#easy line art is more enjoyable so.

[imshymorph]

Happy valentines everyone, here’s some more Death!Ghost x Life!Reader for your enjoyment. Here’s Part One in case you haven’t read it. And now, Part Three

He doesn't wait for an answer, his hands moving from the side of the mask to the eye sockets, fingers fitting in them to pull it away. Out of pure habit you quickly drift your eyes, looking away from him to honour his privacy. His heart seems to fill his chest when he notices.

“It's okay.” He murmurs, his voice raspy but also a more clear than usual, making you realise that the bone usually muffles his voice. “I want you to see me.” He encourages, his hand dropping the mask between the two of you.

- - - - -

You still feel a little hesitant, but let your eyes move back to him. Taking in the sight of his dark robes covering his chest, the hood he usually dons now loosely covering his shoulders. And when you finally reach his face you take your time, like an aspiring artist studying a piece in a museum.

His skin paler than most, although you already expected it from the few peeks you had gotten as his sleeve rode up. The veins that moved up from his neck and onto his face showed through the white tone, combining along the scars that littered his skin. The lines and shapes they created reminding you of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas with gold.

Despite the sharper edges on his jaw and nose, there was something soft about his features, something reminiscent of when he was first given life. His pale eyes, a foggy mix of greys and blues being highlighted by the dark edges around and under his eyes. Just as if the shadow that the mask produced was permanent around them.

What managed to surprise you most was his hair, with soft curls and waves and with a blond tone that reminded you of the first sunbeams to illuminate the earth in a summer morning.

“Didn’t think you’d be blond.” You say after a moment, your usual sweet smile returning to your lips. “Expected it to be a rich brown, like soil after a full day of rain.” You admit, your eyes scheming over his blond curls once more.

He felt his whole body relax, a soft sigh leaving him as the tension did. It must’ve been the first time someone saw him since his beginning as Death, since he could pretty much remember.

A soft chuckle escapes him at your comment, his expression going soft and a smile lifting the corner of his lips. It was strange to see Death smile, but also a welcome sight. “So, you did wonder about how I looked?” he dares to say, his smile pulling onto a grin.

You chuckle, being the one to have to drift your gaze away this time, fighting to hide the heat that is gathering on your cheeks at his teasing comment. He chuckles as well, being the one to give you space now.

“I might have been curious.” You murmur after a moment, a small grin on your lips as you still avoid looking at him. You still can see the way he looks at you through the reflection of the creek in front of you. Feel his eyes on you.

“Have I met the expectations, then?” He pushes lightly, that teasing tilt still on his tone. He wasn’t going to admit it, but he surprised himself with how easy it was to make the change. To be more open, to show himself to you.

You don’t answer for a moment, looking at the landscape surrounding the two of you before nodding. You turn your head, facing him once more. “Look imposing enough without the mask… Although that smile it's like an open invitation to befriend you.” you say, returning the light quip back.

“We aren’t friends already?” He asks, his tone sounding surprisingly offended but the small smirk on his lips reassuring you that he was just playing along. “Maybe I should just leave then.”

“Well, that wouldn’t be good. You can’t have Life without Death. What would I do without my other half?” You ask, raising your brows as you put the ball on his court.

He chuckles, looking back up to the sky once more, letting his body fall back and rest against the combination of grass and moss under your bodies. “Have no purpose i guess… Just as if I were to be without you.”

#cod x reader #x reader #call of duty #call of duty modern warfare #simon ghost riley #simon riley #simon ghost x reader #simon riley x reader #ghost x reader #ghost mw2 #ghost x oc #x oc #cod x oc #cod x you #ghost x you #death!ghost #oc: life #death x reader #death x life

[fatuismooches]

dottore brainrot hit me right in the middle of my poetry class so I'm making it everyone else's problem

dottore with a poet s/o. he's a logical man, he doesn't go into the arts, let alone decipher and examine them. would challenge dottore to decipher their poems. he's STRUGGLING bc how was he supposed to know that "the running water loves the land that hugs it" was meant to represent his hugs?? sometimes the segments can hear him muttering to himself and reading the poem aloud over and over again. but when he figures it out?? he melts(internally) bc it's just so sweet. 100% would support his partner's art

OH YM GOSHHH I FREAKING LOVE THIS. As someone who always adored writing but sucked at poetry like THIS IS SO CUTE BDWQHDWJ ILY FOR THIS ANON (Nah fr though... Dottore probably handed all the literature homework over to you to do for him in the Akademiya because he couldn't be bothered or interested enough in stuff like that 😭)

But even all these years later he still claims to be able to understand it if he tried (lies) so you decide to whip up your own poem to put him to the test. He easily accepts the challenge with his usual confident grin because how hard could it possibly be? He deals in complicated ancient texts relating to science, math, and all these other matters. Surely he can figure out a poem. (He turns out to be wrong. So so wrong.) For such a smart man he couldn't seem to interpret the hidden feelings, or the metaphors and poetic devices used in these poems or writings as quickly as he thought he would. He's POURING over every word, every punctuation mark, stanzas, line breaks, everything trying to understand what's going on. There are literally whole notes, underlining, circling, and more scribbled around the poem. And you thought you made it pretty easy too... of course your poem would be about your love for him!

Despite how much it looks like he's suffering trying to understand what's going on, it's enjoyable to Dottore. Like a stress relief. He knows he's not the easiest person to be around so he wants to understand you and your hobbies too... although he isn't adept at them at all. After a dozen pages of brainstorming he finally reaches a conclusion and he just gets so excited and cocky, like how he does when he finally makes a breakthrough in his research. Dottore will come up to you with his confident smirk again and tell you in plain words what exactly you want. Acting as if you didn't make his brain short-circuit a few times.

"The running water loves the land that hugs it" was meant to represent his hugs??" IS SO SO CUTE IM EVAPORATINGGG AHHH

#smooches talks #dottore love notes <3 #funny enough ive been writing poems lately for class as well 😭 #my favorite kinds are ones that rhyme🚶‍♀️ #the segments want some poems too :(

[yaksha-lover]

Hi! Maybe strange question but you seem to have a good grasp on the boys’ personalities. I’ve been reading a lot of the yanderification of the TWST boys and started wondering which ones (if any) would be most likely to have what could be labeled “yandere” tendencies. Just seems like a fun train of thought to chase.

Do you have any thoughts on this? (Also sorry for the word salad.)

In my opinion, I think it’s pretty easy to twist most of their personalities to fit a yandere type, but as for who’s yandere characterizations are closest to their canon counterparts, I would say:

Malleus, I think is the obvious one. Although clearly I don’t think he’d be yandere in canon, it makes sense for him to have some clingy tendencies in a relationship, and an obsession with his romantic interest. It’s the whole ‘you’re the only person in the world who matters to me’ type trope, because of the social rejection and isolation he’s faced.

People usually take it two ways here, either a) very possessive and jealous or b) very protective. I tend to lean towards the second interpretation (although I love to explore the first one, the second is more canon to me). More ‘I would burn cities to protect you, move heaven and earth to make you happy’ than ‘I want to keep you locked up here all to myself, you belong to me.’ So yes, a yandere Malleus may kidnap you, but only to keep you ‘safe.’ He’s also not as emotionally immature as I think he’s sometimes characterized as (although I’m probably also guilty of this). He’s not really the type to force someone to love him, imo, because he wants it to be genuine (his insecurity stems from an inability to be accepted so forcing it wouldn’t truly fulfill that desire to be loved and validated).

