#edit tutorial chubby

[nsk96]

Art Help

I redid this list because broken links 💀

General Tips

Stretch your fingers and hands

Art is for fun

Never too late to start/improve

Tumblr radar! Submit your work!?

Using a tablet

Editing software: pictures & video

Moodboard resources

Comic pacing

Storyboarding techniques

Watercolor

Coloring

Color Theory (not children's hospital)

Gemstone reference

Resources: coloring things a different color

Gold

Dark Skin undertones

Dark Skin in pastel art

POC Blush tones

Eyes colors

Cohesive Color Palette

Lights and Colors

Human Anatomy

POSE REFERENCES

Eyes: pupil shape, direction

Wizard Battle poses

Romance poses

Shoulders

Tips for practicing anatomy

Proportional Limbs

Skeletons

Hair Directions

Afro, 4C hair

Cane use

Chubby body

Dingle dongles: male reproductive

Clothing

Long skirts

Traditional Chinese Hanfu (clothing reference)

Cultural clothes

CLOTHING REFERENCE

Medieval armor

Sewing information

Folds

Animals

Horse -> Dragon

Snouts: dogs, cats, wolves, fox

Foot, paw, hoof

Plants

Blossoms: cherry, plum, apricot, etc

Plants/flowers: North America, Hawaii, Patagonia

More

Drawing references sources

More references: floorplanner, height & weight, expressions, hands, animals, sculpting tool

Art tutorial Masterlist

Another art tutorial Masterlist

Inspiration: father recreates son's art

Inspiration: Lights

ART BOOKS

Art Cheats

Make a GIF from a GIF base

[mossylane]

hello! would you be interested in releasing a little tutorial/guide on how to convert default skins for infants? i understand if you don't feel like it!

of course! it goes without saying that you need sims 4 studio (s4s) of course. also a photo editing program, you can use photopea for free! open s4s at the top click tools > create empty package. you should see this! click on add at the very bottom left...

line by line, copy and paste all the information down below into the "add" box that just popped up. Change the "type" to LRLE image, keep the group as is (it should be a bunch of 0s), and type in the instance numbers. (Ignore the red oval for now!) Make sure to double check! Save your package file!

Now all you need to do is important the images of the skin. All sim textures take up exactly the same amount of space and all their features are proportioned in the exact same spots so you can take any skin blend and slap it on top of a base and import it and you're done! The red oval above is the chubby state for infants and the other 3 are just default/average body states. (Even though I found like 8 separate instances of infant skin, only 1 was chubby and the rest default body states. The other 4 files didn't seem to change anything in CAS, I don't know why though!)

If you want to make more realistic alpha skin you'll need to make your own entirely from scratch, mix and match, or use another creators. (Even though all creators have open TOUs per EA's own TOU you should probably still ask just to be nice and absolutely give credit to them. And by credit I mean mention their name and/or link to their page, not any of that goofy "credits to all creators" nonsense!)

📂Download EA infant skin base!

Happy converting! 😊

❗ Postnotes: ❗ The instances for all the other ages didn't seem to change, so there's no need to update, only add-on. Also instead of creating a new package you can just add-on to an existing package file. It's just easier and safer to start brand new

[ghostlysleuth]

I follow you on twitter & all I gotta say is, I love the diversity in your drawings so much, I hate when people make girls all stereotypes & your art makes me feel so comfortable it’s like a warm feeling not to mention your nsfw art. It doesn’t just show the list it shows the love & affection each character has for eachother it shows how intimate & hot the moment can be but also sweet? I’m not sure I love your art too much it really makes my day to see it, but any tips on anatomy?♥️

thank you so much!! i totally get what you mean by a list, that really is what diversity can feel like sometimes. my weight and figure have fluctuated so much over the years and i've gotten enough shit from family about eating habits and how chubby i've gotten, to the point of dysmorphia, and turning to art (and not to mention seeing the vast majority of fat butch rep) to remedy it has done wonders for my body image, and i'm really glad people like how i do things.

in terms of tips, as someone who went to school for this sorta thing, i'm gonna try to make this as accessible as possible aka free resources.

timed figure drawing!

legit, you gotta draw naked people posed in intricate ways. there's literally no avoiding it, you have to draw from life and not from tutorials. obv, i'm not saying go out and attend a life drawing course -- that's expensive shit -- so here's a few options:

i use a site called quickposes, since most figure drawing galleries require subscriptions.

you can set a timer for how long you want on each pose/reference. i recommend challenging yourself with shorter times as it helps you to get rid of any hang-ups about getting the anatomy exactly right. the drawing's got to get done by the end of the timer, don't focus on the details. just draw, be done with it, move on to the next drawing.

there's also a youtube channel that we'd use in class when a model couldn't show called new masters academy and they have a bunch of timed daily drawing exercises.

as a general rule, don't lean on the amount of time you have. what you're wanting to do is get a FULL PICTURE on your paper as soon as possible, regardless of a long or short time. get the full figure onto the paper then use the rest of the time to fuss over details, shading, editing, etc.

do studies!

kinda similar to the last one but in the more time-consuming sense.

use pinterest. it has a lot of uses for a lot of things but i use it quite a bit for both anatomy refs and costume design inspiration. this is legit what my home page looks like now because of it.

here's a board i made on anatomy, pulling from different body types; obviously i get a little gay wid it, but there's a verrrryyyy clear lack of certain body types in a lot of body refs like muscular women, fat women, just overall people who higher fat content than the lean, almost 0% fat of the figures seen in most tutorials and galleries:

this is where pinterest really shines because you can find literally everything on it.

in particular, there's an account called character design references, that is basically a stockpile of references for artists. i wouldn't normally recommend artist tutorials when it comes to wanting to learn anatomy because it can get a little echo-chambery (side-eyes the male vs. female tutorials that float around on twitter all the time) but there are actually some boards that have genuine studies on the human form, even from a medical point of view.

LITERALLY JUST DRAW A LOT.

I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND PRACTICE TO GET TO A CERTAIN LEVEL OF SATISFACTION.

like that's it, full stop, draw often. if you're feeling rusty, go back to basics. if you're art blocked, go back to basics. if you're bored, go back to basics.

[sundaysplayzone]

Commonly Asked Questions.

I get asked the same 3-5 questions all the time, so I thought I might make this new lil pinned post to help everyone out! But first, I want to thank you all for visiting my blog!

Do you take requests?

No, I do not.

Are your commission open?

Yes currently! Honestly now a days they’re almost always open. You can check them out on my website HERE!

Are you okay with gift art?

Of course! I would be flattered! If you’d like, you can find most of my characters here on toyhouse (I promise to update it soon!)!

How do you get the retro/vhs effects on your art?

I actually made a tutorial on that here! But honestly at the end of the day it’s a lot of “I plug this picture into several different apps and video editing software.” I wish I could give you a simple answer, but there is no easy way to do it that’s the same every time. I rarely if ever do it the same way back to back. Some colors look better when edited in Photoshop, some in Photomosh Pro. I pay almost $100 a month to have access to all of the software I use to make these effects because it’s part of my job. But luckily you can find so many free tutorials and apps out there, you just need to be curious and try new things!

What do you use to draw?

Another vague answer whoo! Sorry, but I use so many things to draw! But usually it’s sketch/ink/color/shade in Paint Tool Sai, and then move it to Photoshop to add the background, effects and details. I also use Procreate and Clip Studio from time to time. When it comes to traditional, it’s usually standard cardstock or a mixed media sketchbook. Then I draw and color with microns, copic pens, jelly rollers/gel pens, prisma colored markers and copic markers. 

Did you draw the backgrounds in your art? And if you use screenshots, where do you get them?

In the majority of my pictures, I use screenshots from old cartoons. I get these screenshots from the shows themselves. My friend is kind enough to set up a program that takes snapshots hundreds of times during the show. Then when the episode is over, they send them to me. I then spend HOURS, going through thousands of images and delete all but the good pieces. A majority of the time they take a lot of editing to be usable. I have to clean them up, remove character and scale the images.

This isn’t always the case however! I do often draw my own backgrounds! If you ever want to know, feel free to ask!

As for the more aesthetic/abstract backgrounds, I make those myself! I spent far too much money buying licenses and rights to use tons of different patterns and vectors. With those, I love recreating authentic backgrounds in the style of those seen in the 80s and 90s!

I see you draw a lot of Transformation/Chubby/(insert common movie trope here). Are you a fetish artist?

No, I am not a fetish artist. Do I draw art that might be someone’s fetish? Do I take commissions from people with a fetish for this subject matter? Yes, of course. But people need to realize, furry characters alone are a kink to some people. For me the difference is in how it’s drawn. And I personally do not draw my art in a way that sexualizes the piece.

I love drawing transformation scenes, people being swallowed by a monster, extra big tummies, but not because it’s something that I find hot. I just like drawing fun scenes. I get bored of just drawing a character standing in place all the time. I like drawing wacky scenes! 

A lot of my love for these come from cartoons. Edmund getting turned into a cat in Rock a Doodle. Hercules getting swallowed by the hydra. Kaa hypnotizing... everyone xD It’s just a story telling tool and sometimes it’s fun to draw! I’m not into hypno but I do like drawing big, colorful eyes. I’m just whatever about tf but I love drawing the swirling magic effects and the character changing from human to animal. It’s just cool to me!

In short, when I draw these things, it’s like I get to draw scenes from cartoons and movies in my style. It’s so wonderful to attempt to emulate some of the effects and details they used in movies from my childhood. It’s not about the hand changing into a paw for me, it’s the magical sparkles and how it’s so bright and vibrant compared to everything else. Where you see it go from hand to paw, that’s what I love drawing about tf art! Or being able to exaggerate the body and make a character look weighty by making them really round. Getting to draw a comically big mouth, giving a fun and interesting perspective shot. I think that stuff is so neat! Because it’s art!

I don’t care if it is someone’s fetish. I’m not drawing it in a way that’s sexual. Heck, it even says I wont in my TOS! Everything is G-PG here in Sunday’s Playzone! I’m not here to make that kind of content. It’s okay if adults have fetishes, and so long as you and others aren’t sexualizing my art, all is well!

[matttheallertor125]

Introducing this big foamer idk.

(Or maybe avgeek idk)

_____________________________________

HEY YOU! YES YOU!

You came to the right place buddy

Hey this is MattTheAllertor125 but i like to be called GFB12 so uh hello introducing me, what i basically do here is just take pictures but also draw!

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What im into: Trains,CD Sirens,Airplanes,Fighter airplanes,helicopters,Anime,Omori,Art and film/photography,yapping,memes,animations.

