#this is my favorite way to stylize scars i think

[hoofpeet]

[c4n1d43cup1d]

Some hogcanons. notes (me rambling) under the cut

So silver was the reason i wanted to make this in the first place despite him looking the most on model (not entirely obviously, but i don't have many hcs for him). Mostly i wanted to draw his height compared to the other hedgehogs since him being freakishly tall despite being younger than sonic and shadow is funny. I saw someone say hes probably the most conventionally attractive hedgehog and i think that's true, hes a pretty boy and his fur/quills are really sleek and well maintained. The fluff on his chest is less spikey and more fluffy looking plus i put some fluff in his ears as well. I think his paws and nails are black and he doesn't wear eyeliner his lashes are just really long and hes got black markings on his eyes. Coming back to this after writing Amy's desc but i think hes genderqueer in some way idk maybe bigender i need to study him under a microscope some more every character i touch becomes transgender

Sonic has a few more added details, i like giving him a little nick in his ear and top surgery scars because that hog is trans. I haven't really seen many people give him stylized top surgery scars surprisingly, i tried to make his look kind of lightning bolty because uh something about him being fast. idk man. i think i imagined its similar to what itd look like for him to run in a zigzag? whatever i think it looks cool. I think his claws are kind of uneven and he doesn't really care too much about how they look especially since he just has them under gloves most of the time

Amy is fat because i said so, also i gave her wavier quills and heart markings everywhere. Her ears might look a little strange since it like implies her skin is making that heart shape but i imagine thats her fur spiking into the point. Her nails are painted the same red that shadows markings and stuff are mostly because i think them being besties is cute like. i see shadamy as a queer platonic relationship. Theyve always been my favorites im going to to make them as close as i want. Anyway, i think she and sonic are tied for having the shortest ears, and hers are the rounest (might make them even rounder the next time i draw her) also not entirely related to her design but i think shes transfem and genderfluid.

Shadow my son. im taking custody from black doom and gerald. anyway, i have the most headcanons for him because he is my absolute favorite guy ever he rots my brain. I think he and Amy are the same height, his rocket shoes are like platform/heels and so when he has them on he looks like Sonic's height or maybe a teeny tiny bit taller. I give his quills extra little spikes for no reason other than i think its cute, i could bullshit that its a black arms thing but idrc. What are black arms things though are his eyes and claws, his scelera is a more yellow compared to everyone elses (jaundiced as my friend put it. thanks endy) and i didn't draw it but his pupils are slits. Claws are long but are even longer when all the way out (retractable) his gloves are thick enough that he doesn't pierce them but he probably has a few spare pairs. Also not pictured but black arms related: his teeth are fucking razors, larger than the other hedgehogs and also serrated because i think thats cool. his tail is the longest out of all of them though i think it used to be longer but was lopped off in the name of science and never properly grew back. also his inhibitor rings are connected to a sort of device that does the task of being a proper gateway between his internal energy and the rings themselves, i didn't draw them but essentially its like a smaller ring that is embedded into his wrists i think. also hes trans but in a sort of alien way, i think the black arms can do the clownfish genderswap thing and shadow has it to a somewhat lesser degree its like an internal tshot i guess idfk

ok yeah thats all if u made it to the end thanks for reading the ramblings of a mad man

[siilvan]

OC File: Emiel "Nightfall" Scholten de Ridder

uh y'all want another oc bio? my boy? my son? petra's "little" brother? mini's husband in some universes?

as per petra's post... thank you to my mutuals with their wonderful ocs and everyone who gave support for petra, it's genuinely giving me the confidence that i've desperately lacked despite making ocs since i was 11 years old 😭

profile art to come soon, men are hard to draw 👻

very long post BTC (again)...

again, credit to cptnprice for the file!!

GENERAL

Name: Emiel "Nightfall" Scholten de Ridder II

Nicknames/Aliases: Nightfall, Night, "The Reaper", Stalker-5, STAR 1, Jonkie (by Mylène)

Rank: Sergeant

Gender: Male

Birth Date: September 17, 1993

Nationality: Dutch

Affiliations: Royal Netherlands Army, Korps Commandotroepen, Coalition (Warcom), Task Force 141, SpecGru

Birthplace: Rotterdam, Netherlands

Current Residence: The Hague, Netherlands

APPEARANCE

Hair Color: Dark Brown

Eye Color: Green

Height: 6'4" (1.93 m)

Weight: 220 lbs (100 kg)

Build: Athletic (Big. Slutty waist.)

Blood Type: O-

Marks: Arm tattoos (pictured below), scar across face (think smth similar to Adler's scar), scarring around left wrist, black prosthetic left hand

Faceclaim: Wouter Peelen

DETAILS

Sexuality: Bisexual (no preference king)

Languages: Dutch (native), English (C2), German (C1), Russian (B1), Arabic (B2)

Education: Intelligence Studies BA from the University of Amsterdam

Preferred Hairstyles: Keeps it decently short and manageable pre-MWII, lets it grow out to shoulder length after (it gets curly <3)

Preferred Mission Attire: Usually wears stylized combat fatigues (think Reaper Ghost or SC), also wears normal long-sleeved shirts, jeans, cargos, hoodies, or t-shirts depending on the weather. Wears black 99% of the time, occasionally blue or white. The most key part of his outfit: mask. Almost always is wearing at least a half mask, often wears a balaclava or full-face mask (think Io or Atom). Typically wears a hood if he's got a mask on, too. Winter Soldier-Stitch (Black Ops) vibes.

Preferred Civilian Attire: Like his sister, very casual. Jeans typically, with plain t-shirts, henleys, flannels. Wears hoodies, bomber jackets, leather jackets, anything to keep him cozy. Again, wears black 99% of the time. Occasionally brown, blue, green, or white. Likes layering, simultaneously looks put-together and disheveled.

Favorite Color: Black, Ultramarine (iykyk)

Favorite Flower: Marigold

PERSONALITY

Myers-Briggs Type: INFJ-T. Introverted, intuitive, feeling, judging, and turbulent. Night prefers to make a difference and seek fulfillment in quieter ways, like hobbies with no "goal" or work that can go uncredited. He strives to prove himself via helping others, often shouldering burdens that others shy away from for the sake of getting things done without forcing those around him to suffer discomfort. Insight, passion, altruism, and principled tendencies often conflict with defensiveness, stubbornness, perfectionism, and forgoing his beliefs and values for the sake of the "greater good."

FAMILY

Father: Colonel Hendrik "Chimera" Scholten de Ridder. Former KCT commander and military legend-turned terrorist. (deceased)

Mother: Johanna Scholten de Ridder (née van den Bos). Former MEDINT analyst for the BVD and MID. (deceased)

Sister: Lieutenant Mylène "Petra" Scholten de Ridder. KCT operative and one of the commanding officers of TF141; MEDINT and chemical warfare expert. The two keep in contact despite the covert nature of Night's assignments.

Uncle: Unnamed paternal uncle. Father's younger brother, civilian military engineer. Lost his life in a terrorist attack in the mid-1990s. (deceased)

Aunt: Special Agent Merel "Songbird" van den Bos. Mother's older sister, former agent for the BVD and MID. Specialist in foreign relations and espionage. May or may not be living in the USA and married to Frank Woods (spoiler: she is).

Grandfather: General Emiel Scholten de Ridder. Paternal grandfather, former commander of the Royal Netherlands Army. Yes, he's named after him. (deceased)

SKILLS

Fighting Style: Adaptable, but prefers to avoid direct fights. Studied kickboxing, Wing Chun, and Krav Maga in his youth – CQC is influenced by these.

Weapons: Can use whatever is available.

Preferred Weapons: MCPR-300 (22″ OMX-456 barrel, Corio Laz-44 V3 laser, Nilsound 90 muzzle, .300 Mag Explosive ammunition), X13 Auto, Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife, karambit, throwing knives

Special Skills: Specializes in sniper techniques, special reconnaissance, VIP protection, prime target elimination, demolitions, and sabotage. Has passed every marksman test with flying colors; never misses a shot, even in the worst conditions. Does his best work alone and in the dark. Swift and deadly.

Hobbies: Cooking, baking, reading, sports (baseball, climbing, kickboxing, swimming, soccer), music (guitar), photography, motorcycling

Former Hobbies: Did archery in his youth. Doesn't have time for it anymore, but it should be obvious why he's a sniper now.

