#price wise it was originally expensive

[freaky-flawless]

Y'all, a new Monster High game is in the works!!! Coming out this year!!!

This is the same studio that made Bratz: Flaunt your Fashion and Rainbow High: Runway Rush!

(Image Description" A screenshot of an Instagram post from the Outright Games account announcing the release of three new games in partnership with Mattel. The photo shows the Outright Games Logo beside the Mattel logo over a purple background. Beneath them are the titles of three upcoming games, "Barbie: Project Friendship, Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets, and MatchBox Driving Adventures. The caption reads "We are working with @mattel in a multi-year partnership, transforming some of their most beloved IPs into video games! In 2024 we will be bringing three brand-new games:

💖 Barbie Project Friendship™ 🧟‍♀️Monster High™: Skulltimate Secrets™ 🏎 Matchbox™ Driving Adventures.

Stay tuned for more information coming soon!" End ID)

[darkdemeter]

OLD DRAFT CONCEPT : " GUARD DOG "

—- not my gif, credit to original poster! -—

Wanda Maximoff x Werewolf! GN/Female/Male Reader (x slight Natasha Romanoff)

A/N — Here's a little bedtime story for ya'll. Old draft concept for an upcoming and looong oneshot for Wanda in a mafia au setting. Bits and pieces may be recognised in the published column plot wise but overall, we're taking an alternate route, my babbies.

WORD COUNT — 2.2k

READER DISCRETION — Alcohol consumption — mafia business and semi dark themes — profanity — mention of death and murder — mention of black market and auction — reader and Nat have some history — player reader Tony is so proud — Alexander Pierce is of course an arsehole, what else is new? — Rumlow is a bad guy (duh) — I think that's it?

An expensive investment. A broad term to use for a werewolf broken in by the system at a young age. But it’s true. 

Alexander Pierce, the finance manager and ringleader as a whole, did all he could to break you in, and to say he did is an understatement. He exceeded the limits you once believed you had and once you were ready, he put you out in the field to garner your reputation. 

You had no limits. Ruthless in your endeavour to complete whatever task was required of you, prepared to do whatever it took, your peers could only look at you with both fear and admiration. 

When all was said and done, you were given your collar, then sold through the underground hub for criminals: the black market. 

That’s when you learnt in the span of the few minutes that the auction lasted for, that you were either a trophy to those of the higher class of crime, or a very wanted source of security and war. From black funding operators that had their hand in the military’s pit on the hunt for a war hound, to the gangster overlords who controlled territories in the differing states and countries, requiring some form of high end security, there was a very rapid increase in the price they were each willing to pay. 

At a total of twenty-five million, your collar and services were sold to Mr. Tony Stark. From the sleek fit of a light grey, three piece suit and bright pink tie, Stark had a brighter outlook on the window of his underhand activities. He was the type that lounged back in the severity of his criminal dealings.

Unlike his fellow company who each wore darker palette suits of either navy blue or jet black. He stood out for sure as his auburn tinted glasses did little to hide the one question on his mind: Was his money well spent?

Well, to say at the very least, you wouldn’t be here tonight if you weren’t every single cent he spent on you three years ago. 

Thinking about the memory now, this is a different tone entirely. Dark and neon is how you remember the black market scene, stalls and cube stores with an assortment of supplies anyone in the business would need, whether that be for the amateurs - which were the usual target customers - or the smaller businesses which belonged to small cluster gangs. 

The big time runners had designated storehouses to spare where they obtained their supplies, and ran other dealings and hand-offs in and out of private rooms in the clubs. 

Here, the scene is warm, lavish and made for those who seek the comfort in living in marble halls and pristine white pillars, short cut grass and elaborate parties such as this one. 

“Shit, this party is awfully chipper for someone who died last week,” you huff, eyes scanning the crowd from the smooth, darkly polished bar, which you incidentally found very comfortable to lean back on when told for the hundredth time, “Just sit tight, just a little bit longer.” 

You didn’t have the time nor patience to sit around getting older by the damn minute. Thankfully, Tony put his card behind the bar so that meant an endless river of drinks. Because you needed the alcohol. A lot. 

Not a moment too late is your glass refilled with your refreshment.

“Please, Y/N,” sighs Steve from your right side, arms folded over his chest, navy blue suit straining just a bit too tightly against his body, “have some respect for the Maximoff family. They lost their only male heir to a deal gone wrong. They need our support.”

Your shoulders rise with a particular deep inhale before falling lax, you swirl the sliver of whiskey left in your glass and with a jerk of your wrist you finish it. Ice rattles in your glass as you shimmy it, indicating you need a refill and pronto. 

“People live, people die. You cross someone and you get shot in the back. It happens.” 

“He was gunned down in the streets with a fucking machine gun, Y/N. You consider that a mere oopsie?”

You shrug in response to Sam’s question with a pout of your bottom lip. “Pietro thought he was the shit. That’s what got him killed by Rumlow.” 

Sam runs a hand over his face, now distressed by the lack of sincerity you show for the grieving family. “For fuck sake…”

In the three years of your loyal work to the Stark family and those of his brotherhood - his allies - your colours shone through immensely to reveal a shining personality. Excluding the fact you’d become something of a playful rogue with the women. 

You simply chalk it up to your animal magnetism. Something that leaves them wanting more whenever in the presence of your company.

In fact, that was how Tony came to own unclaimed establishments and clubs in the boroughs, ones he wasn’t able to get his hands on before, but after he had you as a playable card in his fold, you provided club goers the relief of being harassed and drinks being spiked. Territorial take over schemes from rival gangs were second guessed when they saw you watching over the joint.

The after hour visits for your libido were just the perks. But you left a lot of lustful and broken little hearts in the wake of your work. 

For a werewolf, you were always assumed to be a means of security, and that much was true. Didn’t mean it excluded you from taking on other odd jobs for the families from time to time. Debt collection, assassinations, tailing and blackmail ops, the list is endless. 

When Steve casts a hardened stare your way and you mockingly raise your hands up in surrender. “Alright, I’ll offer my condolences to the heiress, but I ain’t weeping at her feet for her brother who got himself into that mess because he thought he was too big for his own shoes.”

“Just behave yourself, alright? The last thing we need is the entirety of Europe at war with us.” You roll your eyes and salute the captain. “Yessir.”

You bring the glass rim to your lips and draw a small gulpful of your refurbished liquor, the fiery taste rolls over your tongue, you savour it to keep your sanity intact lest you go insane from the waiting. Where was the heiress? 

“Well, well, I thought I wouldn’t see any of you again. Especially you.” Your head, as well as those of your group, direct their gaze to the new voice. The corners of your lips twitch up and you flash her a wolfish grin, chin tilting up slightly in your relaxed position against the bar. You looked like a cat happily laying in the sun. 

“Miss Romanoff,” each of the men greeted with a nod of their heads. You, however, pat your thigh as an invitation for her to sit. “I had work to do the next morning.”

“Mm, that’s what you tell the other girls, I’m sure.” You clap a hand to your chest with a wince. “You wound me, Sweetheart. If I had the chance, I would have stayed.” 

She hums but it’s obvious she doesn’t believe you by the rise in her brow. 

Natasha Romamoff is a hard fish to catch. One of the more established families that control practically the entirety of Europe, alongside the Maximoff family, the two were partners and crafting an empire strong enough to stand on their own without any dire need for support. 

Yes, her family had prior dealings with the brotherhood. The Starks, Wilsons, Barnes and Rogers and more, whether to collaborate on a bigger criminal project to the smaller portioned deals. Smuggled goods and weapons, blackmail intel deliverance, international bribery to keep the feds off your backs. But she never committed to joining forces. 

You suppose it’s a good power move on her part. She doesn’t have to abide by any of the family creeds, in the end, you’re all loose ends that may potentially be severed if need be. She had the ball in her court and the mysterious Maximoff heiress. 

Even your animal magnetism wasn’t enough to charm her into joining forces with Stark and his powerhouse of families, but they were surely enough to charm her into a wild one night stand. 

But as you told her. You had work to do. And now she appears to spurn you with her eyes and cruel words, but still entertains your flirtatious advances and indulges the empty space of your thigh.

