#i always forget how much i enjoy traditional art

[balaclava-marks]

seb in marker + micron pen <3

(as always tumblr fucks the quality so click 4 hq)

[peonycats]

You might have noticed that i havent been posting art that much recently, which has been caused by a variety of reasons, but one of which is that I've been hunkered down and working on this series about my Siberian OCs!!! Really proud of how these turned out, esp the embroidery and patterns, even if i did fry my hand a bit in the process LOL

Click the read more for icons and personality descriptions written by @irithnova, who I share many of these OCs with :3c

Yukagir: Resident old lady surrounded by (who she sometimes considers annoying) youngins, sweet demeanour and pleasant to talk to, though she isn't immune to giving a good scolding when a younger Siberian is annoying her. Lots of knowledge from her many years when it comes to practical stuff so is good with her hands, though she finds other things difficult to remember… Sakha: Approachable and outgoing, hardheaded and unafraid to speak his mind. Big organiser of events and knows who everyone is - is always trying to extend his reach, even outside of Siberia. Smokes like there's no tomorrow. Was kind of a menace in his youth - his neighbours don't let him forget. Is artistic at heart, has sketchbooks full of illustrations and is pretty crafty. Saul Goodman who? Evenia: Easy going but usually keeps to himself, often mistaken for Evenkia much to his chagrin. Somewhat playful, loves some good banter. Excellent storyteller and has a million random tips and tricks stored in his head. Sporty, loves to challenge people to a race.

Dolgan: Similar to Sakha, she is also hard headed and unafraid to speak her mind, seeing as he raised her. Very studious and serious about her research, calculative about a lot of her actions. Seems timid on the surface because of her appearance, but she's managed to wield a lot of influence. Usually decked out in pretty clothing and jewellery from Sakha. Evenkia: Likes to take on a mentor role to those younger than him, like he did with Sakha. Very knowledgeable and enjoys problem solving. Has a bit of a reputation for dumping children of his onto others, though you would never guess this through his appearance alone. Enjoys collecting things, nerdy. Ket: Serious faced mostly and protective of himself, quite reserved, so it means a lot when he lets his guard down. Very particular about his routines, though this has made him quite good at planning and organising. Caught up in his own thoughts a lot - makes sense seeing as he's the last survivor of the Yenisein family. 

Chukotka: Social butterfly and very outgoing. Likes to be sort of a big sister figure to people, including North American groups. May seem scatterbrained and silly on the surface but she is far more clever than she lets on. Very girly and bubbly, wears jewellery that jingles as she walks past. Koryak: "Sibling" of Chukotka but personality wise he's quite different - he takes himself a bit more seriously. Dry sense of humour, and like Ket, he can be pretty sarcastic. Has a reputation of being a troublemaker (blame Russia for that), he's really not though. Being somewhat strung up is unfortunately his default these days. Itelmen: Woman respecter™ (no seriously look up the Itelmens' original polytheistic religion). Invites the other Siberians to his celebrations and is a pretty good host, but is prone to being possessive over them (as in, he wants to remind them that this is HIS tradition so don't try and claim it 🙄). Also prone to unprompted malding. His hair is well styled and maintained, though he pretends like he does nothing to it so as to not give up his secrets.

BONUS:

[misshoneyimhome]

Nothing screams like wifey material when the reader cooks him Sweedish food and makes his breeding kink go up up. https://500px.com/photo/1075823846/cooking-vibes-by-buyanskyy-exclusive-photo-and-video-on-patreon

Babe, I swear this was how Eliot was created in the first place, for the 「Dad!Willy x reader」 series 😉🙈

Reader was such a snack, and though William loved nothing more than to practice the doing, she did ignite the idea of a family is his head.

He might have had the thought w few times before, however, when she showed her ultimate Wifey potential he couldn’t shake it off.

・✶ ｡ﾟ

Wifey material | William Nylander🤰🏼💭 [Blurb]

William Nylander had always wanted a family, inspired by his own rather large one. Yet, with his hockey career taking up most of his time and lasting relationships not panning out, he never imagined it happening quite like it did for his father.

His parents had been exemplary role models during his upbringing. It was truly admirable how they stayed together despite his dad Michael juggling his professional hockey career.

Their journey hadn’t been without its challenges. Constantly moving the family around North America made it difficult for the young Nylanders to establish stable social lives. It wasn't until William and his brother Alex decided to stay in Sweden to join the national team that they found a sense of stability.

And ever since then, William had dreamed of providing his own children with a warm and secure upbringing, in a comfortable home.

Which was a dream that became a possibility when you entered his life. Despite enjoying his carefree bachelor lifestyle, you turned everything on its head, igniting in him a desire to settle down and reconsider his ideas about relationships.

You weren't just a passing fling, and you weren't a casual one night stand he could forget about. You were something special, someone who seemed like you were there to stay. Which became more apparent as you became increasingly involved in his daily life. Your support at his games and your willingness to meet him late at night after training impressed him more than anything else.

Your effortless integration into his life, from sporting his jersey to standing by his side through victories and defeats, earned you a special place in William's heart. You seamlessly mingled with his friends and other partners, effortlessly becoming a part of his inner circle without him having to worry.

However, it was when you showcased your potential as "wifey material" that thing truly clicked into place.

The first time you began spending extended periods at his place, staying over for several days at a stretch, turned out to be a revelation for William. Your efforts to cook his favorite meals, aimed at impressing him, stirred a deeper desire within him.

Particularly when you mastered the art of cooking his beloved Swedish dishes like meatballs, mashed potatoes with gravy, and lingonberry jam. Initially intended to comfort him after the Leaf’s playoff exit, it ended up doing much more than that.

William couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth in his heart as he watched you move around his kitchen with ease, clad in your summery attire. Seeing you effortlessly prepare the traditional Swedish dishes he grew up with, the aroma of sizzling meatballs filling the air, and the sight of lingonberry jam perfectly complementing the mashed potatoes, stirred something profound within him.

However, it wasn't just the mouthwatering food that set his heart racing, though. It was your embrace of his culture and your genuine effort to learn about the things that mattered to him. Your sincere interest in his background and traditions made him feel valued and understood in a way he had never felt before.

And as you placed the meal in front of him, a proud smile lighting up your face, William couldn't resist pulling you into a tight hug. " Tack så mycket, älskling," he whispered, planting a tender kiss on your forehead. "This means everything to me."

Little did he know, your culinary efforts weren't just about satisfying his hunger. They were also sending his breeding instincts into overdrive, awakening a primal urge within him to claim you as his own and start a family together.

With each delicious bite, William found himself picturing a future filled with love, laughter, and the patter of little feet around their home. And as he gazed into your eyes, he knew that there was nowhere else he wanted to be than by your side, building a life together one Swedish meal at a time.

The conversation came surprisingly effortlessly to you both. William's not-so-subtle desire for you was evident, his eyes sparkling like you had never seen before.

“What?” You chuckled lightly during the meal.

“Nothing…” William grinned. “I just... you’re incredible, baby.”

“Well, thank you,” you replied modestly. “I'm glad you enjoy it.”

“Babe, I don’t just enjoy it… I love it. Like I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you, maybe even... maybe even with more than just the two of us.”

And your smiles simply couldn't be contained. “You mean, having children?”

William's grin widened at your understanding, nodding eagerly. "Yeah. Can you imagine it? Our own little family, like the ones we see at team gatherings. I want that with you, more than anything."

