#I started drawing the reading scene but I'm not satisfied with it

[kylobith]

The Little Tiefling (Gale of Waterdeep x Tav)

Word count: 2,955

One afternoon, as Tav takes a nap, Gale seizes the opportunity to bond with their three-month-old daughter by reading her a story.

Clad in his purple robes, Gale closes the bedroom door as softly as he can, wincing as the hinges and the wood creak. Before walking away, he perks up his ears, awaiting any grumble or moan from the other side. Nothing.

Relieved that he was gentle enough not to wake his partner, he tiptoes to the stairs, only to be interrupted by a loud cry. Months ago, he would have pictured himself whimpering and sobbing along upon hearing this sound so often in a row. Still, now that he was in the thick of it, nothing could eff the smile on his face. Sure, some days are more demanding than others, but he is more than grateful to any deity above to have been granted the privilege to experience it. It is a second chance, one most craved and prayed for.

So, Gale renounces the little free time he planned for himself rather gladly. He slithers towards the nursery at the end of the hallway, careful not to cause any more ruckus than the baby already does. Once inside, his face illuminates at the sight of the squirming little thing in her crib, grabbing at the air while screaming her lungs out.

‘Hey there, sunshine,’ he coos. ‘Awake already, aren't we?’

He bends over the cot and picks up his daughter, pressing a few kisses to her cheek before cradling her in his arms. In a mere instant, he is a man transformed. Tenderness and affection radiate from his twinkling eyes while the most beaming grin burns onto his cheeks. As he has so often done since he first beheld his partner, he cannot help but think that his arms were designed for two things: for holding his beloved Tav and for carrying his child.

Gale caresses the thick, feathery hair on the child's head, kissing her forehead while rocking her. Sooner than he anticipated, the baby calms down, but a nose scrunch remains on her little face. He walks out of the nursery and heads downstairs, momentarily setting her down into her lounge chair in the kitchen so he can prepare a bottle. He sings to the two of them all the while, occasionally spinning on his heel to coo the lyrics at his daughter while making silly faces. She watches her father with round eyes, drooling over her knuckles.

With a giggle, he picks her up and takes the bottle to the living room, feeding her on the couch.

‘Sorry, little one, it's just us this afternoon. Mum needed a break.’

His daughter eyes him again, her face finally relaxing now that she is eating. He chuckles and extends his index finger to poke her tiny nose.

‘But that means that you and I can catch up a little! So, tell me, how's life treating you?’

Silence. Of course, there would be.

‘Oh, I see! Many new things to explore, huh? Don't worry, that never stops. That's what’s so exciting about life if you ask me.’

The suckling noises fill the air, and he could not be more elated to have this quiet moment with his baby.

‘You know, adventures will await you at every corner of the world,’ he speaks fondly, already imagining her growing up. ‘It will be up to you to accept challenges or to deny them. Of course, you won't always do exactly what you like every time, and that's quite alright. You'll need that to evolve and enlighten yourself beyond books. But when you feel uncomfortable engaging in something, know you have the right to say no. It’ll spare you much heartbreak and pain, trust me. Promise you'll do just that?’

He stares at his daughter briefly before laughing to himself.

‘That's right, you're just a baby. I'll take your silence as a promise for now, though. Sorry that your old man needs a little reassurance now and then. He'll need much more once you grow up, especially if you dabble in magic. Don't want you summoning a bloodthirsty creature and unleashing it on the city, now, do we?’

Gale grins and gazes at the girl, remaining silent as she drinks the rest of the bottle. Once he finishes the feeding routine, he carries her around the house on a whim, showing her the view from each window and pointing at everything to be seen. He tells her about the bustling streets of Baldur’s Gate, the sweet smells whenever he passes the baker and how he always needs to restrain himself from heading inside to buy several pastries. He reminisces about strange encounters with locals and foreigners alike, those noteworthy enough for him to still grin whenever they cross his mind. He describes the hammering in the smithy in intricate detail, portraying it loud enough to resonate through the neighbouring streets.

When the baby fusses, he shoots glances around.

‘Oh, of course! Where's your owlbear, now?’

Before the child cries, he finds the little stuffed toy in the dining room, probably put away on top of the cabinet when Tav was too exhausted to think about where to put it. He grabs it and playfully rubs the toy's velvet beak against his daughter's nose, producing silly sounds he never thought he would indulge in when he was still single. The baby laughs, warming his heart and softening his traits.

‘How I love you, little one. Never doubt that.’

With another kiss on her forehead, he takes her to his library, which they now partly use as a playroom for the girl. The bottom shelves are long cleared of any of Gale's books, instead filled with baskets containing toys, games, emergency pacifiers, and bibs. It has become a new thing for Tara to nibble on the pacifiers as of late. It happens so often now that Tav has considered dedicating a separate budget for them alone.

A quilted throw lays on the ground, already dotted with stuffed toys and rattles. So much love has been woven into this blanket, skilfully created and sewn together by Tav during the pregnancy. Each square represents essential milestones in their lives, a work still in progress. A purple and black hole in a rock with a hand sticking out of it is embroidered on the first square, a playful nod to how Gale and Tav met. The following one pictures a serene scene by a campfire between the two, then the third shows them connected to the Weave. Tav's favourite square of all shows them under a colourful starry sky, the moment when she understood that she fell in love with the quirky wizard.

Other squares show Gale's proposal, their wedding, their new house, Tara, and her pregnancy. Another one features the two of them holding their newborn daughter, doting upon her. Possibly the most joyful event in their lives so far.

Gale gently places the child on the throw and sits next to her, not caring whether the belt of his robes is undoing itself, leaving the hems to gape around his torso. He shakes one of the rattles in front of her, but she seems more interested in nibbling the stuffed owlbear gifted by Karlach. He chuckles, knowing she would melt on the spot if she knew about it.

As father and daughter play and bond, it occurs to him that life could not improve from there. This is it, the pinnacle of his happiness. Teaching on weekdays while having enough time to coddle his wife and daughter, to study and read while petting Tara… No, it truly cannot get better than this.

When he senses that the child grows sleepy again, he puts down the toys and takes her in his arms.

‘Dozing off already? Am I this boring? Ah, I guess. One day, you will think that your mum and I are the dullest people you've ever met, but if only you knew why we became so…’

The girl yawns, and he giggles. No matter how often it occurred, it always filled him with such warmth.

‘But I think that your mum would kill me if I told you the story when you're not old enough. Or at all, actually. You need not be burdened with such things.’

Sitting her up on his hand, clutching her against his chest, he walks her over to a specific section of his library, making her look at the books.

‘Any favourite for today, duckling?’

Another yawn. Gale kisses the top of her head and finds his attention caught by a particular book in his collection. A beautiful edition, bound in green leather with gold embossings. It is one of the first books he purchased when Tav was expecting, in one of his many children's books rampages in the city. He wished to ensure that his child would never run out of stories to escape reality to, that their creativity would constantly be challenged and encouraged, and that the world would come to them when they could not take them into the world yet.

Sometimes, when the excitement or anxiety of becoming a parent seized him at night and ebbed him away from sleep's shores, he would pick one of the books and read to Tav's belly, caressing it with his fingertips lightly enough not to awake or disturb her. And just like that, fear would drift away, enabling him to swim back to the land of dreams.

‘How about The Little Tiefling, mh?’

Tilting his torso back, he reaches for the book and paces towards the armchair in the corner by the window. He sits down, propping his daughter against him and letting her curl up naturally, letting the sun filter through the windows onto her angelic face. His fingertips caress the embossed cover and flip it open to the first page.

‘The Little Tiefling,’ he announces with a hint of pride.

He clears his throat and adjusts his position to make them both more comfortable before starting to read aloud.

‘Once upon a time, there was a little tiefling named Yalaia. According to her mother, she had the most beautiful auburn hair, but according to her father, she had the cutest button nose in the realm. But there was one thing that Yalaia wished for above all else: horns.’

The door creaks open, and Gale's eyes dart to it, only to find Tara nudging it open and rubbing against the doorpost. With a grin playing on his lips, he beckoned her over with a nod.

‘Oh, hi, Tara! Come to listen to the story, too? Come in!’

The tressym, understanding her friend's every word, happily hops into the room. She comes to rub against his bare calves for an instant before leaping onto the armchair and sitting on top of it. Emitting a loud purr, she nuzzles his hair, earning a chuckle from the wizard. He balances the book on his knee for a second to pet her on the neck and wings. When the baby fusses, he kisses the girl's forehead and continues to read.

‘Her mother had elegantly curved horns, reminding her of fauns. Her father had proud and sturdy ones, making him look taller than he was. But Yalaia only had nubs above her brows.’

The baby yawns, and he gently strokes her bent leg with his thumb.

‘One morning, as she headed outside to meet her friends to play, she found with horror that they all had small horns protruding from their foreheads. But not Yalaia. As they played, she stared, wishing her turn would come. As her parents tucked her in that night, she wished to wake up with horns. And she did so every night that followed. Sadly, she woke up every morning with nubs.’

Above him, perched up on the backrest, Tara tilts her head to gaze at the beautifully painted illustrations.

‘When she saw that more of her friends grew their horns as if it was the easiest thing in the world, Yalaia felt rather sad. She felt that she did not fit in and was different from other tieflings. Now, as she prayed for horns every night, she did so with tears brimming her eyes. But it was not enough.’

Gale kisses his daughter's forehead again, seeing that she is nodding off.

‘As her favourite uncle came to visit with her cousins one day, she was shocked to discover that all her younger cousins already adorned shiny horns. So, between lunch and dessert, she snuck out of the house and ran away. It seemed that she did not belong. Perhaps she was no tiefling at all.

‘Worrying as soon as she left their sight, Yalaia's family relentlessly looked for her, calling her name. Neighbours and friends, shopkeepers and strangers joined the search, hoping to find Yalaia safe and sound and bring her home. They went through every house, every garden, every shop, every cellar, every attic, every chest and every barrel. They combed the streets, the hills, the riverside. When her mother ventured into the forest, calling out for her daughter, her cries were met by a whimper.

‘Huddled up by a rock in the middle of the woods, Yalaia sniffled and wiped her tears, relieved to see her mother. After running for hours to hide, she lost all sense of direction in the dense forest. She had turned and paced forever until she decided to remain by the rock. Whatever she was expecting to come for her was not her mother, so the joy to be found was only sweeter.

‘Yalaia’s mother cradled her in her arms, tears dripping onto her hair. What a fright it had been! She told Yalaia of everyone joining the family to search for her and how everybody was so concerned that all activity had ceased. The blacksmith had climbed the hills to see the landscape better in hopes of finding her, while her friends had retraced their paths to every place they explored together.

‘“Mama,” said Yalaia, “why would they look for me? I am different. I look different. Why were they not happy that I left?”

‘Yalaia's mother was saddened to hear such words from her daughter. But then, with the brightest smile only a mother can bestow, she replied, “Because you are one of us. You may think you are different, but we all are in our own ways. The baker does not always see eye-to-eye with the guard, yet when celebrations come, they dine merrily at the same table and share the same wine. Everyone has a place among us, and so do you, no matter who you are or what you look like. You are one of us.”

‘“But Mama, I don't have horns, and all my friends and cousins do!”