For a well respected mob boss such as herself, she definitely liked to play it risky; dressing included. 

Last you saw her, she was dressed in a more professional manner. But here at this funeral party, whatever the fuck it was, she chose to wear a black, spaghetti strap cocktail dress that’s short enough to be skimming the mid of her thigh. The slit riding the dress up higher is just plain dangerous. 

She’s facing you, back arched and ass resting on the cliff of your knee. Your clawed hand supports her at the small of her back. Her perfume is strong and complimenting, the sweet bouquet of lavender rolls over the exposed tops of her breasts from her even more exposed neck. Her plump, red lips move in a way that’s hypnotic. “So I hear you’re going to be a bargaining chip for Wanda Maximoff.”

“Where’d you hear that?” you scoff with a flick of your chin. 

“I have spies who whisper to me,” she answers with a swift quirk of her brow. 

Of course she overheard the news. She then chuckles softly, and all eyes watch her with a level of suspicion. “She won’t take any deal you offer her. She’s determined to steer clear of your little gang wars over in the states.”

“Rumlow killed her brother and he has bases around our territories. Wouldn’t she appreciate the extra hands in catching the rat?” Bucky poses the question with a dark brow angled high and clenched jaw, the muscles in his cheeks flex harder when Natasha offers no affirmative response; a mark to hopefully land you in the door and good graces with the heiress. 

“You really think she wants a guard dog?” 

“Hey,” you growl with a wrinkle of your nose, fangs on the precipice of baring at her. How she used the term in a condescending manner made the fur beneath your skin bristle. Sam claps a hand to your shoulder, somehow able to sense the seething anger within you. 

“We just want to help. Offer support for her loss and bring Rumlow down.”

“No. You want a foothold in Europe. And I’m sorry but…” She looks you up and down, drinking in the sight of you and you know she can see you without your clothes on. “You’re not going to cut it, babe.”

She turns her body to make her getaway but you don’t let her slip away just like that. She gasps and looks to you with a furrowed glare when your arm circles her waist and tugs her back until she’s flush against you, the men in your company watch with trepidation of your next course of action.

“I will cut it because whether she wants to admit it or not, she needs us.”

Natasha’s eyes, true to her fashion, darken with a challenge. “You’re wasting your time. She’ll get Rumlow herself.”

“And if Rumlow plans to get her first?” For a moment you see the doubt cross her face. “That’s where she needs me.”

“Tony Stark.” Each of the men turn to the voice behind them and their once cool and collected selves turn rigid, nervous under the power one woman can hold so absolute, her green eyes scan each of their faces before they land on you. 

You finally look and meet her stare, still holding Natasha against you even as she tries to push away from you. 

“Unhand her,” the woman commands with an accented tongue. 

At first, you wanted nothing more than to play this out a little, see what makes this woman tick. But both Tony and Steve look at you, silent in their order, you sigh heavily and release Natasha. Once you do, she wastes no time in joining Wanda’s side with a bow of her head. 

“I hear that you wished to have an audience with me.” 

Wanda is the sole survivor of this ordeal. Her parents were assassinated two years ago and now her brother was killed. This is the stressed matter at hand, her empire could crumble to the ground, all that hard work put into the grave, because she’s being so fucking stubborn with this deal.

“I will not sign my family, nor any of my shares, to Stark Industries. Enough have I done to keep you out of the hands of law enforcement. I will handle Rumlow myself.”

This isn’t how any of you hoped this would go. The grief has made her stronger than before. It wasn’t exactly you were waiting for the chance for her to have a weak spot and try your luck, but you all had thought she might even be at least a little desperate for extra help. 

Natasha’s face says it all: I told you so. You can only roll your eyes and resume with what you’re doing. 

“Miss Maximoff, we only wish to help you. All we ask in return is that you grant us some territory to work with for our trade deals as payment for support lent to you to catch Rumlow.”

Thank you for Reading! (◕ ᴥ x)

TREEHOUSE TAGLIST — (Even though I doubt this is worth putting the taglist on, here it is anyway)

@alexawynters

[mr-hanjisung]

SNEAK PEEK OF "Under the Influence"

PAIRING: Bangchan x fem!reader

GENRE: 💋(👀)

WORD COUNT: 669

Rahhh, sorry this is taking so long but here's another sneak peak!!

This is not proofread! A part of the Choose Wisely - Mafia Series!

To find the full post and series, keep updated with my main blog! @jisunghannie

“You're awake.” A familiar voice said, as you turned to look at who said it. It was Chan. “I have a different proposal for you.” He said, looking at the rainfall hitting the glass window. He was in a black robe, his wavy curls, wet and tight, his posture, stern yet relaxed, as he held his wine glass.

“You see,” He turned to face you, “I have to go to this mafia party. I have to bring my crew along with…” He looked repulsed for a minute and looked away, “My spouse.” He said as he walked closer to you. “The lady who was originally my pretend wife canceled on me because she didn't like the atmosphere and I told her simply to pay me back the prices that I spent on her as my “wife”. Yet she didn't.” He said, taking his seat, “What a shame to her.” He said as he shook his head.

“What are you trying to say?” You asked bluntly as he chuckled. “For your debt to be paid in full, you just have to pretend to be my wife. Of course, being a mobster's wife is dangerous but…” He then got up and stood in front of you, lifting your chin up to face him. “You’ll do perfectly.” He said as you pushed his hand away. “If you think I'll take this damn offer you got another thing coming Chan.” You said standing up as he gazed into your eyes. “Do you, really, wanna continue and go there y/n?” He asked, this time even closer to you.

If he were to get any closer, you would've been skin to skin with him. Touching his arms and possibly entangled with a kiss. And maybe even-

“That's what I thought.” He said cutting off your train of thought. “I'll see you tonight jagi.” He said, kissing your cheek. “Here's my card, go buy the perfect dress, make sure it has a slit.” He told you as you side-eyed him. “Why specifically a slit in the dress?” You asked. “For the sex appeal?” You retorted as he chuckled. “Full of jokes, are we now?” He smiled, “No, it's so if in any case we need to defend ourselves.” He said as he kissed your left hand, looking at it, “Go get a ring. Make sure the ring looks expensive.” He said as he released your hand and left. You fell back onto the couch, leaving your legs feeling like jelly.

You went with Jisung and Jeongin. Why them out of all people? Jisung and Jeongin looked innocent and sweet. Jisung was a great actor and could get a cheaper or even free deal for an item as Jeongin was great at passive-aggressive intimidation to scare people into getting things you wanted. Was it wrong to choose them for your benefit? A little, but you weren’t complaining. You saw the most perfect dress, and of course, another girl wanted the dress.

“Hey, I actually wanted to buy this dress.” You told her blatantly as she gave you an ugly look. “Look, I’m not in a good mood and I really don’t want to be tested today.” She said, snapping her fingers, bringing two men to her side, looking like bodyguards. “Do you even know who I am?” She asked you as you laughed, “Bitch.” You said, snapping your fingers as Jisung and Jeongin walked by you and stood by your side, staring her and her bodyguards down. “Do you know who I am?” You asked as she furrowed her brows, walking off. “You’ll regret this mobster.” She spat, walking away.

You exhaled deeply, not believing what you just did, as Jisung and Jeongin looked at you and smiled. “That was certainly something. You sounded like a mobster's wife or daughter for sure.” Jisung said, “Maybe even a mobster itself.” Jeongin said as you shook your head. “Anyway, let's just buy this dress and go look at rings.” You told them as they nodded, following you along.

[quartzdawn]

Went on google search, typed in 'Ugigiugi' just to analysis her tracing again, and accidental found her ancient Egyptian Mythos art. Apparently either Ugigugi or someone else relogged them on Pinterest and because of that they are now forever frozen there as a memory of a person who is no longer on the internet (and thank god for that).

I was happy to actually find these because I genuinely need to see what these looked like, as when looking at the tracing PDF file that @/Twistedpometea made and seeing a few select of the Egyptian mythos art there, I noticed that if you go to her Deviantart (the only social media she has left) the Ancient Egyptian stuff was the only thing that was completely 100% deleted. you can't find any of the art for it other than on google.

