#(sort of lol i'm trying to frame this positively)

[ohhgingersnaps]

remember! if you don't like something about the way a fanfiction is written, you can simply do the following:

leave!

skedaddle! depart! abscond!

the back button is right there at the top of the page.

further up. further. a little to the left...

that's it! you've got it!

go, my friend. be free. may you be blessed with a work that is better suited to your specific needs and desires in this particular season of your life

[wellfine]

wow...... MANY artists take requests randomly. this isn't the original anon, I just saw your post&was blown away by how rude it was. this anon wasn't even rude. artists are always putting out informationals with like guides on how to speak to them&it's the so egotistical&rude&controlling. I literally won't commission random artists anymore&only my close friends bc of these rules that change artist to artist&don't apply to everyone. anon asked you a simple question&was extremely nice about it&you chose to be an asshole in response. y'all act like you're training rabid dogs or something. just, say no, don't answer, or block the anon. like I can't figure out what ticked you off so much about that. talking to ppl like shit won't help them. it will just make people afraid to speak to you at all. anyways lol you're losing a follower&a fan. maybe let your anger out at the gym or something before you take it out on someone asking an innocent question. they truly probably thought "the worst they could say is no" &you proved them wrong. exactly the reason I no longer commission art from artists who aren't my close friends. my anxiety is too high to deal with the anger&your need to control how other people talk to you(even when it's not mean&they're just asking an innocent question).

Good lordt

Mate, I said "no hard feelings just letting you know this ask came across as rude" after we had a bit of a giggle about how funny it is that they hadn't stumbled upon the specific kind of fanart they wanted to see when IMO it's extremely common in the fandom, and then pointed them to another artist who had already drawn what they wanted to see.

"Don't ask/hint at artists to draw you things for free" is not being rude or demanding or egotistical, it's just a firm boundary. It's not a minefield to navigate, and artists who accept random requests usually say so somewhere in their bio/about. I also think blocking the poor anon would've been way more harsh and unnecessary than letting them know how their behaviour was perceived, cuz if they keep doing it, some other artist is going to be way meaner about it.

[ssinboo]

Midnights To Come

summary: After finding campus heartthrob Kim Mingyu absolutely butchering his trousers trying to fix the hole he'd busted in them, you offer his your sewing abilities. As retribution, he thinks that nothing is more fitting than his ultimate mission: getting you laid.

or

You and Mingyu spend an unforgettable night together.

pairing: University!AU - Popular!Mingyu x Unpopular!F!Reader, reader does read on the thicker side? Nothing specific.

word count: 6.8k (30~ minute read)

warnings: protected sex (finally), fingering (F rec), drinking, partying

a/n: Thank you so much for the love <3 This is mostly inspired by Taylor Swift's older music lol I'm starting a new job soon, so I'll be mostly MIA for march and perhaps april TT

Kim Mingyu was the ex-boyfriend of a friend’s friend’s cousin, unforgettably handsome with the sort of beauty that belonged in Hollywood. A very tall glass of gorgeous with an incredible personality to boot, that’s why everyone adored him. He was majoring in business to follow in his father’s footsteps but was a star at football and made sure no one would forget just who was the best lineman on their amateur team. 

And you’d met once or twice, briefly. Definitely not enough for him to come even close to becoming acquainted with your existence, but more than sufficient for him to leave his mark. He was a campus Idol, a guy you admired for his popularity and his way with people.

It was at a senior’s party your friend had dragged you to, that you met again. You were quietly searching for some solace in an empty room upstairs, when you saw him fiddling with his pants – It was hard not to notice his large frame struggling with a pair of jeans in the dark bedroom corner.

Being quite fair, at first you believed he was relieving himself, carnally. That was a puzzling sight as horrifying as it would be— I mean, the man had lines of women throwing themselves to be his, why would he just jerk off?  And then, you noticed the stapler he was using to completely butcher the fabric in a desperate way to fix the large hole. 

“Oh my God, just stop!” You exclaim, not being able to watch such abuse any longer. He was known to wear brand-name goods and just the thought of high quality fabric being assaulted by staples made your skin churn.

You, however, had totally forgotten to announce your presence. 

Mingyu jumps, falling off the bed in a split-second, clashing into the carpet with a thunderous thump. Eyes blown wide like a moose in headlights, he stares at you from his half-down half-on-the-bed position, suddenly, completely aware of his nakedness.

“Oh- Fuck–!” He exclaims, stumbling off the bed and pulling the jeans to cover his brand-name boxers.

“OH!” You also seem to realise how inappropriate it was to simply barge into his intimate moment with the stapler. “I’m sorry!” You yell from behind your palms, eyes tightly shut. 

“...No problem?” It sounds more of a question than anything. I mean, it was the polite thing to say when someone says “I’m sorry” however, there was a problem. 

“Do you need any help?” You ask, still muffled and hidden behind your hands. Mingyu has no idea on how to reply, he is familiar with those words, especially coming from a lady, but this scenario is totally different from the sexy ones he’s accustomed to. “I’m a seamstress,” Your brain urges for an explanation, as to make the situation somewhat less awkward.

He seems to be content with that. “You are?”

“Yes!” You turn around, fishing around your purse for a small sewing kit, pink plastic box with teeny tiny everything. “I have some needles and thread.” 

“Oh, thank God!”

That’s how you find yourself sitting on some stranger’s bed with a half-naked Mingyu – You’re carefully patching up the seams on his jeans while he sits cross-legged with a pillow between his legs. 

Who would’ve known that years into University, your closest call with a boy would be such a weird scenario. Sitting with the campus heartthrob as you stitch up his busted trousers. What a story to tell your friends. 

“I’m Mingyu, by the way,” He breaks the awkward silence, reaching out his hand; He then realises you are occupied and takes it back.

You tell him your name, eyes glued to the intricate detailing on the garment.

“Are you new here?” He asks, curiously studying your face.

“No,” You mutter, holding a needle between your lips so you can inspect your stitches. 

“How come we’ve never met?” 

“We have.”

Mingyu adjusts himself, leaning closer, “No”

“Yes?” 

“No!” 

“You dated my friend’s friend’s cousin,” You explain, though it doesn’t help.

“I’ve dated plenty of friends’ friends’ cousins’,” Mingyu half-chuckles, practically patting himself on the back for that one. 

You roll your eyes, “We met once or twice, nothing major.”

“I would’ve remembered you.” 

“You didn’t,” Laughing, you don’t even notice he’s taken offence to his own forgetfulness.

“I don’t forget a pretty girl,” It is said as a matter of factly, a worldly known truth of sorts.

“You haven’t.” 

“I forgot you, apparently,” Mingyu is more frustrated than you’d expect – Than anyone would expect for such a laid back guy.

“I’m not pretty, though?” 

Oh, he is furious at such a statement, “What?! Of course you are. You are a solid 7.5, no joke, dude.”

A solid seven point five? Wow. Coming from anyone else, that could be taken as an offence, I mean, what about you made them go so high up the scale yet not even give a full number? But you were talking about THE Kim Mingyu.

That not only tickles your ego in the right spot, but does get a good laugh out of you. Mingyu laughs along, not fully grasping the humour of it, but enjoying the sound of your giggles. 

“Thanks,” You smile, pulling out your scissors to clip the last of your thread. “Here, it’s done.” 

He widens his eyes, “So fast?!” 

With a nod, you put everything back in your pocket kit. Mingyu excitedly inspects his trousers and his jaw falls open once he can’t locate where your repairs are. 

“It’s perfect!”

You smile, “Great!” 

“Wow. You are some kind of sewing genius! Thanks! You saved my life”

Mingyu proceeds to rant about how great you are and how amazing your skills are and you should totally work with sewing – you are, and that you should make clothes – you do. All because you are just that good – from a small repair. 

You were happy with just helping him, seeing it as a finished mission, ready to pack up and head home but he would not have that, oh, no. Mingyu was laser focused on repaying your kindness – he said he hates owing people so you had to accept.   His manner of retribution? Partying and maybe, if you got lucky, getting you laid. It was his mission now.

So he dragged you downstairs to meet his inebriated friends, all surprisingly welcoming and not nearly as douchy as you’d expected – Soonyoung was especially keen on having you accompany him on the dance floor. Even drunk, his abilities surpassed any of your own and he absolutely demolished the floor with his intricate choreo. 

Seokmin pulled you from the dance floor to join him on a cheesy karaoke battle, the one feat no man can accomplish being as stone-cold sober as you were. His usually impeccable vocals suffered under the alcohol and strained over high-notes. So you just plucked the first poor soul you saw in the crowd to substitute you as Seokmin’s duet.  

Stumbling through the crowd and away from the karaoke, you finally find Mingyu, giving him “Help me” eyes. He laughs softly at your predicament, stumbling from his friend’s shoulder to wrap his arm around your neck — his exaggerated stature almost sent you crashing down. 

“Come on, no one caught your eye?” He slurs his words, wild tongue running over his pretty lips, classic red solo cup dangerously dangling from his long fingers. You can see from up close the drunken blurriness that glazes his pretty eyes with unhinged impulsiveness.

You chuckle, remembering his goal was to set you up for a “Hot date”. 

“Not at all. But I had fun.” 

“Whaat?!” He whines in frustration, stepping forward so you’re facing each other. His arm is still heavily draped over your shoulders. “You didn’t have fun!” 

“I did!” You argue.

“No…” Mingyu pouts.

“I did! I promise,” Offering him a smile, you await his response. 

“Have a drink with me?” 

God, he was a pro at puppy-dog-eyes. With pouty lips, glistening under the remnants of his drink and sparkling eyes with furrowed brows. 

“I don’t– I don’t drink,” You’re so upset with the idea of disappointing him and his adorable pout though he barely pays it any mind. 

“Then we can do something else! Come on!” 

“No, Mingyu–!” 

But he’s dragging you away from the party, placing the edge of his cup between his teeth so he can snatch his coat from the hangers on his way out. You’re stumbling under his weight and hurried steps, but the night air feels so refreshing after the stuffy frat house you practically forget his intentions. 

The house behind you thumps under the song that blasts through its brick walls, colourful LEDs flashing from open windows. The front yard feels almost completely separate from the party inside, a world apart from the drunk atmosphere that holds the stifling rooms. 

Mingyu drags you toward the pavement and standing before his car, you feel your stomach drop once you see him press the button to open the door. 

“Mingyu– You– You’re drunk. You can’t drive,” You stumble over your words, nervously fidgeting with your clothes, even if you left right now, would he still drive?

“I won’t. You’re sober,” He says as a matter of factly and you hadn’t even considered driving this insanely expensive sports car. 

Mingyu opens the driver’s door and stands there, gesturing for you to get in. A true gentleman. With a relieved breath, you do. 

It’s a convertible – Of course, it is, no other car would fit his personality as well. The chassis is coloured a blinding firetruck red and the rims are a polished silver, it’s so clearly well-maintained you feel nervous about driving it. The leather seats smell so vividly of his cologne, woody and fresh.

Mingyu closes your door and jogs to his seat, he jumps over his door with ease, settling onto the beige leather seat with a soft thump.

“Here’s ignition, turn signals, speed and all that,” He leans over and points to each item. 

“Is it stick?”

“Nah, I had it modified, it’s completely automatic.” 

“Wow, disappointed in you… I thought you’d drive stick like a real man,” You tease, leaning over to check the height for the seat – It’s obviously too far back so you adjust it forward.

“Too busy getting my dick sucked to worry about changin’ gears,” He sticks his tongue between his teeth, leaning back with a proud smile. 

“Oh, god,” You groan, “Should I be touching any surface on this car?”

“Nope.”

You laugh.

After putting on your seatbelt, you look over and notice that of course, he’s not wearing his. With a roll of your eyes, you lean over and pull the seat belt over his chest. Mingyu would’ve flinched had he not been tipsy, his eyes linger on your body over his, how your left hand holds the belt at his chest while your right hand fiddles with the lock. 

And you have such pretty long lashes that flutter along your cheeks as you focus on finding the clip for the belt. A soft furrow between your brows, you’re sighing and biting on your lower lip; He notices the pretty shade of red that you wear.

But you’re already done and it’s clipped on with a satisfying click. 

“Driver’s rules, shotgun shuts his mouth,”  You say before he can protest the safety measures.

