It’s mating season again!

@magistralucis

The movie about a woman and her cat that set the standard for The Bechdel Test.

Forrest’s favorite song..

me at any given time: can we just buckle down and focus on the task at hand please???

my brain:

my brain: ……….ranibow sprimkle……………

ranibow sprimkle……..

kepchup.

SPINCH

B A N C H

chichen nuggest

b R o G L e

strawbebbies..

Also finished this commission! Haha at least when I´m paid I pay attention to colours and lighting ahahaha

Google Earth is Amazing

Wait for it…

everytime. i laugh like an idiot everytime

@unnaturaldecay

this is a lot funnier when u know that this is the place where julius caesar got stabbed. its a cat sanctury

Guess What? She Didn’t Die: Manipulation, Lies, and Deceit from the Writers of “The 100”

Go a little fart

be ded

A little girl in my 4th grade class came up to me after recess and said, “I got married at recess!” and I said “Oh? I didn’t know anyone was ordained under the age of twelve.” and she asked me what ordained meant and I explained and then she said “Oh, well, no, my wife and I were married by the slide, but we’ll be happy together anyway.”

So apparently on school playgrounds, slides are already legalizing same-sex marriage.

They warned us it would be a slippery slope.

Sound of Silence - Horde Clones

Finally, after almost four months, it is finished.

Dedicated first of all to @soranis-sunshadow, who put forth the idea and allowed me to pick it up.

Also dedicated to the entire spacebat community here on tumblr, the people who have brought me joy and who have kept me inspired to work on this for all this time. This project is an open love letter to you all. (And please forgive me if I forget to mention any names going from here.)

Dedicated to @cruelfeline, @bishonenrockmysocks, @imperfectmazen, @entrapdaknation, @shadsiethewriter, @doberaptor, @bat-burrito, @maireadralph and many more who make this community such a fun and wholesome place to be in. For sharing theories, observations, artwork and writing and so much more that brighten my days.

Now for a few details on the video.

I have tried to put in many subtle nods to this fandom in this video, including spacebat oc’s. The clone picking up a shiny piece of coloured glass in Prime’s trophy room is a reference to @doberaptor’s Big Cedar and his love for shiny objects. (The glass is a shard of the orb Glimmer smashed, taken in the midst of cleaning duty.)

The clone who loses an eye was loosely inspired by @shadsiethewriter’s Jerome and his scars, but only so loosely that, over the past week or two, he actually evolved into his own character (hence why he suddenly appears more often than I had planned.) His name is Val, and the rest of his story is something for another time. When I’ve worked out the details.

Fully inspired by Shadsie was the cave Val was hiding in, with the Horde symbol spray-painted on the rocks and a banner waving close by. Thank you for that inspiration.

The green thread motif in one of the final shots is a reference to @entrapdaknation’s wonderful fanfic Gossamer Threads, one I can wholly recommend. It is a masterpiece thus far.

A few of my own spacebats have made it into the video as well: Lyle, the clone looking out the window of the Velvet Glove; Fidux, the clone drawing instead of taking notes on the progress of his brothers’ cloning; Val, of course, who suddenly decided to become his own character in the process of making this video; Barnaby, the clone who found Val and is helping him and standing by his side in the final shot.

I was sure I had more to say, but I cannot remember. So, lastly, I want to thank everyone who showed support as I was making this, who checked in on my progress reports along the way and never failed to show interest and with that kept me going on this. It is the most elaborate project I have ever worked on, and that is thanks to you guys. This one’s for you, and I hope it does not disappoint.

Little update on the animatic (mostly me venting) and happy news for Entrapdak fans!

Well, I did it! I started sketching again! A good five minutes before my arm cramped up again. The joy. It frustrates me to no end. Has anyone seen The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. ? Thoughtography is a power I really want right now. I would sit and listen to Sound of Silence on loop until I had perfectly picutred and thoughtographed every frame, and then I would just do the editing and done! One finished animatic! There would even be real-deal, smooth animation in there because while I'm at it just printing pictures directly from my mind, why not have them move as well, right?

