#and drawing this helped me get back into the swing of things after my art block.

[arcadeplayer-nickonz]

Now presenting.. Alastor the Radio Demon 🎙️

[ushys]

⸻ miles morales as your boyfriend (earth 1610)

a/n: omfg the chokehold this gif has on me- anyway you guys do not understand how much love i have for this sweet boy 🥹 deserves the world idc idc.

- fluff, no nsfw bc he is a minor, afab reader (lmk if you guys want gn, male)

MILES LOVES drawing you. you’re perfect in his eyes and he could draw only you for all of eternity and he wouldn’t complain at all. everything about you was beautiful to him and he made sure he captured every beautiful detail you have on to his drawings.

MILES is the type to send you cute (your favorite animal) videos on tiktok because he knows how much you love em and all he wants to do is to make you happy.

WILL introduce you to his family and is happy when he finds out how easily you and his parents got along. you got along with his mom so well that sometimes you’d visit their house and mostly talk ‘chisme’ with her the entire time (he gets jealous-)

AFTER an argument, he stops by your window and drops you off flowers with a little cute note apologizing. he doesn’t know if you would want to see him at that moment so he gives you time to cool off and give you some space. he replies immediately if you were to call or text him ready to talk again due to how much he hates wasting time not talking to you.

HE likes showing you off to anyone. his friends? yes. his family? yes. strangers on the street? yes. he can’t help it if he’s madly in love.

WHEN he revealed to you that he was spider-man, he was scared that you were going to be mad at him for keeping this a secret from him for a very long time. he thought that you were going to think that he didn’t “trust” you but when you were actually ecstatic finding out instead of upset, his worries all vanished as he smiled and hugged you.

WILL have a whole playlist dedicated to you. he likes to listen to that playlist when you aren’t with him, yk so he could daydream.

IS completely oblivious when you’re jealous. if you catch him talking to another girl who is clearly into him, you’d be upset in which miles would ask you about but you would just mumble “it’s nothing”. hearing this, miles thinks back to the entire morning wondering if he did something to make you upset. when you finally tell him, he quickly reassures you and says “i don’t feel anything towards any other girl who isn’t you. i love you and only you ma.”

IF it’s late at night and you can’t fall asleep, miles would come over with his spider-man suit on and picks you up, and swings to different buildings. then, you guys would land on a rooftop with a clear and beautiful view of the city at night and by the edge you guys would sit down, while miles pulls you in close to him, head on his shoulder, admiring the sight of the skyline. “it’s so pretty” you say. “not as pretty as you cariño”

MILES used to think that pet names were lowk cringey, but when he started dating you, everything changed. now, he calls you “mi amor” “baby” “my love” “cariño” “preciosa” “babe”

HE can not flirt if he wanted to flirt on purpose. he gets awkward and shy like 🫣🫣 this one time before you guys started dating, he wanted to make a move on you by saying “hey y/n, a-are you fr-from tennessee? cause you’re the 1 f-for me- wait no that’s not right, wait what was it again? i u-uh never mind.” and he scurried off before you could even say anything. “the fuck-“

WHEN you guys go on the train, he would pull out his airpods and give you one of them while you guys listen to one of his playlists (ahem the playlist he made for you but shh you don’t know that.)

IF you don’t do graffiti art, miles will take you to one of his secret locations and teach you how to draw certain things and praises you for trying your best. once you get better at it, you guys start going to his secret location more often and you guys just spend hours spray painting.

LOVES LOVES LOVES cuddling with you. literally one of his favorite things to do with you. he loves just having you in his arms knowing you are safe and sound with him. your soft and warm skin making him wanting to fall asleep because of how comforting it feels to just have you there with him. what he loves the most is having your arms around him holding him close while his head lays on your chest, listening in to your heartbeat knowing you really are there with him and that you are his and he is yours.

TAKES random and silly pictures of you just to send them later to you after you guys hung out and texts you saying “this one is my favorite.”

HAS a picture of you on his lock screen and his home screen.

that’s all for today, im tired and imma go and day dream about this boy :p

[gildedoak]

When I was rewatching the 1989 Little Mermaid earlier this year, I watched the fire reach the kegs marked "Powder" and I went, "Oh hey look, it's a Fluffernutter!"

So I had to draw it. Skipped a few frames, but I enjoyed the practice!

The Mighty Nein have such bad luck with their ships. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE MIGHTY NEIN ANIMATED SERIES - I TEAR UP EVERY TIME I SEE THE COMMERCIAL.

Image descriptions and a small rant below the cut!

[Image Description Start: a sketchy series of Mighty Nein (Xhorhas outfits from Level 10) storyboards mimicking Eric's ship crashing in the 1989 Little Mermaid.

PICTURE ONE: Panel 1: Beau and Caleb stand aboard a ship as the clouds beyond grow darker and a bolt of lightning streaks across the sky.

Panel 2: "STAND FAST! SECURE THE RIGGING!" Yasha yells from above.

Panel 3: Another bolt of lightning hits the mainmast, and the sails catch fire.

Panel 4: "JUMP NOTT! JUMP!" Caleb stands amid the pouring rain, holding his arms upward.

Panel 5: "YASHA - YASHA HELP!" "I got you! Hold on!" Nott flounders in the water next to the lifeboat, and Yasha scoops her up in one giant arm.

Panel 6: Caleb tugs at his leg, his foot stuck in a broken part of the deck. The fire is spreading around him, and the rain continues to pour in torrents.

Panel 7: "CALEB!" Caduceus, Jester and Nott look up from the lifeboat.

Panel 8: Caleb turns to look back, as the fire reaches the quarter deck.

Panel 9: Two kegs marked "Fluffernutter" in Jester's calligraphy and the Tusktooth logo start to catch fire.

Panel 10: The deck of the ship explodes.

Panel 11: Yasha, Beau, Caduceus, Jester and Nott gape in horror, the light of the explosion illuminating their faces.

Panel 12: In the water below, Fjord gasps.

PICTURE TWO: Uk'otoa the Sea Serpent rises up above the waves, his multiple eyes glowing in the darkness. "SO MUCH FOR TRUE LOVE!!"

End Image Description]

TRIGGER WARNING FOR A SHORT DISCUSSION OF HOSPITALIZATION AND SURGERY

Soooo the last half of this year was a freakin' STRUGGLE. I got into a car accident in August, which then triggered a hiatal hernia that led to me getting emergency stomach surgery. I swear it was one thing after another for WEEKS, and I was exhausted. Thankfully, I didn't have any loss of motor function, but I didn't do art for a solid three months. My creativity was at an all-time low, and I was focused on mastering walking around on crutches more than I was at holding a pencil.

Getting back into the swing of it was a little shaky, but it's improving! Hoping to do more art and posting it online. Expect more doodly sketches this coming year instead of finished pieces. But also, look for new designs coming to my RedBubble account!

[riddle-me-ri]

A/N: honestly didnt think I would come up with another astv fic so quick after the first one lmao but I got inspired for this scenario based on the overall consensus struggle artists are having drawing Miguel (me included asdfhjk). I was stuck between doing a drabble or a list of headcanons and doing some other characters as well. But I decided to keep it simple for now, but if you guys would like to see headcanons of the other characters reacting to you drawing them, feel free to let me know and tell me about any other ideas you guys may have!

Trigger Warning: none

Word Count: 795

Miguel O'Hara x Reader - Drawing Practice

Being a part of the Spider Society definitely had it’s perks and setbacks. 

Yeah, it can be stressful, exhausting, and anxiety inducing. Honestly, that just came with being a Spider-person in general. 

On the plus side, it was nice to be a part of something so extraordinary. Just when you started to feel lonely, you were soon thrusted into this whole other universe of other walks of life that were like you. 

Which easily kept you inspired for your art. You had a plethora of finished sketchbooks, scrapbooks of your drawings you did on notepads, napkins, and other materials. 

When you weren’t on missions in your own universe or serving as backup for an anomaly mishap, you were likely swinging around the headquarters looking for your next subject. (Not to mention there was no angle quite like the one you could get hanging upside down…)

During one of the more calmer days, you were sifting through your latest sketchbook. It was almost full. Mostly consisting of whatever caught your eyes, some new environments from different universes, and all sorts of different Spider personas. 

Well, most of them anyway. There was still probably many more you have yet to see…or one in particular you see almost every day. 

Spiderman 2099 a.k.a. Miguel O’Hara a.k.a. The guy that founded and ran this whole thing. He’s also Mr. Tall, Dark, and Intimidating…and handsome…but mostly intimidating.

You rarely spoke to him outside of certain missions where he requested you for back-up or for any sort of follow-up meeting. 

You definitely can't forget his face though…perhaps you could draw from memory? Maybe start from his mask and go from there? It can't be too hard. It's not like he's ever gonna see it anyway, and besides how are you going to draw everyone else but him? 

You got comfortable at a nearby corner seat in the food court area. You took a deep breath and started sketching. 

The more you sketched the more all the hustle and bustle started to fade away. It was you and the sketchpad. You could almost hear the pencil scrape the paper and the thumps whenever you had to erase something with your eraser.

