#inspired by tarzan too lol

[whatpistachio]

I wrote this fic after I saw the ✨spectacular✨ art of @mayskalih 💜 (check out her Blue spirit x Painted lady fan art!!)

My imagination jumped and… there it is:

🧵 Labyrinth of Night Secrets 🌌

Summary: After several assaults and fighting side by side for years, that night something will change the secret deal between the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit, marking them in body and soul. That night will awaken something they had always kept silent.

So, let the moon rise and the spirits begin to live in the forest, until dawn.

Couple: zutara/ Blue spirit x Painted lady

Language: English

Words: 3,009

One Shot

Tag: Post-Canon, Post-War, Ambassador Katara, tension!!

They are in their 20s

Taylor Swift song: Labyrinth

Thanks to the zutara renaissance! 🥹 💜

Hope u enjoy it! ✨

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/54428260

[nolita-fairytale]

call sign: tennessee whiskey | rooster x fem!reader & hangman x phoenix | chapter five

summary: to celebrate a job well done, the dagger squads skips the hard deck for the night and goes dancing.

warnings: fluff, enemies to lovers, swearing, mentions of death, military & aircraft carrier inaccuracies, second person pov

wc: 4.9k

listen to: un ratito - bad bunny | la bachata - manuel turizo |the playlist

a/n: this chapter was inspired by a night out i once spent salsa dancing in san diego, monica barbaro in 'at midnight', and that video of monica barbaro & greg tarzan davis dancing in the space cowboy suits that seems to now be deleted lol. if you're not familiar with bachata, 10/10 recommend checking this video out to get an idea of just how sensual of a dance it is. rooster x reader smut coming next!! who's ready to find out how she got her callsign?

chapter four | masterlist | chapter six

The USS Theodore Roosevelt docks mid morning, and everyone aboard is eager to sleep in a proper bed tonight. You’d take the XL Twin sized beds over sleeping on an aircraft carrier any day, especially if there’s a Rooster Bradshaw in one with you. You’ve been so preoccupied with Rooster post-mission, having stayed the entire night with him. You’d fallen asleep with him in the hospital bed and, despite protocol, the medics onboard didn’t have the heart to ask you to leave. 

It’s not until you return to your sleeping quarters to pack up your things while everyone else is at breakfast that you come up for air. You’ve been totally wrapped up in your own world post-mission, that it’s almost time to offboard. After packing up your things, you meet Rooster, recently released from the carrier’s infirmary. 

“You ready?” he asks, a smile on his face as soon as he sees you. 

“I’m ready,” you agree, taking his hand in yours. 

As the two of you walk down the ramp, the familiar faces and bright shine of the San Diego sun make you realize that you really have been in your own world with Rooster – one where only you and he exist. You spot Coyote walking down the ramp with Halo, but what you see next catches you off guard. It’s Hangman and Phoenix walking together in stride. You tug on Rooster’s arm, since you’re not too far behind them, signaling to him that you want to get closer. 

They’re not arguing… they’re not killing each other. 

They’re… civil. Nice, almost. 

And was that a smile? Did Phoenix just… smile at something the blonde had said?!

“Oh my god!” you blurt out. The gasp escaping your lips causes both Hangman and Phoenix to turn around to look at you. The rest of the crew that are also in process of offboard walk around the four of you, shooting disgruntled looks as you block the walkway. 

“Sorry,” Rooster mutters to a passerby, before motioning for the four of you to at least step to the side. 

You look from Hangman to Phoenix, and suddenly, you can’t stop laughing. 

An innocent bystander would have no idea, but you know the both of them like the back of your hand. 

And it’s written all over their faces. 

“Oh my god!” you repeat yourself, your voice higher pitched as your jaw practically drops onto the ramp. “You guys totally did it!”

Rooster snorts, thinking that this must be a joke. But when you continue laughing, when neither Hangman nor Phoenix fire back with some snarky remark or exclamation of denial, Rooster thinks you might be right. 

“Wait, what?!” he exclaims, looking from you, then to Jake and Natasha. “Seriously?!”

“Whiskey,” Jake groans, shaking his head. He exchanges glances with Phoenix before continuing with, “I swear to God, she's like a truffle pig but for hookups.”

His smartass comment only confirms your suspicions, and Nat is turning bright red, unable to make eye contact with you right now. Rooster’s jaw practically drops as you squeal with delight, ready to brag about your special skill. 

“It’s a talent,” you shrug, proudly. “That's how I knew all through the Naval Academy that Jake was a wh-.”

“Hoooooookay. You’re done Whiskey,” Jake cuts you off, practically dragging you away from Rooster’s grasp along with him so that he can give you a talkin’ to about what’s appropriate to say when. 

Rooster laughs again, watching as you and Jake bicker like siblings, before turning his attention over to Phoenix. 

“You wanna talk about it?” he asks, doubtful that she’ll say yes.

“Nope,” she answers, popping the ‘p’ sound at the end of the word. 

“Fair enough,” Rooster accepts with a nod. 

“What I do want to talk about…. is you two,” Nat redirects, nodding her head towards where you and Jake have moved to. “Don’t think I didn’t notice she never came back to her bunk last night.”

The way that Rooster smiles is all she needs to know, and she considers this a huge win, exchanging a look with her best friend. 

“That good, huh?” she smirks, raising an eyebrow. 

“No! We haven’t even-, you know,” Bradley blushes, suddenly shy. 

“Damn. You really are ready to settle down, huh?” Nat responds, as she reads his expression. 

Rooster nods, returning his attention back to you again. He watches you playfully punch Jake in the chest, causing him to double over. 

“She’s great, Nat. She’s… I don’t know. She’s really fucking great,” he sighs, completely and totally infatuated with you. 

By the time Rooster and Phoenix catch up with you and Jake, you and Jake have finished your conversation – one where you mostly congratulated him and told him that she was the best he’d ever get so he better not fuck up. 

“Breakfast, anyone?” Nat asks, her eyes moving from you to Rooster. 

“Not you,” she adds, by the time her eyes make it to Jake. 

He rolls his eyes at her comment, but inside, he loves the fire she has within her. 

“Uh… yeah. Give me a second?” you request, shooting Rooster a look. 

“Yeah, we’ll give you guys a second,” Nat says, practically tugging Jake along with her. 

You watch as they go, a few strides ahead of you and Rooster so you can talk. 

“So… that’s kind of wild,” Rooster mentions, in reference to Nat and Jake. 

“Yes and also sort of… not surprising?” you suggest, earning a quizzical look from Rooster. 

Instead of continuing the conversation about Nat and Jake, you’d much rather talk about what could happen when you get back to the barracks. You take a beat, ready to shift the conversation.

“You wanna get out here? I could… tell Nat no.  Skip breakfast…. We could catch up to Hangman and Phoenix… considering they beat us to the punch?” you propose, raising an eyebrow. 

Normally, you’d never cancel on a friend for a guy, but after two weeks and a near-deadly mission, the sexual tension between the two of you is palpable. 

“As tempting as that offer sounds, I gotta go to the medical center on base for a second check up. Make sure I get a clean bill of health on land too,” Rooster replies, unable to hide how disappointed he is that he has to do this first. 

“Ugh, leave it to me to get cockblocked by the US Navy… again,” you groan, eliciting a laugh from Rooster. “You want me to go with you? 

“No it’s okay. Go to breakfast with Nat,” he says, nodding his head towards her and Jake.  

You smirk, “You just want the hot gossip don’t you, Badshaw?”

“Fuck yeah. And you better send me live updates,” he begs, earning a laugh from you too.  

You reach out, placing a gentle kiss on his lips, before Rooster’s wrapping an arm around your shoulders and you’re heading back to the barracks. Nat’s already got a place picked out that she texts you with a message suggesting you invite Halo too. After changing into your civvies, you and Nat decide to head out together to the beachside diner only a few blocks from the Hard Deck. 

Hangman: So I make you cum twice and still don’t get invited to breakfast? What’s a guy gotta do?

Phoenix: Try for three next time and I might consider extending the invitation.

Hangman: So you're saying there’s a next time? ;)

Natasha rolls her eyes at the last text, putting her phone away as the waitress approaches your table with the drip coffees you’ve just ordered. You both mutter a quick, polite thank you before taking them, fixing your coffee just the way you like it. 