‘Her mother smiled and pulled her locket from beneath her dress, opening it to reveal two painted portraits. On the left, a young tiefling with orange skin smiled at the onlooker, while on the right, an even younger one with a reddish complexion did the same. Their pose was not their only common trait. Both children lacked horns.

‘“Do you see the girl on the left?” Yalaia's mother asked. “It was me when I was a bit older than you. I did not have horns yet, which made me sad, too. But I came to learn that everybody is different and evolves at their own pace. There is no wrong way to grow, no wrong way to belong to your people. All you need is to be kind and accepting. Everything will come in time, with a little bit of patience.”

‘And so, Yalaia hugged her mother, reassured her that nothing was wrong with her. Together, they left the forest and happily announced the good news of Yalaia’s return. Everyone was merry that day to know that the little tiefling was found. That night, she did not wish for horns, only for her kin to fare well. And when she awoke in the morning, two little horns were on her forehead.’

Gale gazes down at his daughter and smiles from ear to ear as he finds her fast asleep.

‘The end.’

‘Don't you think it's a bit of a complex story for a three-month-old?’

His eyes dart towards the door, only to find a dishevelled Tav leaning against the doorpost with a grin. Even with deep circles underneath her eyes and knots in her hair, she looks as radiant as ever to him.

‘There you are, my dear,’ he chimes. ‘Didn't you want to nap longer?’

‘Couldn't bring myself to it. I missed you both too much.’

‘I see.’

Gale laughs and puts the book aside, carrying the sleeping baby to Tav.

‘She and I had a lovely afternoon. She was an absolute sweetheart.’

‘That's good to know. How long has it been since you fed her?’

‘About two hours ago.’

‘Mmh. It's almost time again, then.’

She takes the little girl from his arms and props her up against her shoulder, cupping the back of her head and kissing her hair. Tav’s attention is drawn to a pile of boxes in a corner, and she sighs.

‘You still haven't dealt with those?’

‘I meant to do it this afternoon, but I got carried away playing with her and all,’ Gale admits, scratching the back of his head. ‘Don't worry, I'll get to it today.’

‘At least return Astarion's gift first. That's the first one I want out.’

Gale follows Tav out of the library, lovingly holding her by the waist.

‘My First Wine-Tasting Kit. Who even gives that to a baby?’

‘The question is: who sells that in the first place?’

Both chuckle and exit the room, closing the door behind them to return to their cocoon and family life, leaving Tara to curl up on the warm armchair.

Tag: @emmanuellececchi

[bamsara]

So about chapter lenghts and editing - I'm someone who "writes to completion", so to put it (I write the whole fic, edit it, then post chapter by chapter). How do you go about it when you are writing as you post it? Do you do set word count targets for each chapter or is it more by plot beats?

I write for flow and 'how much information can I give in this chapter until it starts to overwhelm the reader'

How I write and post the chapters is based off my own reading preferences, so I try to post chapters at a 'digestible reading length' which is a good enough bite size to satisfy but not too much that I feel like it's flooding too much information to process all at once without being able to retain it all. For me, this mark is around 10k-13k words, but can go under that or over that because ✨flow✨ is more important than word count.

I draft bullet points for the fic but I don't write the whole thing (some scenes def get written beause they're important or bigger, wayyy ahead of time though, like the Drunken Gods chapter was drafted 7-8ish months before it was finalized/posted, abiet with changes cause the original file got corrupted) but I usually draw/draft things months beforehand and then come back later and polish it up for final draft.

[mylordshesacactus]

God though the fight choreography in Ahsoka really is next fucking level.

Like. Every so often I think fondly about the lightsaber duels in the OT because, bluntly, there weren't lightsaber duels in the OT. There were a handful of scenes in which two characters who didn't like each other much both happened to be holding lightsabers, and on some occasions they tapped the lightsabers together to make very satisfying noises. But we've now come far enough in the star war that we're getting detailed attention to genuine fighting styles, and fighting styles as character essays in themselves.

I just love it.

This show does SO MUCH characterization through physicality in combat; there's a whole meta-dialogue happening just through the portrayal of lightsaber forms and it has SO MUCH heavy lifting to do and does it WELL.

Like, for example, all the little character details that have to be PERFECT in the first two confrontations. I'm just gonna do the tower fight at the moment because the forest battle is its own whole thing and the wolfwren meetcute tower fight illustrates it just fine on its own.

Things that had to be established with little to no exposition in those two fights:

Sabine and Shin are pretty much equals, overall, in combat; BUT

Shin has her VASTLY outmatched as a duellist specifically, because she's been training in solely lightsaber combat more intensely and for longer; BUT

Shin doesn't KNOW that, because she's never fought Sabine before and all she knows is that she's facing an unfamiliar opponent who was Jedi-trained; AND

Sabine DOES know she's outmatched in this fight--she's unarmored, not a small deal for a Mandalorian, and armed only with a lightsaber that while she has trained with it pretty extensively she explicitly hasn't touched in years; BUT

Sabine is ALSO, separately, a highly skilled martial artist and hand-to-hand fighter even with the disadvantage of not being in armor. She's not a pushover or a flailing idiot.

Like it's obvious before Shin even draws that Sabine is not going to win this fight--and Sabine at least is visibly aware of it.

It's clear from their stances alone. Sabine stands and moves like a novice--not untrained, mind, but a novice. She's very cautious, very aware of her footwork, and while that's a good ready position it's extremely hesitant, she's not comfortable in it. She wastes more movement. Shin on the other hand is solid, confident, and grounded.

But not arrogant. Sabine is moving like someone with experience in combat, and Shin doesn't know her or her abilities, so she doesn't rush in at the first sign of weakness. Shin might be more immediately confident with saber combat, but she is also proceeding with extreme caution.

She lets Sabine come to her, ceding the first move in favor of giving herself a chance to read her opponent before committing to anything. And when they do start exchanging blows:

Don't get me wrong--Sabine is NOT a flailing idiot, for all this specific shot makes it look like she's leaving herself open. She's just....not fluid with her lightsaber. She drops her guard when she runs, because running with a plasma sword without burning yourself is actually extremely difficult and she's keeping that thing away from her body while moving at speed.

Her strikes are decent, but her technique is sloppy and she wastes movement--again, not in a way that suggests she doesn't know what she's doing, but in a way that highlights the gap between knowing what a technique is supposed to look like and actually being able to pull it off in a live-combat scenario.

Shin, meanwhile, is fluid, deliberate, efficient, fully in control of every movement--but, frankly, she mostly looks like an impressive threat in this fight because it's an apprentice-level skirmish between two evenly-matched opponents, and Sabine is at a stark disadvantage.

Don't get me wrong, Shin's doing very well--but in a way that highlights her main strength as being extremely solid on her fundamentals. None of these are high-level moves, almost all of them would show up in a youngling kata, and the few that wouldn't are mostly flair like this dramatic-ass battle pose.

We do see some signals that Shin's saber training is at a meaningfully higher level than Sabine's, though--she's had time to develop some of her own technique! I love the way she uses her cape as a combat asset; that's not something Baylan would have taught her, he doesn't have her highly-mobile fighting style (to put it lightly) and it feels just practical enough.

So they feel like viable rivals, Shin feels like a viable threat, and there's still a visceral awareness in the kind of choreography they're given that if Sabine fought Baylan, or Shin tried to 1v1 Ahsoka, they would not last ten goddamn seconds.

[the-badger-mole]

It is baffling to me how Kataang shippers interpret that couple. How can you be a fan of Katara in specific and see how little agency she got in that relationship yet still be satisfied with how that whole mess turned out. Katara never gets to express her feelings.

Let that sink in. Katara, who challenged a waterbending master with decades of experience on her, who started a prison riot and freed captive earthbenders, who went out of her way to help a village of Fire Nation citizens. Who made a flower hat for a really cute guy she was into. THAT girl didn't get to express her own feelings for Aang. After their last two disastrous encounters- one in which he violated her consent after she tried to let him down easy said she was confused. After he had opened a lava fissure in her face because she didn't want to talk about his feelings for her. She didn't even get to speak. Her final line between the Agni Kai and that final scene was about Sokka's drawing.

She doesn't get to talk to Aang about how his treatment of her upset her. She doesn't get to express what changed between EIP and the finale. She doesn't get to confront Aang on his habit of running away when things get tough. She doesn't even get to hear what Aang likes about her (I mean, we the audience know that he thinks she's pretty, but beyond that?). The way the finale sets up Kataang it makes it seem like Katara is only into Aang now because he's Th3 r3@L H3r0!!!! (lies, but that's another rant). It makes her look either like she feels obligated or she's incredibly shallow (which, we know she isn't). But somehow this feels like a satisfying culminating moment for Kataang shippers???

And let me be clear, I don't care. I don't care if you are reading this now and you like both Kataang and Aang. I don't care if you truly do think their story is the height of romance. I am not here to debate you on the story merits of Kataang vs Zutara or change your mind on anything. You can like or hate whatever you want in good health as far as I'm concerned. Just know that if you try to argue with me, this is my opinion; Aang is fetid trash. Kataang is somehow both the most boring and the most toxic relationship in the show (yeah, I'm including Maiko). All trying to argue with me will accomplish is to stir up more examples in my mind about why Kataang is a terrible ship and Aang is an awful character/friend/SO/father, so jump into my inbox if you want that. But wouldn't you rather go talk to your fellow shipper fans about it?

[quoththemaiden]

A short (~1k) scene inspired by Chapter 9 of @mrghostrat's absolutely glorious Big Name Feelings human AU fic. Hope you like arms?

"C'mon, angel, not even gonna crack a smile at that one? Whales, get it? Whales."

Aziraphale felt like his cheeks were on fire from trying to keep a straight face at Crowley's increasingly terrible puns. "I would hate to tacitly encourage this behavior."

"Pfft, you love it." Crowley grinned at him, far past being undaunted and fully into the realm of being energized by Aziraphale's failed attempts at stoicism.

"You're utterly ridiculous." Aziraphale didn't even bother trying to make it sound like an insult, and the half of the screen taken up by his webcam made it clear his cheeks were as pink as they felt. "And I can't help but feel like you're stalling. Hadn't we agreed to be actually productive today?" Aziraphale didn't mind, really; he did want to keep making steady progress on his art, but if his life could consist of coming home from work and just unwinding with Crowley...

...but, well, that wasn't the purpose of this call.

Crowley groaned. "Yeah, yeah. What a taskmaster."

"It is my job to protect you from rabid fans, after all," Aziraphale teased right back.

"O Brave Guardian, protect me from procrastination!"

"That sounds rather harder than a dragon, I'm afraid. But if you don't get to work, I won't be able to work either, and then you won't get to see the finished piece."

"Urk—" Crowley made a strangled noise and finally reached for his mouse. "You'll actually be working on it?"

Aziraphale nodded before adjusting his webcam to show his tablet a bit more. "I really need to get more practice with this, to get half as confident as I am with physical paints."

"I've seen the drawings you've done! They're fucking brilliant."

Aziraphale laughed. "You've said that about everything I've shown you. I'm starting to think I should send you some stick figures as a test."

"Those would be the most adorable fucking stick figures ever. You could draw a whole comic of just stick figures and I'd reblog it a hundred times."

"That's about what I'd expect you to say, yes." Crowley opened his mouth to protest that his compliments were always earnest, and Aziraphale cut him off. "Weren't you going to start writing?"