You smile so brightly, happily turning back to the wheel, excited over this incredible machine that lays in your hands. More than the alcohol in his bloodstream, your joy is intoxicating.  

And the car comes alive with a satisfying roar, you feel the soft vibrating from the wheel course up your wrists. For you, following the speed limit felt perfect, the wheel turned so smoothly and the pedals felt the perfect height. But the little devil on the passenger’s seat kept egging you on to go faster. 

Caving to his wishes, you take the highway out of town, breezing through asphalt with no sight of other cars. The confidence that such a smooth ride gives is true, you feel yourself steadily increasing the speed much to Mingyu’s satisfaction.

The wind in your hair, caressing your face with the exhilarating night air, the thrilling constant hum of such a potent engine working to your heart’s content. Nothing could beat the constellation of artificial lighting that lit the night scenery, every building held its own collection.

“Where should I go?” You ask, suddenly remembering you’re supposed to have a destination, your eyes absolutely glued to the road. 

“Somewhere nice,” Mingyu hums, thinking for a second.

He leans back, his left hand is carelessly draped over your headrest and you can feel his fingers fidget with your hair so unconsciously. Any of his go-to destinations were made for getting hot and heavy, which wasn’t the goal tonight; He wanted to repay you for helping him out and you hadn’t shown any interest in… other manners of payment. So it left him with only one option. 

“Take a left next turn,” He says, leaning forward to dig through the glovebox. 

Mingyu finds a pair of sunglasses, putting them on despite the very obvious lack of Sunlight. He offers you a spare set, and though you’d love to enjoy wearing Prada sunglasses that probably cost more than your entire net worth, you also enjoy seeing anything on the road. So you push them on top of your head, pushing your hair back. 

Somewhere along the deserted road, Mingyu grabs the AUX cord, connecting it to his phone and going through his very generic musical taste. But the atmosphere is so perfect you can’t help but enjoy the bubblegum pop blasting from the dashboard. You even sing along. 

It’s a comfortable silence, filled with Pop music and laughter. 

You drive for almost an hour under his strict directions, until you reach a dirt road. There’s an alarm blaring in your mind, realising that you’re far from civilization, in the middle of nowhere with a total stranger. I mean, serial killers were always described as charismatic, right? 

Making a deal with yourself, you decide that if he does anything even remotely suspicious you’re running the car off the road. You’ll die, but he’ll go with you.

Against your anxiety, however, he tells you to pull up at a clearing just ahead and once you arrive, there’s no doubt on why he chose this place.

From atop this hill, you can see far into the city, its blinding lights nothing but tiny stars on the horizon, the noise pollution of a bustling metropolis is totally gone and replaced by the calming murmurs of nature. Before he can even say anything, you’re leaving the car to admire such a view. 

The moon is full, a pale veil over both of you, standing in the starry sky as the queen, ruling over her stars. The light caressing your body with the warmth of the perfect Summer night.

“What do you think?” Mingyu asks, leaning against the hood of his car. 

You can’t help but to briefly admire the picturesque scene he paints with his playboy aura and Hollywoodian beauty, leaning against this straight-out-of-a-movie convertible. He has this side smirk, knowing this breathtaking landscape can’t be topped by any of your past experiences. 

“It’s…” There aren’t words you can find to describe such a view.  “I– Thank you. It’s gorgeous.”

He visibly relaxes, as if he was waiting anxiously for your opinion, “It’s my favourite place.”

“I can see why,” You laugh, joining him, though you have a little trouble stabilising your butt over the hood.

“Everything feels small when I come here,” He explains. 

Turning to face him, your stomach is filled with annoying little butterflies that flutter around and tickle your insides with foolish thoughts. 

His moonlit profile is somehow prettier than his beauty in any other lighting, his perfect nose and high cheekbones and his eyes, God, his eyes. They hold in their dark orbs, all of the stars and worlds, in its ethereal shine. 

You hum, prying your gaze from him before your brain gets any outlandish rushes of dopamine and creates unattainable ideas. 

Mingyu leans back, his lanky body hitting the windshield, his eyes stare up at the stars. At this moment, he wishes he knew constellations from the top of his head, then maybe, he could impress you with his astronomical knowledge. 

“You look like a movie star right now… I feel like I’m in a movie,” Joking, you lean on your elbow, unconsciously following his body with your own. 

“What do you wanna be when you grow up?” He asks on a spur of the moment.

You laugh, “When I grow up?”

Mingyu realises what you meant by your question and laughs along, “You know what I meant.”

Though you’re caught aback, there’s not much thinking to be done, “I want to design clothes.”

He hums, “It suits you, I think.” He didn’t know you that well, but it seemed fitting.

You chuckle, “You?”

Mingyu lets out a long sigh, leaning on his elbows to stare up at you, “CEO, I guess.”

“Have you always wanted to be a CEO?”

His lips press into a thin line and he hesitates on how much he should tell, throwing caution into the air, Mingyu decides to open up. “I honestly… Don’t want to.”

You furrow your brows, “Won’t you take over your father’s company?” 

He nods, “That’s what I should do.”

“Then what do you want to be?”

It’s such an innocent question and in all honesty, sort of childish almost? Something you would ask a small child and just agree with whatever they come up with. But it’s something he was never allowed to question.

“I… Don’t think I know.” 

You hum, “You could be an actor,” It’s a bit of a tease as much as it is the truth. 

Mingyu raises an eyebrow, sitting up so he can face you properly. You have this soft smile on your face that holds so much warmth for a stranger like him, it almost feels undeserving. 

“An actor?” He prods. 

“Yeah,” You shrug, “You just have the vibes for it… Living a thousand lives in just one, I think you could play any character really well. Plus, you have the looks. I always told my friends you have a face that belongs in Hollywood.” It comes out so naturally, you barely realise what you’ve said until he’s staring at you. “I– Sorr–”

Mingyu smashes his lips into yours. 

You squeak, but don’t shy away from his plush lips. 

His left hand reaches for your jaw, fingers softly tracing your cheek with certain hesitancy but you lean into his touch so willingly he can’t help the bubbling feeling that comes to life deep in his belly. 

When your lips part, you feel the night breeze caress the parts of your body he touched and you find your body misses his warmth. 

Your brain simply can’t function. 

In your brilliant academic journey, romance had never been an aspect you entertained. You quickly learned at thirteen that a fairytale story only happens to cute girls with nice hair and pretty bodies. And not the one repeatedly being used as the butt-end of a cruel joke. 

Mingyu represented everything you would never have; A popular, rich guy with amazing hair and looks out of this world. And he was nice, too. Took time of his day to hang out with you and to repay what had been an instinctive action; help out someone. 

It could only have been a mistake, right?

Mingyu, noticing the dread that paints your pretty face, can’t help the cold shiver that takes over his body, “I… I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine! I won’t tell anyone.” You reply all too fast.

“What?” He blinks a couple of times, “What do you mean?”

“Y’know, I won’t ruin your reputation…”

He practically jumps from the car, standing in front of you, “Say it again.” 

You look up, his towering height has never once been intimidating, until now, “...I won’t tell anyone. I promise.” 

“No, what the fuck do you mean ruin my reputation, why would kissing you ruin it?” His voice possesses such anger you couldn’t even think he was capable of. But you feel yourself getting upset, how long will he torture you with this? Do you need to say with all words how undesirable you are?

“Because no one in their right mind should be seen with a girl like me!” You blurt out, feeling his anger seep into your body.

“A girl like you?” He huffs in disbelief. “A girl that indulged me, was nice to my friends and let me drag her to the middle of nowhere?” Mingyu leans forward, caging your body in between his arms. “ A pretty, kind girl, who helped me without asking anything for it? What kind of girl, tell me.” He orders, his voice in a low, hushed tone that tickles your nose when he speaks.

Speechless, you’re sitting there, face to face with a guy that genuinely shows interest in you, told you you’re pretty for the nth time tonight and has the most kissable lips you’ve seen. 

His jaw is tight with anger, almost as if he’s got a personal vendetta against you self-hatred, but your stupid lustful brain can’t focus on anything but the sharp cut of his jaw, deep veins bulging from tanned skin. 

“Can I kiss you?” He asks, so quietly you think you hallucinated it. But it’s very much true. 

He looks so irresistible, half-lidded eyes staring at your lips while he bites his own. 

“Please,” you exhale, melting into his body when he leans forward. 

You were never a woman of action, preferring when others make the move, but in this moment you have this newfound confidence, meeting his lips halfway, crashing into a fervorous kiss.

It’s nothing like your first, you feel the heat emanating from his body, scorching hot seeping into your skin, burning every nerve it touches with fervorous want. 

His tongue is in your mouth, anxious and exploring and he is humming against your lips such an intoxicating melody that for a second, you’re a stranded sailor falling for the voice of a siren and dipping into the arms of unimaginable beauty.

Saliva drips from your connected lips but he refuses to end the kiss, no. Because you taste of cherry flavoured hard candies, provocatively luscious with a delicious aftertaste that can only leave you longing for more. 

He parts the kiss, leaning back and practically tearing his varsity jacket from his body. You’re watching closely as he lays it behind you, over the car.

Right hand moving to your waist, Mingyu pushes forward until you’re laying on the hood, so pretty. Your body is still finding his, your chest leaning forward so you can mould into his warmth, hands gripping the fabric of his shirt, closer, closer. 

You’re breathless, eyes trained on his every move with such incredulity as if you believed you were in a dream, hallucinating every moment so far. 

He can feel every curve of your body pressing tightly against his. It’s evident the effect you’re having on him, blood boiling in his veins with unadulterated desire.

There has never been a moment in his life where he genuinely cared to go slow, to show his passion and intent; Every partner of his had been as much into the act as he had been. 

But you, you’re so fragile and every moment he spends in your presence feels so ephemeral, he can not help the panic that rushes into his body to make it worth it, to make every second last.

His lips trace along your jaw, saliva coating the path he trails down your neck until he reaches your collarbones. And his lips are so gentle and enticing, with their sugary kisses that you lean into because you’ve never felt something so wonderful. 

He nibbles and kisses on your exposed skin, teeth grazing across the teeniest bit of cleavage showing from your borrowed dress. So far, you had done an amazing job at keeping the sounds he elicited from leaving your lips, however this once, you couldn’t hold the breathy mewl that escapes. 

Mingyu freezes, eyes slowly rising up until they meet your face. 

“Oh my god, do it again,” He huffs against your sensitive skin.

“W-What?” You ask.

“That sound you just did, god, you sound so fucking hot,” And he slurs against your chest. Not because of alcohol, no, he had sobered up on the windy car ride, but intoxicated on the effortless warmth that you exude. 

You lit a flame on his chest that burns incandescently with nothing but greedy lust, burning its way through his body with an unfathomable hunger that could only be satisfied by your sweetest moans. 

He struggles with the buttons that decorate the cleavage of your dress, trying to undo them and seriously questioning his soberness when they do not separate.

“It’s got a zipper,” You admit, but he looks so relieved. 

Mingyu leans back, pulling you by your hand until you crash into his chest and he can finally reach the back of your dress. You’re breathing so heavily against his skin, your soft hands grazing along the nape of his neck, fingers tangling into his hair; He can hardly focus on the task at hand. 

His right hand runs under the skirt of your dress, clawing at your flesh with heavy hands, almost as if he wanted to hold you fully in his touch. Toying with the band of your panties, he sighs, watching your chest heave at the contact.

You pull your dress sleeves off, letting the fabric bundle around your waist, though you can’t be arsed to properly take it off. Mingyu does not mind at all, no, he’s absolutely hypnotised by the sight of your tits.

Shoving his face onto your cleavage, he’s pulling you closer into his body by your hips, sucking love bites on your unblemished skin. Leaving a trace of him that would last longer than your moments together, a mark of momentary possession that allowed his brain to indulge.  

And you’re contaminated with his boldness, clawing at his shirt with relentless anticipation. You suddenly have this peculiar urge to feel his skin on yours, unlike anything you’ve ever felt before. 

Mingyu smiles against your skin, finding your hands that touch him fervently, wrapping his fingers around yours. And for a brief moment, you feel as though you might’ve wronged him, but he pulls your hands to wrap around his neck as he finds your lips again while his hands are pulling on the hem of his shirt.

The kiss is only parted once, when he pulls the white shirt above his shoulders and discards it somewhere across the soft grass; completely unimportant at the moment. 