Some significant time had gone by, and a certain leader was looking for you. Yet you didn't have the slightest clue. 

Miguel cleared his throat to get your attention properly and you almost jumped to the ceiling. 

"Oh, uh…hi, Miguel…w-what's up?" You really wanted to ask how long he was there. And damn your hyperfocus for interfering with your spidey senses. 

You clutched the pad to your chest, trying to keep him from seeing what you were doing. You hoped he never even noticed. 

"I wanted to ask you about this new mission. If you wouldn't mind following me so we can discuss it in private?" 

"Uhh. Yeah. Okay, sure." You got up from your seat, still clutching your sketchbook like a lifeline in treacherous waters. 

As you followed behind him, you couldn't help but feel conflicted. 

On one hand you didn't want him to see and on the other you kinda wanted to know what he thought about them. Would he appreciate them? Would he think it was weird? It's not like it was just him, you drew all the Spiders…

"I like your drawings, by the way." He commented over his shoulder as you got closer to his desk. 

"Oh. Uh..uh thanks…" 

"Gotta admit, I've never had anyone draw me before…" Miguel mentioned.

"That was my first attempt, you're the only Spider I haven't drawn yet."

"Felt obligated to add me in with the others?" 

Before you could stop yourself, you said. "More like saving the best for last…" 

You both stopped simultaneously in your trek. Both of you were shocked at the sentiment. 

Miguel was far from perfect, despite how hard he tried to be perfect and in control. Despite his flaws and his cold aura. You admired his determination and dedication (even if it bit him more often than helped him.) 

He turned to face you, as if expecting you to take it back or say it was a joke.

"Really?" 

You nodded.

You couldn't help the soft swell in your chest when you saw the faintest hint of a smile grow to the side of his lips. 

You tried to train your eyes and brain to take a mental photo for later. 

You two started walking again in comfortable silence, until Miguel's voice perked up. 

"Although. I don't think I have that many wrinkles." He quipped. 

You quirked your eyebrow, questioningly. "With your stress?" 

Miguel nodded in a huff. "Fair enough. You should probably add more." 

You tried to refrain from giggling as he tried to refrain from smiling any wider. 

[melkintoyou]

cos i met you at my favourite store: Prologue

pairing: mark x fem!reader

genre: a full story fic, lots of disgusting, tooth rotting, fluff! college au, mark is a music major not suitable for minors

Prologue

16:24 pm | A book store

"Visual Methodologies... Visual Metho.. Visu..." You lowly chanted to yourself in the Fine Art section, as you searched for a book on visual methodologies. With deadlines approaching, you needed to get this essay done before the Christmas break. You slipped your beanie off in frustration and stood there for a second, taking in a deep breath and recollecting your thoughts. You have always been an over thinker, a natural worrier. This fuelled a lot of your hardships but it made your focus really good. Which meant, you would never leave the store without this book, because that was your mission today.

Your eyes continued scanning the shelves in front of you as you sipped your iced caramel macchiato. Yes. Even in the winter, you refused to drink hot coffee. Something about coffee being cold that does the job for you, as opposed to hot. "Oh SHIT!" You exclaimed, a little too loud, gaining some eyes on you. It was right there. Big red book, staring right at you. You took a breath of relief, as you went on your tippy toes, trying to grab it. Unable to reach, you felt a little embarrassed as your cheeks started to feel warm.

Although, everyone went back to minding their own business. You felt a pair of eyes still on you from the side. You noticed a boy trying to hold back his smirk as he cleared his throat, bringing his closed fist to his mouth. 'He's laughing at me.' You think to yourself, before shooting him a death stare.

"Uh do you need some help?" He asked turning to you as he rubbed the back of his neck, shyly. You can't help but get distracted from the mission by his big brown eyes.

"Yeah, actually, if that's okay.." You stepped aside to let him get between you and the shelf, reaching for the big red book.

"Is this the one you after?" He gestured to pick it up for your approval and you gave him a nod.

"Thank you so much, honestly. That's one thing off my list." You gave him a smile and took the book from his hands. You thought you must be going crazy or maybe it was caffeine. But you swore, as your hands touched, ever so lightly, you felt something in your stomach. You bit down on your bottom lip to keep you from smiling and looked to the floor, now visibly shy.

"So.. visual art huh?" He made conversation. Moving back to his original spot. "Yeah, I'm an art major.. I'm paying the school to draw" You joked, deflecting your insecurities about the path you have chosen.

"No dude that's great, I'm doing music, so I guess we're in the same boat." You both laughed until the laughter died down. Leaving only the silence, and the thick air of attraction between you both. The boy smiled, slowly swinging backwards and forwards on his heels and toes. You eagerly looked at him, waiting for him to ask for your name, number or something!

"Hey so I-" Before he could finish his sentence, your phone rang.

"Nessie! I'm outside, we have 5 minutes to make it to this evening class. LETS GO!" Your best friend, Aliyah on the line rushed you as she waited outside.

"Oh shit, I.. I've got to go..sorry.. urm.. thank you so much. so nice to meet you" You quickly paid for your book and ran out the store, leaving the boy speechless, with a wave.

Fuck what was that?

_________________________________________

Chapter 1

[askmotherlyluna]

Important update

This blog is no longer fully active, I will still update it here and there when the mood for MLP stuff strikes me but I did have a lot of my mlp muse die due to the harassment I received a few years back from a crazy starlight fan. People also constantly DMing me or going to my other socials to DM me to continue this blog has not helped reignite my drive to draw ponies.

I have closed the askbox for now and like I said i'll occasionally update here and there when the mood arises and if I get my full swing back, I will reopen the askbox. But also note there are several things I'd like y'all to keep in mind cause I will block people who press this. 1: Do not DM me asking me to continue the blog. The constant DMs asking especially from people after already being told "its on hiatus until the mood comes back" stress me out. 2: Do not use my art, story, or characters or post them to other sites. This has been a rule since I opened the blog. I don't own the canon chars obviously, but I am extremely protective of my personal ocs and my artwork. 3: Do not ask to purchase my story or characters from me. That is so unbelievably rude and I will block people for doing that. They are still my ocs and my stories they will NEVER be for sale even if I am not using them here as often because many have had revamps to be used in other stories. I've been asked this more than once so I am making it very public that I am NEVER going to sell my personal ocs.

I understand many people like motherly luna. But some of the messaging I've been getting has been borderline harassment at this point and it doesn't make me want to continue this blog cause of it.

[thesheelfsworld]

My Sun Prince

Warning: None, this is pure fluff

Pairing: Fili Durin x reader

Summary: Fili always looked beautiful, but when the light grazed him, he would glow.

Author's Note: I was definitely inspired by one of @rucow 's drawings, and I hope this gives you the same soft vibes as her drawing gave me. Make sure to check out their art, it'll give you all the feels 🥰

As always, English is not my first language, so please be nice and enjoy!✨

Reclaiming the mountain had been no easy feat, but three years after the battle, things had finally begun to settle. 

In a few weeks' time, the annual Durin’s Day ball will be held and the party preparations were already in full swing. 

As a member of The Company of Thorin Oakenshield, my presence in the festivities was not only expected but required. All 15 of us had our own tradition of gathering outside on the balcony to drink and smoke together and remember how blessed we were to make it out alive, all of us. Even when there was a moment there when it did not seem like it. 

Thorin, Fili, and Kili had been gravely hurt in battle, and when the eagles brought back all three Durins unconscious, the relief of having survived turned sour. Oin could not tell us with certainty if they were going to make it. Their wounds were too severe. That is when the elves’ help came led by a distressed Tauriel, who stood by Kili’s side the entire time. I could have not been more thankful to the elven healers who swiftly got to work and contain their bleeding wounds. 

The three days after the battle were spent pacing restlessly from one side of the infirmary to the other as I helped the healers in whichever way I could. Did they need more gauze? I was on it. More clean rags? I would fetch them. Anything to be useful, but still be close to our wounded. More than once, my feet would take me to the side of the infirmary where my friends rested. Oin had explained that Thorin’s wound was the biggest one, Kili’s wound had luckily spared his spine, but Fili had been wounded in several different places. He had been injured where Azog’s sword had slain him, but the drop afterward had broken both his legs and arm, fractured some ribs, and dislocated a shoulder. All these injuries caused internal bleeding, which they were able to clear, but they were still not sure if he would make it. And if he did, his recovery would be a lengthy and difficult one. Hearing this, I felt devastated. My heart plummeted and tears soon filled my eyes.

After a few days, Oin’s initial diagnosis improved. All three Durins were responding positively to their treatments, although they remained unconscious for the most part.  

Once I was done with my duties for the day, I picked up the habit of looking after the trio, cleaning them slightly, and making sure they were comfortable. I liked talking to them as well, telling them everything that was going on inside the mountain. When I was done, I would usually sit next to Fili and hold his hand. During our travels, I found myself smitten with this dwarf. He was always kind and easy to talk to, and such a fine warrior as well. We worked well together and I genuinely liked fighting alongside him. But the road is no place for romance, and the stakes of the quest were too high. I could not afford to be distracted by my feelings, because those distractions could have cost me my own life or somebody else’s. And yet, with the object of my desires laying upon that bed, unmoving and pale, I could not agree with my previous reasoning. I should have said something, anything. I was so afraid of losing him, of never hearing him speak again, or seeing him fool around with his brother, his eyes alight with mischief and mirth. 

