#really needed a break from animating

[jullbnt]

Been a while since I drew these two 💜

[egophiliac]

2025 is the year of the DRAGON SLIPPERS

[chellychuu]

🐰🌹

[nordsea-horizons]

spent most of sunday tearing down and rebuilding on nordsea.. and now im gonna redo everything with this new road path code i found🫢☀️

[insert-the-4thwall-entity]

this whole movie is giving me spine chills

LIKE, LOOK AT THIS

FREE G/T!!!

[amiscreations]

✨My heart plays the songs of my lost years,

My scars are a church for my old fears,

my body’s a wreck but I don’t care… I swear.✨

[clumsypuppy]

Tell me about a song you like right now, maybe an animation you just watched that made you think thoughts and feel things

Only Acting by Kero Kero Bonito!! I want to make an animatic for Macaque using this song and some parts of Shadow Play and the s4 special.. although im still mapping it and deciding whether I want to use the radio edit or not lol

[arcsin27]

Shuada does hit a lot of the power imbalance issues that come with huge age gaps like that: one is bigger and stronger, one is more forceful and actively instigates the relationship whereas the other just awkwardly complies, one could easily manipulate the other with blackmail including potential for “I’ll tell everyone you’re dating someone like me,” etc

The funny part is it’s the underage teen that has all this power lmfao

[triglycercule]

Thoughts on mtt

they should travel the multiverse together and see and experience a more peaceful life than all of them ever have (⁎˃ᴗ˂⁎)

also they should get to gnaw at each other like rabies infected dogs 🧡🙏

[solariex]

yeahh uh who wants to know how my break from the red blog is ?? basically this

alsoo bonus because i thought it was funny LMAOO

(also also if both look like red avm its cause im a red fictive (but i also go by marz) who ironically runs the blog woww plural system stuff i bet i havent said that 50 times by nowwww—💥💥💥)

[yellllowstar]

slowly I'm recovering the beauty of discovery

(creature by half•alive)

(textless + timelapse below cut)

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

some really high quality izus this ep

[sskk-manifesto]

--

[iffeelscouldkill]

I wrote some more of the 'What if Nicholas never applied to Kings Row' AU

(I need to come up with something catchier to call it; in my notes it's just titled "Fence AU")

First part is here!

--

It was surprisingly easy to persuade Coach Williams to let a random onlooker watch the team practice.

As Aiden resentfully went off to change into his team uniform, Harvard explained the situation to Coach Williams, who looked Nicholas up and down.

"You went up against Kyle Allen in the first bout on the regional circuit," she said. Nicholas was clearly surprised to be recognised.

"Uh, yeah." He scratched his head sheepishly. "I lost-"

"15-5. Could have been 15-6, but you didn't quite manage to get that touch past his guard in the second third," Coach said, and nodded. "You can stand on the sidelines, but no distracting the fencers. Keep any commentary to yourself."

"Yessir. Uh, ma'am." Nicholas saluted, and Coach Williams quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing. As Nicholas went to stand at the edge of the salle, Aiden stalked over, dressed in his fencing whites and radiating irritation. Harvard was about to volunteer to spar with him to give Aiden an outlet and smooth things over with some banter, but Coach Williams spoke first.

"Aiden. Nice of you to show," she said, handing Aiden a red tardy slip, which he took wordlessly and tucked into the sleeve of his uniform. "You're with Seiji. I want the two of you to practice getting in under the other's guard."

Aiden's smile was razor-sharp and contained not a trace of humour or friendliness. "Sounds great."

Seiji's eyes narrowed, and he nodded. No doubt, he was looking to even the score following his staggering loss to Aiden during the team try-outs just a week ago. Harvard was positive that a match between the two of them would be a bloodbath. "Coach, maybe it would be better if Aiden and I-"

"No. Harvard, you're with Eugene; I want you to practice the same thing," Coach Williams said, her tone brooking no argument. "Pay attention to your defence in the low lines. Eugene, I want you to focus on consistency. You've made good progress in the last year - but fencing at nationals will be a completely different ballgame."

Eugene nodded seriously. "On it, Coach."

"Everyone else," Coach Williams called to the rest of the practicing fencers. "Pair up and take it in turns: one fencer practices lunges, one fencer practices parrying. After three minutes, you'll switch."

Harvard took up a stance across from Eugene, but he couldn't help tuning into the conversation between Aiden and Seiji a few feet away.

"-not going to make the same mistake against you twice," Seiji was saying. "It was a cheap trick; I know better than to fall for it."

Aiden raised his eyebrows coolly. "You know, we're teammates now," he pointed out. "We're meant to be working together. Helping each other."

"I don't need help from someone like you," Seiji retorted. Harvard groaned under his breath.

"Uh, Harvard?" Eugene prompted him. Harvard shook himself and put his helmet on.

"Sorry - go for it, Eugene. I'm ready."