"Ngghh, right, yeah. Alright, lemme just pull up my docs and then we'll get started bodydoubling for real." Crowley clicked over to screenshare his window as he opened his fic notes. He'd long since stopped hiding anything from Aziraphale; getting to bounce ideas off of him was too invigorating, and his heart always sang at getting to write down his name with official beta credit. (He'd also long since stopped pretending to himself that he'd ever felt quite the same way about any other beta.)

"Good lord." Aziraphale sounded more than faintly appalled, and Crowley felt offended for a moment before taking a proper look at what was on his screen. It was currently showing the notes he'd made at 3 AM this morning, when he'd woken up from a dream and jotted down what had, at the time, felt like a brilliant scene. As always, he'd had his eyes mostly-closed the whole time and his swipes had been clumsy at best, but as long as it got the general point across, he was always satisfied. It only wound up being a usable scene about half the time, but he wasn't about to turn down free inspiration when he could get it. He quickly read through the imagery he'd written down.

They switch rolled over and opened their eyes. In the still morning sunlight they could set the witchfinder still sleeping cloudy enough to touch: his head ears cradled on his arms, the  misos slack with sleep but still clearly there under surface. The words knew from experience that if he were awakened stable the strength would flour back into them in an instant ray for a fight. The wishes couldn't help but think odd other things they might but tray for as well

Crowley paled. "I— that—"

"I mean, it's. Well. It's rather avant-garde."

Crowley froze. "I, uh—"

"'The misos?' And 'flour?'"

Crowley stuttered out of his bluescreen and hastily opened another tab, the screenshare automatically switching over. Aziraphale had read it, but he clearly hadn't actually understood it. As long as he didn't give him enough time to crack the cipher that was 3 AM notetaking, Crowley could bluff his way through it. "Zuh. Yeah. Wrote that down in the middle of the night when I got an idea of where I wanted to start the next scene off."

"And you could recognize any of that?" The camera jostled a little as Aziraphale shook his head. "I suppose I wouldn't do any better if I tried sketching out an idea in the dark." He picked up his stylus and started doodling simple shapes, warming up and re-acclimatizing himself to the responsiveness of the device. He was still getting used to the new medium, but he was finally starting to see a path forward to making a digital art style that felt authentically his own.

"Yessss." Crowley bit his tongue to cut off the guilty hissing. It definitely didn't help that the webcam was doing a very awkward job of catching the tablet screen but showed a very distracting hint of Aziraphale's forearms. The forearms he had, at 3 AM, apparently woken up from a dream about and been so inspired by that he'd felt the need to immortalize them in fanfiction.

"Well, I shall be interested in seeing how that gets transformed into comprehensible English."

"Right, definitely." Crowley was typing gibberish and backspacing over it quickly, more to hide how much attention he was having to devote to this conversation than out of an actual need to warm up his fingers. "Right, definitely focusing on writing now!"

Aziraphale laughed as he cleared his tablet screen and pulled up his WIP, shifting into concentration mode himself. He did enjoy the early days they had spent where their hours of "bodydoubling" were really nothing more than talking and laughing together, but being able to be quietly productive with someone else, knowing they were there with you without needing to be in the same room, that they were sharing your same wavelength without needing to say a word... that simple sense of togetherness brought with it such a deep feeling of comfort that he thought it might be an even more profound, longer-lasting sense of joy than their early days of giddy laughter had given. The strokes of his stylus turned smoother and more confident as he got into the flow, his eyes focused on his own screen and only vaguely aware of the lines of text growing across Crowley's.

Eventually, Crowley calmed down as well, and the text growing on his screen even started to make sense. And he made sure it had absolutely nothing to do with forearms.

--

Translation of the deleted 3 AM scene:

The witch rolled over and opened their eyes. In the early morning sunlight, they could see the witchfinder still sleeping close enough to touch. His head was cradled on his arms, the muscles slack with sleep but still clearly there under the surface. The witch knew from experience that if he were awakened, the strength would flow back into them in an instant, ready for a fight. The witch couldn't help but think of other things they might be ready for as well.

[randomyuu]

there's a lover in the story, but the story's still the same

Ahh, don’t you love it when fear motivates your drawing mood? (not really)

That’s what I felt reading the scene that is drawn below. It’s fear for Yuuji but also feeling excited picturing an emotionless teen!Gojou so here I am. Always down bad for Vox’s Goyuu fics, aren’t I? *sighs*

Welp, here we go.

Title: there’s a lover in the story, but the story’s still the same

Author: @voxofthevoid

Second fic of the series there’s a lover in the story, but the story’s still the same

Pairing YuuGo, NSFW, please read the tags carefully before giving it a read... the usual drill ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

!!! SPOILER FOR THE FIC !!!

Highly recommend you guys to read them first. Or not, it’s up to you honestly :v

Usually I would gush about the fic but I’ve already done that under the fic itself so I just want you to know this comic is solely carried by me wanting to draw the ticking time bomb called teen!Gojou-post-discussion-with-adult!Ieiri. You could probably guess what they’re talking about :”)

The fear for Yuuji’s well-being started this, but Satoru’s cold eyes kept me going. I can’t get rid of it from my mind lmao

You can say drawing these kind of expressions is my jam   (￣▽￣)

I hope I did Satoru’s emotions justice haha

A bit of my thoughts and doodle below. Unhinged maybe, it’s midnight, I got more work to do after this, and my brain cells are barely hanging on. Haha I'm living the life-

I AM STILL REELING FROM THE FACT I MANAGED TO GET THIS DONE.

There are so many things I want to talk about in the process of making this. But after I typed it out, most of them sounded so unnecessary so I rewrote it a few times. I tried to make this as short as possible lmao

Typesetting and sketching are the roughest parts of this project. During these stages, I kept feeling everything I did wasn’t doing the scene enough justice, and it was frustrating. As I planned this project, I read a few doujins and noticed the font types scanlation teams use. There are so many of them, and each helped convey the tone of each image. Felt like crying when I realised I’m not knowledgeable enough to apply good typesetting, ngl. And then the interior design. Fuck, the frustration is so real. I am absolutely clueless about this kind of thing. Tracing lots of references because I have no perception of space makes me feel even worse. I knew first times rarely create a masterpiece, but I was not satisfied with my accomplishment and the feeling of failing to fulfil my own expectations hurt.

BUT.

Thank goodness most of the things I need to draw are Shouko, Yuuji and Satoru. Because dear g o d drawing them healed me. I found so much comfort in drawing Shouko’s long hair and Satoru’s eyes and drowning Yuuji in an oversized hoodie. The comfort zone of character drawing never feels so real lmaooo

Drawing them was so effective that I can look back at the backgrounds with acceptance. Hey, I did it! Not perfect just yet, but I did it!

Haha I feel like I’m losing my mind. I don’t know if it’s in a good way or a bad way. Guess I do have one or two screws loose.

Only for Yuuji lmao

(nah I just need sleep, or cooling down from the rush of having finished this)

It might come off as a surprise if you’ve only seen my art on Tumblr, but I’ve always preferred to draw feminine-leaning ladies. I’ve always loved drawing their curves, whether it’s the figure, the clothes, or the (long) hair. But I’ve grown to like drawing masculine gentlemen as well with their sharp edges and straight lines, and now my ladies start to look more androgynous lmao

Anyway, I was pretty stoked to be able to draw adult!Ieiri! I… I kind of miss drawing long hair so here have some more before you go on your day ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

[galvanizedfriend]

KC Wip Wednesday

This is my humble contribution to WIP Wednesday! It's a scene from the rewriting of TVD S5 - Yokan's version. In it, The Originals never happens, most of the Mikaelsons remain in Mystic Falls and Klaus and Caroline are kind of a thing, but nobody knows (for sure). Remember that moment where Katherine locks herself up in a safe with Stefan to "cure" his PTSD? It's that, except it's Klaus, not Katherine. This alludes to a very Klefan past, btw. Be warned if you're not a fan.

Also, this is for @definedareasofuncertainty, who wanted me to write her Easter Klefan. 🤧 There you go, friend! And you know, not beta'ed and all that.

--

Klaus lies on his back, takes a calm breath as the heavy door is closed with a thud, engulfing them in absolute darkness. All in all, he'd say a metal box is hardly the most uncomfortable setting he's found himself in. He prefers the comfort of first-class accommodations, but he's traveled in worse. The grown man beating about beside him does make things rather unpleasant, though.

"Stop! Caroline! Get me out of here!" Stefan screams, smashing his fists against the iron safe's indestructible structure. The more desperate he gets, the more uncoordinated and weaker his movements become, thus making the effort completely useless, however accomplished in making the experience all the more miserable for him.

It's embarrassing how incapable Klaus is of saying no to Caroline whenever she asks for a favor. Locking himself up in a box with a traumatized Stefan has to be an all-time low. The things he won't do when she bats her eyelashes and says please.

"Oh, stop it," he remarks in a bored tone as he shoves Stefan aside. The old safe is rather spacious, but definitely not enough to comport two men, particularly if one of them won't stop bloody writhing like a worm in hot sand. "The more you scream, the more breathless you become." The more I want to tear your vocal cords to shreds.

"Get me out of here, Klaus, get me the fuck out of here!"

"Relax, Stefan. I'm here to help," he says. "I'm what you would call a greater agony to alleviate the smaller pain you feel being trapped inside the box. It's reverse psychology, or so Caroline read in a book. What do you think of a little werewolf venom high to speed up the process?"

"You're psychotic. You're fucking insane!" Stefan starts pounding on the box again. "Caroline! Caroline, open up! Open it now!"

"I'm sorry, Stefan!" comes her muffled apology. Even through the metal barrier she sounds thick with guilt. It was her idea, but already she's cracking. That bleeding heart of hers… "I'm sorry, I will -"

"Do not touch that box, Caroline," he commands with his full authority. "Leave it."

There's a long pause, the sound of Stefan's heart hammering away inside his chest in the box as they wait to see what she'll do. A beat goes by before she mumbles a final sorry and scurries away, likely to avoid the temptation of putting poor Stefan out of his misery.

Klaus' lips pull into a grin. "Good girl."

Stefan starts shaking beside him, his breath becoming even more labored. "I can't breathe," he gasps. "I can't - I can't -"

"You don't need to breathe, Stefan. It's all in your head," Klaus reminds him pointedly. "A vampire having a panic attack, honestly. When you think you've seen everything…"

"You're not fucking helping!"

"Pardon me. My bedside manners have gone a little rusty since the last time you've experienced them." Klaus casts Stefan a glance, sees the way his eyes widen in horror, his body growing stiff as a rod, and he can't contain the self-satisfied smile that draws across his lips. "We did once find comfort in each other's company, didn't we?" Stefan makes another panicked sound, smoothing his hands across the cold metal door above them, trying to find a way out. Klaus chuckles. "Don't worry, mate. Caroline can't hear us. Your sordid little secret is safe with me. It's just us here, alone under the cover of darkness. Nothing we haven't done a dozen times in the past. Ahh, the 20s…" he speaks around a dramatic sigh. "It was the roaring years, indeed."

"What are you doing?"

"Making conversation."

"I don't want to talk to you, I especially don't want to talk about that." Stefan nearly chokes on the last word, inching as far away from Klaus as the confined space will allow, as though the mere idea of touching him fills him with utter revulsion. Klaus knows better; it's the way he remembers exactly how it didn't what terrifies him.

