#thank u for the ask <3 i hope this helped it was honestly just trial n error for me when i first started

[sevlawless]

Hello! I hope u r doing well and that u have a lovely rest of ur day <3

I was wondering if you had any tips to start web weaving, I've been meaning to get into it but i have the brain capacity of a fucking fly so I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing. 😭

hi! and i am thank u, i hope u are too <3 unrelated but i just found that the hag who hit me in my car accident has to pay for EVERYTHING LMFAO so i'm on cloud nine atm 🤩 ANYWAYS

ur so real i absolutely get it !! i honestly just try to figure out what i want the overall theme to be before i start looking for quotes/pieces of media if that makes sense? it just makes it a bit easier on myself to figure out what kind of things i want to use and what won't fit yk

in most cases pinterest is my best friend and i just look for similar quotes AND/OR i go through my spotify and see if i have any songs that could fit as well

it really isn't all that hard once u start doing it but it's important to persevere through it <3 and honestly sometimes i find quotes that don't fit for the exact web weaving i'm doing atm but could work for another one!

[mochiwrites]

mochi i always appreciate how friendly u are, u answer so many different asks, even if u don’t agree with the content ur very understanding and are empathic towards the other person, which is a very earnest and kind thing to do. ur able to match the vibes of asks as well, making sure ppl feel hyped up, which makes them feel more confident in themselves, especially because it can be a bit of a vulnerable thing to put ur self out there. u either have an understanding of this, or are naturally inclined to support the other person, both of which reflect really well on you

ur also incredibly talented, creative, and smart. you have multiple sometimes long running aus and ideas that you’ve slowly chipped away at, it’s incredibly admirable, especially considering you are a student. ur frequent updates just show how strong of a writer u are, and i’m sure whatever u do with ur degree ur gonna do amazing things. your also super emotionally in touch with yourself-likely one of the reasons why u perused psych- and are able to communicate ur feelings well, in a very graceful way, it’s a very strong thing to set boundaries with an audience, cause in some way admitting something isn’t working is kind of scary (at least to some) so i’m really proud of u for it. (and a side note- anyone who doesn’t respect or tries to overdramatize u protecting yourself when ur obviously having some personal conflicts needs to take a deep breath, u give them a lot more understanding and gentleness, and it shows well on ur part)

all that being said as well it is up to u what u respond to and engage with, and i truly hope you don’t ever push yourself uncomfortably for any reason out of obligation. i hope that u support ur self first. it’s not a crime to prioritize yourself, i promise. (i don’t know u personally, so i would have no way of knowing if this is something you would struggle with, but just in case wanted to include it lol)

yea! ur great mochi keep being amazing pspsps have some cat treats

taking the cat treats ty ty

but also ;w; thank you <333 this is really sweet and I genuinely teared up reading it dvdbfbfgtb wahhhhh

I think being kind and empathetic is just… really important y’know? and I try to be as friendly and open as I can with people because I know that it can be scary sometimes when you throw out an idea or even send a message to someone you’re not familiar with or know on a personal level. it’s that general idea of treat people how you want to be treated. with any luck, the kindness I extend to others will eventually come back around to me. I like supporting people and encouraging them <33 I guess I just try to be the person I wish I had while growing up

I wasn’t a very confident kid, didn’t have a lot of friends, and was terrified of the people around me. so I really do get and understand the vulnerability that comes with putting yourself out there. and !!! even if I don’t agree with something suggested, I try to be gentle in my approach to it. I just like being kind to people dbfbfbfhtg

and wahhhhh thank you ;w; writing is just something that I’ve always done alongside school so it feels super natural to do the two at once :D I’ve always been like ??? weirdly in tune with my emotions and how I’m feeling (I feel REALLY strongly, it’s insane how emotional of a person I am), and yeah!!! it was partly why I pursued psych as a major. but setting boundaries was definitely not a thing I was good at while growing up ^^; I think I only started to get good at it within the last few years honestly. but I’m definitely not afraid to sit down and say that something isn’t working. I try to look at from two views: it’s not fun for me if I’m working on something I’m unhappy with, which means it’s not fun for others as well. and I only want to write things that I’m proud of and passionate about, meaning I’m motivated :D

and it helps knowing that if I restart, I can make something a lot better <3 trial and error is an important part of learning !!!

but ueueue I never feel an obligation to interact with something that makes me uncomfortable or anything like that !!! I love the interactions I get, and feel really lucky that I’m able to share my stuff with so many people and have the same love for my work echoed back at me 🥹💕💕

[valriety]

I was wondering if maybe we could get the bachelor's (and bachelorettes' if you want) reactions to the reader coming out? GN pronouns are all good. Fluff would be preferred. :)

Thank you for taking the time to read this! I love your blog. :D

SDV: Bachelor Reactions To The Reader Coming Out HCs~!

Post Type: Fluff, SFW, Ambiguous Relationship. Characters: Sam, Elliot, Harvey, Alex, Shane, and Sebastian. GN Reader (You/Yours)

Anon I am so sorry for the wait!!! I hope this reaches you :D - they're a little short, but I made them extra fluffy just for u <3. Tried to make them ambiguous too, so lots of people can relate! I'll be posting the bachelorette version too eventually! I've actually already started hehe

'SDV: Bachelorette Reactions To The Reader Coming Out HCs~!' is in progress :)

Guidelines | Masterlist | Previous | Next |

Sam:

Sam is literally so excited for you! He's extremely happy that you felt safe enough to tell him, and is immediately asking if he can pull you in for a hug *gives u a comforting squeeze*

If there's any changes in the way he should refer to you, you can count on this guy to be on it immediately. Doesn't mess up, and corrects anyone who does if you're cool with it too

If it's more about telling him about your sexuality, you can bet that he's all about that too. Will absolutely be your wingman, or lack thereof - if you prefer :)

Supports you if you want help coming out to anyone else as well! Very reassuring that everything will be alright, and he's totally happy to stand with you or hold your hand when you go ahead and do it too <3

The type to probably send u wholesome but chaotic lgbtq+ memes all the time lol

Elliot:

So proud of you. Truly. Elliot makes sure you've said everything you needed to say, before he lets you know just how happy he is to learn a little bit more about you <3. Elliot's love is unconditional, and he thinks you're lovely - no matter how you identify.

If your coming out is related to presentation: Elliot reiterates pronouns and referring terms with you immediately - he even makes an offer to trial names or pronouns with you if you're still unsure.

If it's about sexuality, he's super supportive, even recommending you literature with couples/individual characters that are just like you!

Asks if there's anything he can do to support you, and will do it, no matter what it is.

I reckon he's the type to gift cool shells he finds already, but now, he keeps an eye out for ones in your flag colours so he can make a little collection to give u :')

Harvey:

Another one that's super proud of you. Coming out is terrifying sometimes , so he completely understands if it was difficult telling him. Will give you a head pat if you'll let him!

If it's related to how you present, he makes sure to ask if you'd like his medical records at the clinic updated. Offers to discreetly inform Maru too, if that's something you'd like - though he wouldn't do anything without your permission :)

And if its related to your sexuality, he's very sweet there too!

Reassuring :'). If there's anything you need from him in terms of support - now or later - just know that he'll listen to you.

