#there's a way to make textures and details look better without erasing them and for sure without being a fucking asshole

[wraithsoutlaws]

"i love this character but i gave her a makeover to get rid of her weird freckles and pimples and makeup and"

[talenlee]

Don't Forget Simple Tools

I started this list, the list that became this article, about three years ago now and just added to it over time. Then I’d remove things when I saw I wasn’t using them any more, and I’d always call into question if I was being silly, right? Like, notepaper and pens, duh, obviously you know you can use those.

But you do know that right?

Like, if you’re making a board game you can take a piece of printer paper and draw your board on it. You can use a circle stamp to make the spaces if you want them reasonably consistent. You can just make things with pens and paper and sticky tape like you’re a little kid and nobody can stop you.

Still, if I’ve had the draft for years I either need to finish it, or delete it, and thus, I want to present to you a handful of cheap tools I’ve bought from the supermarket for making things that I have found useful.

Things Made Of Cardboard

Blank business cards

Index cards

Gift boxes

Cardboard is durable, and you can shuffle it easily. Because it’s firmer than typical paper, you don’t want to need to fold it, but it can absorb heavy pen texture. This makes it great for when you want something simple and bold and absolute. Lots of detail? You want a finer pen, but if you have like a laundry marker pen, get some index cards, because they won’t just soak through or risk being destroyed by absorbing the marker.

One technique I use index cards for is story structure. What I do is I write down the things I know I want – scenes I know I want, lines I know I want – and give each one an index card. Then I shuffle them up and look at them and then spend some time sorting those cards.

The process tends to present holes, and it tends to present clumps. Some things have to happen in some order, some things have to happen near one another, and some things have to happen without one being involved with one another at all.

This technique is useful for me when I want to see what a story has or what a story needs. Where are my gaps? What can I do to fill those gaps? How can filling those gaps present me with opportunities? And once I have some things clumped up, what can I do to make them relate to one another better? The cards can then have further notes added to them – like I can add notes on each of these things.

Ways To Write And Draw

Some high-contrast fine-tip pens

A big heavy sharpie style laundry marker that can show up at a distance

Some cheap coloured pencils or textas (markers, for Americans)

Some variety of erasable pencil

Speaking of writing things and writing on things, I recommend getting these, like, supermarket quality, writing implements. I have a pack of fine pens I got from Simggle for I think four dollars Australian that I have been using for years, because they have a nice range of colours that contrast with one another and stand out on white paper. I have a big chunky sharpie that I use for the index card titles, too.

Colour is useful because when you’re prototyping, you may know you want things to stand apart from one another but not know why. You don’t necessarily need to know the flavour of an interaction to want to see it in action. Thinking ‘well I’ll just write on them’ – it’s easier to just scribble a blob of colour on them, that gets out of your own way and you don’t have to spend time thinking of five different symbols when you start working.

Paper Things

Sticky Labels/Laundry Labels

Dot Stickers (coloured circles, you can usually get them in packets)

Cheap notebooks

Cheap cheap cheap, this is important, you don’t need to spend money on something nice and prestigious or good looking or transferable. Cheap means you don’t mind if you rip pages, cheap means you can scribble, cheap means that you when you use it to note something down you’ll know you need to transfer it somewhere soon.

I have a bullet journal, which I use to track things, but the thing with using that for me is that I want it to be constantly available to me. Using the thing I’m using every day, and making space in it for game designs is fine, it’s part of the diary sense of the whole thing. But for projects, things you want to hand to other people? Get a 99 cent exercise book and just fill it up.

Dot stickers fill the same role as the pencils, but they’re more consistent and a consistent size. Laundry labels are great for when you’re modding printed cards or misprinted things – just write the change on the label, and slap it on the prototype. It won’t look pretty but it’s not necesary to. Also can work as a ‘tape’ that you can write on.

Other Board Games

Chances are you live somewhere near a second-hand store, a salvos or what Americanese people are familiar with as a ‘thrift store,’ so named because there’s a weird kind of protestantism going on in everything over there. In these stores, you will usually find one or two board games. They will almost certainly be incomplete, and probably not something you care to own. It’ll be like Bible Couples Trivia The Board Game or Hectionary, The Pictionary With Six-Sided Tiles or something. These things can be seen as terrible games for a terrible price (ie anything) or you can look at them as a cheap way to get yourself a box, cards cut to a standard size, and some markers or maybe even a board.

When you’re digging into games as systems, when you’re trying to make something making something out of something else is a fine place to start. Dice are usually pretty good as just dice, and even if they say ‘lick ‘on one side you can still make rules about what ‘lick’ means. These are often extremely cheap and they come in their own box that contains them.

Conclusion

You don’t need these to be great or high quality devices. I’m confident you have your own level of what you tolerate, but the point here is not to give you a big pile of shopping list material to go buy that will make you a Great Prototype Designer. The point here is that there are cheap things you probably already have

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[photocut-ai]

How to Draw a Dragon?

Humans have been attracted to them for thousands of years. Their mysteries, their might, and their strength in myths and legends are used in stories as symbols and arts. If you ever want to draw a dragon, don't be afraid, they are indeed easy creatures to draw and that is because this blog explains how you can create your dragon easily without you knowing and understanding anything that a good teacher can do so without teaching even.

Supplies You Need Before You Start Drawing

Before proceeding to draw something, it will be helpful to have all your materials at hand. As a guide, just check the things you need:

Pencils: Pencils: Give each student a couple of different hardness pencils. Softer pencils, like 2B, work well for shading. For lighter, finer lines, more stiff pencils, such as 4H, perform better.

Eraser: Remove any errors or sketch lines that you don't want by erasing them.

Paper: Use paper with a high resistance to tearing or smudging, and a good sketchbook always works.

Fine liner pens: Scales, claws, and other minor characteristics are applied with fine liner pens.

You are now prepared to begin using your resources!

Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing a Dragon

Step 1: Sketch the Basic Body Shape

Start by sketching the dragon's body's basic shape. Consider this step as developing a skeleton and don't worry too much about making it flawless.

Head: Sketch a little oval to represent the head.

Body: Draw a larger oval for the body (this will be the chest area). Then, add another oval for the abdomen.

Neck: Connect the head and body with a slightly curved line, using a long oval or cylinder shape.

Tail: Draw a long, tapered line for the tail. You can start it from the back of the dragon's body.

You can put all the arrangements on paper, making light, plain structures like circles, oval shapes, and lines; thus, while creating, proportion gets correct because it can get rectified while drawing continuously.

Find the best tattoo design apps to create unique tattoo designs.

Step 2: Add the Dragon’s Tail and Wings

Now we need to design features that might help your dragon become more visually interesting.

Tail: Draw a long, S-shaped curve from the dragon’s back. This gives the tail a natural, flowing look.

Wings: Draw the wings starting from the dragon’s back. A simple way to do this is to use two large, slightly curved triangles. These triangles will form the basic shape of the wings. Add more little lines in the wings to signify the ribs of the wings and the membrane between them.

Do not worry if they are not exactly symmetrical on your first go at it, as you will have time to make adjustments as you work. All you need is the basic form at this stage.

Step 3: Refine Your Dragon and Add Details

Now you know the rough form of your dragon, you're ready to complete your drawing. This is when the excitement is most apparent!

Head: Add a more defined snout by drawing a small triangle at the front of the head. You can also draw eyes (simple ovals work well), and small horns or spikes on the head.

Claws and Feet: For the feet, draw small triangles or ovals at the end of each leg. Add little curves or triangles to the feet to show claws.

Scales and Texture: You can add scales along the dragon’s body by drawing small, curved lines. These lines should overlap slightly, making the scales look like they are attached to the skin.

Spikes and Horns: Draw small triangles along the back of the dragon, especially along the spine, to create spikes. You can add more details to the wings, like veins or a rough texture.

At this stage, your drawing might start to look messy with all the details, but don’t worry! We’ll clean it up soon.

Step 4: Erase the Sketch Guidelines

After completing the details you are happy with, now erase the scribbled lines to frame the body and head of the dragon. Run an eraser over the sketch gently to erase any useless shape or guideline left on your artwork.

This will give your dragon a clean and polished look. At this point, you can take a finer pencil or a pen to fill in any details or shading you want to add.

Tips for Drawing Dragons

1. Consider the Type of Dragon

The appearance of dragons varies! Dragons might have wings that resemble bats or wings that are big and feathered. There are small, stocky dragons and long, snake-like dragons. Before starting, consider the kind of dragon you wish to illustrate. Western dragons resemble lizards with big, bat-like wings, but Chinese dragons are lengthy, serpentine, and frequently appear without wings.

2. Use References

Look for images of dragons in books, movies, or video games. This can help you understand the different dragon styles and shapes. If you want a more realistic dragon, studying real animals like lizards, birds, and reptiles can be helpful.

Add vintage effects to your photos to bring a nostalgic vibe.

3. Consider the Style and Purpose of Your Drawing

You are now at this point, trying to imagine and visualize how you want your dragon to be created. Is the dragon meant to be fearsome, intimidating, and scary, or funny, and jolly? How do the eyes, the mouth, and general body position work to affect a different feel within your art of a dragon?

How to Create a Dragon Drawing Using AI

If you want an instant dragon draw but are still a little dubious about your artistry, just opt for the AI. Loads of AI have this feature called PhotoCut's AI image generator to help customize your dragon within minutes.

Here’s how you can use AI to draw a dragon:

Step 1: Enter a Text Prompt

Describe the kind of dragon you want to see. You could specify size, color, style, and if you want one that breathes fire or if you want it to be peace-loving. The more detail provided, the more the AI will make the image resemble what you had in mind.

Step 2: Generate the Dragon

Once you’ve entered your description, the AI will start creating your dragon drawing based on your specifications. This usually takes just a few seconds!

Step 3: Refine the Dragon

If you are not satisfied with your first draft of the drawing, you can even make adjustments to the design. AI tools would allow you to change the color, shape, or details of your drawing.

Step 4: Download and Save

After creating your perfect dragon, you will be able to download the picture and save it to your computer. It will only take seconds and a pencil will never leave your pocket so you could finally have that beautifully drawn dragon for free.

Learn new ways to add stickers to your photos on an iPhone.

Conclusion

At first glance, it would seem quite daunting to draw a dragon. Well, that's not true, you'll find practice makes the technique perfect and helps you produce amazingly great dragons. The more you practice, the better you'll get. Hence, do not be disheartened if the first dragon isn't quite a masterpiece. Practice with references. Try various styles for your dragon.

If you do not have the time or skill to draw, AI tools like PhotoCut can be used to make your dragon fast and easy. Drawing dragons should be fun so enjoy the process, whether it is hand drawing or using technology to help out!

Explore the perfect weekend captions and post templates for your photos.

FAQs

Q1. I’ve never drawn a dragon before. Is it possible to draw one easily?

Ans. Begin with basic shapes: the head oval, the body oval, and the oval for the abdomen. Neck, curved line; tail, long tapered line. These simple shapes will give you a framework for your dragon.

Q2. What basic shapes should I start with for a dragon?

Ans. Start with simple shapes like ovals for the head, body, and abdomen. For the neck, use a curved line, and for the tail, draw a long tapered line. These basic shapes will serve as the framework for your dragon.

Q3. How do I draw dragon wings?

Ans. Begin two curved triangles to the back of the dragon to draw the wings. Then put lines inside these triangles that illustrate the ribs; connect them to the membrane of the wing.

Q4. How can I draw the dragon’s legs and feet?

Ans. Use simple shapes like cylinders for the legs and triangles for the feet. Add small curves or triangles at the tips of the feet to represent claws.

Q5. What about the dragon’s head? It always looks complicated!

Ans. Start with a small oval for the head and add a small triangle for the snout. For eyes, simple ovals work well. Add small triangles for horns and spikes, and don’t forget to add the ears!

Q6. Do I have to make my dragon look scary?

Ans. Not at all! You can make your dragon look friendly, goofy, or even peaceful. Experiment with different expressions to create a dragon that fits your style.

Q7. How can I make my dragon look more realistic?

Ans. Add details like overlapping scales, small triangles for teeth, and spikes along the back. Use shading to add dimension to your dragon and make it look more lifelike.

Q8. What equipment do I need to begin sketching dragons?

Ans. Paper, pencil, and eraser are all you need to get started. Later on, if you'd like, you may add colors with colored pencils or markers.

Q9. Can I find any tutorials or materials online that can assist me?

Ans. True! The number of lessons on YouTube is astounding. Just search for "easy dragon drawing tutorial" and you'll get a ton of fantastic videos. Type in "easy dragon drawing tutorial" into the search and you'll get tons of awesome videos.

Q10. What’s the most important thing to remember when learning to draw dragons?

Ans. Be patient and practice! It's okay if your first dragon doesn't work out. You'll get better and pick up new skills with every sketch. Let your imagination go wild and enjoy yourself!

[lemontartc]

Rum Update #3

Okay I did layers 2 and 3 of her faceup today and more... learning experiences, lol.

Layer 2 was kind of a disaster. First, I definitely did too much shading/contouring on layer 1. I also did too much MSC (it was my first time spraying it, I had no idea what I was doing), and my droplet/blotting incident made one side streaky and trying to blend it out only made the splotchiness from the rough texture worse. I really like how the eyeshadow I did came out, but trying to blend the splotchy side of the face made it obviously darker than the other and in the end I... gave up. I tried to erase it, which made the splotchiness worse to the point I went scorched earth and got acetone. That was very touch and go and honestly I still haven't decided if that was a good or bad call. I think neutral because it kind of wrapped back around to where it started, meaning it's no worse but still a time waste. Anyway I washed the whole side away twice trying to make it less splotchy and match the side I liked more. I decided to go ahead and seal in what I had eventually because I needed the MSC back to give the clean side tooth again before I could try to build it up.

That took me about an hour. I let that sit for half an hour before going in for layer 3, which took me about an hour and a half. That one went... better, although the left side of the face still has enough splotchy/streakiness that all the undoing kind of felt pointless, especially since it made her eyeshadow suffer on that side too and I really like how it looks on the "good" side.

I was getting nowhere with her yellow eyes on the orange vinyl until I remembered you can wet the watercolor pencils to get more color and that helped with payoff. Unfortunately, I don't have the reds and oranges I need to pull off my plan, and I'm honestly not sure how possible it is without paint, but I locked in my base colors and I plan to go back for one last layer fixing up the lips and brows (they're only loosely sketched in rn) and adding the highlights and details into the eyes as much as possible. She's also supposed to have a soft white stripe down the center of her face that I tried to do but really doesn't show up on camera so I'm trying to decide if I'm leaving that as is or going to try committing more to it.

Here she is right now. Behind her is my original plan for her faceup. Color is a little blown out from my lighting but she's coming out way better than I worried she might! I was afraid I'd be terrible at this and I think I'm just learning right now and it'll get way better with practice :) I'm planning to change the black stripe placement to cover up some of the stripey/splotchiness on her left cheek (you can't really see it head on, just from that side. Unfortunately my doll shelf is positioned so that's the side facing me in the room). I'll bust out paints for the stripes and probably - eventually - use them on the eyes too, I just don't have any right now. I was waiting to see how I liked this and if pencils were enough before spending more money but I'll definitely be doing more of these so it's worth it lol.

