#but the most fun part about art for me is the community and the conversations you’d have from sharing the piece

[ckret2]

✨⚠️ Wasting Away Again in the Goldilocks Zone ⚠️✨

If you're new here, this is one of those "human Bill in the Mystery Shack" redemption fics, you know the drill: Bill illegally escapes death via reincarnation; the Shack crew imprisons him til they can figure out how to kill him; but they won't, because Bill's gonna make friends with them and literally everybody else in town. Whether they like it or not.

Featuring!! The slowest redemption arc you've ever read; "human" Bill that doesn't decide being trapped in an alien body is fine; show-style episodic plot structure; individual plot arcs for characters you've never even cared about; so canon compatible we even include the dang coloring book; and so TBOB-compatible over a year before TBOB came out that I'm considering taking up a position as the Oracle of Delphi just so Apollo stops barraging me with dodgeballs.

New chapter every Friday, 5pm CST! Yes, that includes this Friday!

For art, doodles, upcoming scene excerpts, and posts about characterization & plot plans, see my #bill goldilocks cipher tag. For the fic itself, the first few chapters are on AO3, but tumblr's 60 chapters ahead:

⛓️ 1 Part 1. Bill returns, in a bedsheet toga.

⛓️ 1 Part 2. Bill tries to murder the Stans & Soos (with time travel).

⛓️ 2. Dipper and Mabel save the day (with time travel).

⛓️ 3. A tense evening as the Pines prepare to get rid of Bill.

⛓️ 4. Plot twist: the Pines physically can't get rid of Bill.

⛓️ 5. The gang goes to a diner at 3 a.m. for hostage negotiations.

⛓️ 6. Bill escapes from Theraprism. [NEW!!!]

⛓️ 7. "How'd Bill get here" flashback; plus, entering his new prison.

💇‍♀️ 8. Bill gives himself a haircut and depression.

💇‍♀️ 9. Bill & Ford grudgingly have a sincere conversation; regret it.

📓🔺📓 TBOB BOUNDARY: Everything above this line has been edited for 100% compatibility with The Book Of Bill and posted to AO3! Everything after this line has not been edited... so it's only 98% TBOB compatible. 📓🔺📓

💇‍♀️ 10. The kids decide Bill won't ruin their summer. Also: Pacifica!

🧚 11. Mabel gives Bill the most beautiful makeover ever. (It's not.)

🧚 12. Pacifica advertises Harry's Hairy Fairy Formula. Bill wants it.

🧚 13. Pacifica refuses to share; the twins discover its side effects.

🧚 14. Mabel wins Bill's eternal friendship with arts & crafts.

💭 15. Bill, Ford, and Dipper have nightmares that are Bill's fault.

💎 16. Ford has a fun day with Mabel but everything goes wrong.

💎 17. The day goes right again thanks to healthy communication.

🎥 18. Mabel's Guide To Local Animals, co-starring Bill Cipher.

🧊 19. Wendy snoops into the weird things happening in the shack.

🧊 20. Wendy meets the weird thing (it's Bill).

🎂 21. Stan & Ford's birthday party! Bill gives evil gifts.

💭 22. Bill "helps" Dipper's nightmares; no one knows his motive.

👁️ 23. Bill's ex is back in town and nobody's happy about it.

👁️ 24. Everyone's even less happy to learn Bill has a sex life.

🧿 25. Mabel and Bill make friendship bracelets! :)

🧿 26. The Pines take Bill to the mall. He wears terrible things.

🧿 27. Bill breaks Mabel's heart (and panics to fix it).

🏳️‍🌈 28. Bill talks his way into going with Wendy to Rainbow Club.

🎃 29. Bill contacts the Henchmaniacs on Summerween morning.

🎃 30. Costume making. Mabel pries into Bill's past, with crayons.

🎃 31. The Trickster's pals trick-or-treat; and Bill terrifies Dipper.

🪮 32. Dipper & Mabel make a poppet to control Bill.

🦷 33. Stan takes Bill to the dentist. In handcuffs.

🦷 34. Dentist & tooth fairy attack. Stan & Bill are still handcuffed.

🦷 35. Bill & Stan reach a painful understanding and stop the fairy.

🛁 36. Anime night; and Mabel makes Bill do community service.

🛁 37. Bill plots escape and runs into Wendy. Dipper panics.

🛁 38. Bill has the worst and stupidest day of his afterlife.

🌅 39. A cultist finds Bill; Bill tries to re-recruit Ford.

🚙 40. Gideon broadcasts car commercials; invokes Bill's wrath.

🚙 41. Bill apologizes for bullying Gideon. lol no he blackmails him.

🌕 42. Bill tells Dipper secrets of the universe; predicts an eclipse.

🌖 43. Gravity is disappearing; Ford and Fiddleford investigate.

🌗 44. Ford & Dipper drag Bill hiking; Bill faces his death.

🌘 45. Ford demands answers Bill can't give as totality looms.

🌑 46. Totality. Bill decides whether Ford lives or dies.

🌒 47. Bill feels rotten but finally explains the eclipse.

🌓 48. Bill has a complete mental breakdown.

🌔 49. The gang limps home. (Plus: a second dimensional eclipse.)

💿 50. Bill finally processes that mental breakdown.

💿 51. Dipper and Mabel try to remember the Axolotl's poem.

📖 52. The gang reads Flatworld. Bill isn't thrilled.

📖 53. Mabel tries to get Bill to talk about his home world.

⚛️ 54. Dipper, Ford, and Fiddleford do paradox physics.

📖 55. Mabel learns college-level geometry.

📖 56. Mabel & Bill have fun; Dipper & Ford prepare for murder.

💀 57. The execution of Bill Cipher.

💀 58. Everything you wondered about how Bill escaped.

💀 59. Everything you didn't wonder about how Bill escaped.

💀 60. Everything you never imagined about how Bill escaped.

📙 62. Soos vacuums the attic (wow exciting)

📙 63. Soos decides how he feels about Bill's treatment.

📙 64. Fixin it with Soos: home redecorating!

⛓️ 6. If you read ch 6 before TBOB, go read it again because I wrote a new ch 6!

🎥 65. The gang makes plans for the night.

🎥 66. Dipper's Guide to the Fremont Nightwigglers

🎥 67. Mabel's Guide to Secret Sleepovers

🎥 68. The aftermath of everybody pulling all-nighters.

🏖️ 69. Beach episode! The Pines fish! Bill tans!

COMING SOON:

🏖️ 70. Bigfoot, Agent Powers, and the cool teen gang.

I SWEAR TO GOD THIS BETTER BE COMING NEXT:

🪐 61. The Axolotl Finds The Second Dimension's Corpse.

This post was last updated September 22, 2024! If you're seeing this post as a reblog and it's been a while since then, check back on the original post to see if more's been added!

[simplydnp]

hey there!

I kind of consider you the resident dnp expert (at least in dnp culture) so I wanted your opinion on a question that's been building for a while now.

What are the boundaries for dnp now?

There are so many things that I feel have changed even in the last four years: writing smutty rpf was Gross and Weird, along with art along that line, speculating about their relationship was ABSOLUTELY a no-go, all things that I see happening on Tumblr now. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing!! I'm just acknowledging things have changed over time. They're different people now and so are we, and the "we know you know" era is lots of fun.

I was browsing reddit today (bad idea, do not recommend) and came across a post from a new Phannie asking if DnP were in a relationship. And while I agree that we cannot say for absolute certain that they are, the responses had a VERY different vibe than on here, emphasizing how bad the speculation was (true) and essentially saying "don't even think about that, just enjoy their content." (or something to that extent.)

Which... is very different from this here website in which we joke about them being horney for each other constantly lmao.

Being a very rules-driven person, I like expectations to be made abundantly clear for pretty much everything. So that's why I want to ask: Is there a line here? Are we crossing that line? How defined is that line? (All of this, of course, I recognize is your opinion and yours alone, and if this is posted I encourage anyone else to share their two-cents in a respectful way.)

Obviously, trying to find out where they live/things like that is very clearly crossing a boundary. But is there some sort of limit or boundary I (and tbh the rest of the phandom), in your opinion, should be keeping in mind?

thanks xx

hi!

'resident expert' is a hefty title, i'm just here trying my best!

