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usoppsasscheek · 8 months

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EAVESDROPPER

OPLA!Usopp x Artist!Reader

summary: while you vent to Nami about your feelings of Usopp, the devil himself intrudes in overhearing everything you’ve just talked about.

takes place in alabasta arc ig

contains: angst to fluff, sfw, not proofread, also ik Kaya ain’t like this I love her just gotta do it for the story babes

masterlist

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“I just don’t know what else to do Nami.” You sighed to her, you were both sitting in the kitchen drinking whatever new cocktail Sanji had made up for the both of you. “I don’t think he likes me that way, I mean I’m pretty sure he’s hooked on Kaya the way they kissed before he joined us.” You said, mentally cringing at the memory.

“Come on y/n! That was like what, a year ago? I’m pretty sure they don’t even talk.” Nami exclaimed as she rubbed your arm as a way of letting you know she was there for you. You know they still talk though, you’ve seen him hunched over his desk (if he has one in his room..?), writing letters to her. Your heart broke even more seeing the excited look on his face when he got a letter back from her.

You and Usopp were fairly close, spending the day together from sunrise to sunset daily. You’d give feedback on his newest creations and he’d give advice on your fighting skills, or your drawings you’d draw of the new islands you visited or just your crew. You’d never admit it but your sketchbook was mostly full of him, some he knew about and happily posed for while other ones you’d do in your free time as everyone was chilling together on the Going Merry. Shortly after he joined the crew you noticed your development in feelings for him and tried to ignore them, but ultimately gave in.

“Y/N!” Nami exclaimed, realizing you had zoned out while you two were talking. “God, you’re actually day-dreaming of him?” She shivered dramatically while you rolled your eyes at her. Nami looked at you and sighed as you laid your head against her shoulder, finishing your drink. “I just- I like him so much Nami and I don’t want to ruin our friendship by telling him while he’s got his eyes on another woman.. I’ve been somewhat distancing myself from him to try to loose those feelings but it’s just making me abt him more.” You sniffled, feeling your emotions getting the best of you.

“Oh y/n..” Nami gasped slightly, taking you into her arms as you felt tears invading your lashline. “Look, if he doesn’t realize how stupid he is to have you it’s his loss! I’m sure he-“ Nami ranted before getting cut off by a familiar someone falling face first through the kitchen door. You gasped as you saw Usopp groan as he got up. “Uh.. hi?” He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Did you.. hear everything?” You asked, standing up now from your seat. “I- maybe? But it’s okay! I actually, wait y/n!” Usopp yelled after you as you speed walked out of the kitchen, running towards you and Nami’s shared room past everybody else as quickly as you could. Your heart was beating fast as you locked the door behind you, sliding down it as you finally let everything out.

“You idiot!” Nami yelled at Usopp, hitting behind his head as he groaned rubbing it.

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It was now hours later, you were curled up in your bed refusing to come out of your room no matter who knocked or begged for you to come out. It was now a bit past dinner time, you sighed and sat up on your bed. You then got up and decided you could go up to the deck for some fresh air as everyone would be retreating to their rooms for the night. You quickly walked up the stairs and leaned against the railing, letting out a big sigh.

“y/n?” You heard a familiar voice ask, growing the ache in your heart bigger. It was Usopp, you didn’t say anything or move but he did. He stood beside you leaning on the rail aswell, glancing at you awkwardly.

“I- god I don’t know how to do this stuff.. y/n I-“ Usopp stuttered out before you cut him off. “It’s okay, Usopp. I know you and Kaya love each other. Please don’t let what you heard in the kitchen ruin our friendship. I just-“ you sighed out before it was Usopp turn to cut you off with a kiss, your eyes wide with shock before closing them and melting into the kiss. You wrapped your arms around his neck and he wrapped his around your waist, pulling you closer before pulling away for a breather.

“y/n, I love you. Kaya and me aren’t a thing, it was just one kiss honestly. We tried to make it work with writing letter back and forth but one day she told me she fell in love with another kid from our village, and I was okay with that honestly. Because I want you. You make me feel so nervous and happy and- just everything. I like you so much y/n, I want you as my girlfriend, not her. I’m not very good at this yet but I promise I’ll try for you and protect you, as the great captain Usopp!” He told you, smiling.

You looked back at him in shock, processing everything before giving him another quick peck on the lips.

“Of course, God Usopp.”

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Thank you so much for reading! Also sorry it’s kinda short.. please give me any advice and I’m looking for mutuals, so please ask if you’d like to be! I’ll also take any requests.

╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

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Bonus pic of the sillies (≧∀≦)

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yosajaeofficial · 3 months

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JUNE UPDATE

WASSUP BROS AND HOES, IT’S ME, YOSA FRICKING JAE. BACK AT IT AGAIN WITH ANOTHER UPDATE ABOUT THE JMC 🔥🔥🔥‼️‼️‼️

Last time, I remember saying it’ll be different and things will spice up, and I am indeed gonna provide more stuff piled into these updates because the debut comic is taking so long. I wanna make sure you all get full when consuming these updates instead of being like “oh, nothing happened lol”. I have a good chunk of shit to talk about that’s outside of the comic itself, but it’s like behind the scene stuff about it :3

With that out of the way, let’s finally get started!

The Comic

(W.I.P OF THE OFFICAL DEBUT COMIC)

The comic is slowly making progress, the first thing that’s changing is me showing progress of the comic itself and giving ya’ll w.i.ps in order for me to give you guys content to look over, and because I just want ya’ll to see it yk? The honest truth is that it’s moving slow because of burnout. It was huge and made me wanna give up on the comic and leave the fandom, I was struggling for a good while but my best friend told me it was best to take a break and recharge instead of pushing further. They told me to do something else so I can regain my motivation and passion for the project, and she was right, because I’ve been having fun hanging out, watching her play Stardew Valley, and letting loose without the pressure for the debut comic to come out. I have to prioritize my health and well-being before anything else, and I know the comic will be done!

Also for you all to know, the team I had disbanded, and right now I don’t have a full official one to help with the debut. I have amazing friends that have helped look over the script, one did some sketch compositions, one helped fix up grammar in the script. They helped me greatly and I’m so grateful for them and their loving support even through all of the rough patches. For the most part, I’ve been doing everything on my own, and it can get stressful easily because of how much I’ve had to change my plans and shuffle around when the team disbanded. I’ve been the one doing the scripting, sketches, lineart, color, management, and just everything. Even if I try to act like things are fine behind the scenes, I definitely got more anxious and depressed after events occurred, so this break (not hiatus) has helped me recharge after going through a bit for this comic. To end this section on a good note, I’m feeling so much better and I’m recharging absolutely greatly, I even renewed my love for Donnie after a friend drew him 🦐 Sooooo…The JMC is still in good hands.

Bonus Content: The Villain

YosaJae, what is this? This is the section that’s hella new, the place where I show you guys some cool concept art, ideas, and plots that show the origins of the JMC or even scrapped/cut content. Today we’re gonna talk about the villain of Arc 1. Fun fact, two were created at the same time but one of them was finalized to be the primary villain for Arc 1!

(First ever concept art of Archie Gomez)

Here he is! The cat himself, ✨Archie✨ I needed some variety and needed an anthropomorphic character since Rise has lots of their mutants and yokai. Archie was a character that was a lot more serious and hella threatening but he was toned down after more arcs were created. For some reason, I included freckles because I originally thought, “Ginger people…..” then included the freckles to make him more recognizable. Let’s just say that they weren’t as rememberable as I thought because I forgot them after a while-

Fun fact, Archie was originally gonna be a native Spanish speaker but not be able to speak English. The actual conflict was gonna be about the turtles and Archie fighting due to language miscommunication, but it was later scrapped because of the issue with translating each of his sentences and being truly accurate with his dialogue. He also at first was a one off character that would never return, but he was popular that he became the reoccurring bad for Arc 1.

(Archie Gomez Evolution 2022-2024)

Archie had went through a good bit of design changes over the years and I changed him to be more easier to draw by giving him a more unique silhouette by drawing his head as a pentagon instead of a circle. The transition was at first a circle to triangle, but then the shape was too complicated to recreate so I had to go with a pentagon (as an accident at first too). That changed him A LOT but I was hella happy with the way he turned out because he started to look more unique and iconic. Pretty cool, eh~?

