#I was hoping to have another bigger project finished for today

[malachite834]

Did y'all know that I released my first original song just a few months ago? Nope, because I forgot to ever mention it here! (°ー°〃)

Check out the full piece on YouTube if you're interested: https://youtu.be/jy6nscpFQQM

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

sleepover. l Joel Miller

Summary:  the house was quiet and you missed each other very much

Warnings:  +18, smut, swearing, unprotected sex (remember - safety first), oral sex (getting f), oral sex (m receiving)

A/N: I wasn't planning on writing anything today, but here it is. I hope it brightens your day. Your feedback is very important to me and I thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. I secretly hope you like this story. 🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

You couldn't remember the last time your house was this quiet. It was a strange, but quite pleasant feeling. 

You made yourself a big cup of tea, lit a scented candle and started on the mountain of freshly done laundry that was waiting to be folded and sorted. It was already getting dark outside and you could hear the cicadas through the open kitchen window. You liked moments like this.

You pulled a small pink t-shirt with the words "Daddy's little girl" written on it from the pile and smiled. Nothing had been the same since Sarah had appeared in your lives. Five years had passed and you had the impression that you had only come back from the hospital with her a week ago. She was your dream child - smiling, smart and beautiful. And totally in love with her father.

You put her t-shirt on one pile and reached for another one. This one was bigger and more worn. It was definitely your husband's t-shirt. Joel Miller was the man of your life. Even though everyday life wasn't all colorful, you were grateful that you had someone so stable and caring for you, and the little one, next to you.

You were lost in your thoughts and assembling the next parts of your family's wardrobe when you heard the slam of the front door and the sound of keys being thrown on a nearby table.

"Hi, honey!"

Heavy footsteps headed to the kitchen, the fridge door slammed and Joel soon stood in the living room door sipping a can of cold cola.

"Rough day?" you asked, looking at him from behind a pile of clothes.

"Yeah." he mumbled taking off his shoes "This project is killing me, but it's getting closer to the end."

He looked around the room, frowning, and then leaned back, glancing towards the stairs and listening carefully.

"Sarah is asleep already?" he was surprised, glancing at his watch "It's only seven."

"Our daughter is at Susan's birthday party today." you replied, smiling "I feel sorry for her parents. Six kids at home, and they have sleepovers."

"Crazy people." Joel finished his coke. "A year ago I had to fix her bed when her friends visited. They turned it into a trampoline."

"You'll miss it when she disappears from home for the whole evening and comes back drunk."

"No fucking way! Sarah won't leave this house until she's 21."

You looked at him with pity. For a moment, he turned the empty can in his fingers. He also noticed the silence in the house.

"You know..." he began after a moment. "This is probably the first evening, I don't know how long, since we've been home alone."

"Yeah, I noticed that too."

"Alone." Joel repeated the last word with great emphasis.

"Are you suggesting something?"

He raised an eyebrow and smiled mischievously. You knew perfectly well what he meant. The last few days have been quite hard for you. Household chores, work, Joel's project, shopping, a five-year-old girl with a ton of questions and ideas. In the evenings, you were literally falling on your face. Any tenderness was at the bottom of your "to do" list.

"I dream of a hot bath." You stuck out your lower lip like a sad child "Candles, scented bubble bath..."

"Really?" he approached you "What else do you dream of?"

"About food that I don't have to make by myself."

"I'll order something for us. Chinese? Or maybe pizza?"

"I don't know."

"So let me take some of your time, and then we'll think about it together."

He took your face in his warm hands and kissed you tenderly. He tasted like cola and mint gum. You could smell the wood and the remnants of his cologne, the scent of your husband.

His tongue slipped between your lips, deepening the kiss, and soon you were purring with pleasure. You got up from the couch and moved closer to him, sliding your hands under his shirt.

It was starting to get nicer when you suddenly heard the sound of his phone.

"Fuck!" he cursed, pulling the phone out of his jeans pocket. "It's Tommy. It can wait."

"Are you sure?"

Joel cursed again under his breath and answered the call. You didn't listen to their conversation, but your hands started wandering over his body again. You moved closer.

"I'll sort it out. Tomorrow." he moaned quietly as your lips began to caress his neck, Joel rolled his eyes. "Nothing. I stepped on a fucking block, Sarah leaves toys everywhere." you giggled, his hand squeezed your buttock warningly. "The delivery will be tomorrow, I already talked to the driver." Your lips caught his earlobe and you sucked it lightly "Fuck, Tommy! Can we do this tomorrow? It's not that important. Yeah, I'm really busy! Bye!"

He threw his phone on the couch and gave you a reprimanding look.

"You really don't know how to behave when someone's talking, do you?" he asked.

"I don't know." You smiled as both of his hands found their way to your buttocks, kneading them "Maybe you should teach me."

Joel growled and you felt the cock in his jeans twitch restlessly. You tried to remember the last time you felt him inside you and it wasn't a quickie. Soon you felt a pleasant arousal between your thighs.

"Do you want to go to the bedroom or are we staying here?"

"Let's stay."

You kissed him and felt him lead you to the couch, you hit it with your legs. Your clothes quickly and efficiently found themselves on the floor. You sighed quietly at the sight of his hard member, the glistening precum on its red tip. Your husband was definitely generously endowed by nature. Your lips became wetter at the sight.

"Do you like it?" he asked, smiling slyly, "Go ahead, take it."

You sat down on the couch and had Joel's cock at eye level. The perfect position. He grabbed your hair, pushing it away from your face so it wouldn't get in your way, and you gave his soft belly a few kisses.

You took his cock in your hand and gave him a few strokes. Joel watched you carefully and let out a breath when you put it in your mouth. You felt its weight on your tongue, the slightly salty taste and the delicate skin. You purred quietly, sending vibrations into his core. You started moving, teasing the tip with your tongue, sucking as if you had a favorite toy in your hands.

"Baby, deeper, please..."

And you did. His tip hit the back of your throat, tears pricking the corners of your eyes as you began to choke. Joel held your head and began to move himself, thrusting in and out of your mouth. Loud moans left his throat.

"Fuck... I love your mouth, baby. If I didn't love your pussy so much I'd spend every free moment there. Jesus, just perfect!"

You liked it when he used you like that. He was never too rough, always knowing what and how to do to make you feel comfortable.

"Baby, I want to feel you." he whispered feverishly, withdrawing from between your lips. "I want to be inside you so bad. C'mon! Will you ride me, baby?"

You nodded, and he took you in his arms, kissing you deeply. He slid his hand between your thighs.

"Fuck, you're so wet already." he remarked, delighted. "I guess I need to take better care of my wife."

"You'll do it later." you mumbled, pushing him onto the couch and straddling his hips. "Now I want you inside. Damn, Joel! Don't make me wait any longer."

He positioned his cock so that it was just below your entrance. You held your arms on the back of the couch and let Joel's hand on your hip guide you lower. The tip slid in smoothly and soon the entire cock was inside. His length wonderfully stretched your walls and filled you completely.

"Jesus..." you sighed closing your eyes "I missed this so much."

"I know, I know baby." Joel showered kisses on your neck and collarbone "We work too much. You take care of Sarah, the house and me. We don't have enough time for each other..."

You stroked his rough cheek and looked into those wonderfully sweet eyes. He was such an amazing man. Even though he worked hard himself, he always thought of you first. You pressed your lips to his wishing that this kiss would take away at least a little of the burden from him.

When you started moving up and down, you both pulled away from each other. You rested your forehead against his, squeezing your eyes shut. Every movement of his insides was captivating, you needed him so much, your body was hungry for closeness.

The sound of skin slapping against skin and your breaths filled your ears. Joel grabbed your breast, squeezing it tightly. His fingers teased your nipple, rolling it. Finally his mouth engulfed it and he began to suck it, teasing it with his tongue.

Your thighs were already aching, but you didn't slow down. You wanted to feel him more, harder, deeper.

"Fuck! Joel!" you gasped, "I'm so close!"

"Me too! Damn, you can break me, but don't stop!" he groaned, "I love your pussy! After all this, I'll eat you out so hard you'll scream out loud."

"You promised me a bath." you noted, smiling.

"After the bath." he corrected himself, "Shit! I'm gonna... Fuck!"

His cock was hitting exactly where you needed it. Strong hands held your hips tightly as he pressed you even harder. Your legs were already starting to go numb.

And then it happened. You squeezed your eyes shut as your body tensed, an incredible shiver ran through your body as your velvet walls tightened around Joel's cock, sending pulsating spasms into your core. A loud moan escaped your throat.

Joel was right behind you. He used your body, after a few deep and frantic thrusts he came with a loud and deep groan. His cock poured streams of white cum into you, filling you to the brim.

"Fuckfuckfuck...."

"I know, baby. I know." you kissed his sweaty cheeks, eyelids, nose and lips. "Damn, we have to do this more often if we want to think about a sibling for Sarah."

