#I also still crave validation for my art | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tizeline · 4 months

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Now that we're entering into 2024, I'm asking some artists and writers that I follow:

1) What is the one piece you're most proud of from this past year?

2) What are some pieces that you would have liked more people to see? If you can include links, I'd love to go check them out!

3) What were your top three favorite pieces (art, comics, fics, etc) that someone else has made this past year?

(As always, no pressure to respond! Feel free to just ignore, or let me know if you'd rather I not send you these kinds of asks in the future.)

Oh this is fun! :D

1) The drawing I'm the most proud of this year is actually one I never ended up posting lmao, so I suppose this is the perfect reason to actually do that

I always feel a bit self-concious about posting non-fanart drawings cuz they don't tend to gain as much attention. Which, I am fully aware that there are more important things than clout! But I am a simple woman, I crave validation 😔 Anyway, I am still very happy about how this one turned out. I very much prefer drawing characters over enviroments, which led to me being way worse at drawing enviroments than characters, so I've been pushing myself for the last couple of years to get better at drawing backgrounds and surroundings. While I still definetily have a lot of room for improvement, this illustration here is the best I've done in drawing enviroments yet.

2) Again, original stuff don't tend to get as much attention (which I fully understand btw, I don't wanna make it seem like I'm complaining too much, I very much appreciate any and all support I get!!!!) but this post with some doodles of my OCs as well as this random drawing of some forest with a big stone head lying in it are a couple of posts I wouldn't mind if more people saw so..... the links are there if ya wanna have a look 👀

3) Oh man, I've seen so many awesome artpieces this year, i can't guarantee that these are my actual top 3 picks, but here are some that I could remember liking (and that I also managed to find lol) (also these are in no particular order

This GIF was the first piece of RotTMNT fanart I ever reblogged and it's still glued to my mind it's just great honestly.

Man I do not like Timothy in the 2012 TMNT series at all but MAN do I love the way pinetreevillain adapted the character for the Rise universe! He's made quite a few comics of Rise!Timothy and he made the character so extremely likable I just hdsjhgjakfga also Pine's artstyle is delicous yummy yum go check out his art now!

I really like those reanimation projects where a bunch of people collaborate and reanimate induvidual segments in their own style, and there was recently one of those released that was a remake of The Clothes Don't Make The Turtle episode from season two of RotTMNT and it's great! Go and watch it here!

#again i love this ask #great idea #tizel talk #tizel art #my art

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breezypunk · 6 months

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How do you get so much love for your Cyberpunk 2077 screenshots? I spend hours posing, setting up lights etc etc but I get 0 love. Ok, I'm definitely not a professional photographer, but 0? Teach me, plsssss.

Oh my goodness, I need to gather my thoughts for this because as someone whose struggled with this for a long time, I understand 100% how you feel right now and I just want to give you a bit of advice.

I'm not a professional either, and what I mean by struggle is that when I first came into this fandom I came in with nothing. I hardly got any notes or any recognition for my posts as well.. Granted I was on console and console users sadly don't get the love they deserve, and I think they deserve just as much love if not more from people, and that doesn't happen, it's a fact.

When I started using mods and got on PC, I still barely got anything, and it started becoming a struggle for me because I fed off of validation and approval from others, and that is something I still struggle with to this day, maybe not as much, but I def still do and I think most people in this fandom do. No one can say they don't crave validation, we ALL do, if we didn't we would post n o t h i n g. And while I do agree that we should post for ourselves, we also post because when we do something we are super proud of, we want others to see it and enjoy it as well and there's NOTHING wrong with that at all. We reblog our things multiple times to push it out so other's can see (and because the algorithm truly sucks, just my opinion).

I was desperate for validation because I craved interaction and friendship, that's all I ever wanted, and I wanted to bond with people I have the same interests in and because of my desperate need for it I made enemies, still to this day. It only makes you feel icky on the inside when you're constantly trying to appease others, and while it's normal to want validation, it's not normal to only do it for that and that alone. I don't know who you are anon, and I cannot "teach" you, simply because what you're doing right now is good enough, not even good, it's great & regardless of how many people interact with your VP, you are good enough and you shouldn't stop, because if you love it that's the #1 most important thing. But also don't be afraid to reblog your stuff! Reblog it as often as you like.

Also, P.S.. I am still not always proud of what I do. I still get a little envious, it's human nature, I'm on a shitty laptop with horrible graphics and I can't do much with it, but I love taking VP, it's a passion and I will do it no matter how it looks. You should do it too, the best part of doing it is doing it because you enjoy it with no regrets. Sometimes this fandom will make you feel like you have to be the very best or at the very top for people to interact with you or enjoy your VP/art, and sometimes that's true, mostly it's true... but there are still good people here who genuinely appreciate all forms of VP, whether it's console, modding, gorgeous lighting, no lighting at all, etc. It's all beautiful, and at the end of the day, that validation is gonna come and go anyway. But you will continue to look at your art and go "yeaaaaah, I did that :)"

So please don't feel upset for getting "0" love, cos I promise someone loves it.

#personal #anon asks #cyberpunk 2077 #cyberpunk 2077 fandom #getting personal here and outing my own struggles #because I have nothing to hide and I want to be as transparent as possible and honest when it comes to this type of stuff #please if anyone feels this way know your VP/art is wonderful and amazing #and validation is just a number #and yeah it's normal to want it and we all do #but it's not everything I swear #don't let numbers define you #even if we struggle with it #also feel free to reblog if it resonates

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rynekins · 8 months

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Once again my mind is plagued with Sideshow Bob brainrot and I must infodump about him for a bit to clear it. This is a sorta continuation of this post where I ramble about how prison warped Bob’s personality. While I often consider doing a more structured series of Sideshow Bob reviews, I have nothing concrete planned at the moment, so posts like these will remain sporadic. However, I am rather open for more discussion with those who dare ask.

The focus today is on Sideshow Bob’s defining character trait.

There are many popular labels used for Sideshow Bob that fail to paint a full picture because the very opposites of those aspects are also true to his character. Highly educated with a great capacity for idiocy. Sophisticated with bouts of unhinged rage. A mastermind whose plans never work. A murderous psychopath who’s never actually murdered anyone and has attempted to reform. A villain who has saved the day, more than once. A failure that never gives up. All of these apply but I feel he has a more comprehensive character trait. One that remains true in every appearance, exemplified in all of his actions and downfalls. Above everything else, and I say this with the utmost affection, Bob is an attention whore.

Bob needs an audience like he needs air to breathe. All the world’s a stage and he lives to perform. He's pathetically desperate for your reaction, whether it’s praise, scorn, fear, or a laugh. He’ll sing, act, tell jokes, contort his body, or share the details of his cunning scheme with you, even if it jeopardizes everything he’s worked for, in exchange for a fleeting moment of recognition.

He wants to be seen, heard, known, understood, celebrated. Don’t we all. But his craving for validation can never be satisfied, which led him down this road of suffering. In the flashback in “Brother from Another Series”, during the sidekick audition, Bob looks a bit more composed than usual.

This is the earliest moment in his life that we witness. He’s hiding all his iconic hair in a hat and presents himself with dignity and poise; is this where he gets bit by the acting bug and everything changes for him? Doubtful, since his mother is a famous actress and he probably grew up in a home that valued the arts. I think he might have been repressing a lot of his more comical tendencies at this point, then unleashed them due to an unexpected pie to the face. Bob is angry at first, but within seconds relishes having an audience’s approval. All it took was Krusty calling him a “genius” and Bob’s fate was sealed. In “Krusty Gets Busted,” it’s up to interpretation if Bob genuinely wanted to solve Bart’s problem out of the goodness in his heart, or if his ego demanded that he prove to his audience what a good role model and host he can be. In” Sideshow Bob Roberts,” he charms everyone in town with his silver tongue, but is still so insecure about how he’s perceived that he feels he has to cheat to win the election. In “Cape Feare,” Bart compliments his voice and he’s all too eager to boast his musical talent. In “Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming,” being called “smart” is enough to let his guard down.

