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physalian · 29 days

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In Defense of Fanfiction (Or the perfect starting point for your original novel)

Fanfic gets a bad rap pretty much everywhere except Tumblr. It’s misunderstood and misrepresented by its average works, seen as juvenile and cringey, or a banal point of contention between a famous person or piece of media and its fans.

Outside of fanfic that writes about real people, especially smut fics of real people, I support the art wholeheartedly. Fictional characters are one thing, but personally, caricaturing a celebrity’s life for public consumption and writing or drawing them in compromising content without their consent is a little weird. You do you. Don’t like, don’t read, as they say.

Fanfic is the perfect starting point for a few reasons:

It places you in a creative box and forces you to work within those constraints

It does all the worldbuilding and character concepts for you

It lets you write way outside your comfort zone

When published and receiving feedback, it boosts your self-confidence

It's incredibly flexible

It’s practice. All practice is good practice

—

Behold your creative box

When I was little I had no idea the majority of fanfic was shipping fics. I always pictured and looked for canon-divergent alternate universes. Like, what if X happened in this episode instead of Y? What if this character never died?

Fanfic demands you work within someone else’s canon, whether it’s an OC in the canonical world, or the canonical characters in an AU. These are like little bowling bumpers saving you from the gutter, but also keeping you on a straight-ish path toward the pins.

The indecisiveness of too many choices can be too intimidating when you’re first starting out. You want to be a writer but you have no idea where to begin, what genre to pick, what characters you want to chronicle, what themes you want to explore.

Even if it sits on your computer never to see the light of day, you still got those creative juices flowing.

Pre-packaged worldbuilding

Sometimes all we want is to get to the good stuff. Maybe I want to write a story about elemental magicians but Last Airbender already exists and I just want to play in a pre-existing sandbox. So I write some OCs into that world and have a free-for-all.

I don’t have to come up with my own lore, world history, magic system rules and mechanics, politics, geography—any of it. I get to just focus on the characters.

Even if you’re writing an AU, like say a coffee shop AU, you don’t have to think about brand new characters, you can just think “What would M do?” and go from there. The trade-off is your readers will expect canonical characters to behave in-character, but I think it’s worth it.

Stretch beyond your comfort zone!

Do you hate writing action scenes? Go practice with a shonen anime fic. Need work on dialogue? Write some high-fantasy fic, or a courtroom drama. Practice a fistfight by watching fistfights and writing what you see, and do it over and over again until what you read makes you feel like you're watching what’s on screen.

But beyond that—practice genres that you aren’t super familiar with. If you’re new to fantasy, write fantasy fic. Or a mystery novel/show, thriller, comedy, satire, adventure, what have you. The nature of fanfic still gives you those “guardrails” and you can get some brutally honest feedback on how you’re doing.

And, of course, the realm of M-rated romance and smut fics. I haven’t because I think I would die of embarrassment if I tried and I never intend to include sex scenes in my works anyway, but if you do want to, use the internet as your test audience. Post it on a throwaway account if you’re nervous.

Build that self-confidence!

The fandoms I used to write for are super dead, so it’s insane how I still get email notifications that so-and-so liked my fic to this day. Comments are as elusive as ever, but random strangers on the internet telling me they liked my work is a magical reassurance that my writing isn’t actually awful.

Random strangers on the internet are, as we all know, beholden to no moral obligation to be kind to your little avatar face, or be kind to be polite. So a rando taking the time to like my work or even leave a positive comment can feel more honest than one of my friends telling me what they think I want to hear.

I tend to avoid the more present aspects of fandom like online communities, forums, social media, what have you, so I get a delayed and diluted aspect of any given fandom through completed works. Which means, in general, I get to avoid the worst and most toxic aspects of fandom and get to sift through positive feedback and critique.

Even if your fanfic isn’t written with stellar prose, it’s fanfic. We don’t expect Pulitzer-prize winning content. And if your work isn’t up to snuff, people are more likely to just ignore it than put you on blast (at least in my experience, I never got a bad comment or a “flame” in the old FFN days).

Fanfic doesn’t care about the rules of published literature

On the one hand, try not to practice bad habits, but with this point I mean that your layout, punctuation, formatting, paragraph styles, chapter length–all of it is beholden to no rules. I get as annoyed as the next reader with giant blocks of paragraphs, or the double-spacing between pages of single-sentence paragraphs, but if the story’s good enough I might ignore it.

There’s more than just straight narrative fics, though. People write “chat” fics, or long streams of text and group chat conversations. The scene breaks can come super rapidly–I’ve seen fics with a single sentence in between line breaks to show the passage of time. And without the polish of a traditionally published novel, I’ve never seen a purer distillation of author voice in any medium more than fanfic.

All practice is good practice

Even if it’s crack fiction, or a one-off one-shot, or something meant to be lighthearted and straightforward and free from complex worldbuilding and intricate plots. It really helps break writer’s block when you can shift gears and headspaces entirely and you can get relatively instant feedback to keep you motivated.

Beyond that, the “guardrails” help you stay consistent as far as character growth and personality if you struggle with designing rich characters.

The most recent fanfic I wrote was just a couple years ago, for a dead fandom I didn’t think would get any traffic whatsoever. It wasn’t my original works, but the feedback on that fic gave me the kick in the butt I needed to get back into writing more seriously.

—

In short, I support fanfic. I may not be proud of my earliest fics' prose now, but I am proud that they walked so I can now run.

#writing advice #writing resources #writing tips #writing tools #writing a book #writing #writeblr #fanfic #fanfiction #archive of our own #ao3 #ffn

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mellaithwen · 11 months

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All these memories run my mind in slow motion buddie coda to 6x18 “Pay It Forward” inspired by @rosietherivendell 's agonising but amazing post :') After the bridge collapse, Eddie's reminded of the moments right after the shooting... [also on ao3]

tagged in seven sentence sunday by my darlings @homerforsure @littlespoonevan @fcntasmas @nymika-arts @rewritetheending @capseycartwright and @indigo2831 and I'll tag @princessfbi @buckactuallys @renecdote @hopeintheashes @thekristen999 @henswilsons @like-the-rest-of-la @lovebuck @ghosthunterbuck @shortsighted-owl @tripleaxeldiaz and @buttercupbuck <33

Buck says, I’ve got you, when he pulls him out from the camper van, and Eddie can’t shake the sense of déjà vu that haunts him alongside the burning ache of his broken ribs.

At the hospital, in the waiting room, and later still once they’ve all been kicked out and sent home by Athena, Eddie can’t stop thinking about it. Can’t ignore the feeling that he’s missing something; that he’s forgotten something.

Now that they’re home, Buck’s pottering away in the kitchen, and Eddie’s been ordered to stay on the couch for the foreseeable.

“Take it easy, I got this,” Buck had insisted when Eddie had made a noise of complaint at being coddled.

I’ve got you.

Christopher’s video game is set to a lower volume than usual, and ever since they’d picked him up from school, he’s been careful to sit with space between them to limit the chances of accidentally elbowing his father in pursuit of a high-score.

The cold pack Eddie’s holding against his abdomen is getting warm, and he can hear the tell-tale beeps of the timer being set on the oven. A pasta bake, if Eddie remembers correctly. Or. Was it something with broccoli?

Maybe both?

He yawns. The day’s harrowing events bear down on him, and showering away the dust and grime off of his body had taken more effort than he’d expected. He shifts, and a wave of exhaustion has him blinking slowly in its wake. He wonders what time it is, but his eyes remain closed.

“Food won’t be long,” Buck’s voice drifts from above—closer now, and Christopher responds with a hangry remark. One that, judging by the ensuing complaint of “Buuuck!” resulted in having his hair tousled for the cheek.

“Just for that you can come help me with the salad,” Buck tells Chris, and Eddie feels his son shift to his feet beside him.

“Dad’s sleeping,” he says in an exaggerated whisper but Eddie doesn’t catch a response if there is one. He feels the touch of careful fingers brushing against his own as the not-so-cold pack is gently pried from Eddie’s grasp, and without it to hold on to, the dream comes quick.

He’s on the ground—pinned by the detritus of the camper van—pinned by the threat of a sniper—pinned by the determined look of his best friend crawling across the asphalt to get to him. “Hang on, just hang on!”

Buck grabs a hold of his right arm—in one instance he apologizes in advance, in another, he screams from beneath the fire-truck as he scrambles forward, and in both Eddie yells at the pain as he’s dragged to safety. Pulled to his feet, and held by a steady grasp. Cradled and carried and lifted to safety. I’ve got you, I’ve got you, I’ve—I’ve—I’ve—

The images overlap, memories intertwined, and Eddie struggles to make sense of any of it until he sees the dried blood across the side of Buck’s face. Streaming from his nose, with small grazes by his eye. Red smears on the side of his neck, more still on his white shirt—no, his black turnout—Eddie’s mind switching between the two like some garish flip-book. Night and day, but one constant remains.

Buck.

The last thing Eddie sees clearly in the dream is the image of Buck’s face hovering above him—fear and desperation painfully visible through the violent red splatter on his cheeks. Like an awful piece of performance art, Eddie’s existence has been boiled down to an imitation of a Jackson Pollock painting on his best friend’s shirt.

