drew a tour poster for the lovely @earlgreytea68 in honor of Swan Song officially being published as a book!!! I love the story so much and I’m so proud of them— I wish I could read it. make sure to check that out if you can!!!!!! for this I thought I should keep the original concept of my design for banter and badinage’s art, but I expanded on it— attempted to mature it, in a way. I’m not sure if that came through.

💀Wed 28 Oct ‘20🏡

Zayn is back, Louis has pink hoodies (sort of), Liam is tik tokking like a pro, Harry feeds fish, Simon Cowell’s surgery recovery has stalled and is going poorly (great! couldn’t have happened to a more deserving human), but we’ve got too much real news to waste anymore time on that asshole! 

We ended last night with ZAYN SINGING TO US!! Beautiful black and white footage of beautiful Zayn and his perfect voice; he shows us little snippets of himself crooning James Bay's Hold Back the River and Paolo Nutini's Last Request (not for the first time on this one, he did this song before in the lead up to Icarus Falls... more on that in a minute) while reading lyrics off his phone, captioned 'Cover Sessions.' Good god but I have missed his ethereal warbling! The post alone is an unexpected blessing and a gift but the implied promise of more to come?? YES PLEASE I CANNOT WAIT. Some wonder if it could be for a Spotify Sessions, others are screaming about how Icarus Falls' drop was preceded by weeks of black and white cover song videos on instagram (when asked at that time if he was releasing something he said “yes why else do you think I'd be on here singing for you??” LOL, adore this man, but also, hello!) Anyway yesterday we got not only music and the promise of more to come, but also interaction! He chatted in comments, offering a coy 'maybe' to a comment saying 'acoustic', posting laugh cry emojis at his own jokes (“no YOU stop”), and sending love back to his happy zquad, who were of course overwhelmed and over the moon. He's cut his hair off but with all he's given us today can we be sad? It's a small price to pay. James Bay reposted the cover of his song-- “nice one man x.”

Then, Louis officially dropped his Kill My Mind Lyric drop (on the 28th!!!):  the lyric being represented is “the devil in my brain”, and it is indeed a skull with a tophat over a cauldron. The new stuff features the cute little logo embroidered on various black cold weather wear items (including a sweater!) and says 'lyric drop 2' inside the collar of the shirts. BUT! There’s more! We’ve got some more wavy walls hoodies in pink lettering, as well as fuzzy red lettering and a marble red and pink design. Love it! However, it was discovered that this new merch does not ship to India or LATAM (except Costa Rica) and honestly?? RUDE!! Louis’ LATAM fans are the FUCKING BEST (no I’m not biased wdym???). They do, however, ship to Vatican City for some reason so catch the Pope in his Walls merch! Louis did respond to this issue on twitter, though, and said, “I’ll get more info on this ASAP. Anywhere else?” so dioceses all over the world will soon be able to rock out in their KMM merch. Celebtm also came back for round three to tell everyone that they were removing themselves from the narrative until January (good riddance), but not before leaving a message from Michael Straus (ugh) to Louis and his “son” (the quote marks are theirs, not mine, in case you’re wondering where they stand on the issue). Straus’ last hurrah included claims that Briana gets a direct deposit from Louis (or his team) on the first of every month, spends it all immediately and is left destitute for the rest of the month, and that neither Briana nor Freddie have health insurance. He then offered to help Louis get custody of Freddie. Um, right. I’m sure his help would be invaluable. Also, we all agree that he’s a liar and likely doesn’t know shit and is trying to make himself seem like the hero instead of the gross misogynist he is right? 

A story was also released about Harry’s car breaking down in the UK over the summer. He did what anyone would do (I suppose?) and knocked on someone’s door to see if they could help. Well, it turns out their daughter is a fan, so they invited him in for a cup of tea, and allowed him to snoop around her room. They even took a picture of him feeding her goldfish! The photographer who took the picture is (coincidentally?) a professional, who has worked with Kasey Musgraves before. The fan did not get to meet him, but he signed her album, and left her a note promising to meet her at a concert, which he would be inviting them to. Harry has done some other cool things in the last few days (being politically active IS cool), and has started filming DWD in Palm Springs. He was spotted by a fan (though no pictures were released) and he signed her phone cover - it reads “Golden” with a little heart. 

Harry also ignited discourse by *shuffles papers,scratches head in confusion* his endorsement of Joe Biden? Well, there were a few layers to this condemnation. The first were the people who... thought he might be a Trump supporter and were disappointed that he was not? Well, uh, clearly they have not been paying close attention, because this man has been seen this year in a BLM rally, has shouted “fuck Boris, fuck the government”, and has waved multiple different pride flags (including the trans flag!) at his concerts. IDK how that screamed Trump supporter to some people. And then there were the people who were angry that he captioned the tweet “I would vote with kindness”. The words I have seen thrown around are “disingenuous” “privileged” and “this is not enough.” Well! Harry has often been criticized for encouraging fans to simply “vote” without talking specifics; now he's endorsed a candidate, just as requested! And while no one actually LIKES Biden there is no question (in any world except absurd fandom wank circles) that this endorsement is the correct one out of the viable candidates. He is not saying that Biden is himself kind, which yes would be weird, he is saying that voting for Biden is the kinder choice and you know what? He is correct. If you think that we at 1ddotd are gonna condemn him for taking a stance against a fascist, uh, THINK AGAIN!

It was confirmed that Liam’s mystery collab is Dixie D’Amelio, of tik tok fame, and I’m going to refrain from commenting until I hear the song! Liam continues to lean into both Christmas and Halloween by doing his spooky tik toks and NOT putting jump scare warnings in ANY OF THEM, thanks so much for that one Liam, love it loads! His fun, spooky, dorky ones (in full AWESOME looking makeup thanks to MUA Abby Roberts who’s quickly becoming a regular) are amazing though, and I will miss it when Halloween is over. And Niall was on the Elvis Duran show, mid-golf game with his cousin actually, to talk about them about his concert, the venue, the cause (calling his crew “like family”), and calling out the government (go Niall!)! He ALSO took to twitter and said, “I wish I could vote”. He would also not be voting for Trump, in case anyone actually needs that spelled out.

Tips for first-timers in Zines

Hello! I hope you don’t mind if I show your question like this @angel-of-darkness-217 ; this is something I would’ve loved to know when I started applying to zines myself, and that I’m sure it will help more people who are thinking of applying to this one.

There are many different types of zines out there; free, for charity, for profit, only for artists, focused on writers, focused on merch (like tarot projects), and with all kinds of contributors working in them. Every zine is unique, so their applications may vary, but there are a few essential things you always need to take into consideration if you want to be a contributor to one of them.