Ah well.

On a brighter note, I do have happy news for Entrapdak shippers out there - that really does not bode well for people who think their relationship is toxic or wrong or... whatever:

A seven-year-old gets it. Really gets it. About as much as a seven-year-old can, of course. My friend watched it with her little sister, and halfway season 2 asked 'so what do you think of Hordak?'

'He is mean,' said the child. 'He is the evil boss.' And I mean, that checks out from a children's point of view, who also said Scorpia was mean 'because she is with the Horde.'

Then, half an episode later, my friend asked: 'But what about Entrapta and Hordak, when they are together?'

The child thought for a moment. 'Better!' she soon decided, and when asked to elaborate, she said: 'Well Entrapta makes Hordak better, kinder! It's because they are friends. He doesn't want to hurt her so he is nice when he is with her.'

I was there. I was there when this took place and I SQUEALED like you would not believe.

A child. A little child can see it! And she can summarize, in a very basic way, why their relationship is healthy! I mean yes, it is far more nuanced than what she said about it but like... seven years old. I am so proud.

So all in all, y'know. I may not be able to make any decent progress on the video still but I may have discovered one of the youngest Entrapdak 'shippers' around so it's a case of 'you win some, you lose some,' and I'll happily take it.

I'm really bummed I missed it! But I did hear you squeal downstairs, lol.

someone caption this

Winged eyeliner

I would hereby like to express my sympathy and utmost respect for anyone who’s ever had to draw Hordak’s throne, sanctum, and basically anything in the Fright Zone.

I think I’ve found the true villain of Spop and it’s a blasted chair. 

Edit: And then the realisation sinks in that this is just the lineart. Well. F*ck.

New frames

So! Production on the Galactic Horde - Sound of Silence animatic (that I may need to rebrand as PMV) is still going strong, with 26 finished frames.

However, my drawing tablet is dying and uh... Yeah. That might slow my progress just a little. Maybe.

Anyhoo, I wanted to share a few new frames. These are not watermarked, and I expect people to be respectful of that by NOT REPOSTING THIS ART to other websites, and if you absolutely must, please be courteous enough to link back to my blog. Thank you.

"...my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light..."

"...that split the night..."

"(and the vision that was planted in my brain) still remains (within the sound of silence)"

So. That's all I'm sharing for now, and I will continue to work as long as my tablet holds out (and replace it asap once it's truly finished). After all, as Hordak proved to the world, 'defects' are just as valuable as anything and anyone else! (And that's where the analogy ends because replacing defective clones? That's filthy Prime-business, and we ain't doing that.)

Again, please be courteous and do not repost my art, thank you!

Spacebat musings #1

So I like thinking about Horde clones/spacebats, whatever you’d like to call them. And I thought, and have been mulling over on and off for some time… What if they retain some sort of Hivemind-esque connection even post-Prime? Something that is not invasive and domineering like Prime was, of course, because they deserve better than that.

But consider this: what if their species is actually very in tune to each other’s emotional states, except they never knew that they were because under Prime they essentially didn’t have what you’d call ‘emotional states,’ because emotions are impure and all that freaky nonsense. But now, after Prime’s demise and the disappearance of the Hivemind, they are starting to develop and express their own thoughts and feelings. Which can be more overwhelming for some than for others. 

Maybe, y’know, they can sort of… feel each other’s emotions? Not feel them entirely as their own, not as strongly as the connection was in the Hivemind, but more like… get a sense of who’s feeling calm, who’s in distress, that sort of thing. They do not read minds, they do not invade thoughts, but it’s like a cross between empathy and telepathy. I really do not know how to explain this idea better. Sure wish I did, though, because I’m starting to think that I’m making less and less sense as I go.

Anyway.

