#and i'm not yet comfortable as an illustrator by any means

[sarasa-cat]

Okay. Now it is time for me to do the new new thing. To look through my references and then commit an idea to multiple pages of actual paper. To do the thing. Low stakes bc it is for me. But yeah, to do it. The thing. Now is the time.

[merrymorningofmay]

I saw your post about how hard things have been lately and I was wondering if having people boost not just war/survival related things, but also positivity would help? Ukraine has such a rich and beautiful culture; I'd love to know if there are good tags for finding information and examples to boost to show people that and if you think that would be genuinely helpful?

Sorry if this is worded oddly. I hope you and your family stay safe and that this ends in victory for your people soon. <3

thank you for the kind words and support!!

as for your question: it's not odd at all, but i have kind of mixed feelings on the matter, so this is gonna be long i'm sorry....

first i'll say this: celebrating and promoting ukrainian culture is always, unambiguously, a good idea, because historically it's been largely underrepresented and understudied (and appropriated and/or miscredited by. Some Country. anyway). i like to think it's also helpful to our plight, however marginally, because people are more likely to sympathise with someone familiar and relatable, and engaging with ukrainian culture/boosting ukraine's presence anywhere can help bridge that gap.

as for online sources to share, i can definitely recommend ukr_arthistory (ukrainian art) and old_ukr_books (vintage book illustrations) on twitter, and also vintage-ukraine here on tumblr. if you'd like to help promote ukrainian artists on here as well as on twitter, #украрт, #укркрафт are the tags you wanna check out. living artists could always use some engagement/commissions

this list is quite short, to my shame, but again, fellow ukrainians are very welcome to add their own suggestions! (guys, please do)

i have my own reservations, though. see, there isn't a single aspect of ukrainian culture, art, life that hasn't been affected or retroactively reframed by the current war or by the long gruesome history of russia's colonialism in ukraine. the war is a part of us, it's a part of me, and any attempt by a non-ukrainian to draw a neat line between the two feels. unearned and violating? somehow? (again, these are just my feelings; e.g. i never trigger tag my war posts because nobody gets to have the fun parts of me and filter out the war part of me. other ukrainians may have different feelings)

and especially now, when the political and battlefield situation is at its bleakest yet and ukraine has been making less and less headlines, hearing non-ukrainians praise the resilience of the ukrainian people or repeat the comforting "kyiv in three days" platitude makes me feel bitter more than anything, because like. we shouldn't have to be this resilient! we're resilient because our allies are failing us and our only other choice is death! sure they didn't take kyiv in three days, but if they take it in three years instead i'll be just as dead in the end! you feel me?

this, of course, isn't to imply you did/were about to do any of that; i'm just trying to explain why i can't just answer "yes, by all means" to your (respectful and valid) question.

i guess the bottom line is: sure, do share and celebrate the beautiful, joyful, fascinating things about ukraine, as long as you also share and engage with the serious stuff. unfortunately, the bad news are the priority right now. i sincerely hope we live to see the day they won't be.

[lloydfrontera]

this is like. so non-important compared to all my other grievances with the webcomic but like. the reasons kim hyunsoo gives for changing javier's hair from silver to mint. lol. lmao even.

they're so,, lazy,,,,

that sounds like a skill issue my dude :/

i mean the novel illustrations did it perfectly well imo

'but nali' i hear you say 'those are novel illustrations, where there's only one drawing per chapter. of course it's more difficult to do in a webcomic'

and sure. you're right. it's very different in a webcomic. in fact i am almost certain that no webcomic has ever had a protagonist with silver hair.

not a single webcomic ever has done that before. truly. a completely unrealistic expectation to have.

really it's not like silver hair is one of the most popular tropes in manhwa and almost every other webcomic has one of those

clearly. this was a completely impossible thing to ask of an adaptation. it's not like it's one of the most iconic parts of our protagonist's design. it's not like it's mentioned almost every single time javier is onscreen.

really. what a truly necessary change.

which. speaking of.

now, correct me if i'm wrong. but shouldn't your deuteragonist, the very first character your character meets, your second main character's design,,, more important than a secondary character that isn't introduced like,,, more than a hundred episodes later???

like. i don't think we even get told what color lloyd's hair is. but god does the novel mention that habiel has silver hair every five minutes.

i'm sorry i just think that if you're gonna adapt something the very least thing you could do is try to be faithful to one of the very few character descriptions we ever get! especially that of your goddamn main character!

how come a secondary character takes precedence over him?? why not change that character's hair color then???

and even then. if your character design skills suck so much that two characters having the same hair color is enough to make them look too similar perhaps there's a bigger problem here.

i just,,,, i am almost certain i know what character he's speaking of. maybe even two characters. hell maybe even three. but fucking guess what. the webnovel illustrations already did designs for those characters. it gave them all silver hair. and there was No Issue at all because their designs were so distinct from one another that at no point was there any doubt of who was who. because that's what good character design is about.

like. that's such a stupid reason oh my godddd if you're gonna pull that bs then what's your excuse for all those other characters with brown hair. are you not worried they're gonna overlap because their hair color is the same. i mean you made silurian's brown hair darker so now it matches like 90% of your background characters. do their design not overlap like that.

i'm just!! it's such a stupid thing to get mad about!! especially when there's far more egregious changes being made but like!! it just,,, it shows the kind of attitude the people adapting tged into a webcomic have towards the source material

it's not about the hair color. i mean it is but there's more to it. it's about how the artists feel comfortable disregarding parts of the novel and canon because it's more convenient to them. it's about how they prefer to focus on unimportant stuff that gets them a few laughs rather than put a little bit of effort into getting their characters right. it's about how they waste entire panels into making ugly faces and repetitive jokes rather than take a bit of time to get the hair color of their protagonist correctly.

it is,, disappointing i guess :/

and because i'm petty. here.

that's literally it. that's all kim hyunsoo had to do. it's such a tiny detail and yet. couldn't be bothered to get it right lol

[abrandnewshadow]

2005 mcr newsletter [email] about the founding of skeleton crew

"SKELETON CREW ONLINE

To whom it may concern,

Hello friends, this is Frank from My Chemical Romance. First of all, I would like to thank you all for helping my dreams come true. I cannot express my undying

gratitude for your support of this little band. You have made it possible for four kids from New Jersey and one from Chicago to make a difference in this world. Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the depths of my polluted New Jersey heart, thank you.

