Clawdeen replied, giving them each a grin. “Now, Frankie, let’s get back to that dress idea. We’re gonna make Toralei eat her words when you rock this design at the next Fright Dance.”

Draculaura’s mood brightened. “And I’ll make sure the photos go viral! Let everyone see how clawsome you are.”

“Exactly! And we’ll show that stripey menace she doesn’t stand a chance against us,” Clawdeen said, raising her drink cup. “To friends, to fierceness, and to shutting down bullies!”

Frankie and Draculaura raised theirs too, and they clinked them together, their laughter echoing through the Creepateria.

The rest of the day, Toralei kept her head down, and for once, no one dared mess with Clawdeen or her friends. The pack was stronger than ever, and Clawdeen made sure everyone knew it.

---

[messinwitheddie]

Spittle what’s it like being a tallest? How did you look when you were younger?(you know before you got a lol beefy and stuff?😅)

Spittle "*grunt!* Being tallest is a sweeeeet gig, *grunt!* if you can be encoded with the title.*grunt!* It's a little overwhelming *grunt!*at *grunt!*first. *grunt!*A lot of pressure. I had big boots to fill when I was measured...

It zapped at first. A lot to learn. I was me, but I had to be a MUCH better me that I didn't know and I had to do it fast. I had to give up huge parts of myself to play the role, or I thought I had to at the time. You learn to work you-time into your schedule.

It was tricky. I dominate instantly, but I don't learn fast. Now that I'm more experienced, I understand why those two things aren't the same and only one will make being the tallest easier. I have a tighter grip on stuff now, y'know? Life hack; learn to trust your fellow drone to fix things themselves. Yeah, I'm THE drone, but I'm not THE drone.

Being a tallest means dealing with problems. How the sputch am I supposed to know how to fix 90% of them? I'm TALL! Not too many problems for me unless you count needing to have EVERYTHING you own custom fitted. After a while, I learn to listen and one of my drones will come up with something or droves of them will huddle up and come up with some stuff. They throw suggestions at me and I pick a solution with gut instinct-- by that I mean I run the ideas by my advisor, my personal frylord, my personal trainer here and my coordinator-- aaand, my high generals if the problem is armada related and they haven't irritated me too much. They work closer with the labor-drones so they can decide what would work best for everyone.

To let you in on not much of secret, I'm a very lazy tallest. Just a pretty face slapped on a perfectly sculpted flesh vessel to spew orders out of. But hey, the system is working.

Younger me...Before I was tallest?? I will respectfully not show images of me in my cadet and elite training days. It's not that I looked much different. I'm just not proud of the drone I was then. I was always on the tall, beefier side, even as a smeet. Obviously, I wasn't quite this tall or chiseled, but I was still impressive physically. Even as a smeet, I was tall and intimidating.

I was kind of spooch chute though. Can't remember too much about my smeetery years. I'm sure I was a rotten little brat. If it wasn't for my height I might have been held back in holo-visor lessons for another 5 years before graduating to basic cadet training on Ir's surface. A few the of shorter smeets I used to pick on got growth spurts during basic training and taught me a lesson in the holo battle simulations.

They forced me to learn the difference between being tough, looking tough and acting tough. Good lesson to learn before you're measured tallest."

[itsmistyeyedbi]

3, 4, 19, 23, 29, 30 for zuri and/or whoeveer strikes your fancy!

Hello hello! Thank you so much for sending in some asks! I'm going to answer for my beloved Zuri (any other ocs I have aren't fleshed out enough for me to do this kind of thing with them yet).

3. Are there any romantic gestures that your OC loves?

Zuri loves anything that implies that someone has been paying close attention to her or has been thinking about her. This can be little things like:

A good morning/night message is a good one. Her being the first thing someone thinks about when they wake up and before they go to sleep will always make her smile. Messages throughout the day are really good too, even if she's being sent a meme with "this is you" attached to it lol. And uh, sharing any heated thoughts they've had about her would work really, really well.