Aaaand that’s it! Thank you all for stopping by and coming in to read this update! I hope it was fun to go through and very refreshing. I wanna make my updates more like this instead of what was said above. Especially because this is taking so long, I wanna be able to go over behind the scenes with you all since ya’ll at least deserve that; I can’t keep being mysterious about the comic since it is taking years for it to be made, but it’s trial and error so I gotta do this in order for it to be worth the progress. I’m strong, I can do this! Hopefully your day/night is amazing, and take care until next time 😋🫶💜

#rottmnt #rottmnt oc #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #tmnt oc #oc #oc x canon #jmc update #jmc related #jmc #comic update #art

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senespera-ffxiv · 2 months

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also this is the only time I'm gonna post twice in a row but I finished up my thoughts about dawntrail in my media list so I'm posting them here completely unedited

//spoilers for like all of dawntrail

a more detailed rating is that this is like a 4.7/5. It’s a solid story, if a bit boring and cliche for some of the first half. I do enjoy how clear-cut the story is in terms of thematic content, though, and how through and through it is an exploration of differing cultures and the ways in which you can understand them

The second half was also an interesting continuation of said exploration as it gives you a culture that is in direct opposition to you with ways that are so alien, and yet continues to ask that you understand them while also criticizing the more inhumane effects of those cultural practices

making it about me again but it’s basically just my stance about criticizing China. A lot of the criticism becomes extremely sinophobic because it simply rejects the culture without first trying to understand it. It’s a bit easier for me since I’m deeply steeped in said culture, but I do think it’s possible for someone who isn’t Chinese to criticize China in a non-sinophobic way

Idk just a lot of the way Wuk Lamat and the others handled their reactions to Alexandria felt like a good way to do that to me

Like it’s nowhere close to being as insanely character-driven as shadowbringers and endwalker, nor is it as interestingly politically technical as heavensward, stormblood, and certain parts of endwalker, but it’s still definitely Good. Just not as good in comparison to the rest (and even then I’d rank it above Stormblood lmao I didn’t have any moments where I was actively annoyed at the characters for losing brain cells and shit jksdlfhskldjf)

My ranking for the expacs would be something like this

Shadowbringers > Endwalker > Heavensward ≥ Dawntrail > Stormblood > ARR

Gameplay-wise, though, oh my God this Fucks. This Fucks So Hard. Way better than Endwalker.

I imagine this is kind of what it felt like to play this game back in Stormblood and early Shadowbringers where things were much more complex and messy on the player side, except this time the complex and messy stuff has bled into the normal content boss design and I am enjoying it so goddamn much

(disclaimer: I started playing at the very tail end of shadowbringers so while I still remember some shit like old monk back when it had positionals on all of its buttons, I am mostly A Young'un. I did not have to experience the dreaded TP management, nor have I gone through all the stages of grief with Summoner getting reworked every fucking expansion lmao)

Part of the reason why I love doing EX trials is because at that difficulty level they aren’t afraid to do some just batshit things that would cause you to lose it in normal content

and now it’s bled into normal content hell yes

For reference my two favorite EX mechanics so far are the Biting Halberd combo from Zurvan EX (death puddle under boss → giant cone → baited aoes → tank cleave) and the add phase from Hydaelyn EX (both tanks get an add and have to pull them away from the glowing crystals while party dps’s them, rotate once the glowing crystals are dead)

Like obviously I’m biased cuz I’m a tank and those are largely tank mechanics (cuz yes if you forget to move properly in the Zurvan one as MT you just kill your entire party so I kinda count that as a tank mechanic) but more importantly I like them because of how dynamic the movement is.

And they’re dynamic in different ways, like Zurvan’s is extremely rigid. You will dance in this specific manner (back → tank right, everyone else left) or else you die. Hydaelyn on the other hand can be a bit looser and you have at least a bit of room to do different strategies (ideally it’s a “everyone focus down one crystal at a time” situation but the like three-five times I’ve done the fight the positioning has always been very loose as long as none of the glowing crystals are getting tethered).

And a bunch of fights in Dawntrail are doing stuff like this that feels like a dance

Like the first example I can think of is Ar1/R1/whatever we’re calling it when the boss flings out a sequence of like 8 aoes across tiles before hitting you with an uppercut that sends you flying into the air and in order to not die from said uppercut you need to position yourself so that you land on an uncracked tile

The second iteration of this where it’s the clone that does the uppercut and the main boss is hitting you with line stacks is my favorite because that’s where the amount of stuff you do starts to offset how slow the actual mechanic is to make it feel like you’re in a time-sensitive dance and if you step wrong you’ll fuck things up

Another good example is the final boss The Queen Eternal which just. aughhhh I love that boss. There’s so many fun ideas being thrown around in there lol. You can really tell that Zeromus from the Endwalker patches was intended to be a test run for some of the mechanics in this fight because both occasionally devolve into randomized Chaos as you try your best to just Not Get Hit by aoes can you tell I loved the mechanic when she deploys her drones lmao

LIke okay last thing to yell about but Absolute Authority is literally just a mini Relativity mechanic from E12S/Big Bang from Zeromus but more chaotic and I absolutely loved it

Plus the more chaotic nature of the mechanics in this fight serve a bit of a narrative purpose, especially when you consider how desperate Sphene is at this point in time

Like she doesn’t give a shit about keeping up appearances she will kill you as best as she can, “random bullshit go” included

And both of those mechanics also force you to do more dynamic movement, only now it's typically erratic and panicked compared to the more methodical and freeform dances of Zurvan and Hydaelyn EX respectively

We need more insane shit in the gameplay of the normal mode stuff keep doing it Yoshi-P

#ffxiv #ff14 #dawntrail #senespera dawntrail screaming #dawntrail spoilers

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fallintosanity · 4 months

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re the WIP Ask Game, my main interest is of course Providence, but I don’t have any questions about it per se.

Just wanted to leave you a note here to say that fic has been on my mind a lot lately since playing Rebirth, and that at multiple points during my playthrough my brain went immediately to “omg this is giving me Providence vibes!!!” which honestly is a testament to the amazing handle you have on all those characters.

Honestly, any little anecdotal tidbit you’d like to share about that fic would water my crops haha, but if you can’t just want you to know I’ve enjoyed it immensely. The Fifth Act left me wanting MOAR and you took that verse and made it your own; I love it just as much.

Oh wow thank you! that's an amazing compliment <3333

I've had tons of fun with this wild AU-of-an-AU myself and I'm still not ready to give it up. All the real-life stuff aside, a big part of why I stopped updating Providence was because I ran into a really, really bad plot snarl. (Which is not uncommon for me tbh; the second-act swamp is REAL 😭 ) Essentially: too many characters pulling in too many different directions, and at the same time too many other characters snagged in place and holding others back.

But! the good news is that I finally - like, just a couple weeks ago - figured out how to untangle one of the plot threads, which has given me room to work on the rest. Wish me luck...! 🤞

WIP ask meme!

...okay and also just for fun, have a scene I wrote and then cut and which has a small chance of ending up back in the fic idk we'll see

The Seventh Heaven hummed with activity, its regular customers scattered around at their usual tables, while newcomers and unfamiliar faces surrounded the bar. Tifa worked the taps, wearing her usual black leather vest and skirt over shorts, her loose ponytail swinging as she moved with brisk efficiency. “Order for table six!” she called, and Cloud shouldered his way through the patrons to take the tray she handed him.

Table six was Barret, Cid, and Vincent, with Nanaki curled up underneath and pretending not to notice Marlene trying to catch the flame on his tail. “Busy tonight, eh?” Barret chuckled as Cloud dropped the tray off.

“Tifa’s the most popular girl in town,” Cloud answered. He glanced over his shoulder at her; in her ruffled teal sundress and matching high-heeled sandals, her hair flowing loose around her arms, she was the brightest person in all Nibelheim. She caught him looking and smiled shyly, then quickly went back to serving two young SOLDIER cadets Cloud vaguely remembered from basic training.

“That she is,” Cid agreed. “Speakin’ of, her pa wants to talk with you.” He pointed past Cloud’s other shoulder, to where Mr. Lockhart sat at a corner table with Cloud’s ma, Zangan the martial arts teacher, and Denzel. Ma waved cheerfully to Cloud, ignoring Mr. Lockhart’s scowl.

Ugh. Cloud didn’t want to piss off Tifa’s dad more than he usually did. “Better get going,” he said to Cid and the others, and hurried over to the corner table.

��About time,” Mr. Lockhart grumbled before Cloud could greet them. “You’re late, Cloud. You’re always too late.”

“I kept my promise,” Cloud said, forcing his voice to stay level. The clear glass mugs of mako on the table gleamed like poison; he had to look away as Denzel picked one up and took a long drink.

“Hah.” Mr. Lockhart slammed his own tankard onto the table hard enough that mako splashed everywhere. “You promised to take care of my daughter. Where is she now?”

“I did,” Cloud protested. “She’s in Nibelheim. Safe.”

No, that was wrong. Tifa was here, in the Sector Five slums, behind the bar in her white tank top and black miniskirt. Cloud glanced over to check, and Tifa flashed him a cheeky wink and a smile.

Mr. Lockhart, though, glared at him. “How many times have you left her behind?”

The words knocked the air from Cloud's lungs. “I didn’t mean to—” he gasped. “I never wanted—I’d give anything to—”

The building was suddenly too hot, smoke burning Cloud’s throat as he struggled to breathe. Flames roared behind the bar, eating into the rafters, dropping cinders into Cloud’s hair. Tifa’s wide-brimmed hat hung crookedly from its cord around her neck, and her fringed leather vest and skirt dripped with blood. “I guess that only works for real families,” she said, her voice tired and bitter over the snap of the flames.

This was wrong. Everything was wrong; Cloud had to get out of here. He reached for Ma and Denzel - except it wasn’t Denzel there, it was Cloud’s younger self. Cloud froze, and that was when Ma grabbed his arm, her fingers sharp as a Nibel dragon’s claws. “I won’t let you take him,” she snapped. Hatred twisted her face as she shoved him away. “Get out of my sight!”

