#I'm trying to assort characters for inspiration and it's just like...

[detectiveneve]

the emrys gender.............

[cloudshuffle]

Sleeping positions. Yan!DCKZ.

?! i'm back?! wow. has it really been two years?

this post includes the most random assorted collection of genshin characters i was inspired to write for. it's been a while okay </3

Childe

Clutches you to his chest like it's the end of the world. Forcefully tangles your legs together and snuggles warmly with you under a thick blanket. God forbid needing to go to the toilet - not that he's a heavy sleeper, he just thinks it's funny when you try to struggle away without waking him.

Kaeya

He's always been interesting to me because I feel like he stretches out an arm across the bed and just has you lie down on it. He doesn't seem to like holding you. Maybe he gets warm easily...?

Diluc

He's funny. His back is turned on you when you first go to bed. But sometime in the night he's rolled over, his body curled around yours without touching, his fingers laced lightly with yours, and he's absolutely mortified when morning comes around. Hopefully you hadn't woken up in the night and noticed...

Zhongli

Likely depends on what you're comfortable with. If you don't seem to mind much, he'll be lying on his side facing you, maybe having an arm over you like he's heard lovers are supposed to do. Sleeping with Zhongli is honestly the least stressful part about dealing with him, since he doesn't need to do it and therefore isn't picky about it.

...if you don't like him touching you, you get the treat of seeing him emulate a log. Flat on his back, arms by his side. Is he even breathing?

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 7/16/2024

how your backyard hurricane go, the houston area? pretty good it doesn't seem

to be clear other than losing everything in my fridge and developing some mold around the windowframes IM personally fine and so are the girls and so is the lair. we lost power sunday afternoon and got it back friday morning (upside down smiley emoji x16)

listening

THREE CANONICALLY BISEXUAL CLUB BANGERS!!! also, trying out a new thing with spotify and youtube videos for songs bc my readership is about 70/30 and i want to streamline the process of actually listening to new music for ppl. it must be really annoying this week but that's bc there's three songs. sorry. it will rarely be this long

anyway.

ANXIETY by Lilyisthatyou is new to me, off the spotify autogenerated dance playlist. a chiller groove in the spelling-things-out genre of dance music. VERY flashy-lights music vid fyi

Why do I feel so alone? Does it show That I'm dancing to fill the void with pretty girls and pretty boys?

i know about kesha's joyride bc i happen to be an alive queer woman. im SO happy kesha is also alive and making music more regularly. this one is canonically bisexual bc kesha is bisexual. also a really flashy-lights lyric video. the most classically recession-pop/early KESHA sound of all three tuesdaysongs this week. im always fascinated when an accordion shows up.

Rev my engine ’til you make it purr Keep it kinky, but I come first Beep-beep, bitch, I'm outside Get in, loser, for the joyride

thank u new releases spotify playlist. also canonically bisexual bc the singer is, also an early KESHA feel but she is a metal artist first and foremost. very fun to headbang to at a stop light. i don't totally Love how it's an emasculating song but given how dudes in the metal scene generally are? i think she should make it more emasculating actually

Take you down a peg (And peg and peg and peg) If you're a macho man then beg (And beg and beg and beg) Bend you over the bed (The bed the bed the bed) It's time to take you down a peg (And peg and peg and peg)

-

reading

fun fact i still haven't seen this movie. i got this from the library the day before the hurricane proper and it gave me a really lovely two hours of not thinking about the active hurricane the day after. enormous format photographs! full-length shots of every look! ithe little personal notes from each designer were so fun to read, and i think this genuinely healed my heart a little. everyone was so excited to go into detail about what choices they made and what inspired them, and even though i would have loved more specific construction details, specific fiber types, and full-length shots of the Back of every look, i recognize i am a freak.

-

watching

watched a truly bonkers assortment of films at my bestie's house this week. her husband is big into godzilla and i sat down not really paying attention or planning to pay attention to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024, dir. Wingard) but found myself actually paying attention. i unfortunately was a character i hate, Person Who Stops The Movie Halfway Through To Demand A Recap. loved these guys, whatever the fuck they were

the most fun thing about this movie is that it is not a silent film but it acts like one. there are long, long stretches of movie without dialogue bc all the political action is happening between a bunch of giant monkeys. this is going to sound like im damning it with faint praise but they really thought carefully about directorial and artistic choices here! there was a vision and they executed it! it's fun to look at and not just because there's a big monkey in most of the shots!

-

playing

got a look at characters for the new fire-themed land coming up this fall. ppl are understandably big mad that the land is based on Ring of Fire cultures and everyone is paper-white. i think it is correct to be mad and ask them to do better, and they have tweaked designs before release before, however, i don't think this will bring about a sea change in gacha games.

i am rolling along clearing out map markers and achievement hunting and my GOD are there a lot of time-gated achievements in inazuma (electricity-themed legally-not-japan). so so so many of them i originally got halfway through or did 1/5 and then wandered off bc i didn't realize there was a quest or achievement locked behind doing something for three or five days in a row. i now have a post-it on the corner of my monitor with nine different things i have to keep checking in on this week. please someone give me a REAL JOB!!!!!!

-

making

cross stitch progress. this was the only thing i did last week aside from shake like a chihuahua and sleep. very slow going! may have to ship the package off to my brother with an IOU bc it is already stressfully late.

made the bean influencer soup (creamy miso coconut butter beans). i made a batch before the hurricane last week so most of my notes are from then. the grocery did not have canned butter beans so i made the same thing (big lima beans) from dry. i have not made beans from dry since i was very small. these beans were so large, so pale, so aggressive.

changes: i was able to find a little carton of straight coconut cream at the grocery but they were out of miso paste. i did have miso soup mix and plopped that in. i also used frozen spinch bc it’s cheaper and i felt better about it than the somewhat questionable fresh spinch on offer. also used two onions instead of one and a hearty dollop of minced jarred garlic bc who do u think i even fucking am. i would have loved to use fresh dill, bc i did plant some and it was growing very well, but the caterpillars were very intense and ate almost everything on my balcony.

going in the rotation! im making it AGAIN as im typing up this post! pretty cheap, very tasty, i don't regularly keep butter beans or coconut cream in my pantry but that can change!

[kupkate04]

A Hapless Endearment || Creepypasta x F. Reader || Ch. 1 - To Grandmother's House We Go

—Quick author's note—

I'm sure you all know the drill by now, but for those of you who don't, here it is:

Y/n = Your name

L/n = Last name

N/n = Nickname

H/c = Hair color

E/c = Eye color

F/c = Favorite color

B/m = Birth month

S/t = Skin tone

B/s = Body shape

B/c = Blush color

L/c = Lip color

H/l = Hair length

Also, I try to leave Y/n up to interpretation as much as I can, although some things will still be assumed about her, whether that be the kind of food she likes or her style of clothing, etc. It's difficult for me to fully write for a character who's a "blank slate", just thought you should know! Enjoy reading~

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

She exudes an inaudible sigh, propping her jaw in her palm and gazing through the somewhat smudged surface of the glass. Trees and houses of varying sizes whiz by, blurring together and composing an evanescent of greens, browns, whites, and yellows. The sun sits high on its invisible throne above. Its warm, golden rays break through an army of fluffy clouds, capturing the atmosphere in a brilliant, cheery radiance.

Struggling to imagine the clouds morphing into fun, inspiring shapes due to her current lack of concentration, she frowns, letting her discouraged eyes fall. The engine hums, the AC whirs, and wheels scrape the asphalt below, bringing the passengers closer to their destination. They've halted a few times to allow everyone a chance to stretch their legs and collect themselves, which has been Y/n's saving grace. Still, after ten hours of riding, her muscles are stiff and she is more than eager to be free from the confinement of this chatter-brimmed bus. Nestled in her lap is a backpack, and below the seat, directly behind her legs, lies her duffel bag; both have been stuffed with an assortment of clothes and other items she deemed imperative to bring along. 

Headphones have been diligently positioned over her ears, the tunes that flood from which manage to block out most of the incessant noise surrounding her–including the ungodly snores of the man to her left. She fiddles with the wire, twirling it absentmindedly around her finger as she stares at the window frame, her mind wandering aimlessly amidst a blanket of fog. Languidly glimpsing to the side reveals her seating buddy has his head resting on the back of the bench, eyes closed and mouth hanging wide open. It's a wonder he hasn't caught a fly in there yet.

Ah, well. At least he doesn't stink.

She lets the dirty glass support her temple, her eyes threatening to seal shut. She's barely seized a wink of sleep throughout the course of this little road trip and her body is beginning to feel the full effects of it. Pondering momentarily how much longer it will be until they reach the station, a fleeting peek at her phone screen informs her of the time: 6:44 in the evening. The bus left at 6:30, so there shouldn't be much time remaining. Gosh, she can't wait to stand again. She's not even sure she remembers what her feet feel like.

She succumbs to the temptation to yawn quietly, giving her drooping eyes a reprieve. She thinks about what she's going to do when the bus parks and she saunters through the folding doors to reunite with her grandparents. It's been so many years since she saw them last. She was...nine? 

Memories of her childhood have grown faint, but she can recall how happy she always was around them; how much boundless joy they brought her simply by existing. They were never neglectful, impatient, or spiteful, no–only caring and affectionate and overflowing with love. She's missed having that kind of positive influence in her life. It's been hovering in the distance for so long, just out of reach. Taunting her. 

But now it doesn't matter, because she's coming back. She's finally going to see them again. 

It's unfortunate that it took seven years to convince her father to let her return. He's so swaddled in his needless resentment and self-pity that it's blinded him. She doesn't understand how he could care so little–be so detached from the two people who raised him with every ounce of adoration they possessed because of some silly disagreement a few years prior.

She isn't certain what transpired exactly; all she knows is the vague comments she was told by her mother. It was likely an argument based around the roads he was traversing to make an income, as it seems highly in-character for him to get offended by something so trivial. Knowing him, he blew their moral concerns out of proportion, pitched a hissy fit, and vowed never to speak to them again, dragging his daughter and wife into the crossfire. 

It was that reason and that reason alone why Y/n had to wait until she was sixteen to pay dear Nana and Pops a visit. He only relented because she wouldn't stop bothering him about it for two weeks straight after she found out both her parents would be out of the country during the summer for their jobs. She didn't want to be stuck at home for three months without any friends to spend time with, and she didn't want to go back to camp either, so traveling to Alabama for a summer vacation seemed like the only logical solution. They dropped her off with some money on their way to the airport, she bought a ticket, boarded the elongated vehicle, and that was that.

Her father had been less than enthused on the matter, and she recalls his torpid, irked expression reflecting in the rear-view mirror of the car as they pulled up to the bus stop. Her mother, on the other hand, was rather indifferent; far too invested in whatever messages lit up the screen of her phone to concern herself with domestic conflict. Y/n could only imagine which one of her flings she was texting this time, as situations involving her work certainly never gained her attention so fiercely.

A melancholic indignancy bubbles up within the girl's chest at the countless encounters she's had with her mom as of late that involved puny excuses, middle-of-the-night departures, and poorly-disguised secrets. She's never outright confirmed it, but her behavior is undeniably suspicious. She smiles more at her phone than she does when she's ever with her husband, and her 'husband' in question doesn't even seem to notice—or, if he does, simply doesn't care. Y/n hates it. Her family is falling apart at the seams and she's powerless to stop it. 

