#especially the doll lines cartoons

[trungles]

Processing Process, and More Processing

I made this post free and publicly readable on Patreon, but I'm reposting the whole thing right here too because, well, it's a free post, and I don't want to make you click away from your dashboard if you don't need to. But also if you want to support my work, here's the link to the post.

It's a little bit about cartooning, a little bit about drawing, and then it turns into a eulogy for a chicken.

I wrote “process” more than once, and now the word looks funny and is beginning to lose its meaning to me.

This post is about a few things, and it’s a little bit on the sad end of things. Nothing dire! No worries. There’s just a little mention of death, just as a heads up.

Before we get to that, though, I’ve been doing some work and had some thoughts.

I’m often asked about how I draw the noodle hair on my characters, and the answer is typically that I draw each and every line with my hand. But there are considerations of movement and volume that go into it beyond its texturally decorative purposes. I love being able to convey shape and motion with it. It’s less evident, I think, in my illustration work, but I think it’s much more obvious when I do sequential work. In the above image, you can see me working out a sequence of Angelica having a series of thoughts. Her head sort of moves, and her eyes follow. You can see I’d planned out the general shape of the hair and how I’d like it to move.

I wound up moving the drawings a little bit so that the readers eyes will actually follow the character’s eyes as it moves gently rightward on the page. The hair is there to accentuate the movement, like so:

It’s a consideration I employ in all my drawings, but especially when I’m drawing hair and fabric. I don’t use a lot of action lines, so this becomes an important way to give the reader the information that someone is moving through a space. Resistance, gravity, and motion are all things I have to keep in the back of my head when I’m doing these little drawings. I think the planning actually takes more time than the inking, which can happen pretty quickly once I map it all out.

In other news, I’m starting to take my extracurricular artistic development a little more seriously in the silliest way possible.

You wouldn’t know it, but I studied painting college—a medium I switched to after the printmaking professor and head of the Art Department at the time told me I probably shouldn’t be an artist (he gave me a hard candy for my trouble). I recently bought a bunch of little dolls, dressed them up, and am returning to my painting roots. It feels really nice to work in big blobs of color instead of lines. It’s an exercise I came up with in response to a common lament from art students.

One of the more aggravating generational tensions described to me by art school students is when professors describe a student’s portfolio as “too anime” without much explanation. I know what the professor means. They’re trying to get at how referencing your favorite anime or cartoons means that your style becomes a simulacrum, an imperfect copy of a copy, and you never learn to develop your own sense of judgment about where a line or a shape needs to go. And we can tell. It’s a way of working that is perfectly fine for cartooning because cartooning is closer to hand-writing than it is to drawing. I always turn to Charles Schulz’s work for an example. Those figures aren’t literally depicting children—with their little chessboard-pawn proportions and bread-loaf feet—but we read them as endearing children because we’ve come to a consensus between us, the readers, and Charles Schulz, the author, that those shapes mean those things. There are no whiskers or paws in the shape of the word “CAT” but you look at those three letters together, and you know the thing to which it refers. That’s an aspect of cartooning, too. Of course, what elevates it from mere writing is, in part, due to the fact that those little figures do not lose their meaning the more you depict them.

To really draw well, though, you have to do those fundamentals. You have to draw from life. There’s no way around it. It helps you develop a stronger sense of where you like to lay down your lines and shapes, no matter how stylized you like to work. It grows your judgment, and every artist’s best tool is their own well-honed sense of artistic discernment about their own work.

But that doesn’t mean you have to surrender the stuff you like or the things that inspire you to make art! I tell students that if they want to hold fast to their anime style AND hone their fundamentals to develop their eye as an artist, they should buy little figurines and toys of their favorite characters, prop those up against a light source, and draw them as still life objects. Like, yes, do the vases and the figure drawings and all those, I still think those are important. But if this is what you need to keep you interested in drawing from life, having some toys around is a great way to do it! Also, bless those sculptors and toy designers. They’re the best.

I think there’s something to be said about remembering to imagine the physicality of the things we draw, in all its dimensions and in the way it catches the light or casts a shadow. It helps sentimentalize things, too. Makes them feel more real, even emotionally.

Edwina died on Tuesday night, after a few final snuggles, surrounded by her favorite treats. She was about five years old, which is old for a chicken, and she had a very comfortable life. We buried her this morning. She was a good hen, J’s personal favorite.

It really feels like the end of an era. She was the last surviving member of our very first flock. After the other hens died, she really seemed to prefer the company of people over other hens. She is survived by Snooki and Nelly, our two other young birds who get along quite well together, actually.

A baby chick costs between three and five American dollars, typically. An egg-laying hen could be between twenty and fifty bucks, depending on the breed. There are roughly 26 billion chickens living in the world today, about 518 million of them here in the United States. They come pretty cheap. And a part of me was moved to cynicism, entertaining the thought that it might be strange to feel sadly over a little animal that, at most, might be roughly equivalent to the price of a fancy lunch and a coffee.

I watched the 1974 musical version of The Little Prince recently, and I remember it mostly because Bob Fosse was in it and scared the crap out of me as a kid—he played the snake that would take the Little Prince back into the sky when his body gets too heavy to take with him. Gene Wilder plays the Fox whom the Little Prince befriends and tames among a garden of roses. The Fox explains that he is like any other fox in the world, but he is changed—made special and particular to the Little Prince—with time, effort, and patience. So, too, is the Prince’s little flower special to him. Out of all the flowers in the universe, she was the one he watered and protected under a little glass jar. And that’s enough.

I knew my little hen would not live that long. It could be very easy to take a broad view of the life expectancy of a hen and distance myself from it by virtue of its mortality and its commonness. People who raise livestock do it all the time. But I also think it’s wonderful that we should all be capable of loving very small, very brief little things. Edwina is not, to my mind, the rough equivalent of a fancy lunch and a coffee. She was our little hen. For her whole life, she was ours. And I’m so happy she was here.

#cartooning #drawing #patreon #cw death #cw pet death #comics #trungles #artists on tumblr

[ghoularaki]

baby's breath | 7

↠  summary: Merely by coincidence, Erwin, your father's former friend had crossed paths with you again after nearly a decade. He offered solace once finding out you were struggling with not just school, but your home life as well. His home he shared with another one of your father's friends, Levi, became a sanctuary. Though, the more you came over for study sessions, the more they wiggled themselves into your private life. And like baby's breath, they weeded themselves in so deep you couldn't uproot them.

↠ word count: 5,939

↠ pairing: levi ackerman x reader x erwin smith

↠ genre/warnings: angst, smut, modern au, DARK CONTENT, yandere, daddy kink, forced infantilism, pet play, age gap. NSFW (omorashi, slight feederism)

Playing it safe, within the time you were allowed to sleep on the couch, you dared not go forth with your plan. And thank god you didn’t since Levi got into the habit to come down stairs a couple times in the night. This was how you learned how much of an insomniac Levi was. Most nights he would leave you be and would make his tea. Though last night, he sat on the couch like he did over a week ago. Or at least you thought it had been. Time passed so differently here. All you knew was July quickly approached with the temperature rising.

A routine had been set. During the day Levi watched over you while Erwin kept up the facade of a professor. The couple days he came home late you quickly learned wasn’t because of paperwork, but taking Levi’s place to ‘keep people in line.’ Curiosity ate away at you to know what exactly they did behind the scenes. Though, for your sanity you didn’t ask questions.

Levi’s previous threat of you not being Erwin’s first stray never left your brain. How long before you were to be discarded like a broken doll? Or was Levi lying out of his ass to keep you in line? Try as you might, you couldn’t stop the questions swirling around your head. Even if they sent you in a frenzy, you wanted to be prepared for anything to happen.

But, surprisingly, everything lulled. Your head had gotten significantly better. You barely had any headaches now and you were able to watch the TV in small doses. Despite feeling better, you refused to let the two of them know how much better you were. Feigning weakness to feed into Erwin’s want to baby you and to have Levi get off your back, you played dead like a possum.

Sun slowly slipped down the sky like an exposed yolk. Twilight crept into the living room where you sat, observing Levi making dinner for you three. Over the course of the week or so you were recovering, you were able to eat at the table. When Erwin would come home late into the night, Levi let you sit in your own chair. Skeptical of him, you tried to subtly side-eye him, but he easily caught it.

“You’re not a child,” He had said.

His words were true, though you didn’t really believe him. Levi sure did treat you like a incompetent child. Especially when he let you eat by yourself he made a comment not to choke. You had gripped your plastic fork (he wasn’t stupid enough to give you something you could actually hurt him with) to conceal your rage. Maybe he said it to get under your skin. It only served to vex you more that it had worked.

Fiddling with the TV remote, you watched the cartoon displayed on the screen. So lost in thought, you almost didn’t hear the sound of the locks being turned. Head shooting up, you watched Erwin walk through the door, suitcase in hand. Exhaustion was apparent on his face.

Toeing off his dress shoes inside the mudroom, he walked further into the home. Walking past you, he didn’t even acknowledge your presence. Perplexion physically formed on your face. Turning your body on the couch, you watched Erwin’s hunched, broad shoulders move towards his office. Glasses slipping off his face, from deep in the room you hear him throw them onto his desk.

Locking eyes with Levi, the man didn’t offer you any resolve, going back to stirring the food in the pan.

“Make yourself useful and set the table,” He called out to you.

Still confused, you followed the order, not wanting to ire the other man in the house. The couch creaked as you got up and shuffled over to the kitchen. Heart in your throat, you walked past Levi to reach into the cabinet. When everyone was awake, the men kept them unlocked. What really could you do with Levi breathing down your neck.

Opening the cabinet, you reached for three plates.

“Only grab two.”

Those simple words had anger grip you. You always forgot when Erwin was home what little autonomy you had, vanished. Sure, Levi had beaten and raped you, but at least he didn’t touch you since then. If anything it seemed he avoided any skin contact.

Moving your fingers to take the dishes, you clutched them in your hands and went towards the table. The resilient, but the stupid part of you wanted to break the plates and pierce Levi in the side of his throat. He could never touch you again, but his hands will be imprinted on you for a lifetime. You wanted to scar him as he did you.

You placed the plates on the table.

Sliding one at the head of the table and then one at side, you went to the drawers to grab cutlery. Forks and knives in hand, you repeated the motion. You did the same with the cups.

Standing in the middle of the dining room, you waited for an order. Unease settled in your gut. The routine had been broken. Erwin always acknowledged you when he got home and Levi never let you touch the dishes. Something bad was going to happen to you. They couldn’t have known your plan already, could they? You were only joking when you thought Levi could read your mind.

You tried to muffle your stuttering breaths. Nostrils flared, you stared at the ground with watering eyes. A panic attack about to overtake you, you wanted to vomit. You weren’t even here for more than ten days and you were on the verge of insanity. Such a small part of you wanted to go back to the old days where you considered the men father figures, but the bigger part wanted to slit their throats in their sleep.

Shutting down, you sucked in your tears and disassociated.

The burner flicked off with a click and Levi pivoted to look at you still staring at the floor. A haunting blank expression spread on your visage. He snapped his fingers in front of your face and you barely registered it. Slowly you looked up at him.

“What the fuck is up with you?” He gruffly asked, brow furrowed.

You shrugged, looking very similar to the petulant child he frequently called you. He opened his mouth to question you further, but Erwin lumbered into the room. His expression steely.

Still ignoring you, he grabbed his plate and put a hefty amount of the food onto the plate. With the filled water pitcher at the table, he poured enough water, it almost spilled over the brim. Following his movement, Levi grabbed his plate and put a significantly less amount.

“Princess, come.”

