#been so long since I've actively drawn something I didn't

[necrotic-nephilim]

For the ask game

What do think would happen in a brudick au where they go public by getting married

for the ask game!

public reactions to BruDick my beloved. i've done a couple of concept similar to this for the ask game but i will do a thousand more just because i think they're fun.

i think all of it hinges on *when* Bruce and Dick publically get married. and because they're both smart about it, they wouldn't rush it. even if their relationship has been going on since they were a teenager, there's a lot of angles to consider. not just how the League will react, but how Gotham will react. this is Bruce Wayne publically marrying his ward and that's a massive scandal. they would hold off as long as they possibly could, likely until Dick is in his mid-twenties. i think they would spin it as something they're not exactly hiding, but not super public about either. Bruce didn't turn the wedding into a press parade (Dick would've killed him if he tried) but he doesn't hide the wedding band and he's quite public with affection toward Dick, in a very "i dear you to say something" way. and the reaction is. baffled, at first. because how *do* you say something? this is *Bruce Wayne*. he has the cleanest image possible. sure, the League expected it, they've seen the uglier side of Bruce, but the public? no one knows how to report on the story because Bruce is a philanthropist. he's charming and beloved.

there are a lot of questions at first. and it doesn't help that Bruce "will tell anyone about his sexual escapades" Wayne is now suddenly shy about sharing his relationship details. he says Dick prefers the privacy and leaves it at that, always pivoting when he's asked to bring up something else, like one his charity programs. it's a very calculated move, and sharper reporters like Vicki Vale are noticing how Bruce always changes the topic to bring up his charity work, painting himself in a good light. so she focuses on trying to talk to Dick. cornering him when he's trying to work, pushing all these questions about things like grooming and Dick's status as Bruce's ward. i think Dick would be far less kind to the press just because he has less patience (and less of a reputation to maintain, if anything he's a bit amused by this whole thing affecting Bruce's rep as much as it is) so his rude responses are fuel to the fiire. long think pieces are posted about about grooming, and then in support of Bruce's marriage, long thing pieces are written about the history of adult adoption in gay spaces. it's all very messy and drawn out and Bruce's reputation certainly takes the hit. i'd love to see this happen specifically around Tim's Robin era and it affecting Jack Drake's trust in Bruce, in allowing his son around Bruce. if Bruce could groom his own ward, who's to say he won't do it to Jack. i'd love to see Jack updating his will that Bruce Wayne isn't allowed to adopt his son, should something happen to him and that affecting Tim after Bruce dies.

i also love the thought of this whole thing causing Bruce to be approved by the "wrong" crowd. there are other celebrities and famous people who take part in questionable activities that border on illegal and trafficking, and now, those people would see Bruce as one of their own. they embrace Bruce socially, and i think it'd be the repercussion Bruce would despise the most. if good people see him as a creep, he'll live with it. but other creeps thinking he's the same as them is a step too far. but, he can spin that to his advantage. he testifies against them, recording conversations of admitting to crimes instead of going after them as Batman. because it helps clean up the image of Bruce Wayne if Bruce is the one taking down rich pedophiles. but it still raises suspicion that Bruce is doing this just for that reason- to look better. he's alienated from most of his Brucie Wayne social circles- even Oliver, who used to be willing to play nice with him in front of the cameras has *no* interest in associating with Bruce after this. the League is. tolerating the marriage and accepting that Dick is an adult they can't tell what to do (even though many of them have pulled him aside to ask if he's okay and gotten brushed off) but that doesn't mean they have to be nice about it. it causes small tanks in Bruce's reputation, even affecting his company enough that he momentarily steps down from CEO, probably giving the position to Lucius for the time being, just to redeem himself.

anytime Bruce takes in a new ward, it's questioned by the public. Cass, Duke, even Damian raises eyebrows as everyone's wondering the unspoken question, if Bruce is going to get with *this* one too. but as the years go on, Bruce remains perfectly loyal to Dick. and Dick seems content as an equal partner to Bruce. if anything, Bruce's loyalty to Dick helps rebuild his reputation more than anything. everyone expects him to ditch Dick for the newest young ward, but he doesn't. which seems to prove that Bruce and Dick were telling the truth about their relationship just happening out of the blue. some people are diehard defending Bruce, pointing out how long Dick lived in Bludhaven before Bruce and Dick got married and if Bruce was grooming Dick, why would he have let that happen, and so on. Dick's autonomy is heavily questioned in all of this, no matter what Dick insists. i think Dick would start posting romantic pictures on his social media just to be spiteful, no matter how much it gives Bruce a heart attack. he dares people to say to his face what they'll say online, making galas particularly tense and interesting, because while Bruce is trying to damage control, Dick is staring down anyone attempting to imply things by making them admit it directly. it forces most of the gossiping to settle down, just because how Dick refuses to beat around the bush. i love the idea of Bruce having a publicist who is Perpetually Stressed Out by Dick's shit.

eventually, everyone accepts it. Bruce still doesn't get back into the social circles he's been exiled from and some creeps try to rub elbows with him, but the hype around it dies down. it becomes one of those things talked about on social media, like a "top ten things you didn't know about Bruce Wayne", with number one being that Bruce married his ward. i think Bruce and Dick would work hard to scrub the internet of proof that Dick was Bruce's ward in the first place. since Dick was never adopted, they just delete a lot of pictures, get articles taken down, and largely let the public forget the idea it happened. they can't completely scrub it, but there's definitely an effort put forth to remove it from recent memory and make it something you'd have to dig to find out about. Dick Grayson is just seen as Bruce Wayne's questionably young husband who helps in take care of all the kids he takes in. they get more affectionate in public because of it, as Bruce gets bolder kissing Dick at galas, always having an arm around him, bringing him to meetings. Dick becomes Bruce's arm candy and well, Dick is a pretty man, so can anyone blame Bruce? they're a photogenic couple and Bruce likes to highlight that. he likes to make people stare, now that the whispers of morality have died down. it's proof that Bruce had his cake and is eating it too, getting to publically marry Dick and still be loved at the end of the day, even if it took a couple rough years to get there.

[guhamun]

SCRIBBLES :blush:

[ribbonstrawberrysurprise]

Possible Mia Ikumi Doujin Penname

First off, thanks to @berrychanx who found the initial doujin listing and @kuro93 who I know also looked into this and bought some of her works! Second off, warning for some suggestive doujin covers and other art, although there's nothing truly explicit.

First things first, I want to say that I sat on this information for a little bit considering if it was appropriate to speculate since Ikumi never chose to make this connection publicly. Ultimately I've decided to go through with it since imo the artstyle is instantly recognizable, so it'd come out eventually. I also found some still-up online accounts associated with this penname, and I know that's a thing the fandom has wanted to see for a long time. I'd ask that you please be respectful with this info and keep in mind it is NOT confirmed and that Mia Ikumi has passed away.

I'd also like to make clear that I'm totally uninterested in trying to figure out her birth name or track down any other personal info on her life that she didn't choose to share in doujin, her website, manga notes, interviews, etc. That feels very out of line. Finding other pennames can help us fans catalogue more of her work, but finding her real identity does nothing but violate her privacy.

So that's kind of where I'm at right now. If you feel differently about whether it's right to speculate on Ikumi's doujin works, or if you don't want to see anything even a little suggestive, please turn back now.

We know for sure that Mia Ikumi was a penname, since that was confirmed in ads for Re-Turn when she changed one of the characters.

征海美亜 ＊征海未亜よりペンネーム変更されました Ikumi Mia *Ikumi Mia yori penneemu henkou saremashita Mia Ikumi (征海美亜) *[Her] penname was changed/altered/revised from Mia Ikumi (征海未亜)

Prior to her return to Nakayoshi with some TMM anniversary art and then the 2020 Re-Turn short, the last work she published under that name was Koi Cupid, way back in 2005-08.

There's always been speculation as to whether she continued drawing manga under a different penname, but there was never any official word from her once her website went down, since she was not active under that name under any social media or on Pixiv. We also had no idea how her art might have evolved in the years since her last official release, so there was no guarantee we'd recognize any work of hers if we saw it. The first anyone saw of her art post-website was back in 2015 when she drew some art of Ichigo and then Ichigo, Mint, and Lettuce for the 60th anniversary of Nakayoshi.

https://hikayagami.tumblr.com/post/132481043559/more-nakayoshi-60th-anniversary-mew-mew-art-from https://hikayagami.tumblr.com/post/118704238761/ichigo-momomiya-in-her-cafe-mew-mew-uniform-drawn https://hikayagami.tumblr.com/post/130755109662/new-picture-of-ichigo-minto-retasu-drawn-by

As you can see, this art featured a pretty different art style than she'd had 2 decades back.

(Sidenote: it seems she also did some art for the 55th anniversary, back in 2010, but this is much closer to the dates when she was working under the Mia Ikumi name and has roughly the same art style as OG TMM: https://hikayagami.tumblr.com/post/151430694480/doodles-of-ichigo-and-berry-drawn-by-mia-ikumi )

Obviously, starting in 2019, she then went on to release the two-shot manga TMM 2020 Re-Turn, some miscellaneous promo art (Blu-ray bonus comic, Alice in Wonderland merch, Smewthie fanart, etc.), and finally new covers and bonus comics for most of the rereleased manga volumes before her passing. Between the works she published in the 90s-early 2000s and all of this new art, we have a pretty good sample size of her artstyle over time. So it was only a matter of time before someone stumbled on something familiar looking…

Berrychanx found a listing (https://jp.mercari.com/item/m11046282201 ) for an Idolmaster doujin called Room Fight! created as a collab between 2 doujin circles/artists: Nameless Color (ねーむれすからー) and Komomo+ (こももぷらす), published by Poco Poco in 2014. The seller specifically noted that the style looks very similar to Mia Ikumi's, and it's very hard to argue! The hands especially look the way that Ikumi has always drawn them, and the eyes, facial expressions, and hair shading is pretty much one to one for Re-Turn.