Is that mine? He wonders with a new kind of horror as his eyes flutter open.

“Are you hurt?” He whispers, still caught in the dream as he slowly wakes to find Buck staring down at him, in the same way he had in the dream. Eddie reaches up to gently touch the small scratches and cuts dotted across Buck’s frowning face, only to elicit a small wince from the other man.

“You were dreaming,” Buck whispers, but he doesn’t pull away—if anything he leans into the touch, sighs at the feeling. “Dinner’s ready,” he adds softly, making no move to stand from where he’s crouched in front of the sofa. In front of Eddie.

Eddie doesn’t know how to tell him that the dreams were really memories—nightmarish ones, hidden, buried deep, and knocked loose by the image of Buck’s face—bloodied and shouting—as he pulled Eddie to safety again and again. He doesn’t know how to respond at all, so he lets his thumb drift across the beginnings of a bruise running into Buck’s hairline instead. Close, and intimate; quiet and soft.

“Were you dreaming about today?” Buck asks gently, his words laced with a painful kind of understanding. Eddie’s voice catches in his throat. Yes, and no, he thinks to say. Why didn’t you tell me? He wonders too.

Before he can say either, Christopher calls out to them from the dining table, washed up and ready to eat, and the moment has passed.

Eddie gives Buck a small smile instead, slipping into the familial domestic routine of dinner with his son and his best friend—his family.

“Help me up?” He asks with a slight groan as his ribs remind him of the endless ache that stretches closer to Eddie’s heart that he’d ever care to admit.

“Sure,” Buck says, standing tall, and reaching down, his hand outstretched to Eddie; a steady anchor, a port in the storm. Always.

“I’ve got you.”

[ also on ao3 ]

#911 spoilers #911fic #911 #911 fanfic #911 fic #buddie #buddie fic #evan buckley #eddie diaz #911 abc #911 fox #911 on fox #mellaithwen fanfic

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lostelfwriting · 2 months

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Bury Me with a Rose, We Both Have Thorns (Prologue)

Rating: Explicit

AO3 Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Death & Dream, Dream & Hob, Dream/Hob Gadling

Characters: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Death of the Endless, Hob Gadling, Jessamy, Matthew, Corinthian, Lucienne

Additional Tags: NO Major Character Death, Hanahaki Disease, Terminal Illnesses, Thoughts about death and dying, Decaying Health, Refusing Treatment, Strong Language, Unrequited Love, Enemies to ?, Past Minor Characters Death(s), Protective Death of the Endless, Doctor Human!Death of the Endless, Alternate Universe - Human, Tattoo Artist Dream of the Endless | Morpheus, Flower Shop Owner Hob Gadling, Blood, Angst with a Happy Ending

Word count: 32k

I'm posting the whole work here on the 1st of March, but I strongly reccommend you read it on AO3, where I will be posting one chapter per day. Either way, click Read More or go to AO3 to read the Prologue!

Written for the event @the-centennial-husbands-bigbang. With beautiful art by @five-and-dimes!

It is a slow day at the studio, so while he is waiting for his next appointment, Dream is – like he does almost all of his free time – sketching new tattoo designs to add to his portfolio and listening to music loud enough to completely shut out his own thoughts. He is sketching a snake, having no doubt that it will catch someone’s eye. There is always someone who wants a tattoo of a snake. He pauses to look at his progress and ends up snorting in disbelief.

The drawing is truly a snake, but the reptile is weaving among the stems of flowers instead of a dead branch like Dream had intended. And they are ugly flowers at that. He is pretty sure that he gave a pot of those flowers to his secondary school teacher, who always called him Murphy, even though he hated that nickname. He can’t resist snapping a picture of the flowers with his phone and trying to look up what they are, but once he finds the name – cyclamen – he refuses to look up their meaning. It would surely be something stupid, like forbidden love, or maybe hopelessness.

Even the snake’s scales seem to actually be made of flower petals, and Dream rolls his eyes as he flips the page of his sketchbook. The downside to trying to tune his mind out is that he doesn’t notice when his subconsciousness begins to interfere with his process, and it has led to many flowery paintings in the past months. With a sigh, he starts copying the usable parts of the design onto another page until an insistent thought makes him pause mid-movement.

Just a few weeks ago, he would have been furious if this had happened. He used to tear those ruined sketches to pieces and then go outside into the late winter chill and glare at every passing person who dared to look his way. He wished they all felt as bad as he did, and most of all, his neighbour with his shop opposite Dream’s studio, with its bright, flowery logo.

Today’s drawing incident feels like just a small inconvenience. He feels zero anger, though he might still opt to destroy the sketch later, just for the miniscule satisfaction that the action will bring him. Or maybe he will keep it. Pin it to the wall next to his bed and look at it every night. He will look at the ugly flowers and realise with wry amusement and aching hollowness that he has finally accepted his fate.

He, Morpheus Endeles, is going to die.

He thinks about it and waits for anger or grief to appear, but they don’t. Good. He was getting sick of the self-pity. It has been months since he noticed the first symptom – the occasional cough – as something seemed to tickle his throat, easily blamed on a bit of dust. And then, a bit later, when he lay awake late at night and everything around him was quiet, he heard the soft rustle of leaves as he breathed. He didn’t need a doctor to tell him that he had the Hanahaki Disease. He tears the ruined sketch out and shreds it into tiny pieces, enjoying the bit of satisfaction that it brings him. Maybe he is still harbouring some badly suppressed anger. He doesn’t need a fortune teller to tell him that he has no chance of getting affection from the person he hopelessly loves. Because it is his neighbour, the owner of The White Rose, Robert Gadling, a straight man who rightfully dislikes Dream.

+*+*+*+*+

Cyclamen: resignation and good-bye

#my writing #bury me with a rose #centennial husbands big bang #dreamling #hanahaki disease #angst #happy ending

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yaut-jaknowit · 11 months

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A lil request

(Male reader or gn) where the reader was so shock back on earth that they took martial arts like almost everything like they tried every single one they could like do karate, judo, kung fu, kendū, Taekwondo etc etc and also (Ty lee from avator the last air bender) like they aren’t originally from the actual planet earth but from the world of avator the last air bender after finding out where they aren’t where bending doesn’t exist but learning martial arts despite being a earth bender (also knowing how to bend all types of metal and rock) but (any male yautja of ur choice) saw the reader out in the forest/woods doing earth bending watching the reader afar intrigued how the reader is bending the ground to its will. After watching a bit they decided to approach the reader only to be body slammed to the ground taking the challenge only to loose since the reader knowledge of martial arts the yautja decided to take the reader with him to the mother ship where many yautja was disgusted of the reader but a few wanted to challenge but had been quickly pinned to the ground in seconds till one manage to be pinned down but only to be paralyzed stumbling to the ground where the reader just chuckled where the male yautja was shock at the reader strength and knowledge of the martial arts they asked what kind of fighting style was that so the reader provided the info that they took martial arts. After many defeats of yautja falling to the reader the male yautja decided it was time to make reader a hunter so he did since they are on a metal ship the reader couldn’t really earth bend after a bit of learning the metal they decided to try something new getting scraps of metal and boom metal bending shocking the yautja who which asked a million questions. Boom they are mates

From Another Universe

Pairing: Yautja x (Bender) Reader

Word Count: 2001

Summary: This isn't where you're from. This isn't where you slept last night... You're not home.

Author Note: So... A lot of things have happened. I had to take an abrupt break from writing. I didn't mean for it to on for a month, but unfortune things happen. Thank you for all the love and support I still received even though I wasn't posting. I'm going to try and get back to writing. I have a few things pre written, I just have to post them of course.

P.s. As for this, I tried my best. I do love the Avatar series but this was a lot to write for. So I took a piece of it and went from there. I feel if someone wants a lot of writing, I might put a price on it. But IDK, I like keeping myself free for those who don't have the money to spend.

Masterlist

Ao3

Natural instinct. Skill. Passion. Those three drove you. They made up every fiber of your being, every molecule. It flowed through your veins. Power rushed into your hands and feet, sending itself into the ground.

The earth underneath your form trembled as you moved in strong, firm, quick movements. Energy passed into the dirt and drew up columns of stone. One hand slashed the air before you. The dirt bended to your moves, willingly. Your lips curled up.

Trees, not large nor miniature, surrounded you and the small meadow. An area you woke up in not long ago. In a world that wasn’t your own. Completely different. Your whole world was flipped tenfold on its head and left you reeling where you had ended up. When you had ended up in. This wasn’t your world of bending, where some are blessed with the ability to will an element to their will.

Machines. Many, many machines populated massive cities. Cities with tall, towering buildings that seemed impossible to build. Not with how these ‘people’ moved. No one seemed to have the ability to bend. No one would bend.

Afraid was the first thing to enter your rushing blood. Those people barely gave you a glance as you retreated to the forest. Not stopping until the earth felt cleansed and calm. Back to the same place you bend currently. It was all you knew, all you could keep sane with. It’s what soothed you in the world that wasn’t your own.