TRIVIA

The name Emiel can mean "to strive, excel, rival, emulating", Scholten refers to a schout (government official that handled administration of justice), and de Ridder means "the knight".

His callsign Nightfall is in reference to his preference to work in the dark – both literally and figuratively. It's also a play on the phrase "lights out", since his work is best described as "putting people to sleep." (Because he's an assassin-type. Get it?)

Took interest in guitar shortly after he turned six, right before his mom died. He didn't play for years after her death, but decided to pick it up again as a young adult.

Greatly resembles his father and the other men on his paternal side. He's been described as having his mother's eyes and some of her "softer" features, though. Absolutely built like a brick wall.

Jokes about having a lot of experience, has slept with maybe 3 people in his entire life – and, none since his capture in 2017. He's willing to date, but is incredibly reserved after that incident. He desperately needs someone who can ground him.

Much like his sister, he skipped a year in primary school, which is why he graduated at 17 despite attending a VWO school.

His prosthetic hand is primarily made of titanium! It's also detachable so, yes, he will throw it at someone when they ask him to give them a hand with something.

Can and will sleep whenever and wherever is available. It's not uncommon to find him dozing off in a corner, on a couch, or even on top of a wall that he's scaled. He never sleeps hard, so it's easy to wake him up.

Is a very occasional smoker. Petra hounds him over it, so he only smokes when he's not at risk of getting caught by her. He's very health-conscious, otherwise!

TATTOOS

source 1 source 2

Tattoo One (Right Arm) A full sleeve blackwork tattoo with sun, celestial, and water themes. The sun is often seen as a symbol of life, light, warmth, power, positivity, and clarity. The celestials of the night sky can represent the unknown, mystery, the unconscious mind, and one's own deepest thoughts, desires, and fears. It can also be seen as an introspective and reflective symbol. Water, similarly to the sun, is seen as a universal representation of life, with other symbols including depth, ephemerality, sadness, purification, hope, and rejuvenation.

Tattoo Two (Left Shoulder) A compass, much like his sister! The symbolism is fairly obvious, no? Guidance, direction, the interconnected nature of every direction. The compass can serve as a reminder that one is free to choose the course of their life, or to help them find the path again after losing their way. It can also be seen as a symbol of awakening and self discovery for these very same reasons.

BACKGROUND

⋆ CW: themes of child abuse, torture, violence, and overall mary sue levels of tragedy

Born on September 17, 1993 in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands, to Hendrik Scholten de Ridder and Johanna Scholten de Ridder, Emiel had a normal – if not privileged, thanks to his family's prominent histories – early childhood. From birth, he had a close relationship with his older sister, Mylène, who he quickly came to rely on for guidance and support.

In the late fall of 1999, when Emiel was only 6 years old, his mother was killed by enemies of his father originally seeking to hold her and the children hostage for ransom. This event, paired with the traumas he sustained over his years in the military, drove his father to "near insanity" as he became consumed with paranoia and grief. The rest of his and his sister's adolescence was defined by the trauma of his father's abuse; he subjected the siblings to rigorous physical and psychological training in order to mold them into "perfect soldiers" and prevent any further loss.

Despite this, his father was publicly viewed as a war hero. He would often leave the two alone when he was on deployment, forcing Mylène to care for herself and Emiel with nothing more than a roof over their heads and grocery money provided. The siblings developed an unbreakable bond during this time that would extend into their adulthoods, rendering them a synergic duo both at home and in the field, with Emiel promising to repay his sister for her efforts someday.

After finishing secondary school at 17, Emiel enlisted in the Royal Netherlands Army, serving in the Regiment Huzaren van Boreel in the 11 Air Assault Brigade. He also studied at the University of Amsterdam – taking online classes – and frequently visited his sister during her time in the 400 Medical Battalion, eventually graduating with a BA in Intelligence Studies. He spent 3 years participating in air assault and armored reconnaissance operations before passing selection for the Korps Commandotroepen in 2014, wherein he was quickly recognized for his natural skills in anything covert.

Specializing in sniper techniques, prime target elimination, VIP protection, demolitions, and sabotage, Emiel established himself as an elite operative who excels in hostile areas and hazardous environments. His exceptional accuracy and uncanny proficiency when operating in the shadows eventually earned him the nickname "Nightfall".

In early 2015, Nightfall joined his sister – now a KCT lieutenant nicknamed "Petra" – Captain Price of the British SAS, and Nikolai in an unsanctioned operation to kill or capture Chimera after the latter was discovered to be a traitor. The small team managed to track the Colonel and his supporters to a base deep in the Alps, where they successfully wiped out the entire group and killed Chimera. After the mission, much like his sister, Nightfall felt indebted to Price.

From then on, he continued to carry out covert and overt operations worldwide. Sometime in the next year, Nightfall managed to wipe out an entire base of Al-Qatala soldiers in one night without a single alarm being raised. The sole survivor referred to him as "The Reaper" when describing him, as he hunted every enemy whilst cloaked in darkness. Nightfall was later awarded the Military William Order, the Bronze Lion, and the Cross of Merit for both this operation and his following work within the KCT, establishing himself – or rather, his marksmanship – as a minor legend within the elite commando corps.

Another year later, around mid-2017, however, Nightfall was assigned to a unit led by Captain Price and Petra, tasked with infiltrating and securing an Al-Qatala base located in Kastovia. He served as the team’s scout sniper and overwatch during the mission, until he lost contact with the rest of the team. When the rest of the team finally reached his location to investigate, several IEDs planted in the area went off and forced the group to retreat. Despite his sister's attempts to rescue him, Nightfall was declared dead in absentia after demolition teams failed to locate his body the following day.

In reality, Nightfall was alive, being held as a prisoner of war by Al-Qatala’s commanders. The explosions caused him to lose one of his hands and left his face scarred. For the next two and a half years, Nightfall was interrogated, tortured, and subjected to inhumane conditions while imprisoned in Eastern Europe, though he still tried to support and protect the other POWs in the prison, regardless of which side they supported or whether they were civilian or military.

About a month after the formation of Task Force 141, CIA Station Chief Kate Laswell pinpointed the location of a prison in Georgia believed to be used by Al-Qatala to hold POWs. Reconnaissance of the prison confirmed this and the identity of several of the prisoners; Nightfall was identified as one of the POWs. His sister, leading an elite KCT unit, raided the location shortly thereafter, securing the captives, Nightfall, and intel about Al-Qatala's plans.

Following his rescue and intensive recovery in the hospital, Nightfall was deployed in Verdansk alongside other Coalition operatives under Armistice, where he relentlessly worked to prove himself once more.

As a valuable ally to the 141 and a near-fabled assassin with a long list of confirmed kills and countless unconfirmed, Nightfall has pledged his life and his very conscious to his work, his only saving grace being the characteristic pitch black masks obscuring his face every time he appears in the field – on the rare occasion he's visible, that is.

[atthebell]

hi bell o/ I have a question hi what are your favorite little traits / headcanons you like to see in roier and cellbit fanart I'm quite curious...

hmmmm i like when people draw them like the ccs i talk about this with a lot of characters (i think you avoid issues like whitewashing/making people too skinny etc.) but also bc they're both hot so like. why not.

in terms of like hybrid/creature stuff i love catbit obviously and i like when people do spider stuff with roier, especially when they give him fangs bc well biting. & i like when people draw cellbit with facial hair and his big sleepy eyes and i like when people draw roier smiling bc he's got such a pretty smile and a nice jawline so he looks great when he's smiling. also roier with a fat ass >>>>>>>>

i also like stylized art though and a lot of my favorite roier art especially is super stylized or even made to look a lot like the cubito itself, so i don't really have a style preference, i just adore art of both of them so much and i love seeing stuff that makes me go like OH that's him that's the guy!!!! which usually is like someone nailing cellbit's hair or roier's eyebrows or like. idk sometimes it's little details like that and other times it's really nailing the feeling of a scene (pppuri is absolutely brilliant at this), or how expressive everything is-- the way vynlets draws cellbit and roier makes me CRAZY her art is so so expressive and the lines and colors always make me want to jump in the air genuinely

anyway ummmm that's a lot of text and i got distracted ten times while writing this tl;dr i like when they look like the ccs, i like hybrid stuff and cellbit's big huge droopy eyes and roier's jaw and his ass and ummmmm yeah

OHHH i also love when people give cellbit the scars from the chainsaw incident, especially not just on his arms but on his abdomen. and when they don't draw him either skinny or super beefy.

