#I'd like to think that I am at least half decent at drawing

[sagau-my-beloved]

Wait you do art? That’s so cool! I’d love to see even though it isn’t finished if that’s okay with you

-venti anon

*sigh*

Due to popular demand, I present the three drawing panels I have 'completed' before giving up, viewer discretion is advised because I'm way more used to working in digital drawing programs, where you can actually edit mistakes and uneven body proportions, than I am with a plain old pencil and paper

I've had three art blogs in my time, and I don't believe I've ever posted a pencil paper drawing on any of them

I'm adding a cutoff so I'm not forced to look at this everytime I feel like scrolling through my blog

That is all, take a wild guess who I put the most effort into-

And now I feel like I might actually have to do a real digital drawing of Venti, if only to prove that I am in fact half decent at art

[traegorn]

I need to stop doing this to myself.

(A Rant Where Trae Has Written Too Many Books This Month)

So since most of you started following me because of Witchcraft or podcast stuff, I realize a lot of you don't know how much fiction writing I do.

Primarily what I've published are comics. The big one is UnCONventional (which ran from December of 2009 to December of 2019), but I also did a steampunk comic called The Chronicles of Crosarth (which I put on hiatus in like 2018 intending to come back to... but I haven't, and I make no guarantee that I will even though over 650 of the 800 planned pages are done). Crosarth is... fine? The art isn't great in either of these, but UnCONventional carries itself with the humor.

But that's all old stuff. You may be like "Trae, what have you been producing for the last four years," and the answer is "not a lot." I got major creative block with the pandemic. Peregrine Lake, the "Northwoods Gothic" comic I was supposed to launch in 2020 (which has some characters from UnCONventional in it) didn't materialize when I said it would. What storytelling energy I had went into Stormwood & Associates and The Meatgrinder (my two actual play podcasts), but that was it.

And then 2023 happened, and the juices started flowing again.

Peregrine Lake is moving forward -- but with me just doing the writing. My urge to draw has not returned, but my urge to write has. A friend of mine, Ethan Flanagan, is drawing it, and I've written the first year of comics. It likely won't launch any time soon (the artist I'm working with is busy as hell so we want to get a shit-ton of the comic done before we launch it -- we have like the first month and a half of the comic ready?). But yeah -- it's happening. I hoping for Spring, but we'll see.

The other thing though is that I've started writing, like, novels. I've always had like twenty ideas in my head, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I decided to start with the idea I cared the least about (in case I fucked it up): A queer urban fantasy story.

In the last month and a half I've written complete drafts of two different novels in this setting, and am halfway through another one... and have another one outlined.

I, uh, had some ideas.

If you're asking yourself "Hey Trae -- what the fuck? That's a lot" you need to know a few things that aren't obvious. At one point in college, in 72 hours, I produced over 40 pages of text between three research papers. All were for 300 level courses, and I may have disassociated while writing them because I frankly don't remember most of it. But, like, they were decent papers.

One of those papers is in Google Scholar.

Anyway, yeah. I haven't been sleeping great because I've been obsessively writing, but you might ask "Why didn't you just write one and get it ready to publish?" That's a great question. Because I wrote a book, and when I was 3/4 of the way through it I realized something very important: This book would make a great sequel to a book I haven't written. I've been writing book two in a series where I haven't written book one yet.

Well fuck.

So I finished that draft, and I went and wrote book one. Now that book? That book I'm getting ready to publish. I expect to have it out in January. Part of my editing process involves setting what I think is a completed, good, revised draft down for a couple of weeks and then returning to it with fresh eyes. We're in that waiting period right now.

But I still had a bunch of energy.

So the first thing I did was a revising draft on book two (the one I wrote first), but I finished that. And had more energy. And more stories in this setting kept popping up.

So I started a third book. And I'm halfway through the first draft of that book. But then I realized yesterday... shit, this isn't book three.

This is book four.

I need stuff to happen before we get to this story.

So now I've outlined the actual book three, and am working on literally both of these books at once (I'll take a break for Christmas and then go do a final edit on Book One).

And... I'm just like... why am I like this?

I need to stop myself for a few days and get more sleep.

[driftward]

The Stranger Woman: A Desertwalkers Story (thanks to @saesama for helping clean it up)

-*-

It's a quiet day in Stonewood. Uncommon enough, but welcome all the same. The saloon has the low hum of a decent crowd, not peak, not empty. The Saltlick, well, it's just business, and Klynt's very good at minding that. And that's what she's doing when the doors swing open, and the stranger walks in. Every day a newcomer, and Klynt doesn't mind this one over much other than to look her up and down.

Elf of some sort, taller than many of her kind but not so tall to Klynt's eye for all that. A dress, somehow not wholly impractical. Solid boots with ornate heels. Pants that'll be good out in the brush. Gloves that might round out the outfit, if the overall effect weren't marred by the entirely too many bags for good sense. Glasses and straight raven-black long hair that trails down her back give her a bit of a severe look. Blank, gormless expression as she looks around, approaching the bar.

The saloon buzzes. Newcomers aren't rare, but this one's prettier than most, Klynt has to admit. Or at least looks like she knows what a shower is and where her money's at.

“Excuse me,” she asks. "I am given to understand that this is the sort of place that one might find out information. Would you happen to know the owner?"

"That's me," says Klynt, leaning on the bar. "Owner and currently barkeep. You want to talk, save it for later. You want a drink, I can get you that now."

"Ah, but of course. I am rather tired from my journey at the moment. A cup of boiling hot water, if you please."

Klynt turns, and came back with the requested cup. Odd request, but hell if she cared. This one is polite. Too polite by half, she’ll be lucky to last the sennight. Or at least, that's what Klynt wants to think, but something is tickling in the back of her mind, and she can't figure out what.

The woman smiles and thanks her, before digging around in some of her bags, and producing a little metal steeper and stuffing it with small delicate tea leaves.

"We've got mate, if you want something that'll keep you awake," offers Klynt casually.

"Oh yes! I have heard of it. I am quite interested in the local food and drink, but… perhaps later. For now, I think I wish for the comfort of the familiar.”

"Suit yourself," says Klynt, retreating down the bar. She isn't about to charge for hot water, but she isn't going to entertain for free, either.

The woman pulls out some notebooks and maps, and begins to read over both, flipping pages and scribbling spirits-knew-what. It doesn't take long for one of her other customers to grow bold enough to approach the woman, letting out a low whistle as he draws close.

"Well aren't you a pretty thing. Wouldn't mind showin' you a thing or two.”

The woman does not look up from her notebooks. "I wish to be left alone right this moment, thank you."

The man - Jonesy, Klynt notes. Local idiot, runs his mouth too much and didn't know when to leave well enough alone. Jonesy decides to help himself to a seat next to the woman.

"Well, now, just makin' conversation. Say, that's a nice dress. Pants are a bit much for a woman like you though, don't you think?"

The woman stops what she’s doing, and turns to stare at him. She has a bit of an unnerving look to her, if you asked Klynt.

"Please leave me alone," she says.

Jonesy, being an idiot, isn't deterred, as he leans into her personal space, causing her in turn to lean away from him.

"Now come on. I know I heard you ask Mz Gohtawyn 'bout information. I can teach you everything you might need to know."

"Please leave me alone," she repeats.

"I'd listen to her if I were you, Jonesy,” says Klynt warningly, starting to reach under the counter for her shotgun. Jonesy always paid his tab, but damn if putting up with him just isn't worth the coin some days, and this was shaping up to be one of them. The woman continues to stare at him as he swings around to face Klynt.

"Now, now, don't be jealous just because I've found nicer prospects than payin' one of your ladies," he says.

That’s it. Klynt is going to - well, Klynt is going to do nothing, as Jonesy starts screaming. And the reason he is screaming was because the woman has pinned his hand to the bar top with an impressive looking hunting knife while he was turned away.

Klynt blinks. The woman had moved awful fast.

Jonesy, gasping between breaths, grabs at the knife to pull it out, but the woman slaps her hand over its hilt, and grabs his face with the other hand. "No. Not like that. Pay attention to me. Look! Listen! Pay ATTENTION." Her voice suddenly has an odd and powerful command to it, seeming to be underlined with ice. "Do not pull that knife out. You will bleed heavily, get that blood all over the place, possibly pass out, and will certainly be risking an infection. Here. Like this," she says, as she grasps his hand with the knife still in it, and pulls him free of the countertop.

He begins swearing a blue storm as she lets go of his face, and uses her now free hand to pull out bandages to wrap the knife to his hand. "You will find the local chirurgeon, and you will get their help in getting that knife out of your hand. Now go," she says, shoving him off his stool and towards the saloon entrance.

Klynt begins howling with laughter as he runs for it. "You pyschotic bitch of a whore!" he yells.

"Please ask the doctor to make sure I get my knife back," calls the woman after him.

"Hot damn,” says Klynt. "I think I like you."

"Thank you?" says the woman, seeming to be confused. And then, after a moment, “my apologies for the inconvenience,” before returning to her tea and notes. For the next few moments, the bar is a ruckus of hooting and hollering and shouts. The woman seems uninterested, somehow completely ignoring the noise, and a few looks from Klynt is enough to get the crowd to calm down. Gradually, things begin to return to something like normal.

She -should- kick her out. But fuck Jonesy, Klynt decides.

