#if i could give myself advice I'd say to not think too much

[festynoodle]

talking into the void but this blog didn't age well at all, in the best way though. i want to give younger me a hug so badly, it got so much better. love x

[calisources]

𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐗𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒.

All these quotes are taken from different works of fiction and depict sensual, sexual tension between two people in different scenarios. There are some that are suggestive while others are more detail so this meme is nsft and usft, please tag accordingly. Mentions of jealousy, possessiveness, sex, fantasies are all here. Change pronouns, names, locations as you see fit.

I knew the first moment I saw him that it was going to be raw, it was going to be ugly, and I was going to enjoy every damn minute of it.

You're still looking.

You make it hard to look away.

I'm over here keeping my hands and memories to myself because you asked me to, that’s not fair.

If you'd just man up and admit there's something between us, I would strip down to my skin so you could see every single inch of me.

How long are you going to make me wait?

How awfully presumptuous of you to think I'd let you.

You missed my arrogance almost as much as I missed your impudence, little one.

You said not to fall for you. Did you change your mind?

We both needed to blow off some steam, and we did, right?

They say the colour of a lady’s lips is an exact match to another region on the body?

You're too soft.

Can we go back to making out now?

You sound jealous.

Then tell me this is what you truly want. Swear you want this more than anything else and I'll never mention it again.

If you want me to play the bawd, at least give me the benefit of your advice.

Tell me how it's done. Do you think she'd like it if I came to her like this, if I looked deeply in to her eyes?

And then like this? Is this how I ought to seduce her?

You're wet, aren't you?

You drove me mad.

She asked me not to be gentle with her, either,I would have been gentle with you, though.

I would have had you moaning my name throughout it all. And I would have taken a very, very long time, Feyre.

I'm all yours to look at, you know.

You need to let me go, darling, before we start something I intend to finish.

Feel free to touch, darling. It's all yours.

. . .I hate you.

Say it again.

Grind it. Nice and fine.

I gave him a few smiles and he handed over a family heirloom. I bet he'd give me the keys to his territory if I showed up wearing those undergarments.

Why shouldn't I? You seem to have difficulty not staring at me day and night.

Am I supposed to deny, that I find you attractive?

Is that a challenge, Feyre?

Do you think it's fair that you have seen every inch of me, and I have seen none of you?

Move with me now.

Touch me anywhere you please.

I want you to make love to me.

Do you know what that truly means?

You do know? You know that I will be inside you and that I will move inside you, until we are both mad from pleasure?

I want you inside me.

You have three minutes to get ready now.

I did dream about you. I didn’t want to, but I did.

What was I doing in your dreams?

Someone is watching us through the window.

All the more reason to put on a good show.

You're not in a position to make demands.

The best things are found in the most secret places.

And you are a beautiful, sexy temptress who is about to be fucked by a man who wants her so desperately he's willing to do anything to have her.

When I'm with a woman, it's not me doing the begging.

You're rubbing yourself all over me. What did you think was going to happen?

I thought you were all about self-control.

I remember how powerful those thighs are.

You are more beautiful than I imagined.

And your skin... Christ, it shimmers like gold.

I'm naked underneath.

Tell me----did it get you off knowing I was watching?

I want to take you under the moonlight.

Please, don’t stop.

Oh, so I shouldn’t? That would be cruel of me, wouldn’t it?

I am the cruelest man you will ever meet, but, I will make you feel so good, you will not care.

I’ve never been with a man before.

You do bad things to me, Carrie. Very bad things.

And you, Miss, are no lady.

[izukuisbaby]

⊹˚.⋆ SHOPPING HEADCANONS - MY HERO ACADEMIA

୭ flora's notes : this wasn't planned but I'm on vacation and izuku owns my heart, I couldn't stop thinking about him when I bought clothes 😔✋🏼

୭ female reader/ male reader and gn reader friendly 💓

m.list | comment and reblog if u enjoyed !

⊹˚.⋆ IZUKU MIDORIYA

℘. he insists on tagging along with you on your shopping trips. he just loves to feel useful and wants to give his opinion on what you try on !

℘. and he's honest too ! if something looks bad on you he will nicely tell you : "I think this doesn't flatter your body well enough", "you should try another colour baby ! I've seen you wear this one before and you looked stunning/handsome !"

℘. and if one of your clothes fits you well expect a SHOWER of compliments "Y/N THAT'S THE ONE, this looks so good on you and the colour definitely lightens up your face. YOU LOOK SO CUTE oh my god" and he would be a blushing mess🥰

℘. learns about your colorimetria so he can pick clothes for you to try on or as gifts !

⊹˚.⋆ KATSUKI BAKUGO

℘. you have to DRAG him to the shopping centre because he hates being around a lot of people. he says they are impolite, careless and disrespectful and he would throw a tantrum if one dares slightly push him to get to a display.

℘. is grumpy the whole time : "hurry up goddamn it, you take 3 hours to undress I'd better get in there and remove your clothes myself", "tf is that granny outfit, who in their right mind would sell that", "this colour makes you look like you're gonna throw up your guts dumbass, get rid of it"

℘. when something suits you, he will very discretely smile and his eyes will sparkle,

"looks good i guess, take it"

"you sure, you don't seem convinced katsu ?"

"MOTHERFUCKING TAKE IT"

⊹˚.⋆ SHOTO TODOROKI

℘. "sho, you're not supposed to come in the fitting room while i change !"

"oh, I'm sorry y/n i thought it was okay since i already saw you naked"

"SHO- I mean technically you're right but you could AT LEAST close the curtain, I wouldn't want everyone to see my underwear"

℘. yeah shoto opens the curtain WIDE instead of asking if you're dressed or not. to him, the world stops when you two are together and he only sees you. so of course he wouldn't notice the 20 other people around you in the fitting area, who can now see your fully exposed body

℘. shoto apologizes and is even more of a blushing mess than izuku at this point AND he pays for your stuff (rich bf shoto💥💳💥💳💥)

℘. he is whipped and biased, he thinks everything looks good on you so he isn't of much help but he is a huge support and compliments you a lot♡

℘. ... you'd have to call Mina to actually get advice though -

© izukuisbaby. comments appreciated ! although do not modify, translate, copy, claim as your own or repost on any app/platform/social media (this applies to all of my content)💓

[being-addie]

How to Glow Up for School

Got an ask for tips to glow up, thought I'd make a separate post for it too.

⭐Workout⭐:

There's no rule that the gym is the only place to workout.

Youtube videos: There are tons and tons of great workout videos from people with a large following. My favourites are Caroline Girvan, growingannanas, Pamela Reif and Madfit. Go get sweaty!

Makeshift weights: You can water bottles filled with water/sand as weights or buy ankle weights to put around your wrists as you get stronger.

Run: This is an amazing source of cardio. I gave up a while back on this because I detest running, but it really does work. Plug in your headphones and go for a run in nature.

Dance: Dancing is a really fun way to workout. Try Zumba, hip-hop or K-pop routines. Hell, even Just Dance has some good ones. Join a class if you want to stay accountable.

Let me know if you want me to drop my workout routine too

⭐Diet⭐:

Honestly, I can't give much advice here, because I'm not qualified enough. Go to a nutritionist to see if there's anything you can do. If not, eat plenty of protein and fibre, limit your junk food intake and drink lots of water. Make lots of salads and fruit bowls. Overnight oats are healthy, filling and delicious.

What I like to do, is eat everything in moderation. Say I've had a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. I won't deny myself a nice bowl of ice cream (again, not a sundae, the key is moderation). But if I've had greasy food for lunch and takeout for dinner, I'll probably settle for fruit instead. Know that you can eat without punishing yourself, but remember not to go overboard. Food is fuel, remember.

⭐Other tips⭐:

Skincare: Don't make it too fancy. I know influencers and the like have those weird 15-step skincare routines, but it isn't necessary. I use the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and the most basic Cetaphil face lotion I could find along with an organic lip balm my mom buys. It works like a charm and its not too fancy. I also take an ABC smoothie (Apple, Beetroot, Carrot + some water.) This is such a game-changer.