“Halo didn’t want to come?” Nat asks, curiously.  

“Said she’s FaceTiming with her girlfriend but will join us in a little bit when she’s done,” you answer. “But it’s good because it gives us time to catch up! You can’t keep me waiting like this and don’t even think you’re getting away with not telling me everything.”

“Everything?” she asks, raising an eyebrow. 

“Okay, maybe not… everything,” you reply with a chuckle. “But enough is enough! Spill, bitch. What the hell happened between you and Hangman on that carrier?!”

She sighs, “I-, I have no fucking idea.” Taking a drink from her coffee mug, she leans back, cradling the hot cup of coffee in her hands as she racks her brain for any kind of explanation. “Maybe it was the high of the mission… or something… but we were both looking for you… and then we ran into each other. And… I don’t know. I was going to take a shower and he wouldn’t move out of my way… and then one thing led to another and suddenly we’re fucking in on the bathroom sink!”

“Oh my god!” you squeal, covering your mouth with your hand as you do. 

“I mean… it’s Hangman. I-, I think it was just a heat of the moment thing. Nothing serious,” she says, brushing it off as if there’s no possible way it could be anything more than that. 

“So… just a one time thing?” you ask, eyeing her curiously. You’re trying your best to get a read on her, but you’re not sure if she even knows how she feels about it. 

“Well. Technically a two time thing if you count the shower after,” she smirks, taking another sip of her coffee. 

“Natasha!” you gasp, a devilish smile on her face. 

“So… do you think it’s going to happen again? Do you want it to happen again?” you gush, excitedly. 

“I-,” she starts, before letting out a big sigh. “I don’t know.” You watch as she places her coffee mug down on the table, her eyes fixed to the ceramic mug. “Does that make sense?”

“Definitely,” you empathize with her, considering you’d probably find yourself confused in that situation too. “It’s Jake. I-. Definitely.”

“Let’s go dancing tonight,” she changes the subject, not wanting to talk more about Hagman. “What was that place we went to last time we’re in San Diego? Tango Del Rey? I know Rooster’s dying to see how you move.”

“Oh my god,” you groan with a playful eye roll. 

“But yes!” you agree. “Dancing sounds great. See if the rest of the Dagger Squad want to come with. Maybe end the night at the Hard Deck?” 

“Yeah,” Natasha replies. 

“Hi! Sorry I’m late,” Callie interrupts, as soon as she enters the diner in search of both you and Nat. “Unlike the two of you, I have a civilian partner that doesn’t understand half of what we do, and just needs to hear that I’m okay at the end of every mission. 

“The two of us?” Nat asks, thrown by what Halo has said. 

“Yeah, because you and Hangman are together, right?” she asks Phoenix, and you almost spit out your coffee. 

There’s such a genuine innocence in how she asks the question that you know she’s not trying to fuck with either of you. 

Nat’s face blushes a few shades darker while you try your best to get your coffee down without any of it coming out of your nose. You wait for your fit of laughter to pass before swallowing, giving you the freedom to now laugh out loud. 

“What? Did I say something wrong?” Halo asks looking from you to Nat, then back to you again. 

“No, Halo. No, you said everything right,” you manage to get out, as your laughter continues to grow. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to assume. I just thought you guys were together. I mean… he stayed with you overnight in the hospital after the bird strike and he’s so clearly into you,” she apologizes, explaining why she had come to the conclusion in the first place. 

Nat is glaring at you as you continue to laugh, like she hates the fact that you’re not the only one who sees this thing between the two of them. 

“Callie, you have nothing to apologize for,” you reassure her. You shoot Nat a glance, knowing that you’re stirring the pot as you continue with, “And you’d only have been wrong if you’d said something twenty four hours ago.”

“Whiskey!” Phoenix exclaims, shooting daggers at you for airing her dirty laundry. 

You snicker, on a power trip from the sweet, sweet feeling of being right. 

Natasha shakes her head, eager to change the subject. She stops paying attention to you, putting all of her attention on Halo as she says:

“Hey, Callie. What do you think about going dancing tonight? Think the Dagger Squad would be up for it?” she proposes, signifying that she’s done with this conversation about her and Jake. 

“I love dancing! Sounds like a great way to celebrate,” Callie agrees, eagerly. 

As the waitress comes back around, the three of you order stacks of pancakes and plates of eggs, potatoes, and bacon, decompressing in the beachside diner. It’s nice to take a breath, now that the mission is over – now that you have a whole week off, due to the mission being moved up. It’s not till the end of breakfast that you realize your heart and your belly are both now full. 

Your phone buzzes, signaling that you have a new text, unable to hide the smile on your face as you realize it’s from Rooster. 

“Uh oh. I know that look,” Nat teases, instantly knowing who it’s from. Halo’s eyes light up, catching on as well. 

“Ask him if he wants to go dancing!” Halo encourages, as you open up your phone to read the texts. 

Rooster: Looks like we got the greenlight. 

You: For all activities? ;)

Bradley: Yes ma’am. Anything in particular you have in mind?

You: How does dancing sound?

Bradley: … Dancing?

And that’s how Rooster Bradshaw ends up here, spinning someone’s abuela in a circle as the salsa band plays on. While most of the other aviators have found a dance partner in each other, or another attendee at the club, Bradley has, of course, found himself taken under the wings a group of older ladies made up of abuelas and tias who are teaching him how to salsa properly. 

You giggle, unable to take your eyes off of him, even though you’re technically dancing with Jake. You find it incredibly endearing that he’s managed to find himself adopted by the regulars – all of which continue to make comments like que guapo about him, his mustache and his printed shirts. 

Rooster’s eyes meet yours from across the room, practically beaming in your direction as the ladies cheer him on for mastering the three step dance. You smile back, grinning ear to ear. 

You cannot wait to get him alone tonight, but salsa is a social dance, so the stolen glances, the smiles from across the room, and all the sexy build up will have to do for now. 

Jake picks up on the fact that your attention is elsewhere, and he wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t have something smart to say about it. 

“You’re not even paying attention to me,” Jake complains, twirling you around the dance floor as best as he can. 

“Awwww… who knew you were such a softie, Hangman?” you tease him, followed by a loud “ow!” when Jake steps on your feet… again. 

“Well, that’s what you get, kid,” he fires back, grumpily.  

“I’m trying to help you here, Seresin! But you’re not letting me,” you point out, an annoyed tone in your voice as you try to teach him the steps. “If you’d learn to follow for once, damn it!”

“I’m just saying… think these guys need to come down to Texas… we can show ‘em how it’s really done,” Jake grumbles, as you try to coach him into being better at this. 

“Hate to break it to you, bud, but two steppin’ isn’t nearly as sexy as salsa,” you point out. “And you can’t always just do things you’re good at, y’know?”

“Who says?” Jake asks, playfully. 

“Oh my god,” you groan, rolling your eyes at your best friend’s comment. 

Jake steals a glance in Nat’s direction. He knows you’re only trying to help – only trying to give him a little bit of a head start considering Natasha seems to be a pro at this. You know enough to get by, but Nat grew up competitive ballroom dancing, and she’s practically dancing circles around every single person in the dancehall. Turns out, Coyote is an incredible salsa dancer as well, the two of them taking the dance floor by storm like they’re a part of the competition team. They glide, spin, and shake their hips to the music in ways that you can’t even imagine, captivating anyone and everyone that watches. 

At the end of each song, Coyote and Phoenix have switched partners, sometimes dancing together for a few more songs, and other times sharing their gifts with other people here on the dance floor. It’s usually how it goes at these kinds of things. 

The song ends and Jake releases you. You can see that the band has finished their set, switching over to a DJ. Of course, in a place like this, the transitions are smooth, going right from the band to the stereo system seamlessly. You’re practically shoving Jake in Nat’s direction, partnering up with Fanboy before Jake can chicken out. He stands behind her, watching her thank her last dance partner, a man who seems to be on the competition team here at Tango Del Rey. 

Natasha Trace wears a white floral dress, with a long slit up the front, exposing her long legs – the ones he had his mouth on just yesterday. Her hair, softly curled, falls just above her shoulders, and her hair is parted, pinned back on only one side makes her look like an old Hollywood movie star. 

“Phoenix. What do you say we have that dance now?” Jake drawls, his voice causing her to turn around. 