'what are the boundaries for dnp now?' is really a great question. cause the thing is, we used to know. there used to be a fairly well-defined and mostly agreed upon line, and ever since the dapg revival in particular, the line keeps moving.

i'll be honest, i never really saw phanfic as rpf, even though it is. my stance on phanfic is the same as dnps: it's a beautiful expression of art and creativity and is so, so important. they've always been pro-fic (even though we subjected them to some absolutely horrific crack fics), so i don't think 'smutty' fic has ever been gross or too far. they've given their blessing, and, as the conversation has been in fandom communities the last few years, rpf isn't 'for' the people in them, it's for the fans. so i digress.

art is much the same way. they love art! they even included art of them kissing in a tumblr tag video back in the day, so to say that's not allowed especially after they're out is kind of crazy to me.

i think the line with stuff like that was showing it directly to dnp--tagging them in explicit stuff, that kind of thing. but creating it? go for it! it's always been a green light. (i think fans have previously overpoliced this and we lost a lot of great fic, art, and community members over it)

browsing reddit is always a Choice. i've never participated on dnp reddit before but i am aware that it is an entirely different space than here. something that's important, i think (and i think you think this too as you're asking about them), is to respect the fandom rules of the place you partcipate in. tumblr is generally one of the most phan-positive places on the internet, especially publicly facing. we make a lot of relationship jokes, particularly because we run on the assumption it's already true, based on what they've both said publicly (mostly dan).

i won't comment on reddit specifically just because i'm not a part of the community there, but the speculation about dnp online was a Lot for a long time. but the worst part of it was the stalking, the digging into personal lives, the contacting family members--that is what was bad. dnp have always had a connection--and, honestly, they kind of love flexing it and kind of always have. they absolutely play into things now, but they certainly did even way before coming out too. i think a certain level of speculation was to be expected, especially in that era of online fandom. but it wasn't just the 'teenage girls' who cared, the media did too, and so did many others.

i think one of the biggest differences now is 1 the awareness of 'our' past and trying to make up for it, and 2 the broader societal conversations about parasocial relationships.

you see this reflected on the snippets ive seen from dnp reddit and dnp twitter. they tend to be Very 'cautious' about the words they say, often undercutting perfectly reasonable statements with 'but whatever their relationship is'. on one hand, they don't want to cross a line, and i can respect that. on the other hand... it's 2024 babes. they just put out merch of them holding hands. dan's directly, intentionally, and explicitly called phil a bottom on dapg. they reacted to all of the pinofs, made jokes about 'theyre touching', and even joked about the tackle being 'wrestling 👀'. dan posted half-naked catboy pics and showed us phil was taking them. the 'watch your step babygirl' tweet & their reactions to it. phil is credited in WAD. they're making threesome jokes about themselves as a unit. i could go on and on.

to me, there's a few things that have 'moved the line' for us, so to speak.

1 - DAPG returning. for the last few years they specifically were not a duo (for projects) anymore. (and no, not because they hated each other). they just weren't. they wanted to focus on their goals and projects. they didn't have to resurrect dapg, but they chose to. marketing and money aside, they knew that if this went over well, it would well and truly revive the 'dan and phil' brand again. it would be specifically returning to being a duo in the public eye. (however they've also fully embraced this in all aspects, including merch, videos, and general attitude)

2 - pinof reacts. even though they'd been out since 2019, we hadn't had regular joint content from them since before that, therefore, while they had become more comfortable with themselves and their 'outness', we hadn't (in terms of them making explicit gay jokes together). so i really think dnp had to de-fang a lot of the 'theyre touching' of it all, because we didn't really know where we stood on it anymore. i think they succeeded, too. we couldn't be here, with the content of the last 3 months, without them tackling it head on (well, as head on as they're want to do).

3 - dapc. genuinely another big shift. they did this for the real fans. purely a passion project, and a specific choice in doing the handhold. they know what we're like. and this wasn't a brief, unplanned, unscripted moment. it's a specifically blocked out scene. they know it's opening a door, and they chose to. this is doubled by the fucking iconic merch selling, and furthered by phil's twitter likes of arguably romantic phanart, and then dan's full straddle like.

even throughout the current 6 months of revival, the line has moved. i don't know where it will settle. dnp keep moving it, in my opinion, and, genuinely, i don't think it's going to leave much to the imagination. as you say, obviously not the stalking or the contacting, but beyond that? especially here on tumblr? i wouldn't get too worried. obviously people will have their opinions, but as long as you're generally respectful and recognize that humans will see your posts and humans interact with them, i think you're good.

my rule of thumb is anything they intentionally put on the table, we can joke about or at the same level. but in terms of art/fic? go off, live your dreams. dan and phil would want you to.

[finleycannotdraw]

Shipping in the Loki Fandom

alright so I’ve seen a lot of posts and… I have some thoughts.

please read the whole post before getting mad at me, and if you do get mad at me, go outside. I can’t help you.

okay so, I’m sorry but. people saying they won’t watch the show unless lokius becomes canon??? guys it’s not going to be canon, and it’s fine. I’d love to be wrong about that, but. the prospect of a ship becoming canon is not what’s fun about shipping in any fandom.

please can we take off the tumblr lens of shipping being the most important part of every media and focus on the story this show is telling? loki said himself that his biggest priority is his friends. that’s canon!! and that’s super important for him and how far he’s come as a character!!

like don’t get me wrong, I ship lokius with my whole self. but the part that’s fun about shipping them, for me, is the fandom community and the art I’ve been making, NOT the hope that they’ll get into a romantic relationship onscreen, and I think people need to take a step back 🤷‍♂️

yes, it’s fun to point at the lingering glances and touches and heartfelt conversations and comfortable dynamic and say “they love each other”. they DO love each other. people working on the show (tom himself) have acknowledged that! whether it’s romantic or platonic doesn’t actually matter. but I’m obviously not going to beg anyone to watch the show. don’t watch it if you don’t want to! just remember that the point of this show has never been romance!

but regardless of that, can sylki shippers stop calling us “delusional” for participating in the fandom in ways we enjoy??

and can we acknowledge that the story means something apart from who we want Tom Hiddleston to kiss???

and keep your shipping hate off this post, please! and don’t put words in my mouth. if you disagree with me, feel free to tell me why (after which I will likely again encourage you to spend some time offline)

[stellarsagittarius]

🥂 How you meet someone based on the Union Asteroid (1585) in Composite chart 🥂

Masterlist: All my astrology posts at one place

I've been pretty amazed with the Union asteroid. In your Jupiter/Venus Persona Chart this asteroid shows how you can meet your Future Spouse. I've done a whole 2 part series on my blog about the Future Spouse, so you can go check that out. But this one is about Union in Composite charts! This is a pretty short post but interesting af lmao.

[P.s. Please follow me on Instagram! @/Stellar.Sagittarius I post even more astrology content on it and it's a business I'm trying to grow. Your presence means a lot to me ❤️.]

Here are some celebrity examples (lmao I only found about 3 couples, let me know people with verified birth times and the stories of how they met each other!)

Hailey Bieber and Justin Bieber 🍒

They have Union asteroid in their composite chart, in Libra 11th House.

Libra signifies networking, beauty, fashion, relationships, connections etc. Whereas 11th house is about networking at large, communities, friends, events, socialization.

Hailey and Justin met backstage of a tv show. Notice the super social themes. The meeting was super harmonious and they remained friends for a LONG time.

Fun fact: Hailey has Union in 8th House Capricorn in her Jupiter Persona Chart, which literally shows a meeting involving her father or work (Capricorn energy). And she met Justin through her father (through - 8th house energy).

Whereas Justin has Union in 3rd house Leo, in his Venus Persona Chart, which means from his POV the meeting was focused on playfulness and some sort of creative involvement. There was some conversation/talks involved (the TV show he was at maybe..)

Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik 🍒

Both have Union asteroid in 10th House, Capricorn, in their composite chart.

Capricorn rules structure, formality, ambition and career. While 10th house rules our public image, fame and also what we do for work.

They met at a Victoria's Secret party (Gigi was a VS model/angel at the time). We can read by the description that the situation was super formal. Zayn recognized her from Gigi's picture (which for him was like her public persona because she's popular). Then he also asked her out formally to dinner.

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez 🍒

They have Union in Taurus in 8th house, in their composite chart.

Taurus is about beauty, the 5 senses, long term, material pleasures, being grounded, etc. While 8th house is about secrets, bonds, other people's direct involvement, etc.

These two met through their managers. How direct can astrology be.. 😭!! They most likely connected over the matters of music or work at first (Taurus rules natural beauty, arts and the throat, so it reminds me of something related to music). But regardless, there were other people involved that connected the two!

Go check it out how you will meet your Future Spouse based on your Jupiter/Venus Persona Chart, here's the link to both parts!

