#finishing creative projects is always satisfying

[joshym]

Muse

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x f!Reader

Summary: Your struggling artist is desperate for some inspiration.

Word Count: 3.4k+

Warnings: smut (18+ ONLY), unprotected p in v, oral (f! receiving), a smidge of sir kink, some spanking, a lot of fluff because i can't help myself, Jake draws a naked portrait of you (let me know if i've missed anything)

a/n: special thanks to this lovely anon for this brilliant idea. this was way too much fun to write.

this was inspired heavily by that scene from the Titanic. (you know the one.)

as always, thank you to my favorite editor/motivator, @jakeyt.

i hope you enjoy. ♡

“I want you to draw me wearing this.” You reach into the lapel of the robe, retrieving his coin that now hangs from your neck. “Only this.”

.⚘🀢⚘.⚘🀢⚘.⚘🀢⚘.

His frustration is palpable, evident in the nearly incessant huffing emanating from behind the closed door of his studio.

It's moments like these that leave you feeling utterly helpless. There’s nothing you can do, no inspiration you can provide that will pull him from his artist’s block.  

He's been holed up in there for hours, since the early dawn, lost in the depths of his imagination, sketching away. You know better than to intrude; he's never been keen on sharing his work until it's finished.

In fact, he's never once allowed you a glimpse into his creative process. "It's the strange doodlings of a mind overrun with ideas. It's not to be seen until it's in its final form," he's reminded you countless times when your curiosity gets the better of you.

Still yet, you're consumed by the desire to witness his beautiful mind in action, crafting masterpieces in real-time, each stroke flowing from his soul through his tireless hand on his Somerset velvet sheets.

But, like any artist, he’s his own worst critic. He’s never truly satisfied with anything he creates, though you are left utterly speechless after each piece he finishes. His mind is a beautifully profound chasm of endless wonder, manifested through his artistry.

You hate when he has these moments of doubt, these instances when he questions whether he’s truly capable of such greatness. 

And you especially despise days like today, when he spends the better part of it feeling as though he has a mental brick wall in the way of his ingenuity, hindering his hand from bringing to life what his mind so desperately longs to conceive. 

Commissioned pieces, like his project today, always hold the most weight for him— from the need to earn a living, to his persistent worry that his art might not meet the expectations of the client. 

It’s not that he doesn’t love doing them, or that he’ll ever stop taking them; quite the contrary, they’re his favorite pieces to work on. They provide him with an added pressure that elicits some of his best work. 

But, reaching that point can be rather strenuous for him. It can at times take days, weeks before he discovers the creative impulsion he needs. 

And right now, he’s in that very rut, awaiting the surge of inspiration that will reignite his dulled spirit.

There truly is nothing you can do when he’s lost like this, and any effort you’ve attempted in the past has always proved useless. 

The one thing you can do, however, is prepare him some dinner.

He’s hardly left his studio today, and you know he’s not eaten much, if anything at all. Perhaps a morsel of sustenance will ignite the dormant embers of his mind. 

.⚘🀢⚘.⚘🀢⚘.⚘🀢⚘.

After a quiet tap to the door, he invites you in with a serene voice. 

He looks tired, but lovely as ever. The golden hour has officially set in the sky, and the opened curtains on the windows have allowed for a warm hue to encompass his studio, enveloping him in its delicate lume.

“That smells absolutely divine,” he remarks as you enter his studio, his plate and yours delicately balanced in your hands. 

“I figured a little homemade pasta would do you some good,” you tell him while you pad across the floor to his work station.

With a sly disposition and a playful glint in your eye, you aim to steal a glance of his day-long project, but alas, you’ve been caught. Your sweet Jake misses nothing.

"Not yet, my love," he murmurs, flipping the page over as he takes your hand, planting a tender kiss over your knuckles. "You know the rules."

“I know, I know.” Your response holds a bit of remorse. You know better, but can’t begin to help the relentless desire to see his mind at work. 

Setting his dinner on the desk he’s working from, you move yourself across the small office to the green chaise lounge that sits across from him, silently seeking his permission with your gentle glances. The smile in his eyes tells you that he’s more than happy to be graced with your company for the time being. 

After taking a bite of the spinach tortellini you prepared, he unbuttons his white striped shirt, removing it from his shoulders and stretching his arms high above his head as though he’s ridding himself of the weight of his frustrations.

You can’t help your glare, watching him do something so normal yet so intriguing all at once. 

His skin is velvety smooth, his chest rising and falling with every breath he takes, his chestnut wavy locks sitting atop his broad shoulders. You’re in awe each time you look at him; the sheer magnitude of his beauty never fails to steal your breath away.

And his necklace, his most cherished piece of jewelry that he wears each and every day. The precious coin, a relic salvaged from a centuries-old shipwreck that hangs against his chest.

The way it sits on his bare skin is nothing short of elating, sexy. It’s a wonderful addition to his already captivating aura. 

He’s flawless. Everything about him.

Once he catches your gaze, he responds with a sly wink, eliciting a blush that paints your cheeks a bright shade of pink.

Then, a thought begins to swirl around your mind for a brief moment. One that you’re shocked you’ve not conjured until now. 

The vision of the pendant against his bare skin sets your own imagination alight. 

“I’ve got an idea,” you propose, your voice soft and sultry, trying to pique his interest even just a little, something that may help the rusted wheels of his mind turn at full capacity once again.

While his focus remains on his work, his right eyebrow arches ever so slightly, and you catch the hint of a grin daring to curl in the corners of his mouth.

“And what might that be, my dear?” he asks with an unknowing, devilish smirk. 

As you get up, he hastily flips the page back over to hide his work from you once again.

“Don’t worry,” you say as you move behind him, placing your hands on his bare shoulders. “I won’t peek.”

You glide your fingers along his skin, feeling the subtle rise of each goosebump in the wake of your gentle touch.

He hums inquisitively as you delicately take hold of the clasp of his necklace in between your index and thumb, undoing it in one fluid motion before slowly slipping it from around his neck. 

“Be right back,” you say as you head towards the door. “Don’t move.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he responds, a myriad of questions splayed across his features.

With light steps, you make your way down the wooden floors of the hall towards your shared bedroom. Hanging on the back of the door is your sapphire hued satin robe, adorned with a delicate lace detailing along the hem—the one Jake has always fawned over. 

The satin drapes coolly against your skin as you slip it on, wearing nothing underneath, save for the weight of Jake’s necklace resting against your chest that you hide beneath the fabric. 

You run your fingers through your hair, adding a subtle tousled look, before applying a light blush to your lips and cheeks to impart a bit of natural color to your complexion.

And with that, you're poised and ready.

.⚘🀢⚘.⚘🀢⚘.⚘🀢⚘.

As you turn the corner to face his studio, you see a very weary version of your Jake. His head sits in the palms of his hands, his leg bounces up and down at a rapid rate—a clear sign of the mental battle he’s waging. 

This is as good a time as any for your little idea, and you’re hoping that it’ll be the very thing he needs to find some much needed initiative to keep going. 

“Hi, baby,” you venture, leaning your body alluringly against the frame of the door. 

As he looks up, a familiar twinkle dances in his eyes—a sight you've longed for all day long. It's a glimmer that tells you he's rather fond of the vision before him.

“And what exactly is your idea?” he inquires softly, slowly standing from his chair. But you stop him, motioning for him to stay just where he is as you saunter towards the chaise you were seated on just moments ago. 

“My idea,” you begin, making a very slow, deliberate attempt to untie the sash holding your robe together at the waist. “...is for you to draw me.” 

As if your thought has affected him physically, his posture immediately straightens, and his once tired eyes hold a renewed sense of life as they watch you intently. 

“I want you to draw me wearing this.” You reach into the lapel of the robe, retrieving his coin that now hangs from your neck. “Only this.” 

Your robe suddenly falls to the floor, revealing your fully nude figure that was hidden beneath. 

“Oh…” he utters, his tongue wetting his lower lip before tucking it between his teeth. “You can’t do this to me, baby. I can’t look at you like this an–”

“Consider it a commission,” you interrupt, tracing your fingers lightly up and down the skin of your torso. “And when you’re finished, if it’s to my liking, you’ll receive a full payment.”

With a raised eyebrow, his gaze sweeps up and down your form, while his index finger lightly grazes his chin.

“You’re quickly becoming my favorite client,” he quips, wiping a stray bead of sweat away from his forehead, tousling the front of his hair in the process. “Consider it done, ma’am,” he continues with a confirming nod of his head. 

You lay yourself down on the forest green velvet cushions, positioning yourself sensually across the chaise. Your body is turned slightly to the side, your leg gracefully crossed over the other, an elegant display of your curved silhouette. 

The warm glow that is so beautifully cast upon Jake, is now cast upon you, the aura laying over your nude body like a golden blanket of light. 

“Is this okay?” you ask him, draping your arm over the back of the chaise, making sure the coin sits meticulously atop your chest before your other arm falls to rest against your body. 

He simply grins while nodding his head, his eyes drinking you in, a mix of surprise and desire evident within his expression.

“Yeah, that um…that’ll do just fine,” he tells you, the slight crack in his voice eliciting a smile from you, a break in his professional facade. 

With a deep breath, he takes his prized Faber Castell 9000, carefully sharpening the tip just a bit before putting it against a blank sheet. 

And then, as the true artist you know him to be, he begins without a hint of hesitancy. The gentle sound of the lead scratching away at the paper fills the quiet room— a sound you’ve come to cherish, a sound that signifies his craft is steadily blossoming to life.

He seems charmingly nervous, his hand gently brushing against his nose every so often between a series of strokes from his pencil, clearing his throat more than usual. His eyes flint to you, then back to the paper, then back to you, a succession of his adoration and determination, ensuring that the likeness captured in his art closely mirrors your essence. 

You try to keep your face composed, a seductive allure about your features. But as you watch him, immersed in his passion, the way he’s studying you so intently, it becomes nearly impossible to suppress the beginnings of a smile upon your lips. 

