#it's just easier when i have a general idea of what i'm doing lol

[heartfall-syndrome]

I wanna make some illustrations sense i haven't made those in a bit SO!

plus if there are any specific characters in mind, let me know :3c

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Since Dream BBQ released I got an idea. Can you do Meanie!ENA x Shy!Fem! Reader where reader is from the human world and works as ENA's salespartner. You can also add teasing/limes if you'd like.

Yay! First Ena request since 2021 (I think lol)

I'll leave out the last part so this is completely sfw

....................

"You know, I'm still impressed that you could understand all these people. Are language barriers just...nonexistent here?"

"Barriers? What a silly prospect, dearest." Ena chuckled as she looked at the list of jobs you were both assigned to carry out. "Let's proceed onwards. Everything we do will bring us one step closer to--turning off that goddamn smoke and giving the Boss a piece of my mind!!"

"Wah!" You jumped back in fright as her "meanie" side started yelling out of the blue, crushing the paper in her grasp.

Having known her for so long, you should be used to this being a daily occurrence...yet somehow she never fails to startle you.

"Did you forget the mission?! This isn't a date!! Put those squishy eyes to work and start looking for that last pet...or baby..or..or whatever!!"

"...y-yes ma'am." Sighing, you tried to shake off your nerves and search for the final trail of blood, not wanting to get her any angrier.

You weren't sure how you winded up together, or how you even got thrown into this strange world in the first place, but Ena was the first to find you. She dragged you into her "business", where you also met Froggy and learned more about what they did.

While you didn't fully understand everything, you knew this much: you've been going around doing favors for people who, for some reason, despised Ena's species. Even if you didn't know what they were saying, their general attitude towards her implies that she did something really, really terrible...or they could be mistaking another Ena's actions for hers.

But you didn't know anything about her past, nor what her kind might've did except exist, though it was through your intervention alone that helped most clients to calm down.

Sometimes, it was difficult for you to speak up given your shy demeanor, which hasn't quite left your personality even now. Although with time it got easier, and Ena helped you come out of that shell more and more.

Of course, you made sure clients fully paid you both for your services--but instead of using cash like you expected, the popular currency here was apparently "chocolates". They were edible, although Ena advised you to hold onto them.

So this was pretty much your new life, and somewhere down the line she became your girlfriend. Her "Salesperson" side loved you dearly and made sure you didn't put yourself in any danger, often speaking on your behalf.

The only problem was getting along with her Meanie side to where her outbursts didn't scare you anymore, and perhaps...you could uncover that bit of softness hiding behind her rough exterior.

That became your mission, and you hoped to make at least a little bit of progress if you're going through all of this trouble to find the Genies and convince them to clear the smoke.

After finding the last pet and bringing it back to Shoryo, you received a handful of chocolates. It was then you realized you've lost track of Ena and searched around the land, eventually finding her near the bridge.

A ratlike person was seemingly guarding it, hoarding different things and looking very alarmed at her presence.

He began yelling in Italian, stomping around and flailing his arms about until suddenly--

He collapsed, fainting much like a goat would when startled. But he stopped moving entirely, and Ena just stared down at him.

"What the hell? I was gone for five minutes!" Mortified, you rushed over and kneeled down. "Sir, can you hear me? Are you-?"

"Don't even tell me you were gonna say "alright". What does it look like?!"

"We have to help him, Ena." Looking up, you saw Meanie's expression remain unchanged, and you sighed. "Please. I know the lost witch probably went over this bridge, but..it feels wrong to cross without his permission."

"....."

"Pretty please?"

"....ugh fine. Let me at him." With a huff, she urged you to move aside while she somehow magically revived the hoarder, who seldom thanked you both and apologized for his outburst.

The stresses of his work were creeping up on him, and apparently he was growing paranoid of the purple villager who stood on a nearby decrepit building, convinced they were scheming to take his "property".

So he tasked--or demanded, rather--that you covered their eyes with something.

Eventually, your aimless wandering led you to a small green alien who was trapped within a bubblegum vending machine with three legs. They were eager to sell you products, but after recognizing Ena, they seemed frightened and insisted they couldn't sell anything to her.

"Okay, now you're being ridiculous." You frowned. "You have something we want, and we're trying to-"

"Guys, guys! Wait!!"

Turning to your girlfriend, you could see Meanie's eyes growing wide--as though she was terrified of something. Her head was spinning, her limbs discombobulating.

It was unlike anything you've seen before. "Ena..?"

"I'M NOT DOING WHAT YOU SAY I'M DOING!!" She yelled out. "I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING!! I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING AT ALL-!"

"Ena! Hey. Hey."

Feeling hands on her shoulders, she suddenly looked at you. Her eyes were still wide, but she had seemingly returned to reality as she calmed down. "[Y/n]?"

"Yeah, it's me." You reassured, moving to take her shaking hands into yours. "You're alright. I believe you."

"........"

Somehow, the vending machine alien was moved by your words, and allowed her to buy one thing and one thing only: mayonnaise that was apparently good for the eyes, but you both knew what to do with it.

Before setting off to complete the hoarder's request, you wandered around a bit to see if anybody else needed help.

But you kept thinking back to Ena's apparent panic attack and stopped for a moment, clearing your throat. "So...um-"

"You heard nothing."

"....did you even know what I was gonna-?"

"Don't back-sass me, sweetheart!" She spun around to face you angrily, fists shaking. "You wanna walk the road alone?!"

"No." You put your hands up in defense. "I'd....much rather walk it with you. Wherever it might lead us, I hope we can face it together."

Meanie blinked, surprised by your words. They sounded so sweet, so endearing...and it made a slight blush rise to that specific side of her face. "Ugh....y-you're lucky you're cute." She grumbled, handing you the paper. "Let's just go find that bug-eyed moron and be done with this."

"Alright." Nodding, you led the way, although occasionally you'd glance back at your girlfriend to see her geometric claws trying to cover up the blush--to no avail. You smiled sweetly, and she just stared at you, the burning sensation getting worse. "You know, you're not too bad, Meanie."

"What did you do to me? Why does my face feel like it's on fire??"

"It's called "being bashful", honey. Humans feel that sometimes, especially around the person they love." You winked.

She just mumbled something unintelligible, her hat hiding her eyes from you, but you both kept continuing forward.

'Huh, there's a way to crack through that exterior after all..'

[infiniteimaginings]

Can you do a transmale!reader x Harry Hook/Uma

(if you do multiple characters)

Where reader is chosen with the main four in the first movie (kid of Jack Sparrow) and leaves. He’s part of Uma’s crew. And when he’s chosen in the first movie, he’s pre-T or anything like it.

Then the second movie comes along and reader goes back to the isle with the others to bring back Mal. But he really goes because he wants to see his pirates. Except now he’s been on T for about a year now and had his surgeries. So they don’t recognize him and kidnap him along with Ben.

Anddddd I can’t really think of anything else after that. So…have fun with it! Preferably a happy ending, with lots of fluff and sweetness.

Pre-established Uma/Harry and Reader didn’t come out to them before leaving so as far as Uma/Harry know, Reader is a cis woman. So it’s a surprise when he finally tells him who he really is.

And yeah, that’s all. It’s alright if you don’t write it, I’d understand. Thanks!

Are we supposed to know you? (Uma x TransMale!Reader x Harry Hook)

Summary: You were sent off with the other Vk's to Auradon and when you come back to retrieve Mal, you're changed. You of course go back for Mal, but it's mainly to see the people you left and to tell them you're home. What happens when they don't recognize you and see you as a threat, just like Ben. How will they know you're who you say you are? Pronouns: You/Yours, She/Her (In mentions from Uma and Harry), He/Him Warnings: None Word Count: 2.7k A/N: (Long A/N) Act like Jefferson doesn't exist, I forgot he existed lol. Also, I won't lie, I started this at one o'clock in the morning, and was contemplating how on earth I make this fluff when they don't recognize him and kidnap him. So, unfortunately I didn't get lots of fluff into it, I apologize, I will write a part two to this little thing just for you with only fluff in it. I hope I did the general idea justice, if I didn't, I apologize. Lots of love! <333 (Even if I explained it, you guys would not understand how frustrated I've been with tumblr and my computer. I'm so sorry for how late this is, I've been upset because I had to delay it. It's here now though.)

When Mal came to you , talking about the Isle, you couldn't help but get excited. Your eyes lit up and your smile got wider at the thought of discussing it. Mal noticed your obvious signs of wanting to continue the conversation so she sat down next to you on the bed, looking out the open curtains where the students of Auradon Prep walked. The blonde girl looked over to you, the tips of her hair their typical purple. She sighed and looked back down, messing with her fingers, “Do you ever feel like…” She paused, unable to express how she felt in words. It would’ve been easier for her if you were the first person she went to, but you weren’t.

She went to Evie, Jay, Carlos, but none of them could understand where she was coming from. It was as if everyone was happy with their new lives, but her.

Mal groaned, putting her head into her hands, unable to speak anymore.

You looked at her curiously, placing a hand on her back and rubbing small circles into it. “You wanted to talk about the island…right?” You asked her, tilting your head to see her expression. She removed her hands and nodded, not looking at you. “Yeah.”

“Is it because…you miss it?”

There was a pause, as if the room itself stilled, as if the world stopped. You moved your hand a bit just to make sure it wasn’t some sort of magic freezing everything. 

Mal sat up straight, swallowing hard, “I don’t miss the island itself.” She confessed, making eye contact with you, “I miss who I was.” She explained, taking a deep breath, “Do you get what I mean?”

You looked at her blankly, tilting your head as you looked down at yourself. 

As you did so, she opened her mouth before closing it immediately. She shook her head and laughed, slapping your arm lightly. “You know what I mean!”

“Hey, I didn’t even say anything!” You chuckled out, putting an arm around her, placing your head on hers. “But…” You began, rubbing her arm softly as she leaned into you, “I do get where you’re coming from.”

Mal looked up, her eyes a bit water, “You do?”

You nodded with a smile, “We went from a life of no no structure, doing whatever we want, enjoying life to…” You blew air out of your mouth, sighing heavily, “Rules, etiquette, expectations.” 

The girl next to you stiffened at the last word before she relaxed, leaning more into your shoulder. “I just miss….” She trailed off, shaking her head.

“You miss the freedom.”

“Yeah, I miss the freedom.”

You nodded, thinking for a moment. Soon enough, you removed your arm from her and turned to her, “Then, get it back.”

“What?”

“Show everyone that you still deserve your freedom.” You explained, moving your hands with your words. “We didn’t stop being villain kids just because we started going to Auradon.” You continued watching as her eyes got bigger, “You don’t have to fit into these boxes people are trying to force us into.” You told her, shaking your head, “If they don’t understand that, then they never really understood you.”

Your words seemed to have gotten to Mal as she stood up quickly, a small smile on her face. “I needed that, thank you.” She told you, inhaling softly as she turned to the door to walk out.

You waved and mumbled a small ‘you’re welcome’ once the door was closed since she gave you no time to. 

You didn’t think much of it, you just assumed she would do something to show people that she was still herself even if she wasn’t ‘evil’, or necessarily ‘good’. 

Well, you didn’t think much of it until the next day when the VK group and Ben bursted into your room. You jumped, shoving a paper under your pillow as you clutch your chest. “Last I checked, knocking wasn’t a foreign concept.”