Rook, I think also makes sense, but it’s hard to say because most of the time a lot of his characterization is just played for jokes. Like the whole ‘he’s a stalker, he knows a lot about everyone, others get unnerved by him, etc.’ It’s meant to be funny, but if we take it seriously then we could probably jump to some interesting conclusions about Rook. Also, combined with that ghost bride line about him ‘never letting his beloved go’ -

He seems the type to get fixated on some object of beauty, and I could see that developing into a yandere-like obsession. Maybe if he finally finds the one thing - or person - who he thinks is the true pinnacle of art and beauty, what he’s been searching for all along. Initial stalking to learn more about his interest, some uncomfortable attempts at closeness because he knows everything about them and they know nothing about him. Divided between showing his beloved off to the world and keeping them all nice and pretty for his own enjoyment - the only one who can truly appreciate their beauty. Also, once he’s felt the experience of love, I doubt he’d ever want to live without it. Maybe that’s the ‘true’ beauty of life to him, even.

Jamil is just so apathetic that if he ever did fall for someone, I can’t see him ever giving them up if he can help it. Also, we’ve seen in canon that Jamil isn’t above doing mildly bad things for self-serving interests (think masquerade with ruggie, manipulating the oblivious students).

He just wants something nice and soft for himself. Is that so much to ask for, after all he’s been through? Jamil is never allowed to have anything, nothing that Kalim doesn’t. It’s no wonder he’d cling to the only sweet thing he can get his hands on, something just for him. Even if you’re frustrated with him, even if you get tired of him, he isn’t so willing to just let you go. He deserves something nice like you, and you’ll be happy with him, even if you might need a ‘charming’ reminder of it sometimes.

Lastly, Jade and Floyd are popular yanderes to write for a reason. They both already have so much inexplicably unhinged energy even compared to the rest of the cast (other than maybe Rook). Jade seems so cold and apathetic, while putting on a mask of care. Floyd doesn’t really care to do so, wearing his many moods on his sleeve. But they’re still two sides of the same coin; they’re used to getting whatever they want, often by questionable means.

They also seem like they would be pretty possessive, even if it comes out in different ways. Jade and Floyd may be good at sharing with each other, but they’ve never been good at sharing with anyone else. Floyd will show you (and whoever thinks it’s okay to encroach on his partner) how upset he is by this particular development. I doubt you’d want to keep it up when he threatens your friends that get a little too close. Jade is different; the same annoyance and possessiveness still burns him, but he has a little more patience than Floyd. He isn’t willing to start any fights. Jade prefers not to get his hands dirty, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have other tactics to scare away anyone who tries to flirt with you.

#tw: yandere #thanks for the ask! #i really love discussing characterization and stuff like this :) #sorry i’m so tangential when trying to make a point 😭😭 #it’s simply impossible for me to be concise #these are just my opinions tho #malleus draconia #rook hunt #jamil viper #jade leech #floyd leech #twst #yaksha-lover replies

[alexis-royce]

Shame the Academic doesn't like Parabola much. I imagine that's exactly what they'd see in the war against their reflection, right? The one that had the cards. It'd be so sad.

Their eyes are better, brighter. As The Academic stands before something that isn’t quite a lush dinner table, and almost is a looking-glass, the eyes of the person seated across from them are what The Academic notices first. The eyes and the brightness in them.

It’s only after that when they notice the second eye.

The second eye is a vivid green yellow: shapeling arts, no doubt. Such an easy fix, and both are protected behind tinted spectacles. It’s confusing, because the rest of this body does not match the gleam in the gaze. The cheeks are lean; belonging to someone who has been stepped on time and time again. The frame is thinner and the arms have less muscle-the reflection has been skipping meals- and their clothes belong at the university; lab coat stained with ink and whatever they’ve been too absent-minded to clean. This person clearly no longer lives at The Bazaar. They’re back in a townhouse, or-god forbid, some unfashionable remote address.

The reflection’s eyes aren’t meeting The Academic’s; instead, they’re responding with their own appraisal. They take in The Academic’s opulent garments with amazement, and The Academic begins to swell with pride. But as soon as their lip curls and a fang emerges, the reflection blanches; a wholly uncalled for spot of judgementallism. The claws cause them to turn away in disgust; scholarly curiosity sated, the answer repellent.

The hair on the back of The Academic’s neck is standing up, and their clenched throat easily climbs to a high-pitched, inhuman timbre.

“What. Have you suddenly drawn a line in the sand, you hypocrite?” Fists clench. “Wasn’t there some bit about removing the board from your own eye before commenting on the mote in your neighbor’s?” There’s nobody in this dream but the two Academics, and the feeling is decadence itself, unleashing the Curator voice without the robe.

Lesser beings on the chain can feel the danger standing before them when a Master speaks. Even before the claws and the neddy-men and the aerial attacks, a human body simply cannot argue with their betters-

In the mirror, a gloved hand reaches lips, and those lips laugh, and it’s horrible how beautiful the sound is. It couldn’t be heard when they were speaking timidly, but their voice is low and rich. It’s such an ordinary transformation, so terribly mundane in comparison. One needn’t rearrange organs or grow new ones or defy the chain, and the soft, gentle sound belongs in Veilgarden.

“My apologies.” Their face is far from pure; that’s contempt in the tilt of the brow, the pinching of the cheeks. But there’s a softness too. Pity.

The Academic can feel their chest tightening. Lungs shuddering.

“It really is quite a thing you’ve accomplished.” And there’s no irony, no smirk, just more of that bold-faced speech, as though the thoughts in their head need no massaging(messaging) or preparation before reaching another pair of ears. “I assume it’s not quite done yet, but it really is remarkable.”

The Academic’s knees are locked in place, spine rigid. If they loosened by the slightest fraction, something would give. “Thank you,” they push through gritted teeth, “it has come with lessons. They have been generous.” The push too much, and a vicious grin slips out: “Pages’ collection has been particularly enjoyable to peruse.”

The Academic’s pride is a dirigible, an Obliterator-class, looming and bold and another stifled bit of mirth escapes the lips of the reflection, and the hit explodes the ballonet. Would to god it were a precision strike; but it’s not Veils tittering and choosing an insult meant to chill. It’s not Pages, artfully striking in a way meant to wound and enrage and spur on revenge twofold. It’s just a sorry little human, one who spills anything on their mind, who shares precious truth and intel with the unwashed masses like so much spare change, tossed into an urchin’s sooty mitts.

“Those books must be interesting!” Two eyes, wide with scientific curiosity. “What have you learned about the stars?”

“Why, a fraction of everything, my good fellow!” The Academic grins and adjusts their monocle. “The sailing patterns of wings which catch solar winds! The secret laws of sunlight! The wisdom of minds which stretch back millennia!”