But despite your efforts, he takes note of the curve adorning your flushed lips, mirroring it with his own. “Relax your face for me, beautiful.” The soft rasp in his tone is enough to send a blush throughout your whole body. 

Breathing in your nose and exhaling through parted lips, you’re able to reclaim your composure enough to steady your expression. 

Every moment you share with him is a brushstroke of beauty, but something about this one stands out. The intimacy of it all, how he must diligently study every inch of your form to convey your image through his art, the intensity behind his focused gaze…your heart is racing in your chest, despite your relaxed demeanor. 

.⚘🀢⚘.⚘🀢⚘.⚘🀢⚘.

With the sun almost hidden behind the early moon, he completes the final stroke.

He lays his pencil down, gently blowing on the paper to remove any stray lead before he picks it up, examining it closely while he walks it over to you. 

As he holds it out before you, allowing you to at last see his craft come to life, you’re left entirely awestruck. 

“Oh, Jake.” The sight before you leaves you nearly breathless. It exceeds every expectation, beyond the boundaries of your imagination. It’s a portrayal of you, but not just that— it’s how he sees you.

It’s the first time you’re witnessing yourself through his eyes, and in that, you feel a profound sense of beauty within yourself that you’ve never known. 

“Do you like it?” He asks, a slight tremor present in his voice. 

“It’s…incredible, Jake.” 

Propping yourself up a bit, you carefully take the drawing from his hands, poring over his vast attention to the detail in your face, your body. 

Specifically your breasts, how perfectly he depicted their round curve above your rib cage, encapsulating the fullness and allure of them. 

You’re entranced by the way he drew the contour of your hips, how he captured the dip in them that you’ve always looked at with disdain, yet in his portrayal, you’re able to see the beauty in what you’ve considered a flaw.

He encapsulated everything, even the faint freckle beneath the curve of your left breast, and the mole under your belly button. He managed to immortalize all the intricate nuances that you typically overlook.

“Is this what I really look like?”

“Yes, but,” he takes the drawing from you, placing it on the mahogany table beside the chaise lounge. He helps you lay back down, gently caressing your face that he’s just conveyed through his artistry as he props himself above you. “The essence of your beauty defies any depiction.”

Then, his lips envelope yours in a kiss so fervent, so ardent, as though he’s waited hours to finally have you within his grasp. 

His hand moves with a swift grace to your breast, fingers toying with your perked bud. This erotic moment with him has you already so flustered, so sensitive to every touch of his hands. 

He breaks his lips from yours, only to land them down the column of your heaving chest.

“You’ve no idea how hard it was for me to look at you like this, to look at these,” he mumbles against the tingling skin, hands kneading the flesh of your breasts. “And fight the urge to come place my lips on every inch of this beautiful fucking body.”

And just as he said, he bestows tender yet hungry kisses down the length of your torso, maneuvering his body down the chaise lounge until he kneels before you. He nestles his face perfectly between your thighs, his warm breath tantalizing your wet center from his dangerously close proximity. 

“I certainly hope you don’t let all of your clients pay you like this,” you mutter, breathless and yearning for his mouth. 

“Only the ones that tickle my fancy,” he says, his words adorned with a playful wink before he delves into you. 

He laps away at your pulsing cunt, like he’s been starved for your taste this entire evening. The lewd, lascivious sounds he’s emitting from between your legs only serve to heighten your need for him, causing your back to instinctively arch away from the plush cushions. 

And when his lips envelop your throbbing clit, his tongue swirling around it inside his warm mouth, your body trembles and shudders. A rush of warmth encompasses you, starting from the depths of your core, the pit of your stomach, spreading to every inch of your being. 

You surrender to the intoxicating bliss, your breath catching in your throat while your heart pounds in a crescendoing rhythm.  

He guides you through it, gently holding your hips in place while the movement of his tongue slows in perfect time as with the ebb of your climax.

“Oh, that was so beautiful, my love.” He lovingly kisses the inside of your thigh before he stands, removing the belt from his patchwork jeans. “Turn over for me, baby.”

“Yes, sir,” you quietly utter as you obey his demand, knowing good and damn well what that specific name does to him. 

Just as he commanded, you turn your body over to your stomach, placing your elbows against the arm of the chaise, your back arched as much as you can so that your ass is sticking up just right for him.

“Love when my sweet girl calls me that,” he purrs before his belt hits the floor, his jeans and underwear quickly in tow and freeing his impossibly hard cock. 

“So, what’s the verdict, my love?” You feel the cushion sink in behind you as he settles himself between your legs, his right hand caressing your hip while the other teases your soaked cunt with the tip of his cock, leaking with precum. “Was my work to your liking?”

You giggle breathlessly, poking your ass out even further as an offering to him for his hard work. “Yes, I believe you’ve earned your reward.” 

He steadily begins nudging his cock into you, going slow at first, allowing you to fully adjust to him. 

Inch by thick inch, he fills you completely to the hilt, your breath catching in heavy gasps that are robbed from your lungs as he buries himself deeply within you. 

Your nails claw at the velvet armrest as his thrusts quicken in their pace, your upper body nearly going limp as you’re no longer able to easily hold yourself up.  

His hands hold a firm grip at your lower waist, pulling you into his cock rhythmically, yet becoming more and more disordered as he’s beginning to lose himself to the pleasure. 

You cry out a slew of obscenities mixed with his name, begging him to fuck you harder, faster.

Without question he complies, landing an open palm against your ass cheek. “So good for me baby,” he hums, his thighs slapping against the backs of yours as he drives into you just the way you need. “So fucking good for me.” 

With one more vigorous thrust of his hips, you feel that familiar rush throughout your whole body as your cunt throbs and pulses incessantly around his cock.

“Fuck, I feel you, baby. Pretty little cunt squeezing me so tight.” You feel the twitching of his cock inside of you, an indication that he's on the very brink of his own release. 

“Cum inside me, sir. Please…need you to fill me.” Your voice is faltered, your body still reeling from your second climax. 

“Jesus,” he groans, moaning exasperatedly as your words have him spilling within you, filling you with his warmth just as you requested. 

He stays buried inside of you as he catches his breath, feeling his release slowly trickling down your thighs as you struggle to fill your own lungs. 

You have to fight the urge to protest when he begins pulling himself away from you, not yet ready for the empty feeling he leaves you with. 

You practically collapse against the cushion, your body exhausted in the most enthralling way, the kind of exhaustion that only immense amounts of pleasure can bring forth. 

“My sweet, beautiful girl,” he whispers, kneeling himself before you as he softly caresses your flushed cheek. 

You kiss the pad of his thumb as it crosses over your mouth, summoning the strength to lift yourself up enough to steal one from his lips. “I hope it worked,” you say, gently cupping his face in your hand. 

“You hope what worked, my love?” He asks, leaning into your soft touch. 

“I was hoping this would help inspire you.” You reach for the drawing, savoring its beauty once more. “I was hoping I could help inspire you, pull you out of your moment of doubt.” 

“My love,” he murmurs, setting the portrait back down before he gently brushes his lips against yours. “You inspire me endlessly, every single day.” 

His tender smile warms your very soul as he leans in for a deeper kiss, imbued with all the love you could ever want for.

“You’re my perfect muse,” he utters against your lips, “I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.” 

.⚘🀢⚘.⚘🀢⚘.⚘🀢⚘.

a/n: suffice to say, this inspired the hell out of me when i've lacked inspiration/motivation lately. thank you, anon.

if you have any juicy ideas, feel free to send them my way. ♡

love you guys.

taglist: (let me know if you'd like to be added/removed!)

@jakeyt @objectsinspvce @stayinginthesun @sinarainbows @stardustcordzz @klarxtr @ohgodthefeeling-gvf @highway-tuna @way-to-go-lad @reesetrippingthelight @jakesgrapejuice @sacredjake @notthedroidz @kiszkashousee @psychedelicstardust-gvf @jjwasneverhere @gvf-ficreads @stardust-jake @gretavanbear @gvfmelborne @sirjaketkiszkasharmonica @jaaakeeey @neptune2324 @jaketlove @myleftsock @joshskittytickler @audgeppp @jordie-gvf @gretavansara @gretasfallingsky @jazzyfigz @louiseecraigg @hippievanfleet @blacksoul-27 @sarafrusciante2 @heckingfrick @citylight-delight @electricgoldtendercare @musicspeaks @hollyco @gvfpal @dannys-dream @josh-iamyour-mama @edgingthedarkness @earthgrlsreasy @hernameis-heaven @mackalah @gvfmarge

Masterlist

[todorokies]

CARVING PUMPKINS WITH JJK CHARACTERS

including: satoru gojo, suguru geto, yuuji itadori, megumi fushiguro

contents: nothing but fluff with some crack (?) & two horror movie namedrops

a/n: this is a bit rough cus i just wanted to put something out for the 31st but happy halloween everyone!

☆ . . . satoru loves going above and beyond for any project he subjects himself to, always finding efficient ways to add on little fun or niche details for him to be fully satisfied with the results which is why he opts to choosing a pumpkin that would be considered comically larger than the rest in the patch.

you scold him, going on about how inconvenient it is for not only you two but for the workers as well. he simply scoffs, shutting down your concerns by saying,“the bigger the better, baby!”

embarrassment fuels your body as you watch three of the field patch workers hassle with effort to strap the enormous round pumpkin onto a truck for it to be taken home. you glance over at satoru, seeing nothing but specks of light in his eyes with a beaming smile that shines so bright. you could seriously choke him right now.

miraculously, after getting the pumpkin through the door of his home, the carving starts. he changes his mind about the design at least three times even asking you to pitch in for some expertise. after an hour later, you’d come to the conclusion that there’s no way a creative design could be easily done with such huge material; opting to just do a simple smiling face (much to satoru’s dismay.)

