#If I find time I might draw a quick version of what I actually had planned to lighten the mood

[mitamicah]

I made myself sad drawing prompt 11 for @kaarija-inktober (Frank Edition); Alienated :'3

Honestly I was so ready to draw a silly piece of Jere fooling around bitching about being 'lonely' on his vacation but then I saw this post from World Mental Health day yesterday and decided to change gears and go for angst ... again :'3

Qoute under the line

"I'd had complete given up at that point.

I just lay in my parent's bed and they fed me

and the boy was just fading away."

[maniculum]

Bestiaryposting: Wutugald Results

All right, time to see what everyone came up with for the Wutugald! Again, if that statement confuses you, you may find an explanation at https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting . If you want a refresher on the description the artists were working with, here is the original post:

This was a pretty good creature to start with, I think; the random number generator did us a solid with this one. It laid to rest some concerns I had: will people be able to put aside their real-world knowledge of these animals and draw as if they had never heard of them? Yes, apparently -- a number of comments and notes indicated that several participants had guessed what the Wutugald was, refrained from sharing that information, and drew something that fit the description while being nevertheless a fully distinct animal. I was also concerned about some of the upcoming entries that specify a type of animal (bird, serpent, &c.), wondering if that constraint would be a problem -- but a number of people drew some Very Good Birds for this one, so I feel reassured that future entries that are Explicitly A Bird will still be material we can have fun with.

So, let's see what people created. I'm putting these in roughly the order in which they appeared, below the cut:

@cosmic-flora (link to post here) produced this in Paint pretty shortly after the original post went up, and posted it with a brief explanation of their design decisions -- they were the first but not the last to interpret the rigid spine as spikes and the single tooth as a beak, and also to provide the creature with claws for digging.

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) was also quick off the mark, posting this the same evening along with an explanation of their design process. I'm genuinely impressed by how quickly they were able to draw something so naturalistic -- this went up within like four hours of the original post. This was also the first (but again not the last) to include an apparent reference to the Wutugald's ability to change sex by including both male genitalia and noticeable teats. Also, I wonder if the coat pattern on the baby is a sneaky reference to the animal this is based on, as Silverhart does indicate that they figured it out.

@elodieunderglass (link to post here) created this rendition, which I think does a good job at capturing the vibe in the bestiary entry, of a creature that the medieval author clearly sees as discomfiting and somewhat sinister. That is a grin that makes me worry about the critter's intentions.

@geeoharee (link to post here) posted this along with a brief explanation of their design decisions. The human face and the speech bubble are great, I think -- it makes me smile. I think this is the first non-mammalian Wutugald, but several more come later.

@sweetlyfez (link to post here) drew this with a dip pen, apparently, which is cool. Also this might be the cuddliest-looking version, but my desire to hug it probably says more about my own sense of self-preservation than anything else. That is a cute face, right? It's not just me?

@cinqueform (link to post here) produced this wonderfully medieval-styled image. We can see here the ruler-straight spine and the depiction of the Wutugald's sexual ambiguity, as well as a human-like face for imitating speech. Also a very nice stylized letter W.

@rautavaara (link to post here) has also done a medieval-style rendition, which is excellently sinister in presentation. That is a Worrying Creature. It's also the first (but again not the last) avian interpretation of the Wutugald, which I think really works. Also I'm not sure if this is a sneaky nod to what the animal actually is, or just a case of "great minds think alike", but Rautavaara's interpretation of the rigid spine is very similar to the one in the actual Aberdeen Bestiary illustration I will show y'all at the end of this post.

@spontaneousmusicalnumber (link to post here) posted this along with a brief explanation of their design process. I think they're right about the side pattern being appropriate for a bestiary critter.

@strixcattus (link to post here) did another avian rendition of the Wutugald complete with a fantastic lengthy reinterpretation of the bestiary entry through the eyes of a modern naturalist. Seriously, go check that out, it's very good.

@fidgetyhands (link to post here) provides this image of the Wutugald along with an explanation of their design choices. They also note that limitations in terms of artistic material are probably relevant to a lot of bestiary drawings.

@jamiethekeener (link to post here) gives us this Wutugald in the act of digging. She instructs that we should not ask why her interpretation of Wutugald ended up being so unsettling, which I cannot deny that it is. (That smile... that damn smile.) I also want to highlight the interpretation of the rigid spine as a shield-like plate along the back.

@thewhetherman (link to post here) gives us this rather-frightening-looking creature, along with a brief commentary that definitely ups the spook factor on this whole thing.

@bruncikara (link to post here) also went with a medieval stylization, with a very period-appropriate pose and frame. We can see again some digging claws and a nod to the animal's sexual ambiguity. Wicked-looking single tooth, also.

@mobileleprechaun (link to post here) has given us what I think is our only invertebrate Wutugald by interpreting the rigid spine as a shell and the single tooth as a radula. Shown here with its half-lion offspring.

@illogarithmil (link to post here) has also taken inspiration from medieval bestiary art, noting the unusual color and perspective choices typical of the genre. Note the straight tail, the skull, and the doorway in the background -- presumably into a tomb of some sort. The diamond-pupilled eye is striking.

@qwertyprophecy (link to post here) gives us this Wutugald who manages to strike an excellent balance between "cute" and "villainous". Like, I would expect to see these hopping around to signal that the Protagonists have entered the Sinister Fantasy Kingdom, but it's also kind of adorable. I think the gemstone pupil helps with that vibe. Vulture face is for easier eating of corpses, I assume.

@aaclysm (link to post here) provides both a final version and a "messy bus sketch". We can see the stone-like eyes, the single tooth interpreted as a beak, and the rigid spine interpreted as a carapace. Kind of griffin-like vibes, which I'm enjoying.

@scarlettbookworm (link to post here) gives us this drawing, which has some delightful details. I like the lines on the shadow, which I assume is meant to indicate the magical effects associated with it. Also love that the Wutugald's ability to change sex is acknowledged by giving it a little trans-pride flag to wave with its tail. I believe the text in its speech bubble is intended to be word-salad, demonstrating that it imitates but does not understand human speech.

@pachelbelsheadcanon (link to post here) gives us another very cute Wutugald. (More of these than I expected are downright cuddly.) I'm particularly delighted by the attempt to take the whole "single tooth that closes like a casket" thing at its word and make it work. They provide in their post an explanation of what's going on with that and some other interesting zoological details of their creation. I also enjoy the idea that the Wutugald talks like bot-generated spam.

@changeinenthalpy (link to post here) has produced this fairly-intimidating-looking critter. This definitely looks like something that could dig up and eat a corpse if it wanted. Nasty claws on that beast. The shiny gemstone eyes give it an unsettling gaze also.

@aethergeologist (link to post here) gives us this creature, which I both want to pet and also want to keep a healthy distance from because those claws look like they could mess you up. They provide an explanation for their design choices in the linked post.

@karthara (link to post here) has added to our store of avian Wutugalds, and includes a brief explanation of their design choices in the linked post. I like how happy it seems in the side view -- all excited about its corpse-digging plans for the evening.

@moustawott (link to post here) created this delightfully prehistoric-looking beast, and provides a detailed account of their design choices in the linked post. I think the snapping-turtle face really works here, and this is probably one of the most dangerous-looking interpretations of the Wutugald.

@cattorneyatlaw (link to post here) has drawn an unusually porcine Wutugald. Probably one of the spookier pig drawings I've seen. They provide an explanation of their design choices -- including "why a pig" -- in the linked post.

@curiouslyodd (link to post here) has given us a Wutugald with a very unsettling face and an interesting fur pattern. In the linked post, they not only provide an explanation of their design choices, but also a detailed and well-written reinterpretation of the bestiary entry based on the animal as they have drawn it. Go check that out.

@treesurface (link to post here) has done an interestingly chimeric Wutugald, and includes a brief explanation of their design choices in the linked post. I like the head particularly.

