#but the eclipse one is low quality

[o-i-w-u]

hello.

goodbye.

[xxcrispxx]

Okay okay…. I was so scared to post this, but I’ve worked up the courage to do so….

In school, we had an assignment to make a fake instagram profile picture for a character!

And my silly brain decided to make one of the Starholder, from “The One Who Holds A Star” by Justaduck6432 on AO3!!!!

I totally recommend reading it, it’s super entertaining and fun and SOJEVWJWKWJHWHWJJWBWNWLWKW

im very normal about it. <liar

Anyways, HERES THE ART!!!

(Apologies if it’s not the best!!)

(ALSO UH THE STARHOLDER’S NAME IS PARKER FOR ME, I JUST CAME UP WITH IT I DONT KNOW I THOUGHT IT SOUNDED NICE- SORRY FOR ANY CONFUSION ON WHO THAT IS—)

(Spoilers may be in art, below the cut!)

@justastarholder

(Sorry for the tag sjsjsjjsjs)

[twilightarcade]

2 of them

[pipthegreat]

Info Cards‼️

These took a while to make but I fairly like how they turned out. These are all ordered from the oldest to newest member of Digital Fun Park!

Welcome to Digital Fun Park, a canceled VR horror game that was brought back to life.

When the company gave up on an in-progress horror game, it was left to fade away. But a virus inside of it came to life and couldn't stand being lonely anymore, so it brought people to its digital world.

Poster:

How abstraction works:

The Adventures:

The Solar Eclipse:

First designs + lineup:

I'll edit this post when I make "important" things about the au, also please ask me questions because I absolutely love this au!!

-----------------------------------------------

Comics:

* Jax's hatred

* What could happen

* First introduction

* Gangle's comics

* A silly mistake

* The Mask

* Bonding

-----------------------------------------------

Info:

* Tadc / dfp

* Missing parts

* Outside the park

* Bubble

* Rest

* Abstracted

* Gloink Queen

* Fear of the park

* Defense

* Closed eye

* Jax.

-----------------------------------------------

"Can I make fanart?":

Of course you can! I don't mind at all and it makes me extremely happy!

"Is there any ships?":

There are no cannon ships in this au but if you want to ship the characters you can totally go for it! Self shipping is also welcome! As long as it doesn't involve minor x adult though.

"Can I make NSFW?":

You do you, just don't send it to me alright? ^^

[eggyrocks]

35MM CHAPTER EIGHT: weird and also hurtful

track number eight: everybody wants to love you by japanese breakfast

masterlist

When presented with the option of sitting on Akaashi's couch or on a chair at his kitchen table, she opts in for the floor. She's sits, cross-legged, by his coffee table, chewing on the inside of her cheek. Her attention switches between the screen of her laptop and the curry Akaashi sloppily plopped onto a ceramic plate from its Styrofoam container.

"Thanks for dinner," she says through a mouthful of food, and her hands are already back to typing.

Akaashi smiles. A soft, semi-reluctant one that tugs at the corner of his lips. "No problem," he replies, watching her. He likes the look she gets in her eyes when she focuses. They're heavy, strained from the weight of constantly keeping them opened to stare at the bright light of her screen. But they’re still focused, intense.

She looks nice, there, in his apartment. Like she fits. Her presence changes it. It doesn't feel too big, when she's there. The thought makes his gut twist up in guilt.

His smile drops, and he focuses his attention on his own, blank, laptop screen before him. She’s finalizing details, getting the filming schedule and completed script out to the actors and she told him not to worry about it. Just to focus on his essay for now.

But, and it’s actually sort of pathetic, he can’t really focus on anything when she’s around. He kind of just wants to listen to her talk.

If he had known he’d end up feeling like this, he’s not sure he would’ve asked for her help. He contemplates if the drastic increase in quality of his project is well and truly worth it. Because since she started helping him, he’s noticed things about her he’s never noticed before.

The diligence with which she comes at every task presented to her. Her dedication to her passions and the way her face lights up at the opportunity to speak about them. This enigmatic sort of charm she seems to have on everyone around her without even really trying. The way her laughter has an effect on his spine. How her smile fries up his thoughts.

His apartment is filled with the sound of her fingers against the keyboard, and a low hum that comes from her throat. Akaashi’s fingers twitch against the keyboard, and he very deliberately reminds himself of who exactly she is to him.

-> fun facts!

incel in the film class dropped the "you will not be a successful director because you lack the male gaze" line and even had the audacity to cite bret easton ellis and yn called him a "weird virgin loser with a vendetta against women that won't sleep with him" and left

the professor is quickly and rapidly drafting an email trying to figure out the best way to handle this situation she will absolutely be discussing this class with her colleagues

another new ground mention cause now it’s cannon in the 35mm universe

kenma has yn has on the payroll; he pays her to edit his youtube videos

noya had to borrow a telescope for the astronomy class he's taking; he enrolled to fulfill the general requirement because he thought it was astrology

taglist: @wyrcan @thechaosoflonging @publicbathroompanic @bedeater @rottingt1tz @rintarawr @deluluforcarlos55 @ahseyy @localgaytrainwreck @cherrypieyourface @baskin-robinhoods @polish-cereal @iheartamora @ferntv @eclecticeggknightpsychic @httpakkeiji @does-directions @needtoloveoutloud @rinheartshyunlix @causenessus @bookworm-center @kettlepop @makkiroll @atsumou @eyes-ofhell @kawaii-angelanne @ryeyeyer @k8nicole @mydearchoso @phoenix-eclipses @lixie-phoria @suitstars @reneny @scxrcherr @ueknightbl @iluvaquaphor @sleezzsister @barricadesenthusiast @staygoldsquatchling02 @nemesii @sereniteav @crimsoncamra @gsyche @evening-latte @rrosiitas @kunimix @kitnootkat @aquariarose @iluv-ace @sparkei (taglist is closed)

[dduane]

One day after "Steamboat Willie went public domain...

...And BTW:

The uproar over the possible coded meanings within Infestation has, for the moment, eclipsed criticism over another aspect of the game. As Motherboard reports, it shows all the signs of being a low-quality “asset flip” title, one quickly constructed with graphic models purchased from larger developers. The trailer’s voiceover was also created with an AI service.Nightmare Forge confirmed to Motherboard that it had bought digital assets and recorded the narration with AI, vowing that they would employ actual voice actors for the finished product.

A sordid affair altogether.

[jsabaddict]

And here are all the goobers! All.. like.. 35 of them.

As everyone expected, low quality, it's what you came here for, wasn't it?

There are, in fact, no "popular" Bosses here, as I was finishing this, there was no real space for them to be included in a meaningful way. So, they aren't here. Maybe I'll do something separate for them? But HIGHLY unlikely.

Again, happy Shapes of May. Don't overwork yourselves and have fun.

Anyways, now it's time to list off everyone included, starting from the bottom left:

Now onto the platformers (the ones sitting above):

@acn97414

@bgsartcavern

Blixer Eclipses.

@untitled14360

@mischiefburns

@alionanight

@shaidai

@pricklythepearcat

@woahtriangle

@orchuris

@alphapopstars

@darkhatkid

@kitcatttt

@patchesahoy

@trash-jsab

@seba2932

@spiritfoxx26

@theweirdgaymer

@aliviasyl

@puffmcstuff

@raptordoritos

If i forgot anyone you're coiz out of luck cause I am not doing this again. /j

@glaciers-blorbo-purgatory

@blixersupremacy

@jsab-boi

@satagaru176

@justshapesandshitposting

@nyazhis-jsablr

@danatheshapepony

@c4ys18l

@anonymously-night

@tapittt

@mnlghtdestiny

@localjsabapologist

[tacticiandrafts]

THE CRUCIFIXION ; Nikolai Gogol, Fyodor Dostoevsky x fem!Reader

Part one / 5.2k words

SYNOPSIS . . . Your plans to lay low as a fugitive in the magical capital of Athlyne are spoiled upon meeting Nikolai, an eccentric conman. Interested in your powers, he introduces you to Fyodor, his charming and mysterious associate. You’ve stepped into his trap before you know it.

CW/TAGS . . . Dark fantasy setting, mentions of drug dependency and a corrupt government, reader is an anxious mess

P.S. ! HELLOOO EVERYNYAN! this is part one of a series (out of ~6 or 7, tentatively). i’m experiencing nikolai fever so i’m excited to continue letting him consume my mind :)

also posted on ao3 @ tactician!

As a light breeze drifted through the window and fanned your hot neck, your eyes fluttered shut. You let the pestle slip from your hand momentarily as you leaned against the counter, shivering as the sweat cooled. From behind you, Dr. Yosano chuckled.

“Letting the heat get to you?”