[everydaymonster]

I love my wife

You notice when Maria is feeling down. She droops all over the couch, her hair a bunch of listless snakes or dull razors. Maria has always shown when she gets the depression, and for that you’re grateful: it makes it much easier to know when she needs something extra, to cheer her up.

You don’t like fishing. You loathe fishing, actually, but today you put on your ruggedest khakis, a pair of boating shoes (who the hell decided boats needed special shoes?),  a round hat with little lures and charms running along the edge, and your favorite shirt from what you call the “my wife is a bitch” series. Like so many shirts sold to cis white men who seemingly can’t stand the life they claim to work so hard for, its a basic black shirt with stylized red and blue lettering. It reads:

I live with FEAR everyday

But sometimes she lets me go FISHING

You wonder how “she” the shirt refers to feels about this sentiment.

You load your gear into the truck, tell Maria you’ll be back soon, and kiss her on the temple, careful to not let the stray strands of her hair cut you. Then you drive down to the marina and the Lake.

The Lake is huge and old, supposedly the result of a meteor impact a long time ago. There are a lot of stories told about it among the old fishermen, and most have made their way to the children in town. It’s a common dare to steal one of the rickety old boats at night from the marina and go out to the middle of the lake. Or at least it used to be; some kids never came back, and the town council started locking the boats up. You suspect drownings more than monsters, but you can’t rule them out.

It’s how you met Maria, after all.

You rent a boat and drive (is that the right verb?) it out to the middle, just like you did twenty years ago, when you were both young and dumb and dreamed of other worlds. You stop near dead center, open the little cooler you brought, and use a complicated knot to tie a piece of raw beef onto the fishing line. It’s old and a little rotting, which is how they like it over there. You affix a charm from your hat onto the line above the beef, careful to tie it securely. A few scars attest to the perils of being sloppy.

You don’t bother with a cast, just hold the line over the side and let it drop. The beef and the charm drag it down, faster and faster. The Lake is deep, but by the time the line stops running it could have traveled twice the distance to hit bottom.

You sit and wait and think.

You bought the shirt a few years ago after you figured out that when Maria gets the depression, the best thing you can do is go fishing. That’s the second part. The first is funnier, in your opinion. Because you do live with FEAR, the daughter of TERROR and NIGHT. She’s the dread woman, the monster behind the stars, and sometimes she misses home. That’s when you go fishing.

A mighty tug on the line draws your attention back to it, and you give a gentle pull in response. Another tug, a pull, and then the line starts reeling in on its own. Before long, you can see a massive dark shape in the water. You avert your eyes.

The boat rocks and you hear a roar like thunder and the crash of a wave. You give it a three count and look up to see a woman who looks a lot like Maria glaring at you from the water. She’s smaller now, though she still has her serpent-like tail. Blood drips from her mouth, the beef in her hands. Chewing thoughtfully, she tosses you the charm, and you affix it to your hat again.

“Hey there, Texas,” you say. “Lookin’ good.”

Texas grins, her smile all sharp teeth.

“Maria’s missin’ ya’ll something fierce. Got time for a visit?”

Texas cocks her head. Unlike Maria, she hasn’t stayed in your world long enough to really pick up the language. You’ve made some progress with theirs, but it’s not helped by most of it being unpronounceable (and giving you a wicked headache if you hear it too much.) Maria and Texas aren’t their real names, of course, just the closest you can get.

Texas finally nods. A waterspout raises her up and deposits her gently down in your boat. Her tail is shorter, and by the time you make it back to shore she’s all legs (almost literally; Texas has Ideas about human anatomy.) She chows on the beef meantime. If anyone notices you’re with a seven foot tall monster goddess, when you set off alone, no one comments. You put your stuff in the cab this time, while Texas stretches out in the truck bed.

When you get back, Texas beats you inside, rushing through the door to (her sister? friend? you’ve never been sure) Maria. She scoops your wife up in a hug, and you feel a warm glow in your stomach as Maria visibly gets darker and more malevolent. The dark pall you’re used to enshrouds the house once more, and Maria’s hair whips into a frenzy, cutting lines into the walls. You wink at your wife, who gives you the smile you’d die for, go mad for, lose all hope of salvation and damn the world for.

You head out back, their talk already taking its toll on your mind, and relax on the porch. You think about dinner and what to make for your guest, and unexpectedly cackle when you hear a sudden shriek from the McKinnon’s next door. So she’s already back to scaring the hell out of em. Good.

Damn, you love your wife.

[omgitsbeewave]

hi i saw the post you rb about taking to someone so hi!

if you’d like could you rank your favorite jimmy ships?

i’d also like to add that i love your art its so cute aaaaa

omg, hi, hiii!!! i just really like to talk to people but i'm little tired of capturing other blogs like i used to bc rn my little goal is to make cool designs for royal au and theres no interesting stuff i could just say without someone asking me about it

ooooh, ranking is cool! for me, as you can tell, solidaritimes is the most important one. i have them in many aus even if its just "they was learning how to kiss on each other in the middle school under the staircase bc jimmy was too awkward to tell scott that he doesn't know how to kiss" or a literal au where scar is stuck on empires smp season two bc grian felt betrayed

also my favorite one is zedlidarity c: they are so cool, i have three aus with them (i still like team blossom + jimmy, they are adorable). zed is more bold i may say in what he talk and do and butt jokes are funny from him, okay

the next one... ranchers. im not talking about them a lot (but im doing them in royal au) but they are cute, especially compared to other jimmy ships and how people treat jimmy... tango is a good guy

skizzledarity. yes, im calling them by this name. they are something between zedlidarity and ranchers, i like them but mostly neutral, tho i drew them so yeah

solidarian. i have some guys that ship them. i mostly see them as brothers, but i could see them as lovers too (not brothers then), i drew them as well

neutral for me - impulse/jimmy bc im mostly scarpulse person, sorry. mirror birds, romeo ships them, i think they could be cute but im not doing anything with martyn at all. jimmy/mumbo, jimmy/etho, jimmy/bigb are all the same, im not so interested in this all, but i can see them being cute (tho mumbo is not really my guy at all)

flower husbands are controversial, i like them being bad, to show scott as guy thats not good example for a relationships. i know this is not very smart to say, but i really cant see arts of them being happy and stuff, i think about how scott treated jim and :( tho i can see other ships with scott as something cool (majorwood, copper husband that are not allowed but no one can go into my brain and just kill all the thoughts about them)

smallidarity (is thats the name)? i can see bad boys all together but bc of how i started to watch empires... i was really afraid and mad at joel and im on my way to like this guy a lot, but empires god joel is still in my nightmares (not really, but thinking of him is terrifying me a lot)

fwimmy (i think thats the name) is 100% not for me, kinda the same reason as the previous one, but without fear + fwip is not my guy at all

+ something i think could be interesting, pixl/jimmy, i think this one is actually a cool guy, i haven't watched him enough, but he was really nice from what i remember

and oh why thank you! i really appreciate the words ♡ i have some problems that i see my arts like those kid fandom drawings, that i could be proud so much bc i made something but others sees it like ew cringe... im working on it, changing some stuff, learning so i could be more confident about my arts (i always wanted to be like the cool artist with realistic style that can be kinda stylized, but im not sure if i want this for myself rn, i like my style, it just need some changes, like eyes and maybe colors)

[animalinvestigator]

CODA 5 10 14 21

OLLY!!!!!!!!!! Hi. thank you for the ask : )

5. Estimate of how much of your art you post online vs. the art you keep for yourself

these days it's probably around 85% that i post and 15% that i don't share, ever since last year i've really started to see the value in my own "unfinished work", so i kind of just throw most of the things that i make out there because i think they could be meaningful even if they;'re not "presentable" per se. in the past, it used to be a lot closer to like, posting 25 to 30% and not posting 70%, because the majority of my drawing happened on printer paper at school or in a sketchbook at school. nowadays, the mspaint doodles i make fill the same ecological niche as those sketches, and they're much easier to share, so i share them : )

10. Favorite piece of clothing to draw

big oversized sweatshirts of course.I love drawing floppy sleeves and i love the altered silhouette you get when you draw baggy clothes. close runner up would be cute frilly dresses because i love drawing petticoats& scalloped lace, also i have fun drawing shoes a lot, pretty much all kinds of shoes are fun ^___^

14. Any favorite motifs

this is actually a bit hard for me, i'm not really sure..i really like using motifs that exist in stories that i make art of, and i certainly have motifs in my stories too, but i dont know if my art itself has motifs . i guess i relaly like blending mundaneity and cuteness with anguish & horror? i draw lot of stuff from my own life. "angel art" comes up a lot, incidental self harm scars come up a lot, those are both facts of life for me. i like drawing people clinging to eachother, i like drawing people sitting in weird autistic poses. thats about all ive got. if you were asking about like, specific subjects, like pscop art or utdr art or like art for my ocs this would be easier. but in general i just incorporate things that mean a lot to me in all cases.