Ok, so now that the mushy stuff is out of the way I wanted to tell you about something that's going on in my life. I am clogging up your inbox with junk mail to let you know that I have embarked on a new creative adventure. Over the past few years, I have met lots of extremely talented people… tons of them. The thing is, I have not only become friends with these people, but I have also become a huge fan of the art they create. When that happens, the next logical step is to figure out how to work with them in the best capacity. So I wanted to start a company or companies that would be able to showcase the talents of my friends, my heroes, and the people who inspire me to live each day of my life as if it were my last. What I came up with was Skeleton Crew (skeletoncrewonline.com). Skeleton Crew is a record label, book publisher, and clothing design company. I figured if I was going to do it, I might as well do it all. I have always had a passion for record collecting, especially rare releases. If I'm a fan of the band I have to have it all, it's a sickness really. So Skeleton Crew Records will put out limited edition releases, colored vinyl, picture discs, and things I would want as a record collector. Basically whatever the band wants to do, we will put out. Some of the bands you might have heard of, some of the bands you might not have. The one thing they will all have in common is that I like them, which means they are worth checking out. (I have wanted to start a record label of my own for years, I'm really excited.)

Skeleton Crew Publications will release books written or illustrated by musicians, artists, athletes, and just all around interesting people who have something to say. I want to create a different forum where art and ideas can be presented. With media some of these artists have not experimented with or explored yet. I think this division of Skeleton Crew is the most interesting, and the one to definitely keep your eye on. We will not censor any of the artists, they will have full reign over what they create. (Again the only thing the authors may have in common, is that I am a fan.)

Last, but not least, is Skeleton Crew Clothing. This is not a t-shirt company! I can type it again if you didn't read it the first time…this is not a t-shirt company. I have nothing against t-shirts, some of my best friends wear them, and I enjoy them as well. All I'm trying to say is that Skeleton Crew is a clothing design company; we are in the process of developing a fall/winter line that will involve more than just screen printed t-shirts. You will be able to wear nothing but Skeleton Crew products for weeks straight to any occasion or destination and never think twice about whether your uniform is comfortable, appropriate, or fashionable. The designs are rad, I must say so myself. There are teasers on the website for you right now, but we'll keep you in anticipation of the clothes for a little bit longer.

This is a business that has a greater good in mind, Skeleton Crew will donate a portion of all profits to different charitable organizations, decided upon by the artists we work with. I have a feeling you guys are gonna enjoy what we come up with; at least I hope you do. Skeleton Crew will have a booth on upcoming Warped Tour dates on the East coast. I will drop you guys a short email letting you know when exactly that will be.

Until then, go to the site, skeletoncrewonline.com, you can email us for additional information. So far it's been really fun and hard just developing this project, I can't wait to get things rolling and hear what you guys think. I created Skeleton Crew from my heart and with my friends so I hope you check it out. Thanks for reading, I'll see you at the show.

keep the faith - frank m.c.r. & s.c.."

posted by bringyrbullets on lj

[kittenshift-17]

I want to know, if you don't mind and if you feel comfortable, your honest opinion, from the bottom of your heart, why you choose zutara over kataang. I'm really curious to know an adult's perspective about this ship.

Hi,

Thanks for asking this. Hopefully, it's with genuine curiosity and not a means to find things to argue with or attack me over.... anyway... I've been thinking about this a little bit, and the answer is two-fold.

The short answer is that I pick Zutara over Kataang because I don't like Aang very much, and I do like Zuko; I think the characterization of both just lends itself more to an appreciation of Zuko and his redemption arc over Aang's hero struggle.

The long answer is a summation of the following:

Aang's a child in the series, not yet even a teenager, and I think we can all agree that he often displays his lack of maturity throughout the series in several places. Now, this isn't necessarily a fair argument to bring to the table, given that he would undoubtedly mature as he grew (we assume) and did some growing up, even during the series. That said, his age - his being younger than Katara, is another reason I prefer Zutara, because most of the time - at least when I'm writing them - the gaang are either in their mid-late teens or early twenties, and I think at those ages, most girls don't want to date someone younger than them. Partially, it's social conditioning, but developmentally, boys tend to be two years behind girls in regard to maturity, etc., so it's a big factor.

We see throughout the series that Katara goes for guys that are... shall we say, more "manly" than Aang? Jet is a sexy schmooze with mixed-up ideals, but he's older than her and well-fit. Haru is buff as hell and kind of adorable (before the mustache makes its debut, anyway). In that regard, Zuko is much more Katara's 'type' than a scrawny, short, skinny bald kid with arrows tattooed all over him. Also, I mean, she seems to prefer men with great hair, and Aang just doesn't fit the bill.

Aang is the Avatar and, by merit of being so, needs to put his connection to the spirits world, his responsibility to the physical world, and his role as an avatar before everything else, including worldly attachments. We see this throughout the series, wherein his unwillingness to let go of his attachment to Katara inhibits his chakra pathways and blocks him from entering the avatar state. We also see him finally choosing his responsibility over his love for Katara, and while that's the right thing to do for the sake of the world, I just think Katara deserves more than that. It's the embodiment of the uptick in a preference for falling for the morally grey villain over the hero because the hero will sacrifice you for the good of the world, while the morally grey villain will let the world burn as long as you're safe.

Now, you could argue that the above isn't fair because Zuko has responsibilities, too, in that he needs to take on the role of Fire Lord, but I think there's more room for love/romance/attachment in that role than there is in Aang's role.

Zuko is so much more interesting than Aang; I don't know how else to put it. He's got the tragic back-story, the anger issues, the redemption arc, that morally-grey-what-can-I-say-grey's-my-favourite-colour vibe about him, and he's just so much cooler and more mature. Like, yes, he has his moments of childishness and temper tantrums - as does Katara - but he's matured far beyond what we witness of Aang and it makes him a more likable character. An example of what I mean is probably best illustrated in the Southern Raiders chapter. Aang tries to impose his own ideals and morality on Katara when she's burning for revenge, which, while he's trying to encourage her to do the right thing, doesn't really suggest that he's supportive of her feelings. I found him quite dismissive in that chapter with his insistence that she just forgave the man who killed her mother without any attempt at growth or chance for closure. Meanwhile, Zuko just grabs his gear and goes with her to make sure she'll be safe and to support her in whatever decision she chooses to make. Yes, it might've meant that he would be an accessory to murder, but at least he was supportive. Also, his reaction to learning Katara can blood-bend - an insanely frightening ability when you really stop and think about it - is alarmed but then accepting, and it's just so much more palatable than the lecture I imagine she'd get from Aang if he learned she'd used the ability for harm and revenge.