“Yeah, sorry. This is the last one, though.”

She peered over your shoulder and nodded approvingly as you finished crushing a mixture of ginkgo root and dried centipede. “Looks good.” Counting the bottles neatly tucked away on the shelf above you, she let out a low whistle. “You’re really on top of things today. I thought we’d be behind on orders.”

You grinned, dragging a forearm across your damp hairline. “I’ve got an errand to run, so I thought I might take my leave a bit early.”

She nodded approvingly. “That’s fine with me. Thanks for the hard work.”

You spent a few more minutes helping her box up the orders you had just made and finally straightened your aching back with a groan. A strong arm snaked around your shoulders and you shivered as Dr. Yosano smirked, a dark glint in her eye. “Are you sore? Why don’t you let me take a look, hm?”

A shiver traveled down your spine, and you doubted it had anything to do with the remnants of magical seeds you’d just been working with. You flailed a bit as you slipped from her tightening grip, bounding toward the door to pick up the satchel and parasol you’d thrown on the hook earlier that morning. “No thanks, I should get going. I’ll see you for dinner!” Her dramatic sigh drifted out behind you as the door swung open and closed, the humidity fully enveloping you.

The afternoon sun hung high, occasionally eclipsed by passing clouds. The summer air was thick as the pulp of a blood orange; you cowered under the parasol as you made your way down the street. Even the shade that canopied the area surrounding the apothecary could do little to relieve your discomfort as a damp film coated your skin. 

Auguste Apothecary, the pride and joy of your boss, Akiko Yosano, was nestled by the side of a towering zelkova elm. The massive size of the tree made the building appear dwarfish and shoddy, but its regular customers hardly minded its outward appearance. Though the elite had their own pharmaceutical facilities closer to the palace and Auguste had a bit of a shady reputation, it was located smack dab in the middle of the largest residential district in the capital of Athlyne, so it had likely never experienced a shortage of customers from the day of its opening. 

Dr. Yosano’s pool of patrons wasn’t huge by any means, but no one would dare visit another apothecary after walking into hers. Her knowledge of natural medicine was unmatched and her ingredients, supplied by a talented farming mage, were of the highest quality. Though, you probably would have stayed by her side even if she turned out to be an incompetent fraud. She was sharp and incredibly capable, this was true, but you thought that her kindness and discretion were her finest qualities by far. For that reason, you expected that no one was more loyal to her than you were. 

You had run away from your hometown, located in a distant territory of Athlyne, at age fourteen. Fleeing to an adjacent province and finding work as an apothecary’s assistant in exchange for food and shelter, you lived with a constant knot of anxiety twisting in your stomach, wondering how many days of peace you had left until your family found you. That was, until the Meursault Post arrived on the shop’s doorstep, containing an advertisement for a position at one of the capital’s finest apothecaries with the promise of shelter and a decent salary. Athlyne’s capital was densely populated and located hundreds of miles away from your home—it was your best shot at a halfway normal life. Adrenaline running all the way to your toes, you traveled for two weeks on about half the rations you really needed for such a trip and eventually found yourself collapsed in Auguste’s entryway. In your starved and fearful state, you’d begged Dr. Yosano to take you in, listing every personal merit you could think of, and all she’d done was shrug. Sure, she said nonchalantly, come here and show me what you know. As it turned out, no one else had shown up regarding the position (she was a teenager, only a few years older than you, and everyone else had simply laughed in her face) so she would have hired you no matter what sort of impression you made. Regardless, you could feel simple appreciation and sympathetic care in her every action. After all, she never asked any questions. She had no interest in your origins, nor did she pry when she found you sprawled under the elm tree in the middle of the night, under eyes dark and knees bouncing. She helped you set up your living quarters in one of the cabins behind the building, helped you make dinner every night, and wordlessly prepared a steaming cup of jasmine tea each time you were hit with a bout of insomnia. 

Hitching a ride on the back of a supply cart headed toward the lower market, you thought you might pick up a batch of sweets or a bottle of wine for her.

Your thoughts trailed off as the cart began to head downhill, passing through the open gates into the underground sector of the capital. The air became cooler the further in you went, and you let out a little sight of relief. The streets there were sprawling, narrow, and winding. It was easy to get lost and even easier to find yourself trapped for hours searching for the exit. Though it may have felt a bit claustrophobic, the lower market was far livelier and less sterile than the markets above ground. It was rare to find Count Bram’s police force wandering around there, so the atmosphere was energetic and relaxed, with a variety of talented performers and community-oriented business owners. On top of that, the usually tight regulations on magical powers and objects were far more lenient, so there were certain things you could only see or purchase there.

Dr. Yosano never spoke of it, so you didn’t dare ask, but rumor had it that the lower market was the territory of her former teacher and the previous owner of Auguste Apothecary. Little was known of the shadowy Dr. Mori, but stories often circulated of the scandal that drove him underground. It was said that the apothecary was burned to the ground by the military after numerous reports of malpractice leading to death. It was revealed that he was an unregistered mage, but his imbued medications were so powerful that Count Bram allowed him to run free in the lower market provided that he offered his services to the palace. Left in the ashes of a terrible disgrace, a still teen-aged Dr. Yosano received funding from an anonymous benefactor and rebuilt the apothecary herself. Now, she barely broached the topic of Dr. Mori, but she was outspoken in her disdain for the medications he produced.

Incidentally, these medications were the reason for your errand. If you followed certain whispers, you’d be able to find one of Dr. Mori’s subordinates selling suppressants, pills that blocked your magical ability. You felt guilty for keeping this from Dr. Yosano, but it couldn’t be helped. At the moment, suppressants were your lifeline. Though the apothecary’s ingredients were nothing to sneeze at, you hadn’t yet succeeded in making your own solution with anything close to the same efficacy. Dr. Mori’s methods to make such a medication remained a mystery. 

Jumping off the cart, you weaved through the crowd. Cheers erupted as a man, likely a former member of the traveling Fitzgerald Circus, juggled fiery tennis balls with his bare hands. Going further downhill and turning onto several more backstreets, your eyes roved over the various shops, snoozing animals, and hollering people before arriving at the front of a small and unassuming tavern. Squeezing through the door, you passed through the low-lit hallway and ducked around the corner past the bar to find the back room. You swore under your breath as you approached the door. Low stock. Be back Monday. Sorry :). Reading the words, a deep frown crossed your face. You had run out days ago and hadn’t had the time to make the trip until today. 

Cursing Dr. Mori’s subordinate until the end of time (count your days, Ichiyou Higuchi!), you turned back, ignoring the old bartender’s piercing, monocled stare. You would’ve stopped to play a game or two of chess with him as you usually did, but you were too absorbed in your current dilemma to give him much other than an apologetic smile and a wave. This situation was a first, but you guessed that you only had a few days before your power began coming back to you. 

Suppressants were a double-edged sword. They helped unregistered mages live normal lives without having to serve in Count Bram’s court, police force, or military by erasing their abilities without a trace. Even if a tip sent the police knocking at your door, they’d find it impossible to tell whether you possessed abnormal powers or not. But dependency on suppressants was a lifelong struggle. There were no unwanted side effects, but they rendered users financially dependent on Dr. Mori’s underground trade forever. If you stopped taking them, your powers would return, for a short time more powerful and difficult to control than they had ever been. Of course Dr. Yosano didn’t approve: they were a bandaid of a solution to a larger problem that would only benefit one man in the end.

Mages were few and far between in Athlyne and its territories, but they were plentiful in the capital’s lower market due to Dr. Mori’s services. Whole families were killed serving in the military generations before you were born. Now, during Bram’s rule, mages were either from one of two families serving directly under the Count or they were the product of a mutation, the first of their kind in their family. Most members of the latter group did everything in their power to avoid being drafted, and that usually meant selling their livelihoods to afford a lasting supply of suppressants. The state of the nation at the hands of powerful figures was unforgivable, and Dr. Mori’s greed only worsened the struggles of the common people. But given your own circumstances, coexisting with your magic was unthinkable. Ridding yourself of that curse was the entire reason you started anew in the first place. So, like many others, you found yourself in an impossible dilemma.

In your restlessness, you must have made a wrong turn. When you finally broke out of your own head and took a look around, the surrounding streets were unfamiliar. You let out a slow and heavy sigh. Perhaps you’d wander and shop for a while before asking for directions.

At that moment, a hand slipped into your own. Your arm was lifted above your head with a flourish, and before you could react, you were spun around to face the man who’d grabbed you.

“Hello, my lost-looking lady!”

