#i think i need a new tag for these types if i'm gonna be drawing things based on other's ideas more often

[vivid-bun]

Mermay is coming to an end and I wanted to post something for @honey-minded-hivemind's siren reader. I got the idea of a cuttlefish reader stuck in my head pretty early on while reading the H2-0h No!au but couldn't figure out exactly how to draw them. I really liked the idea of reader being able to change color in order to hide from the other sirens. So here's a couple of my rough sketches and ideas I had.

[tragedy-of-commons]

composition

aventurine x gn!reader | wc: ~1k

He needs to go before he decides that he needs to stay.

tags/warnings: cute domesticity, but since it's aven it has to be a little angsty, skin drawing/inking, mentioned topaz

notes: standalone but i'm thinking of expanding on this universe in the future :3c sdfsdfsdf not happy with how it turned out but fuck it

The ballpoint tip of your pen glides over his hand, leaving another trail of red in its wake.

Aventurine watches with rapt attention. The intricate patterns of swirling ink that you insist on marking him with definitely make it harder to color-match an outfit - but he indulges the habit anyway. Perhaps it’s the artificially sweet aroma that’s typical of such cheap writing utensils; he’s now accustomed to the smell of chemically-grown raspberries while you use him as your canvas.

It’s tolerable, seeing you poke out your tongue in concentration while doodling with no rhyme or reason. Some strokes are thick and jagged, wrapping around the myriad of thinner ones to create a picture he can’t discern. 

(However, when you usually finish, you beam in satisfaction. He doesn’t peg you as the abstract type, but he wonders what you see that he can’t.)

His phone vibrates twice in his free hand. The new messages that grace the screen are of no surprise:

Topaz The booking’s confirmed. I handled it and was able to score us better rooms ✨

Topaz Cruor V is too cold to skimp out on the suites with thermal heaters. Now if you could just be on time for once, that’d make my job a LOT easier.

You hum, sage. “Time to go?”

Aventurine makes a show of examining your handiwork after you pull away from him. “Unfortunately, the IPC’s gains take precedence. Although, I could argue that dedicating my time to the arts is much more valuable in the long run.”

“Hah,” you snap the cap back onto the pen. “If you argue much longer, you could make somebody mad. Don’t let my silly doodles keep you, okay?”

There’s a sad smile on your face, and though it doesn’t deter him from leaving right now, he knows that he’ll count each star separating you from him while he sleeps alone on business. He’ll do so with his gloves off, fingers tracing over the faded curves and dips of red - theorizing how many rainstorms it would take to wash you from his person completely.

He finds himself hoping that he’ll never reach a consensus. Aventurine really hasn’t gotten any better at fooling the wide-eyed child clawing at his insides. 

“Yes. That Topaz is probably wishing unspeakable curses upon me right about now,” he lilts, the beginning of the end on the horizon. “See me off?”

“Don’t make it sound so grim,” you complain, “I’m just gonna miss you. You’ll be back on the 24th, right?”

You say it so casually. If he had any less restraint (or any more courage), he would let out a breathy laugh and then chase it with a kiss to your lips. In the past, honey-trapping had come natural to him when he was on assignment; wrapping an arm around the ambassador of an indebted planet, using the bells and whistles of his disposition to make friends with the right people.

You’re not any of that. You’re not any of that, and he knows. It would be pathetic if you knew how much sway you hold over him - how much sway that this pantomime of a relationship holds over him.

Though the scales are forever tipped in his favor, Aventurine finds that it’s woefully unfair. You appear as nonplussed as him; wordlessly letting him into your home at any hour, always cooking for two, and always decorating his skin with that accursed red pen. 

If that makes you cruel, he cannot begin to imagine what it makes him.

“Keen memory,” he brings himself to stand, “Wonder what changed.”

“My memory is fine, thank you very much.”

He cocks an eyebrow.

You flip him off. “Forgetting a few deadlines isn’t substantial evidence!”

Aventurine chuckles, ambling over to the table by the door. On it rests his gloves, which he pulls over his hands. If the ink stains the fabric inside, no one will be able to tell. “Then I’ll make sure to amass a comprehensive portfolio of ‘evidence’ while I’m gone.”

He’s already dressed and presentable for this assignment. In truth, he could have spared Topaz the headache of his tardiness, but what’s the job of Director without a little challenge? He’s sure it will count towards her experience and character, and you get to scribble on him without the constraint of time.

You pad over, embracing him tentatively. Aventurine dithers between pulling you closer and pushing you away, before he settles on doing nothing. His heart isn’t racing, but it feels too small and too big and too full of you. 

“That better be a promise,” you murmur.

(He smells raspberries. He can’t decide if it’s therapeutic or noxious.)

If he were a more selfless person, maybe he’d tell you that promises never go over well for him - that you shouldn’t bother with any of this. After all, ruling a gambler’s heart only serves to turn you into a bargaining chip.

But Aventurine basks in your warmth anyway, letting his shoulders droop. “If you’re so hung up about it, then why not?” 

His phone buzzes somewhere again, and he’s cold as you pull away. “Perfect. Good luck on your.. uh, thing! Tell Numby I said hi.”

“What is it with you and that animal?” he heaves a martyred (fond) sigh. 

You huff. “Warp trotters are cool, Aven!”

“Not when they mercilessly chew up your clothes.” 

Your demands for more information fall on deaf ears, because it really has become time to go. Interastral travel is bothersome, but not so much anymore - meaning that if he’s not at least an hour early, he’s inconceivably behind schedule. His own reasoning tastes acrid.

That note of something has been with Aventurine ever since he woke by your side, searching your sleeping expression aimlessly. He’d chased the feeling with coffee in one of your stupid mugs, a conversation about your too-bright dreams, and letting you scrawl all over him when he desperately needs to go.

He’s ferried past the door, another farewell echoing behind him before he starts walking. The idle images that plague his mind are of stained gloves, the interior of your bedroom, and the calendar in your kitchen with the date of his return circled in red.

You wave to him from the window as he turns the corner. 

He wagers he'll be back on the 24th. 

taglist: @hanyi-writes, @karagatan02, @aphrodict, @nomazee

[beemers-hell]

**not me absolutely trying to avoid using Emoji’s but having the need to so I look silly and whimsical and not dramatic and like a frightened Victorian child😞**

ANYWAY….💀I’m new to sending a random thingy and I just wanted to send this anyway cuz I’m a little peanut brain and can’t decide on what I’m doing but besides that— 👹👹👹I REALLY LOVE YOUR ART STYLE SO MUCH ITS TOTALLY INSPIRING AND I THINK I SORTA GAINED A KIND OF LIKE “😦Oh Wowwie this person is so unique how do they post their art without being scared?” ((I posted like three things but I’m over here too goofy to go off from the Anonymous text thing but I really should cuz— 🧍🏽‍♀️……I’m rambling- 👹👹👹👹TO GET TO THE POINT I WILL LITERALLY EAT YOUR ART AND THROW A MILLION HEARTS ALL OVER YOUR CHARACTER DESIGNS RAAHHHHHHHH I LOVE THEM AAAAAAAA❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️—-

(Also random thing but like- how do artist genuinely post stuff and just— get it noticed?—😞 sorry I absolutely suck at this since I rarely ask people things on here since I wanna post my own silly art and characters but I get all “😦…OH! PEOPLE CAN SEE MY THINGS—“..but at the same time wanting people to see my artwork?— YEAH ITS CONFUSING AND MY BRAIN IS SO FRIED TRYING TO DRAW MY FAVORITE MADNESS COMBAT CHARACTER…..))

😞sorry that I just wrote a bunch of vomit from my brain I just don’t know how to send things without rambling like a deranged creature—

I CANT TELL YOU ALL THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR BEING SO KIND TO ME ITS NOT FAIR RAUAGAHAGUGSIGJSH

As for how you get noticed, straight up you just gotta get lucky. If you're like me where you're scared of talking to people and interacting with others, you're just gonna have to leave it up to luck whether people notice you or not lmao. That's what happened to me! I just posted my stupid doodles to the madness tags and didn't do much else and I ended up getting lucky in that a lot of people noticed me and a lot of people liked my shit.

Or you can just interact with a lot of people and you'll get your name out there that way! I'm too chicken shit to do that so I don't know how well that works personally lmao

Straight up, you just gotta conquer your nervousness over posting art. I was terrified of sharing my oc x canon stuff with Eb and Tricky publically but hey lo and behold people were really nice and encouraging about it. And now I'm not AS afraid to share stuff thats personal to me! Really its all about not letting your anxiety stop you from doing what you like. I had to learn how to overcome that and you will too!

