#and also brand new hyperfixation one piece

[hollyfrosty]

just thought of a VERY self-indulgent ask game

Give me an OC and a fictional universe, and I'll tell you how I'd translate them into an AU where they're in that universe!

#ask game #feel free to reblog i'd love to see where y'all's brains are at with this #my big fandoms right now are kingdom hearts pokemon friends at the table #and also brand new hyperfixation one piece #(i caught up to the latest arc with a podcast and am now watching the beginning of said arc) #but just the podcast was enough to give me crossover brainworms #if you know another piece of media i know feel free to throw that at me too

[citadel-of-paper-birds]

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧

•─────── ·𖥸· ───────•

I still haven't let go of my previous hyperfixations... not in totality anyway. Here's some more Roman Sanders angst as is on brand for me! I'll explain more under the cut as well as provide some other shots that better display the metallic ink I used in this piece.

•─────── ·𖥸· ───────•

•─────── ·𖥸· ───────•

This is both part of an AU that I've been building in my head for a long while now - like I said, hyperfixation - which I'll link here & here. It's also just part of a wider expansion I've been doing, trying to add new skills to my very stale skillset. While this is technically made with a particular fandom in mind I also designed it specifically to be able to stand alone as well, connecting to other projects I'm working on.

As a side note I'm fairly certain a my projects are interconnected. I can't seem to help it; I get an idea for one thing and then my brain spins it five million different directions and all of them are too interesting to pass up!

[C]•─────── ·𖥸· ───────•

#citadelart #ts roman #tss roman #roman sanders #tss #sanders sides #sanders sides art #tss creativity #ts creativity #art #dream

[vigilbutts]

uhhh i saw people doing these so why not. anyways.

Additional stuff below readmore

Kalla is great for cuddling with and she can even become a furnace if you're feeling cold. A very fluffy snuggly furnace. She loves picking people up and fighting or wrestling with people... and holding people... Very hands-on gal. Get manhandled, nerd (but only if you're down for that). Just... don't let her cook anything. It will be both burnt and undercooked at the same time. There is also a chance she won't know it's a romantic date instead of a platonic date, because she is kinda dense. Lastly, don't mind the flames, they won't hurt you.

Luis gets a bit awkward on dates or when talking with new people because he is a bit of a workaholic and does not socialize all that much. He hates dressing up and doesn't care too much for overly fancy settings, so this WILL be a "casual" date...with lovely food they've cooked just for you (and if you like eating fish, he will catch them himself! for you!). It is an expensive restaurant high quality meal, without the expensive restaurant. They will also fall asleep during cuddles (he loves naps... and is afflicted with permanent sleepy bitch disease). May potentially show you his knife collection.

Aster is a big fan of making things go boom, so, naturally, that will be included in any date she goes on. But hey, you get a personalized fireworks show in the middle of nowhere (the only place she's allowed to make boom happen 😔). Also, she might even give you a piece of shrapnel she thought was cool. Or a rock. Or a piece of dragonbrand if yall really hit it off (yes, it would be a piece of her brand, chipped right off her hair branches). She doesn't really get what dates are beyond 'romantic stuff' and her love language is explosions and whatever cool thing she just found.

Senna will bring honey as a little date treat to share. She doesn't talk much and is very quiet when she does speak, as she prefers to Observe and listen. If you like to talk a lot, she will let you do it! Also, bonus points if you ask her about her interest in bees, she will hit you with the bee hyperfixation beam. Also, yes, the honey she brings is from her bee friends, and she will tell you all about the bees' favorite flowers.

The Ladies is your regular everyday overpowered sentient magical anomaly (mesmer flavored). She is very chaotic by nature of being a bundle of sentient magic, but she means well. Also they will be wearing a different outfit every time you look away. Because fuck you, magic wardrobe change. Also, she should not be the one organizing or planning the date, absolutely do NOT let her have that responsibility. She doesn't even know what a date is supposed to be like 😭. Also when you date The Ladies, you are also dating their clones. Because the clones are them, they are the clones. It's fine, dating her is like having 50 partners but they're all the same person.

Mesmer!Luis is less shy and awkward than his canon counterpart when it comes to dating, but is also slightly less of a romantic. He also doesn't have quite the same hangups around dressing up (but he will be very unhappy if he can't "dress" a little slutty with his illusions) and fancier settings! He will only cook you a little dessert treat and not a whole meal, but will let you touch his chest or biceps, if you like. Absolute cuddle fiend and he's warmer than a human should be, but it's fine, promise. This version is also less likely to fall asleep, but the chances are still decent enough that he might! Could be convinced to show off and flex his fun little mesmer tricks, if asked.

Beans is just a lil creature! This gremlin is not supposed to be charr in their usual form, so they are a little awkward and clumsy with this new form. May whack you with it's tail, that thing is sososo long compared to the tail it is used to. It will probably drag you into some wild adventure or scheme. It will also break the 4th wall and get very Meta. Beans is also very fond of memes and bright colors.

Alice has been a ghost since King Adelbern betrayed his people and bound their spirits to fight for an eternity against the charr. Alice is not fully bound any longer. In her free time, she enjoys a bit of sparring and... well... all this freedom is new so she doesn't know much about her own likes and interests beyond that! Also, she is like, really cute. If she likes you enough, she may even take off her helmet for you. She may also be subject to outbursts as she fights to keep control of herself. It would be Very Bad if the Foefire takes over (I advise running, if such a thing were to happen).

#text #some of these nerds have canon partners but! this is for funsies #had to include the silly meme options #also sorry i like taking character screens in mistlock for the lighting!!!! lmao #gw2 #valentines meme

[tinywitchgoblin]

So, I saw my brother made a ship request for The Bad Batch (this is my first time doing one, so I'm a bit nervous), and I decided to do one, too. So, I'm 5'6 with blue eyes and blonde hair in a ponytail. I love reading, and making art and writing. I love fantasy and science-fiction stuff. I love having shirts that the sleeves go over my fingers, and I'm autistic. I hyperfixate ALOT (especially with Star Wars, specifically The Bad Batch) and I have three cats. Can't wait to see the results! ^^

(also requested SFW, and specified cisgender straight female)

I'm glad to be your first ship request facilitator (if that's what it is... idk). Also, tell your cats I say hi!

I ship you with...

Tech!

Tech is a very logic-oriented person. His mind is very organized, and does very well with structure. On the other hand, art is something he's never really understood, tried or, frankly, even liked. That changed when he met you. When he saw not only your art, but the way you interact with it, he became mesmerized. He wanted to know all about your creative process, and asks how he can be helpful. Tech loves getting you new supplies and doing research on which brands/types of supplies work best with your art styles. When you make a piece of art inspired by him, Tech doesn't have much of an outward reaction, but inside, he's bursting with emotion. He doesn't really understand what emotions he's feeling, but he is beyond grateful that you love him so much to put your time and energy into making something about him.

When growing up on Kamino, Tech and his brothers didn't have access to stories, especially not fantasy stories, so he was fascinated when you introduced him to the fantasy genre. It's well known that Tech ingests information about as well as Wrecker ingests food, so when you hand him one of your favorite fantasy novels, he becomes engrossed in it. Sometimes when he's reading, you'll hear him mutter to himself about what he thinks the characters' thought processes are in order to predict what they might do next, and it can be quite entertaining to listen to.

When Tech finds out you like to hyperfixate on The Bad Batch, he's initially a bit confused, partly because he had no idea that their stories were told here. He asks to watch the series, which you happily pull up. The two of you end up binge-watching the series in less than a week, and you love every second of it. Tech is a bit miffed that the animators don't accurately portray how he and his brothers look, but he keeps his remarks to a minimum while the show is actually playing. However, Tech does like to provide commentary about how certain events actually played out, as well as discussing his own thought processes from while he was in the moment. Ultimately, he's happy that you wanted to share one of your favorite fixations with him, because to him, sharing in one's obsessions is one of the best love languages.

-

Thanks for reading! If you want a ship request like this one, drop it in my ask box, and don't forget to reblog <3 it may take a little bit, but I'll get to it eventually!

Also, I haven't seen anything about #unwhitewashtbb recently, but on my page we support Temuera Morrison-accurate clone protrayals

#the bad bois #the bad batch #tech bad batch #tec #tech x reader #technically #tech #technology #tbb tech #tech tbb #star #star wars x reader #unwh #unwhitewashtbb

[nightofnyx8]

📥 🤔 and 🍰 please!

📥 What is your fave fic to receive comments/messages on?

