#ohdearwerescrewed

[capsilade]

Charlie had a nice time in Boston, spending a lot of time with his sister.

[shapeshiftersvt]

(from the kittens racerback) What would you call that long outer layer and short mesh option? Is it a more expensive addition/how much does it cost?

That’s a $10 add-on, the last in the drop-down menu: “Extra-Long - Outer Layer Only”

Thanks for asking!

[jamiedodgerart]

more dolphin #testimonials under the cut

im glad to know there are others out there who share my struggle with dolphin lovers

hell yeah they are. smart lil cookies and they’re damn cute

im dead already from looking at this thing but it was worth it

NO WAY... terrifying creatures... piranhas are also terrifying i can’t believe how strong these dolphins must be. how have we let them grow so strong, unchecked

[banana-spice]

Yanno what fuck all those assholes, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BANANA! Ur a nice person and it always makes me grin to see you in my notes. I have the same bad feelings about my own birthday for similar reasons so I definitely get you alright? *hugs*

Thanks. I’m probably just gonna fade further into seclusion for a while. I don’t really know how to talk to people right now.

[callmegallifreya]

To answer a question on Avarice...

Hold onto your hats ladles and jellyspoons, because I accidentally wrote a 5 page fic to answer this one.

Summer was coming to a close, and with the twins’ birthday celebrations planned and ready to go, there was one more event on the calendar before the school year started up again.

“Stanley! What did you do with my tent?”

“... Sixer why do you need that. It’s in the attic. And why is it flourescent orange with green squiggles?”

“For Combusting Dude, what else? And they are not ‘squiggles’ it’s an energy direction array to ensure maximum rest from minimum sleep. Also a vomit repellant.”

“You. Want to go to Combusting Dude.”

“Of course, I used to do this every year! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me it was still going, I have 30 years to catch up on. Where did you put my giant self-propelling stag beetle?”

“Well I originally put it in the back room but then it set the curtains on fire so, uh… Part of it is in the flatypus, one bit’s holding up the toepher, and you’re sitting on the rest of it.”

Ford looked down, and admittedly the wooden structure underneath him did have certain stag-beetle-esque qualities.

------------

The desert was just as hot, dry and dusty as Ford remembered.

The stag beetle had been unfortunately beyond repair - or, more accurately, it was in use and unavailable to be a stag beetle, so this year’s transport was a rickety yet sturdy VW camper. The camper was actually going to be part of Dipper and Mabel’s birthday present, to help them visit each other during college and for Dipper to keep up his video series. Mabel was getting a motorbike, with a specially adapted pig-safe sidecar.

The grunkles hoped they wouldn’t come to regret the bike.

The camper, though, was getting a thorough test run as Ford maneuvered it across the rough terrain towards the sprawling mass of tents, stands and people. Bright costumes were everywhere, people on towering stilts and piloting strange mechanisms, people in beautiful home-made and hand-dyed outfits, and people wearing things they might later regret in this environment. It wasn’t always the sunburn, getting sand out of frondy decorations was always a nightmare.

Upon getting the tent set up and the van locked down he strode out into the popup metropolis, ready to see what was new and what hadn’t changed at all. The immense monolith of wooden pallets held centre stage, even bigger than it used to be, with a flashing laser array mounted on its forehead and surrounded by other wooden sculptures to go up in flames later on.

A many-legged contraption with an astounding number of brass instruments attached trundled past, and as he watched a string was pulled and the “mouth” of organ pipes opened to emit a sound that could only be described as

A group of people dressed in bright primary colours, with gorgeous lion head masks, seemed to be doing some kind of acrobatic display a little like a human pyramid.

At some point a very mellow young lady in a rainbow kaftan gave him a jar of what she called soma, which tasted an awful lot like a drink from dimension eleventy-three and made his knees feel like they were changing size at irregular intervals and the light glaring off the top of his glasses seem even brighter.

And then he saw it.

A whole group of people setting up for the Ritual of New Beginnings, just like he always used to. They each had kohl around their eyes, and were setting equipment into place in a circle around a little raised plinth for the fire. They all seemed rather young to Ford as he ambled closer, and as he approached he could hear them whispering and bickering about one of the aspects of the ceremony.

Someone had forgotten to bring a previously used pewter chalice to start things off. Well, Ford had one knocking around his tent, still there from last time. He jogged back to grab it, thankful that it wasn’t too far away, and meandered back to the group. His approach was met with some slight confusion on their part (what, was he too OLD suddenly?) but the chalice he was holding seemed to fix that, and soon enough he was wearing a borrowed robe and pouring something alcoholic from his chalice into the shiny new one held by the member on the outside of the circle, who poured to the next person in and so on until it reached the centre and was thrown over the plinth.