21. Art styles nothing like your own but you like anyways

I like art styles that look nothing like my own wayyy more than ones that look close to mine lolllllll um well i do really love super stylized down mega cartoony basic shapes art styles, i am envious of people who draw like that because i think its so aweosme. my faovirte art conventions in the world i think is things that combine a clear and obvious degree of skill in rendering and constructing shapes and art fundamentals with subject matter taht you usually wouldnt see rendered in that way, like simplified cartoon animal drawings combined with like beautiful oil paint rendering or like late 2000s shoujo manga styled characters standing in front of beautiful intricately detailed backdrops, i eat that shit up i love the dichotomy. i love people with super saturated art styles and bright bold colors and clean lineart, its sooo different from my life its lovely. i dont know i like a lot of art thats just some of it thats different from mine that come sto mind.

THANK you ollysmiles widely this is fun to talk about.

[poobit]

Lammily dolls shouldnt have had cellulite and acne stickers, because its a pussy move. Most people cant just peel their acne off. I don’t usually like the way that tjose Smartdolls look, but at least they had the balls to paint on the acne scars instead of cheap ass stickers.

this anon is directed towards a rlly old post of mine and i will say i agree with you i think it is infinitely more accurate to give the dolls those features by itself than plastering it on with stickers, i had to google what you meant by smartdolls because i didnt know if you meant the extremely expensive bjd company or other brand but i found thru searching what you meant !

while smartdolls arent one of my favorite aesthetically because like , idk they arent super unique in stylization and all, i do think theres just a certain extreme appeal to give what are essentially the quintessential anime girl features and traits that are often taken away from the media because its "unfavorable" or something, what i mean is that i think by giving them stuff like scars and markings and acne you actually make them cuter , attainable to the people who really dont want dolls to look painfully average and boring in a fruitless attempt to make them "relatable" , i think thats why also people really loved monster high´s more unique sculpts like operetta´s visible carvings on her face and such, after all, i think what matters to people most, especially younger people, is the quest to be, above all, cute.

[joehillssimp]

I posted 21,625 times in 2022

That's 21,625 more posts than 2021!

61 posts created (0%)

21,564 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@violetstar250

@sharkythefangirl

@scarred-but-still-smiling

@truncatedgrip

@beacon-lamp

I tagged 294 of my posts in 2022

#blaze has spoken - 41 posts

#hermitcraft - 28 posts

#joehillstsd - 24 posts

#joehills - 23 posts

#dhmis - 8 posts

#goodtimeswithscar - 7 posts

#grian - 6 posts

#don't hug me i'm scared - 5 posts

#red guy - 4 posts

#blaze has responded - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#aahhhthe realm of stop motion is so amazing animation wise and has a special charie fracter that is hard to capture in other animation forms

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

So anyway, I can't wait for Grian to abandon this child

Like can you imagine

You get kidnapped from you dads by your short dad from another dimension who drove other you insane and abandoned on another world to rot in a fake reality, so you can be used as a way to cure his boredom?

Like even for Grian, that is fucked up.

87 notes - Posted August 22, 2022

#4

Okay so been rewatching dhmis again as I should be in my free time.

And I think red guy represents yellow guys shy older brother before the house/car thing happened. This one is just a hunch based off of the end of episode 3 where red calls yellow "brother" And just his general vibes.

Also, red guy being the oldest child in an abusive household makes sense to me. Red guy sees what's happening with the family dynamic turning them against each other while also forcing them together I. Repeating conflicts with no escape is kind of relatable with that. Maybe I'm just pprojecting.

Makes Lesley's line about them always returning back home in the end very extra fucked up.

Roy is the abusive father clearly. And Lesley is the micromanaging mom. I don't know if she is also abusive or just enables Roy but she's definitely complacent. The doll house thing, the deciding what they learn and how they act, the whole making the family into a production funded by asshole Roy is something a mom in denial of how awful her life is would do.

Not that I've seen it in action.

Duck is definitely the dog mashed together with an older relative probably a grandfather. In the second episode the lamp mentions how sometimes people believe that people get reincarnated as their favorite animal, the grandfather could have loved the family pet a lot. I am hypothesizing the existence of a grandfather due to all the references to a military past for duck and how he's always in a rocking chair. We also always see duck as the one who is constantly being replaced which is common for pets especially for the ones of small children.

Yellow guy being a representation for Lesley's dead son is the one that makes the most sense to me based off the evidence. If you have a better theory please present evidence and talk me up.

I noticed that the agreed upon symbols that are the characters each have a stylized drawing of each of them included in the squiggles and I think that's pretty cool.

Red guy is yellow guys brother is probably adopted.

Roy is probably neglectful if not abusive and I think he was taking care of duck as a pet when he died of dehydration/"forgetting" to drink water. Grolton kinda looks like roy and grolton refused to give hovris any water in episode 4 when he needs to get to his dental appointment for his gum disease, which we also see Roy in disguise with absolutely terrible gums.

I need to go through everything grolton and hovris appearance to figure out any possible theory clues.

If it's not clear I'm dumping things here

I don't know if I put this idea on tumblr but Lesley was probably drunk when she ran over her son. Actually I think I did put it here. Anyway I think she probably started drinking because of either grief of grandpa dying, grief from her first son drowning, or just self medicating from Roy's bull shit.

Maybe red guy is an uncle.

I stopped watching the episodes and started watching bo Burnham and the theories are fading.

Fuck

Yeah I guess I'm done for now

Bye

137 notes - Posted October 14, 2022

#3

I made a Survey For you Hermitblr!

PLease take it!

I'll be accepting until like, september I thinks.

176 notes - Posted August 14, 2022

#2

Son of a Goat mother

272 notes - Posted August 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I love that the pics of Joe post beard shave taken by fans make him look all suave and cool

and then we have the pic Joe posts of himself on twitter

He knows his vibe

389 notes - Posted October 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[justsomeunsurefancat]

Toya from PuroSeka is NOT identical to Todoroki

I don't think the MHA and PuroSeka fandom share much or are close, but everyone seems to have agreed that Toya looks identical to Shoto, which I completely understand. However, I've been led to realize this is actually incorrect, and I have proof!

First and foremost, their hair.

Todoroki's bangs are perfectly split in the middle and practically perfectly symmetrical. On the other hand, Toya's bangs are stylized in a way where the light blue side covers more than the dark blue side, his middle bang is slightly swept to the side and his hair is stightly longer, with the sides going down to his cheeks, whereas Shoto's only go half-way his ears.

You can also argue that Toya has thinner, less voluminous. There reallly isn't any official art of Toya with his hair more "messy" with part sticking out to the sides. Whenever he has loose strands on his hair, they're always long, thin and facing down. But for Shoto, it's common for him to have some loose hair facing different directions, even on the top of his head, even though his hair's more "tamed". That makes Shoto's hair look more fluffly and voluminous. However, some if this thingsmay be due to artstyle

Lastly, the color of their hair would look "inverted" on manga format. Due to manga being mostly in gray scale, characters' hair is normally left white, with stronger colors being black. Since Toya has darker hair on the left side and lighter on the right, his hair would be black/white on manga, but since Shoto's white on the left and red on the right, it'd be white/black.

Now, their eyes. They are also different. So, Shoto's eyes are a little inconsistent in shape, and have changed a lot through the series. However, his lower eyelids are often draw curved, making his eyes more almond-shaped. Unlike Toya, who's lower eyelids are flat.

Again, Shoto's eyes vary from time to time, but having round lowerlids isn't something ever present on Toya, as far as I've seen, at least. So Shoto's eyes are rounder or sharper, while Touya's are more square.

Lastly there are other minor details, such as Toya having a little mole below his right eye, while Shoto has a scar. Toya always having highlights on the eyes, when Shoto's only drawn with highlight on specific moments of the series (Or when the official artists didn't pick up on that, apparently. I've seen some official art like that) and Shoto having heterochromia, unlike Toya.