There's too much of a brother-sister vibe between Aang and Katara - at least when it's shown from Katara's perspective - and it wigs me out that the writers put them together in the end. Throughout the series, Katara treats Aang much the same way she treats Sokka, often mothering him as opposed to seeming romantically inclined towards him. Whereas with Zuko through the entire series, there's the ongoing thread of parallels between their characters and the underlying unresolved sexual tension between them - put there intentionally BY THE WRITERS, I might add. Like throughout the series, we were SUPPOSED to be shipping Zuko and Katara; the intention was to have them end up together. It's only the last-minute switch of writers and/or change of heart to fulfill the "hero gets the girl" trope that made Kataang canon, and I just think it's a disservice to the characters, the fans, and the series in general, to backflip like that at the last minute for a lame reason.

I could probably go on - and have before, in GCs and sometimes on Tumblr, about the many reasons they're just better suited to one another, but you're probably bored by now, so I'll stop here. Hopefully, the above gives you something to think about and a better understanding of the reasons so many ship the two of them. If nothing else, it's got me thinking about my Zutara fics and maybe even planning an update.

xx-Kitten

[kizudnyy]

Dreamscape Lovers (2023)

《 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙍 𝙭 𝙃𝘼𝙒𝙆𝙎/𝙆𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙊 𝙏𝘼𝙆𝘼𝙈𝙄》

"Do you ever wonder,"

"if any of this is real? If we are real to each other?"

"I dont know.. But you feel real to me even if this is just a dream.

No tumblr banner yet

Y/N had always loved dreams. They were the one place where anything could happen. But meeting Keigo, was the most incredible dream of all.

Each night, they found themselves in a vivid dreamscape, a surreal world where reality and fantasy blurred. They would talk for hours, sharing their hopes and dreams as if they had known each other for years.

From the very beginning, Keigo would talk about his ambition to become a hero. Y/N, despite being quirkless and living in America, always supported him wholeheartedly.

"I know you'll be a great hero, Keigo," Y/N would say, their eyes shining with conviction. "You've got the heart for it!"

Years passed in this dream world, and one night, Keigo appeared in a brand new hero costume. His feathers gleamed under the dreamscape's surreal light, and his eyes sparkled with pride.

"Look at me, Y/N! I made it. I'm a hero now." Keigo exclaimed, spinning around to show off his outfit.

Y/N cheered, celebrating his debut. But as the initial excitement faded, a shadow of doubt crept into Keigo's eyes. He looked at Y/N with a mixture of confusion and sorrow.

"Do you ever wonder," he began, voice trembling, "if any of this is real? If we are real to each other?"

Y/N's heart ached at the sight of his uncertainty. They wrapped their arms around him, offering a comforting hug. "Keigo, even if this is just a dream, what we have here is real to me. Our memories....our friendship... they mean everything."

As they embraced, the dreamscape around them seemed to blur and shift, reflecting their shared emotions. They held onto each other tightly, grounding themselves in their connection, even if it was just in dreams.

—

In the waking world, Y/N was an artist. They often found themselves drawing illustrations inspired by their dreamscape adventures.

Their sketchbook was filled with drawings of Keigo in his hero costume, and they would often scribble little jokes only they and Keigo would understand.

One day, Y/N's friend picked up the sketchbook, flipping through the pages.

"Are you a fan of this Hawks guy?" they asked, curious.

Y/N shook their head, "Hawks?" They asked in confusion before smiling softly. "No, he's just a friend from my dreams."

Their friend laughed, thinking it was a joke, and left it at that.

—

A few weeks later, Y/N and their friend decided to take a vacation to Japan. While exploring the bustling streets, they stumbled upon a hero convention. Excited, they decided to check it out.

The convention was packed with people, all eager to meet their favorite heroes. As they wandered through the booths, Y/N's heart skipped a beat when they spotted a familiar figure.

Keigo.

Their eyes locked across the crowd, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. Y/N approached the booth, nerves tingling.

"Hi, I'm Y/N," they introduced themselves, a flicker of recognition passing between them.

Keigo's eyes widened, and a slow smile spread across his face. "Y/N...?" he murmured.

Y/N's eyes lit up as they nodded. "Yep! My name's Y/N. You're Hawks, right?"

Keigo leaned in slightly, a playful glint in his eye. "Hey, you just don't happen to be the person from my dreams who always tells terrible jokes about heroes, do you?"

Y/N's eyes sparkled with recognition and they grinned. "Only if you're the guy who always brags about his feathers," they replied, continuing the old joke seamlessly.

Before they could say more, Y/N's friend intercepted them, looking between the two with confusion. "Y/N, you sure you aren't a fan of him??"

"Oh, don't be silly!" Y/N laughed.

Keigo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You aren't a fan of me?" he asked, amusement in his voice.

Y/N shook their head, smiling. "No, I'm not just a fan. You're much more than that to me."

Keigo's smile grew wider, filled with wonder and delight. "I can't believe this. You're real," he whispered, awe in his voice.

But as they realized they were holding up the line, Y/N and their friend quickly moved along, collecting autographs from other heroes. But before they left Hawks' booth, Y/N turned back to him one last time.

With a mischievous smirk, they took his left hand and scribbled something underneath. "Call me?" Y/N said, winking before pulling away.

Keigo glanced down at the number written on his hand, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"You can count on it."