The group shuffled around, changing places for the next pieces of the ceremony as wood, then paper, then cloth was thrown onto the growing tower of flammable material. Finally Ford circulated toward the centre, just as the singing began.

And then things started to go a bit pear-shaped.

Ford caught a glimpse of the circle, and instead of the separate rising and setting suns of the New Beginnings ceremony, the symbols had been intertwined to make a spiralling star. This pulled Ford up short - suddenly a harmless cleansing ceremony could very well end extremely poorly, and as he looked again at the circle even more changes became apparent.

“Oh, oh dear, oh that isn’t good.” He stumbled back and  turned to the robed figure next to him, “Stop, we have to stop, the circle’s wrong!”

His neighbour turned toward him, along with several others still singing - and wasn’t that sounding an awful lot like a chant instead of a song as well now - and smiled. “No, it isn’t.”

Ford stared for a second, then bolted for the circle. Or rather, he tried to bolt and was hemmed in on all sides by the other robed people. By the time he had shoved his way close enough to maybe scuff the circle and interrupt, he was being grabbed by at least 6 people and every time he shook one off another jumped on.

The weight finally dragged him to the ground, where he was promptly sat on by several more people, right as the chanting finished and a torch was thrown into the pyre with the final line - “Praeterita, praesentia et futura per ignem consumpti. Veni Malcon!”

The pile of offerings went up in smoke, and in a blinding flash of magnesium white, Malcon appeared. He looked like he was made of paper, and bathed in flames from head to toe in colours that shifted and crackled, occasionally throwing out showers of sparks that fizzed like iron filings.

W̶̸̲̅ʜ̶̸̲̅ᴏ̶̸̲̅ ̶̸̲̅C̶̸̲̅ᴀ̶̸̲̅ʟ̶̸̲̅ʟ̶̸̲̅s̶̸̲̅ ̶̸̲̅M̶̸̲̅ᴀ̶̸̲̅ʟ̶̸̲̅ᴄ̶̸̲̅ᴏ̶̸̲̅ɴ̶̸̲̅?̶̸̲̅

The ringleader bowed and opened his mouth to speak, only for Malcon to notice the commotion that was Ford struggling and seven of the circle members holding him down.

W̶̲̅ʜ̶̲̅ᴀ̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅'̶̲̅s̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅ʜ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅s̶̲̅,̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴀ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅s̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ʟ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ɴ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ғ̶̲̅ғ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ʀ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅ɴ̶̲̅ɢ̶̲̅?̶̲̅

W̶̲̅ʜ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴅ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ʏ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ᴜ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ʙ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ʟ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ɴ̶̲̅ɢ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅

The flaming figure leaned closer, peering at Ford’s forehead.

A̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴅ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ᴍ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ɴ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅s̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ʏ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ᴜ̶̲̅ɴ̶̲̅ɢ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ᴠ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ɴ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅I̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ʜ̶̲̅ᴀ̶̲̅ᴠ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ɴ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅s̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ɴ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ʙ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ғ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ʀ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅?̶̲̅ ̶̲̅I̶̲̅ ̶̲̅s̶̲̅ᴜ̶̲̅ᴘ̶̲̅ᴘ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅s̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴡ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅ʟ̶̲̅ʟ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴍ̶̲̅ᴀ̶̲̅ᴋ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴀ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴅ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ᴄ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ɴ̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴅ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅s̶̲̅s̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ʀ̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅ I̶̲̅ғ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅s̶̲̅ ̶̲̅s̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅ᴜ̶̲̅ᴘ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅ᴅ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ɴ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ᴜ̶̲̅ɢ̶̲̅ʜ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴅ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ғ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ɴ̶̲̅ᴅ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅ᴛ̶̲̅s̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴍ̶̲̅ᴀ̶̲̅ʀ̶̲̅ᴋ̶̲̅.̶̲̅

Malcon leered down at Ford

Y̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ᴜ̶̲̅ʀ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴍ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ᴍ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ʀ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅s̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴡ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅ʟ̶̲̅ʟ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ʙ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ ̶̲̅ᴅ̶̲̅ᴇ̶̲̅ʟ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅ᴄ̶̲̅ɪ̶̲̅ᴏ̶̲̅ᴜ̶̲̅s̶̲̅.̶̲̅

Before Ford could demand an explanation, and before the leader could start speaking again, Malcon’s head was thrown backwards by an uppercut accompanied by a furious silver figure bursting from the ground beneath his feet. Malcon staggered back with a shriek of pain, rallying and launching himself at the shining winged person that had interrupted his summons.

Stan uncurled his claws from tight bunched fists and took a swipe at Malcon’s face, batting him down and sending a spray of fizzing sparks out as he ripped away a chunk of the papery body under all the fire. It sailed toward nearby spectators, burning out as it went until it fluttered to the ground as a charred hunk of parchment scraps. Malcon shrieked, and Stan bared fangs and snarled as he lay into the burning demon.