Getting caught up in my musings, I lost track of time and was not sure how long I had been sitting there. The place was dimly lit by the light of the candles, the light rays of sunlight no longer bathing the hall. It must have been night already, surely dinner would be ready in a few. However, I did not wish to leave just yet, I wanted to stay with Fee a while longer. 

Each time I looked at him, a lump would form in my throat. He was so beautiful. The light of the fire would always dance in between the strands of his hair, making them glow and his mustache was neatly braided and resting against his lips, which although pale and chapped, looked as inviting as ever. How I wished I could see them curl into one of his charming grins.

A sob left my throat before I could stop it.

“Mahal, please spare them. Bring them back, bring him…” my voice was barely above a whisper. My prayers were meant for no ears but for those of the Maker. 

And answer my prayers, he did. 

With a lot of effort, patience, and time, all three dwarfs made it out of unconsciousness and through their recovery successfully. And still, I had yet to confess my feelings to a certain prince.

At the moment, however, I had my hands full trying to escape the ever-watchful eye of a certain princess who was set on making me try every dress in existence for the ball. Each dress bigger and stuffier than the last. Do not mistake me, I have gotten along with Dis from the moment I met her. We bonded pretty quickly not only over the stupidity of her kin for splitting up on that mountain, but over our worry for them. But now, I could not run faster to get away from her. 

I had duties to attend to, duties which she canceled in order to try even more dresses than we did the day before, and the day before that one. 

Looking back over my shoulder to make sure she had not spotted me, I did not see where I was going and ran into a very strong chest. 

“Oh, I am so sorry! I did not see-” 

The words caught in my throat when I looked into the eyes that accompanied such a sturdy chest. 

“Oh, hi Fee, how are you?” I tried to sound nonchalant, though I could feel myself blushing.

However, Fili’s expression showed nothing but amusement, and his soft smile fully lessened my embarrasment. 

“I  am alright, just got out of a meeting. You, on the other hand, seem like you are being chased after, are you okay?” He could not contain his chuckle as he asked me if I needed help. 

“I am being chased, actually, by your mother. Please help me,” I pleaded with my best puppy eyes and grabbed the lapels of his coat, “she is making me try all these truly dreadful dresses again, and I can not take it anymore.”

This dwarf really dared to burst out laughing and never had a scowl form so quickly on my face. 

“Yes yes, laugh it up! But next time you are getting scolded for a prank gone wrong, I will not hide you, just wait and see,” and I turned to leave. 

Fili quickly sobered up and grabbed my arm, “There is no need to go there. I am sorry for laughing, it’s just good to be on the other side of her fussing for once, that’s all.”

“Yes, well, it is my first time on this side and it is getting a bit much.”

“I understand, and as a prince, I feel it is my duty to save a damsel in distress. So, if you please” he extended his arm to me “I will hide you from dreadful dress fittings and fusing mothers” 

“My hero!” playing along, I sighted dreamily and leaned on his shoulder, a hand resting against my forehead as I pretended to faint. Fili’s laughter echoed on the walls of the hall and we sped away to the gates of the mountain. 

Arm in arm, we made our way to the edge of the forest that surrounded Erebor. 

“You have no idea how long it has been since I have come out for some fresh air,” I commented. 

“Me too. Uncle has been keeping me very busy these past few weeks”

“So I have noticed. Kili too has been missing a lot lately, but when I do catch sight of him, he is following after Tauriel. It is actually very cute,” a slight smile grazes my face to hide the feeling of longing that loomed in my heart.

“Yes, he has also been very busy, but still makes time to see her. I probably should have done the same, I’ve missed you” 

At that, my eyebrows shot up so high, I was confident they could have met my hairline. I looked at him and found him sitting next to me but staring at the ground. Regaining my senses and taking advantage of this moment of vulnerability, I took a moment to look at him properly. It had been some time since we had had any time together, just the two of us, and I wanted to enjoy it. The golden light of the sun setting in the west took me back to that night in the infirmary when he had been fighting for his life. If I thought then that he was beautiful, now, with the sun kissing his skin and his eyes wide open and full of life, he was ethereal. Absolutely breathless, I tried to answer him, say anything to keep the conversation going, but nothing came out. 

I opened and closed my mouth a few times until Fili turned his entire body to face me. 

“What is it? Do I have something in my face?” he jested.

And I could not help but giggle because yes, he did have something on his face, absolute beauty. 

Fili’s eyes opened wide and his cheeks turned a deep crimson red. Perhaps his skin was getting too sensitive to the sun after being underground for so long, I thought. 

“You really think I am beautiful?” 

I frowned, how did he …? Oh god, how embarrassing to have said that out loud, but then again, he didn’t look put out. Far from it, he looked happy.

“Yes,” all the air left my body with that only word. 

“Yes, I do,” I said, this time with more confidence.

Fili beamed at me. A bright light that seemed to be coming from his very soul out through his eyes and smile blinded me, and I was sure that with him by my side, no dark days would ever come again.

“I think you are very beautiful as well”

His reply made me smile, and the words I have been wanting to say for months -years were now demanding to get out. 

“I feel the deepest kind of love for you, Fili, and I do not know how to hide it anymore.”

“Then don’t,” his eyes became glossy and he took both of my hands in his. “Do not hide it, give it to me instead, and I will give you mine.”

Tears spilled from the corners of my eyes. My heart soared with the knowledge that my affections were returned. 

“Do you truly feel this way?”

“Yes, amralime. I have loved you for as long as I have known you. I loved you after every battle and during our hardest days.” Both of his hands came up to cradle my face and joined our foreheads together. With eyes closed, he continued, “I loved you when you were the first thing I saw after the battle and I loved you when you stood by my side during my recovery. And with each day that passes, I love you even more.” 

My hands grabbed the back of his neck and pushed him to me. Our lips met and all I could focus on was Fili. How he tasted, how he felt, how soft his hair was and how well his hands fitted on my body. 

Warmth filled my entire being, not from the sun, but from the golden prince who was finally in my arms.

[quirkle2]

I was wondering if there are any rare happy ritsu moments in ur zombie au since hes always miserable I think,, like is he always miserable or is he happy/not miserable and feeling kinda good sometimes?

VWHDGDGD NO YEAH OFC HE'S HAPPY SOMETIMES im just horrible and enjoy putting him through misery

ive never been able to get a genuine smile to look right on his face in my art style either i think thats part of it. as ive said his face is just built to be mildly uncomfortable and bothered and i lean into it sm it's starting to get kinda funny

but yes ritsu is happy plenty! i think, canonically, he just seems like the type of person to me that tends to turn lemonade back into lemons. he's easy to scare and his first reaction to things is often Dread and Anxiety. he dwells on the negatives a lot and seems to be a "hope for the best, expect the worst," kinda guy, but there's a section in this post abt shigeo always loving the little things in life, and ritsu steadily learns throughout the journey on how to do that and how healing it can rly be. even if he had to grow up too fast during this whole thing and learn things a kid should never have to, the journey also gave him some good insight and lessons in other places! ritsu is smart, he figures it all out

in terms of little things here n there he's the happiest lil guy on the planet when he finds one of his favorite foods—swings his legs while he sits and munches on a kitkat bar like he's got absolutely nothin in the world to worry abt. sometimes mob does smth funny that he laughs at; for the longest time i've had this silly image in my head of mob accidentally knocking down a bucket from a store shelf and it lands on his head and he just kinda stands there and makes noises.when the noises continue out of pure curiosity about the weird echoey quality it's giving them ritsu cannot help but lose it

besides tiny things tho, when tome comes around ritsu in general is a lot happier, just cuz he has somebody to talk to that will actually respond in some way. they're sorta reluctant partners in crime at first (at least on ritsu's end) but over time and over bonding they grow to rly like each other's presence. they bicker constantly but it's almost always fond eventually, and they shove each other and playfight until mob gets antsy enough to get worked up about it. rly, tome is a godsend to ritsu's mental health—after months and months of being effectively alone with his thoughts, he finally has another person to converse with. a person His Age, too!

tome is rly good at knowing when ritsu is thinkin himself into oblivion and she's Also rly good at being the most annoying girl on the planet to yank him outta that and replace any misery with Oh My God Get Off Me You Freak. she doesn't even do this on purpose at first, but over time she learns how to tell when he's thinking too hard and, ofc, she's grown attached and she cares, so she's as obnoxious as possible to lighten the mood

when they find reigen n teru, ritsu gradually gets Much happier still. now that he knows they're safe and the gang is finally back together (and now that there's an Adult present and he can relax a lil and let himself be taken care of) his stress levels r exponentially lowered. having teru back is another instant lift to his mood—im always a big fan of teru and ritsu friendship, and i think adding tome to their dynamic simply makes it more chaotic. truly a trio of the 3 most normal teenagers in existence which will surely bring nothing but good (reigen sweats offscreen)

actually this makes me feel bad for forever torturing him im gonna go draw happy zau ritsus brb ,.,.ok imback <3

[tehrogueva]

Happy Birthday, Ink Sans (Audio Script)

So i was trying to get this recorded by today, but cant find the time so im gonna share what i wrote on the day and record it later just to have something to show for it!