Beckoned like a dog, you hesitantly stumbled closer. Gently, Erwin placed you on his lap. Tugging you closer, you sat until your back was flushed to his front. Entangled in his form, you felt so tiny, so weak. One arm slung across your waist, the way his bicep flexed against your side, you knew Erwin’s strength. Like Levi, he could easily crush you.

Stabbing his fork into his food, he elegantly brought it up and wrapped his lips around it. After one bite, Erwin put his fork down and turned you around slightly. Grabbing the nearly spilling cup, he brought it up to you.

“Can you do me a favor and drink this all for me?” He posed it as a question, but you knew a demand when you heard one.

Gulping, you dared to ask, “Why?”

Blithely smiling, he said, “I can’t make sure my little girl is hydrated? We have to make sure you get better as quickly as possible.”

Uncomfortable, you squirmed and then hissed when his hand dug into your side. For some reason, your eyes bounced to Levi who watched on, eating his food without a care. Suspicious, you go to take the glass from Erwin, but he jerked it back and tsked at you.

Dropping your hands, you let him put the cold glass to your lips. Shuttering, you willed away the memories begging to surface. You were no longer in the basement, you were no longer in the basement, you were no longer in the basement.

Not realizing how thirsty you were, you swallowed half of the cup before trying to pull away. Erwin followed your head.

“Uh uh, drink all of it.”

Clenching your eyes, you wrapped your hands around his wrist to stabilize yourself. Quickly you consumed all the cold water that laid heavy in your stomach. Once the cup no longer sat on your lips, you gulped any air you could.

The glass clinked around the table. Rubbing your side as encouragement, Erwin poured more water into the cup. More nervous than ever, you tried to claw at the arm digging into your ribs.

“Have your tantrum now because I won’t tolerate it soon enough,” Erwin’s tone pierced you.

He had gone back to eating. After a couple of bites, he offered you some. Stomach already full from the water and anxiety, you turned away. Though he quickly gripped your jaw and forced you towards him. Hands free, you attempted to slap his wrist away. His fingertips squeezed your mandible until your mouth dropped from the pain. Shoving a forkful of food into the cavity, he loosely cradled your jaw to make sure you chewed.

Glare strewn across your face, you ground the food and swallowed. “I hate you.”

Erwin brought another forkful to his own lips and stared you down as he chewed. He looked at you as if you were a toddler throwing a fit. A simple, blank expression rendered you on edge. Those deep blues analyzed your very being. Tearing you apart to a molecular level to see what made you tick.

Unnerved, you kept your hands curled in your lap. Stabbing more food, Erwin brought the food to your lips after his bite. You tried not to think of you sharing saliva with the man. Throughout dinner, Erwin didn’t take a sip of his drink. Erwin kept feeding himself and then you until three-fourths of the plate was empty. The water left stagnant in the cup.

Pausing in his eating, he went for the cup again and went towards your lips. If you drank the water, you surely would explode. Already full, you felt the tickle in your bladder telling you you needed the bathroom.

“E-erwin I can’t. I’m full,” Instinctively, you put your hands up to stop him.

The hand on your hips snaked up to grab your hand and forced your head still. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

You wanted so badly to cradle your head, his hand right where your healing wound sat. Sniffling your resolve, you dropped your hands and parted your lips. Cold glass touching you again, you tried to float away from the kitchen to somewhere, anywhere but here. Tipping the cup forward, you forcibly swallowed down all the water.

Your throat bobbed as you drank all you could. Once the very last drop sat in your stomach, you coughed and tried not to gag. Placing a hand over your mouth, you breathed through the nausea. Water pouring into the cup once again had a shutter running through you.

Erwin rubbed your back as you hunched over. He went back to eating. Once you calmed down, he tried to feed you once more. You were so full, you couldn’t take anymore or you would actually throw up.

“Please,” You pleaded. It fell upon deaf ears.

“Eat.”

Blatantly sobbing, Erwin took the opportunity to shovel the food into your mouth. You had no idea what warranted him being so cruel to you. Did he really find out you stole his glasses screwdriver? And if so, why won’t he tell you why he’s punishing you now?

Spiteful, you go to spit the food at him, but he slammed a hand over your mouth. His large hand encompassed all over your lower face, even your nose. Smothering you, you still refused to swallow. With a free hand, his fingers massaged your throat triggering your reflex. Ingesting the food, Erwin released you.

Cradling your stomach, you sagged into Erwin, in pain. Your stomach stuffed to the brim and pushing on your bladder, you felt the need to go. Fear gripped you as you had an inclination he wouldn’t let you off that easily.

Taking the last bites of food, the man reached for the glass. Already knowing what was going to happen, you thrusted yourself from his form and jumped from his lap. If you drank anymore you would pee yourself. Not being able to handle the humiliation of doing that again in the span of less than two weeks, you struggled.

Easily, he spun you in his lap so you were back to chest. His elbow held down your body as he tipped the glass in your mouth. His other hand pinched your nose so you had to imbibe every last drop. Digging your nails into his forearm, you tried to shake your head, but you were immobilized.

Once the glass sat on the table again, you coughed and gagged. Erwin engulfed your face once more and forced your head into his shoulder. “You throw any of it up and we will do this all over again.”

He let you settle until your tummy stopped flipping. Levi at this point got up and cleaned up dinner, not saying a word through the whole thing. Plates clattering in the sink made you jump. Staring at the ceiling, you tried not to focus on your stomach pressed down on your bladder.

Deeming you ready enough, Erwin picked you up quite awkwardly. He lifted you with just the arm wrapped around your waist, feet dangling. Like a child carrying a disgruntled cat. Taking you into the living room that Levi already sat in, Erwin placed you in the middle. The coffee table had been moved to the side and instead there was a mat with a paw print pattern. The paws were raised. He had your body sink on the mat, your knees taking the brunt of it. Under it, laid a puppy pad.

Fuck.

Kneeling on the mat, Erwin came to squat in front of you. He grabbed your hands and placed them on your knees.

“This is punishment for what you did to Levi.”

Your head sprung up and you seethed, “I already was punished.”

“That wasn’t punishment, that was Levi unable to handle his emotions,” Levi clicked his tongue from somewhere within the room. Erwin continued, “I have been lenient with you since you were injured, but you clearly are well enough considering you poked your nose in stuff that isn’t yours.”

Moving your focus to Levi, you snipped, “Snitch.”

“Not my fault you’re stupid enough to think I wouldn’t tell Erwin,” Both his face and tone flippant.

“Oh yeah I forgot how you’re his bitch—”

Levi’s face turned thunderous, but Erwin promptly slapped you. He barely hit you with any of his strength for the sake of your head. The action still had you reeling as your gaze dropped.

Gripping your jaw again, he kept eye contact. “Don’t squirm or go to the bathroom for an hour and then you will be forgiven. You will be given one warning. Don’t make me repeat myself more than once.”

Fisting your hands until your nails bit into your palms, you weighed the outcomes of behaving or not. Erwin didn’t leave any room to fuck up, he didn’t even say what would happen if you were unable to do the punishment. Plus, the mat already hurt your bare knees.

Exhaling to steel your nerves, you whispered, “Okay.”

Stroking your cheek with his thumb, he reminded you, “No squirming or going to the bathroom for an hour.”

At that he departed from your form. A spectacle in the middle of their living room, the men ignored you for the movie playing. Back facing the screen, you could only guess what entertained them from sounds alone.

The want to wiggle plagued you. Your body already ached from your overstuffed tummy and the grooves of the mat digging into your skin. The pain was minimal, but it itched at you. How you wanted to curl in and hug yourself. The need to vomit still hadn’t passed. Spine straight as a pole, you could only assume his command not to squirm included not moving from where he positioned you.

From where you sat, you watched the men sit on the couch. Bare of you, Levi and Erwin sat at the same couch. They were on opposite sides with no indication of it being for any bad reasons. Levi didn’t seem like the type to cuddle or touch in general. Erwin was a man of poise. If he craved touch, he didn’t seem to be the type to make it apparent. Well, in a normal context.

Here, in this house, he could reign down all his desires on you as he pleased. No different than a man of faith finally led a stray. No longer ignorant and free from his charm, Erwin held no respect for anyone but himself.

Your focus stayed on the space in between them. If they were going to ignore you, you would do the same. Channeling your willpower, you refused to cave. Despite Erwin’s command, you could sense he wanted you to fail. To embarrass yourself as you did Levi.

Resting his cheek against his fist with elbow sat on the arm of the couch, Levi glanced at you. From your peripheral, you saw him leisurely drinking in your form. If you weren’t so stubborn, you would have snapped at him that he’s enjoying this. He must be. You were like this because of him, because of Erwin.

Erwin huffed out a laugh at the TV. Clenching your fingers even tighter, your skin pinched between your nails. You hoped you would bleed. Your thighs started to cramp from being in the same position for who knows how long now. Every second passed slowly, like in molasses. The sticky residue had you wanting to stretch your legs.

Tiny divots imprinted into you. You didn’t know what made you more angry, the mat having pawprints on it or Erwin picked it because of that. Maybe it’s Levi who did since he did have an infinity to call you a bitch or a dog. How much did they have this prepared?

While lost in your thoughts, you felt a small wetness begin in your panties. Instantly you clenched your thighs and stood up straighter. Alright so trying not to pay attention to your bladder didn’t help you at all. Now you were very conscious of it. You didn’t know if that made it better or worse.

Instead of the sting in your knees, your brain flooded you with the ache in your intestines. With it in the forefront of your mind, you wanted to move. When you clenched your thighs, your knees moved slightly causing the sharp edge to dig in your cartilage. Subtly as you could, you shifted to get some sort of relief.

Somehow Erwin caught it.

“First and only warning, Princess.”

Luckily Levi made no comment to tempt you. Steeling yourself, you bit your lip. Still refuse to give the men the reaction they wanted, you didn’t stray from the space in between them. With no idea how much time had passed, you didn’t know how much longer you had. You regret not counting in your head the seconds. Sure, it would have been agonizing, but at least you knew when to give up.

Time sat like this, unmoving like your quivering form. Your toes started to curl in on themselves from the stretch. Squeezing your lids, the cramps in your legs, back and now your feet almost broke you. Laying on the couch for almost a week didn’t help with your stamina.

Body coiled tight like a violin string, your bladder screamed at you. It laid heavy on your other organs. More dribbled out of you and you wanted to screech. Why of all days did your own body betray you? Were you no better than an untrained puppy? Most adults couldn’t even go without a toilet and yet you were here, almost peeing yourself no better than a child. You seethed and scolded yourself for not being stronger.

“Times up, sweet girl,” Erwin’s voice pulled you from your stupor.

Head springing up, you stared at him as if he was lying. Even with those words, you didn’t get up. In this position for so long, your body crystallized. Erwin got up from the couch to get closer to you.

“Can I go now?”

“Go ahead,” He smiled down at you.

Relieved, you raised on your knees to get up slowly, but he clamped a hand on your shoulder and forced you back down.

Confused, you tried to pry away his enormous palm. Slumped on the ground, you were no longer on your knees but your legs to the side of you, your hip digging into the rim of the mat. Your fingers worthlessly scrambled against his to pull them backwards.

“I didn’t move, let me go!”

“I don’t remember saying you could use the bathroom, just not to squirm or go unless you wanted a harsher punishment.”

“You freak,” You barked and raised your hand to punch him in his dick.

Before you could, Levi came behind you and stopped you before you made it worse for yourself.

“Let the poor girl go, Erwin. Honestly I really don’t want to clean up the mess,” Levi sounded exasperated.

Nodding, Erwin let you go and you scrambled away from him. Your legs were pins and needles, stinging as you awkwardly stumbled into the bathroom. No different to a fawn finding its footing.

Behind you, Erwin huffed at Levi that he was merely teasing you. You could almost hear Levi rolling his eyes at the taller man.