"Don't talk about it." Joel lazily opened his eyelids, looking at you with dreamy eyes. "The thought of putting a baby inside you... Your swollen belly, your big breasts... I'll get hard again soon, but… I promised you a bath."

You giggled, hiding your face in the area of ​​his neck and inhaling his scent. You could feel his heart beating, his hands stroking your back. 

It was a perfect and peaceful evening. Your thoughts wandered between a bath, the food you would eat together and even more sex with your own husband.

"I think we should buy a bottle of wine for Susan's parents." Joel stated after a moment. "Maybe they'll have sleepovers more often."

"You think so?"

"If it means I'll have my wife to myself more often too, it's worth considering."

You lightly patted his shoulder and sat up. Brown eyes moved over your breasts with admiration.

"C'mon, handsome." you said. "You promised me so much, and time is running out."

Joel really wanted to fulfill his promises. And most of all, the one where his head was supposed to be between your thighs.

☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

[anzulvr]

Hello how are you today. I was wondering can I request karma x reader headcanon who are enemies. Like always competing for better grades and are always at each other throats

— ACADEMIC RIVALS HEADCANNONS

Karma Akabane x Reader (gn!) // the beginning of this takes place before Karma is dropped to E class, you’re A-CLASS classmates // this is so late I’m sorry… like a year late i think. pls forgive me. Cute request shoulda done sooner but I’m so behind!!

Unconsciously Karma is going to assume the worst of you, before even speaking to you he had a few assumptions of the type of person you were.

Though you can’t really blame him for it, A class students aren’t exactly known for being kind.

You had a few assumptions about him yourself.

Wasted potential, a genius who got into fights on a regular basis. He was so full of himself, always leaving class before the lesson ended. Not to mention the way he never followed instructions.

You didn’t appreciate the fact things worked out for him better than they did for you.

He constantly outperformed your scores with a point or even half a point. It was irritating. You spent hours perfecting your writing, memorizing equations, and taking notes. He didn’t even stay in class for longer than 30 minutes because he already knew the lessons?!

No matter how much you studied ahead, he already knew that. If you managed to score 100 on a test he’d somehow gotten extra credit points. It was driving you insane.

He could probably feel the hostility, which is why you avoided each other for the most part.

Until…

You got paired up for a project.

Your worst nightmare came true.

He’s cute from afar. Actually having to interact with him and having your A+ on the line was not cute in the slightest. He’s smart, you couldn’t deny that, oftentimes he slacks on bigger homework assignments like these because he doesn’t feel like it.

You were hoping he’d help regardless, you could do it all yourself but if he pitched in it would take a lot of stress off your shoulders.

You got into a disagreement about how the assignment should be done. He decided you could stray from the instructions a bit while you wanted to do everything by the book.

Eventually he caved when he saw it was genuinely bugging you when he didn’t even care about the assignment.

Now that you had to talk to each other almost every day, you both realized what you had in common. Things you misunderstood about one another and had grown pretty close.

Close enough for him to make fun of you and shove his test scores in your face.

You didn’t expect you could become friends with someone so different from you. When you realized how much you liked him it worried you.

You started looking his way when you should've been reading your textbook.

You stopped telling him to be quiet whenever he talked your ear off during a lesson.

You were putting more effort in the way you looked and dressed when you got ready in the morning.

You even turned in an assignment late because you chose to help him with a last minute project.

If someone had told you that you'd like him that much a few months ago; you would have laughed in their faces.

You realized how far gone you were:

(“He's distracting me from my studies... Wait- was his plan to begin with?!”)

Lucky for you, he started showing up on time and even stayed in class the whole day!

(he did show off to you how he could finish the worksheets in less than half the time you could, but hey, you can't win them all.)

He won't tell you why he's suddenly so punctual, and he's much better at hiding his motives than you are but you have a feeling you've also been taking up his thoughts.

[thehopefuljournalist]

unrelated- what's your favorite news story recently?

Hello, thank you so much for asking!! I've had a hard time because this week was actually full of news stories and I'm working on releasing them all to you guys!

But let me tell you about my favourite one from today :)

As an activist, working within my own country and out especially in climate-related themes, I believe in people-power, fully. I know, of course, that some people have more power and influence than others, but there's no denying that there's strength in numbers.

This recent, huge, protest in New York is such a hopeful turn, I think. I love seeing that I'm not the only one worried, that I'm not alone in my fighting. With numbers, we have a bigger chance of winning over our world leaders, and by doing that, to protect ourselves and our futures.

Well, this is my favourite news story from the past two days.

This past Sunday, 75K climate activists took to New York's streets in a “march to end fossil fuels”

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the US continuing to approve fossil fuel projects, something which the Biden administration did earlier this year with the controversial Willow project in Alaska.

“We are all here for one reason: to end fossil fuels around the planet,” Ocasio-Cortez told a rally at the finish of the march, which ended close to the UN headquarters where world leaders will gather this week. “And the way we create urgency is to have people around the world in the streets.”

“The United States continues to be approving a record number of fossil fuel leases and we must send a message, right here today,” adding that despite record profits the support for the fossil fuel industry was “starting to buckle and crack”.

“This is an incredible moment,” said Jean Su of the Center for Biological Diversity, who helped organize the mobilization. “Tens of thousands of people are marching in the streets of New York because they want climate action,"

“This also shows the tremendous grit and fight of the people, especially youth and communities living at the frontlines of fossil fuel violence, to fight back and demand change for the future they have every right to lead,” she said.

The march came during Climate Week, as world leaders gather for this week’s UN general assembly, and a UN climate ambition summit on Wednesday.

On Friday, the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Biden was not currently scheduled to take part in Wednesday’s UN climate summit. Biden has been praised by climate activists for last year passing a historic $369bn climate law but criticized for allowing oil drilling projects and the expansion of gas facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.

A decision for Biden to stay away from the UN climate ambition summit is “unacceptable”, said Su of the Center for Biological Diversity. “The time is now for Biden to lead on the world stage, and show he means it when he calls climate change the existential threat to humanity.”

During the march, the Rev Lennox Yearwood, head of the Hip Hop Caucus, likened today’s climate movement to the US fight for racial justice. 

Youth climate activist Vanessa Nakate, from Uganda, said: “When we say that we want climate justice, we’re not just talking about transitioning to solar panels. We are talking about leaving no one behind when you’re talking about addressing the injustices that come with the climate crisis."

Article published September 17, 2023 - The Gaurdian

Another article, interviewing a young climate activist

[daredvssy]

Stress

I thought I wasn't going to be able to finish this tonight, but by some unknown power, I managed to complete it. I hope you all enjoy this silly little bit of smut I wrote instead of travelling to campus today!

If you prefer to read on AO3, you can do so here! :)

Ship: Papa Emeritus IV x Reader

Rating: 18+!!!!!! No minors PLEASE!

Wordcount: 2050

Warnings: smut, male receiving oral sex, face-fucking, praise, thigh riding. Idk what to tell you it's all incredibly self-indulgent.

You found Copia in his office, sitting at his desk with his head in his hands. You gently rapped on the doorframe to alert him to your presence. The soft noise drew his attention, and he sat up promptly in an attempt to regain the dignified demeanor he felt he should possess as Papa.

When he realized you had been the source of the knocking, he relaxed somewhat, a soft, weary smile gracing his features.

"Hello mi amore," he greeted you. "Please, come in." You made your way over to his desk, quietly closing the door to his office behind you. He leaned back in his plush office chair and opened his arms to you, a wordless invitation to sit in his lap that you accepted immediately. His arms enveloped you in a warm embrace, holding you in your place on his lap. You placed a quick kiss on his jaw. This earned another smile from Copia, although it was not enough to disguise his complete and utter exhaustion.

"Is everything alright?" you asked him, concerned. "You seem very tired."

He sighed deeply, his brow creasing as he gave up trying to conceal what was already so obvious to you: he was worn out.

"I am tired," he agreed. "My work seems to be neverending recently. My predecessors never made it seem like being Papa was so much work!"

"Maybe it wasn't," you mused aloud, reflecting on the habits of the first three Papa's. "They all put in the necessary work as Papa, and I know they were certainly all known to spend a lot of time partying, but the band has never been so popular as it is now. The Ghost Project has never been more successful than it is under you my love, it's only natural that the workload would increase."

He nodded in consideration; you raised a point that was pretty difficult to ignore.

"I suppose this is true," he agreed, "And I am very grateful. But it is getting to the point where I can hardly manage it on my own. Nearly all of my waking hours are consumed by my work. I haven't even been able to eat with you once this week! Cara mia I feel as though I have hardly seen you at all!" He complained, practically pouting.

You leaned up to place a gentle kiss to his lips, smiling softly.

"While admittedly, I miss you too, I fully understand. You worked so hard to become Papa, I know how important it is to you," you said.

“Cuore mia you are important to me too,” he argued. “My work is not more important to me than you are.”

“I know, Copia,” you acknowledged, gently stroking his cheek with your thumb. “But I don’t resent that you’re busy. I know that people are depending on you."