Props to @0nem0retime and @celestial-scrapyard for the Prompt ideas

Ink sans - @comyet/@myebi

Error Sans - @loverofpiggies

Swap Sans - PopcornPrince/ AU Community

Dream Sans - @jokublog

Prompt: Methods, besides his scarf, Ink uses to remember things. Bonus points if he writes on a smearable surface and has to decode what he originally wrote. He’s having art block, and he forgets his birthday, but seeing his friends inspires him again?

Script below the cut

Ink: Oh, darn it. Why can't I think of what to draw. I hate when this happens. There has to be something, I just need an idea… hmm… Oh! My scarf! I'm sure something on here can give me some inspiration! Hmm, no, no, no idea what that says, hmm oh, what's this… birth… birthday? Wait, am I forgetting someone's birthday? What month is it? IS it Error's birthday! Oh, geese, I hope I didn't miss it. I should make him something! Yeah, that's it! Hmm, what would glitchy like? Hmm… He like undernovella… and chocolate… hmmmmm

Uhh, I got nothing… maybe I could just swing by underfell and steal him some chocolate. No, that's hard enough without getting caught. No, I should really make something. Hmm…. 

Dream: Hey Ink! There you are! Come on, you're going to be late for the party!

Ink: crap already! Ok, one sec, let me just doodle something real quick. And there, ok, let's go!

Error: I can't believe you convinced me to do this.

Blue: Oh come on, it's only one day, he’ll appreciate it.

Error: and why should I care again?

Blue: because you're my friend and I asked nicely. Plus you promised.

Error: *sigh,* ok, fine. I'll be nice to him. But only for today!

*Dream and Ink arrive*

Dream: where here! Now we can get started!

Ink: Error hey!

Error: hello, Ink

Ink: here, I made you this. I know it's just a dumb drawing, but it was really last minute. Hehe, Happy Birthday~

Error: Ink…

Ink: yeah…

Error: You idiot! My birthday was last week. Today is your birthday!

Ink: it is???

Blue: yeah! Of course, it is! 

Dream: this party is for you, silly.

Ink: awwww guys….

Error: *sigh* here… happy birthday or what ever…

Ink: whats this… *gasp* new pens!!! Awww Glitchy you shouldn't have!

Error: dont say i never did anything nice for ya, and its only for today, got it!

Ink: thank you so much! I just wanna hug you!

Error: no… 

Ink: aww come on just a little one.

Error: NO! You know how i am about physical contact!

Ink: just for a second, please. It is my birthday after all!

Error: uygh! Uhhh! Fine!

Ink: heheh!

Error: ok… seconds up… you can get off now…

Ink: just one more second…

Error:... get…. Offf…… NOW!

Ink: almost done….

Error: GOD DAMN IT INK!

Ink: ahahahha! Worth it!

Error: thats it! Your dead!

Ink: haha only if you can catcth me first glitchy!!

Error: oh you… GET BACK HERE!

Ink: uh oh…. Ahh~

Dream: should we do something?

Blue: no, just let them ware themselves out. Besides its fun to watch.

Dream: Blue…

Blue: what?

Dream: *sigh* lets just not let it get out of hand. 

Blue: oh ok. But where is the fun in that.

Dream: Blue!

Blue: ok ok! Dont want to dust him on his birthday.

Ink: haha! So close! Almost got me! Woah! Little help here, guys!!

Error: oh no you dont!

Ink: ahhh!

[littletealseal]

TW: animal death mention

Wish I wouldn't keep starting these posts like this but!... hey guys, been awhile hasn't it?... muh

Ok but for real a lot has been happening in my life since I last fell off this website... again, I've been doing some stuff with my girlfriend and spending time with her too, we've been working on some projects that aren't art but video game related so that's also a thing... and then the biggest thing to shake my world up...

My dog Vanilla Swirl... has sadly passed away...

Ik ik this is kinda a big thing to drop but I feel I need to just get it out there because while I knew my life would be flipped from the trauma of loosing her.. I didn't know it would be this bad. Like ever since last week when we had to put her down (she was very old at 14 years and was ready to move on ) I felt like I had zero energy, even less energy than I already had issues with! I couldn't bring myself to check in on people I knew and even games for daily stuff, plus I got a bad stomach bug last week as well so that didn't help anything.

I'm not trying to gain any sympathy but to just explain where I've been and where I want to go with this blog.

I deleted my last art piece since I honestly felt after thinking on things it was a very stupid post to make, "not needing certain things" I was so dumb to think that stuff, because I'm needing to regress more than ever due to all this trauma being hurled at me now, not to mention just getting through each day without any problems. Man this post is sounding more and more like a vent post huh?

I honestly want to get back into drawing, because it's something I've always had at my disposal, my ability to draw and create. I'm honestly getting real tired of just letting my abilities rot away and not being able to do anything with them when I need them most. I want to perfect my skills and go somewhere with them, so from this post forward I'm going to attempt to post a drawing (being a doodle or full illustration) here or on my mains just so then at least I can get back into the swing of things, just like how it was when I was a kid 💔

I'm not sure when I'll make a digital drawing since I want to get a proper setup for that (since with how things are with my tablet and it's cables it's driving me NUTS ) but look forward to some classic paper and pen doodles from me :3

See you guys later c:

[kingoli1999]

First drawing of November! I wanted to draw a favourite character of mine to help me get back in the swing of things after my art block

And what better way to draw than Princess Toadstool herself, Peach! Hope you all love it 👸🍑

[baqisnotdead]

have u ever seen the music video for "Ocean Avenue" by Yellowcard?

^one of the most useless questions on tumblr dot com

ok anyway i was compelled tonight to rewatch this song's music video not only cuz it slaps, but i remember watching it with my sister some years ago and us being baffled about what this music video means

source:

re-familiarize yourself with this barely-sensical emo pop rock cinematic classic and you'll understand my confusion. so...it's a time loop concept. big deal. maybe it doesn't have to make sense and it's just interesting enough on its own to provide a lossely-cohesive storyline carried along by concept rather than by narrative?

and yes that could very much be it, but i was struck with some revelatory thoughts upon my own viewing of it tonight. i won't clog your dash but if you wanna dive in with me, i too have nothing better to do this tuesday night <3

so we all know the art of The Music Video is a pendulum that swings wildly in dozens of directions across several decades -- a music vid making little to no sense isn't the end of the world. sometimes the lyrics don't match what's on the screen at all and life goes on. however, i think i was wrong to assume that of this song and its video. now i don't mean i expected the song's lyrics to be literal; about "green cars" and "women running me over" and "goddamn sidewalk nuns again" but i think that all has a purpose for being in the video, regardless

just as lyrics can contain abstract meaning, music videos can help convey that visually as well. i think this time loop "gag" and the accompanying microgags within them in perpetuity is plenty entertaining, and that's clearly one angle in all of this, and that's great! the worst thing a music video can do is bore you. but i think the implied goofiness or high-concept-ness of it all can lead a viewer to not look as closely into the implied themes of it all. yes, it's great to follow in the storyline-not-storyline kinda way, but drawing critical thematic statements from a man parkouring over a shopping kart full of garbage? that's too fuckin far

except it's not! because like i said: it's all in there for a purpose. just breaking down what we see sequentially, all of it feels disjointed until the time loop clicks after the first chorus. only then, over a third of the way into the song, are we able to start piecing things together. with this, the theme of "cycles/something cyclical" is established. what's this cycle of? what's the intended outcome and how do we get there?

once a loop is established in any story, what's most interesting about it is what changes, and not what actually "loops." upon first run, barreling through Sidewalk Nunz, ragdolling over a shopping kart of trash, we see him pitifully miss the goal: a green muscle car of mysterious rock n roll origin. we loop and we're back on our feet. this time: side spin around the nuns, PARKOUR over the homeless -- that'll show them!! -- and we're a bit ahead of the curve as our hero is mowed down in his emo prime (electric violin continues)

but then it's bridge time! and that means: story development! inside what looks to be the nicest apartment in Newark NJ, a brief case and glasses fit for an eye surgery patient are seen. an attractively lesbionage agent takes them both and attempts to leave. the chase ensues once more, and the nuns are skillfully woven through, the vagabond is High Fived TM respectfully, and the hero successfully intercepts and boards the green muscle car, end of song

so...what's it all mean? well here's my take: it's all about the cyclical nature of self-improvement within the context of partnership. first off, this is supported at least somewhat by the lyrics. everything is very hypothetical and expressing desire for things like nostalgia, a better future, etc. "If I could find you now, things would get better" it's a bittersweet theme that desires for the past and the future, but not the present. typically, times of change or adjustment are what these desires and emotions manifest from. an unsteady or unpleasant "now" could be/would be/should be made better by remembering a better past, or wanting a better future. sadly, one of those things we can never get back, and the other only comes when work is done and change is made.

that's when i was reminded of what changes, literally, within the music video! as we know, time loops exist to be solved and escaped -- see "Groundhogs Day" or "Palm Springs" -- which is the thematic metaphor for what feels like an endless cycle of uncertainty during significant life changes and relationships. within a romantic/relationship context, i view our hero's cyclical journey as a test, some trials he has to figure out the best way to navigate to get to his intended goal. what ways work, which ways don’t? i think this says a lot about the deeper themes being discussed

in a basic sense, the street nuns and the shopping kart are problems or obstacles the hero is facing. since they're metaphorical and intended to have meaning to many viewers, what they are literally is up to you! one obstacle could be handling commitment, it could be with addiction (which can be cyclical as well), the list goes on. but what matters is not what the problems "are," but how the hero gets through them. we know the first attempt was messy and with complete disregard. trying to mosh pit through the nuns only slowed him down, and body slamming the kart looked ineffective at best. clearly, we are being told "You cannot strong arm your way through your problems."