A bitter sensation grabs at her tongue and she desires to spit the foul taste out, though only swallows and chews the inside of her cheek, attempting to rid herself of the disconcerting concept. She searches the hollows of her mind for something, anything lighthearted; a memory that contains laughter, joy, fondness. However, she finds nothing. She’s unable to remember a delightful moment between herself and her parents that took place recently. A time when her father outwardly expressed happiness or her mother was shamelessly candid.

It's a distressing realization to approach, that her family hasn’t acted as a true family since she was twelve years old; only still a child when her clinquant life slowly came crashing down before her. She isn’t sure the exact minute that it happened, nor does she have a specific reason as to why it happened. All she knows is that her parents steadily grew more and more distant, drawing themselves out of her sight until the feeling of inevitable abandonment seeped in.

She tried to communicate with them, collapse their walls and get them to allow their only child back in, though each time without fail, they forced themselves farther back into the cold, bitter darkness and left her desperate, longing for their love and affection. It became apparent she was getting nowhere with them, so after many fruitless attempts, she threw her hands up in surrender.

The example they set was not a good one, yet she couldn't help but subconsciously follow their lead. She grew emotionally drained, jaded—bordering depressed, even. Suddenly, maintaining any relationships outside of her home became a chore; a nearly impossible task that needed more energy than what she was willing to sacrifice. The more her friends noticed her inner turmoil, the more they tried to help, and the more she pushed them away. After all, if her parents didn't care, why should she?

She would get over this miserable hump eventually, and she would do it alone. Cutting contact with her dearest companions was an easier feat than one would expect, as it was accidental and gradual and she always affirmed herself with the fact that it wasn't permanent. She could always get in touch later. But weeks passed, and then months, and she made no effort to do that. At some point, she convinced herself that they wouldn't take her back now anyway. It had been too long, and she had treated them coldly. She wouldn't want to be friends with her, either—there was too much drama and emotional baggage.

It feels as if the person she once was fades from reality a little more every passing day, becoming invisible among people and society as a whole, including herself. Somewhere in the back of her troubled mind lays her positive outlook on life, and it's been locked in a box with the key thrown away. 

Now sixteen years of age, she still struggles with these ill-fated circumstances and her dilapidated mental state but has learned to drive a vast majority of it into the chasms of her brain, leaving her an empty, aggrieved husk.

She blinks, reemerging from her thoughts of deep disdain as she registers the large vehicle she sits in turn off the main stretch of road and park in front of a building—the Fairfield bus station. She's here.

Despite the otherwise displeasing series of events that lead up to this, she feels a glint of excitement, pausing her music and gingerly removing her headphones, being careful not to tangle the wire as she unplugs it from the MP3 Player and wraps them around the f/c object. She then takes hold of her backpack, still open from where she retrieved the source of entertainment, and shoves them inside, zipping it closed after finishing.

Eagerly, she bends over to reach below the seat and lift up her dufflebag in preparation before glancing out the window, e/c irises gleaming in the rays of sun. The bus brakes, the door is slid open, and several of the passengers rise. She isn't far behind, throwing her bags over her shoulder and squeezing past the man's broad legs, being careful not to thwack him upside the head with her luggage as she does so. He's barely disturbed, stirring for a few seconds before drifting off back to the realm of dreams. Merging into the middle aisle, she tries to control her rapidly-beating heart as she treads to the exit, being mindful of the people surrounding her in every feasible direction. 

How will Nana and Pops react to seeing her again, after all this time? Will they still love her? She has changed in significant ways, and not necessarily for the better, either. Surely that won't deter them, right? Of course not. I'm one of their only grandchildren. They won't stop caring about me just cause I've grown up.

Though her pep-talk does little to soothe a new wave of anxieties that wash over her like an angry tsunami. 

Oh gosh. What if it's super awkward?

She maneuvers down the stairs and makes distance between herself and the mode of transportation, scanning the crowd to locate the elderly pair her thoughts center around. A whirl of nervousness penetrates her stomach, her brows knitting together subtly. 

What if they've changed? What if they're just like Dad?

But as she meets the warm brown eyes of Nana from afar and notices the giant, surprised smile stretching across her features, all doubt withers away, and she offers a meek wave. The lady bumps the arm of the hefty man sitting next to her to gather his attention before she springs to her feet and sprints to greet Y/n, her expression contorted into one of pure bliss. A small grin tugs at Y/n's face, and she stands idle, taking into account Nana's appearance as she hurries forward. 

She’s adorning a floral dress, patterned with tiny petaled flowers of all different shapes and a skirt that drapes down to her shins. Her shoes are simple beige sandals, and her grey, fine hair is tied back into a Chinese-inspired bun. Her eyes are kind and welcoming, though sunken with age and life experience, and the wrinkles that crease her forehead and cheeks only clue Y/n in on how old she must be getting, now.

"Y/n!" Nana calls out, voice brimmed with exhilaration as she dodges other pedestrians before reaching out and enveloping the h/c in a tight embrace, her frail arms wrapping around her frame and reeling her in as close as she can. Her actions almost knock both of them to the ground, but Y/n balances herself before she can stumble and reciprocates the gesture. 

"Hi, Nana," she says, tone more genial than it's been in a long time. A pleasant scent wafts up into her nose; a peaceful aroma, a mixture of strawberries and cinnamon. She hugs back with her free arm soon after, squeezing her grandmother’s scrawny torso with as little force as required so she doesn’t somehow injure her. 

Pops joins his wife with a notably calmer pace and snakes his arms around the two smaller individuals, his slightly yellowed teeth apparent through his beam. A stout man of classic tastes, he wears a 1950s fedora, a baby blue collared shirt, and suspenders. His hold is strong and secure and Y/n feels an almost overwhelming sense of comfort slam into her without warning. She chuckles—a soft, elated sound—and her chest is flooded with gleeful fuzziness. It's certainly an odd, foreign type of feeling, but she accepts it nonetheless. "Welcome home, kiddo."

"We've missed you so much," Nana chirps, pulling away after what has to be a solid two minutes and prompting Pops to do the same. Her wrinkled hands grasp her shoulders before sliding up to cup her face, gently tilting it upward to get a better look. A stunned expression crawls across her attributes before it’s replaced by a wider—if it’s even viable—smile. “Oh, you’ve grown so much!” She turns her head. “Phil, do you see her?”

“Aye. I sure do,” he says with a proud nod of his head. “She’s just as pretty as she was the last time she visited.” Blush dusts itself along the apples of her cheeks and she averts her line of sight, embarrassed. He chuckles. “Just as bashful, too.”

“Leave her alone.” She pivots again to face her, excitement dancing in her faded brown eyes. She brushes a strand of hair behind her ear before giving her another hug. “We’ve missed you, sweetie. It’s been too long.” Y/n nods timidly, not accustomed to being so doted on. Behind her, the wheels of the bus grind against the asphalt as it leaves shortly after the doors close, and she twists her head around just in time to see it drive away, leaving her there for the summer. There's no other place she'd rather be, and their presence is only confirming those feelings. "We have so much catching up to do! I haven’t seen you since you were a little girl.” She looks back at the old woman and feels her squeeze her arm. “How old are you now? Fifteen?”

“She looks more grown-up than that,” Phil comments, and Y/n shrugs, biting her lip.

“Uh, I...turned sixteen in B/m.”

“My word!” Nana exclaims, cupping a hand to her mouth to emphasize. “You’re practically an adult, already!”

“Only a few years older than that darned cat of yours, Farrah,” he says, and Y/n’s eyes light up at the mention of the familiar feline.

“Marshmallow?” she questions, astonished enthusiasm coursing through her, once again. “He’s still alive?”

“Why, yes, he is,” Farrah laughs as if amused by her inquiry. “Getting on up there, though. I’m a little shocked to know you remember him.”

“Of course I remember him,” she says, the volume of her voice increasing with glee. “He’s my little buddy. I wonder if he still remembers me...”

“I’m sure he does,” Phil says. “He was always followin’ you around. Probably cause you spoiled him all the time with leftovers.” The corners of her mouth pull upward and she rubs the back of her neck.

“Well...he needs to be spoiled. Too sweet not to be spoiled.”

“Very true.” Farrah smiles.

“And yet I can’t even have a dog in the house,” he grumbles playfully. “You cat lovers don’t make any sense.”

“We don’t have to ‘make sense’,” Farrah says. “Cats are gorgeous, wholesome creatures, and they deserve to be treated as such.”

“Sure, sure.” He waves her off. “You treat that cat better than you do me.”

“Well, you’re not covered in angelic fur and lay on my lap to cuddle, now do you?” She raises a thin eyebrow, and he scoffs.

“I can lay in your lap if that’s what you want.”

“No, thank you.”

“Well, c’mon woman, make up your mind!”

“My mind is made up! Now, come on, dear.” She tugs Y/n to her and begins walking toward the grey-blue Toyota Corolla that sits motionless in the parking lot, and the teenager follows, readjusting the bags hanging on her shoulder. 

“You want me to carry those for you?” Phil asks, and she glances over at him, her eyes widening, taken off-guard by the abrupt offer. But she collects her bearings rather quickly and shakes her head with a grateful smile.

“N-no thanks, Pops. I got it.”

“Whatcha got in those things? They look heavy.” 

“Um...clothes and stuff,” she replies quietly as they reach the 2007 vehicle, Nana shuffling into the passenger's seat and Pops opening the back door for her. She tosses her luggage to the opposite side and climbs in, smiling up at him to signal that she's done. He nods in acknowledgement and shuts the door, soon claiming the area behind the steering wheel and cranking the engine. The interior of the car smells like lavender, thanks to the cardboard air freshener swaying below the rear-view mirror, and the beige-toned leather lining the seats is torn in various places, no doubt because of how many years it has under its belt. 

"You got any'a that modern technology that kids use nowadays?"

The air conditioning blasts through the vents to cool the space as he puts the car in reverse to back out of the lot before shifting the gear, navigating between other automobiles, and driving onto the highway. Y/n clicks her buckle into place and twiddles her thumbs, jerking her shoulders up lightly, though she knows he won't be able to see it. "I—I mean, I have a cellphone, if that's what you're asking..."

"A cellphone, huh?" He eyes her in the mirror and she shrinks away meekly, unsure of how to react to the sincere attention. "We have one of those. Don't really know how to work it though."

"You sure do know your way around Solitaire for someone who doesn't know how a phone works." Nana's light jab makes him scoff playfully as he stares through the windshield observantly. 

"You know what, Little Miss Sassypants? Yeah, I do. That app is the only reason I ever even pick it up."

"And when you do, you're playing it for three hours straight."

"It's enjoyable!" Huffing, he shoots her a glare of faux annoyance. "Don't act like you ain't got things that you spend hours at a time doing."

"My hobbies are productive, as opposed to yours, so that excludes me from this discussion."

"That sounds like code for 'I know I'm losing so I'm gonna back out now before I'm called out on it'."

"False." She flattens out her skirt and narrows her eyes at him. "I don't speak in code, dear."

He laughs gruffly at that sentence, plainly not buying her words. "Keep thinkin' that, sweetheart." 

The frisky banter has Y/n failing to suppress a grin, having forgotten how well her grandparents get along, and why they've stayed married for almost sixty years. If only Mom and Dad had that kind of chemistry. Maybe then their home wouldn't be so void of love and life every waking moment. 

