#Artist’s block broken I guess

[starryfirmament]

[blouisparadise]

Today we are excited to bring you the second part to our rec list of exes to lovers fics. You can find the first part to this rec list here. Please note that in some of these fics, they’re broken up before the story begins, and in some of these fics, they break up over the course of the story and then reunite. Happy reading!

1) The Prints Of Your Hands Are Still On My Canvas | Explicit | 4,563 words

Harry and Louis broke up not long ago. Everything was fine until then, problems started with Louis’ heat just around the corner, an important presentation that he could not miss, and a very visible (or more like invisible) alpha that could help him go through his heat. And then Harry shows up. (Again.)

2) Unspoken | Explicit | 5,175 words

Harry and Louis broke up when they were nineteen. They see each other after six years.

3) The Writing On the Wall | Explicit | 6,705 words

When BookToker Louis receives a gift basket filled with all his favorite sweets, wines, and stuffed animals alongside the new Harry Styles book, he’s shocked at the story he finds in the pages.

4) Can I Stand In Your Light, Just For A While? | Mature | 11,875 words

“But like, if they offered you that much money it means they really really want your works.” Niall continued. “I mean I guess, I still don’t get why,” he shrugged. “It's because you’re an amazing artist Lou.” Niall squeezed Louis’ arm. “Also, maybe the CEO guy has some sort of crush on you, and that's why.” “I really hope that's not true.” The man paid for his tomatoes and put them into his tote bag. “Why? Is the guy ugly? Bald?” Niall babbled. “No, Niall…” “Old? I bet he’s old.” “Niall! It's Harry, he’s the CEO guy.” Louis sighed. “What?!” Niall shrieked, probably startling the whole block.

5) Wedding Bells Will Never Ring For Me | Explicit | 14,807 words

After a failed proposal a few years back, Louis gets an unexpected invitation to his ex - Harry’s – wedding.

6) Nothing’s Scarier Than Losing You | Explicit | 15,463 words

When Louis and Harry run into each other at a Halloween party two months after their breakup, they’re reminded of how rude, infuriating, and utterly perfect for each other they are.

7) How You Sleep At Night | Mature | 15,568 words

“-And…this is Louis.” And just that. ‘This is Louis.’ Louis feels like throwing up out of nowhere. So, that’s it then? Is he just a ‘Louis’ to him now?

8) Silk Chiffon | Explicit | 20,122 words

Louis gets a message from his ex making fun of him for pretending to know how to cook on Instagram. They settle on a simple bet, Louis had to be Harry's perfect little housewife for an entire month.

9) Under The Rain Or Under The Snow | Explicit | 20,667 words

Christmas AU where they broke up a month ago but Harry shows up at Louis’ childhood home for the holidays. Louis didn’t tell his mum about their breakup so staying with them is not ideal. Harry stays.

10) My Waves Meet Your Shore | Mature | 23,873 words

When Louis gets an email from his ex - Harry - it shouldn't surprise him as much as it does; they're parents now and it isn't rare to communicate with each other. But this? He wasn't expecting it at all.

11) Your Heart Is Dangled In Front Of Me | Explicit | 27,085 words

Harry Styles prides himself in being one of the best detectives in The 28th Precinct. But if there’s one case he can’t solve, it’s his marriage. At least not on his own. Joining forces with his five-year-old son and a free-spirited murderer-on-trial, Harry does whatever it takes to bring Louis back.

12) Somebody's Got Your Trainers On (It's You) | Explicit | 28,000 words

Louis hasn't thought about Harry since half an hour after the shift started, when Krystle told him that she was binging Gogglebox last night and therefore didn't get enough sleep - a sure reminder of Harry’s temporary Gogglebox obsession. Five hours isn't much without thinking about someone, but that's as long as it gets. Louis came to terms with that two years ago. When Harry walked out the door with his stupid New Balance trainers and never looked back.

13) Last Blues For Bloody Knuckles | Explicit | 34,293 words

Styles was a name everyone knew. It had evolved into something of a fairy tale, a far away problem that normal people didn’t have to deal with. Louis never thought he’d find himself falling in love with him. When he finds himself pregnant with Harry’s child, he knows he has to leave the life, and Harry, behind. For her sake. He never expected Harry to show back up on his doorstep five years later.

14) The Wounds That Scarred Our Souls | Explicit | 35,910 words

Forever was nothing but a lie, Forever was just a ruse for the human heart, it gave you hope and then killed you. Forever was just a myth.

15) Stay Until Tomorrow | Explicit | 36,766 words

There’s a dull ache seeping through Louis’ body as he wakes up; a mild headache from last night’s alcohol intake, a cramp in his right arm from sleeping on it weird and a familiar soreness between his arse cheeks that Louis fully blames on his lousy one night stand.

16) Borrow The Moonlight | Explicit | 37,738 words

Louis and Harry broke up three years ago. The last thing Louis expects to see when he’s sent to help a guest is Harry, 3000 miles away from where he’s supposed to be.

17) The Space Between | Explicit | 39,917 words

Harry Styles is the alpha rockstar who can’t sleep and doesn’t know why. Louis Tomlinson is the omega PhD student who helps him figure it out.

18) Just A Flicker In The Dark | Explicit | 57,204 words

Louis is a struggling witch desperate to prove himself after yet another magic disaster and finds a calling in the haunted house of client Niall Horan. Things get more complicated when he’s assigned a case partner: acclaimed medium and ex-boyfriend, Harry S

19) Dark Doom, Honey | Explicit | 57,801 words

Note: There is also an AU version of this fic, which is also an exes to lovers fic.

Louis lifted one shoulder, lips slightly pursed. “You are acting like an asshole.” Harry’s mouth pressed into a thin line, eyebrows knitting together. “I wasn’t being an asshole, I was following my own rules. The ones I always follow when I’m about to start an arrangement with a new submissive. If you don’t want this or are having doubts, we should stop now. But if we do this, I do want to make something clear, I’ll never do anything you don’t want to, but you have to be aware that I’ll never be sweet, I don’t do sweet, you already saw what I do. If you want something different you can go on dates, this is not that. Are we clear?” It was the perfect way out. Louis could simply say no and their lives would keep on going as they were. So far, nothing was changed beyond repair. But he wanted to be. At some point in his life, way before Harry and the betrayals, Louis lost a little of himself, and had never felt closer to getting it back than in Lair, with Harry. “Crystal.”

20) Men of Steel, Men of Power | Explicit | 58,849 words

“You’ve been watching me,” Styles said. Louis swallowed around nothing. He tried for light. “You’re the newest addition, people are bound to be curious,” he said. “Sure,” said Styles, in a somewhat condescending tone. “I’m not that daft, I do notice the curiosity regarding my clothes. That’s not what you’re doing though, hm?” Styles’ gaze was intense, and Louis could feel it burn on the side of his face, but kept his eyes stubbornly on the coffee cup. “I,” he said, licked his lips. Took a deep breath, tried to look open, confident, dominant. Alpha.

21) It’s Golden, Like Daylight | Explicit | 61,496 words

"I actually think you might be onto something.” Harry’s eyes widened. “You mean…” Louis nodded. “As crazy and insane as this, this might just solve both of our problems.” “Are you saying you’re in?” Harry asked. “I’m in.”

