# Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[starsinfrunami]

@luvleyangeldust

[astrojulia]

Hi!! I saw your blog and it's beautiful! I'd like to ask if you could share some tips about editing posts, specifically changing the font color and doing that cool effect where it has more than one color on the same font ☺ if you're not comfortable teaching that's okay too! Have a good night

Hello Siren,

Thank you for the compliment. Yes, I can teach you. Just follow a tip from Auntie here: do it because you genuinely like the aesthetic. The time you spend writing the post is sometimes the same as editing it, and in my experience, this won't necessarily translate into more likes or reblogs. So, do it because you think it's beautiful.

As comical as it sounds, I won't be using HTML in this post because using the codes could cause problems. I've seen some tutorials, but I just really learned when I searched on my own.. I also do all my editings on my notebook. So, here's everything I use:

Websites I use for editing:

HTML Code Editor: While you're creating your HTML, you can simultaneously see if it's working

BBcode & HTML Text Colorizer: This is where you'll create the gradient

Browserling: I use this site to make the gradient code compatible for Tumblr

Aesthetic Symbols: this is for that cute symbols

Piliapp: more copy/paste symbols

Fontes e Letras: copy/paste fonts

Canva: This is where I create some of my designs. I also use Photoshop

Deviantart: a lot of material for Photoshop like templates, PSDs and Renders (PNG image with a good resolution), you can see the ones I use the most in my sources

@animatedglittergraphics-n-more: dividers

@saradika: dividers

@engrampixel: cute material

Color Hunt: if you don't have a color pallete in mind, here you can find a lot of options

Adobe Color: if you want to create your own HTML color palette this site can help

DaFont: where I download my fonts, the ones I use the most are: Betterfly, Arcadepix, Starborn, Lemon Milk, Cursive Sans and BubbleGum

EmojiTerra: as I use tumblr on my notebook, this is where I get my emojis

HTML Text Editing

Important:

Go use the HTML Code Editor in this part and your life will be way easier.

Some things I do right here in the tumblr editor, like putting the images and different fonts like Lucille.

All HTML code starts with < > and ends with , that is, when you start a paragraph you will write <p> and when you finish you will write </p> (HTML Code Editor ends your coding automatically)

I'm teaching all this because if you want to make gradients in your entire text and not just in the title, you'll need to know about html

To start your HTML you will need to go to the gear that appears on the right side when you are writing your post, go to the bottom until you find the Text Editor and switch to HTML.

The Codes

<p> start a paragraph </p>

<br> to make a space between text less than a paragraph (good to use in indented text) you don't need to put </br>

<b> make the text bold </b>

<i> leave the text in italics</i>

<strike> leave the text crossed out </strike>

<small> make the text small like this </small>

<h1> make the text large like this </h1>

<h2> make the text large like this </h2>

<ul> Create unordered list (dotted) </ul>

<ol>Create lists with order (numeric) </ol>

*instead of making paragraphs you will create new items in the list using the code <li> </li>

<blockquote class="npf_indented"> make the text indented </blockquote>

<span style="color: #HTML"> Code to color your texts, pay attention that it uses (") instead of (') and doesn't use (;) </span>

Tutorial on creating invisible spaces, just like I use to do the navigation, if I put it here everything bugs. PT-BR

<a href="URL">Link Text</a>: Creates a hyperlink

Making your Gradient

Go to BBCode and HTML already with your HTML text and colors in hand. Write or copy your text in the box, choose the gradient type (I use middle) and select your colors (from one to three different colors)

Now copy the text in the "HTML code for this text: (To use on your website)" box and go to the Browseling, you will replace the (') to (") and the (;) for nothing

Copy and paste your new code direct in your tumblr post editor or in the HTML Code Editor. Success!!

I think that's all. Kisses from the Sea! 🐚

[burrowofbooks]

Part One of books under 200 pages that I read last year 🦇🖤

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

“If you don’t slow down, you’ll meet yourself on the way back”

this book felt like when you open your windows to listen to snow and it’s just so quiet. It was beautiful in the most stripped down way. You follow the daily ins and outs of a coal merchant during the weeks leading up to Christmas in 1985 Ireland. In that span he deals with some of his own morals and learns how small actions have a large impact.

Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

I listened to the audiobook for this in one sitting while doing a puzzle, 10/10 experience. There would be no Dracula without Carmilla. The true vampire classic and sapphic. This is a perfect example of gothic literature if you’ve been wanting to explore the genre but are overwhelmed by options. It’s short but still has so much depth in the story

This World is Full of Monsters by Jeff Vandermeer

A “story” ‘monster takes over a man who then sleeps for a century only to wake up and find the earth he once knew has decayed and been reborn. Even in such a short amount of time we learn so much and even get hit with a few plot twists as well. VanderMeer is truly a one of a kind writer and a gem to the weird sci-fi genre. His ability to combine the ideas of storytelling with physical monsters in this short is incredible.

Ring Shout by P Djéli Clark

“in America demons wear white hoods”

Dark fantasy historical novella perfection. Every bit of this book blew me away from the writing style to the character arcs in such short time. It was brilliant to combine the violent history of racism in America with literal demons. Lots of nods to real events and traditions. I listened to the audiobook and Channie Waites is possibly the best narrator I have ever listened to

[blondeaxolotl]

So, what method do you use when drawing to keep going?

I personally always seem to struggle to finish an art piece and can never get myself to fully focus on learning the entirety of anatomy, etc.

I crave to finish an art piece again, I miss the feeling, but I haven't been able to do it in a long long while, I'm just hoping for a little advice, not sure who else to go to cause I don't have any friends but I look up to you a crazy amount so I figured I'd give this a shot, this isn't forced to answer by the way!

I don't want you to feel like you have to answer this.

If you do or you don't, you're still really cool, your art is awesome and inspiring and your aus are as well.

Heck, you're a pretty damn cool person too, art really does reflect artist sometimes huh?

Anyway, I'll get out of your hair, keep up the amazing work <3/p

When it comes to finishing an art piece that you know you want to finish but suddenly lose the motivation to

What I usually do (this might not work for everyone but it somewhat helps me so it helps you as well then that's awesome) is when I'm in the middle of drawing a piece and I suddenly lose interest or motivation, or something isn't going well which is making me lose patience. I just put the pencil down, and go do something else for a while until I get the urge to continue or try again. Example I go play video games for a while or maybe watch a movie or youtube for a bit, just giving yourself a small break from drawing until that motivation to draw comes back and then you go back to that piece and try again. And basically how ever often that happens (aka losing motivation, patience, etc), you just repeat the cycle until you're slowly getting closer and closer to finishing that piece (You can also doodle on the side as a refresher but I don't recommend starting a whole new piece when you want to finish your first one, usually for me I just end up forgetting the last drawing completely because I accidentally started a new project 😭 but that might be a me problem if it doesn't happen to you then it's a-okay) This is mostly what was helping me finish projects since I have a short attention span and often lose motivation and what not so I constantly do this FDSFDSDSF.

Now for anatomy, I'm not the best at anatomy myself but my first advice is don't immediately give up if your anatomy isn't perfect on the first try, it won't always look good on the first attempt which is why it's okay to go through a few trial and errors before you get it to a point you like it enough to continue. Also I'm not a professional and I suck at explaining things and honestly I know jackshit about anatomy I just wing it most of the time. But I can give you small tips that come in handy when drawing poses!!

We're gonna use a reference for this, when you have a reference for a pose you want to use. A good way to get a hang of the pose is by tracing over it with simple shapes (such as cylinders, circles, triangles, etc) and then redrawing it with those same shapes to again get the hang of the pose, you don't have to really do it but it's a good practice so I recommend it. Then, after you have your pose, you can take the lasso tool (or selection tool) and then just resize body parts to your liking so they fit your style more!!! And ofc now you can draw over it and use it as a base for the character you want to use it for.

Now that's the first method, but I have a second one which is fun, I call it "frankesteining", which is where you grab 2 or more images and then take body parts and paste them onto the main reference picture you want to use.

Like here, you like the pose of the first reference, but wish both of the models arms were on the hips? Fear not! Just grab another image of a model who's arm IS on their hip

Then carefully erase the arm/body part on your main reference that you want to replace with another. Select the arm/body part of the second reference with lasso tool, and slowly trace over it so you can copy/cut it out and then paste it onto your main ref

Like this! Now remember, the reference doesn't need to look aesthetically pleasing, after all you're just using it as a reference, so it's okay if it doesn't look perfect!! You can do this with many body parts as you want btw, just keep cutting and pasting until you get the pose you wanted!!

And finally just draw over it! Using the same methods as the first one, shapes, redraw and all! No one will ever know you were playing pretend dr frankenstein with the reference pictures before this!

Now these are the methods I use when posing characters, they might not always come out right the first time but if you keep trying you'll eventually get something you like a lil more than your last ones!! You can also just use a 3d model posing website/app and then screenshot the pose and redraw it from there. But this is if you're one of those people who for some reason just can't get the hang of those damn 3d model posers (aka me)

GUHH THIS POST IS SO LONG IM SORRY, I hope my rambles helped you out at least a lil bit and I hope you continue your journey in making art, believe in yourself and eventually everything will turn out alright in the end stay strong fellow artist 💜

[poppurini]

hello!! ✮ how do you get different colors (aside from the standard tumblr selection) for your text?? i love the aesthetic of your blog btw. :)

hii !! u can copy this below and just replace the hex code (bolded) with the colour u want 🤍 do note that u can only do this on tumblr site. make sure u change the text format to html before pasting it, then u can come back to tumblr app to change the text size etc etc it’s easier on app :D

<p><small><b><span style= 'color:#bead8e'>small bold text</span></b></small></p>

if you’d like gradient texts, press this 🎀 ! it seems overwhelming but u only need to type what u want, insert ur desired colours then press run. after that paste the link you got into your draft like above and it’s all done <3 make sure you type all the information you want before running it okie

[raxistaicho]

I played Berwick Saga, here's why you should!