“What’s your name, stranger?” She asks.

The stranger pauses. “Zoissette Vauban,” she says.

“Klynt Gohtawyn. Mz Gohtawyn, if you kindly. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Pleasure is mine,” says the woman, Zoissette, not looking up. Klynt decides to leave the matter there.

It’s less than half a bell later when Mathye shows up, angry as a bobcat.

"Who the hell's going around stabbing people in my town!?" he demands.

The woman turns as he enters, and looks at the knife he is waving around in his hand. "Oh! That is mine," she says. Mathye begins swearing as he approaches, spitting mad. Klynt starts cackling again. She'd sort that out in a moment, but in the meanwhile, this is the funniest shit that has happened in the Saltlick in a while.

Yeah, she decides. Yeah, she likes this awkward swan of a woman.

[coldgoldlazarus]

.

Still not sure how to talk to the people from the d&d group about last week.

I wanna be mature and constructive about this, but the best I can really muster is "Yeah I kinda fucked up in some spots, not trying to downplay that, but on the whole I'm just frustrated with the situation, and how all of what went wrong is being put on me in a way I feel is unfair."

I felt like I was rushed into something I wasn't entirely ready for, right on the heels of several months of stress over making sure I'd have food stamps again. Yes I volunteered for this several months beforehand, but not as an immediate thing, and more with a broad vibe than a clear pre-planned... plan. I wanted to have the time to figure out the finer details and put maps and materials together before committing to doing this, but instead between being busy with IRL shit, executive dysfunction and heat exhaustion being an absolute bitch, and my own anal-retentiveness about getting everything just right combined with not being entirely sure where to start, that didn't happen.

I really should have just said no, but everyone NEEDED SO BADLY to play something during the break from the main campaign, (even though there is a minecraft server literally right there) and the whole "if you don't pilot the EVA, Rei will be made to do so again" thing was in play with the other multishot that could have filled the gap getting off to a false start and not being entirely ready either. Plus, I wanted to get this test run out of the way so I could work on the reboot of the big magical girl campaign again while the current main one was drawing to a close. Being told July was gonna be the last chance to do that before a long stretch without interruptions kinda made me panic. So I said yes instead.

I figured given my track record, having the deadline would be a good way to ensure I actually worked on it, but like, I think it really just did more harm than good, compared to if I had let it breathe. I also thought I was a bit readier than I was, with some stuff I hadn't even considered needing to figure out cropping up right on the day of, and having to scramble to get those hashed out at the last second. So yeah, while this was going on I spent the bulk of the weeks not working on this, and then having to do the rest day-of, causing the session start time delays. (I could give a detailed breakdown on exactly what those unforseen "invisible steps" were, so they have context for why the delays kept happening the way they did, but I've already been told to my face by at least one of the group that she doesn't give a shit, so whatever.) That was a mistake on my part, not gonna try to say otherwise. I just should have said no in the first place.

And I guess there's the communication issue. That I did mess up on too, the first few weeks. I tried to do better about it last tuesday, at least, after going radio silence the prior week. I felt I did a decent job of giving updates on my progress and saying "hey this is probably happening but don't assume it is for sure until I say I am Done and Ready." It's out of my control that people went ahead and assumed it was a sure thing anyway. I literally said at one point that I needed to take the bus back home from the library and that would be causing another delay in my prep, only for someone to say "okay this is happening definitely at exactly when she gets home" and I had to say, no, that's just when I'll be getting home, I still have more setup to do after that. And it's a hard fucking balancing act in giving ETAs because people get mad if you give too big a number, but then I also tend to take longer than I estimate...

I should have just called it off then and there tbh. Just didn't wanna let people down second week in a row. Not that that worked out anyway.

And of course the straw to break the camel's back was that A: There was another thing I needed to finish that I thought I had already done, but had in fact only half-completed, B: one of the other players dipped out on account of a migraine, and I hate leaving people out on principle but everyone else wanted to go ahead anyway, and C: on top of those, this was suddenly needing to be the last session before the main campaign resumes yesterday, so I'd have to rush to complete yet another session's worth of content while running one. And also I'd been up for 26 hours straight at this point. How the fuck was I supposed to react? I needed to remove myself from the situation and I needed sleep.

(I will readily admit that waking up still pissed the next morning and pouring all my complaints into a shitty meme format generator was not a mature course of action. Again, not pretending I'm blameless here.)

...

Anyway, my takeaway from where and how I did fuck up and why, is that I'm just not cut out for this.

After the first run of the magical girl campaign crashed and burned, I figured out a lot of the hows and whys, and found solutions to those problems to enact for next time. But none of that was even relevant to where this one went wrong, so that's a whole new set of problems to also find answers for, and Idk how to do that other than just having everything already ready to go beforehand. A luxury I just don't think this group would be willing to afford.

And furthermore, on sitting back and discussing both campaigns and my approach, I think the way I'm coming at this is fundamentally incompatible with what the rest of the group wants out of a campaign, and this would extend to trying to reboot the big one as well. I don't really enjoy TTRPGs as a medium in practice as much as in theory, because I just function better telling a planned story, not playing an improv game. It's a bit frustrating when it feels like the rest of the group doesn't care about my big grand narrative, but on having the time to reflect on it, I think that one's a Me Problem and a symptom of the incompatible approaches. There's nothing wrong with either, but the two don't exactly mesh well. And this is only one example of that clashing, same happened with me as a player. (The worst of which was when I tried changing my approach! It didn't work and backfired harder!)

(Literally the one exception where things did go well, was because that character I was playing was a super easygoing, down-for-whatever and in-the-moment type, and that campaign didn't last long enough for something to go wrong anyway.)

What happened on Tuesday was basically me ragequitting, but my decision to leave altogether is not. It's me recognizing that I'm the weak link here, and so it would just be better for both me and the group for me to stop trying to jam a square peg into a round hole.

But of course, it seems at least some of them are mad at me over that, too. There's no winning.

So in the end, I don't really know what to say. Yeah, I fucked up. But no, I don't feel I fucked up badly enough to warrant this level of vitriol. I tried to learn from what went wrong and communicate better instead of shutting down, but that only does so much when people just decide what I said differently like with the bus thing, or change plans on me at the last second. I'm frustrated as hell, but not mad at the people, I'm just upset and annoyed that they're so mad at me.

I tried to do my best in time, but the timing was all wrong, and my best just wasn't good enough. Sorry.

[shadowqnights]

hi how do you come up with outfits for your mcd character designs and do you have any tips and tricks when comes to creating outfit?

hii ! i'm gonna be so real i am mostly going off of sheer vibes and not any kind of like. ruleset/knowledge but i do have some slight things that've helped me improve with outfit designs! this year i've been really determined to try and improve my art and a big part of that was clothing design so here's some stuff i thought about in that process:

layers!!! so many layers. especially with the climate some of my characters live in its important to think about what's going on underneath what's visible. i often start with things like under-clothes, tights/stockings, and build slowly over the top, layer by layer. it helps to visualise how you'd build the outfit as if you yourself are getting dressed ! this also helped me huuugely with armour, visualising what's going on underneath the actual plates of armour.

when you're researching inspo for designs it can also be helpful to try and visualise that process for the images you find too. what goes on first? what layers went on last? how would you replicate that in a drawing? it makes using refs a lot less complex for me at least because like. some of these outfits look complicated and busy and overwhelming at first glance. like okay there's a dark long-sleeve under that. and then this blouse, then skirt, then a corset, then this long cloak, then the jewels and clasps etc etc.

i don't usually claim to draw every mcd character outfit with a specific like. period of historical fashion in mind but i most regularly look up a very generic search of "medieval clothing/styles" to get a gauge of the Features and Styles i'm most drawn to. to me half of the fun is getting creative, not going for accuracy here. me, personally, i love big scarves, cloaks, long skirts / pants and corsets and include those in my character designs a LOT. pop a ref in your subview or whatever your program has and try and like. pick out your favourite elements of the fit. at first i was like. copying a lot of outfits exactly but like with time i've come to be able to pick and choose my favourite parts and mix match them together.

(a side note that pinterest is FLOODED with bullshit ai art , and other than the fact that it's disheartening and annoying also consider that those generators don't make *great* 1:1 outfit references because they have no sense of folds or how clothing actually like. Works. it blends pieces together and makes folds look uncanny so it's not really great to even look at to base an outfit on). so i find the most helpful clothing references to be on irl models / film and tv characters + even video games ..

i used to find that my character outfits were looking noticeably Plain, flat and boring because there was a lot of empty space. things like new textures like ruffles and folds can help with that, or quite literally just adding on more layers. belts, loops and clasps and jewelry... accessories/decorations are my best friend to make an outfit look more full and busy. my obsession is like. threads/loops with beads , coats / big scarves, satchels/bags, remembering what a character would need to carry around every day or what accessories they would have. etc sasha might carry around potions / supplies. the guards will need a place for their swords. i also like to note practicality for what a character is going to be getting up to and their contexts, and i often design or imagine 2 core outfits at least in my mind - a casual outfit and a 'going out' outfit. especially helpful for the guards because i am NOT drawing armour every time sorry boys. katelyn has a training/casual outfit and her more formal jo9 fits.

honestly. with full transparency. Me and my closet. idk if my friends would agree but i'd like to think i have a decent sense of style that translates well to what i like to see my characters wear. even so . surprisingly, just taking a delve into my closet and picking out my favourite clothes helped hugely with thinking about character fits . for mystreet definitely considering its way more modern but actually also for mcd, since some of my clothes translate well. so there's that.

again these are things that helped me a little so idk if they would help anyone else but that's what i did when i started locking in to try and get better at my character design . and now i love drawing clothes so here's hoping . thankies baii <3 <3

[solitaryandwandering]

Get to Know Me Ask Game

Tagged by @wen-kexing-apologist and @waitmyturtles, two of my fave moots!!