[tau1tvec]

If you don't mind me asking, how do you blend skins together without making them look too weird?

Tbh, I don’t really do anything too complicated, so I’m thinking that’s why mine don’t look “weird”.

Checking your progress while doing it, also helps, by loading the texture into S4S occasionally you can see whether you’ve got seams or other problems to fix as you go. Otherwise much of skin blending is just knowing your way around Photoshop’s useful tools, and how to apply them.

Main thing I focus on first is finding a base skin I like, usually a maxis match skin or something more stylized, then I’ll find other skins with details I like ( ie lips, eyelids, abs ) and by using the selection tool to crop out what I want to blend on, I then copy and paste it to the base skin texture.

I usually adjust the opacity of the detail I’m adding to something a bit lower, typically around 70-80%, so the details mesh better, esp when mixing alpha and mm skins, to get a smoother more consistent look, then using the eraser at about 80% strength I’ll remove harsh edges so it “blends” into the base skin.

There are tons of tutorials out there on how to blend skins, so if you aren’t familiar with Photoshop, watching someone do it in real time, and explain what they’re doing and why helps a lot.

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

two at a time.

PART 1.

© @sonsofeorl

EZ REYES x female!reader x BISHOP LOSA.

MAYANS MC ┃ USEFUL LINKS

❝ words: about 2k.

❝ warnings: nsfw, threesome, dirty as fuck, oral sex (male receiving), unprotected sex, double penetration, language, swearing, praise kink, slight degradation, mention of bodily fluids and i dont know what else.

❝ a / n: i'm not sorry for this. i started this shot a couple of months ago and forget about it. thanks to my lovely wife @mayans-sauce for throwing more gasoline to my fire. it has no plot and maybe it's poor in details, but i didn't want to make it longer than it is already. as always, don’t forget to comment and reblog if you liked it!

“I don' know what you heard, but you're wrong. And I'm not gonna do it”.

Outside, you look pretty calm, but inside you're freaking out. EZ is sitting over the table of the trailer, while Bishop is some steps away from you, resting his back against the fridge.

“Listen, this is not like… you are cheating me, baby. You dreamed about it, and I wanna please you. That's all”. Your boyfriend says, with both hands placed on the lapels of his kutte.

“Com'ere, querida”.

Bishop offers you a hand. You look at it with curiosity, before traveling your gaze again to the younger man putting down off the table. Gulping and licking your incisors, you take his hand, and before you can be aware of what they're thinking in you find yourself between both. El Presidente kisses you slowly, enjoying it, taking his time; while EZ bites your neck with his fingers clung to your hips. You can feel how hard they are, not noticing it before because you were too busy fighting against your desires.

Bishop moves his hands to your breasts, squeezing them while keeping his lustful eyes on yours, watching you silently moan. This feels much better than in your dreams —much better than you could imagine. While the older one takes care of your nipples, EZ rolls down your panties through your thighs, before removing the other piece of clothing to leave you exposed for their own pleasure.

“Sweetheart… you're a fucking goddess”. Bishop praises you using that charming smile he has to make your legs tremble. “Tell us what you need. Use that beautiful mouth of yours”.

“I wa— wan—”.

“Tell us what you need”. Your boyfriend grunts keen, gripping one of his huge hands on your throat from behind, pressing you among their bodies.

“I need you to… fuck me”. You whine starting to lose your mind when EZ urges you to open your legs for them. “At… At once”.

Their husky laughs burn your cheeks in shame.

“You heard that, prospect? This little filthy whore wants our dicks at the same time”.

“You think you can take us both?” There's no doubt in his voice, kissing the sweet spot under your ear while taking your right hand and bringing it to the rock under Bishop's rough dark jeans. “You want his dick in your sweet tight pussy, baby girl? Ask him”.

God, if they continue talking to you like that you're going to cum without needing to be pounded. You can't help but stroke his hard bulge watching immediately the struggles you are causing him to breathe.

“Can I… first blow your cock, Presidente?” You inquire with a honeyed low tone of voice, starting to lose your shame.

“We don't have time for games now, querida. So, show me what you have for me”. He denies, demanding what he has been craving since he put a step inside the trailer.

You swallow touring down his abdomen to the belt, undoing it with trembling fingers because of your nervousness, hearing EZ behind you maneuver and dealing with his own clothes. You can't believe he has been given a threesome, to let another man fucks you only to make your fantasies come true.

“You go first, brother”. Bishop utters, referring to the need of your wetness as natural lube.

El Presidente snakes an arm between your legs to raise it and find a comfortable posture and more space for your boyfriend to slam his dick inside your cunt. You scream out, having to put your hands on the older's shoulders to find balance. EZ growls into your ear as he keeps eye contact with his boss, just like you're trying to do, overwhelmed by the pleasure. He flexes down his knees, not enough to pull his cock out of you, to thrust you with all his strengths again.

“Oh, fuck”. You cry inevitably.

“My prospect makes you feel good, ah?”

“Yes… Yes, Presidente. He fucks me so good”. You nod with your head as you can, complaining this time when you feel empty.

“Now it's my turn”.

His voice is rougher, throatily, giving you goosebumps all around. Bishop uses his free hand to guide his hard length to your folds, stroking his mushroom head to collect your arousal before taking a step forward. Unlike your boyfriend, he wants to feel you adjusting to his dick, pushing it inside your soaked pussy slowly. He can't help but wail with parted lips noticing how tight and warm she is.

“Speak to us, mi reina”. EZ murmurs, as he continues pumping himself and spreading your juices from his glans to his base.

“Baby… Baby, he's so thick”. You gasp closing your eyes and resting your head against your boyfriend's shoulder. “Fuck… please, put your dick inside me too… I need you”.

Before you can react, the two men work together to spread your buttocks so he can fulfill your request made between cried begs. Hearing him spit in his fingers, your boyfriend brings them to your tightest hole, sliding them in slowly —tortuously slow. He has to prepare you even if it's not your first rodeo, and you know it. EZ fingers your ass, feeling a slight pain that Bishop erases from your mind by occupying it with a filthy kiss. The older devours your lips, drinks your moans, dominates your tongue, and tastes your saliva. All in the same dirty gesture that pushes you over limits.

And it doesn't take your boyfriend even a second to pull out his fingers and start to bury his cock in your ass. Your eyes become crystal when you feel filled than ever in your life. They both let you some seconds to fit your walls, clenching around their lengths reaching your guts.

“Fuck”. You sob against Bishop's lips, suffocated by EZ's hand again around your throat. “Ple— Please… Please… move”.

That's the kick-off for the Mayans. And you don't need to be the smartest person in the world to know they're not going to have any mercy. They are going to ruin you.

El Presidente and his prospect pound your holes at sync. Hurry, hard, desperate. They're like two lions in heat marking their territory and competing to earn your moans crying their names. You can't even form a proper sentence, being a mess of whinings and whimpers. It doesn't hurt as you thought, quite the opposite, even if the posture isn't your favorite. You'd give your life right now to ride them at the same time, thanking them for fucking you till making you pass out.

“Such a good girl…” Bishop praises you licking your lips with the tip of his tongue, as his pace becomes rashly.

“Taking our dicks… Taking us so fucking good, mi amor”. EZ has his head tossed back and his hands nailed on your hips, digging his whole length in your ass, while his boss continues pounding forcefully your cunt.

Your mind is blank, your eyes are rolled to the back of your head, forgetting for a moment where you are and what's happening. They both feel so good inside you that you can't even breathe. Your boyfriend paws your abdomen straight to your breasts to squeeze them and pull your nipples, offering them to Bishop to bite them. And he does it, not doubting. His teeth take one at a time, enough to leave some marks there as you tilt your face to the younger looking for his lips. He kisses them hungry for you, tucking his tongue inside your mouth to invade it completely.

The thrusts don't decline on pace, still being quick and strong, hitting your g-spot any time Bishop forces you down when he goes inside your cunt.

“Fuck, preciosa… who could say you're so naughty with that… innocent look, ah?” The older growls against your exposed neck for him and his desire to leave more marks on your skin, so you don't forget that they have fucked you because you're such a needed hoe for them.

“You've no idea, Prez”. EZ babbles, tucking two fingers between your lips to show him how good you are using your tongue, twirling it around them maintaining the older's dark gaze with yours.

And you are ashamed because of the fact that you can't last longer than usual, being too much for you to have them both balls-deep in your little holes. You're going to come in any moment and they know by your lack of air and the way your legs start to tremble like a pudding in the middle of an earthquake.

“Don't you fucking dare to cum without asking for permission”. EZ demands you, tangling a hand on your hair to push your head a little more back and nail his dark furious orbs on yours.

You cry just at the thought of not being capable of talking, while he forces you to face his boss, expecting your words impatiently.

“Please, Presidente… lemme cum… I ne— I need to cum… please”.

You're literally crying, trying to hold back your orgasm as much as you can.

“Not this time”. He just replies. And he has spoken.

You can't believe he's not going to let you cum, complaining with grunts when he pulls his dick out of you, just like your boyfriend does. You can't believe EZ is going to deny you too what you need the most.

“Put on your knees. Right now”.

You obey in silence, cleaning your tears as you go down watching both men placing themselves in front of you. Bishop's dick is thicker than your boyfriend's and somewhat longer. But the veins popping up in EZ's dick are much better when he twitches inside you, or when you suck his soul out of his body. You love that texture in your mouth.

“Stick your tongue”. The younger orders, gripping his length to jerk off himself imitating his boss who hasn't waited to do it.

And you obey, hoping they will make you cum after they do like a reward for being a good girl to them. With it showing, Bishop and EZ speed up the moves of his wrist, pumping both cocks resting on the tip of your tongue. Their vocals become louder filling the trailer and not caring if someone can hear them, sitting on your heels.

Your boyfriend is the first on spilling his warm ropes straight to your mouth, making Bishop say something about a bet in a whisper that you can't really listen to —understanding the meaning seeing EZ take a step back to give his boss more space. El Presidente places both hands on your head, urging you to swallow the cum down your throat to suck his dick. And you do it delighted, being craving it since some minutes ago when he denied it to you.

Anxious, you close your lips around his length tasting your own juices there and you bob your head as if your life depended on it, placing your hands on his lower back and your eyes on EZ's. He doesn't seem bothered or disappointed, he seems more like glad watching you blowing Bishop's cock like the sweetest lollipop you have ever taken. And the older can't hold it anymore forcing your throat and filling your mouth completely, as he presses your nose to his pelvis causing you to choke on his delicious cum —gagging and coughing.

“Fuck my life, (Y/N)!” He yells in a howl, making you look at him with your orbs covered in tears because of the effort, watching how his seed falls through the curves of your abused lips straight to your breathless chest. “Take it… Take it a little more, niña…”

Trying to bring some air to your lungs through your nostrils, he has to loosen his tight, strong grip on your hair when you can't continue. Your coughs rip off your throat, cleaning your mouth with your fingers before sucking them clean under their attentive pleased gazes.

Bishop helps you to stand up on your still shaky legs, leaning on your ear and snaking a hand between them and caress your heated core. “I will come back tonight. Put you on four. Fuck that sweet little pussy while the prospect looks. And I'm gonna make you cum harder than he has ever done. You hear me?”

GENERAL TAG LIST: @mayans-sauce @peoniarose @destynelseclipsa @band-psycho @myakai13 @petlaufeyson @-im-fantastic- @horsesandwolvesaremyanimals @rocketqueen @rosieposie0624 @ellyseveronica @Jessprins13 @diaryofkali @ravenmoore14 @starrynite7114 @kenbechillin @miahelen @monkeyluver4546 @sheeshgivemeabreak @jadesamhart @rawrlittlepanda-95 @megapeacelovemusic-blog @katsav17 @skits90s @wildsould1221 @littlekittymeow

MAYANS MC: @multiyfandomgirl40 @countryash345 @skyofficialxx @lovebennycolonmiguelgalindo @bellisperennis0 @chibsytelford @trulysuccubus @purrrrfect @witching-hour @leathercladmenfics @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @queenbeered @sesamepancakes @gemini0410 @pinguinstudiert @oscars-wifeyyy @meteora-fc @lozaa94 @arveeee @joupym @hanster1998 @missswritings @arana-alpha @lucillewinchester @theocatkov @telfordlowman @fanofalltheficsx

[doublerainebow]

Artist Resources (Part 1?)

This is basically just going to be a bunch of resources I have found to be useful. I can’t say that I’ve used all of them, but I’m sure they’re all worth checking out.

I’m also gonna try to put a detailed description for most of the links so you have a better idea of what you’re getting. I apologize in advance if some of them are redundant lol

(I put “Part 1″ if in the case I make another one)

~Links to Tutorials, Tips, Resources, etc~

Another Resource List -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Apparently, the post isn’t mobile-friendly, so it’s suggested to view this on Tumblr browser. Has a bunch of other links. I’ve checked out a few of them (mainly the copyright stuff lol), and it seems that some of the links may be a bit outdated. Still, it doesn’t hurt to check out the links.

Arms and Legs -- Leads to another Tumblr post. A handy tutorial on elbow and knee placement.

Art & Game Dev -- This leads to my personal playlist of a bunch of YouTube videos. Has a bunch of tutorials and interesting videos that I’ve collected over the course of a few years lol.

Blamblot -- A website that contains resources and tutorials on comic lettering. This is primarily in reference to western comics, but it doesn’t help to take a looksie.

Commission Calculator -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Helps artists to stop selling themselves short.

Comparing Heights (hikaku-sitatter) -- A height comparer for centimeters.

Comparing Heights -- A height comparer for feet and inches.

Mouth Shapes and Lip-Syncing -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Useful for... drawing mouth shapes.

Reference Angle -- Useful for when you’re trying to map out a face from an odd angle.

Soft Proofing for Printing -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Helps when you’re trying to make prints of your artwork.

Textures -- A website full of different and mostly free textures. While this website is made for 3D texturing, it can also be useful for 2D drawings. Signing up gives you 15 free credits everyday, and you can use those credits to download some textures for free.

The Models Resource -- A website of models ripped from a wide array of games.

The Spriters Resource -- A website of sprites ripped from a wide array of games.

The Textures Resource -- A websites of textures ripped from a wide array of games. 

~Links to Stock Images~

Please check out whatever policies they may have for their images before using them!

(not sure if any of them are active anymore as I followed some of these accounts a long time ago when I used to be more active on Deviant Art lol)

adorkastock (formerly senshistock)

anatoref -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Has a bunch of hand photo references

charligal-stock

HumanAnatomy4Artist -- Does contain nudity

null-entity

PhelanDavion

RobynRose

~Links to Other Artists~

Akihito Yoshitomi -- Yoshitomi is a mangaka who has tutorials on manga making. He also has an insightful series in which he drafts and draws a 30-page manga in 18 days. Remember that every artist works differently and his process may be different from another’s.

Drawfee -- Drawfee is an improv drawing show of four artists: Nathan Yaffe, Jacob Andrews, Julia Lepetit, and Karina Farek. While they don’t have tutorials in a sense, their videos explain the different processes they go through as they draw. They also occasionally provide tips, tricks, and resources in their videos. They do have another channel and a Twitch channel where they host drawing classes in addition to other fun shenanigans.

EtheringtonBrothers -- Has a bunch of useful and eye-catching tutorials called “How to Think When You Draw”.

