#skitter-kitter

[theminecraftbee]

never have I ever winged au?

something like preening eyes probably hits those beats--there's wing preening, there's some symbolic meaning behind the wings, etc. as for one of those aus where EVERYONE has wings? huh, i don't know. i think that would be a fun way to handle elytra, honestly? i'd definitely have to think about how i'd make that interesting and a story on its own, though, i think i'd have to give everyone wings but also there's a government conspiracy happening that they have to solve or something, lol, otherwise i don't know where i'd go with it.

[childotkw]

Can we hear a bit about your original stories? I just started writing one and it is So Hard just to come up with the characters and their environment so I wanted to hear how you came up with those if you didn’t mind

Very interesting question! For me, a lot of my ideas come from wisps of inspiration from tropes or other concepts.

Characters and worlds and environment go through some pretty intensive edits in my head, so the roots aren't always obvious - and often I smash together multiple ideas, carving and chopping and smoothing things out until I have something workable that gets me excited.

(Buckle up, this post might be a long one)

Coming up with a concept

I'm not sure how it might work for other people, but I am constantly on the look out for inspiration for stories - asking myself 'what if this happened?', 'how cool would it be if this person had to do this thing?', or 'how could this trope work in a different genre?'.

Keeping myself open to these kinds of outlandish and sometimes hilarious thoughts means I've trained my brain to constantly churn up interesting concepts and ideas. Some barely have life breathed into them before I'm moving on. Others cling to me and live in my head for years.

The point is, be on the hunt for interesting ideas, and let your imagination have room to run free. Don't get boxed into an idea in its infancy. Let it grow crazily, let it get wild, before you break out the pruning tools. You're human. Let your mind have fun. Let your imagination explode.

Coming up with a character/s

So when I'm thinking of a character to inhabit my crazy new concept, I tend to go for vibe before anything else. I ask myself things like:

What kind of character do I really want to play with? Good, bad, morally grey? Cool, morally grey it is.

What species do I want? A god, a human, some fantasy creature? Human.

What type of human? A fighter, or more cerebral? Both? How 'bout a strategist? Okay that works.

And I go from there. I basically build a vague construct before worrying about things like physical description, name, age, gender, sex, etc. Those come later, once I've got a vibe I find interesting for a main character. Then comes the fun part.

Bringing concept and character together

For this to work, I've gotta figure out how these two elements to interact. To do that, I ask myself a whole bunch of questions.

How does my shiny new character fit in this world? Are they a grand figure or are they a nobody? What do I want them to do? What challenge would be interesting to watch them overcome? What can only they do? Why should my audience care about this random little guy?

This is normally where plot comes to me in fits and bursts, and once I have an idea on the overarching aspects, I start hammering out the finer details. This is where I really let my imagination out to play. I go wild, spinning off in multiple different directions, chewing on ideas and concepts and finding what works best for me.

Here you can also start developing things like other characters, relationships, dynamics, worldbuilding (e.g., currency, religion, factions, hierarchy, magic, science, how the bloody postal system works, etc.).

An example (through a conversation I regularly have with myself)

So, here's an example of an idea I've been playing with the last week.

Coming up with a concept

Okay! I've been inspired by the Old Guard, so I want to explore immortality and the idea of humanity and what life actually means. But how do I make this concept even cooler? What would make being immortal hard to conceal in a modern world?

How about instead of a modern world it's a futuristic society where everything is captured on some form of phone / camera / recording - and that makes dying and coming back to life extremely difficult to get away with. Where it's getting harder and harder to be able to cover their tracks, where falling through the cracks of society is damn near impossible with instant identification and other such measures.

Nice, nice. What else? How does the immortality work?

From the moment of their first death, the person now has increased healing and cannot age; though they can physically change (i.e., gain or lose weight and muscles, grow their hair and whatnot). Injuries heal at a rate relative to the seriousness of it - even amputations.

How does amputation work though? What if they lose their head? Does a new body grow or does the body grow a new head?

I'll have to iron this out but maybe it depends on the largest body piece? So the body would regrow the head, but if the body was completely blown apart, then whatever piece was biggest would become the 'main' one that the rest of the body would regenerate from?

What causes the immortality?

(I have an idea but wanna keep it a secret for now 😉)

So how does this world work then? It's futuristic - but how futuristic?