Cloud staggered backward. Something cold bit into his chest, slid through his lungs, and he looked down to see Masamune’s blade jutting from his ribs, red with Cloud’s blood. He tried to struggle, tried to escape, but Sephiroth’s voice whispered in his ear, You’re nothing but an empty puppet.

Cloud flailed, gasping—

—and suddenly the burning Seventh Heaven vanished.

#ask meme #sanity replies #sanity's final fantasy crossover fic

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shirtlessradfahrer · 3 months

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warning cringe venting/rambling about stress and trip planning and hair under the cut

I had a total breakdown after work yesterday

like...dry heaving sobbing into my knees on the floor kind of breakdown

not about the hair…ok yes it was about the hair but not entirely, I've been stressed about a lot of things and the hair change was just what finally set the emotional bomb off

I've had a crapload of anxiety about my trip for weeks (which looking back now I've definitely been suppressing too much, and that was a mistake) bc it's my first time flying/traveling alone, and overseas to boot

Thinking about stuff like, will I forget some crucial papers/tickets/passwords etc and be unable to do fun stuff, will I have a panic attack on the flights despite my meds, will I have some freak accident and end up in hospital over there, will my cat still like me when I get back, will I fit in with enough of his other fans. Will i come back the same person or changed for the better, or for the worse...they all scare me equally.

And I worked my fucking ass off in order to be able to afford everything I'm going to do without going into a ton of debt. Which really did a fucking number on me mentally.....but for almost a year I've told myself it would all be worth it, bc I'd be overwhelmed with joy when I *finally* see that beautiful bowlcut boy in front of me, just as I was filled with joy when I first saw him peeking out of that box

I planned my trip under the loose assumption that the album would be out (or almost out) by this point and I'd be able to celebrate that with people. I got even more excited for this after Böle bc I figured that was the template for everything going forward, and I loved everything I saw-I loved the staging, I loved the new songs, I loved his outfit, I loved the almost bird-esque styling he was doing with the front of the bowlcut

But now....I don't know what the actual fuck he's doing.

I'll be on the (first) plane in a little less than 48 hours and I just feel like the universe is playing some sick joke on me - in less than a week he's gone from someone I would abandon feminism for (I joke) to Some Guy I would be actively avoiding at public events (based on a few unfortunate past experiences with individuals who resembled this, not entirely a joke). Not his fault, I know, and nothing to do with his actual personality of course, which I’m *well aware* is lovely. But that's my reality 🤷🏻‍♀️ and it’s incredibly jarring and not in a good way, and sure as hell not at a good time

And as I said it’s not just about the hair, I feel sick thinking about how much time and money and effort I've put into planning things - esp. gig outfits which I was basing off of the purple/green suit.....and I don't even know if there was any point to that now, bc is he even going to wear it? Again, not specifically *his* fault. But I’m miffed, to say the least.

It feels so incredibly rare these days that I can share a deeply passionate long-term interest with others. I feel like this whole...thing has been a perfect example of how much I struggle with FOMO....with feeling like I'm always left behind. And even when I try my hardest to catch up I can never quite make it before people have moved on to something different.

I know my reaction seems way over-dramatic to some but I just gently ask that you imagine how I feel watching countless people essentially drop by Finland on their free weekends or time off to see him once, or twice, or three times, or five times, or twenty freaking times over the past year, while I’ve had to move heaven and earth for the chance to see him even once (and I'm not trying to generalize, I know for various reasons a lot of you have also been unable to see him still, and I really hope that changes soon <3 especially if you *do* like this look)

The point is that I just wanted to experience the “classic” Kä ONCE! I didn't even plan on going to multiple shows until it became a thing for Summer Camp!! Just ONCE! He could copy the Daltons and go bald after that for all I care!!

He's 100% allowed to style himself however he wants - if I weren't in the *very particular situation* I'm in I'm sure I would be more open to the change although I still hate this particular shade of blonde and think there are much better options but whatever.But I’m allowed to be disappointed when I’ve spent literal thousands of dollars-and will be spending more-to make seeing him a reality. I've had so much bad luck and bad timing already this year and this just took the freaking cake. And again that's not *his* fault, I know. But fuck, am I sad. I just wanted something, anything to go according to plan for me this year.

I know I'll still have a great time - I'm excited to meet and hang out with everyone, and I'm excited to do touristy things and I’m still excited for all the great music I’m going to hear. I'm just venting now bc I don't want to be such a downer when I meet everyone in person.

....now watch me completely clown myself if this really is just for Traffic and he goes back to black in a couple weeks - and I will so very happily wear that clown suit lmao, you can all buy me one if you find one

#I honestly would have much preferred to lose the bolero over the cut lmao #also if you think smoking is hot that's great and I'm so happy for you :)#unfortunately where I'm from it has been considered neither hot nor “cool” for over a decade and that's just how things are :)#and yes I’m perhaps a little biased #considering my best interactions with smokers have typically involved them harassing me :)#or dumping their still lit cigarette butts right by my bike tires when it’s parked outside at work :)#or at my feet (bonus points if they spit too) :)#the nicotine itself is not actually the problem :)#it’s the *culture* of ciggy smokers around here that makes it so unappealing :)#but you do you :)#and if whatever tf he's doing has grown on you I'm also very happy for you #and I sincerely hope I can join you sooner rather than later #i'm just not making any promises #not tagging him so no one has to look at my horrendous bullying/s

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anony-man · 11 months

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Indulgence

Word Count: 4,649

Pairing: First Aid/Vortex (takes place after A Slice of Comfort)

Rating/Warnings: E; bondage, choking, safe words, biting, sexual content, squashing/smothering

Fresh organic leather straps to tie his arms behind him and a cozy, dimly lit apartment were both things First Aid had never expected to coexist during a romantic session. He was young and far from rich, but even he had never come across such a professional setup for what probably should have been a one night stand. The spark worked in mysterious ways, he supposed, and gave the binding straps around his wrists an experimental tug.

“Careful,” Vortex warned him, reaching behind the medic for the third time to double check that the straps weren’t too loose. “That’s new stuff I’ve got there. I’d like to make it last, so try not to go wild on me.”

“I’ll do my best,” First Aid said, speaking in a comforting tone, as if Vortex were one of his bedside patients. The moment the Combaticon looked away, First Aid rolled his optics with as much dramatic flair as he could muster and began pulling against the straps again. “Tex, don’t you think this is a little… I dunno. A little much?”

Vortex paused, one servo hovering above First Aid’s spread thighs as he sat on all fours. Despite his eager energy when they had planned the meet up some weeks before, Vortex was visibly nervous, and First Aid could tell. The visor over his optics only did so much to cover for the waver in his expression every time they checked off the next step on their list of preparation.

“Too much?” Vortex said, having managed to regain his composure. He dove back into fiddling with First Aid’s modesty panels and worked to unlatch them. “Be a little more specific, Aid. If you think obscene safe words and pre-established signals is ‘too much,’ then—“

“That’s not what I meant,” First Aid cut in. He could tell Vortex was starting to get agitated, but he couldn’t quite figure out why. “I mean, we’re both into some weird stuff, right? Safe words and all that aren’t a bad thing. It’s just…”

“You’re worried something’s gonna happen, aren’t you?” Vortex asked. Despite the accusatory tone he adopted, there was very little hurt in the words or his expression, almost as if he expected for First Aid to be nervous. “Relax, little medibot. I’m not gonna hurt you or anything. We’ve been over this, remember?”

“Yeah,” First Aid said, “I remember.”

“What’s the safe word?” Vortex pressed, lifting a servo to gently pry the mask from First Aid’s face. He received only minor annoyance for his attempts, but First Aid relented. “Come on, Aid. We can’t move forward with our plans if you don’t remember the safe word.”

“I remember the safe word,” First Aid grumbled, struggling and failing to suppress a small smile as Vortex began placing gentle kisses along his exposed faceplates. “I don’t know why you demanded it be that, but—“

“What’s the safe word?”

First Aid fell silent, his faceplates growing hot with embarrassment. He turned his helm away, but Vortex was quick to gently steer him back until their optics met once more. It took some effort, but he somehow managed to force himself to speak.

“…Pharma.”

“Good,” Vortex cooed, fingers stroking over the curve of First Aid’s chin. “That’s good. Just remember, if anything doesn’t feel right, all you have to say is Pharma, and I’ll stop. Okay?”

Already having waited much longer than he would have liked, First Aid nudged impatiently at Vortex’s side with the tip of his pede. Vortex, for his part, seemed to receive the message loud and clear, if not too clear.

First Aid knew there was nothing to fear. He hadn’t told anyone where he would be spending the next several hours, of course, and Vortex had made sure his comms were turned off completely, but First Aid assured himself that there was nothing to fear. Still, he couldn’t suppress the shudder of unnatural terror and anticipation as Vortex’s expression shifted into something a little more dangerous, something a little more primal. For a moment, First Aid found himself being transported back to the point in time where they had first met behind an alleyway, both far took desperate for affection to bother worrying about what could possibly happen should they be caught.