And maybe, being so tuned in to other’s emotions can be used to help one another. Maybe, if one spacebat notices that another is scared or anxious, they could just… sit with them. Not even needing to talk. Just sitting there, calming themselves and, by extension, also the other. If the other is receptive to it. I’m not sure how it would work but I do want them to have control over the situation, because the poor darlings really need to feel in control of their own lives for a change. So perhaps, if one doesn’t feel like sharing their emotions in such a way, they could just… shut it off. Say ‘nah, I’m good, thanks’ and not necessarily need to have that semi-telepathic link all the time if they don’t want to. It’s a choice. Like voluntary therapist-clones? Let’s call them therapist-clones. 

So anyway. A natural semi-telepathic, empathic link inherent to the spacebats’ species. That’s my weird thought of the day.

you have to write a fanfic about this! It’s so fascinating!

Ah, thank you!

Well, as it happens, I actually did. A while ago. A short drabble just experimenting with the thought. Now I do recall that this idea was inspired by a fanfic on AO3, but having read almost everything under the Entrapdak tag, I can’t for the life of me remember which one. I also don’t recall how much of this was inspired by an existing piece. Maybe a lot, maybe barely anything. I wrote this months ago while I was half-asleep. So if anyone stumbles upon this and thinks it looks familiar, let me know and I’ll give proper credit.

So anyway. On we go.

Wrong Hordak shifted uneasily as a little further down the camp, members of the Rebellion were discussing what to do with one of his brothers. He had been told that Hordak had waged war on this entire planet and the natives were not sure what to do with him now that the threat of Prime had vanished. But Wrong Hordak’s namesake was within earshot as they discussed his future, although the rebels likely weren’t even aware of this fact. Entrapta was with them, trying to speak on Hordak’s behalf, but some of the others didn’t seem keen on listening. Meanwhile Hordak simply radiated fear regret worry fear and Wrong Hordak couldn’t take it anymore. His ears flattened against his head and, taking a deep breath, he inched closer to his brother. Hordak looked up briefly, but quickly averted his gaze again. No, don’t bother me, not now, walk away, don’t bother me. The feelings were almost palpable, so strongly they pulsed from him. Wrong Hordak knew more or less what his brother would consider a ‘bother’ - loud voices, unsollicited hugs, overt enthusiasm from anyone but very particular people - all the things Wrong Hordak had taught himself were okay, were nice over these past months. But I won’t do that to you now, you don’t need that, he thought with a sense of calm. Hordak breathed out a soft sigh, his swirling thoughts and feelings slowing to a buzz that, though lighter, was still quite jarring. He growled softly when Wrong Hordak settled beside him, but the noise died down moments later, hitching in his throat before coming to a stop at the exact moment that Wrong Hordak was hit with a particularly strong wave of self-loathing regret fear.  Wrong Hordak shuddered, contemplating these sensations, how vaguely reminiscent it was of the hivemind, but not quite right, not the same. And for all Hordak’s apparent unwillingness, the sensations didn’t fade, proving quite the opposite of the front he put up. Before, Wrong Hordak had noticed the distress of his brothers upon the shattering of the hivemind. Some were thankfully taking it better than others. Perhaps the hivemind wasn’t entirely gone? Whatever this was, it was making Wrong Hordak very uncomfortable, but also filled him with pity for the brother beside him, who must be experiencing these emotions - his emotions - much stronger yet. “They are merciful people,” Wrong Hordak offered quietly, looking at the Princesses. Beside him, Hordak hummed. “That they are.” His voice was even, perhaps a little gruff, but beneath it Wrong Hordak could still perceive the self-loathing that seemed to say ‘I do not deserve their mercy.’ Well, but that wouldn’t do. Wrong Hordak closed his eyes, picturing the friends he’d made. Emily, the robot he had become quite fond of. Bow, who treated him well, called him a friend. Glimmer, with whom he’d cooked and talked and laughed. He thought of the warmth he’d felt upon first setting foot on this planet. He thought of the things he’d learnt about individuality and how much he enjoyed winking and hugs and smiling. Opening his eyes momentarily, he glanced to his side. Hordak give a flick of his ear, still a pensive look on his face, though some tension seemed to have left his shoulders. Wrong Hordak mulled this over for a moment, then resumed his train of thought. Adora treated him fairly, trusted him. Entrapta- That got a reaction. Immediately, Hordak seemed to melt into the thought, adding to it with his own. She is so kind. She taught me so much. She always makes me smile. She doesn’t judge. She is a wonderful friend. Wrong Hordak could not even distinguish between his own thoughts and those of his brother as the feelings melted together and his heart filled with warmth love friendship calm peace safe. And somewhere underneath, there was also an overwhelming sense of tired. It had been a terribly long day after terribly long months. Wrong Hordak really was tired. He smiled, though that smile soon turned into a yawn. Beside him, Hordak seemed to almost collapse in on himself from sheer exhaustion. Warm, Wrong Hordak offered, and there was an affirmative warm right before Hordak leant his head on his brother’s shoulder and closed his eyes. Smiling a little wider, Wrong Hordak rested his cheek against his brother’s head and followed his example. And now, warm and tired melted together into an overwhelming sense of at peace that sent both clones to sleep.