I'm thinking we've just achieved space travel. There's a colony on the moon and one being developed on Mars. We're spacefaring but it's not quite to the level of say, Star Wars or Star Trek. No aliens yet either! We've also got rudimentary robots running around, but they're machines more than fully autonomous. Basically, it's that time just before a massive technological leap in human history. We're on the verge of realising a lot of 'sci-fi' technologies.

Coming up with characters

Who are our main characters?

I was thinking of using Helen of Troy, since she's a mythological / historical figure that I've always found really interesting! So instead of her dying way back in the day, she actually became immortal during the Trojan War and has been enduring through the last 3500ish years as best she can.

The other main character I was planning on focussing the story around was Aethiolas - Helen's (disputed) son and former Prince of Sparta. I thought it'd be cool to explore an immortal mother and son dynamic, where almost 4000 years of sorrow and bitterness have tangled their relationship into something complex and...heartbreaking.

So what are they both like?

Helen has turned towards pacifism, whereas Aethiolas is and always will be a warrior. Helen is a leader - usually calm and collected and capable of commanding respect. Aethiolas, for the longest time, acted as her second in command and is quite a confident person. While Helen might long for the past, Aethiolas looks to the future with excitement and fascination.

Helen's group have become more observers, whereas Aethiolas takes an active role in shaping history - joining causes that speak to him and seeking to bring positive change into the world.

Aethiolas is viewed as reckless and dangerous to their way of life, killing humans who threaten him without hesitation; whereas he views his mother and the others as too rigid and afraid of change, and far too morally righteous and superior. A common argument between them would include lines like -- "Just because we can't die, mother, doesn't mean we should allow ourselves to be killed."

Helen views their immortality as a punishment. Aethiolas views it as a gift. But there is still love and loyalty between them. Despite everything, Helen is Aethiolas' mother, and he cares for her. And she for him.

Bringing concept and character together

How do these characters fit in with the world now?

Well, Helen is in charge of their group of immortals; whereas Aethiolas has become more of a 'lone wolf'. While he and his mother have had a falling out, and they fundamentally disagree on the use of violence and interacting with the world, Aethiolas still acts as the group's sword and shield. He doesn't live with them but he protects them from threats and they rely on him when issues crop up that do require swift action. There's some hypocrisy there, and it is one of the major points of conflict between them.

The story would likely kick off with several new immortals being born - and in a rather public and difficult to cover up manner. This has the risk of dragging all of the immortals into the spotlight, and prompts them to have to quickly decide whether living in the shadows is even possible any more.

--- -- --- -- ---

This became very long and rambling, but this is essentially how I create ideas from scratch. I'm super tired atm so it might not be super coherent! But if anything particular jumps out at you or you want me to focus in on something, please let me know!

[potionofinstantdamage]

1 and scar?

...yeah alright man give me a second alright. alright man just give me a minute alright alright oka

[dreemurr-skelememer]

Director’s Commentary on Treehouse?

have an excuse to talk about this bit which is NO LONGER CORRECT.

i can always edit it. i think i just forgot to do that.

but he is waving to nobody. no one. nada. zilch. he has no parents. he has one guy and the guy was probably just staring at him as he left. i won't say who this guy is.

anyway. i just wanted to bring that up because it has BEEN BOTHERING ME ever since i slightly changed birch's backstory

[spreens]

1, 5, 19, and 20?

LORD ALMIGHTY!

Favourite Theory

Favourite theory has GOT to be sleeper agent Cellbit. All the signs are there- I'm just waiting for one day where he's given a trigger word or similar during an extremely high stakes event and it all goes down from there. Bonus points if the cc does extra acting/turns off the facecam. It's got to happen. I've been truthing it since he got kidnapped.

5. Favourite Headcanon

Pac's missing leg 🥰 it really adds extra depth to the already complicated Tazercraft-Cellbit relationship and also makes Pac Verifiably Insane. OH also frozen biological clocks which is from a baghera fic i will link below

19. Favourite Fanfictions

Buckle up, these are all from my bookmarks.

What if you ruined your health grinding for lore... [...], General, contains a very cool headcanon that explains and expands on why not everyone sleeps or exists in the same way on the island.