Book your Jupiter/Venus Persona Chart reading with me, kindly check the pinned post 📌!!

Stay tuned for more!

[vool-zam]

hey, I'm likely shrieking into the void rn. and probably two ppl will read this. but. I ranted about this on my old blog/in the tags. and. it's still on my mind 💀

just wanted to let u all know that I want this blog to be a VERY conversation-friendly and collaborative space!! I wanna follow ur stories and art w/bated breath and screech about them in the tags/comments!!

part of what burnt me out on simblr the first time around was how isolating/weirdly competitive it began to feel. all the weird hoopla about big/small simblrs. keeping ur blog "clean" and full of only ur own content. the anti-reblog/commentary culture for the sake of aesthetics. feeling like u were on the grind to always produce "content" that somebody would look @ for five seconds & then never again.

and ofc, most of that was very internal. @ the end of the day, ur experience in a community is what u make it. but, I mean, I can't deny.......it burnt me out.

this is even more apparent to me after being in other fandom spaces & having the polar opposite experience. it's really shown me that fandom is only truly sustainable when everyone is excited about the same stuff/willing to engage w/each other.

so. tl;dr: pls feel free to chat w/me on here. link me to ur stories/gameplay!! I really wanna have FUN this time around. u know.

[bloodsadx]

i really appreciate your work. the first thing that struck me when i first read was the depiction of acne of course. Stark red on mainly black pieces. Disappearing as it fades from your perception but always there by implication and the way it informs. It feels real in a way most depictions don't.

As an artist i respect and relate to, I was wondering if you have words for something. I've released critical writing to decent success, but have found that what actually draws people is the person that leaks into the critique. But I can't harness that intentionally. I'm fairly dissociative and barely know myself, nor how to relate that self to others.

Your works feel personal and critical, in a sorta coherent flux. I wish to learn that, but I'm someone that eats their nails ig. Nothing leaves my body without a filter. Beyond attempting to grow out of that critical isolation, do you have any reading, art, concepts to explore? If not, i appreciate the consideration. keep it real

the first thing i wanna say is thank you. the second thing i wanna say is that absolutely being a critic who has a following or success is more about having a cult of personality than having strong critical faculties. but i think the best critics have their personalities in part molded around their critical faculties, and having rigorously lived in some kind of way which matches and performs the kind of standards they purport to hold media to they gain a large degree of authenticity. but being a critic is also heavily about persuasion and through relating and story telling you can really draw someone into your arguments. so to that end having a strong voice and living a bespoke life defined by a unique and Personal personhood is definitely like, a goal that i think is like, inseparable from being able to not only like talk about art but to experience and communicate about experiences gained from art.

and so i really think just doing stuff and taking risks and living hard and painfully and reflectively and full of vulnerability is important to being better at doing that. and i think thats true of any kind of art. i think a good example to me is someone like tim rogers, who, by design has obfuscated much of his forward facing personality and brand, but also has created or purports to have created like a doppelganger of himself anyway which represents the arguments hes making. and his lived experience often serves, whether ironically or sincerely, as a basis for the core of his various experiences. and maybe more importantly to what you asked, the navel gazing memoir esque rants he goes on allow people to construct a personal version of that character which seems real and allows them to relate and Care about his arguments. and he has a very big and dedicated following. selling authenticity and boisterousness. you got dunkey and orson welles doing the same shit. and maybe another very important thing with these particular figures to me is that they didn’t necessarily want to be critics, didn’t show up to the conversation choosing to be perceived as Sideliners, but actively are or were people who created and then talked about stuff.

as far as my own work, i make things which are honest and lies and i make fun of myself freely and i say stupid things and make art that is so vulnerable and honest at times to the point of damaging myself and my personal relationships. i openly embarrass myself but intentionally and unintentionally. i have a like genuine personal belief in the fact that being vulnerable and naive and sincere makes art better and so i have actively for a long time sought to be better at doing that. and art to me is in part a release and the way in which i express the things im thinking has been honed through long periods of obsessive angst and self seriousness as well as detachment and self hatred. i spend most of my life doing stuff that isn’t making art, like walking 10-15 miles a day or drinking at bars with my friends or working for weeks straight in an empty studio, often until i become devastated or empassioned by something, and then i vomit everything i’m feeling through some kind of metaphor sometimes and other times just nakedly. i listen to a lot of emo music and am obsessed with publicly vulnerable figures in art like kanye or phil elvrum or lil peep or whatever. i don’t know. it’s taken me a long time to find the footing i have and it’s been a constant process to keep it, and i often lose it, and i am honestly and probably visibly even extremely concerned with my own work to the point i am regularly reanalyzing it and making insular self references. a big thing for me when i made my first zine (AND IM TIRED OF FEELING FEELING, which is mostly bad) and then after that my first book (MANIFESTO) was the concept to me of beginning to make my own emotional vocabulary. and i mean literally i thought of and planned out a series of things and events and symbols which i could attempt to define and talk about so that they would be like, recorded, and then i would be able to, in all of my own further work, respond to my own failures and successes in doing that. and i think most people don’t do that so deliberately, but for me i think being very intentional and analytical and like structurally aware of how art is designed comes most naturally to me when i’m Reflecting and then doing that reflection work constantly allows me to, when i am in Making mode, vomit stuff that is even slightly meaningful to anybody. my art is a conversation with myself and little fake cartoons of parts of myself or my reactions to the world around me. sometimes to the point of being nauseating LOL!

well i hope any of that helps you. i just sincerely recommend going crazy and like doing stuff thats crazy and seems like stuff u maybe wouldnt ever experience. i think sometimes i think of myself as doing gonzo journalism on like extremely mundane stuff where im like yeah im gonna go to this boring party that sucks but im doing it as a student of the world of boring parties that suck. sometimes u just gotta put urself in a position.

[cyberbun]

Sell me on love with the villainess if you like it so much

What starts as a silly romantic comedy about a girl trying to romance her favorite side-character from an otome game gives way to one of the most beautifully written romances I've read in my entire life, about two people learning to find worth within themselves through each other and fighting the world to love one another.

It's a story, fundamentally, about healing from the damage the world does to you through love - for one is healing from the trauma of being abandoned and never getting to say goodbye to someone you love, for the other from bigotry. It's about finding oneself in another and building something greater than the sum of its parts. Once it stops being a horny comedy it just hits you back to back with some of the most heartwrenching romantic narratives I've read without going full into tragedy territory.

It also helps that Rei and Claire are some of my favorite romantic leads ever, even if it takes a good chunk of the story for their romance to really kick off for good. The manga does a better job of giving them some more romantic development before they get together for good at the end of the second novel, but either way, I'm just such a sucker for undying devotion like that. Rei's early characterization of just being surrendered to ensuring her beloved is happy, even if she is not, just hits such a strong chord with me personally.

The manga does a good job of showing the growth of their relationship a little bit less one-sidedly, compared to the light novel. There's some wonderful moments that are added or mixed in just through aonoshimo's wonderful art excellent facial expressions communicating a lot of internality for both characters.

Definitely read the manga, but also check out the light novels - the first two are fantastic, third is my favorite, four is kind of mediocre but still fun, five is the author choosing to take a silly isekai premise and see how far she can run with it, such as "let's make it so it's not an isekai anymore".

The anime, so far, is really surpassing my expectations, especially with its visual direction. I fully expected it to be kind of a throwaway project, but they're really putting everything into it! They even condensed the worst parts of the story into just one episode this week.

Oh also the story also constantly grapples with the inherent maliciousness of capitalism and provides some pretty scathing commentary on being gay and trans in japan - nothing new, but it's refreshing to see something this mainstream get so overtly into the topic. Next week's episode, if they don't coward out of it, should be the one where they have one of the most iconic conversations of the story regarding the latter.

I hope this rambling mess of an answer is what you wanted, anon.

[astropookie]

Venus signs at different degrees 💕 pt 3

Requests 🌂 pt2

This picture is from Pinterest.