Your heart swelled with warmth at his words, a sense of excitement bubbling within you at the prospect of beginning a family together. "I want that too, Willy," you confessed, reaching across the table to intertwine your fingers with his. "I want to create a life with you, filled with love and joy, and perhaps a few little versions of ourselves running around."

He gently squeezed your hand, his eyes brimming with affection. "Then let's make it happen, älskling.”

With that simple agreement, you solidified your future together. And only two weeks later you had an appointment with your gynecologist, discarding any form of conception, as well as preparing yourself mentally for what was about to unfold.

[vexation-816]

Hello it is I, random anon who does not know you and has never interacted with you before, what is your opinion of your mutuals?

Byxell. I know this is you but I gonna still answer this question notheless.

Anyways my opinion on my mutuals. Well where do I start?

@rabid-mercenary16

Firstly, there's the 'Greyscale Jester' Rabid. One of the first people that Ive interacted on here. She's a comedic, funny, creative, and an enjoyable person to talk to in general. When I first started on here I didn't think I would get noticed with my art but I started drawing out her characters and her and Glitchy being one of the first people to like my stuff. In the beginning I was honestly happy that people were liking the stuff I posted and shared on here. She and the others are just a big reminder to me of how I matter and just a funny person to be around I really to the bottom of my heart appreciate them for that. You're an amazing person Rabid. Don't you ever forget that.

@moshieee

Secondly, there's the adhd buddy of mine Moshie. Who cannot like this lovable person. They're one of the second traditional artists that Ive interacted with on here and Ive just enjoyed interacting with them for this entire time. They're an absolute funny, creative and amazing person to talk to in general. Ever since we started to talk more we'd just be rambling about our characters and ideas for hours and I just love their personality overall and they've just been an inspiration for me to keep going. You're an amazing person Moshie. Don't you ever forget that.

@bunnybunnsowo

Thirdly, there's the fluffy bunny friend Bun. He's a funny and creative person to talk about ideas with and they're just funny in general. I haven't talked to them until I started doing stuff for the Mafia AU and when I first talked with them they seemed like a very kind and lovable person to talk to and Im just glad that Ive been able to be friends with them and talk with them. Your amazing Bun. Don't you ever forget that.

@unfunnyaceartist

Next there's the cuphead fanatic Ace. I honestly haven't talked to her as much but she's honestly a very nice and funny person. She's very creative with what she does and they are just an amazing person to talk to in general. She's a very comedic person to talk to about Cuphead and other topics about the game. You matter Ace and don't you ever forget that.

@bixell-pixell

Next there's the robotic pal Bixell. They're a pretty creative and chill person in general. She's pretty funny and creative when it comes to the stuff that they do. Ive done 3D Modeling in the past and Im glad I found another person that takes interest in modeling. Overall they're a cool and funny person to talk to and Im glad that Im able to talk to them.

@dia-smthidk

Now we have 'The Prince' Dia. He's a pretty comedic person to talk with and they're just very creative in general. I remember that they were one of the first few people Ive started to interact with and their AU and they are just a funny person to talk to. Even when the mood is brought down they always manage to persevere. You're an amazing person Dia. Don't forget that. Make sure to take care of yourself.

@lilithloves-you

Now we catch up to Lilith. I honestly never had the chance to talk to Lilith but from what Ive seen she's a pretty nice and funny person to talk to in general. Im sorry if there's barely anything here I just haven't been able to talk to ya but your a very amazing and creative individual and don't forget that.

@glitchyk

Im not sure if Glitch will see this but I will type one out for them anyways. She is honestly a funny, creative, nice, and overall just an amazing person in general. They were always that little voice of motivation that just encouraged me to continue with traditional art and were just there for me whenever I was having a bad day or down to my lowest. I honestly do miss them to the bottom of my heart and I hope they are doing well at the moment.

@neptunestoast

Lastly, we have the Blob, Neptune. Ive seen them around here a few times before but never gotten a chance to talk to them. But when they got invited to the Sona Mafia server they are just a wholesome, funny and creative person to talk to. When I first saw their art style I was shocked on how good it was and was just thinking 'Why is this individual so underrated?!?" But still Neptune your an amazing person dude. Don't forget that.

Im sorry if some of my writing seems repetitive. Im not the best writer out there but I genuinely mean it when I say that you all are amazing people and Im just happy that I got to be able to interact with ya'll.

To the bottom of my heart. Thank you guys for just liking the stuff Ive done and just being like rays of hope and inspiration throughout my time on here. I appreciate you guys. I really do.

[angellayercake]

For the kisses prompt!! 💋

Can you do #10 with Copia ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 thank you, and your amazing 😘😘

I hope you don't mind Echo but I took a whole heap of inspiration from the beautiful art you shared with us this week 💜💜 (I know you share so much beautiful art with us but you'll know which one I mean 😊)

10. A hello/good-bye kiss that is given without thinking - where neither person thinks twice about it.

It’s later than you would have liked when you get back to your shared rooms. It was happening more and more frequently and with his schedule getting more and more demanding since his ascension to the role of Papa you were having less and less time together. But you are home now, you drop your keys in the dish by the door smiling fondly at the other random items it contains. Some lose rat treats, a toy car and is that Terzo’s kazoo? You decide not to even ask as you hang up your coat and bag and follow the artificial driving sounds into the living room.

The way he is slumped on the sofa means you can only see the top of his head and his toes resting on the opposite arm as you approach. You just watch for a moment as he loses the race he was playing and drops the controller to the floor with a huff. You can picture his grumpy face without even seeing it but you know just the thing to distract him from his strop. Creeping towards him quietly you hope to surprise him but he must have heard you already as he cuts you off halfway. 

‘I know you are there, Carissima,’ he calls without getting up, so you give up the pretence, leaning on the arm of the chair and looking down at his pouting face. You would often find him like this, playing his games to keep him entertained until you arrived home. The first time you had found him sprawled out on the sofa this way you had successfully managed to sneak up on him. Popping your head over the arm of the chair causing him to crash in the game and as he had grumbled in disappointment you couldn’t resist dropping a kiss on his pouting upside down lips. Which happened to also successfully put a stop to his complaints about you running his game. 

‘I could get used to this kind of greeting,’ he had murmured against your smiling lips and so it had become somewhat of a tradition on those nights you were kept apart until late. Tonight though he had caught you but as you walk towards the kitchen, mind set on getting a snack, he pauses you with a whine. 

‘Aren’t you forgetting something Cara?’ You backtrack a few paces until you are leaning over the sofa once again and he looks up at you with wide pleading eyes. 

‘I don’t know, am I?’ You tease enjoying the pretty little pout that your coy act inspires.

‘Please mia carissima, the only good thing about these sad lonely nights is the special kiss I get when you finally join me.’ You hadn’t really voiced how much you had come to enjoy it before but it pleased you that he felt the same. That wouldn’t stop you  from continuing to tease him though.

‘Oh you want your kiss do you?’ Keeping your face straight gets more and more difficult. 

‘Yes please.’ You skim your thumb over the lines of his forehead trying to smooth out his put on frown and just take him in for a moment before giving him what he wants. He can wait a little longer you decide. You press a quick kiss to his forehead and watch the frown lines all but disappear, to his nose which he wrinkles in mock frustration and then his lips as he lets out a happy sigh at getting his way. 