He needs constant reassurance that he’s smart, talented, and loved. I believe that in “Black Widower”, Bob’s courting of Selma wasn’t a ruse, at least not at first. They probably had nothing in common (certainly wouldn’t bond over media taste) except that both were painfully lonely. They fell fast in what they thought was love because they showed each other the slightest bit of affection, then opened the floodgates of built up feelings that had nowhere else to go. But realizing there would always be another man in her life more important than him, MacGyver, any love Bob felt towards Selma evaporated.

Combine this pettiness with his freshly warped sense of morality courtesy of Springfield Penitentiary, and he would find this sudden violent hatred justifiable. But everything has to be a spectacle with Bob, so of course he would end things with a heckin’ fiery explosion. As we have established, Bob is prone to self-sabotage. He can be unbearably pretentious, so he struggles finding others that share his passions. But Bob isn’t a gatekeeper for these interests. He would love nothing more than to discuss art, music, literature and theater and convince others to appreciate them as well. He has a desire to teach, and finds fulfillment when he helms his own educational program with an audience willing to listen and cheer him on. He doesn’t have such luck with his peers, who tend to throw his books back at him. In the episode “The Man Who Grew Too Much”, Homer mentions Mozart’s name and you can tell Bob is ready to drop everything and gush about a special interest, but Homer then reveals that he doesn’t really care. So imagine being in an incredibly niche fandom with no one but the void to hear your headcanons or fan favorites. That’s Bob's predicament, but he’s persistent (and maniacal).

Little brother Cecil is similar, but he’s more likely to back down when the audience doesn’t indulge him.

It is left to our imagination what their childhood was like. Their mother might have encouraged them both to pursue theater, but did either of them ever feel pride in their accomplishments? Is there a reason Cecil gives up and Bob can’t be stopped? Perhaps Bob leans into the villain role because he’s convinced himself he was born for it (give him credit, he does play it cartoonishly well), but when the tables turn he’s equally as enthusiastic playing the part of a noble hero. He seems unable to turn off the dramatics either way. There have been a few moments when he admits he does not want to commit to a violent act, and you could argue it’s because deep down he knows he’s playing a character that he's taken too far and that it isn’t his true self, or maybe he's horrified his true self is a monster and he’d rather play a different character as a means to contain it (I am not referring to moments from “Day of the Jackanapes” or “The Great Louse Detective”, moreso “The Man Who Grew Too Much”, “Gone Boy”, and “Bobby It’s Cold Outside”). His instincts during these moments seem to be to run away.

But Bob can’t live secluded in his lil lighthouse forever, even if it means no one gets hurt and he would be free. Prison made him crazy. Isolation would destroy him.

#sideshow bob #the simpsons #simpsons #robert terwilliger

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vylad243 · 1 month

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oh wow thats intriguing. i want to hear more about the alternate month in rut where voxval dont necessarily breakup. would al regret his actions for being bitter/cold to vox when he first arrived? does val still get killed? what about vel in all this? (sorry for the tons of questions btw its just so interesting to think of.... also am i allowed to draw fanart for ur fic in general)

Alastor wouldn't necessarily regret it, but he wouldn't be happy with his last actions. He thinks if he acted a lot sooner, Vox wouldn't have been as hurt as he was- but he also doesn't know if accepting Vox a lot sooner wouldn't have had worse consequences. To him- he's toying with a life that he actually cares about, and one wrong move could have put the final nail in Vox's coffin. He would be torn because he knows now just how badly Vox was hurting and how little freedom he had, but he wouldn't regret it because it gave Vox more time to build genuine connections with other people instead of clinging to just Alastor. It widened his support circle because let's be honest- Vox has fucking terrible social skills

Valentino would get killed, but it wouldn't be like in month of rut. It wouldn't be permanent because Vox would fry the bitch. It would be a desperate attempt to claw himself free from Valentino's chains. The craving for validation and to be loved would be overwhelming so he wouldn't be thinking straight. He wouldn't use the weapon in his heels to kill him. He would use the powers that Valentino needs to be famous. The powers that everyone uses every day. Hell would go into a blackout from the sheer volume of electricity that he uses, but Vox would be alone. He wouldn't have anyone with him because he wouldn't tell anyone. Everyone would find out he was missing from the power outage.

They would all split up to try and find him, and Charlie and Alastor would find him unconscious with Velvette holding him close. Velvette would return to the hotel with them and stay with Vox in his room while he recovers.

Velvette would hold a similar position as she does currently, but she would be a lot more of a reoccurring character than she currently is. Her relationship with Vox would be a lot more explored. Her and Papermint would basically take over Voxtech while Vox is recovering from his injury, Val's death, and the blackout. Velvette would be Valentino and Vox's adopted daughter, so she would be a lot more hurt and unaware of just how bad Valentino was to Vox in particular because Val would treat her with the utmost care.

Velvette and Vox would be mostly recovering together, and Velvette would stay in the hotel for a lot longer. She would never be an official patient. When Valentino rebuilds himself, Velvette would be the one to kill him with an angelic weapon.

Alastor would also like Velvette a lot more and would have more of an opportunity to get to know her and bond with her because Alastor's radiowaves would help heal Vox's injuries. Basically, Alastor, Vox, and Velvette will be bunking together, but Vox would be unconscious for most of it.

Velvette would also be taught some of Alastor's recipes because she can handle spice, and he needs a spice buddy

And OMG YES YOU CAN!! I would be so honoured 😭 I would honestly probably make it my pfp if someone drew art of my fanfic-

#hazbin hotel #vox hazbin hotel #radiostatic #hazbin hotel alastor #a month in rut #hazbin hotel velvette #hazbin hotel valentino #heimaldesirae #i would be so happy #it's such a nice feeling when your content inspires people #it's like preciously holding someone's trust in your hands because inspiration is such a precious thing #i would fistfight anyone for my readers/followers tbh #i would run to that denny's parking lot so fast

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pluckyredhead · 4 months

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My Favorite Comics of 2023

Sometimes I think I should review all the comics I read as I read them. Then I realize I read like...40 comics a month and decide to not do that. But I figured I could at least round up my favorite books of 2023!

So as not to bury the lede...

My Favorite Comic of 2023: Green Arrow

Was there ever any question? All I have ever wanted for like 20 years at this point is Arrowfamily shenanigans, and this book has been all about reassembling the gang and letting them romp through the DC universe. This is an Ollie who is overflowing with love and bad ideas, and that's perfect. Every character and relationship has gotten a chance to shine so far, and I can't wait until they bring the girls in. I especially love how clear it is that Roy is Williamson and Izaakse's favorite. ME TOO, GUYS, ME TOO. The fact that this is now an ongoing instead of a limited series is the best gift DC could have given me.

The rest of my faves...

