#i'll admit here and now my years and years and years of digital art have spoiled me so bad lmao

[non-un-topo]

My Neekeys over the last two-odd years. I was curious to see the changes 🤔

[bonetrousledbones]

gnawing at the bars of my cage bc i'm home for thanksgiving and all i have to draw with is a sketchbook bc i haven't set up my tablet with my laptop (i had like five entire days before i came home that i could have used to draw and actively chose not to)

[kradeelav]

status update ~

thought i'd write a summary of what I've been up to, and what's next art-wise! honestly, I'm finding that I work well mentally consolidating projects to quarters of the year; it gives me hard deadlines while allowing nuttiness to blow up two weeks (or more) of my life at a time and still not be stressed.

year recap first!

(Q1) collaborated with @/lululeighsworld to give gunter the fabulous possessed gacha entrance he deserves!! leigh's writing here to this day feels uncannily and perfectly in-character, no small feat with the mind games this devious possessed old man likes to play ~

(Q1) also finished the 140k your ruin, my ruin gunter/corrin revelation fic! the reception from y'all has been absolutely exceptional and while I don't think I'll ever write another fanfic of that length (lol) being able to point to it re: my fire emblem fates: revelation feelings is so ... satisfying. the ossan smut holds up pretty damn well too.

(Q1) NaZine (I) anthology printed and completely sold out, but the digital version is eternally available on the shop if you're still interested. I'll admit that anthologies are not normally my thing for being too prim and milquetoast, but this is anything but. if you've been dying for more sleazy uniform fetish, we got it there!

(Q2) Comics-wise, both Dead is Calling and YRMR:[Epilouge] were finished and ready to be collected in my planned gunter/corrin doujinshi called ashes and ghost; there's one more (eye-blistering smut) strip planned there with a few internal pages.

(Q3) Website-wise, IRON CROWN moved to rarebit from wordpress, and the main landing page was revamped entirely to better pave a road for preparations to self-host the website.

that's not even counting the smaller flash artwork like the fe: alphabet challenge, and hellsing exchange work also done in between everything else.

what's next?

(Q4) you might have seen me show wip's from a FE:Heroes (gacha) comic; while it's tonally softer than my usual work, It's 14-ish pages of some very, very guilty pleasure topics. raw feelings but in a different way? idk, you'll see.

(Q4) I have a personal deadline to get the website updates done by November, namely moving my art/update logs off of wordpress, and also likewise either moving to a different host or self-hosting the entire site (on a rasbpi lol) and removing the middle-man entirely.

(Q4/2025) finishing ashes and ghost (the gunter/corrin doujinshi)! I've been taking a needed break from it (something learned back in the webcomics days) but I can't wait to get back in some hentai level smut that's frankly, going to push me in so many ways. :D;;

(2025) NaZine II will likely be printed in the upcoming year with the same team heading it up. There's delicious stories already planned including multiple shotas and Daddies, oh my - needless to say, it's the kind of sleaze and sauce i dig.

that's all for now!

[bfwonho]

AITA but i dont wanna use reddit

ok you know what here is the situation. my (only recently) 20 yr old friend (i met them four years ago when we both worked at mcd) lived with their strict, emotionally abusive, overprotective parents until recently. their parents would confiscate tech for yrs at a time, wouldn't let them get vaccinated (i had to help them do that), guilt and shame them, etc. also obviously homophobic and my friend is transfem nb and queer. theyre also the eldest sibling of quite a few and had to handle the pressure of that responsibility and their parents never wanted them to do normal things like getting a car and moving out. i was always there encouraging them even when we stopped working together bc i was like fuck this naive gullible homeschooled kid has no one and they remind me of my younger sibling and im gonna be there for them as much as i can. the only reason they even got a car eventually is cus i kept telling them to so they cld move out

cut back to barely a year ago, they're still so naive and gullible they've lent like 1k+ to ppl who won't pay them back, but they still have like 10-20k in savings and now their own car. they also get into digital art with my help and get into furry porn or whatever. im like ok i guess ur an adult now do what u want. and then theyre like "ive got an online partner from CANADA!!! (we r australian) don't freak out i know it's bad but he's 30." i'm like oh god. they've been together 3 months ish and my friend RLY wants to visit their fuckass boyfriend and i'm like please be careful, please wait at least a year, i know u wont wanna listen to how i rly feel about this but at least just take these precautions. i'm also like when you do meet irl he should come here ur barely 19 and he's 30 like it only makes sense. and theyre like "thank u i promise i will do that"

and then maybe 10 or 11 months into their relationship i find out my friend is in canada with their bf, and has been for like a month, and i only know this bc they're asking if i can pick them up from sydney airport. im like errr that's pretty far away but take the train and i'll pick you up from the station and they're like ok sure! and i ask a bit more about it and find out they believe their parents have been hacking into their laptop because why else would they be suspicious that this canadian guy is their boyfriend, i'm like actually no offense but it's really fucking obvious i don't think they did that... and they're like "yeah anyway my parents are no longer picking me up which is why i need a lift, i admitted i have a boyfriend and they're calling him a pedo (and i almost agree but i just smile and nod) and so i'm not going back and taking their bs anymore, i'm gonna sleep in my car if i have to" so i offer for them to stay at my place for a few weeks.

they go get their stuff from their place, i buy them a pizza cus they havent had dinner, i help them get their stuff inside, set up a temporary bed. they tell me they plan to be out within a few days, i tell them they can stay longer if they need to, but currently their only job is doordash and they should focus on getting a real job so they can find a place and i'm more than happy to help them find somewhere. theyre the type of person to say sorry for everything and not let themselves ever feel comfortable, so i make sure they know they can use the kitchen and bathroom and everything while they're here and to not feel like a huge burden, im gonna be charging them a tiny bit of rent anyway so yeah.

now tell me why it's been over a month, they've applied to only a few places, i specifically put in a good word with them at my job and told them to call back and ask about the application and they just haven't, they've just been doordashing and filling my entire fridge and cupboard with their food, i tell them to use the laundromat cus we don't have enough space for their washing too and they end up asking if they can use our washing machine anyway (i reluctantly say yes), they destroy all my kitchen sponges on washing this one shitty pan i have cus they have to cook an entire grand meal from scratch for breakfast lunch and dinner, they wash up but i'm the only person who cleans the floors and the bathroom so now i'm feeling cramped and stressed out...