Fav choo choo trains idk: Ge dash8/9, Ge ac4400cw, Ge ac6000cw, Ge gevo, Emd sd40-2, Emd sd45, Emd sd60, Emd sd70, Emd sd90mac Ge genesis, Emd f40ph.

Fav Sirens: Aca allertor 125, Cyclone, Banshee, Screamer, Penetrators, Alertronic. Asc Tempest-128/135ac/dc, E-class. Federal signal Thunderbolt, 2t22, Eows series, Modulator/B, Sd-10.

Fav Airplanes: Airbus a330/a330neo, Airbus a340, Airbus a350, Airbus a380, Boeing 747, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 dreamliner, Airbus A320/A320neo family, Boeing 757.

Fav airlines: Delta, Us airways, Air france, Emirates, Japan airlines, Thomas Cook, Air Canada, Etihad, Singapore airlines, Lufthansa, Ita airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, United airlines, air transat, klm, garuda indonesia.

Fav omori character: Mari.

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Info about me!

The name is matt (im not showing my entire name just call me matt, thats all!)

Joined tumblr: 6/4/2024

B-day: 4/26

Age: 14

He/him

Based in Texas, Usa

Fav color: red

Disorders: Autism (yeah just autism, i dont have others such as adhd, bipolar or whatever else idk, so you might wanna be patient cuz i sometimes may not understand thing!)

Fav music genre: Rock/metal, rap.

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Rules!

Big yes to them!

- Drawings

- Pictures

- Ships

- Requests

- Sfw art only!

- Scars (including cuts,wounds,bleeding)

- Asks!

- Edits!

- Chubby/fat (Has to be appropriate)

- Memes!

- Historic stuff related to trains,sirens and airports and airplanes and airlines

- Storytell (Also has to be appropriate)

- cuddles (And also has to be appropriate!)

- Tutorials if you need help!

- Oc

- Aesthetics

- Bonuses idk

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No bueno!

- Heavy gore

- Nsfw/Erotic related stuff

- No promoting your stuff here! (Something thats explicit or erotic or 18+ related stuff)

- Pro ships

- Fetishes

- Abuse (only if appropriate)

- Showing erotic body parts

- Toxicity

- Gen alpha brainrot (for example: skibidi toilet)

- Nudes (Would be censored if it used for artistic purposes, you know like those arts you see in museums)

- no jiggling..

Uhm yeah i think you can imagine on your head of you know what im talking about...

- Hate on Political related stuff

- Spamming

- Doxxing

- Bullying each other

- Revealing your personal information like your address,Town/city,credit card info,and other ones.

- Bad criticism

- Stealing my arts and pics!

- Mocking religion

- Racism

- Bad trolling

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Violating the no bueno! Rules will result you to get a warning from me! If you violate it, youll be permanently blocked from me! You will never come back to my blog for the rest of your life cuz well.. that's your punishment.

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Materials i use!

Sketch book (sometimes or rare now use it)

Apple pen

Procreate (would them be ibis paint x sometime)

Ipad (the tablet where my drawing would now be made from)

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Favorite ships SunBurn, HeroMari.

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These goats im a big fan of:

@ang3l-d1nn3r (my friend) @xxl1ghtxx @shrimperini @omocat @dreamybasil

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My life as a artist and inspiration for making fanart!

It all started when i was 3, i remember ive been drawing a lot of stickmans cuz they just were very easy to draw and it was like some kind of "stickman stories or fantasy idk?" And i seen to end up enjoying it but not only that, i would later draw sirens and other stuff i was fascinated to, and i kept drawing stickmans until later on i then would finally get my braincells to regenerate and make myself more mature, i stopped drawing stickmans all the time, i started to get into oc! And other kinds of art style and i would as of today draw whatever i had a idea on my head for the near future and many more years to come!

Inspiration

I saw a fanmade animation of where a video is called aging which was a edit from a youtuber named whoamiedits

This is what it looks like:

I saw that video but i didnt clicked on it cuz idk whats about to happen there, i was just more into anime and i didnt know what that video was, it was like somekind of randon animation, that was my first thing i saw something related to omori before joining the fandom and i saw it to this day and i was like "wait that video looks familiar to me" it was back in 2021 when i saw it and omori was like 1 years old, but then after joining the fandom after watching a mclovin video but omori version and i seen to enjoy the fandon, i was a big kny fan by the time, and theres was very popular stuff going on in the fandom, but when did i got into omori fanart? It all started with the first ever one i posted, i originally used it for my art class i then i did not recognize.... I actually made a actual omori fanart and that surprised me! So then i decided to make more! And it made me happy and even thanks to art class, it also helped me more! And it was a great piece of thing I will ever do I will still make art to this day and thats where are are today!

Alright enough yapping me :/

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So thats all theres more art im gonna make and other stuff so, you reached the end! Thanks for reading and enjoy! :)

Credit: BunnYui, Source: Amino apps

2024 GevoFanBoy12 (MTA125)

ButterMachineGaming Never broke while flying through the skies.

It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skills.

- wilbur wright of the wright brothers.

[cea-tide]

Art Advice and Resources Archive

A collection of posts with art advice and resources I have come across.

The entries are in no particular order. The post is edited with new entries when I come across them.

Anatomy

How to draw chubby characters

How to draw a damn fine ass

How to draw arms and legs

Head angles website

Better flesh cloud alternative

Drawing darker skin tones

Drawing east Asian faces

The colour of wounds cycle

Drawing a good amputee character

A general cane guide (for artists and writers)

Self-portrait exercise

Mobility aid user art references + video & more pictures of first ref

Drawing wheel chair using characters

iwasarob0t's "how I draw fat people" + more

nsfwbutt's "How to fat people"

Anatomically accurate catpeople ears

How to Draw Manga Furries

Bird wing anatomy

Fur tutorial

Drawing black characters

Horse hooves

Drawing arms

Hugs art references

Book: Morpho fat and skin folds by Michel Lauricella

Miscellaneous

How to draw good

How do I change the colours

Sight size method

Shadows

Getting ideas: become a cardboard box

Pixel art tutorials

How to draw a horse - comic

2-point perspective drawing trick

The art of lettering comics

Animation step by step (Tsuya vs Toga animation)

Colour theory advice collection

How to draw metal?

ShrubSparrow's bird tutorial

Animation storyboarding basics

Why not to use an eraser

Art studies for environments and characters

Colour palette inspiration from fire hydrants

Drawing drapery/clothes

Collars & cuffs reference

Free artist resources (hot artists don't gatekeep)

Historical fashion collection

Comic devices

niawildewood's "How I draw grass"

Drawing reflective highlights

Checker pattern names

Digital interior/exterior design

[taeslovehandles]

HOW I DO MY CHUBBY EDITS:

STEP 1: Well ofc we gotta find an image that is suitable for editing. The higher the quality of the original image the better - more realistic - it will look. I considered the strawpoll but every member besides jk had the same amount of votes so I decided to take an image with everyone in it! >:3

STEP 2: Now I look at the details and decide which elements are in the way and need to be taken out. (I won’t go into detail with photoshop tools because it literally would take me hours.)

This is one of the steps that can be considered to take the longest depending on how much stuff I decided to get rid off such as logos, items that will be in the way later etc.

As you can see the above image shows the original look of the boys clothing and the screenshot underneath my edited version. I got rid of all the disorted puma logos because they will look terrible later on when I stretch each body part out. (more to that later)

I also decided to remove the shoes around namjoon and the one Jin was holding. Simple reason was because you wouldn’t be able to see Jins hand anyway with a bigger body and it saves me time. Namjoons shoes were in the way and they didn’t fit my vision.

BE GONE SHOES >:c

STEP 3: Cutting the members out. In this step it’s important to copy your original layer in case something unexpected happens or you fuck up mid way. You may have noticed that my selection tool alignes perefctly with the boys bodies but not their head. (I use a selection tool, which only really works smooth if the background has a high enough contrast with your foreground objects - the 7 members in this case -! Otherwise I will have to manually go in and re-select, un-select, remove and attach all lines with my mouse and that takes me a lot of time to do - for one member alone -)

To explain it shortly: The original layer will always be seen because we will be using the background of the original (in this case the grey areas etc.) which also still has the original boys on them. Since we will be making them all bigger in size it doesn’t matter later on because we won’t see the slim version of them.

We will only size them up around their faces and ofc their bodies which means the hair won’t be touched. Therefore it’s unnecessary to cut them out properly as we will be using the hair from the original photo in the back and overlay it with this layer (basically the layer underneath)

*pats* I’m trying really hard to explain it in a way that makes sense but if you never used any editing program it’s hard to follow... and I am bad at explaining. xD

STEP 4: Now we will be cutting out each member individually from each other and put each of them on their own layer to move them around freely. This will help us later paint them all bigger without interrupting the member next to them.

Each filter only interacts with 1 layer which means, 7 layers with 1 member each, 7 times the work without messing up the other members in the process. (you will see what I mean later)

STEP 5: Now we will be going into the filter. It’s originally a smoothening tool which also works as filter (filter in photoshop basically means an extra window with more options that tool offers.)

We will be using the smoothening tool that works like a brush. Imagine having paint on a paper in front of you and you put your finger on the paint to spread it out and make the splosh larger. You won’t see the white paper at all in the areas you went over with your finger and the different colors mix together and still look natural. That is what this tool does. It used the pixel around your brush (finger) and copies them.

STEP 6: Now you may have noticed that in the original we only saw Hobis arm infront. If we would use our finger brush tool all we’d do is make his arm way too large. To avoid that I went into the image, picked the white of his shirt as color and painted my own belly in there. I grabbed Hobis dark grey colors and used them like the actual coat as shadow.

In this rough state I used another tool to soften the edges of the shadow to look more like shadows on the shirt. After that I copied some of the fabric from his back and placed it on his belly to make it fitting to the rest.

As you can see very well here, the smoothening tool only expands or shrinks areas. It is not getting rid of any spaces. You see hobis knee? Yep, looking weird. Which means in order to fix that we have to go in and cut his leg out and put it on an extra layer.

We go back into out smoothing tool and expand the leg without interrupting his other leg and boom.

STEP 7: After sizing all the boys up with the same steps I showed with Hobi we will now give the boys cute little double chins. Double chins are one of the easiest to do because technically we already got the perfect base.

We make their faces rounder and bigger, now all we have to do is to select their chin copy paste it onto a new layer and move it up. Resize it and make it smaller. We smooth the edges and blend it with his skin and tada, soft chubby chin <3

You redo these steps with each single layer. I took an inbetween screen to show my progress. Yes, yes it takes long lmao.