Harvey's a trinket collector, so he would absolutely pick up little things for you that remind him of you or your flags colours and gift them to you <3

Alex:

Honestly just thinks you're awesome - coming out takes a lot of courage - so he's happy he can be a good friend for you here. Gives you a high five!

Regardless of what you're coming out about - Alex is giving it the same supportive energy. Behind you all the way if you need help coming out to others, even if you just need someone to vent to - he's totally up for listening :)

If there's anything you're interested in concerning physique to look a certain way, Alex has a lot of experience with exercise and making workout plans - he can totally help you if you're interested!

Also there's no way in his friendship with Haley that he hasn't picked up on a few of her hobbies. This guy definitely offers to take you shopping - whether it be clothes, pride stuff, or even just a nice meal to celebrate! <3

Shane:

Shane doesn't normally like to cause a fuss, but there's no way he'd ever hide how happy he is for you when it comes to something like this.

If it's related to presentation, Shane is more than happy to start referring to you a certain way, or even help you start to try things out. Would actually be pretty keen to help you experiment with style if you were interested.

Makes sure to reassure you that this changes nothing with your friendship - you're a lovely friend, and he cares about you a lot honestly.

Understands that you might be a bit nervous after sharing something so big, so he offers to go on a walk with you, or to his chicken shed to just chill and talk :)

Sebastian:

Very supportive regardless of what you come out as. Probably would be so easy to come out to too - he's quiet, kind, and pretty receptive, so I could see him being able to ease your nerves very swiftly. Asks softly if you'd like a hug :)

If you come out about your presentation, Seb starts checking his language immediately - making sure to immediately practice any new names, terms, or pronouns you might have given him when he's alone in his room so that he never gets them wrong.

Offers to stand with you or help you come out to others - might even hold your hand if you ask! But goes above and beyond if you need help coming out to Sam or Abby - he knows them well after all, so he can be very reassuring.

If you happen to play Solarian Chronicles with him, Sebastian casually gifts you a set of themed dice (maybe in your flag colours, or even designed after your campaign character) <3

A/N: This was actually,, pretty cathartic. There's a few people in my life that I still need to come out to, so writing this was nice tbh :)

Lemme know if you enjoyed this! Again, I should be writing a bachelorette version soon - i want to write more regularly, so hopefully that'll be soon! ALSO, I tried to make these as inclusive as possible, but if you'd like to see something more specific - feel free to send a request! I'd be happy to write it for you!

AO3 | Masterlist | Previous | Next |

Remember To Support Creators By Liking + Reblogging!

[screampied]

Honestly, not even sure I should be asking this here but trial and error.

Very incredibly new to Tumblr and its workings. I definetly want to share my writing here but I'm not sure how to start or what I'm doing frankly. Looking at your blog and how its formatted is definitley something I want to achieve but going about that is the issue. I DON'T WANT TO COPY YOU, your blog just leaks experience.

I'm honestly probably overwhelmed by the amount of new "social norms" on Tumblr considering a lot of what I'm used to is different here. That was a lot of overexplaining that I didn't need to do. I should've started with that fact that I'm looking for pointers/advice if you'd be willing.

If not, thanks anyway pooks <3 I apologize for how long this came out to be.

hello friend !! 💖🥰 welcome to my blog xo

firstly, welcome to tumblr. i hope u enjoy ur time in this space :) it takes a while to get accustomed to but you’ll get the hang of it !! ah i see, no worries !! yes yes, i tend to make my blog or my pinned post per say really easy and direct so ppl can access things + usually it’s important to make a pinned post if ur a writer / potential writer so u can add all the necessary things (masterlist, rules, before you follow + dni, etc) i like being neat and real precise—and yeah !! i guess u can say i have a bit of experience with tumblr

but of course, i see what u mean. it’s quite easy to feel overwhelmed here. for me, that’s why im only on here for certain minutes / hours at a time. take a long break then come back later. 🩶

but to conclude, yeah !! if ur wanting to start off as a new writer — try to plan everything out before you start publishing. it’s kind of a lot to grasp. the tumblr tag system, interactions, setting up your blog so it can be easier to access for others, but first don’t overwhelm urself. start easy, make a simple pinned post with like maybe a masterlist, rules of stuff u write / don’t write, n that sort of stuff !! i hope this helps u 🩶😽

[hiraethhh-h]

anna (the huntress) with a gn!reader who’s as strong as her but is clumsy (HCs)

Anonymous asked: Sorry sorry to double request (I was the Pig between trials asker [loved it btw!]), but I have another one for you! Huntress and a genderneutral fembo reader that's as strong as her, but just *cannot* do anything with what strength because they're incredibly goddamn clumsy (affectionate) Or, alternatively (obviously don't have to do both) Pig with a reader that's so goddamn strong, and isn't afraid to use that strength in or out of trials (mischief ensues)

don’t worry about double requests nonnie! i’m glad to hear u enjoyed the pig hcs and i’m happy to always do requests, no matter how many times u re-request <3 

lord that’s a tongue-twister LMFAO

warnings: mentions of torture, kidnapping, & death

the first time anna witnessed your strength was when she was aiming at an injured david who was too busy working on a generator with you

you fucking lifted david to avoid the hurdling hatchet and ran for the nearest point of cover

anna audibly stuttered at the sight, and she never stops or stutters when she sings during trials

you could imagine the shock and confusion among you and the other survivors

anna turned around to begin making her way to a locker so she could reload her hatchets, until she heard a loud THUD behind her

she whipped around only to find you had face planted into the ground, david nowhere in sight

you two momentarily locked eyes before you scrambled up and quickly ran out of anna’s view

from that day on, anna was intrigued by you

sure, she’s seen and heard of survivors who have immense strength, but you? anna’s never seen someone pull a stunt like that

anna’s sometimes stalked you outside of trials, curious as to what the others think about you and your strength

she also finds that you’re… quite clumsy

she’s seen you trip over roots and air

however, anna can’t help but find it adorable when you look around after tripping in the forest and mutter under your breath, ‘i hope no one saw that…’

one day, after a particularly rough trial with herman (the doctor) you venture out into the surrounding woods to cool off

you attempt to kick a stick out of frustration, and you succeed, but you also end up tripping on yourself

but before you hit the ground, a hand grabbed your arm

you let out a yelp of surprise, looking around for whoever saved you

anna stood above you, her trusty axe in one hand while the other held onto you

you stutter out a thank you, very much surprised by her sudden appearance and by her choice to save you from eating dirt

some killers have been known to roam outside of the fog, occasionally snatching up survivors who decide to wander away from the safety of the campfire

and while death is not an escape, torture sure as hell isn’t

anna simply released you, staring down at you

wow, talk about awkward…

you gave an unnerved chuckle, unsure of what to do since the last thing you wanted to do was evoke her wrath

she ended up letting you leave, much to your surprise. but you could feel her stare burning into the back of your head

after that encounter, anna seemed to be more… friendly towards you

during your trials together, she would often flex her bicep at you

not to show off, but as some sort of symbol of friendship? you honestly weren’t quite sure

this one time, while you were in chase with her, you accidentally face planted into a tree to avoid the hurdling hatchet

and you did avoid it, but at the cost of a bloody and possibly broken nose

you expected anna to take advantage of your clumsiness, but she was the one to pull you to your feet, her humming completely stopped

she slings her axe over her shoulder and leans down to wipe at your bloody nose with the back of her free hand

“careful.”

i imagine she only speaks russian, but she does know a few words in english and speaks with a heavy accent

you were too stunned to speak and/or act :D

[shigaeru]

I always get so excited when I see a notification from you, I love the comic and the way u draw these two moron, really, amazing job!!! I wanted to ask, if its not a problem, how do you design the panels of a comic? I'm new in that field and it's honestly a black magic to me and I love yours, they're easy to read and also interesting to look at!

