#and I also need to find some good water coloring paper

[cicadaland]

this turned out so weird but I like it anyways just as like a proof of concept of this idea. I might draw or paint this sometime in the future with some changes and i WILL because this specific scene STAYS in my mind. AND the ugly crying dog we CANNOT forget the ugly crying dog.

[pansyfemme]

ppl ask a lot abt my traditional coloring process but its rlly not that complex u just rlly water down inks and layer thin layers until you realize you’ve been working for 9 hours straight and pass out with all ur supplies still in bed w/ u LOL

[ew-selfish-art]

Dp x Dc AU: Danny's final Interview with Tim Drake for the Wayne Enterprise's Space Program Operation Janus Crew... Demon Twin AU.

Danny had been waiting for his offer letter from WE to be officially part of the Janus Crew. He'd done all the standard rigorous testing and passed with flying colors. He'd talked to every single head engineer and interviewed at all levels to prove that he was the man for this mission. It was as good as gold, so Danny was surprised when he got a call from the PA to Tim Drake, the CEO himself, to come in for a final interview. Just a formality and mostly just to meet the man who was going to be the poster boy for their program. Makes sense, but is unnerving, nonetheless.

The second he walks into the office space, Tam Fox seemingly does a double take, blinking a few times when he explains that he's there for a final interview. She nods and he proceeds as if nothing about that was weird.

Tim Drake has four laptops in front of him and a scattering of papers, but looking up to see Danny, he closes them all and the image of a scattered young man trying to run a Fortune 500 company is replaced with some one of deadly capability.

"Danny Fenton. Great to meet you, I appreciate you coming by today." Tim says, but Danny can see the sharks fin in the water.

"Of course, I'm excited to be part of the Crew." Danny throws back, making it clear right away that Tim needs to cut to the chase if Danny's not going to be an astronaut with WE. NASA will take him back in a heartbeat if WE is going to try and play games.

"We're excited to have you, everyone speaks of you like the next Armstrong or Aldrin. I just had a few questions, as an informality, that I wanted answered."

"I feel like I've answered every question there could be about me, but go ahead. I'm an open book."

"Great. I suppose I'll start with asking about your adoptive family, the Fentons. Were they good to you when you transitioned to their home?"

"...It's not common knowledge that I'm adopted. Mom and Dad are fine. We have a strained relationship now because of my teenage rebellion but I still go home for most holidays." Danny is on edge, but also a bit excited? How did Tim find this out?

"I see. I'm an adopted child myself, you can understand maybe why I asked. Do you have any relationship with your birth family?" Tim asks, but its clear he's asking something else. Danny calls it how he sees it.

"What are you trying to find out? I mean really, you're very polite but this doesn't have to do with my job."

"I'll cut to the chase then. Do you hold any allegiance to Ra's al Ghul or the League of Assassins?"

"Woah." Danny blinks.

"Woah as in you're surprised I found out, or Woah in surprise that you've been found out?"

"Woah as in, what the fuck, I haven't thought of his name in decades. I escaped pretty young after being abused from birth."

"That's what I needed to know. You have a sister through the Fentons, and a cousin that I suspect is a clone, any other siblings?" Tim asks, his to the point question making Danny's head spin. How the fuck did this guy know about Dani?

"How do you-"

"Any other siblings, Danny?" Tim repeats, cutting him off.

"...Yeah. I should have a twin running around out there. But if this has to do with whatever crazy bullshit he might be up to, I swear i'm not in contact with him or his family. I haven't been since I freed myself."

Tim looks like he's contemplating something, his eyes are still evaluating Danny as though he were a frog in freshman year Bio.

"I have a little brother, Danny, and it's interesting. He's not particularly fascinated by space but he likes to keep up with all the astronauts. I took it upon myself to research you once you came on the roster two years ago for this position. I know you're capable and I had no doubt that you'd be the man for the job. Then I saw your picture."

"You... saw my picture?"

"My brother watches out for Astronauts because he holds onto the hope that someone from his past might be one some day. That it might lead to their reconciliation." Tim clarifies.

Danny can't do anything but stare. No. No way.

"I told Damian not to look into the astronauts for the Janus Crew. Want to guess why?" For the first time, Tim's eyes look soft around the edges. Danny stays silent for a while, head reeling from this information.

"...Is he. Is he free?" Danny finally asks.

"He's left the league and burned all allegiance he held for them, if that's what you're asking. Came to join his dad, my adoptive father, when he was about ten. So just a few years after you made your own way out without him."

"That's... That's good. I'm glad. He's healthy?" Danny can't help himself but inquire. He'd loved his brother until it literally broke him.

"Most days. He runs an animal sanctuary, has a girlfriend and a best friend, gets along with our large family."

"Woah." Danny's near speechless again.

"I'm telling you this because... He's going to find out Friday with the press release of you being our Crew Leader. He'll see you and no doubt try to contact you. I want you to have the choice of reaching out to him before that, or at least make your peace with what you have to say to him if you don't want a relationship."

"Why?"

"Because I don't care to see my siblings hurt. Here, it's my personal line, below it is Damian's. Reach out to me if you'd like for me to plan a meeting spot, reach out to him if you'd prefer I stay out of it. I understand completely if my questions have led you to not trust me." Tim offers him a piece of paper with two phone numbers on it, Danny takes it with shaking hands.

"I... See. Okay." and then after a moment, Danny added numbly "Thanks."

Tim stands and Danny follows, they're both walking towards the door and Danny can't help but feel like he's waiting for another shoe to drop. Tim has a look in his eye like Jazz might on his birthday.

"One last thing before you go and you're officially listed as our star Astronaut: I took care of those pesky case files and lab reports for you. The white ones. It is quite literally impossible for that heinous shit to every bother you again."

"Wait, What? Why would you do that for me? You couldn't have known-"

"It's what family is for. Have a good day, Janus Crew Lead Danny."

[netherworldpost]

With the various rumors and releases of Tumblr possibly changing how they do things... (gestures to the vague rumor mill)...

Zines.

I really think we as Folks Who Make Things and Folks Who Like Art Writing Poetry Music Comics Other Things need to explore zines. And I mean ZINES. Nothing glossy. Nothing fancy.

Very. Cheap. Zines.

I've been threatening mentioning I was going to create a guide on how I'm going to approach this -- and I'm going to -- but I am also realizing in the writing I Do Things Highfalutin because I am who I am + had a career in graphic design.

Let's talk about how you can make a zine very cheaply and very pretty.

STEP ONE: SUPPLIES

Very bright paper. I like "Astrobrights" because they are absurdly bright. Here is a link in a store I like. I buy a lot of paper and envelopes from them. You can generally find Astrobrights in big box office stores. It prints on laser printers and ink jet and photocopiers.

Very bright envelopes. What's that? Astrobrights has envelopes?! AM I SOLVING PROBLEMS let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Letter paper is 8.5" x 11" and is the most common size in the united states (overseas folk will have to use this advice with a grain o'sea salt and search yer own waters).

A9 envelopes are a letter sheet folded in half.

A2 envelopes are a letter sheet folded in half, then folded in half.

#10 envelopes are your common long envelopes, letter paper folded in thirds.

Pick the size you like.

If you want to get big and fancy, Tabloid is 17" x 11" -- so double a letter sheet. This gets tricky to work with but is neat in sizing.

STEP TWO: ZINE CONTENT

Do you know how to use InDesign or similar program? Use that.

No? Use Google Docs or Word or whatever other program and ramble.

Want something special? Write out some or part with a sharpee or pen.

Mix and match both.

If you are feeling fancy, design it like a booklet -- mock up a sheet of blank paper as if it were a brochure. If not, just design it straight up and down like a letter. There are no zine laws.

STEP THREE: ZINE PRINTING

Print at home on your home printer.

Don't have a printer at home? Print it at work (don't get fired)

Can't? Your local library may be able to help.

You need 1 copy on white paper.

FedEx Office has photocopiers. Your local library may too. Or your job.

Print 1 copy of your zine on white paper and then photocopy the rest onto colorful paper (or white paper, it be yer zine seadog).

Or print everything on the color paper if you have access to free printing, that's fine too.

The photocopy setup is purely "printing tends to cost more than photocopying."

If you want to slash prices, print 2 per sheet and have FedEx office cut them for you, this will cost $1 - $5 depending on how many sheets you are dealing with. This is for when you're doing a LOT of zines at once.

Or use their manual paper cutter yourself for free.

STEP FOUR: ZINE STAPLING

"Long reach stapler" is what I recommend. There are a few varieties. They tend to be $20 - $30.

Or just use 1 sheet!

STEP FOUR: ZINE POSTAGE

A single first class stamp for 1-2 pages. If you get up to 3+, go to the post office and ask them to weigh a comp you have assembled.

This is a guideline.

It's a really good idea to check at least once how much your zine weighs just in general. Post offices have scales. And are pretty. And have stamps.

OKAY ENOUGH LUSTING FOR THE POST OFFICE FROM THE GHOTS POST OFFICE BLOG BACK TO WORK

STEP FIVE: ZINE MAILING

This is actually the most difficult part. Label printers exist with various costs -- if you're starting out? Go with printable labels.

Your office supply shop will have them and they'll have templates you can drop in the customer addresses.

Save yourself time by using this label as the thing that seals the envelope -- don't lick envelopes.

A key tenet to staying in business is constantly reviewing physical (and mental) labor and stressors and reducing them as much as possible.