RULES: bold the ones that are true & tag 10 people to do it.

APPEARANCE

blonde hair // I prefer loose clothing to tight clothing // I have one or more piercings // I have at least one tattoo // I have dyed or highlighted my hair (both, I've had horrible hazelnut highlights, a dark blue streak, and red hair; I want to dye my hair red again at some point) // I have gotten plastic surgery // I have or had braces (four years! then I didn't wear my retainers often enough and fucked my teeth up again RIP) // I sunburn easily (not SUPER easily but I do have to be mindful, I also burn and tan in patches which is HIGHLY IRRITATING) // I have freckles (not many, mostly on my shoulders) // I paint my nails // I typically wear makeup // I don’t often smile // I am pleased with how I look // I prefer Nike to Adidas // I wear baseball hats backwards

HOBBIES & TALENTS

I play a sport (not currently, but I used to play soccer, and did a handful of other stuff like track and volleyball) // I can play an instrument (I used to be pretty decent at violin, it's been YEARS but I feel like I would be okay if given time to relearn and practice) // I am artistic (-ally-minded? I'm not great at drawing or anything like that but I'm very imaginative and creative) // I know more than one language (I don't consider myself fluent in more than one anymore but yes: English and ASL) // I have won a trophy in some sort of competition // I can cook or bake without a recipe (yes, but I do not. my OCD freaks out if I don't follow recipes, it has actively screwed up dishes when I give in to compulsions versus my instinct, sob) // I know how to swim // I enjoy writing (yes, but it also stresses me out) // I can do origami // I prefer movies to TV shows // I can execute a perfect somersault (not anymore, my back would break in half) // I enjoy singing (not well) // I could survive in the wild on my own (I don't think I'm totally incapable but realistically-speaking I'd die pretty quickly) // I have read a new book series this year // I enjoy spending time with friends (yes, I LOVE my friends, but unfortunately I am also an introvert with sensory/physical disabilities, social anxiety and a buttload of social trauma so I've had to learn to limit social interactions including social media, texting, etc. otherwise I get super overwhelmed and descend into panic attacks. it's fun! but I do really enjoy spending time with my buddies when I can, they're some of my favorite people in the world!!) // I travel during work or school breaks // I can do a handstand (against a wall yeah lol)

RELATIONSHIPS

I am in a relationship // I have been single for over a year (my entire life, oh woe) // I have a crush // I have a best friend who I’ve known for ten years (my best friend and I will have known each other for ten years next year, but my oldest and one of my closest friends and I have known each other since preschool, around 24 years) // my parents are together (they're technically still married but they're not together in any other sense, THANK GOD. you all have no idea how much I've hoped this would happen) // I have dated my best friend (lmfao no but it's a running joke that everyone thinks or has thought my best friend and I are dating, since we very first met in college the rumors have been unreal) // I am adopted // my crush has confessed to me // I have a long distance relationship (with friends!) // I am an only child // I give advice to my friends (it's kinda my thing) // I have made an online friend (this is complicated. I've met many people online who I'm friendly with and who consider me their friend but... I have C-PTSD and trust issues lol. It's hard for me to feel close to people.) // I met up with someone I have met online (not yet!!!)

AESTHETICS

I have heard the ocean in a conch shell // I have watched the sun rise (intentionally and unintentionally) // I enjoy rainy days (sort of? I enjoy them more when I'm out and walking around in them but they mostly make me really lethargic and sometimes make my joint/chronic pain flare up. today is a rainy day and lethargy is hanging around!) // I have slept under the stars (I guess? probably?) // I meditate outside // the sound of chirping calms me (if crickets, absolutely not. birds chirping and singing is one of my favorite sounds ever though. it's the thing I miss most about not living in a city, though sometimes they do make an appearance) // I enjoy the smell of the beach (depends on the beach, but yes) // I know what snow tastes like // I listen to music to fall asleep // I enjoy thunderstorms (mostly, yes, but I'm one of those people who gets a pressure headache whenever one is in the distance. I'm a human barometer) // I enjoy cloud watching // I have attended a bonfire // I pay close attention to colors (not as much as others do but I do enjoy some good color) // I find mystery in the ocean // I enjoy hiking on nature paths (yes, but less and less over the years as walking has become harder) // autumn is my favorite season

MISCELLANEOUS

I can fall asleep in a moving vehicle (and anywhere else, lol hello sleep disorder) // I am the mom friend (absolutely, but I'm slowly letting this go a bit. it's become a bit of an overcompensation for perceived flaws. but it'll always be a part of my personality) // I live by a certain quote (no, but there is a kind of mantra I've come up with to help me during low periods: "I am worth trying for.") // I like the smell of sharpies (yeah but I'm not going around sniffing them) // I am involved in extracurricular activities (does volunteering count?) // I enjoy Mexican food // I can drive a stick shift // I believe in true love (complicated. I believe in love - that's basically my entire belief system - but I don't believe in fate. I don't believe in the concept of there being one person out there who will heal all my ills and be a perfect partner and sweep me off my feet. but... I am a romantic at heart and there's a small part of me that hopes that if I ever have a romantic relationship it'll be one and done. regardless of how irrational I know that is. I've literally been a domestic violence preventionist/relationship/sex educator, trust me, I know!) // I make up scenarios to fall asleep (it's basically the only way I can sleep) // I sing in the shower (not really but I do make weird noises and talk to myself!) // I wish I lived in a video game (WHO would want this?? sounds like a Kafkaesque nightmare) // I have a canopy above my bed // I am multiracial // I am a redhead // I own at least 3 dogs

I don't have anyone to tag since pretty much everyone I thought of has already been tagged. If you want to do this go for it!!!

[drabbles-mc]

If you've got time I'd love to hear some SOA head canons and stuff you wish more people talked about or something you've been waiting for people to ask you about!

Anon, I am kissing you gently on the forehead. 💖

I wish we got more lowkey content, you know? In canon and in the fandom. Just real, "guys being dudes" type of shit. I think the reason I love writing banter and silly little headcanons for them is because that kind of levity really got lost along the way in the show. But I would love to just see slice of life MC style.

Juice and Happy getting sent to shop in bulk for a lockdown. Juice has no idea how much of anything it will take and tries to overshop, and Happy tries to buy too little and it's just them arguing the entire time. Meanwhile Tig is already at the checkout line with three shopping carts filled with shit that literally no one needs.

T-M shenanigans. In my own silly little sandbox, Jax is the worst mechanic out of all of them. 😂 The idea of Chibs just consistently walking by after Jax walks away from a car/truck/bike that he's working on and tinkering with it to fix whatever Jax was messing up fills my little heart with glee. (Also we deserved to see those boys all sweaty and grimy after a day of work in the shop and no one can tell me that I'm wrong)

The house-sitting/pet-sitting rotation in the club based on who is on a run and who isn't. You know that not all of these men are cut out to have the responsibility of taking care of pets. Do they all bring their pets to one person's house? Or is one poor sucker stuck driving from house to house to house making sure that everything is alright? Both scenarios are equally entertaining and chaotic, and only gets better depending on who gets left in charge.

For a town where so many people all grew up together, I really wish there were more instances of people bringing up shit that happened in like middle school or high school or whatever. Because, yeah, everyone grows up and moves on but you don't just forget about those high school rivalries and the embarrassing things your rival did. I want to know what stupid shit these boys did and who caught them. The idea of Hale and Jax throwing little digs at each other during interrogations over stuff that happened when they were freshmen in high school?? That's top-tier shit that I would love to know all about.

You know at least half of these boys don't know how to cook a decent meal because there was always women around to do it for them. I personally think that Juice is one of the best cooks out of all of them because he has that whole health streak in him. The thought of him trying to give any of them cooking lessons??? God that's humor that just writes itself.

Also every now and then I think about the fact that the guys definitely just go to hang out at Red Woody the same way they hang out at the clubhouse. And yea of course a huge benefit of it is because they're making porn. But also the idea that they actually get to know the women and the men who make the movies and develop these little types of friendships?? Like them asking the dudes how they really just get through certain stuff being done to them and then being ready to do it all over again for the next film just makes me cackle every time. Because you know the actors, regardless of gender, would be like, "You guys get shot and stabbed on a regular basis and you're telling me you would draw the line at anal????"

I love these characters with my whole heart. I think about them constantly. These are just some of the things that were at the top of my head when I sat down to answer this. Just some of the fun stuff.

I am always more than happy to talk about these characters and headcanons for them. Getting these kinds of asks from y'all truly makes my day. If you ever wanna talk more about it always feel free to drop something in my inbox or dm's. 💛

[missholoska]

I really love your art style! (I've been following for awhile, not an OG follower or whatever but not extremely new)

I am guessing you've been drawing for a long time or at least had lots of practice!! You probably get this a lot, since your a good artist but still!