Anybody who's met this watered down, colorless version of Stefan would never be able to tell how much of a free spirit he used to be. He was fun. A far cry from the shivering man beside him now. Tragic, really.

"I know you like to pretend it never happened. Frankly, you've become quite an embarrassment of your former self, so I wouldn't proudly advertise it either. This bunny-eating, crying in the dark skin you're wearing these days is someone is wouldn't be caught fraternizing with if you were the last human being on earth."

"Then leave me the fuck alone already."

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not here for you," he snaps back. And then, putting a leash on his rising temper, he continues, "But since I have to be… I can recognize that there was something about that time we had together that suited us both, more than just for the obvious reasons."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you do. I was a tool for you."

"A tool for self-destruction."

Klaus huffs out a disdainful breath. "I was a balm to your tortured soul, Stefan, even at a time when you embraced your true self. I indulged you because you amused me, but at the end of the day, when we were together, it was all rather transactional. It wasn't about sentimentality or a shared appreciation for extravagance. It was about the hollow inside us. The fact we were always desperately seeking to fill it with… Anything, really. Whatever we could find. Passions. Pleasure. Violence. Cravings. But it never lasted, did it? Those things lack a purpose. They're all flitting in their essence, an immense explosion of satisfaction followed by… Nothing. We were both hungry, and we kept trying to find the thing that would sate us. You had lost your mind; I had lost my home. Like drawn to like." Klaus turns his face to Stefan, finds him staring back, eyes glinting with an emotion he can't quite read in the gloom. He always did fancy Stefan's eyes, though. There is something raw about them, something honest for a change. A little opening to the truth in his soul he tries so hard to hide from the outside world. "That's what the darkness is, Stefan," he continues. "Loneliness. It's what restrains us. The monster we cannot outrun. When it all stops - the laughter, the liquor, the hunger - and everything goes quiet around us, that's when we feel it. The curse of eternity. The weight of our years, deep in our bones. And the inevitable loneliness that comes with it. You had your names on the wall, I had my letters, but when all was said and done… We were both stuck in infinite darkness. Except for a few glorious stolen moments, in that repulsive room of yours." The corner of his mouth pulls up into a lopsided smile. "I was the bigger monster you needed in order to humanize yourself. Whatever you were, I was worse, and so I assuaged your guilt. Much like me being here right now. But then of course you found religion!" He laughs, closing his eyes and facing forward once more. "Your spiritual path towards the light. Elena Gilbert." He enunciates the name like it's coated in something toxic. His general distaste for Elena goes further than the fact she has thwarted so many of his plans. It's the boring saint act he cannot get over.

"Yes," Stefan says, his voice rough. "And then I lost her."

"Right. Because she chose your brother." Klaus chuckles. Stefan shifts uncomfortably beside him, the urge to hit him palpable in the air. It only spurs Klaus on. "How so very tacky. No taste, that one. Personally, I think there's no amount of blue eyes or good sex that can make Damon tolerable. What a wanker. I just want to bash his face against a wall whenever he opens his mouth."

Stefan scoffs. "Get in line."

"It's ironic, isn't it? You were at your absolute best behavior, weeding out all of your instincts, everything that made you fun and interesting in order to fashion yourself into a fairy tale prince for her, and what does she do? She chooses the dullard bad boy. Typical." Klaus shakes his head. "Ungrateful little -"

"Shut up."

"Martyr," he finishes with a smirk. "She probably thinks she's going to fix him, doesn't she? I bet he encourages it. But that's the difference between you and Damon, isn't it? Even with all your valiant efforts, you know creatures like us cannot be fixed. We're beyond salvation."

He gets a sudden twinge in his chest, an image flashing in his mind. A smile as bright as the sun. Hair the color of wheat. He sees her shifting under his sheets, feels the warmth of her touch, the brush of her rosy lips against his skin. It ignites a sense of joy inside him unlike anything else, a sense of possession, of belonging, of having found something that is far more precious or rare than any of the hundreds of treasures he's collected over the course of his life. But along with it comes the ever-present fear. Of loss. How long before he ruins her, like he's ruined everything else he's ever cherished? How long before he hurts her, even if he doesn't mean to? Before his darkness tarnishes her and kills that smile? Before she decides he's not worth it?

"How do you make yourself worthy?" he asks, the question tumbling out of his as though of their own accord. "How do you earn the affections of someone so…"

"Good?" Stefan finishes for him, reading his thoughts. "With sunshine and rainbows shining out of their eyes? Someone like, say… Caroline?" Klaus goes quiet, all his humor bleeding out of him in a second. "You don't," Stefan answers his own question. "You'll never be good enough for her, Klaus. Just like I was never good enough for Elena. Not really. The truth is they deserve much better than the two of us." He sighs, deflating with resignation next to Klaus. "I guess we did make quite a pair, you and I."

"Then perhaps we should die together," he says with an edge of aggression, his mood taking a sudden downturn. He's suddenly irritated. With Stefan, with this ridiculous situation, with himself for agreeing to that. "You and I, in a box, at the bottom of a quarry. Over and over again, drowning in suffering for all our sins and the women we don't deserve. How about that?" Silence stretches out between them, absolute. There's no response from Stefan, but there's also no pounding pulse, no disgruntled breaths. "Oh, look," he says dispassionately. "Someone's not having a panic attack anymore. Congratulations. You've conquered your fears. All you had to do was remember there are worse things than dying."

Klaus gives one violent kick on the door, sending it flying off its hinges. He pushes himself up, stepping out of the safe.

Caroline comes whooshing in, eyes wide as she takes in the state of the safe, the way Stefan is still down, cowering from the sudden burst of luminosity.

"What did you do to him?" she demands.

Klaus' mouth inches upward into the barest hint of a grin, no mirth whatsoever. "I fixed him."

[pastelcheckereddreams]

Four Seasons Manor WIP update

What's this?! A drafting update?! Yes! Only a year after the first one 😂

I admit I did fall down a massive rabbit hole with the set sleuthing, but I felt I just couldn't move on without solving the mystery of the two sets' layouts. Links to that three-part saga here:

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

With that mystery solved and the layout plans all set, I can finally bring you some previews for my drafting project as a whole!

Recognise anything? 👀

I'm aware that no one likes reading walls of text (I say while producing nothing but lengthy text posts like it's its own art form). So, for more info on how this draft will take shape as a final piece, follow the cut below.

Please also considering supporting me by reblogging my art and research posts, donating to my kofi, or buying one of my prints 🙏✨

Further artist links can be found in my pinned post (project list).

project list | kofi | prints

So, if you're one of the crazy people who actually read through the previous set sleuthing in its entirety, first of all I love you. Second of all, you will be aware of the artistic dilemma I posited at the end of the layout updates:

How can I merge these two very different sets together? Should I merge them together? Do I present an architecture draft that is simply reportage - showing both sets, and summarizing their different uses in the show, or do I draft the Four Seasons Manor I see emerging in the crossover of these two sets - the one I can feel starting to take shape in my brain?

I have decided to do both! 😃🤡

This piece will follow the draftsman style of my previous set design projects, and include buildings from both sets - but only as much as we are presented with on-screen, rather than the wider film set.

This is because, at its heart, my drafts are a way to better understand the locations that are presented to us by the show - a further way to enrich the scenes by understanding the space they are set within, and as an exploration of any cultural cues that I for one, as a Westerner, may not spot a lot of the time.

What kept bugging me, though, was that my fantasy world-building brain was not satisfied - I could not envision a whole, cohesive location for Four Seasons Manor because I kept noticing the switch from one set to the next. (Location spotting in cdramas has now become somewhat of a party trick for me 😂 The fourth wall has been broken.)

Now, I have not written fic in a long time, as the posting dates in my hanwenzhou tag can attest to, but we all know the persistence of the blorbo brainrot. I wanted to be able to imagine a place for all my happy wenzhou family, rebuilt Siji aus!!

So, going forward, I will be producing some more art that marries the two sets together and I can present as my interpretation of a full, rebuilt Four Seasons Manor in bloom - drawing on much of the set designs I have seen through my research, and my own personal headcanons.

I'm not sure how I want to do this yet, but I may start out using Siji to practice my marker art skills. So expect it to look a little like these pieces from my previous projects:

And, of course, the birdseye view of the Siji set at the beginning of this post.

I'm excited to begin!

That said, once the Four Seasons Manor draft is done, I also want to return to my CQL project and continue drafting the major sects. I better get moving 😂

Thank you for your support and encouragement, as always 💛

project list | kofi | prints

[choochooboss]

Introducing your station master & Magma event host!

Since there's already a lot of passengers visiting this station and I haven't spared much time to get to know my fellow submas fans over Tumbrl yet, an introduction would be in place!

I'm Jun, nice to meet you! *offers a hand for for a shake* I am a devoted submas artist & a monthly Magma event host! I go by ChooChooBoss everywhere (Twitter/Bsky/Twitch/Ko-Fi)!

This will be a long post! I will write a short intro as well which you can just skim through but here is a more in depth view how I got into submas, my other interests and life in general, in case you'd wish to know more about your conductor on this silly train!

How did I get into submas in the first place?

PLA. I met this certain mysterious & cool fellow time traveler and got curious! After the cave scene I went to read his Wiki, found out about Emmet, and... yeah. The emotional impact blasted me right out of a miserable cycle I was going through back then and set my soul on fire!! A month later I set up my first art account on Twitter, and the rest is history. They've become my greatest source of strength and inspiration and I enjoy drawing them every single day!

I love both twins very much! I tend to vibe with Ingo a little more than Emmet, but I draw Emmet more. People say I remind of butler Ingo the most, hehe. I certainly don't mind because I'm a big fan of butlermas!! In fact I got into submas & started playing Pokémon Masters EX in April 2022, a week before butler Ingo banner rolled in, so they truly got a special place in my heart ahah! (pssst draw more butlermas for me pls pls pls-)

However I don't draw warden Ingo as much as I would like to. I still get pretty emotional over his fate ahah, I can't draw him without a single tear! This sweet & kind man leading a good life and being an inspiration to others has been torn from literally everything he had for seemingly no reason apart from his name, clothes and the muscle memory and even those are barely intact. It seems like a miracle he's still standing and breathing after put through everything judging by the wear and tear on his uniform and body. Despite all that he carries a positive attitude, assists everyone in need, and does his best to help people and pokémon understand each other, unconditionally... Oh, my face is wet again...

My other interests besides submas?

Monster Hunter! Zelda! Genshin Impact! Super Mario! Trine! Crash Team Racing! And many many more! My favourite genres are platformers, kart racers, and action games, with a side of rhythm games. I'm a big fan of co-op games! I also watch my sis play JRPGs!

Monster Hunter is the dearest to me out of all. I've been hunting for well over a decade starting from MHFU. The games have charmed me with their incredibly satisfying combat system, world building, creature design, great attention to detail, character customisation and the games being nearly fully co-op!!

Other things I do:

Pokémon is practically the only turn-based game I enjoy, mainly because of the characters and collection aspect. However!! I adore Pokémon Colosseum (the first pkmn game I ever played!) and it's double battle focus, so The Indigo Disc has been a delight after the long starvation for double battles, coming up with different combinations makes the battles much more fun to me!!... I sound like Emmet here do I ahahah! We also share the fact we are both left-handed!

