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#their design + their whole vibe lets me make some of my favorite art and concepts
crimsonajax · 1 year
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crush
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scoobhead · 4 months
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PLEASE tell me some of your favorite sandwiches...i work at a diner and i get one free sandwich per day and i almost always get the exact same thing. gimme something that will deeply bamboozle the kitchen staff
thank you for this ask. i am so sorry for the sandwich tangent that it inspired. this post is in fact so long that i have to put it under a read more tag so it doesn't reach Do You Love The Color Of The Sky notoriety. also this has been written as, like, a general cooking guide instead of Things You Can Order At A Diner, but otherwise feel free to show this post to your kitchen staff and watch their minds crumble
to build a great sandwich - a truly Fucked Up Sandwich - you must first understand that a sandwich is, at its core, just some bread with stuff on it. as a disclaimer, i don't mean to diss the classics. they're around for a reason. i just know that PERSONALLY i am a little bit sick of the same second grade lunchbox sandwich, and PERSONALLY i prefer to push the boundaries of simple food preparation into the realm of the eldritch and unknown.
the sandwiches i make are different every time. you may have heard the old adage "cooking is an art." that is partially true, sometimes, kind of. cooking, for me, is more like a four year old getting access to paint for the first time and losing their whole goddamn mind about it. i want you to let go of every rule you think there is. make things up. go crazy.
the bread of the sandwich matters only insofar as it can support its fillings. i tend to use plain ol whole wheat, but honestly, you can use whatever you'd like. my big piece of advice here is to think about the structural integrity of your design. much like a bread engineer, because that's what you are. if your fillings are wet or gelatinous (hold on, we're getting there) you NEED a crustier bread. sara lee won't cut it. some people like fancy bread with herbs and shit. i see the bread more as a canvas than as part of the painting, but like, there are no rules. go ham.
speaking of ham. this is the section where you expect me to disavow lunch meats. i shan't. pre-sliced meat is a brilliant (and cheap!) way to provide the basis of flavor for your sandwich AND to make sure you get enough protein. if you're vegan or vegetarian, you'll have to skip this step, but that's okay because it's not an integral part of the process. that being said, i think it lays a solid foundation for the whole sandwich's raison d'etre.
pairing with a good cheese is a classic for a reason. i stay away from american - it melts beautifully, which makes it great for grilled cheese, but it also has an artificial quality to it that i don't really vibe with. swiss, provolone, and cheddar are staples, but honest to god, any cheese can be made to work if you build around it. (side note: the best grilled cheese uses american, pepper jack, colby, and a tomato. season the OUTSIDE of the bread with butter, red pepper flakes, garlic, and a dash of oregano. fry up an egg and put it on top and oh baby. ham optional if you want some extra protein.)
ok. you have your basics. now i need you to take a look around your kitchen and GO WILD.
one of my Go To Combinations is turkey, swiss, and a fruit jam (i like apricot). it is EXTREMELY good and easy to make, and the jam gives it just the right touch of sweetness to complement to mellow flavor of the turkey. if you're like, "oh, wow, you put JAM? on a SANDWICH??? ARE YOU OK????" you need to stop reading right now. the shaggy-like combinations that i concoct may be too strong for you, traveler.
if you like sweet foods and want to lean into that, keep exploring Fruit Road. jams and preserves work wonders. fruit butters are also nice for a more savory touch, but can get expensive and/or seasonal. you can also go for Fruits themselves: thinly sliced apple + ham + brie (or swiss, if you can't swing a more expensive cheese) is a godsend. most fruits belong on a sandwich tbh. grapes, tangerines, bananas, pineapple: it's all about the right context.
if you want to go Even Further Beyond, Fruit Road takes you right down to Sweets Avenue. honey works on most sandwiches, and - hear me out - will cut the tangy, eggy flavor of mayonnaise. it's easy for honey to overpower, though, so i'd say to go for a little before tasting and reassessing. plain or vanilla yogurt also complements fruit really well without being overpowering. if you REALLY want to go sweet, i like marshmallow fluff + bananas + peanut butter for protein. i've yet to find good vegan alternates to these, unfortunately - agave nectar would work in place of honey, but play around and see what you can come up with.
if you want to go savory, then Aromatics Boulevard will make sure you get substance and flavor. basil is an underrated addition to sandwiches, as are green onions, garlic (jarlic works great for this, don't @ me), and cabinet spices. you might need to try a little to get the proportions right, but chicken + mozzarella + plain yogurt + curry powder is frankly a godsend. i also lovelovelove a good sauce; nando's perinaise is usually region-specific, but it's creamy and tangy and goes with everything and i'm obsessed with it. get creative with what you have!
ok. this is my secret ingredient. come here. lao gan ma is chili oil, but with chili crisps in it. it is the single best ingredient in my kitchen. it's not expensive, a jar of it lasts forever, and you can find it at almost every asian grocery store. it is the perfect kick of spice to add to a sandwich. plenty of heat but not overpowering, and with a mostly savory finish. god it's so good. i scoop it with a knife to avoid most of the oil and spread just the crisp over the sandwich. crunchy, spicy, savory. mamma mia.
those are the BASICS of what i can give you. if you've read this far and you actually make a Fucked Up Sandwich PLEASE tag me in it, because odds are i'll try it. be bold. make a potato salad + tangerine + tahini monstrosity. (i haven't tried that but maybe it's good???) anything is a sandwich if you're brave enough. if you're still looking for inspiration, i get a lot of ideas from traditional tea sandwiches, which are usually ~3 ingredients and can get absolutely hogwild.
if you want more specific recipes or combinations then reach out and i can send you a list, but i hope that this gave you the tools and confidence to go forth and wreak havoc. have fun stay safe eat sandwiches!
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istherewifiinhell · 18 days
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HM for the bingo: matoba, um um um. your least favorite oppie. your most favorite starscreamer. ummmmm. Abyssal Black Flame Dragon
HEHEHE
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shitty id in alt. WELL THATS URRRR GUY. thats the guy thats nat.sume is about. pretty sure <- took me like a year to figure out this is not the case. he is silly. ive seen it in the gag manga. hessss a pretty loser goth in and out of drag what is not to like. im just assuming ur the most right about him i dunno if that means other ppl are wrong tho
joelle joelleity joelletwo is trying to get my ass murdered on tumblr dot gov. EDITED AND UPDATED. need to reflect that my constant with this one is i get why megs got like that
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[alt]. ohhh buddy...... you asked. 1. no personality. 2. hate his whole vibe (aesthetics/affect) 3. BETRAYED THE REVOLUTION. 4. not a very good conflicted pasicfist if thats what they were gonna go for. 5. tee fee pee special. u know show dont tell. this is tell, then forget to bring up ever again. simply. simply. listen if the girlies in the tag have to make him interesting for their fanfic and fuck nasty shit (honourary) go with god. i have read good fic of him. but thats compliments to the fans. me personally. i would simply use any other iteration. i suppose u cant beat how DIVORCED this guy is. im not opposed any of his specific characteristics really. its the holistic sum thats my enemy.
DOODLING HEARTS AND GRAPHIC VIOLENCE ON THE SCANTRON <- which tf is that 🥁🔔
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[ALT] actually can i edit this again lets do a bingo for bullying. he got bullied possible the most anyone has but ill bully him some more 😏🤨😳. now ur some ppl might think oh u like this screamer so much to u inversely not like this megs for beating him up. well not u tho. thats gotta be one of my favourite 2 minutes in all of tf kajdgbjfdhb. hes not real so hes fine with that i asked him myself. ANYWAY WHAT IF U WERE BACKED INTO A CORNER BY UR OWN VIOLENT IMPULSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF UR OWN ACTIONS and also millennia of unending war so u just decide to go full nihilist about it. and this literally saves your world and people. well not the ones u killed but most of em. and u keep winning <3 and ur pettiness and self severing survival instincts also saved the universe. btw. idk if i have HC so much as. i can see my reading of the text not being universal but also im right <3. billybob thompson one of 2 fav non latta screamers. prettiest modern screamer design
out of LEFT field but i LOVE IT
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[alt] wait how did u land on a orbeez side character i would at remember the vibes of enough to get double bingo. was it dragon sooyoung? kfjjdf. DO U KNOW. how often i watch something and think. this character would be improved if they were an edgy anime fourteen year old. WELL HERE IT IS. the most important thing u can be in the world is a shitty emo teen with a deviant art dragon fursona. i dont remember anything else im literally just like. thats perfect. what a shit head. the best character in the book now im saying so.
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maddys-nerd-blog · 2 months
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Maddy’s Top Five Favorite TMNT Episodes from Every Series!
Welcome to my ranking list! My first of many, hopefully! I even spiced things up and made it all fancy with the different font! 😂 god I’m getting old.
A while ago I made a PowerPoint presentation for fun about the history of the TMNT and the franchise. From that point it led to me gaining a spot in a YouTube video series discussing the movies leading up to the premier of Mutant Mayhem, and it’s been one of the best things to happen to me despite the terrible stuff I’ve gone through.
TMNT really saved me at the lowest point of my life in the winter of 2022. It inspired me to go back to Tumblr. I met and befriended incredibly talented people in this fandom. And I’ve found a reason to be happy again because of it. The pain of losing my big sister still aches, and I miss her more each passing day, but I know she’d tell me to get off my ass and do what made me happy.
So for my birthday this weekend, I’ll share this with you guys to celebrate something that brought me joy through all this pain. ❤️‍🩹
Let’s talk turtles! 💙💜❤️🧡
Lemme explain the criteria for this real fast;
The episode had to have come from a current/ up to date show. It has to be fully completed!
The episodes have to catch my interest and the plot needs to be gripping! The angstier the better!
Any of the series episodes are candidates for a win! Except for certain ones that I’d rather not watch 🤣
SPOILERS BEWARE! Cuz… well, I dunno who’s finished the shows and I don’t wanna ruin the surprise for others!
Also, this never would have been possible without @jadethest0ne for inspiring me! Thank you for all you do in the TMNT fandom, your art/ analyses are wonderful!!! Please go give them support!!
Onto the list proper! Starting with the series that started it all: 1987!
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The Maltese Hamster ( Season 3 Ep. 4 ) An excellent Donatello solo episode that takes the tone of a detective noir movie, but keeping the fun vibe of the show! Donnie gets to take center stage for once, April gets to use a laser gun, and the shift in tone sets the mood really well! It’s downright harrowing to watch a building collapse on Donnie and see him limping away from the scene in agony, passing out at Irma’s feet, trying to save his brothers despite the odds. Donnie’s my favorite turtle for a reason!