Return address labels are intensely cheap in literally every online printer, google "return address labels." Make sure you have this because at least a few of your shipments will come back to you.

STEP SIX: ZINE PRICING

Okay here is where we get uncomfortable because we're talkin' coins.

Prices are based on above links. You can get whatever paper you want, so this is guidelines. All numbers rounded up.

Payment processing ($0.30) + $0.05 sheet + $0.15 envelope + $0.66 first class postage = $1.16 base cost

$1.16 + 2.9% of $1.16 payment processing = $1.20

Plus taxes. I'm not getting into tax figures YOU DO THAT (just say 30% for easy math, this is not saying "your taxes are 30% or that mine are" I am saying "I am going to factor 30% for this equation to complete this guide".)

I did not include the mailing label (it will be $0.01 - $0.05 depending on how fancy and how many you buy) because you have the option to just write things and also it fits into the rounding of the above.

If you use Patreon, include your fees. Probably replace the above processing fees with your patreon processing... fees? I don't use patreon I don't know how it works.

Retail option 01: $1.50 - 1.20 = $0.80 gross - 30% = $0.09 / net / zine.

Retail option 02: $2 - 1.20 = $0.80 gross - 30% = $0.56 / net / zine.

Retail option 03: $3 - 1.20 = $1.80 gross - 30% = $1.26 / net / zine.

Should it be $1.50? Should it be $3.00? MORE? LESS?! That is for you to decide. Base it on what your zine contains, how long it takes you to write/draw/etc. it and how you want your flow to be.

STEP SEVEN: ZINE FREQUENCY

When my shop launches, it'll have a zine once a month. We are going to offer a subscription option + a "I just want 1" option.

You can do a zine monthly, or every few months, or whatever.

Keep in mind that the purpose of doing this is to break the dependency on social media marketing.

KEEP IN MIND AS AN AUDIENCE MEMBER TO A CREATOR YOU LIKE THAT THEY ARE DOING THIS TO BREAK THEIR DEPENDENCY ON SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING.

If you have a lot of energy and an audience that comes to your shop a lot? Consider doing a zine monthly.

If you do not have a lot of energy and/or your audience is tapped for cash frequently? Considering doing 1 zine per season.

Consider 2 zines a year if that works better for you!

NO RULES ONLY JOY

Not sure? Experiment! Be upfront! "This is new. I'm figuring this out. Billionaires are tinkering with these things and we gotta figure something else out."

BONUS STEP: NETHERWORLDPOST.COM

so hi I'm atty and I'm your loud long rambler today

Netherworld Post Office used to be @evilsupplyco and now we are rebranding in prep of relaunching. Same person behind the rambles and comics, new name with a more focus (mail instead of mail + seemingly everything else in experiment)

if you enjoyed this ramble and/or like ghosts, monsters, witches, mermaids, and fun stories and projects focused on cozy Halloween, you may like us when we finish the rebranding and relaunching in autumn 2023.

email sign up (the zine will come when we are open)

WHETHER YOU JOIN MY LIST OR NOT

I really, really, really hope you consider doing a regular, or irregular, zine. Something outside of email, something outside of social media, something that connects I MADE A WEIRD THING and the people who say I LOVE THIS WEIRD THING YOU MADE.

The walls are closing in on free social media as a platform for people who make weird things to build audiences for free or very cheap.

And with that...

netherworldpost.com as one final hat pass

good luck folks

thanks for listenin' to the ol' ghost

[meanbossart]

Another much overdue ask compilation! Some short-ish lore asks (Gale, Gort, DU drow relationships and pet-companion preferences) and a couple of art/advice ones sprinkled in. THIS IS BY NO MEANS ALL OF MY ASKS so as usual I appreciate everyone's patience!

I actually think he'd give them a pass entirely as soon as he noticed. Correct me if I'm mistaken but half-drow get No love from underdark drow and are usually surface babies right? So that fruit is miles away from the tree lol. I think he generally has a bit of a soft spot for mixed kinds since he himself feels like an amalgamation of sorts.

Thank you! They're kind of a pain in the ass to draw at times for that very reason but man I do like the look 😩if other people like it too then that makes it all worth it!

THAT'S TRICKY TO ANSWER BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES I'M NOT... REALLY TRYING. I've draw a ton of horror comics for mine and my partner's series' SAD SACK and SORTIE, so I think it just comes naturally to me 😅 also I do genuinely find expressive and, uh, rugged faces more attractive? (I think they look rugged, again that's what people tell me at least.)

I think the secret might be adding bits of realism in there. I get a lot of comments about the wrinkles and eyelashes I add to my art, as well as the way I draw individual teeth (though I've lately been making an effort to simplify my style in favor of drawing faster, so I haven't done that as much or in as much detail.)

Both symmetry and the lack of it can also add to that effect. I have employed both facial unevenness and almost point-perfect symmetry to achieve something a little frightening or otherworldly in my work. [MORE UNDER THE CUT]

Thank you so much!!! The contrast is very much intentional, that's what DU drow's character is all about ;)

Hahah well I somewhat doubt Bhaal would care that his spawn gets named, but either way he stripped himself of his name as soon as he killed his foster parents and abandoned the Underdark. He had a drow name that I jotted down somewhere but it's completely irrelevant because nobody has used it since he was a child, and he doesn't remember it (even pre-tadpole/having his brain scrambled.) Here's a little write up about his origins that might shed some more light on that: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/739688837431836672/did-drow-ever-have-a-childhood-before-the-temple

And about his original drow-given name and the reason behind it: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/741350986692591616/drow-had-to-have-been-given-a-name-by-his-adoptive

Everyone just referred to him as his supposed race, or as Bhaalspawn or Bhaal's child, and any other similar titles. Orin called him "kin" and "brother" and Gortash likely called him his associate. Post-tadpole the camp grows entirely used to calling him "the drow" and he has no desire to change that or to choose a proper name.

THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH😭 no reason to be intimidated, I'm just some rando drawing BG3 fan art LOL I've been drawing since I was a child, and started taking it semi-seriously when I was 16 years old, so twelve years ago! That's around the time where I got my first non-display tabled and used that well into my twenties, prior to that I only did stuff on paper and liked to do inks color with pencils. I never really ventured into traditional painting at all except for a little bit of water-coloring in college.

Traditional and Digital art are very much different beasts. Which one you want to start with is, in my opinion, just dependent on what you want to do. Digital art gives you a lot of tools that makes learning easier, but you might find yourself having much steeper of a learning curve if you ever decide to do traditional art instead. If you want to be good at both, you need to practice both, since the skill doesn't entirely translate from one medium to the other.

Naturally you will be able to draw well on either, it's just... Different. I will say though, that I think if you're still learning you should use whatever allows you to look directly at what your hand is doing, so either traditional or display tablet/Ipad. I have no idea what a non-display tablet would do to a beginner, but remembering my experience with it I feel like it might be a huge detriment to developing the skill (feel free to share your experiences in the replies if you disagree, as I would definitely be curious to read them!)

YOU KNOW ME BABY IT WAS MESSY AND COMPLICATED the tldr.: is that they were "buddies", absolutely no romance intended there on either mine or DU drow's part, but due to his nature the friendship was extremely weird.

Here's a couple of replies where I go into more detail about it: https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/739191190871818240/i-dont-have-a-particular-question-in-mind-sorry

https://meanbossart.tumblr.com/post/744952815768764416/so-not-sure-if-youve-covered-this-but-i-thought

That's definitely reserved for the vamp LOL DU drow very much enjoys when Astarion teases and fusses over him, and while Astarion probably got a kick out of acting that way around such a big and scary looking guy at first, I think by "now" (later and post-game) he's pretty much immune to DU drow's looks and just enjoys doing it in earnest.

He's not at all averse to being touched (even rather intimately) by close friends, but he wouldn't be quite THAT vulnerable with anyone else.

HE REALLY DISLIKED GALE... He irked him out by seemingly fostering a rather persistent romantic interest in him for at least half the time they spent together (very much based on my interpretation of their in-game interactions at the time, though my Gale might have been a little bugged.)

But also they had a... Fairly in depth relationship still? Gale was a staple in my party, and even though I antagonized him constantly by the end of the game it still felt like they had so much weight in each other's lives, if that makes sense. I might need to do a bit of an "update" on the DU Drow/Gale lore sometime, I feel like I've had some thoughts since that warrant more exploration of their dynamic (you can find a lot of old asks about it if you just search the Gale Dekarios tag in my blog though).

The gist of it is that DU drow found him arrogant and duplicitous, his constant optimist irritated him to no end and felt like it veiled a stream of self-pity (two things DU drow despises) Gale's attempts to get through to him only added insult to injury. By the end of the game he decided to pursue the crown of Karsus and this only lost him even more respect in Drow's eyes, seeing as he doesn't value godly power at all.

I was pretty overwhelmed by the game at the start so I actually missed a lot LOL including Scratch. I did get the owlbear cub though, which DU drow gladly welcomed into camp since it was injured - but I think he would have wished for it to remain a wild animal and to return back to it's home after it had grown up a bit. He didn't really make a "pet" out of it more than he just looked after the little guy in the way it's mother might have, probably with Shadowheart's help.

He wouldn't be opposed to proper pets though if one were to stumble into his life. He'd definitely be more of a cat guy because of their independence and strong little attitudes.

It is very hard to build proper rapport with him. He will be "friendly" to most people who have a good sense of humor about them, but friendSHIP is another thing entirely.