“I should warn you,” she parrots, mimicking his language on the carrier as she takes a few steps forward in her heels. “I'm an incredible dancer.”

“I’ve noticed,” he replies, the corner of his lips curling into a crooked smile. 

“You think you’re ready for me, Bagman?” she challenges, holding her hand out to him. 

“Only one way to find out,” he smirks, grabbing her hand and pulling her in close. 

As the song begins, the DJ set starting off strong with a Bad Bunny hit, Nat finds herself surprised that Jake does pretty well for himself, leading her in the three step salsa. The way his hands feel against her feel like they’re burning her skin in the most delicious of ways. She feels him lift their conjoined hands so that he can spin her around, smiling as he does. She knows this one – listens to the lyrics as they move together, taking note of how appropriate the feel:

“It's just for a little while / Mami, don't get used to it / Because love can be so beautiful / But there's always somеthing that interrupts it.”

Because what the hell were they doing anyways? And how could Hangman of all people make her feel this way? And there was no possible way that this wasn’t just temporary. Was she even willing to take the risk on him?

Instead of saying something, overthinking it, fucking this up before it could even begin, Nat decides that tonight, she’ll just dance with him. 

Across the room, as the song ends, you thank Fanboy (also an incredible dancer), before going to find Bradley. You can’t hide the grin on your face as you see him thanking the ladies that seem to have taken him under their wing. 

“Ladies, I hope you don’t mind,” you begin, nodding towards Bradley.  

“Are you the girlfriend? La novia? He’s been talking about you all night,” one of the women exclaims, gleefully. 

“Not yet, Daniela. But I’m working on it,” Bradley replies, following his words up with a playful, ‘shhh!’ 

You giggle, “You wanna dance, Bradshaw?” 

You offer out your hand, and he takes it, earning cheers and smiles from Bradley’s new friends. You can’t take your eyes off of his chocolate brown ones as you lead him across the dance floor. You feel one of Bradley’s hands slide against your low back, pulling you in closer to him as you begin to move to the music. 

“Looks like you made some new friends,” you say, batting your eyes at him. 

“And you’re gonna thank me later because I learned a lot,” he replies, earning a flirtatious giggle from you. 

“This your thing? You make new friends everywhere you go?” you continue to banter with him. 

“Guilty,” he admits, a light blush running across his cheeks. “The supermarket. The gas station…” 

“Oh God, I bet you were popular in high school too,” you groan, jokingly.  

As he spins you around, taking you into his arms, you’re all smiles. You move your hips in perfect time with his. You can feel your heart pounding in your chest with every step – and it’s not the few beers you’ve already had. You’ve been waiting for this moment all night – not that dancing with the rest of the aviators hasn’t been fun – but you have to admit that Bradley Bradshaw makes your heart flutter. 

After a few songs spent in Bradley’s arms, he slows you down, leaning close, his lips just grazing the top of your ear lobe. You can feel both of his large hands on the small of your back, pulling you into him a little closer. 

“I know we just got started here but… what do you say we get out of here?” he whispers in your ear, the raspiness of his voice sending chills down your spine.

“What’d you have in mind?” you ask, unable to find the smile that spreads across your lips. 

“Maybe… one more drink at the Hard Deck… then how about we go back to my room?”

“Please,” you practically beg him, nodding along as encouragement. . 

And in that moment, you don’t care that everyone is watching, that you and Bradley have yet to begin, you kiss him right then and there in the middle of the dance floor. Your passionate lip lock earns a few looks from other dancers, and you can hear a few of the other aviators point it out with a few whoops, hollers, and catcalls in response. As you pull away from the kiss, his face still cradled in your hands, you ask him:

“Cool if I go find Jake and Nat? Say goodbye?”

“Totally. But I’d be careful if I were you. They were practically fucking on the dance floor a minute ago,” he replies with a groan. 

“Gross,” you scoff, even though you could care less. 

But you don’t find Jake with Nat, spotting her on the dance floor doing all kinds of tricks with Coyote again. You wonder where Jake went, pushing through a crowd of people before you spot him upstairs. You hurry up the flight of stairs that leads to the balcony, finding him perched there, leaning up against the railing and nursing a Lonestar. 

“Hey! Rooster said you and Nat were practically fucking on the dance floor. Anything I should know?” you comment, as you approach the blonde. 

He smirks, taking another drink of his tallboy. 

“So you and Rooster, huh?” Jake asks back so that he doesn’t have to answer your question.

And because, of course his best friend would fall for fuckin’ Bradshaw. 

“Yeah, me and Rooster,” you answer, truthfully, sliding into the space next to him. “We’re actually going to head out. That’s why I was looking for you. Didn’t want to go without saying goodbye.”

Jake searches your face. There’s nothing but genuine admiration and honesty, and it’s given you a glow. He can see how happy you are, and he’s not going to rain on your parade just because he and the guy have some kind of unspoken rivalry. Playfully, he bumps his shoulder against you, earning a giggle from you. You return the shoulder bump before returning to your previous question. 

You watch Jake, following his gaze out over the dancehall. Nat’s finally taken a break, crowded around the bar as Bob tells some wild story to her, Fanboy, and Payback. It’s so freaking obvious that it’s painful: he can’t take his eyes off of Natasha Trace. 

“You should tell her how you feel,” you chime in, bumping his shoulder with yours again 

Jake shoots you a glance from the side – the kind that says, ‘what the hell are you talking about?’

“You forget that I’ve known you since you were twenty, Seresin. And I've spent the last two weeks watching you pine after her,” you point out. 

“I do not pine!” he protests. 

“Yes you do!” you push back. 

He waits a few beats, thinking it over, weighing his options. 

“What if… she’s not into it?” he finally asks, dragging out each word like they’re heavy on his lips. 

“Why don’t you go find out?” you encourage. You give his shoulder a friendly squeeze before turning to go. 

“Be safe, kid!” Jake calls after you. 

“Thanks, Dad,” you scowl, your feet hitting the top of the stairs as you do. 

Jake enjoys the view and his beer on the balcony for a little longer, taking a few moments to himself. The DJ set is about halfway through, and he notices that the aviators, previously crowded around the bar, seem to have returned to the dance floor. 

It’s now or never, Seresin, he thinks to himself. 

He’s practically working himself up as his feet carry himself down the stairs and back onto the dance floor. He’s surprised to find Phoenix without a partner, just moving to the music as the song playing ends. He watches as her face changes, her lips curling into a smile as the new song begins. She throws her head back with a laugh, her eyes settling on Jake as he stands there in front of her. 

“This one’s not a salsa. Think you can keep up, Bagman?” she asks, holding her hand out, beckoning for him to join her. 

“Can’t be that difficult,” he says, looking around the room. 

“It won’t be. As long as you let me lead,” she fires back. 

“Ha!” he lets out an arrogant laugh, as he takes her hand. 

“You let me lead, and I’ll make you look really good,” she replies, almost as if it’s a challenge. 

“Deal,” Jake agrees. 

“So it’s kinda like salsa: three steps left, then three right,” she coaches him, lowering her voice so that she’s practically purring in his ear. Nat wraps an arm around his waist, pulling him close into her. The edges of their faces are pressed together, and Jake mimicks her, sliding an arm around her waist too.

“Only bachata…” she says, beginning to walk in a circle. She steps forward, so that they’re practically chest to chest, keeping the rhythm with her feet as she adjusts their positioning. “... is danced from here.”

Jake gulps, realizing that she’s practically straddling one of his legs, her forehead now pressed against his. He lets her lead, watching as she moves around him from this fucking close: a sway of her hips in perfect time, a circle with her shoulders till she’s body rolling against the front of him, and then they’re taking three steps right, and three steps left. 

“Jeez, Tash…” he groans, earning a wicked smile from her. 

He’s not sure where that came from. He’s never called her that before. But then again, they’d never let the tension between them go this far. 

There’s no way this is actually the dance. She’s totally fucking with me. Testing my patience, right? Jake thinks to himself, feeling his pants becoming a little bit tighter as she moves against him. 

But Jake looks around the room, shocked to see everyone on the dance floor moving this sensually too. Hell, she’s practically riding his thigh in front of everyone and he’s just letting her. 

“The hell’d you learn how to dance like this?” he asks, biting back a moan. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she smirks cockily. 

