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phant0mmm-jaiden · 18 days

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‼️I NEED YOUR HELP MAKING FITTING BIRTHDAYS FOR THE GANG‼️

i got deep into making up set ages for characters that lack them, and also set years they joined the gang (it started bcs i needed to know whose there at the point my OC is so i can write her backstory, and now here we are)

I’m basing it mostly on zodiac signs bcs that’s like the easiest was to get a personality vibe and i can narrow down the specific date from there

but also i don’t care, ill take anything if it makes sense JSKDJFN

BELOW CUT IS EVERYTHING I HAVE RN, FEEL FREE TO ADD COMMENTS WITH UR THOUGHTS, I’LL TAKE ANY THOUGHTS FOR ANY CHARACTER (I DONT CARE IF THEY ALREADY HAVE STUFF FILLED IN BCS MAYBE YOURS ARE BETTER) AND I'LL TAKE ANY THOUGHTS FROM AGES, BIRTH YEARS, JOIN YEARS, BIRTH MONTHS, BIRTH DAYS, HOWEVER SPECIFIC YOU WANNA BE I’LL TAKE <33

(source for all traits is zodiacsign.com, idk it helps me be narrow down a specific day🤷‍♀️)

DUTCH VAN DER LINDE

- Founding member, for 23 years (1876, when he was 21)

- 44 in May 1899

- Born April 11th 1855 (Aries)

Positive April 11 traits: “Assertive, strong and remarkably passionate, they will burn every obstacle in their way if they have something to strive for. They are excellent workers and managers, showing initiative with just enough tact to be loved by a team they work in.”

Negative April 11 traits: “Preoccupied with their own problems, they could fail to see what their friends and close people are going through. Self-centered, too feisty, ready for battle when it isn't necessary, reactive, and sometimes aggressive when they should remain calm.”

HOSEA MATTHEWS

- Founding member, for 23 years (since 1876, when he was 32)

- 55 in May 1899

- Born October 22 1844 (Libra)

Positive Oct 22 traits: “Warm, open for emotional contact, and nurturing, they are tender and kind to those they love and treat everyone with enough empathy to resolve issues at hand. Their emotional sensitivity is their greatest strength.”

Negative Oct 22 traits: “Covered in sadness, broken and depressed, they might lose faith if they don’t give themselves time to rest and regenerate from past experiences. Tied by stories of their ancestors, they could simply play parts of others without getting truly invested in their own life and their happiness.”

ARTHUR MORGAN

- In gang for 23 years (since 1876,when he was 13)

- 36 in May 1899

- Born September 30th 1863

Positivity Sep 30 traits: “Truthful, powerful, deep and ready to commit to issues that are too painful for other people, they have the power to change the unchangeable and build a sense of magic in their life that allows them to attract and control their own destiny and heal others of prejudice.”

Negative Sep 30 traits: “Depressed or lost in what they’ve been taught, they could be too scared to get out of their usual directions and choices in life, getting stuck in mental activities that keep them unsatisfied, egocentric or grumpy.”

SUSAN GRIMSHAW

- In the gang for 14 years (since 1885, since she was 29)

- 45 in 1899

- Born March 27th 1856 (Aries)

Positive March 27 traits: “Standing out, innovative and wide in perception of the world, they are good friends and tend to build a social circle that can support them in their path. Free to shine and give freedom to other people.”

Negative March 27 traits: “Stressed, torn between extremes, their mood changes without warning. They can get aggressive if too much anger builds up, unsure how they will react or what their next move will be.”

JOHN MARSTON

- In gang for 14 years (since 1885, when he was 12)

- 26 in May 1899

- Born August 3rd 1873 (Leo)

Positive August 3 traits: “Straightforward, on the move, and wide in their opinions, they are the travelers with a cause, those who share their views and their knowledge selflessly, and wish to give their energy to those willing to follow.”

Negative August 3 traits: “Stubbornly chasing after things that aren’t real, they could get stuck in a loop of disappointment and mental efforts that won’t lead them where they wish to go.”

SIMON PEARSON

- In the gang for 13 years (since 1886, since he was 35)

- 48 in 1899

- Born December 16th 1851 (Sagittarius)

Positive Dec 16 traits: "Laughter, positivity, and a fun personality ordain those born on December 16th for as long as they are in tune with their talents. Emotionally charged, they stay on the move, give love to be loved, and understand how to create balance when they find themselves falling into an extreme."

Negative Dec 16 traits: "Lost in confusion of relating with others, they absorb atmospheres, feelings and ultimately opinions of others, thinking that their personality is defined by what others see instead of feeling their own core of Self."

LEOPOLD STRAUSS !!

In the gang for 12 years (since 1887, since he was 41)

53 in 1899

Born in September 10th 1846 (Virgo)

Positive Sep 10 traits: "Deep, intelligent and extremely powerful, they are focused and dedicated to the higher truth and find change satisfying, without fear of what tomorrow might bring. They bring order to large things in the lives of people around them and announce change everywhere they go."

Negative Sep 10 traits: "Obsessive, possessive and jealous, they can get dismissive of other people's ways and unwilling to recognize their own shadows while judging others. When bruised, they may become vindictive or manipulative."

UNCLE

- In the gang for 11 years (since 1888, since he was 43)

- 57 in 1899

- Born May 6th 1842 (Capricorn)

Positive May 6 traits: “Loving, creative, good with children, they are positive individuals with a lot of energy to live life to the fullest. Humorous, smiling, and grounded, they search for a place to belong to and connect easily to other people.”

Negative May 6 traits: “Unaware of the bigger picture, too focused on problems when they become aware of them, they can get obsessive and go into negative details for days. At times superficial in search for pleasure, but only if their heart isn’t open for relating.”

JOSIAH TRELAWNY

- In the gang for 9 years (since 1890, since he was 31)

- 40 in 1899

- Born May 26 1859 (Gemini)

Positive May 26 traits: “Loving, emotional, kind and caring, they are the messengers of beauty and laughter, humorous enough to make a grown person turn into a little child if this is their intent.”

Negative May 27 traits: “Using the power of words for strange things, unsatisfied and unable to find balance between emotion and reason, they get lost waiting and thinking about times when they were actually free while missing opportunities to set free in the now.”

ORVILLE SWANSON

- In the gang for 8 years (since 1891, since he was 38)

- 46 in 1899

- Born November 29th 1853 (Sagittarius)

Positive Nov 29 traits: "Idealists with a cause, they dream big and aren’t afraid to try themselves out in talents that make them who they are. On the quest for inner truth, they are sensitive, empathic and honest about the way they feel with people they love."

Negative Nov 29 traits: "Seeking attention and unable to untangle issues that keep them intoxicated or tied to the past, they could get lost, searching for ways to anesthetize that pain and forget what bruised them in the first place."

BILL WILLIAMSON

- In the gang for 5 years (since 1894, since he was 28)

- 33 in May 1899

- Born in April 27th 1833 (Taurus)

Positive April 27 traits: “Strong-hearted individuals, filled with vigor and energy for things that make them feel passionate. They are different but social, well-incorporated into society, and make excellent friends who find humanitarianism and compassion to be everything that is right in the world.”

Negative April 27 traits: “Sloppy, unsure what they wish to do with their energy and frustrated with their own nature. In opposition to themselves, they are unable to heal their own inner differences, becoming frustrated and passively angry at other people.”

ABIGAIL ROBERTS

- In the gang for 5 years (since 1894, since she was 17)

- 22 in 1899

- Born October 20th 1877 (Libra)

Positive Oct 20 traits: “Deeply emotional and empathic, if they keep their heart open throughout changes in their life, they become healers and incredible support in times of crisis and all possibly dangerous situations in the lives of others.”

Negative Oct 20 traits: “Casting their feelings away, they could become cold, distant, too difficult to relate to, and vindictive. They need a strong foundation to grow from and won’t be at all pleasant if they don’t learn to regenerate and flow with the beat of their heart.”

JAIDEN COHEN (my character )

- In the gang for 5 years (since 1894, since she was 23)

- 28 in 1899

- Born December 5th 1871 (Sagittarius)

Positive Dec 5 traits: “Witty, fun to be around, finding their way through the largest of social groups, they are the ones to speak their mind and say what everyone needs to hear, and those who boost confidence in others.”

Negative Dec 5 traits: “Talking too much, unreliable and insecure, they might turn to dishonesty to get out of troubling situations. They get distracted by too many things that spark their interest and don’t keep their focus and move in tune with greater priorities they have.”

KAREN JONES !!

- In the gang for 4 years (since 1895, since she was 21)

- 25 in 1899

- Born June 12th 1874 (Gemini)

Positive Jun 12 traits: "Emotional, sensitive, compassionate and willing to listen, they are less rational than other Gemini representatives and this gives them more space for relating and reaching for the Divine Love."

Negative Jun 12 traits: "Moody, torn between different roles and too adaptable to people and situations that don’t make them feel good. They get self-destructive when unable to deal with their own emotional baggage."

JAVIER ESCUELLA

- In the gang for 4 years (since 1895, since he was 22)

- 26 in May 1899

- Born August 13th 1873 (Leo)

Positive Aug 13 traits: “Energetic, focused visionaries, ready to act with initiative and clarity of ideals, they are the ones to fight for the cause and move forwards when others would stay behind. They are warm, passionate people, ready to learn new things and move one step ahead of the rest of the world.”

Negative Aug 13 traits: “Feeling as if they were all mighty, they often get caught up in their own ambitions and strivings, expecting nothing less than perfect from their ways of expression and battles that might be impossible to win.”

JACK MARSTON !!

- In the gang for 4 years (since 1895, since he was born)

- 4 in 1899

- Born ()() 1895

MARY-BETH GASKILL

- In the gang for 3 years (since 1896, since she was 20)

- 23 in 1899

- Born March 3th 1876 (Pisces)

Positive Mar 3 traits: “Great learners, teachers, and healers, they find love and beauty in everything they see and touch. It is their talent to use their optimism and beliefs, and turn every negative thing and experience to art, acceptable fate, and a step to a brighter future.”

Negative Mar 3 traits: “In denial, distant, lost, they can be wanderers that cannot find the right direction to move in. Their defense mechanism protecting them from hardship is delusion.”

TILLY JACKSON !!

- In the gang for 3 years (since 1896, since she was 17)

- 20 in 1899

- Born ()() 1879

MOLLY O’SHEA !!

- In the gang for 2 years (since 1897, since she was 22)

- 24 in 1899

- Born () () 1875

SEAN MACQUIRE

- In the gang for 1 year (since 1898, since he was 22)

- 26 in May 1899

- Born July 23rd 1873 (Leo) (sign rec from anon)

Positive July 23 traits: “Optimistic, with a fine sense of humor and ready to chase off any negative emotions with their smile, they are positive, loving and supportive of those they care for. Travelers and teachers, they have something important to give to the world.”

Negative July 23 traits: “Scattered and pushed by too many beliefs they never questioned, they tend to spin in circles of negative choices, lost in their inability to receive as much as they give away or vice versa.”

CHARLES SMITH

- In the gang for 9 months (Since August 1898, since he was 26)

- 27 in May 1899

- Born November 1st 1872 (Scorpio)

Positive Nov 1 traits: “Centered, standing firm on their identity and seeing the light in others, they make wonders in therapeutic and supportive relationships with those who are insecure and find it hard to stand confident on their own two feet. Strong-willed and ready to learn, they are the ones to lead the way when their beliefs are set in place.”

Negative Nov 1 traits: “Getting lost among strong individuals meant to inspire them, they give up on their true role due to lack of belief in their own emotional world and their personal convictions. This could get them lost and put their talents to waste out of the need to prove themselves worthy.”

LENNY SUMMERS

- In the gang for 9 months (since 1898, since he was 19)

- 19 in 1899

- Born June 5th 1880 (Gemini)

Positive June 5 traits: “Childlike, curious, excited about life and focused on their daily sources of happiness, they are humorous and always with a nice thing to say in just the right moment.”

Negative June 5 traits: “In need of a different view, they could get stuck in patterns that don’t give much room for personal growth. If their hearts close, they become superficial and uncaring for the wellbeing of those who aren’t in their closest social circle.”

MICAH BELL

- In the gang for 4 months (Since December 1898)

- 39 in May 1899

- Born January 1 1860 (Capricorn)

Positive Jan 1 traits: “Powerful and resourceful individuals with an incredible potential for a successful life, influential and knowing exactly where they belong. They are assertive, strong-willed, with a deep understanding for natural development of any issue at hand.”

Negative Jan 1 traits: “Inventors and great minds that turn to solitude and separate from the ideal of emotional fulfillment. Manipulative, they may be using questionable methods to reach their goals.”

SADIE ADLER

- In the gang for a few months (since May 1899, since she was 25)

- 25 in 1899

- Born July 4th 1874 (Cancer)

Positive July 4 traits: “Focused on their goal point, ambitions and understanding the consequences of their deeds, they are strong, endurable and extremely reliable as friends and confidants.”