"So how was the trip, Y/n?" Nana twists around to the best of her ability to catch a glimpse of her granddaughter, seeming to completely brush the mini argument aside and spare Y/n her undivided recognition, eyes touching base with her own. 

"It was okay," she mumbles, voice just loud enough for them to understand her. "I'm ready to stop riding for a while, though."

"I'm sure. You traveled a long way. I'm glad you stayed safe."

Pops decides to contribute to the conversation. "How's your dad doin'?"

Her face scrunches up faintly as she racks her brain for a suitable answer that won't draw any concerned feedback. "Uh... He's busy. Him and Mom both."

"Figured that much. Probably why they're leaving the country in the first place, huh?"

Her gaze drops to her knees. "Yeah..." 

"Do they do that often?" Nana asks, her tone curious. "Take trips for their job?"

"That's like, forty percent of what they do..." She registers the car turning left sharply, onto a dirt road that leads into a capacious patch of forestry. They pass a faded blue and white sign, and the letters in bold printed across its surface reveals: Oneiric Lane, half a mile.

Wow, almost there already.

"But, um...it's usually not so far away," she continues her previous statement as they drive over gravel and rocks in their path, making the ride a little bumpy. "Not usually for such a long time, either."

"They still workin' for the same company?" Pops says. If Y/n were to listen extra closely, she'd be able to detect the tiniest hint of enmity masked within his voice. She blows a bubble into her cheek.

"Yeah, but it got sold to another corporate body a couple years ago and they changed a lot of things. So both of them have been on duty a lot more since then."

"I bet that's been stressful." 

"It's..." She could speak the truth, but the truth would dampen the mood, so she goes for a lighter alternative. "It's fine. They don't mind some extra work. Just means more money in the bank."

Pops mutters something under his breath, but Y/n can't decipher it. She can only assume it isn't anything particularly nice, based on the conversation that elicited it. 

Before she can dwell on it for too extensive of a period, a familiar, Victorian-style cottage becomes visible, and a ghost of a smile sweeps across her features as she perks up. Around the house lies a white picket fence, fringed with beautiful flowers of all different colors, their stems having grown tall and coiled themselves around each individual post, giving it an engagingly untamed appearance.

At the gate, about ten feet from the front door perches an intricate white arch made of wicker and intertwined with more vibrant plants, and the house itself is a muted shade of cyan, with an ornate wooden roof that sparkles like tiny crystals in the glittery stream of sun. The window frames are white, their shutters open to allow optical access inside of the home, and stained glass roses rim the transparent pane.

The whole architecture makes it look as if the words from a book of fairy tales crept out of its pages and sprung into existence, staying hidden between the trees until someone comes across it. It takes her breath away, and she stares in awe, waiting anxiously for Pops to guide the Toyota off the road so she can jump out and get re-acquainted with it all.

I forgot how incredible this place was... She unbuckles, practically leaning against the glass in building anticipation as the car comes to a stop in their driveway, a few feet from the gate and underneath a willow tree. She extends her hand hastily to grasp the door handle and swings it open, the early summer breeze caressing her skin as she hops out, the bottom of her shoes making contact with vivid green grass. She steals a big whiff of the unpolluted air, natural scents swirling through her nostrils as she drags her belongings out of the car and slings them over her shoulder once again.

Nana copies her movements and Pops isn't too far behind her. She gives her an encouraging pat on the back, then motions for her to trail after her as she moves toward the arched gateway, unlatching it to grant her entrance. "Wait till you see the dinner I'm whipping up, Y/n," Nana says as they walk along a neat path of polished stones and white marble. "You still like pineapple casserole, right?"

"Yes," Y/n says with no hesitation, the very image of the dish making her mouth water. Although she hadn't had the privilege of eating it in years, one thing she can remember clearly is how delicious it was—then again, everything Nana cooks is delicious, so maybe that point is moot. On either side of the orderly pathway are two rows of tulips, comprising pink, white, red, and violent, perfectly maintained. It astounds her how her grandparents can keep the garden so alluring while also making sure the house is in tip-top shape. They surely tidied up before she arrived, but they're also the kind of people who like a neat living space, so she doubts they had to do much. 

"I'm so happy to hear that!" She claps cheerfully as they reach the painted oak door, and both females make room for Pops as he conquers the porch stairs and wrenches the screen toward him, the creaking of its old and unoiled hinges evoking a sound similar to a screech. He rifles around in his pocket, pulls out the keys, and unlocks the entrance, holding it open as his wife and granddaughter stride through. 

Y/n examines the property in wonder. Along the floor lies a hand-knitted rug, shaped like a rectangle with additional ruffles at its edges. On her left is a vacant doorway to the living room, with a vintage floral-patterned sofa resting against the wall, and next to it, facing the front door are two chairs; one matching the couch and the other a darker, less feminine material. A frosted glass coffee table sits in front of them, and beneath it is a hickory plank floor.

Past the living area is a small dining room, with a wooden table and four chairs slid neatly on every side, and behind that is an antique China cabinet with double doors and several drawers, all of which are transparent and hold various cups, platters, and knick-knacks that have been collected over the years. Straight ahead is a linear staircase;  she remembers it leading up to the bedrooms and the second bathroom. To her right is a kitchen, with a white, ceramic-tiled floor, a long countertop that curls around the edges of the room; the refrigerator and the oven both fit snugly.

Hanging overhead is an oven light and cabinets with crystal knobs, and in the center is an island, with a vase of lemon yellow roses, a casserole dish, and a couple of pots.

The fragrance of honeysuckle crawls into her nose, as well as the smell of a currently-cooking turkey, mixing and creating a rainstorm of nostalgia. She almost cries from raw mirth. I really missed it here...

“Make yourself comfortable, dear,” Farrah chirps from behind her, giving her a few moments to get used to her new—but amicable—surroundings. “If you need me, I'll be finishing up dinner.” Y/n gives a soft hum in response, stepping farther inside and allowing herself to succumb to the wave of memories that bombard her.

Her eyes sweep over everything in reverence as she comes to a halt in front of the staircase, glimpsing back at her grandmother with a sheepish demeanor and parting her lips. “Um...am I staying in Aunt Darcy's old room? Or somewhere else?” A flash of realization shimmers in Farrah’s eyes before she steps forward and nods her head.

Farrah nods as Pops shuts the door, blocking the bright sunlight and capturing the area in a bit more darkness. “Yes, that's where you can sleep, store your things, anything. Of course, your dad's room is available too, but I didn't figure you'd want to stay somewhere with all those ugly band posters."

She breathes a quiet laugh. “Y-yeah, Aunt Darcy’s room will be fine." She spins on her heel and begins her small trek up the dozen or so stairs. The concept of being in her father’s childhood bedroom doesn’t sit right in her stomach. “Thank you, Nana.”

“Are you sure you don’t need any help with your bags?” she questions from below, her soft voice echoing upward and easily extending to Y/n’s ears. “They look awfully heavy.”

“No, it’s okay, I got ‘em,” she reassures, attaining the top step and taking a moment to pilot the somewhat narrow space before her. On the floor is a thin white rug that stretches the length of the hallway; to her immediate right is a small, polished table that supports a dainty-looking bouquet of petunias in a glass vase. On her left is a door that's been left ajar, divulging a bit of the interior and reminding her that this is indeed where she’s going.

She uses her free hand to push it open, lighting up when she wanders inside. The walls are a pristine, rosy pink, with a floor crafted out of ash wood planks that complements the design and hues nicely. On the opposite side of the room is a bed, made as a sort of cubbyhole into the wall and at a direct angle next to a window. Built into the wall are two bookshelves, both on either side of the bed and filled with colorful books of assorted sizes.

Beneath the mattress is a long drawer which she recalls to be a trundle bed. Attached to the ceiling above is a set of turquoise sheers, slid to either side of the sleeping niche, and loosely tied to the wall with some twine. In one corner, next to the other window, hangs a basket swing, with two pink pillows placed inside to cushion it. To her right is a closet, the door shut and a shoe organizer clinging to its top edge. Inside the pouches are several pairs of footwear, each separated and easily discernible.

A white, fluffy rug lays spread across the floor, underneath a clothes hamper, a small, cushioned bench, and a cotton bean bag chair. A chipped desk sits pressed against the wall, with several drawers inside and a stool of the same color pushed neatly beneath it. A reading lamp stands atop the surface, along with a couple of minuscule baskets to hold diverse writing tools; a notebook and binder stacked onto each other, a glass paperweight, and a mirror.

She releases an inaudible sigh, the corners of her lips quirking up into a content smile as she walks further inside, depositing her bags on the bed and doing a double-take of her temporary bedroom. A giddy sensation arises within her chest; one she hasn’t experienced in far too long. She turns her head and gazes through the open window, viewing the yard of green grass and colorful flowers below and admiring how the sun’s stunning yellow beams peer down through the towering trees.

She unzips her duffle bag and removes a pile of clothes from the main compartment, busying herself over the course of the next thirty minutes. The walk-in closet isn't huge but still larger than she remembered, meaning there's plenty of space to store all of her clothing pieces. She takes note of the fact that a vast majority of her aunt's stuff is no longer here, and she presumes Nana removed them to create space or Darcy herself came by and collected everything. Y/n hangs a good half of her items and keeps the rest folded, stuffing them into the shelf of drawers across from the door. She refrains from unpacking her art supplies and other accessories just yet, as it would feel weird and wrong to get so comfortable here after so little time. 

After throwing her—now empty—bag into the corner, her stomach rumbles and she concludes that the last thing she ate was a honey bun, and that was hours ago. Yearning to ease her mild sense of famine, she pivots, leaves the room, and descends the stairs, once again being swathed by the pleasant smell of food, only this time, it's much more intense.

Farrah sends Y/n an affectionate smile as she turns off the oven and waves her in. “Hi, sweetie. Are you settling in okay?” The teenager nods, letting the smell lure her, and steps inside.

“Yes, ma'am. I had forgotten how nice this house was.” The woman chuckles in response, grabbing one of the three plates on the counter and passing it to her. She takes it in her hands and shoots her a look of gratitude.

"It isn't as clean as I would like it to be, but oh well. I'm too old to dust away every little cobweb." She sighs in disbelief, eyes twinkling. "Maybe I should hire a maid."

"That might be a good idea. You don't wanna overdo yourself." Nana occupies herself with making a plate of food for her husband, listening to Y/n talk and humming along. "But, uh...while I'm here, I'd be happy to help you with anything you have to get done."

"How sweet of you to offer, N/n." She grins as she scoops a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto the dish. "I'll keep that in mind. Now, please—eat something. It's all ready."

"Thanks for this, Nana." She finds her way around the woman and gets a serving of everything—potatoes, turkey, rolls, pineapple casserole. The thought of indulging herself makes her want to melt. "It smells delicious." 

"Oh, you're so welcome, dear." She pours a glass of milk for Pops and offers a toothy smile. "I hardly ever get to cook for anyone besides your grandfather and myself. This is an honor."

Y/n feels compelled to hug her again, but ultimately resists the urge, not wishing to take a chance on spilling the food being held in both sets of hands. Tears threaten to rim her eyes, her grip tightening on the plate. Such displays of selflessness is a stranger to her, but she cherishes every second of it. "I love you, Nana."