☆ . . . suguru had cleared his schedule beforehand for this day, dressing nanako and mimiko warmly for a cool autumn afternoon with you. the day consists of corn mazes, trying candy apples, buying the girls their halloween costumes, and of course, picking pumpkins to carve later in the evening.

the faint dialogue from the movie coraline plays in the background as laughter fills the joyous air. you and suguru provide assistance to nanako and mimiko with their creation while simultaneously giving them the chance to takeover their craft at anytime.

nanako chooses to do a hello kitty design, whereas mimiko did a standard jack-o-lantern face replacing the triangular eyes with hearts. suguru’s pumpkin on the other hand is etched with beautiful meticulous swirls and stars covered from bottom to top.

after the tiresome evening you both put the girls to bed, kissing them goodnight and tucking them in gently. suguru proceeds to then use four flameless candles to light up the pumpkins and put them on the pouch while you set up a new movie; the conjuring.

☆ . . . yuuji is filled with absolute glee when you agree to carve pumpkins with him. he can’t help but fondly smile to himself watching your bottom lip find solace between your teeth whilst your brows furrowed in concentration as you attempt to push your tool through the thick layers.

somwhere along the line, the slimy guts that once reside in a separate bowl, is playful getting tossed around in a war that not one of you can remember who initiated it.

fits of giggles and attempted hushed footsteps behind pieces of furniture can be heard, with not a single care in the world of the eventual mess that you’ll have to clean up. yuuji doesn’t mind though so long as he can be by your side during it.

the fight calms down, the pumpkins get finished, the mess is cleaned up and the two of you are snuggled up in his bed watching a nightmare on elm street. with him providing you comfort whenever the jumpscares get a bit too frightening.

☆ . . . megumi actually prefers to paint pumpkins rather than carve them. his reasoning being that painting provides him an artistic range that pumpkins ironically don’t, however, that doesn’t stop him from indulging in the activity to spend quality time with you.

sitting opposite from each other with old newspapers spread out on the wooden floors of his dorm room, megumi softly dips his thin paintbrush in the white acrylic paint forming tiny ghosts on the surface.

he steals a couple of glances from you and when your eyes finally met his own, his heart skips a few beats with a small pout on his lips once he feels blush creeping up his face. you turn over the pumpkin you were working on and megumi’s mouth slightly agapes.

it’s a person? or something resembling of a person with spiky hair. megumi groans once he figures out you carved —or at least attempted— a portrait of him. he snickers then reassures you that you tried your best, soon setting aside his painted pumpkin he picks up a new one getting ready to carve you a portrait of yourself.

reblogs & feedback is extremely appreciated !! <3

[runnning-outof-time]

Hi K, I saw your list of new prompts and thought I'd send you this one (looking at your crush or lover only to find them already looking at you and when you make eye contact, they smile at you) for Arthur. I can envision the lovesick smile on his face as he watches you doing something you enjoy and you catch him. If you feel inspired, I'd love to read a blurb about this!

Thanks for sending this in, Lee! 🥰 I’m sorry it took me so long to answer — I thought of this fluffy idea in between figuring out my latest Tommy request. I hope you enjoy! :)

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

When I Grow Up…

Arthur Shelby

Warnings: none

A creative writing prompt and some needed grading sparks a warm-hearted conversation between Arthur and (Y/N)…but not after his smile and answer to a question just about make her forget where she is.

(Y/N) giggled yet again as she read through another one of her students’ writings. She placed the paper down on the coffee table that she’d set up her grading station at and began to write her thoughts on the child’s work. Satisfied with her comments, she placed the paper on the ‘graded’ pile before grabbing another. This one was just as adorable as the last and she couldn’t help but giggle again.

Arthur was sitting in the armchair positioned directly across from where (Y/N) was set up at the coffee table. He was - supposed to be - working on a report that detailed the earnings of the Eden Club (as requested by Tommy), but he couldn’t quite concentrate with the sounds that were filling the room. (Y/N)’s giggles were like music to his ears, so it didn’t surprise him when he found himself watching her, waiting for her to laugh again. The corners of his lips tugged upwards when he heard her, her laughter leaving a permanent smile etched into his features.

(Y/N) continued to read the story that this child had written, giggling at parts and smiling like an idiot throughout its entirety. At one point, she heard Arthur let out a chuckle, which made her look up to see that he was already looking at her. She couldn’t help but feel bashful under his gaze, and she wondered how long he’d been watching her for. Arthur just smiled at her, knowing exactly what was going through her mind at the moment. Her bashfulness made her even more adorable to him.

“How long have you been watching me?” she decided to ask him, her brows furrowing together as she spoke.

“For some time now,” his answer was vague, and if he was being honest, he’d lost track of time. “What is it that you’re reading?” he asked a question of his own.

“The kids’ papers…from school,” she began to explain, glancing down at the stack again, “they had a writing assignment to complete; to tell me what they wanted to be when they grow up.”

“Ahh…” Arthur nodded in understanding, “I take it there’ve been some interesting answers?” he quirked an eyebrow then.

“Most certainly,” (Y/N) answered, laughing slightly as she thought back to some of the answers she’d just finished reading, “a whole bunch of cupcake tasters and princesses and coppers,” she then rattled off some of the responses.

“Sounds like they’ve got some adventurous ideas,” he commented on the career choices with a fond smile, thinking back to when he was younger; wondering how he would have responded to such a question. He’d always loved art and, when he was in school, the projects they’d be tasked to create were his favorite part. Maybe he would have been a painter had things turned out differently.

“What do you want to be when you grow up, Arthur?” (Y/N) asked all of a sudden, pulling him from his thoughts so that he could focus on her again. She was smiling at him as she waited intently for his answer.

“When I grow up…” he paused, looking off to the side as he tapped his chin, showing that he was thinking of his response, “when I grow up, I want to be your husband,” he looked back to her as he responded, the widest grin forming on his face as a look of surprise filled her features.

(Y/N) didn’t know what to say. They’d only been seeing each other for a handful of months now, and marriage had never been talked about. She always assumed that it was the last thing on his mind; espeically with everything else he had to deal with on a daily basis…obviously she was wrong. The butterflies moved in the second the shock wore off, and she couldn’t stop the wide smile from forming on her face, one that was wider than the smiles produced by the children’s writings.

“You’re serious?” she questioned him as she slowly stood up from the floor, taking the few steps over to the chair he was sitting in.

“Bout as serious as I can be,” he responded with a grin, dropping his pen and sitting back in the chair as she stopped in front of him. “What would my grade be?” he teasingly questioned her then, allowing her to sit on his lap.

She tucked her face into his neck as she giggled at his question, hoping that he’d let her hide for a few moments as she tried to collect herself. He squeezed her kneecap after a few moments had passed, making her lift her head again.

“Was it really that bad of a response?” he questioned while feigning shock.

“No, it wasn’t bad…” she finally answered once she was composed enough to do so, “you just…you need to add a little bit more detail into your response,” she gave a critique to his initial response.

“Well in that case…” he trailed off, clearing his throat before he grinned at her, “when I grow up, I want to be your husband because I feel that I possess the right qualities to do so. I’ll keep you safe, I’ll make you laugh, I’ll never miss a date. Nothing makes me as happy as when I spend time with you, and no one makes me feel as good as you do, especially when you do that thing when you…”

“Ok stop! That’s just too many details now, and you’ve reached the word limit,” she giggled, stopping him before he could continue with the more suggestive part of his response.

“How’s my grade looking now?” he questioned, his one eyebrow raised as a grin teetered on his lips.

“Good…it’s looking good,” she responded with a smile, “and you may just be able to be that when you grow up…if you play your cards right.”

“Well it’s a good thing I’m a gambling man then, isn’t it?” he cracked a grin, making (Y/N) laugh before she leaned down and pressed her lips to his.

Both smiled against each others’ lips as they continued the kiss, and Arthur knew then and there that he wouldn’t have to wonder what it was going to be when he grew up…he was pretty sure that the kiss had sealed his fate: he most certainly got the job.

———

Tagged: @the-anxious-youth @mystcldydrms @look-at-the-soul @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @shelbydelrey @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @stevie75 @dark-academia-slut @zablife @cillmequick @letal-y-poetica @depxiety @shelundeadxxxx @areyenotfondofmelobster @padfootdaredmetoo @crabat-the-queen @sebastianstangirl01 @just-a-blackhole @anotherblinder @christinasyellowflowers @insanitybyanothername @daisyblinder @wotcherpeak @call-sign-shark

MASTERLIST

[sleepysamy]

Your current situation💗

THE PILES (Choose the pile which you feel the most attracted to. Feel free to choose more than 1 pile):

Pile 1

For those who have chosen pile 1, you guys have set a new foundation in your life . It could be that you have started with a new project, routine, business, or invested in something new to you . This necessarily does not have to be in physical aspects , it could also mean that you have started to work developing a better and healthy mindset for yourself, chose to do something fun . Whatever you have currently started or you are planning to start will surely take off after some time . I see that you had been planning to take this step for a long time but kept on procrastinating as if it was not the right time .If you have not done it yet, don't wait for long . You should start immediately! If you came to this reading to know if you are on the right path, then the answer is a big YES! KEEP FOLLOWING WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR MIND. This idea or plan of yours will surely come into fruition, and you will be blessed abundantly of what you expect the results to be . If you have been working on manifesting a certain thing currently , that thing will manifest in the 3d very soon. GO AHEAD PILE 1! YOU WILL HAVE AMAZING THINGS WORKING OUT IN YOUR FAVOR.

Note- The pile you chose had Amethyst as the crystal, which tells that you should trust your intuition rather than external validations . You should also take steps to improve your self-confidence. You also need to ground your energy well to reap benefits . Do lots of meditation to strengthen your third eye chakra . It will help you a lot in this period.

Song for you:

Channeled messages: Frisbee, Go-getter, Right now, Lovesick, Freelancing, Back to Pavillion, Nasty af , Eat fruits , Go gym , Join the art class.