Sometimes the boys angle is really bad for me to go in and make their cheeks on the sides bigger without dragging their eye or mouth with me. Since Hobi had a better angle for his cheeks I copy pasted his and put it on JK. (You wouldn’t even have noticed that without me telling you :D <3)

I also went ahead and cut JK’s head out to drag it down a bit. Basically putting his chin over his arm which most of the time makes a face look bigger especially if we fake a double chin. Fat faces and slim necks are semi okay though.

It’s not really a “next step” but I do it because in my opinion it helps to make their faces look fuller. I go back in and grab the lightest color on their cheeks and color over their cheeks in a big circle with my selected color. I smoothen the edges and boom, they look fuller don’t they?

Chubby faces are more shiny in general because of all the fat in the skin as well as them sweating more which works perfectly here. Of course the main reason they appear “fuller” is the fact that a round shape does not cast as many shadows. A slim face like the boys have would have multiple skin tones in there.

You might have to squint here it’s a really small detail but it does wonders for the “realness” feeling.

STEP 8: For the last step we put all our layers in a folder, copy paste it and combine them into one image. I decided that the image was a bit too blue and wanted more of their rosy cheecks showing. I changed the color key for the entire image and made it a bit redder to archieve that.

and then we are done! I put my watermark on it and save it lmao. I hope you liked this little documentary of my process of editing. This took me 2 hours without writing this humongous post. Hope you enjoyed!

The finished edit will be posted seperately as well for you <3 I’d love to hear your opinion on this. Was it interesting?, did you think that is how it works?

I’d love to interactwith you all and talk about this :3 <3 *hugs*

[butcherknives]

ok this is not serious (hopefully it’s fun tho) but ezra @sanguinettii and i were talking a lil bit and are we all in agreement if dante were to have a baby girl he would be leaving the house and fighting demons like this

LMAO

Oh, there isn’t a thing about this that I don’t love. The amazing edit, the colors, the daughter.

First of all, I got this ask in the middle of writing a long, boring ass email and it made my day.

Secondly, you and Ezra are geniuses!

And lastly, I got a strong image from this.

Imagine

Dante, who uses 3-in-1 body wash, learning how to do hair just to bond with his young daughter. He watches tutorials, asks all of his lady friends, and then makes his way to the convenient store where he finds all those little brightly colored, plastic barrettes and says, “Which would she like?” But he can’t make up his mind so he buys all of them.

But that day, all of the learning he’s done goes to waste when she wraps a chubby little hand around one of the butterfly barrettes and waddles up to him to slide one into his hair. She beams. He’s so fucking delighted by her excitement that he accepts this, and after twenty minutes of being decorated, he wears them proudly for the rest of the day.

* Re: 3-in-1 body wash

Dante uses it because he doesn’t know any better, nor does he care. But also because he can pour it on top of his head and let it drip down like he’s the sundae.

Makes him laugh in the shower almost every single time.

[mimi-cee-hq]

A Pikachu for You - Kenma x Reader

Getting together headcanon stories from match-up requests

Summary: Ever since Kenma saved you from your freak-out in class, you had a crush on him. He noticed you often glancing at him playing his video games and then you started to get to know each other.

Genre: Cute fluff

Words: 805

A/N: This is from an anonymous match-up request. I know this anon loves Kenma so I tried to see if I could come up with a story with him and it worked.

Match-up stories taglist: @nxlx96, @nagichi-kenma, @muffins-puffins (let me know if you want to be added or removed)

When you freaked out over the buzzing near your ear, everyone in class stared at you. Now you were both embarrassed and scared.

Nobody else knew what was going on and you couldn't get the words out to explain what happened. But then you heard a "whack" behind you. "I got it," Kenma told you plainly. And then he gave you a small and soft smile.

That was when you started to have a crush on him.

You started to steal glances at him and would sometimes peak over his shoulder to see what video game he was playing.

Kenma obviously noticed so he told you he was playing Pokemon.

Because you were interested, he started teaching you about different strategies you could use and which moves were the best to keep for each pokemon.

With all the information he was sharing with you, you suggested he should make a tutorial video and maybe even post it online.

He had never made a video of himself playing and explaining things before. So you helped him out a bit because you had some experience with video edits. You even drew thumbnails for his videos.

You both had fun with this new project and messaged each other often to collaborate on his videos. You accidentally showed your sassy side because it was easier to talk to your crush when he wasn't right beside you.

Kenma was slightly surprised and commented on your sass at school the next day. When you got embarrassed about it and became flustered because he was standing right in front of you, he started to consider the possibility that you liked him.

After a couple of months, you got more comfortable with each other. One day you commented on a hoodie he was wearing, mentioning that it looked really comfortable. When he offered to give it to you, you got flustered and tried to refuse. He smiled, now fairly certain that you liked him.

You got anxious that Kenma's videos weren't getting a lot of views. He mentioned that just because the number of views were low, it didn't mean the video was bad. He continued to explain that it depended on the video platform's algorithms and that they just started out.

You were discouraged because the two of you worked so hard. But you knew he wasn't sugar coating his words to make you feel better. Kenma said things as he saw them.

One day, Kenma invited you to come to an amusement park with him, knowing you liked them. But when you found out that Kenma didn't like roller coasters, you felt bad. He told you he invited you anyway, knowing there were other things you could do together.

You both walked past the carnival games and Kenma saw you eyeing the stuffed animals. He usually wouldn't try the games because he thought they were rigged, calculating the probability of winning in his head. But of course you eyed the large stuffed pikachu, reserved for the most difficult games.

So as you two ate some ice cream together he watched the various people playing the carnival game. When he finally thought he understood how to improve his chances of winning, he approached the game area. He knew his chances were still slim but he wanted to try anyway.

After losing a few times, he started getting competitive. You told him he didn't have to keep trying but he said he was using the small amount of money he earned so far from the videos' ads. When you complied, he got really focused at trying to figure out how to beat the game. You thought it was cute and you liked seeing him like this.

He continued to play while you went to buy some drinks. As you walked back to him, you saw him suddenly turn around, looking for you. When your eyes met, he said with a large grin, "Y/n! I won!"

That wasn't a sight you saw too often so you froze in place and felt your cheeks heat up. When he got the large stuffed pikachu, he placed a necklace over its head. The necklace had a large pokeball as its pendant. He walked over to you and you were shaking for some reason.

"Here," he said. "This is for you." You took the pikachu and he gestured at you to open the pokeball pendant.

There was a little note inside: "Are you an HM move? Because I can't seem to forget about you."

So now you felt like dying, wondering if this was really happening. But then Kenma saw the note and muttered Kuroo's name.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Kuroo must have put it there. That was not how I wanted to ask you out."

That was the killer blow for you.

"Y/n? Are you okay?"

I hope you liked it. (Please don’t die on me, anon. lolll.) Fun fact: my s/o used to do pokemon strategy videos at one point so he was my reference for that part of the story. lol.

If you liked this one, check out my other stories in my masterlist.

*****

Match-up Request:

Hey, I'd like a HQ matchup plz! I'm a 5"4 straight female who is a little on the chubby/curvy side. I have longish blonde hair and blue eyes. In terms of personality, I'm a depressed and socially anxious little bean, but with the right people I can be sassy and fun. I like to play video games and watch anime (provided I'm in the right mood). I also like to make edits, write and draw sometimes. I'm okay with some physical contact like cuddling and hand holding, but PDA should be limited.

I like to wear hoodies and graphic shirts because I don't feel comfortable in "fashionable clothes" (I think I look like a potato). I have a lot of weird quirks like my phobia of pretty much any flying insect (but especially bees/wasps/flies bc I hate the buzzing noise they make). I love plushies and cute things. I'm the type who likes to do something if they go out (e.g. I'd prefer to go to a theme park rather than sun bathe at the beach). Ran out of things to say, hope I did okay ^^;

I love stuffed toys a lot - most of mine are Pokémon plushies.

So because I accidentally told this anon that I didn’t get her request, she had two versions. lol. The last line is from her second version.

[somnambulant-seraphim]

THE COUCH FROG YOU MADE

DO YOU HAVE THE BOYS PATTERN YOU USED

THE BOY GIVES ME HAPPY BRAIN HORMONES 𓆏𓆏𓆏

This pattern online is for more of a stout, chubby frog:  https://www.lilblueboo.com/2011/07/a-stuffed-frog-prince-a-tutorial-and-download.html

So I used that pattern as inspiration, I guess, but I edited it a little and made my frog’s limbs longer and a little skinnier. Also make sure the two top pieces of the frog have that good curve to each of them (on the seam where they connect). Because I made a previous frog that I posted where the line wasn’t quite rounded enough and he ended up a little flat on top (I still love him though, of course ♡). 

I also filled my couch frog with dry rice so he’s a bit more hefty and floppy, but you could fill yours with regular stuffing (or stuffing substitute, like bits of fabric or yarn scraps) if you want them to be squishier and lighter. 

Good luck on your journey to happy frog brain hormones! \(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)/

[teawithotome]

oof yikes okay little rant

so after discovering that many interesting looking games (such as twisted wonderland and idolish7) are as of now not available in english, I took to the appstore to find something to fill the void that was created in my heart

and among other games, I came across this

and I thought "oh! a girl idol game that looks cute and fun and

what the fuck why does that girl have a drawing of a face instead of a face-"

you know, like you do

but anyways I started playing this game and for the past two hours I've gone on a very uncomfortable rollercoaster

because the game itself? cute high school setting, pretty mild rhythm game, scout/level up system, not too different from what I'm used to

I even like the game mechanics and wow it's fully voiced and even has animated cutscenes that's pretty neat

but um

after finishing the tutorial I was met with this

and uhhhhhhh this

this is a high school age girl correct?

and my brain was like

oh no no

there must be some mistake here

so I did some research

and unfortunately

there is no mistake

all the characters in this game are in high school, and like

listen I get that there's a certain demand for fanservice in any fandom okay I understand that, I really do

and I get that these are fictional characters

but I am uncomfortable playing a game that's going to so blatantly paint this sort of picture about high school age girls, and then pass it off as innocent fun

No offense but I'm not okay with that. Full stop.

EDIT: another thing [which is bad for a different reason] is that the first "extra" story I was given was about one of the girls winning a coupon for an all you can eat buffet, another of the girls thinking that this is her "chance to make girl A chubby" ???? and then girl A worrying that she needs to go on a strict diet and limit how much she eats to prepare for this buffet

like uh

huh???