Nameless Color has some other works, but they aren't in this same artstyle at all. Therefore, the one whose style matches Mia Ikumi's is Komomo+.

https://doujinrepublic.com/product/tag_page.html?tags=85361&ref=product_page&type=rel_tag_circle

As far as I can tell, the doujin circle is named Poco Poco, and the artist's penname is Komomo Kozakura (小桜小桃) or later Komomo (小桃) or Komomo+ (written as こももぷらす). There's a lot of variation in which spelling is used across doujin sites, and sometimes Komomo is listed as the circle name rather than Poco Poco, but I'm unsure as to whether this is a change in how presumed-Ikumi branded herself or just a lack of organization in the websites. Also, the Room Fight! doujin is categorized under komomo+ (https://www.suruga-ya.jp/product/detail/ZHORE153927) and under Komomo Kozakura (https://ecs.toranoana.jp/tora/ec/item/040030276511/ ), so I’m sure they’re the same person and not just 2 people in the same circle.

Here are the titles I could find under all of these names across various websites in approximate publishing order:

https://www.suruga-ya.jp/search?category=&search_word=&ck=true&inStock=On&person_id=1051050 https://www.suruga-ya.jp/search?category=&search_word=&ck=true&inStock=On&person_id=2874482 https://www.suruga-ya.jp/search?category=&search_word=&person_id=2864627 https://ecs.toranoana.jp/tora/ec/cot/circle/LUPA2D6P8476d16Qd687/all/

The main fandoms are Idolmaster, Kantai Collection, and Strike Witches. It's immediately obvious how much they look like Ikumi's style, from small details like the faces to larger things like how she tends to pose characters on her covers. They range from 2008-2016, and you can see that earlier works look a little more like her TMM-era art while later stuff is way more Re-Turn.

So is that all the new info? Do we need to track down and buy these doujin to get any more new info on Mia Ikumi? Well, that’s definitely a thing you can do! But there’s one other avenue.

You see, the title page of Girls Fight! does lead to a now defunct webpage: pocopoco.sblo.jp

https://web.archive.org/web/20081201000000*/pocopoco.sblo.jp

The Wayback Machine has 5 captures for this website: 12/31/08, 2/25/11, 6/3/13, 4/25/16, and 3/14/23. The latest one just shows the same error page not found message as if you try and go to the site now, but the others all have blog entries ranging from 2008 to the end of 2015 (i.e., starting RIGHT after the end of Koi Cupid/Mia Ikumi's professionally published/official manga career).

https://web.archive.org/web/20090103031628/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/article/20797588.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160425011557/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/article/170290508.html

Mostly these posts are either drawings or advertisements for a new book she's selling at a con or online by mail order, so there’s a whole bunch of new art. (Warning: there's nothing outright nsfw, but some of these images are probably the most suggestive ones I link in this post, moreso than even most of the doujin covers. Use your own judgment!) The rest of the posts are personal diary entries.

(Sidenote: I am NOT going to translate this whole blog because there’s a whole bunch of text! I looked through the available pages, and the auto-translated version is fine for getting a basic understanding. If you have questions about a specific post, feel free to ask, though! Right off the bat, the text on the big image at the top of the earlier captures, the one with the green-haired catgirl in a red outfit, is just a paraphrasing of the post where she explains her categories/tags to help you navigate the site https://web.archive.org/web/20090103030651/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/article/21376253.html )

This website, crucially, also links to Komomo's pixiv account (Username: 小桃/Komomo), which is still up!

https://www.pixiv.net/users/3966440

(I was logged in when I accessed the page, so it's possible you may need an account to view it. Please do keep in mind this is not an account publicly associated with Ikumi/TMM and that the owner is likely deceased. We don't need to leave random comments and messages.)

The oldest picture is from 2012, when she created it (she posts about this), and the most recent picture is from 2018, so you can really see the artstyle shift here as well. There is no reference to TMM or Mia Ikumi anywhere.

The blog also links to her NicoNico page (Username: 小桃/Komomo), where she posted a few Vocaloid covers from 5/16/10 to 6/4/11.

https://www.nicovideo.jp/user/16890918/

She talks about uploading these covers on her blog under her utattemita/”I tried singing” tag: https://web.archive.org/web/20160425011607/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/category/907578-1.html

So, the art definitely matches with what we know of Mia Ikumi’s art, both from published works and stuff posted online to her official website, ikumimia.chu.jp (Hika posted some of the website art here and here if you aren’t familiar)

(As a tangent, that website seems to have been created at or before 5/7/07 and gone offline sometime between 7/1/10 and 7/27/11, so there was definitely a period where she was working under both identities at once…)

But is there any other info linking Komomo and Mia Ikumi?

The site doesn't give much personal detail about Komomo irl, but it does say she was born in spring, and Mia Ikumi's birthday was March 27th.

プロフィール 名前小桜小桃です。 一言:春生まれです。 Profile My name is Komomo Kozakura. In a word, I was born in spring.

There's also a diary entry about her getting a Scottish fold kitten for her mom in 2008 after the family cat passed away 2 years back. We know from the bonus comics in the TMM manga that Mia Ikumi had a Scottish fold.

スコティッシュフォールドという種類のキャリコなお嬢さん。 A calico lady called a Scottish fold.

https://web.archive.org/web/20081231223544/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/category/627816-1.html

Komomo also says she’s interested in gothic lolita clothing and that she dresses up at events. We know Mia Ikumi also dressed up for events, since that’s in her bio, and she drew her outfits in manga bonus page.

＊ゴスロリの部屋＊ 小桜小桃の趣味のページです。主に持っている服やアイテム、欲しいモノの紹介、ゴスロリに関する事とかも書いていこうと思います。 *Gothic Lolita Room* A page about Komomo Kozakura’s hobby. Mainly I’ll write about clothing items I own, stuff I want, and things related to gothic lolita fashion.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160425154652/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/category/627812-1.html

今回のコミケはカゼのため、コスとかせずに防寒重視でいったのですが Because I had a cold at this Comiket, I went without any kind of costume to focus on keeping warm

https://web.archive.org/web/20160425154658/http://pocopoco.sblo.jp/category/627816-1.html

Between the art, the timeline of when things were posed vs Ikumi's public career, and the small bits of overlapping info on the artists' lives, I'm very confident that Mia Ikumi and Komomo Kozakura are two pennames for the same artist.

As for why, we can only speculate. I will say it's pretty common for artists to use a different penname for doujin work vs professional work, although some keep it more secret than others. It's especially common if the doujin work is more risque than the professional, which is the case here. I'll also say that almost all of Ikumi's post-TMM works were fairly short. Only One Wish may have been imagined as a one-volume anthology from the start, but it seems like TMM a La Mode and Repure may have been canceled early based on rushed endings with a lack of follow-up on plot points. Comi Digi +, the magazine in which Koi Cupid was published, got discontinued in 2008, presumably ending that series early as well. Ikumi also seems pretty annoyed with her editor in the a La Mode bonus comics, so possibly she was frustrated with baggage of the Mia Ikumi identity and wanted a fresh start.

Possibly she stopped putting out work around 2018 or possibly she started working under another penname. Maybe that was when Nakayoshi got in contact with her to begin planning for ReTurn, Ole/Au Lait, New, the TMM Blu-ray, the manga re-release, etc.

In conclusion, it seems like there are many more works by the artist known as Mia Ikumi than we'd thought previously, plus slightly more of a web presence, although this seems to have ended years before the TMM 20th anniversary renaissance. It's possible there are more accounts under the Komomo/小桃 name or under another penname that might be found in the future.

[deckofcookiez]

The Alex Kister Situation

Alright; I've been more of a lurker on here for awhile, but for months now--almost a year--I've been a massive fan of the Mandela Catalogue, and this fandom has been a major form of escapism and safety for me. So, I feel the need to say something about the current situation.

To start, I'm putting a link to the document with all of the information about what happened, as it's important to read it and learn about this whole situation in depth:

With that out of the way, I just wanted to share my own personal opinion; personally, Mandela Catalogue has legitimately become my special interest. I have pretty much obsessed over it ever since I first found it, and everything I've written or drawn since then has been to do with it. It's been very important to me, especially due to the community here on tumblr, as this fandom is probably the most supportive and open places on the internet I've found. I feel a lot more connected because of it, and it made me feel comfortable and safe.

I was in a bad mental space today, and when I found out about this, I had a pretty bad breakdown--some might call it an overreaction, but you don't know just how dependent my mental health had become on this series and fandom. (I will be working on avoiding this habit in the future, as it isn't healthy to depend so heavily on one interest)

After reading through the document, and just seeing so many opinions and contributions from others, I am almost certain that these allegations are true. But I always, always listen to all perspectives before making judgement, so I will not be going full "I hate Alex, he's a despicable person!!" before Alex gives his own point of view.