i ask my mum about what to do, she says give them 2 weeks to move out, my mum is a guarantor on my lease so in the group chat i explain the situation and say they have 2 weeks, they NEVER RESPOND and start not coming home until late at night... i'm considering moving into another place with a friend atp so i'm like yo maybe you can get on this lease and THEN they respond and start showing up again... and today i called and updated mum on the situation and her partner got on the phone, me and my sibling only got this place cus he apparently called in a favour cus we were rly struggling to find any fucking housing, and so he says "tell him i mean THEMMM if theyre not out tomorrow i will forcibly remove them" and so my sibling makes sure to tell them this face to face so they cant avoid actually responding. i also find out today that this whole time they've been flat broke (to the point they had to borrow my money just to get petrol despite doordashing like 40 hours a week) because they HAVE BEEN HELPING. PAY. THEIR GROWN ASS. SHITTY FUCKING USELESS. PARTNERS. RENT. THIS GROWN ASS MAN NOT ONLY HAD THEM PAY TO GO SEE HIM AND SUCK HIM OFF AND COOK FOR HIM. NOT ONLY WAS LETTING THEM GO BACK TO AUSTRALIA AND JUST BE HOMELESS. BUT HE IS ACTIVELY TAKING THEIR FUCKING MONEY. despite all of this i am deep down INCREDIBLY GLAD that my mum's partner put his foot down to get them out of my house and i feel guilty about it despite risking eviction cus im breaking my lease agreement by having them here loooll

tldr my 20 yr old friend has been living in my house illegally for over a month bc they refuse to go back to their shitty parents, they are however broke and don't have a stable job and their 30 yr old boyfriend is leeching off of them, and now i'm essentially kicking them out of my place within 2 days because my own housing security is at risk

[quinloki]

Oh man I just got pencils weee

For now just some basic ones, I tend to go crazy buying hobby supplies and then just drop the hobby so this will do for now <<

But also I thought of something funny that I thought you would appreciate since you said you used to Gaia too

But like my sophomore year of HS the local paper was accepting drawing submissions to feature in the art section and my mom submitted one of mine as a surprise

But she like, submitted art of my Gaia avatar bc it was something I had scanned into our family computer

So all my extended family clipped this thing from the paper and proudly displayed it on the fridge like it was on my grandparents fridge for like years until I removed it

I was torn between omg cool and omg I’m EMBARRASSED bc I was like 15 and that seemed so very uncool

It’s been over 15 years and I still remember this so vividly lmao

….

The drawing:

ITS SO FUNNY WHY WAS THIS WHAT SHE PICKED 😂😂

OMG in the news paper and everything - my family would've been the same way. And I am the SAME WAY about hobby stuff. It's one of the reasons I was glad to go digital - the tablet is an investment, but I only need one and it lasts a really long time. (I can also fiddle with and redo lines until I'm good with it >.> )

Speaking of Gaiaonline - I hung out there for a while. This is apparently the last outfit I saved before effectively walking away from my account

So there you go, fwiw xD

I was fairly active there for a good while, ran a Charity thread, met quite a few friends (and one fleeting love interest >.> ) and I'm still friends with one of them. Since you put your art on the public fridge I'll do the same - here's a picture I drew traditionally at the request of a friend.

It makes me smile because it reminds me of the days of Glomping - flying or otherwise.

From the way long ago year of 2005. (the character in pigtails is the one who requested said image, and the one I'm still friends with even after 10+ years ^_^ )

Man, how far I've come XD I may struggle with liking my art today, but I can't argue I've improved.

I have to admit though, I'm loving the similarities in style \o/ I can't wait to see what you can do today - though take it from me sometimes it can take a few drawings to knock the cobwebs off, especially if it's been so long.

Your muscles have to remember what your mind still knows 🥰❤️

[spongeofaces]

Hello! I am here for the twst matchup (romantic, please) and no first years or the teachers .Thank you, and have a good day !

**Appearance:**

I'm a 5'5" girl (165cm) (she/her, straight ). I am a brunette with short dark brown hair, round light brown eyes ,and transparent framed glasses. People often say I have a soothing aura when they look into my eyes. I have a round-ish kinda face with big cheeks, a small nose, and defined lips. I'm pale cause I mostly stay at home and avoid getting a tan. I have 8 beauty marks on my face. I have eyebags, which might be due to anemia, and I always look tired unless i use blush , i care about my skin doing skincare and such(i try(i want to be beautiful🥲).people say I am cute and pretty but it's hard for me to believe them (insecurities and self doub go brr...)

**Hobbies:**

drawing (digital and traditional ). I adore all forms of art, paintings , music , sculptures..ect .I enjoy reading, although it's been a while since I found a book that peeked my interest ,I mostly read fanfics recently . Video games hold a special place in my heart, I LOVE the different art styles and plots in each game. I have some sewing skills, mostly for patching things up .I learned to crochet and knit recently as well .Crafting is another hobby I enjoy, I am good with my hands. I love learning new stuff. biology and chemistry r my fav subjects(i like learning about anatomy whether it's animal's or human's +plants in the medical field ). I speak 3 languages: Arabic (native), French, and English. I plan to learn Spanish, Italian, or German next, depending on my mood. I'm a quick learner and adapt easily to different situations(that's something I admire and take pride in) .i hate and can't cook, except eggs and simple stuff.but in baking ,if you give me a recipe, i will make the most delicious desserts you've ever tasted(but I still hate it). Anything involving lemons is delicious (especially lemon tart😋).

Even though I am a good swimmer (I did swimming for 2 years) I have thalassophobia (ironic) but i do like me some facts about marine biology, with jellyfishes, anglerfishes, and Caribbean reef octopuses being my favorites.