I'd devour you, Mature, got me hooked on the spiderbit cannibalism zaza even though it's incomplete I'm desperately hanging on for more

Learn by going where I have to go, General, basically nails cellbit's voice in a way I hadn't been able to really see in english, honestly a great read that flows well and has quotes that I really enjoy

if stainless steel could love you back, Explicit, 17k of gore that leaves you breathless and horrified and the most on point characterisation and depictions of paranoia i've seen in years. heed the tags and enjoy!

20. Favourite Fanartists

Torrente (wow.) Sharkbitezz (their colouring and textures r insane + they make deranged little 3d models which I enjoy very much) pppuri (COLOURS)

[apollos-boyfriend]

1, 13, and 20 for the qsmp ask game?

1. favorite theory

THAT ISLAND IS A SIMULATION!!!! don't look any further as to why this is my favorite. there is definitely no ulterior reasoning yep

13. an event or lore you’d like to see in the future of the smp

i'm SO excited for halloween. i want to see everyone dressed up in silly costumes and for the eggs to go trick or treating between bases!!! i think some nice horrors would b fun :]

20. favorite fan-artist(s)

i want to eat pppuri's art so fuckign bad bro. their trumpet especially....... smug little guy. i would die for him

[qsmp ask game]

[anglerflsh]

oh my god….. that art you made with the tv tropes of the characters returning home and no longer fitting in with parallels between Luz and Belos is so brilliant!! The composition with their paintings mirroring each other and Belos’ all being covered in blood and having Caleb be “where it all began” with the blurb coving his eyes is SO GOOD!!!!

oh thank you! I'm glad your liked it, I really appreciate similar compliments about my art

[silverskye13]

🌿, 🪄, 💋?

🌿how does creating make you feel?

Insane XD

Nah. It makes me feel fulfilled! It's frustrating and a puzzle and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but -- that's life babeyyy

🪄what is your post-writing/sharing aftercare? How do you take care of yourself or celebrate yourself when you've finished a fic?

Oh shoot, are you supposed to do aftercare? Normally I just move on to the next thing, unless it was a Big Fic. Then I kind of just, stop for awhile.

I actually get a bit serotonin crash after a big project ends. I feel aimless and directionless, and like I'm chasing a high that doesn't exist anymore. It feels a bit like I've been walking through a dark passage for a long time, and instead of coming out on the other side, someone blew my candle out. I kinda just stumble around until I find a new match. Recently instead of feeling around for that next match, I've started just sitting in the dark for awhile. It helps me recover with a little more grace, and gives me time to catch up on the many things I've neglected previously.

💋when you leave comments on a fic, do you want to hear back from the writer?

Not particularly! I'm not opposed to it, but I also don't expect it. And I actually don't know of a time in recent memory where I've commented on a fic on AO3 and gotten a response. I think at this point if it happened, it would jumpscared me lol

Real Fic Writer Asks

[quillium]

Thought I should tell you since you changed your tumblr name that the name you have on your profile on ao3 isn’t the same. it says quilliumwrites and it isn’t. Sorry if that was on purpose! Love your fics!

OH TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT thank you for reminding me!!!! Love you <333

[autumn-kinsman]

fic title game: daydreams of your voice

“I hate you!”

Martyn had thrown those words at her - a hurried, knee jerk response. Cleo knew a defensive stance when she saw one. He probably hadn’t mean it, but that didn’t stop it from hurting. Her heart ached - with her pain and another’s. Twin pangs of connected chests. Martyn had said it first, but she echoed the sentiment. The fact was: they were much too similar, and it seemed the universe had noticed.

She wanted to talk to him again. Wanted to know if he had any other words for her, something else she could focus on instead of their rush into anger. And if he really had meant it - well. She wanted to know that too.

It would be easier to cut off a straight piece of string than a messy knotted one, after all.

[theminecraftbee]

🌸 + Scar?

meowzers - in which scar has a secret ability to transform into a cat, thanks to jellie. this would be more useful if he hadn't gotten a bit stuck. at least pearl found him before he got eaten by a dog or something...

-

Day three of being stuck in cat form. Scar and Tilly have formed a reluctant truce, mostly because Pearl keeps on spraying them with a water bottle she got somewhere. This is entirely unacceptable, as it makes Scar's otherwise beautiful, Jellie-like coat damp and unimpressive. Also, who knows where that water's been? So, he and Tilly had formed a truce! No more fighting each other so they did not get water bottled.