Abundance mindset: I like to think of the universe constantly working in my favour. It's always looking out for me, and I'm the luckiest girl in the world. What you think is what you attract. If you think negatively, you will begin to see only bad things around you. Stay positive.

Wardrobe: Go thrifting, or DIY some old clothes. Pinterest has tons of amazing ideas. Paint your T-shirts, dye your skirts, make cute jewellery at home. There are no limits.

Makeup: I don't recommend it honestly. I'm more or less anti makeup to the point where I only own two pieces of makeup(eyeliner and lip gloss) and even those are used sparingly. Don't get used to your painted face. Your natural beauty is beautiful; and should not be hidden. There's something so amazing in someone who is confident in their own skin. Own yourself, and people will love you more for it.

Hope this helps you become the best version of yourself. Baby steps to your goal, okay? This takes time and with consistency, you WILL get there. Stay lovely. xoxo

<3

[doe-eyed-fool]

Fallen {Chapter Twenty One}

Alastor x (fem)Reader

"So, how are you feeling right now?" Angel asks, getting comfortable as he sets on his bed. First he had grabbed two hard seltzers from the mini fridge next to his bed.

He handed one to me, I just held it for a minute. "Well...I guess I'm happy." I start. "For once, I'm not afraid of Alastor. I feel like there were multiple times he could have hurt me, and he hasn't. And...he's really been helping me out so..."

"Yeah, you never really explained that. How did he help you?" Asked Angel. I tapped my fingers on the seltzer can a few times before exhaling. "I was lost...and alone. I was hurt and scared. So very scared and confused. I had no idea what to do...And then here he comes, offering to help me. I can't really go into much detail, but...I feel like he's helped me see another way. Like, another way to make my afterlife worth living."

"...We talkin' about the same Alastor?" Angel asked.

"I know, he isn't the type." I sigh. "But, once you get to know him. Once he lets down a few walls. He's not that bad..." I say with a smile.

"Boy, you must really love that guy to think all that." Angel muttered as he took a swig of his drink. I only shrug. "It's true. T-That he's not so bad...not the other thing..."

"Y/n, it's just me. You can be honest." Said Angel softly. "I mean, I already know you like him, so...It's not like you'd be revealing some grand secret or anything."

I roll my eyes. "I...I don't know Angel. I really don't." I look down at the drink in my hand, the coldness of the can starting to numb my palm. "I don't think I'm ready for something like this...not right now. Not after..."

Angel shifts slightly in his spot next to me. "It's scary, huh?" He asks, I nod my head. "All teasing aside. I can't say Alastor would be the best fit, when it comes to things like this. For as long as I or anyone had known him, he's never been the romantic type. Nobody knows what he'd be like as a partner. And that can be scary when you're...unsure."

I nod again before opening the can and taking a swig. "I think I might be delusional, Angel." I mutter.

"How so?" He asks.

"I think...my emotions are taking over, and creating this version of Alastor that's not real in my head. It's not the first time it's happened so..."

I continue. "Let's say I do find myself in a relationship with him. What if his true colors show, and he becomes an entirely different person from what I've thought up? What if we don't work out? What if it's a huge waste of both of our time?" My voice cracked with my next question.

"What if I get hurt?"

Angel sighs. "I don't really have a solid answer for ya, Y/n. I'm...not the best person for relationship advice. But...I guess I'll just say this much..."

"If Alastor loves you, really loves you...he'd act like it. He wouldn't put on some fake persona to lure you in. He wouldn't give you empty promises of love and affection. And he would not hurt you. If he does...then he's no better than the rest of the shitty bastards in this place. You deserve someone that would treat you right, you shouldn't have to settle for the bare minimum. And if Alastor isn't willing to step up and be the guy you deserve, then drop his ass. I might not be as strong as Alastor, but I'd fucking fill him up with lead if he tried anything funny with you. That goes for anyone else too."

I smile and place my hand on his. "Thank you Angel. That means a lot." Angel smiles as well.

"I really don't think you understand what's happening..."

The shadowy figure looked over its master, looking slightly concerned, but mostly annoyed.

"You are getting attached to her. I can see it. Anyone can see it. And that's a bad thing, you know that. So why continue entertaining these feelings?"

"First of all..." Alastor began, raising his cane before setting it down hard on the tail of the shadow, firmly keeping it in place. The shadow fell silent and stays still, knowing better than to try disobey Alastor.

"There are no feelings involved. I have no idea how you could have thought that ridiculous accusation up. Secondly, I am not getting attached. You are an extension of me, you should know that's not true. You should know how we really feel about her."

The shadow nods. "Yes. That you have some sort of fascination for her. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you like her."

Alastor gripped tighter onto the cane, slight distortion could be heard coming from him. "Listen here...and you listen good. I do not like anyone here, much less the people I'm around near twenty four-seven, in this god forsaken hotel."

"And what of Rosie and Mimzy?"

"They're different."

"Yes. But Y/n is not?"

Alastor narrows his eyes. "She isn't, I can actually stand to be around her. But not let that fool you into thinking anything more of it. Now, I do not want to hear another word about this, do I make myself clear?"

The shadow sighed before nodding its head. Alastor finally let up on the cane. "Good. Now leave me." The shadow did as it was told and disappeared, leaving Alastor alone. Alastor let out a sigh of his own and pinched the bridge of his nose.

You are getting attached to her. I can see it. Anyone can see it.

Yes, Alastor knew perfectly well why that was such a bad thing. 'Not only would it jeopardize me and my power, but would place Y/n in danger.' He thought before moving his hand away.

He wanted to deny it, that he wasn't growing attached. But it was becoming harder and harder to ignore, that funny feeling stirring in his chest. He's felt many things over the years, but this...even when he was alive had never felt this...

Fear, that was another thing. He knows what fear feels like, but has not experienced it in a very long time. But right now, thinking about what these feelings might be, what they could turn into...

Alastor shook his head, dismissing the thought. No. They would not turn into anything. He didn't need to distract himself by thinking about this silly nonsense anyway. Alastor decided then it was time for a little stress relief. It's been a minute since he's painted the town red after all...

"Still nothing. That shithead must be keeping her locked up in the hotel or something." Vox mutters to himself, as he looks at his dozens of TV screens. All, we're surveilling the city. The TV's could act as a one way mirror sometimes. While passing by demons could look in, Vox could look right back.

He groaned and leaned back. "Looks like I'll have to resort to plan B." He said as he reaches for his phone. After a few seconds, he spoke.

"It's me. Go ahead and get over there. And I swear to fuck, you had better not be lying about this..."

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Ikemen Villains - Part 1

These translations are not intended as a replacement for the game. Please support CYBIRD by buying their stories. Spoilers under the cut. Expect mistakes.

What is happiness?

It’s like the twilight sky that changes color as soon as it’s imprinted in your eyes.

It holds your heart forever, yet you can never have the same thing again.

(Yeah, I really don’t know what I’m doing. I need to get my shit together.)

Today, Victor invited me for some tea.

I thought he was going to end the day peacefully with a chat and laughter, but he eventually dropped one heck of a bomb.

------------Flashback------------

Victor: Oh, right. Regarding your first job as a fairy tale writer.

Kate: Yes, what is it?

Victor: I want you to choose one of the crown members and spend time with him as your lover.

Kate: Pardon?

(L-Lover?)

Kate: H-Hold on, even if you ask me to choose, I still don’t know anything about一

Victor: That’s right, Miss Kate!

Victor: I’ve been up all night trying to figure out how to get you to know them better, and I finally came up with this idea.

Victor: Well, what can I say? I’m a genius! It’s already late, so you better start tomorrow. I’m so excited.

---------Flashback Ends---------

(I ended up agreeing, though, thinking that if I didn’t get their trust in my first job, they would kill me.)