Mark Crilley -- Mark is a comic artist, specializing in manga, who has a bunch of tutorials about anatomy, perspective, comic making, and other things.

Miyuli -- Miyuli is an artist who posts tutorials on their Twitter. Their tutorials range from anatomy to clothing to other things. They even have a few books of art tips. Currently (as of the time of posting this), their 2018 version is free for download, so I highly recommend you download that. Some tips may be outdated, but they should still be helpful.

Whyt Manga (Twitter/YouTube) -- Odunze is a comic artist, specializing in manga, that has a bunch of tutorials on manga making and drawing characters of color.

~Links to Free Programs~

Blender -- A free 3D program if you’re into 3D modeling and such. I also personally haven’t used Blender (I use Maya lol), but I know it’s a respectable program.

Krita -- A free painting program if you can’t afford Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint. I personally haven’t used Krita, but I have recommended it to a few friends and they have positive reviews about it.

Paint Tool SAI -- Okay, this one isn’t free, but it’s a significantly cheaper painting program where you don’t have to pay a subscription. It’s 5,500JPY (~50 USD). I’m not sure how well it still works on modern computers (the last update was 2016), but I still use it here and there because I love the pen tool feature it has, and it still works like a charm for me.

~General Tips From Raine~

Raine admits that she’s guilty of not following her own advice, but Raine hopes that the tips that she does know will be beneficial to someone who will follow them. She’s also going to keep all her tips under the cut so as to not make this post a huge wall of text (even though it technically already is lol)

Also, if you have some resources, tutorials, tips yourself, please feel free to send them to me and maybe I’ll make a part 2 to this post!

ALWAYS LOOK FOR REFERENCE. This should really go without saying. You can’t draw from life if you refuse to observe life itself.

If you can’t find the exact thing you need, MAKE YOUR OWN REFERENCE. Time and time again, I can’t find something exactly that I need. So instead, what I do is that I take pictures of my own reference. Sometimes I even grab a friend and take pictures of them doing whatever it is I need.

Have a mirror handy when you’re drawing. Sometimes what you need is actually right there in front of you.

Having trouble drawing something? Do some studies. Take the time to understand what it is you’re drawing. I can’t remember the exact story, but I heard that the people who were working on Tarzan were having a hard time drawing his hands. So, what they did was spend a few hours looking at hands to try and understand how they work.

IT’S OKAY TO STUDY THE ART OF OTHER ARTISTS. Just as we look to the old masters as a reference, it’s definitely okay to look at modern-day artists for reference. Just don’t go copying exactly everything that they do, or worse, trace what they do. Just don’t do it... at all.

Not every line needs to be realized. The viewer of your work will automatically connect the dots.

DO NOT TRASH YOUR OLD DRAWINGS. Please, never ever do this. Your old drawings have value to them, even if they look terrible to you. Old drawings may hold ideas for things you could do for the future. They also serve as a way to see how far you’ve come as an artist.

GETTING BETTER AT DRAWING TAKES TIME AND EFFORT. You’re not gonna get better overnight. It’ll take months, or even years, to feel like you’re a competent artist, and even then, you’ll still have room for improvement.

DON’T LOOK DOWN ON YOURSELF IF YOU’RE TAKING A LONG TIME TO GET BETTER. It’ll be better for your mental health in the long run.

Alternatively, DON'T LOOK DOWN ON OTHER ARTISTS EITHER, ESPECIALLY TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER. You know the struggles it took for you to get where you are, so don’t go putting down other people when you’ve been in their shoes once.

KEEP DRAWING. If you’re not making an effort to get better, then you’re not going to be better. I get that it’s hard to find the inspiration to draw (I’m very guilty of this), but just keep trying. It doesn’t have to be big or spectacular. You don’t even have to post it if you’re the type who likes to post their art stuff.

Try to find references from real-life. It’ll help you better understand form, lighting, shadows, etc., especially if you’re going for a more realistic kind of art style. Otherwise, finding reference from things like cartoons, anime, comics, etc. are just as good.

Try new things. Try new art mediums. Try a different art style. Switch up the way you do things. Maybe you’ll hate it, maybe you’ll like it. Who knows if you don’t try.

Watch time-lapses (or speed draws/speed paints) of other artists!

Pinterest and Google are your friends if you need tutorials or references or whatever.

If you’re offering commissions, DO NOT WORK UNDER YOUR LOCAL MINIMUM WAGE. You are literally devaluing the work you actually put into a piece.

I like to think I’m an aficionado of Photoshop, so feel free to ask me questions on how to achieve something! I’ve used Photoshop for about 11 years now and know my way around the program. On another note, I do recommend setting custom keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop because the default shortcuts are terrible (in my opinion), and because having custom shortcuts increases the speed of your workflow.

Because I’ve been seeing this a lot lately in Twitter, you’re never too old to start in art. Art is just one of those things that anyone can pick up at any age because the only thing you really need to get good in art is time, diligence, and patience.

Try not to post hi-res images of your artwork to prevent art stealers from selling your artwork in high resolution.

Always, always, always add your signature and watermark on your artwork. I like to add my signatures and watermarks in places that’ll be hard to erase or crop out. I’ve also seen people add their signatures and watermarks in creative ways (ex. on a character’s shirt). You need to protect your work in an era where people will just blatantly steal it and make profit off your work.

Tag List

@reality-is-often-disappointing

[chatonne-rousse]

Always Welcome

Ladybug knows that Adrien's window is always open for her to swing by and stop in, whether for video games or a chat or, like tonight, for soft kisses and sweet nothings.

He loves these visits. His girlfriend is always welcome. Always. (Especially for kisses.)

Written for @jennagrinsoverml, to her exact request. 😘 Also, for @ladrienjune Day 8: Bluebell Eyes

Read it at Ao3 here.

Her suit is still cool beneath his fingers, retaining a bit of the chill night air in the places his hands haven't touched yet. To remedy that, he warms the length of her spine and back up to her shoulders before moving lower to splay his palm against the back of her thigh where her leg is thrown over his.

She sighs against his lips and presses just a little bit closer, a near-impossible feat given their current position on his bed but one that he's not surprised she accomplishes. Ladybug is just amazing like that, and besides, he's not complaining.

Soft kisses trail along his jaw, under his chin, down his neck. He can't stop the shiver that runs down his back and makes his fingers jump against her leg, but it only serves to make her smile against his skin.

"You like that, beau gosse?"

His hummed affirmative reply turns into a muffled groan when her lips find his, soft and seeking. Her tongue brushes the seam of his lips, and he lets her lead the way in deepening the kiss, returning her ardor in equal measure.

He used to wonder how people could spend so much time kissing. Kissing seemed wonderful, but wouldn't it get boring after a while? Nino would never divulge actual details, and Adrien didn't want them, but from the general info he heard from his best friend, he gathered that making out was often not a brief experience.

This is not to say he hadn't dreamed about it - kissing Ladybug on a moonlit rooftop as her gloved fingers wind through his hair behind his cat ears, kissing the girl under the mask whom he loves beyond measure without knowing her name, holding her bare hands in his and watching her bluebell eyes close just before their lips meet. He'd imagined kissing her in a dozen different places in a dozen different ways.

But truly, he had no idea that he would come alive in her arms, that time would stop when she kissed him, that he would melt into her and never want to pull away. Adrien could kiss Ladybug forever, and it still wouldn't be long enough.

It's late on a Sunday night and he should be asleep right now, but again, he's not complaining. Not when his girlfriend (okay, secret girlfriend, but it's still official if only they know) is playing with the hair at the back of his neck and exploring the roof of his mouth with her tongue.

His hand on her leg trails lower, past another cool patch to settle behind her knee. When her tongue retreats and she sucks his bottom lip between her teeth instead, he hitches her leg a little higher, pulls her a little closer, though there's barely any more space between them to erase. At her soft gasp, he seizes his chance to turn the tables, rolling them over so he hovers above her before capturing her lips again.

Her gloved hands find the hem of his t-shirt and make their way up his back, the magical material textured but slick against his skin and so, so warm.

It's dizzying - Ladybug beneath him, around him, in the air they breathe together. His heart beats her name, his very cells sing his love for her. Certainly, no one has ever loved another as much as he loves her. And the best part is that she loves him back! He pours all his wonder at that fact, all his feelings, into the kiss, finally pulling away just far enough to breathe the words against her lips.

She kisses him again, clutches his shoulders tighter. "Mmm," she hums, "I love you, too." She tries to keep their lips connected but fails when her smile takes over. "I'm glad I swung by tonight."

It's his turn to press kiss after kiss against all the available skin he can find, making his way to her ear where he whispers, "You're always welcome," and revels in the long exhale he hears and feels against the shell of his own ear.

"Always?"

His lips find hers again. "Always."

"I like that."

"I like you." Another kiss.

She giggles. "I know."

Her soft laugh is replaced once more by the sound of their lips meeting over and over, their mingled breaths and quiet sighs.

He lets her roll them over once more but as usual, he has no complaints about her petite form settling between his legs or her chest pressed to his. Despite the way their bodies mold together, their touches remain soft and tender, a simple closeness as opposed to a rising heat between them.

His hands finally make their way into her hair, releasing her twin tails and running his fingers through the silky-soft strands. He caresses the skin at the back of her neck, just above the neckline of her suit, then her slender, strong shoulders. Her now-loose hair falls in a dark curtain around them and she laughs, sweeping all her hair over one shoulder and diving back in to kiss him again.

He tries to commit every detail of this moment to memory, to relive in his mind when his room is empty and lonely again. The way her hair tickles his neck, her gloved hands cupping his cheeks, mussing his hair, circling his head like a red, black-spotted halo, the feel of her teeth against his seeking tongue, clean and minty-fresh and clearly brushed just before she "happened to swing by".

The past month has been idyllic, a dream from which he has yet to wake. These are not the first precious memories he's catalogued in the course of this new relationship that still surprises and delights him. A flash of red at his window, his Lady's triumphant expression as she pummeled him at video games, the look of sheer wonder in her eyes when he confessed his feelings, their first kiss that he remembered (and will remember for life). Every moment is tucked away and treasured.

Tonight, it feels as though the universe has shrunk to the two of them, holding each other close and murmuring words of affection between kisses that leave them breathless.

"How did I get so lucky?" She nuzzles his cheek with her nose and kisses the corner of his mouth.

"You?" he asks, bewildered. "Which one of us is holding a real-life lucky charm right now?"

"Oh, that would definitely be me."

A blush rises to his cheeks that she can probably feel; her sly grin tells him she knows she scored a direct hit.

"You're literally a superhero."

"Yep," she says, kissing his nose. "And you're kind and caring and selfless and brave." Her smile gentles and his blush deepens. "You're like...an everyday Chat Noir. But with better comedic timing."

His pulse pounds in his ears and his heart threatens to beat out of his chest. It's surreal to hear her say his name - his other name - in the quiet of his bedroom, with she in spots and he in a t-shirt and jeans. Especially like this. In...comparison.

It takes him a moment to get himself together. When he does, he scoffs in mock-offense. "No way. He's the master! I only wish I had Chat Noir's pun-tastic purr-owess."

She stares at him for several silent seconds before dissolving into giggles, her head dropping to his shoulder as she laughs.

"Noooo," she wheezes. "I can't handle it from you, too! No puns!"

"Yes, puns!"

She groans, still laughing. "Why did I ever think you were cool?"

"No clue!" he responds cheerfully, before turning to kiss her temple. "But I'm glad you still like me even after finding out I'm not."

He feels her smile against his shoulder before her lips press feather-light at his neck, beginning a slow trek back to his mouth that sets his nerves alight. His hands journey down her back and pull her tighter to him.

Expecting a kiss, she surprises him by whispering against his lips instead. "Correction, mon cher. I love you."

"I'm glad about that, too," he breathes, and then she's kissing him again. Like always, he's lost in her, swept away in the current of her beauty, her power, the depth of her kindness and love.

He hopes it isn't nearly dawn, but it could be for all he knows. Time is meaningless in her arms.

Soon enough, though, her yawn interrupts their kiss, setting off a matching yawn that makes his eyes water. It must be very, very late.

"I don't want to, but I should go," she says, grudgingly rolling over so they're side-by-side once more. Her gloved hand cups his cheek and he turns to kiss her palm. Her smile is radiant even in the dark. "Don't tempt me, beau gosse. I'd stay if I could. But Mondays suck even more when you're working on two hours of sleep."

Conceding her point, he sits up, helps her to her feet, and walks with her to the still-open window to say goodbye. If goodbye takes quite a bit longer than it should, he is, as always, not complaining. Sleep has nothing on holding his girlfriend in his arms and kissing her breathless.

Finally, she hops up to balance on the windowsill and he gazes up at her, silhouetted in the moonlight.

"Message me when you get home?"

"Of course." She winks and blows him a kiss before she zips off into the night, her loose hair streaming behind her.

Still grinning, he flops back onto his bed and reaches for the magical ribbons he'd pulled from her hair earlier. He twists them through his fingers for a minute or two until they disappear into thin air. A moment later, his phone lights up.

He taps out a response, snuggles into the bed that's still warm from their bodies, and lets his eyes slip shut. He breathes in the scent of her hair that clings to his pillow, smiling softly.

When the phone lights again with her response two minutes later, it illuminates his face, already serene in sleep.

[rainyday-deer]

Hi so going through some of your tags and looking at your amazing edits and gifs, I was jw what app you used for it and maybe if you could give me some tips for editing?

Awh, thank you! That's v sweet!

When it comes to edits, I usually use PS CC 2018, and then whatever art program I'm using at the time (It used to be SAI, now it's Clip)

As for tips, uhhhh... I'm not the best at explaining things, but I'll do my best!

I'll use some of my favorites as examples because I think visuals help lmao

This one in particular is the product of me frankensteining a LOT of different parts. The characters are all from different scenes, so is the background, and even Rapunzel's mouth is from a different scene and wasn't originally part of the screencap her body was from. With edits, I try not to redraw a whole lot of pieces myself, esp if they're stylized a certain way (IE; Mouths, Eyes, accessories) and try to pull them from other screencaps I have. If I can find it in the show, i will use it, even if it's just as a base. They're almost always on their own layer.

The only thing I often draw on my own is Rapunzel's hair, and just the very ends, only when I'm giving her a hair cut, just because it's easier. This is usually also on its own layer, under the Punz cut out once I've erased her braid.

Sidenote: Changing things like eye and hair colors. It usually looks MUCH nicer and less... Obvious that you changed it if you sort of build the color up. Rapunzel's hair is changed to brown by using a hue layer first, and then a multiply layer at like 82% to get it as close to canon as I can without just slapping color over her hair and having to redraw things like details or texture or lighting that might already exist.

It's actually WAY simpler to cut out ALL of a character, and then change things on a separate layer from everything else, esp if I want to keep the background the same, or just don't want to disrupt it, OR need to have a group layer over it (like for changing hair colors/covering something up.)

It's ALSO way easier to just... slap the character or a different background, or find the same one without anyone in it (which is easier than you think, since characters move around, or when they leave an area, there's usually a frame or two of the BG on its own)

Of course, if that's not possible (like in the above), you can usually get away with clone stamping the bg underneath the cut out of the character to try and cover up any existing bits of what might still be there.