She fails to see the way Farrah's heart swells at her words, her face contorting into one of deep adoration. "Oh, I love you too, Y/n—me and Phil both. So much. And we're so happy you wanted to come visit us."

After a short exchange of smiles, Nana departs and Y/n finishes gathering her meal, fetching a bottle of water from the fridge and heading into the dining room, noticing Pops already sitting at the table, silently awaiting his own share of food. She lowers herself into the chair opposite him, the steam from the hot meal floating up into her face and making her eager to taste it. 

“Hello, young lady,” he greets, and she meets his copper-brown eyes. “This house treatin' you okay?”

“Yes, sir,” she replies with a slight dip of her head.

“Is it cozy enough for ya? I know you’re used to all those fancy items and rich city life, so I’m sorry if it doesn’t meet your expectations.” Her eyes widen almost a comical amount and she stares at him as if he’d attempted to behead her. Taking a scoop of mashed potatoes with her spoon, she swiftly shakes her head before taking a bite.

“No, Pops, it does. The country’s amazing.” She brushes a strand of h/c hair behind her ear and swallows the flavorful vegetable. “City life isn’t that good. Honestly, I’d rather be here than in some hundred-thousand-dollar penthouse.” A large, satisfied smile takes residence on his wrinkled features and his eyes crinkle up before he laughs blissfully.

“You hear this, Farrah?” He regards the said woman as she enters the dining room, taking her rightful seat to the side of her spouse and passing his plate to him. “This girl hasn’t been tainted yet. We should keep her here, make sure she stays that way.”

A kind grin etches across her lips, though she dismisses him. “I don’t think her parents would approve of that, Phil.”

“No, they wouldn’t care,” Y/n murmurs in response, noticing the pitying looks being thrown her way, and she eats a forkful of casserole to fill the somewhat tense silence that’s fallen over the table. She keeps her eyes trained on the platter in front of her, suddenly finding it much more interesting.

“I’m sure that’s not true, sweetie.” Farrah’s voice is tender and reaffirming. Y/n only shrugs.

“They'd probably forget I was here at all, after a while. Too caught up in their own lives to really remember something like that.” Her tone drops within each word, embarrassment creeping up into her mind and flushing her cheeks a pale tone of b/c. Phil shakes his head disapprovingly while Farrah just watches her with sympathy.

“That’s shameful,” he starts, his voice flooded with disdain. “You're their daughter. How could they just forget about you?"

“I...I don't know. They just can, and have gotten pretty great at it, too.”

“When did all this start, sweetheart?” the old woman questions, sipping her drink.

“A few years ago, I guess...” It’s silent for several moments and Y/n wishes she wouldn’t have even interjected at all. Perhaps she just feels that she can tell them anything. Way to ruin the mood, genius.

“Hun, they’re not...abusing you, or anything, right?” The teenager can sense the reluctance in her words as if she’s afraid to hear the answer, and Y/n is quick to shoot her inquiry down.

“N-no, Nana, don’t worry. Nothing like that.” She releases an audible huff of air, relieved.

“Don't they spend time with you or anything?” Phil asks, leaning forward and facing her with agitation. She scours her brain for a coherent reply.

“Uh...no, not—not really.” She glances up briefly to meet his eyes, trying to shroud the hurt found in her own. “They hardly even talk to me. They don’t even talk to each other anymore. Dad’s always too busy and Mom is...” She swallows, probably a little too hard, and subconsciously taps her foot against the floor; a nervous habit she's taken to whenever her anxiety levels rise.

Her mind flashes with images of her mother sneaking out in the dead of the night. When asked about it, she'd snap at her, insist it was for 'business', and leave it at that. She remembers that one time she borrowed her phone to email her teacher, since hers had stopped working the previous day, and instead got notified of a message, received from a man with an unknown name. Initially, she believed it was a coworker or friend, but the contents of said 'message' involved raunchy flirting and, upon opening his contact, these advances were heavily reciprocated, and he wasn't the only one. It made her sick to her stomach. Sure, she was aware that Mom and Dad weren't exactly at a healthy place in their marriage, but she never thought one of them would actively cheat on the other. Those actions were guaranteed to ruin a family, yet her mother didn't seem to care in the least. 

Her foot makes a soft thump noise each time it collides with the floor, though her mind blocks it out as she tries to draw herself back into reality. “Uhh... Keeping secrets.” Phil and Farah share a glance.

“What kind of secrets, darlin’?” her grandfather asks, and her grip tightens on the fork in her hand. Does she really want to say this?

“I—I think, well, uhm... She’s cheating on Dad.” She doesn’t look up to see the startled expressions on their faces, afraid that they’ll judge her and her parents. “I mean, the way she's been acting, texting people all the time, sneaking out of the house, e-especially at night, and I’ve caught her before but she just got mad and said it was ‘business-related’.” She brushes a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Plus, Mom and Dad haven’t gone on a date in forever. And I don’t know, it’s just...worrying.”

“Sweetie,” Farah starts, and Y/n internally winces at the strict tone that her voice adopted, “that kind of behavior is unacceptable.” She shakes her head in agreement, taking another bite of her food though finding that her appetite is steadily decreasing. “We need to talk to them about this.”

“No,” she interjects, finally meeting Farrah’s eyes with frightened e/c ones. “They can’t know I told you all of this. They—they’ll hate me.”

“If this is true, something needs to be done,” Phil says, his bushy eyebrows furrowed in distaste. “You don’t need to be in a house with two people that are so unstable. We could call them and you could stay with us.” Although the thought of living in a house with her loving grandparents sounds fantastic, she refuses by shaking her head again and speaking in a tremulous voice.

“N-no, it’s alright. I can deal with it.” Although her parents don’t seem to care about her anymore, she would most definitely shatter whatever remnants of a relationship they still have between the three of them if they were to find out what she told Farrah and Phil, and she doesn’t want that. She doesn’t want her parents to despise her; that would be a horrid feeling. And she wants to avoid experiencing it.

The rest of the dinner goes by at a leisurely pace for the girl, with her grandparents attempting to talk about more lighthearted subjects to cheer her up, and it moderately works. They ask her about school, her friends, whether she’s in a relationship yet, to which she responds with valid answers: “It’s good”, “I don’t have friends”, and “No”. It makes itself more apparent to them with every reply she isn’t living a normal, decent life. But they figure it’d be best not to pry too much. After all, she’s here for a break, not to be harassed with questions and pity.

She stands with her plate and bottle of water in her hand after swallowing the final bite, pushes the chair back under the table with her foot, and walks past Farrah and toward the kitchen, feeling full and tired. Her gaze shifts to the window, perceiving the orange and pink mixture in the sky through the leaves of the trees, signifying that the sun is setting below the horizon and darkness will soon replace its blaze of light.

“Marshmallow is probably waiting outside if you wanna let him in for the night,” the woman hollers from the dining room as Y/n discards her dishes in the sink and rinses them off under warm water. Thinking about seeing the furry feline after such a long time causes her heart to skip in excitement, and she nods, knowing Farrah won’t bear witness to it.

“Okay, Nana.” She finishes washing the porcelain and silverware and props them in the plastic drainer resting on the counter-top before walking a little quicker than normal, unlocking the front door and nudging it open, being welcomed by a cooler evening gust of wind.

She glances around the small porch and can’t help but smile when she lays her eyes on the white and grey cat sitting on an old chair, swiping his paw over his face to clean himself. He peers up at her curiously, and she approaches at a gradual pace to avoid scaring him.

“Marshmallow? You remember me?” She sticks her hand out and lets him sniff her fingers before fondly rubbing his head. “It’s Y/n. I haven’t been back for a while.”

He stands and lets out a small meow, rubbing against her palm and enjoying the affection he’s receiving. She moves forward and wraps her arms around him, deeming it safe enough, and lifts him to bring him inside. He bumps his head against her neck and she can hear distinctive purring; a sound she hasn’t heard in years.

“Aww,” she coos, unable to stop herself from coddling the furry creature. “I missed you, too, little buddy.” She turns, walks back into the house, and shuts the door behind her, nearly colliding with Farrah as she goes into the kitchen, holding two plates and a glass with a few droplets of liquid remaining.

She takes notice of Y/n and grins at the sight. “Ah, see? We told you he’d remember you.” The girl scratches Marshmallow under his chin, eliciting another meow of content from his mouth. His tail swishes and bumps her on the arm, making her chuckle.

“Yeah. He’s just as soft as I remember, too. And cuddly.” As she says this, she hugs him closer to her chest, and Farrah smiles warmly as she places the plates in the sink. “Do you need help cleaning up?”

“No, thank you, hun.” She parts her lips to object, but Farrah shakes her head. “You just spend some time with the fur baby. Finish settling in.” Y/n feels Marshmallow struggle against her hold, so she crouches and loosens her grip, allowing him to jump down and sprint to some area on the first floor, presumably his food bowl.

“Are you sure? You know I don't mind.”

“I can’t believe you’re the spawn of my son,” she says, chuckling and wiping down the surface of a saucer. “It’ll be fine, sweetie. I’ve got it covered for now. You go and relax.” Y/n figures that as stubborn as she is, her grandmother is much more so and it won’t do her any good to argue about it. Emitting a sigh, she grabs her water bottle from where she laid it on the island in the center of the kitchen and hesitantly ambles toward the staircase.

“Okay...but, tell me if you need help?”

“Stop worrying. You’re the guest here.” Without another word, she heads up to her temporary bedroom, unaware that she’s being followed by a certain feline, and sets her bottle on the desk before grabbing her backpack to move it off her bed. As she twists around to walk to the desk, she stumbles over Marshmallow, who's rubbing against her leg, and just barely catches her balance before falling on the poor cat.

It takes a short moment to calm herself and get over the unexpected adrenaline rush that swamps her system, but once she does, she scoffs. “Trying to trip me already?” She reaches down and scratches his head, and he momentarily stands on his hind feet as a response. “Silly cat.”

Marshmallow finds a bed on the cozy-looking beanbag as she finds a place for her bag and goes to sleep rather swiftly, his body curled in around itself as his shoulders gently rise and fall with each breath he takes. She strokes his cheek tenderly with her index finger, admiring the ivory and light grey fur that graces his small frame. She can barely remember the last time she pet an animal of any kind because it was so long ago, and many grim things have happened since then.

Sitting on the bed, her eyes drift out the window, where the sun has almost completely vanished and a full, bright moon now replaces it, dozens of stars beginning to litter the sky, all surrounding the miraculous white orb. I never get a view like this from the city.

She can’t help her entrancement of the scenery and feels a trace of disappointment that she hasn’t seen more of it. All because of her selfish parents. She leans her head against the windowpane and surveys it, blended emotions making her feel conflicted. But she assures herself that it will be fine. She will be fine. Everything will work out in the end.

Yeah. There's nothing to worry about.

[oleever-does-stuff]

TADC Yapfest Timeee

As a certified yapper, the need to shove my random assortment of ideas down your throat has been tearing me apart. Therefore, I deem it yapfest time. Also, media literacy is apparently at an all-time low and I am nothing but a product of the environment I am molded in and I require you to understand that.

~♡~

Do you guys know that face Caine made when talking about mixing up NPCs and humans? What do you guys think that implied? Was it a red herring or hinting at something else? Because I so happen to have two things going on in my head.