You blinked at him, trying to swallow down your instinctual panic. You didn’t expect to be left alone in your wandering knowing that the capital’s conmen were notoriously bothersome, but abruptly grabbing a stranger was like asking for a fist to the nose. …Gosh, though, your annoyance stuttered as your gaze traveled over his face. His radiant skin, mischievous smile, and glowing eyes almost distracted you from the scar running across his eye and the calluses littering the heel of his palm. Even these attributes were attractive, cutting through his forcibly high tone and boyish features. He was tall, with a long braid thrown over his broad shoulder… You huffed in an attempt to shoo these thoughts out of your head. As you stared up at him, numerous passersby peeked at the bizarre scene before turning their heads down and briskly walking away. It would be best to yank your hand back and continue on as though nothing had happened, much the same as everyone else. 

“May I ask what you’re doing touching me?” And yet, you did the opposite. You couldn’t be blamed. He was very handsome.

“Allow me to explain. I couldn’t resist seeing a surprised look on a lovely face like yours! You see, I can tell you’re in need of excitement!” 

“Ah, twenty words or less, please. I’m trying to decide if I should punch you or hear you out, you see.” 

“Oh! I like you already! I have fifteen left now, right? Wait, no, I messed up! I’m running out!” He squealed as he let you go, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth. You frowned, trying to hide the amusement beginning to mask your annoyance. Instead of responding, you placed a hand on your hip and raised a brow at him. The man dropped out of the cutesy pose he had been holding and took off his hat, bringing it to his chest in a polite gesture. His voice lowering, though still not without a teasing lilt, he began to explain. “My name is Nikolai and I’m a fortune teller!” He threw his hat up and gave you a spin, catching it as he faced you again. This time, he inched closer, eyes narrowing. “I sensed quite a turbulent energy as you passed by just now. In fact, I can tell how special you are! You can see your own destiny, can’t you? How exciting! Would you spare a moment for a reading?”

You shivered, tensing. Those words, a bit too close to the truth, felt far too pointed. And that look in his eyes—did he know you? Though this was undoubtedly a part of his routine, you couldn’t help the way his words triggered your deeply rooted paranoia. Perhaps he recognized you—but he couldn’t, you were so far from home, and the photos would be outdated by now…You were falling right into such an easily avoidable trap. Even so, with the threat of your magic looming over you, your judgment became impossible to trust. Dread pulled at your shoulders and fingertips, the thought of this man knowing something chilling your blood. You’d have to indulge him, just to be sure. Even if you were only being paranoid, your life was on the line here.

(There was no need to mention the small part of your mind that was bored and frustrated and very much wanted to hang out with a funny and attractive man, so long as you kept a tight hold on your wallet.)

“A reading…?” You tilted your head, coy.

“Yes, your fortune! My shop is just down the road, so what do you say? Will you place your future in my trusty hands?” His words were laced with so much mirth and mischief that you wondered if he was even taking himself seriously.

Hesitantly, you shrugged. “Fine. My plans for today have fallen through. Lead the way.”

Anyone who took such a tone with him was probably not likely to agree to follow him in the end. You could tell from his genuine look of surprise at your words, which quickly morphed into even greater mirth than before.

An infectious giggle rang through the air. He wasted no time invading your personal space again, hooking an arm around your elbow and starting to skip. You would have tripped and slammed your face into the ground if not for his surprising strength as he pulled you along. If you were anyone else, your suspicion might have eased up as you processed how ridiculous the two of you definitely looked, frolicking through the crowds like a couple of hearty drunk men. 

He didn’t take you very far, making only a few turns (hopping all the way) before leading you down a slightly quieter street. There, you found yourself pushing through the door of what looked like a small library or bookstore. Clouds of dust puffed out as you moved through the space, ducking your head to squeeze past eerily low rafters toward a sitting room in the back. This was obviously not his shop (an old man greeted you when you walked in), and he probably rented this back room out for his hustles. Still, it looked surprisingly cozy, with an old armchair positioned near the entrance and a small walnut coffee table between two stools in the back. Nikolai had finally let go to allow you to navigate there without encountering any hazards, bewildering you a bit as he bounded through with almost impossible grace given his height. You took the chance to look around, wondering if you felt impressed or put off by his design choices. The creaky wooden boards were muted by numerous rugs scattered across the floor, an eclectic collection of oil lamps bathed the room in a low but warm yellow light, and a violently red porcelain tea set glittered on the table. Taking it all in, you sat down, playing with your hands for a moment as you watched Nikolai follow behind you.

A grey cat with barely-there stripes glanced up at him, squinting sleepily on the armchair. He patted its head as he passed, chirping in feline fashion as he met its eyes. The cat simply flopped to the side, curling its paws as its soft, fat stomach spilled over the cushion beneath it. He almost mirrored it in the way he plopped himself on the stool across from you, grinning. 

Sweat began to gather at your temples. He continued staring at you without saying anything. The attention flustered you, so you averted your gaze to his hands. They were long and slender, and they had felt gentle, rough and warm in your hand—make up your mind! Are you scared or attracted to him?! “So…shall we?”

Nikolai nodded, gesturing widely to the cat. “Don’t mind my assistant, oka~y? She won’t spill your secrets, so don’t worry about a thing!”

“Yeah, sure,” you snorted. You were starting to regret everything from the moment you woke up that morning as you stared at the lounging cat, thinking you really needed to work on your impulse control, so you decided to turn your attention toward Nikolai as he shuffled a set of cards. You hadn’t seen him pull them out. 

Now that you were sitting right in front of him, your eyes moved absently over him a few times.

He wore a long white tunic with ornate black embroidery traveling past the collar and circling the buttons down the front. His white pants were similarly intricate, the patterns disappearing where the wide legs were tucked neatly into his boots and the waist was fastened to his hips by a silky black sash. Strings of pearly beads and brightly colored tassels adorned him from head to toe: they hung from his neck, draped across his black fur cap, and swayed across his pants. The maximalist patterning and embellishing of his clothes wasn’t unusual for an entertainer, especially one who operated in the lower market. Showmanship was probably what paid the bills, after all. Still, there was something more to him that you couldn’t place hidden beneath the flashy gestures and showy words. Perhaps if anyone else wore those clothes, so fit for a clown, they’d be easier to avoid altogether. But Nikolai seemed scarily calculating for the second-rate, theatrical scammer he presented himself to be. Though he disguised it well, you still couldn’t shake off the feeling that he’d approached you for a reason. His words and his gaze were just too pointed. The thought startled you, and you averted your eyes again for fear of him noticing how blatantly you were checking him out. If he noticed, he made no indication if it, immersed in his own show.

“Ah! I see!” He gasped loudly, pulling a single card out from the stack and scrutinizing it before nodding dramatically. He held the card between his index and middle finger, shutting his eyes as though he was performing some sort of ritual. Then, he spun it around and let go of it, letting it flutter down in front of you.

A stranger in the capital using cards to tell the future was utterly laughable to you. Only the scattered descendants of the Chekhov family had the innate gift of foresight. Even if these cards themselves were magical, they had to have been imbued by a Royal Sorcerer of the Camus family, and artifacts made by a Camus were just about as hard to come by as the throne itself. Nikolai was obviously not a Chekhov, and he couldn’t possibly afford an artifact if he was performing cons in the lower market.

Nevertheless, the image that stared back at you froze your pulse.

You recognized The Lovers from your own handling of cards nearly a decade ago. This particular rendition featured two birds circling each other over an abyssal, grey sea. They were seagulls, and their coloring was a striking match to the one on the Chekhov family crest: an image you were intimately familiar with.

“Oh my!” Nikolai let out a high-pitched giggle. A horrible heat rose to your neck. “Now, for a quiz! Do you know what this card is telling us?” You opened your mouth, mind racing for an excuse, for a lie, or some other explanation. You couldn’t come up with anything, nor could you bring yourself to get up and run. Though, he barely gave you time to think about it because he didn’t wait for your answer. “We were destined to meet today, darling! This could mean only one thing.”

Your heart began to pound so frantically that you almost missed his next words.

“You and I are soulmates!” He threw himself forward to look even closer at you, his mouth curling into a scandalized grin.

“Um, what?” You couldn’t mask your confusion. Your head was spinning, the shock from what you expected him to say had rendered you dumb. To make matters worse, that most certainly was not what the card meant, and somehow his shoddy grasp of tarot was so funny to you that you shook with the effort it took to force yourself to stay serious.

“As you can see, this card here called out to me. The Lovers! The name says it all.” Though you should have played along the same way you had done this entire time, you forgot to react. He continued on, waving his hands in excitement. “We’re destined to be together! Yay!” 

After a moment, you shook your head in disbelief, heaving out the breath you had been holding in. “Are you messing with me right now? You don’t even know what the cards mean.”

Even the offense he feigned held a trace of barely concealed humor. “Surely not! My assistant can sense it too!” You turned your gaze to the cat, who had rolled over to face away from Nikolai and his loud voice. 