And also sometimes just shrinking it waaaay down makes it harder to see any bg inconsistencies-- Which is fine for things like icons, which is what this was originally for:

ALSO HANDY: Pay attention to the BGs lighting, and even if you're going to change it later, it's generally easier to change the lighting on EVERYTHING if the BG and Character already match:

The BG and both characters were already daylit, so it made matching them a lot easier. Not that it's IMPOSSIBLE, it's just WAY easier. (Compare Hector below, who was in darker lighting than the BG was initially. He took a lot longer to adjust just right.)

It also kind of helps to sort of study how characters are framed in the actual show? Pay attention to scaling, the horizon line, etc. Use things like blurring or scale to your advantage to give the impression of some sort of depth, so it just doesn't look like you slapped one character on top of another. Try to make eye contact! Try to see if you can make it look like something is happening! Play around, see what looks good!

ESPECIALLY play around and see what you can turn 100% into something else. The shadow demon was originally only Tromus' hands and arms. Goopy Punz there was once just a Normal Rapunzel cap. It's v handy to push and see what you can do.

I draw, so a lot of this stuff I'm already familiar with, and it helps a lot tbh, since I use what I know.

That said EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING is 10x easier if you have a tablet. You have better control over the lasso tool, the brushes, color picking.

I've always kind of looked at it as like... Digital paper dolls. Everything is its own piece, and it's fun to try and see what you can get away with.

[onebizarrekai]

Your simplified Danganronpa drawings are so cool, I wish I could make stuff like that! How do you do it?

hello! so the funny thing about that is that I don’t really divert that much from my normal style–I just add a few things to it to make it more danganronpa-y. I, coincidentally, am weirdly good at style imitation, but I can show you how I did it!

I’m using kokichi as my victim because I can’t stop drawing this bastard:

these are the lines for my normal style, more or less. they’re usually a lot more connected, but y’know, it’s a tutorial and I’ll probably just fix them as I go along. also I didn’t use a sketch so that’s something.

flat colors and a couple lineart adjustments. cool, cool. danganronpa colors are like really desaturated and all the characters kind of look like ghosts (ironically). to add to the authenticity, make the colors look as much like the in-game colors as possible. kokichi’s character art makes him look like he has highlights, so I gave him those rather than just solid purple hair.

ugh okay first you have to shade it before you do anything else give me a second

THERE it’s kind of sloppy but it’ll have to do

you’re probably going to want to use a shadow with a cold color to go with the desaturated colors. I used that color you can see in the color palette in the corner because that’s more or less my default. since this is a stylistic imitation tutorial and not a coloring tutorial I won’t go into detail about how I shaded it and how I use clipping masks to color. just have a time, man.

the most important thing, naturally, is the eyes. danganronpa’s just got this eye thing going on. now let’s actually get down to business.

first, color the outline of the eye with a color somewhat darker than your eye color like so:

oh god I have to move his pupils

okay take a lighter color that you probably also stole from a ref and saturated somewhat and THROW that circle in there

congrats. you have danganronpa eyes.

you’re going to want to make sure that the eyes are pretty even. like, the circle inside is in line with the outline, and the pupil is in the dead center of that circle. otherwise the eyes are probably gonna look pretty wonky. I had to move his pupils for a reason. you’re gonna have to pay close attention to what direction the iris is facing.

next order of business, the ‘hair shiny’. see, this was a weird thing for me to incorporate because I hadn’t done this since I was like 14 and I have a knee jerk reaction to it, but anime be like that.

fwoop

this color is actually very close to the one I used for the circles in the eyes, just more blue-shifted. you’re not just going to leave it like that, though.

set it to add (glow) at 20% opacity and you’re good to go. (I don’t remember what the photoshop/sai equivalents are). I erased lines in it because I’m extra, but you don’t have to do that if you don’t want. you can mess with the effects on this part because I’m pretty sure I made it much less visible than the danganronpa style does.

now, the BIGGEST thing you can do besides the eyes is probably the texture, since we’re imitating the character art style.

you’re going to need a small checkered texture. like, this blinding abomination.

ow. fortunately, we’re changing the opacity REALLY low so it’s not going to hurt to look at. if you’re using clip studio paint like me, it comes with textures built into it. color a whole area and click the button with the checkers on it that you see on the top right.

it should cover your canvas with blinding chaos and your eyes will start screaming. before you go blind, make sure it’s set to a checkered style and navigate to the ‘layer’ tab at the top and hit rasterize to turn it into a normal layer. now that it’s a normal layer, changing the opacity will only make the colors lighter, rather than change the texture itself (that’s a thing that happens).

anyway, turn your opacity ALL the way down to 10% and set it to soft light, and your canvas will go from looking like this monstrosity…

… to this!

okay you actually can barely see that at all with this crappy screenshot without leaning super close to your screen. look, it’s THERE, I promise.

next you’re gonna wanna find a rugged texture of some kind. like, gritty paper or something. I have this one texture that I use a LOT and have been using it since before I even played danganronpa. put it below the first texture layer, turn the opacity down a whole bunch and just mess around with it, honestly. in that picture that I drew the other day, I have it set to vivid light at 15% opacity, but honestly, you can just see what works for you.

now it looks like this! again, this probably isn’t super visible because of the image size, but you’ll see.

now give me a second to add the rest of my shading that has nothing to do with the danganronpa style.

yeah!!! if you’re wondering what I did, I threw on what could be described as “cloudy shading” because you basically just toss on a whole bunch of airbrushing in the color of the shadow in one layer and a bunch of airbrushed lighting in another. it smooths out the drawing a lot and gives the coloring a lot more variety! it’s pretty serotonin-producing, honestly. (thank you tobin for teaching me basic color theory so my shading/lighting looks better)

oh yeah, I also added just a bit of a purple hue to the lineart to go with kokichi’s whole purple aesthetic. changing lineart color doesn’t always work, especially when drawing characters with different color themes, but it did work this time around, probably because it’s just kokichi.

here’s the close-up!

[collisiondiscourse]

my art process: a simple(ish) guide to how i (kinda) do things

okay!! so, i said i was gonna post my art process after i finished doing the danny phantom piece so... here it is! the drawing i used for a step by step process explanation is actually... simpler? less clunky than how i usually do things. i must preface this entire post by saying that i am fully self-taught for anything to do with art so if there are some things here that are exceeding no-nos... very sorry OOPS

The drawing took an estimated 4 hours total and for software I used FireAlpaca. My tablet is One by Wacom (aka the tiny ass red one). Without further ado... here’s my narrated guide on how i kind of do art!

1. Sketch Layers

sketches, are ofc, one of the fundamental steps in art. Some artists do them differently, whether they do color blocking/splotches first or silhouettes or your standard messy-lineart-before-the-actual-lineart

i personally do 2-3 different lineart/sketch layers, each layer specializing in different aspects. i took this technique from julia lepetit, a host from the drawfee show--a channel that i really recommend watching if youre an artist, like art, or just generally like having fun background noise while you work on something because... untreated adhd lol

this is the first sketch layer! i color coded them for reference and i use the yellow sketch layer to figure out poses. i use this gesture sketch layer to figure out where i want limbs to go and how i want the body to twist.

after i figure out the posing, i move on to my second sketch layer. the green layer is my refined sketch layer where i figure out the form and anatomy of the sketch. this is also where i start planning how expressions, special costume bits, and hands work!!

the red layer is my last and final sketch layer. technically, the red layer sometimes also doubles as my final lineart! the reason why i do this final step instead of doing the final lineart simply is so i can work on details of the costume. i end up refining certain portions, or even stretching/free transforming the whole body. 

The red helps with the refinement of the drawing bc the ink being a color that isnt black kinda,,,, tricks my brain into not believing that its all permanent. its easier for me to go back and erase/change some parts when my brain doesnt think that everythings final. when im finished, i simply go back and change the color of the lineart to black with the protect alpha function.

this is how the final lineart looks! be sure to close the lineart (aka make sure that everythings connected) so that the bucket tool can work and make your life 2000% easier. 

2. Coloring

my coloring process is kind of... a mess LMAO its super dependent on how i feel like coloring on that day, but this is the usual method i use when im not thinking too much about it.

first are the flats! i use the magic wand tool to select all the areas around the lineart and reverse the selection so that all the areas inside your lineart is selected. color it with a base color, turn on protect alpha, and begin chunking in all the colors.

all of the flats excluding the pupils, background, ectoplasm rings, and danny phantom logo are on one layer. once that is done, we move on to shading!

for shading, i use a combination of the normal pen tool and the airbrush tool to smooth out the edges of the cell shading. since all the flats are on one layer, i simply set this one to clipping mask so that i dont have to worry about coloring within the lines. I only use one color really for shading (here, i used purple) and then protect alpha and add splotches of other colors (pink, orange) in relevant areas.

once i finish doing that, i set the layer to multiply and adjust the opacity so that it looks softer and more attuned to the colors of the actual piece

its at this point that i fiddle with the hue/saturation/brightness settings on the flat color layers to my taste, seeing what works and what doesnt.

i then lightly go over the piece with a bright color (very very very light cyan) and put focus on the areas i think should glow like his freckles, eyes, and ectoplasm rings from where he’s coming out of a wall.

i rlly rlly love layer effects, so i set that one to add and again adjust the opacity to how i want it to look. 

3. Finishing Touches

...yeah i know it looks like a hot mess but hear me out.

on a new layer, make a CRAP TON OF GEOMETRIC SHAPES. ALL OF THEM IN NEON OR PASTEL. i get comments about my coloring methods sometimes and honestly im pretty sure its all due to this step. i make all these goddamn weird shapes, colored according to levels of lighting (yellow in lighter areas, turquoise in areas affected by the glow, purple in shaded areas etc. etc.) and also clip this layer. 

i then set the layer effect to either hue, overlay, or add and set its opacity really low to make it unobvious and cleaner to look at. this is a method that i learned from tumblr user zephyrine-gale who is... exceedingly talented and pulls this off way better than i can WKSDJSKKS

after that... ur basically done!! i add a few more layers like the noise layer for extra texture and sometimes some very light gradients (usually yellow to purple bc of something something color theory)--but after that, the piece is basically finished!

thanks for sticking around and reading this monstrous thing!! i might do more posts like this in the future, so who knows?

if you enjoyed this tutorial, want to support me and my art, or just wish for a way to pay for me to shut up... you can tip me 3 dollars or commission me here at ko-fi

(also reblogs are much appreciated. thanks <3)

[yeoldontknow]

Sheltered Hearts: 4 (FINAL)

Author’s note: for @iq-biased​. i hope you all enjoy the last part in this series as much as i enjoyed writing it! Paring: Yoongi x Reader (oc; female) Genre: enemies to lovers; vet!au; angst; romance; fluff Rating (this chapter): PG Warnings (this chapter): angst; some discussion of surgery but nothing graphic; a sick doggo who deserves so many kisses and is a good boy; a very soft first kiss; a very soft yoongi :( someone hug him Word count: 7.5K

masterlist

Talia’s hands tremble when you reach out to hug her, the strength in your joints equally as unwavering as the strength of your gaze upon your fingers. For now they are clean, gloves discarded and with them Casper’s blood, but that does not change where they have been, does not erase all that they have touched. You hold her gently, instinctually used to soft touches and gentle movements; lingering in a place and time when any pressure, too hard or too coarse, would cause malleable sinew to sever. The relief in her breath against your shoulder is immeasurable, perhaps her first genuine exhale in hours, but you remain silent, altogether still too aware of your hands, haunted.

‘He’s recovering,’ you hear yourself whisper, though you are unsure of the purpose of this statement. Is it to tether you to the earth? To reassure Talia? You cannot say for certain. It erupts from nowhere, a confident murmur, dawning in the center of your chest and desperate to greet the air within the same second. It is unprompted and likely unprofessional, but it matters, brimming over from the place where emotion latches onto blood. 

Dr. Hague stands behind Yoongi, observant and encouraging, as he details Casper’s rehabilitation plan, voice bright and clear with sunlight nestled into the corner of his words. Even without looking at him, you can hear he is smiling, that boyish yet professional expression he wears when he is proud, still love-drunk from the concept of recovery. She breaks away from you, hanging on his every word and forcing herself not to celebrate too soon.

Casper will be held for several days in observation, the first three days the most imperative when infection or rejection can set in. Should he come out of these days unscathed, he will then be transferred to recovery therapy and then spend five weeks on lead, unable to freely play. It will be hard, he advises, and Talia nods, prepared to try to understand, chewing at the only question love ever allows to settle in a space like this:

When can I see him?

You don’t wait for her to ask the question, air in the room becoming thin and altogether too stale for your liking. Pulling off your surgical cap, you turn abruptly, moving through the waiting area to push your way through the doors and out to the parking lot. In the field across the street, the sun has just begun to set, blood on the grass that illuminates the earth like wildfire. A single breath is not enough to contain this, you think, a moment of fierce victory and delicate, unfathomable frailty. It could snap, this sense of pride and pleasure, one white blood cell rejecting the next would bring this moment to an endless, perpetual night. 

Breathing deep, the smell of the wild flowers finds its way to you, a Spring evening that will eventually fade and fade until other victories and other failures render this moment painfully ordinary. Breathing deep, you cling to this feeling, the understanding that Gods never marvel at their miracles - the knowledge that surgery is not the act of playing with fate and instead is the summation of human suffering, a desperate plea to continue in life’s brief and limited smallness. 

All things live, all things die, and it is a blessing to be present at both. 

The clack of the door closing breaks your thoughts, but you do not open your eyes. You want this moment to last a little longer, regardless of who sees you, aware that these kinds of successes look almost the same as defeat, brutal and unforgiving. Yoongi’s presence lifts the hair on your arms to standing, an energetic cascade of safety and understanding. He moves behind you, drifting from your right to the center of your back to your left and off, somewhere away from you and carried by the doppler effect of his even footsteps. 

He doesn’t speak, and even in this silent awareness that you are being observed you don’t feel pressured to speak with him. Yoongi lets you be, allows you to continue, uninterrupted, and lets you stand in the ever lowering sun, the warmth from the day giving over to a cool breeze, demanding nothing from you. He lingers at the edge of your awareness, a watchful satellite ensuring you are whole and that, if you do break, you do not break alone. When you finally open your eyes, your turn to face him, hands at your sides too full of blood and swollen, now, with excitement. 

Leaning against his car, now in his street clothes, Yoongi stands, arms crossed and expression placid, watching you with a whisper of a smile. Liberated from his scrubs and hugging himself in a thin burgundy hoodie, he no longer is the surgeon or the doctor or the student battling for recognition. Instead, he is simply Min Yoongi, young and handsome and magnificent, watching you as though you are the fading light of the earth, intent on memorizing all your nuanced shades.

For a while, you are content to linger in this silence with him, observing him with the same unfettered focus. Eyes wired, the dimming light catches his irises, making him appear as though he glows from within. Thin lipped, he no longer appears severe in this light, instead he is curious and mercurial, hungry for the truth of things - the truth of you. The last strands of light hold tightly to his hair, lighting him on fire, burning the edges of his aura. 

‘How about that diner?’ he asks with a gentle nod of his head towards his car, recalling his earlier suggestion.

The rumble in your stomach at the suggestion makes you giggle, though you are unsure if it is food you desire or if it is him, moments alone with him to truly see who he is when he does not have to fight to be seen. 