Honestly comments in general make my whole day haha :) I think my favorite royai fics to get comments on are for either my AUs or Misfire, those were really fun to write! It's fun to see people's reactions to royai in a "maybe they won't end up being executed in the same grave someday" kind of way. My Spy x Family ones are fun too, especially if I get royai readers on them lol. Gotta love pairs who barely touch and suddenly it's the most intimate thing in the world.

🤔 What is the hardest part of writing fic?

Oh goodness, there's a question for the ages. I am very much a bit of a perfectionist, so it's hard for me just to sit down and jot down a fic that's not up to my usual writing standards. There's a very specific way I like my writing to flow so editing always takes up a large chunk of time before posting. And as much as I hate to admit it, I do thrive on interaction. Writing is definitely something that helps me relax, but it's a little hard to spend 15+ hours on a chapter only for like five people to read it. But you better believe I hold those readers in the palm of my hands and cry ugly tears over a single kudos lol.

Writer's block also sucks ass. I literally have so many unfinished royai wips, but I just lost steam and of course I got hyperfixated on another blonde/black-haired angsty duo. I'd really love to write for royai again, but I think I would write them a little differently than before since it's been a while.

🍰 Name one of your fave comfort fics (doesn’t have to be your all time fave).

Oh I have so many royai ones. I've read "Let Me Love You" by @fullmetalscullyy at least a dozen times haha. "i'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones" by @lantur is one of my favorite AUs of all time, and of course "a study in reformation" by @firewoodfigs reignites my love royai every dang chapter. Though for prose purposes, you and @roseofbattles are always a win. "what started in beautiful rooms" and "adopt a brand new langauge" are literally pieces of art.

Spy x Family would have to include "hide and seek" by @puolain, "After the Storm" by @xokiddo, Saccharin by @lacrow, "until we run out of mornings by bloomdove, "green envy, silver tongue" by @aerequets and "if you don't love me now" by @nire-the-mithridatist

#well that turned into a ramble #thank you for the ask my dear friend!

[thirstydiglett]

COMING SOON FROM DIGLETT

I am definitely not doing this because my brain is broken and I can’t keep track of what I’m working on buuuuut anyway here have some of the stuff I’m working on

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Corazon x Male!reader

Doing this piece set at Marine Headquarters where a promising young recruit struggling with self-esteem issues meets a handsome commander who helps him work through it 🥰 Almost finished with this one, it will probably be my next one posted!

Buggy x Afab!GN!Reader, SpaceCowboy!AU

Working on this one for my friend ^_^ he’s a space bandit and you’re a space cowboy and this one is gonna get very spicy

Charlotte Smoothie x F!Reader

Not much done for this one yet but lowkey thinking of starting a side blog for wlw fics because I think imma end up writing a ton of them 😂 God I worship Smoothie I will write entire novels about her fucking dare me

Usopp & Franky Street Racing AU

This one is just in the planning phases, but I’m hoping to do a chapter for each of the straw hats (and a few other characters hehe) as they each meet and start racing with Franky and Usopp. Also its gonna have lots of Kaya/Usopp and SO MUCH SLOW BURN FROBIN IM SO GODDAMN EXCITED GAH

More Sanji x Reader

I haven’t started anything official but I have SO MANY HORNY IDEAS for Sanji, he is my absolute favorite and so goddamn hot and kind and wonderful so be prepareddd 💛🖤💛

As always requests are still open because I am an insane person with a brand new hyperfixation! Love you guyssssssss

#Diglett writes #corazon x reader #buggy x reader #frobin #kaya x usopp

[alienprincelee]

Ello Creation System - A Deep Dive

While scrolling on Youtube I found myself remembering about the Ello Creation System, and after trying to look for pictures of the sets I used to have I found myself getting into a hyperfixation hole about the whole thing.

I'm not so sure how obscure or unknown they are, but after a while I was able to uncover a bit of history about them, and I want to share that with the world.

(Ello-Opolis: People, Places and Things set)

In the late 90's to early 2000;s, Ivy Ross was the head of Mattel's creative division, being in charge of "Project Platypus", a team developing a new set of building toys aimed for preteen girls. In that team was Richard Manville, who developed the concept and idea for the toy, from the branding and packaging to the look of the pieces. After Bratz launched, Ivy Ross left Mattel and a couple of months after Ello Creation System was discontinued.

One thing that I find interesting is how the Wikipedia page says it was discontinued in 2004, while in Mattel's own website it states some of the toys were released in 2005. Also, not all of the sets are listed on Mattel's website, such as Ello-Opolis Cats and Dogs, and On The Go Snow (which even has an Amazon listing), and there's even some that I haven't found any pictures of besides the ones on the Mattel website like the watch and the scooter.

(High Res image of the scooter set from @richardmanville . No other pictures currently exist on the internet (that I know of).

(This is the only picture of the watch on the whole internet, I'd absolutely love to own one, but I think I'd be okay with just a high-res picture. Was it ever released?)

A very interesting thing I'd like to share is what I've found on the United States Patent and Trademark Office website, which mentions the name Ello Creation System and its logo were registered under Mattel until 2011, for its use in items such as toys, educational games, clothing and shoes, bed spreads, lunch boxes, cutlery, hair combs, toothbrushes, backpacks, stationary, lamps, shampoo, and even bandages, they sure wanted to be covered in case the name went big.

(One of the Ello trademarks on the USPTO website)

In that same search I found out that after their trademark ran out, in 2013 LeapFrog grabbed the name "ello" for a brand of water bottles, which was one of the intended uses Mattel had for the line.

The reason for the discontinuation is still unknown, but since Manville is still present in social media maybe he could bring some light into it. Since I'm not any type of notorious journalist, documentary YouTuber or any of the sorts I don't think I've got the qualifications to bother him about an obscure project he ran 20 years ago, but maybe one of you does, in which case I'd love to hear about it to get the end of the mystery, my ASD brain would absolutely appreciate that!!

Let me know if any of you knew about this, or if you've got any other info you'd like to share about the toys! Whether it be your stories about playing with them or if you know any bits or pieces missing!

#ello creation system #ello #mattel #2000s toys #early 2000s #millenial #zillenial #toys #y2k #construction toys #girl toys #discontinued toys #long post #text post #original #this is what happens when you hyperfocus #asd #actuallyautistic #neurodivergent #obscure toys #nostalgia #00s nostalgia #deep dive #toy industry #richard manville #ivy ross

[average-crazy-fangirl]

Hello there! Some stars for the meme, as I was throwing those around c:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Woop!

So for my Dragonborn OC Regan, I wanted to have a unique way to explain the difference between a dragon soul, a dragon soul in a mortal body, and a mortal body with a black soul.

Keep in mind all of this is headcannon based on research I did when TES dragons became a hyperfixation for a little while, and most of it only happens in a fic I'm working on:

Dragons as they appear on Mundus aren't proper flesh and blood. They aren't born, they can't be created, and even through using their corpses for smithing or (in Miraak's case) decor cannot be destroyed fully.

Because in a similar way to Daedra, Aedra are made with some form of Aedric material.

In the case of dragons, this is pieces of Akatosh through both their soul and their body, made with a substance known as the Sands of Akatosh, the main material found on Planet Akatosh.

It's also why Alduin can 'unwind' a dragon's decaying flesh, he's not undoing the process in a necromantic sense, he's jus flipping over the metaphorical hour glass that is a dovah.

For dragonborns though, this manifests in a really bizarre way, one most people won't ever notice;

The skeleton.

The skeleton of a Dragonborn isn't like that of a mortal's, the bones are stronger and repair much quicker, rarely breaking.

The bones themselves will not be the right shape for their body, as any necromancer (or follower unfortunate enough to see a Dragonborn's soul be taken by another dragon) will quickly realise the skeleton is a very misshapen dragon skeleton, as though Akatosh overused a squatch and stretch tool.

This can lead to issues, one being dislocated jaw, as most dragons have an extra strip of muscle that holds the snake-like jaw correctly, allowing for more easily performed shouts, and unfortunately Akatosh sometimes forgets to add the muscle, such as the case of a dragonboen in Sovengarde, who died after his jaw didn't reattach after he used a Shout during a battle, leading to an arrow piercing both his jaw and neck.

Thankfully, this effects can be negated, either through luck with having all the pieces in Akatosh's brand new shove-a-dragon-in-a-tiny-body toy set, or through having the First Dragonborn create a shout that forcibly adds missing parts (wings, tail, horns, entire sections of muscle, etc.) to the unfortunate dragonborn.