I think it's kind of circumstantial. He's very economical in his relationships and doesn't really seek them out at all - so a situation where he's forced to be in someone's company might be the only way to develop a bond with him, as he doesn't appreciate insistence either and that's more likely to push him away. He doesn't value status or titles either (kind of looks down on them really) so that won't help.

I think he just likes people who are true to themselves and their nature, sometimes even if the nature is one he disagrees with at it's core. This is why he liked Gortash, why he and Shadowheart got along so well, and why him and Astarion fit together so seamlessly despite seeming so different. Likewise I think it's why he didn't jive with people like Gale or Wyll, because they seemed to be rather... Dishonest with themselves and their own end-goals.

[charmandabear]

Office Hours - Chapter Two

Summary:

You really want to get Astarion back for making you feel so flustered, but as a result you find yourself in a bit of an uncomfortable position.

Pairing: Astarion/F!Reader Rating: E Word Count: 3.7k Tags/Warnings: unprotected p in v sex, under-the-desk blowjobs, semi-public sex, vampire bites, modern au, college/university au, urban fantasy, enemies to lovers, poor gale doesn't deserve this

Oh shit she's writing? I had like six other things planned but I can't keep away from this world. Once again thank you @zipzoomzaria for the beautiful screenshots and also the inspo for Professor Astarion, and @aw11tht33tha for the beta!

You don't need to have read part 1 for this part to make sense, but it does help.

Read on AO3 ~ Masterlist

Ever since you slept with Astarion - or, perhaps more accurately, he fucked you mercilessly over his desk - you haven't been able to get him out of your head. It's been a little embarrassing, frankly. Every time you pass him in the hallway, a single glance over those round wire frames has you suppressing the moan that bubbles in your throat. One whiff of his fragrance and your pussy clenches in a Pavlovian response.

You're standing in front of your mailbox in the main office, reading some memo from the chair about season selection for next year. It's always a tedious process where no one can agree and you somehow all end up with shows you hate.

You smell him before you hear him, and you can feel your ears grow hot. He comes up behind you, standing closer than is probably necessary, and reaches above you to empty his own mailbox.

“Pardon,” he says politely, but you feel like he’s going out of his way to brush against you. A shiver runs down your spine as he very gently grazes the back of your neck while shuffling through the papers. 

He turns and starts chatting amicably with Grace. How can he stay so cool when you're practically in shambles? You pretend that you're still reading the short memo just to collect yourself. When he finally leaves the main office, you manage to turn around and imitate some semblance of a normal person. Grace catches your eye and frowns.

“Are you feeling okay? You're looking a little flushed,” she asks, genuine concern coloring her voice. You twist your face into a smile, hoping that it reads like gratitude rather than annoyance.

“Yeah, I'm fine, thank you. Probably just a little dehydrated,” you say, putting a little extra rasp in your voice to sell your story.

“I’m about to leave for lunch, I can grab you something from the student union, if you're thirsty.” She smiles sweetly, fully unaware of the double entendre.

“I'm good, I have some water back in my office. I appreciate the offer, though.” The smile is now plastered to your face as you move to leave the office. You bump into Karlach while trying to make a hasty exit.

“Gods, soldier, you okay? You look like you just got out of a sauna.” She claps you on the shoulder and your knees buckle. The technical director had spent 10 years in the army, so you can't really fault her for the nickname, or the smack to the shoulder, for that matter.

“Just a little thirsty, is all,” you reply, continuing to scoot your way out of the office. 

“Yeah ya are!” She points two finger guns at you and flashes a big suggestive smile. You freeze for a half second, then realize she’s making a generic lewd joke and not pointedly calling you out for your current condition. You awkwardly finger gun back as you finally slip through the doorway and book it to your office.

You sit down at your desk and grab your water bottle, taking a long sip. It's unbelievable how much of a hold he has on you. What you wouldn't give to be able to fluster him as much as he does you. Have him struggle for words. Make him look like an idiot in front of your colleagues.

You think back to your bathtub fantasy from a few days ago. You could not have predicted the dynamic more incorrectly. You really thought that you'd be the one in control, that you could have him coming undone for you. The image of him whimpering beneath you still sets your heart racing, though it can't be further from the truth. Your breath hitches slightly as the scenario plays out vividly in your mind, like your own personal erotica.

“It must be rather exciting, whatever's got your blood going that way.” His sultry voice interrupts your debaucherous thoughts and you yelp in surprise. You glare at him leaning in the doorframe, hands in his pockets and collar casually unbuttoned, looking like an absolute treat. He chuckles and saunters into your office, settling into one of the chairs across from your desk and crossing his lithe legs. Despite your newfound attraction, he's still an arrogant little shit.

“I thought you couldn't come in uninvited,” you scowl, keeping your voice low for fear of someone overhearing.

“I don't recall being invited last time, but you didn't seem to mind,” he says with a laugh, and you squirm under his piercing red gaze. “Regardless, the rule only applies to homes, not individual rooms within a public university.”

Your frown deepens, unsure if he's being condescending or not.

“Is there something I can help you with, or are you just here to frustrate me?” You lean back in your chair and cross your arms, trying to imitate his casual authority. You're not terribly successful.

“You seem to be doing that perfectly well yourself, the way I could hear your arteries pumping from down the hall.” His smile widens, flashing just a hint of fang, and your resolve weakens. He stands and stretches his arms above his head, his shirt raising just enough for you to see a sliver of porcelain skin. You’re positive he’s just doing this to annoy you.

“Well, when you have a free moment, stop by my office, I have something to show you,” he drawls, an almost bored lilt coloring his tone. “And do try to keep that pulse of yours under control, it’s distracting to the point of vulgarity.” He glances at you over his glasses one more time before retreating into the hall again.

You cross your legs, trying to ease the ache between your thighs. He's absolutely insufferable. And he’s so much worse now that he knows he has this power over you.

You gather your materials for Voice and Speech, plotting ways to enact your revenge.

***

Against your better judgment, you find yourself walking toward Ancunín’s office after class. You take a moment before knocking on the door, smoothing down the front of your dress and tousling your hair to give it a little more volume.

Suddenly the door opens and Mol comes barrelling out in a huff.

“D’you believe this berk? Gettin’ on my tail for ‘academic integrity.’ Ain't nobody more integrous than me!” she grumbles, adjusting her bag angrily. She turns her heated gaze to you.

“Can you talk to your boyfriend and tell him to leave me alone?” she spits and you splutter involuntarily.

“Mol, we’re not–”

“Come off it, miss. Everyone sees the way you look at ‘im. Just work your magic so I can get back to gettin’ a college education.” And without another word, she's off. You blink, trying to make sense of what just happened. Are the students talking about the two of you?

Shaking your head, you knock on the door frame as you walk into his office. It's just as cozy as last time, warm light emanating from lamps in every corner to compensate for the blackout curtains over the windows. Honestly, how does anyone not know he's a vampire? You can almost hear his excuse, something about how “direct sunlight is ruinous to one’s skin.”

“Destroying students' lives by keeping them academically honest?” you smirk as you gently close the door behind you with your foot. He takes off his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I swear, that girl is too clever for her own good. I'd almost respect it if she didn't get on my last nerve,” he sighs, putting his glasses back on and glancing up at you. His expression softens for a second before quickly shifting to mischievous. You slide over to him, leaning against the edge of his desk as you face him.

Any animosity you may have held dissolves as he looks up at you, his hand absentmindedly stroking your thigh just under the hem of your skirt. You shiver as you try to keep your voice steady.

“You said you had something to show me, professor?” You emphasize the title with the gusto of a young porn star. He smirks and pulls you down until you're straddling his lap. You wrap your arms around his neck and grind your hips into him, feeling the beginnings of an erection. He lets out a little puff of air that can almost be mistaken for a moan. He buries his face into your tits, running his nose along the neckline of your dress and slides his hands under your skirt to cup your ass. You breathe in sharply, your breasts rising to meet his lips.

Then a knock at the door.

You both freeze and stare at one another. You hear a muffled voice on the other side.

“Dr. Ancunín, do you have a minute? I have something extremely important to tell you,” Dr. Dekarios from the School of the Weave shouts through the door.

Astarion instinctually replies, “Just a minute!” and the two of you share a wordless exchange.

-What the fuck are you doing?

-I don't know, I panicked!

-What am I supposed to do?

-Hide, perhaps?

Without thinking you slide off his lap and under the desk. Just in time, too, as Dr. Dekarios doesn't wait for Astarion’s permission to open the door and waltz right in.

“Dr. Ancunín, thank goodness, I hope I'm not interrupting anything.” You can hear the Arcana History professor rush in and eagerly sit down in the red velvet lounge chairs across from Astarion’s desk. You groan internally as you realize that you might be stuck here for an unbearably long time.

“Actually, Dr. Dekarios, I was on my way out,” Astarion says as he starts to stand before quickly reversing that decision. You realize with a smug sense of satisfaction that he’s still slightly aroused.

“Completely understand, I'll keep this brief, then. So, the other day, you and I spoke of the use of bardic magic and its position amongst playwrights in Renaissance England.”

“Yes, I recall,” Astarion responds through gritted teeth. He sinks back down in his chair,  resigned to sitting through this conversation.

“And how it was common practice at the time to use magic from the college of swords as decreed by Elizabeth? Ben Jonson, Marlowe, Beaumont and Fletcher, they all used college of swords magic.” Dr. Dekarios’ voice increases in pitch with his excitement. You suppress a sigh, preparing yourself for a long wait in this cramped space. It’s not particularly comfortable, especially with trying to keep out of the way of Astarion’s long legs.