[tessatechaitea]

Cerebus #3

Time for some good chafing gags!

I love Cerebus. Once I began buying the monthly issues, I stuck with it until Issue #300, no matter how bored I had become with Cerebus's explication of Genesis. I stuck with it because it had entertained me so much and because I loved the idea of a comic book series with a character who grows and changes and eventually dies as an old, decrepit, huge delusional mess. Or was he delusional? Yeah, I think he was. By the end, I think we're supposed to realize Rick was the protagonist? Whoops! I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm still in the issues where I don't have to think too hard about anything and can just sit back and laugh at jokes about chain mail bikinis and a woman who will only fuck somebody who overpowers her physically! What I meant to say before I interrupted myself like usual, I kept with the series because I loved so much of it. Not all of it, of course. Who could love all of it?! Dave Sim was writing things that kept himself interested and wasn't too worried about, say, keeping the audience that loved Church & State while writing Melmoth, or expecting people who loved Guys to be enthusiastic about Coming Home. I appreciated this comic book so much that it's the only reason that I kept purchasing monthly comic books as I entered my thirties. I had gotten to the point where my brain was having too much trouble remembering all the different comic book story lines with a full month long gaps between each twenty-four page bit of story. So at some point just past the year 2000, I decided I'd stop reading monthly comics altogether after March 2004, the final issue of Cerebus. After that, I kept up with Fables and Walking Dead via collected editions. But I was done reading monthlies (until The New 52 somehow dragged me back in to do that blog project!). So yeah. I was (and still am!) a huge Cerebus fan. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to be critical of the series and the writer. Dave Sim makes a lot of mistakes and I'm going to have a lot of fun pointing them out! You might not think they're mistakes but I ask that you hold your comments until the end (you know, my review of Issue #300!) because why would I want to argue on the Internet with other huge comic book nerds? We're the worst! One person I'll never criticize because I don't think they ever do anything wrong: Gerhard! That fucking work horse nails it throughout the entire series! Nothing much to say about Deni's "A Note from the Publisher" since all she says is how she has nothing to say. I was hoping she'd admit to rubbing one out over one of Dave's finished Red Sophia pages but my horrible male nerd projections about how women act once more didn't come to fruition. How is it everything I learned about women from female comic book characters turned out to be so wrong?! I refuse to believe it's because most of them were written by men. Men are so rational and logical! They wouldn't have steered me wrong!

I should probably do a little research on Frank Thorne.

Frank Thorne was best known for his work on Marvel's Red Sonja. Yes, I lifted that directly from Wikipedia. But I typed it myself! Another thing I learned from Wikipedia (I'd do more research than just Wikipedia but I don't want to wind up on YouTube where I'll not only learn about Frank Thorne's artistic history but also that the American Democratic party runs a pedophile sex traffic ring and also something about cannibals? I mean, it sounds like something I'd like to believe!) is that Thorne wrote a book called How to Draw Sexy Women. So, you know, he's probably one of my heroes? Frank Thorne is currently 90 years old and he might have the most adorable picture of anybody on Wikipedia.

I want to be best friends with him right now. Six year old me would have been over the moon in love with him (I had a Grandfather Fixation when I was really young that probably had nothing to do with my father leaving when I was two).

This issue not only introduces Red Sophia but also the wizard Henrot. That's an anagram of "Thorne"! Red Sophia is an anagram for "Hi! Do Rapes." I don't agree with that at all. I'm just the anagram messenger. I'm also not suggesting that Dave Sim knew what he was doing anagrammatically! I mean with the Red Sophia anagram. He definitely meant the Henrot/Thorne one! Cerebus has returned to civilization but now needs some quick cash because one thing Cerebus always needs is quick cash. He's only wealthy a few times and those times don't usually last long. He goes to see Henrot (who allegedly gets his power from two of the five Spheres of the Gods! So now we kind of know more about those things even if it is just a rumor) to question him about any paying mercenary gigs.

You might think the missing word in Henrot's dialogue was a mistake by Dave Sim but later we'll probably learn in, I don't know, Issue #143 that Henrot's first language is Borelean to account for this seeming error.

Cerebus doesn't usually take assassination or torture jobs because he finds them distasteful but he needs the money. Sure, he'll take any job that has him killing people in battle or invading private wizard's towers to murder the owner and steal the owner's stuff. But assassination and torture? So wrong! Once Cerebus takes the job, he learns that he was to take Henrot's daughter, Red Sophia, along with him. The target besmirched her honor so she needs to watch him die slowly and painfully. Is this where the MeToo hashtag goes?

Red Sophia drawing tutorial: Draw some big tits, some big lips, and a big mass of hair. Connect them with some kind of woman shaped lines. Ta-da!

Red Sophia chatters incessantly and dances around while Cerebus carries all of the gear. It's funny because female characters get to represent all women instead of being a unique character! Ha ha! Women really do talk a lot, right? And they're always all, "Carry my purse for me!" And guys are all like, "Stifle your emotions like a normal person! Carry your own purse! Stop dancing around whimsically and try to act tough and cool like regular people do! Play some sports already! Take care of me like you were my replacement mother!" In the "A Note from the Publisher," Deni wrote that since the first issue (remember the first issue? So many issues ago!), Dave had wanted to write a story where Cerebus interacts with a female. She doesn't say Dave wanted to write a female character. He just wanted Cerebus to interact with a female. So I guess that's what this is! Cerebus interacts with a female stereotype who is also a sex fantasy. Not because she's hot but because she constantly tries to fuck Cerebus throughout their adventure! What sword and sorcery reading nerd didn't dream of that three or four times a day in a dark room? I'm being harsh on Sim because it's more fun than lavishing praise on him. You can tell Sim realizes the inherent problems with Red Sonja because that's the bulk of his parody. The problem isn't Dave's take on the character; the real problem is simply the character Red Sonja! In 1978, Sim was already commenting on the ridiculous armor artists draw on women (there will be chafing jokes!)! And in this story, Dave Sim expresses how ridiculous it was to create a female character who was raped and then given great fighting skills by some Goddess with the catch that she can never fuck a man unless he beats her in fair combat. Just looking at it from a guy's point of view, I'd probably be all, "You know what? I don't want those powers. Could you maybe just strike down the asshole who raped me and let me not have to attempt to beat up every woman I'm attracted to?" Is that enough hot takes on Red Sophia? Cause I want to get to the part of this review where I can admit that I fucking love her so much. Later Cerebus meets Elrod who is really just Foghorn Leghorn. I'm pretty sure Red Sophia was less Red Sonja than Pepé Le Pew. I know, I know! There are probably some sensitive reasons why I'm not supposed to like Pepé too! But he was my mother's favorite Looney Tunes character! Anyway, I can't blame Dave Sim for making his first female character about 75% stereotypes of women. He's still a young writer! You've got to give him about another 183 issues to really clarify his stance on the interactions between genders! I'm sure it'll be more layered, nuanced, and rational.

Cerebus might be an Earth Pig but he's not a chauvinist pig. He doesn't take sexual advantage of Red Sophia here; he just makes her carry all the gear. It's a good joke that I'm ruining by explaining it instead of scanning in the punchline!

Just for comparison, let's take a look at a modern interpretation of Red Sonja by Ed Benes. I bet just that artist's name alone gives male comic book nerds a chubby. Not a full on hard on though. Those are probably reserved for hearing the name "Frank Cho."

What do they teach in art school? Women can turn 180 degrees at the waist? Not that I'm complaining! Dark room, here I come!

Oh shit. I forgot I was reading this comic book! Okay, um, so Red Sophia attacks Cerebus for besmirching her honor. Or Cerebus attacks Red Sophia for knocking him into a bush with her ass. Maybe it's a little bit of both. Anyway, Cerebus defeats her so Red Sophia begins throwing her ample bosom at Cerebus every chance she gets. Cerebus is not interested for some reason. Maybe it's because he stuck a sword in his vagina when he was younger? That happened, right? Or was that a flashback about him having his period? Now that I'm thinking about it...what the fuck is this comic book? I think maybe I hallucinated some of it! Cerebus isn't a fucking slut, man! He doesn't just fuck any hot woman whom he defeats in battle! He needs to fall in love and/or get completely wrecked on Peach Schnapps. So he has no interest in Red Sophia. I suppose a woman trying to kill you is a bit of a turn off. And then later, when she gets you into a fight with Thugg the Unseemly, it's less of an aphrodisiac than you might think.

I think Borelean might be Red Sophia's first language as well. I mean, she is Henrot's daughter.

The Letterer part of Dave Sim has already fucked up twice this issue. I bet he was too busy having his sword and sorcery fantasies in a dark room to pay close attention to the script. This is probably why Dave Sim eventually gave up masturbation. Later, Red Sophia feeds Cerebus granola and it totally cracks Dave Sim up. He said so in the Swords of Cerebus essay! Didn't you read it? I, for one, prefer the joke on the following page about Cerebus being a cannibal. Or an aardvark who eats human meat, anyway. I think that's close enough to cannibalism. We learn later that aardvarks can have offspring with humans so I feel like the aardvarks in this book are less sentient funny talking animals and more severely deformed human beings.

Red Sophia's tent. If this we were well into Mothers & Daughters when this tent made an appearance, I'd think Dave purposefully drew it this way. Since we're only on Issue #3, I think he was just feeling horny when he drew it.

If at any time during this review I've referred to Red Sophia as Red Sonja, just remember that English is my second language. I'm Borelean. I apologize to Dave Sim for earlier suggesting that Red Sophia was simply a bunch of female stereotypes mashed together into a character. As I said, I love her. I figured I probably started loving her after she makes several more appearances but I'm pretty sure this is the page where I knew needed more Red Sophia in my life.

How can you not be completely charmed by the "I'm pretty good at hand-holding" line?