She holds up an arm for him to spin, creating distance so they both can. When she returns to Jake, this time, she presses her back against him, swaying her hips against his in perfect time. 

It’s pure fucking torture. 

“I-, I would,” he mumbles into her ear, ever sarcastic bone in his body giving way to the growing erection he’s got in his pants. 

She chuckles, spinning herself out, then back into his arms in their original position. 

“That’s not the question you should be asking, Bagman,” she says, glancing down at his zipper. 

He’s trying his best to focus on the steps – and not stepping on her feet – but his concentration is getting incredibly blurry with how she’s moving against him. With how close she is. With how fucking hot he finds this. As they move, three steps right, three steps left, his hands begin traveling lower, pressing her against him from her low back, from the top of her ass, and Natasha Trace knows exactly what she’s doing. 

“Fuck,” Jake groans, feeling as she rolls against him, the song beginning to end. He’s frozen in a moment in time and he can’t let go of her – not yet. 

“Can I take you home?” he finally asks. 

“I thought you’d never ask,” she replies, dragging her arm across his chest as she begins to walk in a circle behind him. Once she reaches his back, she pulls him in close, leaning in to whisper:

“Meet me in the car in five.”

read: chapter six

*

a/n: someone has to say it. halo is the hero of this chapter with her line: you and hangman are together right? now who's ready for some rooster smut!?

taglist: @not-two-shrimp @wishfulwithwine @hangmanscoming @thefourrealms@hlkwrites @dlea203 @translatemunson @starlightstories @genius2050

[meenawrites]

Spider Modern AU cause I can't help myself

I've seen so many people doing this and I love so much so I shall be participating as well. I'll also be doing other characters but this post is dedicated to Spider rn. I should really be working on my finals rn but here I am.

Spider is 100% a theater kid. Like no question about it. This kid can sing, he can dance, he can do gymnastics. He's the theatre troupe's pride and joy honestly, he's always pulling big stunts that wow the audience. This also ties into his love of storytelling in general so of course he's a theatre kid. Which ALSO means a lot of his playlist is musical songs cause.. ya know, obviously. I'd imagine Kiri actually secretly gave him access to her Spotify so he'd got access to premium (secret meaning everybody but Neytiri knows tbh). 

I think Spider actually does pretty well academically. He's a fast learner and his brain absorbs things like a sponge so once he understands a concept, it's all A's for him. It kind of pisses Kiri off how smart he is without trying sometimes, but she's also super proud of him for proving his haters (and her mom) wrong. 

This kid is the Anti-Bully of the school. He sees anyone bullying anyone and he's already aiming a punch at their face. Because of that, he's kind of seen as the protector of underclassmen and targets in general so he's pretty well liked generally, except for by the traditionally popular kids. Also not super popular with parents cause all that really sticks in their heads is violent Tarzan kid. He kind of stops with the physical violence once Kiri expresses her worry for him and how she doesn't want him to just blindly resort to violence all the time. But then he starts making comments to bullies that piss them off equally so there's no real winning for him here lol.

I think Spider likes working with his hands a lot so on top of acting in theatre, he also comes up with and constructs a lot of things for set and they always look incredible. 

Also, inspired by @be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie 's latest post, he joins the cheer team in solidarity with Lo'ak because he wants to get close to Tsireya. Refer to her post for more detail on that, I reblogged it if that helps. 

Despite being a year older than both Neteyam and Kiri, Spider and Neteyam actually share a lot of classes because Neteyam is a star student and skipped a grade. Kiri could probably also skip a grade if she wanted to, but her head's a little too in the clouds during classtime for any of her teachers to recommend it, even if she does get good grades. 

Spider still has his hair long, though I'm not sure if he would let it just endlessly keep growing or he would trim it here and there to his shoulders just to manage the curls a bit. I imagine his hair grows pretty fast so maybe once a year he chops it back to his shoulders and in like three months it's already almost to his elbows. He's gotten pretty good at braiding though, so when he can't be bothered to put effort into maintaining his curls, he just brushes his hair violently and braids it all in like dutch braids or other complicated hairstyles. The girls' soccer team probably starts recruiting him to braid their hair before games (based on my own experience lmao).

On a more serious note with his home situation... I think as a kid he was probably passed through multiple foster homes and all of them kind of said that he's too much for them. Then he ends up with the McCoskers and while they're not ideal they never say anything like that or try to get rid of him (yes they neglect him but seeing how he was treated before and they're not kicking him out, he's okay with them just giving him a place to stay). At least I'd imagine until maybe something big happens like he overworks himself or something and who notices other than the new family in town? The Tonowari family. And then they swoop in and are like 'mine now' and Spider's just like what? Unconditional love? A home where they notice I'm gone? Where I don't have to find my own food? What is this?

BUT IF TRUDY LIVED: so I imagine as a kid he'd still maybe be passed through the foster system a little, but Trudy is invested in his well-being, she's just still convinced there's some couple out there who'd be better for Spider overall until she sees all of them rejecting this perfect kid and she's like screw it and screw my own problems, I'll work through them for this kid but I'm taking him. And he's a happy boy thank you very much, loves his mama to death. 

I'll probably have stuff to add eventually but take this for now. 

[r0-boat]

Gwa!Submas more in depth

( with one star appearance ; ) )

Gift for @nc-eikin as a thank you for Tarzan!submas

Cw: mentions of yandere, monster fucking, daddy kink.

Afab reader

they would make special audios for their darling. Only for their ears to listen to. May or may not go all out. If their lover likes monsters then it will be monster audios; if they want yandere, then oh boy, they will kick up the possessive level.

Include all of their Darlings most favorited Kinks. Ingo, Emmet or both would lay in bed with you and urge you to try it.

" Close your eyes dear, but you can't open them."

" Trust us darling, we've worked verrry hard on this."

You put your headphones in your ear and listen. Not even minutes into it they start touching you. you whimper almost squealing in shock when you feel fingers brush into your hair at the same time it happens in the audio.You almost open your eyes but you feel hands covering them "ah ah ah, verrry bad listener~ keep those pretty eyes closed~"

Watch anime? Play games? Have a favorite title?? You can tell dear Emmet about it. He totally won't use it to his advantage in his next post ; )

Ingo lowkey Kink shames you lol. he asks you what your favorite audio is to know what his audience is normally into he can take notes on what he can improve. And oh how is Skitty smile drops when you talk about the most darkest audio he has? That yandere one where he is a priest trying to manipulate you into being with him??

"oh...?" he says with a dark look. " I can't say that I'm surprised with a sinner like you," he says, backing you against counter, his whole body pressed against yours. He grabs your chin with his fingers forcing you to look up at him. " Don't tempt me again, dear; I may be a pious man. But even the most righteous of men have the most ravenous of demons," he growls before kissing your forehead and walking out of the kitchen like nothing fucking happened.

You get to read the comments and smirk at how many people thirst for their voices knowing that they can't have what you have.

Emmet gets low-key jealous if he sees you listening to other people's audio. Nothing too far. He just gets a little pouty and asks what do they have in their audio that he doesn't have in his. You laugh and say a hot dilf voice. And he just grabs you by the shoulders, pinning you to the bed. Immediately lowering his voice to a rough, husky tone, " Don't toy with me, little girl... Unless you want to be warming Daddy's fat cock later, I suggest you don't push any more of his buttons."

You love the wholesome moments all three of you share after watching a movie the both of you are immediately invested in talking about it. The two are talking about an audio idea inspired by the film, and you're entirely for it. You are giving them more ideas and feeding into their new obsession, watching them unable to hold their excitement.

And then you have the overworked Gremlin side. Where you have to beg Emmet to go to sleep because it's 2 hours past midnight on his day off with eye bags under his eyes while he edits his audio because his computer corrupted it.

Ingo has a different reaction when he sees you listening to another person's audio. You gush about this one women's GWA account, 'Mr.Cl0dsire,' you swoon about how she's so talented, and her voice has such a range; suffice to say you sort of have an internet crush on her suave voice. Ingo hiding a smile, just raises an eyebrow 'oh...?' how intriguing. Not too long ago, he just got a DM from her absolutely praising him for his voice work... Since they've been mutuals for quite a while, maybe he can pull some strings~ and have a very special audio made just for you with a special guest~.