As Vortex stood over him, the faint light casting an ominous shadow against the bare floors as he studied First Aid’s frame with a cool, calculating gaze, First Aid’s entire frame shivered with anticipation. The metal of his restraints clinked against the wall as he squirmed under Vortex’s stare, feeling every bit like a piece of prey under the watchful eye of his predator.

“Fine bot we’ve got here,” Vortex said, his voice lacking any real malice as he crouched down to his knees. “It’s a shame the Autobots keep letting pretty things like you out on your own. Primus knows that if they could see the plans I’ve got in store for you, they’d keep all of their medics on a tighter leash.”

“You’ve got a thing for the enemy’s medics?” First Aid spat, jerking his helm free of Vortex’s grasp when the Decepticon dared to touch him. “How predictable of you to prey on the vulnerable and the healers.”

He had felt rather confident in himself at first, but First Aid couldn’t help the startled yelp that escaped him when Vortex’s servo was suddenly clenched around his helm and forcefully twisting First Aid around to meet his gaze. From their new position, the restraints against First Aid’s wrists dug into the tender mesh of his frame ever so slightly, just enough to leave him with a pleasant burning sensation that grew stronger every time Vortex leaned in a little more.

“Someone’s got a mouth on him,” Vortex teased, his free servo drifting down to rest against the base of First Aid’s erect spike. “You like to be roughed up around the edges, don’t you, little medibot? I bet you’ve dreamed of a Decepticon eventually catching you alone and vulnerable, bringing you in as a captive and forcing you to take whatever they throw at you.”

“Only one way to find out,” First Aid said, his mouth scrunched in a ridiculous smile as Vortex’s fingers dug into the soft surface of his faceplates.

“You’re a snarky one,” Vortex said, his grin only growing. “I like it. What else can that mouth of yours do, little Autobot?”

The heated, witty retort First Aid had been waiting to give almost immediately dried in his throat as he stared up at Vortex. To say he was a little confused would have been an understatement, but the Combaticon seemed rather unfazed by the sudden lapse in the scene’s mood. Without missing a beat, he dragged over a box full of delicate sweets and large bottles of potent energon, and it was clear to First Aid without having to ask that all of it would be forced down his throat one way or another.

“That’s—that’s not—“ he stammered, at a loss for words. He wasn’t quite sure what to say, but Vortex seemed entirely unbothered.

“Oh, Aid,” he teased, leaning in to place a quick kiss on the tip of First Aid’s nose. “Did you really think I’d let you walk away without indulging more thoroughly? I mean, that night we spent together wasn’t a one-off, right? You—you actually enjoyed having me stuff you full of energon?”

“But—but I thought—“ First Aid said, not quite sure what to make of the situation. The thought of Vortex feeding him to the point of sickness was rather enticing, and he did want to experience a second chance at exploring the shared interest they’d discovered, but… something about it just felt wrong. “I mean—you… you actually liked it? You weren’t, well—you weren’t just trying to make me feel better, were you?”

Vortex was silent for a moment, which was certainty a first. If First Aid was reading it right, it almost seemed as though the Combaticon was embarrassed to be admitting to the fascination, which was… it just didn’t make sense, in First Aid’s mind. Not when they had both found interest in the same thing.

“So, maybe I didn’t just bring you over here for a nice frag session,” Vortex finally admitted, his gaze lingering on the box of energon goodies. “You—you were upset and all, and I get that, but—I kinda thought that—that maybe you’d be interested in giving it another shot, so I sorta invited you over here to… er, to…”

“To fatten me up?” First Aid asked, staring up at the Combaticon with a smug smile. “Primus, Vortex, why didn’t you just say so? I’ve been wondering for ages if you’d felt weirded out by that… you know, that one time, and here I find out you liked it just as much as I did? Why didn’t you just say something?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Vortex said, frustration seeping into his voice.

The two sat in silence for a few moments, both uncertain about how to move forward, when First Aid spoke up.

“Let’s do it,” he said, leaning back against the wall so that his middle was on full display. “You’ve got the energon, haven’t you? And besides, I came here for a good time anyway. It’d be a shame to let it all go to waste.”

“You’re sure?” Vortex asked, sounding just skeptical enough to tempt First Aid into rolling his optics a second time. “You’re not too weirded out or anything? I know, I’m the Decepticon interrogator and all, but I kind of like you, Aid, and if you’re not comfortable, we don’t have to move forward. Maybe some other time we can—“

“Tex,” First Aid said, his pede finding leverage in the crook of Vortex’s knee joint. He gave the limb a good kick to get the Combaticon’s attention before continuing, then said, “We’ve got a safe word, remember? What’s the point of taking all of those extra precautions if we aren’t going to use them?”

Vortex made a show of thinking it over, but First Aid could already tell he’d long since been convinced. After a sound of feigned annoyance, Vortex gave a slow nod and nestled himself between First Aid’s thighs, reaching out to draw the box of energon sweets and drinks to their side.

“If you’re sure,” he said, his servo already digging through the stash for the first item. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you, Aid. I can get pretty mean.”

As if he didn’t already know that, First Aid thought to himself. He’d been on the receiving end of multiple possessive bites and forced orgasms to know that when he’d stepped into the unorthodox relationship, he was in for a world of new surprises. It hadn’t scared him off, though, and a little indulgence in an interest they both shared definitely wasn’t going to, either. He settled into a more comfortable position with his resting just above where his plating met the wall and obediently opened his mouth when Vortex offered him the first bite.

Just as he had expected, the rich energon cakes Vortex managed to find were some of the most delicious First Aid had ever eaten. He wasn’t quite sure if it was due to some secret baking skill or a quality source the Combaticon had managed to track down in Cybertron, but wherever it had come from, First Aid couldn’t get enough.

Before Vortex had managed to slip the next cake past First Aid’s lips, the eager medic was already licking at his fingers, his visor dimming as his optics closed in bliss. Satisfied moans were met with the sounds of First Aid’s tanks gurgling as they began to process the overly rich treats filling his belly.

“Knew you’d like that one,” Vortex teased, holding his servo to First Aid’s mouth so the frosting could be licked away before they moved onto the next treat. “You can never go wrong with cakes. Not when they’re made with the good stuff, that is.”

First Aid almost expected for there to be a full load of oil cakes waiting to be pushed into his mouth, but when he opened his optics in anticipation of the next snack, Vortex brought out what looked like organic food. He wrinkled his nose at the thought, having never seen or tasted organic material before, but Vortex had opened the bag already, and was pushing a mouthful of thin chips past his lips.

“No complaining, Aid,” Vortex said. “I know you well enough to get you things you’ll like, don’t you think? I’m not gonna bring you something that would land you in the medical bay for a week or anything. At least, I don’t plan to.”

“Very funny,” First Aid said past the mouthful of organic food. “If you pulled something like that, Ratchet would never let me leave the base again.”

Vortex made a sound of disapproval and shook his helm, already shoveling another handful of chips into First Aid’s awaiting mouth. “You know that wouldn’t stop me, right? Nothing could ever get in the way of me and my favorite medibot. Not even that grumpy old aft.”

First Aid didn’t respond, having become too occupied with working his way through the large bag of chips. Vortex was right, of course. They could seal him up in the most secure location, but given time, he was sure Vortex would still find him. It was both endearing and intimidating, though First Aid didn’t let himself linger on the thought for very long. Allowing himself to think about the consequences of fraternizing with a member of the Decepticons often led into a spiral of self-destructive thoughts, and he wasn’t there to break himself down. He was there to eat—and maybe get a few overloads in, if Vortex was feeling especially generous.

As Vortex continued to bring out more and more varied and delicious foods, First Aid could feel his tanks starting to fill up rapidly. At one point, while Vortex held up a glass of some sickeningly sweet energon for First Aid to drink, he turned his helm away with a poorly stifled belch. It did little to help his aching belly, which had begun to grow firm under the weight of so much fuel intake. Vortex had set the glass aside and moved in close until their frames were touching, and despite First Aid’s embarrassment, he didn’t move away until the medic turned to meet his gaze.

“You’re slowing down,” he said, sounding every bit disappointed in First Aid’s ability to tolerate such large amounts of food. “We’re not even close to being done yet. You can’t give up now, Aid.”

“It hurts to move,” First Aid grunted in response as he readjusted his position for the third time in the last free minutes. “Do you think we could slow down, just a little?”

Vortex made a small sound in the back of his throat and scratched his chin, taking in the sight of First Aid’s bloated belly as though he were observing a plant in a windowsill. It was so casual, yet so affectionate, and for a brief moment, First Aid wasn’t sure he was still staring up at the same mech.

“I think I have a better idea,” Vortex eventually said.

Gently, with slow movements First Aid didn’t think him even capable of, Vortex began rubbing a servo over the large expanse of First Aid’s middle. He rubbed soothing circles into the taut, grumbling mesh while he helped pour the next bottle of energon down First Aid’s throat, and received a much happier reaction from the medic for his efforts. What Vortex hadn’t expected to find, however, was that the act of running his servo across the bloated, plump belly as First Aid groaned beneath him was very, very arousing.

First Aid was a little startled when Vortex’s one servo turned into two, thin fingers digging into the mesh of his frame as though Vortex’s life depended on it. The Combaticon left trails of gentle kisses up and down First Aid’s middle, stopping occasionally to slip his tongue in between the folds of strained plating. The touches were nice, but even nicer was the look of pure infatuation on Vortex’s faceplates as he poured over the thing that he had created.

