#but if you have enjoyed my artwork over the years and would like to commission me while also supporting a charity

[theladyofshalott1989]

Art Commission by @myokk + a Sneak Peek of Next Week's Chapter of "You Cannot Put a Fire Out" on AO3 and Wattpad

A massive thank you to the amazingly talented @myokk for the beautiful artwork of a scene from next week's chapter of "You Cannot Put a Fire Out," the third long-fic in my "Like Moths to a Flame" series. This perfectly captures how I envision the scene in my head; it's uncanny (in the best way)!

⭐  ⭐ ⭐

Sebastian and Damien are visiting Cornwall, where Sebastian and Anne spent their formative years. They've been bickering, as old married couples are often wont to do. Sebastian is doing his utmost best to hold it together, and perhaps even manage to kiss and make up with his dashing husband. But sometimes, even the best-laid plans can go awry...

Sneak peek excerpt (+ more after the cut):

"Enjoying yourself?" Damien murmured softly into Sebastian's ear as he guided him into a secluded alley, away from prying Muggle eyes. Though the music had dulled to a distant hum, its rhythm still pulsed faintly in the air.

Sebastian offered a noncommittal nod, reluctant to cast a shadow over the moment. With Damien's arms wrapped around him, they swayed in sync with the lingering melody. Perhaps sensing Sebastian's reticence, Damien came to a sudden halt.

“What’s troubling you?” Damien asked.

Damn. 

“It’s nothing.”

"Bash." Damien didn’t break contact, but he leaned back slightly to meet Sebastian's gaze. "I thought we agreed to be honest with each other."

Sebastian heaved a sigh. "It wasn't exactly thrilling to see you dancing with those women."

"Sebastian, I have no interest in women. You're aware of this fact. And I'm married to you."

"I know," Sebastian said darkly. 

Understanding flickered across Damien's features. "This is about Jack, isn't it?"

Sebastian nearly said no, but he surmised that Damien would see through the lie, so he clamped his mouth shut instead, remaining stubbornly silent. 

"It is!" Damien let go of Sebastian and stepped away. "I suspected as much. Your tasteless joke the other week—it wasn't just a joke, was it? You honestly believe I've been unfaithful."

“I’m not sure what to think.” He crossed his arms across his chest.

"I've never been intimate with a woman, Sebastian. How can I possibly convince you otherwise?"

Sebastian let out a breath. "I truly don't know."

[ AO3 Link ] [ Wattpad Link ]

[roleplayhonestybox]

Just had the weirdest experience ever of my RPing career.

Dude I’ve been writing with for a long time, probably the better part of half-a-year, just sent me a zip file. Inside of it, it contained one document and then a folder. The document said READMEFIRST, so I did. He also reiterated when he sent it to me to read the doc first.

Let me preface that this guy has been nothing but a gentleman for the entire half year I’ve known him. We’ve vibed together since day one. We’ve never shared photos of one another. He’s literally been my best friend and best RP partner for the span of time. Our writing styles work so well together and I just. I really thought he was awesome. And now, I’m just sort of broken and at a loss as to what I should do.

The document I opened started with a single-typed page. He essentially went into detail saying this was a half-year anniversary gift. I couldn’t remember for the life of me the day that we met, but he remembered, which I thought was shocking. He said that he’d been collecting these for a long time as sort of like a memento/gift of our time together, which I thought was so super cute. I literally thought this man was rizzing me.

He went on about how he loves how open I am, how we mesh, great partner, blah blah blah. All the usual stuff. Says how excited he is for the next six months, and hopes I enjoy.

I open the next folder, and it contains another document and 134 images.

I have my settings to where my image icons are set to small so I just see the file and the name, so I didn’t see the images immediately, but they were numbered 1-134. So, I go to open the document. My brain was on overdrive by this point. I thought he somehow was commissioning people for artwork of our characters (he told me he’s loaded prior and loves to support artists), and I was just so excited.

Open the document. And it’s just. Pages and pages and pages of detailed descriptions of him LITERALLY. GETTING OFF.

It would be, like: “[date it happened] 1. [roleplay excerpt of mine]” and then it would go into gratuitous detail of how his orgasm felt, what he was thinking of, and imagining me as my OC in that instance, and then rate it out of 10.

I only skimmed, but I caught sight of him sometimes going back to previous passages that he denoted as his “favourites”. So he’d go into detail about how different or better it felt.

I thanked the good Lord above that I had my image files small because that meant that I had over 100 unsolicited dick pics (including…him finishing) sent to me immediately. I didn’t open a single file to check and see if it’s not just an elaborate prank because this happened probably an hour ago and I don’t know what to do.

He messaged me about 20 minutes after I said I was unzipping the file and basically said: “Well, what do you think?”

I honestly don’t know what to think. I haven’t said anything back to him, and he hasn’t messaged me, again. I don’t know what to do, either. I really love what we have and our characters. If he would have told me he liked me, I may have felt flattered and maybe beige flags but still, like…he has never once said or done anything out of line. He’s been so patient and great and just. I am literally sitting here in shock.

I even cried a little bit because I just feel?? Extremely violated?? And it’s just so out there and strange and I don’t know what to do. I just needed somewhere to vent. I feel like I have to block him, but now I’m wondering it he’s capable of anything else? I use a VPN and haven’t given him any information that could dox me. And, also thank God that I use a separate account to RP with.

Should I just ghost him? Should I confront him? Should I just block? Should I change my RP account completely? Has this happened to anyone else before? 😭 If anyone has any advice, I will surely take it…

BLOCK HIM. REPORT HIM.

I wouldn’t confront. I would remove yourself entirely from that situation and prioritise your safety.

Please anybody add advice. The mods here are more than happy to try and help the anon if they want to contact us in DMs.

[mrs-snape5984]

“Oh, I bet that I would find you in every lifetime. The only heart that's crazier than mine…”

“I want you close to me every night. Like the earth wants to spin and the fire wants to burn, I want you here through the highs and the hurt…” (“All I want” by Tori Kelly)

My disease ME/CFS doomed me to live a life, which mostly takes place in darkness. Lately, there have been some brighter days, when I was allowed to watch something on TV for a while. As a big fan of Julia Quinn’s books and the adaptation of them in the Netflix series Bridgerton, I took the opportunity to enjoy the new season of the show in small doses.

The growing love of Penelope Featherington (she’s absolutely gorgeous! 🫠) and Colin Bridgerton reminded me so much of my imagination of Severus and my undeniably self-inserted OC Jules. Penelope is pining for her friend Colin just like Jules is yearning for Severus from the very beginning of their friendship, when they entered Hogwarts at the age of eleven.

The way, Penelope can’t take her eyes off Colin, laying all her love and devotion into her gaze, reminds me so much of Jules’ desperate love for her bestie Severus before they became a couple. Yep….I’m an almost 40 years old woman, who’s fantasising about these things like a lovestruck teenager. 😅

As soon as I was able to witness this beautiful scene of “Polin’s” first time making love, I just had to commission my friend @opalchalice to create this scenario for Sevy and Jules…because why not? Sometimes, this hopeless romantic mess of a woman - at least, that’s what I found out about myself, when I fell head over heels for an amazing person, this year - needs to pamper herself with her favourite treat: Another artwork from one of my beloved artists of Snapedom.

Lia, my dear, it was wonderful to find another Bridgerton fan in you and I feel blessed with the joy, your artwork summoned in my little, black heart. Thank you for always being open towards my ideas and that I’m allowed to see your artistic talent growing with every new piece of your work. Feel hugged, my friend!

🖤Severus & Jules🖤

🖤Sevy & Jules🖤

[coffeefiction]

Love Binds (Wally Darling x Reader)

Hello, this is my first fanfic of a Wally Darling x reader and my first x reader in a long time. I hope you guys like this one.