Negative July 4 traits: “Dark and filled with depressing thoughts, they can get pulled by negative emotions, memories they don’t know how to metabolize, and nostalgic turns that pull them into harmful circumstances that weaken their boundaries.”

KIERAN DUFFY

- In the gang for a few months (since May 1899, since he was 28)

- 28 in 1899

- Born ()() 1871

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP ‼️

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beartitled · 5 months

Note

Can you do some more comics with Francis mosses

I can, but the problem is

That I’m pretty much out of ideas and I’m progressively getting tired of tnmn fandom

Ppl who look at my tags probably noticed that 😓

More of my thoughts under read more for curious ppl

(short answer maybe I will do more, but I desperately need a break from tnmn)

! Just a general warning: this came out kinda long + sort of venty

Originally I planned to do 1 comic drop and move on, but got stuck bc ppl liked tnmn comics and kept asking for more (and still do-)

Generally I don’t mind doing more if the ideas are there, but I want to address this: I’m tired

I know blowing up is usually a good thing and I appreciate people enjoying my stuff

But it’s exhausting to see that tnmn is the only type of content which is relevant, to the point that my own projects or stuff I enjoy are just kinda.. ignored

It’s fair – again my blog is heavily fandom based

(+Tsp were and still is kinda the focus)

But with tnmn fandom it’s a bit… different

Maybe I’m biased and it’s just my negative experience with tiktok comments

Remember this art?

cleaning up transphobic comments was.. um tough

Again, I get that you can’t be in that neat bubble completely sheltered from negativity

Humans are just assholes by nature really/j

So I was expecting the backlash, but not that much

I think maybe tsp fandom spoiled me a bit (in a good way), bc I got a feeling that everyone in tsp was positive of any lgbt+ headcanons and just generally more supportive

(don’t get me wrong, there ARE problems in tsp community too, taking narrators design controversy into account as one of the examples)

Obviously every fandom always has it’s own issues, show me at least one fandom that didn’t have some sort of meaningless controversy or some sort of problematic people in it

It happens

But it leaves a bad taste in your mouth sometimes

And for me personally it only added to not so pleasant experience

The thing I also noticed, when I interacted with other fandoms

Ppl wrote positive stuff first and foremost, not really asking for anything

Here it’s just “hey more. I want more. Do more. Do this character. Do this. Do more.”

The only reason I kept doing more, because likes, reblogs, views – these comics get a ton of attention

there is a audience to please alright

But this thing comes with a pressure tho

and it shows

so let me illustrate

This bookcase

Is my shame

Because I was so rushing, I just copied and colour corrected this bookcase from my diploma comic and pasted it here in hopes for the best

💥IT LOOKS HORRIBLE OKAY💥

Usually it’s normal to take materials used in other projects

the not so normal part is

to leave it like that because your stress reducing tea doesn’t work and you don’t really have time to redraw it

my m en ta l s t a t e i s f i n e ah ah h ah ah

Ok but jokes aside: it’s really tempting, to just abandon everything and produce content like some sort of content farm

But I don’t want to, I’m forcing myself and it makes my art worse

Yes it’s subtle, new people won’t even see this

But I’m not improving

And I don’t enjoy just anxiously popping out comics because everyone keeps asking

I can give it my all to something when I’m passionate, but just “hey I’m getting attention” is not the best motivator

Attention like that does get to my head, I know that I will probably give in again and do more, bc I will compare my posts engagement

But what’s the point of recognition, when you feel.. so numb about it…

Sorry for a mountain of text and thank you for ppl who actually took their time to read it

It’s been building up for a while and I feel like people need to know the reason why I’m not so enthusiastic about making “more”

I’m not necessarily completely abandoning this fandom

I still plan to do ask/suggestions event for STP (I’m just making sure I can dedicate my time to it, that’s why it’s taking so long) and I can add tnmn to the mix

Like STP+tnmn kind of deal

But for now – I need a break

At least for a little bit

#bear answers #vent post #nothing serious just a bunch not so positive thoughts #tnmn #that’s not my neighbor #tnmn fandom #thoughts #fandom thoughts #apologies for possible mistakes/typos

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paradoxlemonade · 9 months

Text

Mirror Mirror

Fandom: Double Life SMP

Dynamic: Etho & Joel

words: 1313

Warnings: body image issues, insecurity

Ao3: Here!

Summary: Etho doesn't like how he looks. Joel does not know this. Hurt/comfort ensues. (This is my @mcytblrholidayexchange present for @kyleknight! I hope you enjoy ^^)

— — — — —

Joel likes to think he’s a pretty funny guy in his own humble opinion, thank you very much. People laugh when he starts cracking jokes, and those that don’t are probably just peeved that they’re the subject of his mockery—after all, when there’s a punchline, someone has to be the one to get decked. It’s all in good fun!

It’s… disconcerting when someone who’s supposed to be in on the joke isn’t smiling along with it.

And it’s not like Etho’s even the one on the receiving end! The whole point of the thing is how they—as soulmates—can ruin everyone else’s thumbnails together!

It’s a bit of Etho’s that Joel has always found fun as long as he’s known about it: hiding another layer of visual data in his player code only visible upon lookup is a fantastic prank for messing with one’s friends, since it’ll only show up when they pull his image to build the thumbnail. Etho himself, who doesn’t bother with that sort of menial technicality and just whips out a camera from his back pocket when he spies a good thumbnail, is immune. And sure, sure, Joel doesn’t actually know how to replicate the effect and just went for a plain t-shirt with the face painted on in crooked lines, but it was still funny and would show up on the lookups (And Etho’s pictures, but that’s what hiding the shirt with armor is for).

Joel was grinning like mad as he showed off the creation, hands waving and detailing the concept. Etho gave an affirmation, but he hadn’t seemed particularly enthused with the concept; the mask hiding his face stretched with a smile even as his eyes skittered to the side and hid under knit brows.

So. Joel tries not to let it bother him and simply enjoy the thought of his friends being annoyed with him.

He picks at the hem of the t-shirt as he paces about the Boat Boys (not Small Etho!) base area. The day passes as usual: chaos reigns, problems are caused (all on purpose if asked, mostly on purpose in actuality), and Joel enjoys Etho’s company. Really, the man is a delight—Joel knew of him more than he knew him personally before the latest season, but every new interaction reveals something new about Etho that he didn’t know, and Joel’s actions and mannerisms in turn to him.

Everything seems fine, until. Until, until, until.

Etho removes the secret layer. Joel finds out about it in between sessions and tries (fails) not to take it personally.

It… stings.

The start of the next session and Joel’s ire do not roll in like thunder, but instead stumble in on unsure legs like a fawn. Sure, he’s irritated (and a little offended, and a little hurt), but it’s Etho. So Joel leans on the edge of The Relation Ship and drinks in the sight of the server.

A creaking floorboard from behind him and a gentle wheeze of breath belies Etho’s awaited arrival.

Without turning around, Joel begins, “I see that you’ve changed your skin?” It’s light as he can manage with a slight chuckle of incredulity, but from the tightness in his jaw, it does little to masquerade much of anything.

“I did, yes—”

“You took the face off? Was it because I—”

“Yeah.”

Joel huffs. “Wow, brilliant.” He pushes off and turns in a single motion, and—

Freezes.

…Any plans Joel has for a polite (but frigid, but pointed, but sardonic) questioning evaporate once he gets a look at Etho’s face.

He looks tired, bags like smudges of coal languishing, shifting with every blink. Every step is upheld with an air of casual nonchalance, but the slight tremble in his fingers betrays him. His pale hair is dull and falls over his scarred eye.

“...You look like a wreck.”

Etho scowls for a bare moment but beats it down to a practiced neutrality. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

Joel snorts. “Considering that I hadn’t asked but you tried to deflect anyways, say that I don’t particularly believe you.” He grabs Etho by the wrist and slides past, leading him down to their chests. “Did you sleep at all between now and the last session? Because your eyebags have eyebags. Bet we could fit a whole stack of items in there.” Before Etho can respond, Joel pops the lock on a chest and picks out a loaf of bread. He drops it into Etho’s hands with a nod of finality.

“I slept just fine. And I ate too, if that’s what you’re getting at by this.” He gestures helplessly with the bread. “I told you, I’m fine.”

Joel shrugs. “And I said I didn’t believe you. I can play this game all day, especially since your face isn’t helping your argument.”

Etho scowls again. “Stop saying that.”

“Saying what? That you look like you’ve been fighting phantoms? And losing?”

“Joel, please…” His shoulders are drawn in close and his grip on the bread grows tighter, more desperate.

Joel falters.

“Are you… okay?”

Etho makes a face and stalks back onto the ship. “You don’t need to rub it in, you know.”

Joel trails behind him, his sense of assurance drying up. “You’re gonna need to be a little more specific than that, mate. Rub what in?”

He laughs. Laughs. Something dry, something quiet, something brittle. Etho keeps his gaze trained on the bread crust he picks at aimlessly. “I know I’m nothing nice to look at. I’ve known that basically forever. So you don’t need to rub it in; I already know.”

Joel blinks. He stops following Etho’s pacing and stands in place. What does he say to that? “You’re kidding, right?”

Mm. Probably not that.

Etho gives him an unimpressed look. “Why would I be kidding about this? You’ve been saying it yourself all morning.”

Wait, he thought that… and then Joel…

Oh, goddammit.

Joel rubs a hand across his face letting it trail up to drag through his hair. “You look tired, man, not ugly. You’re not a supermodel—so what? Neither am I. And neither is anyone else that we hang out with. You’re in pretty good company.” His feet finally unstick from the floor and he manages to scoot next to Etho, their shoulders brushing. “You’ve been thinking about this the entire break, haven’t you?”

Etho shrugs, as if it hides the way his shoulders droop with the weight of his thoughts. “I don’t… I try not to think about my face too much. Not ever since”—he waves his free hand at the long, ropy line bisecting his face—“that. No mirrors in any of my builds or anything. I guess your silly t-shirt just reminded me that everyone else is looking at me when I talk to them.”

Joel kinda feels bad for taking that personally, now.

He shakes his head. “If you told me what was up, I would’ve ditched the shirt. Here, like this.” He reaches up with one hand and yanks it off by the neckline, tossing it across the ship in the same motion. It hits the wall and slides to the floor in a crumpled heap. “There, now it’s gone.”

Etho takes a minute to gather his thoughts. After a pause, his eyes trail over to meet Joel’s. “Thanks.”

Joel leans over and bumps him, never breaking eye contact. “Bothering people is fun. Hurting them isn’t.”

The moment passes, and Etho turns his attention back to the bread. He slides his mask down and takes a hesitant bite.

— — — — —

Joel leans back and kicks a foot over his leg. “Besides, I can still think of, like, at least three different people who would throw themselves at you in a heartbeat if they thought they had a chance of getting you into bed with them.”

Etho chokes on a mouthful of bread.

#double life smp #trafficblr #life smp #boat boys #ethoslab #smallishbeans #joel smallishbeans #double life fanfic #mcyt #idea writes #idea original post

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shroudandsands · 15 days

Text

Prompt #9: Lend an Ear

You look at your terminal, drenched in a wave of listlessness as you watch time slowly tick by on the corner of the screen. You haven’t done much of anything this evening. Especially not after the long day you’ve had- seriously, how did someone screw up hard enough to brick half the auto-fabs in the building? And why is it your problem that they did? Ugh. You haven’t touched the laundry. Your shoes are sideways and up against the wall from where you kicked them off. There’s food in the cupboard but you can’t be bothered to get up and get it. It’s too early for bed and you can’t dredge up the energy to get off the couch you’re laying on anyways…

Flicking through the intranet gets you about as much entertainment as you’d imagined. People being morons on the boards, uploads that you aren’t entirely sure are meant to be there, missing person reports that you’re pretty sure are supposed to be sent directly to hunters- Ah ha, there’s something. You click in on a custom feed someone set up. You’d poked in it before, on the clock of course, and you were pleasantly surprised to find that it was made by a local reforger. Well… as local as those guys got given the whole profession. But nonetheless it was cool to see. Pretty rare that the reforgers post much of anything regarding their work, the outside, and the various things they found. If they did it was usually poorly formatted or without much in the way of comment on the thing itself. I mean- Who’s supposed to find a random old cube of electrope interesting enough to look at in and of itself? But that’s where this guy caught your eye. You scroll through the feed. You hadn’t checked it in a few days- It seems as if he’d gone out on an expedition and he’d been putting out short updates while he did. You’re glad you missed it, frankly, and got caught up right as he posted about his return… and the recording of his adventure through the old city. You get up, energized, and grab something out of the cupboard to eat. Can’t watch something this good without food, right? Bust out the sweet stuff for once. You could splurge. You throw yourself back onto your couch as you flick play on the display.