Firstly and most obviously, I believe that some of the cast are NPCs in disguise. This first came to me with the realization that Jax, Pomni, and Ragatha all sound like real names (Jack or just...Jax, Penny, and Agatha) while Gangle and Zooble didn't (unless there are names similar in other countries I'm unaware of). Then I remembered that Kinger exists, and if Kinger is an NPC I won't recover. The idea that Zooble might be an NPC does seem likely to me for a multitude of reasons.

The first reason: Zooble's refusal to go on Caine's adventures. I doubt an NPC would like to go anywhere in a fake world after discovering what you were. Secondly, Zooble (to me) looks vastly different from the rest of the cast. She looks like she doesn't belong with the other circus members. I can't really find the description of what the rest of the cast looks like other than neat, while Zooble is just a jumble of objects and assortments. It looks like she belonged to a different world and ended up there. That might just be cool character design though and I'm an idiot. Overall Zooble just seems out of place but that might just be because it's episode ONE.

My second idea, one thats been lingering in my mind that Caine himself is human and just forgot after being there for so long. While maybe not as coherent or has as much supportive evidence as the previous it's still there. Perhaps Caine worked for the company that created the Circus, was put in there to run the first run-through, but never made it out. If he was the first trapee, maybe he would have been given host commands, and that would explain why he was the control of the circus (like a party leader).

~♡~

Within my no-sleep-filled fever dream of a mind, this led me to another conclusion. If people had been around this long, why was the game so unfinished? Why were people from the outside not helping. Now this is where my incompetency comes in because due to the Caine actually being human thing I had the idea, maybe the Circus project was abandoned, and that's why the game itself is so unfinished with people abstracting, no exit, things glitching in and out of the world so easily. After Caine they were just like "Oh shit, yeah let's not work on this no more", but people still end up finding their way in. (I also had the idea, as my boyfriend keeps trying to put random numbers in this paragraph, perhaps they queued too many testees. Every time someone abstracts, the next person in line joins but has no memory of that wait.) There's that one thing about Pomni working for the company that created TADC, +8and like I'm not well-versed in TADC theory and canon things I watched like maybe 2 episodes, saw a couple funny posts but...

The place looks run down, abandoned. What self-respecting office space would allow papers to litter the floor. Or a dusty, moldy-looking computer.

It looks like the company abandoned the workplace, this project, everything. Maybe Pomni got put in a queue of sorts, waited until there was an open space available to play. (Kaufmo. R.I.P)

~♡~

A different tangent. I saw something that mentioned TADC was inspired by "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream". Although I'm unaware how true that is, it does lead me to wonder what the end for Pomni will be like. Will she end up saving the others from the digital hell, but be stuck there forever in return? Would she end up as Caine or be stuck with him to live out eternity?

also this is 100% going to be a problem, look at all of them just chilling.

I wrote this tangent at almost midnight, please forgive me I will edit in the morning (Afternoon).

Edited: more well written

[leoruby-draws]

hello hello hello

i just want to say i love your little drawings so much they're adorable and so full of life and everything feels exciting in them and i love how you draw and make really fun stuff for many of the minor characters, you're doing such a good job with them and it gives me so much joyy

Hi Hi Hi

Thanks for liking my stuff! Happy to bring you joy, drawing these brings me joy!

Also its fun to get into and draw minor characters because their reading lists are super short lol! But I like to give a little love to characters that most people might not know about, in fact here's some random drawings that I had in the back-burner for the past year! Never could find a chance to just post them:

Here's a cute drawing of Cyclone, Maxine Hunkle! Wanted to give her a cute costume makeover. Kinda has a magical girl look to it huh? Took a bit of inspiration from Ojamajo Doremi, but also she's meant to resemble Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz! Both the princess and the witch. I have a bit of idea of what I'm going do with her, but that's for later.

Got a drawing of Gan, Jason's friend from the Knight White books. Not sure if she exist in my Training Wheels au, but I like her a lot. Her rapport with Jason was fun to read.

Here it looks like the Outlaws are trying to recruit new members, from the Relative Heroes group, Damara Sinclaire (Allure) and Tyson Gilford (Blindside). They're not likely to join, preferring to stick with their own group. Just as well since Damara's powers might make things a rather chaotic, she doesn't need that drama in her life lol. Tho I like the thought of Tyson helping out now and then, his invisibility would be pretty useful.

Here's some random assortment of heroes, Ray Terrill the...Ray. Amethyst, tho top pic is uncolored (im lazy) but theres a Sailor Amethyst to make up for that.

There's the first Green Lantern (Alan Scott) with his kids,Jade (Jennifer Lynn Hayden) and Obsidian (Todd James Rice). Wonder why their babies here, de-aging mishap?

Jason and Toni gossip about their fellow teammates, and down below Jason decides to annoy a young Kyle Rayner. A universal constant!

Todd can't help but join in!

Also some cute father-son bonding! I sent this to someone else earlier, so imma just stick here too.

For a really minor character, here's Jay, Eddie and Rose meeting up with a very strange new friend!

And lastly here are the Metal Men, or should I say the mini-Metal Men. Read some comics about them, including a bit of silver age as well (they get destroyed pretty often, kinda funny ngl). I thought about what kinda sidekicks they could have, but I didn't want to look up metals or learn about metallurgy or chemistry or whatever. So I just made them smaller, its just temporary though, aren't they cute? Look at poor Copper, she just wants to join in!

Anyways, hope that wasn't too much, tagging all of this is gonna suck.

Sorry I haven't been posting, due to Tumblr being a pile of shit and trying give our stuff to ai websites. So I thought I would download nightshade and glaze, but that didn't work out at all (I got a new laptop but it still wont render for me at all). So I'm just gonna hope my opt-out in the settings will be enough for now. Sigh!

Hope you like all this anon, might be a while til I post again. Later!

[gingerteaonthetardis]

wanna prompt me? go for it! my ask box is currently open.

what i will write for:

DW: timepetals in all* forms (nuwho and classic); doctorjackrose; rose x any companions who give off even an ounce of gay energy (bill, ace, charley, martha, clara, donna, idgaf i will write it); charleightrose (iykyk)

DWxTTOI: malcolm tucker x rose tyler (let's face it, none of you know what i'm on about with this one. but i live in hope.)

BTVS: spuffy

TXF: msr

TWILIGHT: bella x jacob; bella x paul; bella x really any of the wolves because tbh the cullens don't exist to me; bella x jessica

ORIGINAL STUFF: ???? (i will literally just spitball about the high context shit that lives rent free in my head. werewolf polycules, bisexuals in the underworld, regency dramas, girls who accidentally made god fall in love with them... like, it will truly just be Whatever I'm Thinking About Today. no idea why you'd want that, but it's an option.)

*with one exception—i do not currently take tentoorose prompts, as i've done a lot of them in the past and am honestly just burnt out. sorry, guys.

do i accept nsfw prompts? yes! if you want your fill to be nsfw, please be sure to include that in the ask! (if you specifically ask for something that is a squick or trigger for me, i might have to pass and i'll let you know, no hard feelings.)

do i write quickly? no! please be patient, i do this in my free time.

how long will the prompt fill be? depends on a variety of factors! how i'm doing mentally/physically, how much time i have, what i want the fic structure to be, how inspiring the prompt is... safe answer is more than 1k words, but less than 5k. (unless i go buck wild for some reason. it's happened before.)

do i only write shippy stuff? no! i accept prompts for platonic dynamics, though usually not for characters i write as a couple. (for example: platonic doctorrose would be... challenging for me and i'd prefer to write something else, but platonic rose and mickey? other friendships, canon or fanon? i can do!)

"i have a really specific prompt in mind, not something from the prompt lists you've shared. will you accept it?" if it's about the characters we both know and love, probably, yeah! send it and see!

"i have absolutely nothing in mind, but still want to prompt you...?" that's totally fine! here are some prompts for your perusal:

three words + a character/pairing

august prompts

october one word writing challenge

doctor x rose christmas prompts

a hundred assorted prompts

physical affection prompts

two characters + a prompt

blossoming romance prompts

"accidentally turned on" otp prompts

"i want to ask for a pairing/character you didn't include, though." for now, please don't (unless you are a treasured mutual and we've discussed this beforehand). there are plenty of wonderful writers in the world who might be better able to give you what you want!

finally, to read past prompts or other fics, check out my AO3! (there's no spuffy there, alas. but i'm trying to fix that...)

[overdevelopedglasses]

The Simple Things

1507 words

Rating: General Audiences

Relationships: Kiryu Kazuma/Majima Goro

Characters: Kiryu Kazuma, Majima Goro, Sawamura Haruka

Majima is visiting Kiryu and the Morning Glory kiddos. Everything's going well. That is, until Majima comes face to face with a spider.

Chaos ensues.

Inspired by this post!

—-------------------------------

On a peaceful afternoon at the Morning Glory Orphanage in Okinawa, Kiryu sits on the floor of his room, fiddling with some of his old Pocket Circuit cars. The children have shown interest in having a friendly race, and who is Kiryu to not let them indulge? The familiar car designs bring with them a heavy load of nostalgia. While his most prized car, the Cool Striker he customized for his hardest race, was kept safe on a shelf well out of anyone else's reach, his numerous other cars from both the 80s and the 2000s have been disassembled. An assortment of tires, bumpers, gears and motors were strewn all over the floor, as Kiryu rebuilt the cars to be as balanced as possible. The process, while different from building for optimization, brought Kiryu back to simpler days. Times where he didn't have all of this weight on his back.

He's grateful for this time alone, which he was only getting because Majima had come down to Okinawa for a visit. While the kids were initially all intimidated by the man, Haruka especially, they quickly warmed up to him once he showed that he didn't bite. It's a serene kind of alone, one that lets Kiryu lose himself in monotony and peace, and not have to worry about a kid drowning in the ocean. He sets down the newly customized Golem Tiger next to the other finished car, and picks up the frame for the third car, quietly humming a small tune to himself.

A scream pierces the air, and Kiryu's blood runs cold. All of the kids were outside on the beach today, so unless Majima just screamed like a little girl…

Dropping the parts onto the floor, he rushes out into the main room, and sees… well…

Majima is standing on the main dining room table, staring at the closed door of the kitchen.

"Nii-san?"

Majima's head whips over, and Kiryu internally braces himself for an attack.

"KIRYU-CHAN!!!!!"

Majima's shout carries fear, which is very unusual for the Mad Dog. Kiryu is unfazed, but definitely concerned.

"What do you need, Majima-san?"

"I was comin' in to get the kids some of those tiny ass water bottles," Majima explained, no longer yelling but still a bit shaken, "and when I went in the kitchen… Oh god, Kiryu-chan, I almost lost years off ma life! Please, I will owe you for this, but can ya-"

“Is it another bug?"

A silence falls between them.

“.....maybe."

Kiryu sighs.

“What kind?"

Another moment of silence.

“A spider."

Kiryu turns and walks towards the landing of the building.

“DON'T LEAVE ME HERE, KIRYU-CHAN!" Majima cries out, fear reentering his voice.

“I'M GETTING SOMETHING. JUST KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BUG." Kiryu shouts back as an attempt to calm him down.

“I DON'T WANNA LOOK AT THAT SHIT! ARE YA CRAZY!?"

“NII-SAN!"

“FINE!"