(But getting to know each other deeply as lovers? How can I even handle such a ridiculous job?)

(I almost got run over by a carriage just thinking about it.)

I looked down at my sprained ankle, trying to avoid the speeding carriage, and sighed.

(There’s no point in dwelling on it.)

(First, l need to talk to Roger and get him to lend me some bandages.)

As I was dragging my feet to the stairs leading to the entrance...

Ellis: What happened to your foot?

Kate: Whoa! Huh? Ellis?

Ellis: Does it hurt?

My heart skipped a beat when Ellis popped up, probably on his way home from somewhere.

Ellis: Did you hurt yourself?

That fateful night, Ellis was the very person who asked if he could kill me, but I managed to survive by becoming a fairy tale writer.

(Shortly after that, he proposed to make me happy.)

I couldn’t help but feel an unspeakable unease.

Ellis: Let me patch you up. Put your arm around my shoulder and hold on.

Kate: Kyaah!?

When he saw my swollen foot, he lightly lifted me into his arms without hesitation.

Kate: I-I’m fine! I can walk!

Ellis: We need to check it properly. Roger’s not at the castle tonight, so I’ll take a look at it.

He ran to the basement, ignoring my resistance.

(He’s used to it.)

He deftly bandaged my sprained ankle.

I was a little embarrassed when he exposed my bare feet, but he was very serious and did only what was necessary to patch me up.

Ellis: How did you get hurt?

Kate: I was spacing out, thinking, when I accidentally twisted myself avoiding the carriage.

Ellis: Carriage, huh? What are you thinking about?

(I don't know if I should tell him, but maybe he can give me some advice.)

Kate: Victor told me that my first job is to spend a day tomorrow with someone from the Crown as a lover.

Kate: With my foot like this, I think it'd be best if I don't move around too much so that I don't cause any trouble.

Kate: Ellis, do you know someone who might agree?

He finished fastening the end of the bandage and stared at me, then spoke up.

Ellis: I'd like to do that.

Kate: Huh?

Ellis: I'd like to act as your lover.

(He would?)

Kate: W-Why?

Ellis: Because I want to make you happy while you're here.

He repeated the same words he had said to me that night we met.

(Why would he even want to do that to someone he'd never met before? Someone he was willing to kill?)

Ellis: I don't want you to look sad after tomorrow. No?

(I have to admit it feels kinda weird, but...)

I couldn't just ignore the carefully wrapped bandage and the worried look in his eyes.

Kate: O-Okay.

Ellis: Yay.

He laughed happily and lifted me again.

Kate: I’m fine now that you patched me up!

Ellis: Nope. I already know that you’re the kind of person who cares about other people’s problems even when you’re hurt.

Ellis: I don’t believe you’re okay, so let me walk you to your room.

Kate: That’s too much.

I tried to protest, but Ellis had no intention of letting me down, so I was forced to stay in his arms.

Ellis: For tomorrow’s plans, can you tell me what makes you happy?

Kate: Um, eating good food?

Ellis: Hmm. So, let’s buy some good food and have a picnic.

Ellis: I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning. I look forward to having you as my lover.

Kate: Sure. Likewise.

(I feel like my crazy first job just went by so fast.)

(It’s going too well. I should be more careful with him, but...)

I stared at the carefully wrapped bandages and knew that he treated them with care.

(I have a feeling I’ll be fine with him.)

Ellis: Morning, Kate.

Kate: Good morning. What’s that?

The next morning, he picked me up in my room as promised, carrying what looked like a wheelchair.

Ellis: It’s a wheelchair. It’s not easy to get it, so I made one.

Kate: You made it...? Wait, why?

Ellis: I don’t want to strain my lover’s body.

(Lover?)

Kate: Don’t tell me it’s for my sake!?

Ellis: Yeah. Hey, try sitting down.

I sat down fearfully as he urged me and found the chair was so comfortable.

When he pushed from behind, the wheels turned smoothly, and the chair moved forward.

Kate: This is so cool. You know all this useful stuff, and you can make it.

Ellis: I used to look it up and just remembered it.

Kate: Thank you. I’m happy, but you’re exaggerating. I didn’t break any bones. I can walk.

I lifted my hips to get off, but一

Ellis: I don’t want you to get worse and not be able to walk, so no.

Kate: !?

He suddenly hugged me tightly from behind the chair.

Ellis: I’ll take you wherever you want and lift you by the chair if there are stairs.

Ellis: So all you have to do today is sit here.

I couldn’t stand up or even move as he held me in his arms and whispered, confused by his gentleness.

(But maybe this is how he treats his “lover.”)

(Is it weird to ask him to stop when he’s helping me to spend time as a lover?)

Kate: Okay, thanks.

Ellis: Yeah. Since this is my first date with you, I’ll do my best to make it the happiest day of our lives.

Part 1╏Part 2╏Premium End╏Epilogue

[no-gram]

Character Profiles

Administrator/Ai

・Hello. Dear prisoners.I'm Ai, the administrator.Well...I still have a lot to learn about communication and about all of you.

・However, I am the administrator.I am responsible for managing you all. Please be my regards henceforth.

・I myself have not yet decided how I will pass judgment...You have been gathered here under the suspicion of being evil people for some wrongdoing.

・And you will be judged by me, justice or evil.I know nothing about you people yet. But I plan to close slowly.

・Let me clarify my position as an administrator, but I do not intend to be hostile.I hope we can live comfortably together. Good bye

001/Tsuguha

・Well...nice to meet you! My name is Tsuguha, I'm 12 years old. I don't really understand this situation yet...but I hope I can be friends with you all.

・I am aware of the...bad things I have done. No one would call me a murderer, though.

・Admin. I want the death penalty. You would judge me, wouldn't you?

・When did a place like this come into being...?

・I was born a bad person. You see what I mean?

002/Jun

・Name? Huh. ...... I'm Jun. I don't intend to get along with you.

・Evil people and other false accusations.This prison is more evil than the prisoners who are locked up here.

・You're in trouble, too. You don't know anything, do you? I hope you get out of here soon. For both of us.

・I'm not surprised now. No matter what kind of strange places there are in the world.

・I just want to get this over with.I don't want to go home.Other than that, there's nothing else.

003/Kizuna

・Nice to meet you! My name is Kizuna! Haha.

・Hmmm. At least we haven't done anything wrong yet, right? See, that's what everyone says!

・Hahaha. Hey, that's the administrator! How long have you been here? Long time ago?

・It's a strange place - this place! But there are scarier places, too!

・I like everyone here because they don't say bad things about me! Maybe I don't have to go out there!

004/Tsuduri

・Introducing myself, um... my name is Tuzuri. Hmmm, sorry. I can't think of anything in particular to tell you now.

・I honestly don't feel either way about justice or evil, but...Don't make stupid decisions.

・I'll give some advice to the administrator.Expecting weird things from others will make you tired, so it's better to go easy on them.

・Hmmm. The location itself doesn't surprise me. But I guess I'm wondering how they got to me.

・I don't know the date or time or anything. I wonder if there is an outside in this place.

005/Itoho

・Let's see, I'm Itoho! I've been called many names, so call me whatever you like. New nicknames are also welcome.

・Hmmm... I don't know about that, so I'll pass.

・Administrator...I'll help you as much as I can. Fighting is pointless, right.

・I think it's a good idea. People should be judged rightly, but there are some things that the law can't handle.

・I'm glad everyone seems to be having a good time. It was rough at first. Because of someone's fault.

006/Rinne

・Hi, nice to meet you, admin. I'm Rinne. I'm Rinne, and I'd like to make a deal with you.

・I am the righteous one, right? At least... more than anyone else.

・Let's manage everyone here together. Yes, I know my place. I'm under you, and they're under me. That's it.

・I'm so glad we have a place like this! I just wish we could have done it sooner.

・The people here are all failures. But it's okay. Because I'm with you.