He was ridiculous. You suppressed a smile.

“You are messing with me. This is the worst scam ever. Even though I walked into it.” You started to stand, pouting facetiously.

His hands quickly found yours and he stared at you with an exaggerated, puppy-like sadness. 

“My love!” The sadness quickly dissipated as he winked cheekily. “My services aren’t free, silly.”

The moment abruptly ruined, you recoiled. “What? …You’re serious?” He stuck his tongue out, sliding you a piece of paper (where did that come from?) across the table. You glared down at the beautifully inked, absolutely preposterous bill. A drawing of Nikolai’s face mocked you from beside the numbers. “What’s the point of this? I think you know I’ve never seen this much money in my life.” And I really thought we were flirting just now, even though I still kind of feel as though you might be plotting my downfall.

He nodded, snatching the piece of paper and crumpling it up. “Co~rrect!” He stood, pointing at you. “You’ve gotten yourself into quite the conundrum! You’re in debt because of a scam, but you’re broke as a joke! Wait! Oops, forget I said that! Oh no, what should we do?!”

Your horror, amusement, and bashfulness having now faded slightly, your head was clear enough to observe him. He had a habit of rambling on like he was telling one long inside joke, pretending to get worked up while speaking fast enough to prevent you from getting a word in unless he wanted you to say something. His behavior was beginning to confirm your suspicions—you were convinced now that your original hunch was accurate. He wasn’t at all as dense as he made himself out to be, and he wasn’t just a scammer. 

Still, you couldn’t understand him at all. Nikolai was putting on such an obvious show, one you’d seen many times in your curiosity surrounding the self-proclaimed fortune tellers of the lower market. But nothing about him was adding up. Why did he seek you out? How could his reading have exposed you so thoroughly, even though he had no knowledge of the cards’ true meanings? And if he approached you because he knew who you were, if he was trying to reel you in and sell you off to your family, what was the point of fooling around so obtusely, of making a scene outside? In the capital, your family name was synonymous with dirty money. He’d have more trouble on his hands than it was worth if he attracted too much attention.

All of that being said, he had drawn you in with alarming skill. You were curious. You wanted to run. You wanted more. Your head spun. Should you be running?

Only one thing was clear. He’d spent this time trying to confuse you because he wanted something. What could that be, though, if not the Chekhov family’s ransom money?

“A date!” Nikolai announced his wish before you had even a moment to ponder it. 

Once again, he made you feel slow. The realization made you laugh. “A date with me?”

“A date with you!” He grabbed your hand and spun you around again, this time pulling a single red rose seemingly from thin air. He slipped it behind your ear with a ghostly soft touch and tapped your nose lightly before taking a step back. 

“All of this was a ploy to…ask me out?” It wasn’t, but the joke relaxed you. You wished you could be naive, that you could trust that it was. He offered a knowing smile in return.

“Bin~go! You pass with flying colors!”

You laughed again, loudly, from deep in your stomach. “Great. You can have your date, so I’ll get going now, alright? Quit harassing me.” He took a step back, watching you from a distance now.

The smile that bloomed on his face was small enough to bewilder you again, to quiet your laughter. His eyes lost their mischievous shine as they softened, the clownish pitch disappearing from his voice when he spoke again. It was as if he was speaking to you for the first time. “Sure. Think of this as the start of another game. I’d like it if you entertained me just once more. I have a favor to ask of you, when we meet again.”

His genuine gaze was heart-stopping. It filled every inch of the distance he’d just put between the two of you. Dr. Yosano had taught you to be careful of the unpredictability of strangers in the capital, but your answer came easily.

“Alright. You can find me at Auguste Apothecary when you’re ready. I’ll pay you back. Promise.”

He said nothing, but his eyes narrowed again with his usual jovial pretense as he held the door open and watched you go. 

Continuing on your way as though nothing had happened and your heart wasn’t seizing inside your chest, you found yourself buying a few bottles of wine in a stupor.

Nikolai was nothing if not confusing. How could a man you’d just met touch at your deepest anxieties with just a few cryptic words, sending your heart plummeting to your stomach, then eclipse every inch of fear simply by amusing you with a teasing look and a sharp laugh?

The confusion followed you all the way out of the cool underground air, through the oppressive summer humidity, and to the familiar silhouette of Auguste. 

“Did you travel all that way just to get me some wine? Seriously?”

Dr. Yosano’s familiar voice unfurled your tangled thoughts. You turned to smile at her, embarrassed. “Not exactly. This was the only errand I was able to get done, though.”

She returned your smile with a bemused one of her own. “Sounds like things didn’t go your way today.” She grabbed two glasses and took your hand, wrapping your fingers around the stem of one. “There’s always tomorrow, though. Wanna drink to that?”

You huffed, silently judging her heavy-handed pour as she filled them both. “Sure. To a luckier tomorrow.”

As you took a sip, all the air left your lungs and the force of it nearly bowled you over. Everything around you seemed to disappear, your senses swept away in a vacuum. The image was clearer than any glimpse of the future you’d seen before taking suppressants: your hands, dripping red. Your nails, caked with dirt and blood. Nikolai, his expression obscured as he soaked in the shadows at the furthest corner of the room. A man you’d never met before sat in front of you, smirking. His black hair framed his pale, sullen face like a marble arch, cold to the touch. When he spoke, his words were quiet and soft. They hit you like thorns. You shook your head, angry, scared, and tearful. “It’s because I trust that both of us will be saved,” you retorted, and his smirk twisted.

When the vision ended, it was like a sheet being ripped from over your head. The back of Dr. Yosano’s hand was cooling your forehead and one of the glasses was shattered on the floor, staining everything red. Your fingers, your nails, both of your feet, her wool socks.

You leaned into her touch and thought about how to breathe again. You blinked away everything you had just seen, focusing only on the image of Nikolai, of his face, unreadable.

You were prepared this time. You repeated this like a mantra in your head, thinking of nothing else as the other woman helped you into bed, laying a cold towel over your head. 

You can find me at Auguste Apothecary when you’re ready.

You kept blinking, but the shadows never left, never revealed his eyes.

Even as you recalled all the times you, yourself, weren’t ready, each time you failed at your duties, you kept repeating it. You were prepared. The vision faded, and the words shifted in your mind as you succumbed to sleep.

I’ll find you there soon. Are you ready?

The voice was soft. You bled when you touched it. The sound sent rats scurrying away, fleeing. Everything was cold, like black marble.

By the next evening, you remembered nothing of your dream and could only recall bits and pieces of the vision. Again, you cursed Ichiyou Higuchi, who had really done nothing wrong except for being absent when you needed her. Finally feeling the weight of a bag of suppressants in your hand, you felt you could face anything.

All you needed to do was wait for him to show up.

[strongheartneteyam]

Realize where you belong.

Chapter 8

Pairing: neteyam sully x female!human!reader/female!dreamwalker!reader

CW: a whole lot of fluff, intense feelings, angst, self doubt, slight reference to depressive symptoms, crystal appears for the first time (she's reader's best and only actual friend), playful teasing between friends, crystal is a sweetheart, some funny/feel good parts, protective neteyam, neteyam flirting with reader, heated make out session, sharing the same bed trope (idk if it counts lol), cuddling, sexual tension, kissing, mentions of being turned on, moaning, love confessions, neteyam licking reader's neck, neteyam using his fangs to tease reader in a sexual way, reader still feels a bit weird about her deep love for neteyam, bad words, melancholic vibes, reader is gradually letting go of her fears and diving deep into her relationship with neteyam. Lemme know if I forgot anything

Hi, my babies! I hope y'all like this chapter. I only had the inspo to finish it today ahaha comments are always VERY appreciated by this author! 💕 I love all my readers. You guys give me a reason to go on and not give up on my dreams (I think some of you already know I dream of becoming a pro writer one day) even when everything is dark around me.

Slightly proofread.

Chapter 7

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

They think I'm insane, they think my lover is strange

But I don't have to fucking tell them anything

And I'm gonna write it all down, and I'm gonna sing it on stage

But I don't have to fucking tell you anything

That's the beauty of a secret

You know you're supposed to keep it

Strange Love (Halsey)

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

Yesterday had been a mess of a day. But it also ended up being one of the best days you had in such a long time. You finally had the courage to tell Neteyam about how you truly felt about him.

Today you were gonna see Neteyam at night again. You two had come to a conclusion that he would spend some time with you in your room during the eclipse. The fact that the both of you would be alone in your room for hours, when you would be wearing only a nightgown (you just were not a pajamas kind of girl) made you feel nervous in a good way. The butterflies in your stomach were flying round and round and they would not leave you alone. It felt good, though. That kind of euphoria made you forget the many things in life that would make your heart hurt way too often.