Raphael Meets His Match ( Season 4 Ep. 17 ) The first appearance of Mona Lisa, and I can see why the fans adore this ship so much! The chemistry between Mona and Raph throughout this one episode is really telling of how impactful one character can be to a franchise! Mona is really fun! She’s not just a token ‘girl character’ trope or an archetype, she can handle herself and kick ass alongside the turtles, plus she and Raph have some pretty witty banter together!
Beware The Lotus ( Season 3 Ep. 28 ) The introduction of Lotus Blossom! It’s speculated that the inspiration for Karai came from Lotus! Lotus and Leo had great chemistry together, it's a shame we only got two episodes to spend with her. She really is an interesting character with loads of story potential about finding your place in the world, discovering who you are, changing your destiny to make it what you want. This is me basically saying I am now part of the Lotus Blossom Fan Club.
Cowabunga, Shredhead! ( Season 3 Ep. 18 ) This is one of the fan favorite episodes, and after I watched it for the first time I could not stop laughing. James Avery does his best Mikey impression while playing the over the top Shredder, and everyone just accepts it??? It’s downright genius! The meme material from this one is plentiful!
Michelangelo Meets Mondo Gecko ( Season 5 Ep. 4 ) The introduction of Mondo himself, and he’s got a really cool design! On first viewing I was pleasantly surprised by his unique color scheme and his character! He’s a bad guy that gets a redemption arc by the end of the episode! I was rooting for him the whole time! It was this debut that made me adore Mondo, and he’s since become my favorite mutant character of the franchise!
Honorable Mentions are Donatello’s Duplicate and Turtlemaniac!
Next up is a controversial one, but I gotta be honest… ‘03 isn’t my favorite series for a lot of reasons, but I will admit! When this series had fantastic episodes, they were AMAZING. So I gotta give credit when due and give kudos to these wins!
The Shredder Strikes Back Parts One and Two ( Season 1 Episodes 17-18 ) Nothing really tops how good this show was in the first season, and these episodes take the comic storyline of Leo’s beatdown and bring it to life masterfully. For Leo’s segments of part one it’s spent mostly with no dialogue— the animation and music carrying how serious the scene is as Leo has to fight for his life against the Foot and how desperate he becomes as he grows weaker and weaker. The second episode is non-stop action as the rest of the turtles, Splinter, April and Casey have to fend off the Foot and Shredder as they fight for their lives in the antique shop. This is one of Michael Sinterniklass’s BEST performances as Leo in these episodes. The stakes are higher than ever before, the animation is gorgeous, and everyone gives it their all for this epic mid-season finale.
Same As It Never Was ( Season 3 Ep. 21 ) This is the episode I would tell people to watch if they think TMNT is just kiddie trash.
Bad Blood ( Season 6 Ep. 12 ) Probably the Fast Forward concept I wish got expanded on instead of giving it two standalone stories and dropping it entirely. It’s a cool idea that I wish got touched upon more often because, yeah, what would evil clones of the turtles look like? What kind of abilities could they have? There’s infinite possibilities! I could live without the new catchphrase ‘It's Ninja Time’ though. While Fast Forward is flawed, this episode was the one I thoroughly liked!
Insane in the Membrane ( Season 4 Ep. 19 ) The infamously banned episode, and all I have to say about it is two words. Holy. Shit.
The Real World Part One ( Season 3 Ep. 22 ) Any team-up with Usagi Yojimbo is a good one, and this was such a delight! It’s loosely based on one of the Usagi stories from the comics, and I loved how badass they made both Usagi and Tomoe! Leo and Usagi have great chemistry as always, and you can tell they have a strong bond with one another as warriors! Or boyfriends depending on how you interpret their relationship but honestly I totally see where everyone is coming from, THESE TWO ARE ADORABLE DORKS.
Next up is my all-time favorite incarnation of the franchise, 2012!! I have A LOT to say about so many of the episodes but alas, I could only choose five to discuss. One day… one day I shall make a thesis about it 🤣 for now however, here’s my top five faves from this series!
The Yojimbo Trilogy ( Season 5 Episodes 7-9 ) Oh. My. God. YES. The love letter to Stan Sakai’s comics, the beautiful homage to vintage Japanese cinema with the camera framework and action, and OH MY LORD, THE COLORS AND SHADING DURING USAGI’S FIGHT WITH JAY IN THE FINALE???? THAT’S CINEMA! Excellent voice acting by Yuki Matsuzaki, which was his first English speaking role and personally chosen by Sakai himself to play the ronin rabbit! My only complaint is that I wish we’d gotten more of the Yojimbo characters in here, like Tomoe or Gen! Otherwise I can watch all three of these episodes on repeat and always get excited!
Lone Rat and Cubs ( Season 5 Ep. 10 ) The final appearance of Splinter, the episode Kevin Eastman wrote, and a beautiful send-off to this character. It’s a flashback, yes, but this is the episode we get to see Yoshi adapting to his mutation as a rat, raising his boys, trying to be a good father and struggling to survive from the Krang. It’s a part of his life we rarely ever get to see, and this episode shows us why he was a great father. Basically it's a try not to cry challenge. For me, THIS episode is the series finale because it’s just a perfect conclusion to Splinter and his story.
Requiem/Owari ( Season 4 Episodes 25-26 ) The finale to the overall series, the finale to this overarching story, and it’s just as heartbreaking and suspenseful as you’d expect. The writers don't hold back their punches, and it shows that the gloves have finally come off. The characters we’ve come to love and care for are at their breaking point, the Shredder is the most threatening he’s ever been, and the team decides it’s time to put the monster down for good. Whoever thinks this show was just ‘kiddie trash’ needs to be sat down and shown this two-parter, because GODDAMN. Ciro Nieli treated this with so much care and respect. I cannot help but adore the team who put this together because the stakes have been raised to an all-time high, and the final showdown between Shredder and the turtles here is hair-raising, all reaching its climax when Leonardo finishes Oroku Saki by beheading him. It’s powerful, it’s devastating, and it’s a damn excellent showcase of why this series was the best iteration of the franchise to date.
The Fourfold Trap ( Season 3 Ep. 23 ) Yet another homage to a horror movie, only this time it’s a lot more intense. Based on Saw, this episode makes you sit on the edge of your seat as you can only hope that the turtles will escape the traps Karai’s put them in. It’s all nerve wracking to watch on a first viewing experience, POOR DONNIE OH MY GOD, CAN WE STOP PUTTING THIS BOY IN ELECTROCUTION DEVICES???? He still manages to create a plan to save his brothers even while he’s being electrocuted! Also, SPLINTER IS BEST RAT DAD. This episode will teach you the meaning of ‘angsty dread’ and ‘overwhelming anxiety.’
Trans-Dimensional Turtles ( Season 4 Ep. 10 ) THE TURTLES FOREVER WE DESERVED BUT WE DIDN'T GET UNTIL CIRO NIELI HOOKED US UP WITH THE BEST CROSSOVER WE’VE EVER BEEN BLESSED WITH! The OG turtles are all so much fun to see again both in and out of 2D, Gilbert Godfried is always a delight, the 2012 turtles in traditional 2D animation is awesome, and ALL THE OG VOICE ACTORS ARE HERE AND CLEARLY HAVING THE TIMES OF THEIR LIVES. THE ROB PAULSEN JOKE IS LITERALLY A BLESSING XD I only wish it had been longer!
Honorable Mentions are Slash and Destroy, Pizza-Face, Within the Woods and Mutant Gangland!
And rounding it off is the last— but certainly not least— series, Rise!! I adore this one!! It’s right behind 2012 as my favorite TMNT series just for the stellar animation!! It’s such a shame that this one had to end so unfairly, but today I’m giving it the love it deserves!! Please note that I have yet to complete season two of ROTTMNT cuz my life has been crazy hectic and I haven’t had the time, but once I do, I’ll go back and update this section if I find more episodes I liked!
Raph’s Ride Along ( Season 2 Ep. 8A ) Ummmmmm the 2012 VA’s playing parody versions of their turtles as yokai criminals??? HELL YEAH. If only they got Astin to play a character though! Then we would’ve had a reverse Turtles Forever reunion! I came out of this episode really loving the Mud Dogz as characters and wanting more, especially Dastardly Danny cuz Rob Paulsen is always a win! Too bad this show got canned before we could really get to know these guys. BUT HEY! That’s what the fandom is for! 🤣
Insane in the Mama Train ( Season 1 Episode 25 ) When I watched this series blind, this episode blew my mind. Seeing something so well done had me screaming in joy with how expertly this episode was crafted. The stellar action choreography, the great comedic elements splashed in to lighten the tense mood, the ANIMATION OH MY LORD. Disney, take notes. And that ending leaves a pit in my stomach every time, like OOOOF, those expressions! That sudden tonal swap!
Mystic Library ( Season 1, Ep. 20A ) Probably my favorite comedy episode! The timing for the jokes in this one specifically is so well done, and every single one had me in tears. I’ve been trying to commit Donnie’s library rap to memory but alas, I’ve been failing.
The Clothes Don’t Make The Turtle ( Season 2 Episode 10B ) THIS. MORE OF THIS PRETTY PLEASE. It's just SO MUCH FUN. I really don’t have anything else to say other than this one is a great treat, also, the reanimated fan cut of this is spectacular!!
Snow Day ( Season 1 Ep. 23B ) This, for me, is the Christmas special of the series even though it’s in no way related to the holiday or has anything to do with it BUT I DON’T CARE LET ME DREAM. I love this one for the adorable interactions and the bonding! Seeing the characters goofing off and having fun, enjoying the weather and spending time together outside of the angst? I CRAVE FLUFF LIKE THIS.
And Tada! There it is! I hope you liked this!! It was tons of fun to compile all my favorite episodes into one project and share my thoughts! This fandom has been nothing but fantastic and I’m proud to be in it!
Thank you to all who have inspired me to keep going and pursue my dreams. You guys are great! @queen-with-the-quill @tending-the-hearth @wasted-and-ready @tmnt-tychou @mermmarie @figuringitoutasigoalong @lameboobah @zandiiangelspit @pumpkinpie59 @indieyuugure @angelicdavinci @imagine4000
And thank you to my IRL friends who have pulled me to my feet and supported me. Not only are you guys the best people I know, but I consider you guys family. You really saved me last year. I’m honored to call you my friends 💓
What are your favorite episodes?? Lemme know!! 😁 Maybe I’ll do a movie ranking next!