Kiryu opens a cabinet in the landing of Morning Glory, pulling out his trusty can of Multi-Bug Kill Spray, and walks back into the dining room to find the kitchen door open, and Majima pointing at the floor.

“Ya little fucker… yer done! Ya hear me!? Goro Majima wins this one!"

“I wouldn't call this a win, nii-san." Kiryu replies, setting the cap of the spray on the table next to Majima's foot.

“Don't bust my balls in front of the spider!" Majima retorted.

“The spider doesn't care." Kiryu said flatly.

“I care!" Majima's outburst causes Kiryu to chuckle a bit.

“Alright, where's this…. Uh..?" Kiryu trailed off, noticing the spider was no longer where Majima was pointing. In fact, it seems to have disappeared.

Majima's eye went wide.

“Ohgodwheredafuckdiditgo." Majima said, spinning around frantically.

"Are you sure it was real?" Kiryu asks, really hoping he didn't have to deal with a spider infestation.

"My little shits try to prank me with those fake ass spiders ya get with those dumb prank books, so I know when one of those fuckers is fake… that shit was real, Kaz." Majima says with a shaky breath.

"I believe you, Majima-san. We just have to find it now."

Kiryu trepidatiously walks into the kitchen, scanning every surface for the creature. Nothing.

"Do you see it out there?" Kiryu called out.

“No.” Majima replied, his voice now unusually small and coated with fear.

“Come back in here, then.”

Kiryu walks back into the dining room, and Majima meets him there. An idea flashes through Kiryu’s brain that he wishes he didn’t think of, but now he can’t let it go until he checks.

“I hate to say this… but stand still, and spread your arms out just a bit.”

“Haw?”

Majima seems confused, but obliges with Kiryu’s order. As quick as he can, Kiryu looks Majima up and down, trying not to linger in one spot for too long. He even lifts Majima’s jacket at places, ensuring the creepy-crawly wasn’t taking refuge directly on the Mad Dog and Majima hadn’t noticed.

“Ya checkin’ me out, Kiryu-chan?” Majima's slightly less fear-coated voice attempted to tease the dragon.

“Do you want to know what I’m actually doing?” Kiryu replied, repositioning one of Majima’s sleeves.

Majima falls silent as his eye goes wide, his flirtatious remarks falling away as what Kiryu assumes is a newfound fear fills him. He chuckles at Majima’s misfortune, but desperately doesn’t want to give him room to catch him off guard.

“The spider isn’t on you, nii-san.” Kiryu says, trying to feign confidence, and stepping back from him.

“Well.. it could be on you, Kiryu-chan.”

“What?”

Before Kiryu can protest, Majima starts to examine Kiryu up and down, taking noticeably a bit more time than Kiryu did with him. He silently thanks his past self for taking a shower that morning. Silence feels the space, and Kiryu becomes hyper-aware of every movement from Majima, and can almost feel his eye wandering around his body. Kiryu swallows, trying to erase whatever is happening from his own mind.

He feels his shirt lift slightly, as Majima's warm breath hits his lower back, and Kiryu has to fight an oncoming rush of redness to his face. Majima giggles quietly, noticing Kiryu’s fists clenching.

“Ya like that, Kiryu-chan?” Majima says almost against his skin, making the fight even harder for poor Kiryu.

“Now’s not the time, nii-san.” Kiryu says through gritted teeth. He wasn't even sure what was happening, just that it couldn't happen now.

The two then hear a loud stomp, and both men practically jump out of their skin. Kiryu feels the back of his shirt fall into place as he turns towards the entrance to Morning Glory. His heart immediately slows as Haruka enters the space and sees him staring in her vicinity.

"Hey, Uncle Kaz! Are the pocket cars done yet?"

"Hey, Haruka. Uh…. Not quite. There's only a couple more left, but I got a bit distracted by a bug." Kiryu looks behind him, and sees Majima's eye wide, practically pleading with him. Kiryu resists the urge to smirk. "Majima was helping me find the bug, but we seem to have lost it."

Majima's eye goes back to normal, gratitude filling it. Kiryu smiles ever so slightly, and cocks an eyebrow to say 'You're welcome.'

“A bug? You mean the big spider?”

Kiryu sees Majima’s eye go wide again.

“Did you see it, Haruka?” Kiryu asked his daughter, shifting his focus back to her.

She nods, and holds up a shoe that Kiryu only now notices is in her hand. “Don’t worry, I killed it. I have to wash the bottom of my shoe though.”

Kiryu lets out a small laugh as Majima sighs next to him.

“Nice work. Just don’t leave any spider bits in the sink.”

“I won’t.” Haruka then turns to Majima. “Oh, Uncle Goro. Taichi and Mitsuo were asking for you.”

Kiryu sees Majima go through many different emotions at once.

“Oh… uh, I’ll be down there in just a second, Haruka-chan. Just have to… y’know, actually do what I wanted to do up here.”

Majima and Kiryu exchange an awkward glance, as Majima clears his throat and walks into the kitchen.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Kiryu looks down at his daughter.

"No. I think that's the first time he's heard you call him that. Must've got to him."

Haruka nods. "Makes sense. See you in a bit, Uncle Kaz!"

Haruka runs into the kitchen. Kiryu sighs, and chuckles to himself.

How did I get so lucky?

Shaking his head, Kiryu walks back into his room, and decides to pay attention to the voices he can hear through the thin walls of the orphanage.

“You wanna see the spider?” one says.

“HELL NO! Get that shit away from me, Haruka-chan!” the other shouts.

A chorus of female giggles echo into Kiryu’s ears, and he smiles. Sounds like he’ll have to invite Majima back to the orphanage, especially if he’s getting along with Haruka enough for her to tease him.

Though, he makes a note to check for spiders if Majima agrees to come back.

[blysse-and-blunder]

in lieu of a halloween party

~ 10pm, sunday, oct 29, 2023

if i listen really closely i can hear the quiet snoozy breathing of the sweet black cat who now lives in my room! oh, now she is purring.

(contains minor mention of the study of death/dead bodies, but also cat pictures, classical music, and minor spoilers for the end of the most recent season of star trek: strange new worlds)

reading more victoria goddard (blackcurrant fool is somehow *even* *more* for medievalist academics, they visit fantasy university and then the main character saves the day through the power of his dissertation research for crying out loud), some assorted libby holds from jenny odell and amitav ghosh, some kj charles inspired by the medieval mlm romance i finished a few weeks ago (which was great but i was so taken with the idea of posting a whole historical assessment that i scared myself out of talking about it, so maybe next time).

but the book that's been the biggest presence in my life lately has been the audio book version of mary roach's stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers, which i picked up because it had a little Moment back when it came out and i remember thinking that an approachable, sympathetic look at this kind of medical history would be fascinating. and it is! it is just as full of interesting information and humorous, humanizing turns of phrase as you'd like! roach doesn't hesitate to ask, like, intense questions of the people she interviews, nor does she ignore or downplay various gruesome topics, but the audiobook narrator has a hint of a southern accent and gets the mix of tones of voice (from ironic to earnest and back) really nicely. and also, sometimes i'm glad i'm listening to it as an audio book so i don't have to consciously continue turning pages, it'll keep playing even if i stop listening or need to disengage, because there's no shortage of actually quite challenging material. not for the faint of heart, but also, i can't regret reading it.

watching the new season of ghosts from the bbc! the second season of ofmd of course, both because it was fun and because i had to out of self-defense; uhhhh what else this month has been so long and also so fast! the musical episode of strange new worlds which was GREAT. how good were some of those songs!! like on their own, i would listen to nyota and christine and la'an's songs-- reminded me of the mix CD a friend made me for a birthday one year that mixed, like, barenaked ladies with some songs from the buffy musical episode. then the finale of this season which (minor spoilers here) i found actually so compelling, like, i've been mildly ehh about a lot of the gorn stuff (not la'an, but the concept of the gorn always feels very old-school scifi and the more serious they try to play it, the worse that effect usually) but then the monster design and movement when they finally appear on screen? excellent.

though to be entirely honest, the thing i've come back to and watched/listened to most consistently has been the new series of dimension 20, burrow's end. i managed to tune in as a campaign was starting, and actually more or less keep up! huge for me. the bear in ep 2 was all-to-close to some of the body horror i'd just been reading about with stiff, so this month has been 'so you'd like to get better about dealing with body horror?' for me in a way. unintentionally. i think i am appreciating this series more than i would have if i hadn't read and enjoyed watership down a few years back, but the added edge of, like, for-real magic from the d&d elements makes it even more fun. i love the new (to me) players, i love seeing the old ones in their new roles, i love that while the conceit seems to be 'humans are like eldritch horrors to woodland creatures' on the surface, there's also clearly something (or things?) else going on.

listening checking in on my spotify daylist lately to see what moods i've been assigned (soul-crushing once, which was wild to see as a genre, but goblincore also so. whatever i guess!) paper writing lockdown included more autoheart, more yws gwynedd, and like a 24-hour lockdown on @lessthansix's 'deferring panic' playlist, from which i share the following track as a thank-you:

playing tuned into dnd as a virtual player tonight so that i could stay home and supervise the NEW BABY aka this little (large) black dumpling of a cat who i cannot quite believe is my very own. playing such classics as 'ribbon on a string' and 'this is a ball that makes food come out when you play with it, ooooooh' and 'i hope my eyes feel normal again after i stop putting my face directly on you so much and i have not somehow developed an allergy to cat dander in the six weeks since we last had a cat come visit'. playing the classic game, 'so you think you can be responsible for another life form! and are you willing to risk an increase in your experience for loss in order to gain an increase in your experience of love?' (also while we're here: why is naming the hardest part of any endeavor. naming wifi networks, naming pokemon, and now this, a real live creature! who i want to treat with love and also humor, while showing wit and personality at the same time. hell.)

making fixed up a sweater my housemate was going to get rid of. i am not, habitually, a fibercrafter (though not for want of opportunity or, even, interest sometimes), but this made me want to find other easy and quick things to do with yarn.

before: big fuck off hole between the cowl and neck line

after: used some yarn of a similar weight /softness that i already had, so it doesn't match but it's not like you see it. hidden little necklace of pearls.

working on writing a paper for my first ever 30-min conference presentation, which is also going to be the first time i submit a paper ahead of time for someone (a professor i do not usually work with, but whose work and career and writing i admire) to read and give real comments on. this is fine. i am simultaneously trying to use this as an opportunity to squish an entire chapter's worth of notes and observations and ideas into a single presentation, and trying to not do that. but i want her take on all of it! i also...do need to write all of it. but getting a chance to slow down and take a bit of extra time with it was also very welcome. gave a guest lecture this week on a subject only vaguely related to my own work, which required a lot of extra reading (not even to know what to say, but just to be confident that i wasn't missing anything massive), and also did organize my department's halloween party, so. it's been a busy last ten days, and i'm excited to wrap some of this up.

bonus: cat pictures! thank you for reading this far, i think we will be going with luna? her grace, lunette st. cat, first marquise of dumplingdom. something.

[the-au-collector]

Welcome

I'm the AU Collector! Call me Collector. My pronouns are she/her and I'm in my twenties. On this blog you can find a lot of Linked Universe, Kingdom Hearts, Tales of the Abyss, and an assortment of other fandoms I might step into for a quick second. As my name suggests, I love AUs! I love making them, talking about them, reading them! I also love OCs!