Let's just say if you ever were in a relationship with these two you're fucked : )

And I have yet to mention that Emmet would totally sneak up on you while you were listening to something. And slide a thick toy inside of you. ( your permission ahead of time, of course) pounding your poor cunt, silly.

Ingo learning how to voice your favorite character just to see you squirm.

Or both twins are sitting you down with hearts in their eyes, asking What audio you would like them to do because they want nothing more than to see that smile on your face.

Emmet would it get a mischievous look on your face and urge you to put in your earbuds while you sit next to him on the train. You try to hide your now reddening face as you heard his voice whisper naughty things into your ear, the lewd sounds from his hand stroking his wet cock. All the while feeling his eyes glued upon you, his hand grouping your thigh.

[onboardsorasora]

A,M,N!!

Allo Lovely <3

A: Of the fanfic you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

I've never been good at choosing just one of my babies. tbh my faves change often. currently, right this moment; my fave is 'like an avalanche' because I've reread it soooo much in the last month+ since I posted.

M: What’s the weirdest AU scenario you’ve ever come up with?  Did it turn into a story?

Weirdest would prolly have to be the Cotton Swab Drabble. lmao. I know we talk about some wild plots on here and I know I people say some of my ideas are kinda wild/out there. But I think the cotton swab drabble is the furthest left I've gone? If not, I'd be very interested to hear what you think its the weirdest one lol

N: Any fic ideas brewing that you’d care to share?

I actually have a bunch of AUs that I've started but haven't had like the energy to continue just yet.

I have that medevial omegaverse that I first brought up months ago that I stopped to write 3 Roses lmao, I need to jump back into that one.

I have a Dog!Daniel transformation fic I'm trying to write for the That Trope You Hate fest.

I have a Tarzan AU that Em has 'challenged' me to write. Meaning it came up, she said 'you should write that', my brain went 'hmmm...'

And I did actually start writing more on the third part of Gril!Dan and some actual Sponsor Max fic.

I'll give a snippet of Sponsor Max since I know thats the one everyone's really excited about lmao

“You want to fuck me… and you’ve paid off my team to be able to do it.” Daniel felt hollow at the realization. That Peter had essentially pimped him out, that the jokes about whoring him out for sponsors were more on the money than anyone anticipated. Max winced. “Of course it sounds so crass when you say it like that, I think.” “That’s exactly what it is!” Daniel felt himself getting hysterical. Max stood up and walked over to him slowly and Daniel felt like a caged animal. “That’s not what it is. We’ll have something real, Daniel. Of course I know this. You know this too, maybe.” “You can’t be serious.” “I am tired of talking in circles around this. I want to kiss you now Daniel.” Max held Daniel’s tense jaw and pressed their lips together.

anywho, if any of yall wanna like manifest some fic lmao I'm very ok with you asking the universe to give me the inspiration/energy to write it lmao

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

Awwww, show the Metkayina kids like Moana or the 2nd best movie of all time, Atlantis The Lost Empire (1st best is Emperors new groove, srry i dont make the rules)

Lol I love Atlantis! I'm partial to Ratatouille and All Dogs Go To Heaven as the best kids animated movies of all time, but these are all good. I think they'd love Moana for the Earth animals and the outfits. I am sure Tsireya is making a top inspired by Moana's. I think they'd be shown forest movies too, because the Sully's and Spider would be excited to show them how fun it is. Tarzan, The Jungle Book, and hours and hours of nature documentaries.

[hanafubukki]

Where are the ladies in twst? It’s not like there is none, we’ve met Jamil’s sister right, so they exist. Think there’s an all girls college like nrc and rsa?? I’m tryna see some Mulan or Merida inspired dorms and characters ya know?

Bambi or idk. I’m just tryna see the world expand!

Hello Anonie 🌺🌸💕

I would love to see some more girl characters in twst, especially deuce mom and sebeks parents. I would say there probably is a all girls school out there somewhere in twst but will we ever see one? Who knows lol

I love mulan and would love to see a twst mulan character but I feel like no matter what people won’t be satisfied with a twat version of her.

Though I wouldn’t say never say never because If I recall correctly yana or maybe part of her team said that they worked on character designs and such for book 7 so we’ll most likely see some new ones. Here’s hoping for some ladies to be introduced.

I know a year back or so there was a survey in twst where they asked who else they would like to see on the twst universe so maybe your wish just might get granted.

And believe me, I feel like the story has just started and we are in for a wild ride. I really want a mulan, Rapunzel, jasmine, Cinderella, ooooo maybe someone from Tarzan??

I would love a puppy or or bunny beast man or maybe someone from aristocrats. Lilia and stitch would be fun too 👏

[littlemoondance]

Reimagining all of these characters was so much fun. I might add more characters to this collection later. But these are the ones I had originally planned on. Therefore making it complete. I know I didn’t draw all of the official princess lineup… so maybe more will be added later, like I said earlier. And maybe also the Madrigals, Giselle, Mary Poppins, etc. but that might not ever happen either. Doing these drawings over the last 5 months has been fun but I’m ready to work on something else too lol. I also have coordinating witch hat drawings for all of them (except Meg, Jane, Esmeralda, and Kida) because that project is what inspired this one. | #littlemoondance #lmdlovesdisney #megera #kida #atlantis #hercules #janeporter #tarzan #ariel #tlm #belle #batb #tiana #theprincessandthefrog #merida #brave #aurora #briarrose #sleepingbeauty https://www.instagram.com/p/Co70ENov5_L/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[luukka]

It hurt asf but since Tumblr decided to erased it I'll do it again, here's a stupid list of couple and ships from movies and series in which I can see Jim and Ivy and/or inspired myself without realizing in a not specific order :

Lady Marian and Robin Hood - Robin Hood

Ah yes a lady and her pure-hearted hooligan as we love it. No but seriously, their sweet childhood love that never failed through the years is so adorable. She's gentle and courageous, he's adventurous and loyal, what a combination ! Really, they inspired Jivy's relation a lot ❤

Finn and Flame Princess - Adventure Time

Ok hear me out. I've seen only four seasons but I love them. My cuties. That's it. That's all. Also this gif makes me understand that they stayed together for a long time and that makes me happy 😘

Nausicaa and Asbel - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Now I know they are not a couple but their interaction is aaaaaah I love it ! The respect and trust they grow toward each other makes my heart beat fast ❤ and that's exactly what I want for Ivy and Jim !

Pazu and Sheeta - Castle in the Sky

The ship I'll never have because they are too young and I respect that (Miyazaki never fails us) No one talks enough about them. Like really, they are. So. Adorable. At no moment did they break each other's trust and were even ready to die together. AT. TWELVE. YEARS OLD. There is no way I couldn't inspire myself from them 🙄💖

Rox (Tod) and Vixie - The Hound and the Fox

Picture ref is pinterest as you could guess but I haven't the exact source

ok so you can't see them much in the movie but I don't know their cuteness is a marshmallow to me. Also I love how Vixie has fun with Rox's flirt, I think Ivy would play with Jim too lol

Marshall and Lily - How I Met Your Mother

There's no way I couldn't inspire myself from Marshmallow and Lilypad. Love at first sight + soulmate trope ? YAS BITCH 💅🏿 I thougt of Chandler and Monica but they're not quite as close to Jivy as Marshall and Lily

Tarzan and Jane Porter - Tarzan

The sweet awkward and passionate woman and the curious unfeared man. The "he fell first she fell harder". Their dynamic is pretty much what I imagine how Jim and Ivy relationship starter was (maybe reversed tho because she fell in love first ?) they are so cute ❤

Odysseus and Pénélope - The Odyssey

Now I don't have an image but here is a Wolfythewitch art that I found very pretty !