Ripping the door open and slamming it closed, you really wish the bathroom had a lock. Finally on the toilet, you let yourself sag until your chest was at your knees. Stuttering breaths erupted from your lungs. The stress of today weighed on you. Muffling your sobs, you refused to move, not caring your panties and shorts hung around your ankles. The ache persisted in your tummy.

The door opened and shut a lot softer than when you shut it. From the barely there footsteps you assumed Levi joined you. Tilting your head up with a tearful glare, his expression stayed stoic.

“Do you need help?” His eyes look at the toilet paper.

Scoffing, you grabbed it yourself, “Don’t fucking coddle me.”

At that, he crossed his arms and leaned against the door, trapping you with him. Realizing how exposed you were, you finished your business and shoved your clothes over your pelvic bone. Getting up from the toilet, you reached behind you to pull the band over your butt. You refused to let him see you naked ever again. Even if it killed you.

Going to the sink, you stared at each other from the mirror. Flicking the water on, you squirt copious amounts of soap in your hands. Vigorously scrubbing, you let muscle memory overtake you as you watched Levi like a prey animal. Water rushing filled the empty silence.

“You’re not doing it correctly.” Pushing himself off the door, he stood behind you.

Wrapping his arms around yours, he took your hands in his. Compared to Erwin’s hands, his seemed almost delicate. Long, slim fingers with slender palms but still littered with calluses. His nails were well manicured, but you could tell he’s a man that used his hands often. Despite this, his still engulfed and cradled yours.

Gently, with his chin over your shoulder, he washed your own hands meticulously.

“Didn’t I say not to coddle me,” You muttered, too tired to actually fight.

“I don’t think you are in the position to tell me what to do,” His voice tickled your neck.

Still staring at him in the mirror, you spoke, “I forget that’s Erwin’s job.”

“I know what you are doing. Knock it off.”

Properly scolded, you looked down and watched how the warm water washed over you both. Hands thoroughly cleaned, Levi released you to let you both respectfully dry your hands. Finished before you, Levi grabbed your annoyingly pink toothbrush and just as annoyingly strawberry toothpaste tube.

The mirror shut with a muffled pop. Confused, you watched on as Levi squirted a hefty amount of toothpaste on the bristles. Wetting it under the water and flipping it back off, his left hand grabbed your jaw and massaged it open. Scared of a repeat of only mere hours ago, you try to tilt your head away. Levi was quick to redirect you.

In the mirror, he placed the toothbrush into your mouth. At first you thought he’s going to gag you, but instead he gently brushed your molars. Eyebrows twisted in perplexion, your eyes go cross-eyed as you stare at the brush in your palate. Memories of your first day trapped here ran through your head. The whole reason why you were punished. He must have been testing you. To see if you would be stupid enough to repeat the same mistake.

This time you will keep your teeth to yourself. For now.

Through the mirror, Levi didn't drift from your mouth. Extremely thorough with each tooth, he moved from one side to the other. Foamy, strawberry flavored drool spilled from your mouth and down onto the sink.

You whimpered at the sticky saliva paint on your chin. Levi paid no mind to it as he pinched your jaw to open your mouth further. With dexterity, he moved to your upper row of teeth, scrubbing away any imperfections. Too tired to really fight, you wrapped your hands around his forearms.

“Spit.”

Listening, you bent over and spat the toothpaste into the sink. Bringing you back up, he spoke again.

“Open, tongue out.”

Warmth filled your face. His words in different context sounded so lewd. His face didn’t portray how his words sounded. Reluctantly, you let your tongue lull out. Hand still on your face, he simply brushed your tongue.

Going deeper into the cavity, you gagged when he hit the back of your throat. He paused, but continued on. He kept the same pace with your tongue, attentive. The brush went too far and you gagged again.

“Spit,” he repeated.

Still queasy from earlier, you gladly did. If he kept hitting the back of your throat, you were going to throw up and you didn’t want him to brush your teeth, again.

Not moving from you quite yet, he rinsed off the brush and put it with the others in the holder. Hands on your shoulders, Levi spun you around slowly. Your grip on his forearms loosening. Grabbing a cloth, he wet it under the water and brought it to your chin. Gently he wiped away any residue.

“Messy,” He absentmindedly commented.

Levi finally let his arms drop. Locking gazes with you once more, he seemed to be… pleased.

The thought had fire sit in your chest. You didn’t want to ever make that man content or pleased with you. The mutual hatred kept your sanity not snapping like a thread. But you couldn’t handle more, so you let it be. Picked your battles.

“Come.”

Pulling completely away, he opened the bathroom door and expected you to follow. Dejectedly you stayed behind him. Instead of taking a right, he went to the left, further down the hall. Right where your room sat.

Pretending to be scared to go back inside and a little spoiled, you grabbed the hem of Levi’s shirt. “Wait!”

He stopped and glared at the hand tugging at him. “What?”

“I don’t want to go back in,” You mumbled.

“Too bad. Erwin spoiled you enough.” Levi grabbed the hand on his shirt and tugged you further down the hall.

You stumbled a little at the pull, but stayed silent otherwise. A tiny smile flinched on your lips before you snuffed it. You dared not look anything but dejected, Levi could sniff out when you were lying like a damn bloodhound.

Light footsteps carried you until you hit your bedroom, nothing out of place. The cage door open, waiting for your arrival. Firmly, Levi brought you to the cage and stuffed you inside. While going in he covered the wiring so your head didn’t hit the metal. There was no need to injure you further.

He closed you in and locked you inside with a snap of the key. The same key you kept seeing. One a bolder, safer night, you will go looking for the source of it. It had to be your ticket out of here.

Crouched at the door, Levi observed you, eyes squinted. “I know you’re up to something, whatever it is, stop it. Erwin only played nice because he’s worried about your concussion worsening.”

“I’m not up to anything,” You glared back. Liar.

“We’ll see about that. Don’t come crying to me when your Daddy beats your ass black and blue.” And with that, he withdrew from your cage and left you alone. He flicked the lights off and shut the door.

Finally alone, you crumpled into a ball and grabbed one of the plushies. Muffling your cries, you sobbed and sobbed until there was nothing left. Hours must have passed as you no longer heard the TV and the light in the hallway didn’t creep into the dimly lit room. Your stomach no longer hurt, at least some of the food digested. A spiteful part of you never wanted to eat again.

No sound bellowed in the house.

Not even the creaking of a bed above you. Patience sure was a virtue, but so was persistence. You couldn’t handle one more night here than needed. Plus Erwin and Levi—well at least Erwin—would think you would be licking your wounds too much to try anything.

Tearing yourself from the blankets and stuffing holding you down, you turn behind you and grab the teddy bear. Sitting up further, you dug your finger in the hole and found the screwdriver still in there. Relieved, you shakily smiled with a quivering exhale.

Shuffling over to the lock, you squeezed your fingers through the gaps and twisted the lock closer to you. It would have been easier if you could get your hands in between the bars, but alas.

The hooked metal strained against the wires. Your fingers pinched the actual lock while the hand with the screwdriver shimmied the shaft far enough inside. Ear close to the mechanism, you listened carefully for clicks. You didn’t even know if this would work, but you could only hope and pray. Pray to any god or deity listening to hear your pleas.

Lids closed, you twisted and turned the screwdriver. You were scared of it not working, but you were more scared of the tiny tool breaking inside the lock. Pushing away the thought, you focused harder. You spun and pulled, spun and pushed, spun and pulled until….

Click. … Click, click, snap.

Springing up, you stared at the lock and tugged on it. It came off. Holy fuck, it came off. Pulling the lock out of the hinges, you threw it behind you on the blankets and pushed open the door.

In disbelief, you numbly crawled out of the cage and further into the room. Learning your lesson, you were more aware of your footsteps. Still crawling to the door, you placed your ear against the slab of wood. The house was still barren of sound. Not even a breath.

Cautiously, you twisted the door and peeked your head out to see nothing in the dark, looming hallway. Now or never, you slipped through the crack and crouched upwards. Low to the ground, you took soft, slow footsteps. Passing the hallway that led to the stairs, you never let it out of your view until you efficiently crossed by it.

Exhales heavy in your chest, you dared not breathe until you were out of its line of sight. The opening into the living room, had you gently release some tension. You stopped at the archway and put your back to the wall, your body facing the living room. Peeking a head out, there’s no one on the couch nor in the kitchen. Safe—for now—you tip-toe ran towards the mudroom.

Kneeling at the small table, you quietly pulled the drawer open and grabbed the flashlight luckily still there. Closing it just as gently, you make sure no one stood behind you. Still in the clear, you got back up and raced towards the hallway window that faced the neighbor’s home.

Crouched at the window, your hands sweaty and clamped around the flashlight, you prayed for someone to be awake. With shaking hands, you turned behind just to be precautious and then stopped stalling. Flashlight in hand, your thumb went to the button at the bottom.

You clicked it on.

Hushed and under your breath, you said, “One. Two. Three. One… Two… Three… One. Two. Three.”

With each number you flicked the light on and off. Three short bursts of light, three long bursts, and then three short ones again. You prayed you were doing it correctly.

“S. O… S.”

You repeated this five times. Not wanting to test your luck, you stopped after the fifth time. In the abyss of the night, the only indicator where the neighbors home was the porch light on. Your eyes focused on your reflection in the window. Chills had your skin raise and you whipped around to see no one.

Trusting your intuition, you were out of time. On a time crunch, you go back to the table, careful not to let your anxiety cause you to get sloppy. Placing the flashlight where it was before, the draw shut with some resistance. You snarled at the wood to fucking work.

Tears bubbling at the apprehension, it finally closed. Heart in your ears, you raced back to your room, not leaving your crouch. You were able to make it to your door when the sound of someone moving sent you in overdrive.

Not daring to look behind you, you slipped into the crack you left and closed the door gently. A soft creak had your shoulder hunch to your ears, but you didn’t dwell on it.

Crawling to your cage, you shut the door and fumbled behind you. Grabbing the lock with slippery hands, you shoved your fingers in between the bars and made sure the lock’s front faced away from you. Snicking it closed, pounding footsteps lumbered down the stairs.

Erwin’s coming.

Twisting around, you plunged the screwdriver into the teddy bear and shoved it in its place. The footsteps went towards your door. Terrified, you threw your head onto the plushies and cradled it to your chest. Tossing a blanket over you, Erwin quietly opened your door.

Clenching your eyes closed, you prayed he wasn’t as perceptive as Levi. The man didn’t come fully in your room. He stood at the doorway before closing the door again. His footsteps went back down the hall and up the stairs.

Your lungs whistled from how long you trapped oxygen in your alveoli. Despite the terror, you grinned into the stuffed animal you hugged.

You did it. You fucking did it.

#yandere x reader #yandere #yandere levi #yandere levi x reader #yandere erwin #yandere erwin x reader #levi x reader #erwin x reader #yandere male #yandere aot

[gerogerigaogaigar]

Oh man this baby boy is absolutely the best build I've done. He's so sparse. Only three stickers on the whole thing and most of him is stark white. I really love Turn A's design but I was definitely scared to try him until I got better at panel lining. This was a really good build, the weirdest Gundam design gets an equally weird master grade kit. The legs were fantastic to make and if you enjoy panel lining then this is the kit for you. I especially enjoy the detail that went into the leg joints so that they could get that kinda cartoon arc that you see in the show. Plus it comes with the cow from episode 8. I love you White Doll! Mustache Boy!