I will divide this answer into the different stages of a zine for a better organization.

Getting interested in a zine

When you first bump into a zine, all zines look like shiny little jewels you want to get your hands on asap. However, a lot of zines sadly fail through in their earliest stages, so you need to take into consideration a couple of things before thinking of applying:

Who’s the mod team? Try to find a list/post with some information about the mods of that project. See if they have prior experience in modding a project like this one. If they have experience, there are more chances that the project will follow through until the end. Be careful, though! Zines with heavily experienced mods can also fail for multiple reasons, and people without experience can also produce a really good product. It all depends on the next points.

Check their FAQ and guidelines. A properly structured FAQ including details of the project shows very well the organization of the team. A good FAQ makes a good project. I’d also advise you to read through the FAQ to make sure you’re really interested in the project.

Is the mod team communicative? Do they answer questions regularly? Are they clear in their answers? Are they polite? Do you think you’ll be comfortable working with them? Have they answered all the questions you’ve left in their ask box? (check if it has been answered before or that you’ve left them enough time, though) If you have answered with “No” to one or several of these questions, I’d rethink my wishes to apply to that project.

Remember, if a project doesn’t follow one or two of these points it doesn’t necessarily mean the project itself is bad. However, this is what you ideally need to find in a project like this.

Applications

Now it comes one of the most nerve-wracking parts of a zine: applications. You really want to get into this project, and you want your application to knock the mods off their feet. Applications may feel daunting, but they’re pretty straight-forward once you get the hang of them!

Follow the guidelines carefully. Mods usually leave some rules for applications, like the number of samples, the maximum word count, the theme, etc. Make sure you follow all these rules, or else you risk your app being disqualified.

Make sure your work is easily accessible. Make sure the mods will have no issues viewing your samples (for example, that the links you’re posting aren’t restricted only to your followers, that the link is still active until the end of the applications period, or that you’re sending the correct link). Mods can’t give you a score if they can’t see your work. 

Answer all the questions as clearly as possible. Make sure to read them all carefully before submitting your app. Don’t worry if you have to take a while to write a proper answer, or if you need to ask the mod team about clarifications for some questions -- Mods will gladly answer any doubt you have. 

Make sure your application fits the theme. Normally, it doesn’t matter much if your samples stray a bit from the theme of a zine, but some zines ask specifically for samples that fit a certain, general theme, like nature, love, fairy tales, etc. For zines like that (and essentially all zines if you want to get more attention from the mods), it is nice to make a bigger effort to find samples that fit the theme. A very important note! To all artists who also apply as a merch artist, please don’t apply with the same samples you used for your artist application. It shows a lack of care and it might hinder the mods’ opinion on you. Including actual designs for merch in your samples and/or portfolio helps a lot.

Offer pitches if they ask for them. Sometimes it’s not obligatory, but well-explained pitches really show how interested you’re in the zine. It will leave a good impression on the mods! Again, don’t worry if you need to take some days to think about them, and get feedback if you need it. Just make sure you submit it before apps close.

Have a good portfolio. Our dear Mod Dev has written this post about what makes a good portfolio. It’s a very interesting read, so I recommend you read it, guys!

Again, if you don’t follow one or two of these rules it won’t affect your application much. Mods are pretty flexible, and they can adapt to most situations without hindering their opinion on the application. However, it will look really good if you do follow them.

And remember the most important rule of them all:

Don’t be discouraged if you get rejected. Sometimes zines get too many applications and have very limited contributors spots. Mods see themselves in a situation where they have to choose between several really good applications and discuss for hours to see who they accept and who they reject. 

Being rejected doesn’t mean you’re bad; sometimes, someone else’s application fits the theme better, they explained themselves better, or they were just very lucky and were chosen over you. So, please, don’t let a rejection email let you down and keep trying! 

Most of the people who have participated in a zine sometime have been rejected heaps of time before. I have been rejected dozens of times before (at this point it’s part of the zine experience*). However, if you keep trying and learn from your mistakes, it’s only a matter of time until you get into one yourself.

You won’t get in if you don’t try.

*And please, remember not to bring someone else down if they have been accepted in the zine you wanted to get in, and never, never say they got accepted because of their popularity. Most mods score blindly or know they can’t be influenced by someone’s popularity, and that someone has already been rejected dozens of times before, just like you.

They have tried just as hard as you, and they were lucky enough to get in, so make sure to congratulate them.

Creation process

You’ve finally gotten into a zine, cool! However, there are still a few things you need to take into consideration while working in a zine.

Follow the zine guidelines. Be it dimensions, standardizations, limited word counts, etc., make sure you follow them. Every contributor has a limited space assigned to them in a zine, so make sure you can stay within those limits and ask for help if you need it.

Be communicative, ask questions and be patient. Don’t be afraid to ask questions to your team -- mods are there to organize the project, and they will gladly answer any question you may have. But remember to be patient; modding a zine is a hard job, and sometimes the team needs to discuss the answer to your question before they can give you an answer. Don’t worry; your answer will come eventually. Feel free to remind them if they haven’t answered you in a while, though; they may have forgotten about it!

Follow check-ins down to a T and in time. Check-ins are there to help you go through your workload seamlessly while letting the mods see what you’re creating. It still shows the mods that you’re still very interested in the zine - they won’t know if they have to find someone else for your position if you don’t answer. Don’t be afraid to ask for an extension if you need it.

If you’re a writer, find a beta. Some zines offer betas for their writers, but some don’t. However, that doesn’t mean your work doesn’t need to be anything less than the best (after all, it gets to be in a zine!). Try to find a beta to spot any mistakes you could’ve missed before submitting the final piece.

If you follow all these points, I’m sure the mod team will love you forever. 

Preorders/Shipping

All the final pieces have been submitted and the zine has been assembled, so now preorders start. You obviously want this project you’ve worked so hard on to succeed, and you can actually help to make that happen if you follow these little tips:

Reblog the Preorders open post in all your social media. And if you have social media where the mods don’t have accounts for, post the link yourself! You want to attract as many buyers as possible, and that will only happen if we spread the word.

Make sure you post a preview of your work if the mods ask you to. Previews help hesitant people to finally decide to buy a zine. If you like the concept of a zine but you don’t know if you really want to pay $X for it (remember, zines are usually quite expensive), some cute art and snippets can convince even the most stubborn of buyers!

Ask for updates. See how things are doing and help promote preorders and events like giveaways if necessary. You can also ask for photographic proof when the physical zines get to the mods in charge of shipping; who doesn’t love to see shiny, beautiful products all of you have worked so hard for?