Evie mumbled a small apology as the rest stood with apologetic but serious faces.

You sat up since the air was so tense, tossing your legs over the bed to stand in front of them, “What’s up?”

“Mal left for the Isle.” Carlos blurted out, blinking rapidly as he looked everywhere but you.

Ben looked down with a guilty face, a frown placed on his lips. “We had a fight…” He mumbled, “She said I didn’t understand how…” He paused, clearing his throat, “She said I didn’t understand her.”

Your eyes widened and your mouth fell open at the realization and of the conversation you had with her.

Jay noticed your expression and knitted his brows together, “What?”

A harsh cough left your throat as you looked away from them, “I might’ve had something to do with that.”

The group simultaneously yelled, “What?!”

Your hands raised in an automatic surrender, “Hey, she came to me talking about the Isle,” You began your explanation, “and I miss my

Evie wasn’t pleased to say the least, she crossed her arms with a raised brow. “We are your people.”

You almost laughed, but given the situation you decided not to. “I miss my people.” You specified, your words reminding the group that all of you weren’t exactly the bestest of friends back on the island.

They couldn’t say anything, they knew you were right. Ben didn’t exactly get the message, and that reminded you all of why you were gathered in the first place.

You agreed to go to the Isle to help Mal.

You agreed, but you weren’t really going to help Mal. She lived there her entire life, you knew she would be fine. She knows her way around the island, she practically ran it. You weren’t going to the Island to help Mal, you were going home.

Once all of you reached the island, you thought you would all spread out to find Mal…that wasn’t the case. You all went in a suspiciously large group to find the daughter of Maleficent, something you thought was stupid.

You thought it was stupid, but you all still found where she was hiding out and Ben went to talk to her.

Evie, Jay, and Carlos all talked to each other as you scanned the area, kicking the ground slightly as time passed by. You were barely on the island and now you all were going to leave. It wasn’t how you wanted things to go, nothing was how you wanted to go.

Ben walked out and before anyone could question him, he walked straight past you guys. Everyone looked at each other and you sighed, “I’ll get him.” You grumbled, jogging after him.

“Ben!” You yelled, trying to catch up to him. “Ben, wait up!” You yelled once again, finally reaching him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “What happened? Why are you so upset?”

“She doesn’t want to come with us, all of this was for nothing.” Ben spoke harshly, ripping his beanie off his head and throwing it to the ground.

You sighed, picking the beanie up, dusting it off. “Ben, do me a favor.”

“What!”

“Look around right now.” You told him, gripping the beanie tightly. He looked at you confused but you repeated, “Look around right now.”

Ben regulated his breathing, calming down enough to look around. It was cramped, cluttered, dirty even. It wasn’t properly cared for but the people around seemed to be having a good time nonetheless. 

When he looked back at you, you were looking at the children running around, trying to find a way to pick-pocket Ben. “This is how we grew up Ben…” You mumbled, finally making eye contact with Ben, “You can’t expect Mal, the daughter of the biggest villain who was on this island, to just snap into a princess.” You explained to him, shaking your head.

Ben turned, looking at the area around, “I didn’t realize…” He whispered, eyes flickering to something new the more he looked. 

When the son of Belle and the Beast turned around to face you again, you were nowhere to be found. He turned around quickly, breath picking up the pace as he looked for you, “Where’d you go?” He called out, spinning in a circle until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He let out a sigh of relief, “Come on, that wasn’t fun-” The next thing he knew, everything went black.

Blurry eyes opened, a dry throat let out a cough, and vision restored. Ben looked around for a moment before his gaze fell on you. You were sat with a blank expression, seemingly uninterested in your current situation.

Ben muttered a few incoherent sentences but you cut him off for a moment.

“Getting kidnapped was not on my vacation bucket list.”

Neither of you could even begin a conversation after your words when someone started laughing. The two of you looked up and saw someone had walked in, seemingly amused at your situations. 

“Absolutely hilarious, you’re quite funny.” The male said, looking you over a bit before turning his attention to Ben to do the same thing.

Your brows furrowed as you broke out of whatever ‘trance’ you were in. “Harry?” You asked aloud, adjusting yourself to get a closer look at him.

He pointed his fake hook to you, placing it under his chin. “How do you know my name?”

“How does who know your name?” A voice called from behind the boy, footsteps getting louder as they neared.

Harry tilted his head, “This one.” He spoke, moving his hook from under your chin to step back.

The person that walked in was a girl, she had light blue braids and brown eyes. She stood tall with the hat of a pirate on. 

Your brows furrowed once again, your mind still a little fuzzy from your current situation. “Uma?” You mumbled out, tilting your head.

“You know these people?” Ben suddenly spoke out, trying to get out the rope that tied his hands behind his back.

You looked over at him, a bit unimpressed. “I was raised here, I know everyone here.”

Harry gasped falsely, fake hook over his heart, “You’re a VK?” He asked, not expecting you to answer, since he didn't believe you.

You nodded, forgetting that you look different so they don’t recognize you. “Uh, yeah.” You spoke as if it were obvious, “Born and raised.” You spoke, trying to jog their memory. “Uma, I was in your shop every single da-”

“Oh, and are we supposed to know you because of that?” She asked with a straight face, squatting down to bore her eyes into yours.

You took a deep breath, closing your eyes before opening them again, “If you said you didn’t, I’d be questioning our friendship.”

Your captors both laughed, looking at each other, “Friendship?”

Ben decided to give up, still listening to the conversation. So much was running through his mind, he was trying to figure out how to get out of this situation until…he realized something. You knew these people, you guys were friends, they just didn’t recognize you. If Ben reminded them, maybe they would let you guys go.

He thought it over before blurting out, “He’s the child of Jack Sparrow, so yes he is a villain kid.” 

Everyone went silent, their laughs were quiet, and your breathing stopped at Bens sudden exclamation.

You looked over and Ben looked you up and down, and that is when you realized…they don’t know who you are. You had changed so much in the past year, even your voice was different. How did you just expect them to recognize you?

When you looked back at the two pirates, they were staring you down. If looks could kill, you would be six feet under.

Uma squatted down in front of you, glaring harshly, “Don’t you ever disrespect her like that ever again.” She whispered to you seriously, her head whipping to Ben, “Don’t you ever mention her in front of me, again.”

Harry took a few deep breaths, “She would’ve been fine here, and you took her.” He told Ben, poking his chest with his hook. “If you ever try to lie to us, I will gut you like a fish.”

Uma nodded to the statement, “You think we wouldn’t know her family?” She asked you, tilting her head. “Jack Sparrow had one child, a daughter, and she’s never coming back.” She paused, biting the inside of her cheek, “For you, a preppy, to just try to claim her father as your own for some sense of freedom…it’s disgusting.”

The blue haired girl stood slowly, keeping her eyes on you. You finally released the breath you were holding, when she removed herself from your space.

You blinked back a few tears as they turned to walk out the door. Harry gently took Umas hand, whispering some things that you couldn't hear.

They were so good together, they still defended your name even if they thought you weren't there. You didn't expect your chest to hurt so badly when they protected you, even if they believed you were gone for good.

“I would’ve joined your crew even if I lost that race.” You mumbled, looking at their backs with sad eyes.

The two paused before turning to you, “Excuse me?” Uma asked, standing in place.

“The race..” You trailed off, “If you won I would join your crew, if I won you would have to spend a week proving to me how much you wanted me to join and then I’d give you my answer.” You continued, nodding with your own words. You didn't notice how they continued to walk towards you. You continued on, “Unfortunately, I was dragged to Auradon before I could answer you, so I’m doing it now.” You told them, looking up to see both of them analyzing you with parted lips, “I was going to join your crew anyways.”

Umas eyes were focusing on each of your features before she cupped your face, looking at you more intensely.

Harry looked up, making eye contact with you, “You have her eyes…” He muttered, taking off his hook to trace your cheeks.

You swallowed harshly before breathing out a chuckle, your cheeks warming a bit. “I would hope so, I was born with my eyes, guys.”

Uma shook her head, “But she’s… you’re not…”

“A girl…I know.” You whispered out, looking down, or trying to. Harry picked your head back up swiftly.

His eyes were watering slightly, “You’re telling the truth aren’t you?”

You nodded as best as you could with his hands on your cheeks. “I know I don’t look the same…”

He shook his head, “But you’re still you…” 

Uma quickly untied the rope keeping you tied up, trying her best to go quickly. She had ordered her crew to tie your guys up from your arms to your legs, and now she was regretting it. Harry noticed her struggle and began to help untie you, muttering curses when he got to harder knots.

Once you were untied, you rubbed at your wrists, looking down for a moment at the burn. 

You looked up, finally, and were met with Harry and Uma on their knees, staring at you. Their eyes were teary, their chests were rising and falling deeper than ever, neither could speak.

You felt your own eyes begin to water as you rushed forward, wrapping your arms around the both of them.

Harry's arm immediately went around you, he began to cry into your shoulder, holding you tightly. “We thought we’d never see you again.” 

Uma, on the other hand, was hesitant. She slowly wrapped her arm around you. When she did, she felt a rush of familiar comfort, a heat rushing through her chest, something she only felt with Harry and…you. She bit her tongue so as to not cry as she buried her nose into your other shoulder, “We would’ve found a way to you anyways.”

The warmth of the two enveloped you as you finally got to be near them again, as you finally got to feel their comforting arms again. “I have no doubt in my mind that you would’ve found me again.” You whispered to them, trying to hold them tighter.

Harry rambled on about never leaving them again, Uma ran her fingers down your back, both of them weren't letting you go anytime soon.

Uma sniffled a bit, "We missed you so much."

"I missed you guys too, more than you'll ever know."

You were finally with your people again. Now, you didn’t have to stare at a picture of the three of you, wishing they were in your arms.

[heretherebeturtles-comic]

Hello! Many people have said this but ill say it too, I LOVE YOUR COMIC SO MUCH ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡

I really wanted to ask you about how you do the backgrounds? (Something i struggle with) whats the process? Like from start to finish, also, to do the rise backgrounds do you use reference from the show and generally real photo of ny? Or do you come up with them? And last question- The shadow and light on the background- Like HOW

i know it’s a lot of questions but i’m just so curious qwq and wanna learn to be better, thank you again in case you read this and respond, in case you don’t, i hope you have a nice day and a wonderful life uwu keep up the great work! (≧◡≦) ♡

Backgrounds are a really broad subject and I'm always a little overwhelmed when asked this question. Just like drawing the human body, backgrounds take time, repetition, and practice!

My answer got a bit long, so it's going under a read more :) but if you digest info better in video format I found this on youtube

It pretty much goes over everything I wanted to say, but in a much better way. I wish I had found it before writing all this out lol

ok, first of all, I'm not a teacher nor was I built to be one of those cool helpful art tutorial people who do a full coloured tutorial filled with illustrations. This is just going to be a messy "how I do backgrounds / environment layouts from start to finish." kinda thing.

... lets start with a sight tangent.

Sketch from Life!!!

If you want to get better at backgrounds I recommend doing some sketching out in the real world!

When I was first getting into doing backgrounds I went to cafes and parks to just sketch the buildings and objects. Sketch rocks, flowers, clumps of grass, garbage cans, bottles, tables, street signs, etc. If you are drawing a tree observe how the trunks twist, how the bark flows, or how the leaves are bunched.