TW: Unrequited Love, mentions of the reader being replaced, I guess a descend into one thinking, Angst maybe? (I'm not good at TW so if I missed anything, do tell me. This story might be triggering to some people so please be warned)

Part 1- Part 2- Part 3

-------------------------------------------

Being in love with someone who doesn't love you back was hard, getting used to it was harder, fully accepting it the most, and pretending that it's alright was the hardest. Love binds people, making them bend on their backs and break their bones in different places at different times. What did you do to go through it? You don't know, maybe you were just unlucky or maybe you were just stupid to believe someone will love you back, nonetheless, it hurt.

You and Wally have been friends for a good few years, going through the same college and moving into the same neighborhood, the puppet himself was quite the charmer and quite the friend that you can't help but fall for him. No matter how often you told yourself you can't and won't, you just did. You watch him grow from being just someone you know to being everyone's dreamboat in the neighborhood, always the gentleman, welcoming newcomers left and right and you would help him too. You were the closest out of the bunch, always (y/n) and Wally! There goes (y/n) and Wally again! Oh, look! It's (y/n) and Wally! Always blending with each other like one solid color.

It was fun for you, cause it made you and Wally closer than ever, always at the other's house to do the stupidest thing or to simply hang out until one unfaithful day..

There was a new neighbor in town, as always, being the friendly neighbors, you and Wally went off to say hi to them! Turns out, the new neighbor was moving across from Wally's house and her name was Veronica Williams! What a lovely lady she was, greeting you and Wally politely, she was such a joy to be around the moment you two greeted her. She was a jokester, and an artist, which Wally was ecstatic about, another artist on the block!

So why did you envy her? Maybe she was very pretty and if you compare yourself with her, you wouldn't reach her. Maybe because everyone seems to enjoy her company and that was fine! You were alright with that, the more and merrier! Am I right?!

Maybe you envy her because she was better than you on the things you do, maybe you envy her because she was outstanding or maybe you envy her because she was what all Wally talked about, from day to noon, she was always what he talked about. From how lovely she was to how sweet she was for helping Barnaby to how she was such an amazing woman for making him apple pie! Its wrong to envy her but you still do, you hated that slowly, it had seemed like everyone is just preferring her over than you and that was fine! You had other things to do anyway!

"Sorry (y/n), Veronica had already offer to help me with that! Lovely lady isn't she?" Julie said.

"Sorry lovely, Veronica over there asked me to help her with this, maybe next time?" Poppy said.

"Sorry kid, I'm kinda busy helping Ven right now," Barnaby said

"Awww man, Ver Ver already offered but thanks for the offer buddy," Eddie said

After them, soon enough everyone else is either declining your help or is busy helping her and that was fine! It was fine! She was new and she was being helpful and everyone is just being helpful towards her! 

"Sorry Love, I'm quite busy" Wally message you that after you ask if he wanted to hang out, it was fine, Wally was always the busy one, always making another artwork or doing art commissions. It wouldn't have hurt you, why would it? Wally was your best friend, the friendly man was always fun to hang around, especially with how he talked about the upcoming painting he plans to do. But why did it hurt? Maybe because you were just being dramatic, maybe you were just being stupid. He was just busy.

Or maybe because you see a clear view of Wally and Veronica together, laughing and having fun, talking to each other like they were the testiest of friends. It was fine, Wally is having fun and it was not his fault, he maybe wanted to hang out with her and not be bothered, the 'I'm busy' was always everyone's go-to excuse when they don't wanna do something.

You wanted to leave and just go home, let the two have fun on their own, you don't wanna ruin this, especially for Wally, he was your best friend and you love him. You don't wanna ruin his chance on his crush but why did it hurt? Why did Wally being with Veronica hurt?

Soon enough, it stopped being (y/n) and Wally. Wally slowly started to pull away from you, always stating how he needs to do something or that he and Veronica has something planned. Slowly, it was Wally and Veronica! Oh, look! It's Wally and Veronica! There goes Wally and Veronica!

It was fine, this hurt you and dampened your mood but it was fine! It's just Wally and Veronica! You watch as every memory you have with friends gets replaced, you watch as everything you used to do with your friends now does with Veronica. But it was fine! She is their friend too! Just like you are friends with them...

------------------------------------------

If you guys want me to make a part two, let me know!

Sorry if the story is crap, I'm not the best writer on the block-

But I appreciate you guys reading this!

[colleendoran]

I went to a lot of comic cons in college. My impression was that most of the creators were… creatives. People that spend long hours in front of a drawing board or a typewriter, building worlds out of the aether that is their brain(s). That’s illustration to me. Physically manifesting the metaphysical, moment by moment. Picking the best moments for each beat of the story.

I -flat out- went to school to be a comic book artist. I just cannot fathom feeding my wife and my boys by manifesting the images in my head into a monthly income. But hey, that’s me. Your work is a continuous source of inspiration and joy for me.

My eldest son loves the power rangers. He he drew the green ranger in pencil on a canvas. He then painted the drawing with acrylic. He had a full-on meltdown when the painting didn’t look as good as he wanted it to look.

I sat with him and explained the process of creating comic book artwork. From blueline to publication. I spoke with him about the value of perseverance, and the value of using mixed media. He waited a day and then outlined his painting with Sharpie. He BEAMED with pride when he showed me the final product. Made me so, so happy.

Rodin was a hack. Dude had no deadlines, and no narrative outline.

Keep being awesome. You are an inspiration to me, to my boys, and to generations to come.

I am so glad you are encouraging your son to make art and enjoy it, and it is great that you find so much to appreciate in comic art and have so much respect for those who make it. We all truly appreciate it.

A few thoughts, if I may.

If you want your son to understand and appreciate mixed media, you might want to move him away from using markers like Sharpies.

If you are concerned about the longevity of the original art, I regret to inform you alcohol based markers such as Sharpies and Copics are not lightfast. That is to say, they fade on exposure to UV light. They do not use pigmented inks, they use dyes.

The fading may not happen today, it may not happen tomorrow, but it will happen sooner than you would like. Many well-known cartoonists who used Sharpies on their original comic pages, or did commissions sketches using them, have seen the art fade markedly (pun intended) over time.

Here's what that looks like.

This Klaus Janson commission has just about gone home to Jesus.

Try to switch to pigment based markers, such as those from Faber Castell, or go wild and learn to use a crow quill.

Also, while I truly appreciate your kind compliments, it's not necessary to do that at another artist's expense.

Rodin was the complete opposite of the definition of "hack".

A hack is a term originally used for one who works on tight deadlines to publisher specifications, and produces poor quality work.

That's not Rodin.

Rodin was a spectacular talent who earned his place in the canon. He came from humble beginnings and spent the first two decades of his career sculpting decorative architectural elements. He obtained his place as a fine artist after many years of struggle.

And even then, a fine artist often works to deadline, as there are salons and exhibit specs that must be met, as well as the requirements of patrons and clients, to say nothing of the grueling formal training aspiring artists were subjected to in the ateliers.

His work often contains strong narrative elements as well, as evidenced by his design for The Gates of Hell.

In fact, for most of the history of modern art, narrative elements were considered anti-art. As someone who prefers 19th century genre art, this attitude is bummerific.

The term "hack" comes from the 17th century term "Grub Street Hacks".

Back in the day writers did not get royalties. Bookstores usually published books and paid writers a flat fee and never another penny, which resulted in a lot of very broke writers, or writers who came from wealthy families who could afford to scorn the sordid topic of coin.

Grub Street was located in London where a lot of book publishers were housed next to brothels and flophouses. It's now known as Milton Street. This area was the location of the lowliest of the low publishing joints.

The great Samuel Johnson was once a Grub Street Hack.

I've just read the most wonderful book about Samuel Johnson which has many amazing details about the development of publishing. The Club: Johnson, Boswell and The Friends Who Shaped an Age. My highest recommendation, though some will be very upset by attitudes and behaviors toward the women in these men's lives.

Johnson, despite many years of poverty, was able to escape after his work eventually earned him a royal pension. When well-thought of creative people couldn't make royalties, they were supported by wealthy patrons and the royal pension system.

While I don't have a formal education, I spent many years doing research for auction catalogues and ghost writing articles about art history, which is why I am annoyingly pedantic about it all to this day.

[amorfista]

I have some news to share ^^

A few days ago I had a revelation while at work.