-- You’re greeted by a POV recording from a module in his mask. His calloused hand comes down through the frame as he looks up towards what seems to be an old manufactory building. Or, at least, that’s what you guess based on the semi-similar markings to what were on the same sort of buildings today. Y’know. Like your workplace. You scowl until he begins to talk. “Alright. Got pointed here by a friend of a friend, said they’d been scroungin’ in here for scrap when the floor started givin’ up under ‘em. Somethin’ about how that’s right up my alley, seein’ as nobody was gonna dispatch a hovercraft out here…” You can hear as he adjusts his gear out of frame. He lifts his electrope tether up into view of the camera before twirling it a couple of times. “Well. Let’s get started then, shall we? This is the Rusty Reforger and I’m here to take you through a pre-surge manufacturing facility meant for specialty conversion of electrope rations.” You watch as the purple-shone electrope swings high and flies all the way towards the top of the building. It snaps taut as it grips on like a magnet. And then he climbs.

Galena rolled away from the editing deck he’d cobbled together from various finds and things he’d been given by other reforgers. Taking salvage for yourself like this could certainly be seen as a little but selfish, sure, but in his own mind he’d certainly earned it. Not like he had much to do around their apartment anyways. Or… his apartment. He sighed. At least the last trip had been a fun one. Old electrope clocks with odd circuitry. (He turned one of them in. Good scrap. The other three went to a fellow reforger.) A scale that checked both the mass and conductivity of pieces of electrope placed on it. (Pretty rare. Especially since it was still working. He was tempted to keep this one for himself, but couldn’t do that in good conscience. He left it with a contact in the outskirts who might be able to put it to better use.) A tool meant to re-etch electrope circuits and sigils in the field. (Out of date by a damn good while, of course, and incompatible with modern techniques. But it would be pretty valuable to someone who worked with antiques or restoring old pieces… He made a couple calls to find an old friend. They screamed over the line when he told them.) There were plenty of less notable items, of course, but admittedly he’d had a lot of fun talking about even the most mundane finds. And it seemed as if the people who watched his work did as well. It was… nice. Having so many people tune in to listen to him talk about the devices of the old kingdom or even simply a few decades out of fashion was invigorating. Especially when some of the comments were enthusiastic- “Saved my night with this one, Rusty. Shit day at work and nothing to do after having my ass handed to me… and then you show up with this!”

#ffxivwrite2024 #/Companions/GnPy #galena succumbs to the white guy impulse to start a youtube channel #but it's not Opinion youtuber he's just showing cool rocks he found #the healthiest coping mechanism to not being able to remember your dead kid #meanwhile his wife became a terrorist /joke

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spock-smokes-weed · 2 months

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Sorry I’m not done chirping. I have bad insomnia right now.

I’m honestly so sick of the pearl clutching from liberals right now about people not voting. It comes across as so fucking tone deaf.

Listen, I am pro voting and of the mind it’s much smarter in the long run to vote instead of sitting out. Low voter turn out is how the Republicans can stay in power.

However, I feel like turning up your nose at those who don’t vote doesn’t do anything to actually understand WHY people don’t vote. And it’s usually because the Dems never fucking bring anything to the table and try to coast on being the lesser of two evils. That is honestly such an insulting way to run a campaign.

Especially when it comes to minority voters. A lot of them have spoken to how they feel like their material conditions never improve under either party. Yes they get worse under republicans, but “not making things worse” should never be the standard we set. But that’s the message Dems have been running on since Ronald Regan.

And in regards to the moment we’re in now, I think it’s heartless to be looking down on Muslim and Palestinian Americans for not wanting to vote for Kamala Harris. Sure, Palestine might not be a deal breaker for YOU, but spare a fucking thought to the people who’ve lost whole branches of their family in this genocide. This comes back to what I said before: things would be worse in Gaza under Trump, but you’re delusional to think the Biden administration has handled this well. On the issue of Israel/Palestine, Biden and Trump are the same.

As Genocide Joe’s VP, Kamala Harris absolutely has to answer to the abysmal way the administration has handled this genocide. It’s cowardly for her to stay silent and hope she can toe the line up until Election Day. And the time to call her out isn’t when she gets in the White House, it’s right now while she’s still courting the American people.

There are plenty of people who want to vote for the Harris/Walz ticket and their progressive policies, but the silence on Palestine is an absolute deal breaker. My GOAT Hasan Piker said he would literally door knock for Kamala if she changes her position on Americans unwavering support to Israel. Continuing to stick by Israel is LOSER behavior. It’s another example of Dems scurrying to the right on unpopular issues because they’re spineless cowards who are afraid of making brave political decision. The Dems have nothing to gain from their current position. Literally nothing.

For the people are going to vote no matter what (like myself) now isn’t the moment to spit and hiss at people for not wanting to vote, now is the moment to stand with the people who feel left behind by democratic policy and DEMAND the democrats do better. And we do that by disrupting the good press Harris is getting right now. Go out and protest and call your representatives!!! Make it clear “I’d love to vote for Harris but I can’t in good conscience until her position on Israel changes” THAT’S IT!!!! Even if that’s a lie!!! It’s okay to lie to politicians!!!! Tell them you won’t vote even if you are!!!! Enough noise will make it impossible for them to ignore it!!!

The biggest problem with the Democratic Party is that they’ve tried time and time again to chase the success the republicans had, instead of engaging with their own base. We are seeing right now the progressive policies are popular and it’s smart politics to build a base on that. And it’s actually incredibly dumb to adopt right wing positions on issues like immigration and Palestine. Drawing the line in the sand now while the Dems are on a winning streak could do a lot to drag American politics away from the nightmare we’ve been living under since Regan.

#us politics #kamala harris #harris walz 2024 #free palestine #palestine

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voltronisanobsession · 1 year

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Platonic! Voltron x Tiktok Obsessed Reader

Just another silly headcanon I thought of, i kinda get lost in the sauce when I’m scrolling through tiktok so i was inspired to do this😍🙏 enjoy my guys xoxo💋

Let’s imagine that tiktok is still a relevant thing during this time since this show is set in the future😻

Even before leaving Earth, Reader was very obsessed with tiktok. Phone opened on the app already, you probably had like a couple hours stacked on it. It was the only thing that kept you from dying of boredom

So when leaving the planet, you were DEVASTATED to see that your phone was quite literally useless in space

No charger, no wifi, and no more silly videos to entertain you

The most you had was your camera but the battery was a major problem

The team notices your more dazed-off look during meetings and on missions, often seeing you fiddle with your phone and just swiping through all your apps

That's until you go to Pidge to see if she can work some magic which SHE IS ABLE TO DO (so slay of her tbh)

She explains that she was able to route the phones connection to the electric waves from nearby planets but you stopped listening at that point

You’re both amazed when you reboot the app to see it completely different, yet similar to what it was before, only now it was filled with many different kinds aliens and their own videos

You are able to see the different environments and types of aliens that are scattered across the universe which was super cool to you!!!!

Cue you literally recording EVERYTHING the team does, let it be missions, meetings, or even fights which starts pissing Keith off a bit (bro feels like you’re not taking the whole voltron thing seriously💀💀)

It doesn’t bother you though since now you’re able to drag Lance and Hunk to do different kinds of trends that are popular on the new app

You manage to build up a small fan base because of the videos on your account, many people loving seeing the life of a paladin of Voltron😻‼️‼️

At one point you manage to get all of the paladins and Coran to do mini “get to know the team” videos (which I imagine are like the short videos on YouTube if you know which ones I mean)

Keith thinks the readers whole tiktok account is dumb and ‘useless’ in his words but is completely in shock when you get recognized by many people when visiting new planets because of your popularity

Shiro I think might find the whole thing a bit strange but he definitely entertains your ideas and involves himself with your account. You make him feel young when you force him to do one of the trends that is popular during that time

Allura doesn’t fully understand what the app is used for and see no real use for it until she realizes that your spreading the word of Voltron around. Then she does start forcing herself into your videos, which you don’t really mind (she loves being in your videos but is really awkward💔)

Lance is the one who is with you in most of your videos, often doing dance trends or mini vlogs with you. He loves how people also know him and enjoys the popularity he has with your followers😜 Has stolen your phone just to have Lance one on ones with your followers

Hunk is another one who usually is dragged into any shenanigans you and Lance are up to, whether it’s pranking one of the paladins or teaching your followers how to cook meals (he loves the compliments people give him when they try his recipes out)

Pidge RARELY is in any of your videos, mostly because she doesn’t like having a camera shoved up her face randomly. But she sometimes does do one of your dumb videos when she’s bored and has nothing to do, which leads to you featuring her more often

Keith is a fan favorite honestly, the people love his sarcastic and brooding attitude, which he claims he doesn’t have. He doesn’t mind being in your videos but he’s most of the time standing like a wall not knowing what to do with himself💀💀 (he enjoys being included with you guys though💔)

Coran LOVES being in your videos since he feels like the main character in them! He’s actually stolen your phone multiple times just so he could post some videos of himself, he loves the attention he gets by being Voltrons secondhand man hehe

Overall, the team grew to enjoy your funny and inclusive videos, it helps them break out of the serious routine they’ve gotten used to while in space :D

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restlessmaknae · 1 year

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read your mind [intak]

Intak might not have been able to die, but you could read his mind. Quite literally. No wonder it led to many annoying, awkward and even sweet realisations.

➳ Characters: Intak x female!mind-reader reader/you

➳ Genre: action, dystopian au (loosely based on 'P1H: The beginning of the new world' movie), superpowers au

➳ Words: 7.2k

➳ Warning: mentions of blood, death, knives, breaking bones, wound treating, losing parents

➳ A/N: This is my contribution to my own P1Harmony writing collab called '(dis)harmony' featuring stories revolving around the theme 'disrupted harmony'. Check out the other stories here!

➳ P1Harmony taglist: @dat-town, @tranquilpetrichor, @laaylaazyy, @americanokisses, @kuleo26, @hyu-won, @wccycc, @sunooslover, @littlestartonightsposts, @koishua

➳ Check out: my P1Harmony masterlist

You took your headphones off and let it rest around your neck as you turned a corner. There was no one around as expected, and this way, the noises in your head could finally shut up. Embracing the serenity of this moment, you listened to your footsteps echo off the ground as you took confident steps towards the abandoned, graffiti-tinted walls - aka your temporary home.

The metal stairs under your feet screeched as you made your way to the entrance and you halted when you noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Even though it had been a frequent sight to see it open before you had decided to live (or rather hide) here, you had always kept it closed ever since. Which meant that someone had to be in there.

Alert, you reached for the knife tucked into your boots, and pressed the door just on the right spot, so that it wouldn’t make noise as you pushed it open. As soon as you stepped inside (thus closer to the intruder), you could hear the thoughts racing in his head, mostly marvelling at the mapped out possibilities in your notebook based on the clues you had been gathering in the past few days.

You moved swiftly and quietly and after considering his build and his current posture - he was leaning towards your computer which meant that he was significantly shorter with his arched back, thus easier for you to corner him. He was also pretty oblivious, still wondering who could have left these things behind, so he had no chance to hear your approaching footsteps, he was so focused on piercing together what he saw in front of him.

As you stepped up to him, your arms closed around him, and you pointed your knife to his chin - a warning, not yet an attack. It was enough for him to stiffen, yet he didn’t risk straightening his back.

“Wow, easy, dude, I’m-” He exclaimed surprisingly casually, and you felt the need to scoff.

“What are you doing here? Why are you here?” You cut him off as soon as you could, straight to the point as always.

Oh shit, she’s not even a dude, he thought, and you rolled your eyes. So predictable to underestimate a girl like you.

“Yesterday, I saw you torn a Harmony sticker off the walls before following you back here, and thought that you might have a special ability, too, and you’re searching for them, but I thought that you are a guy,” he reasoned, still too calm for your liking. Disregarding the fact that he thought you could be a guy in your black hoodie, black sweatpants and your black unisex boots that you usually went out in, especially at night, you kept your tone stern and warning as you spoke up.

“Or I could be searching for people with special abilities, and I could kill you right here and right now.”

“Haha, nice one, girl.”

He had the nerve to laugh which annoyed you even more, so you held the knife closer to his skin, so close that it could be piercing his skin if you let it kiss his skin even closer.

“The problem is, I can’t die.”

I’ve got her, it seems. Now, who’s laughing?

“What?” Your eyes widened, the word rolling off your tongue in disbelief. What on earth…

I know that surprise. Huh, why can’t people believe that I can’t die? Am I too handsome for that?

His thoughts proved to you that he was telling the truth because if people lied to your face, they were hoping that you would buy it in their thoughts, they didn’t continue having thoughts that could prove their innocence because they had no idea that you could read their mind.

“That’s my special ability,” he broke it down to you nevertheless, and you had no reason not to believe him, and yet. Was he immortal then?

And I wonder what is yours, you heard his thoughts, but you decided not to tell him what you could do because it was your advantage, your strength against him. Sometimes it was difficult to distinguish when someone spoke up and when you heard their thoughts, but when you could read people’s mind, it was like a grumble, a ghostly voice in your head that echoed through your brain - or so it seemed even though there weren’t good enough words to describe what it felt like reading people’s mind.

Putting aside his curiosity, you pondered out loud, testing the waters as your grip around the knife didn’t loosen.