**Personality:**

My personality is quite flexible and depends on both the people I'm with and my mood. When I'm outside , I tend to feel anxious, although I do my best not to show it. I come across as calm, chill, and reserved, but I'm friendly and won't reject anyone who wants to chat, although I dislike small talk and feel a bit uneasy around boys I can be quite sarcastic with a sharp tongue at times, kinda(really) annoying. Once I get comfortable with someone, you'll find I'm pretty blunt and honest .I am polite and respectful. I've had trust issues due to past betrayals, so I'm cautious with my relationships now (whether it is friends or family ,no lover tho ,don't get me wrong i can be quiet the romantic but the only man that I would probably get attached to would be fictional for sure lol)

With my close friends, I'm more open, and relaxed and cheerful?. I talk a lot about my interests, sharing random facts . I'm caring and sweet toward my friends . My love languages include gift-giving, physical touch.

I would describe myself as creative, observant, passionate, smart, meticulous and a perfectionist.I can be lazy and unmotivated. I am an INTP-T, Enneagram 5w4, and a Libra. I'm an older sister.

I am a burnt-out gifted kid , but I try to be the best version of myself in all aspects(i admit i do feel down thinking that i am never gonna make it ,but i always try to push these thoughts aside).I often feel I'll never be good enough for my mother (she has high standards for me that I can never seem to meet). I was bullied cause of my looks and weight, which made me depressed and anorexic for a year. Thankfully, I've changed a lot over time, tho it affected me making me antisocial, having trust issues and insecurities(but i am getting better). I like energy drinks. My music taste varies from pop, alt/indie, classical( my fav pieces are moonlight sonata 3rd movement, danse macabre , in the hall of the mountain king and la campanella ) ,jazz, to rock/metal, with a particular love for rock & roll. Comfortable baggy clothes are my go-to(makes me feel good in my own skin) .

***what I prefer in a partner?***

Anything is fine really , smart maybe? ,I can't cook so a good cook ,I just want someone to listen to me and make me feel included ,never getting annoyed by my behaviour and my clinginess , I want someone who I can truly be myself with (flaws and all)

I'm soooooo sorry for taking so long 😭

Tried to add some extra detail to make up for it <3

Hope you enjoy 🙏❤️

---

I match jellyfishuuuuu with...

🐍 Jamil Viper 🐍

-:-:-:-

You are one of the few people who have gotten to know the true Jamil behind all the walls he puts up. He never puts on a mask around you, always being as genuine as possible.

He adores you quite dearly, you'll often find him just staring at you from afar, even if he doesn't realize it himself. He just wishes to cherish you, and make you see just how precious you are, to him, and to your companions. He needs you to know just how much he thinks you're worth, constantly going to the extra lengths in your relationship, determined to make you love yourself as much as he loves you.

Everyone knows how good of a cook Jamil is, but he gets on a whole other level when cooking for you. He pours his heart and soul into each dish, every time. He'll be by your side as you eat, analyzing every reaction so he can make the next meal even more delicious for you. He's also very willing to help teach you how to cook.

If worry ever shows in your expression, he'll pull you aside to ask after your wellbeing. He won't take "I'm fine" as an answer either, he wants to listen to what bothers you, he wants to help in whatever way he can. He's always there to comfort you, making time even on the busiest of days.

Jamil's constant responsibilities can tire him out. Allow him to lay across your lap, or if that's too uncomfortable, lean on your shoulder, and he'll relax extraordinarially. He'll slowly doze off, fingers intertwined with yours, feeling at peace knowing you're there with him.

You guys swap clothes a lot, seeing as though you have similar styles. If you're missing a hoodie, I'd check his closet.

He's very patient. If you're ever not in the mood to socialize, or don't feel like being around him for whatever reason, he'll respect your wishes and leave you be.

He's impressed by your affinity for languages, even asking if you'd be so kind as to teach him some words or small phrases.

Constant praise. For the big things, for the little things, he wants you to be proud of yourself. You can tell he means every word of it too, by the way he looks at you with such adoration.

Since you like crafting, you could probably give him hand-made gifts. He'd find great joy recieving something from you, always treating you extra, extra special afterwords. The next day, you'll probaby be bombarded with triple the amount of gifts you gave him though, each more heartfelt and thought-out than the last.

Extra stuff as an apology for taking so long:

Before Jamil and you started dating, Kalim would constantly make excuses to have Jamil invite you to Scarabia, only to goof off elsewhere and purposely leave the two of you alone. Kalim was practically the matchmaker for you two, Jamil probably would have had noooo idea how to ask you out otherwise. Kalim was also the first to figure out Jamil had feelings for you.

If you ever wake up to frantic, jumbled texts, Jamil has been found by a bug. Please save him 😔

Your first date together wasn't really 'official' more like Kalim organizing the event then dipping at the last minute. He booked a real fancy restaurant, and only cancelled when both you and Jamil were already seated.

He pokes your forehead and sticks his tongue out at you when annoyed. Kinda childish.

A song for the relationship:

My Love Mine All Mine by Mitski.

Other options: Trey, Idia, Malleus and Ruggie.

[nehswritesstuffs]

I really enjoy your TTOU AU. I’m curious if you’re going to continue writing chapters for it. Thanks for your awesome writing!!! 😊

*side-eyes people in my DMs*

Here's the short answer: I plan on it, but cannot give an estimated start date since other varying things are taking priority. In the meantime, know I love you and your support, Greyscale, as it keeps me going.

Long answer under the cut.

The thing about The Thick of UNIT is this: it's very long and very convoluted. At this juncture I need to do a complete read-through, probably do some slight editing to what's already up, take a long look at what I have planned, and then edit that to hell and back as I tighten the story and get it on track again. The main things keeping me from doing this are:

Size: We're talking 225k words thus far by AO3's estimation. That's a lot to go through! And that's just the main story! It's 283.5k words with all the extras!

Time: There's only so much spare time I have available to write, let alone edit this monster.

Writing Resources: This is something a lot of fic writers understand, I think, because it's about what ideas are flowing and when. You have to go where there is flow, or else things will be bad.

My Editor: He's still not done and is even more scattered than me when it comes to this, if you'll believe, and since he and I don't control what the other does...

Real Life: I've been job hunting for a year (exactly; I was let go a year ago today) and I'm engaged, so I've been trying to get house-hunting and wedding planning off the ground (there's a lot of barriers here I won't go into). Plus there's a bunch of normal things that I'd do anyhow involving family and friend groups that take up time. energy, and resources. And I'm a tante now?! Tantes are cool.