If you can't leave the house the same still applies! Sketch the interiors of your house, the walls, or common objects like chairs and bookshelves. How are objects stacked? items on the floor?

If you aren't comfortable with drawing outside or in public you can take some photos to draw from! They are good for practice and you can use them again as references later. Alternatively you can find pictures online of buildings and objects to sketch as practice.

All spaces have objects in them, it becomes easier to draw those kinds of spaces when you already have spent time observing and sketching them.

ALSO! They don't have to be good sketches! It's just to build out your mental catalogue and strengthen your perception of perspective.

now the actual thing...

BACKGROUNDS

(the pictures used for this are my own. I dug them out of my 2022 folder)

Backgrounds have slightly different rules based on what you are making them for. Videogame Environment Concept Art vs Animation Layouts vs Comic Backgrounds vs Illustration backgrounds.

They all follow the same basics, which I will go over here, but the intention and function of those designs are going to be different. It's all about how you set up the scene and what it's purpose is!

Brainstorming and Thumbnailing

I like to think about a location as though it is a character. An abandoned old house with creaky sagging floorboards is very different from a futuristic space ship with sharp metal floor panels. A gas station has a very different feeling from a library.

I usually start by asking what is this location's story? Why was it built and for what purpose? What kinds of things does this room need to fulfill that purpose? You don’t need solid answers, but its good to be thinking about it while you are working.

Next, sketch some ideas for how this place is going to look. For me, this usually involves drawing the idea from multiple angles and then making lists & small sketches of the objects I think should be filling the space.

Example: The main character of my original work is a Wanderer. They collect a lot of things on their travels, but those items have to be small enough to be easily carried in a backpack. I wanted his room to be in the corner of an attic, walled off by curtains, and filled with trinkets. You can see some of my brainstorming above.

References

I only look for references after I've done some sketching and planning; this is to solidify my idea first so that I don't accidentally copy anyone else's work. I will make a moodboard with pictures of lighting, colours, items, rooms with specific ceiling beams, old chairs, etc. basically whatever I feel fits the vibe.

Honestly, I don't use references as much as I should. For ROTTMNT fanart I look at backgrounds and screenshots from the series to study the style. I also reference actual photos of NYC to get a feel for how Rise condenses the visual information.

In general, it's good to have references of real life objects/locations, because there are so many details like cracks in pavement, stickers on polls, crowning on buildings, fancy fencing, weird chair legs, etc. that you might not think of. It's the imperfect details that can make a location feel more alive.

Perspective

Once you have your chosen sketch we move to.... the infamous perspective boxes. Doing backgrounds is just learning to be comfortable drawing So Many boxes and carving items out of them.

Many better artists than myself have made videos on perspective, vanishing points, and all the technical bits. Videos like THIS ONE and THIS ONE are helpful (this post is great too!!). There are probably a lot of classes to be found on Skillshare or Schoolism. I learned a lot of this in my college art course, so I can't give you a specific video which helped me.

You can get by and be a good artist without learning this stuff. There are quite a few successful artists who have admitted they never bothered to learn perspective (one of these people even made a whole graphic novel series).

I personally avoided properly learning this stuff until I was in my 20s because I thought it would be boring and difficult to do. tbh I really wish I had learned it earlier because it's so much fun to make those silly little boxes imo. It looks scary and complicated but, just like drawing humans, it just takes time, repetition, and practice to develop the knowledge and skills.

Cleanup

You have your boxes and lines! Cool! Now to make a scene out of it. Fill in the details, get everything placed were you want it! Generally, the lines of each item will point back towards the horizon line, but they can have different perspective points.

Generally you would want to clean it up and get your room completely sketched before doing the lineart. I tend to combine the steps (not recommended)

Lineart

I've mentioned how I do this before. Closer objects have thicker lines and more detailed inside. Further objects have thinner lines and less detail. I didn't quite achieve that balance with the image below, but it's close enough.

Colours and Shading will have to be a separate post. In the meantime, I highly recommend the book "Color and Light" by James Gurney. I used to borrow it from my local library and a good chunk of my knowledge was learned from it :)

[ghostlynightpanda]

HELLO can i request something with niragi? 

my idea: niragi x dominant reader. like dominant in relationships or in bed (or both) it doesn’t matter. i just find a thought of niragi being with someone who is not gonna to submit to him interesting. not only they not submit him, but they also want HIM to submit which i think is very unusual to him. i mean in the past he was humiliated and now thinks that any submission is a sign of weakness and blah blah blah and he will never do such thing in any way. like he will NOT listen to anyone in a relationship because now he's big and strong and no one has the power to tell him what to do. in bed he also won't do what you tell him because who do you think you are?? in general, after everything that happened to him during his school years, he is fixated on control and tries with all his might to show everyone his strength, to break people in order to show his superiority - in order, again, to feel control because he didn’t have it before. ok I'm getting carried away but what I'm getting at is that it would be very interesting to see how he would open up with a dominant and emotionally strong partner who doesn't like and won't do whatever niragi wants to satisfy him

plus he used to be so sweet and all before the borderlands so maybe with the right person he could give in for a while and stop trying to prove himself??

#subniragisupremacy ok✌️

if you would do it you can do it with pre borderland niragi instead of the borderland one if you want. it doesn’t really matter what version of niragi it would be lol. it could be niragi on the beach, it could be burnt niragi, still a walking menace but now he's starting to change a little or whatever (8 seconds of character development hello), it could be a pre borderland niragi also. like high scooler niragi or niragi after school when he’s no longer nerd but not still not as unhinged as he was in the borderland. pre borderland probably would be easier because he is not as crazy in i believe he was pretty normal in ordinary life but still it would be interesting to see what would he do with a dominant person since he considers submission weakness

love your work btw!!!

Built to Burn, Taught to Kneel

English is not my first language, so if you find mistakes, feel free to contact me!

Synopsis: After surviving a brutal game in the Borderlands, Niragi is stunned to reunite with the only person who ever saw the real him. Now, feared and cruel in public, he clings to control with bloody hands, but behind closed doors, he surrenders to your dominance, desperate for the safety he only finds in your power.

warnings/content: Niragi x reader, fluff and smut, mdni, - 3.372 words

The concrete groaned under every step, a brutal echo swallowed by the night air. Rain beat down like glass on flesh, sharp and cold. The game had gone on far too long — two hours of sprinting, dodging, climbing, slipping through shadows.

Dead Run. The instructions were simple: stay moving, stay hidden, stay alive. One misstep, one breath too loud, and the hunters and lasers fired without mercy.

You ducked behind a rusted van, panting, blood dripping from a torn gash in your thigh. You’d seen five players go down already — one shredded on the stairwell, another caught in a spotlight and got shot by a laser. Your breath hitched. Every muscle screamed, but you weren't going to die here.

Then you heard it — chaos breaking out three levels above. Gunfire. Screams.

Another player, maybe. Another poor bastard about to get fired up.

You pushed forward, crawling under collapsed rebar, eyes locked on the distant checkpoint glowing red in the distance — freedom was close. Ten meters, maybe. Then eight. Then—

“Don’t move.”

The voice froze your blood.

Sharp. Familiar.

Dangerous.

You slowly raised your head, thinking you’d been caught by a hunter. But what you saw instead made your breath stop entirely.

Leaning against the broken skeleton of a car, blood on his cheek, gun at his side, was him.

Niragi.

Older. Darker. Covered in blood like it was his second skin.

And looking at you like he'd just seen a ghost.

For a moment, the world seemed to still. Even the rain sounded quieter. His gaze flicked down your body — not with hunger, not yet — but with calculation. Recognition. Something in his chest visibly coiled, like a trap being triggered.

He spoke again, but it wasn’t to threaten you. “You’re fucking kidding me.”

A spotlight swept dangerously close. You tensed to move, but Niragi was faster.

He stepped forward, not looking back, boots crunching over broken glass as he reached for your hand and hauled you up by the arm. Not rough. Not gentle. Just urgent.

“Move.” His voice was low. Controlled. But there was something burning under it. “I’m not letting you die in some bullshit Spades game.”

You didn’t argue.

You couldn’t.

Not with the way he was looking at you — like something unholy had cracked open in his chest and was crawling out, raw and hungry.

You ran.

Together.

And he didn’t let go of your hand once.

Finally, you made it.

The moment the final checkpoint flared green and the doors sealed shut behind them, Niragi let go of your hand like it burned him. You stumbled forward a few steps, chest heaving, blood sticking your shirt to your side. Your legs trembled — not from fear, not really. Just adrenaline finally wearing off.

Niragi stood a few paces away, silent, back to you, shoulders tense beneath the soaked, torn shirt he wore. The gun hung at his side, useless now. Still, he gripped it like the game wasn’t over.

You wiped at the blood on your cheek, already turning to face him when he finally spoke.

“...I thought you were dead.”

His voice was low, different than during the game. Strained. Like he hadn’t meant to say it out loud.

You didn’t respond. Just watched the way his jaw clenched as he turned to you fully. Up close, you saw it — the same sharp eyes, the same twitch of his fingers when he was overthinking. His face was older, marked by cruelty and chaos, but underneath it…

That boy still existed.

“You’re not,” he muttered, almost to himself. Then louder, more forcefully, like he was trying to shake off the weight of recognition. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Before you could answer, his gaze dropped to your leg — the blood. His whole posture shifted. Not soft, not exactly, but protective. Possessive.

“You’re injured.” He moved toward you again, more careful this time. “Sit down.”

It wasn’t a question.

And even though the old Niragi might’ve flinched away from giving orders, this version? He wore it like armor.

But even now, with the Borderlands between them and everything they'd survived, you still saw it in his eyes — hesitation. Memory. A crack in the facade.

And for a split second, you remembered…

He sat against the rooftop fence, knees pulled up, blood drying under his nose and on the collar of his uniform. His bottom lip was split. His bag was in the stairwell — probably torn up again, thrown over the railings like trash.

Niragi didn’t cry. Not where anyone could see.

But he shook.

You found him like that, back then — small and still trying to hide it. You didn’t ask if they hit him again. You already knew.

“Your eye’s swelling,” you said instead, pulling your bag off and kneeling in front of him. “Let me see.”

He flinched at first, then relaxed — barely — when you touched his chin, tilting it toward the light.

“You gotta stop freezing up when they get in your face,” you muttered, pulling a tissue from your sleeve and dabbing at his lip. “Stand straight. Shoulders back. Don't make it easy for them.”

He didn’t answer. Just watched you with this wide, hollow look in his eyes, like he couldn’t understand why you were even there. Why you cared.

“I’m not saying fake confidence. I’m saying act like they can’t touch you. You let them smell fear, they’ll eat you alive.”

You stopped, meeting his eyes fully.

“You hear me, Suguru?”

He nodded.

“Say it.”

“I hear you.”

“No,” you said sharply. “Say it like you mean it.”

He blinked. Then swallowed hard.

“I hear you.”

Better.

You blinked away the memory just as Niragi dropped beside you with a torn strip of cloth. He reached for your leg but paused, eyes flicking up to meet yours.

“Can I?” he asked, quiet.

The question startled you.

He seemed like could burn down a building and laugh about it, but right now he was — asking you permission like it mattered.

You gave a slight nod.

