#i still need to set it up for 3d printing

[popillia]

Commission done for Fidgetattack on twitter

[solradguy]

25 YEAR OLD MISSING LINK ORDER SOL BROCCOLI TRADING CARD DELIVERED TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOS GK behind it is by Nakayama Eiji

[damnprecious]

I just got myself an early christmas present in the form of The Great Wave Lego wall art piece and I built it and it's amazing and beautiful and perfect and I love it so much

[roadrunnerposting]

Take the cheap projector pill

[vase-of-lilies]

So for tiny vurse what if both nat and wanda have an emergency having to leave tiny alone but then enter aggitha and she whispers through the wind and lures you out because she's still mad at wanda then wanda and nat come home check your room and your gone but they find a trail of crumbs because we found the cookies and finds us in a cabin souronded by 3d print animals dancing with magic and agitha keeps us in like a dream like state that we don't see are mommies or hear them. Add what you want I just think it would be funny as I'm looking at my 3d printed dragon.

The Trap

Paring: Mommy!Wanda Maximoff x Little!Reader (f) x Mama!Natasha Romanoff (Featuring Agatha Harkness)

Warnings: Heavy MD/LG, Agatha luring away reader, magic, tiny has to be alone:( forest, being kidnapped from your kidnappers, this is a dark AU in general so beware, threats of falling off a cliff, hallucinations

A/n: I love this request! Thank you for sending it in 🥺 (I also have always wanted to 3D print something but I don't know where to find a printer 😭 my local library doesn't have one either:( ) But I hope you like this!! I feel kinda bad making it angsty at the end lol but I thought this could be like Anistaisia's dream (If you have seen the movie!!)

"Baby, I'm so sorry we have to go, but we will be back so soon, ok? Can you promise us that you'll be good?" Wanda and Natasha are rushed to get out the door, an emergency mission involving Ultron threatening the existence of humanity.

You nod as you hold your lion in your hands, tears forming in your eyes as you think of not being with your mommies for a little while. Pretty soon after they leave, your bigger headspace might show itself again, but you know better than to escape. And as you stare at your mommies gathering everything they need, you start to feel a sensation of abandonment.

Wanda immediately takes notice of this and kneels down in front of your spot on the couch. Grabbing a hold of your hands she squeezes them gently. "Hey, little one... it's going to be ok. You are gonna have so much fun with Leo here and then after you lay down for your nap, we'll be back in a blink of an eye," She says with a smile, kissing the backs of your hands.

Nat sighs as she sees you on the couch and frowns at your tears. She joins Wanda and sits beside you, wrapping her arm around you softly. "I promise, sweetheart, we'll be back so soon." She whispers, kissing your head. You nod at their reassuring words and lay down on the pillow they set up for your nap on the couch.

Hugging your lion tightly, you wave to them as Wanda and Nat go out the front door, the two women waving back.

The soft music coming from the TV plays and you watch the ocean waves beating against the sand on the screen. It lulls you to sleep almost as fast as hearing your Mommy's lullaby sung to you.

Not far into your nap you heard a soft whisper, causing you to sit up slowly. You yawn and rub your hands over your eyes, getting the sleepers and crusties off of your skin. You look around confused as to where this soft whisper could be coming from, remembering that your caregivers had to leave for a mission.

Your eyes looked around the room, looking for that voice however, your mind was pulled in a different direction when you saw a small bag of Wanda's famous cookies! Hopping off of the couch, you wander over to the counter where there is a note.

'Be good, Tiny, we're always watching over you ❤️ Love, Mommy and Mama.'

Their note made you smile but you were yet again distracted by that soft whisper in your ear. Your head snapped to the sliding back door that had miraculously opened on its own. Curiosity took over your head like a trance, or maybe it really was a trance...

Absentmindedly, you take a bite of a cookie, some crumbs tumbling down your shirt and onto the floor. Your eyes widen as a purple tendril of energy presents itself in the door, and the whisper is louder than ever, luring you outside of your humble abode.

As you follow the mist, you continue to nibble on the cookies your mommy left for you, dropping a pathway of crumbs on the way to the gate at the edge of the backyard. This gate was connected to the fence, and the mysterious purple energy quickly opened it. The hinges squeaked with every inch it opened and you were taken aback by a small group of animals, a purple glow around them as they danced down a dirt path into the woods.

You continued to eat your cookies, some chocolate chips falling on the soil beneath you as you explored deeper into the forest.

"Just a little further, sweet girl..." The whisper coaxes you, your aura turning a bright purple as you fall further under the spell of Wanda and Natasha's enemy; Agatha.

Your mind was a haze once you got to an imaginary home in the middle of a grove of trees, the animals jumping and dancing around you as you sat down on a rock. What you didn't realize, was in reality you were nowhere near a grove of trees, you were on the edge of a cliff. At the bottom of the cliff was a collection of sharp, jagged rocks. Agatha had manipulated your mind to see something different.

She had the intention to take what mattered the most to the two women she hated.

The rock you were sitting on was at the very edge of the cliff and was only a couple feet (or meters for you non-Americans). If you walked any further, you would fall to your death and not even know it.

On the mission, Wanda could feel something was wrong and once they were finished with Ultron, they raced back home to see if you were safe. When you were not on the couch, in your bed, or in your playroom, they panicked. Nat ran to the security room and rewound all the tapes. Her eyes narrowed as she saw you leave through the backdoor, but she still could feel something was wrong. The door had opened by itself... she didn't leave willingly. She thought.

"Nat! Nat, let's go! I know where she is!!" Wanda shouted from the kitchen where the backdoor was. Her wife ran to her, gun in hand and spider bites ready in her other. "Look, she left crumbs." Wanda pointed to the ground, the pathway of cookie crumbs leading to the gate.

The two women ran as fast as they could, following your trail of crumbs all the way to where you were. As they saw you, Wanda gasped and tears filled her eyes as she saw you so close to the edge of the cliff. She saw the purple around you and growled to herself. "Agatha... you bitch,"

Nat looked over at her, knowing not to move if Agatha was near. She is powerful, but Wanda is more so. All three of them knew that, yet Agatha still tried.

Looking around the trees, Nat sees the witch perched on a branch, purple whisps of magic moving about her fingers. Wanda is nudged by her wife and she looks in the same direction, glaring at the woman. Before anything worse can happen to you in your dream state, Natasha pulls her grappling string from her belt and shoots it towards you, the chord wrapping around your waist to hold you away from the cliff.

Agatha notices the sudden lack of movement from you, frowning as you don't move forward with the animals as they hover in mid-air above the drop. She looks around to see what could be stopping you and meets the glowing red eyes of Wanda on the ground.

"Ah, so you do care about your little bunny..." Agatha says, floating down from her spot in the tree above. She lands between you and your mommies, sparking even more rage in Wanda. A large red burst of energy forces Agatha into a tree trunk, blood flowing from her head as she stands up.