Aquarius venus at 0°

0° indicates that the energy of the sign in that specify planet intensifies. You evidence all those traits of the sign, in a very pure manner. This degree is “The Ingress” degree -“when the planet moves into a new sign”-, people born with this degree in a personal planet are considered new souls, they’re beginning something new, not lived before. Why do I recall it? Because they have to experience a large journey, full of errors and learning. In this case, everything that Venus and Aquarius rules. How we approach in relationships -attachment to others-, what give us pleasure, our ability to attract -and what we’re attracted to-, arts, gifts-how we spend money-, between others (Venus). It’s about to discover yourself in this field, and could be that this one take an importante role in your life. Aquarius: humanitarian, independent, original sign -I’m gonna pass this part because- OMFG I CALL YOU OUT STOP CHANGING FOR YOUR PARTNERS -too personal🧍-. A partner is someone that appreciates and loves you; would call you out every fucking error you do that you think it’s correct, would encourage you to change and progress, to not stay in one stage of mind and to LET YOU BE YOURSELF. Someone that accepts you, even if you’re too quirky, cringe and unique, no one can handle you -sure you think like that don’t deny it🌝-, with your fucking stubborn opinions and self. Since 11H rules Aquarius, it makes sense. 11 house stellium people have something called people-pleaser illness. With all your heart you wanted, want or would want to be part of a group, community. In this case, you change yourself to fit in what your partner would like to. THATS NOT THE WAY. Without counting that, they want you to appreciate -not appreciate, being on your knees- to their future-thinking self. They want you to admire their mindset so much. Their god complex is tremendous. Don’t lie to me, at least one time you -the ones that are reading this- have been attracted to that detached/aloof approach, nature. It’s their thing. That’s what call the attention -the hoes-. I imagine this placement as a “friends to lovers” quote: they need you to be one. If not either they’re going to put you first or their friends -most common-, no in between. It stressed me how tf they’re so logical, and with this degree GOD, it’s going to be VERY difficult if you want to have an emotional conversation with this person. They process every feeling into logical -unless they have a dominant water/fire chart-, and they expect you to act the same. I’m not gonna keep describing them🙄. If I do I’m gonna throw up a paragraph and call out all their things. Just be yourself, be fun, have fun, admire them, tell them how you love their mindset, that it’s superior, give them space and BOOM💥 you got them -just kidding but yes🤪😧-.

Leo venus at 5° 17° or 29° (leo degree)

If they love you, everyone will know. They would like to, to presume you, to people know you’re with them: showing their intentions and their dynamic towards and with you. Showing how they act and treat you normally. They’re fun to be with, they are popular -and if they’re not, people know about them or sympathize with because of their charismatic nature-. They are self-expressive. They want to be with you all day, but it’s their way to show you interest, that they want to know you more, they want to experience every moment with you. Because they’re SO LOYAL. And they’re the type of lover that catch you and never let you go. Unless you don’t value how they treat you -because of all the people they could easily get, they wanted YOU. They fucking know how to get what they want-. If you don’t point out how good they’re, if you don’t do an amount of effort to know them, to counteract the way they love you and treat you -couldn’t be in the same extrovert and enormous way they do, but in your way (in a nature and not forced)-. It’s really important to mention this: people constantly treat leo venus with a fake smile or an attitude that’s it’s pretended to counteract the fact that leo venus + leo degree are this spontaneous and charismatic people. It’s not nature -the way other people respond to them-. And people with this placement -I think- is so tired of others acting like that. So if you want them, show yourself, your true self, the way you naturally are, it doesn’t matter if you’re totally opposite compare to them. They would really appreciate someone being true to themselves and showing that they care about them without trying to copy their attitude -being people pleaser-. They need someone that loves them in their way, that’s how they need to be loved. But yes they need A LOT of expressions of approval coming from their partner. You’re never going to get bored. If you like going to multiple places, try new things…The little joys with them and the caring moments would be IT. And with double leo energy, it’s TREMENDOUS: you view the love they have to you million miles away. If you’re someone that can’t take them, just don’t. 😟

Scorpio venus at 10° or 22° (capricorn degree)

First of all, mommy?? daddy??? whatever you are just-no, im gonna control and stop myself-. Just 🥵-nah im joking but YOU ARE SO ATTRACTIVE. I would say “imo” but you give THAT aura, THAT vibe that make people fall/drool for you -but also depends on the personality of the person..-. Scorpio + Capricorn, the combination screams dominant. I’m gonna let you think about it… Their dedication towards their partner is incredible -and in a different way towards their loved ones-. Their commitment is in ANOTHER LEVEL. I warn you, if you love your freedom, your space, this people is not for you😄. They are SO controlling, they LOVE having control -they won’t admit it, they couldn’t even be aware of it-. They want to know where you were, who you talked to, every detail about your life before they met you. But before everything, with this capricorn degree, they’re cautious, they take their time getting to know you: they want to be 100 % sure/decided before they take the next step. They’re so brave for going full, 100% when it comes to someone they love. To protect them, to make everything they can to make sure they are safe, comfortable, in their best; to please their needs -and them-. Also they are going to present you to their family and friends, they’re showing you -they need their approval and them to know about you-. If they are with you, they’re fucking serious, they want to build something with you… I love that their way of loving is not forced: it’s shameless, showing all that necessity towards you and then acting all fearless. You would feel SO LOVED, but that love will be felt -as it’s so intense, it would come with hard feelings, such as negative and positive-. If they hurt you, your heart will burn and if you feel loved by them, you will fly -I don’t know if I’m making myself understand-. With this degree they want to be seen as they’re fine, that they are stable, they don’t want to be seen as vulnerable. This combo increases traits that both of these signs share: controlling, trust issues and slow-burn -another quote because it describes perfectly how I imagine a relationship that would benefit them and I have read a lot of fanfics these days-.There could be disagreements coming from jealous. Trust is key. Growing it -the trust- could be difficult and even when you have a healthy relationship with them, the jealous will always be present. They just want to keep you safe you know? 🤗😆Look it that way. But being serious, your perspective of them could change or open your mind viewing all the things this placement have to went through -and don’t view it like “😢oh poor baby🥺”. NO. They hate that and so do I. Embrace them, be proud of them, for how they could overcome those situations and now are here-. I’m going to tell you a secret and don’t tell them I told you🤫: you’re so fucking special to them, they don’t want anything to happen to you, NEVER. They don’t want you to feel even an aproximity of pain they had to felt. It would take time, so they can finally realize and accept that errors would happen, and that you must have your own experience to grow. So please, they love you and they could not be direct about it, but it’s their way to care about you. Don’t force them when it comes to express their worries/traumas, it’s SO difficult to them -also they will cut you off with their words and will be really cruel-. It’s okay to feel that way, just make sure you put an effort in getting better and let your partner -and the ones that surround you- know, let them know what you need: could be space, that’s difficult for you to talk about those topics, etc. Let them know.

—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•

•This is based on my personal experience and what I’ve analyzed in my surroundings.

•English is not my first language.

•I’m not a profesional astrologer, I just love astrology and I’m willing to learn.

Thank youu. baibaiii🫣🫶🏼💋

Do not copy. Please give me credits.

[jullbnt]

Bonjour! I'm a big fan and your art inspires me so much. I'm currently learning French to communicate with my friends, do you happen to have any tips on learning another language? I'd love some advice. ^_^

Bonjour bonjour ! Thank you for gracing my inbox with such a cute little Time, I adore him 🤩

And I'm glad I can inspire you!!

About your question I don't really have unique advice on learning another language, I guess you're asking me because I happen to be French? ^^

I'd say find lessons to learn the basics first, and maybe use an app or something to learn vocabulary (I did that for Japanese a few years ago and quiz apps make things a lot easier and fun! I'm still a beginner though, I don't have enough time but I'd love to start again). There's an app called Anki that lets you create your own quiz cards to test yourself with, or you can download pre-made decks (search for "Anki French decks" and you'll find what you need). I've used Anki a lot for studying, I love it!

Once you're comfortable enough start having basic conversations with your friends, and you can also try watching the French version of a movie you know well (or I don't know... try playing a LoZ game in French for example haha). If you already know the dialogues it can help! Maybe you can also listen to French youtubers that share your interests? I'm sure you'll find lessons from native speakers on Youtube too :)

And then of course consume French media, read in French, listen to French music... That's how I learnt English for the most part, I didn't really try (and the language classes we get in French school are really unhelpful). But I guess it's much easier with English cause it's everywhere and very much needed to get involved in fandom stuff online.

(Also be careful about comments from French users on social networks, sadly a lot of us make a lot of spelling or grammar mistakes so don't trust everything you read... I don't see the same thing happening in the same proportions with English speakers, I guess French is hard for natives too).

And lastly, we're always pleased and impressed when a foreigner bothers to learn our language, even if it's just a few sentences, and you don't need to speak flawlessly to be understood! French can be hard but don't put too much pressure on yourself ^^

I'm not sure this was very helpful, but I tried haha. Good luck with your learning and I hope you'll enjoy speaking French!

Passe une belle journée :))

[mrsbsmooth]

Fusebox is trying to satisfy everyone and it’s not an easy job and y'all complainers are making it more difficult. The art seems to change every season anyway.