"Are you planning to approach every practice bout like it's a grudge match?" he heard Aiden snark, just as Eugene scored a hit past his guard. Harvard swore inwardly and tried to put Seiji and Aiden out of his mind so that he could give Eugene his full focus. He would talk to Aiden later. He might have to speak to both of them about team spirit.

*

Nicholas stared at the dark-haired fencer taking up a stance opposite Aiden. The coach had said "Seiji"… and Nicholas had seen the guy in the changing rooms at Regionals. All the smirking, full-of-themselves dickheads (including the dickhead that Nicholas had lost to, Kyle Allen) had been acting like he was a god in human form. Seiji Katayama.

But what would one of the top-ranked national fencers be doing here? Hadn't everyone said he had a full ride to Exton? Nicholas knew that Exton was one of the top fencing schools (if not the top fencing school).

Coach Joe had tried to encourage Nicholas to apply to one of the high schools with a good fencing programme, even go in for a scholarship, but… Nicholas wasn't much of a one for class attendance. His academic track record ranged from poor to non-existent. It was difficult to picture himself at a fancy school.

Nicholas was burning to ask someone, but all of the fencers were busy practicing and Nicholas didn't want to try Coach Williams' patience when he was getting the chance to spend some of his rare downtime in a really cool salle watching fencing matches. Nicholas had expected to be spending that time making out, but this was better.

Nicholas' fingers itched to pick up a blade and step onto the piste himself. He was watching the matches between the fencing team members - Harvard and his opponent, and Aiden and Seiji - closely. Particularly Aiden and Seiji. In contrast to Harvard and his opponent, who were pushing each other but not too much, pausing between exchanges to give advice and compliments, Aiden and Seiji were both laser focused on the match, neither saying a word.

Aiden was giving no quarter, attacking again and again with speed and from a variety of angles, forcing Seiji to defend constantly. However, Seiji was more than equal to it, and only very rare blows found their way past his guard.

Coach blew her whistle for the pairs to swap, and Seiji and Harvard switched to attacking while Aiden and the other guy (Eugene?) defended. Now Aiden was the one fending off a continuous volley of blows.

The whistle went again, and then once more before Coach Williams blew two sharp trills and called for everyone to take a break. The fencers broke away from their pairs and milled around, grabbing water bottles and chatting. Harvard and his opponent grinned at each other and shook hands; Aiden and Seiji stared at each other frostily before walking in opposite directions.

"Hey!" said a cheery voice next to him, and Nicholas looked around to see a petite guy in fencing whites with long hair fixed into two buns grinning up at him. "I haven't seen you around here before!" He stuck out a hand. "I'm Bobby!"

"Nicholas," said Nicholas. "I'm just spectating, actually. Uh, Harvard invited me?"

"Cool, so are you visiting from another school?" Bobby asked, earnest.

"Uh…" Nicholas had a brief flash of the classes he was skipping to be here. It wasn't like he ever took anything in from them. "Kind of, yeah."

"What do you think of Kings Row?"

"It's… A lot different to what I'm used to," Nicholas said, thinking about the dingy, scuffed local hall where he'd learned to fence. "Listen, Bobby-" He realised that this was his chance to get an answer to his questions about Seiji. "That guy over there. Isn't that Seiji Katayama? The national-"

"-number two-ranked fencer, yeah." Bobby was immediately blushing and starry-eyed. "Can you believe he fences here?"

"Why does he fence here? - I mean, no offence; your facilities are amazing. But I heard he was going to Exton?"

Bobby nodded seriously, clearly excited to impart some quality gossip. "No-one knows for sure," he said. "He showed up at the beginning of the semester and hasn't said anything about why he switched. Aiden has a theory that- Well, he thinks it's something to do with Seiji's loss to Jesse Coste at Nationals."

Nicholas' fist clenched involuntarily at his side at the mention of his half-brother. "Right," he said. "Yeah, maybe."

"Oh!" said Bobby as the coach blew on her whistle again and started gesturing. "I think I've got to- no, wait, it looks like she just wants the team for the next bit." He relaxed again and took another drink from his water bottle.

In the company of someone as friendly and enthusiastic as Bobby, Nicholas momentarily forgot the edict about not commentating while fencing was going on. "He's obviously in a different league," Nicholas said as the coach had Harvard and Seiji demonstrate a particular move. "Aiden's good, but he wasn't fast enough to take advantage of the moments where Seiji was open."

Nicholas' voice had carried a little too much in the newfound quiet, and he suddenly found the coach glaring over at him. Nicholas slapped his hands over his mouth, and Bobby murmured, "Oh no," next to him. Aiden, who had clearly heard Nicholas' comment, didn't look offended, only raising an eyebrow. But Seiji Katayama -

Nicholas only had a moment to register how furious Seiji looked before the other boy was storming over to bear down on him.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded.

(Now with part 3!)

[bumpscosity]

CALS SLOW DESCENT INTO THE DARK SIDE BEGINS I KNEW IT WAS COMING

[aromanticasterisms]

this whole epilogue is just a little treat for me oh my god. "familiar faces arrive in simulanka" does not even begin to cover it