#i’ve been vibing but super exhausted

[deanwinchesterpregnant]

.

[iloveyoumorethansoup]

Loving my depressive state and all but I would really love to get out of bed and enjoy my hobbies again. 67 days left of this and I’ll be back to normal

[readerwithsalt]

Sun and the Star Review: (With snippets from the book)

Since I just finished The Sun and the Star I’m just gonna say the first thing I have a problem with is the TELLING and NOT SHOWING.

• And I was wondering if anyone thought that they made Will super lame and ooc compared to previous cooler depictions of him. Like he’s supposed to be Super Chill under pressure and the Calm Dude but he’s so WHINY the entire book. He’s constantly complaining, judging, screaming, crying or sleeping. The cool, chill vibe Will had before is gone which was one of the things I liked about him before.

• someone else said ‘Tsats Will thinks there’s something wrong with Nico, something wrong with his personality. Will thinks Nico needs to be “fixed” and “healed” and so he can be “normal” and then Nico will be actually appealing to Will. Tsats Will may love some parts of Nico (or at least thinks he loves some parts of Nico). But there are more parts of Nico that Will finds unsavory or unnerving or scary or unsettling or unsatisfactory or unappealing’ I agree sadly

• Like he tells Nico in the beginning of the book that he’s just as capable of survival as Nico (which I snorted at cause no) and then is the hugest burden I’ve ever seen on a quest EVER in a riordan book. Like Nico tries to lift Will up every time he passes out from ‘lack of sun’ (which is so stupid btw) and Nico can’t lift him up cause he’s not strong enough so he’s constantly WAITING on Will. And it’s really boring to read about how every few seconds Nico has to turn around and let his boyfriend catch up.

I think Will’s character could have shined and been more likable in a completely different plot and quest.

Like, I thought since they weren’t giving Will any weapons that his strengths would lie in being the fast athletic character that didn’t need a magic item in order to show off…

• the whole ‘role reversal’ caretaker thing made Will look completely useless. Nico did 80 percent of the work and Will sadly fell flat. I thought he was coming along to keep Nico safe and to heal him when he got injured but Nico was pretty much doing almost every job. It was like he was riding Nico’s coattails to become a ‘hero’ and prove himself. But he didn’t really prove anything except that he complains a lot when things get rough.

They didn’t give Will a character weapon (even Piper has one and she doesn’t fight that much. Neither does Leo and he at least uses a hammer) they made him exhausted the whole book so he didn’t have his normal physical strength, his backstory was also pretty boring.

• and Will keeps randomly getting irritated at Nico bc Nicos irritated at him. Like?? Your shitting on his underworld home every chance you get. I’d be irritated too.

• in previous books he’s described as an archer. Even tho Leo calls him ‘the archer dude’ in TLH he suddenly doesn’t know how to use a bow AT ALL. He only said he wasn’t as good as his siblings not that he was complete shit at it. Previously he used a bow and had a dagger in BOO. Also will randomly says he never wanted to be a fighter and loved healing but in previous books he’s insecure about just that. Also the book forgets Will is a BATTLEFIELD MEDIC. Like he can fight and heal just like Apollo.

• Will whines constantly. And it’s grating and annoying to read. Either about the lack of sun (you knew what you were getting into dumbass) or the dead people walking around or about Nico’s horrible ‘darkness’ that he has to heal. It’s like he never thinks of Nicos feelings when he says stuff. And there little ‘fights’ end unsatisfactory.

• The vibe of Camp-Half-Blood is nonexistent. It does not feel like camp at all. It feels like we’re in a 12 year olds fanfic mind. ALL of the campers are gone even though it’s been established MANY are orphans and we see no beloved background characters and background chaos that makes us smile like in the past books. It made me surprisingly more depressed than I thought it would.

• it’s also missing the mystique of a quest. Like going up to the big house to have the quest recited around a table full of cabin counselor demigods all fighting to be the third member to prove themself a hero (mostly the ares cabin) no matter how important a quest in pjo was for Percy Chiron ALWAYS enforced certain rules. Even if they broke later on.

• Loose Ends. Reyna is. Not. Mentioned. Once. It never comes up how Nico feels about his big sister friend joining the hunters like his other one did even tho in BOO he tore apart a courtyard cause they took her. The girl whose shoulder he cried into, the girl who was with him during his last quest. The girl who thought of him as a little brother and tucked him in her cape and said he resembled his surname as he slept.

Hazel is mentioned… but it’s literally just a couple shallow mentions that don’t have anything to do with the fact that he may not ever see her again if he revisits Tartarus. He mentions his beloved little sister who was the actual first light in his life (don’t know why the book says Will is) in a long time only once and it’s because he can’t remember something and thinks Hazel would?? It’s weird that he iris messages Piper at the end instead of Hazel. I thought that’s what he was going to do and then it was just a big cringe fest of Piper shoved in at the end talking about the label of her sexuality?? Like we actually care??

And It’s never stated that Nico finds out where Jason is even though HE SHOULD KNOW. He literally talks to Beckendorf and Luke when they die in pjo to find out where they went but he can’t figure out where his best friend is??

Also at the end of the book it says Nico still hasn’t redecorated his cabin even though he told Jason he was going to a YEAR AGO bc the ‘decor was disgusting’ (I think that was the worst loose end not fixed 😂)

Every other relationship of Nicos is thrown away so he can admire Will Solace’s mediocrity. who’s kinda a loser in this tbh….

• The Percabeth scene was weird. What relevance does sally jackson have to Nico’s story? Why did he have to go all the way to Percy’s bedroom to iris message him?? And the fact he uses the ship name Percabeth to describe them (which he’d never done in previous books) proves a cringe fan is the one writing this.

The fact that they don’t OFFER TO HELP Nico is ooc of them. Bc even if Percy wants to chill at college he would never want Nico to clean up his mess without offering his help. Also the fact that Percy turns to Annabeth and says ‘oh man I forgot about him’ is like… WHAT?? And they just say oh yea if anyone can get through Tartarus it’s you two.

To Will who’s never been on a quest and doesn’t fight (at least in this book) that’s a weird thing to say. Percy and annabeth only survived bc they’ve fought together FOR YEARS. And bc of Percy’s big three power. It was just a forced add in cameo. Would’ve been better if they didn’t know till the end that Nico got Bob out and then they suddenly see Bob in an iris message and start crying or something…

• it broke my heart that Nico gave his SKULL RING to Will. The last gift from Bianca Nico ever got and he gives it to someone that doesn’t even appreciate his element.

And what does Nico get in return? A coin. I mean, an engraved coin but still. It’s kinda symbolic of the relationship. Nico giving Will something of such RELEVANCE to Nico’s character, something he’s always described with wearing and then Nico receiving a token in turn.

• Will asks Persephone how he’s SUPPOSED TO LOVE NICO. Like I almost blew up my house with me in it at that part. It never feels like Will is as attracted to Nico as Nico is to him. Nico instigates every kiss (which is ooc of him and his reservedness to touch). It seems Will likes to look at others a lot because one of Nicos insecurities were of him staring at fucking Paolo. While being right next to his boyfriend, Will checks out other people… Like Nico deserves so much better. He at least deserves respect.

I would’ve appreciated Nico and Ghost Jason way more than this shit. At least Jason described Nico better and they weren’t even dating. And I liked Solangelo before this. Will never describes physical attributes that he likes about Nico the same way Nico does about Will. Like Nicos inky dark eyes and baby bat winged hair, and his smile that is apparently like winter sun breaking through snow flurries, and his hair smelling pleasantly of rain against stone (I think Apollo is more attracted to Nico than Will is). But Nico has to call Will hot every five min.

• Also I simply don’t understand the idea that Will being away from the sun would drain him to the point where he can’t keep up with NICO’S WALKING PACE within a couple hours. Like the super athletic, physically strong character that can lift Nico over his shoulders and run with him (and Rachel in TON) walks into the underworld and has to be healed by a stupid portable night light within five minutes.

• Don’t even get me started on his JUDGINESS. I always pictured Will as the guy at camp that thought Nicos powers were cool and stuff, right? And now he just judges every ‘dark’ thing nico does like darkness is synonymous with evil. And only his light can heal him. I HATED that trope and honestly thought they would make him more original. But I have to say it: he was so boring. Like in a way that made my stomach hurt.

• Wills kind of a jerk in this. Like it’s weird to read.

• The PACING. It was off the whole book. The only part i enjoyed was the part where they didn’t know they were dreaming (that part got me) but that was it. But like gorgras scene keeps overlapping with the rest of the story and I kept forgetting my place. The fact that riordan or oshiro or whatever 12 year old fan wrote this put the words FLASHBACK & DREAM SEQUENCE over the chapters gave it SERIOUS fanfic vibes. The pacing is simply not suspenseful enough for a place like Tartarus.

• And do NOT get me started on Tartarus. Okay I’ll say it anyway: it wasn’t scary AT ALL. LIKE ANY OTHER QUEST. Actually it seemed easier than other previous quests which is a big nope. Hades might as well have sent him to Target.

• And about the fact that is was HADES who gave him that prophecy is SO OOC of him. He loves Nico. Nico is probably Hades most favorite child ever as of right now and he sends him horrible nightmares, and a prophecy respouted 12 times to get him to save Bob (whom Hades could care less about btw) and go back to a place that he knows haunts Nico every day MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE!

Also HOW did hades give Rachel that prophecy? He has no power over the Oracle of Delphi.

• Maria and Bianca MAKE NO SENSE! How in the hell is there any piece of thier souls left when Hades gave Maria ancient rites and was the one soul Nico was not allowed to see and Bianca reincarnated. WHICH WAS FORGOTTEN BTW. NOW SHES BACK IN ELYSIUM?? Like?? Like maybe I could see Hades letting Nico see a piece of Maria but Bianca is literally GONE forever.

Nico was ooc. Like not too badly but still bad. But the fact that Will didn’t let Nico shadow travel even once irks me. The fact Will didn’t let him summon Jules Albert irks me. The fact that Will kept brushing off nicos feeling about the underworld irks me. The fact that Will called Persephone the most beautiful PERSON he’d ever seen right in nicos face and then asked his (insecure) boyfriend if he was jealous irks me. The fact that Will is BORING AS FUCK irks me

• And the COMING OUT story. Horridly ooc. Nico shouting to the whole camp he’s gay and getting all the other kids to come out too is like??? and apparently he asked out Will before Will had even come out?? Nico would NEVER do that. Especially since not long before Cupid had done the same to him. And apparently Nico is like the first out character in a MODERN GREEK camp with DIONYSUS as a director. No.

In character Nico would’ve shadow traveled back to his cabin or the woods the moment he figured out what was happening.

• the nicknames are extremely cringe. Little ball of darkness is used to much and it made me itch. I think Will simply calling him babe or something would’ve been simpler and made them seem more like a real couple instead of a caricature of light and dark.

• ‘he’d always been the demigod who WOULDNT eat.’ ………..what the actual fuck is this. Nicos always been naturally skinny but being starved in jar is what messed up his hunger. Not that he WOULDNT eat. Why is everything always his fault in this book?