Although…

You might not have to keep out of the way. Maybe if you just… brushed your hand along his leg…

Astarion coughs to hide the sudden intake of breath your touch causes. He crosses his legs and you smile knowing it's to give himself a little reprieve. A feeling you know all too well.

“Yes,” Astarion says, his voice frustratingly steady, “I recall your enthusiasm in telling me this.”

You're trying to read his response. Is he into this? Is this a game he wants to play? You test your luck again, dragging your fingers up his thigh more deliberately. His leg quivers and he shifts his posture as the Arcana professor continues.

“Well, I had a thought. Consider this: Shakespeare brought about a major shift in how we think of the Western theatrical canon as it pertains to bard magic, correct?”

You scooch forward and press your tits into his knees that are now pinched tightly together. You slide your hands up his inner thighs, prying them apart slightly. You lean into his legs further as your hands continue their journey upward, squeezing as they get to the top of his thigh.

He kicks suddenly, a soft thump into the back of the desk. Is he telling you to stop? You pull back and glance up at him, the top of the desk obscuring most of his face. He's stiffly nodding along to Dekarios’ rambling.

“And remind me, what other major storytelling convention did Shakespeare also shift during this time?” You honestly can't tell if he’s actually asking, or giving Astarion a mini exam in his own specialty.

You wait for a response from him. He lets his thighs fall open and gently nudges your hip with the side of his shoe. No, his foot.

This mother fucker is playing footsie with you?

Oh he is definitely into your little game.

You push his legs open again, this time sliding your hands all the way up to his cock, and you feel it twitch beneath the wool of his pants. You gently stroke him and his hips give a subtle twist into you.

“I'm not sure–” Astarion begins, but stops short when his voice cracks. You nuzzle his bulge,  running your lips across it as it hardens. You slip a hand under him and give his balls a gentle squeeze. You can hear his breath stutter, but it's unlikely Dekarios can as he quickly answers his own question.

“The humors, correct? My understanding of non-magic literature isn't fully up to snuff, but I am correct in remembering this, yes?”

You lick a fat stripe across the fabric and you hear a metallic click above your head, like his watch just made sudden contact with the surface of the desk. You can imagine the veins in his hands bulging as he clasps them together tightly.

“Hm, no, ah yes, you are correct. Most English Renaissance playwrights understood characters as a balance or imbalance of the four humors.” Astarion manages to keep his voice relatively even, and you know you need to up your game. You reach up to undo his belt buckle as quietly and efficiently as possible. Luckily, you’re able to hide the noise within Dekarios’ exclamation.

“Yes! That's exactly what I was thinking! So, hear me out. What if these two shifts were related? In moving away from college of swords magic, Shakespeare felt less constrained by the four humors. Or perhaps the other way around?”

You reach into his pants and free his cock, now fully hard, and tease your fingers along his shaft. His hips buck a little more forcefully, as though controlling his movement is growing more difficult. You grip his pelvis tightly, holding it in place, and relishing the fact that you have the control for once. You flick the tip of your tongue across his slit and his hips twitch again under your hands.

“Could be…” is all Astarion can manage to reply. Hopefully at this point Dekarios is in a full-on oration and he won't need to contribute much, if at all.

You pop the head of his cock into your mouth, working the underside of it with your tongue. You clamp your arms down on his thighs, pulling them closer to you and pushing them into your tits. Your inner thighs grow damp as your own arousal quickens. You squirm as a miniscule moan works its way into your mouth. Not loud enough for anyone to hear, you hope, but you're certain that Astarion can feel the vibration because his hips jerk again. His torso and face above, or at least what you can see of it, gives little away.

“And this could even,” Dekarios continues, showing no sign of awareness of anything else happening in the room, “signal the shift into realism, could it not? Beginning with Shakespeare and culminating with Chekhov and Ibsen in the nineteenth century?”

You take in more of him, relaxing your tongue and letting him fill your mouth, discovering his taste. He almost lifts off his chair in his attempt to thrust into you, and you use it as a way to take him in deeper. Your jaw is beginning to ache with how slow you're going, but it's worth it to feel Astarion’s frustrated discomfort.

You can hear him take a slow breath before speaking again.

“You know who would absolutely love this discovery of yours?” His voice is low, smooth, as you bob your mouth on his cock. “Tav, the classical theatre professor. Her office is right down the hall.”

You choke and he deftly covers the sound of your gag with a cough.

“Bless you,” Dekarios says after a fraction of hesitation. He continues as though there was no interruption at all.

“Then I shall share my findings with her! Down the hall, you say?”

“Room 208.”

“Excellent!” Dekarios stands and you wrap your hand around the base of Astarion's shaft, letting some saliva dribble out of your mouth to lubricate it. You can hear the wizard quickly make his way out the door.

“Gale!” Astarion yelps as you twist your hand and swirl your tongue in tandem. He clears his throat and corrects his decorum. “Dr. Dekarios, the door, please.”

“Oh, of course! Apologies,” he says with slight chagrin, and then you hear the latch on the door click. Astarion rolls his chair back and grabs your hair, pulling you out from under the desk.

“You saucy little minx,” he growls and you stumble forward and into his lap, your lips crashing into his. He easily tears through your leggings and underwear, exposing your dripping cunt to the open air.

This man is wracking up quite the clothing bill.

He slides two fingers into you, roughly stretching you out and you groan into his ear. 

“You didn't seem to mind,” you manage to squeak out, repeating his words from earlier with significantly less dignity. You grind onto his fingers with his cock trapped between you, and your clit slides against his shaft. Another shuddering breath rockets through you as your whole body clenches around him.

He yanks his hand out of you and you whimper at the sudden emptiness, but you don't need to wait long for him to grab your waist and sink you down onto his cock. You can feel the skin toward your perineum tear slightly but the stinging pain is nothing compared to the delicious stretch that comes with him bottoming out. He shoves his fingers in your mouth and you arch your back into him, the taste of your own juices flooding your tongue.

He keeps his other hand firm on your lower back as he thrusts up into you. You cling onto his neck, pulling his mouth toward your breasts as they rise and fall with your stuttering breaths. He takes his hand away from your mouth and slides the hem of your dress all the way up to your chin. His lips latch on to your nipple poking through the soft cotton of your bra.

“Gods, fuck,” you groan as you continue to roll your hips into his, and he flicks his tongue against your tit. You push down even further onto him and pull the cup down, pushing your now bare breast into his teeth. His eyes flicker upward, glasses sliding down his nose slightly. You bounce harder on his cock and grip the back of his neck tightly.

“Fuck, please, bite me,” you whine, aching to feel every part of him in you. He doesn't need to be told twice and he sinks his fangs into the sensitive flesh around your nipple. You cry out but try to stifle the noise by pressing your open mouth into his hair. You can smell that citrusy fragrance he wears and your fingers claw into him.

He sucks your blood out from around your tit, and with every swallow he laps his tongue against you, over and over. You're certain his devil tongue will be your demise.

Your pace increases and it becomes harder to suppress your moans. You clamp your mouth shut and bury your face into his ear. He releases your breast and roughly kisses you to keep you quiet, the taste of iron filling your mouth.

You come with an explosive cry that gets swallowed into his kiss. As you're still riding the wave of your orgasm you can feel his, his hips rutting as his dick throbs with the pulse of his semen.

The two of you finally slow, the sticky mess between you squelching lewdly. You listen intently past the sound of your heavy breathing to try to hear any indication that someone overheard. When you deem it safe, you let out a sigh of relief that dissolves into giggles. He drops his forehead into your shoulder as the hem of your dress gets overtaken by gravity and slides down your front

You disentangle yourself from him, wincing slightly at the feeling of him sliding out of your sore pussy. You get a better look at him, your blood still smeared on his lips and chin, his now-flaccid dick slumped above his waistband. You're certain you can't look much better, dress rucked up around your waist, hair mussed and sticking every which way. 

You methodically put yourselves back together, Astarion stuffing his wet dick back into his pants, you straightening your dress and hair. You catch his gaze again and somehow he still manages to make you blush, his crimson eyes peering over his frames. He reaches out to tuck a wayward lock behind your ear.

“Maybe next time we’ll have sex in your office,” he chuckles. You swat his chest playfully only to find yourself drawn into him, not wanting to pull your hand away. It's strangely romantic, and if you were able to think clearly, his hands snaking around your waist might bother you. But your head is still spinning and your cunt is still throbbing with the aftershocks of your orgasm, and little could upset you right now.

That is, until the doorknob turns and Dekarios pops his head back in.

“Looks like she’s not–” His voice dies off quickly when he realizes what he's walked in on. He coughs, mumbles an incoherent apology, and backs out quickly.

“I swear to the gods I'm getting a scroll of arcane lock for that damn door,” he growls under his breath, and you lean your forehead against his chest in deflated embarrassment.

[guardkeywolf]

Cod boys seeing their artist male readers art when they get back from a mission and they are just relaxing and they decided to ask him to see his art book since they never saw it and male reader says yes and they look through it and Is shocked how nale reader makes things so realistic.

It's... Beautiful Y/n...

Hello @gamersansblog ! I am SO SO SORRY this took so long!

I hope you enjoy it!

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If there was anything that was needed after a tense mission, it was relaxation. When the boys got back from dealing with another terrorist, Laswell gave them so well needed time off and they used every second of it. Not only that, but a good friend of theirs also swing by as well.