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern: I did not expect to be as moved by this book as I am. The overall plot is a bit hard to follow, but that's not really the point of the comic. What blows me away every issue is how unflinching and occasionally brutal the book is in its portrayal of 1940s-era homophobia, including Alan's internalized self-hatred, and yet how simultaneously incredibly kind the book is. The love and validation, especially in #2 and #3, is so generous and beautiful. Also, it's the best and most beautiful I've ever see Cian Tormey's art look - he gives everything such a hazy, heartbreaking softness here. Please read this book.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest: This continues to be one of the most enjoyable books DC is putting out right now. Mora is one of those artists, like Doc Shaner, who draws the DC universe exactly 100% the way it looks in my hindbrain, and Waid is absolutely in his sweet spot of classic heroes, Silver Age lore, and extremely comic book-y adventure. Plus, Tamra Bonvillain is doing that thing she does with colors that taps directly into the happiness center of my brain - they are so rich and sunny and joyful.

Birds of Prey: I love everything Kelly Thompson writes and I'm so glad we finally have her at DC. She is the absolute perfect writer for this book, too - she gives such good superheroine. The banter! The action! The way she mixes and matches her cast in such fun combinations! Leonardo Romero's layouts are so kinetic and fun, and Jordie Bellaire's colors, YOU GUYS, JORDIE BELLAIRE'S FUNKY SEVENTIES COLORS! I can hear the soundtrack of this book. Love love love.

The Flash: To be clear, I mean the Jeremy Adams run that ended earlier this year with #800. I will forever be salty that DC canceled this delightful book, which was all of the action and humor and heart and love of continuity that I crave in comics, in favor of the so far completely mid Spurrier series. RIP Adams run, you were too good for this world.

Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville: This book got off to a slightly slow start, in my opinion, but every issue just gets better and better. It is so funny, and I want Natacha Bustos to design every outfit I ever wear for the rest of my life. Plus, Tamra Bonvillain is doing the color thing here, too! I want to live in her world.

Poison Ivy: I trust G. Willow Wilson with my life. This is such a good, complex, nuanced take on Ivy. (Also messy and poly and queer.) I have no idea where this story is going but I'm on this ride 'til the end.

And finally...

Favorite Backlist Title: Starman (1994): You guys. YOU GUYS. I mainlined all 80 issues of this series this year at an absolutely blistering pace because I did not want to stop reading it for even a single second. It's everything I love about comics: truly serialized storytelling with a huge cast and lots of intertwining subplots, tons of twists and foreshadowing that pay off in immensely satisfying ways, a deep dive into continuity that's still accessible to people who know almost nothing about Starman (me), a love letter to a fictionopolis, and one funky little dude trying his best at the center of it. I am BEGGING you to read Starman. Please.

#comics #meta

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bigmammallama5 · 7 months

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hey so, many of the fics i've loved of yours feature intimacy and sex, i've always been in awe at how much emotion there is. there's an idea i've had lately that deals with intimacy and tbh i'm scared to write it. mostly bc i'm afraid i'll write it shitty but also bc i don't usually write sex (which is prob why i'm convinced it'll come out shitty oop) - i guess my question is, how do you get to a point where you're not scared to write it? or like, less scared? bc i really want to write it, i believe in the story, i guess i just don't believe that i can write it...

Well… that’s hard a hard question to answer lol. I know you may roll your eyes at this answer, but you just have to trust yourself to try because you may never truly feel less scared until you do!

I have made a lot of shitty art whether that’s writing, drawing, pottery, you name it, because I just. I really really needed to make it. I was lucky that when I was a younger teen I started exploring more explicit topics in fic with a best friend my age who was also curious. Sure we were woefully inexperienced, but we allowed ourselves to try. They’re still one of my best friends to this day and we do pottery together, and we still encourage each other to try new things.

So. Just try for yourself. Don’t feel pressured to share it, to polish it, to make it presentable. I know we all crave that validation, but you are your most important reader. I still get scared to write some things, draw some things, test the limits of the clay on my wheel. But how will I ever be able to know if I can do it if I don’t trust myself to try? There are still fics and drawings I may never finish and I had to learn the hard lesson to just be okay with that. Sometimes I can’t tell that story. Sometimes it’s not the right time for that drawing. Sometimes I need to practice and learn more before I can make that pot. Sometimes you just need to try and know that it will probably be shitty lol. But that doesn’t mean it will always be shitty. Keep at it, build skills that will help you (like reading published stuff that isn’t just fanfic, taking a drawing class, talk to a more experienced crafts person ect) and eventually, if you keep letting yourself try, it’ll be less shitty.

In the wise words of our late beloved space mom, Carrie Fisher: “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.” Just let yourself try, and maybe yell at a buddy or two along the way lol

#ask me stuff!#sorry that got wordy i just #i didnt want you to feel like i was brushing you off and i tend to overcompensate lmfao

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minecraftbookshelf · 10 months

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Important Housekeeping Announcement for the AU In Which All The Marriages Are Arranged

Honestly I'm structuring this more as a letter because I'm a bit emotional about this entire situation.

With the current state of AI scraping the internet and stealing art and stories right and left, I have locked my AO3 to AO3 users only.

Yes, AO3 has already been scraped, but chances are high they will continue scraping and any level of protection available is something I want to take advantage of. I'd been putting it off because I had over 100 works and that was just...a lot. But I figured out how to lock them all at once so that's done now.

Given The State of Things, I honestly don't really trust that tumblr also will not/has not already been scraped so the chances not zero that I am not going to post the full fics on here, just links to the AO3 posts. I will keep posting snippets on here bc i crave validation, but the actual, full form fics themselves might be just on AO3. I really don’t know.

I hate doing this because I really want to keep my stories as accessible to as many people as possible and some of my earliest fandom memories are of so many fics I was following and loved disappearing, either deleted or friend locked, as Livejournal went dark in the aftermath of Strikethrough.

I really do encourage everyone who doesn't have an AO3 account to get one if you can. It is invite only but the waiting list does move at a fairly decent pace and if you know someone who does have an account already they might still have invites they can give you.

I've been on AO3 for a long time and am perfectly willing to answer any questions at all, about functionality or the controversies surrounding it. Both my DMs and my askbox (here and my main) are open, including for anonymous messages (though sending an anon message is risky because I am incredibly adhd and sometimes it takes me a bit to actually answer asks and you won't get an alert when I answer an anonymous one you sent, if you have a question you don't want your name on publicly, you can send a dm or just tell me in the ask you would rather stay anonymous and i can make a fresh post without your url on it or answer the ask privately as you are comfortable with.)

I know the mcyt fan community in general skews young, though I'm not sure about the demographics of my little corner here specifically, I myself am ~30 (which is still young in fandom in general) and I have seen destruction of fandom spaces before. We have survived it, we will continue to, but some things; art, fic, original stories, will be lost forever. AO3 is one of if not the most secure place to share your fic. It is an archive designed to last.

I'm getting rambly so I'll sign off here, thanks for reading.

#im linking my ao3 in the notes too #if anyone wants that #ao3 #rain rambles #this also applies to my life series fics #like elements of an interdimensional prison break #and #avatar the legend of jimmy #im not taking down what i already have on here #but i probably won't be posting any new full fics on here #god i hate this so much #marriage of state au

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hopepaigeturner · 1 year

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An Offer From and Avid Reader: 'Bridgerton No.2' & 'The Maid'

So as a fandom we all know the whole ‘Sophie sees Benedict as Benedict not Bridgerton no.2’. And I do love that, but also, I think it is slept on a little how Benedict does the same for Sophie.

The crumbs are there in the book, but I think the show could really highlight how Benedict is the first one to see, know and love Sophie. Not Sophie-illegitimate-child-Beckett. Not Sophie-the-maid-Beckett but just Sophie. Benedict loves every iteration of Sophie. And more importantly, Sophie never has to prove herself to Benedict.