Take 2: my guy jukes out the nuns and gets major air over the kart. while we're meant to think it's effective, clearly all was for nought. the lesson here: "You cannot simply avoid or completely skip over the problems like they don't need to be dealt with." the result of this path being the hero getting what he thought he wanted, only to be hoisted by his own green muscle car about to run him over.

as the final attempt begins, we're given important context that is the driving motivation for our hero. while the woman and the briefcase could be ambiguous in literal meaning as well, they represent loss/the threat of losing something or someone important if our hero can't break the cycle. this happens all too often to real people caught in cycles or constantly-shifting times in life, so the hero's desperation makes sense. but then, after artfully weaving peacefully through the nuns and scoring some Good Person Clout, the hero achieves his goal

the final lesson clearly being: work through the hard stuff. don't brute force it, don't dodge it. make mistakes and learn. learn that it's ok to have hope and want better things for yourself in the future. you might be afraid of losing something important to you along the way, but you can still get better and get things right as long as you keep moving through them.

and i dunno...i think that was a really cool and uplifting message to this song and this music video that i have no idea is there or not intentionally on the part of Yellowcard, but we all know that's not the point of art and music lmao. i found this cool meaning in this cool song/video and i hope you did too! k that's all go to bed

[tamberlanecomic]

July Newsletter

Hey everyone! Here are some general updates for everything that’s been going on and what you can expect for this month and throughout the summer.

Health Update

As some of you may remember, right after the Kickstarter closed I was knocked out by a one-two punch of a fibro flare and Covid. While I’ve been put through the wringer, I’m FINALLY feeling like I’m crawling back out from under this extended period of sickness.

I’m still dealing with some pain and fatigue due to my fibro flare-up, but it’s more or less back to the “normal” levels of what I’m used to, so overall I’m doing pretty good. I took some extra time to recuperate from Covid in the hopes of avoiding any long Covid effects, and while I am still taking it easy, I take a lot of joy in drawing and being forced to not indulge in any of my creative pursuits have made me all the more eager to get back into the swing of things. So, I’m still being careful, but I’m also easing back into work. 

I got so many amazing comments from patrons, readers, and Kickstarter backers all encouraging me to take as long as I needed to get better, and I can’t thank you enough for the kind words and well wishes! It was measurably easier to take some time off to rest knowing I had so many people cheering me on and encouraging me to do so, so thank you so much for taking the time to say something and for sending me words of support. <3 You da best!

Comic Updates

We’re moving right along, with 12 pages currently in the pipeline at various production stages. In fact, I’ve just put three new finished pages into the buffer for $10+ patrons today! Our priority right now is to get a healthy buffer so that I can have ample time and space to catch up on other work without impending deadline pressures.

Patreon Rewards

Next, I plan to knock out a good chunk of Patreon commissions for my $50+ folks. I’ve already been doing that here and there, but I want to make sure that the oldest ones are finished first. 

Likewise, due to the chaos of a sudden move and a lot of life changes, Ari didn’t send the May postcards out until today, so I apologize for the delays there – we’re getting back on track! June’s postcards have already been sent.

Speaking of, I’ve included some of the patron reward art I just finished last week!

Kickstarter News

We still need to finish the internal book edits, draw up the Q&As, format the information in the book, and finish formatting annotations. These are all things I had intended to get done both during and after the campaign but I was simply unable to keep up with it due to health reasons. Curse you, chronic illness! 

I am also going to explore another option for getting the softcovers printed locally, which is something I will only go with if the quality is up to my standards. But we're less than $5k away from being able to reprint Chapters 1-3 so if we're able to get a cheaper local deal with a good printer, I'm willing to explore the option! 

By the way, we are now officially sold out of Chapters 1 and 2 books, but you can help us reprint them by preordering them and other stuff through our Backerkit shop!

Preorder Here

We’ll be streaming edits in the Foxglove discord server, so be sure to keep an eye out on there!

New Pride Merch

For Pride month I launched two new apparel designs as part of our Pride collection! Choose from Agender or Non-Binary Ainsley or Biromantic or Transgender Marie on comfy shirts available in a wide range of colors and sizes. 

This collection also features downloadable Tales from Treehollow comics dealing with LGBTQIA+ themes. Come check it out!

Shop Now

Artfight

I’ve never done Artfight before, but I’m gonna try this year! It’ll be fun to have little warmup drawings I can squeeze in here and there between larger projects. 

If you’ve never heard of Artfight, it’s an annual art trading game where you “attack” by drawing other people’s characters. It seems really fun! If you’re participating and want to add me, here’s my profile:

https://artfight.net/~Cvilbrandt

Thanks all for reading! May this month be ever better!

[kasienda]

Love Remains - Ch 5

Written for @thelibraryloser‘s birthday.

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

Read on Ao3

Chapter 5:

Thirty-Six Days Since Marinette Lost her Memory

“I’d like you to do a supplemental reading this weekend to fill in some of your historical gaps.” 

Gaps was one word for it. She took the assignment without complaint though she wasn’t sure when she’d be able to do it. 

“Girl! Why didn’t you say something?” Alya asked as they walked to their next class. 

Marinette shrugged. “Because I do want to fill in my historical gaps?” 

Like in an abstract way if she could just suddenly know it the way she knew how to swing through the city on a yo-yo. Not the I want to dedicate hours of my life to this kind of way. 

“But you don’t have to do that all in one weekend!”

“Do you think old me would have said something?” Marinette doesn’t know why she’s asking. She hates the comparisons, but it’s like a scab she can’t help but pick at it when her friends and family keep commenting on how she’s different. 

“You like the green one? I thought pink was your favorite color.” 

It was! But that didn’t mean pink was always best for every single accessory. 

“That’s a beautiful drawing,” her maman said of the sketch of her father. “Have you sketched any new designs recently?” 

She hadn’t. She didn’t want to. Clothes weren’t interesting. But she knew her mother wanted her to say yes, so she hedged. 

Lila had spilled coffee on Marinette’s bag in art class. It had definitely been on purpose. Marinette glared at the girl as she resolutely gathered all her things to clean elsewhere rather than dignifying Lila with a response. 

“That was totally on purpose. Why didn’t you say anything?” Alya had asked after the fact.

Marinette piled her bag’s belongings carefully on a bench while she wrung out the backpack itself. “Didn’t really want her to know that she was getting to me.” Marinette’s diary had revealed that when Marinette make accusations against Lila, the other girl usually managed to twist it back on Marinette. She didn’t really want to make the same mistake when Lila didn’t believe she was holding a grudge. “Why?” 

“Well, you used to always call her out on things. Chloé too.” 

Marinette sighed. At least people had stopped asking what she remembered. Maybe they had finally figured out that she really didn’t remember anything. 

But it seemed other people did and Marinette now was apparently different than the Marinette of old, and now Marinette was never sure if that was a good or bad thing.

“If old you thought the teacher was being unfair or unreasonable, she definitely would have said something, but she would have been totally silent than if she just didn’t have time.” 

And thank goodness Alya was willing to be straightforward about such questions. Her parents were not. They were so diplomatic about answering such questions, but they always seemed sad. 

She felt like she was disappointing them. 

“What do you mean? You’re not disappointing them!” Alya had objected.

“But I am. They want me to be  her, and when I’m not, they’re sad.”

“They’re just worried about you.” 

Marinette pressed her lips together. Yeah Marientte definitely knew that they were worried. Paranoid was more apt. They constantly texted, wanting to know where she was, to remind her to put on a helmet, and asking for check ins everytime a friggin’ akuma alert went off.

Which made it that much harder to get away to be Ladybug. 

And she loved being Ladybug. 

Her parents would probably be horrified. 

“I just wish being me as I am now was okay.”

“Of course it’s okay.”

“But it isn’t , Marinette insisted, wanting to tug at her pigtails. She didn’t know how to explain, and Alya was looking at her with glassy eyes and Marinette knew she was disappointing her, too, though Alya was better at hiding it than anyone.

“You know that she’s you, right?” Alya asked softly. 

Marinette shrugged. She might be, but it didn’t seem to matter to anyone else.

…

Literature had become more bearable now that they were starting a new novel. It was a story that no one in the class had read before. Marinette found the story riveting. 