And god, Mingyu is divinely sculpted with defined pecs and hardened abs that tense under your touch. You sigh at the dreamy sight of his tan skin completely exposed for your viewing only. 

He relishes in the adoring look you exhibit, eyes dripping wholly in an exquisite hunger you’ve never felt before; And he coerces this scandalous reaction from you with pride. Your hands are eager to touch him, so you do. You run your fingers down his supple skin, fingernails grazing in teasing lines. 

Smoothing out your hands up his chest, you find his neck and pull him toward your lips, wanting to feel his bare skin on yours, stealing his heat until your bodies are running at the exact same temperature.

His hands, large and calloused from playing professional sports, lay heavy on your thighs. Mingyu pulls at the waistband of your panties and takes a second to lock eyes with you, guaranteeing your approval. 

You can only hope you’ve got the good pair of underwear on. 

But it doesn’t matter, because he pulls it off at once, discarding it above his shoulder to fall somewhere along his shirt. 

Your dress is bunched up around your waist and you should’ve felt more embarrassed to be completely exposed before him but Mingyu looks at you with such reverent eyes, taking every inch of abundant flesh with care. 

“Fuck–” He groans, eyes glued to the spot between your legs. You can’t even close them in an attempt at modesty because he is standing right there and not going anywhere. 

He runs a slender finger across your slit, breathing heavier at the sight of moisture that pools along the lips. 

When you bite your lower lip, unknowingly coquettish and staring at him all bright eyed and pleading, Mingyu let out a strained sound that could barely be classified as a groan. 

“Can I?” 

His finger dances around your slit and he looks unsure. You nod with a soft “Yeah.”

Nothing like anything you’ve felt or done before.

That’s the only way to explain the feeling of having his long finger prodding at your hole with gentle movement. He soon joins another one, stretching you out with delicate scissoring motions, he’s not focused on making you cum, he wants to prepare you for him. 

And that very thought makes your stomach tighten in anticipation. 

You don’t even realise when your hips are thrusting against his hand, matching his pace. And you’re definitely not thinking when you ask in a gasp:

“A… Another one–”

Mingyu stills. 

“You don’t fuckin–” He leans forward, forehead flushed to yours, uneven breath tickling your sensitive lips. “You have no idea what you’re doin’ to me, babygirl.” 

You feel your body consumed with an unstoppable amount of confidence, knowing the grip you hold over Mingyu at this moment, you’re dizzy with power.

“Show me, then,” The lazy smile that finds your red stained lips is a sight to bear.

He smirks, knowing he will make you eat your words soon. 

As he pulls his fingers from your cunt, there is a thick string of arousal that coats his skin in a sinful glaze. With a confident smirk, Mingyu 

But he doesn’t expect when you lean forward, letting your tongue run all over, cleaning his fingers and tasting first-hand the pleasure he brings you. 

Oh, fucking hell. 

Mingyu could’ve cum right then and there. 

You’re giggling as he fumbles with his belt, he wishes he could’ve stopped to appreciate such a sweet sound, but he was way too horny to think about anything other than plunging his cock into you at once. 

When the night breeze hits his throbbing erection, Mingyu shivers.

You’re chewing on your lower lip, equal parts excited and terrified at his sheer size. He is large. And fat, with bulging veins running down his length and a thick head that’s trickling with pre-cum. 

“Oh my god.” 

Mingyu cowers at your gasp, “What?”

“You’re huge, fuck.” 

Oh, your praise runs straight down to his erection. His chest puffs out with absolute pride.

“Do you have a condom?” It was a silly question when aimed toward Mingyu, of course he did. He always does. 

He fishes out his wallet and pulls a fresh packet, tearing the foil apart with his teeth and pulling the pre-lubed rubber. Mingyu is about to roll it over himself when your hands find his. 

“Can I–?” You ask and he almost sighs. 

He watches you with bated breath. You’re delicate, small hands quietly rolling the condom over his seemingly unending length until you’ve reached the base. Your fingers linger in curiosity and he can’t help but to find it adorable.

Properly protected, Mingyu grasps his length as you position yourself better on the hood, legs wide open, dripping in anticipation. Oh, you couldn’t fault his desire to tease, could you?

Running his tip over and over your drenched core, he groans. You’re clenching around nothing, hands fidgeting with the bunched up fabric of your dress. Mingyu has a stupid confident smirk on his lips, watching you squirm at his minimal touch. 

“Mingyu!” You whine when he brushes against your clit. Reaching your right hand, you claw at his heaving chest. He doesn’t budge, however.

“What?” He plays dumb, toying with your hole. 

“F-Fuck me? Please…?”

Fuck seven point five, you were a ten, a twenty, a one-hundred, no fucking numbers could quantify your allure, no. You could charm your way out of any crime if you pursed your brows and pouted your lips like this, smeared red lipstick painting your soft skin, saliva dripping down your chin so indecently. 

And your hand was still, caressing his stomach, like a succubus ready to pounce and devour him like a five course-meal. Consume him whole, body and soul until he has nothing left to give. He would let you have him, any way you wanted, you just needed to say the word.

Just needed to let his name fall out of your pretty lips in a breathy gasp and he would be at your call. 

Mingyu enters you slowly, stretching out every millimetre of your walls with a burning feeling of fullness.

“Fuck–” He groans, “Relax for me, baby.” 

You take a deep breath, allowing your body to relax as much as your brain allows at the moment and he takes the chance to stretch you out further, hips pistoning forward. 

Mingyu feels the pleasure seep into his body in one fell swoop, dissolving in his bloodstream, filling his lungs with heat. You’re snug around him, clamping down on his sensitive erection, pulsing alive and throbbing. 

“Are you in?” You ask, not risking looking down and disappointing yourself at the remaining length. Mingyu is hovering just inches above you, hand taut on the hood, using every bit of restraint imaginable to not pound you into tomorrow.

“Just a little more,” He breathes out, head coming to rest on the crook of your neck as his hip comes to meet yours.

He allows you a moment to let the stretch lessen, to allow your discomfort to slowly morph into pleasure. And soon, you’ve got your arms wrapped tight around his broad shoulders, his almond eyes have completely surrendered to the dark gaze of lust, devouring you alive with their insatiable hunger. 

“You can move now…” You breathe out, fingers tangling around his silky smooth hair. 

“You sure?”

“Oh, yeah.” He smiles against your lips, hips finding themselves a languid, slow and torturous pace until you’re begging for more. 

The way his body feels against your is something unforgettably wonderful, every curve of his torso giving into your own, every inch of you filling into the gaps of his in an imperfectly perfect little puzzle.

With every thrust, you’re pulling at the roots of his hair, gaining yourself sharp hisses from Mingyu. Though he enjoys the tugging, leans into your scratching, presents his lips to you with total eagerness.

He fastens his movement, thrusting into you with sheer fervour. His hands are exploring your body, kneading at abundant flesh with excited fingers that leave trails of crescent moons shapes along your skin. 

Out here, in the middle of nowhere, caressed by the breeze and the moonlight, you’re whispering his name in an unanswered prayer, letting the syllables dance around in your tongue before you let them slip away into the starry night sky to be forgotten. 

You’re clenching around him with pleasure, feeling the knot in your belly tighten and tighten. 

“Feels– So good,” Mingyu hisses against your kisses, hips not stuttering even once. 

Brain an absolute mush, you can’t find any words to respond other than strained moans.

“So– Fucking good…” Nuzzling along your jaw, he grazes his teeth on your neck, painting your skin with love bites.

“I–” You gasp, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him closer. He doesn’t even need you to finish your sentence to know what you meant.

“Yeah? Me too– Let go, baby.” 

Digging his hands into your hips, Mingyu hurries his thrusts, hitting your sweet spot again and again until you’re melting in his arms, singing praise of his name with your candied voice and luring him into his own orgasm. 

He leans forward, capturing your lips in a harsh kiss, hips slowing down as he comes undone, tainting the condom with heavy spurts. 

You’re both gasping in complicity, blanketed in the summer night.

Once the condom is discarded, Mingyu lays by your side and pulls you into his heaving chest. You both lay there in comfortable silence, letting the orgasms fade out into strained sleepiness. 

“Will you promise to remember me?” You ask, watching the twinkling stars that lay before you two.

“Where did that come from?” Mingyu chuckles. 

“Do you promise?” Your voice is a soft whisper that dissipates into a shaky, hesitant breath, “Do you promise to remember me?”

He laughs, but your eyes hold such urgency, he can not ignore the human need to sympathise with your woes. “...Why– Why do you say that?”

“Because…” You sigh, “Because I’ll remember you, – this,” Hands vaguely gesturing toward your conjoined bodies, “For the rest of my life… And I’m afraid even a decade from now, you won’t be able to recall my name or what I look like.” 

It’s serious, it’s a concern that has plagued your mind since the moment you laid down. However, Mingyu can only focus on the fact that you’ve assumed the two of you won’t see each other again, ever. 

Leaning forward, his slight smile does nothing to hide the clearly confused look that is plastered across his handsome face, “It’s like you plan to disappear. We’ll see each other again.”

You shake your head, “What are the chances, Mingyu? We’re just… Fleeting seconds in centuries. What are the chances alumni – Not even from the same major, – will meet again?”

“What if we promise to meet?” Oh, he’s absolutely set on it, but you find it adorable; this fervorous intent on defying the hands fate has laid before you.

“Then, what happens when we’re bored of each other?” You chew on your lower lip, but he discards your argument. 

“That might not happen,” He points out.

“We’re too different. It defeats fate to force it,” You sigh.

Mingyu doesn’t have an answer right now, but he’s seeking one with furrowed brows and pouted lips.

“Remember me like this, no wait–” You run your fingers through tangled hair in an attempt to fix the messing he’d done before. “Done. Like this.” You flash a smile, posing your body in the best angle it has, to construct the perfect memory.

But Mingyu sees your flustered cheeks, smeared lipstick that leaves behind a stained trail of hot red over swollen-kissed lips. Sleep hazed eyes that gaze at him with such warmth, that hold a longing he wouldn’t be able to grasp for another decade. You liked him, you truly did. And that’s why you would never allow your memories of him to be tainted by the grasps of time. 

You’d forever remember his dorky smile and dad jokes, his clumsy hands and warmth.

And Mingyu doesn’t realise it yet, but he would forever remember you as someone who marked him forever. To disregard the cards you’re dealt, make your own memories, remember it all fondly. 

Maybe in a couple years, you will have a wild dream about this very moment, a fuzzy memory that leaves behind a nostalgic smile that will follow you for the day, reminding you of this perfect feeling. You’ll look back with wistful thinking of the good days. 

And will keep it close to your heart.

Where it belongs.

You thought about it often the day after, but days turned into weeks, turned into months, turned into years. And a decade later, you found yourself having a dream about the distant memory, and the sweet nostalgic feeling accompanied you throughout your routine. 

After university, you had found a simple job in your area that sufficed the need for experience and filled the empty stop in your resume. Though it was far from fulfilling. There was no creative liberty allowed and you often found yourself overworked and constricted by tight deadlines. 

The dream of your own line had yet to die, however. That’s why you had volunteered for such a demanding gig: designing for a historical movie. Luckily, your resume had allowed you a good position, overseeing the wardrobe and designing the pieces that would be forever captured on film.

The main character, a pretty young thing with curly hair, was extremely excited to work with you and almost cried when she saw the dresses she would be wearing. 

Today, you would be fitting for the lead male role and designing him some characteristic James Dean style clothes. Your assistant led him to your office while you were gathering your materials. 

When you enter the room and you’re met with those gorgeous almond eyes, you can’t help the stupid smile that finds your lips.

“This is the lead actor, Kim Mingyu,” Your assistant explains. 

“Yeah, I know,” You laugh. 

He stands up, a charming smirk plastered on his pretty face, “Hey.”

Your assistant looks at you with a puzzled look, “You know each other?”

Mingyu nods. 

“Yeah, I never forget a pretty face.” 