Pile 2

Hi Pile 2s, Life has been going shitty these days, right? You might have recently gone through a breakup , I am sorry, but it can be the loss of a loved one , or perhaps you have not been satisfied with where you are currently in your life. You blaming yourself over things. Self criticizing over small things that happen in your daily life. You also might have to face a situation in the future, which is making you really, really nervous about how you are supposed to handle it . But let me tell you, sometimes it's only our mind, which makes a simple situation worsen just because of the negative and scary thoughts we get inside. And trust me, whatever you are scared of facing is not that tough. You are making it out to be . Let go of your negative self - limiting beliefs and have a positive outlook towards life. You might also be currently dealing with anxiety and stress due to upcoming deadlines, projects you need to finish( additional message I got ). You might have had conflicts with your family members, freinds, colleagues which is causing you to overthink about what you could've done better to improve the situation? How can you get back to the same pace again. The answer lies inside you , sorry, but the answer is not crying but to face this situation with courage and fearlessness. I know you can and you will do it . You have all its takes to get over this . This time shall pass very soon . Nothing ever stays constant. Time is always moving . YOU GOT THIS PILE 2!

Note- The crystal you chose is a Golden Sunstone .This means that you need a new positive approach to life . You might be struggling with a creative blockage because I think your sacral chakra's flow is blocked. This is the reason you may get stressed easily . You can check on guided meditations on YouTube to overcome this . You can also try on positive affirmations.

Channeled messages: Naina, Pearl, Hunt, Thirst, Lying, Easy-going, Eat out.

Pile 3

Hi Pile 3s , so you are currently experiencing a massive transformation in your life. You are transforming into a beautiful new being . It's not that you are changing yourself . But you are just returning to your most authentic and true self . You are starting to recognize your own power. You are evolving and growing like a butterfly . It is a stage of metamorphis in your life where you are the caterpillar who faces struggles and endured pain( physical or mental). You might have let people walk all over you in the past . You left those people. Now, you have begun to establish healthy boundaries and stand strong . It can also be for some people who were sick for a long period of time and know they are getting well ( I get anorexia). You could have also struggled with an identity crisis before, but know you are out of it. You might be going through a spiritual awakening right now. You are vulnerable right now , you have surrendered to the universe , and you've learned how to let go . You have also started to accept the darkest parts within yourself, which felt unsettling uncomfortable for you. You are not taking anyone's shit now. You are so done with everything that you realise it is of no use. You realised you were draining your energy and time with being around with those people who don't care about you. Just like a Phoenix who burns and raises from its ashes. You are in the in-between phase of figuring things out in your life where you are still trying to sort out things for yourself, but DONT WORRY THE UNIVERSE IS WATCHING OVER YOU . THEY GUIDE IN EVERY STEP THAT YOU TAKE. You will soon enter into a phase where you will welcome healthy connections, love, and opportunities . THIS PERIOD OF YOUR IS VERY CRUCIAL, AND YOU MUST PAY ATTENTION TO THE SIGNS ALL AROUND YOU.

Note- The crystal that you picked is a black tourmaline, which is for protection from negative energies ,bad luck, and grounding. You might want to consider rituals to protect your energy or meditate to protect your energy from your surroundings.

Song for you:

Channeled messages champagne, crossover road ,wet sweater, sympathy, Simon says , who cares, pain, will I pretty , I am your mother you listen to me

Pile 4

Similar to pile 2, but the energy of pile 2 was intense, Yours is much more light-hearted and fun-going. I feel like you have forgotten to enjoy your life . Your mind is so involved in a daily hustle that it has forgotten to take a chill pill, man. Like you really need to relax . You are just taking life too seriously . Have fun, come on, it's summer . You are in the energy of constant pushing and pushing. You have a constant need to excel in things, whether it's exhausting yourself completely to achieve it. Sometimes, you forget about your own well-being in order to complete a task ( WORKAHOLICS FRR🤦‍♀️). You need to let loose . Learn how to receive . You are too much in your masculine energy, right now? You need to let things flow. Forget about the future. See what's in front of you. Observe the nature, the birds, the trees, the people around you. OBSERVE THEM. TALK TO THEM . GO OUT SIS/BRO . PARTY . JUST RELAX AND YOULL SEE EVERYTHING AROUND YOU TURNS OUT IN YOUR FAVOR. I didn't get much for your pile because actually you shouldn't be here being so concerned over silly things about whether am I going right or not . Will this do or that do. Dude, just chill . Seriously, just take a deep breath . You need a break, sweety.

Note- Your pile had a yellow moonstone that soothes the aura and brings the best out in people. It also provides emotional and intuitive support. I feel you need to go a spa session to get facial , massage, or something. It will help you ease your energy. You need to take care of your skincare routine and do lots of self care. It will rejuvenate your energy.

Channeled messages: I didn't hear anything for your pile.

[wilwheaton]

When you're considering a new creative project, what are some of your 'green flags' that you look for?

It's a real privilege that I can choose to say no to things I don't want to do. VERY few people, regardless of their industry or careers, get this privilege. I am super aware of it. I also know that I was forced to say yes to everything for most of my life and all of my childhood, and I believe that I have earned whatever privilege didn't provide.

I say no to nearly everything. The fact is that over half of the asks are from people who aren't interested in me as an artist as much as they are interested in the potential audience I bring. That's not always a bad thing. If it's something awesome, I'm thrilled that I have the audience to help get me over the finish line. But most of the time it isn't.

So when I'm not sure, I ask myself questions like:

Is this going to be fun?

Is this thing going to satisfy something in me that can only be satisfied by this thing?

Is there someone just phenomenal in this who it would be a privilege to work with?

Is this someone I love and trust and would do anything for? Yes? Oh it's a Felicia Day project? FUCK YES I AM ON BOARD.

Will I be grateful that I said yes to this, which would (and likely will) mean saying no to something else?

There are others, but I think you get the basic idea. A "yes" to any of those questions is a green flag. Yes to all of them generally means we're working out the details so I can get to work.

There may be a time in my life when I have to say yes to things so I can support my family. I hope that doesn't happen, but whether or not it does, I am extremely grateful for this moment in my professional life.

[birdship]

This project is unfinished and will remain that way. There are bugs. Not all endings are implemented. The ending tracker doesn't work. Images are broken. Nothing will be fixed. There's still quite a bit of content, though, so I am releasing what's here as is.

Tilted Sands is a project I started back when AI Dungeon first came out--the very early version you had to run in a Google colabs notebook. Sometime in late 2018, I think? I was a contributor at Botnik Studios at the time and I was delighted by AI Dungeon, but I knew it would never be a truly satisfying choose your own adventure generator on its own. I would argue that the modern AI Dungeon 2 and NovelAI don't fully function as such even now. That's not how AI works. It has to be guided heavily, the product has to be sculpted by human hands.

Anyway, it inspired me to use Transformer--a GPT2 predictive text writing tool--to craft a more coherent and polished but still silly and definitely AI-flavored CYOA experience. It was an ambitious project, but I was experienced with writing what I like to call "cyborg" pieces--meaning the finished product is, in a way, made by both an AI/algorithm/other bot AND a human writer. Something strange and wonderful that could not have been made by the bot alone, nor by the human writer alone. Algorithms can surprise us and trigger our creative human minds to move in directions we never would've thought to go in otherwise. To me, that's what actual AI art is: a human engaging in a creative activity like writing in a way that also includes utilizing an algorithm of some sort. The results are always fascinating, strangely insightful, and sometimes beautiful.

I worked on Tilted Sands off-and-on for a couple years, and then the entire AI landscape changed practically overnight with DALL-E and ChatGPT. And I soon realized that I cannot continue working on this project. Mainstream, corporate AI is disgustingly unethical and I don't want the predictive text writing I used to enjoy so much to be associated with "AI art". It's not. Before DALL-E and ChatGPT, there were artists and writers who made art by utilizing algorithms, neural networks, etc. Some things were perhaps in an ethical or legal grey area, but people actually did care about that. I remember discussing "would it be ethical to scrape [x]?" with other writers, and sharing databases of things like commercial advertising scripts and public domain content. I liked using mismatched databases to write things, like a corpus of tech product reviews that I used to write a song. The line between transformative art and fair use vs theft was constantly on all of our minds, because we were artists ourselves.

All of the artists and writers I knew in those days who made "cyborg art" have stopped by now. Including me.

But I poured a lot of love and thought and energy into this silly little project, and the thought of leaving it to rot on my hard drive hurt too much. It's not done, but there's a lot there--over 14,000 words, multiple endings and game over scenarios. I had so much fun with it and I wanted to complete it, but I can't. I don't want it to be associated in any way with the current "AI art" scene. It's not.

Please consider this my love letter to what technology-augmented art used to be, and what AI art could have been.

I know I'm not the only one mourning this brief but intense period from about 2014-2019 in which human creativity and developing AI technology combined organically to create an array of beautiful, stupid, silly, terrible, wonderful works of art. If you're also feeling sad and nostalgic about it, I hope you find this silly game enjoyable even in its unfinished state.

In conclusion:

Fuck capitalism, fuck what is currently called AI art, fuck ChatGPT, fuck every company taking advantage of artists and writers and other creative types by using AI.

[surfclangen]

Good and Bad news

Howdy guys! I don't talk to y'all one on one too much, but I want to keep you in the loop.

To start off, I am so super thankful for the support this comic has received!! This is my first real venture into comic making, I am so incredibly grateful to have such a positive reception.

Onto the bad news, y'all may have noticed my posting speed has slowed. I'm very busy in college (graduating with my AA this summer!) between a radio show, being president of the creative writing club, and keeping up with homework, which means I don't have a ton of time to work on personal projects, and when I do, I try to chase what gives me the most dopamine. This isn't super relevant, however, just a peek into my creative process.

The Bad News

Surfclan is going to go onto hiatus after the next two posts so I can work on the overarching story I want to portray. These two posts will finish Arc 1 of Surfclan, which I am happy with and have ironed out, but the draft I have for the rest of the series is kind of cobbled together and not satisfying, certainly not work I'm proud of. If I'm going to dedicate so much time to something, I want it to be work that I am proud of. As a writing student too, it's not right to put so little effort into the writing.

