#lore watches the escape artist

[crowleybrekkers]

okay i'm on the last episode rn and the verdict better be guilty or else i'm gonna throw hands

don't let this be another broadchurch s2

#loreswisdom #lore watches the escape artist

[jellitchi]

vat7k designs in my head...

i thought their canon designs were a eensy weensy bit Unpolished so i made these mostly for myself. erm if u rly want it i think varian is 19 here, hugo 19, nuru 18, yong 12.

i also made rhem all playlists and had to draw them a cover so thats what the last img is I linked each of em under my notes for all of em... Under the cut is Like a Huge Infodump of notes i have for each chara,,,,,,

i kept varians design basically the same, i dislike the design w the orange neck thing so i just Nuked it😭... Here's Varians playlist

Hugos design i just wanted to put him in something more Loose. hes a thief, a professional escape artist. i dont think wearing clunky metal is ideal for him. i also gave him a prosthetic arm (blond w no arm design trope!) but u cant see it in the ref so i added another drawing of him in his under layering👍 i vaguely referenced russian(?) clothes for him as well... Yeah not too much changed w him i just tried to make him slippery-er. Here's Hugo's playlist

yong came relatively easy to me, if it wasn't obvious i did rip gaming from g*nshin's hoodie. i thought the lion hood was Adorable and freaking perfect for what i had in mind for hos character. since the og notes said the fire kingdom is loosely Chinese inspired i basically just kept that. i mashed tgt a buncha diff dynasties though sorry for how inconsistent i was... i think he looks Okay. anyways i changed yongs role a bit, ill explain why im adjusting some of their roles later but i kept yong as the Jinx Type character. hes the eldest in his family and has a buncha younger siblings, hes a lion dancer and does performances w his family/siblings. he rly like special effects n keeps tryna incorporate his fireworks into their performances (it flops and he has to sew up the dmg) ill explain more of yongs role in another post maybe shrugs... Here's Yong's Playlist

miss nuru was a bit of a struggle for me i might share my full design process with her coz i did a Bunch of mockups for her😭😭😭... i didnt have a specific country of reference for her but i chose to make her vaguely south asian inspired. i also really wanted to keep the sheer fabric w the star / constellation map. i love that idea its so cute so shes still technically the navigator. but she also wields a sword too, fencing or whatever. (her and varian r Huge Cass fangirls which is probably why she started tryna use a sword (snuck out to watch cass compete) Okay ill talk abt this later) in my head, okay ill Probably make a whole nother post talking abt how im interpreting/writing each chara, but in my head i think nuru is the youngest and her kingdom's archivist. shes mostly in charge of like Her kingdoms history / artifacts / etc. ok im getting too side tracked ill save the lore dump for later but thats Nurus role in the party. Here's Nuru's Playlist

uhm below i made their character stats mostly to help me with planning / role developing. the yellow is their base stats the color behind is their end stats i guess. i was gonna explain my reasoning for their stats but ermm this post is kinda Really long so sorry😭... varian max int for obvious reasons, also max charisma just coz i feel like u kinda learn a thing or two being around a couple manipulators and spending time in jail idk shrugs... (also lets not forget the "ud b surprised what ppl would do for a cookie!") Hugo slippery guy, if a brick is thrown at him as hes running hes gonna try n run faster to shatter it, his mindset is Run Run Run! i think hes relatively agile too but yeah mostly a Speedster. i think he n varian got no Physical strength varian maybe just like A little coz Farm boy but I rly doubt quirin is making him do a Lotta heavy lifting. yong has incredible stamina and agility because hed a performer. nuru is the strongest coz this team would literally Flop without a proper Offense😭... i think varian n hugo r able to outwit plenty of their opponents but i think nuru is pretty good in a fight, same w yong. Yeah Okay Sorry for a Long Long Post thanks hope u guys enjoy

#vat7k #varian and the seven kingdoms #varian vat7k #hugo vat7k #nuru vat7k #yong vat7k #varian tangled #fanart #lizzysart

[whereserpentswalk]

When you met your girlfriend in college she was studying to be a wizard. It didn't suprise you that much, there were a lot of magic majors at your school, and the city that your college is in has a lot of companies that hire wizards.

As time went on you started to realize she was become a very specific type of magic user. Her spells are long, taking yo hours of her time, longer then any other major user you know, and they're draining. She says she's always been interested in magic since when she was a kid, but this particular type of magic isn't something anyone gets into because they find it exciting, it's the type of magic you get into because it pays the most. You understand why she chose this, it's hard for wizards, for anyone really, to find work nowadays.

Your apartment isn't very big so you can hear her trying her spell from the other room every time, straining herself, sometimes screaming, spending the weekends of her youth alone in a closest trying to pull off these impossible spells, with purposes that normal people don't even care about. When you told two freinds you have who are wizards from diffrent specialties of magic, necromancy and illusion, what kind of spells she was doing, they became really afraid for her, and said that they hoped she transfered to a diffrent specialty before she was locked into this path. Every time you hear her screaming from that room you want to grab her and save her, let her rest and enjoy her world, but you know that you can't.

It gets worse once you graduate and while you start working as an artist, she gets hired on by a big company that could use wizards like her. You don't leave the city you went to college in so your freind group doesn't really change, but you realize that all of your freinds start talking about her in the past tense after that. You don't have to deal with hearing her funnel magic though herself in your apartment anymore, but instead you're spending days not really seeing her when she's at the office, and comes home later then you're asleep.

When you do see her, you notice her body getting worse. She was always skinny but now her body has lost so much weight you can see her ribs. Her skin is paler then it ever was before, and her eyes are almost bloodshot. Strange symbols even start appearing on her arms. You're starting to get really worried for her.

Most of the time you spend with her is just her recovering from her work. You'll lay with her in bed, and cuddle her, and let her rest her head on your breasts, and try to make her feel safe and warm, even though her body is so very cold now. You let her talk to you about the things she used to tell you about when she first met, she still loves telling you about video games, or obscure magic lore, though the latter is a bit more of a sore subject now. You watch cartoons with her a lot now, and old anime, they seems to be some of the only things that let her fully escape.

You have to be the one to cook for her, and to get her things, she's just to tired to do most things outside of work. But you still care about her, you try your best to comfort her, to pet her head, and to kiss her. She can't really have sex with you anymore, the spells have killed her libido, killed her ability to her physically aroused, but you end up wanting to cuddle her a lot, and hold her close while you have her. You try to ask if she's ok but she says that she is, that she can't stop doing this. Every time she leaves for work you want to save her, and every time she leaves she can't.

When you ask your other wizard freinds about what she's actually doing with her magic, to try and get some comfort about what's happening, they explain to you what it is. It's a type of magic their teachers taught about but warned agaisnt, that has to do with letting spirits and entities from other realms, sometimes really powerful ones, possess you for a long time, useally to talk and answer question. The necromancer specifically explains that it's useally used by companies to get knowledge about things that they want to know for their business strategies, it's why they pay so much for someone to be hurt like that. Knowing doesn't make you feel any better, it just makes you feel like she's being even more violated now.

Eventually your girlfriend tells you that she got another job opportunity out west, but it's somewhere she doesn't want to see you stuck living. She tells you to stay in the city, and that she'll text you and call you while she deals with this new job. She barely ever gets any chances to text while she's out there, and never calls. She's just able to communicate with you less and less, until she's fully gone.

You're working as an artist in the city now. You have a new partner. You sometimes think about what your old girlfriend is doing, you like to pretend that she got out of everything, that she doesn't talk to you because she found someone new. But you know that in reality very few people in that field actually make it out, and very few manage to stay fully human, it's quite unlikely she's any different.

#196 #my thougts #worldbuilding #writing #my writing #fantasy #my worldbuilding #urban fantasy #leftism #leftist #anti work #anticapitalist #anticapitalism #anti capitalism #anti capitalist #wizard #magical realism #spellcasting #witch #witches #short fiction #short story #flash fiction #eldritch #eldritch horror #cosmic horror #sorcerer #warlock #dark fantasy

[moanz111]

final round - choi san

🥊 pairing: boxer/fighter!choi san x boxing coach!gn!reader

🥊 genre: angst, fluff, strangers to lovers, dystopian au

🥊 summary: surviving in a city of outlaws has never been easy, with your days filled with emptiness and fear, and your only comfort being the weekly boxing matches in an underground club. but when you accidentally meet san, promising you a new beginning, your whole world is about to turn upside down.

🥊 featuring: biker!hwa; biker!yeosang; boxing coach/manager!wooyoung; cowboy(????)!mingi; oc!jay

🥊 wc: 5.9 k

🥊 warnings/tags: english is not my native language so there can be mistakes; descriptions of fighting/injuries/bleeding; setting is inspired by ateez's lore and the outlaw album (it's not accurate, just took some details from it, terminology can be inaccurate); use of pet names (angel); reader has an older brother; jay (reader's friend) doesn't represent any real person; there can be inaccuracies about boxing (i tried my best); mentions of guns/shooting (no one is harmed!!); repressive government; mentions of loss of family members/friends; reader is a bartender too; descriptions of kissing; lmk if i've missed something

credits for all the used graphics belong to their rightful owners!

🥊 note: happy (late) birthday to one of my favourite artists and people, sannie!

after all, i decided to post this fic even though i'm on a break lmao i feel a little bit more comfortable with posting it now and am doing better! and also i just couldn't wait to share this with you so...

i had so much fun writing this and got so inspired by ateez's album that i just had to do something about it. i'm trying a different genre this time so i hope you enjoy reading it!!

also, i'm super awkward when writing kissing scenes, help.

any form of feedback is greatly appreciated so don't be shy to reblog with your thoughts, comment or send me an ask! it really means a lot to me and keeps me motivated!