[umbrvx]

i like ur art. its great and interesting!! i really like your artstyle and i really like the way u draw hsy, yjh, and kdj. you captured them so well in terms of vibes/character. also i was wondering do u have any advice to improve on drawing anatomy/poses/faces?

wahh thank you so much...!! i feel like im still trying to figure them out in a lot of ways but i do really like ironing out my visual interpretations of them so im really happy to hear if people like what im coming up with

also anon you super activated the part of my brain that cant help but yap about art theory... i spent some time writing as many tips as i could think of. unfortunately i dont think i have the time currently to do a fully illustrated guide, but ill still try to include some visual examples:

[incoming wall of text lol]

ANATOMY:

to preface i think that like 100% of the time you should reference a real life photo for anatomy rather than other artwork or drawn references. the best way to learn the body is by… well, actually looking at the body! but also artwork is informed by a person's own artistic ability/stylization choices/sense of idealism, so while looking at art can help give you an idea on how to break down forms, i think you would be best served observing real life references. i labor on this point because i do think that having over relied on drawn reference material and avoiding photographic references on the basis of not being interested on realism hindered me as a largely self-taught artist as a kid, so i want to encourage live or photographic reference since anatomy is one of the foundations from which everything else is built on. that being the case, all of my doodles i'm doing for this are going to be for the sake of example rather than to strictly say how you should or should not be drawing something

-> when you are doing a study of a photo, just try copying it as best as you can. pay close attention to the natural lines and shapes of the body -- the S-curve shape of the leg, the triangular shape of the forearm, the trapezoid shape of hips/thighs when they sit, and so on. note where the body folds or squishes or pulls; how mass will shift to accommodate a certain position. if a form is hard to visualize, focus on the negative space and carve that out, rather than strictly drawing the positive space.

don't expect to get it perfect the first time. in fact, iterate on it multiple times to build understanding. try doing it to a timer of 15, then 10, then 5 minutes. doing this will force you to have to prioritize the most important shapes. you can help reinforce this by using a thicker brush or a brush with no pen pressure (no joke ms paint works great for this) to force you to be loose and not become preoccupied with details.

-> pinterest is a great resource for finding and compiling photo reference material

-> organic shapes are curved, so embracing/emphasizing that (particularly for the extremities) can help make your drawings look more natural or fluid

POSES: -> it all begins & ends with contrapposto… you've probably heard of the line of action, which is related. if you're offsetting the shoulders & hips, it: makes poses more natural, more dynamic, and helps the pose sort of "draw itself" -- the legs will follow the direction of the hips, and you can use the arms to reinforce the angles

-> context is key. don't ask: what pose should i draw? instead ask: what do i want this character to convey? what does happiness, anger, sadness, and so forth look on this particular character? how do they express that? consider these drawings: these are both ostensibly the same pose, but look at how changing just the shape of the spine recontextualizes it.

for more on pose design i recommend watching Tracer & Pose Design 101 - The Animation of Overwatch by New Frame Plus (i promise this is a genuinely super informative video).

to expand on this, in general, all of the components of a piece (background, composition, pose, etc.) are best considered in conjunction rather than separately. it is difficult to choose a pose and then choose a background because they are missing the context that would make a piece cohesive. when you are planning a drawing, try to begin with your general concept/idea/prompt and then do several thumbnails -- small and quick doodles that should take no longer than 5 minutes each -- developing it: you may find that the pose and bg will naturally fall into place.

-> silhouette: the degree to which you need to push this varies by style but generally speaking the pose needs to be readable; i.e. instantly recognizable. try to keep important elements of the gesture outside of the silhouette. for example, if the character is pointing, keep that arm out of the interior of the body. the same pose can be more or less readable or dynamic depending on where the character is pointed in relation to the viewer

-> exaggeration!! goes along with the previous point. push the pose as much as you can (and what makes sense for your style) to communicate your pose as clearly and as intensely as possible.

FACES: -> i highly recommend the app Handy Art Reference Tool by Belief Engine for all things related to drawing hands/heads/feet. its on both android and ios. it isn't free -- it costs around $3 -- but that is seriously such a small price to pay for the amount of utility you get out of it: the hands models are fully poseable (there's also pose presets), you can rotate the head models however you want, and there is 3-point customizable lighting. it is really helpful for getting those super tricky and hyperspecific head angles that you just can't find a real life reference for. that being said given that there's only a few different head model variants, bear in mind how differences in features can affect what exactly a face will look like in those angles.

-> i still recommend doing studies of real people. as with anything else, learning generalized proportions is important, even if you are going to later on bend or break this depending on style

-> as for my own approach... it kind of depends on the style i'm doing at that particular time. for my paintings (what id consider my main style) i approach a character with a few real-world features in mind and then apply them to the best of my ability. it usually will take a few iterations to land on an interpretation i really like as i try out different things. a lot of the face also gets developed during rendering rather than through my initial sketch too, as i adjust for lighting and correct proportions on the fly

(look how much this image changes between sketch and render lol)

if i were to recommend anything, i think it would be to nail down your most distinct features first -- the ones that will make your character's face recognizable, and could apply regardless of art style. in my case with kim dokja, i knew when i first started drawing him that i wanted to give him a longer face and down-turned eyes. when i decided to do the disco elysium inspired set, in which i was breaking out of my comfort zone by letting go of any idealizations focusing on conveying characterization/making them feel "real", i landed on some more specific traits (defined lower lids/perpetually tired eyes/eyebags(?) the crease there idk how to describe it) which i continue to try to evoke even if im drawing something much more cartoony

(pictured are my first kdj -> disco elysium style -> my post de-style kdj)

as a side note, this very same process changed yjh much more dramatically

(^ that first guy is mad someone else)

those handful of key features will be the thing that you can then take into a simpler style and simplify or exaggerate to whatever degree suits you. you can also play with shape theory (square = sturdy/solid, circle = natural/smooth/welcoming, triangle = energetic/dangerous). shape theory doesn't necessarily need to be so rigid -- you can combine shapes as you please to convey whatever vibe you're going for -- so please think of it as a tool that may help rather than a rigid law you must abide by.

-> expressions: exaggerate them. thats kind of it!! make it big!!! you wanna be able to really feel those emotions. the principles of squash & stretch help here: think of how the muscles move when you, say, open the eyes or mouth really big. as one side of the face stretches open, the other side squashes to accommodate it

even without changing the position of the jaw here, moving the nose and scrunching the eyes will sell the expression

you can also play with squash/stretch to break proportions to sell a feeling more

since expressions are just, well, poses for the face, everything else for poses applies here (and facial expressions & pose should also be considered in tandem). while the term contrapposto itself just refers to the offset of the shoulders & hips, the similar principle of asymmetry also carries here as that will help make the expression a bit more dynamic.

and i think... that's it!! all i can think of at least. i hope it helps anon!!!

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

Hi Slug! If you've listened to the full songs in the new EP, have your opinions of the trailers changed? Also, the new dramas are HEAVY, so if you've listened to them, I'm curious to know what you thought of them. As always, thanks for the translations!

I like listening to Hypmic music on shuffle during workouts, so I've most of the new songs in full by now. I don't think my opinions have changed majorly. I really enjoy Black and White, and Move Your Body Till You Die is a phenomenal work of art.

As for the drama tracks... truth be told, I haven't even listened to the one that came out in April, so I'll read through some TLs now and record thoughts below the cut:

No One Lives Forever, translation courtesy of shinseimcd on Twitter

"Anti-Party of Words faction" Huh, like a government faction? I'm surprised the PoW allows other political parties or at the very least open dissenters. There was talk in some chapters of the manga of them punishing protesters, not to mention the way they crushed the TDD rebellion in its primacy. Either way, interesting, and I hope we learn more about this as time goes on.

Ichijiku and Nemu baking together is really cute lol

I love the way Ichijiku's whole personality shifts around Otome. Gap moe (????)

It's a cool tidbit that Nemu tends to prefer plainer outfits, as that tracks with how she dresses in TDD. Also, Nemu and Ichijiku shopping together is kind of bittersweet, since Ichijiku is clearly using Nemu as a replacement figure for her deceased sister...

Ichijiku secretly wanting to fall on the cute side of the cute/elegant spectrum is a pretty classic trope but a fun detail that's been hinted at already, since we've seen that she keeps a bow collection.

??? Rei's lab is on Battleship Island? Ohhhhhhhhh this is why Twitter was blowing up with controversy right after this track released... The IRL Battleship Island was home to forced labor of Korean and Chinese citizens during the twentieth-century push of Japanese imperialism which was later, iirc, denied in part or totally by the Japanese government to immense international backlash. Using this as a setpiece for Hypmic is oddly provocative, and I can't think why the writers would want to do that. On a much lighter note, this is also a headscratcher to me because isn't this a UNESCO World Heritage Site? The whole point of that is conservation, and I don't think building a clone lab counts as conservation... Unless they're implying the clone lab was built prior to the 1950s? Hm. Let's not go down this rabbit hole.

"I would like all of the True Hypnosis Mics. As well as all the Amemura clones." Oh? Are there more still alive? I thought Honobono ordered the death of the last remaining three... Well, that scraps a piece of writing I was working on LOL

"Your biometric data is required to access the mic storage facility" So how did the PoW get in?

Her? Heart stop beating? Oh for fuck's sake, is Rei's wife also in a coma? How many fucking characters are in a coma in this series... Whichever mfer invents a device that restores people from comas with no significant brain damage will make a fortune in this universe

"And I won't try anything funny." I do not believe this for one instant

Hmm, the framing of Otome planning this and the way she brushed past talk of countermeasures for the anti-PoW faction implies that Rei is heading this faction.

Oh, so they couldn't get past the biometric locks after all, I see.

I strongly dislike the idea of thirty clones for thirty mics and the nonchalance in which Rei goes, "Yeah, I'll ship them off to Chuuouku" like they're a parcel and not human beings, but that's my personal bone to pick w/ this character and setting.

I was intrigued by the notion of the PoW holding caucuses, implying there's some sort of democratic process in terms of choosing their own party members or positions, but the JPN audio doesn't specify that exactly.

"We no longer require the cooperation of Jakurai Jinguji." I know that this took like four years in real time, but in terms of the Hypmic universe... I mean, Jakurai didn't even do anything for them, did he? He went through all that moral dilemma for nothing, as far as I can tell. (I get that it sets up the reconciliation with Ramuda, but that's it? Seriously?) That's disappointing to roll it back so quickly.

"During the Division Rap Battle, the people of our nation will be focused on the tournament, giving us the opportunity to use the True Hypnosis Mics to mind hack the Anti-Party of Words faction who stand in our way, ultimately pulling them over to our side." Otome always has the most batshit plans. God bless. A consequence of her needing to drive the plot forward is that she'll say some of the truly silliest things I've ever heard. What a complete misappropriation of government funds lol. Also... is this stating there are only 30 dissidents (????), or can the True Hypmics brainwash more than one person at a time?

"Once that is complete, we will move on to other countries. And when we have taken over the world, then, in the true sense of the word, peace through the power of words will be achieved." LMAO? I'm sorry, this isn't very considerate of me, but in my initial impressions of this, I am well and truly gobsmacked. What in the actual fuck. How many clones will die for this? How much money will it cost? How does she think she stands any chance at governing so many people across such an area, even with a downsized population after WWIII? Homie... Never change, Hypmic, you are the wildest.

I can't believe Ichijiku is so whipped she's willing to go along with an absolutely nonsensical plan for world domination. Ma'am, Otome is not going to fuck you, and even if she is, it's not worth it! Ma'am!!! I'm sorry, I'm being petty and not giving this a lot of in-depth thought but LORD this is a trip on first read.

A FUCKING CLONE UPRISING AT THE HANDS OF REI? HAHAHAHAHA.

"World domination, huh, what a joke." Man after my own heart.

I'm actually quite interested in how this "mics are disabled forever" thing works. I guess the mics have a kill switch in them? I vaguely recall someone saying that in the manga years and years ago... Oh yeah, it was Ramuda in TDD 12. Huh, interesting if that was intentional foreshadowing (I'm not sure if I want to be that charitable). At any rate, can't everyone in the room just get new mics? Or does it affect their speakers and such too? I'm curious how that works, like if you build an affinity with a certain mic or some nonsense.

"looks like we won't be having any Division Rap Battles from here on out." Ah, and this is why the other half of Twitter was up in arms like "No more DRB??? End of Hypmic??" I guess.

The Block Party tracks are quite long, and since it's getting rather late for me, I'm going to leave off here for the moment. I'd like to continue this at my next available opportunity... WHAT a ride. Not sure when that will be, but I will add to this with a reblog when I can. And I know it's been months since this track came out, but I would love to hear other people's thoughts. I wasn't around much when it first launched, so I missed most of the commentary on it.