Also, to all my fellow "is anxious about sharing my personal stuff that I think others will think is cringe type of content publically, esp in the Madness fandom": No one else opinion matters because Krinks has your back dawg. My proof is this lol

[no-psi-nan]

🥺🥺🥺 not 2 be sappy on main but omg I actually started off in Deviantart ages ago, that was the closest thing to social media for me until the tumblr migration lol. But I never really interacted with people on there, and even upon moving to tumblr, never really interacted with people here too often either. At first I had my main blog which was meant to be more professional since I was selling art to get a little college income, so I didn't really make too many irrelevant posts. Then I decided that I wanted to be able to reblog art and support other artists, so I made a side blog where I carefully curated and tagged the posts I reblogged. I made a few original posts but no one ever interacted, and eventually I realized that people only ever sent me asks there if I tagged anything wrong. Also I found out that adding stuff like series and character tags to a reblog on tumblr is basically useless because the op will pretty much always tag those things which makes it searchable on your own blog even if you don't tag it yourself. And if op DIDN'T tag it those things, your tags will make the post searchable on your blog but NOT in the general search, so it doesn't give op any more of a boost than just reblogging it tagless. So I made another sideblog, which I still have today, and I just rapidfire reblog literally anything I find shareworthy lol. Not any interaction there but at least I'm not wasting my time meticulously tagging strangers posts hsfjdlshfks. Since I was best friends with a big name fan in my main fandom (we became friends when I left a long emotional comment on their fanfic btw <3), I helped run some small fandom events and met more people as well. When I switched fandoms, it was a fandom event that gave me a new friend too, my posts never got any traction. Large fandom discords didn't really work for me either. But on this blog I was lucky, and for the first time people started like actually responding to my comments and posts, and get conversations going! And genuinely that's what's kept my brain rot so powerful I think, because bouncing ideas off each other and joking around and shitposting is genuinely the most fun I've ever had online!! I have to thank desta and oatmeal for the fun times especially, and hillbilly---man left really nice comments on my first few fics that really encouraged me, and I always have fun trading ideas with alienn, saikikthoughts, and crookedlyinnernightmare, plus everyone else who's on here, that's too many people to type out. AND I TYPED UP A BUNCH MORE STUFF BUT TUMBLR FUCKING DELETED IT!! Are you shitting me.... Well I think I remember saying that even if it's been getting kinda quiet and boring lately so my attention is starting to wander (I've pretty much posted all of the meta that's not deep fanfic hc at this point and my drawings take me a long time to make), I'll never delete this blog and I'll still be putzing around online until the day I die probably. And I'll always remember these days fondly and hope to find another great community like this one. And also I highly encourage everyone to post, reply, interact, and play with fellow fans! I've made lifelong friendships over blorbos and even if we don't have the same blorbos any more, we're still friends. Obviously stay safe online, never send money to strangers, probably wait like a year to start shipping each other stuff but still, reach out because you never know who you might meet! I've been lonely irl for most of my life for various reasons, and my online friends have been a lifeline honestly, they're all really important to me. Two of my best friends today come from fanfic comment sections!! Also I need to get around to archiving my meta on AO3 lol (yup, it's for meta too!) but that's gonna be a lot of work so -_-U).

[ponett]

I've only been on newgrounds recently but it seems ok and I haven't seen people say anything bad about it, what's rancid there that I haven't seen yet? Also what is this new cohost site everyone is talking about? I can't tell if it's more like twitter or tumblr, or if it's gonna be like pillowfort where everyone forgets about it eventually

i am 28 years old and used to go on newgrounds every day in middle and high school and i have no desire to do so anymore. you're allowed to use it. many people do. i know the type of Big Name Internet Personality that comes from newgrounds, the kind of people who never quite outgrew their south park phase, and that's not the crowd i like to hang around. i also think that so many nsfw artists moving there after the tumblr porn ban is foolish when everyone knows the userbase of newgrounds is mostly teenage boys. and frankly, as an artist, i hate that it still runs on having people write 1- to 5-star reviews on your submissions. i do not need to see that one drawing of mine got 4.55 stars while another got 4.6. that is meaningless to me

cohost is being pitched as a place for twitter refugees to go right now because of the musk buyout and because most users heard about it via leftist twitter, but it isn't really designed to be a replacement for twitter. it was designed to be a "fourth website" - a low-pressure, slower-paced, more chill site with no algorithm and no ads that you can check from time to time on top of the sites you already use, with a layout inspired mainly by tumblr. it reinforces this vibe by hiding most stats from view. follower counts are hidden like on here, but so are note counts, with the only visible stat being the number of comments on a post so that you can tell if someone added a new one. you aren't encouraged to constantly refresh to watch the numbers go up, there are no trending topics, there's no endless scrolling, you can just post and share what you want to and check up on it at a couple times every day

the staff also understands how people actually use these sites in practice and how certain features shape user behavior, so it cuts down on features that end up being tools for harassment. there are no quote tweets, just tumblr-style reblog comments and replies. people can't @ you randomly to put unhinged shit in your notifications. people can't dig through your likes for dirt. the search feature only lets you search tags, not post body content, so there are no term searchers. there's currently no ask box or DMs. (i enjoy answering tumblr asks, but it'd be insane to deny how much they've been used for harassment throughout the history of this site)

i'm not the most active on there currently, but it's refreshing imo. it's small scale, but that's the point, and it's already developing a culture of its own. for example, they let you put custom css and scripting in your posts (within reason), so people do wacky stuff like making the text go diagonal or putting a playable game of minesweeper in the post. this has been described as a "cambrian explosion of posting" that imo helps elevate it beyond the many attempts at Tumblr 2.0

[broodsys]

garden updateee (long post lmao)

peach tree first:

have harvested upwards of 50 peaches from it. have invited the neighbors to freely take peaches (don't think they have tho). have given peaches to my brother. so many are getting partly eaten by critters (i don't mind this)

probably have an additional 30-40 in the worm bin (partly eaten ones, gloopy ones, ones that were seriously damaged early on, etc)

ended up with two gallon bags full - and i mean full - of frozen peach slices and a good bit of peach sauce (well, i call it that, but it's really just cooked down/pureed peaches and a bit of sugar. it's good!)

could i have been more productive with it? yeah! however! wasn't expecting this at all! i cannot stress enough how much of a surprise this has been

after all the peaches have been harvested im gonna trim this poor tree down so hard. bc at present it isn't just bowing a bit under the weight, the main trunk goes up and up... and then starts coming sharply back down. roughly like so:

except with a lot more branches and all but yeah not actually drawing this lmao.

gonna try to espalier it a bit. there are lower branches that i'm going to be keeping and hopefully i can get some wire or something to give it some support, bc clearly during growing and harvest seasons it's gonna need that support. but i'm taking the height off... again, lmao. i've already done this!!!! it is growing so much

however, i think i know why. about midway through last year, we moved the worm bin over near it. and the worm bin has holes drilled in the bottom. so all those nutrients have been sinking into the soil and i think the peach tree was just like oh? nutrience? for me??? and went apeshit lmao

other garden news:

although i've mostly been talking about the peach tree, many things are going above and beyond. the rose bush out front is covered with rose hips that are probably about as wide as a half dollar? and it's grown to about halfway up the second floor. ridiculous. some of the canes are easily as wide as a quarter

we also have a grape. idk what type bc like the smartest person imaginable, i lost the tag. also i don't think it's ever gonna fruit but that is okay bc it is a sprawling beast and beautiful and it is sending vines up that are on the first floor roof

a lot of plants i have mostly to control temperatures indoors. so the rose bush covers the front of the house and some of the dark roof shingles, while the mystery tree and grape cover another part of the house. i was letting the peach tree get a bit taller to become a shade tree since it wasn't seeming to bear (but still not ridiculously tall!) but uh. A Mistake 😂

currently in the process of getting one of the many many manyyyy marionberry canes to root so that i can plant some in the backyard. it's very well established along the side yard and we get a ton of fruit from it, so why not just keep it going?

and we have a nectarine tree out back that's in its.... hmm. second or third year, but i think second. it's older than that, but in terms of being in our garden. so it's not bearing yet, no real surprise, and it's having some of the same issues the peach tree originally had, but the peach tree is no longer afflicted so i suspect the nectarine will end up okay as well

gonna be repositioning the metal gazebo frame (canvas top long since destroyed) into the center of the yard so that we can safely hang a new tarp from it and provide some central shade. looking forward to that, altho it'll be a lot of work. been using the water i saved up all during the rainy season and so far i still have a lot, which is nice - been doing a lot of water-wise planting and letting things get their own water and all. i've managed to keep the bucket pond going even tho the plastic is starting to crack and i'm dreading the eventual day the whole thing goes... sm life in there

but it's cracking bc the winters are getting so cold that the water freezes several inches down and expands, so it's like... rly tricky to deal with? debating about getting a solar powered water bubbler for it. just smth to keep the water moving a little bit and hopefully prevent it from freezing sm

i have mulched a tremendous amount this year, as i usually do. countless cardboard boxes - only plain ones, or ones with dyed parts removed, and always removing all the tape. forever trying to reuse stuff. there are still problem areas in the back and front yards, but some can't really be dealt with - like we have a lot of stray cats in the area and they sure do like to use yards as litter boxes 🙃like they're just gonna be here, it's a thing, but it does mean taking that into consideration wrt what/how we grow things

i keep getting frustrated and sad with how many things are dying out there but like. yeah. it's gonna happen. a) transplant shock is a thing, no matter how careful i try to be, b) it's hard to tell how heavily i should water things tbph, c) our soil is different all over the place, and the soil out front is very poor - which some things prefer! but definitely not all, and d) climate change. even hardy natives aren't necessarily hardy anymore, and over time native ranges seem to be shifting, so it's difficult

but i'm trying to not focus sm on what's dying and more on what's thriving, bc a bunch of stuff is :')