Sometimes, zines don’t make enough money to provide their contributors with a free copy of the zine. It’s really sad, but it happens. And if you’re sad, believe me when I say that the mods are absolutely devastated; they’ve made their biggest effort to lower the expenses as much as possible, but math sometimes just laughs at them in return. If it comes to this, be supportive and, if you want a copy of the zine, try to find alternatives; see if you can buy the zine at production cost, or if you can pitch in with the shipping/fees expenses.

And that’s about it! If you follow these points, I’m sure your experience in the zine scene will be very enjoyable! If you have any questions about them, feel free to ask. Our ask box is always open :D

Lots of love,

Mod Lie

When Heartbeats Collide Chapter 1

Kairi, a budding pop star is out of luck when her music producer suddenly has to take a leave of absence. But an up and coming producer by the name of Sora could be just what she needs to finish her album (and spice up her life).

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Chapter 1: A New Partnership

“Click, tap tap, click.” the sounds of my laptop echoed in the small studio room. Often times, I liked to coop up in here whenever inspiration struck; and last night I had been fortunate enough to strike a gold mine of it. I had been re-watching sleeping beauty for the millionth time and upon this particular re-watch the movie had made me think about the implications of love at first sight. Or I guess, in her case love at first sleep. I thought that it might be an interesting metaphor to talk about love from a dream like state of mind or perspective. I wanted to emulate an airy sound and make the listener feel like they were up in the clouds listening to angels.

I had finished the first verse, the chorus, and had settled on doing the song in Bflat minor. As I hummed potential melodies to myself, a sudden knock interrupted my thoughts.

“Come in!” I called. The door clicked open and my assistant Selphie entered.

“Hey Kairi! How’s the song writing going today?” she asked. She gently smiled at me and walked over.

“Well… I’m having trouble thinking of a bridge and a second verse, but other than that I’m making good progress.”

“I’m glad to hear it!” she exclaimed. “I know you’ve been having writer’s block lately, so it’s great you finally un-stuck yourself. Unfortunately, you’ll have to finish working on this later; your meeting starts in 10.” She checked her watch and gave me an apologetic look. I glanced at the time on my phone: 11:50PM. Right on the dot, as Selphie always was.  

“Oh fun,” I groaned. “My favorite part of the month.”

“That’s why I brought you your favorite: iced caramel coffee with a shot of espresso and extra creamer!” I had been so absorbed in my work that I hadn’t yet noticed the coffee in her hand. “I also got you one of those overpriced snack boxes at Papoubucks because I know you forget to eat when you go into these creative frenzies. Seriously! You’ve been in here for hours.” The time had really flown by; we had gotten here around 8 and it was already noon now.

“Thanks Selph. I swear, I don’t know what I’d do without you sometimes.”

“Probably starve to death and go into cardiac arrest from caffeine withdrawal.”

We erupted into a fit of giggles at the snide remark. As I took a much, much needed sip of coffee (my insomnia had been particularly bad lately) Selphie helped me pack up my belongings. On the walk to the conference room I began explaining my new song to her.

“Have you decided on a name yet?” she asked.

“Some contenders I have are dreamy, cloud, and maybe rem? You know, the stage of sleep you have dreams in. Or at least that’s what web MD said.”

“I never like looking up medical problems on there, it just always tells me that I have cancer and that I’m going to die or that I’m pregnant,” she chortled. “Out of those names though I think I like rem the best.”

“Selphie, you’re supposed to take the advice from websites like that with a grain of salt.” I giggled, before continuing. “But yeah, I think I’ll go with rem; it has more meaning behind it than the other names.”

“Look sometimes I get curious and can’t resist looking my symptoms up! Anyway, it sounds like you’re making a really sweet love song! It’s a pretty interesting concept too. I’m sure I’ll love it when you’re done with it.”

Our conversation came to a halt as we arrived at the conference room. We took our seats in the black leather chairs, and unpacked our belongings as members of my team arrived. Selphie readied a pen and notebook to record important points from the meeting. Glancing up, I saw my manager Aqua make her entrance. We made eye contact and she smiled warmly at me; I grinned back. She always wore suits, but today she was sporting a slightly more casual outfit: a navy button up shirt tucked into a pair of black jeans. Her black heels clicked on the tiles and I noticed that she had her sleeves rolled up; probably due to the recent heatwaves. Destiny Islands was famous for having the highest temperatures out of all the worlds, especially during summer.

The rest of my team followed suit behind Aqua: Olette (the head of my PR team), Xion (head of my marketing team), and Marluxia (performance coordinator).  Olette was donning a flowing orange sundress with wedge sandals, Xion was wearing a sleek grey suit, and Marluxia was sporting a pink polo shirt with jeans. Aqua briefly scanned the room to make sure all members of my team were accounted for before starting.

“Alright guys let’s get started. I know I want to take my lunch break just as much as you all,” Aqua said. The room filled with soft laughter at the cheeky comment.

“First things first, let’s check in with you Kairi. How much progress have you made on your album since our last update?”

“Well…” I fidgeted with my pen as I skimmed over my notes. “I have about 5 songs that I finished writing lyrics for. I’m in the process of finish a 6thsong right now. How much time do I have left before the album has to be finalized?”

Aqua paused for a moment and glanced at her laptop.

“I met with Mickey, the head of the department and he said he’d like to have it finalized by September so… that gives you about 4 more months. He also said you needed to have at least 10 songs on the album, if not more.”

“That’s cutting a little bit short but as long as I have Pence to help me finish writing it should be okay. Is he going to be back soon?”

“Well… about that. Pence’s younger brother finally found a kidney donor.”

“Really?! That’s great!” I smiled and clasped my hands. They had been waiting for 6 months at this point. I sighed in relief, things would finally be okay for Pence’s family again.

“I know!” Aqua beamed back at me. “However, because of that he’s decided to take a leave of absence to help out his family back in Twilight Town. Which unfortunately means we have no music producer for you for a while.  However, no need to fear manager Aqua is here! I’ve already recruited some local producers to replace Pence in the meantime. If you don’t click with any, I can always look for more candidates, but it would be easier if you chose one of them for convivence’s sake. I’ll email you their resumes and sample songs for you to look over later. I even took the liberty to schedule interviews with them for this evening so we can get the ball rolling ASAP.”

My anxiety began to flare up at the prospect of interviewing strangers. Writing music was such an emotional and personal process for me; not to mention with someone completely new. Pence had helped me write some of my greatest radio hits and I trusted him so much. It was going to be difficult having to go without him this time.

“Thanks, Aqua, I’ll look over them during lunch. When are the interviews?” I responded, trying to mask the shakiness in my voice. I hid my hands under the table as they shook.

“I have 3 candidates; interviews start at 3PM with 30 minute time blocks for each candidate. Don’t worry, you’ll get out of here no later than 5 today. And with that out of the way, let’s move on to the next topic!”