[thewakingcloak]

The State of Things Present

this post was available for patrons a week early! please consider supporting me over on patreon!

I kept trying to make this post fancier and better and more engaging, and then I realized I was doing that thing where I make myself too overwhelmed to actually finish and post it. The other thing was I kept gunning for a once-a-week posting, and uh… yeah that's not sustainable. So here we go!

The Ghost of Spacefarer Present appears before you He whispers, very quietly, yet in a voice that resonates: "Time to resurrect the Spacefarer"

Ok so the spacefarer (me??) was very tired, but he's awake now and doing things!

Life status

We moved! My wife and kids and I packed up and headed some miles south of our previous house. It was a risk for sure. We didn't know how things would pan out. We really needed to get away from our old environment, our old town, our old house. We loved that house, and we'd said so to each other many times even as we were halfheartedly searching for a new one. But at some point that house had become too burdened with bad memories and traumas, not to mention that after the pandemic, we had no more real roots there. Everyone had moved away, the communities we were involved with had disbanded or changed. And anyway, my wife would be starting a new teaching job down south.

We were fortunate enough to find a new house we loved, and fortunate enough to be in a position where we could actually make the move. I'm aware this is a privilege, given the economy and the market, and so I can only express my thankfulness and consider it a blessing, especially as we healed through our grief.

I have an improved office now! This is where I work on my day job (software/web dev) and my unday job (Studio Spacefarer). With my genetics stacked against me, but also with my desire to be able to keep up with my kids and be there for my family, I collected a standing desk, a walking pad treadmill thing, and an ergonomic keyboard. I'm walking or at least standing most of the day now, which has made a surprising difference already.

I was gonna post a wider view of the office, but my 3yo son ran up while I was taking pictures and started "working" (mashing the keypad), so this is automatically the better pic. Them's the rules.

Anyway, in short, we made it, and it hasn't been a smooth ride the entire time, but it has been well worth it. I've been able to get back into gamedev, which has been a huge boon to my mental health too.

Speaking of… (ghostly drumroll)

Game status!

The good stuff. Here's where I'm at presently with Episode III!

The game is completable from start to end (definitely NOT feature complete)

Jumping, swimming, and dashing all work like a charm and are super fun

Three enemy types have been added, including custom A* pathfinding for the sea monster

Two new collection mechanics (one is heart containers, the other will be a small surprise)

Depth sorting and fake-3D, as mentioned previously, which lets me do lots of fun effects

Day/night are now on a new system, and cave darkness is now a thing (I tried to implement this in PD2 but couldn't figure it out)

Palette swapping for night and lighting effects now uses GameMaker's built in layer effects

Much of the game is now decorated

Updated the game's palette to be more pleasing

Better borderless windowed mode, frame toggling, etc. (I'd made a post about a third party plugin I used to do this previously, but not long after that, GameMaker added an official setting to be toggleable at runtime, so I switched to that… much easier lol)

New audio library which has been a MASSIVE boon (Juju's Vinyl)

New flexible debug/inspector mode which allows me to change values on the fly more easily

State machine rewrite using structs instead of data structures--extremely flexible and less  error-prone (in fact the data structures here were the #1 cause of crashes in Episodes I and II)

Save system rewrite, also using structs instead of data structures (thus fixing the #2 cause of crashes in the first two episodes)

Adjusted the way walls get displayed in interiors--will make a post on this later

Lots and lots and lots and lots of bug fixes

Post end status!

I'm not exactly sure how to wrap this up lol, but y'all can be encouraging me, if you have the emotional space to do so! There's still a lot left to do on PD3, and it can be very daunting at times.

Next post up will be looking forward to the future of Studio Spacefarer. I'm very excited about this! Keep an eye out!

[002yb]

Damian: I've got to dads, so I work twice as hard on Father's Day presentations at school.

Bruce: Why would you want another dad???? I'm more than enough!

Damian: ... 🙂

Bruce: ... Damian, you were talking about me, right? I am one of your dads, right??

Damian: 🙂

Meanwhile, Dick and Jason framing a drawing of Damian to put in the living room of their apartment: 😊😊

(Sorry, I love Bruce as a character, but I hate him as a dad)

While I'm not particular about good/bad dad Bruce, I'm positively feral over DickJay being parental figures to Damian LOL. Like, sorry B but step aside for my boys raising their boy omggggggg. <3

Before I get too carried away though, let's just take a little journey to Damian learning about Father's Day for the first time. And at first he's very (・_・ヾ over it because what a useless holiday. Obviously every day is a day to respect your father?? But then he sees from his peers that it's more of a celebration of paternal bonds and having a dedicated time to really reflect on that and express gratitude for all the little things that are often overlooked.

The first person he'd think of would be Dick because like. Bruce might be Dami's father but Dick is his dad. (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ) There's a very special bond there that was hard won. Damian came to respect this man because of Dick's actions as opposed to familial hierarchy.  And Dick is just - very kind. Patient. Caring. Always there, showing up. Dick taught Dami so much on how to be a person and inspires him so much on the sort of man Dami wants to grow to be. Just someone reliable and stalwart, with fortitudinous and steadfast resolve and goodness. FFFFFFFF I've got feelings I can't. (*꒦ິㅂ꒦ີ) Like I don't think Damian would really express all of that, but fuck if he doesn't feel it, you know?

And Jason. Ahhhhh my love for DamiJay will persist always. I love the thought of them meeting in the League. And Jason being a sort of caretaker for Damian that Damian comes to adore and cherish. Because Jason showed him kindness. For a boy who experienced so little of that growing up, I imagine it would leave such a strong impression on him.  It wouldn’t be something he would ever forget.  That kindness persists even after they reconnect, too.  And like.  Jason wouldn’t remember that time with Damian in the League, but the kindness would be the same.  Maybe a little more gruff compared to the protective softness and honesty from his more catatonic state, but Damian would recognize it instantly.  In a heartbeat.  Contrary as Jason can act, it never fails that he’s protective and looking out for Damian.  Be that with his general health or with keeping him safe/well-prepared for the dangerous lives they live.  Jason is dangerous, himself, but Damian knows that there’s nowhere safer for him to be.  Not that Damian needs protecting, obviously, but the point stands.

Just.  These two men would have made such an impact in Damian’s life.  They would do it without any real familial obligation, too.  Damian would recognize that they owe him nothing, but they chose to put up with him anyway.  Regardless of how difficult and ornery he can be, they stay beside him.  And they’re not perfect.  In fact, Damian thinks they’re hopeless in a lot of ways, but they’re good, strong, kind people.  Damian respects them wholeheartedly (though again, he keeps it largely to himself).

So yes.  Father’s day comes around and once Damian understands it, it would become important to him to partake in the tradition.  He would put so much thought and effort into a school presentation that would likely really confuse his classmates and maybe his teacher, too.  Because they’re well aware that Damian is a Wayne so why isn’t he talking about Bruce?  And omgggggg the teacher gently trying to explain that it’s okay that Damian didn’t understand the assignment and Damian just !!! because he understood perfectly.  And then he’d proceed to eloquently defend himself and tell everyone to fuck off and that their critical thinking sucks.  Which would lead to a guardian being called which, multiple scenarios:

1)  Bruce making the visit and having a talk with Damian and having it explained to him that Damian respects Bruce as his father because he’s his biological father, but Dick is different.  So is Jason.  And Bruce having to sit with that and really think about life and children and fatherhood.  Maybe it’d inspire some more effort outside of patrol and whatnot.  (Sorry I’m not very familiar with their dynamic so I’m gonna leave this basic af ahahaha)

2) Dick makes the visit and Damian, uncharacteristic as it is for him, legit slouches in his chair in an attempt to disappear because admin explains what happened.  The ‘misunderstanding’ and Dick just (*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ) because that’s the sweetest fucking thing he’s ever heard.  It’d catch Dick so off guard but omggggg he’d be wounded with endearment.  So (*꒦ິㅂ꒦ີ) that he would never recover or stop smiling or feeling proud.  And of course he’d back Damian up.  Because yeah, he gets this posh school is traditional with its family values, but that’s just not the case for a lot of kids so.  How disappointing that such a fine educational institution would disparage a kid for having different circumstances in life.  Good to know that nothing has changed since Dick attended xx years ago.  And admin loves Dick even after so much they’d apologize and play their part and then overcorrect and Damian would OTL

3) Jason makes the visit and Damian is equally as embarrassed as per above.  Jason would be very startled over being included as someone Damian counts as a dad though.  The blush would be so soft and sweet and for a bit Jason would be absolutely speechless and (∗∕ ∕•̥̥̥̥∕ω∕•̥̥̥̥∕).  Then he’d throwdown with admin and they’d both get kicked out LOL.

4) Dick and Jason both break down the doors of Gotham Academy and 2 & 3 both happen, but it moreso ends with them getting kicked out.  Surprisingly not because Jason is difficult or combative, but because Dick is (ʘ‿ʘ✿) because someone would inevitably blame Jason and like.  No.  Nope.  Catch these hands motherfu-

Getting back on track here.  No solid end.  Just Damian being a bit shy over being called out like he was.  And Dick maybe walking around looking skyward because no of course he’s not crying; he’s openly weeping these are happy tears wth.  Ngl I think Dick would be the most overwhelmed by everything.  Because his relationship with Damian started so roughly and then became something so amazing.  Then it was taken away when Bruce came back and Dick was convinced that was it.  He thought he was the only one that felt that bond.  And ahhhhhhhh I’ve wounded myself.  Help.  FFFFFFFFF.

Meanwhile Damian would just be like, ‘compose yourself, Grayson.  You’re embarrassing yourself.  And me.’

And Jason would laugh because for real?  Big aww.  It’s not often Dick gets overwhelmed so it’d just be so sweet hahaha.

And yes.  Once they’re both composed (because Jason would be overwhelmed by those heartwarming feelings too, obviously), they would absolutely do the most with all of Damian’s tender affection for them.  (*´︶｀*)

My fav thought is DickJay showing up at Gotham Academy dressed like absolute fools in matching sets of something that they mismatched with each other.  I’m talking embarrassing crop top sweat pants combo and long shirt booty short combo that reads some form of ‘Daddy’ or ‘Dad’ or ‘Damian’s Dad’ while waiting to pick this loser up from school and Damian is just (≡ε≡；)

[fox-flux]

the item-to-UI spiral

i just recently touched up this animation (sorry for the dropped frames):

[EDIT OH MY GOD LOL NO ONE TOLD ME IT WASN'T ANIMATING, IT'S THE WHOLE POINT!! OF THE POST!!]

and i wrote about how it works on cohost so i'm crossposting here and hoping tumblr doesn't chew my markdown up too badly!

now, i admit upfront: i did zero research on this. maybe there is a cool clever way to do a parametric spiral that isn't this. my suspicion is that any "simpler" alternative would be a trip through the polar plane and involve a bunch of trig, and we're game developers here, so we do everything with vectors god dammit

the problem

here is what i decided i want from the beginning:

when you pick up the key (or a handful of other items, but mainly the key), it animates moving smoothly into the UI.

the motion should not be a straight line, because that's boring.

the ideal seems to be a sort of spiral around and outwards from the player, which ⓐ feels like a congratulatory motion of "sparkly thing swirling around you" and ⓑ would still roughly end in a straight shot towards the final position in the UI, which is good as a dramatic finish to a motion.