Hi!! Thank you!! <3 and sorry I took so long to answer but I wanted to do it Right for your question. SO HERE GOES, MY TIPS FOR PANELING:

First thing's first: I basically visualize stories as film/anime and it helps a lot. The main rule I follow is that 1 shot = 1 panel. I found this edit super interesting because this is basically it, but in reverse. See how each panel becomes a shot?

It'll depend on how much of the action from one animated shot you'll want to show too. Do you have a shot with your character changing expression? While there's only one shot, the expression at the beginning and at the end are both important so that'll be 2 panels, or 3, or even 4, depending on how many key frames you want to show). Is the character traversing the screen from left to right? Is it important to see them at the beginning of their run, in the middle or at the end? Or all three?

Now, there's a big rule in comic :

The bigger the panel, the longer the action will feel. Your eye will take more time to pan over the picture and it'll trick your brain into thinking time has passed in the story. See how different these feel?

After this one, I'll personally follow a few other rules, but many artists don't, or have their own, so feel free to try these out if you want, or not! The goal is to have fun first and foremost.

Each page makes sense on its own. It has a beginning and an end, and no speech/shot is cut in the middle at the bottom of the page.

I try to at least have one panel per page that has a physical, tangible background, it helps ground the reader in what's happening in the scene.

I mainly use 2/3/4 rows of panels (which is specific to manga, other genres often have more) and I try to mix the shapes of the panels on the rows so no rows look the same, and no pages look the same within the chapter.

Every space in the panel is used for something, no "empty" spaces (I put bubbles in those to fill in the gaps lmao)

Slanted panel borders are for action scenes.

(now that’s kind of a director’s take but) when changing shot/panel, changing the angle always make things more interesting!

When depicting action, I found it the most clear when showing the anticipation, the action and the aftermath. Like with a punch, you'll see the run-up, the contact, and then the guy's on the ground in 3 panels, you know?

(this one's super specific to my brain but) bordered panels are for static camera and "open" panels are for camera movement within the shot

HAVE FUN! most of the time I'm improvising with what feels right, and what READS right. So many times I finished my chapter and went "oh the pacing is so wrong" and changed the paneling just before posting after everything was supposedly already done. So yeah, don't hesitate to have a beta-reader that can tell when the paneling is interfering with comprehension, it always helps improve!!

These work for me, but I’ve accumulated most of these after trial and error, so if some don’t work for you that’s fine, and I hope you find the rules you’re comfortable with!!

[asteria7fics]

i'm back!!! o(>ω<)o i don't usually make outlines (mostly because i was never taught in a way that makes sense to me) i guess what i wanted to ask is how u make your outlines? or how you decide what will be in ur story ik i could just search it up but i like hearing it from someone I'm mooties w/ or someone in the same genre as me sorry for bothering u w/ this pooks (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞

-i'm stalking ur blog and inbox again (◞ ‸ ◟ㆀ)

Welcome back! Thank you for gracing my ask box once again!

I'll happily break down my outlining process! I've tried a couple of different methods and have found success with both! (´⌣`ʃƪ)

Mild spoilers for TSOB under the cut, so if anyone hasn't read it yet tread lightly!

SO specifically for TSOB I kept my outline really simple because I ended up coming up with the logistics of a lot of the events as I wrote them (a bad idea, truthfully! If you don't have to do it this way, don't!)

I literally found some kid's presentation on the Trojan War (paired with my existing knowledge of the war lol I promise I know things) and copied down the events in chronological order, using the original characters names and everything.

i.e:

Wedding of Peleus and Thetis

Judgment of Paris

Paris goes to Menelaus 

Paris steals Helen

Menelaus goes to Agamemnon for help

And so on and so forth, until I'd covered the entire war. I chose to use events outside of just The Iliad because I thought the additional context would be helpful for readers who maybe weren't as familiar with the source material.

I did make a few small notes for events I had planned in advanced (the crappening was one such event!) but for the most part, that list was a majority of my planning. The rest of my notes were character based, or just small things I wanted to remember to include (like all of Jimmy's jokes, I would write them down as people told them to me irl)

I cannot lie, my outlining for this fic was not very extensive. If you want a more effective idea I'd honestly recommend trying the method I used for my next fic, Exactly Where I Left You (coming to an ao3 near you veeery soon!!)

For that fic, I ended up with a whole board absolutely covered with sticky notes. I posted this picture a while ago, but I'll drudge it back up because I know a visual can be helpful!

Obvi I blurred it because I don't need you goobers getting spoiled for the whole dang fic before I even post it, but I found this method to be extremely helpful for crafting a narrative fully from scratch, rather than pulling it from a pre-existing source like I did with TSOB.

You don't have to follow a 3 Act structure (I hardly did myself) but I found it easier for my own creative process. I also prefer using stickies to, say, writing on a whiteboard or chalkboard because if an idea didn't fit in a specific part of the story I could easily move it. I regularly rearranged entire arcs as I was working on this fic.

I don't have a photo of the backside, but that's where I wrote down character information, as well as plotting out the overarching narrative of the story. This will all make a lot more sense once the fic is out!

I hope this explanation has been helpful for you! Finding the right strategy takes time and lots of trial and error, but if you try either of these let me know how it goes for you! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

Thank you again for the lovely ask!!

[elliewiltarwyn]

Top 5 memories!

i think i kind of cheated and put a couple of them in the top 5 mounts answer lol. but nevertheless! let's see what i can think of!

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

5. Clearing savage raids with my static

i'll be fair and put this at the bottom because i already rambled about a bunch of them in the top 5 mounts post, but yeah, super meaningful to me. mmo raiding always seemed so out of reach in every other mmo i've played, so being able to not only challenge and conquer them in FFXIV but do so alongside friends has been some of the most rewarding feelings I've ever experienced.

4. the end of Endwalker

Endwalker MSQ in general, honestly, but the ending really put a fine point on it. I think I still would put Shadowbringers at the top, but Endwalker in general being about hope triumphing over despair just felt really salient at a time when it was really, really easy to despair over stuff happening IRL (both in society at large and individually). experiencing a story that just unambiguously unashamedly goes "hope is the most powerful force in the universe and it will win" is just. really nice.

3. attending friends' ingame wedding

i just think it's really sweet that you can do this ingame. i've been to a fair few (including my own! :V at one point, at least...) but my favorite was after a recent major advancement in the, ahem, crime technology scene, and we were just hanging out in discord and playing Among Us before the ceremony before actually going and seeing the super-cute ingame ceremony "as we see ourselves" and the whole thing just really felt like we were having an actual party. it was a good night.