22) Feeling Borrowed, Always Blue | Explicit | 68,214 words

Louis has been dreaming of his wedding since he was young - he just never expected it to happen like this. words

23) Violent Delights | Not Rated | 76,174 words

Prince Harry is arranged to mate Princess Charlotte, but first he must spend a month completing courting traditions which ends in a mating ceremony. When he arrives to the Tomlinson castle, he finds the forbidden North wing holds that which the family has worked hard to keep secret. Mainly: the sickly sweet Prince Louis, who’s rare gender has forced his family to keep him locked away for his own protection.

24) Sink Into Your Sunlight | Explicit | 79,562 words

In the grand scheme of things Louis did believe in love, what he didn’t believe was that he would ever find it in his life time for himself. Low and behold he would find it with someone he didn’t anticipate, now it was just a matter of having it work out the way he dreamed of.

25) Halfway Home | Mature | 103,158 words

Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson were improbable childhood friends, much to Harry’s dismay. They were thrown together each summer when Harry was forced to visit Louis’ grandfathers’ ranch in Black Hills, South Dakota. With each passing year, their friendship blossomed into something more. When trail rides turned to stolen kisses, and tragedies turned to confessions until they could no longer deny the inevitable draw they felt for one another. Though life and their future plans soon set them on different paths. Ten years later, Louis is the proud owner of Halfway Home Wildlife Refuge. Harry returns to the ranch to escape the perils of his past in London, and though their memories still haunt Louis, he won’t let that deter him from his goals. However, someone has been keeping a close eye on the refuge, and possibly Louis specifically, and Harry’s return may have unleashed more than just old passions. There’s a hunter lurking in the Hills, someone who’s decided they’ve bided their time long enough.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[dseval]

New AU? 🤔🤔

(This drawing took several years of my life, i think. Had fun but I wasn't a pro artist, sorry color theorists)

I made a joke UTMV AU based on Blue Archive, as a joke, said joke took too many effort now to just be called a joke. Decided to post it on Tumblr because I guess I need Social Media sometimes. The AU is based off Blue Archive (heavily) and To Aru Kagaku no Railgun (loosely). Interested in this long idea dump?

Under the cut.

(logo made with the Blue Archive Logo Generator, this is also a joke name)

ArchiveVerse, or I would personally abbreviate it as ArchV or ArcV for the remaining of this post, is a UTMV AU, where all the characters are our favourite skeleton: Sans but from multiple AUs. It is heavily based off Blue Archive, borrowing a lot of concepts— and loosely from To Aru Kagaku No Railgun.

Side note, i do not actually watch To Aru, nor do I play Blue Archive anymore. So several stuff are definitely made up.

This is literally my second post ever on Tumblr.

The joke concept image that started it all...

I'm sorry for the terrible artwork sksksks

Do note ahead that this AU is made in-and-out of art block, so some information and designs are inconsistent throughout the post. Everything is also written in Comic Sans MS, as a joke.

The Academy City

Do not take this AU seriously, it's just a slice of life thing. (Unless)

The academy city is occupied with students, nobody is an adult. However there are complete facilities in the city, like malls, restaurants, etc. Some students work in these facilities, but most of the time they are ran by robots/artificial intelligence.

In the heart of the city, rests the Omega Tower, which, hypothetically, kept the city running. It is occupied by the General Student Council. The Academy City itself is shrouded in mystery.

There are four academies in the city, each with their own districts:

(Thanks to an irl friend for helping me design and clean up the logos ♡)

Each student belongs to their own unique academy, though students can be promoted and enrolled from OPS to either Ordenance or Paradigm if they possess the qualities of excellence. Students who have already been in Juvenile Containment aren't allowed enrollment in Ordenance or Paradigm.

Here are several more fun facts about the academies:

Juvie students are still allowed to go out of their district, though this depends. If the student has a light sentence and hasn't committed any heavy crimes, they're allowed to go pretty much everywhere (unless they're banned in certain locations). Any student can go in and out freely if they have a pass.

There are no teachers, the students learn from text books and videos, though they still attend class.

Even if students come from different academies, they're still allowed to visit and make friends with students from other academies.

The Omega Public School district is the largest district among all academies, and each and every student has their own house, as opposed to the other academies' dormitory system.

Only the Paradigm Academy has a standard uniform. Ordenance students have a dress code, OPS is free to wear whatever. While Juvie students must still wear the uniform of the academy they are once associated with.

Students/Characters

A list of basically every student I have somewhat designed for this AU. Each student has their own unique halo, and their own unique powers, which I have put in the sheets. It also includes a short backstory.

However, they're, uh, pretty shabby. This is the most I have designed for a joke (what the hell). Some are well-made, though i faltered around the end. So please zoom in to see text more clearly.

Friendly note that Nightmare's bones isn't covered in goop in this AU, see the very very first Illustration on top of this post to see what I mean. They also have wings. Nightmare's wings are broken and a bit ugly here and there, while Dream's wings are white and pristine. Can they fly? Take a guess.

Guys I love Reaper but I suck at drawing him Im sorry

Halo designs are not final. Also, rest assured, these three are not the only members of the GSC.

Each student has their own special power. So far, I... Literally have nothing to say about these powers, except a few things:

They can manifest from emotions. For example, when Horror is flustered, smoke can come out of the crack of his skull. Or when Dust is nervous, he gets 'cold feet,' A.K.A the ground under his feet turns to ice. Cross also has lightning fizzle out of his fingers when he's nervous or surprised.

They can channel their powers to a weapon, though it's not necessary.

Welp, that was fun. I have fun making this AU (even if it's unlikely anyone will see it). Thanks, guys, have a nice day.

Credits (please tell me if I missed anyone, or misspelled anything):

Undertale by Toby Fox

Nightmare and Dream Sans by Jokublog

Dust Sans by Ask-Dusttale blog

Killer Sans by Rahafwabas

Horror Sans by SourAppleStudios

Cross Sans by Jakei

Epic Sans by Yugogeer012

Color Sans by superyoumna

Delta Sans by AnimatedZorox

Ink Sans by Comyet/Mye bi

Error Sans and Geno by CrayonQueen/LoverofPiggies

Reaper Sans by Renrink

[sageistri]

I’m also an Arianator, so I see some of the western stans drama on my TL & the way Billie stans’ beef with swifties didn’t even last this long because Taylor blocked her from BB200. Like leave Jimin alone 😭 I can’t help to think him being a member of BTS just fuels more hate because when I was an army I briefly remember western stans being cool with us until Dynamite broke all these records. I remember even teaming up Swifites so Jin’s “Moon” can get an iTunes #1 in the US & teaming up with Beyoncé stans so Jimin’s “Filter” can go #1 in the US too. People really hate you when you’re successful. On a side note, JJK’s should not be talking & ass licking because I remember the same shit happening to him last year with Miley stans & Swifties. These people will not hesitate to drag Jungkook, but we been knew they really dgaf about that man & their hatred for Jimin is bigger.