Moving on to an actual topic, while looking at this art wise, not only can you tell that a mass majority of this art is traces of Leona from Twisted wonderland, but the designs are straight up nearly stolen from the Webtoon Ennead (Another place she also traced from in a few of her works). Her Seth is literally a hybrid of the Ennead Seth and Leona from TWST mixed together to make some hybrid child.

I'm assuming she decided to make this "beautiful' decision so that she can easily trace fanart of both Leona and Seth instead of actually have to draw anything at all from scratch.

Anyway, thought this was interesting because my closing suspicion of her possible being homophobic keeps growing because this is apart of the several pieces of work were she replaced a male character in a MalexMale relationship (whether its fanart or official original art) with her female self insert to serve a heterosexual perspective. This time being a more sever case.

If no ones ever read 'Ennead' it is strictly considered a boy love story. Seth (god of war in Egyptian mythos) is seen having several romantic and sexual relationship with men. Specifically the god Horus. Its-- the story is a lot, but the main point is that this series doesn't have many hetro elements to it.

In Ugigugi's version she keeps Seth, gives him Leona's personality (kind of), and then replaces Horus with her Self insert Julia. The stories are nearly the same from what I can gather and all she did was erase the more graphic and horrid parts of the story to create a more fluffy 'gentle' perspective of the relationship. Almost in a way to spite the Ennead version of the story which has a much darker storyline to it.

Funniest part of this all? She's drawn Ennead fanart before so I genuinely do not get why she thought she was going to get away with this.

(LMAO love how in these pieces to not make it clear that she took heavy, and I mean HEAVY inspiration, from Ennead she just changed the art style. Just because the designs [which were probably also taken from other sources] are different doesn't mean that the tracing of the characters aren't obvious)

Now the only thing I want to know is why she mass deleted all of the Egyptian artwork she did and not the obviously traced Twisted Wonderland work that's still on her DeviantArt. is the author of Ennead more threatening with copyright striking? Was the universe she created actually co owned with another user and the other didn't want to participate anymore after realizing she was a tracer? Was she accused of something like racism ? Its odd for sure. if anyone knows comment or reblog because I think its really strange.

(also in the process of making this I found more of her ancient Egyptian mythology art so will make another post. Apparently its being sold on those weird scam sites that sell things for expensive prices. Apparent they think many of this work is worth 24USD. )

[utopya-cc]

(Preview) SIMS4 MOD | Passionate Gifts

Hi everyone! hope you are all well!🤩

Long story short I wanted to make a realistic romantic gift mod, that will evolve about giving some precious gift with some cute reaction. but I wasn't happy with the idea of making the sims just looking at the gift box without interacting with it. after all, this is one of the best simulation games out there now! so I thought that it deserved better than that,

So I have chosen the hard solution, and started trying to animate the gifts as real as I can, trying to add physics to them and make them more interactive and more realistic, and see what I can achieve with my limited modding skillset😏.

I am super excited about the results.

What is this mod?

This mod is an upgraded overhaul for the in-game interaction "give a romantic gift". With this mod, your sims will be able to give some more romantic meaningful gifts. and can be more expressive to their partners

On the romantic menu, you will find a new pie menu called Passionate Gifts.

The interaction will cost your sims some Simoleones, the price will depend on the type of each gift

There are three Gifts to choose from:

Flower and Chocolates - $100 Simoleons

Heart Necklace -   $950 Simoleons

Fancy Wrist Watch - $2500 Simoleons

Features Of the Mods:

New highly detailed animation with their own sounds

A new pie menu for the new interactions

New icons for each Gift that will suit their own animation

Each interaction has its own buffs for both the gifter and the receiver.

Realistic animations for each object

All the icons used are custom-made by me, I did put extra time into them to be more visually pleasing and match their original content

Possible outcomes:

Depending on each gift the outcomes may differ for both the receiver and giver,

Expensive gifts will have some more rewardable outcomes

The Price may be a little bit on the expensive side so I did try to reward your sim with some proper reaction animations

The Price may be a little bit on the expensive side so I did try to reward your sim with some proper reaction animations

The interactions are more intimate than the in-game ones, so your sims have to at least have their first kiss. and have more than 20% of romance or the pie menu won't show up

I think this mod will be a great addition to the game, especially storytelling-wise,

DOWNLOAD

[fishyizm]

getting nuis and nesos from japan

from a guy that looks at listings as a hobby and owns a few nuis

--

this post is mostly about project sekai since i see alot about how people don't really know much about merch from japan and looking at this stuff is kinda my hobby lol

getting stuff from japan is pretty good since its wayy cheaper, especially right now since yen to usd is really low rn (unsure about other countries currency sorry) usually prsk stuff is scalped to the point where its better to get it from japan even with the proxy fee lmao (the price for wanting merch for something popular)

getting merch from japan is actually really easy through proxy services, which will order things for you in japan and then ship them to you in the country you reside. i use mercari (a secondhand market) through buyee but there are other proxy services too, you should probably do some digging to find out which ones best for shipping to your country and area. i like buyee but it only takes foreign paypals so that can be a downside

if you want to find merch for a specific character i reccomend looking up how the chracters name is spelled in kanji/however its spelled in game (the spellings are usually on the wiki in the character info panel, you can also get them in game but its easier to copy paste) you can look it up in english but you might get prices aimed at american audiences and machine translation is famously terrible with names. if youre looking for merch from a less popular thing then you can look up the thing's name but thingsll usually be listed under character names

once you have the name you can put ぬい (nui, plush) or ねそべり(nesoberi, those laying down ones.) there are probably other kinds but these are the ones i look into lol

if you want fast results you can go to the recommended tab in the top right but if you have the time i reccomend sorting by lowest price and digging through untill you find what you want, whichll probably give you the best price

for project sekai specifically if you want cheap plushes be a fan of leoni, momojan, or anhane lol popular character merch is anywhere from 1.5x to 3x more expensive than unpopular characters. even so itll be less expensive than english ebay lol. under the cut i have the usual pricing ive seen for prsk plushes but it all depends since mercari is basically japanese ebay, so this is only for old merch and crane game prizes. if you want more recent merch im sure theres people who buy lots and resell, i dont have any reccomendations for project sekai but i know @/enstarsgoods on twitter does this for enstars

(rant i did on this post's tags about nui pricing) [the chibi eye nuis r anywhere from 600¥ ($4) to 2000¥ ($14) depending on if its a guy/niigo or not (lmao) and nesos get up to 7000¥ ($45) (for guys) (i saw some of the girl ones listed around 4000¥ [$26]) and nesos arent listed (as) often. idk anything about the dot eye nuis and nuigarumis since i dont like how they look (lol)

keep in mind that these r resales so theyre a bit more expensive than if u just ordered one when they were in stock like nesos r originally only ¥2750 ($18) but r scalped to hell especially on english ebay]

on top of the price for the goods youll buy you also have to pay japan shipping (usually this is included but sometimes it isnt, it is on every listing if this is the case or not as well as the price) as well as a conversion fee per item which isnt much (i got away with 900¥ ($6) in total for 5 items) and shipping from japan to your country (for me it was ¥2300 [15] but i live in a very easy place to ship to so it may cost more for you) this is about the same as ebay shipping cost wise (for me at least)

--

i dont really know what people do with their project sekai nuis (except blend?? burn?? milk copypasta irl..) but with enstars people usually put cute clips in their hair and blush them which is super cute. people also make nui costumes that you can buy. you can search ぬい服 (nui clothes) and usually put the type of nui you have's origin/size (since they can be different demensions) people don't make them for project sekai nuis but im sure there are outfits available in that size/patterns around somewhere

[kit-williams]

Barn Anon. Went to Egypt last year and looking at the pictures made me wonder how odd it must be for them to essentially travel back in time. No pictures truly compare to how it feels standing before the Pyramid of Khufu itself. You really do feel small before it. If you have knee or back pain, I don't suggest going inside to the King's Chamber.

You stand in the hot sun, your umbrella and fan doesn't do much to shield you from the dry heat. Around you are tourists that move around trying to find the perfect photo spot. Behind you, you hear the sound of hooves on road as one of the locals ferries tourists in a horse drawn carriage. The Great Pyramid stands before you, what must it be like to watch it be constructed. Your Space Marine was out of armour, he had opted out of even bringing his armor with him the moment he realized the itinerary involved going a lot of sandy places. You remember how he had cursed in Gothic when you once went to a beach with him and he realized the sand had gotten everywhere.