Unfortunately however, no shout fixes the issues of being a dragon in a tiny flesh cage.

One is the need for flight. Dragons, like Akatosh, need to be close to both the sun and the sky, as well as having a clear view of the nearby area, or they will go numb, leading to them being far easier to kill. In dragonborns who can't fly, this will quickly manifest in depression and possibly dangerous stunts like climbing to the top of mountains, or the edges of cliffs.

Another is the very way a Dragonborn is created; soul first.

The way it works is Akatosh has a mental breakdown (a dragonbreak) and creates two new dragons, twins. One is a Jill (the 'females') and the other is the Wyrm (te 'male'). From here Akatosh chooses which one gets dropped from Aetherius like a baby bird to become a Dragonborn, and which one stays for a little while before being brought to Mundus to explore as a dragon.

Normally the Jill is kept, as they have a job to do, fix the dragonbreak, and the Wyrm has only a need to dominate and destroy (and create hoards, but Jill's do the same thing so really it doesn't matter)

Now, sometimes both go down to Mundus as regular dragons, such as the twins you can find in the Forgotten Vale, who are a Wyrm and Jill, but most of the time you'll only see Wyrm.

For dragonborns they tend to be an even split of Wyrm and Jill, however the 'sex' of the dragon doesn't impact either sex or gender of the dragonborn, just their personality.

Jill are far more prone to repairing problems, such as St Alessia and Khunzar-ri (who was also a strange mix of Sands, moonlight, and Waters of Oblivion, being a child of four gods), and Wyrm are for more prone to tyranny and destruction, most famously with Miraak and Potemma.

Adding to Akatosh having to decide if he wants to risk another Summerset Incident (caused by a Wyrm in a mortal body), he then needs to try and either aim for a decent spot for the Dragonborn to appear (one landed in Thras and died fairly quickly), or (in the case of my Last Dragonborn) learn days later that Uriel Septim VII went behind his back and just threw the thing towards Cyrodiil and hoped for the best.

From here the soul lands in a vacant vessel, usually either an unhatched egg or unborn child, and usually closer to the end of the incubation/pregnancy, so that it has time to change the body to suit it's needs without risking all the earlier complications, such as the mortal body realising something has very much changed within itself.

The change effects not only soul (effectively blocking Arkay from placing a black soul in the body forever) but on the blood, as any blood from the people who created the body are essentially eaten by the blood of Akatosh, in a way that would inspire Molag's vampire disease.

The BRT (Blood Replacement Therapy) can lead to some very alarming problems, such as any tests the birth parents may do on their child will effectively say the kid has no flesh or blood relation to them, such as when Cassynder Septim (child of Pelagius III and Empress Katriah) showed as having no relations to Katriah when he was born (until she took the Ruby Throne, at which point Akatosh shrugged and gave her dragon blood, but no soul, since he had previously gotten into an argument about Arkay about switching souls out of someone who's already alive without their permission)

To make a long story short, dragons are walking sand creatures, all dragonborn have an average of three parents, with only one being proven in a court of mages, and dragon bones do not belong in a mortal body under any circumstances, even if it makes it easier for your toddlers to say Bormah.

#skyrim headcanon #tes headcanons #Honestly. Thank you for the ask #I've been trying to find an excuse to talk about some of this

[enrapture]

So what was the last non-sexual thing that caught your hyperfixation? What’s your current interest?

This answers both lmfao.

The band Waterparks, started in the middle of last year very slight with 1-2 songs that hit for me at the time and reminded me of how I was feeling during that period but then evolved as soon as dec - January where it really blossomed started out as curiosity and I have since run down the rabbit hole. *awsten knight’s* ^aka the singer of Waterparks I’ve been collecting his own clothing brand they drop a piece every week and they’re limited to 300 each drop they get sold in literal mere seconds I WISH I WAS JOKING. Its a bloodbath but thanks to this one account on Twitter I follow I’m able to get some pieces ahead of the drop because she guesses passwords which is her thing which helps a shit ton. But sometimes you HAVE to fight for your life if you want that piece. Thank god for PayPal pay immediately lmao but sometimes even that is too slow. People are quick as fuck. But it’s fun. and I’ve managed to get a few not all of this season’s drop. But still little wins! I’m so excited to receive this one tee I bought over the weekend it’s going to be here on the 20th! I’ll have to show it off as soon as it comes! You’ll have to remind me. I’ve got so many *3* good investment because they’re kinda limited as well. vinyls of the same damn album (intellectual property) because awsten said to lmfao and they’re diff colors. I also have a bitten CD by the band for one of the singles off the album and I have another cd of intellectual property with 2 bonus songs on it. recently not too long ago collected the “greatest hits vinyl it glows in the dark* and “fandom” I’m hoping to collect “entertainment” on vinyl but they’re all so expensive on eBay a little bit but I want a unique color so bad and they’re so hard to find kinda and then get the cluster CD. I need to get a CD player now that I think about it... Collecting merch as of recent this girl from texas managed to get me a t shirt and some booty shorts I’m so excited about wearing because I wasn’t able to get them when I went for the show. It was packed as fuck (I also met them a few weeks ago DIDNT go as planned like at all but still was a good time) :,) but I also have grown a major crush on the singer but that’s aside from the fact lol.

Other than that I’ve also been tryna get certain clothing items I think are so sick that awsten wears that I think would look better on me so that’s what I’ve gotten recently is some nike air trainer 1 sp’s c: and I fucking love them. I got some that fit but now I’m tryna sell like two pairs I impulse bought that I thought would fit me that don’t 😭 curse men’s sizes for not fitting women’s feet like the size chart claims. But it’s all good. That’s all as of recent. Besides finding new music (I’m adding to my Spotify playlists that I absolutely hate making but enjoy it in a way) and trying to clear my head - taking a step back and thinking things through and figuring out what I want and what’s best for me personally without anyone else’s judgment clouding my decisions. Im wanting better relationships for myself. Setting healthy boundaries and realizing my worth is all. Not being easily accessible anymore. :)

I hope this answered fuck I’m so sorry for tangenting. (Also trying not to apologize for myself or my emotions / feelings as they’re valid even though I just did lol)

[ellaswindley]

Improving as an Illustrator 1 - Littlest Pet Shop

So, in my quest to expand my artistic abilities, I remembered my project from First Year that I absolutely adored. In my 'Barbie' project, (which you can find the pieces from here: https://ellaswindley.myportfolio.com/illustration-work-1), I replicated the most common art style from each decade to create a cohesive collection of pieces that mimicked the styles in earnest. There were so many things that made this project successful.

Most importantly, I ENJOYED what I was creating. I have ADHD, and one of my hyperfixations is Barbie. As such, when I was illustrating each piece, I felt a genuine emotional attachment with what I was making. I think this resulted in me spending more time with each piece, making sure each was perfectly to my liking.

Secondly, I really enjoyed being able to experiment with new art styles I had never tried before. It was very satisfying to build my portfolio with such diverse work all from one project. It also resulted in me having a more well-rounded education in regards to art style; Since completing my Barbie project, I now consider which technique and style would be most appropriate for my current piece, rather than sticking with a default style.

As such, I figured that the best way to approach my new illustration advances would be to use a similar format. I want to experiment with many art styles from media that means a lot to me, which should result in me using new techniques and approaches to create artwork.

The subject of today's experimentation is Littlest Pet Shop, a toy brand created by Hasbro that meant a lot to me as a child. The idea to create art inspired by the toyline came from a Reddit user named Tazzwazz, who posted to reddit.com/r/littlestpetshop with their redesigns.

(https://www.reddit.com/r/LittlestPetShop/comments/15ez0dd/new_gen_lps_as_old_gen_3/#lightbox)

I really liked their style, and wanted to do my best to replicate it with my own designs.

My idea for these LPS designs was to create myself and my boyfriend as if we were characters in the fictional universe. I would need to consider animal species and colour, as well as implement the brand guidelines.

I researched LPS, and found a complete list of all of their species (https://lps.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Species). In this context, an LPS species means a mould that has been used to portray an animal type across multiple designs and products. For example, here is a few usages of their 'Shorthair Cat':

My favourite animal is a polar bear, and my boyfriends' is a border collie. I located two high-resolution and well-framed reference images of these moulds.