That being said, I do believe Alex has serious issues that he needs to get handled. I am hesitant to call this pedophilia, as from what I've gathered, he didn't seem to have active malicious intent towards minors(correct me if I missed something that said otherwise)--rather, I get the impression that Alex simply doesn't understand boundaries, and genuinely saw his fans as mutuals. He seems to be a person who's manipulative--whether intentionally or not--and his personal relationships, platonic, romantic, or sexual, turn very toxic because of this. So, trying to have personal relationships with fans, people who look up to him and see him in a very different light, results in inevitable toxicity as well.

I get the sense that Alex simply is a young person, struggling with mental health and gender dysphoria, who was thrust into extreme popularity very suddenly, and doesn't have the maturity level to handle it properly. Overall, I do not support him, if he continues to act like this--if he makes genuine, real efforts to deal with his mental health and his unhealthy behaviours, I would respect him for that. I wouldn't look at him quite the same, but as long as someone makes genuine efforts to better themself after doing something wrong, I appreciate and respect that, and may eventually give forgiveness. But, if he doesn't make those efforts, if he continues his patterns and refuses to try and get better, then that is on him and at that point I have lost any and all respect for him. At that point, you are not a good or reasonable person, in my eyes.

Regardless of how things go with Alex himself, though, I want to say...

You do not have to support a creator to enjoy their work!!

I am a huge fan of Danny Phantom, and that show's creator is a genuine piece of shit. Like, a truly despicable human being. That fandom successfully has, just... completely ripped the show and characters from their creator. They have cut him out entirely, nothing he says holds any impact or meaning to them and it hasn't for years. He's seriously fallen off. And it's still a fun, active fandom! The people in there are super neat!!

And, hell, look at the whole mess with J. K. Rowling!! She is an absolutely disgusting person. But so many people grew up with Harry Potter, and still like her stories, without actively supporting her--lots of creators turn out to be really awful people, but that doesn't mean that what they made is automatically awful as well. They still have some kind of creative ability, that happened to produce something that garnered a significant amount of attention.

We don't need Alex to still enjoy the concept, characters, and overall story he's created. We can still make fanworks, still appreciate what it is that drew us to the series in the first place.

Honestly, out of everything that the fallout of this would bring, I was most terrified of the fandom itself dying, as that is what truly matters the most to me. This place, these people are so important to me, and I am so scared of this community falling apart. I've already seen plenty of people stating that they will no longer be associating with TMC, and are just completely distancing themselves from it. It feels like things are already dying and disappearing and it really, really fucking hurts.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that... if that is your choice, if you truly do not want to associate with TMC anymore whatsoever, then I don't blame you for it. I understand if you can't look at the series the same way after this, and I respect that choice.

But you don't have to, if it still means anything to you. Fandoms are more than just their creators--they're the community that has been built around the work, and this community is possibly the best one I've ever been in. I don't want to see it die. So, just know, that you can still love this fandom, this story, these characters, without supporting Alex. You can still draw the characters, make OCs, write fanfiction, etc. He won't get money from that--only from directly watching his content or buying his merch.

Finally, I'd like to say to go support the victims. They didn't deserve this--no matter what Alex's intentions were. Please support them, and regardless of how this turns out, do not continue actively supporting Alex Kister. I am sure that, whatever his intentions were, he did still harm people and that is not okay.

Also, this is all just my own opinion, based on what I know; I was not in the discord, I don't have Twitter, I don't personally know anyone involved and I have not seen everything regarding the situation as a whole. I simply felt I should state my current opinion, as I'm seeing a lot of people freaking out and spiraling and just leaving the fandom entirely. I wanted to remind people that it's okay to still enjoy this fandom and be a part of it, without Alex. My opinion may change some with new information I find, but overall, I am of the opinion that Alex should not be supported, while the Mandela Catalogue itself can be separated from him and still be enjoyed and appreciated.

And, whatever happens... Adam Murray, Jonah Marshall and Thatcher Davis are officially honorary characters in my stash of little guys. If he's not fit to keep them then they will become my creative outlet instead (and others who love them, obviously). They're very special characters to me, I can't express just how many things I have written and drawn to do with them, and I refuse to give them up.

(another addition, regarding the apparent 'alter egos' Alex apparently had: Possibly consider DID? I know a lot of people with DID will often mistake it for other things, including simply being gender non-conforming, when in actuality they really have alters that just identify differently. Not diagnosing, I don't know enough about him to make any real claims--it was just a thought.)

[factual-fantasy]

28 ASKS! THANKS AGAIN YALL!! 🥰💥

I've thought about this a bit actually :00

Way back when the crew was only four people, (Seafoam, Octo, Ellie and Louis) they got caught in a great storm while out at sea. Becuase there was only four of them, they didn't have enough hands on deck to control the ship.

Blue Beauty saw this ship clearly struggling and in danger so she helped guide the ship back to calmer waters. It was her help alone that prevented the ship from sinking. Seafoam thanked her profusely. She hadn't been treated so kindly before.. So she secretly followed them around for a while before making herself more known and officially joining the crew. :}

XD I imagine that wouldn't fare well for Blue Beauty-

XD Foxy would be like "..Am I malfunctioning or are those cookie talking--"

Hmm.. I assume the textures all relate to the food/animal they're based on. Or maybe their personality..? <:0 I don't know!

OOO these are so good!! Thank you! :DD

XDD Its really tough for me ngl. I've never been the best with names-

@luna-purple454 (Post in question)

The Undyne one is a bit vague.. I pictured the group has a run in with an Undyne. She is able to maybe separate Papyrus from the group and even capture him. Maybe her Papyrus is dead or he's on the other side of the underground. For one reason or another she knows this is "not Papyrus". So she questions this imposter to his face.

..But Papyrus is silent. Its been so long since he's heard Undyne's voice.. he suddenly cant speak..

Now the Alphys is actually an older character in the AU. I mentioned that at some point early on the gang found an AU with an old Alphys. This Alphys had made a bunch of robotic arms for Monster Kid in all different sizes.

Well since MK is all grown up, some of the smaller arm models don't fit him anymore. So she gave some to Goner Kid! I didn't really have intentions for her to come back into the AU in any major way. I just felt like drawing her :)

Oooo that sounds cool!! :DD

ASKJANJ SALTY TENTACLES XDDD THATS AMAZING!

Also thank you so much!! :DD

XDD Well "actively", I don't tend to dip my toes in that fandom too much anymore. I've dealt with a surprising amount of uncomfy stuff there so I'd rather mostly stay away from it-

But I have drawn a decent amount for it none the less! And I'm glad you like what you see so far! <XDD

Oh boy, the Jevil gang wouldn't stay there then! <XDD

@astaherussy

I unfortunately still to this day have not watched the Mario movie. So I cannot answer the first part of that question :( I think I have a problem upstairs-

As for Peach or Daisy breaking down, I believe they would approach them the same way Luigi did Rosalina :00 Very gently and try to figure out what's wrong 🥺

@neo-metalscottic

Thank you!! :DD I'm glad you liked what you saw! And I'll keep Jevil and the gang in mind! :))

AND YESSSS THE CALICO JACK IDEA WAS SO GOOD!! Thank you so much!! :D

And once again- thank you for the compliments to my Toadsworth drawing! I was rather proud of that one! XD When it comes to his relationship with Peach,, that is a good question.. I was thinking it was an Alfred Pennyworth situation. Kind'a a royal advisor turned father figure situation.? :0 He was running the Kingdom while Peach was gone, and he was overjoyed to see her returned safe and sound!

(Post in question)

XD Just wait till you find my Super mario bros tag and all the comics and angst under it

(Also thank you!! :}}} )

@rotting-glitter-corpse (Link in ask)

I NEED!! TO LIVE THERE!!! RIGHT NOW!! 💥💥

Oh man, he'd do everything he could. I'm not sure what kind of demands he would make to the rest of the group. But if there was something they could do to help he would absolutely demand they to it :0

@fawncr33k

<XD I don't know if Seafoam would want to have kids at his age- but its a good question. I'm not sure what a child between them would look like, considering that Blue is a mermaid- :0

@pinkbomb08 (Post in question)

My Welcome Home AU is kind'a all over the place becuase of some changes I'm making to Sally and Poppy.. <XD But I can talk a bit about Julie! She hasn't changed much--

The idea I have for Julie is that her and her sisters are actually these huge grotesque monsters.. much more horrific looking than they are in canon. Anytime anyone saw them they'd run away screaming.. Julie grew up knowing that she was scary and people are afraid of her becuase of her appearance..

Now at some point when she was little, she discovered the Neighborhood. She would see Wally, Barnaby, Poppy and Eddie walking around every now and again. She wasn't sure why.. but she was so fascinated by them and their lives. Something about the way they walked, the way the talked, how they dressed, how they sounded, how they looked. She loved all of it.

She was so fascinated by the Neighborhood and she dreamed of becoming apart of it one day. But she knew that she couldn't show up looking like.. this.. so she used the Neighbors as a reference and began to drastically alter her appearance.

No one has horns, so she was able to greatly shorten hers and make them look more.. cute! All the residents have 2 eyes so she shall as well! Poppy has pretty eyelashes.. so shall she! She cant get rid of her tail but she can make it shorter and cuter! Wally, Eddie and Barnaby all have 4 fingers. So she shall as well!

Now the feet.. She never saw Wally or Eddie without shoes on.. but Barnaby is always bare foot. So feet paws she shall have! A lot of her form was transfered to her mane-hair! To her hair- :DD

Now she was trying to get her legs to be shaped more like Wally's. So she altered them a bit and began to practice walking. But she tripped and fell, letting out a yelp!

Someone heard her, and came looking.. Since she couldn't use her new legs yet- she couldn't escape-

..Poppy found her. .