Sweat dripped down your forehead, tickling your chin and neck as you gripped tightly the ring ropes, lunging your body forward with excitement. Even though you’d never admit it out loud, the adrenaline running through your veins during the intense boxing matches you attended every weekend made you feel more alive than ever. The way the two boxers threw fierce punches at each other was not exactly abiding by the game’s rules but no one around you seemed to care or even notice. 

Living in a world where tomorrow might never come, these were the only moments you could be your most authentic self without the mask of acquiescence on. This world was sick, filled with horrors and demons, haunting you even in your dreams and watching your every step. However, this world was beautiful too, filled with secretly exchanged hopeful glances and little reasons to look up at the grey sky, praying better days would come. 

What you were doing right now - smiling, screaming, the sole act of feeling was illegal but the thrill that filled your body was something you were willing to risk your life for. You had made your decision a long time ago - the rules didn’t matter to you anymore. 

“A win for Black Serpent,” you heard the referee shout in an attempt to fight the hundreds of voices, drowning his own as the champion threw his red boxing gloves at the public. Blue and purple marks painted his features and his almost closed left eye was swollen but the triumphant grin plastered on his face told you, as usual, his injuries were not one of his problems. 

Such a show-off, you thought when your friend waved at you from the ring, flexing his biceps proudly. It wasn’t surprising to you that he won tonight’s match. During the few years you’d known Jay, you’d never seen him lose. Having been a professional competitor in the past, as he had told you when you first met, the underground club’s matches were his way to escape the harsh reality and remember the good old times. 

Plus, you’d seen the bags full of cash from bets after a successful night. After all, that was why you had become his “accomplice” or as he liked referring to you - his devil accountant. The job was simple enough and you didn’t mind the extra income - working as a bartender at the local bar came with its perks but with the money you made you could never possibly afford a place of your own, neither did it give you the comfort you could run away one day from this awful blackhole. So you gladly kept track of the bets for Jay’s matches and sometimes you even helped him train as you knew a thing or two about boxing yourself.

Tonight was no different. As you pushed your way through the crowd, collecting the bills, you saw a lot of familiar faces who greeted you warmly. At least some of them. Others - weren’t so friendly, swearing and even refusing to give you the money, overcome by anger after losing, but they knew better than to test you. No one wanted Jay’s wrath upon them. 

“I think you forgot about me, angel,” you heard a raspy voice behind you just as you were about to call it a day and go to the locker room where Jay was waiting for you. Turning around, you were, to say the least confused. The man before you wore a grey hoodie over his head, hiding his features, and matching sweatpants, looking nothing like the usual visitors of the fight club. He was tall but muscular - you could see it even though his baggy clothes left much to the imagination. His broad shoulders and confident stance told you he was much more than he led you to believe. Was he another competitor? 

Looking down at his stretched-out hand, you saw a few bills folded in his palm. A cat-like smirk formed on your lips. “Though night for you, huh?” “I don’t like voting in favour of my biggest competition,” the man laughed as you took the money, writing down the amount in your notebook. Jay was going to be pleased with tonight’s profit which meant another celebration for him and another babysitting gig for you. 

However, the stranger’s words made you wonder what exactly his intention was. If he was telling the truth, then why bother betting if Jay was his next match? With his face engulfed in shadows and mystery, his aura alone sent shivers down your spine, alarming you for danger. Taking a step away from the man, you folded your arms before your chest. “What is your deal?”

He tilted his head to one side, regarding you quietly like a predator about to chase his next prey. Closing the distance between you in a matter of seconds, he leaned down to your right ear, whispering softly, his breath hot against your neck, “You’ll find out soon, angel.”

Still in a daze after your encounter with the stranger, you watched him pull away from you, shooting you one last mischievous smirk before diving into the crowd. Shaking your head, you let out a deep sigh. 

Trouble always found its way to you.

The deafening sound of the morning alarm, signaling it was time for everyone to go to work, rang in your ears as you walked to the bar where you worked during the day. The sun was still hiding under the horizon and the sky was painted in a mix of deep blue, purple, and orange. The streets were empty without a single soul in sight except you and the black stray cat that accompanied you every day on your way. It brought you a sense of comfort - to have a small friend by your side in these lonely times of the day. 

Forming genuine connections with other human beings was almost impossible. There were many stories about heartless betrayals, travelling from person to person in this city of outlaws. Today’s friend could easily turn into tomorrow's enemy. However, right now this place was your everything and all you could do is learn how to survive. You’d heard of other faraway cities where people had it way worse than you did and were much more repressed by the titanic power of the Guardians. Sometimes you were even grateful you were surrounded by outcasts and criminals rather than a white sea of masks, pointing guns at your face. 

Here, the inhabitants had found their ways of rebelling right under the government's nose without being noticed and the bar you were currently opening was one of their favourite places to do it. You'd witnessed hundreds of pieces of intel being exchanged for contraband and hundreds of unfulfilled plans for the future dying under the dim yellow lights. Still, no one gave up. That was the only rule everyone followed wholeheartedly - better surrender and lose your life than give up your dreams and hopes and become a dead man walking.

Pushing your thoughts away, you braced yourself for yet another day during which you had to take on the role of the oblivious bartender. Your job was to keep your mouth shut and eyes closed so when you saw one of your regulars enter the building, looking suspiciously around, you almost laughed.

“Good morning, Mingi,” you greeted him leaning on the broom you were swiping the floor with to take a proper look at him. His cowboy boots and hat, the usual, now shabby, long brown coat and the chains dangling at his neck as he walked slowly towards you gave away that he was meeting someone important today. The tall and lean man oozed confidence and threat just by standing and you were glad you were on his good side. 

You'd met Mingi on your very first day as a bartender and quickly developed a soft spot for him. You weren't aware of exactly what he was doing except sitting around with you and being a menace to your boss but there were dozens of wanted posters around the city, including on the wall behind the countertop you mixed beverages on. The portrait drawing sure did him justice and you'd always been perplexed as to how the Guardians hadn't caught him yet. 

In your eyes Mingi was good-natured and considerate, always asking about your day and throwing a joke or two to make you smile but you'd seen his nasty side too. That was why when he pulled out his pistol from his holster belt and placed it on top of the bar as he sat down on his usual spot, you felt shivers run down your spine. 

“Don't worry, Y/N,” said Mingi, turning to look at you with a reassuring smile. If you got paid every time you heard him say this before destroying everything and everyone on his way, you would've been a millionaire. Sighing heavily, you walked over to him to stand behind the bar and took his pistol in your hands. Earning a surprised squeal from the man, you shook your head.

“You're the reason I'm not getting paid, cowboy. The amount of repairs we’ve made in a month is insane.”

“I'm sorry,” Mingi answered with a pout. Your boss wasn't going to be happy he came here again. You could only imagine the old man's smile as he put up these wanted posters. Hell, if he could turn in Mingi himself, he would be on cloud nine. “But be careful and don't shoot anyone.”

“You worry about yourself,” you sighed and pointed behind him. A young man was entering the bar, humming an unknown-to-you melody and carrying a bag over his shoulder. Sunglasses hid his eyes and a grin showed off his dimples. 

“You didn't tell me your friend was such a beauty, Mingi,” the man whistled, eyeing you from head to toe after he removed his glasses, placing them on top of his head. You felt heat burn up your cheeks and you found it hard to hold his intense stare. Now being able to properly look at his face, some sort of recognition passed through your mind but you couldn't wrap your head around where you'd seen him before. 

As the newcomer sat down next to Mingi, you couldn't stifle your laugh this time. They reminded you of a comedic duo from the comic books you used to read as a child, now long gone and turned into ashes, with the newcomer dressed casually in a black and white shirt, the fabric flowing around his body and a few buttons undone, showing his collarbones, and Mingi in his “official” attire with a serious look on his face and furrowed brows. 

“Don't even think of laying a finger on Y/N, Wooyoung,” warned Mingi as your friend took out a white envelope from his coat’s pockets, handing it to the other man. A silent look, holding thousands of words, was exchanged by them before Wooyoung swiftly hid it under his shirt. “We can talk comfortably here. They won't say anything.”

“My lips are sealed,” you made a motion as if you locked them with a key and threw it in Wooyoung’s direction, earning a loud laugh from him.

“I like them. We should recruit them.”

“Absolutely no,” Mingi sternly refused, scolding both of you with a  glance. “Let's talk business now.”

Mindlessly washing the shot glasses and polishing them, you listened to the two men’s conversation, pretending none of what they said was surely granting them a death sentence. The images they described with pretty words and empty promises filled your heart with longing for a distant land where everything you'd ever dreamt of was real. 

Where there existed other sounds - other than your heartbeat and the screeching alarm.

Where you could look up at the sky and see the stars - not the brown clouds of dust and pain.

Where emotions like sorrow and fear were replaced by joy and comfort. 

So you listened and listened until you'd memorised every single sentence, hoping to dream of this new world tonight.

“The others will call for us soon. We just need to wait for a sign,” said Wooyoung, getting up from his seat and stretching his limbs. “San has a match tomorrow so if- no…when he wins, we'll have enough money for the next mission.” 

A match?

A lightbulb lit up at the back of your mind as your memories took you to last night’s events. The stranger's words made much more sense than before and you were pretty sure you'd seen Wooyoung, lurking in the shadows and grinning after Jay’s final victorious blow. Keeping this information to yourself, you remained silent even when Wooyoung gave you a knowing look. 