Your backpack is lifted off your back and he nudges you towards the pyramid. The queue into it was smaller now, he can hear more buses pulling up at the carpark. If you waited any longer you'll have to wait even longer to go in. You reluctantly leave your Space Marine. Originally you had wanted to go in with your Space Marine but when you tried to buy entry for two, the guy had firmly stated that only humans are allowed.

To be honest you're happy enough that you're able to bring him with you on holiday. A few airlines now cater to humans and their Space Marines. They're expensive (because of course they'll milk being the few that accommodate Space Marines.) but the price was worth every penny to you. As you make the steep, humid and hot climb in the the pyramid itself, you have to stop when someone ahead pauses to take a picture in the narrow passageway. Oh you can see now why they don't let Space Marines in, there's barely enough space for humans going up and down.

As soon as you reach the King's Chamber, you swiftly snap pictures of the empty granite sarcophagus in the hot and humid room before making the long way out. Spotting an unarmoured Space Marine in the crowd of tourists and locals was easy given how he quite literally stands out. Humans give him a wide berth, while most people are enchanted by Space Marines, some part of them still tells them not to flock or crowd one. As you made your way from the pyramid to him, you wonder what your Space Marine thinks of all this. He's clearly from a place far more advanced. Does he see your own house, the city you live in the same way you see the Pyramids or the temples of ancient Egypt?

Kinda one I don't have much to add too

He fidgets as his eyes narrow in on threats having easily scared off some pickpocketers from you. He doesn't like being in crowded places not many space marines do as combat wise it makes it harder to move quickly lest you trample an innocent underfoot. However, sometimes that has to happen lest more innocents die.

He could spy other Astarte nearby but he didn't want to move not until you came back out. And when you did he picked you right up and walked over to the other astartes.

You shook your head just telling him, "If you wanted to socalize you could have walked over there I would have found you."

He huffs down at your words and sets you down as the gothic flows between them as you look over your pictures of the both of you, his very picturesque frown and soft smiles when he didn't notice you.

You look to the side and see him holding a treat for you and you blink, "Where did..." The astartes he was chatting with nods grinning as you realize he's standing next to a stall of some kind but there is a sign written in what you can assume to be gothic.

You take a lick, its sweet and bitter and somehow sour and really strongly flavored making you pucker as your astarte laughs before eating as you both sit down as he enjoys his treat, you resting your feet, and of course you steal a bite of his treat every now and then.

[jellyluchi]

Birthday Blues

A/N: A fic for my lovely @widdlepeetsselfship for their birthday! It's originally with Cannella, her OC.

Pairing: Formaggio x Reader Genre: NSFW Warnings: Reader wears a dress and does makeup has tits and pussy, coercive sex, non-consensual to dubious consent. man handling, degradation, PIV sex, praise kink, daddy kink Summary: Formaggio wants to treat you to the best birthday ever but not without a price!

Fifteen minutes past noon is when you feel a slight shake, sunlight dancing on your closed eyelids like small fireworks. Shuffling away from whatever disturbance had the audacity to disrupt your slumber,you try to go back to sleep. A faint whisper comes from somewhere above…

“…wake up babe… sweetie baby!” He calls your name

The voice grows louder, bringing you out of the perfect dream you were having, of lavish desserts and expensive getaways to some otherworldly place. Disgruntled, you groan, opening your eyes to find your boyfriend hovering over your half-asleep form. 

“Maggio…” you say groggily. “Why’re you awake so early…” 

“Early? Babe It’s past noon, perfect time to wake up!” He gives you a goofy grin, one that would lighten your mood if you were not between waking and sleeping. You stare at him, slightly annoyed and not clearly thinking at all. 

Without a word, you try to turn back to sleep only for your boyfriend to grab you by the shoulders. 

“Hey hey hey, woah woah! Hold on, are you forgetting what today is?” He gives you a rare incredulous look and you realize for once he’s being sincere. 

“Fuck, did I forget out anniversary?” The expression of pure confusion with the combination of your half lidded eyes and bed head makes Formaggio howl with laughter. 

“Amore, it’s your birthday.” The emphasis on the words takes a minute to sink into your mind. You look at him for a couple more seconds. 

“Oh… okay.” 

“Don’t ‘oh, okay’ me! Get ready baby, we’re going out for breakfast. I wouldn’t be called Formaggio if I didn't even take out my sweetie baby on their birthday.” He caresses your cheeks affectionately, as if handling a feisty cat for the first time. It’s not how he would handle a real cat, being absolute dogshit with animals as he is. Yet the affectionate touch is enough to convince you. “Doll up for me real nice, I wanna see you in that dress.. You know the one.” 

Formaggio winks as you pout at back, unclear to him whether because he asked you to get up or because of the demand to dress up to his choices. You sigh, even if you have much of an option there's a certain entertainment in humoring your boyfriend’s whims and knowing you’re most likely about to get free food is enough motivation to wake up past noon. Balancing yourself,you let yourself sit up.

“That’s my baby.” He whispers, bringing a slight blush to your face that you don't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing. 

Watching him leave the room, you flip over the covers and drag yourself to the bathroom, determined to look your best. And Formaggio, being the experienced boyfriend he is, expects the time it takes for you to get ready. A rookie version of himself would have become impatient with waiting for his partner. But as he has learned and in your wise words…‘glam like this takes time.’

But it’s completely worth the wait as you walk out of your bedroom with your hair tied, a couple of hoop earrings, radiantly shiny gloss, a fur shawl, all brought together by a baby pink dress, the sweetheart neckline of which falls rather low. The glitter eyeshadow of your lids twinkle with the natural light in your shared apartment. You’d be damned if you don’t look your absolute best on your motherfucking birthday. Being the type of man he is, Formaggio barely feels inadequate standing next to his goddess of a partner. 

In true Italian fashion, he grins at you with arms wide open as if to try and give you a hug. Grabbing your shoulders, he almost shakes you with mirth. “You look fantastic.” His handsome grin is more than a little overwhelming and You pretend it doesn’t make your heart flip flop in your chest, looking away. 

“You look pretty handsome.” It's an understatement. Despite only adorning a blazer with a mesh shirt underneath, somehow Formaggio makes it look runway ready. Curse him and his beautiful tummy. 

Clutching your purse, you walk to the door with him in tow, going down to the parking lot.

“Wait, bella, hold on.” While you try to walk out of the building, expecting him to take you there by foot, he has other plans. He produces something from his pocket, setting it down on the ground before giving it space. Within seconds, the tiny thing turns into a car. His latest loot from some random citizen no doubt. “We’re not walking today, my love,” he quips. Opening the door, he gestures for you to go inside.  “After you.” 

Impressed, you give him a pleased smile. “We aren’t late are we?” You ask, as he wasn’t waiting for you just because you wanted to get the perfect eyeliner for almost thirty minutes. 

“Nope! There’s no such thing as being late where we’re going.” You quirk an eyebrow.. “Don’t worry, mio amore, you’ll like it.” 

Quickly racking your  brain for options, you  let yourself think wishfully just a little bit. “Are we going to the new restaurant that opened up a few blocks from here?” You ask, perking up at the thought. Only for your expression to fall when Formaggio howls with laughter as he buckles his seatbelt. “Not at all. You’ll like this even better!” 

The car ride is anything but silent, Formaggio rambling about this and that, yet he refuses to share his birthday plans.. But no matter, instead, you start listing the designer items on the latest Vogue Italia that you wish to get as gifts. It’s, by no means, a demand for him to buy them immediately. However, it’s quite a large hint at what he should aim to steal next. 

Surely Formaggio is no fool. And as his partner expects, he produces another miniscule object from his pocket. He can’t get enough of your excited gaze into his hand. 

It’s an antique necklace that looks worth at least $10,000. You're no fool either, knowing not to question your boyfriend's sources and methods when it comes to the spontaneous gifts he gets her. 

“It’s beautiful…” you whisper, eyes twinkling to reflect the light from the necklace’s decoration. Taking it from his hand, you put it on, finally arriving at the destination. 