Shuffle dancing, daily pull-ups, and expanding my ever growing VGM collection! I also enjoy traveling and taking photos to keep as a diary! I've played piano in a music school for 9 years, and I can also play kalimba. I've done casual boxing, gymnastics, horse riding and medieval swordfighting. I used to read comics/manga and watch movies and anime but nowadays I barely do that, I just rather use that time for drawing instead of just sitting and watching, unless I have company!

I share the apartment with my anxious brother and our two sweet female cats, Laku (11, stubborn and cuddly) and Kalevi (21, demanding and full of love) in a city center. My parents are both entrepreneurs and run a farm in the countryside & I have 4 siblings with me as the middle kid!

Where can you meet me?

I am a game artist by profession, with 4 yrs of studies and roughly 7 years of EXP in the field doing game art, UI design, character/prop design, in mobile games as well as PC titles, 2D and 3D. At the moment I am looking for work; I keep up the motivation and learn new skills by running my art accounts while looking for new opportunities.

I hail from the land of darkness, snow, salmiakki, metalheads and renownly reserved people, Finland! (UTC+2)

Despite having my roots here I am pretty much the opposite of a typical Finn in almost every sense ahah! I'm a small guy who's not afraid talking to strangers and laughs a lot. And I dislike coffee for the contrary, it's very popular amongst finns.

With the inspiration from submas I've finally stepped into the world of cosplay so you can usually meet this small and excitable Ingo in the biggest local conventions, Desucon and Tracon! Come say hi!

About my social battery:

I'm both social and socially anxious ahah! I love making new friends and talking to all sorts of people and writing comments, and gathering together with my mutuals to do cool stuff together! However my social battery is very small... I often struggle with my AD(H)D and anxiety issues, so my replies can be extremely slow. I'm easily overwhelmed when life gets busy and I deal with it by withdrawing to minimise the the stimuli and then sorting my stuff out one by one. This is a frustrating shortcoming, but I'm working hard to find a balance I can maintain without getting exhausted. Please be patient with me! If you don't hear from me in a while, please don't take it personally! In fact, it makes me really happy if you contact me, for any purpose!

Which pronouns do I go with?

I go by they/them! I am also aroace, so if I appear to show any sort of romantic interest, it's definitely not that. I love meeting new people and am quite interested in people in general so I'm excited to get to know you better, but the thing is... I have been confusing people on several occassions for saying things that could be taken as flirting. I am terribly sorry for that, that's just the way I show how I care!

I don't really identify myself by any specific gender either, but rather by my roles or interests (Magma host, submas fan, game artist etc.). Submas encouraged me to enjoy dressing formally even if I'm just sitting at home, because I love formal clothing in general and wearing them makes me feel confident and stand taller! I usually wear collar shirts and black or white slacks.

More about my AD(H)D:

I don't have an official diagnosis but deal with the same problems as AD(H)D people do; poor work memory, dissociation, hyperfocus (drawing and people), sleep deprivation, impulsiveness (juggling too many things and going with the wind), getting sensory/information overloads, and feeling like I don't fit in. I figured it out after I finished school & lost my job for that I am unable to handle big tasks without anyone giving me directions. It has taken a while but I've figured out things that help me manage my daily life as well as have a medication that mainly boosts my capability to get things started which is another great struggle ahah.

How do I manage to keep myself on track?

I use a Pomodoro timer to keep up a good flow and remember to take breaks! This is what I use the most:

I should set it up on my tablet as well. I think it's really cool to see how many hours I have actually put into drawing! Last year I clocked in well over 3k hours, ahaha!

How to catch me?

Right now I have great difficulty managing replies, but usually you can reach me by DMs! I check Discord and Twitter the most often! However I must ask you to respect my current DNI status. It means I am really overwhelmed so I wish nobody comes asking for my attention until it has been lifted, unless it's really necessary. I really love talking to you all but I also have to accept and deal with my own limits strictly like this or it won't work out.

What am I working on at the moment?

Besides the holiday set I have several short comics under works as well as one big comic (100+ pages!). That one is my personal greatest goal! I started working on it in June 2022 and I have currently 40+ pages sketched and 60+ thumbnailed.

I was afraid of starting any comic projects before submas, but the sheer excitement over them carried me over that personal wall ahah!

The story's beginning and end are looking good and somewhat functional but there's still a lot to work to do and holes to fill in the middle before I dare to start fleshing out the pages. I have little experience in writing or comic making so I hope you forgive if some things don't make sense or the dialogue is a little on the nose so to say ahah!

The story will be packed with action with the overall tone being on the darker side, but it sure won't be lacking in humor! The project's main goal is to make it a celebration of all things submas & to prove to myself I can handle a big scale project despite my shortcomings!

This train has reached the terminal!

Thank you for riding my silly submas train!! I adore reading all your tags and comments! They brighten up my day & fuel my passion even more!! I hope to bring many more fun things for you to look forward to!! See you again soon!

ALL ABOARD!!

[deandoesthingstome]

Hall Pass - Epilogue

You Better Lock Your Phone

Paring: Henry Cavill x Reader (RPF)

Series Summary: You run into Henry Cavill at the start of a two-week house-sitting vacation. You had some previous plans. Some were ruined by your now ex-boyfriend. Some were made better. Guess by whom?

Series Warning and A/Ns: Check out the Masterlist

Playlist: I will add to Spotify with each chapter. The last two songs are for this epilogue, especially Billie Bossa Nova - Billie Eilish

Word Count: 2.3K - This is well and truly it. Hope you love it!

Bonus: I'm headed back to the scene of the crime this weekend! Yay, me!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4

Over the next ten days, you and Henry took every opportunity to enjoy each other, over and over again.

Sometimes it was lazy and slow and sensual in the early mornings. After, he would slide on a pair of pajama bottoms, which he actually did own, and pad out to the kitchen to make coffee. When you finally emerged from the room, freshly showered and clothed in a comparably comfortable pair of loose sleep bottoms and a thin, comfy cardigan, you’d approach him and slide a hand over his shoulder from behind and down his unclothed chest while you bent to kiss his mouth as hard as you had the night before. Then you’d take your coffee and sit across the table from him, looking out the picture window to the wintry field behind the home, book in hand. As you read, the deep vee front of your cardigan would loosen and the fabric would fall off your otherwise bare shoulder.

Henry would take notice and comment and tell you how pretty you looked bathed in the morning sun. He’d ask to take your picture and you’d oblige, offering him a shy smile, a goofy smile, a wide smile, a genuine smile filled with a hint of sadness.

He’d pause, staring at the photos on his phone, then swallow hard and put it away. He’d scoot the leather wingback chair away from the craft table and reach for you, drawing you close to him with one wrist clasped in his large but gentle hand. 

With the other hand he’d guide you into his lap, sometimes sideways so he could curl you into him and breathe in your scent while he held you so tight and rocked the notion away. Sometimes, facing him and straddling his wide thighs so he could drag your hips in close, roll up into you, get you off kilter so you’d pitch forward enough for him to catch your lips with his, always with the right amount of cushion so you didn’t bump teeth or noses against one another before he held you rapt with his lips.

But the best was when he’d drag you to him and set you on his lap facing away from him. He’d snake his hand around your waist and up into your sweater, hand cupping your breast and pulling you tight to his chest. He’d get you so hot, get you grinding against him, get you needy for him.

It was easy for him to lift you to your feet so he could drag your pj’s down and coax you out of them before he set you back on his lap, though not before he also shuffled his own pants down. He’d pull out the condom he’d tucked in the pocket on the off chance you’d be up for another round so soon after the morning session. But you were, always, and when he slipped you around him your moan was for anything but pain.

It was for the incredibly satisfying feeling of fullness, or the way he moved in and out of you, or the way he held you close with a grip that said he never wanted to let go.

When you weren’t fucking, you might be out riding. Caleb had watched Henry saddle Telly. When his technique was approved, Henry received permission for the two of you to take the horses out whenever you wanted since you could now saddle them without Caleb.

You took Henry on the rest of the paths around the property, always heading off in a different direction each time and always winding up at the hot spring every time. Sometimes with a thermos of hot chocolate, sometimes with another bottle of champagne, sometimes with something a little stronger, but usually always with the willpower to stop before you went too far. 

No matter which way you came, you always trotted back on the shortest route possible, Kal bouncing along beside you. Once the horses were back in their natural state, you would head inside to shower and make love again.

You absolutely made yourself stay away from Henry every now and again, though, determined to give him time to actually concentrate on what he came here for in the first place. The model was coming along nicely as you found time to sneak in a quick yoga practice or meditation, perhaps a nap snuggled up with Kal, who never had a problem leaving his father’s side in favor of your company.

Sometimes you’d step back into the great room and be struck by his presence, the goofy or concentrated look on his face, and you’d call his name and silently ask for permission to snap a photo or two as well.

You made sure to get decent photos of him around the property, too. Tending to the horses, attacked by goats, out walking in the fresh snow, perched on his incredibly photogenic ass at the top of the front porch steps, legs spread wide and elbows resting on his knees as he begged you with his eyes to come to him, before he voiced his need.

“Just put the phone down already and come here.”

You turned off the screen and slipped the phone into your back pocket and went to him because why would you ever say no to Henry?

He’d stand up and hold your hand while you climbed the stairs together and went back into the house, sometimes to fuck like rabbits and sometimes to just hold each other tight.

On your second Wednesday at the farm, your actual birthday, you called the local lodge restaurant and asked what the occupancy was like. The hostess laughed in your ear.

“It’s Wednesday in the middle of winter. There is literally no one here. You can have your pick of the tables.”

When you hung up the phone, Henry was waiting with your coat.

“Please, I hope you know that simply because you secured the reservation, that doesn’t mean that I’m not going to take charge of the rest of the evening, including helping you on with your coat and walking you out to my rental because I’m not letting you drive us on this date.”

“Henry, calm down. Of course you can drive. I only offered because I know the roads around here, but I'm happy to give you oral … directions! Get your mind out of the gutter!” you laughed as he raised his eyebrow at you again, with the largest shit-eating grin you’d seen yet. “I’m happy to give you verbal directions to the restaurant.”

You didn’t miss the way he muttered under his breath he’d take the oral, too.

He’d been the perfect gentleman all evening, opening your door for you and helping you out of the SUV. He asked what you were having and if it would be okay if he ordered for you. 

“This time, sure.” You smiled at him, hoping he didn’t pick up on that Freudian slip. As if there would ever be a next time.

You spent the next few hours eating and chatting and laughing till you cried. After dessert, Henry allowed the staff to take a few photos with a promise they’d wait until Saturday to post them on social media.

It dawned on you in the car on the way home, why Saturday.

“Don’t think about it,” Henry called to you from all the way across the car. “Come back to me, come back to us here and now.”

You turned your face away from the window and looked at him as you wiped the tears and gave him the smile he wanted from you. You wanted it, too. Wanted to keep this night special. Keep the focus on only what you’d done with him today already and what you were going to do with him tonight. Ignore the fact that it will all be over soon.

“There’s my girl,” he smiled at you. “Now, am I turning left or right up ahead? I’m completely turned around here”

You laughed and wondered at how he managed yet again to finagle you out of whatever funk threatened to derail your nothing but pure enjoyment of the two weeks together.