“I still wish I could spend more time with you,” he grumbled.

“I know. But we’re spending time together now, right?” you reasoned. “And if you'd like, I can bring dinner here tonight, and eat with you while you work?"

Your offer drew another smile out of Copia, slightly bigger this time.

"I'd like that very much, amore," he said. "But still, I wish I could give you my full attention, like you deserve. I regret that you will have to settle for sharing my attention with my work."

"I'm sorry that you're so tired and stressed, Copia. I wish there was something I could do to help," you lamented, nodding pensively.

"Just you being here helps more than you know," he told you earnestly, his mismatched eyes meeting your own. "It's nice to be able to feel you like this. I feel like it has been so long since I've been able to touch you."

His voice betrayed a thinly veiled longing, a hunger even. Truthfully, it had been some time since the last time the two of you had been together in any way that could be considered sexual or intimate. He often spent his whole day working, with you only seeing him briefly each night as he returned to his quarters, crawling into bed beside you and passing out quickly. It was unusual for the two of you, to say the least. This planted the beginnings of an idea in your head. You may not be able to lighten his workload, but maybe there was something you could do to make him feel a little bit better, for now.

"You know… I have an idea that I think might just make you feel a little bit better, Papa," you told him. There was a playfulness to your tone, that when combined with the use of his title made him raise his eyebrows at you suspiciously.

"Oh yeah? And what's this idea?" he wondered, narrowing his eyes slightly. You could tell he had already an idea of the direction your thoughts were heading. Instead of answering him verbally, you decided to spring into action.

You quickly repositioned yourself in his lap, twisting in his loose hold until you were straddling him. Before he had the chance to even attempt to say anything, you captured his lips in a kiss, threading your fingers through his hair.

While your previous kiss had been soft and chaste, this one was nothing of the sort. This was a kiss full of heat, designed to stoke the fire that was always burning, just beneath the surface with him. Always quick to succumb to his own carnal desires, Copia melted into the kiss, a moan catching in the back of his throat as he accepted the desire you breathed into him where your mouths met.

When you eventually pulled away for some air, his chest was heaving, and his mismatched eyes bored into your own. The black paint on his lips had begun to smudge around the edges, only adding to his now disheveled appearance.

"Will you let me help you relax? Just for a little bit?" You asked him, sucking a mark onto his neck as you awaited his answer.

"I don't have much time," he began, and then interrupted himself with a moan as you laved your tongue over the mark you had just made, his hips bucking up into you. "But I suppose…” He trailed off. “I suppose I can make a little time for this. Yes," he decided.

A lascivious grin spread across your face.

"Good," you cooed, pressing a palm to his chest, wordlessly urging him to relax back into his seat. "You always work so hard, you're so good at what you do. You deserve to relax Papa, let me take care of you."

He watched you through heavily lidded eyes as you slid off his lap and onto the floor, gently urging his legs apart. His breath started to come in shallow puffs as you dragged your palm over his hardening bulge, pulling apart the laces of his pants with a practiced ease. You made to remove his pants, and he raised his hips a little to help you ease them down his hips enough to free his cock from its tight confinement. It was fully erect at this point, the tip a rosy shade of pink and beginning to leak a bit of precum.

You looked him directly in the eye as your tongue darted out quickly to lap it up. He let out a strangled noise at that, his gloved hand coming down to gently rest on the back of your head, gently threading his fingers through your hair.

You kissed and sucked a wet trail down his length, all the way to the base and then back up again, enjoying the needy little noises the action coaxed out of him. Then, after checking to make sure that his eyes were still on you, you slowly took him into your mouth, swirling your tongue around the tip.

“Cazzo,” he gasped, taking in a shuddering breath. “Always so good to me,” he moaned as you took him even deeper into your mouth, moaning around him at the praise. You gradually worked your way up and down his cock, taking in more and more of his considerable length with each bob of your head.

You brought one hand up to gently caress his balls, and he bucked his hips up involuntarily at the extra stimulation. The shock of the motion gagged you a little, and he tried to pull you off of him, instantly apologetic.

Instead of letting him, you relaxed your throat and swallowed him down in his entirety. A high, desperate whine escaped him. You clenched your thighs together in an attempt to alleviate some of the ache that was steadily growing between them.

You pulled off of him for a brief moment to take a deep breath. You spoke, your voice sounding ragged, desperate even.

“Use me, Papa,” you pleaded with him. Copia required no further invitation than this. With a deep groan, his grip on your hair tightened, and he began to thrust up into your mouth at a desperate pace. You moaned around him, letting him use you to chase the pleasure he so deserved.

As he continued to thrust into you, a litany of curses and praises flowed out of him.

“Such a good fucking girl, letting your Papa use you like this, so fucking perfect for me,” he moaned. You could tell Copia was getting close when the rhythm of his thrusts into your mouth started to become erratic. You hollowed your cheeks around him as he fucked your mouth, humming a little around his length. The vibrations from this alone were enough to throw him over the edge.

As the first spurt of his cum hit the back of your throat, he practically yelped. Resuming control of the situation, you took him in as deep as you could, moaning and swallowing around him as he rode out his very intense orgasm.

When he finally came down from his high, you pulled off of his length gingerly, bringing up a hand to wipe at your mouth. Your breath was coming in heavy pants as you stared up at him. His gloved hand came down to cup your jaw, and you leaned into the touch automatically.

"Come here, bella," he said, patting his thigh in invitation with his free hand. You didn't wait to be told twice, climbing back up into his lap as he guided you so you were straddling one of his thighs.

He captured your lips in a heated kiss, his hands coming down to your hips, sliding up under your skirt and encouraging you to grind down onto his thigh.

He broke the kiss, leaning back just enough to look at you. He continued to guide your hips in a steady rhythm, the worn fabric of his pants catching on your clit just right, sending lightning shocks of pleasure through your entire body. As worked up as you already were, it didn’t take much time at all before you could feel tension ramping up in your core. You buried your face in his neck, a high, pathetic noise escaping you as your legs began to shake.

"That's it, amore," he encouraged. "Cum for your Papa, just like that.” You were powerless to disobey his command. Your release washed over you like a tidal wave, leaving you gasping and crying out as you twitched in his lap, your vision going blank with the intense pleasure. Copia held you through it, whispering praise into your ear as you came down from it, catching your breath.

When you met his eyes again, a warm and goofy smile was plastered on his face. He gazed back at you fondly.

“Thank you, cara mia. I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” he said softly, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“Of course you deserve me, Copia. I love you,” you stated plainly. “Anyways,” you asked, unable to help returning his smile. “Did it work? Are you feeling any better?”

“Oh, yes amore. I feel infinitely better than I did before,” he replied.

“Good,” you said, your smile growing even wider. “Now give me a minute to recover and I will go see about getting us that food. I don’t think my legs will work properly just yet.”

[hyperfixationsporfavor]

Memories

Author's Note: Hey guys! This is a submission for the JujutsuJournal collab started by the super talented @ayyy-pee .

Hope you guys enjoy!

Synopsis: Reader reflects on her divorce after working with her ex husband on a film. But can memories distort reality?

Warnings: Divorce, references to marital issues, implied s*x scene, angst

Suguru stared into your soul through the lens of the camera you had been watching. An uneasy feeling began to creep through you as he ran his fingers through Manami’s hair, kissed her collarbone, whispered things in her ear as she laid beside him. For a moment it was like everyone in the room had vanished, leaving you and your ex husband to navigate this intimacy you hadn’t shared in years. Seeing him with his costar forced you to remember when that was you beside him, a place you thought you’d always be. 

“AND CUT! THAT’S A WRAP!”

Just in an instant the crew had reappeared and you found yourself taking a deep breath. 

Yu Haibara, your assistant director, led the cast and crew in a celebratory round of applause. 

He waited for the noise to die down before speaking again. 

“I want to thank the wonderful cast and crew. You all did a phenomenal job getting this film made. But I think we can all say our jobs were made infinitely easier with two amazing leads, and an equally amazing director.”

Another round of applause sounded through the studio. You should have been thrilled, but you found yourself fighting back the urge to cry. You looked up to find Suguru staring back at you as the smile you had plastered onto your face deepened. 

~

“Suguru,” you giggled.

You had your bulky laptop perched in front of you on the bed as your unfinished spec script stared mockingly at you while your husband caressed your waist from behind you, his hand slowly traveling under your shirt and up your torso.

“Can’t you take a break?” he murmured into your neck.

“I wish,” you sighed. But my boss said I have until Monday to get him a finished draft.”

He laid back in defeat onto his side of the bed. “This thing’s been making you crazy for the last two weeks. Have you eaten today?”

“Well my future hangs in the balance. And yes I had a handful of goldfish and a protein shake.”

He chuckled. “Well my day was fine. You know the director says he might have a role for me in his next project. Something bigger.”

You peeled your eyes away from the screen and gave him a sweet smile. “I’m proud of you.”