Indifference: Now this is admittedly a weird one that deserves explaining. I still love The Thick of UNIT, as well as the parent shows Doctor Who and The Thick of It! They all still hold a special place in my heart. It's just... well... I average single-digit notes on here. I don't have enough reviews on FFN for there to be one per chapter. Most of my comments on AO3 are conversations. Although I'll be one of the first to say that you need to write fic for yourself and don't worry about an audience, I will also admit that it's very difficult to put into practice. I hit a big ol' wall of burnout with TTOU, which is something that can happen to anyone about anything, even stuff they love, and I'm trying to get over that and the indifference it causes. also everything that i've seen of DW post-Twelve is just irritating and i feel so fucking bad for Gatwa and none of that helps any

So... yeah... the double-edged sword with longfics is that they are a lot of time and energy, which I unfortunately do not have a lot of to spare. "But what about those other fics I see you posting?" That's where all my writing resources go, because the ideas are flowing there. It's probably weird to think about since I was almost exclusively writing fic for Doctor Who and The Thick of It for nine years, but what I've been able to churn out lately hits something completely different, deep down in my soul from before I even knew what Doctor Who was, before The Thick of It first aired, and a lot of it is a bit existential in its own way.

"But what am I going to do in the meantime?!" Feel free to check out my bookmarks on AO3, which has a lot of TTOU fic (including some by the lovely @fajrbismuth, whose tumblr url is yes from the fic). That not enough? Maybe, idk, create something of your own. Write some fic, draw art, create a moodboard, do something that channels your love for it. and maybe if you make sure i see it, i can reblog it for everyone here to see. Hell, I don't even care if you do your own Malcolm/Kate stories independent of TTOU. I can't stop you.

Thank you, though, for all your love and support over the past, what eight years of this. It's humbling when I get to see how much people love my writing and it really does make it worth it in the end.

[kaeru-kobold]

Kaeru Kobold-Dear Tumblr #1

I finally decided what I'm going to do with this Tumblr Account! Aside from the typical reposts of my art, self-promotion and such, I'm going to use it primarily as a live, public diary of my adventure in Vtubing, streaming and content creation, so here goes my very first entry. I think I'm going to try to do this daily, at the very least I'll make one weekly and on big events.

Dear Tumblr,

it's currently 1:22 AM, 12/11/23. I've been interested in becoming a Vtuber for roughly a year now, and have slowly done tons of research, watched hours of Vtuber content for fun and advice, built up art and assets, came up with a new Sona design, customized models, and have spent hours upon hours of work making art and assets related to that goal. Boy they really don't tell you how much work it is to be a streamer/content creator, especially when you're broke and doing it all by yourself. Speaking of broke... I'm currently out of work, money is very low, and I'm very stressed out. I made the mistake of leaving my old job for a new one that I hoped would be a good opportunity, but I had to leave on day one for moral and public health reasons I won't get into. I have put in dozens of applications the last two weeks and have mainly only received automated emails; I have done 2 Zoom interviews for two different jobs, and then was never given a call or email back. My old job won't take me back for reasons beyond me. I admitted this in an OkayDonuts stream a day or so ago, and he said similar issues motivated him to start streaming. This gives me so much hope that I can have the great community and career success that he has that I so desire-If he could do it, so can I! Right? I just really like making stuff, I've always liked learning new techniques both physical and digital; crochet, clay sculpting, wood carving, painting, graphic design, 3D modelling/Texturing, game design. I wasn't good at much as a kid, but art was my passion, and the best part was seeing how happy it made other people. I just want to make cool things that make people happy and create a community of similarly creative people to share our passions and bring more kindness and cool creations into the world. I don't want to be an uber rich Mr. Beast level celebrity, I just want to make enough that I don't need a menial job I suffer at. Simply making a decent living in this world off my art would be a blessing, it would be so much better for my mental health. Speaking of which, if you're reading this....did you know I take commissions? Please commission me, I hungy :'( But seriously, as of writing this, I have $43.20 in my bank account. My phone bill alone is $45. My partner and I have family support, so we'll get by ok, but the struggle and having to ask for help is really getting to me. On the bright side, since we should count our blessings- I have a really nice microphone since my partner tried streaming a couple years ago and is letting me use it whenever I need! I have a really good laptop from my college days that can run everything I need without getting TOO overwhelmed. I have a really good drawing tablet that I bought a couple years ago when I was doing a little better financially (It's much easier to save money when you're living with your parents and work 40 hours a week for $13/hr and your parents pay for everything) Losing my job may be a blessing in disguise because In my stress I have gone into a manic state and began going crazy getting my custom stream Overlays done, fully animated Stream Opening, BRB and Closing Screens, stinger transition animation, a functioning PNGTuber, and multiple drawings/animations for alerts/emotes/rewards/etc. and yes that includes things I didn't know I needed to be a Twitch Affiliate to even use...lol...I'm currently working on an animated lore video for my debut that I will also record a voice-over for. Lastly, a more recent thing-My partner found a gamer chair in the dumpster at our apartment last week after I had spent a couple months trying to find one-the cheapest ones on Facebook Marketplace in our area were like $80-and it's in near perfect condition, only a bit of scuff/rip on the seat and arm rests. How crazy is that? I gave it a good scrub-down and its good to go. I choose to take that as a sign from the universe that I'm on the right path. Wish me luck! With lots of love, Kaeru Kobold

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 - Volume 1

I'm doing things slightly out of order here, but I'd like to get to all the side stuff that came out prior to Tamers before I move on from Adventure. This is the first Digimon manga that came out (aside from C'mon Digimon which is contained within this release) so it'll be interesting to see those humble beginnings.

Ch.1

-So I guess this is some alternate universe version of season 1? (Or maybe like a beta version?) The plot feels a little similar to Digimon World where digimon are a battling v-pet IRL and the main character gets sucked into the digital world solo.

-In this version of the story, Taichi has a V-dramon. Unclear so far what level digivolution a V-dramon is or if it's related to Veemon. Zeromaru is a dumb name...

-Goggles AND a cape? That's a bit much Taichi...

-I like how doofy Gabumon looks in this. The digimon are way more cartoony and expressive so far.