“His opponent is pretty tough and so is his coach…,” he trailed off, playing with his silver earrings, shimmering under the first morning rays. 

“Good luck then. I'll see you in a week,” Mingi answered, shaking his accomplice’s hand as he too got up to leave. Glancing at you, he placed a few bills on the counter, way too many than needed. “For the special service today.”

“You don't have to-”

“And a bet for Black Serpent.”

“Jerk,” whined Wooyoung, rolling his eyes and earning another warning look from Mingi to whom you returned the pistol you took earlier. “I look forward to our little dance tomorrow, Y/N.”

Giving you a playful wink, Wooyoung took his bag and trailed after Mingi who was already striding to the exit, talking about manners and social norms which you found amusing.

At least, he didn't vandalise property today.

“The underdog vs. the big champion, huh,” Jay hummed as he traced his finger over his opponent's name on the list, placed at the fight club’s entrance. The match was only a few hours away and unable to sleep from excitement, you'd dragged your friend to the ring to practice some extra time. You didn't know what kind of fighter San was but better be prepared than sorry later. The rumors about him going around in the underground club didn’t give you much information either - some said he was ruthless and vicious, others - just a showoff. One thing was sure though - he had an incredible win rate with his name at the top of the rank list at least once a month. 

“Isn't it a bit cocky to call yourself the big champion,” you teased Jay as you pushed him inside the locker room so he could change into his practice clothes. You noticed one other locker was closed and were curious who else would've come here at that time of the day. Only champions and their coaches were allowed in when there wasn't a match. 

“I know my worth, Y/N,” Jay sighed while rolling bandages over his wounded knuckles. The bruises from his last match were still visible on his body and you wondered if they ever healed. You also mentally noted he had cut his hair down to a buzzcut again. He was serious about tonight then. Not that you expected anything different. San was the only person who could challenge him for his title. “I'm not a loser.” 

“Sure, now get up. We have a lot of work to do.”

“Jay, cover-up,” you shouted while monitoring your friend’s warm-up match, feeling your nerves slowly getting to you. You weren't exactly surprised when you found out the other fighter in the club and Jay’s opponent was the stranger you’d met the other night and of course, Wooyoung was his cornerman and manager. 

San’s presence turned coaching Jay into a challenge, unlike any other time. His movements were practiced and calculated, his punches swift and precise. The white tank top he was wearing revealed his toned body and well-defined muscles and made you stare more than to your liking. His sharp features and handsome face mixed with his professionalism were a weapon San used well on the ring since you could see Jay was intimidated probably for the first time. Wooyoung’s annoyingly proud smile didn't help either.

Blood was dripping down San’s chin from a cut, gifted to him by Jay after one of his blows, and sweat formed on his forehead as he counterattacked, delivering a strong punch on your friend's face. Their match resembled a passionate and intimate dance that you weren't supposed to witness. Their pride and skills were on the line. 

“Parry, Jay,” you once again yelled and seconds later the final bell rang, putting an end to their spar before your friend could react, taking a painful hook from San. Getting up from your chair, you went up to the ring and handed Jay a water bottle which he splashed on his face with a groan. You praised yourself for taking your first aid kit before leaving your apartment. If he was so beaten up right now, you didn't want to imagine what both of them were going to look like by the end of the night.

“You sure know a lot about boxing, Y/N,” San said, breathing heavily as he took his gloves off, throwing them at Wooyoung. It was the first time he addressed you directly today and you were taken by surprise when he jumped off the ring, coming closer to you. His face was glistening and his brown eyes were burning with passion you'd never seen before. Sure, Jay enjoyed fighting but you knew it wasn't the same as it used to be for him. San, however, had the eagerness to learn and win as a newbie even though his skills made you believe he was as good as a coach. Maybe even better than most. “Where did you learn?”

“Let's say I'm very observant,” you answered quietly, trying to avert his attention away from you and the topic. Still, the sting in your heart, forming as memories flooded your mind reminded you of the past you were so willing to escape from. You could still smell the distinctive scent of your brother’s gloves. The thrill that came with each victory. The pain that filled your being after leaving your past life behind without looking back. What had even happened with your family and friends? Were they alive? Were they safe?

“I'd call this more than just “being observant”,” Wooyoung joined the conversation, pulling you out of your thoughts. He put his arm around your shoulders, squeezing them tightly and you whined. “We hit the jackpot, San.”

“What do you mean?” 

“We have an offer for you, Y/N.”

The next few months after the official match between San and Jay passed in a daze for you. Someone had to pinch you. Hard.

Wooyoung, you’d realised, was a gambling addict. There wasn't any other logical explanation behind his behaviour. Whatever you did or said, he turned into a bet out of which only one of you could emerge as a winner.

So just like that, after that practice match, he and San had made a proposal that was too difficult to decline and simple enough to follow. If San won, you'd coach him for his next matches and join their small group of outlaws. As they told you - they needed someone competent on their side. If Jay won, you'd go on your way and forget about it. Not that this was possible. 

You would've lied if you’d said you had been surprised when San delivered the final victorious blow that night. Secretly, you had hoped for this turn of events not much to your friend’s liking. While you were patching up his wounded and bleeding face, whispering comforting words, your betraying heart was accelerating with your mind plagued by thoughts of San. 

Today was no different. As you watched San practice his kicks on a punching bag in the fight club, you caught yourself blushing at one of his particularly precise deliveries. Boxing is my thing, I guess, you thought when he halted his movements to drink some water and pulled his tank top over his head, showing off his toned body.

Moments like this were routine for you at this point - just both of you sitting in silence, only his heavy breathing audible - him practicing and you observing. San’s progress was outstanding and this left you jobless - he didn’t need your directions anymore that much. You didn't feel the need to fill the space with small talk or pointless conversations when you were with him and thought of him as someone who had always been part of your life.

Intimidating at first glance, San was, in reality, the kindest person you had ever met. He cared deeply about the people he loved, always making sure to put them first above everything else. He was also thoughtful and considerate - attentive to everyone’s needs and was always there when you needed him the most. San brought you comfort unlike anyone else and you told him things you hadn't even dared before. Your relationship was progressing fast - with a lot of skipped steps, blurring the line between friends and lovers but you didn't mind. Labels weren't needed for you to feel what you did towards him. Not when you had so few opportunities to be together.

You two often daydreamed about this new world he and his friends liked talking about. He wanted to stop fighting - hurting people was what he hated doing the most but their group needed the money desperately. There was no other choice for him but to sacrifice himself every day. San, instead, wanted to build a home for his loved ones and create a safe space for them where they could be together and where he could protect them.

“You can't protect everyone, San”, you had told him the day he shared his plans with you while both of you were sitting on the cold floor of the locker room, shoulder to shoulder. His proximity had your head spinning and you found it hard to focus on his words. San held your hands, tracing circles mindlessly on them, before bringing them to his lips.

“I have to do what I can, though. I can't just give up on any of you,” he had answered, whispering into your skin, goosebumps forming all over your body. Before that, you hadn't considered yourself that important to him and his words made your heart skip a few beats. 

“I know what it feels like…,” The lump in your throat and the painful memories of your family had tears forming in your eyes that you tried blinking away. No point in crying when you didn't have the power to change the past. San brought his big hands to your face, cupping your cheeks, forcing you to look at him, and you tried pulling away. The pity and guilt in his eyes were something you wanted to erase forever. 

“You can't just run away from your demons, Y/N. Sometimes you have to face them.”

So you had wept in his arms, telling him your life's story for the first time and he had brushed every fear, doubt, and pain away with his soft touches and gentle gaze. 

You had grown up in the Outlaw City’s outskirts, in a restricted area where the Guardians’ influence and presence weren't as noticeable. The people were happy - you remembered seeing children playing freely, people reading and drawing and creating with all their might without being disturbed. 

Your parents were ordinary people, working ordinary jobs and living an ordinary life. You and your older brother, however, were nothing like them. The fighting rebellious spirit was something you had no idea who passed down to both of you but you were grateful to whoever ancestor was responsible for it. 

You two always found ways to get into trouble - from stealing a guitar from one of the contraband gangs in the city to compose silly songs to your brother learning how to box only to enter underground tournaments to earn some extra income for your family. He had learned from the older kids a trick or two and you had made it your life's purpose to follow him around until he taught you too. 

You missed those days dearly. The mornings when you would spar together under the blazing sun for hours. The nights when you would go to the restricted area of the city to fight and then run back home with the money you'd made before someone else took it from you. Every day was a game of survival, but you were happy. You had your brother - your only pillar in this dark world.

Until one day everything changed. 

That day, the Guardians had come in groups to your city, taking every child or adult in their way, destroying every last piece of safety. You remembered your last moments with your family before they took them away. Your brother screaming at you to run, your father fighting the white-dressed Guardian, and your mother crying in fear. You had tried saving them but to no avail. At least, you didn't know if they had survived and there was no one you could ask. Five years had passed since. 

You found your new home in Outlaw City where everyone was a runaway like you and where no one would ask where you'd come from. Your only resolve was to pray that your family was safe and sound and that one day you would find them. This time you were more prepared than ever, you were ready to protect them at the price of anything. So as San wiped away your tears with his thumbs, you felt the heavy burden of your past lift itself from your shoulders. 

“I hate myself for leaving them every day, San,” you confess with a shaky voice, trying to calm yourself down. 

“The only thing you could do is survive, angel,” he whispered, putting his hands on your shoulders, and squeezing them. Looking at his bruised face, you reminded yourself that everyone here carried their own scars - both visible and invisible, and your heart hurt even more. “It was the same for me. I had to leave my family behind when I came here so I found a new one. Not that it’ll ever stop hurting any less. All eight of us are the same at heart. We all want the same thing.”