He leaned forward and kissed your cheek before pulling himself out of the bed. “I’m proud of you too. But I also need to feed you. Any special requests for dinner?”

“Surprise me.”

~

Later that night you sat at the hotel bar while the cast and crew partied in the ballroom. You repeatedly checked your watch, giving yourself an hour window before you came down with something and excused yourself for the rest of the night. 

“Hiding from the chaos in there?” a familiar voice asked.

You tapped your finger on the rim of your champagne glass. “Well if I am, I must not be doing a very good job.”

Suguru stood beside you with his hands in his suit pockets. “I can leave.”

“It’s fine,” you assured him. “Only a few more minutes until I develop a migraine or food poisoning.”

He sat beside you and ordered a scotch on the rocks.

“When do you start editing?” Suguru inquired.

“Are you trying to make small talk so you don’t have to go back inside?” you asked.

Suguru smirked at you. “Well think of it this way, the longer we talk the less time we have to spend in that very loud room with those very drunk people.”

You sighed in defeat. 

“Well excuse me but it’s hard to make small talk when you’ve been revisiting your failed marriage from all angles for the millionth time since we began production.”

Suguru tightened his grip on his scotch.

“I thought we agreed that this wouldn’t be a problem before I signed on.”

“Well that was then and this is now.”

“What’s different now?”

Suguru gestured towards the ballroom. “Manami? You knew we dated after the divorce.”

You scoffed. “This isn’t about Manami. I like Manami. I casted her.”

“This movie wouldn’t have been produced without me. You should be thanking me.”

You said nothing for a moment and Suguru worried that he had gone too far. Much to his surprise you laughed. 

“Can you believe it? I thought I’d finally reached a point in my career where I finally had a voice in this industry.”

You turned to face your ex. “I know the only reason the producers greenlit this was because they knew you were a big selling point. But why did you agree?”

“I liked the script.”

You scoffed as you handed the bartender back your unfinished champagne.

“The script is shit.”

“And I wanted to see if we could work together again. Maybe regain a little of what we lost.”

You pursed your lips. “Why are you so damn charming? It makes it harder to hate you.”

Handsome son of a bitch with his perfect face and considerate nature that used to make you weak at the knees. 

You looked into his brown eyes for a second longer than you should have. You found yourself leaning closer towards him.

“You look beautiful,” he murmured. 

The uneasy feeling you had felt this afternoon had returned, and as much as you wanted to indulge in Suguru’s candor you pulled away from him. 

“I think we should stop this before we do something we regret.”

“(Name)-” 

“Please tell everyone I said goodnight.”

You hastily threw some bills on the counter to pay for the drinks and left without another word.

~

Suguru was practicing lines when you came barreling through the door in a flurry of excitement. 

“Suguru! He bought it! My boss bought the script!”

Your husband shot up from his place on the couch, racing towards you and taking you into his arms. A hysterical laugh escaped your lips as he picked you up and spun you around. 

“I knew you could do it (Name)!”

Once the two of you managed to calm down you proposed a celebration.

“Let’s go out to dinner. My treat.”

Suguru’s face dropped a little.

“Actually, I have to go in for reshoots.”

“Oh,” you murmured. 

Instead of allowing the disappointment to show on your face you quickly shrugged it off.

“Another time.”

He stared at you for a moment before nodding. “Another time.”

~

You opened your eyes as the plane touched down on the tarmac. Memories flooding your mind and painting softly lit moments in your sleep. You had loved Suguru, but your separation was inevitable. As your careers began to flourish you found yourself growing in opposite directions. 

Rainchecks voided into unfulfilled dinner dates, sleeping in separate rooms, fights, making up, therapy, excusing yourself from work to go cry in the bathroom. It was easy to look back at the past through the nostalgic film lens when you couldn’t see anything but two unblemished people in a single moment of bliss. 

The two of you had made your choices and you wouldn’t allow anything to jeopardize the lives you had established since then, even if a part of you would always love him.

~

The End. 

[amethystfairy1]

Amethyst… You can’t be doing this to me😭

No, but seriously, how am I supposed to get through finals while I have TT and TTSBC on the brain? That is to say, I absolutely adore your work! Reading it made me want to write again after… 6 years, I think. I’m debating participating in Beyond and I might just bite the bullet at this point.

Now let’s get down to business. You said you liked rambles, so I would like to offer my own thoughts.

First, for TT, does the hurricane have anything with a maybe missing siren/merman we haven’t heard of in a while?👀 I also remember you mentioning at some point that there might be a Xornoth appearance, so now my brain is full.

As for TTSBC, (I was debating for a while if I should even share this, but here goes nothing) I came up with a sub-species and was wondering what you would think.

I’m imagining there is a community of something called shadow mutants. They are like the second removed cousins of the voidwalkers. They are, first and foremost, living shadows. You know how when it’s dark and you can’t be sure if what you see (or more precisely, can’t see) is the darkness or just shadows? I’m basing them on that whole felling. A kind of mutant that is the boogieman of the under-city.

They are reclusive, much like blazeborns, they just do their own thing. They live in caves, mostly in the deep dark, making their homes out of the shadows and darkness. Their whole thing is that they can disappear in the shadows and live there their whole lives. When they are little, they have to learn to use glamor to maintain a “human” body, and even then, they have the shadows moving on their skin and pitch black eyes (I mean that the iris and the sclera are black).

They can take over shadows, be it that of an object or a person, but they have to be careful. When they take over a shadow, their “body” stretches or contracts to fill out the space and it can feel like breaking bones and tearing muscle. It takes a lot of glamor control to make it so that the mutant isn’t hurting in a situation like this.

They both worship and are afraid of lights, as light is the thing that creates shadows, but take the object away and the shadow effectively “dies”, so they have to think about when and what shadow to take over. The most powerful ones can even control the object or person in whose shadow they are.

If they chose to live between the folk in the under-city (a lot of them chose to never leave their shadows, never using their human body), they work odd jobs, but mainly as cave explorers and/or armed forces for some of the mobsters down there.

It’s a universal truth about them that in fight or flight situations, they hide. If they are felling threatened while in a shadow, they will either stay there and wait, or move over to another one, jumping from object to object to get away. If they are in their physical body, they will try to get to the closest corner and make themself as tiny as posibile if they don’t have shadows they can hide in. As a last resort, the shadows will peel of their skin and act as a distraction, moving on the walls or behind them, creating the illusion of something bigger.

So…

What do you think? I hope you enjoyed my rumbling and you take care of yourself.

Now I have to go back to finishing my project for todays presentation (I’m a procrastinator at heart, it’s my own fault, but I’m gonna get through it just so that I can post some of the works I have drafted).

I LOVE THE RAMBLING!!!

They sound so cool!? Shadow mutants? That's so spooky and awesome sounding! I love the concept of them moving between shadows and using glamor to materialize, that's such a fun dynamic!

Oooo does it have to do with a certain missing mer? Maybe, maybe, that's certainly a good catch there, not many people pointed it out because they were too busy worrying about Gem going after Scar's head 😆 Hope your presentation went well! Thank you thank you for sharing your subspecies idea, I loved it!!! 💖

[tomorrowxtogether]

TOMORROW X TOGETHER Unpack the “Story of Growth” in New Album The Name Chapter: FREEFALL

"I thought about how far we’ve come," says Beomgyu

In the music video for TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s new single, “Chasing That Feeling,” Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai quite literally crash-land back on earth. It’s an apt visual for the focus track off their latest project, The Name Chapter: FREEFALL, which brings the boys back to reality after their spring EPfeatured a dreamy stint in a Neverland setting.

While TXT’s discography has explored young love and other narratives, so much of the group’s music hovers around themes of growing up in an increasingly complicated world. “We want to talk about the experiences that are unique to our generation,” Hueningkai tells Consequence. The Name Chapter: FREEFALL is the group’s first LP in over two years, and their longest collection of new music since 2021’s The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE. There are a few new angles to this project — a harder commitment to rock along with playing around with Jersey club hallmarks — but it’s a TOMORROW X TOGETHER project through and through.

“Happily Ever After,” like 2021’s “Ice Cream,”sounds bright but contains more serious themes in the lyrics . There’s also a song dedicated specifically from the members to their beloved fan base, MOA, titled “Blue Spring.” With more lyrical contributions than ever before from the members themselves, it’s exciting seeing TXT continue to develop as artists and creatives, and Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai are back to reflect on the process. Read the full interview with the members below, and catch the music video for “Chasing That Feeling.”

I feel like this album goes bigger with ideas you’ve played with before. Where “Good Boy Gone Bad” and “0X1 LOVESONG” played with rock sounds, “Growing Pain” dives all the way in. Meanwhile, “Chasing That Feeling” is straight-up 80s synth. What are some words you guys would use to describe this project as a whole?