In my time at The Little Paper Shop, my employer regularly encouraged us to trace absolutely everything we illustrated. Her reasoning was that it ensured that our artwork would be accurate to our reference material. I always believed that it was more about time constraints--tracing takes away a lot of artistic license, and streamlines your workflow. So for these pieces, that were created while I was still employed at TLPS, I traced the reference images found. Looking back on this now, I think that tracing as much as I did limited my capability to improve. As I develop as an illustrator, I would like to get back to not tracing, as I did before I became accustomed to my job.

I started by using a thick liner brush to outline the key shapes of the figurines. This piece was intended to be bold and graphic, so I made sure that my brush weight was quite high. I also increased the 'Smoothing' on my brush, so that the lines did not have many imperfections, improving the graphic quality of the piece.

I used rounded tips for a few of the lines, to keep the piece feeling childish and fun. I used sharp, pointed lines to suggest an edge in the mould that would taper and become flush with the rest of the surface. Looking back on this now, I'm not sure that I like the mix of these two elements. I think that the neck fur in particular looks a bit clumsy as a result of the mixed line styles. In the future, I will take forward the lesson that line types should be consistent.

I then created a new layer and filled in the base colour of my design. I chose yellow because it is my favourite colour, but I made it such a saturated shade in order to fit in with the established childish style of the piece.

Then, using the Lasso tool, I selected the various parts of my illustration that I wanted to shade. I did this using the Lasso tool so that my shading would be confined to the relevant section, and there would not be overlap from different shaded zones.

I did this all on a separate layer, so that I still had the flat colour available to edit. So that my shading did not go outside the bounds of the flat colour, I made this layer a Clipping Mask.

The benefit of creating art on different layers is having the ability to edit at any time. For example, if I wanted to change my whole piece to a new tone, I would simply be able to change the colours of the layers using Alpha Lock, rather than having to fill the colour in and start all of the shading again. Here's an example of what I mean--

I then added some design elements to keep the piece interesting and detailed. I opted to add paint splashes to represent the fact that I am an artist (as cliche as such a design element may be). I made them primary coloured to again envoke a youthful feel, but also to keep the colour palette appealing. This particular palette is Triadic, and I like the balance that the shades have together as they are not too different in saturation or tone.

Next, I used the 'Alpha Lock' tool to change the lineart's colours. In my own art, I tend to match the lineart colour with the fill beneath it. However, Tazzwazz approached this technique in a way I had not considered before. In her art, the outside border remains black, but any lineart that overlaps with the fill is coloured. I REALLY like the effect this gives, as it essentially frames the piece, while allowing for detail. I copied her technique, and am very happy with the result. In future, I think I will incorporate this again if the piece would suit it.

I then added the eyes to the piece. Before, I mentioned the brand guidelines. In my research, I found that all Littlest Pet Shop toys have a specific eye-shine that reflects their personality. @gmccluskey0658 over on Pinterest.com made a thorough infographic of this topic, which was very helpful to me: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/663014376384054106/

Seeing as this style choice is present across all LPS, I simply had to include it on my own in order to make it as authentic as possible.

And then I was done! I repeated the entire process to make a design for my boyfriend as well:

Everything was much quicker this time around, as I had already tested all of the techniques. I think that the design for myself may be better, as Harry's design lacks an additional design element to make it as visually interesting. I think the colour palette of my own design is what helps it to be more successful, so I have identified that simplistic artwork like this can really benefit from bright and bold details.

My plan for my next piece is to complete artwork in a very different format, and compare the two methods to see which I prefer, and which yields the best results.

#image post #post 2 #improving as an illustrator

[youareiron-andyouarestrong]

Rebelcaptain Secret Santa Anon back for another week!!!

Love that you listed the cast some light verse as one of your smutty faves! It's one of my fave series too. (I don't think I'll reach those heights, but I'll do my best! I have a habit of building up to smut and then cutting away from it or joking my way out of it but I'm really trying this time bc the fic deserves it!)

This week's question is an offer to do some self-promo. I've read your works over the years, but if someone was brand new to you as an author, what fics would you choose introduce yourself to them? A personal, touching favorite? A specific beloved trope? Non-Rebelcaptain fics are totally encouraged as well...but this is an exchange for them so maybe at least one lol.

Hope you're having a lovely November and have a happy thanksgiving if you celebrate! If I could e-gift you baked goods, I would. (Sorry if this sent twice, Tumblr did a weird, you can just answer one.)

Wow, what a great question! I'm very bad at self-promo, but I'll do my best

undoubtedly, my longest, most involved work is my rebelcaptain magic/wizarding au, iron, salt, earth, that I co-write with @shewhoisneondaisies. it's so full of our headcanons and ideas about magic that it's become very much a part of me. so if you want super involved worldbuilding (a personal favorite of mine), that's the one to read

my contribution to the 2020 rebelcaptain secret santa exchange, wherever you stray i'll follow (anywhere else is hollow) originally was an epistolary piece, because I love an obscure conceit, but I love how it turned out; writing modern!, married!rebelcaptain was a source of great comfort and joy to me, during a difficult holiday season

finally, my most recent rash of rebelcaptain snippets that several lovely anons and mutuals have sent to me (two prompts found here and here) are near and dear to me, because I'm always struggling to keep it exactly that--a snippet! but two of these have lines I'm very proud of, so here they go

anyone who follows me knows my latest hyperfixation is Lockwood & Co, my current project is my Norrie wakes up au, passed down like folksongs, the love lasts so long, of which I am very proud! (you will also notice a repeated pattern, the use of Taylor Swift lyrics as titles.) if you like found family feels and sweet established relationships, this is the fic for you (until I make it angsty, that is)

#replies #rebelcaptain secret santa 2023 #anon good sir

[a-lil-perspective]

70 Encouragements/Tips For The Writer:

A/N: Rules don’t exist. These are real and personal and stem from a deteriorating, exhausted Writer who is here to tell you (and herself) that you are amazing and keep going. I hope you find some encouragement within.

Your mental health comes first and foremost.

Indulge and embrace your creative writing pieces when they come (and when they don’t). Especially when they don’t.

Suffering from Writer’s Block or fluctuating hyperfixation? Me too. So is your favorite author. Welcome to the Writer’s Block Party (all my uwus if you see the pun).

Did you spend five hours on this one segment, forget the last time you ate, develop chapped lips, dry eyes, and a stiff back (time to get up and move), bang your head on the wall, laugh, cry, fidget, take your ADHD meds, deviate to watch YouTube, have an epiphany, curse in frustration and wonder why the hell you do this to yourself? Congratulations, you’re a Writer.

Embrace all the not-so-glamorous sides of writing, and accept the fact they’re going to happen time over again.

When you say “just one more line” and it’s 2:00 AM, I’ll be here to remind you to “go to sleep” (because I’m also depriving myself lol).

Actually, sleeping helps your mind feel refreshed, and it’s good for your health. If you’re struggling with a particular segment, one of the best things you can do is just put a cap on it for the time being, put in a placeholder, and get some shut eye. I know you don’t want to. But you will feel so much better and have more clarity and energy to continue when you wake. Trust me.

More often than not, those words you “just didn’t write down fast enough and now forgot” end up revealing themselves to you later in a much more profound way. Give the words time to get ready. They’re just spiffing up before coming to visit. :)

Be proud of yourself and your prose. Writing is an amazing part of who you are.

That trope has been written 1000 times before? Make it 1001.

You’ve already written this scenario? Write it again.

You’ve just written a single sentence. Now sit back for moment and think: you just wrote something brand new, never before seen. Nobody out there will ever write that sentence or formulate those thoughts the exact same way. You are a unique, mind-blowing, awe-inspiring human being.

Bask in the excitement that comes with a completed piece. Reflect on what you learned throughout and celebrate the little victories.

Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback, but also understand that you might not always get it, and that is OK.

Please re-read your work. Be gentle with yourself. You had to write that very first piece to get to where you are now. Love the process.

Your personal writing success is not based off of kudos or likes or reblogs.

There is no right or wrong way to write.

There is no such thing as “good” writing.

Improvement is becoming of everyone so get comfy, strap in. The journey of a Writer is a lifelong one. Here’s to many more works ahead.

Don’t mourn the words you did or didn’t write. Celebrate the ones you will.

One day, you’ll read a piece that will blow you away—and it will be yours.

There is nothing “shameful” about reblogging your own writing works.

I promise you’ll find your “wow” piece—either in something you’ve already written, or something yet to come.

Baby. Please don’t write out of spite. You’re better than that.

You are just as valid/deserving as the next Writer. And you do belong.