I'm not entirely sure if this could count as a gesture, but physical affection is another one. This is one of the things that Zuri can dole out pretty easily but cannot take, not without her heart beating faster and her having a big, doe eyed look on her face lol. Especially if it's the mushy, lovey dovey kind like really long hugs or cupping her face with both hands and looking into her eyes (this one's kinda funny because she does that to all her partners but will still be a little surprised when they do the same).

Carving out some time to do those kind of things, especially if they aren't going to be able to see each other much, would mean so much to her. It also falls into quality time, which is her love language (I have complicated feelings about the concept of it but hey).

4. Are there any romantic gestures that your OC hates?

This is a little tricky because most of the time, Zuri will at least appreciate the attempt. Even if it’s bland or doesn't really do anything for her (she gets better standards as she learns to love herself more, I promise😭).

One thing that she for sure hates are flashy, showboat-y, public gestures that are clearly more about the person doing it and how others perceive them than the person it's supposedly for. She hates being on the receiving end of them. She hates when someone asks her for help to do it. She hates seeing it at all.

Bobby did this a couple times for his partners and it definitely caused some tension in the early stages of their friendship. She doesn't mind some extravagance, but if the person it's for is at best, not being considered and at worst, having their preferences and comfort ignored? Ew.

19. How highly does your OC value love (platonic, romantic, or otherwise)?

Very, very highly. It isn't something she thinks she can have, which is honestly mostly because she won't let herself have it. But if someone actively chooses to stick by her despite her... everything? Her flaws, her baggage, whatever it is inside her that can drive people away? She will cling onto it with all her strength.

Tina is everything to her. She loves her so much and wants to be in her life for however long she'll have her. After their fallout in uni and their reconciliation in Wayhaven, Zuri’s attachment to her has been...not so healthy. She doesn't feel deserving of her forgiveness or her love, but she doesn't want to lose her again. So she's trying to accept it, for Tina's sake if nothing else. I say that because there do end up having a difficult conversation about that. It's a lot of pressure to be someone's only everything, and it hurts that someone Tina loves is struggling to accept that (and early on in their reconciliation, practically rejecting it).

Bobby was her everything at some point, too. She doesn't really know what to do with that fact. She never has.

Unit Bravo has definitely snuck their way into her heart - I'd say that they've all become her everything as well by book 4. She loves them, but she's trying not to acknowledge it. She isn't as certain about how they feel about her as she is with Tina (and even that is a little shaky, as you can tell). She feels similarly about Verda and his family. It's not to the same extent, but she does have those same feelings of uncertainty (even with the kids calling her Aunty Zee).

A part of her is waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the sheen to fade, for the novelty to wear off. For them to realise that there's better or more important things to do than be with her (guess where she got that idea from👀), that she isn't as good as they think she is and can't do much for them.

Zuri thinks that they have to see her at her worst, the way Tina did, for them to understand/know her, and by extension, love her. But she isn't the person she was back then. She's grown. It hasn't clicked that people can love her for who she is now, without her having to do things to earn it, and that them not experiencing who she was then doesn't make their love for her any less real.

She'll get there though.

23. What is your OC's favourite nice thing to do for themselves?

This is a little interesting for me to think about because Zuri hates doesn't like being alone, but the little amount of alone time she does have is when she does nice things for herself. Is it partially to distract her and keep her busy until she can be around people? Yes. But she does genuinely enjoy the things she does in those times, especially when she just...let's herself be.

Her favourite nice thing to do for herself is play music in her apartment and dance and sing along to it all day. All her favourite songs, from popular artists to musicals. She will cook her favourite food for breakfast and order jewellery from a local store to be delivered to her apartment on the same day. She'll do some stretches, take an absurdly long shower just to wear her pyjamas again. If she's in the mood, she might blow some trees as well it's weed I am referring to weed lol. Just do all the things she would like to do a little more regularly but can't, especially with how busy thing get with work.