And as he started wrapping your leg with careful fingers and trembling tension in his shoulders, one thought kept circling in your mind:

He remembers too.

The safehouse was cold and dim, but Niragi was... still. His touch had been careful. His voice quieter than you’d ever heard it, even back in school. A part of him unraveled each time you looked at him like you still saw that boy underneath all the filth and fire he’d become.

He didn't talk much after binding your leg. Just sat next to you, close but not touching, glancing at you sometimes like he wanted to say something — but couldn’t afford to break whatever thin layer of control kept him from crumbling.

But that version of him stayed behind the moment you reached the gates of the Beach.

The transformation was instant.

One step through the entrance and Niragi became something else. The calm was gone, replaced by sharp edges and blood-slick arrogance. His posture straightened and his grin came back — but it was all teeth.

“You're with me,” he told you, voice louder now. Enough for the guards at the front to hear. “No questions.”

You caught the glint in his eye before it happened — the way he looked around, daring anyone to challenge him. Daring someone to ask who you were.

Someone did.

A man in a sleeveless shirt with too much confidence and not enough sense stepped a little too close, eyes raking over you.

“Who’s this?” he asked, not even to Niragi — to you.

Big mistake.

Niragi’s gun was out before you could blink. The barrel pressed to the guy’s temple, a wicked smile crawling across Niragi’s face like it thrilled him to do this in front of everyone.

“You ask them another question,” Niragi said softly, “and I’ll take your tongue and feed it to you.”

Silence dropped like a curtain. The man didn’t even breathe.

Niragi held the tension, let it rot, and then stepped back with a chuckle, holstering the gun like it was part of some twisted joke.

“Relax,” he added, sneering. “We’re friendly here.”

But the message was clear. Crystal.

You weren’t just some new player.

You were his.

He led you to the upper floors — the rooms where the higher-ups stayed, where the elite lounged in stolen luxury. Once you were inside a private room, the mask didn’t fall right away. He leaned against the door after closing it, head tilted, watching you.

Predatory.

But beneath that, the tension was real. Like he didn’t know what to do with you here, in his world.

“You changed,” you said, arms crossed.

“Did I?” He clicked his tongue. “Maybe I just stopped pretending I wasn’t a monster.”

You didn’t answer. Just stepped toward him, slow.

His eyes flickered, pupils shrinking like he was preparing for a hit. Or a command.

“You weren’t pretending before,” you murmured. “You were trying. Now you’re just playing another role.”

You reached up, fingertips brushing under his jaw — soft, but grounding. He didn’t flinch, but he didn’t lean into it either.

“You think being cruel makes you untouchable?”

“I am untouchable,” he growled.

“Not to me.”

The words hit hard enough to crack something in his expression. His breath caught.

For a moment, it was just silence between them. His hands twitched at his sides like he didn’t know whether to grab you or kneel.

Then he whispered — not proud, not even defiant: “...I don’t want them near you.”

“I know.”

“They’re animals. I don’t trust anyone here.”

“You don’t have to.” Your tone dipped, firm. “I’m not theirs.”

His gaze sharpened. Like the way you said it did something to him — a kind of power he didn’t have, but that you offered, like a hand on a leash.

And for a moment, Niragi — the chaos, the cruelty, the gun-toting psychopath who burned people alive for breathing wrong — exhaled.

And leaned his forehead against yours.

The room was quiet now, the door closed. The Beach was buzzing below them — laughter, sex, music, the sick high of survival — but none of it touched this space.

It was just the two of you.

Niragi stood near the bed, still breathing a little too fast, like being alone with you was harder than the game you’d survived. His hands were twitchy, jaw tight, shoulders squared like he was bracing for something — but didn't know what.

You stepped back. Slow. Controlled.

“You were ready to kill a man just for looking at me,” you said softly.

His lip curled. “He shouldn't have.”

“You’re jealous?”

“I’m possessive.” His voice dipped into something low, dangerous. “You’re mine.”

“Say that again,” you told him, chin tilted up — not asking. Commanding.

His jaw clenched. There was a pause. Then, quieter: “You’re mine.”

You reached up and touched his chest — right over his heart, feeling the frantic thud of it.

“No,” you said calmly. “You’ve got it backwards.”

He flinched at that. A twitch in his eyes, like the truth of it scared him more than the gunfights and lasers ever had. You could see it — that part of him still stuck in a broken teenage body, screaming not to bend, not to submit, not to lose control again.

You leaned in.

“You remember how this works, don’t you?”

His breath hitched.

“You don’t give me orders.” Your hand slid up, fingers curling into his hair. “You obey me.”

He didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

But his knees nearly buckled.

You pushed him back, guiding him toward the bed — not shoving, not forcing, just directing. He followed without question, like muscle memory. Like that old rhythm between you hadn’t faded at all, just buried under years of rage and blood.

He sat on the edge of the bed, eyes on you like you were the only thing tethering him to earth.

“I’m not impressed by the gun,” you whispered, straddling his lap. “Or the act. You think you scare me?”

“I want to,” he breathed, raw. “I need to.”

You shook your head. “No, Suguru. You need someone to stop you.”

He didn’t say a word.

Not when you pushed him down onto his back.

Not when you pinned his wrists above his head with one firm hand.

Not when you leaned down and kissed him hard, slow, with possession in every breath — not violence, not demand, but ownership.

And not when you pulled back, just barely, and said: “Don’t you dare come until I say.”

His whole body shivered.

The boy who once flinched under fists now writhed beneath you — not in fear.

In surrender.

You leaned in again, mouth brushing his cheek, his jaw, the corner of his lips. Not a kiss. Just a reminder. Of who you were. Of who he used to be under your gaze.

“I said don’t come until I tell you,” you whispered.

And he nodded. He nodded.

Niragi Suguru — the sadist with a flamethrower, the self-appointed executioner of the Beach — lay beneath you, chest rising and falling too fast, hands flexing under your grip, eyes wide with anticipation and fear and need.

You slid your free hand down his chest, slow, teasing over old scars and new ones, nails dragging just hard enough to make him twitch. His teeth clenched. He wanted to buck, to flip you over, to claw his way back to control — you could feel it under you.

But he didn’t.

He wouldn’t.

Because this — you — was the only thing in this world stronger than his fear of weakness.

“You act like submission’s a cage,” you murmured, your lips at his throat now, biting down hard enough to make him groan. “But look at you.”

Your hand dipped lower. Over his waistband. Inside.

He choked on a moan, body tensing — then melting under your touch like it betrayed him before he could catch it.

“Look at you.”

He shuddered. “Don’t—don’t stop.”

“I will if you don’t behave.”

“I am,” he gasped. “I am, I swear—fuck—”

You slowed your pace immediately, just to prove the point. Watching the panic spark in his eyes when the pleasure started to pull away.

His fingers curled into fists.

“No one else gets to see you like this,” you said, eyes locked on his. “No one else even gets to touch you.”

His voice was wrecked when he answered. “They won’t.”

“They try?”

“I’ll kill them.”

You squeezed him just a little harder, just a little meaner. “And what if I want to share you?”

He froze.

Then whispered, eyes wild: “No.”

You smiled.

“There he is.”

And then you gave him exactly what he wanted — not just pleasure, but ownership. Control twisted into surrender, right there in your hands. You worked him slow, deliberate, keeping his wrists pinned, making him beg with his eyes and his breath and his trembling thighs.

He was so close. You could feel it — every time his hips jerked, every sound he barely swallowed, every broken little curse he murmured like a prayer.

“Don’t,” you said again. “Not yet.”

“I c-can’t—” He tried to bite it back, tried to hold it, the pain of obedience turning him inside out. “Please.”

Your voice dropped like a dagger to his throat. “Ask.”

He whimpered. Niragi whimpered.

“Please let me come,” he whispered.

You paused. Looked him over like you were weighing it. Then leaned in again, lips brushing his ear.

“Good boy.”

That did it.

He shattered beneath you, hips snapping up, breath catching in his throat as he came with a groan so raw it bordered on a sob — not from pain, but from release. From permission.

From being yours.

The Beach was everything and nothing at the same time. It was chaos dressed up in order. People followed Niragi’s commands, out of fear or respect—or both. On the surface, he was the one who decided who lived and who died. Who mattered and who didn’t. The only order he ever followed came from Aguni, but he usually let him do as he liked.

In front of everyone else, Niragi was cold, calculating. A leader of men who liked to remind everyone how strong he was, how untouchable. He played the part effortlessly, speaking with biting authority, his gun a constant presence. His reputation alone kept the others in line. And he reveled in it.

But behind closed doors? When the lights were off, when the door clicked shut and the quiet settled in between you?

He was nothing but yours.

Niragi stood in the center of a gathered group of Beach members. The area was buzzing with the usual tension—some nervous, others eager for approval. They all watched him like he was a demon, the devil. And he knew it. He loved it.

A man, younger than the others, nervously stepped forward with a report.

“Sir, there’s a group outside the gates. They’re asking to join.”

Niragi didn’t even look at the man as he answered. His eyes were cold, calculating, scanning the rest of the room. The air itself seemed to freeze around him.

“Are they useful?” Niragi’s voice was sharp, like a blade.

The man hesitated, a sign of weakness. That was all it took.

“They’re... they’re armed. But—”

“Then what the fuck are you waiting for?” Niragi’s words cut through the air, eyes narrowing. “Kill them. We don’t need dead weight around here.”

The young man flinched, nodding quickly before retreating, his footsteps quick and hurried.

Niragi’s gaze shifted over the others, daring anyone to challenge him. No one did. No one would. His reputation as a merciless leader was built on fear—and he wielded it like a weapon.

“Anyone else have a problem with my decision?” His voice lowered, turning almost sickly sweet, dangerous.

No one moved, not even a twitch. They all knew better.

“Good,” Niragi said, smirking, his eyes cutting across the room. “Now get back to work.”

With that, he turned and walked away, his stride long and confident, the respect and fear of the Beach following him.

That night, after the power play, after the bloodshed, Niragi returned to your room.

The moment the door clicked shut behind him, the walls of control he built up around him seemed to crumble. His shoulders relaxed, the hard lines of his jaw softened, and he closed his eyes for just a moment, taking in the stillness of the room. The silence was his release.

He wasn’t Niragi the devil here. He wasn’t the monster people feared. He was just a man—just yours.

You didn’t need to say anything. You didn’t have to. It was understood. The moment he entered the room, he belonged to you. There was no negotiation, no resistance. He had already submitted the second that door closed.

You didn’t speak at first, just looked at him, letting the tension stretch out between you. He was standing near the bed, just watching you, breathing heavy, like the act of being so vulnerable in this place where he should be strong was somehow too much for him.

But you knew him better than anyone. You knew what this moment meant. And you knew that no matter how much he tried to hold on to the illusion of control, he would always give in.

You walked toward him, your eyes never leaving his. Without saying a word, you placed your hand on his chest, feeling the thrum of his heart under your fingers. His breath hitched at the touch, like you’d ripped away the last of his defenses.

“You did well today,” you said, your voice low, intimate. “You looked so good. So strong, so powerful.”

He swallowed, his eyes flicking to yours, a flash of something dark and yearning in them. Please, it said, please see me.

But you weren’t done yet.

“And when we’re alone,” you whispered, “you’re mine. Understand?”

His throat tightened, the words like ash on his tongue. He nodded, but it was a struggle. The struggle to let go. To trust you with this part of him he fought so hard to keep buried.