MASTERLIST

[the-chattering-tower]

Speaking of Pixel Cat's End! Here's my feelings on the site so far, after three days of playing and also not yet having touched the forums aside from Guides/FAQs

I am absolutely in love with the art style. Every image on the site fills me with joy. I never knew I needed an entire site of pixel doodles in my life but goddamn I evidently did

(There is something to be said about the fact that I grew up on books illustrated by Réber László. Anyway)

At first how slow paced the game is felt weird (nothing but Adventuring to do past dailies, cats take almost a third of a year to grow up, getting new jobs or kittens will take a long time from when you join) bc I'm the kinda person who loves to putter around endlessly in games. But this game seems committed to its choice of slowness, and once you get used to it, it's really pleasant

The amount of very conscious steps taken to alleviate the anxiety that may come from starting a new game and having to do things with Consequences warms my heart

The opening sequence/tutorial in general is really good quality. I didn't feel like I needed to scour the forums endlessly from the first minute to be able to play comfortably at all

The lack of tooltips when hovering over items feels strange. Combined with the fact that the category icons are tiny to the point of impossible to pick out/tell apart means that every time I get any item that looks significant, I just rush to my Inventory and click through categories until I randomly find them

Accessibility my beloved. Petsites in my experience tend to have Issues with implementing accessibility features partly bc they think ppl with screenreaders are wholly outside their demographic, and partly bc most petsites are Old and have many years of technological debt to reckon with. So seeing a site built from the ground up with accessibility in mind (alt text, night mode, limited text colours that are visible on both site themes, keybinds for adventuring, etc) is wonderful

Pronouns :]

I am very intrigued by the genetics system and its ability to be both very complex and very well explained. I don't know if I'll ever get to get into it in practice but i am Looking

I am so excited by the amount of things that are Not Yet Added but Someday Will Be. The entire undiscovered map, the potential additions to the genetic system, the growth of Adventuring, Ascension, magic. There is so much in the future!!

I'm probably forgetting some stuff but that's it for now

[this-ag-doll-is-a-butch]

Clara Montoya: Autistic???

I've been getting back into AG for almost a year now. Josefina has always, always been my fave, since we were both nine years old.

I've been thinking about how I want her to have a counterpart in her time and location to actually interact with in period-appropriate ways. She never received a Best Friend doll, though :(

But really, her whole story is centered around her family anyway, and I've seen people talk about how 2005 GOTY Marisol Luna has been used to create Clara dolls. And yep, the resemblance is real.

So I have plans to get a Marisol and make her Clara. Although they may take a some months to come to fruition, considering all my other doll and fandom and plushie collection goals and IRL expenses 😔

But it's free to think about Clara's character and plan for what I want her collection to encompas.

The thing that strikes me most, looking at her now with the adult knowledge of being autistic myself- she REALLY seems like a character that one can headcanon as autistic with ease.

She's logical and practical and literal to a fault. She hates change and getting dirty and wants to keep everything organized. Sewing and embroidery are her special interests! She bonds with Tía Dolores through those interests! She clashes hard with Francisca, who just does not want to make the effort to understand her.

She has strong attachment to objects, to the extent that it becomes a huge part of the plot in "Josefina's Surprise." (The altar cloth, Niña.)

Niña is her comfort object, for fuck's sake!!!!! She manages to relinquish primary custody of Niña to Josefina, but ONLY after Tía Dolores managed to give her a new comfort object (Mamá's silver thimble.)

I mean, I think I need to closely reread all Josefina's series and acquire all short stories and the mysteries. What else is going on with dear Clara and her autism? Does she have sensory issues???

It goes without saying that Clara was never deliberately written as autistic, and of course in 1824 New Mexico, a word didn't exist for autism. But we autistics have always existed.

In terms of a potential collection- obviously Josefina's nightgown straight-up seems to be Clara's camisa and IDK how to feel about that. How can Josefina not have her nightgown??? 😭

One potential solution I've been thinking about is a similar nightgown for her but with a different neck ribbon. I can't sew, but it seems Etsy seller Magnoliawillows makes a similar nightgown with a blue ribbon which could be Josefina's new nightgown.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1325115163/josefina-montoya-style-night-shift

Also, I know her BeForever nightgown exists too. But I'm not as emotionally bonded to it, since it came after "my time" lmao. Maybe it would be nice if Clara and Josefina had summer and winter nightgowns 🤔

And I could get Josefina's BeForever bed for Clara! That's another reason why I want a Clara- to have a way to use more of Josefina's collection as I acquire it, especially the BeForever items.

And if AG could just get off their asses and GIVE JOSEFINA LITERALLY ANY COLLECTION AT ALL AGAIN, it would be great to buy whatever is (re-)released new and use it mostly for Clara, because that way I could have the beloved Pleasant Company versions of my memory yet also support Josefina's collection today.

Meet Accessories/Outfit ideas- Josefina's PC red-ribbon nightgown as camisa, different rebozo, moccasins, extra pair of Josefina bloomers, indigo skirt (although it would be interesting to try and see if someone sells/would make a skirt closer to book illustrations... however, 1820s New Mexican sisters, even in a well-to-do family like Josefina's, definitely shared clothes. So it would make sense from that perspective).

She'd need a doll-size pair of scissors, which Tía Dolores gave her, of course. And I'd want her to have some kind of necklace, because all AG historicals did/do. I'd need to know more about necklaces from then, though... perhaps some kind of mílagro, or Saint Clara symbol/medal? I'd want her to have a little sewing & embroidery kit to hang on her belt, too.

One thing that would take a lot more work, yet would make an amazing story, would be to somehow find another little doll's-doll like Niña. I have a whole story idea where some kind of secret room somehow gets found (maybe at Abuelito and Abuelita's house in Santa Fe) and a long-forgotten doll from Mamá and Tía Dolores' childhood gets given to Clara 🥺

Another idea would be to assemble stuff to create a little shrine for Clara and Josefina to pray at (yes I got the idea from the Mini World image). Especially because it would have Mamá's colcha-embroidered altar cloth! And just in general, part of why I connected with Josefina so much growing up was that her family is Catholic, just like mine.

These days, obviously, I'm a grown up monbinary gay ex-TradCath (similar to ExVangelical) with religious trauma, but maybe making a doll Catholic shrine would be a way to deal with that in a more healthy manner...

Anyway I would love to talk about Clara and Josefina!!!! Josefina-lovers please interact!!!!

[eegasleega-will-change-this-l8r]

Sooo I wasn't planning on doing this post just yet and I don't have a good digital drawing of her yet, but

Ana!!

So my take on her is very different from how I think most people imagine her, I wanted to go in a different direction that made her more than just the girl one/ninten's girlfriend/nicher Paula and she's become one of my favorite characters to play around with ^^

Design details and a giant wall of text detailing her character and story below :3

So like the entirety of my interpretation of Ana stems from one thing

That face

T_T

Very prominent eyebrows (Invasion From the Unknown actually mentions the same thing!!! the illustrations don't show it though and there's not really any other similarities between that version and mine), mouth usually spread in a frown, she's not a happy person Pink dress with a white collar and frill at the bottom, pink hat with a black band (or maybe cream with a red/pink band? i might play around with that idk), red shoes and white stockings She almost always wears her hat when she's out, having to leave it behind in Reindeer was very frustrating but she knew she'd get it back eventually at least (And yeah, she's fat. Her sprite doesn't look fat, I haven't seen other designs that make her fat, I didn't really take inspiration from her model because I hate it and it's not really fat either, I just wanted there to be a fat girl who's not, like, a mean-spirited joke, and since MOTHER's sprites are suuuper vague I decided to take advantage of it and design the characters however I wanted. thank god i'm on tumblr and not posting these to reddit or something, they'd crucify me)

Now her character!