Far from the city that haunted you, you took roost deep in the forest. Former training as a young bender stuck to you like sap. It aided you into surviving by yourself with no one else. No one else to talk to. No one you could trust. Terrified because of the unknown.

Something in the air disturbed him. The ground was filled with electricity. It called to his hunter side to follow it. And that he did. His blood rushed with adrenaline, fire that pooled deep in thickly corded muscles. Muscles that have long been sculpted from hard work and tremendous days of straight hunting. A male, perfect in shape and skills.

Feet, quiet without doubt, stalked through the forest he travels in. Not a sound broke the calmness of a morning forest. The talons on his feet bit into the ground at each step and further pushed his thick body forward. Quick and lethal, the words to describe a hunter of his kind. He never faltered as he continued on, to whatever called to his curious nature.

A nature that his sire tried to kill as a youngling. It never left his bones or blood. No matter how much of the fluid he as lost. Or the number of bones were broken during his training.

Ooman. It filled his sense of smell full and heady. This far out? The question rolled around in his elongated head. He’s never smelled even faint, roaming scents of the oomans this far out. The invisible creature’s ship was out here, close by. He couldn’t have a ooman finding it. An action that could condemn him to either death or exclusion.

It grew thicker with the familiar knowledge of sweat. At the edge of his hearing, grunting and heavy breathing. What was a ooman doing miles away from their city ‘working out’? His mandibles twitched behind his biomask in thought as he jumped over a fallen log. The pine needles tried their hardest to pierce the thick skin on the bottom of his feet. This is a hunter we’re talking about. He continued.

Once his form became close to the ooman, he slowed to a strut. His hips swayed. Trinkets, skulls and bones, and weapons followed the same movement and slapped against his thighs.

Through the tree line, his dark eyes spotted a form dancing in a grassy meadow. Compared to him, he considered them small and meek. The muscles that lined its body caught his attention. Strong, screamed at him. Well built and moved with knowledge. His upper mandibles curled dangerously up. This was what he’s been looking for since he begun his hunt here on this backwater planet.

From experience and rumors, to find a ooman worthy to kill was rare. It grew harder to find as the years passed. This would be his first one that he’ll take and possible gift to a female with the up coming mating season. He sent a prayer to Paya as he watched this ooman move with grace but a firm hand. It intrigued him.

His body moved closer, boarding on the meadow’s edge. Yet, he kept to the shadows as he observed. One of the ways he could determine how to hunt this ooman with honor. The hunter forced his mandibles to stay tense behind his biomask. Or else he would give his position away to the prey.

The ooman moved. The ground before it rolled like a water’s wave away from it. He could only stand and stare in shock, memorized as the alien did that again in a different direction. One shift of its bare feet had stones protruding from the earth as its will. It commanded the ground like an army.

Never in his life has he ever seen something like this. From all of his research, a ooman has never been said to be able to do things like that.

Swift, striking moves as if it was attacking an enemy send shockwaves out, disturbing the earth. The grounds around returned to their original position afterwards, like nothing had been out of place.

A hard, strong, harsh force crashed into his backside. The hunter was sent forward, far too quick to correct himself. He was sprawled face first into the dirt that once was underneath his feet. In two seconds, the ground was once more touching his paws. One glance of the alien before is all he had before thick, sturdy columns of rock grasped as his frame. His muscles bulge and strained without getting him free from the trap he was placed in.

Burning, blazing eyes that matched your personality stepped up to the invisible force stuck in your earthly hold. Through the earth, you were able to sense the proximity of something your eyes could not see. Something heavy with muscles like your own. You felt through your ability metal that decorated this thing that found safety in its amazing camouflage. Armor covered its body.

Everything stilled between the two of you. Just the heavy breaths of you filled the air. Your hand came up to swipe at the sweat dripping down your face. The clicking of bone on metal sounded a second afterwards. It was alive. You stepped closer, far closer than you should’ve been smarter about. “Show yourself, attacker,” you spat, defensively.

There was no clue to who or what this hidden animal could be. All that you could tell with feel alone was its mass has heavy, heavier than someone of its statue. You kept your muscles taunt and tried to stare the creature down without truly seeing its form.

A shimmer rolled over the creature before you, like shifting scales. Then, the camouflage fell to reveal something you truly couldn’t comprehend at that moment. You jumped back and drew a defensive position. The energy in your drew up to the soles of your feet and hands, eyes watching closely at this… creature.

It wore a mask that hid its face from the world. A mask that was blank of emotion yet decorated to form a dangerous look to it. Thick, rubbery looking ropes cascaded from its strangely formed head. They rolled over dense, wide shoulders. It struggled in the earth’s hold once more with little success for freedom. The ropes swayed with the movement.

The metal you sensed from before hugged its mighty form tightly, perfect for protecting itself from weapons. It won’t do much for it from you. What caught your attention was closely crossed fabric, like a fishing net weaved around the skin you could see. Skin that wasn’t any shade of human. Skin that was green and scaled behind the net. Was this a trick on the eyes or was this what you were truly seeing?

You stayed a safe distance away, eyes stuck on… it. “What are you?” you snapped and curled yours fingers into a fist. “Who are you?” It puzzled you on what this thing was.

First you get tossed to some far off place that was completely different to your own world. Second, nothing is the same. No one seemed to be bending, not even a single drop of a try. Third, this creature comes from nowhere, dressed ready for a fight. Did it expect to fight you? Was that why it was stalking in the shadows before you attacked?

All the unknowns had a headache arising to the occasion. The only thing you wanted nothing more in that moment was to be back home with your family.

It only stared at you, shoulders barely lifting with each breath. Not a noise escaped its tensed form. It didn’t speak, it didn’t answer your questions. To be fully honest, the gaze you felt through its mask felt predatory. This thing was a predator. What ever it was. You were the next hunt.

With the silence of the forest surrounding, you once more, you took a seat before the creature. Barely noticeable, the head of it jerked back, trinkets around its head and neck clinking lightly with each other. Yet, you sat, legs crossed over each other and just observed. Your eyes looked at every detail of its body, trying to figure it out. Curiosity sung in your veins, but you knew not to get too close.

This happened all day, until night fell over the two of you. At that point, your bladdered screamed for relief. Also, the lack of light didn’t aid you. Finally, you stood up, legs a bit sore from the activities today. It’s never ending gaze kept locked onto your body. One last look at it, you strolled away.

Through the earth and out of sight, you felt the beast struggle with all of its might. You smirked at the fact you were able to keep such a muscular creature captured. Years of training have paid off well.

Far from the creature, you relieved yourself before searching for wood. Anything big enough to burn for a few hours. It gets could out here. All you had was what was on your body for warmth. You weren’t prepared to be sent to a different world.

Out here, alone, you were able to go over every detail of the creature you gather without it’s eyes on you. What was it? A demon? A swamp monster? The fact it could camouflage into thin air was stunning. It shocked you that anything could do that at its will. You’ve never heard of anything being able to do that in your whole life. Another detail was its claws. Sharp, fatal. They looked like they could tear the meat right off of your bones. The last thing was it’s mask. What was behind it? Why did it wear such a thing? You shook your head before turning back towards the camp sight.

As you strolled into the meadow, you felt nothing. You stopped point blank and gasped at the empty trap. The wood in hand was dropped mindlessly onto the ground. Your feet rushed over to where it was last seen. The rock was broken, snapped by sheer strength.

Immediately, your eyes were searching the surrounding meadow. Not for tracks, but for the creature. It was a predator. A hunter that looked to have you in its sight. You weren’t going to let it get to you so easily. You tried to sense through the ground if it was nearby.

Nothing. Or if it was able to figure out your little trick, it could be in the trees. This world just got interesting.