“Really?” Adrien asked. They had been partnered for a small presentation on the use of imagery in the book’s first three chapters. “What’s your favorite part so far?” 

Goodness, he was so earnest. Even when they had been paired he had been so sweet about it when she was obviously the weaker link of the two of them.

“Sorry you were saddled with me for this project,” she had said.

“Marinette, you are the best partner to have in this whole world. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

Her cheeks had burned. Was this guy for real? She might’ve maybe understood what it was old Marinette had liked about him.

Really she probably would have fallen for him too if it wasn’t for the fact that Chat Noir was right there guarding her life and being serving as the best sounding board and confidant a girl could ask for. 

“Hey, you okay?” he asked after the most recent akuma. 

She was fine. She just didn’t want to stop being Ladybug yet. Being Ladybug made sense. Being Ladybug was simple and something she was good at. Marinette’s life was so complicated. 

“I’m okay,” she said, determined for it to be true. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Like, how did he do that?!

But fifteen minutes later they were sitting side by side on the Eiffel Tower each with their own ice cream cones as she vented to him about her mundane problems.

“I hate history. It’s the subject I know, like nothing about and my teacher— he’s trying to be patient, but he clearly doesn’t know what to do with me. He keeps assigning extra readings, but even when I have time to read them. They don’t mean anything.” 

“That must be frustrating.”

She snorted. Understatement. “Even places on a map feel no more real than the map at the beginning of the fantasy novel we’re reading in literature.”

“I don’t know about history itself, but maybe we could do something about the geography?” 

He stands up, and offers her a hand, which she of course takes. He pulls her to her feet like she’s a princess and pulls out a box of colored cheeses from his baton. 

“What’s that?” 

“These are power ups for our Kwamis.” 

“We can power up our Kwamis?” 

He offers her a piece of cheese. “Eat this one.” He takes one of the same color. 

Soon they’re transformed. They have airtight helmets and wings. He levitates just barely into the air. She doesn’t move, staring dumbly at his offered hand. 

“Come on. I’ll show you.” His voice resounds inside her helmet. It feels both like he’s far away and like he’s all around her. 

She again takes it, because she’d trust him to take her anywhere. 

He led her on a low altitude tour of Paris, pointing out landmarks that are historically significant. But he doesn’t just recount events. When he speaks of kings and dukes, he tells a story. And suddenly King Louis VI and King Louis the XIV are not only separated by time, but by personality and vision.

They’ve been flying for hours already, when he takes her higher. They’re above the clouds, starting to see the curvature of the earth when he points out Normandy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Spain. 

And then they’re further out, beyond even air they can breathe, and the Earth shines below them, a glowing blue marble in a vastness of inky blackness. 

She can’t breathe as she takes in the sight. There’s a whole world down there. It’s so big, bigger than any of her problems, and yet it’s so small when they’re out here in space. 

His voice is still describing the places they can see. Continents and oceans, but she can’t process the words anymore. 

“M’lady?” he asks, floating to her side with yet another hand reaching out, offering her support again and again. 

“You’re amazing!” she says, and is awarded with pink blooming underneath his visor. And he was. How did old Marinette never see or notice?! 

He never takes anything seriously. 

He’s always cracking jokes. 

He flirts with everyone.

Marinette had slammed the diary closed after she read it. What the hell had old Marinette been talking about?!

She had started a new diary after that, and it definitely wasn’t Adrien she had been writing about. 

Looking at his eyes now, even with only five weeks of memories she’s absolutely certain he’s the sweetest, most genuine boy that lives on the planet he just showed her. And he didn’t just show it to her. He made her see it, he made it real in a way that no one else had. 

She reaches for his hand, lets their fingers interlock, and it feels right.

Holding his hand, she’s not worried about how she’s different or the same. It doesn’t matter what she remembers or has forgotten. With him, she feels like a whole complete person.

She loves that.

She loves him.

… 

[narrans]

A Tall and Small Collection | S2.35 | & Everyone Needs a Little Hero :: Crossover :: Saving Our Hero pt. 1

“Look here, Dorian,” Ashlynn said as she pointed out another comment that just came in. “Hey Dorian, I just came across your music and I have to say I’m impressed. I don’t know where you draw your lyrical inspiration from, but dude you rock! Want to release an album? Hit me up and I’ll help with the cover art.”

“What?” asked Dorian, his head was completely spiraling at this point. “You’re kidding! This is… woah…” Dorian rubbed his temples as he stared at the squiggly words on the screen This was absolutely amazing! How could this be happening to him? What did he do to get so lucky?

She reached over again and gently cupped Dorian. He leaned into her touch, wrapping his left arm over her middle finger and squeezing tightly. He wished, in that moment, that he could tell his mother and father about his music. He wished they could be proud of him; and, in a way, Ashlynn helped to fill that void, as did his brother Soren.

“Well, music man, we’ve got to get you some better studio equipment if you’re going to release an album,” grinned Ashlynn. Dorian looked up at Ashlynn, feeling the threat of salty tears starting to gather in his eyes.

“Really? You serious?” he asked. Ashlynn nodded.

“Serious about what?” asked Soren. Ashlynn and Dorian looked over at the edge of the couch to see that Soren and Mayzie were chasing a dime. Soren had undoubtedly rolled it so Mayzie could toddle along beside it. She was giggling the whole way and watched as the coin rattled to a stop by the leg of the couch.

Ashlynn glanced at Dorian and gave a thoughtful head not to Soren. “Want to tell him?”

Dorian, heart still pounding out of his chest, nodded shyly and slid down Ashlynn’s arm to lean over the edge of the couch to see his oldest brother.

“My music,” he said. “The last song I released is doing really great and loads of people are asking for an album. Isn’t that great?”

Ashlynn, knowing Soren, was obviously suppressing a hint of worry as he smiled up at his younger brother.

“Dorian, that’s great news! But… how…” started Soren.

“Don’t worry. I haven’t released any pictures of me or anything. They only know my voice. There are loads of anonymous artists out there. None of them have to know about me or that I’m a Borrower,” smiled Dorian, already trying to ease his brother’s apprehensions.

The smile on Soren’s face broadened as he once again picked up the dime and rolled it. Mayzie squealed with delight and chased after it. Soren looked up at Dorian, the eldest brother’s eyes beaming with pride.

“Well, Dorian, that is amazing. I’m proud of you. You’re pursuing your dreams and making them happen,” Soren said. Dorian, unable to help himself, reached up and wiped his eyes free from the little bit of moisture that had gathered there.

Ashlynn watched as Soren quickly scaled the edge of the couch, stepped up onto the couch, and walked over to embrace his brother. Soren began speaking to Dorian, but Ashlynn couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. She smiled at watching the two of them interact. Despite recent events, things were finally leveling out and starting to swing back their way.

Ashlynn closed her eyes and listened to Mayzie’s giggling as she continued to chase the dime across the floor. As it rolled to a stop, however, Mayzie’s giggles subsided. Ashlynn, not wanting to intrude on what Soren was saying to Dorian, carefully got up and maneuvered around the table to find Mayzie and continue the game of roll the coin.

It was then that Ashlynn heard Mayzie’s voice again, but she was not laughing anymore. There was a momentary, curious coo before Mayzie whimpered and started to cry. Ashlynn leaned down and saw Mayzie was by one of the electrical sockets. Her arms were tucked tight to her chest, and she was stepping backward. Ashlynn couldn’t see the electrical cover from where she was, but whatever Mayzie was sensing wasn’t good.

“Mayzie? It’s okay. Come here sweet girl,” coaxed Ashlynn, not wanting to reach out and snatch the young Borrower toddler in case it freaked her out more. Mayzie, whimpering, toddled out from under the piece of furniture guarding the electrical cover and climbed onto Ashlynn’s outstretched hand. Ashlynn leaned over to peer under the piece of furniture, but it was a bit dark for her to make out any details.

Then, she noticed a shadow.

Her heart jumped into her throat as she watched a small figure staggering forward. Before she could get Soren’s attention, however, she heard a familiar sob and watched as Rey stumbled out from under the furniture piece.

Ashlynn was instantly mortified.

It was Rey.

He was covered in several large drops of blood smeared across his body. His clothes were torn. He was clutching his side as though he were severely hurt, and his breath came in sobbing gasps.

“Rey?” Ashlynn’s panic was obvious as she reached forward and managed to catch Rey’s swaying body before it hit the ground. He curled into her fingers, doubled over as he dry heaved violently. “Rey, what happened? Are you hurt?” With another sob, Rey managed to shake his head as Ashlynn stood with Mayzie in one hand and Rey in the other. Ashlynn felt her insides drop as she stared down at the young Borrowers. What happened? What was going on? Was Rey attacked again? Rage threatened to boil over as she stepped carefully up to the couch.

Dorian and Soren broke from their embrace and looked over at Ashlynn, instantly picking up on the change in air.

“Ashlynn? Is that Rey? Is he okay? What’s going on?” called Soren as Ashlynn crouched and set Rey and Mayzie down onto the couch. Soren’s eyes widened as he whole body went stiff. He rushed over and snatched up Mayzie to help calm her down as he crouched in front of his youngest brother. Ashlynn sat next to the couch so she was at eye-level with the Borrower family.