2. Dark Knight 50 and 80 quests

still some of the most emotionally powerful moments in the whole game, and both resonated deeply with me, and maybe even helped me come to terms with parts of myself IRL?? when i was watching my best friend play through 50, there was a moment after the end where we both just sat there in silence and he eventually said "Damn, how do you even follow that up? Where do you go from there?" and the writing finds out ways of course. especially in Shadowbringers. but damn, if that ain't a mood. plus I'm a sucker for evil/dark twin/clone shit. >.> and turning that into "it's just you, trying to make you love yourself in the ways you never let yourself do before" was, again, kind of salient.

Patch 5.3 day

5.3 was the first time I was caught up and able to experience the new content on the same day as everyone else. i had also just managed to cap out DRK on Ellie, meaning she was finally the canon job I had decided for her. so going into the new MSQ content on that day, completely unspoiled, experiencing that part of the story alongside everyone else, as my canonical self, and ending up main tank-ing the Warrior of Light trial who is basically an encapsulation of all the heroic imagery across the entire damn Final Fantasy series... i've had emotionally meaningful moments that got to me in other games before, and some of them mean even more to me than this. but experiencing that tidal wave of emotions in that way alongside people just as into this shit as I was... i'm not sure anything else will ever hit in quite the same way again.

(it was also the day where, after I had finished the MSQ bit and just went to some random place to hang out and process it all, i got recruited into the FC where i met most of my ingame friends with whom I'm still friends today, so it was also a good day in that sense too ;u;)

thanks for the ask @sasslett!! i made it extremely emotional and sentimental and i'd apologize but i'm pretty sure that was exactly your goal :P

[flingza-roller]

Hey so I found your account today and I love your art!!!

I also love your Captain 3 Cosplay! I’ve wanted to Cosplay them, but I couldn’t think of any idea on how to make their hat or headphones, so I’m curious to know if you’d be able to explain how you made yours?

if you’re busy and can’t respond I understand I just thought I’d ask

OAAAAGH THANK YOU!! it always makes me so happy when people enjoy my cosplay, i had lotsa fun with it :D

im gonna go into detail with this so imma shove it under a read more

so honestly i kinda cheesed it with the hat and also did it in the most convoluted way- i already owned a hat with a similar shape, one of those sailor captain hats u can find anywhere. loved wearing that thing. but anyway i removed the bit of rope and the buttons it had, then went through the very long and painstaking task of gluing fabric onto the whole thing. this required a lotta measuring, a lotta trial and error, but i eventually got there! i pretty much just cut out the pieces and layed them over the hat in the right positions.

the gold bits on the sides are just half of one of those metal button things u can get from craft stores, and the gold strips + emblem are a metallic gold card. the emblem itself i made by tracing over the game model, transferring that trace onto paper, tracing the paper onto gold card, then cutting out each piece and gluing it to the black disk i made (somehow this took me like 4 hours, dont ask why). i then just glued the whole thing to the front of the hat!

now the headphones- i was actually really lazy with this, ive been desperately wanting to make proper LED headphones with the right cables at the back but... i never really get around to it, i dont know the first thing about electronics in cosplay 😔

SO! with the con rapidly approaching and me running out of ideas, i resort to something i know i can handle. i buy a cheap pair of bluetooth kmart headphones and get to work. so i found that spotlight stocked this very thick.... foam, card? im not sure what it is exactly, but i had to use a stanley knife to cut it. i measured and cut discs out to attach onto the sides of the headphones, then added a layer of yellow card on top.

the pointy part of the 'phones is a cut piece of that thick card glued onto a piece of foam (the floor mat kind) for stability, and then i just painted the glowing dots on the front of the card with acrylics. i had to wear the headphones with the handle going around the back of my hat so that they didnt fall off, and since i would be adjusting them a lot and knew the "ears" might look wonky i decided to attach a patch of velcro to the side of the headphones and the yellow disk so that i could easily change their positions if they got crooked.

so yeah! they may not look the best, and theres always things i can improve, but i did put a hell of a lotta hours and love into em. i hope some of this can help u! and if u can make ur cosplay, id love to see it !!

[kaedescara]

@dearbraus ; “hihi seb!! congrats on hitting 1k!!! you really deserve it !! am sending a lil ask in for your matchup event which btw is so cute the banner for it is stunning !!”

— FAWNN hi sweetie thank u sm (‘: shoutout to my free week canva pro trial!!! ehe i appreciate it and u lots. hope u enjoy darlin

the stars have fated you with… albedo!

taurus + virgo.. “a union of innate practicality. have much in common, sincere and devoted to each other.” *

i think i’ve told u this before but i truly think of u as such royalty. u scream historical romance to me and it is so poetic and beautiful. i think albedo would court u so sweetly. he’s such a darling n he’s got rizz fr. do i even need to mention the classic.. he’s come to do royal portraits n now u two have to spend hours together while he paints you. he’d admire how soft ur features are n how warm ur presence is. idk!! ur both just very . soft to me. kind hearted n destined to live in a castle. i don’t think he’d ever stop painting u honestly, his favorites are when ur reading a book in a place the sun can shine on u, he loves making sure he gets all the colors right. wants to make sure he gets the right shade to match ur eyes n all that (‘: he’s such a romantic but also like.. acts like none of it is a big deal. you two would write letters back n forth. sniffle. how fucking precious. also i think he’d def try to make you appreciate snow more, he paints these pretty pictures of the mountains and tries to make it seem like you won’t freeze ur cherries off. liar. he always has extra blankets n wood for a fire in case you do ever want to join him on his journeys tho <3

other matchups below cut!

hold on… you’re fated with ochaco urakaka too?

taurus + capricorn… “a sensible partnership, admire one another’s dedication and strength.” *

earth signs rise. i’ll be honest! i don’t have a whole lot here!!! you two are just so darling and sweet and would make the cutest lil lesbian couple? like urakaka definitely loves all the springy colors you do and loves helping you with the ribbons in your hair- as long as you’ll help put a matching one in hers!! she has so much love to give and you would be the perfect recipient. her smile is so bright, wanna cry imagining a lil picnic date n you two in cute summery clothes n have strawberries n she’d probably ask you to read to her. stories sound much nicer in your voice and she can lay her head in your lap n feed you a strawberry between paragraphs (‘: ochaco is def the resident creepy crawly remover, she’d love being your hero in even the smallest of ways. i also think she would love pokemon!!!!!! whether she’s an expert already or just starts learning because you like it, she’s adventurous and loves lil cute things that pack a punch ehe. you two would just be adorable!!!!

woah! wait, there’s a third! is that.. lisa minci?

taurus + gemini… “have much to offer one another, steady and dependable, keep patient.” *

… literally could not pick someone else for the third. no chance. you two created romance. falling in love in a library. stealing glances at each other over the pages turns into giving book recommendations which turns into lisa telling you to read romance novels that she thinks fits the dynamic you two have (and then eventually she just recommends heavy erotica just to see how you’ll react). she’d love taking strolls around mondstadt with you, your soft hand held in her own. she does that thumb rubby thing when you hold hands!! she’s very affectionate and probably loves giving temple n forehead kisses, makes her smile if you pout wanting a kiss somewhere else. i’ve probably said precious too many times already but. she’d think u are so precious. a darling. absolute cutie. how could she resist a sweet lil thing like you!! idk. i just know u two belong together.

the stars thank you for your submission!