Yoongi orders pancakes as though it would be a sacrilege to eat anything else at a diner, unbothered with the pretense of looking at the menu. In the pale fluorescent light, a pink blush settles on his cheeks, teased to life either by the rush of blood beneath his cheeks or the soft reflection of the red vinyl seat. You feel his eyes on you as you scan the menu, his inquisitive stare taking its time handling your frame. Gripping the edge of your seat, your eyes glaze over, scanning the words and the pictures, idly wondering why you bother with such false shows of interest when, much like Yoongi, you know you will order the waffles - something slightly different, but similar enough in its texture and form that you begin to see Yoongi as your mirror image.

His gaze remains trained on you even after the waiter has departed, arms folded, again, across his chest in a congenial display of interest. You’re not used to such unbridled attention, the kind of focus that comes from learning a person rather than witnessing them. The steel in his features has disappeared, rendering him soft and human and altogether too sincere for your liking, but the stillness in his focus tells you he is disassembling you. Fidgeting in your seat, heat crawls along your skin, joints tense and tongue heavy against your teeth. 

You watch him too, watch the way his head cocks slowly to the side, a small smirk pulling at his lips. Watch the way he lets himself be painted by the light, different now to the sun and do the red and pink and blue kaleidoscope of the sky but equally as mesmerizing. No one is meant to be offered a metamorphosis in this kind of light. No one is meant to become beautiful, but he is. Of course he is. 

Tearing your eyes away, a small act of desperation, you think, you glance around the diner. People are scattered, the empty spaces between occupied tables perhaps larger in number than those seated altogether, but you are glad for the quiet hum of life and motion. Thursday evening, and you would not say this particular location is prone to a rush hour, but it’s peaceful, a reminder that the weather turns, hearts beat, and lungs breathe.

A reminder that some things do not change even if the way you are feeling about Yoongi is.

‘I’m realizing,’ he announces, calling your attention back to him with his smooth, low drawl, ‘that we have only spent time together in the context of work.’

‘You’re just realizing this?’

‘No,’ he admits. ‘But I’m saying why haven’t we? In five weeks, amidst everything, why haven’t we?’

It’s not an unfamiliar question, one you have been mulling over for days at a time. At the clinic, things have changed - even before Casper’s surgery, the way you move around Yoongi has shifted not unlike the planets around the sun. But then, it is not just you who has been altered, moved by this sudden unified desire to help. Yoongi, too, smiles more - the kind where his teeth are on full display and for one, precious moment, he is not afraid of being himself; laughs louder; allows the creases at the center of his eyes to form without worrying he is being unprofessional.

In the past several weeks, you have found more reasons to be beside him, more reasons to ask for his advice, found yourself craving the very concept and theology of more - not necessarily love or a crush, but the threatening start of one, the thunder of your heart just a little louder when he laughs. Some days, it is no longer Dr. Hague’s praise you crave but his, as if he has any bearing on your success, as though a word of approval from him holds more weight than any paper rewarded to you by the nature of your own hard work - as if hours spent challenging him are as valuable as hours alone in a lab, giving over and giving in, allowing yourself to become better because he requires it.

Clearing your throat, you let your eyes wander over his easy smile and his cool, collected demeanor. ‘I don’t know,’ you shrug, a casual display of nonchalance. ‘You never asked.’

Yoongi chuckles, unfolding his arms as he leans a little closer to the table. ‘You didn’t ask, either.’ 

Cocking your brow, you feel yourself smirk, pulling at his words the same way he pulls as yours. ‘Are we calling a truce?’

For a long moment, Yoongi considers your words, mulling them over as his cheeks inflate with air. Folding his arms on the table, he regards you in a playful contest, the diner becoming little more than a boardroom for your false negotiations. Mirroring his position, you rest your arms on the table and narrow your eyes. Chewing at the inside of your cheek, it takes work to swallow the smile you want to offer him, the sort of smile he so badly hides at the corner of his mouth. 

‘At work?’ he says, finally.

You nod, resolute in your role and your intent.

‘Never.’ He falls back into his seat, reclining into the cushion with his eyes full of promise and mirth. You wait for him to speak, somehow hanging on every word, relieved that this rivalry can continue as is, uninterrupted and unchanged, yet still expectant. ‘But outside of work,’ he continues, slowly, his wide smile blossoming, ‘I’d like to be friends.’

Everything about Min Yoongi is infectious, the light in his eyes a dangerous glimmer that demands your surrender. Taking a deep breath, you prepare your words, aware that your acceptance of this offer is a commitment not unlike love, yet carrying with it the potential to last longer, eternal, the purest form of connection that could exist.

 ‘I can do that.’

The arrival of your food ceases all conversation, the growling in your stomach a reminder that you have not eaten since before Casper’s surgery. All morning you had felt uneasy, not nauseous and not queasy, but unable to shake that you were standing at the precipice between fantasy and reality. The statement of wanting to be something is entirely different than the process of becoming, said so long and so often throughout your life that you had almost forgotten that the experience of growth is just as important as the commitment to the desire. And so you had not eaten, certain that the comfort of a meal would distract you from the weight of importance. 

Taking your time arranging your plates of eggs and bacon, gathering your napkin and utensils, you greet your waffles with an enthusiastic smile. Glancing upwards, you find yourself laughing at Yoongi and his childlike glee. He falls into his meal the same way he falls into surgery, with diligence and an edge of impatience, as though the plate itself carried a seduction he found irresistible. Hands idle over your fork and knife, you wonder if this is the enthusiasm with which he falls into everything he desires, unbridled though careful, unsatisfied until he has born witness to and tasted it all, with a fidelity of devotion large enough to cradle the sun.

He cuts into his pancakes with diligence, holding his fork and knife with surgical delicacy as he makes elegant cuts, shaping his pieces with precision. You’re sure it’s just a habit, something he can’t quit after so long of learning to be careful, but you feel the onslaught of your sudden similarities in the center of your chest, a weight becoming harder and harder to disregard. 

‘What you did for Casper was impressive,' he announces, penetrating your thoughts with the cool tones of his voice. 'The foresight required to make that kind of suggestion...to invent something…’ His words evaporate as he chews, glancing from his pancakes to his bacon and back again, unsure which deserves his attention more. Swallowing, he nods, assuming you have already agreed with him. ‘Remarkable.'

The magic of the moment is broken by the implication this is an unusual occurrence, reminded now that, had you been more vocal, more demanding and less angry that the clinic already had a rising star, there would have been more chances, more opportunities to prove this kind of medicine is not a miracle. Briefly, the sterilized antiseptic scent of the graduate school lab hall floods your synapses. All the bones you watched break, only to be put together by someone else; all the innovations, the universal mystery of 3D printing no longer so out of reach; all the advances humanity makes simply because they want to, and because they can. 

What you did for Casper, you think, was not as much impressive as it was the morally correct thing to try. Long ago, you decided magic is real and magic is man made. Magic is the decision of recognizing something is broken and taking the initiative to fix it. 

Casting your attention to your waffles, you grip your utensils with the same tender reverence as Yoongi, hands giving pause to make your first incision. ‘It wasn’t really,' you murmur with a shrug.

Yoongi halts his movements and swallows, blinking at you momentarily bewildered.

‘No?' he snorts, disbelieving. 'Tell that to Talia. That dog might walk again, with all four legs mind you. That never would have happened without you.'

Humming, you nod in mild agreement. ‘I mean sure, objectively, it is.'

Dropping your shoulders, you consider your words, wondering how anyone could explain the way careful hands and cold metal can create structure - not necessarily life - but still something vital, necessary, and powerful just the same; the offer of a new life, created and manifested simply because you want it to be. How could you ever, you wonder, explain that you are not bringing someone back to life, but adding to the concept of it, extending it- challenging, not death but, life itself.

‘But,’ you continue, meeting his eyes once more as you decide on a worthy enough explanation, ‘you have to understand that’s the standard for orthopedics, this kind of specialty.’ 

He eyes you expectantly, hands poised and still, knowing that there is more - so much more you want to say - and leaves you the absolute freedom to say with, unhindered. 

‘In our surgery labs, you should see what you can build. What you can make with your own two hands.’ Relaxing into your seat, your mind races, remembering. ‘It’s a fusion of all the sciences really - bones and soft tissue, metal and construction. You’re not trying to resurrect - yeah, sometimes it can feel like that, but that’s not the point. We aren’t bringing someone back from the brink - we’re pushing them over the limit and ensuring they survive.’

You aren’t entirely sure when you became so hungry - for food, for life, for Yoongi - but it does not escape your attention how painfully emphatic you sound. Nothing, you think, has ever been so important for him to understand, so important for him to feel.

‘I have no interest in playing God,’ you continue, quieter now but just as determined. ‘Not the way you would in cardio or…’

‘Oncology?’

He offers it almost like a challenge, and, perhaps, on a different day, long before you truly could say you knew him, you would have felt as though there was no way to escape the unintentional insult he means to force on you. Instead, you see the way he watches you, considerate and gentle, fully aware this is not a slight at him or his choices, managing instead to leave you room to breathe in the space of accepting his statement.

‘Yeah.’ You hold his gaze, smiling as though you cannot help it, as though smiling at him is the most natural and wonderful thing - made for it, you think, made for the wonder of his pleasure. 

Yoongi smirks, watching you intently, eyes alive with something that makes him look playful and joyful, content to be sharing this moment with you; honored, if only because you decided to let him in.

‘Makes sense,’ he says with a shrug, leaning forward once more to return his attention to his pancakes.

Bewildered, you cock your head to the side. ‘What does?’

‘Why you were resentful before.’ Yoongi reaches across the table, taking the syrup from beside your glass, pouring more over his pancakes and letting it spill onto his bacon. ‘About working here.’ 

Your jaw falls open, mock offence mixing with genuine abjection. ‘It’s not that I was resentful,’ you begin, asserting that you were  neither ungrateful nor bitter. ‘It’s just hard to rationalize how badly you want to help, and how much you know could do, with the limit of your role.’

Even as you say the words, you know they are little more than platitudes you tell yourself - have been telling yourself - to rationalize the level of dejection you experienced. It seems like ages ago, moons upon moons having passed, a dying age when you accepted your stagnancy and put the blame on Yoongi, choosing him as your scapegoat simply because he took control of his life with both hands.

Cocking an eyebrow in your direction, Yoongi laughs, amused and disbelieving. Pointing a strip of bacon in your direction, he refuses you the comfort of your placating sentiments. 

‘You were resentful,’ he states plainly. 

The mischievous glimmer in his eyes is infectious, your cheeks warming with a sheepish blush that has you giggling. ‘Okay, maybe I was,’ you concede. ‘All the typing and filing is wearing out my perfect hands.’

Eyeing you through his lashes as he cuts more of his pancakes, he considers you for a long while, as though you are a mystery he is only just beginning to solve.

‘You did good,’ he says eventually, words gentle and voice full.

The genuine affection you find in the statement catches you off guard, chest tight as your heart stumbles over its natural rhythm. More and more, he has become tender - someone who offers support in the form of silence when you need to be heard; someone unafraid to give encouragement or honesty when you need it most; someone who, after everything you have seen from them, from their strength to their arrogance to their dedication, is nothing more than a boy with a heart too big to be contained in the cage of his sternum. 

Now, with the lights reflecting the neon of the diner and putting the rainbow in his blonde hair, skin pink and warm and eyes almost brutal in their kindness and their candor, Yoongi is a vision - one you do not think you will ever stop admiring.

‘You did, too,’ you murmur, cheeks hot with a blush of embarrassment. You wish you could be loud, unafraid of him hearing just how much it means to you, but softness is what he has pulled out of you, a compassion for people rather than animals you thought had vanished long ago emerging from deep within.

You want to be as confident in this expression as he is, but the fragility of your tenderness is not unlike a fawn, keeping you close to Yoongi so that you can learn. 

‘So here is what I know about you,’ he begins, biting down on his bacon strip and breaking your thoughts. ‘You’re smart, passionate, competitive as hell.’ 

‘You say that like it’s a threat,’ you laugh, cutting into your waffles, the thickness of the atmosphere diluting down to one of amicable comfort.

‘It’s not a bad thing,’ he laughs. ‘In this profession you need that edge. Life doesn’t wait.’ Swallowing, he takes a sip of his water through the straw, lips forming a soft circle that makes you melt, eyes wide and focused on yours. ‘But,’ he continues, ‘I’m still trying to make sense of you.’

Pouting, you grimace. ‘You mean you’ve spent all that time looking at me and that’s all you’ve figured out?’

Yoongi nods with an affable smile, but he does not allow you the comfort of teasing deflection. Instead, he folds his arms on the table and regards you with a tenacity that feels weighted, too heavy for the jovial, easy comfort you have found yourselves in. ‘I think that’s all you let people see.’

Had you not known him to be incisive, the direct comment might have startled you - months ago, you would have been insulted. Now, you find you have to stop yourself from swooning. In the days and weeks you have spent learning Yoongi of your own accord, he has been doing the same - only, he makes it clear he has been watching, witnessing you, and you, usually so careful and professional, find that you want him to see you. You are desperate for his eyes on you, his eyes watching you in the morning after your coffee; his eyes, studying your lips and your skin in the sun, basking in the post-surgical bliss that comes with risk; his eyes, learning the way you move when you do not know you are being watched, when you do not know that you are wanting him to watch you, or wanting him altogether.

Months ago, you’d have been upset, but now you are relieved, yet still uncertain he has done you justice. You deserve more, you think, than just idle watching. You deserve to be consumed.

‘Then,’ you begin, placing your utensils on the plate and leaning forward, mirroring his posture, ‘maybe you’re not looking hard enough.’

His eyes widen, sparkling as they take you in, his smile brilliant and combating the light - every sliver of it, natural and unnatural, demanding he power the universe. ‘Seductive,’ he announces, gleeful. ‘Like a little imp.’

Chewing the inside of your cheek, you take a slow, shaking in hale at the way he lingers on the word seductive, clinging to the S as though he is reluctant to let it go, to let you go. The world shifts on its axis in the aftermath of his sentence, and you both are aware of it. He waits for your reaction, impatient in the way his joints seem to tense around his fork, unblinking in his desire for your response. Tongue heavy against your teeth, you smile, lowering your gaze and regarding him through the thickness of your lashes, watching the pink swell of a flush creep up his neck. 

Yoongi is not ensnared but he is waiting for you to hold onto the moment, to clutch it with both your greedy fists, coming to him like the snake in Eden, ready for you to bite.

‘If only you knew,’ you offer, coquettish and dark.

Yoongi tips his head back against the seat, pleased and reassured that you are just as unforgiving in your lust and flirtation as you are in competition. A vibration has commenced in your nerves, the humming in your skin a foreboding sense of vulnerability and the expectation that these exchanges will continue - somewhere, somewhen, not in the clinic but elsewhere, created by your own accord, because you both wish them to be so. You can feel it, and you are sure he can too, though it is still young - a warm, threatening heat that whispers its demands for you both, not yet large enough to consume you.

But it will. You want it to. 

Yoongi smiles, and you smile back, letting it take root deep within your soul, its reach far more sweeping than you ever let this kind of expression reach. Yoongi smiles, and the earth moves, and nothing, you know, will ever be the same.