And... hm. We're not going to be able to fit all of the images in one post. The limit is thirty, right? Stay tuned for a bit, I guess. The remaining Wutugalds will be in a reblog of this post, along with the reveal of the animal's identity and the Aberdeen Bestiary's interpretation of the creature.

[snowfallenapocalypse]

Howdy Slay the Princess friends! I wanted to show off my Voices designs, they’re still very likely to change cause I’m still not quite happy with all of them, but I hope you enjoy them! :3c

Explanations and a few extras below the cut! :) (This ended up being a kinda long post so be warned!)

For the most part I try to use the same body shape for all of them, with the only differences being their accessories and some beak variation. None of them have wings either- I don't like drawing them that much so they're reserved for TLQ

Alright here we go- explanation time!

Hero - Knight's helmet based on the default warrior class helmet from Miitopia, no clue if the feather, ponytail, thing... is his actual feathers or part of the hat and I probably never will. I love how he looks even if the helmet sucks to draw

Broken - Shackle and chain around his neck, not much to say about this guy, I was a bit worried it was too similar to the Prisoner's shtick at first but it's grown on me

Contrarian - Jester's cap, the most common defining accessory I saw for him in fanart and thought it fit. Probably gonna change him cause the current iteration doesn't feel quite right. (Either hat redesign or something new)

Opportunist - A tie and ripped dress shirt, I wanted a smarmy business-ey feel for him but didn't think a nice shirt would fit in with the aesthetic of the game, so I gave him a ripped one (he probably found it on the ground somewhere)

Paranoid - Perfume pendant, I adore this concept but have had a hard time conveying it properly. The pendant is filled with smelling salts in case he needs to wake someone up. I want to keep this concept so much but I know it has to go through a few more designs cause I don't really know what it's supposed to look like. Planning on adding another necklace and maybe a clock?

Smitten - A shawl with heart shaped embroidery and a flower broach, I... Don't know how to feel with this one? It doesn't quite fit Smitten's exuberance but I don't know what I would give him instead. Will probably change later if I do come up with something better

Hunted - Hooded cloak, for camouflage :0 (it's a very short cloak though basically only covers his shoulders.) I drew him twice so you could see both versions, realistically he'd always have the hood up but I find it hard to draw and doesn't look as good so I don't bother, (it probably looks weird because the hooded version is missing the feather tufts, I added a quick sketch of the hood with them below)

Cold - A hole in his chest (shamelessly based on Mad Rat Dead,) Cold didn't seem like the type to have any worldly possessions so this was the most literal way I could convey his 'heartless' personality, it is kinda bending my rule of giving all these guys unique accessories but it fits him quite well so I don't mind

Skeptic - Detective hat, this is another one that I think looks a bit weird due to the lack of tufts (version with them below) and I don't know how well this fits his personality, but Skeptic is probably the voice I'm least familiar with so I'm kinda just ignoring redesigning him until I get a better grip on his character (I also don't really know how to draw this hat- I tried my best lol)

Cheated - Cut off tuft and scars, I had a really hard time coming up with this one and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it. It's another one that bends my rule of having accessories but I couldn't think of anything to put on him that fit the vibe of 'Being salty from repeatedly losing to someone using hacks in a game.' (Yes, that's how I summarize Cheated's personality lol)

Stubborn - ...Isn't here, Oops? Yeah, you probably noticed but I don't actually have a design for him yet. I might give him a cape? idk. He's another voice I don't really have a good grasp on, I have to play through his chapters again :')

Anyways! I had put my sort of 'design rules' for these guys in an older version of this post but I ended up not vibing with it so I edited it out- I like the post a lot better without all the excess stuff

And finally as the send-off to the post (and a thanks for reading all) here's the extra bits! My one Long Quiet full body, the Hunted and Skeptic sketch with their tufts, and a bonus Opportunist cause I realized you can't really tell what the shirt looks like lol

[iheartgod175]

Some Thoughts (Mostly ZP, but still)…

—I’ve kinda hopped back onto the Zula Patrol train again since writing Turnabout, but I am planning on doing art and stories for other fandoms, too, of course ^^ I actually worked on chapter 4 of DCR and some more of Love Language for the first time in a month! Which is amazing progress since I had both writer’s block and worries that maybe a lot of folks aren’t interested in the story. But even if that were true, it’s not going to stop me from posting stories, especially about my favorite childhood show ^^

—I went a bit in depth about an OC who gets some focus in both DCR and a few other entries, Firestorm, who’s a military commander in one of the other Zulean branches (I’ll detail my own headcanons on the structure of the Zulean government in another headcanons post) and is one of the few people that Bula gets along with outside of his team because like him, she doesn’t tolerate the BS/corruption that goes on in the government. And somehow, I got the idea that in an alternate universe, they end up as a couple. It has me cracking up because now, I have three potential love interests for Bula: Zeeter (with whom I can see happening even in canon), Bonnie (my old OC whom I’ve revamped and even have a solo story for), and now Firestorm (who might get teased in the future). Bula’s literally building his own harem, LOL XD

—And then it got me thinking that if Bula’s a typical “clueless harem protagonist” (although unlike them, he makes himself useful and isn’t admired due to some random skill he has out of nowhere), Ricochet would be the “smug harem protagonist with a heart of gold” in that he dated Denise, Diane, Melissa, and many other women before he settled down. Also, in a few AUs, he does have a better relationship with Serena, Denise’s outlaw sister, and their relationship borders on UST. Silly thoughts are silly, LOL

—I’ve also had an idea regarding the Third Sight ability. Originally, this ability has no offensive capability in any field whatsoever. But then I had a thought: what if there was a way, theoretically, that a user could hurt/even kill someone with their mind? It came about from a thought that DS! Elfilis (with whom Multo interacts with in my latest crossover) could totally do this easily, since he’s basically seen as a god (although he’s mortal) and he’s a lot more powerful/experienced with his psychic powers. Not to mention that between him and Multo, his cruel streak is not only bigger, but also more terrifying. It got me thinking that the Zuleans who have the Third Sight can do this same thing, namely in a moment of pure distress/fury, stemming from the desire to make the perpetrator feel every ounce of pain they felt at watching their loved one get hurt/killed. The name for this attack is called “Flashpoint” (or at least, it’s a working idea for a name). I had the idea that Multo accidentally stumbles across this ability after someone got the great (read: stupid) idea to hurt Zeeter or any of the others in front of him, and unable to physically defend them (due to being trapped), he’s filled with both horror at his loved ones being hurt, and pure rage at the perp, wanting nothing but for him to feel that same pain and worse. Cue that happening to the perp, with the guy literally losing his mind. With Multo being the kind of person he is, he’s shocked/horrified that he can do such a thing. One of the villains in my current WIP, Nova, takes an interest in Multo after finding out about him using this.

—And now, a part of me wants to do an alternative version of Multo that’s evil. That would be pretty terrifying. O.O

—Oh, I’m also thinking of getting back to The Return of the Phantom Empire soon, thanks to working on Firestorm’s profile. Just trying to work on the general plot of the side story, which focuses on Quick Draw McGraw, and possibly Quack-Up, namely in regards to the trauma he suffered before he joined the Galactic Guardians. This chapter isn’t gonna be quite as long as the first three chapters, but that might change, lol XD

[frogskelton]

So quick version of a poster for ep 1 of all stars rewrite and because I think the theme of all stars with rehashed challenges was boring, I’ve changed it. ( Just wanted a little drawing while I talk about the episode) READ FOR REWRITE STUFF HERE:

Teams:

Ghoulish Guinea pigs

Heather

Zoey

Noah

Brick

Joe

Lindsay

(Soon) Alejandro

Clownish caterpillars:

Scott,

Gwen

Courtney

Duncan

Mike

Cam

Lightning

The episode: (barebones version)

The camper enter the new sight and settle down and take notice the cabins r actually livable and and even have a tv with a bunch of movies on vhs (grated, not very good ones, but a million times better than the last cabins). They have a few hours to get ready and so on one team Zoe puts on a film called “Pony house,” curious if it actually works, while Noah stand over her shoulder grizzling (he was meant to come here with Owen but he got a broken leg and had to cancel, and Noah was contractually obligated to still go). During this the tv screen continuous flickers and a strange face appears sometimes and the characters will say strange but of dialogue that seem like they don’t belong. Noah and Zoe r thinking it’s pretty expected Chris is give them busted up stuff.