Like, he didn’t ‘LET’ himself get to the point of starvation over and over. I mean first of all he became homeless at ten years old, probably had to steal food items. And most recently he got KIDNAPPED by TWO GIANTS and starved forcibly. And then when he got out he was under so much stress of what just happened to him in Tartarus, the war with Gaea, his forced outing, and having to lug an enormous statue ACROSS THE WORLD. but nah, I guess he just LET all of that stuff happen to him

• the references are BAD. Out of touch bad. Unfunny and the joke never becomes a joke. It’s never explained how a kid from the 1930s knows how to use the internet and look up lil nas x in a camp that doesn’t use any technology. Doesn’t explain how Nico knows about Care Bear powers (I didn’t even know that) and the beginning scene with the Star Wars ‘joke’ set a weird tone for the book and wasn’t even funny.

• I hated the cocoa puff demons coming to live with Nico. Like I was fine they got created ig even tho it was weird and kinda dumb but the fact that Nico is so keen to have his worst memories and insecurities sleep in bed with him makes no sense once again. In character Nico would’ve burned them with hellfire.

• Also Nyx is a unfathomably weak villain. A PRIMORDIAL GODDESS that even ZEUS fears is taken down in two seconds. Also she’s just trying to get Nico ‘accept his darkness’. WHICH HE ALREADY HAS DONE. The moment he called himself The Ghost King in battle of the labyrinth at eleven years is when he truly accepted his powers and who he was. So… why is she even in the book in the first place??

• Also Will STILL insists it’s Nicos fault he wasn’t accepted. And that it was all in his head….

Also Micheal Yew was simply never mentioned again. Neither was lee fletcher. If they were I missed it.

There were a COUPLE of cute parts and lines but really this is simply too weird (and bad) to be canon to me. This book is just not canon. I see it as fanfiction from a random author that riordan probably let write the entire book or at least most of it. I think sadly riordan put his name on this for money and for fanservice because the writing is first draft material.

(And it kind of feels like they got this version of Nico and Will from cringy meme posts about them. Like, you know the ones where Nico’s all like ‘I am darkness, i am a vampire’ and Wills all like ‘come on, my uwu baby, no more shadowtravel for you, doctors orders~’ 🤣😭)

just because they thought that’s what the twelve year olds wanted and not realizing that a lot of those posts are simply made as a joke and not actually taken seriously in canon…. And that most people in the fandom thinks those are bad cringeposts

[mouschiwrites]

hi hi! can I request some headcanons about the ninja (+pixal, if you're up for it) having an artist s/o? okay thank you, also I love your writing!

Oooh yess!! Where my artist ninjago enjoyers at⁉️ I’ve come to nourish you <3

Ninjago - Ninjas (+ Pixal) with an Artist s/o

Jay

Immediately asks if you can draw/paint/etc him

If you agree, he will ask again in the future

….honestly he’ll probably keep asking even if you say no

What can he say? He wants to inspire you ;)

If you have art block, he immediately jumps to pose dramatically or arrange a bowl of fruit or something

He’s equally enamored with the quality of your work and the fact that it came from your hands

He loves all your work, even the pieces you decide to scrap/re-do

“What are you doing?? That was perfect!”

“Jay? How long have you been standing there-”

On that note, he loves to watch you work

Even when you don’t know he’s watching… (he’s a little obsessed)

But the plus side of this is that he knows the exact products you use, and he can see when you’re running low

He makes sure to replenish your stocks for you :) so you won’t ever have to worry about running out mid-project

He also makes sure to flaunt your work as much as possible, especially the pieces he “inspired”

He truly thinks you’re the best artist in the world, and he WILL fight someone over it

Cole

I see Cole as a pretty artsy guy himself, so he’d be thrilled to have an artsy s/o

You might not expect it, but he’s really in tune with his feelings, so to me it makes sense

He’s not quite as artsy as you, but he knows how to appreciate it

He’s more into the performing arts himself, but he has no less respect for other types of art

He’ll totally arrange work sessions for you both, which vary depending on the vibe you’re working with

Feeling like doing something a little dark or moody? Dramatic piano. Candles. Wine/grape juice in wine glasses.

Feeling colorful? Open windows. Flowers in vases. Candy and fruit. Maybe some cartoons playing in the background.

Point being: he knows how to get a vibe going

He really loves to work alongside you, even if you’re not doing the same thing

Sometimes he tries to sketch or paint, but more often he’s just watching you work or practicing moves

(You guys totally have a shared studio btw; wood floors and barre for him, easel/supply cabinet/whatever you need for you)

You guys definitely help each other out too

He’ll teach you a few moves so you can be his dance partner every now and again, and he’s more than happy to be your muse in return

He doesn’t really do performances or anything (dance is just a side hobby), so he has all the more respect for you if you publicize your work

He loves all your work, but he’s also a great source of constructive criticism

“I like this one. It’s darker than your other pieces, though, isn’t it? More drab.”

“Yeah, that’s kinda what I was thinking. I think I was just in a mood when I made it.”

Kai

He’ll make requests, but mostly for things he thinks would be cool

“What if you did one with, like, a car shooting flames from its exhaust pipes? Oh! And the driver is super handsome with a flaming cape and swords and sunglasses that are made of pieces of the sun!”

“That is insane. …I’m starting right now.”

He really admires your art, and he’s honestly a bit jealous of your skill

He actually has a pretty creative mind, just not the means to express it

So he’ll be shy about it, but eventually he asks if you can give him some pointers

He doesn’t want to keep asking you to bring his sharks flying in jets over volcanoes to life forever, after all

He’s gotta learn to be independent!

So he’ll quietly join you while you work, watching you closely and trying to follow along

He gets frustrated when he isn’t instantly as talented as you, and you have to laughingly assure him that skill takes time

He only gains more respect for you as he tries to stay calm

He learns to truly admire your work this way

And with his admiration came a tenfold increase in support

However you share your art, he’s the #1 supporter

Posting online? He’s already liked, commented, and shared on 7 different platforms. At a showcase? He’s dressed sharply, stationed not-so-inconspicuously in front of your piece(s) and getting others to talk about them

Zane

He also has a deep appreciation for art

He doesn’t always understand non-logical things, but art has a way of resonating with him

So to have a partner who makes art…

It adds a whole new level of emotional depth to your relationship

You already make him feel complex things, so seeing art that’s from you is truly an experience

The wistfulness he gets when looking at normal art is only amplified when he remembers that your hands produced it

He likes to be with you when he admires it, squeezing your hand while he takes in the little details

He’s a quiet admirer, but he’ll absolutely attend any events you’re featured in/support any online presence you have

He never gets tired of looking at your work; or looking at you work, for that matter

If you let him, he’ll watch you work

He’s dead silent, which is either a blessing or a curse depending on how easily you get creeped out

Eventually, when you finish, he’ll stand up and join you at your side, admiring the final product

You know he likes it when he reaches for your hand with a smile, letting you rest your head against him

The most you’ll get verbally is “it’s beautiful,” but trust me, he feels so much more deeply about the piece (and you <3)

Lloyd

Lloyd is more curious than anything when he finds out you’re an artist

What kinds of art do you do? Can he see your work? Have you always liked art?

He’s eager to see your work, but he’s not sure he can “appreciate” it properly

You have to reassure him that there’s no one way to “appreciate” art, and however he feels about it, that’s just how he feels

Your response only increases his interest

He ends up getting more into art because of you

The art of appreciation, if you will

He wants to be able to understand your work more so that he knows how to support you

He mostly spends hours just staring at your work, trying to notice the little details

He’d love to watch you at work, too, if you’ll let him

He asks questions all the time, but still tries not to annoy you

He’s actually already a natural at “appreciating” art, but the fact that he’s always trying to learn only makes him better at it

So you can do nothing but smile while he tilts his head, carefully formulating his next question

They’re surprisingly deep at times:

“Do you think this piece uses smoother shapes because you were feeling relaxed, so you moved more slowly? Or perhaps you were just emulating your calmness subconsciously..?”

“That could be it. I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

“Oh, sorry, am I overanalyzing? Sorry-”

“No, no, you’re totally right.”

You’ll ruffle his hair affectionately, and he’ll wrap an arm around your shoulder while he continues to examine your piece :]

Nya

I’m gonna be honest, I don’t see Nya as the type to get all deep over the meaning of art

Like, if it’s pleasing to the eye she’ll appreciate it, but she doesn’t think about it too much

It’s just too abstract for her tastes; the pseudo-reasoning of art critics gets on her nerves

But for your work she makes an exception

Well, not really an exception—she doesn’t take to pseudo-reasoning

She knows you, she knows your feelings, so when she sees your work, she sees a piece of you in it

It’s something she doesn’t see in other art pieces; she doesn’t know the artist, so it’s nothing more than a visual piece for her

But with your pieces, she can dig deeper because she knows deeper information

That’s why she loves your work, and why she loves watching you work

You’re the only artist that makes her feel like she really understands art, and for that she appreciates you

(She still thinks that most critics talk out of their asses though)

On that note, she will fight your critics. She will hunt them down and make them regret ever trying to “understand” your work

“Tch, look at this idiot. He doesn’t even know what he’s talking about! He doesn’t know you!”

“Nya, he’s complimenting my work-”

“But he doesn’t understand it!”

Honestly you think it’s a little funny how she’s unintentionally become one of those critics who argue about a piece’s meaning

Only for you though ;)

Pixal

She has a vast trove of knowledge, but feeling is something she often struggles with

There are few things that actually give her profound emotions

Your art is one of those things

The fact that it came from you, that your hands crafted it…

It stirs something in her, and suddenly the shapes and colors come to life

She asks you about it often, trying to understand

“Why is it… calming?”

“Well, I suppose I used some pretty muted colors, and the imagery is kinda peaceful… I dunno, does it calm you?”

“Yes. It makes me feel calm.”

Obviously you’re proud of her for better recognizing her emotions

And she’s proud of herself!!

Your art helps her understand a part of her that she’s only beginning to explore

And, since it comes directly from you, she credits you with the help :)

She loves to see your finished work, but she also finds herself mesmerized by your creative process

Watching the piece come together, each motion bringing it closer to completion, helps her understand the art itself

She tells herself that it helps her understand her feelings, too

Even though she knows that not every piece is dedicated to her, she always thanks you for showing her your work <3

Thanks for this request!! And thank you for reading, take care you little rockstars <33

(divider by saradika)

[acourtofsmut]

sleepy shadows

(softdom!azriel x sleepysub!reader)

rating: (NSFW/18+)

a/n: hello, lovelies!! 😇 I took an edible, and this came out from within my soul. This is barely edited and super short… whoops. 😬 But, I saw someone post the other day in search of Azriel content with shadow play, and I’ve been thinking about that ever since. Here you go! Enjoy! 🤗🫶🏻

warnings: smut, sensory/erogenous zone play, shadow play, sleepy sex, overstimulation kind of (f. receiving), and softdom vibes

Your eyes felt heavy, every so often they would slip shut only to be jolted awake. That familiar tug in your chest soothing you back to sleep. His chest was currently pressed up against your back while you both laid on your side on the bed, one hand cushioning your neck as the other torturing your naked figure.

A teasing hand traces your ribs leaving you riddled with goosebumps and slightly gasping for air. You want to thrash away from those lovely, tortuous hands.

Curl away from them, but you force yourself to curl into them.