-Full color and actual, red blood!? This manga looks fabulous on my tablet <3

Ch. 2

-More Digimon World vibes. The Holy Angel Castle looks a lot like the ice castle that you can only enter if you have a vaccine digimon in the PSX game...

-There's a "should digimon have human partners?" element here that we haven't really seen in the show yet. I feel like this question is inevitable for most mon series.

Ch. 3

-Okay, I'll admit, I didn't see the pun in "Zeromaru" (maru is another way to say zero) until this chapter. I hate the name slightly less now.

-A Tonosama Gekomon and a HolyAngemon are a pretty bizarre combo lol

-I really love the art style in this actually. Chibi-mode Taichi was adorable in this chapter and the colors are really nice as well. I wish we got more full-color manga releases like this one!

-So Demon is gonna be the big bad in this? That's kinda nice actually cuz he got majorly short shrifted in 02. Seems like his design is completely different here. Kinda looks like Ogremon...

Ch. 4

-I kinda like how the wild digimon get names in this. Since every digimon from the same species seems to be pretty much identical, giving them names allows me to become more attached to them.

-Only just realized that I don't really know why Etemon is called Etemon. I tried googling it and the Digimon wiki's explanation didn't really help...

-Pretty wild that Gabo said "God is gone" lol. Also, Digi-world creation myth confirmed.

-The manga's McGuffin was introduced: V-tags. I'm guessing the "V" is for "Virtual," but if you're going to call everything "digi" that seems to go against the branding a bit...

Ch. 5

-Okay Gabo's incessant "You guys need to act more concerned!!" gag is getting really annoying. He says it like every 3 pages!

-I had no memory of Deltamon so I thought he was new, but I guess he appeared in an 02 episode? He's really ugly. Also, how many samey dino digimon designs do we need!?

Ch. 6

-These chapters are super short and since a lot of them are battles, they take like 2 minutes to read. Perfect for young kids I guess!

-That triceratops with pecs was pretty cursed.

Ch. 7

-When the digimon are hurt their skin cracks like they're made of plastic or something. Kind of a weird choice...

-Another thing that differs between the manga and anime is that we see Taichi perform first-aid care after fights. The anime doesn't really show a lot of wounds in the first place and usually the digimon just rest to heal.

Ch. 8

-I was surprised to see MarineDevimon who doesn't appear in the anime until 02. I wish I knew more about which chapters of this came out when because it apparently came out over the course of 5 years (1998-2003) -- Edit: this info is thankfully on the wiki

-In this chapter Gomamon says that Triceramon being a data-type means he's a "good" digimon. In the anime they said that even virus-types can be good. So maybe that's more of a prejudice than a fact? (Or it's just different in the manga).

-Gomamon is so baby in this!

Ch. 9

-This manga reminds me of Yu-Gi-Oh! season 0 where everything is just slightly off.

-The digimon are more blatantly programs and apparently if you go inside them it's just a neon void? Also, I guess the 01 in the manga's title is a reference to binary.

-Let's see how much random stuff the digivice can do in the manga. So far it allows you to scan digimon for their HP and to communicate telepathically.

Ch. 10

-Already 2 out of 5 tags collected which means that this tag collecting thing is probably just one out of many arcs.

-For some reason the official release goes up to chapter 10 for volume 1 but the fan scans go beyond that? I'm going to stick to the official release because 10 is a nice clean end point.

This manga seems pretty typical for a game/anime-tie in for young boys. The chapters are very easily digestible and nothing too deep happens. The magazine it was serialized in, V-Jump was also home to things like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest, so the demographic is pretty clear. I'm really enjoying the artwork mostly. I wish there were more character moments but the reoccurring cast is pretty dinky at the moment. Let's see where this goes!

[cyanidefilledcandy]

Soooo....I've decided to repick up a project I started a couple years ago...or at the very least I have the desire to.

It's a parody comic and my goal is to have the first chapter done by October 31, which I doubt will happen since it's just over a month away, and as I mentioned, I haven't touched it in just about two years (or hell....may be over two years now...)

But I will admit, I have been procrastinating all afternoon in even starting to work on it because frankly, I am absolutely terrified to...

This isn't anything new because I always get terrified to draw anything unless it's digital and that's only because I know if I make a mistake, it can be permanently removed whereas with traditional drawing, my mistakes can be seen clearly, even if I try to erase them.

Another thing is that when I decided I might try a crack at it again a few months ago, I opened my sketchbook to find the pages completely ruined... Part of it is my fault because I stupidly chose to do the pages front and back in an effort to be cost effective and I work with graphite....

So needless to say, a lot of the pages got smeared. But the real issue is that some weird stains got on the pages which I truly don't understand as it's been in storage in a bag for basically a year and a half...

I found a hack for redrawing art, but it won't work because of my idiot decision to make them front and back... And also the idea of trying to redraw them TRULY terrifies me because I've never been able to redraw any of my drawings properly....even if I'd just did them, even back when I was drawing regularly. I can't imagine how bad it will be now that I haven't drawn in over a year and a half and my skill has been steadily getting worse over the years regardless. :/ (I once read someone here on Tumblr that said if you think your art is suddenly getting worse, it's not. It's just that you've tuned your eye and are just now noticing flaws that you didn't realize before because you've learned more. I thought that might've been the case, but no....my drawing has just gotten worse...)

It really pisses me off, though. I hate my fear and perfectionism because it holds me back from doing so much I want to do... Like even in school, I'd rather not take a test and receive a flat 0 than to try and fail...

And yes, I know that realistically, I can't get better if I don't try, if I don't use it, I'll lose it, and perfection doesn't exist....especially in art. (In fact, I LOVE that fact about art. I know a lot of artists I follow say they prefer digital because they can make the work look cleaner....and frankly, I love a messy, sketchy piece of art.)

But, it's so unbelievably hard to break this mindset. I can tell myself until my mind is blue in the face that it doesn't matter if it's not perfect and to just try and practice to get better. But, I can't get over that mental block of trying and failing. Of not being able to get what I see in my head on the page...

And it's even more frustrating because looking back...I am actually shocked and impressed with what I have...

I have seven pages drafted...Messy, and not nearly done, but still, SEVEN pages! And they don't look half bad. And I know I can refine them make them at least passable...