This is just going over physical differences, Toya and Shoto actually act quite differently from one another. And even though their backstories do overlap, there are mayor differences.

If right now you're thinking "How did you noticed and why did you payed attention to these things??". Then I'm glad, because that's kind of the point here (Though I doubt you're actually surprised, this is Tumblr, after all). I of course have no actual issue with the comparation between the two, nor I'm trying to make an actual, serious point here. I mean, I'd like it if people realized they're different, if they ever thought they were the same, they're both my favorite characters from their respectives franchises, so I'd be happy if people knew they're actually unique from one another, but is nothing to serious.

[thimbil]

Having some thoughts about the references and inspirations used for the Bad Batch’s designs.

So Boba Fett is my absolute favorite character and Temeura Morrison was perfect casting. I went to see the 2008 TCW movie in theaters because I was so excited to see him again, even if he was animated. You can imagine my disappointment. Whoever was on screen was not Temeura Morrison. You could sort of see a resemblance if you squinted and didn’t think too hard about it. They replaced Temeura with Racially Ambiguous G.I. Joe. If I didn’t know better and someone told me the animated clones are space Italians from the moon of New Jersey I would buy it. One Million Brothers Pizzeria and Italian Bistro. Not that there’s something wrong with being space Italian, I just don’t think it’s the right choice for the Fetts. The design got slightly improved by season 7 but it still bugs the hell out of me.

I did eventually get into the show later and (of course) got invested in the clones. Unfortunately, they were largely sidelined by the Jedi storylines. Out of the two new main characters created for TCW, Ahsoka definitely got more development and focus than Rex. When they announced The Bad Batch, I was excited to see a show specifically devoted to the clones… at least that’s what it said on the tin. We have all seen what lurks beneath those stylish helmets.

Jango Fett, you are NOT the father.

So who is?

Based on interviews with Filoni, it sounds like the Bad Batch was a George Lucas idea. And like all his ideas, it’s super derivative. The original trilogy directly lifted elements from sci fi serials, westerns, and samurai movies, more specifically Kurosawa films like The Hidden Fortress. For The Bad Batch character designs, the influence is obviously American action and adventure movies.

Now let’s get specific. Bad Batch, who’s your daddy?

Hunter

Sylvester Stallone as Rambo in First Blood 1982. That bandana has become an integral part of the iconic action hero look. You see a character wearing one and it’s a visual shorthand for either “this character is a tough guy” like Billy played by Sonny Landham in Predator 1987, or “this character thinks he is/wants to be a tough guy” like Brand played by Josh Brolin in The Goonies 1985 or Edward Frog played by Corey Feldman in The Lost Boys 1987.

Hunter’s model is closest to the original clone base. If you look closely you will see the eyebrows are straighter with a much lower angle to the arch. His nose is also not the same shape as a standard clone like Rex, including a narrower bridge. It’s certainly not Temeura Morrison’s nose. Remember what I said about space Italians? It didn’t take much to push the existing clone design to resemble an specific Italian man instead of a specific Māori man. The 23&Me came back, and Hunter inherited more than the bandana from Sylvester.

Crosshair

The long narrow nose, the sharp cheekbones, the scowl. That’s no clone, that’s just animated Clint Eastwood. Not even Young and Hot Clint Eastwood from Rawhide 1959-1965. With that hair, I’m talking Gran Torino 2008. The man of few words schtick and family friendly toothpick in lieu of cigar are pure Eastwood as The Man With No Name from Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns A Fist Full of Dollars 1964, For a Few Dollars More 1965, and The Good the Bad and the Ugly 1966.

In a way, this is full circle because the actor Jeremy Bulloch took inspiration from Clint Eastwood for his performance as Boba Fett in ESB.

Wrecker

In an interview Filoni lists the Hulk as an (obvious) inspiration for Wrecker. Ever seen the old Hulk tv show from 1978? Well take a look at the actor who played him, Lou Ferrigno. Would you look at that. Even has his papa’s nose.

You could make the argument that Wrecker was influenced by The Rock, an appropriately buff ‘n bald Polynesian (Samoan, not Maori) man. But look at him next his Fast and Furious costar Vin Diesel and tell me which one resembles Wrecker’s character model more.

Tech

Tech is a little trickier for me to place. If he has a more direct inspiration it must be something I haven’t seen. That said, his hairline is very Bruce Willis as John McClane in Die Hard 1988. His quippiness and large glasses remind me of Shane Black as Hawkins from Predator 1987. In terms of his face, he looks a but like the result of McClane and Hawkins deciding to settle down and start a family. Although, Tech’s biggest contributors are probably just everyone on TV Trope’s list for Smart People Wear Glasses.

And finally,

Echo

Oh Echo. Considering he wasn’t created for the Bad Batch, he probably wasn’t based on a particular character or movie. But if I had to guess, his situation and appearance remind me a lot of Alex Murphy played by Peter Weller in Robocop 1987. However, Robocop explored the Man or Machine Identity Crisis with more nuance, depth, and dignity. Yikes.

The exact tropes and references used in The Bad Batch have been done successfully with characters who aren’t even human. Gizmo from Gremlins 2: The New Batch 1990 had a brief stint with the Rambo bandana. I could have picked any number of characters for Defining Feature Is Glasses but here is the most cursed version of Simon of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Suffer as I have. Marc Antony with his beloved Pussyfoot from Looney Tunes has the same tough guy with a soft center vibe as Wrecker and his Lula (also a kind of cat). Hell, in the same show we have Cad Bane sharing Cowboy Clint Eastwood with Crosshair. I actually think Bane makes a better Eastwood which is wild considering Crosshair has Eastwood’s entire face and Bane is blue.

So we’ve established you don’t need your characters to look exactly like their inspirations to match their vibe. So why go through the trouble and cost of creating completely new character designs instead of recycling and altering assets they already had on hand? Just slap on a bandana, toothpick, goggles, and make Wrecker bigger than the others while he does a Hulk pose and you’re done. Based on the general reaction to Howzer it would have been a low effort slam dunk crowd pleaser.

But they didn’t do that.

So here’s the thing. I like the tropes used in The Bad Batch. I am a fan of action adventure movies from the 80s-90s, the sillier the better. I am part of the Bad Batch’s target audience. Considering what I know about Disney and Lucasfilm, I went in with low expectations. I genuinely don’t hate the idea of seeing references to these actors and media in The Bad Batch. I don’t think basing these characters on tropes was a bad idea. If anything it’s a solid starting point for building the characters.

The trouble is nothing got built on the foundation. The plot is directionless, the pacing is wacky, and the characters have nearly no emotional depth or defining character arcs. They just sort of exist without reacting much while the story happens around them. But I can excuse all of that. You don’t stay a fan of Star Wars as long as I have not being able to cherrypick and fill in the gaps. This show has a deeper issue that shouldn’t be ignored.

Why do the animated clones bear at best only a passing resemblance to their live action actor? In interviews, Filoni wouldn’t shut up but the technological advancements in the animation for season 7. So if they are updating things, why not try to make the clones a closer match to their source material? Why did they have to look like completely different people in The Bad Batch to be “unique”? Looking like Temeura Morrison would have no bearing on their special abilities and TCW proved you can have identical looking characters and still have them be distinct. In fact, that’s a powerful theme and the source of tragedy for the clones’ narrative overall.

Here’s Filoni’s early concept art of Crosshair, Wrecker, Tech, and Hunter. (Interesting but irrelevant: Wrecker seems to have a cog tattoo similar to Jesse’s instead of a scar. Wouldn’t it have been funny if they kept that so when they met in season 7 one if them could say something like “Hey we’re twins!” That’s a little clone humor. Just for you guys 😘)

None of these drawings look like the clones in TCW, much less Temeura Morrison. Let’s be generous. Maybe Filoni struggles with drawing a real person’s likeness, as many people do. But he had to hand this off to other artists down the line whose job specifically involves making a stylized character resemble their actor. Yet the final designs missed the mark almost as much as this initial concept. Starting to seem as if the clones looking more like Temeura Morrison was never even on the table. It wasn’t a lack of creativity, skill or technical limitations on the part of the creative team. I don’t think there is an innocent explanation. They went out of their way to make the final product exactly how we got it.