Soobin: I’d call it a story of growth. It looks at the growing pains of our generation and picks up where we left off in our previous album. The main backdrop for the previous album was this beautiful but irresponsible Neverland. This album is about leaving this Neverland and facing the real world. Growing pains are inevitable in this process, and we wanted to delve into that in this album.

Yeonjun: I’d say a soundtrack for today’s youth. We wanted to talk about the courage and determination of today’s youth to face reality head-on.

I feel like you guys have accomplished so many goals we’ve talked about over the past few years. In 2022, you told me you hoped to perform at bigger venues, and to do well at your first appearance at Lollapalooza. You’ve since crushed a stadium tour, dome concerts in Japan, and headlined Lolla! How does it feel to see those things happen in real time? 

Taehyun: As you said, this year has been a really big year for us with our Lollapalooza headliner set, first U.S. stadium tour, and most recently the “Back For More” (with Anitta) performance at the MTV VMAs. It’s an incredible honor to perform at such iconic venues and events and be able to share our music to connect with a wider audience. I’m very proud of the hard work we put in, but we won’t be able to do this without our fans’ support, so we are truly thankful for them.

To that point, now that you’ve accomplished a few really huge goals, what do some immediate next steps look like for you? What are some smaller goals you have for finishing out 2023?

Hueningkai: The new album is another opportunity for us to connect with MOA, so I just want to enjoy myself and cherish each moment. As it’s our first studio album in a little over two years, we really gave our all into it. I hope that the album resonates with as many people as possible around the world.

I’m obsessed with “Deep Down,” it’s easily my favorite on the album. The synth-pop direction is so fun. Do any of you have special memories from being in the studio, for this song or others on the album?

Beomgyu: It was a lot of fun recording “Deep Down.” “Deep Down” talks about how a “horn,” something that you try to keep hidden, can actually be a crown, or a source of hope that represents who you are. There’s a clear connection to our debut single, “CROWN,” so while recording, I was reminded by those times as a lot of different emotions came to mind. I thought about how far we’ve come, both as individuals as well as artists.

Which song on the record do you feel is the most quintessentially TOMORROW X TOGETHER?

Hueningkai: I’d say “Happily Ever After.” It’s a song about coming to terms with the fact that there are no fairytale endings in reality. And with that realization, instead of giving into despair, you can decide to write your own story. That’s something that we as a group have tried to do with our music over the years. We want to talk about the experiences that are unique to our generation. I’d say that it’s a song that really speaks to our DNA as a group.

I know how much you guys love the song “Blue Spring,” and it’s so different from some of your other songs dedicated to MOA, like “Sweat” or “MOA Diary.” Why do you think the song fit with the concept of The Name Chapter: FREEFALL?

Beomgyu: This album looks at the pain and challenges of reality, but within this reality, there are still magical moments that we share with one another. On “Blue Spring,” we compare our fans to spring that brightens up a blue world. Our fans have always been part of our magical moments that fuel our spirit, so it felt right that this song was included in the album.

I love seeing you all becoming more and more involved with lyric writing with each project. Do any of you have something you’ve learned about your songwriting process during the making of this album that you’d like to share?

Taehyun: I think we have become better at putting our honest thoughts and emotions into our lyrics. This comes as a result of many hours of writing that we put in over the years, but I think it also has to do with the fact that we have become more confident in the kind of message and music we want to share with the world. I hope many people can feel that when they listen to our music.

All five of you wrote for the lyrics in “Blue Spring.” Do you have any dreams of someday sharing an entirely self-written project?

Yeonjun: That’d be amazing. Manifesting that for the future! I do love working with other songwriters. I’m always learning a lot from them. We also feed off each other’s creativity, so it’s an experience I very much enjoy.

Is there anything else we haven’t touched on that you’d like to share?

Soobin: This album talks about reality as it is, which is also reflected in our visuals for the album. We shot the music video for our lead single at Universal Studios, but it looks as if we land somewhere in a real city like New York or London. We wanted to show a world seen without a filter, so I think that’s another element that our fans can enjoy along with the music.

[neoncolorblocks]

hey happy new years! you doing alright? i miss your posts<3

Hello and happy New Years to you as well! I am still here, I’ve taken a break because of college finals and then Winter break because my other family members were visiting from uni. I also suffer pretty badly from an anxiety disorder that really messes with my focus and it gets worse during winter some years. 😥

I was actually going to make a post today about it because I thought I’ve worried people by dropping off like this.

I have gotten back to work on a bigger project and a few comics I’m chipping away at, part 2 to the post movie comic, possibly another part for mama Leonardo and one with both Raphs. I’m also working on to answers from my ask box as well. I’m not used to so much activity on one of my blogs to be honest! ^^”

Here’s a doodle for the comic I hope to finish soon, it’s like 5-6 pages so fingers crossed really.

[desswright29]

Jealous

A/N: This was another Shuriri story that didn’t get finished. So here’s what I had.

“Hello?”

“Hey.”

“S-Shuri?”

“Hey Ri. It’s been awhile. How’ve you been?”

“Awhile? It’s been a year. You ghosted me.”

“I didn’t ghost you Ri.”

“Uhh not calling or texting and when I call or text, no response. I believe that’s almost the textbook definition of ghosting”

“Oook, so I ghosted you. But, that wasn’t my intention.”

“Listen, I get it you had a lot going on. Not too much to get a girlfriend, but enough to not reach out to me. So this must be important. What can I help you with?”

“Don’t be like that”

“Well, what would you suggest I be like Your highness?”

“Is cordial too much to ask?”

“I’m doing that as best I can right now”

“I guess but your being mean about it”

“(Laughing) Really Shuri, What do you want?”

“I just missed my friend”

“It took a year for you to miss me?”

“How’ve you’ve been?”

Riri hadn’t been able to resist. She’d missed the presence of the Princess. Well, Queen now. She missed having someone around who she could match wits with. Missed watching her work with her hands. How she’d glide across the floor so smooth when she walked. Shit. She was doing it again. That one phone call brought back all the feelings she’d repressed for Shuri. She felt like she’d just crashed into a wall. After all the time that passed she should be over this dumb ass crush. But over time Shuri continued staying in touch and Riri only began to drown deeper into her love for Shuri. Soon Shuri extended an offer for Riri to come back to Wakanda for her spring break and Riri happily excepted.

So now Riri watched across the table as Shuri and her girlfriend Jewels fed eachother food from their plates. Shuri grabbed her fufu dipping it into her Egusi stew holding it up to Jewels lips, as Jewels seductively sucked it from her fingers. A soft nudge at Riri’s ribs snapped her out of her trance. “You should probably wipe the look of disgust off of your face before they notice.” Aneka whispered in her ear. Lip still upturned in repulse, she turned her head towards Aneka. Aneka gives her a knowing look and places a big smile on her face in hopes that Riri would follow her lead. A slow, faux smile spread across her face as she turns back toward the couple. “You guys are so cute I could gag.” She had no intent of hiding her true disdain for the sight in front of her. Aneka pinches her thigh under the table and try’s to save the moment. “Hahaaaa, So funny Riri. We’ve missed your humor.” 

Jewels caught on and her eyes immediately connected with Riri’s, giving her a sly smile as she lay her head on Shuri’s shoulder. “Yea, she’s quite the comedian. Such a perfect FRIEND” She placed emphasis on the word “friend” as she furrowed her brow and poked out her bottom lip quickly. “Isn’t that right, love?” Shuri oblivious to the scene going on in front of her as she devours her food answers. “Riri already knows she’s the best friend a girl could have. Always.” Shuri looks up, her beautiful smile shining in the sun light streaming through the windows of the restaurant. Jewels smile gets even bigger as she lets out a snicker. “Always” She says mockingly. “You know what, I have to go. I told Iman I’d help her with a project she’s working on in the lab today.” Gathering her things hurriedly, she starts to get up and head out of the restaurant. Shuri looks up at her confused. “We all came together. And you barely touched your food.” 

“I’m not really hungry. And the palace isn’t far from here.” Leaving the table, she quickly walks outside of the restaurant with Shuri on her heels. “Ri! wait! What’s going on? Why are you rushing off? I thought we were hanging out today.” Now standing outside, looking at the confusion on her face Riri’s heart clenched in her chest. Shuri was oblivious. Oblivious to the fact that her best friend was in love with her. “Well you didn’t seem like you needed the company in there.” Shuri blushed a bit. “Im sorry about that. We get a little carried away sometimes.”

“It’s cool. I’m gonna go ahead and head to the lab.” 

“Wait a minute Ri. I must admit. I brought you here for your help.” Riri’s brow raised in interest.

“With what?”

“My proposal.”

[bberetd]

Hey there! Since you also reblogged the post saying you want people to send you asks (actually I even reblogged it from you), here I am to ask you a question. A potentially very tough one. Ready?

If you had to pick only one (1!) favorite Mario character who would it be and why?

I'm just trying to get to know my mutuals a little better, y'know?