Once again it would mean not merely treating Sophie’s trauma as a drama device but allowing that storyline to actually develop…

One could argue that due to Sophie’s upbringing, Sophie has this subconscious desire to prove her worth. Some researchers argue that as individuals, particularly children, we strive for ‘positive regard’. AKA, we crave validation/love about our achievements from a caregiver. And this could be the reason why Sophie is so clever, polite and ‘meek’—because she tried to do anything and everything to get her father to smile at her, for her father to believe that she was worthy of being his true daughter.

And yes, Araminta abused her, but initially, due to her very young age, I suspect that Sophie still tried to please her and prove she was worth being Araminta’s daughter by being the perfect submissive daughter and sister.

Then if you combine this with Araminta’s emotional abuse, tearing into Sophie’s self-esteem, coupled with Araminta neglecting Sophie’s very existence—all of this would set Sophie is a vicious cycle.

She feels unworthy-->tries to gain validation--> Does not receive validation-->unworthiness deepens--> increases effort for validation…over and over again. A downward spiral that the show could emphasise in flashbacks and when she arrives at Bridgerton house…

Not only does Sophie try and be the perfect maid for the Bridgertons, because she is terrified of being punished, but also because she feels the need to prove herself worthy. Especially, because she did not earn her place—Benedict pushed her into it.

Therefore, throughout her entire life, Sophie has put on a mask, a persona—the perfect daughter, the perfect sister, the perfect maid—all to please others rather than express her true self.

And then we have Benedict.

Benedict who fell in love when Sophie wore a silver dress, on a night when Sophie was nothing but herself.

Benedict who fell in love when she walked around in breeches and connected through poetry, art, comfort and loss at My Cottage. Even when she mocked him, scolded him and argued with him about the correct way to chop an onion or his opinion on the working class. A time where Sophie was allowed to be herself—even encouraged to be so.

Benedict who fell in love with her even when she returned to London and they became Sophie-the maid and Benedict-the-gentleman.

Benedict who she actively had to discourage from pursuing her. Benedict who went out of his way to prove to her his worth—not the other way around.

And then (in my S4 version of sofa scene), she reveals her past in a shouting match, showing (in her opinion) all the ugly, horrid things about her. And, unlike everyone else in her entire life, Benedict steps towards her not away from her and says…

“You are Sophie. You are a woman who is kind and compassionate even after a life of hardship that would bow or break the strongest of men. You are a woman who stands by her convictions no matter how many people try and sway you, no matter how many lashes you endure, nor whether the other road is easier. You, Sophie Beckett, are brilliant in mind, heart and soul. I am inspired by you; I am humbled by you, and I am honoured to be in your presence and awed by every facet of your being. That is who you are, Sophie….That is who you are to me, Sophie.”

Benedict still loves her and has always loved her—the Sophie who likes to make up stories, who likes swimming in lakes and cares deeply about others—just as she loves him, Benedict, who has the soul of an artist, hates Byron, and will spend his soul to ensure the people he loves are cared for.

Sophie has never had to actively try with Benedict, not to gain his respect, companionship or love.

So…while yes, Sophie is the first one to see Benedict as more than Bridgerton no.2., Benedict is also the first one to see Sophie as just Sophie, not Beckett, not Gunningworth, not Penwood. Just Sophie.

And if the show manages to capture that…well, I’ll be like...

#an offer from an avid reader #an offer from a gentleman #benophie #soulmate parallels #benedict bridgerton #sophie beckett #the potential is there #the potential is so just there #benedict x sophie #adaptation #bridgerton #s4 speculation

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kaimakesart · 9 months

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Can you do female reader and make a little story of comforting the greedier after his mom left? And can you do it to the song "step on me" by the cardigans?

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠☆♥︎ 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠: 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝.

𝐀 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝-𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭

The once-ler was a smart man, and he was also quite creative. He loved to make art anyway he could. Share what he loved to the world. One day, he would come up with an invention he had hope in. The thneed. He believed wholehearted that this was going to change the world. That it was going to become a success, and a success it became. People loved his product and soon it became one of the best selling products in the world. There was only one problem to this. His family.

The once-ler never had a good childhood, and you knew this. He days were filled with constant despair, yelling, neglect, and the inability to believe in him and anything he wanted to do. His mother never cared for him. In fact the only thing she ever cared about was money. When the once-ler had left to go start his journey in making the thneed, his whole family laughed in his face, telling him that he was nothing, his idea was nothing, and the moment he hit it off they were the first to be called.

Sure, he wanted to be successful, sell something he was passionate about. But more than anything, was the validation he so desperately craved from his family. He wanted to be loved, he wanted to show them that he wasnt a mistake, that he was worth something. Yet, nothing changed. His mother used him, manipulating him into doing unimaginable things, all for the money. He soon became blinded with greed, lost all sight of what he was doing this for in the first place. He let her walk all over him and he didn't even notice. None of this had hit him until it was too late.

You stood in the wasteland next to your boyfriend, watching as the destruction hit him for the first time. You didn't want to leave him, you couldnt. He meant the world to you, you thought maybe you could fix things, yet it seemed to be too late.

"Once-ler..?" You spoke softly, your voice barely above a whisper. He turned to you, tears slowly forming in his eyes. He didn't speak for a moment, it took him awhile to find the right words to say.

"Im sorry." He choked as he looked away, quickly wiping the tears that fell down his cheeks. He jumped slightly as his mothers van had pulled in-front of him.

She rolled down the window slowly, studying him carefully for a moment. "Son, you have let me down" She frowned at him, then turned around to face the back seat. "Brett! You are now my favorite child." and with that she drove off.

Go ahead and step on me

The once-lers heart shattered, he dropped down quickly. Tears poured down his cheeks as he buried his face into his face. "It's all my fault! A-all of it.."

"O-once-ler..I- it's not.." You crouched down , reaching out to put your hand on his shoulder.

"It is! All of this- i..it's..it's all my fault..I ruined everything.." He sobbed, looked up at you as he sniffed. "I'm sorry..I- it's..I'm.." He stopped and shook his head as he couldnt think of anything else to say. "my mom was right..I'm just a mistake..I'm not a good person.."

You sighed, cupping his cheeks gently as you made him look at you "You are many things..but a mistake? That's not one of them..and your mom isn't right..okay? It's not your fault..s-she just..she manipulated you.."

Oh..I think you're spinning inside my head..

He looked at you a little puzzled for a moment, his cheeks still stained with tears as he tilted his head. "S-she..?" Then it hit him. All of it. She made him do things he didn't want, made him believe it was all to support him, but when the money disappeared, she disappeared with it. He cried harder, clinging onto you as he fell deeper and deeper into a spiraling feeling he couldnt seem to stop. You held him close, petting his hair gently as you tried to calm him down.

"Hey.." you muttered quietly. "We'll fix things..f-fix everything.." You felt a few tears fall down your own cheeks now, pulling him as close as possible as he nodded.

Things seemed to be getter better, until they got worse. The Lorax stepped closer to the both of you, moving over to stand on some rocks. He said nothing, simply watching as all the animals from the forest came closer from behind him.

I think you're holding the heart off mine, squeeze it apart that's fine..

"Hey look..I don't want any trouble" The once-ler mumbled, holding his hands up as they all stepped forward.

The Lorax sighed. "and you won't get any. Not from them" With that, the animals moved past the once-ler, slowly walking away from the wasteland he knew he was the cause of. "Thanks to you and your hacking and smogging and glupping. They can't live here anymore. So im sending them off, hopefully they'll be able to find another place out there somewhere"

The once-ler stepped forward, watching as they all walked slowly, the damage he had done hitting him harder than before. Seeing the affect it truly had. Hurting and betraying the creatures he had loved so dearly and took care of. As he watched them leave, he noticed his mule, Melvin among the crowd. "Melvin..?" He said, quickly running out to him. "Melvin..!" But the mule just kept walking, giving the once-ler a quick glance before continuing. "Hey..pipsqueak.." He crouched down, smiling at the young bar-ba-loot. "Hey.." He reached out, holding a marshmallow out for him, but pipsqueak sighed, shaking his head as he walked away.