This goes beyond homage. They could have made the same pop culture references and character tropes without completely stripping Temeura Morrison from the role he originated. It was a very purposeful choice to replace him with more immediately familiar actors from established franchises and films. It wouldn’t shock me if Filoni, Lucas, and anyone else calling the shots didn’t even think hard or care enough about the decision to immediately recognize a problem. And I don’t think they believed anyone else would either. At least no one whose opinion they cared about. Those faces are comfortingly familiar and proven bankable. They are what we’re all used to seeing after all. They’re white.

Lack of imagination, bad intentions, or simple ignorance doesn’t really matter in the end. The result is the same. Call it what it is. They replaced a man of color with a bunch of white guys. That’s by the book garden variety run of the mill whitewashing. There’s no debate worth having about it. For a fanbase that loves to nitpick things like whether or not it’s in character for Han to shoot first or Jeans Guy in the Mandalorian, we sure are quick to find excuses for clones who look nothing like their template. Why is that? If you don’t see the problem, congratulations. Your ass is showing. Pull your jeans up.

[absolutebl]

bl tag game

i was tagged by @foralleternityidiot​ ​ weeeeeeee...... 

1. your all time favorite bl and why?

out of 224 BLs I have only 6 that I’ve ever given 10/10. Of those, I’m going to pick 4 to rep for different BL producing countries. They are:  

Seven Days (Japan) - it is an absolutely perfect yaoi adaptation, Everything about it is flawless from casting to acting to filming to post production. It has no triggers or other issues, not even typical seme/uke concerns. It’s Japan so it could have gone very dark but it didn’t. If I had to pick the perfect rep for BL it would be Seven Days. (Here’s my pitch.)

Until We Meet Again (Thailand) - is a completely unique BL for Thailand in that is has an extremely strong story, fantastic cast, high production values, and three super solid pairs with excellent chemistry. The storytelling is so good it justifies every second of all 17 hours. It is as close to narrative gold as a BL series gets and I am still stunned.  

Color Rush (Korea) - with this one it’s because it has such a clean magical realism concept combined with Korea’s signature pristine bright brevity and using very stylized yaoi filming techniques. But at root it’s a gorgeous piece of queer allegory that I’m not sure I will ever get over, so I wrote a full analysis of it. 

We Best Love 1 & 2 (Taiwan) - it’s a fantastic example of the Taiwanese style of BL and while it has more flaws in pace, story, and character development than the others on this list, I forgive it every single one of them because there is no better chemistry than Sam & Yu, and it covers both school and workplace BL, and multiple tropes and archetypes, with very little screen time and manages to be ABSOLUTELY RIVETING. It is somehow this perfect tiny ode to the full scope of BL heritage in a way that only Taiwan could ever do. 

2. that bl that scarred you for life?

HIStory 3: Make Our Days Count. Is it actually possible to give a different answer? 

Well maybe if I saw like Boys Love first or didn’t know anything about Japanese or Chinese BL. But yeah. THE BETRAYAL. I’ve never trusted Taiwan since. It makes me doubly grateful for something like We Best Love. 

3. is there any bl that made you feel very single?

Nope. Not something I EVER suffer from. 

4. if you could change one thing from a bl, which one would it be?

Only one? Fine. 

5. that one bl you detest (don’t hold back)

Oh sure. Here have 4 picks again, one from each country. 

No Regret (Korea) - suicide 

A Round Trip to Love (China) - every trigger there is

Grey Rainbow (Thailand) - death 

Sei no Gekiyaku (Japan) - murder 

Before you ask, yes these are 1 stars and I have 17 of the suckers. Remember I’ve watched over 200 BLs, including the early ones and they really loved rape, murder, and suicide in the before times, which I DO NOT. 

6. your top five:

Oops, I already named a top 4. So how about my top 4 that come next? 

Cherry Magic (Japan)

Lovely Writer (Thailand) ��

To My Star (Korea)

HIStory 2: Crossing the Line (Taiwan) 

7. that trashy bl that you lowkey like?

Make it Right, nash.

8. your favorite korean bl (it’s important we know)

Color Rush and To My Star for entirely different reasons. 

9. season 2? which one?

LOVESICK. I would not be into BL if it had only had that first season. CAN YOU IMAGINE? I quake just thinking about it. 

Best execution of a season 2? We Best Love.

Season 2 I enjoyed more than season 1? Puppy Honey 

Season 2 of my dreams? Addicted Heroin

Season 2 I am looking forward to? My Engineer I guess, I’m kind bored waiting at this point. 

10. a bunch of dramas will air soon. which ones are you most excited for?

Between Us - WHY AM I STILL WAITING? 

Bad Buddy - of course

Enchanté - old fashioned secret identity trope 

KinnPorsche - mafia 

Cutie Pie - arranged marriage

Golden Blood - bodyguard romance

11. tag them!

Please anyone play who wants to. 

[instasiswetrust]

“Mindflayer ... from Dungeons and Dragons, right?” Harrington’s voice sounds uniquely fragile. Like thin ice and crystal glass, one wayward push and he’d shatter.

He hates his stage name. He hates it so fucking much. It aches and hurts like an old scar.

“Yep.” He says, popping the p and flashing his favorite client a smile that he doesn’t mean at all. “Used to love to play, but when I moved here ... never found a party. It’s a fun stage name, even if it doesn’t really fit me.”

He’s too loose-lipped. Half of that was a secret he was supposed to take to the grave. It’s too nerdy an admittance. It makes his elbow and ribs ache, like phantom breaks.

“No.” Harrington whispers, settling into the softness of the stylized bed. “No, it suits you.”

Billy pauses. Raises an eyebrow.

“You have that kind of ... enchanting presence. And - and I’ve never played dungeons and dragons, but my brother does. I know enough.” And there’s an awkward laugh. Nervous. Honest.

Harrington lays upon the altar-bed with his limbs spread, ready for the restraints. Ready for the 80’s gothic fantasy wet dreams that the room embodies so well. There’s a smile on his face and a shine to his eyes. “So flay my mind. Give me that dying fantasy that the corebooks preach about.”

“And what would that be, dollface?” Billy finds his voice steady and stable, even if his soul’s lost its way.

Steve Harrington swallows. His Adam’s apple bobs in a way that speaks of sorrow and loneliness.

“Love.” He whispers, and Billy knows this is the horizon before him. “I want you to make me believe that I’m loved. Just this once.”

---

Alcohol and heartache are things that should never be mixed. Steve knows this, and yet he refuses to follow the one rule he insisted on Dustin learning.

It's the only reason he's able to request something like that. To lower his mask enough to show the fragility underneath the marble exterior.

A ring. That's what the picture Will sent Dustin had shown. A ring on Jonathan’s finger, and Nancy down on one knee. Engagement. Steve hadn't been able to stay long enough to know the details.

So when Mindflayer calls him Princess, when he presses soft kisses to his lips and thrusts with agonizing slowness. Well, he’s not surprised when the first sob punches out of his chest in a rush.

Fragile. Broken. Ugly. Heart-wrenching.

He wants to cover his mouth but his hands are still bound and there's only so much biting down on his lip can do.

Because he's ruining this. Fuck. He's ruining this and now Mind’s pretty face is twisting up in worry, and this is not at all what Steve wanted.

Not enough. Never enough.

---

He didn’t bank on making Harrington cry.

Half-way stuck - should he pull out? Press in? He knows the safe word. He’s fully able to use it — it’s not like he broke out the gags and restraints. This is mock love, not pain.

“Hey,” he whispers and pulls the man closer. Leaning in to kiss at the spaces he can reach, through the tears and twisting. “Don’t cry, princess. I’ve got you.”

The words he wishes he was given, he gives to his client. The tenderness in every motion, soft intimacy lain carefully like a veil over that pretty face. This is what love looks and feels like, right? He’s not sure, but this is what he hopes it’s like.

“It’s okay, baby.” If it was like this, he thinks, then —

“I got you.”

---

The thing is, Steve doesn't want to stop.

Sure, he wants to cover his face, wants to press at his eyes until the tears stop falling, wants to quiet the sobs falling unbidden from pink kissed lips.

But stopping is not something he wants.

Not even if that means he has to let this man, this person he barely knows but who has learned his body more intimately than any lover before, watch the shattered edges that hide under all the marble.

“S...S-Sorry, ” There’s a wryness to the curl of his lips, and everything looks blurry behind the sheen of tears that covers his eyes. “Just. P-Please.”

He's not sure what he is asking for anymore, though.