It's a really really good games :)

For those not in the know, Berwick was the second of Kaga's post-Nintendo SRPG games. Despite having TearRing Saga in its ridiculously-long full title (TearRing Saga Series: Berwick Saga Lazberia Chronicle Chapter 174 for those who are curious), the game has only the loosest narrative connection with its predecessor, so don't feel obliged to play that first (though you still might want to to get your feet wet on Kaga's post-Nintendo design style, if you've never played Thracia).

Unlike TearRing, which was basically Fire Emblem with a new coat of paint slapped on top, Berwick is quite a bit different, most notably featuring a hex-grid layout, the player and the AI take turns taking actions on a single phase of play (so no player and enemy phase, but the player does always get the first move each turn) weapon access being mostly tied to a unit's level, playable units you need to hire each chapter if you want to use them until you manage to permanently recruit them, and horses that can take damage and die!

The cast of playable characters is rather small but highly unique on the whole. Units are seldom defined by their stats, but by their skills, weapon access, and prf weapons they have at their disposal. A number of units, including all the thieves, can hide on leafy or man-made terrain, the flier can fly over ground-based units and is safe from melee units initiating onto her, the christmas cavs of the game are defined by one having Vantage (due to the way countering works in Berwick, he can stop enemies dead in their tracks if he hits them first) and the other having the accost-like Deathmatch, a few units are highly valuable for their ability to re-roll avoidance against arrows (you'll be seeing a lot of enemy archers :p), some archers can set up an action to intercept units moving into their range with a free attack that immediately ends their action if the attack lands, and the pirate is less an axe guy who can swim and more a nautical thief who can actually pack a punch unlike the two pure thieves.

The writing is also excellent. Though the main lord, Reese, is involved in a continent-spanning war, the corrupt and incompetent king and his court do everything in their power to sideline him out of petty prejudice, so Reese's army spends as much time helping the common people of the capital as they do aiding the war effort directly. That's not to say Berwick is devoid of big moves and politics, but it is to say it has a stronger focus on the daily struggles of life during a time of war (though this naturally abates by the end of the game, focusing more on the big movements again). The playable characters also receive much more care in their characterization and different story arcs than is the norm, and almost everyone has their own story woven into the main plot, and their own ending once the final map is done.

Downtime between missions (for most of the game, each chapter has its own main mission followed by two optional side missions) takes place in the hub city of Navaron. Before you get worried, everything is done via menus, and the hub is purely there for watching cutscenes, taking on missions, preparing your team, hiring mercenaries, buying equipment and horses, exchanging prisoners, turning in bounties, chatting with an eccentric collector who's keen on rewarding you handsomely for giving him often-unsavory weapons, forging and crafting gear, and eating at the pavilion for chapter-long stat boosts. None of the tedium of exploring Garreg Mach or doing the Somniel's dozen or so chapterly minigames. Much of the NPCs are involved in giving you your side missions, so you'll get to know even them quite well.

Berwick is challenging but fair. And when it feels overwhelming, the folks on the FE Discord are extremely helpful and welcoming to new players. So yeah, I said my piece, Berwick's worth trying out :)

[drewizz]

how do you make the gradient text on your post?

hi!! this is kind of a long explanation (i've tried my best, but i'm actually balls at explaining stuff so pls bear with me... sweats.)

i use this website to help getting the code to input for html for the text i want. (the example i'll use for this post is "rafe cameron")

second, you can either input the hex code of the certain color you want (there are many websites available to search for a certain hex code you want. hex codes are like this -> #000000) or you can select in the given color finder in the website. in this case, i selected 2 colors from the color picker given in the website itself.

if you are using your own hex codes: line 3 where it says "first" will be the color appearing in the beginning, and line 4 is where it will end. make sure you replace the #FF0000 and #00FF00 with YOUR hex codes. if you use your own hex codes, click the yellow run button at the top. of the website. it should look like the one above.

third, in the first box of the section on the bottom right/very bottom, input exactly what you want to appear as gradient in your text. then, click run.

select the entire thing in the second box (where it says <span style='color:) and make sure to copy it.

now moving onto tumblr: in your post, make sure to have the text written out. do all your adjustments to that edit before inputting the code. i find it easier to do it beforehand then to adjust after. (however, it is possible to edit the text after.)

click the cog/setting icon on the top right, and change text editor from rich text to html. you should see something similar to the image above, on the right.

now using the copied code from the previous website, select the text on tumblr that you chose to have as gradient. in my case, it's rafe cameron. paste your code into that space. do not delete the <p> or <small> or <b> or etc codes. those are important.

your code should look something similar to this. click preview, and you should see that it worked!!

if you need to adjust your text, whether it's to remove boldness or make it bigger - do not adjust it with html. use rich text editor instead. if you're changing the gradient color, you'll need to delete the entire code pasted in html.

i hope this helped!! personally, i find it easier to input gradients from my laptop rather than phone. (also, i'm pretty positive that i've learnt this from another tumblr user, however i have no clue who. so, credits and kudos to them :')

[the-merry-librarian]

The first novel in a series revolving around the seventh most haunted town in America (per capita), Blight Harbor, The Clackity introduces twelve-year-old Evelyn “Evie” Von Rathe and her aunt Desdemona, advice columnist for those struggling with the local paranormal entities. The Clackity revolves around Evie’s journey through an eerie, surreal world to rescue her aunt, after Desdemona is abducted by the ghost of a serial killer and Evie makes a deal to save her—with an ancient, deranged spirit known as The Clackity, who lurks in the old slaughterhouse on the edge of town.

Genre: Fiction, Horror (Lone Star 2023)

Target Age Group:

10-12

Justification:

I first saw The Clackity while shelving at work, and was immediately intrigued by the cover. I grew up reading fantasy and horror, and I got into Stephen King at far too early an age, so I was interested to see what modern children’s horror looks like. When I looked up The Clackity, I found it was part of the 2023 Lone Star Reading List, and was delighted to add it to my list to review.

Evaluation:

For this review, I will be evaluating the style and language, the characters, the setting, and additionally the illustrations. The style is relatively simple prose, appropriate for the selected age group, but complex enough to maintain interest and not appear condescending to younger readers. Lora Senf does not shy away from vivid imagery or advanced vocabulary; early on in the novel she both uses and defines the word abattoir in character, as Evie casually throws in that it’s “just a fancy word for a slaughterhouse” (Senf p. 18, 2022). Speaking of characters, the cast of The Clackity is surprisingly small; there are only a handful of important characters, consisting of Evie, her aunt Desdemona, their friend Lily, and the antagonists The Clackity and John Jeffrey Pope, the long-deceased serial killer. While other minor characters appear, only a few have speaking roles and only three show up more than once. The Clackity’s characters may not have the same complex depth as characters from other series, but Senf does a good job of establishing strong character details that clearly sketch out the cast. Backstory tends to be more of a focus than personality and interests, especially when Evie enters the other realm, but I tend to align that with the qualities of a gothic plot—a focus on the haunting past rather than the living present. Where the characters may lack, Senf’s setting does not. Blight Harbor is consistently and humorously referred to as the seventh most haunted town in America (per capita), described briefly but lovingly by the names of its shops and the ghosts and hauntings which pervade the town. The slaughterhouse—or abattoir, if you will—is described almost like a character in itself, as “defiant” and “intimidating” (Senf p. 19, 2022), and the other world that Evie enters is described with many senses, marking the cooler temperature of the air and the gasoline smell of the broken grass (Senf p. 59-61, 2022). Briefly, I want to also touch on the illustrations. Beyond the jacket art, The Clackity has multiple watercolor illustrations scattered through its pages, courtesy of artist Alfredo Cáceres. Senf’s writing occasionally acknowledges them with “It looked like this:” followed by a small watercolor drawing (Senf p. 53, 2022). The art itself is technically beautiful, effectively utilizing a limited palette of black and grey to convey depth and contrast. The Clackity absorbed me, and I ended up reading it in the span of about two hours. I definitely recommend it for kids into horror, and it may even be appealing to younger teens around 14 or so. While the simpler style may not entirely capture the attention of an adult, I personally enjoyed it very much, and will be looking for the second Blight Harbor book when it releases in October 2023.

References:

The Clackity. Book by Lora Senf | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster. (2023). https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Clackity/Lora-Senf/Blight-Harbor/9781665902687 Senf, L. (2023). The Clackity. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

[mushroom-snake-coding]

Oh and reading HTML can be hard and super confusing when you add more. But maybe this could somehow make it easier ("Computer" refers to any device that can use tumblr)

<p> </p>

These tell the computer that these are paragraph tags. This means the computer should show the text in a kinda small format. All of the text so far are paragraph texts.

Example of what my first paragraph would look like.

<p>Oh and reading HTML can be hard and super confusing when you add more. But maybe this could somehow make it easier ("Computer" refers to any device that can use tumblr)</p>

<h1> </h1>

This means that the text between these tags will be in the Biggest format. The "h" stands for heading. The other headings are

<h2> </h2> (Bigger)

Example:

<h1>This means that the text between these tags will be in the Biggest format. The "h" stands for heading. The other headings are</h1>

There are other tags which I won't go over because that would be too much information at once. However, I will go over the specifics for the gradient font.

Text

Not going to lie I do not know what most of this means but I will give my best.

Example:

<p><span style="color: #da00ff">T</span><span style="color: #ad00ff">e</span><span style="color: #7f00ff">x</span><span style="color: #5200ff">t</span></p>

So we know that <p> and </p> make this thing a paragraph. I'm not exactly sure what "<span></span>" tag is, but let's assume that we use it when we want fun texts. The 'style="color: #______' basically is the color of a certain letter. We can see, that using this, makes each letter one pair of tags, which makes this inconvenient, but noticeable.

So key takeaway:

When using gradient texts and in HTML where you are overwhelmed with code, find the <p></p> tag with the text that is before where you will put your gradient text. Click enter, and paste. Then go to your preview tag and make further edits from there.