20 YEARS. TEN TIMES TWO WINTERS APART. DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT IS. I'M TWENTY TWO, IT'S LONG AS FUCK. And they were still in love. They still wait for each other. They never fell out of love. I'm gonna cry... (every time I listen to Epic I just can't help but imagine Jim sings his lungs out lol also Kate is Circe, Amelia is Athena, Zeus is one of Ivy father I see EVERYTHING)

Phœbe and Mike - Friends

I love how Mike just loves his wife weirdness and the idea of Jim having a link with Paul Rudd (they don't age lmaooo) plus I noticed that both ship has kinda the same background but Phœbe and Jim have a similar path and Ivy and Mike have also a similar path xDD

Stiles and Lydia - Teen Wolf

I could not (again) not put them here. I had the idea of Ivy when I could still watch it on netflix FR 🥲 two smartasses with one trying to hide it and the other being stupid about it clearly helped hahaha

[moveslikeanape]

same anon again, i hope i'm not spamming your ask box or anything but i'm too shy to come off anon haha. my favorite disney movie is frozen, which i know some people are sick of but it's a movie that means a lot to me. it's closely followed by beauty and the beast! and i'm also just very passionate about disney in general, so i love coming across people on here who have less popular movies as their favorites. especially since sometimes talking about them with people can get me to consider things i hadn't thought of before: i somehow never thought about kala and mr. porter being parallels but you're completely right!

and speaking of how friendship is portrayed in the movie, i really like how terk has a small character arc of her own. early on in the movie she seems overly concerned with what her other friends think of tarzan? they obviously don't want him around, so she tries to subtly exclude him by saying he can come with them "if he can keep up" and then if he can get an elephant hair, both things she didn't expect him to be able to do. but after he not only actually gets the hair, but takes the blame for the elephant stampede, she stops acting like that and she and tarzan and tantor become the best of friends.

No worries! I completely understand. And it's fun to talk to you about Tarzan!

Ooo, I love your favourite movies! I'm not the biggest fan of Frozen, but I do enjoy it. I'm far more sick of people being sick of it… Beauty and the Beast is such a gorgeous movie though! Definitely one of the most beautifully animated films of all time. I'm completely with about fans of less popular movies. Most people and the makers themselves may have mostly forgotten those movies, but the dedication of those fans is astounding. I follow a fan of Ferngully on instagram, and he's an inspiration, especially considering that movie's all but forgotten by most people.

OMG, you're so right about Terk! She realized this isn't some kid who needs to be protected (from Kerchak, for example) or to be embarrassed to hang out with. Once she gets over that attitude they are a perfect example of good friendship. I especially love when he asks them to distract Kerchak, that line "with the face and the eyes and the…" you just know he's pulled that before, lol!

[getmylife]

Update (Post-therapy appointment)

Completed August 28, 2023

So I had a consultation with a psychiatrist this week and when I tell you I feel so validated and justified. We haven't spoken about PMDD yet, but we're talking about ADHD, autism and OCD. When I tell you I'm both shocked and not surprised at all. These "diagnoses" (I'm using that word loosely because Idk that I've been diagnosed or it's just that I meet a lot of the criteria) just feel like one giant step in the right direction. #Soul

In light of figuring myself out and trying to improve my mental health, I'm taking a step back when it comes to all of the volunteer projects. I'm trying to see who I can get to take care of all my students when September comes, because I don't think I could make any strides forward if I'm stressing over after-school lessons. #World

When it comes to building, the tiles have supposedly arrived, but we're having trouble clearing them. Once that's sorted hopefully we'll get those laid and be one step closer to finishing. Last week we met with a joiner about closets, bathroom vanities and kitchen cabinets. We're organizing windows too. So it's all happening. Still a bit slow, but I'm grateful. #Den

I've been so good at writing lately. I finally got back into my current WIP and I've been sending it to one of my friends overseas as I write each chapter and she is so hyped it's inspiring. She's so excited about the story and so it makes me excited about the story and so I keep writing. I think I've sent her two chapters in the past four weeks which is incredible for me. #Pen

I've not found the willpower to take care of my skin with the products the dermatologist recommended. So my skin has been a challenge, but it's so much better than earlier this year. Also prune juice has been a win when it comes to bowel movements. Not there yet on hydration yet especially since it's been so stinking hot, but we keep on keeping on. #Bones

I have not used any of my instruments in way too long. I'm not beating myself up about that, though, which is good. The only thing is that when the psychiatrist asked what I do in my spare time, I didn't mention music at all (T.T) . My DuoLingo streak on the other hand is fire. I'm almost at my 250 days streak. Did I have to use a ton of streak freezes? (Yes), but this is still something to celebrate. #Tones

I do not know how to cook or drive, but I'm learning to live with myself LOL #Skills

I have a date with one of my cousins once he's back from vacation. We're supposed to go for ice-cream. So that's it for my social life. I also have been chatting a lot with my uni roommates. That's been fun. I've been watching Ted Lasso and an early 2000s Tarzan adaptation in my free moments. Been scrolling le TikTok and reading lots of fanfic. These have been anxiety inducing as of late, though. #Thrills

I got recommended three books by my psychiatrist so definitely some room for some sick #Quotes.

I've been fairly consistent with my Self-evals and I'd like to be consistent with these updates too #Notes.

[doublerainebow]

Artist Resources (Part 1?)

This is basically just going to be a bunch of resources I have found to be useful. I can’t say that I’ve used all of them, but I’m sure they’re all worth checking out.

I’m also gonna try to put a detailed description for most of the links so you have a better idea of what you’re getting. I apologize in advance if some of them are redundant lol

(I put “Part 1″ if in the case I make another one)

~Links to Tutorials, Tips, Resources, etc~

Another Resource List -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Apparently, the post isn’t mobile-friendly, so it’s suggested to view this on Tumblr browser. Has a bunch of other links. I’ve checked out a few of them (mainly the copyright stuff lol), and it seems that some of the links may be a bit outdated. Still, it doesn’t hurt to check out the links.

Arms and Legs -- Leads to another Tumblr post. A handy tutorial on elbow and knee placement.

Art & Game Dev -- This leads to my personal playlist of a bunch of YouTube videos. Has a bunch of tutorials and interesting videos that I’ve collected over the course of a few years lol.

Blamblot -- A website that contains resources and tutorials on comic lettering. This is primarily in reference to western comics, but it doesn’t help to take a looksie.

Commission Calculator -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Helps artists to stop selling themselves short.

Comparing Heights (hikaku-sitatter) -- A height comparer for centimeters.

Comparing Heights -- A height comparer for feet and inches.

Mouth Shapes and Lip-Syncing -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Useful for... drawing mouth shapes.

Reference Angle -- Useful for when you’re trying to map out a face from an odd angle.

Soft Proofing for Printing -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Helps when you’re trying to make prints of your artwork.

Textures -- A website full of different and mostly free textures. While this website is made for 3D texturing, it can also be useful for 2D drawings. Signing up gives you 15 free credits everyday, and you can use those credits to download some textures for free.

The Models Resource -- A website of models ripped from a wide array of games.

The Spriters Resource -- A website of sprites ripped from a wide array of games.

The Textures Resource -- A websites of textures ripped from a wide array of games. 

~Links to Stock Images~

Please check out whatever policies they may have for their images before using them!

(not sure if any of them are active anymore as I followed some of these accounts a long time ago when I used to be more active on Deviant Art lol)

adorkastock (formerly senshistock)

anatoref -- Leads to another Tumblr post. Has a bunch of hand photo references

charligal-stock

HumanAnatomy4Artist -- Does contain nudity

null-entity

PhelanDavion

RobynRose

~Links to Other Artists~

Akihito Yoshitomi -- Yoshitomi is a mangaka who has tutorials on manga making. He also has an insightful series in which he drafts and draws a 30-page manga in 18 days. Remember that every artist works differently and his process may be different from another’s.

Drawfee -- Drawfee is an improv drawing show of four artists: Nathan Yaffe, Jacob Andrews, Julia Lepetit, and Karina Farek. While they don’t have tutorials in a sense, their videos explain the different processes they go through as they draw. They also occasionally provide tips, tricks, and resources in their videos. They do have another channel and a Twitch channel where they host drawing classes in addition to other fun shenanigans.

EtheringtonBrothers -- Has a bunch of useful and eye-catching tutorials called “How to Think When You Draw”.

Mark Crilley -- Mark is a comic artist, specializing in manga, who has a bunch of tutorials about anatomy, perspective, comic making, and other things.

Miyuli -- Miyuli is an artist who posts tutorials on their Twitter. Their tutorials range from anatomy to clothing to other things. They even have a few books of art tips. Currently (as of the time of posting this), their 2018 version is free for download, so I highly recommend you download that. Some tips may be outdated, but they should still be helpful.

Whyt Manga (Twitter/YouTube) -- Odunze is a comic artist, specializing in manga, that has a bunch of tutorials on manga making and drawing characters of color.