Julie hadn't completed her transformation from "monster" to "person" yet! So when Poppy saw her she thought she blew it. Surly Poppy would run away screaming upon seeing this horrible monster.. Julie started to cry.. but Poppy didn't run. She saw this poor little child covered in mud and with a scraped knee. She quickly jumped into action, "Oh dear! You poor thing, here sweetie let me help you up," Poppy guided Julie out of the woods. After she was cleaned and patched, they talked a bit about Julies situation.

"Where are your parents, dear?"

"..I don't have parents.."

Suddenly Poppy had adoption papers in her hand XD Huh, wonder how those got there-

(Post in question)

I mean... I got my skin back at least.. 🥺

thh... thank yoiuuuu!!! :33 ✨💖✨

I don't know.. is it offensive in the games for a character to be called a cracker? Are there cracker characters?? <:00

Oooo I'll keep this in mind! :00 Thank you!

@djadecutie

AKJJSD CRIMINAL XDDD

@storylover2

<XD Oh man, I looked through some doodle dumps and found I drew that creature at least 20 times. None of which looked the way I saw it in my head.💀I gave up on drawing Chain Chomp a looong time ago.. 💔💔

(Thank you for the suggestion though! :000 )

I'm not sure <XD Google doesn't want to tell me what real seafoam tastes like. Its only showing me what the candy seafoam tastes like!

I cant really remember much of that movie,, so I'm not sure how they would interact with the residents there. But a world made of candy? I'm sure they'd feel right at home! XD

@beryl-shade

Oh yeah for sure :0 that could be what happened to Tuna! 😱

(Also sorry for not including the gifs! There wasn't a way I could paste them into this ask post :((( )

@yourstrulylightstar283

Aww! That's adorable! :D

[budgie-city]

THE ORIGINS OF BUDGIE CITY

Welcome to this informational article where I will be explaining what exactly this "Budgie City" is, where it came from, and in which direction it will be going. So, sit down comfortably - there are some interesting things waiting ahead of you! If you are interested in the lore, visit this article.

What exactly is "Budgie City"?

It is a fictional world that I am actively developing. At the moment, I’m in the process of writing it in the form of a paper draft. I write long texts by hand, and it seems to me that spelling out each letter, unlike typing, helps to approach the composition of sentences more thoughtfully, and to more successfully avoid strange and crooked constructions that will then have to be rewritten and corrected. It is far from the final, but I want to warm up people's interest in this world before the release of a full-fledged work, which is what I am doing now. I will not publish too many pieces of text until I have finished the story completely (though I probably will show some sneak-peeks). For now the content on "Budgie City" is mostly limited to drawings — concepts, sketches and character designs. Gradually, I've been starting to bring this topic to my YouTube channel in order to introduce the setting and concept to my viewers.

You may have seen my first video of Budgie City since 2014, which I have released quite recently — “I am not insane”, a video that focuses on one of the secondary conflicts of the story.

Where did this concept even come from?

It's quite a long story, and it's funny that this year is the ten year anniversary of me registering on the forum called "Budgie City". Yes, it all started with a regular internet forum — a by now almost extinct site format, which in the early 2000s and until about 2016-17 was the main place for interest groups on the internet. Now this has moved almost completely to social media, but before almost any hobby or interest had its own forum with different sections and topics. It saddens me a little that the golden age of forums has already passed.

In 2012, for the New Year, my parents bought me my first budgie — a classic green one, and I named him Gesha. At that time, I was not a regular "user" of the Internet yet. I only started to comprehend the vastness of the virtual network a few months later, and at first it leaned purely on me viewing memes in Google pictures and all sorts of videos on YouTube.

But in the spring of 2013, I discovered these wonderful things known as forums. And it was that point in time when I, having had a budgie with me for a year, decided to find a forum thematically fitting. Upon the request from my country, Google led me straight to the “Budgie City” forum.

The topics on there were something like rooms in a big house. The users randomly surfed through them and followed each other's daily lives. Therefore, Budgie City did actually feel really like being in a virtual society where everyone knows each other. I was getting used to the frequent people, getting to know each person individually. I went to their topics to write comments and answers, they wrote in mine. That's how we existed as this cozy club of interests.

There is an interesting thing with almost every child that is on the Internet — no matter where, in which community — a person with the admin/moder status is perceived as an absolute authority, any response from which causes awe and delight. And there were certain, more active and sociable admins in Budgie City — Anya under the nickname "Phoenix Bird" and Olga under the nickname "Olivka". The "Phoenix Bird" nickname spoke for itself — the image of a large bird of fire that walks around the city and receives admiring glances from everyone, was drawn in my head almost instantly. Olivka didn't have an image yet; I started turning her into a character much later.

Phoenix and Olivka in their modern designs (2022)

In the early summer of 2014, I read "Warrior Cats", and that’s where the whole story took off. I suddenly felt like I should become a writer too and write my own book. And 12-year-old me, who was spending 80% of my online traffic on the forum, decided to write a story, turning part of the admin staff and the budgies of familiar forum members into their own characters. Phoenix and Olivka turned into birds, the latter in particular acquired an image in the form of a wompoo fruit dove with olive-tinged wings, the budgies of the forum were also turned into their respective characters: Gesha and Yasha (mine); Glasha and Gosha (Hoatzin); Clementine, Jack, Fenya, Nira, Mouse, Castorka, Mithril and Small (Phoenix); Kuzya (Dmitriy68), Milana (Radujniy), Raisin (yyna) and others.

Sections of the forum have turned into parts of the city — the restaurant, the mayor's office, the registry office and nursery, and suburbs with parrots of other species, located on trees surrounding baobabs.

This is how the novel of the same name with the slogan "Feathered Metropolis" was born from the "Budgie City" forum. I posted it in its own topic, had about a dozen readers and, judging by the reviews, they all really liked reading the story. Although, looking back at the writing now... I wouldn't call it something breathtaking. Rather the opposite. But then again, I am now judging from the perspective of a third-year animation director student, and not the fifth grader I was at that time.

A couple of my original illustrations from 2014

The story was successfully brought to an end in about seven months, and after a while I started writing a sequel — however, the central conflict wasn’t thought out the slightest, so the plot quickly crumbled and was abandoned after several chapters.

Now the original text is lost in the vastness of the web — somewhere there is a piece of the prologue, somewhere even a couple of chapters. But the full version no longer exists — it was published only on the forum, and the said forum, unfortunately was — somewhere around 2019 — ruthlessly deleted from the Internet due to the desolation. All that's left of it are snapshots in the Wayback Machine.

Rewriting from the old version into a new one

In 2017, three years later, I made an attempt to rewrite "Budgie City" from scratch — leaving only the main conflict, the structure of the world, and the set of characters the same, to write a new text out of this "skeleton". Progress did not go beyond the prologue and the first chapter however, and rewriting was abandoned.

The same story with 2019 — a couple of pages, that’s all.

Two artworks from 2019

The next approach took till early 2021 to happen, when the original story turned almost six and a half years old. At that time I was already in the middle of my first year of animation directing at SPbGIKiT (Saint Petersburg State Institute of Film and Television). I wrote the prologue and part of the first chapter and went to proudly tell our master Galina Voropai about my "really cool" world. Galina interrupted me in the middle of the impromptu presentation, after which followed a forty-minute roast, thoroughly and in detail explaining that the "Budgie City" in its concept is a piece of junk that does not have the right to exist in its current form. And all this was in the presence of my classmates in the workshop. I gave up trying to defend myself halfway through, and when it was all over, I got up, quietly thanked Galina for a detailed objective analysis of the shortcomings of my project, went down to the first floor, huddled in a bathroom stall, and burst into tears.

It was the first (and yet the only) time in my life where I was literally crying over my work, and the girls from senior courses came to my howls, and we sat together on the windowsill of a public toilet. I was all red, shaking, and dropping snot, as they tried to calm me down.

(my mental state that day)

After that, I did not return to those written several pages for about a year and a half. I began to doubt whether I should continue at all or if it would just be a waste of time.

After the roast from the master, I went through all five stages of grief:

Yes, that was tough. But after so much time, I was finally able to evaluate the message of this scolding with a cool head and understand that most of the comments were actually really helpful - the conflict and the world did require a lot more careful study and rework. With the next approach, I wrote out all the conflicts, all the character motivations, and made a proper plan. And since the end of last autumn, I have returned to writing. Now I know where the story will begin, where it will head, and how it will end. All the actions performed by the heroes are finally based in actual logic. And, although Galina will not see the final result (she sadly passed away at the end of 2021), I hope that the new version will be one that she would have approved of.

A small FAQ:

Q: When will the book be released?

A: I don't want to make any promises as of now, because writing is a rather spontaneous and uneven process. I write more when I am inspired, and inspiration is impossible to predict. So the answer is simple — it will come out when it's finished :D

Q: Will it be released electronically or in a printed book form? Will I have to pay for reading it?

A: I plan to release the final version "Budgie City" in the same way as the old one — in open access, so that everyone can read it at any time. I will not charge money for reading the electronic version, but if there will be a demand for physical copies, I may release a small print run, which will cost money for those who want to get a copy. But it's a little early to think about that anyway.

Q: How does the world in Budgie City work? How do they live? What is the main conflict of the story?

A: All of this you can find out in this article!

Q: Where can I find more content to this world and story?

A: On this very blog or on my YouTube channel

I hope this article was helpful and informative enough for you to know where "Budgie City" comes from and in which direction it is currently heading. Thank you for reading!