But it's just the idea of completely starting from scratch...when I'm so out of practice...

I have nothing really to say with this post. Just venting my frustrations with myself to myself. (And whoever chooses to read this...)

IDK...

I'm thinking of getting a new drawing pad and maybe some tracing paper to trace the pages and restart them that way.... But we'll see. (I'm getting a new book regardless. I had completely forgot the pages were kerfuckled until just now...)

[maisartworksstuff]

Thank you, fruba 💖

Ok, in terms of how this series impacted me as a person in many senses I could go on to an even exaggerated point for a pretty long time....

So for this post I'll simply show my art progress for the 3 years 4 actually since I first watched the 2001 series exactly a year before the reboot started. a And the way this anime influenced it (I'd also admit certain parts in Takaya's own progress while the manga was running is really intriguing to me as artist :') )

Started the 2001 series in April 2018 after seeing a very certain scene(guess) in some old amv while looking for inspiration on something. Got my curiosity :D

But the earliest artworks I could find is from between catching up with the manga to the reboot getting announced and the main cast designs drop are these. from October 2018- March 2019.

But even if I made something earlier nah uh too embarrassing by now :v

(In all honesty my style as a whole never had a drastic change cuz there are parts i feel too attached to xD If anything it's more on improving with basic stuff and adding more unique preferences of choice.)

then you have season 1's run. During that I ended up making vibrant colors, gradient and sparkles a major part of it.

also one of my most successful artworks heehaw §(*￣▽￣*)§

Continuing with the true form arc &s1 ending. I remember this blog had quite growth with these pieces.

Then for a while between that and season 2 I was having quite a two months artblock (ah the grudge,,,（︶^︶）) and got back on march 2021 aka coronabiatch

And season 2!:D what I said on the vibrant sparkly coloring in s.1 got even more prominent here §(*￣▽￣*)✨

Between s.2 ending & the wait for the final my tablet & laptop died both so I focused on improving traditionally on many things. ( While also keeping up from rusting digitally with starting to color illustrations from the manga)

Throughout all of season 3 that was pretty much the same, but i got a new tablet & laptop now so I did the last two in this photo there.

In all honesty sometimes I feel like I'm far from being on a high level despite the time that passed since, and as if it went backward at certain phases... BUT in the end, it's still something I contributed to show my appreciation for this amazing series, and people often seem to really like it. Only a few months ago I had someone suddenly tell me they find the way I draw inspiring as well, never thought I'd get there.... I do go throughout another block rn, but that's fine, I can use it for a rest. And when I get the chance to find what to do again that'll happen and I can make up for the missing time by using it to improve some more. Just as the series taught- Do not let it stop me. 💖💕

[tabletop-nightmare]

i'd love to share more of my art, but i'm going through a mental block right now. i have some tutorials saved, but nothing turns out decent because i don't learn art on a schedule. i'm entirely self-taught, so i don't know how to stick to anything :(

you got any advice?

Sorry it's been a day I had to sleep on this question and think up some answers. Mental blocks and artist block sucks ass and there's very little way around it but I'll give you tips and such that have at least helped me. This was a list I threw together at 2 in the morning so excuse it for not being the most organized. I'll admit this first one I just discovered in a bit of an epiphany. I've been watching a lot of Inked episodes on youtube and in this particular one an artist talks about loving the process not the finished piece due to the fact that tattoos leave with the client, but I felt it fit with art in general. It can be hard and it's a hard to shift into loving the process instead of the final piece because we live in a society (tm) that puts emphasis on what we create for every one else to see. But learning to love what you make whether or not it's what you wish people to see is a good way to remind yourself that art is a journey and you're constantly learning. This next one can be tricky, and I am not a pro at it either, but seriously, if you make a piece of art, post it. It doesn't matter if it's here on on Discord amongst friends. I went into a deep depression and stopped posting art anywhere, and once I started feeling like making art again I first posted it to Discord. Friends are great first steps because they are that positive boost you might need in order to push yourself to post your art somewhere else. I know my doodles and art pieces aren't going to get any love here on Tumblr but by pushing myself to post those things I just feel productive and have the energy to make bigger pieces and be proud of them. I myself was self taught for a lot of years, and even if you are in school to learn you are still technically teaching yourself. Art is tricky like that. So these may seem obvious but references are you're friend, and references of things you enjoy!! Be inspired by your references; when it comes to digital art I've been inspired a lot by religous paintings and Mucha's art nouveau pieces, like to the point you can find the piece I used as main reference. And that's ok, I think there is a huge pressure on artists to be original and it's a huge weight especially if you struggle with mentally making a picture (like I do) and such. Much of my traditional art is gorey fight the patriarchy pinups where I take famous Elvgren pinups and put my own twist on them. But I do it because I love the feeling it provokes in me, not anybody else. This is going to always be a polarized opinion, but seriously trace things. I have just now started to not feel the huge guilt of tracing, because when you are tired, when you don't want to put all of the mental capacity into building from the ground up, trace. It helps strengthen your muscle memory and leaves you feeling good about what you created out of inspiration of anothers work. Disclaimer obviously, a lot of the works I use as reference/tracing are older pieces. I change them enough to become my own and I always credit the work. And none of it is for monetary gain, but it gives me the boost to go on and make my own pieces. We all know the planning part of art sucks (even sometimes the sketching part) so being able to jump that hurdle for the most part can really give your brain the rest it needs. And finally the shitty awful but true answer, draw stuff that is boring and you hate. The one and only thing I learned from art school is that if you push yourself to do things you may find boring, you'll be more likely to learn from the process then care about the final image. And then to push yourself extra hard, really get serious with it. Some of my best traditional work is stuff that when I sat down I was not excited to do. But now I can put words to it which is: I fell in love with the process. All I can really do is give you anecdotal evidence so I'll leave you with this: The best painting I have ever done in my life was a abstract that then sold for 350 dollars, the only art piece to be sold in my entire schools art show. And I hated hated abstract art before

then, I didn't get it I thought it was all black squares same color kinda deals but, when I sat down terrified of what dumb shit I was about to make I just learned to let that stress go and used it as a way out of my normal everyday arting. And it is the best piece I have ever made.