To endure it because it feels so overwhelmingly pleasurable. His hands gliding up to circle your nipples. Your nipples have always been an erogenous zone, eliciting little gasps and moans to escape your lips. Always making your hips start to buck in search of friction. Instinctively, you reach a hand back and grasp at his neck, threading your fingers through his silky black hair in order to lock you two together.

“Stop being so cruel…” you sigh, tightening your grip in his hair, a pout gracing your lips. A scarred finger traces down the front of your stomach. The place you are the most ticklish… as his finger lowers, your abs clench in anticipation of his destination. You can’t help but mewl, whining out a breathless, “pleeease.”

Your pleas only earn you a throaty chuckle, “stop being so needy…” Azriel growls softly at the back of your ear. In a shiver of pleasure, you arch your back, pressing your butt against his hard member. He starts to slowly thrust once his cock settles snugly between your cheeks, grunting lightly.

Suddenly, you feel that familiar shadowy presence along your skin, immediately recognizing the tingle of the comforting darkness.

His shadows.

They start to trace along your skin like his fingers, honing in on the particularly sensitive areas. Within seconds, you are quivering. A ball of pleasure, almost too overwhelming.

That ache in your core becoming too much to bare, you beg, “inside me… please. Put it inside me…. Wa-wanna…”.

“Okay, sweet girl. Okay…,” he interrupts soothingly as his tip swipes at the wetness between your legs. His voice turning a bit more rough, “I’ll fill you right up, (y/n),” he growls possessively, his arms wrapping around you. Holding you just the way he wants you.

Your body completely exhausted, all you want is a release. “But, I’m so tired. I-I- don’t know… I-if I can move,” you manage to get out drowning in sleepy bliss. You want to cum, but you can barely keep your eyes open. Knowing exactly what you need, his hand strokes along your head, “I’ll take care of you, my love, just relax…,” cock pushing inside of you slowly.

Inch by inch. Filling you up deliciously. The head of his cock massaging against that spot that has you whimpering, out of breath. Once he’s full sheathed inside you, you feel his shadows start to play with your clit. You gasp as the motion feels exactly as if it’s his tongue licking you.

The shadows increase their pace, wiggling back and forth vigorously while adding a bit more pressure. Your breath catches, eyes rolling back as the pleasure turns hot and you feel yourself clench around his cock. He groans slightly thrusting a bit more inside, his shadows beginning to vibrate.

A searing hot pleasure shoots through your body, tensing as you cum hard, his arms wrapped around you tighten bracing you for the pleasure he was bringing you.

Your core beginning to pulse, milking his cock as you rock back against him. Squeezing him until you are just left twitching every once in a while.

Collecting your breath, eyes closed, you feel so high. Carefree, drunk on pleasure, you let him continue thrusting.

Just taking the overwhelming sensation, Azriel groans in your ear, “I’m close, sweet girl. I’m cumming inside that adorable, perfect pussy,“ he purrs into your ear. A couple more thrusts and he paints your walls, his seed warming you from within. Coming to a stop, Azriel slowly pulls out of your warmth, the both of you hissing softly at the disconnect.

The last thing you hear is “go to sleep my love, I’ll take care of you.” Your mind going fuzzy and in utter bliss, your brain finally allows you to fall asleep.

(thank you so much for reading this far! much love 🤍)

[artycomicfangirl]

Do you have some headcanons of Daisy's and Luigi's love languages they display in the relationship?

Oh man, you know what? You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for an ask like this since…well, Ever! I LOVE these kind of things! I had to do a quick research to brush up on what Love Languages are again. So I took inspiration from some templates I found online. Sprinkled in with a little bit of the Movie-Verse Headcanons.

I guess this is a potential Part 1 of Luaisy headcanons? All because I’m unfortunately not able to list them all as of now!

But, Here we go! Hope you enjoy. Sorry if this ends up being a super long one though, haha.

- Acts of Service -

💚 Luigi would be more than happy and willing to tend to any Plumbing relate problems Daisy has. This is one of the only few times where even if he doesn’t even know the full situation of the problem, he never says no to her needing help, and dives head first without hesitation…

• Even if it means literally diving into that now rising flooding castle basement of hers, just to locate and fix that pesky broken pipe system!

🌼 💚 Cooking for each other. Unlike when I think Peach lovingly does most, if not all of the cooking for Mario. Cooking seems to become a thing divided equally between Luigi and Daisy.

• Luigi is known to be the best at Dinners. Some of his experience gained from helping his Mama back in Brooklyn growing up. And helping Mario cook too. One of his favorite meals he always loves to share with Daisy on occasion, is his mother’s classic Pasta recipes!

🌼 Plumbing can be real exhausting work sometimes! So Daisy is usually the one to fix up some either some real ice-cool drinks to personably bring to him in sweltering heat. Or Make him some hot cocoa or coffee for the really cold days. She’ll even bring some snacks, or even lunch if it’s almost time for a break.

🌼 Whenever she can be there, Daisy would always sit around and keep Luigi company while he worked. Also for the fact so she can pass him tools that he might need during work. Or even better, hold the fort as best as she can to prevent little mishaps that may occur. Need someone to hit a pipe to get it working? Need an extra set of strength to turn that creaky faucet? Trust Daisy to help out too!

- Physical Touch -

💚 Luigi is so, so, SO gentle with Daisy. Not in a way where he believes that she is perceived to be ‘Delicate’. He has faith that she can handle herself of course! But that’s just simply in his nature with everyone else too. Very little to no aggressive or intimidating body language. And with her? It’s just extra sweet.

• He knows she’s strong. But he can’t help but be the one to look out for her and be worried for her sometimes. When he sees her all scuffed up from fights, he offers to bring her water, ointment, bandages, whatever she requests. At first he allows her to try and heal herself. But If Daisy needs more help, he would step in to help tend to her wounds as much as possible.

💚 Luigi was is the most nervous and hesitant in initiating any form of touch at first. He didn’t want to make the wrong moves or anything! But upon the first hug and some vocal encouragement, it was a sign for him that he is on the right track.

He slowly gets more confident in holding hands with her, having an arm around her waist (Although, he can’t help but melt a little at the fact that he could be THIS close to someone he loves!)

💚 Kisses on his nose get’s him all smiley right away! Daisy ends up doing these out of surprise, and it just gets him so much. Kiss him on the cheek? Instantly giddy. She kisses him on the lips? Immediate knockout. He’s giving the Heart-eyes vibe. This is Something he shares in common with his bro too!

💚 When Luigi sees Daisy on the verge of lashing out at someone. He’s the first to quietly take her hand in his to gently squeeze it. This either gets her to look at him, which he gives a nod and look of reassurance for her to think things through. Or it’s almost like an instant touch that needs no words nor looks. But it has an instant affect on her. She rarely gets directly angry at him ever. How can she be mad at someone just so sweet to her? She knows he genuinely wants to help her.

• Sometimes he chooses to gently rub her hands instead. Also an equally effective calming effect.

💚 If Daisy ever feels down or at her worst, he more than welcomes her with open arms, and does not ever judge her for crying (something she rarely ever shows in public. Always putting a strong face.) It matters very little to him in the moment that his hat or clothes would be tear-soaked.

💚 Speaking on the note of a Sad Daisy. There are a few trigger moments which if you end up hurting Daisy, can make this sweet and timid Greed Plumber, decide that enough is enough. There is a reason why his Trope is known as a ‘Cowardly Lion’!

💚 He will try to place himself in front of her always. Whether it is him jumping in front of her to take whatever brunt of force was directed at her without thinking. Or steeling himself up to give stare down (albeit with quaking knees) in front of his enemy.

He starts of with a slight quiver in his voice. But if you continue to mock him or her a second time, the shakiness in his tone fades. Becoming a bit more determined. A quiet strength. At that point, he will not allow you to push him around and insult Daisy like that. Even if he might get knocked around a bit, he keeps getting back up, just to stand up for her.

💚 He’ll even try to use his hat at some points if he needs to cover her face more for protection.

💚 For some reason I feel like instead of usually carrying a Princess Bridal-style like Mario does. Luigi tends to carry Daisy on his back more. This often leads to escaping from some very comical situations!

🌼 Daisy is DEFINITELY the one who is not shy in expressing her affections naturally. But also really straightforward in her actions.

🌼 Ever experienced one of those surprise Run-at-top-speed Jump hugs? That’s Daisy for you! She often forgets to tone herself down sometimes.

🌼 Pulling him by the suspenders of his overalls gently just to kiss him.

🌼 She’s the one ending up carrying him like a bride instead HA

🌼 Like Luigi, Daisy is always one to step in front of her beloved to shield them from any potential danger. She is usually the one to Yank him out of the way with top speed (Apologizing immediately to him afterwards!) and pull him close to her body to try and cover and protect him as much as possible.

🌼 You would not be able to live it down if Daisy sees you harming or insulting Luigi. She is super quick on to you, ready to throw hands (And weapons, if in a fight)

🌼 She and Mario share the same kind of sentiments when it comes to standing up for Luigi.

“Say that again about my Boyfriend…And you’re gonna regret it!”

- Words of Affirmation -

🌼 Daisy is the one with the vast supply of pet names and complements!

🌼 The Iconic “Hey Sweetie!”

🌼 Buttercup, Honey-Bee, Weegie, Squeegie ect

🌼 If you don’t stop her, she may resort to floral Puns!

🌼 When it comes to support, she is like a really passionate cheerleader. You would definitely see her yelling her heart out at the sidelines of any event/competition/Kart race

🌼 When she writes notes or letters, Daisy tends to be the one who draws little doodles at the end of each letter, or just as little decorations here and there. Mario may or may not have accidentally revealed that he had caught Luigi chuckling at a letter he received from Daisy. Only to be told by his younger Bro that he found her drawings adorable and it made him smile. So she’s been doing that ever since!

💚 Luigi is a bit more reserved with this type of thing. But in fact, he is secretly the more poetic one! Surprisingly The type who’s words of love end up being a natural Cupid’s arrow.

💚 I see ‘Desert Flower’ as a popular head canon compliment he might say, and I also agree with that!

💚 Why do I feel like he would totally be the one to call her “My Dynamite Gal”??? When he’s mustered up so much confidence??

• Because Luigi is known to be more shy and timid, he does have more struggles with confidence in some parts. Leading to this possible little interaction:

—————————————————

💚 “ Face it…How can I even do this? I’m such a loser! I mean, look! I literally got a huge L on my head!”

🌼 “…Does It really have to mean Loser?”

💚 “H-huh? I-I…well what else can it be?”

🌼 “Well…put it this way. You’re kinda like a Clover!”

💚 “A…Clover?”

🌼 “Yeah! You ward off evil. You’re green all over. So How about…Lucky?”

—————————————————

- Quality Time -

💚 Luigi ends up loving taking strolls around the castle with Daisy. Whether it is in the Palace Gardens, or by lakes and rivers. Even Flower fields, where he’ll even attentively listen to her pointing out the new things.

💚 Luigi May end up getting challenged when he goes out on hiking trips with Daisy. The first few trips, he ends up faltering behind a little (He has bad knees everyone!), But Daisy would often slow her pace down a little so he can keep up. She doesn’t mind one bit. But overtime, he pushes to improve himself, in which he now is actually able to keep up by her side. She’s extremely proud of him

💚🌼 The Camping trips together are always fun though! Well, excluding some Minor scares and freak outs from the local wildlife at night. Luigi Teaching Daisy the classic treat of making a S’more. While Daisy would do something shared from her own land sometimes!