Huge thanks to @annchanorsomethin for helping with translation of this article!

[suburbanbonfire]

tagged by @18minutemajor for a hockey art share tag game! I enjoy talking about myself but am terrible at posting so this is perfect. i WILL talk too much, this is a threat.

rules: post your first ever hockey art, your latest hockey art, and your favourite hockey art, then tag three hockey artists.

FIRST ART

I made the Kraken Orb (Korb) at the end of the 22-23 season, as a commemoration, although a sort of ironic one considering i had only gotten into hockey in time for the playoffs so there are a couple players here i actually never got to see play at all before making this (Joonas, Jaycob, Burky, Fleury)

it was a whole lot of fun though! Prior to this i was in a months-long art slump after leaving a fandom, so it was a total surprise to have hockey of all things be what revitalized my art.

technically, the very first hockey art from this was Matty; you can kinda tell by the way his lines are a bit thicker than the rest since i wasn't in my groove yet. i also knew coming in that i wanted to arrange the faces in a circle, but didn't plan out beyond that, so i just made sure that i was getting a variety of head directions in my references and hoped for the best. My favorites from this are Gru, Soucy, Dunn, Schultz, Borgen, and Eeli. I think they all turned out really well.

LATEST ART

MEAT CUT MEAT CUT

this one is fun for me because it's quite different from my usual style of art, with lineart and non-realistic forms/face. I've had the concept in my head for awhile after hearing/reading so many interesting descriptions of the physical qualities that good hockey players possess.

'Sacrifice the Body' actually came in mid-art when i had an epiphany doing something like driving my car or an activity similarly unrelated. Before that, it was going to be a lil heart drawn on the chest and the going contender for the label was 'Ferda.' which would've been great, but sacrifice the body just worked too dang well with the themes.

FAVORITE ART

i mean, c'mon. it's gotta be this one.

my magnum opus, my white whale. it came out even better than i saw it in my head and i love everything about it. when i came up with the idea, i had TOTALLY forgotten that Climate Pledge has those giant windows, so when i set out to find references and saw it, it instantly made everything even better with LIGHTING!!!!

It was my first time drawing this kind of interior architecture and although there's definitely things i would do differently now, im so so proud of how it looks and turned out. I was also still drawing through my decade-old laptop at that point, so I had to split up the work on this into two files - i sketched everything, then worked ONLY on the bg until it was about 90% done, then made a flattened copy to open as a new file to draw the players on top of.

I also have a bunch of WIP shots of it in my drafts I guess I'll throw in here now!

initial sketch to get down the composition before i remembered the window | lines of the building! i actually found a 3d virtual tour of CPA from before it was built which had the PERFECT angle, so i screencapped that and straight up traced the architecture. Ultimately, the scoreboard and the paint lines ended up getting moved around.

planning out my lighting in greyscale (i really need to do this more often, i struggle with values so much, alas) | in progress bg! at this point, the ice and the boards/glass were the only things completed. I eventually said 'fuck it' to being able to see the areas behind the stands like you could in all my references, and just put the people dots all the way up.

Now the most gut-wrenching part

THE TAGS

this is where me being bad at posting comes into play, because instead i just lurk and thats not great for forming connections HERE GOES

@ruinedcasket - it has been awesome seeing your art progress! would love 2 hear your thoughts about it

@rouzys - your kraken stuff is so pretty, love how you capture likenesses

oh god oh fuck everyone else i know has already been tagged fuck oh sshit

If You Are An Artist On Hockey Twit And See This, It Is A Sign

[dawns-beauty]

hello-hello, I have come to shamelessly speak of my favourite modded follower... disclaimer for potentially bad taste 😅

I'm not sure why but I have quite a liking for followers built off of the vanilla system (i.e. no custom voice, complex ai and so on). maybe it's because I can flesh them out further the way I wish, similar to actual vanilla npc's. doubly-so since the majority of them don't have much of a backstory in their nexus pages...

anyway, about the specific guy I'm obsessed with... his name is Talerion, and he is a Thalmor. but wait! before you judge me, he is quite interesting! to my knowledge he's the only vanilla-style modded follower who uses the Altmer voice (so pretty...), with follower functionality thanks to RDO. also, he has a rather unconventional fighting style for an Altmer, forgoing magic in favour of dual wielding daggers (daedric ones, to boot! personally I tweak it so it's something less OP)

I am positively obsessed with him and he is practically my oc at this point with all of the backstory/lore I have made up for him. he will a quite important character in my planned fanfic, as an ally (and maybe more) of one of the main characters. also, I've drawn him quite a bit (examples here and here) and plan to make a replacer that makes his in-game look closer to how I draw him. (I probably cannot post it publicly tho bc of permission issues, mod author has not been active in a long time)

100% understand if he ain't your cup of tea but I consider him my-not-mine specialest little guy <3

Oh cool! I had heard of him, but I didn't realize he used a vanilla voice. I love your art! his ears poking out his hood 😭

I love when you can build on characters like that though, making your own stories about your special little guys is a cornerstone of the Elder Scrolls!!

[tavyliasin]

ATG 2 - Taste? More

In which a sip becomes a gulp.

----- Summary ----- Pairing: Astarion/Tav SPICE Rating: 3/5 (mostly vanilla sex) Content Warnings: Sexual activity, light restraint, blood, biting, mention of scars, slight power play

Spoilers Setting is the end of Act 1. This covers the events after resolving the Grove and Goblin Camp, and includes some most of Astarion's early backstory. Canon Compliance Canon Compliant/Expanded - Takes some of the start of the romance scene directly from the game, but expands it with more detail and a couple of different actions to how the game plays out.  Other Notes (from the original posting) First ever smut, Darlings, drink it in. This chapter hints at more darkness to the backstories of both Astarion (canon) and Tav (headcanon urchin rogue), and explores a little of the feelings they both bring to the table. Use of Mage Hand cantrip - see Spellbook for more. Clear and enthusiastic consent because consent is sexy. Suggested Song Pairing Breathe by Miracle of Sound "Sweet are the days of the soul searching pleasure when Deep in a daze I can hold you to myself again Relive the memory map I couldn't want more I'll give you everything that you ever want for Don't worry honey I've got nothing to say Tonight we wash all of your troubles away So lay your body down babe Forget about your troubles, hit the lights Lay your body down babe I'm gonna give the world to you tonight Breathe Honey I can feel your heartbeat Baby I can feel you breathe" ---

FULL CHAPTER BELOW THE CUT

As time passed, Tavylia felt ever more drawn to Astarion. His every word and motion felt designed to pull her in, to entice her towards his arms, and she did not see any reason to resist. Since the first time when she corrected his mistake, he had proven that if she allowed him to feast upon her blood again, he would have the self control to stop without needing to be asked. She began to feel safe exposing her weaknesses to him, whether it was turning her back to his blades in battle or offering her neck to quench his thirst at night. But now, her own thirst had been growing, and she was stirring with the second hard rule learned from a long life on the streets of Baldur's Gate. Although the first rule was simply to stay alive, the second was to truly live . Just like the first rule, this was a goal reached easier with allies than alone.

Decades ago, Tav had realised pleasure is a cheap thrill that one can indulge in with few consequences. Even traded, when necessary, like any other commodity, though this wasn’t something she chose to pursue unless absolutely necessary…or absolutely pleasing in her favour. Love seemed a fool's game, but lust? The rules of lust were clear, and a night of passion was never a night wasted. She had indulged her curiosity more than a few times before her untimely stay upon the Nautiloid, and the current beneath the airs and graces of her elven companion made it clear that he, too, was no stranger to desire. Besides, she couldn’t deny that particular curiosity; what would it feel like to have sex with a vampire?

Which brought them to this moment, a clearing in the woods outside of camp. The occasional clink of bottles in the distance told them that a few of the attendees were continuing the party until dawn, but that didn't matter.Tav had enjoyed more than enough loud company for one evening, and no amount of wine could quench this particular thirst. Even Astarion had dropped the flirtatious innuendo to make his intentions for their meeting perfectly clear.

Watching him appear from behind a tree, Tav felt her breath catch in her throat. He wore only his trousers now, his well defined chest clad in moonlight highlighting the contours of his muscular form in ways she had only dreamed of. Dreams, of course, could rarely compare to reality, and what a reality this was. She barely registered his greeting, honeyed words soothing her ears as he drew closer, his scent filling the cool night air with an aroma almost as intoxicating as his voice. Such a sweet blade, she thought, that a single sentence could bring me to my knees . But she stood her ground, for now. Her senses were alight already, the lurking edge of fear at the clear danger swept swiftly aside by the anticipation of laying beneath the stars. The briefest flitter of a laugh almost escaped her lips at the thought that he had a star in his name, and he was quite willing to have his- “Waiting since the moment I laid eyes on you. Waiting to have you. ” Astarion’s voice silenced every fleeting idea in Tav’s mind. Perhaps if she had any sense within her she might have replied with her usual wit rising to meet his silver tongue, but not a single syllable had a chance of passing her lips at the sight of his crimson eyes piercing her soul. As he stepped closer she could feel her pulse quicken, catching his gaze slipping to her exposed throat for just a second before he closed the last inches between them and met her lips with a kiss. The stillness of the night air surrounded them as they succumbed to desires that had long been suppressed beneath the need to keep moving forwards, the wounds and weariness of countless battles melting in the heat of shared desire. Astarion’s practiced grace maneuvered Tav so her back was against a tree, cool and slender fingers working tantalisingly slowly to free her from the simple outfit that was suddenly feeling suffocating to her. Her hands began to drift from caressing his hips, sliding up his back only to pause as she felt unusually rough scars. She had her own, of course, but these didn’t feel like simple battle wounds- Astarion’s teeth nipped playfully at her lip, before he moved to whisper in her ear. “Later, love, you can see, ask, anything you wish. For now, wouldn’t you rather feel me instead?” He pressed his hips closer against hers, the meaning of his words exceptionally clear, and the only question remaining in her mind now was how the leather of those trousers could withstand the tension. Tav rolled her head back playfully, exposing her neck more as both answer and invitation. Ironic, she thought, to invite a vampire to “enter”-

Her thoughts cut short by a low chuckle in her ear. “Darling, there’s no rush. We have until dawn, wouldn’t you rather enjoy a banquet than a snack?” She felt a shiver up her spine as his finger traced the lines of the arteries in her neck. He had revealed she was the first person whose blood he had tasted, having relied only on animals before, which was a thought that she savoured just as he seemed to delight in sampling frequently. But his teeth stayed teasingly far from her neck now, and instead his lips moved gently along the edge of her pointed ear with sweet kisses and sweeter whispers.