[chihirolovebot]

Hiiiii so I'm the writer of The Final Piece and I am simply here to rant and rave about Sleep Awake because it's??? occupying so much of my mind it's not even funny??? I literally binged the whole thing in like 2 or 3 days and the chokehold your writing has me in is insanity. This is gonna be long I seriously hope that's okay but there's SO MUCH I wanna say! I have talked so much about all of Sleep Awake to my roommate and sister and friends that they all have practically read it second hand through me just talking about it and how much I love it. You are such a talented writer, and I'm sure you already know that, but I feel the need to tell you anyway.

Moving on!

I absolutely adore the MC you've created, their development has been SO satisfying to read, their journey into learning that it's okay to live for yourself instead of for other people just makes me sob and punch the air. It's such a relatable struggle and I love that you incorporated it into their character, it gives them a level of depth where you physically can't NOT root for them after everything they've been through.

I'm also a HUGE fan of platonic relationships (I'm asexual I can't help it I love reading about friends sm) and when I got into your fic I felt like the skies parted when the first chapter note mentioned you were also gonna focus on the platonic relationships because I WANNA BE FRIENDS WITH THEM TOO NOT JUST DATE THEM. The locker trio already had my heart but as the fic went on I slowly started to really like the MC and Maki's friendship as it developed and now other than Kiibo's and Shuichi's friendship with them she is probably my fav. I'll save all that for another time though.

Also also also the whole third trial??? Literally couldn't have asked for anything better. Seriously that was the best change to canon, from start to finish I loved every second reading it.

Every character you write feels so canon I feel like I can hear their voices in my head, it's wonderful. And don't even get me STARTED on Kokichi's characterization and his relationship with the MC. It's become so ingrained in my head that I forget that he doesn't have them in canon lmao. The almost cat and mouse game between them has me gripping the sides of my head. I went back to reread the game of Karma chapter like 15 times because it's one of my favorite scenes of theirs. They have such fun back and forth banter, and even while they are arguing I'm just sitting there reading and saying 'THEY'RE IN LOVE YOUR HONOR'.

Kokichi's struggle to trust the MC until recent chapters is being so perfectly well done, because it's EXACTLY how he would act too. Also his complete denial of having feelings for them in favor of his mission to stop the killing game??? Ugh. I could go on forever about how much I love this fic and how it's completely changed the trajectory of my life lmao, but I think I've rambled long enough. I'm sorry if this was just a lot of word vomit to read, but I have been wanting to reach out and have been so shy about it because all of this is kinda new to me. I legit have never even used Tumblr until recently, so I'm still trying to figure it all out.

Anyway! I'm always looking forward to updates from you, but please take care of yourself in the meantime <3 Thank you for writing something so wonderful, it's really something special

HI MY LOVELY im sorry this has been sitting for a minute i needed to be in a space to be able to actually write out a long thoughtful reply. so here we are!!!

first of all HI HELLO!!! i had no idea you had read sleep awake what!!! im very sorry if you've commented before because i may have forgotten because it does get a lot of comments but. honestly i just wanted to leave a nice review of ur work and then i found out you've read sleep awake!!!! insane. i cannot believe u have TALKED ABT SLEEP AWAKE in real life hello???? malfunctions. thank u so very much that is literally the highest of compliments.

im. very emotional and happy u like my mc. they r my baby considering they r basically Me but also i feel like the stuff they struggle with is general enough to be relatable to a lot of people. and i am very glad their journey resonated with you at least a little.

the platonic relationships!!! grabs u by the shoulders and shakes u like a rattle toy. OH MY GOD. yeah. yeah u get it. i jsut simply think romantic relationships r not inherently more important than friendships, and with sleep awake specifically i do not think that mc could heal and go on the journey they need to go on if they were only close with kokichi. like for sure he's a big help and big part of it, but an mc without kiibo, kaede, kirumi, shuichi, tenko, kaito and maki would literally not exist as they are now. TO BE A COMPLETE PERSON u must learn from the people around u that u love and maybe even the ones u hate. i think that is so special and so important, not just in fiction but in larger life. like. people who focus solely on romantic relationships in long fics u bamboozle me. it keys into this idea of 'oh if ur broken u just need one specific special person to fix u' and like. no. maybe u learn to put urself back together with constant help from the people around u, from ur family and ur friends and ur role models. not just the person u wanna kiss. that is just me tho.

im rly happy u mentioned mc and maki actually!!! i find that most people rly like mc's friendships with kiibo and shuichi and kirumi, which is understandable because mc doesn't get a ton of time with maki but. i really like what i've done with the two of them?? idk that feels big headed to say but writing their relationship develop has been super fun and it's one of those things i didn't rly plan? it just sorta happened and now mc has maybe too many friends but yk what. we move. maybe the real sleep awake was the friends we made along the way.

hhhghgbfhh kokichi and mc's relationship makes me so mentally ill. in a good way. and im really really happy ur invested in it. like my god i have put so much time n thought into these babies and i feel like one aspect of writing their relationship i dont talk abt as much is how patient u have to be. i feel like u would get this too, writing a slowburn urself — u have all these ideas u want to incorporate and ideas of how they get together, their first kiss, their first whatevers but. u gotta lay the groundwork first. and with characters like kokichi and nagito it's gonna be like 90% groundwork because they have walls and complexities a mile high. but im super happy with how it's developing.

this was absolutely. a delight to read please do not ever worry abt being a bother or anything to me. u are sincerely always always welcome to jump into my inbox n rant or talk about whatever i mean it. anytime. i welcome it. i am a bit shitty at answering asks but i rly do try always to get back to long comments like these even if it takes a minute. thank u so much for this and i hope u are having a lovely day <3333

[miss-star-dust]

I follow u :) 

Saying why (u asked for this tiny speech):

At first it was just because I completely love your marauders head canons. They’re literally gold (genuinely, every single one i’ve seen, i’ve loved). 

Then, after following you, I read your pinned comment. Where you said you’re trialing pan when referring to sexuality.

Honestly, I’ve had a lot of trouble with labels before, I often feel judged when I choose to change whatever label I’m using, since a lot of the people I spend time around aren’t part of the lgbtq+ community and don’t understand how it feels.

I stopped using Pan since barely anyone understood what it meant. And I started using Bi. Sometimes it felt right, but most of the time it really didn’t. 

Pan feels most right for me, except i only use labels to tell others about me, so what’s the point if they don’t understand, or just belittle the label as if it’s another. 

My point is that it always makes me feel valid when I see others who are Pan, or when I see others who are changing or still figuring it out. And your trialing pan is sorta both. 

I don’t know, I guess i’m saying that’s kinda what i’m doing, trialing pan as a label, but people often make me feel like that’s not something i’m allowed to do. But then I read what you wrote and was like “Oh yeah, other people are like me, I can do whatever I want.” 