Cowabunga!! Have a great day!! 💚💚
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lizaluvsthis · 5 months
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what is good about cnb? i see lots of a art thought i ask creator
Oh my- looks like we pulled a new curious person off the peeps!
(CnB) Coffee N' Bombs - Brewing Romance AU is an inspiration from the first full episode in the SMG4 Channel called "SMG4: SMG3'S BOMB CAFE"
I really liked the whole model and details from the inside and outside of Three's new Cafe and at first I've been picturing about Smg4 working there- but nahh he just worked there once its not like theres gonna be an au abou-
I came in tumblr a few months back and some anon asked me what kind of design SMG4's attire would be since he works as a waitress from Three's coffee n bombs.
For a second my mind went blank of what the uniform would look like so- I gave myself on and on about some few details getting inspired by watching some other episodes of SMG4's
So then- I made the hat and I thought of something that reminded me about- a reversible color!
(A few years back I bought this octopus which was cute and then I figured it was reversible by looking underneath and putting the detail here- I was like- ah Liz you're gonna make it look so special!)
Straight in to detail that the fabric used from this hat is silk, with polkadots! And it was made by Three :>
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For the pride pins I also thought of- "hey- this is a crazy idea but what if I also created a pride pin next to his apron. But instead it's a bomb than just a regular circular pin." Then there represents Four having the bi bomb flag :)
The Apron is specifically made by me on which where its all gotta be purple themed since it is his cafe and everything is purple and purple to a color black!
For the shoes tho- I might've gave myself a try to say it's one of those glow in the dark classic shoes- glow in the dark has been my favorite types of stuff to look on or even paint, the nostalgic vibe of being a small kid having fun observing and using glow in the dark (bracelets) for example- is like a funny thing and a classic thing to have.
Then that calls for it. "Heck why not?"
Theres the bomb logo and also the spilled coffee logo, it was designed by our man Three to himself.
It feels sort of childish to put in when four complains about glow in the dark having it as a childish thing- good thing three back fires in about his shoes having wheels XD (it might seem to be for kids but its all for ages and above ^^)
The gloves were designed for funziez and making it feels like getting sent back on the themed black and white (sia or melanie martinez the hair color or if you fancy it enough going back to the earliest movies that has black and white colors)
Even putting on a aymbol of "S.U.L." on the back of the gloves and Four's "IV" roman numeral signature on the palm of his gloves.
And even for the tiniest detail from his hairtie having the color of red and his slit pants on the ends. (Also including the part of the three-beaned pin that only four made it special for him and three only)
Lets put up the post!
This inspired so much from the design that my followers or other people had want to try it out!
Then coming upon the reply from @shygirl4991 therefore the AU was born/created, they thought about wanting to write about this cafe au and I let them in for ideas and for writing the fic. :D
I pulled out a new attire for Three's outfit (ngl he looks like purp-
And now there is- the release of the first chapter-
Before the first chapter- Shay gave it a title of "Brewing Romance" since its a silly fic for these two gay boys working together on the cafe :>
Again I'm only an artist who does doodles or design stuff the real person who created this is @shygirl4991 by mentioning it as "Cafe AU" thats where it's been born :)
CnB Brewing Romance AU is a fun space for our two fruits getting together and such ^^ this AU is made for fun relating to also the cafe shop itself.
(We'd also like to thank you for all of the artists who made those lovely fanarts <3)
To the point where I accidentally created a meme out of the two.
Man behind the coffee/memes (slaughter) as smg3
And the Fish Flounder as Smg4
If people would like to put their ocs there for fun you can make art out of it.
(Shoot I'm making it longer- AHHGGR)
Whats cnb br au?
Its a silly au me and shay made and made it alive for the shippers
Whats good about it?
The two gay boys
The designed details from their attires
Karen.
Bringing from the fic for angst/fluff
Whose Idea was the fic?
All on for Shay ^^
Who created it?
I did the design mostly people thought it was all on me but its shay's :)
When is the date of creation?
December 9, 2023
Can we make fanarts out of it?
Yes you can by mentioning/tagging me and @shygirl4991
Whats in it for this au?
Me and Shay collaborated this
These two boys
The whole ass journey and coming into developments
Karen?
Yes. She works here :) design of hers will come out soon tho.
What about the other characters like Mario?
Oh they will come out- as side characters only :>
Where does this AU focus on?
Dealing with trauma
Four getting a job since he's broke af
The past memories
Development - Chemistry
Changing.
How does putting our ocs in the au work?
You can put your oc for ex. Ordering, chilling on le table, sipping your coffee, idk pay for those bombs(?), commit arso-, selfie on yourself (if you have any other ocs you'd want to add- you can), pride bombs, make yourself as an employee i guess? All whatever your choices.
Except-
NSFW (or oc x canon <that has smg4 or smg3>)
(Pls dont be mistaken I dont like oc x canon- I only said no oc x SMG3/SMG4 cuz its a br au and the main focus is four and three being duperly inlove and sh-t TUT)
Spaghetti. Spaghetti is not available in a coffee shop.
Does this au contain with the canon events/arc?
It has the arc and event but it contains non-canon creation. Due to some remake of the scenes.
Did luke approved of this?/j
Not yet :)
I'm not even sure if he uses tumblr atp
Do you have any other works of yours and shay about this au?
I am planning on making a side fic that'll come out very soon
Theres a quick doodle/sketch about it
Some personal diary or info Three picks up (including sticky notes)
Shay is still working and doing their best for the future chapters 'u'
What happens in the future chapter?
You'll have to wait and see. (Again I keep getting this even relating about zero that is a spoiler I'm not trying to be like gooseworx here pls stop-)
Wait what memes are you talking about?
Fnaf for Man behind the slaughter but instead it's SMG3 being the one whose purple guy and is called Man Behind The Coffee
Flounder from Ariel whose a fish and Four looked like one because of his ponytail looking like the fish's tail
What orders do they have in there?
Coffee:
Normal Coffee
Special White Mocha
Matcha Gun Powder Latte
Soy Boy Flat White
Al Pacino
Wake me up before you cocoaf
Morning Brown
Cyanide Supreme Latte
Titanium Black (trust me you don't want to try this)
café minuit (midnight)
Bombs:
Tsar Bomba
Hydrogen bomb
Fat man
Little Boy
Refined uranium
Saturnist Capurn
NUKE CHONK (DONT-)
Displays/Collections/Accessories:
Eggdog plush
Smg3 mugs
Pride Bombs
Stickers
A button. (Do it at your own risk)
Foodies/Food/Snacks:
Non-Donut (its invisible but more of an air food)
Gun powdered donut (white or brown)
Shinkled donut
Pieced- cake
Chompstick (chocolate stick)
Breed Bread (it has raisins)
KWASON (croissant)
Waffu Daffus (waffles)
DEADLY DUNGLE (its a spiciest donut I warned you.)
Nomul Chaki (a "normal" chocolate...)
Whats something that was mentioned from the design?
Terrance.
Did you plan on making this au?
Nope but for some reason we're here thanks to my artwork and shay :DD
Does PuzzleVision or TV Adware exist in this?
No.
Will the side characters make an appearance?
...
Is it true that Karen and Meggy both gossip about the boys?
Yep- kinda hilarious now that Karen's here, she observes.
Where'd you get that idea about Karen and Meggy?
@anartisticalniche
Where can I see the fanarts section?
In my Introduction Page :)
Why don't you post this to twitter?
Twitter is for talking/rants
Tumblr is to share the post you want to share.
Plus twitter for me is a "not-safe-app" regardless on people sending death threats and doxxing. (Even elon musk.)
I'm not tryna reach out for Luke's attention when it comes to CnB I just did this for fun :3
Are you still hyped that they're still making the cafe shop's appearance?
Yes. You have NO idea.
How do you and shay feel about it?
Very- super- brain- storming ideas on the gays and the plots also the notes- we love this progress ^^
The gayness/fruitiness of these two
Will you and Shay be planning on something more than just CnB?
Shh-
Funny to ask but how old are you while collaborating this work?
I'm a minor-
Don't you find it weird to be friends with adults? Or having them as your fans?
(I get these asks alot) my final answer is no.
There are some other adults who are predators out there but not in my sight. I keep a closer eye on that. And I don't allow pedos or groomers here.
I don't really see what the problem is about when an adult likes a minor's work. It's artwork and most of ems crave for the ship and the ship itself its basically a free fun type for people who likes it. (Age regressor say no more cuz its all free to have fun here)
I have no idea why I made this too long but please carry on your glasses people-
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one for the books
modern bookseller au • 4250 words • teen
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this is my second and final entry for the 2022 @fsadventanthology! look out for more amazing art and writing from the fandom throughout the month of december. a special thank you to @vagueandominousvibes for organizing this event and accommodating my panicked pms as i completely switched ideas at the last second.
"It began with strictly customer-employee interactions—Mystery Guy asked Vio if he knew any good books about dragons, and Vio asked if he was looking for something more Middle Earth or middle grade (the answer was both). The first actual purchase the guy made was a TJ Klune book—Vio forgets which one—accompanied by an experimental and exceedingly gory graphic novel. It was around the two-week mark that Vio noticed he never asked Green, or Blue, or even Red for recommendations or small talk. This idiot identified the most antisocial employee of the bunch and decided yeah, this is the one I’ll tell all about my middle school Warrior Cats phase."
read it on ao3 or under the cut:
Not even the independent bookstore is immune to shitty corporate Christmas radio. 
For eighty-five percent of the calendar year, Vio and his coworkers are allowed to play their own music at a reasonable volume. The store manager is surprisingly flexible in the music she allows in the store—while Green’s lo-fi video game soundtracks and Vio’s classical music fit the whole bookshop vibe well enough, Blue’s fixation with 2000’s pop-punk isn’t nearly as appropriate. But still, Zelda lets him play it, and when it’s really dead she’ll even give Red the aux, even though his preferred tracks rarely come without an explicit content warning. 
That exact kind of freedom is easily the best part of Vio’s job, really distinguishing the Bookseller Experience™ from other retail positions he’s held in the past. Here he’s encouraged to offer personal recommendations to customers, and write shelf talkers for his favorite books, and curate perfect playlists for long seven-hour shifts. He’s still working, and it’s still retail, but sharing his oldest and deepest passion with every stranger who happens to walk through the doorway never fails to feel special. 