“So I can’t even cut you, I assume.”

“I guess you can, but even if I break a bone or two, I’m back to my healthy, unwounded self within a minute,” he responded just as casually as he did so far, but now you could put a finger on his laid-back self. You guessed that since getting hurt wasn’t an option for him, he feared nothing. Huh, guess some people had it better than others when it came to their special ability.

There was no point in holding the knife to his chin anymore, so you took a step back and retreated, letting the guy straighten up and turn towards you. He was definitely taller like this, messy, slightly curly locks sitting on top of his head, fringe in his eyes, a cheeky smile pulling his lips upwards, his whole posture radiating casualty.

Oh wow, she’s pretty, the boy thought, and you rolled your eyes.

“I guess you aren’t after people with special abilities if you let me go now. So, what do you think about teaming up?” The boy suggested as he lowered to sit on the desk. Despite the fact that it wasn’t your desk as per se since you had assembled this room from all the furniture that had been left here, it still bugged you that he was sitting so casually as if he owned the place.

You let out a huff, bewilderment an understatement to say how you felt.

“Why would I do that?”

“You can use me as a shield. I can’t die as I’ve mentioned.”

“What would you gain from teaming up with me? What’s your motif?” You turned the question around because it was all good that he couldn’t die, so you could push him out to quite literally bite the bullets for you, but why was he really here?

“I’ve told you. I’m also searching for the Harmony bungalow or base or whatever we want to call it, and I think two is better than one. You seem pretty fierce for one, so whether you have super strength or something, I feel like I could also gain something from this partnership,” he reasoned, ruffling his hair at the end as if he wanted to charm you.

She can’t say no to this. I’m even using my puppy eyes, it’s always working.

Bingo. A few minutes with this guy, and you could already tell just what kind of a guy he was. Despite the tempting offer to use him as a human shield, you didn’t have time to strike deals with guys like him.

“As you can see, I’ve been doing just fine up until now, so I don’t need your help,” you told him in a condescending tone, and pushed his shoulder to prompt him to stand up from the desk. The boy didn’t budge, instead, when you reached for his shoulder for the third time, he grabbed your wrist - gently yet firmly -, and turned your body towards his.

“I don’t have anywhere else to go,” he voiced out, serious for the first time since the beginning of the conversation. There was a few seconds of silence that hung over the two of you while he was thinking: should I tell her about my family? About how they died because of me? Or would she not believe me? How can I make her believe me then? I thought I would be able to convince her with just the fact that I can’t die.

Your heart churned at the thought of him losing his family - probably because of who he was and what he was. A monster, a freak or a god. It depended on what stories you listened to, what kind of people you talked to. There had been a huge meteor shower two months ago that had killed many, but it had also left many with special abilities. There were rumours about people being able to fly or run super fast or create illusions, and then it seemed that he couldn’t die, and you could read people’s minds.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for those affected no matter how many kids called special abilities cool. The government was searching for those with special abilities because they deemed them dangerous (and probably because they wanted to control them), and they did whatever it took to hunt them down. That’s why you had run away from home as well. You had known what your parents had been thinking about the whole situation, and even though you hadn’t told them that you could read minds, you had left, saying that it was better for everyone.

Ever since then, you had been on the run, but the frightened thoughts of your parents from the hospital were still hunting you.

What if she is lying, and she is also one of them? What if they come for her? Your mother had thought, and it had broken your heart not to tell her the truth, but you had put the pieces together quickly. You had been in a coma for three weeks as one of the meteors had hit the supermarket you had been at, and whilst unconscious, you had merely thought that you could hear others talk around you in the hospital ward. Yet, as soon as you had woken up, you had realised that you had heard their thoughts in your head, not only the words spoken out loud.

Considering your own experience and the way he was pondering about his own family’s tragedy in his thoughts, tormented whether he should tell you about that to convince you, you broke the silence:

“Fine.”

“Really?”

“Really,” you told him, looking away for a moment to avoid seeing that wide grin spread across his lips like honey before looking back at him. “Now, let me go,” you demanded as you turned your gaze towards his fingers around your wrist. He formed an O with his mouth, clearly bewildered that he was still holding your hand, and after he let go, you set some rules.

You told him to follow your words and not go out doing god knows what all on his own without discussing it with you beforehand, you told him that he should help you out as much as he could and share his own clues about the Harmony base, and you also told him to stop babbling if you asked him to. Plus, you told him not to do stupid stuff because you believed him, you believed the fact that he couldn’t die.

“Noted?”

“Noted,” he bobbed his head fervently like an excited puppy. In the next moment, he opened his mouth, then closed it a few seconds later without muttering a single word. Your reply came in a package with a questioning quirk of your eyebrows and a weary question:

“What is it?”

“The thing is…” God, I’m so stupid, I think she would say no if I told her about it… “I think the government is after me.”

“No shit, Sherlock. They are after all of us,” you rolled your eyes instantly since it was a known fact that they were after all of you who had special abilities. You felt the urge to laugh into his face, but his facial expression was rather guilty - to follow up the puppy metaphor, he seemed like a puppy that had gotten caught breaking a vase and now he looked at you with a tremendous amount of pleading in his eyes.

“Maybe I did try to see if I can’t die a bit too many times, and they have caught onto that, so I’m actually on the run, not just looking for a partner in crime.”

Maybe I shouldn’t have tried jumping off high buildings too many times in the areas where there are CCTVs. In retrospect, it wasn’t the best way to test my powers.

You let out a long sigh, the added thoughts going through his head proving that he was telling the truth. You shook your head a few times before taking a seat beside the desk, looking ahead of yourself for a few seconds that he interrupted only with his thoughts.

What is going on? Will she tell me to go to hell? Will she slap me?

“It’s not like I’m not on the run,” you announced before grabbing the notebook on the desk and opening your laptop, showing him the clues you had been gathering about where this base could be, and how you could get there.

Whether only you were wanted by the authorities or he was too, it didn’t really matter. Though you definitely didn’t think that he was that serious about his warning, and that he was that sought after, the government-sent men showed up a few hours later, and it didn’t turn out to be a peaceful encounter…

Your fingers were itching, you really felt like you were going somewhere with the clues the Harmony base had left behind. Usually, they left behind stickers with numbers or words at random places, so the clues could be taken off before someone from the authorities found them. On the other hand, for it to be safe, they probably had to change bases periodically because once you had thought you had found them, but all you had found was an empty warehouse and traces of paper, smoke and crumbs. Afterwards, the numbers and words of the clues had also changed, but the rumours stayed the same: that there was a base where people with special abilities could train together and be united. Something that you all probably longed for.

You were just about to put your clues together with a possible map of a district in Southern Seoul when you heard footsteps echoing off the metal stairs outside. You exchanged a glance with Intak - who didn’t fail to mention his family name when he introduced himself, Hwang as in king, and he said it so proudly as if you couldn’t understand what Hwang meant - before you closed your laptop, threw it into your bag alongside your notebook with the stickers and notes. Then, you reached for the knife in your boots and whispered to Intak that he should get something, too.

“But I don’t have anything,” he mouthed back, and you sighed, quickly reaching into your bag to get out another knife. The boy gave you an almost intimidated glance before he took it, but he didn’t have time to be horrified because the door flew open, and two broad-shouldered men stepped inside in what looked like soldier uniforms.

In the dim light of the lamp on the desk, you could only take out the outline of their features, nothing else, but their outfit was enough to believe that they were coming for you, and they weren’t just random dudes scaring off youngsters at an abandoned house.

“Now, if you cooperate with us, no one gets hurt,” one of the men spoke in an almost mellifluous way. It gave you the creeps, let alone the way his lips curled upwards as if he was looking at his prey with a victorious smile.

You knew that the quickest way to escape was to go outside through the doors, but the men were still standing there as if they actually believed you would change your mind, and other than that, you could only go upstairs to the rooftop or jump out of the window. The window option didn’t seem that appealing, so when the men walked towards you two, you spun the knife in your hand before aiming at the mellifluously speaking man’s arm.

He was taken aback by your quick reflexes and blood trickled down his arm immediately, but the sight infuriated him, and he became like a destroyer machine, breaking stuff around him and launching himself at you as if he wanted to squash you. You turned, rolled on the floor, kicked and cut him with your knife wherever you could, but he was too strong, so at one point, you had to use a bit of planning, and smash his head against the edge of the desk to slow him down, so you could save some time to run towards the door.

Just as you were about to run towards the door, you saw Intak running up the stairs, and you cursed under your breath. You couldn’t leave him alone, but fighting on the rooftop was the worst possible option even though you knew he couldn’t get seriously hurt. On the other hand, he didn’t even seem skilled enough to fight someone, and you heard his frantic thoughts in your head as you ran up the stairs after him and the man chasing him: Oh my god, no, I can’t do this. I was a lazybum during PE too, why is this Terminator guy so quick? Damn it…

The man obviously had thoughts about not letting this kid (as he called Intak) have his way, and he also thought that the boy would fit in well with the other monsters at the prison. To which, you couldn’t help but wonder if they really kept people like you in prisons? The thought itself made you so angry that when you reached the two of them on the rooftop, you kicked into the man’s back with more strength than you thought you possessed.

“Nice kick, girl!” Intak hollered, almost excited, and you could afford a semi-smile before the ground slipped from beneath your feet. You landed on your back with a loud thud, your bag sliding down to your arms. The worrying thoughts that went through Intak’s head with the man’s victorious thoughts going through his head at the same time was more painful. The more people’s thoughts you could hear around yourself, the more it felt like your head was aching, so it was harder to concentrate and now it was harder to think about your next move.

Your vision shifted and spun like a carousel for a few seconds before it came back to normal. You felt Intak’s hands reaching for yours, and you grabbed them, pushing yourself off the ground with your free hand.

“You shouldn’t have come up to the rooftop. This was the stupidest option,” you reprimanded him in between shallow breaths before turning around to face the man who had made you fall.

“I panicked. I didn’t know what to do,” Intak justified, rather hurt, before you could hear his thoughts as clearly as ever: Besides, I have an idea, but I’m not sure she would consider it a good one.

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes as you swang your knife at the man who dodged your move. He was much better than the other man, and he was even stronger, so when he managed to knock the knife out of your hand with a well-aimed kick, you cursed under your breath. You fought a lot better with a knife than with your bare body, and it didn’t help that you heard Intak’s frantic thoughts at the same time as the man’s - the two had totally opposite thoughts, and with the adrenaline working hard in your system, it was difficult to shut them off. When you were calm and composed, you could tame the voices or at least the volume of them, but not when you were in the middle of a fight…

“Whatever idea you have, Intak, do it now!” You grumbled frantically as you started taking steps backwards, trying to get out of the man’s way, especially after he managed to snatch the knife out of Intak’s hand, too.

“Little kids like you should know when to give up,” the man sneered through gritted teeth, his voice resembling a psychopath’s. Maybe you two were the odd ones out with Intak, but he was definitely the more dangerous one here.

Okay, here we go, Intak thought before you could feel him touch you from behind. Before you could realise what he was about to do, he practically gave you a back hug before taking a few quick steps towards the edge and taking you with him. Then, it felt like flying - you could see the cloudy sky above with darkening patches on the horizon, the edge of the building you had just jumped from and the man’s bewildered expression. You were both super fast and super slow as you were carried by gravity, Intak’s body reaching the ground first, then yours.

Even though Intak took the fall instead of you (you landed as if he was a pillow beneath you), your teeth clinked together and the landing’s effect reverberated through your spine, making you dizzy and a bit light-headed. Your vision yet again lost sight of colours for a few seconds before you managed to come back to your senses. You had just jumped off that building. To be precise, Intak had jumped off and pulled you with him which was the stupidest and the smartest idea at the same time.

Yet, despite knowing that he couldn’t get seriously hurt, when you heard him grumble beneath you, you immediately rolled off him, and crouched beside him. There was blood oozing out from his head, and the sight of it scared you, so much that you found yourself reaching for his chest, to feel his heartbeat.

“Are you okay?” You found yourself asking despite the fact that it was the most unreasonable question to ask him given the circumstances. He was blinking rapidly, looking around himself, and when his eyes closed in on you, he blinked a few more times. Then, he caught sight of your hands on his chest, and there it was, that cheeky smile of his…

“You should have asked me if you wanted to touch me so bad,” he mentioned, his voice uncharacteristically low, and you felt the need to punch him. That annoying jerk.

She is cute when she’s worried, he thought, and you were about to open your mouth to say that you weren’t cute, but then you realised that it wasn’t coming from his mouth, it was merely what he was thinking. So you shut your mouth, and instead, pulled the boy towards you, helping him to get up. However, he lost his balance for a moment, and you nearly fell upon him, but he held you up, strong and steady.