“I know,” he rasped, the confession raw.

Your lips curled into a slow smile. “Good boy.”

And just like that, he was yours again.

Masterlist

[bobbiereynolds]

The Boys Preference: Reacting To Crazy Colored Hair

A/N: Not requested (I'm also 98% sure I haven't already written this, but I think I just thought about it so much I convinced myself I did) loosely based off my fun hair dye addiction and the fact that I went back to brown. Rip fun hair for a little while lol ��

Butcher doesn't quite understand, but he's not against it. He never minds the towels you've ruined or the pillowcases you've stained. That doesn't really bother him. If anything, he finds it a little endearing: you're always leaving remnants of yourself around. He just doesn't get it, though. Becca basically picked out his haircut, and he's had it relatively the sane ever since. It grows out and gets a bit wild, but it's always the same general idea. You're constantly changing the color depending on the season, your mood, what dyes you have available. You're not the most pristine when you're doing it yourself (dye gets everywhere), but he never notices. If you're happy with the outcome, so is he. It's really not a big deal to him, though he does favor blue a bit more than the other colors. You're not sure what it is about that specific color, but he adored it instantly.

Hughie thinks it's great. He's had the same haircut since he was a teenager, and before that, he had an atrocious cut he'd worn since he was a toddler. He doesn't really change his look all that much. If he likes it, he sticks with it. You've never been like that, though, and that's what he appreciates about you. You'll dye your hair late into the night, needing to change the color, unable to stand it any longer. It gets on everything, all over the bathroom, and most of the collars of your shirts (and his when you steal them) are stained, though he doesn't seem to notice. There's always a grand reveal as to what color you chose, and he has a ranking of ones he likes the best, but assures you you rock whatever color or colors you choose. You once did rainbow, and he was stunned silent. He had this goofy smile on his face like he was falling for you all over again. The brighter, the better, at least that's what he's constantly telling you.

Annie adores your hair colors. She definitely favors pink over every other color, but she says it's unfair you can pull off anything. She never dyed her hair any fun colors, but she was able to talk her mom into getting her the chalky spray stuff once for Halloween. She loved it! It was bubblegum pink, and she's been chasing that high ever since. She loves that you're so easily able to express yourself. Annie would be too self-conscious, afraid everyone was looking at her or making fun of her. If people have an issue with what you do with your hair, that's their problem. Annie definitely helps you out when you're updating the color, mostly so the back turns out even. One time, while she was a little tipsy, she used some extra dye and put a streak in her hair. She felt so effortlessly cool, and you loved to see her smile. It washed out eventually, but it was definitely a look she thought about going back to.

M.M. thinks it's a bit childish, but with the work you do, if that's what's going to help you stay sane, then he's all for it. It definitely wasn't ideal when you were in hiding, and the sink you "bathed" in was stained green, along with all the towels. He wasn't mad, not at you, but at the dye. Why was it so damn messy? He knows it makes you an easier target (how could anyone forget the person with bright green hair), but if it brings you even an ounce of happiness, it's fine by him. Everyone's clinging to something, and your thing just happens to be outrageous hair colors. Once in a while, you'll ask him for help, afraid you've missed a spot with bleach or dye. He's gentle when he fixes it, his perfectionist ways coming out. He'll tell you to turn slowly so he can see anywhere else you might have missed. It drives him mad when you ask someone else and they say it's fine when you've clearly missed a whole patch underneath the first layer. He's meticulous and detail oriented, which is why you only ask him when you have no one else. You love Marvin, but the process becomes painstaking. It's really not a huge deal if you missed one or two areas you can't even see.

Frenchie loves it when you change the color. Personally, he loves it when you do red or orange, something fiery and bold. Because he was goth/alternative as a teenager and young adult, Frenchie is basically your co-stylist. He's all about color theory and having the right materials and not leaving the bathroom until it's exactly what you wanted. He couldn't care less about the stained tub or the various hair dye t-shirts you've ruined over the years. The mess doesn't bother him at all. Unlike M.M., Frenchie isn't a perfectionist at all. The way he goes about helping is messy and a little odd, but the colors always come out bright and beautiful. Like Annie, he's given himself streaks and highlights and, once on a dare, dyed his whole head and eyebrows bright orange to match you. Kimiko still brings it up as an atrocious look, but he thought he looked hot. He loves that you're expressing yourself just like he does with his fashion.

Kimiko thinks your hair is so fun, so cool, so chic. She's told you before her favorite was when you went purple. Something about that color brings her so much joy. When you asked her to help you the first time, she was intimidated. She thought she would do something wrong, like mess up the color or fry your hair off. You assure her that if it's a disaster, it's all on you. Since then, she's become your stylist buddy. She realized the dye you use is basically paint, that you have realistic expectations and have learned from past mistakes. Whenever you change or update the color, she's the first to tell you how great it looks! She dreams of dyeing her hair, but she's never been sure about the damage it causes or if it'll look okay. You always offer to give her a small streak she can hide just in case she doesn't like it. So far, she's always thanked you, but she denied the offer, but one day, she's going to work up to it. Baby steps. For now, she can admire your hair, agreeing with Annie it's unfair you can pull off every color effortlessly.

Bonus! Homelander thinks it's weird. Because your supe abilities, your hair changes color depending on the powers you use. The green, the blue, the pink, all of it drives him crazy. He makes sure you know, when you're in his presence, go back to your natural color. When you go to press conferences or interviews with purple or orange hair, he becomes irrationally angry. Not only does he find your powers juvenile, beneath him, the fact that you choose to live with fun colored hair instead of changing it back immediately makes no sense to him. You make sure to avoid conflict, to look as normal as possible when you're together. Everyone else finds it cool, agreeing at you can pull off every color you have, but they all know to keep these thoughts quiet and to themselves. The last time Noir 2.0 said he liked your hair, everyone flinched, anticipating violence. Thankfully, Homelander just kicked him out of the room instead of needing another replacement.

[theeretblr]

This is probably a frequently asked question, but here we go! I’m a guy who wants to try dressing more androgynously (and who also probably isn’t gender cis lol), what’s your advice on breaking that gender barrier for the first time?

This is one of the best questions I have ever received!

I'm so passionate about this! There are so many different ways someone could experiment with AMAB gender for the first time.

Simple ways to "break the gender barrier" could be: - Asking a friend(s) to use a different name or pronouns - Growing your hair out or getting it styled more "femme" - Experimenting with make up > Most days I just clean shave and use concealer and powder to cover up any blemishes or facial hair darkness. I'm only recently learning more about makeup stuff myself, but it works! - Trying on more "feminine" clothes (e.g. bras, v-neck shirts, skirts) - Wearing shape wear (e.g. hip pads, breast forms) > I wear breast forms slotted into a regular bra most days. I can share what I use most of the time if anyone is interested. > Breast forms have the benefit of being removable and come in different sizes. > I've seen breast forms as cheap as $22, but the ones I like most are usually around $60-$70. > From an outside perspective, breast forms are almost always perceived as real in my experience > If you are wanting to try out breast forms, I would recommend starting relatively small (around A-C cup size) and then go bigger if you want. I have found it is much easier to style around having smaller breast forms, especially more casually. > Larger breast forms will need a more supportive bra, especially as they aren't glued to your chest (though those do exist) > When presenting Fem, I am generally wearing some hip and butt pads, these help balance out my silhouette with my breast forms to be more feminine overall. (Again, I can link if interested)

I hope this helps! Those are just some ideas and advice from someone who has been working a lot of this out themselves. I'm sure many people have had different experiences, but these are things that I know have worked for myself and friends. Please let me know if you guys can think of any more! Thank you!

[batsandbirdbrains]

Heyyy! I love love LOVE your Bad parent!Bruce but also the wholesome dad Bruce and it's torture lol! It honestly makes me think more about the what if Bruce was good Dad then became a meh dad and then fully bad dad?

It's him being a good dad to Dick at the start, where kid Dick was okay with doing the emotional work to understand him and Bruce helped him because he was younger and loved him then Dick got to his teen years and just it's exhausting being the understanding one? Being the one doing the emotional workload? And Bruce is not helping because he sees Dick growing up and he doesn't try harder to connect to him but also still sees him as a child that he became even more protective especially because he's now with the Titans more than him? Then the firing happens and they just disconnect and then Jason is here and Bruce is actually helping in the emotional workload and Dick is envious because why couldn't you be that to me??

Then Jason dies, Bruce hits Dick and Dick is just I'm done. But Tim comes and he doesn't need emotional connection on the surface so Bruce doesn't get better but Dick sees and knows and tries for Tim and makes Bruce a little more better but not like he was and not with Dick. But when Damian comes? Bruce can't see him as a kid, he's trying but the disconnect between what he knows and what Damian is doing isn't helping and what should he do-

And he's gone, and then Dick is the one responsible for Damian, and yes he's grieving his dad but the dad he really loved was long gone by this point and so when he takes on Damian and helps him emotionally he talks about the old Bruce, the one who actually treated a kid like a kid and the one who while awkward still was obvious in his love. Dick becomes Dami's Baba and Dami becomes his Robin.

When Bruce returns it's both him and not. Dami can't see the man his Baba talked about but no one else is questioning it and Dick said the he changed after Todd's death. Their relationship now is more work colleagues and the only trust between them is bc Nightwing kept helping for 6 months. Then Dami dies, and Dick dies and then Spyral and Bruce is getting worse, more Batman and mission than the person and the hero.

The amnesia arc happens but when Bruce gets his memories back he's hit by what sort of person he has become, by what he has done, by how much he changed, how could he become more general than father what happened WHY-

Lol I think I went too deep down the rabbit hole. I honestly also like the idea that when Bruce returned from the time stream something did change in him, like poison or parasite that made him worse and then led to the spyral beating + mission but by the time he gets his memories (which shocks his systems into recovery) Dick is already back and his relationship with a lot of people has soured. (In my ideal au Dick decided that he tried enough to explain and he is done doing the effort of building the relationship for anyone and so when they want to talk like civilized people he will explain. Of course this means that only Dami from the family knows the truth + The og Titans, a lot of other superheros were okay with his return but didn't ask him anything just assumed it's Bats normal ops (because yes he's everyone friends but not everyone needs to know)) Okay I'll shut up now lol.

This blog is all about going down rabbit holes and exploring their potential!! And this is such a fun one!!!

Bruce gradually becoming a worse and worse parent I think is prob a little easier to explain anyway than just having him instantly be like “I’m gonna beat the shit out of this child” ☠️

[locatebiome]

Hello hello! I'm especially curious on your headcanons of Herobrine as a romantic partner 👀 If you don't mind sharing!

MAKES OUT WITH YOU SLOPPY STYLE FOR SENDING THIS

sorry to keep you waiting anon, it took me a few days to answer because i had a LOT to say!! thank you so much for giving me the chance to ramble about this ahhhh i love him so much <333 everyone reading this you are Encouraged to tell me what you think, i LOVE seeing people's reactions to my guy!!

one MILLION bullet points under the cut because this got LONG. enjoy!!

I see Herobrine as bi/pan, demisexual, and some flavor of aromantic spectrum, though he doesn't know that vocabulary exists and doesn't care to find out. He definitely does experience feelings that could probably be classified as romantic attraction if he wanted to put a label to it (he does not). In fact, he tends to be put off by hard lines drawn between "close friendship" and "romantic relationship", and to a lesser extent, labels in general; he'll happily take you out for dinner and kiss you under the stars, but he can't call it "a date".