“Mcdonald’s.” An amused look crosses you. .

“Yup, your favorite.” 

You’re not sure whether to be excited or exasperated. Cheap fast food on your birthday… while dressed to the nines. You  reluctantly get out of the stolen car, not waiting for Formaggio to open the door, pretending to be a perfect gentleman. Contemplating, You secretly wonder if Formaggio met with Prosciutto behind your back for a presentation on conduct and etiquette. Not that he could hold up such a persona for very long. 

And as expected, he throws his hands into his pockets, nonchalantly walking into the establishment without even holding the door to the entrance. 

It doesn’t take long for you two to order some food, chicken nuggets, a shake, some fries. He gets a soda for himself. But as per Formaggio’s predictions, it wouldn’t be the only thing you eat that day. 

“You sure you want that drink, babe?” he asks. 

“Well of course, you should already know my order by now.” You take a sip of her boyfriend’s soda, sideying him rather openly. 

“Then what about the drinks we’re gonna have after?”

“What drinks?” You suddenly perk up, handing his soda back. 

“Y’know the coffee with the syrups and all that, I don’t really get it.” 

“We’re getting frappuccinos afterwards?” You can’t hide your excitement even if you try. And at Formaggio’s sheepish grin, you give him a bright smile, holding your boyfriend’s face in your hands. For a moment in your enthusiasm you forget the rest of the world. 

“Maggio, I could kiss you!”

“Well then why don’t you?” Suddenly flirtatious, he moves closer to you, wrapping an arm around your waist.

“Wait, not in front of these people.” You’re sure people are already giving looks your way from being dressed the way you are, and it almost crumbles your confidence. 

“C’mon, sugar,” He encourages. Formaggio has always welcomed PDA with open arms. Unlike his disgruntled partner who would often even reject his affections if it was too crowded or busy. Yet it never makes him stop persisting. “Just a small one… it’ll be quick.” 

Formaggio already begins to descend upon your lips when he whispers the words and you have no choice but to accept his kiss with no resistance. Holding him by the blazer jacket, you are still against him as he plants a few soft chaste kisses to your lips. Only to hold you by the chin and gently pry your lips open, allowing him to taste the inside of your mouth. 

Formaggio’s tongue takes the form of pure ecstasy, making you shiver from the intimacy. 

An awkward cough makes you two separate in a haste.

“Your fries and nuggets…” the waitress respectfully places the food at the table as Formaggio gleefully receives it. All while you silently fume. There was no need for her to interrupt and humiliate you this way; the waitress would display far better service by simply not saying anything whatsoever. Munching on nuggets and fries with extra gusto, you can’t wait to leave for those frappuccinos.  

“Woah, slow down there, babe. Here, take my soda.” As Formaggio offers his drink, he chats casually, a similar back and forth you experienced in the car, leaves you feeling somewhat calmer. Eventually, forgetting you felt wronged at all. Every memory of your shitty dates to fast food chains flashes within your mind and a helpless smile forms around your lips. 

“What’re you smiling about, sweetheart?” 

But you don't have the capacity to be sappy in the middle of Mcdonald’s. 

“Nothing. Let’s go, I’m done.” Reapplying some lip gloss, you wait for your boyfriend to finish his burger, a last minute purchase he got hungry midway through the date. 

Finally exiting the restaurant, Formaggio drives to your favorite coffee shop, noting the good mood you’re in after having fast food for breakfast. He reminisces about Prosciutto once telling him off for craving a burger early in the morning, saying he’d find no one that matches his tastes so closely. ‘Eat shit, old man’ he thinks. 

Parking in front of the shop, he’s barely able to walk out of the car before you’re already opening the door and marching in. 

Considering Formaggio hardly has anything to eat from such a place, he’s in no hurry and only thinks of his plan once you’re done here… He takes his time, walking into the coffee shop with nonchalant strides, finding you in line to order and picks a seat to wait for you there. Somehow it always takes at least ten minutes for your drink to arrive, boring him to no end, never understanding your enthusiasm for a place like this. Where there is more sugar than coffee. But really, the thing he comes to see is your smile, full of food and sugar as you should be. 

Formaggio insists you drink at the coffee shop, making up some bullshit about the nice atmosphere and how much you seem to like it. And given your perky disposition at the moment, he suspects you won’t anticipate his plans, ignoring the burning in his groin at the thought.  

Patience is a virtue they say, one that Formaggio tethers himself to by a thin string, waiting for you to be satisfied and gesture for him to leave. He calms his nerves, settling himself back into the bastardly grin after rubbing his short hair by the side. It’s time…

Naples is known for its narrow alleys and hideaways, making it easy for Formaggio to locate a little hole in the wall between the building adjacent to the coffee shop. Pulling you with him, he eagerly near-drags you to a space where the sunlight doesn’t reach, completely shrouding you from the eyes of the public… almost. He’s sure any noise at this point of the day would be heard by nearby pedestrians. 

“What’s going on?” Your curious, somewhat alert voice asks him as he corners you into a wall. 

Brushing a hand over your shoulders, he lays a lecherous gaze over you in the dress. In his humble opinion, it fits too well. How is he to resist a squeeze or two? And what better time than your birthday. His stare doesn’t go unnoticed by his partner, heating your cheeks both in alarm and flustering alike. Grabbing your hips, Formaggio pins your back, leaving no room for escape. 

“Just a little fun, you wouldn’t leave me hanging on your birthday right?” He doesn’t wait for the reply, kissing along your neck and collarbone, wetting them within seconds. 

“Maggio!...” You want to yell, to shout. But your words only turn to sounds of pleasure, your mouth uncooperative with your brain. It’s unbecoming of you, yet you can’t bring yourself to stop him; his grip too strong, his touch too heavenly. Breathing heavily, you take his kisses as you did during breakfast. Except Formaggio is far less gentle this time, demanding more with tongue, making you whine, trying to push him off by the shoulders. 

He chuckles into his kiss, as if your fists are nothing but child’s play. 

“Settle down, sweetie…” Looking at you with lustful eyes, he says. You realize his irises almost disappear from the lack of light, making them appear as dark as abyss. A strange mix of shame and arousal swirl within you, trying to fight the feeling. “Oh don’t be like that, darling,” he says darkly, a hand already pressing between your legs to dig into your underwear. “Ya look too good in that dress for me to let this go… c’mon, I got the food and the drinks…” 

As the pieces fall into place within your mind, you understand his enthusiasm to leave for breakfast, his urgency for you to finish your coffee… the bastard only wanted to bed you. Or well.. You realize it’s not much of a bed, standing panting against the wall. 

As Formaggio’s thin string of patience finally snaps, he’s no longer satisfied, only grinding against your hips. Flipping you to your front against the wall, he allows himself to unsheath the burning cock from within his pants. 

“Wait!” His partner’s words fall on deaf ears as he forces you to bend to his whims. The pink dress rides up, revealing your wetness to him easily, how perfect that it should be so short, so easily accessible. 

“Just like a common whore,” he murmurs. She could only clutch the wall the dear life as he teases her entrance slowly, covering himself in your arousal. “Stop it, Maggio…” she you whine, the resistance of your mouth not matching the anticipation of your body. And within seconds, you find yourself full of him to the brim. Panting helplessly, you try to keep yourself quiet. But your boyfriend only makes it more difficult, bending atop your back to kiss your neck and claw at your breasts.. 

“Sweet doll, ya always take me so well,” the grin is apparent in his voice, even if she can’t see the smug satisfaction on his face. Biting your lip, you let her body jerk to his thrusts, not trusting your voice to be of any use. 

It disgruntled your boyfriend a little bit, who is enthused by your noises during intimacy. He moves his hips faster in hopes of getting more out of you. “You’re doing so well, doll…my personal whore. Dressing like that just ‘cause I said so.” He takes a moment to chuckle, encircling his arms over your stomach to knead the soft flesh. 

At long last, his wish is fulfilled as you moan out a helpless “daddy…” in which he relishes. 

Laughing still, he kisses over your back where it’s exposed. “So sweet.” It doesn’t stop him from continuing to thrust, now clearly chasing orgasm without paying mind to your needs. You hold still, realizing he would be cumming inside you. 