Scar would say this is a unique experience for him but honestly, making truces with animals that keep trying to kill him is something that happens to him in human shape, too.

Their truce means that, as Pearl comes back up the ladder Scar can't figure out how to climb in this shape, the two of them approach the sides of the ladder, instead of immediately fighting for attention. Tilly wags his tail. Scar makes himself as cute as possible, a thing he would also do in human shape, thank you very much. He's not just doing it because he wants scritches, and because he'd felt icy-cold earlier today and suspected Grian had caught onto the powdered snow trick and then horrible-painful-slice that made him think Grian had once again gotten hurt doing - doing - whatever it was Grian had been doing since the argument, and -

Pearl's crying.

Tilly wags his tail more desperately and shoves his face in Pearl's side. Scar wills himself to start nervously purring and to rub against her legs. Pearl sits down next to them. Tilly puts his head in Pearl's lap, and Scar curls up in the extra space.

"God. God, it's - they're not getting better," says Pearl. "Since... since... they aren't getting better about anything. I don't know what to do. I'm so lonely - you guys are good company, but it's... it's not the same, not with - with Scar missing, no one's trusting anyone on their own, and..."

Scar meows, loudly. He's right here. He's been trying to tell her this for the past three days. It's not going to work. He meows a little harder and shoves himself as much into her lap as he can. Pearl sniffles again and starts running her fingers through his fur. She's not very good at it. It kind of feels awkward. He'll forgive her, though, because there's beginning to be this sinking feeling that whatever's been making Pearl come home bruised and crying, what's been making Scar feel like he's being cut apart, what he hears from the treetops down below...

There's this sinking feeling that it's his fault. You know. For never telling anyone he could do this and then getting stuck.

He meows at Pearl again. She laughs. "You guys still like me, at least," she says. "You're both so good. Maybe I should just stay up here with you all. I wouldn't be able to talk to anyone, but - but maybe that's for the best, right?"

(Maybe it's for the best if you do get a new soulmate!)

Scar meows even louder and more insistantly. He's not sure what he's trying to say exactly, just that -

- that -

He stays like that with Pearl for quite a long time.

[childotkw]

go on. tell me more about the orphaned at 8 years old au

Harry - Hadrian, his name is Hadrian now - is three months into his first term at Beauxbatons when he gets called into the Headmistress' office. He sits on a chair too big for him, little feet dangling off the floor, surrounded by people he doesn't know, and is told by a woman with a gentle voice that his mother is dead.

An illness, he's told. It was very sudden. She didn't suffer.

He's only eight years old, and so very small, and now he's all alone. His mother has been his entire world up until this point, the only person he could trust, the only one he knew would protect him, and now...

Now he's an orphan.

The knowledge is a brand across his soul.

There are conversations after that, some he's there for and many he's not - about what to do with him, who would look after him, where he could live.

Hadrian drifts through the days in a haze, his future unravelling right in front of his eyes.

How was he supposed to kill Voldemort now?

His classmates and professors all treat him like spun glass, delicate and seconds from breaking. It's irritating and a constant reminder of what he's lost, and Hadrian finds himself pouring over his memories of his mother, to keep something of her close to his heart.

Over the coming months, he's told he'll be taken to an orphanage when the year ends. He's told it's a lovely place, warm, with a kindly man that will look after him. He's told that is where he will live from now on.

Hadrian decides then that he's really rather sick of people telling him what will happen to him, but he's too young to be by himself, so he puts his head down and accepts things for now.

Instead of stopping to think about the gapping hole in his heart, he throws himself into his studies, desperate to live up to his mother's expectations. Desperate to make her proud.

And for years, he does.

He's a brilliant student, driven, exceptional in whatever task he puts his mind to - but he's also odd. A little too intense, too caught up in his own head, to make friends. He's unsettling to his peers, and barely puts effort into maintaining relationships. He's obsessed with learning, with pushing himself, and that drive to be the best takes him down...darker paths.

He teaches himself magic, dives into obscure branches, things that might be considered...unnatural. And he eventually crosses a line not even his professors can forgive.