#gunpla #turn a gundam #Ɐ gundam

[ripplestitchskein]

I've been binge reading your Helluva Boss and Stolitz posts for a while now and I love how mature and nuanced your takes are. I've run into a good deal too many Stolitz antis on Twitter who won't give Stolas and Blitzo's relationship a chance to improve later, despite the show clearly trying to do just that. I'm especially tired of people saying that their relationship is one-sided. And even when actual evidence is put out there that Blitzo actually does like Stolas back, they say it doesn't count because those hints are less than 5 second long small details rather than being spoonfed to them. Just argued with one of them on Twitter like an hour ago and that's exactly what they said. And they accused ME of not paying attention because in their mind, Stolitz was built up from sexual assault, and they think Blitzo's line in Western Energy "He can get hurt?" is somehow out of character which confused the hell out of me, and they kept insisting that Blitzo had "zero interest" in Stolas no matter what.

Thank you so much!! I do try my best to be as rational and logical as possible so I’m glad it’s coming through, not to say I don’t have emotionally based reactions or bias but in my meta analysis I try to set my personal feelings about the text presented aside and just talk about what it could potentially mean based on recurring elements, themes, and deliberate choices made throughout not just in individual scenes.

LooLoo Land is a perfect example, there are some moments in that episode I heavily dislike (Blitzø shoving the dolls down his pants, the “as long as she washes it” convo, and Stolas being sexually inappropriate in front of his kid) so I do understand some of the criticism. It was also episode two and being a creative myself I know firsthand that things like that happen. You put in things early, for a joke, a laugh, to highlight personalities and they don’t necessarily come across the way you intended or jive with where the story ends up. Which is why a lot of my analysis takes in the entirety of what we have so far, the recurring stuff, not just individual moments or one off lines.

I’ve always maintained that it’s crucial to remember that creators are not perfect beings who are getting their story from on high fully formed, they make mistakes, they get inspired and take things in a different direction as things develop, they can contradict themselves over time. It happens.

It’s also a cartoon so it’s limited in how much it can even do, how expressive the characters can be, how much time they have to explore and the medium absolutely comes into play when analyzing it. Art has always been and will always be subjective, and unless the creator flat out contradicts something it’s largely left to interpretation, but that interpretation cannot be based on one scene, or one episode, or a one off bit of dialogue or a single expression either.

I always encourage not wasting your time arguing with people who are still serving up early content talking points or who dont have media literacy as a learned skilled. I know it’s super hard, I’m guilty of it myself. I was so close to going off on a “Stella and Stolas are mutually abusive” take last night you have no idea. It was more the dude was just being deliberately obtuse to the point I stopped myself and was like “they have to be trolling, no way someone believes this”. You can’t change their minds, they obviously don’t want to engage with the material from a place of good faith, and it just bums you out at the end of it.

A lot of them are really young too I find, which may be part of the disparity. I’m 38 so I have a lot of different experiences to draw from they haven’t had yet. I’ve been a fandom girl since I was a kid, I’ve always been a shipper and I also create things so my perspective is further down the line and with lived experience some people don’t have yet. I’m reminded of this daily, my oldest son is 18 and we have many conversations where I’m reminded about how much you learn as you grow older and the assumptions you make as a younger person. This is not to say that younger people can’t think critically but it is a skill and it improves over time like any other.

I also encourage people to think of what is being said and why. There is a lot of hate for VivziePop as a person. My understanding is she said some things early on and created a hate base that is going to deliberately misinterpret just to validate their initial assumptions about her motive and character. With popular things there is always a small subset that hate a show because of its popularity too, I don’t think because they are jealous like some speculate but because they didn’t personally enjoy it and don’t like feeling like they are missing something, so they take it in a “it must be the children who are wrong” Principal Skinner approach. They can’t see why people love it so those people must be ignoring what they didn’t like about it and they must tell them.

Sometimes people like another ship or another character more, and their ship might involve one half of yours, or they don’t feel their character is getting the same focus and attention because of yours. So instead of just letting everyone enjoy their own things it’s now a competition, a source of resentment and they must make that everyone else’s problem.

And I’ve talked about the fascistic purity culture that seems to encroach into fiction spaces as well that is also at heavily play. Any time a character does anything that is vaguely “toxic”, “problematic” they are immediately painted with the SA brush, the creator is promoting it and the fans are enabling it and are somehow directly responsible for it existing in the world. You can’t do anything about them except enjoy what you like, look at it critically within your own personal comfort level, and as always, my favorite thing to say “kill the cop in your head.” Not just with fiction but everything.

I’m glad my analysis is being enjoyed, and I super appreciate your feedback on it. Come to my inbox anytime and we’ll enjoy the ride together!

#inbox #stolas x blitz #stolitz #helluva boss #will I ever answer anything in less than 500 words? #not fucking likely

[gallavichthings]

Writer's Spotlight - Rita

This interview is long overdue and has been long in the making! I'm super pleased and excited to finally present a friend and my right arm on this blog, Rita aka @sickness-health-all-that-shit aka whatyouandihave on AO3, author of Lifeline, Possiblities, Short&sweet and several other fics, and some great gifs too!

R: I grew up in a small-ish town, dreaming about going to university, finding a job I loved, and living on my own with a cat as my companion. I'd say my 13-year-old self would be pretty happy with how my life turned out! I've always been into tv shows and films, plus languages and literature (that's what I mainly studied at uni) and I've managed to find a job that combines those things, which is the absolute dream! I translate and adapt lines into Italian so that dubbing actors can replace the original dialogues of movies, tv shows, documentaries and the like. Besides reading and writing and watching shows, I love travelling, enjoying good food and spending time with my family.

GT: Oh, that's a great job! It looks like you're living your dream, and I'm very happy for you! I assume you must watch all kinds of shows for your job, but what do you watch in your leisure time?

R: Yeah, for work I've had to watch plenty of children's cartoons, anime and lots of unscripted programs like reality television, cooking competitions and things like that. All stuff I would not watch in my spare time 😁 Some of my favourite shows are Btvs, Doctor Who, Breaking Bad, The Office, Outlander, Derry Girls, Peaky Blinders, Dexter and Shameless. I also watch a lot of British comedy panel shows (Taskmaster, QI, Big fat quiz of the year etc) and stand up comedy.

GT: Oh, some of my favorites on this list! Do you read/write fics for these other fandoms as well?

R: Nope! I actually came to fanfic pretty late, despite all the years spent lurking in fandom spaces. I only really started reading fics about 4 years ago, and that was after the Ian and Mickey prison reunion, having binged the first 8 seasons of Shameless a few months before that. I had read a couple fics for other fandoms over the years, but I honestly wasn't that interested. I was content with just rewatching the shows I loved and maybe making up my own headcanons, but nothing more. I guess you could say Ian and Mickey have made a fanfiction convert out of me!

GT: What was it about them that you think made you want to write your own fics, especially coming into the fandom late, as you said yourself, when there were already a lot of fics written.

R: Honestly, it just looked like so much fun to play around with them and all the themes you could explore through their story. When I first started reading fics, it opened so many avenues in my mind (I was so convinced I wouldn't be into AUs at first. Wrong!) and I was also reading tons of meta that had been posted on Tumblr over the years, which I had a lot of thoughts about. I think part of it was about needing a creative outlet at that point. I hadn't really written fiction before, and definitely not in English, but I think I'd always wanted to try and write stories. Building a world and creating characters from scratch would have been way too daunting, but playing around with my Ian and Mickey 'dolls' was instant, cathartic fun. There's just so much potential there, so much history and emotional depth to these characters and their love story that keep me coming back to them over and over.

GT: Do you tend to write more from Ian's or Mikey's pov?

R: I alternate a lot depending on the vibe of fic, but I guess maybe Ian's? The longest multichapter I have up is almost entirely written in Ian's pov, and one fic I'm writing at the moment that's gonna be longer than my usual is also from his pov. I have a lot of fun with Mickey's, but I really love exploring Ian's inner world in depth.

GT: What do you consider your forte when writing fic, the thing that comes to you more easily? And what do you struggle with sometimes?

R: I love writing dialogue the most, and I think I'm pretty good at making it sound in character for them and nailing their voice. I definitely struggle with descriptions and maybe pacing. I'd love to write a slow burn but I don't think they're for me. I get too impatient lol

GT: What kind of fics do you write the most? 

R: I mostly write one-shots, but hope to work on more multichapters in the future. I've also posted a series of short ficlets. Lots of fluff, some angst, though always with a happy or at least hopeful ending. Maybe someday I'll try my hand at some smut? Who knows. A lot of my fics tend to be either canon compliant fill-ins that expand on canon scenes or different first meeting AUs, especially meet-uglies. I also like including Mandy and exploring her friendship with Ian and sibling relationship with Mickey. I love writing banter and sprinkling in humour in my fics.

GT: I'm a huge sucker for meet-uglies! Which of your fics are you the proudest of?

R: Oh, the one I'm most proud of has got to be The stranger in my brother's bed. It was my first stab at a multi-chapter, my first AU and a chance to play around with different POVs and an unfolding plot. It's also still my most popular fic to date. It's very sweet and fluffy and warm. When it comes to one-shots my favourite I've written is probably Unexpected, a dialog-heavy meet-ugly with lots of banter and flirting. And then there's Caught me by surprise, my second attempt at a multi-chapter that's still currently a WIP. I do hope to finish those last two chapters someday, but I'm proud of it all the same. It's the longest thing I've written and I got to have fun with tropes like Fake dating, Secret relationship and Bed sharing.

GT: Are there any tropes or ideas you haven't had a chance to explore yet but you'd like to someday?

R: I'd like to write some fill-ins for the early seasons, especially exploring Mickey's pov. Of course a lot of amazing fics like that exist already, but it'd be a chance to expand on my headcanons and do some interesting character studies. Other than that, I have a few ideas for plot-heavy stories that sometimes I think might be too ambitious for me but also can't get out of my head. If I ever write them, they may feature tropes such as Childhood friends, Soulmate AU, Private investigator AU, and even a Genie AU, though fantasy is definitely not my go-to genre. I'd also love to write an angsty Enemies to lovers or a classic Roommates AU. And maybe some canon divergent stuff.

GT: Where do you get inspiration from?

R: Movies and tv shows I watch, stories I read or random posts I see on Tumblr are all potential sources of inspiration for me. Sometimes I'll get particularly obsessed with a line a character said in canon or a certain scene and a story just forms in my head around it. And when all else fails, I go looking for a prompt that speaks to me to get things going.

GT:What about motivation? Do you force yourself to take time to write or do you wait for motivation to strike randomly?

R: I'm still trying to find a balance that works when it comes to motivation, to be honest. I've gone many months waiting for motivation to strike, and getting more and more frustrated and disappointed the longer I waited in vain for it to come. Other times I'll try to force it, but end up convincing myself I have lost any ability to write I once had 😅 I definitely work better with some sort of deadline and 'peer pressure'. That's why I'm trying to participate in as many fandom events as I can at the moment. I struggle with anxiety, so I used to think it would be too stressful for me, but I need some structure in order to be productive. And sometimes it is a matter of getting yourself to write a little bit (almost) every day, just to move things along and keep the momentum going.

GT: What's your writing process like?

R: If it's something long or plot heavy I'll prepare a bit of an outline first, but I'm not generally big on outlines. When I go to write, I'm usually sitting on my bed or couch with my laptop. I tried having music on or ambient sounds, but honestly I work better in silence. I think of the scene I want to describe and the thoughts and feelings I want to convey and watch it as a film in my head, hearing the characters voice the dialogue. Then I put it all into words, if they behave that day and just come to me 😁 I first do a rough draft, trying not to edit too much as I go but just keeping going until I reach either the end of the story (in the case of a short-ish one-shot) or a good stopping point. Then once it's done I start editing, filling in details I left out, double checking things online and making various changes until I'm reasonably satisfied with it. At that point I'll send it over to my beta reader.

GT: Do you write about other characters or ships as well? If not, would you someday?