This sounds like it was literally written by someone working at Fusebox 🤣

I’m not sure why this was directed at me specifically, but it was, so I’ll address it.

If you’re a professional writer, then there’s a level of quality that’s expected: no typos, engaging dialogue, no misuse of terms and expressions, etc. Same goes for art. Fusebox has previously sent their staff to classes on how to draw human anatomy: with posing, perspective, scale, and muscle realism. The most recent seasons haven’t done that, and it SHOWS. Things as basic as fingers, foot size, eight-packs with no oblique muscles, come on!!!! The art style is completely different for Alex and Raf, and it is really jarring.

I’ve recently started playing romance club and I am floored by the difference in quality. Yeah, it’s more expensive, but there are varied routes, extensive branching, well-drawn characters, and the dialogue is top-fucking-tier.

I love LITG. It’s introduced me to some of the most wonderful, kind people I’ve ever met in my life. I’ve developed a passion for writing and every single week I get to fangirl with my friends.

99% of my enjoyment of this game is the community around it. Included in that is that you give me the general outline of a person, and I use that for writing fodder. I genuinely think that most of my writing from S5 and S6 are basically OCs.

I have openly and excitedly supported the parts of the game when I’ve enjoyed them- conversations with Lewie, some edits because his sprite was cute af, made memes and compilations and written fics about them because I’ve enjoyed them. I am happy to support when things are being done well- Bryson is cute despite his weird fingers!

But saying you’re “trying to satisfy everyone and it’s not an easy job?”

Cool, I would totally feel sorry for you if we weren’t literally paying you to deliver a quality product and you were falling short of your direct competitors.

We’ve told you what we want. A full season, with extensive branching. No gimmicks, no half seasons, do it right, or hire people who can. Pixelberry can do it, Nanobit can do it. If you’re not capable or don’t know how, please consult with the people who do.

Until then, I’m gonna get on discord and tumblr and make fun of it with my friends.

Shrugs

[astrojulia]

Your Lucky Color and how to bring luck into your life with astrology

First, what is luck?

At least to me, your saturnian best friend 😆, it’s when we can be the best version of ourselves, it’s when what we do pays off and we can be someone we love do be. Each zodiac has its colors, but it does not necessarily represent them at their best (at least not to me…) and here we need to bring the energy of your zodiac sign to its strongest, so you can remember your best self. So you can use the colors of your sun sign and rising to bring you your best self. This post are using a old reference from here and the arts from serafleur.

Aries - Dark Shades of Red, Light Shades of Orange

They're known for their passion, energy, and impulsive nature. Their ruling planet, Mars, is all about war, aggression, and vitality, which makes perfect sense given Aries' bold and courageous spirit. The color red is associated with Aries and represents their fiery nature, but light shades of orange also capture their adventurous side. Although Aries can sometimes feel anger when challenged, they're actually incredibly resilient and determined. They never let obstacles get in their way and always find a way to turn their anger into fuel for achieving their goals. Plus, when they're feeling free and unburdened, they can be incredibly inspiring to those around them. All in all, Aries is an amazing sign full of passion and energy that knows how to channel their strengths to overcome anything that comes their way. With their natural enthusiasm for life, Aries can take on many exciting adventures and inspire others to do the same.

Taurus - Dark Shades of Brown, All Shades of Pink

As an earth sign, they're all about being grounded and finding stability in their lives. Their ruling planet, Venus, is associated with love, beauty, and pleasure, which perfectly complements Taurus' appreciation for the finer things in life. Brown is the color of Taurus, and it represents the earth and all the stability and security that comes with it. Dark shades of brown remind us of the fertile soil that brings abundance and prosperity, which is something Taurus craves. Interestingly, pink is also associated with Taurus and Venus, representing their feminine energy and love of beauty. Taurus is hardworking and diligent, and they believe in putting in the effort to achieve their goals. As the most sensual sign, Taurus loves to bask in feminine power and appreciate beauty in all its forms - whether it's through art, music, or nature. They also enjoy indulging in sensory pleasures like good food, luxurious fabrics, and soothing scents. Taurus is loyal and dependable, and they value stability and security in all their relationships. All in all, Taurus is an amazing earth sign that knows how to appreciate the good things in life, while also working hard to achieve their dreams.

Gemini - Gradients of Dirty White, All Shades of Blue

Gemini is such an interesting sign! As an air sign, they're all about intellect, communication, and curiosity. Their ruling planet, Mercury, is associated with communication, intelligence, and agility, which perfectly aligns with Gemini's sharp mind and ability to adapt to any social situation. When it comes to colors, Gemini is represented by dirty white and blue. Dirty white symbolizes their tendency to conceal a part of themselves, while shades of blue represent their clarity of mind and ability to express themselves clearly. Even though Gemini has a tendency to hide a part of themselves, they have an innate charm and wit that makes them incredibly likable and fun to be around. They're always up for a good conversation and have a great sense of humor. With their curious and adventurous nature, Gemini is always seeking new experiences and learning opportunities. Whether it's exploring new places or meeting new people, they love to keep things interesting. . With their adventurous spirit, Gemini is always up for something new and exciting, and they're sure to bring their quick wit and sense of humor along for the ride.

Cancer - Silver, Dark Shades of Green

Just like the tides, Cancer's energy ebbs and flows, which makes them incredibly empathetic and in tune with their emotions. The color silver is closely linked with this sign, symbolizing their reflective and intuitive nature. You'll find that Cancerians are often introspective, deep thinkers who value self-reflection. Additionally, green, the color of fertility, is associated with Cancer, representing their nurturing, maternal nature and connection to nature. You may notice that they have a green thumb or an inclination towards gardening or other activities that involve nurturing and growth. Their love for nature is also reflected in their appreciation for spending time outdoors, finding solace in the beauty of the natural world. Mature Cancerians are very in touch with their femininity and intuition, making them amazing listeners and empathetic friends. Their vivid imaginations and creativity allow them to build rich inner lives, full of beauty and wonder.

Leo - Gold, All Shades of Yellow

Leo is a Fixed Fire sign ruled by the Sun, which represents creativity, confidence, and passion. Gold is the color associated with this sign, symbolizing victory and success. Leos are go-getters and love nothing more than striving for the top of their game, whether it's in sports, their careers, or personal goals. But don't worry, they're not all about the competition! Leos also bring warmth, vitality, and joy to those around them, just like the Sun's yellow glow. They're natural leaders and have a talent for inspiring others with their contagious enthusiasm. In conclusion, those born under the sign of Leo are confident, passionate, and always aiming for success. They bring sunshine to people's lives and have a knack for inspiring others.

Virgo - Light Shades of Green, Light Shades of Brown

Virgo is an Earth sign ruled by Mercury, and is known for its practicality, intelligence, and attention to detail. Green is the color associated with this sign, representing renewal, growth, and innocence. Those born under this sign have a pure and approachable quality to them, and have something about them that makes you like them or don’t, no middle ground. Brown is also a color associated with Virgo, representing their earthy and grounded nature. Virgos are responsible and reliable, with a strong sense of duty. They are always prepared with a plan, and excel at multitasking and managing multiple responsibilities. Overall, Virgos are practical, intelligent, and kind-hearted individuals who provide stability to those around them. While they may struggle with perfectionism or self-criticism, their empathy and willingness to be of service to others make them valuable members of any community.

Libra - Light Shades of Blue, Light Shades of Red

Libra is an amazing Air sign ruled by Venus, representing harmony, balance, and beauty! The colors associated with Libra are light shades of blue and red, with blue representing a logical and light mindset and red representing feminine beauty and passion. Libras are analytical, rational, and fantastic problem-solvers. They can find creative solutions to even the most complex issues, all while maintaining a cool, detached perspective. Plus, their lightness and playfulness make them popular and well-liked in social situations. Libras have a keen eye for aesthetics and are drawn to beautiful things, which explains their love for light shades of red. They also have a passionate and romantic side to them, making them fantastic partners and lovers. They value intimacy and connection, and are never afraid to express their feelings and emotions.Overall, Libras are balanced and harmonious individuals who value fairness, justice, and beauty. They are experts at finding common ground in all situations, and they always strive for balance and harmony in all areas of their lives. Plus, their natural peacemaking abilities make them the perfect friends and allies!