Except, apparently, during the months of November and December. Can he put up a uniquely themed display of underappreciated novels? Nope, every surface is reserved for bestsellers and regional gift guide selections. Can he play his own music? Not when customers can be so easily lulled into purchasing special hardcover editions by the crooning voice of Bing Crosby. 
This entire holiday season, there have been two Grinches in the bookstore—one on the designated Seuss shelf, and the other behind the counter. Vio stands there now, absolutely miserable in a purple sweater and his well-worn scrunchie, counting down the seconds until he finally can close up shop. 
“Got any fun plans?” asks Red, his only other coworker at the moment. Zelda and Green are off visiting Green’s dad a few towns away, and Blue took the day off to do some last-minute shopping. Vio, meanwhile, hadn’t even considered taking off Christmas Eve. It’s not like he’s getting holiday pay or anything, but it’s better than sitting around alone in his apartment. This is the first time in his life that he won’t be able to make it home for the holidays—thanks, retail—and he’s putting on a brave face about it, but… 
“I’m fine,” Vio says, tearing apart a post-it note in his chapped hands. He watches the snow fall through the show window, equally charmed and inconvenienced in anticipation of his walk home. 
“I didn’t ask if you were fine,” Red said, completely genuine and even a bit concerned. “I’d ask if you’re okay based on that answer, but, well, y’know.” 
“Sorry,” Vio says, shoving the shreds of paper into his pocket. He regrets wasting it with his idle fidgeting, too ashamed to relinquish it to the recycling bin. 
 Red stares at him with a placating smile. “Actually, can you do me a favor?” 
Vio raises an eyebrow, the yes implied. 
“Wrap my gift for Blue, please,” Red says, grabbing a softcover book from the staff hold shelf. He’s been obscuring it for a week with a poster for the newest Louise Penny mystery, out of his fiancee’s sight and mind. 
Jesus Christ. Red is only a year older than Vio, and he already has a fiancee. 
“Special order?” Vio asks, admittedly pleased by Red’s request. Vio is, hands-down, the best gift-wrapper among the bookstore’s staff. He takes every opportunity to go to his little corner and do his little process and curl his pretty little bow and incidentally avoid actually interacting with the customers themselves. Very few things can fully get Vio in the holiday spirit, but give him a stack of six hardcovers and a fresh roll of non-denominational colored ribbon and he’s Mariah fucking Carey. 
“Yeah, and it got here just in time!” He hands the book to Vio, who takes a second to examine. It’s a manga—no surprise there, Blue’s the go-to guy for that section—with some vaguely gay shit on the cover that they’d probably display in June. 
“It was on backorder for so long,” Red explains as Vio begins his meticulous wrapping process. “He still thinks it is, with the supply chain, so I know this’ll totally blow his mind.” 
“Do you think he got you a book too?” Vio creases the white-and-gold wrapping paper and reaches for the tape dispenser labeled ‘FOR GIFT WRAPPING DO NOT MOVE.’
“Maybe! Probably! We do get a 30% discount, so it’d be silly not to do gift shopping here.” 
Vio knows all about that. He had shipped his parents’ gifts last week, hand-wrapped of course, with a little note that he tried not to make too melancholy. Otherwise, he wasn’t really on the hook for gift-giving or receiving. All of his college friends had left town after graduation, and most of them are working retail as well. 
“Thanks,” Vio says, his voice softer than he’s allowed it to be all day. He’s been stuck for hours in this mental place between ‘Christmas Eve means nothing to me because I’m alone,’ and ‘oh my god it’s Christmas Eve and I’m alone.’ 
“Thanks for what?” Red asks, passing Vio the blue spool. Vio measures it with expert concentration and begins the exhilarating process of ribbonification (not a technical term). 
“For asking me to do this,” Vio says as he uses a pair of scissors to curl a little bow. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a bummer all day, I know you probably don’t want to be here either.” 
Red shrugs. “I really don’t mind, but I appreciate your saying so. I know it’s your first Christmas alone. I’d invite you to join me and Blue, but you don’t seem like the third wheel type.” 
“No, I am not. And besides, you guys deserve a cozy romantic night together.”
“And you act like you’re so above Christmas stuff,” Red teases as Vio hands him the wrapped gift. “I bet you’d love to be all cuddled up with some cute guy by a fire.” 
“Shut up,” Vio says, hiding his face behind his hand. Really? Is that all it takes to make his blush? Apparently so, and he hates it. 
“I mean,” Red says, suddenly serious, “there is that guy. You know, the one who’s been coming in specifically to antagonize you for over two months.” 
“He’s a customer,” Vio says, although of course he knows exactly what Red is suggesting. “He’s here for books, and I think he works down the street so it makes sense that he’d stop by often.” 
“He must have been working a lot these past few weeks, then, and only on the exact days that you happen to have shifts.” 
Vio didn’t know that part of it, and he’s sure his expression tells Red just as much. He still won’t take the bait, though, because the situation Red is suggesting simply isn’t something that would happen in real life. In a contemporary romance novel, sure, or a fanfic—but not in the real world, with an annoyingly handsome purple-haired enigma who can’t possibly be younger than twenty or older than twenty-five. 
Not that Vio’s speculated  about his age or anything, because that would be super weird. Even weirder would be for a service employee to hit on a customer, or vice-versa, so the age thing doesn’t even matter in the first place. There are just too many power imbalances at play between them, and so many unknowns, like the guy’s name and job and if he even likes men, or Vio specifically, because what a weird assumption to make based on vague flirtation— 
“Okay, so you’re freaking out,” Red says, shaking Vio out of his… whatever that was. “And you’re shredding the wrapping paper.” 
Vio looks down at his hands and groans. Dammit, again?
“Hey,” Red tries to calm Vio as he steps back from the counter. “Just try to relax. I’m sorry for teasing, I promise I don’t know anything more than you do. We’ve all just noticed, over the holiday season, that this guy seems particularly interested in your mystery book display, and, well, you. It’s sweet. We like when he comes in. We like seeing you happy.”
“That asshole doesn’t make me happy,” Vio argues, glancing over at the shop’s single current creative display. He’d adapted the idea from a popular Valentine’s Day tradition—blind date with a book—and the mystery titles, only described with a few selling points, have been selling surprisingly well. Customers seem to enjoy Vio’s bullet-point lists, giving them a clue right on the wrapping paper as to which books would be best suited for their loved ones. And Vio enjoys writing the short descriptions, especially for lesser-known books with particularly unfortunate cover designs. It’s a great little project, and in a lot of ways has gotten him through the sales season—except, there’s been one hitch.  
Back in November, right around the time Vio had launched his new display concept, this random guy just started showing up to the store a few times a week. This isn’t abnormal customer behavior—every store has its regulars, after all—but this person in particular had uniquely annoyed Vio from the start. He’d just wander around the shop for like twenty minutes at a time, browsing every section in his stupid jacket with the stupid pins and stomping his stupid Docs on the carpet Vio had just vacuumed the night before, and forget the fifty-something customers who walked on the carpet before him, it’s always this person specifically who Vio resents for the mess. 
And then the guy started talking to Vio. 
It began with strictly customer-employee interactions—Mystery Guy asked Vio if he knew any good books about dragons, and Vio asked if he was looking for something more Middle Earth or middle grade (the answer was both). The first actual purchase the guy made was a TJ Klune book—Vio forgets which one—accompanied by an experimental and exceedingly gory graphic novel. It was around the two-week mark that Vio noticed he never asked Green, or Blue, or even Red for recommendations or small talk. This idiot identified the most antisocial employee of the bunch and decided yeah, this is the one I’ll tell all about my middle school Warrior Cats phase.
Once the display went out for the real holiday season, Mystery Guy had immediately gravitated towards it. He began to spend his entire visit poring over Vio’s descriptions, using what Vio assumes is prior knowledge and only sometimes the internet to make an educated guess.  And every single time he’s visited since, he’s been able to clock at least three of Vio’s newly-added titles without fail. 
Of course this nerdy game of cat-and-mouse has escalated over the past month, with Vio writing increasingly vague descriptions of the most obscure titles he can find. But Mystery Guy is apparently a fucking psychic, because he still manages to pin Vio down more often than not. He seems to enjoy messing with Vio, sometimes pretending to be clueless before pulling the title out of nowhere at the last second. Vio wonders how many tabs he has open in Safari, exclusively to search up niche books based on Vio’s descriptions. He kind of hopes it’s enough to crash the phone. 
Vio has tried every genre on the shelf to stump this scourge of a customer—poetry, history, cookbooks, and most recently even romance, which is like his least favorite literary genre ever! He had to resort to fucking Goodreads to distinguish between these generic-ass books, each with a cover so uninspired it looks like it was designed using Canva in under eight minutes. It’s like every romance novel published after 2020 is a variation of one or more of exactly three premises—fake-dating, enemies to lovers but not really enemies, like they’re owners of rival bakeries or something, and/or Capital-H Horny. And because of the literal creature of darkness haunting his display, Vio has been forced to immerse himself in the world of trendy romantic fiction just to get ahead. The next time Mystery Guy visits the store, Vio will either finally outsmart him or literally tear him limb from limb.
He’ll have to wait for the new year for his victory, though. Undoubtedly Mystery Guy has better things to do on Christmas Eve than harass Vio. He probably has a partner, just like everyone else Vio knows, because cuffing season is real and people are desperate. Meanwhile, it’s like any potential suitor of Vio’s has to pass an entire emotional obstacle course to even be allowed to hold his hand, and there’s nothing Vio can tell his brain or body to make that less of a fucking problem. Him, cuddling someone in front of a fire like he’s in some lonely gay idiot’s cottagecore AU? Would admittedly be lovely, but not going to happen any time soon. 
The sound of the store bell startles Vio to attention, and for just a second his heart lifts. But it’s just Blue out there, all bundled up in a parka and badly hiding a bouquet of roses behind his back. 
“Oh, he didn’t,” Red says, already running to the door. He lets Blue in and envelopes him a hug, only groaning slightly when he makes contact with the thorns. 
“Hi,” Blue says, passing Red the flowers and giving him a quick kiss. He cranes his head towards Vio, who just stands behind the counter like a moron. “Hey, Vio. Merry Christmas Eve.” 
“You too.”
“What time is it?” Blue asks Red, although Vio’s the one in front of the computer. 
“6:55,” Vio says. “If you want to take off, I can handle closing on my own.” 
“Are you sure?” Red asks, his eyes sparkling as he already begins to pack up his things. 
Vio nods. “I’m sure. It’s my gift to you.” 
“Thanks, Vio,” Red says, clearly wanting to give him a hug but also aware of Vio’s prickly reactions in the past. 