It continues like that for a long while, days and weeks passing with you watching Yoongi and Yoongi watching you, a silent contract that promises you will kiss one another's thoughts before you will kiss lips, these exchanges somehow more intimate and tender than the exchange of skin to skin. The clinic notices the change, the shift from rivalry to competitive understanding to a friendship that borders, tauntingly, on the barriers of romance. Your colleagues watch you both with smiles tucked into the corners of their mouths, knowing everything because you neither hide nor deny anything at all, rejoicing in the sensuality that comes from the force of finally living.

Day in and day out, you trace the bones and the bodies of the animals that come to you, the end to your service at the clinic looming ever closer, a date you deny but do not dread if only because it means you will have him, all of him exactly as you want him. There was no discussion of your eventual transition from friends to lovers, something as inevitable as the movement of the sun over the earth's horizon, but you felt it. In the way he smiled and the way he waited behind you, watchful and awed, you felt it. Somehow, some when, on a night or a day when you both felt comfortable, placated by one another's presence and more alive than you had ever felt simply because he was at your side, you both had decided it would be so.

But not yet.

For a long while, you hold hands through your surgical gloves, fingers touching fingers for the briefest of moments, only to break apart as quickly as you had come together, choosing the airs of professionalism over the airs of romance; evenings spent beneath his parent's peach trees, reading medical books and medical research, pretending your toes do not touch, that the warmth on your skin is from the blanket and not from his skin. In those moments, he is pink - pink as the blossoms and pink as your blush, breathing in unison and waiting, almost too impatiently, for the thrill of being young and being in lust.

The danger of these feelings is that they always feel immortal, immune to the wear and tear of life itself, a blessing that endures. In these sentiments, you are invincible - but the are dangerous because they are more fragile than your own soft tissue, than the supple muscle of your beating heart. They are dangerous because they always end, and when they end, you are always left bereft.

It ends on the hottest day of the summer, mid-day in August with the sun high in the sky and no clouds to cover it. Yoongi had come to work early, the air conditioning of his apartment broken and the sweat on his neck lingering in a tantalizing shimmer. You watch him scribble notes from a medical lecture onto a thick pad of paper from your seat at your newly earned desk in Dr. Hague's office, a small table with a computer and too many charts and notes scattered across it to be remotely organized, too warm to focus.

You are meant to be writing a pathology report for a cat with a broken femur; you are meant to be running labs and inputting charts for Dr. Hague's review. And you will, you tell yourself you will, but only after you memorize the way the contour of Yoongi's cheek seems to catch the light, golden and bronze and almost too ethereal to belong to man.

The phone to Dr. Hague's office rings, making both you and Yoongi jump. He laughs at himself, sheepish, and you laugh with him, though something in this moment makes your stomach drop, your skin slick now with a sense of dread that refuses to leave you. If he feels it too, Yoongi does not let on, reaching for the phone with a confident hand that does not shake as he pulls it to his ear. It's almost inevitable, the way you start to grieve, though you are unsure why the sadness in your chest has begun to spawn like spores. You are grieving, but for what you cannot tell, you can only sense that you are supposed to by the way Yoongi's brows furrow and his lips drop into a frown, cascading downward, almost sauntering lower alongside the trajectory of your heart, before he expresses his acknowledgement and hangs up the phone.

Without a word, he drops his notepad to his deserted chair and moves past you, knowing you will follow hot on his heels, and you do, rising after him with fire in your veins and an ache in your chest, knowing. Somehow, knowing.

In the clinic waiting room, Talia sits with Casper at her feet, pale and lost. Eyes downcast, she is dark, gaze unfocused as she breathes almost too quietly, so far away from you and this moment she does not lift her head on your approach. You and Yoongi halt your steps by the reception desk, simply watching. Hands fisted at your sides, you feel as though you knew, as though you might have always known that they would be back, that somehow it would be different - another day, another war, another reminder that you are human and humans are not meant to solve the problems of mortality.

It's Dr. Hague who breaks the silence, moving past you and Yoongi with somber footsteps as he calls her name. Talia raises her head, eyes no longer simply dark but wet, attempting a hopeful smile as she rises to her feet.

Before she speaks, you know what she will say, certain you do not want to hear it and, conversely, certain that you must. It will be the fire, you think, the fire that will insight another battle out of you, another way to win the day and, perhaps, even the war.

'The vet,' she manages, voice broken and uneven and so terribly small. 'They said his cancer came back. It's in a different part of his leg...worse now, I guess.'

Her words leave you bitter, as though you have been pressed and completely released of your youthful, jovial glow. In the aftermath, you are hardened and battle-born, angry and lost, the tears threatening to burn at your eyes because you saved him. You saved him once and you will do it again, the sheer force of this sentiment vibrating down through your joints, your fingers, deep into the atoms of your blood. You saved him and you will do so again.

The very nature of your will is unflinching, uncompromising as you take a deep inhale, readying yourself. Turning to your side, you expect to see Yoongi, the blood beneath his skin ablaze with the same relentless passion for victory, but he is not there. At your side, there is nothing, just the long tails of his lab coat as he departs from the room altogether.

Bereft, he departs from the clinic with ferocious speed, your own tongue running dry as you struggle to fathom words and reason for his sudden absence. Talia looks to the door, your eyes meeting at this central point, bewildered yet somehow unified in understanding. If she could leave her skin, departing from this moment with a completeness that leaves no discernible trace, you imagine she would. And so it is unfair, you think, for Yoongi to have the liberty of escape.

Gingerly, you follow him, reminded of the day when he followed you, orbiting around you in the evening sun as he watched and waited. The difference, you suppose, is not the circumstance as much as it is the timing. He gave you space, distance, minutes with just yourself to collect and gather your thoughts; and so you are too soon, almost cruel in your interruption. It washes over you, the understanding that to feel something, anything, is a pain that defies the simplicity of language but to be witnessed in the state of that emotion is an act of unmaking, an unforgiving vulnerability.

But right now, you need him just the same as he likely needs you; consumed, at once, with the need to remind him that the experience of defeat only matters in the actions you take in the aftermath.

Crouched against the back of the clinic, Yoongi holds his head in his hands and trembles, small and shy, defenseless as though he naked and raw. You approach him cautiously, footsteps careful as you train your eyes on the curve of his back, catlike and poised to withdraw at a moment’s notice. He looks as distraught and desperate as you feel, gripped by the fear and the remorse - the magnitude and the full breadth of it - as he takes long inhales, demanding that the air itself grows claws within him. 

Stepping forward, a twig snaps beneath the soles of your shoes and he bristles, aware that he is no longer alone. Your gaze departs from him, searching other points of interest, sheepish as you bite the inside of your cheek. The silence is deafening, the breeze refusing to rustle the leaves and the birds refusing to sing. Time moves slowly in this space, inching ever forward and yet you seem detached from it, waiting and waiting and waiting.

‘I know it’s wrong,’ he announces suddenly, alarmingly clear toned for a man so broken. ‘It makes me a bad doctor.’

Softening, you are drawn to his side, leaning back against the clinic as you keep your eyes forward, not wanting to upset him further should your presence be a discomfort. ‘What does?’

‘Attachment,’ he spits, resentful that the very concept could exist. ‘In oncology we learn it in year one. You don’t get attached. You’re not God. You can’t save every animal. This kind of thinking will do you in.’ 

‘Then,’ you try, keeping your voice low and soothing, ‘why this dog? Because it was special?’

Yoongi shakes his head. You can hear the rustle of his hair as he moves, the sound making your chest constrict in affection.

‘It’s not just this dog,’ he retorts sharply.

‘No?’

‘It’s every dog.’ Behind the bitterness and distress, you hear the truth - the anguish of heart that knows too much benevolence, too much affection; the pressure of a heart too willing to love. ‘Every dog and every cat and every rabbit. Each time, I love them.’

‘You have to love them, Yoongi.’ Lowering your gaze to his crouched form, you keep your words calm and even though their meaning is tenacious in its ardent determination. ‘You have to love them enough to take the risk, and you have to love them enough to do what’s morally right - even if that means letting them go.’ 

‘I know it’s stupid.’ He continues, as though he did not hear you at all, as though you had not spoken. ‘Day one, they say it will make you a terrible doctor. Thinking like this will break you before your career even starts.’ Rising to a stand, he wipes his palms over absent creases in his trousers before he, too, leans against the clinic, arms folded and chin tucked against his chest. ‘Want to know the truth?’

‘Tell me.’

‘I think human doctors have it easier,’ he explains. ‘You’re not going to love every patient. Some are assholes, and some aren’t very good people. Hell, depending on the case you might not want them to live - they might be a goddamn criminal.’

‘It’s easy not to get attached to people,’ you agree with a nod. 

‘Fuck, I don’t even like people very much.’ At this he turns to you, worried and wide eyed, uncertainty tainting his features. He looks to you as though you can help him understand, pleading and so endearingly lost. ‘I don’t do this,’ he whispers. ‘Letting people in…,’ his voice fades as he turns away again, walling off one fear for the next. ‘You don’t get that choice with animals,’ he continues, clear toned and persistent. ‘No animal exists or acts out of bad intentions.’

Looking out over the horizon, you watch the early afternoon sun cast its golden rays over the grass, dappling the field. Something in this experience for him is two-fold, the fear of risk wrapping itself around separate, yet not altogether innocuous, events and ensuring they can no longer be parted. A smile pulls at your cheeks, bemused that you had been learning to trust and breathe through the same fear as he, learning to surrender to someone other than yourself. 

And so you offer the same lessons to him, if only because you find the easiest way to fight your battles is by looking in the mirror. 

‘I don’t think this is stupid.’

‘No?’ he breathes, turning to face you once again. ‘Because I’ve not even started yet, and I can already feel it ending.’

You’re unsure if he is referring to his feelings for you or his career, though you are confident it does not matter. All risk is risk, regardless of the direction. 

‘It’s not stupid,’ you repeat, shaking your head. ‘It’s human. I don’t think any vet truly understands why someone becomes a people doctor. People suck.’

You finish with a shrug of your shoulders, a non-committal sign of agreement you hope informs him that people do suck, but he is the exclusion. Always the exclusion.

At this, Yoongi laughs, casting his gaze downward to his feet as his tell-tale blush wanders across his neck and into his ears. Encouraged, you continue.

‘Even the worst animal has a reason for being, well, the worst,’ you explain. ‘Lots of times, it’s people who made them that way. People and their bad habits and their neglect and their inability to understand or care.’

Sidelong, he looks at you through the curtain of his eyelashes, lips pulling into a small grin that gives your heart wings. ‘I see this furthers your point that people suck.’

‘It does,’ you giggle, unable to help yourself and the way you softly swoon at the sight of him, boyish and young and learning to try. ‘But that’s not my main point.’

‘Then what’s your point.’ 

‘My point is…’ Your words fade, carefully choosing your words, aware that this is the pinnacle, the moment between now and tomorrow, the moment of change that ensures everything is different. And you, just as guarded and so full to the brim, ready to learn to love, tell yourself you are prepared. This is for you as much as it is for Casper as it is for him. ‘We learn this too, but in Ortho we call it something different. For us, it’s failure to rescue. For us, it’s not about who failed less or who failed more. It’s merely who rescued more, that’s the separation. In surgery, things will go wrong - you cannot take a risk without the probability of failure, otherwise it isn’t a risk. You have to be ready for it, the failure, because it is naturally inevitable. The difference between triumph and defeat, rescue and failure to rescue, is what you do after it.’

Yoongi regards you intently, eyes glimmering not unlike the sun at dawn, watching you with enough attentive vigilance you feel valuable, important, the single most important thing in his small universe at this moment. It’s an odd feeling, the knowledge and acceptance that you matter, that you matter and that you are wanted. The world spins, and you feel it, the lightheaded dizziness that comes from the motion of things rather than the lack making you root your feet to the earth, emboldened.

‘Obviously, you continue, chest full and impassioned, ‘you became a vet to save animals, we all did, but this is the moment you take to heart and try to rescue again. And when you get like this...you have to talk about it with somebody.’

‘Ugh,’ he groans with a soft chuckle. ‘People.’

‘With me,’ you offer, leaning to nudge his shoulder with yours, watching as he tucks his bottom lip between his teeth. The very sight warms your blood, heat wandering down your spine and into your core.‘I wouldn’t say I’m people.’

‘Oh, right,’ he nods, the flirtatious candor in his voice just as raw as his emotions. ‘A person.’

‘I’m serious!’ you laugh, allowing yourself the moment of mock offence and amorous teasing. ‘What do you normally do, go home and drink the night away to forget this?’

‘Well,’ he nods with a grimace, ‘you’re not wrong. Can’t usually forget though. I remember every single one I’ve failed.’

Reaching forward, you take a hold of his right hand, letting your thumb graze over the knuckles. It’s so unlike you, so unlike your careful distance and professional stoicism, but the risk of it is a thrill that sends an electric shock up your arm, breath shuddering in your lungs at the feel of his soft skin. Almost immediately, his grip tightens over yours, holding what he can of you with an unwavering stare, demanding that you feel just as much, that you feel just as vulnerable and exposed. Like this, you let the pad of your thumb explore the ever warming expanse of his hand, learning the smooth texture until you are certain, if demanded, you could remember and explain it in such detail all the world would feel it too.

‘Don’t tell anyone about this, okay?’ he murmurs, breaking the moment with a shallow breath.

Cocking your head to the side, you smile impishly, just as he knew you were, and are, all those weeks ago. ‘What, that your heart is the size of a house?’

‘I meant that I cried,’ he laughs, ‘but yeah, that too.’

Breaking from his hold, you turn to lead him back to the clinic, grinning as you offer him a wink. ‘One of those secrets is safe with me, but I won’t tell you which one.’

‘Wait!’

Yoongi reaches for you once more, pulling with such force that you collide into him with a huff. He’s faster than you, somehow three steps ahead and prepared, holding your face with both hands as he presses his lips to yours, skilled and soft and ensuring his gratitude cascades down and down into your soul. Instinctively, your arms wind around his neck, fingers coming to toy with the hair at the nape of his neck, deepening the kiss as you step closer, close enough you’re certain there is no air between your chests, certain that it would not dare separate you. He hums against your lips, a deep roll of thunder through your opens that has you opening for him, his tongue dipping in for one brief caress against yours before he departs entirely, separating, once more, as though he had not been there at all.

But you feel him. Oh, do you feel him.

Catching your breath, you lose yourself in the honey of his gaze, waiting for the rhythm of your heart to return to its normal pace. But you do not relinquish your hold, and nor does he let you go, both of you gripping one another as though seeking purchase during a fall.

‘I’ll keep both those secrets,’ you whisper, lips still wet and tingling with the force of him, ‘if you come back in and find a way to help Casper.’

Yoongi smiles, a wide gummy expression that makes you feel, yes, you are indeed falling. ‘Deal.’

[lutrain2020]

Meet the Creator!

Introducing: Squido!

Commission:  I haven't and don't really intend to. I don't want to take anyone's hard-earned money. Just ask me to draw things and there's a good chance I will.

Social Media:  Tumblr: @sky-squido​ AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky_squido/pseuds/sky_squido

Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Call me Squido! I love to draw and write but I'm also super extraverted and I love interacting with humans so always feel free to chat with me! Aside from drawing and writing, I just love being outside and have a tumblr sideblog dedicated exclusively to nature photos I take. I love mountains, the ocean, the sky, and just about everything else in this beautiful world of ours! If you ever feel like having an internet stranger give you a thousand word rant, ask me why my favorite color is blue and you will not be disappointed!