A new world to come, you thought and smiled, thinking of Mingi’s passionate speech from the last time you saw him at the bar. He had told you all about their plans and wanted you to be part of them. To join their found family. 

Now, returning to reality, you regarded San curiously and a little afraid as he came to stand in front of your chair, leaning down to place a kiss on top of your head. Blushing at the affection in his eyes, you cleared your throat, searching for the right words. A week had passed since this moment and none of you had said anything about it so you couldn't help but feel flustered at his every word and action towards you.

“How was I today, coach?” San chuckled, gently tracing the sides of your face with his fingertips, rough from the endless fighting. 

“Could be better,” you gave him your usual response, San grinning and showing his dimples. 

“I have to work harder. But maybe if you stared less...”

“And maybe if you paid less attention to me...”

“That's impossible,” San concluded, crouching down, placing his palms on top of your thighs, and you ran your hands through his messy dark locks. With glinting eyes, he excitedly added, “After tonight’s match some of the boys and I will have a meeting. They want you to come.”

“They?”

“I,” the seriousness in his voice made you let out a laugh and your stomach tightened with anticipation. You had only met Mingi and Wooyoung before with the rest of the boys surrounded by a mist of mystery, with only having heard stories about them. The fact that San was letting you get closer to the people he cherished the most didn't help your fluttering heart either.

“Can't wait.”

San had dragged you out of the fight club and drove you to your apartment to freshen up before meeting the boys with his old van that, who knew how, still functioned. As he had told you while focused on the bumpy road ahead, the vehicle had turned into, both a prison and a temporary home for him and Wooyoung while they were on the run from the Guardians. Guilt washed over you when San described all of their sleepless nights, fighting the demons following them right behind even in their dreams while you were hiding between the four walls of the safety of your home. Mingi’s wanted posters, his constant cautiousness, and the silver pistol always attached to his hip made so much more sense now. 

Unfortunately, the Guardians had taken notice of them way too early into their secret operations against the government, and now as you were sitting in front of the boys - their features, illuminated by the dim lighting of the storage house you were in, your heart filled with hurt. In the few hours, you got to know Yeosang and Seonghwa, speeding through the highways every night in search of valuable intel and doing all they could to survive another day, your admiration grew with every next moment spent with them. 

Sitting on one of your favourite fluffy blankets on the floor in a circle, eating an improvised dinner consisting of cold chicken nuggets provided by Yeosang, you felt more at home than ever. Mingi and Wooyoung’s silly bickering and friendly teasing, Seonghwa’s warm welcome, Yeosang’s kind smile, and San’s calming presence next to you, filled you with joy, and for the first time in a while, you forgot about the outside world.

“It’s a pity the others couldn’t come today,” said Seonghwa with a sigh as he passed on to you the chocolate bar all of you were sharing. You hadn’t seen one in ages, nor tasted it. Yeosang had just shrugged indifferently earlier at your genuine surprise, telling you he could get one inside the city for you anytime you craved it. 

So now playing with the piece in your mouth, letting the sweetness tickle your taste buds, you hummed in agreement. The rest of the group had to stay undercover for a little longer before joining you. “They would’ve loved to meet you, Y/N.”

“They will,” San joined, squeezing your hand and rubbing his thumb over it. Turning your head to look at him, you were met with his dark eyes, shimmering with a glow as if hundreds of stars were in them. You slowly found yourself being pulled by the gravity of his gaze, unable to look away. 

“Now, can you two not do this,” whined Wooyoung, earning a playful slap on his thigh from Seonghwa, followed by Mingi and Yeosang’s laughs. “I have to put up with you every day at the club. I’m going to start vomiting rainbows soon.”

“Get a life, Woo,” said Mingi, winking at you. Usually, you could fight back and tease Wooyoung but tonight, embarrassment washed over you after his words. “Leave the lovebirds alone.”

Just then, still holding your hand firmly, San pulled you up gently so now both of you were standing. “Then let’s get out of here.”

The distant hooting of owls, coming deep from the woods, the light chilly late-night breeze, carrying the smell of pines, and San’s warm touch against your skin engulfed your senses, making your head spin. With your eyes closed, all you could do was trust the man as he guided you through the darkness around you. 

“Can I open my eyes,” you asked once again with your previous attempts to get a positive answer out of him being unsuccessful. His deep chuckle vibrated through your body, his hand letting go of yours. Longing for his touch again, you reached forward for him but only brushed through the air. 

“I’ve got you, angel,” San’s raspy voice now came from behind you and you felt him put his hands on your shoulders. “You can open them now.”

The view before your eyes made you tear up and a lump formed in your throat, every word you wanted to utter getting caught up in it. The little fireflies, swinging around in a slow dance around you, their comforting glow, reminding you of those you used to catch in the hot summer nights in front of your childhood house with your brother, the vast field you were standing in the middle of, and the tickling in your legs from the overgrown grass were all images and sensations you thought you’d never see or feel again for the rest of your life.

“How did you find this place,” you whispered, too afraid someone would take this moment away from you. 

“It’s my special place. I think the Guardians have forgotten about it,” said softly San, moving to stand in front of you with a warm smile on his face. “Now I can finally share it with someone else.”

“Do you come here often?”

“Yes, whenever I need to clear my head,” he trailed off, laughing. “And some time away from Wooyoung. The van can be suffocating as much as I enjoy living with him.”

You wondered if this beautiful place was next on the Guardian’s list for destruction. If you’d be able to come back ever again. If it too would disappear with every trace you’d left.

“You’re frowning again,” San’s voice pulled you out of your trance, making you focus on him instead. His face was almost indiscernible in the night, but his eyes and the silver chain, shining around his neck, were illuminated by the moonlight. “You do this often.”

“I guess I’m not used to things like this.” Genuine in a world full of lies. “I feel like you’ll disappear.”

Taking a step closer to you, San put a finger under your chin, your eyes finding his once again. The electrifying feeling of his touch made you dizzy. Now, you could hear his steady heartbeat, with yours drumming in your ears. “I’ll never leave you, angel.”

The moment his lips found yours, enveloping them in a soft kiss, you lost all of your senses and surrendered yourself to him. At first, his touch was gentle as if San was afraid he would hurt you, but once your hands found his neck, your fingers toying with his hair, he got more desperate for you. His own trailed slowly down the sides of your body, wrapping them around your waist and pulling you closer to him. Already out of breath, you felt a fire ignite in your soul that only San could put out. 

He left your lips only to place a few shy kisses down your neck, your heart picking up its rate, slamming against your ribcage. Leaving you gasping and wanting more, San pulled away seconds later, the love and adoration you saw in his eyes making you lose your bearings completely. Cupping your cheeks and bringing his face closer, he rubbed your nose gently with his before placing a kiss on your forehead. 

“The final round is coming soon, Y/N,” he murmured when you closed the distance between you, hugging him around his waist and burrowing your face at the crook of his neck. You took in his scent - woody and musky, hypnotizing you. “We’ll see the new world together.”

Even if that was just an empty promise and even if this new world never came to life, you didn’t care.

All you needed was San there with you - everything else was bearable.

final round, © moanz111

please do not modify, copy, repost, or translate.

#final round - moanz111 #ateez imagines #ateez oneshot #ateez scenarios #ateez fic #ateez fanfic #san x y/n #san x reader #san x you #ateez au #ateez fluff #ateez angst #san fluff #san angst

[ariablue144]

Happy 3 years to the Space Pirates Saga!

I’m not being hyperbolic when I say this series changed my life!! It was the first lore-based audio rp I heard and I fell in LOVE. From there I watched GB’s other series, then found other artists like Escaped, Scythe, etc etc. and now I’m planning my own audio RP projects! I’ve found something I’m truly passionate about as a viewer and a creator, and I’m so grateful

Thanks for everything you’ve done so far Geeb, and here’s to the things you’ll do in the future

#dont mind me being sappy #SPS is so important to me and I need everyone to know #goodboyaudios #ari does art

[starrylothcat]

‼️OC ALERT‼️

Me, finally sharing my Jedi OC I’ve had for like 3 years?

👀

I’d like to introduce Sola Jor, (ex) Jedi Knight. More below the cut!

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Some quick introduction facts!

Sola was a Jedi Knight during The Clone Wars, chasing her goal of earning the title of Master. She is now with The Bad Batch post-Order 66.

She disliked the war, and wasn’t keen on Jedi being used as soldiers.

She disliked even more the often negative treatment of clone troopers, speaking up when she saw injustice.

Connects with The Force most easily in nature, away from loud cities and environments.

As a young Padawan, she often found it hard to focus and meditate with The Force in The Temple, due to the endless noise and movement of Coruscant.

Sola was never granted the title of Master, due to Order 66.

Sola watched her Master be shot by clone troopers they called friends. Sola isn’t sure if her Master survived, barely escaping Coruscant during the onslaught.

She meets The Bad Batch, them being her rescuers after being taken prisoner by pirates.

General Personality

Sola has a serious outward demeanor (resting bitch face if you will), but is actually quite friendly and warm once you get to know her.

Sola can be impatient, especially when it comes to people she cares about. She sometimes needs a reminder to step back and assess the situation before running in head on.

Sola became more serious and disillusioned after order 66, not knowing who to trust and lost in an uncertain galaxy. All she knew was the Jedi.

Was she even a Jedi anymore?

Sola went with TBB to Ord Mantell, expecting to get a ship off world.

Sola was asked to join them for a mission to earn some extra credits before she left.

Sola agreed, and not surprisingly, never left.

Being with The Bad Batch gave her a sense of family and wholeness again, and a path to healing.

