#i can just change the status...

[zjofierose]

because i am a crazy person and also procrastinating, i have begun the process of moving my WIP spreadsheet from google sheets into Notion. it's got 19 columns, hundreds of rows, and is color coded. but it's so satisfying!

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Dungeon Meshi: The RPG

[ash-and-starlight]

Do you have any really specific and/or personal Zukka headcanons that you’d be okay with sharing? I eat up every hc you put into your drawings like they’re candy, I was wondering if you had any others :D :D

OH boii i sure have,,, nothing coherent is coming to mind atm so ill just expose my Extensive backstories of zukka bethrotal armbands that idk if i will find a way to sneak into art.

sokka’s armband for zuko is forged back at Piandao’s mansion, and it's one of the most fine stunning pieces of jewelry ever crafted. it’s not the usual southern ivory but metal, more similar to the armbands worn as an accessory in the fire nation. it’s made of intertwining bands of gold and black meteor metal, with patterns of waves and dragon scales that seem to ripple and move when the light catches on them just right. and the pendant is a traditional blue stone from the swt.

There are no particular engagement gifts traditions in the fn, so zuko goes on a deep dive into southern water tribe ones, asking sokka’s family and friends about jewelry making and learning to engrave over the course of several trips to the swt. He makes sokka’s armband with ivory from his own first (successful) solo hunt. i’m not sure abt the material of the pendant lmao maybe gold? but amber would also be cool methinks

as for the pendant engraving they display a unique single braincell moment (untrue i just want them to match). love the fact that both of them are sea savvy navigators, love to think that in their pining era they spent a lot of time watching the stars and showing each other the different constellations and navigation pointers of their nations, so in both of their armbands’ stones are depicted the constellation used to guide sailors back home, sokka engraving the swt’s one on zuko’s armband and vice versa.

if they were sun’s out guns out kinda guys before this only gets worse during the first weeks of their engagement. shirts are banned. everyone look at the bethrotal armbands NOW.

[spitinsideme]

So since demon Ragatha is cat-coded, does she knock over things intentionally? Like I can see her swatting something with her hands for attention, but I can also picture her just kinda turning around and accidentally knocking a glass over with her ass since she’s so thick lmao.

obviously !!! shes a bitch on purpose, she wants nun pomnis attention 24/7 becaus3 why would nun pomni chopse to get on her kne3s to pray when she coukd be on her knees for othet things !!! teuly terrible for demon ragatha, so she has to get her attentoon somehow

[ratpinkpunk]

Sketch concept that might become a fully rendered piece

(Also sorry quality is crap)

[grechsblog]

i wonder whats up with all of these destroyed change gods statues. like yeah mystery and representation of grief and foreshadowing i dont yet understand bla bla bla i get it but sue me im curios!!!!

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

Wang LingJiao used the chance to scramble out. She took out a cylinder of fire-light from her lapels and shook it a few times. A light shot out of the cylinder. Along with a sharp whistle, it rushed out of the wooden window and exploded in the sky outside. Then, she fumbled out a second one, a third one. Hair tangled, she mumbled, “Come… Come… Come here… Everyone, come here!” Through the pain, Wei WuXian pushed Jiang Cheng, “Stop her from sending any more signals!” Jiang Cheng let go of Wei WuXian and lunged in the direction of Wang LingJiao. Yet, at the same time, Wen ZhuLiu was closing in on Madam Yu. He looked as if he was about to knock her down. Jiang Cheng hurried, “Mom!” He immediately gave up on Wang LingJiao and threw himself over. Wen ZhuLiu didn’t even turn his head as he struck, “Not even close!” Jiang Cheng’s shoulder suffered the attack. Blood immediately burst from his mouth. Wang LingJiao had already let out all of the signal fire-lights. Sharp whistles and bright sparks filled the entire grey-blue sky. - Chapter 58, EXR

It's quite interesting how, in this moment, Jiang Cheng does exactly what he's always criticised Wei Wuxian of doing: endangering the Yunmeng Jiang sect by 'playing the hero'. That's not what either of them are doing, of course – it isn't a motivation for Jiang Cheng here, it's not a motivation for Wei Wuxian anytime else, and the motivations they have definitely make sense – but it's exactly the sort of behaviour Jiang Cheng would criticise Wei Wuxian for, with those exact words.

Yet, no character ever criticises him for this – Wei Wuxian doesn't, even when it was his (necessary) advice that was disregarded; Madam Yu doesn't, even when her sect suffered as a consequence. Even when it very likely played a role in Lotus Pier's downfall (at least in getting a lot of Wen sect cultivators to get there very fast), it's never brought up by any character ever again... whereas Wei Wuxian's action of saving Lan Wangji, Jin Zixuan and Mianmian in the Xuanwu cave constantly is, even when the Wen sect was pretty certainly going to attack Lotus Pier anyway*. That's not to say Jiang Cheng should be blamed for the fall of Lotus Pier, either – that's on the Wen sect, and regardless of both of their actions, the attack was probably going to be a success. And can we blame someone for making a panicked decision protect his mother? – but one's action is definitely more direct than the other, and it's not the one that's constantly blamed.