29. What is your OC's favourite love song?

I'm not gonna lie, I haven't really thought about stuff like this. I have songs that I associate with her but choosing songs she actually likes? I'm drawing a blank💀

All I know is that she'd struggle to choose between an Rnb love song and a love song from a musical lol

30. What is your OC's favourite romantic movie?

I'm so sorry, but it's basically the same as the above. But worse because I haven't watched many movies😭

[formerlympp]

20. Share your favourite kiss scene from - any fic out of the ones you currently have on AO3. 😉

Ooh Anna with the tricky ask. Some of my favorite kisses aren't on AO3 anymore 🫣🫣 But after popping over there to remember what I have posted (lol), I'm going to have to go with this little moment from in retrograde which I was super excited to get write/share.

"Do you think kissing me would help?" she asks, voice soft and thoughtful. "Help me to remember."

He clutches the edge of the counter to stop the floor from dropping further beneath his feet. Exhaling, he faces her, a calm mask sliding into place as though she's asked something as inconsequential as the weather forecast.

She is fresh from the shower, her hair a darker red still from the water, her eyes bright as she watches him nervously.

"Do you want to kiss me?" He tries and utterly fails to put an arrogant edge to this question, to construct a mask that won't give away how desperate he is for her answer to be yes. They have grown close since she learned the news about Peter, but not in a romantic way typically preceding such desires.

"I… yes. I do."

At these gentle, wavering words, his grin falters briefly. So briefly that he dares hope she doesn't notice. "All right."

The space closes between them at their tentative footsteps. When James gently lifts the angle of her jaw, Lily's eyes close with a shuddering breath. He is grateful because he doesn't think he can keep the swirl of emotions off his face when he finally leans down to kiss her.

Her lips are soft, benign when he does, like she is an observer and not a participant. Instinctively, he slides his fingers deeper into her hair, urges her to kiss him back with the persistence of his mouth. When she does, it is with a tentativeness that she's shown with most new things and his heart bursts at the thought: this isn't us, this isn't right.

He chokes as he pulls away, a stream of tears tracking down his cheeks. Shameful, embarrassed, he turns his back on her, hands gaining hold on the counter again. "I'm sorry."

[clarajohnson]

the magicians s2e5

brakebills continues its tradition of fucking my shit

LOOKS GOOD! QC

i love that q gets sent to corpo email job hell and he still can't get professional enough not to lose his floppy hair never change you little freak boy

soup? the fuck?

kady and eliot should've gotten together to discuss curl care. i wanna show kady how to break a curl cast.

i don't subscribe to parts of a tv show being necessary or unnecessary or w/e but i always think jules's pregnancy plot is fucked. just horrible.

fucking eliot waugh is allergic to saying normal things "oh the miles we must walk" "to our violently attractive progeny" man either fuck quentin wordsmith coldwater or get normal

i love you pregnancy bunny

guess it's one of those situations where you wouldn't know unless it happened to you but i truly cannot imagine learning you're a magician and then abandoning it. abandoning other shit? yes. leaving literally everyone from brakebills behind? yes, sounds smart. but dude i would've just moved to another continent and cast little cantrips until i got old and died

margo's puffy gossamer sleeves and her dramatic wavy hair ohhhh

also her fuchsia lip is so iconic

i love how bloodthirsty abigail is

"i just don't actually know if you accepted my apology..." desperate pathetic man

who else saw the giant pile of knotted rope and thought you know what i wouldn't mind making that my task for the day

ugh i know the eye horror is coming and i'm going to HATE ITTTTTT

the fillory stuff is always tricky because fillory united is objectively right lol. sorry eliot and margo.

bayler. what a name. fu fighter. even better.

are people masturbating in their offices that often? i've worked in several offices and as far as i know nobody was jerking it. but i guess i wouldn't know, if they were doing it right.