As previously mentioned in an ask game, Herobrine is incredibly slow to trust. The first several times someone looks out for him, or tries to include him in something, or is bummed out by his absence, he has no idea how to respond and usually freezes for a few seconds, then tries to joke about it to remove any potential for emotional depth, or just ignores it entirely. As time goes on and that person continues to reach out without leveraging their niceties against him as a bargaining chip, he begins to accept their kindness at face value and responds more genuinely.

He responds similarly to being given gifts. If it's something practical that he'd want more of (example: redstone components), he might fake gratitude at first to encourage more of the same, followed by suspicion when the gifts pass the threshold of "too" nice, and eventually real appreciation. Once you've seen his actual gratitude, the difference between genuine and fake thankfulness is striking; when faking it, he's smooth and articulate, approving but aloof. When actually thankful, he gets excited over the details of the gift for a minute, and only if you're lucky, will he remember to thank you for it afterward. (That's okay, seeing a genuine smile from him is usually thanks enough.)

As you may have gathered, Herobrine isn't big on words of affirmation. He has a reputation to maintain, after all. His affection is better expressed through keeping hostile mobs off your back, bringing you on adventures, giving thoughtful gifts, being a massive fucking annoyance, teasing, physical touch, and setting non-lethal traps.

"aw cute wait what was that last thing" ok in his defense, this one's not entirely his fault. First of all, one of the ways the universe itself shows love is by giving you things to do and explore, challenging you, rewarding you for getting through it, and due to his unique awareness of the universe as a whole, that "love language" bleeds into his mannerisms as well. Secondly, after so long interacting with humanity in the role of the boogeyman, Herobrine kind of... doesn't know anything else. And hey, him putting in the extra effort to make sure his traps can't inflict more than a few bruises or scrapes means he likes you!

The good news is, as long as you're close with him, hostile mobs will never bother you ever again. And if they do, he'll make a show out of intimidating said mobs and getting across the point "they're with me." which some viewers may find attractive. (This will end up teaching Casey some really bad habits later in We Are The Daylight LOL)

That's convenient, because one of his greatest joys in life is savoring the awe on someone's face when confronted with the beauty of the natural world and/or the complexity of his projects; which is easier to achieve without mobs being a distraction. He's always enjoyed exploring weird formations or experimenting with contraptions, but if he enjoys your presence, getting to do that and banter with you at the same time is even better.

One can only hope you feel the same, because you're not getting a choice in the matter. He'll just show up, interrupt whatever you're doing, and goad you into/physically drag you into coming with.

This leads nicely into my next point, which is that Herobrine is really fucking annoying. He'll appear without warning to make you jump, offer unprompted commentary and ominous "advice"(?), and says shit like "dude why'd you do that?" when you make an obviously unintentional mistake. guy who teleports behind you just to say "nothing personnel kid 😎". And as the two of you get closer, this begins to include insufferable play-flirting (until the plausible deniability is no longer plausible and it's clearly just. flirting.)

However, he also quietly looks out for you in his own ways. If you offhandedly mention wanting a specific thing, or if he notices you being inconvenienced by lacking something, he'll either make it himself or keep an eye out for it until he can find one and give it to you. If you get hurt, he'll carry on about how reckless and stupid humans are, and won't let you go anywhere until he's had the chance to look at it and cast a quick healing command. When exploring, you'll often come across small signs of his presence, ranging from strangely symmetrical nooks and crannies in a cave, to lone redstone torches, to flowers that are somehow growing underground. As well as... not so small signs of his presence (i.e. corridors lined with traps).

Herobrine likes to show you jaw-dropping caves and vistas, point out constellations until you're falling asleep under the night sky, explore ancient structures and biomes you've never seen before floating by your side, teach you dances he picked up from illager and piglin culture... If he had to pick just one "love language", ultimately it'd boil down to sharing the universe with you.

For all his teasing and unusual ideas of affection, when you're actually truly upset, he does want to help (much to his own chagrin). His methods can be abrasive, as his go-to strategy is to pester you until you tell him what's bothering you (he's very "do as I say, not as I do" in this regard, I fear). But if you make it clear that talking about it right now wouldn't help, he'll switch to much gentler tactics, and attempt to distract you or just be a quiet, calming presence for once. Surprisingly, he gives really good back rubs, which is his go-to strategy to calm someone down and cheer them up a little.

Especially post-banishment, Herobrine is possibly the most touch-starved individual alive. I don't think he could ever be the first to initiate physical contact in a relationship, but once you've gotten to the point where you can playfully punch his arm or roll your eyes and push him away when he's fucking with you, he's the touchiest mfer on the planet. Constantly leaning on you to be obnoxious, ruffling your hair to say hello or good-bye, grabbing your hand to lead you places, flexing his height by resting his chin on the top of your head (he's 6'0" btw) (if you're taller than him he'll simply float to make up the difference anyway) (says he's 5'10" to make other guys panic about their height). Pulling you closer to wrap his arms around you and bury his face in your shoulder during quiet moments in the morning or at night. Melting into the touch helplessly when you cup his jaw. When in bed together, he's either the big spoon or using your chest as a pillow.

He's especially fixated on heartbeats. When laying around or leaning on each other comfortably, he'll slide his hand up your arm and idly rest his fingertips on your pulse. When his hands are near your hands or wrists for any other reason, before moving away he usually checks your pulse without thinking about it. It's almost like he needs to keep reassuring himself you're still alive. His favorite pulse point is the carotid artery because its beat feels so strong, but grabbing someone's neck isn't really something you can do casually so it's saved for special occasions (emotionally-vulnerable cuddling, after waking up from a nightmare and accidentally waking you in the process, sexual encounters, etc.)

It doesn't come up a lot because he doesn't hang out in populated public spaces a lot, but he has absolutely NO shame around PDA. Herobrine is already used to being stared at wherever he goes anyway; so let 'em stare, fuck are they gonna do about it? Confront him? Yeah, right. The majority of the time he doesn't care either way, but sometimes, if someone's really annoying him, he'll get more physically affectionate just to fuck with them.

Similarly, he wouldn't get the chance very often, but if someone else is talking to you and making you uncomfortable? I think he would fucking relish the opportunity to be all threatening and intimidating until they back off. He likes feeling helpful! (He likes being protective.)

Over time, as he gets more and more comfortable with the relationship dynamic, Herobrine doesn't mind you or outside observers referring to the two of you as the romantic partner of the other. Honestly, he might even like it :] Deep down, he's fond of the idea of you being his human.

[spellewrites]

CHILDHOOD BEST FRIEND!RAFE X READER - THE PACT

IN WHICH . . . rafe makes a pact with his childhood best friend

a/n - hi! tysm for 100 followers! i've been sick and also i'm a bit of an inconsistent writer in general, i go where the motivation and inspo take me when they take me lol. but this is my first childhood best friend!rafe drabble! ik i have a few reqs already and just wanted to say they make take me a bit because i want them to be good, so i don't want to rush it and write something bad. and thank you for all of the love on my original post for this pairing! <3

ty @zyafics for reading it first!

wc - 565

the soft, pale blue comforter was familiar, evidence of the amount of times he had been in your room, sat on your bed like it was his own. rafe lay on his back, staring up at your ceiling while he waited for you to try on your dresss for midsummers. you were going together, of course. you had been for the last ten years. it was just easier that way.

you were especially excited about your dress this year. you hadn’t let rafe see it yet, only sent him a closeup of the fabric so he could match you. it was the first time you had gone dress shopping without him, and he couldn’t help but feel a little hurt by it.

he wouldn’t admit this, not even with a gun pointed at his temple, but he liked following you around the store, arms weighted down by every dress you handed him. he liked being the first one to see your dress, the way your eyes would light up when you looked in the mirror outside the dressing room and knew you found the one.

so, yeah, he was a little upset you chose to go shopping with your girl friends instead of him.

fading remnants of the glow-in-the-dark stars he had helped you put up all those years ago stared back at him. he hears the door to your en suite bathroom creak open and immediately shoots up. his eyes grow wide and he’s pretty sure his mouth drops open when he sees you.

he stares for a few moments, blinking before a soft, “wow,” escapes his lips. “you look…”

you giggle and do a slow spin, causing the skirt of the dress to flare out around your legs. “did i just cause rafe cameron to be at a loss for words?” you tease.

you swear his ears go a little pink. “shut up,” he mutters, but there’s no heat behind the words.

his eyes scan your form again and he lets out a low chuckle, shaking his head, “all the guys on kildare and i’m the lucky bastard that gets to go with you,” he says, almost like he can’t believe it.

“no one else asked me,” you say, and there’s a hint of bitterness in your tone. no one asks you because they’re too afraid of what rafe will do.

“their loss is my gain,” he says with his signature smirk. the one that makes him look care free. the one that twists the knife deeper every time because his only gain is not having some clingy girl wanting to be the new kook princess following him around all night.

you flop back on your bed, staring up at the ceiling and the fading stars. “i don’t know if anyone will ever ask me out,” you admit quietly, a hint of sadness in your voice.

“then they’re idiots,” he says firmly, laying back so his head is beside yours.

you fall into silence.

“if we’re both single at forty, we should marry each other,” you blurt, unsure where the idea came from.

you expect him to laugh at you, to tell you he won’t need to marry you because he’d already have a wife and 2.5 kids, but instead he says, “thirty.”

your eyes widen slightly. “thirty-five.”

he grins and rolls onto his side to hold out a hand to you. “you’ve got yourself a deal, princess.”

[campgender]

Hiiiiiii I was thinking about it the other day & I know you talk a lot about like, unlearning purity culture, all the terrible and complicated and strange (in a bad way) versions of sex that you've had, etc.

I've never asked before, I don't think: what do you like, get off to, what turns you on, etc etc.? Any particular bloggers (especially particular posts!) or SWers on here or Instagram that you really like?

I hope you're having a whimsical & sexy time out here <3

omg this is such a lovely question & one i've been turning over in my mind like a hard candy in my mouth since you sent it. (not about sex specifically, just in general) my husband says i'm really good at asserting "negative" boundaries (don't do X) & really bad at recognizing much less expressing positive boundaries (i need Y). this ask made me think about that — it's a lot easier for me to talk about things i wish people would stop doing than things i wish they would do, if that makes sense.

i also definitely get a weird fear of like, bragging or something? (as a fundamentalist kid i had a whole complex about not bragging oh my god) if i talk too much about the sex i'm having that's going well? which is probably not serving me bc i learned so much from other people's discussions of scenes that went well especially outside the like norm of represented dynamics if that makes sense.

all of which is to say i've been trying to give this question the consideration it deserves❣️ here's what i've got:

katherine angel writes that sex is a conversation, & i love to talk. i love the process of it, not in the sense of being scripted but the exact opposite, an uncovering, the act of learning more about someone, figuring out how we fit together.

i genuinely love negotiation, i think it can be a really intimate & connecting experience. i always feel so restored by negotiation "even" when it isn't followed by sex/scene with someone. a couple months ago someone said what we'd done was their new standard for negotiation & i'm still riding that high.

i love giving people gender euphoria! i love when someone says i make them feel butch or when someone tries new pronouns with me. whether it's through language or sexual position or dynamic or more intangible mystical energy shit — look, the secret is, i love making people feel good, it's just an urge that only expresses itself in specific ways, which exist outside most people's ideas of sexual giving, because it isn't physical.

how do i put this — idk if this makes sense, but — i am erotically interested in emotionally bolstering people, which can look a lot of different ways. a lot of the people i dom for feel sated or fulfilled or whatever you want to call it when they can let go of their carefully maintained "outside" persona and just be a mess, physically or emotionally or all around, so i've come to really value & respect that. looove when somebody wants me to make them cry. i think of it as a sort of homebound magic, being like, what can't you be in the world? & then building them the space to be it. Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley in The Color Pynk says Janelle Monaé's music video for "Pynk" built a rest stop for Black femmes; kind of a lofty goal but that's always what it comes back to for me, with art & with sex & with tumblr posting: building a rest stop.

