#ask dire

[portentous-offerings]

Just read your newest comic and it was great!! I loved the art style and how you gave Mari an sweatervest (its absolutely adorable) <3 Keep up the good work ^_^

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it! ahah It’s fun to put them in other outfits, though I like to keep it tame so its easy to draw over and over XDD

[diredigression]

im a little late, but 🗣 !

No worries, I’m clearly a little late too haha!

🗣 Share your favorite dialogue exchange.

From my current WIP, where Deacon and Piper get trapped together in the Third Rail.

“Heya, Chameleon Girl.” A bottle thunks on the table. “I’m that scary, huh? You’re pretty brave, chatting up a deathclaw.” Piper pauses in the act of hanging her wet coat on the back of a chair. “What? No, that’s a character.” She drops into the chair. “One of those old comic books. Changes shape into, like, animals and things.” “Is that your way of subtly suggesting I stink like an animal?” Deacon picks at her sleeve and sniffs it. “Clearly isn’t enough to keep you away. Besides, I didn’t think chameleons shapeshifted. Into anything other than massive terrifying nightmare horrors, anyway.” “...you know, let’s forget I said anything. Last ten seconds never happened. Heya, person. Since we’ve decided you’re not…that…who are you today?” "I'm Doris, trader of farm…things. You know, seeds, buckets...hoes...lots of baby...two-headed things..." "What's a farm trader doing in Goodneighbor?" It’s a wonder Piper hasn’t pulled out her notebook yet. And that Deacon hasn’t burst into flames from the pure intensity of her scrutinizing gaze. "Even we farm traders get nights off! And how convenient to be in Goodneighbor where there are no farmers who might get curious and want to ask about the farm trading biz." She stifles an eyeroll and substitutes a swig of beer instead. Maybe a few swigs.

[[Ask Game: WIP Excerpts]]

[diredigression]

53 screams Carrot ngl

53. The relief of fatalistic recklessness

[64 Sensory Prompts]

Carrot had gotten too close to some of the bizarre mutated plants that overran the vault. The vines, thick tendrils that reached and clung with a life and intelligence no plant should have, tangled around her arms, restraining her, reeling her in. The chatter of the angry mushroom people and the yells from Veronica faded as her mind returned to that grave, hands tied, the barrel of the gun aimed at her head, no escape, no way out this time— Her vision lit up with bright orange sparks and heat seared along her wrists. She fell backwards, freed arms flailing, heart pounding. “You alright?” asked Veronica, dropping her laser pistol. Carrot squinted up at her from where she’d landed on the floor, rubbing her wrists frantically. “You got a flamer too? Maybe a nuke? I’m gonna light this whole place up.”

[diredigression]

Sensory Prompts:  the musty smell of an abandoned home

ok so apparently tumblr ate the ask when i tried to save it as a draft but i think @roachvalentine asked me this prompt with Carrot. Here you go!

[64 Sensory Prompts]

Finally Carrot was at the top of the hill—and below her was a shack. It looked like heaven…or at least as inviting as the Goodsprings bar. Energy returned to her in a surge, and she took a running, laughing jump onto the roof.

The sheet metal crunched and folded under her boots as she skidded along to a stop, but thankfully held. She probably shoulda thought about the condition of a potentially 200-year-old roof before jumping on it. A campfire indicated a former resident, but it was ancient and dissolving in disuse. Carrot found the door and barged in.

Forget the bar—this dark shack, tiny streaks of light streaming valiantly in through pinholes in the sheet metal and dissolving into the clouds of glittering dust, each step announced with the clatter of a kicked can or bottle skittering across the floor, was Doc-Mitchell’s-house-levels of inviting. Glinting faintly in the inadequate green light of the pipboy, shelves were scattered across the room, littered with scrap and with boxes bound to be full of goodies. A workbench stood against a wall, tools in disarray. And there was a second room. That room had more shelves, a wardrobe, and a delicious pile of ammo boxes. Bunk beds stood haphazardly out from the wall, a teddy bear waiting expectantly on the bottom mattress and a toy car underfoot. A family had lived here, then. Children. Probably meant that the locale was reasonably safe. Or not, if that particular misstep was the reason the shack was now abandoned. Almost certainly meant a stash of Blamco somewhere.

The shack was dark and cluttered and smelled like dust and lengthy solitude. Carrot grinned. It felt like home.

[portentous-offerings]

Heya, just wanted to let you know about two years after first buying it I have probably read and reread MAHR a dozen times. it’s great and really warms my heart (and makes me cry) while I read it. I keep the Gumroad app on my phone for the sole reason of reading it lol. It’s honestly one of the two art things I’ve ever spent money on, and I just wanted you to know it’s cherished xx

Oh man, thank you, it makes me so happy that you enjoyed it so much, I can’t quite put into words how I feel knowing that even after this long you’re still coming back to it <3

[diredigression]

hey, if i may ask, how old were you when you realized you were ace, and how did you figure it out?

Hey nonny!  Sorry this took so long, hope you’re still keeping an eye out! Yes you may, I’m happy to share information, especially given how hard it was for me to figure out originally.

I had known something was “off” about my responses to people relative to popular culture and my peers for years, but it wasn’t until I was something like age 20-21 that I discovered the term “asexual”. It immediately felt right and I kinda knew then, but it took a lot more research (the main references I used are The Asexual Visibility and Education Network and the asexuality subreddit) and self-observation and introspection before I was really comfortable accepting it instead of fretting over “but what if...”