Chatter broke out into the room and I began munching on my snack. Olette and Selphie discussed some modeling opportunity for ‘Destiny’ magazine, but I was barely paying attention. I breathed slowly, trying to calm down from the anxiety eating away at me until Olette interjected.

“Hey Kairi, have you heard of the Radiant Garden Met Gala? Yuffie is one of the fashion designers for this year; I met her at a networking conference last week. Apparently, she’s a big fan of yours and asked if she could have the honor of designing for you!” She pushed a stray hair behind her ear as she beamed at me excitedly.

The Met Gala was one of the biggest annual fashion events throughout all the worlds. While I never really cared for the press at big events, getting dressed up and admiring all of the designer’s hard work was my favorite thing about red carpet events.

“I’d love to attend, Selphie do I have room in my schedule for it?”

“Mmmmm…” she paused as she flipped through her planner, “Yeah! It is cutting it a bit close to your performance for the Island’s summer fest but definitely doable. Olette, can you give me Yuffie’s email so that I can coordinate the consultation and fitting?”

Olette nodded and began typing away at her laptop. Xion then stepped up to show some new merch designs for the team to look over on the projector. Aqua and I approved some, and requested alterations on others for her team to work on. Marluxia and Selphie then discussed some future performance dates. By the time the meeting was finished, my coffee and snack box were no more. Everyone fled out of the room saying their goodbyes quickly, excited for lunch.

“Hey Kairi, what are you in the mood for? Why don’t you go prepare for those interviews while I go pick up lunch?” Selphie asked.

“How about comfort food? Maybe some pad thai from that Asian place on Shinjitsu street?” I desperately needed something to calm my nerves with how on edge I felt.

“Oh, I love their orange chicken! I’ll head out now, be back in a flash! I wanna take a look at those resumes too when I get back. A new producer, how exciting!” she squealed. Grabbing her purse, she dashed out the door. I quickly packed up and headed back to my studio room. Once there, I made myself comfortable at the desk and pulled up my email.

Hey sweetheart!

Here are the 3 candidates I’ve picked out for you: Hayner, Seifer , and Sora. The first two have worked with some of my other artists I manage, and Sora was a recommendation from Xion herself. Apparently, they went to college together and he works with some of her other merchandise clients. As a reminder, interviews start at 3PM! I’ve told them to just meet you in your studio. Good luck and remember to check in with me tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Aqua

Artist Manager at Destiny Island Records

Deciding it was best to just go in order, I clicked on the first file titled ‘hayner.docx’. Previous artists he’d worked with included big names like Yuna and Paine. Yuna was well known for fast paced hip hop EDM songs and Paine did a lot of alternative rock. At least he was multifaceted, but neither genre was exactly my cup of tea. I clicked on the links to the sample songs listed but was only slightly impressed.

Then, I pulled up Seifer’s resume. Apparently, he’d been behind some of the top hits lately; many that I knew and enjoyed. I didn’t even need to take a listen to the samples; I knew the songs already. However, his style didn’t fit the vibe I was trying to go for on this album.  It was way too… club music-y and sexual. Before I even got a chance to look at the last candidate, Selphie waltzed in.

           “Kairi! I’m back!” the plastic bags crinkled loudly as she set them down on the table. She handed me my food and started to dig into hers before barraging me with questions.

           “So, have you looked at the resumes yet? What do you think so far?”

           “I’ve only looked at two. I’m not particularly interested in Hayner and Seifer is a maybe. I haven’t had a chance to look at this ‘Sora’ guy yet though.” I turned my laptop to her.

           “Wow the first two guys seem pretty accomplished! What’s wrong with the Hayner guy?”

           “His style doesn’t really fit with my vision for this album. I’m also not a punk or rock singer.”

           “Oh, I guess that’s true. Why is Seifer a maybe?”

           “I feel like he has a good track record for making hit singles, but that’s the only reason I’m considering him.”

           “You don’t need a producer to make hits! You have some of the best, no, thebest vocals I’ve ever heard. Don’t go with him just because you think he’s the technically correct choice. Why don’t we take a look at the last guy tog-e-herfmmf?”

           “After I finish my lunch. And Selphie, I love you but please don’t talk with your mouth full of food.”

           “Hey!” she pouted, and her face made me burst into a fit of giggles.

           Selphie scarfed down her lunch in 2 minutes while I ate my pad thai at a reasonable pace. She may have looked tiny and ladylike on the outside, but the girl was a monster when it came to food. There was a reason she didn’t do dinner dates on the first date; I’ve never met anyone with a more bottomless stomach than her.

           “Kairiiiii, I’m trying to be patient but you’re taking so long to eat! Can I just start looking at the Sora guy now?”

           I rolled my eyes. “It’s not my fault you eat at the speed of light. Are you sure you’re human?”

           She smacked my shoulder lightly and pouted.

           “Sorry, sorry. Yeah go ahead. Once Selphie had finished skimming the written portion, she played one of the sample songs. The song was soft and gentle, and a beautiful tenor voice sang over it.

           Don’t get me wrong I love you

           But does that mean I have to meet, your father

           When we are older, you’ll understand what I meant when I said no

           I don’t think, life is quite that simple

I was hooked. It was exactly the tone I was looking for with the added bonus of meaningful lyrics. Selphie noticed my eyes widen and sniggered.

           “There’s more sample songs listed, I’m assuming you want to hear the rest?”            “Yes please.” I immediately answered. She giggled once more at my eagerness.

           A sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah

           Where fears and lies melt away

           Music in time

           I need more affection than you know

           What’s left of me, what’s left of me

The first song had been a bit more upbeat but this one sounded heavenly and dreamy… which is exactly what I had wanted for the song I was working on this morning. I quickly scarfed down the rest of my food before beckoning Selphie to give the laptop back.

           “Quite the eager beaver we have here huh?”

           “Shut up. I just happen to like these samples okay?”

I wiped my hands off on a napkin before scrolling back to the top of the resume. He had only worked with lesser known artists, and only had two years in the industry under his belt. Experience or not, it was obvious the guy was gifted. I absolutely needed to meet this man.

Getting To Know...

Runrummer.

Following press acclaim and BBC Introducing support for her debut single 'Good For Nothing,' London singer-songwriter and producer Runrummer drops another new track lifted from her upcoming debut EP Soul Wrinkles (set for release on November 9). 'Penny Drop' was co-produced with Rob Daniels at the Cafe Music Studio (Jon Hopkins, Brian Eno, Imogen Heap) and the dreamy electropop track is on streaming platforms now.