Say what you want about pjms but collectively as a fandom will never try to work with any fandom western or kpop in an attempt to bring down another member because they know those same people shit on jimin. But like you said, the thing with jk stans is that they hate jimin more than they love jk so...

And this whole thing isn't in retaliation for pjms dragging jk for seven because they did the same thing during face era, they're just mad now because there's nothing for Spotify to split this time and no freefall to make them feel better. Yes, pjms did drag jk, but they did the dragging themselves within their own circle. None of them were dming western stans or blinks for back up because it was less about them wanting to see jk hated on out of jealousy and more about just getting their lick back a little and being mad about like crazy being sabotaged for seven. I've said this before and I'll say it a thousand times, I would not have Said a negative word about seven if jimin and like crazy hadn't been neglected and stifled because they had a plan.

Jk stans are mad because they realised that seven wasn't special. I remember I used to say "no member will be able to pull seven numbers because they wouldn't get the same promo" but I guess I was wrong because who is without half of the promo seven got. All that money dumped on one song and you couldn't even bask in the glory of the records it set for more than a year, I would be mad too.

It's hard for them to accept that records are meant to be broken, jk isn't the only member who deserves to be successful. Eventually, some other song, maybe from jimin, a bts member, or even another K-pop soloist will break the ones who set. It's the cycle of musical records. Thinking only the person you stan is capable or is the only one who deserves to have certain records is the start of a huge problem. They remind me of swifties who throw a tantrum whenever another female artist experiences success. Success isn't exclusive to your fave. And in this day it's harder for one person to remain "it" for long, every month there's a new hit song because of tiktok and social media. You can only hope your faves success remains consistent even with the rise of new songs and artists every day and that they're able to remain in the conversation of "most" instead of thinking they should be number 1 forever because it's literally impossible.

[thepublishingpress]

A Civil Conversation

(Alt. title: Midnight Talks)

Zuko was feeling rather proud of himself. He had done it. He had managed to convince the Avatar to let Zuko teach him firebending. They had given Zuko a chance. Zuko absently poked at the fire with a stick. Though, not everything was ‘sunshines and rainbows’, as his mother would put it. He shuddered when he remembered the Southern Water Tribe girl’s threat. 

Hm. Perhaps betraying her was not the best idea.

He’s broken out of his thoughts when he hears footsteps. Zuko tenses; he’s ready to defend himself if Katara has come to deliver on her threat. 

“Um… Hi?”

Definitely not waterbender girl. “Hi.” Zuko narrowed his eyes at the newcomer. “Are you coming to make threats at me?”

Water Tribe boy chuckled. “Nah. I think my sister’s already taken care of that, don’t you think?”

“How…?”

“I saw her walking out of your room with a grin, and when I asked her what she did, she said the whole story. So, no, I’m not gonna bother you with threats of extreme bodily harm.”

“Um. Thanks…?” Zuko said hesitantly. The boy gave a shrug in response. “May I ask why you have come to visit me?”

“Wow, so formal,” The non-bender snorted, “I just wanted to ask you some things, since, you know, I didn’t have much time before.”

“Alright,” Zuko said, nodding, “Ask away.”

The other boy plopped down beside Zuko. “You’re the Blue Spirit?”

“I-uh…” Zuko blinked in surprise. Out of all the questions the non-bender could’ve asked, Zuko was not expecting this. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

“Oh! Cool!” Exclaimed the younger boy. “We’ve seen the Blue Spirit in posters and whispers around Fire Nation towns, you know.”

Zuko bowed his head. “Thanks, I guess, but how did you know?”

“Aang told us.”

The Avatar. His name was Aang. Zuko filed away the 12 year old’s name for later use. “Oh. I see.”

“So…” The boy in blue swung his feet like a child. “If it’s, um, not too personal, why’d you leave?”

“I…” Zuko paused, thinking about his answer. “Something felt wrong, I suppose. There was something missing that I knew the palace, my home could not provide. I felt discontent. But now…” Zuko trailed off.

“Now…?” Water Tribe boy pressed, curious.

“I feel more complete.”

The fifteen year old boy smiled. “Good for you, then.”

“Thanks.”

“So!” The non-bender said, clapping his hands together. “About you joining the team…”

“I won’t betray you, I promise,” Zuko blurted, “I know I betrayed you before, but I was unstable, but now–”

“Ah, ah, ah,”  The blue eyed boy shushed him, “It’s not about that. I think we can trust you, for the most part. What I am saying, though, is that if you are to join this group, you need to know about the members, hmm?”

“Oh. Right.”

The boy beside Zuko offered him a grin. “Let’s start with me! You know I’m from the Southern Water Tribe, and I’m fifteen!”

“You’re a year younger than me.” Zuko noted.

“Mhm!” The boy continued chattering, talking about his life in the Southern Water Tribe. Zuko eventually relaxed and they fell into a conversation, comparing each others lives, searching for similarities to bond over.

Finally, the Water Tribe boy glanced at the sky. “I should go to bed now…” He said quietly. He smiled. “It was nice talking to you, Zuko.”

“You too, um…” Zuko mentally smacked himself for not asking for the boy’s name. He had always called the members of the Avatar's group certain names in his head, such as Waterbender, The Avatar, Blind Earthbender, and Boomerang Boy. Said boy, however, laughed it off.

“Sokka,” He told Zuko, “It’s Sokka.”

“Good night, Sokka.” 

“Good night, Zuko.”

Yes, joining Avatar Aang's group was a wonderful idea. 

~*~

lol happy (early?) new year everyone!! finally got out of my writer's block and artist's block (if that's a thing ofc) just in time hehe hope you have a great 2024! <3 - basil dela cruz

(P.S: i love the idea that zuko has no idea what the gaang's real names are, so he made up nicknames. it's so silly and i simply adore it <3333)

[floofanflurr]

What's a Papyrus made of???

A SKELETON, OF COURSE!

Other than a skeleton.

PUZZLE PASSIONEERING, AND DARING TO A GREAT EXTREME? OR PERHAPS YOU MEAN MY ENDLESS HANDSOMENESS AND CHARM!

Well, those too! But how do people draw you? You aren't made of the same shapes as your brother, after all!

I AM MADE OF MANY SHAPES! GREAT SHAPES! SANS IS MADE OF... SLIME. OR SOMETHING.

He's made of circles.

THAT'S WHAT I SAID! SLIME, CIRCLES, BROTHERS—IT'S ALL THE SAME THING.

Hmmm, I guess you kind of have a point, but—

...Well! I digressed! Here's a little thing I put together containing a lot of my observations about how artists commonly draw Papyrus! There's a lot of variation, (a lot a lot!) but I have found some common trends! Like building blocks!

OR A PUZZLE!

A Papyrus-shaped puzzle!

Not pictured here is the variation in the top part of the skull! (What I have depicted as a circle here.) Some people draw it more angularly, or even more like a square.

ARE YOU CALLING ME A SQUARE?

No-

GOOD! BECAUSE I AM ONE! A SQUARE, THAT IS! NEVER BROKEN A RULE IN MY LIFE, NO SIREE!!!

...Are you sweating right now?

NO!