This is so good!

If I still wrote fanfiction ...

I used to write fan fiction in college, and dabbled in it once during graduate school. My ability to write fanfiction has atrophied, but if that metaphorical muscle were still toned, I would be tempted to write canon-divergent stories that give Hordak and the clones the development they deserved in season 5.

What if Hordak, Glimmer, and Catra formed a Bad Decisions Squad on board the Velvet Glove, with each bringing something to the table that the other two needed? What if they escaped as a team, struggling to set aside their deep-seated hostilities for the sake of survival? What if they went into hiding on a planet under Galactic Horde domination, allowing Glimmer and Catra to learn about Horde Prime’s tyranny?

What if Hordak’s epiphany had come earlier? What if, after his memories slowly returned, rage bubbled up in him like magma against his creator? What if Horde Prime’s cruelty toward him in “Destiny, Part 2″ made him realize that his creator was a monster, not a god? What if he realized that to protect the planet that Entrapta and Imp were on, he had to stop his former master?

What if Hordak spearheaded a clone revolt against Horde Prime?  What if kinship with his clone brothers galvanized him into fighting for their liberation? What if Hordak could find ways of breaking through their conditioning and helping them question their indoctrination? What if Wrong Hordak was the first freed clone, and his subsequent existential crisis was taken seriously rather than being treated as comic relief? How would Horde Prime, and the Rebellion, react to a small army of clones turning on the Emperor of the Known Universe?

What if viewers could get a glimpse of the hivemind, from the clones’ perspective? What if the hivemind “looked” like a vast void, with the clones appearing as points of light connected by gossamer threads to a colossal green cloud at the center of a network? Or, what if it looked like a futuristic computer network, with Horde Prime and the clones connected through an intricate web of floating paths? Or, what if it looked like an eldritch nightmare, with Horde Prime’s oily black essence writhing around pale, trapped clones?

What if Imp played a role? What if liberated clones met him, and found him adorable? (”A TINY BROTHER!”) What if his genetic connection to the Galactic Horde meant that he could access the hivemind? What if Horde Prime could be worked into a frothing rage by the sound of a child’s voice in the hivemind network, taunting him for being a bad man, singing about how his “papa” was going to win? What if he reunited with Hordak?

What if Hordak’s cloning flaw was not a flaw at all? What if he was going through a metamorphosis into his species’ mature form, which Horde Prime was desperate to stop? Why would Horde Prime be so desperate to halt the transformation? What if the clones’ amniotic fluid contained a substance that inhibited this natural metamorphosis?

So many exciting possibilities!