Anyway, i’m rambling, as usual. My point was that your posts always make me smile, I loveeee the way you portray the marauders, and you have a nice vibe :) 

Hope you have a very lovely end to 2023 ❤️ And a super brilliant start to 2024! 

Omg Hi!!

Thank you sm for reaching out!

I had a similar situation, I tried pan a few years ago, and no one understood (made jokes too 🙄), and bi was alright but didn't really fit me properly. But I've recently found people that have helped me feel comfortable to trial Pan again and honestly it's so good!

Don't worry anon, you're not alone! Labels are difficult, trial as many as you need to in order to find the one that you resonate the most with! (I hope you find people you feel comfortable trialing things around too)

Thank you sm anon! Reading this made me smile! I'm glad someone out there likes my random thoughts and headcanons!

I hope 2023 ends well for you and 2024 starts amazing for you too!! <3

[ghostlypawn]

Hey, did you have any coloring tutorials regarding your pride headcanon gifsets? The coloring looks so nice and I wanted to try and attempt to use some coloring for my gifs but I dont know how

thank you !! its usually kinda specific to each gif but i can try! theres usually 2 ways i go about it

using the color overlay feature:

this is probably the easier one as it can be used with more scenes

you need to find a scene where the person you're giffing/the camera moves very little (here she moves a bit but its fine enough for me)

colour and sharpen the gif as you normally would

then create a new layer and simply colour the background in the colour you want

it will look ridiculous at first but then u wanna change the overlay setting from normal to color (the drop-down next to the opacity)

and it should look something like this:

and then sometimes i add a gradient (pink to transparent) on a new layer on each side if i want a bit pinker (i mess around with the opacity of this layer to whatever i think fits this is around 70% opacity)

it doesnt make a ton of difference here but i tend to use it more when there are things happening on the far left that i want to draw attention away from as it makes those areas more opaque

and thats basically it for this way!

the cons to this way are sometimes you can see gaps/overlap where the character moves at certain points of the gif

im usually pedantic about these things but its honestly not as noticable as you think it is and ive uploaded gifs that have overlap (i tend to think overlap is better than a gap but thats personal preference)

using selective colour:

this is harder to do as you need the background to be a specific colour (but i think it tends to look better)

this colour can be the colour you want the gif to be but from my experience blue backgrounds tend to be most easily manipulated

red/yellow/pink backgrounds are hardest to change as they affect the skin colour of the character (but it can sometimes work if the character doesnt move much as you can use a layer mask and erase your colouring from the person)

im gonna try and colour this gif (idk if it will work yet as the background is a greyish blue rather than a brighter blue like the sky would be but it should do)

colour and sharpen as normal (i also recommend using a blue/cool photo filter layer to really get rid of the yellow undertones the later cm seasons have it makes a world of difference for me but its up to you/how you colour things)

then from here honestly its a lot of trial and error; im gonna try and make it pinky purple

this is gonna be different for each gif but for reference i added 2 selective colour layers (as the bg is blue im only gonna change the cyan/blue and maybe black/green) and one hue/saturation

1st selective colour: GREEN (C = -100, M = +100, Y = -100) CYAN (C = -100, M = +100, Y = -23) BLUE (C = -100, M = +100, Y = -91) BLACK (C = +1, M = +13)

2nd selective colour: GREEN (C = -100, M = +100, Y = -100) CYAN (C = -100, M = +100, Y = -23) BLUE (C = -100, M = +100, Y = -91)

hue/saturation: (the background is now pinky/purple) MAGENTA (hue = +1, saturation = +32, lightness = +19)

this is my result:

as you can see their skin tone hasnt changed as i didnt touch the red/yellow selective colour options. if your background is one of these colour you could add a layer mask to that selective colour layer and erase the area of the person but this might cause effects similar to first version i showed you (gaps or overlap)

im still not entirely happy with it as firstly, luke is in the picture as we want to draw attention away from him and secondly, there are still some non-purple colours in the background

to fix this is once again use the color overlay feature from the first version to touch up some of the areas (i colourdrop a colour from the background) there shouldnt be much overlap/gapping as im not colouring precisely around their skin (and if there is it wont be as noticable as the background/shirt is the same colour)

and then to get rid of luke i simply draw over him in a colour from the background and then add a gradient and move it so the opaque side of the gradient is near the edge of where i stopped drawing over luke (i also transform it and mush it inwards so the more transparent side doesnt go all the way over to matt just next to him)

this is what it looks like finished!

it turned out pretty well considering it was a random video i had on hand !!

also dont be scared to experiment with overlays/opacity etc and its okay to realise that it’s just not working for this gif and scrapping (ive lost many gifs </3)

im not the best at explaining things but i hope this somewhat helped!! if you have anymore questions feel free to ask <3

[softskiesahead-moved]

hihi!!!! u dont need to answer this or anything ;;;;; !!! and im sorry abt being awkward when trying to reach out but id be super pleased to hear abt the moments u referenced in ur tags in the other post !!! u guys r a really cute ship!!! ig I just ;;; wanted to say that idk ;;;

sorry if this is a bother! i still dk how much to reach out to people ;;

- august! (:

hello !! aaa thank you so much for this august and i'm sorry in advance because this got,,, so so long. but this isn't a bother at all and i was really really excited to write about this actually !! thank you!!

these all take place in the main au I use, which is sort of canon compliant? I’m not really sure how to explain it but these moments are meant to sort of fit in with the storyline of thh in some way. they should sort of make sense on their own though ^^;;

1 )

aya finds chihiro having a panic attack in the kitchen…while also kind of having a panic attack.

this happens right after everyone is shown their motivation videos, so there’s ample reason to be panicking at this point ;;;

this is the first time they interact beyond their introductions, so everything is a bit awkward but they try their best to calm the other down!! somewhere along the line they succeed and decide to try and de-stress by baking something for everyone together and venting about their anxieties.

the importance of this moment lies in how aya and chihiro’s dynamic in thh is a bit odd at first; because in reality, them falling in love was very much a close friends/lovers slow burn. it happened throughout the first few years of attending hope’s peak together.

but after they lose their memory of being together and are essentially strangers, the trust and comfort level they had around each other is still unconsciously there somehow and strangely, they both get the sense that they have met before!!

it’s SO confusing to them ;; neither of them are the type to easily make connections and both take a very long time to open up and be truly comfortable around others. they’re completely perplexed as to why they’re suddenly ok with sharing their deepest insecurities and biggest secrets to someone that they think they’ve only known for about a week.

the baking session is almost like a catch-up because after this event, they become close so quickly and share so much more about themselves than they would ever normally reveal.

it gets to the point that when one of them just somehow ‘knows’ something or remembers a preference that was never shared, they don’t even question it until they learn the truth.

2 )

this one is adapted from chihiro’s first free time event (sorry makoto)

aya notices that something is bothering chihiro and asks them if something happened, prompting them to tell her about the mosquito and that the bite hurts a lot.

she tells them that they might have something that could help and produce a first aid kit with a medication inside. cue very soft taking care of an injury (I guess?) scene !! chihiro asks them why they even had the kit. aya tells them about how her siblings were very daring, so she got into the habit of carrying one around to help if they got hurt and that she’s pretty careless too, so it comes in handy!! it kind of hints at something aya is dealing w/ as well, but that's kind of a sensitive topic to go into.

they note that most of the bandages are gone and remark about finding somewhere to replenish it. the rest of the conversation is mostly them talking about their families to each other and where in the school a mosquito could have possibly resided!! (aya is so excited at the prospect of a garden, but they're both more excited that it could mean a possible way out!