(You're probably at least 20-30 so obviously you have a good amount of experience with art.. sorry if assuming you age was offensive, I have little social skills due to autism, again sorry)

aaa gosh thank you!!

I've been drawing basically all my life but I think I started digital art when I was 10? but practice does go a long way! coincidentally I have a good example of it - last month while clearing out some files I happened across my first ever attempts at drawing Toriel from early 2016, which I don't recall ever showing to anyone:

(at that point in time not only had I exclusively been drawing sonic characters for the past decade, but I'd only been using SAI and my art tablet for a single year. severely lacking practice in multiple ways)

compare those to this Toriel I still like from late 2021, 5 and a half years later:

I keep trying to find words for the sheer difference in style and understanding of shapes and proportions, but I have nothing jfhsdkf

my old art is very Bad and Scary and I'm not the kind of person who can look back on it with fondness, but I wouldn't be able to do better now without it, so. I'm glad if that experience got me somewhere pretty decent ;v;

(also don't worry, I'm 27 so you guessed my age correctly!! and I'm autistic too :>)

[balmasedas]

desperado / druglord!javier peña au. 

chapter one.

summary: reader is a dea agent. violence has arisen in the streets of colombia and she's determined to bring javier peña to justice. things take an abrupt turn when, instead of her finding him, he finds her and realizes they got much more interest in each other than just drug-related topics. 

warnings: only +18. overall, this is smut so smutty. canon violence. detailed warnings in every chapter. spanish traductions are in the notes, though for the sake of non-spanish speakers, spanish dialogues will be minimal and not relevant to the plot.

word count: 2.5k.

You throw your sweater in the backseat of your car before exiting it. In the morning, you had dug through your boxed-up winter clothes after shivering in your shirt-sleeves as soon as you got out of your department. Now, the temperature has risen to the seventies and you give yourself a clap in the back for deciding to wear something decent underneath. Spring in Colombia is a nightmare.

The crime scene is packed with local police and DEA agents. There are no civilian spectators this time, they know better than sticking their noses in the Medellin's cartel businesses.

Upon your arrival, you don’t need to identify yourself to the uniformed men guarding the perimeter. They know you well by then. You are the only female in the team that has to deal with these kinds of situations —gruesome, gut-churning, dirty shit. Not a very much "lady-like" job, some would express. For that, you have earned yourself the title of a gritty woman. Maybe because you were gritty, maybe because you were a woman.

Sometimes, though, you find yourself wondering why you turned down some run-of-the-mill desk job back in Virginia. It would’ve been a dull routine, for sure — hideous, even; but gossiping about some flash romance between two co-workers is less taxing than having to witness five rotting corpses at first daylight. 

"Jesus Christ," you lift your sunglasses to your head. Your partner, esteemed, weary agent Steve Murphy, turns around at the sound of your voice. 

“You’re up early.” he asserts, with a raised eyebrow. 

You purse your lips. “Had a bad night. Ran out of whisky at one am.” 

Not even Hugo, or Hughie for his gringo friends, could help you. You forgot that his daughter would be celebrating her birthday and his all-night store would be closed until the next morning. Normally, you would own an arsenal of alcohol, but it has been an abnormal week and a hell of a night —starting with the spiral of violence that has arisen in the streets of Medellin.

"Well, look at the bright side: your stomach is empty," Murphy mumbles.

Looking at the bodies in front of you, you can’t agree more: their hands are tied-up to the oxidated wire behind them, hanging by their arms. They are barefoot and scantily clad. There is a visible gunshot wound in all of their front heads, some flies are already hovering around the open flesh. A quick death to eternal torture, you suppose.

"When did you get the call?" you inquire.

He fiddles with his wristwatch. "About two hours ago." you only hum in response, keeping your eyes in front of you and paying no mind to Steve who only grows impatient at your silence. "You think this was Peña's job?" he adds.

You nod in denial. "If it was, it doesn't make sense." Not one bit. "Peña works underground, quiet, like a sneaky rat. I'd even say they're more well-behaved than most cartels. So why do this?"

Why such a declaration of violence? Why draw even more attention from the authorities? 

"Maybe he decided to toughen his punishments?” You scoff at his remark.

“He can do that without half the city knowing it. A ditch is much more subtle than a monument to death blocks from the US embassy.” 

Murphy smirks. “Seems that you have given it a thought before, Sarchie.” you narrow your eyes. He knows you hate that nickname. Your tendencies to boss him around had brought you consequences: the unofficial title of a Sargeant. Sarchie, shortened and friendly.

“Killing someone? Yes, you. Multiple times a day.” you put your sunglasses back on and walk away. The forensic police won’t be there until the next half hour, at least, and you are too disquiet to wait around. Plus, your stomach is growling, but Steve doesn’t need to know that. “We’re gonna need their names, I’ll see what I can find. You have a little chat with the coroner and see if they can speed up the autopsy. The sooner the better, ok?” you spot the smirk on his face. You know what he’s thinking. You shut your car's door and point a finger at him through the window. A clear warning sign in your eyes. “Shut the fuck up and do it.”

(,,,)

Happy hour. You give up on the investigation and stop off at ‘Chiquita’, a popular local bar near your place. The prices are cheap, the drinks aren’t that good but they do the job. The place is crowded — hot couples with wet, glowing skin grinding against each other. Happy or horny or both. You take a mental note to have some fun later. 

As you sip at your bourbon and crack your peanuts, you let yourself dwell on what you found out about your case. You finally got the names of your five guys. For that, much research wasn’t needed: All of them had their IDs in their pockets and they were exactly who you feared they were: no ones. No ties to any big names, no official involvement in any cartel — at the most, a few minor possession charges. As for weeks, your few clues have led to nowhere and the enigma surrounding the Medellin cartel seems to worsen with every minute that passes by.

You hate mysteries. Colombia’s full of them. 

You take your second bourbon in one smooth shot and ask for another. You grab a colombian peso from your wallet and slide it across the wood. Your eyes stop at the picture of your parents that you carry around. It’s tiny and worn, just like your relationship with them. They haven’t heard from you in weeks, a fair deal, if anyone asked. They don’t have to deal with their fucked up daughter and you can focus on your work filled with dead ends and a ghost that haunts you while you’re awake: Javier Peña.

“¹Qué tomas, preciosa?” a velvety voice caresses your ears. A pleasant smile breaks quietly over your lips. Just in time.

You turn your head to the side. The stranger, with chocolate-skin and inviting eyes, is waiting for an answer. You tap your fingers against the glass.

"Bourbon," you say. "²Pero no me vendría mal un trago más." he grins and holds up two fingers to the barman. He sits at the empty seat beside you, he’s exuberating confidence. He’s offered you the bait and you'd taken it.

"³Algo más que se te ofrezca?"

You look him in the eyes. You know how the story goes from there. It isn’t any different than the one from last night, or the night before. As an apex predator, he's out for something to satisfy his hunger. He won't go home without reaching his goal and you're desperate enough to let him.

"⁴Sí. Hay algo más que puedes hacer por mi."

(,,,)

The fucking cat on the window has been staring straight into your eyes for the last fifteen minutes. Matias, the guy you've met hours before, is too focused on you to notice the awkward presence of the animal, so you don't bother shooing it away. 

He's enjoying himself, pounding into you in a symphony of lust bites and moans. But the sound of skin on skin doesn't match the intensity of your passion for this encounter.

It's not that his performance was terrible, it was just... soft. So soft, too soft. From the sweet nothings, he gasps on your ear to the gentleness of his grip on your hip. 

You aren't a sweet girl. If you were sweet, you wouldn't have traveled all the way down to Colombia to participate in the war on drugs. If you were fond of delicateness, you would've stayed inside and touched yourself to a Cristina Peri Rossi novel instead of searching for strangers at bars.

You don't like to believe you are a special case. On the contrary, you assume your attitude is the rule and not the exception. Not a hell of a woman, but a woman made of hell – waking up already worried about the hours ahead of you. How could you not? Your life is as wide and empty as the sky. Unstable, unpredictable. Anything can happen. A good meaningless fuck is the only moment you allow yourself to feel something — someone. By then, the detachment that gets you through the day disappears and raw feral emotion takes its place. 

You are addicted. It's like a drug, but worse. Drugs don't have feelings, people do.

You’d grabbed Matias' hand and wrapped it around your neck a few times but your request had been ignored; you’d even pushed his ass against your body so you could get closer to a feral touch, but he had insisted on something more caring and delicate. 

And delicacy just won't do. 

So, after a few tries, you give up. You lay still, under his heating body, dead eyes directed at your window. No emotion whatsoever, no release. Like a numb, stiff sex doll, rooting for his satisfaction. Forgotten until next time.

“⁵Donde?” he blurts in your ear. You evaluate your options quickly. 

“⁶Adentro.” Any other place would demandsñ more attention. By then, he would be aware of your passivity and asking too many questions. You don't answer questions, you make them.

His body tenses and trembles. You feel heat dripping between your legs but it doesn't come from you. He leaves a few small pecks on your neck — thankfully, the last ones for the night. Matias breathes over you for a few seconds before he gets off. You stare at the roof in silence, and when he asks if you finished, you simply nod.