You were cooking in the lab kitchen and singing to yourself, in a low tone, excited, thinking about seeing Neteyam's beautiful big blue face again, his bioluminescent freckles adorning his forehead, cheeks, nose, chin… He was so perfect. At least to you. You did not care if the other humans found his appearance weird.

Crystal was there in the kitchen with you, her back hunched as she cleaned the floor using a high tech machine that resembled a mixture of a broom and a vacuum cleaner and had green and blue lights that shone in irregular patterns throughout its handle. She noticed how happy you looked and smiled.

"What's up with you, (y/n)? You've been so down lately and now you're singing while preparing food?" She teased you in a friendly way, laughing slightly.

Crystal was such a sweet girl. She was so calm and nice to everyone, even when treated badly. You admired that quality in her.

She was a beautiful asian girl with straight raven black hair and pale skin that contrasted with her hair, making her look angelic to you. Her smile was also so kind. It was her smile that made you trust her and befriend her the first time you both spoke.

You laughed shyly while looking at her "It's nothing, Crys." That was the nickname you gave her "I'm just a bit happy today. You should be happy for me instead of teasing me!" You were now not shy but mischievous "You're the one who's always telling me to see the good in life, despite the darkness. That's what I'm trying to do." You looked back at the meat you were seasoning and thought that Neteyam was the light in the middle of darkness for you at the moment

Crystal approached you and gave you a quick kiss on the cheek "Whatever you say, little bat. I just wanna see you happy. That's truly all I want." She would always call you "little bat" because she told you that you have kind of a gothic vibe, since you're not really that into socializing and prefer your own company most times and you don't really smile at strangers. According to Crystal, that made you mysterious. You thought that was a bit cheesy but again, not your words. Crystal was the one claiming that. You laughed internally.

"I know, my Crys. And I love you so much for that. You're the best friend I could ever ask for."

"See?! You're all sappy! Something good happened! This is not just you deciding to be positive all of a sudden. If something happened, you better tell me, you hear me?!" She teased but you knew she also really wanted to know 

Sometimes you hated how she could see right through you because you didn't always want to tell her all that was in your mind, even though you loved her so much and she was your best friend. Like now, for example. You couldn't tell her about Neteyam. That was something that, at least for now, would have to be kept a secret. You could only hope Derek would be decent enough to keep his word and not tell anyone about what had happened when Neteyam saw you and him kissing.

༊⁀➷

Even though it was cold, you kept your window unlocked and slightly open that night once again - a small gap, as always - just so Neteyam could come inside your room through it.

When you saw him approaching your window, his dark blue skin looking almost magical in the dark of the eclipse, his big size now exciting you instead of scaring you, your heart started beating so fast, it was just like it was in a running competition.

You practically jumped from your bed to the floor and walked as fast as your nervous legs would let you towards the window. Neteyam smiled at you so widely. Damn, were his fangs sexy… He barely got there and you were already getting turned on.

"Neteyam!" His name came out of your mouth in such a happy tone

"Hi, hi'ì emyu. You look so pretty tonight. I missed your pretty face."

Your heart started beating faster even if it seemed like that wasn't even possible to begin with.

"You're making me blush. Stop!" You laughed nervously as you opened the window for him "Come in." You wanted to call him "baby" or something cute like that but he made you so nervous with his confident but kind and warm personality that you still couldn't manage to do that.

Once he was inside your room, he knelt down in front of you - so your size difference wouldn't be so ridiculously big -, cupped your face with both his big blue hands and kissed your lips quickly. It wasn't a long kiss but it was enough to make your legs feel weak.

"It's late, oeyä tawtute. You have to rest. You should lay on your bed while we talk. I can lay by your side. But only if you feel comfortable with that." He looked you in your eyes, trying to let you know that now he would always try his hardest to respect your boundaries

You thought that the way he was taking care of you was so lovely. It made your heart melt, honestly. And the thought of Neteyam laying next to you in your bed, your bodies so close to each other since the bed would be incredibly small to his na'vi body, made you say "yes" immediately, without thinking twice. You wanted him that close to you so bad. You had missed him all day.

Neteyam was beyond happy with your answer. You walked towards your bed and Neteyam walked right behind you. Soon enough, the both of you were sharing your bed.

"Neteyam…" Your voice echoed in the cold air of your room but Neteyam's warmth was keeping you cozy, his body pressed against yours as you both cuddled in your bed that looked ridiculously small when Neteyam was laying on it, all curled up to be able to fit there with you.

"What, yawntu?" He looked at you with eyes so tender, they made your heart feel warm and you felt truly loved after such a long time not even knowing how that felt like

"I'm sorry I didn't say it back when you said it… but… I love you too. I love you so much. I don't even know how I can feel so deeply for you if I met you not that long ago. It's been what? 4 days?" You looked concerned 

Neteyam touched your face, making you feel the heat of his big hand all over your skin

"Stop thinking too much. Just let it be. Just feel what you feel for me and don't try to reason about it. What matters is what we feel for each other. What matters is that your heart beats fast for me and so does my heart for you." 

Even though Neteyam had just reassured you, seeming to be calm and unbothered, your words did surprise him. When he first told you, in his people's language, that he loved you, you did not say it back. He tried to think it was just you still being overwhelmed with the odd situation that being in a relationship with a na'vi was to you - he knew that the fact that you two were from different species still weirded you out a bit - but he couldn't help but feel insecure. Now that you had finally declared your love for him, he felt like he could finally breathe and that horrible fear of losing you started to slowly go away.

You breathed deep and nodded. You knew he was right. You were a chronic overthinker.

Neteyam gently brought his lips to yours and gave you a kiss full of care and love. He pressed his plump, soft lips against yours and you kissed him back. You both kept your lips together for a few seconds and slowly parted, looking inside each other's eyes. There was trust there. There was something special between you both, a bond, an energy, something that you never found anywhere else before. Nobody made you feel what Neteyam did.

"I wanna tell you something."

"Please do" Neteyam started to run his slender four fingers through your hair

"I was so afraid you weren't gonna come back for me after that night when I screamed at you." Your heart hurt as you admitted that to him, but you tried not to let it show

"Do you really think I would let you go that easily? (Y/n), listen to me. I know, I just know, right here," Neteyam tapped on his chest, right where his heart was "that I will love you forever. Even if I did everything in my power to get you to be mine and I still failed, I'd still love you until the day I die. So, no, I wasn't gonna give up on you just like that. I'm the Mighty Warrior, remember?" You laughed at the silly name Neteyam calls himself as he smiled at you and chuckled "I'd fight for you until the end, hi'ì tawtute." (small human) "That's a war I'm not willing to lose. No way."

"But I treated you so badly…" You furrowed your eyebrows, gazing at him with sadness and guilt in your face

"I know… but to be fair, like you said, you're not used to my na'vi behavior. I came on too strong. I'm sorry. It's just what you do to me. It's all your fault! You're too beautiful!" His expression quickly changed from ashamed - when he was apologizing - to playful, as he got closer to the end of the sentence and he smiled at you, winning back another smile from you.

His smile was one of the purest things you had ever seen. Perhaps the purest one. So precious.

"Can I ask you something?" You spoke

"Anything, yawntutsyìp." 

"Why do you say I'm "more na'vi than human"?" I know you already explained what you mean a little bit back when we first met but… I'm gonna need more than that." You looked at him chuckling softly, wondering, as your eyes showed him how much you wanted to know the answer

"I think it should be obvious to you as much as it is obvious to me." Neteyam smirked, playfully 

"Why so?" You smiled, confused 

"I wish you could see yourself from the outside, like I can see you. I wish you could see how miserable you look living your human life, cooking and washing dishes inside that kitchen. But, when you're in your Avatar… you smile so widely, you exude childhood wonder, your happiness is so, so contagious… It's like you feel truly alive like that, like you feel free and at home. It's so beautiful to watch. That's why I used to always watch you." He smiled looking down, bashful

༊⁀➷

Some time had passed and it was now getting only a few hours away from the end of the eclipse. You knew Neteyam had to go back to his tribe soon enough. But you didn't want him to go. You wanted him to stay forever by your side, not being parted from you for a single second, as clingy as that sounded. And the best part is: you were almost sure he felt the same way. Okay, if you were to only listen to the rational voices in your brain and not to the voices telling you that you were unlovable, you knew Neteyam felt the same way. You could just feel it in the air when he was around you.

And at that moment, he was showing you how much he needed you in a way that was making you feel things you hadn't felt in so long.