[absolute-snzaster]

ok I guess I'm expanding on that last one bc apparently people are judging me for rbing it lmao. look man, I'm sure as fuck not tryna tell anyone else they can't or shouldn't examine their sexuality. but personally, those posts that kick around all "lol so where did your kink come from" make me hell of uncomfortable. given that I quite literally have had it since before I can remember, anything that prompts me to examine the origin of it is by default prompting me to theorize on my experience of sexuality as a literal toddler. and I'm not blanket stating that it's wrong for people to do that for themselves but it is sure as shit not what I'm here for on this blog where I go to be a horny adult. besides which, my childhood was abusive and traumatic as shit and drawing parallels between that and, again, my adult sexuality is not my idea of a good time!!!!!

I genuinely don't think anyone is trying to say that people who developed the kink later in life are less valid, somehow. (And if anyone is saying that, like... don't.) I'm not gonna knock on anyone for getting defensive, bc clearly I'm feeling a similar way, lmao. And I can see how the wording of the original post here might bring up those feelings for some people. But for me, it genuinely was a thing I hadn't even realized how much I needed to hear, after a few too many "so was captain hook your sexual awakening or" type of posts.

You're valid if you want to speculate on your sexuality. You're valid if you don't. You're valid if you've had the kink as long as you can remember. You're valid if you haven't. Hell, you're valid if you make posts about whether or not captain hook was anyone's sexual awakening. And you're valid if those posts make you uncomfortable, even if you've never quite been able to articulate why or how.

Maybe we just need a few new tags for this shit.

[reverthestarryeyed]

My second drawing that I actually put time and effort into

Keep in mind this is my second drawing ever, I'm new to drawing so don't expect something good.

Anyway, introducing my oc (I'll put the name later once I came up with one)

There's something about the hair and thighs that feels wrong, anyways

The Duke's introduction of my oc: The fifth one and probably the least threatening of the Lords, Master (again, I'll a put a name later once I've made one 😆), he's not well known around these parts since he doesn't come out of his forest in the outskirts of the village. Trust your instincts in that forest, there is something watching you and do be careful not to touch anything there

Medical Report:

My oc isn't local (as you can see from his clothing) to the village, I'm not exactly sure how he got there though.

As stated in the medical report -- his body is unstable, in the forest there's this tree where his body is inside. His body (or at least the forest that's connected to his body) is able to replicate different plants, fruits and vegetables within the forest. Don't eat it though, it's part of his body, he's quite literally one with nature, and everything has become part of him (i.e watermelons expanding and shrinking like breathing lungs, an apple beating like a heart, etc.).

He's probably the least threatening due to not fighting much, this is due to the fact he can feel what's happening in the urban area, so if someone were to slash a tree branch the entire forest will shake in agony since he can feel it. He can fight if need be, there is an entire forest (including most of the animals) at his disposal, and it's nigh on impossible for anyone to run and hide since he can feel, hear and see them.

He also has immense regeneration, as long as the main body is still intact then he should survive any damage caused (albeit the damage hurting like a mothe-)

Since his real body can't go anywhere (since he's basically a tree at this point) he created a puppet that looks like him, of course he still needs the puppet to be attached to him in order to be moved around. Now while in a "family" meeting I'm just imagining him sitting on top of a tree like a throne with the roots going everywhere, the longest ones leading back to the forest.

His monster form is a giant deer with green fur, branch-like antlers, glowing green eyes and legs (or is it calves?) that go from black to green (I'm gonna attempt to draw it one day)

Extra Info: I took a little inspiration from the Qilin when designing my character. As for his powers, I took inspiration from skin tags believe it or not. I also chose to give him plant-based abilities since I noticed the 4 Lords representing different types of horror, so I chose Natural/Eco Horror for my oc.

I'm also thinking of giving him the ability to mutate the animals and plants, but I'm not sure, tell me what you think

[peachypede]

OC-tober 2023 Day 8: Past

skipped the last few days and I'm doing Past and Future next!

At first I was just gonna draw them as students, but @astererer inspired me to add more about what they were like in school.

Headcanons and Info below

I like to think that Naranja-Uva has an insanely wide field of tracks that you can study for. Paldea takes great pride in this prestigious school, so most of the government funding goes towards it instead of the League like a lot of regions. Works as a K-12 school and a college, but they keep children and adults separate of course. The Treasure Hunt was implemented when they realized that children in their region were less likely to go on pokemon journeys, so they began an event to encourage their youth to be more adventurous. They seem like a tech school, since it’s mentioned they have tracks such as Battle Studies and Humanities instead of a general education. 

Pecha’s childhood dream was to be a gym leader, so of course her track was Battle Studies. She was a big go-getter due to a need for validation and this was very prominent in her school days. Got straight a’s and was class president a few times. Her favorite electives were Art and Home Ec. Spent her first treasure hunt completing the gym challenge and beating the league and repeated that the next year. Got tired of it and spent the next treasure hunt helping someone new get around Paldea. Graduated with flying colors and proudly shows off her degree at home.

Her dorm room was filled with different tournament posters from different regions, but she specifically had a lot of Galar League stuff. The rest of the decorations are pastel streamers and a temporary canopy above her bed. Her Unovan and Paldean gym badges were displayed on the wall. 

Rawst is socially withdrawn now, but back then even more so. Their chosen track was Fine Arts, favorite electives being Languages and Biology. Stuck by Pecha’s side almost constantly, even during treasure hunts, until his teachers told them that they can’t just tag along for a treasure hunt. Decided to study ghost types and their uses in society. Doesn’t really use much of what they learned in their job now. 

Their dorm room was fairly dim for their ghost types to be comfortable. Lots of canvases of their artwork hung around. On their desk was a laptop and drawing tablet to do some digital art (and also game). 

Aman always wanted to work as a detective, possibly for the Paldean Police Force, so he had chosen Legal Studies. Despite being bright, he was very bored. Literally the definition of “too smart for his own good” He passed tests without studying even a little bit and then would get in trouble for figuring out how to pick the lock to the Home Ec room to eat cupcakes. Pecha would place him as the class secretary in order to keep him more busy. 

His dorm was fairly clean. Cat bed and cat tree for his Weavile. Some old films on his desks that he’d occasionally watch. He hated to be in his dorm most of the time though and would bother his cousins instead. (If you really looked hard around his bed, you could find some contraband that he would bring into the school. Secretly supplied dorm parties) 

[msmargaretmurry]

I don’t know if this is a proper trope or anything but I would love to read your take on a matthew/leon normal person/still a hockey player au! or like, celebrity/still a hockey player au

i definitely think this is a proper trope! in general i'm not an alternate universe girlie, but i AM an alternate timeline girlie, so i love versions of this trope that are like, you know, the one thing that happened differently in someone's life that totally disrupted the course of their life, but then these two people are brought together by the universe anyway. this got a little long, i'm gonna put the rest under a cut, lol.

so with matthew/leon, because they both come from hockey families, it's not the hardest thing to invent scenarios where they wind up in each other's circles anyway. i wouldn't want to create whole new backgrounds for the non-hockey one, because i think they have both been so shaped by their backgrounds and their families. it's interesting to me to think about how the circumstances of their meeting dictates their relationship — if there's no rivalry, what is the draw? which isn't to say there isn't a draw, but you kind of have to come up with a new inherent conflict. i have said to many friends, and i stand by this, that i think if they were on the same side from the get-go they would've gotten along famously. but finding other ways to throw a wrench in the gears is fun! say the concept is, like, leon did soccer instead of hockey, still went pro, and for whatever reasons got banished to the deeply cringeworthy fate of playing MLS (sorry mls) (vamos united) — he's probably got a chip on his shoulder, and he probably wants to get back to the bundesliga, he probably does not even want to consider a long-term future with inter miami fc, which would make developing big feelings for the local hockey team's handsome rat man VERY inconvenient.

because i'm a sucker for angst and drama, my favorite version of this is when the non-hockey-player one originally did have big stanley cup dreams, but something happened to derail them, and so getting into a relationship with a hockey player means also confronting all those complicated feelings about loving someone who's living the life you wanted, and finding a new purpose for yourself. this would be fun either way for me — teen matthew's junior career was wrecked by an injury but he stays in the family business doing atheltic training, or agent stuff, or coaching or scounting or whatever, and that puts him into leon's orbit and sparks fly. (possibly acrimonious sparks, depending on what matthew's up to, lmao.) OR, teen leon's junior career was wrecked by an injury but going back home felt too much like giving up so he decided to stay in canada and go to university or something, lands himself a spot at a school in calgary, etc etc etc. i love a character who's a total sad sack and there's BIG sad sack potential in scenarios like this. <3

the most important thing to me, in fics like this, is that that even though one of them's not an nhl player, they're still the same person, character-wise. they've still got the pieces of that personality that led them to become an elite athlete, that intensity and drive and passion and swagger that in another life made them so successful and extremely annoying to play against. but how does that shape them in the non-nhl version of their life? does it make things harder for them, without that outlet?

anyway intermission is over so i need to go white-knuckle it through the rest of this hockey game. i know there's some fics of this trope in the matthew/leon tag already but imo there are INFINITE possibilities for this type of story so there can always be more!!