[flightyalrighty]

What have been some of your big inspirations/points of education* with your comic work?

*could mean learning resources but also just, good advice you got once or improvements to your workflow you figured out

Thanks for this ask!! :]

I went to the School of Visual Arts, where I majored in Cartooning! A lot of what I learned, I learned from Indie Cartoonist Jason Little and DC/Marvel Editor Joey Cavalieri, both of whom taught multiple classes I've taken (mainly fundamental stuff but there were also some extra classes with them like Jason taught my Digital Comics course and Joey taught my History of Cartooning class). I learned how to draw trees from Jason. And from reading Pogo.

I've drawn a lot of inspiration in my storytelling from both Bone and Hellboy, mostly! Both Jeff Smith and Mike Mignola are masters of pacing in comics, and if you happen to be unfamiliar with their works, I can't recommend them enough. Besides those two, the rich, moody internal monologues of Spider-Man: Blue and Spider-Man: Evolve or Die are things I often think about when it comes to dialogue writing. That and (at least when it comes to writing Rouge's dialogue) my older sister. Just, like, in general. Pay attention to how the people around you speak. It helps a ton when figuring dialogue.

Hellboy is getting mentioned again because Mignola's heavy inks are something I like to look over in order to learn from and improve myself. Hellboy, Carl Barks's Donald Duck comics, Asterix & Obelix, Will Eisner's various works, Calvin and Hobbes ALL have this beauty in their inking that can really inspire. Personally, I'd like to get a bit messier with my inking. Messy inks feel so alive. They're so visually interesting.

For colors, I highly recommend this book. I've read it and re-read it as much as possible. It may be for painters, but cartoonists can and should learn from all kinds of art forms. The works of Moebius were also mega foundational for me in learning how to color my comics. The man knew his palettes and how to not confine himself too much to what's "realistic". Speaking of painters (you may roll your eyes at this one) I'm also a fan of Frank Frazetta.

For panelling, I only have one true inspiration, and that's the work of Tess Stone. I grew up reading Hanna Is Not A Boy's Name. It changed how I viewed the limitations of panelling forever. Of course, it may be harder to find that comic these days, so here's a snippet:

Basic advice: really really take your time taking in art that you like, and try to reverse-engineer how it was made in your head. Heck, even if there's art you DON'T like, overall, but has elements you DO like, you can learn from that, too!

Okay! Sorry for rambling! Now here's the thing you're actually here for:

How To Think When You Draw collection of REALLY GOOD tutorials for whatever you need, these guys helped me out a ton when I was figuring the jungle scenes early in Infested.

This Pinterest Which Has Absolutely Everything You Can Possibly Think Of For References And Inspiration Sources.

An Extremely Good Font Site That Is Used By Professionals In The Comics Industry To Letter Their Comics.

The Most Important Book Any Cartoonist Can Read

A Different Book By The Same Man About Making Comics (for free, thanks Internet Archive)

Perspective For Comic Book Artists, thanks again Internet Archive

As for workflow... Man, I wish I could give you any kinda advice on that. I'm struggling with it, myself. I guess I've got two things?

If you have multiple deadlines for, say, multiple commissions or something, or you're trying to put out a weekly comic, but you're also doing something else, break the day up into time slots for each project, and switch the moment it's time to. Keep yourself on that schedule. I'm not very good at this.

I draw pretty detailed thumbnails, so sometimes I'll skip the penciling step in comics and blow up the thumbnail to ink over that. It's faster for sure! It's not always the right solution, however.

Thanks for reading! I hope any of what I've said helps at all!

[furiousgoldfish]

Hi, just a little reminder to everyone who has attempted to message me or talk to me, and didn't get a reply or didn't get a reply they wanted.

I often have people messaging me expecting instant friendship and emotional support and talking to me as if we already knew each other. I don't think this is done with ill intent, but I do want to gently remind everyone that we are complete strangers when interacting online, and that I cannot grant anyone instant friendship; to me you are a person I don't know. I will talk to you as a stranger would. Even if you've been reading my words and taking solace and imagining a friend telling them to you, to me you are someone I've never met or known, and I cannot function as an emotional support on a personal level to strangers. It ultimately is not helpful for you to convince yourself that a stranger on the internet is your personal friend, or to push that stranger into trying to act the part; I am unable to fulfill this role. I am not emotionally well myself, and I do not have a support system, so being put in a situation where I'm expected to be one for a stranger feels unhealthy.

Another thing I'd love for everyone to remember is, that I don't have all of the answers. I love to help where I can, but ultimately I am a person in a lot of distress, trying to deal with multiple disorders without any access to therapy or even friends who understand what I'm going thru. I am isolated and posting on this blog is often all I have. If I knew how to get rid of trauma, how to deal with disorders, how to not be sick or in pain, how to evade abuse or how to feel okay, I would use this advice to fix my own life. But I am sadly, lost like the rest of us.

There are times where I am in too much distress to talk to anyone, if you sent me a message and it went unanswered, it is very likely that I was in a state so bad I could not communicate. I will usually recover from it within several weeks, but by that time I feel bad even reminding someone they've sent me a message, it feels asinine to try and reply so late. And it reminds me of the period where I felt bad looking at the message, unable to respond. I'm not ignoring messages on purpose. If you try again some time later, you're likely to get a reply, if I'm in a good state of mind.

However, if you send me a big number of messages at once, start talking about your issues without asking if it's okay first, send several messages without a reply and then keep sending them and demanding a reply, put pressure on me to communicate with you, try to guilt me into giving you an answer you want, or assuming I'm maliciously ignoring you, you've made me uncomfortable and I have to listen to my instincts and stop talking to you.

I am sensitive to anger, aggression, ranting, swearing, slur-use, and doing that in a conversation with me it will make me feel threatened. Because we're strangers, and any stranger acting like I'm an acceptable target to take their anger at is dangerous. We are not friends, and dealing with angry strangers is terrifying. In that situation I have to do what I would advise anyone else to do - leave the conversation.

The last issue is with people attempting to trigger me on purpose, pretending they need help then defending abusers, trying to convince me that all of my resources are harmful and doing nothing but damage, or trying to get me to delete my content, change my posts, advocating for abusers, siding with my abusers, telling me I'm a monster, insisting they're victimized by me unless I personally disprove my smear campaign to them, and generally trying to get me to lash out in order to post it online to claim I should be cancelled. That is the worst thing you could be doing to a traumatized abuse victim. I am a person, of course I sometimes say something wrong and not well thought and put out. That doesn't mean anything I ever do to help others is worthless and should be erased. And you will not convince me that my blog is useless or harmful. It helps me. And I am someone too.

[jessicas-pi]

ONE person asked and so now i'm doing it again: more incorrect quotes, time heals edition (part 1 cause there's gonna be more)

Obi-Wan: Where’s Ahsoka? Anakin: Doing stuff. Obi-Wan: I don’t like the sound of that. Where’s Sabine? Anakin: Trying to stop Ahsoka from doing the stuff. Obi-Wan: And Jacen? Anakin: Trying to stop Sabine from stopping Ahsoka from doing the stuff. Obi-Wan: I see. And what are you doing here, Anakin? Anakin: I’m supposed to stop you from stopping Jacen from stopping Sabine from stopping Ahsoka from doing the stuff.

---

*Everyone is giving advice to Obi-Wan* Sabine: It's okay to ask for help. Ahsoka: You're not a burden. Anakin: Murder is okay. Jacen: Your feelings matter.

---

Zhaya: I don’t go looking for trouble. Trouble usually finds me first.

---

Store Worker: Would a “Sabine” please come to the front desk? Sabine, arriving at the desk: Hello, is there a problem? Store Worker, pointing to Ahsoka and Jacen: I believe they belong to you? Ahsoka and Jacen, simultaneously: We got lost. Sabine: I didn’t even bring you guys here with me—

---

*At 79s* Sabine: Ladies do not start fights BUT THEY CAN FINISH THEM.