And they are lying, for the answer is nothing. The Academic has learned nothing from their ascent into a new form. The Masters are a bickering cluster of glorified bats, they are outcasts from their kind, the lowest of the low, tricked in turn by immortals and humans alike, turning on one another in desperation. The lessons they teach are vapid and empty and as cheap a payment as legally possible, as befits their spendthrift nature. The future they promise is cold, and however magnificently a human excels among his peers, a runt of a Curator will never, ever be accepted. There is a future with The Masters on their journey home; but once they arrive the loom of fate runs out of thread. It refuses to show another stitch. Perhaps a new exile with an unfamiliar cast of rejects. Will Cards even make it one city before it meets its end? Will it even get a well-burial, or is even that indignity too good for a glorified ape?

What has The Academic learned? They have seen the frozen space between spaces, the precious meaning in the space between meanings and hearts. They have charted portions of the Zee three hundred times over, stood at the very peak, and done battle on the Neath’s roof. They have put their hands on the loom of fate, tasted the futures available to London, and assisted a colleague in breaking the boundaries of the concept of death and fate in one strike.

But none of that required the assistance of The Masters.

“Breathtaking!” If the reflection senses a hint of untruth, there’s no sign of it. “I did want to know what you’d learned.”

The Academic’s hand rises to the clasp around their neck. Via the language of dreams, they could share their self-knowledge with the reflection. They could pass the robe through the mirror. Give the reflection a taste of what it turned down.

To consent, or to deny?

The reflection turns away. Beechwood is standing there, and things click. The Academic is The Academic who became Cards.

The reflection is The Academic who threw The Marvellous. They recognized the limit of The Masters’ abilities, that the buy-in was as more costly than the entire pot. Their eyes were open during that final, fateful(fatal) hand of the match, and rather than be blinded by another chance at victory, the reflection saw the desperate bid from Beechwood. The subtle signs from one brilliant scientist to another, the moment to turn the game around on The Masters, to play a much greater game.

If The Academic were to pass the robe through the glass, would the reflection pass Beechwood though? Would The Academic get to read a thread of fate where that mind had survived?

Hands quivering, they go to unclasp the lock, to step away from the scaffolding-

But the reflection has already turned away. “I did want to know what you’d learned. But I’ve already read those stories, myself.”

And The Academic realizes that they never really had a choice, the reflection is denying them, it was the reflection’s dream, and they return the smallest smile-

Before lunging headlong at the mirror, fists beating again and again onto the surface, shattering it, their reflection multiplying. One who had ascended to the top of the social order, a crown atop their head, and no respect withheld by the masses. Another was studying arctic ice flows, publishing papers on the surface, a vital link between two worlds. One stared The Masters down, paperwork in order. They shook hands with poets in Balmoral, and their Violant pen protected London with red law and legislative fury.

But that first reflection was in facet after facet. A broken glass zoetrope of sated curiosity, to pity, and ultimately, head turned away in indifference.

The Academic couldn’t hear their own voice but they were sure they were screaming, claws raking, straining to render those shards into powder, but something held them back- a hand on their shoulder and a cloying tone. A stovepipe hat and buttons that gleamed like eye- no, eyes that gleamed like buttons- wait, that wasn’t right either- coat flapping in the golden mean and an endless fractal of fingers curling, curling around and around The Academic’s arm-

“D__n!” The Academic swore. Their voice had wandered back, but it still felt far away. “Another reason why I hate this place.”

“Parabola isn’t all bad,” The Manager replied, “why, one meets the most charming people there.”

The Manager gave The Academic a friendly pat on the head, and even though the sun had set, it didn’t quite seem to be ending. They coughed up a volley of cards, the posterboard thwaking out a shuffle as all 54 hit the ground and scattered.

The Academic gave an ineffectual tug with their bound arm. Either the Manager was still holding onto it, or a very impermanent straight-jacket was crawling onto The Academic’s body. If they didn’t stare very closely at it, it was going to eat up The Academic’s hands, and then their arms, and The Royal Beth was a wretched place to go about armless.

Another pat on the head, too many fingers curling around the now ragged locks of hair, gripping and pulling the whole person away, “But we can’t have you harming yourself, now can we? It’s much better to disarm someone, especially when they can cause so much havoc with even one hand.”

#fallen london #the ex-disgraced academic #ocs #fallen London spoilers #had this in the drafts for a while #if I can manage to copy it cleanly maybe I’ll toss it up on AO3 #Nightmares have reached 8! #anyway thanks for the prompt anon it’s been on my mind for a while now #parabola #the Royal Bethlehem #the manager of the royal bethlehem hotel

[foldingfittedsheets]

rando looking for art advice if that's okay :p

I've always wanted to be able to draw cool things for myself, in the same way some of my friends can(they're REALLY good). and I know in order to do that I just gotta draw a lot, practice makes perfect, I'm gonna suck for a while but drawing more means I'll improve. yeah, yeah, I know all that.

but I'm finding it hard to get it started, to get motivated enough to draw. cuz sometimes I'll be like "I wanna draw", and then I draw and it sucks and I'm like "I don't wanna draw :("

do you have any tips for a beginner? not technical art tips, just like how do I get started or get motivated to start. are there tutorials you can recommend(I'm good at following instructions)? or things I can draw that are easy if you're starting out? or just whatever advice.

thanks :p

So, as far as motivation I think I might just be a lil freak, but I draw because I actively like to draw. Even when I wasn't very good, I felt compelled to put pen to paper just for the act of creation so my first piece of advice (besides practice) is just: Make art because you want to and try to divorce whether it's good or not from your enjoyment in that act.

My second piece of advice is that the first year of art school is three critical tools that are really boring but really helpful. The first one is perspective. If you can nail perspective, just dumb lines leading back in space, it does so much heavy lifting for you.

The second tool is sight measuring. Have you ever seen artists doing that stupid thing with their pencil or paintbrush while closing one eye? It's literally so helpful. If you are drawing say a tree, and you drop an imaginary vertical line from a branch you can figure our if your drawing of that tree is awry. When you get good at sight measuring it becomes second nature to do those checks, even in digital art, but it's easy to forget. When I'm doing my little 20 minute speed paints I'm constantly sight measuring to keep stuff in proportion.

The last piece is that practicing drawing from life will improve your drawing so much faster than anything else. Doodling your favorite pokemon or anime character over and over won't be as helpful as boring ass still lifes. Seeing how light reacts, observing the objects form, and practicing sight measuring will all help you improve as an artist.

As tax, I'm going to share a couple examples of schoolwork. This was my first class in perspective. This is how much I improved in a three month period, my first middle and last assignment.

These are from my form class, no lines allowed we needed to use value to describe the form. We did charcoal and gouache so here's me trying to show my progression in that class.

These are just freshman work, from my very first semester. Honestly I have a whole folder of all my assignments so I can scroll through and actively see myself improving, and I highly recommend that too, because it's wildly motivational to see how far you've come!

#ask ffs #art advice

[fahye]

I’ve been relistening to AML and ART in prep for APU next month, and one thing that I still think about repeatedly is how good you are at supporting characters who kind of suck, but who are still capable of surprisingly decent moments, and vice versa. I’m thinking particularly of Charlie in AML, who’s a patronizing misogynist who, granted, doesn’t seem actively malicious the way Miggsy and Trudy are, but who’s still fine being friends with them… but also, very capable of compassion and listening to Edwin when Robin’s safety is on the line. Particularly when contrasted against someone like Billy! There’s a couple more examples in ART — Clarence comes to mind but I’m sure there’s others I’m forgetting.