It is always a bit awkward at this angle but over time you have made it work with your lips slotting together perfectly and shifting slowly to avoid chins catching awkwardly on noses. Sometimes you just give him a peck but tonight you sense you both want to linger in the moment so you deepen the kiss, tracing his full bottom lip with the tip of your tongue until he opens up, tongue meeting yours with tentative strokes. It’s sweet and slow and exactly what you needed as it was for him if you were to judge the soft pleasure sounds he was making. You pull away slowly when your tired body starts to protest at your position but it is worth it to see him beaming up at you. 

‘Hi,’ he says, a faint flush staining his cheeks. 

‘Hi,’ you reply thinking how lucky it is there no one is here to witness your sappy display but nothing could wipe the lovesick smile off your face. He reaches for you, encouraging you around to the sofa and pulling you down on top of him until you are wrapped in his arms. 

‘Missed you Cara,’ he whispers into your hair. 

‘Missed you too Copia but we are here now.’ You snuggle into his chest relishing in the warmth of him and getting comfy because you just know you aren’t going to be going anywhere for a while.

[samantha-and-her-chaotic-desires]

I AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT MY LACKAGOLD AU!! So, this au focuses on alot of 'What ifs', mainly 'What of Atlas found the Savoys before Asa did?' and 'What of Mordecai never left Lackadaisy?'. The story's still kinda rough so far, but here's what I got so far:

In this au, Viktor still gets kneecapped/injured in some way, but it isn't caused by Mordecai (at least, not directly or intentionally), and it occurs before Atlas dies, atleats by a few years. Having lost one of his best triggermen, Atlas looked to essentially find a replacement for Viktor, only keeping him around to do more minor jobs due to Viktors' insistence. Rather than Asa, Atlas was the one who found the Savoy siblings and hired them, partnering them with Mordecai. Everything with Rocky and the others being hired is all the same as canon.

I'm still working on the reason that Mordecai stayed after Atlas' death, as the cannon reason is kinda ambiguous/only really hinted at so far, but I think the base reason for him staying in this AU is that Mitzi and him basically form a begruging partnership despite their disagreements, strictly out of respect for Atlas and keeping his legacy and Lackadaisy alive. They still aren't on the best of terms with each other, but try to put their differences aside to keep things running. The Savoys ended up staying because they enjoyed how non-traditional the work was and the amount of free-rein they were given.

After Atlas' death, alot of Lackadaisy split up, so although Mordecai and the Savoys stayed, Mitzi was still left short on resources. This lead to her giving Rocky, Ivy, and Freckle jobs as rumrunners, like in cannon, though they're also often partnered with the Savoys and Mordecai for protection/extra fire power against any competition that might try and take their already limited routes.

When not on jobs, Mordecai often vanishes, still trying to find out what happened to Atlas, while also keeping an eye on the competition and keeping Lackadaisy running in the background. Though he is occasionally dragged into things by Rocky and the others, much to his dismay.

The Savoys work odd jobs around the speakeasy when not out on jobs. Nico works as a bartender, allowing Viktor to have a break every so often, which often helps with the clientele a bit, as he's a bit more welcoming then Viktor, not afraid to turn of the charm to bring in customers. Serafine helps with waitressing and occasionally plays dealers for the occasional blackjack game if a particular crowd seems interested. They also both doubled as bouncers when buissness was better, but still occasionally help Horatio out when needed.

I also have a shit ton of ideas on this au, but this ask is long enough, so I'll leave it here.

!!!!

Oh. My God. Oh my God. OH MY GOD.

If you don't mind, I wanna make art of this! This idea is so beautifully vivid, and I enjoy the idea of Nico being a bartender, as well as Serafine helping with dealing. Plus we can't forget Mordecai getting dragged into all of the shenanigans. And if you EVER wanna talk about it more if you can, PLEASE DO!!!!

Y'all I love this community so much, I feel so welcome here. <3 <3 <3

[lifmera]

hello! I saw you did Hazbin Hotel matchups and thought I’d request one! You’re my first request, and based off of what I’ve seen so far, I’m happy you are :) Take your time and get to me when you can!

I’m 19, my pronouns are She/Her and I’m lesbian. I haven’t been in one yet, but I’d be open to a Polyamorous relationship. I’m a Sagittarius (December 13). I have black, wavy hair that goes to my shoulders. I dress in a grunge style. I LOVE converse high tops, chains, chokers, and black cargo/sweat pants. Depending on how I feel, I wear chunky rings, always silver. I don’t wear much makeup, but if I do, it’s usually just eyeliner and mascara. Sometimes I do some more fancy eyeliner depending on the occasion. I’m 5’3.

I’m the therapist in my friend group. I tend to put their feelings and needs before my own. I don’t really care how I feel as long as I keep the peace. My emotions jump all over the place. Most of the time, I’m quiet and reserved. I can get easily irritated, though, if provoked. I also have severe anxiety. I tend to lean on the pessimistic side, but not always. I’m absolutely horrendous at comforting people in person, but over texts, I’m great at it. I have an extremely dirty mouth, and constantly use it around my friends. I have dark humor, which only some of my friends laugh with me at, so I don’t make jokes too often in case I get silence. I dislike people who judge others at first glance or because of rumors they hear. Honesty and loyalty is a big thing for me. I make jokes about things that bother me. I struggle with talking about my feelings. I can forget to take care of myself at times, especially when I have what I call my “down days”, which is the days I have when everything feels hopeless, and I can’t get out of bed.

My love languages are giving and receiving quality time, acts of service, and words of affirmation.

Music is my absolute best friend. It helps me to express my emotions without them coming out of my own mouth. I love watching and reading horror movies and books, I crochet, and I love sitting out in the rain or going out into the woods. I play both acoustic and electric guitar, and my favorite bands/singers are Mother Mother, Djerv, Ghost, Jack Stauber, and Penelope Scott. I love doing art, mainly rough sketches and traditional art. My favorite games are TLoU and RDR2. I love the shows Arcane League of Legends and Hazbin Hotel (obviously).

Thanks if you get around to me! I hope this is enough :) Have a nice day/night!!

Hi Hun!!

You aswell 🩷

I think Velvette works too.

I’ve decided to pair you up with …. LUTE!

I think when she first saw you she definitely questioned you. Like- “why are u in heaven when you dress like you belong in hell..”

Can she even talk though? Girl…..

Lute tends to keep her emotions under control. But its stressful. Adam can be so annoying…

Lute honestly is also pretty pessimistic- but if she sees her gf being pessimistic? She’d force you into anything you enjoy. She can’t stand seeing you upset. It hurts her heart!

I think she wouldn’t mind though. She never talks much about herself.

She definitely would not care about how much you curse. Adam has probably said worse.

She’d probably like dark jokes. She probably hasn’t heard one before- and snickered when she did.

Lute is HUGE ON HONESTY AND LOYALTY!!!! She will love you forever. 🩷

Honestly Lute would join you on down days. She needs a break. Away from her duties and just everything. She’d want to take care of you though! She cant have you upset!

I think Lute is also big on Quality time. She feels like she doesn’t get enough because she’s constantly working, so she tries to make up for it by buying you gifts!

She definitely loves music too. You would 100% drag her down with you into your music rabbit hole. She’d probably end up humming Ghost all day.

She LOVES when you play the electric guitar. In her head she’d think you are better than Adam- but won’t say it out loud.

She definitely loves that you crochet!! She’d wear whatever you made her. Or maybe any plushies??