My ask box is open! I just ask that you don’t send me political asks, please. Other than that, ask away!

Also a little bit of navigation for all of you:

I use your typical fandom tags for fandom things but anything that isn't fandom but also isn't politics will be under #reblogs. Anything that has a poll will be tagged #poll. Anything that is political will always be tagged all 3 of these: #us politics #tw politics #not fandom.

My thoughts/rambles tags are: #collectors thoughts and #collectors madness and #collectors rambles. i also have #collector plays [insert game title here] for thoughts I have when playing video games as well as #collector watches disney movies for any thoughts I have while watching disney movies.

My masterposts are all tagged #collectors aus and are linked below. I also have a tag called #collectors worldbuilding rambles for any rambles about fictional worldbuilding.

As for my AUs and fics you can find links to their masterposts and their tags under the cut (will update as I post more AUs):

Linked Universe:

Relinked AU (#relinked AU) : 23 years after Linked Universe, the Links' kids are forced on a journey of their own. The Links are quick to try to find them though. Hopefully this will be a comic, but don't be surprised if it ends up as a fic.

Reconnect the Chain AU (#reconnect the chain AU) : AU of Relinked. 10 years after LU, the Chain reconnects themselves. Good vibes and slice-of-life. Most pre-reunion things will be tagged as both this AU and Relinked depending on everyone's ages in the artwork/writing.

LU College Radio AU (#college radio AU): A mostly slice-of-life AU where the Links are all somehow involved with the radio station at Kakariko University.

Cupcakes for Harmony (#cupcakes for harmony): Legend and Marin had a daughter on Koholint. Currently has 2 parts posted on AO3, aiming for 3 - 4 parts total.

Cost of Courage AU (#cost of courage au #epic AU): A crossover between Epic the Musical and Linked Universe that is yet another LU Links Reunite AU. Each song from the musical inspires a scenario in my head. I won't be doing much with it, though, until the entire musical is released so I can see what I'm working with.

Ultimate Chain AU (#ultimate chain AU): I feel like my AO3 description describes it best: I add way too many Links into Linked Universe because these characters are my dolls and this is my dollhouse. AKA, I decide to add more Links into LU because I can and because I want to see how the Links would interact with heroes like the Hero of the Kingdom, the Ancient Hero, the Hero of Spirits, and Shadow.

Lockwood and Co Fusion: (#lockwood and co fusion): I put the characters of LU into the world of the books and netflix show by Jonathan Stroud, Lockwood and Co. Sketches and fics. As of right now, I'm mostly going to be rewriting scenes from the books but with the LU Links

Time is Batman AU (#time is batman AU): Time is not batman, but he is a vigilante like Batman called The Mask. He protects Termina City and fights crime. Oh, and he somehow ends up the father of 7 boys who all share the same name as him.

Other assorted AUs that are not serious (#collectors miscellaneous LU aus) or which have not been posted yet

Kingdom Hearts

I have 2 main fic series for Kingdom Hearts that I hope to share... eventually. Nothing is posted right now though.

Other assorted AUs that are not serious (#collectors miscellaneous KH aus) or which have not been posted yet

Tales of the Abyss

I have 1 main work that I'm brainstorming through at the moment. It's a sequel to Tales of the Abyss. Nothing is posted right now though.

I don't do AUs for Tales of the Abyss.

Original World

OG-verse: I also have an original world I worldbuild for in my spare time. I'll post stuff about it here occasionally. You can find anything about it under #og-verse

[sagesariadnd]

Just Rambling About My D&D characters, Part 2: Melanthieae, Dryad Circle of Land Druid

Art by Lyssie-chan https://www.patreon.com/leafsways

Backstory - CW: Chronic illness, environmental destruction

Melanthieae spent the majority of her hundred or more years of life in her forest, next to a small human town. In those hundred years, however, the human settlement grew into a larger city, and industry began to bloom. The dryad saw the danger coming, but her warnings fell on deaf ears until it was too late. Her home was overhunted, deforested, polluted, and almost completely destroyed, forcing Melanthieae to flee.

But the forest wasn't the only thing harmed by the humans' carelessness; after escaping to safety, Melanthieae fell severely ill. She recovered, but was never the same; the toxins that destroyed her home now flowed through her veins. No other forest spirits would take her in, fearing they also contract her pollutants, and so she was forced to wander the world as a nomad, fighting back against injustices against nature so that no more forests die as needlessly and painfully as hers.

Assorted thoughts

Melanthieae is easily one of my favorite characters that I've ever created, and the crux of her entire character more or less a spur of the moment decision. The game she was created for was extremely casual, so there was no pressure to even have a full backstory. The game also encouraged to play races that fell outside of the standard humanoids (humans, dwarves, elves, etc.), so homebrew and expanded books were all over the place. So I went into character creation with nothing but the elevator pitch of "I wanna play a dryad!" But then while I was looking through druid spells, I noticed Poison Spray, and because I'm me, I decided I wanted an in-universe reason for taking it. So I thought of a poisoned dryad, then of a polluted dryad, and next thing I knew I had a whole backstory.

Over time, the details of her condition have altered slightly. Initially, I put it as the pollution from the forest getting destroyed infecting her permanently, but after a while I started to get attached to the idea of her conditioning worsening in more polluted environments. Part of the inspiration from the start was the toxic trees from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which were toxic because their environment was toxic. So, it felt natural to take even further inspiration - the trees were absorbing the toxins from the earth and water and filtering them, leaving them cleaner than they were, and so that's what Melanthieae is doing. I started treating it more like a chronic illness - there are good days and bad days, heavily affected by her environment, she's always in some level of pain even on the good days, there's no cure, and it was always there. She just never realized she had this condition until her home was destroyed and she was forced to venture out into the world more tainted by humans. I've also expanded the concept of pollution to not just mean man-made; evil energy and toxic oozes also qualify.

Despite her circumstances, Mela pretty much immediately got the nickname 'tree mom' in the game I played her in; she is incredibly gentle and nurturing to her party, and a soft-spoken, calming presence. Somewhere along the way her character voice ended up adopting the verbal tick of calling everyone 'dear.' Or 'darling' in the case of the cleric she ended up developing a romance with. It's cute. But she can also be pretty brutal when the need comes for it. I try to think of it like nature itself; it can be beautiful and comforting, but it can also call down the freaking thunder and wreck your shit.

One of the really fun house rules of that game, was every character had a Limit Break - basically, you were permitted to pool up to four points of inspiration instead of one, and there were additional rules that gave you points (such as getting a point if you go unconscious or are hit for half your HP). Once you had four, you could blow them all for a special effect that lasted 1d4+proficiency rounds. Melanthieae's Limit Break created a 30 foot cube of polluted forest that destroyed any structure it had to grow through, did small amounts of poison damage to hostile creatures, and best of all, allowed Mela to use her Tree Stride ability to move anywhere in that cube, with no attacks of opportunity from enemies. She could Tree Stride twice per turn (each time cost 15 feet of movement) so I would often use this to zoop over to an enemy, attack, and zoop back to safety. Apparently this was the gateway to my addiction to teleportation powers, since now I also abuse Shadow Step as a Way of Shadow monk in my current Friday game

We also ended up in an unspoken tradition of naming our Limit Breaks after songs. Apparently it's a Jojo's thing? Anyway, Melanthieae's Limit Break is named Resonance of the Earth, a famously awesome Yoko Kanno song from an anime I otherwise don't care for; Earth Maiden Arjuna. ...come to think of it, I think the 'you feel the pollutants in your environment' thing probably came from Arjuna too. Though in my defense, I hadn't watched the anime in a long time when I made Mela and only recently rewatched it. Anyway, listen to the track here, it kicks ass and I think embodies the spirit I want to invoke when I play Mela in combat.

I've made a few cameos in my mom's Tuesday game with Melanthieae, before I ended up joining her game long term, and I think she's my mom's favorite too. She sometimes found excuses to mention her or have me read Sendings in-character. I'd love another chance to play her, especially in a long-form game when I can put more focus on the pollution angle - her first game was more episodic with not much downtime roleplay, and in mom's game she was a guest, so I didn't have too much chance.

[vintagecandy]

So what's next for you, project wise?

Well!!! Currently I'm supposed to be animating Adam for his animation meme, ( or I call it that, its more like an AMV when I do it lol ) much like Joli Love's one, because I want to do more animated things and I want to test his story's setting a bit, see how I feel about doing more with it

And if I really like it, I did.... vaguely promise I'd make a sticker set inspired by him. If I can think of stickers people would want to buy lol.

BUT If you're wondering where I've been, unfortunately I have not animated anything. I ran into a problem with the printer for my etsy store and spent half a month finding a replacement. ( The print quality is just fantastic now though, thank god ), and I had finals and all that--

But I've just now gotten back to drawing Adam... but that's only the start before I animate, because I have to do some actual concept art-ing for once. Since I am more semi-concerned about canon when it comes to him. And I plan to slightly redesign Jude, possibly design a few of his other followers, design a consistent interior for his van based on a real world volkswagon bus, and more Assorted Things

BUT first..... I just have to doodle him. Because its been ages since I've drawn him consistently! Luckily he's one of the only characters I have that have a turn around reference drawn for him already, that is really helping, but still I feel rusty at drawing... in general lol

So the first thing I'm bound to post next is just a small doodle page trying to get a feel for his highly yellow aesthetic again c:

I know this is going to read as rambling nonsense, but thank you for the interest, hope that explains lol !

[indygotcha]

Got tagged twice actually by @japanesedragonrider and @mewkwota ! Wanted to wind down today due feeling bit aimless BTW.

Favorite Color: Turquoise Blue and Orange

Last Song: Mindtrap by Blank Banshee - mostly because the lyrics and overall Death Grips-esque tone has ended uncannily befitting the psyche and mood of my latest OC I've been working on. I wanted him to be an inversion of "wet chihuahuas"/"girlfailures" seen in modern anime lately such as Bocchi/Hitori Gotou and Kobeni Higashiyama mainly through examining back to my own past regarding my experiences with ableism-based bullying and shutting off from the world. The OC that came out of that ended up becoming this lanky, "sheltered dog gone through abuse"-type dude - feeling now a lot like Asuka Langley Soryu in mannerisms but wanting everyone to stay the far fucking away from him. Funny how that works.

Currently Reading: Haven't actually been reading much lately aside from assorted fanfics on Ao3. Some really heartwarming, some with varying degrees of spicy. I get easily drowsy reading them though, oufff. Currently Watching: G Gundam and Magical Knight Rayearth - if you've been following my rare occurrence of personal posts on my reblog-centric blog lately. Domon and Sai-Saici + Hikaru and Umi, my beloveds. (WHY OH WHY DID MISS P HAVE TO DIEeeee)

Currently Craving: Not much, I think - but I do miss my sibling, them being kept busy has left me bit lonely regarding genuine familial interactions.

Coffee or Tea: I flip-flop between both? I'm not exactly into ordinary black coffee - I seem to lean on flavoured lattes or cappuccinos more than anything. I've drank milk tea since very young and love all the flavoured types out there~ Something tells me the caffeine ain't working well with my current ADHD-medication however, might have to cut out my morning vanilla latte...