“Vortex,” First Aid groaned, arching up into the Decepticon’s touch as Vortex started to gently nibble at the edges of his belly. “Vortex, please—ohhh, Primus, please. Take of the restraints, please? I want to—OW!”

Vortex jerked back in surprise, alarmed by the sudden cry of pain. First Aid did the same, though his attention was drawn to the sudden stream of energon budding up from a perfectly shaped bite wound in the middle of his belly. It was hard to tell at first, but he eventually could make out the sharp cut in between the seams of his armor where Vortex had bitten him. The Combaticon was on him again in an instant, his servos tangling behind First Aid’s back as he rushed to unbind his wrists.

“What the hell was that?” First Aid asked, barely managing to get the words out as Vortex caught him up in a long, sloppy kiss. In between sucking on each other’s lips and panting for breath, First Aid gently pushed back against the Combaticon’s chest. “Vortex, you—you bit me. Like, you—hard, you bit me hard. What the hell was that about?”

“Sorry, I—I got carried away,” Vortex panted in response. He pulled back just long enough to gauge First Aid’s mood before diving in for another kiss. “Can we—mmph, you taste good, like energon—can we keep going? I know you’re stuffed and all, but—“

“Full,” First Aid gently corrected, pushing Vortex back again with a gentle servo against his chest. “Not stuffed. What else do you have for me?”

It didn’t take much prodding for Vortex to dig through the box for the last few remaining treats. As he pulled out what looked to be energon truffles, a sweet pastry-like item First Aid had admitted to loving sometime in the beginning of their shared infatuation, the young medic wet his lips in anticipation. He happily opened his mouth, awaiting the first bite.

“Eager,” Vortex teased as he tore the bag open and grabbed a few truffles. He plucked them up from his palm one at a time and fed them by hand despite having freed First Aid’s servos. “Figured I’d save these for last.”

“You remembered,” First Aid said, swallowing down the first mouthful. Vortex was already waiting with another handful before he’d even gotten his bearings back. “I’m surprised—“

“Don’t be,” Vortex said. “Told you I’d take good care of you, didn’t I? I’m not gonna let my little medibot go hungry on my watch.”

As they fell into a steady rhythm of First Aid happily munching on each handful Vortex offered him, Vortex began trailing his free servo against First Aid’s throat, his fingers curling around the base of his throat and squeezing ever so slightly with every swallow. The truffles were thick and heavy, and it took some effort to swallow it down without any liquid energon on hand. Whether or not Vortex had planned for it remained undetermined, but First Aid had his suspicions.

Vortex stuffed his servo back into the bag, pulling out the last few truffles. Instead of offering them one at a time, he cupped them in his palm and carefully dropped them into First Aid’s mouth all at once, his other servo helping to tilt the medic’s helm back to avoid any spillage. A soft groan slipped past his lips as he leaned against First Aid’s plush middle, and as First Aid worked through the large mouthful, Vortex busied himself with rubbing the medic’s expanding belly while he kept a servo gently wrapped around First Aid’s throat.

The movement of swallowing was both arousing and intriguing to him, and Vortex couldn’t help but push the limits just a little further by giving First Aid’s throat a good, hard squeeze as he swallowed down the mouthful. First Aid was startled at first—which was to be expected, since Vortex has practically put a stop to both breathing and swallowing all at once—but Vortex relented, and he watched with a morbid fascination as First Aid struggled to swallow down the lump of rich, chocolatey truffles that had lodged in his throat.

“I love it when you squirm,” Vortex said, already leaned in to steal another kiss from chocolate-coated lips. “You really know how to get my engines revving, Aid.”

First Aid doesn’t respond, too caught up in returning the desperate kiss Vortex has pulled him into. The indulgent foreplay has left him wanting more, however, and before Vortex could stop him, First Aid was already pressing closer, his hips grinding down against Vortex’s closed panels.

“I wanna suck your spike,” First Aid panted once they’d finally separated. Vortex hardly has a chance to respond before First Aid is pulling back and reaching for the Combaticon’s seams, but he’s cut short by a chiding shake of Vortex’s helm.

“Ah ah ah,” Vortex said, one servo reaching back into the box. He pulled out what looked to be an empty wrapper, but First Aid could see streaks of blue frosting around the edges, and he almost immediately knew what was next. “That comes after, little medibot. I’ve still got something planned for you.”

He pushed First Aid back against the wall, his fingers dipping in to wipe up the remaining frosting. First Aid shivered with delight as Vortex held up a finger for him to suck clean, the entire digit covered up to the second joint with thick, blue frosting.

“Go on,” he said, already reaching down to give the medic’s valve the attention it deserved. “Lick it clean, Aid.”

First Aid didn’t need to be told twice. He lurched forward with a wide visor and an eager expression and got straight to work with long strokes of his tongue up and down Vortex’s finger. Before long, the Combaticon had dipped two of his fingers past First Aid’s lips, relishing in the sounds of the medic sucking the sweet frosting from the tips of his finger. First Aid took them deep, swallowing them down until he had engulfed half of Vortex’s palm in his mouth. He slid free with a slow, drawn out moan, satisfied with the sheen of saliva he’d left against the thin metal.

“You’re such a teaser,” Vortex scolded, having been working away at the outer node above First Aid’s valve as the medic performed his oral display.

A thin dribble of transfluid coated the outer rim of First Aid’s valve, awarding the Combaticon’s tedious work. He kept his thumb pressed against First Aid’s outer node as he slipped two digits into the slick opening, his expression shifting from one of determination to a smug as First Aid gasped at the sudden intrusion. Vortex didn’t stop, his fingers working in and out against the hot lining as his other servo—still soaked with First Aid’s oral lubricant—began stroking over the top of First Aid’s belly.

As he had expected, First Aid came close to overloading from the simplest of touches. He hated to stop so soon, but he wanted to draw out the first climax for as long as possible. Only when First Aid had started to become a panting, groaning mess, subconsciously jerking into the steady thrusts of Vortex’s fingers did he pull out. It earned him a pitiful sound from First Aid, who looked up from where he had ended up lying stretched out on the floor with what could only be described as the most pathetic attempt at puppy eyes Vortex had ever seen.

“I’ve been waiting long enough,” Vortex said, already pushing First Aid up to his knees before taking the open space on the floor against the wall. There was little room for questions before his panels popped open, releasing his pressured spike. “Please, Aid, please, just—“

Vortex’s desperate pleas were cut off and replaced with a mixture between a gasp and a moan as First Aid climbed up to straddle his thighs and easily lowered himself down onto the erect spike. Both mechs groaned in shared delight as they started up a slow, rocking rhythm, and First Aid didn’t even have to ask before Vortex’s servos were digging into the mesh of his belly, his gaze taking in the sight with pure ecstasy as he struggled to meet First Aid’s optics over the bulging mass.

“Harder, Tex, harder—nngh,” First Aid grunted, bracing himself up against the wall with one servo while the other grabbed ahold of Vortex’s shoulder in a crushing grip. The slurry of words became nearly unintelligible as he ground against the Combaticon’s spike, his own member throbbing with need as he frantically chased after his mounting charge. “Please, please, harder, please, Vortex, please—ah! Please, please, please please-ooohh Primus—!”

In the heat of the moment, First Aid pressed himself hard against Vortex’s frame, nearly crushing the Combaticon under his weight as he was pushed over the edge. A loud, guttural cry escaped him just as he hit his climax, and while Vortex was still in the middle of ejecting his own stream of transfluid deep into First Aid’s valve, he was cut short by the smothering weight of First Aid’s belly and frame smushing him against the floorboards.

Through the post-coital haze, First Aid found it hard to bring himself back into the present moment. Once he’d regained his senses, though, he quickly realized that Vortex was practically smushed beneath him, his helm buried beneath the mound of his belly as servos struggled to find purchase in the crevice of First Aid’s hips. Panicked, First Aid scrambled back off of his poor partner.

“Oh my god, Vortex,” he gasped, his optics wide beneath his visor and his voice nearly breaking. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t—are you—are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Vortex was visibly disoriented when he managed to sit back up, but past the flush of his cheeks and the overall air of confusion, he was quick to recover. He took in First Aid’s disheveled appearance with what could only be considered the most astonished expression anyone had ever seen before tentatively laying a servo against First Aid’s middle, much to the medic’s frustration.

“Holy fragging shit,” he said, otherwise at a loss for words. “First Aid, that was… Primus, that was hot.”

First Aid, who had nearly been on the verge of tears over accidentally squishing his sex partner, quickly blinked them away and gave Vortex a small frown. “You… wait, you liked it?”

“Are you kidding?” Vortex asked. “You’re hot Aid. And I just so happened to like you when you’re nice and plump, so… yeah, I liked it.” Apparently unsatisfied, Vortex began to stand to his pedes, and he extended a servo for First Aid to take. “Come on, why don’t I show you to my washracks. You’re probably ready to get cleaned up. But don’t think we’re done yet—I’ve got plenty more I’d like to do to you, little medibot.”