Her and Hunter took some time to trust one another, but become closer the longer they worked together.

Another path arose, one to new feelings and emotions she wasn’t sure she’d ever get to experience in the Jedi Temple (cough cough maybe falling for a certain Sergeant? 😏)

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Credit: Pic Crew (if any beautiful artists would like to draw her, I have money)

Happy to take any questions or if you want lore!

Taglist: @crosshairlovebot @sev-on-kamino @kimiheartblade @wizardofrozz @clonemedickix @sunshinesdaydream @kashasenpai @freesia-writes @multi-fan-dom-madness @aconstructofamind @dreamie411 @dystopicjumpsuit @wings-and-beskar @starqueensthings @idontgetanysleep @secretthegriffin @anxiouspineapple99 @sinfulsalutations @secondaryrealm @littlemissmanga @maybethatfanfictionwriter @pb-jellybeans @wanderer-six @king-chaos-world @wolffegirlsunite @dukeoftheblackstar @523rdrebel @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @sleepingsun501 @cw80831 @dangraccoon @mythical-illustrator @din-miller

***I’ll be tagging any OC posts as OC:Sola if you don’t want to see OC content!

#oc:sola #Star Wars oc #the bad batch #the clone wars #star wars original character

[403tarot]

Hihi! Can you do a reading on riize about their current energy?

Thank you so much!🐸🦕

RIIZE ENERGY CHECK – 01.2024

wonbin: overall, wonbin is heavily focused on his work and artistic development, channeling most of his energy into it, leaving him exhausted by the end of the day. he's striving to be an exemplary artist, and this pursuit may be taking a toll. in his love life, things may have gone awry with someone he likes, oops. regarding his mental health, he's using work as a way to avoid thinking too much about other things... he's been in better states before.

seunghan: phew, bro is going through hard times. he feels exposed and watched, as if he has to think twice before acting or saying anything, and he's a bit embarrassed (?). seunghan feels sidelined and powerless about it. went overboard. in his love life, seunghan seems stuck in a relationship of vicious and toxic cycles with someone, something he can't allow himself to escape, feeling trapped by his own emotions. regarding his mental health, things seem to fluctuate violently over time, with ups and downs, but he still has hope that things will get better.

shotaro: living his best life! Life is smiling at him in various aspects, and shotaro feels happy. It's possible that he recently got rid of a heavy burden on his shoulders and now finally feels ready to move forward. love is in the air, although perhaps he hasn't declared his feelings to the loved one yet, but for now, it's a bit of daydreaming. mental health in excellent condition, his mind is only in one direction: "nobody can drag me down". he feels seen and recognized, very positive factors boosting his self-esteem.

sohee: things are balanced... for now. overall, it feels like sohee doesn't quite know what she's doing, just going with the flow and still trying to find himself (in life? at work? in love? all of them? probably). he seems confused about what to do and struggles with decision-making. in love, there's interest in someone, but there's also fear of getting involved, overthinking, and the lingering memory of past unpleasant experiences in the romantic realm. concerning mental health, he tries to appear confident while actually feeling he has little autonomy in his own life and is working to address that. probably just gradually maturing and feeling the side effects of it.

sungchan: making mistakes and getting things right, but it's okay, it's part of the lore. he might be feeling a bit more anxious lately, leading to impulsive actions. teacting to criticism, he could be going through some more stressful moments. he's not dating... yet. there's mutual romantic interest, and both are getting to know each other better, perhaps to try something more in the future. in terms of mental health, sungchan has been feeling quite cornered, perhaps due to a lack of privacy, and he's trying to ignore it and stay calm to avoid negative effects. however, i think too much exposure is starting to take a toll on his sanity.

eunseok: ladies and gentlemen, this is a man married to his goals and responsibilities. eunseok feels that at this moment in life, he has a long-awaited opportunity that will bear even better fruits in the future. he has been contemplating what lies ahead and wants to ensure he is competent to make his dreams come true. because of this, his mental health has been somewhat imbalanced. eunseok is very hard on himself and doesn't seem to forgive his mistakes easily. he's been trying to manage his emotions more practically but is struggling, needing to relax a bit. in the realm of love, there's no one and no interest in starting something for the time being.

anton: he has been making some changes in his life, discarding things and people and taking back control of the situation. i sense that he ended a relationship that had been failing for some time, and at the moment, he's not quite sure what to do (there's a sense of relief but also a feeling of "okay, what now?"), and this will probably linger for a while until he adapts. in his mental realm, anton has been stabilizing his moods a bit more and may have realized that his mind made a big fuss about things that weren't as negatively impactful, so he feels a bit more relaxed. i wouldn't say everything is perfect, but he will easily overcome and improve in a few weeks.

* based in tarot only

#— duckie notes ⪩♡⪨ #riize tarot #kpop reading #wonbin #shotaro #sungchan #eunseok #anton #sohee #seunghan #kpop astrology #kpop readings

[drdt-headcanons]

MUSIC RELATED HCs FOR THE CAST!!

Xander - when he sings, he sounds like Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day faking a British accent on American Idiot

Veronika - she loves metal, but her favorite subgenre is death metal. she’s also very well versed in the lore of Mayhem

Ace - if you ask him what he’s listening to he will name something hardcore, but he’s actually listening to a very pop-centric playlist comprised of exclusively female artists

Hu - besides listening to a lot of music with the zither, she also enjoys soft jazz and very old classical tunes because she thinks they’re relaxing. she can also play the piano.

Eden - she’s a huge swiftie. she’s not very open or direct about it, but she secretly follows a lot of Taylor Swift related pages and blogs, and is constantly listening to her music

Arturo - I think he definitely has a thing for women like Doja Cat and Nikki Minaj. you’d probably catch him simping in the comments of their instagram posts

Min - only listens to classical music because it’s proven to make you the most intellectually stimulated out of any genre. she also has a lot of a superiority complex regarding this.

J - she is a huge rock & metal fan, and really likes to listen to ‘cool’ stuff. her favorite bands are Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park. she’s also tried to learn guitar and although she hasn’t stuck with it, she owns an electric guitar and can play simple songs.

Levi - listens to prime dad rock. a lot of this is early rock and roll, but surprisingly a lot of this also contains 90s alt and Weezer.

Rose - even if she’s not fixated on a task, she’s always looping one of those 2hr study lofi videos on YouTube, just for background noise. she just finds it very soothing and it helps her escape from reality.

Nico - they don’t listen to music much, but when they do, it’s at the lowest setting. They started to get into music a bit more after meeting Hu, and they really like soft instruments pieces

Charles - he genuinely does not listen to music and knows almost nothing about it. he doesn’t like sharing this so if anyone ever asks him about his music taste, he always says his favorite artist is Frank Sinatra to try and impress them

David - he actually likes jazz a lot and is not a bad singer at all. he doesn’t like to sing, but sometimes he will break out into song in the shower, wether it be jazz or a darker song. he also knows how to play piano.

Teruko - knows nothing about music, but she tries to blend in by listening to trending artists and trending audios online, regardless if she likes the song or not

Arei - she loves to do karaoke, but she’s completely delusional about being good. she’s absolutely terrible, but it’s fun for her to sing and it’s fun for her audience to watch her try and rock a Lady Gaga song

Whit - his entire taste is white trash 2000s pop music, and he will defend his taste with his life. he’s also watched Britney Spears’s music video for ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ a zillion times on YouTube and liked it on 64752567 alt accounts

:)

#i have the same ace headcanon! #i just think it would be funny if everyone assumes he’s listening to something aggressive and badass… #…when in reality he’s just blasting ‘california girls’ #drdt #xander matthews #veronika grebenshchikova #ace markey #hu jing #eden tobisa #arturo giles #min jeung #j moreno #j rosales #levi fontana #rose lacroix #nico hakobyan #charles cuevas #david chiem #teruko tawaki #arei nageishi #whit young #fluffy drdt headcanons

[rivuletmansion]

Introduction to the AU!

Hiya everyone! My name's Pinpin, and I'm a music composer and artist who has a big case of rain world brainrot Said brainrot has resulted in me coming up with this AU that y'all are looking at right now! This AU has been a thing for a while, but I had been too nervous and anxious to share it with the world So it was just sitting there as a discord thread in my good friend zyekno's discord server But I think that I had fleshed out the AU enough for me to finally share it with y'all~ There's a lot to unpack here, so let's get started~!

What's the general gist of this AU, lore-wise?

As the name of the AU suggests, it all began with Rivulet! Rivulet was once one of the many assassins for hire, who was driven insane (and bored) by the sheer amount of killing they had done over the years, and then one day it appeared as if they had vanished without a trace from the world completely. Many people speculated that they had finally snapped and ended their own life, but in reality, Rivulet had stumbled upon a cursed mansion in a forbidden forest area, not too far from the urban town of the Outskirts.

This cursed mansion only shows itself to those who are curious or crazy enough to explore it, and once some poor soul finds themselves drawn into it, they are given two choices: Forfeit their life to become the next cursed owner of the mansion, gaining immortality and undead traits until the next person comes along and inherit their position, or get killed trying to escape its inhabitants and then be added to their numbers in death.

Rivulet could've easily escaped with their skills in combat, but driven by their insanity and curiosity, they instead had the crazy idea to turn the mansion and its inhabitants into something more on the wackier, less-dangerous-to-mortals side. Thus, they eagerly took the ownership position from the previous owner, who asked Rivulet to keep their name and identity a secret for an unknown reason.