q's email to alice's parents was very nice actually. this show kind of has to bluster past grief this season because there's so goddamn much going on (and then it will slow down for grief for ages and ages and ages later) but when you think about it, q thinking his beloved girlfriend has died to save him is like. whew. there's so much you could've worked through from just that, q.

i love stella maeve's crying face

how many times in his life do you think q was flirted at with the line "you're a fucking dork"

that's my favorite too AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH

i love that el and margo coordinate their outfits so often. similar fabrics similar palettes etc.

poor emily. jesus. god.

otd does a great job playing emily playing alice, but in large part it reminds me of some of the hallmarks of real-alice, particularly, the way her eyes are always SO active. SO bright and evaluating.

in political terms i respect eliot's decision. BUT as a matter of personal ethics i appreciate margo so much more. she's just-- she's right. she's kind of completely right.

unbelievable read from mayakovsky on "it's amuaoazing" so many vowels in that word

i love you fu fighter fen i LOVE YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SKIPPING THE SCENE IN THE CLINIC SORRY !!!!!

niffin alice lfg let's FUCKING go

[marezelle]

20 Questions

tagged by both @toopunkrockforshul and @writingordinaryrealities so I guess I'd better do it LOL

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

18!

2. What’s your total AO3 words count?

202,063

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Currently only Greenwing & Dart by Victoria Goddard. In the past I wrote a teeny bit of Legend of Korra fic, and then one Check, Please! fic and one Pokemon fic.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

falling and falling and falling, A Beifong Woman's Guide to Getting the Girl, tender is the night, to face unafraid the plans that we made, and protective measures

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to, and I usually do immediately after I post a fic. (I always end up running behind, though.) I do so because I am genuinely SO grateful to everyone who reads and comments on my stories. Every comment is a gift.

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

To call it angst is perhaps overselling the yearning happening there, but probably protective measures.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I had to go back and look at fics I've barely even thought about in years, but probably tender is the night, tbh.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope! I am not a popular writer. (thank god)

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I have begun to dabble, though I don't know how to quantify it? it's smut. LOL

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I still have that unfinished Carol-inspired Check, Please! au. I'm probably never going to go back to it, but I maintain that the vibes were immaculate.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Don't think so!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not yet, but how cool would that be?

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, and tbh the idea of doing so is intimidating as hell, but I'm sure it would be fun.

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

What do you mean "favorite"? I'm supposed to pick? I can't even pick a current favorite, considering I'm writing a whole polycule of various ships for G&D and I love them all.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I've accepted that my older unfinished works are going to stay that way, but sometimes I do think about The Journey. The end of that fic was going to involve Jinora and Opal leaving the Eastern Air Temple, to be followed by a sequel where they travelled to Zaofu, then the Southern Water Tribe, and then through the Fire Nation. The third story in the series would have brought them to Republic City, where they would establish Air Temple Island. The story as I began it just had too many plot holes, though, and I ended up losing interest in the primary romantic relationship.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I do a decent job with pacing. It turns out that I'm good at planning out a cohesive narrative that will play out over the course of a series; working out the snags is part of the fun. I like when unnoticed details are given greater/changed meaning or depth later on. (I learned that from @ourimpavidheroine!) Oh and my friends say I write pining well, LOL.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Figuring out plots driven by anything but the characters' emotional beats. (This is why I've written thousands of words of fanfic this year, and simply cannot get an original novel out of the planning stages.) I so wish I could write a complicated political plot, or a mystery, but I think those things are beyond me. Weaving in description alongside dialogue is also tricky for me, I always feel like I fall into using the same phrases over and over.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I don't speak any other languages well enough to do it, but it would be very neat.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Pokemon, *way* back in the day.

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

*gasp* How dare you make me pick just one. I guess it has to be hello, my old heart, though. I just am so proud of that fic. It's not just that it's the kind of thing that I've dreamed of writing for a long while (slowburn, lots of yearning, LONG) but that I managed to do it during a summer where I was struggling with just about everything else in my life. I'm very fond of the world it's set in, and I have so many plans for both prequels and sequels to it.