This is a good reminder that I shouldn't be judging early Dave Sim by Issue #186 Dave Sim and beyond. He should always get the benefit of the doubt and, even after #186, he should retain it. I need to be reading the material both with fresh eyes as if reading it for the first time and with the knowledge of the whole in an attempt to understand it better. This scene is just so fucking charming that I hate that it might be ruined for many people based on their "knowledge" of Dave Sim. I put knowledge in quotes because, really, how many people who think of Dave as a misogynist have actually read Cerebus or Tangent? How many have just heard they're supposed to despise him because he's been called a misogynist? I mean, sure, you just have to read a bunch of his Biblical explications to understand you're dealing with something other than neurotypical! But it'd be nice if more people came to their Dave Sim conclusions themselves instead of just jumping on the bandwagon. I'm not saying people who think he's a misogynist aren't automatically wrong! Dave thinks they are but come on. He eventually gives out a lot of slack with which to make quite a few nooses to hang himself with. Um, okay, back to not judging Cerebus based on future Dave's rants about the Marxist/feminist/homosexual axis! Cerebus and Sophia finally reach the target where Cerebus discovers that the target, Tanes Feras, loves Sophia. And just like that, he figures out how to get rid of Sophia while also torturing Feras (possibly to death? Time will tell!). He commands Sophia to marry Feras because she must do whatever he asks. Sure, she thought it would involved his super long tongue and her metal-chafed butthole. But that's the great thing about love! It doesn't care what you want. Henrot seems to accept this conclusion for now. He'll definitely be back later. And so will Red Sophia. I can't wait!

The map of Cerebus's world by Deni's brother, Clovis. He ran out of ideas when he got to "Ocean Sea."

I'll have to remember to keep referring back to this map throughout the series. Although I'll probably only need it for the first twenty-five issues. And then maybe after Mothers & Daughters. Nothing noteworthy in Aardvark Comment this month. Just some Canadians saying things like, "Glad to see a Canadian comic book from Canada about Canada!" Which is confusing because I didn't realize how much of Cerebus was representative of Canada. I've really got to rethink my Canadian stereotypes. Now I'll be sure to picture Canadians as 50% Cerebus and 50% Joey Jeremiah. Cerebus #3 Rating: B+. Sim's art remains a bit more on the amateurish side than the professional side. But that's to be expected. Already you can see improvements in the consistency of Cerebus's look and I think maybe his snout is already getting shorter and girthier. This was the first issue where he drew a woman so I can't fault him for drawing a blow-up doll in a chain mail bikini. Why would I? I'd never fault anybody for drawing a blow-up doll in a chain mail bikini! I also just thought up a new category to search on eBay. This issue begins to show where Sim really excels: his characters. The first two issues basically highlight Cerebus dealing with a few generic characters. But Red Sophia (and Henrot to a lesser extent) captures the spotlight this issue. Ignoring some of the shallow aspects of her character creation (if you even believe those exists. Don't take my super-professional critical opinion on it!), she's really rather charming and a competent foil for the Earth Pig. Just knowing that she's the tip of the iceberg in the gallery of recurring characters excites me more than those fantasies I keep having in my dark room.

[artificialqueens]

Extra Credit: Part 8 (Shalaska) - Rosie

A/N: Not going to lie, getting back into the Extra Credit swing of things was hard, especially because I wasn’t ready to write such a climactic chapter that I’ve imagined in my head for honestly over a YEAR. I don’t want to dwell on how long it’s been since I’ve updated this fic, but thank you x a million for sticking around and staying interested. I started Playing Cupid during the break and adore it (read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 here! I like it more than Extra Credit! And that says a lot!), so when I’m not writing this, I’m writing that. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it has… like, every emotion. Also this was meant to be for @purecamp’s birthday! I’m late but her special day was the biggest motivator for me to finally get back into this so thank you very much for helping me get my ass into gear and turn this out. Please send love notes here or at @aqrosie xx

Summary: University Professor Sharon Needles hooks up with a slamming hot blonde at a bar who may or may not be one of her students.  

Chapter Summary: Tears! Drama! Thanksgiving! A healthy 6.3k words.

Previous Chapters: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and Seven

I GOT THE JOB, Courtney wrote.

Alaska froze, completely forgetting about the makeup tutorial she was watching on her phone as Courtney’s message lingered at the top of her screen, only to be replaced with more capitals.

I GOT THE JOB I GOT THE JOB I GOT THE FUCKING JOB SLFHKDSLHV I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS, Courtney wrote again.

Sitting up, she rapidly opened her messages.

I’M SO FUCKING PROUD OF YOU I’M FUCKING CRYING OH MY GOD, Alaska wrote back, completely straight faced.

This was monumental.

Courtney, her best-friend, whom she loved to pieces, who worked harder than anyone she knew, who was constantly knocking on doors, organising internships for herself and maintaining her GPA and part-time waitressing gig, had just gotten the entry level marketing position no doubt a hundred other applicants also jumped at.

Of course Alaska was happy for her, of course.

She just… had this sudden sick feeling in her stomach, like all her guts were twisting and pulling her to the ground from the inside.

But she was fine. Really.

“Ooh,” Sharon commented from the kitchen, completely pulling out of her thoughts. “This smells so good.”

Alaska murmured in agreement from her spot on the couch, watching as Sharon pottered around, cooking their roasted cauliflower enchiladas while sipping on a glass of wine. She lifted herself up before joining her girlfriend at the stove.

“Aw,” Sharon smiled as Alaska’s arms wrapped around her from behind. “Come to help?”

“Yeah,” Alaska said quietly into Sharon’s soft sweater, wanting a cuddle more than anything.

As Sharon stirred with her left hand, she placed her right on top of one of Alaska’s arms wrapped around her waist, trying to stroke her before giggling.

“I can’t stir and pat you, it’s like that rub your tummy and pat your head thing.”

Alaska frowned. “What?”

“You know that thing,” Sharon attempted. “You can’t do both at the same time. Like, it’s hard. I’ll show you later.”

“Okay,” Alaska snorted, pulling back from Sharon, only to stay and play with the soft fabric of her sweater, like a kitten wanting attention.

“Can you grab me the salt and pepper, bub?” Sharon asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

She knew Alaska would tell her whatever was bothering her when she was ready, but when not even a warm dinner, glass of wine and two episodes of The Golden Girls while wrapped in Sharon’s arms on the couch didn’t return her back to normal, she couldn’t help but probe.

When Alaska exited the ensuite that night after her shower and dedicated skincare routine, she snuggled up against Sharon’s side, already back to anxiously picking at her nails.

“What’s on your mind, pumpkin?” Sharon asked, her book in one hand as she softly scratched Alaska’s head, right at that spot near the nape of her neck which always relaxed her.

“Mm… Corm job…” Alaska mumbled, her voice muffled.

“Mh?” Sharon encouraged, before Alaska couldn’t help but sigh.

“Courtney got a job,” she finally said. “This graduate marketing thing.”

Albeit slowly, things started to make sense. “That’s so good! Where at?”

“Some health food place, not her dream job but it’s something.”

“Yeah, exactly…” Sharon agreed. Much softer now, she gently cracked Alaska open. “Talk to me, Lasky.”

It was like a time lapse of a river breaking its banks. Sharon could only watch as tears instantly welled in Alaska’s eyes before a sob bubbled out of her, her features scrunching up as all her insecurities and worries overwhelmed her before finally spilling over.

“Oh no baby don’t cry,” Sharon whispered urgently, grabbing a tissue on her bedside table and sliding her reading glasses off.

Alaska dabbed at her eyes, instantly soaking the tissue with her tears as she blubbered.

“It’s just… all just… hitting me now…” she hiccupped, “how everything is changing and I’m not going to be a student forever and I need to get a job and everyone is getting jobs and I haven’t even started applying because I’m so fucking scared of everything and my resume is shit because I didn’t do any internships and and and—“

“Breathe,” Sharon told her, squeezing her hand before grabbing her more tissues and retiring her book to her nightstand. She needed to go into damage control.

Alaska breathed in deeply before continuing, still at her same hurried pace but with slightly less tears. “I don’t know what I want to do with my life, but at the same time I know this is the happiest I’ve ever been, with you, with us. But graduation is only a couple of months away and I’m expected to leave Pittsburgh and get a job and I don’t know what that means… for us, and I’ve been so good at ignoring all of this until it comes but when things happen like Courtney getting a job… it just hits me all over again.”

A fresh wave of tears streamed down Alaska’s cheeks, and all Sharon could do was pull her onto her lap, into her arms and rock her like a child.

“Shhh,” Sharon whispered, rubbing her back. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

She gently rocked Alaska until her tears subsided, not caring how long it took or how damp her pyjama top was becoming.

Alaska’s tone dropped. “Also Thanksgiving is soon and my mom is going to be so annoying about this all.”

Sharon laughed.

“Aw, love,” she murmured, brushing her cheek against Alaska’s. “I promise you everything will work itself out.”

Alaska couldn’t help but pout, her bottom lip quivering.

“No,” Sharon said firmly. “Look at me. Everything you’re feeling is perfectly normal. You’re going to apply to everything and anything, and you’re going to put yourself out there. You won’t be alone, I’ll help you. Okay?”

Alaska nodded, like Sharon was her life couch giving her a game plan.

“As for us,” Sharon continued, before exhaling. She had been thinking about this herself a lot recently. They never felt their age gap until moments like this, when the stages of their lives didn’t quite line up as neatly as they would have liked.

“We’ll work it out. We can’t plan what’s going to happen, where we might end up. But please know I never want you to base your decisions around me, or where I’m at in life. Don’t say no to something if it’s in another city. We’ll make it work. We’ll do long distance. I’ll fly you out—“

Alaska giggled. “You sound like a rapper, ‘I’ll fly you out.’”

“I will,” Sharon laughed. “And I’ll come see you.”

Alaska nodded, fiddling with the ends of her hair as she let her girlfriend’s words sink in. Sharon wiped the moisture from her cheek, and Alaska leaned into her warm touch.

“I know a lot of things are changing,” Sharon said softly, “but we’re not changing, and if we do, it’s only going to be for the better.”

Alaska sighed, the weight on her shoulders lessening and the knot in her stomach loosening. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Sharon smiled, pecking her on the lips.

They reclined back down to their previous position, Alaska curled up against Sharon’s side, who continued to stroke her hair.

“You never showed me that tummy rubbing thing…” Alaska said quietly.

“Oh, it’s this,” Sharon sat up, moving to see herself in their floor length mirror opposite their bed as she tried to demonstrate. She rubbed her head with one hand while she patted her stomach with the other. “Ugh, this fucks with my head, every time I think I’m doing it right I realise I’m patting my head in a circle, like now. Alaska?”

With her hand over her mouth, Alaska held back laughter until she couldn’t anymore.

“I knew what it was,” Alaska wheezed, “I just wanted to see you do it.”

“Oh my god,” Sharon whined, rolling to bury her blushing face into Alaska’s neck.

That night, Sharon fell asleep first. Wrapped in the older woman’s arms, Alaska focused on her deep, even breathing and willed herself to do the same, all the while ignoring the knot in her stomach which began to tighten all over again.

*

“Aw, she loves you Sharon!”