Next was something the once-ler wasn't sure he was quite ready for, the Lorax left as well, he said nothing as he floated up into the sky, leaving you, the once-ler, and the mess he had created.

The once-ler dropped again, quickly pulling you to him as he began to stop. "I-if only I had kept my promise..If-if only my mother hadn't.." He buried his face in your chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

you're free..to have anything you can see..all that you want from me..

"It's okay..it's going to be okay we can fix things.." You kissed his head gently, tears forming in your eyes as you held him close.

"How.?" He sniffled, looking up at you as he attempted to regulate his breathing once more.

You placed your hands on his chest. "Deep breathes.." You smiled. "For me?"

He nodded, taking in a few deep breathes, he sighed. "Thank you.."

"I'm always here for you..never forget that..we can still fix things..and for how? Truth is..I don't know yet..but we can start small.." You stand up, offering your hand out to him. "We may not know..but what's the harm in finding out together?"

#the lorax #onceler x reader #lorax 2012 #the onceler #lorax fandom #my writing #reader x greedler #comfort #Song fic

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bluravenite · 1 month

Text

Kinda wanna rant a bit about being a freelance artist and also struggling with mental illness !!

I like seeing Tumblr as my own personal blog because I can talk about things I care about and don't always feel like I have to cater to people, yet I still have sooo much to do, art for myself, commission requests, chores, projects, etc!!

I am currently sick so having a headache and peeled nose doesn't really help my case but I feel like we don't often see/hear about the struggle of being freelance and struggling with mental or physical illness (particularly chronic!!) and how debilitating it can be sometimes.

We often think the measure of success is in productivity and that our worth lies in the validation and approval of an external authoritative figure, like an algorithm. But I think that's often a harmful way to view human success and accomplishments, it is necessary to keep a level of understanding that validation is required as a part of motivation, but not the sole indicator of success.

People say that with great power comes great responsibility, but I think it's different, rather with great power* comes great expectancy of independent responsibility, be the power as it may not power at all, but rather life itself. When we grow up and become independent people suddenly expect this level of responsibility from everyone, but not everyone can meet that criteria. Humans need support, naturally, we are made to work in groups or rely on people for things! Be it emotionally, physically, environmentally, or chemically in our brains we crave to coexist with people, sometimes that can help us maintain a level of productivity and routine, but others it can hinder it. It's all about compatibility and about knowing and understanding yourself and what works for you!!

I don't wake up early every morning and eat breakfast and get to work and then do chores and have a perfectly balanced social life, in my current situation I find that late nights are when I work best, perhaps it could be early mornings but I live with people who are very awake in the mornings and I need my peace ans quiet to work, I find that I enjoy slow mornings and take 45-60 min breaks approximately every 2 hours of work, I like walking around my room and stretching whenever i feel too compressed and I try to eat at the same times every day so that I won't forget to, but it's not perfect and it's still a struggle. That doesn't mean I'm less productive! I've been trying to embrace taking breaks too, like real breaks.

Full days where I go without pushing myself to draw UNTIL I am so bored of the mundane thoughts that plague my mind that I am required to put them down on paper, and then I draw again, because I have a purpose.

It doesn't always work, MUCH easier said than done, but I still think allowing yourself to kind of "go with the flow" shows better productivity results at times, than forcing a habit when your brain and body aren't willing.

This was a little nonsensical journalistic rant about how I'm finding my mindset relating to art lately, been doing lots of explorations and learning to find comfort in creating again, thank you for reading if you did, and if you too struggle with this or with your own issues know that you're not alone, and I am always happy to listen in the replies or talk about other stuff.

At the end of the day I am a little human, just like you.

#raven rants

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lyrashifts · 4 months

Text

MARAUDERS ERA EDUCATION!

GENERAL.

students join hogwarts at 14, so hogwarts is somewhat of a hybrid between university and highschool.

i am an academic weapon and cannot get below an o (because i crave academic validation). i also understand all the content and know it all, and memorization is very easy for me.

students can easily balance homework with a social life and extra-curriculars.

on fridays any outfits are allowed under your robes / general uniforms, and students can wear anything they like after classes and on weekends.

professors tend to like me.

the first day of school does not include classes, rather, you are given your schedule and a full day to explore the school, make friends, and meet teachers who will be in their classes to talk to anyone who's curious.

typewriters may be used for essays and there's a spell to undo their mistakes.

i have friends in all of my classes.

the d.a.d.a. position isn't cursed.

YEARS.

1974 - 1975; 1st year

1975 - 1976; 2nd year

1976 - 1977; 3rd year

1977 - 1978; 4th year

1978 - 1979; 5th year

1979 - 1980; 6th year

1980 - 1981; 7th year

PAST 4TH YEAR.

once students come of age (18), hogwarts becomes more of a university than a general school. core classes are no longer required and students may choose a few specific classes to focus on depending on the fields they are interested in. they may also receive internship and apprenticeship opportunities. schedules may then be altered and remain much more flexible than in the first four years. during weekends students may take the train to visit places otger than hogwarts or hogsmeade. however, students still live on-campus during their time at hogwarts.

CLUBS & GROUPS.

music club ─── in our third year, the marauders and i joined the music club. though it started as something more casual, we all quickly became more passionate about the subject and therefore made a band called the marauders. we do well performing against other groups and are a well-liked and known band.

theater club ─── when i found out about the theater club i became immediately interested and joined in my first year. the first play of the year was little women, based off of a muggle book, and i manage to score the role of jo.

art club ─── remus and i attend the art club to work on our creative endeavours together. much of the time isn't necessarily spent focusing on our craft but we enjoy it all the same.

quidditch team ─── in later years i become a member of the quidditch team.

HOGSMEADE.

students do not need permission slips to visit hogsmeade.

1st years can attend hogsmeade.

students can visit hogsmeade every weekend and on fridays after school.

hogsmeade is much bigger and is almost like a downtown area. it has more shops and a lot are ones that would attune to myself, such as vinyl & cd shops, thrift stores, and others i'll let the universe pick out.

back to ─ marauders era dr masterlist.

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couldntbedamned · 11 months

Text

My Headcanons for the Variant!Stephen (in relationships)

I had to dig up my google doc where I wrote these up back after ITMOM premiered and I’d watched it a few times. (One day I will organize my google docs. Maybe.)

These are just mine. Everyone else’s mileage may vary. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Defender

I headcanon that there's been a lot of turmoil in Defender’s universe as a result, life is very structured and strict. (But also it's honest about it, unlike 838, and society is actually flourishing, rather than hiding behind the illusion of a false utopia.)

Kamar-Taj and the Masters of the Mystic Arts are a little more militant. Less "working behind the scenes" and more "we're a defending presence and it's okay that others know it.” Very much with "needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one" vibes.

Defender Stephen seemed like he took the advice "it's not about you" and internalized it to the extreme. (He didn’t want to kill America, it broke his heart but he couldn’t think of any other way so that’s the choice he started to make because that’s what he does. He’ll deal with the self-loathing later.)

So…

Defender Stephen is a gentle but firm Dom. Out of all the variants, he's the most strict, disciplined. Your safety is everything to him and the one thing that challenges his duty of serving the needs of the many over the needs of the few. He makes the hard choices, even when he doesn't want to. Nothing brings him satisfaction like you submitting and trusting him to take care of you.