What got you into creating? what inspires you to keep creating?

I've been drawing for as long as I can remember and can't seem to stop, though I take long breaks sometimes I always seem to come back to it again. I try not to have anything in mind when I draw, but to start sketching and let the drawing happen. Sometimes I find that what I'm trying to draw is not what my drawing wants to be (if that makes any sense) and change what I'm making halfway through. It makes drawing a really relaxing and carefree therapeutic experience! Writing is different. I've always enjoyed writing, but I didn't write much and never shared my writing with anyone because I thought it was super pretentious. It wasn't until entering High School and joining the literature club and making a deal with a friend that we'd share our writing with each other that I actually gained any sort of confidence in my ability and sought to improve it. Being in that club and sharing my pieces at the open mics was a really encouraging experience! I invite everyone to share their writing, even if it's with some random internet stranger (I'm open anytime!) if they're unsure of their abilities. A little encouragement goes a long way! Now that I'm on Discord, ao3, and tumblr, I receive so much more feedback than I ever have before! It's been super encouraging! What inspires me most is definitely nature. Even if my ideas aren't directly related to the outdoors, I get my best ideas there. Fandoms are also a great idea generator. The sheer volume of headcanons and prompts is enough to make me dizzy with ideas!

What's your creative process like?

I love sketching. My favorite thing about drawing digitally is that I can sketch as much as I like and never worry about wasting materials! Often times my sketches turn themselves into drawings without permission and other times they stubbornly remain sketches for all eternity. I always dive right in because I have no patience and the idea I started out with generally isn't that great but in the process of pursuing it, it spirals out of control and sometimes the idea gets better and sometimes it gets worse but I just kinda roll with it. Creating is a really chill process for me and while I regularly scream stuff like "I'M DRAWING ON THE WRONG LAYER NONONONONONO" or "NO HECK FRICK SHOOT IT SMUDGED HECK HECK GET THE ERASER QUICK," the creative process is a great way for me to unwind. I'm the same way about writing. I never plan or outline and just kind of roll with things. I mean I generally have the basic jist in mind, but I try to not have a plan so I can keep the story driven by the characters and not force them into acting the way I wanted them to in the outline I made hours or even days ago. Creating is my opportunity to break free so I don't really see what good a plan or outline does me. I'm a pretty spontaneous person!

What kind of mediums do you like to use?

I like to take pictures, but it's not really my main focus. I've been mostly digitally drawing—I use my iPad Pro and Procreate—but lately I've been pencil sketching with just your average everyday mechanical pencil (I'd forgotten how nice the texture of paper was! Clearly I spent too much time drawing on my iPad!). I have these Stabilio chalk pastels I love to pieces, but have also spent a great deal of time with watercolors. Digital is my primary medium currently, though.

Is there a specific scene wrote that you are particularly proud of?

"Sky’s golden scales are glowing with reflected light from the sun while beneath them, the same pulsing blue in her mane runs like a river as her very skin is alive with electricity. The sun’s beginning to dip, fading through the color wheel from yellow to deep orange to scarlet and the world is bathed in watercolor and hue shifted through the rainbow until all that was blue becomes red. This new alien world begins to darken as red fades to deep purple-pink, the clouds catching last vestiges of gold in their pillowy folds, yet Sky continues rippling with lighting, the bright blue flowing like blood through her veins and the gold shimmering in the eerie azure glow. We weave through the winds and zephyrs and I close my eyes and let the breeze caress my hair and when I reopen them, I’m standing back on the ground again in a world long since darkened by night. I place my hand over my beating heart where Sky is still laughing with joy and smile because once you’ve awakened your dragon, you don’t need wings to fly anymore."

Is there someone who inspires you and your writing or art?

Every fanartist and fanfic writer that posts their stuff online is an inspiration to me. Even if their stuff isn't very good—especially if it isn't very good—it's a huge testament to the courage of the creator and their bravery in expressing themself! I sat on fanfic and fanart for years and never shared it and here were kids half my age putting out art that was their first experiment in a new medium and a little shaky but it was still out there and they were still being supported by the community and that really inspired me to reach out and stop lurking in fandom and actually get involved!

is there something that you struggled with that made you grow as a creator?

I feel like everyone has these periods where they were just gaining confidence in their artistic ability but suddenly everything they make is trash and they're not happy with any of it and they feel so down and worthless and "where did all of my hard-earned ability go? Will I ever get it back?" I think this is a pretty common experience and when I find myself there, I find it most helpful to share what I make anyway, even if I hate it, with someone who I know will give it to me straight because they'll point out the deeper problems—the root of the issue—that I hadn't even noticed and I can use that information to grow as an artist. Bad pieces are just as valuable as good ones. There was also a time where I had a lot of trouble developing a style. I did a lot of experimenting and never found anything I liked. What happened is I just kept drawing and whatever popped out eventually evolved into my style. I used to get frustrated that I couldn't draw anything without a reference, but after years and years of using references and drawing some of the same things over and over again, you won't need the references anymore. I mean, they're great and you should always feel free to use them, but over time, you won't need to look up a picture of every little thing you try to doodle.

What got you into writing or art?

My silly twitchy fingers can't ever seem to stop drawing! Same with writing. Words and ideas follow me around, little plot bunnies pestering me until they get written down somewhere. I was greatly inspired by the works of C.S. Lewis in my writing, especially his Cosmic Trilogy. My art style was aided by Hiromu Arakawa's Fullmetal Alchemist, which was a valuable stepping stone in developing my own style. Other than that, it was my own insatiable desire to MAKE THINGS that spurred me onwards. I don't think I could stop if I tried!

What's your favorite part of the creative process?

After you've got that first paragraph and you've found a flow and you've got a topic and you just GO. I get into the zone and the story starts happening on its own and I'm not an author anymore, I'm just a channel between the world of the piece and the page. That's my favorite. I love watching things take shape. I love shading a sketch for these same reasons. The whole drawing comes together and becomes A Thing and it's the most exciting time to be a creator. Something else inside you has taken over and you're just along for the ride. I have no idea if my experiences are common at all but this is what it's like for me!

What's your least favorite part of the creative process?

EDITING. I HAVE ZERO PATIENCE. THE THING IS DONE. WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING AT IT. CAN I POST IT YET. This leaves me with a lot of holes in what I make and I can't do a very clean, super detailed drawing unless it's for an art class and I'm forced to keep working on it. I have a terrible habit of never proofreading my things!

What's your favorite type of scene to write?

AAH hard question! I love writing description and places where I can really let my inner 19th century romantic be unleashed but I also love a good emotional moment between two characters. Something tense. I like fight scenes, but I try to keep them brief and interesting. Sometimes I find scenes where I have no idea what's going on and I try to avoid that, but it's really hard sometimes.

What's the hardest for you to create?

I have so much trouble with endings. I can generally figure something out, but there's always a moment of panic before the end like "heck I wrote everything I wanted how do I wrap this up????" That's probably a byproduct of me planning nothing XD I sometimes have trouble with characterization and making sure everyone acts the way they actually would. The hardest part is continuing after you have an "oh heck what do I do now" moment that breaks you out of your zone and all of your ideas and plot threads turn invisible or evaporate or go wherever it is they go when you're looking for them.

What's your favorite genre to write?

ANGST ANGST ANGST ANGST. Wellll... scratch that. I love something adventure-y and plot driven with a lot of really meaningful character interactions. I've always had trouble putting my writing into genres, but I guess that kind of speaks for itself in a way.

What fandoms do you enjoy creating for?

Linked Universe is the fandom I have created and posted the most for by a LONG SHOT. I found LU shortly after making my tumblr and I joined the Discord shortly thereafter. Since then, it has been nonstop inspiration and creativity for me! I tend to get sucked into one fandom and it consumes me for a few months before I silently drift out of it and never think about it again. LU is the fandom I've been the most active in EVER though—and it's still going—so there's a good chance I'm never getting off this ride.

What's the work you are most proud of?

AAAAAAAAAAH MY BABIES. okay um here's the first and only fanfic I've ever posted anywhere but I'm really happy with: https://sky-squido.tumblr.com/post/618964544219463680/turn-back-time-a-linked-universe-fanfic I have a lot of other pieces kicking about, but they're not fandom so I haven't shared them yet. I probably will after I touch them up a bit.

Do you have any fics inspired by real life stories?

Not really? I don't really know where my ideas come from to be honest!

Where do you post your finished works?

my tumblr. I tag stuff #squido writes and #squido draws so you can find them easily. I also put them on the discord but they get lost in the stream of other works pretty quickly so stick to my tumblr. I also have an ao3 now! https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky_squido

If you have any fun stories about the pieces you made, please do share!

Turn Back Time was actually live written in the Discord, but entirely unplanned and in the #angst channel! It was just a headcanon but then I started describing it and like 2 hours and 5k words later I'm sitting in the Discord like "what just happened??"

[prurientpuddlejumper]

Custom Funko Pop Tutorial

@xirayn asked for a tutorial, so I made one! 

Tools you’ll need:

Craft paints 

Paint brushes (small)

Primer 

Sealant 

Sandpaper (400 - 800 grit, sold in hardware stores and automotive)

Sculpting tools 

X-Acto blade

Milliput (epoxy clay) 

* Airbrush

* Masking tape/painter’s tape

* Dremel

* Acetone (nail polish remover)

* Optional 

Make sure you buy small detail brushes. The largest I use are about the width of a pencil eraser (though slightly larger ones are good for big fill areas like hair).  For the finest lines and details, look for brushes specifically made for painting tabletop miniatures. 

For paints, any acrylic hobby paint will do, but I am hugely fond of Formula P3 paints (the kind made for tabletop minis). They’re heckin’ expensive, but they come in a million shades so you don’t have to mix colors and then later find a spot you missed but the original color you mixed has all dried and you’ll never be able to get the exact same shade again x_x And I really do think they don’t chip/scratch as easily as other paints. 

...but I started out painting Warmachine minis so I might be a little biased.

Step 1: Choose Base Model

Think about the character you want to make. What is the closest existing Funko Pop model you can find? The closer you can get, the less work you’ll have to do! Sometimes a simple head-swap or re-paint is all that’s needed. 

When you look for base models, look at things like pose, expression, and unique features (like bared teeth). Look past the character a model represents, and think of how you could transform it into the character you want to make. The bubbliest, cutest Pop could be the ideal base model for your horrifying monster custom! 

Kurama will become Yoko Kurama

Ghost will become Wash the cattle dog

Step 2 (Optional): Decapitate

If you’re doing a head-swap, this step is critical. If you’re just sculpting and painting, this is still a good step to make your life easier (just try sculpting in the crevices of a character’s shoulders underneath their hair!)

Put a small pot on the stove, filled with enough water to cover the head and neck when you dunk your pop in upside down. Bring the heat up to not-quite boiling, and drown the *#$%er gently bathe it in hot water. 

The rubber will soften and make it easier to pull off. Use a hand-towel to grab the head (it will be hot), and pull until it comes off. Some are easier than others. Some people skip the heating step altogether and just yank the head right off! 

Step 3: Sculpt

Wash has floppy ears, and there are no Funko Pop models with ears quite like his. So, to get the angle right, I cut the model’s ears off with an exacto knife, then re-attached them at a floppier angle. 

I worked one ear at a time on Wash, letting the first ear harden in place first, because I am extremely clumsy. 

Kurama needed a significant amount of material removed for his straighter hair, bare arms, and short pants. I used an X-Acto blade and Dremel with a sanding bit.

Depending on your project, you may need to use acetone to remove paint (ex. facial hair).

After you’ve carved everything down as much as you need, and finished prepping the basic shape, it’s time for additive sculpting! I use Milliput, but you can also use Apoxie Sculpt, or air-dry clay. I’ve even heard of people using polymer clay and hardening it carefully with low heat, but an epoxy clay will give the most durable and detailed result.

 Wash needed floppy ear-tips to complete the look, and Yoko needs robes. Again, I work a section at a time, letting each section harden before continuing. 

Step 4: Sand

After the sculpting has hardened, sand any imperfections. The Dremel is your friend when taking off lots of material. For less extreme sanding, I use 400-grit and 800-grit sandpaper. You may need to add fresh material to fill and smooth any gaps.   

Step 5: Prime

Once you’re happy with how your model looks, it’s time to paint! I mix Golden Adhesion Medium with black or white paint if I’m hand priming, or use a spray primer, but you can use whatever you prefer. 

For an aerosol primer, choose a ventilated area (I like to work outside in the summer), and place the figure on top of a cardboard box for height, and so you can rotate it easily. If you’re inside, you should also set up a back-splash so you don’t paint the walls.  

Do a few test sprays on the cardboard first to make sure it’s spraying evenly. Then spray in light coats following the instructions on the can, rotating to get all angles, and letting each coat dry before putting on the next coat. 

(Here’s a good tutorial just on priming!)

Step 6: Paint

You’ll never get as smooth a finish as using an airbrush! A decent airbrush kit and mini air compressor aren’t too expensive, and a great investment if you want a professional-looking finish! (I was afraid of the airbrush for a long time and now I hate working without it!). 

Get some painter’s tape or masking tape, cover every part of the model you don’t want to get paint on, then airbrush in your color! 

You can also do cool tricks with the airbrush, like reducing air pressure to create a stippled effect!

When hand-painting, make sure you thin your paints and apply multiple thin coats instead of trying to get full coverage in one thick coat. You’ll reduce visible brush-strokes that way, and the paint will adhere better, too.

Even if you have an airbrush, chances are you’ll be doing some hand-painting anyway. I did Wash’s brown spots, inner ears, and Yoko’s entire body by hand, because masking all those tiny details would be a pain in the booty.

Step 7: Seal

Once you’re done painting, a good sealant will prevent your work from chipping, or from fading in the sun if you use a sealant with UV protection. It can also hide imperfections in the finish (ex. I spot-painted a few areas the airbrush missed, and even though it was the same color, you could see the difference in texture. Matte sealant made it look completely uniform again!) 

Sealant can also be used in between coats of paint when masking if you’re worried about the tape pulling paint off.

I use Golden Archival Varnish - Satin Finish, Testor’s Dullcote, or Mr. Super Clear. They’ve all worked well for me (though Mr. Super Clear is the most expensive and the most aggressively matte). Apply the same way you would a primer. 

A thin layer of Mod-Podge adds shine back to the eyes after applying a matte sealant. 

Finished!

[veliseraptor]

Everything sucks AU is a punch to the gut, but in the best possible way? I really like it, especially how it shows how much Loki meant to everyone else, even though he wasn't an official avenger. Just great stuff there. Also, any chance of Frigga coming to the verse?

dearer to my soul, ~2k, frigga pov in the everything sucks ‘verse (on AO3 here), quick summary for those who missed it: the spinoff au of remember this cold where loki died on the raft, thor and steve (and tony) brought him back eventually, but things are still pretty fucked up, a whole bucketload of angst here

She waited a long while for Loki to reach out to her, because she hoped that he would. Because it seemed better to let him make the first step, though she should have known better than to expect him to do so. Loki did not do that anymore. He no longer sought her out for comfort.