You can't grasp what he says under his breath after you ask him, as nice as possible, to leave. What he does or doesn't vocalize, it doesn't matter. You won't be repeating with him. You never fucked the same person twice. 

Once you hear the front door shut, still resting on your bare skin, you lit a cigarette. The room is void of artificial light, and the cat is still in the same place, with his silhouette contoured by the gleam of the moon.

"Sneaky bastard." you chuckle, then get up from the bed and slowly approach it.

You stop at the wooded frame of the window, maintaining your distance. Not too close to scare him or him to scare you. He isn't a friendly guy. He isn't even yours — just a grumpy cat that stops by your department too often demanding some food. You tried to get him to come inside before, but all you had won from your offers were a couple of scratches. Nonetheless, the cat has seen more of you than many people have. So, even though you renegade from him, you found yourself inevitably attached. He's the closest thing to a family, after Murphy, of course. But Murphy hasn't seen you on your worst, yet.

"Hope you see the same shit I see." you grimace and shake your head. "Not like that, I mean... I should choose better who to fuck with. And they should choose better too." the cat remains silent –obviously– and you keep talking. "You could make yourself useful and spook them away before I have to." he meows, you roll your eyes and decide to leave him alone. "Then again, I could do it myself if I told them I hold long conversations with the stray cat that lives in my window."

You choose to take a bath and call it a night. You glide through the living room, though before you can reach the bathroom something stops you. There's a noise outside, some glass breaking down on the streets. You can ignore it, conflict isn't a foreign subject in Colombia, especially at late hours. But then it repeats itself a second time, and the third bugs you too much for you not to grab your night robe and take a look at it from your window.

The only light pole is out of order; there's not a soul in sight; music can be heard from afar. You see nothing out of place until you do.

Your car is parked across the street. All four windows have been smashed, the tires are flat. You barely waste time cursing before you flee out of your place. You thought the night couldn’t get worse but the world has a disturbing obsession with testing your patience. 

Once you take a step outside and approach your damaged car, you’re not sure where your chills are coming from. Perhaps, because of the unfriendly weather or maybe because you’re suddenly aware of how idiotic was your decision to go outside. 

Everything inside your vehicle is left untouched. There weren't objects of value anyways. You find no logical reason for someone wanting to wreck a car just because —yours, of them all.

Big red warning signs color your mind. Your eyes scan your surroundings with speed. It's a dark, lonely dessert. You're now sure that what happened isn't some random event. The victim could've been to another person, but you weren't just another person.

"⁷Discúlpeme, señorita." a voice throws yourself far from the source. You reach for your gun just to find nothing there. Damn you. "⁸Está bien?" you look at the man. An old man that, at first glance, doesn't represent a threat. His voice is gentle, his voice is tinted with a caring voice. You lower your defenses, just a bit, not enough to stay around.

"⁹Sí." you mutter.

Slowly, you walk back to your apartment. Old man glues his eyes to your form and you don't take your own off from his'. Before reaching the sidewalk, you trip with something. Your back collides against a car and you're ready to apologize when the owner exits it there’s not a sign of rage in his face. On the contrary, his stare is blank and his mouth doesn’t even twitch.

Bad news.

You intend to run, but another guy blocks your passage and two more appear at each side of you. You turn over to ask the old man for help, but he’s gone along with your last piece of hope. Can’t blame him, you would’ve escaped too if you had the chance. However, you can’t and the smartest thing to do is acknowledge it and work from it. 

You stay still thinking it will persuade them to opt for gentle treatment. 

How naive of you. 

A set of fingers dig into your arms, another one grabs you by the neck and lowers your head as they drag you into their car. Guarded by two of them who sit at your sides, a dark cloth bag is placed over your head and your wrists are restricted with a zip tie. 

All you have left now is your hearing, you pick up a few things: the engine roaring, the tires burning on the asphalt as you speed off, some spanish words thrown in the air. Nothing substantial, nothing of use.

You sit in silence and wait for the worst.

[forbiddenfantasies1]

Tagged by @twelvemonkeyswere and @samirant. I'm putting off adult responsibilities yet again so sign me up!

What is the color of your hairbrush?

I have a plain black one, and a bright yellow one my son bought me at Christmas.

Name a food you never eat.

Fish. None of em. And people always say "Oh but have you tried..." and the answer is yes. I've tried it, most likely. Saltwater fish, freshwater fish, grilled, baked, fried, stuffed. I don't like it. I will catch it, clean it,and cook it, but I don't want it.

Are you typically too hot or too cold?

Hot. I am so hot natured I keep blankets and jackets on hand for when my mom and sister visit because they freeze.

What were you doing 45 minutes ago?

Watching the last part of Ender's Game with my kids. They had never seen it, and were losing their damn minds.

What's your favorite candy bar?

I'm not really a candy bar person, but I guess maybe a Kit Kat? Is that really a candy bar? I'm unsure.

Have you ever been to a professional sports game?

I have. I love going to games. I really miss sports. Like a lot. A LOT.

What was the last thing you said out loud?

In the spirit of honesty it was "His entire fucking face just annoys me."

What is your favorite ice cream?

My Uncle Vernon's homemade peach ice cream. It tastes like summertime and childhood and love.

What was the last thing you had to drink?

A sip of my husband's rum and Coke. He drinks Captain Morgan Black, and wanted to prove it didn't taste like spiced rum. He is correct. It honestly tastes like vanilla Coke.

Do you like your wallet?

I guess so. It is an arty, swirly thing my sister gave me.

What was the last thing you ate?

Zuppa Toscana and ciabatta bread.

Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?

I bought belly buddy 2.0 an outfit for part of her birthday gift if that counts.

What's the last sporting event you watched?

I rewatched the Rose Bowl game between Oklahoma and Georgia just because I was desperate. That game landed me in the ER after my BP spiked when we blocked their field goal attempt in the 2nd overtime, and left me with a migraine I couldnt shake. It was worth every penny.

What's your favorite popcorn flavor?

Just butter and salt, I guess. I mainly like popcorn at the movies.

Who is the last person you sent a text message to?

My Mama to see if she needed anything.

Ever go camping?

More times than I could possibly count.

Do you take vitamins?

No. But I get bloodwork done and my levels are excellent.

Do you go to church every Sunday?

No.

Do you have a tan?

Not overly much at the moment, but give it a few weeks. I am naturally olive skinned (but like a light olive) and tan very quickly.

Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza?

Probably pizza. It is a comfort food.

Do you drink your soda through a straw?

If my almost 10 year old ever sees me with a straw he will be so ashamed so I try to avoid them.

What color socks do you usually wear?

None. I tend to be in flip flops or sandals. When I do wear shoes or boots, I usually wear smart ass socks. Exhibit A:

Do you ever drive above the speed limit?

According to my driving report...yes, very often.

What terrifies you?

On a deep level, losing someone else I love, especially one of my kids or my husband.

On a shallow level, I am such a punk bitch with really deep water. There are fish the size of my car. Bigger. That's creepy.

Look to your left. What do you see?

My shirtless husband reading a book with his stupid beard and reading glasses and tattooed arms.

What chore do you hate the most?

Folding laundry. I love cooking, my husband and sons clean bathrooms, and I dance while I mop. But fuck folding clothes.

What do you think when you hear an Australian accent?

The Thornbirds. I may have read that and watched it at too young an age. It left an impression.

What's your favorite soda?

Dr. Pepper, I guess.

Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive-thru?

Drive-thru pretty much always.

What's your favorite number?

I don't have one, but my least favorite is 12.

Who's the last person you talked to?

My 8 year old. He asked me if I'd rather be able to fly or to breathe underwater. He designed them after two of my biggest fears, the sadist.

Favorite cut of beef?

Like in butcher terms? I guess the sirloin. But I like tbone steaks the most. I think.

Last song you listened to?

Ain't Too Proud To Beg by The Temptations. It came on while I was showering. It was quite the concert.

Last book you read?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I'm doing a 2 person bookclub with my nephew.

Favorite day of the week?

Friday.

Can you say the alphabet backwards?

I sure can.

How do you like your coffee?

Literally half a cup with the other half being either heavy cream or half and half. Then an assload of sugar. I want it super light and sweet.

Favorite pair of shoes?

I hate shoes. I wear them out of necessity.

Time you normally get up?

It varies from 5:30 to 9:45.

Sunrises or sunsets?

Sunsets. Sunrises come so early.

How many blankets are on your bed?

One.

Describe your kitchen plates.

They're big and green, with a slight upward curve.

Describe your kitchen at this moment?

Dishes in the dishwasher. Pan of brownies on the counter. There's a loud kid at the table, eating cheese dip. Another one is sitting on the floor in boxer briefs, doing an occasional booty dance.

Do you have a favorite alcoholic drink?

It is summer so I like ice cold beer at the moment. In my bar days, I liked CPRs.

Do you play cards?

My kids have become obsessed with card games during quarantine so now I'm forced to play blackjack, 5 card draw, Texas Hold Em, and War.

What color is your car?

Black.

Do you know how to change a tire?

I wasn't allowed to get my license until I could do that and a handful of other things to a car. My dad was super laid back about a lot, but not that.

Your favorite state?

I like every state I've been too so far other than a big chunk of Florida and Missouri. And to be fair I only hated driving through Missouri.