[star4daisy]

Wife on her duty as a perfect wife i'm!

For the asking game, babe. Give me what i need... 3, 4, 14, 17, 19, 30, 35, and 43 (even tho i already know the answer).

Lov u sfm🖤

omg it was a joke luv <3

3. Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

I'm the worst person to answer this I have no process sometimes I plan everything out and then write based on that and actually do what I planned, most times the characters take life and change everything and I keep trying to go back to the original plan and sometimes can still fit some things, usually not lol when I have time I just go with the flow and then if I'm interrupted I have to write down what I want to happen next otherwise I will not remember when I open the docs again, on the good days I write without actually thinking about it so I don't remember it well just feels like my fingers can't type fast enough lol very automatic

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

(I think I've answered this before in a better way) everywhere, things come to me at the most random times, usually when I'm daydreaming before falling asleep, sometimes by other books, tv shows or music but mostly it just feels like I spent six years of my life repressing my creative side so I could do physics and calculus so now that I'm letting it loose it's running wild lol

14. how do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from personal experiences?

I don't write emotional scenes, I can't do emotional or vulnerable therefore neither can my characters which is why I mostly write from Barty/Evan's pov lol it's a different type of emotional I guess I have a dificulty in making my characters say I love you, I just cringe so badly. I don't feel what they feel at all lol and the only personal experience would be from emotions like anger

17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

inspiration never lacks the problem is the lack of time, but when things aren't flowing I stop and go watch something, read or go to the gym until my mojo comes back

19. What is the most-used tag on your ao3?

Morally Ambiguous Characters and Graphic Depictions of Violence

30. Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished?

sometimes I just post the draft lol I cannot re-read things before posting so the first few people reading are definetly getting screwed over sorry, but then I feel the pressure of having people seeing all my mistakes and it forces me to go polish it

35. What is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain?

question what are his motives and why did he chose that path and maybe not make him one-dimensional like his whole purpose isn't just to go against the hero, make him compelling, make us believe in why he chose that path make us understand him and feel sorry for his motivations, I always like that lol

43. Do you take a sadistic joy in whumping your characters, or are you more the "If you hurt them I would kill everyone and then myself" kind of person?

Definetely the first, I'm very disattached to death, I have cried in very few fics and it's not when people die lol sometimes living is more painful so I never expect people to say they cried and when they do I'm always in shock

thx <3 I thought this was gonna be harder lol but maybe I just didn't answer as I should lol

[amiablesummer]

romantisised asks challenge

hello to everyone, but particularly @stingrayextraordinaire who tagged me in this big but interesting challenge. Thank you so much! here we go…

1. if you were to have Hanahaki disease, what flowers would you cough up?

i'm gonna say blue hydrangeas

2. if someone were to catch Hanahaki disease for you, what flowers would they cough up?

pink roses or camellias

3. if you were any historic trope, what would you be? (i.e., the knight, the town baker, the witch of the forest, etc.)

I think I'd be the scribe writing down what heroic or ordinary deeds everyone else does. Ink on my hands, messy scribble, that's very me. Shut up in a room writing the past down, probably killed by the Vikings - at least i'd be remembered by the future readers of the scroll.

4. tell us about your ideal battle outfit.

i would definitely be wearing trousers. some cosy fitting armour, too, like Zoya’s dragon scale armour in Rule of Wolves that’s more like a second skin. nice and silver so it can catch the light. also with a cool cape like Eowyn’s in the Return of the King, an earthy tone, good for camaflaging. 

5. what would you be a goddess of and what would people sacrifice to you?

I would be a goddess of memory and nostalgia because that’s a big muse to me. People would probably sacrifice their childhood toys or clothes they don’t need to keep anymore. or maybe particularly bad memories.

6. name five iconic quotes that make you feel things.

“It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer.” - Sam in the Two Towers movie

“The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.” - Doctor Who, Vincent and the Doctor

"...We become like that on which our hearts are fixed. Whenever you go out of doors, draw the chin in, carry the crown of the head high. We are gods in the chrysalis.” — Elbert Hubbard, quoted in How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” - Albert Camus

7. scythe, battle axe, broad sword, spear, or trident?

broad sword

8. what combination of natural scents would you use as perfume?

rosewood, gardenia and musk 

9. ancient scrolls or leather-bound books?

Leather-bound books

10. describe yourself as if you were a storm.

a summery storm, the kind that’s not loud but just consistent, rumbling across the sky all day and night as you lie comfortable in bed, romanticising it from a distance. the kind of storm that brings the enlivening, miracle rain that makes the crops grow and people smile. if you’re right in the centre of it, you know it best, and you can see the warm light shining on the rain out your window.

11. what type of flower (other than a rose) would you offer someone you were trying to court?

baby’s breath are beautiful, paired with golden wattle. 

12. honey in milk or cinnamon in tea?

cinnamon in tea

13. cabin in the woods, apartment in the city, or mansion in the suburbs?

i wouldn't mind a mansion for a day, but cabin the woods sounds the most cosy. i don't much like cities.

14. curtains of beads or lace?

nice white lace

15. vocal or instrumental music?

instrumental while writing and reading, vocal for chores and travelling.

16. describe your ideal fantasy outfit.

i like dressing up in 1850s style middle-class skirts, with pantaloons and boots, that you can pick up the edges of and it trails behind you. with a pretty blouse and a hooded cloak, I would run around doing cottagecore errands all day. 

17. of all the fantasy races to ever exist, which one would you be?

whatever race that talking cats are part of, i’d like to be one of those. or quite possibly a hobbit.

18. hard candy, fruit preserves, or spice cake?

hard candy, i have a sweet tooth

19. show us a picture of your ideal crown.

20. tying your hair up using ribbon, yay or nay?

yes. channeling Zoya Nazyalensky with a dark blue velvet ribbon. However i seem to always need a hairtie underneath it to hold my hair.

21. an evening in the forest with elves, a night in the caves with vampires, or a morning in the garden with fae?

An evening in the forest with elves, like in the Fellowship of the Ring.

22. tell us, in detail, about a curse a witch would put on you.

It would be a curse of being separated from others. Loss is my worst fear. being invisible, perhaps, from the people in my life, or stuck in a tower alone. I do not like isolation. it would make me have to face the parts of myself that I don’t like, and i would have to be independent, not having someone to lean on or able to live in the background of their life. I would have to make my own life, and that terrifies me. it would hopefully make me end up much more confident, if a little insane. 

23. talking with sylphs or singing with nymphs?

Singing with nymphs. singing is fun

24. mint, rosemary, basil, or sage?

I love rosemary. mint tastes nice. Basil is good in bolognese, and sage is a pretty colour. But rosemary is the best. 

25. favorite childhood story? (doesn’t have to be a fairy tale)

A lot!! As a little girl my favourite fairy tales were Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty (aka the Disney movies). But my absolute favourite story was Robin Hood. I used to pretend to be him with a hat and everything, being the fox in the movie. I was haunted by The Nutcracker from seven years old. I cried over The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson. I also remember loving Dick Wittington and His Cat.  My dad used to read me the Rainbow Magic books, and Milly-Molly-Mandy. As an older kid my favourites were Harry Potter, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. 

26. tell us about an experience you’ve had that seemed unreal or supernatural. (doesn’t have to be scary)

when i was a kid there was this book i was really scared of, about kids who go into one of those big water tanks and feel something in there in the dark that is uncanny. When I remembered the book, I kept seeing the water tank that's in my town - Every time I looked at the horizon there it was. Not scary as much as haunting. I found the book recently when I was at a spooky read-in at my cousin’s school. The weird thing was I had just been saying that we should read it. It turns up right when I’m thinking of it, that deep dark water. I have nightmares about the water too.  

27. would you rather have poison or healing ointment in your traveling pack?

I’d say healing ointment because I like to think I’m a good person, but also because there’s other ways you could harm people whereas there's not many that you could heal them with. 

28. tell us three sayings that you live by.

just take one step at a time.

where there's life, there's hope.

knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. (Aristotle) 

29. vials or mason jars?