The anxiety was tangible in the air.

“Rey, you’re okay,” encouraged Soren as he held his brother and his daughter tight. Both were now huddled on Ashlynn’s fingers. Rey sobbed once again as he clutched onto his brother. “You’re safe now. It’s alright.”

“N-n-n-no,” sobbed Rey. “It-t-t’s n-not al-lr-right.” Dorian came over and laid a hand on his brother’s back.

“Rey, who did this to you?” demanded Dorian, feeling his insides churn. His brother had already been attacked twice. This was too far. If the Borrowers in the community were responsible, he knew Ashlynn would be unstoppable. He shuddered at the thought. Ashlynn, seeing Rey continue to tremble, pulled over one of the Borrower’s blankets that they kept on the sofa for when they wanted to cover themselves in something their size and draped it over Rey’s shoulders.

Soren helped tuck the blanket over Rey and gratefully took the second one for Mayzie, who had calmed down as her father held her. Soren felt the way his brother trembled and saw that he was covered in blood. Though, upon further inspection, only a few scrapes where his clothes were ripped were his own. The massive dots of blood were not his own.

It begged the question of who the blood did belong to however, which made Soren worry more.

What also made Soren worry was that he and Rey were supposed to be out and about helping Hero.

Where was Hero?

Was he injured?

Was this blood his?

Soren waited only for one more minute for his brother’s breathing to calm before pulling away from the embrace to look him in the eye. His soft blue eyes were rimmed with pink from where he had been crying.

“Rey, I know you’re upset, and I wish I could give you the time you needed, but we need to know what happened. Was this the community? Was this someone new? Did you fall? What happened?”

Rey’s pale blue eyes were swimming with tears. It was obvious he was still distraught but resolved enough to gaining control over himself. He sucked in a few breaths, nearly breaking back down into tears as he did so but managed to muster the words before succumbing to another round of sobs.

“Hero’s been taken.”

The words hit like a lead brick to the side of the head. It was a stunning blow that no one expected to hear.

The stunned silence surrounded them, and it took Rey’s choked words to bring them back. Rey was no longer stuttering, but he did have to take a moment to breathe deeply between words.

“There was a human he hadn’t seen before. She was crying on her bed. He was on top of the desk before I could stop him. She sat up and saw him,” Rey started shaking his head back and forth as he gripped either side of his head, entwining his fingers into his hair. “Soren! I tried to save him! He… he just… slipped… I… I had to leave… to get help…”

“Rey,” said Soren, his voice a deadly serious that Ashlynn had never heard before. “Tell me exactly what happened.

~~~^*^*^~~~

Hero stood and looked out across the room at the human girl who was on the bed. He noticed the mascara-colored streaks running down her face. He saw the way her eyes were red rimmed. He noticed her sadness melt away to curiosity as her eyes. The green-eyed Borrower teen smiled, but cocked his head curiously as he heard her speak.

“Woah… Austin was right…”

Austin? Who was Austin? Someone she knew? This had to be another human, right?

She pushed herself off of the bed, smearing the mascara stains on her cheeks, as she fearlessly approached the four-inch-tall boy. Hero, unaccustomed to this approach, stepped back a few steps before stopping himself.

Naturally, this human was curious just like so many other humans in his life. Surely sh-

But Hero’s own thoughts were interrupted as she reached forward, pinched his arm, and started to lift. Her grip was harder than he thought it would be, and it pinched his skin terribly.

“H-hey, ow-,” he said as he squirmed, trying to keep his friendly smile while dealing with the unwanted contact. “C-could you not do that, please?”

“And you talk,” muttered the girl, who did indeed stop lifting Hero. “This is incredible. What are you?”

Rey, who had just made it onto the desk, rolled to the side of what looked like a prop to keep books up and crouched low. His heart hammered in his chest with merciless force. He could see Hero was obviously at risk of being in extreme danger, but Rey needed to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid. He needed to plan an appropriate diversion if he was going to get Hero away from the girl, who now looked more like an adult than a child.

Rey was used to not hesitating, but he was now. What had him frozen to his tracks, however, was the name – Austin.

Was it possible?

No.

But maybe…

Could it be?

Who else would know about them?

Austin – the same human who cause those fatal injuries to Hero’s father, Brady. Austin – the same human who moved in shortly after Ashlynn left and ended up capturing one of Dorian’s friends. Austin – the monstrous human who started making and setting little traps for Rey and his family.

He continued to tremble as he watched the human girl start to pull Hero off of the desk.

“Wait! Wait! What are you doing?” Hero’s panicked voice snapped Rey back into the present moment.

“Making sure you don’t disappear,” replied the girl. She looked away from Hero, scanning the desk, and Rey hid quickly. “Here we go.” The girl’s hands were inches away from Rey as she reached over and snagged a mason jar filled with permanent markers from nearby. She dumped out the pens carelessly and, in one swift motion, let go of Hero and slipped the jar over his head.

Hero, now shaking, went over to the edge and slammed his hands against the glass. What was going on? This had never happened before. Didn’t she know he wasn’t going to leave?

“Hey! Lift the jar and let me out! I won’t leave!” The echo was excruciating and he winced as his words bounced back and pierced his ears. He slammed his fists into the jar, hoping the little *tink* sound would get her attention.

“Yeah right,” the girl muttered. Her voice was distorted as she looked around the shelves. “I lift that, and you’ll bolt. That’s why I need the lid.” Hero swallowed dryly as he looked up at the human girl. The inside of the glass jar was getting stuffy. His vision swam in front of his eyes as he staggered to the side.

No.

This wasn’t happening. This was just a bad dream. He could reason with her. She thought he would vanish like a dream, right? That’s why she was keeping him in one spot.

The girl cursed under her breath and went over to another shelf to look for the lid.

This is when Rey sprang into action. When the girl dumped out the pens, there was a long straight pin, a broken crayon, and a few popsicle sticks in the mason jar. He stowed the straight pin on his side just in case and stared at the jar. He knew he couldn’t get the mason jar up and toppled over in one go, but a couple of quick movements would undoubtedly free his friend.

Chest compressing like he were in a clenched human fist, Rey darted forward when the human had her back turned and knelt by the bottom of the jar.

“Push hard,” he hissed to Hero, making the pushing motion with his hand followed by placing his finger over his lips to show they needed to be quiet. Hero, mildly stunned, needed to be told twice by Rey that he needed to help before springing into action.

One hit.

Nothing.

Two hits.

Just a little more.

Three!

It was just enough for Rey to slip the wooden popsicle stick underneath the glass. They did this two more times until there was a nice little gap underneath. Rey had the brilliant idea of putting one of the markers underneath, making a kind of lever system.

“Good. Now, lift on the edge,” whispered Rey. He and Hero lifted on the edge of the glass, which was painfully heavy. Rey felt his muscles screaming as he used his foot to slide the next popsicle stick under the edge.

“Rey, I… I don’t understand. Most huma-”

“We don’t have time to talk about it,” Rey hissed again as he grabbed the bottom part of the glass. “Now, on three, we’re going to lift. It’s probably going to topple over, so be ready to run. Okay?”

Hero paused before nodding.

“Okay. One. Two. Three.” At three, Rey heaved all of his weight onto the end of the popsicle stick. The mason jar wobbled uneasily just as Hero crouched. Rey did it again and, this time, it was just tall enough for Hero to dart out.

Sadly, it was just a little too much for the jar. It wobbled and seemed to suspend itself in midair before falling off of the desk in slow motion. The two Borrower boys were already sprinting for the line at the edge of the desk, practically throwing themselves over the ridge as the mason jar clattered onto the ground.

“Huh- oh… HEY!” the girl roared as she whipped around and sprinted at the desk. Hey and Hero glanced up just in time to see the human woman’s face eclipse over the edge, striking fear into their hearts. Both of them dropped the last few inches to the ground and sprinted under the desk.

The electrical cover was just within reach. Hero and Rey sprinted for their lives as they heard the slam of a human’s body behind them. Rey glanced over his shoulder and yelped in surprise as he saw two massive eyes peering at them from beyond the darkness.

Two hands rocketed toward them and, before Rey could dodge, he felt his leg being pinched between the human’s fingers. Hero’s shout of surprise told Rey he was caught too. Rey felt himself being wrenched backward toward the human.

A million thoughts and fears shot through his body like he was suddenly plunged into a bucket of ice water. He shook his thoughts away, just as Soren would do, and suddenly remembered the straight pin.

With all of his might, he wrenched himself around, pulled the straight pin from his side and plunged it into the girl’s hand three times, two more shallow and one so deep that it nearly protruded from the other side of the girl’s finger. She screamed in pain and let him go, but still had a firm grip on Hero.

Rey scrabbled to seize Hero’s hands and held on with all of his might. He hoped that the pain would make the human’s grasp on Hero loosen, but her grip held tight as she continued to wrench Hero out from under the desk.

Hero’s eyes were filled with terror. His heart was skipping every few beats and he couldn’t remember when he last took a breath.

This wasn’t happening.

This couldn’t be happening.

Rey tugged with all his might and tried to pry Hero’s leg free from the human girl, but it was of no use. She continued to pull both of the boys as she pulled the straight pin from her finger using her teeth.

Rey, hands wrapped around Hero’s arms, felt the human give a harsh tug, almost making him lose his grip.

All Rey could think was that this was not going to work. He couldn’t save Hero. This was it. His escape attempt was foiled, and there was nothing else he could do.

At least… there was nothing he could do for Hero.

The girl hadn’t reached back to grab Rey at the moment. He still had a chance to get away.

Rey, with horror, realized what he had to do.

No one knew where they were.

The two of them weren’t expected back for hours.

Hero was grabbed and being dragged back to what would undoubtedly be a lidded jar – and Rey would be right there with him if he didn’t act.

Tears filled his eyes as he stared at his fellow Borrower.

He would regret this until the day he died, but the alternative was far worse.

Hero saw the look in Rey’s eyes and, with horror, realized what his friend was thinking.

“Rey…” he stammered, his voice faltering.

Rey, with tears starting to pour from his eyes, kept eye-contact with Hero as he said, “I’m sorry. I’ll be back.”

The human tugged once more forcefully. Thankfully, Rey wasn’t forced to let go, despite the thoughts he had of letting his friend go on purpose. Rey, scrambling backward, watched as Hero was hoisted away out of reach.

He could hear Hero’s voice, but the pounding blood in his ears prevented him from hearing anything.

One thought drove him – get back to the others.

Save Hero – no matter what!