---

[Sabine, running from a rock monster] Anakin, through the comm: You're just going to have to kill it. Sabine: Kill it? Well, I'm open to any suggestions. Anakin: Go for the eyes! Sabine: He doesn't have any eyes, Anakin! Anakin: Go for the mouth, then, the throat, his vulnerable spots! Sabine: IT'S A ROCK! IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY VULNERABLE SPOTS! Zhaya, grabbing the comm from Anakin: I know! You construct a weapon. Look around, can you form some sort of rudimentary lathe?

---

Sabine, trying to avoid explaining how she knows the future: Don't ask me what I'm talking about. I don't know, okay? I'm just the vessel. The message has been gifted. I've moved on.

---

Cody: What's wrong with you? Sabine: Off the top of my head, I'd say low self-esteem, a lack of maternal affection, and a genetic predisposition for anxiety and depression.

---

Satine: Guys, I have a question. Bo-Katan: kys <3 Satine, deadpan: I love you too. Sabine: Ah, yes. Siblings.

---

Mace: I hope you have an explanation for this. Jacen: We have three actually. Ahsoka: Pick your favorite.

---

Sabine: Am I too late for Obi-Wan’s panic attack? [Obi-Wan hides his face in despair] Sabine: Apparently not!

---

Sabine: Could you be any more annoying? Shipper: Yes.

---

Anakin: Small creatures are much more vicious because they have a smaller body to bottle up all their emotions. Jacen: Ridiculous. Give me some examples. Obi-Wan: Wasps? Sabine: Terriers? Anakin: Ahsoka.

---

Sabine: Why is there blood everywhere? Bo-Katan: I may have aggressively poked someone with a knife. Sabine: You stabbed someone?! Bo-Katan: No, no. I aggressively poked someone with a knife.

---

Jacen: Here’s a fun Life Day idea. We hang mistletoe, but instead of kissing, you have to FIGHT whoever else is under it. Mace: Jacen... no. Ashoka: Mistlefoe! Mace: Please stop encouraging him. Jacen and Ahsoka, together: SOMEONE'S HALLS ARE GETTING DECKED!

---

Anakin: I'm not creepy. Anakin: I'm petty. Anakin: There's a difference, ya' know.

---

Kidnapper: I have one of your kids. Obi-Wan: Which one? I have four. Kidnapper: The loud, annoying, rowdy one who never shuts up. Obi-Wan: Which one? I have four. Anakin, distantly: HEY!!!

---

Sabine: What’s it like being tall? Sabine: Is it nice? Sabine: Can you reach comfortably for the cupboards? Anakin: We live in constant fear of the short ones who, in my experience, will climb 4 chairs, 2 boxes, a small coffee table and 6 oddly placed stools to get what they want. Ahsoka: It was one time!

---

Wyvern: Are you nuts? Shipper: Jury's out.

---

Jacen: I like to think of myself as a semi responsible teenager here. Sabine: Ahsoka is 70% of your impulse control and you know this Jacen. Ahsoka: I feel like Jacen is the more responsible one of us two though. Jacen: We are both 70% of each others' impulse control. Ahsoka: Just two lil beasts in pinwheel hats spinning on the merry-go-round at dangerous velocities, holding each other’s hands so the other doesn’t fall off.

----

and last but not least,

Ezra: What’s up? I’m back. Sabine: I literally saw you die. You died. You were dead Ezra: Death is a social construct.

[polyamorouscultureis]

hey! so one of my qpp just came to me for advice and i wasnt rlly sure what to do, and you seemed to be rlly good at giving advice so i thought i'd ask you (sorry if it's rambly i suck at words)

so we're in a 4-way qpr (we've called it a qpr but it's kind of blurry) and one of my qpp has a romantic crush on someone else, and they reckon it's quite likely they like them back: but their crush is monogamous (probably), so what they told me is if things work out between them they plan to leave the qpr and persue the romatic relationship.

i've told them to talk it through with the crush if things work out and if they would mind them being in a qpr as well. but generally i wasn't entirely sure what to say to them: they're also really torn and doesn't really know how they would tell the others. i wouldn't say it's jealousy i feel: just the way they phrased things it kind of seemed like they valued the qpr less because it was "just platonic". i suck at expressing myself and wouldnt really know how to tell them how much that hurt me, and also i wouldn't want to upset them or push them in any way because theyre one of those people who have a hard time saying no to people.

was a bit stuck on what to do so i wondered if you had any advice?

- X

Hi X,

I'm sorry this happened to you, it's totally understandable to feel hurt by this. By saying they're staying in the queerplatonic relationship only until they enter a romantic relationship, they make you sound like a second choice, a lower priority, someone to hold them over until they get what they really want. No one should feel like that.

I know you said you have trouble expressing yourself, but this is one of those times that you'll have to have that hard conversation. Use this ask as a starting point if you want to! Your partner should always know how they're making you feel, because if you keep this buried, they could hurt you more in the future simply because they don't know they're doing it.

Have you expressed your hurt feelings to the others in the group? How do they feel about this? I think it's great that you have other qpps who understand your love for this person on a more personal level and can talk it out with you, too.

I hope everything works out between you all <3

[genshinemblem564]

Xenologues I-III

Xenologues contain important story elements but don't warrant full chapters, or I couldn't think of a way to link them to previous chapters.

CW: Death, threats of violence

These all take place during the timeskip.

Xeno I: Comeuppance

After Zhongli returned from the meeting, it was time for the imposter to meet their fate. People from all over Teyvat were in Liyue to bear witness, even the archons, divine beasts, and adepti were present.

The ceremony started with the usual legal stuff, such as listing off the criminal's offenses, in this case being the impersonation of a god, attempted murder, and inciting the countless other crimes committed by those that they successfully manipulated.

The imposter was brought to the chopping block and was readied for execution before the goddess gave a speech ending with.

(S/N): Has the guilty any final words?

The imposter looks up at the crowd before them.

Imp.: Yeah. Here's a few. I don't know how, but somehow, someway, I'll make you all burn. YOU HEAR ME? YOU'RE ALL GONNA...

Before they could finish, the axe came down, and the crowd roared with cheer and glee. All except for one. Hu Tao knew she should be happy, but something was causing her great discomfort. What was this sinking feeling in her chest?

Xeno II: Rememberance

You, Sharena, and Alfonse were walking through inazuma when something catches your eye. An old bridge over a small river surrounded by sakura trees.

Sharena: What's up Summoner?

Alfonse: Is something the matter?

(Y/N): I've seen this place before.

This shocks everyone.

Sharena: Don't be silly. We only just got here.

Alfonse: Yeah, and besides, you said yourself that some worlds can have several similarities.

(Y/N): No, no. I haven't been here, but I've seen it. When I was young, too young to even be in school, I had a dream about a place that looked just like this. The only difference was that this bridge was in far better condition. It was like a memory from a past life.

As you were speaking, your hand was unconsciously investigating the wooden bridge, as if something was supposed to be there.

(Y/N): *sigh* Whatever.

Sharena: Huh!?

Alfonse: What do you mean "Whatever"? Doesn't this warrant investigation?

(Y/N): No. There's no guarantee I'd recall anything if we did, and trying to force myself to remember would only give me a headache. I'll remember if I'm meant to, but that won't change much, if anything at all. I'll still be me.

With that, you walk onward. The siblings share a concerned look before following you. Little did you know, your conversation was overheard by two individuals who were rather elated by this revelation.

Xeno III: Elements and Alchemy

Albedo had invited you, Sucrose, and Mona to his lab in the KoF HQ, as Dragonspine would be too cold for Mona given her choice of attire. He had found another other worldly seed, but previous methods proved ineffective. Even now, you four were struggling to find a solution.

Sucrose: Ugh!! This is hopeless. Nothing we do is working, and (Y/N)'s advice hasn't got us any closer.

Mona: Are you certain this thing can bloom?

Albedo: It can. It's happened before, we just need the right method.