~Links to Free Programs~

Blender -- A free 3D program if you’re into 3D modeling and such. I also personally haven’t used Blender (I use Maya lol), but I know it’s a respectable program.

Krita -- A free painting program if you can’t afford Photoshop or Clip Studio Paint. I personally haven’t used Krita, but I have recommended it to a few friends and they have positive reviews about it.

Paint Tool SAI -- Okay, this one isn’t free, but it’s a significantly cheaper painting program where you don’t have to pay a subscription. It’s 5,500JPY (~50 USD). I’m not sure how well it still works on modern computers (the last update was 2016), but I still use it here and there because I love the pen tool feature it has, and it still works like a charm for me.

~General Tips From Raine~

Raine admits that she’s guilty of not following her own advice, but Raine hopes that the tips that she does know will be beneficial to someone who will follow them. She’s also going to keep all her tips under the cut so as to not make this post a huge wall of text (even though it technically already is lol)

Also, if you have some resources, tutorials, tips yourself, please feel free to send them to me and maybe I’ll make a part 2 to this post!

ALWAYS LOOK FOR REFERENCE. This should really go without saying. You can’t draw from life if you refuse to observe life itself.

If you can’t find the exact thing you need, MAKE YOUR OWN REFERENCE. Time and time again, I can’t find something exactly that I need. So instead, what I do is that I take pictures of my own reference. Sometimes I even grab a friend and take pictures of them doing whatever it is I need.

Have a mirror handy when you’re drawing. Sometimes what you need is actually right there in front of you.

Having trouble drawing something? Do some studies. Take the time to understand what it is you’re drawing. I can’t remember the exact story, but I heard that the people who were working on Tarzan were having a hard time drawing his hands. So, what they did was spend a few hours looking at hands to try and understand how they work.

IT’S OKAY TO STUDY THE ART OF OTHER ARTISTS. Just as we look to the old masters as a reference, it’s definitely okay to look at modern-day artists for reference. Just don’t go copying exactly everything that they do, or worse, trace what they do. Just don’t do it... at all.

Not every line needs to be realized. The viewer of your work will automatically connect the dots.

DO NOT TRASH YOUR OLD DRAWINGS. Please, never ever do this. Your old drawings have value to them, even if they look terrible to you. Old drawings may hold ideas for things you could do for the future. They also serve as a way to see how far you’ve come as an artist.

GETTING BETTER AT DRAWING TAKES TIME AND EFFORT. You’re not gonna get better overnight. It’ll take months, or even years, to feel like you’re a competent artist, and even then, you’ll still have room for improvement.

DON’T LOOK DOWN ON YOURSELF IF YOU’RE TAKING A LONG TIME TO GET BETTER. It’ll be better for your mental health in the long run.

Alternatively, DON'T LOOK DOWN ON OTHER ARTISTS EITHER, ESPECIALLY TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER. You know the struggles it took for you to get where you are, so don’t go putting down other people when you’ve been in their shoes once.

KEEP DRAWING. If you’re not making an effort to get better, then you’re not going to be better. I get that it’s hard to find the inspiration to draw (I’m very guilty of this), but just keep trying. It doesn’t have to be big or spectacular. You don’t even have to post it if you’re the type who likes to post their art stuff.

Try to find references from real-life. It’ll help you better understand form, lighting, shadows, etc., especially if you’re going for a more realistic kind of art style. Otherwise, finding reference from things like cartoons, anime, comics, etc. are just as good.

Try new things. Try new art mediums. Try a different art style. Switch up the way you do things. Maybe you’ll hate it, maybe you’ll like it. Who knows if you don’t try.

Watch time-lapses (or speed draws/speed paints) of other artists!

Pinterest and Google are your friends if you need tutorials or references or whatever.

If you’re offering commissions, DO NOT WORK UNDER YOUR LOCAL MINIMUM WAGE. You are literally devaluing the work you actually put into a piece.

I like to think I’m an aficionado of Photoshop, so feel free to ask me questions on how to achieve something! I’ve used Photoshop for about 11 years now and know my way around the program. On another note, I do recommend setting custom keyboard shortcuts in Photoshop because the default shortcuts are terrible (in my opinion), and because having custom shortcuts increases the speed of your workflow.

Because I’ve been seeing this a lot lately in Twitter, you’re never too old to start in art. Art is just one of those things that anyone can pick up at any age because the only thing you really need to get good in art is time, diligence, and patience.

Try not to post hi-res images of your artwork to prevent art stealers from selling your artwork in high resolution.

Always, always, always add your signature and watermark on your artwork. I like to add my signatures and watermarks in places that’ll be hard to erase or crop out. I’ve also seen people add their signatures and watermarks in creative ways (ex. on a character’s shirt). You need to protect your work in an era where people will just blatantly steal it and make profit off your work.

Tag List

@reality-is-often-disappointing

[riseuplikeglitterandgold]

📃💻🎧🔬👽👀✍🏽🌈📬💾🏚🥚😊🪡🎨

!!!! <3

this is so long lol, brace yourselves

📃 Ever written something inspired by someone elses fic?

yes!

💻 The first fanfiction you posted?

"Domestic Life Was Never Quite My Style"

🎧 A certain song you listened to while writing a fic?

I listened to the Tarzan soundtrack a lot while writing "Two Worlds, One Family", haha

🔬The fic you had to make the most research for?

Toss-up between "Baby's Firsts" and "Two Worlds", because with one I had to do a lot of research into baby growth and development, and with the other I do a lot of research to portray a deaf/hard of hearing person as accurately as I can, since I'm not one.

👽 Strangest fic you ever written?

eh, I'm not sure any of them really count as strange, in a traditional sense, but my "strangest" fic is probably "Oh, Little One, You Just Need to be Brave", mostly because it's based on Iron Man 3 and I hadn't actually seen the film yet when I wrote it so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense compared to canon 😅 the only reason I haven't taken it down is because so many people liked it, and I hate when fics that I used to love get deleted.

👀 What’s an idea you had for a fic that you never did anything with?

I've got several, actually, lol. I've had ideas for a Game Plan AU (that movie starring The Rock), a Cinderella/Ever After AU, a... um... bio AU involving mpreg that is not as weird as it sounds... a soulmate AU, an Annie AU (y'know, the musical), and a Santa Clause AU (Tim Allen Christmas movie).

✍🏽 How much do you plan your fics beforehand?

depends on the fic. if it's complicated, I'll take at least a couple pages of notes before I jump in to the actual writing. if it's something simple that I have a clear vision for, I just jump in and wing the whole thing. Both methods work just fine, for me.

Although, I do have one AU that I'm working on as a request for that 2k follower raffle I did months ago, and that has like..... 13 pages of notes that I still haven't finalized so it REALLY depends.

🌈 Your favorite tropes to write about?

found family and friendship <3

📬 The best comment you ever recieved?

there are a couple of comments on fics in my "Two Worlds" series that make me want to cry every time I read them 😭 they're from someone who is HOH like Peter, and I love reading their comments on those fics because it makes me feel like I've done something right in the way I've written his disability.

💾 The longest fic you have written (either with most chapters or most words)

"Baby's Firsts", coming in at over 34k with 19 chapters!

🏚 A fic you more or less abandoned?

...........

"wish we could turn back time (to the good old days)"

("we don't talk about bruno" plays faintly in the distance)

😅 Was there a fic/chapter that you were nervous about posting?

all of them 😅 I guess I'll never be as nervous as I was when I posted my very first fic, though.

🥚 Any easter eggs you put in a fic that you hoped people would notice?

too many to remember! I make references to the films all the time, and other medias, as well.

😊 The fic that you’re the most proud of?

"Before, After, and Beyond". It started out as a drabble request from an anon who wanted an Endgame fix-it, and turned into one of my favorite-ever fics to date!

🪡 The scene you worked the hardest on in any fic?

Probably the scene where Peter tries his hearing aids on for the first time in "May These Words Be The First To Find Your Ears". I wanted it to be super fluffy and cute, but also realistic!

🎨 Show us a sneak peek from a WIP!