Favorite job you've had?

It wasn't a job, but my internship at an elementary school was amazing. I also like my bullshit clerk job I had where I met my husband but that's because it was super easy, paid decent for what I needed at the time, and the hot older supervisor (not mine) let me shamelessly flirt with him.

How did you get your biggest scar?

I guess my csection scar is technically my biggest, and I got it by having 5 babies harvested out of me.

My biggest noticeable one is on the back of my forearm. I had a drunk woman put a cigarette out on me many years ago. The night did not end well for either of us.

Whew. That was a lot, but they were fun questions! Most of the people I would have tagged have already been tagged so if you have been, consider yourself tagged again. And if you haven't, consider yourself tagged if you want!

[that-1-ninja-wizard]

Why am I doing this kiddo?

A'ight fine, let's get this over with.

Hi, I'm Kaigun Uchiha. I was born to... That doesn't matter, and I was raised by Inferuneel, the Inferno Dragon.

Being the son of a dragon is pretty cool, especially considering my mom is the sister of Igneel, the Fire Dragon King, so... Yeah.

Anyway, I'm being told by the kid that I gotta move this along, so...abilities? Aight then.

First off, chakra: Having been born as an Uchiha, I obviously am able to use Fire Release Jutsu: Great Fireball, Pheonix Flower, you name it.

I also was born with a proficiency with Wind Release Jutsu. I haven't learned too many, but the Mass Wind-Blades Jutsu and the Wind Bullet Jutsu have come in pretty handy.

I also have access to some Jutsu that aren't affiliated with an element, including a pretty rare Jutsu called the Rasengan. It's a small sphere of pure chakra that I can slam into a target, but I have figured out how to combine it with elemental Chakra for the Hellblaze Rasengan (Fire Release) and the Rasenshuriken (wind release, also this is one I stole learned from the nine-tails kid, so yeah).

Also I can use the Shadow clone Jutsu... Not much else to say here, I can make like... Five at most... I'm not great at it but I don't tend to use it...

Also (because I'm an Uchiha) I have access to the Sharingan, although only in one eye (we'll cover the other eye later). My Sharingan gives me greater perspective abilities as well as splitting off into two 'trees'. The Eye of Insight is linked to the increased perceptive abilities, and also means I'm able to copy Jutsu so long as I'm physically capable of doing so. The perceptive abilities granted by the Eye of Insight are crazy, even letting me predict my opponents moves via their muscle tension. It also let's me see chakra and even gives it colour so that I can distinguish different sources, as well as letting me see irregularities in someone's chakra. The Eye of Hypnotism grants me some pretty decent Genjutsu abilities (although I'm not exactly an expert) like subtle coersion, smaller and larger scale Genjutsu, stuff like that.

The Sharingan can be (and in my case, has been) taken one step further via the Mangekeyo Sharingan, which grants the user a unique ability in each eye. Mine has actually been takes a step further than that into the Eternal Mangekeyo Sharingan... Its basically just the normal Mangekeyo without the consequences, but hey, I'll take what I can get. Obviously, I only have the one, but my Kaiten is pretty powerful as it let's me spin something in my focal point in one of two ways. I can either spin something around its own centre (good for sending quick attacks off course... Or for spinning people), or around an axis (good for dealing with larger attacks or to gain some distance).

Anyway, I promised I'd talk about my other eye, so yeah. Under my father's headand is a pretty crazy Dojutsu called the Tenseigan. My Tenseigan (when active) gives me a slight healing factor, flight, increased physical abilities, and the Mooncutter Jutsu (a large yellow beam that supposedly could cut the moon in half if used by someone with two Tenseigan). It also gives me a glowing blue outline, and makes my hair glow that same light blue, so yeah... I guess that's a thing. It takes masses of chakra though...

Finally, we have my Jinchuriki abilities. Being the Jinchuriki of the Two Tailed Beast, Matatabi, I have access to some of her abilities. For example, in Matatabi Chakra Mode stage two (MCM II) I can use the Bijudama (or Tailed Beast Ball), a massive sphere of Biju chakra that causes massive destruction. I can also summon a Matatabi 'Avatar' that functions similarly to what I've heard about the Susanoo. I'm also able to summon parts fo that avatar instead of the whole thing, in case I need to sheild myself or want an extra angle to attack from.

Alright then, magic now: First up is my Inferno Dragonslayer Magic. It's probably easiest to compare it to Fire Dragonslayer Magic, as that's technically what it is, ish. Essentially, Inferno Dragon Magic is a mutation of Fire Dragon Magic, which creates much hotter flames, but means the user can only consume flames the same colour as their own. In my case, I can only eat Blue fire because my flames are blue, my mom is the same but with Yellow flames, ect, ect. Inferno Dragonslayer Magic grants me all kinds of abilities, ranging from Inferno Dragon's Roar (a massive plume of blue flames from the mouth), to Inferno Dragon's Flare (a short-range explosion of blue fire from the hand), to Inferno Dragon's Iron fist (a punch laced with blue flames) and way more. Although, I've been told my signature move is Inferno Dragon's Flame-Blitz: a move which let's me become a ball of blue flame and fly around as crazy speed... It's honestly pretty fun. I've also got my Sky-Blaze Dragon Mode (a form which massively powers me up as well as augmenting my magic with Sky Dragonslayer magic), and Dragonforce (a straight power-boost at a crazy level, at least 10 times stronger than Sky-Blaze Dragon Mode).

Next up is Requip Magic, a type of magic I learned (well, the basics anyway) from a friend of mine at the Guild (thanks Erza!). Requip Magic let's me store weapons in a pocket dimension and draw them out at will, which I've done with my father's sword Flamebringer, as well as many Kunai, Shuriken, and even some Butane-based paper bombs.

Finally, I started learning Dark God Magic from Remnant's God of Darkness (long story) which has given me access to some pretty mental techniques. Dark God's Counter-Strike is a spell that reflects all magic back at the caster, however, I have to drag my hand along a blade for a set number of seconds (1-4) and then Slash at the spell with the blade. The number of seconds changes the power of the reflected spell (1 second is same strength, 4 seconds is 4 times the strength) and also changes the 'cool-down' period on it (1 second = 1 min cool-down, ect). Dark God's Accent is pretty much teleportation, but it has two variants: the fast, short-range version; and the slower to start, long-range version.

Also, I can use Dark God's Devestation, but I don't feel like killing everything on the planet (including me).

So yeah, lastly, weapons:

Flamebringer: a blackened kusanagi with a long blade, it was made for two handed use, but you can get away with using it one handed...just. The blade is constantly on fire, although the flame doesn't actually burn until you channel chakra into the blade, at which point you can get anything from a better cut to a full on fire-blast depending on how much chakra you use.

Kunai: it's a type of throwing-knife. I have like, 20.

Shuriken: just shuriken, I have quite a few

Butane Paper Bombs: like normal paper bombs, they explode. Unlike normal paper bombs, the flame is blue, so I can throw them into a fire attack and change that attack from an annoyance to a benefit.

So yeah, that's me, Kaigun Uchiha. Y'know, I didn't think I was gonna enjoy this whole 'tumblr' thing, but I just might... I'll have to thank the Kid later...

[punkscowardschampions]