(Y/N): Hmm, I wonder. What if it's not the method but the components that need changing? More specifically, what if we're missing one?

Albedo: What do you mean?

(Y/N): The elements you all use play a part in plant growth, earth, water, air, but we're missing one, plants photosynthesize using the sun's light.

Sucrose: B-But, light doesn't exist as an element in this world.

(Y/N): Then perhaps you need some otherworldly assistance.

Saying this, you raise your hand and an orb of light forms between all of you. Everyone is awe struck by this until you pull them back to reality.

(Y/N): Well, shall we try again?

Albedo nods, and everyone pours their elements into the orb before said orb is combined with the seed. Everyone watched with bated breath, and the seed bloomed, and just like last time disappeared. However, this time, a petal from the flower was miraculously left intact.

Mona: How did you know that would work?

(Y/N): I didn't, but I had to try something else if changing the method didn't work.

Albedo: I'm more curious about your ability to harness a new element. What all do you know about elements?

(Y/N): I don't know much, but I do know this, there are far more than seven or even eight elements if you include the light I just produced. They can be categorized into three groups, core elements, sub-elements, such as metal for earth, and combination elements, ice itself is a combination of cold air meeting water. However, I have only witnessed nine elements being harnessed. You already know seven, but the last two, light and dark, are foreign to you, correct?

Albedo practically pounced on you, grabbing your hands and looking you in the eyes.

Albedo: Please, teach me to harness these elements. As an alchemist, I need to understand more about this world and those beyond.

It takes you a moment to collect yourself after such a normally calm individual expresses such eagerness.

(Y/N): Sorry, I'm not the best teacher when it comes to practical use, but if you're that eager, you're more than welcome to visit Askr anytime. There's more than a few individuals who would gladly share their knowledge.

Albedo nods in agreement, and everyone heads home.

Albedo: Today's experiment yielded more than just results. This newfound knowledge will no doubt be invaluable, but I can't help but wonder. Why is it that a single petal still remains?

___________________________________________

Xenologue II was inspired by something that actually happened to me when I was very young. It's also an interesting topic that I don't see many, or any, people making use of. Seeing visions of your past life through dreams, in an au centered around a past life, you'd think someone would have done this by now.

Also, Xenologue III is so long because it was originally meant to be its own chapter, but as stated prior, I couldn't find a way to link it to a prior chapter, and I also didn't want to wait until I could.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed these.

[fereldanwench]

WIP Whenever (Actually on a Wednesday!)

@chevvy-yates had tagged me in a WIP Whenever thingy last week (I think? What is time) and @breezypunk sharing their WIPs reminded me I meant to do this. So, stuff I'm working on!

Over my Christmas break, I just started barely scratching the surface of working on my own custom poses. Because I'm me, I desperately need some battle couple poses--Fighting side-by-side, holding the other one while they're wounded, maybe fighting each other, etc. I compiled a Pinterest inspo board here to get an idea of what I'm going for.

This pose isn't anywhere close to being finished, but it's a start:

A small confession: while I actually like working in Blender quite a bit, I kind of hate everything else about modding, lmao. I've probably said it before, but my day job requires me to use so many shitty apps and software that always require 37 workarounds just to perform normally--I really don't have a lot of patience for troubleshooting shit during my leisure hours. Hopefully, the project won't become too much of a headache when I get into importing and working with props. 🤞

Virtual photography is always a constant for me these days--I was actually thinking yesterday how it feels like the absolute perfect creative medium for me. I like drawing and writing and 'real' photography, and I very much need to make sure I have more analog and tactile creative projects to keep me sane, but VP just hits in a way nothing else really has.

I am still working on the photostory I shared last time, but I don't want to give away too much there. It's also on a bit of a pause while I figure out some tech issues (read: I regret updating my game, lmao). However, I already have a ton of shots/mini-stories I need to queue up:

Other than that, it's kind of personal reflection shit and contemplating goals/resolutions for 2024. Getting long-winded and a little blunt under the cut:

I've always really struggled with making goals--I don't think I've ever had a situation in which I explicitly stated "I have a goal of XYZ" and then I achieved XYZ. I've had plenty of nebulous "Hey, I think I'd like to do XYZ" thoughts and then lo and behold, I do actually make XYZ a reality, but as soon as the word "goal" is attached to something, I just check tf out.

It was actually something I was trying to talk to my therapist about last summer, and then we kind of hit a dead end on that specific topic and decided I had other problems that were more pressing to deal with, lmao. But all the best goal advice in the world--following the SMART method, sharing it with someone for extra accountability, etc.--Just does not work with my brain.

(The accountability thing in particular always hugely backfires for me because just telling someone I want to do a thing tricks my brain into thinking I did that thing and now I don't need to anymore. Also, I don't like people telling me what to do, so if someone was like "hey, shouldn't you do this thing so you can meet your goal" I will say no just on principle of being a brat, lmao. I really hate that piece of advice.)

I know some of it, probably a lot of it, is fear of failure if I don't meet the goal. I'm very hard on myself--That's a no-brainer.

But I also think some of it, maybe just as much, is fear of success. Which I used to think was the stupidest fucking thing anyone could say about this shit, but success can mean big change. Success can mean increased feelings of imposter syndrome. Success can mean attention and responsibility I don't want. Success can mean bigger consequences if I do fuck up later.

I've come to realize that success is honestly as equally scary to me as failing.

I think this is a big reason I've always been content (or convinced myself to be content) with being good and not great, even if that means I'm not reaching my ~*full potential*~. (There are other external/macro reasons for that too, like my loathing of people trying to push me to monetize my passions, but I don't feel like getting into systemic gripes, lmao.)

Goals that require me to step outside of my usual routine also give me a lot of anxiety, which is something I've working towards managing (you could say that it's a goal of mine to get that under control dfgjhfjgdf), but that's still a very real hurdle for me.

Like I've been trying to go back to a minimum of 20 minutes of dedicated exercise (versus just walking a lot) a 3 times a week, and I get stressed if I miss it, or even just feel like I'm going to miss it (like if 7 PM starts creeping up and I haven't started it yet), but I also get all bent out shape spending 20 minutes on exercising while I'm doing it as if there's a better use of that time and THERE'S NOT. Like, what am I really missing? 20 minutes of scrolling Tumblr? Shut the fuck up, lmao.

All this to say that I don't really feel like I'm ready to set goals in a traditional sense, and that might not be something that ever works for me, but there are things I think would just be... kinda nice for me to do for myself that I want to do this year:

I need to actually be nicer to myself. As a matter of fact, @ren3gade--I hope you don't mind the tag, but I've been meaning to thank you for the "forgive yourself" advice you shared a couple of months back. I started making it a point to use that in my self-talk when I start spiraling, and it has been one of the best means of mitigating certain aspects of my social anxiety. I felt goofy as hell when I first started doing it, but that shit works. Positive self-talk makes you feel better, wow, who knew certainly not me

In a similar spirit, I want to stop being so judgemental about my limitations, and I need to mitigate feelings of guilt when I set boundaries for my mental health and energy. This is something I want to achieve in all areas of my life, but I think the easiest place for me to start flexing these muscles is with fandom. Because, damn, I let myself get into some really bad habits with the CP77 fandom (and I forgive myself for that 🙌). One of the big ones has been putting pressure on myself to keep up with what all my CP77 mutuals are doing at all times, and I'm not doing that to myself anymore. I've spent so much time in the past two years methodically going through tags and blogs to catch up on stuff I missed, and I'm just... relieving myself of this obligation. I know a lot of folks have tried to mitigate that for themselves by encouraging everyone to use their username-tracked tag--I'm not doing that. I'm not giving y'all more tagging work, and I'm not going to give myself the same obligation just in a different way. If I miss a post, I miss a post. Of course y'all are always more than welcome to @ me or send me things you think I'd enjoy (I love that, actually!!), but I'm just one person--I'm incapable of being an omnipresent fandom cheerleader and I don't know why I was pushing myself to be that. Well, that's not entirely true--I have some idea of why, but that's also a mentality I'm leaving in the dust. 😘 Also, for a long time, I did not use the like button for anything other than personal posts purely out of spite because I got tired of people complaining when they'd get likes but not reblogs--My asshole mentality was "Fine, now you get nothing." And that worked for me for several years and several fandoms, but I'm frankly tired of the "like" slander on Tumblr. It's a valid form of interaction and letting someone know you liked their stuff. I don't say this with malice, but other people's mentality of being unhappy with likes instead of reblogs is not my burden to bear. Anyway, I don't want to turn this into a rant about fandom stuff, lmao, but the point is I need more boundaries in my life, and I'm starting here.