(It’s also interesting because one of the first hints we get about what Hawthorn is like as a person underneath the performative assholery, is the fact that when Robin goes into the foresight at Hawthorn’s house, he’s holding Robin up when Robin wakes up — and Robin notes that Hawthorn would have had to sprint to catch him. It’s such a small detail, and I really like it.)

thank you so much! my main rule with supporting characters is that I have to know, even if they appear for only a chapter, what story they're telling in their head of which they are the protagonist. charlie has a very easy and enjoyable life which, I think, makes it easy for him to show moments of genuine kindness when it costs him nothing to do so. (while still being a mansplaining misogynist in a way that his society is constantly rewarding him for. sigh.)

(and the hawthorn of AML, of course, is performing Absolute Asshole as hard as he can, and only some of the layers of it are true.)

#ask replies

[brother-emperors]

Hi- hope you are well, I love your art! I was wondering if you had an opinion on whether or not Crassus would side with Pompey or Caesar in the event that they still ended up going to civil war if he lived (noting he'd probably have been able to prevent it if he wanted to)

I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS A LOT

the part of me that believes in the enduring romance of a good partnership says he picks Pompey, but the part of me that loves tragedy and also spends too much time reading anything that mentions Crassus is saying 'it would depend.'

specifically, I think the decision would be timeline dependent, in the sense that Crassus would be more inclined to bet on Caesar since Pompey opts to stay in Rome and fulfill his command through legates, and his behavior during all of this is kind of eyebrow raising for someone like Crassus, who would probably start writing up a Pros/Cons list

it would also be thematically in line with Pompey, since the desertion of everyone except for Cornelia is important, and the loss of Crassus would be devastating since Crassus is one of the characters who has been in Pompey's narrative the longest, and his longest alliance for sure. Crassus outlived all of Pompey's marriages except for the one Pompey had to his son's widow, after all! and Pompey said he was the rising sun to Sulla's setting one, and you gotta commit to the theme if you're going to speak it into the world! and to a certain degree, Crassus also might feel more inclined to trust Caesar more at this point

on the other hand, a little later down the timeline, Caesar flips the Senate off and does his little Rubicon Scene, and provided Crassus hasn't picked between the two, he would probably re affirm his decades long coalition with Pompey because Sulla's Ghost marching on Rome is unacceptable. also, thematically here we're unlocking Sulla's Ghost (Caesar) going against Sulla's Heirs (Crassus, Pompey), and we've arrived at a Civil War With Layers To It Anyway! as both a Thebaid and Pharsalia enjoyer, this appeals to me immensely.

creating a situation where no Civil War happens is intriguing too, since the deaths that prompt it are Julia and Crassus. so. creating a situation where Crassus doesn't invade Parthia is a fun puzzle to solve. historically, Crassus gave both his sons over to Caesar to get their start on the military ladder, and Publius is the spark that starts off the Parthian expedition, so there needs to be an alternate event that stops Crassus from planning the expedition. the easy way out is that Crassus simply holds it off for one more year or simply Does Not Do It, but it clashes with both Publius' character and the way that Crassus was aware that he's. like. old, and is trying to legacy build something for his sons, and Crassus' atypical hold on power does not seem like something Publius would be interested in pursuing. but Marcus on the other hand......maybe.......

I have been toying with the idea of figuring out a scenario where Crassus splits his sons between Pompey and Caesar, but man, trying to get any of these years to line up in a way for it to work would require a personal miracle from saint jude or something, like I'm sitting across from Crassus and going 'hey man, what do I have to do to make you stay in Syria and not make a bad decision.'

#i want to timeloop fic them so bad but im doing one with crassus-sulla-pompey so caesar will have to wait #ask tag #i hope you're doing well too anon! #anyway. i have. many AUs. gangster AU. AU where pompey wins the civil war and brutus stabs first. another AU where (redacted) and etc #the DMBJ AU ofc. that one im tempting to finish all the way in a jumbled combination of comics and prose

[mister13eyond]

talking to a friend about getting back into art and i think the #1 most important piece of art advice i could ever get or give is just "figure out what is FUN to you"

like i think there is sooooo much emphasis on how to build SKILL in art but a lot of it really treats art like a job or like video game grinding, like it's this thankless job that you have to work at in order to reach a Threshold and i know it's not EASY to make yourself have fun but like

imo a solid 70% of the reason i create art is because the Act of Drawing is fun to me. it's fun problem-solving and planning and putting down lines and playing with colors and tools. it's fun to depict little scenes in my head or to create outfits or to find ways to fill the canvas. never forget that creating can be fun. sometimes it's hard and sometimes you have to battle through your own blockades to get there but the ultimate goal should always be to ENJOY it, to find what you enjoy doing and then do it forever. improvement will follow enjoyment.

i think especially with all the debate about ML image generation it's more important than ever to embrace FUN. if you're only focused on the end result it's so easy to get in your own head- to think about what doesn't look good or what skills you don't have yet or to compare yourself to other artists. but photography didn't kill the art of drawing and AI won't either because, simply put, there will always be people who want to do the physical act of making art because it's fun to do! using paints and markers, splashing colors around, doing shitty pen doodles, using the symmetry tool in your art program to do abstract mandalas that are just squiggles formed into patterns. do art like you're 5 and you've been handed markers to pass the time. do art like you're bored in class and you're keeping your brain entertained by drawing stick figure comics in the margins. do art like an absent thing, do art because it satisfies your brain. the goal is not to make something beautiful and perfect, the goal is to make something because your hands need to make and your body needs to make.

#i know and love so many people who have intense anxiety about their ability to create art and who are so hard on themselves about the result #and i think that's a REALLY easy thing to feel because creating is also vulnerable & physically difficult and there is SOOOO much to master #but i think for me the people who churn out 300 colored pencil front facing hands behind their backs oc doodles on lined notebook paper- #are the ones with the right idea. they're the ones i aspire to be like #i'm not saying i never struggle either bc tbh #as someone with depression and adhd there are times where the Act of Having Fun is simply not possible #sometimes i CAN'T enjoy things because my ability to feel joy is locked behind a barrier of my mental illness #so i don't think it's an Easy thing to do by far and I don't think you can just Magically Make Yourself Happy And Having Fun #but i DO think that experimenting in a low-stakes low-pressure manner until you find something that clicks in your brain helps #doing things for the sake of doing them is the only way to figure out which ones WILL be fun to you #not all of them will. some things will feel like a slog #but i think you have to look for the passion before you're able to face the slog #if you jump right into the parts that are Hard and Challenge Your Limits it's easy to spin your wheels and get stuck #but if you focus on the super small stakes and the things that are thoughtless and focused more on Sensation- #the sensory experience of mixing paint or the scratch of pencil on paper or the smooth way a specific pen makes lines- #then you can lose yourself in the physical aspect of it FIRST #and then once you've started really ENJOYING those sensations you can start learning new ways to use them #because now you have the drive to want to do more #now you have the desire to find new ways to apply this thing you like doing #long post #even longer tags #art #drawing #artists #art advice

[glitchedtravel]

💠—MASTERLIST

💠—TRAVERSE

★— Prologue.