#yautja #predator #yautja x reader #yautja x you #alien vs predator #predator x reader #yautja x human #predator x you #predator x human #x reader

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eusion · 5 months

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i love ur work omg >< can i req maknae line as long distance bfs too? ^^

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪&team maknae line as ur long distance bf ⌒☆

pairing ⌒☆ &team maknae line x reader

word count ⌒☆ idk...

note ⌒☆ thank u for requesting! this was hard to think about since i just think about hyung line exclusively LMAO enjoy!

yuma ⌒☆

sends u lots of memes and silly videos on tiktok. u both have the same humor so hes always excited to share new ones with u

always invites u to play games with him whether itd b just u two or with his friends, he never fails to invite u

same with movie nights

always wears the beanie u sent him & complains that its starting to smell less and less like u

sends u so many selfies in .5 after u introduced it to him this one day. now that he knows u find them hilarious he will send them as often as he can

i dont see him fting much tbh but will always text and check in frequently with a "u doing okay?" message

likes to plan out dates with u, even if its just for fun & not to actually plan. he just likes to be with u even if its just in his mind

as a date u two make little crafts together over ft

"do i grow out my hair or cut it" and does the opposite of what u tell him

jo ⌒☆

takes pictures of the little things because he knows how much u love to see picture updates

learned how to make those big knit blankets so he can make his own to give to u

sends u handwritten letters very often along with printed polaroids of the pictures u two have together

u have several of his art pieces framed on ur wall

when u both debrief about ur days he always asks a lot of questions so he can hear u go into extreme detail

props up his phone on his nightstand when going to sleep so u can see him snooze. he wakes up earlier than u do so he wont end the call until u wake up

asks u what ur plans are for the day n sometimes he will try n match what ur doing

when u two plan a day to meet up, he crosses out the days in his calendar above his desk every morning until the day of

ur name in his phone is just ur name but it has this emote next to it ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ

harua ⌒☆

lots of ft calls with him sitting in his car while snacking

loves to see what u bought from the store n always begs for a haul with u going over every item in detail

matching phone cases that u both bought together, he has not changed it out or taken it off since

hes very playful so theres a lot of banter between u two but itll always end in laughs. hes more than comfortable enough to play around with u & this means a lot

flirting but in a cringe way. the amount of winks & kisses through the camera never fails to make u both shiver

"why arent u here..." in a sassy tone but hes :(((

study calls are a very common thing between the two of u & hes always willing to help u out even if he doesnt know it 100%

always has the sweetest compliments ready for u & will always be the first 10 comments on ur instagram post

while hes out shopping he sends u pics of things n asks "do u like this?" n will buy it 99% of the time if u do

taki ⌒☆

u both binge watch a lot of shows & will get really upset when he finds that u watched an ep without him on ur shared netflix account

his friends always send u off guard pictures of him n when u show him hes extremely confused

always yells a good morning message into ur voice memos. sometimes he'll sing it

fts u with all of the lights off n when u ask him to turn on the lights so u can see him he uses a handheld flashlight n points it under his face

has blocked u more times than u both can count because he thinks its really funny

"when we meet up next time lets do this tiktok challenge"

his every day bag is equipped with all of the pins, chains n small plushies u gifted him

when ur too tired to talk he reassures u that its okay n that he can talk for u so u just sit n listen with ur eyes closed

sends u random videos throughout the day of him dancing

maki ⌒☆

always brings u along to watch his night routine, will prop u up on the sink so u can watch him brush his teeth n wash his face

matching profile pictures on almost everything. whenevr he posts and his icon pops up he smiles so wide because he knows ur the other half of it

records & sends u mini vlogs if he goes out and does something fun n will always end the video with him saying "miss u!"

whenever u two are on ft and his family is in the same room, he always turns his phone around to face them n says "say hi!"

everyone in makis circle knows u very well because he cannot stop talking about u

plays roblox with u when u both have free time... ur avatars are extremely goofy

has fallen asleep on cam many times & u have multiple screenshots n video recordings of him snoozing

99% of his bereals are of him n u while ur on cam

study nights always turn into 5hrs of u two watching random videos on youtube

#&team fluff #&team scenarios #&team #&team imagines #&team x reader #&team jo #&team yuma #&team harua #&team taki #&team maki

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stoneytruck · 4 months

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Happy New Year to everyone who stumbles upon this post! I wish you all the best 🤍🩶🖤

Now, I would like to update you on the Who's Lila Zine. Unfortunately, we have NOT reached the goal of 22 people for the project, as there are 3 empty slots at the time of the deadline (WE HAVE FOUND AN ARTIST FOR THE EMPRESS, WE ARE SOOO BACK).

HOWEVER.

The zine is still going to be made, because I, myself, am going to fill those empty slots! While the initial goal was not reached, I know that the people who have joined this project did it out of love for the game and for what it stands for. Just the amount of support and people spreading the word showed me that this is something that many people in the community would like to see being made, and that's enough for me to start working on it!

FOR EVERYONE WHO SHOWED EVEN THE SLIGHTEST OF INTEREST IN THIS LITTLE COLLABORATION, I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.

Here is the list of the cards and the artists who are going to work on them!

0. @officeshoebox 1. @urartbro 2. @louijanaa 3. @bloomenvogel 4. clemtime 5. Noodlespark1 6. @saznny 7. maskedphoenix22 8. @iguessihaveanaccountnowguys 9. me 10. @funkyworm1234 11. @whenthedeeppurplefalls 12. @feveraven 13. tulpatree 14. redrring 15. @pixiedixiedo 16. @sitephi 17. @viktuurishipper96 18. @zombieboy07 19. @boygerbishart 20. @tuxedkitt 21. @qutille

YOU CAN NOW START WORKING ON THE ARTWORK. YOU HAVE TIME UNTIL THE 1ST OF FEBRUARY TO WORK ON THE ARTPIECE (that counts for me too, of course), SO GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN! If you need help with your art piece, like an advice or you're uncertain about something, just send me a DM and I'll answer asap!!

VERY IMPORTANT EDIT: I have forgotten to add the details of the artwork, MY SINCEREST APOLOGIES FOR THAT!!!

SIZE: 7 cm x 12 cm (2,756 x 4,724 inches) FORMAT: As long as the final result is sent in PNG format, you can use any digital program you'd like. If you're working with traditional tools, remember to send me a scan of the piece! COLORS ARE A MUST, whether you only do flat colors or you choose to shade is not important!

This post is pinned on my blog to make it easier to find it in the future! If you need info about your card and the ending it's associated to, here is the Google Doc for you!

#traditional art #who's lila #fan art #william clarke #tanya kennedy #tarot cards #digital zine #zine promo #art collab #fandom zine #discord server #tarot #thank you #let's start

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muchcelebrated · 1 month

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The Artful Dodger has the vibes of an episodic 20+ ep show despite fitting the serialized 8 ep streaming model: an analysis

I think one of the things I love so much about The Artful Dodger is that it feels so much like the old 20+ ep format of shows. And I’ve been trying to place why, and I think I’ve pinned it down to a few things. Also this is going to be a long post so bear with me.

Each episode has a beginning middle and end and they connect to each other but also there isn’t really a super strong overarching conflict across all 8 episodes.

Instead, there’s multiple mini conflicts that connect to each other but are also each their own contained plot. Episode 1 and 2 deal with the issue of Jack’s gambling debt and that’s a conflict that we see the full resolution of. But that plot line introduces the issue of the stolen money and Darius which is the focus of episodes 3 and 4 and something we again see the full resolution of. The beginning of episode 5 is part of the aftermath of Jack and Belle’s argument in episode 4. Episode 6 connects through episode 5 a number of ways but especially through Jack and Belle’s romance. And episodes 7 and 8 focus both on a new plot line, Oliver Twist, as well as established ones, Gaines and Jack and Belle’s romance.

The main plot line is made up of multiple plot points that each have a conclusion while still connecting to each other and the overarching story. But also, there isn’t a super strong overarching conflict and I don’t mean that there isn’t a main plot, but rather than centering the main plot line on a single conflict like Jack’s gambling debt, they instead keep it centered around a single character, Captain Gaines and the many different issues that he causes for our main characters. It’s genius because allows for there to be different central conflicts to be dealt with in different episodes while still feeling cohesive.

There’s also multiple subplots that occur and cross over into other episodes which provide variety so we’re not even stuck on the same conflict within a single episode and instead get to cut between different things. But since these subplots carry over, they still weave seamlessly into the main plot points and overarching story. Obviously a big one is the romance which is a subplot turned main plot. But also each episode generally has a surgery subplot happening as well. And we have the continued conflict of Belle’s condition that’s given to the audience in bits and pieces but isn’t explicitly revealed until we find out with Jack. Rather than relying on a single main conflict to connect the episodes they allow for the main conflict of some episodes to be resolved then and there and instead use the sub plots to solidify a stronger connection. It’s satisfying and so incredibly genius.

Another big reason I think the show feels episodic is that there’s a distinct feeling of the passage of time between some episodes. Part of this is through things that come back up like Charlie making a reappearance, Rotty having a scar, but also just things in the dialogue and way the characters act. The whole show in general has great control over the passage of time in the sense that it’s very clear when time is supposed to have passed and when it hasn’t. Episode 8 clearly happens right after episode 7, but then between episodes 4 and 5 with Jack and Belle fighting and then Jack deciding to do a heist you get the sense there’s been a couple days between the two events.

I also feel like the repeated sets aid in this feeling but am not quite sure how to articulate why.

Anyways TL;DR one of the things I love about The Artful Dodger is that despite fitting the standard 8 episodes an hour long each streaming format, it actually has a more episodic feel reminiscent of the days of 20+ ep seasons that’s very satisfying and genius for a variety of reasons.

#can you tell I love this show not just from a fandom pov but from a craft pov as well?#I’m incapable of consuming media without analysis #please feel free to add!#i could actually talk about this even more believe it or not #very on brand of me to disappear for months then come back with an essay length analysis post #commentary #my post #the artful dodger #the artful dodger hulu #the artful dodger disney plus #artful dodger

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puzzleemerald · 4 months

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Please don't reblog!