R: No, not really. Even if I include other Shameless characters, the focus is always on Ian and Mickey and their relationship. And I don't think I'll ever write about anyone else. I have a bit of a one-track mind when it comes to ships and fandoms. I can only really focus on one at a time, and even if I love lots of other shows and media, I don't feel the need to create for them, or be all that involved. I think that, beyond my fascination with Ian and Mickey as characters and as my all-time favourite ship, this fandom space and the community I share this passion with has a lot to do with my continued participation in it. I don't think I'd be still writing and posting fic if it wasn't for all the wonderful people that create and enjoy fanworks about Ian and Mickey alongside me. They're a huge part of what inspires me and motivates me to keep creating.

GT: Definitely. It's incredible to me how much the fandom has grown and changed, while still being welcoming.

What about OCs, do you have any? Do you create them based on real people or just whatever you need them for?

R: I only occasionally create OCs for specific purposes, though most often I try to cast other Shameless characters in the roles I need if possible. I had fun with Mr. Binckley in my most recent fic for GGE, The Ghost of Christmas Fuck You, and last year, again for GGE, I created two OC children for How I met your dad. I don't see myself using them for other fics in the future, though I really admire writers who can create fully fleshed out OCs and have them recur in more than one of their stories.

GT: What about reading fics, what makes you choose something to read (and what would make you give up on reading something)?

R: I usually trust authors I already know and love, and who tend to write the sort of fics I go for anyway. But I'll give any story a chance if the premise sounds intriguing. So a good summary will draw me in, for sure. I love any kind of meet-cute or meet-ugly, and enemies or friends-to-lovers. I'll read fluff, smut or angst depending on my mood, but always with a happy ending. I like any sort of AU, but I steer away from fantasy in general, and prefer things set in the present day (though I do enjoy science fiction as a genre so space, time travel, etc. might attract me to a fic). I don't read a/b/o, mpreg or mcd. I'll give up on reading something if it's just a wall of text or riddled (and I do mean riddled) with typos. Also if I feel that something is written way too out of character to the point where I barely recognise them as Ian and Mickey.

GT: Can you name some of those authors you already know and love?

R: Sure! @goodkwuestion, @beckyharvey29, @damnnmilkovich, @gallavichy, @jellovich, devovitsuasartes and @crazynadine are some of my all-time favourites.

GT: What about some favorite fics?

R: You can bite me by Shamelessquestions, all comes down to you by BeckyHarvey29, Bad Date by @thevioletjones, the Southside Forever series by proval, You make me feel human by Dragona, Two of your earth minutes by @the-rat-wins, So Sleeping fucking Beauty, right? by @cjmarlowe, sideways by @whaticameherefor, Maintenance by devovitsuasartes, Love is a ballfield by and_i_take_it. There are many others, but these are some of the ones that have really stayed with me.

GT: Do you ever reread fics?

R: Oh yeah, I've definitely reread some of the ones above. I've been in a reading slump for a long while now though, which is why the fics I've mentioned are almost all older ones, and a lot of those writers aren't active anymore. There are so many amazing new authors writing brilliant fics at the moment, but often I end up just reading snippets of their work or their drabbles on Tumblr, so that's why I haven't mentioned them here. I've got so many incredible fics to catch up on! But brains are weird like that, you know?

GT: Oh, I totally get that! What about your own, do you reread those?

R: Not often. I tend to publish something and then not look at it again, focusing on the next project instead. There's a little bit of a cringey feeling for me when I think about rereading my own fics, but then when I do happen to read a bit of one I'm like 'Hey. This is good, actually. I do not remember writing this, but wow. Good job, me.' 😆

GT: You make gifs too, right? Have you ever made a gifset for a fic, yours or someone else's?

R: Yep! I've made a single gif for my most recent fic, The Ghost of Christmas Fuck You, and also for an older one, Ready to do this. I really want to make gifs/graphics for my fics more often in the future, actually. And I once made a gifset inspired by a quote from Cooperative gameplay by grayola.

GT: Do you make moodboards or playlists when planning a fic?

R: Hmm not really. I sometimes look up images to help me visualise a particular scene, but it's not a regular habit of mine.

GT: Let's talk about Shameless. You said you binged the first 8 seasons? That must have been a wild ride.

R: Haha oh, yeah. I remember watching the first 5 seasons in just one week, then slowing down considerably for s6 and s7, and I think season 8 took me a full month to get through. At that point s9 was a couple of months away, and I alternated between a faint hope for some kind of reunion between Ian and Mickey and just bitter disappointment for the state of the show such as it was at that stage. I absolutely died when the prison reunion happened. I watched that scene on a loop for days, and when I came back up for air I went looking for all the fics I could find. Especially ones set in prison or detailing their life after prison, since I was so convinced they were off the show for good. But of course that's not how it went. What a wild ride indeed! Those days were so crazy for me lol

GT: How did it feel to come into such a large, albeit somewhat asleep at the time, fandom?

R: It was weird because I wasn't on Tumblr at the time. I'd had a blog before but then left for a few years and once I got into Shameless I didn't immediately come back to it. I looked up news about the show on Reddit of all places. Then around the time I started reading fic, I found a little blog called gallavichthings ❤️ where I caught up on all the meta that had been written over the years (and gifsets and art and everything else). I only made my new blog when s10 was about to start, right around the time I posted my first fic on AO3. And at that point the fandom was being revived by I&M being on the show again and by the news that they'd be getting married by the end of season 10. It was my first real experience of being active in a fandom like this, so it was pretty wild for me. It was definitely not as nice and chill as it is nowadays, that's for sure.

GT: Awn, I'm glad to be part of your Gallavich journey. 

Are you able to select a favorite season, seeing as you saw them kind of all together?

R: Oof the earlier seasons are all so special in their own ways. But when I got to season 4, the grip this show had on me had reached the highest levels. Despite Ian being gone for so much of it, or maybe because of it, since his absence was so deeply felt and instrumental for us to see sides of Mickey we hadn't seen before. I'm a sucker for some good pining. And then the second half of the season was such a rollercoaster of emotions... Ugh. Plus it was also an amazing season for the other characters (Fiona especially, who I love so much). So dark and intense, and it felt like a more 'adult' season than previous ones. It just hurt so good.

GT: What's your favorite episode overall?

R: It's hard to choose a favourite, but I think ep 4x11, Emily.

GT: Oh, that's a fantastic one! What about a favorite scene?

R: Maybe the s5 dugouts scene in 5x10. The way it's filmed, the lighting, the music, the rawness of the emotions... it hurts like hell to watch them hurt each other, but then there's that sense of release, and of new hope when they're finally on the same page again and happy... and then it gets taken away from them, because we can't have nice things. But that scene is such a little gem, and it never fails to make me feel all the feels.

GT: If you could go back and change only one thing about the show, what would you change?

R: The quality drop in the later seasons? lol. Honestly, as happy as I am that we got to see Ian and Mickey get married and be husbands, the show was just unrecognisable by the end. So I'd have it end sooner. Have the s7 finale be the final episode of the show, but with a happy ending for Ian and Mickey, obviously.

GT: Speaking of, what did you think of the ending?

R: I wish I could say I was satisfied with it, but yeah, no. It was way too open ended, I only liked where they left things for Ian and Mickey, and I should count myself lucky for that, really. The parallels they tried to do with the pilot and season 1 mostly fell flat for me, but then, like I said, the show was a shadow of its former self by that point. There was too little left to enjoy for me. I don't think I would've watched s10 and 11 at all if it wasn't for Ian and Mickey.

GT: How do you headcanon Ian and Mickey's life together after the ending?

R: I think they live in that apartment for a couple years, then get a house closer to where they grew up. They keep in touch with family and spend holidays with the other Gallaghers. They get a pet or two, and eventually adopt or foster kids, a few years down the line. Mickey takes over the security business, while Ian finds a way to use his medical training again to help the community. They'll be happy, safe and in love for the rest of their lives. ❤️

The happily ever after they deserve.

GT: Well, that's it from me. Thank you so much for your time! Now leave a message to those reading this.

R: This was great, thank you! And thanks to everyone in this little corner of the Internet. Whether you create or simply enjoy creations and support them, you are a vital part of something really special. Thank you for being on this ride with me, and here's to another year full of ideas, events, collaborations, and lots and lots of fun!

#Gallavich #Ian x Mickey #Shameless #Shameless US #Gallavich fanfiction #Ian Gallagher #Mickey Milkovich #Writer's Spotlight #sickness-health-all-that-shit #mod post

[loodgack]

I’m starting a huge thread (stuff will be added later)

these will be a list of headcanons that the fandom(it will be marked as “universal”)/me added over the years, and I will mention their canon sources/origins. so, this list will be expanded later!

(Universal)Neighbor being in his 30’s - this originates from the files. Neighbor’s swear lines,which went unused later, are titled as “male thirties swear”

Neighbor swears a lot - see scrapped swears in the files

Smith has deep voice - if it is him on the phone in HG, then yes

(universal) Neighbor has a sex dungeon in the basement in the alphas. - this one was a joke by youtubers, and probably the blow-up doll helped too

(Universal)Neighbor is into men(too) - the Jesus painting in the early alphas, which people knew little to nothing about

(Universal)Neighbor is satanist - Faust

(Universal)Neighbor stole Player's house in alpha 2 - since not much was known about the old storylines, some people assumed, that everything happens real-time, and there was an accidental house switch, and Player moved to Neighbor's house, who now takes it back

Neighbor is terrible at newer technology- this one comes from multiple sides. Most famous one is that Neighbor doesn’t get the film from Quentin’s camera in hn2, while all he should do, is open the camera and the evidences would destroy themselves. Despite being inventor/engineer, he seems to be attached to older stuff.

Smith is rich - this one comes from the fact, that JUST Smith’s lenses cost 4k USD.

Smith loves order and cleaniness - I headcanon Smith having an old fountain pen, an ancient typewriter and a 100 year old gramophone. He is a very arranged and precise man in canon, his coat is perfect, probably expensive, his hat and other clothes are perfect as well (aside from the mud) he makes clear plans and he’s very bad at improvising as the HG extended cutscene shows. He brings bad decisions and overestimates his powers

(universal) Neighbor is a genius - I mean, he is

(universal) Neighbor is an alpha male - I mean, he is, especially in the old lore, he is always in control, or is stronger than anyone else.

Neighbor ended his own life - this one comes from the alpha 4 opening, him crying on the windmill. The scene then cuts down to the car and a raven. He is also shown being stuck with his fears, possibly dying before the time came.

Neighbor is two-handed - he can hold things with two hands, and especially in the cartoon, once he holds the hook in his left hand, once he writes with the right one.

Smith is two-handed - this one is purely a headcanon only, but since he is an educated ex-policeman/detective, probably he is trained for a lot of things

smith is an ex-policeman - the extended ending shows how Smith grabs Quentin, when he wants to stuff him to his car. There’s also an alternate scene modeled in the files, same thing, but Smith’s car is a police car. He also appears to be wearing the same shoes as the policemen Leslie and Nielsen.

Smith is Quentin and Beatrix’s boss - Smith seems to be having their CV’s and he seemingly knows a lot about the park and them.

Mayak controls the weather - or at least, lures storms. I mean, it does. There are weird weather anomalies and it’s a weather station

mayak eye follows the player and the building is kind alive. - this is entirely a thought by me, and imo, a missed opportunity.