Please make me forget. Please don't stop. Please take away the pain.

Please, love me.

---

“Of course, Princess.” Billy pulls a smile onto his face and smooths the worry over. One hand slips from Harrington’s famous waist to cup his jaw. Thumb away some of those tears. Kiss away the rest.

All the love he never got, he gives away. From the empty garden of his chest, he digs for a fire he’s never known. Things he’s only seen in moves, heard in cafes, felt between the distances of picket fences and broken glass — this is what he comes back with. False diamonds to offer to an angel who hasn’t a clue either.

“Anything you want,” Billy whispers as he presses closer, pace steady still, but changed. Holding Steve in full now. The thrusts are shallow, but his arms are full and their hearts are only an inch apart.

Does it count? Is it right? What would an unearthly monster know of human love? What would an angel? He’s thinking too hard on this.

“Forever and always.”

---

But all things must come to an end.

Curled up on his side, trying to glue all the shattered pieces of himself back together while quiet tears slide down his cheeks, Steve wonders why did he ever think this was a good idea.

Because asking for fake love — So real. Too real. — doesn't change the fact that Jonathan and Nancy are engaged. It doesn't erase the fact that the next time he sees them he's gonna have to pretend like he's just happy for them, like the glass shards embedded in his heart do not exist and his chest doesn't ache with each soft smile they give each other.

At which point did they stop being able to see past his facades, he wonders.

Pathetic, Not enough. Never enough, are you Stevie?

With a shaky sigh, he wipes the remaining tears off his face and sits up. This is not Mind's fault in the slightest, not his fault that Steve is a pathetic mess who needs to buy fake love to try and get over his exes. So he pulls himself back together as best as he can and offers a weak smile.

"You know, you could make a really good acting career if you ever decided to leave this place."

---

That punches a laugh out of him before he can think better of it. Almost everyone who dances at the Auris fit that bill, even if half of them would do better in certain genres.

“Maybe.” Billy says, already knowing that his rap sheet has a stain and he’ll never be free of that. This is as close to stardom as he’ll get. “This has way more security than a bunch of Hollywood maybes, though.”

Harrington still hasn’t recovered. The walls don’t carry sound but they shake in the way that means someone violent is entertaining. Idly, he wonders who, and are they as wild as his night just was?

“Hope I see you around, dollface.” He itches to light up a cigarette. There’s no smoking allowed in the building though. He’d have to wander upwards to the roof for that and that’s too far right now.

“Tonight was fun.”

---

"Fun." He mutters, sliding off the bed onto shaky legs to search for his clothes. A wet chuckle leaves his lips, sounding a little wry. "Yeah, I guess we could call it that."

There's no need to say anything else after all. Not like he can say anything else. Hell, he can't even look Mind in the face right now, not if he wants his tentative defenses to hold up until he gets back home.

Home. Hah, if you could even call that sky loft a home.

So he gets dressed and offers a weak smile and a goodbye. Makes sure to tip higher than he usually would before leaving the building.

Resolves to try out dating again and visit the Auris less.

Too bad it's not that easy to get Mindflayer out of his mind.

[tentatechnologies]

art asks 1 16 23 🎶🎷

1. how would you describe your style?

uhhhh , that's a hard one. semirealistic is probably too generous, i think the only thing i've done that really qualifies for that is this portrait of marlo, but i wouldn't call it cartoony either. so... somewhere in-between. i'd say it has a strong focus on character and dimension, a kind of three-dimensionality conveyed in a 2D style with prominent linework and minimal rendering, and emphasis on readability. when i do use colors they're often muted. i've compared my art to paper cut-outs before, which is definitely something i like about it!

i would like to say i have harmonious color schemes and an eye for composition, but saying that to you of all people feels a little presumptuous (which is another way of saying that i admire those aspects of your art a lot and definitely want to emulate them!) also that my art is informed by graphic design in some ways, but not as much as i want it to be.

16. favorite media to work with when drawing traditionally?

i am a fraud, i only work with pencil and ink......... and by ink, i mean like... ballpoint pens. colored pencils are fun but it's been a very long time since i used them, and paint and i don't really get along :\ i have been meaning to get my hands on some markers, either alcohol or paint, but i can't invest in them in good conscience when i do traditionally so rarely.

23. what's something you hope people notice when looking at your art?

usually small details, so it varies by piece! there's usually a degree of intentionality in every little detail (emphasis on usually) and it's really nice when folks pick up on that. like, in that quick doodle of ness, his top scars are stylized like sunrays; and of course the textures in my zine piece; there is a consistency and deliberation with which i draw my ocs' faces; stuff like that. in short, the thought i put into it!

[candythemew]

🔥 SkekLach (can be AOR Lach, Manga Lach, or JM Lee’s Lach)

OH BOY GET READY FOR AN ESSAY!!

(Also old post I’m getting back to, but for context this was for TDC Hot Takes. She asked for my favorite version of SkekLach.)

     Whenever I see SkekLach, it is such a joy regardless of iteration. I don’t know what it is exactly but I absolutely adore her. Although this wasn’t always the case! Originally I was indifferent to her and found her to be physically repulsive. I literally couldn’t look at her for extended periods of time. But through re-watching the series she’s really grown on me! ...But I think you all know about that by now! (Search her up on google and you’ll find SO much of my art.) ◬☾——– ≪ °✾° ≫ ——–☽◬      Each iteration has it’s own strengths and weaknesses, but I adore all of them. If you want to spare yourself a fangirlish analysis, I like AoR!Lach the best, but Manga!Lach is extremely cool. Although everyone shares traits, it’s more like comparing apples and oranges rather than [ X ] is better than [ Y ] . There is some overlap and bleeding between characters, but ultimately these are all vastly different timelines with different circumstances and characters. I’ll be dissecting each of them under the cut! ◬☾——– ≪ °✾° ≫ ——–☽◬

     As said above, There are three versions of The Collector. In order, the first one to be created was the Legendsverse/Manga SkekLach the Collector. Followed by the J.M. Lee/ Novel SkekLach, and finally AoR SkekLach. Who we see in age of resistance, and is the Collector of the main canon’s timeline. When I write for her, I tend to do a bit of blending with her various other versions. But even in the show, she’s a lot more keen and intelligent than she lets on to be. You just have to look for it! A lot of her character traits are subtle. I only really grew an appreciation for her after my first re-watch of the series! ◬☾——– ≪ °✾° ≫ ——–☽◬ Another thing to notice when it comes to the Collector is that unlike other alternate versions of canon characters, most main characters are relatively unchanged. SkekLach however has the most diversity in her character differences and alts.

◬☾——– ≪ °✾° ≫ ——–☽◬

𝕷𝖊𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖘𝖛𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖊

◬☾——– ≪ °✾° ≫ ——–☽◬

◬☾——– ≪ °✾° ≫ ——–☽◬      Manga!Lach has a much more muscular build. Even for his old age. He is adorned in ornate armor rife with symbolism and battle scars marring his flesh. These quirks to his character design reflect both his intelligence, and physical prowess in combat. His armor is stylized to look like faces. Both intimidating and fearful expressions decorating him in a display of intimidation. Fun Fact: in the manga, SkekLach was the second tallest Skeksis. With the Ritual Master being the true tallest of course. SkekLach was also a bit of a beastmaster. He had a loyal pack of Arduff always by his side ready to snatch up any unfortunate gelfling (or skeksis!) who got in his way. As well as a group of small, crawlie like creatures called Spy-eyes. He would have these creatures attatch themselves to a victim, and they would be allowed to see and hear anything said victim did. Anything they knew, The Collector would know too. He used these creatures to ensure Lahr’s co-operation in his plan for securing his place as Emperor SkekSo’s favorite and to foil The Chamberlain and Garthim Master’s plans against him. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that he’s also a tactical mastermind?

◬☾——– ≪ °✾° ≫ ——–☽◬

𝔍.𝔐. 𝔏𝔢𝔢 𝔜𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔤 𝔄𝔡𝔲𝔩𝔱 𝔑𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩𝔰

◬☾——– ≪ °✾° ≫ ——–☽◬

◬☾——– ≪ °✾° ≫ ——–☽◬

     Novel SkekLach is much more toned down, calm and (no pun intended) collected. Although he shares some qualities with both his manga and AoR counterparts, he’s kind of his own thing. He’s portrayed as more skinny and lanky. With a beak more similar in shape to SkekOk’s and wearing what appears to be a crown on his head. This Lach is much more directly involved with politics and wants to see his job through. Or at the very least just to get things over with. Oddly enough, unlike his previous version, he performs the Gelfling censuses. This trait would be later carried onto his canon successor. He was often blunt and to the point like AoR Lach, but didn’t really have the same punch that she has. In the novels he also has an animal companion. Much like Manga!Lach. A Royal Blue Phegnese. An avian mount creature that we never get to see, but we do get a loose description of. This was his preferred mount of choice. He was also good friends with SkekOk. They would often write to each other and even got drunk together. This is likely what inspired their close bond in AoR.