Lindsay is frustrated that she is on the same team as Heather saying to her about how she might of won last season and good for her, but she has still hurt lots of people and Lindsay doesn’t like that she’ll be sharing a room w someone who treated her very poorly and hopes the other girl (zoey) has watch season one plenty of times to see what Heather is rlly like. Heather is taken aback for a sec and attempts to brush it off.

While this happens Brick goes out after hearing a noise, similar thing with Scott on the other team. Though, the focus is on Duncan and Gwen’s relationship falling apart as Gwen questions if she is rlly willing to continue hurting Courtney like that this.

Soon Chris calls them over and tells them to come back with their missing teammates. So, cue montage of them looking for them as strange occurrences happen, primarily around technology.

Eventually Brick and Scott r found trapped in a weird shed where a bunch of old tech from the show got dumped (e.g, Chris bots, screen, old cameras, THE DRAMA MACHINE, and so on)

Scott’s team gets out w him just before Zoe is trapped in the room (alone) as all the appliances corn alive. initially she tries to fight them as Mike is all sad at the door, unable to get in as he is dragged away from the door as they Damn this season and whatever is going on. Zoe us out numbered by the amount off Chris bots n stuff. Though she hears the drama machine saying something weird, the same thing the ponies from her film were saying and decides to attempt to interact with it, distracting whatever is controlling the Chris bots and giving her a chance to break the robot, stopping the haunting and finding Alejandro stuck in there.

She, carrying Alejandro returns to where and Chris and the Campers r excited she is alright and surprised about Alejandro.

Chris does his thing of u won the challenge (this was not the intended challenge, but it’s a bit late for that.)

At the camp fire Duncan is booted, he goes in to kiss Gwen, but she regrets saying that she does want keep hurting people and while she doesn’t love Duncan, not enough to keep hurting all the people she loves.

Furthermore, Alejandro is left resting, heather sees him and feels sad that this is how everything went down and this is how he is doing, while she has been living the highlife.

So each ep/challenge is based on supernatural/horror tropes n stuff. I’ve got all the new challenges written down in chronological order and both teams set out. Let’s just say this new finale challenge is a big improvement to all stars.

EVEN BETTER, the “doomed soulmates” plot for Aleheather is written down in episode by episode plan, which may be revealed when I have a little drawing to go w it. I quite like it, I think it goes well and is very endearing.

Actually just a forgotten thing, but when I was doing the redesign for Alejandro I just kinda forgot I could give him visible injuries, so that has changed.

[cursedcola]

TWST: The Hall Of Mirrors - Baby Update, January 24’

ART:

Guys I don’t think I’m going to be able to put art in the game because I lack a tablet. As much as I want to, it would require making *way* too many images.

So, I’m making the TW game a pure piece of interactive fanfiction as a text-based game only. I’ve poured so many hours into it and I think I would rather go extend the plot/add on details so you can visualize it rather than stress anymore about putting art in. I know I said previously that I was taking time off from it, but I actually spent a good chunk of my free time last month trying to get art to scan in. Twine does not like imagery. No, no it does not.

So I’m just going to take a wee bit more time and make the plot more detailed. I also really want to get back to writing more here >_<

PLOT:

Like I said, I’m taking more time to add in detail. Without art I feel that it needs more to make the visuals pop.

AUDIO:

I haven’t given up on this bit quite yet. Since this is a fan game that isn’t getting monetized or anything, I don’t feel the need to make original music. I’ll see if I can find anything I like enough to fit the vibes

~ On that note, this is the last written update I’m giving. I might post some pictures when I feel it's in a good place, or ask if anyone would like to test the game out (catch any technical errors or bugs)….but yeah, I’m pretty much done now? I think? Hard to believe I’ve slowly been writing this since July. It’ll be weird to not work on it anymore, but also nice since I want to write other things hehe. I will say that this is the biggest thing I have ever made for any fandom, and I hope it's something I can look back on fondly.

(Small rant below about the art because I’m me and my perfectionism demands I offer an explanation)

Like, I did the math and it just isn’t feasible to do with what I have sadly. The game was going to have 15cgs for each route’s climax. I also got a bit crazy and even did base sketches for 15 cga for the after endings without really thinking about how rough it was going to be. You can customize your Mc by their clothing, body size, eye color, hair length and color, and hair type. If I had a tablet then I could make a singular CG as the base, and then basically make a bunch of copies where I make small changes so that the proper combination will pop up depending on the choices you made. It would have took a long time but I could have done it - although using a quick combination showed that there were hundreds of different possible combinations.

I mean, there are 2 clothing options, 4 body types, 8 eye colors, 4 hair types, 4 hair lengths, and i think 6 hair colors if I remember right. I also put in customization features that have you answer Q’s that I can’t predict to edit the cg with. Regardless that’s 2X4X8X4X4X6 = 6,144 possible combinations for ONE cg. That’s kind of rough even with a tablet, so without one is just like…death. It would be 2x4x4x4 = 128 different iterations of the image (as things that are not just color changes that can be quickly altered). That’s 128 versions of 15 images. That’s 1,920 drawings. Even if they were going to be in a very simple artstyle, heck even a sketch, it’s not feasible.

I love Otomes and have always wanted to play one where your customized MC is featured in the cgs. Making a game like that is one of my life goals - but not for a fan game. If I’m doing that then it’s going to be an original work.

I’m sorry for hyping it up and making false promises. I really did want to make it happen for my mini fangame, but this is kinda just my little side project and stressing over it was zapping the fun away. So now we’re going back to plan A and just sticking to a text game >_<

[kyriaejiraiblog]

so quick disclaimer this isnt jirai stuff but it is talking about sh and its somebting that kind of pissed me off but i don’t wanna put it in my main

so for context it was some skk video and the person said essentially “if you’re going to ship do it correctly, you’re mischaracterizing dazai“ (and mori but who tf cares)

so here’s my reply to the comment, and honestly the way they responded made me upset—because while they made a comment explaining their thoughts and i was fine agreeing to disagree, they felt they needed to add onto their own opinion? but honestly i feel like they are in a way mischaracterizing dazai more than in the original post (which i can grab the link for anyone who finds this and decides they want to see it to make their own opinion)

“i can guarantee he doesn’t even cut discreetly.” problem i have with this statement is we literally have no idea what the bandages are for, however we know that dazai had easy access to various blades, primarily scalpels because of mori. the way that particular mental illness affects your brain makes the prospect of drawing blood very appealing. considering he had bandages before the pm, and how this person even admits sh was possible before dazai joined, i find it highly likely that he would continue such an act. sh is by no means easy to escape, and dazai was not in a supportive environment in the pm.

second, his words to atsushi—those kinds of words sound like something born from experience. that is something dazai has, and still suffers from in a sense. it’s like oda said, dazai will always be living with darkness and has to learn how to manage that emptiness. and plus, from my own interpretation, dazai sees a version of himself within atsushi, and wants to prevent atsushi from becoming him.

one thing i do agree is he doesn’t care about mori’a approval, never will. but dazai lives in such a perpetual state of self-loathing that it’s weird to say that dazai wouldn’t even think about sh. while my initial reply was about punishment through this means, i just didn’t have enough to elaborate my actual thoughts on what dazai’s motivations would be for this kind of self mutilation.