...Hmmm. Anyway! This post is getting long, so there's more under the cut!

WHAT'S A CUT?

Well, this is a tumblr post, so that means that I want to put some of the longer content I make behind a read more line. That will collapse the rest of the text so that it doesn't make it too hard for people to scroll.

TUMBLER? SCROLLING? YOU SOUND LIKE SANS.

Sans uses tumblr?! Oh no...

...Well, onto the rest!

There's a lot more variation of Papyrus's mouth. People can get really creative! But most of the common depictions I see follow these building blocks.

YOU MEAN PUZZLE PIECES!

Yeah! Puzzle pieces.

THIS PUZZLE NEEDS MORE SPIKES! IT IS DISTINCTLY LACKING IN THE DEADLY SPIKE DEPARTMENT.

Wait, no— Papyrus put that down! This is not a spike kind of puzzle!

And finally, eye sockets! I've seen people do them in a lot of different ways, including like Sans's sockets but slightly longer. But again, this is how I see it done most frequently! And Papyrus has a lot of more extreme expressions, such as his eye boggle and his sparkling sockets that adds even more variation.

And that's it for now! There's still a lot I didn't go over, and I don't know if this could be counted as a tutorial? (Though if it helps, that's great!) I'm more just here to ramble about all the cool art I see of Papyrus!

I didn't get a chance to go over Papyrus's nose, nasal ridge, or the way people draw his neck. Not to mention the rest of his body! And his clothes! There's lots more common depictions (building blocks!) there.

PUZZLE PIECES!

Puzzle pieces. Like scarf vs. cape, gloves vs. mittens, round battle body or more square. (Or even a normal crop top!) Shorts vs. bowl, black tight material vs. bare bones...

That's not even getting into the AU Papyri! They also have common building blocks! (Puzzle pieces, I know.)

THEY AREN'T AS HANDSOME AS ME, ANYWAY! EVEN IF THEY ARE ALSO VERY GREAT.

Ahem. ...Debatable. (Fell gives you a run for your money in the handsomeness department—) ...Nah, you're right.

I AM, AND I KNOW IT!

(I'm also not as good at drawing them...)

Well. Needless to say, there's a lot to cover! And I've spent... huh. 7 hours on this so far! So I'll leave it off for now and maybe do a bit more if there's any interest.

WHO WOULDN'T BE INTERESTED IN ME? WHAT DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME HAVE TO DO TO GET SOME RECOGNITION AROUND HERE?

Never change, Papyrus. Never change.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN UNHEALTHY IDEAL! ...EVEN IF I DON'T SEE HOW I COULD GET ANY BETTER.

Huh. Surprisingly true.

Well. Thanks for sticking with this so long!

How do you draw Papyrus? I'd love to see! Do you use any of these building blo... puzzle pieces?

OOOH ME TOO, ME TOO!!! I WANT TO SEE! YOU SHOULD ADD MORE SPIKES THAN FLOO, THOUGH.

[ultraviolet-cello]

Today's episode analysis is number 7 - Wolfwood. Now from here on out I get wild abt theories so do watch out hehee

Spoiler warning for tristamp and trimax, general tws for most of those, and enjoy my analysis/details if you want :]

@tristampparty

TL;DR, there's still something fucked up with Livio and Razlo

I CANNOT believe this MOTHERFUCKER is wearing a seatbelt, but still reading a book and controlling the car steering with his mind. I hate him.

Okay so when Livio gets up here, he's been down for the count for a while, the mask has seemingly. Broken a little bit, his irises have contracted a noticeably amount, and the way he moves is different. So I could attribute that to just, whatever brainwashing EOM has on Livio is falling apart, but I think it's more likely Razlo is stepping into front in some way or another. If the remote-switch mask theory has anything to do with it, the breaking of the mask could be tugging them both into a rapid-switch state.

In any case; something is clearly different - Livio's fighting style as we've seen is very steady, holding the guns in place and just walking forward. Maybe-Razlo here just gets up and flings himself at Vash, starts running, absolutely whaling on the Punisher with the Double Fangs (Which is accurate to Trimax - if you read their pages closely, Livio and Razlo have very different ways of moving that then converge into a more semi-coherent style post volume 10)

Also like, it doesn't have to just be one thing. All of the things I point out here can also be interpreted as just the breaking free from brainwashing thing. Could be both!

I'm Not Done with this scene yet because then uh. Livio-Maybe-Razlo starts looking a little dizzy, starts wobbling, hands shaking. So with Dissociative Identity Disorder, the difference between that and OSDD-1b (Another type of system) is usually the dissociative aspect. When alters switch in, it's usually accompanied by a period of dissociation, which looks to an outsider like the person is dizzy, vacant, or blank. The dissociative period is also common in rapid-switching. I read Livio and Razlo as a DID system and it is definitely the most well-known type of system, so if Studio Orange is trying to portray them as a system, they'll most likely be characterized as DID.

MORE VASH FIGHTING STYLE STUFF!!!

So aside from being just a physical martial artist, I dabble in traditional okinawan kobudo (weapons) as well - one of these being the tonfa, which is a baton type of weapon. Vash in this scene is using his gun similarly - holding it by the handle and swinging the muzzle to block and strike. In the second image you can see him winding up to get the full arc of the swing in for more power.

These are what tonfa look like, so I especially appreciate how similar Vash's gun functions! You hold the handle in a loose-ish grip and can swing them overhead and around for extra Thwack Power

Oh you can actually see him spin it back in that blocking position (holding the long end against your forearm so you can just lift and block with your forearm, since the part of the tonfa is shielding you) here! Come to think of it, when blocking with the Double Fangs, Livio uses them similarly.

Once again Roberto calling out that Vash is not human - again he's had the longest time to Hear about Vash's reputation and now he's seeing it firsthand. Imagine spending all your life knowing of a legendary guy and then when you actually see him he looks. like 20, and at least some of his fighting prowess is true.

I guess I'm also curious about like. The mask has been breaking for a While now, and then when it completely powers off that's when Livio starts coming back to reality, which could lend to it being neural-connected in some way. I think it's really really interesting that EOM has specifically suppressed or trained Livio's mind so well that he barely recognizes Wolfwood - But how did that happen without Razlo's interference? Did he agree to this, was he manipulated into it, did Livio make that decision and it was too late for Razlo's protectiveness to kick in? Or is this a means to control both of them? Season 2 please please please ple

I'VE GOT MY ONE FRAME OF RAZLO EVERYONE GO HOME

Okay seriously though I do want to uh. Has Razlo just always had that idea of what he wants to look like or is there some kind of Very drastic change going on lmao. Because there is no way Stampede "Twink" Livio has the body to pull this off, no matter how much hair gel and tits out clothes Razlo can put on. If that sort of image was created by eom as an intimidation thing (because Razlo is Chapel's golden child) though, that's fucked up especially because like. Razlo and Livio struggle sharing a body enough by themselves.

Not grabbing a screenshot but it's uhm. Well. Livio shoots himself in the head specifically, which does seem to be the weak spot for EOM agents, which uhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Like we've seen Razlo foreshadowing Right There there's not a chance he's actually dead, but it's probably gonna fuck him up. Further. I wonder if there's gonna be some body construction fuckery going on later on?