(i feel like a bit of a femme cliché sometimes but whatever lol)

i love being surprised not by content but by feeling, & similarly i love moments when someone tells me they didn't know sex could be like that, that they could feel this way or that someone else could feel this way about them — could get off to their stomach or them fully clothed or whatever else they've been told isn't worthy of erotic interest.

recently a play partner was talking to me about how they've never encountered or heard of someone being genuinely as turned on as i am by watching someone practice their craft — not interrupting them to fuck but the work being the fucking. & i was like that before the pgad, in undergrad i burned alive watching this guy play the violin, but now if we want i can get off just looking. i love to look. & i love the intimacy of someone sharing some dear skill or part of themself for my use & pleasure, whether it's something they're proud of (tying rope; building model kits; assembling furniture) or something that challenges them (a favorite being to hold still).

more broadly i enjoy petplay & dollification & the whole consensual objectification vibe. & i 💖 making decisions for people & telling people what to do. love to give a little task when that's what somebody's into

i haven't been very active on my nsfw tumblr in a while bc i've been too much of a raw nerve & was getting upset by the overwhelming assumptions of domtop/sub bottom in queer & t4t spaces, so i'm pretty out of touch with most people's current content & urls, but i know i've loved @nylonguilt's work for years, & @blushedfemmes has long been the blueprint for high femme, dom bottom posting. oh & i recently discovered @dombottom4subtop! really great compilation of posts there

ty again for the ask❣️ as always would love to hear your thoughts 🫶

[lsunstreakerl]

lil snippit from "honey, your father". at this point it's more of a proof of concept than anything lol. I promise I'm writing it.

the good news is I'm on break now! so you can all expect to see a decrease on the ficlet side of things and an increase in AO3 updates :) it's just spring break though so it's only a week, don't get too excited

Seb POV, 800 words!

Daniel's new teammate is tiny. The kid's a "prodigy", and the media keeps trying to paint him in a mythical light, a new golden boy to fill the void Sebastian has left behind.

As if.

Honestly, the next golden boy better be Danny, for all the work Seb's put into him. This younger generation doesn't get it, but Danny- Seb's pretty proud of what he and Red Bull have managed. Sure, he's got his own set of problems, but they all do, it's part of being in Red Bull.

It'll be interesting to see how Daniel handles having a rookie. Personally, Seb thinks he's a little bit young for it still, but whatever.

He's got his own set of problems, Finn shaped with a permanent frown and a jawline to die for. It's a tad bit distracting, honestly. Sure, he's in Ferrari- prancing horse and Rosso Corsa, all that fun stuff- but if he doesn't sleep with Kimi at least once he'll be letting down the Redbull legacy.

Danny and Max will need to grow into it. The kid's too young- not even a legal adult in some countries. He's a bit of an oddball, now that Seb thinks about it.

He's practically permanently attached to Daniel. Or Rosberg, actually. Seb almost wants to be offended, because if the little limpet wanted a German buddy, Seb is literally right here. Nico's not Red Bull, or even properly German either, which is a double offense.

Maybe Seb needs to step in here. Nico's been on a complete bender with Lewis, and their mess is screwing with the rest of the paddock. Nico doesn't have time to be dealing with an aggressive little tag-along.

Maybe Seb can come off as an older brother figure. Max seems desperate for some kind of family, anything at all to cling to- it's gotten him attached to Nico, so it clearly can't be that hard.

Maybe Seb can encourage him to temper that flame a bit. Settle into his role, his job. He's there to collect any leftover points and scraps Daniel leaves him, and he clearly needs to be reminded of that.

Sebastian nods to himself. This is a good plan. It gives Nico some breathing room to figure out how to next best fuck with Lewis, which is an advantage for everyone, it gives Seb something to toy around with for a bit, and it might even make Danny's life easier.

Never let it be said that Seb isn't a good senior- he's clearly still looking out for his little Australian rookie. A residual fondness for the accent, the dark hair.

That's about where the similarities between Mark and Daniel end. Mark had been something else entirely, blown into Sebastian's life with a brutal ferocity, never gave an inch even when Seb gave his most angelic smile.

He'd fucked Sebastian through the mattress on more than one occasion. Seb remembers it fondly- Mark probably only remembers it in therapy.

Daniel, though. He'd been so eager to please, wild hair and braces hanging onto Seb's every word. It was out of character, but-

Seb hadn't had the heart to break him in like the others. He was even a little bit sweet about it, showing Danny how the paddock worked, who to go to after a rough race, how to look up from under dark lashes to get whatever he wanted.

Jenson helped too, because Daniel pulls off the young and eager bottom look now, but Seb can already tell his rookie is going to be a leader. He knows what he wants, knows how to get it, leans more naturally towards commanding than submitting.

He still has to serve his time, just like the rest of them. It's tradition.

Max, on the other hand-

He's boyish, reminds Seb of a gangly little colt, long limbs with no idea where to put them. He's aggressive and snappish, and it's going to take more than just Daniel to break him in.

Sebastian had almost assumed his older Toro Rosso teammate would do it, based off the rumors of the explosive fighting between the boys fathers. It would be a natural course of action, getting a hierarchy established, but instead it almost seems like Max has wormed his way into Carlos' heart. His Spanish teammate is too soft on him, too fond. Danny seems like he might be falling for it too, which is concerning.

Seb taught him better than that. So did Jenson, and so did Daniel himself, with the way he came into his seat. He knows better.

It's okay, Seb doesn't mind doing Danny one last little favor. He'll get the rookie- Max- all figured out, soften him up and do the hard work for him, make it easier on Daniel when he comes in and crushes his career.

It's a solid plan.

[fallstaticexit]

helloo :D

this is kind of like a wcif/question i always find myself asking whenever i see incredible art styles and phenomenal posts.

i came across your simblr again and i can't help but love your stories. it takes so much imagination, creativity, and energy to put into something so amazing.. and you've done so good!!

one thing i absolutely love about your stories is your flawless editing style. it’s so unique and full of feeling, i just love it 🥹

i was wondering, if it’s not too much trouble could you maybe share your storytelling process? like what helps you build such heartwarming moments and edit them so beautifully? i really love editing myself and have gotten pretty used to photoshop and all its weird little turns, but i’d love to hear from someone as talented as you, how do you (or how can anyone) edit in such a nostalgic and dreamy way?

(also, a little side question to wrap this up. what font do you use in H.A.G.S? especially when you wrote out the lyrics to 505 by Arctic Monkeys in Chapter 9!)

and if it’s okay to ask, how do you do that outline around Lacey in Chapter 10? was it hand-drawn or is there an easier method for that kind of look?

thank you so much if you read this and take the time to reply. your stories are so lovely and inspiring—please keep doing what you love and take care of yourself too!! don’t overwork that incredible talent of yours. you deserve breaks and all the love. thank you again and goodbye :)

(p.s. apologies if my grammar's a bit sloppy.. i'm just fangirling over ya!)

OMG hiiii! thank you for sending me this ask! I am more than happy to answer your questions! :))

First, I'll answer your WCIF! The font I use for HAGS is called CC Wild Words, which is your typical font found in most online manga. I grabbed it from DaFont.com! . The lyrics are the same font, just outlined heavily.

I edit HAGS in canva (I use photoshop for touch ups and such). I have canva premium, so I'm not 100% sure if this is a free or paid feature but I can clip out sims and object from the photos and there's another feature that allows you to outline them. Pretty neat and very simple process! :) ( I do alot of editing magic alot of the time because the editing options in Canva isn't 100% perfect or clean like how it would be in photoshop, which would be something I'd have to show one day cause Idk how to explain how I do it )

As for the storytelling process, 90% of it really just lives in my head lol I have a whole world in there and luckily the sims is a great outlet to get the stories out. I do alot of my planning on Canva, here's a snippet of how my workspace looks:

That's the tool for outlining. ^^^

Everyday- several times a day (because I work remotely) I just work on my comic and the worldbuilding in my game. I have an idea - or general idea of what I want to happen- since it's a gameplay inspired comic, I do give myself the time to actually play the game. Let my sims interact with each other , go places, etc. and then I hop into canva, after taking a million screenshots and start putting together the story (although lately, I will take the screen shot and while my game is still running, mid gameplay- build the comic. It's why I'm able to get the issues out so quickly too!)

I also use Pinterest! I don't have a very organized board or whatever it's called, that I could share- but it's where I get the feel for what I want or stories I want to tell - the aesthetic and feel of it as well. (I'm also a lover of all media, movies, music, tv and such so you see alot of my favorite things in the stories I tell: Yellow Jackets, Life is Strange, Lost Records, etc etc.) I also tell stories of things I've experienced in life too! (Is Aria a self insert? Maybe lololol)

I really want to put together a full blown "Get Ready with me" kind of video where I show my whole process from start to finish , because I've gotten asks like that and like this, and I want to show rather than tell. It's on my never ending , to do list but I WILL do it this year for sure lolol But I love helping people and sharing things I've learned.

I hope i didn't yap anyone to sleep reading this- and I hope I answered your questions too. And thank you so very much for asking! and for reading my story! It's my baby and I am so proud of it and it brings me great joy that other's enjoy it too!

[gotham-daydreams]

Okay, so, I love Isekai fanfic. I just do, it's so fun. I like the idea of the reader loving this stuff and dreaming of it, but being so worried about them thinking ill of you. I would also be so embarrassed. Like, "Crud, they're gonna think I'm so lame and stupid." Only to find out, "Oh. I have some of the most dangerous, intelligent people on the planet obsessed with me who will never let me go home... Not the kind of bad I expected, and yet this is somehow worse." I'm also interested in the Idol one. The idea of someone being friends with Idols, and this fear that people only like you to try to get close to these people. That you're just being used. And then the sudden whiplash of them wanting you, and the fear it brings when you realize you're being stalked. From one kind of bad, to very different and worse kind of bad. I am very excited

Yes!!! Exactly!!!

For the Isekai one, I also decided to do that because... well, usually the MC is placed right at the foot the the yanderes/Batfam, or tries to go to them - which isn't bad by any means! Honestly it'd be pretty smart to do that considering things, and it works out for plot convenience.

Though, I couldn't help but think about a reader that just... avoids them? At all costs? Not because they have something to hide necessarily, but moreso because, well, that'd be really embarrassing... and sure, it's one thing to read about them- but its an entirely different thing to meet them face to face. How are you supposed to act? Of course you'd have to pretend you don't know them... but they're scarily good at reading people! What if they think you're some kind of stalker??? Or worse!