🌼 Daisy loves whenever she and Luigi get to go on one of their ‘Sports dates’, and is usually the one initiating these meetups (Knows all the good places!) while Luigi throws in suggestions. Usually consisting of Golfing especially. She is more knowledgeable in the technique, which she ends up teaching Luigi what she already knows. She likes to jokingly say that he’s “Learning from the best!”

🌼 If they end up moving in together and sharing the same bed, Daisy would be the type to wake up a bit earlier than Luigi does. Then goes back again to get some extra sleep hours. She has this little habit where she can’t help but give a little kiss on his cheek by then. If he continues to sleep, she lets him be. But if he ends up wanting to be woken up by this, she starts to go in for more kisses. Some of them are quick ticklish to him!

All until she’s gazing back at sleepy half-open eyes, A lopsided smile, and a very happy green Plumber who’s morning has just been made even better!

💚 On Luigi’s part, he’s the one who sleeps the last. Letting Daisy sleep first before him, as he sometimes has a bit of work he needs to attend to. Or just simply reading a few pages of his favourite book beside her.

• When he notices a lock of her hair astray on her face, he ends up brushing it aside for her. In that moment, he seriously cannot believe that this beautiful fiery woman is his beloved, and is right next to him.

- Receiving Gifts -

💚 It is a popular head canon going around that Daisy is very into gardening. So, Luigi would even go out of his way to brush up on said topics about Gardening and nature just for Daisy. Same thing that he would do when it comes to her other interests, just so he knows what to get her!

💚 He has really great callback memory, in which he is able to remember most of the conversations he would have with Daisy when she talks about various plants. Including seeds and flora she wishes she could obtain to grow in her castle Garden. So! Every often, he would visit the local markets or shops in the town, where he would check up all the latest imports/exports to see if he can find some uncommon, or even rare seeds for him to collect for her. If it’s something from Brooklyn, he most likely tries to buy seeds of flowers for her smaller pot plants!

If he goes on adventures with Mario, he does something similar where he collects various trinkets or souvenirs for him to take home for her, or send to her by mail.

🌼 Daisy is definitely more extravagant, and a bit more ‘flashy’ when it comes to gift giving. She does not do this to show off. She 100% fully believes that her believed deserves the best he can get…Even if it ends up giving him the biggest of blushes. And just so happens she can’t stop gushing about it either in her own way!

🌼 Actually at first, she might have been giving him ‘Weird’ gifts for the first few times when they became a couple. They’re not offensive gifts! But they were a result of her having misunderstood some of his hobbies and likes at the beginning. But never in bad faith, as she genuinely tried to guess what would make Luigi happy. But luckily with help from Peach and Mario, she got good results. And long the way, she started getting better at gift-giving.

🌼 I mean, have you seen that Golden statue of her and Luigi in her own Mario Kart Course? If she was the one who commissioned that, she would totally go THAT far.

🌼 She would go on a secret calling spree, prepare a huge birthday with all of his favorite foods, invite literally all of his friends and family as a complete surprise. Making the Green man crying out of happiness.

🌼 Well, not exactly a traditional kind of gift. But just for him, Daisy would end up wearing cute dresses or other outfits. Something he likes. But that’s because we all can’t deny, Daisy is still Daisy. She still loves to tease Luigi one way or another.

Green Bro may have been staring a little too long, as the Princess walks by in a tank-top and shorts combo!

[poetryincostume]

With life and a back-breaking work schedule for a couple of years - until now, thank you greedy film studios - I have barely undertaken, nevermind finished, any personal sewing projects. This meant that when Star Wars Celebration returned to my neck of the woods this year I had no costumes to wear even if I had the energy to spend a day sweating and Uncomfy. But I needed something swarsy, even if just for a minute!

That led to me bashing this jacket together so I could put together a vaguely Hera Syndulla inspired look. The franchise and I may be at odds, but my general will always have my heart. Draped on the Tuesday night, made on the Wednesday, slip-stitched the lining in on Friday night after a day at the con and worn on the Saturday. I think the end result was quite lovely!

I called this a ‘doodle’, as I was effectively sketching the idea of a jacket with only a vague idea of what I wanted to achieve: a short cropped jacket, possibly a grown kimono collar and power shoulders since I already had XL raglan pads pinned to my dress form for the Arcane jacket I’ve been tooling with for a year and a half (and finally finished a month ago.)

The drape evolved into panels as there is one thing I love: unnecessary panelling. This also felt appropriately Swarsy. To lean into that Her Syndulla pilot/70’s workwear vibe I wanted a back yoke and vent. (You can tell this was a super quick project bc it has a side seam and these days I am morally opposed to side seams.)

Some semblance of shaped achieved I dove straight into smashing a pattern together from the drape, and decided that I would work out any issues as I went.

The main fabric is a coated scoured cotton I bought several years ago for a Hera jacket (inspired by the Lego series) so it’s come vaguely full circle back to it’s original intention. Ish.

As I was cutting I decided it needing piping! Yes! Piping is very fun and rebellionish, and another of my favourite things. It adds a lovely definition to panelling whilst also adding support to the fairly exaggerated silhouette. The piping was made from a stretching cotton twill that I dyed several years ago for an(other) abandoned Hera project.

The piping led to an abundance of topstitching as a lazy way to keep all seam allowances in place, and then becoming a tribute to Jyn Erso and her topstitching.

The jacket was then lined in a brown fine grosgrain that I inherited from a job, which was quickly slipped stitched in. I faced the cuffs with the wrong side of the main fabric to have a featured turn back.

The final look thrown together at the most exhausted, low-effort Celebration. I was aiming for cool modern Hera Syndulla but the end result was much more April O’Neill.

There are a number of grain issues, particularly with the back panels and vents that I didn’t particularly bother to finesse from the drape to the cutting. But it’s fine! It’s a funky little jacket for one event, no one got what I was going for but I did get some compliments. And most of all I got the satisfaction of actually making something from beginning to end in a period of exhausted personal sewing drought.

[tallulahbunny]

Hey lovelies (Just a text-post, I’m sorry)

I just wanted to make a little post just to maybe humanise myself a tiny bit. I know looking at my account its clear I’m into some pretty rough kinks, and this is true. I do also absolutely love sharing myself online, truly. It’s brought me a level of empowerment and acceptance of my body I never thought I would reach.

However I just want to maybe super quick remind you that I’m a real person, with feelings (fragile ones at that). I’m a little worried of being vulnerable on here because I know that Is not really my type of content, and I’m very aware you probably just want to scroll to the boobs and rope and body (you have permission, go on).

I know I go for a kinda free use submissive vibe (which I do love with consent and trust) however I think posting myself like this has reached a slight level of dehumanising which is slightly harmful to my mental health. I’ve been having panic attacks and in part they’ve been due to my anxiety over this account.

I’ll still be posting, but I think I’m maybe going to try and post a little more carefree content. I’ve been so panicky recently about making perfect pictures. Perfect rope, perfect body, perfect poses, and it’s very exhausting because I hold myself and my content to a hopefully fairly high standard, but it’s unfortunately becoming impossible. The dehumanising messages are really taking their toll and there’s only so much of a wall I can put up. I’m hoping that even one of you reads this it might make you understand me as a human being a little more. That’s all I need.

Obviously I absolutely love receiving messages, but again, like it says in my bio, your best shot is being nice. If nice isn’t you’re thing, at least try and be clever with your message weather it be a scenario or degradation or threat or whatever you fancy. I really don’t fancy another message that just says “hoe” or “send me pictures”. And please, remember there is a difference between degradation and just… bullying.

Basically I think I’m going to try to just be a bit more expressive, a little more me and hopefully a lot more laid back so hopefully I can fully enjoy my time here. And I’m hoping that maybe I can start humanising myself a little to you guys. I’m not just boobs! Though understandably that has been most of my page so far ahah. If anyone has any asks they want to send ill happily respond and maybe that way you guys can start getting to know me, not just my rope and my body.

Thank you to everyone who has been so so lovely to me, it means so much, I hope you continue to love my content, and hopefully me as a creator. I’m so so sorry it got so deep for a second there, won’t happen again anytime soon

Now back to usual programming!

-Tallulah xxx

[toomuchracket]

he would want to rent a cottage/cabin or something like that (cotswolds/Joshua tree/nice/Yosemite) and play house with you when you’re not already living together. just cooking, exploring, fucking, sleeping and talking alllll day

combining with I feel like the vibe would be to get out of the city and just have some decompression time in the countryside. Regardless of AU, girly is working in a major city, Matty is jet-setting and both are likely city fatigued and need to spend some alone time with a beautiful view and about that holiday thing… i’ve had a really fluffy & romantic brainrot about driving to the english countryside with matty :’) not thinking about that one video OR maybe ireland?? i think it would be the cutest either during summer of autumn. don’t really have anything too specific in mind. (except they’d obviously have a lot of sex lol and if they’re staying at a cute b&b place they’d have to try and be pretty quiet because the walls are sooooo thin) just super cute, domestic cottage core/english murder mystery vibes and That’s so funny you should say that abt going away bc i’m on my way home from a weekend up at my family’s cottage up north and i would have loved to bring him along like a little lapdog in a purse 😭 like lazing around riverbanks, cuddling up and sharing a joint by the bonfire, finding cute little trails and having impromptu picnics sksndkdnfb

this to me feels quite birthday party coded, quite early in the relationship before you move in together, and before both of you busy little bees have properly developed the rhythms of being together and working and whatnot! anyway, it comes about because both you and matty are finding london exhausting, and you have the same week in late june free, so matty's like "fuck it. let's just go away for a few days, just us and mayhem and nothing and nobody else. i'll drive, we'll get a cottage somewhere nice and we'll just... relax", and you're like "that sounds dreamy let's do it". and in my head you literally stay in kate winslet's house from The Holiday (despite the fact it is not real), that cosy little cottage in the middle of a literal field - as soon as the door is opened, mayhem bolts in and settles himself somewhere unknown, which makes you both laugh (you find him later on a chaise longue in a spare bedroom snoring his sweet head off), and matty takes the opportunity to be like "i'm being so gratuitous here but just let me have a moment" before he scoops you up bridal style and carries you in, kissing you as he sets you down on the kitchen counter. you're like "we've been here five seconds and you're already acting like some austenian romantic hero. this is amazing. hitting several of my fantasies if i'm honest", and matty giggles like "give me five minutes to bring the bags in and then i'll carry you to bed and hit some more of them, if you want" - you're like "ok but if you take your shirt off while you bring in the bags you'll have hit another one already", and matty rolls his eyes but does it anyway because tbh his one goal in life is to turn you on (and oh, watching his biceps flex and back muscles ripple does it to an insane degree). so yeah, that's the first of many sex sessions in the cottage, after which you get cleaned up and redressed and walk hand-in-hand into the little village nearby to get some shopping; fancy wine, cheese, bread, fruit, all that good stuff, and ingredients for a proper cooked breakfast for the next morning, before heading back to just sit in the garden and watch the sunset together with your little cheeseboard dinner and a bottle of wine and honestly a joint too. matty abandons his "i am not letting you fuck up your lungs" bit so you can get high with him, and you sit giggling and kissing until you're sleepy and the two of you decide to go to bed - you fall asleep almost instantly, because of the wine and the weed and the fresh air.