3 )

aya was pretty distressed from the beginning of the game, but everything gets very bad after the first class trial. it starts to become very noticeable that they are Not Doing Ok.

at some point they end up missing role call and so some of the class nervously goes her dorm, really hoping that aya hasn’t become the 4th victim.

they haven’t!! it turns out that they just kind of had a breakdown. she admits that they haven’t been able to sleep for days, so they spaced out and thought it was still nighttime.

which is very concerning because she’s exhausted and scared to leave their dorm because they’ll be punished if they fall asleep somewhere else. chihiro says they’ve had trouble too, then very very shyly suggests that they share a dorm the same way sakura and aoi do. aya says yes, but she’s not really sure if it will help so at first they mostly hang out. ^^

aya asks them a bit about coding because they like listening to chihiro happily explain what they’re doing on their computer and she’s trying to pay attention but soon aya just kind of,,, softly falls asleep on them.

they feel safe enough to rest around chihiro but they can’t place why and honestly? she’s way too tired to care.

chihiro is surprised for a moment but eventually they fall asleep too and they take a long nap together. they wake up profusely blushing and apologizing but very happy that the other finally got some rest :)

this event sort of marks the beginning of the relationship in thh! they keep it secret, but it’s clear to the others that they became pretty inseparable once they started sharing a dorm.

[geraltrogerericduhautebellegarde]

Misery and Happiness Ch. 1

Chapter 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Summary: Word of an injured, possibly dead witcher has reached Jaskier in his travels and as much as he would like to walk away, he knows he can't.

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

Jaskier frowned heavily into his ale while listening to the three men behind him gossip.

For two days, every tavern he entered was subject to strange mutterings about a witcher, gone mad and injured, probably dying. The bard was used to hearing gossip about witchers but never before had it seemed so factual. The words whispered seemed to hold a grain of truth to them that had Jaskier worrying.

Jaskier had been trying not to think of witchers in general for the past six months, or at least one particular, angry, emotionally constipated witcher, but the worry was starting to overpower the ache in his heart.

“Hey, where did you say that witcher was last seen?”

Geralt was moving through the woods that supposedly held a wyvern nest, trying to quiet his mind. Ever since that blasted mountain his mind had been working overtime, making sure he remembered every mistake he had made, every life he had managed to ruin. More painfully, he kept hearing himself, yelling awful, destructive words at the one person that had never judged him, never abandoned him.

The pounding in his temples grows as he thinks of his bard. No, not his bard, the bard. The bard that had spent most of the last two decades by his side, doing everything he could to make Geralt’s life easier. The bard that Geralt used to be able to think of as his own but now, after Geralt had used harsh words to push him away, now he was simply the bard that Geralt wasn’t sure he would be able to live without.

Finding the nest, Geralt makes quick work of the wyverns. He acted on instinct and killed like the monster he was made to be. It wasn’t until after the wyverns were dead, he noticed the sharp stinging and intense throbbing in his side. Looking he could tell his armor had been seriously pierced and his side seemed to be flayed open. A mistake, one that could cost him his life, a witcher’s retirement.

Jaskier would be so mad that he let himself get hurt.

No, he quickly cut off that thought process. Jaskier was gone, had left when Geralt attacked with the sharp stab of words.

Suddenly overcome with exhaustion, Geralt held his side and stumbled away from the nest. Finding an outcropping of rocks not too far away, he quickly sunk to his knees before downing a bottle of swallow. He laid on his uninjured side and soon was unconscious.

Faces flitted through Geralt’s subconscious, the shadow he remembers of his mother, the pride on Vesemir’s face after he survived the trials, the shock on Pavetta’s face when Geralt claimed the law of surprise, the anger on Yennefer’s face upon learning of his unwanted child, the pain on Jaskier’s face when Geralt accused him of causing every problem destiny had thrown him.

-

The village Jaskier had been pointed to was only a day away from the one in which he had been, so he set out immediately. The chance that the rumors were true, that there was a witcher hurt and in need of help, was too large to be ignored. Even if it weren’t the witcher Jaskier knew so well, he would do everything in his power to help.

The village was small and only had one inn so Jaskier quickly hurried there, hoping the innkeep would have some information. Heading inside the inn Jaskier went to the bar, “Hello, my good sir” he greeted the innkeep enthusiastically, “might there have been a witcher in town, a few days ago perhaps?” he finished with a smile.

The innkeep frowned, “Aye, took a contract for something stealing livestock, lived in the woods. Witcher went in never came out.”

“I’ve heard word the witcher was injured, if he never came out how does anyone know that?” Jaskier questioned, smiling falling.

“Well, the livestock ain’t been attacked since so one of the boys went looking around the woods. Found the witcher, hurt and lying in a cave. The boy tried to help him but the witcher was out of his mind, wouldn’t let the boy near him. Poor Tomas came back a right mess,” explained the innkeep.

“How long ago was this?”

“Four days back.”

“Where is Tomas? I need to talk to him.”

The innkeep pointed to a table in the corner where a tall lanky young man was eating from a bowl. Jaskier nodded his thanks and quickly made his way to where Tomas was seated.

“Hello,” Jaskier started, sitting across from Tomas, “I don’t mean to bother you during your meal I just need to know where you found that witcher.”

“U-uhm, I wouldn’t go looking for the likes of him. Was dangerous, didn’t know what was happening around him. Honestly probably dead now, didn’t look very well,” Tomas startled out, wide eyed.

Jaskier smiled tightly, eyes glinting dangerously, “Tomas, darling, none of that information was what I asked. Where. Is. The. Witcher.”

Jaskier leaned further over the table toward Tomas and the boy leaned away quickly and hurried to tell Jaskier exactly how to get to the rock outcropping where he had found the witcher.

“One last thing, could you describe what he looked like? The witcher?”

“Ahh, well. Big. Yellow eyes like a cat. White hair.”

Jaskier felt a heavy weight settle in his stomach and hurried back to the innkeep, “the witcher’s horse, did he leave it or take it with him?”

The innkeep frowned, “she’s still stabled up here, didn’t want him coming back to me having sold her off. Figured I’d wait a couple weeks,” the man explained.

“Well I’ll be taking her off your hands,” the innkeep immediately started to protest Jaskier’s words before the bard cut him off, “here, for the trouble of keeping her stabled.”

The innkeep looked at the generous pile of coin Jaskier had set on the bar before nodding to the bard.

Jaskier hurried to the stable and breathed a sigh of relief at seeing Roach. He quickly saddled her up and led her out of the stable, “C’mon girl, it’s time to find our witcher.”

-

Jaskier’s heart thunders as he rides along the edge of the woods searching for a rock outcropping said to hold a dying witcher. The wood here was sparse, the trees spaced far apart and the light from the noon sun was filtering through nicely. He should be able to spot Geralt.

Soon enough Jaskier spotted an outcropping ahead that matched Tomas’ description and he urged Roach faster.