The aim, though, isn't to compare the actions so much as the attitudes of the people involved, and this is another little detail that shows the imbalance in Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's dynamic. Again, Wei Wuxian doesn't say anything about this afterwards, and doesn't seem to blame him, even when it's his words that were disregarded, and when the Jiang sect and Lotus Pier were undoubtedly very important to him as well. Which is good! That's a good thing and definitely the healthier option for both of them! If the roles were flipped, and Wei Wuxian saved a(n admittedly non-Yu Ziyuan) person, disregarding Jiang Cheng's orders while leading to more danger falling on Lotus Pier? Jiang Cheng would never stop blaming him or bringing it up. Even after the many years that passed between then and Wei Wuxian's resurrection, he still blames Wei Wuxian for the fall of Lotus Pier due to his actions in the Xuanwu cave** – once again, a much less direct scenario.

--

*Very strategic location (trade hub etc), they attacked the Cloud Recesses already, Jiang Cheng's internal narration literally admits this:

In his heart, Jiang Cheng knew clearly that back in the cave of the Xuanwu of Slaughter at Dusk-Creek Mountain, even if Wei WuXian hadn’t saved Lan WangJi, the Wen Sect would have found some reason to come over sooner or later. But he had always felt that, if the whole thing with Wei WuXian didn’t happen, maybe it wouldn’t have been so soon, maybe there would’ve been some way to turn things around - Chapter 59, EXR

Yet there was some time between the end of the Wen indoctrination and the Fall of Lotus Pier, and we never even saw attempts at security adjustments!

**As we see in the Ancestral Hall:

Jiang Cheng mocked, “Look how forgetful you are. What does unwelcome people mean? Then let me remind you. It was because you played the hero and saved Second Young Master Lan, who’s standing beside you right now, that the entire Lotus Pier and my parents went down with you." - Chapter 87, EXR

[phoenixcatch7]

Honestly can't get over the three springs quests, in that link and hylia held multiple, actual conversations, where hylia asked him to check on the mother statue, he explained the situation, and she thanked him and asked for a dragon piece again, that the offering might boost her power and she could send it through to the big statue. That, and the bargainer statue possessing her plateau statue, implies a really weird relationship between hylia and her idols.

Like anyone listening to link about it would be like,

Link: and then I found my first sages will! I had no idea what it was for at the time, hylia had mentioned it but she never explained -

Person: hold up hold up hold up. Lady hylia? The mother goddess?? Protector of hyrule???

Link, who's only ever been able to remember getting instant responses and knows zelda not hearing anything was a big deal the whole kingdom knew about:...... Yeah?

Person: lady hylia?

Link: *mildly discomfited* yes?? I mean she's busy but I keep her updated, you know? I trade the sages wills with her to enhance the vows, but like I said, I didn't know that at the time, and I'm finding these things just in chests, I'm really not sure they're corporeal enough for -

Person: can we rewind hylia talks to you??

Link, cottoning on a bit: is that not... Normal?

Person, shrieking: NO THE HYLIA STATUE COMING TO LIFE AND TALKING TO YOU ISN'T NORMAL NO ONE DOES THAT????

[happycattail]

As children grow up and become adults, you start to realize that Your Parents are not infallible, are not flawless, are not all powerful and knowing. You realize that Your Parents don't have that much power over you anymore and you shed those glasses and they are no longer just Your Parents, they are your parents sure but they are also just themself. Perhaps I'm reaching, but I think that's what Exandria needs to or will realize once Downfall is over and we see what the ending of Aeor will be. The Gods may have created them ages ago but Exandrians have developed and grown up (yes I know this is also some of what Ludinus have said) and while they don't need the Gods anymore just like most people don't really need their parents once they are grown up, they can still acknowledge that having the Gods there may still be helful and good. They just don't really need to be worshipped anymore. They don't need to have that power over Exandrians anymore.

[starflungwaddledee]

What Starstruck Dee theory have people made that is your favourite?

there have been quite a lot, and i genuinely love them all!

early on i think the most popular theory was that she was possessed or had been possessed at some point, most likely by dark matter. she actually debunked this theory personally, but i think people just assumed she was lying! 😂

my favourite part is not any one theory, but watching a shift in thoughts over time as more things are revealed, and seeing people share theories/work together in comments and reblogs. i like the "OOHHH WWWWHAT...!?!" moments a lot; whether they are a reaction to my storytelling or to other folks' detective work!

early theories revolved around how she was weird for a waddle dee, or at least a native of popstar. despite my never explicitly confirming anything to the contrary, theories have now broadly shifted to assuming she is not from popstar at all, and most people do now generally agree she's not really a waddle dee.

i don't recall exactly who first came up with each theory (though some big players are @the-void-is-a-disappointment who did a huge amount of early deetective work and encouraged me to build it as a story for solving, @shibuya-toasted-with-extra-cream, @graycoin and @jojo-schmo) and i'm not sure which of these theories are still held by anyone

but here a few of my favourites, roughly in order that they started appearing...