Scorpio - Maroon, All Shades of Black

Scorpio is a Water sign ruled by Pluto, representing transformation, intensity, and power. Maroon and all shades of black are the colors associated with this sign. Maroon represents the combination of red and brown, symbolizing blood and earthiness, while black represents mystery, the unknown, and the unseen. The color maroon speaks to Scorpio's transformative power and deep connection to the cycles of life and death. Scorpios are adept at navigating the depths of the psyche, and are often drawn to careers in healing professions like psychology or therapy where they can help others transform and heal. The color black represents Scorpio's ability to master the hidden and mysterious realms of life. Scorpios have a natural talent for tapping into their intuition and psychic abilities, and are able to perceive the deeper truths that lie beneath the surface. They are able to see through the veil of illusion and bring light to the darkness.

Sagittarius - Copper, Dark Shades of Purple

Sagittarius is a fun-loving Fire sign ruled by Jupiter, representing adventure, growth, and expansion. Copper and dark shades of purple are the colors associated with this sign. Copper represents earth and worldliness mixed with a touch of gold, which symbolizes Sagittarius' potential for material luck and abundance. Sagittarians are often successful in business and finance, but they also have a deep respect for the environment and are drawn to sustainability causes.The color purple represents royalty and abundance, which speaks to Sagittarius' potential for greatness and generosity. Sagittarians have a natural desire to help others and are often philanthropic. They also have a love for the arts, especially music and literature, and appreciate beauty and creativity. They have a talent for creating wealth and abundance, and also have a strong desire to make a positive impact on the world. They are generous and love to help others, but may sometimes struggle with commitment due to their impulsive and outspoken nature.

Capricorn - Brass, All Shades of Gray

Capricorn is an ambitious and hardworking Cardinal Earth sign represented by the colors brass and all shades of gray. Brass is a metal that looks similar to gold, but without being showy, and it symbolizes Capricorn's desire for success and achievement while maintaining a humble approach. Gray is a masculine and unbreakable color that represents Capricorn's determination and perseverance. Capricorns are not afraid of hard work and are willing to put in the effort to achieve their goals. They are practical, resourceful, and have a strong desire for success, but they are also reliable, responsible, and take their commitments seriously. Although they may come off as serious and reserved, they have a playful side and are loyal and supportive to those they care about.

Aquarius - Neons, Metallic Colors

Aquarius is an Air sign represented by the vibrant and eye-catching colors of neons and metallics. Neons represent Aquarius's desire to express their unique individuality and stand out in the crowd. They're not afraid to embrace their eccentricities and love to be different from the norm. Metallics represent Aquarius's appreciation for style and sophistication. They're attracted to shiny and flashy things, and love to add a touch of luxury to their lives. However, it's important to note that Aquarius's eccentricity can be a bit much for some people, but it's all part of their charm. They may have unconventional ideas and opinions, but it's their quirks that make them so interesting and lovable. And while they can be resistant to change at times, it's only because they value their individuality and freedom so much. Overall, Aquarius is a fun and exciting sign that's always up for an adventure and eager to explore new ideas and experiences.

Pisces - Pastels, Glitters

Pisces is such a dreamy and imaginative sign, represented by soft pastels and sparkling glitters. They have a gentle and lighthearted nature that lets them float between the deep and the shallow with ease. Pisceans have an amazing talent for creative expression, often producing works that are deeply moving and expressive. They're natural romantics and are drawn to the arts, especially music, poetry, and literature.However, Pisceans can struggle with self-doubt and uncertainty at times, which makes it hard for them to confront reality when things get tough. They may seem absent-minded or disconnected, but that's just their way of coping. Overall, Pisces is a Mutable Water sign that embodies the imaginative and playful spirit that's so important to our world.

[shelandsorcery]

Astronomics Game Art : Designing Mining Equipment!

Gonna talk this week about designing mining equipment for the sci-fi game Astronomics - demo on steam right now! - And I thought I'd start with a little conversation about research and process (...that doesn't really have on a much art in it but just stay with me) and maybe get to tap in a little bit into how someone like me who doesn't do a lot of technical design learned a lot about how to get excited about that whole field through the research stage of this game.

So when I say research I really do mean fairly old-school research — and this is probably gonna be a theme with a lot of the posts about this game in particular, because I don't think you can build sci-fi without some understanding of engineering systems and current scientific realities to then play with, you know?

As you may gather from the trailer, Astronomics is a game about asteroid mining, among other things. Which meant that we had a lot of need for legit industrial feeling props and tools for the player to use, things that felt functional and believable without feeling complicated or delicate. I really enjoy the challenge of adding appeal to something that maybe people don't always think about being appealing or fun or cute (this is never an absolute statement — there's always somebody already able to see more appeal in any given subject and I could ever imagine) so part of the research stage is going and looking for that appeal. So above you can see a sheet of loose rough sketches I did in clip studio paint from reference that I gathered with the rest of the team and by myself that seemed relevant to some of the designs we were pursuing.

If you've had the chance to play the demo, you'll know that it's not just surface mining but we are going to be letting you mind gases and liquids and underground mineral veins as well — these are all things that people do in the real world of course, so process one was taking a quick look at those actual industries and then figuring out how I could condense that activity down into a pretty simple and easy to understand machine.

So turned out what we needed was something that drilled and dug, something that pumped liquids, something that sucked air, and all of these things needed to then produce some sort of container to hold what they had collected.

In a videogame you really need to communicate to the player why each act they do is significant and different from the others, and as the art director it was my job to figure how to do that through visual design of the tools they're going to be using. So that meant that even though you could certainly store liquid and gas and solid resources in the same kind of box, I wanted to try and find ways to keep each thing feeling different. Best case scenario is that you're able to look at a prop we've designed and know in a split second which of these three states of matter it will be containing; in the research stage one of the things I'm looking for is any existing visual language that we have (in this Western English-speaking North American videogame audience culture) that already solves this problem.

The great thing about industrial design is that they indeed have very intentionally tackled this problem. Part of it is purely physics optimization that the field of engineering has been working towards for human history. For example, when you're storing liquid and you want to remove all of it from a container you probably don't want something with corners — that's how you end up with cylindrical liquid storage. When you're storing a gas you're likely keeping it under pressure, which means you need a shape that will withstand pressure evenly, which means you're looking for something with literally no corners or edges ideally — and that's how you end up with bubble-shaped gas storage like a propane canister. And then when you're storing something solid and you want to use the space most efficiently and be able to stack whatever it is that you have packed it into, you have a box.

Real good news is, a box and a cylinder and a sphere are all wonderfully visually distinct shapes in a fantastically strong place to start when it comes to solving the question of storage. So then we get into the challenge of the machines themselves — what distinguishes a drill from a pump from a vacuum?

So that's the beginning of some of the questions that you have to answer when you're designing props for a game — in the research stage is only one of bunch of different ways you start figuring out these answers. But I want to talk for just a second a little bit about how I personally wrangle my research, because I am definitely not telling you this is the only way to do it. It seems like it may be worth explaining what I get out of this process and see if anything here make sense for you!

One of the reasons that I have this huge page of sketches, big and detailed or tiny and loose, all laid out in one place for me to look at, is because I personally learn and remember things more strongly by taking notes. With my hand holding a pencil ideally. And when they're abstract concepts or verbal or numerical then I'll use writing and I won't have a problem with it, but my job at this stage was not to figure out abstract concepts or to find themes — my job was to solve visual problems. So my first order of business was visual research specifically. Now for me, that involves lots of things — I have a Pinterest board for any sort of subcategory of stuff I'm researching to just do enormous broad research with; then I probably bring most of those images into a huge working .PSD file and move them around to create groupings. And then I start drawing.

I really think that drawing is integral for me at this stage. I don't think I could do this without drawing as part of my research. There's so much that I just don't bother noticing if I'm not going to be drawing the thing that I'm looking at; even the worst, fastest, sketchy as drawing makes me pay infinitely more attention to something then I do when I am simply collecting information mentally. I'm phrasing this in a somewhat exaggerated, self-deprecating way, but I really can't exaggerate how much more I get out of things when I sit down and draw them. They talk about drawing is a way of seeing, and for me that's a practice I've intentionally pushed and explored in my life.

The other thing, though, is that visual problem that I need to solve. Sometimes solutions to the problem aren't obvious until they are visualized — it can be very easy to get distracted by things like surface details and miss the silhouette language, or vice versa, but when you are doing the drawing you have to wrestle with the silhouette and the details and make decisions about them. Visual trends appear way more clear when you are drawing something for the 10th time as opposed to simply seeing it for the 10th time. And all of the layers of cultural meaning and context that clutter up a photograph can be simply ignored as you transfer only what you need to a drawing, where you might discover something that everything else hid until then. Beyond that, one of the things you may notice about the sketches is that they are somewhat cartoony — I'm certainly trying to capture important details and be representational to a degree, but much like gesture drawing the human figure, researching this way lets me start finding out what the gestures are of these different sorts of subject matter. This is something that I knew about creature design, and about flora design, and one of the real joys of this game in particular was proving to myself that this gesture approach applied to industrial machines and technology as well.