(i'm pretty sure i did not know that i wanted a spiral from the beginning; it sort of emerged as an obvious thing to try. i first added this ages ago though so i'm not completely sure)

so how do we do a spiral if we don't want to use trig? my answer was to make this bad boy parametric. you know, that thing where you have x(t) and y(t) separately, and t is a hidden time variable. but i don't want to control x and y here; that would make everything radically different depending on where the key starts. so i went for a different coordinate system:

the original position of the key is the origin, and the final resting place in the UI is the point (0, 1). (note that as part of the UI, the animation happens in screen space, not world space; i immediately subtract the key's position from the camera offset and only work in screen coordinates from then on.)

to avoid confusion with screen or world coordinates, let's call these new axes u and v, where u is the perpendicular axis and v is the orthogonal axis (the one pointing towards the destination). though it doesn't really matter which is which since i'm about to treat them separately.

converting from uv back to screen coordinates is easy; one unit of v is the original delta vector, dest - source. one unit of u is a vector perpendicular to that, which is trivial to compute (swap the coordinates and negate one of them). so screen coordinates are

u * delta:perpendicular() + v * delta

[seriously? there's no, just, regular monospace text styling? —ed]

which is like no effort at all. so now i can think in terms of u and v and not even worry about the screen, or the distance, or anything except the shape of the animation! that's great. and now i'm in a good place to split this messy 2D problem into two 1D problems.

the orthogonal axis

first i want to think about the key's movement directly towards the UI. as an Artist™, i have a tenuous grasp of a few wisps of animation basics, so my instinct is to make this feel real good by adding a little anticipation. that means a "wind-up", where the key actually starts out moving away from the UI. i think this adds emphasis because ⓐ "backwards to forwards" is a more dramatic change than "still to forwards" and ⓑ backing up first means the important part of the motion now covers a greater distance. (the forwards motion also now has to be faster to cover the distance in the same amount of time, which feels more dramatic.)

so how do i do that? i am but a simple fox, and this is a platformer, so there can only be one answer for me: a parabola. essentially it's like the key is doing a jump off of a cliff and landing on the ground below. except, you know, upwards.

i don't need to model this like physics, though; i already know a lot about the parabola i want, so i can jump directly to expressing it as a function, v(t) = at² + bt + c.

i know that at time t = 0, the key is at its starting position, i.e., 0. so v(0) = 0, which swiftly implies that c = 0.

i don't know how long the animation should be yet, but i might want to change that later anyway. so i'll just say the key reaches its endpoint at t = 1 and scale it later if i want to. that means v(1) = 1 (remember, the destination is 1 unit away, because i decided it is), so a + b = 1. i don't want to plug that in quite yet because it makes the function slightly messier, but i'll keep it in mind; as soon as i know what either a or b actually is, i can find the other very easily.

that's already taken care of two of my coefficients. what about the third? i don't have a third constraint, so it can be whatever i want. but a and b don't directly correspond to any obvious property of the behavior here. i'd like something intuitive that i can adjust.

i think a natural question is to ask how far back the key winds up. i'll call that h, since it's the maximum height of the arc. or, uh, maximum... un... height. remember, it should be a negative fraction of the total distance, since it's a movement away from the target, 1.

how does h actually fit into my parabola, though? well, it's the v-value of the parabola's local minimum. there's an expression for that, but i always forget what it is. i do know (and can readily derive) that the t-value of that point is −b/2a, so i can just plug that in:

v(t) = at² + bt v(−b/2a) = a(−b/2a)² + b(−b/2a) = a(b²/4a²) − b²/2a = b²/4a − b²/2a = −b²/4a

ah, so h = −b²/4a. but i know h, and i want to find a and b. luckily i know how to express a in terms of b, which turns this into a quadratic:

h = −b²/4a h = −b²/4(1 - b) 4h − 4hb = −b² b² − 4hb + 4h = 0 b = (4h ± √(16h² − 16h)) / 2 b = (4h ± 4√(h² − h)) / 2 b = 2 · (h ± √(h² − h))

hmm. do i want the + or − there? if you graph an example, you'll find that the difference is that one solution has the peak happen before t = 0, which is... not helpful here.

i can distinguish them by noticing that i want the slope to be negative at t = 0, since the key should start out moving backwards. that's given by v'(t) = 2at + b, which at t = 0 is just b. how convenient! so b should be negative, which forces using the − solution. note that this is guaranteed to be negative as long as h is; h² is less than h² − h for negative h, so h will be less than √(h² − h).

now i have b, and that gives me a. and i have a parabola, as well as an extra parameter h that i can play with, even dynamically if i want.

the perpendicular axis

this has some nice oomph to it, but it's still fairly obvious that this is movement along a straight line. so now i can think about how to move perpendicularly, at the same time. it's nice to have this separate, because no matter what i do here, it will not affect the impact of the original parabola.

spirals are appealing, and this animation just feels like it wants a spiral. i'll give it a try, why not.

i don't care about any formal definition of what a spiral is. i just want to go roughly around the player. i'm already doing that in one dimension: the key moves to one side of the player, then the other. to get something spiral-like, i just have to do that a second time.

already i have several constraints falling into place:

u(0) = 0, because the key starts out with no perpendicular displacement

u(1) = 0, because the key also ends with no perpendicular displacement

between 0 and 1, u(t) takes on positive values for a while, and also negative values for a while

...which implies that there is a third zero somewhere in there

now, this sort of sounds like a wave, right? it goes up, then down. (or maybe down, then up; it doesn't seem to matter.) and originally, i used a sine wave here. but that always looked a bit wonky to me, and one of the big things i changed in this recent touch-up was to not do that. here's why.

a very good question to ask is, when should u be zero? that is, when should it cross back through the path of the player? and i think for maximum impact and maximum spirality, there is only one possible answer: at the peak of the wind-up. otherwise the animation has different kinds of extremes happening at different times for the same movement, and that's probably why the sine approach looked wonky.

when is the peak of the wind-up, though? i already know that — it's −b/2a. i don't know what that is, exactly, since those coefficients are based on some other thing... but i can figure it out, which is good enough, so i don't actually care about its value. just call the whole thing s, where s is mathematics shorthand for "it's a number but i don't have a good name for it and t is already something else".

and this is what prompted me to realize that a sine wave is not such a great idea. sine waves like to repeat, which means each wave is the same length. but i have two waves here: one from 0 to s, and one from s to 1. it seems unlikely that they are exactly the same size. i could fuss with the sine wave to make it work, but surely there's a simpler approach here.

and there is! remember, i don't care whether the function repeats. i only care what it does between 0 and 1. outside of that range, it can do whatever the hell it wants. so what do i need sine for? after coming up with that quadratic function, i can immediately think of one type of curve that has both a peak and a valley: a cubic.

which, at last, brings me back to my original question [upthread on cohost]: just how do i find a cubic that's zero at three specific points? i can plug them in but then i have three equations and four variables, which sounds annoying—

and then i remembered how algebra works, so

u(t) = t · (t - s) · (t - 1)

and that's it.

well, almost. there is also one free parameter here, because i can multiply the whole thing by a constant without changing the zeroes.

u(t) = ct · (t - s) · (t - 1)

the question is, what should that constant be? it controls how high the peaks are, i.e. the "width" of the spiral. but i can't get a good sense of it without figuring out what the heights of the peaks are.

unfortunately it turns out the heights of those peaks are fucking nightmarish hellscapes of square roots. so at this point i finally take off my mathematician hat and put my game developer hat back on.

i don't actually care about the heights of the peaks. i just want the animation to look good.

the maximum heights seem to happen when s = ½. i don't have a mathematical basis for this (though there are interesting properties of cubics that could probably help); i just tried it on wolfram alpha and noticed that the peaks are both shallower than this maximum value if s is anything else.

that maximum height is 4/27 (thank u again wolfram alpha), which is roughly 0.15. of course as already mentioned, s is very unlikely to be ½ (in fact it's impossible, which you can convince yourself of if you think about v in terms of projectile motion), so the height in practice will be even smaller than this.

a good spiral is kinda circle-y, so the range should probably be closer to, like, 1

i guess i'll multiply it by 6 or something. hmm, maybe 8. yeah 8 looks better. 12 is too much

and that gets me my spiral. the only other detail i skipped is that i reverse the direction of the spiral (just by negating the perpendicular part) depending on which side of the screen the key starts on.

the final result

trimmed down to minimize the syntax cruft and leave just the math part:

h = -1 b = 2 * (h - sqrt(h*h - h)) a = 1 - b s = -1/2 * b / a t = time / ttl ortho = t * (a * t + b) perp = 8 * t * (t - 1) * (t - s) delta = dest - source sprite:draw_at(source + delta * ortho + perp_sign * perp * delta:perpendicular())

also sorry

this is the kind of post that is just begging for some graphs and diagrams and stuff, but i am tired and there is just slightly too much friction on putting images inline on cohost [for now... —ed]

[aeternallis]

i know it was a personal post, but can i ask if you'd be able to give an example of a fanon idea that needs more examining? i'm in the kpts fandom, but it's not something i've ever thought about with particular headcanons...

//looks at this ask like it’s a damn behemoth, especially considering I just spoke with a friend about this.

I’m gonna preface this answer with a disclaimer and say that I’m not here to act as fandom police, nor am I well-versed in Thai culture. I’m not Thai, I’m Filipino. The two cultures are very distinct and different, but there are shared cultural norms, since Thailand and the Philippines are considered part of the SE Asia region.

Play in the fandom as what makes you happy, my dear anon. I’m not here to ruin your fun, I’m just here in my own little sandbox to play with these blorbos with a few select people I’ve come to know as friends.

Having said that, let’s begin with a fanon idea that I'm gonna dissect for you.

There’s a particular fanon idea that Porsche would have been enthusiastically open to having the sex talk with Chay, since Porsche himself is a proud whore (affectionate).

And the sentiments behind that headcanon—for what it’s worth—is nice. I’m definitely for the idea that sex education needs to be more readily available, so that the masses are properly armed with the tools and knowledge they need to live a healthy, sexual life, in whatever form that may be.

Be that as it may, there are a couple of factors that that fanon idea is most likely not taking into account.

And again, just to be clear: I'm not against the idea that Chay knows a lot about sex. What I have issues with is the framing of how he would come to know about sex, his sexual identity, etc. and the cultural context that would surround that situation.

1.) Does the HC take into account that, like most if not all Asian countries, Thailand is a high-context culture? In other words, not just the words being spoken, but body language, tone, gestures, social position, etc.—all these things factor in to what would be a sensitive conversation like the sex talk and is mutually understood between both parties, most times; it’s not something that’s easily translatable, yknow? Due to this, you could ask yourself: Porsche is a sexy slut, but would he deal with Chay as a sibling who casually sleeps around (as an equal), or as an older brother and parent who knows he has the responsibility of keeping Chay happy, safe, fed, and clothed (as one in a position of higher authority)?

2.) Does the HC take into account that, like most Asian countries, talking about sex openly in Thailand is still considered somewhat taboo? Be that as it may, culture is never static. It’s a bit better now with the availability of the internet and the younger generation’s more open mindedness, but it’s still nowhere near as the west’s general social fabric that contains within it something akin to ‘the talk’ for the parents once their kids are of age to talk about that sort of thing. The topic of sex tends to be more easily spoken of and discussed with amongst equal peers, so in which case, I can actually see Chay being more comfortable talking about sex with his friends (Ohm, and even Kim), rather than Porsche.

3) Finally, does the HC take into account that one of SE Asia’s shared cultural norms is the general collective’s mutual goal of trying to maintain social harmony? That to speak openly of sex, to talk about it “enthusiastically” to the point that comedic examples like the cucumber are used, would be seen more as disruptive than anything else? In my opinion, if Porsche were to even talk about sex with Chay, he’d be more likely to point Chay towards books as sources of reliable information, rather than give a crude visual aid. Lol

From my own experience anon, it's much easier to disregard the cultural context of a show like KPTS, because it has the optics of a western tv show: the business suits, the fancy cars, the high rise-buildings. Compared that to a show like The Untamed or a movie like ManSuang, where fans are much more aware to be mindful of the cultural context, because it's set in a historical setting (although in The Untamed, it's more fantasy than anything).

The HC we talked about is harmless enough, yes. But having said that, you now have to ask yourself: is it appropriate and acceptable to disregard the cultural context of KPTS, just because it has the optics of a western tv show?

And frankly, that's something you need to figure out and find the answer for yourself.

So, there you have it. Am I stopping people from having fun with HCs such as the one I talked about? Hell no; fly free, little bird. Do whatever makes you happy in this fandom, and I will do the same.

Is the HC I talked about something I can enjoy as an enjoyer of KPTS and would interact with? Hell no, because said HC is also ignorant in a lot of different ways, and I like playing with my blorbos as accurate as they are in the original show, and in the cultural context I understand the show in.

And this take on Porsche’s character, plus the cultural context I have as an Asian, is not something that matches up at all.

[malicious-compliance-esq]

Since I'm always starved for someone to discuss this character with, I was wondering if you have any headcanons about Tavington that you'd like to share? You've read my fics, so you already know mine, lol!