Tav felt herself melting into the moment as her clothing slipped away piece by piece, gentle hands and gentler lips soothed every bruise that spells and potions had yet to heal. He even seemed to cautiously avoid touching any of her own scars. Keeping what senses she could within the haze of desire, she stayed away from his back for now. Instead Tav returned his attentions in kind, taking her time to enjoy the feeling of muscles tensed in anticipation beneath her fingertips and ending the torment of those poor trousers before the seams could split completely. Astarion’s soft moan against her shoulder was a sweet reward for her efforts as they were both finally bared to each other, bathed in the moonlight and in lust.

As much as the teasingly soft touch was lighting up every nerve with desire, Tav was becoming impatient. She chose her moment and turned the tables on her lover, in one swift motion raising his legs around her hips and pressing his back against the rough bark of the tree instead. Their tongue entwined with a passionate thirst, the kiss deepening as she pressed their bodies closer, relishing the little moans that rumbled in Astarion’s throat.

Soon, however, they were on the grass, and though he was beneath her she felt his desire to take back the control - something she was more than happy to indulge him in. Firm hands took hold of her hips, keeping her back from what she wanted most. What she didn’t expect, however, was the feel of another cold hand on the back of her neck - a firm but not unyielding pressure encouraging her to lay her chest against his.

“Don’t panic, just a cantrip - I’ve always wondered what a Mage Hand might add to an evening~” Astarion’s words calmed Tav as much as their meaning brought new thoughts to her mind.

“Oh, you are devious.” She chuckled, letting herself relax a little more as spectral fingers caressed her hair, Astarion’s own hands maintaining their strong hold on her hips.

“And the night has barely begun, darling~” The spectral had gripped the back of Tav’s neck more tightly now, and his fangs pierced her throat.

She gasped, the heat rising further as she desperately wanted the rest of her wanton flesh to feel him within her. Still, his hands held firm, prolonging her lust to a maddening fever pitch. Even her blood was being sampled agonisingly slowly, his tongue caressing the punctured flesh, delighted moans matching her own as she felt her head swimming with every sensation.

Just as she felt her knees weakening, the vampire proved he had more strength yet and rolled so she was beneath him. “Tell me, what is it you want?”

She bit her lip, almost furious that he had the audacity to question her, but his eyes held a spark of sincerity behind the lust. She steadied her breath, such as she could, and whispered her reply into his lips as she curled her fingers into his hair to pull him into a deep kiss. “You. I want you, Astarion.”

Her response seemed to be enough to please him, the taste of her own blood sharp on his tongue as it tangled with her own. The time for holding back, it seemed, had passed.

After he had mounted her, the spectral hand had briefly vanished from Tav’s perception. She didn’t have time to wonder where it had gone for long. Astarion guided her hands above her head, pressing her wrists together then removing his grip and allowing the cantrip to take over. “If you change your mind, at any time, remember our word.”

She closed her eyes as his hands and lips began to move across her chest, teasing gasped moans from her lips with a light pinch, a soft stroke, or the tantalising hint of sharp teeth mingling with the heat of his tongue flicking and caressing. She did, however, remember. An agreement made after the first night he fed, when he almost lost himself to the hunger. “Angel”. A word neither would utter in casual conversation, syllables that would not pass their lips in the heat of the moment. A simple sound that would ground them in reality and safety once more.

Tav pressed her head into the cool grass beneath her, arching her back and playfully straining at the light grip of the Mage Hand. It couldn’t apply enough force to truly hold her, but she was delighted to find that mixing danger with pleasure was truly- She gasped as she felt her pale lover kiss closer and closer to different lips now, his hands wandering her thighs and guiding her legs apart. As with the rest of her body, Astarion’s affections were generous, gauging her reactions from the timing of her breath, the moans that he could draw from her increasingly parched throat, the way her hips rose towards him subconsciously declaring her desires. Please. More. Now.

Finally her growing impatience was met with sweet satisfaction. His tongue was swift in tasting her, teasing her, and setting her entire body alight with pleasure as it felt like the ground beneath her might shake. This was no fumble in a store room with a quick fling she could rob when they were done, no simple tryst to pass away the time in the city’s long nights. He knew exactly what he was doing, and his intention seemed to build her up until her knees were shaking, hands clawing at the grass beneath her, barely remembering how to breath as the orgasm ripped through her entire being with a mindshattering force. He held her tightly, not willing to relent for a moment, tongue mercilessly caressing and dragging the climax out as her hips shook and bucked with every wave of pleasure.

Just as it began to ebb, he shifted, plunging his tongue instead deep inside her to fully taste the fruits of his efforts. A delighted moan rose from between her thighs as he looked up towards her flushed face; “Delicious…”

After this latest appetite seemed to be sated, Tav realised - as she was able to breathe in more than just ragged gasps - that the Mage Hand had released her own. Finally, she thought, my turn. However, her vampire lover seemed to have other ideas in mind, and it was becoming impossible to refute those decisions. Still, her hands were now free, and as he shifted above her she rested them on his hips for a moment. A signal, a subtle cue, a smirk pulled at her lips as she thought it to herself. Well, vampire, I grant you permission to enter.

For one horrifying second she realised that their unusual connection and the strength of her desire had pushed the very thought directly into his mind as his delighted laugh echoed in the quiet of the night.

“How very kind of you, darling, it would be terribly rude of me to deny such an invitation.” He punctuated the last word with a thrust, entering her with a smooth motion that set her body aflame all over again.

Their bodies entwined, motions synchronising to find every inch of pleasure between them and draw it out in glorious and overwhelming desire. Occasionally his lips would dip back to her neck, tasting just a little more of her blood, dagger-edge teeth keeping her adrenaline high and lust even higher as she found herself craving that sharp and sweet pain. The night could’ve lasted forever, as he drew each new climax from her body echoing into his ear like the sweetest melody. Tav found herself wishing she might hear more of him, too, her hands seeking to find the most tender points to increase his pleasure along with her own, careful always to avoid the scars she had felt at the start of their encounter. The chorus they made together became less subtle as they became fully enveloped in a long overdue release.

---

For his part, Astarion had been remarkably careful only to take a little taste of Tav’s blood each time, never truly feeding but instead savouring the sweetest wine he could imagine. He had meant precisely what he said, this was a banquet to enjoy not a snack to wolf down in a moment. And oh, how he was enjoying it more than he imagined. Each time he felt the moans in her throat against his lips, he could’ve sworn the taste became even more, well, delicious. There was no other word for it, for her, as he let the pleasure overwhelm them both until they lay in the grass exhausted, fulfilled, and entirely satisfied.

A small pang of guilt twisted his mind as he watched his latest conquest - no, not that. His…companion, yes, that word would do quite nicely. As he watched Tav fall asleep, still naked beneath the stars, pale skin glistening with sweat, he wondered if perhaps he had let himself go too far. This was supposed to be a mutually beneficial arrangement; she gets a night of passion and the pleasure he knew he could offer, and in return he gained her trust and a better chance at making it out of this alive. He wondered, however briefly, if that was also how she saw their encounter. A dalliance and an alliance, an unspoken agreement “we will keep each other alive”. He frowned as he saw her eyebrow twitch in her slumber. Not tonight, bloody tadpole, let her rest. She’s earned that much.

He sighed and laid back on the grass, an endless expanse of constellations above winking down at his own foolishness. In the morning, he would tell her about the scars, about stupid fucking Cazador. But for now, the taste of freedom was intoxicating. He wondered perhaps what else they shared, as Tav’s own body was a map of scars, each a lingering reminder of some pain or another that no potion or healer had yet removed. Although, he mused dejectedly, some of those scars may be more than skin deep. We all have our secrets don’t we, “darling”.

----------- ----------- ENDING NOTES ----------- ----------- There it is, the first actually sexy sex that Lia wrote. Goodness how far we have come since this chapter~ But it still stands strong, I enjoyed delving in to those emotions, the deeper meanings, and the other similarities they share as characters with Tav's backstory. There's a lot of complexity in Astarion's romance, and it would do it a disservice to not show that within the early moments. There's a lot more to each line, each little motion, and seeing behind that is sometimes a little heart-breaking too.

[seaseraphic]

A new personal best- I'm on a winning streak! Used this lovely drawing for reference.

A dear friend of mine asked if I could post my art and I do thrive off validation so, post I shall. Showing off my work is what this blog is for anyway.