I had to compress/scale down this beautiful piece so much in Clip Studio to make it fit Tumblr's 20 MB demands, hnnnnnng—

Coughs in complete absolute professionalism

The first of my OCs have officially had their links posted on my pinned Master Post! This is one of them: my beautiful, beloved, and tragic Inuyasha OC Amaterasu. This is a piece of art I commissioned earlier in 2023 from the lovely ItsNattie, from whom I've been commissioning art of many kinds for over a decade now! It's a massive poster-esque piece for Amaterasu's FanFic I've been slowly working on (it's one of uh... many... I have a draftaholic problem), and, if you hadn't guessed, she's a Sesshōmaru pairing!

That said, I consider an OC's FanFic version and their RP versions to be entirely separate for the sake of exploring ✨ infinite possibilities! ✨ So, while Amaterasu is paired with Sesshōmaru in her FanFiction, that doesn't mean I'll only allow Sesshōmaru RPers to exclusively pair with her romantically. I like to leave that up to vibes. If I feel like she's got chemistry with someone, you bet your zeros and ones I'm gonna ship it!

With that out of the way, allow me a moment to wax poetic about the weight and meaning behind this gorgeous piece of art to end the post.

Ahem.

TW: Death

Amaterasu is a character who, in essence, is supposed to be the sun goddess herself—the name isn't just for show. However, through the circumstances of her story, she's been sealed in a mortal body, and much of her power is diminished throughout the series. Like everyone else, she's out for Naraku's head. However, she ends up encountering Sesshōmaru. At first, they seem as if they'll kill each other. The reason is pretty straightforward. Sesshōmaru is an Inu Daiyōkai and the Lord of the West while Amaterasu is the Head Kami and Ruler of Takamagahara. Their very existences challenge each other and, by nature, they feel an instinctive loathing of the other.

However, due to their equally calm dispositions, instead of a fight, they have an interogation a conversation instead. Sesshōmaru questions who she is, and Amaterasu does the same. Jaken gives a fussy introduction on his Lord's behalf, and Amaterasu gives her name... before promptly telling them both to turn around so she can get out of the spring she was bathing in when Sesshōmaru sniffed out her divine aura.

They end up having several more encounters with each other, but Amaterasu has far more interactions with Inuyasha's party initially. At least until Rin comes into the picture. Then, she travels strictly with Sesshōmaru under the pretense of protecting Rin from him. Over time, the two become more tolerant of one another until they start checking over their shoulder to ensure the other is still there, using each other as a leaning post at night or entrusting the other with safeguarding Rin, Jaken, and A-Un when the other leaves for one reason or another. It borders that fine line of respect and affection; Sesshōmaru is aloof and apathetic, while Amaterasu unabashedly loves life and is compassionate. She learns through him that not all yōkai are out to kill humanity, and he finds a new warmth in life with her presence. Like winter in the face of spring, they need each other to complete a cycle or, in this case, each other. By "The Final Act," they are pressing their palms together to be sure the other is okay, staring each other in the eyes and covering each other in a fight.

However, I call Amaterasu a tragic OC for a reason. In the end, once Naraku is slain, Amaterasu's seal is undone, and her mortal body slowly breaks down. Without the seal, her power returns to her in total, and its too immense to be contained in such a shell. A kami of her magnitude cannot sustain a shape on the mortal plane. With what few hours they have left, she asks to return to the place they first met—the spring surrounded by sakura trees—which Sesshōmaru indulges. Flying her there in his arms with Rin and Jaken riding his mokomoko-sama. There, she has her farewells to each of them, praising Jaken's loyalty and courage despite his stature and weakness, telling Rin that she will watch her as she becomes a lady with the utmost warmth and character, and telling Sesshōmaru that he has changed her. That she can never be the same person she was before, but she wishes that she could, if only to relive it all. Because it was the happiest time of her life.

Under the shining sunrise, Amaterasu promises that, so long as their feelings remain unchanging, she will find a way to meet him there again. Every time he feels the sun's light and traces its beams, it will be her smiling and touching his hand, praying for him to live.

Finally, as her body crumbles into glowing flowers, they share a first and last kiss... until all that's touching his lips are cherry blossoms that fall through his arms to the ground of the clearing... blooming wildly with flowers and other foliage and surrounded by onlooking wildlife.

Thus, the feudal fairy tale of two tragic loves from completely opposite realms of existence concludes in the only way it ever could.

#Please don't reblog #Commission art #Art commission #Inuyasha #Anime #Manga #Inuyasha OC #Sesshomaru #Rin #Jaken #Amaterasu #OC #OC x canon #Sesshomaru x OC #Tragedy #Opposites attract #Enemies to lovers #Fanfic #Fanfiction

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kiliinstinct · 3 months

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A Celestial Promise: For The Lucy Heartfilia Zine

I Can Finally Post the Piece I Wrote For @lucyheartfiliazine . Leftover Sales Released January 22nd - so pop on over if you'd like to snag one for yourself! This One-Shot Was Written as a Partner Piece to @phoenix-before-the-flame art submission for the Very Same Zine. I'll link to it here once I know it's been posted, so be on the look out for that! [Partner Piece]

The tick of the clock was louder than the sounds on the streets of Crocus. Lucy Heartfilia moved with the time, fingers tapping to a frustrated, staccato beat against the grain of her desk. The thud of her heel striking the floor soon joined in for an orchestra of thinly veiled desperation. The paper before her was a stark contrast from the dark wood, its white pages littered in red corrections. All things that were meant to clarify her errors, but only mocked Lucy as she struggled to understand her blunders. Jason, as goofy as most would think him to be while interviewing the many Guilds in Fiore, was a strict teacher.

Too Vague. He said on one line. Too descriptive on another. Too opinionated, not subjective? Without the guild to call her home, Lucy thought she could finally, finally, make one in Sorcerer Weekly, writing their articles and bettering her craft. But this made the fifth rejected article since she began her apprenticeship under Jason and a strange, empty hopelessness began to seep into her limbs.

“What am I doing wrong?” Downcast eyes tore themselves away from the offending parchment to meet the worried, small pupils of her current companion: Plue, her little Nikola. He sat on the edge of her desk, a half-eaten sucker dripped from his mouth as he tilted his large, bulbous head to blink curiously at her. “You wouldn’t happen to know, would you?”

Lacking an answer beyond the little dog Spirit’s general babble of ‘puhn, puhn!’, Lucy turned her gaze towards the large wall by her bedside. In time, it will be covered in papers and documents listing all the locations and going ons of all her friends, but now, it was half what it would be, with a few papers pinned against it. Not all of her previous family, her friends, her Guild, have been located, but the few that were held empty smiles along the vast amount of saved photographs.

None of them gave an answer either. What else was I expecting?

“Pu-puhn!” Plue, ever the optimist on a bad day, regained Lucy’s attention. His gentle, tiny paws patted her arm and directed her back to the papers before her. The sucker, left behind to stick to the wood grain, was a minor concern Lucy would clean later.

Plue was still directing her. Patting his soft head, Lucy thanked him and retrieved a fresh, clean sheet of parchment.

“You’re right. I can do this. Thanks Plue.”

Nothing was ever gained by wallowing, was it?

Rejected. Again. And Again. How many times now? The scrunched papers of her previous work littered the floor and Lucy sighed, biting back bitter, frustrated tears. How many days, weeks even, would she have to go through? “Am I just not cut out for this?”

Listless. Directionless. The night Plue had directed her was a moment of respite, but days later, Lucy found the thought of summoning the spirit a worthless pursuit. He would want to help, of course he would. The cuddles of a little dog spirit were nice, but she didn’t have the time to cuddle. How many more rejections until Jason gave up on her? Until she was pushed back to modeling in a line of work that didn’t interest her?

Was she… not good enough?

“Can I really do this?” She whispered, not for the last time, her gaze tilted to the wall again, eyeing the ever constant growing images of all her friends. They were moving on. They were making more of themselves than the life they previously had. A recent news clipping of Levy being accepted into the counsel burned into Lucy’s retinas. She remembered seeing Gajeel’s own acceptance in those clippings, and the hints of her previous family joining other guilds. They were moving forward.

The one blank space saved for her previous team stabbed Lucy’s heart and she struggled to breathe. There was no Wendy, no Gray, no Erza to calm her down; to chase her horrid thoughts away. And no Natsu to cheer her on and tell her she was over thinking.

“I was a low-grade wizard in a world full of superstars, and I’m silly enough to think I can write?” The laugh that escaped was a hollow, empty thing and Lucy wondered when her light had faded to a dull shine. Rather than a pen clinging to her hand, urging her to continue her pointless endeavor, Lucy looked to the keys on her hip, fingers gently brushing along the sleek metal. Her grip tightened on the jagged, broken reminder beside them.

Aquarius would have scolded me, Lucy reminisced, barely recognizing her own tears. She would have scolded and insulted me for sitting here, until I was so mad I’d finish an entire chapter out of spite, but she’s-

The water spirit wasn’t there. She wouldn’t be there. Never again. In the moments of her drowning emotions, Lucy buried her face into her arms, a sob wracking her shoulders against the desk.

Lucy truly was alone.

The clock ticking echoed with a steady, loud rhythm that slowed Lucy’s cries, lulling her to sleep. Her blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders and off the table like a curtain. Lucy’s revised article for Jason would have to wait as Lucy succumbed to a sleep that muffled the sorrow chaining her.