Mason jars because they can fit a lot of useful things in them. 

30. describe your ideal masquerade ball outfit (mask included).

It would have to be red… I don’t get to wear red often. Long flowy sleeves that I could swish around when holding the mask stick up - it would be a mask with pointy edges and feathers. Maybe embroidered with animal designs. The skirt would have those sewn on too, with dark red undertones, almost purple. It would have lots of sequins, but not too heavy, and big enough to twirl in. I’d curl my hair and have jewels in it too. I’d like to be classy. 

31. splashing around in a river with mermaids or flying through the sky with harpies?

Splashing in a river with mermaids

32. what would you end up in the dungeon for?

Not doing things on time, or forgetting something important; i am chronically late. Or going against the status quo, if this is a totalitarian society - I hate following the masses. 

33. if you were a fairy, what color would your wings be?

i do love pink and green, but some gold in there would look lovely too. and pale blue. 

34. if you could have any magical item, what would it be?

This is really hard, but I’ve always wanted a bag like Mary Poppins’ or Hermione’s which is bigger on the inside. An actual TARDIS would be cool, but I like the thought of being able to fit a library and an art gallery into a portable thing. I do also want a time machine though. Or a portal. Or a fortune-telling mirror/bowl. 

35. what song would the bards sing about you when you passed by?

A mixture of the vibes of Bleeding Heart by Regina Spektor, Hand in my Pocket by Alanis Morisette, and These Days by Powderfinger. that's super specific, so otherwise just something about hopeless romanticism...

36. would you rather be a pirate or a king/queen?

If you’re Nikolai Lantsov, you can do both. As for me, a pirate because it would be much more fun - I’m not one for politics. I’d have to be less squeamish though. 

37. would you spend more time in the field of flowers, the tavern, the docks, or the marketplace?

I would lie in the field of flowers drawing all day. If I had to work, I’d choose the marketplace. And the docks for an evening stroll. 

38. would you have a painting of yourself?

yes if it was very particularly done, like in an impressionist style or something really personal.

39. what skill are you famous for?

Remembering dates, like birthdays, details from things that happened a long time ago, and random fun facts. 

40. if you could live any fairy tale, which one would you?

The best aesthetic goes to “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” but I would also like to be friends with Puss-in-Boots.

41. stained glass windows or fairy lights?

Stained glass windows 

42. what kind of snow globe would you live inside?

One with one of those pretty Christmas cabins and a big tree, and snow on the ground, maybe with some animals like a deer, a fox or some bunnies, and a bonfire (with snow on it...)

43. what animal would you be reincarnated as?

A domestic cat who sleeps in the sun all day, preferably in a bookshop. 

44. lost at sea or lost in space?

lost at sea, but with a boat. I’m scared of the sea, but space is so much worse - at least someone could come rescue you in the sea.

45. if you could have a scar in any shape, what would it be?

i think a heart shape would be very cute. 

46. what celestial body would you write a hymn to?

The Moon has that celestial elegance, and I would give anything to be able to go there for a day or two. It has that lonely, feminine, mystery about it... But also Saturn because I have always admired its rings. 

47. describe a potion you would brew, complete with ingredients and desired effect.

i would want to make a potion to create calmness that could help anxiety, so I would use some lemon balm, some lavender which would also make it smell nice, and chamomile. to be a real fantasy potion brewer i’d probably add some rose petals and moondust and mix it together with cocoa powder because it’s tasty and, of course, vanilla essence. that probably makes no sense but hey, i made it up.

48. flying ship or underwater home?

flying ship. i like flying and i think someone totally needs to invent a boat-like cruise airship that’s not as dangerous as a blimp, for me to relax in. and the sky isn’t as scary as the ocean. 

49. if you were a nature spirit, what season would you dwell in?

Summer, as per my url. I would sleep outside and walk on the beach, and blow the cool change breeze in the evening. very nostalgic.

50. if you could haunt any place as a ghost, what would it be?

I want to be amusing and say my old school, since it is very ghost-populated. it would be fun to turn the lights off every so often. But I would have to choose the old but pretty cafe that I live near, which used to be the gatehouse for the cemetery. It has a really lovely feel to it and it could do with an eerie presence, since it is in the cemetery. 

i don't know if anyone else loves fantasy but if anyone wants to do some or all of these questions please go ahead <3 <3 <3 @anouri @mourningintodancing @peachtreesinblossom @tunisian @l0velyjewel @unhingedballad

[cantsaythetword]

Top 22 of 2022

End of the Year Game Tag

I got tagged by @happyandticklish for the end of year tag game! I'm going to put the answers under the cut so you can skip past if you'd like ^^

Part 1: Fandom Faves

01. Favorite new fandoms of the year

OOOOOO I think I joined a heap of new fandoms this year. Top favourites would have to be Heartstopper, Moon Knight, Daredevil, SuperBat (DC), and The Umbrella Academy.

02. Favorite new ships since this year

Obviously Nick/Charlie, Superbat, and probably Steddie (even tho I'm not up to their season in Stranger things yet lmao).

03. Favorite anime/TV show of the year

I think Moon Knight has to take the cake my dudes. I haven't been that hooked on a show in ages.

I'm not really an anime watcher, so I don't really have an answer for this. But my gf has been trying to get me into Fairy Tail so I'll pick that one I guess ^^

And of course, my all time favourite show is Doctor Who

04. Favorite movie of the year

Turning red was amazing, made my best friend cry.

I do have to give MoonFall an honourable mention, that movie was batshit crazy and I loved it.

And even though it technically came out in 2021, I watched it in January this year so SPIDERMAN NO WAY HOME is gonna be my favourite movie for the year.

In terms of my favourite movie of all time, I love Legends of Ravaging Dynasties and How to Train your Dragon.

05. Favorite character of the year

Oh god this is hard...

I'd have to give it to either Steven from Moon Knight or Elijah from The Originals!

And of course Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man has to be up there hehe.

But my favourite character of all time is Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor who. That man is EVERYTHING

06. Favorite soundtrack of the year

Ooooo interesting...

In terms of newer sound tracks, I'll give it to Tick Tick Boom (another one that came out last year but I only watched it this year).

For older soundtracks, nothing will ever top HTTYD.

07. Favorite book/manga/comic of the year

I started The Promised Neverland this year and it was pretty cool!

Overall, Stuff That Scares Your Pants Off is such a good book and I don't know why I love it so much.

08. Favorite game of the year

I'll give it to The Quarry, Cult of the Lamb, and Stray.

Overall, I'm a sucker for Minecraft, Skyrim, and The Sims.

09. Highlight of this year to remember

Probably moving out! That was a huge achievement, and to do it with my girlfriend was awesome.

Part 2: Community Review

10. Favorite Tumblr moments of 2022

Like many others, TickleTober was my favourite moment this year for the community! And not just seeing everyone creating throughout the month, but seeing the support and encouragement and hype for each other was lovely!

11. Favorite fan art of the year

I'm such a sucker for anything that @sleepysheepytea draws cause it's just absolutely adorable (even though we don't share any fandoms I still cannot get enough of them).

I also only recently discovered @vqler 's art and HOLY SHIT ???? very VERY talented people on this app...

@ticklishfanart has some adorable pieces !!! Mostly for MHA which I haven't seen but like COME ON LOOK AT THIS, AND THIS!!! HOW COULD YOU NOT LOVE IT?

Finally, @ssnicker-doodless has some super cute sketches that I've seen around the place.

Again, not a lot of fandom crossover with people (perhaps down the track I'll commission 👀). I need to find artists who share fandoms with meeeee !!! (though as I'm typing this I swear to god there's some moonknight fanart I've seen and I can't find it SJDHALKSHAS help). If there's any artists out there who have similar likes to me PLEASE send me ur username (or a username of an artist you like) in the ask box !!!

But I mean the fanart someone drew of When Bats Hum kinda has to be my favourite right??? It was so cute, so well done, and meant absolutely everything to me.

12. Favorite fic of the year

Oh this is DIFFICULT ! This is real hard. I loved so many fics this year aaaaaaaaaa.

Onion Man's heartstopper fics were beautiful (@ticklepinions )

This heartstopper fic, this PJO fic, and this Destiel fic from Happy are all amazing (@happyandticklish )

HOLY SHIT I JUST REALISED THAT @writingwitharlo WROTE A HEAP OF MY FAVOURITE FICS FROM AGES AGO AJSKHSALKHFS OMFG !!!! LEMME DUMP A WHOLE LIST FOR YOU: - Steddie (recent, not an old fav but I still love it) - Heartstopper (1 and 2, again not old but amazing ) - Stony - Supernatural (this one and this one and this one too! THESE ARE SOME OF MY OLD FAVS SKJALSHKLSDJHSDFLKJH)

@ticklishraspberries has some really really sweet fics for Steddie, The Umbrella Academy, and Supernatural that I love !!