If you want: Test your ability here. Try to see what this would look like in non-code form

<h1> Hi my name is Anne </h1> <p>I like to read: KOTLC, PJO, Harry Potter, The Renegades Trilogy </p> <h2>I am procrastinating on putting my bedsheets on and have been sleeping on a bare mattress lmao. </h2> <p><span style="color: #da00ff">E</span><span style="color: #ad00ff">G</span><span style="color: #7f00ff">G/span>

(You don't need to translate the hex codes, just say the word of the gradient tag and put in parenthesis that it is a gradient tag)

huge question…how do yall get the bold ombré colored fonts?? I’ve literally been trying to find a website since I joined tumblr but only now thought to ask yall 😭

[eddiemvnsonsbabymama]

Pussy Poppin

Pairing: Rick Grimes X Fem! Reader

Summary: Being in the apocalypse meant that you had no time for your husband, Rick Grimes, since he was too busy being a leader and you were too busy being his..”vice leader.” That meant that both of you were extremely busy during the day and didn’t have time for each other. However after you both have a free night, you both decide to spend that night in bliss. Or (in simpler terms) you and Rick fuck all night

THIS BLOG INCLUDES: praising, pure porn, doggy style, switching positions midway, dom!rick grimes, hickeys, p in v, eating out, ass gripping, pet names, absolutely filthy grimey disgusting smut, small angst, unprotected sex (wrap your dick so you won’t have a kid ☝️), cream pie

BEFORE READING: aaaaa so sorry for the 4 month long hiatus. went through some bad shit and to be fair, i forgot my account existed so it’s just meh y’know. also it’s been awhile since i’ve written smut but this is dedicated to my dear friend kiyah :)

You were totally and utterly exhausted. It had been a day after Alexandria was ran over by walkers, tearing apart every person they saw, but one brave soul had stepped in to clear them off: your husband, Rick Grimes. He was an incredible leader. You both hadn’t met before the apocalypse, but as the months went on, you became his right hand woman..then his wife. It happened in a span of a year after his first wife had died while giving birth to his newborn daughter and it sucked seeing your best friend in such a bad situation, even though everyone had counted on him. Hell, he killed his best friend so your group would sleep comfortably at night and wouldn’t have to worry about some psychopath going rampant after trying to kill Rick. That’s all that mattered in all honesty.

But nowadays, Rick didn’t have to worry about any psychopaths or cannibals ever since your group had arrived in Alexandria. Members of the group got their individual houses and you shared a house with Rick and his son, Carl. But work would only continue for you both within Alexandria and there was no time to relax or properly see each other. It was torturous, especially for you since you hadn’t loved anyone else as much as you loved Rick and when you didn’t see him as much in the day..well, it hurt. You would even wake up to an empty spot next to you on your shared bed, and you wondered if you can even call it a shared bed anyway since no one was inhabiting it.

You hummed softly as you tugged on an oversized shirt — Rick’s shirt since it was something that he’d probably wear — that stopped at your thighs and you sighed as you slipped on a pair of panties. You had recently showered so your damp hair was tied up to the nape of your neck and you walked from your room to down the hallway where Carl’s room was. You gently knocked, waiting for a response and you slowly opened the door to reveal the dark haired brunet laying on his bed with a comic on his lap. You peered only your head in with a soft smile and you waved. “Lights out in 15 minutes.” You playfully reminded, causing him to break out into a soft smile and he placed the comic book away.

“You think my dad is gonna come home tonight? I mean, he has to, right?” He asked you as you were about to walk back to your bedroom, but you stopped when you heard his question and your heart had dropped at his sentence. The same thing that you had told yourself countless times when you were alone those nights and you could merely shrug while offering a meek smile. “I hope so, sweetie. I really hope.” You reassured, watching as he was satisfied with your answer and you closed his bedroom door before you walked to your own bedroom. You were exhausted from how much work you had done in the day and you sighed as you turned off the lights within minutes within the shared bedroom before you crawled into the empty.

A few minutes later, you heard a click from Carl’s bedroom which put you at ease and you sighed as you closed your eyes before falling asleep. At this point, you had gotten used to the feeling of an empty bed, but it still didn’t stop the pang of hurt within your heart. Where even was your husband? Did he just..leave? Not like there’s anywhere to go, but it just sucked in general. As if your thoughts had been answered, a ghostly presence had over-loomed your arm and the sudden feeling of warm skin had made contact with yours. The familiar sensation had caused you to stir and you blinked as you tried to make out what had happened.

Instinctively, you called out,”Rick?” The bed had moved down, an inhabitant had taken up the empty space and you gasped softly as familiar, calloused hands had been placed over your cheeks. It was him. He was finally back. No words could express how happy you were to finally feel him since you had missed his touch so much and your lips had twisted into a smile as they pressed against his. He pulled away after awhile, laying his head into the crook of your neck and you felt the small stubble that took the entirety of his chin. “I’m sorry.” He rasped, his lips brushing against the hot flesh of your neck and you gently reached up to cup his cheeks, forcing him to look at you. There was a moment of silence, both of your breathing were mixed and you whispered,”You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”

A thankful smile came across his face, causing him to lean forward and kiss you again. The first kiss was short yet sweet, but he pulled back to catch some air before he leaned in and kiss you again, except that he was more lustful with his kissing. You didn’t mind though because he was in your arms now and his hand reached towards your shirt before he pulled away, tugging on the hem. He looked up at you in the dark. “This my shirt?” Rick asked you, waiting for an answer and you couldn’t help, but sheepishly smile at his question. “Maybe.” You replied, causing him to chuckle softly and you immediately discarded your shirt, your nipples hardening from the cool air. You felt his lips kiss in between your breasts before they began to make a line down your stomach. Instinctively, your back arched from the lustful contact and you felt his teeth against your warm skin.

Your panties were pulled down past your knees, cold air hitting against your warm skin and you giggled softly when he placed your legs on either side of his head. “Is this your way of an apology?” You whispered, desperately trying not to moan from his kissing on either side of your inner thighs and the man stopped for a moment or two. “I guess so.” He answered, a small smile coming onto his face and you smiled too before you felt pleasure take over your body when his lips had wrapped around your clit. You almost gasped, but you quickly cover your mouth with your hand and your free hand grabbed ahold of his gray locks, causing a groan from him as you felt his tongue move further down.

You squeezed your eyes shut as you moaned softly, one of his toned arms wrapped around your thigh and his other hand had pressed against your pelvis to prevent you from squirming. His nose was pressed against your clit as he firmly moved his tongue up and down your folds before finally paying attention to your throbbing pussy. You tried hard to be quiet, but with the kitten licks he was doing and the feeling of his stubble against your thighs almost made you burst. “Fuck.” You cried out softly, hoping the lewd noises wouldn’t wake up the people within the house and you jolted your hips when you felt the pad of his thumb play with your clit. You moaned at the new sensation, his hand continuing its firm placement down on your pelvis and felt your orgasm beginning to come. “Rick, Rick, fuck — I’m close.” You said, your eyes were squeezed shut and your orgasm began to approach faster when the flick of his tongue began to gain speed with more rhythm.

Wet sounds emitted from his mouth as he continued to eat you out, causing a hazy sensation to take over your body as your back arched and you tilted your head back into the pillows. His tongue continued to speed up and your orgasm was steadily approaching, but he suddenly pulled away which made the warm feeling disappear and he grabbed your hips forward. “Get on your hands and knees.” He said, sounding out of breath and the sound of a belt unbuckling made you even more excited as you positioned yourself on your knees, your hands grabbing onto the panel end of the bed.

The mattress sunk from behind you, causing your stomach to burst with butterflies and you yelped when he had a firm grip on your hips, your ass near his pelvis as you awaited for the familiar penetration. His calloused hands moved upward, his fingers gripping the flesh of your ass and you anxiously waited for him. You gasped when he slammed hard into you, catching you by surprise that you almost fell forward if his grip hadn’t tightened and you sighed as he began roughly thrusting into you, the flesh of your ass hit against his pelvis. Soft groans emitted from him as you moaned softly, trying your best to be quiet for a second time at that point.

“You’re doing so good, honey.” He praised with his gruff voice, digging his fingers deeper into your flesh and you moaned at his praise alone. Hearing those words from him made your heart throb and you continued to moan when his thrusting picked up pace, the headband starting to creak against the wall. “That’s it. Just relax.” He said, leaning over you to kiss your spine which made you shudder and all you could do was meekly nod. Your head was dizzy and hazy from earlier events, but you were suddenly free from that feeling when he began pounding harder into you.

The headboard banged against the wall, your moans and his gruff groans, and the sound of skin slapping filled the room as he relentlessly pounded into you with no remorse. You had gripped the bedsheets so hard that your knuckles were turning white and your body had bounced with every rough thrust he did, pleasure consuming your body. “Oh, fuck. Fuck.” You whined, squeezing your eyes shut and your moans began to grow louder as his nails dug harder into your skin. “Rick, I’m close. I’m close.” You reminded him, breathing heavily and you gasped when he turned you around, laying you on your back before placing your leg onto his shoulder.

He continued with his hard thrusts, his groans were louder than before and through the darkness, you could see the tip of his cock in your lower stomach. He was deep into you, leaning forward to groan into your ear and it felt like hours as he continued fucking you; having to stop twice to hold back his orgasm and he still continued as your chest began to rapidly rise and fall. “Rick, Rick, please.” You pleaded, your head dizzy from how good he felt in you and sweat began to form at both of your foreheads. He looked down at you, seeing at how fucked out you looked which drove him insane and his thrusts grew faster.

The speed made your orgasm wash over, your pussy clenching around his cock as you arched your back and your moans came spluttering as he continued to roughly fucking you through your orgasm. “That’s it, honey. You’re doing so well for me.” He breathily praised, his hips still thrusting into you before he came with a loud groan, cum spilt into your stomach and he felt his arms slightly grow weak as you both breathed heavily. He slowly pulled out, his cock still emitting strings of cum from your pussy and he groaned as he placed the pad of his thumb on the entrance of your pussy. “We’re not done yet.”

You were so fucked out of your mind that you didn’t even catch onto his sentence and you tilted your head to the side in confusion. You might’ve thought that you made up what he said. “Wha—What?” You asked, your mouth going dry and you watched as his silhouette towered over you. “I said. We aren’t done yet.” And then you sighed in exhaustion. This was going to be a long night.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

[anthrofreshtodeath]

#12 for the fic ask! (also #14 if u feel so inclined 😄)

Thank you for your ask! Appreciate you!