the next morning, a lie-in after a great long sleep - more sex, then a shower, then matty cooking breakfast while you sit on the sofa with mayhem and coo at him (which makes matty go all gooey lol). it's not too hot or sunny, so you decide to spend the day taking mayhem for a loooooooooong walk along the river; he goes in for a swim and its the happiest you've ever seen him. naturally, matty considers moving out of the city then and there lmao. the three of you end up in a pub beer garden for dinner, you and matty chatting nonsense over your pints, before heading back "home" and having a bubble bath together with some wine, which inevitably leads to yet more sex. it's a perfect few days, which is something matty addresses when you're cuddled into his chest, listening to the birds and watching the sunlight stream through the curtains, on your final morning in the cottage - he's like "this has been perfect, waking up and spending my days with you. don't wanna go home", and you're like "neither do i. want to just be with you all the time". and then matty has an absolute eureka moment and says quietly "will you move in with me, please? really don't think i can go back to living alone and making breakfast by myself. s'a lot better when you've got your arms wrapped around me lol", and you kiss him softly and say "yes, i will", and you do!! i also think you write a little free-form essay about the trip when you get back to london, with an epigraph from another of your fav classic romantic female authors that perfectly describes how you feel about your own love interest: "whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same" <3

[oldphone-whodis]

I need to talk to someone about moonwater but I’m like terrified of interacting with people when it’s not anonymous

But Remus is my favorite character ever I love him with all my heart and I absolutely believe that he and Regulus could I’ve been together because their vibe just match like

Grumpy boyfriends hanging out in the library or destroying horcruxes together like whatever you have about them I want it

That's absolutely understandable! It can be so scary to talk to people when you don't know what they feel about what you're going to say. I have to remind myself sometimes that those people I see posting stuff that I like aren't just famous untouchable celebrities; those are my peers. We're actually all friends in Book Club together!

Remus is a very interesting character, and I can totally see why you like him! I like him too. Regulus is one of my favorites personally.

I love the Grumpy boyfriends hanging out in the library. They so are.

They just do their own things in companionable silence.

Maybe Remus gets some sleep in at the library because he's just always exhausted between full moons, hanging out his friends, going to classes, reviewing class material, and writing any number of essays they assign. Not to mention the time he just doesn't have for any personal hobbies. And I'm sure his body is constantly in pain even outside the full moon because bodies kind of suck sometimes and he's definitely got aching bones and sore muscles.

Regulus definitely helps his boyfriend out by doing some of his essays and such for him. And it allows him to become familiar with the future material since Remus is in the year above him, so by the time the next year comes around, Regulus will already have a guideline and a light familiarity that will make the material in class come easier to him. So it's really a win-win for him. His boyfriend gets to catch a break and he gets a headstart in his studies.

Maybe Remus worries that Regulus feels obligated to do his work for him though. And I think maybe for a little bit it puts a strain on their relationship. Remus will stop sleeping in the library so he can do his work or just not go altogether. And then Regulus will be worried that Remus isn't sleeping and it's obviously taking a toll on him.

They probably have a few uncomfortable tense silences where neither of them can focus because they're both concerned and stressed out.

Until finally they talk it out.

And Regulus hadn't even realized that Remus was concerned about Regulus, and he's very touched by the thoughtfulness. It's unfamiliar to him, and it's just another reason why he's glad he has Remus.

And Remus didn't realize that Regulus was using homework as like a study guide for future classes and was more concerned about Remus's physical wellbeing. It's definitely a big weight off his shoulders to know that he's not being a burden.

Regulus would probably have to have a talk later with Remus about his awful prioritization skills.

×

Now as for Horcrux hunting together.

First this means that Regulus becomes a Death Eater because the events leading up to him discovering the Horcruxes requires him to allow the Dark Lord to borrow Kreature.

So I think their relationship becomes very strained. From what I understand, Remus tends to avoid his problems and downplay how things happened and probably has a bit of learned helplessness.

So Remus is uncomfortable with the path Regulus has gone down by becoming a Death Eater, but he really doesn't know how to bring it up and talk about it. And he still loves Regulus, but he hates the things he's doing. So maybe Remus avoids Regulus, keeps his distance. And any time Regulus asks, Remus is like oh no! Don't worry! I'm just super busy and stuff.

And Regulus of course isn't stupid. He knows Remus is avoiding him. He knows Remus is uncomfortable. He loves Remus, and he's absolutely selfish. But he also doesn't want Remus to be uncomfortable around him. So he probably breaks things off for Remus's sake. Because he knows he won't. That self-sacrificial idiot (affectionate, bittersweet)

And maybe they have an argument at that moment. Where everything comes free. And they go back and forth and can't even come to an agreement. And they leave. And it hurts to disagree on something so fundamental.

But when the Dark Lord asks for Kreature months or years later, and Kreature comes back shaking, sobbing, clinging, in tears, Regulus finds out what happened with Kreature.

And Regulus is going through it. Everything he thought he knew about the Dark Lord and his beliefs just got shattered. And Kreature — his best friend — got seriously hurt because of his narrow mind.

And he has to go to Remus with poor distressed Kreature cradled in his arms. And Regulus apologizes. Because Remus was right. And Regulus had been too stubborn to be swayed. And he had to learn the hard way, by having someone he cared about deeply being hurt. And he wishes he'd just listened to Remus.

And Remus thanks him. Says he's glad he came around. That he's sorry Kreature was hurt in the process. And how can he help.

And so they start their investigation.

First researching that locket. Finding out it is Slytherin's Locket. And then trying to figure out why the Dark Lord is hiding Slytherin's Locket in some horrible potion on an island in a cave. It's just all so convoluted for something that's highly valued sure but otherwise would be better just put on display somewhere.

And eventually they find out about the horrific existence that is a Horcrux. And Regulus finds a new level of disrespect he has for this Dark Lord. The Dark Lord's main focus is just to not die. What's the point of not dying if you don't also live though?

And while researching and investigating the whole issue together, they're actually looking out for each other. Making sure to take breaks. To eat and drink water. And to sleep. And they both sleep so much better than either have in ages wrapped in each other's arms.

And Remus still has his responsibilities with the Order that he's taking care of with the werewolves. And then coming home hurting and exhausted.

And Regulus just takes care of any injuries Remus may have (I love you).

And he draws nice warm baths for him (I love you).

And he gives him massages (I love you).

And he makes him cups of hot chocolate (I love you).

And Remus holds Regulus tightly and reminds him of who he is when he forgets because "Who am I without the Dark Lord?" "Yourself." (I love you.)

And he gives him chocolate and breathes with him and prods for Regulus to share what's on his mind when he becomes so filled with dread that he thinks he's going to die. (I love you.)

And Remus writes encouraging words and draws silly doodles on sticky notes and just sticks them everywhere because they make Regulus smile. (I love you.)

Regulus writes a melodramatic little note to put in their fake locket. And Remus assures him that he's not dying anytime soon on his watch. And that the Dark Lord would be after they retrieve and destroy the real one. And did they really need to tell the Dark Lord what they're doing. Regulus assures him that yes, the Dark Lord needs to know that Regulus is pissed at him and that he will not tolerate this sort of disrespectful behavior.

And then they're in the Cave. And Regulus insists he drink the potion. That this is his mess that he dragged Remus into. And Remus corrects him that it's their mess that he chose to be a part of.

Regulus still drinks the potion. And it's hell. And he knew it would be hell but it's so much worse than he thought.

He sees his mother and his father. And he sees Sirius. He sees the Dark Lord. And some of his old friends that he'd lost contact with. And some other Death Eaters. And he sees Remus.

But the real Remus is right beside him, holding onto him. And coaxing him into drinking just a little more, just one more little sip, just a little more.

And he cries. And he begs because he doesn't want to drink anymore. He doesn't think there's anything quite as awful as this. How can he drink and drink and drink something that makes him thirstier and thirstier? And he wants to drink it less and less with each scoop poured down his throat.

And Remus swaps the Lockets and Regulus is insane with thirst and hell visions and tries to take just a little sip from the lake.

Sickly hands claw at his skin from within, trying to pull Regulus into the lake. And Remus jumps in after him.

If Remus was good at anything, it was Defense Against the Dark Arts. And of course, he knows what Inferi are and that they're weak to fire. Remus manages to get them out of there alive.

(and I'm not going to pretend to know how they'd figure out there's more. maybe at that point, they'd need to bring it up with Dumbledore and the Order. But there you go, Anon!)

[kitashousewife]

hi everyone! i thought i would give a little update cause it’s been a while!

tw: work, anxiety, weight (gain/loss), sadness

just wanted to say HELLO! to everyone. i know it’s been a while since ive been super active and i thought i would share a bit about the past few months.

my husband and i moved this fall to a place far away from friends, family, and anyone we knew. a very fresh start. completely different climate, completely different scenery, and total change of vibe from the other places we’ve lived. it has been amazing so far and we’ve been loving it.

i kind of/sort of work in medical! it’s been different but very fun. i have great co workers and the doctor i’m a personal assistant is very nice to me and kind.

i’ve been working with a personal trainer now for about 2 months and she’s been really fantastic. i’ve lost a small (very small) amount of weight but i’m very happy for that. it’s been fun to go to the gym often and fuel my body in the way it needs and craves.

a few months ago, i started volunteering as a leader for teenage girls in my church. i meet with them once a week and it’s really been a cool thing to give them someone to talk to and support them.

honestly i don’t think i’ve ever been this busy. i work, come home, spend time with my husband, go to the gym, and sleep. it’s just an endless cycle.

i’ve been feeling very sad lately and i haven’t been able to shake it. i’ve been wearing myself out. i feel exhausted. i’m tired. i want to sleep all the time. i haven’t been feeling myself. but! this week i have a ton of time to myself to relax and write and daydream. i’m excited to reset and love my life again. i just wanted to say hi to everyone and let you guys know if you ever want to talk, let me know❤️

[epitomereally]

You’re so talented. Every time your fan binding pictures cross my dash I stare at them for *hours*. The amount of care and detail you put into your books blows my mind. I know you talk about the process for each individual book on your fic binding posts but I wanted to ask: how do you plan your fic binds? Do you visualize what the fic would look like if it were a book while you read it? Do the colors and illustrations you choose come to you as you read the fic, or after? How does your approach to fic binding differ from your approach to writing? Etc. I’m curious about your creative process, though the technical part is also super interesting!

Ps: I love all the fics you chose to bind but I was so excited when you picked GallaPlacidia’s Ship of Theseus - probably my favorite of theirs. You have great taste 😁💚

Eek Elise THANK YOU! I’m so flattered & honored. Also always happy to talk fanbinding, especially binding design (my one true love)!