"Oh, you are angry," The witch notes, smirking as Wanda walks towards her. The two sorceresses face each other, distracting Agatha enough for Natasha to run to you. Her soft kisses to your forehead and arms around you weren't enough to pull you from the trance you were in, but Wanda could help with that.

"First, you mess with my family in Westview, then you mess with my wedding, now you mess with my girl? It ends now, Agatha, you are dead to me and will be for everyone!" Wanda shouts, her magic pushing her up to float above Agatha, who is much too weak to fight back.

Natasha pulls you to a safe spot, your whimpers making her frown as she sees you reach for the imaginary animals that were luring you to your death. She holds you to her chest so you aren't able to see Wanda and Agatha and prays that once Wanda is done, you will be back to normal in no time.

The scarlet witch forced all of her energy onto Agatha, not killing her, just transferring her to a place where everyone would be safe from her. The Raft. She knew that the guards there dealt with her first, so they knew exactly what to do once Agatha arrived there.

Finally, your mommy floats to the ground, taking a deep breath as she regains her energy. Her head turns towards you and Nat, both looking back at her. Quickly she makes her way to you and kneels down to you as you sit in Nat's lap, holding onto her and your lion. With a small push of red magic to your head, your trance is pulled away from your mind and your eyes snap back to reality.

Looking at your surroundings, you realize it is not the same thing that you saw while under Agatha's power and you whimper. "Where a' I?" You ask in a small voice, trying to make sense of what happened. "Where da animals?"

Wanda sighs and holds your hand, "Oh baby, it's ok, you're safe now. You must have wandered off while you were sleeping," She chuckles softly, trying to distract your thoughts from becoming irrational. With Natasha smoothing her hand over your head, you are slowly pushed back into sleep.

"Mama n' mommy home..." You whisper tiredly, a sloppy smile on your face as your hands move up to gently cup Wandas. Your mommies smile at you and carry you back to the cabin, making sure to tuck you in with your little lion by your side.

After wiping off the crumbs from your front, Wanda smiles and whispers to you, "I'm glad you liked the cookies, little one."

And with a kiss to your forehead, you sleep peacefully in between your loving mommies.

[jasper-pagan-witch]

Library Tips For Magic Practitioners

As a Missouri librarian, I've gotten to know my library district pretty well. So here are some tips for you!

Tip 1: Dewey is your friend.

And by that I mean the Dewey Decimal System (a more in-depth list is in that link) is your friend. It breaks down as follows:

000: General Knowledge (encyclopedias, newspapers, almanacs, etc)

100: Psychology & Philosophy (feelings, logic, friendships, etc)

200: Religions & Mythology (Bible stories, Native American myths, classical mythology, etc)

300: Social Sciences & Folklore (families, career, money, government, etc)

400: Languages (English, Spanish, American Sign Language, grammar, etc)

500: Math & Science (arithmetic, animals, rocks, plants, fossils, etc)

600: Medicine & Technology (inventions, machines, farming, health, etc)

700: Arts & Recreation (crafts, painting, music, games, sports, etc)

800: Literature (poetry, plays, novels from other countries, etc)

900: Geography & History (countries, biographies, etc)

If you're looking for ghosts, divination, and witchcraft specifically, look around 133. That's where I've found most of my magic-based books to borrow. You'll also find books talking about people's near-death experiences or reincarnation around this point.

While fiction technically falls in the 800s, most libraries will have it separate from nonfiction. You may still find things like poems or memoirs in the nonfiction section. Some libraries will have the biographies separated into their own section. A few libraries (at least here in Missouri) will have state-specific sections where you can learn more about local stuff.

Tip 2: There are computers and printers to use.

If you can't research something at home for literally any reason, getting a library card will often grant you access to using the computers and printers in the library.

When using the printer, some libraries will charge based on how much ink you use, other libraries will charge based on how much paper you use, and other libraries will charge based on some other criteria.

Be aware that you lose access to these if you reach a certain level of overdue materials or money is charged to your library card until the materials are returned/paid for or the money is paid off. Luckily, librarians are here to help you and can tell you what's missing.

Tip 3: Libraries have more than books.

Seriously. The main branch of my library district has 3D printers, telescopes, gaming systems to use in-building, and more stuff that I didn't even pay attention to because I was scrambling to learn the behind-the-counter stuff. Feel free to ask us for something and we can see if it's in-county for ya!

Audiobooks are often available on CDs and in the form of Playaways, which are like MP3 players with a single book on them. You will need a wire-connected set of earbuds or a wire-connected headset and batteries. Some libraries sell earbuds, but not batteries.

Large Print books will often have their own special designation as LP, but more often they have their own shelf sections. You'll find a surprising number of Westerns there, but there are Large Print nonfiction books.

Tip 4: Requesting materials.

Not finding something you're looking for? Ask the front desk for help! In Missouri, we have the Missouri Evergreen system, which means we can borrow books from all over the state* on the topic you're looking for.

If we can't find it (or you're in a library that doesn't have such a monumental reach), then you can often fill out a book request form. We will then do our best to order the book for you - but be aware that it could take many months, and most of the time, people will cancel their order of the book well before our budget catches up or we even have time to get the book processed and integrated into the system. Patience is key when ordering a new book.

*At participating branches - not every library district in our state is part of Missouri Evergreen.

Tip 5: Self-checkout is a thing.

At least, it is here in Missouri. If you don't want to interact with the front desk, there are often self-checkout stations for books, DVDs, audiobooks, et cetera. Even my middle-of-nowhere branch has one!

Unfortunately, this won't work for other things, like updating your card once it expires or resolving monetary charges (which will both send you to the front desk).

Tip 6: Search the new shelves.

Some libraries like mine will have specially-designated "New Shelves", where you can find a lot of the most recent releases. If you're trying to find something in a particular number that you saw on the search but can't find it, it may be on the new shelf. These get cycled out whenever new books come in, which may mean that you have several months' worth of new releases to dig through.

In short, I hope this helps you in your search through the library! Best of luck to you!

~Jasper

[raineandsky]

#96

tw: guns

The villain laughs in the hero’s face when they round the corner. Laughs so hard they double over. The metal support they were bending with nothing but their mind is briefly forgotten.

“It’s you!” they announce, like the sight of the hero is nothing more than a surprise visit from a friend. “Now tell me, [Hero], why would they send you to deal with me? Did they get bored of you and hope you’d not come back?”

“They sent me,” the hero retorts flatly, “because they know I’ll get the job done.”

“Get the job done? And how exactly do you do that?” the villain says with a grin. “Go on, what’s your power?”

“I use it when I need to.” The hero cracks their knuckles expectantly. Their expression is plain, almost bored. “No one’s been bad enough to need eviscerating with it.”

“Eviscerating?” the villain repeats with an incensed screech. “See, [Hero], I’m starting to think you’re bluffing. You refuse to show us your power. You won’t tell anyone what it is. Is the agency sending unpowered civilians into battle now?” They tut in mock disappointment. “That’s not very ‘good guy’ of them.”