Janis & Jimmy

Janis: you're such a twat Janis: 👊🖕😡 Jimmy: bit rude Janis: what's rude is I'm stuck in biology Jimmy: tell 'em there's nowt they can teach you Jimmy: I've already done it, like Janis: gross Janis: but detention would probably beat this Janis: none of the skeleton army would be in there, at least, even if it's one of the less annoying ones Jimmy: 👍 Jimmy: not like getting sent out is any sort of challenge Jimmy: or owt you need me for Jimmy: but I'm here without my muse 💔🎻💔 Janis: school trips are forced fun Janis: but I ain't feeling sorry for you Jimmy: come on Jimmy: gimme a bit Janis: get me something from the gift shop and I'll consider it Janis: #peakromance that Jimmy: duh Jimmy: saved my tips for days Janis: 😍😍😍 Janis: buzzin', love keyrings, me Jimmy: funny that 'cause I've never seen you use a key to get in anywhere Janis: exactly, like serial killer trophies for all the houses I've violated Janis: 😈 Jimmy: 😍😍😍 Janis: Seriously though Janis: how wank is it Jimmy: what's the scale? Janis: Hmm, good question, boy Janis: assuming we're talking about quality, let's say best case is that weird thing you did that one time that felt so good you're scared to do it again and become a fulltimedeviantTM and worst case is like finishing in a sock you'd already ruined earlier and forgot about Jimmy: 😂 Jimmy: real poet you are Jimmy: gonna steal them words for my tripadvisor review in a bit tah Jimmy: it don't matter I still want you to show your face down here for me Jimmy: 🏃 girl 🏃 Janis: always the way Janis: should be making my own art but full time occupation 'inspiring' you Janis: that said, I don't think your teach is so concerned about your art suffering she'll forget I ain't in her class, like Jimmy: you are art baby Jimmy: can't call it a gallery if you ain't hanging around Jimmy: lots of other knobheads are though, get lost in a crowd and find me, barely a challenge Janis: 🙄 you are ridiculous Janis: but I get it, gotta have me on the wall asap Janis: I am really fucking bored Jimmy: direct quote me when you tweet later 💕 Jimmy: the 1 correction being against the wall Janis: performance art Janis: how bold of you 😏 Jimmy: can't let you stay bored Jimmy: ain't #goals Janis: true Janis: move fast in this place Janis: go away for one day and your 👑 is taken like that Jimmy: good thing you're such an athlete then, babe Janis: say I'm thinking about it Janis: I reckon you'd owe me Janis: more than a keyring, like Jimmy: alright Janis: you must really miss me Jimmy: shut up, I said alright Jimmy: are you thinking about what you want or just how you're getting here? Janis: maybe I wanted you to say you miss me sooooooo much and you've really shit the bed there, mate Jimmy: do you? Janis: you're alright Janis: I'm just getting chucked out Jimmy: 🏆💪 Janis: just saying, if I SOS you now, you've got no out 'cos I'm saving you, yeah Jimmy: weren't gonna say fuck off to an SOS anyway, IOU or nah, was I? Jimmy: not very romantic that Janis: 💕 Janis: always nice to use a bit of coercion and control though, however necessary Janis: keeps it fresh, babe Jimmy: 💌 got it in writing there Jimmy: you're saving me, I'll save you right back Janis: so quotable today, you Janis: you're meant to be all visual Janis: 📷=1000 you know Jimmy: keeping it fresh like you said Jimmy: besides Jimmy: [sends her a pic of a half done done drawing of her he's working on instead of what he's meant to be doing] Jimmy: 🎨 = 1000 euros easy, mate Janis: damn Janis: I'm on my way Janis: you didn't have to be actually talented and cute about it Jimmy: 💕 Jimmy: don't run too fast I've gotta finish and stick it up on a bit of blank wall first Janis: I won't Janis: even if I'll admit I have missed seeing your face about here, like Jimmy: it's the accent really Jimmy: I get it Jimmy: paddy lingo gets a bit samey when it's not !!!!!!!!!!!! Janis: yeah, your dulcet tones really do it for me Janis: what can I say? nice not having to pretend I can understand what you're chatting Jimmy: I know but tah for putting it on record Janis: you ain't allowed to put that in any sort of review, soz Jimmy: I won't, you can do better Janis: I'd say thanks for the faith but we all know you're just being cocky Jimmy: don't sound like me that Janis: no? Janis: sorry, who am I speaking to again Jimmy: 👻 lad Jimmy: cause of 💀 that brutal bit of #bants Janis: oh right, casper well can you get someone in here who is a bit cocky Janis: no offense but you're too nice for me, like Jimmy: 💔💔 Janis: see what I mean Jimmy: so demanding you Janis: yeah and what Jimmy: not part of the deal, were it? Janis: what wasn't? Jimmy: owt #ungoals Janis: do YOU know who you're talking to rn Jimmy: hang on, I'll get it Jimmy: starts with a J? Janis: 🖕 Janis: dickhead 😏 Jimmy: I do miss you Jimmy: no need to get a big head or make it weird but just Janis: I know Jimmy: do you know now's when you say it back Janis: I said it earlier! Janis: weren't you listening Jimmy: and what you're live tweeting? that character limit'll fuck you every time, gutted Janis: just saying Janis: we're even Janis: but I'll say it again if you want me to win, like Jimmy: how's that work? if you say it again I win Jimmy: it's me that wants to hear it Janis: rude that you want me to lose then Janis: but it don't feel like losing to me so Janis: I missed you Janis: more than I should, I reckon Jimmy: 🥇 or nowt Jimmy: nowt personal Jimmy: and I reckon you miss me the decent amount considering, like Janis: it's cool, I get to be #1 best gf ever and you can read about the shit job you're doing in my subtweets, like Janis: and what was that about not getting a big head? 🤔 Jimmy: do as I say not as I do, girl Jimmy: the northern approach to dating there for yous Janis: how's that worked for you so far Janis: #toosoon? Jimmy: 💔💀💀💔 Jimmy: #savage Janis: just sayin' Janis: don't reckon you should be going to your da for that advice Jimmy: too soon for me to be lining up the next girls who might fall for the looking at 'em instead of the paintings bollocks? Janis: 'course not Janis: got your pick of the art hoes, they'll lap it up Jimmy: 👍 Jimmy: I'll crack on then Janis: I'll go home then Jimmy: I'll meet you there in a bit then Janis: 😑 Jimmy: it's alright save your enthusiasm for the IRL Janis: you're so annoying Jimmy: 💕 Janis: do you want me there or what 'cos I'm out Jimmy: do you wanna be here or what? Janis: obviously Janis: sounds like a blast Jimmy: so come on Janis: don't be a twat Jimmy: join the fun Janis: awh, you think I'm not always a twat Janis: how sweet Jimmy: you might have a couple of decent mins per day Janis: 💕 Jimmy: [snap] Janis: was about to say can't say the same for you but at least you're funny Janis: 😂 Jimmy: 😘 Janis: soz to break up your suck sesh but already on the bus so Jimmy: she'll be done soon Jimmy: no energy Janis: draining yours boy Jimmy: if she ends up swallowing my soul have a word with your god for me Jimmy: weren't my fault Jimmy: 🤞 she'll spit Janis: that's exactly the kinda sentiment that's keeping you out of heaven Janis: I ain't ruining my chances, soz Jimmy: 🎻🎻 Jimmy: have to keep badgering you for that 💀 death pact, eh, Juliet Jimmy: doing yourself in still a sin, yeah? Janis: last I checked Janis: he's not doing edits still, like Janis: 'less you wanna join one of those weird ones Jimmy: 👌👍 Jimmy: #datenight is still on 🔥💕 Janis: 😂 Janis: got a whole list to get through Jimmy: [sends her a pic of that drawing of her finished and stuck to the wall cos he's a nerd] Jimmy: just wiped my to do one til you get here Janis: Impressed Janis: but only a few minutes away so don't pat yourself on the back too hard yet Jimmy: 😏 Jimmy: why would I when I've got you to do it for me Janis: not what I had in mind but alright Jimmy: gotta keep that one track mind of yours on a heavenly track, babe Jimmy: not gonna be your ruin unless you ask for it Janis: but I don't wanna talk Janis: or pray Jimmy: if you look like you're praying that might get the job done Jimmy: try it Janis: boy Jimmy: What? Janis: I'm trying to focus here Jimmy: if you ain't up for the challenge Janis: shut up Janis: 'course I am Jimmy: don't sound like it Janis: you want me to do it now Janis: I was waiting 'til I got there but alright Jimmy: alright, shut up Janis: not really feeling the randoms on this bus but you know Jimmy: hang on, I'll get the orchestra Janis: got a few stops for someone hot to get on Janis: don't cry for me yet Jimmy: but I'm so close to tears Janis: I'll get you there baby Janis: 💕💔 Jimmy: #ultimategoals Janis: you know it Janis: so 🍀 you Jimmy: [tweets something extra about how lucky he is lol] Jimmy: now they know it an' all Jimmy: so welcome you Janis: 😏 Janis: so whipped too but can keep that between us Jimmy: 👍 Janis: right, coming in, where are you lot so I can avoid Jimmy: I'll do a slow mo run to the entrance Jimmy: 1 sec Janis: if anyone asks, I don't know you Jimmy: kissing strangers is fun, don't blame you Janis: try not to let on that you're that bored already Jimmy: 🤐 Jimmy: can stay between me and you Janis: can't let the fans down, like Jimmy: [appears and kisses her really dramatically only for the fans tho obvs] Janis: [sure guys lmao] Jimmy: [take your excuse to be really extra boy cos the fans are gonna love this can't deny it] Janis: ['hey, stranger'] Jimmy: [😏 and more kisses because always] Janis: ['come on then' like lead the way so we aren't just in the entrance like hello] Jimmy: [casual hand holding moment obvs he leads her to pose with the drawing cos we can pretend that's for the fans but really he wants it off the wall cos don't think its that good, oh boy I feel you] Janis: [such a proud little nerd face] Jimmy: [lowkey can't look at it or the bae so good thing he's 📷] Janis: [looks at the pics and does a 👍 too] Jimmy: [take the pic down and run to another part of this gallery] Janis: [when you're doing your best serious art appreciation impression looking at all the paintings like 🤔] Jimmy: [just loling at her cos you're already having more fun in these few mins than you have the whole time you've been there so far] Janis: [shushing him dramatically, probably making more noise than his lol 'this is a museum, show some respect'] Jimmy: [giving her a look like make me and saying 'or what?' as standard] Janis: [you know those doublesided benches they always have in the middle, casually pushing him down on that for a lap makeout moment] Jimmy: [such a mood, not soz other visitors] Janis: just getting tuts from the random old people who loiter everywhere in the day lmao] Jimmy: [doing the most to annoy them even more when he hears the disapproval cos 100% that bitch] Janis: Same honestly Janis: like don't test 'em lmao Janis: [] Jimmy: [so well suited you two] Janis: ['can I keep it?' the pic, obvs] Jimmy: [takes it out of his pocket and puts it into hers] Janis: ['big head, like' but really you just like it 'cos he did it] Jimmy: [kisses her on the head 'you can pull it off'] Janis: ['nerd' but kisses him back and it's way more soft than before when she was going in] Jimmy: [we love a soft moment] Janis: ['it's so boring when you're not there...and shit' Jimmy: ['should've taken art' gestures around with an unimpressed face 'never boring that'] Janis: ['I can see' 😏 'well if I knew there was gonna be a hot new boy, OBVIOUSLY I'd have picked different'] Jimmy: ['I get it, even a know it all like you weren't gonna see me coming, that #special, like' but kissing her neck as he says it all cos we both know he thinks she's sooo special bye] Janis: ['Obviously, new boy' #intoit and moving his hands to around her waist] Jimmy: [pulling her closer to him 5ever as he carries on] Janis: ['Okay, okay, I really missed you'] Jimmy: [makes a happy sound because can't not] Janis: [kissing his ear so she can whisper not 'cos she gives a fuck about anyone else here, clearly, but 'cos vulnerable so gotta say it quiet if you're gonna, 'it was like before when I didn't know you, or when you weren't here and I hated it'] Jimmy: [probably can't pull her any closer but tries to and holds her really tightly because not going anywhere and just the softest kisses ever] Janis: [shaking her head like pull yourself together bitch and changing the pace] Jimmy: [going with it cos he gets it being vulnerable is shit and hard]] Jimmy: [I can just imagine some art hoe putting them on her stories like she don't even take art!] Janis: [she doesn't even go here, regardless being like 'come on' 'cos take me somewhere we can actually do this] Jimmy: [should we let them actually leave? cos better option than bathrooms and the point of her showing up has been made] Janis: [why not, live ur dreams kids] Jimmy: [getting in trouble together is their thing] Janis: [hell yeah it is, and being talk of the town #standard] Jimmy: [1000% several art hoes saw them going into the bathroom and we know it] Janis: [gossipy hoes, even if none of the actual squad take it, some of their lesser friends blates do for the fashun vibe] Jimmy: [get in the gift shop after and piss about and shade their art hoe aesthetic] Janis: [all the socials lmao] Jimmy: [he steals her a keyring cos not gonna spend money but she's gotta have one] Janis: [💕 tbh] Jimmy: [now go have some actual fun and alone time kids]

