#no shade meant with any of this

[zanarkandfayth]

Thinking up ffxv headcanons about the boys writing fanfic instead of working on my own fic:

Gladio writes stuff like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, he takes his favourite novels and then inserts something totally weird into it and somehow makes it work. He's a plantser, he comes up with basic ideas but wings most of the details and isn't afraid to go off-script. He finishes most of his fics, but there's a few left abandoned that he swears are just on hiatus. He has a regular readerbase and his fics get a decent amount of attention, but he isn't a BNF.

Prompto writes super indulgent self-insert fanfic for Assassin's Creed. Complete pantser, he starts writing the moment he gets an idea and doesn't plan a single thing in advance, and his plots suffer for it. He's constantly in the middle of no less than five fics at one time, and has a long history of abandoned fics on his account that make most readers hesitant to give him a chance. His fics mostly go unnoticed, except for that one that blew up early on and still has people begging him to finish, but he isn't in it for the attention anyways.

Noct isn't much of a writer, but he'll scribble out an unedited crack oneshot every once in a while based on outlandish conversations he and Prompto have while they game, posted immediately after writing, typos and all. They always get lots of comments and kudos despite the fact that he never responds to anyone. Noct's popularity annoys Ignis immensely, but his pride will never let him admit it.

Ignis writes ridiculously long epic-length fics that are all OC casts and super plotty and so AU they could almost be an original work, if he just changed the setting. He spends months outlining them beforehand and prewrites the entire fic and sends it through no less than two betas before he starts posting on a very precise schedule. They're well-written and engaging, but aren't very popular. Still, he has a small but dedicated and loyal readerbase who leave him thoughtful comments, and he always takes the time to respond in kind.

Regis and Clarus are both BNFs. They're well-known fandom olds and they write popular ships with popular tropes and everyone loves them, their fics are always popping up on rec lists and they have thousands of comments and kudos and multiple pieces of fanart per fic that readers have drawn for them. Clarus pestered Cor into being his beta when they started, wearing him down over a period of months, but Regis has always firmly been in the "no beta we die like men" camp, and sometimes it shows. But people overlook his occasional lazy grammar and spelling because he's one of the best smut writers in his fandom. He once left his AO3 account up on his laptop screen and Noct saw it and promptly went to go bleach his brain just from the tags alone.

[pangur-and-grim]

You did some of the art on my calendar!! I only just realized it was you!

was it the Bizarre Beasts calendar?

it's a fun challenge! I've done in two years in a row now. each time they have 13 artists draw animals (for enamel pins), and then have me paint a background/scene around every animal to make it into a calendar page.

so for example, I'll be sent a file like this:

and will turn it into this:

here's a link to last year's calendar, if you wanna check out a few more pages. the 2024 calendar isn't in the shop yet, but I'm excited for people to see it!

[keiksy-cake]

Hetalia Collezione Poll Results pt 4

Finally done with the polls!

all collezione pages

[Please note, I’m an amateur in Japanese and have to use various resources and translation machines to help me. If you notice a possible mistake or want clarification, please bring it up to me *politely* and not aggressively or hostile.]

[rain-nap-draw]

Doodling today :) Used a reference for shart pose

[m1d-45]

kaeya having his mandela catalogue moment seeing the copy of his brother… can’t wait for him to meet shade! that definitely won’t fuck him up at all! - teddy anon

oh he’ll totally leave that interaction 100% sane (lying)

brief note, diluc and shade would be over in .2 seconds. putting aside the impossibility of shade leaving your side willingly, diluc has long since memorized the microexpressions on kaeya’s face, and knows that he isn’t him.

brief note two, shade is much better at passing as kaeya than red is diluc. aside from the very obvious detail of red borderline growling at people all the time, red carries himself differently. diluc, while often awkward and sometimes unintentionally cold, is still approachable, a trait that red could never manage. shade, however…

shade is a bandit. a master of disguise mixed with kaeya's already clever personality, able to mask himself as kaeya—and has, on occasion, to lead a patrol away or to snatch some medical supplies from the city for you or nikki. the difference is that he has a diluc to fall back on, one that he can trust with his entire self. kaeya can't let himself be honest with diluc and vice versa, but shade and red can. who better to tell your homicidal urges to than your fellow reflection?

imagine with me. post hunt. you're entering mondstat, without red at nikki's request. you, nikki, momo, and shade, making your way toward the gates. everyone knew about the old copy of diluc you had made, about the mirrors your friend taught you to use to summon the archons of old. even night, elusive as she was, was known throughout the knights.

but shade was new. shade was quick on his feet, always swift to pull you through the impossible tangles of forest, into thickets that would knit behind you so the patrols couldn't follow. shade was a well kept secret, only glimpsed in rumors throughout the city that the cavalry captain was occasionally seen in a new set of formal wear.

kaeya had heard these rumors. he'd also known that your 'diluc' was your closest guard, and had himself witnessed him going into the city. he'd thought nothing of it, assuming the people had simply seen someone that looked like him. they hadn't.

once youre close enough for him to actually recognize shade, its like his whole world falls apart.