12) What is my favorite trope to write and why?

I really like fake dating and friends-to-lovers. Something about realizing there's something different going on, something different than friendship or partnership, I think. I like when I can make characters realize they've been reading things wrong. Fake dating is also very messy and I am know to love the mess haha.

14) Share a snippet - oooh, let's do one from P FKN R. I'm liking how it's going.

Jane closed her eyes to savor the tug of Tatiana Martinez’s teeth on her lower lip. Quickly, control spiraled, and her heart hammered. Her fingers trembled when they curled around Tatiana’s waist, and her back sweated when Tatiana put a hand flat on it. They kissed, lips on lips, tongue tangling with tongue, until Jane felt that hand move to her chest. “Jesus,” she whispered, more a feeling against Tatiana’s mouth than a sound in her ear.

“Just Tati is fine,” Tatiana teased when she pulled back. “I haven’t seen you in…”

“Five years? Five long-ass years,” Jane finished, just before lunging in for another kiss. The atmosphere of the steamy, rapidly-filling bar pressed in around them, cocooning them in with each other. 

Tatiana laughed when Jane found her again. “Stop for a second,” she said. “I’d like to think we have all night.”

“Do we?” Jane asked, eyes somehow darker and all alight at the same time.

“Don’t we? Do you have somebody to go home to?” Tatiana asked back. “You didn’t mention anyone.”

Jane shakes her head. “Nah. Not really,” she replied. “There’s a guy overseas… army. But we’re not serious. I think I might have already dumped him.”

Tatiana laughed, mouth open and a hand on Jane’s chest. “You think? You always were so messy when it came to love, papi,” she said, her accusation light, playful. When her fingers hit leather, she scrutinized Jane more directly: jeans, boots - possibly from work, a v-neck tee, and a jacket. She narrowed her perfectly threaded eyebrows. She shook her head.

Jane frowned, checked herself out. “What, I don’t look good?”

“I didn’t say that,” Tatiana replied. “You just look like you’re meeting my brother. What happened to the Jane that used to take me out? What happened to my Jane?” She was remembering Jane in silk shirts, with loud tropical prints, in dark skinny jeans, in exposed ribbed undershirts, catholic pendants around her neck, bathed in perfume. Reckless Jane - Jane chasing promotions and chasing Tatiana’s naked form all over the bed.

Jane remembered herself at that age, too. “To be fair, I had no idea you’d be here,” she said, blushing, her lips practically hanging off of Tatiana’s ear. The scent of Tati’s hair, of coconut shampoo and fruity styling products, set a symphony off against her ribcage. Knock knock knock knock. Memories of debauchery and athleticism tickled her brain before releasing in a deluge.

“Hmm,” Tatiana hummed when Jane gave into temptation and ran the tip of her tongue over the side of Tatiana’s neck. “It’s because I never know if I am gonna be here. That would be better with a shot and a little salt, you know,” she said, stepping confidently into the affection.  

“Jane!” Maura called over the music, with the tray serendipitously in her hand and Frankie right behind.

Jane jerked upright, as if just having remembered that she didn’t come to the club alone, or at least hadn’t planned to be there alone. “H-hey!” she shouted, catching sight of Maura. The visual was calming; it pulled her spirit back into her shoes when it had threatened to float above the crowd and out into the summer night. 

Tatiana, ever the extrovert, helped Maura take the tray to the small standing-room table close by. “You have excellent timing,” she said to Maura while Jane and Frankie followed along. “We were just talking about how we needed some shots! Jane, Frankie, who is this beautiful woman?”

Jane cleared her throat and tried not to use what little Spanish she had to decipher the salacious lyrics pounding into the room around them while she stared at Tatiana’s ass in that tight skirt. And then there was Maura’s tight skirt, ass and all, and…

She needed to get ahold of herself.

“This is uh, this is Dr. Maura Isles,” she said, coming up behind Tatiana, hand on her waist. “She’s the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth, and she’s my best friend.” Jane smirked at that last part, a smirk reserved only for Maura, which Maura was happy to see preserved considering Jane was behind Tatiana and therefore hidden from Tatiana’s view. Maura smiled back just before her lips closed around the lip of her beer. 

Jane gulped. “Shit. Before we do shots, I gotta get me one of those,” she said, squeezing her way through bodies as more started to hit the floor. Maura watched her rub her entire front on Tatiana’s entire back and suddenly had the urge to tell Jane there was no more waiting. Shot time was now. 

But then, Jane put a hand on Maura’s forearm and leaned close. “Wait for me, yeah?” she said into the hair at Maura’s temple, the only way to be heard now that the music had been pumped up. “I’ll be right back.”

Maura nodded dumbly. “Sure,” she said, once Jane had already left.

“Dr. Isles!” Tatiana shouted. Her voice sounded muffled and far away, but Maura still turned toward her. Again, stunning. Close up, Maura noticed all the ways that Tatiana and Rafael looked alike: eyes set the same distance apart and burning with intelligence, full and glossy lips, the same broad and beautiful nose. Tatiana deviated from her brother in the womanliest of ways, however, with the curve of her hips and the kind of ass Maura had begged the universe for in high school. She thought she’d gotten quite a good return on her investment, but… Tatiana had her beat in both shape and bounce. Maura only had the tiniest bit of a hard time admitting it. Apparently, she had been lost in thoughts of Tatiana’s good looks so long that she’d missed her name, because it came again. “Dr. Isles!” Tatiana repeated. “I looked you up when my brother said he was working with you!” she yelled across the cadence of drums and guitars that she swayed to. 

“Oh, you did?” Was all that Maura could think to shout back, feeling bold with her beer and putting a hand on the silk of Tatiana’s shirt, right above her wrist.

“I did! Youngest person ever to be Chief M.E.! I gotta say, that’s impressive!” replied Tatiana. Maura’s brain analyzed all aspects of her with impressive speed, trying to dissect all the things that might make Jane as wrapped up in Tatiana as she clearly was. Interestingly, her Spanish accent, slight, sounded different than Rafael’s, and Maura couldn’t quite place it. Mexico? Guatemala? Distinctly American-born.

She didn’t get the chance for further study because Jane slithered against her before moving past. “Hey, I got us a round,” said Jane, carrying four beers, two in each hand. “Seemed like a good idea.”

Jane’s deep voice, loud like Tatiana’s but not feminine like hers, carried notes of the North End and its own very specific Sicilian-American leftovers. Maura gulped, chugging the rest of her beer so she could take the next bottle from Jane. “Thank you!” she raised the empty one to Tatiana in response to her previous comment, and then, more quietly, she wrapped her fingers around Jane’s around the base of the amber bottle. “And thank you,” she said, in her normal volume, relying more on the hooding of her eyes to convey her words to Jane.

Jane, already on her way to Tatiana, stopped for a moment. “Y-yeah, you’re welcome,” she said, with that Maura-specific smile one more time.

[ashekirk]

Ao3 Work Skin: Easier Reading for old people

Hello, I am 36 and I don't like reading stuff in small text because my eyes have deteriorated over many years of staring at screens.

With no obvious way to share AO3 work skins, I figured I'd share mine here.

The purpose is to make the text a good size, be more legible, and not go all the way across wide screens - it limits the width of the text area, and shouldn't break with the major site skins.

I do change the text to serif, which I find easier for long blocks of text, so if you don't want that you'll need to make your own adapted version that doesn't use the same font family.

I also added in a few extra pieces, so if you use the following:

<p class="divider">***</p>

It will put a nice division in to separate two scenes or a time/perspective shift.

And using:

<div class="title-image">IMAGE HERE</div>

Will make whatever image you put in have a width 95% of the text area, which is good for title images, and it will reduce if the screen shrinks.

I also included 5 different highlight classes, so using:

<span class="highlight-1">TEXT HERE</span>

will highlight that text in the colour scheme specified. Change the one to anything up to five for different colours. <Span> tags can be used at any point inside paragraphs or other blocks.

Ashe Easy Readin'

I have no idea if anyone but me can view the link, so I'll post the CSS below.

I also have a version up in the Stylish user styles gallery (Stylish is a browser plugin that lets you change website style sheets):

Easier Reading Ao3

Easier Reading Ao3 - Dyslexic Edition

These are useful if you want any unstyled works on the site to change to this style. I use it because it improves my Ao3 experience.

#workskin { max-width: 600px !important; padding-left: 2%; padding-right: 2%; font-size: 15pt; font-family: Garamond, Baskerville, Georgia, Cambria, "Hoefler Text", "Liberation Serif", Times, "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 1.7em; overflow-x: hidden; } #workskin div.preface { margin: 0; padding: 0; font-size: .8em; } #workskin p { text-indent: 0.85em; line-height: 1.7em; margin-top: 0.85em; margin-bottom: 0.85em; padding: 0; } #workskin h2 { padding-top: .6em; font-size: 200%; margin: 0; text-align: center; line-height: 2em; } #workskin .divider { width: 95%; max-width: 600px; margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 3em; clear: both; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 3em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; } #workskin p.divider { text-indent: 0; } #workskin h3 { padding-top: .6em; padding-bottom: .6em; font-size: 150%; font-weight: normal; margin: 0; line-height: 2em; clear: both; } #workskin em { font-style: italic; } #workskin strong { font-weight: bold; } #workskin .highlight-1 { background-color: #B6ECC4; border-radius: 5px; color: black; } #workskin .highlight-2 { background-color: #BCE3FF; border-radius: 5px; color: black; } #workskin .highlight-3 { background-color: #F8BAFF; border-radius: 5px; color: black; } #workskin .highlight-4 { background-color: #004483; border-radius: 5px; color: white; } #workskin .highlight-5 { background-color: #7F0013; border-radius: 5px; color: white; } #workskin .title-image { width: 95%; margin: auto; text-align: center; overflow-y: hidden; overflow-x: hidden; padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: dashed 1px #ddd; } #workskin .title-image img { width: 95%; overflow: hidden; } #workskin .title-image p { text-indent: 0; }

[sopejinsunflower]

Warning: violence, death

Ch.2: See-Saw Jimin

The clock strikes midnight and, as if he had been waiting outside the door like you knew he would be, you hear Jimin give three loud knocks. Unlike his older brother, Jimin waits to be told to come in.