First Aid was a little uncertain at first; after all, he’d just come down from the most intense overload of his life, and he still wasn’t entirely convinced that Vortex was as fine as he said he was. Still, the promise of more encounters with the Combaticon wasn’t something he could pass up so easily. He had the whole night ahead of him—why shouldn’t he make the most of it?

“Lead the way,” First Aid began to say, but Vortex had already taken him by the servo and was leading him down the halls to their next adventure.

#chubformers #mtmte #first aid #vortex #tf first aid #tf vortex #texaid

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wedriftlikelonelyplanets · 17 days

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dude the concept of lestappen 2005 warped tour au has literally broken my brain (im a former(current) emo kid) what inspired you to come up with that? i love it and will be thinking about it forever

OKAY so first of all, there is an INCREDIBLY written Daniel/Charles fic that is also based off of 2005 Warped, and also loosely "the summer of like" (the analysis of the relationship between pete wentz and mikey way) called "There is a Ghost at the End of This Song"

We'll say that that's the thing that inspired me to believe I COULD write it in the first place. Rest is under the cut because I go hard on this.

The next thing that happened was a weird, half-formed thought while listening to 7 Minutes in Heaven by Fall Out Boy, about Charles and being in a band and struggling with addiction and the fame of being in a band that's blowing up. And from there it kind of spiraled into something more. About Max not even being all in for his band because he's figuring his life out. About how it was going to be one show and then it became more, and it was a tipping point/a jumping off point while Max was trying to figure out what his plan for the future was.

And then I started writing. It's both easier and harder than expected because there's a lot of logistics and moving parts, so it's slow going but i'm almost 8k words in (i've been working on it for months)

I am also a current emo kid that grew up in a relatively conservative household, didn't really get to go to shows, and also lived in the middle of Canada where people didn't like to show up (and still don't) for music festivals. There's always been a certain type of appeal to me of being at a music festival, at spending time with all these like-minded people, and of just enjoying what we all enjoy.

This is probably a longer explanation than you were expecting but I mean...gotta fill you in on the journey. Charles and his band are loosely inspired by Fall Out Boy, but there's a note that I make in my author's note that says "There's a little bit of Fall Out Boy in all of them" in reference to Charles' and Max's bands. They are, after all, the band that saved my life as a teen.

I’ve spent a lot of time looking into warped, how it worked for the bands, what they did, what it was like. Honestly some very cool stuff came out of it. There’s the unfortunate side effect now of learning that some bands that people really loved were creeps, however there are still many that are beloved.

Anyhow, hope this is a clear enough answer, if you have anymore questions please feel free to ask <3 (i definitely answered this instead of getting ready for work this morning because AO3 came back up)

#lestappen #WIP asks #fic asks #my writing #the lestappen warped tour au

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i-consume-content · 8 months

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SPLATOON 3

The Switch Steals Shooter Spotlight With Superb Splatting

(As of this review, it is Chill Season 2023. Spoilers ahead!)

“Squids are pretty cool. Shooter games are pretty cool. Fuck it, put ‘em together, see what happens.” - John Nintendo

…I’m not sure that’s a real quote, but I choose to believe it is, and that’s why I consider John Nintendo to be one of the greatest creative minds of our time. I’ve been playing Splatoon since the first game, and I must admit, the series’ second Switch entry does not disappoint.

Nintendo isn’t really known for their stories. The Mario franchise repeats the same stuff most of the time, and even the Legend of Zelda has a mind-boggling timeline to try and hide the fact that it is just doing the same thing every time. Splatoon’s story, however, has an actual sense of progression. One of the things I actually really disliked about Splatoon 2 was that the Hero Mode didn’t feel like it was progressing the story in a meaningful way, especially compared to Octo Expansion. Splatoon 3 remedies this by wrapping up the loose ends of Splatoon 2’s Salmon Run. Mr. Grizz is a great antagonist, a corrupt yet existentially sad character plagued by his unfortunate circumstances, and the characterization given to Deep Cut is integral to understanding how they interact on air and how they fit into the ever-changing world of the Splatlands.

The world of Splatoon only looks better with each passing entry. There’s a little bit more sloppiness and grunge to Splatoon 3 than the other games in the franchise, which is fitting for the anarchic wasteland. Just running around singleplayer levels and battle stages looking at the backgrounds is a treat, and it’s clear that lots of love and care went into every nook and cranny of this world. The palette choice of purple and yellow stands out against the browns and beiges of the desert, giving that signature Splatoon feel.

A full dissertation of my thoughts on every part of the multiplayer would be worthy of a blog post (or ten) in and of itself. Splatoon 3 is constantly being updated with patches to try and balance the viability of all weapons, to varying degrees of success. There’s always at least a handful of weapons and playstyles I find enjoyable, and although I may not be the best at the game, I can still have a blast booting up Turf War and playing for an hour or two before I move on to other things.

I can safely say that Splatoon 3 is a worthy entry to the series, so much so that I would be happy if it was the last one ever made. Plus, with more seasons and Side Order on the horizon, there’s plenty more in store for my go-to Switch game.

FINAL RATING:

A “Catch Ya Later!” out of 10

- Rock

#iconsumecontent #gaming #nintendo #splatoon 3 #splat3 #splatoon

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man-down-in-hatchet-town · 1 year

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The Ghost of All My Yesterdays

(Pulp Musicals 3: The Ghosts of Antikythera Theory Part 1--The Reasonable Stuff)

So I've been thinking a lot about The Ghosts of Antikythera and the excellent rambling theory post (my favorite kind of post) @its-short-for-jackalope made a few days ago (you can read it here--seriously, if you haven't already, read it--it's got so many fun and interesting ideas packed in), and slowly building up my own theories about exactly what's going to go down the next time we see our beloved Pulp Quartet.

I think it'll all come down to Episode Three's theme, which I believe is going to be the Past, and our relationship with it.

Theory under the cut (sorry it's so long lol) (this post is just gonna have the more basic, grounded stuff. The real wild swings will come in a part two).

As several people have already remarked, "Antikythera" could refer to either a Greek island or the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient Greek device that was found in an ancient shipwreck on that same island, and was once used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses. While anything's possible in a series that just featured one character transporting four others through time, I'm of the opinion that the device is more likely than the actual island to majorly feature.

But! I’ve previously written (here) about the supposed real-life story behind the Ellen Austin and her encounter with a ghost ship in 1881. The Antikythera Mechanism, meanwhile, isn’t discovered until 1901. I can think of two ways around this time discrepancy.

First of all, it's always possible that Matt simply... changed up the timeline. He's already played fast and loose with real world history--he aged John down to match the Stratfords, put the Stratfords in the middle of the Great Moon Hoax, and even stuck a giant-ass brick satellite up in the sky to forever change the nature of oceanic voyages. It’s easy to see him just moving the discovery of the Antikythera Mechanism up twenty years or so. However, there's still the problem that the Mechanism was discovered on a Greek island far from the Sargasso Sea, where both history and Pulp find the Ellen Austin. Which brings me to the other, in my opinion more likely, explanation…

What if the device is found on the ghost ship in 1881 and then returned to the Antikythera Island shipwreck at the end of the episode?

Matt has said that every episode of Pulp has a particular theme. Episode 1 was Imagination, Episode 2 was Friendship, and Episode Three is shaping up to be about our relationship with the past. We have Margaret starting to uncover her own history while all four characters must grapple with leaving behind the lives and people and years they knew. To the people of 1881, the Pulp Quartet have been quite literally living in the past, and now our gang have to figure out how to either get back to that time, or else let it go and march into the future. How can they cast away their intense ties to 1835, when they themselves are but a manifestation of that past reaching out into the future?

You know what else is a manifestation of the past reaching into the future? Ghosts. In "Behind Me", Rose talks about how the "ghost of all her yesterdays stands beside her," introducing specters as a metaphor for the impact of the past. As such, I think the Ghosts of Episode 3 are going to be both kinds—metaphorical ghosts of our characters’ yesterdays and losses, and then also actual spirits.

What if these titular Ghosts of Antikythera are just that? Spirits that, in a thematic parallel of our four protagonists, have been taken from their homes and their time. Perhaps the Antikythera Mechanism is haunted and the ghost ship's former crew it on a previous voyage. While sailing it to America, they meet disaster, most likely caused by the ghosts of the mechanism, leaving the Ellen Austin to find the ghost ship and confront the spirits. At the end of the episode, the evil is defeated and either our protagonists, the Traveler, or even the crew of the Austin (the least likely option) return the Mechanism to its watery grave, where it will be found again in twenty years...

(Part 2 can be found here.)