Basically, Ana is grumpy and sour Constantly

You can contrast that with Ninten's 24/7 positivity

In general, I see the world of MOTHER 1 being very bleak and gloomy, with Ninten being the sole exception who helps bring light to the places and people whose souls are being crushed by the weight of everything Ana's sort of the final boss of repressed emotions and pessimism for Ninten to tackle (besides the actual final boss, who completely blows anyone else's emotional repression out of the water - I have a Giygas post in my drafts but I honestly have too much to say about him, I need to trim it down ><) It alllllll plays into the themes I wanna play with in my M1 interpretation :3

So Ana was a young girl living with her mother and father in Snowman's local chapel. Even before the Invasion she was pretty well-known for not being particularly upbeat. She was super reserved, pretty much never smiled, and preferred reading and praying to other people's company. She got some of it from her father, who was a priest and raised her to value proper behaviour and following God or whatever, but she's also just kinda like that. Her mother was much warmer, loving her daughter and never judging her for being less outgoing than the other kids, and Ana was always happiest curled up with her next to the fire, listening to a story.

Oh, and of course she's psychic, powerfully so. Bad news if you tick her off. Her family regards it as a miracle from God. She's a little clairvoyant, but not enough to know exactly what the future holds. Just short little confusing snippets and hints of what to do and expect.

One day, everything suddenly changed. The town was hit by an earthquake, everything was covered in darkness, the animals on the outskirts of town went berserk, and people went missing. The sounds and the shaking jolted Ana awake, and she ran down the hall hoping to be comforted by her mother. Opened the door, standing there with a candle, staring at the empty bed and a shattered window.

Ana buried her feelings and set out to try and find her mother (her father just stayed home and prayed, never leaving the chapel), but the monsters and creatures that had appeared were too strong for her alone, and she could only get as far as Reindeer before she had to turn back. But she heard a little voice in her head that told her to leave her hat behind, and she knew that whoever returned it to her would be the person she had to follow to rescue her mother. She waited impatiently back at her home, praying with her father, obsessively reading the news (similar disappearances all over the country, especially in Easter, interesting), and hoping that the hero, "Ninten," would show up soon.

Eventually, after FAR longer than she was happy with, he showed up and. Is this really the hero? This is just some bucktoothed kid and his geeky friend. She shoved down her frustrations along with everything else (at the very least she appreciated finally having her hat back) and told him that she needed to join him. He's happy to meet her of course because he's Ninten ("New friend!" "We are not friends.") And so the trio gets to set off on their journey!

In the completely wrong direction. Why are we stopping in Halloween.

For some reason, Ninten doesn't seem overly concerned about the fate of the world. He and his stupid friend just keep goofing off and hunting for these useless melodies. This isn't a scavenger hunt. The world is gonna be destroyed. She's furious, but she bottles it up. This is the person who's apparently fated to save Earth, so she has to stay with him, no matter how annoying he is or how much time he wastes.

So Ana spends the whole journey getting progressively more ticked off as they keep getting distracted by the hunt for the melodies. Ninten's shenanigans and his relentlessly positive attitude continue to get on her nerves, and she refuses to engage with them. This is a SERIOUS mission, and she's not gonna stoop to their foolish level, even if she has to stick with them.

So I'll be able to get more into the fight among the group when Teddy joins when I do his post, but short story is that Ana is against Lloyd staying. If they're actually gonna see this mission through to its end, someone strong like Teddy's gonna be far more useful, and they've wasted far too much time to let Lloyd slow them down. Her anger's really starting to boil over at this point. They've been together for ages, and they've barely gotten any closer to saving the world.

This all finally comes to a head on the Mountain (I love the Mountain, everything happens on the Mountain). Ninten's starting to lose his cool as the stress of their journey starts getting heavier and heavier, having to leave Lloyd was incredibly painful, and he's angry with her for not having their backs. She snaps that they aren't friends, they're just allies on the same mission, and they can't afford to waste time goofing off and making pals, and the fight gets more and more heated until everything Ana's been holding in finally bursts free.

She's terrified, and she's been terrified ever since her mother disappeared, and she doesn't know if they can really win or if she'll ever see her mother again, and having to just stay bottled up while they just wandered around seemingly not doing anything has been awful, and infuriating, and she can't stop herself from crying anymore.

Ninten quiets down and lets her have what she needs for a few minutes before he tries to comfort her. He didn't realize she was keeping all this inside, and he feels horrible that she was dealing with this the entire time. Once her tears die down, he rests his hand on her and assures her that they're gonna save her mother, and everyone else, too. He doesn't know how, and he's terrified sometimes too, but he also knows that for whatever reason, they need the melodies if they want to win. He apologizes for just ignoring all her feelings for the entire journey, and tells her that even though she's been so firm about not liking them, he doesn't want her to be alone. She can tell him anything, she doesn't need to keep everything to herself. That's what being friends is about, right?

So this is huge for both of them, and it's when Ana finally starts to warm up. She finally sees that it's good to be open and have friends, and that they'll be stronger for it if they're close. And, as they climb further up the Mountain and continue being friends, she starts to realize some muuuuch more uncomfortable feelings, too. Of course she pushes them down at first, but when they reach the cabin, they're alone together, and who knows if she'll have another chance to open up like this, she comes out and asks Ninten to dance.

I flip-flop a lot on whether Ninten actually feels mutually about her (you can choose yes or no when she asks if you like her back, I don't think Ninten's really ready to figure that stuff out for himself), but goddd I love this scene so much, for such a simple, clunky game, its tender moments hit so hard ;-;

So by the end of the story, Ana's reunited with her mother, she finally has friends that she loves and cares about, she's discovered new things about herself, and she's developed a new sense of hope and brightness for the future. A happy ending :)

So that's my version of Ana, I think she's very different from every other version I've seen of her so it's not like I'll ever see content for her that'll really speak to me unfortunately, but I love her and I love thinking about her dynamic with the other characters ^^

[sevensoulmates]

No, no please ramble on, i have many a bone to pick with the way this was recieved. And i honestly didn't expect a certain part of the fandom to have any correct takes about this as they rebuke anything that even remotely points to Buck and Eddie being anything but good ol' bros, but the amount of shippers who retroactively decided that actually, nothing means anything is kinda disappointing. This is a pretty interesting (genius even) way to illustrate Bucks perception of home, romantic relationships and his agency in them after all.