“Are you okay?” He asked and you could only blink at him. The closeness, the physical touches and the worried thoughts going through his head whether you hurt yourself and whether that fall on the rooftop had been excruciating pained you and mended your heart all at the same time. There were no remains of the cheeky smile from before, there was no mischief glinting in his deep mahogany-brown eyes, there was nothing but worry invading his thoughts, and if anything, that just scared you even more. He shouldn’t have cared about anyone he had just met a few hours ago to that extent, yet… you were the same…

As if woken from a stupor, the noise of the outside world reached you, and you immediately stumbled to your feet, the boy doing the same. Then, you two just ran, and you didn’t even realise he was still holding your hand until you reached a corner and he turned sooner than you could have done so. He still didn’t let go of you, merely pulled you with him, and you followed him even though you had no idea where you were going. Just away from the danger, away from yet another temporary home…

After the meteor shower that had led to people developing special abilities, a lot of buildings were left mildly or gravely damaged. Some were taken care of, some were in the middle of construction, and a lot of them were still abandoned, left in their spooky and semi-equipped state. You didn't know whether it was because the ones who had been living there were not so lucky and passed away in the meteor shower (or they were still in a coma), or it was because nobody cared to rebuild them instead of finding a new home, but you were lucky in the sense that you could go from one abandoned building to another, finding shelter. There were a few that homeless people occupied, but there were always some that were left uninhibited.

When you reached one after running for so long, you walked around the building to make sure that nobody else was there, then you plopped down on the dusty couch, finding solace in stillness. Intak followed your example, and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the hem of his jacket.

You hadn’t known him for long, but you could already tell that silence was scarce around him. He was usually determined to break it and fill it, but now, neither of you seemed to find the right words to say. So you merely sat there for a few minutes, catching your breath and thinking of ways to move forward.

Surprisingly, you were the first to speak up.

“You know, going to the rooftop was the stupidest idea. You should have just left through the front door while I was taking care of the other man,” you pointed out in case you two will ever have a fight like that again. Hearing your words, the boy puckered his lips like an offended child and his voice was slightly higher when he spoke up.

“Well, sorry, I panicked, that was the only thing that came to my mind. I’m not as smart as you are, and I’m not as good of a fighter as you are, you could see that.”

Still, I’m glad that we are both safe. Even with my stupidest idea, he thought to himself, and you could hear the sulkiness in his voice - both when he said the words out loud and when you heard his voice in your thoughts. With his big doe eyes, boyish features, messy locks and puckered lips, he really did resemble a child. Or a puppy that was left alone for too long.

“Don’t be sulky. I was saying it, so that we wouldn’t run into something like this in the future.”

“I’m not sulky.”

“Yes, you are,” you insisted, a smile already making its way onto your lips as you watched his facial expression change from apparently sulky to defensive and then to resigned. He was such an open book, you could tell how he was feeling just by a glance at him.

God, are we really going to pick a fight over this when we managed to escape the men? I know I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but still… I saved her.

You had to give it to him that he was right. He did save you, and you would say that he had sacrificed himself for you if you hadn’t known that he couldn’t die. Still, it was sort of like sacrificing himself for you. You hadn’t been around anyone else, let alone someone like an ally for the past month ever since you had left home, so having him around felt like a burden and a relief. A burden because now you couldn’t help but worry about his safety (despite knowing that he couldn’t die), and a relief because it was more bearable going through something like this together. You weren’t even sure that you could have escaped the men from before if he hadn’t been there. You had managed to fight a man before, but he had been alone then, and he had been rather inadequate to fight, thus you had managed to escape him almost easily.

Knowing what Intak was thinking and seeing how he was still like a pouty kid, you cleared your throat.

“Well, thanks anyways,” you broke the silence, and given his wide-eyed stare, you added. “For saving me back there.”

What? Did she change her mind? What’s with the mood suddenly?

“You’re welcome, I guess?” Intak replied cautiously, and his answer was more like a question. Even his thoughts mirrored his uncertainty: What am I supposed to say to that? I didn’t prepare for a thanks from her.

There was a kind of a solemn mood blanketing you two after your little banter, and you could hear based on his thoughts how he wanted to break the silence, but he didn’t know what he could possibly bring up. On the other hand, you had a question that had been floating in your head ever since you had gotten to know about his special ability, so you decided to ask about it.

“How are you so sure that you will survive each and every time you’re supposed to die? Is there really no way for you to die?”

“I don’t really know. I fell from pretty high the first time I died, and I should have probably broken a few bones and thrown out my shoulder and stuff, but I still managed to put myself together afterwards. I don’t know how and why, I’m just as clueless as you are,” came the answer almost immediately, and you could see sincerity reflected in his warm brown orbs.

When you had met him that morning, he had seemed like your typical popular boy at school. The fact that he was wearing sweatpants, a loose tee and a bomber jacket as if he had just come from the gym didn’t help either. He had that cheeky smile plastered onto his face, and he had seemed rather carefree and careless. Now, you could tell that he didn’t think of his special ability as something cool, no matter how much he had made it seem like in the beginning. Uncertainty was scary, and even though you weren’t fully aware of the characteristics of your mind-reading ability, his case must have been even more difficult.

“Isn’t it scary? Dying over and over again?” You couldn’t help but ask. His demeanour didn’t waver, but you could see a hint of surprise flash across his orbs.

Huh, is she worried about me? Has she warmed up to me to care about whether it is scary for me to die again and again?

You could have easily rolled your eyes upon hearing his thoughts, but since he didn’t appear cocky, you didn’t feel like doing so. Instead, he remained cool on the surface and shrugged his shoulders.

“The first two times, it was scary. Ever since then, it’s not that bad.”

Besides, this time, I had to save us. I had to save you. I didn’t think about anything else.

You froze for a moment there. Sure, you had been worried about him during the fight, you had thought about his safety as well, but you wouldn’t have expected such thoughts from him. He was apparently more mature and responsible than you would have thought so, not that you would let him know that you felt this way.

Brushing off his words echoing in your head and the flashbacks of his hands on your hands, you suggested talking about what you were supposed to do next, and that you should probably grab some food afterwards. You ended up eating first, then plotting some plans because Intak was also really hungry. He went to grab some food from the nearby supermarket (taking your safety tips into consideration about how to appear less on CCTVs and such), and then, you were hunched over your notes and maps while having a pretty dry yet edible sandwich. Definitely not the way you would have thought this day would end, but you didn’t mind.

Actually, Intak was pretty useful when it came to the clues. He might not have been able to read maps, but he had that outside-of-the-box thinking that made you realise that the seemingly random letters you had found on one sticker could indicate that they were coded, and you had to translate them to their corresponding number in the English alphabet. You assumed that they were the acronyms for a street or a district name, but once you had the encryption done, they turned out to be GPS coordinates. It fit well with the map you had been working on and the text that was only visible in the dark that said: follow the fences. According to the map you had found, it was supposed to be a huge empty place, the remains of a firm built a few decades ago, probably behind high fences.

Needless to say, it didn’t take you only a day to put your clues together, so you had to spend some time together with the boy which made you feel uneasy in the beginning. However, apart from a few jokes about sleeping together (as in under the same roof before anyone could misunderstand) and his usual (now trademark) cheeky smiles, he wasn’t that unbearable. Besides, you could read his mind, so he didn’t have a lot of secrets in front of you, let it be his opinion on the bibimbap you got him from the store or how much he hated riddles and felt stupid when he couldn’t help with the clues. You felt the need to reassure him time and time again that he wasn’t stupid, and that he helped immensely, and you expected him to be all smug about it, but he was rather touched to hear your soothing words.

However, being the target of the government due to your special abilities meant that you had to be on the run whether they found out about your hideout place or not. You had to fight a few more officials and flee from another place before you could put together the clues, and this fight resulted in a few injuries on your part. You insisted that you could take care of them, but you had a big cut from a glass window that scratched your back, so you had to let Intak disinfect it. It didn’t help that you could hear his concerned (and panicky) thoughts running through his head, and his self-blame resurfaced with the thoughts.

“Don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault,” you told him between two hisses, and you thought that he would catch onto you reading his mind, but he didn’t. Despite the fact that he seemed innocent and he was definitely harmless, there was no right time or right place to tell him about your ability, especially when you were on the run, so you didn’t. One day, you would do so.

“But it bugs me that I can’t die and can’t get hurt, but you can. I wish I could have a power that lets me heal others, not just myself,” he responded firmly, and his sincere confession took you aback. You felt your heart beat against your rib cage in a rather panicked rhythm, the rhythm of your confusion and gratitude and… was that affection? You cared about him, he genuinely cared about you just as this confession proved you, but could it be something else?

You didn’t have time to ponder over it because the boy put the antiseptic on an untreated part of your cut, and the pain erased all questions from your head. You winced, letting the agony wash over you in waves before you finally finished, but that one question stayed in the back of your mind even after it was over, even days after when you put the clues together and you were about to leave for Harmony base (hopefully) with all the (little amount of) belongings you had on you.

You were careful about how you were going there, changing clothes from the last time the officials had ambushed your hideout place, but you couldn’t appear panicked because that would draw more suspicion than anything else. So you casually hopped on the bus, then the metro, and walked towards the abandoned factory. Indeed, there were an awful lot of fences that led to the firm’s front door, and as you looked around, you caught sight of a few cameras. Could they be government-related cameras? Or could the ones at Harmony base monitor who were circling around the base? It even crossed your mind that it could be a trap after all, but you hoped that it wasn’t a trap after everything you had gone through to get here.

You knew that Intak had the same thoughts, though he was eerily quiet beside you. He was scared and hopeful at the same time according to his thoughts, but when you reached the front door of the firm, he reached for your arm and pulled you behind him. Bewildered was an understatement to describe how you felt even though it was true that he couldn’t get hurt, so if things went south, he could still let you have enough time to run away if he was, for instance, stabbed. Not that you would leave him there on his own. After all, who knew what they would do to him?

“Should I just knock? Or should we wait for them to come outside?” Intak inquired rather conflicted, and you didn’t know what would be better, so you suggested knocking.

He knocked a few times, but only silence remained.

“Do you think we came to the wrong place? I was so sure about the encryption though,” the boy mentioned sulkily, and turned towards you with a pout. He was pretty cute when he was pouting.

“Even though this is not the Harmony base, we’ve tried to find and put the clues together. That’s what matters,” you pointed out with a half-smile. “Maybe they’ve already left,” you reasoned, hoping not to crush whatever hope he had left in him. You still had the chance to open the door yourself, but before you could do so, the door flew open, and a grey-haired boy stepped outside.

“We’ve heard your conversation, and you’ve come to the right place,” he announced in a theatrical manner, even going as far as bowing towards you two. Then, he reached for Intak’s wrist, closed his eyes, and did… nothing for a few seconds. “You pass,” he announced after opening his eyes, but Intak didn’t budge, still sheltering you from the front.

You were utterly confused as to what was going on because even the thoughts of the grey-haired boy seemed genuine. He was thinking how lucky they were that two more people with special abilities could join them, and that their clues didn’t seem that difficult this time. So he wasn’t just acting nice, he was a part of Harmony base, but still… What was with the wrist touching?

“Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Keeho, and I can sense who has a special ability and who doesn’t, but in order for me to do that, I need to touch them. Just a bit though,” he introduced himself cheerily, a wide smile plastered onto his face. He looked at you peeking out from behind Intak with an expectant smile, and you exchanged a glance with your partner in crime before reaching out your wrist and letting the so-called Keeho touch it.

He was gentle though, and his hand was off your wrist in no time, letting you pass as well. He beckoned you two inside, and despite the first few minutes that you spent looking around and trying to make sure that you weren’t dreaming, you finally managed to believe that you had found Harmony base. You did it. Especially when you met more people with special abilities, some were in the midst of training their telekinesis or what seemed like super strength, others had special labs in which they put together or grow stuff, and it was so cool and so reassuring. They were all just like you. You belonged here.

Intak felt the same joy because he swept you off your feet (quite literally) and spun you around while hugging you.

“We did it,” he hollered cheerfully before putting you down and letting you escape his grip. You didn’t do so. You just stared at him, smiley and wide-eyed, your heart jumping up and down in exhilaration. Intak did the same, and this moment seemed so fragile, something that you would like to embrace and keep close to your heart for the future. You really did it.

I want to kiss her so bad, but I’m afraid she will slap me in the face if I do so. You heard Intak’s words in your head, and you couldn’t help but let out a light-hearted laughter.

“I won’t”, you said as you pulled on his shirt and pulled him closer, your lips crushing against his. It was swift and sweet, and Intak definitely didn’t see it coming despite his own thoughts of kissing you because he gaped like a fish after you let go of him.

“What? What did you mean by you won’t?” He blinked at you, totally confused, and you shrugged your shoulders in response. Seeing his utter confusion though, you decided to let him in on the secret.

“That I won’t slap you.”

“But I didn’t… I didn’t say it out loud, did I?” He looked so perplexed as if he actually believed that he did say it out loud without him knowing. It was so him, your smile only grew wider before the confession.

“You didn’t, but I can read your mind. That’s my special ability.”