The keys on her belt began to hum as a gentle glow surrounded them and one, silver key illuminated in light as a tiny little dog spirit opened his gate and joined the world. His gentle paws were unseen and unfelt, but the light of the keys grew stronger as Plue nuzzled his face into the depths of Lucy’s hair.

Lucy was floating in a blank space. Barely conscious of a soft weight against her head, but aware of the weightless air surrounding her. Her feet struck what felt like polished marble and a great staircase unfolded before her: ascending up and up into the clouds. She couldn’t see how far it rose, but with wide eyes, she began her ascent with soft, bare footsteps that echoed through the void.

She didn’t know how she arrived or where she was going, but with each step Lucy became aware of something new. Her clothes no longer constricted her body, but flowed into an inky blue. Her hair flowed gently behind like water and somewhere above, beyond the steps Lucy couldn’t see, a set of voices called her name.

“I’m,” She struggled to make a sound, mouth feeling like cotton as she croaked to the constant calling, “I’m coming!”

It takes a few moments, a few seconds of eternity, for Lucy to become rushed as recognition glints in her eyes. She knows these voices. She recognized the booming echoes that reverberated through the starry sky. These are her friends. Her dearest ones: Her spirits. The whisper of their voices become louder, beckoning her with the belief she can make it despite the climb. They coax her forward until the blistering pain in her lungs is forgotten. Lucy feels a burst of energy, gathering the dress in her hands to finish bounding up the last flight.

One voice, louder than the rest, represented a key that lay broken beside the others, called out, “Can you be any slower? Tch, hurry up already!”

Lucy knew her voice like it were a recording she listened to daily: Aquarius.

“I’m here!” She gasped, stumbling to the highest platform where she crumpled into a heap as she dragged air into her lungs with every gasp.

She made it; Floating just beyond her reach was the giant hand of the Celestial Spirit King hovering before her. His giant grin and mustache melded with the very sky as he watched from high above. His hand was huge, holding aloft the many faces of those she called friends. Those who had called for her.

“You made it.” Loke, her dearest friend and Guild Mate, called out from the tip of the King’s fingers, his own arm outstretched as he looked upon her with fond, endearing eyes. Beside him, the ever stoic Capricorn, nodded his head with pride. Virgo waved while Scorpio clung to the Celestial King’s Pinkie, dangling excitedly as Aries sat upon his rigid tail. They called to her, the twins of Gemini bouncing along in their excitement. And among the cacophony of their voices, Lucy met the eyes of the one she had missed the most in the passing months.

Aquarius lay against the King’s palm, propped by her own arm as she looked upon Lucy with a stern, warm gaze. It was familiar and cementing. Lucy knew it for what it was. She was there for a reason and ready to scold her if it were necessary. Lucy stopped breathing as she reached towards them all as if they could breach the distance with their arms alone.

“You made it up all those stairs? Excellent!” Scorpio exclaimed.

“S-sorry for the trouble.” Aries called, timidly.

“Piri Piri!”

“Miss Lucy, have you forgotten?” Capricorn interrupted, his gaze meeting Aquarius' for a moment as a silent understanding passed between them.

Lucy’s head tilted, blinking back the touched tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. “Forgot what?”

They looked upon each other in silence, eyebrows raised and shook their heads. “That we’re right here, of course.”

It was Aquarius who spoke next, voice the sharpest among them, “That we’re always here, dummy.”

“Yes,” Loke cut in, his concern obvious as he looked upon Lucy through the tops of his sunglasses, “You’re not alone, Lucy. We’re right beside you: just call us.”

There was no stopping the tears. They flowed down like rain as Lucy’s shoulders shook, only now registering Plue taking his place beside her with a paw against her legs. His small shudders grounded her. When she glanced back, her friends' faces were solemn, serious, but brimming with a hope that left her lungs feeling too full, set to burst with emotion.

Loke leaned forward as the King’s hand shifted just enough to bring them closer, “You don’t have to cry alone. Every one of us is here for you.”

With heart wrenching sobs, Lucy nodded, smiling through the tears, despite the teardrops that landed on her hands, her dress. Each second she cried, the pain and loneliness that sought to drown her in her waking hours, slipped off her shoulders like melted ice. The burden weighing so heavily grew lighter and lighter. With a small apology, her hands met Loke's, grasping them tight enough to feel the gap between her and her dear spirits disappear.

“Thank you!” She sobbed, “All of you.”

When Lucy woke, she was startled to see the view of her apartment and not the stars above. Dizzy and thrown off, but safe and warm in the bed she doesn’t recall laying down in, but Plue’s paw grasped her hand hanging off the bed. He squeaked lightly when their eyes met and slowly faded back to his own realm. Lucy doesn’t know what his puhn’s often mean, but she can feel the relief they both shared and watched as he set her keys against the bedside table before his visage completely disappeared.

Perhaps… It was more than just a dream. And far more important at that. It took Lucy no time at all to dive towards her desk, fingers already grasping her quill to start writing her article once again.

“They’re right.” She said, eyes blazing, determined. “I’m not alone. I’m never alone. And I CAN do this.”

As the quick jots run across the parchment, Lucy thinks she heard Aquarius one last time, snorting derisively. ‘About time you realized that.’

For the first time in months, Lucy smiled.

#Lucy Heartfilia #FT Fanfiction #Fairy Tail Fanfiction #Lucy Fairy Tail #Lucy Heartfilia Fanzine #Celestial Spirits #Plue #Loke #Gemini #Aguarius #Scorpio #Aries #Taurus #all of em really #dreams #1 year time skip #my writing

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coconutcanary · 2 months

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✨✨🪐✨✨

Hey everyone, it’s the Leap Year, that means it Leaper’s birthday. So I did some art of them

That being said, I want to post a personal update on well… *gestures to all of tumblr*

By now I’m sure the news of Tumblr’s partnership with mid journey and other AI art making companies has already spread, it’s bad…really bad

I understand there’s the opt out toggle (which I have already opted out of) but that being said, it’s clear that it’s not even reliable and that the data of my art and posts may be taken anyway despite it. For all I know, all of my posts as far back as 2016 may have already been given to these companies and I wouldn’t know

I have tried so hard to avoid it, I have jumped ship from both twitter and instagram to avoid this issue, but now it just seems unavoidable.

I know there’s AI poisoning tools like glaze and nightshade, however the downloads only work on desktop computers and unfortunately for the time being I have only been able to use mobile devices to make and post my creations. And to use the mobile friendly version of these tools I have to be accepted into WebGlaze via DM’s by their social media staff themselves. And who knows if they will give me an invite, it’s been a few days since I contacted them and I have received no replies yet.

So with that being said, this may or may not be the last piece of art I post here on tumblr. I genuinely hope not, I hope I get access to these poisoning tools soonish. But my hope is practically non existent. The internet seems to be becoming harder and harder for small artists like me to exist in online spaces. And while I barely have an audience, I still don’t appreciate the idea that someone could be profit off mine or my other fellow artist’s stolen work while I can barely muster the courage to even open commissions (or for my friends who do have commissions open and they are barely getting any clients or the recognition they deserve)

I do plan on still being active here, even if it’s just reblogging or liking posts or answering asks, but when it comes to sharing art online I can say that I have to step away from a bit until I know I can post my art knowing it can be exploited without me knowing.

For now the only thing I can say is if you have a toy house account, you can find me and my art there if anyone l still wants to see what I make. And I still plan on participating in artfight this upcoming July as well. But until I get access to those poisoning tools or some miracle happens and AI art dies, I genuinely don’t see myself posting art here anymore.

I will pin a separate post with my toyhouse account on it if anyone wants to follow me over there. I will keep yall updated if circumstances change for any reason though.

But on one final note, if this is truly the end for me and I can’t get the resources, I do want to say thank you to everyone who supported this blog. Either it be my mutuals, my regular followers, or even people have simply liked some content from me. I would have never thought posting fanart of jacksepticeye and markiplier would lead me to meeting the people I have met through this site. Tumblr is what inspired me to make art in the first place, I just feel terrible that even watermarks can’t protect my creations anymore.

While this isn’t a permanent goodbye, all I can do is say good night to my art sharing for the time being. Thank you all again, and to my fellow creators I’m sorry you all are also burdened with fighting this fight against AI and I hope we eventually gain victory on it down the road. Nothing will replace those who genuinely pour their heart and soul into art. No matter how good of a computer can mimic it

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gramophoneturtle · 26 days

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Update/Pinned Post

Welcome to my art archive. I've posted a lot about my OCs, TWEWY, Persona 5, Xenoblade X and in other fandoms.

Unfortunately due to recent-ish changes on Tumblr I no longer feel comfortable posting here much or at all. I'll keep my blog up for the foreseeable future or maybe even forever because of how Tumblr stores data. I'd rather have the link back to the source.

Or if the other sites explode in the meantime.

This has nothing to do with the date sadly. I'm just at my limit.