We had a quick chat with the emerging artist about her influences, new single, upcoming EP and more. Read the Q&A below.

Who is Runrummer?

"My real name is Livi Morris. I’m 24 years old and I’m currently based in East London, although I grew up in a town called Bromsgrove on the outskirts of Birmingham. I’m an alt-pop singer, songwriter and producer with a big love of vibey synths. Currently building up to the release of my debut EP Soul Wrinkles.

"Prior to embarking on my solo adventure as an independent artist, I cut my teeth writing lyrics for EDM artists like Showtek and The Chainsmokers back in 2012 when I was only 18. Unfortunately a few bad experiences led me to breakaway from the music industry and focus on university for a while, much to the relief of my mum and dad. Fast forward 4 years later, it wasn’t until I moved down to London and started a normal 9-5 office job that I realised I’d made a huge mistake and decided to get back into music ASAP. Everything you’re now hearing is the result of me having a quarter life crisis in March 2017 and I couldn’t be happier. All my songs are very personal and they all confront different struggles I’ve had with mental health, sexuality and/or sexual identity. I love music because it gives you a platform to tell your story and connect with people and I hope to be able to do that through my songs."

Who or what has the biggest influence on your music and songwriting?

"This is a difficult question - there are so many people and styles which have inspired me over the years! Growing up the biggest inspiration from my Dad was definitely David Bowie. Whenever my mum was out we would listen to all his Bowie records back-to-back. I’m really inspired by anything from the 70s and 80s, and in fact my name Runrummer actually comes from the famous Rum Runner nightclub which helped launch classic 80s bands like Duran Duran and Dexys Midnight Runners back in the day. I grew up with my Dad talking about that place like it was a shining beacon of light on the Brummie music scene, so the name Runrummer is sort of a nod to my Dad and to Birmingham as a whole, and particularly the music that influenced me growing up.

"More recently I’ve been really inspired by other fierce LGBT female artists like King Princess and Hayley Kiyoko. Those girls are absolutely killing it right now, and the message they’re spreading really resonates. When I was younger I was really scared to write or sing songs about girls so candidly, but they’re paving the way and helping to smash those fears for everybody. I saw King Princess the other week at XOYO and I’m seeing Hayley next week at 02 Academy Islington. I honestly couldn’t be more excited. Would love to work with them both one day…I’m keeping my fingers crossed! Would be great to see more UK LGBT female artists reaching a similar level of recognition."

Definitely! You've just released your latest single 'Penny Drop'. What was the inspiration behind this track?

"‘Penny Drop’ tries to capture that feeling when you’re in a relationship and you realise that something’s not quite right. That penny drop moment where suddenly everything makes sense and becomes very clear. The story follows two lovers who realise it’s over, but at different points and in their own separate ways. The coffee shop narrative is an interesting one. Everyone has they’re own place of escapism and the coffee shop tries to be symbolic of that. It’s a place to run away and find calm on a cold rainy evening when all hope is lost. The image in my mind was very much inspired by Edward Hopper’s painting ‘Nighthawks’."

Prior to 'Penny Drop' you released your debut single and video 'Good For Nothing'. What's the story behind this song and it's visuals?

"‘Good For Nothing’ is a song about struggling with mental health and the way that struggle can change you as a person, feeling sometimes like you have two identities and a darker side which you can’t control. As a listener I suppose it could sound like I’m talking about a lover, but in reality I’m calling out this darker side of myself. It’s all very self-reflective and inward looking. The way it creeps in is almost like a lover you can’t resist. “You hold my hand, I feel my face is blushing” – that’s this other side of me coming in and taking control and I’m helpless to stop it. Then the chorus is sort of like a descent into blissful madness and we really tired to capture this in the music video.

"The style of the video was inspired by the TV show ‘Black Mirror’ - particularly an episode called ‘White Bear’. Musically the track was very much inspired by another fantastic female artist called Merryn Jeann (you should really check her out!!), her collaborations with Tora and Mome and the electro-chill-vibes coming from YouTube channels like The Sound You Need and La Belle Musique. This is often how I find most new music, just by trawling through YouTube!"

'Good For Nothing' and 'Penny Drop' are both taken from your upcoming debut EP Soul Wrinkles. What can you tell us about the release?

"‘Soul Wrinkles’ was actually the quickest song to write and record. I think it sums up the whole EP quite nicely, which is why I chose it as the lead name and the final track to close. I’ve got all these experiences and stories which have made me into the person I am today, and I see all these things as wrinkles in my soul - they’ve grown with me and I with them. You can’t regret things that have happened in the past because they mould you into the person you are today. You have to embrace all these little things and accept them for what they are, and you must appreciate the people who love you despite all your flaws."

Finally, what's next for Runrummer?

"Lots of exciting things! I’m currently in rehearsals with my band getting ready for our debut performance on November 9 at The Lighthouse in Shoreditch, to celebrate the release of Soul Wrinkles. After this I’m looking to set up a list of tour dates around the UK and I’m keen to get stuck into the festival scene once summer comes back around. I’ve also been busy designing merch and working on some concepts for the next music video. Plus I’ve just got back in the studio to start working on the debut album. I’m excited to say the first song is nearly finished and it’s called 'Toronto.'

‘Penny Drop’ is available now. Soul Wrinkles drops November 9.

An interview with Wormhole

Thank you for your time, Could you introduce yourselves to the readers?

Noni: Thank you so much for having us! I am Sanil Kumar, but everyone calls me Noni. I play guitar in Wormhole. 

Ansh : Hello, you FILTHY readers, I'm Ansh, I've been the vocalist for Wormhole for about two years now, as well as guitar for Noisays, Codex Orhova and Perihelion.

Sanjay : I am Sanjay, I play guitar in Wormhole as well as Equipoise and Greylotus

How did Wormhole come to be?

Noni : Wormhole started sometime in 2015 between Sanjay and I, but really this band has been together for a lot longer than that. We’d known each other and been playing music together for a while but stopped for a bit in 2015. At that time Sanjay and I just write and release some music of our own. We saw how other slam bands at the time were making music in their homes and were able to cultivate a cult following through social media and Slam Worldwide and we thought if we could get a small following like that it would have been really cool if we could manage to get a couple people into our music.

So Sanjay and I had some doodles from our old band(s) that we more or less put together for an album and released it under the name Wormhole. Since it was just the two of us at that time, we needed to find a vocalist. We ended up having Duncan Bentley from Vulvodynia do most of the vocals. This must have been right after he finished recording his parts for their album Psychosadistic Design. That resulted in Genesis which was released in 2016.