If he was gaping before, now his jaw was hanging open. He couldn’t close his mouth for a few more moments, but when he did so, he started blabbering about it - if you could read his mind all the time (yes), if you had heard all of his thoughts when he thought that you were pretty and cool and badass (yes, you did), and that if you knew he liked you, why didn’t you act (because you weren’t sure about your own feelings towards him).

“But now you are?” Intak blinked at you, a hint of hope flashing across his warm, mahogany-brown orbs. No words were needed to confirm it, you merely nodded and pulled him in for another kiss, and he wasn’t that taken aback this time. He rather enjoyed it which you knew because his thoughts were full of you.

You were sure though that if he could read your mind, he would say the same.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this story of mine! Let me know what you think!

If you want to read more stories of mine, let it be for P1Harmony or for other artists, consider signing up for my taglist here.

Hope you have a lovely day/night! Take care! ❤️

#p1harmony scenarios #p1harmony imagines #p1harmony x reader #p1harmony x you #intak scenarios #intak imagines #intak x reader #intak x you #hwang intak scenarios #hwang intak imagines #hwang intak x reader #hwang intak x you #p1h scenarios #p1h imagines #p1h x reader #p1h x you #disharmonycollab

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stupidstrawberrystars · 7 months

Note

hi. so. I NEED MORE OF THAT TIKTOK AU

While I am writing this for me, to try and remind myself why I love writing, I also love that other people loved it too ❤️ I promised myself i wouldn’t answer this until I finished the next bit, so I have :) So thank you 😊

Wolfstar tiktok AU- Part Two (sorry if it’s unrealistic how often they go on “lives”. The next one will likely be them accidentally creating a couples trend).

Previous (Part One). Next (Part Three).

Oh and… this is 3k words. So i’m thinking of putting it on ao3. BUT ITS GOOD. I promise. Please read it (if it’s ur thing). They flirt embarrassingly and then Remus gets Sirius a super cute birthday gift!

Half their fan base are “Wolfstar” fans now. Thank James for sharing the ship name Marlene came up with a couple years ago. Luckily, Sirius is reassured that Remus has none and will not get any social media, due to his constant slander of it. So he’ll never find out about their fans.

But their platform is pretty great, it’s a community already and there’s almost no toxic people. Which is exactly why Sirius feels comfortable with this stream on his birthday. Him and James have been trying on skirts.

They’re on the final ones now. Pete’s in the background ranking them. James has on a kind of ugly red skirt, it passes his feet and has weird frills all over it. But Sirius likes his skirt. The most actually. It’s a pleated, green mini(ish) skirt, the type that goes perfectly with his leather jacket and boots.

He doesn’t have a super feminine build (except maybe his long hair- it’s all dumb stereotypes though) and he’s certainly not as thin as skirts are often designed for, so he was worried they wouldn’t suit or fit him. But James offered to do this, and he’s really enjoyed it.

And now Sirius is tempted to wear it to the mini birthday celebration Marlene’s organised for him tonight. Only there’s a slight problem, it’s a little cold outside and none of his shirts go with the skirt.

“Padfoot, you literally own everything, how do you not have anything that goes?” James cannot even say that right now, he’s wearing a football top over the skirt. Football tops can go with skirts, but definitely not that skirt.

“They do go. But it’s so cold and Marls planned a mostly outside thing. Usually i’d sacrifice my temperature for my style but it is my birthday. Shouldn’t I just get my perfect outfit?”

Pete warned him. He said that wearing the skirt outside wasn’t the best idea in November. But it hasn’t been too cold recently. Plus, it really looks good with his boots.

“Hey how about one of Moony’s jumpers you stole? They’re thin enough to fit under the jacket, would go with the skirt and would keep you warm. Plus you love them.” Sirius feels his cheeks warm a little. Trust Pete to simultaneously contribute a good idea and embarrass him. But regardless, he goes into his room and comes back out with two jumpers.

“I’ve only got red and orange? Neither go with green. I need like a- a brown one. So never mind.”

And as Sirius contemplates his outfit, the door opens.

“Sorry i’m late I had to pop back to my place to grab your gif-“ Sirius looks over when he hears Remus trail off.

“You alright Moons?” Remus is frozen in place, staring at Sirius like a deer in headlights. From their camera placement, the phone is recording only Sirius and James, with Pete popping up in the background. So Sirius steps out of frame to go towards Remus at the door. “Hey Moony.” James yells from behind him and it seems to snap Remus out of whatever caught his attention.

“Fuck, shit, sorry. Got erm- distracted. Hey, Happy Birthday Pads! I like- hah- the skirts. They suit you both. Well. I’ve got the drinks demanded by Marls and your gifts Padfoot.” It’s not even a compliment towards him and yet Sirius blushes.

“Yeah Remus is right, you’re really pulling of that long fucking red thing there James.” The compliment was probably just Remus trying to be nice. Petes right, James has pulled of many of the skirts so far but this is not the one.

“What the compliment, thanks Wormy.”

Full disclosure, they had to admit the background story of all their nicknames to the internet, lest their fans think they’re bullying Pete.

Sirius steps back into camera, with the whole living room behind him, placing the drinks to the side and grabbing his gifts. There’s two. A small box and a bigger, less obvious-shaped gift.

“So everyone, I haven’t seen Moony alllll day since he had class and tests without stopping and he had to revise. But, worry not, he did text me Happy Birthday between each class cause he knows I want attention. So, how’d they go Moons?”

Sirius is inspecting the bigger gift, it’s an odd shape, and vaguely squishy, perhaps clothes, and when he looks back up at Remus, he’s got a little blush on his cheeks and his neck, and Sirius (not for the first time) wonders how far down his body it runs.

“Oh we don’t- it doesn’t matter... Oh okay stop glaring at me. All three tests went okay. I was really happy with my essay one though. So yeah, not so bad.”

“Congrats Moony, knew you’d kill it. Since we’re sharing news, I got to cover for the missing chef today, above all the other interns, so...” He’s told James and Sirius already. But there’s something about telling Remus news that matters more (at least to Sirius).

“Holy shit Pete that’s awesome. I knew they loved you. Good job. Hey, let’s see the cake you made. We’re so lucky to have a cook, I swear i’d starve to death without you.” Pete smiles at Remus’ compliment like he doesn’t say the same sort of thing every time Remus eats Pete’s food. And they live together, so that’s very often. Remus is just always so genuine.

Pete lifts the lid of the cake box to show Remus, and they fall into a little conversation in the kitchen, just to the edge of the screen of their live.

“You gonna open his gift now or later Pads?”

But Sirius isn’t even listening. He’s got an idea.

“Hey Moony come over here.” Remus walks towards Sirius with a doubtful look on his face. He clearly knows the tone Sirius takes when he wants something.

Sirius places the gifts on the table beside him, he’s desperate to know what they are but it’ll have to wait.

“So... i’ve been trying to figure out what top can go with this skirt-“ There’s a joke about Remus topping him in there someone, and that’s obviously what James is thinking, “But nothing I own goes with it. I was going to wear one of your jumpers, but the ones i’ve got here are the wrong colour.”

Remus furrows his eyebrows and tilts his head as if to ask where this is going. It’s a bit far to go to Remus’ flat to steal his jumper. That’s not the plan though.

“And then in you walked, like the answer to my dreams,” Remus attempts to lean on the mini table behind him but it pushes backwards easily and he stumbles forward, sort of recovering. “And I realised the jumper you’re wearing right now matches absolutely perfectly with my skirt and my jacket.” Sirius takes a step towards Remus, and grabs onto the jumper ever so gently with his hand, and then looks a little up at Remus with what he hopes is a cute and not at all guilty smile.

“You-“ Remus chokes on his own words as he tries to speak, “You want the one i’m wearing righ- erm- right now?”

Sirius isn’t stupid, he knows Remus gets flustered sometimes when he’s a little flirty (Remus is gay, and Sirius is fucking hot, anyone with eyes would want to fuck him, so no James, it is not proof Remus loves him back). And he knows Remus never refuses anyone cause he’s so lovely. Especially not on their birthday.

“Come on Moons. It’s my birthday. Please.” Puppy dog eyes never fail. It’s funny actually, cause when anyone else sends Remus cute eyes in order to persuade him, like James, he usually just rolls his eyes and ignores them. But it always works when it’s Sirius.

Maybe he’s just really good at it. Pete always said Sirius was a dog in another life.

“Don’t you think I should wear the skirt? Or do I not actually look good?” For the record (he’ll be accused of this later by fans) he was not guilt tripping Remus. They both know he’s going to agree. Sirius just has to jump through a few hoops so Remus can feel like he has willpower. “Pads you- you look great.” Sirius raises an eyebrow. “You look hot okay. Really hot. But what- erm- what’ll I wear if you take my top?”

That was easy. And yes, he does look hot. Good of Remus to notice (James is shooting him the look, as he always does. It means “It’s reciprocated you idiot”. But Sirius still isn’t sure. That was just a compliment after all).

Sirius wraps one hand around Remus’ arm and keeps the other one buried in his jumper, and then tugs him. Remus trips over a little but follows behind.

“I’ll find you something.”

“Wait Padfoot- I just-“

“Oh come on,” Sirius spins back to meet Remus’ eyes, “You’re the one who said I should wear the skirt. You said I look hot. Hot enough to have earnt it?”

Remus coughs and turns red, again. He blushes so easily. But he tugs Sirius into his bedroom so they can trade.

That’s for sure a win.

And while they’re in there... let’s just say James makes plenty of innuendoes. And Pete laughs his head off.

“You are going to give me the jumper back... right Pads?” Remus walks out the room in his red jumper that Sirius stole a month ago, and Sirius in Remus’ brown jumper. To be fair, it does go with the skirt perfectly.

“Really Moony? It’s my birthday.”

“Yes and usually the rule is I pick you a gift, you don’t just steal one of my belongings. Which I have by the way, two actually. and you haven’t opened either.”

“I’ll give it back eventually Moony. But don’t I just look lovely in this? Or- do you not think I look lovely?”

Sirius reaches to where he left the gifts and picks them up. It’s got a card stuck to the front of the wrapping. He’s ignoring the slight insecurity in his voice. It’s never an easy thing to dress more feminine after being raised the way he was. But he loves fashion and makeup. And he believes it’s for everyone. So he won’t let his past prevent his future.

“You look-“ Remus grabs Sirius’ arm and turns him so they’re facing each other. It throws off Sirius’ balance a little and now he’s definitely close enough for all the fan edits to take advantage of. Plus he’s in Remus’ jumper. And it smells so much like him. He really must’ve been a dog in another life. “You look absolutely gorgeous Pads”.

He whispers it, like it’s a secret, and yet also like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Trust Moony to recognise the slight worry in his voice and go to extra effort to reassure him.

“Th-Thanks Moons.” Sirius never used to believe books or tv when they claimed the world fell away when they locked eyes with their soulmate. Frankly he never even believed in soulmates. But if soulmates aren’t real, what the bloody hell is Remus Lupin?

Because Sirius has never been more sure of anything in the world, than this. Than that he meets Remus in every universe and in every time and in every life and Remus ruins him. In a heartbreaking, life shattering, incredibly brilliant way.

Because when he meets Remus’ eyes, time becomes a simple construct, a useless concept unnecessary to his thoughts. And other people become 2D, folded flat and barely visible. Sound falls away and all he can hear is Remus’ words and his gentle breathing.

“Wanna open your gifts now Pads?” Remus’ hands are still ever so slightly on his hips, and his right hand has slipped just low enough that one of his fingers is resting on Sirius’ skin. It’s electric, and yet also calming. He’s buzzing and yet peaceful. And he still can’t look away.

Sirius is convinced he’s never once been the first one of the two to break eye contact. Because how the fuck could he ever look away from Remus’ eyes.

“Okay.” I’ll do anything you say. You don’t even have to ask.

Sirius stares into his eyes until he looks away, as always, not breaking eye contact first.

Then he carefully takes the card of the paper and opens it with his nail the way his mother trained him to do.

It’s got a tacky 21 on the front but when Sirius opens it, it’s got quite a bit written inside.

Dear Pads

Happy Birthday!

I know we don’t usually write much in these dumb cards, the gift and the day itself are the point right? But I thought maybe this time I should add something extra.

Your 21st birthday is important Pads. And not because you can now drink legally if you ever go to America.

Today marks 5 years since you were brave enough to leave home, sorry that’s probably not something you want me reminding you off. And yet here I am.

You pretend like today doesn’t hurt you. But I know you. So I know it does. And that’s okay.

You don’t listen to James or Reg when they tell you, so please listen to me, to this. You are brave Sirius. You are brave and you are sweet and you are tough. Tougher than me. And you’re so fucking smart.

You are the most incredible person i’ve ever had the luxury of knowing. And hey, i’m not saying this out loud okay? God knows your ego’s big enough ;) So just… believe this Sirius. Believe me. Please. I’d go through anything to know you. I’d do all the dumb shit i’ve done again and again as long as I knew i’d get to keep you.

This world is boring as shit half the time and too painful to live in the other half. And yet with you, it’s a fairytale.