I went into Surfclan without a plan. I wanted a coastal set of clans to worldbuild with, but I had no idea for plot. I let the generator decide what that plot would be, which is fine! But I wasn't given much besides a clan that grew at a decently steady rate and got into occasional shenanigans. I need to put those pieces together properly and figure out how to best portray the themes I want in a respectful manner (right now, there's a heavy theme of colonialism that I just don't think I'm quite ready to handle tactfully.)

If you aren't using Surfclan, can I?

Absolutely! Please feel free to use Surfclan as background characters or cats to fill out gatherings. I am always happy to organize plots in DMs and weave it into Surfclan's eventual finalized script. As long as my babies are kept relatively in character, I have no issues with making it canon. If they aren't, no worries! It just won't be canon to Surfclan. Think of it like an AU!

When will you be back?

I'm not sure, but I'm always happy to answer DMs if you want to chit chat, and I will make a post announcing Surfclan's return when I am ready.

What's the good news then?

Surfclan was always designed to be a "for fun" project that I didn't put too much effort into, hence the scattered upload schedule and art styles, but now that I've experimented a bit, I'm ready to get into comic making more seriously. While I brainstorm ideas for Surfclan I will be shifting focus towards a new Clangen blog loosely based on marshmallow_cat3's Dark Forest challenge and @gray-thistleclan .

Cottonmouth Clan has distinct win and lose conditions and a solidified plot with mysteries to discover. I'm currently working on world building and character design that will be posted to my main blog, @antlermoss. I will have a post up there when I have my details organized with the rules for the challenge, of which you are welcome to use in your own games and comics!

I will reblog Cottonmouth's starter post here when I am ready.

I appreciate your patience and understanding, and hope you guys enjoy the new project (:

[stoukadraws]

Happy 3rd Anniversary Chromatale, and Goodnight.

So its about time I say this: I won't be making any content about this AU anymore, so that unfortunately puts it into the discontinued undertale comics category xd

I just really lost the spark I had 2 years ago when making it, so the "little hiatus" that I thought was only going to be a few months turned into more than a year.

I'm sorry to those who were waiting and wanted to see more, but there is another reason why I'm doing this-

It's not gonna be an AU anymore, it's going to be an original story.

I really thought about it for a while and I decided that making it into an original story would give me more creative freedom and I wouldn't have to always stick to one storyline, I wanted to expand the world more as well as the characters, but since its all based on a game with a pretty much solid story, it was hard for me to insert some things that would be out of place or wouldn't make sense.

So, I hope you understand, this AU was truly a learning experience for both my art and my writing since I made it when I was really young and not very experienced, but I'm glad I was able to improve along the way.

Thank you for supporting this AU since the beginning and stuck around!

I plan to make more works surrounding this new story later on, so I look forward to it! And I hope some of you are excited for what's to come. (*^▽^*)

More in-depth explanation + some questions (near the end) :

This is gonna be a bit long so if you really wanna read this whole thing be prepared xd

This whole thing doesn't mean I'm quitting Undertale altogether, I'm still continuing the Strays Au, and I want that AU to be my main Undertale AU now since I've always intended on making it Undertale related and I'm already satisfied with it right now, so I don't intend on making it original or anything.

When I started Chromatale I was still a kid-ish, and I was at the toilet with my phone and idk how it started but I decided to doodle a Sans on my phone and thought "I can make an Undertale AU!".

And so I did. Chromatale back then was reallyyy different, it was a post-genocide story with Sans and Frisk trying to bring everyone back -yeah real original younger me

There was a comic I did on my phone but now its lost in time unfortunately, it went though like 2 rewrites until I decided to make it a full AU with my own story. And so some brainstorming later and the comic you all know today was made!

Again, I was still new to the whole comic making thing and my writing was pretty sloppy, I'm still surprised it got a lot of attention- I was full of passion and really worked my butt off to make each pages, even with school going on (it was online so it wasn't much of a hassle tho) I was determined to finish it and already had a lot of the comic planned.

That is until I felt a bit worn out, my motivation was getting lower until I could barely produce a page, so that's when I decided to put the comic on hiatus, I initially planned for it to only be a few months but then time went on and I still didn't feel motivated to continue it.

During that time I was just doing my own thing, making some OC art and different stories, making another Undertale AU, going back to school and a shit ton of projects to do- I felt like a little weight was lifted from my back, the comic had turned into labor for me and constantly doing updates wasn't very healthy, since during some updates I had to force myself to finish it.

The story was also changing in the middle of it, I had to rewrite chapter 3 since the first version was literally full of "fanservice" that I only noticed when I re-read the chapter a few months later.

I just wasn't satisfied with it, the story that my younger self had in mind didn't fit what I wanted now since I had grown more mature as time went on, the whole AU really taught me what to do and what not to do.

Initially I actually wanted to reboot Chromatale again and focus more on the concepts and solidifying the plot before engaging in a comic, but after some thinking I thought it would be better to transition it into an original story. I really wanted to expand the story more and again gain more creative freedom than being limited to a pretty much complete-ish story.

I wanted to do what I wanted instead of forcing it to fit with the fandom's liking and preference.

Although its going to be an original story some things will sorta be the same but I won't go into too much detail about it.

I won't promise a comic though, mini comics sure but not anything official. Maybe in the far distant future, but I doubt, I still got a lot of other stories I wanna make into comics >>

Now some things I would like to clarify:

"Now that you're discontinuing Chromatale can it be mine?"

-Unfortunately as much as you want to claim it, no. Chromatale still belongs to me. Even if its going to be original now there's still a lot about it during its UTAU days. I still own it, but I don't want to be heavily associated with it. I'd rather have others focus on the new version than the AU version, and I don't want all my other works to be overshadowed by it. I hope you understand.

"Can I still make fanart?"

-Feel free to still make fanart, I won't restrict anyone from still making any. But I'd still like to see fanart of the new version 👀

"Can I still dub the comic?"

-Sure, make sure to still credit me but please specify to viewers that the comic is now discontinued and its become an original story, I don't wanna give the viewers false hope. If your dubbing for fun then go ahead!

Any dub of the comic that has been published has my permission to still be up in public, I won't force anyone to take it down. But please don't use it for any profiting or income.

Now that's been settled, I'm planning on posting some concepts from the AU that I still have since I don't think I'll use some anymore and now that its ok to show now that I discontinued the comic xd

Again, thank you for following me along this journey! See you in the next post ✨

[monstrifex-art]

During your art challenge stuff like Vivid Shadows, how do you typically keep up motivation to continue doing it every single day? Because it’s been a struggle to keep writing stuff every single day. Granted this is my first time doing this, but I was wondering if you had any way you prevent creative burnout from doing these.

I have thoughts on this lol. There's a few ways. First a disclaimer, I started working on these Vivid Shadows pieces about a month ago. I have up through day 19 done right now (cough see them early on patreon cough). So I've been spacing these out a bit more than one every other day. I have done the challenge day by day before, and it's doable. But I'm a busy adult that needs to pay bills, and I like to give myself some cushion. But with that established, here are some thoughts I have. 1. Collaborators and Witnesses I doubt I could find the motivation to do these kinds of big projects if I didn't have friends and collaborators doing them with me. This is different for everyone, but I find I'm much more productive when I have someone else to bounce ideas off of, send WIPs to, and honestly to judge me when I don't meet my goals. This can be a friend you're working with, or a discord server where you share updates, or any other online community that you're a part of. 2. Effort Budgeting For big series like Vivid Shadows or longer comics with a lot of panels, I do not put all my effort into every piece. There's just no way. I consciously choose to half ass some things, and tell myself "eh, good enough" even if I know I can spend more time polishing. It is infinitely better to finish a piece at 60% of your full power than to pour all your heart into a project that never sees the light of day. If you feel up to it, you can spend more effort on some select parts that really make you happy. But those should be the exception, not the rule. And the more projects you finish, the better your half-assed work will become. 3. Creative Limitations You have to define some bounding rules for your project, or you'll get stuck with decision paralysis and scope creep. For Vivid Shadows, the rules I use are pretty simple. Each day has a prompt, one color to use, set dimensions and a hard deadline. I mostly use a limited palette (3 colors + black or white) because I know I can spend hours and hours shading and coloring otherwise. Limitations foster creativity. If you have a tight frame around what you can do, your brain comes up with way more ideas. 4. Keep an eye on the clock Part of what I like about projects like Vivid Shadows is that they have built in deadlines. I know I have to wrap things up by a certain day and time, and if it isn't perfect then so be it. I've done enough creative work to know roughly how much I can get done in a certain amount of time, which is very helpful for planning. The program I use for drawing has a built-in clock that tracks time spent on each document, which is a godsend. 5. Find your own methods This is all just stuff that helps me, but everyone's brain works in different ways. It absolutely takes practice to enter creative mode at will, rather than when the stars align and you feel inspired. Start with small projects, and as you train yourself you can eventually finish larger ones. Remember, something small and finished is always better than something grand that never gets done. Also worth mentioning, find the things that light up your brain. Personally, I've found that making my art horny is a powerful motivator for my creativity. In addition to the obvious neuron activation, I find it very satisfying to explore the boundaries of what I find attractive, like a mad scientist or detective. 6. Keep it fun! None of this will work if you don't enjoy the project. There may be parts you don't enjoy, but overall the project should bring you joy. If the project isn't fun, change it or drop it and start one that is. You don't owe your past self anything. Even if you abandon a project, the work you put into it is good practice for your next thing. Make work you like, and move on. Hope this helps! Good luck on your project 🙌

[elysiansparadise]

I just love all your analysis, there is something heartfelt that always resonates. Can you do sun in 9th 🏠?

Thanks for the love, I'm glad to know it resonates. And sure, I can.

Sun in the 9th house

Here we find extremely curious natives with a desire and ease to obtain different types of knowledge. They stand out for their intelligence and enthusiasm when it comes to diving into topics that they are passionate about or like very much. They have an incomparable sense of humor that arises from their social charisma, they are very witty and are capable of lighting up the humor of a site. It is very important for them to project themselves as a capable and intelligent person and they do not like to be fooled. Their pride and self-esteem often lies in the level of intelligence they have or want to have. Something for which they are not usually given the credit they deserve is their unmatched creativity, bordering on genius, they can be people who have that facility to do things that others do something unique by putting their own touch on it. Many of them have a talent for languages, becoming bilingual or speaking more than two languages, this of course depends on many factors, but here is the potential. There is also a potential for esoteric abilities, they are people for whom their beliefs are important and can be very devoted to them, they can develop intuition and other abilities that help them delve into esotericism.