there’s a point where sh stops being punishment, if it even was to begin with. dazai feels apathy toward much of the world around him, particularly during his time in the pm. apathy like this creates a void, an emptiness that never truly goes away. cutting gives a chance to feel something, anything. feeling nothing is more painful than a blade running down skin.

and now i’m going to start being extremely personal. i don’t like pain. dazai states he doesn’t like pain. i cut every single day. that last paragraph is essentially my own experience with self harm. in my case. it does start out as sparingly used punishment. then it becomes addicting, and the only thing to pull me out of the emptiness and complete apathetic state where i have nothing but my own thoughts. this kind of thought process isn’t uncommon among people who sh. it almost feels like cutting is just simply a thing that happens.

and then about dazai looking down on people who sh—fuck off with that. while sh and suicide aren’t always correlated, they’re often connected. at best, dazai is completely indifferent to people with scars. otherwise, he’s one of them. dazai’s entire personality seems i consistent in many ways, and while i do agree that he probably has major depression, i wouldn’t say it’s too far fetched to say he might have bpd or bipolar. in fact, id even argue that he has both depression and bpd according to many of the symptoms displayed in dazai’s character (which if that’s the case, gj asagiri bc bpd is so heavily associated with women that people forget men can have it too)

which rambling more abt the bpd thing ppl with bpd are often queens of “it’s a slippery slope” and it’s already shown that dazai does drink more than a bit. which is one thing people with bpd are prone to, they so easily can get addicted to these kinds of things and they just can’t help it. another reason i argue it’s likely dazai would sh.

once again, referring to the second screenshot, people who hate pain aren’t excluded from self harming. i am one of those people, myself. i wouldn’t doubt dazai would attempt to cut his arteries as a suicide attempt as well, something i somewhat tried, but i still argue that dazai has likely self harmed. anyway i hope this was fun to read im done rambling lmao

[freebooter4ever]

Geno collection part 2: quick doodles version. I’ve been holding off on posting this one because i wanted to write my usual yearly blurb summary underneath but i’ve been struggling to put it into words which is a new one for loquacious me. What to say about geno…

Normally i’m very logical about my favorites - i know exactly why i picked them and there's a list of reasons. This time left me confused. One minute i’m insisting i’m not going to root for pittsburgh, even though its my city, and i'll only do ONE drawing of sid as a homage. But then there's this photo of some dude sitting on the boards in a blue jersey - you can’t even see his face it’s all about the Attitude and his posture - and it’s the most compelling hockey photo i’ve seen yet. Who is this guy, how the fuck is he so sexy, he's just SITTING, he's not even skating? And then i find out his name (and whoops it’s that guy i already decided to hate, guess i have to rethink my snap decision), and then i start noticing things. And noticing more things, and reading old blogs, and more, and more…

And next thing i know ive got over 271 doodles in my sketchesdone folder, and a favorite that was never supposed to be a favorite, and also a new sculpting project.

So. Why? his expressions are a joy to draw. he looks like he escaped from an animated film. He's got that elusive quality where half of what i want to draw is physical and the other half is in his movements, and body language, and personality. It drives me crazy because i am terrible at capturing that second half so i’m never fully happy with any of my doodles. That glow of personality, the look in his eyes - how the fuck do you draw that? I don’t know.

His body alone is also interesting - unique proportions. He's long, with lots of muscle, but also soft? I could cry over it probably. Actually i just study, and study, and want to throw my computer at the wall when i get it wrong in my art yet again for the thousandth time.

He's funny. But he's sneaky about it. If you dont pay much attention he seems like this kind of slapstick guy. But underneath the surface goofball he almost miserly keeps to himself how sly his humor can be. You get the feeling that he doesn't miss much, even if he doesn't comment on it. Yet even that's hilarious - how in some interviews it's obvious he's mentally checked out. All so you're thrown for a loop when in other interviews he's the most vivacious guy in the room. Which is the real evgeni? only he knows. :P well, and obviously the lucky few who know him personally.

I have a small confession. I’ve been sending him art. Look - the missing the playoffs thing happened - and i was suddenly overcome with concern that they might not get as much fanmail as usual. And that was so sad. And then i realized i had all these drawings. And a printer. I could send fanmail. (i have only sent famail once before. this was a very anxiety inducing undertaking) Normally i don’t like the subject of my art seeing my art, it’s just supposed to be for us. But i carefully picked out each drawing - mostly the ones that were more badass or powerful in the traditionally masculine sports sense. I definitely avoided any of the thirsty ones (duh) and tried not to use any of the more personal ones of his face where it was obvious i was just drawing him instead of him as a hockey star. And tried to be respectful and desperately hoping my art wouldn’t accidentally insult him somehow or be inappropriate. i have zero idea if i succeeded and it only worries me sometimes.

So there you go. The year of geno.  \o/ nothing in this list has any logic to it

[merakiui]

Just wanted to say ur works and rambles are literally the highlights of my day!! Like the way u just write is 😭. Also if u haven't already(although u might already have) u should really check out mawwart and their designs for the tweels and Azul. Literal perfection,it's always so nice to see them look less human ish in fanart

Same person that just sent the ask with the tweels and stuff, only complaint I have about this blog is the fact I need a computer to see all ur works, I think when u talked about that Azul piece with him being captive I was like wait a min what?? And I had to scroll down so far to see what it was, it was then I realized I'm missing out on sm. But the mobile version of Tumblr likes being stupid and restarting my page once I scroll down far enough 😔

Sorry it's me again the person who just sent like two asks in a row,do u ever think you'll make an oc. The possibilities would be endless. Also not really related but u should check out Luxuria Triplicate by rotpeach on ao3.

- - -

Aaaa thank you so much for enjoying my works and rambles!!! :D I'm glad they can be a highlight of your day! I have yet to see their art, so I will check it out! I also adore it when artists draw Azul and the twins with an uncanny not-quite-human-ness! <3 it's always so nice to see!!! I will also check out the story on ao3 you recommended!!

Your complaint is very real and understandable. I mainly use the tumblr site on my computer, but I sometimes use tumblr mobile if it's to queue posts or do something quick like pen a concept/meraki mumbling. I've heard tumblr mobile can be troublesome at times. Fortunately, I'm working on the twst masterlist, so soon there will be a place to find my twst stories with ease and without having to scroll a lot! (≡^∇^≡)

As for if I will ever make an oc, I actually have lots of ocs and I have been creating them for as long as I can remember!! I'm very passionate about creating original characters, and I often write stories/concepts for the yandere ocs I have. But I never post any of it here because I don't know if anyone would be interested to read something outside of genshin/twst/hsr. ^^;;; ironically enough, I wrote fifty pages for a story about a yandere!shark mer in captivity during the pandemic. And now here I am writing lots for three merfolk from the hit mobile game Twisted Wonderland!!! lol

[uselesstaroth]

I thought about drawing for this but it brings me pain so I'm not gonna.

Anyway, have one of the scrapped plotlines for An Early Shadow before I settled on what's actually going to happen, ft. Eclipse the Darkling

Warning: blood

——————————————

"What am I doing?"

Were the words Miles could muster at that moment, trekking through that swamp with danger at every corner, looking for the most dangerous thing in it.

"Looking for answers, that's what."

He reassured himself. Checking, double and triple checking that no one was following, spying or surveiling him. Thank goodness he made the Miles Electric waterproof.

Although finding the spot of the crashed shuttle was easy for him, he hasn't had to hunt in years, even before Shadow took him in, so there's no doubt that his target would find him first. He just hoped the inevitable attack would be gracious enough for him to get his questions out.

He left every weapon at home, came completely unarmed, didn't even bring an emerald, anything to eliminate any indication that he might be a threat, to maybe, just maybe be able to have a normal conversation.