“What would you say if I had no powers?” the hero continues. They stand just on the edge of the villain’s destruction; they’ve been to town in the time it took the hero to get here. The building the villain was previously snapping the support of is one of the few left actually upright. Modern buildings were clearly not made with metal-bending villains in mind. “What if overpowered criminals like you could be stopped by some average guy like me?”

“If you have no powers,” the villain says with a content sigh, “I’ll laugh at you because I was right, then I’ll make you watch as I cause the destruction you’re meant to be stopping. Which you can’t, because I’m right and you don’t have powers. Look, watch.”

The villain turns their attention back to the metal beam bracing the entire building’s weight. They only get to set their focus on it before the sound of something clicking into place snaps their gaze back to the hero.

A small handgun sits in their grip, pointing at the villain. They still wear that aggravatingly bored look on their face. “I don’t have powers,” they admit tiredly, “and I don’t need ‘em.”

The villain forces all their willpower into the barrel. Metal’s their thing. Why is this hunk of metal so stubborn?

The hero frowns into the momentary silence, glancing into the villain’s face before following their gaze back to their weapon.

“Oh,” they say with a short laugh. “Yeah, I 3D printed this. It’s not metal, but it sure as hell shoots like it.”

The villain knows their horror shows on their face. “You’re bluffing again,” they say a moment too late. The hero smiles, and the villain suddenly misses their bland disinterest.

They angle the gun and shoot it into the rubble next to the villain. Instinct makes them yelp and leap back before they can stop themself.

“Am I?” They adjust the gun in their hand casually. “Would you like to find out?”

The villain scowls and steps away from the support beam, their hands up in surrender. No, they would not.

The hero’s weapon of choice won’t be the centre of the gossip. No, the villain got arrested by some unpowered, supposed hero. They know the news will reach the supervillain as unflatteringly as possible. They’ll look like an idiot.

The villain, defeated by just some guy. Embarrassing.

[vikings-til-valhalla]

So 2 years ago, I bought a brand new 3D resin printer. That stuff isn't cheap. It was $360, basically the entire 2 week paycheck I had at the time. And it came in defective.

The printer needs a USB stick to save files to, and the motherboard it connected to soldered the port skewed, thus not allowing my stick to fit inside. I therefore couldn't print anything. So I contacted the company for a replacement, and they sent a new motherboard. 2 weeks for that to come in.

That was a pain in the ass to replace. Took like 2 hours with all the wires and ribbons.

Then the screen was black.

I contacted support again, and they sent a new screen. There's another 2 weeks.

That was simple to replace. But! It was still black. Nothing showed.

In my frustration, I gave up nearly entirely. I told myself I'd sell off the printer for $300 as defective and needing repair, buy a new one of the same model that actually worked (since it was the exact size I needed at the time and the largest printer at its time).

And for 2 years, it sat there, out of warranty, and I had no spoons to put toward the printer. Not to fix it, sell it, nothing. It just sat there on my desk for all that time collecting dust. Literally.

Until 3 nights ago.

I contacted support on a whim, hoping they would still aid me in my efforts despite the printer being out of warranty. I've had GREAT experience with all 3 printers I own so far from this company, and their support, no issues until I gave up. Well! To my surprise, they got back.

And over 3 days, we figured out I installed the one ribbon on the new screen backwards. And that was causing the black screen. For 2 years. It took me 5 minutes to fix everything and get the printer up and on. I set it up, leveled it, got the screws back in, everything. And now? I'm printing a gift for my sister: her favorite Pokemon. As a total surprise.

Then?

I'll print a dragon once I know this thing is fully working, and hide it in the Christmas village and see how long it takes my mom to notice lol.

For anyone who knows printers, it's the legendary Photon Mono X!

[seattlesolace]

bejeweled // jay (ENHYPEN)

pairing: jeweler!jay x fem!reader

summary: you visit Jay's studio to order a custom engagement ring, and Jay thinks he has fallen in love.

content: sfw

word count: ~1.7k

author’s note: this has nothing to do with Taylor Swift's song. LOL. the idea just came to me because I was scrolling TikTok and found this account so.... yeah. (lowkey stalked that man's account and idk why he just gives off jay vibes)

ANYWAY hope you enjoy this one! click here for more of my works <3

Jay pouted as he fiddled with the 3D-printed model of a ring he was working on. The headphones on his ears canceled out every other noise, so he did not notice the figure approaching him slowly. The young man tapped Jay on the shoulder ever so slightly so as not to startle him, but Jay still flinched theatrically, making the headphones slide down to his neck.

“God damn it,” Jay muttered to himself.

Jake was giggling by the time he was finally noticed. “Sorry, mate. I really did try my best to be gentle.”

Jay groaned and stretched his arms to the side before setting his headphones on the desk in front of him. “What is it?”

“You’ve got a customer,” Jake said as he walked away.

Jay frowned before standing up and wiping his hands with a cloth. He then took a few steps away from his desk, entering the waiting room where you were calmly seated on the sofa. You noticed his presence and immediately put your phone away, smiling to greet him.

“Hi!” You stood up and extended your hand for him to shake. “It’s Jay, right? I’m Y/N.”

Jay thought people were just exaggerating, that they had watched way too many rom-coms when it comes to talking about love at first sight. Nobody could fall in love that fast, right? You really need to know somebody first before loving them. It was the only logical explanation. That was what he believed.

But that was before you visited his studio, before you stood there with your arm out, looking like you just woke up and put on the first dress you saw when you opened your wardrobe. Effortlessly beautiful. The way your hair was styled up in a neat bun, with strands of hair framing your face so well, Jay thought he was in the presence of a goddess.

“Hi, Y/N,” Jay replied, shaking your hand. He spoke with the deepest voice he could muster, somehow wanting to show you the best side of him. “How can I help you?”

“You were on my for-you-page as I was just scrolling TikTok, and I saw that you make custom jewelry,” you spoke politely. You then reached into your handbag to take out your iPad. “I was wondering if you could make a custom engagement ring.”

And just like that, the pink flowers and red hearts that were floating around you froze and turned to grey dust in Jay’s eyes. He was right, after all. Rom-coms are just movies. Things don’t magically happen. Love at first sight does not exist. Maybe not for him.

“I can make anything,” Jay replied to you, smiling. His remark came off sounding a little cocky, but he had abandoned his initial intention to protect his image since he knew he had zero chances with you. You were just a friendly, pretty customer to him now.

“I can see that from your profile,” you chuckled, admiring his confidence. You looked around his studio and saw displays of different jewelry, as well as sketches and pictures of custom jewelry framed on the wall.

Jay glanced at the way you were admiring his work. He smiled to himself before clearing his throat. “If you don’t mind stepping into the studio, I can show you options, and we can talk about details.”

“Sure.” You followed his steps and were met with a large room with tools you do not even know the name of and a desk with a computer setup larger than your brother had at home. “This place looks amazing.”

Jay pulled a chair from a table nearby to set in front of the computer for you. “Thanks,” he said before gesturing for you to sit.