Still in your bathrobe, your hair still wet from the bath earlier, you tell him to come in through gritted teeth. Jimin pops his head in and he had a sickly sweet smile on his face, a lock of blond hair falling over his eyes. “Can you say that again, please? Nicer this time,” he says, waiting for your reply. You chew on the inside of your cheek before nodding and he disappears back outside. Once again, he knocks three times.

Pushing back on your anger, you call out almost in a sing-song voice, “Come in, Jiminie.” He pushes open the door and smiles brightly, satisfied this time. He comes over and you’re a little surprised that he’s in pyjamas, a navy blue set with stars and moons all over it, making him look younger, almost childlike.

He locks the door behind him and approaches you sitting at the small table facing the opened French doors. There’s a light breeze and it makes this summer night a little bit more bearable. Jimin looks at the teapot and your empty teacup. “Chamomile? With honey?”

You give him a small nod. “Yes. It’s finished, though.”

“Good,” he replies, sitting down in the other chair. “Should be good to calm your nerves after what happened. I can’t believe Jin-hyung brought you there.”

You eye him suspiciously, trying to get a read of what mood he’s in. It’s always a hit and miss with Jimin. You choose not to say anything back, throwing your gaze out the French doors into the inky darkness outside. The balcony is wide with a double-seated wicker sofa pushed against one wall. This is where you sometimes spend your time on your two free days - the days that come after a complete cycle of the seven brothers - with a book or just a head so tangled you don't know where one thought begins and another ends. 

The balcony itself has an amazing view of the back end of the estate that the boys called their backyard; a huge understatement as it spans acres of land that looked like an abandoned garden. It’s as if someone decided to start a botanical garden but then completely discarded it years down the line. That, or the person died and no one has the time or knowledge to continue tending to all the different types of plants so much so that the west side is overgrown with rose bushes, their thorns growing almost as big as your pinky.    

 In the centre of the land stands one of the oldest and biggest oak trees that you’ve ever seen, its gnarled branches growing in every which way. At night, in the dark, the oak tree is a scary thing to look at even from a distance. For some reason, you can’t shake the feeling of malice and enmity every time you look at it. Taehyung mentions a mausoleum once but refuses to say exactly where it is and you think a house full of dead people would be much better than an ancient, evil-looking tree.

“We should go to bed,” pipes up Jimin after a long silence of you staring out the balcony door and him just curiously studying you. “Those bags under your eyes are not doing you any good.”

You glare at him. “And whose fault is that?”

His eyes widen in innocence as he shakes his head like a golden retriever, hair flopping over his eyes. “Definitely not mine since my day just started. I heard Namjoon-hyung was late to leave. Must’ve been his, then.”

You groan, rolling your eyes at him. You pad over to the closet, walking in and sitting down on the cushion stool, staring up at Jimin’s section. Yes, your walk-in closet is divided into seven sections of clothes you are to wear, one section for each of the brothers, all very different styles from each other. It’s madness, pure fucked-uppery how they treat you like a pet to be dressed up the way they like it and be used and abused seven different ways of hell. But to be honest, when you really think about it, the one person you want to put a bullet through is your goddamn sperm donor, but can you even do that?

Jimin walks in and goes straight to the nightwear of his section. He pulls out a blue pyjama set that matches his and hands it over cheerfully. “Here. This one.”

You look at the cotton set, a tell-tale sign of which side of Jimin you’re dealing with tonight. You take the pyjamas from him and let him undress the bathrobe, noticing the slight pinkish hue of his cheeks when he sees that you have nothing underneath except the lace panties, the only type of garment that the brothers all seem to agree on. That reaction alone manages to soften you up but only a little. 

You let Jimin put the pyjamas on you almost like dressing up a porcelain doll; careful touches, gentle grips, little soft manoeuvres. He seems content with the end product and insists on drying and brushing your hair. Sitting on the middle of the bed, he meticulously braids your hair, his tongue poking out in between his lips as he focuses on the movement of his fingers. “Your hair is very fine. It refuses to stick properly,” he complains, furrowing his eyebrows. 

You sense the change and quickly tell him, “It looks fine, Jiminie. It’s pretty. You’re doing a good job.”

He immediately perks up, eyebrows going up. “Really? I must be getting better then!”

“Mhm. You are,” you agree, breathing a sigh of relief. 

“Done!” Taking your hand, he leads you to the full body mirror in the corner, turning you this way and that to try and show you his work. You nod, smiling and telling him it looks good without even really registering how the top part is already coming loose.

Facing the mirror, Jimin wraps his arms around your waist from behind, resting his chin on the top of your head. “We look cute together, don’t we?”

You take this chance to scrutinise his face; the soft brown eyes, the wavy hair that hides his forehead, the full pouty lips, the crooked front teeth that’s actually cute. You nod your head again, smiling just a little before it turns into a yawn. You let him take you back to the bed and tucks you in, laying down next to you, running his fingers through your hair as he props his head on one hand, watching you like he always does before bed. It’s not long before your breathing evens out.

“You wish you didn’t have to be here, don’t you?” he whispers, tracing one finger over your forehead. “You wish you’re far, far away from us, don’t you?”

You barely hear him, fatigue kicking in the moment you relaxed yourself and sleep takes over pretty quickly, a rare occasion for a light sleeper like you. You squirm and adjust your position, turning your head away so that all Jimin can see is your left side profile. He smiles to himself, appreciating the exposed skin of your neck where he can clearly see where the pulse point should be. He watches the spot until he sees your breathing has slowed down enough before closing in, pushing his face centimetres away from yours.

Your eyelids flutter, a sign that a dream has taken you away. Jimin finds himself wondering about it, whether if it’s good or bad and if it’s good, was he in it, and if it’s bad, is he the reason? He shakes his head. No, if it’s a bad dream then it must be Jin-hyung because why the hell did he bring you over to the Wolfsbane House for? Even Jimin gets the heebie jeebies whenever he’s in the presence of Giacoma Wolfbane. The man would have his eyes all over him, looks that make him feel vulnerable and exposed like he’s undressing Jimin in his head. He shivers just thinking of it. 

Jimin’s eyes linger downwards, down to your neck almost upturned to him. He can smell the jasmine soap scent coming off your skin and he puts his nose closer, bumping it a little. He freezes but you don’t move and judging from your breathing, he didn’t wake you. Without stalling anymore in case you do wake up, he inches closer and brushes his lips against the pulse point. When you don’t stir, he tries again, pressing his lips ever so softly, feeling the warmth of your skin. Cheekily, he snakes his tongue out and takes a quick swipe, pausing to check your reaction.

 When again you don’t move, he continues his work, sweeping his hair back out of his face.

Morning comes blasting through the drawn curtains of the French doors and you wake with the sun literally shining into your eyes. You squint, using one hand to shield your face, groaning at the fact that it’s not even eight. You sit up and immediately jump, startled to see Jimin sitting in the armchair next to the bed, staring at you. 

“Jeez,” you sigh, a hand on your chest. “You scared me.”

Jimin doesn’t speak and you look at him more closely: all black outfit, black T-shirt, black skinny jeans, black Chelsea boots and his hair, straightened, is parted to the side, swept back and out of his face, displaying the silver dangling earrings he has on. Fuck, you think as you slowly pull the sheets back to get out of bed. You mumble about going to get dressed when Jimin stops you with one word, “No.”

You pause, turning on your heels to face him. You can never get a good read on him, never can fully tell what he plans to do or what’s on his mind, not that you’re actually good with the others as well but Jimin, when he’s like this, seems to be swinging from one random thought to the next. And just when you think you’re finally getting him, he completely flips. 

Jimin points to a spot in front of him. “Come.”

You shuffle over to the spot and stand there, waiting for him to speak first. He’s looking at you from top to bottom, his forehead scrunching up at the pyjamas. Then he looks up again. “Hair.”

You touch your messy, half undone braid with hair sticking out in different directions, pulling it over your shoulder to look at it. You glance over at Jimin, trying to decipher what he meant and go with the safest option. “I’m sorry. It must have come undone during the night.”

He returns your look coolly, his face void of any emotions.  He barely even moved, sitting back in the armchair, one finger at his chin. He barely even blinks, regarding you through hooded eyes. Finally he stands up, one swift motion that makes you step back involuntarily, and approaches you. He takes your hair by the tied up end and pulls off the rubber band.

“Ow!” you yelp. “What the hell was that for?”

He hands you the band. “Off.”

You ignore him, turning around and walking off to the bathroom. He follows you at a slower pace, but stops by the doorway. You start brushing your teeth, glaring at him through the mirror, growing angrier by his blank expression. He still has the rubber band in between his fingers, rolling it around as he watches you. 

You spit out the toothpaste and rinse your mouth, splashing some cold water onto your face as well. You shake out your hair from the braid, using your fingers to untangle it and that’s when you notice the reddish spot on your neck. You lean closer to the mirror, tilting your neck to see better. It’s a hickey.

“What the…?”

Jimin appears right behind you. “Mine.”

You lock eyes with him, unsure of how to proceed. What does that even mean? You look back in the mirror at the spot on your neck, rubbing one finger over it as if it might smudge off. Jimin catches your hand and pulls it down but not releasing it. He looms closer, never breaking eye contact and lightly places a kiss directly on the hickey. Again, he repeats, “Mine.”

He made the hickey? Or is he saying you’re his? 

Sensing your still confusion, he presses another kiss, harder this time in the same spot, and again, with added pressure, and one last time. This time he uses his teeth to pull at the skin, making you wince. He continues to suck on the tender skin there, turning it purplish blue now. You try to pull away but he’s holding you in place. There’s a sort of frenzy in his eyes now and there’s nothing you can do except wait him out, gritting your teeth to bear the sting. When he finally lets go, the hickey is now dark-coloured and very obvious, looking more like a bruise the size of your thumb than a love mark. He steps back, admiring his work, looking happy with himself. 

“Are you done?” you ask in a huff.

He doesn’t respond.