Ansh: Back in the day we had a comedy slam band called Rotting Phallus that we all left except the vocalist. Later, Sanjay and Sanil used some of their Rotting Phallus tracks, wrote some new tracks, and released Genesis under the name Wormhole. Matt and I joined the band again and we started to really find our sound. New and improved, now with ugly-ol' BASIL, all has been smooth sailing!

Sanjay: Technically Wormhole was originally a ‘comedy slam band’ in 2014 called Rotting Phallus.  Noni, Ansh, Matt and I were all a part of this.  The band kind of died and we stopped being a band because we had a toxic asshole vocalist who we all hate now.  When the band died noni and I got duncan and recorded all the OG Rotting Phallus tunes under the name Wormhole.

On the start of 2020 you guys released ‘The Weakest Among Us’ the cover art reminds me of a boss fight about to happen in some Doom/Halo-esque battle, what is the story behind the cover art?

Noni: You’re kinda close haha. The cover was inspired by the Metroid Prime series. We are super inspired by those games in more ways than one. There is a cut scene before a boss battle in one of the games that we based the cover art off of. We’ve been really inspired by the soundtrack too. It sets such a cool vibe.Sanjay and I grew up playing those games, and we’ve played them over and over. The universe, atmosphere, character design, everything about those games is so cool to us. Pretty metal. If it weren’t for those games I don’t know what I would make this band about.

Ansh: Sanjay and Sanil are BIG and STUPID nerds who like SPACE and other SILLY THINGS like METROID PRIME and ANIME.

Sanjay: Metroid Prime is the main source of visual and lyrical inspiration, but I love Doom (especially Doom 3) and you can tell I think Mancubus looks brutal as fuck.

Since the world is at a standstill for the foreseeable future and you released  ‘The Weakest Among Us’ on the top of 2020 how hard has it been to get the word out about the album since no one can tour currently?

Noni: It has been really shitty having tours cancelled and not being able to promote the album properly, but we also know that we are not the only ones in this boat so there is no sense in complaining I feel. Social media is our friend though and people still seem to be pretty responsive to the album anyway.  

It seems like going forward, bands are going to have to figure out how to do this anyway. So, if Wormhole (or any band) isn’t really working out because we can’t tour, then we have to figure something out.

Ansh: In general I've been happy with the online support but not being able to tour is beyond frustrating. As tough as it can be at times, touring is kinda like the celebration of your music and all the hard work you put into it, so not being able to get that live show release is truly devastating. Compounded with the potential fans we could have made and merch we could have sold, it's more than a bummer. But all the love and support the record has gotten online has also been one of the only things keeping me sane whilst I'm stuck in my house.

Sanjay: It’s definitely not as easy since touring is one of the main ways to reach new audiences but it’s not as hard when you have some dedicated fans who genuinely love spreading some Wormhole gospel.  Those fans are the realest MVPs in these trying times.

I always find it fascinating when the band's cover art describes what the album is going to sound like, when talking to the artist how do you project your ideas out of your head coherent enough to be understood?

Sanjay: We kind of got lucky with Lordigan (the artist of both covers) on Genesis.  We were kind of winging it and knew we just wanted a slam monster album cover.  We had some help from my bud Ryan Wolanski on getting the colors we wanted as well.  With TWAU I had a general idea of the color scheme and setting we wanted.  Lordigan was very aware of the Doom/Space Marine aesthetic so it was not hard to communicate.  Our album cover is not really a reflection of the music I would say because we kind of just pick what we want because it’s cool and we’ve seen similar things work for other bands.

Ansh: I usually just get an artist I really love and ask them to listen to the music and draw whatever comes to them, but maybe that's why I'm not allowed to do merch for Wormhole. 

Noni: We just tried to be specific and nit-picky. The most important thing for our artwork was to have a center focus, the classic slam monster, with a few other things to look at in the background/foreground. The album’s production wasn’t going to be super futuristic and modern, so the color scheme kind of reflected that. We wanted more browns to dominate the image, to give a bleak and miserable vibe. We went to Lordigan Pedro Sana for both of our albums and he was super responsive to every change we wanted to make. The best thing for them is a reference in my experience, especially if you can find something in artwork they made to use as a reference.

I see the album artwork as just as big a part of the album as any of the songs or riffs. The way I see it, both the music and the artwork and song titles all work together to create a vibe and atmosphere. They need to feed into each other. Not only that, they need to somehow stand out from the other million extreme metal records being released everywhere. It’s really important and one of the places I see newer/local bands cutting corners or not going all in, and maybe settling for something that isn’t stellar.

Crowdkill Apparel has some of the most unique merch options I've seen from car seat cover to a shower curtain, when given the opportunity what would be the weirdest merch you guys would like to release?

Noni: I would love to see the Wormhole logo on a cereal box. I imagine our cereal would have marshmallows.

Ansh: A bong??? A worm shaped bong??? Like from the first album??? Or maybe a big spikey worm dildo/butt plug??? Done tastefully OBVIOUSLY.

Sanjay: Wormhole weed called “The Dankest Among Us”.  Any weed paraphernalia honestly like rolling papers and some Wormhole glass.  We did a small run of grinders before which was cool.

With the state of the world that it is currently, touring as you would of guessed is a no go, Suicide Silence they have the right idea about having a virtual “world tour” where the show is streamed has the touring bug been bad enough to where you’ve considered this?

Noni: I think rather than trying to make “touring” work, we are going to try to put out content that is a little more practical for people to enjoy. Music analysis, lessons, playthroughs, stuff like that. Comedic or podcasty type stuff where people get to know the band members and develop some kind of a personal relationship with them despite not being able to meet with any of our fans in person. Not everyone who listens to this stuff plays an instrument or makes music, so we want to put something out that engages with that group as well.I’m sure we’ll do some full band stuff too, but not everything will just be us playing the songs. I think in this current era, and consequently the future, bands will have to do much more than just play their music to get out there. It was already kind of like that but now I think the big emphasis isn’t really on the music anymore. I think it will be kind of analogous to how gaming consoles used to be all about gaming. But now your Xbox or Playstation has to be able to have Netflix and YouTube and still regularly release and develop games over time.

Ansh: My other band Noisays was recently part of Mathcore Index Fest, the fest raised a reasonably sizeable donation for the Justice for George Floyed and Breonna Taylor Relief Fund, and it was sick to hang in a chatroom with a bunch of homies that i would be chilling with at the show. It was sick to do something good, share music and connect with friends and fans but virtual life is never going to be the same as real life to me. Whether it's teaching online, hanging out with people on video chat, or attending a virtual show, it's always just gonna be virtual and it'll never be a replacement for real life, to me at least. So please do everything you possibly can to make sure WE CAN COME PLAY FOR YOU ASAP.