I would say planning takes the vast majority of my binding time—it’s something I love and I agonize over and I struggle with—while the actual binding often goes quite quickly! I often start with one element that I’m excited about & feel fits the the specific fic: a color or spine stitching pattern or a chapter title concept or title page (like the hand-dyed cover + birds for You Open Always or the blooming morning glories for Meet Me at Midnight) and then, because I have no chill or a single subtle bone in my body, I just roll with that element through the whole book until it’s totally exhausted (wish I could spoil some of my upcoming binds here, but you will SEE VERY SHORTLY what I mean). Every single time I make a book, around the time where I’m printing out the typeset, I feel that I’ve made a grievous error in including one more item than I should have, like it’s way too much. An example is the blackletter ornate font I ended up using for the title of You Open Always—you can see in my draft Illustrator document where I was trying out tons of concepts using stock images that most of my title page concepts were with a much simpler, more modern font that I used for the chapter numbers. However, in the end, I’ve always been happy that I’ve gone completely 100% on my vision, even if it’s a lot. In that way, I feel like it’s like writing—I may be incorporating all the elements I want to see imperfectly and have doubts about them, but I’m still putting everything I want in there & I’m proud and happy for that, even if I still have more things to learn.

One last design element I want to highlight: BODY FONT! This is something I am still learning so much about and the Renegade Discord has been incredibly helpful (a recent message I sent: what font would you find in a pulpy 60s mystery paperback?). A gorgeous title page or chapter header or cover is great for setting the mood when you open a book, but the body font is 90%+ of what you see when reading, so I spend a TON of time trying different fonts to fit the vibe of the fic. I have no thoughts or advice or guidelines though—it’s like porn & you just know it when you see it.

I also get a ton of inspiration from fellow fanbinders, both on the Renegade Discord server & here on tumblr. A lot of time, I see a technique or cover or typeset and think that that would look incredible for XYZ fic. An extremely abbreviated list of people who inspire me daily: @a-gay-old-time (Emma, you're a BLESSING), @queercore-curriculum, @bindsbymunchkin, @pleasantboatpress (one of the most welcoming members of the Renegade server, in addition to being an incredibly inspiring binder), @chubsonthemoon, @no-name-publishing, @zhalfirin-binds, @dontcallmebree, @amywaterwings & @runawaymarbles. Sorry for all the tags, but want this as a resource for others! I would absolutely love to know how all of you come up with your artistic vision for the binds that you do (and please tag me if you post!). 

P.s. Ship of Theseus was a request from QC but I am SO HAPPY they requested it, because it’s one of my favorites too :)

[toony-fanfics]

I'll Be Seeing You

~🌹~

》Chapter One《

Words: 3,048

Warnings: alastor x oc (not until later chapters), violence, murder, cannibalism, swearing, knives, normal hazbin stuff

Summary: a story about how Atlas got to hell and met Alastor.

A/N: hiii! Just thought I'd man up and finally put chapter one here! I worked super hard on it! I'm not sure how many chapters there will be, but we vibe!

~🌹~

It’s funny, the way dying makes you think back on your life. On choices you made. On words that have been said. But the cards have been dealt, and now you think about it. Some go peacefully. In their sleep, perhaps dreaming of sweet things and loved ones. Others go painfully. With health problems or a stab to the back. Peacefully or painfully. Slowly or quickly. Expected or unexpected. Death has many ways of making itself known. 

As for Atlas, he had a while to think about his actions. In a few hours, he’d be dead. In a few hours, he’d be frozen. Unmoving.

Growing up in the suburbs in Tennessee, Atlas was a very polite boy, who adored his family. For as long as he could remember, his father would take him and his brother out to hunt or fish, and his mother would often let Atlas sit in the kitchen while she cooked and baked, letting him be the first to taste things or lick the whisk. At an early age, the young boy had developed a love for cooking. His whole family loved the activity, and they were best known in their neighborhood for making meals to share with everyone. In the summertime, they’d have barbeques; in the winter, they’d go around to other houses with homecooked meals that they all worked together to help make. 

Sitting at the table one night, at the age of 16, Atlas poked at the meatloaf on his plate in front of him. This had concerned his mother for many reasons. Atlas adored meatloaf, more than anyone in their family. Atlas loved food in general, and to see him not eating worried the brown-haired woman.

“Atlas, darlin’ you alright? Ain’t ever seen ya poke at meatloaf before.” She spoke up, her voice sweet and smooth with that southern twang she and the rest of Atlas’ family were known for. Atlas glanced up, before nodding, smiling at his mother. 

“Yeah! Jus’...I, uh- I’ve jus’ been thinkin’.”

“‘bout what?” His father spoke up, looking at his son.

“Well…I mean, I was jus’ thinkin’ ‘bout gettin’ a job. Make some money, save it up…open my own restaurant up?” Atlas said that last part quietly, not knowing what to expect for a reaction. After all, cooking wasn’t exactly a skill Atlas shared openly with people. He’d done it a few times before, and it ended with laughter and ridicule. And though his family had been nothing but supportive and kind towards Atlas, the young teenager still didn’t know what to expect.

Silence fell over the table before his father cleared his throat.

“Well…it’d be a lotta work-”

“-I know! Pa, I know-”

“Listen, boy, I ain’t finished!” His father spoke, voice booming. Not in an angry way, though. He wore an amused expression. His son tended to overthink and jump to conclusions, which is why he wasn’t mad. A chuckle escaped his lips before he continued. “Like I said. ‘s gonna take a lotta work. Work, time, dedication, jus’ like most everythin’ in the world. But I also know yer tough. ‘n stubborn as hell, too. Y’get the from me, after all. If anyone in this family could do it, it’d be you.”

The words from his father made Atlas smile. Why he’d expected anything but encouragement, he didn’t know. Regardless, he’d made it a point to apply for not one, but two jobs.

Atlas spent the next few years working his hardest at both jobs. He often came home late, exhausted from sweeping floors at the market or washing dishes at the cafe. Yet he managed to keep up with his school work and his family. Finally, at the ripe age of 19, Atlas had saved up enough money to buy the building he’d wanted to use for his restaurant.

Standing outside the rundown building, Atlas and his mother gazed at it. It was about the height of a three-story building, though it only had one floor. Inside was what many would describe as a shithole. Sure, it needed a new…well, everything, but Atlas could manage. With the help of his family, he turned that rundown building into the Sunnyside Diner. Despite the name, the young man would be known for his meatloaf, though his breakfast meals were always a hit.

Standing outside the new diner the day before opening, Atlas bit his thumb anxiously, a habit he’s always had.

 “...’s it- ‘s it worth it? ‘m I doin’ a good thing?” He spoke softly, staring up at the sign on the top of the building. Atlas’ mother gazed softly at her son, gently removing his thumb from his mouth.

“Oh, Tater, how often do I gotta say no bitin’? That thumb of yours is for makin’ food, not bein’ food. Now, I want ya to look at me, ‘n I want ya to listen.” His mother grabs Atlas by the shoulders and turns him to look at her. 

“You, Atlas, are the most creative, smart ‘n talented young man anyone would ever have the pleasure of knowin’. This is big, dear. This whole restaurant is here because you wanna share the very thing you love with everyone. This is here ‘cuz y’thought of somethin’ ‘n y’stuck with it. Y’worked hard for this, ‘hon. Y’deserve this.”

Feeling his mother’s hand go up to his cheek, Atlas softened. Her words swaddled him in a warm embrace, and his heart swelled at the encouragement. 

“Thank you, ma. Meals for ya are on the house.” He joked, letting out a small chuckle. His mother laughed that bubbly laugh she was known for, patting his cheek gently.

Business had been booming. Things were going amazingly. Atlas would constantly get compliments and get new patrons every day because of the word being spread around. He was at an all-time high. This was the best thing that ever happened to him, and he didn’t think he could ever come down. Money was rolling in, meals were rolling out, people were laughing and talking, and his restaurant was packed most days. It was a lovely sight for the man.

All good things come to an end, though. And this good thing came to an end three years after Sunnyside opened. Atlas had noticed a decline in business as of late. While bringing out meals to people, he heard others complaining. 

Scrutinizing his food.

“It’s gotten a bit bland.”

“His meatloaf don’t even taste like meatloaf!”

“Why’s it always the same thing on the menu?”

“It starts to taste kinda bad after a while.”

After hearing all the complaints, the man couldn’t help but feel enraged. Why on earth would they say such things? About his food, no less? And the recipes…those were family recipes. Recipes he learned his whole life. Recipes he mastered. Recipes he bonded with his family over.

New. New, new, new. Atlas felt sick as the word tumbled around his head the whole day. New.

How could they insult his family in such a manner?

That night, Atlas snapped. The man went on a killing spree. Enraged by the insults, enraged by the awful comments, he saw red. Both figuratively and literally. Each body was placed in a wheelbarrow after being murdered, and before long, the wheelbarrow had gotten full. With blood splattered all over, the man made his way back to his diner. 

At first, coming up with a way to dispose of the body had been hard. There were many ways, some more effective, and as Atlas stood in the alley by his restaurant, it hit him. It hit him like a ton of bricks.

They said they wanted new meals. New ingredients? New recipes?

Well, they’d get them.

Atlas was up all night, grinding human meat and storing it in the freezer. Once Atlas had disposed of the bodies the way he knew how the man left the building as if nothing had happened.

The next day, Atlas announced new burgers made from only the best meat. The thought of something new brought many to his establishment once more. People enjoyed the burgers. People enjoyed the meals Atlas would prepare. They loved it and had no suspicion.

Amazing, the way the brain worked. It often puzzled Atlas, but in times like this, he was thankful for the obliviousness.

Doing this for a few years, one is bound to get caught. While staying late, an employee of Atlas’ heard noises coming from the kitchen. When going back there, he was met with a gruesome sight.

His boss, all bloody and sweaty, with a wheelbarrow full of dead bodies. Was this why the man had been more reserved? More hesitant to let others into the kitchen? More temperamental? 

A soft gasp escaped the employee as he took a step back. Atlas, without looking up, chuckled to himself. Slowly, he reached for a chef’s knife and stood up.

“Well, ain’t this a pickle. ‘n here I thought no one else was here.” He tosses the knife up, watching as it flips a few times in the air before he catches it by the handle. Slowly walking to the kitchen door, the man locks it. “Guess‘s my own fault. Shoulda checked fully. Don’t matter, though. Ain’t gonna matter.” He chuckles again before running his finger up and down the blade of the knife, circling the trembling employee.

“Wh…what- what are you…?” He started, his eyes wide as he stared at his boss. The man who’d once been well-liked and so polite to others just years ago had now snapped. Atlas wasn’t Atlas anymore. This was a different man.

“I’d hush up if I were you. Don’t wanna make it any harder than need be, hm?~ Now then. We got ourselves a bit of a problem, Joan. See, yer seein’ somethin’ ya ain’t ‘sposed to. That ain’t gonna fly with me. I like keepin’ stuff private, see? Now, I could let ya go, make ya promise to keep yer fat fuckin’ lips shut.”

Atlas pauses, still circling Joan, the employee.

“...nah, that’d be too easy. ‘n who’s to say ya won’t jus’ promise to save yer own skin? For all I know, y’could be plannin’ on gettin’ the law involved right now. ‘n that ain’t good for either of us. Way I see it, the only option I have is jus’ killin’ ya right now." 

The words sounded almost nonchalant. Casual. As if it were a topic in everyday conversation. Fear overtook Joan’s entire being as he glanced towards the door of the walk-in freezer. His breathing was uneven as he slowly backed away from Atlas, towards the freezer. With each step Joan took back, Atlas took one forward.