If you trust him to take care of you and love him even knowing how inflexible he has to be in defending your world and reality, then maybe there’s hope for him after all, he thinks.

Sinister

He’s lost everything because of his own hubris and obsession so even as he wants you desperately he can't help but be a little self-sabotaging about it.

Touch-starved to the extreme, he has to be near you always, always able to touch you and ensure that you're real and not a figment of his twisted mental state.

Sinister Stephen will control and fuck you like he hates you and then afterwards be the most praising and affectionate being in the multiverse to you. He needs to know that you can see him at his worst and come through it still accepting and loving him, because sometimes he has trouble accepting and loving himself.

Supreme

If there's ever been a Stephen Strange who's a control freak to the extreme, it's Supreme Strange.

His life has been hectic, with the loss of his sister Donna and brother Victor. The loss of his hands didn't send him into extreme despair like variants but instead increased his obsession with control. He can't control his damaged hands the way he once could? Fine, he'll control everything else around him.

He's tried to surrender control, but he underestimated just how damn insufferable the team he chose for the Illuminati are. So, he quietly continues to do his own work because that group is all but useless to him.

He wants to be in control, 100%, but also wants to be praised excessively. He needs to hear how he's the best, you're so grateful, so adoring of him. It's frustrating for you, yes, but with that control he craves comes his need for validation so you're never left wanting or unsatisfied. It's not just blind praise and adoration he wants from you, he needs feel like he’s earned it.

And even when he says you can call the shots, he's definitely topping from the bottom.

Strange Supreme

Strange Supreme, my love, my He Who Can Do No Wrong, settles for nothing less than TPE. He will never, ever hurt you or make you feel less than the most cherished and precious thing in his life, but there is nothing he does not control.

Yes, thing. “I take excellent care of my possessions.”

Because you. are. his.

Give him your body, heart, mind, soul... and there is nothing he will not give you or do for you.

Destroying a universe for you is nothing to him. He's done it before and he'll do it again if it means keeping you safe and happy. (His definition of what makes you happy and your definition will probably differ, though.)

#stephen variants #headcanons #defender strange #supreme strange #sinister strange #doctor strange supreme #stephen strange #yes i know most of tumblr doesn't really agree with me #at least on defender #i'm okay with that #mcu stephen strange #in the multiverse of madness #doctor strange

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enassbraid · 1 year

Note

Could you do Rui with a s/o that’s personality is like ena? (from nightcord) so like not Ena herself but the s/o is similar to her personality wise if that’s ok !

All Life is Ridiculously Pretty

Hi anon:] of course it’s ok! hope you like it

Rui with a reader similar to Ena Shinonome

Reader seeks validation (did u guys read on this blank canvas i paint… it’s one of the best event stories frfr), Akito is a shithead, brief mentions of both reader and Rui overworking

How you and Rui met was… odd. It was at school but much later in the day. Him and Tsukasa were cleaning up one of his messes, and saw you, Ena, Toya and Akito.

Of course, Tsukasa had to join the group no matter how out of place he was. So Rui followed suit. And that’s when…

“I don’t want these two weirdos around my sister, they’re just going to make her weirder.”

“If you’re going to insult Ena you might as well insult me as well, there’s not much of a difference.” Oh?

Rui liked how straightforward you were with your words. He found himself chuckling at the conversation much to Akito’s annoyance.

“Face it Akito, you are what you hang out with! So that means you’re just as weird as the rest of us here. Sorry, Toya.”

Ena started laughing like a maniac when Akito stormed off with Toya, thanking you for putting her little brother in his place before heading to her night classes. Rui found your antics entertaining, you were so straightforward with your words and didn’t hold back, it felt refreshing.

“I don’t believe we’ve met before… who might you be?”

“F/N, F/N L/N. And I believe you’re Rui Kamishiro? I’ve heard about you from Akito and Mizuki. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

And that’s how it all started.

Tsukasa teases Rui about his crush often. He’ll call you over mid conversation with Rui just to see how he reacts. But he’s actually very smooth about it, carrying on a conversation with Tsukasa now including you very well and asking for your input.

When you tell Rui you do a lot of art, he starts asking for tips that can make his sketches of future projects look better. You’re slightly caught off guard that he immediately assumes you know so much, but appreciate it none the less.

Rui is always complimenting your art, even if it’s just a little doodle in class, he’s still telling you it looks perfect. You try to hide your embarrassment which barely works. His praise feels more important than other’s praise to you, so you try your best to make him notice any doodles you do in school or completed artwork.

You two also bond over how easily you can get absorbed in your work. Rui, who absorbs himself in all his robotic projects and you who absorbs yourself in your art. Both of you laugh at how much time passes without realizing once it’s finished. But in that same conversation, you remind each other it’s still important to take care of yourselves.

“As lovely as your art is, you’re needs should come first. Maybe next time you can set a timer to take a break?”

This is also how he finds out about your crave for attention and praise. You tell him that “breaks aren’t needed, but perfection is or else no one will notice.” He grows concerned by this, and promises that no matter how it looks he’ll be there to support your work.

That day you go home with a warm fuzzy feeling in your chest. ‘Even if it’s not perfect, he’ll still like it?’

After that conversation, you both came to realize how you really feel about each other. Rui wouldn’t simply always praise his other friends all the time for no reason, but he does with you. So why? Oh

You wouldn’t seek everyone’s opinion immediately after anything you do, Rui is always the first one you go to before anyone else. You weren’t like this before to anyone else, why now? Oh.

It took awhile, but you both realized!

You try to be subtle in your hints, lightly brushing your hand against his when you’re walking to the next class or slightly leaning towards him in a group setting. Rui however, is not subtle at all.

The hand brushes? He’s just going to take your hand in his. The leaning? He’s already putting his arm around you. And this guy keeps a straight face the whole time while you’re trying your hardest not to go red. It’s like a competition, who can make the other burst first?

On one of the days you’re both feeling bold, you’re practically glued to his side as he keeps an arm around your shoulder. Akito, Tsukasa, Mizuki, and An are all in the group as well while this is happening. And..

“So Rui, F/N, how long have you two been dating now?”

Mizuki’s question is what makes you both burst into red. Do you really look like you’re dating?

“Oh yeah, I’ve been wondering as well! You two just one day started holding hands and I kept forgetting to ask.”

Both you and Rui look at each other trying to think of what to say. Does this count as dating even if neither of you made it official?

“We’ve been together for a few weeks.” / “We aren’t dating.”

“…”

Did he really just say that? To everyone? You did not agree to this answer! Now what do you say? No matter what it’s going to make this a lot more awkward. You felt Rui staring at you as Akito cackled, getting the wrong idea that Rui just got rejected. Which of course, Rui knew this wasn’t true.

Rui swiftly leaned down to kiss you- right on the lips- which made everyone shocked, even Rui.

“Well it’s a mutual agreement now, yes? Akito, is it still laughing worthy?”

This feels so rushed I’m so srry but nywayssss… 22k crystals saved for Akito’s banner on Friday😮 skrunkly is getting dragged home by the bleached strand in his hair and I will spark him if I must

#project sekai #project sekai x reader #prsk #pjsk #pjsekai #rui kamishiro #rui kamishiro x reader #ena shinonome #ena #rui #akito shinonome #akito #rui kamishiro fluff #rui fluff #colorful stage #mizuki akiyama #mizuki #dor writes

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baradorable · 1 year

Photo

Name: Rift (Raymond Cruz) Age: Thirties Gender: Male Species: Human (Mutant) Occupation: Freelancer/Mercenary Allegiance: Krakoa (Former), Orchis (Former)

Art done by GeckoBara

This is my X-Men OC. Rift, AKA Raymond Cruz, is a mutant with the power to create portals. His abilities have made him a top asset for many groups.