Ever since then, Rivulet spent the next several decades shaping the mansion and its inhabitants as they please, turning them into something that felt like a wacky madhouse of horrors that's as fun and chaotic as they could make it. An unknown amount of time later, Rivulet felt that the mansion was ready to start housing actual people who are not undeads… and their loneliness had reached its peak at that point, too.

Thus, on one particularly uneventful day for the world at large, the crazy mansion owner set off to the nearest city to find someone who'd be interested in living in their home. Or rather, kidnap someone into their home and force them on a tour of the mansion for fun (and to briefly stave off their loneliness), cause surely no one is possibly going to want to live in such a place, right?

Meanwhile, a maroon colored slugcat by the name of Artificer was in trouble- she was caught stealing food, and was being chased by the police officers into the alleyways. She was particularly off her game that day, as she ended up accidentally running into a dead end, and fear had overtaken her as the polices were coming around the corner. But luckily for her, Rivulet had seen the entire chase, as they were watching what's going on out of curiosity- and they decided to pick her as their first mansion visitor!

Before she knew it, the surrounding shadows enveloped her being, and she was teleported to the accursed mansion's front gates. There she was greeted jovially by Rivulet, who revealed themselves to be the one who helped her escape. And that as payment for their help, she was to be the first (living) tourist of the mansion who wasn't allowed to leave until the tour was finished. Torn between feeling grateful for the rescue, and terrified by the appearance and powers of her rescuer, Artificer meekly agreed- and then the tour was on!

Artificer was expecting the mansion to be full of horrifying things that'd give her nightmares at night, and to her surprise, it was only half right. True, the mansion was full of various forms of undeads, from ghosts to animated skeletons to zombies- but they all came off as rather… comical and wacky, instead of terrifying. It's hard to feel scared when they had all acted friendly (to some degree), after all. Against her better judgement, she found herself getting more and more curious about the mansion as the tour went on, especially as Rivulet's crazed yet jovial attitude during the entire thing was putting her at ease.

At some point during the tour, Rivulet lamented lightheartedly about the empty bedrooms in the mansion, and joked that they'd love for someone to live here to give them company. Unbeknownst to them however, this caused an emotional turmoil within Artificer, who's a single mother with 6 kids to feed and no roof over her family and had long since been looking for a chance to improve their living conditions. For the rest of the tour, she was distracted and anxious as she weighed the pros and cons of what she's about to decide.

At the end of the tour, Rivulet took Artificer to the mansion's front gates to sent her off, ready to teleport her back to her family… only to be surprised when she suddenly turned back, and asked if Rivulet was still looking to house someone- several someones. Stunned and confused, the crazy slugcat asked her why, and she launched into a long, emotional explanation of her family's living conditions. The sheer desperation to give her family a chance at a better life all but spilled out, and by the end of her rambles, tears were streaming down her face as she all but begged the mansion owner to let her family stay- even if only for a while.

Pitying the poor mother (and seeing a golden opportunity to finally do something about their loneliness), Rivulet only took a second to say yes, and told her that her family was welcome to stay in the mansion for as long as they need/want- much to her shock and overwhelming relief. The mansion owner then sent her back to her family, so that she could go ahead and tell them the news while they prepare the rooms for her and her little ones. Naturally, they were quite shocked by their mother's news, and a few them were very skeptical. Even Artificer herself was unsure if she could trust Rivulet- but she reasoned that she had already taken their offer and that, at the very least, they should give Rivulet the benefit of doubt if it means a chance at having somewhere to finally call home.

The family's relocation into the mansion was rather tense and rough at the start, naturally, considering the mansion and its inhabitants. But as the months passed by, and Rivulet's invitation to stay at the mansion for as long as they want seemed more and more real, Artificer and her family ended up getting used to the crazies that happen around the place and started to genuinely enjoy living there. The mansion proved to be a bizarre, yet much needed improvement on their living conditions, and so they were finally able to start living a normal life. Or as normal as could be, anyways.

Over time, more and more people started discovering the mansion through chances (or was it fate?), and it started receiving more and more frequent visitors who are curious about the place as a result. From a pair of teenage siblings, to a light priestess (who was sworn to keep the mansion a secret to her fellow priests, lest they try to exorcist the place), to a police officer who's an old friend of Artificer - nowadays the mansion seems livelier than ever!

What shenanigans and adventures will Artificer's family and those visitors be dragged into, and what memories will they make? Let's find out!

#rain world au #rain world downpour #rw artificer #rw rivulet #rivulet mansion #rivulet's mansion

[wanderingchocolateeclair]

Also please tell us more about the circus of death au 🥺🥺🙏🙏

OH!!! Gladly!!! Thank you so much for asking about one of my aus it means a lot :D!

Okay okay- so- Circus of Death au, my beloved, it's been a while so I think I'll do a lore post since I haven't explained much for this one yet.

CIRCUS OF DEATH AU

The Circus of Death (or Dead Circus for shorter convenience) is a circus of dead souls that exist in a magical demonic space between life and death!

They greet those who have stumbled into that realm and provide them with one final performance before death!

Only those who have - died tragically, enter the river that connects the realms, or who wish to join the dead circus - may enter the realm where the circus of death remains.

Spirits who are dead have tickets to the show which allow them to pass peacefully once the performance is over.

Those who wish to join may volunteer as an audience member during the performance - they will die during this and become part of the circus.

Don't eat the carnival food, its made of demonic shadow-y matter and you will just die.

The rest is going under a cut because it is long and also ->

CW // death, graphic details of said deaths, generally dark themes:

-

So. In life there was a circus. People knew it as a 'cursed circus' because they were renowned for constantly having accidents and mishaps and things going wrong.

But they were well known.

The ringmaster - literal piece of shit - had signed a contract with a demonic entity: "Give me fame and money and in exchange I will give to you all the souls that join my circus."

And so, everyone who joined the circus had signed their souls away via a contract without knowing. This caused them to be seen as a whole big massive bargaining chip by both the demonic realm and the ringmaster.

The ringmaster was an asshole and treated his circus as animals and shit. A lot of them were mutilated for his own gain (like hawks having fake wings stitched into his back for show, etc)

- -

Now, for the roles (+ how they died) ->

Tsunagu: Aerialist, did trapeze and aerial silks together with Shinya and he was the centerpiece of the show. (Hung and beheaded. The One Who Started It All.)

Shinya: Partners with Tsunagu, did all the same things. (SURVIVED. The Missing Piece)

Kuugo: escape artist specialising in water tricks and water escape stuff. (The lock jammed and he drowned.)

Hawks: Did acrobatics and aerial tricks. (Wings and props got stuck and he fell.)

Miruko: Did a mixture of circus acts mostly including tumbling and trampolining and knife-throwing. (The scaffolding fell and skewered her.)

Ryuko: Fire tricks such as juggling, fire performance, and such. (Set herself on fire. Down came the circus, alongside her.)

Uwabami: Snake-handler(?), she did tricks with a pit of venomous snakes and also just looked after them. (She fell in.)

Mic: Tightrope tricks, did all sorts of tricks. Also was in charge of announcements and introductions. (He fell as the structure holding the rope broke.)

Aizawa: He did knife-throwing and also looked after the kids with powerloader and midnight in the side tent. (Was crushed by the structure as he rushed out when Mic fell.)

Ectoplasm: Lion-keeper. He took care of them and did small tricks with them. He loved them a lot. (Killed by them and ripped apart by those which he cared for.)

Powerloader: The magician. He did classic magic tricks during breaks and waiting times, and entertains and looks after the audiences/circus members kids during the shows in a side tent with magic and arts and crafts. (Watched everything happen, clawed his eyes out and was killed. The Witness to it All.)

Snipe: Sharpshooter, did tricks with his gun and partnered tricks with Midnight. (Shot himself.)

- -

Now back to plot and lore.

The ringmaster saw Tsunagu as this. Trophy. This shiny little centerpiece for his shows that was the most important thing because he was a) pretty and skilled, and b) made him more famous for a good show.

But, since Shinya came along and partnered with Tsunagu and they were together, he HATED Shinya.

But at this point everyone knew how horrible the ringmaster was, and they were struggling financially.

So the ringmaster plotted. He was going to kill Shinya in a staged accident, which would make Tsunagu not be able to perform, and then the entire Circus -> this way, he could run away with Tsunagu and start ANOTHER circus that was more successful.

And. It worked. But not the way he intended.

Their final performance.

Ringmaster hired a few subordinates to help with the plan, sabotaging most of the equipment and stuff.

Shinya was supposed to be the first death -> he had to step in as the target for someone's knife-throwing, which he had done before.

The knife was supposed to go through his head and kill him, but the guy missed and it went in his eye, and somehow he survived but was too injured to perform. The show continued.

They did a few acts regularly to avoid suspicion and were going to initiate the plan after the break (which is after Tsunagu and Shinya's performance usually)

Tsunagu refused to skip, and went on to perform (despite this being against the ringmasters plan) and his death was the first and only pure accident.

His routine went wrong, he got tangled in his silks and basically slowly hung himself above the ring and no one could get to him bc of the ringmasters meddling.

The ringmaster lost it over this, and ragefully went up and. Cut off his head so that the rest of him could just fall down and the show resumed.

Shinya was knocked out and stuffed into a closet so he couldn't interfere and the rest of the circus members were threatened to continue, some already figuring out what was happening.

The audience also weren't allowed to leave.

Slowly, the acts played out. Sabotaged. Accidents and tragic deaths occurred and one by one, the members of the circus died. Occasionally they were simply just killed by the ones that planned it.

It ended with fire. The tent went up in flames and the ringmaster had already snuck off (with Tsunagu's head). Shinya woke up and managed to escape but he was semi delirious so didn't know what was happening.