“Wait please! Maggio!” 

But your words are interrupted by your own orgasm, taking you by surprise when you squeeze him tight, making him plant his seed inside you within seconds.

“Fuck,” you whisper. Hearing him sigh, and pull out, You straighten yourself, worried about the condition of your dress and hair. You’ll have to reapply that lipstick. As Formaggio zips his pants, you fuss over the rumpled creases. 

“I’ll take ya home, so you can get changed,” he says, clearly not as concerned. 

“I’m not sitting in the car with your cum inside me!” 

“Do you have a choice?” He challenges. “Or did ya want me to eat ya out before we go?” 

You hit him up the shoulder. “It’s not funny, Maggio!” Huffing, you make your way to the car, hoping no one notices the trail of white down your thigh. 

Scoffing, Formaggio follows, wishing you a mockery of a “happy birthday.” 

commissions [closed]❤️‍🔥support my work

[neoyi]

For the ask game: 002 about Mr hat maybe? Is a character that intrigues me a lot alongside phantom striker but I'm brainrotting on the mad hatter

 | Give me a character & I will tell you

How I feel about this character: Okay, so I didn't think too much about Mr. Hat for most of Treasure Trove. I figured he was just a rich loon who really, really, reaaaaaaaaaally love hats. And then King of Cards reintroduced him as this absolute menace of maddening audacity that I hesitate to even consider him a mere human (or animal person, or some any kind of mortal, etc etc.) Like you meet him in the mountains where his shop lies. The mountains, which I remind you, is soaked with a sense of mystery and magic the likes that we mere mortals cannot possibly answer. The same mountain range where Plague's minions found... whatever the fuck Oolong is.

Occam's Razor detect the shop is there because he is so completely out of tune to normal human interaction that he has no idea that the average person is not going to climb a damn mountain to get to his haberdashery.

The more out-there theory: Mr. Hat is of fae origins. I can't claim this theory as some SK fans have since taken it upon themselves to use as their personal headcanon prior to me stumbling upon that idea. But I've taken a large shine to it and now consider it an adopted headcanon, too. Like, he's just so inhumanely unnatural.

Mr. Hat is bizarrely obsessive in his quest, has zero boundaries or knowledge of proper societal interaction, and extraordinarily strong that he can literally lug his store like his personal backpack. Of course the easiest explanation is that this is just for the Rule of Funny (and that's likely YCG's canonical reasoning behind the mad hatter), but I love the implication that Mr. Hat is a fairy who is trying to fit in with man, but is shy a crayon or two or three or half the pack, to convincingly pull it off. And now you get stories ruminating in your head, wondering why he thinks these mortals are so fascinating (answer: the fae is too predictable for him, mortals are Shiny and New.)

Along with his highly expensive prices, it's no surprise the kind of people he can attract the most are out-of-touch nobles and rich bastards who have no concept of reality either. I love how Mr. Hat evokes the image of a rich man, but his coat looks drabby and dull-colored, a severe contrast to the colorful palettes of actual noble attires. It's as if he's imitating them, but can't quite pull that off either.

Basically, the more alien and mysterious Mr. Hat is, the better. And I hope the games never, ever, EVER explain what his deal is other than... hats. He simply exists to be questioned and never answered.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: I don't, actually. I don't know, maybe he and Meeber had a thing before even she, a fairy, thought he was too bizarre even coming from a fairy. But I can't picture anything romantic or sexual coming from this guy. I hear he's married his entire hat shop. Yes, his hat shop is his wife. That's my headcanon now.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I've actually taken a liking to the Wandering Travelers grouping up and protecting the Valley for a while, and the complicated, often funny relationship that forms from it. Not quite a found family, but more like an RPG party that's heroic enough to get the job done, but not without foibles with possible trails of unintended destruction they leave in their wake. Phantom Striker would be the leader, wise and experienced, if not too straitlaced for his own good; Baz is the childish manchild who nonetheless Is Trying To Do His Best; Reize is an up-and-coming hero who looks up to his older friends for training and advice... ...Mr. Hat just barged in and hung around as the wild card. I guess he helped. The group putting up with his antics is partially Reize thinking he should be given a chance (much, much frequently than Striker would have allowed) and partially Mr. Hat pulling unexpected trump cards here and there that effectively saves the day, convincing the group to keep him for another day, even if they have no damn clue what the hell this fucker is going to pull next.

My unpopular opinion about this character: *shrugs* I don't think I have one.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: See above: Just never, ever explain WHAT he is. Dude might be a regular man with bizarre means. He might be an immortal trickster God. I don't know, I don't care. Never explain who he is: Mr. Hat simply wants hats, that's all we need from him. (I act like YCG would threaten to do otherwise, but he's always just been a funny little NPC and probably will just stay that way, free of any background lore.)

my OTP: See second question.

my cross over ship: N/A

a headcanon fact: I've incorporated Mr. Hat in my Specter Knight of the 10,000 Year Future, being one of the OG characters from Shovel Knight to still exist in the future. I'm not sure if I plan to add anything more to this guy other than he's still around being a fucking jester to everyone, but I like the idea that out of all the characters that have been alive since the events of the canon games, he's the one who has changed the least. He is still Mr. Hat. Only... the population of the world has dwindled severely, so there's not as many hats around and the ones he can find intact are rare. It's gotta be a bit sad for Mr. Hat.

KING SHIT.

⭐(Ask Me for my Hot Takes on fictional characters! https://neoyi.tumblr.com/post/739152893490364416/estelanel-001-send-me-a-ship-and-i-will-tell) ⭐

[thelonesomequeen]

I have a random question. How is everyone doing in these trying times? Like it’s so hard out there right now while my partner and I both make what I thought was good money, yet we’re both really struggling. He just got a second job and I’m looking for another job where I can work from home. We were hopping to have a house by now, but are still living in a dinky apartment. Don’t know if we can ever afford kids. Forget a vacation. Social media has given me extreme fomo and made me feel like a failure compared to my friends despite having an MA. Seriously how are y’all managing? It’s hard out there. Sorry, I know sometimes you like to discuss other things 🫶🏻

The world really is a hot mess. It’s crazy how expensive everything keeps getting while wage remains stagnant for most people. It’s a really rough spot to be in for so many people.

I’m personally within the “ok, but I wish things were a lot better” camp. I’ve found myself in what’s now being called the millennial golden handcuffs. Golden meaning I was fortunate enough to buy a house before prices and interest rates skyrocketed, but handcuffed because I can’t afford to move from where I’m at. The house we live in now is a cute little starter home, but around the 5-10 year mark my husband and I had planned to sell our house and upgrade to something bigger before we had kids so we had the space we’d feel like we’d need to fit a growing family. Well. I’m fortunate to have a house, and I will never take that for granted, but selling it and moving now is out of the question because home prices have literally almost doubled where I live in the last 6 years. I literally could not even afford to buy the same house I already live in right now. It’s seriously insane.

But I feel with you on everything else. I thought my life would look a lot different by now and I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever have the things I originally wanted for myself out of my adult life. I always wanted 2 kids when we were ready to start a family for various reasons I won’t get into right now, this will be long enough as is, but I don’t know if we can even afford 1 child in this economy when I see the prices of diapers, formula, and childcare. And it all just keeps getting more expensive every time you turn around. I try to think about those costs being tacked on to our already expensive bills and I’m not sure that we’ll be able to swing it. Not without making severely drastic changes anyway. I also wanted to see so much of the world by now through travel. Covid ruined a lot of travel plans I initially had, and now that we’re mostly in a post Covid world (yes, I acknowledge Covid isn’t truly over yet) the cost of travel has gone up so much that it’ll eat away too much of my savings that I’m not willing to part with. I’m always worried about needing that money for things like medical or home emergencies and spending it down on something like travel just doesn’t feel like a wise choice right now. And it’s hard to continue to save money when the cost of everything keeps increasing. It’s like a never ending circle where you just can’t get ahead.