[pioneeroverc-my-5000th-sideblog]

And here's that post-May 4th four month progress check I've been dreading...

My overall feeling about my progress this year so far is, sadly, quite negative. I have put some work in, but I feel like just drawing for fun and naturally getting more hours that way got me at least as far last year. I'm going to continue fixing my self-discipline issue and maybe try to up my hours of study and fun time by deciding on a split between them every week and then sticking to it (hopefully).

I am going to finish DAB Lesson 3 this week into next week and then... decide what to do next. I will check back on my progress at the beginning of September, evaluating the improvement in skills that I was tracking this time and also my hours spent studying. If I can get an increase in study hours but still can't compare the actual art, I'm going to call that a win.

I started trying to study more in January with Drawabox lesson 1. I finished it that month and moved on to the 250 Box Challenge, then did the full 30 days of Figuary in February (which took me between 30 and 75 minutes per day). I stopped the 250 Box Challenge at 240/250(!) halfway through Figuary as it was too much effort to do alongside the figure drawing, then basically wasted the first three weeks of March not studying anything and failing at most of what I was trying to draw. In the past month, I've done Lesson 2 of Drawabox and am more than halfway into Lesson 3. I wasn't tracking how long I was taking before April, but when I added in an hour of figure drawing to Drawabox I did start tracking my overall time spent studying - between 9 and 15 hours a week. I think this is a metric that I should maybe put more weight on in my next progress check.

I honestly think I spent more time on art this time last year because I was doing finished drawings and not having to force myself to do boring fundamentals. Right now, I'm having a hard time working on the Drawabox lessons because my eye for mistakes is waaaaay more developed than my technical skill and ability to observe a reference. This is half a 'getting distracted before I even start studying' issue and half not being able to concentrate on what I'm doing, and I'm still working on being more disciplined in this area. It would help if I could work on my fun drawings a little bit every night, but I have *too much* fun doing that and I invariably end up staying up until 3+AM drawing (I've recently been trying to go to bed at midnight). I need to figure out a decent solution to this problem as a matter of urgency because I know I would have improved a lot more if I'd just... drawn more, as evidenced by doing just that last year.

[aria-i-adagio]

Echoes of the Past: Day 10, Cuisine

Dema is... not a good cook.  She’s essentially useless in the kitchen, and with Asra being a rather adept cook who can literally make a decent meal out of anything (personal headcanon), she never learned.  This failing created all sorts of mistakes and one or two small fires once Asra left during the plague.  Post plague, when Asra leaves, she relies on food stalls in the market and Artemis + Selasi for meals.

Despite frequently forgetting to eat when she’s hypomanic/manic, she very much likes food and will try pretty much anything once.  Moderately spicy things are among her favorites, and she doesn’t mind pushing herself to try something very spicy every now and then.  She developed a bit of a drinking problem while in school, and never really kicked it after she moved to Vesuvia.  The Plague didn’t help.  That addiction stuck with her even after she was brought back from the dead.

Excerpt from “Leaden Trumpets Spit the Soot of Power”

Four years ago.  January.

“It's gauche.”

“Have you ever met Lucio?  Of course, it's gauche.  Everything about him is gauche.”

“Well, okay, this is extra gauche.”  I shook the rinse water from the kale I had picked earlier and flipped the leaves over to cut out the toughest parts of the ribs.  Asra had a trick of caramelizing the greens with onions that I hadn't quite figured out yet, but the batch I fixed the night before had been closer to his.  If I defined closer as merely edible.  Maybe I'd get the proportions of onion and garlic right this time.  Or the level of heat.  Or any of the other possible variables.

“But you'll still come with me, right?”

Julian - even more useless than I am in the kitchen - leaned against the counter, watching me roll the leaves and chop them into wide strips.  Even with half the city dead or dying, the Count was still planning to host a multi-night masquerade for his birthday.  And apparently, the Count insisted on Julian's attendance.

“It just doesn't seem right.”  I tossed a handful of the kale into the skillet and jumped back as the grease crackled and splattered everywhere.  Ah well.  At least I had managed to saute the onions and garlic instead of burning them.  Progress.  “Besides, how will he even know if you're there?  Everyone's in masks and there are a lot of people.  Just spin some lie about missing him if he asks later.”

“He'll know.”

“Why's he so obsessed with you?”  I grabbed a pinch of salt from the cellar by the stove and sprinkled it over the greens.  I hadn't cooked them with salt last night and adding it at the table hadn't made them taste right.  The baker told me this morning that when you add the salt does matter, as it draws water out of the vegetables and changes how they actually cook.  “If someone cut off my arm, I probably wouldn't much care to see them again.”

“I didn't actually cut off his arm.  Hell, they, uh, still barely trusted me to carry off amputated limbs.”

“I stand corrected.  If someone walked off with my arm that had just been . . . Good lord, this conversation got weird.”

Julian groaned and covered his face with his hands.  “We had, um, a thing for a while.  I was young and stupid, and really, he wasn’t bad to me . . .”

“Seriously?”

Julian nods at me, eyelids flickering with apprehension.

“Okay, so the Count is an ex-lover from back when you were both mercenaries, and he’s decided he’s interested in you again?”

“Didn’t quite know if or how to tell you.  Um, I mean, I'm not interested in him, not now, ugh . . .”

“Should I be jealous and threatened?”  I reach up and touch his chin.  Nothing to be gained from jumping at the shadow of each former lover.  We could play at that game for a long time between the two of us.  “I mean, I can fake it if you want.”  

A huge, relieved sigh leaves Julian’s chest, and I feel his lips press against the top of my head.  “Sorry.  I should have told you before; it’s just an overwhelming amount of awkward, you know, with Lu being well, Lu.  But I'd still rather not piss him off.”

“And you need me there because -?  I’m not mad at you.  I just really don’t think he should be throwing a party right now.”

“Can't I just want to see you in a pretty dress?”  He looped an arm around my waist, spun me away from the stove, and dipped me back.  “And if I'm dancing I'd much rather dance with you.”

“So you need me to come to keep you safe from the big scary count?”

Julian affected a pout.  “Pretty please.”

“Oh, all right.  I'll go.”

He laughed and picked me up again, kissing each of my cheeks, then my mouth.  I smacked him with a wooden spatula until he put me down.  The greens had already started to burn.  I push them around with the spatula, then grab a towel that’s already been scorched multiple times to lift them off the heat.  Too late.  Probably still edible though if I'm careful to leave the charred bits in the skillet.

At least the cornbread hadn’t burned.  And it actually rose this time, thanks to some fresh baking powder that Selasi had slipped me with a laugh when I complained to him that I could have used my last attempt as a lethal weapon.  With that improvement and a bit of goat cheese, I’d traded eggs for, the meal was almost worth eating.  Not that Julian has ever complained. 

“I do have something I can wear.  It's just, maybe a bit daring.”

“Oho?  I like the sound of that.”  He folded his hands under his chin and stared intently across the table at me.  “Can I see?”

“That's actually a good idea.”

“I had a good idea?”

“Yes, I should make sure it still fits.”  I glanced away and then looked back at Julian with half-lidded eyes.  “And it's a bit easier to get into with two people.  Well, maybe not easier.  More fun.”

“Now, I really like the sound of this.”

“Of course you do.  Lech.”