#Pulp Musicals #Pulp musicals episode three: The ghosts of antikythera #the ghosts of antikythera #samuel stratford #rose stratford #Margaret Cavendish #Sir John Herschel #pulp musicals theories

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threadsun · 1 year

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Freaking. HELL MAN!!! Okay. OKAY! Literally got me acting like a fool pacing the around the entire house because I literally CAN’T EVEN! Neighbors probably think I’m lookin crazy with all these wild gestures, freaking messing up food sounding like Hein the old wheezy dog from Howl’s Moving Castle, had me shout out a curse in disbelief, literally was just about to walk into the microwave door. Alright, I had to stop writing for a moment because I wound up having a seasoning packet explode on me because I was not functioning right. Why am I telling you that? You can’t tell when I start or stop writing but I DON’T KNOW! In any case, note to self: do not try to do things before reading your messages. AND I STILL HAVEN’T GONE PAST THE BLUE TEXT! Listen, I’m a very animated person because of how much I’ve performed in musical theatre so like, freaking looked like I was doing a whole cabaret show up in here. That went WAY harder than I expected it to be and apparently there are some things I didn’t know I wanted until you said it. So um, yeah, thanks for that! 🥵 Okay so MAYBE I did underestimate you JUST a tiny bit and didn’t think you could get me to react more than before, but each time you’ve been proving me wrong and this one just takes the cake! LISTEN, I’M TRYING to be strong and tough here, but pulling out stunts like that MAKE IT SO HARD 😂 But I’m not giving in yet! NOPE! NOT HAPPENING! NO SIR! I am STRONG! I am CAPABLE of not submitting. Tbh, I don’t even know how to respond back to what you said because every time I look at it, I let out a flustered laugh and my eyes shift away instinctively (*coughandwhatyousaidisalltruesoCOUGHCOUGHCOUGH*) So nope! Totally don’t want to be or go through ALL of those things! No way! 👀

NOICE! Glad to hear I’ve got a chance! 😊 But I’ve gotta respect your professionalism though, it definitely builds self confidence in yourself and your products/services! I used to have the issue of selling myself short and giving away services like readings for free because I didn’t think it was worth anything, plus I wanted to help others. Because I did that though, I ran myself ragged and wound up having to stop. By putting limits like a price or a time limit, it shows that what you have is valuable and takes up your own personal time to do to provide them goods. People wind up respecting you more and you can still take care of yourself. Even though I feel like I didn’t learn much in college, it’s in moments like these that I just go “Okay, maybe I DID learn alittle bit.” Lol!

But yeah, DEFINITELY too bold for Ian. He’s the perfect example of needing to learn to love yourself first before you love another. If he only found himself more deserving of love and took the brave step of cutting ties with toxic people in his life like his mom, maybe he would’ve found more confidence in the type of relationship that he and M/C shared. I’m sure that his route will be all about healing his traumas and self-worth. I’m about to buy all these guys blanket warmers and just bundle them up while watching Disney movies.

AW HELL YESSSSS! Freaking LIVE for stuff like that man! Just having your brain go blank every time he uses a trigger phrase and a dopey smile lands on your face. My brain keeps going ultra subby mode thinking about all the ways this could go. BRRRRRR. Phantom of the Opera creates hypnosis kinks? No wayyyy! Mirror scene where Christine gets hypnotized and her makeup turns all sultry the whole next scene with a dreamy expression? Gerald Butler? PSSH! No one finds THAT incredibly hot, no! 👀 And then SDJ is loosely BASED off of said Broadway show/book/movie? Ain’t no way someone’s who’s dream was to play Christine Daae since Nursery school and would involve her entire life on getting that role would EVER love a game like this! Oh, and Jack’s supposed to be the Phantom? The sexiest guy in the movie but also the most freaking deranged? BOI. POTO was my yandere gateway, I swear 😂

Anyways! Fireman AU! But yeah, it’s so weird how one moment sunshine is just talking normally, but the next they’re drooling all over themselves and- wait did they just moan out Jack’s name? They’re begging to be pounded into oblivion? Well, the firehouse can’t let down their favorite pet, can they? So they’ll be more than happy to oblige! “Sunshine, if you keep drooling like that, you’re going to make everyone believe you can’t live another day without my love filling you up~! Don’t you know how dangerous that is sunspot? You don’t even know how much I’d love to make you mine in front of everyone, but that’s okay! Puppies like you are GREAT learners, so I’m sure you’ll figure it out in no time!” M/C is just a blushing, incoherent puddle at that point between the triggers and the copious amounts of touching. NOM NOM NOM, I could eat hypnokink ALL DAY EVERY DAY!!! OOO! I can’t even imagine the types of punishments they’d receive!

YA GOT THIS!!! But I’ll get my tombstone ready. RIP me when it does come out 😂 YUS! Like Jasmine or white orchid or something for Ian. I honestly don’t think that Alan would have any type of super woodsy smell on him, he’d be just straight CAMPFIRE with some kind of grass mixed in. Literally just laid down on the ground and that’s his scent 😂

OO OO OO! Sounding like a monkey over here lol, but that sounds like FUN! I’m curious at how far I’d be able to go since I love the heat normally (ice cubes feel SOOOO freaking good)! But that massage oil sounds aMAZING too! GOD, I love kinks! There’s so much fun things you can do and just that rush of dopamine. UGH! Love it! There’s a sex shop downtown where I’m at that has a floor dedicated to kinky items and I felt like a kid at a candy store lol. Sadly, I’ve never got to do much since my last relationship was long distance for years until we moved in together for a bit and had no privacy so we didn’t get to do much. Plus my drive is fiendishly high while his was a lot lower so we didn’t match up well in that aspect, but it’s okay! But I remember talking a lot about what I would get the moment I had the chance! (*coughgotropesbutnevergottousethemcough*) In any case, you got me curious, what’s the sensations with electricity? I know for me, I’m scared of being shocked by static electricity during the winter so I’ve never considered it, but I’m sucker for trying new things soooo 😗

Oh thank goodness!!! I got scared for a moment there! Anxiety and people pleasing tendencies got my heart racing like a mad man lol! I gotcha though and I’m glad you’re having as much fun as I am~😉 Also tell Moon that I’m eating up that whole discussion over on their blog! I normally pop on over because I love their writing too, but I saw how they’re discussing how certain parts of the fandom were acting ridiculous between the audio and Nick’s design and I was just like “YES! GO OFF!” 👏 😂 D’Awwww! \(//∇//)\ I got da SMOOCHES! Thank you Sun for trusting me to speak up and reassuring me that it’s all good 🩵 But noooooo, I’m not too neeeeeedy~! I’m a STRONG woman and I ain’t kneeling down to any dom! 😜

-🎃

It's cute, how easily flustered you get from just a few words~ And to think, you thought you knew what you were getting into? But as I said, you just need to meet a proper dom who knows you better than you know yourself. Who'll open your eyes to all those filthy little kinks you've been pretending not to notice. Someone who can tell that you want to be a helpless princess reduced to nothing more than a desperate whore, so eager for the approval of her dom that she'll accept any punishment and thank them for it.

Exactly, Ian needs to learn to love himself and also learn to trust mc to tell him how they feel. He's just got a whole boatload of trauma to work through and unlearn, and I hope his route is us getting to help him with that, because he deserves it!!

God yeah Phantom is sooooooo good for hypnokink~ Everything about Music of the Night is just 😘👌 perfect! Jack would definitely be the one to hypnotise you into becoming the perfect pet for the whole fire station crew. He'd scramble your brain so much, you'd truly believe you were a dog with no purpose other than to please them. He'd have you getting desperate and horny the moment you heard his voice. Hypnokink Jack is divine!!

Oooh Jasmine is a nice one for Ian!! Alan definitely smells like he took a nap in the grass next to a campfire. Man's just smoky and grassy and definitely hasn't showered in weeks.

Kinks are so fun!!! My first few introductions to kink were... not ideal. But when I got back into it at 18, it was with friends that I trusted and properly organised community events and stuff which was much better!! And now I've been in it for years and have dedicated my career to it :3c I feel very lucky that I get to do that tbh, it's not the most lucrative thing but it's fun and fulfilling!!

As for electricity, hmmmm... depends on what you're using and the voltage. A tens unit, for example, is kinda just tingly and buzzy because the pads are directly on your skin. Though if you turn it up enough, it'll also make your muscles tense/twitchy which can be fun if you're safe about it. A violet wand, on the other hand, doesn't actually touch the skin and instead creates sparks between the wand and your skin. So that feels a little more like a sharp, stinging pain. Almost like the world's tiniest, thinnest whip. It can also leave a tingly feeling afterwards if it's a higher voltage. But yeah, really depends on the type of electricity. A shock collar sometimes makes your blood feel like it's fizzing/bubbly and it's definitely a much harder (and less safe) form of estim. But violet wands, which is what most people think of when they think of electricity play, are mostly just delightfully sharp pain~

Don't worry, I'm very direct! I don't vaguepost, and if I did then I'd be like "this IS a vaguepost" in the tags lmao I'm not good at subtlety. Rest assured, though, I'm having plenty of fun~ And Moon said they're glad people have been taking it well!! We both feel strongly about the way people have been treating Sauce and the team, so it's good to know it really is just a vocal minority who are entitled bullies. Of course smooches!! Smooches for a strong, capable woman who just so happens to want to be forced onto her knees and used~

#sunshine #asks #🎃 anon

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outoftheirdifferences · 1 year

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Okay forgive me a ramble, but. This has been saved in my drafts for *months* by this point and, especially since I referenced the movie’s events in my last post, I think it’s time I either put this out there or just delete it xD;

I’m honestly still not sure how I feel about Wreck-it R.alph 2. I had watched it again recently when I wrote this post; and while it definitely has some things I really like, I’m also just kinda... not super happy with all of it?