Neteyam was licking the sensitive skin of your neck, making you let your head to the side, leaving more space for him to keep on doing that, as you closed your eyes and moaned, almost too loud, at the way his large tongue lapped on your neck, tasting the skin and massaging it gently. Saying that felt like Paradise would be an understatement. You had no fucking words to even start to explain what he made you feel.

"Oeyä tawtute… my yawne…" he cooed on your ear, kissing the earlobe and using his sharp teeth to nible on it a little bit "You're mine now. All mine, my muntxate." (female mate) 

Neteyam wrapped his tail around your right leg. That felt possessive but in a good way. It made you feel safe. Like belonging to him was not gonna be such a scary, anxious experience at all to you. He seemed to already know you. Neteyam held you just the way you liked it and you wanted him to keep his big arms wrapped around you for eternity. He felt just like an overused, old t-shirt that was already so used to your body that it felt extremely comfy and relaxing on your skin, making you wish you could go everywhere wearing that t-shirt. So familiar and safe.

Even if your brain still tried to tell you it was totally insane to feel like that about a guy - a na'vi - you had just met, you didn't give a damn anymore. Your sick brain already made you suffer a lot in so many areas of your life. You wouldn't let that fucking pink squishy organ ruin your relationship with Neteyam. Not anymore.

༊⁀➷

"How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore?

The orchard walls are high and hard to climb,

And the place death, considering who thou art"

Juliet Capulet - Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare)

༊⁀➷

Taglist:

@kitsunefirewail

@tumblingdevils

@a-blog-name-2003

@xylobee

@nerdybouquetofkittens-blog

@henhouse-horrors

@lala-1516

@xylianasblog

@samistars

@crazy4books1

@explosiongamora

@lik0

@your-girl-mj

@darktyrantwinner

@sereisstuff

@yeosxxx

@die4niyahhh

@iman-lu

@manumanulau

@im-in-a-pansexual-panik

@hana-yuri

@thehoneymushroomhealer

@melllinaa

@annaibansworld

@siriuslysmoking

@avatar4eva

@ellabellabus07

@badbishsblog

@neteyamsmate4life

@c-h-i-l

@criticallybella

@celi-xxmoon

[cornflowershade]

as mentioned, the footage I got of GemFourth and PondPhuwin today!!! 💕 (yes my phone quality sucks in low light/on zoom but i'm posting this for my own joy and memories primarily <3) the beginning and end has the clearest stuff bc they were standing closer there :) full screen on a laptop will give the clearest view! ANYWAY IT WAS LITERALLY SO AMAZING TO SEE THEM!! i was smiling so hard the whole time and the energy of everybody excited to see them was super fun 🥺 They were like. Right there??? Real?? (And yes, just as lovely in person.) Honestly I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to see them by showing up outside an invite-only fashion show event but I'm so glad I tried because I DID and I was so thrilled!! <3 It felt so cool 😭 Like they were here! In my country! In a city that feels like home! In front of my eyes!

The closest area to the walkway was super crowded with a bunch of ppl climbed up onto this metal structure thing(?) which I was able to get in front of at the very end, but in order to have a good view when they were on the boat, I stood on top of a stone table lol. I met a girl with an Eclipse hat at the event and she joined me up there—it was fun to have someone to talk to and make comments with. (At one point she was like 'wish we could get their attention' and then we joked that we should just blare Hit Me Up lmao.) Also the vid is so blurry and idk if it really caught it, but when Gem waved from the boat he started out in our direction (which had far less people, none of them waving or yelling) right after I started waving widely his way?? so I'm gonna pretend he waved at me because I'm like 95% certain that he did, especially since his eyes were pointed more table-level and not ground-level at the start. Maybe I'm delusional but I'm gonna let myself have that and trust the HD that was my eyes 😂

Later Fourth waved at the group where a bunch of ppl (including me) were standing which was very sweet and I was happy to have somehow climbed very close to the front. Speaking of which, Fourth is so smiley! Also very cutely small. (Definitely theorizing he’s lying about his height haha.) Also all 4 were closest to me at the very end and I was so hyped about that but my phone DIDN'T RECORD IT?? So uh. rip. But regardless. It was such a special adventure getting there and then seeing them and experiencing the whole vibe. This was such an amazing evening I'm !! <333

and then i freaked out all over again when I got home and told my mom because I was like "omg i've literally vidded all 4 of them before and now I saw them??" which threw my brain for another loop hahaha. Anyway now i want to go to a fanmeet someday even MORE like CAN YOU IMAGINE. ok enough rambling gn y'all

[anqelblccm]

⊹˳⁺ ⠀⠀⠀ ALBUM INCLUSIONS FOR — DO WE MEET AGAIN IN DREAMS ?  

in each version of HERO's album, DO WE MEET AGAIN IN DREAMS? — NIGHTFALL, ECLIPSE, and AURORA—distinctive elements are incorporated to enrich the listening experience and deepen the thematic exploration of the music.

NIGHTFALL VERSION.

⠀⠀⠀ i.1 — flashlight with special projection

when  activated,  the  flashlight  projects  symbols  and  imagery  from  the  album  onto  surfaces.  the  symbols  projected  by  the  flashlight  are  chosen  to  represent  key  themes,  motifs,  and  imagery  from  the  NIGHTFALL  version.  the  flashlight's  main  points  are  the  woods,  stars,  and  melting  snow.

⠀⠀⠀ i.2 — compass

completely  functional,  the  compass  serves  as  a  powerful  and  symbolic  tool,  guiding  listeners  through  the  dark  and  mysterious  journey  depicted  in  the  album.  featuring  a  crescent  moon  as  the  indicator,  the  compass'  navigations  are  glow-in-the-dark  to  fit  the  NIGHTFALL  version  of  the  album.

⠀⠀⠀ i.3 — glow-in-the-dark pin

a  glow-in-the-dark  pin,  featuring  a  striking  design  of  stars  and  melted  snow  silhouetted  against  a  crescent  moon.  it's  crafted  from  high-quality  metal,  with  portions  of  the  design  coated  in  a  special  glow-in-the-dark  material.  when  exposed  to  light,  these  elements  absorb  energy  and  emit  a  subtle,  ethereal  glow  in  low-light  conditions  reminiscent  of  a  moonlit  night.

ECLIPSE VERSION.

⠀⠀⠀ i.1 — custom-designed necklace

this  necklace  features  a  stunning  pendant  designed  to  resemble  a  solar  eclipse.  it  is  crafted  from  high-quality  stainless  steel  and  is  intricately  detailed.  the  necklace  is  presented  in  a  sleek,  ECLIPSE  VERSION-branded  jewellery  box,  complete  with  a  velvet  lining  and  a  card  explaining  the  significance  of  the  eclipse  symbol  in  relation  to  the  album's  themes.  each  ECLIPSE-themed  necklace  comes  with  a  unique  code  that  grants  access  to  exclusive  content  on  the  DREAMSCAPE  by  HERO  app. by  scanning  the  code,  fans  can  unlock  behind-the-scenes  footage,  interactive  experiences,  and  bonus  tracks  related  to  the  ECLIPSE  VERSION  of  the  album.

⠀⠀⠀ i.2 — collector's tarot cards

the  artwork  for  each  card  is  intricately  detailed,  with  rich  colours  and  textures  that  bring  the  album's  mystical  world  to  life.  the  illustrations  are  rendered  in  a  style  reminiscent  of  classic  tarot  imagery  but  with  a  modern  twist  that  reflects  the  album's  contemporary  themes.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ — THE MAGICIAN : features  HERO's  silhouette  standing  amidst  the  shadows  of  the  forest,  surrounded  by  swirling  mist  and  illuminated  only  by  the  soft  glow  of  moonlight.  he  holds  a  candle  in  one  hand  while  the  other  gestures  towards  the  night  sky.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ — THE MOON : features HERO's silhouette standing at the edge of a dark, reflective pool, his reflection distorted by ripples on the surface. the moon hangs low in the sky, casting an otherworldly glow on the landscape. wolves gather at the water's edge, their eyes glowing with an eerie light.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ — THE SUN : features HERO's silhouette walking towards a sunrise. behind him, the enchanted forest is in full bloom, bathed in golden light. birds soar overhead, and a gentle breeze stirs the leaves.