★— Chapter One.

★— Chapter Two.

★— Chapter Three.

★— Chapter Four has not been exposed to the light yet...

💠—OTHERS

🔹»— First Side Storytelling, @tranquilitytravel . Second Side Storytelling, @farejourney . Hidden Storytelling, @friendbeyond .

🔹»— Skill [Morph] From TRAVERSE known Informations.

🔹»— @travellersofplenty for questions, only.

🔹»— Nothing else has appeared yet but you still have a vast full of other entertainment in your hands...

💠—PERSONALLY RECOMMENDED (RELATED & UNRELATED)

✳️U.R.— Dear @shiny-jr , one who writes for the interesting concept of yanderes. If you enjoy accurately written characters and beautifully written stories, they shall be your next stop. Writer of many series, you'll find them all enjoyable.

✳️R.— Dear @lloydfrontera , enjoyer of the webtoon and webnovel of 'The Greatest Estate Developer'. Likes nitpicks the details from both the webnovel and webtoon. If you are an enjoyer of reviews or something along those lines, you should stop by theirs.

✳️R.— Dear @short-black-diamond , writer of many things. Multitasking very well with being a writer and taking care of one's self. Such a mindful and open vibe around them that it's easy to communicate as if you are friends. If you like to share something of a thought or would like to request a certain story in mind, count of them as they will deliver.

✳️R.— Dear @asterefflores , enjoyer of 'Lout of the Count's Family'. An artistic individual for certain. Their appealing and beautiful art, so fantastically matches the original that you might mistaken them to be official. Enter their wondrous art museum and admire their artworks. If you're interested, they have a story of their own to tell.

✳️R.— Dear @anonymity23 , one who enjoys the 'Return of The Mount Hua Sec' so if you are interested, they have story they've created for and about it. While yes updates are not frequent but that doesn't mean they don't take care of their writing. Settle down a bit with their presence and get use to it like it's the waves of the water.

✳️— More stops and sights are to be added. Enjoy your suggested sights meanwhile...

#masterlist #manhwa x reader #manhwas x reader #webtoon x reader #webtoons x reader #manhwa #webtoon #💠 Traverse #x reader

[fuckyeahgoodomensfanfic]

Good Omens Fic Rec: stalwart sun, wily moon

Anthony J. Crowley is a world-class art thief with a complicated past who, until now, had been pretty content with going through life as part of a prolific black market art trafficking ring. He enjoyed the thrill and danger of the hunt, especially if it meant he got to travel the world, play with state-of-the-art technology, and make enough money to afford anything he could ever want. That is, until a simple logistical hiccup leads him straight into the path of one Aziraphale Fell, former Head Conservator of the British Museum turned antique repair shop owner. Suddenly, there's a space in Crowley's life that only Aziraphale seems to fill, but his clandestine life of crime paired with Aziraphale's industry connections and indomitable penchant for good seems like a relationship doomed to fail. Little do they both know, the strands of friendship, morality, and deception in their shared circles of the London art world are interwoven in even more complex ways than either of them could have expected...

Length: 369,866 words

AO3 Rating: Mature

Best for: Safe in Public, Slow Burn, Human AU

Triggers: Past Abuse, Violence

Read it here, fic by dustnhalos

Note: this is a locked work you must be logged into AO3 to view

*Minor Spoilers* This one was recommended to me by @aq-uatic! I had just posted about Fakes and Forgeries, which is another art thief AU, so they sent this one over for me to read! This story is a powerhouse! Not only does it boast a very engaging plot, but it is also well-researched and well-planned! A true epic.

The length of this story is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I loved the rich details and care put into the descriptions of artworks and settings, making it very easy to immerse myself in the world. I was also grateful that the climax of the story unfolded slowly, without rushing through towards the end. Having details gradually presented made the payoffs even greater. On the other hand, sometimes it became a little too wordy for its own good, crossing a line where it started to feel like a Wikipedia page. Additionally, it wasn't the right time and place for me when I tried reading it in shorter increments during breaks between working and cleaning. I was getting frustrated by the slow plot progression in those 20-30 minute spans. Once I committed to only reading this in larger blocks of time, I had a lot more fun with it! (ironic note to make on an extremely wordy rec post eh?)

I particularly loved the characterizations in this one. I found all of the side characters to be excellently written and, more importantly, welcome. There was never a moment when I felt annoyed by the appearance of a side character. The relationship between Aziraphale and Crowley is integral, but their plot line isn't the only one worth reading. Canon characters are conveniently rewritten into their new places, but don't just feel like names attached to OCs. Deep down, they remain the characters we know, just with new backstories. Warlock was a particular favorite of mine. Speaking of OCs, they're great here! I was very intrigued by the new characters, and their histories to our characters. Crowley's backstory was heartbreaking, and I loved the mystery of putting all the pieces together.

One small note I'll make about Aziraphale and Crowley: my favorite detail of their relationship in this story was their passion for fashion. It's refreshing to see Aziraphale described as fashionable rather than merely 'old-fashioned'. He possesses his own sense of style and takes great pride in it, which was very much appreciated. The fact that they can keep up with each other in style, knowledge, and culture, was so enjoyable.

Safe in public, but keep in mind what I said about pacing. Maybe shorter blocks work for you, but for me I really needed those longer sessions with this. It's also written as ace friendly! The mature tag is for violence/themes there is no sexual content here. Oh and this features amazing artwork as well!! I actually recognized many of the pieces included and had no idea they were tied to this story! I really enjoyed this story, and I'm constantly impressed with the stories you guys come up with.

Read it here, fic by dustnhalos

#good omens #good omens fanfiction #good omens fanfic #fanfic rec #aziracrow #good omens fic rec #aziraphale x crowley #stalwart sun wily moon #dustnhalos #extra long #no spice #slow burn #human au #safe in public #criminal au #artist au #one sitting #antique au #ace friendly

[inhibitionfreewriting]

r u a noah kahn enjoyer? not sure if ur taking requests rn but northern attitude for ludwig

oh not this song make me feel a lot of emotions 😳 okay.

listen. i've never heard this song until you suggested it. first of all, thank you for the suggestion. second of all, my heart vomited this up but i like it.

there will be AT LEAST a part 2 because when i got to where i got to i was like okay time to put it down and look at this again tomorrow. this is my version of putting down a piece of art to look at mistakes tomorrow, except i'll be writing more tomorrow.

-- PART 1 --

You and Ludwig hadn't seen each other in a few years, a fall out due to graduation and time. It's funny, they say you'll lose the friends you made in high school but the ones in college are friends for life, yet here you were with one of your friends from high school asking you how you knew Ludwig.

"We went to college together. We were study buddies, how do you know Ludwig?"

"He's a streamer - how do you," she stopped and put the picture frame down. "How do you not know that? You're online, like, all the time?" You shrugged. You were on your computer all the time but you worked on graphic design, you weren't necessarily on the internet. Half the time you just listened to music.