It’s always a good day with @lyledebeast in my Ask box! Great question—and definitely a relatable feeling of being eager for discussion opportunities in our small Evil Redcoat Pipeline fandoms.

One of the reasons I love your fics so much is that I find your insights into Colonel Tavington’s character extremely accurate and resonant! When your Ask came in I sat down and made some notes about my own thoughts on Tavy from when I first saw The Patriot as a teenager and how those have evolved as I’ve seen the film additional times and read fanworks. In no particular order, here are my biggest headcanons for him:

That childlike sense of wonder about things in his environment never left Tavington. And unlike a lot of adults, he takes time to appreciate the world around him. I always found this an interesting contrast with General Cornwallis’s framing of him as impatient and rash to action. Likewise, I think it sheds light on why Tavington says “why wait” in response to Martin’s boast about killing him before the war is over. Might be my immersion in the Black Jack Randall fandom talking, but I think for Tavington the promise of that horny swordfight is something to savor.

On a related note, I think Tavy enjoys trying new things. I see him as extremely open to novel experiences—whether or not he ultimately winds up liking something, he sees value in trying it. And he’ll often try something more than once if he isn’t sure what he thinks at first. I remember thinking “yes good” when reading that scene with the shrimp at Martin’s house from your first “Strange Allies” fic.

He loves animals in general—whether or not they’re typically considered cute or appealing. Horses and fireflies in canon are likely the tip of the iceberg. As far as common household pets go, Tavington definitely seems the sort to appreciate breeds of dogs that get a bad reputation due to misinformation and generally poor understanding—pitbulls, Rottweilers, etc. I see him as 100% on Team Big Dogs. I think he likes cats as well from afar, but have a sneaking suspicion he’s quite allergic to them and can’t even interact closely outdoors without sneezing and getting itchy eyes.

I think Tavy would enjoy gardening tremendously. We know from canon that he loves flowers and isn’t remotely averse to squatting on a forest floor—he even climbs into a creekbed to shave! At the same time, I don’t see him as the sort of gardener who’d want to just stick his bare hands into the soil constantly. He wears gloves frequently and seems to like the feel of touching objects through fabric. I think he’d have a few different kinds of gloves for specific outdoor tasks.

Tavington has almost certainly acted in theatrical productions. Shakespeare obviously considering his era and culture of origin, but I think he’d also be drawn to classic Greek plays—both the tragedies and the comedies. He has a deep appreciation of protagonists who are so committed to a seemingly hopeless cause that they’ll do positively unhinged things to see it through. His exchange with Cornwallis about whether achieving victory in battle or staying in the generals’ good graces matters more speaks to this. And for him, dressing the part and adding dramatic flair to everything he does in the line of duty are crucial to success. This is historically accurate given he’s based on Banastre Tarleton, of course—so perhaps not so much a headcanon as simply a truism for that last bit.

Unlike certain other Evil Redcoats, Tavy feels totally comfortable in civilian clothes provided he considers them sufficiently stylish and feels that his hair is on point. I totally pumped my fist during that scene in your first “Strange Allies” fic where he gets sandy about Martin messing up his hair in the stable because a well-formed plait is the locus of a soldier’s pride.

Tavington is a heavy sleeper, full stop. Once he’s out, it takes significant effort to rouse him again. But he’s okay with mornings provided he gets enough rest the night before. I think he’d enjoy the advantages of early waking periodically for the opportunity it creates to watch the sun rise and enjoy the unspoiled landscape before many people are up. Good luck getting him out of the house without breakfast, though.

I suspect Tavy is a bit of a lightweight with hard liquor, at least relative to his size. We do see him down a whole glass of wine in one go at that garden party in the film. But I don’t think this translates to higher-proof stuff, at least not without consequences. And per his sneering distaste for how his father drunkenly gambled away his inheritance, I also don’t think he likes to push the envelope with his alcohol tolerance. As you’ve astutely pointed out in several of your fics—especially “The Second” where we see more of his dynamic with Captain Wilkins—Tavington often struggles to get people to touch him like something delicate and precious because of his overall size and solid build. This really tracks for me; people often see Tavy as indestructible, but he’s well aware of his own human frailty.

This particular Captain of Dragoons is completely useless for a few minutes after sex. Can’t move, can’t brain, nothing. I don’t see Tavington as the sort to just roll over and go to sleep afterwards, though. Your canonization of him as being physically clumsy for a few minutes post-coitus totally tracks for me. His brain probably recovers faster than the rest of him—he’ll be a bit coltish on his feet longer than he’ll feel hazy mentally. Once he’s got his bearings again, first order of business is cleaning up a bit even if he gets right back in bed shortly thereafter.

Thanks so much for submitting this Ask for the good of the Pipeline. Always a pleasure comparing notes with you!

[official-raihan]

(These are ooc questions, so feel free not to answer, but how do you go about starting one of these blogs? How do you think of posts besides answering asks? And since you're playing a canon character, do you ever worry about being too out of character? I wanna start one of these blogs, but it is a little bit intimidating, haha)

Hi! I'm glad I'm seen as something of a good info source on this type of thing, haha!

This is a bit of a doozy, so I'm putting it under a read more.

To begin, starting one of these blogs is something that, at least for me, feels pretty stop and go. The trick is being persistent. You may not get a lot of interaction from other people in the beginning, but if you go out of your way to interact with other people's blogs, then that exposes you to more people, and more interaction, until eventually it's more of a two-way deal than just you seeking interaction.

This blog was pretty small for a while until I managed to luck out and a "For lols" type post blew up enough that I was getting semi-regular interaction. I was enthusiastic on my end with my responses, and people reciprocated that. If you're getting asks and people see that you're answering them, it'll be more likely that you'll get more asks. Though it may feel a bit narcissistic, don't be afraid to send yourself an ask or two! Especially if you have something specific you want to happen, it can be handy.

For posts beside answering asks, I think they're fun! Although I don't do it as much now, since I get enough regular asks that I can subsist off of those, I think it's fun to sprinkle in little bits or worldbuilding or character development. Hell, a few(?) months ago I mentioned a random little thing as a sort of throw-away "It would be funny to send Raihan to Unova" and people piled on! The annual Dragon Convention wasn't something I had planned at ALL, but people enjoyed the idea, so we bounced off of that.

Although, that honestly depends on how you're trying to frame the blog. If it's meant to be more like an askblog, then in-character posts will probably be fewer, but if it's meant to be like a personal blog for the character, then go for it!! That's half the reason I occasionally reblog art on here, is I think it's the type of thing Raihan would reblog.

As for worrying about being out of character, yes and no. Personally I like to think I'm pretty good at copying speech patterns and mannerisms (Perks of autism? I guess??), so I worry a little less, but sometimes I do feel like I'm not being as accurate as I'd like to be. I went on a bit of a hiatus from Raihan for a while, and so I'm still trying to feel out the specifics of how I played him again.

Adding on to that, a lot of the canon characters in Pokemon, such as my boy here, won't have much to them in ways of backstory. Because of that, there's a bit of creative leeway with how exactly you play them. There's a lot of gray area that you can work in. In the swsh games, Raihan is the leader of the Hammerlocke gym, and has an unexplained connection to the Hammerlocke Vault. I've taken that and built it up into "Along with the position of Hammerlocke leader, he also inherited the role of vault-keeper, and is basically the security guard for the Hammerlocke castle."

It CAN seem intimidating, especially when you're first getting started and it feels like there's no interest for your blog. My biggest piece of advise is to keep at it.

[yenvengerberg]

hi becca! i come to you with a gif question? cry for help? lol do you know of any resources on how to handle camera cuts?

So when there's two shots, let's say two people and i want to gif person A but the segment I want to gif has a shot of person B right in the middle. once i remove the shot in the middle i can still see the cut in the gif. it's not a lot but i can see the gif sort of jumping from one half to the other. So far I merged the last frame of the first half with the first frame of the second half and it improved a bit but i don't know if there's a better method, that you know of maybe? I can't really find any similar enough frames that would give me a seamless join, since what im giffing is a monster that is moving around. I don't know if this is at all comprehensible, feel free to ignore me.

i love all your work! your coloring is flawless and your gifs are always so so pretty. I hope you're having a good day today :)

hi! thank you so much for your kind words, they really do mean a lot to me! i hope you're having a good day too! i'm a little confused by what you mean, but i'm also slightly delirious because it's super hot here and i've barely had any sleep, so please forgive me if i get this entirely wrong, but i presume you're referring to issues with movement in the shot which then create a sudden 'choppy' jump from when you're going from last frame to first frame?

this is definitely an issue sometimes with shots and i can't say that i've come across a particularly successful way to counter it, and honestly, most people are quite accepting of 'it's a gif and they will jump to the beginning'. however, if it really is winding you up, the only thing i have tried in the past is to try and readjust the positioning of the original frames. this can be complex, time consuming, and doesn't always work, so it's really not a 'fool proof' method, but essentially what you do is move each frame so that the positioning of the person/objects is kept more central. it's like doing frame by frame colouring, except you're literally frame by frame adjusting the shot to 'counteract' the shaky camera. it's a lot of work, and you have to be super careful and keep going back to the previous frame to make sure that it's running smoothly and you're not making a shot look even shakier. in short, i don't really know if it's worth it and honestly, i rarely resort to it. i will say that i think we as gifmakers have a tendency so overthink our work and panic over things not looking as we envisioned, like camera cuts, while most other people wouldn't even notice let alone find it a big deal.

[prettycdds]

{{ Ok, I have a cold, and I swear I will get to my older threads but for now let's talk Asha lol

This is one of those characters where I'm like-- Am I restructuring her/making her canon divergent or is this just how she was actually meant to be like, but what I'm going to do is look at the roots of her character and build her up from there and just see where she lands.

Here are her roots and what I extrapolate from them...

Her father was a philosopher and astronomer. She was closest to her father, a real daddy's girl, before he passed away. In turn, she knows how to read star charts, could point out the name of any constellation, and could find her way back home by looking at the night sky. The night sky is a motif of her's in this way. King Magnifico also seems to know who her father is. Now, ofc its very possible he's just unusually good at remembering random citizens, but to me that implies that the father came into contact with the king enough for him to have fond memories of him. Now I imagine their relationship to be this-- they once ( or maybe multiple times ) discussed philosophy but had their disagreements, though amicably so. You can kinda tell by the way Magnifico recalls him-- fondly but a tiny bit dismissive. " oh you, always looking at the stars for answers " kind of tone. But overall, the father still thought highly of the king, and so he sort of relayed to his daughter an incomplete and more perfect picture of him ( though the father himself sort of had a suspicion the king was less than perfect ) which would cause Asha to idolize the king.

Asha thought very highly of the king. She's practically a superfan of the king, even. She owns multiple books about him, has enamel pins of the kingdom's rose insignia, and this eventually allows her to become a literal tourist guide whose primary job is basically to talk up how fantastic he is and show national pride. If she's willing to do this we can assume she's happily and enthusiastically a very big fan of Magnifico ( even if she's one of the only female characters that doesn't express attraction to him lmao ) The books she owns of him implies she likely assumed she knew everything there was to know about him, which is why she was so shocked to find that none of his published stories mention the tragic past he later reveals to her.

She wanted to be the king's apprentice. Now this one is a vague character motivation in the movie, and that... bothers me. So we'll flesh it out and say yes, she did indeed want sincerely to be the king's apprentice, as an extension of her "fan of the king" core trait and... stay with me-- her love for animation. We know she is literally a cartoonist who does a sort of archaic animation with her notebook. What if that is an extension of her desire to learn magic, the desire to make things move that wouldn't, "the illusion of life" as Disney puts it. In a city where magic is outlawed, this was the only way she knew how to "practice magic" with the hope of one day being the king's apprentice. Because that law puts people in a weird position where they have to apply for a job they know nothing about.