Under the cut. I don’t know what I’m trying to achieve with this; I just had a lot of things on my mind after watching the movie that I wanted to get out there. Maybe unpopular opinions ahead, because most of the criticisms that I’ve seen levelled against this movie are completely opposite to my own feelings, so...?

Anyway, feel free to ignore! ^^

First, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE getting to see more of Vanellope, and her development, and everything. She’s been my absolute no.1 favourite fictional character ever since the first movie, and I completely support her in following her dreams - especially since I can very much relate to her feelings at the beginning of the movie of being stuck in the same place and needing a change of direction in life: because it’s where I’ve been for the past several years. I know this is very much not the most popular opinion, but to me her decision to move to Slaughter Race wasn’t a problem... although I will grant that the movie didn’t give much time to elaborating on how it wasn’t a problem.

(...I maaaaay have ideas for a whole follow-up TV series based around Vanellope that would address some of those lines of thought and tie up a few more of the movie’s loose ends, as well as giving her a whole new adventure plotline; but unless someone knows how I can pitch it to Disney, that’s neither here nor there xD)

In any case, to me it felt like a natural progression of her character, since she’s spent so much of her life outside the usual constraints of being a game character as a result of Turbo’s meddling. It seems completely understandable to me that, after fifteen years (I think that’s canon?) of being able to do whatever she wants, she’d struggle to settle into such a routine existence for the rest of her life... especially after losing the presidency - which I maintain must have happened offscreen since the office wasn’t mentioned even once.

So it’s not that, for me. Rather, it’s... well, I dunno how quite to express it. I love a clever reference as much as the next guy, but I can’t help but feel like the movie laid that on too heavily, especially with all the ‘oh my disney’ stuff? It comes off to me as showing off all their properties... which could be fine as the subject for a fun bonus short, but in my mind felt misplaced when stuck in the middle of the movie. I liked the scenes, don’t get me wrong - but didn’t feel like this was the best context for them.

I also wonder if some of them won’t date the movie petty quickly? WiR1, despite still having a lot references, felt more timeless; like, in ten years, you might still find an arcade like that somewhere in America, because most of the references were to older games that have become well-engrained in the public consciousness - and none of them were essential to understanding the movie, either. WiR2′s many references to the internet and to memes and such, which are ever-changing by nature, make me feel like it’s not gonna hold the same relevance as its predecessor in a few years to come.

Speaking of references, I... also can’t claim to be a fan of the climax being a ‘king kong climb’, either. The insecurity clones of Ralph? Delightfully creepy. The giant Ralph grabbing Vanellope and climbing a building? Even the first time I watched it, I couldn’t help but think ‘is that really what we’re going with’? Usually the climax is my favourite part of a movie, so it’s a rare occurrence when I just don’t feel it - but this one certainly didn’t do it for me.

In a way, the whole premise of the movie feels a little flawed to me, ever since I read online that it was based on the directors coming to think that Ralph’s “if that little kid likes me, how bad can I be?” line from the end of the original was problematic in that he was basing his whole worth on how one single person thought of him... because I didn’t take any such implication from that line. Perhaps it could have been worded a tad more clearly; but to me it read like “if a little kid like that can like me, I can’t be all that bad”, rather than a specific singling out of her opinion and hers alone.

That said... I do like a lot of things about the movie, too. And (unpopular opinion #2!) I especially like the way things are left between Ralph and Vanellope at the end. As someone in a long-term long distance relationship, I can absolutely and completely relate to the feelings surrounding having to go our own separate ways, knowing just how much we’ll miss each other; and it means a lot to me to see that so sincerely represented - and by my favourite character, no less!

It’s a wild ride of a movie, for me. So... yeah, like I said. Mixed feelings.

#ooc #Mun rambles #and I mean #REALLY REALLY rambles! xD #I don't like to be critical so this isn't meant to be that #I just #have a lot of thoughts regarding this movie that I want to express #you know?#again feel free to ignore; I'm just getting things off my chest here honestly xD;;

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cajolions · 2 years

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hiiiii 7 13 14 :) <3

Hii!!! Wrote too much as usual lol it's bc they're good questions

7. Favourite works of all time excluding your own?

Ohhh ok so, I interpreted this as Paintings I Think About All The Time, so this excludes any video and sculpture and stuff and is almost only stuff I’ve seen in person.

From more recent years, I’ve really liked “The Lookout (All’s Well)” by Winslow Homer’s and “Automedon with the Horses of Achilles” by Henri Regnault. Online photos do neither of these justice. The lookout is so so cool when it comes to depicting the dimness of night, and the position of the three stars in the sky along with the little speck of moonlight on the bell really fascinated me— they’re in such weird spots in the painting! Also maritime theme so +one million points.

For Automedon, it’s the humongous size of the painting and the tragedy of the character that got me. Poor Automedon is so clearly doomed but he is too young, too loyal, seems too innocent to realize it. The fact that the painting is set in this kind of barren rocky seaside landscape that we associate with the land of the dead makes this effect even stronger for me. It’s those Greek Epics Feels yk?

Otherwise, in paintings I used to have a much stronger obsession with but which still really get me there’s The Floor Scrapers by Caillebotte, Carnation Lilly Lilly Rose by John Singer Sargent, David Hockney’s A Bigger Splash, and Hopper’s Rooms By the Sea.

The Floor Scrapers and A Bigger Splash I get excited about on a technical level. The casual, photographic posing and the natural light in The Floor Scrapers is so beautiful and fills me with a real human empathy for the men in the image, reminds me of their lives. It’s all the stuff I really like about the impressionists, when they’re depicting People and Sight Itself.

A Bigger Slash is still sooooo cool to me I have no idea why. Idk, as I see it Hockney’s one of those creators whose sardonic eye remains sentimental and earnestly invested in beauty. This painting has a lot of that imo. Like yes, fuck a California swimming pool, but it’s also genuinely beautiful, and come here let’s hold those two ideas in the mind at once. The fact that it’s made with commercial wall paint (iirc) is also huge in that regard.

Now, the Sargent painting and the Hockney painting have been the support for two different Ongoing Personal Crises that I’ve now mostly moved on from but I ruminated on them a lot. The Hockney painting to me is about bravery in the face of the unknown, and transitioning from control to the complete lack of it. Will you leave the comfortable familiarity of the hotel room and jump, with no support and no transition, into the ocean where you will have no way to come back up? I now think the dichotomy of how I framed that question is flawed, but there was a time where I put a lot of pressure on myself to cut loose, and was very ashamed of my attachments and the accusation that I leveraged against myself reflected itself in Rooms By the Sea.

The Sargent painting hit me like a ton of bricks when I saw it because I projected onto it that effortless experience of Mystery that fades as you grow up. A little corner of garden like that, paper lanterns, and a cousin you see once in a while all have this mysterious quality when you’re 7 years old which over the years becomes plastered over with the Understanding we need to make decisions and be an actor in the world. I can still get myself in a state where I can marvel at the world, and feel a sense of unknowing at the places I find myself in, but it’s a state I have to get myself into, and I think there’s no such thing as truly forgetting what you know when you look at the world.

13. Show your favourite drawing from last year

Not really one drawing but it’s def the Corto comic. Comics are just… I fucking love making comics dude. Meditating on the characters, making them act, writing the dialogue, moving the camera around, it really has all the elements of other art making that I love and I think this one comic came to me quite effortlessly and gave me the motivation to make the more recent one about my uncle.

In terms of execution I’m also rlly happy with this Lyle sketch that I’m never gonna finish. He just looks good in it lol.

14. How has your art changed over the years?

Oooohf uh. This is really hard to talk about well. I think in my own experience while drawing the most important difference is that I used to go “ok, I’m going to draw a face, here’s how I’ve learned to do a face, here’s how I’ll tweak it to look how I want” and now I’m more likely to think “ok, what technique do I want to focus on for this drawing? what direction do I want to stretch myself in?”

I guess it’s a slow evolution of artistic maturity, where instead of directly copying and applying tricks to depict content, I’m more able to look at the material I have and go “what can I do with this?” Concretely, I’ve become a lot less focused on anatomy, perspective, and facial features and a lot more focus on color, composition and big blocky shapes. That being said, I think the blocky style I’ve been doing more of has actually improved both my line art (which I now do with a bolder pen, or a heavily textured pen on really small canvases) and my rendering abilities.

My bad habits or “crutches” have also changed, especially when it comes to depicting and rendering bodies. I used to use layer effects for shading a bunch, and never really do that anymore, but now I’m always placing light in the same damn places when I render a face lol.

In terms of pure aesthetic I would say there have been a number of overlapping Styles or Tendencies something like:

Everything has a flats or thick line art and random ill-considered pink overlays (lol and lol)

Surprisingly parsimonious rendering, usually with flat brushes, but it’s exclusively heads looking left

A brief run-in with better soft brush line art and more tasteful flats with less rendering (ding and dong)

Too much ill-considered rendering with overly ambitious lighting contexts (rip and F)

Oh shit crunchy brushes (cronch and crunch)

Polyline tool flats (introducing, backgrounds if you squint) evolving slowly throughout (here, here and here for eg)

Heavy black linear + lasso tool flats / rendering? (bing and bong)

#ask #text text text

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