Standing in the middle of the crowded living room, amongst her boisterous uncles, already tipsy aunts, eccentric cousins and their overly energetic children was Sharon, cradling the newest edition to their growing extended family to her chest.

“She’s gorgeous,” Sharon beamed, admiring the chubby baby in her arms, who matched her gaze with big blue eyes filled with wonder at this stranger holding her. “How old is Farrah again? Five months?”

“Four,” her sister Max replied, smiling at her baby daughter.

Sharon couldn’t help but moan, resting tiny Farrah on her chest and inhaling her indescribable baby scent as Farrah’s stubby legs kicked with excitement.

Sharon was happy. So happy. She couldn’t picture a Thanksgiving in her adult life she had enjoyed as much as this.

When she had arrived at her parent’s place, not even her suitcase with its broken wheel, which forced her to lump it up their concrete driveway, or her delayed flight, or the bitterly cold weather could dampen her mood.

When her mother Michelle had excitedly opened the front door and welcomed her inside, it was like the sun itself had entered their home.

“You look good,” Michelle had said as Sharon had slipped off her coat, taking her daughter’s cold cheeks in both her hands, as if she couldn’t quite believe the extra light in Sharon’s eyes. “You’re practically glowing.”

“Oh, you know,” Sharon had waved her off, smiling ear to ear. “I’m just ready for a little holiday.”

Michelle knew her daughter, and something had shifted inside of Sharon. She wasn’t depressed, but over the years Michelle felt like her light had dulled, like the bulb was covered in a thin layer of dust. It wasn’t visible, but Michelle could feel it. Now, Sharon radiated happiness from every pore.

Carrying a tray of snacks into the living room, she spotted Sharon bobbing little Farrah, catching the moment she calmed the baby down by kissing the top of her head.

*

“Oh, no no, go upstairs and change, quick smart.”

Alaska scoffed.

“But I bought this top specifically for Thanksgiving,” she pointed to her chest, where her white shirt read WHY BE RACIST, SEXIST, HOMOPHOBIC OR TRANSPHOBIC WHEN YOU COULD JUST BE QUIET?

“And I bought you that gorgeous emerald Sherri Hill dress lying on your bed for Thanksgiving as well,” her mother Merle replied, raising one of her eyebrows in a way Alaska always tried to do herself but couldn’t.

“Change.”

Forcing herself to unclench her jaw, Alaska retreated back to her room, her feet tempted to stomp up their wooden staircase and scuff their perfect polished floors because she knew it made her mother livid.

Alaska didn’t want to be a brat, but being around her mom made her defensive hackles go up. Maybe it was the end of the year, or the stress of hosting Thanksgiving, or the fact that every single time they saw each other, Alaska felt like they were actors in a scene just going through the motions of how a mother and daughter should act.

Naively, when Alaska had returned home the day before, she hoped her mother had… changed a little bit. Her father Andrew had answered the door, throwing his comforting arms around her before hauling her “bloody heavy suitcase Alaska jeez it’s only two days” up to her room.

She had walked through their grand home, which was decorated Thanksgiving style, and had found her mother in the dining room, rearranging their dried leaf centrepieces to a Merle Ginsberg-Thunder level of opulence.

“Mom,” Alaska had called, her footsteps not enough to pull her mother from her focused task.

“Lala!” Merle had cried, using the nickname Alaska had given herself when she was little and thought she was pronouncing her name right.

Alaska had hugged her mom, taking in her signature Chanel no. 5, the pearl necklace that always adorned her neck and the orange dress she wore, which hung off her tall, slender frame.

For a moment there, Alaska believed things this year might be a little different.

But then the hug finished, and Merle went back to her centrepiece before ordering Alaska to help her Dad carry down the special glass wear from the attic, leaving her own daughter to feel like another one of her seasonal props. It didn’t help that Alaska had no way to escape, and no valid answer to, her mother’s relentless questions as she helped decorate: What jobs have you applied for? What do you mean none? And internships? None at all? What do you think is going to happen? What’s gotten into you, Alaska? No, don’t put that there, that’s all wrong.

Alaska knew the reason for their unspoken awkwardness, as all it circled back to when she was 19, drunk and feeling lucky, coming out in the middle of their kitchen to who she assumed were accepting parents, before her mother’s explosive reaction had made her backtrack, walking right into Merle’s ‘I’m sure it’s just a phase, Alaska,’ trap.

There was so much Alaska wanted to say to her, but the words never left her mouth, instead building up as resentment inside of her. She glared at the emerald dress in question, another reminder of how poorly Merle knew her own daughter, or how determined she was to make her something she wasn’t.

It was a pretty dress… if you were 14, not 22. It was a short halter neck style number, with a bodice covered in sequins and an organza skirt that flared out. Begrudgingly, Alaska slipped it on, before looking in the mirror and feeling like a complete fucking idiot. The strap around her neck felt suffocating, the fabric felt itchy, and the entire thing was slightly too small, another symbol of how she had grown out of the mould Merle had made for her. She wanted to rip the bloody thing off.

Instead, she pulled it over her head, left it in a passive-aggressive pile on the floor and changed into a backup option she bought along, a seasonally appropriate burgundy dress.

Feeling more like herself, Alaska left to join the guests she heard arriving downstairs, ignoring the lump in her throat and the prickle in her eyes.

*

“And what colour is this?” Sharon said, pointing to her own dress.

“Black!” Brianna replied excitedly, hanging onto Aunty Sharon’s every word.

“Good girl, Cracker, and this?” Sharon pointed to the onesie Farrah was wearing, who was snoozing against her chest where they both laid on the couch.

“Pink!” Brianna smiled. “My favourite colour.”

Alaska’s too, Sharon thought.

“Correct! And what colour is Blair wearing?” Sharon pointed to her 18-month old niece sat on the play mat, completely entertained by the plastic block in her hand.

“Yellow!” Brianna shouted, knowing she was right.

“Yes! Can you show me your paintings?” Sharon asked, watching Brianna wobble over to the pile of artwork all of Sharon’s toddler aged nieces and nephews had made together in the designated kid’s corner.

Sharon slipped out her phone, opening Snapchat and capturing a picture of Farrah asleep on her chest, before writing IM SO CLUCKY!! over the top and sending it to the only contact she had.

They had just finished their early Thanksgiving dinner, and while they waited to digest before dessert was served, Sharon had slipped away from the adults for some better company.

“Look!” Brianna held up her art. “This is mommy and grandma.”

Brianna’s mother, Max, was a tall stick figure with a huge smile on her face. Her grandma, Michelle, was the shortest of them all, Brianna’s artistic decision to make a green blob her body making Sharon crack up.

“And this is you,” Brianna said, pointing to the final woman. Sharon couldn’t stop smiling at the medium height stick figure on the side, the blob of yellow on her head being her hair.

“Aw, it’s so gorgeous Bri!” Sharon beamed. “We need to put that on the fridge.”

“And this is Farrah,” Brianna said, pointing to a small blob of pink floating near Max — that Sharon originally thought was a mistake — which represented her baby sister.

Sharon chucked loudly, causing Farrah to wake up. She cried once, before her chubby fist grabbed at the material of Sharon’s dress.

“Here, let me take Farrah off you,” Max said, walking over to their little gathering on the couch.

“Aw it’s okay, I love holding her,” Sharon smiled, looking down and seeing Farrah press her little face into Sharon.

“Yes, but right now she thinks you’re going to breastfeed her.”

“Oh,” Sharon replied, sitting up and passing the grabby baby back to its mother.

“You’re a complete natural though,” Max smiled. “I can’t wait until you have a little one.”

In the past when people would mention children to Sharon, she would react awkwardly, a bunch of reasons making her believe the whole concept of motherhood was not destined for her.

But now, for once, she agreed.

“Me too,” she said softly.

She hauled herself up from the couch before making her way into the kitchen to scope out a PBR from the fridge.

When she shut the door, Michelle had appeared behind her.

“Those pies in there look yum,” Sharon said, about to ask when they could be dished out before her mom cut her off, a giant smile on her face.

“You’re in love,” Michelle said in a hushed tone.

Sharon couldn’t deny it even if she tried. Her face broke into a smile as her mom took her hands in hers.

“You’d love her, mom,” Sharon whispered. “She’s so funny, she’s got our type of humour, because she’s so smart, and gorgeous, god, she’s so gorgeous.”

“Baby,” Michelle squealed quietly, pulling her daughter in for a hug. “This is so huge. Is it… you know, serious?”

Sharon pulled back, nodding. “I told her I loved her.”

Michelle gasped, making them both giggle.

“And she said it back,” Sharon smiled, leaning against the kitchen counter, the love in her heart making her mind spin.

“Oh, you don’t know how happy I am to see you like this, Sharon,” Michelle said, her eyes misty.

They hugged, Sharon burying her face into her mom’s neck as her loving arms wrapped around her, all the while imagining Alaska in this very kitchen, laughing and bonding with Michelle.

“Grandma.”

They both jumped slightly, looking down to see Brianna tugging on Michelle’s dress.

“Can I have some pie? Please.”

*

“So then I said…”

Alaska rolled her eyes as her mother repeated a story from her glory pageant days to the whole family, one she knew word for word. Alaska picked at her food, lip-syncing perfectly with her mother.

“…I was Miss Erie Pennsylvania 1992, and don’t you forget it.”

Their table roared with laughter while Alaska shoved a piece of potato salad into her mouth.

Expectedly, this dinner had been hard work.

It started when her mother had pressured her in front of everyone to put turkey on her plate, forcing Alaska to announce yet again she was a vegetarian, fully knowing it’d spark another debate.

“I just don’t understand vegetarians,” her mother had sighed, “the animals are already dead when they get to the supermarket. You can’t do anything to save them.”

Alaska wanted to crawl into a hole.

In the middle of dinner, when her Aunty Bebe had leaned across the table and genuinely asked Alaska how she was going at university, and what her plans were for afterwards, Merle had completely cut her daughter off.

“She’s thinking of moving back home, who knows, maybe you could do the marketing for Crowns and Gowns,” Merle had interjected, referencing her pageantry training business.

“What? No,” Alaska had snapped back, the thought alone infuriating her.

While Alaska loved makeup and clothes and talented women, her mother’s overwhelming involvement in pageants her entire life had made her detest them. They were so old-fashioned and conservative and stuffy.

And so was Merle.

Alaska wouldn’t still be thinking about this moment if her mother hadn’t leaned into her Aunty Nina seated next to her and whispered, “she doesn’t know whatshe wants.”

Alaska wanted to scream.

I want Sharon, she had thought blinking back the moisture in her eyes as she stared at her food.