Y/n was seen quite frequently at the 141's base, so just about everyone knew him.

Y/n was an artist who liked to sketch around their base sometimes.

The man loved making realistic drawings of them if he had the chance. Usually after 141 returned from their missions the man would be waiting there, doodling in his sketchbook. The others were quite interested to see it the first time they caught on to him being around and Y/n was more than happy to show them.

Inside, there were multiple pictures. Different mediums used, charcoal, pastel, water color, even some good ole' oil paintings. The man was very deserve in his style so he usually had a different instrument when he swung by.

Today, Y/n said he wanted to draw Price, the others a tad bit jealous that their Captain got the lucky honor of being Y/n's model but went with it nonetheless.

While Price finished the last of the paperwork he had, Y/n sat there on his couch sketching away with his graphite pencils he brought today. Though most would find the sound annoying, Price found it comforting as he heard Y/n's pencil rub against the multi-media paper. He could hear the difference between each stroke. Light and Hard.

He couldn't help but chuckle when he also looked up to see the others watching the man from behind as the man drew their Captain.

"Don't you boys have 'ork to do?" He hummed as he went back to doing his own.

"I don't mind them, Captain. After all, they were curious to see just how I manage to make it so realistic," Y/n chuckled to himself.

Price looked up and saw Ghost staring in awe at the paper, eyes widened at the probably nearly finished masterpiece. Gaz and Soap did the same as they watched over Y/n's shoulder, taking in each movement the man made as he worked.

It must have at least an hour that passed or so before the Captain heard Y/n's sketching come to a stop when hearing the "oos' and "aahs" of his men.

"Jesus Y/n, tha's amazing..." Soap said as he gazed at the photo.

"Agreed Johnny..." Ghost complimented as well baffled by the amount of detail that went into the sketch.

"Captain...you gotta' come see this, sir...it's.. it looks just like you," Gaz spoke as he looked upon the breathtaking piece.

"Guys please, your over exaggerating..." Y/n smiled up at them before walking over to the man.

Y/n turned the sketchbook towards the man slowly, smiling as he watched the man's eyes light up.

Price looked up to him, eyes full of curiosity making the artist chuckle again.

"That's...that's bloody beautiful Y/n... think I may frame it in 'ere."

"Thank you..." and he meant it.

"No problem, Captain..."

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If you enjoyed reading this please feel free to REBLOG with the TAGS on!

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Thank you for reading again!

-Guards

[grandlinedreams]

Hii!!

Could you maybe write about Kid and how everyone thinks he would be really bad at taking care of people but then reader gets sick and he takes care of them surprisingly well?? Thank you!

I think I've said this before but ough, sickfics my beloved,,,yes i absolutely can and I hope I do this justice for you!!

[Heads up!: comfort, sickfic so mention of being sick, Kid is an awkward grump but we love him]

You're sick.

That much is clear, from the fevered flush of your cheeks to the ragged cough that wracks your body ㅡ you're attempting to fight some kind of illness, and it's kicking your ass at the moment.

And truthfully, Kid doesn't know what to do. He can't yell at you to simply "get better", because that doesn't work. He's good at fighting physical enemies, not invisible ones. He has a couple hazy memories of being sick as a kid, but whatever had been used to help is beyond recall.

Kid also isn't used to feeling helpless, and it's beyond frustrating ㅡ if Heat, Wire, and Killer notice the increase in short-fused outbursts of temper, they wisely say nothing.

And despite knowing it's unwise to be around someone who's sick, Kid finds himself checking in on you frequently, even though he grumbles an excuse of, "Don't need you dying on my ship and creating more trouble."

"Sorry," you manage between breathy wheezes, "for getting sick."

If you were truly sorry, you wouldn't be sick in the first place and making Kid do something as lousy as worry the way he is. But he bites back the scathing comments and sharp sarcasm, tries for a gentler approach.

"Just get better," he says gruffly, leaning back in his chair. When you wake next to a cold cloth on your forehead and a glass of water nearby, Kid is conspicuously missing.

He's not the doting type nor is he particularly sentimental, but he does care and he's trying ㅡ especially because you don't seem to be getting any better.

There's the brief thought that you're dying, but Kid dismisses it quickly. There's absolutely no way you're going to let something as insignificant as this take you out. That's dumb.

But it's also clear you need actual medical attention, so when they reach the next port, Kid takes you into the nearest town in search of a doctor.

You're so tiny compared to him, made even frailer for how weak you are at the moment, and it stirs something in Kid that he isn't sure how to handle. He cares, of course, you're part of his crew ㅡ and if there's more to it, he'll deal with it later.

Luckily a doctor diagnoses you quickly, sends the two of you on your way with a brown paper bag of medicine and instructions on how to make sure it helps.

It's funny to see Kid so focused on getting the dosage right, eyes narrowed in concentration and lips pulled in a scowl that deepens when you eye the glass with disgust.

"That looks horrible," you protest, the cloudy water making your stomach roll the way it has for the last few days.

"You'll take the damn medicine," Kid snaps, "and stop complaining! This shit was expensive, damn it!" (He paid for it. Granted it was with questionably obtained beri, but he did pay for it.)

You have it in you to scowl before you take the glass, swallowing hard before you down it. It's vile, wretched stuff that threatens to come back up ㅡ but you manage to keep it down.

It takes a few days, but you do get better. The fever goes down, color returns to your face ㅡ and though the cough lingers, it's far less intense than it was.

Kid won't say it outright, but he's relieved when you finally feel good enough to get out of bed and resume your usual duties. And if he's a little softer, a little gentler around you, he makes it clear you're not to speak a word about it to the others.

(As if you need to. They knew way before he did, and still have a betting pool on how long it'll be before he actually tells you how he feels.)

[static-radio-ao3]

@jegulus-microfic // september 23 // prompt: wash // words: 719 // part 2 + part 3 + part 4

Regulus would like the record to show that he is not here voluntarily. He is here against his will and reluctantly. Really, he should have know better. When Sirius texted him come to the frat car wash pls no one is here, he heaved a sigh and decided to be a good brother, which is why he currently finds himself in line for the dumb charity car wash Sirius’ frat house is organizing. Evidently, people had started showing up because Regulus has been waiting for fifteen whole minutes and Sirius is nowhere to be seen. It’s not like he has class soon or anything, no biggie.

Regulus reaches over to fiddle with the aux cable, skipping songs until he finds the Katy Perry song that has been stuck in his head all morning.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t little Reggie Black.” The voice is muted through the car window but Regulus hears it clear as day. Unfortunately he would recognize that voice in his sleep. He mutters a quick prayer before rolling down the window.

James Potter leans down to rest his lower arm on the frame of the car, ducking his head to make eye-contact with Regulus.

Regulus fights to maintain that eye-contact; unwilling to be the first one to look away but also not trusting his eyes not to stray to places they shouldn’t. Because obviously James isn’t wearing a t-shirt. No, that would make life far too easy for Regulus.

Instead, James is wearing a dumb fucking snap back, his dumb fucking glasses, a dumb fucking chain around his neck and dumb fucking board shorts.

Regulus feels his eyes water with the effort not to look away.

“It’s just Regulus,” he tells James.

“Sure, sure. Say, Reggie, what are you doing on this side of campus?” James glances up at their surroundings, Greek Row. Regulus doesn’t really come here, eager to avoid, well, people like James.

“Sirius asked me to come.”

“If you say so. The car wash is donation based but we do encourage you give a minimum of five dollars. It’s for charity, you see.”

“Yes, thank you, Potter.” Regulus rolls his eyes. “Funnily enough, I am familiar with the concept of a charity car wash.”

James mutters “feisty” under his breath, but doesn’t say anything else, simple rapping his knuckles against the roof of the car twice before walking over to the supplies they have. Regulus rolls up his window and takes a fortifying breath. He was mentally prepared for the car wash, sure, but he wasn’t quite ready to spend twenty minutes in his car while James is walking around shirtless, leaning over the hood of the car to wash the windshield.

In those twenty minutes Regulus finds out he quite likes the color of the lining of his car seats. The rear view mirror needs to be wiped down, as well. And maybe Regulus should look into decorating the car ceiling. Just to give the vehicle some more personality, you know?

It feels like ages before James taps on the window again, Regulus rolls it down once more being faced with James’ bare chest. Why does he look like that? That’s just unfair.

“My eyes are up here, sweetheart,” James says with a laugh in his voice. Regulus’ eyes snap up, heat flooding his cheeks. “Detailing’s all done. Satisfied with my service today?”

Regulus hums in confirmation, fumbling for the money he had set aside. He hands James the ten dollar bill (it’s for charity, okay?) and shakes his head when James hands him something back. “No, it’s fine, keep the ten.”

“No, take this, in case you feel like the body needs more work,” James tells him with a wink. Regulus feels the red in his cheeks spreads to the rest of his face, his ears burning. Regulus looks down at the little slip of paper with nine digits scribbled in a neat line. He grabs it gingerly, but before he can say anything, James turns and heads to the next car.

It isn’t until someone honks that Regulus manages to pull out of the driveway.

Later, he texts Sirius fuck you. Crumples up the little slip of paper James handed him. Smooths it out again. Puts the number in his phone. Texts James you missed a spot.

[hms-tardimpala]

Ficbinding: Who has eight tentacles and isn't allowed to eat pie? by @no-gorms

The fic: SPN, Castiel/Dean Winchester, T, 16k

Dean watched an anime porn about this once, but real life turns out to be way less interesting. Or, the one where Dean gets turned into an octopus.