TLDR; Find things that resonate with you, find things that don't, do both.

[commandermardukas]

This is one of my most favorite manga haul ever.

I feel emotional with the contents of this. These are my gifts to myself for a job well done last year. A little pat on my back and some self love. So much happiness. And I'm so thankful.

One of these days I'd like to start something like a detailed review of the artbooks I have collected so far. But for now here are some... feelings.

Took me a while to get my hands on this Here U Are book because I can't accept the monstrous amount I have to pay for the proxy and shipping of this one book back when it was released. This one I bought from a bookstore and has a reasonable and acceptable price.

Mo Dao Zu Shi is one of the best novels I have read. Surely I read it from unofficial translation (their novel translation was superb. Clap clap clap) but let's admit that it contributed much to the global success and fame. And without that I am not fan of it today because how would I understand this gem of a story right?. The digital manhua I buy in wecomics. But the physical manhua book is a whole 'nother level. Wow.

The MDZS animation artbook as well is so gorgeous. To see those beautiful illustrations on the anime's ending credits in two page spreads is stunning and surreal.

Old Xian's art is beautiful. It has that modern day feel and the backgrounds are so detailed with everyday life details that it is amazing. And well these 19 days guys are just adorable.

I am a fan of Takarai Rihito's art. And I love this artbook. Every illustration is so attractive and it is a distinct art style that when you see one you just know is "Takarai Rihito".

Haikyuu.. this has very special place in my heart forever. The best and greatest sports manga ever for me. I lived in the era of slam dunk but I just feel in my heart that I love Haikyuu more. So to complete my manga collection are the last volume, the final guidebook and the complete illustration.

Akatsuki no Yona is one of those shoujo stories that stirs up thoughts and provokes my essay prone emotions. And the cover of volume 34 can easily make one think and feel a lot and perhaps write an essay.. I'm very happy I was able to get the limited edition with calendar. Because more than the dates I need the art.

And last but not the least One Piece vol 96. But this one is special because this is where Roger's journey was told. Laugh Tale. That is how I want to remember One Piece.. a tale full of laughs and adventure and friendship.

Many of my mangas are in ebook or digital form. Ebooks are great and practical and I love them. But there's a different intoxicating excitement when you buy physical collectibles. The giddy happiness of touching them.

And sooo... I'll work hard again this year.

[milky-teaway]

Questions for your fic "I'll have to drive through those gale force winds": 8: Did any real people or events inspire any part of it? 9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic? 11: What do you like best about this fic? Thanks in advance. :)

Hi there, you don’t know how ecstatic I was to see your question about the fanfiction, tezlababe! Thank you for the ask, I’ll try not to ramble!

Did Any Real People or Events Inspire Any Part of it?

YES, most of the original characters are loosely based on people I’ve met before that left some impact on me. The strangest part was that I hadn’t realized it until I looked back on the way they are written into the story. I think that’s what makes writing the fic easier, because I can sort of scramble experiences with new imagined ideas together. For example, the character Tony is based on this guy that was sort of my friend in elementary school. He was always just a dick to me and a major follower. He regularly singled me out and teased me because I was the quiet girl in the group and had fun doing things solo, coincidentally much like Melise.

This is gonna sound weird, but I named the character Emla after this product for numbing the skin I had randomly found in my house. It’s literally called Emla, and I thought, wow, that’s kind of a cute name… Honestly, I don’t know what I was thinking giving her that name, but ah whatever, its not so bad, I guess.

Leon, Jackson’s pitty forklift was based on an early name of Jackson Storm’s supposed ‘trainer’ (the name there was ‘Leo’ that appeared on his wikia page in the ally subcategory. I researched and found zero evidence of this character existing, so I just took him and turned him into a tech savvy sort of pit crew member for IGNTR instead. 

The biggest event that catalyzed the start of writing the story was how poorly Jackson Storm was developed in Cars 3. Even today, most of us barely know what kind of personality Jackson has below the surface past our fandom interpretations, so I wanted to explore that. I think it was exactly a day or week after watching the movie that I walked all the way to Chapters in the town over to buy the Storm Chasing book and get some basic personality to work with for beginning the fanfiction. Quickly, I figured out, yeah… this guy ain’t so bad, he’s a competent young adult with no direction of where to go. Jackson is basically a chill kind of car living in an era (now) where he must put in twice the effort with minimum rewards. He hates it and that’s his drive to push against mostly happy-go-lucky cars like Cruz and Lightning. Racing made his world complete, but that chill personality will always be there. Jackson loves the fame and fortune and knows his way around, nonetheless he’s established himself in adulthood already (a contrast to McQueen in the first film, hence Lightning’s immaturity) so he has no problem being a jerk because he’s got a reason; being tired of the cookie-cut ideals of modern culture. I honestly think Jackson is the kind of guy that likes creativity, individuality and unique aspects someone can bring to the table, it makes the boring world out there a little more bearable for him.

Were There Any Alternate Versions of This Fic?

 I will admit, I’ve been basically improvising every single chapter along the way, and I didn’t plan properly for the choice of making Melise take up modelling. It was purely improvised because I needed some sort of conflict to take the story forward in a way where she was affected by the photos of her and Jackson that allowed her to still maintain contact with him, I had no idea where to go, so I pulled the modelling idea out of nowhere. Here’s a little secret, the fanfiction was originally supposed to be about Melise befriending Jackson Storm and it would be purely platonic, she would basically show him how to not be a jerk. I quickly found that concept to be lacking because it didn’t create enough of a plot and it was just boring. Furthermore, Jackson Storm liking someone was a lot more interesting to write. I could explore his personality even more, which was the whole point of writing the story in the first place. 

I also had a list of names to choose from for my OC, and Melise was just one that I liked best. I had this idea once where she was going to be the younger non-twin sister of Mia and Tia, but it didn’t really stick either.

On another note, about a year ago, I wrote a now scrapped chapter where Jackson would randomly throw a family reunion party to basically brag about himself being legendary in the entire Storm family, and he would invite Melise along. Subsequently, I deleted the draft because it would be another side story with little connection to the main one between Jackson and Melise.