~~~^*^*^~~~

Soren listened to the horrific tale and felt his insides drop lower than they had ever gone before. He was beyond grateful that Rey was back safe, even though it was by the skin of his teeth.

There was the major issue, however, of Hero.

What was the Borrower teen going through? Was he being hurt? Treated as a pet already? Was he being questioned?

Knowing the boy, Soren worried that he might involuntarily start talking to prevent the human from hurting him and in hopes the human would understand they – Borrowers – were just like humans.

“I’m so sorry Soren,” sobbed Rey as he crumpled in on himself. Ashlynn, absolutely petrified and ruled with rage simultaneously, gingerly reached out and stroked Rey’s back in an effort to comfort the teen. Soren shook his head and kissed his brother on the forehead.

“No. It’s okay. You did the right thing. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but you did so well,” Soren encouraged. “Do you remember where this apartment is?”

Rey nodded feebly.

“Yes, but it’s not good,” muttered Rey as he sniffed and tried to speak clearly. “Before I left, I looked into the other rooms to make sure I knew where I was. I saw boxes in the apartment. I think they’re moving out.”

“Rey, are you sure?” asked Ashlynn. “There is another family moving in. I saw them before. It’s a dad, a son, and a daughter.” Rey shook his head vigorously as he sniffled again.

“No. We saw them and were on our way back out when Hero heard the girl crying. She must not want to leave,” muttered Rey. It was the only explanation he could come up with. Soren nodded and looked up into Ashlynn’s eyes.

“Ashlynn, I need you to bring me to the counter if you could, please,” said Soren. Ashlynn, mildly confused, stared curiously at him. She felt more concern than anything at the moment.

“Why?” she asked. Soren, with a hefty sigh, nodded and replied.

“I need to tell the Rafters that their son has been captured,” said Soren. Ashlynn’s eyes wide, she opened her mouth to protest, but Soren silenced her with a glance. “No, Ashlynn, we need to bring them in on this. If the family is moving, we need reconnaissance and as many Borrowers as we can spare on this.”

“I can help too,” said Ashlynn. “I can go see who they are and look for any suspicious boxes as they’re carrying them down.” Soren considered this for a moment before nodding.

“Fine. That would work well actually. If you see this girl, don’t confront her just yet. We don’t want to raise suspicion. Most likely, she’ll remember what Austin told her about us and be ready for some kind of counter measure. We’ll need all the help we can get,” stated Soren.

Ashlynn thought for a moment before making the most daring statement yet.

“Well, if you’re recruiting, I should too. Hero made other human friends, right? They may be able to help too,” said Ashlynn. Soren once again opened his mouth to protest, but seemed to consider it for a moment longer.

“It couldn’t hurt, but wait until I get back,” said Soren. Ashlynn nodded and carefully moved her hand from underneath Rey to bring Soren to the counter.

“I want to help,” called out Rey as Soren stepped onto Ashlynn’s palm and crouched low, handing Mayzie off to Dorian.

“Soon, bobbin, but not right now. Ashlynn, time is ticking. We need to move – now,” said Soren.

Ashlynn nodded and brought Soren over to the cover, bringing him up to her lips and kissing his torso before setting him down. Soren reveled in the warmth and softness of her lips before stepping off of her hand.

“I’ll be right back. See what you can see and come straight here, okay?” asked Soren. They exchanged a thoughtful look before Soren seized his hook from the wall and vanished behind the electrical cover.

As Soren sprinted through the walls, he could only hope they weren’t too late and that they could get Hero back safe and sound.

But first, the bigger task was telling the Rafters about their son – and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

::_____::

A Tall and Small Collection

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A Tall and Small Collection | Soren

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::_____::

Everyone Needs a Little Hero

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[witla]

2023 Year Review

Hello!

So first of all I wanted to make this on audio like I did on 2020, but honestly I don’t think I have time and room to record my voice lol.

Second holy shit the last time I did this was in 2020 itself, why I didn’t make this on 2021 or 2022? Idk maybe I didn’t want to talk about it, but I’m going to have a brief mention of things about them here.

So 2023…

It was a very zig zag year for me to be sure

First, I’m quite disappointed on myself because I didn’t make much art like I did before, if you see my archive on tumblr, you can see the gaps between months and the amount of drawings I did (not a lot), I wish I could have made more art, but when you get on a job, your brain gets fried and artblock its inevitable.

Speaking of my job…oh boy, at first I was excited to finally got settled in a job to make my own money and such (I entered last year on August), but the more time I’ve been, the more unwelcomed I felt, let’s just say that I haven’t click much with my coworkers like I did before, my bosses are not there at all, and I just feel like a ghost, not appreciated, but I don’t want to quit yet because I don’t think I can find a job that quickly after quitting one, I want to have more experience and such. I just hope we can have a better environment again like before.

In terms of health, God, it’s been my more painful year yet, sickness after sickness after sickness, at least I went to the hospital once for brief hours, its better because the period of 2020-2022, I’ve been on the hospital like five times a year for days. And let’s not talk about how my moods swings went and so on, my mental health was on the verge of breaking, so much that I was ready to say goodbye to the world like the fifteen time…

But I didn’t

Why?

Because despite all this toxicity and this negativity in my personal life, some things are worth to live for.

It’s worth to hear your dad say “I love you” and cook you the food you love, to say that he will help you no matter what, and appreciate you and say how smart and beautiful you are.

It’s worth to hear your brother say he worries about you, and wants you to be okay, to send you memes, images and videos to laugh with the most surreal humor we gen z have.

It’s worth to hear your sister tell you about her hyper fixations, to hear her silly but funny ideas and contribute alongside her, to see her draw with acuarelas, and show you the weird but funny videos she laughs about.

It’s worth to have your grandma let gift you things you don’t really need, but it’s still appreciated and hugs you and kisses you, when she loves you despite your low self-stem.

It’s worth to hear your uncles and aunts to say how are you beautiful you are, how they love the way you laugh, the way you smile, they say keep that cute smile of yours always.

It’s worth to see your cousins, talk to them, hug them, and play alongside them UNO cards and videogames, especially when they also have the same interest as yourself and understands you when no one else does.

Its worth to see your dogs, pet them, see how they wave their tail at you, how they get happy when they see you coming back home after work,

Even if we bicker and a lot for the most minimum things, we love each other, typical Mexican family lol, but yeah my family has been a big support in this year.

Also I’m proud of myself, I had the guts to join a dance group, specifically an Ori Tahiti group, I learned to dance something that I wasn’t familiar with, not only that, I learned more about Polynesian culture and language, and it that group I made some friends, my teacher is a very open minded and lovely person, after my exam, she wrote on a paper of how if I have more confidence in myself I might be also present as a solo dancer (WOW).

Learning to dance definitely improved my physical and mental health (a little bit yeah because I have my downs) like I lost a significant amount of weight thanks to it, and seeing the others dance and talk with them and dance alongside them, it’s also worth to live for, they definitely boost my confidence.

And even if it’s a bit cheesy, some media I watched and played, it was worth it, it helped me in the bad times, it helped me to have fun, to feel fun again, to enjoy my life, thank you!!!.

So yeah, even if my year had ups and downs, I’m ready for next year

I hope things get better with me, but no only me, to everyone, I hope it becomes a better year around the world, please be a better year for those who need it!

If you read this, well thank you for having the time to read it!

To my followers, thanks for sticking with me, even if I have a small following, I appreciate you a lot and I love you!!!!!!!!

Good news is that I finally made more pieces of art, although it’s my usual personal weird, surreal, abstract pieces of art based on my struggles, good things, just surreal shit and songs I listen too, also made new OCS so… I’m hoping to upload them soon on January!

Happy New Year!

See you soon on 2024!!!

An Witlacosh