And there, under the rocks, was Geralt.

Jaskier jumped off Roach and rushed to Geralt’s side. The witcher was filthy, covered in blood and dust and dirt and Jaskier heard himself let out a sob as he reached for the witcher to check for a pulse. He closed his eyes waiting and finally felt the witchers slow heartbeat, slower than normal, Jaskier thought. And certainly weaker than it should be.

Shaking Geralt gently, Jaskier tried to wake him, but the best he got was a muttered cry that Jaskier couldn’t understand. Jaskier frowned, the witcher, who normally ran on the colder side of body temperatures, was burning up. Taking stock of the witcher’s body Jaskier found a large gash in his side that, while it seemed mostly closed, also seemed incredibly infected.

With a great bit of struggle Jaskier, with Roach’s help, manages to get Geralt up and in her saddle before quickly climbing up behind him.

Geralt rouses some on the ride but his eyes remain unfocused and he doesn’t respond to anything Jaskier says, almost as if he can’t even tell he’s there, pressed up behind him, holding tightly enough to keep him on the horse.

“Geralt please say something,” Jaskier pleads.

Geralt lets out a pained moan and slumps further into Jaskier’s embrace as his eyes close again.

[hirvitank]

Waste + 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15

1: What inspired you to write the fic this way?

I knew Death of the Outsider was coming, and as the Outsider was my favourite character I really wanted to explore the theory of him becoming human—the game hadn’t been released yet so we had no idea how it’d actually end, just that Billie and Daud were working together to kill him. Since the Outsider functioned as a sort of moral compass, I was very curious to try and imagine how his canon characteristics and biases would translate into a human version of him; how would he experience the world? How would he come to terms with such a humbling existence? Where did he come from and who was he? How would he cope with his own mortality, human emotion, the consequences following his choices in the Void? And most importantly; how had his being the Outsider affected his humanity? There was so much I wanted to see explored, things I feel the previous games hinted at but never elaborated upon. I wanted to write a psychological sort of story where we’d really be able to feel and experience whatever passed in his mind, and I tried my best to use my knowledge as well as my own experiences—flaws I either observed within myself or others, ideas, thoughts and feelings influenced by bias, depression, trauma, etc. When in art school, most of my inspiration came from the transience of things; my fear of death. I really wanted to take the subject and explore it through the eyes of someone previously immortal.

2: What scene did you first put down?

I think it was the original ending I wrote down first. I was supposed to write towards a particular scene, but somewhere along the way I’d decided to discard the idea entirely and opt for a happier resolution. I originally intended for the Outsider to die in the end, both to explore the feelings of those around him, as well as his own emotions accepting such a fate. I wanted a way to embrace death, as well as an output for all my bitterness regarding the subject; my anger at the ‘unfairness’ of it all, as well as my own trauma. I wanted to express loss, and in a way try and reveal the beauty of it. In the end, I had already found a way to deal with grief, and I also felt these characters deserved more; the fairness of fiction

3: What’s your favorite line of narration?

That’s a REALLY difficult pick haha (does this mean literally a single line, or like a paragraph?). I’ll just share one of my favourite parts, because I can, and because it’s even more difficult to pick a single line from such a long story and I’m honestly horrible at making choices:

I heard the whispers of rats all around me, tiny feet scampering through the pipes; Billie’s gift tucked inside my shirt. My bare feet light, making little noise—as if I wasn’t really there. Perhaps I wasn’t. Perhaps I hadn’t been anywhere for centuries.

Up the stairs, cold stones. The walls decorated, grand and lavish. Empty corridors and lingering traces of hushed whispers—the guards had left their posts. She’d be there. How would that have made me feel? How should that make me feel? Almost, getting closer. My heart pounded in my ears, lungs greedily begging for more air, more—more. I felt like running. Strong currents of energy coursed through my veins, vibrated through bones and tendons. If I lost control, would I explode in a million pieces? Would the energy burst out and take my body apart, like the Void tearing into reality?

Who was I?

4: What’s your favorite line of dialogue?

Honestly impossible to pick, I’ll just take this monologue:

“Anton Sokolov: sire to 14 children, but a father to none. A brilliant mind at a terrible cost, enlightenment in exchange for the dark depravity of the soul. Fingers that turn the times into a revolution of progress, the same fingers that touch upon women as they do the cold inventions they craft. Objects close to his heart—objects from his mind.

“The stench of alcohol in his bed, his clothes, his skin. Liquors and paints; on the canvas, dripping from his fingers, in the eyes of the beggar he found in the flooded slums of a place forsaken. The stench of rot still fresh on his teeth as he smiles at young Emily Kaldwin and tells her: ‘Don’t worry dear, here in the tower you are safe.’ Don’t worry dear, for I know the truest evil lies not within the high walls of Dunwall but within my hands and mind, within the flooded basement where a woman screamed and bled until she hung her head and closed eyes from which the dark paint still leaked—forever.

“The human body—like clockwork—taken apart in exchange for coin, for valuables. But those things Anton Sokolov values most lay outside of his intellectual grasp; for all the reasoning in the world he is but a cold, lonely man in search of a higher purpose that is but a lie of his own twisted imagination. A delusion of grandeur.

“How does it feel? One’s biggest regrets are but feelings of little consequence. The true disease is the sickness that allows one to enact true consequence on an innocent in the name of a self-prescribed fate. But I suppose that’s the curse of boredom. That, is the curse of your brilliance.”

5: What part was hardest to write?

The first chapter! There’s nothing more difficult than a set-up imo; establishing characters, pacing, setting and feel. I had a vague idea of where I wanted to go, but there was still so much I didn’t know that I had a hard time choosing how and where to start. I think it’s one of the most heavily edited chapters, just because I didn’t have a clear grasp on the characters or plot yet. (Also smut, oh lord help me)

9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

There’s the original ending, and I did at one point start on a companion fic to explore Emily’s pov, but decided I better focus on finishing the original instead.

11: What do you like best about this fic?

The fact that it’s finished (hurrahhhh!!), and the themes and subjects.

12: What do you like least about this fic?

My own sense of humour, I always cringe reading my own jokes so I can only hope it hits with others—I genuinely have no idea, and it’s hard at times to figure out where to draw the line.

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

WELL IM GLAD U ASKED!! I’ll try and keep this short, but these are some of the songs that carried this fic, not even exaggerating.

1. Lover Don’t Leave, Citizen Shade

2. Happy Life, Roland Faunte

3. Painting Roses, Dresses

4. ID, Charlie Allen

5. High Tops, Del Water Gap

6. Love Song for Lady Earth, Del Water Gap

7. Battle Cry, The Family Crest

15: What did you learn from writing this fic?

EVERYTHING. I had literally no idea about writing, apparently. I’ve had no classes in literature, nor have I ever been taught the common rules when it comes to writing. I got to learn most of it thanks to my friends who helped edit (shoutout to @onewhoturns again), and through trial and error. I absolutely loved the experience of it, and I’m so grateful for all I’ve learned, and all I will continue to learn in the future. It’s given me the basis for my own original writing which I’m trying to pursue, and which I hope will someday become reality.

Thank you so much for these! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed answering every single one. ♥