Although it did make the trek way harder than it needed, and he was pretty much defenseless if his target decided to fight to kill, and he did have four Wisp-like Dark Arms with him...

"What am I doing."

A quick smack on the head with the Miles Electric in frustration with the sheer lack of forethought of this ill-advised plan.

woosh

Something flew by.

rustle

Something's in the bushes.

Miles can't decide if he hopes it's Eclipse, or just a bird. Although birds don't fly that fast this deep in the woods.

fwash

It came from behind him.

"You people just can't leave me alone."

Miles braced for impact, but was sent flying towards a tree anyway, the impact nearly knocking his lights out. He looked up at his assailant, indeed the person he was looking for.

"It's just me, Eclipse, there's no one else!"

That did not have the effect Miles expected.

"Sucks to be you!"

The cyan-eyed Dark Arm joined with Eclipse, giving cyan "gloves" with an eye at the palm, just like Shadow described, and just like Shadow described, not getting hit by it was supremely important, as it blew the tree behind into a thousand pieces.

"I JUST WANT TO TALK!"

"You have nothing to say to me."

No but you do! Was Miles' thought while dodging those blasts. It was shockingly easy, which was enough of a sign that his efforts to be non-threatening just gave Eclipse the opportunity to toy with him.

"Why did you even come here if you're so weak and defenseless?"

"I don't want to fight you! I need to ask you something!"

"Oh really?"

Eclipse warped again, this time right in front of Miles, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against another tree.

"I'm all ears."

"...... I-"

Eclipse's grip was far too tight for any words to actually get out, leaving Miles struggling to breathe and out of options.

"What's wrong, cat got your tongue?"

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Miles reached up to one of the branches of the tree, not grabbing it, but using it to remove his glove and bring it to Eclipse's hand.

"How's is taking off your glove going to-"

CRUNCH

Eclipse thought the kid bit his hand in a desperate attempt to release his grip. But he didn't feel pain, despite the feeling of liquid going down his hand.

It... It was the kid's own hand...

It's a trick. It has to he a trick. There's no way his eyes aren't playing tricks on him. The kid fell to the ground as Eclipse walked back in shock, and the kid's unsteady breathing, the tears streaming down his face, and the clear effort he was making not to audibly cry... It was for real.

But it can't be.

"Eclipse..."

It's the wrong color.

"What's happening to me?!"

——————————————

YAAAAAAY! BLACK ARMS TAILS!

This is scrapped cuz this was gonna be the reveal, and that's gonna happen soooo much sooner than Eclipse being stranded on Earth, but this was the first version of things.

The first time I've written something on Tumblr, it's pretty cool. Looks very different from most things I've done because dialogues are their own lines which I kind of liked. I usually change paragraph placement (left, middle or right) liberally, and not having that option is throwing me for a loop lmao

If you wanna know why the hell Tails might be a Black Arms hybrid, check out An Early Shadow Part 3 on AO3 and see if you can see it! (And the other parts too, I really like them...)

[echantedtoon]

Spot On

A dalmatian can't ever change his spots but perhaps he can change his heart.

(I own nothing/Everything belongs to Disney. Coverart not mine and found on Pinterest. It's a bit au-ish but meh.)

(This takes place following the plot of the first live action 101 Dalmatians and not the animated movie and Dalmatia is Cruella's assistant. And I mean the first live action movie only. Not any other live action version.)

House of De Vil.

The most recognizable fashion house ever built then, now, or since. No one could even think to challenge the fashion icon known to all as Cruella De Vil. Hence the name of the brand. You couldn't mistake her identity and who would want to? Not him really. No, no,no. Why would he want to anyways? She paid him so well for all of the hard work he proved to her that he could do. Any task he was given he'd do it and be completely done by the end of the week if not by the next day considering how much work he had to do. Which included walking through the House of De Vil and making sure that everyone was in tiptop shape. 

"Good morning, Mr. Dalmatia."

"Mr. Alonzo."

The nervous man was going over call after call scrambling to answer them in time to answer the next one that just arrived on another line. Poor nervous man. He always seemed like a second away from a nervous breakdown. Perhaps he'll put him down for a raise...if he finished all those calls before the end of the day. Most everyone jumped up as he walked in through the doors expecting Mrs. De Vil no doubt but finding him instead. Some looked relieved and went back to work quickly and others looked horrified. If he was here then their Boss Lady wouldn't be too far behind. 

"Good morning, Mr. Dalmatia."

"Hello, Mr. Dalmatia."

"Hello, Sir!"

"Good morning! Good morning, Everybody!," he greeted with a smile and hand held up. "Hope you're all ready for a hard day's work!" His smile widened. "Because it's going to be HARD."

Dropped happy faces and groans greeted him as he just smiled and kept walking along. Might as well give them a heads up. It would help with production activity. Happy boss, more money for him. Maniquins wearing some of Ms. De Vil's favorite outfits was displayed on human shaped pedestals immortalized forever in these halls. He casually just glanced from side to side at everyone's work spaces as he passed by... Before stopping. He blinked before turning around on his heels and walking back to one work space that caught his attention.

Well, well. My oh my. What did we have here?

He stepped closer to inspect the person at work. A young ginger haired woman had her back to him sitting on a stool and was busy drawing away pen in hand. However it was what was under her hands that interested him. Under her delicate but hard working hands was a few papers. Some were obvious drawings but the one on top was actually the one that caught his eye. It was just a sketch of a random woman but the cloak she was drawn wearing was an interesting choice of design. He was seeing spots.

Literally. The design was spots.

His head tilted as he leaned closer spotting another detail by the papers. A dog of a certain black and white breed with spots that looked very similar to the ones drawn on the dress. He continued to watch in interest as she filled in a certain spot before the woman sensed that someone was actually behind her. She turned with a raised brow but jumped finding someone literally looking over her shoulder.

"OH! Mr. Dalmatia." She nervously fumbled to quickly take the paper to attempt to hide it under the others on her desk but froze as a red gloved hand was quick to pluck it off her desk before she could blink.

He held it up to his face and hummed looking it over carefully before looking back at her. "What an interesting design. I daresay it has a striking resemblance to your dog." He then turned his eyes back to the picture of the dog back onto desk. "What a charming dog."

She blinked at the compliment before shaking her head. "Oh. T-Thank you."

"Spots?"

"Yes. She's a dalmatian."

'' One of the most beautiful dog breeds. What's the charming creatures name?"

"P-Perdita."

"How cute." He finally handed the drawing back to her. "If you don't wish for Ms. De Vil to see that, I suggest hiding it much better and keeping your eyes open more." She slowly took it from him and he hummed. "You look familiar to me and I never forget a face. What might your name be?"

"Anita..Sir."

"Ah! Of course! Ms. De Vil's favorite designer." He smiled holding up a hand. "I told you I never forgot a face. Especially one quite as lovely as you." Her face immediately lit up a pink as he chuckled again. "I've heard so much about you and I've seen plenty of your work. You have talent."

"Oh?..T-Thank you."

"I knew we had fashion in common but I hadn't known we also loved the same animal."

"Dogs?"

"Dalmatians," he corrected.

Anita's face lit up surprised to hear that. "You like dalmatian, Mr. Dalmatia?"

"But of course! I grew up owning multiple of them even if I currently don't own any. Where did you think I got this idea from?" He gestured to his own coat with similar Dalmatian markings to the coat in the drawing.

She glanced at the coat he wore for a moment before looking away embarrassed. "Oh...A-Actually that..is where I had the idea to draw it from."

He perked up.  "You got the idea to draw your coat from mine?"

She nodded with a sigh. "Yes. A-Although I used Perdi's spots for the pattern. Silly isn't it?"

He ended up laughing at her much to her surprise. "Not at all, Dear Lady. I'm actually very flattered. It's not everyday that someone would be inspired by myself. In fact I'd love to hear more about your design ideas."