(Universal) Neighbor is a big boy - 🤷‍♀️ I mean…he is 😏

Smith is into calm, classical music - shot 1-3 which show his arrival are gentle, calm music

Smith quit from the police - he seems to be hiding from them in the trailers and he is not showing himself when they are nearby, only from a distance (see my trailers video, where I show his locations)

Smith is a perfect photographer - he takes photos in SN from the bush

Quentin wasn’t capable of the job, but got n anyway - I mean, he’s scared, not scary, not a threat, he maybe has lung problems even, he gets stressed easily

Quentin has lung problems - this one comes from the books, in the prologue of book 4, Ike’s lungs are burning, and in HGP/HG, Quentin does have inhaler

Quentin loves tea - I mean, he did (HG) you can buy tea and he even consumes the thermos too lol

Quentin is sub - he doesn’t fight back in the HG ending cutscene, despite he is probably stronger than Smith

(universal) Neighbor knows that he’s in a game - see 1003063

Smith accepts Quentin’s request when the man wants to dress into matching clothes - in the secret ending of HN2 alpha 1, we see fake Neighbor, who has Smith’s head mesh, he most likely dressed up as Neighbor to trick Quentin. Why? Mystery. But it’s the clothes that count now.

Neighbor never lets his moustache to be touched - his moustache is literally always perfect, he probably cares about it a lot

Nicky is into choking - 🤭 I mean…he is

Neighbor can eat with chopsticks - he orders so much chinese…

Smith hates everyone - I mean, everyone except Quentin hurt him, so he has all the right to do so.

new Quentin was Norman Darby originally vvv

Ike was Quentin - explanation

Smith is a dominant - Smith wants to dominate in the extended HG ending, kinda speaks for itself.

Quentin loves stargazing - in the 4th book, Ike randomly starts talking about meteors etc, saying he likes stargazing.

Beatrix hates crows - in her opening cutscene, she shoosh a crow away, so…she probably dislikes them?

Beatrix grew up early and she has to handle everything on her own - this comes from the fact that she has her own car she has to take care of, and she is very down to earth

Beatrix is lucky, Quentin is unlucky - this comes from the HG cutscenes, where Beatrix smoothly avoids stepping into a nail, and getting hurt, except when Guest kidnaps her, while Quentin is shown to be very ill-fated

Smith and journalist Quentin knew each other - in hn2 alpha 1.5 which is in the mind of Quentin, Smith is closed to the attic. He also does see him during the 16 hour stream, they are in each other’s sight while watching Peterson

Peterson knows he is being watched and he is perfectly aware of most things - I mean, he is

Quentin is afraid of storms - he is, in HG. he is pretty much scared of everything, especially when a lightning strikes into the mayak and such.

#hello neighbor #hello guest #Headcanon #headcanons list #canon headcanons #headcanon list #theodore peterson #nicky roth #hello guest man in the hat #hello guest smith #ike gershowitz #quentin gershowitz #hello guest quentin

[vanillsposts]

something I’ve seen a lot of with the new monster high g3 - and in the fandom; is a lot of hatred towards new dolls in general - even lines like Rainbow High are getting hate.

It’s kind of upsetting to me; I feel like a lot of people who call themselves Monster High fans - have not even given the new reboot a chance; and just don’t like it because it’s not what they’re used too. Sure, there’s downsides to it - but there was to G1 too.

I really like G1 - but G3 I feel provides more body diversity and representation; especially with Twyla having autism, which is a great representation for people who are autistic - especially people watching the show. There also is more diversity with gender identity, relationships, and in general to be honest. A lot of people are saying the new designs aren’t for them; and that’s fine - but please remain respectful. I loved the old Monster High dolls - but I adore the new ones too; they’re both great in their own ways.

I really hope the Monster High fandom gets itself under control - it’s disheartening to see fans who spew so much hatred towards others; and the dolls and characters themselves. It would be nice if we could all just appreciate Monster High. I don’t think people who are cruel to other fans - can call themselves a true fan. Monster High is a place where everyone is accepted; so by being rude to other fans for enjoying something - that’s going against everything Monster High stands for.

This is just my opinion; no one has to agree with me - but I don’t believe I’ll be changing it. It hurts me to see the work and love put into this community and dolls; and even movies and cartoons - just to be the subject of backlash and nostalgia chasers.

#monster high #monster high opinions #opinions #my opinion #monster high dolls #monster high generation 3 #monster high generation 1 #monster high fandom #monster high fans #mh #mattel #fandom

[prontaentrega]

How did toy production work in Argentina before the 90s? Would love to read the cool things you've found!

I didn't find out anything really deep or complex lol but i was always curious about the way Strawberry Shortcake gets localized in Latin America- she's known as Frutillita in some countries which i always found odd because strawberries are only called frutillas in argentina, uruguay and maybe some other bordering countries. Latin American translations are usually made in a "neutral" spanish more influenced by México and northern latin american countries, so having a foreign cartoon character named like the local word for strawberry was weird.

But whatever the point is i found out before the 90s the way foreign toy lines worked here is that Argentinian toy manufacturers bought the rights to produce toys for a certain franchise and then made their own products independently from the og ones, so Argentina had its very own My Little Pony or Strawberry Shortcake lines with their own original characters and concepts and products. thus Frutillita, argentinian strawberry shortcake.

This is nothing new or particularily exciting, a lot of countries still do this (especially big producers like Japan) but as a child of post-2001 Argentina (Whole economic crisis around free-market reforms and national companies being sold to the 1st world. You know how it is) this was all very insane to me. Like if you wanna buy a Licensed doll or toy in here that shit's gonna be 1. imported and therefore 2. in dollar prices which means that e.g. a basic monster high doll costs like half of my salary

On an entirely superficial level i'm mad we aren't getting cheaper, nationally-made, localized monster high lines with our own original argentinian monster high characters. But there's also the whole political and economical angle to it. It's kinda unexplainable to someone in the 1st world but it makes me sad thinking about the industries we lost... obviously there's still dolls and toys being produced and made in Argentina but there was so much more before the 90s (You Know) it's so sad looking back at it. Not only talking about toys obviously

This is less about toy production in particular and more about national industry in general but it was all fueled by me wanting a monster high doll really really bad. but you know how it is

#is this all extremely pointless. yes. do i hate menem about it. also yes #answered

[thatcartoonnetworkblog]

Cartoon Network Friday Spotlight: The Powerpuff Girls- "I See a Funny Cartoon in Your Future"

Happy 25th anniversary, Powerpuff Girls! I wish I had a better episode lined up for tonight, but this is the one Spotlight I had in my queue for the series (note to self- write more Spotlights).

I love Rocky & Bullwinkle, genuinely some of the best cartoon writing ever. And I do love The Powerpuff Girls, which follows the moose and squirrel in its own way as an influence. While the latter paying tribute to the former sounds good on paper, I don't think the result that happened near the end of its run is the best it can do.'

I mention the problem right there- the later seasons of The Powerpuff Girls aren't nearly as good. Craig McCracken left the show shortly after the movie to focus on his next work, while Chris Savino, who already ruinedtook over Dexter's Laboratory's later seasons, became in charge and there was definitely a noticeable change. Gags became especially labored, the cheeky wit of the original was phased out for dumber, broader gags, and the charming UPA-meets-Golden Books art style of the earlier episodes was morphed into a more sterile, if still stylized sharp lines mess. These later episodes have their moments, and there are elements that I like about this particular one, but there's a reason that I keep going back to Craig's run.

In this story, Tom Kenny's narrator goes into overtime to recall Rocky & Bullwinkle's omnipresent voice as the uncomfortably Romani-inspired Madame Argentina (played delightfully by June Foray going full Natasha) wrecks havoc in Townsville with her goose sidekick. The girls try to stop her, but Madame Argentina is one step ahead and finds ways to stop the girls in their tracks, including voodoo dolls who harm the girls in, to recall Bubbles, their "tail bones". The girls do eventually save the day, complete with a commercial taking place in between the segment.

I really do think that a couple of years earlier, this could have been a lot more fun- especially if it was made and/or aired while Rocky & Bullwinkle was still a part of the main channel- but the show's best days were behind it. And apparently, this was a season 5 leftover that aired in various places before the states got it as the last episode to air as a premiere. Kind of a weird way to end the run of the channel's most popular show up to that point.

#the powerpuff girls #the adventures of rocky and bullwinkle #cartoon cartoon #cartoon network #friday spotlight

[sidetable-drawer]

Besides KaBlam!, what are some other media (movies, TV shows, etc.) that you used to like, but have since grown to dislike/hate/have mixed feelings about?

Bratz in general. There are some great outfits (and really high quality!) and I love how diverse the lineup is, but a lot of the messages in it were just so shallow and materialistic. Fun as a tongue-in-cheek thing I guess, concerning when you're pushing a "looks are everything! Spend all your money on expensive clothes and makeup!" to eight-year-olds (I had some Bratz activity books at that age that included....makeup and boy tips. Most kids that age aren't wearing makeup. Or dating!). I also remember being disappointed that the tie-in material didn't do that much with the girls' personalities, and made them increasingly stereotypical as time went on (Cloe, the blonde one, was originally the artsy one. Somewhere down the line they threw that out and made her "the dumb one"). As for all the "too sexual/revealing" complaint about the dolls and their outfits....yeah, that for the most part is overblown. I actually love most of them, and ESPECIALLY the first ones- you didn't see a lot of hip hop-influenced doll fashions before then (2001). Though I will admit SOME lines in the mid-2000s were pushing it, but not out of "not appropriate for kids to see" and just more "uh....these characters are minors canonically". The only time it was REALLY gross was Bratz Babyz. They had the baby versions of the characters in makeup, fishnets, skimpy outfits, etc....it made them look like pageant kids, and they were only about a year old in this line.

And the cartoon was awful. Amazing voice acting, though. And the music is legitimately really good on its own. But not only is the CGI awful even by 2005 standards, but the characters were just so shallow and unlikeable. The girls didn't gave much to them besides fashion. You'd sometimes get a hint of something more from Yasmin or Sasha, but it never lasted. And for all their "you're beautiful the way you are" preaching, if you dressed a little more unconventionally or worse glasses, you'd be in line for a "makeover" to make you more like them. The antagonists were a lot more fun to watch, and even as a 10 year old I would prefer them. That being said while the cartoon is so bad it's good...the live-action movie is horrible. Cliche, annoying, and actually pretty racist.

I definitely think in the right hands, you can make this franchise work better. You can keep the fashion and beauty focus WHILE giving the characters their own aspirations and goals beyond that. But further revival attempts in the 2010s could never get it right, which is why it's cemented as a 2000s nostalgia product and nothing else.

#dontrashroom

[marcodiazisatransgirl]

First, Breastforce claimed that their entire interest in this started from Marco in a dress from St. O's. The person asking about Marco in a dress was trying to bait Adam into saying something about the theory.

Most people who repeat the theory do it because of the dress, not the "dysphoria" (which is actually body dysmorphic, involving obsessive focus on a perceived flaw in appearance.)

I know that you're not going to believe any of this. It's upsetting to see you misgender anything, especially when I've been misgendered so many times in the last 6 years. Also your comments about my physical state don't help, making a joke out of it is cruel which is how I interpreted it.

And being transphobic is another jump to conclusion that doesn't make either of us look.good. I'm not transphobic. I'm transgender and have had years of reflection on iit. Calling me transphobic is like a punch in the gut.

As far as Daron, all she said was that she always intended Marco to be the type of guy who wasn't hung up on doing some things that are typically feminine without any concerns for his masculinity. It seems from an experience she had when she was young with her best friend who was male. When I asked her if Marco was going to grow up and be a good male role model, she said yes. Twice she did.

I won't deny I love the character a lot. I won't deny that some of the crew liked that some people saw themselves in Marco. But even if you look at the storyboard that everyone points to, it was a doll of a persona Marco already distanced himself from except for a royalty payment of $650. It was a capitalist business deal and nothing more. That's all the merch was ever about. A way to give Marco spending money during adventures. It wasn't about some secret "he's going as a she" behind everyone's back. It was all about the money. If Marco really cared about it on the level you theorize, he wouldn't have taken money out of the profits and would have done it in the best interests of the girls.