As you sat down, he sat on his own chair beside you and began pulling up pictures on the monitor. You unlocked your iPad and held it towards him, showing him pictures of the mood board you had curated. Just like that, you and Jay ended up spending hours together, and you had to end the meeting because it was getting late. Since the request was quite complicated, you promised to make a visit regularly until your custom order is completed.

---

Jay did not know why he suggested meeting up at a café instead of his own studio. Maybe a part of him still wanted to deny the fact that you were taken, so meeting you somewhere else would then make it feel more natural and less transactional. He was fiddling with his Apple pencil and staring at his sketch when you pulled the chair in front of him, startling him again.

“You’re really jumpy, you know,” you smiled at him as you took your seat. Jay just grinned and pushed his hair back, placing the pencil on his ear while he gave you his iPad.

You both went straight into discussing the design, and you were surprised that Jay had even brought a 3D-printed model of the ring that you requested. You were even more impressed because it took him less than a week, which is weird because you knew he had a lot of other orders to take care of. In reality, Jay just wanted to put you first and get it over with so he did not have to see you too often and break his own heart.

After discussing business, Jay steered the conversation into absolutely anything else but the engagement. He asked more personal questions like your interests and other trivial things. He found out that you had a thing for one-time classes, like pottery-making and perfume workshops, and when he mentioned tufting, your eyes lit up.

“I’ve seen it on YouTube but I’ve never tried it,” you commented. “I usually go to classes alone, but since you said you know the owner, should we go together?”

It took everything in Jay to stop himself from saying yes right away. It isn’t right, he thought. You were to be married. He knew he wouldn’t be able to just hang out with you and just be friends. He already had friends. He didn’t need more.

“Sure,” Jay cleared his throat. “But maybe after I finish a couple of orders?”

You were sipping your drink, so you couldn’t utter a word as a response. You pressed your lips together and nodded enthusiastically, and Jay cursed himself for thinking that you were the cutest girl he had ever laid eyes on.

---

You visited Jay’s studio a couple more times because, for some reason, you just kept changing the design and making revisions here and there. When your order was finally completed, though, you arrived at his studio in all black, somehow mimicking the vibe of his place as well as his chic appearance.

“Your ring is ready, Princess,” Jay chirped as you entered his studio. After a couple of meetings and a lot of text messages, Jay decided to unironically call you a princess since that was what you were to him at this point. Gorgeous, kind, and unattainable.

You smiled widely and brought your fingers together in anticipation. At the same time, you watched as Jay took out a box from his drawer. He opened the box dramatically, and you gasped as if you had never seen the design before.

“Oh my God,” you whispered, hands over your mouth. “It’s breathtaking.”

You’re breathtaking, Jay thought.

“Do you want to try it on?” Jay asked, carefully taking the ring out.

“Yeah, why not. I’m pretty much the same size as my sister.”

Not wanting you to feel his sweaty hands, Jay wiped them on a small towel that was placed by his computer, but the sentence you uttered made him freeze. “I’m sorry, what?”

“My sister and I share clothes all the time. We have the same shoe size and everything. I bet our fingers are the same size too.”

Jay blinked a couple times, and you just laughed at how dorky he looked. “What’s the matter?” You asked with a chuckle.

“Why are you bringing up your sister all of a sudden?” Jay asked again. He was now afraid he might be sounding dumb.

“Because it’s her engagement ring?” You replied, sounding more like you were asking a question because now you were also confused.

Within several seconds of silence, Jay quickly backtracked to the first time you visited his studio. He remembered what you wore, how you smelled, and then he remembered what you said. 

“I was wondering if you could make a custom engagement ring.”

You never mentioned who it was for. Jay just automatically assumed that the ring you wanted to order was for you. And because he is a hopeless, pathetic dorky romantic, he avoided discussing the subject during your meetings.

You weren’t getting engaged. Your sister was.

“Jay?” You tilted your head, getting increasingly concerned because of the prolonged silence. “Are you alright?”

“I am!” Jay half-yelled, completely snapping out of his train of thought. She’s not engaged!

You smiled with relief and raised one hand in front of you, wiggling your fingers. “Let me see it then,” you said enthusiastically.

The way Jay’s hands both trembled when he touched you was more than embarrassing. You pressed your lips together to hold back a chuckle, and when he finally put the ring on your finger, you could hear the exhale of relief coming out of his mouth.

“Perfect!” You said, smiling as you held your hand up and took a picture of it with your other hand. “She’ll love this.”

There were a dozen questions in Jay’s head, and he didn’t know which one to ask you first. When he finally gulped and decided to speak, however, you did the same thing.

“So about tufting…”

“The tufting class…”

You both looked at each other for a second before you burst out laughing. You calmly took the ring out of your finger and handed it back to Jay, who then safely put it back inside the box.

Now his head is filled with images of him putting a ring on your finger during an actual proposal. But he’ll get to that later.

-END-

© seattlesolace 2022, all rights reserved

[littleguys3d]

Since it’s been ages on here I figure I’ll summarize where I’ve been and what I’m up to now. If you don’t care, here’s pics of my little guys! 😎

Looks like the last thing I posted about was the Leo Kickstarter. So I ran that, and it failed, and around the same time I got a Real Job that covered my expenses well enough that I didn’t need to take supplemental commissions. I still made stuff here and there, but found that absent of the motivation of money I wasn’t really inspired to make my own art. I didn’t know what making art for fun looked like anymore.

So I took a big break from doing any art, which started around 2020. Instead I focused all my energy on surviving working from home (work was apeshit around that time) and getting fit, and taking care of my pandemic puppy Newt. I eventually found my now partner, we moved in together, and over the course of the past two years we’ve both rediscovered our art and quit our desk jobs. He makes pottery in his garage studio (that is still a work in progress, but ALMOST DONE!) and about two years ago I was gifted a resin 3D printer.

I have always been intrigued with the idea of making miniature figurines, but I’ve never found a process I liked so it stayed a dream. Until I discovered resin 3D printing. I started out with a miniature figurine of my dog, which also led me to flocking.

I started printing little unflocked versions in bulk to keep on me on walks, and because Newt is such a charmer we’d often get people saying hi to him, and I’d give them a teeny Newt. It was such a mood boost to see folks so delighted with my silly little guys that I was inspired to make more.

I eventually made a set of little cats like the one in the picture set above for Halloween and sold them in my long dormant online shop, and they were a mega hit. From there I kept making new little guys to sell and here we are. I’ve been mostly on Twitter this whole time if you want to see what I’ve been up to in detail. I’m littleguys3d over there.

So yeah. That’s where I’ve been. Expect a remodel of this blog over the next couple weeks to reflect my little guys rebrand. I hope nobody is too disappointed that I’m done with sewing and custom orders, but I gotta chase the art that makes me happy!