If you feel sad/unworthy when sharing your works or interacting with others’, get to the root of why. Writing should be fun, rewarding, and relaxing. Not shameful, embarrassing, or a chore.

Writing (fanfiction, specifically) is labeled as “transformative works”. Self-explanatory, right? However, if you notice the transformative part begin to have a personal effect on you—a negative one—it’s time to take a step back.

Right now, I can name a single quality you possess: diligence. How do I know? Because you’re a Writer, and the two go hand-in-hand.

Got that single scene in your head but you haven’t completed or even began all the chapters preceding? Bruh. Jot that down right now. You don’t need 20k words beforehand.

Embrace your writing mood swings. The stray, sweet and condensed blurbie. The ideal, bridging drabble. The solid, substantial oneshot. The hefty, elaborate 10k word chapter. Appreciate everything in-between, and that you are capable of all of it.

Nobody remembers that extra word or typo or stray speech mark back all the way back in chapter 3. Tell the little monster in your head to go to hell.

You’re not a weirdo for making facial expressions and mulling through your dialogue aloud. You. Are. A. Writer.

It’s OK if the Readers can’t always see exactly what you envisioned in your head, or the full extent of the picture you painted. We all see colors differently.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your writing.

In fact, challenge yourself to dabble into a new plot/trope/concept every day, even if only for a few minutes. You may discover you love writing it.

There’s no rush to finish/begin any written work. If you take your time, you will make your mark. You’re not falling behind or running late. Slow down and wait for it. :)

Three cheers for hiatus.

Listen to your body and mind, know your limits and when it’s time to take a break.

Actually take a break. :)

If you feel like you’re falling stagnant in creativity, looking to/revisiting other forms of creative media can help encourage the flow.

Ask for encouragement, and be at peace with asking.

Take shelter in fellow writers. Uplift each other always.

You are/will be someone’s favorite author. :)

You don’t have anything to prove. You have something to share.

Someone is thinking about your work right now.

Someone started a series because they drew inspiration from you.

Personal writing style can reflect a lot on the state of one’s mental health. Try to always be attentive to that of your own.

Self-validation must be cultivated early on or nothing will ever work.

Freestyle every once in a while. Write a snippet, timed, and go—without editing. Write the first thing that comes to mind and go from there. Do it all the way through the set time. When it stops, you’ll find yourself unable to. 3,800 words here we come. :)

Not everything needs an outline. :)

It is completely normal to write your story out of order.

Create guidelines for yourself. If they aren’t working, toss ‘em.

Word vomiting can help you feel better (it’s just how it sounds). By clearing all those jumbled thoughts and scattered concepts, you achieve a clearer objective. Try it sometime.

A rough draft is supposed to be rough.

Sometimes the words come to you quicker than others. Be patient. That is merely the construct of a Writer’s mind. You’re a beautiful enigma.

A sentence written is a story progressing.

Writing is an endurance sport. You must pace yourself and exercise it daily.

You are still a Writer even when the words aren’t on the actual page.

You’re not obligated to a writing/posting schedule.

As you progress in your journey and gain more awareness, don’t sacrifice your style. Those beginning works are what define you. Hold onto them and don’t ever let them go.

You’re the only one cringing—

Remember that sometimes words are elusive and you don’t always have control over them, and that is OK. Sometimes they write themselves. Sometimes your characters come to life and break out into dance across your page. Dance with them. You can wrangle them back when the music stops. :)

There is nothing condemning or embarrassing about asking for a beta. Allow someone to help carry the load.

Allow people to cheer you on—even if they don’t read your work.

It’s OK if your writing style isn’t someone else’s preference.

Be your biggest cheerleader. Sometimes you are all you have.

You don’t need anyone’s approval except your own.

You love that trope/concept/story you just wrote? That’s all that matters. The end.

You will never write good. You will write you. And that is good.

Above all else: remember to write for you.🤍

#writers #fanfiction writers #writing encouragement #writer appreciation #writer support #writer struggles #writing motivation #writers tips #for writers #omg am I struggling. #hope these help you beautiful people #my writing #it’s a lil thing

[gowns]

order of operations for sustainable clothes

shop your own closet. if you think you need something? look in the back of your drawers, boxes, corners of closets, etc. every single autumn without fail i'm like "oh shit i need to buy a sweater." i own many sweaters. i do not need to buy a sweater.

divorce yourself from the endorphin rush of novelty. there is no need to buy something new. get endorphins from drugs or alcohol or taking a walk instead.

wait, you do need a new object. oh shit. maybe you do need a new sweater. maybe the old ones have holes in them or don't fit you anymore. OK. next step: do a clothes swap with friends

then: buy nothing groups, craigslist free section

then: thrift stores

then: online secondhand economy (BST groups, instagram accounts, places with no seller fees, OR poshmark, depop, mercari, thredup, etc...)

lastly. when you just haven't found the thing that you need yet. because you require a very specific thing. and you have a bit of cash to make a money exchange for the thing. then you should 1) know your measurements and 2) order from a small-batch or made-to-order clothes maker. AKA a slow fashion brand.

ideal fabrics include linen, tencel, bamboo, hemp; organic cotton is also OK. raw silk. rayon good sometimes.

check the clothes brand / maker's manufacturing statement. what factories do they use? how do they pay their workers? how do they source their fabrics? how often do they put out new designs? do they offer benefits and unions to their workers? what are they doing to ensure safe working conditions?

what's their story? are they size-inclusive? do they respond to emails? do they have an option to resell on their site or on a brand-specific resale board? (in other words, if something doesn't fit, can you ensure that someone will wear it instead of it being chucked in the trash?)

can they customize a piece to match your exact measurements? some of them do! then you're even more likely to hang onto it and wear it often, aren't you!

once you've found a good sustainable brand, keep on the lookout for that name in the secondhand economy. bam. twice as sustainable.

you may ask: doesn't this require a ridiculous amount of research?

the answer is: yes! it does. i believe that if we want to start changing consumer habits we each have to develop a fixation -- a hyperfixation, if you will -- on where every object comes from, how it's made, and if it is worth the currency exchange to obtain the object. it's basically a completely different way of thinking. it's not hard to make this leap for many of you (who i know are already on board with me here, preaching to the choir, etc) but i believe we can always make every choice more intentional. and if that involves decision trees and spreadsheets to purchase a single object, so be it.

#gowns full of polemic again #slow fashion

[pennypalblorkposts]

Hampsterdance hyperfixation?

ok ok i know me being fixated on a song about dancing hampsters is very strange but theres actually a ton of underground lore about hampsterdance thats been obscured for decades due to hampsterdance (the brand/band) tanking in popularity after its one hit wonder single in 2000

[ID: a doodle of a person with short hair, looking very excited, with a thought bubble containing the word "Hampter" over their head. end ID]

1. this is probably more well known thanks to this video and also due to me talking about it with random strangers all the time but hampsterdance had a straight-to-dvd movie called "how the hampster's saved winter" that's a piece of lost media (which isn't a new thing for this franchise) due to barely anybody ordering it off the website. the only reason we know it exists it thanks to an article from 2019 of someone interviewing the guys who own the hampsterdance brand (yes, brand!!) and web archives of the website (and the dead purchase link on it.) as well as screencaps from a now dead flash game (which i have saved thankfully pre flash dying) which includes a ferret which is just making me want to find it even more, even if it's just a shitty christmas movie

2. i'm gonna follow up on the hampsterdance movie kind of by explaining what i mean by brand. it's well known info (and if you dont know this thats ok) that the original website was made by an art student named deidre lacarte in 98 in a competition with her friend and sister to make a site with the most web traffic. well, after the hit single "hampsterdance", in around 2002ish? the trademark to it was bought by abatis inc. who still currently holds the trademark. and also they're the ones behind this fucking 3d redesign of the main 4 (i blame alvin for this one personally :/)

[ID: a set of two images. the first image contains a 2D drawing of a yellow hamster with a bowtie, a brown hamster with a cowboy hat, a grey hamster and an orange hamster. the second image contains a 3D rendered version of the four hamsters with names beside them, as well as instruments. a brown hamster with a cowboy hat named Dixie, holding a guitar, an orange hamster with goggles named Fuzzy with a pair of drums, a yellow hamster with a bowtie named Hampton with a guitar, and a grey hamster with a yin and yang symbol named Hado with an electric keyboard. she also has a flower on her ear. end ID]

like.. i love their current designs now despite how Interesting they look, but what we had already was perfect.