The circus burned and the souls were claimed by the demonic entity from before, making them manifest in the other realm. But they don't know themselves, they don't know how they died. Who are they?

Shinya was the only survivor and the missing piece. That and Tsunagu's head.

In order for the circus to regain their sense of self fully, to know who they were and what they are: Shinya must die, Tsunagu's head must be burned and brought back to him, and the ringmaster must be killed.

For now, the only thing they know is to repeat their last performance over and over again in the realm between realms.

They perform and die for other dead souls over and over again, slowly learning who they were. They wear masks that show parts of themselves. But the one who still doesn't know anything about himself is Tsunagu.

He waits.

The Circus is a family, it is a whole piece, and it is waiting for Shinya to come home.

#bnha #eclair's aus #circus of death au #best jeanist #edgeshot #edgejeanist #hakamada tsunagu #kamihara shinya #ectoloader #power loader #ectoplasm #can you tell those guys are also important? #bc they are hehhehe #theres. SO MUCH MORE #but this post is long enough as it is lmao whoopsies #all my aus spawn from/have brainrot spring from listenening to specific music #and this one was from me listening to rtc musical songs on repeat on a 12 hour car journey lol #i went slightly mad #this happened #but ough thank you for asking about this au!!!! #i love it a lot and would love to talk about it some more and i also wanna go into details about their deaths and their spirits and #the parallels between them all #thank you for asking!!!! it got me all excited to see an ask in my inbox hehe i was very happy :] #realising now i have a lot of aus that involve death/an afterlife that is better than their real lives/something about entertainment or joy #within death

[itztheebrybry]

BACKSTORY LORE WARNING - This lore contains scenes of heavy violence, gore, and torture scenes. 

__________

Knife

Knife was once an ordinary pocket tool. An eleven year old pushed away like many of the other children in the foster home. Only the boy’s brother Silver, seemed to stick by his side. To his surprise, the utensil ended up getting adopted. Cobs was his name. Unfortunately this is where the blade’s luck ran out. He still remembers the day vividly. A year of being home. The day his brother was thrown away. The day home no longer felt like home. It didn’t matter how loud he screamed. The cycle of needles to every bit of his body only continued. Day after day, the boy spent his time out of the lab only to stare. Stare at the door that took his brother’s life. Eventually he met a friendlier face. Paint Brush was their name. A child experiment just like himself. Knife warmed up, the blade grateful he would not be alone once more. They had each other for years, slowly adapting to their new lives. The feral utensil was now sixteen. A new face had been introduced. Only this one was not friendly. Trophy. A dominant and assertive beast Knife did not appreciate. A beast that aimed to tear the blade apart. And succeeded. Knife had adapted to many life altering changes. From being a scientist’s plaything, to taking years to recover his blade and bits taken away. All the way to being taken by a phone and awaking in wilderness alone. Even escaped from the torturous labs he continued to adapt. Planning to until he’s finally at peace. For once in Knife’s life, he is in control. 

Paint Brush Cobs first experiment he called them. An experiment for good. An experiment to do nothing but improve the make up of the non binary child. Perhaps this was why the brush was ok to the body mutations. Maybe broken promises were why the artistic tool let Cobs experiment his own artistry. Chipped in the brain. Thinking too long causing their vision to blur and clip. Saturated bile pouring down their throat. Always body pains for the better. Years of manipulation until the scientist went too far.  A kid was thrown away. Taken into a door where they never returned. Paint Brush had never known the spoon that was tossed down the chute. But they couldn’t agree nor accept such a heinous act. The brush began to take notice of another teen, like themselves. A fellow victim of science who did nothing but stare at the door that kept death shunned.  Paintbrush’s heart broke when they saw the young boy engulfed with grief. Only furthering the questions of their creator’s morality. The brush refused to leave the blade alone. Perhaps they could be a pack. Two beasts forever connected due to modifications that would never revert.  Even as they grew, the non-binary teen could only feel guilt as more modified objects were mixed into the experiment. Perhaps this was why Paintbrush didn’t hate Trophy. Even though the beast had nearly succeeded in murdering their best friend. A vile act by a suffering creature. Just like everyone else in the torturous labs. The brush couldn’t fathom once they escaped. Waking up in pitch black woods with only a light as their guide. A light that gave them hope. A light that gave them love. A love they had never felt before. 

YinYang Yin and Yang. Once two beasts that couldn't have been more irregular than the other. Opposites attract they say. Two souls force enquined at their creation. Stuffed potion down each of their throats. Forcefully sewn together like a sickening doll. As if being intertwined wasn't bad enough. Cobs would only continue to experiment on the mutated children.  Yin and Yang had lost count of how many times they had been restrained to a board, poked with more needles than either could count. Yin would always hide. They didn’t want to be hurt anymore. They’d watch as Yang would fight through their shared eyes. He’d admire the spirit of his brother if it didn’t end up in them injured.  It was almost a relief when they had been injected with the last needle either of them could remember. Everything went blurry when they had been scooped up into softer arms. Memories pouring like a leak out of shared head once the woods came into view. Maybe it was made to be this way. A psychical and mental stitch keeping Yin and Yang together neither could fathom. 

Trophy Trophy disliked to remember the past. Never good enough. One second place and they’re tossed away in a foster home. Losers in his eyes. He thought adoption would be better, the naive brain he once had. He was promised a will. A will to be stronger. To change from the loser he once was. The modifications didn’t bother him. The training didn’t bother him, despite gaining cracks here and there on his metal. Not being enough was what bothered him.  Years all muddled. Training all he thought about in his microchipped head. Or perhaps he just fixated on the one thing that kept him from being weak. A guard dog to Cobs. Years in and training gave him a purpose. It didn’t matter what he wanted anyway. He’d do what he was modified to do. And he’d do it well. The winners gold would keep those in line he could.  He’d never forget the day he got his chance. The day he got to put someone in their place. Trophy didn’t mind the blood that stained his claws once the job was over. He’d only lick it away. The metallic taste only further reminding him of his victory. Years later and it’s hard to regret. Yet it also pains to think about. Torn emotions yanking him side to side like the metal does with his own prey.  Regardless of bloodshed he had gained victory. Regardless of friendship he had gained victory. Regardless of having a pack he continues to plan getting victory. The victory of self worth he will win someday.  _____________

That’s all for now! More coming soon! 

#ii trophy #iiknife #ii headcanons #ii fanart #ii knife #inanimate insanity #ii paintbrush #ii yinyang #ii au #inanimate insanity au

[crowleybrekkers]

WOOOO KING GOT AWAY WITH MURDER

#loreswisdom #lore watches the escape artist

[moon-swag-tourney]

please tell me about your blorbos/myshows i have questions

these are all the series/characters i want to hear more about,,, don't fret if your blorbo isn't on here, some of them i just don't want spoilers for, and others are from things I'm already a fan of!

this is. kind of long bc im curious about a lot of things. but if you spot your guy in here feel free to send me an ask or respond to this!! also this is just in alphabetical order lmao

The main things I'm looking for are:

About the character

The premise of the series theyre in

Please assume this has spoilers, btw!

Aruru Otsuki - Revue Starlight

tbh I don't understand what kind of franchise revue starlight is so that's my first question. But I also see that a lot of people love her and i wanna know what's up with that!! i heard a lot about her experiencing potential found family trauma and that's always interesting to see

Bayonetta

this is kind of a weird one bc tbh bayonetta is rlly popular as is, and it's something i've been wanting to get into for awhile, so my main question is: is it inappropriate for minors or could i watch it and if so what's the best order/sequence to watch the games in??

Cure Moonlight / Yuri Tsukikaga - Heartcatch Precure

tbh im just gay on this one. but I saw a lot of love for her even when she had zero propaganda so i wanna know what makes her so beloved by the precure fans?? and tbh if the precure she's in isn't too long i'll probably watch it

Hisoka Mikage - A3!

I'm gonna let you guys on a secret. this dude is the reason I wanted to make this. he only had one submission but on top of being a long one the amnesia storyline just appeals so deeply to me please tell me how I can absorb info about him and/or watch canon events of him oh my god

Judith - Tales of Vesperia

i think i mentioned it in the ask about her but she's seem interesting!! and im always down for some sapphic storylines!! a lot of it is just that ive heard the tales of vesperia name but never really knew what it was, but off of the descriptions i do have i could enjoy it and wanna hear what exactly it's about?

Moonlight Cookie - Cookie Run

i've. tried to get into cookie run before. but i just couldn't bring myself to care. so i guess my question is can you guys please tell me about how she's a lesbian, as someone who has zero bias whatsoever (lying i am a lesbian) and also just what appeals to you about the story so i can maybe give it a second shot?

Sigma Klim - Zero Escape

listen im all for mastermind plots, even if I know the plottwist going into it. ive seen fanart of 999 from an artist i've admired for awhile and it looks like it could be interesting but i don't know what the series is about so please tell me if you don't mind,,

Sirius Gibson - Witch's Heart

im a sucker for games with different endings, and also a sucker for small indie games that have a lot of passion put into them. i'm not actually sure if that's what this, but that's what i assume it is, and it looks interesting enough to give a chance either way? but i don't

Ursula Callistis / Shining Chariot - Little Witch Academia

so uh. fun fact. one of my siblings actually tried to get me into little witch academia once! and then we never continued bc i guessed the plot twist of the teacher being shining chariot, but that was very early on before i'd really gotten attached to anyone. what im trying to say is if you can pitch the writing and/or characters of this that would be epic sldkjf

Vanitas of the Blue Moon - Vanitas no Carte

i honestly can't remember what appealed to me about em off the top of my head, but it mightve been that one post with the gifs going a bit more into the lore of the story? as of now im just a sucker for the aesthetic but i wanna hear more about the premise to see if its my kind of story sdljf

Yue / Yukito Tsukishiro - Card Captor Sakura

i actually have friends who are fans of ccs! well. friends of friends im not super close to but it still counts! i wanna hear more about them bc tbh i both think he could be interesting and im sure said friends would appreciate it :'D i also just don't know a lot about ccs premise though, if you'd like to offer that instead!