[unhinged-comics-scree]

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊ Weekly Bravern Madness Post ₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺

Episode 11 Spoilers ahead, naturally

I'm actually on my second watch since we found out our water heater is leaking so that was a whole thing so not quite first impressions but that's literally me screencapping every scene and screaming so probably better this way

Okay important things about me to consider for my lens as I go through this

I think Isami is so so so cute. I'll probably make a cute Isami screencaps post as a separate thing. His gap moe is so cute. I love his stern face. I think Smith is great too but I love the focus reshifting to Isami. Anyway. He's so cute

In terms of Smith as Bravern I guess I view it as the reverse too? I don't really know how to explain it but I guess in Japanese there's tags for Smith + Isami (Sumiisa) and Bravern + Isami (Braisa?) and in my head it's all Sumiisa. Like he may look like a giant robot but he's still Smith, if that makes sense.

Second watch bonuses: realizing why she reacts this way at his mention ;-;

Right away, I guess I got my beach episode! I love that Isami and Lulu have Bravern brand summer clothes. I hope they come out as merch. It comes up rarely eg. the boxing shoes from ep 5 have the (Burn?) Bravern specific emblem on them and I just think it's so cute. Like yeah Bravern probably printed them just for these instances and I wish we got enough show to see it in action.

I actually got so emotional at the end of episode 9 when the OP starts playing without the lyrics and this showing up with the ED music is phenomenal. Extra delicious that it starts with part of the full version of the ED that's not in the normal ending.

I also love this because the other two emotional moments where it's like, starting something but not completing it are the after boxing scene and when Isami is crying into Lewis' shirt (okay this can easily be assumed to fill out as "I wanted the two of us to save the world together" but what else did you want to do with hiiiiim). The shipper mind wants to fill it in with some love confession and then!!!

After the like, back and forth name stuff (which parallels the Lulu + Superbia fusion) I was like, pre-emptively bracing for some kind of goofy baiting/played for laughs thing but no he goes for it!!

I actually have a collection of any instance of Isami with any amount of coloring on his cheeks and I've been lamenting that the only full blush moments are when he gets the asian flush drinking but aaaaah so cute. Also he looks so young here! He's 24 he should be falling in love!

Also I'm like, actually really impressed about this scene technically because It's just a really good looking turnaround animation. With Bravern he's 3D so whatever but isami looks good from every angle!

The artist who adds the extra effects like bloom and color tweaks on scenes occasionally tweets out their before and afters and I really hope we get this scene where they point out they added plush, kissable lips onto Bravern.

I reblogged a post about it but I do really love that Isami isn't like, disgusted or pushing him away or anything. Not even grateful Lulu interrupted it. Maybe he's actually disappointed she interrupted.

I know it sets ups the symbolic washing away of it but in case there was any ambiguity to the nature of this love:

There's some discussion across japanese twitter about how you're not supposed to do some line in the middle but based on some cursory stuff I'm not sure how common that thought process is. Also Bravern isn't that much of a pro in Japanese culture (even a lot of JP twitter was confused at his proud "This is OMIAI!").

If you aren't involved in Twitter, a comment people like to point out is that they specifically hired a Food Coordinator for this episode lol. I took a bunch of caps of it but between this and Isami's "we need to eat to be strong enough to save everyone" talk I need to do my Dunmeshi + Bravern food as strength and love post.

Anyway I'm obsessed with the fact that Bravern doesn't need to eat but actually has a mouth which reminds me of this tweet my sister brought to me

Naturally, his mouth is for kissing, Among other things.

Okay honestly the food bit is so weird I was kind of worried the entire first half of the episode turns out to be a dream sequence.

I need to set this as my desktop background or something. I think it's really cute that they added/implied that Isami and Bravern are now a cutesy couple rather than Isami being all weird about the love confession.

THIS! Is the point in the post I realize that watching while typing these up leads to me just doing a play by play which isn't really much of anything. I promise the rest of the post isn't just as long even though we're only halfway through the episode.

(Hey, timeskip OP here. This might be a lie)

Lulu + Superbia symbol! It's cute and has a really nice mix of being similar but opposite in it's own way.

I am obsessed with Segnitas being too lazy to fight and honestly I think he's so cute. The interrupting the fusion is kinda expected for a a show with every bit being in universe but it's still a good gag. I'm glad he is around to make commentary until his true death.

I kind of expected the Bravern + Superbia fight to be an episode 2 thing but I guess we won't have the time for that given the end of this episode. Triple shoutout to my Wednesday post by having the "You can get fulfillment from living!", seeing a callback to Lulu's kick and basically having an awesome fight.

Okay ending time. I have a lot of thoughts but one of the ones as I was watching was just.. He can't eat but he can bleed (and cry)? Actually considering that he explodes it's probably oil or something. Like obvs he isn't going to explode into purple triangles like everyone else but oofda. I am all sorts of sad about this but one thing that gets me is that Bravern doesn't even die fighting! It was a stealth attack!

There's some theories that Isami has a change of heart too fast and this might be another time loop, which I think would be on brand but man his reaction to Bravern dying is too much there's at least no way it's because of a Bravern dying bad end. Actually, I wonder if the damage to Bravern's core is worse than we can tell? Lulu bad end looks way worse though. Or maybe hypothetical Isami time travel route is -> they don't fight Superbia -> defeat one more death drive -> Superbia realizes he doesn't get his warrior death -> he takes on the last Deathdrive 1v1, dies -> remaining DD dies somehow but Superbia is still gone -> Isami goes back to save him for Lulu (they can't risk double time looping her?) -> doesn't ever experience Bravern dying so this is new and terrible.

In this case, Ira is acting unpredictably specifically because they do the no-kill route with Superbia. He's evidently super disgusted and I wonder if it's because its the peaceful resolution between the two? Otherwise I'm curious why else. Actually in general I'm curious why everyone is so personal with Bravern but I think we've all been asking that.

I think some people mentioned it on Twitter but Lulu very casually mentions her time travel lived experiences so it would be weird if they didn't know Bravern himself enabled it. Like I mentioned in my other post. He literally can't take on two giant mechs without Bravern and he knows for sure Superbia can't take on someone.

It's interesting that Bravern has different final words in this timeline than Lulu bad end but he also probably never had that stargazing scene in that route. Actually, you know what, I think Lulu bad end he does know it's Lulu because I don't think Isami was there for the specific curry scene we saw. He's still crying, naked in Bravern during that. Unless he just talks about Japanese curry all the time where we don't see.

Smith's last words are specifically "Brave Bang" (yuuki bakuhatsu) vs Bravern's "Brave Burn" and I'm basically Pepe Silvia-ing it up trying to figure out what it means. It's not really a direct confession about being Smith (because he's still a coward in that regard) but maybe it's a secret move/activation considering the moves are in English?