I'm tagging @ourimpavidheroine, @assistant-blogkeeper, and anyone else who thinks this would be fun! (no pressure to play along, though <3)

[strawberrystepmom]

Omg I’m loving reading all of your astrology analysis!!!! If you’re still doing it (no worries if not)- I’m Pisces sun, Gemini moon, and Leo rising, and whenever I share that will other astrology ppl they always do the eyebrows raised yikes face lol

thank you for the sweet words and for asking!

i'm gonna give my spiel again (of course i am) but there are no truly good or bad placements and modern astrologers (even hobbyists...) make a lot of money off of convincing everyone otherwise. there are some that may prove challenging to get to cooperate. there are some that can make a little emotional turmoil on occasion. this doesn't make any one of them bad, ykwim? i guess i'm not really understanding their shock here bc i see someone who overall is functional.

pisces sun is a placement we share and tbh we have a reputation for being messy. emotional, a little all over the place on occasion, but i feel like to consider those things messy is crass. emotions are our fuel for existence, if we felt nothing we'd cease to be. the downside is that sometimes we don't feel for US we feel for others and take on too many outside emotions which can complicate our own worlds. a pisces sun's mission is to understand and be there for people but we have to remember to be there for ourselves too.

this is where i believe your leo rising comes in handy for you. leo is a sign of confidence and great trust in oneself. pisces aren't insecure by nature but we dwell in insecure territory if we stop to really think about ourselves and how we're feeling for a moment. is this me or is this someone else's sadness? i'm confident that leo hides this aspect of you from the broader world. you likely come off as fashionable, confident, fun. people probably admire those things about you a lot.

gemini moon can be tricky. gemini's flexibility is both its blessing and burden and coupled with pisces, it can create a little bit of instability in decision making. this isn't always a bad thing but you have to learn to trust your own judgement (or, yk, have any at all bc pisces also is not a judgemental placement) and this may be a place where you've found struggle in your life. pisces intuition is good, gemini's willingness to play devil's advocate is good, but double check yourself to make sure it's what YOU believe and not what you may feel others want you to believe.

[renard-dartigue]

1- Yes, since I've listened to masked bands before, the expected etiquette when it comes to them is to not look into their identities. Most often it comes from late 90s to early 2000 bands sharing the same members, so to prevent confusion, they wear masks. Learning about sleep token and hearing that Vess and II had bands before ST led me to believe that might have been the reason for anonymity (at least in the beginning) . Regardless, if i see masks on bandmembers, that means they don't want me knowing who they are unless they willingly take it off like Cory Taylor and Alex Terrible do on camera.

2- Kind of? I treat masked bands the same as unmasked bands. If the music is cool, I'll be into them. Though I am more intrigued when I think the masks look cool. Alot of people in the metal community shit on masked bands thinking they are only that, a gimmick. But I think it brings alot of whimsy and theater into the genre, similar to Japanese Kabuki theater that inspired corpsepaint in the black metal community. Sleep Token are more than just the masks. The fact the members are so adamant about stripping their names and faces from the band goes to show their dedication to the music. Their passion seems sincere.

3- Yes but only one member and just a first name. Stumbled on it by accident in a comment section. I felt like shit for a couple hours but eventually got over it. I could forget it some days. And it's so painfully common that it sort of just feels meaningless now lol. If I had seen their actual faces I might have been more upset but thankfully that hasn't happened.

4- They likely have their reasons. At first I believed it was to distinguish themselves from their previous bands. Have no clue if they were still active in those bands at the start of ST but it would make sense. Later on they might have played into the idea more but given what Vessel says in Caramel, he likely just want to keep his privacy. The absolute lack of public interviews from Vessel to this day has convinced me that he doesn't care about popularity, the music speaks for him. He's a performer but also likes his solitude. And I find him to be a very interesting person/character.