Her eyes widened to the size of plates. "R-Really?!"

He chuckled again nodding. "Are you free tomorrow? We can go for a walk and chat about those current drawings you have. I'm sure Ms. De Vil would also be pleased to see it. And I do love going for walks in the fresh air."

That was almost three months ago now.

The rain was coming down nicely in rhythm as the tiny droplets rained from the sky filled with grey clouds. He just hummed watching as it all came down. Listening to the rain and thunder being lit up by the occasional lightning strike. He hummed peering from under the awning before pulling back his sleeve to check the gold watch planted there. Hm. She was three minutes late. Although he hummed again and looked up as the clicking footsteps of heels and dog claws approached. A sheepish smile from a lovely lady greeted him. A black and white umbrella over her head.

"Mr. Dalmatia. I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting."

"Ah. Ms. Anita. Fashionably late I see. Hello Ms. Perdi." He cooed and reached over to pet the sweet Dalmation's head who wagged her tail happy to see him. "You both look as lovely as ever. Now..I do believe you owe me a walk with such two beautiful ladies ~" He leaned back up and offered his arm to her. "Shall we then? Oh! Allow me." 

He kindly reached out to take her umbrella and held it up over them both freeing one of her hands. Chuckling sheepishly she slowly took his arm and together the two walked off shielded from the rain by the blur of black and white.

[midrashic]

self-rec meme. reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass it on to at least five other writers.

tagged by the glorious, the incredible, the inimitable @x-populuxe, whose fics you should check out immediately, starting with their favorites. everytime i see a new populuxe story @ikeracity​ & i throw a little party on discord. my examples are not so illustrious & also come embarrassingly close to the meme i did in 2021 about the fics i was proudest of having written in 2020! but here they are regardless.

KATABASIS

supernatural | destiel | 47k

Fortunately for the newly-condemned Dean Winchester, there's more than one way to resurrect an angel. Love, hell, and other myths.

originally for 2016 deancas reverse bang | this still might be my magnum opus, actually. it was my first moderately long fic, took me two years to finish (obviously, it did not get posted for the reverse bang), & gave me fits, & i still love what i did with the symbolism, the many layers of references, & dean’s voice. too bad none of my friends will touch supernatural with a ten-foot pole 😢 i mean. not that i blame them.

THE LAST LOVE SONG & TESTAMENT OF CHARLES F. XAVIER

x-men | cherik | 20k

When Erik is accused of domestic terrorism, Charles has no choice but to marry him to keep him out of jail.

for cherik week 2020 | actually i was on the fence about this one! ike almost had to bully me into picking a fifth fic at all, even though i felt the top tier of my fics was really only represented by four. then i remembered that erik likes starbucks pink drinks & count chocula cereal in this fic and was like. you know what? you did a good job with this.

A KRITIK OF PURE REASON

x-men | cherik | 27k

Texas: When Erik and Charles collide during their senior year of high school, they swiftly find out they make the perfect debate partners. But as secrets come out—and as they draw inexorably closer—more turns out to be at stake than the State championship.

for x-men remix 2020 | i’ve wanted to write a debate au since 2014, which i know because that’s when sherlock s3 aired & my first version of this plot was with sherlock & john. policy debate is--difficult--to explain to people who didn’t debate; it’s not so much debate as it is a highly ordered logic game, something rather like verbal chess--obviously charles & erik would’ve loved it. i’m extremely proud of all the comments that said that i somehow managed to make it comprehensible (with thanks to ben lerner, who also did policy debate in high school, & whose book the topeka school, in which he described spreading at the time of its invention, convinced me it was not in fact impossible to describe adequately), but what i really love about this fic is that it’s so! nostalgic! i poured the best parts of my adolescence into this fic & rereading it is reliving it.

AN AMATEUR PSYCHIC’S GUIDE TO REMEMBERING WHAT WAS LOST

x-men | cherik | 32k

Hong Kong, 2011. Erik Lehnsherr lives in limbo: scrounging up money to pay rent from gambling dens or the scrapyard, not using his psychic powers, not dealing with his PTSD. When a teenage fellow psychic shows up at his shithole apartment with a get-rich-quick scheme, he's pulled into a world he thought he left behind—a world of brutal powers, deadly government experiments, and a mysterious man with a suitcase who is going to change his life… again.

for cherik big bang 2020 | for a fusion with the terrible 2009 chris evans movie push, this still holds up! i keep going back to this again & again despite it being one of my least popular with the masses. i ended up really loving some of the side characters that i don’t normally play with, like irene & daken, and erik’s flashback to his romance with charles is one of my favorite portraits of a romance i’ve ever written. this was the last really action-packed thing i wrote, & i forgot how much i loved doing the pacing & the scene headings. i’ve gotta get back to long fics soon!

AS CLOSE TO HELL

james bond (craig movies) | 00q | 19k

O then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do. They pray: grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. —Romeo, Romeo & Juliet I.v.114-115 Or: Another day, another haunted house. But this time, it's James's.

for 007fest 2020 | a month ago, i don’t know if any james bond fic would’ve made this list, but honestly, the epistolary elements--as close as i’ve ever gotten (so far!) to writing the epistolary fic of my dreams--& a few of the lines from the final confrontation are, i think, some of my best! also, solomon the ghost cat: best oc of all time? perhaps.

tagging! @ikeracity, @insertmeaningfulusername, @castillon02, @redring91, & @lavender-lotion.

[raitrolling]

If You Wanna Get Well

[Easy reading version on Toyhou.se]

“And… There!”

With a flick of his hand, Velour had made the long strip of fabric he was holding disappear - to the naked eye, at least. The scrap still existed, he could still feel it between his fingers, but he knew the moment he let go he would be unable to find it without blindly running his hands across the floor until the spell wore away. He estimated that with the amount of magic he has and how much power he put into this spell, it would not wear off for a couple hours at minimum. Which is more than enough for what he needed such a spell for.

Viltau, who was currently seated on the cuspblood’s couch, gave a polite applause. 

“Very good! Is this for another one of Hanabi’s challenges, I presume? Or, perhaps a venture into tailoring clothes fit to swindle an emperor?” He says, with a slight joking tone. 

Velour laughs a little. “Oh, no, you got it right the first time. I’ve been set up to try and trick Hanabi once again to prove that I’ve been working on my magic, so what I had been thinking was that I’d construct an invisible yarn maze in one of the rooms! Something that might trip her up, but not be too dangerous if someone else got caught in it?”

Viltau nods, interested. He wouldn’t have expected such an idea from Velour, given that it sounded more like something out of his own playbook… Albeit in a much more family-friendly manner than some of the mazes he has constructed. For one, yarn is less deadly than razor wire. And, it was becoming more abundantly clear why he had been invited over to witness the kitsune troll’s latest magic trick, as it sounded like something he would need a helping hand to complete.

Luckily for Velour, constructing mazes was something Viltau enjoyed quite a bit. And luckily for Viltau, he now had a reason to bring up something important. Something that had been brought up in a conversation with Jikiro, that could threaten to drive a wedge between Velour and his moirail.

That is, the fact that Jamie had been getting a little too chummy with Liiore, something that he knew would upset Velour. 

“I see, that does sound like it could work,” The indigoblood begins, naturally starting to guide the conversation towards his goal. “One would require a large amount of yarn, for starters, as well as some means to fasten them in place. Taping them to the walls would be much too flimsy, and tying them to furniture would render the whole maze useless when one simply needs to move them out of the way. Perhaps a series of hooks could work, the kind that are stuck to the walls rather than drilled in, and would also have to be made invisible so as to not draw suspicion. And then there is the issue of making sure no one else enters the room while the maze is being set up, as this is often a job that requires multiple hours to construct.”