That hurt, like a knife twisting in her chest. The more so now, when she knew he was suffering.

Frigga had shouted at Odin for doing as he had done. For going without telling her to inspect their son, when he must be so fragile - but when her anger burnt out she asked him to tell her everything. None of what he said was good.

He is not whole, my love, he said heavily. Returned, and alive, but not whole.

She reached out to Loki’s dreams with aching hope, but they were closed to her. Finally, after nearly a month of waiting, she sought out Thor’s instead.

“Mother,” he said, and even here he looked weary, newly careworn. She drew him into an embrace, and he leaned heavily into her, resting his head on her shoulder.

“My son,” she said gently. “You look exhausted.”

He drew back and tried to smile. “I am all right.” She just raised her eyebrows at him, and he looked down, abashed. “Perhaps a little tired.”

“You do not need to be strong with me,” Frigga said, and his shoulders slumped.

“I do not know what I am doing,” Thor said. “I am afraid that I am going about it all wrong. I thought once it was done - once I had him back…but it is almost harder, now.”

“Loki,” she said. “He is still…”

“Better,” Thor said, with a determination that suggested he at least needed to believe it was so. “He is…better. But so slowly. And he suffers, and I cannot always ease it.”

Frigga put her hands on his shoulders and squeezed. “You are doing all you can,” she said. “And…ensure you take the time for yourself, as well. To rest. To grieve.”

“Grieve?” Thor said. “What do I have to grieve for?”

“For your brother,” she said. Thor looked down.

Frigga paused, and then said, “I want to see him.”

He glanced up, sharply. “Why are you not asking him?” he said, and there was something painfully suspicious in his voice. Protective, and she remembered what Odin had said about Thor’s reaction, his bristling, near hostility. Was that how it would be with her, too?

“I would,” she said, “but his dreams are closed to me. So I am asking you to pass on a message to him.”

Thor paused, considering her, and Frigga controlled her face, not letting the hurt show. Finally, he nodded. “What message?”

“Only that I thank the Norns for his safe return,” she said, “and ask if he would accept my visiting. That I want to hold my son again. If not now…when he is ready.”

Thor’s expression softened. “Mother…”

She smiled sadly. “I know,” she said. “Your father told me. I will not force him if he is not ready. But I need to know, for myself, that my youngest child is alive. That he breathes. And perhaps…perhaps there is some healing I may offer.”

This time it was Thor who drew her into an embrace. “I will ask,” he said, and then paused. “I am afraid. So afraid that one wrong move may break him.”

“You are afraid I might be that wrong move,” Frigga said. Thor shook his head.

“No,” he said. “I am afraid anything might be.”

**

For the fourth time, Frigga glanced at herself in the mirror, smoothing her dress, adjusting her hair. She knew it was foolish - she was going to see her sick son, not attending a festival - but it was something to do with her nerves.

It had been Thor, not Loki as she had hoped, to bear back the answer to her message. He says you can come.

It was agreement, permission, but it did not say that Loki wanted her there. He could be agreeing because he thought he had to, or felt guilty refusing, or any number of other reasons. It had been some time since they’d spoken, and Odin’s words were fresh in her mind. His soul is wounded. Torn. It does not rest easily in his body.

One wrong move may break him, Thor said. She had made mistakes before, with the best of intentions.

And yet - what would Loki think if she turned away?

She took one of the shadow-paths to Midgard rather than using the Bifrost; it would be subtler, less disruptive, and she did not want to make a performance of her visit. She reached out, seeking Loki, but could not find him - he must be shielding himself. She sought Loki instead, as she had sought him in the Void, and followed the familiar texture of his energy.

It led her to a door, and she knocked quietly. She heard the quiet sound of footsteps on the other side, and Steve opened it.

He seemed briefly surprised to see her. “Your - Frigga,” he said. “Thor said you might be visiting, but he didn’t say when. Um - come in. Can I get you anything?”

He was polite, Frigga thought, but wary. Cautious, much as Thor had been, and also wearied, new sorrow weighing on him. She offered a small smile and extended her hands. “No, thank you,” she said. “But thank you.” She stepped inside the unfamiliar rooms. She could see touches of Loki here and there, though in sum it did not feel much like him.

Frigga’s eyes only noticed details for a moment, though, before she saw Loki. He was sitting curled up on one of the couches, looking at her with wide eyes.

He was so thin, she noticed. The lean muscle he’d built over the decades almost all gone. There were new shadows in his stare, new fear, and this close she could feel the strangeness of his energy. Tangled, twisted and knotted on itself. Her heart ached.

“Loki,” she said softly. “My son.” Frigga stepped forward, past Steve, and watched Loki rise. He was…skittish, on the point of flight. A deer in the wood trying to decide which way to leap.

She stopped, and took a shaky breath, tears burning in her eyes. “Will you let me touch you?” Frigga asked. She could feel Steve hovering nearby, but kept her eyes on Loki.

He walked toward her slowly, and silently held out his hands. She took them, and felt his body twitch, almost a flinch.

“What?” she asked quickly. “What is it?”

Loki glanced toward Steve, and then back at her. “Touch is…hard, sometimes,” he said. His voice sounded different, too. Quieter, subdued. She started to let go, but his fingers tightened slightly. “No,” he said. “Don’t…”

She wanted, so badly, to hold him. To pull him into her arms and ease his hurt with her magic. But she could not erase wounds on the soul, and embracing him would only hurt him.

But she could hold Loki’s hands, gently, like a flower or a wounded bird. “Would it be all right if I stayed for dinner?” she asked quietly.

“Steve?” Loki asked.

“It’s up to you,” Steve said. Loki nodded.

“Then…yes,” he said. “You can stay.”

**

Thor joined them for the meal. Loki barely ate, and he did not speak much, either, leaving her and Thor and Steve to fill the silence. Frigga was careful not to speak too much of Asgard, and did not turn toward reminiscing of the past, either. She asked about this country they were dwelling in, instead, and the welfare of their friends, and all too soon Loki excused himself with a wan smile, claiming exhaustion. Frigga stood and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

“It will be well, my son,” she said, quiet and for his ears alone. Loki’s eyes briefly closed.

“Thank you, mother,” he said. It did not sound as though he believed her words, and he slipped away like a fish vanishing back under the surface of the stream.

He is better, Thor had said. What had he been like before?

She returned to the table, sitting down once again. Steve was staring at his plate, a furrow between his eyebrows. Thor cleared his throat.

“Well?” he said. It took Frigga a moment to identify the tone of his voice.

“I am not here to judge,” she said. “Neither you nor him.”

“Good,” Steve said, though under his breath. She pretended not to have heard, since she didn’t think she was meant to.

“Can you…” Thor paused. “Is there anything you can do? To help him?”

Frigga was briefly surprised to be asked. And a little relieved. Much as she was trying to suppress it, the coolness Thor - and Steve - were showing toward her…hurt. But… “More than what you are doing, you mean,” she said. “You are asking if I can use my magic to heal Loki’s ills.”

She took a deep breath. “I wish I could,” she said softly. “But soul-wounds are…I know no healing but time, and care.”

Thor’s disappointment was audible in his sigh. Steve, she thought, did not seem surprised.

“I wish I could offer more,” she said, meaning every word. Steve smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

“You don’t have to rush back,” he said. “If you want, you could stay the night. We can find some place to put you up.”

“Thank you,” Frigga said. “I would appreciate that.

**

That night, Loki dreamwalked to her.

The landscape of her dream changed gradually, clarifying into a grey and misty wasteland, a featureless plain. Loki stood in front of her, and if in life he looked thin, here he was ghostly - insubstantial, as if a breeze might scatter his atoms, spread him across the universe.

“Loki,” Frigga said, surprised.

“Mother,” Loki said. “I wanted to tell you that I am…that I am sorry.”

Frigga blinked. “Sorry? Whatever for?”

“For making you grieve,” Loki said, as though it was obvious. “And now, for not being…what you want me to be.”

“No,” Frigga said, after an incredulous pause. “No, love - you do not need to apologize for dying. Please don’t. And as for now…Loki, all I want you to be is yourself.”

Loki closed his eyes, and wrapped his arms around himself. “But I am not,” he said. “I am not - myself. I don’t know what I am, but I am not…I am pieces of myself. And I can feel the ones missing.”

Frigga took a step toward him, and halted. Glancing around them, she began to shape her own dream, drawing them back to her garden, away from the terrible, colorless void. “You are not the same,” she said. “No one could be the same. But you are still Loki. I am not the same as I was before I lost you the first time. Thor is not the same. Steve is not the same. You are hurt. But you are healing.”

“Sometimes I wonder,” Loki said, sinking down to sit on the ground, “if I should not have stayed dead.”

A shiver went through her. “No,” she said vehemently. “No. Loki - when your father told me that you had returned, I cried for joy. And perhaps I was selfish. I knew you would suffer, but all I could feel was gratitude that you walked among the living again.” She couldn’t hold back, but knelt down, reaching out and cupping his face, gently, so gently. “You belong here. With those who love you.”

Loki looked at her, his eyes full of misery and pain and despair. “Amma,” he said, “it just hurts. So much.”

She wept, then. Wept, and gathered him into her arms, cradling the back of his head and rocking him like a child, her child, her bright-eyed, curious boy.

[artofsaraelena]

Another year, another Inktober materials post! WOOHOO! 

We are have officially 7 days until Inktober starts, and you can bet I’m being a complete nerd and crossing the days in a countdown in my calendar. 

So let’s move on to a bit of a more in depth look at the materials I’ll be using this year, shall we?!?! 

(I also apologize for the long ass text post, but the Read More seems to not be working so we´ll have to deal with it. tumblrgetyourshiztogetherwillyou)

Ink & Brushes

Speedball Black India Ink - Oh yes ma’am! I broke up with Higgins Black India Ink this year and got myself a bottle of Speedball’s Black India Ink! From the few tests I have done so far, Speedball’s ink seems a bit more viscous, more opaque, and dries smoother than Higgins’s ink. 

Pen Nib Holder -  I’m mostly going to use it with different ink mixes to shade different areas in which I want a certain level of opacity that I can’t get with my other pens. And yes, it totally makes you feel like you are in the Harry Potter world writing about spells on parchment. Win win. 

Round & Detail Brushes - As you can see, not much change in a year in regards to the brushes I’ll be using. I did find last year that I gravitated towards the rounded brushes almost every time, so I ditched the flat ones this time around and instead stole a detail brush set from my brother :3. Why buy when you can thrift? ;D I use these to shade my art with black India ink! 

Calligraphy Bamboo Brush - Oh yis, I’m bringing back this bad boy! I mainly use it to cover large areas of the paper with water and then plop ink washes all over. It is like the grown up version of finger painting, but while looking stylish af and pretending you know what you’re doing. 

Eye Dropper - My existence had absolutely no meaning until I started using an eye dropper to measure my ink washes. I know you might think you can do without it and just wing it, but for the love of the art Gods - just get one. It’ll make you happier than drawing hands easily. 

Glass Bottles - Aha! What is this nonsense you say?! I often have leftover ink mixes by the time I’m done drawing, and you know what?! There is nothing better than having a little bottle in which to store your really dark, dark, semi dark, light dark, very light ink mixes. Plus, it makes you look like a bad ass witch ready to poison someone when you have them all together. Bonus. 

Palette - Yes, it is the same cheap 60 cent palette from last year. Yes, it is still kicking like the little miracle it is. Yes, there is some golden ink that I seem to not be able to get off of some edges. I’m still not gonna spend another 60 cent on a new one. Come at me. 

Paper & Misc

Bristol Paper - By far the best paper I’ve used when working with ink. Yes, it does warp a little. But I haven’t found a paper that is as smooth to work with in ink. It has the perfect texture for ink washes as well as sketching away with thin pen nibs without damaging them! No real reason as to having two different brands other than Canson was on sale at my local art store, and a girl’s gotta save the chaching. 

Gold & Silver Leaf - OKAY. EVERYONE HOLD STILL. I might have been squealing about these every time I see them since I got them. I have always loved to incorporate little gold or silver accents and textures into my dawings, and I just think the way they combine with ink drawings is even more orgasmic. So this year I’ll be diving into the wonderful unknown world of leafing and I. Can’t. Wait! I have absolutely 0 idea of how to use them, but I can promise swords, crowns, and costumes decorated with these little beauties. 

Adhesive & Sealer - These just came with the gold and silver leaf kit and since I haven’t used them yet, I can only assume they do exactly as they say they do. Shocker!

Sumo Grip Eraser by Sakura - I needed a new eraser for getting rid of the sketches after inking them, and saw a lot of people rave about this guy so now here we are! It promises to not smudge on the paper, and I’m all about that life. 

Pens

Sakura Pigma Brush Pens - YES, THIS IS THE SAME SET FROM LAST YEAR. Yes, they still have ink in them. Isn’t that bonkers?! I seriously cannot recommend these enough for outlines and line variation. The little guy was the most heavily used last year, and while it is running a little low, I plan on using it mainly to create textured brush strokes. 

White Gel Pen - I mean. Is there anything more satisfying than creating little white details on pitch black stuff? Probably not. This has also saved me multiple times from a sudden mistake that was able to be remedied easily. 

Itoya Aqua Roller Ball Point Pen - I don’t use this dude as much as my brush pens or Copics, but there are certain moments when inking when you just wish you had a pen that you could lightly shade and control opacity with. That’s what this dude is! 

Zebra Brush Pen (Super Fine) - It is even thinner than the Sakura Brush pen, which means even more neurotic detail making is definitely happening this time around. Yay! 

Kuretake Cartoonist Mangaka Pen (Fine) -  As I mentioned above, the little Sakura Pigma brush pen is running a little low, so I needed something to replace it with and I decided to try this one out! The ink is pitch black and the handling and line variation are just dreamy. 

Tombow Fudenosuke Double - Sided Brush Pen - Okay yes, this was totally a compulsive buy, BUT IT IS TWO PENS IN ONE! Bless it. The black end seems very similar to the Kuretake Cartoonist pen, with the added bonus of a gray to quickly shade with on the other end. 

Copic Multiliner 0.3 - 0.05 (Black) - Literally the holy grail of my Inktober materials. If you want to do Inktober but are on a tight budget (art materials are expensive af, I’ve been accumulating these over the last few years), get these! Don’t even think about it. I use them for literally everything from outlining, to precise and meticulous detailing, to shading. I completely ran through my previous set last year, and there was not a single piece I did not use these on. Just do yourself a favor and pick a few. Thank me later :)

Copic Multiliner 0.3, 0.1 and 0.05 (Warm Gray) - They are exactly the same as the above, but in a warm gray tone! I got these mainly to be able to shade certain areas of my drawings without having to deal with the in-yo-face opacity from the black ink set while maintaining total control and precision of the lines, unlike when I use brushes. I am literally itching to try these for little areas like eye lids, freckles, etc! 

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! That’s all I got for you beautiful creatures this time around. I’ll be posting a little intro video to this year’s theme just like last year, so keep an eye out for that! I’m also planning weekly giveaways, daily timelapses of each piece being created, livestreams so you can hang out while I do that day’s drawing and other fun stuff like that :D I’m literally so excited to step into the Inktober madness again! 

Feel free to check out my instagram, where I’m the most active and post all of my art at!