Collecting yourself, you gently push away from him and step outside, making a beeline for the closet. As if there’s a string attached from your hips to his, he follows you out. Going through Jimin’s closet section, you try to pick out something with a high neck, something that can hide the hideous thing on your neck. You pull down a high polo neck sweater but Jimin rushes forward and grabs it from you, putting it back up. He then chooses a royal blue satin tank top with thin criss cross straps and a black short skirt to match it with. He then goes over to the shoes area and picks out a pair of ankle boots before coming back to hand everything over to you.

He points to his watch and taps the face three times, looking pointedly at you. Then he walks out, hands in his pockets. You get dressed, put on light makeup and hurry downstairs. You head over to the front door but only see Jungkook’s car idling. You backtracked, going back inside and running into Jungkook, the youngest brother, coming down the stairs. 

“G’morning, sunshine,” he greets with his usual bright smile and passes by you heading into the dining room where the table for eight is set up with breakfast food. He’s still fixing his tie and seems to struggle with it. You follow behind, wanting to ask if he knows where Jimin is but he turns around with a cute pout, holding out the tie. “Help?”

You can’t help but chuckle, going over to help him with the tie. He doesn’t say much but you can feel his eyes on you. You don’t mind it; Jungkook is one of the easiest ones to get along with. He’s normal at least. Somewhat.

“No.”

You both turn to see Jimin coming from the kitchen, unrolling his sleeves. His face is clouded and his eyes are angry but you note that it’s not directed at you. You step back from Jungkook. “I just helped him with his tie, that’s all,” you say to placate him, knowing that if his mood is foul the whole day, you’ll bear the brunt of it.

“No,” he repeats, eyebrows stitching together, eyes fixed on Jungkook.

“Relax,” says Jungkook. “I’m leaving anyway.”

He picks up a cup of coffee and takes a few sips, grabbing a piece of toast and saluting you with it before leaving. You hear the front door open and close and the sound of his car driving off, wishing that it was his day instead of Jimin’s. 

You turn back to Jimin and he fixes a cool gaze on you. He makes a sweeping gesture at the breakfast spread. “Eat.”

What is with this family and food?

You take a seat and Jimin settles down next to you, spreading butter on your toasts. He picks up the strawberry jam bottle and looks at you questioningly. You nod and he proceeds to add the jam on top of the butter. One of the maids comes out and pours tea into your cup and coffee into his, barely making any eye contact before going off into the back. 

“...to get a lot of push back on the raised tax so we should be prepared for that. Fucking hell, I don’t even know why Jin-hyung had to do that. It’s ridiculous because we have to clean up the mess.”

Hoseok’s voice carries into the dining room as footsteps descend the stairs and you whip your head around just as he rounds the corner, buttoning the cuff of his white shirt sleeves. Tall and lean with his hair slicked back and no tie with the first two buttons undone, you can’t help but admire how handsome he is even with the half scowl on his face that immediately disappears when he sees you. But then his eyes flicker over to Jimin and the dip in between his eyebrows is back. 

Namjoon comes in behind him, his suit jacket in one hand, using one lapel corner to wipe his glasses. He puts them back on but barely acknowledges you, almost as if his eyes just gleam over your seat. He’s looking at Jimin, a cup of coffee at his lips. “Why aren’t you the one going to smooth things over with the Wolfsbane? It’s your department.”

Hoseok laughs. “It’s also his department that went and stuck a frigging knife in the boss’ hand.” He turns to you, one hand on the back of your seat. “I can’t believe Jin-hyung made you do that last night. I’ll give him a good talking to when I see him next, Jagi.”

Namjoon makes a face. “Yeah, but they’re literally PR. That’s their job.”

“And we’re the clean up crew,” Hoseok says, patting Namjoon on the shoulder. “How about this? I’ll handle the Wolfsbane and you can meet up with Yoongi-hyung in town.”

“You know I hate collection day.” Namjoon sighs, putting down his cup. “I’ll wait in the car.”

Hoseok arches his eyebrows at him good-naturedly. “Everyday is collection day. So you’re coming with me?”

Namjoon rolls his eyes. “Someone has to or you’ll go overboard.”

As Namjoon is leaving the room, you hear Hoseok mutter, “Damn it. Yoongi-hyung must have put him on me.” He whirls around and speaks to Jimin. “Can you believe this? Yoongi-hyung is making Namjoon watch over me.”

“Because of what happened last time?” you ask, sipping on your tea. 

Hoseok pouts. “They’re overreacting over rats who don’t know where to put their loyalty. Someone had to remind them.”

You snort. “I don’t think beating them half to death would keep it either.”

“Honey,” says Hoseok leaning down close to you, “if I was nicer, I’d be on the same team as Jinmin or Taekook, simple as that.” He straightens up and puts on his suit jacket. “But there’s a reason why I’m the Punisher and Namgi the Collectors.”

“Go,” Jimin growls from next to you, not even looking up at his brother, frowning so deeply at the scrambled eggs on his plate that they would’ve scrambled away if they had been given the opportunity to live.

Hoseok smirks and winks at you. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jagi.”

Munching on your toast, you ask Jimin, “Where are we going?”

He doesn’t answer but wipes his mouth with the napkin, takes another swig of his coffee and then stands up. He pulls on his jacket, buttoning them up swiftly. “Come,” he says and without waiting, walks out of the dining room and out into the courtyard.

You roll your eyes. “Come. Go. No. Stop,” you mimic, making a face. You stand up and frustratingly push back the chair only to turn around and see Jimin standing by the window looking at you darkly. You throw him a sweet smile and a wave before following to meet him outside, although you can’t deny the way your heart is thudding widely at being caught.

In the car, Jimin busies himself with his phone. You wonder how long this Jimin will hold before Jiminie comes back but he’s going to need his vocabulary when we arrive wherever we’re going. The crease in between his eyebrows is only growing so you keep your mouth shut and stare out the window, again finding yourself looking at the House crest on the iron gate, the seven petals blooming out almost spectacularly menacing.

Lotus Sanguis is one of the oldest, richest and largest House that spans from the east coast to the west coast of the region, their influence going deep down to the roots of most of the other smaller groups, like Wolfsbane, who have pledged their infinite loyalty to Lotus Sanguis. So deep and indisputable is their reach that it goes even into those of opposing Houses, acting as eyes and ears, reporting anything and everything and almost instantaneously. You can never hide from Lotus Sanguis, can never run either. Any signs of aggression or mutiny directed to the House will be met harshly but never with haste. There’s nothing more Lotus Sanguis love than the slow suffering of their enemies.

Jade Dragon House is one of the larger groups that managed to hold their own in the southeast, eluding the grasp of Lotus Sanguis yet smart enough to skirt around their territories to grow into an almost matching force, that is until your father took over. The death of Huang Feng, your grandfather, was surrounded with too many conspiracies and when your father took the throne, the whispers only got louder. He was hot-headed and impatient, greedy and reckless and too impulsive. He succumbed to the pressure of filling shoes that were too big and not made for him, dismantling the group completely from its glorious form. 

According to Jin, Jade Dragon was drowning in debt and businesses were going to ruin, and that they were hanging by a thread. That was when Lotus Sanguis came in, offering financial assistance in exchange for loyalty. But David had been too proud to serve under anyone and the group was at the brink of destruction. Fortunately for him, he had a sacrificial piece, the last of his play to maintain power. Not so fortunate for you, however. 

 “What are you thinking about?”

You turn to find Jimin staring at you with his head tilted to one side. A lock of hair has gotten loose from the gel and fallen over his face. You shake your head, smiling wryly. “Just my miserable fate.”

Jimin looks thoughtful for a moment then says, “Is it really that bad? Living with us?”

You stare at him, a little struck by his question. There’s sincerity in his eyes but his body language is somewhat defensive; the head cock, the constant chin rubbing with the side of his finger, the slight arch of his eyebrows. You turn away from him, muttering, “Do I even have a choice in that?”

“You’re not in shackles,” he comments lightly. “You can just run, if you had wanted to.”

 You laugh, incredulous. “Really? And I would’ve succeeded?”

Jimin hums to himself as he thinks, looking out the window. “Probably not. Hoseok would’ve loved the chase, though.” He turns around again. “But he’d have to bring you to the Tree if you did.”

You frown. “Tree?”

“We’re here.”

The car pulls to a stop and Jimin gets out before the driver can get his door for him, opting to come over to your side instead and help you out. The high-rise building looks like it belongs to some conglomerate group but you can’t see any signs or logos that could tell you whose it is. It’s a new building from the looks of the fresh paint and somewhat deserted parking lot. 

“Are you coming?”

You follow Jimin into the building, watching as he checks himself in the reflective surface of the elevator door, fussing with his hair and picking lint off of his clothes. His shoulders look more relaxed than earlier today but he doesn’t seem to like the choice of clothes on himself. You keep catching him looking at your top and then down to his own, pouting. 

“What?” you ask finally just as the elevator pings and the door opens, splitting your reflections into halves. You both step in and Jimin presses a floor number. 

“We’re not matching,” he grumbles. “And black is so boring.”

“Sounds more like a you problem,” you reply back.

He doesn’t respond, checking his watch. The elevator pings again and the door opens up to a bare hallway. You follow Jimin out, passing a few doors before he stops at one. 

“Do I have to be here?” you ask before he reaches for the doorbell.

Jimin looks a little flustered, looking from you to the door and then just the general surrounding. “Uh, well, no. You can wait down in the car, I guess.”

“Really? Now you tell me?” 

You sigh, ready to bolt back to the elevator. Suddenly, the office door opens and a man in a brown suit is standing there, a little confused. You meet his gaze, the faint bell of recognition ringing in the distance but can’t quite conjure up his name nor how you knew him. He, however, looks a little more surprised. He opens his mouth to say something but Jimin, noticing him staring, diverts his attention.

“So you’re going to invite me in or not?” 

The man snaps his eyes away to address Jimin. “Yes, sorry. Come on in.” He looks back at you making your way back to the elevator. He watches until you step away from his line of sight, finally closing the door behind him to focus on business.

Downstairs, the driver opens the car door for you but you shake your head, resting your back against the car instead, looking up at the building. Your brain is working through the folds trying to place the man you saw upstairs but everytime you think you almost got him, he sort of slips away. You’ve seen him before, yes, but when and where and more importantly, who the hell is he? 