Sanjay: I don’t think we can compare ourselves to Suicide Silence because our fanbases are vastly different.  I would hope we could do something like that but i definitely don’t think we are at a point where it would make sense.  Would be fun though.

Dream tour with Wormhole on the bill?

Noni: For the band obviously we just want to go out with the big boys like Obscura or The Black Dahlia Murder or Thy Art for our egos. But for my satisfaction I would want Wormhole to play with Dethklok just because Sanjay and I worship Brendon Small. Dude is a fucking genius and clearly has something figured out that neither of us do. Defeated Sanity would be on there too. If we’re talking defunct bands as well, I would want Necrophagist and/or Death in there somewhere too. But the real dream would for us to tour with Metallica and just play in Metallica and it’s also 1991.

Ansh: Warped Tour and we play right before All Time Low or some shit like that, Old Town Road guy opens right before us and does all the remixes. Miles Davis joins Limp Bizkit for the headlining set.

Sanjay: I would want to be direct support for Gojira.  That’s all really.  I think a bunch of bands (including Wormhole) have a lot to learn about the energy they project live and I would love to be a part of their show.

Anything else you would like to tell the readers before we go?

Noni: If there is some crazy guitar player or musician out there that you really admire and put on a pedestal you should understand that you are capable of literally anything that person is. That guy may have some special X factor but that is really only like 10% of it. The other 90% is the hardwork. Also thanks for reading and supporting and all that. It is really sick and cool and makes us feel good.

Ansh: Play and listen to lots of music, work stupid hard, and do whatever the fuck you want, the only people that'll say you can't do it are lazy as FUCK. Fuck'em.-ANSH OUT.

Sanjay: tech-slam

Wormhole Social Media:

Facebook

Instagram

Bandcamp

Merch

⊹ ˚.  OOC ; introduction. ps. give this a like for plotting!

after decades of procrastination and exhaustion kicking my ass, i have finally brought my boi, the cupid card kwon hyunbin ♥ i’m ellie, whichever you prefer, catch me on twt for plotting @ piinkpong or here in ims bc i’m super hyped to be here and want to get started asap asndjamsl i think i’ve followed everyone on the mlist but tHERE ARE A LOT OF YOU SO I HAVE YET TO CHECK OUT THE BLOGS BUT !!! IT WILL HAPPEN

below the cut is a lot of some stuff about him but !!! there are plots at the end so pls bear with me~

bio stuff:

okay so,, hyunbin did not exist in the first timeline. he spent time just fluttering around the human world, hoping around, landing a few places before he stuck in busan as hyunbin.

when he was released he was just thrown out onto the street in the middle of the day, had no idea what was going on, and was p much really confused. 

it was rainy and he was wet and he didn’t have anywhere ago so he just kinda wondered the streets helplessly for awhile. 

he was lonely and cold and angry bc he didn’t know what to do and no humans were really doing anything to help him, just staring and watching so he didn’t like humans at all at first. 

but then this little old lady came up to him one day ( about a month after his release ) and offered him some food so he had a little more faith in the human race. 

she kept coming back to bring him things/take care of him and eventually offered him a place to stay. in exchange for his help in her tailor shop, she’d pay him and give him a place to stay.

so hyunbin’s been there with her ever since - living in the house above the shop with her and the twins, her grandchildren ( he loves them a lot okay ).

he’s just trying to fit in with all the YouthTM these days - following trends, obsessing over bands, trying to blend in and forget that first month in the human world ever happened.

tldr:

as a card, before the whole getting sealed thing, he was actually really scary but now he’s just a giant baby.

one of the nicest people you’ll meet tho.

he tailors clothing at a shop, it’s a p well known local business so the job isn’t too boring.

actually would like to make some clothes of his own.

he keeps up will all the fashion trends bc of this,, and also just bc he’s more of a follower rather than a setter. 

also an avid social media user. mostly to keep up with m.ea and love note.

runs an m.ea tumblr blog, v dedicated ( tho he keeps this on the dl so he goes by david online )

gets sick easily so he’s kinda always Super clean and tidy.

his neck hurts a lot bc the twins are rowdy sleepers and insist on sleeping with him.

but they’re practically his children don’t mess with them.

he’s power is empathy! he can feel what others feel but only with psychical contact - can also influence other’s emotions with his own the same way but this takes a lot more work. doesn’t use his powers often.kinda wants to be a human so getting captured would complicate that now wouldn’t it?

kinda wants to be a human? but getting captured would complicate that so no thanks.

plots:

“i needed a drink of water after my shower but i forgot that i opened the blinds to my balcony and you just saw me walk into my kitchen naked.”

“this horrible umbrella won’t extend! oh shit i just hit you in the stomach/crotch! i’m so sorry.”

“i don’t know my headphones aren’t plugged in all the way so now you know i’m listening to educational children’s cartoon theme songs.”

hyunbin finds you sitting alone on a bench and he’s feeling Extra generous today so he approaches you with intentions of using a little bit of magic to make you feel better.

!!! a frequent at the shop. bonus: he thinks you’re cute so you get discounts.

hyunbin takes the twins out for some ice cream and he leaves them for one minute only to come back to find them both in tears, wearing their ice creams, and a rather guilty looking you.

you catch hyunbin leaving a shop redhanded with two bags of m.ea merch and proceed to lecture him on how this was not the way to live his life.

!!! muse. hyunbin has an image for a design - care to be his guinea pig?