Hadrian is expelled from Beauxbatons, his wand snapped, and just as he's kicked out of the orphanage - just as he's on the verge of losing everything, someone comes to him.

A vampire finds him, a peculiar glint in his red eyes, and Hadrian is out of option. He accepts Erebus' hand without hesitation, because the promise of power is too hard to ignore, and Hadrian still needs to kill Voldemort.

Erebus, on his part, is quietly ecstatic that he managed to stumble across the Harry Potter on some random street.

The boy is alone and desperate and young, easily ready to be moulded. He's also adorably murderous, and Erebus is too much of a bastard to not take advantage of this opportunity.

His employment to his Lady has always been a matter of convenience, after all, and now that he's got direct access to little Hadrian, he finds it a simple enough choice to cut ties and move forward with his own plans.

[kishdoodles]

2, 8, 11, 13, 14, 29?

2. Is it easier to draw someone facing left or right (or forward even)

Hrmm good question! I'm definitely the most comfortable drawing someone facing left. Facing forward is good too (though I think it's slightly harder to get the face proportions right). Facing right is the hardest bcos I do it the least :]

8. What's an old project idea that you've lost interest in

I've done an entire animatic that I've yet to develop more on bcos the goal was a 3D animation :'D Models are haaard... and while we're working on some new ones for a shorter animation my last life animatic will sit n gather dust HAHAHA. We might revisit it! Who knows.

11. Do you listen to anything while drawing? If so, what

Usually just one song on repeat :] That's how I get songs where i've listened to like... 12 hours worth...

13. A creator who you admire but whose work isn't your thing

Ough this is hard bcos I wouldn't really follow people otherwise. I guess I don't really have any? I'll edit this if I think of someone

14. Any favorite motifs

Anything to do with eyes, honestly. How gazes and expressions inform you so much of a character mhm

29. Media you love, but doesn't inspire you artistically

Foodtubing HAHAHA!! I've always wanted to draw food but I never, not really. My favourite youtuber ever is Adam Ragusea and he's just a guy yknow :]

[spell-cleaver]

I just read your new fic and hooooly shit it’s so good!! I love how you managed to make Luke into a politician in a very believable way. The way you’re giving details about his life from others telling Padme about it rather than Luke saying it in his narration is really good!! I love how much of his life is left unknown to the audience. You’re really good at that stuff in your fics.

Ahhhhh thank you so much!!! That fic was so much fun to write because of how out there the premise was, and I love finding fun new ways to play with exposition and mystery like that :D I'm so excited to post the rest of it!!! There is a lot to reveal ;D

[uglycarp]

Omg I just watched your Saint Bernard animation and it’s SO GOOD!! The dull colors work so well and I love how when we see the birds reflecting in Grian’s eyes they’re SO much brighter and saturated than when we see them normally. The way you put this meaning and left it up to interpretation is BEAUTIFUL. Thank you so much for making it!!

Thank YOU for writing such a nice comment ! It means a lot to me :D

[introvertedppl]

OH MY GOD THAT COMIC. YOURE INSANE. The way Grian is falling through the entire comic until he finally lands in the place he lost it all is so good. I really love how we see so much of how Grian views scar in the comic and just. WOW. The only color being red is SO GOOD

HELLO HELLO! oh i love that the way you worded that. “Finally lands in the place where he lost it all”. That’s definitely true. The whole comic is an exploration of how grian (of the life series variant) interprets love throughout and uhhhh its not exactly the healthiest given his trauma over the 3L finale. This is sorta loosely connected with my prev last life grian comic of him being desensitized with death in last life and its more of a “i just want to get this over with as quickly as possible” (up to anyone he feels guilt over it or not Shrugs) so to him, there really is no place for love in these worlds (except whatever tf him and scar have apparently).

Red being grian’s color holds a lot of weight— its the color of the boogeyman, the color of blood, the color of a red life and the color of... grian’s signature sweater. i think to think fate really likes fucking with grian that way lmao

Also ik u didnt ask but im inserting it here anyways. 3rd panel was sort of a joke panel of like, my personal interpretation of the Watcher’s being grian’s family and just them looking at scar and being like “This guy? U fr? LMAO” *ties ur fate to him*. But realizing now since the Watchers are the literal manifestation of the audience— we sorta willed this into existence and i love that for us <33 slayyy