This fic is brilliant, it reads like one of the comedic episodes in Supernatural. I read it in one afternoon, it made me laugh out loud, but also think "Wow, I can't believe the characterization is so good with such a silly premise" several times. The concept's potential is used amazingly, you can tell the author had fun making research on octopuses. Hard recommend!

The bind: This fic is so funny, I had to make the binding eccentric too. I used holographic pleather to evoke an octopus' leathery skin. The color blue can represent an aquarium's water (Dean's new home in the fic ^^), but what I particularly like is that the holographic color changes depending on the lighting (you can see outdoors and indoors lighting in the pictures), and there's some octopus camouflage in the story, with Dean changing color.

(no need to turn the sound on, you'll get breakroom noises)

I chose the lobster endpaper because octopus!Dean eats crustaceans and fish (and I thought I'd never get the occasion to use that one!). The red headbands and bookmark match the lobsters, and red and blue really pop together.

This is my first straight spine in an age, I don't like those usually, but with this fabric I couldn't make a round spine and it turned out great! It looks clean.

Details:

I used many small octopuses as chapter headings and closings, and not one is the same. The octopus image after the author's note is a free vector and the decorations are a free font found on Dafont.

The font I used is quite round, and I printed the text big because otherwise the book would have been too small to bind in a hardcover in my opinion.

I'm very happy with my trimming this time again, and with the spacing between the edges of the cover and the textblock. It's nice to see decisions I've made after months of learning pay off. I'm officially good enough at bookbinding to disobey the manual and find my own solutions to problems 🥳

Even the corners are not as bad as they could have been with this fabric.

I love this little book! It's a pleasure to look at, it was fun to make, and having this story bound will make it easier to reread, which I certainly will do.

Fonts: Hey August (title), Trushdex (author name), Bion Book (text). All free on Dafont.

Materials: Holographic pleather, 2mm grey board, 70g/m² white copy paper, synthetic bookmark and headbands. Endpaper bought in a brick and mortar craft store.

Feel free to ask me more about materials and fonts (or whatever), it won’t bother me at all to tell you what I used, I just can't think of anything else right now.

[hezzabeth]

Everyone who lived on Baker Street had come out from the fog to eat Nanni’s dinner. This made perfect sense; Nanni was one of the few people in the park who knew how to cook meals using ingredients and an oven.

When the park was still open, Revati's home was a coffee shop called the “Mad Hatter Teaparty.” The walls were painted in eye-watering clashing shades of neon pink and green. The light fixtures hanging from the ceiling were all giant velvet top hats. The booths were giant flower teacups with tiny chairs and tables inside.

"Was there some sort of drug in the pineapple?" Revati heard Brigadeiro ask. Revati just ignored him and instead walked past each of the booths, collecting tributes; nobody ate Nanni’s for free.

The Paprikas sat in the blue and gold teacup, their neon orange hair clashing with the paint. The Paprikas were two brothers and their sister who had found themselves trapped in the park as children. Their parents had been vaporized by a towel-warming rack. Now they were in their mid-twenties and worked for Revati as hired muscle for free dinners.

"Who's the new guy? He's actually clean and good-looking," the youngest brother Brie asked Revati. "His name is Brigadeiro Bun; he's an off-world tourist who stupidly went to the wasteland," Revati said. "I was trying to find crystal roses," Brigadeiro smiled helpfully.

"Bridgadeiro huh? So your parents were Goup worshippers then?" The sister, Juniper, asked curiously. Revati vaguely knew that Goupism was a popular religion on other colonies. Over a thousand years ago, there was once a woman who apparently traveled the earth gathering the best health practices needed to be “happy.” "A white woman, and she stole most of her ideas from our eastern religions," Amma, who was a staunch atheist, had snapped with annoyance when Revati asked her to explain the Paprika siblings' religion. Still, despite her thievery, at some point, she had become a god. They firmly believed in things such as “psychic vampires” and “color-balancing therapy.” They also all had peculiar food-related names, mainly because the goddess had named her daughter Apple.

"Yes, they were. They insisted on coming here for a Wellness Day holiday," the eldest brother, Croquette, growled. "I miss mama's Wellness Day Avocado and chocolate cookies," Juniper sighed sadly. "It's not the same, but here I have a couple of factory-made ones in my pocket," Brigadeiro said, crawling into the booth. The Paprika siblings gasped with astonishment as he pulled a packet of cookies wrapped in gold paper out of his jumpsuit's gigantic pocket. "They got a bit crushed when I was kidnapped, but they're still good," he said, opening the package and placing it on the table. The Paprika siblings stared at the cookies, their mouths slack with shock. Croquette slowly shook his head, completely snatched the package, and began to serve the crushed crumbs amongst his siblings. "You need to keep this one forever," Juniper said firmly, and Revati just shook her head, moving onto the next table.

The next table consisted of the elderly Gupta couple. "You adopted another kid? If you want more water for him, we want more dried apples," Mrs. Gupta said, a small scowl on her wizened face. It was Mr. Gupta who had figured out how to gather and purify water from the atmosphere. It was Mrs. Gupta who managed and recorded all the water they collected, rolling it out like a tyrannical dictator. "Fine, one extra package of dried apples per week," Revati said before swishing grandly onwards.

Amma was sitting in the pink cup, her new partner Dusk Brisbane. Dusk Brisbane was a teacher from Titan, who, along with their students on a field trip, found themselves stuck in the park. Like all people from Titan, Dusk had inherited the ability to rapidly change biological genders. Titan had also inherited a name that meant a time of day and a gender. Dusk’s remaining students were sitting with Dityaa on a large cat-shaped sofa. When the invasion began, there were twenty-three of them. Now there were only five nineteen-year-olds left. Dityaa was holding court over all of them, sitting on a couch shaped like a giant grinning beast. "Your sister said you had an interesting night," Amma remarked as Revati sat down next to her. Nanni had laid out a plate of aloo mushroom curry. Revati picked up a piece of hardtack and dipped it into the sauce, refusing to talk. "So you're not even going to bother telling your side of the story?" Amma asked as Revati swallowed. Nanni always moaned that her cooking was so much better before the war. Years ago, Nanni worked in the city as a professional meal prepper for wealthy families that wanted to eat real organic food.

Nanni was proud of her ability to create one hundred percent sand-free meals using the most exotic ingredients. Nanni would bemoan to everyone that her meals were now a mess, that her spices were too basic, and that she never had enough salt. Revati, however, who had never tried anything else, thought her food was delicious. "I'm hungry! Besides, what's the point in telling my side? I'm sure Dityaa's story was more enthralling," Revati replied. "Every story needs both sides and the truth," Dusk remarked. As they spoke, their features shifted from a feminine middle-aged woman's face to a man's face with a beard. "You're not my creative writing teacher, and you're not my parent," Revati pointed out.

Revati knew deep down she didn’t dislike Dusk; Dusk was a perfectly decent person. Not to mention Amma had been so lonely until Dusk offered to help her teach the feral children a year ago. Still, it was a lot to get used to.

“True, but your mother did ask you a question, and I think she deserves an answer," Dusk replied in that same mild diplomatic voice. Revati deliberately ate another mouthful of curry before wiping her mouth with the sleeve of her dress. "Dityaa got attacked by some lady at the ball; the chutiya had A.I. eye implants! They must have switched on somehow," Revati explained. "Mind your mouth, Revati! There will be no swearing at the dinner table," Amma scolded her. "Her implants switched on? That's so odd; one of my students had AI tastebuds, but they stopped working the second we walked into the park," Dusk remarked, their face shifting back into a woman's as they glanced at one of their students. The student in question, Basil Paris, was sitting next to Dityaa, licking their hand. Dusk was right; in order to create true "historical authenticity," the park was surrounded by massive mirrors. The volcanic Martian glass blocked the "AI" life stream. "And what did you do?" Amma asked in a quiet, nervous voice. "I threw a glass of vodka at her face, and her eyes fried up," Revati replied.

"Can you take the children's sign language lesson tomorrow morning? I need to check the mirrors around the walls," Amma said to Dusk.

"Of course," Dusk replied, and Revati rolled her eyes.

"You don't need to do anything, Amma! I'm the elected leader of Baker Street! This is my job," Revati said firmly.

"You're only seventeen!" Amma protested.

"Almost everyone voted for me! Well, apart from Mrs. Gupta, who voted for herself," Revati said, and mother sighed.

"Fine! But you're not going to leave well after the sun rises, and you're not taking Cora and Laila! You can take Vivienne and Jay Jr.," Mother replied firmly.

Nine minutes past midnight.

Revati's eyes snapped open in the blue-glowing darkness. Slowly, she sat up, taking in the familiar shapes of the kitchen's walk-in freezer. Dityaa was sleeping next to her on the souvenir pillows Amma had sewn together into a makeshift bed. In the corner, the feral children slept together in a nest made of old soft toys. Nanni was snoring on one of the plastic shelves that had long ago stored ice cream. Amma insisted on them all sleeping behind the massive metal doors. To anyone who lived near any other planet, it would have been freezing, but Martians had evolved to withstand the cold.

Revati stood up and glanced down at Dityaa. Dityaa had worn her new dress to bed, ignoring the stains. The blood on her dress looked shiny black, her face shadowy blue. She looked just like Princess Savitri in the family book of fairy tales. Revati, on the other hand, had changed into her pajamas, which consisted of a long-sleeved men's shirt three sizes too big. The red fabric hung to her knees, and the words "Olde Landon Halloweenfest 3544" had been printed across the front. Revati picked up her blanket, draping it around her shoulders. Sleep wasn't going to return any time soon. Revati reached underneath her part of the mattress until she found the stories.