I think any kind of extra finale speculation requires its own post but that's my thoughts!

hm. Sorry. Maybe I should get into writing fanfic so you at least get something out of this

[messydiabolical]

@dandenbo asked me for the art asks: 🎠What is a typical 'workflow' for a piece from idea to finished? It turns out to be a long answer so here's its own post, under the cut to save your dash! How I go from screenshot to painting: (This is not intended to be a 'this is how you do it!' kind of guide. I absolutely don't do an optimal route, this is just how I go about painting and what works for me! I've done a workflow for a screenshot to painting as I do a few different things but this is one I could explain somewhat coherently. My comics tend to be created pretty chaotically lol)

1) I take an ungodly amount of screenshots while playing. Also pester friends for their screenshots or stalk the group discord for interesting shots.

2) Go through all those screenshots cursing why I took so many, looking for those great moments that I want to paint. I’m particularly looking for nice poses/captivating moments, dynamic lighting or interesting expressions, and they don’t need to have all 3 as we can fix some of that in the next step. Here’s the screenshot I chose for my Keahi x Thane piece:

It was a cute, soft moment between them and I liked the highlight at the edge of their profiles. 3) Refine the screenshot. I don’t use anything fancy for this. I game on windows PC, so I open up the screenshot with windows photo editor. I crop the image, play around with saturation, exposure, contrast, just basic editing until it looks tastier. For this piece I wanted it to be hyper colourful and vibrant, leaning towards warmer tones.

4) Decide what I will change, then gather references for those changes. In this case I was fortunate that not a lot needed changing. I knew I wanted to move Thane’s eye position to looking at Keahi rather than the way he is slightly off focus, do a more realistic ear with earrings for Keahi, make Thane a little more smiley and lower his eyelid and give Keahi nicer eyelashes. I keep a whole bunch of art guides and tutorials on my PC so I grabbed the necessary ones and sent them to my ipad ready to have on hand for the sketch stage. I have Thane’s character model in XNApose, so I can check things like his eyelid specifically in that (this is actually for a different project but shows you what I mean)

If I was going to change up the lighting/shading I would also gather references for that. For example sometimes i’ll take screenshots of lighting schemes I love from films/tv shows (think the strong teal and orange scheme in Mad Max or the neons of Blade Runner). Or for precise shadows, I can again use XNApose. I also have a little 3d printed Thane head I can shine a torch at and take photos of to get shadow ideas. For humans there’s lots of reference to be found with online searches, I find pinterest more useful than google for this. For specific expressions or body parts, i’ll just take photos of myself (hand poses, smiling from the right angle etc.) My camera roll is an interesting place. I have drawn drell frills on my neck and on my chest before to see how the lines would fold at certain angles. 5) Setting up a canvas I work in procreate. For a piece like this I try to go pretty big, say 5000 x 4000 pixels, then i’ll crop down later as needed. 300 DPI. As I work, I’ll make duplicates and continue on the copy each fresh session. When i’m finished I make a backup save of the PNG and .procreate files on an SSD. I immediately turn the background colour down to a more muted colour to not burn my retinas. If i’m using a textured background like an oil board i’ll insert it, and any overlays like canvas effects. Set up my layers from the start basically for easy toggling throughout. I try to be good and label things to make life easier, it doesn’t always happen though. I don't wear a digital glove or use paper effect screens but I do have a bottle of screen cleaner and a microfibre cloth handy at all times. 6) Sketch. I’m still very much learning to draw. I tried for a long time to do the classic ‘ball for a head, draw the planes/lines etc. It was a constant struggle and never clicked for me, the ball especially always made things much worse, turning a circle into a 3d image in my head just does not happen. I find it better to just start drawing and work things out as I go (I use procreates reference window to see my screenshot). So I’ll have my sketch in one canvas, and i’ll also have a second canvas with the photo ref on it at the same size, and if I feel like something is really wonky and off i’ll test my lines over the photo to see what’s gone wrong, then go back to the sketch and correct the areas that revealed. Sometimes I’ll use the grid feature if i’m getting stuck.  Here's a few of the sketch stages:

Here I tried out the lines on the photo and noticed that Thane’s frills were a little too far to the left, and Keahi’s eyebrow needed to arch down towards the nose.In the next pass I correct these:

Also, and I know i’m gonna get side eye from some people for this but I really could not care less to be honest. On some pieces i’ll just trace the screenshot. Sometime I just want to get to painting, am not in the mood or mindspace for a learning experience, and this is a hobby. It’s my screenshot, no one is getting ripped off. My latest Javik piece was done this way 🤷‍♂️ 6) Painting. I’ll start by blocking in the background and the portrait flats, usually on separate layers. I try to have an idea of the background colour from the start as this can effect the whole piece overall, but sometimes you just gotta change it as you go so having it on a different layer makes this much easier.

The painting itself I’ll lay down wider areas of colours, then start going in and refining bit by bit, I tend to work on one area at a time, and sometimes I’ll get pretty well rendered on a small area before moving on, other times work on a wider area. It really depends on my mood and what i’m vibing with that day. Like you can see here I’ve done some general messy colouring all over Keahi, but done a lot of refinement on the eyeball:

7) Finshing the piece, uploading and testing: When I’m sick of rendering the painting and don’t think I can add anything more to it without gnawing my own wrist off, it is time to finish up! I make sure I toggle all the layers I want on, add a top signature layer (lol I lie I forget this all the damn time). Then i’ll upload the piece to my google drive and open it up on my big 4k monitor on my PC, and on my phone, and see how it looks (my ipad is a 9.7inch air). I find that once off my ipad, it often looks a little less saturated and contrasting as it does in procreate. So I might go back and change the levels if it’s too big a difference until it looks decent across devices (it’ll never look perfect on them all though, just gotta find that happy medium).

8) Posting online I really don’t have any strict steps for this. I know some people go for optimal posting times, and will make multiple copies of their pieces in different sizes to fit better on different sites (damn you instagram and your need for everything to be square). I… do not do any of this lol. I post when I’m done whatever time or day that is. I do tend to reblog/retweet etc before I go to bed, as I live in the UK and that will at least be getting into evening time in US. I reblog my own stuff a fair bit.

[fabrickind]

How do you become a professional cosplayer? Thnx :)

Hello there!

Short answer is: you don't lmao

Long answer is: it's complicated and incredibly difficult, and depends on what you mean by "professional."

If you mean "someone who judges contests and/or gets invited to cons," the VAST majority of those aren't professionals. They may or may not get an appearance fee, even, depending on the con. (Note to cosplayers: don't let cons take advantage of you by not paying you for your work for them! Always get per diem, travel, and hotel at BARE minimum, and preferably also an appearance fee.) This isn't that hard to do, but you need to have a portfolio that backs up why you would be a good guest, and a good reason why you'd be a good guest. It's just a matter of emailing and/or applying to cons. I've only guested once, but if you want tips, I can give them.

However, based on the phrasing, I'm assuming you are a newer cosplayer who isn't ready for that yet. I assume this because if you've been around a while, you know that this isn't a question. Not "this isn't a question you ask" (as in, we don't talk about it in polite society), but that this isn't really a *thing* in the way that people outside of the cosplay community seem to think it is.

(Side note: I remember this question being asked for at least 15, 20 years online lmao it's easier to make money cosplaying now than it was then, but it's still incredibly difficult to make a living wage and fully support yourself on cosplay.)