Personality

Rift is the "love 'em and leave 'em" type. Since he can always just use portals to leave any situation he wants, he's quick to ditch relationships and situations when things hit a rough patch. He does that with most situations, really. He's a mercenary, though he won't do anything he deems too evil, like kidnapping or murder. He's still willing to commit other crimes if they pay well. And given how useful his powers are, he makes sure to charge a lot for his services.

He's smart, charismatic, and able to analyze situations well. He's strategic. Which makes him dangerous. He has a competitive side, which can sometimes slip out on the field. If you're able to get him in the right mindset, you can get him to forget his carefully-crafted plans and possibly mess up.

Because he invested a lot of time in developing his powers, he's come up with a lot of strategies to fully exploit them. He knows his limits and potential well. He takes pride in his abilities and the need people have for them. So he gets jealous interacting with someone more powerful than him. His worst trait is that he'll try to one-up these people. In extreme cases, he might even try to sabotage them to bring them down. He's backstabbed some of his fellow mercs to ensure he comes out on top.

Part of this is a desire to be liked. He grew up in a very anti-mutant world, so he's used to being disliked for who he is. He secretly craves validation. Since he abandons people quickly, he struggles to form strong bonds. On the rare occasions he finds a serious relationship with someone, his jealousy and competitive often lead him to sabotaging anyone he sees as a threat to the relationship.

When he’s off-duty and walking around in his normal life, he takes on the persona of a shallow himbo. He speaks in a flighty tone, seemingly misses big social cues, and freely speaks his mind in a way that can inadvertently hurt someone's feelings. He's cultivated the image of a in idiot for his own gain. It's a persona that allows him to have fun and avoid showing his true self; someone who strives to be perfect and beloved. After all, it hurts when people reject the real you. But if they reject the mask you put on - the act that doesn't represent the real you - then there's no harm done.

TL;DR: He's smart and hot. He's flaky and possessive. But he's hot, so it's okay. He's a good guy. He's just not a nice guy.

Backstory

Rift is American. His mother immigrated from Ireland in the mid or late '80's. His dad was born in America, but I haven't decided where his family is from. I'm thinking Portuguese, just for some self-indulgence. But also because Marvel doesn't have any Portuguese heroes at the moment.

His powers activated when he was 14, and he would spend the next several years working on developing his powers. He'd frequently ditch school or home, due to anti-mutant sentiment held by the people around him. He ended up developing some prejudices towards humans.

He ended up making a business out of transporting people around. Think Uber, but faster and with more range. Once word of his powers got around, various organizations began to seek him out. Rift would eventually parlay into full freelance mercenary and spy work.

Here's my idea of how he fits into the Marvel universe. You can ignore this if you don’t follow X-Men continuity.

He was one of the mutants depowered by M-Day, but came to Krakoa and got resurrected to get this powers back. His natural prejudice towards humans made him predisposed to liking the nation, and he was willing to lend his services to X-Force in order to help mutants.

However, the Five were very hesitant to remove his secondary, eye-based mutation; one he always kept hidden out of resentment and disgust. Many other mutants insisted the should keep his extra eyes and take pride in being different. Empty platitudes that he found patronizing. So he left and continued his work as a freelancer.

He ended up coming across Orchis, who would hire him on to spy on Krakoans and allow them to move around the world without notice. Orchis is an organization made up of people from several groups (S.H.I.E.L.D., A.I.M., HYDRA, etc.) to deal with the threat of humans becoming extinct and supplanted by mutants.

While he knew they were anti-mutant, He was unaware just how anti-mutant they actually are. They paid well, so he could stand to put up with them if he got something out of it. And it put him in conflict with other mutants, so he'd always have the opportunity to test his powers.

Of course, come Fall of X, they inevitably betrayed him and every other mutant. He was on a mission to Arakko during the third Hellfire Gala, thus avoiding most of the chaos. Once he heard about how Orchis attacked Krakoa, he fled to deep space and stayed there for a few months.

After Fall of X, he returned to Earth. He hated humans even more after they supported Orchis’ anti-mutant tactics. But he also hated the X-Men, since they and the leaders of Krakoa let the only sanctuary for mutants fall.

Job

He's a "freelancer" (read: mercenary) who works with various groups. His official codename is Rift, but for various business-related reasons, he's also known by several aliases: Bluebird, Luscinia, Luzon, Cardinal, Ripple, and Thrush.

He'll use a different name to obscure his identity, or know what kind of group is hiring him. For example, one criminal organization calls him Cardinal. Anyone who calls him by that name is likely associated with that organization. The NYPD know him as Luscinia.

He has different ways for people to contact him, and the type of name they use for him tells him what kind of work they have in mind, or who's hiring him. The goal is to keep everything separate, & being able to filter what kind of job he chooses to accept. (It's actually a lot more complex than having different phone numbers, but I'm giving you the simplified take.)

He doesn't kill, and he avoids directly harming innocent people. Spying, stealing information and theft are okay though.

Portal Power

Rift’s main power is to create portals, which he uses to spy on others, transport people, smuggle things, or create diversions. He rarely fights people directly; instead, he uses his powers to mess with the field. When creating a portal, one will open up close to him, and will connect to a portal that will appear at his desired location. His range is about 15,000 km. He can't access other dimensions through his power, but he can teleport around a dimension he's currently in.

His powers require him to see a location in front of him, or to have been there before. Otherwise, his powers "guess" the location, and open a portal to a completely random location on the planet, usually within two thousand miles of his current location. His power is also location-based, not person-based; he can't specifically try to find a person unless he knows their exact location. So no thinking of Spider-Man and trying to catch him at home.

These portals, once opened, can exist independently of Rift. He usually wills them to close instantly after he uses them, and can choose for how long they remain open Otherwise, they close after about two minutes, regardless if they're used. The portals can be any size, as long as they fall under 24 feet in diameter; they can't grow beyond that to accommodate travel for larger opens or things. There are no limits as to how many people can go through.

The number of portals active depend on their size. So he can create a lot of small, hand-sized portals at once, but only two 12 foot portals. Distance has no affect on his ability to make portals, though firing off too many portals in rapid succession will tire him out.

A cool side-effect of his portals is they won't bring anyone to a place that's impossible to visit. You can't be brought to the inside of a solid object, or in an area too small for one to logically fit. The powers can drop you into the ocean, but they won't place you inside a whale or trap you halfway through a statue. Because of this limitation, Rift can't open up a portal inside your guts, or force you through a portal into a chest at the bottom of the sea.

Other Notable Techniques

Moo-neuver: He opens a portal and lets stampeding cattle run over his opponents.

Torrent: Opens a portal to somewhere in the ocean, shooting forth a torrent of water at a target.

Smokescreen: By opening a portal above a factory chimney, he blasts his opponent with smoke.

Perfect Aim: If he has a firearm, he can open up one portal at the top of his gun, and and another in front of the target. By sending the projectile through the portal, he’s almost guaranteed to hit his target and avoid anything getting in the crossfire.

Black Hole: A theory, one he hasn’t tested out. What happens if you open a portal inside another portal? Or if two portals open into each other? Can two locations exist in the same place, at the same time? This results in neutron degeneracy pressure, where the rifts collapse in on each other to create a black hole.

Scatter Slap: A secret technique he hasn’t discovered yet. He can touch something and open up countless tiny portals on a molecular level, getting in-between a person’s molecules/atoms/whatever the hell. This would let him instantly scatter someone or something across the world with his powers. Instant vaporization.