I wish I had some sound advice to share with you that would help or make you feel better. (Shit, I need it too sometimes). Just try to keep in mind that sometimes what we see on social media isn’t always reflective of what’s happening in reality. For example, a good friend of mine had two babies during Covid, she and her husband bought a new, massive house for their little family, new cars, she’s always posting stories about new jewelry he bought her, and they’re constantly going on lavish looking trips or going to concerts and sporting events. Looking at their life on social media it’s like “wow, must be nice.” It’s really easy to feel envious when we see those things. There’s times where I’ve even wondered “how are they doing it?” and it turns out they aren’t. After a conversation she and I recently had about life in general while we were catching up, she told me they are $2.5 million dollars in debt between their student loans, mortgage, car payments, and maxed out credit cards. They are one small emergency away from losing everything they have because they can’t take on another expense. Their life looks beautiful on Instagram, but that’s a level of debt that makes me feel physically sick and I’d absolutely not want to trade her places for it. The jewelry, trips, concerts, and games are not worth that level of debt to me. Sure, it’s nice to experience those things. But not in exchange for being that financially unstable (IMO-you’re all free to disagree of course). Some of the debt is understandable, they need a home to live in (although their last house was still very nice and perfectly fine for the four of them), they need cars to get to work, and whatever expenses that come with raising their children. That’s understandable debt/finances that most people have. But they could easily be saving thousands of dollars a year on frivolous spending that’s done for the sole purpose of putting up a false facade on Instagram about living that easy high life. I personally don’t know why they feel compelled to do it, they aren’t trying to be influencers, nor are either of their families materialistic like that. But sometimes those great Instagram feeds aren’t always what they seem. 🦎

[siliconcat]

Hiii I love your art! What website do you use to make keychains/phone charms?

Hi! There’s 2 I use primarily, Zap creatives and Vograce.

Zap (based in England) has better value for small charms, and sometimes you can get discounts depending on what you order. Both sites do this rotation of sales every 3 days, so with the right timing, you can get things very cheap. However, Zap is not without a lot of downsides. For one, it has a charge for every additional design after 6, and you can only pick between total count quantities of 1, 25, 50, and so on. Economical shipping can take up to 12 weeks, and courier shipping is like $25. Also, (very recent problem, just happened with this batch) the colors vary after reordering even if the same artwork is used, in the right photo below, new is on the left, old on the right. The colors are very bold which I like, and discrepancies from the original artwork are normal and to be expected, but not at this scale. Very noticeable in characters with brown skin 🤨. Also I submitted a complaint ticket and didn’t hear back until a week later and after I had to bother them.

Vograce (based in China) is better for the 2.5 in, and generally has very good public communication and care for their customers. The price for the 1 in. option and 2.5 in are about the same, so it is slightly more expensive per unit (don’t be fooled by the initial ppu, there’s a ~50% discount after orders of like 25 or something I forget exactly). However, you can submit as many designs and quantities as you’d like, I usually link a google drive for them. I have noticed the dpi is not as high, however I am comparing their 2.5 to the 1 in from Zap so maybe they have that capability idk. Color wise, they recently just made a big deal about upgrading their machines and I can say they are pretty spot on. They tend to be slightly more saturated (notice Marisa’s boots and patchouli’s hair below), and a little darker (you can’t tell the difference between dark red, dark blue, and black). Shipping is also better, the middle option for shipping is much better and only extends the time by like 2 days from the rapid transit.

Vograce is the company I use for stickers as well, as their fancy glittery metallic whatever ones are the same price as the regular ones and go for about $3 for 10 stickers. Very good value, I have no idea how water resistant they are but they are coated.

I’ve been kinda mad at Zap lately especially for the Marina blunder so I’m thinking of switching to Vograce even though it’s pricier. I just need to check their printing resolution and all that.

[acaseforpencils]

A Case for Decorations.

Hi everyone! I realize it's been a second since the last interview was posted on here—I've been taking a break from Case (hopefully, I'll get back to it after the holiday season!), but I haven't been taking a break from working on little projects. I have been having so much fun making holiday crafts, that I thought I'd share some of my work, and give some tips in case anyone else was interested in making their own little treats!

I had been coveting gingerbread houses that I had been seeing at places like HomeGoods, but wasn't feeling the prices. However, I saw plain wooden LED houses at Michael's for $4.99, and I had already been making little gingerbread ornaments, so I figured I could easily make my own gingerbread house, for relatively cheap! I first layered on brown acrylic paint, followed by a glittery acrylic paint top coat. After that all dried, I used a hot glue gun to build up the larger areas of "frosting." Then, I used puff fabric paint to cover the glue and do the more intricate designs.

The gingerbread tree (far right in the picture) is a florist's cone that I got with a 60% off coupon at Joann Fabrics. That required a lot of layers of paint, even though I used a sealant before hand! I already owned the mini plastic candy canes from a previous project, but I could see being able to make them with hot glue and paint!

With this project, I found that you should never try to do the fine details when the paint bottle is more than half full, if you want more control. I also recommend doing multiple houses at once, because you want to allow half the house to dry (which takes hours!) before doing the other sides. I had originally intended to do three, but it didn't seem quite like a village, and my mom kindly gave me two more of the houses, which was a treat!

These little metal ornaments were fun and fairly simple to make! I had been seeing dozens upon dozens of cool little folksy ornaments being made out of scrap metal (such as pie tins), and had to try it myself! All you need is metal, something like a knitting needle (to draw designs), scissors, and an ornament hanger! I used hot glue to put together the flower. I really enjoyed this project, and hope to make more sculptural projects with metal soon!

So for my birthday in October, I asked my twin brother for a gift card to Michael's, which has fueled a great many of my holiday projects! I saw these snow globes that you can fill yourself, and decided to make a holiday terrarium! You can make your own for very cheap—buy some holiday stems at Joann's or Michael's (or wherever you can find them), find a cheap glass receptacle at Goodwill, and add a short length of led fairy lights (with a timer setting of course) and you will have a beautiful centerpiece for less than $10!

I found all sorts of blank wooden ornaments for decorating for 79 cents at Joann Fabrics, so I I have been having a lot of fun painting them. i designed my dream wreath, though it might be a bit expensive if I were to make it full size!

I have always loved dried oranges, so I decided to make them in my oven this year! Word to the wise, they take FOREVER, so don't start them at 7pm on a weekday if you are hoping to get them done before 1 am! I attached them to a garland that I got at Joann Fabric's for ~$3 during their holiday sale this weekend!

I had been seeing wreaths similar to this for years, but the ones I liked best seemed to be over $200, so I thought I'd take a crack at it myself! The little houses I had bought a while back, as Christmas tree ornaments, but I thought I'd paint them (with an extra glittery top coat), and use them on this wreath instead! Many of the trees I purchased at The Dollar Tree. The base of the wreath (not visible!) was less than $5 at Michael's (though I attached snowy boughs to cover it). If you find yourself with bare spaces, use cotton battiing (with glittery acrylic paint on top) to cover them up for a fun snow effect!

I had made a gingerbread garland out of felt and fabric paint last year, and still had plenty of materials, so I decided to make a fun wall piece with what I had left over. The spoon was my mom's idea (a baking sort of thing)!

I hope to make more little holiday crafts in the upcoming weeks, and recommend you do the same. A lot of times, artists make a lot of art for others, but I think (if you can find the time!) that it's important to make little keepsakes for yourself, that you'll get to cherish for years to come. I was thinking about how holiday decorating is often not just something you do for yourself, but a way to bring joy to others as well. I can't tell you how many times I have seen a house with beautiful lights that just made my day!

I know that this hasn't been the easiest couple of months for most people, but I hope things brighten up soon, and that everyone has a happy holiday season! I've been doing this blog for close to ten years now, and I really appreciate your continued support! I plan on working on some cross-stitching next—you can keep up with me on my Instagram here!

—Jane

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If you enjoy this blog, and would like to contribute to labor and maintenance costs, there is a Patreon, and if you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee, there is a Ko-Fi  account as well! I do this blog for free because accessible arts education is important to me, and your support helps a lot! You can also find more posts about art supplies on Case’s Instagram and Twitter! Thank you!

[cutie-keebs]

2023 End of year keyboard review

Hi yalls!

So we're approaching the end of the year. Since then, more keyboards have entered the market and I've managed to build some of them. At the same time, group buy orders managed to arrive. I'm so happy that I've been able to expand my collection with these items.