Wearing a mask might also make it easier for him to perform without anxiety. (As someone with crippling social anxiety who used to cosplay back in high school, I can say that putting on a mask to go out and have fun with friends is beyond exhilarating. Vessel could feel the same way on stage. Who knows.)

5- I don't think so. Their mission statement from the very beginning was to put the music before themselves. They're anonymity is what makes Sleep Token work, both theatrically and commercially. I think back to Daft Punk's career, who had a similar goal. They remained anonymous all the way to their retirement a couple years ago. Unless something catastrophic happens, we will likely never know who they are and I'm cool with that. These quirky personas they created are much more intriguing. I'll only take interested in wants underneath when the band themselves feel like showing us what's underneath.

Hope this all makes sense, sorry if there are any typos and grammar mistakes. Typing all this out on a phone can be tricky. Anyway's if you mention me you can use my whole name or call me Ren, its alright lol.

Hello fellow worshippers, if I may have a second of your attention. As some of you may know @vesselsscarlet and I started a podcast just for fun, where we yap about Sleep Token. Check it out if you like.

We want to make an episode about the vessel personas and the concept of anonymity. And I'd kindly like to ask for your cooperation by answering some questions bc we would like to talk about some other perspectives but our own too. 🥺👉👈

01. When you got into Sleep Token, were you aware of the anonymity?

02. Was the anonymity a factor on why you got interested in them?

03. Have you ever been spoilt by their real identities? How did you feel about that?

04. Why do you believe they want to keep this boundary?

05. Do you think there is a possibility that they would ever part from their masks as Sleep Token?

You can answer directly under the post, dms or asks (if you'd like to keep anonymous). Also, if you don't want your nickname to be mentioned in the podcast, please give us a quick heads up in your reply.

I hope some of you would like to answer. Thank you! 🫶

[renewingagain]

monday 22 january 2024 // 7:11pm

feeling a little sorry for myself today but equally it is lowkey kinda my fault still lol

i received a job rejection which again would have been a perfect way for me to start a new career. it was what i wanted to go into and it was based in reading/london which would have been perfect for me to move to massi's and start my new life there

i suppose i still can just move down there come may, but i feel awkward about moving there without a job. it feels disappointing to my parents, and i dont want to burden massi

i mean yeah to be honest i didn't prep for the interview at all until the day - i was just so nervous as i find interviews quite daunting - especially civil service interviews, they are so tricky to navigate and this one i didn't pass at all. probably should have dedicated more time to it

anyway.., yes its a bit gutting to be rejected BUT it happens in life! if i was giving someone else advice in a similar situation, i would encourage them to just keep trying again. better your skills, take on feedback, yes it is a GRAFT, but (most) successful people just have to graft, it is the way life is if you wanna make it in the world. you can't allow rejection to tear you down, you've got to just chin up and carry on. there is a period of mourning, a period of sadness, a period of feeling sorrow. then comes a period of fixing yourself, a period of trying again, a period of progess, advancement, bettering yourself. the sorrow should only be for a period, ideally a small period. it is fine to be sorrowful but this will not cause change to occur

today i was in management training and we learned about emotional intelligence. we were taught that all emotions are positive. the sorrow i am feeling right now is now causing me to reflect (hence, journalling) and work out next steps, this is actually positive. allow your (bad) emotions to be the drive for change, don't just sit in them forever. disappointment is fine, it happens, we are only human, but reframe this disappointment to work for your good

think of the pain scenario: if you don't feel pain (eg, someone pinches you) then you will never know that anything is actually wrong. this anxiety you are feeling in your mind and your body is because your body wants and needs change, it is not happy where it is. try to use it as a driver to change. i would want the drive to be that i just don't want to feel anxiety anymore because it is tiring lol.