Roberto just sitting down and giving up is kinda funny but also like. Yeah. What do you do in the face of such alien, incomprehensible odds and events. Roberto's very,,, chill about dying, which is an attitude that lots of people would have on Gunsmoke/NML (I know it's nml. but i like gunsmoke). He just wants to go out drinking on his own terms (which... well, he does.)

Meryl's decisions in the control room are so so fascinating. Meryl in Trimax is a little bit insane about Vash (following him, quite literally, through the apocalypse), and we're starting to see her belief and trust in him in this scene. She believes in him And in Wolfwood. and Roberto, Roberto who has always said that he'd take the path to live, believes in Meryl, enough that he's apparently ready to take the chance to die with her, even when given the option to leave by himself.

Meryl is also taking control of her own agency in this situation; she has been an extremely reactive character up till now, but here she gets to say what Meryl Stryfe would do in this situation. Not getting yanked around by people bigger and taller than her, not having to report to her seniors, just making a choice on her own that she knows might kill her. Women on Gunsmoke/NML aren't afforded a lot of agency (Rosa had to try and capture Vash for the bounty so Tonis could live, Meryl in any iteration deals with a lot of adversaries using her as leverage against Vash or taking control away from her, hell, Tristamp Elendira isn't being afforded the agency to grow up! She's been like that for 20 years there is definitely some fuckery going on, whether it's Tesla cells not allowing her to age past the point Tesla was when she died, or Conrad or Knives keeping her that age for some reason). It's nice to see Meryl's arc revolve around taking that agency for herself.

OKAY NORMAL AGAIN. the fucking MUSIC in this scene is insane, it's so,,, I don't know how to explain it but it's so Big and Vast. Also the ion cannon laser looks much like a Punisher laser. Which uh. Woag, if that's the case. And Razlo gets three of those bitches? forget the deadly weapons everyone's gonna just die looking at the light show.

A design element I really like for Legato is his hair and how neatly it's trimmed. I drew a parallel to Knives cutting off a slice of his hair when they first met each other, but I do genuinely think that Legato might be so meticulous about it specifically because of that. Knives means so so much to Legato, and Legato seems to reclaim his body from his past sexual abuse by devoting himself to Knives in an act of empowerment (or at least that's how I read it), which,,, I mean it's hair, but i really am a curtains are blue guy.

Tristamp Wolfwood is often. A tad shorter than Vash which is extremely funny to me. Nightow said Wolfwood's taller and everyone, including the guys making a 3d animated love letter to trigun, said no he isn't ^_^

I need to start collecting these fucking smiles that Vash gives Wolfwood. It's specifically,,,, Trimax and 98 Wolfwood call Vash out on the fake smiles. But Tristamp Wolfwood doesn't, because most of the true smiles we see from Vash are directed at him. Or something. Idk i'm normal

Wolfwood has been holding the Punisher like this all episode, and it's ~~really cute~~ (Tristamp Wolfwood gives me awful cute aggression) but also,,, maybe self-soothing. Keeping the Punisher directly in front of himself as a shield. Looking out over Hopeland as the Punisher acts as a barrier.

White Girl Wasted :pensive:

Vash's hair looks like a little flower here :]

Annnnd Vash down for the count!

So there's so many things, always, to do with these episodes, and I will Not be stopping lmao

Thank y'all who left nice comments on my last analysis post, i'm glad everyone had fun reading it!

[christian-oc-tournament]

(Propaganda time!)

An interview with Jasper Clearwater, explaining her powers:

Every soul has a song, unique to it. The song can change as a person does, over time or over the course of a few seconds or minutes. Just the everyday emotional roller coaster a person experiences changes it temporarily, and major events can alter it permanently.

Every soul emits wavelengths. I call them soulwaves. The soulwaves make up the soulsong. Soulwaves can change, but typically follow a pattern, regardless of the situation. If I alter my own soulwaves to fit their pattern, I can achieve a soulsync with anyone. If they're willing, it's usually a very smooth, painless process, and then we're linked up–unless our soulsongs just don't mesh well, then it's harder. Like trying to mash up a slow classical song with something upbeat and modern.

Surface-level thoughts and emotions are extremely easy to access and even influence between the synchronized souls. Memories can be accessed, sometimes accidentally. The soul is who you are, so I see what makes a person them. If a memory is accessed that one person doesn't want the other to access, a soulsync can be broken off abruptly--it's jarring, because it breaks the harmony. It's like if you're listening to a beautifully composed song and all the sudden the mics squeal and the speakers blow out.

What if they aren't willing?

If they aren't willing, it's a battle. Their soulwaves will be triggered by the fight or flight response, and become…what's the word? Haphazard? There's still a pattern in there somewhere, but it's more difficult to sort out. Like two songs by the same artist playing at the exact same time and trying to find an instrument in one. And of course, it's easier if my natural soulwaves already are close to theirs. The more I have to alter mine, while also listening for the pattern, the harder it is.

How do you alter your own pattern?

As I'm trying to identify theirs, I get glimpses of inside their soul. What makes them tick, I guess. And I…it's kind of hard to explain, but I try to put myself in their shoes.

What if multiple soulsongs are playing at once? Like in a crowd?

It's overwhelming, all the noise. I usually have to wear headphones to block out all that. But I'm also learning how to tune my soul like a radio and only hear certain frequencies.

Are some frequencies more common than others?

In a high school full of teenagers who have endured the trauma of being turned into Otherlings? You do the math.

Two idiots in love

And two out of context memes

.

[blazehedgehog]

You know how characters introduced as a rival to Sonic mirror him in some way? Which ones do you think do the best/worst job of it?

I feel biased because I really like Metal Sonic. He was kind of always this, but they've really leaned into making him this cold, ruthless machine, who, at least according to the comics, secretly questions his own identity.

He is the ultimate evil Sonic: extremely fast, endlessly acrobatic, but with absolutely no heart. All business, no pleasure. He exists to get a job done. And, like, guys like Shadow have their own business going on. Metal Sonic exists for one reason, and one reason alone: be the anti-Sonic.

The worst is hard to pin down because there's so many jobbers. I know people like Sonic 2 GG's Silver Sonic, but I've never been a huge fan of him (he's cute and weird sure, but I dunno). Then there's Pseudo Sonic, from the Adventures of Sonic cartoon.

I'm going to jump into hot water, though, and I want to preface this by saying: I have still not read Sonic the Comic. I am judging these based on very limited information.

(So, so many images incoming)

I really do not like "Sonic Badnik."

This design is such a strange looking mess. It feels like the sort of thing they didn't expect to draw more than once. Like there were no design meetings, it's just, this was it. This was the first draft, right here.

Skimming the rest of the issue, that rings true, given "Sonic Badnik" doesn't even look totally correct page to page.

Details change, colors change, it's like the artist is drawing his own character from memory and he can't remember what it looked like three pages earlier.

It can be forgiven. This was issue four. I don't think anyone was taking the job very seriously yet.

I'm also not a huge fan of Emperor Metallix.