I'm happier when I spend more time than I have been on traditional art and creative things that get me off my PC. Like I said above, I love VP so much, but it does unfortunately tether me to my computer desk longer than is probably good for me in the long run, mentally and physically. I stocked up on some new traditional art supplies, and I need to put those to use now that I'm settled into my new place. (And I've been itching to do a charcoal portrait of my bb girl.)

Reading books (gotta be physical, no screens) also makes me feel better. I've got about 7 books on my nightstand that I could totally finish this year--Doing that might be the one stereotypical goal I make for myself.

I want to reevaluate how I "multitask;" in particular, I want to break the habit of always having to have a background show/movie on OR always feeling the need to do something on my computer/phone while I watch a show/movie. Even as a kid (way before I lost my attention span to my smartphone lmao), I've always been inclined to doing something else while I watch shows and movies, but that used to be limited to drawing or painting my nails, which I think is fine. Now I just always feel like I need a screen nearby to do something else, even if there's really not something else worth doing. And listening to music or podcasts while I work on a thing is also fine, but it's gotten to the point where I almost can't have complete silence, and I don't like that. I miss being comfortable with silence while I pour all of my focus into a project. I just need to find some equilibrium here.

I know this isn't exactly a standard WIP Whenever, but me is what I'm working on, and I think it's all essential stuff to nurturing my creativity. 😊

[thebramblewood]

Anonymous OC question of the day!If you could make a character real, which of your OCs would be: your bestie, your spouse/partner, your secret lover, Your friendly rival, your enemy! BONUS: do this for other people’s OCs too! Pass the game along (anonymously or not)

Thank you so much for asking, Scout (and also anon from a few days ago that I've been ignoring while I overthink everything)!

Bestie: Julia or Grace

Julia would've been my dream bestie in high school! She would've intimidated me with how cool and confident she is, so I probably would've been too scared to approach her. But she also seems like the type who wants everyone to feel included. She's not really elitist or exclusionary in any way, so I could see her noticing my shyness and making an effort to get me out of my shell.

My other choice would be Grace because she would always give me really honest and thoughtful and usually correct advice. She's level-headed and good at thinking through problems, so she'd be the perfect confidante! Always having her magic on hand would also be incredibly convenient. And, of course, I wouldn't say no if she offered me one of her special potions. 😉

Spouse/Partner: Morgyn

I know we haven't seen much of Morgyn, but they are so tender and adoring I can't help but fall head over heels. 😭 Let's just say I get why Caleb loved them so much. I feel like Morgyn would always be conjuring up the sweetest gifts and showering me with compliments. Just know all this is happening in an alternate universe where they aren't tragically killed and also where they never met Caleb. I wouldn't want to come between them, so I'll let them continue to happily exist together in that other alternate universe.

Secret Lover: Ulrike

Listen, you know I'm going to bag Ulrike one way or another, but our girl's a commitmentphobe so I'm hardly going to make her miserable by pinning her down for life. She's a canonically phenomenal lover (in my canon anyway) so I would absolutely be taking advantage of that. What Morgyn doesn't know won't hurt them.

Friendly Rival: Helena

She would've been the easy pick for bestie since we're so similar, but for that same reason I feel like we would more likely be rivals. Neither of us are confrontational enough to make a thing out of it, but since we're both really strong performers academically, I could see us constantly in a head-to-head battle to score the highest on tests, win the most scholarships, get accepted to the most colleges, etc. It would be intense, but then we would probably meet up at our high school reunion, laugh over how dumb our unspoken competition was, and become friends from there on out.

Enemy: Lilith

Is there any other option for this? Just like Helena, I would probably be drawn into Lilith's orbit like a magnet and then get my shit entirely fucked up. I would have no choice but to become a vampire slayer with exactly one target in mind. I'd have to spend the rest of my life hunting her down in order to both avenge myself and get payback for everyone else whose lives she's ruined and/or ended.

BONUS: If my first spousal option were unavailable, I would absolutely marry @fizzytoo's Amaya (or Karlie, let's be real) and @gunthermunch's version of Lilith (sorry, Gunther). Also, if Winifred ever found herself suddenly single... she could call me anytime too!

[greycappedjester]

Hi! I’m a huge fan of you hq @ hogwarts series, and I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate the thought and care you put into it!

I’m gonna 100% honest, I found the series last year after searching something to do with Akaashi and Hogwarts (because Akaashi is my all time favorite character) and it pulled up Akaashi Keiji and the Department of Mysteries. When I saw it wasn’t the first book, I immediately went and read the other ones so I could get to the one about my boy, and I’m so happy I did.

ALSO, I was wondering if you had any tips for other fanfic writers? I love writing, but one thing I’ve always struggled with is motivation. I’m writing an Akaashi Spider-man fic rn, and I have the entire plot down to every chapter planned out, I just can’t really get myself to actually write it.

Yay! I'm glad you're liking Hq at Hogwarts! Thank you!

Hmm, advice for motivation. I'd say I have three main things. I think my source of lack of writing motivation comes from three things: (1) I'm tried from just life stuff and want to chill and do nothng--which don't get me wrong everyone needs some of but it's a hard cycle to break even when you want to; (2) there's soemthing in the plot not working; (3) I want a scene to be perfect and it's not working right. So, I'll give advice that I feel helps each.

1.) Make writing a habit. Sometimes it'll be brutal and tough; but, you still gotta just try. I try to have at least one writing session a day where I can at least look at my writing and try to write for at least 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, if it's not coming, I'll take a break. But, more often than not, when I start at 10 minutes, I actually end up keep going w/ the momentum and write for like an hour. I advise not setting a timer or anything for the 10 minutes, just start writing and see what time it is when you look up.

2.) I'm a big big believer in having a detailed plan before I start writing. I know some people don't write with plans in mind; but, honestly, I love my plans. The most trouble I have with motivation is when I'm too vauge in my plan and I'm not sure how I want to handle it. I can give a lot more advice on planning that I'll save for now so I don't get off track; but, what I can say for now is ask yourself what needs to happen in this scene/chapter? What's the point? What does it lead to? What led to it? Why does the readers have to have this scene in the plot? Sometimese these can be character things like: to show this characters struggle or to make them more sympathetic. Or world building things like to show what is happening in the larger world or explain this plot mechanic. Sometimes it can be things that won't be clear to the reader immediately like to introduce a minor background detail that hints to a larger reveal later. Obviously scenes can do more of these at once; but, once you know the "point" of the scene, I find it a lot easier to write.

3.) Always, always remember it doesn't have to be perfect. You can rewrite that scene as much as you want. The first time you write it, all it needs to do is just be there. You can worry about making it better later.

So, yeah, here's my very non-professional advice but hope it helps.

[northwest-cryptid]

I don't think people understand that you gotta make mistakes and grow from them by being educated one way or another about how to not make the mistake or why it was a mistake in the first place.

The internet is built around flash in the pan drama and unfortunately that has poisoned the minds of people who mean well on much more important topics.

You see someone sharing an opinion on a topic, that is just horrible; perhaps racist, sexist, or just generally bigoted. Your first instinct is to attack them, lash out; let them know how wrong they are, not why they're wrong; just that they are in fact wrong.