⠀⠀⠀ i.3 — fold-out map

printed on high-quality paper, it measures approximately 60 cm by 45 cm when fully unfolded, allowing fans to immerse themselves in the fantastical world depicted within the album.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ — THE ANCIENT TREE : positioned prominently at the heart of the forest, THE ANCIENT TREE is depicted with intricate details, its gnarled branches reaching towards the sky. this is where HERO encounters the ORACLE, a pivotal moment in his journey of self-discovery.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ — THE CLIFF'S EDGE : toward the edge of the map, a precipice overlooks a vast expanse of wilderness. this is where HERO stands at the conclusion of his journey, gazing out towards the sunrise and embracing the dawn of a new beginning.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ — THE CLEARING : a serene clearing bathed in golden light, where memories of HERO's past are depicted in spectral images hovering above the ground. this represents a space of introspection and reflection for HERO as he confronts his inner demons.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ — THE DARK FOREST : surrounding the key locations are the dense, shadowy depths of the DARK FOREST, home to the mysterious wolves and the challenges HERO must face along his journey.

scattered throughout the map are subtle clues and hidden messages, inviting fans to explore and uncover additional layers of the story. using HERO's app, DREAMSCAPE, fans can scan specific sections of the map to unlock augmented reality experiences. for example, scanning THE ANCIENT TREE reveals a 3D animation of HERO's encounter with the ORACLE, adding an interactive dimension to the storytelling.

AURORA VERSION.

⠀⠀⠀ i.1 — hope lantern

the HOPE LANTERN included in HERO's AURORA VERSION is a beautifully crafted and symbolic addition to the album experience. designed with intricate details and exquisite craftsmanship, this lantern serves as a tangible representation of hope and new beginnings, echoing the themes present throughout HERO's music. its compact size allows for versatile placement, whether displayed prominently on a shelf or used as a bedside night light to bring a comforting glow to the room.

⠀⠀⠀ i.2 — pop-up photo book

crafted with meticulous attention to detail and artistic flair, the photo book is a multi-dimensional journey through the music and imagery of DO WE MEET AGAIN IN DREAMS?. upon opening the book, fans are greeted with a series of pages adorned with vibrant photographs and illustrations, each meticulously crafted to capture the essence of HERO's music and the themes explored in the album. the pop-up photo book invites fans to immerse themselves in the world of HERO's music, offering a unique and unforgettable experience that deepens their connection to the album and its themes.

⠀⠀⠀ i.3 — ar experience

DREAMSCAPE by HERO is an immersive augmented reality app designed to enhance the experience of HERO's album. utilizing the latest AR technology, the app brings the album's mystical elements to life, allowing fans to explore a virtual night sky, discover hidden messages, and listen to exclusive stories narrated by HERO.

TELL US YOUR FAVOURITE VERSION !

[south-sea]

i've been promising it for ages, so here are finally some notes on the two iterations of black arms/doom i write for. in this house we ignore the "black doom is an evil space tyrant for the sake of being an evil space tyrant" thing and have fun exploring his motives from different angles

(it's because i had no idea that was even a thing until like a week ago. i've always thought the motivator was Just Food, and i like that significantly more.)

i like to think of eclipse's paternal qualities as something telling to black doom/the species as a whole, at least outside of canon instances. so that's an intentional trend across both.

it's also intentionally implied the alt arms are more or less what aruna's hive could/would have turned out like if he were less traditionally stubborn and foolhardy.

as for their plans and how things ended up:

alt doom started out as generally interested in how humanity might progress. once in contact with gerald, his plan was to trade his DNA for the chaos emeralds as a source of energy for the black comet, as its at-the-time power would have been mostly depleted by the time it circled back around in 50 years. this agreement was doomed to fail; both he and gerald almost immediately realized how badly it could backfire, got paranoid, and mutually planned to destroy each other. the fact humans are good sustenance for the black arms was just a convenient bonus at that point.

given shadow didn't make it past SA2 on this timeline, it left sonic to defeat the black arms. and in sonic fashion, this meant putting them in their place and sending them packing without properly destroying them.

alt doom is not so much one to accept he's been beaten, and more one to re-approach something from a different angle once he realizes his methods were flawed. this leads to him picking up and just going Somewhere Else. he's a scientist too, on some level. he can figure it out. and he does. rather than being all traditional and stubborn, he learns to work with other species, which in turn leads to securing better/more diverse materials, more ethical/convenient food sources, etc. the arms' population booms and advances at breakneck pace from then on. they diversify and spread out. without having to fight for survival, things are chill. it's considered the good end.

aruna's is the bad end. shadow is present on this timeline, and summarily wrecks his entire shit (for good reason).

the trouble with aruna's hive is it was in a constant state of nutritional deficit. they were the multiverse's scavengers, tending to pick planets clean whose populations were already critically low. not for any moral or ethical reason, just that the hive itself was so comparatively small in numbers, they didn't much have a choice.

this led to desperation. he got Tired of it. his last ditch effort to secure some means of easier travel/means to acquire food was to obtain the chaos emeralds. so he struck a deal with gerald, as these things always go.

he comes back 50 years later, finds his son has sided with the humans, and just snaps. just goes absolutely nuclear. if the deal isn't going to be upheld, and shadow sees the black arms as The Enemy, then he's just going to take the emeralds (and by extension the whole planet itself) by force. he's done playing nice. he and his people are starving. have been starving for enough years he's lost count.

this ends with the entire comet being blown up, and that's the last thing he sees as he's falling back to earth.

what all goes on after that point is between nobody but him, the multiverse's worst and, somehow, eventually, a familiar fallen god. (it's going in another aruna-centric post, some day, maybe, i hope.)

there's even still more i could say about how their respective hives operated and how they interacted with them personally, but that also needs to go in another post because this one's already long enough. but oh man is there more to say.

(and a shoutout/direct link to @motobug as always for the mobian design)

[dokidokitsuna]

...I just remembered I wanted to make my own statement on the AI thing. ^^;

So you've probably heard, but in case you haven't: Tumblr just sold out everyone's data to the AI trash compactors, they probably did it long before they gave us the option to opt out, and even if you do opt out they're probably still taking and using your work anyway (telling people to opt out instead of actually asking for their permission is already scummy business practice, but when it comes to AI it's functionally meaningless. :/ It's always "well, we're telling them not to use these people's data and we're hoping they'll be nice and go along with it" with no regulations or consequences if they decide to just steal everything indiscriminately...)

Despite that, I am not leaving Tumblr anytime soon. I'm looking into other sites*, but at this moment in time, I have nowhere else to go. ^^; Besides, I still like it here. When I left DeviantArt I was already getting sick of the place, having my art stolen regularly by "fans" and paradoxically getting less and less interest in my work over time. By the time the devs turned the website into eye-blinding slop with Eclipse, I was more than ready to move on.

But I still enjoy using Tumblr. I like writing long text posts that no one would bother to read anywhere else, I like answering asks, and I like the unique sense of humor and style among the users here. ^^ It would take a lot to force me out.

Also, I can take a little solace in the fact that AI-bros do not value "low-quality" art like mine. ^^; If messy cel-shaded sketches with visible pixels ever become popular, then I'll worry, but for now I think it's highly unlikely that anyone will want to wholesale regurgitate my art. If anything, I think prioritizing it in their datasets would only make them worse...and on that note, if you do have "high quality" detailed/painterly/semi-realistic art that would be targeted, I'd recommend 'poisoning' it with Nightshade/Glaze. Although I heard a rumor a while back that AI is "building immunity" to Nightshade and already learning to work around it, but I'm really hoping that was just a wishful lie from the trash compactors themselves. I haven't heard it repeated since then, so I think it's still worth a shot. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So anyway, like the post I reblogged said, I think the best thing we can do now is to make it clear that WE DON'T WANT AI ART. We don't care how easy it'll be to instantly generate thousands of hours of mindless 'content' to look at; we don't want it. Since regulation is lagging so far behind (wanna know why Disney's copyright hounds didn't shut this down on sight? Most likely, they're hoping to profit from it down the line) the only way to fight this right now is with individual litigation and consumer demand.

Don't support projects made with AI**; don't hate-watch them or spotlight them. Focus your energy on the millions of human artists who are still here, and need your support now more than ever.

*I've heard people mention moving to Twitter and/or Artstation: fam, you're jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. ^^;;; IIRC, Arstation was one of the FIRST art sites to start flirting with AI, and Twitter has been selling off its users' data for several months already. Go there if you must, but don't go under the impression that it's "safer".

**Please keep a cool head when discussing AI art, and keep in mind that it used to mean something other than "mass theft". Artists have and still do create AI tools that are built on limited data sets with permission/compensation, that are used to aid them in their work and encourage human artistry (Vocaloids and DAW's, for instance) rather than stamp it out. Until a specific word evolves into popular use for exploitative AI, we're kinda stuck with this confusion, so remember to get the facts before you speak out.

P.S. Praying every night that this is a dumb fad that will soon die and go to the same hell as NFTs. >_< Praying every morning that the influx of AI art into its own datasets will eventually corrupt itself and make it useless. >_< >_< Praying every afternoon for both at once! >_< >_< >_< Like to charge, reblog to cast, all that

[just-a-drawing-bean]

I love your art lots and I love hearing people talk about their art so I'm asking some of my dca moots a bunch of fun art questions, no obligation of course

What is the art piece you are proudest of?