3. there's actually a niche community of hampsterdance fans and there has been for decades! there's an official forum that exists and that's still active (last i checked a few months ago) if you wanna make an account on it good luck getting it approved, it took my account a good year i think :(. so i guess my hampsterdance fixation isnt that strange even if it's mainly focusing on the backstory of this entire franchise vs the actual characters themselves (id probably fixate on the characters if i actually got my hands on that damn movie)

4. hampsterdance has actually made songs outside of its one hit wonder. it has a few albums also!! you can find some of the songs on youtube as well as some of the other music videos ;)

5. official merchandising of the hampsters exists, and yes, im qualifying that as lost media. this includes shirts, rubber bands, and lollipops strangely enough. also plushies of the main cast (unfortunately in the reboot style). also a mug i regret not buying when i saw it for 20 bucks on ebay </3

[ID: an image of four pairs of red lollipops, each with the face of the hampsterdance cast on them. in order: an orange hamster with goggles and some necklaces, a yellow hamster with a bowtie, a grey hamster with flowers beside her ear, and a brown hamster with a cowboy hat on her head. end ID]

6. hampton (the main hampster, the guy with the bowtie, the man who started it all) was named after deidre's hamster who had the same name. he was featured a few times on the website after it went through a few updates (aka going from literal gif hell to an actual website with things to do on it).

thank you mr hampton for inspiring millions of people by existing. and also promoting hamster care for two decades. youve done a lot for us (actual image of him below)

[ID: a small, low quality image of a real life hamster in a cage. the cage has a pink bottom. the hamster is orange with a white belly. end ID]

7. i bet you're curious why hampsterdance is spelled with a p. well, according to hampton hampster (fictional), he named himself that because unlike hamsters (without a p), he was no ordinary hamster. in actuality this was probably a misspelling of hamster that just ended up sticking, but i do think that little in universe explanation is very cute.

i could go on but this post is long enough as is. i highly recommend going on the wayback machine through all the hampsterdance urls (hampsterdance.com, hampsterdance2.com) if you're really curious about how hampsterdance (the website) has changed so much. or you could ask me 😏😏😏

#sorry if im a bit all over the place so is my interest in this damn thing #i fell down a rabbit hole in 2019 and i havent managed to find my way out sinc #e #hampsterdance #hampster dance #long post #im not good with image transcriptions but ill try and add some onto this in an edit #penny posts #ok to rb/interact #hamsters #food #sorry forgot to tag that #edit: added image descriptions rb this version if u can

[immortalcoelacanth]

Between the Walls, Chapter 1: Roommates (Dream SMP fic)

I've noticed there's an unfortunate lack in Borrower AU content, and as that shit is my jam I'm putting forth the content I wish to see into the fandom XD

To quote my friend, "I do not control the hyperfixation"

Word count: 4497

Summary: At first retirement had sounded like an excellent idea. Make a house far away from everyone else, get some peace and quiet, no longer concern himself with the total garbage that was the local government. Nice things, relaxing things.… 

But then the scratching in the walls started happening.

Techno groaned as he flopped backwards into his chair, tired eyes staring into the glowing fireplace as he relaxed after his busy day. A day full of building, repairing the damage dealt by the creeper population, and…

A day spent trying to find any signs of his thief.

You see, Techno had assumed that retirement would be an excellent way to unwind from the massive amount of blood that had been shed after L’Manberg went up in smoke, as well as the aggravation he felt towards his sweet, innocent cows being slaughtered and his bunker being raided.

Raided and dismantled thanks to Phil stealing his bookshelves and in turn chunks of the wall.

It was scuffed, horribly scuffed, and left him with one option.

Relocation.

That, combined with the wanted posters Quackity had hung up demanding his capture and subsequent execution after what he had done. Honestly, talk about the biggest character arc for Quackity, going from fearing him to taking an active role in trying to end his life.

Too bad for him that Technoblade never dies.

But still, having to constantly deal with being attacked while no longer having a truly safe and secure base was troublesome, so he had sought out to make a new home far from L’Manberg and all other communities.

The isolation did not scare him, on the contrary he liked having a space all to his own with no worries about socialization or someone bothering him. Besides, Phil could always visit him if he wanted some company.

Fortunately, constructing his new home had taken relatively little time once he had found the best spot for it, and with some help from Phil, moving all the important resources and equally important fixtures of his home had taken even less time.

All in all, Techno had managed to acquire a new sanctuary away from all the plotting and scheming, although he had a feeling someone would try to mess with him at some point, and he had plenty of space to make a brand new vault. He had achieved peace and quiet, and was even in the process of planning on making a turtle farm. Surely all these positive developments would mean he was happy, right?

Well, he would be if it weren’t for the fact that there was a thief rummaging through his home.

It started with small things, like his chests becoming less and less organized over time. Yes, there were moments where he simply chucked whatever useless items were in his inventory into the nearest empty chest, but he would never clutter up chests containing important items, like potions and enchanted books.

So, finding several misplaced items as well as random blocks of dirt and stone, practically pebbles given their size, while also finding certain resources such as wood and leather missing was the first sign of something strange going on.

The next was the odd noises that seemed to come from the walls of his home. Faint scratches that would be inaudible to anyone but himself due to his heightened hearing. It reminded of a rat infestation, and he unconsciously shuddered.

Not due to fear or discomfort, but the sheer amount of work it would take to get rid of a pest infestation. At that point he might as well take his house apart and build elsewhere.

However, despite his suspicions and hypothesis, there was practically no evidence to support. There were, thankfully, no signs of rat activity, or activity from any other pests. No scratches, bite marks, signs of wood decaying, or anything like that. Other than the noise and the strangely messy organization of his chests, there was no sign of the thief.

And he had looked.

Intensely, as best he could. Logic and inductive reasoning had led him to this conclusion. There was a thief, so there had to be signs of this thief somewhere. A lack of footprints meant they must use pearls to get around. The fact that his rarer resources had not been stolen, his potions of strength and enchanted books, meant that his thief was either unconcerned with stealing things of value from him and just wanted to mess with him, or they were a cocky idiot.

… So it was either Ranboo or-

His ears perked up, cutting off his train of thought as he glanced over at the nearby wall. His eyes narrowed and he pushed himself up and out of his chair before striding over to the wall, cape swishing about behind him.

He pressed the side of his head against the wall, eyes closing as he tried to focus on where the sound was coming from. It was here! It had to be! There was something hidden in this very wall. The source of his annoyance, his thief.

Well, there was only one way to find out.

Techno readied his axe, and swung it down-

                                                   xxxxxxxxxx

There are times where Tommy can’t stop himself from looking in the nearest reflective surface and asking how he managed to fuck things up this bad. It was painful to recall the steps that had led him to this outcome, the signs obvious but he had been too stupid and ignorant to pay them any mind.

Causing trouble was in his blood, something the local borrower community had reluctantly accepted over the years, helped by how eager he was to throw himself into dangerous situations. Something that should have been concerning to the adults who watched them, taught them how to borrow, how to gather items and even hunt in order to survive, but he had learned that lesson at a very, very young age.

The lesson that no one would step in to help him if he was in danger. That he was on his own and had to prove his worth in order to stay, constantly putting his life on the line for the slightest crumb of respect.

To hear someone say that he had done a good job, to be thanked for his hard work instead of always being brushed off and ignored.

Of course, his friendship with Tubbo helped to soothe that constant within him, dulling the sting of rejection while reminding him that there was one person who truly cared about him. One person who would always be there for him, would lift him up when he was down, and jump into any situation to protect him.

Orphans had to stick together, after all.

And it was a good thing they did end up working together as the duo balanced each other out perfectly. Tommy was far more outgoing and blunt, hotheaded being the best word to describe him. He was willing to do whatever he needed, always ready to speak up when he thought there was bullshit going on, and spoke his mind freely.

It was an ironic honesty, a trait that one assumed would help to attract friends but only aided in driving them away.

Meanwhile, Tubbo was much softer in some ways. Much more reserved than Tommy, he was more of a thinker and planner. Nowhere near as comfortable with spontaneous action as his friend, but he had the knowledge and skills to reign in those impulsive actions before things got dangerous.

They were the best of friends, pals to the very end.

Even though they would never see each other again.

And it was all his fault.

Tommy had ruined everything.

The plan had been simple, easy. All he wanted to do was mess up Mrs. Brigsburry’s house. Just a tiny touch of crime and freaking the old bat out.

She deserved so much worse because of that day. The pot that had been thrown at Tubbo and how much blood Tommy had seen running down the side of his face. The bitch’s shrieks and curses as she insulted them over and over again.