In conclusion I see this is misgendering. While it is a fictional character, some of the ways you've interacted with me have also been along the same lines, about me being transphobic and making light of my physical problems which is hitting below the belt.

Hi. I've been nice to you thus far. I've argued with you on your level, I've met your points on good faith. I've countered every argument you've given me with relative politeness considering how you've harassed me and my community, or ignored you when i was tired of said harassment. But now?

Get fucked, mate.

Where the fuck do you get off with this? Where do you see the moral high ground attacking trans people - OTHER trans people! - for finding identity with a character in a cartoon, in a community on tumblr. How childish are you that you cannot fathom other people having different interpretations of the source material. How petty and small-mided and hateful can you possibly be that you see trans people finding joy and community in a fictional character on tumblr and decide that it's hateful. How puritanical is your mindset that you cannot stand the idea of other people existing outside of your point of view.

Jen has said that she's not angry at you but I fucking am. Grow the fuck up you petulant, whinging, tantrum-throwing child. Flinging baseless accusations - I've never talked about your physical state, I barely know what it is beyond you being physically disabled in some way, which I found out after the majority of my interactions with you. I'm sorry, but you do not get to use your own problems as justifications for bullying and attacking others. You do not get to play the victim when it is you going after people apropos of nothing. It is you sending hate to fan artists just minding their own business, it is you going into our tags to complain about how we enjoy and interpret media.

And no, I don't fucking stalk you so I didn't know you were trans. Congratu-fucking-lations asshole! Looks like trans people can be just as toxic as the cis! Thanks for taking one for the team! And I'm sowwy that it's huwwrtful but your harassment and condemnation of the theory fucking stinks of transphobia. If you just disliked the theory, that's fine - I know plenty of polite and nice and non-transphobic people who don't think it's correct - people like Adam McArthur who would be appalled at your harassment at people over different interpretations of his character. Dozens of other tumblr users dislike the theory and they don't fall into your emotionally manipulative bullshit. That's a you specific problem.

(and while we're on the cast/crew topic: Daron Nefcy would be appalled at your use of her words as a gotcha for your bullshit cyber bullying. they mean nothing other than her affirming your interpretation of the character)

Your preposition is fundamentally flawed, you base your entire judgement of this theory on the fact that the idea started when a trans woman related to a character in a way you didn't think was valid. Your idea that somehow feminine men are underrepresented in fiction is completely ridiculous. But to go the fuck off about how even being perceived as a trans woman is dangerous to cishet men and then land on the conclusion that the problem is trans women? That's fucking transphobic.

But fine. You're trans so you can't be transphobic. You must of course have a ready list for canonical trans women for us to have flocked to back in 2016 when the theory was popular! Actually, I managed to find four examples (off the top of my head) of major characters in children's cartoons, the genre we're talking about. So you must be able to find the same! No? What about that same list from today? C'mon! If feminine men are so underrepresented compared to trans women, there must be more of them today at least! Fine we'll make it easy - it doesn't have to be a children's cartoon! Show me any western cartoon from any point in history where there was a trans woman as a major character. She doesn't even have to be the main character! Just a part of the reoccurring cast.

Show. Me. One.

But somehow those poor cis men are the ones victimized by us mean trans people.

I'm so fucking sorry you feel personally victimized by (other) trans people seeking representation. I'm so fucking sorry you are so badly triggered by (other) trans people (many of whom have dysphoria) identifying dysphoria in a work of fiction. But--newsflash asshole!--you don't get to bring your problems into a public space and harass people about them. You are the one in the wrong here, but your head is too far up your own arse to even dream about treating other people like actual human beings.

So, yeah. You're an immature, transphobic, bullying piece of shit and I want you to stay the fuck away from me, my friends, and my fucking tags.

#trans marco #anon hate #discourse #/anti #cw transphobia #oh i can't wait for you to pull the victim card on this one #oh im also autistic btw #cause i feel like you might try to use that card next #nipping that one in the bud

[sleepytoycollection]

Sleepy Reviews: Deuce Gorgon (Amazon Exclusive)

G3 Deuce Gorgon ($24.99) with his accessories

The boys of G1 Monster High have been my favorite boy dolls of any doll line ever, to the point I have gone out of my way to collect one of every single boy character that had been made. I adore them immensely, so obviously, when I had to pick one to review, I had to pick the original Manster himself, Deuce. 

He’s got a lot to live up to, so is Mr. Gorgon a worthy entry to my massive MH boy collection? Let’s find out:

This particular Deuce Gorgon is Amazon Exclusive, but there is another version in a 2-pack with Frankie that is target exclusive, which is honestly pretty amazing considering Mattel’s seeming aversion to boy characters previously. Two Deuce dolls right out of the gate? Go off then.

Keep that energy up Mattel and you have my attention. Especially if Jackson and Holt return. Please Mattel I’ll do anything. Anything. 🥺🙏

Ahem. 

Anyway, the box design is serviceable. I don’t love it, but it gets the job done.

I think of lot of it is this artwork. It’s not bad, and it’s clearly trying to tie into the style of the Nickelodeon MH show, it just doesn’t grab the eye as much as I wish it did. 

The back features more of the same art, as well as a full body image of Deuce, as well as a short profile for the character. 

Not a lot of info, just the basics in multiple languages. It’s fine. 

Some unique symbol art work for the edge of the box. A nice call back to the original boxes. 

Let’s get him out of the box for a closer look:

Boom. Out of box. Magic of television. 

He’s a handsome fellow, I like the new sculpt, and it’s fun they made him green. 

Back view for everyone. 

I love the way his eyebrows are painted. The individual hairs and expression bring a lot for me. 

The only thing I might’ve changed is just the color of his snakes, I feel like they clash with his skin just a little. If they had more of a yellow undertone than blue, or maybe were just a shade or two darker, I think it would’ve looked a lot better. 

Not a deal breaker, but I might add a paint wash later to adjust the color and bring out the detail though. 

I do like the actual sculpt of the scales though.

I loved Deuce’s fainted mohawk look in G1 and I think it was a nice choice for his default here. 

Let’s move away from our boy here for a sec, and look at his accessories. Let’s start with his pet:

Perseus returns with his own redesign. 

It’s alright, I actually loved the original MH pets, so I don’t mind them being included, but they look more like the modern Barbie pets this time around. which is hit and miss. 

Honestly I do think he’s cute, I just wish he was maybe more in scale. All the pets are the same size and general shape this time around, and with the even more cartoon-y design they end up looking less unique.

He does still have his twin tails though! 

All the ghouls come with iCoffins (Are they still iCoffins? Surely a few monsters have spooky-pun Androids), and Deuce is no exception.

His phone case is, of course, snake themed:

How cute. I love snakes. 

Along with phones, everyone also comes with a snack and a drink, for some reason, totally not trying to pad out the box, but anyway:

I tease, but actually I do think the little snacks are cute. I like his Medusa head water bottle.

The cupcake has a snake for frosting! Frosting snake! How cute.

Deuce also comes with a little tin of what I presume is scale wax. Gotta keep those scales shiny. 

Like all Deuce dolls, he has a pair of sunglasses, with, one again, a snake design. It’s all snakes here folks. 

See? Snake back back. I’d made to look like it’s made of snake skin. Which feels a little like a human carrying a bag made of hair. Hmm.

It does open though:

I do think the color is a little... bright. Actually, it’s not even the brightness, it’s just that it clashes. Def repainting this one. 

Deuce is a barista in this generation of MH, so his doll comes with a little apron:

It’s fine, and I’m glad his love of cooking seems to be making a comeback, but it does feel a little... idiosyncratic, but does make a good segue into...

Clothes!

The most important part of a fashion doll. 

Let’s start with his jacket, because I love it. It’s made of a nice denim-esque material, it has real pockets, it’s finished nicely, and just generally looks great.

Hope you’re not tired of snakes yet though, because we have more! 

Snake shirt! 

Also very nicely made. 

Snake pants! 

Construction of them is fine, but the material does feel pretty cheap. My least favorite of the fabric pieces.

Snake shoes! 

They’re fine. I’m indifferent to them tbh.

It’s all snakes! 

It’s also the last of his outfit, so let’s look at what’s under the clothes:

G2 MH/BTS body, G3 MH body, G1 MH body

As you can see, this body uses a different sculpt to previous Monster High boys. It’s shorter, and the thickest in the waist do far, but also has smaller hands and feet.

Honestly, I like the other two bodies better, but I don’t dislike this body either. Mostly I miss the bigger hands and feet.

See what I mean? If you were hoping G3 shoes would fit the G1 boys, unfortunately, they do not. I wonder if this change was made so kids could use Ken shoes with the boys? 

Deuce’s body also have a few quality issues:

That seam line is deep, and there’s a very noticeable ridge there.

Plus he’s got a little warping from the packaging, but that can at least be fixed with hot water. 

Let’s go ahead and put our boy back together, with all his accessories:

Is it just me or does he look a little... disjointed? I think it’s the shoes. They’re a different color in the box art, and I think they looked better there. 

Yeah, they had more green and seemed to be a bit lighter.

Final thoughts? 

He’s just a little hit and miss for me, unfortunately. I feel like they were trying to hard to stick to a certain out line of what each doll gets to come with, that it ended up with him coming with things I think would’ve ben better left off or exchanged with something else. 

Instead of an apron, it would’ve been cool if he could’ve had a belt, or instead of snacks, maybe an armband, earring, ect. 

I like the snacks, they’re cute. but why come with this doll? Why not save them for another?

Also, some of the color choices feel random. I’m all for unique color schemes, but we’ve got 5 different greens and four different purples. It doesn’t feel intentional, and more like an error. 

But there’s also things I do like, I like his face sculpt, his jacket is fantastic, and I think it would be very easy for me to fix what I don’t like with a restyle. 

Mind you, I’ve opened up a few other G3 dolls, and some are better than others. 

At the end of the day you have to decide what’s a deal breaker for you. For me? I’m happy with him, despite my criticisms. I’m happy to add him to my collection, and in general I’ve been enjoying G3. 

Do I think I’ll collect G3 boys with the intensity I had for G1? Eh. Bring Jackson and Holt back and then we’ll talk. 

Please Mattel I am begging. At least give us that Holt Reproduction. Please? 

#mattel #monster high #mh #g3mh #deuce gorgon #doll review

[tobiasdrake]

Alright, now that the fourth crime scene is out of the way, we can look into the others. While I'm not sold on the "correct" answer to that one, it does make me feel more confident in my answers for the other three.

I've been having second thoughts about the other crime scenes because I can see how they probably worked but it feels like the physics wouldn't work out.

First crime scene, killer climbed nails as steps to reach a vent. Feels like the nails wouldn't be able to support a human's weight like that, but maybe they could. Using metal spokes for a climbing is a thing, after all.

The string pulley trick with the second one also feels like... I'm not sure if the physics would work there?

And then the third, assuming it worked the way I thought... Like, if you propped the painting up against the window, you could put the key on the nail and then hammer it through that thin slot. But you'd be more likely to knock the painting over without embedding the nail in the doll.

But the rope ladder trick runs on whole-ass cartoon physics, so if that's the case, then there's nothing wrong with any of these.

You can't hear her extremely snide tone of voice, but Shinigami is so needlessly catty. Halara may be my prime suspect for this case but there's no reason to be snotty about it. Why are you such a bitch, Shinigami?

...he says while trying to quietly pretend he hasn't said, like, half of the things he's said about Halara. I distinctly recall calling Halara a corporate shill multiple times, which is going to be supremely embarrassing if they're actually innocent.

...why am I such a bitch?

In any case, on to the main piece of evidence that proves a clergy member had to have been the killer.