I mean, I knew that there were cute trucks out there, but gosh.

I think if you are in need of something to reinvigorate a particular piece of subject matter for you — if you're designing something that you are just not that excited about, or if you don't feel challenged by the work in front of you — I really think sitting and sketching from reference can open up the complexities and help push you and your work farther. It certainly works for me and I know that the learning I did on this game is something I carry with me to future projects as well.

That seems like a pretty strong place to leave this post in particular, but I'll be back later this week with more breakdowns and screen caps of the actual design process of all of our adorable mining equipment!

I would really love to hear from folks if you also engage in similar research processes before going into full design mode — or if you have a completely different way to get your mind revved up and ready to go, I would really enjoy reading about it!

In the meantime, if you're curious about mining asteroids but it's cute please feel free to check out the Astronomics demo on steam, I made an awful lot of visdev art for this and handed it off to some incredible game creators who have done some really impressive stuff taking their ideas and my ideas and running to honestly some pretty new and exciting places with them.

[cosmiccannibalcamille]

What Venus trine Jupiter Means for YOU

What: Venus in Libra trine Jupiter in Gemini

When: Sept. 14, 2024

Who’s Impacted: EVERYONE, but esp. Air signs (Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius)

Takeaway: A brief, but potent day for love, luck, beauty, and bounty.

     This Venus-Jupiter trine on Sept. 14 is one of the standout moments of 2024. Why? Because Venus and Jupiter are the “benefics” in astrology, aka the feel good, have fun, enjoy yourself planets that bring (and/or facilitate) ease, pleasure, enjoyment, benefits, and blessings. When these two planets come together this way, it means nothing but good news. And with the way things are in the world right now, we could all use a little good news.

     Interestingly, we haven’t had a Venus-Jupiter trine since Jan. 28. (I don’t know about you, but I have no idea what I was doing or what was going on for me during that time.) That trine took place in earth signs, so it probably facilitated some sort of financial, material, or career blessing. Since this upcoming Venus-Jupiter trine takes place in air signs Libra and Gemini, you can expect its feel-good, good vibes, beneficial blessings to be more about connection, conversations, writing, relationships, ideas, friendship, or love. Venus in Libra

Venus trine Jupiter Meaning in Astrology

     Venus and Jupiter are like the fairy godmothers of the zodiac. Venus rules love, beauty, art, and pleasure, while Jupiter is the planet of abundance, opportunity, and optimism. When these two meet in a trine—a smooth, 120-degree aspect—it’s like you’re being handed a golden ticket.

     The trine itself is Jupiterian in nature, meaning it acts like a gift that brings gifts, blessings, and protection. Equal parts fairy godmother and Santa Claus. Since this Venus-Jupiter trine happens in the air signs Libra and Gemini, we’re looking at benefits coming through connection, communication, and creativity.Venus-trine-Jupiter swooping in with golden gifts

     Venus is at home in Libra, her ruling sign, which makes this aspect even more potent. In Libra, Venus is all about harmony, beauty, balance, and relationships. She wants you to indulge in all the finer things—whether that’s dressing up, treating yourself to a luxurious day out, or simply enjoying beautiful conversations with people who inspire you. This Venus placement is less about passionate love and more about cultivating connections that are balanced, fair, and aesthetically pleasing.

     Now, Jupiter in Gemini is like that friend who has a million tabs open and wants to tell you all about them, one by one, while simultaneously sending you funny memes. In Gemini, Jupiter’s growth-oriented energy is more about expanding your mind, your communication, and your network. It’s about connection, learning, and sharing ideas. How I imagine this transit will feel

     So, when these two planets—Venus and Jupiter—get together in the airy duo of Libra and Gemini, it’s all about expanding your minds and our hearts. But let’s be real: Jupiter in Gemini can be a bit scattered, and Venus in Libra can be a bit shallow. That’s why it’s important to use Sept. 14 as a day to reorient your focus on the meaningful connections, conversations, and projects that truly light you up.

     You don’t have to do all the things (even though Jupiter might convince you otherwise)—just focus on the relationships, creations, or connections that bring you the most joy, fun, and fulfillment.

Get the FULL SCOOP on this ~lovely~ planetary meet-cute (including how to work with it & bespoke horoscopes) on the Cosmic Almanac:

[meraki-sunset]

Hi! I just got into Homestuck and my friend said you were one of the best artists in the community! Do you have any advice for reading, any knowledge or magic wisdom to share before I really get into it? Your art is really cool though!

Hi there! Well, I guess the only advice I can give you is that, the beginning can feel slow if you’ve heard about the whole madness that happens in the future, maybe if you’re looking forward to the action, the beginning might feel boring, but every part has its own charm, even the interludes. Homestuck can have you hoked on two characters conversation and then jump to some mafia dudes breaking shit. Cuz at its core, it’s a convoluted story that can get meta and break the fourth wall, so it will make fun of you at times, that’s also part of the charm.

Homestuck can have a lot of world building that’s half really important and half bullshit, it’s up to you if you want to remember every detail or just move forward.

Me personally, I have the “lore keeper” diploma on my wall and I dissect every info I get. That doesn’t need to be your case at all. You can just read it, get confused, talk about it with your friend, and you can chat about stuff that was cool or important. And If you finish it, you can just look for theory videos just for fun and find new stuff that was hidden all along

Oh! And most important of all. The original comic isn’t as good as it used to be since flash died, because the whole thing used it, the video games are no longer playable and the animations don’t have the same high quality they used to. I highly recommend you to download The unofficial Homestuck Collection <==Link It emulates homestuck the way it used to be, you’ll get the actual experience with it

So anyway, that’s all I can tell you about it. It’s good, I love it! But it’s okay if you don’t get hooked right away, or at all, if you don’t, i hope you still get a laugh out of it.

[sketching-shark]

Hello! I know you aren't a big fan of LMK, but there's a sideblog run by @digitalagepulao named @digitaldoeslmk that is doing a rewrite of the show by following book canon, and their ideas and art is FIRE so please have a look if you have the time. Also, I remember seeing a few lines that Sun Wukong has medical training during his years of learning. Would he count as having a degree in medicine in modern terms? How is he during childbirth? Do you think he'd be able to do a human childbirth successfully? Have a great month, enjoy your food, and don't forget to sleep early regularly!

As a matter of fact @angstandhappiness I am recently familiar with @digitaldoeslmk and let me just say WEH @digitalagepulao has done an amazing job at creating one of the most fun and interesting Monkie Kid aus out there!

I'm honestly really appreciative of the though and care they've put into a version of the lego show where JTTW happened according to Wu Cheng'en's version, and particularly the way this means that A) Sun Wukong is a genuinely good mentor & that therefore there's many a lovely shifu-tudi moment between him and MK (plus SWK is his book canon size here so that's an automatic improvement over LMK canon lmao), B) Red Son gets more time in the spotlight both as a character and as a source of insights into the histories of the JTTW canon characters, and C) the stakes aren't of the constant end-of-the-universe levels & therefore MK gets a Fucking Break from the Horrors & also gets to make a lot more friends in stuff like a theater group.

tbh I was pretty delighted by this plot idea @digitalagepulao put out where MK is getting ready for a theatrical production of Havoc in Heaven where he's playing Sun Wukong but then both the actor and the understudy who played Erlang Shen got ill, & that this was resolved by MK getting SWK to play his one-time nemesis. That's a really fun idea for a number of reasons, not the least being it seems like a great scenario for the Monkey King to have actually understandable stage fright & some genuine conversations about his past & what he learned from his experiences BUT ALSO for it being a great way for Monkie Kid to give a respectful nod to past retellings of Xiyouji even while letting MK & co. shine.

In conclusion people should definitely check out @digitaldoeslmk.

As for the second part of this ask, you probably couldn't say that the Monkey King has anything like a contemporary medical degree going strictly by Xiyouji canon, but he does prove himself to be a clever primate when it comes to medicine! Honestly it could make for a kind of funny JTTW future story where SWK goes through medical school to get an MD so that he can be an officially licensed doctor in the 21st century lol. And while we never see SWK helping someone with pregnancy or childbirth in the og classic (discounting the mpreg arc lmao), his status as both an extremely old communal grandpa who's seen a lot and a protector of children seem to both suggest that he'd be pretty good at assisting in childbirth for humans, monkeys, and yaoguai alike.