this isn't to say i'm doing terribly, generally i am actually quite well. there are good things still happening in life. i did a solo gig as a support slot for my friends band last weekend which i was very nervous about, but i owned it and it appeared to be well-received. im enjoying friends and being alive

anyway

we also come back to this old adage of how im going to choose to spend my time this year. i am very tired of using my phone, it is wasting my time a bit too much when i have many things to do

we also learned today in the management training about time management. my phone is a huge waste of my time, it is not the priority i want right now. i have a lot to do! more gigs to learn songs for, more CV work to do

i need to really sort my priorities out again

working out

looooool! ok, it is far too cold to be running right now, i cant face myself to do that. but i can still start doing my pullups every day again, and do some resistance band training too. that is all indoors and is at least constituting some form of exercise

i need to look at my to-do list and really just prioritise a few things, other things may have to wait. if i have to forego music stuff then i will. but i think i can do it all. i need to set aside time-slots of tasks i need to accomplish per day. and not use my phone while i'm doing things so i can just get shit done

chin up g, things will work out for you. i won't be stuck here forever, i refuse to be stuck this year. 2024 will be even better than 2023

if i dont find a decent job in london, the contingency plan is to just study and get qualified :) full time, this i can do in 3 months ! thats not too bad right? im sure i can find a pay monthly course to help me afford it if i really need to. it is an investment, and it will work out. london will be heaving with jobs once i get qualified in something

[sunflowerandstrawberryspice]

Ninjago post crystalized HC

-Therapy (I was considering only writing that and posting lol)

-Everyone starts finally settling down and a couple of the ninja are even looking into college courses since a lot of their technical skills revolve around fighting and they're kinda sick of that.

-I like to think Jay and Nya open up a mechanic shop together with some silly name like Electric Wave or something along those lines.

-Pixal starts working with Cyrus Borg again

-I think Zane should be an EMT or something like that, since he can asses wounds and work really quickly and has endless knowledge in his database so I think it fits

-Cole probably takes a bit to figure out what he wants to do but I could honestly see him going into psychology since he's pretty empathetic and a chill dude (bestie literally made friends with a snow monster and some dude who'd been a ghost for centuries I think he's got the skill)

-Kai was kinda hard ngl but I think that since he's seemingly ending up with Skylor maybe he helps out at the noodle house? Honestly I'm not sure Kai is tricky for me.

-Lloyd goes into law to some degree, HERE ME OUT, he totally seems like the type who still wants to defend innocents and those who have been wronged and what better way to do that (that doesn't involve ninja powers) I could totally see him fighting so hard for like kids and stuff since his childhood was pretty jacked up too.

-Wu and Misako probably start adventuring again, though more for fun and not looking for answers to anything, it's just to learn more about the world.

-I think it would be funny if Garmadon got a painfully mundane job in an office, like a data entry person or some shit like that would be so funny (like imagine "Oh you need that done? Yeah go ask Folson" and then you find out "Folson" is fucking GARAMDON who's just like chilling at his desk with coffee like "What do you want?")

-Lloyd reconnects with some of his old friends and while they're still a little bedazzled by him but still

-The ninja probably do a couple interviews after Crystalized kinda finally sharing how they really feel and people are shocked how scared their hero's have been this entire time.

-The ninja totally compare scars, like "Dude I got my face scar from literally being turned into a ghost, it's cooler than yours" or "Are lightning scars cool if I accidentally did it myself?"

-Lloyd starts reconnecting with his father again and slowly but surly the man Garmadon once was begin to shine through bit by bit, not fully but clearly he's there.