Outside the metal doors, Revati could hear distant voices, and carefully she slid the door open. Amma and Dusk were sitting together on the cat-shaped couch, murmuring to each other over tea.

"I don't see how they could know..." Amma began, and then she trailed off, spotting Revati.

"Insomnia again?" She asked gently, and Revati nodded, walking past the two of them.

"If you're going up to the greenhouse, be quiet; I made a bed for the boy up there," Mother replied.

"Really, Amma? You couldn't give him a bed?" Revati asked, opening the front door.

"He would freeze in the fridge, and he said he liked plants," Mother replied.

Outside, the fog was still shifting, and Revati moved ten spaces to the right.

"Evening, boss," Juniper's voice called, and she suddenly appeared holding a jar filled with glowing mushrooms.

"Any problems?" Revati asked.

"Nope, it's been a pretty quiet night!" Juniper said.

"Good, make sure your brother takes over your shift! We don't want you fainting from sleep deprivation again," Revati replied.

[sacredsapling]

A Bunch of Watercolor Tips!

I love working in watercolor, especially with lots of details, dramatic lighting, and vibrant colors. So, I get a lot of folks who ask me for tips and tricks...and here’s a big compilation of them!

P.S. Find my watercolors on Instagram and Twitter too :)

Understanding how the paint works:

The more watery the paint, the lighter it will dry

If you add a more watery color into a partially dry color, it will bloom (those spidery effects) outwards from the wet paint (the wet pain pushes the pigment of the semi-dry paint away

Some paints are “granulated” which means you can see the pigment in little spots (reds and blues do this a lot). This is okay, just roll with it! It’s a beautiful part of the medium.

More water means less control, but it’ll give you more of those unique watercolor effects like “blooms”

Brush tips:

Get one with a good point, as that will allow for clean lines (I use this in my art ALL the time!)

Lean towards using a bigger brush than you think you need. It’ll be more precise than you expect and that way you can paint a larger area before it dries. This allows for smoother gradients.

Synthetic and natural brushes both work well, but I find synthetic to hold more pigment and water, and to be more precise

Turn your paper as you work, so the brush tip is going along the edge of where you want to paint. Never paint with the middle/back of the brush as it won’t make a clean line.

For detailed spots, use a small pointed/round brush and not very watery paint. This’ll give you the most control.

Supplies tips:

Paper matters! So much! If there’s one thing to invest it, it’s good paper. I love Arches, but I’ve heard Baohong is great and cheaper too. 

Hot press paper will dry quick and doesn’t allow for a lot of blending, and leaves crisp lines. It’s smooth, so good for lines. 

Cold press paper allows for blending and dries at a moderate speed, but has some texture to it

Rough press paper has a lot of texture, but will allow for a lot of smooth blending

Student grade watercolors are totally fine, they just have a little less pigment to binder ratio--so you might need to use more paint to get a vibrant color. I found Cotman watercolors to be a good starting set (some people prefer pans rather than tubes, though)

Have a big broad palette, so you can mix lots of colors without them running into each other. I use a flat pan, and then have a smaller palette with separated spots for mixing larger color batches

The thicker the paper, the less it will warp (I love 300-400lb). Optionally, you can learn to stretch watercolor paper before painting to prevent warping! 

Masking fluid can be SO helpful if you want to protect spots from getting paint on them (you can also use masking tape to cover larger areas). But fyi, these both almost always contain latex--so watch out if you have an allergy!

To use masking fluid, buy a “ruling pen” that you can dip in the fluid. It’s a weird metal contraption that can tighten and loosen to make lines. This way, you avoid ruining your brushes with the liquid. 

Color tips:

You’ll keep your colors vibrant by using few layers. In the pieces I shared above, I used basically three layers max (besides a few deep shadows or tiny details)! 

Don’t be afraid to blend while it’s still wet, by adding in a new pigment--just keep in mind it will bloom out if your new pigment is wetter than the color on the paper already

All layers are transparent, so keep color theory in mind. If you have golden skin and paint purple over it, you’ll get a more brown tone, since they are complementary colors. 

Try not to use brown paints directly for skin colors (unless they are exact color you’re looking for). They tend to look too muddy, especially on darker skin. It’s more realistic to use a mixture of yellows (like yellow orchre or naples yellow), reds (like a nice magenta or rose) and blues to mix purple to darken the skin. This combo allows for more realistic highlights, shadows, and blushing/warmth! 

Never use grays or blacks to shade darker skin (unless it’s a very intentional and careful stylistic choice), it almost always makes the skin look ashy and unrealistic

Use a spare piece of watercolor paper to test the colors you mixed first, to see if it’s what you want

Keep this in mind when having a light source: if the light (and things lit by it) is warm in tone, the shadows will be cool. If the light is cool, the shadows will be warm. So, anytime you make a gradient, think of how it’s lit and go from warm to cool (or vice versus) depending on your lighting! 

It is actually okay to use colors straight from the tube/pan sometimes! Go for vibrancy. :) 

Lighting tips:

Work from light to dark, as you can’t lighten watercolor well once it’s put down

...but if you do need to lighten/remove a color, try wetting it with clean water and then lifting it up with a tissue! I’ve also heard a magic eraser works (wild)

Keep a dry tissue nearby for the above reason

Think of watercolor like working in multiply layers. They are transparent coatings of paint over each other! 

Want dramatic lighting? Check out this other tutorial I made!

Think through your lighting before you paint. Once you put watercolor down, it’s hard to go back...so mentally plan where you need to shade before you put your brush down. 

For deep shadows, sometimes you will need to use a lot of layers, especially if you’re avoiding black (which can work, but it can also create a blah visual pit). Layers here are really helpful!

Misc tips:

Try sketching with a colored pencil, so it isn’t as see through! (I like Prismacolor ColErase)

Or...draw your sketch and then roll a kneaded eraser over it to lighten it, so the pencil isn’t visible through the paint

Explore mixed media! I’ve done pen line art (microns) and then painted, and I’ve mixed acrylic and gouache for highlights and effects after the watercolor is done too. 

Let your work bloom sometimes! Roll with that unique beauty of watercolor. 

It can look really cool if you mix totally different colors alongside each other. Play with what it looks like to have an orange bloom in a blue spot, etc! :D

Play with fun effects! Drop alcohol, salt, or add plastic wrap that you leave to dry. These (and more) can all look really cool. 

You can paint in whatever style you want! It doesn’t have to be that typical watercolor look. Mine is really graphic and different, but it vibes with me!

Have a question? Feel free to send me an ask, or reach out on Instagram or Twitter! If you use these tips, tag me and I’ll totally check out your work too!

[mcromwell]

question: whats the difference between wax, oil and soft pastels? (different materials of course, but how do they feel on paper?)

Hi Anon! I love pastels, let's dig in.

Wax pastels feel like a soft Crayola crayon. In hotter temps, they feel like spreading a stick of butter across a pan. In colder temps, well, like frozen butter. Mmm. They're water soluble sometimes, and I think those are softer, and the non-water soluble ones are denser and feel more like how any other crayon feels, but with better pigment loads. Good Crayon. Artist-Grade Crayon. Accepts a certain amount of scratching, but not as much as oils.

Oil pastels are very soft and sticky. They're sometimes so soft you can smoosh them between your fingers. They feel extremely smooth going across paper and very textured surfaces will eat them alive. They're basically really really gummy oil paints, so you can treat them as such with thinning chemicals and whatever. (Sorry, I am not an oils person, lol) You can scratch them away for fine lines, too. They don't dry out quickly (or perhaps at all), especially if you layered them on thick, so a special type of fixative is needed for oil pastels.

Soft pastels are like chalk. (There is confusion in my mind on whether to use "chalk pastel" over "soft pastel", but I think the differentiation lies in that soft pastels actually don't have actual chalk in them. From what I can find out, "chalk pastels" are just dyed chalk and not artist-grade. This is tangential, lmao, my bad.) Soft pastels are powdery, crumbly, very breakable. I often Hulk smash them in my hands as I color. It is heartbreaking to drop them on the floor. They taste extremely bad; do not eat dry cereal while you are working on a soft pastel piece. They're bad to breathe and technically require a particle mask* if you're using them a lot. They feel like chalk on paper! There are also PanPastels, which are pigments in a little pan and you apply it with sponges, similar to makeup. I haven't used those, but I want to. I'm pretty sure soft pastels come in pencil form, too. I'm rambling. Anyway these can't be scratched off, but can be erased, more or less. So you can dig some white values back out with an electric eraser.

If I made any mistakes, someone correct me. But that's what I know about pastels. Thanks for the opportunity to infodump.

*I don't do this. If the particulates don't kill me, the microplastics will.

[charmedreincarnation]

How to use water to manifest 🌊💧🐟🚿!!!

It has been said that water has the power to manifest the energy of your intentions. As it is the essence of life, the energy of water is said to be a strong catalyst for manifesting the desired outcome you wish to experience.

Firstly, let’s discuss the main concepts behind manifesting using water. Water has the capacity to amplify any thought or intention, as it naturally stores and amplifies energy. It is believed that every thought and emotional state you put out will be taken up by the molecules of water and delivered through to the universe. Therefore, if you want to manifest something, you need to direct your thoughts and emotions towards the desired outcome in order for this energy to be reflected in the water.