“And what about your love life,” Aunty Bebe had said in her usual vivacious manner, attempting to brighten her niece’s deflated mood. “Breaking any boy’s hearts?”

Alaska’s eyes darted to Merle’s, which widened in a comical way. However, with her mouth full of turkey, Alaska jumped in before she could utter another word.

“Oh, no boys on the agenda,” Alaska smiled at her Aunt. “But who knows.”

“Lovely,” Bebe replied, taking a sip of her wine and missing the smirk on Alaska’s lips, and Merle’s anxious gaze.

Towards the end of the dinner, when Alaska was her most bored and alone as she was wedged between her younger cousins who were discussing PewDiePie, whatever that was, and her older aunts and uncles, her phone had lit up in her lap.

snoodles sent you a snap!

Alaska had excused herself to the bathroom, momentarily putting her angst on hold while she tapped open Sharon’s picture. She whined when she saw the chubby little baby sleeping on a very happy Sharon’s chest, and her heart filled with joy reading how clucky she felt.

She took a screenshot, replied with what felt like millions of love hearts and crying emojis, before going back to staring at the picture again. She stared at it until she calmed down, reminding herself that she wasn’t a teenager anymore, that her life was so much more than what her mother wanted for her, and that there was so much ahead of her.

*

“Well, I call that a success,” Merle said, walking into the kitchen after waving off the last of their guests.

With her back to her, Alaska rolled her eyes from her spot at the sink where she was rinsing dishes. She could describe their Thanksgiving as a lot of things, but a success wasn’t one of them.

Merle took a seat at their marble granite breakfast bar, pouring herself another glass of wine.

“Of course, it would have been even better if you hadn’t been in such a mood all day, Alaska.”

Heat prickled up Alaska’s spine, reaching her brain before spiking through all her nerves. She scrubbed the plate in her hand, the old bristles of the brush leaving tiny scratches in its wake, just like her mother.

“I mean, what’s gotten into you? I feel like every time I see you you’re on the defence, and—“

Alaska couldn’t take it anymore.

She threw the plate into the sink, not meaning to shatter it, but God, it did, and it felt fucking good.

“Alaska—”

“No!” she whipped around, fury in her eyes as words after words poured out of her. “You think I’m in a mood? You wanna know what’s gotten into me? You. You! It’s like you’re suffocating me. And I know why you’re like this but you never bring it up which is what makes it worse—“

Alaska’s body took over. She choked up, tears welling in her eyes as her throat tightened. But she needed to finish, looking at her mother’s shocked expression across the island bench top.

“I’ve put up with so much shit from you ever since… ever since I… came out,” Alaska said, a pang of hurt in her heart as her mother rolled her eyes. “No! Listen to me. Or don’t. I don’t fucking care anymore, because it doesn’t matter. I don’t need to know how you feel, but I know when I came out, you weren’t happy, and I freaked out and told you I might be bi, or that I wasn’t sure, because I knew that’s what you wanted. Well now I’ve found someone.”

She caught the moment Merle’s lips parted in shock, the moment her breath hitched.

With wet cheeks and red eyes and a frame shaking with emotion, Alaska continued, feeling both terrified yet electric.

“I’ve found someone and she makes me so happy, the happiest I’ve ever been. And if you don’t want that for me, that’s fine. But that’s what I want. I want her, and I’ve never been more sure of something in my life.”

She placed her hands on her bench, the coldness of the marble shocking her hot skin as she leaned towards her mother, repeating the words Merle had said to her aunt. “That’s what I want.”

She didn’t catch Merle’s reaction, because as her mother sat in shock for mere moments, Alaska was already gone, leaving the kitchen before running up the stairs to her room and closing the door. She didn’t need to slam it, she wasn’t throwing a tantrum. But she needed to be alone.

In the dark, she made it to her bed, breaking down as a sob racked through her whole body. She clutched her pillow to her chest, pressing her face to it and not caring about her makeup as she cried.

It felt liberating to flush everything out. But above all, everything just felt real. It made Sharon feel real. It made their relationship even more real. And it made her relationship with her mother, which she had ignored, avoided and agonised over, feel real.

Without knowing how much time had passed, Alaska eventually felt around for her phone, the brightness of her lock screen blinding her as she pried off her phone case. Out fell her favourite polaroid.

She held it in her hand, which still shook slightly. Staring at it again, she couldn’t help but smile at her and Sharon’s laughing faces, at how happy and carefree they were.

Dabbing her eyes, she tapped the contact at the top of her messages.

*

“That’s her,” Sharon squealed quietly, getting up from the couch where her and Michelle sat after dinner.

“Oooh,” Michelle whispered back, her eyelids heavy as she looked about three seconds away from falling asleep after a hectic day.

Sharon escaped to the spare bedroom of her mother’s new house which was hers for the holiday. She shut the door behind her before answering the phone and laying down on her sheets.

“Hey baby,” Sharon smiled. “Happy Thanksgiving! Even though we called each other this morning. How was your day?”

“Hey,” Alaska croaked, her voice muffled, before Sharon heard a sniff that made her heart sink.

“Are you okay?” She said seriously, and the concern in her voice made Alaska well up again. She just wanted to be in Sharon’s arms.

“Yeah,” Alaska said, shamelessly letting a sob slip out.

“No!” Sharon worried, immediately standing up, as if she was about to run out of the house and defend on girlfriend on foot. “What happened? Talk to me, it’s okay, where are you? Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alaska breathed in. “I’m fine, I’m in my room. I just… had a fight with mom. Well not a fight, I don’t know, I just… came out all over again, and I told her I found someone and how happy I am, and that I don’t care what she thinks, and then I went upstairs.”

Sharon was silent, her eyes wide at what she was hearing.

“And like,” Alaska continued, her voice becoming clearer as she settled down. “I’m not really crying out of sadness, I don’t know, it’s more like, just a lot of emotions, and relief maybe, because I just didn’t think I was about to do that, and then I went and did that, and I’m like, kind of shocked and surprised by myself. Does that make sense?”

“Oh, Alaska,” Sharon’s voice was thick with admiration as her moisture prickled in her eyes. “I’m so proud of you! I’m so proud of you. Fuck me, no wonder you’re crying. Now I’m crying.”

Alaska laughed, Sharon’s voice filling her heart with joy. She had made her girlfriend proud.

“What you did right now was huge,” Sharon told her. “When did you try last time? 19? You’ve made 19-year-old Lasky so proud. I always knew you were brave, Alaska, but now you know, and it, ugh, I don’t even have the words.”

Sharon was silent, and Alaska sensed she was about to keep going.

“I wish I could have come out when I was younger…” Sharon said softly, sitting back down on her bed. “But I just… couldn’t. It was so hard. It was a different time. And I know things are still just as shit at times now, but you’re incredible, baby. I’m so proud of you. I love you. I love you so much, Alaska.”

Alaska wanted to reply, but Sharon’s words had left her speechless, so she nodded fiercely.

“Baby?” Sharon attempted.

“I’m nodding,” Alaska laughed. “And crying again. I love you, you don’t know how much I needed to hear that.”

They fell silent, hearing the sounds of each other breathing, finding comfort in just knowing someone was there.

“I wish I could be with you right now,” Sharon whispered.

“Me too,” Alaska whispered back. “Well, I’d rather come to you. Oh! That baby on your snap was so cute. Please tell me more about said babies.”

“Before I do, because there were a lot of babies,” Sharon laughed, “are you feeling okay now?”

“Yeah,” Alaska said honestly. “I feel a lot better. I feel calm. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I’m leaving after lunch. So I think I’m just going to shower and pass out tonight.”

“Call me tomorrow if you need anything, okay?” Sharon said, making Alaska promise before recounting her day. “Right, so the little baby is Farrah, she’s my sister’s new baby, whom I will be of course stealing. Oh my god it was so cute she was like pressing her face into my boob and I didn’t realise it’s because she was hungry. Max already has an older girl called Brianna, she’s almost 3 and is very good with her colours right now and has the cutest little brown curls…”

Alaska nodded along, the love in Sharon’s voice for her family the perfect distraction.

*

The next morning was difficult to describe, mostly because Alaska couldn’t believe it was happening. To the surprise of everyone, it didn’t feel like the aftermath of a war, or even a storm.

It was more like passing of heavy, much needed, rain.

Dry dead grass hadn’t turned a vivid lush green overnight. Birds weren’t chirping in the trees.

But the air felt different — fresh, and everything felt clean, washed away with the hope of something new about to grow.

When she descended the stairs, the smell of coffee and toast luring her out of her room, she found her Dad reading the paper as always, and Merle in her pyjamas squeezing oranges for fresh juice.

Alaska never worried about her easy-going father. Andrew’s much gentler demeanour meant he always played Switzerland in her arguments with her mother, bringing to the table a rational, level-headedness.

But with her mother, some of the tension that had lingered for the previous few years, that Alaska never got used to, that Alaska never wanted to get used to, had somewhat melted away.

Alaska knew her mother, and she knew words weren’t her strongest suit. But Alaska noticed her actions. She noticed how she made Alaska’s coffee absolutely perfectly, even after not making her one for months due to her living away. She noticed how she let their dog Poundcake jump onto the furniture to be with Alaska, even though Merle winced whenever Cake’s little claws pricked at the upholstery.

Above all, when it was time to leave just after lunch, she helped haul Alaska’s giant suitcase down the stairs. When she lost her grip slightly, its hard corner scuffing their perfectly polished floors, Alaska’s heart had stopped, already imagining her mother’s reaction.

But Merle couldn’t care less.

“It’s just one scuff, Alaska,” she said genuinely. “It’ll be okay.”

When it was time to say goodbye, her father already in the driver’s seat ready for the almost two hour road trip back to campus, Alaska turned to give her mom a hug.

“Have a safe drive back,” Merle had said into her hair. “Not long to go now until graduation, how exciting!”

Alaska had smiled and nodded, crouching down to kiss Poundcake goodbye before moving to hop in the car. But her mother reached out and caught her arm, immediately loosening her grip slightly after seeing Alaska’s shocked expression.

“I want you to be happy.”

Alaska could have cried. She nearly did. Her mother’s voice was so even, her words so genuine.

“Thank you,” Alaska whispered, but Merle nodded vigorously, as if Alaska had shouted it from the rooftops.

Merle blinked quickly, so quickly Alaska didn’t see the moisture bubble around her lash line. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Alaska rushed out, realising just how desperately she needed to hear it from her mother, and just how badly she had been wanting to say it back.