“Don’t forget the book,” Vio reminds him, nodding to the wrapped manga. 
“What book?” Blue calls from the entryway as Red shoves it in his large reusable tote bag. 
“You’ll find out later!”
It takes Red no time l to vacate the store, arm-in-arm with Blue, leaving Vio behind to wait out the last four minutes he’s required to keep the door unlocked. There’s no way a customer would come in this close to 7, not on Christmas Eve, not—
“Hey, Vio,” says a gut-wrenchingly familiar voice, somehow reaching his ears before the bell above the door. Mystery Guy leans in the doorframe, arriving with a freezing gust of air as he shoots Vio a grin. “Looks like you’re about to close, my bad.” 
Vio rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest. “You’re letting in the snow. You’ve got three minutes.” 
Mystery Guy raises his eyebrows in genuine surprise, as if he hadn’t expected to get this far. He wears the same heavy black jacket as usual, with the pins Vio has never been close enough to make out, and wouldn’t you know it, his Docs are caked with snow and dirty rock salt. He steps fully inside and shuts the door behind him, matching Vio’s semi-defensive pose. 
“Can I help you?” Vio asks, picking up a post-it note and immediately putting it back down. 
“Maybe,” says Mystery Guy, walking over to Vio’s mystery book display. “Looking for a last-minute gift for someone. Wasn’t sure if I was gonna have the guts to make a move until like ten minutes ago.” 
“Girlfriend?” Vio asks, putting a hand on his hip. Mystery Guy shakes his head. “Boyfriend?” 
“Not sure yet.” 
It has to be the stupid romance books giving Vio brainrot, making him think what he thinks must be happening. 
“Well, what does this… person… like to read about?” 
Mystery Guy considers. “It seems like a little bit of everything. He has pretty varied interests. They can get kinda niche, honestly.” 
“How niche.” 
Mystery Guy picks up one of Shadow’s newly-added books, weighs it in his hands, and scans the description Vio wrote. “Looks like… a combination gluten-free and keto cookbook themed around 90’s sitcoms.” 
“80’s. That’s not his thing, though, he probably just thought it was too obscure for annoying customers to guess.”
He examines a paperback from all angles, as if trying to see through the wrapping, and then reads the description again. “A graphic novel—no, manga—based on a popular Nintendo franchise that he describes as, and I quote, ‘significantly gayer than anyone would ever expect it to be.’”
“Well, whatever Bowser and Luigi get up to in their free time is their business.” 
This makes Mystery Guy smile, like really smile, and Vio feels like he’s winning and losing at the same time. 
“And let’s see,” Mystery Guy says, reaching for a mass-market paperback with a disproportionate-looking bow, “romance novels, apparently. He appears to be a big fan, based on the not-at-all snide or derisive commentary on the tin.” 
Vio wants to protest Mystery Guy’s accurate interpretation of his writings, but he’s too busy being impressed that the guy knows how to use ‘derisive’ in a sentence. 
“Would you, uh,” the guy begins to ask, stopping himself halfway through the sentence. Gone is the confidence, at least during this pause, and he proceeds with obvious caution. “Would he not be interested in… romance? As a genre?” 
Vio shakes his head. “No! I mean, yes! I mean, what?”
“Because I—fuck, it’s gotta be past 7:00 at this point, and I had this whole plan to be all charming and suave but then I ran late in the storm and it’s like I’m standing here now and regretting every decision I’ve ever made up until this point, because you’re basically a stranger and in a position where you can’t turn me away and sure, in a movie this would be perfect, but in real life I’m just acting like a total creep—”
“What’s your name?” Vio asks, crossing over the room to join Mystery Guy at the display. Closer to him, Vio can see that his gloved hand is shaking. “It’s not very fair that you’ve been able to see mine this whole time, while I’ve had no choice but to call you unkind things in my head.” 
“Shadow,” Mystery Guy says, and it’s not like it doesn’t make sense.
“Okay, Shadow, I’d be happy to help you find the perfect book for your desired recipient.” 
They avoid contact, both staring at the wrapped volumes on the display as if they’re the most interesting things in the world. Vio selects one and slides it into Shadow’s hand, hoping that a solid object to hold will help keep him steady.
“He might not be a fan of the contemporary romance genre,” Vio says, genuinely surprised by the levelness of his voice. Maybe talking to dozens of strangers a day about books has made him immune to social anxiety, just as long as the topic of discussion is literary. “But romance can be found in nearly any story, in one way or another. He… it sounds like he…” 
Shadow clears his throat. “It’s you, Vio, you can give up the bit.” 
Vio shakes his head. “Nope, I committed already, I’m seeing this through."
“Fair enough,” Shadow says with a grin. ”Now tell me more about this guy, he seems cool.” 
Vio wants so badly to continue the banter, but knows for the sake of his own comfort he has to press pause. He turns to Shadow with a serious expression. “Honestly, before I really start talking about him… he’d probably want you to know that he has a few minor concerns. He’d like to maybe learn what you do during the day, like for work, when you’re not busy antagonizing your local bookseller. What brought you to this town, what your ulterior motives were for becoming a regular at the shop, if you had any at all. He… he just wants to make sure you’re safe, and he apologizes if that’s an offensive thing to question.” 
Shadow nods, seeming to understand Vio’s hesitation. “I work at a gallery downtown, just a few minutes away from the shop. I moved  here after graduating art school because this happened to be where I got offered a job. It’s lonely being in your early twenties in a college town, so sometimes it’s nice to just sit in a cafe or browse my local independent bookstore and feel like I’m a part of something. It’s pure coincidence that, on my first visit to this bookstore, I read several shelf-talkers written by some nerd named Vio who seemed to have similar tastes to mine. So I took out a few of his recommendations from the library—sorry, I don’t have the space to own books right now—and thoroughly enjoyed them. I wanted to talk to him more about books, maybe even ask for his number, but I am not a master manipulator so I settled for being a pest instead. From there it just escalated, because it’s cute when he gets all pissed off, and I enjoyed the challenge he created for me with the wrapped books.” 
Vio exhales shortly. “So, uh… if you were to ask for his number now… would it be just as a friend?” 
“If that’s all he’s interested in, sure.” 
“It’s not,” Vio says firmly. “He, uh, told me so.” 
“Glad to hear it. Does he happen to have any favorite foods, or beverages, over which we could hypothetically discuss our tastes in literature on this snowy Christmas Eve?” 
“Pumpkin soup and evil root beer.” 
“What the hell is evil root beer?” 
“Normal root beer,” Vio explains, “served in a fancy glass so he can gesticulate during his pretentious literary diatribes.” 
“The fanciest glass I have is a Garfield mug.”  
“Works for me.” 
Both Vio and Shadow smile, and finally they come face-to-face. They’re not going to kiss or anything—not yet, anyway—but they both can feel the potential. They gaze into each other’s eyes like they’re romantic leads in a novel Vio would give one generous star, and it’d be tacky if it was anyone else, but not when it’s them. And while kissing doesn’t feel quite right in this particular moment, leaning forward to gently touch foreheads just does. 
“I live like five minutes away,” Shadow mutters, unable and unwilling to move. “I usually feed Pinecone—my cat—around 7, so maybe I’ll head out now, grab pumpkin soup ingredients at the market on my way, and you can come over once the store’s all closed up.”
Vio nods, slightly disrupting the forehead touch that feels so inexplicably cosmically correct. It’s like, in any conceivable universe where Vio and Shadow both exist, they will inevitably end up just like this. 
“What’s your address?” Vio asks, allowing himself to close his eyes. God, it’s been a long day. 
“I’ve got a shitty one-bedroom apartment above the Tower of Spirits liquor store. I stole half of my furniture off the street after the mass exodus of college students in June.”
“You’ve really been here since June?” Vio asks, disregarding the furniture part because for some reason it also feels cosmically correct. “You must have been so lonely.” 
Shadow nods. “Lonely, I’m good at,” he says, finally pulling away. “Believe me when I say, I’ve had lots of practice.” 
Vio nods. “Yeah. Me too.”
“It’s the not being lonely that really freaks me out,” Shadow admits, and it’s like wow, that’s some deep shit to say when Vio just learned his name ten minutes ago, but haven’t they technically known each other for months? Shadow has already read some of Vio’s favorite books, and for Vio that’s about as intimate as passing second base—hell, even third, depending on the book. 
And it could have been a truly beautiful moment between them—one for the books, pun intended—if only the goddamn Chipmunks hadn’t started singing about Christmastime. 
“Oh, fuck this store radio,” Vio says, retreating behind the counter and pulling the plug. “I’ll see you in like twenty minute, I can Venmo you for the soup ingredients later.” 
Shadow looks like he wants to argue with the Venmo thing, but just shakes his head instead. “Sounds good.”
“Oh, and wait,” Vio says, grabbing a pen and a post-it note, “what’s your number?” 
Shadow gives it, and Vio knows this is one piece of paper he will never absentmindedly shred. At least, not until he has a second to enter it into his phone, and then it’s totally fair game. 
Vio hears the ring of the bell and goes to lock the door behind Shadow. Through the glass he watches flurries of snow punctuate the pitch-black sky—and in it, he sees his own dark reflection. It’s just him, of course, a blonde guy in a purple sweater and scrunchie, still visibly tired but noticeably less miserable than he had been an hour ago. He sees a guy who isn’t alone on Christmas Eve, who probably won’t find himself anywhere near a fireplace but will most likely end up cuddling his months-long crush by the night’s end.
He gives himself a smile and decides he can skip the vacuuming tonight. Call it a gift to himself, although several closing tasks still stand between him and Shadow’s apartment.
Vio turns his back on the darkness and gets to work. 
53 notes · View notes
samwise1548 · 9 months
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:o i am Looking (pun absolutely intentional)
THERES SO MANY COOL DETAILS IN THE BACKGROUND
YESS!!! Thank you Tumblr people for letting me rant about my own art for a bit.
I have to go to the city today which is about an hours away. Let's hope I can get through everything I wanna say before then :)) Already gonna say, this'll be a long post so I'll put it all under a cut.
For context, this is the piece I'll be talking about. It's a redraw of an older piece I did for The Magnus Archives podcast.