 I was going to include some more McQueen and friends  POV, but found that it– again, took away from the main plot. Also, there are tons of Lightning McQueen and Cruz Ramirez fics on FF.net. so I opted out of the idea… I just find Jackson more interesting and realistic, plus there aren’t much Jackson Storm fics out there, so win-win. 

What Do You Like Best About The Fic?

I love that so many people like the story! Seriously, it means so much to me to be able to write in my own personal way for you guys and to have people love genuine story telling. My favourite thing about the fic is how likeable, yet full on jerk I’ve managed to write Jackson Storm and the simple yet captivating story thus far with what i consider realistic and relatable characters. I love the art, especially the digital artwork FeDrawsStuff made of Melise, and how active the fandom is in helping me with art and just chatting away random ideas for fics or headcanons. Its fantastic to engage with so many positive people daily. Love Y’all!

[auroraphantasma]

So because I'm bored, and wont be able to finish my comics for a while, here's a story:

(I promise its related to the theme of this blog).

It starts with me being terrible with water colors and art class in 10th grade. Now probably none of you know but i'm absolutely terrible, no abysmal, when it comes to any paint material but digital. (Seriously it's kinda ridicioulus at this point; i can literally do any other art form miles miles better than paint and that includes graffity and i'm not good at that either).

Now, at this point our teacher was teaching us color theory more indepth and its applications in work. She even made us make charts and all.

The task for lesson was, make a two tone complimentary piece.

"Ok" I thought. "Since i suck balls in watercolors i'll make this fun for me! Lets see, whats the most obscure thing i can come up with with only two colors to work with?" Inspiration suddenly struck me and i begun my piece. 2 hours later i managed to finish it on a A3 and was kinda liking how it came out.

Still, i knew it was not even close to my other works.

You see, the school had this thing where at the end of the year, the art teacher would gather, with a ton of big picture frames and the folders of every student, and chose their best, to their opinion, work and put it on the walls of the halls and some classrooms.

"This probably won't get put out." I thought like a fool, and put it away in my folder safely.

I was wrong. So so wrong.

Apparently, somehow, the teachers loved it! It got put out with two other works of mine in a big magenta frame on the second floor of the school. I remember staring at it in disbelief for at least 5 minute while and trying to stutter a whole coherent sentence sentence of "What the fuck, is this real???". They put it out. They put it out without even knowing what it was and most of the school didn't even realized it.

It stayed on that spot for a good three years which was kinda amazing considering they changed the pics yearly. I admit, it was a good source of snicker from time to time.

Anyway, eventually, at towards the end of my last school year it got taken down and my works were handed back to me and i put them away in my folder again and forgot about them.

That is until the same art teacher, who taught us in 10th and most likely was the one responsible for the pic being framed and put out, steps in with an officially published book, by our school, and hands it to our class to check it out.

And at this point, ya all like probably 'Ok what the fuck is this story and why is it in on this phandom blog!?'

And anyway the point i'm trying to make here, that still to this day has me floored, is that:

I have a god dam, badly water colored, complimentary painting in an officially distributed by our school book of the god dam mother fucking Ghostzone and nobody knew when they made this book and put our works in it!

AND THAT'S A L L!

GOOD FUCKING NIGHT PHAM!

[frogsandfries]

Never enough bobbins

Don't tell my manager, but I spent my shift, for the most part, winding bobbins of embroidery floss. Go figure, there never seem to be enough bobbins. The other day, I spent my whole afternoon off with my kittens locked out of the bedroom while I sorted through my thread that my sister recently sent me. I spent the whole afternoon organizing everything so I could find one single color.

Guess what.

Apparently, I don't even own this color.

Go figure. I was trying to take a project that I started last summer, 2019, that I guess I got discouraged about, since I wouldn't have been able to dry clean it or frame it, let alone with UV-resistant glass, never even mind hang it on my wall. So I put it away and just figured it for a waste of time. But now, I have walls that need to be decorated and I figured this was a fun yet sophisticated way to do so. So here we go.

I think I'm hacking great chunks of it away every few evenings. Maybe by Christmas, we can get it cleaned and framed. I'll either buy frame by the inch from Blick, if they do that, or maybe get a regular poster frame and UV-resistant glass somehow. I'm pretty excited to see it finished.

I'm so torn between working on sticker stuff and working on cross-stitch, but I think it'll be nice to take a chunk out of this project. We're also getting serious about getting me a new tablet. I guess we settled on an apple??? I'm nervous to see how that goes; I live out of my Google account. I've been storing everything from college papers to photographic records of sculptures to cross-stitch patterns and sticker designs in there since at least 2012.

My partner keeps bringing up having like an external hard drive, and I have to admit, that would be kinda cool. It'd be resistant to any failures Google might have. I think like a lot of things though, any massive organizational project like that might demand a more full computer than I currently have full access to.

It's interesting to think how, all the information I might leave to any kids I might have, would be a collection of digital files. It's scary to think that in a few years, all of my file types may no longer be accessible. It's kind of cool to think, by that time, there may be ways to automatically update file formats. Or maybe I'm getting scifi brain because I don't comprehend computers at all. It's interesting to imagine that they may not care, but I could give them hundreds of pages of journals, at least thousands of photos of my family, my travels, and my art work if they care, in less than a shoebox worth of space. It'd be really cool to have things arranged into ebooks or whatnot, accompanied by journals and reminiscences. I think the pinnacle would be to give my children baby books, professionally printed books of my journey through parenting them. I know it's egotistical to be like "my journey", but even as the child of someone else, I think my childhood was as much for my parents as it was to lay the foundation for me to be who I am today. I think it would have been cool to get a journal or something from at least one of my parents admitting to me what they thought of me and being a parent. But that's not how their generation is.

I know one of my friends is really in to scrapbooking. She loves washi tape and cutting up photos and making cute pages. I'm a very minimalist, spartan kind of person. I don't really add pops of color; I'm terrified of cutting up or otherwise defacing photos. I have a hard time altering anything like that. I think it's kind of odd that I'm such an un-frivolous person for an artist.

You know what should be a tangible object every time, though? Even when I've dumped all of the recipes I've hoarded over the course of my life into a blog or a doc, I still want to eventually create a beautiful, expandable, customizable cookbook, with colorful gel pens and washi tape and laminated pages.