Here's where you can find me:

Pillowfort: gramophoneturtle. The most artist respected place and a decent long form blogging place.

Neocities: I'm currently developing an art archive on neocities over here. This will be THE archive place, one day! With RSS, one day!

Bluesky: gramophoneturtle. Twitter replacement. I don't trust it but it's meshing with me more than mastodon. Stream announcements are here b/c I ran out of energy for crossposting.

cohost: gramophoneturtle. I don't trust it'll stay but it has both a draft system & can save alt text on draft edits. Wild stuff to praise but when porting art out of Tumblr, it's helpful to have new drafts.

Twitch & YouTube: I stream weekly on Twitch and store VODs on both. Twitch has all my VODs and YouTube has VODs from Fall 2023 and onwards.

More details, pros and cons about each site below for those who are curious. Thanks for sticking around and reading.

Pillowfort

It's user funded and transparent about the breakdown of funds

They're against generative AI. Their reinforcement came out around the time Tumblr's not-really-against-it stance came out. This is huge to me.

They're working on a PWA of the site so it will have a way to function like a smartphone app

Image post options aren't great but you aren't limited to 4 (unlike cohost - kinda, and Bluesky)

Alt text gets eaten if you edit a post currently which is awful. (Tumblr used to do this.) Alt text isn't an option for picture type posts but is for text posts with pictures. But hey at least you can include alt text!

Communities are nice for fandoms and stuff. You can search by tags but you don't follow tags, you join/watch communities.

They have funding for the next 6 months past any month that was fully funded. So as of April 1, 2024, funding should last until (the end?) of October if they were to not get any more donations/subscriptions from now on. Basically, they have a 6 month buffer and so far for 2024 they've been keeping it and maintaining their monthly funding goals

Neocities

Home page URL should not change but artwork URLs might

The artwork section is inspired by Tumblr's archive page/system. I don't think I want it to be exactly like it (might be a limitation of static pages re: tag filtering) but I want to try and partially make it

Artwork on there have been nightshaded and glazed. I would like to reglaze some pieces that are too glazed for my liking, now that I have a better computer for it (so it doesn't take forever). That's why not a lot of art is on there yet

I might go into detail about how I automated some of the web dev stuff to make my life easier on my my main blog. In summary: I'm using 11ty (eleventy), generating pages from data and templates, using github for version control and github actions for updating the site automatically

Bluesky:

Feeds are cool. I've found and made (through SkyFeed) a lot of Feeds. Feeds can look for text in posts and alt text, and/or specific tags. Can filter out reblogs or replies. Can work off of user lists. Can include/exclude specific posts - like Twitter Moments. There's a lot of flexibility and filtering.

Feeds can lookback anywhere from 25 hours to 1 week when not looking at one user. So when pulling from many users, you could just get the latest updates. For one user (say your own gallery of whatever) you're allowed to go back to the beginning, it can be your art gallery. And then people can just follow that feed so you don't have to worry about your art getting buried if people just want to follow your art

There's a setting you can turn on to warn and prevent you from posting until you add alt text. I love this. Especially since, like Twitter, you can't go back and edit a post

Forcing ALT text has the added bonus of leaving it last so I can double check tags and text in case I accidentally hit the post button before I'm ready

Twitch

There is art. And VTuber stuff. And life updates. Art/project updates. Lots of OC talk. Like I wish I could post more about Null considering how much stuff I've spoken about them on stream but freaking time! And energy.

YouTube

Used to do more Timelapses but stopped because laptop was not having fun with it. Now that I have a new computer it might be better!

Also has Twitch VODs because I want another place to back up VODs since local recordings take up a lot of space. And I can mark Chapters(/Moments?) timestamps to find stuff again.

Special thank you to those that made it all the way down here!

So what is the blog for now? Archiving, mainly, as I said at the beginning. I might link to my neocities page in maybe art updates or to pillowfort. And I might need a place to fall back to if the other sites don't last. I know bluesky and cohost are not much better/probably not better in other ways so I know that posting on them probably won't be good long term.

But that's why I'm working on the art archive site on the side. I'll always have a safe and controlled place where I can have all my art and details and stuff. It's gonna take a while and it's challenging but it's what I feel like I gotta do now.

I'm just so tired.

#update #tumblr #pillowfort #neocities #bluesky #cohost #twitch #youtube #text #social media #blog update #the like...guilt...or betrayal of sharing my creations on a site that has caused enough harm that i just Mentally Can't anymore #it's a struggle #again: i don't think bluesky and cohost are better #...i have a feeling april 1st is a poor day to post an update like this but i just need to post this while i'm ready to

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luvring · 2 years

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— random date blurbs

gn!reader | hinata, atsumu, kageyama, bokuto, kuroo, suna

crawls in from the depths of my hiatus. cracks open the door. it squeaks so loud i wonder if i should leave. heyyy. also this new post editor....idk if it's just me having funky problems but i'm going to bark at tumblr

HINATA cheers with his arms raised as he watches his bowling ball knock down all the pins for the first time that afternoon. "babe! babe, i did it! oh my god. thank god," he falls onto the seat next to you, his head falling onto your shoulder. he had told everyone that if he didn't do well bowling that he'd buy them food, and it hadn't been looking good until now. you grin, knowing his plight, "good job, sho!" he mumbles a thank you against your shoulder before groaning, "i need to do that again, don't i?" laughing a little, you pat his head, "yeah. but it's fine! it's fine. if you can do all of those volleyball drills and deal with kageyama then you can definitely get a few more strikes." shoyo's head shoots up quickly enough to startle you as he looks over. there's a new sense of determination in his eyes that only he can ever get, "yeah! you're right. i'll just imagine kageyama's taunting me or something." before you can question his method of choice, he gets up to go again. "sho, you know it's my turn, right?"

ATSUMU's tongue sticks out a little as he reads the instructions again for the lego flowers in front of you. "tsum, are you good?" you try to stifle your laugh at the amount of focus he has, but it doesn't seem like he even notices. "why don't they put words on these things?" "it's lego, tsumu. aren't like, kids supposed to make these?" he groans a little before looking back at the pieces in front of him and squinting, "why are we doing this?" you snort but reply casually, "because they're pretty, obviously." atsumu only gasps a little in surprise as he picks up the flower he was working on, seemingly with a new sense of understanding. "holy shit, i got it! wait, wait, babe. hold the others one," he starts gesturing for you to pick up the bouquet growing beside you. he hands his to you with a surprising gentleness and grins as you hold your creations. "do i look nice?" "what? of course ya do. even better than usual. stay right there, 'm gonna take picture and post it."

KAGEYAMA feels like melting into the grass as you furiously try to apologize, unable to stop laughing. the question hangs in the air—"is it…a giraffe?" it's suffice to say a giraffe was not what he had tried to paint. "i told you i'm not good at art," he pouts and averts his gaze. you can see a faint blush on his cheeks, and maybe if it weren't for the situation at hand, you'd tell him he looks pretty with the sun and wind blowing his hair. but you wave your hands and shake your head at his negativity, "no, no, tobio, it's good!" he shoots a look your way and you return your own, "seriously, it is. i know you don't do this a lot. it's really nice, i promise." tobio lets out a breath, never mad in the first place, just a little embarrassed. he looks down at his mini canvas you had bought at the dollar store. his brows furrow and his voice comes out confused (maybe pleading), "seriously where did you get a giraffe from?"

BOKUTO glances at the mug he's painting then at yours, "babe, can we use each other's mugs when we take them home?" you look up at him curiously, "hm? yeah, of course. why?" "i like yours and i wanna see you using mine. see? i put our initials with a heart." he turns his so you can see it among other things collaged on his design. you smile brightly and turn your own so he can see you had done something similar. "oh! you did it too? baby," kotaro pouts affectionately. "if i didn't have stuff on my hands i'd grab your face and kiss you." "please don't get paint on my face,"—your lips twitch into a smile as you look down at his mug again—"your mug really is cute. are you sure you wanna share it with me?" it was a teasing remark but kotaro almost looks offended at the question, "what? of course i do. i wanna share all my stuff with you." he goes back to looking over his creation at the thought and hums, "do you think i'd be able to paint us on here?"

KUROO poses in the mirror in attempts to make you ruin your face mask. "tetsuro, i swear to god," you manage to say. he had been stressed for weeks and you made him promise to have a "spa day" tonight. "babe, i think we should do this more often." you playfully glare at him in the mirror, "says the volleyball captain who's been overworking himself." tetsuro only sighs dramatically in response, "hey, it's not my fault we have a game coming up. shouldn't you be proud that your boyfriend isn't only charming and handsome, but an outstanding student?" before you can make a remark, your phone timer rings and you start to take the mask off, "yes, but i also know you're tired, tetsu." he sighs again at your reply, genuinely this time, "yeah, i know. we could make it a weekly thing, maybe?" and when you look over at him, there's a hopeful look on his face that makes you smile lightly, "that'd be nice. it's your turn for the face mask though, and i'm making you use a bubble one."