The driver, a man probably in his thirties and looks like he served in the Marines, stands stoically a few feet away, hands behind his back. He maintains his eyes on the entrance, never even moving a muscle, doesn’t even look like he’s breathing. You heave a sigh, leaning further into the car. Without thinking, you ask aloud, “Who the fuck is he?”

The driver shifts ever so slightly. “Rafael Campania, Black Tiger’s advisor.”

You mull over the name, tossing it around on your tongue, trying to see if that will jog your memory. Nada. But Black Tiger, yes. They rule the southwest region and continue to flourish especially after your grandfather’s death. Both dragon and tiger have a sort of ironic bond, warring under the surface for the most influence of the southern region but maintain a sort of respect for each other, a little nod to acknowledge the other’s power whenever they cross paths. But David destroyed that long-nurtured relationship, too. Now, Jade Dragon looks to be at risk of being swallowed by the tiger, that much you’re sure of. Gone were the haydays of the dragon.

If Jimin is meeting with him, it can only mean one of two things: a merger or a collaboration, both of which mean nothing good to Jade Dragon. You curse yourself, wondering why you still even care about your family House when your father threw you to the wolves the first chance he got. But then again, your loyalty is not with Lotus Sanguis either. Stateless. Houseless. Homeless.

Thirty minutes later, you see Jimin come out through the entrance, immediately pulling on his dark sunglasses as he steps into the sun. The man from upstairs, Rafael, comes out just after him, eyes instantly locked on you. 

Jimin turns around to face him, extending out a hand. “Well, we’ll be in touch soon. I suggest keeping your phone close by. My brother isn’t a patient man.”

Rafael looks at Jimin and takes his hand. “Seokjin, right? Heard what happened with Wolfsbane last night.”

“Words travel fast,” Jimin remarks coldly. 

Rafael chuckles, eyes, again, flicking over to you. “Justified. We all know not to put our hands on other people’s toys.”

A peculiar feeling slides down the back of your neck like a cold clammy hand has been placed there and you fight hard against the shiver travelling through your body. That same bell is ringing in the back of your mind but you’re not sure if it’s out of familiarity or alarm. 

“And if you look too long,” Jimin drawls, gripping Rafael’s hand harder, “I might think you’re having ideas of touching other people’s toys.”

You watch as Jimin rakes back his hair, removing the lock of hair from over his forehead. His body seems to stiffen up, standing almost ramrod straight, his face turning stony, the easy smile wiping off. He takes a step back, regards Rafael for a second before turning his head and heading for the car, fixing his jacket. The driver moves forward to get the door and Jimin gestures to you with a jerk of his chin, “Inside.” For once, you oblige happily. Rafael Campania follows the car with his eyes until it disappears in the distance.

The car ride is silent. Jimin sits with his chin on his fist looking out the window, brooding. The driver watches his employer through the rearview mirror, glancing a few times before finally asking, “Sir, you have one more meeting or shall we head home?”

A couple of minutes pass and Jimin still hasn’t answered the question, probably won’t ever, judging by how he is at the moment. One-word Jimin is moody and short-tempered and if being monosyllabic isn’t a good enough reason to stay away from doing business, then his tantrums should be. You don’t know his schedule, not even any of the others’ but something tells you that this next one might be important enough for the driver suggesting going home instead so as not to botch it. 

Right when the car comes to the last intersection that would take you either homebound or back into the city, Jimin finally speaks up, “Meeting.” The driver makes a hard right.

You don’t like this side of Jimin but you haven’t actually experienced his meltdown firsthand, only had seen it when the brothers argued, which only ever happened once since you came. But they go hard. Imagine seven hot-blooded mafia lords going at each other in the confined space of the dining room and when it’s all over, the furniture is barely furniture anymore and it took two weeks for the room to be repaired and repainted over, the carpets and wall fixtures reinstalled and a thin scar on your arm from a stray glass piece. So you learnt to shut up but not out of fear, mostly to not escalate the situation for your own sake. You tend to get mouthy, too. 

“Hand.”

You turn around to see Jimin looking at you pointedly, one hand palm upward. Your eyebrow dips in a half frown, wondering what ridiculous game he’s playing at now. His forehead creases up when you don’t respond, holding out his hand further forward. Then his eyes move from your face to your own hands in your lap and then to his own coming back to look at you. He doesn’t repeat himself, hardly ever does, waiting. 

Reluctantly, you slide your hand into his and he pulls it over into his lap, turning away towards the window as if the whole exchange never happened. Sitting in an awkward position slightly slanted across the middle seat, you catch the driver’s eyes through the rearview mirror and you could almost swear he was smiling or was at least amused. 

Scooting over to make yourself more comfortable, Jimin now has your hand clasped in between both of his, one thumb absentmindedly tracing slow circles over yours, softly, gently much to your surprise. He’s still staring off into the distance, eyes clearly unfocused. 

“We’re here, sir,” announces the driver as the car pulls up into a shoplot district in a major part of town known to be associated with the mafia groups but always bustling with people. No one discusses the less-than-legal organisations openly and no one can actually prove anything and even if they could, no one dares to.  

“Your hand is so soft,” he mumbles.

You look up at Jimin, noticing the difference instantly; the softer eyes, the loose lock of hair, the kinder smile. He raises your hand up to his face and brushes his lips over your knuckles. “Fits perfectly in mine. Makes me more…centred.”

For the first time, there’s warmth in his voice and you feel it spread over you like melted butter, relaxing your shoulders as you sink back into the leather seat. He throws his gaze back out the window, watching the people passing by. When he speaks, it’s almost as if he’s speaking to himself more than to you. “I hate it when he comes out. It’s cold.”

You try to make sense of what he said but can’t quite figure it out so you remain quiet, not wanting to set him off again. It’s much nicer when he’s like this, anyway. He turns back around with a soft smile. “Stay in the car, okay? I won’t be long.”

You watch him walk towards a building, cutting through the throngs of people seamlessly almost as if they weren’t even there. He stops in front of a shop and that’s when you see Jin coming to meet him. They speak with their heads leaning in together and Jin looks over to the car once and you think you make eye contact even though it shouldn’t be possible since the windows are dark-tinted from the outside. Then they both disappear up the stairs to the side of the building, Jin leading the way. 

Sitting back in the seat, you rest your head back and close your eyes, breathing in deeply. The stress of being on alert since the moment you woke up slowly recedes in the absence of any one of the Lotus brothers. Lotus brothers. What were their surnames again? Surely it’s not Lotus, right? You sit up, trying to think if you knew their last name, and catch the driver looking at you through the rearview mirror. He quickly averts his gaze.

“Do you think I can go walk around?” you ask nonchalantly, looking out the window. 

The driver is quiet at first and then finally says, “The master told you to stay in the car and wait.”

You let out a heavy sigh. “Can’t you just let him know I went for a walk?”

“I don’t think that’s ideal,” he replies, turning around to look through the partition. “Please wait a little. He’ll be back soon. Or shall I call for him?”

You contemplate pulling Jimin out of his meeting but the consequences won’t be good. It’s Hoseok’s day tomorrow and if anything happens to you today, Hoseok, a little more on the protective side, will take it up with his brother and that will lead to a fight, which in turn will ruin everybody’s mood the rest of the week. Like the driver said, not ideal. You sigh again, heavier and louder this time. You sit back, listening to the low hum of the car engine idling. 

***

It’s exactly a hundred and twenty minutes later (yes, you counted), you finally see Jimin coming down the last steps from the corner stairs. He fishes out his sunglasses and as he’s about to put them back on, he pauses and stares at something in the distance, just beyond the car. 

You watch him for a little bit, wondering what caught his attention. Jin joins him and Jimin exchanges a few words with him. The older one looks up, scans the crowd and whispers something back. He glances over to the car, to the window you’re resting your forehead on, before briskly walking away. Jimin puts on his sunglasses and strides on over. You scoot over back to your side, noting how hungry you’ve become. 

The car door opens and Jimin steps in, unbuttoning his suit jacket to get comfortable. Without any verbal instructions, the car pulls away. Jimin hasn’t removed his sunglasses, turning to look at you and licking his lips. You can’t tell what he’s actually looking at but he has one hand resting in between the two of you, the fingers fidgeting. You wait for him to speak, to request for your hand again but he doesn’t. You notice that his hair is back in place, swept back and neat, a clear sign that it’s monosyllabic Jimin, but you can’t help but feel that something is off. Different.

After much staring, he finally asks in a small voice, “Can I hold your hand?”

You stare back, a little surprised but hold out your hand anyway. “I’m hungry,” you grumble, pouting as Jimin takes your hand and, again, brings it up to his lips. It’s not a kiss but a brush. 

“I know,” he replies, nodding. “Does sushi sound good?”

You think about it then nod, adding sarcastically. “The most expensive ones. I want sashimis.”

Jimin nods again, a lock of hair falling over his eyes. Ah, much better, you think. You want to know what he was looking at before he got into the car but the words never left your lips as Jimin cradles your head with one hand and pulls you into his chest. It takes a moment for you to register the whirring sound of the window opening and then the jerking motion of his body as two muffled shots go off above your head. The crowd screams as the sound of a vehicle, most probably a motorcycle, crashes to the ground. The loud sound of screeching tyres fills your ears as your car peels away.

Jimin never lets go until, in the awkward position of having your head pressed against his chest, you can see the car passing through the iron gates of the Lotus Sanguis estate. The sky has grown dark, thick black clouds rolling in and it seems like the weather has changed in a split second. A part of you wants to scream at him demanding explanation as to what the fuck happened but another, much bigger part of you just wants to remain in the safety of his embrace. How ironic, given the situation. 

The car glides up right to the huge front doors and the car door opens even before the car comes to a complete stop. Jin is standing there with a thunderous look on his face, pulling you out by your arm a little roughly. You don’t realise how much you’re still shaking, only standing up by the sheer strength of Jin’s arm around your waist. Jimin’s face is cool and impassive as he runs a hand to smooth back his hair into place. 

“Did you get him?” Jin snaps as Jimin pulls himself out of the car.