But most people seem to be using that 'send me asks' post as another opportunity to say mushy stuff to each other, so let me also do that! I'd like to remind you that I'm very glad that I'm following your blog. You're certainly a fun and kind person, and must say I like you very much 😀❤️ Thanks for always supporting my art, it really means a lot to me.

Also please teach me your ways to draw so fast, I just finally finished sketching my latest fanart today (yeah, that ambitious one) and it took embarrassingly long. And this one is supposed to have a proper lineart too💀

Oh, that reminds me: I'm really excited for your animations! Once I'm done with my current fanart, the next bigger fan project on my list is also one animation I've been thinking of, so I hope we'll be able to motivate each other a bit 😁👊

OH just oneeee? 😩

Whew, okay, well... while Daisy has a huge place in my heart (especially lately, as you can tell 😹), my all-time favorite will always be Luigi.

See, the funny thing is that I hardly cared for him before the movie, and even a little after I watched the movie. My first favorite Mario character was actually Rosalina when SMG came out, because I was SO obsessed with space when I was younger (and still kinda am), and blue was and is my favorite color (such a deep reason, right? :P)

I always tend to lean towards the underdogs of a franchise, yet I don't remember the exact moment that drew me to him. There were just a bunch of edits and videos of him flooding all of my social media pages when the movie hype was still fresh, and I guess one day I decided, "yup. that's my guy."

I think the moment that really solidified my love for him was when I replayed Luigi's Mansion (I kiiinda played it before, but I was 4 and just pressing buttons lol... it's strangely a core memory for me). His bravery throughout the game despite his evident fears and anxieties is just... so inspiring and real to me, genuinely. And a little bit of him shone through his commentary of some of the objects throughout the mansion, which was also endearing 😆 The game gets creepier the deeper I think about it, and I just can't help but give him more flowers for going through it three different times!

plus, he's just so happy and awkward and silly. how could you not love him?!

But in short, he's my favorite because he's relatable to me, and I find his little quirks adorable and endearing.

yet despite all that, he knows when to lock tf IN. that's my hero <3

anywhoooo...

Mugi!!! I couldn't be any happier that we're friends and moots! You've blessed my timeline with your gorgeously detailed art and commentary, and I'm so grateful you support my art just as much ♥️♥️ I admire and like you very much as well, you're amazing <3

as for quick art, basically-

and thank you!! the animation might take longer because classes start tomorrow for me, and year 3 of uni is definitely gonna be more challenging and, er, expensive. 🫠 Hopefully I'll learn to manage my time better so I can make decent progress every day, but I do know where I want to go with the animation. Big yes to motivating each other!! I know that ambitious art will be PHENOMENAL when it's dropped, and I can't wait to see your style in motion! :))

[gaviicreates]

FO: time flies by in the yellow and green...

...Stick around and you'll see what I mean

(there will also be more pictures under the cut)

Remember literally yesterday when I mentioned I was doing a stretchy bind-off purlwise, and I loved the fluidity of it? Well, obviously a bind off pretty much heralds the end of a project in sight so here we are. I was so eager for this one to be completed that I lightly washed the shawl and pinned it overnight so that, by today, I'd have my first finished, knitted shawl.

Pattern: Mara Shawl by Madelinetosh, available here through Ravelry

Yarn: Arcane Fibre Works, "Calm Waters" -80/20 Extra Fine Merino Nylon Super Wash Fingering Weight. (2 Skeins)

Tools: Clover Takumi Bamboo Circulars - US 5 3.75mm, Eucalan Lavender Wash for blocking

This shawl is a garter stitch shawl with yarn overs down the center and sides to both increase and add a bit of lacy interest. I had actually started on this before I finished the throw blanket, so these two pieces together were so critical for my knitting journey thus far, and I've learned so much already.

While the throw maintained the upward structure of its rows, this shawl gave me the experience of increasing along the center and sides, working outward as well as up. Once I figured out the yarn-over and the cadence from row to row, the location of the yarn-overs was easy to remember. Simple, but elegant on the piece. It did take me a few rows in to figure out that a stitch marker for the RS vs WS would probably be helpful, and from there it was smooth sailing.

Almost too smooth, because I just kept going. I don't remember the cord size I used, but eventually working the stitches scrunched up on the needles, and the work curled into itself. Once that started, I had a hard time imagining what it would look like finished. I had no idea what the shaping would look like once it was off the needles, so my plan was to hope I just figured out when would be a good time to stop. Low stakes winging it, if you will.

She's big. This is no shawlette you behold. The length surpasses my wingspan on both sides, and the drape down the back is lovely and full while the fabric itself is light and breathable between the stitches. I think because the needles were a bit bigger than recommended size for fingering weight, this resulted in some space between the stitches.

I'm dreaming of that first cool day of fall, and wrapping myself up with her covering my shoulders pinned with a nice brooch, or rolled into a scarf around my neck over denim. She's going to be a wonderful addition to my wardrobe, and I am ecstatic with the final length and look.

I mentioned above I used two skeins. Another learning curve for me - one I intentionally played with here - was the way the colors fell. I don't think it's a crochet thing specifically because I know opinions still vary, but coming from a craft that tends to create potentially less ordered fabrics with variegated yarns, I'm kind of open to color pooling at times. It's not for everyone, but I think there's a fun little magic in letting the colors land the way they want to in both crafts it seems.

I started with one skein, then switched to alternating after a while to learn that technique, then ended with one skein again as I finished out the project. I was nervous about this choice, especially as I started seeing entire blocks of yellow forming. But in the final garment, I don't feel like these larger streaks take away from the color combination. I'm loving that it's not uniform and there's a bit of fun and randomness to how the colors fall.

Towards the final rows, the pattern switched from garter to 1x1, then 2x2 ribbing, which I could see being a great opportunity to switch out to another color to complement. But I really wanted to have my yellow and green shawl, so I decided to keep working up with the same yarn. Plus I am kind of in love with seeing how different stitches create a new texture that gives the colors in a variegated yarn a bit of a different life to them.

Now - I do have one more skein of this colorway, as I had bought a just-in-case extra. I am thinking my big shawl needs a little something else to go with it - maybe a hat or some fingerless gloves, oooh! or some socks.

Now, I have... how many more months till I can wear this?

[owlf45]

hi, i really hope you don't mind me asking this, but i love candor and i absolutely love seeing author behind-the-scenes stuff, so i was wondering if we could maybe hear more about how the original premise of candor changed to what it is today? it seems like it was originally very different. it'd also be so cool seeing how you outlined candor (if you did?), because seeing how other ppl do it is so so interesting, esp when you're a writer yourself

if you don't want to though, it's no trouble. i hope you have a wonderful day!

i finished typing the og idea up and it goddamn forever so the tl;dr is, it was the same simulation idea but with more contrived rules, ending with izuku outsmarting a bastard vestige afo. the long version is underneath the read more section. it should be a heading, its also underneath all the outline bullshit.. which, speaking of:

okay. so. how did i outline candor.

truthfully, i had a rough outline that i just. had in the original document and that i deleted + added to as i continued writing. which is partially why it spiralled out of control, because i just kept adding more stuff. my outline was very vibe based. at the top of my outline i had a rough direction of how i wanted to go through the holders, like so:

Sixth → Second → Sixth → Fifth → Seventh → Fourth → First → loop between death a few times → Third → Nine

and then i had important scene outlined underneath that describe how it jumped from one holder to another (for example, fourth and first had interconnected themes of isolation, so i could easily jump from fourth's loneliness to first's vault scenes). the beginning, the thread of which ofa users i was moving through, and the ending was the most outlined and concrete things i had planned. everything else was just. vibes. me vibing. me going insane. what motifs i wanted to express and what lessons i wanted the holders to teach izuku, basically.

obviously i changed a lot because my outline was very superfluous. much of what i outlined in the beginning changed, although the ending remained a constant goal in my mind, so i wasn't all that concerned.

here's a (snippet) of an active outline i still had 110 pages into the project:

OUTLINE BULLSHIT

Sixth → Second → Sixth → Fifth → Seventh → Fourth → First → loop between death a few times → Third → Nine 

“Boss said it himself”-- “his quirk doesn’t react well to people who pry where they don’t belong” 

Izuku experiences all the holders’ deaths

SECONDS DEATH PLS PLS PLS 

Cycling through all the quirks 

Smile motif 

Idealism 

Bullet bounces, bounces, bounces

Sixth meets up with them, asks if he’s okay

They see the event where workplace discrimination is outlawed based on mutant quirks

Someone hugs Izuku and is so happy that they cry 

Screaming and hollering for pure happiness 

Cheering and singing 

Katsuki as a kid (very cute, very small) 

Monoma asking if the projection is necessary

All the suits in the wash

Underground heroes were their own thing, had their own hero gestures not even the Commission could crack. Not always legal, blurred the lines, played the bigger picture so they could get shit done 

Commission hated them bc they knew everything. If they tried to not pass a bill protecting heroes, the undergrounders knew immediately. Had a underground hero family-sys, anyone too competitive/recluse/sellout would be excluded from information networks and could fail/die (created a culture of very loyal, buddy system, etc of heroes) 

Ofa not helping as much bc theres a villain fight 

Your quirk will blow off your own limbs if you tried to use it right now 

When’s the first time you used it??