I don’t think it rains in heaven, or hell for that matter- but if she went down to earth i think she’d love the patter of rain hitting against the top of the car!!! It’d relax her :)

~~~

I HOPE THIS WAS OKAY?!!

[inkfamy]

Issue 1 of Void Rivals was super fun, and in the time honoured tradition of following a comic as it releases I'm going to make some wild extrapolation predictions and hopes for the upcoming new Transformers continuity (focussing mostly on the Transformers, because of course, but also I really enjoyed this issue and I'm excited for the continuing non-Transformers story)

spoilers for Void Rivals #1 below the cut

First up wow, the art style and design in this issue is so pretty, I love how soft the colours are (I'll talk about the Rivals later)

I love that so far we have a nice reworking of the Fire In The Sky story: Jetfire is a scientist, and he managed to (presumably) crash and get stranded and stasis locked for millions of years. I like that he's very much in his G1 characterisation too, he's immediately very gentle and reassuring to Darak and Solila.

(also, moment of appreciation for this nice characterisation; science mind comes to the fore as he studies his own wear and tear and guesses that he's been down for millennia)

(additional moment to hoot in amusement as he immediately forgets about the little people and dashes off)

So making some extrapolations and guesses based on the tiny bit of info we glean here:

Jetfire is a scientist, and he crashed millennia ago, so

if we're borrowing the Fire In The Sky premise, is Starscream going to be an ex scientist again? Please let Starscream be a scientist again

The war between the Autobots and Decepticons has presumably been waging for millions of years, as per most other continuities

It would be neat to get an introduction to Cybertron as it is now and its state of affairs through Jetfire's frantic return (or attempt to return)

Darak and Solila are able to jump start(??) Jetfire with their tech which is fun and interesting (I am always a fan of "non-TF squishies can use their automobile/mechanical/science knowhow to do stuff to Cybertronians) BUT

(extreme leap) Darak specifically is inspired by Jetfire's abilitiy to transform and starts working on a way to use his and Solila's flight suits to repair their ships. Given how advanced their tech seems to be (and Handroid apparently being some kind of robo AI), does this mean we might be looking at a headmasters plot in the future?

We also got a nice author's note at the end of the issue from Robert Kirkman, which was an interesting peek at his own thoughts on the series. It was particularly interesting that he specifically mentions the 86 movie and Optimus Prime's death as both a key point in his experience as a Transformers fan, and as a lesson he took forward as a storyteller. (extremely tenuous extrapolation) While Kirkman isn't the main writer in the upcoming Transformers run, I wonder if this means we can possibly look forward to (dread?) some big character deaths and plot twists (not unusual for a comic series of course but also I am vibrating at high frequency). He also says that the Agorrians and Zertonians will be part of the EU, so super interesting to see how this is woven in with the TF story.

Moment after all this leaping to wild conclusions to appreciate Jetfire's design and his little kitty ears

So, Jetfire was there for all of 3 pages and then promptly dipped. I was expecting them to find him wrecked, but tbh I thought it would be at the end of the issue as a cliffhanger. It does sort of feel like he was just shoved in there (maybe to make TF fans buy into Void Rivals if I'm being affectionately cynical) very briefly, but I don't find myself minding too much since we're getting a new Transformers ongoing later this year (I don't mind when comics have a little thing that doesn't get explained until another series), but since the poster for Void Rivals shows Jetfire a) with an Autobot insignia [he doesn't have one in the issue #1 panels] and b) holding Darak and Solila, I am curious (but not holding my breath) that he might turn up again somewhere between now and October.

I feel like this post is getting overly long so I'm just going to bullet point some thoughts about Darak and Solila, their deal, and the things this issue seems to be setting up for the Void Rivals story:

I love Handroid so much, I don't care if it's the active tool of a Nefarious Regime

Neat parallel between the Agorrians and Zertonians and their apparently generational war, and the Cybertronians and their *waves hand*

Obviously someone(s) for some reason(s) have a vested interest in keeping the Agorrians and Zertonians at war, not learning about one another, and not getting a moment to even think about not killing each other

(another extreme leap) please give me Quintessons mixed up in the wars of multiple species across the universe

Mild disappointment that both aliens are just "slightly different coloured humans" in design but the moment they took off their helmets and looked at each other and saw they were the same was so lovely that I forgive it

I was expecting to be fairly disinterested in the non-Transformers plot, especially because GI Joe has really never called to me, but this issue really felt like a nice introduction, I'm definitely curious about what's going on between the Agorrians and Zertonians, what's going to happen when Darak and Solila inevitably manage to escape and are now known by both their factions to have worked with The Enemy, and also dying for more Handroid. Also I am shoving Jetfire content into my mouth and chewing frantically before anyone can take it away.

[13leaguestories]

OH SHIT wait WAIT *rearranges birthday speech notes* goddamn it I didn't know exactly when your birthday was so I didn't know when to send this, omg sorry I was freaking out over this and still missed it but here it goes anyway 😂

happy birthday Tierra!! I've been reading everything you put out since Dragon Racer days, and though Superstition is my favourite, it's probably just my personal preference for more serious and sober writings, and bc we have a lot of stuff from that one specific IF out already so I feel like I can sink my teeth into it, but that doesn't mean I haven't read literally every other IF of yours and even your patreon stuff when I occasionally can support you, and they all stick with me for different reasons!

anyway, I'm just here to wish you an amazing day/week/month, and hoping you feel better soon, bc in your monthly forecasts you told us you've been having a tough time with your writing lately... well, you should know many of us genuinely care bc you're an actual talented and proficient writer, not to mention a fun and kind person - I love reading through the actually interesting and insightful asks you get sometimes, and I die with the unhinged funny ones and how you understand where some of us are coming from in our unhingedness that ain't a word OH and I admire the patience you have with some people asking the same stuff you've already answered thousands of times before bc I could NEVER 😂 and even when you burn some rude people too for being way too comfortable with their asks 🤣 love that

like, I'm just thankful for your hard work, you have no idea how happy your writing makes many of us - as one of the most beautiful forms of art, for me, the main objective of writing is to take the reader somewhere else entirely, like, just grab them and pull them away from real life, bc sometimes life can suck, and even if it doesn't, the feeling of living other lives, being someone else, somewhere else, it's just amazing and unique to experience... and you do all of that amazingly well?

let's take Superstition as an example but this applies to all of your works: how many times have I laughed, or cried or gone feral while reading it? genuinely excited? it doesn't feel like I'm reading through a story on some fictional land far away from our own (even when sometimes it is), or about a character far removed from here, it feels like me, like I am literally there instead? when my character has to fight, or help, or argue, push, or hug, or love, or hate any of the others, or when they cry, or get hurt, or reunite, or get head over heels... that's me, not Roe, (or the Apprentice, or Phoenix, etc) right there, going through it? so it feels kinda personal? like, sometimes it's even hard to come back to my own reality, but not because it's boring/sucks, but because I was just enjoying being there in that book/IF, in that particular storyline, and having so much fun I feel like I could actually live there for some time and enjoy every second of that adventure I was participating in... it's refreshing, and it feels like wandering through fantasy, and that's extremely amazing, and very hard to accomplish I would think, because not every IF or even traditional writing captures that? so yeah, just wanted to say thank you, I guess? 😂 don't ever forget your writing literally brightens many of our days - like how whenever a new episode of Superstition comes out it's always like a holiday for me 😂