"divine one..." jean, at his side, likely also recalling the rumors. "your company..."

"this is momo and nikki," you introduce, "and this is shade."

shade. some part of that feels ironic.

hes not surprised by the talking cat, barely registering nikki's polite hello as he locks eyes with shade. same height, same hair, same patch over the eye and sharp smile when he knows he's won.

"shade, say hello."

shade blinks, then flashes a fake smile. "greetings."

the meeting is a blur for kaeya. all he can see is shade, shade and how clearly you and him are attached. his hand held in yours, the adoring look in his eyes as he watches you speak-

he'd passed as kaeya. his mask was so paper thin someone he's never even met could imitate it flawlessly, putting on his identity like a costume on the world's stage and doing it better.

shade was the one at your side. shade led you away with a polite smile—you didn't see the way it dropped so he could shoot kaeya a glare—and a hand around your waist. shade was the one that believed you, that kept you safe.

kaeya had invented the frostwind swordsman. he'd crafted his persona by hand, making a shield out of his words and behavior, and yet it was somehow shade that had perfected it.

[cipherexists]

i spent way too long learning to draw humans that i got fustrated and went back to drawing the robot feller. i need him taken apart, carnally. who said that

[ukusreticence]

crimson has help running the shade district, wanted to doodle concepts of the people who help him

specifically because i wanted to make this meme and i needed bodies to do it for

[mushroom-for-art]

Finally got some of the fusions did! I uh, went a bit feral oops sorry, enjoy!

Mevee and Espetwo for @eveeonaartz! I'm sorry mevee has a blank background they were all gonna be bland but then I went oh no gotta have the pink stars and then oh but it clashes and oops now everyone has fun backgrounds, poor Mevee punished for the crime of being the first drawn

Skarmatwo for @a-shy-mimiktwo!

Blazitwo for @ricksoo! They got changed a little from initial sketch hope that's okay!

And a Gallagar or Glabby for @oogaboogaspookyman !

If you are the person who requested the design you are welcome to claim them for yourself and use the design as you please!

Also dw I am working on the others slowly! Just lmao 10 image limit and I can only achieve so much art at a time!

[yakozy]

Sumire appreciation post!!!!!!!! she is neat and cool and i am free tomorrow night sumire if you’re reading this i’‘ll get you a bonsai im free tomorrow night

[skenpiel]

O BTW b4 i go to bed. heres some silly stupid doodles of my redesigned trollsona since im rereading hs now anyway ^__^

[aeide-thea]

i've been trying 2 think how 2 phrase this post bc like. audioboooks are great both for people who can only take in books that way AND for people in situations where they need their eyes and/or hands for something else, and i absolutely don't want to knock them (not to mention that like. a really compelling audiobook reader brings their own charisma and tonal palette to the project and elevates it)

but also i've been listening to lotr in one (1) ear as i bike (bc like. i do think it's an important safety consideration to have one ear available to alert me to passing traffic etc) and like. frodo and sam and pippin JUST made it to buckland. this is literally hours of bicycling time we're talking about at this point. if i'd been gulping down the text with my eyeballs i could have finished the book if not the whole trilogy by now!

[unproduciblesmackdown]

enjoy some pencil drawings for once

screenshot study and what amounts to a conceptual illustration of a writing idea

[queerofcups]

I finally unsubscribed from Phil's channel, so I guess we can officially call it the end of an era. 8 years, give or take 3,isn't a bad fandom run by any means.

[gauntletqueen]

Really mean of pixar to make a full movie out of the concept "what if elements were alive and also in love", don't animation students have it hard enough without getting shit stolen from them? And it looks boring also

[pumaskulls]

Josy, flashing the world's most haggard and exhausted peace sign: "yea im fine, why do you ask?"

[sparky-is-spiders]

You know what? I’ve decided I actually really like Melanie Magnus Archives when I’m thinking about her canon wretched personality and not the fandom’s girlbossification of her. She’s an interesting character and a fucked up person.