I also don't know tons about Doctor Who, but I understand enough to know this is a Dalek thing. It makes it comparable to all those dumb Archie Sonic comics where they snuck in so many Star Trek and Star Wars references that the upper management supposedly had to lay down rules blocking that kind of material because it was starting to clog up the book.

Also the idea of a big Metal Sonic permanently fused to a big chair doesn't seem very scary, even if he is commanding an army of Metal Sonics. It's sort of like being scared of a refrigerator. Was he even mobile? I suppose if the chair could fly around and had weapons and stuff built into it, maybe that could be scary. I see some images where that's suggested, but I also see images where it looks like he's attached to the floor and walls.

Even if he can fly around, he seems like he basically only exists to pass orders down. That's pretty boring. This guy is a boss only in the sense his employees do all the work.

Also, let's turn the lens back towards Archie: I think Anti-Sonic himself is lame.

Again: it's Archie going back to the well of Star-Trek-isms. Star Trek has the mirror universe, where an evil version of the Enterprise exists, with evil versions of Kirk, Spock, etc. We see Mirror Kirk literally do the nazi salute!

Side note: Mirror Universe TNG is hilarious because everybody is sexy, edgy, and super ripped. It's REALLY dumb, but in the best way.

Anyway, that's literally all Anti Sonic is: he's mirror universe Sonic. He's evil, and we know he's evil because he dresses like a PUNK. That means knee-high boots, a leather jacket, and sunglasses. And that's it. That's his entire personality.

Oh and I guess he lusts after everyone, including Sally's computer, Nicole (notably when she was still just a computer and not yet her own character) and even himself, I guess.

Ian Flynn eventually turned this guy around by changing him into Scourge the Hedgehog, and fleshed out his identity a lot more. I am probably not the first one to note that the current IDW Sonic character Surge the Tenrec feels like a do-over in terms of Scourge the Hedgehog.

Which is basically: an attitude turned up past 11. Both are deeply broken individuals.

But I'm getting off topic: the original Anti-Sonic sucks. He's a one note gimmick, and a bad one.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Hi Cas!!!

Recently i wrote a poem and decided I loved it and send you an ask with it 2 days ago but i think it got lost or smth.

Little backstory here so I live in a family full of artists and very creative people so sharing my work always made me self concious since I always compared my work with theirs. Turns out I also have a problem with openly sharring my work with others which is a bit of a problem considering I need to do share my work for school. Because of that I've decided to share my poem with someone cause I'm really proud of it but I also want someone to tell me their honest opinion/feedback. So here it is I guess??? Also english is not my first language so sorry if there s any mistakes 🦖

Earth breaking beneth my feet

Hands holding my arms

While pushing me down

Sinking into the ground

Divine paintings flashing before my mind

Their meanings going up my mouth

Watching me choke down all the noble words

Blocking their way out

Only to laugh

As the Devil listens to all the broken sounds

Coming from my eyes

Crimson tears staining my cheeks

Honey dripping from my lips

Straight into a vase near my feet

Angles are gathering the golden liquid

Collectiong memories I missed

Reminding me things I did

That are straining my guilt

People I left forgoten

Are sitting faceless

Waiting for my jugement

God is listening to everyone

Except for me

As I bleed out on a light floor in front of him

Staining red everything I could see

While room fillds with blood

That's comimg from my wounded heart

Drowning me

Ending my tortures

While our outstanding preformance goes on

The capitol's laughing

The kids are dying

But why do I care?

About them when I'm away

Maybe these scary meaningfull portraits

Maybe paintings that left me empty

Are happening somewhere on Earth

Someones mother is dying

But all we do is drink honey

Someones child is fighting

But all we do is play a song

Song of Army Dreamers

And say 'scary things happened years back'

While ignoring the fact

That those things are also happening now

Somehow I made a poem about war with my religious trauma, Kate Bush reference and few Crimson Rivers references. Thats cute. When im rereading it now it seems a bit silly and kinda looks like i tried using 'big words' but i still love it.

Also the way you ate up last Caledenstine(HOW TO WRITE THAT????😭) chapter??? Ate and left no crumbs? Yessir. I support Regs rights and wrongs even if his wrongs are treaky(?) sometimes and make me want to hit him with a paper (just jk i would probably hug him and then make him some good soup)

Losts of love for you and your wife and your cat(s) (pretty sure you have a cat or two but maybe im mixing people???? Prolly should go to sleep but this was more important for me?????) Hope your sleep shedule is better then the rests of the fandom tho you are a teacher, an ao3 writer and a trumble user so its probably not the best while school year but still! 💃All the best ❤️

Hi hon!!! Your original ask was actually next on my list lol but I'm responding to this one because you added some things.

Damn, that ending though.

And say 'scary things happened years back' While ignoring the fact That those things are also happening now

This is SO real, and so poignant. You absolutely should share this with others, it's a very powerful poem. I love the imagery you have throughout. Please don't compare your work to others- art is supposed to be unique, you know?

hahah yeah Reg is in his Rep Era rn I feel. I'll not elaborate more.

My sleep schedule is...well it's 12:30am and I am not planning on sleeping for a while, as I need to edit and then post the next chapter. By the time this ask is posted (I'm scheduling it) the next chapter should be out! yay, summer?

Sending you all the love!

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "Wings of the Master"

Hera focus this time 'round, let's go flying.

Technically not a Friendship Fetch Quest episode, at least in terms of allies specifically for the Ghost crew. We DO gain an ally, but he and his creation are really more useful to the wider Rebellion at large. That is also a major recurring theme of the show: Building up the Rebellion piece by piece, ship by ship, cell by cell, person by person.

Not entirely sure why Kallus is heading up an Imperial blockade, that doesn't usually seem his area of expertise.

I think we're supposed to understand that Empire learned about them trying to smuggle aid to Ibaar and enacted the blockade to capture/destroy them but... honestly they just seem really really petty about preventing this one planet in particular from getting food.

It's always weird when one of the background bit roles is clearly just Steve Blum or Freddie Prince Jr.

Hera taking control and barking orders at everyone one by one, a nice hint foreshadowing that she's our focal character for today.

Sad Hera makes the heart hurteth. :(

Oooh, really liking this 360 dolly shot around the briefing holodisplay and the way the harp notes almost seem like they're in time with Rex's steps.

Kanan volunteers Hera for the mission to retrieve the B-wing and booooooooy the bad takes I had to see about that. Fandom could not give the boys a break, always took some of the most reaching uncharitable interpretations of everything they did.

(Fortunately most of them went away after the Season Two finale, with occasional hiccups.)

All I'm gonna say is that it was clear from the action prologue and basically the entirety of how Hera'd been acting that she was tunnel visioning and needed to be broken out of that single-goal mindset, or at least redirected to go after the solution that would actively help.

I do wonder if the reason Hera was so unusually determined to blunt force her way past the blockade had anything to do with her Clone Wars experiences. Ryloth was blockaded and starved out as well.

You know, after the crap he dealt with last episode it's really kind of nice to see Ezra feeling and acting lighter, he seems much less stressed.

Also this whole exchange is hilarious. Love Ezra banging on Chopper's dome and then pretending he didn't do it.