so hey take your time and don't stress over it bc art takes time, and it always has to run its course, sometimes it feels like it has a mind of its own - I know that bc I write too and it can be overwhelming... so take care of your mind so it can do its thing, and also don't forget that all of us have stayed here for this long and enjoy your writing because it truly is a special little part of our days, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!😂🥳🎉

Thank you so much! And it's understandable I only said the month lol. But thank you so much and thank you for taking the time to write and send this in. Ugh, cheeks, be calm. This was so sweet of you and so motivating as well. Ugh, nope, I can't. I refuse to get emotional while eating a bagel. Damn you!

But again, thank you so much, I don't think thank you really encapsulates how grateful I am.

[shimmershy]

Hiya, random bs question, Any advice for writing fanfics? Thunderstorm has quickly become on of my favorites so I wish for advice please!

Wow ha ha, I'm really glad you liked it! Unfortunately I'm....horrible at advice, especially when it comes to art and writing. Mostly because I've just been doing it for pretty much my whole life so I kind of just... do it and try to make it look/sound right as I go. Plus there's just a lot that goes into it, so it'd probably be easier to answer like a specific question or something.

I guess one thing that's good to keep in mind is to vary your sentence structure throughout the story because it makes it more interesting to read. Like, have a variety of long and short sentences, and change up the way you phrase things a bit. You can break traditional writing rules too, especially in fanfiction where it's easier to get away with, and use sentence fragments for effect, for example.

Another thing I love doing is giving a line that's supposed to have a lot of impact its own paragraph. Like, you have this really long paragraph explaining a character's feelings or something, and then there's this one sentence that gets broken off from everything because it's meant to be impactful. That's just a lot of fun to me. And then, of course, you have the ellipses (...) with their own paragraph when there's a lot of tension or just a pause. Or just...regular ellipses hehehe. I rely on that way too much to help with pacing and stuff.

If you have a lot of monologuing/character thoughts/dialogue in one place, it helps to interject a sentence or two that keeps it grounded in the present moment. Just take a moment to describe something the character's doing while they're saying/thinking these things because they're probably not going to be sitting still as a statue the whole time. (And if they are....mention it!) Maybe they glance to the side or brush their hair behind their ear or walk over to the cabinet to get a cookie. It just helps with pacing and also to make sure things are still happening, I guess. I tend to struggle with remembering to do this so I always kind of have it on my mind. I get caught up with explaining things a lot and forget about the "things happening" part. For example, Thunderstorms had a lot of paragraphs of Chara just thinking about stuff so it felt really clunky to read through, I guess? So from time to time I tried to add in a description of them doing something, like pulling their blanket tighter around themself. When I was first writing this, they were just going to stay in their room the whole time, but then I was like, that's boring! Boo! Make fun stuff happen! So yeah. I don't know, it's kind of hard and it's more something you just have to feel out.

And I guess, just generally, it helps to know the characters you're writing really well. I feel like the fact that I've been hyperfixating on Undertale, particularly Chara and Frisk etc., for years has something to do with how well I write them lol... But yeah. I don't know, when it comes to fanfiction, the most important thing is to have fun with it. :) And usually if you enjoy writing it, surely there will be people out there who enjoy reading it.

[madfantasy]

Dear Blogging

Hope ur doing well🍀

When I realise my updates are futher apart in time, it makes me sad. I don't have much new to say, I am in the same trance following no time yet feeling every passing second. In progress that I can't feel because of how much I'm used to pain and nothingness. I am okay, finally had the brain power to make words today, the last months were exceptionally difficult as I mentioned the unrelenting near 50° heat. And for the majority of that time I spent it without any means to cool off, which periodically made me sick and kept me in bed too long. Even more bits of my teeth broke off, rendering me unable to smile or eat without jolts of pain. My unstable network provider topping off the misery.

Since I moved to my "sunny room" I couldn't use the net I waste money on for because of the weak signal, so I had not much sources of distractions or solace. Nothing separating me from the continuous good old times; living in absolute isolation. I don't think I have online connections anymore and wouldn't blame anyone for forgetting me. I'm sorry, I feel absolutely disconnected, I don't know what I want or what to do or how to dare be involved. And in all honesty, I am functioning on 1% energy spent on drawing..

I was trying to have a goal to compete that, to keep my faith up and have hope and project it. Wanting a red and black room was one, but I gave up on it because I didn't have enough work to afford it, and really the experience of buying stuff online only to find the advertised color was a lie, specially if its red was a huge waste of time and money. And my guardians fed up with me asking them to return things, ungraciously. I liked my room eventually

After prolonged periods of depression, I found myself longing for my traditional art, flicking through my old diary. I craved to return able to draw on paper again, and the few times I tried, memories, good and bad gushed through. Relived again how it was to draw in secret and to love things you are constantly told are not for you or called it not natural and be punished severely for.. just made me cry over how culture always just hurt for the sake of hurting and uses religion as a loose cape, mourning them using it to exclude while it was something aimed to be harmonious with all and they never focus on being actual good people over keeping appearances.. for the longest time making me wonder if something was actually wrong with me beyond just being different than them.. now there's plethora of mental things thanks to their abuse. Starting with my inability to look at people without feeling quick to panic discomfort. Making me see this isolation as they say, a "blessing in disguise ". I don't know how to take that as, tbh, I still to this day get nightmares of when I used to live in big houses with multiple families, or the endless schools I went to.

I started drawing on paper bit by bit. The minute I find myself overwhelmed I stop. With time I felt I can enjoy it again, and recalled all what passer through my mind as kid, how I fantasised of owning the chunkiest coloring tin or the thickest drawing paper. So decided to get sketchbooks and notebooks and try everything new, I didn't care

I didn't know where to start, so I got randomly selected sketchbook and one lockable journal, so I can hopefully write diary again like i used to. I show everything i get to them but already Guardians couldn't help themselves and flick though it, I didn't say anything but my inside automatically clinched and turned into an angry imp snatching to have it back, like i used to actually react when they searched my school things for doodles.

I changed the lock c:

I learned of the existence of more mechanical pencil sizes so I got every possible one, carefully not breaking my law of owning only red and black things, hehe. Also some essentials so my guardians won't comment on my spending ways. Like a tooth brush, and the best bonnet ever. I also got myself a backpack for my pen people to live in, for the longest time I wanted a shark backpack but this one just screamed Mani (it was cheaper 😝). As kid I had a red bag with snoopy's face on it, it was my literal safe zone that I carried it everywhere, pretended to travel in cardboard boxes with and had many garbage things stored in it that ment something dear to me, already that blissful feeling is regenerated when i wore it. And hopefully next month I get work to buy colors..

I got my eyes on those atm

(Also something funny, I can promise you I got the talk about devil worship from them for getting horns, and here's the thing; they know about the actual sketchy devil worship practices, its a common knowledge in our surroundings. To me, having red horns it felt Mani like, style euphoria, I love being a polite naughty gentlethem and that spoke of it clearly to me so I didn't care too much)

I also in my careless defiance rush, bought a shoulder- abaya that resembles more of a cloak, to me at least. To help dim my dysphoria even for the tiniest bit and maybe give me one point of courage to want to go out when possible. 'Cause the only thought i have when I'm out is absolute fear, or brain blanking out on me and i freeze in my place

I was stressed for so long that they might fight me on it because they never allowed me to wear but the cover ups of their choice from the dark ages, one I could not walk in or see where I was headed in (i actually wear glasses to see), but I presented it to them and I don't think they noticed.