Ok so, where to start... I suppose just with setting up all the details in the background? That took ages!! Imagine having to cram 14 fears into one small box, where only 2/3rds of it are visible? I excluded the Extinction for my own benefit, and the Eye and Web were covered by the giant eye at the top and the webbing at the bottom of the piece. So only 12 fears, but still that was a real struggle haha. I'm glad I was able to do it tho. Here's some of the drafts I did:
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[ID: Six similar rough drawings of Jonathan Sims and Martin Blackwood embracing as the cry while a giant eye looms above them. The artwork is rough as they are simply to lay out the design of the piece. A blue watermark of the artists signature is slightly visible above the pieces. \End ID]
I knew I wanted the Vast to be on top, because, well obviously. It's the Vast! And likewise, for the Buried to be on the bottom. But everything else was kinda mixed in wherever I had space. My favorite mini domain is the Strangers carousel!! I'm also particularly proud of the Slaughters war trenches below it.
Moving on, I wanna talk about the coloring now!! BOY HOWDY, DID THAT GIVE ME STRESS!!! For reference, here's some of the variations I made while trying to find the perfect colors:
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[ID: sixteen variations of the same drawing, now with finished lineart. Each variation is colored differently than the next. The artists signature is watermarked over the drawings . \End ID]
GOING IN ORDER!!! first one is obviously not colored. That's just the lineart with a random color as the bg. Second and third ones I discredited cuz it didn't fit tma vibes. The fifth one is one I kinda still do like. The only problem with that one was that Jon and Martin were a bit too dark for my liking. The gold frames one next to that is one of my favorite ones. I color picked from the Mona Lisa for that one. I do like the gold frame but again, jmart didn't fit the vibe. The next few are random variations with slightly different color palettes and values.
What I ended up settling for in my final piece is honestly so beautiful in a symbolic way to me. The fear domains inside the frame were done in colors from the original piece from 2021. Kind of like an homage to my past self. Like I'm giving my past self credit for making a good drawing by including actual elements from that directly into this revamped version. I was so happy when I figured that out. It's especially lovely considering that I was struggling so much with coloring this whole thing. But looking back at the old piece made me realize that I just had to go back to my roots. I'm learning from a me that I no longer am and I feel so happy for that!
With that, thank you for letting me ramble about this drawing. It may not have came out perfect like I'd hoped, but I did make something I can be proud of while still honoring the original. And I'm happy with it :)
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sciencesara · 4 months
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The Palworld Discourse
Why is it so bad…
I actually have a nuanced take but seeing the two sides is just irritating.
One side is mad and saying it’s a cheap ripoff of pokemon and that it used AI (how??? unsure) and the other side is just like, loll who cares, bad look defending the biggest IP by Nintendo, what’s wrong playing a parody that a smaller company has made, looks fun!!
Alright, I’m breaking this down into some overarching problems I see, and why everyone is having a weird knee jerk reaction one way or the other.
Gameplay and why it is (or is not) the pokemon game you are looking for
The company model is not anything to write home about
As an artist who loves Pokemon, I’m not mad that they ripped off Pokemon, I’m just mad that they did it in the laziest way possible
AI and the artists in the current climate
I love media analysis, let’s goooooo
Gameplay and why it is (or is not) the pokemon game you are looking for
Okay yes, the images below are pretty great, definitely selling the edgy dark “this is an adult parody of pokemon – with guns!” complete with animal abuse and exploitation vibes. Funny to see, but that’s not my kinda game, and even if it were…
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That’s not what you are going to see most of the time. It’s definitely a more basic looking open world game/survival/base building/automation with menus and lists that you will be staring at, grinding and leveling up. The Pokepals are just a part of the game as a whole. It’s also early access, so the game is still not completely done yet. I can definitely see why it’s such a hit – it’s a genre crossover we haven’t seen before, even though it’s not…a great game, it still will be enjoyable for its audience. Presumably people who liked South Park growing up, idk
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Syntac on Youtube
The company model is not anything to write home about
Y’all thinking I’m defending Nintendo by criticizing another game company can know I can hold hate for both simultaneously, thank you very much. The developer/publisher Pocketpair has done other games that are on Steam – one is called Art Imposter, a game similar to drawful that uses AI to generate the art (I will touch on AI later) and Craftopia. Craftopia is also an early access multiplayer survival action game by them, maybe you can tell what other game is mentioned when talking about this game…
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How about an upcoming game they have in the works, in addition to the two early access games?
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If you can’t tell where I am going with this, their whole premise is making riffs off of popular works, and in my eyes, do not make them out of love, or make them in a transformative way.
As an artist who loves Pokemon, I’m not mad that they ripped off Pokemon, I’m mad that they did it in the laziest way possible
The fan game Pokemon infinite fusion uses an AI to generate a mash-up of two different pokemon, but a large fan base has been making unique pixel art to replace favorite fusions, and has some amazing takes! There are rules and peer review of the submitted artwork, and a guide of how to make these look like pokemon – complexity of the design, color scheme, shading, etc. There are some hilarious deep cuts, and sometimes multiple versions of the same fusion, so you can pick your favorite.
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SnooDrawings7091 on r/PokemonInfiniteFusion
Next, we have r/fakemon, a subreddit for fans to post their own designs, and they are amazing! They range from reimaginings and regional redesigns to original creatures, see below
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Expert-Discount-3311 on r/fakemon
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And here are some pal to pokemon comparisons
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If you notice, all of these match the color scheme and body proportions of the one or two pokemon shown – all of them. There are original pals, but that is not the point. If you want a knock off pokemon game, go ahead, but in my book, even a few of these absolute fake prada bags are lazy. I love the creation of new, original designs that look like pokemon but are not. Look at the below image for an original pal that I love the design of -
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Give me more of this!!! These look like new pokemon, because they use the same basic shapes, colors, and eye shapes of the pokemon style.
But others can just shrug and won’t care that much, and find it kinda funny that the company is so blatant about it (and find it weird that I have such strong feelings on the subject)
And that brings me to                                   
       
AI and the artists in the current climate
As you might know, AI has been a nightmare for digital artists, sending them into a survivalist defensive against the rise of generative art.
AI, that takes existing good art, puts it through a blender and makes something derivative with the same-wait a minute-no, I shan’t say-
If there were weird vibes of people throwing AI accusations against Palworld, this is probably why – they are so primed to be defensive right now against the use of AI that stuff like this hits that same spot in just the right way.
I have a whole other rant about how I do not like AI, but suffice it to say I feel kinda depressed that I have to scan digital photos and digital artwork now to make sure it is not AI generated before I can rely on my immediate gut instinct of liking or disliking a photo or artwork. The problem with AI generation is one of use – it makes so much chaff that the wheat of actual human work gets lost in the noise. Good luck for any new digital artist to join the market when AI can do it better off of stolen work for free. Something something the rise of derivative works overshadow smaller original ones
Anyways Palworld is meh to me and I’ll sit this one out and eye Slime Rancher 2 instead
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hirugaymi · 2 years
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lemme tell you about the new football anime please
It’s called Blue Lock and it’s my brand of absolute shitshow;
TLDR: the soccer anime is a shitty gay as fuck battle royale and your op here LOVES it.
First thing I want to make clear is that sports anime is a very vague definition because people who create these stories will literally just fucking do anything. Love it. You got your serious sports drama that inspire you to become better, like your KazeTsuyos and your Haikyuus. You got the fujobait/yuribait bullshit that’s just kinda themed around sports so it has a plot to follow along (Free!, Sk8 the infinity, that one about the golf girls dressed in lingerie I think).
and of course, the biggest contendant of the sports genre: the anime bullshit. Prince of Tennis, Kuroko’s basketball and, most recently: Blue Lock. 
Blue Lock is a battle royale manga that uses football as a plot but it is impossible to make any statement on said plot because the manga is kinda silly and is constantly contradicting itself but that’s not the point I want to make. This huge post is not a criticism, but mostly about me sharing my new favorite cringe. 
The art is stellar, I’m an absolute sucker for good dyanamic art in manga and BL (will purposely use this abbreviation that always makes me cackle) has so much power to its art, actually! Nomura Yusuke-sensei, the responsible for art and character designs, is very very good at his job!
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(It’s hard not to get spoilery with these examples)
Anyways, when I started reading this thing the battle royale and the “anti-sports anime” aspect were the things that got me thinking I should keep going and, let me tell you, this thing does not go where you expect it to go and I will spoil you a little bit on very later plot details on this story, so just skim with your little eyes closed in case you...really don’t want spoilers for  BL anime
I realize this post will not sound coherent at all, I’m mostly spitting out thoughts about a manga that I, admitely, have not thought about that much.
Yes, they have bullshit powers in this thing. They have SPECIAL MOVE NAMES they have JOJO STANDS they have ELDRITCH FOOTBALLIC ABOMINATIONS. 
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and it’s EDGY, good lords it gives the 13 year boy who watched too much anime vibes. I dig that cringe so hard.
The best part though? As every other representative of its genre, Blue Lock, the manga that has BL as its IN UNIVERSE ABREVIATION, is so unapologetically gay. 
As gay as a battle shonen gets, which is a lot, may you not lie to yourself. You like your BL with childhood friends and cliche high school scenes, they got you a WHOLE ASS SPIN OFF AROUND YOUR FAVORITE GAYS. 
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Do you like your gays extremely on the nose and horny, I GOT YOU SOMETHING FROM BL 
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WHAT IS THIS BULLSHIT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN
This manga has been my personal source of campy madness for a while now. I purposely look for the chapter discussions on manga forums just to see how people react to these and most of the time you just get guys talking about actual football (boring) but sometimes.... sometimes you get these
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(TL: BL is about repressed homosexuality with a bit of football sometimes sprinkled on)
the purpose of this post is just to tell you, this manga/anime may look like a serious shonenfied reading on japanese football but that is far away from its best asset. The crazy levels of drama and the homoeroticism are what you should be here for, because those will not require any critical thinking (or eye-straining, let me tell some panels are REALLY hard to get through, geez, the protagonist keeps turning into puzzle pieces)
If you got curious about it and want to have any idea of what awaits for you in Blue Lock, trust your friend over here, this is what you should expect.
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Frank what are your opinions on a potential dsmp reboot and how it'd effect the dream smp fanbase and creators in general?
I have no strong opinions on either, but I do have my own personal feelings which I will share. If this is a reblog and not an ask, I'm assuming it's because the post was long enough. If it's an ask and I reply, I'm assuming it's because this is more of a question than an answer.
The "dream smp" as a concept (as opposed to individual creators) has been one of my favorite parts of the tumblr fandom experience for years now. This is in no small part because it's something that, at least for me, seems completely natural and obvious when the concept is introduced. If it were in another medium, I'm sure it would seem strange and offputting to me.