◬☾——– ≪ °✾° ≫ ——–☽◬ 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔞𝔯𝔨 ℭ𝔯𝔶𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔩: 𝔄𝔤𝔢 𝔬𝔣 ℜ𝔢𝔰𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢 ◬☾——– ≪ °✾° ≫ ——–☽◬

     And finally, our girl, AoR SkekLach! Everyone pretty much knows what she looks like by now. Incredibly diseased with oozing pustules that cause her constant pain every second of every day. Short snouted with dulled down tusks that were once razor sharp, and even sharper goldenrod eyes. (A glimpse back to the glory days perhaps?) Also since her introduction, she is the shortest skeksis in the series. Taking SkekOk the Scroll-keeper's orginal title of shortest by being about a head and a half shorter than him. Although she’s a female Skeksis, she’s not traditionally feminine. An interesting aesthetic choice for a female presenting Skeksis! Most of her colors being toned down blues and greens, Although she does have lots of bows that adorn her robes. Predominantly on her sleeves and shoulders. and in close up shots you can see that her puppet model has very distinct and pretty eyelashes. She’s very dirty as she doesn’t care much for her hygiene anymore. She doesn’t make an effort to change things as she has already tried multiple times to improve her condition, and has failed every time. The way she acts and presents can help us know that she's been through a lot. You can especially see this in the way she talks to others as well as herself. Adopting a mindset of: “Things either always stay the same or get worse.” This causes her to stay demotivated. To the point of not doing much of anything. She idolizes the glory days of her youth and desperatley wishes to go back to them, but she's a bit more self aware than her peers. Even she mocks her them for thinking that they can truly return to their former splendor. Although speculation on my part; it’s more than likely that in her prime she was similar to her manga counterpart. As she’s deceptively observant and oftentimes makes snide remarks in the background. Although she doesn’t care for showing it off. Being apolitical in the court, she sees no point in it. …Aside from the occasional drama or rumor she hears from either the Ornamentalist or Scroll-Keeper. As she's part of their little circle. Although speculation, she might even have some battle scars under her robes. As she’s talented when it comes to battle. Evidence to support this is when SkekVar the General asks for her assistance. Specifically when the Emperor ordered him to deal with the Gelfling. He picks her out of all of them. When she denies, he asks again reassuring her with an encouraging, “Come now! It’ll be fun!” While she replies with a disbelieving, “Ugh, I DOUBT that…” …And SkekVar was right. SHE DID HAVE FUN!

…And she got acid spit in her face which must have hurt 1,000 times more than it would for someone else as she’s very sensitive in her face due to her pustules. But hey! She got to kill a spitter and her mood changes pretty drastically for the positive going from that. Although she won't be able to enjoy it for too long since she dies 2 episodes later. Also when she drinks essence with the rest of the court during the scene where Skeksil watches the rest of them to make sure the Grunaks did their job, if you listen in the background she just straight up yells "I'M GONNA FIGHT A LANDSTRIDER!!" She wants to punch a horse. Good for her! So basically I just talked about all three of them at length for no reason but I hope you liked my ted talk. I have no idea where I was going with this, but yeah. I really really like SkekLach.

[kintatsujo]

LoZ AU- The Courage of Running Away Part TWENTY

I wanted to make this section a bit longer than it is but I have to go to bed earlier on Saturday nights for work and it’s a decent length anyway.  On the 29th I am 35, just like The Legend of Zelda!  I have been oddly giddy about this ever since realizing I’m six months younger than one of my favorite things.  XD

#AU August

#LoZ AU: The Courage of Running Away

Back in Hyrule Castle Town, Princess Zelda and Gray are having a relatively normal day out about town; Zelda Jr likes to take walks around the city and particularly likes to visit the local bakeries, flower shops and the potions apothecary closest to the castle, because the younger craft witch there answers all her questions and Zelda Jr has quite a few.

[Image Description: A cute lady in a witch’s outfit and hat is gesturing to a conical flask with one gloved hand, cheerfully explaining its black, bubbling and sinister contents while Princess Zelda is listening intently, one hand to her chin thoughtfully.  Gray, meanwhile, has turned very thoroughly away from them and the viewer, rubbing the back of his neck, and appears to be sweating uncomfortably.  End ID.]

(Craftwitch is saying something like "but if you need this one we really recommend booking our overnight bed so we can monitor you, even if only for the emotional support")

It's while he's trying to not pay attention to the craft witch's potion explanations (they can get pretty TMI) that Gray realizes that he noticed some of the same people in the middle distance when they were at the flower shop, too, and-and wasn't that burly fellow buying a breadroll when they were at the bakery? He could swear he saw that woman with a scar at the seamstresses' place, even, where they were taking some of Link's clothes to be mended.

[Image description: A woman in her forties with a formerly broken nose and a scar on the right side of her mouth, as well as more scars on her forearms.  Her left eye is brown, her right eye is bright blue.  She has black hair in an undercut and ponytail and two turquoise earrings in her left ear.  She is wearing brown gloves and a brown vest over a purple turtleneck with billowed sleeves, which end below the elbow.  She is holding a dark golden mask by her shoulder, of a stylized fox. End ID.]

I just wanted to have an interesting looking character to draw in this role I don’t know where this character design went off the rails lol

This group of characters is loosely inspired by the fox-thieves from ALttP, and call themselves by the same name, Pikku (which apparently comes from “pickpocket” lmao).  In CoRA they’re basically sellswords based in southern Hyrule and through most of Lorule.  This lady is more or less the ringleader of this specific group.

Gray leans in to Zelda's side and tells her, in no uncertain terms, that they need to get back to the palace NOW, probably giving her a code word that makes it clear to her that he's noticed something wrong. Princess Zelda responds by rather loudly suggesting that she would really like to see what's going on in the apothecary workshop, and the craft witch lets them sneak through the back door in hopes of throwing off the people following them.

It gets dicey.  The Pikku aren’t Shiekah, but they’ve stolen tricks from all over, and Gray is seventeen and less experienced by years, outnumbered, and trying to prioritize Princess Zelda over himself.  They’re finally driven into a corner, and all Gray can do is tell Princess Zelda to hold on to him:

[Image Description: Gray uses a teleportation circle while Zelda clings to his torso as the Pikku, wearing their fox masks, are closing in.  In the wake of the teleportation circle’s lingering smoke, the woman with the scar turns to the burly man, who has muttonchops that show at the sides of his mask and is covering his hair with a bandana, and says, “Well, so much for the EASY WAY.” Meanwhile, King Aldway is writing at a small desk, sitting in a high backed chair.  Suddenly Gray and Zelda appear before him with a loud humming, landing from the teleportation spell.  “KIDS?!” Aldway shouts, standing.  Gray says, “Your majesty-” and is interrupted by Zelda, who says “Papa ALERT THE GUARDS, we were just ATTACKED-” She cuts herself off as Gray suddenly groans, curling down and grabbing onto her for support.  “GRAY!!” she cries, trying to hold him up.  Aldway joins them on the floor, putting a hand on Gray’s head.  Gray says, ragged, “I must’ve... taken a HIT from one of them without REALIZING...” Aldway answers him soothingly, “You did WELL, son, we’ll get you an ELIXIR.”  They are interrupted by a loud crash outside of Aldway’s study.  End ID.]

Aldway, for the record, does actually think of Gray as his other kid.

Don’t judge my fuckin woobly teleportation circle symbols I was doing this on a time budget and just looked up the Yiga circles themselves instead of the Hylian script letters that are supposed to make them up.  And the Yiga circles are fuzzy and hard to follow what the symbols are actually supposed to look like.  The Yiga clan exists in CoRA but has mostly reconciled with the Royal Family because the last time Ganon appeared in this setting is based on the events of AoC.

Anyway!  Sorry for it being this particular cliffhanger but this post is probably long enough!