Maybe now i can feel comfortable in it, throughout the years I never really adjusted to wearing it— having almost no occasion to leave the house 3/4 of my life. It was never something i felt connected to, been only a reminder of pure shame and embarrassment. From the very first day I started to cover my face at middle school, was forced to do that the day before, non of my guardians taught me how to wear it. And the minute it fell from my face thanks to my clumsy attempts at tying it, my face was welcomed with— not the fresh air and 4k sight clarity, but a slap that knocked me back into the car. Followed by an entire hysterical berating, calling me a sl*t and what have you, for everyone who was dropping their kids to see and hear.

I didnt know it at the time, but i was also mocked of how I wore it many times by my peers, while some took petty on me and dressed me themselves. I merely envied those foreign students who wore it just to follow the school rules and offed it the minute they got into their cars to leave. I still have no answer to what I truly want, and thats okay..

I forgot to mention how they can be super pricy, so I got the cheapest I could, resulting it being thick, strings jutting everywhere, way too big on me and all of its buttons fell. So I had to do some long hem shortenings and buttons sewing, I think I started to like it

I now just need someone to hold my hand and never let go, to take me to the hospital and hypothetically be my voice till mine return... manifesting

Oh and i did drew alot of snarry cuz it was my only cure during this time of dissociative routine, ofc endless of sketches that did not make it and 2 did, and still more to come hopefully when I continue to feel better

I wish you all the best in this world my dears, your burdens ease and your heart beats with your desires met , mani loves you ❤️‍🔥🍀🕊🙏

24.6.2022

[un-pearable]

Hi! Uh, I want to get into Sonic. Any shows/games you would reccomend starting with? An order? Also!! What's your favorite iteration of sonic (if you have one)

i think this might be THE question every sonic fan is dying to be asked. that is to say, hell yeah it would be my pleasure to make some recommendations >:] 

best things to try as a very first introduction to the hedgehog and friends (that are still relatively bitesized or accessible): 

the official animations for sonic mania, team sonic racing, chao in space, sonic colors, and most recently sonic frontiers. personal favorites are chao in space bc its adorable and frontiers for… obvious (knuckles) reasons (it’s about knuckles). these are short and sweet and absolutely adorable so they’re always some of the first things i recommend :] check ‘em out if you can - you won’t regret it. 

on that topic, Sonic Frontiers is a solid place to start with the games! it’s the most recent release so there’s currently a demo available on switch and it’s also on sale on steam right now (until Feb 13th!). few of the games directly lead into each other so picking specific games to start with is more down to personal taste, i’ll go into more detail if you’d like but for an introduction to the series? frontiers has been very well received and many consider it a return to form after the last few games, so it’s a good place to pick up the series! EDIT: I FORGOT ABOUT GENERATIONS. sonic generations is basically a Best-Of compilation of sonic’s most well known stages and it’s also perfect for a first time player. it was MY first game. how on earth did i forget about it. anyway it’s also on steam and it kicks ass!!!

alternately, much of the franchise was codified in the adventure games, so if you prefer starting at the beginning, they’re big recommendations as well! both Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 are on steam and MANY playthroughs are online. SA2 was also the first of the sonic fandubs, so if you’ve seen any of those memes that’s where they’re from. 

also, if you’re into zelda games you’ll probably love frontiers. but if you prefer 2D/pixel art games, Sonic Origins just came out last summer and contains rereleases of the first four sonic games and Mania is always a fun option! alternately, try here for a taste of sonic 2 :] 

comics!! comics!!!!! the IDW Sonic The Hedgehog comics are killing it lately and double as canon and ridiculously fun. the first arc is issues 1-12 and if that won’t sell you on this funky little guy, well, there’s a lot more options too! you can find the IDW run here - but support your local comic shop if you can! 

for a little more bite-sized try the recent miniseries scrapnik island! it’s standalone from the main storyline and considering you’re a ninjago fan i think you’ll enjoy a fun story about morally complex robots :D 

the Archie series is amazing at times and so bad it’s funny at others - but what isn’t? while i am a HUGE fan it does require quite a bit of time and investment. other recommendations from the 300 issue+ legacy of sonic comics are available on request (i do not know how to shut up <3) 

tv shows!! Sonic Prime just released on Netflix and it slaps. not the most traditional sonic but it’s fun as hell and ongoing - we’re only ⅓ into the first season and there’s at least two guaranteed. the animation is astounding and it’s coincidentally produced by wildbrain just like current ninjago. i edited one of it’s kickass fight scenes here 

this is almost certainly far more than you need but i love talking about this series so thanks for humoring me :] i hope you enjoy them!! hmmm… they’ve all got their own appeal to me but lately i’ve been watching a lot of playthroughs while drawing (and i eagerly await the frontiers dlc so i have an excuse to replay it) and i think atm game sonic’s my favorite! the comics are delightful and the shows always have their own twists but i love good ‘ol game sonic… the others are more than just facets of his character and have their own great stories, but there’s something special about the original. this message brought to you by how absolutely astounding his characterization is in Sonic Unleashed. we missed you big guy. hope you have fun!! 

[hxhhasmysoul]

Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

These questions always have me like... do I know 10 of anything?

The order doesn't indicate anything, I will number them to keep track.

Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell- I could write that I love it because it has Coyote and end there because that'd be enough. But I also like so many of the characters Annie, Kat, Shadow and Robot, and Parley and Smit and like so so many of the characters. And most of all I love the world building and the story. God how amazingly it is set up.

Digger by Ursula Vernon- The black and white art style is stunning. The story and world building are just so so amazing. My inner anthropology enthusiast connects very deeply with this anthropology coded comic. And also it has Grim Eyes, and Ed and Shadow Child.

Blame! by Nihei Tsutomu - This is still the most beautiful comic I've seen. Idk what about it resonates with me so much but I regularly just like to open volumes at random and look at it. The concept is good too, don't get me wrong. And it's like a 10 vol manga that kinda has like 2 characters that matter and most pages don't have any dialogue or writing at all...

Every single piece of Kon Satoshi's - literally everything that man made is amazing. It's beautiful for one. But also everything he made was about perception of reality. About how reality is formed from the subjective human mind. How it is formed from imperfect memory and lack of full knowledge because it's impossible to have all the information. etc. He hasn't made much, his life was cut far too short. You can watch everything in a week and you should.

The Pillow Book by Sei Shounagon - This book is such a vibe. Shounagon can be subtle yet savage. It's a very easy read too, it's very relaxing. And you can just open it at random and read a bit and just enjoy its beauty.

Hunter x Hunter by Togashi Yoshihiro - It traumatised me, I haven't recovered since. It has permanently merged with my consciousness. It includes Gon and Killua and many other characters I love and very neat writing and a bs power system that's absolutely amazing.

Jujutsu Kaisen by Akutami Gege - It traumatised me, I haven't recovered since. It has permanently merged with my consciousness. It includes Yuuji and Kenjaku and some very neat writing and some frustrating writing and a bs power system that's absolutely amazing.

Parenthesis by Élodie Durand - It's one of the best uses of comic as a medium I've ever seen. The theme in itself is very much up my alley because it's about memory, and perception and the mind. But the way it uses comic... I don't think this story could've been told in any other medium, or if it was it just wouldn't be so much...

Mononoke (2007) by Toei Animation - Fuck me it's beautiful. I'm very not normal when it comes to textile art and it's like textile art but anime... And the stories are fucking amazing. It has a whole story about koudou the traditional art of incense ... There's nothing better than this.