This is also how the idea of the dream smp as an artistic concept came about. People who were really into the concept of the dream smp and its fandom in particular, like dream, started to notice that the two seemed like they had some sort of unifying thread. But dream and his friends (including but not limited to me!) could not identify a unifying thread. After enough time, they could identify some individual threads, like the fact that dream used to be the face of a certain kind of streamer and the fact that he was super into Minecraft and also the guy who made those really elaborate MCC designs. But no one ever quite managed to identify anything deeper than that.
As I understand it, the idea that the dream smp was, as a whole, the product of dream's character, as opposed to dream's character being an inextricable part of it, began to spread as a result of something called the "dreamnotfound arc." The story, roughly, is that dream was on the verge of destroying the dream smp world, a lot like in a lot of the other lore-heavy fandoms he's created in the past. But there were other characters in the dream smp who were capable of stopping this, and it is these characters who "rescued" dream. It has a fairly heavy focus on one of the characters called tommyinnit, so the dreamnotfound arc is frequently tagged "#tommyinnit dream smp" or #tommyinnit x dream smp or similar.
This was an interesting and effective storytelling tactic and it got people to read the story, which led some of them to notice how many of the dream smp were similar to dream's character, as dream was. The fact that dream was "the center of the story" and that he had a "unifying thread" – these ideas have always been very natural to me.
And then you add in the fandom's obsession with "techno c!tommy," which is essentially about techno's arc of becoming more and more evil in response to c!tommy being more and more in charge of his life and the dream smp, and you see it start to make sense to me. All of this was very natural in the dream smp. It wasn't a mystery.
It has also, for me, become a kind of emotional safety blanket. The reason that so many of us are so invested in the dream smp's characters is that we feel like we will never not be investing in it.
This is related to the broader question of what it means to "give up on" your art and become a "professional" (in the sense of not being a streamer anymore). People with this concern often see it as a sign of "professionalism," or even a sign of failure as a creator, to "let yourself off the hook" or abandon your "day job" or "personal life." This concern is often exaggerated but is still real. I've had these conversations with people who wanted to get back into doing a creative thing and who I don't think are or will be good at it or will ever actually be able to do it as a career – I've even had some of them ask me about what it's like for me, as a proffessional artist, to go to work every day and not be very creative.
But as long as they're working on a project that's an artistic or emotional endeavor with an active, active fan community, and as long as the community isn't actively toxic, or at least doesn't give off any kind of bad vibes, the fandom will keep being there. (Toxic fan communities are very easy to find, they don't take many hours to form, and once formed they're very hard to break apart.) If you're part of the dream smp fandom, you will always find people to talk about your interests, no matter how terrible your skill or your writing, because we love you, and we always love you.
And I love you.
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dollwrites · 1 year
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HI BABE please take all the time you need I know you're probably sooo busy right now!!! I'm so sorry about your old page you didn't deserve that, but I'm so so happy you decided to stay and make a new one I couldn't even imagine coming on here anymore if you weren't here 😭
THEY ARE TALKIING ABOUT BANNING TIKTOK! Unfortunately our government REALLY wants to ban tiktok they had a hearing with the CEO of tiktok and everything about it, and they're also trying to ban vpns so we cant get to tiktok that way either 😒 it's so annoying I would be so crushed lol I have hundreds of edits and stuff
I DID GET TO SEE DEMON SLAYER OMG IT WAS AMAZING I mostly just went to see the tengen/gyutaro fight on the big screen tbh lol. They only showed the first episode of the new season but I will say koku looked and sounded VERY cool he was super mysterious I'm very excited for you to see in like a week 👀 hate to say it but muzan looked BEAUTIFUL and of course akaza did too, but as someone who hasn't read the manga I was SHOCKED at just how HUGE Doma is like the stature on that man is insane I was expecting him to be kinda skinny and lanky but NOPE 👀 Also mitsuri I- 😳 the bi in me cannot handle it I just love her 😭 like was there a certain scene that was just brazen fan service, yes. But did she look gorgeous YES. I'm also kinda excited to see more of Genya his character design is so cool to me. I'm very excited to see what you think when the new season comes out 👀
Also PLEASE write more diabolik lovers!!! Diabolik lovers is one of the only animes I consistently rewatch I just cant help it it's like a guilty pleasure lol. It has so much potential for dark content like idk if it's just me but I love reading about blood/my blood getting drank etc lol so it fits perfectly. I also just love the trope of being forced to live with them and the whole gothic vampire vibes 🖤
I didn't want to send many tiktoks since ik you're probably so busy with the new blog so I'm just gonna include two diabolik lovers ones lol 🥰
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRceDUYr/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRceukvJ/
I'm so excited for the new things you're going to post, I hope you're doing well 😘 -jjk anon
BABY YES HI
First of all I’m so sorry all the shit happened before I could answer your big ask I WAS SO UPSET 😭
OH NO THEY SHOULDNT DO THAT. I mean I pretty much exclusively use tiktok to watch thirst edits of anime hotties BUT STILL I wonder why the gov doesn’t like tiktok???
if they do ban it we’ll have to send each other fan art back and forth 😭😭
YES DEMON SLAYER IM SO EXCITED I’ve been getting so hype about finally seeing Koku baby animated my big big big warrior man 😵‍💫😵‍💫 BRO I SAW SOME LEAKED CLIPS AND PICS IM NOT A MUZAN GIRLIE BUT HE LOOKED V V GOOD and douma is fucking MASSIVE !!! I haven’t read the manga either but one of my besties has and I did make her ( begged 💚 ) to give me all the spoilers which is how I knew about koku in the first place SKKSKSK SO IM EXCITED
YOU LIKE DL TOO ?? YES WE SHARE ONE BRAIN I SWEAR. DL would be a guilty pleasure anime if I possessed even 1 ounce of shame but I do not so I just openly love those slutty slutty vampire men. I must know who your favorites are 🤨🤨 YOU KINDA GIVE SUBARU AND YUMA STAN VIBES but I can also see you being into ayato also THE FORCED DOMESTICATIONNNNN ONE OF MY FAVES WE REALLY DO HAVE ONE BRAIN SKSKSKKSK
THE TIKTOKKKKSSSS OMG YOU SEND ME THE TWO BABIES ??? IM GONNA SCREAM kanato is my little meow meow the urge to be his mommy ( bc his real mom is….. ya know 💀 ) and let him drink from me while I pet his hair is OVERWHELMING and AZUSA SOFT BOY I’m shaking trembling I love those TikToks thank you for the snack babe 💚💚💚
It is kinda hectic trying to transfer everything 😅 BUT I always want to make time for you when I can !!
I have some for you too 🥺🥺
listen… I’m so excited to write that upper moon reverse harem au I’ve been HOLDING ON TO FOR THE LONGEST TIME it’s finally almost time to release these fics and Douma is going to be a MENACE to our poor reader
I SAW THIS AND IMMEDIATELY SAVED IT THINKING OF YOU
I genuinely cannot believe my FAVORITE va was cast as the deadbeat dilf I am going rabid
I WISH I HAD MORE FOR YOU BUT SINCE THE MOVE IVE NOT BEEN ON TIKTOK THAT MUCH
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mr-carnival · 2 years
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Art ask for 2, 24, and 21? :)
Also I hate to sound like a broken record player, but again happy birthday yo! Get your favorite food and vibe if possible :)
Thanks for the birthday wishes!! At the end of my day I received some homemade sesame candies so that made me very happy! (o: 2. 5 favorites of your own work?
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These have to top 5 from this year! All of these pieces are close to my heart for different reasons The cosmic clown felt so therapeutic to draw, and animate. Was possessed and did it all in one sitting... while rewatching the Lost series which feels like a fever dream but makes me proud nonetheless ! My alien guy Lamoske is a loooong time oc that deserves more love, but his design is complex and tough to draw :'D But I managed to accurately get his side profile down so that's a victory!! The paint demon and connie have quickly become two dear characters, and this piece of them brings me a calm feeling. Also makes me wish I had cool colored tiles in my shower too damn Khal's color scheme is like pure indulgence. He was made quickly and without much thought but for some reason grew on me like a parasite LOL but I love him. Now the piece in the bottom right that I haven't posted yet technically as its part of a comic I'm planning on releasing all together once it's finished! It took forever because its pixels. Like it might be torture, but tiny pixel details bring fourth some sorta passion from me 21. Weirdest thing you've ever drawn? oh god well Im not sure any of those drawings are fit for anyone eyes but I do have some pieces that I've made to make friends or family laugh that ended up looking like abomations. I made a comic awhile back based off the game Valhiem. But yeah I was prompted to make it after playing it with my brother enough times to despise the blue orges that are basically giant versions of certain cheeto man we shall not name
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24. How do you deal with artblock? Well first I open the door to the void and politely ask the endless space-time continuum to fix my artblock and free me lol. But in all seriousness I try my best to shake it off but sometimes its more complicated and challenging. Something that helps is stepping away from any works in progress pieces that are frustrating me. Usually what follows is me creating a new piece of art that is letting those emotions of frustration out, freely and without expectation or premeditated design. I usually don't post them but the first Shades of Muse piece is actually one of those I ended up liking enough to post. But yeah I have a whole folder of them, I call them ladder pieces because they help me move upward again <3 !
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beck-a-leck · 2 years
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For the Farming Sim Ask game:
🥒🍇 🍍🥔
This game is so much fun!
Farm Sim Asks!
Cucumber 🥒 - Favorite non-human character/mythical being?
I think that might be Inari. I was not expecting to love them as much as I did when I first saw them in 3oT. For the most part I've been neutrally positive about the mythical characters in the games, but Inari really wormed their way into my heart. Something about their dialogue and the friendship they form with the farmer really endeared them to me. Also, they're cute a heck!
They're a more mature deity than Witchie and Dessie in the games, but they're also not petty/negligent like some iterations of the HG and WP are in other games. They hit that perfect middle ground for me.
Not sure if I would ever marry them, but I did enjoy befriending them.
Second runner up would be the Harvest Goddess from Save the Homeland. I love her design and her whole vibe. And she's genuinely nice to the protagonist.
Grape 🍇 - Which game would you like to see a remake of?
It's hard to pick just one, because there are a lot of games that I missed playing entirely because they were on consoles I didn't own at the time they came out and/or I wasn't paying attention to HM games. So like, any of those.