There are professional cosplayers out there, as in, people who make the majority or all of their income from cosplay. They tend to be few and far between, and one of the open secrets of the community is that some people who try to make a go at it are supported by a partner or family with money.

But! There are ways to make money as a cosplayer. It's difficult and unlikely, especially with how saturated the market is, but there are ways.

This is all from a USA perspective, which I assume you're from or at least a similar culture, since you're asking me and not, say, someone living in Japan.

Do commissions. This works once you have a high enough skill level to have a client base that wants to pay you for those skills. It's difficult to both get enough commissions and finish enough commissions to have a living wage, though, so it's really only recommended if you are fast at it and/or are okay with it being a side gig.

Start a business selling resources. Patterns, 3D models, resin kits, etc. You'll be operating on thin margins, there's competition out there, and you'll need to be good and fast at these things, but some business prowess, skill, and a bit of luck, and people have done it. Some people also sell tutorials and such, but I don't know how much they make.

Sell prints. This is going to be the hardest of these to make a living wage on. You can couple this with other things on this list to add supplemental income. Basically, sell pictures of yourself online and at cons, start a Patreon, become a booth babe (there isn't enough in the way of "official cosplayer" jobs to make a living on, and usually you aren't paid much and still have to make the costume), etc. This bullet point usually goes with the next two.

Become an influencer. Confession: I don't know quite how this works, but your money would be coming from sponsorships, paid posts, youtube ad revenue, etc. This is also a lot of work, and you would basically be hustling 24/7. Think of the direction you would want to take this and what specific thing you would offer that sets you apart, and.....figure out how to become an influencer lmao. idk if there are cosplay influencers that make a full living off of it since it's a somewhat newer field and far from what I do, but the margin of success is also pretty small, I'd imagine.

Sex work. This is even further from what I know about, so I have NO idea how much money you would make or how to get into it. I'm sure there are guides online. You can do anything from the extremely soft (think gravure modeling: sexy clothes, lingerie, sexy poses, light nudity) to harder stuff (depicting sex acts, whether solo or with toys or partners, catering to fetishes in addition to cosplay, camming, etc.). This is going to be difficult as well and while all of these are not for everyone, this one especially. (Honestly not my thing at all but so much respect for people who can handle it.) You'll want to keep yourself safe online for SURE if you go into this, and it will require stricter safety measures than the rest of these (which also require strict safety measures). Also think long and hard about whether you want the stigma following you: unfortunately, our society still stigmatizes sex work, and you can lose jobs, friends, etc. if people find out, and it'll be hard to physically get and keep your money because of banks and credit card processors not accepting sex work money. This isn't to say "don't do it" but it's something to really think about and look into. IDK where to get advice on the cosplay specific side of this, but Slate's How to Do It column has had a few letters about sex work generally over the years -- here's a few -- and usually Stoya points the letter writer to further resources. (Also tends to be only cosplay adjacent from what I've seen? You'll be dressing up but won't be wearing much in the way of costumes lmao)

There might be more ways that I can't think of, but these are the main ones you will encounter. Again, being a professional cosplayer isn't really like....a thing. Most people who have done it have had a long and difficult career of carving out space for themselves and finding income streams. There really isn't something, at least here, that is having someone pay you to exist in cosplay, unfortunately.

I'm also assuming you aren't talking about costuming generally as a career, which is a whole different ballpark. Actually, that might be something to look into as a career to fund your cosplay hobby (and possible cosplay side gig) if you are interested. Otherwise, enjoy it as a hobby, slowly build a business if you think you are up to it, and see where it takes you. :]

I hope that helps! Good luck

[cognitosclowns]

I saw your Robotus NSFW Alphabet post and please GOD elaborate on him having a fleshlight based on Reader's pussy because he misses them. It's driving me insane your ideas are so good

YES ANON OFC I WILL <33 FAVE SHIT EVER ARE YOU KIDDING

nsfw below!! this is gonna be so long I'm so sorry MNSDMS

he didn't expect himself to miss you so much??

Like you're only gonna be out of town for 3 weeks, max. That's nothing. especially in comparison to how long of a life you two are gonna spend together, that IS nothing.

He repeats that a lot to himself during the coming days.

It's about halfway through the second that he starts missing missing you. Proper yearning. Not just surface level ‘wishing you were with him’ NOPE SMDNS

He’s absolutely lovesick. He finds himself missing every little detail about you.

The smell of your shampoo. The little glint in your eye when you flirt with him. Kissing your warm cheeks after you cum, the lazy smile that follows. The way your eyes light up when he makes a joke.

AND ITS STUPID. HE KNOWS ITS STUPID. ITS IDIOTIC YOU AREN'T ON MARS FOR FUCKS SAKES YOU'RE JUST A FEW STATES AWAY. YOU'LL BE HOME BY THE END OF THE MONTH. HE WANTS TO GRAB HIMSELF BY THE SHOULDERS AND SHAKE.

He feels so dramatic but. that changes nothing. he's still stuck in Yearning Hell.

He definitely tries masturbating, because that seems like the easiest way to tamp it down until you're back, but it isn't the same. 

Sure, he cums, and it's perfectly fine, but the wanting doesn't go away. There's still that aching sensation. 

if anything, he feels worse after because it's not you. It's just a new reminder of how amazing it is being intimate with you and how far away you are.

AND,, WELL,

It's definitely an impulse decision.

(Granted, most of his decisions are impulse decisions, so.)

He's got a full 3D model of your innards bc. of course he does smdnsd.

Shockingly, it isn't even smth he actively kept info about? he just has so many sensors in his dick that it just,, naturally acquires that kinda data, and it gets stored away subconsciously. 

Wouldn't even be hard to print out something usable. a few minutes at most...

Yeah after the base idea crops up, he considers it for maybe,, .5 seconds before caving smdnsmd.

He keeps internally scoffing at himself as he sets up the printer, fills in the silicone, inputs the instructions. Sighing his nonexistent lungs out.

Just a constant mental stream of 'you are such an idiot you are such an idiot you are such an idiot' as he undoes his belt MSNDMSD truly he is. Experiencing.

actually,, using it,, oh lordie,,

he hates, hates that it gets a full-throated 'oh fuck' out of him, but it absolutely does.

Is it perfect? Not even close. A pale imitation at best. The slickness of lube is too artificial, there's none of that Human Warmth he's grown accustomed to, he can't cradle your face or squeeze your hips.

Is it just enough for him to pretend it's you? YEP <33

He only gets about 5 thrusts in before his first orgasm, and tbh his artificial cum really helps pull the illusion together?

It stays warm inside his tanks, heated by his motor, and it fills up the inside of the toy in no time.

It cools down pretty fast, but it's no problem because he replaces it just as quick <3

He's split between. feeling absolutely mortified that he's humping a piece of lukewarm silicone like some sort of animal vs not giving a singular fuck because it hits the exact spot he needs it to.