Honourable mentions

Due to how expensive the keyboard hobby is, I couldn't grab everything that was released this year. At the same time, I had to sell some of the keebs that I used to own due to a variety of reasons.

For starters, the QK and Jris series have been super amazing for opening doors for high-quality budget options in the market. I own the QK75 and remade my first keyboard build and I swear to god the improvement is immaculate.

Next is Mode Designs. They have released a bunch of high-quality boards and boy howdy, I wish I could own them all. The Envoy was well-loved in the community and the release of the Loop is so cute. I wish I could grab my hands on it, but I'm satisfied with my Sonnet, which is still available to this day and now has new colour options.

Lastly, it's the established keyboard companies like Asus and Razer as they've released some hotswap keyboards. The one that caught my eye the most is the Azoth. I would trade in my old Corsaid K70 for that keyboard. If anyone is willing to do so, hit me up.

Now, here are my top 5 boards.

5. The Dreamscape build

We all know how I've felt about this build. It took 2 years and it's finally here. I love this build for the soft aesthetic and I'm so glad I can finally use this keyboard. It's such a shame it took so long because there were times I was losing hope and was considering giving it a different build.

Specs:

Ikki Aurora x EPBT Dreamscape

EPBT Dreamscape

Gazzew Bobagums

Artisans from Namong and From Scratch

As for the use and feel, it's nice. A bit mushy cuz of the switches. But at least no one will get mad at me when I type during meetings because apparently, they can pick up my typing sounds. Its the ultimate dream silent keyboard.

I'm just happy this build is finally complete cuz omg, imagine if this went on to 2024. I would lose my sh*t.

4. Rama Thermal

Getting used to the HHKB layout has been a challenge. Fortunately, I ended up getting used to it after a few months. I do miss my arrow keys but using function + WASD was a good alternative. I will admit that my productivity at work did slow down during the first few weeks.

Specs:

Thermal by RamaWorks

Osume Winterglow Eve

Clackbits

Artisans from Tulipclay

While Rama might have some controversies, it's actually a really nice board. Has a really unique look it, something that I'm after when I buy keyboards. However, after comparing it to other builds, it's not really great. The sound quality feels hollow (despite tape modding it), and the keycaps and switches sound output doesn't help at all so I ended up rebuilding it.

Right now, as of writing, I'm using temporary parts for a later build and it's going to take a while for me to find the right combo. I will update you once I made something worth showcasing a sound test. I am interested in trying out the Akko Penguin Silent Switches so hopefully a muted build is what this build needs.

If there is something I learned from this keyboard - DON'T BUY FROM RAMAWORKS.

3. The Nordic Build

The boards may look good but their reputation sunk so bad. I had to file a bank complaint just so they could reply and get this board shipped (mind you, it was a in-stock item).

Originally, the keyboard that I wanted to use was the Loki65. But thanks to Mechs and Co, that was heavily delayed. I've always had eyes on the Fuji keyboard series since I started this hobby in 2021. So thanks to the Keebs For All Marketplace, someone was selling theirs for a good price and I got it.

Specs:

Fuji 65

EPBT Scandi

Hera Switches

Artisan from EzKeys

Aesthetics-wise, it looks pretty good. All the colours complement each other and I'm quite happy. The reason I wanted to make this build is that my favourite country is Iceland and I wanted to build a keyboard inspired by my trip there in 2019. The only flaw with this build is that the switches sound scratchy. But that's because I didn't lube them. Could be fixed if I do that.

I look forward to the day when the Loki65 gets shipped as I think my thoughts will change when it arrives.

2. The Tofu Build

Believe it or not, this was the first keyboard I built this year and I'm quite happy with how it turned out. The reason why built this keyboard is because I was inspired by Magic The Gathering - Kamigawa Neon Dynasty and this build resembles that trading card set.

Specs:

Tofu 60 (the original)

PBT Fans Kabuki-Cho

Tecsee Ruby Switches

This keyboard is THOCKY. It's not as thocky compared to modern builds but it has that low-profile sound that was highly sought after during the pandemic. I can see why this was a beloved build back in the early days of the keyboard hobby.

While the Tofu has increased in price over the years, I believe it's a testament to how the hobby has changed. I'm glad to have a piece of keyboard history in my collection.

1. The Sonnet Build

This has to be my newest go-to keyboard. From the looks, sound, and aesthetics, it was worth it. It took a while for me to figure out which keycaps to use since it originally had Osume Dusk. I think the greys from the Hooties are much better.

Specs:

Sonnet from Mode Designs

GMK Hooty

Popu Linears

Artisans from Hibi.MX and Geekkey

Using this board has that 5/5 experience. The sound is so satisfying, the feel is really nice. The artisans complement the board so well. And the fact that the Sonnet is a really good quality keyboard adds extra points. I highly recommend getting the Sonnet when you have the chance to do so.

[reapersynth]

dd2 looks amazing and stunning oh my god

never played the series before, but, it it worth it and should i get if next payday??

I MAY be biased because the original dragon's dogma (dark arisen) is one of my favorite games of all time so I'm always encouraging people to get into the series, BUT I'm personally enjoying the sequel so far, I've got about 40 hours of playtime in rn and I think it's really fun!!

video games are expensive as hell these days tho so idk if it's worth the $70+ USD price tag D: the only reason I'm playing it right now is because my mom bought it for me as a gift bc she knew how much the first game meant to me 😭 Dark Arisen regularly goes on sale for like $5 USD and it's a little dated graphics-wise but I'd highly recommend giving it a try to see if it's something you'd like? the mechanics of dd2 are VERY similar to the first game

it's definitely a stunning game though!! the character customization is really good and I'm constantly floored by how pretty the environment is

[easyquickweb]

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[autolenaphilia]

About Linux, I don't think the problem with mass adoption is because LInux distros are all difficult to use and require technical programming knowledge. Maybe that was a problem like in the 90s and to some extent in the 00s, but not now. Some distros still use predominately command line interfaces like Arch, but more have perfectly user-friendly GUIs. Mint is a good example. And GUI are important for the non-programmer user. A good GUI is how both Apple and Microsoft established their OS dominance back in the day, despite the other drawbacks of their operating systems. In my experience the Windows GUI has declined massively since at least XP, but Windows gets by on the inertia of being a monopoly at this point.

It's actually that inertia that keeps Linux from becoming popular. It's because Windows and Apple have the money and thus power to bundle their OS with computer hardware as the default. Paying for Windows has become an invisible part of the price of buying a laptop at this point. And that puts Linux at an disadvantage, because the user have to go out of their way to install it. People are creatures of habit, and most people have little interest in computers beyond their use as a practical tool. They will go with the default option.

So I don't see a way for Linux to have mass adoption without making it a default on the laptops people buy. And that's hard unless you have the money/power of a near-monopoly like Microsoft. And part of acquiring that power means you are unlikely to act in the best interests of your customers.

Google have their own operating systems that are based on the Linux kernel, and those are seeing wide adoption. Android is one half of the Phone OS duopoly and Chrome OS has put a small dent in the Apple/Microsoft duopoly on PCs. And that success is because those systems are the default on the hardware they come on. But both of those systems are corporate controlled shit, contrary to the original principles of free software that Linux is built on.

There are some laptops that come with better Linux distros like Ubuntu installed by default, but they tend to be fairly expensive specialist tools. A Dell XPS 13 for example is one of the cheaper options I could find, and comes with either Windows or Ubuntu installed, and the Ubuntu option is cheaper than the Windows version, but the price is still over 1000 dollars. That's kinda where the price range start with Linux laptops. Of course, the cheaper option for getting a premade laptop without paying for windows remains buying a used computer with a wiped harddrive and installing Linux from an usb drive yourself, but still not a default.

I think for mass adoption, you need to convince computer hardware companies to sell cheap low-spec laptops with the option of having a linux distro already installed. They would actually have an advantage price-wise due to not paying MIcrosoft. But that's a hard job, since Microsoft has such a well-established hold on those.

Still I think Linux users should spread the word. Try to grow, even if we are destined to remain a small part of all PC users at this point. We need and should educate people. People should have computer knowledge, because the modern world runs on computers. And if you acquire computer knowledge, you should learn that Windows isn't really the best option for your computer.