I think Buck and his metaphorical connection to "belonging" and his home space, apartments/loft, couch, etc have been a Thing™️ since his introduction in season 1.

Season 1- he's uncomfortable in a shared house with a bunch of frat guys (including *cough*Connor) that he only came to LA with because of a delusion of creating a "family" with them. Then he meets Abby, he feels like she "sees" him, he moves into her place and doesn't leave until halfway through season 2 even though the relationship has been dead for longer than it's been alive.

Season 2- He meets Ali, and she's the one who convinces him to get his own place, the entire loft is ALI'S doing, harkening back to Buck's passivity in relationships and his tendency to lose himself in them. Ali is the one who gives the iconic "You're like a perpetual roommate, even in your own place" and she hit the fucking nail on the head.

Season 3- the meat of Buck with the Diaz boys starts. "This is Eddie's house, I'm not really a guest". Strong establishment of Buck is at his most comfortable with Eddie and Chris.

Season 4- First we got Chim invading Buck's space, then Albert, then Veronica. His space is still never safe because anyone at anytime can come in and make it there's and he just lets them. Buck retreats to the Diaz house even more for safety. Introduction of "everyone needs a safe space where they can be themselves" by Dr. Copeland. Then in the finale, Buck is the one at the Diaz house, sleeping on their COUCH, taking care of Christopher emotionally and physically, while Eddie recovers from the shooting.

Season 5- Taylor moves into the loft, encroaching on Buck's supposed "safe space", getting rid of his couch in favor of her own (putting her needs above Buck's), and she only moves in because Buck asked her after panicking that she might leave him after he kissed Lucy (both trauma responses). OBVIOUS cracks in the relationship that only gets WORSE when they move in together. They break up, and she takes her couch with her leaving more obvious holes in Buck's loft.

Season 6- the birth of the couch metaphor. Of Buck textually connecting his couch ie. his home with his romantic life. His distant yet overbearing mother forces a couch on him as a way to make up for 30 years of emotional neglect, he hates it and is uncomfortable with it, he only finds solace and rest on the Diaz couch, Kameron INVADES his home in 6b and demands more of him than he ever agreed to. She destroys his couch with her birth fluid. The couch is gone, and Buck asks Natalia if she wants to go couch shopping, incredibly soon after she walked out on him for being "too much".

Buck searching for his true home, his safe space, his family being connected to his physical home has been and will likely continue to be a huge part of his character arc. Who was it I saw who was waiting for Buck's loft to burn down since season 4? Y'all are where it's at, honestly. Who knows, maybe the "Buck's loft should burn down" truthers can combine with the "couch theory" truthers and the "buck breakdown s7" truthers, and make season 7 the best season yet.

[vouam]

Hi, I read a post you made and was curious, could you please expand on what you meant by this :

"I knew the world would be a better place with gender abolition rather than gender liberation. I came to the realisation that gender ideology enforces the socialised gender binary that was designed to oppress women."

What do you mean when you say the gender binary, like what specific ideas or examples illustrate the term "gender binary" in the context of an oppressive system meant to control for others' benefit regardless of the controlled people's wellbeing and best interest? Curious too what's the most important differences you see between gender liberation and abolition?

I'm not sure if I'm a gender abolitionist, don't know enough about it yet. As a woman I'm personally motivated in advocating for women, making shame for feminine/female stereotypes irrelevant or people being immune to it's effects. As a human being I'm invested in removing oppressive systems from everyone though I normally look at it from a stress/poverty perspective instead of gender, race etc. In any case I think huge cultural shifts take a long time and go through a lot of awkward phases as a normal part of the culture shifting and evolving into something healthy. I think it takes a lot of patience and making sure to bask in lovely things and not press too hard for perfectionism over progress. I admire that you care about these topics and are taking steps to be verbal about advocating for yourself and all women in general.

Thank you for your question!

So when I refer to gender ideology and the gender binary, I’m talking about socialised gender. Basically the gender roles associated with male and female (stereotypes that have been developed over thousands of years that generally favour men as strong leaders and intelligent while women are domestic, submissive etc.) Socialised gender is also referred to by transgender people when they are asked what gender means/what they define gender as. They say this because obviously they cannot say a woman is an adult human female, because then being trans wouldn’t be a thing. They constantly refer to this idea that sex and gender are different - where sex is biological and gender is social (ie gender roles)

This is the main basis of the gender liberation movement. Conservatives say that your gender role should match your biological sex, whereas the gender liberation movement says that regardless of your biology - you can be whatever gender you want because it’s a social thing.

I, as a gender abolitionist, see a lot of flaws in this movement. Because it thrives on the idea that social gender should exist. They acknowledge that there is a social difference between a man and a woman, that if you feel socially like a woman when you’re biologically male - that makes you a woman.

I think its misogynistic and confusing to label ‘woman’ and ‘man’ as a set of social roles/feelings/identity. It implies people who don’t conform to those ideas are no longer women/men, it implies that female oppression was based from an identity rather than our biology. It also implies that women and men are perfect social fits to their gender and that if you don’t match that, or aren’t comfortable with that, you’re non binary. Like what 😭 Especially when the ‘gender role’ of women is insulting and degrading NO woman feels fully comfortable being expected to act that way.

As a gender abolitionist I genuinely believe society would be better off without the idea of social gender. That man/woman refers to someone’s biology but you can still act/dress/present as however you want. Nothing would be considered masculine or feminine such as fashion, personality traits etc. And we can all just live freely without expectations to fit into a social role. In a gender abolitionist society, no one would be transgender, because gender would only refer to biology. Just as someone cannot be trans blue eyed, or trans racial. Instead, you could still present however you want, but you would not refer to yourself as ‘woman/man’ because you look or act a certain way.

Hope that all makes sense and lmk if you have any more questions!

[elstreem]

All of my 2023 Zelda art!...there's...not a lot. I'm afraid my brain has been taken over by Bedi and will be that way for the future...heck, I didn't even draw single Link illustration this year...