For over 8 years I've been a big fan of the Dark Souls franchise. The first Dark Souls felt to me like a journey; a full-on immersion into an incredibly complex world, marked by disparity: old royalty, splendor, trust, hope, magic, nostalgia, wonder, gold, light... but also decay, dread, betrayal, horrors, darkness, death, monsters, disease, anguish. This game left a deep print on me that hasn't faded. Ever since I played it, fantasy changed in my eyes. Dark Souls I, II and III became a standard, a reference point. Even when I didn't draw as much as I do now, I aspired to one day pay good tribute to the games that meant so much to me! And, of course, I created fan art, but I always felt like I could have given more.

Now. As you probably know I'm also a big Star Wars fan, specifically TCW fan. And a few months ago I watched The Bad Batch for the first time. This show left a print in a very similar way as Dark Souls had before. It fueled my inspiration significantly, motivated me and, most importantly, helped me form friendships that I'm incredibly grateful for ♥. So... the other day, while I listened to some Dark Souls music at work, I thought...

Why not combine my favorite show with my favorite videogame franchise?

So that's it guys. May I present to you:

-The Bad Batch: Dark Souls AU-

That's it! That's my brilliant idea! XD This is going to be a project, a BIG one. So I would like to briefly (i promise i tried) explain how it will affect my content, under the cut: (I'll also drop some older DS artwork at the bottom!)

TLDR: From now on I will focus on TBB DS AU as my main and basically sole project . Even if you didn't play DS, that's okay! I will make it people-who-didn't-play friendly, to ensure everyone enjoys the journey. However, if this isn't for you, it's okay to unfollow <3 -I would say that, since I came to tumblr this early summer, my "signature" drawings are the TBB beach episode ones. I have WIPs for this project but I've been feeling stuck for far too long, so I am going to put it on hold. In fact, I am going to put on hold virtually everything that I was planning on doing, with a few exceptions. This means that I will rarely draw anything outside this AU.

-I am CLOSING commissions. I found that they put a kind of pressure on me that doesn't feel too good, and, honestly, I'm lucky to say that I do not need the money at the moment. I'm still open to requests, though, so don't hesitate to send anything and I'll draw it if I feel like it :) I'll even try to set up a store at some point!

-The project will consist on three journeys, featuring the 6 members of the Bad Batch, and corresponding with the three Dark Souls games. Each of those journeys will, more or less faithfully, follow the events of EACH season of TBB, adapted of course to the universe of Dark Souls, AKA Dark Medieval Fantasy. This means that, until the third season of TBB is released, I won't make any DSIII-related drawings.

-The journeys are adapted to the universe, and thus, will follow the real player journey as faithfully as I can, staying within DS canon and allowing people who have played the games to enjoy my drawings. However,

-THE DRAWINGS WILL BE 100% NON-DS-PLAYER FRIENDLY. I know that my followers are not DS fans but TBB/TCW fans. I am NOT here just to please DS fans. I want TBB fans to enjoy this journey, without having to google meanings or go easter-egg hunt to understand what is happening. I will tell a story and you will only have to enjoy it.

-This is a project for myself. Both DS and TBB mean A LOT to me, and this idea had me vibrating with excitement. I am making this project to PAY TRIBUTE to two things I love. However that does not mean that I will neglect the very people who have motivated me to keep creating. I promise to still deliver my very best with every drawing.

Do not hesitate to unfollow if this isn't for you.

I can understand that some people might follow me only for my wholesome beach episode drawings or for regular, HC TBB content. And that's okay. That's what this announcement is for! To let you know. This community has given me so much and I want to give back. And if you do stay, I can almost 100% assure you that you will enjoy what's to come!! <3 It will be a long but satisfactory journey. I'LL BE POSTING THE FIRST DRAWINGS IN THE UPCOMING DAYS!

OKAY, SORRY FOR THE WALL OF TEXT!!! 😖 Here are some older DS drawings ^^ (jesus I have way more than I thought and these aren't even all of them)

AIGHT. NOW YOU KNOW IT'S SOME SERIOUS SHIT WHEN I SAY I LIKE THESE GAMES.

Anyway. Including a taglist, because I think it would be unfair not to let you guys know about this project in case anyone wants out (or to not be tagged). Send me a DM if that's the case, it's NO PROBLEM!!! I wouldn't want to tag someone who doesn't want this content.

ALSO PLEASE, ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, TOSS THEM TO ME! And thank you kindly for making it this far <3

@dukeoftheblackstar @justalittletomato @darthmaulshispanichousewife @botherbother-blog @aftergloom @badolmen @ihaventpickedausername @ohboi @stardustbee @nik-barinova @the-chains-are-the-easy-part @gen-has-green-vibes @ejfivercommander @herbalinz-of-yesteryear @eyecandyeoz @noesqape @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @staycalmandhugaclone @callmesunny04 @freesia-writes @ginnymilling @sunshinesdaydream @sev-on-kamino @cloneloverrrrr @moon-wrecked @idontgetanysleep @tech-aficionado @followthepurrgil @renton6echo @queen-jiru @shoe-bag @eyayah123 @eloquentmoon @and-loth-cat @ladyzirkonia @stardusthuntress @bambambunny @morphofan @gt13tbbart @amalthiaph @cameronirat @nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius @anxiouspineapple99

[knightyoomyoui]

[ONE-SHOT SPECIAL] Jeongyeon x M/F Reader - "You're Beautiful"

HAPPY 1000 FOLLOWERS TO ME ON TUMBLR!!!

As my way of saying thank you and sending back the love and support that you guys have given me to my works and to me as an author, here's a DOUBLE UPDATE, one for a Set 6 main entry and one special one-shot both featuring Jeongyeon!

Hope yall enjoy reading these two updates of mine! Gladly, I was able to finish both of these today because I don't have classes and it's been over a year since I made a double update at the same time. Here's my Ko-fi account where you can drop your donations or ask for a commission. You can check it out on my Tumblr profile too!  Buy knightyoomyoui a Coffee. ko-fi.com/knightyoomyoui - Ko-fi ❤️ Where creators get support from fans through donations, memberships, shop sales and more! The original 'Buy Me a Coffee' Page.

My life is brilliant

It was a bright, breezy Saturday morning. You entered your organized workplace and trailed towards the curtained window, spreading it wide open to display the astonishing view outside the street.

You smiled at the atmosphere of this day, as brilliant as your life has been so far. Grabbing your favorite chair that the cushion may have imprinted your butt from the amount of time you used to sat there while working long on each of your masterpieces, you placed it in front of your empty canva.

Picking each of your paint tubes and some off the colors you'll be going to use for another artwork, you returned to your seat with the tools in the grasp of your hands.

Staring at the blank canva, you smiled as you decided that the subject of this week's painting of yours would be the source of your energy and inspiration to live everyday. 

My life is brilliant, my love is pure I saw an angel, of that I'm sure

One stroke of brush for the occupied train.

In your mind, you narrated the experience you just had from a one particular day. You were on your way home after meeting up with a friend who decided to visit the city.

Entering the subway, hopping down the stairs along with dozen of people walking back and forth, you went on a booth and claimed a ticket to gave you access for a train ride.

You sat on a bench and texted your friend to let the time pass while waiting for the train to arrive. As it did, you quickly halted your conversation with him and you stepped behind the yellow line, the train slowly approaching in front of the next passengers.

The doors opened and people began to entered altogether. It created a little stampede which is pretty normal, but some people are just acting like pricks to the point that they couldn't give a damn about anybody else. That's what you got when somebody accidentally pushed you too rough.

I saw an angel, of that I'm sure She smiled at me on the subway

"Aish shibal." You whispered to yourself as you tilted your head to locate who the hell pushed you that hard.

You felt your shoulder being poked, you turned around and yes, giving a stranger some attention was kind of a risky move but this right here was almost dangerous when you did so.

'Cause when you turned your head to the right, your heart skipped a beat as a woman whose visuals almost resemble an angel was standing close in front of you, her perplexion is present in her face.

"Uhh, are you okay?" She asked you.