Sailor Moon Year in Review: Reflections on 2016, Hopes for 2017

Sailor Moon had quite a year in 2016 - this is an accomplishment, considering that it falls well into the long-running 20th Anniversary Celebration and just before the beginning of the 25th Anniversary.  I’d like to take a look at the major developments and analyze what worked and what didn’t. This is mostly from my own personal standpoint, but also taking into account general public opinion.  Sailor Moon Crystal Season 3: Overall this worked. The new season largely addressed the most common complaints about the art style and generally had better pacing. The most common complaint I’ve seen about this season is that people felt the new attack and transformation sequences were too close to the 90s anime. Personally I enjoyed the throwback, and I think especially in Japan, the market that matters most, nostalgia is the driving factor in keeping the 20th Anniversary show going. Sailor Moon Drops: A mobile game! I think this hit right on target. It was one of the first truly modern marketing moves they’ve made, and overall reception seems very positive. Personally I rage-quit that game a LONG time ago because I find it irritatingly difficult, but I totally understand the appeal. Another success. Merchandising:  This has been a bit of a mixed bag. I think the pacing has been way too slow for certain items - for example, the fact that only 2 of the Figuarts Zero figures based on Crystal’s Season 1-2 style came out before the style was changed, only one more was released in 2016, and we’re still waiting on Venus in 2017. S3 has come and gone, but the first figure based on its design wasn’t even announced until months after the series’s end. Meanwhile we’re bombarded by endless cheaply made trinkets based on the same wands over and over. I think the stationary, fashion collabs, makeup, and higher-quality figures/proplica have been the highlights. The cheaply made, lazy items coming out of gacha/crane games, the re-hashed figures (It’s Mars but she’s SITTING!), and overpriced jewelry/accessories feel like flops and over-saturation.  Amour Eternal: The big cast change is honestly something I haven’t seen many comments on, surprisingly. Personally, I was really happy with this musical. A suitable shift came with the changing of the cast - instead of trying to follow the beautiful performance of the previous girls with another heavy and serious musical, they added way more comedy and silliness that harked back to the Bandai era. The plot was closer to the anime this time, which I felt was appropriate as the more complex manga version of the Dream arc would have been too much to pack into one show. The production staff also really upped their game when it came to effects and the circus performers were phenomenal. A lot of new things were tried with this musical and overall I think they worked.  Fan Club: This one I have to say so far has been a huge flop. For a fanclub that was advertised as only lasting one year, the benefits have been pitiful. Only one pamphlet mailed out, very little original merchandise, and very few opportunities to attend live events. Of these events most aren’t even fanclub exclusive (and those that are still are done by lottery, so you can fail to get tickets). The tickets I got through the fanclub to Amour Eternal were for seats in the back row - wtf? As slow as the pace has been for the Japanese fanclub, I can’t even imagine how it’ll go for the international members :/ Going into 2017... This year I hope they jump onto that 25th Anniversary asap. I doubt this will happen, as everything seems to move slowly with this staff, but I worry - fads burn out fast in Japan, and I’d hate to see the momentum fizzle before Crystal and the musicals cover the rest of the story.  Ideally, with future seasons of Crystal, I’d love to see just a little more deviation from the manga. No major plot changes, just more character development added. Two episodes for every chapter rather than just one.  With the merchandising, I’d like to see better pacing and less “filler.” Unfortunately since they announce everything about 6 months in advance, I’m not sure we’ll see this happen, at least not any time soon. I’d really like to see more merch from Supers/Stars - Eternal Sailor Moon figuarts, Starlights figuarts, stationary featuring the designs and characters of these arcs. I’m reasonably hopeful we’ll see some of this as Crystal/Myu progresses in that direction. The fanclub needs to be revamped or dropped. I certainly won’t pay ~$50 again to join if they don’t come up with better membership benefits.  I hope to see more involvement from Naoko in 2017. It’s hard to say what involvements she’s had behind the scenes, but it would be cool to get little messages or sketches from her every so often the way we used to through her website. Even if it just went to the fanclub! Now that I’d pay the $50 for.  I’m fairly confident we’ll get one more musical. I just can’t imagine them cancelling the run before they do the very last arc. I’m very excited to see how they handle the Starlights.  And finally, huge longshot but I can dream - a Sailor Moon console game would be AMAZING. Ideally an RPG. Even if it’s just Sailor Moon Another Story with updated graphics, I would play the hell out of that.  What do you guys think? Any hopes for Sailor Moon in 2017?

Important Art Updates: Upcoming Projects and Goals!

Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well. I have some important announcements to make! There are some BIG changes coming to my art sites, and how I do business here. I'm completely revamping how I go about things in an effort to be more successful, prevent burnout, and ultimately provide a much higher quality of work. I should've done all this a looong ago, but for some reason, I just didn't. I'm changing that now. From this point on you'll see these changes slowly go into effect, and I certainty hope it makes everything much much better. So, lets go through whats happening, shall we? -------------------------------------------------------------------- Patreon: I have NO idea why I never set up a proper Patreon. I'm going to be fixing that ASAP, it should be up and ready relatively soon. The Patreon will be art focused, but it will help support me in all things that I do. Patreon donators will have access to unposted art, as well as sketches, WIPS, and more. Depending on your tier, you could have access to art packs and other paid projects for free! You'll also have influence over what I draw, with Patreon exclusive polls and votes. Supporting my Patreon will allow me to do more personal projects, such as comics, interactives, vore games, and more. I will have more details soon when I finish setting it up. Art Packs: I want to sell little art packs, probably around like $5 each. One of the things I really struggle with is burnout. To help prevent that, I am going to be making little art packs of various themes containing exclusive artwork only available in the packs. I may even do some comics like this. Vore Games: I'm a game developer, so I have a lot of vore game ideas. I want to flesh these ideas out and make them available for all of you to play. I have some prototypes built up that I've been unable to use for ages, but if my patreon gets enough support, I may be able to take these ideas and make them whole. I'd love to do this as I think you'd enjoy my games not just for the vore, but for the gameplay and story too. Physical Goods (Shirts, buttons, prints, plushies, dakimakura, and more): I just think this would be really neat~ It would also force me to go to more cons and set up a booth or something. I'd just love to make some fun little pieces of merch for you all to enjoy, so I'm looking into methods to make this possible. I have some ideas planned, from little plushies of Sarah Vixen, to shirts with fun designs on them. I'll hopefully have something ready soon! I wonder where I can get a Sarah Vixen branded apron made... Commissions: I will still be doing commissions, but I will be going about it differently. To avoid burnout, and keep the quality of the art high, I will be taking commissions only when I am in the mood. I will also only be accepting Ideas that I am super into, or enjoy. This means I will be implementing some kind of theme system to help people know what I will be accepting. I will also finish all my pricesheets, which means I will be taking not just standard art commissions, but comics, sequences, pixel art, and more. Sorry for the wait on that guys, I know you've been wanting comics for a VERY long time. Interactives/Stories: "Predator Practice." was an absolute blast. I LOVED making that and seeing all of you react to it so positively. I know a lot of you are just begging for more, and I'm working on it. I want to do something like it, a kind of spiritual successor of sorts. Plans are being made. Don't you worry. Thank you so much for your patience on this, I am always so happy to see that so many people care about the interactive, it's just fantastic to me and makes me smile. Comics: I really want to make comics about the world my characters live in. I want to show Sarah, Chris, and Nomu going on grand adventures with friends. I may fuse this idea with the interactive, making things more interesting, almost like a D&D adventure where all of you are the players helping my cast along. I want to tell stories about my characters, and even stories about new characters you've not seen before, like how Chris met his partner Digimon. I feel like this would be a lot of fun, so please let me know what you think. -------------------------------------------------------------------- So yeah! That's the general plan for my art stuff. I hope that These big changes produce some of my best content for all of you enjoy. If you have any questions, PLEASE feel free to ask them. I will answer them the best I can. Thank you all SO much for your unending support, I love you all, you're just the absolute best. Thank you!