Where I'm at with my art right now (and more recent sketches) below the cut.

If you are a frequent reader of my tag rambling on my main, you might have seen me mention how little I've been able to draw over the past few years but also that I'm finally turning that around.

The power of Baldur's Gate 3 and Loving Astarion somehow tipped the scale for me and gave me the drive I needed to sit down and actually work on improving my art. Even before I stopped drawing altogether I'd been unhappy with my art for some time, feeling that it had completely stagnated and, after trying nothing, it didn't improve. So I actually went back to look at some fundamentals and gods. I wildly underestimated how much I needed this.

After only putting a small number of hours into dedicated practice I've seen my proficiency leap forward. That euphoria that all these half baked understandings, and everything that I've learnt from just looking, have finally come together into something I can do with my own hand.

I'm not 'where I want to be' yet, in the sense that I feel like I'm a little stuck only being able to sketch but I'd love to actually do some illustrations and completed work. Not yet frustrated by this, since I'm learning from myself as I go.

(Did you know when you have ADHD you don't always remember how you did things before? So every time you attempt something you have to learn how to do it all over again? Getting medicated changes this. I have memory now. Memories of how I worked through a task that I can use again and iterate upon in the future? Wild.)

There is a lot of mental health bullshit and anxiety that actively gets in the way of my ability to draw and commit myself to all kinds of creative endeavors. I'm not sure how long its going to take before I can start drawing out some of the things I'm imagining, but I think I'll get there. It's not like I've never drawn (and sometimes even finished!) ambitious things before. I'm having fun! And I only want to race forward so I can have more fun! But it's okay. I have all the time in the world to keep doing this.

[mintmoth]

Hi! I'm a super big fan of your art, everything is so pretty and amazing and I just wanna consume it every time I see one of your comics or illustrations. I just wanted to ask (cause I looked around a lil but didn't see anything covering this, if I missed it so sorry haha) what art program/tablet do you use to draw? Also, do you have any tips for beginning artists? I'm trying to get into drawing but I'm not too sure where to start TwT

AAAAA 😭😭 you're too sweet!! Thank you so much!

Also omg personally I use an iPad with the program/app procreate on it to draw!

I'm gonna put everything else under a read more since I got a little wordy oops

Honestly if I were to offer any beginning artist tips I think the biggest one is to just have fun. I know it sounds silly but really like just have fun and don't worry about what you're drawing being perfect or exactly what you had in mind or anything like that. As long as you're having fun and doing your best and not stressing about what you're creating you'll find yourself wanting to draw and create more- and it's within time and persistence that your skills develop

Also while it's good to draw every day since you do need to actively draw more to improve, don't stress about making sure you do! Just go at your own pace and draw when you feel like it!

I think I stress both of these points since they're things I've been working on and struggling with off and on too, realizing I don't have to be constantly drawing and that what I do draw doesn't have to be perfect, and honestly my comics have been a great exercise in letting myself make things "imperfect"

Relating to actual drawing skill sets, I do think that doing figure drawing is incredibly important since learning anatomy is crucial to drawing, even if it's not the most fun thing. Really if you see someone in a cool pose- typically real life photos- if you just try to see the shapes the human body makes and just loosely sketch a messy version of where their body shapes are can help. You don't have to break them down super basically like some tutorials do, unless that helps you! Everyone draws differently so there's no Right Way to do anything. Here's some examples from some I did a while back! I used highlighters since it made it so I couldn't erase, so I had to be more purposeful in my lines, but you can use any medium you want!

And don't worry if it doesn't look exactly like the photo you're drawing from- you're learning!

Another thing is that references are your friend, looking at things and figuring out how to draw them is incredibly helpful so don't be afraid to look up anything you're trying to draw for help

Something I used to do specifically for learning, was looking at photos or even pieces of art I thought were cool and then trying to draw something how I saw it, to understand someone else's use of shape and form. These were things I kept in sketchbooks to just figure out how to draw things like hands and feet and legs, using real life and other's works as a reference to teach myself

Then later while drawing on my own, if I couldn't figure out how to draw something I would go back to my own references and practices to help myself by using my own referenced art as a reference- here's a whole page of hands I drew a couple years ago while looking at photos of hands and also some art (uhhh I believe it was from GinjaNinjaOwO on youtube- if you DO post anything you've referenced poses or elements from, be sure to credit the original artist you've taken reference from!)

You can see I've got a lot of mistakes and scribbles and wonky forms- because I was just trying to understand the shapes and practice drawing hands on my own time, this wasn't anything I had ever drawn with the intention of posting lmao

But! You can do this for any kind of thing you're trying to learn, from arms to facial shapes to hands- just learning what kind of shapes and forms bodies or anything else you're trying to draw take

As far as the side of what kind of stuff to USE to draw, really I'd say to not be afraid of pencil and paper, I know digital art can have a nice and clean polish to it, but especially if you're learning it's really nice to just have a sketchbook (any kind work, just find paper you like! I've been using dot grid notebooks lately!) and a pencil or pen or really anything you feel comfortable with, that you can just loosely draw with and use whenever you like

For digital hardware while I do LOVE the iPad, I know they're pricier and not everyone jives with them, so I'd recommend drawing tablets by the brand Huion, since I've had a great time with them in the past when I used my laptop with Paint Tool Sai, which I also highly recommend as a drawing program, but keep in mind you can use anything! I have a friend who makes AMAZING works just using mspaint lmao

Honestly! In the end, like I said, just focus on having fun and drawing things that you want to without worry for being perfect or 100% anatomically accurate or anything. There's fundamentals that are the best base to build off of but never stress too much about it. Have fun creating! 💙💜

[sonofthesaiyans]

Three years ago today, a nightmare repeated itself.

Of course, I am talking about the day "Assassin's Bullet" first aired, courtesy of Studio MAPPA. When Attack on Titan's best girl was cruelly ripped away from us.

All this time, and I'm STILL furious about the fate of our beloved Sasha. The very heart and soul of Titan, and who's completely unjustified and needlessly cruel and drawn out end made the entire fucking series, both in the manga and the anime, UNWATCHABLE.

I hoped so hard that season four would never get adapted after season three came to its conclusion, and those hopes were dashed when MAPPA came into the picture.

I would NEVER watch any of MAPPA's shows, all because they went through and adapted this one single, evil episode, from the mind of the very bastard who wrote it into existence.

Like in the manga this horrific scene was drawn out and designed to twist the knife to the absolute maximum. Such an undeserving fate for such a beloved character, not allowed to go out with any kind of real dignity, just given the cheapest fucking death Isayama dared to throw at us, just because we know for sure he was just that eager to rid us of Sasha, and to punish us for daring to connect to her. The blood on her mouth as she was bleeding out, unable to speak and staring blankly as she slipped away.......I NEVER WOULD HAVE TOUCHED THIS ANIME IF IT MEANT SPARING MYSELF THAT ONE IMAGE. And it's that image that defines my whole experience with AOT. And what was it all for? For THIS.

Gabi MotherFUCKING Braun. A character who nobody liked even before this chapter and episode saw the light of day, a character who is NOT interesting, NOT likable or sympathetic in any sense, a character who is NOT essential to the story, and who actively brought it down not just by stealing Sasha's rightful place, but also by stealing focus away from not just her, but from nearly every other aspect of the story that suddenly had to make room for her incredibly forced and insincere "redemption arc". That's a load of crap, Gabi didn't earn her right to redemption any more than Reiner, Annie, or Eren himself did. The fact that Gabi suddenly because Isayama's primary obsession for 80% of the final season is the most crass and unacceptable display of favoritism on the part of any author. I have never had any reason to connect with Gabi or to take any sympathy upon her, and I will continue to vie for the scene where the little bitch gets her dues. Because she did NOT earn her right to live, let alone exist in this story. And I will continue to demand an explanation for Sasha's missing armor plate. We know what the game is there........I want to hear it from the man himself for pulling such a transparent stunt. Long story short, go fuck yourselves, the staff and animators of Studio MAPPA. You are all dead to me.

And that goes tenfold for Hajime Isayama. I hope one day I'll be the guy to bear upon you all of the anger and stress I have felt because of you since the day you unleashed Chapter 105 and in doing so, stole something very precious from us. You should have left well enough alone.

And with that, something I've been wanting to share for a long time......

Courtesy of a good friend of mine. You Gabi apologists out there, you will never believe who I have to thank for giving me this fitting tribute ......

I can only hope one day, our beloved Potato Girl will finally get the justice she deserves, and restored to us as she ought to be.

There is no Attack on Titan without Sasha. 🥔 ⚔️ 🥔

(I realize this intended post is a little late.......but if you've spent enough time here, you know I'm not one to keep things brief when it comes to our Best Girl.)

[fennecthunderfox]

Figured I should probably life update.

It's been a looooong time since I've posted here. Various factors got in the way of art in general and I figure I need to at least post a text update if nothing else.

Where have you been?

I have been mostly gaming in my free time and lurking on the internet. I didn't realize it, but I guess social media had been chipping away at my mental health without me realizing it. Namely Twitter (it's gonna stay twitter forever to me, I don't care what it's actually called now). I wanna try to get active on tumblr again, but they changed the layout in such a visually suffocating way, I can't do that site right now either.

So I just lurk.

What about your art?

Art has been hard. As I've complained about a lot in the past, I have a full time job and this job has had me on mandatory overtime for 3 years at this point. I also have chronic pain episodes that- while they have improved- still occur on occasion.

So you haven't drawn at all?