"M-me?" You were slightly puzzled as to why she was asking about how well you are. It was then you noticed that your shoulder is brushing nos against hers, you weren't even this close with anybody else earlier. This only means that-

"Oh my God. D-did I bumped into you?" You nervously asked.

"Y-yeah. It was strong, I was taken aback when you did so, but I heard you curse so I guess, you didn't do it on purpose." She asked you. You were almost dazed on listening to her lovely, melodic voice. It was kind of deep and sultry type of low. That had you impressed at how great she sounded in you.

It almost distracted you but thankfully, you have very active senses after waking up and to use for the rest of the day. "Yeah, I didn't. I got pushed by somebody, didn't know who it was but... I'm s-sorry."

She smiled at you, the brightest and mesmerizing thing you've ever seen that not even the outstanding view of Seoul nor your entire paintings would ever compare to this precious one. That shine immediately assured you that her purity and kindness had already set you forgiven for your innocence.

"It's completely fine. It didn't hurt anyway."

Thank God it didn't, because swear to the heavens above that you couldn't forgive yourself applying pain on this woman or worse, making her cry.

You bowed at her sheepishly, in which you earned the same gesture but with a mix of a fluttering chuckle from her. Oh so was so cute, you screamed deep inside. You blushed and hid your face from her.

She was with another man But I won't lose no sleep on that 'Cause I've got a plan

Throughout the length of the ride, you tried to distract yourself away from this world by listening to your own custom playlist but instead your focus was being attracted to the world of this lady beside you like a magnet as you can hear her voice speaking. It was even more pleasant to listen at than your favorite songs.

You just noticed that she wasn't actually speaking alone, but rather she was with another man on the other side of her. They look close together and your smile twitched before it loses its natural state. The presence of the man didn't bothered you though, as you still come up with a plan to approach her kindly.

You're beautiful, you're beautiful You're beautiful, it's true I saw your face, in a crowded place And I don't know what to do 'Cause I'll never be with you

One stroke of brush for the reflection view of the subway.

"The train has arrived in Suwon. Please check if there's any belongings left behind. Thank you and have a nice day." The doors open and again, people swarmed at the exit. It had you pissed off that you lose track of her. You then stopped by at a vending machine to keep your composure steady after how you just entirely starstrucked at the fine lady's beauty while controlling your anger for unable to have a sight of her anymore.

Finishing your drink with mixed emotions swelling in your chest, you walked out of the subway and was about to cross the street, but as you waited for the traffic lights to turn green, you noticed again a familiar figure from the distance.

It's the same girl standing near at a tteobeokki stall. She looked like she was patiently while waiting for the guy to buy their orders.

Yeah, she caught my eye, as I walked on by She could see from my face that I was flying high And I don't think that I'll see her again But we shared a moment that will last 'til the end

One stroke of brush for her magnificent pair of eyes.

You remembered how in the middle of your stare at her, there is she, catching you eye locked against at her and you quickly glanced away in embarassment.

You thought that after that after your brief encounter with her would be the first and the last as you will never see her again, having all of your plans to vanish like a smoke. But despite of that, you are already grateful enough to have a chance to be put in that kind of the moment they shared together which will stuck on you until the very end.

You're beautiful, you're beautiful You're beautiful, it's true I saw your face, in a crowded place And I don't know what to do 'Cause I'll never be with you

One stroke of brush for her mesmerizing smile.

Until one day, as you were about to go walk for a jogging, exiting your humble abode, you were setting up your music on the phone when you heard somebody calling at you.

Footsteps growing aloud, that person rushed to approach you. In your surprise,  it was the same woman he saw from yesterday in the subway who took your attention once again. It became hilarious for you that whenever this woman appears on your side, she would just simply make you forget that there's nothing around but it's just you and her, being happy to meet each other.

How you wish that when she does that, her world would automatically collides with you and now it's the two of your sharing the same.

"Hey! You're the guy/girl from the subway, right?" You froze as the woman recognizes you correctly.

"Y-yeah, I am." You confirmed. "I haven't forgotten about you. I guess we met again, huh."

She laughed. Your mood just became better by hearing that sound. "Interesting coincidence, I must say. Oh, my manners. I haven't even got to introduce myself last time but now that we're here, I'm Jeongyeon, and wow... you're my neighbor?!"

She offered you her hand for a shake. You were in awe for discovering her real name, in which you researched later on and found out that her name means "graceful, pure, and virtuous." speaks a lot about her personality. It's like as if her parents knew exactly the blessing of a gift that God has given to them by having this kind of daughter.

"I'm YN." You awkwardly greeted back, hands almost shaking on reaching her hand and feeling the first contact of her touch against your skin. "And... wait, you're my neighbor?" Your eyebrows met in a fast speed.

"Yeah, I just live in front of you." Her thumb pointed at the back, which is indeed right, her place is just right in front of yours the entire time. "I thought you had already seen me moving here few days ago that's why you you kept on staring at me and I thought you recognize me."

You became shy and flustered as you felt that you might almost became like a stalker or a creep in her perspective for doing that. Rubbing your nape, you sighed and escaped a nervous chuckle. "Uhh, yeah I was staring at you too much and I'm sorry for that."

"Oh it's no problem." She assured you, but you knew you had to prove yourself convincing.

"I didn't knew that you were actually my new neighbor that's why I did that, it's just that... you're beautiful, and I couldn't resist looking at you." You embarrassingly clarified.

Jeongyeon blushed at your explaination. "Ahh that's why. Well, thanks for that. Been hearing that a lot.", she appreciated the compliment. "Hey, why don't you join me for a nice jogging today? A friendly get along, you know."

You didn't had any plans in mind, but your heart took control of the choosing of your words for her. "I-I would love that."

Na-na-na-na Na-na-na-na Na-na-na-na, na

You're beautiful, you're beautiful You're beautiful, it's true There must be an angel, with a smile on her face When she thought up that I should be with you

One stroke of brush for her amazing beautiful face.

Almost done with your painting on the canvas, you shortly glanced outside and  thought with the clear sky illuminating your room, there must be an angel up high, watching what you're doing with a smile on her face, thinking up that you should be with her.

Finally, you finished your painting. Gripping the sides, you proudly smiled at it, which is a portrait of Jeongyeon's face based from your point of view when you first met her on the train. Although, the more you stare at her, the more you shrink at the reality that you knew he will never be with her and you weren't destined to be.

You went home after having fun going around with Jeongyeon in Suwon. They saw a car parked outside of Jeongyeon's place and a guy was waiting on it. You recognized immediately who it was.

She quickly approached the same guy you saw at the subway with her, and it broke your heart to see them share a kiss on the lips.

"By the way, babe; this is YN, my new neighbor that I met, he/she just lives there in front of mine." Jeongyeon introduced you to him. "And YN, this is Kyunghoon...

my boyfriend."

You and Kyunghoon exchanged a polite greeting to each other, shaking hands and some "nice to meet yous" before you bid goodbye at them both.

But it's time to face the truth I will never be with you

Closing the door, your smile disappeared and was replaced with a frown. You knew that you had no chance for a girl like Jeongyeon, but you couldn't deny that it still hurts.

Well, life goes on. It's still a bright, breezy Saturday morning. You decided to enter your organized workplace and trailed towards the curtained window, spreading it wide open to display the astonishing view outside the street, with a plan to ease yourself by painting a beautiful portrait of Jeongyeon has came into your mind. And there you began, with one stroke of brush for your despaired heart.

[albatris]

Writerly Questionnaire!

thank you @davycoquette for tagging me :3

About You

When did you start writing?

I started when I was a lil kid, probably about 6 years old!

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

No, they're much the same! Horror, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery :3

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

It's just me n my laptop wherever we end up! Usually on the couch or in bed! I love writing in coffee shops but I'm often too anxious to be around other people ^^;

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Playlists, baby!! Or watching/reading something that scratches the same itch as the stuff I wanna write. Usually some good horror :3

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Oh, absolutely! My works are very Australian in nature!