The curiosity gets to you though, would he remember you? You certainly remembered him - plenty of nights in one of your rooms, working on homework together, a night or two drinking shitty wine and watching a movie. A love found but lost.

you: hey ludwig not sure if you still have my number but we were friends in college, heard you are a big streamer now, good use of an english degree lol

An olive branch, a life line, even. You put your phone down, either he'd delete it because you seem like some random fan or he had your number blocked. Within minutes though, you had a reply.

Ludwig: how could i forget you i wouldn’t have passed biology without you. glad SOMEONE appreciates my english degree; usually i’m roasted for it 💀

You laughed. You made fun of him for it from the moment you met him, it made sense that everyone else did too. Conversation flowed easily. You couldn't remember the last time you laughed so hard, and honestly, he couldn't either. It was easy for you two to fall back into a rhythm, like it had only been a weekend apart.

Ludwig: would you ever want to get lunch or something?

He would never admit to how long it took to get the courage to ask, just as you would never admit how little thought you put into your 'yes of course!' reply.

--

Just a few days later and you were walking into a little café with him standing up to greet you and banging his knee into the table, yelping.

"Oh my god you didn't have to stand, I'm not the president," you laughed, crossing the distance and embracing him in a long awaited hug. He returned it, shrugging off your comment and for the first moment of many today, it felt like nothing had changed at all. Ludwig's arms tight around you, he still smelled like the same mix of deodorant and cologne. Something akin to a forest, teakwood... maybe birch. Something generic but home to you.

"It's good to see you," his voice was quiet in your hair, almost lost. There was a pounding in his chest that made his hands sweat and when you pulled away he anxiously rubbed his palms against his jeans. You both sat, your bag sliding between your feet at the table and conversation flowed like a waterfall.

How has life been? How are your folks? Do you still talk to anyone from school? How do you like streaming? What's been the best part of the experience? Are you in love with anyone? What do you do now, for work? Do you like it? Do you still go to the movie theater? Do you still think of me when you watch Crimson Peak?

"Do you still have that stuffed chipmunk I won you?" He leaned back in his seat and knocked his feet into yours. Suddenly, the embarrassment bubbled up onto your face, cheeks getting hot-hot-hot and he noticed. "If you don't it's okay."

"No I- I do. I uh," you felt like you were going to pass out, Ludwig leaned forward and rested his head in his hands, a shit-eating grin sliding onto his face. "I still sleep with it? It just. Lives on my bed." He wanted to tease you about it, keeping such a stupid memento for the past, what 5-6 years? But any comment was caught in his throat. "Well, say something already! I know you want to!"

"I-I'm just happy you still have it... would have thought you'd toss it out or somethin'," he found it hard to look you in the eyes, choosing to look at the cup on the table.

"How could I ever throw Mr. Stripes out? He was basically our mascot to get through tests. He's my good luck charm." You knocked your foot into his a few times, light taps and he looked back up at you with an almost nervous smile.

Hours had passed, drinks and snacks had come and gone. Your volume had only gotten louder and the laughter more rambunctious. One of the employees came over and Ludwig wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, we're about to close for the rest of the day. Do either of you maybe want anything to go?" You shook your head, finally calming down from laughter.

"Thank you, I'm okay. Lud?"

"I'm good too," he shook his head, standing up. "Sorry if we deterred any customers, didn't mean to be so loud." The worker shook her head with a pleasant smile.

"It was nice to see you and your girlfriend on such a nice date."

"Oh we're not-" "We're not dating."

"Oh! I'm so sorry. Anyway - we close in a few minutes. We hope to see you two again." She left before you could reassure her it was fine and not an issue but Ludwig was holding his hand out like you need the help to stand up. You take his hand regardless after grabbing your bag.

"You uh, wanna come back to my place?"

"Sure."

#ludwig ahgren x reader #ludwig x reader #ludwig #bunny writes #bunny qs

[tricitymonsters]

This crossed my mind when I read the dnd ask but what is the TCM and side character crew like with a very nerdy mc? Me personally, whenever I see these guys I just want to start infodumping about the entire lore about Dark Souls and rest my head on their rest

Mori has kind of always been labelled a "cool" person but also he's 100% a show off and when he was a younger man was much more easily whipped into a frenzy about who was a poser and who wasn't. Believe it or not he's way more mellow these days and under his party boy exterior really values like... earnest interest and passion. So if YOU like some obscure niche interest your enthusiasm will catch on with him fr.

Amir IS a nerd, he just has an extremely expensive and luxe exterior. He's an art nerd of the highest caliber who had nothing but time and resources to be so incredibly educated and apprentice under experts for most of his younger life that he will go on literal tirades about brush manufacturers and bristle discourse. Amir IS passion personified and he respects that in other people deeply. Maybe more than anything else. If its not worth getting into discourse flame wars on social media its not worth caring about. If there's any contact between spheres of your interest and his you have like a 50/50 chance of awakening the monster in him as he discovers a New specialized interest to ask you ten thousand questions about.

Akello is also firmly in the nerd category and a character who very much as incredibly niche Special Interests. Akello's also what I call a "quantitative nerd": someone who cares very much about facts and statistics and ensuring correct information about Whatever Topic is accurately and safely stored/archived/and circulated. He has an on/off switch for interests i think, and he doesn't really control what flips it on, only that when it is, he's obsessively thinking about it. It will be very easy for you to have nerd to nerd communication with Akello bc even if he's not into the hobby itself, he would be able to research and recite dark souls lore to you to an advanced degree like a day after you introduce him to the topic. Will probably ask if you have flow charts or mind maps to help him organize the details.

Kazu might be the nerdiest character in the line up. Yes, he looks like he could kill you with a glare. Yes, he's attack doberman coded. He grew up watching power rangers and kamen rider and has an absolutely encyclopedic knowledge of both including all costumes, henshins, team ups, villains, plots, side characters... you get the idea. He's an idol otaku, he has an anime figure cabinet, like sure he has "cooler" looking hobbies on a surface level (working out, mechanic stuff) but he's into them in a specifically nerdy way. He doesn't just work out, he treats it like a religious regiment almost. He doesn't just tinker with bikes, he fabricates them from the ground up. Like he's doing math and mechanical engineering. If anyone instantly clicks with and understands the Special Interests, its Kazu. Also he's not a talkative guy in general so you blabbering on and on about what you're into is actually really enjoyable for him. He's a good listener.

Marcel is another one for the "cool guy" team. He was always the popular kid growing up and frequently the trendsetter in his school and clubs. Now as an adult, not much has changed. He's the most likely to be like YOU LIKE TRAINS AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT? but then also get suckered into being interested in your infodumps. He's not a very judgy guy, preferring to play it laid back but if you catch him off guard you'll really pique his interest on novelty alone. Best in the cast for throwing surprise/really off the wall obscure interests at.

Raath... doesn't know shit about shit really. He's good at his job but doesn't have a lot of skills, knowledge, or interest outside of that. Even when he's being cranky and ornery, he might unwilingly get roped into you explaining the plot of Final Fantasy 7 for several hours simply because this is the weirdest shit he's ever heard until you tell him the NEXT weird thing. Also like kazu he tends to be a better listener than conversationalist.

#thank you for asking!! #the boys all unanimously like nerds who infodump #they just got their own weird ways #mori #amir #akello #raath #kazu #marcel

[empyrean-demise]

Hello there!