But while I don't make much Zelda content anymore, I did really like the ones I made this year, especially Yona, Oshus and Vaati. While the stuff I drew for my Phantom Hourglass series mostly turned out rough (except for Oshus, which exceeded my expectations) I'm still happy I was able to draw for what I think is a very underrated entry to the series (and one I dearly love to replay!)

Yona is just dear to me, so I'm glad I was able to draw her and I'm really happy with it, too.

Vaati, we all know, is our glorious edgelord pretty boy, haha, but while I don't draw him as much anymore, the way I drew his profile is my best yet,

I don't promise to make more Zelda next year, I just don't see it happening. I draw art for my own comfort, and currently the source of my comfort is something else. That being said, thank you still for the support and love you've given to any of these, it means a lot to me!

[phospadparadscha]

What do the guys have for gem weapons? Harrys gem is on his back like lapis lazuli so does he have like a special power instead like she had her water control? Does the damage to harrys gem affect his abilities? Can he still fuse?

I leave this open for discussion since I actually am not totally decided yet with some of these, so please reply or inbox if you have ideas for this / weapons / abilities of Harry and other gemsonas as part of this AU. My personal ideas under the read more but again these are not concrete by any means lol

What I can say is that I really, really like the disco ball imagery and would suggest that Harry has both psychic abilities and light / color manipulation powers. As a weapon, if he can summon one it would likely be a giant "wrecking ball" / flail, similar to Sugilite, except with a sort of disco ball at the end. The handle would be engraved with 'sunrise, parabellum', in reference to his Villiers 9mm pepperbox pistol in the game. Harry is a wrecking ball of a person, hard hitting, explosive, and leaving plenty of destruction and chaos in his wake. His nostalgia for the past (disco being a symbol of this) can be violent. I'll draw something for this soon but again I am entirely open to ideas as this is the part I'm not as comfortable with deciding upon immediately and would really appreciate input.

I would say, yes, he can still fuse, but his fusions are incredibly unstable and it takes him a lot of time and effort to do so again after his damage occurred. Funny enough, the idea for this entire AU was so I could design a Harry / Kim fusion, but the entire crossover became more interesting to me than a one-off drawing. However, when I finally figure it out I will definitely illustrate his possible fusions, like Harry / Kim and Jean / Harry and so on.

[fraternum-momentum]

Okay, so let me ramble abt making the last comic, cause that was an absolute behemoth to work on, and I have a lot of thoughts in my head. Man, I don't know how those webtoon artists do it every week. They scare me now.

This is super long btw, so get cozy if you want to read :]

Starting off, I actually got this idea from my lil 'ol diary I keep by my tableside :] I like writing down what I feel so I can see it in a more concrete(?) manner, helps me cope i think. One time, I really did cry for someone because I guess I just really liked them a lot. Having crushes is fun, but catching feelings isn't.

I always get this giddy feeling of being head over heels for someone. Every interaction is so exciting. Intoxicating even. And I couldn't get enough of it, but after that few seconds of bliss I immediately think to myself that all these scenarios in my head will never happen, not in a million fucking years. I just preemptively reject myself without ever telling the person what I feel. I know what the outcome will be anyway, and I'm afraid of what will happen if I did say anything. It's just too risky.

The second half is completely made up tho, I will never ever kidnap someone... unless? (For legal reasons, I will have to clarify that this is a joke, Thank you.)

Now onto the comic itself!

The composition is probably the easiest and the most fun part. I love, love, love, how versatile you can be in the webtoon format. Figuring out how to transition the panels is super fun, and it sucks that most of the webcomics I see on tapas or webtoon, etc. are just sticking to those boring box formulas over and over again when it has so much potential, although there are exceptions like, for example, Lore Olympus. While it has it's fair share of flaws when in comes to other aspects, you can't deny the artist's talent esp when it comes to knowing how to place the character in an illustration, (again) the compositioning etc etc. (ep. 8 is p good. They stick to the box stuff during dialogue but gets more experimental in some parts. I haven't been keeping up with it, so idk any other good eps)

One of my only big regrets is that I wish I had made the space between the '...but I love it." and "And soon..." parts longer. I think it changed scenarios way too fast and your eye immediately moves onto the next piece of text,, but eh, it is what it is, and I can't be bothered to edit it so ig I gotta learn to live with it.

It's still messy in,, a lot of parts actually, and I still can't do lineart to save my life, but i kinda tried just cleaning up the sketches instead???? I mean, it kinda works, but it isn't really smooth so,, And there are small mistakes here and there that I could've fixed or colored stuff in properly or whatever. But at that point, I'm just done with it. No more. Am tired and want to draw other shit now. Maybe boobs n dicks n pussy-

Oh actually i have another comic in my wip folder that I started before the sad Kylar crying one. Here's some of the thumbnails for it:

the fucking lisa simpson looking ass face just cracks me up every time I see it LMAOQJSJQJ I just wanted to show it to u but stay tuned for that ig

I eventually want to make little comics like this for other characters as well! Like Sydney, who is also one of my favorites cause of the whole religion aspect to them, and I would like to tackle that topic with yet another super personal experience of mine that for some reason I'm comfortable with sharing with a bunch of ppl lmao

I also really want to make a full on nsfw one, like gut rearranging, carnal fucking, hardcore banging,, ok ill stop. But I do need to do more,, uh, "research" on that,, i swear it's research, i have no clue how im gonna draw it. Hell, I already struggle with drawing people fucking and imagine adding cool transitions to that. Guess even my masochistic tendencies extend to this shit too.

And I think that's pretty much it? I'll probably just stick to b and w or monotone with a few accent colors because i just know that it would break me if i did a fully colored one.

Okay, thank you for reading this ramble, I'll go ahead and answer some asks now,, Here's your prize though!

[troutfur]

Last night I was contemplating Bluestar/Rosetail/Snowfur/Thistleclaw and how much Bluestar and Thistleclaw’s hating each other and their having to raise Whitestorm together while hating each other would be heightened in a pfurr, so if you want to do anything with that, I’d love to see it!

Great minds gathering on my ask box it seems!

Bluefur/Thistleclaw/Snowfur is also one of the pfurr dynamics that I have Thoughts(tm) on and which I think illustrates an interesting aspects of this dynamics in play. Much as Thistleclaw and Bluefur may hat each other's guts they share custody over Whitekit by virtue of sharing a nest and the polite pretense that his siring is in any way uncertain.