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

There's themes of uhhhh.... isolation vs. connection, that's one that comes up a lot. Mental and physical illness too. The bendy nature of reality. Anti-capitalism. I'm often surprised when the same themes pop up over multiple works, since I don't often plan it that way haha

Your Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

My favourite character currently is Alex! Alex is from "A Rental Car takes a Left Down Rake Street and Disappears". It's a vampire lawyer who preys on despicable predators human society will never hold accountable. Alex is an intensely private person who prefers to keep to itself, but it's also deeply kind and always looking to help others when it can. It enjoys gardening, sleight of hand magic and expensive wines :3 Alex has my favourite character arc in the trilogy!!

Which of your characters do you think you’d be friends with in real life?

Ripley!! Her sense of humour is similar to my IRL best friend's. She's loud, boisterous and silly, and the fact that she talks so much means I wouldn't have to talk as much which is always a bonus c:

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

Quinn. They're such a shady bastard. They'd hate me and I'd be scared of them lmao

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc.)

Here they are!

The characters of my two main projects, drawn by me :3 A Rental Car takes a Left Down Rake Street and Disappears on the top and All the Doors are Open on the bottom!

Your Writing

What’s your reason for writing?

It's my way of communicating with the world and connecting to others!

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

When people tell me they resonate with my stories in terms of, like, shared experiences... I love that! Some of the comments I still think about all the time have been from fellow psychosis-havers telling me they resonate with my depictions of psychosis or that my stories made them feel less alone. But I adore all comments!

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who “gets” the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.)

I wanna be thought of as... spooky... >:3

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Characters and worldbuilding! By worldbuilding I don't mean Creating Worlds (I suck at that) but crafting unique premises and putting my own spin on things like vampire lore and interdimensional portals :3

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.)

I'm very happy with it!

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

Probly. I think I'd go stircrazy without it. It's my way of understanding and processing the world and my feelings on it. Plus I'd get bored otherwise.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

Both! But I'd say I mostly focus on what I might enjoy!

[ussjellyfish]

Star Trek asks: 🖖, 🌀 and 👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏾

🖖 First Star Trek Media you encountered:

We watched TNG on television when I was a kid (as it was airing the first time!). One of my earliest memories (I was 4) is of Will Riker getting sucked into the big black Armus pool and how freaky that was. I remember the face coming up from the bottom.

And they saved him! he was okay. (Tasha's death did not compute in my very small mind). Will being okay in the end was part of "Star Trek means we're all okay" which is my earliest opinion.

Often this still carries over.

🌀 If the Holodeck was real, what's the first thing you would use it for?

adventure fantasy RPGs. I'd love to be able to play something like Dragon Age. It would be incredible.

I would also use it to test out fic lines and positions and make sure they make sense. I have no sense of inner eye, so that would be helpful. Where do her hands go...

👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏾 Do you ship any characters? Who?

Oh Georgiou.

I don't have any strong preferences about ships in some series. My levels of shipping are:

Ships I find cute on screen. (USS Enterprise-G)

Ships I would read fic. I would probably write fic for an exchange or a challenge. (USS Enterprise-D)

Ships I would write fic for, because I want the fic to bring myself joy and those are much more intense. (USS Voyager) I will land my starship on this planet.

Ships that are platonic for me and I adore them. (USS Protostar)

Ships where I want to read everything that has ever been written about them. I have saved all the artwork. I want to commission more artwork. (USS DIscovery) I will travel through the mycelial network for this ship. This ship is my home.

(under a cut for length)

TOS - no ships. Never really had any. TOS is not foundational for me though, I don't think I've seen the whole thing and probably never will. It's so much men talking.

AOS - I have a soft spot for Spock/Uhura. I really liked Uhura.

TNG - I shipped Deanna/Will so much as a child. They're in my very first fanfic. I liked Beverly/Jean-Luc (historical) later, but not until I was an adult. Deanna/Will I shipped as a very tiny human. I have witten fic for both of these. I also ship Beverly/Deanna, and Beverly/Deanna/Will in a very lighthearted way.

DS9 - Jadzia Dax/Lenara Kahn is gorgeous and tragic and I adore them. Kira/Dax in a very lighthearted way. They're fun. I shipped Jadzia Dax/Worf when the show first came out and probably would if I did a rewatch, but it's a very mild ship (I wouldn't read fic). I am very invested in Jadzia Dax.

VOY - Kathryn Janeway/B'Elanna Torres is fun. I've read some fic. I love how intellectual they would be together. I wrote and read much Janeway/Chakotay (historical) about ten years ago, but I'm not as into him now. (Robert Beltran makes it hard for me). Still love Janeway. I also like Seven/B'Elanna.

ENT - I enjoyed Trip/T'Pol when the show was on. I don't think I've seen all of it. I love T'Pol.

SNW - I have a passing interest in Una/La'An and Una/Pike. I've read some fic but haven't written any. I want nice things for Batel/Pike in canon. (he needs to be a better partner to her though). I ship Amanda/Sarek here simply based on how convince I am that Amanda loves him.

PIC - Seven/Raffi are wonderful and I adore them. I love their connection and their dear faces. Agnes/Borg Queen are fun and dark. Laris/Zhaban are fun. I wanted to ship Beverly/Jean-Luc again but they didn't give me much. Shipper brain was not engaged. Deanna/Will were so angsty. Will & Beverly might be my strongest legacy ship in this show. I wish Beverly & Deanna got to talk.

PRODIGY - dammit here I almost ship Janeway/Chakotay again. I ship Janeway/happiness here so much and if finding him will make her happy, okay fine. Gwyndala/Dal are cute and I want them to have nice things. Haven't wanted to read any fic though.

Crossover Trek - Beverly Crusher/Kathryn Janeway has held a special place in my shipper heart for 13 years. I love them so much. I love that they're still going and they show up in exchanges. They would be such a good couple.

Philippa Georgiou/Afsaneh Paris was such a fun thing.

Most trek crossover femslash is fun and I would try it in an exchange.

DSC - Philippa Georgiou (captain)/Katrina Cornwell. They'd be cute. They must have met. Katrina Cornwell/Gabriel Lorca (prime), Katrina sold me on that one. Katrina Cornwell/Philippa Georgiou (emperor), they have a handful of scenes and they would totally work.

Michael Burnham/Cleveland Booker are very cute on screen and I hope they get a nice ending. (I think they will). Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets are adorable and charming. Adira Tal/Gray Tal are so sweet. Saru/T'Rina are the regency couple of Star Trek and they're very cute. They're so happy in season 5, I love it. I think Joann Owosekun/Keyla Detmer are really fun, I hope they get a nod this season. I love how much the actors do with a look. Michael & Tilly are one of my favorite friendships ever and I adore them. Michael Burnham & Philippa Georgiou (emperor) variety is so complex and intense and I love how they evolve and grow together.

Michael Burnham/Laira Rillak are my top tier, own my soul, ship. I will read every fic that is ever published of them and reblog the gifs on repeat forever and memorize every nuance of every conversation they've ever had. They are the shiniest thing in my fannish heart at the moment, and I have watched their scenes together so many times.

For years I was this obsessed with Beverly/Kathryn, but they didn't have scenes together so I couldn't rewatch them.

Micahel/Laira have scenes together! They talk to each other! I have a whole arc that I can watch on repeat!! I have different episodes to watch for different feelings I need for fic!!

They're so niche and I wish I had more people to talk about them with because I love them so much and...it is a very lonely ship. People do write fic and read it and it's tiny and lovely. I am so grateful for all the interactions I ever have about this ship.

I often feel very out of step in my fannish Star Trek spaces because they are not a ship shared by many. I feel seen when someone acknowledges how much I love them.

[fayes-fics]

Portrait: Upcoming Fic Excerpt

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader

Summary: Over a series of five sessions, Benedict paints your portrait for your husband-to-be... and a passionate secret love affair begins.