-Cole helps with reconstruction once his powers start coming back

-They all meet up when they can to do something fun together

-In addition to the last prompt: Sometimes they need to get some energy out and they're like "I need to fight" and they get together to absolutely pummel each other to get the fight out until the next time (Zane has totally recorded a couple of these fights, a particularly flasy one between Kai and Cole is in fact on the internet and people go nuts over it)

-They all pick up hobbies to relax a little: Kai-wood burning Lloyd-felting Zane-baking (he still does it to wind down) Cole-crocheting Nya-knitting (her and Cole fight over which is better by) Jay-skating Pixal-drawing

-Garmadon get's more plants, him and Vinny's new place has the nicest front and back garden and the oxygen in their house is CRISP

-Cyrus Borg kinda adopts Zane like "I already have one nindroid child, what's one more?" they totally have family dinners and I'd like to imagine Pixal's partner (idk who but it's not Zane cause like sibling dynamic> anything) and Cole just kinda siting there with three super geniuses and the two are just like "I forget what I have for lunch sometimes"

-Everyone starts to heal and the world is better... at least until this new show (whether I think of it as cannon is dependent on how much I like it lol)

That's it for now, I will be back, that's a promise and a threat :)

[flayote]

I'm just starting out tanning and I currently cut the heads and feet off of my pelts because I'm afraid I'll mess up skinning them. And I fully intended to wait until I have more experience to try it, but.

I just got a possum in perfect condition and I've gotten super attached to him and I really want to keep his full pelt. I've been really happy with my tanning attempts so far, but am I overconfident? If I try to tan his full pelt will I ruin him? I know this is a bit of a strange ask haha but what would you advise? Should I just stick him in the freezer and wait until I know I won't mess it up? Exactly how tricky are faces and feet to skin, flesh, and tan?

go for it!! you may not skin the face and feet out perfectly the first time, i sure didn't, but if you're careful and take your time it's pretty unlikely that you'll totally ruin them. those parts are indeed a little more tricky to skin than the rest of the body but i wouldn't say they're super difficult in general. once you've done a few sets of heads and feet and learn the basic principles, it comes as naturally as the rest.

go slow, keep tension on the skin, and keep your cuts close to the bone. i have a skinning tutorial here that covers skinning the head and paws, and another tutorial here on skinning squirrel paws with more tips on handling those smaller, longer toes. also have a video here skinning out mink toes. i will say opossum toes are some of the more difficult ones, i still have a bit of trouble with them sometimes myself because they need a lot of force to pull the skin down which can lead to tearing if you're not super careful. and the final joint where you separate the claw from the rest of the toe at the end isn't as obvious as with other animals. usually what i do is, when i know i'm reaching that last joint, i'll take my little pliers and grip that last toe bone as close to the joint as i can, holding the end of the toe/claw firmly with my other hand, and twist it off rather than trying to cut in between the joint. that said, if you find yourself struggling with the toes, you don't have to skin them out all the way down to the claw. opossum feet are small enough that they'll preserve just fine if you leave the toe bones in. you just want to make sure you skin down the palm, to at least the first joint of the toes, so that you can flesh out the fatty foot pads.

as for the face, i have a tutorial for face prep here, and a video here. for opossums, don't worry about turning the ears all the way out to the edge, just go far enough that you can flesh off the excess tissue on the base of the ear. the face is a bit more difficult to flesh since you can't just scrape the tissue off like you can on the body, you need to slice it away with a sharp blade, but most of it can be done after pickling so you can really take your time. here is a tutorial by stardusttaxidermy that shows fleshing the face with a scalpel. i personally find a skife to be super helpful when cleaning up the face, but it does take some getting used to. whatever tool you use, it helps to keep your fingers of your other hand on the fur side, pressing up against the spot you're fleshing so you can better feel how much pressure you're applying with the blade and reduce the chances of going too deep and cutting a hole.

if you have your heart set on this opossum turning out perfect, i'd say keep him in the freezer while you practice with other animals you're not as attached to until you feel confident. but i don't think you will totally ruin him if you give it a shot; holes can be sewn, and if you're not going to mount him then it's no big deal if the face isn't perfect taxidermy quality. honestly i think he'll give you more trouble when it comes to degreasing than skinning his head and feet lol, at least that's how it was for me. good luck!