The entrance exam 

“I  predict in a few holders… it’ll kill them within just 3 or 4 years. Having the quirk, I mean”

Youve had your quirk for two weeks and all of your classmates have had them for 10 years

You need to catch up

Everyone is stronger than you right now

You have maybe two years before All For One comes for you 

He doesn’t know you have OFA now but he will soon 

He’s like a child using his quirk for the first time

Broke all the bones in your body… you wont ever have function of your hands the same way

“Performance is abysmal..”

Monoma: “Lucky, you have a strength quirk! I’m sure you’ve always been loved and supported! Could you imagine having a quirk society actually hates…?” 

Shinsou: “You don’t know what it’s like to be hated for something you don’t have any control over” 

Sixth saying “Hopefully in a next life I’ll get another strength quirk instead” 

“We need stronger quirks. Quirks that can overpower All For One” 

Scene where Izuku stumbles into a park, it’s calm, and a younger Katsuki is staring at him 

“A hero?” Katsuki is barely 5 when he looks at Izuku. “Don’t make me laugh. You’re just a quirkless Deku.” 

Garaki: “It’s because of the double joint, you see. It’s a common marker for those who are quirkless.” 

Mom: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Quirkless statistics say that less likely to be hired, more likely to commit suicide, etc.” 

“I don’t think it’s discriminatory, I think it just makes sense. I mean, if you have a choice between identical candidates and one’s quirkless and one whos made of slime that smells like shit, I’m going to choose the guy who makes the office a little more interesting! It’s not that deep!” 

“We’ve become a eugenecist society where we want to hide or villainize quirks that aren’t ‘good’, and we want the quirkless to disappear entirely” 

Slime Villain slowly chokes him out, makes him lose his consciousness slowly 

Mom’s “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” 

His advisor’s glazed eyes skim across the page. When he reaches the bottom, the man looks up at Izuku. “You understand why this isn’t rational, Midoriya,” the man says. “Heroism is a very dangerous field. It’s impossible if you’re quirkless.” “I—” Izuku stutters out. His advisor pushes his glasses higher up his face and crumples the piece of paper in his hand. Izuku watches as his words and dreams get smashed and curled. The advisor throws it into the trash by his desk. Izuku stares at the pink crumpled ball. The man reaches across his desk to pull out a fresh slip of paper and a simple black pen. He slides both in front of where Izuku sits. “We still have a few minutes,” the man says tiredly. “Write something more realistic down. Like, I don’t know… a librarian? You like reading, don’t you?” 

“Be realistic” 

“A hero? You can’t just be a hero because you like them. Just because you know every fact about them, isn’t going to make you suddenly strong enough” 

“Strong? Deku? Don’t make me laugh”

Izuku applying to UA scene, classroom laughing/Katsuki bullying scene 

“Hey, I’ve got a good idea… why don’t you just take a swan dive off a roof” 

“Can you become a hero…? No, I don’t think so” - All Might 

Youll just get murdered by the time you master your quirk

Everyone’s ahead

“This is your starting line!”

Jeez, he’s like a toddler with his quirk

You have to catch up

“Poor little useless Deku, crying again like a baby”

Youll die in two years

You’re not ready

Screaming

He has all that power and none of the skill. He doesn’t even have his own quirk. He’s wasting every opportunity he has 

He’s the Ninth one and he’s the least prepared out of all of us

He’s the last one and when he screws up, this entire legacy is gone! All our efforts go to waste! 

“You’re lucky. You’ve never had to understand what it’s like to have a quirk that turns everyone against you” 

You’ll never be enough

The heat on his shoulders grows to be unbearable 

The voices stop as Izuku stands behind his desk, which has his hero name carved into the wood 

Trying to remember who Deku is to him

“You’re Nine,” the man says. “You’re safe. You’re grounded. These are not your memories. We can leave at any time.” 

Izuku just stares frozen at it for several minutes

When he sits beneath the desk, he has to stop himself from crying 

He reminds himself what his other classmates have been through like Iida losing his brother to remember that its just words 

He finally croaks out: 

“I’m trying. I’m trying. Isn’t that enough?” 

Rubs his face, stands up, hollowly goes back through memories 

Goes thru all the memories back and forth, sticks thru All Might telling him he can be a hero to gain some courage

Gets back to the scene where All Might said he couldnt when it finally clicks 

“Oh, duh” 

“Oh, duh” 

“Oh,” Izuku says. “Duh.” Take a swan dive off a roof. 

The reason why he started as Sixth’s memory. If he got it from the start he could’ve avoided it all 

When he realizes it, the other holders all arrive and try to stall. Izuku reveals that he knows what he has to do, but he says that they’re not going to like it 

Gives them all whiteboards 

Wakes up in a safehouse with a kettle and sticky note explaining what’s going on 

As you can see, there's a lot going on here. A lot changed, a lot was scrapped. You have some developed scenes and some one-off. The important part was getting a string that connected these in a way that felt natural, eventually culminating into Izuku's breaking point.

this is a very, very small chunk of what the outline was altogether at all stages of the project. but its a good representation of what i put together for each user. this is a very izuku-heavy section. the odds and ends were parts i wanted to go back and add at a later time when i thought of them. manyyyy of the scenes i wrote for earlier chapters were written when i was much further into the fic. i just kept thinking of new things to add.

OG CANDOR IDEA

okay. so basically the og idea was the same: mental simulation, involved the school, blah blah, except Izuku actually remembered he was in a simulation. In the og idea, it was All For One that took control of the simulation and dragged Izuku into the mental vault, basically trapping him away from where the other holders could reach him. The simulation worked the same as in the final version, so that Izuku had to 'complete' a certain objective. AFO took advantage of this by defining the objectives himself, and Izuku accepted those objectives as truth, forcing the simulation to basically.. warp around that contract?

The objectives were this: there were nine cups izuku could drink from, the eighth one was full of medicine, and drinking from the ninth cup would let him escape the simulation at any time. while he drank from each of the other eight cups, the ninth cup would fill proportionally (it was a much taller glass than the other ones), and if it overflowed, the whole simulation would restart. finally, one vestige had to die.

Izuku couldn't see the 'shadowed figure' who was explaining the simulation's rules to him, so izuku didn't know it was All For One. (The fic started with him waking up, sitting a table with nine cups and a shadowed figure across from him.) The first seven cups held the memories of the seven dead OFA holders. as izuku drank from the cups, he would see their memories. however, the 'liquid' in each of the cups was basically a mental poison. so izuku was poisoning himself more and more in different ways, but he couldn't stop drinking from the cups unless he wanted one of the vestiges to die.

in between drinks, izuku basically unraveled the mystery of his 'guest' (which he eventually figured out was afo), and the people he was saving (the ofa vestiges), and where he was located (the mental vault in ofa). it would constantly reference izuku's (the ninth) cup, which was filling up higher and higher, and it also eventually referenced how the ofa holders in the simulation were trying to break open the vault door.

eventually, izuku clears the first seven cups, and he's about to try and stave off the 'poison' that's killing him w/ toshinori's (medicine/eighth) cup. However, at this point AFO relishes in pointing out the 'final decision' he's forced to make:

if izuku drinks from the eighth cup to cure the poison, he'll cause the ninth cup to overflow at this point, restarting the whole simulation.

if izuku drinks the ninth cup, the condition 'a vestige must die' wouldn't be fulfilled, so the simulation would reset.

if izuku did nothing, the poison would kill him

So basically, izuku was going to be stuck in a constant loop of resetting until he gave up and let himself die

but! alas! izuku outsmarts afo because it never said how or which vestige had to die. so izuku goes off the fucking rails bc at this point, the ninth cup has all seven different poisons from the first seven cups, so he throws it on afo and bam! fight scene! and then he kills afo's vestige within ofa, escapes the vault just as the other ofa holders burst into the vault, and then he wakes up in a cold sweat in the gym at UA to all of his classmates being like "what the fuk!"

anyway. aha. there you go. if you were wondering why it took so damn long to answer this... this is why. hope this sated ur curiosity!

[pbandjesse]

I am just crying a little bit laying here. I have what I think is a migraine. James pulled out my prism glasses to try and help because I deteriorated so quickly. Nausea, headache, dizzy. It's horrible. I felt mostly fine all day! It's incredibly frustrating and honestly I just want to go to sleep. So I am going to try and finish this up quick.

Today was kind of hard. I slept okay, falling asleep really quickly last night. I had fun yesterday and went to sleep happy. I did have some intense dreams but I was doing alright. Even if getting up was very tough.

James would help me gather myself. I wasn't super nauseous but I was not thrilled about going to camp. I was just feeling like I was very very fragile. I tried to remain positive. James made me lemonade and sent me off into the world.