#mods questions #i don't. want or know how to tag this :'D

[theminecraftbee]

Quick question, because I've wondering this for ages, what exactly are the watchers and why is watcher!grian such a common headcanon?

they’re from an older series grian, pearl, martyn, jimmy, bigb, and a few others were in, called evo! i have yet to properly watch evo (and probably won’t I just don’t have time I’m sorry) so I’m not the best source on their canon lore. from what I understand they were a mysterious force that left riddles and rewards and punishments for people and helped move them through the minecraft updates (as was the premise of evo). they were also associated with angels to some extent (I’ve seen a picture of that watcher statue it looks like an angel) and were effectively a metaphor for the viewers—hence, watchers!

at the end of grian’s evo series, he beats the dragon and becomes a watcher himself. this is, metaphorically, him leaving the series and him becoming a viewer like the rest of the audience (as evo still continued from there, so metaphorically, grian is a watcher because he, the guy, was a member of the audience watching his friends’ series). however the fandom also enjoys using the watcher stuff as an excuse to make grian a “biblically accurate” angel dude, or to use for angst—a common interpretation (although not the only interpretation) of watchers has them being evil, so “grian was taken by the watchers and forced to become one of them and managed to escape to hermitcraft” has effectively become a stock plot in the fandom. (it doesn’t help that there’s a particular fic that was once extremely popular that helped codify this trope.)

in addition, in martyn’s version of third life/last life specifically, his character occasionally hears voices commanding him to do certain things. at the end of last life, he does some things implying that these voices were watchers, and that they’d created the life series in order to feed of the characters’ suffering. (something something, this still works as a metaphor for an artist having an audience, look I have exactly one part of the watcher stuff I personally latch onto and it’s “oh my god I can be such a pretentious writer about this”.) he also sorta implies watcher!grian is canon in the martyn dub specifically?

notably this isn’t in anyone else’s life series pov, though, and that from what I understand the watchers are actually absent from martyn’s double life pov. also something with his vtuber lore. idk I don’t watch martyn enough to fully explain this one. make of that whatever you will.

watchers are explicitly decanonized from hermitcraft; grian has never intended his lore to involve watchers in hermitcraft and has (more than once I think) brought up that hermitcraft has completely separate stuff he’s doing. this, of course, does not stop fandom, because that do be how fandom do, but like, just be aware that even though some people treat it as the default canon it’s really not, even in the life series arguably unless you’re watching martyn’s pov specifically. so don’t worry about it too much!

anyway you sent this after I wrote the pearl thing so I can also say “I implied that was a watcher but the important thing was that the voice pearl was talking to was metaphorically the audience asking her to justify her actions and expressing it’s sorrow over what had occurred, and pearl responding with her feelings about that”, because like I said, I personally like using watchers to be super pretentious, lol.

anyway I hope this helps!

#answered

[13-rats-in-a-trenchcoat]

Traffic/Evo Watcher headcanon, don't mind me

Ok, so we've known awhile now that the next season of the Life series is going to be released soon, so naturally I've been re-watching the previous seasons and going over POVs I hadn't seen before. While going down this rabbit hole I came across a Martyn stream I missed where he was talking about the Watchers lore and how he and Grian worked on it for Evo and then he kind of altered it from what Grian originally imagined (i.e. the Watchers being representative of us, the audience, who watch them for entertainment) to the more sinister lore we Traffic connoisseurs are familiar with today. This got me thinking. A lot. Too much even. What if we, the audience, were STILL the Watchers? I'm not talking about for the Life series or Evo series specifically, I'm thinking more broad spectrum, like across the MCYT multiverse type thing. I like a cohesive story, and I like puzzles, and when there are stories that look like they could be pieces of a bigger puzzle I enjoy smooshing them together in one giant headcanon that more or less makes sense, so here we go.

The canon lore we have (as I understand it anyway) is as follows: the Watchers first made themselves known during Evo, where they messed with the Evolutionists as they went through each Minecraft update, ultimately separating them for the final dragon fight where Grian would leave Evo and become a Watcher himself. From there the Listeners (who I know diddly squat about) got involved and helped the Evolutionists escape the Evo server, thus getting them away from Watcher influence. Or so they hoped. The Watchers somehow regained power over the Players that were involved in Evo, along with some of their friends, and put them in what is essentially a never-ending loop of death games as punishment for their defiance. Grian didn't like how the Watchers operated, so he left them to join his friend in the death games. The Watchers feed off the Players' negative emotions, but leave their memories, thus enabling them to start fresh each season without holding on to previous grudges (though considering Impulse's thing with BDubs and the clock and Tango's rage that might not be entirely effective)

This is where my headcanon comes in. The Watchers are a group of people/sentient beings of some kind who feed off of the negative emotions of others and watch their misery and struggles for entertainment. They're a mischievous bunch, some might even say troll-like (of the internet variety, not like in fairy tales), and at least two of them enjoy speaking in rhyme, i.e. they're artistic and dramatic. Sound familiar? Because to me this description sounds very much like the wider MCYT fanbase, especially the fan artists/writers. I mean come on, when have we NOT jumped at the opportunity to turn a pretty normal moment into the angstiest piece of writing/art imaginable. Case in point, Mumbo and Grian at the ghast farm in Last Life. They were giggling through that whole interaction, yet I've watched SEVERAL angsty animatics about just that one scene and I've loved every second of it.

This next bit is likely a pretty big reach, but the thought popped into my head and wouldn't go away so I would just like to get it out there. Grian doesn't really interact with his comments on an individual basis, but he definitely has addressed the more negative ones, especially the ones that go after his friends when they're on an opposing side of whatever war he's started at that moment in time. This ties in pretty well with him not liking the way the Watchers operate in my opinion, and it also ties in with him leaving the Watchers to help his friends. Not necessarily directly, but more in the sense of the vibes matching up.

We currently don't know enough about the Watchers to definitively say how plausible this headcanon of mine is, like we don't know exactly how many Watchers there are, or how many Listeners there are, or what separates a Watcher from a Listener, or really any info about the Listeners in general. I do think it's a pretty fun headcanon though, and until it is directly contradicted this is how I will view the Watchers. Thank you for reading my essay.

#the watchers #evo smp #traffic life series #last life #trafficblr #watcher headcanon #limited life #third life

[banana-zim]

SCENT OF STEAM CONTEST WINNERS

Thank you to everyone who joined the first SCENT OF STEAM art contest, for the band @scentofsteam!! Every entry received was appreciated, and it meant a lot to us to have you guys enjoy the music and create something from it. Both myself and the band were judges for the entries, and the results and commentary are down below. I will be DM'ing the winners individually for their prizes~

1ST PLACE - @nichiperi

Scent of Steam: This fits the vibe of Emotions are Social perfectly. A quiet loneliness with an ever watching eye. Bleeding in a monitored solitude. Not to mention the composition used in this piece. The bright contrasts draw your attention into every detail. BananaZim: This piece feels like it should be one of the classics you see in museums, from the decaying texture on the canvas, to the classic style of painting/shading/coloring/shapes. The colors used in this piece are immediately attention-grabbing, and the composition is elegance at its finest. The eye in the sky is an immediate winner, too - this piece is something burned into my brain, and I constantly think of it.

2ND PLACE - chxoticspecter (Instagram)

Scent of Steam: I feel this piece not only comments on Emotions are Social, but the album as a whole. The caskets pointing venomously towards the bleeding heart while eyes drip with memories of blood from the bottom. Absolutely fantastic.

BananaZim: I knew the moment I saw this, it was instantly placed for a winning spot. The anatomical heart is a symbol close to my own, and the gradients add such a powerful touch here. I also love the fine details on the heart and the coffins around it. It perfectly captures the song.

3RD PLACE -@faithfulwhispers-art

Scent of Steam: Dark, decaying, empty. Like someone wandering through old, decrepit memories, unable to escape. Things they no longer wish to see but are forced to relive again and again. As the years move on, the place the memories reside begins to crumble and distort, yet they cannot leave. A perfect fit for Room in the House of Lore.

BananaZim: Faith has a talent to take a song and create the exact imagery and environment the song is projecting. It was pretty damn spooky just how perfectly this piece was set up, from the broken down house, to the construction pieces in the back, to the foreground pieces. Also, the entire thing is glazed over in this dark, rich red, showcasing the artist's coloring skills.. I love how this draws you in.

HONORABLE MENTION - @spanglespants

Scent of Steam: This was heavily considered for 3rd place and needed to have at least a mention made. I find myself with this image in my head quite a lot. Not this exact picture, but the dark silhouettes of power lines and trees, with the last dying lights of the sun illuminating the horizon. This has always been a scene that has attracted my eyes, with the anticipation of the stars coming out for the night. This moment is captured perfectly in this picture.

BananaZim: Scent of Steam and I were sold on this photograph when we saw it. As stated, it absolutely needed to be recognized in our results as an honorable mention. The lavender/blue sky that has just a single star and the distant moon, to the telephone lines... It whispers to me a liminal space, or a wash of nostalgia. It also was a beautiful fit to the album, and to the songs referenced, and it deserves more eyes on it.

#scent of steam #scent of steam contest #art contest