In them there is a desire to be able to enjoy life, either because they feel that they have not been able to fully enjoy it or simply to satisfy that curiosity. They are very interesting people, because they are the classic person who relates to others in an incredible way (perhaps not being very emotionally expressive, but being kind and friendly) easily captivating with their appeal and charm, however, they are also very important for them to have that time to themselves. Introspection is very important to them, as well as getting to know each other from head to toe. Many of them find it difficult to bring out this stereotypical adventurous and incredibly sociable side that is assigned to natives with this placement, but it is a matter of feeling that they are with the people and in the right place. Something that is very faithful to them and I already mentioned a little is their fascination for travel. They love the idea of ​​seeing different places and exploring other things beyond what they are used to seeing. Your mind needs to be constantly stimulated, besides it seems to be a place that you will never finish visiting, and a place that keeps random data in every corner that you don't expect.

These natives are quite observant, becoming very capable of learning important lessons through contemplating the mistakes of others, they do not judge, rather they take what they see and learn. They possess a wisdom that makes them perfect candidates to be the counselors of their friends and acquaintances, who may see them as superior in some way. It is not surprising that they can mentor and guide others (the sign and the degree can give us more clues as to what they can guide others, along with conjunctions or other tight aspects). This placement shows that the natives can be very successful if they decide to complete their higher education, having enough prestige or at least a great reputation. It is likely that some teacher, tutor or guide has greatly impacted and influenced them. Another of the sectors in which they can be very lucky is travel, where fortune, good experiences and happiness augur them. The theme of the father can be quite varied, the native may have a foreign father who was born in another country than the native's place of origin. Other chances are that this is an academic, intelligent man or who works in the education or law sector. Or a father who does not usually see much physically.

-> Go back to the masterlist

[olomaya]

I have to say. You are so talented. Look at all those creative mod ideas! It just amazes me how you can just think of an idea then make it happen in game🫢 Thanks always for generously sharing your hard work.

Thank you, Anon! 🤗 Honestly the feeling of being able to think of an idea and then actually execute it and see it play out exactly how I envisioned is incredibly satisfying and most of the reason why I mod.

I'm usually bad with finishing projects or promises I make to myself but with this, I'm actually able to. (the 20+ half-finished mod projects in my folder are currently like 👀)

[polutrope]

35. Bittersweet memories // for curufin and finrod because i NEED to know about their drama in this universe

Thanks for the prompt! Here's ~800 words of roommates (and cousins-by-adoption) Curufin and Finrod bickering and remembering. Rated T because Curufin has a potty mouth. Posting these to AO3, here. Prompt list (prompts closed). Beleria Cast of Characters

RESUME

Finrod F. Noldoran, MA nomnom13@gmail.com

WORK EXPERIENCE

Barista Cuppa Joy Café, Beleria November 2022 to Present Develop and deliver quality product and friendly service to build positive community relationships.

Global Relations Specialist Self-employed February to October 2022 Built community partnerships through immersive cultural experiences in the Hither Lands—

“Bullshit,” Curufin muttered to himself, and threw the paper down on the coffee table. “Finrod!” he called. “What the fuck is this?”

“Oh hey you’re home! What’s what?” his roommate called back from the bathroom. A moment later he emerged in his bathrobe and slippers, a towel wrapped around his head.

“Did you just wake up?” Curufin sneered.

“No, actually,” Finrod replied, then said briskly, “I was working on that resume you’ve just tossed aside all morning.”

Curufin huffed. “Global Relations Specialist? Backpacking around the Hither Lands isn’t a job, Fin.”

“Sure it is! Anyway, the resume is only a formality.” Finrod brightened and plopped himself down in the hideous antique armchair he refused to get rid of. “Mayor Singh-Goel — Elu — came by the coffee shop yesterday while I was working. We chatted a bit and got to talking about a new project the City is getting off the ground, to help low-income immigrants get situated in the community. I told Elu about my time in Dorthon with the refugee communities and about my Master’s thesis on the immigrants from east Endor. So!” Finrod slapped the armrests triumphantly. “He thinks I’d be perfect for the Project Coordinator role.”

“You’re kidding?” said Curufin. “You have no professional experience.”

“I have a Master’s degree!”

“In geography. And a Master’s degree doesn’t mean shit in the real world,” Curufin said. The audacity of this guy, he thought. “Also: you can’t lie on your resume.”

Finrod frowned. “It’s not a lie.” He picked up the paper. “I do build positive community relationships. With the community at Cuppa Joy.”

“You make oatmilk vanilla lattés for hipsters.”

“Same difference,” Finrod insisted. “It’s not lying, it’s just… creatively telling the truth. Anyway, I said: it doesn’t matter. The Mayor himself is going to recommend me for the position.”

Curufin rolled his eyes. Of course. Finrod always got what he wanted. Never had to work for a thing in his life, just smiled and asked for it and had the world handed to him on a platter. Meanwhile, Curufin had busted his ass to get where he was, owner of his own brewery at twenty-nine, raising a kid on his own. He was his big brother’s boss for chrissakes! Much to his ongoing annoyance…

“You don’t deserve it,” Curufin said. “Even Celegorm has more work experience than you.”

“Well!” Finrod said, heat rising in his tone. “Why don’t you tell Celegorm to apply!”

“Maybe I will.” Curufin smirked. It was always deeply satisfying to get his mild-mannered roommate riled up.

Rising from the chair, Finrod threw up his hands. “Don’t be ridiculous.” He shut the door to his bedroom a little more soundly than usual.

*

“You know,” said Finrod, sitting at the table later that day while Curufin was prepping dinner for Celebrimbor. Curufin had to work tonight so his son would be on his own. Well, with Finrod, but it’s not like Curufin was going to ask Finrod to feed him.

“We used to be friends in Valin,” Finrod finished.

“Not really,” Curufin said, and sliced through an onion.

“Yes, we did. In fact, I was just remembering that Yule when you and Alwen finally broke up. You remember? I came over and we watched stupid holiday movies and laughed at the terrible writing.”

Curufin did remember. It was Yule Eve and Celegorm wasn’t answering his texts. But he’d read them, because Aredhel told Turgon who told Finrod… who was the only person who texted him to ask how he was. And he’d abandoned his family’s festivities to come hang out with his sad sack cousin he barely knew.

“Yeah. I remember,” Curufin said, and sniffed.

“Are you crying?” said Finrod

“No.” Curufin brushed his eyes. “It’s the onion.”

“Right. Hey, why don’t you leave that? I’ll make something for Celebrimbor tonight. We could cook together!”

“No, I don’t want you to do that,” said Curufin.

“Why not? I have nothing better to do.”

“Yeah, well, he’s not your responsibility, and—”

“You don’t want to be in my debt,” Finrod supplied.

Curufin didn’t answer.

“Tell you what,” Finrod said cheerfully. “I’ll make dinner with Tyelpë tonight and you can help me with the resume, how about that?”

Curufin chuckled. “So I help you get a job you don’t deserve?”

“Yep!”

“Fine,” said Curufin, and scraped the chopped onion into a bowl. “You should start by getting a new email address. I can’t believe you’re still using nomnom13.”

[nonsubstantial]

APRIL 2024 ART FASCINATION DIARY

This is another post about the art that I've been fascinated with this year. I make these posts monthly, so that I can look back and remember all the things that were keeping me happy and inspired! If you are reading this, then I hope it will be somewhat interesting to hear about. First, a collage of my interests this month, then there are descriptions below.

MUSIC / ALBUM I heard about Everything Harmony by The Lemon Twigs because Vinny Vinesauce liked it enough to feature it on his twitch channel four times within this last month. After checking it out, it quickly became a favorite of mine as well. It's inspired by 60's era rock bands like The Beach Boys and The Beatles, and the two brothers in charge of The Lemon Twigs were basically raised from birth to create this kind of music. They're excellent musicians, but I do have a few complaints, mainly that their band is a four person group that started as a two person group, and it shows. The musicians on their drums and backing guitar are unnoticeable most of the time, or even make their music worse when I really focus on the boring repetitive parts that they play in the mix. I think that it would improve things if we heard the other two members’ creativity shine a little more. On a different note, their lyrics also feel kind of hollow to me, sort of like facsimiles of themes that we heard out of the 60’s pop music that they’re inspired by. Maybe the brothers’ odd upbringing is what makes their lyrics feel like nothing more than dreamy imitations of other lyrics, rather than being something written from their own hearts? In any case, their vibe is really bizarre, but despite all my criticisms I did really enjoy this one album from them. (And actually, their new 2024 album is already out! It’s also fantastic, and I’ll talk about it on my May list.)

FANFIC / CREATIVE WRITING I've been working on a long fanfic for fun since last month, and every time I write a new scene for it I'm filled with a sense of creative euphoria for the rest of the day. It's not always perfect, but there's no real pressure to write something good, so it just ends up being an enjoyable outlet for my passions. Even if I never publish anything, being creative and exploring my own imagination is satisfying in itself, and I wish I had the time to do it every day! (HONESTLY, there could and should be time, if only our society actually prioritized taking breaks for mental health and personal wellbeing over making endless amounts of money and increasingly insubstantial products to be consumed by only the luckiest members of our parasitic upper class. I hate our unsympathetic workaholic capitalist culture with every fiber of my being, and wish that I could fucking end it all, but I digress...) Writing is just so fun. And I'll be working on the same projects for another few months, probably, as long as I can keep on keeping up with them.