Velour, of course, had already thought of all those factors, but he knew that once his friend became interested in brainstorming an idea out loud, it was near impossible to interject. Once he had finished talking, the cuspblood clapped his hands together and grinned.

“Exactly! And that’s where you come in! Ah, if you have the time and want to, of course.”

Viltau smiled back, then replied with a nod. “Of course, I do have quite a lot of experience in the art of maze building. Which room were you planning on transforming into your personal prank paradise? I could draw up a quick map of the room so we can decide the perfect angles to string up the yar-”

“Well, actually…” Velour looked a little sheepish. “I was just going to ask if you could, ah, distract Jikiro and Hanabi while I put it together myself.”

“Ah.”

Viltau looked disappointed for a moment, but quickly got over it. Transforming a room into an entertainment space to suit a client’s needs may be what he does best, but distracting his matesprit for a couple hours while keeping an eye on his lusus is a close second. And he should have expected such a request from Velour, given the cuspblood’s insistence of doing everything on his own, no matter how insane the workload may be. That’s fine with him, he can play the part of a decoy.

“Fine, I’ll accept your proposal,” The indigoblood nodded, “But, in return, I’d like you to do something for me as well.”

“Ah, sure. And that is…?” Velour tilted his head slightly, and raised an eyebrow. He was immediately suspicious, as he could tell from Viltau’s smirk that he would not like what this request may be.

Viltau leaned forward in his seat, staring directly at the other troll with a sly smile.

“Well, a little birdie told me of a predicament you’ve found yourself in. Something starting with an ‘L’, and ending with an ‘iiore’?”

Velour froze. Viltau continued.

“Now, it is hardly my place to ask you to make amends with someone who I know very well is a sore spot with you. In fact, I likely know better than anyone in the group what happened between the two of you, and I hardly know a single thing. And that sounds like a problem, no? Especially when it is not I who has managed to find myself in a close friendship with him. Would it not be in your best interest to speak with your moirail about it?”

Velour suddenly wished he could use his new invisibility spell on himself. He cast his gaze downward, staring at where the invisible piece of fabric should be in his hands.

“Ah, well, he did mention that he had befriended Liiore recently, but…” He looks back up, waving a hand in a reassuring manner, although the sad look in his eye betrayed the gesture. “I told him it’s fine! He’s allowed to have friends, and you’re right, I can’t make amends. So… I can just be glad that Liiore has someone looking out for him, and that Jamie is finding more people who will treat him kindly. It’s nice that they’re happy, really.”

“But, are you happy?” 

Viltau’s tone was neutral, with a slight inquisitive edge to it, but that simple sentence cut deep. 

The kitsune troll looked tense, shoulders stiffening and averting his eyes from the troll on the couch. He opened his mouth, as if to speak, but then refrained. That alone was enough of an answer for Viltau. 

“I know what you’re like, and if you keep bottling it up like this you’re going to end up with far more trouble than it was ever worth. And I, personally, would rather not see Jikiro upset that his friends are going through a rough patch, he’s got more than enough on his plate already.” The indigoblood frowns for a moment, then returns to his usual light yet unreadable tone. “So, if you want me to help you with your magic studies, then I want you to help yourself first. After all, a moirail’s job is to listen to everything that troubles their partner, and then assist them with continuing to grow as a person, no? And one cannot grow if they stay firmly rooted in the past, chasing after an impossible love that is now far out of their reach.”

Velour remained quiet for a moment. He knew Viltau was right, but more importantly that he would not be requesting him to do such a thing if he didn’t think there’d be major consequences. He only gets involved with other people’s business if it affects him or the things he cares about personally. The cuspblood sighed, relaxing his shoulders slightly.

“Well… You’re right, I should. I’m just… Scared, that if I told him what I was like before meeting him, and what I’d done to people I called my friends, that he’d start hating me too. And, I don’t want to ruin what I have with him, I’ve ruined so many other friendships already, and he’s also been through so much…” He continues to not give Viltau any eye contact, and his voice remains at almost a murmur.

“And how do you know that?”

“Huh? Well, he’s told me some of the things that’s happened to him, so-”

“No. How do you know that he’ll hate you for what you’ve done? I cannot make any judgment calls because you have not told me what occurred between yourself and Liiore, and he cannot do the same either. Only one troll in our group is a mind reader, and even they only appear to pick up other people’s thoughts at random. And, it is not as if he wasn’t already aware that his dear moirail enjoys hustling money from his fans.” Viltau smirked making that last comment, and Velour flinched. 

Viltau could be relentless when he knew that was the most effective method of convincing others. Velour knew that well, and also knew that he was fighting a losing battle. If he wanted Viltau’s assistance, then he would have to do what was asked of him, and if he didn’t do it, then he’d risk his magic tricks not going as planned and then having to start from square one with Hanabi. And it was true, he didn’t know how Jamie would react, but he did know that the blueblood is already accepting enough of his flaws to want to be his moirail in the first place. There really was no reason to keep hiding it from him other than his own fears about things he cannot control. 

And… If he just let these feelings that sit in the pit of his stomach fester, those bubbling moments of envy and sadness over the fact his moirail can be so close to his old flushcrush when he cannot, then he knew it could get ugly. If he could get this off his chest, maybe he really could…

“Okay, I’ll… I’ll tell him.” Velour finally looked back up at his friend, with an expression that appeared to be one of determination, albeit diluted by his many other anxieties. “But, if anything goes wrong, could you, maybe, ah… keep helping me out? Since, well, you know… The infighting would affect your own entertainment as well, if we couldn’t have group hang-outs again, like what happened last time.”

The kitsune troll’s slight cheeky smile made Viltau snort and shake his head, amused. How that man manages to trick so many fans into giving him money is beyond him, when he struggles this much at trying to use Viltau’s own tactics against him. But, perhaps that really is his modus operandi: Endearing people into agreeing with his silly requests. 

“Of course, you have my word.”

[and-stir-the-stars]

For the ask game, I'm curious about 6 & 8 in general, and 9 for By Cain's Own Hand. ~Dire Kumori

6. What character(s) do you find most difficult to write?

William, kinda? I have an idea of what I want William to be: a man obsessed with image and control, a man who must be in control or at least APPEAR to be in control at all times; a man who must be the one with the power in any situation; he loves his children but only as extensions of himself, his power, and his own accomplishments; a quick-minded manipulator who can both sit back and watch things play out and be the one pulling the strings the whole time. I just don't really know how to take that idea and make a believable person out of it yet. That's why he's been so "conveniently absent" in My Brother My Wound as of yet.

Buuut, I haven't actually written William yet, so he can't really be my answer, can he? So, I'd have to say Elizabeth. I have difficulty writing her because... well, to be honest, my whole Thing in fandom is "choose one character and completely obsess over them with everything I have" and that one character is very obviously Evan. For fnaf more than any other fandom I've been in, I usually care about characters other than my Comfort Character in terms of how they relate to my Comfort Character (my CC if you will, lmao). It's easy to care about Michael because his and Evan's stories are so hopelessly intertwined, but there's been no semblance or suggestion as to the kind of relationship Liz and Evan had/might have had in canon, as far as I'm aware. That gives me a sort of double whammy in terms of having difficulty writing Liz because 1) she's not clearly connected to Evan despite being his literal sister, and 2) I have no canon to draw ideas from in how to present their relationship even in the times when I WANT to write Liz. I have to rely heavily on other fanon interpretations of her character, which feels like stealing tbh. It's hard to be excited to write a character with a stolen personality.

8. Which fic or hc do you feel the most proud of?

Ack, asking to me to feel positive emotions about myself and my work? How cruel of you; I have too much anxiety for that :/ (<- complains about the ask game I myself created)

I'd have to say I'm the most proud of the Dire Consequences, Springlocked Mike, and Silent Protector aus, because 1) they were originally based completely on my own ideas rather than being tweaks of other people's aus, and 2) they've gotten so much attention from other people, oh my god. Literally everything from chaotic DMs at midnight to one-shots written at two in the morning to (multiple!) comics and fanarts. It's genuinely... so much (/pos). I'm literally just a Little Guy, yk?