There was never a time when your clumsiness as you tried to undress one another and still keep your mouths mashed together didn’t end up with one or both of you laughing your asses off on the ground. That’s why when Henry wanted to fuck you in all sincerity, with no jokes or silliness to detract from the way you felt about each other, he’d simply force you to stand still while he undressed you and kissed every inch of your body.

He’d lay with you on the bed and hold you close as he kissed your mouth deep. He’d roll you to your back and hover over you, dragging a palm down your body and slipping a long finger or two deep inside your folds. He’d get you rocking into the palm of his hand and begging, begging for more.

It was after he’d let you up so you could suck on his cock for a bit, and after he’d dragged you to the edge of the bed with your legs hanging over and your ass just in the air so he could eat your pussy for a bit before he flipped you over and entered you from behind and made you come screaming his name, that he’d asked you if he could take another picture.

“Now?” you asked.

“Right now. With you looking like that, all fucked out and drunk on my cock. You can pull the sheet up if you want, here…” he leaned forward to drape the cloth over your hip and your breast, letting you tuck it in a way that he could see your leg and arm, but nothing truly untoward. “Like that. Just unbelievably gorgeous. Okay?”

You agreed and let him snap a few shots. He even suggested a few poses and when he showed you the finished results you couldn’t believe your eyes.

“That is not me! Who is that? Whose photo did you just pull up?”

“Oh, don’t be silly. Look at you. You’re gorgeous. Your smile reaches all the way to your eyes. It tells me you’ve never been happier. I love that for you.”

“So you really are a photographer, huh?”

Henry laughed wholeheartedly again. “Right, yes. Seriously, though. I’ve been in front of the camera for years. You don’t think I’ve picked up on a few tricks of the trade?”

“Thank you, Henry. Thank you for showing these to me.”

“I’ll send them, don’t worry. And this is just me showing you yourself.”

When your friends showed up on Friday, you introduced them to Henry and they convinced him to stay one more night. Friday night was so much fun, that Henry stayed Saturday night, too. As he was getting packed and ready to leave Sunday, he reached for you as you were packing also.

“Come with me.”

“What?” you asked, certain you didn’t hear what you thought you did as you allowed yourself to be pulled into his arms.

“Put these bags in my car and come with me. For a few more days. Somewhere else, somewhere private again.”

“What for?”

“So we can actually talk. I shouldn’t have kept us from talking about it the whole time. I only wanted to make sure we enjoyed it as much as we could. But that was silly, because I missed the opportunity to tell you sooner that I think I might be falling for you and I want the same to be true for you. Are you falling for me?”

“Yes,” you whispered, wanting to pinch yourself. “Yes of course I’m falling for you. I’m sorry, I also should have said something. I was so scared, this is, like, really soon.”

“We can still take this slow, but those restaurant photos are already online, and I'd be surprised if people haven't already come looking. And not that those kids know to point to you here right away, but there is bound to be increased interest in the area for a bit and I think it just best if we stay away while we figure out what we want to tell them when they finally do come knocking.”

“You’re seriously asking me to start a relationship with you?”

“Well, continue one, yes. Please.” The look on his face was nothing but serious.

“But my life…”

“Here, yes, I know. That’s exactly what we need to talk about. I’ll do whatever you want, but you have to know if you decide to stay here so that we are forced to be long distance at the very beginning of our relationship, it may make things difficult for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Reporters, paparazzi, crazed fans, whatever you can think of. I could hire someone to help keep folks away. You'd be welcome to go wherever you want, though you’ll probably find you won’t want to.”

“My job? I mean, it’s pretty much remote anyway. I’m sure I could do it from anywhere, but my apartment, my belongings…”

“All things I want to spend time sorting out with you as well as just spending more time together. Kal will also probably never forgive me if I let you just go, which is why I’m suggesting you come with me so we can figure out how and when we want to make this public. I want to keep the craziness away from you until you feel you’re ready.” He paused for a bit of dramatic effect. “As well as have you in my bed.”

“Henry, you are incorrigible!” you laughed and tumbled into his arms.

“Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes,” Henry begged, with a hint of a laugh that gave you pause.

“Oh my god, Henry!” you shouted. “Did I say that out loud?” 

“I really kept up a good facade on that one, didn’t I?” he laughed and you knew this was your man forever now.

Tags:

@littlegreenplasticsoldier- you opened this floodgate. Sorry.

Anything: @mayloma @fvckinghenrycavill @geralts-yenn @sillyrabbit81 @kittenofdoomage @liveoncoffeeandflowersss @aireraume @kebabgirl67 @marantha @sweetdreamsofgelato @beck07990 @itsrubberbisquit @dedicated-to-mr-cavill @alexakeyloveloki @feelmyroarrrr @raccoon-eyed-rebel @angelmather1 @lizzystuffsthings @kingliam2019 @enchantedbytomandhenry @omgkatinka

Hall Pass: (askers and likers, though if you liked the teaser post and you aren’t here, Tumblr won’t let me tag you)  @crymeariversworld @tess-lecter-blog @codykosuckmytoe @casadutti @fefa-la-printcessa @kaylamontaniz @kemillyfreitas​ @urmom3sposts​ @alicasalime​ @florxdexcerezo​ @lothbrokcore​ @straightforwardly @fuzzyugly-blog @livesinfantasyland @thereisa8ella @coldmooninthedark @12dilucswife @ms-angiealsina @7eamfan7asy @band-of-brothers-memes @ms-betsy-fangirl @cavillsslut @henryownsme @hawklin @yoongskook

[redgoldsparks]

March Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 4 by Ryoko Kui

I'm reading these books so fast I can barely remember which parts of the plot happened in which volume but know that I am still having a great time!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 5 by Ryoko Kui

Oh, this story has taken a darker turn, and also just introduced a whole bunch more characters. Will I be able to keep track of them all? I hope so!

Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb, read by Anne Flosnik 

Unfortunately, this is definitely the weakest Robin Hobb book I've read so far. I was expecting to like it less than the glorious, 5-star previous trilogy, but I actually think I'm going to skip the rest of the Rain Wild Chronicles and read summaries online to get to the next Fitz books. This book follows five main POV characters. This works fairly well for the first half, when the characters are all in different physical locations. However once all of the characters meet up, we start getting the same scene from multiple different POVs, which feels extremely repetitive. Also, almost EVERY SCENE includes a flashback, often a lengthy flashback, sometimes to something that happened only the previous day and could have been told as present-moment action. This writing choice baffled me. It's something I can't remember struggling with in any of Hobb's previous books, but by the end it was driving me up a wall. The book also moved very slowly; the stakes feel lower, and the character far less emotionally true than in the two Fitz trilogies. Disappointing, but I will keep moving forward towards the next part of the series I want to read.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 6 by Ryoko Kui

Damn, a lot of characters get murdered in this volume! Good thing almost everyone who dies in the dungeon can be revived. Also, very excited to finally meet the cat ninja I've been seeing fan art of since before I even started the series :3

Delicious in Dungeon vol 7 by Ryoko Kui

I am still completely caught up in this series. I love the glimpse of Senshi's past revealed in this volume, and the lore of the dungeon that is still being revealed. There was a line in here about how the dungeon leaves you alone if you don't ask much of it, but that if you have strong desires it throws even more obstacles into your way. Our heroes have such big goals right now, but they're marching ahead regardless!

School Trip by Jerry Craft 

A satisfying new installment in the New Kid series from funny, talented, charming Jerry Craft! I appreciated how this volume started to complicate some of the students who had been left a bit one-dimensional in previous books. Several people stood up to and called out a bully; new friendships were built; and Jordan Banks left Paris even more inspired than ever to follow his dreams of becoming an artist. This series has a lot of jokes, but also a lot of heart!

A Frog in Fall (and Later On) by Linnea Sterte 

Minor frog is less than a year old, and is dismayed when winter begins to steal all of the light and warmth from his world. Instead of bunking down safely with his mentor to wait for spring, he sets out on a journey with two vagabond toads passing by on a quest to make it all the way to the tropics. They tramp through the Japanese countryside, encountering tree spirits, new friends, dangers, and views the likes of which minor frog had never even imagined. This is a gorgeous book; every page worth pouring over, an economy of line and detail building a beautiful and mysterious world of talking animals and miniature packaged foods. Made me want to draw.

Dark Rise by CS Pacat read by Christian Coulson 

In 1820s London, orphaned Will tries to earn enough as a dockworker to survive- and evade the killers pursuing him. Violet dresses in her half-brother's clothes and sneaks onto a ship in the Thames to watch a man be branded with his master's mark. Katherine excitedly anticipates her engagement to one of London's richest and most mysterious lords; his gallantry nearly makes up for the fact that he's twice her age. And in the bowels of one of that lord's ships, James tortures a man for information. All of these characters are 16 or 17 years old, but all of them are tangled in an ancient conflict between the Light and the Dark which stretches back into an age of magic before history. This is CS Pacat's YA fantasy debut, and it contains a lot of tropes very familiar to both YA and high fantasy- there are shades of both Tolkien and Rowling in this. Its fast-paced and action-packed, but especially in the first third of the story, the characters all felt fairly thin. None of them have quirks, hobbies, career hopes, relationships outside of immediate family, school, or work; or much more than a brief sketch of past. It took until the mid-way point for what I consider Pacat's major strengths as a writer to emerge: intense, homoerotic interpersonal sparring between characters operating under major power imbalances. Every scene in which the seductive, manipulative, powerful evil gay faced off against the good boy chosen one crackled with energy. Unfortunately, there were only four of these scenes in the whole book. It ends on a cliff-hanger, because of course it does, with a tempting set up for book two; but that doesn't entirely excuse the fact that the first 50% felt like set up. I will definitely keep reading, but long-time Pacat fans should take note that this is toned down version of what I expected based on Captive Prince.

Feeding Ghosts by Tessa Hulls (re-read before event)

What an accomplishment! I savored every page of Feeding Ghosts, absolutely floored by the labor and courage that went into the writing of this book. The inking is gorgeous, the history is clear, digestible, and devastating. This book threads the line between honesty and compassion in a way that I appreciate so much in any memoir, but especially one dealing with family. Hulls lays out the story of three generations of women starting with her grandmother, Sun Yi, a Shanghai journalist who faced intense persecution during the rise of Communism in China, who penned a popular and scandalous memoir and then suffered a mental breakdown. This left her only daughter, Rose, a student at an elite boarding school with no parental figures and no other family to lean on. Eventually Rose earned a scholarship to an American university and in the end moved her mother into her California home. Sun Yi haunted that home during the author's own childhood. The unexamined trauma and codependency of Sun Yi and Rose drove the author to the extreme edges of the Earth, seeking freedom from their ghosts. But in the end, she stopped running from her family history and turned, instead, to face it. Shelve this book with Maus, Fun Home, Persepolis and The Best We Could Do. Re-read it for a second time and got even more out of it on a second pass.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 8 by Ryoko Kui

Laios and company realize that their encounter with changling mushroom rings had more consequences than they'd realized- its the body swap episode! This visual humor is contrasted against increasing dangers from both above and below, as nastier monsters and political machinations begin to close in on our heroic adventuring party. I'm now over halfway through this series and almost feel like I should start reading it more slowly to savor it, but I'll probably just keep devouring it instead.