Lmao I did not pick just one oops.

13. Favorite ask game of the year

DAMNIT THIS IS ANOTHER HARD QUESTION UHH honestly I'd have to say the Alphabet Ask Game by @otomiya-tickles was a really cute and fun one!

14. My top achievements as a writer/artist/creator/blogger

OOOOOO Ok I have a few for this one. 2022 was a pretty big year for me in a number of different areas. - I hit 1,000 followers (holy shit) - I posted 45 new fics (which is insane I'm so pleased) - I completed the entire TickleTober Challenge coming up with my own original prompts (crazy) - And I'm slowly reaching out and talking to people in the community and I'm so keen to make some more friends !!

15. My own best fic/post of the year

In terms of the fic that did 'the best' I'm going to guess it's one of the heartstopper ones? Mayyyyybe a Moon Knight one?

OK DAMN heartstopper wasn't even in the top 3 ??

My top 3 fics overall are 3rd - Cold Hands, Warm Heart (Sanders Sides) [75 Notes] 2nd - Out of Control (Moon Knight) [86 Notes] 1st - Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better (MoonKnight) [105 Notes]

The one that I'm the most proud of this year is definitely Giggles in the Dark (Heartstopper). I loved imagining it, writing it, reading it, just everything! It holds a very special place in my heart! (and it did pretty well too so maybe people could feel how much I liked it lmao)

16. My most underappreciated fic/post of the year

I mean I don't reeeeally have any fics I think are 'underappreciated'? But I guess I'll put either Magic or Claws (both TickleTober fics lol, 25 and 26) on there? Magic is a pretty fun one that I had been thinking about for a while, and Claws I thought was pretty clever.

So yeah they would be my answers!

17. A post of mine that got more popularity than expected 

Honestly both of the Moon Knight Fics got wayyyyy more popular than I was expecting (more than 100 notes for one ???) so yeah I'll put down Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better and Out of Control lol.

18. Something I changed on my blog since this year

I mean I changed my profile pic I guess? And I also posted a pic of myself (covering my face of course) which I've never done before!

Part 3: Next Year

19. Something I didn’t post this year but would like to do next year

I'd want to try to get into chapter fics? Like one long running fic thing. I think that would be a fun challenge!

20. Goals for next year

I want to hit 100 fics next year! I know that'll be tricky but I think I can do it!

I also want to talk to more people and make more friends!

21. 2023 releases I look forward to the most

Definitely hyped for the new Indiana Jones, and Spiderman Spiderverse.

I'm also keen for season 2 of Shadow and Bone and Squid Game.

And excited to see what fics come on on this hellsite 👀👀

Part 4: Spreading Love

22. Shoutouts to people who made my 2022 a better year

Ok I know for a fact I'm going to miss someone so IM SO SORRY IN ADVANCE but:

@ticklepinions for being not just a hilarious blog, but a really genuinely nice dude (and a teasy ass sometimes <3)

@happyandticklish for some incredible fics, being absolutely lovely, and sending asks back and forth <3

@sensitivebabbage for all the chats we have, the downright adorable thoughts you leave in the tags, and the occasional cute animals you send me ^^

And you know what here's a bunch more awesome people who are lovely, make awesome content, and/or just have absolutely fantastic blogs that I love seeing on my dash <;3 @artymiswritesfics, @ticklishsheepy (not active atm), @gigglen, @delightfulfics, @mysteys-vibes, @jamieisnotalee, @oliviaischillin1204, @achilleean, @fanficsandfluff, @ticklishraspberries, @blushypuppi, @toadallytickles, @august-anon, @supermarvel-fics, @the-new-ginger-switch, @nhasablogg, @ticklishfanart, @sleepysheepytea, @ficsandgiggles, @mysterious-marvel

Happy New Year everybody, I love you all and hope your holiday is exactly what you need <3

[erigold13261]

Hello hello I'm back once again to ramble some more about Garden of Thorns in your FRAU, only this time I'm just gonna say that last time I completely forgot about DJSS when I wrote my last ask so that's why there was no mention of him (sorry DJ :( )

Now when it comes to helping out with your oc band fight DJSS (I will draw them when they're revealed mark my words-) Sylvie and Olive tag along because at this point no one is immune to free therapy from Sylvie- and Olive wants to make new friends so they go to Club Planetarium. Sylvie knows something is up and if needed stops the fighting to let DJSS talk about his problems and how he's feeling, and Olive removes her gloves and reveals her healing powers for the first time as it fixes the cracks on DJ's orb head and seals the gas inside it (or other material idk what's in there-) which I'm sure surprises everyone. I'm sure Sylvie may also host a group therapy session with all the NSR Artists, BBJ, etc, because she wants to help as many people as she can since she knows that there are people out there who don't have access to resources such as therapy so she's made it her goal to change that slowly but surely. (Also I'm currently working on my ocs designs for your au while typing this out so the gloves for Olive is a part of her design)

Speaking of Olive, I remember how you mentioned that Tatiana would definitely come at her during the final showdown since she's healing everyone else from a distance. Tatiana sees Olive just standing there and is a bit confused until she sees the glowing light emitting from her hands and just patching up whoever's fighting her of their injuries quickly and this sets her off. Everyone else realizes that Tatiana is charging at Olive and tries to warn Olive but then something happens that catches them and Tatiana off guard. Olive grabs Tatiana's arm before it can reach her, and then her eyes start glowing red. That's when Olive proceeds to just annihilate Tatiana via a flurry of throwing, punching, kicking, and slapping. Everyone else can only watch as Tatiana is smashed against the floor while Olive has her usual smile on her face, and then afterwards she throws Tatiana at the crown, which explodes just like in the original game and reveals Kul Fyra's guitar. Olive made sure not to hurt Tatiana too badly while doing all that and when she heals her of her injuries I'm sure Tatiana is very confused as to why Olive would heal her after she tried to attack her and lost. Olive just smiles and let's Sylvie take over aka giving Tatiana her therapy.

Sylvie would indeed suspect something is up with Kliff, but Artemis attempts to come to his defense (Mainly because of her *cough* feelings *cough* towards him but she's too shy to admit it) and tries to convince her friend that Kliff wouldn't do anything drastic. Obviously Sylvie is not having any of it and talks with Kliff anyway, and that's when she helps him realize that he has a very unhealthy parasocial relationship with his idol/Tatiana and works with him to solve any other problems he may have as well.

And that's about everything that's coming to my mind right now about FRAU, my OFA AU thoughts are starting to take over again so I'll head off to elaborate on them on my own blog lol. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings once again Eri :D

I had this mental image that Olive was smaller than Tatiana so all I was seeing in my head was Tatiana getting slapped and thrown by someone less than half her height lol! But glad I relooked at Olive because her being taller than Tatiana and being able to do that makes so much more sense!

But yes, she would be so confused and it makes me think of the scene from Undertale where Flowey doesn't understand why you spared him (them? I forget Flowey's pronouns, my bad). She would be more willing to listen to Sylvie and B2J at that point, but still hesitant because of thinking everything she's worked for will be stripped away from her (but she probably would come fully around after a few therapy sessions).

The Kul Fyra moment would probably be even more heartbreak. For Mayday and Cyril. The both idolized her and now they realize that she is the reason for a lot of their suffering because they tried to follow her path. I don't know, it just feels even more bitter sweet than how the original ending goes. I don't think Tatiana would give the guitar to either of them though, both can't play it (May physically and Cyril doesn't know how), so instead I see her as using it as a symbol to bridge EDM and Rock together.

But going back to Nova for a second, he would be VERY surprised at the fact that his head got healed. I still think there would at least be a scratch still, something that won't ever fully heal (like a scar) but at least now he will be able to contain his space dust and think with a clear head more easily! (he would also gladly stop playing music to just talk about himself and his woes, probably lets slip some stuff about Neon and 1010 too which would help Garden of Thorns/Ex-Jay depending on WHEN the rematch with Nova happens).

Group therapy will also have to wait at least a little bit after the NSRtists have some one-on-one therapy, because all I can see is Eve and Mama ganging up on Neon, 1010, and Nova while Yinu and Sayu's Crew try to stop the whole fight that is about to go down. Until Tatiana raises her voice telling them to all shut up and sit down which immediately makes them ALL obey (and also shows the therapist/Sylvie/whoever just how much work is going to need to be done).

And Kliff's relationship isn't ENTIRELY parasocial since he and Tatiana do have history together, however I do see a good talk between Tatiana and Kliff to be great closure for both of them. Maybe they get a little physical at first, with a punch here and there (from both ends) but Olive heals them both up and their wall of frustration is gone and they can finally have an open conversation. They can both finally close the book on their relationship, never really talking again, but the two finally being at piece with their shared past. (And it helps that Kliff now has Artemis to get his mind off of Tatiana :3).

So yeah! A lot of things would turn out quite nice if a Re-Revolution occurred with multiple bands coming together to pull it off! There would still be the initial few years of suffering everyone does, but at least by the end people are healing together instead of scarring by themselves!