Enjoy your food and sleep too!

[vampireistic]

“annoying gays” aren’t the problem.

the problem with “straight” self-entitlement

the anime/gaming community isn’t known for being very lgbt friendly (the amount of times i’ve been threatened with SA because i’ve called a character zesty is actually psychotic) and to be fair, posting something like this to a website known for being infested with us gay critters seems silly, but i think it’s something worth a discussion.

overall, i want to go over a couple fandoms that i’m deeply engrained in that i’ve personally experienced the shittiest takes with: honkai star rail, genshin impact, jujutsu kaisen.

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“i hate ___ fandom”, do you? or do you hate the fact black and gay people exist in the same space as you? “oh it’s the shippers! they’re weird”, yeah i won’t deny a minuscule percentage are, but do you really think that overshadows the fact the CN part of the genshin community KILLED kittens because they hated scaramouche, the creepypasta fandom saw the emergence of several murderers that varied in concerning age, not to even mention the amount of l*li art that gets made using the excuse that the character is “akshually 500+!” — believe me, these are more egregious sins than simply: “they ship boy and boy so i don’t like.”

“FANON” VS “CANON”

some of you can’t differentiate between: “this makes me uncomfortable” and “this is wrong”.

“headcanons are losing their meaning”, “i miss when headcanons didn’t make sexualities their entire character” — what is it with people being upset that others are finding comfort in portraying themselves in a character they enjoy? “it ruins the character!”, “you’re belittling them and ignoring their backstory!”, how come these are the responses only queer people get?

it’s ok to not like it but you also have to acknowledge that it’s completely harmless and in the grand scheme of things, doesn’t matter. “you’re making it all about sexualities”, “you can’t make everything gay” etc etc — those are just basic homophobic rhetorics. gay people have been demonised in media excessively, of course we want to MAKE representation for ourselves if we aren’t going to get any canonically.

queer people shouldn’t have to be digestible to you and what you like for you to not have a hissy fit that they merely headcanoned a fun character as having xenopronouns. using the excuse that: “oh well, i’m also queer!”, is ridiculous, being part of the community doesn’t absolve you from any type of lgbtphobia. do you really think the straights are gonna come accept you with tears in their eyes because you’re not like those other fags?

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“SHIPPING CULTURE”

getting mad at queer people for not liking straight ships should be a form of comedy. throughout all those decades of entertainment, queer people have been given mere crumbs of what straight people have — why is it expected that we need to absolutely suck up and also enjoy something that we’ve already been force fed our entire lives? this sort of idea is a little predatory, in my experience at least, this rhetoric is the reason i used to HATE even entertaining the idea i could be a lesbian just because it was so disconnected from other sexualities where most revolved around some sort of attraction to men; i feel like this isn’t necessarily that uncommon of a situation either.

this sort of conversation surrounding the concept of “heterophobia” just sparks immediate homophobic rhetoric that intends to make queer people like some villainous group that’s goal is to gayify every straight ship in existence. no-one actually cares, you’re just upset because gay ships tend to get more talked about in fandoms because they’re well liked.

let queer people enjoy solely mlm/wlw media or pairings without making them feel othered or like a “fujoshi” for something normal. if i have to sit here and listen to why you think god should personally make mitsuri and obanai real so they can have a real wedding then you can handle me just stating “idk i think satosugu is good”. i can’t tell you the amount of times my own friends have made me feel weird or icky for watching things that relate to me because i specify i won’t read or watch romance stories with a hetero pairing — like i trusted y’all once with violet evergarden and look where that ended up…

“you’d like ___ if it was gay” / “you only hate ___ because it’s straight” … yeah, because i’m gay dumbass. why the fuck should i pour my energy into a straight pairing i can’t at least resonate with somewhat. there are some exemptions to this rule and i will forever be a hanako kun and nene lover — but that’s purely because they’re a straight ship written for gay people. and it’s actually quite easy to discern the difference between “straight pairing that’s intended for large audience” vs “straight pairing that’s intended to appease fans / soothe the lonely lowlifes who have never touched a woman”

the former being: hanako kun x nene, quite literally any pairing from disney movies, loid x yor, haruhi x tamaki… okay i’m out — and the latter being ANYTHING from the following animes: darling in the franxx, bunny girl senpai, my dress up darling, toradora etc.

also to add onto the whole “you’d like so and so if they were gay”, y’all would absolutely believe ships like satosugu, beigguang, acheswan, eimiko etc were canon if they were m/f pairings.

“QUEER CODING / IMPLICATION”

i don’t understand why this specific topic is so heavily discussed in such a negative manner — if there’s specific references to queer things in relation to a character, it’s obviously intentional. what’s the issue? that it’s gay?

queer coding has long been a subtle yet powerful tool in media, particularly in anime and video games. it involves the inclusion of characters whose traits, behaviours, or relationships suggest a queer identity without explicitly stating it. this coding allows for nuanced representations of lgbtq+ identities in contexts where direct representation might be risky or censored. two franchises where queer coding is evident are genshin impact and jujutsu kaisen.

however, the appreciation of this representation often gets lost in a quagmire of "canon versus fanon" discourse, particularly among straight fans, who degrade these characters and their relationships to fucking “shipping debates.”

“they’re just friends — have you never interacted with a friend before?” / “not everything has to be romantic / gay”

i don’t remember the last time i longingly gazed at my friend after receiving a compliment and smirking while stating: “only a true treasure captures the eyes of __, seems like i’ve struck gold.” homosexual undertones exist!! i don’t understand how this is something controversial or scary to discuss — just because a character isn’t DIRECTLY stated to be queer, doesn’t suddenly mean all the hinting doesn’t mean anything.

heterosexuality isn’t the “default”, why do you have to assume every character is straight? i don’t remember them staring down at the camera lense to specify.

you can’t be so disingenuous and media literacy constipated that you don’t know how to interpret very simple things like yae miko writing a sapphic book where the main two characters resemble her and ei, the fact kaveh and alhaitham’s introductory quest line is titled “pride and prejudice”, the entire story of xiao and venti meeting, and even something as seemingly dumb and simple as ajax being gifted chopsticks by zhongli. repetitive nuances aren’t there for the sake of silly dynamics, they’re there to get past censorship. believe me if they could they would’ve made yae and ei make out by now.

another gentle reminder: wriothesley is based off henry wriothesley, a homosexual man known for having gay relationships who had a close intimacy with william shakespeare. clorinde is based off a historical feminist and bisexual named julie d'aubigny with navia being based off of julie d'aubigny's lover, who was a lesbian. and if you’re going to argue semantics and say that these are either incidental and don’t mean anything — then neither does the argument that nahida was supposed to be based off the hindu moon goddess.

the weird anger that procures whenever gay ships are more popular is so baffling. yaeyato quite literally come along as a reactionary ship to eimiko because…they hated lesbians, straight ghuizhong and zhongli shippers have conjured up this rainbow demon that every zhongchi shipper hates them (despite the fact a large majority of guizhong shippers…are also zhongchi shippers).

similarly, jujutsu kaisen has characters whose relationships and characteristics are imbued with queer coding. the dynamic between gojo and geto, for example, is often highlighted as more than just a rivalry or friendship. their relationship is filled with an intensity that transcends typical "bromance," and the narrative hints at a deep emotional connection that resonates with many queer experiences of longing and betrayal. they’re made to be the exact mirrors of each other, pieces of a puzzle that when put together perfectly balance into a piece of art.

“my six eyes tell me you’re suguru geto. but my soul knows otherwise!”

some of you wouldn’t even have your own mother recognise you in such a manner let alone your best-friend who you haven’t seen in years. don’t remember the last time i purred and groaned my friend’s name while we’re on call and i don’t think i could ever bother staring at them lovingly while propping my cheek up with my hand. geto had this man nearly on his hands and knees in front of a public sidewalk near a non copyrighted kfc because he was afraid of him leaving.

what i find also particularly funny is how these same people will view labelling a character as something that somehow dirties them and then will turn around and ship something like anya and that ugly kid (i’m sorry but i don’t remember his name LMAO) — you don’t care about “pushing sexualities onto a character”, you give a shit because it’s queer.

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here’s some resources i found that managed to vocalise my thoughts rather perfectly:

annoying gays are not the problem

“i’m not one of those gays” - shut up.

a deep dive into the queer coding of genshin impact

is honkai star rail actually queer coded?

homophobia in the honkai star rail community