REALITY GAME SHOW The finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 concluded this month, and I thought it was absolutely fantastic. Now that it’s over, we’re starting back from season 1 and we’re going to try to eventually watch it all! (We actually did finish season 1, right before posting this. It was interesting and groundbreaking in its own right, and it introduced me to Tammie Brown, who is now one of my favorite queens. Then, we started season 2 and I’m pretty sure that this is where the show’s bad reputation got its start, because I really can’t stand any of the season 2 contestants. Too bad, but we’ll keep on watching and see how it pans out anyway.) In season 16 though, there was just so much unique creativity and talent on display, and so many jaw dropping ‘holy shit’ moments, that I think it was one of the best things I have ever watched. It had the hypest final lip sync battle I ever could have imagined, and I had no idea which way it was going to end. In whole, I feel like the show was a wonderful watch, and I’m glad that our friends convinced us to give it a shot.

LIVE THEATER MUSICAL My partner and I were given a gift card to our local theater last year, so we finally used it to go see a live production of Annie! We don't live in a place where live musicals are very common, and I actually hadn’t seen any since highschool, so we had to make plans very early in the year to go watch it. And after having done so, I can say for certain that there is a unique magic to watching a live theater performance. I’m surprised that it was all performed so perfectly, even with children and a dog on stage, and remarkably, it sounded better than any recording I could find online before or after the event. It was so incredible all around that it totally transported me into a unique creative headspace. There were people of all ages there, some dressed up, some appearing more casual, but the atmosphere was delightful and jovial all around. I’m not going to comment about what was or wasn’t problematic about Annie; it’s not really that deep and you can probably figure that out on your own. But I will say that the magic of a live performance depends entirely on the energy in its room, and I was totally swept away by this experience. Without the discount, it would have been very pricey though, so I’m hoping that we can put away a little money to see a different live musical next year.

BOOK / AUDIOBOOK About a month and a half ago, I started Leo Tolstoy's epic work of historical fiction, War And Peace. I love a book that I can get completely lost in, and War and Peace is one of those books. I made it about 1/4th of the way through it this month, and even though it started slow, I’m now sure that it’s going to be an all time favorite. I read Anna Karenina years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I expected to like this one too, but there was still a sort of learning curve to overcome at the start. After over a month of engaging with it, I feel like I’ve finally gotten over its barrier to entry, and now I’m picking up the pace. Most people have heard of this book before, so let me tell you that its high-sounding title is no false advertisement. It’s a Russian slice of life book set during the Napoleonic Wars, dealing with a huge assemblage of political and philosophical conflicts, and it will have you exasperatedly crying “time is a flat circle!” as you realize that humans today have nearly the same brains and political interests that they had over 200 years ago. It is already a masterpiece, in my opinion, and I’m going to be reading this book for the entire month of May also, so that’s something to look forward to. If you’re interested in checking out an audiobook, I’m also listening to the Maude translation, narrated by Neville Jason, and I think it’s quite good! (That's it for April! But we're already a few weeks into May, so expect more Lemon Twigs and more War And Peace. Thank you for caring about me, and I hope you have a good day! ♡)

[animehouse-moe]

Well, Tumblr decided to bug out on me and I've now lost the original question that was asked, but someone had asked for my favorite series (be it manga/anime/movies/Tv/etc), and this was my response.

(first of all, so sorry for losing the question! I should have taken a screenshot or something when Tumblr wouldn't let me post)

It's all good, I enjoy getting these types of questions because they make me think about this stuff haha. I'm not one to really do well with the idea of favorites, so having to pin down stuff like this can be interesting for me!

That said, for this one I might just stick with anime for the list to make it a little easier. I can definitely do a top ten of manga or other stuff later on though. Also, this list will be in no particular order because I'd be stuck forever trying to figure out a satisfying order for them.

Sonny Boy

I think it's a very fair point to argue, that at this stage in his career, Sonny Boy is Shingo Natsume's magnum opus. There's just not much else to it. It's a series that he created, from his own mind and talent, and he executed on that. There are very, very few people that work in anime that can manage a feat such as that. In terms of story, I don't have any issue with claiming Sonny Boy is the pinnacle of high school storytelling. It stretches the fabric of reality so far that you might struggle to claim that it's about high school, but the longer that you spend with it, the more undeniable a fact it becomes. Or maybe you could generalize it to the human condition, or how the cracks in society will fester and form no matter the condition, or how authority will always appear in a self-serving manner, or this or that or any concept under the sun.

Terror In Resonance

Call me crazy, but there's quite a few reasons why this is the Shinichiro Watanabe anime for me. Bebop and Champloo have rose colored glasses that adorn every fan in the community, so I feel like it's hard to really take a proper look at it compared to Terror In Resonance (even though it has a similar amount of users on MAL). As a Mappa project, it is simply the best they've ever been from start to finish. As a concept, Watanabe's approach is impeccable as it examines the frustration and sorrow of displaced children in a society that never wanted them. It's powerful, concise, and from start to finish an incredibly focused series filled with some of the crowning achievements of animators in the industry. Seriously. Takashi Hashimoto, the animator for this cut, actually did all the math to calculate the speed of the smoke as it fell and moved. Some of the best work you'll see on an anime.

Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song

I am a big, big fan of Tappei Nagatsuki's work, so being able to experience an anime that is entirely his vision of the work is really impressive. It's one of the biggest struggles with artists, I find. Understanding their work through different mediums. What you see as an anime is not what they created as a manga, or light novel. But this is different, it is Nagatsuki's (and Umehara's) sole vision, the entire intent behind their creativity. And WIT knocked it out of the park to an insane degree. As a post-AoT studio, they showed just how far they can push their creativity and execution on a series beyond human. Incredible story, incredible animation, arguably some of the best hand to hand combat we've seen in an anime in a very long time. It's just that good.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Maybe you see a trend going on with my picks, and while yes it's partly recency bias, it's also a gravitation towards anime originals. I'll add a piece to that at the end, but this is about Edgerunners right now. I was in high school when the video game was first announced. That's a decade ago, now. I played the shit out of 2077 when it dropped, and I'm absolutely eating up Phantom Liberty currently. It is then, absolutely no surprise, that I've placed Edgerunners on a pedestal. But of course, there's also a reason that Edgerunners is in the top 100 anime on MAL, and why it's Trigger's highest rated anime. It's just that damn good. An incredible story revolving around Night City and the themes that Mike Pondsmith laid the groundwork for decades ago. A true tribute to the tabletop game and the genre at large.

The Tatami Galaxy

I don't think there's a way I couldn't put The Tatami Galaxy on this list, truthfully. Of course, that also encompasses the sequel ONA The Time Machine Blues, and spinoffs like The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl. Tomohiko Morimi is a genius, Yusuke Nakamura is an icon, and Masaaki Yuasa is a savant. Incredible work for such an incredible story and message about the pursuit of perfection and the beauty that lies in the present. Arguably, much like titles such as Sonny Boy, these are 100% must watch titles for an anime fan. I'd highly recommend the others still, but these two represent such core and important aspects to how people choose to lead their lives and the frameworks that they do so within, that I strongly believe it's a requirement. I also wrote a review on the novel when I read it in January of this year.

Heike Monogatari

I think history is a very important thing to understand. I also think that history can be presented as obtuse, disinteresting, or too literal - especially in relation to history stories or myths. Heike Monogatari by Science Saru is arguably one of the greatest examples of how to display a modernized version of such a foundational tale to the history of Japan. It's also an incredibly powerful moment for the director, Naoko Yamada, as it was their first real work since the arson attacks on her home studio of Kyoto Animation. Because of the weight of her past, her work beyond words on this anime feels that much more powerful considering its messages about the past and fear of the future. It's wonderfully emotional, and contains one of my favorite closing scenes to a series.

The Saga of Tanya The Evil

Light novel aside, anime quality aside (though both are great), there's a separate reason this title is featured on this list: the adaptation. It is, for lack of a better term, borderline insane as an adaptation. It bears almost no similarity to its source. The tone is different, the scope and scale differ, there's significant changes in terms of narrative, and even the order of large scale events differs. But still, somehow, it remains a fantastic series. Bearing nearly zero resemblance to what it claims to adapt, it is something that I love. It's an incredible feat, and the gold standard of its one-of-a-kind approach to adapting a light novel.

Mononoke

Horror is a very hard thing to do right, at least in my opinion. Many get suckered into thriller territory very quickly, and avoid the psychological nature of horror. The immovable nature of something fearful standing in front of you, the slow descent into madness and despair. Mononoke grasps that incredibly well, and earns a spot on this list because of it's appeal in that manner. Also, the art is just incredible, personifying the more classical style that would be associated with the creatures and myths that pepper the story. I'm incredibly excited to see what comes from the upcoming movie.

Welcome To The N.H.K

While it may differ between its three formats, the core of the story stands strong. Impossible to put into words, it's more of a descent than anything. A descent that turns inwards on each of the characters as they slowly lose their grip on reality, as they continue to fall apart, piece by piece. I have my qualms about how they choose to end it, but I am a very bitter man at my core so it's more a personal difference than a quality one. Regardless, if you want an acid trip down the rabbit hole of depression, mania, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and all manner of other illness, there's no better story than Welcome To The N.H.K.

Toradora!

There's something special about Toradora to me. Is it the era that the anime comes from? Is it the appeal to a classic style of romance without falling prey to the issues of the layout? I'm unsure. But something about it feels so… comfortable, to me. I could watch it again and again and enjoy each minute. It's probably not the best romance anime out there, but it's one that I'll always be drawn to.

And with that, the list is over. Just to provide some extra context and honorable mentions, I'd love to have put series like Alien 9 or Monogatari on the list, but the challenge with them is the fact that the first is a shorter OVA, and the latter is a much larger series encompasses nearly too much to explain in this sort of context. There's really quite a few series like that that I struggled with when forming this list, but they're still really great titles nonetheless.