9. What scene in BCOH took the longest to write, and why?

I'd say the hardest thing to write was the beginning sequence in chapter 2. It ended up being completely different in my hesitant outline.

I wanted that chapter to start with some of the anger Evan has been unknowingly feeling finally being unleashed. In my hesitant outline, I actually had the thing that pushes Evan over the edge written as Mike asking Evan about seeing Liz almost die to Circus Baby.

Before writing chapter two, I noticed that Evan and Mike actually have a bit of a parallel: in my version of the canon game timeline, Evan feels guilty for not being able to stop things when he watched Circus Baby kill Elizabeth, and Michael too feels guilty after he watches (well, is the contributing factor) in Evan dying to Fredbear.

At first, i wanted to make a reference to this parallel in the Nest Torn Empty verse. I wanted Mike to ask Evan in a fit of hopeless desperation how Evan could have possibly dealt with the guilt of almost watching Liz die to Circus Baby (not that Michael really believes Evan's "tall-tale" about Liz almost dying, but he knows Evan believes it) since Mike is having so much trouble dealing with Evan's almost-death himself. Only Evan misinterprets Mike's questioning as Michael making fun of him for being scared of the animatronics, and after almost dying to one at Michael's hands, Evan snaps.

This idea didn't work for... several reasons, and I ended up scrapping it entirely.

One reason is that yeah, this parallel exists, but I only noticed it because I'm a fic author/reader who was looking at Mike and Evan's stories as just that: a story. Michael wouldn't be looking at his and Ev's lives in the same way. Michael isn't introspective enough for that, especially not at this age. But the most obvious reason is that Liz ISN'T dead in this story, so Evan doesn't feel guilty about not being able to stop Liz's death. And, I don't know, something fundamental about the idea just didn't work.

I tried to think of another version of events that could make Evan upset enough to have him yell at Michael to leave. I couldn't really think of anything, though.

But, I did already have the Hell Scene (where Evan asks what Hell is like because some part of him thinks Mike wanted to send him there) already written out. The Hell Scene was one of those ideas I really liked but wasn't sure yet where to fit in the timeline, so I wrote it out while I still had the motivation and excitement to write it. I kinda thought that I wanted the Hell Scene to come later in the timeline while I was writing it. And I wanted to drag out the dynamic of Evan believing Michael wanted him dead and Michael being unaware of that detail for way longer by not having Evan mention the hell thing until sometime after the Stairs Scene.

But I decided to move the Hell Scene to the beginning of chapter 2, and then having Michael realize "wait, my little brother really thinks I wanted him dead" just seemed like it should naturally fall after the Stairs Scene, where Evan genuinely thinks Michael would have thrown him down the steps.

I think replacing the Circus Baby thing with the Hell Scene worked a lot better, although the hell thing was rather abrupt since I could no longer go back and plant seeds to foreshadow that Evan had been thinking about hell after moving the scene back so much in the timeline.

@dire-kumori

[softsnzstuff]

6,7,8,10 (sorry it’s a lot!!) for doctor Eddie and nurse Steve?

Hey, no I love answering things so thank you for sending!! ❤️❤️ KB

6. Feelings/habits surrounding medicine? What about doctors?

Well they’re both in the medical practice so they def trust doctors and medicine. That being said, it doesn’t mean they like them. Steve totally is all for doctors and stuff unless it’s himself. If he’s sick, he does not like being “doctored” by Eddie. In terms of medicine, Steve has no problem drugging himself up so he can keep working.

I feel like Eddie is a less extreme version of the “You know all it does is make you feel better” in terms of OTC medication. He will fall back on it if he needs to but he personally will try not to. Eddie like will not see other doctors. He’s very much a do it himself kind of guy. Doesn’t want to appear “weak”. If anything he’ll let Nancy or Steve do a quick look over but he doesn’t like going to see other MD’s.

7. Do they have any obvious/visible tells when they’re unwell? If yes, do they know about these tells themselves?

Eddie gets a lot more sassy. Very quick witted and low tolerance for BS. He reacts that way because he feels crummy. If you caught him when he thought he was alone you’d see he’s actually drained of energy and very tired and that’s usually a sign somethings off. He knows he’s being sassy but he can’t really stop himself.

Steve will be a lot more quiet? He does the whole faking being well so he can work more schtick every god damn time so he’ll try to not talk as much so no one can hear how congested or raspy he sounds. I also feel like his sneezes are different when he’s sick. Like regular ones are more loud for sure and mostly singles, but I think when he’s sick I feel like they’re more fittish. I don’t think Steve actively knows that this is a tell, but Robin has known him for so long, she’s way too familiar with this song and dance.

8. What do they find more irritating, a bad cough or a frequently recurring urge to sneeze?

OOF good question. For Eddie I think the recurring urge to sneeze would be worse. He sneezes in triples and already dislikes the entire “bless you Doctor rockstar” running joke. I think he’d get embarrassed or annoyed way too easily.

Steve, however, is already a v sneezy fellow. I think for him a bad cough would be more irritating. It would probably mess up his voice and he had to do a lot of talking with the patients before Eddie, Billy or Nancy go and see them.

10. How do they respond to someone blessing them? (The other blesscanons question.)

Nothing too fancy here. Usually just a simple “thank you”.

Although Robin got the entire staff to start saying “Bless you Doctor Rockstar” in unison whenever Eddie sneezes because he hates drawing attention to himself. So sometimes if it’s been going on for a while and he’s cranky he might say something less polite.

[sos-amchespin-sendhelp]

We are passing through an unexpectedly strong hot spot, but I am only halfway through that longpost I promised, so I'm left in the awkward predicament of feeling like I need to post something.

Auburn, quick on the draw as always, recommended that I clear up potential confusion regarding my case of retrograde amnesia. It would also serve as a way to get my thoughts in order. Then the Pikachu went back to performing calculations using that abacus with the colored beads he carries around everywhere.

I think he might be close to a breakthrough on understanding the generation algorithm of Zero Isle West, or perhaps he's muttering a lot because he still isn't over that "isekai" debate we had earlier.

He's truly been a wonder, y'know. Auburn was the one who actually deduced that I must have entered the "Pokémon World" (stupid name) a full year before my amnesiac state triggered. A full year, with an unknown version of myself with an unknown agenda running around doing heaven knows what. The primary aim of our investigations (under the somewhat distrustful eye of the Exploration Team Federation) is to retrace my past self's steps backward, find out what he was doing, why, and hopefully figure out what I'm doing here to begin with.

Our findings thus far, which I shan't get into for brevity's sake, are fraught with anguished concern and triumph alike. The ratio between the two is slipping in the direction of the former. I no longer hold much value in the thought of regaining lost memories. Truthfully, I can't bring myself to think I was a very nice person at all.

That glassblower's death was too ill-timed to be anything but purposeful.

(Auburn just told me to snap out of my funk. He barely even looked up from scribbling with his egregiously grandiose feather quill to reognize and reorient my train of thought. How does he do shit like that?)

Our long-winding trail has at last, at last, brought us to Zero Isle, where the three of us — that being Leland, Auburn, and I — came upon this phone, and the WiFi hotspots that form and vanish around Zero Isle inexplicably like air bubbles escaping hot broth.

(I still don't know why other people in this situation have better WiFi than me.)

The caravan we are travelling with is a means to an end. You are entering our story as it draws to a close. Theirs is just starting, and holy shit I do not want to stick around for when that grand tale kicks into high gear; it's fucking mind-mulching as it is. Like In the Mountains of Madness and that one flat-earth documentary laid an egg and it hatched all wonky. Someone get me off this caravan before it explodes.