She wanted her grandfather's wish granted. This is the part of her that I was never very fond of because the way they conveyed this trait of her's made her come across as oddly... selfish? And they don't really frame it as heroic as she could be with a slight change. They make a point of having her grumpy friend point out that becoming an apprentice, right at this moment, could easily be seen as her trying to game the system for the sake of getting wishes and she just... doesn't convincingly deny that's what she's doing. ( which is a little snakey for a disney princess-type girl, ngl! ) And then, after having this heartbreaking talk with the king and he trusts her enough to show her the wishes, she immediately decides to ask him for a royal favor before she even gets the job. In which, Magnifico looks kind of hurt and mentions most people at least wait months to ask and-- honestly, it just made her look really awful in my opinion. We're going to keep this core trait, but emphasize her desire to be the king's apprentice and a more generalized respect for the wishes of all her people overall, and have her more-so ask WHY the grandfather's wish wasn't granted, giving the king the benefit of the doubt that there was a good reason it wasn't, and that maybe she could discuss it and change his mind. So now, her mistake wasn't demanding a wish, her mistake was assuming the king was someone who could be calmly reasoned with, and it comes across more like a burning curiosity about how the wishes are handled rather than a sudden selfish demand for preferential treatment. Reflecting better her existing core trait of respecting the king and her kingdom. ( It doesn't make sense to me that she wouldn't gather from context clues that some people just don't get their wishes granted. Surely she would guess this based on the population / wish granting ratio lol ) And then they can still argue over what's best for people and all that-- I just think this slight reframing makes more sense. It also helps to emphasize that her primary goal was sincerely to be the apprentice.

Her general personality ... will probably be tweaked just a little. I always found it odd that she is somehow both a tour guide that interacts with people regularly and also severely socially awkward. But here's the thing-- is she socially awkward? Or was she just extremely nervous that day about meeting the king? I would probably depict that as more of an outlier for her instead of how she usually is. I would describe her core personality as... strongly and abrasively opinionated, maybe even a little hard-headed, naturally prone to disobeying authority ( not just because of the king but how she sneaks around and goes against her parents on just about... everything lol ), but deeply empathetic ( and a people person for that matter, she can endear a crowd ) and optimistic. Maybe even optimistic to a fault. She seems to believe that by default most-- if not all-- people are good with good intentions based on how she says " The people of Rosas are good people " which is... a kind of naive assumption lol. But also one additional detail-- she seems to know multiple languages! You can hear her say hello in multiple languages before giving her tour. That, combined with her astronomy knowledge and animation, likely implies she's a quick learner as well !

And that's all I can think of right now !! }}

[antonblastdeluxe]

I was there for some of the SU freaks from 2018-2020 but PLEASE feel free to regale, I'm here to relive & be mad /LH SILLY

Ngl I think I'll use this ask as an opportunity to give everyone Kirm lore™️. The SU bulletpoint WILL be here but;

Semi-cognitive 'Kirm Bullies People :(' saga;

tldr: Back in mid-late 2018, freshly 18 me took notice of this particular person who was vagueblogging my friends in the RPC (roleplay community, think of it like a collaborative fanfic community if you're unaware) on the basis that my friends didn't want to interact with this person. After I decided to do some digging I decided to confront this person (who was well over 10 years my age) and told them to stop. And I left it at that.

Later I found out that were posting our private dms in their personal server and many of my friends told me other things about this person and how they were scared to speak up, so I naturally did some digging and found out this person was. Blatantly homophobic. Like, 'I respect gays but don't condone their lifestyle' homophobia. So, I called them out. Things snowballed and I was sort of thrust into the position of 'make callouts on weirdos.

Things that happened to me in 2018-2021 (broadly). Please note that every callout I have vocally supported / assisted in creating had plenty of evidence to prove the wrongdoings of folks;

I was told I'd go to jail and look 'good in orange' for calling out this guilttripping homophobe by somebody who was pregnant at the time. Yes, she took time out of her day to cry about somebody cyberbullying her homophobic friend instead of spending time with her partner.

Another homophobe (who was later revealed to be anti B/_M and pro-trum///p, fun) going up to bat and constantly trying to smear me while victimizing herself for years

Somebody I told off for forcing nsfw content on people because they forced their 30+ female mario character rp blogs that oversexualized them onto people at random decided to stalk me for multiple months and tried to rally a hate forum to harass me by using a family vacation photo I posted.

Was called the R slur for putting an ableist transphobe on blast

I was called 'elitist' and 'fac1st' by another pro-trum///p jackass because I called them weird for being very passive aggressive towards people not wanting to interact with them

Pr0-cop weirdo & friends got very very mad at me for taking a screenshot of a public blog and tried to frame me as a 'rich white woman who'd never be profiled by c0ps', tried to threaten multiple people in the rpc, including poc, of reporting their 'IPs to the p0lice for cyberstalking'

Basically being called a stalker, harasser, bully, etc for just taking screenshots and informing people of what URLs to block

Somebody who likes hp a lot and victimizes themselves over liking it apparently talking shit about me to this day because I rightfully grilled them for supporting an abuser a few years back

Broadly speaking, the SU rpc hates me because I assisted in boosting callouts against their 'golden gooses'. You know, the people who fetishmined and guilt-tripped as if they were being paid for it. Also a lot of oc drama and a golden goose accusing somebody of oc theft because they made an oc of the same rock they used, fun. I was accused of writing a callout I didn't even write because one of these golden geese recognized me in a rpc and screamed, despite the fact if you read that callout you would've known I didn't write it because the author identified themselves.

Also if anybody 'recognizes' themselves from this post, didn't you accuse me of being a stalker for looking at your blog and gathering evidence for like, a week at post. Why are you still here. Or, if you're a friend of any of these people in 2023 for some reason, fuck off, you're only giving your friend more stress by being their messenger. You're a shitty friend. Lol. Poor Kirm living in your head, still? Pay me reparations, lmao.

[sanstropfremir]

did you finish the first two eps of peak time? what did u think abt the project group 24:00 idea? i think it's interesting but i'm worried that whatever praise or success they get will be blamed on favoritism 😖....

it was nice to get to watch a jtbc show with subs for once lol their shows are always so positive and encouraging ❤️ and it always seems like everyone has good attitudes and good sportsmanship bc they're all so passionate abt their craft <3 it makes it so enjoyable to watch instead of stressful

yes!!! i don't really....have many thoughts about 24's idea tbh. it's def the best way to encorporate all the soloists although honestly they could have just had jongup be group 24 by himself and it would have been fine lol. i'm also not really sure how they would get favouritism...? i don't really understand, like do you mean from the judges/show bc they put the group together? arguably some of the judges ALREADY showed favouritism towards at least one of the other groups unjustifiably so i don't really see how they could moreso with a group that has three dudes (i forgot who the other two are) who've been idols for 5+ years each and ARE talented. or do you mean that they'll be perceived as getting favouritism by viewers bc of how jongup was framed on the show? which i guess might come up, but he doesn't have the fanbase that the show made it seem like he does; if anything he should not need to be there at all but he's getting paid dust rn. i think i might be trying to apply too much logic here lol esp bc survival show fans are not a particularly logical sort.

but yes it is SO nice to finally be able to watch a jtbc show with subs and the way they structure their shows is so good bc it allows for evenhanded criticism. but my favourite part of jtbc shows is that you can tell they're made by people who have a deep love of the arts. superband is very much about loving music and just from the way the first episodes have gone i can see that peak time is likely to be the same. esp given how everyone reacted to vanner!!! most idol-based survival shows don't really allow or show the fact that a lot of idols do like to perform and make music and are generally supportive of each other, so it's really nice to see :))))))

[emmythespacecowgirl]

Hey babe <3 I know I asked for a Band of Brothers ship before (Dick Winters), but I didn't ask for a Pacific ship, so I thought I'd cover all my bases <3

About Me: – your gender/pronouns: Female, She/Her, but really sort of indifferent.

– your sexuality/gender preference: Also indifferent, but for the purposes of the ship, men.

– your main flaws and most defining traits:

My friend said it was my stubbornness, but my most defining traits based on her assessment are my hardworking behaviour, my hyper-independence, and my intelligence. I also like to think I have a pretty good sense of humour (wry/observant/playful) and am secretly quite giving and warm. For example, if someone does something for me, I'm old school and will usually write them a physical thank you note, or make them cookies.

I also am pretty solid at shooting down anyone who tries to go toe-to-toe with me, and I can usually read people pretty well. I easily cut off people who I mistrust or who think they're pulling one over me- I pretty much live by "If I cut you off, chances are you handed me the scissors." I don't sweat the small things and small slights. But if someone thinks because I don't sweat the small stuff they can walk all over me, they're sorely mistaken (I'm not a serial killer, I promise).

– your hobbies and pastimes: I like culture, so anything surrounding literature, history, architecture, you name it. I also like long walks in nature and sports/weight lifting (I used to play elite-level volleyball before my knees/ankles gave out (cause I'm old, wahay), but I like to just get outside in fresh air now and listen to music/make playlists on long walks. I like good coffee shops and places where it's just quiet and civilized.

•Optional: – your appearance: 6'0, athletic, just past shoulder-length ash brown hair with some face framing blonde highlights/money pieces. People say the prettiest part of my face are my eyes, which are pale green.

Some people who don't know me well see me as "aloof" or "intimidating"- probably just based on the fact that my Dad is Eastern European and I have natural RBF, but you get to know me, I'm sensitive and described at work as a "positive" person who's a "delight" to have around (their words in my quarterly review- not mine lol).

– your personality type (example: ENFP; Enneagram 7 or 7w6): I'm an INTJ , and an Enneagram 5. I forget what my wing "officially" is, but I feel Enneagram 5w6 is more fitting. I used to be more of the "philosopher" type in the past, but I feel life has forced me to bring practical solutions to the forefront.

I'm also a Virgo, but with a Leo Moon and a Leo Rising sign. Which basically means I like things organized and neat and plan ahead, but people assume I'm gregarious and probably more a "Leo" than I actually am. I can fake being an extrovert, while needing time on my own to decompress.

I've also always been between a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw. I like learning for my own sake, just like the only person I'd be in competition with is myself. I'm never the type of person to step over someone else in order to accomplish my own goals- I work hard and let my work speak for itself, and let others who might be jealous or try to take me down fail on their own merits. I'm not a game player and I think it's honestly petty and stupid when people are, because I'm a good judge of character and 99.9 percent of the time I can see through someone's behaviour.

– any pet peeves: People who mistake kindness for weakness, people who don't smile at people when they make the effort, people who don't respect basic manners. Basically, people who are unnecessarily cruel for no reason.

– your love language: I just took this- acts of service, followed by works of affirmation. But I'm going to be honest- my heart swells when even coworkers or someone who's a friend does something to take something off my plate, or pays me back in some way by getting me a coffee or tea. (I'm a cheap date, what can I say).

Anyhow, work your magic, sweetheart, and thanks again <3

Hi again @currahee :)) I would love to give you a TP ship! I hope you like this one :)

I ship you with:

R.V. Burgin from The Pacific!

Ship theme song: The Woman in Me by Shania Twain

this man admires you sm and has the most respect for you <3

you have no idea

you are the love of his life

but also just like a really good role model in work and life

and Burgie really likes that in a person

for Burgie, work and family are of equal importance

so he completely understands your inner drive to do well at work

and he doesn't mind taking on more of the domestic side of life while you go out and conquer the world

the first time that you take down some sexist prick in an argument

you can bet that Burgie totally had a hard on haha

"I literally married the hottest, most smart lawyer lady in the world!!"

is what he's screaming in his head the whole time

he also just loves when you start unraveling y'all's kids' arguments

y'know lol once they get to that precocious little goblin-mode age

this man will literally make some popcorn and just sit at the dinner table and watch it happen

basically, anytime that you're using your intellect or being objective in an argument is when Burgie realizes that he's so in love with you

he's the kinda guy who memorizes your coffee order

and then goes home and makes it for you exactly to your liking the next day

he also loves taking you to scenic places to go hike around Texas

he would 100% agree with your co-workers:

you are a total delight and the most positive person he's ever met

and the most beautiful ;)

your pale green eyes captivated him the first time you met

I'm pretty sure that our sweet Burgie is also an INTJ :)

you're both pretty good at hiding behind your "extrovert mask"

but at the end of the day, you both enjoy just staying in and reading to each other on the couch

Burgie isn't much of a game player either tbh

his mama taught him from a very young age to be intentional in his actions

and he is very much intentional with you

Burgie's mama also taught him that "please" and "thank you" are the bare minimum

he's a Texas Gentleman after all!

Burgie is also an acts of service kinda guy

he's incredibly handy

so any kind of household item that needs repairing

he's your guy to do it

or car stuff

he's all over that

his heart swells 3x when you write him a sweet thank you note

or make him his favorite dessert

Burgie considers himself the luckiest lad in the world to have you!