I've drawn very little UNDERTALE/DELTARUNE art recently, but I actually HAVE drawn some Zelda-centric art. I just haven't shown it because it's extremely self-indulgent and I am aware that the one canon character I draw the most is one people tend to hate. (Revali. It's Revali. He's a jerk, but I love him and I love inventing Rito characters that both admire and acknowledge his skill- but also knock him down a peg.)

The future of your Undertale/Deltarune comics?!

There should still be a future, yeah. Problem is, it's been so long since the beginning of the comic, I've kinda... gotta figure out what the heck the story even is anymore. Cause I don't really like WD Gaster being a villain? And that's sorta how we framed him to be in the comic, but I don't like that anymore.

"Fenn, Gaster made Ralsei disappear. Or SOMETHING, we still don't know what happened to Ralsei."

Yeah, sorry 'bout that. I've said from the beginning that Ralsei isn't dead, and that's still true. Also if I do change Gaster's motives, the Flowey/Ralsei thing (Flowsei?) will remain the same. So basically what I'm saying is Gaster was framed kinda like a villain in the comic, but he may shift to just a very, VERY morally grey guy, and you'll understand WHY in time.

Aaaaaaaand Vesseltale?

Vesseltale's a weird one cause it's the secondary plot comic and it's still stuck on-hold in the best possible place to be on hold. I might have to write that comic to a point where the biggest twist of the AU is revealed and then just be like: "Okay, here's some bullet points about this AU cause I don't actually think I can make this a full comic."

And then have like... highlight comic series where I just draw out major scenes. Like how Frisk interacts with the altered versions of the characters in this time.

Final thoughts?

I wish I had more time to do art. I really do. It's just difficult to set time aside to do it because of work. It's easier to pick up the Switch to decompress while listening to Let's Plays on Youtube at the moment.

Once the Holidays pass, I think I'm gonna try to carve out time on the weekends specifically for doing art. I'd love to finish Defnodel Chapter 3 before Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4 release.

Also be prepared, I might start posting Rito fanart on DA because I love the Rito. You have no idea how many headcanons I've created for these dumb birds. I love them so much.

[runawaycarouselhorse]

Special interest level: I got very fascinated with sleeve garters and sleeve straps and reading about them because of Best Wishes! So, here's a post compiled of the results of reading a lot about things tangentially related to my special interests, ffff.

Sleeve garters are like what Cabernet (Burgundy) wears! Remember, Pokemon Connoisseurs are called Pokemon Sommeliers in the original, they're based on wine experts (hence comparing compatibility between trainers and their Pokemon with food-wine marriages, borrowing the same terms.)

"A sleeve garter is a garter worn on the sleeve of a shirt. It came into wide use, especially in the US, in the latter half of the 19th century when men's ready-made shirts came in a single (extra long) sleeve length. Sleeve garters allow individuals to customize sleeve lengths and keep their cuffs from becoming soiled while working or at the correct length when worn under a jacket. (...) a century ago this item of clothing was something a man may have worn regardless of profession (with the possible exception of the wealthy or those too well-dressed to wear non-tailored shirts)..." (Wikipedia)

Bartenders (to keep sleeves clean) and poker/casino dealers (previously to show there's no room to hide anything up their sleeves, apparently!) still tend to wear these and, historically, typists, accountants, and anyone who works with inks and paints would wear them. Now, they mostly feature in historical fashion or period costumes.

Aside from the lapels on Trip's jacket (his hoodie's always in the way, so I can't figure out what kind of lapels, exactly, it could notched or shawl... but if you want to go by cheap cosplay meant for a goofy official variety show where the rivals get "drunk" on... tea??? I've never seen it but it sounds hilarious and reminds me of the TRio getting "drunk" on water in AG of dubious accuracy, it looks like a notched lapel!), his beta design's jacket also had sleeve straps and a breast pocket.

Sleeve straps are often only ornamental now (and in the beta design, no buttons are drawn, but that might've just been for easier animation), but their function was to draw the sleeve closer to the skin to keep the wind out and trap body heat if it's cold. Which fits, since we tend to assume the kid hates the cold because this kid's going on a journey in a suit jacket, hoodie, and undershirt in spring and summer?! ^^;;

His hoodie in the beta design also had drawstrings, which you rarely see in the anime (it's there in one shot in the Fushide episode!).

Tomboyish Georgia wears a yellow newsboy cap! (Think Newsies and Peaky Blinders.) I used to wear a wooly grey one in the winter, used to cover my ears with it and tuck all my hair into it, too! Didn't figure this one out on my own, @pkmncoordinators pointed it out. ^^

While mostly associated with the working class, men and boys of all classes wore them, they were very common in the 1920's, although the wealthy typically only wore them while golfing or doing other leisurely activities.

Georgia's hat appears to be modelled on an 8 panel newsboy cap. ^^

[cherriko-art]

I just want to thank the Tumblr community from the bottom of my heart for helping me find joy in drawing again. For helping me find art a little less scary with every comment I get. And to remind people, once again, how much of an impact positive engagement has for creators, no matter how small or big.

Long, midnight ramble on my struggles with art below.

Late night thoughts, but lately my motivation for drawing has been rekindled as a way to release the brain rot on the fandoms and games I've loved recently. I lost my love for art for a really, really long time and for someone who's been drawing since I could pick up a pencil, and has identified as an artist my entire life, literally witnessing myself lose my love for art and drawing has been a really painful process. Especially since it happened over a relatively short period of time. Over 20 years of loving and creating art, only to be extinguished in just a small period of 2 years. When I came to a sudden realization that I hated drawing, I mourned over it for a really long time. I missed the joy I got from drawing, the pride in my art, the passion to learn and hone my skills. I used to think I could never imagine a future where I wasn't constantly thinking about the next thing I wanted to draw, but now I am living that future. Art is never on my mind anymore. I try to draw and I become filled with anxiety and dread. There's not a single thought about picking up my pencil and creating. The only things I had drawn in the last 4 years were for zines and it felt like work, not joy. Drawing felt like a job, and it stopped being the center of my universe. I stopped being active on social media, bc I was only on here for art. But even looking at other people's art left a bitter taste, and I didn't want to look at any of it anymore. Several times over the last few years I've tried to rekindle my love for art, tried starting small again. But it always fizzled out quickly, and I'd abandon it again. Sometimes I scroll through my Instagram and it hurts to look at, because I distinctly remember how much joy I got from drawing every single piece, what my thought process was, and how excited I felt in creating. It's been so long since I've felt happiness in drawing.

Lately, I've drawn some things bc my emotions for the brain rots in my head were Too Big and I couldn't think of releasing these big emotions in anything other than what I know. In art. I just drew something, didn't think too hard abt it, and posted them. Like barfing your overwhelming feelings on paper then throwing it away. But the engagement I've gotten on these emotional-dump drawings have been so wonderful, no matter how small or big, and it's made me so happy. Very specifically from Tumblr. Tumblr has reminded me what it's like to actually interact with fandoms again. Instagram/Twitter/etc has become such a competitive platform for content creators, that any sense of (the minimal) community and fandom interactions have been completely wiped out. But Tumblr has stayed true to it's roots through all these years and never have I been more grateful.

For the first time in years, I'm excited to draw again. I actually want to draw. I finished multiple drawings in the last 2 weeks, more than I have in years. Instead of feeling numb and exhausted after drawing like I had been, I'm actually filled with adrenaline and excitement to draw more. I'm excited to participate in fandoms again, engage in communities. This is all because other people's positive engagements on my little drawings have motivated me to draw more.

Drawing has become a very daunting, anxiety-filled, unpleasant experience for me. I lost my love for art years ago. But the positive engagement in my recent art has pushed away some of that anxiety, and it's becoming increasingly easier for me to pick up that pencil again. Drawing is starting to feel fun again. I don't know how long this will last, if it will fizzle out like it has time and time again. I don't know if art will turn back into the Big, Bad Monster again. But for now, I'm just relishing in the feeling of art feeling like freedom again. And I have the Tumblr community to thank for that.

So for everyone on here, thank you.

[pom-talks]

Black Butler (manga)

I've been a fan of black butler for almost 9 years. During these years, I often forgot about it and didn't read it for a long time, then sometimes I'd remember and return to read new chapters. With the new season on the horizon, I'm currently very active in the fandom.

First I read the manga, and then I watched the anime. Most people already know that the manga is much better than the anime adaptation, and I completely agree with that. The plot of the manga, in my opinion, is very interesting and I still recommend it to all my friends. I really like Yana Toboso's art style. Now or when I was 12, I'm delighted with the way she draws. Obviously, the first chapters are not as well drawn, but her further progress is noticeable.

For the last three years, I periodically read new chapters of the manga without interacting with the fandom, but with the announcement of season 4, I wanted to reread it in its entirety. Something in this world doesn't change and it's my obsession with bb. First, the announcement of the new season, and then the long-awaited license for black butler in Ukrainian, and I'm just incredibly happy, because it's the manga I've been following for the longest time out of everything I've ever followed.

And again, some things never change and that's that Ciel Phantomhive has always been my favorite character ever since I started reading the manga, and that I never liked that ship even when I was 12.

This post might become too long, because I have a lot to talk about, but I'll just say that I definitely recommend reading Black Butler. The plot is incredibly interesting, there are so many different tropes: Sherlock Holmes, zombies, Jack the Ripper and even boys bands. Great drawing and characters, good humor. What might keep you from reading is fanservice, which I also don't like, but everything else is definitely worth your attention. Currently the manga updates are very slow, but I hope that this will change after the new season comes out