[randompurplepanthergorl]

Here comes the boy

(Haha)

Anyways I have finished my EW Todd, aka neighbor Tord drawing of my own take on him

He has a pet birb

Alt with gold eyes cause I could NOT decide between Copper eyes or Gold ones (I wanted them to be Gold or Copper to counter Tord's Silver ones)

And now I will shamelessly dump funfacts about my take on Todd under the cut :P

.He's Australian, this is because I did not want him to be full-ass British, me making him American is boring because I am American- And it just seamed to fit my take/version of him

.He has Gold/Copper eyes (Like I've said like 1000000 other times I can't decide, I might just have it be both as hecto) to counter Tord's Silver ones

.He's a huge nature freak and loves being outside and exploring and such and is constantly exploring jungles and can't even figure out a toy computer for BABIES to save his life- It's to counter Tord's "I don't like/Can't survive in nature" vibes he gives me and the fact that he's tech savvy

.He has a pet bird (It's a baby toucan, he rescued it and left it once he knew he could but it followed him on his way back so he went "Ight. Fuck it I'mma keep it" and it's a happy birb with him/he gives it real good care, he named it Fluffy) Eduardo is not too fond of Fluffy though

.My Todd's design took a little inspiration from @/binbunbaka and @/noodle-eggs Todd's design wise, he looks nothing like them really but he did have some light design inspiration off of them, (To name two Pinpoints (which is not all) is that I took the ponytail part in his hair and his hair color from Bin's Todd)

.That tattoo on his bicep is fake- But only Eduardo, Mark and Jon know this, Todd DID want a real version but he's squeamish around needles (I'm not self projecting about the needles YOU are-) So fake tattoo it was, Eduardo actually once said he thought about getting one of those tattoos like that but Todd replied "You need a Bicep first"

.He's NOT a people person, he can tolerate/maybe enjoy interacting with 3-6 other people that he's not used too but any more and expect the Aussie to go "F*** this sh*t I'm out" Like in that vine or swat at them with a fly swatter

.If he met another Todd than he'd be confused as hell before going "Uh? I guess your another me so uh? Hi?" He'd be a little awkward with interacting for the first time since he's now officially another being existing in the fanmade Toddverse (The Toddverse is what I call the collection of every fanmade neighbor Tord counterpart, even if a certain version is not named Todd, so if you make a Todd/Tord neighbor it's going in the Toddverse-) Speaking of which I may or may not draw him interacting with other fanmade Todd's

.Eduardo has definitely called him "Jerk of the jungle" and/or "Tarzan" and/or "Dork of the Desert" at one point, just to get under his skin, it never worked lol

.For an exact height he's a big boi, about 6'5 which is the same height as Bin's take on Mark, I wanted my Todd to be a HUGE motherfugger cause I hc Tord to be short as hell (5'4) Lamo

Not all info on him but I'm not gonna dump all my info on him on everyone at once :P

[prose-for-hire]

I know that you’re probably still on your break, but I thought you might find this fun or funny. I just had this weird BTVS inspiration. What if there was a sort of sequel to Once More With Feeling, only this time the whole cast had to sing Disney songs? Which made me wonder which Disney song would fit each BTVS character the best. Well, here’s what I came up with (and I know that some of these songs came out way after BTVS ended, but I went with the song that I thought fit each character best regardless of the release date):

Buffy: “Let It Go” from Frozen

Xander: “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” from Toy Story

Willow: “Belle” from Beauty & The Beast

Spike: “Go The Distance” from Hercules

Giles: “I’ll Make A Man Out Of You” from Mulan

Dawn: “When Will My Life Begin” from Tangled

Anya: “Almost There” from The Princess & The Frog

The Trio (Johnathan, Warren, & Andrew): “Trashin’ The Camp” from Tarzan

Riley: “Lost In The Woods” from Frozen 2

Tara: “For The First Time In Forever” from Frozen

Angel: “Son Of Man” from Tarzan

Cordelia: “I Won’t Say I’m In Love” from Hercules

Oz: “Hakuna Matata” from The Lion King

BTVS COUPLES DISNEY SONGS:

Buffy & Spike: “Beauty & The Beast” from Beauty & The Beast

Buffy & Angel: “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” from The Lion King

Buffy & Riley: “Kiss The Girl” from the Little Mermaid

Xander & Anya: “A Whole New World” from Aladdin

Xander & Cordelia: “This Is The Night” from Lady & The Tramp

Willow & Tara: (I know this doesn’t fit perfectly, but it’s the best I could do): “Colors Of The Wind” from Pocahontas

Willow & Oz: “How Does She Know That You Love Her” from Enchanted

Giles & Jenny Calendar: “Once Upon A Dream” from either Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella (I really can’t remember which one lol)

Giles & Joyce: “Some Day My Prince Will Come” from Snow White (I’m not sure if this is the right movie either, but I think so lol)

SCOOBIES (as a group) DISNEY THEME SONG

Either “I2I” from The Goofy Movie or “One World, One Family” from Tarzan

Let me know what you think about these choices! It was harder than I thought it would be to pick all these different Disney songs out for the characters and couples. Please, feel free to answer this publicly because I would love to hear everyone else’s thoughts on this too!

These are really cool !! There’s some really interesting choices here as well !! Thanks for dropping by with these really well thought out song choices it’s made me smile thinking about some of them singing !! 💜💜

[morinokunikara]

Yeah, I was actually going to include Pixar into it's own category because they tend to be pretty great all-around.

If I'm going with non Pixar, I'd say my favorites would have to be:

Treasure Planet (it might have been a financial flop, but it's a great movie overall and always inspires me)

Emperor's New Groove (and finally, someone else who appreciated the masterpiece that was Emperor's New School)

Lilo and Stitch (Broken family trying to do its best with alien shenanigans? Yes, please)

Tarzan. I really liked their adaptation of it, and how well they portrayed Tarzan and his actual cleverness, and I found his and Jane's dynamic actually really sweet. I liked the changes they made from the book, and I can even appreciate Kerchak's character arc much better.

Brother Bear. It's a seriously underrated movie, and it's far from perfect, but it has some seriously impactful lines for me ("those monsters are really scary....especially with those sticks") and the music and animation is gorgeous. Plus, I think the Moose characters are considered iconic. I could swear they were referenced in Zootopia, even.

Honorable mentions:

The Great Mouse Detective (I'm fond of sherlock Holmes stories generally anyway, and this was my introduction to Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock-like characters)

Atlantis beautifully animated, I really enjoyed the experiment with style (similar to The Emperor's New Groove), and the slightly edgier tone.

As for Pixar, I agree, Soul is much better than people made it out to be. I don't remember a joke about a white barber, unfortunately, the only one that comes to mind is about the old, out of touch black barber--but maybe I'm misremembering, or I just missed it.

Monster's Inc is probably second. I'm a suckered for character design, especially monsters, and Randall Boggs would probably be tied with Syndrome for my favorite Pixar villain.

Inside Out was amazing. I loved how it portrayed the emotions, especially with how nefarious Joy could be. I suffer from depression issues myself, but I often mask it behind happiness because I don't want anyone to worry, and that's really what the movie reminded me of. That Riley was depressed, but she really wasn't allowing herself to be sad.

Next, I'd probably say The Incredibles. I love the interesting character designs using shape language (most CG animations focus more on stylized realism, but The Incredibles really exaggerated and played around with it). I'm also a sucker for the 1960's aesthetic with impossible for the time tech.

Then there's Coco, which I adore absolutely everything about. I'm still mad at myself for putting off watching it for so long (I was afraid it would be too much of a rip-off of Book of Life, another movie I adore). I love the cultural aspects of it so much, the darker storyline, the genuine heart, and even showing that you can eventually be forgiven for your mistakes, even by those you hurt. Not that you're immediately entitled to it, of course, even for Hector it was implied that he would still have to work hard for it, but the chance was at least given.

Sorry this is such a long one. ^-^'

OH JEEZ HOW DID I MISS THIS LOL

emperors new school was a goldmine of comedy. best episode was the episode where they go self aware of their own formula

i think id put lilo and stitch on the list if we're separating pixar. same with brother bear, and youre right that line hits HARD

WAS it an old black barber?? did i just forget?? lol its possible. it was a funny joke either way tho

I FORGOT COCO WAS PIXAR!!! and yeah i think it suffered the same advertising flaws as soul because of what you said. i remember EVERYONE thinking itd be a book of life ripoff and then it turned out to be its own amazing thing