Anyways, the anime original point. While it's sort of an unconscious thing, I do realize what I do with it. Anime originals present something that you can't experience elsewhere. They are the end all be all of their creative vision, and that excites me more than a manga adaptation. Following someone else's blueprint vs creating your own, obviously one is more interesting than the other. And that sentiment extends to some of the other titles on the list like Heike Monogatari which approaches a classic story with a radical new viewpoint, or Tanya The Evil which basically forgoes the vast majority of its source material. It's really something I struggle with at large with adaptations. So many people want to leave their marks on the work, but quit just short of doing so in a meaningful manner. Very few go the mile to say that they did something in regards to the work, and instead meddle with it in minor ways which can negatively impact its reception as the original material. A great example of valuable changes is Heavenly Delusion. The team under Hirotaka completely re-arrange the order of events in the anime, and in doing so elevate the series in a way that only they can. Anyways, I digress, a discussion that I should leave for another time. This is my list, it may not be the best list out there, but it is mine.

[kingsofeverything]

Annual* Writing Self-Evaluation

Last year, everyone was doing this as I was rushing to write one last fic before the new year. I’m not currently writing anything, so I figured I’d go ahead.

1. List of works published this year:

Ahead in the Count

Rode Hard and Put Away Wet

Truth or Drink

U-Pop Truck Stop

Ride My Sleigh Tonight

2. Work you are most proud of (and why):

Ride My Sleigh Tonight

Once I got past the feeling of omgggg this is terrible why did I ever think I could write anything, I felt like my normal writing self while working on it , and it was reassuring because writing has been nearly impossible this year

3. Work you are least proud of (and why):

Rode Hard and Put Away Wet

Idk why exactly but it’s definitely not my favorite. No offense if you love it 😘

4. A favorite excerpt of your writing:

I’m terrible at picking favorites of anything, but the last line here was the one I built U-Pop Truck Stop around:

“Harry, get a load of the sign in the shower,” Niall says with a loud chuckle that echoes off the tiled walls and floor. He pushes the shower room door open before it can shut all the way, and points at the black rectangle hanging on the shower wall, its white block letters spelling out:

ONLY ONE TRUCK DRIVER PER SHOWER

—MANAGEMENT

“See it?” Niall asks, still laughing.

“See it?” Harry grins, thinking back to that fateful night, and says, “I’m the reason they hung it up!”

5. Share or describe a favorite review you received:

Maggie @disgruntledkittenface and Molly @becomeawendybird both sent me voice messages about Ride My Sleigh Tonight and those are the top of the list for me 🩷

6. A time when writing was really, really hard:

Literally every single minute of 2023

7. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

All of Truth or Drink because I had the questions, but I didn’t have their backstory planned. It all just came out as I was writing and I really love that H and L

8. How did you grow as a writer this year:

I had to learn to let go of writing long fics and try to be satisfied with shorter stories. Idk if that’s growth though because tbh I’m not satisfied lol and I miss it so much

9. How do you hope to grow next year:

Next year I really hope to learn how to write in a way that satisfies my creative side, that produces longer works, but that takes more time. I need to figure out a way to write the length of fic I want to write, but spread it out and still keep that focus and inspiration going

10. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer or beta or cheerleader or muse etc etc):

It’s literally always Nic @louandhazaf because without him, I’d never have written a word, and without him, I still wouldn’t write. He’s the backbone of my writing and the best friend and beta I could ever hope for

11. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:

I’m absolutely shocked to answer no to this because bits of my real life have always wormed their way into my fics, but I guess it’s because all my fics this year have been so short?

12. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

Other than JUST WRITE and listen to @roseanddaggerpodcast I highly recommend titling your wip WORST VERSION OF whatever your title is because that helped me soooo much on Ride My Sleigh Tonight when I was struggling at the start. As soon as I put that in the doc title it was like magic. Every time I’d get in my head and think “oh this is horrible” or whatever or start thinking that my writing sucked or something, I’d see that title and think I CAN FIX IT LATER

13. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year:

I actually have a wip where L and H got married really young and divorced really young (no kids or anything) but I’ve sort of abandoned it. Idk if I’ll get back to it.

I did have an idea for a xmas fic lol and if I do write it, I’m thinking of posting it like an advent fic but in July. So like xmas in July 🎄

In reality, I’m going to be so busy idk if I’ll be able to write at all, but I really just want to be inspired by an idea that won’t let go

14. Tag three writers whose answers you’d like to read. ;)

@disgruntledkittenface @louandhazaf @allwaswell16

*All answers should be about works published in 2023

[loquaciousquark]

One thing that I really appreciate about your fic is that you always have the whole thing prewritten and then you post on a regular schedule until the whole thing is out there. What made you decide to do it that way rather than post as you write? I'm currently once again waffling on just posting as I write or finishing my whole thing and then posting and it's driving me nuts!

Ahh, I'm still reeling from your lovely art! Let me try to compose myself and also try to get through the haze of cough syrup. There are four (and a half) main reasons I always finish my stuff before I start posting. I keep trying to qualify this post by saying they're personal reasons developed over many years and I don't know if they'll mean anything for anyone else, but I'm just dithering at this point, so let's get to it.

The biggest reason by far is that the pressure of knowing someone is waiting for me to write the next part is AWFUL. It's petrifying, honestly. I've only ever posted two fics as I wrote them, River Stone on the kinkmeme way back in whenever (like 2013 I think?), and Metamorphose for Thanzag last year (a three-parter with over a year between parts 2 and 3). I tried it again with Metamorphose because I thought, oh, it's been ten years since I last did this, surely I can now handle posting before finishing--NOPE. AWFUL. Every comment looking for the next part was like a little inquisitive set of eyes peering over my shoulder, and any free hobby time I spent doing other things I felt guilty about for months. Plus, I'm not quite satisfied with that last chapter even now, but the pressure of needing to get it done was stronger than my desire to hone. I hate having that pressure compromise my standards, and I won't be doing it again anytime soon. Plus, I get so much joy out of comments when I do it the other way--writing everything first and knowing that pressure to finish is gone--that the tradeoff of no comments during the writing process is beyond worth it to me. That's the selfish aspect of how I post; I want to be able to just marinate in the reactions without the pressure of trying to figure out what comes next. Yeah, this sometimes means I spend a metric ton of time writing stuff that then doesn't get a lot of feedback once I finally start posting. Ah, well, them's the breaks. I'm familiar enough by now with my creative juices that I know the next fic is just around the corner. .

I'm such a constructionist in my fics, heavily leaning on my outlines for the overall structure and framework, that I spend a lot of time after the first completed draft trying to really polish up themes, characterization, and plot from start to finish. On I think almost every major longfic I've ever written, @jadesabre301 has pointed out a serious gaping hole that needed immediate revision (occasionally very major revision) in order to get the fic to the quality I wanted it to be. I can't go back and add early scenes and theme/imagery reinforcement in chapters already posted, and if I want to make the piece as polished as possible, I need that editing freedom and flexibility. (And she needs to be able to see the whole structure of the piece to find those flaws.) Plus, if I don't force myself to write the interstitial or difficult scenes, I could very easily see myself stalling out after hitting the highlight scenes I'm excited about, and then that'd be the end of the progress. I got stuck in one place in Spire for like eight months before Jade pushed me through it, and if I'd been posting concurrently with that writing stall, I think I would have been miserable. .

I have a high tolerance for sitting down and really focusing on one project for hours at a time, and I have a job and lifestyle that allow that every now and then. I don't have kids, I have a career I'm very well established in (giving me some clear work/life boundaries and seasons when I know I'll be busy and when I know I'll have time to be creative), and I structure my free time in those periods in ways where I can write without interruption. I don't really need external impetus or praise to keep me going (in fact, as mentioned, it often makes me feel worse), so having that dedicated time lets me really sink my teeth into my projects, which makes it so much easier to reach my target goals. I also find completing and closing projects immensely personally satisfying, which helps drive that momentum during the more difficult parts of the process. .

It's important to me to finish my projects so that the stories are complete for the readers. Not just because I grew up on abandoned WIPs in the fandoms I cut my teeth on (Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, Harry Potter), either. I remember a particular author in the Inuyasha fandom named Rozefire who wrote what felt like dozens of incredible AUs that I followed religiously for years. However, she never finished more than...memory says a handful of them? And every header at the top of the new fic would talk about how she was still working on the previous one, but after several months I realized that as soon as that new fic went up, the previous one would never see another chapter. I still loved everything she wrote and I still devoured every word, but there were several things I desperately wanted to see completed, and I have so many dusty memories of sifting through those fics for updates every few weeks, pining for any little crumb, haha. I'm able to complete my projects and it's important to me to do so for the sake of any readers, so it's something I make a priority when I write. .

(really 4.5) Not finishing my projects makes me mentally unhappy. It doesn't destroy my mood or anything, but it becomes a persistent itch that poisons all my other hobbies, even if there aren't any comments looking forward to the next chapter. In some ways the ending of that de-aging Fenris/Hawke fic I wrote a million years ago where the story demands a conclusion was a veritable autobiography. There's a reason that of my, uh...63 works on AO3, the only ones not fully completed are the two WIPs I'm currently posting (which are completely written) and the two oneshot/ficlet collections. Those collections have been lifesavers as well in that they are homes for my little orphan ficlets, which also pleases the ruthless organizer part of my brain. I don't like clutter; I don't like tangled wires; I don't like untucked sheets or piles of abandoned craft projects or rooms of untamed chaos. I look at a lot of those cozy little cottagecore aesthetic posts and I honestly just want to straighten everything to right angles and buy them coasters and set up bookshelves so they can clean up the space. I used to organize my parents' VHS collection every summer--we had a spreadsheet with titles and reference numbers that went into the 500s. Finishing fics fits into the same space in my head; when they're finally done I can at last put the lid on the box and put it labelled neatly on the rack with all the rest of the boxes and I can mentally release it from my list of things to think about on the daily. (Which is, incidentally, the main reason I only work on one project at a time; too many open and cluttered boxes = a very unhappy me.)

Anyway! This was a very long answer about a very personal process, and I hope there's some part of it useful to you in some way! <3 At the end of the day, you'll have to decide your posting schedule for yourself based on the things that are important to you. There's no wrong way to do it--it's only whatever makes you happy and keeps you writing! <3<3<3