Basically, I need a reader that is super anxious and an overthinker so they decide to take a harder but socially 'easier' route of just... avoiding them, LMAO

Though yeah, when that realization comes around, and the reader notices a little too late that maybe the Batfam is obsessed over them? And they can't go home? It's so over. A breakdown is definitely imminent.

As for the switch one? I know!!! I love it so much!! I've only read a handful of yandere stories where the fixation for the yans switches, and even less where the original fixation wasn't an asshole, so this is me trying to do that but with the Batfam :]

The feeling of being used will definitely appear every now and again, but there is more of a fear of "something you didn't take seriously now becoming serious and it's too late for you", especially as the reader does try to pull away and break things off from the family, but it definitely doesn't work out.

I'll be honest, there is more than just the idols and the family using the reader to get what they want out of them, but that is the general premise without me getting into details and writing even longer descriptions, lol

For example: just to live, the reader does some shady buisness - but they are trying to get out of it (the family doesn't know they're even doing that kind of buisness, though). The reader also knows a lot of people... more than the Batfam thought! And just generally the Batfam looking into the reader as they realize they don't actually know a lot about them, and through that some of them become obsessed and super jealous...

It's not a lot as the whole switch from the idols to the main character does take more of a focus, but what I've mentioned above is just more things in between and during that gradual switch.

It's even worse then you think that the Batfam was doing it out of malice at first, then it slowly became something else.... oh man. And just how all these little things that meant to harm you, are now supposed to like, be signs of affection??? Super confusing, but god is it dreadful and terrifying.

[creation-help]

Hii! I've been on ur blog for a bit and all the writing advice is super duper helpful

I'm sort of having trouble with starting basically anything w writing right now. I'm a beginner, I feel like i really want to make something but at this point I'm sort of stumped 😭 I'm not sure how to come up with real ideas or how I should even start.

I want to get good at writing. I can draw but most of the time I don't really know what I want to cmake if that makes sense

Do you have advice for this? My apologies if you've already answered an ask like this before lol I don't mean to bother, I hope your having an amazing day <333

Hi! I understand this is a difficult situation but from the looks of It, I think your trouble is the mind jail you're in currently. We see it repeated on Tumblr often "Do it bad, do it imperfect, just do it", and I'd like to fully stand by that advice here when talking to you!

Struggles with starting

Really there's no easier way to say this, but you have to Just Start. However there are multiple ways to help you Just start!

- Have something to write with easily on hand at all times, you never know when the idea strikes! This can be phone or even a notepad!

- When the idea strikes GET IT. Pounce on it like a jaguar. Get itttt. If you don't feel like expanding on it, then leave it, but you need to start treating all possible ideas that you vibe with, as potential sprouts to grow! If you spend too much time second guessing or debating over if the idea is good enough or not, you Won't Write More. If the idea sucks, you don't have to commit! But don't let the ideas pass you by! If you get an idea catch it, write it down, find expansive questions to grow it with, get music, brainstorm, vibe, rest, repeat! You are always allowed to start and stop. You are the god of your writing.

- It is okay to suck. You don't have to be good to share, but you also don't even have to share if you don't want! You don't have to share anything to anyone!

Struggles with ideas

- Find inspiration. Where? Anywhere! Start new shows, new movies, read other people's writing, look at flowers on the sidewalk, ask your parents dumb Fandom questions, get into a new music genre. You don't have to follow through with everything but so long as you surround yourself with variety, you will be nurturing your creativity! Just get a steady flow of new stuff to enrich your brain. This is part of the soil your sprouts will need.

- Make mind maps, Google every little detail you can think of relating to your new idea when you have it (not so much you'd exhaust yourself tho!), interrogate yourself, ask people to ask you questions about your idea, go down pointless meanders and rabbitholes about the idea. Give it time to soak. Indulge it. Be a little pretentious over it even.

- Nothing is original anymore, and every different interpretation is valuable enough to exist. What you make is unique to yourself. These ideas all coexist

Struggles with skills

- I am going to say this very gently but firmly. You will get better by doing more. You will hone your skills by using them.

- There's loads of resources both online and irl to search from if you want to improve your writing! You can even try to imitate styles that you like and start moving from there. Kinda like how artists do Studies. You can also expand your vocabulary by searching up different words for things you already know, or words relating to the things you wanna write. It'll help lots! My personal recommendation for improving writing even a little bit is to be conscious of your word choices and make sure you don't overuse the same word too much, at least not in the same sentence. Unless that's the intended effect you're going for

As a closing statement I also wanna add that you should just take care of yourself in general. Sometimes your brain needs more enrichment to work better, or sometimes it just doesn't really give you much just because. Try not to get torn up over it and try again later.

Hope any of this helps! Be brave!

[stygiansauce]

How do you decide what’s important enough to put in your story/chapters? Or, how do you make filler.. not filler..? Something I struggle a lot with in multi chapter fics is how to move along the plot without either rushing through the slow burn or ambling along aimlessly (and running out of steam + ideas on the way)

Everything you write seems so thought out and purposeful. Like, it’s crazy. I can’t even imagine the story going any other way? They’ll do or say something, and I’ll be like “of course they’d do that!” Like it’s so perfect … dies. You make the characters feel alive. I think that’s really what drew me in to your work. They feel real, like they’re breathing through the words and actually feeling every emotion you toss to them. It’s amazing.

Also how do you not lose track of exactly how they’d react, come any situation? Relationships, especially complicated and overlapping ones like in MoE, are sooo tough to capture without just making everyone behave like the plot demands. The way you incorporate their flaws and quirks and make it affect the story is so… real. Gah.

Sorry for the scrambling thoughts, it’s nearly 5am and to be brief I’m goin through it lol. Your posts, wips, extensive rambles and enthusiasm are definitely a highlight rn. Keep being you dude! 🦃

Hi turkey!!!

Okay, this is such a tough question. I'll try my best to answer in a way that might help you. I think there are two major ways I write. 1) It just happens. It comes out of my brain that way and it ends up working great! 2) So. Much. Thinking. I mean like I never stop thinking about it.

So! Lets talk about it!

When you're writing a scene you always need to ask yourself its purpose. There really is no such thing as filler if you plan it right. Going into a scene, ask yourself the questions, what is happening? Why is it happening? How does it effect the character?

Let's take MoE chapter four for example. The first scene of Fire Line is actually a set of three scenes that flow into eachother (this will happen in chapter five too). the first is Tango and Etho arriving, this happens before Tango enters the kitchen. The prupose of that scene is to establish the chapter. It sets up the place the characters will reside, the characters the will be there, and the general tone of the chapter. How does this effect Tango? It makes hims nervous. He's excited to see Jimmy, and he feels like he's intruding on a FAMILY event where he is very much not family.

Now what if a scene doesn't have doesn't have a narraive purpose? MoE chapter three scene one, the whole Snail conversation. This doesn't mean SHIT to the general plot and I could have cut it all together. I forced a purpose on it by establishing an emotional purpose. Tango has some pretty big realizations about Jimmy in this scene. he starts to understand that he's crushing now, not just flirting for fun.

I think it's easier to for MoE to feel very purposeful because it's an emotional story. The plot IS the ranchers relationship. sure, some other things happen along the way but all those events happen the way they do because it's lead by their relationship. I think my other fics struggle because I'm looking for an emotional plotline when I really need a physical one.

So how do I pick a scene? uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I'll be so honest a lot of my ideas for MoE came from like, yapping with people. I talk about my story and I make some haha funny jokes/headcanons and eventually a scene is there. Like, chapter five only exsists because I wanted to make a joke about the hat rule. I kind of make challenges for each chapter, that the ranchers have to overcome. I really have no clue how I came to the plot I did. just a lot of thinking.

How do I know/keep track of how my characters are feeling and how they might react? I DON'T. okay I do, but like it takes many many many drafts to get the point across sometimes (ugh chapter five is one of those). The first thing to do is to look at your guy and try to understand why they're doing something.

Lets look back at MoE 3, Southern Hospitality. In this scene Jimmy is very defensive and it happens in a snap. Tango says something that sets Jimmy off and the reader is sent into a spiral with him. Why does he do this? becasue he's hiding something. A person that's hiding something is going to be defensive about it, especially when they feel secure in that secret. Tango figured out Jimmy's birthday with no prompting, and that was threatening to what Jimmy has built. So whats the natural progression from that? for Jimmy, he keeps his secret. he feels out what Tango knows and is able to calm himself down when he see's the threat isn't real.

I think the big thing with character choices is to remember where they're coming from and what the most realistic response would be. If someone hits you and gets you kicked out of an important game you wanted to play--you're going to be mad. Now how do you feel that anger? do you yell? do you cry? do you keep it all bottled up till it spills out and you hookup with the guy that hit you?

I spend A LOT of time thinking about my characters and what they're going through. I mean like...all of my time. I really don't think about much else. I talk it out with people and get their opinions. I sit down and look at their goals, morals, and their limits.

I can talk a little more about it when 5 comes out. but Tango has a big scene in 5 where he looks at his morals and his goals and decides where his limits are...or finds out where his limits are. He's pushed up to the edge and has to make a choice.

I do a lot of writing something and then not being able to use it because it just doesnt fit the character anymore. tango's choice has changed about four times and I'm still not happy with it yet.

the hard part here, is when they're being unreliable narrators. characters, in the pov I have set up (limited pov, third person, present tense), don't know what the other is thinking. They make inferences and have thoughts about other peoples actions. their perpective might not be the same as the others.

for example, aough and I love this bit I'm so proud of it. In chapter three, Jimmy does the "he hates when tango looks at him like that" bit? To Jimmy, in that moment, the face is seeing too much of him. It's Tango knowing something that Jimmy doesnt want him to know. and he explains that he's seen the face before and thought it was cute, how tango knew little things about him. This is too much though, now it's threatening.

in chapter four, tango makes the same face and we get to see it from his pov. To tango, the face is disarming. it's reassuring and trying to show Jimmy he cares.

Jimmy recoiling at the face, doesn't make sense to Tango. he doesn't understand it. but as the reader, we know that Jimmy is feeling seen, too seen. When Jimmy wuickly bounces back, Tango is confused how he's able to do that so fast. If we, the reader, compare what we know from chapter 3, we can assume Jimmy is rationalizing, talking himself down and forcing the thought away in favor of the present. we could also assume that he's pushing it down...something something he hopes they’ll die before he has to deal with them again.

so it's really fun to play with!! to decide how an action presents itself to a character vs the intention behind the action. ohhhh humanity is so much fun. again, its all thinking and talking and writing till it feels right.

Thank you for thinking my work is so put together! I promise it's really not ToT. My writing is a total shit show up and through beta reading. When MoE 5 comes out, and if you wanted to chat about that more in depth, I would love to make a little post about Tango's internal thoughts and why he makes the choices he does. It's really sweet that you view my writing this way turkey <3 I'm not classically trained or anything, I took a few CW classes but I never finished the sequence. I think art is just what you make it. I keep saying it, but MoE is my love letter to writing and I'm really having fun exploring all these aspects of humanity and how they work together.

okay! I have yapped enough my goodness. Hope this helped, nothing about my process is offical. it works for me but might not work for you!

Take everything i say with a grain of salt <3