“Yes,” replies Jimin.

“Were there more?”

“Yes.”

“Little fuckers” Jin curses. “I’ll see if I can reach Hoseok. Get her inside. Is she hurt?”

“I’m right here, y’know,” you manage to say, pulling away from Jin and finally finding your own feet. Other than shaken up, you think you’re fine.

Jin eyes you from head to toe as if scanning for even any minute injury. You notice how his eyes zone in on the ugly hickey on your neck, narrowing his eyes but doesn’t say anything. Satisfied, he nods to Jimin who takes you by the hand and leads you inside back to your room. There, again, he checks you for any signs of injury, turning you this way and that. He cups your face and leans close. “A life for every scratch on you,” he breathes out raspily as if each word was pulled out with much force. 

You shiver, blinking up at him. “I’m fine,” you say quietly.

His phone rings from his pocket and he steps back to answer it. It’s Hoseok. He listens to the voice on the other end and, without a word, puts the phone away when the call finishes. He walks over to the door, turning around to look at you.

“Who was it?” you ask timidly, not sure if he would even answer.

“Nobody,” he answers almost instantly, noticing the way your body shakes as if you’re bracing against a cold gust of wind. “Come,” he sits on the armchair next to the bed and pats his lap. Oddly enough, you don’t hesitate but climb up and settle in. He pulls your legs to sit over him and runs a hand through your hair. You can feel the tightness in your muscle dissolving but this Jimin is also a source of your anxiety. It’s a full ten minutes of sitting like that when he finally speaks again, his voice softer. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. It must’ve been scary.”

You bite back on a sob, swallowing tightly. “Who did you shoot?”

He starts rocking you gently. “Don’t worry. Hoseok will take care of it.”

“Who was it?” you insist, your voice coming out hard.

After a few seconds he finally answers, “Wolfsbane’s men. They were tailing us.”

“I thought Hoseok went to go see him today,” you say.

“Yeah, he did.”

“Then?”

Jimin sighs. “Sometimes words are not enough, little one. Now hush. You don’t have to worry about it. I told you, Hoseok will take care of it.”

You press your lips together, holding back the mixed feelings you are going through; anger, sadness, guilt, mostly anger.This isn’t the first time another minor group will get wiped out, blood spilled. And this also isn’t the first time the reason being you. 

Lotus Sanguis is many things but merciful. Jimin knows that when Jin sic Hoseok onto the group, it will be like they never existed. But then again, Hoseok is all for the theatrical of it all so one can only guess what the outcome will be for the Wolfsbane House. A part of Jimin is furious that they dared test him out in the open like that, cementing the idea that Giacoma Wolfsbane had never had any respect for him the same way he holds for Jin and he gloats to think that Hoseok is about to tear them apart, literally. 

But you had seen him take a life, something he never thought he had to do in front of you. That was his only regret today. Curled up in his arms, your head pressed to his chest, he continues to rock you gently, entertaining the fantasy that this is just one of yours and his intimate moments and not just him trying to compensate for adding another trauma to your already long list.

a/n: Hi! Hope you like the update. I've been so busy lately (and will continue being busy for awhile) so i might take a long time to update each chapter. On another note, I finally went to Disneyland last weekend! woohoo! My first time! It was the best birthday! As usual, leave comments/ask on what you think of this chapter. Till next time!

Next chapter: here!

Check out my other works → :MASTERLIST:

Taglist (open):

@effielumiere @mayla548 @cestlabellemort @toughbook @missseoulite @fairygirl18 @seokjinkismet @btspurplesky

[avatricism]

MY FIRST SUMMER (2020) dir. Katie Found

[beautifulgiants]

Source:

THE ACTOR'S ACTOR

Michael Shannon is still trying to figure out a few things. Minor issues, like, what the hell is America about? And why do our vocations not contain the keys to a simple life? Shannon has recently added a directing credit to his extraordinary acting C.V., but in most other respects he’s just one of us.

fashion director GRACE GILFEATHER

by THE RAKE

photography MICHAEL SCHWARTS

Hollywood actor Michael Shannon is photographed for the Issue 83’s cover of The Rake magazine. Michael wears Brioni, Dunhill and Audemars Piguet.

Speaking to The Rake in early July, from his home in New York, Michael Shannon is — emotionally, at least — on both sides of the Atlantic. “I’m a massive tennis fan, and I’ve just been watching [Novak] Djokovic dismantle your fellow Brit [Cameron] Norrie,” he says.“Before that we were watching the Nadal and [Taylor] Fritz match. Oh, Rafael was in pain, but he still won.” All of which might sound like small talk, but Shannon has brought up tennis for reasons related to a vocation that has earned him Academy Award (2016’s Nocturnal Animals, 2008’s Revolutionary Road), Golden Globe (2014’s 99 Homes) and Tony Award (2016’s Broadway revival of Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night) nominations.

Acting, he says, involves getting into something resembling a meditative state. “You have to be able to still your mind, for sure,”he says.“You can’t be thinking about a bunch of other stuff. When I’m doing a scene, I have a couple of ground rules. Like, I never bring my phone to set, ever. I’m not judging anyone who does, but for me the thing you’re trying to do is so enormous and multifaceted that for me it has to be the only thing you’re thinking about. So I try to have no distractions at all. A lot of the time [on set] I don’t really say much, and people can misconstrue that as, ‘Oh, he’s, he’s “method”’. But I’m defiantly anti-method. I think the notion of trying to walk around all the time convincing yourself [of something] feels psychotic.

He’s also been busy — exceptionally so — with an eclectic list of yet-to-be-screened projects, all of which suggest that his knack for making the right creative choices as he hits 48 years on the planet remains as sharp as ever. The most prominent include David O. Russell’s 1930s-set mystery-comedy Amsterdam (alongside Margot Robbie, Christian Bale, Anya Taylor-Joy and Robert De Niro) and Bullet Train, an action thriller directed by David Leitch and released this summer, in which Shannon joins Brad Pitt, among others, as assassins on the eponymous high-speed train deciphering the connection between their various missions.

Shannon plays White Death, and viewers expecting his character to pack the most menace won’t be disappointed. “Bullet Train is filled with a lot of really scary assassin-type people, but they’re all scared of White Death,” he says. “I guess he’s the super-assassin. The high priest of death. And he’s the boss of this international cartel that deals in very shady things. He’s the one that’s supposed to make everybody shake in their boots, I guess.”

Read the full Michael Shannon interview in Issue 83, available to purchase on TheRake.com and on newsstands worldwide now.

Subscribers, please allow up to 3 weeks to receive your magazine.

Grooming:⁠ Rheanne White⁠

Photo Assistants: Krystallynne Gonzalez, Brandon Abreu, Te Lara-Powell

Digital Tech: Eric Bouthiller⁠

Producer:Aim Wagemans⁠

Production Manager: Nikki Cardona⁠

Location: Andrew Samaha

Michael Shannon C/O Narrative PR, Celena Madlansacay

[kindly-whisper-norbury]

New AO3 Script / Screenplay Tutorial

Some time back I posted a tutorial for how to format CSS and HTML for a screenplay on AO3, but since then I have improved upon it and I wish to now share with you all the (hopefully somewhat better) new version.

I previously had a significant problem with the spacing of certain elements, which would end up breaking the formatting. So recently I spent two days studying and trying code after code until I got it right.

Note that though this formatting makes the screenplay look authentic enough on a computer monitor or on mobile in landscape mode, it does not (in my experience) tend to show up well in portrait mode. This version is at least readable in portrait mode, however, whereas the old version was not. Still, you might like to make an author’s note mentioning that readers in portrait mode may need to use the “hide creator’s style” button, which will take away the formatting:

Okay, let's get to work! First you are going to have to create a new AO3 work skin. Name it whatever you like, then insert this code:

#workskin p { font-family: "Courier Prime", Courier, monospace; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-word; }

#workskin p { margin-left: 5%; }

#workskin p { margin-right: 15%; }

#workskin .indented { padding-left: 15%; padding-right: 25%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-word; }

#workskin .par { display: block; padding-left: 15%; padding-right: 25%; }

#workskin .character { display: block; padding-left: 25%; }

You can adjust things like the margin and padding percentages to fit your own style, of course!

Now comes the fun part. After you have written your script, make a new draft using your screenplay skin. Then get onto the HTML editor.

The SHOT, SCENE HEADING, and ACTION elements will be left alone. The only tagging necessary for them is < p > (close up the < and >, of course... Tumblr is giving me a hard time about showing it as it really should be) for paragraph transitions. But do be sure to use the < p > tag, or it will break the formatting.

Next are the CHARACTER, PARENTHETICAL, and DIALOGUE elements... which are a bit more involved.

Before blocks of character/parenthetical/dialogue, you need to put the following tag (with closed up < & >): < div class="indented" align="left" > . Note that if there is more than one Character involved with no action breaks in between (in other words, if there is a conversation going on), you do not need to put the tag between each character, just before the first one. Like so:

And be sure to close it back up after the blocks of conversation with < /div >

Next up is CHARACTER, which, as you can see above, is tagged: < p >< span class="character" > CHARACTER NAME< /span >

Notice that there are no line breaks between the < /span > and the dialogue. Due to the nature of < span > if you try to put a line break in there it will turn it into a paragraph break, which doesn't work well for the screenwriting thing. I am sure there is a workaround, but that's what I got for the time being!

Now we come to PARENTHETICALS, which are the bits of action within dialogue:

To tag those, once again do not make a line break, but simply insert this: < span class="par" > then close it after inserting the parenthetical with < /span >

It might be easier to simply visualize, but note that as a personal preference I tend to italicize my parenthetical elements with < em >... you don't have to, that's just my style:

And that is basically it! If you would rather just look at the code than to try and figure out what I was trying to explain (I am not sure I did a good job of that!), here is a basic visual:

This:

Should get you this:

Or something similar, anyway. It may vary on your screen. If you would like to see a live example of how it will look on your monitor or with your device, you can click below to get to a small fic I have formatted this way (it isn't the story sampled above, however, since that is a WIP I have not posted anywhere yet!)

If I have made any mistakes or anything is in need of clarification, let me know! I will do my best to fix it!