I guess you’re just magic Pads.

So I hope you enjoy today. And the rest of your birthdays. And I hope I get the pleasure of being there for them all.

Love, Moony ❤️

“Jesus Moony-“ Sirius chokes on a slight cry. “Fucking sappy git.” He tugs Remus’ jumper and pulls him into a hug. Remus just chuckles.

“Open the fucking gifts Pads.” Sirius laughs.

“Damn alright Moony.” Looking back down at them, Sirius still isn’t sure what they’ll be.

Ripping open the paper to the bigger one (James bullies him if he uses his nail to gently open it like his parents used to make him) Sirius feels its clothing. And it’s black. He takes it out to find…

That fucking sneak. A few months ago Sirius wanted to order this old leather jacket, from a brand that went bust, but to get it he had to consistently outbid this random guy on ebay. He didn’t have the time. Remus offered to take over for him but Sirius refused, deciding (disappointed) that it wasn’t worth it.

But he must’ve done it anyway. Even when he was feeling sick. Just to win Sirius a fucking jacket he adored.

“This is the jacket I wanted.”

“Yeah.”

“That I couldn’t get cause I had to outbid someone all day.”

“Yeah.”

“That I told you not to try and get for me cause you were sick.”

“Yeah…”

He’s blushing. Well- they’re both blushing. Sirius is blushing because Remus fucking Lupin worked so hard to get him an amazing gift, and Remus is… well he’s probably blushing out of embarrassment. He hates it when people compliment him, which technically Sirius hasn’t done yet but the intention is there.

“Thank you.” He tries to sound as sincere as possible. He wants Remus to understand how much he appreciates him.

“Just open the other one.”

Sirius looks at the small box. He has no idea what could be in it (within reason, it’s obviously some sort of jewellery).

He unwraps it and opens the box.

And it’s his old rings.

The ones he left behind, at his house, when he ran away.

He’d gotten them at a one-time, random stand in London with Remus when he was 15. They were expensive but fucking good quality. He wished he’d remembered to grab them when he ran. He’d searched forever to find the people who ran the stand. And no rings since had felt the same.

“What the- Moons how the hell did you get these?” There’s silence for a moment before-

“What are they?” If he’s being totally honest, Sirius forget James was even there.

“Look-“ Sirius tips the box towards James, and he gasps, “That’s the rings you lost!”

Sirius looks back at Remus.

“I just- you bring them up sometimes. You got most things when you left, and Reg brought some things, but your parents bragged about burning them, and I can tell it bothers you that you lost them. Not that it was at all your fault. Anyway, I had a picture, of the inside of one. I’d sent it to Lily after you bought them. And I noticed the photo had an engraving on it, I zoomed in and it was the name of this company. I checked it out, turns out it was a little family company and they still had a little ring shop in Italy. So I had my friend Grant, he’s in Italy for uni, drop by the shop and look. Turns out they did all their work as custom designs but I had some photos of the rings on your hands, so I sent them to Grant and the people there recreated them. That’s why I stole a bunch of your rings 4 months back. To photo them with a coin, for measuring. So they’ll all fit on different fingers.”

Remus is staring at his feet the whole time as he speaks, as if Sirius is going get mad that he went to so much effort to get him the most thoughtful and lovely gift of all time. Fuck. Remus Lupin. How was Sirius ever supposed to not fall in love with him?

“I- I don’t know what to- thank you Remus. Thank you so, so much. Fuck, you’re so amazing, and sweet-“ And there’s the blushing from the compliments, “You are so fucking lovely and kind and thoughtful.” Sirius can think of anymore words so he pulls Remus in for yet another hug.

It lasts longer than it probably should.

“Erm- not to interrupt or anything- but we’re totally gonna be late and this is erm- is sort of still going.” Sirius turns around to James.

“What’s still going?” James blinks and then Sirius remembers.

“Oh the live thingy.” They’ve probably been half in shot the whole time. Remus doesn’t seem bothered, but Sirius is kinda pissed off. This is a moment for them, the internet doesn’t need to see it.

“There’s plenty of things they don’t see Pads. It’s okay. We still have our privacy.” Remus whispers in his ear. Fucking mind reader.

“Right. Well. We’d best turn it off so I can put these rings on and go to Marlene’s. Bye.”

Sirius shuts it off before James even gets the chance to say anything.

He turns to the others with a smile, “Text Marlene, tell her we’re about to leave, i’m just gonna put these on.” Sirius holds up the box and runs to his room.

All the rings fit perfectly.

Thanks for reading ✨❤️ (I hope you can’t tell I know nothing about jobs or chefs or fashion or university tests or clothes or rings)

#I didn’t mention it yet but remus is totally wearing a hair tie around his wrist for sirius all the time #imma try and include that soon #ugh i’m really rediscovering writing #I shall write what I love again #and what I love is dumb idiots who can’t communicate #dead gay wizards #marauders era #sirius black #remus lupin #james potter #marauders #wolfstar #fanfics #i wrote a fic #i wrote a thing

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five-rivers · 1 year

Text

Piracy, and Other Things To Do When You Find Yourself in the Eighteenth Century.

AO3

For @bellsandmischief

The minute they ran into the portal (not his fault) Danny (blameless) knew there were going to be problems. Of course, there had been problems beforehand, but those problems were not a portal (natural) (not the way home) (still not his fault). For one, the portal they’d run into (accidentally) felt wet. In Danny’s experience (extensive), with the Infi-Map (not present), Clockwork’s portals, and the ghost-spewing hellmouth (exaggeration) in Danny’s very own basement, portals did not feel wet, metaphorically or otherwise.

This one did.

Danny decided, based on his experience (extensive) living with the weirdest luck known to man- or ghost-kind (accurate), this was Bad.

Considering that the portal (evil) spat them out underwater seconds after he had that thought, he’d say it was correct. The shock and the current (also evil) nearly pulled Sam (too goth to swim) and Tucker (bad at swimming) out of Danny’s grip, but he didn’t have super strength for nothing (he’d had to die for it, actually). He held them close, and, intangibly, shot up.

In the back of his mind, where he’d stored his repository of diving knowledge (collected incidentally while searching for astronautical knowledge) (and also during the ‘oh no my parents build a submarine we’re all going to die’ scare), he worried about the bends (scary), but to get the bends, they’d have to not drown (scarier) first.

He had no idea how far down they were.

(Could ghosts get the bends?)

They breached the surface, and as Danny let his intangibility falter (his fault this time), they were swept sideways by wind and rain. He pulled them upright.

“Are you okay?” he asked (shouted).

Tucker spat up water (gross) (terrifying) in response.

“Yeah,” croaked Sam.

“I’m okay!” gasped Tucker, finally.

“Thank goodness,” said Danny.

“Where–” said Sam, her hair whipping around to smack Danny in the face. “Danny. Why didn’t you bring us back through the portal?”

That was a great question (Sam always had those) (it could be annoying) (or awesome). There had been lots of reasons in the moment, but he’d forgotten them (lie). Truthfully, finding himself underwater with his two human (squishy) (breathing) friends panicked him. It would panic anyone (maybe not Sam), even if they hadn’t been being chased (don’t ask) at the time.

“Where even are we?” asked Tucker, barely audible over the wind (at least there wasn’t any lightning).

“Don’t know,” said Danny. As far as he could see, water extended in all directions (up, down sideways, slantways, back, forth, left, right), huge waves undulating under gray, rain-streaked skies. Not that he could see very far. Ghost vision didn’t mean he could just see through clouds (usually) (intangibility was weird). He licked his lips, tasting lots of salt and little ectoplasm. “The ocean? Can you guys hold your breath? We can try going back through.”

“Can we wait a minute?” asked Tucker. “Still need to get my breath back.”

"Yeah," said Danny, even though he doubted the current environment (wet) (windy) was all that conducive to that goal. "Natural portals don't stay open very long, though."

"We should've gone straight back through."

"Right back into the unicorns?"

"Breathing," Danny reminded them. Sam and Tucker argued more than anyone else he knew (except for his parents during Christmas) (Christmas sucked) (also anniversaries).

"Okay," said Tucker. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Great. Diving in three… two… one…"

(Nothing like a countdown to make things a little more enjoyable.)

(At least for Danny.)

(His friends humored him.)

(Weren't they great?)

They went down a lot slower than they'd gone up. The water felt warmer, too, now he was expecting it. It still wasn’t exactly bathlike, but it wasn’t frigid (he might have preferred frigid) (his friends wouldn’t have).

(Five seconds.)

The water swirled and pulsed around them, bubbles and particles obscuring vision just like the clouds overhead, the surface visible like a rippling sheet. A sandy seabed was barely visible hundreds of feet below. Danny turned, looking for the telltale glow of a portal (feeling for the faint pull of ectoplasm).

(Ten seconds.)

He didn’t see anything (he felt something).

(Fifteen seconds.)

But then, they’d been blown off course by the wind (his fault), so maybe, possibly… He turned towards his best guess (not quite a guess) (he was good at guessing).

(Twenty seconds.)

Out of the fogged waters loomed the silhouette of a ship.

(Twenty-five seconds.)

Danny didn't know how long Sam and Tucker could hold their breaths for. He angled up.

His timing seemed to be accurate, because Sam and Tucker gasped as soon as they hit air.

"That wreck is probably why there's a portal here." While sometimes portals just happened, they tended more often to open in places where there was or would be death (the basement, the Coliseum, the witch hunts). Danny kept flying. Distances were hard underwater (refraction) but he was pretty sure the wreck had been right around… here.

"Yeah," said Sam. "But I didn't see a portal."

"Hard to see anything down there," said Tucker, pointing at his glasses.

“Well, we’ll be closer now. Ready?”

“Ready.”

The ship’s sails twisted in the currents like banners in the wind, twisting and furling. The ropes dangled upward like tentacles, reaching. Masts, broken and whole, stabbed out at odd angles.

(Five seconds.)

The sight of it (the sense of it) filled Danny with unease. It looked like Youngblood’s ship (old). It looked recent (freshly sunk).

(Ten seconds.)

(Had anyone drowned in this wreck, their bodies still unrecovered?)

(The presence of the portal said yes.)

(Fifteen seconds.)

He couldn’t see the portal. He was sure (mostly) that he hadn’t flown through anything but water on the way up. Maybe it wasn’t here…

He set down briefly on the deck of the ship, intending to push off against it on his way back to the surface, but the boards lit up, a ghostly glow spreading from the point Danny’s boots made contact. The glow rushed up over broken planks and spars, ropes and sails. Ghostly (glowing) (translucent) forms sprang forth, making them whole, mending them, bridging a gap in the gunwale (why did he know what that was called?) here, replacing a fallen mast there.

The ship started to rise (fast) (way too fast). It broke into the air, leaping with the waves, storm spinning it around and around and around.

Danny took off, preferring the relative stability of his flight, but otherwise stayed over the deck.

“That was…” said Tucker, gulping air, “pushing it.”

“I won’t stay down so long next time,” promised Danny, “but I think we maybe should talk about the whole Flying Dutchman situation first.”

“Ye saved me ship!”

A ghost materialized Cheshire-like in front of them, grinning broadly. The ghost was, for lack of a better word, piratical. And very wet. Dripping, even. (Drowned.)

“I thought me ole beauty would be stuck down thar forever. I can nah thank ye enough, lads.” He grabbed Tucker’s one free hand and shook it vigorously.

“Uh,” said Danny. “It was nothing, really.”

“'Twas everythin'! I swear, I was down thar fer o'er a fortnight.”

“Uh,” said Danny. “You don’t happen to be a historical reenactor, would you?”

“Never mind that,” said Sam. “Did you see a portal?”

“A wha', now?”

“Big, circular, green, glowing thing?” Sam traced an outline with her finger. “Kind of swirly?”

“Oh, aye, the whirlpool t'Davy Jones' locker itself. Ye'll be happy t' know it shut itself right afore ye got here.”

“It closed?”

“Like a serpent eatin' its owns tail!”

Danny swallowed. “So, you… Do you know what year it is?”

“Aye, it's seventeen seventeen, as I live'n breathe. Ye're a strange lot fer angels, aren't ye?”

“That’s because we’re ghosts. Well, I’m a ghost.”

“Ye can nah get me wit' that one, I know better than that.” He shook his finger at them, almost playfully.

“You… are also a ghost,” said Danny, cautiously.

“Oh, I know that. That's me corpse, lying right o'er thar. Caught in the ropes aft all these years avoidin' a peg. Shame. Squall like this’s what did it, too.”

They turned to look.

Tucker squirmed out of Danny’s grip and leaned over the nearest (mostly) solid railing and heaved, the sound audible even over the racket of the storm.

"Ach, well," said the ghost, "ye'll get yer sea legs soon enough, sonny. Squall like this's naught!"

"Yeah," said Danny, still somewhat transfixed by the dead (only partially chewed on) body. "I don't think that's why he's throwing up."

"Didn't you say a storm like this is what sank your ship in the first place?" asked Sam as Danny established a shield over them to protect them from the worst of the wind and rain.