Swearing they both should have died with their parents-

How was he supposed to know he accidentally left one of her rags near the lit stove, the fire within causing the piece of fabric to ignite and in turn allowing the flames to spread to the rest of the house.

It was a good thing she lived on the edge of Borrowton, the fires thankfully only burning her home to the ground.

No one wanted to live near an asshole like her.

Tommy, who had been feeling proud of himself, quickly experienced true regret and fear once the meeting started. Shouts, demands, and insults had flown through the air, many of the people he had grown up with insisting that he be tossed out for what he had done, exiled from the only home he had ever known.

It had been terrifying to see how quickly everyone had turned against him, how they refused to give him the chance to defend himself or even explain why he had done what he did. Not even Tubbo had been able to protect him from the crowd’s wrath, his attempts at standing in front of Tommy and blocking him from sight thwarted when one of the adults grabbed his arm and dragged him elsewhere.

He would never be able to forget the haunting sight of Tubbo reaching for him, tears pouring from his eyes as he screamed his name over and over. It was the last time he had seen his friend, too.

And yet, this was not the worst part of his punishment.

He had been given an hour, one measly hour, to pack up everything he had ever owned before being forcefully exiled from Borrowton. The realization of what was happening had slammed into him all at once, leaving Tommy trembling and unable to move.

He was going to lose everything he had ever known, everything he had worked so hard to build, Tubbo-

He was going to lose his Tubbo.

And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

No amount of begging or pleading had stopped the adults who dragged him to his shoddy, shared home. He had groveled on his hands and knees, promising to change, to do better, to do whatever they wanted if they just let him stay.

Don’t take my Tubbo away. Don’t take him away. I need him, I need him-

Smack!

The harsh sting of his cheek and the painful sensation of his neck snapping back from the force of the slap was enough to snap Tommy out of his trance. He blinked and looked around, feeling all the more disconnected from reality as he noticed the two bags that had been placed beside him.

One for food, and one for clothes and tools.

… He was really getting exiled, wasn’t he?

“You have no one to blame but yourself for this.” The adult beside him grumbled, dragging the stunned teen up to his feet and shoving him towards the door.

“Front gate. Now. And if I find you causing more trouble, you’ll be leaving with nothing but the clothes on your back.” The man sneered.

For a moment that spark of anger rose up in him, rage flowing through his veins and making his fists clench while he ground his teeth together. The urge to lash out, both physically and verbally, was strong, and yet…

As quickly as those feelings emerged, they faded, and Tommy was left feeling hollow and drained. What was the point in fighting back if all he did was get himself into more trouble. It was obvious they weren’t going to change their minds, he would be exiled no matter what, and if he did lash out-

Tubbo screaming his name as he was dragged away, snot and tears flowing down his face. Thrashing and struggling in a futile attempt to reach him.

… The risk, the damage he could do to his friend, was far greater than the satisfaction of breaking the man’s knobby nose. So, with extreme reluctance, Tommy left the house and made his way towards the front gate. The streets were surprisingly empty, he had expected to see a mob of people cheering while watching him leave, maybe even get the occasional bit of dirt thrown his way.

Treated like the trash they thought he was.

His send off lacked all formality. Only the usual guards of the gate were present, and even then they paid him no mind. He was simply shoved towards another borrower, a lady this time who, based on the immense amount of foliage covering her clothes, spent most of her life out in the wild.

God, how would he ever survive out there. Between the wild animals, the shitty weather, and the mobs that would wander the lands when darkness fell, he was doomed.

He had only ever known how to survive in his community, where you could barter for goods and depend on someone to help you. Now he wouldn’t have any of that. There would be no shelter, no safety in numbers-

No Tubbo.

Numb, Tommy was shoved towards the woman and quietly took note of the presence of the animal he could not see before. It was a fox, quite large compared to him and the other borrowers, and domesticated since it wasn’t ripping anyone apart.

… Or maybe it was just waiting until he got outside, then it would rip him to shreds. Wouldn’t want any blood splatters staining the inside of the gate.

He was so absolutely, royally fucked.

“C’mon, we gotta get moving.” The woman barked, grabbing his arm and pushing him towards the fox with little care for his comfort and the fact that she was adding more bruises to his arm. Tommy hissed in pain and rubbed the aching spot while glaring at her.

Everyone in this place was a fucking asshole.

“Alright, alright, chill the fuck out. I’m moving.” Tommy grumbled as, after a moment of hesitance, buried his hands in the animal’s warm fur and climbed up its side. A moment later, the woman jumped up to join him, taking a seat near the fox’s shoulders while Tommy struggled to pull his bags up as well.

Finally, once his meager supplies had joined him, it was time for them to set off. He had nearly been thrown off as the fox stood up, and when the animal sprinted out of the hidden tunnel and into the fading sunlight-

Well, it was a good thing he managed to grab hold of his bags before they were knocked off. He shuddered in the sudden, stinging breeze, and did his best to hunker down into the warm fur below him. He had no idea where they were going, no clue what far away biome he would be abandoned in, and quietly decided to not think about it further. The last thing he wanted to do was to start crying.

… Even if he had been ever since they first left the front gate.

He quickly rubbed at his face, trying to dry the lingering tears so there were less signs as to his degenerating mental state, and instead decided that it would be best to strike up a conversation, something that would help to distract him from what was going on.

Tubbo, Tubbo. He missed Tubbo. He wanted to see Tubbo again-

“Name’s Tommy!” He called out. “What’s yours?”

Silence was his answer.

“... Well fuck you too then.”

Much like the start of their journey, the rest of the trip was silent as the fox ran through various biomes, fields, and forests. On multiple occasions they stopped, the woman gathering some sort of herb every single time.

… Perhaps she was making drugs.

Tommy snorted to himself at the joke, mood lifting just the slightest bit before plummeting back to bedrock. God, he was tired. His body ached from sitting still for so long, as well as the general discomfort from the fox nimbly jumping from cliff to cliff, ducking around trees, and just being an agile shitbag. It was annoying and he hated it.

… Hated the fact that he was getting further and further away from his friend. Hated the fact that the fox could cover far more distance than he could ever hope of traversing on his own, and that the odds of him managing to reunite with Tubbo at some point were growing slimmer with every block they crossed.

Eventually they reached the coldest biome Tommy had experienced yet, ponds covered by ice and snow layering the ground. The snow seemed to muffle their surroundings, the only sounds coming from the snow crunching under the fox’s paws and the animal’s panting as it started to feel the strain of their journey.

And yet, for as desolate as this tundra seemed to be, Tommy spotted something in the distance. A structure that was definitely man made and appeared to be well taken care of, which meant there was someone living there.

Someone he could mooch off of and boost his chance at surviving his exile.

It had been a stroke of pure luck that he had managed to convince the borrower escorting him to change their route, practically begging her to take him to the lit house that was just barely visible through the snow.

The sounds of Tommy sniffling and sobbing since the start of their journey had probably helped to wear down her resolve to take him to wherever he was originally supposed to go.

In the end, she had agreed and directed the fox towards the house. It was interesting to see her previous confidence of navigating the cold tundra diminish the closer they got to their destination, as though she was unsettled by the house.

Strange, but then again she probably thought the same of him and how much of an idiot he was for getting kicked out of somewhere perfectly safe.

Safe aside from the prying eyes, the cruel words and harsh hands. His salvation was Tubbo and their whispered promises. They would leave one day, set out into the world and make their own home.

The moment they arrived at their destination, the woman wasted no time in metaphorically, and literally, kicking him off the fox. He dropped into the freezing snow, landing face first, and pushing himself up seconds later to cough out the chilly substance that had invaded his mouth.

The memory of Tubbo laughing as his snowball hit Tommy in the face, the other teen turning to the side and yelling about how “cold as shit” it was.

“Maybe you should try keeping your mouth shut for once.” Tubbo teased as Tommy, snow still stuck to parts of his face, flipped him off.

“Fuck you.”

Tubbo’s laughter rang out around them, and the teen kept laughing until his face was red and tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes.

… Damn, it was cold.

Trembling, he stood up just in time to dodge the bags that had been carelessly thrown his way, getting a concussion from one of his tools would definitely be a death sentence in this situation, and he promptly flipped the woman off.

“Oi! Watch where you’re throwing that shit!” He shouted before crouching down to inspect his supplies, quietly relieved that nothing seemed to have been damaged. “Fucking bitch...”