A new cue starts up here, a bit akin to the "Victory" leitmotif, sounds like snare drums handling the beat there maybe. Makes it sound a bit more exotic.

This whole sequence has some great camerawork and blocking. Really makes you feel the speed and wind and hard turns.

I appreciate that they could have played Zeb's weight tilting the ship dangerously off the edge for laughs but didn't, they stayed very serious throughout.

Quarrie is obviously named after Ralph McQuarrie, one of the big concept artists for the Original Trilogy. A nice little homage.

There's this really pretty quality to how Quarrie's irises are painted. Rebels' eye models are always so detailed and vibrant and look like a lot of hard work to make so consistently lovely, I totally get why the animators sometimes went out of their way to avoid doing them lol.

I'm frankly still a little confused by Quarrie's initial refusal to let them take the B-wing. I guess he was doing a Secret Test Of Character and once he heard why Hera was motivated to fly he decided she was up to snuff?

The set design for Quarrie's shipyard is nice though.

A little bit of Hera backstory! Honestly, I never thought Hera as a character needed much explanation; What we get about her motivation and past in this episode is pretty much all we need. (We get more obviously when we meet her dad but that's kind of a bonus.) Hera is straightforward (passionate about flying, channeled her skills and passion into the Rebellion) and her character arc is nearly already complete by the time we meet her, only missing that reconciliation with her father.

She doesn't have as many character struggles but then she doesn't exactly need them. She knows who she is, what she wants, what motivates her, and there's something to be said for that kind of self-assuredness.

The show would shake up her foundations later, as things got more serious but for now this was just enough character exploration to satisfy.

Anyway, Hera's speech is what Quarrie was waiting for, apparently, and he lets her test fly the B-wing.

This beautiful sweeping cue I think might be Hera's theme. It first turns up in this episode and has played periodically throughout.

I know a lot of fans have praised this flying sequence so let me just add to the chorus, it's really good. You get a solid sense of the speed and maneuverability of the B-wing.

Lol Sabine and Quarrie spatting over who's going to modify and refine the B-Wing.

The Phantom gets a mid-season upgrade, now capable of hyperspace travel on its own, independent of the Ghost, a feature which gets puts to a LOT of use the rest of the season as Kanan and Ezra split off from the rest more and more.

Running a blockade stationed on one side of a planet might seem weird when there's a whole back half of the planet that's not blocked off but remember, hyperspace lanes are a thing, it takes more work and effort to chart new paths through hyperspace than it does to just use the existing lane, which will only let you out at a certain spot. All the Empire has to do is sit in front of that spot to prevent you from maneuvering around and outflanking them.

The new Rebel Alliance cue that we heard in the first season finale makes an appearance to herald Hera's arrival.

"Oh shit that's my wife, lol y'all screwed now."

And the B-wing takes out a huge chunk of one of the Imperial cruisers. This is why developing the TIE Defenders became so important, never underestimate the importance of fighter superiority.

The success of the mission prompts Sato to promote Hera officially to Phoenix Leader and everyone looks so proud of her. As they should lol.

This is one of my husband's favorite episodes. If we're consuming Rebels like comfort food it's one of the ones he tends to pick. The man likes starfighters and the B-wing is his favorite, what can I say?

It's not a very complicated episode but it's beautiful and leaves me feeling light and happy.

Sabine's turn for basic backstory and minor character development is next and... well I'll just comment about it when I get there.

[breakerwhiskey]

202 - TWO HUNDRED TWO

Please visit breakerwhiskey.com for more information or to send a message to Whiskey's radio. Breaker Whiskey is an Atypical Artists production created by Lauren Shippen. If you'd like to support the show, please visit patreon.com/breakerwhiskey.

Transcript under the cut. For more episodes, click here.

[click, static]

I remembered that Don had family in Massachusetts. His uncle and cousins ran a deli in a town called Winchester—the way that man would talk about the sandwiches they’d make…god, what I wouldn’t do for one of them right now. 

Anyway, I figured it couldn’t hurt to check the place out. He wasn’t at the deli—I didn’t expect him to be, that would’ve been quite the fucking coincidence, but I did find exactly what I was hoping for. An address on an old bill. Presumably, his uncle’s home address. 

It’s a few towns over, so I’m headed there now. 

[click, static]

This area is nice. I haven’t spent all that time in Massachusetts, at least outside of Boston and Provincetown. But it’s warm and sunny and there’s a little humidity creeping into the air and (deep breath), I don’t know, it’s nice. Despite everything, I’m feeling…hopeful. 

It reminds me a little of where I grew up. There are more houses and the houses are closer together—I’m sure there are parts of Massachusetts that are rural, but I am squarely in the suburbs. I don’t know, maybe it’s just that spring has finally arrived and the changing of the seasons always makes me think of home. 

[click, static]

Huh. I haven’t thought about my childhood home as home in a long time. Home has been nebulous, ever-changing in my mind. But I guess if I’ve ever had a touchstone, it’s the house I grew up in and…New York City. Touchstones of a different kind. But places that my mind always leaps to if I’m confronted with something that reminds me in the slightest of them. 

I don’t think you can ever really run away from home. That’s more or less what I did, but it lingers, always. You can never undo the way that you’ve been shaped. You can pour new concrete over the broken sidewalk, but the footprints left on the previous layers will always be there, waiting to be revealed when the fresh new coat eventually erodes. 

[click, static]

(a small laugh) I can hear Harry’s voice in my head correcting my metaphor. Making it about paint—where you grow up is the charcoal sketch and no matter how much you paint over a canvas, the layers and textures are always there. But I don’t know painting. Not that I know concrete but…

That’s one of those things I always figured would be the deciding factor in whether or not Harry—I mean, she’s sophisticated, you know? I don’t know if she can hear this up in Maine—I’m sure she can, but maybe she doesn’t have the radio turned on. She’d probably be happy to hear it anyway. That I think of her as sophisticated. But she is. Her secret love for Hank Williams and all. She appreciates fine things, delicate things, beautiful things. 

And I’m not any of that. I’ve always been rough and blunt—the finest thing I do is picking a lock or breaking a safe and even then, sometimes brute force is the best way forward. Harry is a painting, and I’m a block of concrete. 

[click, static]

God, I hope Don isn’t listening to this. He’d never let me live it down. 

[click, static]

[suikamelon6]

I'm trying shorter chapters fic (I hope!)... Adapted from a movie. I won't say which one but you prob can guess. I'm so not mysterious.

2023, in a European trip to nurse a broken-heart and fix an artist-block, renowned artist-painter Louis de Pointe du Lac arrives in Auvergne at a small chateau. He sees a painting of Lestat de Lioncourt, and falls head over heels in love with him. The only problem is, Lestat has been dead for more than 200 years.

[lucid-is-missing]

“Villain” Donnie au but he only does mildly inconvenient things that help more that disturb. Pretty minor petty things.

I mean petty nyc crimes like ya know robbing banks and partaking in random ally way Shenanigans!

Except nothing goes quite right either out of coincidence or morals.

He robs a bank? Oh well most goes straight to charity and people on the street.