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham

High school senior Val grew up knowing her family was unlucky in love; for generations, relationships in her family have ended in heartbreak. Her childhood love of Valentines Day ends with a shocking family revelation and what feels like the beginning of a curse. Then her Vietnamese grandmother sweeps her off to a Lunar New Year celebration in downtown Oakland and a pair of cute lion dancer boys catch her eye. Could one of them break the spell on her heart? This story offers a classic and satisfying rom-com, with Val torn between an outgoing, rich, but flaky boy and a broody, shy, loyal one. The story takes several kdrama style twists and includes ghosts, saints, red envelopes, confessions, fights, reunions, tears, and kisses. For a comic, its wordy; the pages are dense with small panels and thick with dialogue, but also illustrated with such warm, humor, and realism. I really liked that the story included as much of Val's relationship with her family and best friend as romance. And the lion dancing scenes practically leap off the page with color and energy!

Witch Hat Atelier vol 10 by Kamome Shirahama

This series remains as visually stunning as ever but I'm struggling with how every single book expands the cast. There are so many characters now that I don't care about that much, and have trouble remembering from volume to volume. I wish the story line would stick more closely to Coco, her classmates, and their main mentors!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 9 by Ryoko Kui

Oh the stories are all converging! The savior at the bottom of the dungeon is probably a demon! Ituzumi saves the day! I am still having a great time reading this series.

A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson read by Abby Craden 

A short, very queer, very poly retelling of Dracula focusing on his coven of enthralled lovers. I liked the way the book breezed through history, as the dysfunctional little family moved from one major European city to the next, with snatched moments of glittering joy interwoven with violence and plague. The story is fairly simple, and has a happier ending than I expected, or honestly think the characters deserved.

City of Dragons by Robin Hobb

I DNFed the previous book in this series and just read a summary online before skipping ahead to this one. I think that was a very good choice for me. This third one was more engaging and a bit more action packed, with some cool discoveries about the city of Kelsingra and the nature of Elderlings. But the Rain Wild Chronicles as a whole do not stand up to the quality of the Farseer books. There are so many POV characters that a few of them get only two or three scenes in this whole book. I don't feel that I deeply know any of these characters; while at the same time watching Hobb pair them off at an extraordinary rate- in the last book five sets of characters got together and in this book an additional two couples are developing feelings for each other. Between this and a kidnapping, a birth, a murder, and a lot of blackmail, this series feels like a soap opera.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 10 by Ryoko Kui

Almost two TPKs in this volume, yikes!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 11 by Ryoko Kui

You know shit's getting serious when the character who has been the series main villain up until now is partially devoured by a different, worse villain. Exciting changes coming to this dungeon under it's new lord and master!

Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle

When Becca gets invited to sit with the popular girl clique at her new high school, she's thrilled. But the friendship turns bloody and complicated when she learns that her new friends are actually werewolves who need to kill and feed on a human once a month. If she joins them, Becca will gain superhuman strength and a pack; she'll never have to fear a male predator again, because she will be a predator herself. I loved the queer rep and the twist on werewolf lore; I wish it had been a little longer and more developed. Give me multi-page transformations sequences!

Delicious in Dungeon vol 12 by Ryoko Kui

I love seeing all these plot lines come together! Building towards a wild climax.

Delicious in Dungeon vol 13 by Ryoko Kui

I went out and *bought* vol 13 of this series because my library didn't have it yet, that's how hooked I am. And now I have to wait until JULY for the final volume! (But also, thank goodness I didn't get into this series any sooner or I'd have a much longer wait).

[mikelogan]

Hi, I love your blog and your edits. I was wondering if you could do a tutorial on how you combine multiple gifs into one in the first gif of yours MIKELOGAN’s 5K FOLLOWER CELEBRATION || GET TO KNOW ME MEMEFAVORITE ACTORS [2/10]Colin Firth (September 10, 1960) set? Thank you for reading this and helping me.

thank you so much, that's so kind!! this is the post in question (which was inspired by this gorgeous set) and i'll break down how to do it step by step below the cut!

i ended up saving this gif as a psd because i remember it taking me so long and being really frustrating, i just wasn't sure why. for reference, i posted that set back in september, just over four months ago. looking at the psd, i can see just how far i've grown as a gifmaker bc that thing is a hot mess. i made it about 3x more complicated than it needed to be, so let's do this the right way lol note: i was still using 0.07 frame rate at this point. i have since switched to 0.05 for smoother, quicker gifs.

what we're going to do is create all of these gifs separately and put them together at the end. in total, there are 6 individual gifs. let's start with harry.

i gif by importing video frames to layers, but if you prefer to screencap, load those in instead. because this ends up being a pretty large gif, both in size and length, i kept it to 20 frames per clip.

once you're satisfied with the frames you've chosen, crop your canvas to 540px x 540px. this is what i'm left with

this is when i sharpen my gifs. everyone's process is a little different. i created my own sharpening action, which converts my frames to video timeline and then sharpens.

the next step is to color your gif. if you're going for the overall look in mine, here were my layers:

a brightness/contrast layer with brightness set to 31 and contrast to 5. this will depend on the scene you're working with

a levels layer using the black and white eyedroppers. the top one is your black eyedropper. to use it, click it and select the blackest part of your gif. do the same with the white eyedropper and select the lightest part of your gif. you may need to play around with selecting different points depending on your scene and the original coloring

finally, a simple black & white gradient map layer on top

now we're going to add the thin rectangular border in the middle of the gif. i use the rectangle shape tool for this (press U on your keyboard) and these are my settings (x and y coordinates don't matter):

to center it perfectly, i use ctrl+T and drag it until it snaps into place with both the vertical and horizontal guides.

next, let's add the "choose your gentleman" text that goes at the top of the border. here is the font i chose and its settings:

once again, press ctrl+t and drag this to the vertical center of your gif and to the center of the top of the border. you should feel and see it snap into place. this is what we have now:

now, we're going to use a layer mask on the border so we can read the text. select the rectangle layer and click the layer mask button

with the layer mask selected (as shown in the second image), use the rectangular marquee tool (M on your keyboard) to draw a rectangle around your text, taking care to keep it just a little larger

as you can see, you'll know when you're perfectly centered through your text layer and vertically on the entire canvas. select your brush tool without deselecting this rectangle (B on your keyboard) and paint the selection with a black brush. this masks that part of the border!

let's add the small square gif that goes at the bottom of the border now. i think the easiest way of doing this is to use the rectangular shape tool (U) again. the size of this gif is 110x110, so create a black square of that size with no stroke. Use ctrl+T to drag it to the center of the bottom of the border (the x and y coordinates don't matter):

now duplicate your original gif layer (ctrl+J) and drag it to the top of the layer panel. right click on it and create clipping mask. this will make it so the gif only appears within the confines of the square we just created. resize your gif by using ctrl+T and, making sure the proportions are locked, drag the corners to the edges of the square.

this gif is not colored at all as we only duplicated the gif itself and not the coloring layers. i duplicated those as well and dragged them on top of our small gif, but it's important to make sure those are using the clipping mask as well. you can click this on the properties layer of each adjustment layer to make sure they do.

you'll know you've been successful when you see the small arrow next to each of your coloring layers. this keeps them from affecting the coloring of the larger, main gif.

we're going to change the gradient map adjustment layer from black & white to black & lime green (or the color of your choosing). click on that layer and then on the map. this will bring up the gradient editor. click on the small white color stop at the far right end of the gradient and then on the color picker, choose a new color.

the hex code i used for the lime green is #00ff0c

our last steps are the angle brackets on either side of the gif and harry's name in the center. here are the settings i used for those (angle brackets on the left and harry on the right):

the layer styles for harry's name (double click on the text layer to call up this menu OR right click > blending options):

and for the angle brackets:

by now, you know how to utilize ctrl+T to move these layers where you'd like them. harry's name is centered horizontally and vertically and rotated at a bit of an angle and the angle brackets are centered horizontally and i just eyeballed where to put them in relation to the space between the border and the edge of the gif.

this is the complete first gif. what i would do for your own sanity since you have two more of these two create is 1) save it as a psd just in case something crashes and 2) don't convert it to a smart object until you have all 3 gifs completed and are ready to put them together.

the nice part about having the first one done is you've ultimately done the hard part. create your two other gifs, but you'll be using at least roughly the same coloring and all the same text, just with the colors adjusted, so you can drag those layers from your completed first gif to your others as you work on them.

once you have all 3 gifs completed and still on 3 separate canvases (and saved as psds bc this is adobe friggin photoshop and shit breaks all the time), convert all layers on all the gifs to smart objects. this will simplify the final gif and make things much easier.

then, bring gif #2 and gif #3 both onto gif #1's canvas. this is what it will look like at first on the timeline and in your layer panel:

(full disclosure, i'm not making the other two lmao, i'm lazy and i already did it once in a way harder way 😂)

to get the gifs to play after one another rather than simultaneously, you just have to drag them after one another on the timeline!

a little bit hard to show the actual process, but you're just clicking the bertie layer and dragging it down to harry's line after the harry layer. then do the same with the jamie layer, dragging it down to the harry layer after bertie. when you're done, it should look like this:

btw, the little slider i circled is what enlarges or shrinks the timeline view, so if you need to see something broken down a bit more/slower, drag it to the right. if you need to zoom out, drag it to the left.

and that's it! export and save your gif!

if you have any questions or anything is at all unclear about this, please let me know! i'm happy to help!

[mamaladeskies]

Shutline is Nasty Business

I happened upon Shutline the animation by chance as I was surfing an unnamed website for the next thing to watch when the poster of Jake and Shin caught my eye.

Tell me, how could I pass this? Look at their shadow!

I pressed play immediately, expecting a buddy cop show because I didn't read the description -- descriptions are for the weak, plus this is as adventurous as I get. What I did not expect was the low budget animation and the nastiness (compliment)!

Yoh, I'll be honest, I was about to dip and skip this anime because the characters look like paper-people with a voice actor slapped on top, and frankly after reading the manhwa, I stand by it.

But! The moment the show started to linger on Shin's features, I had to find out where this was going. I'm talking like precious seconds dedicated to Shin's ass.

I was not disappointed. Shortly after, Shin was on his knees paying homage to Jake's glorious manhood. This is fancy speak for Shin was giving Jake a bj in public.

My eyes were nearly watering in disbelief! I don't think I've seen something this mature in animation, to be fair though I don't watch a lot of anime. The closest thing may be Citrus but it was not this mature. Citrus was mainly sensual with lots of kissing and it had a semblance of a plot. Shutline's plot did not make sense, so while I kept watching for the mature content I was also trying to understand what the hell was going on.

At the end of 5 episodes each 5 or 6 minutes long, I was thoroughly confused. It made sense that the next course of action was reading the manhwa.

I finished Vol 1 in a matter of hours, it's that good. The manhwa caters fully to my tastes: two masculine men, grey characters who are well developed, no declaration of love, instead their actions communicate it, an interesting action driven plot, slow burn, no heteronormativity, and aged-up characters who are actually mature.

The drawings were also really good; those of the characters, I especially love how Shin looks, and the background as well. It's obvious the author is not cutting corners.

Something else I need to commend is how the author was able to communicate their sexual tension in drawing. There's a scene where Jake goes to visit Shin at the garage and then we get these panels of Shin's muscular build and Jake being discreetly hot and bothered. The fact that Jake could get turned on by Shin's armpit... I'm in awe.