Rating: This extract is suitable for all, however the completed fic will be 18+ smut, minors DNI

Note: Hi all, I am in the midst of my Spring 2023 Benedict epic. So I am posting an unbetaed extended excerpt to motivate myself to complete it; it's currently about two-thirds written. I hope you enjoy! <3

Edit: This story is now being posted in parts and is available HERE

Prologue

Sir Thomas Baden-Smith. Just the name alone fills your throat with bile. He is a disagreeable man of six and thirty and unwed. That is until a few weeks' time when he is due to become your husband. A deal struck by your father after their joint business dealings became dealings of another sort altogether. Your many protests to your father falling on deaf ears as your mother stands silent, bearing a face of abject sympathy—you are to endure the same fate that she did, a marriage brokered between men where women are merely chattel.

You have almost resigned yourself to your fate… until the evening you set eyes on Benedict Bridgerton, and your whole world changes. 

You have heard talk, and even read, about love at first sight but didn't believe in it. But that all changes during an event at an art gallery. You see him for the first time across the room, conversing with another artist. A hot spike races through your body; it feels like you've been struck by some force. Then he looks up, and his eyes land and fixate on you, his lips falling open a fraction as if he felt it too. Some preternatural force making you magnets to each other. He is quite the most beautiful man you have ever seen, even from a distance. It's the first time you've felt your heartbeat so strongly in your twenty-one years of existence. Hammering against your ribcage like it wants to be freed, fly to him. And the thing is, you are not even introduced. You watch him from afar all night, haunted by his smile and how much you want to touch his hand.

What’s more is that as you stroll the gallery and observe the paintings, there are two that arrest you, beguile and charm you—sweeping landscapes of the Kentish countryside. They remind you of warm summer weekends spent with your loving maternal aunt. You linger long in front of them, feeling so alive in your own experience that it is only after some time that you see the name under the frames—Benedict Bridgerton. You know without doubt or introduction that the man who painted these masterpieces, to your eye at least, is that same man you feel utterly struck by.

The following week, over dinner, your father announces that Sir Thomas wishes to have a portrait of you commissioned that will take pride of place in his ancestral home once you are married. And you see your chance. To engineer a meeting with the artist whose face and artwork are burned into your memory. So you leap up and say you know of an incredible artist who would fit the bill perfectly. You conveniently don't tell your parents that his speciality is landscapes, and luckily, they don't ask. 

I

It's an early spring morning when you watch from the drawing-room window, heart in your mouth, as he descends gracefully from his carriage, so elegant in a navy jacket over a maroon waistcoat with a soft gold silk cravat. You listen as your family butler lets him in, and before you can arrange yourself on the setee, he strides in business-like. He already has his hand out to shake yours… until he sees it's you. 

His whole stance changes, and you know in an instant that he recognises you from the gallery that night. Now, up close, you see how tall he is, the turn of his aristocratic nose and his eyes that are the haziest blue you have ever seen. It's impossible to look away. 

There is something charged in the air as, instead of shaking your hand, he delicately takes it up to his lips and brushes the lightest of kisses across your knuckles. There is no skin contact, seeing as you are wearing silk gloves, but even that simple gesture has you undone. You can feel the warmth of his fingers and his lips through the material, and you have to school your breathing; your stays suddenly too tight around your ribcage.

“Miss y/l/n,” his voice is a veritable rumble, and your body is aflame. You are his. Completely. There is no other man you wish to know, wish to marry. Ever. You want him to take your hand and run. Run far away until the name Thomas Baden-Smith is but a distant memory...

[jerzwriter]

The End of the World (1/2)

Book:                   Wake the Dead (prequel)

Featuring:        Eli Sipes, David Sipes

OCs: Florence (mother), James (father)

Rating:                 Series - Mature / Part 1 - Teen

Category:           Angst

Summary:           The Sipes Family live in a world where they are constantly aware of their mortality, but on some days, they feel it more than others. In Part One, the family shares a poignant morning together as they head off to their days.

Words:                 1,668

A/N:     This two-part series will cover "that day" in Eli's life. If you've read WTD, you'll know exactly what "that day" is. This part is not terribly angsty, though there is foreboding. The second part will be where most of the pain is delivered without the benefit of anesthesia. Still, I hope you enjoy it if you're a masochist like me. Participating in @choicesjunechallenge , summer, rain, love.

The cover artwork is by the amazingly talented @rosefuckinggenius. It was originally created to represent the artwork Zoe gifts Eli in Comfort & Joy. Part 2 will have another one of her commissions that I have been so anxious to share with you!

Wake the Dead Masterlist My Complete Masterlist Part 2

Eli wrapped a thick cord of twine around the post… two… three times… before securely tying a knot to hold it in place. Rising to his feet, he dusted himself off as he inspected his handiwork. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do for now. It was late September, and the sun was beginning to set earlier. With nightfall imminent, they needed to get inside.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he turned toward their cabin in the center of the clearing and chuckled. For a couple that was so devoted to each other, his parents sure liked to squabble. He considered staying put to enjoy the peace and quiet, but the desperation on his younger brother’s face lured him over. Eli had found his parent’s bickering amusing from the time he was a child, but David… he was a sensitive soul, and even knowing they did it in jest, it could cause him discomfort. It was time for big brother to come in for the save.  

“Are you two trying to draw the attention of every drone in the area with your arguing?” Eli teased as he approached.

“We’re not arguing!” His mother, Florence, retorted with a playful punch to her eldest’s arm. “We’re having a spirited debate over who’s right… and after all these years, you would think your father would know that it is usually me!”

“Really?” James grimaced. “Do you really want me to list all the times you were wrong?”

Florence crossed her arms in front of her chest defiantly and narrowed her eyes in defiance. “James Elijah Sipes. Is this really the hill you want to die on?” she asked. 

Unable to keep the ruse up any longer, her husband broke into laughter. “Absolutely not,” he grinned, pulling her into his arms. “Absolutely not!”

“Good,” she sang smugly, “then admit I’m right!”

“Guys, what is in question? Maybe I’ll cast the deciding vote. I am of age, after all.”

“It’s the damn roof!” James grunted. 

“We know it’s needed repair for a while,” Eli shrugged.

“Yeah, but it’s in bad shape, and your father’s arthritis is screaming that bad weather is coming.”  

“You know my arthritis is never wrong,” James injected. “Between that and the grey clouds today, we have to do it tomorrow. It won’t make it through another deluge.”

“But tomorrow is hunting day….” David stepped in. “And we’re low on food. See the dilemma?”

“And if your father’s right about the weather, we won’t be unable to hunt for a few days.”

“So? We split up,” Eli replied. “Problem solved.”

“Thank you!” his Dad rejoiced.

“Not so fast!” his mother stated. “The problem is, the roof is a three-person job. There’s no way for two of us to repair it safely.”

“Right. So you, Dad, and David fix the roof, and I’ll hunt.”

James raised his hands in victory, a proud look on his face, but Florence scowled.

“What did I tell you?” his father grinned.

“Eli…” Florence stalled. “I just don’t think it’s safe for you to go alone. I know you’ve done it before, but the drones have been very active lately, and I’d feel better if one of us was with you.”

Eli attempted to allay his mother's fears. “Like you said, I’ve done it before… plenty of times. We’ll get an early start, and you know I’m careful.”

“Not to mention he’s the most skilled marksman I’ve ever seen,” James added.

“Being a skilled marksman won’t help him if he’s outnumbered! Or if they attack from behind.”

“Mom,” Eli grinned as he pulled her into a hug. “I’m twenty-five years old…”

“Yeah,” Florance argued. “Plenty of twenty-five-year-olds have made delicious afternoon snacks for drones, dear. They really don’t care how old you are.”

“Mom,” David spoke up. “It’s not like we really have a choice.”

“Which is what I was saying,” James jumped in. “If we don’t patch that roof up, we’ll all be drone diner. So….”