[Plain text: Hello there! /End ID]

[Image ID: A bunch of white jagged lines, with the top teeth of a dog in the center.]

I'm Aven, although I'm also known as OCTAfan (Or just Octa for short). I also go by Electra, Sprite, Elve or Lorelei, although I don't mind if you don't use those names. I use they/it/he/she pronouns, as well as a lot of neos, but those are optional.

I'm a minor, so if that makes you uncomfortable, please leave. I'm also Aroace and don't like flirting that much, so keep that in mind too! As for gender orientation, I'm Gendervoid and Xenogender (Manistatic and Dark Grimstaric, both are my coins).

We also realised that we're a system! Aven is the host, and we collectively refer to ourselves as Paraluxx Nebula.

More stuff about me under the cut:

[Image ID: A bunch of white jagged lines, with the bottom teeth of a dog in the center.]

As said in the Blog's bio, this is my Alterhuman blog! Usually for my fictotype, but I have others! Here's a list!

Kintypes

[Plain text: Kintypes /End ID]

Aven (Worldless)

Thunder manifestation (Genshin Impact)

Jersey Devil

COCOON (2023) Protagonist's species

Runalong (*Moth, not Aven)

Fictives

[Plain Text: Fictives /End ID]

Edda (Worldless/ Canon divergent)

Angel (Worldless/ Canon divergent. Goes by "Starfall")

Summum (Worldless/ Canon divergent. All the Worldless characters are from the same source as Aven fictotype (?), which is known as "Paraluxx Verse" for easy reference)

Moth (Literally a canon Worldless moth...)

Aven/ Umbro (Worldless: Duality AU fictive. He's unfortunately from a fanfic so now we're freaking out about this as of 1/4/2024 as to whether or not to tag the Author of said fic here)

Edda/ Akari (Worldless: Duality AU fictive)

Icarus (Worldless: Duality AU fictive. Was the light warden)

V2 (Ultrakill/ slightly canon divergent?)

Protagonist (OCTAHEDRON: Transfixed Edition/ Goes by "Veetragoul")

Hearttypes

[Plain text: Hearttypes /End ID]

Pari (Genshin Impact)

Thylacine

Hearthomes

[Plain text: Hearthomes /End ID]

Creepy Grasslands/ Midwest Gothic-eque settings

Almost all realms from Worldless

Veetragoul (OCTAHEDRON: Transfixed Edition)

Kinsidering/ Fictionflicker (?)

[Plain Text: Kinsidering/ Fictionflicker (?) /End ID]

No one at the moment!

The vast majority of these (With the potential exception for Aven) are psychological in nature, since I'm potentially neurodivergent (ASD).

Anyways, you'll be seeing a lot of memes, ramblings, art, pictures and more here! I might also post my requests for stimboards and stuff here, but I'm not too sure.I'm not comfortable with interacting with everyone, so here's a DNI... as well as a Please Do Interact (PDI?!)

DNI

[Plain Text: DNI /End ID]

Terfs, transphobes, etc

Lgbtphobes, racists, exclusionists, etc

Ableists

Pro-shipper or anti-anti

MAPS, anyone who is attracted to minors

NSFW/18+ only blogs

Participate in cringe culture

Anti voidpunk (furries, alterhuman, etc)

Discourse

Is generally a bad person

Please Do Interact

[Plain Text: Please Do Interact /End ID]

Other fictionkins, especially Worldless ones!

Starkins

Other peeps with obscure kintypes

Literally any alterhuman peeps

Worldless fans

Fellow Astronomy enjoyers

Literally anyone who's interested in my rambling

Oh! I almost forgot! Here's my tag list:

Tag List

[Plain Text: Tag List /End ID]

Avenposting - Whenever I talk

Aven's art - My drawings and stuff!

Aven's Writing - For any poetry, fanfic (?!) or other writing stuff that I might post here?

Aven's pictures - Aesthetics images that are made by me

Aven Answers - For inbox stuff

Solarstorm starfolk - For Aven stuff/ Aesthetics

Thunderous Rage - For Thunder Manifestation stuff/ Aesthetics

Pine Barrens Thing - For Jersey Devil stuff/ Aesthetics

Geometric Moth-Critter - For COCOON protagonist's species (Atimoth?) stuff/ Aesthetics

Electric Grace - For Edda stuff/ Aesthetics

Starfallen Seraph - For Starfall (Angel) stuff/ Aesthetics

Starwards Heights - For Summum stuff/ Aesthetics

Shadowy Starmoth - For Moth stuff/ Aesthetics

Fatal Ordeal - For Duality! Aven stuff/ Aesthetics

Choosen Arrow - For Duality! Edda stuff/ Aesthetics

Guardian Seraph (Holy Spear) - For Icarus stuff/ Aesthetics

Crimson Robot-Angel - For V2 stuff/ Aesthetics

Geometric Ascension - For Veetragoul (OCTAHEDRON Protagonist) stuff/ Aesthetics

Endling Corinna - For Thylacine stuff/ Aesthetics

Little Bird-spirit - For Pari stuff/ Aesthetics

Cryptic Fields/ Hidden Forests - For Midwest gothic- eque hearthome stuff

Beyond the Cosmos/ At the Beginning - For Worldless Realms hearthomes stuff

Underground Realm/ Arcade's Light - For Veetragoul hearthome stuff

Potentially triggering stuff would be tagged as "tw [Blank]".

Anyways, that's it for now! I might add on to this post if I forgot about anything.

Dividers credit: 🔶️

Icon credit: Made by Me

Banner credit: Ending cutscene of Worldless.

#Avenposting #Alterhuman #Fictionkin #Starkin #< by technicality #Otherhearted #hearthome #Ask to tag #Long post #Tw teeth

[bearclubbooks]

would you worship gravity by bitethehands

another steddyhands classic for the bookshelf.... really outing myself as an izzy enjoyer here hahaha

very very happy with how this boy turned out!! the airplane/pilot/airport motif really came through for me. i think these chapter titles are the funniest joke ever

the cover is "metallic midnight" bookcloth - another one i accidentally ordered So Much of bc i had no reference for how big a yard of bookcloth was... but actually i'm not too fussed because it's totally awesome! the metallic coating makes it feel much more protective than regular bookcloth and when i made mistakes the glue and paint could be scraped right off.

the endpapers are a marbled paper with the "bird wing" marble pattern (hehe get it.... its another plane joke...) and the cover design is gold acrylic i painted on with a hand cut stencil.

and the best part of the whole book!!!! i finally taught myself how make sewn-on endbands!!! and it was actually so easy!! i feel so bad i didn't do this for all my other books now haha but i guess that's just how learning works or whatever 🙄

text is set in 12pt centaur with 16pt line spacing and 1-inch margins (1.25 on the bottom). i drew the title page art in procreate with my risograph brushes!

#bookbinding #fanbinding #ofmd

[livlepretre]

I was wondering when is the exact moment Elena subconsciously falls for Klaus?

So, I've been rereading FE and annotating the whole thing-- marking it up with little observations, highlighting passages of foreshadowing, noting thematic elements, that sort of thing.

One of the things I did was I paid close attention to when Elena actually fell in love-- this was an unplanned plot development, and just sort of organically came along despite my original intentions, so it's not like I set out to write and say ha! this is The Moment!-- but it actually reads so much more believably, I think, and so much more subtly, because of that.

