If You Can't Beat Em Askblog

[tma-ifyoucantbeatem-ask]

Welcome to the Archives!

Jon has been thrown back in time.

In his own body again, but world-weary, softened, EXTREMELY powerful, and all around done with this shit.

Obviously he has to prevent the apocalypse, and his friends' deaths. And if his experience the first time around taught him anything at all, the world really is just avatars endlessly throwing themselves at each others' throats. He knows he's resigning himself to a life playing the part of the Puppet Master, and he shudders to think how close to Elias he's becoming.

So no. Instead, he decides to save the world... with the power of friendship-under-threat-of-death.

He makes a group chat. Hijinks ensue.

This is the premise of my fic, If You Can't Beat Em, and this is the accompanying askblog! Ask the characters anything, and I will illustrate a little response, and, when the fic is complete, I'll wrap up this blog and stick it on AO3!

Current characters you can ask:

Jon

Annabelle

Oliver

Mike

Martin

Tim

Sasha

Elias

Daisy

Basira

Things you can ask:

Literally anything!

Bear in mind I won't spoil the characters for their own plot other than little hijinks >:)

[seeyouonabluemoon]

Working on a Monster!Jon design! The whole concept was him shedding his humanity, so I've got a lot of influences from biblical angels, the six limbs of Moth!Jon, a hidden face, and, most fun, his very skin blinks open into a cape/eyelid to expose a shadowy inhuman body underneath, positively CRAWLING with eyes >:D

I'll post a full design analysis and a couple more sketches when I've fully rendered the drawing............. whenever that might be. :D

[tma-ifyoucantbeatem-ask]

I can't confirm whether or not this will end up in the fic ( ;) ), but this is something that the If You Can't Beat Em universe Jon can definitely do. He used a lesser version of this form during chapter 2, but whether you'll get to read about the full form, well... ;)

[seeyouonabluemoon]

I'm having Thoughts about Jon and Daisy and it's not gonna fit in my fic, so here.

He bears the scar he got from her and the internal scar he got FOR her. She has his blood on her hands, but also the dirt he saved her from. She will never repay the debt she owes him, and he will never forgive what she has done. She loves him and he loves her, but he will not trust her and her trust is all she can give him.

They are so similar and so different. She saves herself in the way that matters, and then she falls, and hurts him one last time. His final act is to mirror hers, and give in to the blood to protect someone he loves. He did not say her name when he listed those whom he loved who fell, but she never asked forgiveness either, because they both knew it would be unfair.

She was his watchdog, and he was her guardian. They shared nothing and they shared everything. When she comforted him after nightmares, did she know she featured in them? When he haunted her dreams, did he know he was her lifeline?

He became a monster. She always was.

I'm not crying, you're crying. :'D

[tma-ifyoucantbeatem-ask]

Not an ask and not technically part of the fic, but Relevant none the less, so here!

[tma-ifyoucantbeatem-ask]

SASHA.

Opinions on cheese?

Tim is a dumbass.

This is actually one of the first questions I got but I spent SO LONG trying out different faces for Sasha lol (and the irony of that is not lost on me)

[tma-ifyoucantbeatem-ask]

What's everyone's favorite flavor of ice cream, if they like it?

[tma-ifyoucantbeatem-ask]

For Oliver- Have you ever looked at politicians and wished they would die sooner?

Like I said... Ollie is, despite his avatar status, a genuinely good person :D

[tma-ifyoucantbeatem-ask]

For Mike Crew:

-How did you and Oliver become acquainted(/friends maybe)?

-Any thoughts on Simon Fairchild as a fellow avatar?

They're in love your honour (Mike is emotionally constipated and Oliver refuses to be seen with him in public)

(I promise I AM getting around to everyone's, just might take some time :D)

[tma-ifyoucantbeatem-ask]

elias how much glitter do you still have on your coat

[tma-ifyoucantbeatem-ask]

Jonathan Sims. Have you been getting enough sleep.

If you avoid the question I'll ask Daisy instead :)

-stars anon (if you don't have one of those yet!)

[iiinkos]

art for @seeyouonabluemoon’s fic, if you can’t beat em!

part 2 of ink goes insane on an art piece when they did NOT mean to (this took around 7 hours omg)

this part is from chapter 5– the fucking. imagery!!!! uhedwiuhwceiukhwce its so good

go check it out!

[tma-ifyoucantbeatem-ask]

I'm genuinely honoured by this masterpiece, thank you for this and for your compliments :D

[tma-ifyoucantbeatem-ask]

Annabelle, in your texts you talk like someone who spends a lot of time online. What corners of the internet do you tend to frequent?

For legal purposes, Ms Annabelle Cane cannot be linked to the Chelicrae website or any associated material. However, her interest in knitting blogs and conspiracy boards is entirely benign and irrelevant to ANY missing person case(s) that may or may not be raised.

Edit: her proportions were rushed and bad and annoying me, so I fixed her a little lol