She felt both little and older at the same time, like she was a child again, viewing their relationship as perfect, but also like a woman, as if her mother was speaking to her as an adult, an equal.

She’d never know it, but her mother felt the same. As she loosened her grip and let Alaska’s sleeve slip through her fingertips, it didn’t feel like she was waving her baby daughter off again into the world, but instead finally meeting the person she had grown into.

*

When Thanksgiving was over, and the students returned to their dorms, Alaska returned to Sharon’s apartment. She hit ‘submit’ on an internship application, watching her resume and the cover letter Sharon had helped her write get sucked into the internet. The application process was quick, so quick that Alaska couldn’t believe she had procrastinated it for so long, and so easy that she was now a little bit excited instead of so dreadfully scared.

Then, they fell into each others arms and onto their sheets.

But this time was different.

It was like Alaska’s skin was air, and Sharon’s lips were lungs.

She took control, praising Alaska’s body and showering her with a new kind of love that Alaska didn’t have words for. Sharon didn’t have the words for it either, but they knew what they were thinking. They were both proud of Alaska.

When she came once, twice, three times, Alaska finally fell back against the sheets, completely spent. She pulled the older woman on top of her so her tongue could taste the sweat that had began to form in the hollows of her pale collarbones. Her fingers tangled in Sharon’s hair as their heavy breathing slowed and their nerves continued to jolt with aftershocks.

“I don’t care how cheesy this sounds,” Sharon whispered, her voice deliciously raspy from sex. “I’m thankful for you.”

Alaska’s heart did a summersault.

“I’m thankful for you, too,” she whispered back.

Their lips met, and suddenly Alaska’s breakdown in this exact bed over her future felt like an entire lifetime ago, when it was only last week.

They cuddled, Sharon knowing she’d have to eventually get up and turn all the lights in the apartment off and brush her teeth while she was up anyway, but she wanted to savour the moment for a minute longer.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed.

She peaked her eyes open from where her naked limbs were tangled with Alaska’s.

Maybe it was because she knew by the chime that it wasn’t a text tone, but instead an email. Maybe she knew it was weird for someone to be emailing her work account at 11pm at night, still around the Thanksgiving holiday.

Whatever the reason, something made Sharon check her notifications, and as soon as she saw it, she wished she hadn’t.

Alaska knew something was wrong when Sharon had rolled over to check her phone, only to stay staring, frozen at the screen, not moving.

“What’s wrong?” Alaska said sleepily, holding her head up from the pillow, her hair tousled from sex.

Sharon forced her dry mouth to swallow.

“It’s Chad,” she said, clearing her throat because the words were barely audible the first time. “It’s Chad, from… from work. My boss. Telling me… this meeting… with Bianca…”

Her eyes darted from one word to the next, not processing phrases like ‘urgent meeting’ or ‘sensitive situation’.

Sharon tore her intense gaze away from her phone, the light from the screen casting eerie shadows across her frightened face as she looked at her worried girlfriend — one of her students —in her bed.  

“I think they know.”

[oneletterandathousandwords]

Jimin is a makeup artist in a company for an idol and Jungkook is an office worker who recently got a promotion. After him and Jungkook adopt a boy, Jimin decides to stay at home to take care of him. Missing his work too much, Jimin decides to become a beauty guru on youtube.

Jungkook’s promotion is the reason why they were able to adopt Minjae who is still only a year old when they first adopt him. Jungkook can’t stay at home because of his new position and Jimin doesn’t want to neglect the baby which is why he refuses to go on tour with the idol.

It’s fine at first. Jimin is busy with the baby and Jungkook tries to help as much as he can. As they both get the hang of it, taking care of Minjae much easier now, the initial boredom Jimin felt from time to time gets worse. Jungkook who feels bad because Jimin gave up his work for their family, encourages Jimin to start a youtube channel.

At first Jimin only needs to figure out how to film a video and how to edit them, takes his time to find out how he wants his channel to look. It’s fun, working with the brushes and colouring his face with different shades of colour each week, does themed makeup videos, natural and party looks, and so much more. One day, Minjae is sick, his sleeping schedule is disturbed, and he wakes up in the middle of filming. Jimin goes to him with his makeup half done. As soon as Jimin leaves the room he starts crying, also refusing to fall back asleep. So Jimin takes him with him to film the rest of the video, introducing Minjae as a “special guest.” Minjae is liked by the viewers so much that Jimin films with Minjae regularly from then on, sitting on the ground so Minjae can sit with him in front of a huge mirror.

As Minjae gets older, and Jimin slowly gets a bigger audience, he “helps” his dad more and more with his videos. He gives Jimin the brushes but usually puts them in his mouth. Chubby cheeks full with brushes, three in each hands and lipstick on his lips cause he's trying to imitate his daddy. The first time it happens, Jimin screams and the baby gets frightened, chin wobbling and then fat tears rolling down his cheeks. He lets the brushes fall immediately and wails. Jimin doesn’t edit out the scene of him consoling Minjae.

Once Minjae crawls into Jimin’s lap and tries to paint his face. The next time, Jimin lets Minjae do his makeup and asks Minjae which colours he should use. But Minjae doesn’t always corporate, too antsy to sit still for multiple hours. It gets even harder to film his videos as Jimin’s channel gets bigger, people also having found out that he used work for that idol. So Jungkook, now more settled in his new job, asks his boss if he can work from home sometimes. So when Jimin is filming his videos, he takes care of Minjae. One day, he walks in on Jimin filming his video because Minjae is crying again and Jimin lets that part in. As soon as the video is up, his comment section blows up with questions about the hot man.

Fulfilling the wishes of his followers, Jimin asks Jungkook to be in one of his videos and does Jungkook’s makeup. From then on Jungkook tries to be as involved in Jimin’s videos as much as he can because he likes being part of something that means so much to Jimin. Soon he also starts filming Jimin and Minjae, and calls those videos “Dad Cam” or “Kookie Cam.” Jimin tells him to use only one because both have the same content anyway but Jungkook likes both too much to decide so he does both.

With time, Jimin finds himself clueless about what to do again. He’s getting out of ideas what to film, having done all kinds of makeup tutorials, and he doesn’t want to change the focus from the makeup. Minjae also gets older and starts going to kindergarten which leads to Jimin having more time on his hands.

It’s a miracle when Jimin gets a job offered from his old company and he thinks hard about whether he wants to continue being a stay at home dad, continue with his youtube videos and be there for Minjae just as much as he was before, or if he wants to take the offer from his company because Minjae doesn’t need him as much as before and he doesn’t know what to film anymore anyway.

In the end, he settles for working half-time and still trying to upload videos regularly. That way he also has enough time for Minjae and Jungkook.

Written with my lovely @socappa who also helped me a lot choose the pictures for the moodboard.

[gregoftom]

Hi. So I've been looking at your Nygmobblepot art on your 18+ Twitter. I LOVE IT SO MUCH! It's all great but the chubby Oswald ones are my faves. I just really like the way you draw Ed & Oswald together that way. Anyway, I was wondering whether you had any tips for drawing that sort of thing? Sorry if that is a bad thing to ask or if that creeped you out. I was just curious. If it didn't & you do have wisdom to impart then I can go on DMs either here or Twitter if it's easier for you.

hello!! :D ahhhh thank you sm! i’m glad you like it! and no no doesn’t creep me out at all! let’s see here

don’t be afraid to reference. ref ref ref!!! i’ve used so many refs and that’s honestly the best way to learn and get some good positions. eventually it’ll get to the point where you edit bits and pieces yourself to make it fit what you’re drawing, and even though it’s different from the original ref, it still looks okay. the ref can at the least be a bare bones outline/guideline and at the most be a great position reference. just go on google images or if you need something more specific, go on an adult videos site and put in the search term then screencap a frame. 

if you need something SUPER specific don’t give up when you’re looking for a reference! odds are there’s a pic/vid with what you’re looking for, you just have to search longer!

anatomy is dumb as hell so don’t be discouraged if you have trouble with what you’re drawing! for some reason i end up picking the most difficult positions and anatomy for myself and end up self sabotaging SIGH but i get there in the end! try different positions and angles for body parts and such, and sometimes looking up the way a hand is positioned on its own can help you in the full picture.

practice practice practice!!! you have to do it a lot, it’s like drawing anything, doing it over and over will not only make you used to it but bring improvements as well. sadly i hadn’t had much experience with drawing larger people so i found it quite difficult to draw chubwald, but even with just the second set of sketches it got easier!

draw the things you find the hardest. for example if you find boobs the hardest, don’t try to hide them, draw them! eventually you’ll get the hang of it. i used to HATE drawing dicks and would do everything i could to hide them, but some positions just don’t allow that and it really limits what you can draw, so i started to draw them more often and use references and tutorials (search things like breast tutorial or penis tutorial. there Will be one out there for most things i guarantee it) and now i really enjoy drawing them!

this is a personal thing, but to me sex is very intimate and i just Can’t draw people fucking without it being loving, so it’s important to keep in mind expressions and little things like hand touches to show the intimacy. show them squished against each other, fingers dipping into skin, tongues wrapped around bodies, things like that. to make it more realistic think about how close people get when they’re having sex and try to put that into your art.

don’t try to go for really confusing/complicated positions!! it’s good to be ambitious, but some positions are just too weird to draw/end up looking silly when illustrated. make sure it’s something realistic!

that’s all i can really think of! i hope this helps!!

my big secret is referencing. don’t be afraid to do so even for the simple things, even the most famous artists reference!

[minecraft]

I seriously need to know how you did that car edit. It looks like way too much attention to detail was put into it

The level of detail that I put into it is exactly the right amount, because I had fun messing with it!It was done using Photoshop. With layers... I found an already-existing image of the back of a figurine to cover over the torso of the driver. I had to blur some things around and erase a bit though. Like the top of the figurine’s hair was cut off so I had to blur it out to extend it and then shape it so it was more pointy with erase. I also had to erase around the back of the seat. In reality I might’ve been able to make the figurine body fit in more by adding soft shading and/or global lighting to it too... That’s when you take the surrounding scenery, blur it up a bit, then apply it as a lighting effect to the area of a new object. I’ve never seen a tutorial on that before and the way I do it might be unique because it’s something I’ve just sort of come up with after using photoshop for so long.There’s a sans hidden in there too, which I had to make fit a specific color profile and resize/skew.Herobrine and Herb cookie are basically just uneditted sprites that I resized slightly, very easy to do that. Chubby Pikachu was basically the same but I lowered the brightness of them so they’d look like they fit the brightness of the passenger leg compartment.