All of that sounds great. My own ability to write long, multi-chapter fics went into hibernation when I started university and has only rarely poked its head out of its cave since, which is just as well because keeping up my studies with ADD and a chaotic rollercoaster of a life is difficult enough as it is, BUT I have thought exactly the same over the past months. What if I did write an S5 rewrite, so to speak? What if I had the time, the focus to do so? Oh I would love to see something like this someday. There are some fics around that dabble in the same ideas but they’re never quite what I’m looking for. Enjoyable but not the just-so story that I crave. I guess that’s something that one really does need to write themselves. Trouble is, I don’t know how I would write certain things even if I had the time. Maybe one day, but for now all I should really focus on planning out and writing is my thesis. Ah, but one can most certainly dream.

I would love to read it if you find the time and the will to write it! It all sounds so promising!

Thoughts on honesty

So today I was thinking about why I respect King Shrewd from the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. He is just so honest. Not always sympathetic, not always likeable. But to my knowledge he doesn’t exactly… lie. True to his name, certainly, but he doesn’t hide his true intentions, at least when it’s safe to speak the truth, so to say. When the truth would not be a direct threat to his life or his position as ruler. He is honest and direct, speaks from the heart and can therefore be very blunt, at times barely likeable, but at least he is also consistent.

Then suddenly it clicked. I like Hordak’s honesty. Yes he’s a villain, but he’s not as sly and manipulative as Shadow Weaver, Catra or even Double Trouble, whom I view as more Neutral anyway. Unprovoked, he will not always tell the whole truth, such as why he’s trying to conquer Etheria. Although, well, we saw that he was willing to talk about his motives with Entrapta at least, and Shadow Weaver (and later also Catra) also seemed well aware of at least parts of his reasons.  But Hordak is just… not a liar. And I respect that.

I just really respect and like it when people are honest, even if their honesty doesn’t necessarily make me like the person themselves. Even if the truth can hurt sometimes. But at least in fiction, I appreciate honesty even more when it comes from a villain or someone who’s morally grey at best. A bad person is not by definition a liar. Just as a good person doesn’t always have to be honest, although of course certain degrees of honesty are more or less required to be a ‘good person’ but… honestly? That’s a topic for my philosophy lecture and I’m not going to go that deep when I don’t have to, so I’ll just… I don’t know. Stop rambling, I guess.

(Oh, speaking of blunt honesty, I should warn people that I am Dutch and what many other cultures consider Very (Rude) Blunt Honesty is just… a cultural part of me. Maybe that’s why I like it in people and characters? Probably.)

I can confirm that we, Dutch people, are very honest and direct. We're not unfriendly, just Dutch.

Sometimes, just sometimes, I’m writing a translation for an ancient text, and I’m watching the pen move and the letters form on the page, and my ADD brain decides to just… marvel at the exquisite art that is writing. Not that my handwriting is anything to crow about, not at all. What I can, at times, be amazed by is the very act of putting words onto paper, not even thinking about the motions needed to form the letters. Truly, just the thought that we have created a way to convey our thoughts in a way that, well, unfortunately not everyone can read, of course, illiteracy is a thing and it’s such a shame that it is… And then there’s different languages, naturally, and language barriers. But still. Once we learn how to write, we don’t even think about it. We think about what we write, yes, but the act of putting the words on paper? It is so ingrained in us, once we’ve learnt how, that it is a thoughtless process, but so wonderful if you stop to think about what writing really is. 

An ancient art - and make no mistake, for it truly is art - we as humans have long ago developped to convey our thoughts and feelings, to tell our stories, to communicate.

And, I don’t know, but as someone who is deeply fascinated by languages, communication, stories from centuries ago that we can still read today because people wrote them down and others bothered to copy those writings over and over and over… I find the art of writing one of the most beautiful things humanity has created.

I made a meme for today

[ID: The Inigo Montoya scene from Princess Bride where he says he doesn’t know what to do with his life now that he’s killed the man who killed his father, and Westley says “have you considered being a pirate?” It’s edited to say “You know, it’s very strange. I have been in the Remove Trump business for so long, now that it’s over, I don’t know what to do with the rest of my life.” Westley replies “Have you ever considered dismantling white supremacy?” Inigo happily considers the option. End ID]

YESSSS!!!!!

Lets talk about this.