Thistleclaw can't revoke Bluefur's custody by declaring his siring, that's not a privilege he has as a pipfurr --a non-birthing parent. And Bluefur can't split from Thistleclaw either, the custody battle is certain to go in his favor given that even if there is a polite pretense to uphold in siring uncertainty with regards to a cis molly, there is still a concept of right to custody by siring.

Now adding Rosetail to the mix though! I'm thinking the play here for the girls would be to try expulsion! So, here we are, Friday night and I'm writing cats strategizing divorce court tactics. What's my fucking life come to?

(If you want to accelerate my rapid descent even further, send a prompt. For the next few days I'm looking for dynamics that fit within the pfurr dynamic worldbuilding concept I have. So if you go with something like that you've got a good chance I'll pick yours.)

Bluefur dragged her paws behind her as she headed for the warriors’ den for a well deserved late-afternoon nap. Without a care she collapsed right on top of Rosetail, where she brought her paws to her face and let out a grumble of frustration.

“Tough day?” the molly under her ventured, soon slipping out to better accomodate herself around her empf --her nestmate-- where it would be more comfortable for her to groom her tired face.

“Take a guess as to why,” Bluefur replied.

In the moons since Snowfur’s death Thistleclaw had been wearing her down ever more. It wasn’t uncommon for them to have multiple fights a quarter moon, although no longer as had been their custom over his overly aggressive approach to border defense to which he hoped to convert everyone. It all came down to their son nowadays, how he’d encourage him to pick fights with the other kits, how he’d encourage him into recklessly aggressive games, how he himself played with him.

Ever since they’d lost Snowfur there was no recourse with him. She always had a way to assert herself against him (and Bluefur a way to voice her concerns so that they became her sister’s as well), to remind him that as wipfurr --mother, the one unique parent-- she had ultimate say. But now that all that Whitekit had nothing but pipfurrs --fathers, the interchangeable parents-- his equality in their position had emboldened him like nothing before.

Bluefur sighed. “Whty haven’t we expelled him yet?”

Rosetail frowned turning to Bluefur. “You’re joking right?”

Was she? “It at least wouldn’t be the worst idea. We could even make him a hug’koo,” the word means cuckoo but refers also to someone who has been kicked out of a pfurr --their peculiar form of family based on sleeping in the same nest-- “on the spot, just refuse him entrance into the nest when he comes by later.”

“Bluefur!” Rosetail chastised before giving out a sigh. “If you really want what’s best for Whitekit why don’t you try finding more of a middle ground with his ssuf ?” that’s sire, in their language, “Wouldn’t that be more helpful for him?”

“What would be helpful is that he stops trying to turn him into some sort of frenzied boar like him,” Bluefur retorted. “I know he is your brother, but surely you can’t stand him either as of late, right?”

Pointedly she ignored the question regarding her littermate. “How do you think it’s going to go if you just try to cut him off like that? Who do you think the Clan will side with as to who should be responsible for Whitekit?”

“I would think the side that can offer Whitekit more than a single pipfurr has a fair chance against an ul-arrapipfurr,” Bluefur argued. The word means ‘lone father’, something any kitten would be extremely unfortunate to only have one of. “Think about it. Please. I have seen you and I know it bothers you as well. We can end it easily, in no time.”

“Just go to rest, Bluefur,” Rosetail finally said, shoving her empfs face into their nest as she shuffled around in the nest.

[itsmalachitenow]

PLEASE talk to me about Azalin, I want to hear every word of your take on him.

ANON, I AM SO HAPPY YOU ASKED ME THAT! I don't have a COMPLETE picture yet since I haven't read every single ravenloft supplement and novel, but I think I've read enough to put together a picture of what this man would be like in a relationship.

WARNING, I talk about his sex life and what his kinks are under the readmore. Another content warning for unhealthy relationship dynamics. Proceed with caution!

SO. Azalin Rex. Darklord of Darkon. Before we really get started, let's establish one thing.

From what I've seen, the only canonical time we see Azalin go out of his way for a sexual relationship is when he wanted a son. It wasn't out of love or lust, it was to secure an heir to Knurl.

A lot of people speculate that Azalin is aroace, and I can totally see that.

HOWEVER.

I also think, at the same time, he's a massive fucking pervert who gets off on other things.

Alt Text: "Azalin encourages his subjects to debase themselves as a method of societal control and to soothe his battered ego. He throws depraved, seasonal masquerades for the nobility to flaunt his superiority; he toys with his servants' allegiances, seeing how far they will sink to curry his favor. Azalin has honed torment to an art form."

This is an excerpt from one of the Ravenloft source books, and I think it perfectly illustrates what I'm talking about.

The biggest turn-on for Azalin Rex is power over others.

He doesn't join in the debauchery, he observes it. He sits back, gets comfortable, and watches people debase themselves. He tests people and sees how far they'll push themselves before they break. All because they want to please him and want his praise.

I think Azalin loves that. I think he loves having that power over so many people, and that he can have near-complete control over anyone he wants.

Hell, even in the questionable book Tower of Doom, where we see Azalin seduce one of his Kargat officers, it still plays into the dynamic we've established. He knows sex is a highly motivating reward. A high value treat, if you will. She did a good job, and sexual contact is particularly motivating for a lot of people, especially when it's with someone you would do anything to please.

The fact that close-contact sex with Azalin is apparently necrotic and her flesh starts to rot afterwards is another point. Azalin will cure the necrosis and restore her body when she returns, but only if she finishes the job he dispatched her to do. She is effectively on a time limit now, frantically trying to do what was asked of her so she doesn't die horribly.

Now, to be fair, I don't consider Tower of Doom to be canon. But it fits my hypothesis of Azalin's biggest kink being utter domination over others.

So what does that mean for a romantic relationship?

I think any relationship with Azalin Rex is going to be unhealthy at its core. He's a manipulative bastard who likes to watch how far people will go to please him. And it's not going to be a 'traditional' relationship--like I said, we never see him express any sort of interest in one in any of the canon supplements. A relationship with Azalin is going to be because he thinks it would be beneficial to him in some way, even if he is fond of the other person.

If he's still ruling over Darkon, I can see him taking someone as a partner if only because he's sick of his sycophantic court trying to throw their daughters at him in marriage. Very much an exasperated "You'll do" sentiment where it's more out of convenience than sexual attraction.

Even if he actually really likes the person he's with, he's still going to be subjugating them to his will, and that's just something that comes with the territory. Fundamentally, I think Azalin Rex is incapable of respecting anyone as an equal, and that's going to impact all of his interactions with people, romantic relationships included.