The Duchess (2008) - It's a very entertaining fanfiction about the fascinating woman that was Georgiana Cavendish. Her biography is also a very good read but heavier, but also more nuanced. And Keira Knightley and Hayley Atwell are amazing in it. Plus the visuals...

___

I think I reached 10, yay. Honorable mentions to Berserk by Miura Kentaro - it's just beautiful; Avatar the Last Airbender - it still holds up after all this time; The Witcher aka what my teenage self loved (2 short stories books and the 4 volumes of the saga, the 5th book is so bad you should never read it); Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick - another fav of my teen self; Paradise Kiss by Ai Yazawa - it's about fashion and has fun characters just not George XD; Velvet Goldmine - the queerness and the fashion.

I'm 100% sure I'm forgetting a lot.

[fox-daddy]

Christmas but not really.

Thanks for the ask and nope this is the first question I've gotten around my Mc's.

I'm going to write 4 versions for this; 1 where my Mc's all live in the same world and then one each focused on when it's just them as the Mc since I feel all four versions would shed light on how they feel about it properly instead of focusing on one perspective.

(Another note is when making the original I was stupid and forgot Julian and Portia are Jewish. Due to not knowing about their holiday and the fact I like to celebrate Christmas as a pagan holiday rather than a christian one due to liking pagan stuff more. 'the date itself and several of the customs we've come to associate with Christmas actually evolved from pagan traditions celebrating the winter solstice.' For this I decided to edit it so it has nothing to do with Christmas but just a holiday celebrated in Vesuvia. Gift giving is pretty much meant to be reminder how much the person you give gifts means to you. Romantic, platonic, etc it's not you HAVE to give anyone gifts but if you do it's a sign you really appreciate that person. Maybe in the original version of the holiday food was the gift you'd give kind of as a 'don't starve during winter I care about you' but evolved overtime to other items.)

When they all live in the same world;

Kyle in both versions with him in it adore the holidays as a chance to both show appreciation for his friends through gifts and through remembering what the holiday is for, reminding those around us how much we adore them. If it's before the game then he'll spend most of the day with Asra and Hunter. While Hunter has no strong feelings for the holiday good or bad they enjoy being able to spend the day hanging around the shop enjoying holiday treats like gingerbread men and pudding. Who can forget the eggnog. Bluebell my poor workaholic tends to spend their day in their clinic being one of if not the only vet in Vesuvia means even during the holidays they don't tend to take long breaks. With chocolate being shared around more it just means more chocolate poisoning and more work. However, Kyle just takes this as a great opportunity to move the small party to their clinic. Waiting until it's closed before going over with Asra, Hunter and a bowl full with hot or sweet foods. As they both help take over some of the work and get Bluebell to take a proper rest for the night, which usually involves Kyle, Hunter and Asra getting drunk while Bluebell makes food. Theirs nothing quiet like good food, good company and a building filled with dogs, cats and other animals.

For when each of them are the Mc without the other;

Kyle;

If were talking a December holiday then with Vesuvia being in the southern hemisphere it would be summer. Going off a July holiday, every since his first one he's adored the holiday. The bright lights, the snow, the smell of fresh cooking and it being the time of the year where people are more conscious of the people around them. Getting and giving gifts only make it that much better. pre-game he'd spend the beginning of the day waking up early and heading outside wrapped up in as many layers as he can without losing mobility to watch the sunrise and play in the snow. Followed by a hot meal inside with Asra before dragging them outside to play in the snow. Then again given the opportunity Kyle would play in the snow everyday. However, due to mild trauma on Asra's part he's not really allowed to play in the snow too much due to always getting sick the next day even if only mildly. Asra even once tried to bring some snow inside which only proved it was Kyle's magic reacting to snow rather than him actually getting sick. Today is one of the exceptions. Closer to midday they have hot drinks and the classic present exchange as 9/10 Kyle is usually given at least one gift that's either a puzzle, book, game, arts and crafts or just something to do as Kyle will usually spend the rest of the day playing with whatever he was given and after an early warm dinner, watching the sunset before going to bed early as typically by this point Kyle starts to feel slightly sick. Although it's almost always cleared up by tomorrow afternoon if not tomorrow night.

if post route with Asra it's mostly the same except Kyle will spend the early morning cuddling in bed with Asra until breakfast where he'll drag the white haired magician outside and then it's mostly the same.

If Nadia's route then Kyle typically follows what Nadia usually does with the exception of the early morning shenanigans where Kyle will sneakily sneak out of bed and set up both a heartwarming message in the snow and work on snowmen/animals around the message. He's not above using magic to make sure it's perfect as he tends to make it owl themed so Chandra can enjoy it too.

Hunter;

pre routes;

To say their first winter holiday was a surprise is an understatement. At first they had ignored the brighter lights and cheerful mood finding the change unsettling to say the least. While it looked to be a solid 50/50 on if they would enjoy it as for the most part they seemed content to spend the day inside around the oven with the stove salamander. However, as soon as they were given their first present it was pretty clear they would enjoy it if for nothing else but the primal urge to tear colorful paper into shreds, only noticing the actual gift when Asra pointed it out as they were too distracted by their destruction of the paper. Ever since they've grown a soft spot for giving people colorful paper for them to destroy to get to the mystery gift inside. Aside from the gifts they tend to have a pretty neutral feeling for the holiday not overly enjoying it anymore than a normal overly cold day but also doesn't hate it. Spending most of the day like it's a normal day.

post routes;

They tend to have a similar feeling to the holiday as Muriel, a normal cold day with the exception of having to give gifts. To say they were both nervous the first holiday together is understatement, Muriel definitely relaxed more realizing Hunter mainly enjoys just destroying the wrapping paper. Aside from a small picnic and presents they tend to spend the day like most overly cold days, 'cuddling' (aka leaning against each other) with Inanna and relaxing by a fire.

When Julian realized Hunter never really did anything special that changed immediately. Being woken up by Julian dragging them out of bed and outside for a snowball fight. Neither of them are above cheating, as they eventually head inside for some breakfast. Before midday they head over to Mazelinka's to start setting up for dinner with some help from Portia. They open presents before enjoying a hot dinner that slowly turns into some light drinking and a night of celebration and the next day to rest. Which yes means Hunter forcing Julian to rest, which is easier when he's hungover.

The day is pretty similar with Portia as well. A hectic morning of fun, evening of heading over to Mazelinka's to start on dinner, opening presents before having dinner and drinking.

Bluebell;

pre route;

My poor workaholic would prefer to try and work and prove themselves as being able to look after themselves as soon as they can. While this is normally a good thing Asra is proud of their is a point where it becomes not so good. So being forced to keep the shop closed wasn't the best news for them at first. However, Asra took it as a chance to try and remind them it's a good time to rest. So to say Bluebell didn't like winter holiday at first was an understatement, they hated it. It felt like they were being forced to rest when they didn't want to. However, as the day went on Asra made sure to show them that resting can be fun. Doing baking, making cards and more baking.

Post route;

Bluebell still struggles with taking time off but dating Lucio helps with that a lot. As much as Bluebell would love to take a new job and do work, it didn't take too much begging convincing for Lucio to get Bluebell to agree to take the day off with him. As they spent a lot of the day wondering around the city they were in. As they end up buying ingredients and gifts. When they get into an inn Bluebell typically uses the kitchen with permission to make a bunch of treats and cookies and gingerbread men and pudding and other treats. Where they'll eventually wind down cuddling in their room with a bunch of treats (yes Bluebell made Mercedes and Melchior dog treats) where they'll exchange gifts usually not wrapped but it's not the wrapping it's watching Lucio react to the fact Bluebell had saved up to get him that expensive item they didn't have money in the budget for but he really wanted.