“Fine!” Florence answered contemptuously. “We’ll do it your way, but I don’t have to like it.”

~~~~~ 

After sharing breakfast together the following day, David and James gathered supplies as Eli inspected his bow and arrows on the front porch. Florence approached him from behind and sat at his side.

“You see!” She said. “If I was a zombie, I’d be nibbling your arm by now. You didn’t even hear me coming.”

“I heard you just fine,” Eli insisted. “But I know the sound of your footsteps, Ma. I know the sound of your breathing. I had no reason to shoot you.”

“You’re such a wise ass,” she smirked. “Just like your father.”

“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment,” he answered with pride.

“As well you should.” Florence lifted her hand to Eli’s chin and turned it in her direction. “I may not say this as often as I should… but I am so proud of you, Eli. Growing up in this world hasn’t been easy, and that’s putting it mildly. But the man you’ve grown up to be….”

“Ma,” Eli blushed.

“No, Ma. I’m allowed to gush over my son if I see fit, and I do.”

“I know,” he said with a kiss to her forehead. “But Mom, I promise I will come back today.”

“I know,” she swallowed, voice cracking with emotion. “I know you will… just… please be careful… and … know how much I love you.”

“I do, and I love you, too,” Eli said with a hug.

Florence wiped a tear from her eye as they ended their embrace, and Eli was growing more concerned.

“Mom. Are you OK?”

No. She thought. Even James, Mr. Practicality himself, had come to respect her intuition. She wasn’t a mind reader, nor could she see the future, but when Florence Sipes had a bad feeling… she was usually proven right. The family had survived so much in the nearly two decades since the world as they once knew it ceased to exist… or the world she and James knew ceased to exist. The sad reality was her sons lived longer in this world than in the one before. She how blessed they were… most families didn’t even survive the initial days of this nightmare, and here they were… but she knew luck couldn’t be on their side forever. And while she was a strong woman who could withstand a lot, her son heading out and not coming back home… she wasn’t sure she could survive that.

“Mom?” He repeated.

“Yes,” she lied. “I’m fine, son. Really.  Just promise… promise you’ll be careful.”

“Always.”

Eli began to walk off, but something stopped him in his tracks. He walked back to his mother, sincerity in his eyes, as he took her hand.

“Mom.. you know if… when the day comes… we’ll have to be strong. None of us will be here forever.”

“Oh, are you the parent now?” she chuckled, trying to control the emotions that were overtaking her. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. After all, her intuition wasn’t always right, and they hadn’t survived eighteen years by being cowards. Even if today ended up being a tragic day, this was not the behavior she wished to model for her son. “I know,” she said confidently. “We’re Sipes. They don’t make them any stronger than us.”

“Got that right!”

“Promise me, Eli… promise me the same in return. When the day comes that I’m no longer here, you’ll go on. You’ll find the reason you are still alive because, after all this time, I know there is a reason. So promise me… please?”

“Ma, I….”

“Eli! I promise to be strong… I want you to do the same.”

“I promise, Mom,” he swallowed. “You have my word.”

“Good,” she smiled, holding him close to conceal her face distorting as she held back her tears. “Now go… the sooner you get out of here, the sooner you get home!”

James and David turned the corner, the former's eyes nearly rolling to the back of his head.

“For the love of God, Flor. Are you trying to frighten the boy?”

“As if I could frighten Eli Sipes,” she smiled.

“We were just talking, Dad. And saying… I love you.”

“Well… there can never be too much of that,” James grinned. “I love you, too, son.”

“And I love you, Pops.”

“Am I the only one not getting love here today?” David teased.

“Of course you’re getting love,” Florence said, mussing up David’s hair. 

“Group hug!” David yelled.

“Oh… no…” “No, no, no!” Eli and James protested, but they were no match for Florence and David. James and Eli may have been the strongest on the outside, but nothing is stronger than the resolve of those who are strong at heart. And for that, Florence and David knew no match.

They laughed as they stood there, limbs tangled together in a messy heap. They took in every second and seemed to be in no rush to part. It was James who finally got things moving along.

“All right, all right, all right! Enough of this mush fest. Let’s save it for Christmas!”

“That’s when you’ll appear as Scrooge!” Florence teased.

“I’m out of here,” Eli smiled, looking at David. “Try to keep them under control.”

“And don’t you come back with some squirrel!” James mocked. “Daddy wants to make you all a good venison stew.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he nodded.

As he walked away, the sun began to break through the clouds, shining brighter than it had in days. As its rays warmed him, Eli couldn’t help but smile. He could hear his parents in the distance, already bickering about the best approach to patching the roof, and he could just see David’s face as he tried to move them along in their task. Yes, the world had stolen so much from the Sipes, but they had each other, and Eli knew… that made them the luckiest people alive.

@choicesficwriterscreations

Other tags in reblog.

Part 2

[mooniemilkieway]

UPDATES

HELLOOO okay so i’ve been very active on Tumblr for roughly 2 months and i’ve had some of my posts blew up which THANK YOU ALLLL FLOWERS FOR ALL OF YALL.

I got active on Tumblr mostly because I wanted a form of escapism since I was experiencing a low point in my life and I got back into drawing after years just to distract myself. Then I remembered my absolute love for creepypastas and other fandoms I’m active in and started posting my art on here and it helped my mental health by a LOTTTTT. I would love to thank every single one of yall that has supported me, it means so so much !!

As for my goals for next year, I really do want to do commissions/sell stuff on probably Etsy. I do work on my college campus but it is a part time job and we have this really dumb rule where we can’t work over 20 hours. I want to be able to support not only myself but my beloved partner. Don’t panic though! We are doing just fine financially but we do need our funds for college.

I’ve been looking at button machines to make pins along with sticker machines and I was like “mmm maybe I should sell those along with my artwork!” I’ll probably wait until 2024 starts and when I do have enough money to get whatever I need along with being comfortable with my art style.

I do have more drawings and OCs to posts (specifically creepypasta obviously) to posts so stay tuned for that!

Also enjoy LJ taking a blunt he’s taking it like a champ

-Moon

[spicedraws]

New pinned post

Keep reading for more info!!

Hello there! thank you for checking out my blog!

You can call me Spice or whatever name works for you! I'm 20 years old and go by He/him or They/them.

I’m a dude who tries to have fun and draw, I love sharing my artwork and notes are always greatly appreciated! I tend to go quiet sometimes due to my anxiety disorder and often being tired, so keep that in mind if I haven't posted in a minute.

I absolutely love receiving asks, please send them to me. It can be about anything you want, people tend to enjoy sending asks to Pikmin characters and my ocs.

I will start doing text answers as well! because honestly there is too many for me to answer them all hahah... Oops-

I also have a bad case of obsessing over stuff at random so um... be prepared for that

That being said there are a few things that will most likely be re occurring in some way or another...

Pikmin OFC

Undertale/Deltarune

Pokemon

Fire emblem

Portal

I also draw oc content!

This is a Safe For Work blog, that being said there might be some depictions of violence such as blood or wounds. I also tend to swear sometimes.

Pssssttt I also take commissions! more info in my carrd!!

(I tend to keep commissions between 18+ users!)

Also if you wish to speak with me I'd prefer you read my 'Before Contacting' segment in my Carrd, but pretty much it's just basic stuff about being respectful.

I also have a few alts!!

@spicereblogs @wearenotevil

(If ya follow Spicereblogs so ya can see me gush at other people's content you are a savage gamer frfr)

Well that is all I can think of to say for now! I look forward to posting more art!!

Thank you so much for reading!

If I had to show my brain rn in two shitpost images it would be this

[mrs-snape5984]

“Dancing with tears in my eyes, weeping for the memory of a life gone by…”

“It's time and we're in each other's arms. It's time, but I don't think we really care…” (“Dancing with tears in my eyes” by Ultravox)

After reading my following lines, I decided to put a trigger warning on this post. I used this platform to vent out my frustration and despair. Those of you wonderful readers, who get triggered by mentions of hopelessness and subtle hints of suicidal thoughts, should better skip the next seven paragraphs. Thank you for your understanding!

Lying in the darkness of my room…forced by this cruel disease ME/CFS to live a restrained life in a body and mind, which makes me feel as if I’m an animal, trapped in captivity…I often show tendencies to dream myself away…drowning in my fantasies of Severus Snape.

With him by my side, I can do the things, which my diseased body and my disoriented mind are refusing to allow me experiencing them anymore. Things, which I’m desperately yearning for, since this sickness has clawed me into her tight grip about 1,5 years ago.