Secondary Mutation

He has another mutation: red eyes that grow on his arms. They're basically like tattoos, but become actual eyes when exposed to enough direct sunlight. The more sunlight his body gets, the more eyes appear. His skin will also turn red, and the eyes on his face will turn red, and gain black sclera. They can blink and look around independently, but he currently has no control over them, nor can he see through them. Without sunlight, he begins to revert to his usual state.

He's ashamed of this mutation, so he always covers up.

He doesn't know it, but should he let his second mutation run its course, he'll be able to see from all of these eyes at once. If someone makes eye contact with them, the eyes can temporarily "steal" their sight, giving Rift the ability to see through that person's eyes. Meanwhile, that person now sees from one of the eyes on Rift's body. It's a very disorienting power.

His primary power is about escaping and providing his own personal freedom. His secondary power is about trapping others and taking things away from them. I feel like it's a good metaphor for his personality: he's flexible and living his best life, but has a sinister, controlling side that even he isn't fully aware of.

Trivia

Time for some fun

He’s bisexual. He leans more towards women, romantically. He leans towards men, sexually.

Claims to be a top, since one-upping and dominating others is his thing. But he’s actually verse top.

Has used his powers during sex.

He’s definitely a dom in bed. Very kinky, very in control. But sometimes, with the right partner, he’s can turn into the biggest sub you can imagine.

He used to have casual sex with a human friend who admired his eye-based mutation. That something Rift hated about himself was beautiful to him. This friend took Mothervine to try and force a mutation in himself, but would end up dying from the result. As he was dying, Rift broke him out of the hospital so they could spend their final moments at their favorite beach.

Expert frotter.

He’s a quarter fairy. He has the potential to learn magic, but doesn’t know it. I like to imagine this magic would let him access Otherworld, or other dimensions.

#barannoying

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liz-allyn · 1 year

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how can I get my fics to get attention like yours do? working your ass off and then getting 20 notes sucks. and I’m trying to become a better writer and honestly crave the validation like you get from your followers. hopefully you’ll see this! Obsessed with S&V

Hi my fellow 🖋️!

Thank you so much for your comment, and thank you for thinking so highly of me!

answers for fic writers after the cut

So honestly? I don't know how to get followers. This blog has been running since 2021, and I only started writing fic < 1 year ago. I've become so much more well known (ha) in the TASM fandom because I've hung out here a long time. I don't have a secret to engagement or understand how tumblr 'works' that well (ie the algorithm that social media sites use to decide what to put in front of you). There are still people I freakin' worship on this site who don't interact with my fics at all, haha. AND flip side, some of the best writers I've ever seen are on here and their fics have less than 100 notes. I have learned that persistently I'll look over into other peoples' yards and be like "fuck. how did they get 4K followers?" or like "wow, she just posted this yesterday and it has over 1k notes."

as for working your ass off and getting 20 notes—CAN CONFIRM: that sucks. some fics I wrote for fun. some fics I wrote for the creative challenge. but pretty much on all of them I've left a little piece of me, of my soul and the lessons i've learned in my meandering partial journey. blood on the keyboard. and those fics? the really great ones (or ones just as good as sugar and vice)? they still don't have many notes.

But I will acknowledge that my following dramatically increased when I started posting S&V. I think I had ~900 and that blew up to 1.5k. There are a few factors in this:

Always post fics with fic art (with gifs! if possible) - This is the number one thing that draws me to read fic. I like art that looks cool. I also have been playing around with Canva Pro for 3-4 years (it's my fav) and I'm animation-adjacent as a day job, so pushing myself to think about graphic design has been really good for me. I find it fun to come up with a whole aesthetic for your story, whether it's a mood board or a color scheme (I usually have 'branding' on the brain). If you don't want to play with fic art, at least find an appropriate gif. Use the actor's face. I also think the gif search on Tumblr sucks balls but it's really worth it to have the right gif.

Pay attention to the hashtags of other popular fics in your fandom - when I started paying attention to notes, this was the best advice. I was using all kinds of tags that made sense to me, but weren't effective. In the web version of Tumblr, I can search for a tag and see how many followers it has. It's significant if #peter parker x reader has way more followers than #tasm!peter x reader. Also trends come and go, tumblr has their hotboy of the month and it rotates. there have been months were TASM Peter was non-existent in the last year, and months where we're getting *fed*. Pro tip with tags: I have a separate Google Doc with a list of hashtags that I copy and paste to save time. After a while, you should try reblogging with different hashtags

Use a spelling or grammar checker - I'm not a grammar fac*st but if I open a fic and everything is misspelled, almost no punctuation is used, and I have to work really hard to understand your story, then it's not going to go far. (With respect to writers who post work in English, and it's their second language). I never pay much attention to the occasional misspelling or grammar mistake, but when it looks like you sent your fic via text message or tinder chat, I just can't. I personally use Grammarly, but I also hate it and think it's buggy and overpriced. If anyone else has a better option that works with Google Docs, let me know!

Never write your fics in Tumblr's post editor. That has nothing to do with engagement but that shit is buggy as hell.

Avoid putting too much text up front before the fic. I put author's notes at the end. I try to keep summaries short. I try to focus on what someone absolutely needs to know to understand this fic, and I *mostly* try to avoid apologizing to the reader ahead of time for what they're about to read, for it being too long, for it being weird, bleh bleh bleh

If you're writing a series, make people reblog to be tagged. I've seen lots of people do taglists and then they give up because it's a pain to manage (and it is), plus you have a bunch of people that go "add me to the taglist!" or "next part, when?" and they didn't even reblog what you've already written. I think that's been one of the really big factors behind S&V's success

Make navigation as easy as possible - this is web design 101 (which I flunked repeatedly), but a masterlist is good to have. If you're in a series, a link back to the previous chapter + next chapter is good to have, I've also recently started putting a link back to the masterlist. people that know more things about stuff than me told me that you want to make things as simple as possible for viewers to get from one page to another. (that's why youtube links are shit on tumblr, even videos are meh, but GIFs work so well and attract so much attention). this is a visual site, so big images or headings or links with color help to draw the eye's attention.

Write what you want to write. Because you really need to gain enjoyment from writing, and it should never feel like you're a content factory. Do this 9 out of 10 times. The 10th time, write what people want to read. My first mob fic was These Violet Delights which I thought was so smart, and I was so proud of, and I planned this whole series out for. But also I tag things accurately, and some people (even my moots) are uncomfortable reading about those topics. Then when I started S&V I was extremely self-critical because I didn't want to write something filled with tropes and cliches. And then I sort of got off my soapbox and let S&V be its own thing, full of tropes and cliches, because they're popular for a reason, and they're fun to read, and it's okay to have candy for dinner every once in a while. And I've been able to pivot my plans and create something I'm pretty proud of.

It does help to stay consistent in the fandom you're writing for. Either by writing or reblogging other writers. Just don't make yourself feel like you're a slave to Tumblr and you must stay active at all times f o r e n g a g e m e n t. Everyone should take breaks when they need to.

Don't listen to my advice because no one knows how to hack tumblr. There are some posts that have sooooo many notes and I'm like 'why?' Meanwhile, my heart's been ripped open in LED pixels on screen and sometimes it passes by.

I hope that this was useful! And if not, I'm sorry for the long post. I look forward to reading your fic (whoever you are), and feel free to tag me when you write your next thing!

💜

#on writing #writing advice #fanfiction #fanfic advice #peter parker fanfiction #tasm fanfiction #writing #writers on tumblr

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