<333333

He isn't entirely sure how long he goes for, but when he's done the sun is firmly in the sky, which makes his cheeks feel more than a little artifically warm.

Thankfully, the toy itself fairly easy to dispose of, since it's virtually unrecognizable by the time he's done.

maybe. he'll keep those designs on file. for future use. just in case.

OH and don't think this spoils the welcome-home sex - think of it as an appetizer <33 just a reminder of what he's had to be away from!!

so. um. *pinwheels into the atmosphere*

[legon751]

working on a new vegas doctor costume

first 2 pics are the main bag, the rest of the costume pieces (and my thoughts) are under the break

healing powder (crushed orange pez and candy cigarettes in a burlap bag), ophthalmoscope (a weathered otoscope because the item name in the game is wrong), sunset sarsaparilla deputy badge (worth every dead wastelander), surgical tubing, medical tweezers, forceps, gauze, mentats, fixer, jet, med-x, buffout, rad-x, and cateye. also a small mojave express mail pouch with some ncr currency, postcards, and the platinum chip (might roughen some of these up to look less new)

all of these bags are belt pouches to mimic the ones on the wasteland doctor fatigues outfit

bufftats (not new vegas, but eh, it came with the other pill bottles), first aid box (came with the med-x, it has tiny buffout and rad-x bottles in it), and a box of atomic wrangler matches

microfusion cell and vault 21 matches

cigarettes and a vault 21 lighter (you see how often doctors smoke in that game??? clearly they need this many lights)

gotta keep your caravan deck in easy reach, never know when a game might kick off...

bobby pins, a tin of bottle caps, tops casino dice, and a set of poker chips (ring a ding ding baby)

the "codac r9000" michael angelo gives you. even if these old kodak cameras are dirt cheap, i still feel bad messing one up to make it look more like the game file, so natural aging only on this one

the main costume itself: mirrored shades, the wastland doctor fatigues (green cargo pants and a white tee, need to dirty them up and blood spatter them), bandana, leather belt, and a replica colt peacemaker in a leather holster (i have a foam one for conventions, this one is a metal replica from denix that looks better on camera)

i have the materials to make rad-away, and i might throw that in this costume somehow. just worried about a bag of dyed water sitting over the rest of these sharp and/or fragile pieces while walking around

i went with a variety of bags/pouches because in my head, it makes no sense for someone using 200yo scavenged materials to have all matching equipment. it makes sense from the game design perspective (less Things To Model), but i see it more likely these were pieced together from scavenging, bartering, and hand making them.

i have the pipboy from the fo4 preorder, but im probably not going to use it for this outfit. its the wrong design for one, but its also plasticy and barely fits my arm (you have to basically cover my hand to get the clamps closed). i prefer this being pre-game courier six, or just some random wandering doctor who does odd jobs for mojave express on the side.

you might notice some major missing props! this mostly has to do with space or cost. i love nuka cola and sunset sarsaparilla, but how on earth am i fitting those bottles in a shoulder bag. as for stimpacks? 2 main reasons. 1, even basic unpainted 3d printed ones are $30+, which seemed excessive for this. 2? those seem more like adrenaline and painkillers meant to get you through battle and less like something a doc would administer. why cover the pain when i can just clean the wound and stitch you up?

im still debating if/how i do the leather gaiters on the doctor fatigues outfit. i cant find anything even close to right, and im not a leatherworker. i have a feeling if i just tuck the pants into my boots, nobody will notice anyway.

i have to stop myself on this one. i keep finding things to add or modify and at this rate itll never be finished. i already have a pair of surgical scissors coming, and i got a harmonica today. those may or may not end up in the bag. plus, ive got my eye on a deck of caravan cards pulled from the game files. the one i have is the preorder bonus one which is a beautiful deck but not very lore friendly.

still trying to figure out how to make/get the bottles they use for antivenom and other potions/poisons in the game. its weirdly hard to find white clay or stone bottles with a cork top and round bottom...

see what i mean! this build will never end...

[notquiteapex]

So, how's the JukeBox development coming along? Well, it sure is coming, I promise.

In case you don't know what a JukeBox is, it's a little hotkey device I'm building! I originally made this to assist with my endeavors in streaming, but it turns out having extra keys is very useful for a lot of things! Whether it be hotkeys for quickly running macros via AutoHotKey, managing your Discord audio settings, playing funny sounds with VoiceMod, switching tools in your favorite art program like Paint Tool SAI, or managing OBS like I do. It's a very powerful device, and all it does is act like a keyboard with the F13-F24 keys. I bet you didn't even know there was more than the F1-F12 keys, am I right?

About a year ago, I said I would begin selling these soon. That was a bit of a lie, fortunately I am very good at those. That last bit was also a lie, in case you couldn't tell. I got the opportunity to work on the JukeBox as part of an independent study for college credit, so I took a lot of time to plan and rethink the product. That part wasn't a lie The result is the new V5 board!

Ok so this isn't the actual V5 board yet.

I decided to completely change up what makes up a JukeBox. I decided to use an RP2040 chip, which is used to power a Raspberry Pi Pico. I used a Pico board, along with the old JukeBox V4 boards, an RGB LED ring, and an OLED screen to build my ideal V5 prototype. The result is the same JukeBox known and loved but with some added features, like reactive lighting and a screen to display fun graphics and info!

This is the finalized board, it's design has been shipped off to manufacturing, and will hopefully arrive right at the start of the new year. I'm paying a lot of money for just 10 of these things! I can't wait.

The plan is to sell 3 versions of the board, a basic variant (keyboard only), an RGB variant, and an RGB plus screen variant. Prices are still being determined, but they will be higher than previously anticipated due to rising material costs. The goal is to keep the basic variant at $25 to maintain affordability. You will also be able to choose what kinds of keys you want, be it Cherry MX Blues or Kailh Choc Whites.

I'm working on the final casing. It'll be a 3D printed shell with some nice M2.5 nuts and bolts. It'll also be in a mostly-opaque white so the RGB looks good shining through. The legs are also completely optional, both the case and the legs will have nice rubber feet to keep the board steady. The keycaps will be "relegendable", meaning you'll be able to stick a piece of paper in them with whatever you want on them. You get everything seen here, plus a USB-C cable, and my deepest gratitude. Maybe some day you'll get to have a JukeBox in atomic purple instead of a basic white!

The best part about it all is that you don't need to install any drivers! The keyboard component is always guaranteed to work on any computer that supports USB, and most usually do (hopefully). The screen and RGB won't work without a companion app, sadly, but I'm working hard to make it painless to setup and use, near plug-and-play. I've been writing it in Rust while working on the board, and it will support Windows and Linux without much issue.

Lastly, the entire project is going to be open source! The code will be under an open license, and all the physical parts will be usable under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA). I won't allow people to just up and sell the boards without modification, but if someone wants to make and sell their own variant I'd be more than happy to allow it if they ask. Devices like these should be cheap and accessible for everyone.

Hopefully I'll start selling these on my Ko-fi before Q2 of 2024. See you then!