I want to leave my darkness so badly that it hurts. The longing for a self-destined life in freedom becomes unbearable for me to endure. My only piece of liberty left is my habit of sitting on the balcony outside of my bedroom at nighttime, enjoying the silence of the world and a fresh breeze on my face without getting overstimulated by noises, motions and lights.

In times, when even this tiniest bit of peace isn’t possible for me to enjoy anymore…when another crash is suppressing me even further…forcing me to stay in bed for days or weeks, my soul seems to absorb the darkness around me. I’m getting tired of this life…tired of myself…tired of being doomed to uselessness.

I mean, what’s left of my former self? My professional career as a pedagogue, working as a social worker for the government office for youth welfare seems to be a fading memory in my mind. Now I have to ask my mother for help with each bureaucratic application form, because my retarded brain refuses to understand these things anymore. For someone, who has always been proud of their intellect and education, this is a real low blow. Also, I’m a person, who’s really bad at asking for help. The thought of being dependent on others has always been one of my biggest nightmares…and now I can’t even do the smallest tasks on my own!

My three amazing children were used to have an active, funny mother, who guided them through this confusing world….who showed them the beauty of life in its fullest. And now, they’re witnessing their mother lying in her bed surrounded by darkness day in, day out! Sure, I’m still trying to be there for them in my minimalistic possibilities…but it isn’t the same as they’ve always known it to be. You can’t imagine, how guilty I’m feeling for being so useless…for not being the mother, my kids would deserve to have!

In order to escape these thoughts of hopelessness and to forbid myself to drown in despair, searching for ideas of exiting this world, I rather keep clinging on Severus…like I’ve done it over the past 21 years.

I’ve commissioned my friend @opalchalice to make my fantasy of Severus and my (self-inserted as fuck) OC Julia, dancing in the rain…letting their sorrows be washed off from the pouring raindrops…come to life through her beautiful art. I asked her to draw this moment of peace for Sevy and Jules…a moment of joy before the world around them would fall apart.

Lia, you did an incredible job with this artwork! There’s nothing, that I don’t love about it. Please, take my apologies for writing such a pathetically whiny post beneath your lovely drawing. I know, it should have deserved better. But rest assured, my friend, your art always gifts me some light and comfort for my troubled heart and soul and I enjoy every conversation with you! Thank you for everything!

🖤Severus & Julia🖤

🖤Sevy & Jules🖤

[maddiebiscuits]

i don't know how to phrase this any other way so i hope you don't find this rude or anything: you are (imo) a very skilled, very prolific art toaster. it's great quality artwork obviously, but your turnaround is wicked crazy fast to me. what does burnout look like for you? how do you manage to toast so many arts? what dark magics must you employ??

The hard truth is I worked in journalism for two years between 2010-2012 and customer service/hospitality starting at 16 years old in 2007 all throughout my life until 2022 and I don't want to go back to any of it now that I'm almost 33 - that's the main motivator to keep my freelance gig career doing art commissions going as long as possible. Fear and loathing of going back to that work environment keeps me focused.

In action...I'm not quite sure if I ever experience 'burn out'? I do experience art 'block' in that I can't think of anything to draw on my own or feel really unsatisfied with my work...so I just goof off with my canvas or do studies, but this doesn't interfere with doing commissions where I am told what to draw.

I just enjoy the physical act of drawing. Sometimes when I'm bored and restless and going for a walk doesn't help, I just draw more. When I was a kid I would just come home from school and draw crap between playing Gameboy/N64/Gamecube or browsing Elfwood/Newgrounds/DeviantART/Gaia Online, so it's literally just a habit now. If I don't draw for a long time I feel anxious and unwell. Somehow I just programmed my brain to think that art = leisure fun time, even if it's for work. I also tend to get into a "zone" sometimes and just put on video essays or music and a few hours later I'll have worked through some commission stuff.

I have three 'task lists' for my workflow:

A public trello board organized by work order types (N/SFW link)

A personal trello board organized by type/date in chronological order

A coloured tagging and folder system in my emails where I can just see the actual dates/timestamps of my last correspondence with a client so I know exactly who in my taskboard needs to be prioritized for their next WIP update

I hold myself to a standard of sending a client a WIP in stages:

rough draft (1-14 business days)

revisions (1-5 business days)

line art (1-14 business days)

revisions (1-5 business days)

final render (1-14 business days)

tweaks (1-2 business days)

So ideally, the client gets a finished commission in 3-6 weeks, so about 1-2 months. For larger projects I send more WIPs and the process is obviously longer. For simpler stuff like chibis, it's rarely a full six weeks. Over holidays I add an extra two weeks to my noted turn-around to account for IRL time off. On all my terms of service I have a maximum four months turn-around, essentially doubling the time I know my work flow is just in case there's some sort of medical or equipment emergency in my life that I need to account for that gives me a buffer (I also notify all clients)

Monday to Friday I wake up usually...late morning/early afternoon? I do anywhere from four to eight hours of artwork, broken up by walks, stretching, eating, cleaning, cooking, hanging out with my partner, etc. I look at my personal trello taskboard and emails to see what must be done and what can wait. I try to get at least 1-2 things done in a day though, be that sketches/line art/renders/revisions.

Right now I am looking at my email and task board, and the client with the highest wait time chronologically is someone who is waiting for their final render (sketch and line art already revised and done for them). Last email correspondence with them on the email says 9 days ago (so 7 business days, I'm supposed to take Sat-Sun off). Their order was paid in full and confirmed by me on November 9 and it is currently December 13, so I'm at about the 5 week mark (not accounting for delays in clients getting back to me of course) and I am very much On Course for my work load, no one has been without contact from me for 14 days or more so I'm pretty ahead of my game right now! I could take tomorrow off if I wanted, or only do 3-4 hours of work if I feel like it.

However the more work you finish and post, the more you show prospective clients your ability to finish orders and show your audience more art for engagement, so ideally I always like posting stuff when I can, it just creates a cycle of positive production and income.

[grimae]

A few weeks ago I had a pretty big commission for a client who wanted me to draw 11 Book of the Sun inspired artworks for their own world building project. Payment was awesome. That was cool. Gladly accepted it, and over the course of working on it, I realized how that entire BotS project has stopped having meaning for my headworld, world building, OCs, Skindarim, you name it, and instead started having meaning for me personally in different times of my life. I look at page 8 and I know I drew it for Eleonora's sons - Vasil, Rafael, Jarek - but I think about the time the weather was beautiful and the sun was shining, I was enjoying my life in the June of 2020. I look at page 6 and know I drew it because I wanted to explore the backstory of the Istrati, but now what I see is the very first picture of a character that has become more than just dear to me, Alexandru. Someone I literally never expected to draw more than once but has now taken permanent residence in my brain. I've been working on these gold-and-black pages for a literal three years now, and I never even intended it to happen actually. I made a few because I found it fun to develop the Istrati aesthetic a bit, my weird sun vampire clan, but then people wanted to see more and more, and started asking me more often whether I will publish them, something I literally never thought about. It became overbearing. People told me that everyone is just waiting for it (oh damn, expectations), I would make bank (nah, I wouldn't), etc etc. In a way I felt thrown into some kind of hustle culture. On top came the sheer amount of times people stole them, ripped out of context, for their shitty mood boards or Dark Art Aesthetic Facebook Pages, or claimed I wasn't the actual artist because the vague mythology they built up over these photoshop made pictures was more fascinating than the reality of the person behind them.  Anyway. A few months ago I radically changed the world building of Skindarim which also included my vampires logically. I love it. It feels like me. I still haven't gotten around writing a proper new readable description beyond a giant collection of notes and cornerstones written as if in mania, but it feels like everything I wanted of my brain ghosts and world to finally become what I really love. Wilderness, nature, hope, light, darkness, gore. All topics I love to explore. I look at the BotS pages now and see everything that has changed in lore and world building, that isn't accurate anymore at all.

I drew page 38 yesterday. I barely know what it means in the setting of my characters anymore. I know it what it means to me, as a person, as the artist behind it. I'm glad I made it, and I'm glad I made the 37 before it. In a way they became obsolete, in a way they've become just as, or even more important to me than before.