The fight was a blur of silver, fire and angry screeching, with Malcon heavily outclassed. Ichor and sparks flew in all directions. Shreds of burning paper scattered around, scorching black marks into the desert scrub. A few bystanders were admiring the spectacle, while most were criticising the “installation” for reckless fire management. The people holding Ford down were so engrossed that he was eventually able to work loose, and he turned and ran back towards his tent.

He got almost halfway there before he felt himself lifted off the ground, and the next thing he knew he was surrounded by darkness.

Ford panicked and flailed, which was completely ignored as he was picked up and turned every which way, hands patting him all over as Stan made sure he was unharmed.

“Sixer are you okay? Did he hurt you? Did he eat your memories?” Stan paused with both hands on Ford’s head, “Oh right, plate. But you’re ok right?”

Ford shook off Stan’s hands, only to get wrapped up in his wings. “I’m fine Stanley! How did you even know I was in danger in the first place?”

Stanley drew up short. “Sixer. Have you really not noticed? I know you drank that weird mushroom crap.”

“Noticed what?”

Stan gestured to Ford’s forehead, right where the light was still glaring off his glasses. Except, now Ford thought about it, he was in the shade. So what was causing that glint? Ford looked up, but it moved when he tilted his head, so he tried looking up without doing that and just moving his eyes, but that meant looking over the top of his glasses so he couldn’t see. Maybe if he tilted his head slightly...

After about 5 minutes of this, Stan took pity on his poor stoned brother and handed him a mirror.

Floating a couple of inches over Ford’s forehead was Stan’s symbol. The same one that Stan had carefully drawn out in the air, then driven his fist through and noogie’d onto Ford.

“I can see through the eye on that thing if I want to, and I can feel when you’re scared or hurt and stuff. Plus it’s like a big glowing demonic ‘keep off’ sign.” Stan rubbed the back of his head, “I mean, it didn’t work on that guy but when I have a bit more of a rep it’ll work better, and at least for now there’s lots of stuff that won’t mess with any demon even if they don’t recognise it…”

Ford was, for once, speechless, and simply hugged his brother.

[xaandiir]

Is goddex the gender neutral/less term for goddess and god? If so that's really cool I love seeing all the gender neutral/less terms for usually gendered things so I know what to use for people!

Yes it is! I learned it from @ohdearwerescrewed who is a goddex themself~

[knicks-knacks]

*quietly, but fiercely* fI Te mE

[xaandiir]

6, 11, 13, 18, 19, 26, 28, 30 Bcz the other person used a lot i was gonna use... i was too slow :'3 sorry for anymore accidental doubles~

Ahh thanks Rae!! :D

What’s your least favorite thing to draw?

I hate backgrounds with a burning passion. I always have this awesome idea about what I want the background to be but then it never turns out how I want at all. I just hate it and I wish everything could just always be a blank background.

How many art-related blogs do you follow?

Oh geez I follow a lot. I follow several art reference blogs as well as personal art blogs of artists that I really like. Probably 15+?

Do you prefer to keep your art personal, or do you like drawing things for other people?

I love drawing things for other people but I’m a little more apprehensive about it now because someone once requested for me to draw their OC and I spent a lot of time on it only to receive harsh criticism because I didn’t draw it the way they wanted (despite not providing proper references for me). So I draw art more personally and don’t draw others’ OCs unless I have reference or I trust that the person will be more understanding.

What are you currently trying to improve on?

Aside from the atrocity of backgrounds, I’m trying to learn to draw more complicated poses with less references because even though I know it’s okay to rely on references, I want to be able to draw general things without them. Difficult poses I’ll use references but general things like a different angle of a normal pose is something I want to learn how to do.

What is the most difficult thing for you to draw?

Again, backgrounds. Feet/shoes are also super hard for me to draw. I never like how they turn out and I’m trying to get better but I rarely draw full bodies so I don’t get much practice.

For digital artists: what program(s) do you use?

I use Manga Studio 5 (also known as Clip Studio Paint) and it’s really great! It has a bunch of materials you can use like patterns and such and it has rulers and things like the symmetrical ruler which helps you draw things one side of the picture and it mirrors it on the other side. It helps with intricate designs like a crown.

For traditional artists: what medium do you like most? (Pencil, charcoals, etc)

I love pencil drawing and just general graphite shading. I can’t stand many other mediums because I just don’t think I’m that good at them.

What inspires you to not just make art, but to be a better artist?

Music is always inspiring me to make art. I’ll listen to a song and think “THAT WOULD MAKE THIS SCENE GREAT” and then  Ilisten to it on repeat to keep the mood in my head. But to be a better artist, it’s always drawing something and knowing it can look better so I try to learn how to make it better.