In girl love (gl) mangas that I've read when the author has panels focused on the women's intimate parts like boobs, sometimes I'm like, what was the reason! Because the woman might only be doing mundane stuff like reading with no love interest in site to warrant such close ups. Thanks to Shutline I've seen the potential of such close ups.

Which brings me to something else; the sex has greater purpose! When the characters had sex within the first several episodes I was sure I'd soon get bored if the story was stuffed full with them and do thorough skimming, but I was wholly satisfied to find that they're purposeful.

For one, yes it helps take their relationship to the next level -- one sex scene shows us how Jake is pushing his boundaries for Shin. And two, it's advancing the plot -- in Vol 2 Shin and Jake have a discussion that determines where the plot goes next while having sex. In this particular scene we also get to see Shin trick Jake which was interesting, finally my boy gets a point against Jake.

A nitpick I have is how Jake reminds me of Wilson Fisk from Into the Spiderverse, both Fisk and Jake fill the screen/panel and they both like black suits. I swear I am not reaching, I just can't unsee it.

I don't think I have a major critique of the manhwa yet. As for the animation; it's very obvious important back stories were cut so that you need to have read the manhwa to get it, what's majorly left is the mature scenes. This makes me think that the animation might be fan service. It is not a bad thing, but I definitely stand by the fact that the story itself is so good it deserves better.

This reddit user says that Shutline has the potential to rival KinnPorsche and I have to agree, but only if done well.

[dualityvn]

Hey Nightmare! I replayed your game recently and wanted to explain why I chose music in the survey. I love the game on almost all of its sides, and a lot of them just stayed with me. The sprites are so afshsg, Keith's smug expression portrays a lot of the character that I saw in the blog when he gains confidence. His jealous/worried expression frightens me because he looks very unstable. And about Tene, he really looks like the socially awkward /and dangerous/ dork he is. I can see when he's nervous and when he's relaxed. I can read his face and not misunderstand when making choices around him. Their sprites are more than good for me, they're charming. If I have to be picky I'd say maybe the backgrounds could improve. The characters don't mix well with it, but sometimes that's good because contrast;; and also gives you a mysterious, foggy vibe like everything is just a bad dream and you don't know what is going to happen.

I love the writing too, especially the last date! I got the scary vibe (and the fae painting was great!), it gave me chills. The writing stays with me during my daily life, I love the dialogues and I repeat them all through my brain. I like how you show things, imply things instead of just saying them. I like that the MC is smart enough to know what to do in different, unexpected situations. If anything, I think you could make that feel more natural. For example, sometimes you can choose "I'm not scared" after a scene that freaked your character out. Maybe make us choose the option earlier and show during different scenes how the MC is not scared, that way MC's acts match their words. Still, the writing is awesome for me. The romantic scenes just make me all giddy amdjsk, I wouldn't change a thing about that, and the MC's options during them (i like that I have the option to say I'd put a collar on tenebris, and you can also not be into that just bc tene is). But ofc changing the writing and art is up to you! I shouldn't mention this because it's evident but it's your game and more important than making a game that people will enjoy is making a game that you'll enjoy making and you're satisfied with!

My point is (sorry that was long!) the only thing I don't remember after closing the game is the music. I slightly remember Tene's main theme (which I find funny when it starts playing because it's like HELL YES TENE IS HERE TO MAKE TROUBLEEEE BABY) but the rest doesn't really stick with me. This doesn't mean it's bad, it's actually good but I know it could be better, it could add a lot more than it does. There are some moments when the music goes off (like the first date) which I don't think is a good moment to go off because you usually get worried/scared when that happens. Walking home after the date during night should feel more tiring and nostalgic, yet romantic. There should be a way to differentiate a happy charming, magical night with the boys from a calm, nostalgic nightly path. And if there's a way to add more life to a VN, that's music! It doesn't have to be a masterpiece, but feel more 'full of life' if you get me.

I hope my review is useful and not bothering agshsgs. This is all me trying hard to find things that could be better. The demo is already so so good as it is! I was surprised to see the survey in the first place when you're already doing great and hard work. If you have to point a gun at me to choose, music is my choice. I think a lot of VNs underestimate it (not that I think you do!). I say this as a person who used to undervalue music, I can draw and write but cannot make music to save my life, I suck at it 😭 but now I wouldn't be satisfied until finding the perfect piece.

Take what I say with a grain of salt Nightmare!! Thank you for giving us this masterpiece already. �� Hope you're doing great!!

Hi! Thank you for your feedback and for all the praise! 💕

Honestly, I absolutely get where you're coming from in terms of the music. But sadly, music is something I can't do all that much about. I don't have the budget to hire a composer, so I'm stuck with using whatever royalty free music I can find. I will try to plan it out a little better in terms of when certain tracks play, though!

[joycew-art]

Someone asked what my process was to make the Rickbot comic, so I thought I'd make a separate post to show it. The process was kinda all over the place and spread over many months from December 2022 up till June 2023, so I'll try my best to make it understandable. And if you have any questions feel free to ask them!

The idea

So it all started with the idea of; What if Rickbot came back? And then the idea immediately made me think of two things;

How would Rickbot react?

Why is he brought back?

Which ended up with these two scenarios in my mind;

A. Rickbot awakens and he's not happy B. Rick tells the reason he's activated again

These were the very first scenes that started it all.

So then the question became, how do I go from point A to point B?

I would take moments from the show as reference for how they would act in these scenarios. And I'd take inspiration from manga and other comics of how I wanted the dialogue to flow and what the comic layouts would look like. In this case I knew a lot of dialogue would be involved cause these guys talk a lot! But I also didn't want the panels to feel too crowded and rushed so I limited myself to the amount of dialogue per panel.

Right now I'm writing it down like it was very planned, but for me this was often a very subconscious thing I did. I just thought up scenarios while I was taking walks or daydreaming in the shower etc. And sometimes these very specific moments would pop up that I would write down or draw out later.

I would make mini thumbnails of how I wanted the pages to go and write the dialogue next to it. At this point I'm mainly thinking of what I want characters to say and how I want the story to flow. Sometimes I make multiple versions of the same scenario to see how it flows better.

At times I even only write down dialogue and then make the thumbnails for them later. I have a tiny a6 sketchbook for little thumbnails and ideas like this. These were often moments were I didn't know where I wanted to take the comic yet, so I would separate the two to keep it more organized for myself.

As you might have noticed, not everything is the same in the final comic. I always fine-tune or change stuff up as I go. Sometimes things don't flow as well as I thought they did or some dialogue feels awkward or unnecessary.

Sketching

Once all the pages were planned and I have a good idea of how the story would go I opened a new Clip Studio Paint file and used the comic feature to set that up.

I would then copy the thumbnails I made in the page files and exported a thumbnail draft of the whole comic and 'read' through it to see how it flowed.

After I was satisfied I finally started sketching the pages.

Most of the pages stayed the same from the thumbnail, aside from some poses or expressions here and there. But I would also change up stuff I wasn't satisfied with.

For example, initially the Prime panel looked like the left one, but I didn't like how the pose flowed with the text balloons. There was a lot of empty space as well. So I decided to redo it to the one on the right.

Even now for the final version I'm thinking of resizing Rick a bit more. These kind of changes just happen throughout the process.

The backgrounds

I knew the comic would only take place in the garage, so to save myself a lot of time I decided to make it in 3d.

First I decided to sketch out the four walls of the garage as planes;

Then I imported those in Blender. I did some simple 3d modeling to get the basic shapes for the counters and the cabinet et voila! 3d sketch version of the garage!

I know this is a very watered down explanation, but trying to explain how I did it would take a whole new tutorial. And there are many other ones out there that explain it much better than I could. I was lucky that I already have some Blender experience cause of past works I've done for school and stuff.

But if you got the time to delve into it I would recommend it! For this here you only need to know the basics. Also Blender is free to download :)

This has saved me a lotttt of time drawing the same backgrounds over and over again!

Cover

Lastly I did the cover. That one has also gone through multiple versions. I had a vague idea of what I wanted, but I wasn't happy with the execution so I redrew that one as well.

So that's the whole process so far. I do I wanna continue the comic once I got the energy to work on it again. Gonna do some test pages first to see what kind of rendering I wanna go for. Not sure if'll be in black and white, color or a combo...we'll see.

I hope this helps! And if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask them.

[tonyisdead-02]

Coming to terms with my asexuality.

I've always love romance in any shape or form, childhood friends whose hangouts turn into dates and their friendship bracelets now have a different meaning, elderly couples spending whatever time they have left with each other, a middle age person falling in love with another and feeling like a teenager again, coworkers who are too shy to confess but they take extra hours just to be close to the other. People holding hands and staring at each other like they are infinite, it makes my heart fuzzy the way they just drown in their embrace, melting away in warmth, love, longing...

...And desire, and just like that the fantasy dies for me.

A lot of this stories have at least one mention of the couple having sex, even if it's not explicit it's still there, like them kissing in the hallway after a fun date, almost devouring their mouths, they enter the room and the scene fades to black. They didn't show anything but we all know what happened.

The moment you get old enough to experience puberty the adults (sometimes people your age also do it but it's especially the adults) won't stop talking about how you're gonna have a partner, how you're gonna go in dates and parties were teenagers make out in the couch or have sex whenever they can, your parents might even forbid you close the door when someone your age comes over because what are two teenagers in a room going to do if not have sex?

I'm not saying it's not important to have this conversations, after all teenagers do have sex and some of them talk about it like their lives depend on it.

It's just kinda painful to hear.

Sitting in lunch and hearing your classmates talk about things they did with their partners and how they love each other so much they sneak out to kiss, going to a party with friends and trying to ignore couples making out in every corner, people your age talking about how they thought they didn't like sex until they tried and now they love it, some even say if you dont have sex then what you have is no different than friendship. You can't just go home and scape because your family starts bothering you saying things like "Do you like someone?" "You know you can talk to me about this stuff" "I was your age, I know what teenagers do" "Boys only want one thing"

And if you do talk to them about not wanting to have sex or how you just don't feel it, they start saying you're a late bloomer, how everyone feels it eventually and it's only natural to do it, or how they want grandkids and can't wait to experience that with you.

I try to scape to fantasy but even there sex is a big deal, the lovers have sex as an ultimate act of love, the lovers won't see each other for a very long time so they have sex, the lovers go to a hotel after a beautiful wedding and have sex, or there's stories about how one of them feels miserable for not having sex so they have an affair and falls in love with the affair partner.

No matter where I look, sex is there.

So when everyone around you talks about how this is extremely important and you don't feel the need to do it, you start to feel very lonely.

But how can it be posible? I read about sex, even tho I don't do it to satisfy something other than curiosity, I do it like I'm a scientist studying the behavior of a strange species and I draw sex like it's something beautiful yet only exists in fiction.

I know myself, I know the mere thought of someone being so close it's gross and scary and just impossible, I know I don't experience those "butterflies" or that tingling sensation people describe, yet I crave it, not because I actually want to do it, but because if that's supposed to be the ultimate act of love then how would I ever experience love if I don't do it? Yes I know that's not exactly true and casual sex exist, but still at least they have it. Why does it feel so wrong not being able to feel it?

How can I yearn for something so desperately yet despise it so much?