She just rolled her eyes in response to his insults and looked unimpressed as he grumbled, huffed, and got himself organized. No words were exchanged between the duo, no goodbyes or wishes for good luck, just the howling of the winds while the borrower made his way to his new home.

As Tommy had trudged through the too tall snow, he had been oblivious to the way the woman stared at the house, eyes wide with some sort of emotion. Was it fear? Not quite, it was more a combination of dread mixed with reverence, emotions fueled by her knowledge of the being who resided in this place. A whispered phrase floated through the air, much too quiet for him to have heard. It was a simple sentence that made her stance and understanding of the situation clear.

“Blood for the Blood God.”

Then she fled, leaving Tommy alone to deal with whatever fate he had stumbled into by breaking into the house.

And what a house it was.

All pretty and neatly designed, complete with various floors and tons of storage, and even some decorative flowers outside the windows, which meant Tommy had many things to rummage through. The roaring fireplace was an added bonus since the cold was one of the things he had been the most worried about.

Knowing those assholes, they had probably planned to abandon him somewhere in the tundra, leaving him alone and freezing in the cold…

Honestly, all things considered, this was a good place to settle down in. He had basically everything he needed, as well as access to some rarer resources too. It was ideal, practically perfect given how easy it would be to create small, unnoticeable entrances into each chest for him to use to snag items, but there was one downside to his new home.

His roommate.

He was tall, far taller than anyone Tommy had ever seen before, and he looked… weird. Like one of those pig monsters he had heard stories about back in Borrowton. Monsters from hell that craved gold and bloodshed. With his pig-like features, including a set of tusks that poked up from his lower jaw, he was a perfect match for those nightmarish beasts.

… But, they weren’t in hell, and this man seemed to be far less gold and bloodshed obsessed than the stories had said, even with the various scars the borrower had seen littering his body.

It was weird, he was weird, and the weirdness had only increased the more time Tommy spent in the house. Despite his regal attire, consisting of a flowing cape and golden crown, it was obvious that the pig-man was no prince or nobility. Plus there were those shitty reading glasses Tommy had seen him wearing once, stuck together with taping and looking like they were on the verge of breaking again. He was the strangest combination of loud-yet-awkward behaviour, something that the borrower actually related to quite a bit. His roommate was not “normal” and acted how he wanted, whenever he wanted, with little regard to how “improper”, “violent”, or “rude” he was.

Like Tommy…

He found it comforting to know that there was someone else more like him out there, someone else who was unlike everyone in Borrowton, someone else who would know what it felt like to be treated as an outcast, like he did not belong there or anywhere. Stuck in this new place, he did not feel as alone as he originally expected.  

He did not consider the possible problems this could cause in the future, of course. Tommy had never the best at planning ahead since that had been Tubbo’s specialty-  

But, the positives ended there as he realized that trying to survive in this relatively small, isolated house was going to be far more of a challenge then he had originally anticipated, with his roommate presenting the greatest obstacle to his success. Breaking in had been easy, actually situating himself and building a decent base within the walls of the house was downright impossible in these circumstances. At most he had managed to dig out a shitty hole close to the fireplace where he stashed all his stolen goods.

And even if he wanted to leave, it was impossible thanks to all the snow and how bloody cold this damn biome was!

So, here Tommy was, having essentially trapped himself with some creepy pig guy who owned too many weapons for comfort and was decked out like he was about to fight the whole damn world. Sure, his house was pretty nice, there was tons of food for him to steal and snack on, and the resources were plenty, but he would have rather had anyone else as a roommate in this situation.  

At least this guy was in retirement, or whatever that meant.

He let out an annoyed sigh, arms dropping as he allowed his axe to rest against the wooden floor of the passage he had been carving out. While most of the house was made out of concrete, Tommy had focused on carving passages through the wooden supports in order to have a network of tunnels he could easily move around in without being spotted. All in all, it was a good plan, even if it was a massive pain in the ass to make.

It was like every time he started making a tunnel, no matter what time of the day it was, that piggy dipshit would show up and start stalking the walls, looking for him!

… Granted, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to make boar-face all suspicious by messing with his chests, but Tommy needed the resources! And it was pretty funny hearing the surprised sounds the man would make echo through the house.

His trouble making nature might have been the cause for his exile, along with some other bullshit, but that did not mean he would try to suppress it, even if it would be better for him in the long run. That was like asking to stop breathing. It was just a part of him that could only be controlled and never truly stopped.

… He missed Tubbo. He missed him so much and the ache in his chest still had not faded, and he felt all hollow and empty, without purpose-

Unfortunately for the borrower, the world refused to give him a break as he spiraled, his negative emotions distracting him and preventing him from paying attention to his surroundings.

Like the footsteps that were slowly getting closer to his location.

Without warning, the wall beside him cracked and split open, and Tommy let out a terrified shriek. He jumped backwards, dropping his axe in the process as light spilled into the carved out passage.

The now exposed passage.

A passage that had been cracked open by a certain pig man who had clearly been awake instead of asleep like he had assumed. Brilliant red eyes met terrified blue, and Tommy swallowed nervously.

Of course, of fucking course! As if the world didn’t hate him enough as is! Now he had to deal with that pig shithead who’d been tormenting him for days with his stupidly good hearing, preventing him from making any progress in creating his new home.

And of course the second he tried to make a tunnel this bastard just had to appear and ruin everything!

On the plus side, he had not actually done anything yet, although Tommy was certain things would turn south soon based on the axe the man was holding. So, he would live for now, and his shocked state allowed the borrower to make the first move.

“How do,” Tommy greeted, tilting his head to the side and smirking. “You ugly motherfucker.”

If he was going down, he would go down swinging.

                                      xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Technoblade, holding up a cup containing Tommy: So I found this, anyone wanna trade a book of mending for him- Tommy: *feral screaming intensifies*

#my story #fanfiction #dream smp #dream smp fic #borrower au #dsmp tommy #dsmp techno #dsmp tubbo #mild angst #tw mentions of abuse #borrower!tommy #the lads are orphans #the start of found family #dream smp borrower au #sleepy bois inc #sleepy bois inc fic

[colorisbyshe]

hi, do you have any manga/anime you'd recommend? I have not watched/read like anything popular, so no recommendations are off the table. I only just finished naruto and was like hey I actually really liked that (except for the huge flop at the end lmao) and decided to try some of the other big mangas and ended up reading one piece....... (some of the characters are fun, and the pirate setting is cool but oh god, at what cost???) anyway, i trust no one but you now, and I need a new hyperfixation or i'll die :)

I do need to clarify to everyone that I actually don't watch/read too much anime/manga. Especially recent popular stuff.

But I do want to push Samurai Flamenco onto everyone. It satirizes the super hero/power rangers genre and includes lots of gay shenanigans but also has some of the most insane plot twists of all time.

I am currently (slowly) rewatching Tiger & Bunny which is satirizing the same genres, has some more lowkey gay subtext if that's what y'all want, if you watch the non-netflix version there's LOTS of poking fun at capitalism/branding (but it's removed in netflix because they couldn't retain the licenses for the brands it was mocking...).

If you ned to watch just one... watch Samurai Flamenco

And honestly... that's the closest thing to Naruto I can rec? Like in terms of battle-y, action based stuff. Shounen-core stuff. And even then they're not that simialr... Naruto was an outlier for me in many ways, though I did looove Bleach until... I didn't love bleach.

Don't watch Bleach.

Haikyuu is a sports anime I had a lot of fun with but also nothing new has been announced for the anime in like… years… and idk if I can recommend hte manga because I find the volleyball scenes to be impossible to follow in the manga form shgkjsdg But the manga IS done!!

If you liked Sasuke... watch/read Hunter x Hunter and meet my pal Kurapika :) It ALSO has some massive hiatuses and it's source material isn't finished BUT it's getting an update VERY SOON and it's VERY EXCITING! HxH and its predecessor YYH inspired a lot of shounen tropes that exist to this day except... it does them well.

Stuff that I wouldn't necessarily recommend based on your Naruto enjoyment but like in general: Tongari Boushi no Atelier (Witch Hat Atelier), Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon), No. 6 (I've only watched the anime and haven't read the source material, so idk what's better), and Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. Oh!! And Blue Period (manga > anime)

Almost everything else that I post on my anime blog I have either forgotten, I do not feel comfortable recommending because it hasn't aged well, or I don't... actually remember that well btu just have fond vague memories of :)

#like i stil blog about TRC/xxxHolic but I would die before reccing htem #a they are Not GOod #on any level