SUNA watches as you coo at the cats meowing for food. "rin, i think coming to this cafe was the best decision of our lives." there's a soft smile on his face and he can't help but sneak a few photos and videos—one of them was bound to become his new lockscreen for the next while. "that one kinda looks like you," he points out. you look over and coo again at the kitten beside you before looking over where rin is sitting. "hey, that one looks like you." rin glances behind him at the cat walking over and hums, "you're actually right." "hello? did you think i'd be wrong?" he pets his lookalike and it rubs against his hand, and he's suddenly too enamored to look at you while he responds, "dunno. thought you were gonna be fucking with me and it'd be an ugly cat or something. if that even exists." he can feel his lips twitch into a smile as you immediately reject the idea. rin waits for you so he can ask his one very important question, "do you think we should get a cat?"

🏷️ | @devilgirlcrybabiey @lordbugs @smiithys @xfangirl-trashx @passionateuchiha @scaramouchesfootstool @fifteenshadesofpinkk @lotus-sukimono @chloee0x0 @kenmaslov3r @bakugosgrenade @semifilms @sakusasdirtyragdoll @dai-tsukki-desu @missyasma @thathoneybee3 @momoewn @aintgeluh @dazaisfavgf @simpforerenn @crystal-lilac @vhenis @omiigad @kur0-kawa

#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fluff #hinata x reader #atsumu x reader #kageyama x reader #bokuto x reader #kuroo x reader #suna x reader #hinata shoyo #miya atsumu #kageyama tobio #bokuto kotaro #kuroo tetsuro #suna rintaro

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holo-squad · 6 months

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Holoween Prompts

Only five days to go until we begin our week-long Holoween bash! (For details, see my pinned post!)

Would you like to write something or create some art for the week of ghostly holo-horror tales, but can't quite think of anything that would fit? Here are a few ideas to get your started!

The crew makes a pit stop at some far-flung trading station and Picard acquires an Ancient Artefact of Great Renown and Immeasurable Value (i.e. he's sweet-talked into paying way too much for an old piece of junk). Raffi decides it looks like a Ouija board and holds an impromptu sceance, since it's Halloween and all. Unfortunately, it turns out the artefact is not some harmless piece of junk but a highly sophisticated piece of technology that can mess up all kinds of computer code...

Rios is haunted by ghosts of his past and the holos decide to help him through it.

After a few gruelling months of close calls with hostile ships and diplomatic incidents, Steward digs through a database of ancient Earth customs to find something that might cheer up the crew's spirits. He lands on a tradition called a "Halloween Party", which may or may not end in disaster...

Emil has to patch up various participants of Elnor's "introduction to pumpkin carving (with a guest lecture by Emmet on the advantages and disadvantages of various types of knives)".

It's only been a year since Rios has had this holographic "crew" of his, and their relationship is strained, to say the least. When a computer glitch threatens to turn his Emergency Holograms into hollow, lifeless specters of their former selves, he has to decide how far he is willing to go to save them.

Enoch tries to create a corn maze on the holodeck. Things only get more convoluted from there.

Feel free to use any of these as straight-out prompts or modify them to your heart's content!

And if you don't have the time or spoons to create something new, remember: Holoween is an excellent time to practice a little bit of resurrection!

Simply post a link to a work you have already published or reblog some art and tag me, so I can find it and reblog it!

Let's all get ready for a very spooky Holoween!

#holoween2023 #star trek picard #star trek la sirena #holo squad #emil (emh)#enoch (enh)#mister hospitality (ehh)#steward (ehh)#emmet (eth)#ian (eeh)#we'll see if I actually manage to write something myself #might just be a list of more prompts and micro-fiction #but that's okay too #anything to celebrate our holos is welcome!#no matter how small!

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godbirdart · 1 year

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first off, i just want to say that i love your art, you are a huge inspiration to me and i love how expressive your characters are! would you have any tips for someone trying to grow a following from their art? specifically within the furry community ideally. im just not sure where to start

i hope youre having a great day!

thank you so much!!

okay i gotta preface this with: i have been doing commissions for over a decade. everything i say here i've been doing since roughly 2014, but my career as an artist didn't really Take Off and become reliable until 2019. success isn't immediate. some artists will grow faster or slower than others, not every tactic is going to apply / work for every artist; and that's okay. just keep pushing yourself and adapting and figuring out what works for You!

i’m putting this under a readmore as it got a bit long. every time someone asks me for advice on professional Anything i always write up a five page essay despite trying to bulletpoint it oof

post on multiple platforms and keep them all updated. i’m putting this one in bold because it is possibly the Most Important thing. we’re all watching twitter sinking over there, and many of my mutuals there were floundering because they hadn’t established themselves on any other social media site. i strongly recommend three or four socials minimum. my main four sites are tumblr, deviantart, twitter and toyhouse. furaffinity is also good. inkblot and artfol are new and i use them frequently as well. if you don’t like posting manually to every site each and every time you post art, Postybirb exists and is what i use to crosspost all my art to most of my socials at once.

avoid venting a lot on main. we all have frustrating days where our art isn’t getting the recognition we hoped, or we’re feeling petty about a controversial topic or the latest drama. it happens! it’s okay! however, many people just don’t like seeing dozens of negative posts on their feed. most people will sympathize, but if your negative vents are constantly clogging their dashboard they’re not gonna stick around.

shamelessly self promote yourself. reblog your own art. retweet it again. repost it. mention your other socials. we live in a world of timezones! when you post art, only a fraction of your audience is going to see it. i recommend reblogging / retweeting one to four individual pieces periodically over the course of a day and change it up each day. you can also repost your own work into photosets and title it “recent commissions” or the something like that.

don’t hide your linktrees and carrds. seriously! the amount of times on twitter i went to try and follow someone on another platform only to find they had no carrd or linktree link,, it is infuriating. put your socials link in your bio or pinned or SOMEWHERE readily at the top of your profile that’s easy to spot.

if you’re offering commissions, make a telegram channel or discord server for your announcements / openings.

post regularly. this one is a lot harder for artists that don’t make a lot of content, but posting even a status update once or twice a day can go a long way - especially if you’re on twitter with that platform’s hideous algorithm. alternatively as i said earlier, just retweet/reblog your work a few times a day and you should be good.

art trends are cool and fun and an easy way to get your work seen by others. see a “draw your sona in this outfit” meme? go, have fun with it. this one’s a bit tricky as timing is everything when it comes to ~trending~ content, so try and draw quick. that said, it’s never outdated to drawover reaction memes with your fursona.

try not to clog your socials with memes and shitposty images. this one is directed at twitter specifically. with twitter moments now gone, your media tab is the last way for people to hope to find your work organically on your profile without having to use the twitter search. they can’t get invested in your work if they can’t find it!

it’s okay to change course if you’re not vibing with where you’re headed. if you want to move onto a new aesthetic - that’s fine! you may lose some followers if they don’t click with your new vibe, but you’ll inevitably gain some new ones.

avoid frequent name changes. so many of the artists i follow have changed their brands / urls over the years that i don’t recognize them anymore.

tag your work properly. on tumblr, the first five tags on the original post are the tags your work will pop up in in the search feature. make those first five tags the Most important ones; example: #furry, #anthro, #art #fursona etc. twitter’s algo seems flip-flop if it likes tags or hates them. if you see a tag trending, repost your art in a photoset with the hashtag in the post [example: if #pokemon is trending, repost some of your pokemon fanart with the hashtag in the post body]. if the tag isn’t trending,,, i’ll be honest it’s a gamble if twitter likes your post or not at that point. i have no advice for that hell algorithm.

hosting raffles or doing a mini art request event [example: “leave a ref and i might draw your oc”] is good for traction while simultaneously giving back to the community + your audience a little!

try and reply to / like comments on your work. it’s not required per se, but it’s good to express gratitude.

engage with other members of the community. comment on other peoples work. like it. retweet it. follow other people. obviously don’t be disingenuous about it, but this is what the professionals call ~networking~

don’t compare yourself to others. this one is one you have got to keep in mind constantly. you’re going to find 17 year olds with huge followings and 30 year olds that are doing professional industry work whose level feels alien and almost out of reach. if you’re not doing as well, don’t let yourself get discouraged. we all gotta start somewhere!

related to the above point: be nice to your followers. venting on main about not having the same audience volume as others can come off as a huge middle finger to the audience you already have.

gaining a following takes time. unless you get a really lucky break, it’s going to take a lot of work and self promotion to build up your brand.

slap your name on everything. i mean it. any art you do - sign it. watermark it. people can and will share art in telegram channels and discord servers, and if the art interests someone they can easily source it back to you if your name is on it.

you can buy adspace. if you’re catering to a furry audience specifically, you can buy adspace on furaffinity pretty easily. inkblot i believe also offers adspace for artists though i haven’t looked too deep into it. this is really a “if you’re okay burning money” situation, as the huge chunkk of internet users have adblockers now and it’s a gamble if people will see or even click on your ad.

just have fun and do your own thing. you can hop on trends and draw art that caters to your audience’s tastes, but don’t forget to draw what YOU want and what YOU’RE about. Draw what makes YOU happy.

hope these help!! ;w;

#long post

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