"Aye, but everyone gets in a spot o' bad luck now an' again, don't they?"

Well the three of them were certainly in a bad spot (not Danny’s fault) (mostly) if they couldn’t find a portal (hopefully to the right time period) soon.

“And that was two weeks ago? When the ship sank and you…”

“That it was. The cap'n goes down wit' the ship, ye know.”

“So, it’s still seventeen seventeen.”

“Unless some fool changed the calendar. Thar’s enough fuss between the Gregorian'n Julian t' drive any scallywag mad without that nonsense.”

“Oh, God, we’re trapped in seventeen seventeen,” said Danny, as if he hadn’t been trapped even further back before (Ancient China had been interesting to navigate).

“Thar's no call fer takin' the Lord’s name in vain,” said the captain, looking distressed for the first time. “'N wha' do ye mean, trapped? Ye're nah fallen angels, are ye?”

“We’d be way further down if we were,” said Sam. “Danny, you can put me down, now. I don’t think this boat is going to sink again.”

“Me beauty’s no boat. She’s a fine, stately ship, the, ah, er…” The ghost looked lost.

“Are you okay?” asked Danny setting Sam down (reluctantly).

“I can nah remember her name. I can nah remember me name.”

“Uh,” said Danny, having never had to initiate someone else to the particulars and peculiarities of ghosthood. “Then make one up?”

“Make one up! Ye can nah jus' make one up fer a beauty like me ship!” The ghost paced in the air, eventually winding up one one of the cross masts. “Wha' did ye call her afore, when ye all we be natterin'?”

“The Flying Dutchman?” said Tucker, who was still clutching the gunwale but seemed otherwise recovered.

“Aye! That! Now that's a name worthy o' a ship! And I– And I'll be Cap'n-- Cap'n-- Clearwater! That's a fine name fer a fine sailor!” Just above Captain Clearwater, a transparent flag unfurled. Despite being wrought in shades of pale green, its subject matter was indisputable.

Danny looked at his friends. He needed to know their reactions.

"Oh, no," said Danny, taking in their faces and comparing them to his own thoughts. "We're getting ideas."

“Captain Clearwater,” said Sam. “Are you a pirate?”

“The finest!” boasted Clearwater. “Ne'er had a prize I'd run from!”

“You’re a pirate. It’s seventeen seventeen. The Golden Age of Piracy.”

“Ach, I like the sound o' that.”

“Triangle trade is at its height.”

“Sam,” said Danny. “No.”

“But we could do so much good.”

“Sam, we don’t know the first thing about boats. Ships. Sailing. Piracy. We’ll have scurvy in days.”

“Perhaps ye don't, but I do. 'N I might be a fool in other things, but even I've got t' know when t' look t' me better angels. I'll teach ye everythin' I know!”

“Don’t encourage her,” said Danny, waving his hands at the other ghost.

“You know what triangle trade means. You know what it does.”

“Yeah, it means that Clockwork will throw me into a bell a few dozen times and then make me write lines.”

“He never made you write lines.”

“Tucker, help me out, here.”

“I’m with Sam on this one, actually,” said Tucker.

“Betrayal.”

“Come on, man, look at me. You knew what I was going to say.”

“Guys, it’s not that I don’t want to do what you’re talking about,” in fact, the very thought of what was going on made him physically ill, “but I don’t want any of us to get butterflied out of existence. Clockwork still won’t give me a straight answer about the grandfather paradox. And then there’s the whole dying in a naval battle thing.”

“Ghost powers would be great for not dying in a naval battle. And what else are we going to do while we’re stuck here? Settle down in New Amsterdam–”

"That city's been New York fer a while, now," said Clearwater, rather bemusedly.

“--and wait for another portal? You’d be sneaking out to commit crimes every night, and Tucker and I wouldn’t even be second class citizens. You want that?”

“No, but I was thinking we could go to Bermuda–”

“Bermuda isn’t reliable. Everyone knows Bermuda isn’t reliable.”

Captain Clearwater cleared his throat. “Ye three seem t' know wha' 'tis ye're natterin' about, but I don't. Mind enlightenin' this ole pirate?”

“Ending the Atlantic slave trade,” explained Danny.

“A noble cause fer three angels! Scuttlin' or plunderin' a scallywag's one thing, but slavery be downright unchristian.”

Danny wasn’t religious (except when he was), but he was fairly certain that ‘scuttling’ or ‘plundering’ was unchristian, too.

“Still not angels.”

“Aye, 'n I'll believe that when ye aren't shinin' wit' the light o' the Lord.”

Danny sighed. The worst (best) part was, they were completely right. If they were here for any length of time (please no), with the hindsight of nearly three centuries, he couldn’t not do something (morally) (ethically). It’d drive him crazy (crazier).

“Fine, we’ll do it.”

“Yes!”

“If Captain Clearwater is okay with it, since it sounds like he’ll be doing most of the work.”

“Scuttlin' slavers be mighty profitable work, ‘n me crew doesn't seem t' 'ave stuck around, so thar'll be no dispute thar. 'N, well, even if ye're nah angels, nah much better t' do wit' me hereafter, savvy?”

“Yes!”

“You know,” said Tucker, “I didn’t think you’d be so gung-ho about being a pirate, Sam. That you’d think they were too mainstream or something.”

“Pirates are like proto-goths. Totally cool.”

“You have a point,” said Tucker. “Now, I was thinking–”

“No,” said Sam, “you cannot spend the whole time we’re here cosplaying Jack Sparrow.”

“But–”

“We need to still have all our teeth by the time we get back. And I’d actually like to keep them even if we are stuck in this time period.”

“Hey, I thought Danny was being the voice of reason this time around.”

“Don’t call me that,” complained Danny.

“He doesn’t get to be the voice of reason after he ran us into that portal.”“That wasn’t my fault–”

#danny phantom #phic phight #phic phight 2023

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lnmei · 2 years

Text

How I Approach Figure Drawing

Got asked about tips for figure drawing and...I have a lot to say! I thought to just catalogue what I’ve been doing to build up my figure drawing knowledge and habit, so hopefully this is a useful reference for anyone interested in figure drawing :)

make it a habit (but take it easy!)

This is probably the most important and most annoying tip ever lol I’ve been figure drawing for 7-8 years (on and off! I don’t pressure myself if I have other things to do) so it really just takes time. Given that, my biggest tip for figure drawing is to figure out how you can have fun on this forever journey, so everything below is what I do to have fun and maintain the necessary enthusiasm to persist at it.

warm-up before a figure drawing session of myself figure drawing at my desk:

be bad at it on a regular basis

kind of just the principle of drawing....but with figure especially you draw so many of them that it’s important to let your drawings be bad to free yourself of pressure, and good ones will come out just from the brute force repetition of the skill.

Whenever I feel myself hitting a wall I intentionally revert to letting go of the desire to make a good drawing and try drawing in different ways even if it looks or feels bad in the moment. Some of my favorite drawings are the result of this, it’s awesome how that works out lol

For example, if I’m frustrated by my line work, I’ll start drawing thicker lines than usual and more cartoony (by my standards at least...) to loosen up:

set small goals for figure drawing

The main thing with figure drawing is that to get good, you have to draw hundreds and thousands of figures over time...so to keep that from being repetitive I change up my goal regularly so I can exercise different ways of thinking and keep it fresh, and my drawings look different based on what I am aiming for

Goal of practicing for cleaner lines and using line variety (5 min each):

Goal of drawing the lines neatly to color after (10 min each):

A typical progression I’ve seen is to build from drawing nude models to clothed models which is what I did, but honestly just start with what you want to learn the most and you’ll figure out what you want to work on.

copy other people

When I used to go to live figure drawing, I’d peek at what people sitting all over the studio were doing and copy their method or look. I look at artists online and pull up their work while I draw. I like sessions where there’s an artist demo because I can see what they’re doing (zeet does this). Figure drawing is great because everyone draws the same thing in their own way so it’s cool to see the variety, and it goes so fast that no matter what your references are, it still retains your habits so it’s actually your drawing even when you copy lol

Figure drawing done with heavy reference to Greco-Roman pottery art (4 min for lines):

traditional vs digital media

I switch between drawing on paper and drawing digitally for variety. The material constrains how you draw so it makes each session different from the last and you’ll gain different techniques and discover effects you like over time.

Colored pencil figure drawings with the prompt to draw the model as an animal (5 min each):

Brush pen, ballpoint pen, and felt tip pen figure drawings (1-2 min each):

Also draw at different scales. Try drawing on big paper, try drawing a single pose big, or compose a big page with many small figures.

drawing time

again, variety! Switch up how long the figures each take and how long the overall sessions are. See how your approach and outcomes change based on how long you have to draw. I do long sessions of 3 or more hours less frequently with short 20-30 minute sessions more frequently (I like these short ones lately).

I think persistence and stamina are important for figure drawing, so building up your tolerance for long sessions is a good goal if you are looking to improve. Also, long poses and short poses present different problems to solve, so try them all.

I tend to treat super long poses as paintings so sometimes I’ll color them live (this is a 25 min pose):

short poses I color after the pose ends if I even color them (3 min poses)

line quality

try drawing with a soft line like pencil vs a hard line like pen, different brushes, etc.

Also try drawing with the constraint that you cannot retrace a line

try drawing with and without an under sketch

how much anatomy do I need to know?

I hate studying anatomy lol I would say you only need as much as you feel like you need so don’t stress over it, but pick up little bits of knowledge and apply them whenever you can.

That said, I thing the biggest help to anatomy for me (other than directly studying it) is to attend nude model sessions in person. Seeing the figure in real life and having to translate the 3D form to paper clarifies what the important forms and connections are to make a clear drawing. These are studies of live models from 2020 after I’d been doing nude models for ~6 years

My figure anatomy big 3 concepts have been

1) construction/proportion – how and where different body parts connect and overlap to form the whole

2) balance/weight – where is the figure applying force, stretching vs. compressing? if the model is stationary, how is the poses stability maintained? If the model is meant to be in motion, what are the directions of force?

3) anatomy from top down – start with very basic anatomy forms like cylinders for the upper and lower arm, egg shape for head, ball and socket for shoulder joint, etc. and build your understanding of anatomy up from there. I get tied down by too much detail so it’s worked out better for me to start with a very dumb anatomical understanding and learn to add nuance over time.

Here’s an example of points 1 and 3 using Teen Titans Slade Wilson (homework for a class I took lol). Break down the proportion, how parts connect, and the basic shapes of body parts and assemble them like a doll. You can do this for any style you want to learn from, and for realistic human figures. This is the basics of “figure construction”.

Internalizing a model that you’ve deconstructed and can reconstruct from memory is the basis for building a “general model,” which is just a generic human body that you can use to figure draw so you don’t have to think about how the body is constructed and can focus on expressing the pose, character, gesture, while maintaining accuracy to a human figure. Here are poses I constructed from imagination once I broke down and understood how to draw Slade.

A lot of this stuff is specifically applicable to animation character drawing but it’s been helpful towards figure drawing for me.

how things look vs. how things feel

I like to switch my focus between drawing for accuracy/correctness (studying the pose, anatomy, etc.), and drawing to capture how the figure physically feels even if it breaks the anatomy. I like to do the pose myself to feel how the model feels, where the stretch and compression of the pose is, and how it feels to exaggerate the pose, and then drawing from that experience.

Some of these legs don’t work anatomically but they feel right and look cool. These drawings came out very twisty and fluid after I copied the model’s pose and exaggerated how the shoulders, waist, spine, etc. were tilted based on how they feel in my body.

drawing the model vs. drawing a character

Sometimes I get bored of drawing just what the model looks like, so I will use the figure drawing as a live reference and draw something based on the model but as a different character instead and make up new clothes, appearance, etc. It exercises your decision making about what’s important to grab from a pose reference and also trains you to design instead of copy.

These are Gallery Girl LA sessions where I drew the model with a new design:

invent another character to draw a character dynamic (left chara is invented):

Random tips

I tend to prioritize the pose and full body and leave the head for last or after the session is over so I can spend time making it look nice.

Avoid drawing a perfect vertical or horizontal unless it is important as a design element (if the model is stand straight up and down for example, try to re-balance the pose in your drawing so it has some variety of line direction)

Be choosy about drawing straight lines on the body, save those for silhouette lines, and for internal lines figure out which way the body is bending, moving, or twisting and express that.

Like in this sketch, I tried to add subtle tilts and leans to the model who was posing upright with a mannequin (which I drew as a character):

If you wanted to know about my color process for figure drawing, here! I color after I finish the drawing session and picked out a few drawings to color.

That’s all I got for now! Have fun and draw lots!

a traditional colored pencil sketch where I changed the model’s clothes and expression/body language while drawing it, then photographed and digitally colored it after:

#my art #process #sort of?#TL;DR is u just have to draw a lot of figure drawings and keep doing that forever lol but make it fun for yourself so you can keep at it #this is probably way overkill for what ppl wanted to know but i don't know how to be short i love talking about drawing lol

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