“Y’know, kid, ‘s a real shame. Y’were one of my best employees. I liked ya a lot, Joan.” Atlas raised the knife. “If it makes ya feel better, I’ll be sure to put ya in one of my best dishes. Yer death ain’t gonna be all in vain.” A twisted smile appeared on his face as he brought the knife down.

Joan yelled out and moved a bit to the left, causing the knife to go into his shoulder. A pained scream emitted from the employee as tears sprung to his eyes. Whimpering, he watched as the blood pooled out and bled through his shirt. The knife was stuck, jammed in deep. Joan groaned out loud as he stared up at the man he’d once called his boss, before moving a hand discreetly to the handle of the door leading into the freezer.

Atlas growled and grabbed another knife, this one a cleaver. Glancing at the employee, leaning against the door, Atlas raised the new knife, preparing to bring it down again. However, what happened next shocked Atlas.

In one swift motion, the freezer door swung open, and cold air suddenly flowed out into the room. His arm was grabbed by Joan, and Atlas was shoved inside. Stumbling back, he slammed into a few boxes of various frozen ingredients, before falling on his rear. Jostled around by the sudden collision, one of the boxes at the top of the stack fell and landed on his ankle. A scream emitted from the chef, as the heavy box had broken the bone, leaving him immobilized. Stuck.

“Son of a bitch, LEMME OUT. NOW.”  Atlas screamed, throwing various things at the door. Each thing he threw landed too far away for him to pick up and throw again, and before he knew it, Atlas had nothing. He couldn’t do anything. He was defenseless, immobilized, and locked inside of this tiny box. It was cold. Cold and cramped. He hated it.

The minutes seemed like hours. All was silent. Too silent. It was almost deafening for the young man.

Atlas never knew how much time had passed. His whole body hurt. He was shivering, his lips most likely blue by now. He knew he was stuck here. There was no escaping it, so all he could do was sit there. Sit in the darkness and wait. Wait for the sweet release of death. Something inevitable by now. He knew he was going to die. 

Yet he smiled. He smiled and laughed. Atlas laughed the hardest he had laughed in a while, tangling his fingers in his hair. Though he was smiling, tears were falling. This was not happy laughter. This was not a happy smile. This was the sight of a man hitting the last straw. Of a man breaking. 

Though he wasn’t dead yet, the man was gone. Far gone.

Too far gone to think rationally. Too far gone to feel anything properly.

As his laughter dies down, the man rests his head against the wall. It was cold. The whole freezer was. He didn’t care. He couldn’t care. The cold of the freezer was the last thing on his mind while he was on the brink of death. The pain of his ankle wasn’t on his mind either. He didn’t know what he was thinking of. He was just thinking. Thoughts swarmed around in his head, though none of them could be picked out. None of them could be separated from the others. They were loud, yet silent. Clear and fuzzy all at once.

The man shifts his position and lets out a shaky sigh. Upon doing so, he saw someone. A figure. A woman. Plump and short, hair a mix of grays and brown, eyes a dull yet beautiful shade of blue. Despite the darkness of the freezer, he could make this woman out very clearly. Too clearly. Was she here? How did she get in? She didn’t have a key to the restaurant. Was she here to save him? Was this a hallucination?

“Atlas.”

Atlas stared at the woman, softening a bit. He teared up because he knew this woman. This was his mother. This was the last time he’d see his mother. This was a hallucination. He was dying.

“Mama…” He spoke softly, his voice shaking. He felt like a kid. A scared kid. A kid who wanted more than anything to simply be held by the very woman who raised, clothed, fed, encouraged, supported, and comforted him all his life. 

But he couldn’t get up. 

And she wouldn’t move. 

Atlas could make out the features on her face. She wasn’t happy to see him. She didn’t care about his situation. She wasn’t here to save him. The woman he admired all his life wore a face of pure disgust as she looked down at him as if he’d been something repulsive stuck to the bottom of her shoe. As if he’d been something one would find in the garbage. 

“Why…? Atlas… what did you do?” The woman asked, not once moving from her spot. Not once bothering to look around. Not once bothering to unlock that door. 

She looked so warm. 

And he was so cold.

“What was right,” Atlas spoke through gritted teeth. Despite everything. Despite what he had gone through, he still didn’t feel remorse. “I don’t regret none of it, either. It was for family. I did it for you, Mama. For you.” 

The woman glared at Atlas through her beautiful blue eyes. She never glared at anyone. Her heart was much too big and kind for it. Seeing his mother glare down at him like he was nothing but a burden her whole life made Atlas feel a few emotions he didn’t want to feel.

“You did not do it for me. You did it for yourself. You’re a selfish, evil man. This was not who I raised you to be.”

“Ma-”

“Don’t. You do not get to call me mama. You do not get to apologize. I can’t believe I ever called you my son. I can’t believe I ever cared for someone as sick and twisted as you. I can’t believe I let you open this restaurant. You are broken beyond fixing. You lost the privilege of calling me mama. I refuse to call you my son.” She pauses, then stares directly into Atlas’ eyes.

“You are nothing to me.”

Her voice, as cold and harsh as the temperature of the freezer itself, cut through Atlas’ heart like a knife. His breathing hitched as he rested his head on the wall of the tiny freezer. Everything was quiet. The woman that had talked down to him had disappeared, leaving Atlas alone.

It was almost time. He knew it was. And he couldn’t do anything about it. He never said goodbye, never hugged his mother one last time, never saw his brother, never visited his father. As he rested his head against the wall, memories floated through his mind like, distant yet still there, like a forgotten tune. Fuzzy memories of him and his mother baking cookies for the family every Christmas, or him and his father working on his car for the first time.

His body felt weightless as the cold suddenly stopped. He wasn’t scared anymore. He was at peace. He was gone, and he was done suffering. Everything would be okay. He was done with the pain. He closed his eyes and let himself feel the sweet release of death.

Then, a strange feeling in his stomach was noticed. A jolt. A sudden movement.

He was falling.

[luvsersi]

MJ x reader where the reader is feeling overwhelmed and they cuddle to help them feel better. *Where MJ is surprisingly good at being super sweet and comforting.

Soft

Warnings: very slight mentions of illness/mental health problems (kinda?)

Word count: 482

Mj walked into her first class of the day. You weren’t there for the past few days due to illness, so she was excited to see you. She expected to see you sitting by your usual table right next to hers, but unfortunately you weren’t. She pulled out her phone to text you.

“where are you?? you said you’d be here today. I miss you ):”

Your phone chimed and you saw the message.

“the bathrooms.” You wrote back.

Mj knew you well enough to know that you weren’t the type of person ditching school for ‘fun’ so she grabbed her things and rushed to the bathrooms.

“Hello? Y/n?” She called. “I’m in here.” you answered her. She walked over to your stall and knocked gently. You unlocked the door and she saw you sitting on the toilet seat with your legs up. She looked at you and you looked exhausted. Your nose and cheeks were red and you had dark circles under your eyes.

She walked over to you. “Y/n are you okay?” She asked and hugged you. In that moment you completely broke down in her arms. You cried your eyes out and held on to her for dear life. Mj didn’t say anything. She just let you cry and stroked your hair.

“Oh sweetheart.” She frowned and kissed your head.

“Let’s say we ditch today and go back to my place hm? My parents aren’t home.” She cupped your cheeks and asked. You nodded, got your stuff and went to Mj’s place.

She unlocked the door and let you in.

“Let’s go in my room.” She smiled. You opened the door to her room and walked in. You’d been here countless times and your shoulders relaxed a bit by the familiar and comfortable vibe.

“Do you mind if we just lay in bed for the rest of the day?” You asked, frowning.

“Of course. You go lay down and I’ll go get you some cocoa.” You took off your sweater, changed into a pair of her shorts and got under the covers. Soon enough she was back in the bedroom laying right behind you and cuddling you.

“You wanna tell me what’s going on?” She asked running her fingers through your hair. You were silent for a minute.

“I’ve just been- you know I haven’t- uh I haven’t really been sick the last couple of days. I uh- ” You cleared your throat. 

She crawled over you to the other side of the bed, so she faced you. She lifted your face a bit. 

“Y/n it’s okay if you’re not ready to say anything. We can just you know. Lay here.” You nodded but scrunched your eyebrows.

“What?” She asked. You laughed a little. “When did you become such a big old softie?”

“Oh stop.” She puffed your shoulder and kissed your forehead.

“I’m only your big old softie.”

[archandshri]

12 April ‘24 - [arch] Making a Comic in a Week, Disability and Burnout (all unrelated, of course!)

Hey Shri and folks!! LOVED seeing part three of the Lionheart Brothers cover. Stunning!! And awesome to see your process. Also cool to see what you’ve been looking at lately - I’ve just finished a rewatch of Firefly and the characters are still living in my brain a bit. 

Life is a bit relentless, huh. I’ve spent a lot of time and energy working on disability stuff - meal prepping, sorting silly government forms, all that sort of thing. Exhausting and super easy to burn out on - but also sets me up for the future in my personal life and for illustration! I want to discuss the balance of pushing and burnout this week with an excellent example - I tried foreshadowing to make a comic in a week. 

When I was in uni, it was easy to create cool stuff regularly - you’re constantly receiving prompts, doing activities, getting feedback etc. I still have access to these things, especially through my shared studio community, but it’s not as easy as it used to be. I miss creating finished books, in particular, so frequently. So! I challenged myself to make a comic in time for Something’s Fishy Zine Fair in Plymouth tomorrow, which was just over a week from when I started.

I had come up with the concept for the comic while travelling, written the script and done a couple of sketches. I often come up with concepts while travelling - I just don’t often follow through :P Here’s a couple of sketches I did on the journey.

I’ve been chatting to lots of people about what they enjoy about art - I’ve noticed that I tend to crave the end of the project and having the physical thing with high expectations of myself, which doesn’t lead to a very enjoyable process. Many people I’ve spoken to enjoy the ‘zone’, the focus of the project where you’re just figuring stuff out and not thinking about anything else. Bearing this in mind, I wanted to make the process as fun as possible - this comic is for fun and not for the purpose of having the thing at the end. 

I started with a few development sketches of the characters and the vibe. I used ink and my funky kakimori dip pen, plus some brushes. These mediums are hard to control, which makes them good for development for me - they don’t have to be good, this time is for gestural drawings and ideas generation. Some continued doodles in my sketchbook from some downtime :) Fish wouldn't leave my brain.

After a bit of character development, I began by adapting my script into pages - I read the script and try to feel the vibes on how I want to pace the comic, considering:

How much dialogue and plot do I want to put on one page?

Do I want it to be more text or image-heavy?

Do I want it to feel fast and snappy, or slow and dreamy?

Which parts of dialogue feel like a page-turner?

Are there any twists that should be separated from the rest of the scene by a page-turn?

Are there any moments that should sit next to each other on spreads?

You can see me changing some dialogue around, writing as I draw a bit. Also playing around with some weird looking fish?? With noses???

I got a bit stuck at this stage. I was scared my script wasn’t good enough. And worried about if I could even draw fish. After a couple of chats with art friends, and some rambling in my slides, I reminded myself that the lesson this time is fun!! Have fun goddamn it!! No point doing it if you’re not having fun. (it’s not like we make any money from riso printed zines anyway)

Screenshots from my slides - these things are wonderful for gathering inspiration and venting when you run into a problem with the project.