[seedling-lotus]

okay, I saw map things and it reminded me of my own mapping project that i've poured waaaaaay too much time into so now you get to see me rant about it...

or not because imma hide it under a read more... But i'm still gonna tag it!

Anyway, so!

because the fic I was reading for a completely different fandom just wasn't providing the dopamine, my lovely brain decided that I needed to go find all of the locations for everything in DGM, or as closely as I possibly could, because Hoshino-sensei exists to drive me insane... And so does the fandom wiki...

So yeah. So trying to locate things. Some places were easier than others. Some places I still have to add. 😭

New Order HQ? Took me a while, but I fuckin' found it... Or, well, found an island that looks like it could match.

of course, the Wiki says both that it's in "Southern Europe" and also somewhere mentions that it's in Britain, which is just... Nope, that island in particular is part of France. Close though. Of course, I don't have access to the source material that the wiki seems to be referencing, so what do I know...

The wiki also says that old HQ is in generic "Northern Europe" and also "Unknown location in Scandinavia" which, again, the source appears to be the fanbook that I do not have and cannot reference for myself. Not going to lie, old HQ is virtually impossible to place. There is not a single place on this planet that I could find within Northern Europe or more specifically Scandinavia that would be a good geographic fit. I mean, I know there are rock formations sort of similar, but nothing or that size. I gave up finding a perfect match after two days of beating my head against it and just went for somewhere most likely to have that kind of geographic feature. After my few successes with finding "exact" locations for some of the places in DGM, it really really bothers me that I can't place that one definitively.

and then there's freaking Barcelona. Barcelona bothers me. It bothers me a lot. I cannot find anywhere in the Manga that actually mentions what city they were in at the time. But I remember that it was Barcelona. (Was it in the anime??? I cannot remember) The problem with Barcelona being... the map doesn't match... We've got at least one clear overhead shot of the city in the manga, and it doesn't really look like Barcelona. It does, however, look a lot like Prague. (and the fact that I knew that off the top of my head before confirming it makes me question my life choices more than a little.)

So this is from Chapter 43.

(I am weeping, I had so much typed and I just accidentally "undo"ed it and now I can't get it back... gods damn it)

ANYWAYS

So what I had said was that we can see that the image of Barcelona is a lot more gridlike of a city structure and more organized and yes I acknowledge that DGM is a "Fictional end to the 19th century" and city structure can change over time, It usually doesn't change that much. Below is a screenshot of the map of Prague from Google maps for comparison.

My second point of evidence is this Cathedral-like structure from the page prior:

The only cathedral I can find in Barcelona has 4 spires where the drawing only has 2. "But simplifying for ease of drawing" Yeah, no, I get that, but look at them and tell me that the cathedral in Prague doesn't look more like the drawing?

But my biggest issue with Barcelona? The river. Yes, there's a river in Barcelona. It's tiny though, and none of the bridges spanning it are more than two spans across.

and here's Barcelona's river vs Prague's river:

Barcelona:

(also, if Barcelona ever had pretty old bridges like the one drawn, they all appear to have been replaced by ugly modern ones)

And here's Prague:

(and yes, I know, the Prague bridge doesn't match either, but it matches better)

So yeah, Barcelona bothers me. It's not impossible that it's Barcelona, but it bothers me.

The American Branch though? That one I'm proud of.

So, again, it's not 100% perfectly correct, but I think that the American branch might be one of the closest to a spot on location that I actually managed. (The literal only way I could get a more accurate location would be to actually drive my ass to Arizona, and that's just not in the cards.)

Also, may I just say that this particular line, which I have confirmed is the way this place is described in the Manga... This exists to infuriate the British and the Scottish...

That was pulled from the wiki. THIS is pulled from chapter 230 of the manga:

Now I know someone in the fandom and on tumblr has already pointed this one out, but

Edinstown does not exist. In England or otherwise.

THIS particular landmark is in Scotland. EdinBURG Scotland.

And before someone yells at me, Eddingston isn't right either. Eddington (without the S) is a place in England, but it does not have that landmark.

The landmark in question being the Dugald Stewart Monmuent on Calton Hill in Edinburg, Scotland.

So that one caused a dew LOLs once I went back and found the post I reblogged with that information. source

Oh! so yeah, so Guangzhou... Guangzhou also bothers me a smidge...

So according to the Wiki (which seems to get most of it's info from the Fanbook that I don't have)... You know what, I might have it, but it's in Japanese, and I can only speak and read English so really, that's on me... Anyway...

So Guangzhou. China. The port city that theoretically is where they set sail from. And is also where Anita's brothel is.

And once again acknowledging that landscapes have been changed over time by humans. I get that. HOWEVER.

So Timcampy gives us a lovely view of the city and the harbor in question.

And 1 chapter later we get this view of them leaving:

Now I know, I KNOW, this is set in, at the very latest, 1899. I know that the harbor will have changed since then and Google maps is only going to show me the most modern version.

However...

This is Modern Guangzhou:

Note how it's set a little more inland? How they'd be able to see land across the harbor? and it's more in a river delta, flatter.

However, there is a port city relatively close to Guangzhou that does look a lot more like the port drawn in the manga:

And yes, yes, I know "but there's no land masses in the Manga and that's why you said Guangzhou was out." True, but most of these landmasses are over 3 miles away, and the horizon is only 3 miles away due to the curvature of the earth, so it does make a little more sense.

Now I know that the Manga doesn't show an Island and yeah, it's not exactly the same, but it's definitely way closer visually. (Also, Hoshino-sensei, I love you dearly, but please... Guangzhou is not the largest/main port city in China....)

Am I doing everything Wildly out of order? Absolutely. I'd say sue me but please don't. I am so broke.

Next up! The Izu Peninsula! (and another iteration of Hoshino-sensei making me want to cry... For map making purposes. Plot related purposes don't count. That's her job)

So in chapter 76, Chomesuke says this:

And then, in Chapter 77 we see this:

And ignoring all plot related crying from this point of the story, the Izu Peninsula was a difficult one to place. Not finding it on the map, but finding torii gates that are set up like this...

And you may be going "But it's Japan, how hard can it be to find torii gates set up like that?"

HARD

Gods damn it all. You wanna know why? because the fuckload of torii gates going straight up a damn mountain is something that exists. Famous enough that even I know what it looks like and I'm a stupid little white girl from America who has never left the western hemisphere. The problem with that particular set of torii gates that this panel and all related panels are based off of? yeah, that particular land mark is in the middle of Tokyo and nowhere near water...

And they are definitely still in the boat and still in water here...

here's my evidence for the Torii gates in Tokyo:

yes I am going to make you go google that yourselves if you really want to fact check me because this post is already a monster and I am too lazy to put in a hyperlink.

Anyways

So the only even remotely similar feature on the Izu peninsula that I could find is on an even smaller peninsula

1

and they look a little more like this in real life:

2

But hey, creative license and all that jazz. And while the Izu peninsula is close to Tokyo (which would have been called Edo back in the time period of canon), it's not that close, so it's probably a good day's walk if not longer for them to get there... which i think we may have skipped due to the magic of "anime physics" but you know what, fuck it. at this point I've stopped asking questions

(this is absolutely a lie, but shhhhhh)

And I have gone over my picture limit so I'll include the pictures on a reblog (if it lets me... I think it will... I'll get back to you on that... ish, maybe)

[stepswowdsen]

【YGO DM】 Kaiba Seto 🍄🐉💙

Kaiba Seto 🍄🐉💙

My first time drawing the maniac gay man 🥰🌈🏳️‍🌈

Doodled this really quickly

I tried drawing Kaiba for the first time in my life 👍

My fave YGO DM chara~ Gay autistic meow meow mf man 💞

Kaiba is so Sen-core~

(No one is surprised)

I've been experimenting with drawing his eyes!

First two have influences from YGO's art style, 3rd is a mix of both my usual style and influenced from YGO's art style, and the last one is closer to how I usually draw.

Not gonna tag this cuz I plan on drawing the rest later

KaiYami (Kaiba/Yami) has been my fave YGO ship ever since I was a kid. I have such a huge soft spot for YGO DM…

I'm also into the YGO spin-off series, YGO GX and YGO 5Ds. I grew up with those three during my childhood.

Admittedly, YGO designs are really hard for me to draw cuz YGO designs are always so detailed and complex and sharp and angular and really geometric, too… And I'm not really used to drawing those kinds of designs. I'll be practicing more in the future!

I've seen many artists who draw YGO charas in their art style soften the shapes, so I'm still experimenting and trying to decide how I want to draw YGO charas.

I took some influences from the YGO art style and drew with sharper shapes and a sharper brush than I normally would, cuz it felt more fitting. I'm not as used to this brush yet.