♻️ she's a total mimic species like kirby or void, copying things around her either by intent or by accident 🗑️ similar to above, but she's an incorrect copy or a "beta" mock-up type of a waddle dee 🧚 that she was just born different, like a fae changeling, and might have been hidden away when young as a result 🕰️ she is something totally inorganic and/or mechanical, created by or like the clockwork stars or stardream, perhaps wish contingent 🥇 sometimes attached to the above, she was created to serve some sort of Greater Purpose. she might have failed at it or been flawed, and was subsequently discarded on popstar 🌠 a dozen and one wildly different things connected to the "falling star that hit her". alien life form on the meteor transferred into her on impact. infection by intergalactic bacteria/dark matter. simply massive concussive trauma that fucked up her signature (back when we thought that was the only thing wrong with her). the star was magic and fused with her. she hatched from it and is literally a star herself. probably missing some here. 🪐 waddle dee from a different place/planet. this one is quite a sensible theory, given that we do see many quite different dees! 🤍 she is a fragmented piece of void/void termina. this one in particular i know is @shibuya-toasted-with-extra-cream 's ongoing theory and she's put in a lot of really cool work towards it! ⚔️ she's somehow connected to the heroes of yore. this theory i think has only started popping up since galacta knight has become a reoccurring visitor in her storyline and we've started asking questions about her familiar looking magic spears, but you can certainly 1hko @moonverc3x with this one 🧿 she's connected to the matters. sometimes soul, because it's sometimes star themed and lacks a token representative. where as a connection to dream might link her to fecto forgo/fecto elfilis in some way (a creature also well known for a catastrophic meteor attack). i've also seen folks confident that she's connected to heart matter as well, probably again due to everyone's favourite grumpy swan showing up

this is all i can think of or locate right now, but there's been a pretty wide range of things. i feel there has been a rather interesting transition over time from "she's a messed up waddle dee" to "she's probably connected to a universal superpower of some kind" which i am genuinely really really thrilled about?! 😂 what a glow up for a pathetic little wawa!!!

i'm also personally really fond of seeing how people's existing biases influence what they can find and draw connections in. for instance: i know @jojo-schmo loves the forgotten land and elfilis, and digs into those connections and draws out some really cool stuff because her knowledge is already so specialised! i think this is the true highlight of working on this story for me, people theorising and engaging in the lore, and laser pin-pointing things that tie into our personal faves-- the way we tend to do with kirby lore as a whole-- is such uninhibited delight

i sincerely hope people will enjoy where starstruck's story does go, in the end!!

[vegaseatsass]

A few hours after I sent @veliseraptor some Vegas AUs for that meme, another AU hit me which I became obsessed with and thus must now share: My Stand-In AU. Fusion? Whichever!

Pete is the tireless, hard-working, unseen power behind Kinn's action movie empire: his stand-in. The loyal guy who puts his body on the line for Kinn every day but remains invisible and uncredited for it. And that's just the way Pete likes it! Until one day, Kinn's insanely hot cousin cracks a joke about Pete's ass from behind, and this momentary unexpected attention awakens something in Pete and he starts wanting to be seeeeen. Luckily for him, Vegas appears to be... really looking? No, sorry Pete, he is actually obsessed with his cousin who hates him, and having one of his typical obnoxious, needlessly sexual (longingly sexual) comments be received with flustered joy instead of disdainful annoyance has awakened something in him. He never realized there was someone who looked so much like Kinn from behind, but when he's with Pete he can pretend Kinn actually wants him, that the affection of their childhood relationship still exists beneath all the toxicity.

Except the more Pete starts to show himself to Vegas, and connect to Vegas and see him in ways Kinn hasn't in as long as he can remember, the more Vegas inadvertently grows attached to Pete for who he is. But will he be able to communicate that to Pete once Pete finds out their relationship was originally All About Kinn? What about after he chains Pete up in his family's safehouse to keep him from breaking up with him/"choosing Kinn"?? And will this all resolve in a very psychological threeway with Kinn once he finds out his sneaky manipulative sexy little cousin has seduced his stand-in out of his service? STAY TUNED ON MY STAND-IN: LA FORTE!

[chenqingssuibian]

broke: xue yang is a jin bastard

woke: xiao xingchen is a jin bastard

bespoke: song lan is a jin bastard

[radiantmists]

fascinating that there are so many stories for kids that say 'you can save the world' but so few that say 'you can change the world'

[moe-broey]

Pokemon AU Rival Moe calls Alfonse "A Fucking Loser" after he wins and then it either gives him some potions or straight up heals his whole party. Moe wins against Sharena and apologises so sincerely OR Sharena wins and Moe enthusiatically congratulates her and hypes her up without a hint of animosity. Moe wins against Alfonse and truly does not know what to do w that information, this is unprecedented, until Alfonse ever the good sport hits it with the "You fought well ☺️" and Moe malfunctions and explodes

[uncanny-tranny]

"The world isn't a safe place, so get used to it!"

Man, as somebody who's survived multiple, long-lasting instances of abuse from a very young age, I was under the impression that the world was, indeed, so safe and conforming to my desires. I'm practically stunned to learn that this is not the case, and I have been severely humbled

(Sarcasm fully intended)

[peachssodapop]

There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin