#I'm always happy to answer a question

[barghest-land]

normannognathus :) colors were based on the brown pelican

#actually i'm thinking many paleo thoughts this year #i always find it hard to answer the “what's ur fav dino” question #i have a couple that are a bit more special to me but #this year i've realised that actually my favs are just pterosaurs :) #i love dinosaurs too!! and other silly guys but. i get extra happy about flying friends #i love them all #barghestland #paleoland #paleoart #art #artists on tumblr #pterosaur #normannognathus

[wellfine]

HII I love your art so much it's so expressive and it feels like theres so much movement in it! I was wondering if u had any tips or advice to help with that? I practice anatomy and expression so much but it seems like everything I draw on my own is so stiff!! Anyway I hope you have a great week :)) <3

Hi there! Firstly, thank you so much for the kind words, it means a lot that you would take the time to tell me!

Second- my advice is to take everything you've learned about anatomy and THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW!!!!!!!

... For now. Just into the front yard so you can keep an eye on it. But I have seen many artists concentrate chiefly on studying anatomy only to feel like their art ends up too stiff. My own experience has been to treat anatomy as a tool best used to correct an image in the later stages of construction rather than as your driving foundation.

If "correct" anatomy (however you choose to define that) is the priority of your undersketches, I find that you end up with a sort of Skeleton Song approach to drawing - y'know, the knee bone's connected to the thigh bone, etc etc. Whatever energy, emotion, or intent you wanted your drawing to convey is getting lost each time you split it into another anatomical segment. By over-focusing on individual parts, you lose sight of your image as a whole.

The key to conveying dynamic movement in motionless art is to ensure every element of your image agrees on and communicates the same action, the key to which is something called the line of action.

A line of action is simply that - an implied "line" with wich you lead the viewer's eye and communicate movement. Think of it as the core of your figure's action, simplified to its rawest form. By knowing this, you know what to emphasise and what to de-emphasise.

Well, art is a visual medium and I am better explaining with drawings than words or I'd never have picked up a pen in the first place, so:

Images can have multiple lines of action, lines of action can complement and contrast each other, and a line of action isn't always as obvious as something like running. Imagine you're tring to make your art more "aerodynamic" to the eye. Since I draw a lot of One Piece fanart, I assume you're also familiar with it, and you can probably imagine how Oda uses "lines of action" when composing panels of Luffy punching something, Zoro slicing something, Sanji kicking something- etc etc. He's really good at selling the "oomph" of action shots by reducing visual clutter so that the impact of the action is greater.

(The Monster Trio's abilities are all designed in such a way that allow for REALLY striking lines of action... you can tell Oda loves studying manga fight scenes and wanted to create a world where he could push these concepts to the limit, and it's no wonder One Piece caught the eye of animators even before it was serialised by Toei)

You're probably already noticing how line of action also feeds into composition and silhouette when it comes to conveying movement in an image. Basically put, once you've isolated whatever action it is that you want to convey, the more visual clutter you can streamline away from that action, the stronger an impact that will have on the viewer. A firm line of action, an uncomplicated silhouette for your figure, and a readable overall composition of your image/panel are all ways to minimise visual clutter.

You can also use this information to achieve the opposite effect! Sometimes the ideal action you want to convey is not fast, or powerful, or confident, and you can use the same principles.

In fact, you can apply line of action to images that don't have any "action" in them at all. You can make a drawing of someone simply standing there feel more lively by applying these same principles to their body language:

You can develop an eye for how to simplify movement down to its "lines of action" by studying real photos and other people's art. Try simplifying a figure to its silhouette, and then simplify that silhouette further to a stick figure. And honestly, a lot of this could be boiled down to "see your image as a whole and not just a collection of individual pieces". Set anatomy aside during the composition stage and bring it back in when you start building up the sketch.

Moving away from the line of action, my second piece of broad advice is simply to exaggerate more. Lots of artists subconsciously hold themselves back from pushing motion, expression, etc. out of concern that it will look "too much". Well, maybe it will- but you won't know that unless you try! You can always walk it back if you think you took it too far, but I think you'll be surprised by how far you can push your art before you hit that point.

My final piece of advice is to work on line confidence. Even if you follow the rest of this advice, if you have hesitant and scratchy lines, you're undermining the flow and punch of your art. The best way to improve line confidence is simply by practicing! Do a lot of quick, timed studies, and use a permanent medium like a ballpoint pen or marker. Focus on unbroken lines wherever possible even if it makes your studies look like garbo. I find traditional studies are best for improving line confidence, but if you'd really rather stick with digital then just don't let yourself use the eraser tool, and try using a chunky brush with limited pressure sensitivity.

And that's it! Don't stress about it too much though. Loosen up with your art and, like any other skill, you'll improve with practice, time, and analysing what you like about other people's art. Good luck!

#long post #sorry this is so long I just didn't want to hide it behind a cut because I think a lot of people would miss it #I hope this was helpful in some way! I'm always flattered whenever anyone thinks I'd know enough to ask HAHA #if I have the time then I'm always happy to answer questions like this! :) #not that I am an expert by any means but I can at least share what's worked for me

[vesper100]

I just wanted to say that I love your monk OCs and would love to learn more about them! Is there anywhere online that you've posted stories/comics about them besides Tumblr?

Thank u so much!!! I post on insta too but nothing important that isn't already here... You can have some more doodles if you like them though ^_^

#if you have any specific questions I'm always happy to answer those #I'm not too precious about my art of them doing well since it's more of a personal oc passion project than something I'm making for others #like fandom art #but i know there are some monk likers here and there and it makes me happy when you guys enjoy my ocs #monkposting #oc posting #medieval monks #as per #also shoutout pentiment for the text in the first pic i think about that line every day #rodolf #gregor #anselm

[commsroom]

Hello. It occurred to me recently that Hera is the only character of the main cast who is not named for an engineer/physicist/mathematician. Do u think this has any significance regarding her role on the team and her character, or not really?

(Also, the wiki says she's probably named for the Greek goddess Hera which has interesting connotations if it's true. There was also a NASA probe called Hera at some point I'm pretty sure, but I don't know which is the more likely namesake. I just enjoy the names in W359 because I am a physics student and it's fun to hear character names in all my classes.)

hi! i think the answer is kind of... yes and no? like, gabriel urbina has said his process of naming characters is first to choose a category to pick surnames from, to narrow down the options (so, in this case, famous scientists), and then to find given names that he thinks sound good with those surnames. so i don't think symbolism is the purpose, and i don't think it needs to be. but hera, obviously... doesn't have a last name. and so the way she was named (both in and out of universe) is different, and i think that does represent something.

first: hera is the mother program of the hephaestus. the hera of greek mythology is the mother of hephaestus and cast him out of the sky. the allusions are obviously intentional. (as are other mythology names in the show, but that's another topic.) second: a lot of real world things relating to space are named for mythology, and clearly cutter agrees that's how it should be done. but also: goddard's AIs share the same naming scheme with their spacecrafts. hera, rhea, eris, enlil, perseus, hyperion vs. hephaestus, hermes, tiamat, urania, valkyrie, sol. in one sense, this marks them as company property, people who are treated as equivalent to technology.

but, third: from a writing perspective, gabriel urbina has also said he only started getting a sense of who hera was when he started writing for michaela swee in the second episode; there's such a difference in how she's written just between those first two scripts. you can even see in the first recording script that her name was stylized HERA, as if it stood for something, like a much more standard AI character might have been named. which goes so far against what her name actually ended up representing that it retroactively becomes an in-universe microaggression.

and so, fourth: despite all of that, the real thing that makes hera's name stand apart is that it's a chosen name. it's offered to her, but not the way a name is given - it's a bribe, with the understanding it can be taken away from her. rachel says she can see what else is available if hera "has a problem with the etymology or any of the allusions," which is kind of interesting. but hera chooses to be hera. i don't think it's a stretch to say she has a deadname and a chosen name: that she has to introduce herself every time in a way that amounts to "i prefer to be called hera" and that her name is treated as optional and conditional, a reward for good behavior. if hera wanted to take a middle or last name, she would be choosing those, too.

i think ultimately names in wolf 359 are less about categorization and/or symbolism and more about identity. names are symbols that represent and contain the people who claim them. how people are referred to, when, and by whom - as well as how people refer to themselves by name as an act of self-determination, a reclamation of identity, or in defiance - is all central to the themes of the show. and, from that perspective, i think how hera is named (and what her name means to her, how she has had to construct and fight for parts of her identity that others are given as a default assumption) is significant, but i don't think it really sets her apart from the others when their names are treated in similar ways thematically.

#hi!! always happy to hear from you #sorry i always think i'm going to keep it short and then i. don't. i don't know if this even answers your question. #but i can imagine it's funny to hear these names in that context and. be thinking about wolf 359 characters. #also obviously minkowski is also. in some ways denied her name. but it represents a different experience and a different aspect of identity #anyway. it feels like such a no-brainer but i kind of love the way urbina says he names characters because like. #yeah i guess that is how most people are named. they have a last name and then someone decides what first name would go with it. #that is true. #wolf 359 #w359 #hera wolf 359 #asks

[lady-harrowhark]

Started the new year off right by spending some time rearranging my Locked Tomb display!

(The top right print is by @naomistares. I don’t believe the others are active on tumblr but I can link to Instagram in the comments if anyone’s interested)

#this is directly in my line of sight from my desk and it makes me so happy 🥰 #HOWEVER it's always hard to get a picture of because the ceiling fan is in the way #i had to literally lean my phone against a light bulb to get it relatively straight on without glare #i have a few more little projects in mind for this display that i'm looking forward to as well! #are these all of my physical copies? how many copies do i own in total? #excellent questions! the answer is [semi-truck passes in front of me with the horn blaring] #the locked tomb #tlt

[spooky-month-archive]

I have a question because I'm fine tuning my OC...do the cult members have to make like a sacrifice or something to get a amulet because my idea is like that if you don't know that's okay I was just a little courious is all.

Apologies for the late reply but to my knowledge there's no confirmed information on how the cult works. For now, I recommend taking some creative liberties with your OC or even researching how cults work in real life to get a better idea. However if you plan on doing the latter then please proceed with caution as highly sensitive topics tend to be involved (I've done plenty of research on cults in order to write my own cultist OCs and have done research on several irl cults too. So yeah, definitely proceed with caution. As silly as Spooky Month makes out the cult at times they're still something to be taken seriously. I don't know what direction Pelo will take regarding the cult in SM but based on the tone of the latest episode I can only assume it will be treated in a much more serious light).

#non-archive #answer #(Atp I'm kinda considering making a separate blog for asks like this purely because this blog is an archive) #(I'm always happy to answer these kinda questions but I worry it will take away from the purpose of this blog) #(I'll likely do something about it in the future. For now feel free to keep directing asks to this blog!! - Grim)

[majimasleftasscheek]

hi i got my ramen shop standee and the arcade machine keychain a while ago and they are AMAZING quality, they arrived just in time for a convention i cosplaued majima at and it was such a fun little addition to my bag. if you don't mind me asking what manufacturer do you use for all your stuff :0? they're super high quality compared to some manufacturers I've seen people recommend

I use vograce! it's not everyone's fav choice from what I gather from various other creators but my personal experiences so far (and I've ordered so much crap lol) is very good. they're a lil pricier than others too but I go to them cuz their products are good, they have a decent moq, and their customer service is very helpful/responsive

if you're interested in acrylic stuff, I would rec them. they have a ton of other products too that I haven't necessarily tried yet but they also offer sample services (sometimes free, sometimes a fee depending on what it is) so that's super helpful. and if you ask em, they'll provide proofs of items before they make em so you can check the art or whatnot (very helpful to make sure they don't make something backwards lol esp if there's text involved)

rn I'm having them test some buttons and I'll be going to them for my booby mousepads too cuz me and a friend collab'd to make some and they turned out very good

#I've tried to do other places but they didn't even answer my emails lol so tbh I'm happy to pay a lil more for the convenience and service #plus I always have a stupid amount of questions that I'm sure a baby could figure out but they're happy to help dkjslgkjlsgd #also every month I make some standees for a patron of mine and it's helpful to have a low moq cuz I don't need like 20 of someone's oc #so it's really good even if you just wanna do personal stuff in small quantities #I'm actually testing a lot of their acrylic types using my fav one piece characters kldfsjjkld gotta make more shit for my cringe shrines #blog mod

[pathos-logical]

Do you know of any resources or posts specifically about captioning comics? I am very new to this, but I love comics and I make comics so I want to learn how to caption them properly. Thank you for your blog and all you do!

Delighted you asked this, since it gives me the excuse to share one of my top favorite posts about exactly that!!! I used @/TheQueerWithoutFear's addition in this post as a personal bible when starting out with art IDs! I think this post also has advice which is generally applicable to lots of comic IDs, since people can get bogged down writing every single detail of a piece when the broad strokes would do and thus detract from the overall comprehensibility of an ID. I also really appreciate this site as a great resource for examples on how to write concisely and with an audience in mind, and this post also lays out a lot of good tips! I'll round out this post with some general advice/guidelines:

Neither alt text nor caption IDs are better or even necessarily more accessible than the other; what matters is good formatting (so please don't put IDs below a readmore or use anything but plain text, use sentence case and primarily formal language, use brackets and "ID/End ID" formatting for caption IDs but omit them from alt, etc!)

For comics, especially long ones, I personally favor conciseness over strict fidelity to art, though this is highly subjective and depends on the piece and sometimes my mood. What I would boil this down to is that you don't need to include every detail in a piece to write a good ID, and using narration/prose is often more understandable than transcribing visual techniques (Ex: "She notices something to the side" is clearer and more succinct than "Action lines next to her face indicate she saw something to the side")

Organizing an ID's information in a top-down format is best for comprehensibility: start with who/what is featured (and where they're from, if applicable) and what they're doing, and then move on to background, style, and details

Last, you're welcome, and thank YOU so much for reaching out!! Artists like you make the world go round!! Please feel free to reach out if you ever have more questions, and have a wonderful day!!!

#i really hope this helps anon!! godspeed with all your future projects!!! :DDD #i wish this could've been a bit more in-depth and included a tldr but truthfully i am sick and quite tired 😔 #that said if you ever have further questions not only my askbox but my dms are open! i'm always happy to answer! #shoutout also to nik peachygos for suggestions on what to say here :)))) ily king #asks #anonymous #accessibility #kay talks #also anon consider checking out my personal id tag on my fandom blog (linked in my bio) for examples of how i personally write comic ids! #ALSO!! the doc in my pinned post has a section dedicated just to resources!! not all will apply but sone surely will!!

[svampira]

idk if blake knows what a tzimisce is but cas is one in my heart, shakes gortcas into my 24/7 wod oc barbies daydream, like grasshoppers into a bearded dragon vivarium

my justifications are Because I Said So and tzimisce and revenants and shit and cas refusing to use vicissitude aligns with extant cas loreTM

raphael is a ventrue and i make too many independent ghouls so thats whats wrong with gortsnatch

*barbie plastic clacksmacking noises*

@nevarroes why am i getting your mail😭

#I'm always happy to receive anons but im a little confused i cant answer questions about his ocs😭 #anyways EHHH WRONG!!! cas is textbook toreador smh #raphael as ventrue is right 100% i feel though i could also see both him and gortash as tremere #but i literally havent played the game😭 all im based on is ppls fanart LMAO #gortash would be a thinblood tho #ask #i would argue about cas toreador tho. everything about him screams toreador INCLUDING the lore blake listen to me #anyways. can i get questions about my ocs next thank you🙏

[ocelot-art]

Rahadin Headcanons

I've been working on a Curse of Strahd fanfiction for a while now. In case anyone is looking for character inspiration for their own campaign or just want a fanfic lore dump, here's the amalgamation I've amassed over the past 2 years!

Spoilers under the cut.

Identity: cisgender, he/him. Demisexual (VERY rare attraction), demiromantic

Age: 465. He was banished by the dusk elves when he was 30 and spent 5 years as a wanderer (and often a beggar on the outskirts of the town Bellemeade) before King Barov recruited him

Equipment (Changed from module): Rahadin's deathly choir is connected to his cursed scimitar. The blade became cursed when he drove it through his own mother's heart when killing the dusk elves. The ability activates when Rahadin is not in control of his emotions; over time, he's mastered this ability and can control when it activates. He also wields a bow (I refuse to let the lad use DARTS), and wears studded leather armor atop a doublet. As he gets cold easily, he wears a fur-lined cloak with hood to protect his ears

Personality: Loyalty above all else. Rahadin will remain stone-faced through any comment/insult unless it offends Strahd's honor, in which he will attack if the issue is pushed. The only exception is sexual comments, in which he will try and quickly excuse himself from the situation red-faced. He has no sense of humor and his attempts at jokes often fall flat. (Those points in charisma are solely for intimidation and diplomacy.) He avoids discussing his own feelings and will rarely disclose his thoughts on matters unless Strahd is specifically seeking his consult

Hobbies: Rahadin loves botany, and his office is filled with plant-related books. He used to be a prolific gardener before he was banished by the dusk elves. In the early years, he would tend to the gardens of Castle Ravenloft. Before his turning, Strahd had instructed Rahadin to prepare and tend to a rose garden dedicated to Queen Ravenovia, and it would become his pride and joy - until Strahd had it destroyed in his grief upon his mother's passing. After Strahd chided him for wasting time on such a useless hobby, Rahadin pretty much stopped gardening and allowed the gardens to run wild. He still grows his own poisons for his weapons in the chapel garden

Skills: Despite seeing most animals as dirty (and preferring to ride spectral steeds for this reason), he is a skilled horseman. He’s also a skilled tactician, and has a way with extracting information from (or punishing) prisoners. Strahd is happy to delegate torture to his chamberlain and sees it as a reward for his loyalty. On the other hand, Rahadin is painfully bad at physical labor and crafts.

Relationships: Rahadin despises most of Strahd's consorts, but he usually keeps his thoughts to himself so as to not annoy Strahd. He enjoys taunting Escher with stories of how Strahd has locked previous consorts in the catacombs when he grew bored of them. Otherwise, he sees Escher as an attention-starved puppy and is constantly annoyed by Escher trying to start conversations with him. Strahd, knowing that Rahadin cannot stand Escher, takes great joy in sending the two out together on missions. Ludmilla and Rahadin respect one another and are on friendly terms. He respects her loyalty and calm counsel and sees her as the main source of wisdom besides himself in the castle. He and Anastrasya are not on good terms; with an overly polite facade masking an insulting interior, she never shies from throwing thinly veiled insults his way. The most feral of the consorts in his opinion, Volenta is primarily ignored by him.

Rahadin once fancied Ludmilla before she was turned, and had begun the process of courting her. Strahd, concerned that a spouse would distract Rahadin from his duties as chamberlain and decrease his loyalty, interjected himself. Being the more charming of the two, Strahd wooed Ludmilla and turned her. This upset Rahadin, but he would never question the will of his master.

Religion: While he no longer fully worships the elven pantheon (Corellon, etc.), he still has a reverence for nature and elven lore (particularly the stories behind constellations)

Diet: Vegetarian, like most dusk elves

Strahd: He's wary of and has plenty of snide remarks for anyone that shows the slightest romantic interest in Strahd, believing that they are only interested in him for his power/wealth. He believes that he is the only one that truly appreciates Strahd for who he is. He is always looking out for his master in this regard, which annoys Strahd greatly.

Valuing his loyalty, Strahd gave Rahadin his word that he would never bite him after he became a vampire.

Taught Strahd Elvish when Strahd was a young man

He is unaware that Strahd is the one that killed Sergei. Instead, he still believes it was by the hand of an assassin/one of Leo Dilisnya's men that Sergei died. Rahadin will brush off any related comments from PCs as hearsay and attack if the issue is pushed.

Shippy stuff: Rahadin developed feelings for Strahd when the both of them were still young men. When Strahd became a vampire, it crushed Rahadin to see the way it changed the man he loved. His personality had changed, and although the dread lord would never admit it, Rahadin could tell that Strahd was miserable. Knowing that Strahd would never return his feelings, he's kept them secret for over 400 years. Although he has not made it known, Strahd is aware that his chamberlain has feelings for him and will use it to his advantage if necessary.

He is a sadist and, in later years, a masochist

#cw: genocide #i'm always happy to answer questions about my silly headcanons or story! #curse of strahd #Rahadin #strahd von zarovich

[flowerytale]

Hey! You're been one of my favorite blogs ever for a long time! 💖

I could be mistaken but I believe you had an ask or a post long ago where you recommended some poets / poetry books. I can't seem to find it though. Will you please direct me to it if there's such a thing or even write out some recommendations if it isn't too much trouble? I'm planning on ordering some books and I was looking forward to maybe getting some poetry and you seem like the best guide for it!

First of all thank you so much for your kind words, it means a lot to me🫀 (this is my answer about italian authors)

I'm currently on my lunch break in a very crowded place, I swear I'm gonna try my best to remember (most of) the poets I love: Louise Glück, Margaret Atwood, Sharon Olds, Emily Dickinson, Ada Limón, Li-Young Lee, Forugh Farrokhzad, Mahmoud Darwish, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Mary Oliver, Alice Walker, Frank O'Hara, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Stevie Smith, Carol Ann Duffy, Fernando Pessoa, Anne Carson, T. S. Eliot and of course the romantic poets✨the Big Six✨ introduced me to poetry from other countries when I was like 12. I remember that at school we -of course- studied italian romantic poets (my professor was OBSESSED with Alessandro Manzoni) but she only mentioned Sturm und Drang (that was before the actual romantic movement, like a proto-romantic with a lot of similar ideals) and other countries romantic era. I was so pissed that I think I've read everything about it lol I'm also very lucky because I live in Rome, and I went to the Keats-Shelley memorial house as soon as I could. I also think that no one wanted to know this story, I'm sorry. By the way my suggestion is: since buy books can be very expensive (especially if you are like me, I basically only buy physical books and that's the main reason why I ended up with books in my wardrobe and under my bed) and if you are new to poetry, try to read something online and then if you like the author you can buy a collection of his/hers/theirs works; like for example Devotions by Mary Oliver, maybe it's not complete but it's such a good start!

I hope that this can help you, and please ignore my ramblings🫀

#when I get questions like this I just wish I could talk about this in person #when I answer here I always feel like it's too much or too little #especially because I ramble too much #I'm sorry but I could talk for hours about these things #like the time my parents took me to visit the Vittoriale degli Italiani #and my professor got so angry with them #because we hadn't studied yet 20th century Italian writers #personally I would have been so happy and proud to have a student with so much passion #but no #she was so convinced that a 12yo wanted to steal her job...ok lol #ask

[queerautism]

(I realize this may sound like bait, but I'm honestly trying to figure some stuff out rn and v lost) Do you have any thoughts on what the distinction between having parts, as in IFS, vs being a median system is? Or if there even is one?

A huge part of it, as with a ton of similar / overlapping labels, is basically down to personal choice, the community you feel you belong to, and whatever resonates with you the most. There is no clear cut distinction.

Sometimes one framework and terminology just feels more right for someone than the other. But they are also not exclusive of each other - Someone could consider themselves median because of their experiences with Internal Family Systems Therapy and the way that developed their understanding of their parts, for example.

#plural community #internal family systems #median system #actually median #Maybe someone in the tags will be able to help too #Also I'm always happy to do my best to answer questions!!

[mypunkpansexualtwin]

"That's probably the most unsettling part of things; not the tadpole, not the memory loss, not the outbursts of nigh-insatiable bloodlust... I'm still favored by something, someone, and I have no idea who. The blessings feel strange in my hands; familiar to hold but the balance is all wrong, like swinging a real sword after using training weapons all your life. Or maybe the other way around, like being handed a blunted knife after doing something stupid with the real thing. No fucking idea who I swore my oath to. But I know that oath like my own heartbeat; blood for blood, justice for the weak, and vengeance where justice turned a blind eye. When I feel the divine burning through my hands, it never feels the same twice. A different hand on my shoulder every time, but it's always Death. Death as rebirth, death as rest, death as justice, death as dispassionate inevitability... And death as hunger.

Doing @catbatart's RPG Inktober challenge and knocking out a twofer with Days 1&2 - Dwarf and Paladin. I'm gonna be on and off on this one, this is the first thing I've drawn since mid august last year, so I figure that'll be safer for my wrist and/or sanity. But I'm planning to try and knock out 10-15 out of all 31, which is still pretty ambitious for me.

Folks who've been following me since the olden days of Fallout 4 might recognize Maya Acerbi under the beard and edgelord coat of paint she's gotten as my Dark Urge playthrough character for Baldur's Gate 3. Everyone else has their cool, mysterious, catlike Durge characters, and then there's me with a crusty old dwarf woman who by the end of every day looks like she got dragged backwards through a bush and then rolled in mud and/or blood that might even be hers.

#answers to questions nobody asked #my art #my ocs #maya acerbi #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 durge #if you asked me about the broken sword I could go on about the symbolism regarding a dark urge character essentially being a broken weapon #and how it's reflected in the divine smite channeled through a broken sword and in the broken up silhouette on the moon looming over her #but those are conclusions I came to about 12 hours after I finished the piece and went 'fuck it. good enough' #because the facial scarring got frustrating #the real answers there are. one. 'i'm bad at drawing the moon' #and two. she's absolutely the type to keep swinging a busted sword until even the gods themselves are like 'okay you should probably chill' #and then keep going #inktober #art challenge #if folks have played durge and know what they're looking for hopefully they'll see the couple little hints there #if not then whatever I'm still happy with the textures and that goddamn chainmail #long post #as always folks. likes are alright but reblogs mean i will swear my fealty to you

[iturbide]

Do you have any thoughts (or headcanons) on Emmeryn for like. writing her? The game gives us so little, I have a lot of trouble with it, but I refuse to give up and write her out!

OH MAN I HAVE A TON OF THOUGHTS ON WRITING EMMERYN I honestly love getting to play around with her and I wish I had more opportunities to really do so.

She may look frail, but much like Lissa, she's not delicate, and actually a lot stronger than she appears. Emmeryn experienced firsthand what her father's strength could do when he used it carelessly, and she had made every effort to be gentle in all matters; however, when her emotions are running particularly high, she can slip and be more forceful (things like hugging her brother extra tight when he gets back from a dangerous mission because she's just so relieved to see him safe).

Similarly, while she may appear calm and measured, it's actually a mask that she's spent years perfecting, starting with interactions with her father and proceeding through her early years as Exalt. Emmeryn is much more emotional than she lets on, but she's had to be this perfect icon for so many people in her life -- a guardian for her siblings, a leader to the Ylissean people -- that it's become habit by now to wear it. When the mask does slip, it's usually because something has pushed her to a breaking point (though her partners can see the full measure of her trust in them when she purposefully sheds it).

Mask or not, Emm is a very compassionate person, and despite her cultural upbringing, she makes every effort to treat everyone -- regardless of their history or heritage -- with kindness and respect. Because of this, she tends not to react instantaneously to anything: whatever her gut reaction is, she does not voice it, instead taking a moment to examine it before speaking so that she can avoid causing offense with a thoughtless remark.

Emm is a pacifist: she has no intention of making war the way her father did, only of defending her nation's borders when needed. This does not, however, make her a pushover: Emmeryn is much more stubborn than her brother, and staunchly refuses to back down when she sets her mind to something. We get at least a glimpse of this when news arrives about Maribelle's kidnapping: she turns both her brother and the captain of the pegasus knights down when they insist on making Gangrel pay, insisting instead on speaking with Gangrel directly to try finding a way to peace.

This can, however, be something of a double-edged sword. Emm's pacifism extends to the point where she hesitates to use the power that she has at her command, having seen the horrors wrought by its abuse under her father. This can lead to its own kind of abuse -- specifically by those who realize that they'll never be punished for disobedience because she won't bring her power to bear against them. This rarely happens out in the open, of course, but I suspect that it's much more widespread than she would ever want to believe.

Above all else, Emmeryn loves her siblings and her country. She walks the street without any barriers between herself and her people, clear proof of her trust and affection for them. I suspect that, along with her routine bureaucratic and legislative duties, she makes time whenever she's able to hold audiences for the common folk, listen to their grievances, and offer what aid she can to ease their burdens. She recognizes that they are the heart of the nation, and Ylisse would crumble without their support; her popularity stems in no small part to how she tends to their needs, rather than prizing the nobility over all else as her father had.

Again, though, this is something of a double-edged sword, as she has not done herself any favors with the nobles. Between the way she favors the common folk and her stubborn refusal to give them the benefits they got used to under the former Exalt; while they're polite to her face, more than one noble is frustrated by how she's chosen to rule the halidom. Their pushes to have her marry are not only so that she will have an heir to continue the Exalted Lineage, but in hopes that her spouse will be able to wrench some measure of favor back to the family that weds her; on top of that, some have far more wicked plots to depose her entirely, like the hierarch who sold her out to Gangrel for the likely promise of power.

#answered #anonymous #fire emblem: awakening #emmeryn #i absolutely love writing emmeryn #and i absolutely love seeing emmeryn in writing #she's /so much fun/ to play with as a character #politically she's an immovable object who will not back down #but also she's definitely not perfect #she does in fact fuck up #and i adore her for it #i hope this helps!! #if you have any other questions or need any other insights #i'm always happy to talk more about emm

[enderagenda]

being an australian online means you always get people asking you questions like this

(it was a huntsman spider that someone named Atticus lmao)

#my post #spider #i love my mutuals #this isn't meant to discourage ppl from asking questions like that. I'm happy to answer #its just always so funny considering ive lived here all my life and I've never encountered giant spiders or deadly snakes #it very much depends on ehere you live. i don't live in the bush or jungle or desert. i live near the cost like most aussies do

[royalsea-art]

thinking of making a lil OC info sheet for tumblr so people can ask me stuff about my characters if they want to,,,

#🤔🤔🤔 #my ask box is open (I think) so if anyone has a question about any of my characters I'm always happy to answer