So long as there's no shenanigans at play here, this would exonerate both Worshipper and Halara, leaving only Priest, Servant, and Nun as possible suspects. Or a conspiracy of all three and Worshipper, if each killing was performed by a different person.

Alright, on to the first locked room. Climbed the nails under the vent to reach it and escape. Easy.

Easy as pie. On to the--

Ominous! That's definitely going to come up in the future, not necessarily in this case. I wonder who has to die for us to leave the hard way?

Crime scene #2! Left through the door and locked it, then used a pulley mechanism wrapped around the doll's eyes and victim's neck to pull the key into the room through the slitted vent above the door.

Okay, so I was off. The string was used to prop up the body but not to bring the key into the room. The much simpler explanation of just chucking the key through the vent is how it landed under the body. That makes more sense.

And they're specifying that it's a fishing line, specifically. Which feels like it's probably important to the culprit's true identity, but also feels like information handed to us by the Labyrinth directly with no discernable means within the metaphysical rules for us to have acquired that information.

That just leaves the art gallery. The painting was propped up against the small window with the doll already nailed in by the head, upside-down to confuse the case by creating false assumptions about direction.

The nail with the key was then pounded in through the thin slit of a window, knocking over the painting in the process.

Simple enough. Though it still feels to me like this case is wrong. Too many details break from the Nail Man's M.O., especially the way the victim was murdered.

Alright, so the important takeaway from this scene is....

The important takeaway is that there is nothing of value for us to find here regarding the Nail Man's identity because this one wasn't the same killer as the other three. This is a falsified crime. Thought so.

#master detective archives: rain code #drake plays rain code

[littlemymelody]

age regressor/little dallas “dally” winston aesthetic/moodboard !!

headcanons under the cut

rambling time

dally’s regression is traumagenic and totally involuntary.

he has a handmade stuffie made out of scraps of fabric that pony made him in home ec class at school. pony worked real hard on it and is so proud that little dally likes it.

all his crayons and stuff - all real old and beat-up, well-loved, like everything the greasers have - were gathered by two-bit. some from his little sister, many stolen. he’s always swiping stuff from stores for little dally.

tim was the first - other than buck - to find out about dally regressing, when he dropped bad after a fight. it was a sudden realisation (and not one tim really understood) but thankfully his big brother instincts kicked in, because dal was hurt and winding himself up something awful. johnny was the second, after he started playing with dally’s hair while they were both dozing in the lot and dally got soft. it was a slow realisation - johnny lining up all the little signs and bits of info in his head from all the time he’s known dally, into an understanding of “dal gets real soft sometimes, like a little kid.” (he was also the one who snitched to the rest of the gang, concerned about dal’s safety and his own ability to take care of little dally by himself.)

dally gets jealous of ‘real’ kids. scowls at them when they’re playing in the fields, or out walking with their parents. (dally has, on more than one occasion when especially young and overtired, asked darry where his ma is or if his dad’ll be home soon. when more lucid, he’s asked why he doesn’t have a ma or a dad. “don’t need ‘em. we’re your family,” darry had told him, and then hugged dally extra tight.)

oral fixation, always chewing on things he shouldn’t. clingy. restless. easily wound up. very physical. has no sense of danger or self-preservation. frequently in trouble. one time he had two’s switchblade in his mouth and darry practically hit the roof. (darry swears to the boys that if little dally ever even sees a heater, he’ll kill them.)

thinks soda’s the best at cuddling and two’s the best at playing, roughhousing and physical play style. (steve’s good at playing too, but he’s too rough, doesn’t really know how to manage his strength with a kid like two does). johnny and pony are the best at imagination-style playing - they’re good at making games out of anything, and using any inanimate objects like they’re dolls because dal doesn’t have many toys. pony likes reading to dal, but a lot of his books aren’t exactly kid-appropriate. he tries to find books dally’ll like, whether in the library or wherever he can get ‘em.

no shoes. socks if you’re lucky. pants if you’re very lucky. hair’s always an absolute mess (more so than usual); he loves having it played with, it’s the one surefire way to get him to sleep, but he still sleeps poorly and has vicious nightmares. he can’t sleep alone.

cries and fights through the entirety of bathtime even with all the toys and distractions in the world.

sits on the floor between two’s legs to watch cartoons. two’s the best at putting up with his fidgetiness because he’s just as bad.

(pinky promise i am writing actual fic. if u want that and/or more of this pls let me know!! i know this is niche but this is MY niche and i am very comfy in here. but there is room for more, hint hint nudge nudge. ok thank you for reading love you)

#agere #age regression #sfw agere #the outsiders #dallas winston #dally winston #the outsiders agere #posts by elijah

[istadris]

Between a "best moments" compilation vidéo on YouTube ans @lethalhedgehogs 's fanarts, I've started watching the super mario bros super show (why are there so many " super" ??)

I didn't grow up with that show so I'm aware I'm looking at it from a different perspective, and I'm only a few episodes in ...but it's still a damn hilarious show ! It's such a 90s american cartoon for kids ! The weird logic and tropes, the corny name calling (especially with alliterations! Love the creativity), the obvious censoring of stuff like weapons and alcohol that requires imaginative ways around it.

I love that running gag of Mario being that Big Eater who won't let anything go between him and his food. That's usually a gag for the fat side-character (which is a really annoying trope), but since he's the brave main characters, it just makes him more likeable I think.

... I just realised, it reminded me a bit of Obélix in the Astérix comics XD

It also makes for so many funny lines, I burst in laughter several times an episode XD

I was told the live action skits are more appreciated than the cartoon parts because of all the guests and all...but boy, I'm too French to catch any of these references, so I have no idea what the deal is with any of these people. And honestly, I prefer trippy cartoon logic to weird real life skits.

Koopa is your typical cartoon villain, but he's so hammy it makes him fun to watch.

It's amusing because here and there, you can see bits of cleverness above what you'd expect from such a cartoon, they didnt forget the babysitter's enjoyment.

I'm still getting used to that format of each episode having a specific theme for the adventure, I know I shouldn't look for logic in a cartoon based on Mario, but hey.

Toad's voice though. So annoying. Burgh.

Toadstool's poses and model remind me so much of a doll I used to own, it's sometimes distracting, and her damsel in distress moments don't help...but at the same time, she's fine, at least in this cartoon everyone is stupid enough to regularly grab the damsel/dude in distress ball.

#miscellaneous mario madness

[yelyahnaloj]

Strawberry

My mom used to live with my grandma when she was about 23 to 25 years old. After her first divorce. It was in an apartment in Vancouver, Washington. When I was about 5 years old, I remember looking at a large rounded terracotta pot. It had openings from the side as well:

Observing it, I wondered how the plant ended up in the side pockets. I tried imagining the roots and whether the new plants crawled down the soil and up to the sides. I asked my mom how it worked, I don´t remember her answer (it could be possible the plants were simply planted in the side openings), but I do remember learning that strawberry plants create vine-like runners that crawl across the ground and create a whole other plant. I also learned that my mom loves strawberry plants so much that she would keep them in a pot outside an apartment even if she didn´t have a garden.

This became a theme in our lives, no matter where we lived, my mom would bring her plants with her. She would almost treat them like pets. Sometimes she would move potted plants throughout the day to wherever there was the most sun exposure.

She seemed to have a special attachment to strawberries. I remember she would tell me about a Strawberry Shortcake doll she had as a kid. I think she tried getting me into Strawberry Shortcake, as I remember watching the cartoons (I think my favorite character was actually Ginger Snap) and having paper dolls of the characters. I think I remember having an actual doll whose red hair smelled like strawberries. Once when I was eight years old, I had tried dying my hair blond to make it match my best friend, but we didn´t use bleach so it turned out a coppery color instead. My mom wanted me to dress as Strawberry Shortcake for Halloween (but I didn´t want to and I dressed as Supergirl instead).

Ironically, she was allergic to some sources of strawberries that you could get at the store. She had to be careful, and often tried to only get the organic ones (we´re not entirely sure why, if it is from the genetic modification, pesticides, or simply some other cross contamination).

In her gardens, the strawberry plants would spread, sending out runners and creating new plants. Some even outside the garden beds. The garden beds were lined with rocks we dug up outside, and the paths were made from smaller stones. At this point in my life, I was a teenager. Lived in my second step-dad´s house, which was new, but its construction and interior design was like a stock photo, with white walls and sleek black furniture that we were barely allowed to touch. The property had three levels, the top level being the dirt road to our house, we had two driveways that formed a ¨U¨ downhill to the middle level which was where the house was. Everything surrounding the house at this level was bare rock and dirt. Down to the third level was forested with thin, sickly douglas fir trees with a bracken fern dominant understory that was likely a regrowth after an old fire.

In our household, we did a lot of outdoor work. Especially when we got in trouble, we would be assigned ¨extra chores¨. We would have to do a half hour of work for every time we got in trouble, even for minor things. We often would have to do hours worth of work outside, often in all weather. We would dig, move rocks, weed the garden, rake the rocky ground to prepare for garden beds or the forest ground where rakes would get ensnared in native trailing blackberry. My step dad would take out the chainsaw and fell trees and cut them into pieces, we would stack the logs. We would pull the bracken fern. I was the slow but steady worker out of my siblings, rarely complaining, but I still wondered what the point of all this was. Didn´t we want the forest and native habitat? Will cutting and pulling really rehabilitate the forest?

I really started to understand what our work was doing when underneath the thick understory, I was introduced to other plants I had never seen. For example the pacific trillium, which was a three-petal white flower that is found in healthy forests. I observed another plant that up until that point I had only seen in our gardens and potted plants: Strawberry leaves. In a decade and a half of my life, most of that living in the same state, I didn´t know that strawberries were native to where I lived. Their berries are very tiny, but intensely sweet. When I had read in Braiding Sweetgrass that the author had a relationship to the outside world through the wild native strawberry, I thought about my own relationship to it. How, for many years, I didn´t even know they were native. My mom taught me, after her herbal apprenticeship, to eat strawberry leaves when we go out on hikes, which I had shown my best friend when I went out with her family. Strawberry leaves taste slightly sour and are high in vitamin C.

During the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, I was just getting into my mid-twenties. I moved to my mom´s homestead, which was mostly populated by sagebrush all around us. I had a random spiritual inclination to create a sort of spell. A homing signal, perhaps. My mom wanted to create a garden similar to Western Washington, she allowed me to transplant violets and strawberries (the cultivated varieties). As I planted them, I tried to think of home where I grew up, as if I would summon that energy onto this property. I felt frustration, because I couldn´t quite focus, worried that I was planting the plants wrong. When I was done, my mom gave me a bottle of frankincense essential oil, and I put a single drop on the joint of a wishbone shaped branch by the garden for protection. I don´t know if it was my imagination, but I thought I felt energy radiate back at me as soon as the drop fell. Over the course of years, the garden grew up, new plants took over, and eventually the garden was neglected and taken over by chickens. Despite a fence being put up around it, there came a day when the garden was once again bare dirt and abandoned completely. Strawberries thrived elsewhere on the homestead that were well monitored, my mom kept trying to find more places to transplant them to.

About a year and a half later, my grandma bought a trailer and moved out onto the property. I started work at Petsmart, my grandma drove 50 miles in the early morning to take me to work. Around this time, I considered the idea of college again, and she encouraged me to go to The Evergreen State College. The thought was scary, but I eventually did it. I remember in the year and a half I was at the homestead, I just kept thinking of Western Washington, where I moved from in my teen years. When I thought back to the garden I tried to plant with strawberries and violets, maybe the lesson was instead of wishing that where I lived was more like where I grew up, maybe it was just time to go back home.

#pacific northwest #strawberries #wild strawberry #fragaria memories #Fragaria chiloensis #garden strawberry #strawberry shortcake character