2. What is the art piece you've spent the most effort/time on?

3. What art did you spend the least amount of effort on?

4. What art piece/pieces has crazy lore that you could spend days explaining?

5. What piece is so completely different from your usual style?

If you want tag an artist who you also want to see answer these questions feel free to though of course no obligation

Aw thank you!!! This is interesting ok hmmm the proudest piece is hard to pick because a lot of the other ones in this post I'm proud of but I guess this one. I had a lot of fun designing him and making him a silly little angry fish. I want to draw him more.

A piece I spent the most time and effort, apart from an animation, I'd say this one. It took a while to draw the flowers and pick out the correct colors since I was going for a particular art look. the fact that I drew this from an ask lmao, I got mega inspired by the suggestion.

Ha, what piece did I spend the least amount of time? oh boy I do a lot of low quality doodles and fast art but a more finished piece that was fast would be Fornite Eclipse because I literally speedran that and my friends kept me on a timer lmao although I did go back to shade a little. But an actual fast doodle is something in like under a min like this sun or something drawn in gartic phone which has a timer.

something with a lot of lore.... its not my lore but i could talk about the story and characters of Sleuth Jesters all day... <333

Something that is way out of style is the Spiderverse boys since its trying to match that comic colorful energetic style. very fun tho

[rockwgooglyeyes]

Who would be the closest people to each of your ocs (though you can actually put whoever you’d like), and why? (This is for..scientific reasons)

Hahah not suspicious at all, anon, but thank you for the question, this is really fun!

Dian is closest to Himei (@lookatmysillies), Solei (@solei-eclipse), and Nyx, I would say. Those are all people he's willing to be fully honest with- while he loves Aurien (@aurienneirua), he puts up a front of strength around her, and he is good friends with Flor/Rose (@sotogalmo & @rosedeleca), too, but those are people he enjoys doing things with and if they ever were just hanging out doing nothing, I think he would be nervous/awkward and talk a lot to fill the presumed silence. Solei and Dian have a great time hanging out and chatting and doing insane shit just because they feed off each other's warm energy and fill each other's need of being around a person but they understand a lot of each other's insecurities as well, making them something of a perfect fit! Himei just loves Dian unconditionally and doesn't mind his nattering on and his intensity, and he values her greatly for that. He's in love with Nyx so that's one is more or less self explanatory, methinks.

Nausikaa is closest to Naz and Itsaso, probably, but I'll admit, I'm not too sure about anyone else because I haven't spent as much time with her. . .

Nyx is closest to Dian, Solei, Aurien and Cas! Kyo as well but in canon, Kyo has passed away, so he doesn't really count? I think he has other friends in Tov (@ivanttakethis), Lang (@pwippy), Tallis, and Vera (@bittersweet-adagio), but those are more "I hang out with this person for a specific reason" not "I love this person and I would do anything with them" just because Nyx is quality time heavy when it comes to love languages. At the same time, he's act-of-service heavy too, which comes out with Cas/Aurien the most because of his more familial ties to them. With Solei, he mostly just gives them space to cool down and be themself without judgement and he gets to bask in their warm rays. With Dian, well, Dian is someone who challenges his worldviews about everything, which makes him keep coming back, for whatever reason.

Yumi is closest to Asahi (@apriciticreveries) because that! is! her! girlfriend! but also she's close to Jae & Evon (@kofeedoggo), Nene, Innamorati (@alien-til-i-stage), and Moran (@geospiral). Jae, Evon and Yumi have mostly a good time just hanging out and doing things of little consequence together, which Yumi is deeply grateful for. Asahi, Nene and Yumi are a silly little trio that kind of get up to shenanigans, Asahi being the voice of reason while Yumi eggs Nene on. Yumi admires Moran and is fond of her because of the general existentialism and she enjoys talking to Moran about philosophy. Innamorati is a yapper and Yumi likes him for similar reasons as Nene, they can do all the talking and she can mostly just listen and chip in occasionally. Low energy/high energy dynamic go brrr

Yumi also kind of wants to kill Yume (kellie's baby boy) with a big hammer but she wouldn't call herself close to him.

If anyone has any questions about ANY of my responses, please lmk and i will do my best to answer!! thanks again for the question, Anon!

[chutkiandchotte]

Is it too spicy if I say this is IPK themed 👀

No but for real this is a great flaw of so many Indian tv shows and unfortunately, IPK is no exception. A "perfect" female lead is NOT EQUAL TO a well written female lead and Khushi falls into this trope.

I get that it might seem like, if any thing, the show makers are biased towards Khushi. The narrative portrays Khushi as morally righteous even when she isn't (her lecturing about marriage and religion to Arnav and La; her bringing Shyam back against Arnav's wishes; her leaving Arnav for Aarav etc etc) and posits her as a totally innocent victim in many scenarios without giving any acknowledgement of her critical errors in judgement that led to specific situations - such as keeping Shyam's secret. But the truth is, these biases are only the result of the absolute lack of care they put towards writing and developing Khushi's character arc. And of course in general, she's better written than majority of Indian tv heroines because in general, IPKKND is a better written show. But within this same show, you have the example of a brilliantly written anti-hero with complex and satisfying character development; so it hurts to see how they have simply not bothered giving the same level of in-depth and CONSISTENT characterization for Khushi.

No matter how off the rails the show was, or whatever their constraints were with regards to commercial or channel expectations, they rarely compromised on Arnav's characterization which was always crystal clear and razor sharp. In the midst of the silly Swami track, the nonsense Sheetal track, heck in the laughably ridiculous Miss India track, Arnav was not made to do or act in un-Arnav like ways, for the most part. There are a few exceptions, but they're not very noteworthy and don't impact the plot much. They had a clear idea of who he is and what he would do and not do, and they stuck to it.

Not so with Khushi. In a weird parallel to in-universe dynamics, the meta narrative too picks Khushi as the most convenient sacrificial lamb whose characterization is sacrificed to meet channel demands, tv show format demands, and so on. Need to shoe-horn a comedy track where it makes no sense? Why not reduce her IQ several points and have her do totally illogical things with no rhyme or reason for some laughs? Need a low-effort way to justify Khushi spending time with Arnav? Why not make the "mature for her age" Khushi into a childish caricature who plays at being Gopi Bahu to annoy Arnav! Need a sick Arnav for Khushi to take care of? Why not have a selfless and responsible Khushi suddenly transform into someone so selfish and irresponsible, she plots to deliberately make her diabetic husband starve.

On the one hand, they erase all of her positive qualities to give her a host of flaws (stupidity, immaturity, irresponsibility) that are never explored as flaws, but just tools for comedy, picked up and abandoned at whim. On the other hand, her actual flaws and mistakes that could have used an in-depth arc are just...left alone. In fact what even are her flaws? As per the show, she has practically none - they are only lovable quirks.

Arnav's extreme reactions often eclipse Khushi's mistakes; we nor her get the time to sit with and reflect on her errors, instead the focus immediately shifts to him. Her mistakes are so disproportionally punished, it leaves no room for her character development. Character development is best prompted by moments of reflection, regret, and redemption. We get very, very few of these with Khushi - there's simply no space for it in the narrative of the show.

Its a very subtle distinction that is hard to pinpoint at times. For example, we see Khushi's pain showcased front and center time and again - its the classic suffering heroine trope! But is her trauma from Shyam, from Arnav, heck even from her own family, EVER explored in any real meaningful and satisfying way? No - because Khushi's interiority, just like her brain power, maturity, and sense of responsibility, disappears and reappears as per the convenience of the narrative.

You might say its unfair to compare her to Arnav, who is undoubtedly the protagonist of the show. Unusually for romcoms, Arnav is our main character and Khushi is the "love interest". So perhaps we can't expect her character to be explored with the same range and nuance his is. Okay. But consistency, surely, is something we can expect from Khushi? Why is Khushi EVEN MORE inconsistently written than the villain, Shyam, and supporting characters like Anjali?

There's a lot I do love about the way Khushi is written but I HAVE to sift through the material to find the good stuff which is often in contradiction to the bad stuff. Post the elopement, we see really very little consistent characterization with Khushi and the show's overall writing quality heavily suffers as a direct result of this.

And this IS a sexist trope. It falls into the madonna-whore dichotomy where you can only write 2 types of lead female characters: a perfect angel, who is always morally right and usually suffering without much else going on internally; or the vamp, who has her flaws and her complexities with which she entertains us until she is suitably humiliated and punished by the narrative.

A woman with flaws, allowed to learn and grow from them into a more mature and evolved human being??? Who ever heard of such a thing??? Certainly not ITV writers, circa 2011 (or now).