Make sure you really make it clear you want them dead, don't let anyone question that you might sympathize or seek to actually better this individual. They aren't worth it, they won't listen; you know this because the internet tells you so. Others "like them" have already poisoned the well and now you know the rules too well to give this one the time of day.

Prove to them that you are exactly what your enemies make you out to be, prove to them that you see them as nothing more than a horrible immoral person that doesn't deserve respect.

Sure they might come to resent you, they might in fact view everything you stand for in the same light; you may be a detriment to the very movement, people, or thing you stand to defend; but don't let that bother you... look the people on the internet love you, you get notes, you get the dopamine of knowing people think you're cool because you stood up to the bad man.

This is how we are now.

You know when I was probably just 16 I fucked up pretty minorly, like literally for context I'll just admit to this shit openly, don't talk about it much but I need you to understand the scope of this. When I was like 16 I wasn't artistically talented so I just casually traced shit, didn't know it was wrong to do so.

Tumblr however, made it clear I had fucked up, daily anon hate; mostly the generic "kill yourself" and the like; do you know what I learned from that experience?

I learned that I shouldn't listen to those people, who reacts like that? I was a kid, I still didn't know what I had done wrong, no one would explain. I was simply a target for hate; and when I'd ask for advice I'd only get further hate. I had "fucked up" online, and that was that. There was no allowance for growth. I was literally being told to fucking kill myself at 16 because I fucking traced over some deviantart shit. Can we just rationalize that for a second?

Now I need you to understand that this is how we respond to everything on the internet. It just feels far more justified when it's about something that actually matters. But hang on, let me go back a second; what did I just say I learned from that experience? Right, that I shouldn't listen to those people.

You realize the only reason I understood what had happened was because a very good friend of mine at the time sat me down, and I will never forget that the first words she spoke to me were:

"Don't listen to those assholes, it's not a big deal."

Before she ever explained to me what I had done, or why it could be hurtful; or the impact that it could have. Prior to offering me any guidance on how to actually learn art and such so I wouldn't repeat the same problem; the first thing she had to tell me was those people don't deserve to be heard.

And I needed to hear that before I was going to listen to ANYONE about anything at that point, because getting upwards of 30 - 50 anon messages telling me I was a waste of oxygen, that I needed to off myself and just do everyone a favor; that I was a mistake, every hour or so; well let's just say that really doesn't make a kid see your point of view and I don't think it works any better with adults for that matter.

Can you imagine if I didn't have someone like that to set me straight? Do you think I'd have learned anything positive from that situation? Do you think I'd have come out of it understanding what I had done wrong? Absolutely not, I'd have just thought everyone was too sensitive or some shit, whatever bullshit the people who picked me up after would tell me. Oh and that's the thing isn't it, if you make someone a victim; you've done half the work for your opposition to come in and convince this hurt individual that they are in fact correct; that you are in fact a bad person and that this individual needs to side with them because they wouldn't treat them this way.

It's easy to recruit someone who is starved of anything positive, who hasn't heard someone agree or even sympathize with them; someone who was trying to do something good and got burnt for not doing it right.

You know, I really do get it, I absolutely understand the want to just blow up and say some shit. It's fine to have emotional, speak from the heart kinda moments, it's fine. However when you're speaking on an issue that matters, when you're talking about the lives of individuals, when you're discussing what to do and the change that you want to bring you ABSOLUTELY, under no circumstances; lash out.

Because that's exactly what those who want to see you dead are looking for, you cannot afford to give them anything to work with.

It's why I lose my shit every time I see someone at those LGBT rallies screaming and causing a scene and being aggressive. Because that's the very thing people say we are, that's the very thing they use against us; and you're just giving them that, you're just letting them have that. Why? What does it accomplish!? Sure you get to feel like the big man right now, but you're hurting the very cause you stand for, and yea I hear you

"So what, do you want me to shut up and be quiet and do nothing"

NO I want you to conduct yourself like a fucking adult, I want you to show these people who might stand in the middle, who might not pick a side; that everything that a homophobic asshole has to say is wrong; I want you to prove to the world that we're just people, I want you to go forth and show people that, without being exactly the stereotype that's used against us! I want you to stop feeding people more to use against us, I want you to think before you act.

Because here's the truth, I might just be an individual to you, but to someone who sees Natives in a bad light, I could easily become an example of "see this is how Natives act" and you DO NOT give them that, you do not let them make that claim; you do not allow them to use you as an example.

If you are fighting for something, you represent the whole of that entity to those who oppose it, and you CANNOT afford to let them see you as something that isn't reasonable, that doesn't deserve the right to be heard.

You can't afford to be 50 anons in my inbox telling me to kill myself.

You need to meet people on a level they understand, you need to meet them halfway and explain it to them; you need to be willing to educate them even when it's not your fucking job. Because the alternative is being all talk and no action, the alternative is never seeing your goal come to light, the alternative is that we may as well just roll over and die.

When you can't conduct yourself with respect and dignity you act for the opposition. That's just the unfortunate truth. Trust me I've wanted to say some very choice words to some very specific people before, and I have had to remind myself that when I am in a situation where I speak for the whole I cannot allow myself to act on impulse and emotion alone; lest someone make an example of it and use it against everyone who stands with me.

This is why I say we need to educate people, this is why I say we have to approach even conflict with the idea of explaining to uneducated masses the truth about the shit they say.

If someone came to me and told me all Natives were savage killers who can't be civilized and all that shit; sure you absolutely bet I'd love to just knock em cold where they stand. Is that not exactly what they would expect from a savage? Is that not exactly what they expect a Native to do?

Sure I could cause a scene, I could fight; I could yell and scream and make a problem of it. It would only prove them right. Instead I could always educate them, explain things to them.

"But they won't listen."

Doesn't matter then, it's not for them then; it's for everyone who sees it; it's for the masses around us, who see this man approach me telling me Natives are all savages who can't be civil; because the sane among them will see a Native there who can be civil; and suddenly all that man has to say becomes nonsense.

You need to be able to disarm them with understanding, education, and fucking kindness. You need to understand how to make your enemy understand you until they're your friend, and then when it comes time for their actions to take a side, you can bet your ass they'll side with you because it would be insane for them not to; not when they know everything that you know.

We see on the internet, this constant bickering of elementary school kids; just on much more important topics.

We can't discuss shit like politics anymore, it becomes "yes" "no" "yes" "no" "yes" "no" instead of making any real progress one way or another. I know some people are VERY stupid, do you know how many times I've been VERY stupid? How many times I've been uninformed? It's a lot.

It's a LOT, and it's a lot more than I care to admit.

However I was lucky, because I was around people who actually cared about what they were saying, about the messages, about the causes they stood for. I was around good honest people who were understanding, and who taught me better.

Not as someone who was bad and needed to be fixed, but as someone who didn't know any better because I was never taught in the first place.

I was given respect, I was shown kindness, and as such I was better for it.

People talk about "converting people to your cause" and all this shit, that's not it; you don't need to convert someone, once they know what you know they will make up their mind.

If you show them that you are someone worth fighting for, that your cause is in the right; they will fight for you.

I used to be homophobic, it kept me from understanding a lot about myself, it kept me from making some very good friends; it made me a pretty awful fucking person. I didn't know, I had no clue, I didn't understand the scope of what I had been taught. That didn't change until I grew up and met other queer individuals like myself who were able to show me that everything I had known was all homophobic lies.

Not by demonizing me, or "proving me wrong" but by just being good honest people, who meant well; and acted with kindness.

The internet has unfortunately poisoned the way people engage with real social issues; and as I get older it becomes harder and harder to stay quiet about it.

There's a huge difference by the way, between this; and punching a nazi.

You should absolutely punch nazis. I'm not going to say they deserve kindness.

And by that same token, there's a time and place for that sort of militant aggressive push-back. You need to learn where to draw that line, and how to draw that line before you go making an ass of yourself and smearing the name of the cause you stand for.