So I decided to just go for it. Not even thumbnail, but just take a scene and draw it. I asked a studio friend to choose a number, and I drew that scene.

Because of the chatty style of the comic, and how much dialogue there was gonna be, I knew there would have to be a LOT of panels. I decided to make it A4, and use a 8x6 grid. I’ll draw the images at A3, and than scale them down to A4 when it comes to printing.

left: A3 grid on the lightbox, for tracing over || Right: A4 grid with boxes of different sizes for me to reference while choosing the layout - this way I can see the final print size

First drafts of a couple of random pages from Moon Noodles.

The first day I drew several pages that I was really happy with! It gave me a lot more confidence in my script - seeing it come to life with the characters on the page - some pages even got some laughs which was nice. I would look at the page plan, script, and spend a few minutes thinking about the pacing and how I wanted the dialogue on the page, and the go straight in with the dip pen - with the awareness that it might be wrong. This process taught me an important lesson - you have to just do it. The thing is, if you do it and it’s bad, you just do it again but different. Repeat. Staring at that script thinking it wasn’t good enough wasn’t actually going to get anything done, be fun OR make nice stuff. You have to do the thing. Then you make it better.

The other thing I learnt from this process was to give it space. There was a day where I did one page, hated it and thought the pacing was off, and spent the next day trying to translate it into two pages. It didn’t work. I came back the next day and realised the first page I’d done was fine and just needed a couple of tweaks. Do the thing. Let it be.

Here’s a little picture of my setup.

(Sorry all of Printhaus for hoarding the light box and getting ink all over it :( love u)

Useful stuff!!!!

Finished pages to refer to, plus more A3 paper underneath for future pages

Laptop with script

Dip pen, ink and water for keeping that little guy clean!

development sketches for relevant scenes

Page plan (you can see I have shortened it considerably since last time - now it's 20-24 pages and noted on scraps of paper so I can move them around if there's any changes of plan)

A4 sheet with boxes to show the sizes of the final print

also scissors??? i don't remember why they're here

But then monday morning came. I realised that if I wanted to get it all printed by friday, I needed to:

Plan and 12 pages on Monday, and 12 on tuesday

Get the final files for every one of the 24 pages by Thursday 

Print friday morning

Travel down to devon Friday afternoon

Fair Saturday

Not only is that basically impossible, but it would be very bad for my health, make for a rushed comic, and most importantly, not be fun. The thing is, I’ve made whole comics in a couple days before. I figured I could still do it. But that’s not actually a good thing - my skills and taste have increased, I'm aiming for bigger, more ambitious projects and yet I expect the timelines to stay the same? It doesn’t exactly work like that now, does it?

But I kept going anyway. 

Tuesday morning, I decide to get the cover put together so I can get the preorder post-out. I get pulled into an unexpected meeting, and then spend the rest of the day inking this thing and getting the files sorted. At this point, I know for sure It’s not possible to get this done. Thankfully my two Printhaus besties were in. They helped me drop it. I love this comic, it feels fun and joyous and I’ve enjoyed working on it - lets not rush it and end up with a bad product that will bother me. Let’s take time, explore it and really enjoy the process!!!

All is not lost for Something’s Fishy Zine Fair, though! Originally, I had planned to do a print of the Moon Noodles Cover for preorders only, but why not print that for Something’s Fishy?? Anyone who buys the print will also get a discount code for the pre-order :D (also here’s the pre-order link)

So here’s a few images of the Moon Noodles cover print and the process!! I hope to see some of you at Something’s Fishy. It’s a joy to visit Plym again :D

Sketch printed out at A3, and 2 of the layers. I scanned these in and edited them on photoshop to get the files ready to print.

Coming to terms with the fact that 1) I don’t have illustration superpowers even if my expectations are that high and 2) I’m disabled (yes it’s been years and it’s still hard to face) is really hard!! I need to spend most of my time when I’m well preparing for when I’m not AND fight the urge to work until I burn out, which I always lean towards because it’s nice escapism. 

The thing is that living, and not being too exhausted to move is much more important than a comic. And if I am gonna spend my functioning time making comics, they’re gonna have to be enjoyable to make. Otherwise your life slips away from you and you haven’t been really living it.

Hope that hasn’t got too deep for you. I think that stuff is important to face, especially since the creative life is so incredibly busy.

Thank you for reading this goddamn essay, I hope that it helped in some way! As usual, feel free to drop an ask if you have any questions. 

Chat soon :D Archie <3

[marielle-heller]

notes on the end of Ted Lasso cause I'm really confused and torn and a bit underwhelmed and I want to make people hear my thoughts

Ted’s plotline has felt underdeveloped. despite being the main, titular character I just feel like it’s been kinda,,, not a priority and it’s upsetting. like I still feel like Ted as a character needs MORE! and I do and very much DON’T like his ending

Nate’s storyline has been one of the most decent tbh he’s maybe the only one I’ve liked in hindsight

Trent is also wonderful in that sort of way where I really have no notes like he's just great

I love Keeley choosing neither man, but I hate how these men oscillate between seeming developed and better and then reverting back to sucking. and good on the narrative for calling it out to some extent but it’s boring and exhausting. (and I understand that, yes, as they discussed, no one can be Perfect. but I really think like,, Jamie didn’t need to still be hung up on her they didn’t need to fight over her, something needed to be different cause there's not being perfect and then there's outright, why the fuck!!!! especially when we DID the "Jamie wants Keeley but then realizes he should move on" plotline LAST SEASON! like there is not being perfect and then there is, you have not grown one bit somehow, and Jamie should be Allowed to realize there's other women and he had his chance with Keeley and it's okay that they're not for each other! let him learn!!!)

cause also then the leaked nudes (another thing I have a bit of an issue with) just become,,, fodder for him being into her again and it's like, that's SO not the fucking time jesus fucking christ! and it undermines the sincerity of his apology if you read it as him starting to wonder if they could have another chance, GOD!

also the Shandy plotline was another example of something that happened a lot this season (also with Jack but it did develop how Keeley’s business is presented as taken on by Rebecca and her sexuality as well as a commentary about class so I’ll excuse all that) where a character is introduced, around for a bit, and then fucks off. which fine, can happen, plots don’t ALWAYS have to go somewhere huge they can pay off in entertainment or making a statement. but there was a lot of other shit we could’ve spent time on!

I hate how we took a plotline Ted NEEDS (being healthy with the fact that Michelle is moving on a coping) but combined it with Michelle dating the worst, most unprofessional cunt in the world (not nearly enough of a callout for him having been her personal therapist and then later a couples’ therapist (red flag on its fucking own) and then DATING A FORMER PATIENT AFTER WATCHING HER MARRIAGE END!) so that, actually, I think Ted WAS fucking right to be upset and I don’t think this SHOULD be something to just be chill with and fuck you, doctor!

I feel like there have been some good attempts to talk about real topics but that they’ve come off heavy-handed? the nudes being leaked is a great topic but the locker room bit felt a bit Much. and the way it just careened into, Isaac is upset with Colin for…. not taking enough time deleting the pictures so he takes his phone and I guess sees a dick (Colin you still could’ve been working on deleting that) and then takes it SO personally that he didn’t know… it all was So Much in a way I didn’t love

also it’s ironic we try to call out social issues but then play off things like SEVERE malpractice, abusive relationships, Keeley apparently having nudes I think spread by a teacher, etc. often for laughs

I really don’t get the Zava plotline in hindsight cause it’s another situation where like… we bring a guy in to make things better. he’s winning games but he’s got an ick vibe I think only Jamie really picks up on. it’s not super discussed so it’s like,,, has no impact, whatever. he leaves. now we have to figure out a NEW way to get better. back to square one. you could cut him out and literally it leaves like no impact on the plot except for Van Damme name change like I get!!!! that not every plot has to have a huge impact!!!!!!! but Zava was pointless and kinda a dick and I just don’t think it contributed ANYTHING to bring him in! maybe to see that they didn’t need a fancy player to get better but I also don’t know that ANYONE on the team learned that lesson tbh. and maybe that’s me complaining about not being spoon-fed but I really feel like if the message was “they think they need him but they don’t” it wasn’t super There. and having him send self-indulgent t-shirts in the final episode is really like… yeah okay guy still sucks

Rupert fall from grace plotline pretty great

Rebecca does develop a bit and I like that. she seems to go from being upset she’s single and never had a child, she still wants to defeat Rupert, but she learns to let go of that and just focus on what matters. she stands up for the love of the game, she finds inner strength. but still I think a little something is missing. I don’t think just giving her a man and a child fixes that. I don’t know, a lot of this just feels like something’s off. I’m glad she’s happy, but her arc this season wasn’t much

I really enjoyed learning Beard’s backstory but aside from that his main storyline is being in an abusive relationship played for laughs so like…. ugh. and Beard telling Ted he doesn’t want to go but couldn’t let him down is SO FUCKING GOOD, but, again…. I hate Jane so fucking much!! I keep coming back to the texts she sent in that episode and god she’s reactionary and cruel and obsessive and just,? and the one time Higgins tries to point it out he’s ignored it’s annoying

Jamie’s development as a team player has been SO amazing but again… I wish that translated into letting go of Keeley. but I do love him a lot. but let him let GO!

I’m trying to be… objective in that. things don’t tie up perfectly always in real life. but I do just feel… like there’s a lot of character development that don’t quite get!!!! Ted & Rebecca both could do better! I like the idea of them just staying friends (but DO they, even? do they have a daily video chat did he give her the biscuit recipe is there ANYTHING?) and there’s SO many good individual moments & characters in the show but I just feel like there’s a lot halfbaked looking at things as a whole

ROY KENT NEW MANAGER AND THE FANS OWNING THE TEAM AND KEELEY’S WOMEN’S LEAGUE ALL VERY GOOD!!

It’s nice to see everyone happy and together but then it leaves me more confused why Ted has to separate himself. I get he’s got Henry & I’m glad he’s coaching his son. being apart from his son is a big problem for Ted and I like that the effort to be a better father is a priority. but I still feel like things are a bit hollow. it feels like the narrative says that being a more present dad will allow Ted to let go of every other issue but I still just feel like many things weren’t fully worked at. is he an alcoholic? it’s sometimes implied!!! is he open to love? who knows!!!! does he have friends or another day job or anything to give his life meaning when Henry’s with his mom? no clue!!!!!!! does Dr. Jacob choke and die? one can only hope!!!!!!!!!

overall I liked it fine but this entire season has felt Off and Nate’s storyline is the only one I can fully endorse. I just expected from something that was so clearly planned out in detail to have less meandering plotlines, more time for developing characters, clearer closure, and maybe,, ANY evidence that Ted has not cut himself off entirely from his family right when it was getting good! if anything, it almost seems like he’s NOT coping because he DID do that! and footage of him & Rebecca video chatting or him flying out for Beard’s stupid wedding or on special occasions could mitigate that but instead it feels like he really is supposed to have cutting himself out of his found family entirely to return to his ex-wife and son as like,,, his entire closure. and so I can't in good faith believe he IS doing better. I can't.