But for a game that I have played and would like to see a complete remake of, Island of Happiness. PLEASE. It had a great cast of characters and a fun setting but a lot of the game mechanics make the whole thing frustratingly unplayable. But it would need a lot of changes for me to be happy with it. Get rid of the gd water/sun point system for one. And the hunger bar! Nothing makes it harder to earn money in the game than having a farming system that does not guarantee crops, aka wasting hundreds of g, no source of actual food from the get go, and also having your available energy for doing things dependent upon whether you can find something to eat. which you cant. and I low key hated the Wonderfuls system for tool upgrades, but I can work around that.
So like. I don't want a completely faithful remake of IoH, like they did with FoMT. I want the whole game rebuilt from the ground up so it behaves like other HM/SoS games.
Pineapple 🍍 - What is your favorite art style of the games?
I did already answer that one. Short answer, (M)FoMT, SoS1, and 3oT.
But in general there's something I like in all the games. I'm not very picky about art styles and design lmao, so long as things are cohesive within the game I don't mind the changes between them.
Potato 🥔 - Favorite non-romanceable character?
Hector. My favorite sad, single dad, who I think deserves to find love and happiness again. Let me romance him gdi
That being said, I genuinely enjoy a lot of the non-romancable characters in the games. They are, imo, more important to making the towns feel like real communities than the marriage candidates. And it's kinda nice to have characters that bring life and depth to a town without their story/relation to the character revolving around romance.
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wildfangz · 2 years
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I initially made a whole long bulleted post on my thoughts on the pack so far w/ the livestream but it was way too long and I'd like to keep it simple. This post is also a bit lengthy but not nearly as. ANYWAY:
ADORE the build/buy, especially since Art Deco is one of my favorite styles! Curved walls were also a really nice surprise, and I love all the clutter and posters & what not. Really happy the trellis changes w/ the seasons too :) CAS was a bit more hit and miss for me. like most of the items are cute, but while some of designs by Depop sellers were nice, some of them are also ugly as hell and things i think only rich influencers w/ bad fashion sense wear sorry LOL
As for gameplay, let's get the negativity out of the way first: I... actually feel like they might have got too ambitious with this pack, and that some of the most important gameplay features may have suffered for it. Like what was up w/ the single goals throughout the school day? I was exhausted during the stream, but it seemed like they might have stayed the same too. At very least, they're repetitive, which is fine in GTW bc like... you have multiple tasks to choose from. But because of it going to school just felt sooo bland and boring and this is coming from someone that likes some slower gameplay and likes get to work and was looking forward to active school.
It's cool that sims can learn skills during class and make decisions about their assignments, but other than that there's like. Nothing. You should be able to try talking to people! Pass them notes or text them! You should be able to slack off or sleep in class etc. I'm also still hoping we haven't seen everything and that we get some more homework assignments and things like University has, like it would have been fun to have to give presentations sometimes. Otherwise like, high school feels really lacking for such a core feature. The Prom actually looked fine and even fun, but the school experience itself managed to give some MWS vibes. Also where did the trays go
Anyway other than that. The amount of effort put into thrifting was actually a pleasant surprise, though now I'm reeeally hoping for a GTW refresh that enables buying clothes in general. I'm REALLY glad Social Bunny ended up being more than just something for the trailer bc I always thought online dating in ts3 was cute, and I was surprised by how intricate it was. Also the phone makeover is cute and so are the new selfies :)
Finally, I'm honestly most excited about everything we'll be getting in base game. Wants & Fears was an insane surprise, and I'm glad we're getting not only orientation in the game finally, but that it's so intricate. I was disappointed to see only binary options, I hope they can fix that in the future, but I was really glad to see that they were inclusive both of those that are aromantic/asexual and those who experience split attraction!
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Meet the Muses!
If you clicked about on my blog, you probably came across the Muse Page I have. But, faceclaims alone don’t do the justice of that I see in my mind. SO! Since I do art, I made quick sketches of each of my muses. In this post, view their faceclaim verses how I see them.
Let’s start with Dina, my oldest OC out of the bunch. He’s been through many changes because of that. He used to be one of those edgy wolf demon ocs with the emo black hair and the red eyes. You know the OCs you make when you’re, like, 10 right? ... just me? MOVING ON. As I built up his character into something less cringy and something more suitable, I found that the character Anubis from the game and anime Kamigami no Asobi was a pretty good match!
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But, in comparison, here is how I actually see him.
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Odel. This grim reaper is part of a story that I’ve been developing for years, but have no confidence to actually share the whole thing. It’s packed full with more characters than just him, but he has to be my favorite. A reaper who gets bullies by his coworkers because he doesn’t fit in and because of that doesn’t like to do his job. For the sake of tumblr, the faceclaim I chose for him is Rinnosuke from the Touhou series. It’s not a perfect fit, but the vibes are similar.
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However, here’s how he actually looks:
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Coco. Coco is a character that has had so many different coats of paint to her. She’s an undercover spy at heart; manipulative, cunning, and likes the finer things in life. Other than her job, she’s just a normal human, in comparison to everyone else in this lineup. The faceclaim I have for her is Mirai from Baccano!
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But here’s how I see her:
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Lillia. Oh Lillia. I really like vampires that were turned as children as a trope. You get to play with so many different elements of a psyche and how a person, let alone a child, would handle that kind of trauma. In her infancy as a character, she was very much inspired by Claudia from Interview with a Vampire, but grew to this gremlin child slowly but surely. For her faceclaim I have Chidori from Persona 3
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But she looks a little more like this:
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Next up we have Eve. I think I explained her as best as I could on my muse page, so if you want her backstory, go there. She’s a character I’ve been wanting to play for quite some time, but never had the confidence to. She used to look really normal in my eyes, but has become a goth dommy mommy, so... shrug emoji. For vibes alone, her faceclaim is Chane from Baccano!
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But here’s the actual goth bitch:
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Finally, we have Ekko. He conception was heavily inspired by a myriad of steampunk bands, Steampowered Giraffe, The Cog is Dead, etc, but what if it was pop? He used to have a more steampunk design to him with gears in his outfit and metal skin, but I loved playing with the idea that he was more like an anamatronic and worked with hydraulics. Still technically steam powered, but not in the normal steampunk way. the faceclaim I have for him, for mostly vibes, is Izumi Sena from Love Stage!(18+ if any of y’all look it up)
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And, of course, what he actually looks like:
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ill eventually make a proper, pretty intro-post
but hello, hi, i am Kaiden-Shenandoah Knapp
also, yes, Kaiden-Shenandoah is my first name. the hyphen is optional, but you still have to type/say the whole thing. no, you may not call me "Kaiden". yes, i am aware it is a mouthful lol
(probably gonna change my surname is "Knapping" in a few years. i wanna distance myself from some shitty family while making the Indigeneity in my surname more apparent. dont be surprised when that happens. im just putting it off bc i got a lot on my plate rn lol)
(also if you knew me as "Kayleen", hi, hello, i no longer go by that childhood nickname. it is retired, wave goodbye, better to have loved and lost and all that)
this is my messily mindless "welcome to my head" blog, we do things very casually here. im making it my new Main (as of 24 March 2024). my professional/art blog is @kaidenshenandoahknapp
but the real point of this post is: i am not a bot lol
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and also, stuff is on a queue (until i do a mass-reblog binge but, typically, i am on queue)
everything in my queue is now 2 post per 24 hours (as of: 20 April 2024)
ive been on tumblr before, but since this is a new Main, im just going through my favorite content-creation blogs i know and mass-queueing loads of the op's projects. (if you are one of those said blogs and find this nth new notes a day from me annoying, please let me know; and i will just spam them all to Post Now so i can get out of your hair asap) i'm also just not good at regularly keeping up with creators' new stuff week-by-week, so instead i generally mass-queue because i assume mass-reblogging is a bit more overwhelming, idk, maybe im just overthinking lol
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tags guide: (mostly for me, ngl lol i need reminders of what i tag what when i do my mass-queues)
#me - me posting something
#relatable - "omg that is so me" at someone else's post
#aesthetic - me just really liking the vibes, which sometimes just also happens to be pretty to look at lmao
#canines wolves and werewolves i love - i know what i am about. ill probably have more "niche My Special Interest tags" as i find posts that fit them
#nutty nutcrackers / #the nutcracker - another Special Interest tag. pretty self-explanatory, i like The Nutcracker a lot lmao
#betty boop - you would think this belongs with fandom tags, but no. part of why i am obsessed with her (and have been since i was, like, 14) is because she was the popularization of the very next tag's trend
#infantalization in animation - it's when you apply baby facial proportions to an adult bodied character, it's most often done in female characters. i'll be using this tag outside of animated stuff btw. but yeah, anything that examines that visual design choice i am all 👀 over lmao
#other people's art - any individual person, not counting final version of studio work (like ill tag "Lilo and Stitch"'s exploratory concept art with this, sure, but i wont tag stills of the "Lilo and Stitch" film)
↳ #animal art
↳ #background art
↳ #oc art - is all "my original character in a canon piece" kind of ocs, not the "my original character in my original story" type
↳ there are also specifically listed artists here and there if they have influenced me/my style in the past or recently (such as but not limited to: #rvsa). almost all of them are indies with social media (aka: no Van Gogh, no Hayao Miyazaki. if they have their own fandom, i tag said fandom and not the specific artist, usually. it depends. there are some gray areas)
#brushes - the (digital) brushes people i like use
#art tips
#writing tips - is about actually doing the practice
#on writing - is the philsophy about the practice
#[insert fandom here]
#[insert fandom here] analysis
(here are the tags i chose for some fandoms that had multiple possible tags. this is not all of my fandom tags)
● #studio ghibli, #[insert studio ghibli title here] (i tag both the movie itself and studio. because sometimes i want something from the original movie, so i go into those tags; and i also go to the studio to look at overarching things since the studio has such a strong overall aesthetic/visual brand)
● #[insert disney title] (here, i do tag the specific movies and i dont just use the studio. because im usually looking for specific things this one disney movie has)
● #moomin (as opposed to "moominvalley", "tales of moominvalley", or the like)
● #my hero academia (so many different options for one work)
● #trigun (so many different branching creations from one source lmao im just gonna lump them together)
● #into the spiderverse (i dont use "across the spiderverse" for simplicity's sake, and i don't use the hyphen/space between "spider(-)verse" also for simplicity. its easier for me to be consistent if i just go "nah, its all one word")
● #marvel comics (i do not tag the mcu specifically)
● #dc comics, #batman (i tag both. but i dont tag any other dc comics property. i just know im esp obsessed with the batfam enough that, sure, they should get their own tag)
#me
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