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/26/2023: UNWELCOME (2023)

I must say I got to see a lot of new and new-to-me movies that I really enjoyed this Blogtober! UNWELCOME is a flawed, yet also hugely delightful creature feature that director Jon Wright has described as "GREMLINS meets STRAW DOGS"--and that is exactly what it is! The STRAW DOGS part is a little murky, with an extremely menacing Colm Meaney leading his brood of angry rednecks in a mounting campaign of terror against the young English couple who have moved into a rural Irish cottage to have their first baby in peace. Each of the cast members are doing their best (Meaney is honestly terrific), but the movie seems to have a hard time deciding between rather broad black comedy, and the grim drama regarding the fate of the extremely pregnant Hannah John-Kamen. But let's be real, it's the GREMLINS part of the movie that you're really here for.

The couple is allowed to inhabit the cottage so long as they maintain the local tradition of leaving a daily bit of meat or offal for the little people who live in the forest beyond the garden wall. Naturally the skeptical modern intruders immediately forget their responsibility, bringing about the wrath of the Red Caps: vicious Boschian homunculi who are more than capable of taking down grown men. And these things are GREAT. It's been a minute since I've seen such an exciting, new monster in the movies, and I watched UNWELCOME twice just for them--and an extra half-a-time just to watch the Red Cap scenes! There aren't many images of them online and I think that's a good thing, not only to preserve the surprise (which is late in coming FYI), but because you really have to see them in motion. They are astoundingly convincing, beautifully designed, and just funny enough to remain threatening and scary. Even if you don't care for the human drama, the Red Caps are so, so worth it. Here's a link to the blog of screenwriter Mark Stay where he talks about their creation:

And by the way, I was so inspired by UNWELCOME that I tweeted at Mr. Stay about it, which totally delighted him. Just as people forget that when you say something nasty about somebody's movie online, the people from the movie can see it along with the followers you're trying to impress, it's also easy to forget that filmmakers (or whatever creatives) are sometimes accessible people who will love to hear how much you liked their thing--especially when it's a smaller-scale effort like this. One of my recent New Year's resolutions was to send more "fan mail" like this, and I don't always remember to do it, but when I do it's never a bad thing.

PS I have a feeling that there's an English artist or art tradition that informs these things--like it's not just Bosch in there, but someone or something more specific to old fairy art. Maybe I'm imagining this, but please feel free to reply or reblog if you know what I mean!

[brian-in-finance]

Instagram

Lauren Lyle Interview | ITV’s Karen Pirie

LAUREN LYLE has taken on the title role in Karen Pirie on ITV.

The ITV drama, set in Scotland, comes from the producers of Line of Duty and Bodyguard.

True to Val McDermid’s iconic character, DS Karen Pirie is a young and fearless Scottish investigator with a quick mouth and tenacious desire for the truth.

AC: What can audiences expect from Karen Pirie?

LAUREN LYLE – Karen Pirie is a brand-new fresh take on crime dramas. It’s funny, relevant and terrifying. We have a young fearless detective right at the beginning of her career thrust upon with an incredibly important and personal case of another young woman that has been murdered in the very cool era of the 90s. Karen takes justice very seriously and we see her journey through the lens of an underestimated young person forced to navigate the traditional, conservative police in a way she’d rather not. If she was allowed to do things her way I’m sure things would be done a lot more smoothly. And with more style.

AC: What do you think is your character’s ultimate goal?

LAUREN LYLE – In this case, to do the right thing by whatever means necessary. Karen is naturally a very good detective, and it really irks a number of her colleagues and peers who must work harder to be as good. She processes the world differently to them and therefore responds with action and truth. Many of the people around her are much more rulebound which as an actor was very fun to play with and tease.

AC: Can you recall any funny moments from on-set filming?

LAUREN LYLE – Having to get smooth at both handcuffing, arresting and badge flipping. The amount of times I’d have to look cool handcuffing someone without breaking eye contact and would instead break down laughing at how difficult it was. One time another actor just stared right back at me and handcuffed themselves out of shot to save us. Chris Jenks and I took ourselves away the first time we were handed our badges to practice flipping them, so we looked as cool as possible. One I’ll never forget is when I first put on a costume, production said Karen looked too cool. I told them we would do some videos of me marching around the production office as Karen would to show them how much it worked. A note came back right away saying “Great, yes it works, not cool at all”.

AC: Were you familiar with Val McDermid’s books before taking on the role?

LAUREN LYLE – No, but as soon as I started auditioning for the part, I read the book and researched a lot of Val’s stories. It’s a brilliant backbone to have for Emer Kenny’s fresh adaptation. It was great to know I had Val’s blessing and was her choice for KP when it’s such a beloved character. It meant Emer and I could go in with our own creative control to put a new spin on things.

AC: As an actor, what are you still trying to learn?

LAUREN LYLE – I’m enjoying noticing how much more I know technically as I step onto each new job. It’s exciting to be able to speak the same language as the crew and have a mutual respect on how to assist each other. I really relished learning about how much consideration goes into each piece of detailed writing and the story arc – Emer was very on board at bringing me into her writing process and we kept in constant dialogue around the script and where it was going and why.

AC: How can you tell when you’re reading a great script?

LAUREN LYLE – I think it all comes down to clear flow and if I get an immediate visual in my imagination. I saw the world of KP right away through the humour and warmth of the main characters as well as their own personal conflicting drama’s. It really lets you in. I always think the more specific and detailed a character or situation, the more we relate. Even very abstract scripts, when brilliant, will have their version of flow.

AC: When did you begin to see acting as a potential career avenue?

LAUREN LYLE – When leaving high school, I almost went to study fine art at art school in New Zealand. I also applied to do psychology and to drama schools. Instead of all that I up’d and moved to London to do theatre and began working in as much as I could, hustling and meeting people. It was very tough but once I got my first big job on the West End at The Old Vic doing The Crucible I knew it was worth giving it a shot. I’ll never forget the call getting that job. A Wednesday just as summer was starting, standing in my tiny east London flat screaming with my housemate in front of me as I took the call. We couldn’t believe it. That job was incredibly intense and like six months of drama school training in itself. The casting team advised I keep working so I kept moving from there.

AC: How important is social media to you right now?

LAUREN LYLE – This question comes up a lot at the moment. I guess it’s very prevalent in all our lives. I try to keep mine quite work-focused as I get nervous about people having too much access to my personal life. It’s a great way to connect but more and more I enjoy stepping away from it.

AC: What’s the biggest realisation you’ve had this past year?

LAUREN LYLE – That, when possible, we all need to take breaks and enjoy ourselves more. I’ve spent a lot of my twenties taking my career very seriously which has perhaps been beneficial, but I’ve found how important it is to be able to switch off, go to the pub, have a holiday, see my mates. Everything feels so much lighter for it. I still work very hard but it’s cool to be aware of trying to be a bit more balanced.

AC: What makes you feel nostalgic?

LAUREN LYLE – Swimming in swimming pools and the sea. I spent my childhood in water, and it was always the first place I wanted to be on holiday. I’m still a water baby and really miss the sea living in London. I’m also now getting to now tell my nieces and nephews the stories I was told as a child but with all the ridiculous voices of an actor.

Karen Pirie is on ITV, Sunday at 8pm. Watch the whole series on the ITV Hub.

PHOTOGRAPHER: JOSEPH SINCLAIR

MAKEUP: MARIA ASADI

HAIR: JOE PICKERING-TAYLOR

STYLING: EMILY TIGHE

INTERVIEW: ADAM CROOKES

Crookes

Remember… Karen is naturally a very good detective, and it really irks a number of her colleagues and peers who must work harder to be as good. — Lauren Lyle