I saw YGO EA KaiYami/AteKai artists represent them with the star and mushroom emojis cuz of their hair… I'm gonna cry LMFAOOO 😭😂

Starfish and mushroom? ⭐🍄

YGO: DSOD

(YGO DM & DSOD: Spoilers)

My friend Cinna has been reading YGO DM lately for the first time, and I got reminded of my obsession for these two. I really want to reread the YGO DM manga and rewatch YGO: DSOD for THEM…

YGO: DSOD (Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions) is a movie that takes place after the end of the YGO DM manga (after Atem passes onto the afterlife).

Kaiba's inability to move on from the lack of closure, and his gay brooding, yearning, and obsession…

It was co-written by Kazuki Takahashi, the YGO mangaka, so this movie is canon. Bless his heart. I hope he rests in peace 🙏

2 hours of Kaiba's gay yearning, baby!!!

YGO: DSOD has really pretty colours…

(These are old screenshots so some of the ones I've saved are super saturated or in low res. I need to rewatch the movie to take new screenshots)

Me: Kaiba has issues but that makes the ship sexy. Next.

The mental illness is what makes him [Kaiba] interesting.

C: Yeah like Kaiba is just dysfunctional AKA average late 90s/2000s anime rival

Me: LITERALLY I swear like almost Rivals/Enemies to Lovers ship goes like this Kaiba is just. More obsessed than most This is on like Douman (FGO) levels tbh

C: Kaiba is a prime example of "So obsessed with someone they want to fight that it's gay"

C: Enzan (MMBN/EXE), Kaiba (YGO DM), Hibari (KHR), etc.

C: If you think about the rivals from that era, from 90s and 2000s animanga, they're all either unintentionally autistic vibed, or generally horribly dysfunctional socially.

C: Ren (SK) is pretty much the typical Rival Chara Type B (Aggressive and rash), as opposed to Rival Type A (Calm and collected), but like, genuinely well written and complex enough to work

Makes me sad Ren is still robbed of SO MUCH writing potential tho cuz of frigging SK's writing tho

Me: YEAH EXACTLY

LMAO

Me: Like the Rival Type A that is very cold, aloof, stoic, cool, calm and collected… Kaiba, Enzan, Hibari

C: DKFKSKDLSKDKSK I WAS SO RIGHT FOR THIS

Me: Hibari (KHR) is not explicitly a rival figure since he's a deuteragonist (protag's side ally) in KHR but he does conveniently slot into the "rival figure" role

Kaiba is rival type A, the very cold, aloof, stoic, cool, calm and collected type…

...

Source: (X)

Kaiba/Yami line in Duel Links (YGO mobile game) 🌈

I know Kaiba/Yami's ship name is Prideshipping in YGO's EN fandom, and it fits them so well because of their pride as Duelists, and coincidentally Gay Pride, but that ship name is so long, I don't want to have to type that everytime. KaiYami it is! Kaiba/Yami also has a good ring to it.

KaiYami/KaiAte and YamiKai/AteKai are what EA ship fans use for them.

I was, and am still insane about this ship, like there's SO much.

Kaiba is OBSESSED with Yami Yuugi (Atem)

THE DUEL LINKS LINES MAKE ME BLOW UP /POS

C: Homosexual. Why is he so gay.

They need to kiss so bad

C: Kaiba is a prime example of "So obsessed with someone they want to fight/defeat that it's gay"

Me: YEAH LMFAO

Not surprising but I find it wild how the dudebros try to insist that Kaiba is straight.

There's not a single heterosexual cell in this man's body. It's so funny.

YGO is so unintentionally gay. YGO is gayer than most shounen???

Cuz just in general, the shounen genre is infamous for unintentional homoeroticism. The shounen staple where an author/series is so homophobic and misogynistic/sexist that it actually cycles back around to being gay/homoerotic

KaiYami is a subtext based ship but the subtext with them is so good. YGO DM feeds us SO MUCH

...

Me: I should reread the YGO: DM manga and rewatch YGO: DSOD. This movie is so fucking pretty man. 2 hours of Kaiba's gay yearning!

Also I find it so funny how YGO: DSOD made Kaiba muscular. Like he was a twink in the OG YGO DM manga

S: WTF HE LOOKS SO PRETTY IN THE MOVIE

C: Two hours of gay fucking yearning Buffed up!

Me: YEA THE COLOURS ARE FRICKING GORGEOUS God I'm so glad the YGO: DSOD movie keeps YGO's sharp black lineart and saturated colours. It's honestly defining to the YGO art style

Cuz so many anime reboots nowadays have flat and bland ass colours unless they're super high end productions (ie. Fate anime productions, etc.)

C: Agghh yeah

...

S: “I hope the reboot of your favorite anime softens up the characters appearance with a new style and makes the colors look washed out“ is terrifying and it’s already happened

Me: My gay sons in their gorgeous glory thank god the colours in this movie are phenomenal

C: Why is Atem yellow though

Me: I think it's just cuz these edited screenshots have super high saturation/contrast 😭 Couldn't find clearer ones

...

S: The blue glow on his arm is making me blow up and act like I don’t know nobody

Me: OH yeah it's from DSOD Kaiba's Duel Disk that holds his deck

F: (CW: NSFW joke)

Kaiba has such a revenge/hate boner for Yami-- Wait no I mean a regular boner

Me: LMFAO. Both lmfao

F: FR THO

S: LOL

C: Canon

F: Btw I never watched that movie, now I GOTTAAAAA …..Oh man and now I wanna draw Yami Yuugi ;;

...

(YGO DM: Summary)

Me: Just gonna put this summary for my non-YGO mutuals and those who haven't seen YGO: DSOD so they can follow along with the rambles if they're curious

Also it's been a long time since I read YGO DM and watched YGO: DSOD so I'm mostly going off memory

3000 years ago, Atem was sealed away in the Millenium Puzzle and lost his memories and name. Mutou Yuugi solved the Millenium Puzzle, causing the spirit of an ancient Pharaoh, Yami Yuugi (true name: Atem), to take over his body to protect Yuugi and his friends. Eventually, others learn of Atem's existence.

Kaiba is the arch-rival of Yami Yuugi (Atem) who is hate obsessed with him after losing to him because he wants to get revenge and defeat him, thinking of him as his nemesis and rival.

(YGO DSOD: Summary)

YGO: DSOD takes place after the end of the YGO DM manga where Yami Yuugi (Atem) passed onto the afterlife. Kaiba, who was unable to find closure, and in his own way of mourning, was looking for 6 months to find a way to meet Atem again.

Kaiba Corporation (KC) develops Duel Links, a virtual reality system that links the consciousness of people around the world to play Duel Monsters.

At the start of the DSOD movie (or at least near the beginning), Kaiba recreates a perfect holographic reconstruction of Atem, down to Atem's deck, voice, appearance, and personality, but isn't satisfied because it's not the real Atem and lacks Atem's soul.

Kaiba has a whole ass space station developed, orders the Millennium Puzzle to be dug up from the excavation site it was buried in, and secures it in his space station for it to be reassembled with the highest quality tech, in the fastest time possible, heavily guarded (like encased in glass and surrounded by lasers and shit), in a safe place only he can access, to try and reach Atem in the afterlife.

F: OMG HFJFJD YEAHHH that's gay af

YGO DM: The infamous episode preview card

(YGO DM: SPOILERS)

Me: Y'ALL ARE NOT PREPARED FOR THIS VIDEO

THE MUSIC AND INFAMOUS EPISODE PREVIEW K*LLS ME LMFAO

(This one's read by Yami Yuugi)

S: I need that one video of a Yu-Gi-Oh character telling someone to not die and the title card pops in right after saying "[Character name] dies!"

Me: THAT SOUNDS LIKE JONOUCHI/JOEY FROM YU-GI-OH DUEL MONSTERS (YGO DM) WHDHHSHSHSD

S: YEAH HIM LMFAOOOOO

Me: HELP I FOUND IT

I'm downloading this video

I didn't edit a single thing, guys, this is exactly what happens 😭😂

This will always be the fucking funniest thing in YGO DM, LMFAO

S: HELPPPPPPP

This is exactly what I needed

C: JONOUCHI DIES 😭

...

Me: This scene became so popular that the infamous episode preview scene lines were read out by Kaiba and Marik's VAs at live events.

Anzu's, Kaiba's, and Marik's in order

Kaiba's VA, Kenjirou Tsuda, reads out the "Please don't die, Jonouchi! Next episode: Jonouchi dies!"

Kenjirou Tsuda is also the VA of TYL Lambo (KHR), Sigurd (FGO), Dainsleif (Genshin)

Jonouchi's VA: THIS GUY [KAIBA] ACTUALLY WANTS ME TO DIE

S: ANISBSIBSISBISBA

Me: Kenjirou Tsuda's deep voice is so good man

I LOVE YOU KAIBA AKLDSKLDSKLSDKL

Gay autistic son!

C: LMAOOO

Amazing

I love how the "Duel- standby!" is read out 😭

By Kaiba

God

C: You are valid