Oh no! Cashier machines and broken everything in the system cost less, oh well. ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ

Dang a non lethal explosion happened a few blocks away from this random crew?! Dang guess y’all have to dip. :/

The only thing that is truly “villainous” is he goes out of his way to make mild inconveniences for his brothers.

Geez dawg too bad everyone’s favorite pizza place but Dons got reported for bugs! Terrible dang too bad. :)

Gosh truly horrible that hyper realistic faux security camera were added in every ally way and building don’t want them pesky artist to get away with vandalism.

Huh? Woah wow what do you mean one of the entrances to the hidden city has been re directed to the local dump?? Whaaaa

[thehistoriangirl]

Writing pattern game!

Rules: Share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns! (from most recent to least recent, starting from the top)

Thank you for tagging me, @thedreamlessnights! *huggie* <33

Heeere we go:

The Tides Have Veiled (Viktor x Fem!Reader/Gothic AU)

A storm broke over the sea, cold air hitting your cheeks with each step closer to the manor atop the cliff. Your companion wore a raincoat, each tap of the raindrops against it augmenting in frequency and volume. From time to time, accompanied by a muffled groan from the lighthouse keeper a couple of steps ahead of you. 

The Sweeter Trick (Viktor x Fem!Reader)

The clock had chimed midnight by now, its ticking the only company Viktor had while working on his new project.

The Delirium of Still-Lifes (Vampire!Viktor x Artist!Fem!Reader)

Ruins, fragments of a gilded past that had died with the house's owner.

Not Just a Summer Affair (Viktor x Fem!Reader/Beach AU)

Viktor wasn’t so sure it was a good idea to have come on this trip, but it was too late to back away, now surrounded by sand and waves and an unforgiving sun that was just as restless as his mind.

Where the Echoes Cry (Demon!Nikolai Lantsov x Fem!Reader/Gothic AU)

Contrary to the Grand Palace, this castle feels too quiet and still. Like a beast expecting Nikolai to lower his watch to swallow him whole.

The First to Fall [In Love] (Nikolai Lantsov x Fem!Reader)

You couldn't blame your advisor for pushing you overboard.

Who Came in With the Sea (Nikolai Lantsov/Sturmhond x Mermaid!Fem!Reader)

The deck ended up splattered with a rosy mix of blood and broken ice that crunched under Sturmhond’s boots as he descended into the ship's bowels, past the ripped bunks and the ashy gallows, down to the brig where the cargo was supposed to be. There were barely any oil lamps in the section, which made the landscape all the bleaker.

The Oblivious Game I Want to Lose (Viktor x Fem!Reader)

Viktor saw you four times before he was obliged to talk to you.

You, My Solace (Viktor x gn!Reader)

The living room was dark when Viktor entered the apartment you two shared. His footsteps echoed on the wooden floor, with no light in sight as he walked further in. With no sight of you either. Furrowing, Viktor considered the possibility of being home too early, that at any moment, you would be leaving your coat messily over the couch to plant yourself in front of him for a welcome home kiss.

Where the Woods Brought Us Together (Forest Guardian!MH!Viktor x Fem!Reader)

The forest was blocking the path as the sky grew darker. Thorny bushes extended branches that clung to your clothes, making your companion curse every other step forward. His axe was useless, falling into the humid ground with a muffled sound. You were running out of time, and the woods knew it, probably even relinquish in such fact.

Patterns: Man how much I LOVE to describe bleak atmospheres and to put Gothic AUS everywhere 🤡🤡 This year had also been the year of the long-ass multichapters. Soooo, idk, I'm still in my emo phase I guess

Tagging: @writingmysanity @itsjustbell @ihopeinevergetsoberr @zaunitearchives @cheeriecherrymain @blissfulip I'll tag u too bestie in case you want to do it with some wips or something (?) And as usual, no pressure!

[skellagirl]

I am, as usual, late lol, but Y'KNOW. This is gonna be a long, rambly post lol, sorry, I have a lot of thoughts.

2023 was a weird year for me, artwise. When it began I was still deep in my Art Block From Hell, which had begun in mid-2021 and lasted the entirety of 2022.

Being in the thick of such a ridiculously suffocating art block, for TWO AND A HALF YEARS, is like... I can't describe how fucking life-draining it is. It felt like something was fundamentally wrong with me -- like a part of me, which used to be as effortless as breathing or blinking my eyes, had ceased to function altogether. It wasn't just a regular art block, it was a complete identity crisis. I could no longer trust the instincts I'd honed over twenty-plus years, could no longer trust my sense of observation or my ability to recreate what I saw. I felt BROKEN, and every single time I picked up my tablet pen it was like I was scraping my insides with a spoon, trying to pick up whatever tiny dregs of dried-up, crusty shit I could manage to puke up onto my canvas. It was fucking painful and humiliating and completely demoralizing.

I'm not really sure what finally got me to do so, but sometime in summer (my memory is shit lol) I downloaded Game Maker, found a video tutorial on youtube, and just... gave myself over to it. I made myself learn how to use Aseprite, and working with pixels, making teeny-tiny little sprites, forced me to work in ways I usually don't. It was a lot harder for me to find the flaws in my art when my art was thirty-five pixels tall and the anatomy was stylized to communicate clear information rather than be a recreation or approximation of reality. I think I really do credit that time working on game dev as the thing that finally cracked loose all the gunk that was keeping me stuck -- I could not perpetuate the cycle of toxicity I'd fallen into because I could barely even conceptualize what 'good' or 'bad' pixel art even looked like lol. I just knew that I was making art, and for the first time in two years, it didn't feel like I was having to desperately beg the emaciated husks of my sense of self-worth and confidence to cooperate while doing so.

(I actually sort of abandoned my foray into game dev around August/September lol, as my adhd-brain, flitting around like a little hummingbird to every dopamine-rich-flower, is wont to do 🥲 But I wanna get back into it at some point!)

From there I had a rush of inspiration for an original project I've been mulling around in my head for years, and I wrote thousands of words in my worldbuilding document, made a map, developed the shell of a possible actual STORY. I returned to sketching. Conventional sketching. It was, at first, largely still comprised of that same demotivating struggle against myself, but I was so deep in the throes of inspiration (after several years of this project laying dormant in my google drive) that I NEEDED to sketch. So I kept going. And after a while, it got....... easier. And I started hating everything I made a little less. I painted, properly, for the first time in years. I stayed up late into the night, even if it meant I would be tired at work the next day, because drawing felt so damn GOOD again and I had missed that feeling so much. All I wanted to do was draw. For the first time in two and a half years, I could finally see the light at the end of the fucking tunnel.

I still don't think I'm quite out of the woods yet. My style is changing, as all artists' styles do over time, and that comes with stumbling adjustments. My confidence is still small and shaky and recovering; I still catch myself second-guessing what I've drawn, and even looking at some of the things here on my grid makes me cringe a little bit for one reason or another.

But compared to both 2021 and 2022, the volume of art, and in particular the volume of art I don't actively despise, is WAY higher, and I'm really really hopeful that that means I'm finding my footing again.

So! Here's to 2024, and to continuing to move towards the light at the end of the tunnel 🙏🌟 I'm gonna try.