I got to camp at 8 and had to clean up all the clay sculptures from last week. I put them all in one box in case people want to come back for them. And Jorge would so I was glad I didn't toss them.

I would spend some time setting up the project. Finding objects that the kids could cast and stuff. I was annoyed I couldn't find more small creatures so I would go to the office to look through the attic.

The day itself was tough. The project wasn't working as good as I was hoping. I did the plaster casting two ways. With overnight I would have them press objects into clay. And with day camp we did plastic bag casts. The ones in the morning had more trouble drying and I have a better idea of water to plaster to get things to set. But the morning groups would have to come back for their pieces. And the boys always struggle with that. But fingers crossed they come back.

The kids though were rough. Every group today had one or two kids who were just really struggling with rules and community and it was very frustrating. And it's like things that are bigger then just not listening. Like one kid was dropped off at 10pm last night??? Excuse me?? Crazy behavior on the part of the guardian. And then another kid keeps leaving the cabin and running away and screaming at his counselor. Like that sucks? Don't do that. Everyone just seems really stressed out this week.

At lunch I just enjoyed hanging in my hammock. Eating barely happened but it was fine. I would try and eat just a little but everything makes me feel sick.

James would promise to take me to Mathews for pizza later so I just focused on that as a goal.

The afternoon was fine but I was very tired and struggling with the heat. Thankfully it's going to cool down throughout the week, if the weather app is to be believed, but today was rough. I was dusty from the plaster and hot and sweaty and I could not wait to take a shower.

My last group of the day was bontkirchen and they were mainly good but there was one little girl who just was trying to get everyone's attention by telling outrageous stories and screaming and calling herself names and like. I understood her but also girl. Everyone else is being calm please calm down.

I was starting to fall apart though and was glad when they were cleaning up and heading out. I had been making a bracelet and teaching a few girls how to make a look bracelet and it was nice but I was just done.

I drove home (after stopping at the office to get my package. My new garden bed was delivered!) and it was a tough drive. I slowly started becoming nauseous and in pain and was almost crying out loud at points I was so uncomfortable. It was not fun. I don't know if it was the motion from the car or what but it was horrible.

I got home right after 4. James was still waiting for the guy who was coming to measure our backdoor. They would hug me encouraged me to take care of myself.

So I went and took a shower. And it helped a bit. And then I laid down for 20 minutes. James came in when the door guy was done and would lay with me for a bit. But soon we were off for dinner.

And it was a good dinner. We had some serious talks about how bad I am feeling and ways they can support me. The food was good. I had to breathe through nausea again half way through dinner. But the pizza was great.

It was honestly to great. And for the next hour I just kept thinking about it. To the point I started crying?? And James went and got us a second pizza. That I could barely eat because I became so nauseous again. And I feel very stupid about it and I know I am being very irrational right now but man am I trying to keep it together. I am failing but I am trying.

We went to ace to get another fly trap. I pet the shop cat who is so cute and chunky. And then we went to the grocery store to get a few things. I was really happy to go home.

When we got back here I would end up wildly nauseated again. To the point of tears. And James would search for my glasses and I think it's helping a little but I mainly just want to close my eyes. So that is what I'm going to do.

I truly truly hope to tomorrow is better and I don't fall apart at the end. I love you all dearly. And I hope you are all okay out there. Send me good thoughts. Until tomorrow!!

[wevelocityteampresents-blog]

SEPTEMBER 28TH

I found out there was a new online tournament for Pokémon Violet. It's supposed to utilize Pokémon that can be found in Kitakami. With all the practice I've been doing in casual and ranked battles, I should be able to do great once it finally arrives. (I've also been keeping track of the new Pokémon's stats in Pokémon HOME, so I know exactly what to expect.)

For now, I should continue fighting the legendary Pokémon. I arrived at the site where Munkidori was lurking around.

Of course, there had to be a catch to this thing...

He looks BIGGER than usual... After I beat him, I obtained one of Ogerpon's masks. (But that doesn't mean I can use them yet.)

Fezandipiti was next. I thought I would have to fight her on a cliff. But she flew into a nearby cave.

That's one way to catch a Pokémon, I guess...

After I beat Fezandipiti, I only had Okidogi to deal with. I was surprised that he was holding a Liechi Berry. (Or maybe they all have held items. But I finished them off too quickly to notice them.)

After I obtained the last mask, Kieran showed up and told us to go back to Moussi Town for something important.

I'm pretty sure a LOT of people would be lured by your natural charm...

SEPTEMBER 29TH

I finally managed to finish the last redesign. I'm a little disappointed in some aspects of his backview. But it's nothing more drawings can't fix. Now that I'm done redesigning these characters, I should probably move on to that new project of mine.

Today was also the day I remembered that Pac-Man 99 would shut down in a week and a half. Making it the second Akira-developed battle royale title to have its servers shut down. I can understand the reasoning for Super Mario 35's servers to be discontinued. But why would they do this to a game based around Pac-Man? It's not like Namco would want a game like this to have a short shelf life.

And that's another thing. All these battle royale games continue to get curb-stomped, while Tetris 99 is still being updated. What makes Tetris 99 stand out compared to these other games?

I can't even buy any of the offline modes since they stopped accepting purchases for paid DLC. (In preparation of the game's discontinuation, I presume.) So, I guess this game will become useless to me after the 8th passes. What a way to go...

Because I was so focused on work today, I barely had any time for Pokémon.

There was this new mass outbreak event for Clefairy. I already had a better shiny Clefairy. So I was only interested in a regular one that had a mark on it. Sure enough, I caught one! But it wasn't the Clefairy the event advertised...

He's probably the most depressed Clefairy in this field. He's definitely a welcome surprise.

SEPTEMBER 30TH

I haven't done anything with these characters in such a long time... It's a good thing I've gotten better at drawing them!

Compared to yesterday, I got a decent amount of playtime for Pokémon Violet.

Before I returned to Moussi Town, I tried wonder trading to try my hand at getting more cool Pokémon. After a few trades, I received a shiny Bruxish.

I've been getting a lot of legitimate shiny Pokémon through Wonder Trades in this game lately. That gives me hope that it's starting to become usable outside of Pokémon HOME and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond Version. (I'm still expecting a few stinkers...)

I wanted to go to the Pokémon Center for something. But I forgot that I was entering Moussi Town and activated a new cutscene.

I thought the townspeople were going to attack Ogerpon. Guess I was wrong.

After they apologized to Ogerpon, I was told to take her back to her cave. Sadly, I didn't have time for that because I was too busy playing with some other people.

[bvannn]

Weekly Update May 31, 2024

This week was fine in terms of productivity. Didn’t get as much comic work done as I would have liked, but made progress on other stuff, and returned to work and plasma donation, so I should have a bit more money.

Big thing I did this week was OEB work, kinda. Didn’t get any storyboards done but I got a good chunk of the clip studio assets I need to build the lead’s rig done. I’d guess the rig as 30% done. Plus, also got some sketchy line assets ready to test my new strategy for those. I probably won’t make test animations with the rig, although fwiw I’m considering trying out some smaller ‘half-rig’ animations, to see how long they take. That’s a lower priority, though.

This week I also listened to those songs I’ve been sitting on in the car, realized they were super quiet compared to other songs in my playlist, googled why, and found a solution. I’m now going through the old tracks and re-mastering them all. I may also go redo some of the vocal tuning, but I’ll probably do that in a batch with the new vocal files, so everything can get sent and exported at the same time. Right now, WOTW has been partially re-mastered, this weekend I’ll probably finish it up and hit the others too.

Additionally, I did a ton of lyric writing yesterday, and plan to continue tonight. BATB is still around 1/3 done with lyrics, and the new one, RR, I’d say somewhere between 25 and 33%. I’m planning to continue it tonight, I’ve been in a writing sorta mood. BATB specifically I redid two entire chunks, because they weren’t descriptive enough. I’ll try to get at least the second verse done tonight.

I’m also trying a new strategy for organizing my VSTs, so hopefully I can get some quickies done soon. I’ll try to get that ambient one done Sunday at the latest. I’ll see what I can do on another one soon.

Comic: 21.5% done. Today I got some good ideas for future issues, and some inspiration for some more drawings. At work last summer I did a ton of general story writing, and I’m hoping this summer will be the same. If I’m feeling energized tonight I’ll try to finish up page 7 and get a general drawing done.

This weekend I’ll also try to sketch out some Artfight refs. Romeo needs a new one, I’d like to add Josh as an option, and depending on time or energy I might tweak or redo the others. I’ll probably redo Emrys’ thumbnail because there’s a small error, and I’ll fix his refsheet too if it’s there too.

Next week I expect to be slow because the personal problem I anticipated was delayed until this Sunday, and the fallout will probably follow. I’ll try to place a bigger focus on comic, but music is so fun to work on. Again sorry I’ve been so slow on posting, but I’m working on big projects, I hope they’ll be worth it!