So, in my notes, the FIRST mention that Elena is falling in love is this passage in chapter 18:

Elena thinks about how Klaus has been with her the last few days. Fun, really, showing her a place that he so clearly loves, that love etched deep into his face, sunk deep into the low rumble of his voice in her ear. He’s always touching her, too, but where it bothers her so much usually, how careless he is about her, how much he treats her like an object, it’s different, here. He’s so focused on showing her the city, on watching her reactions, on delighting in her enjoyment, that for the first time it really feels like he’s seeing her, treating her, like a person rather than as his most prized possession. As Elena rather than as his doppelganger.

My note on this passage is simply that this is when Elena falls in love, despite herself-- during the days when Klaus was showing her the city, and she felt like he was treating her as a person, an individual-- the very way she so desperately yearns to be treated, maybe by him most of all, because he is the one who most adamantly denies her that.

But if there is a specific moment where she crosses the line and falls, irrevocably, it's this passage in chapter 20, when they are at the art museum looking at Klaus's painting:

“Cézanne once said he wanted to astonish Paris with an apple. I admired that about him.” He reaches out and ghosts his hand over the brushwork in the painting. “I wanted to do that too. I had lost all hope of breaking my curse, and I thought I may have to find another way to prove myself. To make something ordinary extraordinary.” It should be absurd. Klaus, an Original vampire, ordinary. Something about how he says it makes it not, though. He really means it, and though she wishes more than anything to just be an ordinary girl with an ordinary future, she understands him, in that moment, with a clarity that makes her feel unsteady on her feet.

It's this knowing him so very well that is ultimately her undoing. If you reread this scene from start to finish, you can see-- the way she looks at him changes from here on out. Even though she knows how he wants to use her for a baby, eve though she is bitterly betrayed, she has come to understand him during these few weeks together and it's made it impossible for her to pull away from him the way she needs to. Instead her love for him becomes something to trouble her, even as she plots against him.

Another excerpt from that scene that really makes the case that THIS is the moment when she falls, finally, in love, after weeks spent warming to him (emphasis mine):

She blames it on that face, she thinks. If he had not been so beautiful. Observing him now, when he’s not paying attention to her, when he’s doing normal things like fishing cash out of a wallet, she can admit this to herself. There is something about Klaus that magnetizes her, some physical attraction that appeals to her on the deepest level. That face, and those rare moments of honesty he sometimes offers her, out of the deep blue. It had been so easy, last night, lying awake in her empty bed, to plan against him, when she hadn’t been confronted with the man himself.

And another from the same chapter:

But all of those speculations are moot, of course, because her heart… Her heart, despite everything with Klaus, despite all of the just awful, awful torment he’s put her through, is undeniably drawn to him.

But if you want the first moment that Elena actually realized, consciously, that she was in love with Klaus? It's this scene in chapter 23-- if you were to reread the following chapters, she often alludes to something dire that she cannot and must not ever admit even to herself, some terrible secret-- which is that she is in love with Klaus and she knows it. So this conversation at the beach house is when she discovers it, specifically the part in bold:

He moves so fast to kneel in front of her that she cannot track the in-between. “You didn’t have to save me,” he breathes. Helplessly, she tells him the truth. “I wanted to.” The knowledge strips her bare.

It's not just knowledge that she wanted to save Klaus; it's the knowledge of the why-- she wanted to save Klaus because she's in love with him.

#anonymous #fairytale ending #literally you were spoiling me with this ask #thank you

[dailycass-cain]

This week the GOTHAM WAR has begun. Is the basis for this "war" for Catwoman/Batman work? How does Cass fit into this? I'll give my thoughts on it...

So the basis of the event is Catwoman is training the "hired help" of Gotham. Instead of working for Scarface, the Riddler, or Two-Face. They're off doing their own things in robbing the rich. But already there's a problem with that...

So the basis of the event is Catwoman is training the "hired help" of Gotham. Instead of working for Scarface, the Riddler, or Two-Face. They're off doing their own things in robbing the rich. But already there's a problem with that...

Not just the easy answer. Court of Owls.

Sure, maybe a few of them use mooks. This very issue brings up Professor Pyg as using "hired" help, but it feels kind of wrong for Pyg to do this sort of thing.

When Dollotrons have been his modus operandi. Why need thugs when breaking folks into nothing is far cheaper?

What's to stop Pyg from doing that exactly again? Nothing really. So all Selina is replacing is Pyg from going to hired back to his old ways.

That's not good at all. That's kind of why Batman and the Bat-Family are needed.

That isn't bringing up the "biggest" bad himself, the Joker. There have been numerous stories of the Joker just by himself making Gotham a literal hell without any hired help.

The Joker at his scariest is when he's by himself. Even then he's causing all sorts of harm in Gotham.

Those are the "easy" examples.

What about the other villains who already have an operating gang say Punchline and the Royal Flush Gang? It feels like writers Chip Zdarsky and Trini Howard make Selina's case paper thin.

That's not to say Batman's side is any better, "My parents were rich line." Was not the intended dramatic moment the book had. More made me chuckle as it could've easily been photoshopped with, "MY PARENTS ARE DEAD!" instead.

Likewise, is Selina's retort. Literally, again there are so many examples of Bruce showing compassion to folks by using his fortune.

Just alone in Batgirl (#63), we had this scene. That's just one moment that easily popped in my head.

It just feels so wrong for the basis of this "war" to be so flimsy when there are better ways for it. Aka the bot that literally subjugated all of Gotham because Batman took "a life" (that turned out to be false).

There's so much to see Selina's side of things when Failsafe had domain over the city. We have barely seen the city or ANYONE react to that.

Like that alone is more a cause for SOMETHING than what we're getting initially here.

I digress I could go on and on poking the holes into the fight itself, but how does it relate to Cass? Well, already she should be against Selina's plan.

A life is a life.

No matter what Selina's way will take lives. So…

The fact this is all glossed over with her being silent. Just says it all for me that her part in this is already "planned".

I'll probably hate it.

I'll probably despise it.

I thought long and hard about what the best course of action during this event would be for me. I really do love the artists attached to this event. I do love Cass. However, I do not like the context of the event AT ALL.

The answer is kind of right in front of me. Well, three answers. Birds of Prey (out next week), Spirit World, and Detective Comics. I adore two of these and by all things considered with the preview, I'm gonna probably LOVE BoP.

So instead of going into long rants and give myself stress I shouldn't need. I'm just gonna enjoy the good art.

If there are bad moments (which I'm sure there will be) in this event. I'm gonna call it like I see it.

But as for going into detailed thoughts like this? That's it. This is all this event is getting out of me. I have too much enjoyment else to give my focus too.

I just feel sorry for the fans of Duke, Tim, Stephanie, and Barbara. Those fans gotta suffer thru this as Damian, Cass, Kate, Luke, and Dick get to play outside this "sandbox" of woe.

This comic was garbage. This story is garbage. It's just best for me to look away for the most part and enjoy the stuff with Cass that I do have outside "the war".

That's my thoughts on it all. 😁

Now to enjoy a BETTER COMIC next week.

#cassandra cain #dc comics #my thoughts