A Hobby I'd Like To Try: I've been trying to get back on drawing again lately, but it's been really hard to figure out the balance between trying to get good at it and just trying to concentrate on drawing things I find fun or like. In some respects I also feel like what I wanna draw for fun are things I can't exactly discuss in enthutiasm to someone and just have to work on in a vacuum - but IDK, maybe I'm really not making most of the support near me? (Though at times I'm afraid people are just too busy to possibly be my accountability buddies of sort regarding me sharing things and hearing their feedback...)

An AU You've Been Plotting: I'm always around mass crossover AUs - I guess because they serve as my personal sandboxes/toyboxes to explore the series I've been into that I can also categorize by medium, genre, or time period. One I've actually been trying to get out for a while now is this long-dwelling plot bunny on my head - with how I've been trying to give it a definite start and end in under 20 chapters or so. The premise with sounds really cracky and poisonously meta - except I've been staying keen on trying to tackle it as sincerely as possible. I guess I'm weird like that. To explain the premise in simple sentence, I'm taking the implied rivalry between Pokemon-anime and Animaniacs during their time on KidsWB and using it as a springboard to make main trios from those shows getting to know each other better after a major incident spurred by the latter party. This also involves a road trip to some kind of china-towny resort for localized anime stars taking a vacation in palmtree coastline-filled roads and beaches inspired by SEGA's Outrun and Hiroshi Nagai's illustrations on city pop albums in the 80s. I'm looking forward to various shows I wanna explore there for this pair of trios to interact with. Other AUs I've been messing around is Jellystone!-esque take on many characters from Golden Age of Arcades. It's been pretty fun to write more humorous, clever or plain irreverent takes on these somewhat simple arcade characters. I certainly like what I did with Ms.Pacman and the Ghost Gang + Mappy & Flicky...

Tags: @hatefilledpoptarts @tomatomagica @ogamagirl @starspatter @jupujuu @kermakatti @rex101111 @basedstoutland @zodiac-senpai @bimbelygimbly @harundraws @sonilium @kiora06 @patron-saints

You can take on this tag if you like~

[imsorryithurts]

OC introductions!

Hey, friends. Tomorrow the whumperless whump even ran by @whump-kia starts, and I have written for some prompts that'll be sharing!

I have seen people making introduction posts for their OCs, and I love it, because I was already thinking about how I could give context before every story without getting too repetitive...

So I'll try to cite my universes that are featured in this month's events, and their characters. Until now, they pretty much only lived in my head, so apologies if it's a bit confusing or all over the place!

SPACE

While playing a space themed TTRPG, I quite liked the dynamics between our characters. Since I didn't want to make fanfiction of other people's characters, I tried making this generic "space adventure" setting, slightly inspired by the characters relationships and dynamics.

If you play RPG with me and recognize anything here... Uhhhhh I'm sorry.

Roye: The captain of the team. Strong and cheerful, he may come off as a bit of a himbo, but is a capable leader, and friend.

Rex: The "loveable asshole". Ship mechanic, she has been friends with Roye for a long time, they had their first flight together, before he became captain. A bit butch.

Leo: The youngest of the team, trying to prove he's an adult and can be relied upon. If I'm being honest, I'm still figuring out what position he has on the ship, but he'd probably be good with communications, commerce and overall administration of the ship.

Isabella: Rescued from an escape pod from a destroyed ship, she became part of the team as an engineer and water systems specialist. Is overly nice, sometimes to the point of discomfort, but is wise and will always help.

Matt: The medic, hired after too many incidents in the ship without a medic. Secretly never finished any formal training, feels insecure about it, even after studying intensively on his own. Calm and collected.

Vaughn: I'm going to be honest. He's just there. I came up with him as a programmer, but then never did anything with him other than mention him in a few stories. Maybe I'll lean into it, making him part of the team, but in a cryptid "doesn't leave his office" way.

MECH: part of the same universe, and overlaps in the future. Only two developed characters so far.

Rose: Mech pilot. Really good at her job, really compatible with a bunch of implants and enhancement drugs. Unfortunately, that takes a strain in her body and mind. After quitting, she struggles with the lack of constant information input, and has to learn how to be a person again.

Lucas: Medic, currently specializing in treating mech pilots. Is Rose's friend, they were in the same class, but he quit the pilot program early on. He's a bit "more than just her friend", but Rose, while reciprocating his feelings, seems more invested on her mech.

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Superhero:

I have more characters that have been in my mind for years, but for this month I pretty much wrote about only one:

Vittoria: Sarcastic and confident hero, with the power to see through solid objects. Is married to Claire, who has no powers.

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Medieval fantasy:

I have not yet written my entries for this universe, so I can't be certain they'll show up, but I have scenarios that have been in my head for probably years at this point!

Very loosely based on DnD, because I forget the rules five minutes after reading them. More of a generic epic fantasy, with DnD elements, really. There are assorter characters that I haven't spent much time developing that I don't think I'll mention here.

-x-

Amiel: Forest elf, druid, who escaped a rich and confortable life to live in the woods. She learned magic when a human druid found her injured and took care of her, deciding to teach her along the way. Very quiet and reserved, can be impulsive.

Huran: Half orc warrior, Amiel's partner for quite a while. Strong, sweet and ambicious. This man has been in my mind for literal years and only today I realized I never named him. So he's Ukad now until further notice. Thanks fantasynamegenerators.com.

-x-

Mills: Milene Mill, a human alchemist who lost her home at a young age. An adventuring tiefling took her in, and she's been travelling with him ever since. As a teen, she had a bad accident that basically destroyed the left side of her body, and recovery was a long road. She's cheery, curious, studious and ambitious.

Salus: Rogue tiefling, found Mills when she was a child among the ruins of her town. He initially only wanted to escort her to a safe place, ended up being the reluctant father figure, later the very much willing father figure. (His name is also subject to change. I spent a while going back and forth on names for him).

[fandomfluffandfuck]

About that IG post (posted by his team since he was working), I'm certain that if Chris could speak up he would. Remember when he used to speak up a lot before and shared every kind of black lives matter posts and even went manifesting for it with Scott in the past, and his hatred towards Trump was palpable. He was so straightforward without fear, he knew his public figure was important in matters like these and he used it for right purposes! So, if he doesn't anymore the question answers itself, something is off and I can't tell what but I have a feeling. I'm pretty sure if you'd meet him like a normal friend, he'd tell you his position VERY clearly and what he thinks about certain situations. I don't give up on him for this reason because I know something is off that he can't speak up. But I'm sure he would like to. FOR SURE. This is my opinion and what I can literally feel.❤️

related to this, and this

Yeah, I can see that as well. Based on what other creatives in the traditional space are getting, all this shit for speaking out, I can understand why he may feel tied up. Or, maybe there's something beyond just feeling that way. I don't know! I mean, obviously, we'll never know for sure if it was Chris posting the statement/clarification or if it was his team or whoever runs his Instagram now. It's very up in the air.

As a side note, I spent a while just now trying to find evidence of it, lol, but I remember after his break from social media in the summer of 2023, the discussion on Tumblr that his social media clearly was being more heavily moderated and less personal for whatever reason. Like, when he initially returned, he deleted a bunch of more personal photos (sadly Dodger and cute fall trees especially) to seemingly signal that his account would be more business forward now. I do feel like that connects here, that he's intentionally less personal these days. Which is fair. Social media requires too much of yourself sometimes, and no one is entitled to anything personal from him. I can understand that at the same time, I can miss hearing him speak out about what made him frustrated. I related a lot to that.

So, yes, it's different now for one reason or another. I don't want to get into the conspiracy theories about why he's being controlled or isn't, so I won't. It's just different.

And also, yes, I would love to meet Chris as a normal human just to hear him say certain things. To reel this back into Marvel fandom, I also have always been curious to know, unedited and unpressured by Marvel, what he would say about Steve. I don't know or really even think he would absolutely confirm one ship or another, but I would like to hear him discuss the character in his own intimate way. Ten years is a long time to spend in someone's head. I'm curious to know more about the parts of Steve Marvel didn't allow to be shown or the parts of Steve that were under- or overwritten to fit a particular story mold or maximize movie profits. Even that entangles me with Chris (and Steve), though--he could absolutely love the ending Steve got, for all I know, but just want to have shown more of his and Bucky's goodbye. I don't know, I'm not Chris or Steve, lol.

Also, I can already feel that people are going to ask for other receipts, lol, so...

Here's a black lives matter protest clip

This isn't really a tweet, I just like the art that was inspired by one of his tweets

And some assorted tweets of Chris calling out Trump

[anddreadful]

I'm curious, I really like all your dnd characters, and I was wondering how you come up with them! Do you write all your own backstory and motivations?

thank you!! I adore inflicting my blorbos on people online and i’m always thrilled to hear that they enjoy it. the short answer is yes— I like to leave gaps in my backstory for my DMs to exploit, and obviously those DMs are running the overall story, but my PCs (player characters) are all original characters of mine, and their assorted bullshit is entirely up to me. (in case it’s unclear, that only applies to my PCs, Teddy and Aster being the ones I mostly talk about On Here. Clay, Borakov, Strahd, etc are all created and run by friends who are generous enough to occasionally let me gnaw on their characters like chew toys).

"How I come up with them" varies a lot! One of my PCs, Tailor, is a repurposed side character from an old book I was writing (which was itself inspired by Alice in Wonderland -- he was the Mad Hatter character). With my storm sorcerer Marin, I knew I wanted to do an Ocean Aesthetic, so I gave her a mysterious shipwrecked-with-amnesia backstory and a pirate found family. Teddy's backstory is lightly plagiarized from Alina's in Shadow & Bone, and Aster's antiquities expert background and general archetype is inspired by Evelyn in the Mummy. Like coming up with any character, it's just a game of picking one cool thing and then scaffolding out other elements that interest you and complement the core idea.

And what's great is that character creation is just coming up with a STARTING PLACE. A PC's Whole Deal emerges over time, a combination of discovery and deliberate choice that's really fun to craft.

These days, I try to keep my backstories to a tight 2-3 paragraphs with 1-3 meaningful NPCs. I've done the long convoluted backstory thing with Tailor, and it turned out very cool -- my DM knocked it out of the park incorporating everything -- but I wouldn't do it again. Aster, my most recent character, has probably the most minimal backstory I've ever done. I wanted to do something simple and strong, do it well, and be free from the traditional backstory resolution D&D arc in favor of whatever else the campaign is going to throw at her.

I love that you mention motive! Puzzling out what my characters want and feel as the story progresses is sooooo fun for me. Inbetween sessions I try to look at what's happened in game lately and ask what it changes for my character, logistically or emotionally, and how I can incorporate that moving forward. And this has increasing returns! Over time, asking myself a lot of small questions about how I want them to react, why they might do that or feel that way, and then playing that out -- taking into account all the improv RP decisions that happen along the way!! -- builds up to a strong sense of who they are. And that becomes REALLY helpful when dramatic narrative choices have to be made in-game.

This is a big part of all the fic and meta I write -- it's an exercise in bringing into alignment what's happening in game and my conception of who these characters ARE in a detailed, specific way. Because the better I can reconcile them, the more they'll feed each other and make each other richer and more interesting, and the easier and better my realtime RP will be. Of course, this is an optional thing I do for funsies, and it doesn’t pay to overthink it -- this stuff is organic and always evolving, and we’re here to have fun at the table first and foremost. BUT it’s super rewarding for me and has become a huge part of why I enjoy the game so much.