So, how do you actually use water to manifest something? There are many different methods you can use. One method is putting intention into a glass of water and drinking it. Visualize your glass of water as a vessel of your intentions, and hold it while repeating affirmations that support your desired outcome. You may also choose to add items such as symbols, stones or colors to further amplify your intention.

Another popular method is writing your intentions down on a piece of paper or in a journal and storing it in a glass jar filled with water. You can also take this further by adding symbols, stones or colors to further amplify the desired result.

another option is to set up an intention altar with water. You can use an open container such as a bowl or cup filled with water and display any objects that represent your intention. Once you have done this, focus on your intention for five minutes each day and do this for at least three weeks for maximum effect.

I’ve also turned my shower time into basically a manifesting chamber. It’s the most relaxing part of my day, and I don’t do much, aside from play theta waves and affirm and carry on with my routine…but I always leave feeling revived and I think it’s like I said before, because water has amplified characteristic

My Water wish method (as far as I know )✨✨✨

Water has been used for centuries to make and manifest wishes. Whether it is pouring water into a river for good luck or floating away a wish on a reed, people all over the world have used water for its powerful magical abilities.

First, choose a container of water that you can find around your house such as a cup, bowl or glass. Fill the container with enough water that you feel comfortable working with, knowing that your wish can go out into the universe.

Next, visualize your wish. Spend time envisioning exactly what it is that you want to manifest. Picture how your life will look and feel once your wish has been granted. Think of how you'll feel when the wish has come true.

Once you've connected with the feelings of the wish, bring it into the container of water by reciting your wish aloud or inside your head. Really connect with the feelings of your wish being granted as you speak it.

Finally, use your hands or any tools that you'd like to, to interact with the water in some way such as stirring or stirring with a spoon, sprinkling it up and down, or drawing patterns in the water with your finger. This helps to activate the energy of your wish and send it out into the universe.

Then of course I was scrolling through YouTube and I saw this subliminal from one of my fav sub makers regarding water out of no where. I haven’t used it because I just randomly just found it but I’ll take it as a sign to share it with you guys 🤭🤭

I also saw this post randomly on my Instagram by another dope sub maker, and it looks like a dope water challenge for anyone who wants to try :)! I believe she’s on tumblr @kikispiritualservices so full credits to them!!!

Regardless in general I’ve always been fascinated with the concept of water having essentially 0 properties but having only positive benefits. Even though it is a natural element that can provide many health benefits. Studies have suggested that drinking plenty of water can help boost brain performance, increase energy levels, flush out toxins, and increase overall well-being. Water is also believed to be a powerful tool in healing, particularly when combined with other elements.

Even better,Water has the ability to act as a conduit for healing energy. This can include connecting with the energy of the Universe, communicating with plants and animals, and even stimulating healing energy within yourself. By creating an environment of love and acceptance around you, you can allow the healing energy of water to flow freely. So though I think it’s a limiting belief to think you have to drink a lot of water to receive positive benefits from subliminals and other things in the community, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to utilize and drink it more 💗

[tineymang]

i finished doing an updated reference of my explorers of sky team!! these guys live rent free in my head i like them a lot (some fun facts under the cut because i have too much to say about them)

circuit

was found by mello passed out on the beach, with no memories other than their name, and the fact they were once human…

had the scars on their horn and fin from the moment they woke up on the beach, and never figured out why they had them until they went to dark crater

the main navigator and also the cartographer of the group! they carry the wonder map with them, along with a feather pen and paper for mapping out the floors of mystery dungeons

was originally always the leader, but often now they will switch between themselves and mello depending on the situation

came up with the team name! they think it is very cool and nobody else except for mello agrees.

has a habit of rushing into fights without thinking, so they often need to duck behind mello for cover when things get dicey

only stores light things in their bag, like their paper and a few healing items in case of an emergency. they will also often hold onto items that need to be delivered to clients so they don't get mixed up with other equipment

they offered to carry mello's bag once and were immediately squished by it, and now they are permanently banned from carrying anything heavy.

mello

formed a team with circuit after the two joined wigglytuff's guild together

a lighter color than most mudkip! the 'splotchy' or spotty patterns she has are also a common trait of water types, possibly because it helps them blend into the water more

her gills are curved and her head fin is longer than normal, which causes it to fold over because of the extra weight. these are only aesthetic differences, and don't affect anything about their functionality!

keeps track of the job requests, usually has a bulleted list she keeps on her. likewise she also keeps an eye out for the items and/or pokemon they need to find in dungeons

has a fascination with all things ancient and mysterious. she has a growing collection of aged books, even in subjects she doesn't have much interest in.

also enjoys collecting various odd objects, and souvenirs from the places she's been! she decorates sharpedo bluff with them.

originally carried the bulk of items they found in dungeons, but after luna joined mello now only carries equipment (orbs, scarves, etc.), while luna carries treasure (boxes, poke, etc.)

one of her favorite hobbies is reading, she finds it's a good way to wind down after an exploration. recently, she has taken up journaling as well.

stripe

met circuit and mello when they explored sky peak together, and she joined the team soon after!

grew up in a colder climate, hence their extra fur

trained at marowak dojo following her joining the team, in an attempt to match the levels of circuit and mello. her brown bow is from marowak!

handles inventory management, took over for circuit who did it prior. she insists she doesn't mind, she finds it satisfying to do.

doesn't speak very often, except to people that they're comfortable with. because of her easygoing nature, she's often the first one other members of the team come to for advice!

has their own home where they live by themselves, but they stay at sharpedo bluff enough that they consider it their second home

one of her favorite spots is spinda's cafe, they enjoy sitting down and crowd watching. mello likes to join her sometimes!

stripe exclusively holds onto healing items like reviver seeds, so they're able to quickly grab one if someone is in a pinch.

mana

joined the team after they came to sharpedo bluff to return to the place they hatched!

has the same kind of splotchy patterning as mello! this is only by pure coincidence, though.

circuit and mello are very protective of mana following their illness when they were young, but they insist they are able to handle themselves.

has the occasional mischievous streak in which they find it entertaining to intentionally scare their parents. i wonder who they get that from…

being the most recent recruit to team epic squad, mana is still figuring out exactly where their specialties lie. but that doesn't mean they're not trying their best!

never quite figured out who exactly it was that left mana's egg alone in the middle of the ocean. circuit has some strongly worded things to say to them if they ever encountered them.

they view mello and circuit as their parents, and walrein is more like an uncle to them. they still see walrein on occasion when he comes to visit treasure town!

carries no bag, only their defense scarf. circuit and mello worry about them straining themselves, so they will usually not bring any items with them.

luna

joined the team after the fight at dark crater!

really not a fan of the team name, but also trying really hard not to be rude about it. she will often refer to it as 'team epic' for short.

not used to having casual conversations with pokemon, so she often will come across as stilted when speaking. instead of names she will default to referring to a pokemon by their position (ie the kecleon brothers are shopkeeps, chatot is head of intelligence, etc)

because of how long she's been around, she has a knack for spotting rare or unusual items! she is not particularly good at estimating monetary value, however.

having trouble figuring out how to relax now that she doesn't have to focus on thwarting any world-ending plots. the rest of the team has gradually been working on getting her to loosen up more

enjoys the company of the future trio, celebi in particular. they like to discuss "legendary pokemon things", as celebi puts it.

has reasons for joining the team beyond finding the work of exploration teams fascinating. she has not told anyone what those reasons are, though.

carries all the various treasure the team finds! she has a liking for any especially shiny objects.

also as a bonus for making it thru the fun facts heres the old reference i did of team epic squad (around 2021 i think??) which this one was a redraw of! (and i also added luna)

[90frogsinatrenchcoat]

you know what I'm tired of?? People from OUTSIDE America, telling American's they're stupid.

Not all of us are.

I'm also pretty damn tired of people from OUTSIDE of lower Appalachia, telling us we're stupid.

We fucking know. We know all to well. And no matter how hard we try to fix it, we are met with constant resistance from the government on every single damn level. My high school put all of it's funding into it's MALE sports programs. Womens sports didn't have shit. Our women's softball team didn't even have a damn field. While our Men's baseball team had fully climate controlled, video-capable, shower holding field houses and batting cages. The color guard has one small closet for all of their stuff + their teaching materials. The football team has the largest stadium in a 3 county radius. And it's a damn good stadium too. The performing arts? No funding. Academics? No funding. STEM and Women in STEM? Less than no funding, we lost resources yearly. We are stupid because we literally have no other choice. Many of us are cut off from the outside world, because we can't afford or literally can't cut through the terrain well enough to build power lines and internet routes. I know people who grew up without running water and electricity. I know people who were only able to go to school because their family illegally grew weed and sold it because it's the only way some people could afford to make a living, because there aren't any jobs. Because the government doesn't care. They forget we're here. They forget about Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, they forget about West Virginia, they forget we're here. And when we ask for help, when we beg for them to shut down the paper mill that has been poisoning our crops and water for over 60 years? They only listen when it benefits them, not us. And when we work to find new jobs? We are punished, and our rightly needed government aid is taken the second we breach the poverty barrier. All but 1 of my childhood friends were so far below the poverty line that they couldn't buy clothes and had to get them from the school. If you really want to help these places, then go see what they're like. Go to Newport, or Cocke County, or any of the small run down towns in this region of the US. We need the help, we need the aid, we need our public libraries, we need our schools, we need help. And most of us are too stupid to know it.