Two of the most important details, both in determining whether you’re ace and in discussing it generally, are these:

1. Asexuality is defined as “not experiencing sexual attraction.” That’s IT. Same way you’d define define gay or bi or any other allo sexuality (allosexual = not asexual/does experience sexual attraction generally), the only thing that matters is the ability to feel sexual attraction. Not libido, not desire for or opposition to having sex, not appreciation of someone’s appearance, not the body’s reaction to physical contact. Just the mental/emotional/whatever-the-hell-it-is sexual attraction. Which of course seems to be the most difficult to define, but I tend to use the rather loose definition of “seeing someone and automatically wanting to jump their bones regardless of anything related to their personality or relationship to you.” Finding a good definition of sexual attraction was definitely one of the hardest parts largely because a) allos don’t tend to differentiate between other types of attraction and mix it all together and b) aces by definition don’t experience it, so...not really the ideal source for an explanation.

2. There are a ton of different types of attraction. The most obvious besides sexual are romantic (desire for a romantic relationship), aesthetic (this person is “my type,” I enjoy the way they look in the same way I enjoy the way, say, my favorite painting or something looks), and sensual (desire for hand-holding, kissing, snuggling, maybe light petting). NONE OF THESE ARE RELEVANT TO ASEXUALITY. ONLY SEXUAL ATTRACTION MATTERS. For me, I experience romantic, aesthetic, and sensual attraction to men, so I might see a stranger and have the reaction of “oh he’s damn good looking” and maybe have a little desire or daydream about walking with him or snuggling or something...but anything more X-rated than that and my mind goes “nope, nuh-uh, not interested, not going there.” So for me, the process was get a partner, work on getting over my childhood repression which is its own whole separate thing, start being sexual with said partner and realize “wait, even now that I’m fairly comfortable, he’s still experiencing something??? that I’m still missing,” find out that asexuality is a thing, and internalize those definitions to the point that I could accept that this described me, despite feeling all those other attractions and despite enjoying sex. Of course, having a partner and trying sex are NOT NECESSARY for the process. You can know you’re ace without ever having done anything. It was just part of my personal process.

There are also a bunch of specific sub-cases of asexuality that may not seem like it at first, so be sure to check those out if you’re not sure. Demisexuality, the ability to feel sexual attraction only after you’ve formed a deep emotional bond with a person, is a common one, while I tend to use gray-ace, which just means somewhere unspecified on the ace spectrum because didn’t find it important to pinpoint myself. In the end, the most important factor is whatever label feels right to you.

[portentous-offerings]

Hey! I love your art so much!! You're my inspiration♡. I wanted to ask you just a quick question. Is there already an act three to Marinette and her Romeo or you still have to do it? (Are you even gonna do it or not?) Thank youu♡ Ps Pardon me for spelling or other mistakes, I am italian🙃.

Hello! And thanks for the kind words C: Marinette and her Romeo was completed a few years ago and is available  at: Patreon.com/Dire_Hard or  Gumroad.com/dire_hard

[diredigression]

Welp since you've got 3 characters let's ask 3 questions! 7, 11, and 19. Dealers choice on who answers what (this is the main blog behind solesurvivorpaigeargot, BTW. Don't mind the username, its a South Park thing)

Oh fun! Thanks for the ask! (and no worries, I already passed through the “why is buttlord following me??? phase and read the “this is why buttlord is following you” on your page haha) 07. Is there a catchphrase or sound that they tend to make a lot (likely without being aware of it)?

For Sole:

Honest to god, this question is the reason this ask took me so long haha. I had no clue. I mean, if it’s something the character does without noticing it, and if it’s not a plot point, then...

But it’s also a really interesting question for developing character diversity! So I didn’t want to take the easy route out with “nah.” I just...

Aaaaand that’s the point in my thought process that I figured it out. Cause lbr, Sole is basically a self-insert, and I’m working on fixing this particular problem for myself. The word is “just,” as in:

“I just wanted to ask...”

“I just wanted to check...”

“I just wondered if...”

It’s a way of minimizing herself, of trying not make waves when she needs to ask a question or, god forbid, make a suggestion. It’s not a direct question, it’s “just” a minor thing that’s easy to blow off and apologize for. It’s not a big deal, it’s not important, you don’t have to listen to me, it’s just...

She’s mostly prone to it early when she’s little more than a scared 50′s girl with impressive amounts of anxiety, but further on it still shows up in situations where she feels vulnerable.

11. What is something that would make your character fly into a rage?

Carrot is very rarely anything but excited and curious. One rare occurrence that would be guaranteed to send her into a rage, however, is being stolen from, having someone invade her space and touch her things (so, the same shit she pulls on everyone else whoops). Similarly, in places like casinos where she’s required to give up her weapons at the door, she’ll feel threatened and exposed to the point that minor irritations will be far more likely to make her snap (even though she’s undoubtedly snuck some extra firepower in). This means that Benny, having stolen her delivery of all things, is going to be In For It (once she’s around him long enough to remember to be mad).

Also, the Legion. Fuck those guys.

19. Would your character be the kind to get into fights? (physical or verbal) Would they be a good fighter or cave in rather easily?

Dee prefers using her charisma to charm or twist her way out of a conflict. This worked well in Vault 101, but out in the wasteland she’s had to add gun skills to her repertoire. She still would rather sneak around a potential obstacle or talk through a conflict, but sometimes there just isn’t a choice, and she comes to accept that reality--and be good at that sort of violence--more quickly than she’s honestly comfortable with.

[Get to know my character]