#plus backgrounds and water rendering...

[robinisnotavailable]

I’m absolutely gagged. If I was Ghost I’d be jumping him I won’t lie-

ahoy captain.

early access + nsfw on patreon

This is fanart of Chapter 7 from Mildlimerence's fic Acceptable Loss which is one of my favourite takes on brainwashed!johnny so far! Chapter 7 has Ghost unmasking him after months of thinking he was dead, and Johnny's hair's grown out a lot in the meantime which is why he's got a full beard and mop of hair instead of his usual mohawk.

[astrinde]

Thoughts on Madō Soshi (the MDZS stage play)

I've been asked to share feelings - of which I have many - about the MDZS livestream last night, so I am taking a break from writing CQL fanfiction (lol) to compose this post. tl;dr: Everyone involved in this production should receive every award; it was a shining example of artistry, and I will be first in line to buy a recording if the team ever changes their mind about an official release.

The Good-> Music and sound design: Impeccable. The new "Wangxian" song sounds both free-spirited and gentle, the perfect musical portmanteau of WWX + LWJ, and has become my second favourite version (after CQL's "Wuji"). Sounds punctuated beats in the story instead of being used as ends unto themselves, and a point of particular (and very appropriate!) drama came when LWJ recognised WWX; the sudden musical cut-off was the flute equivalent of a record-scratch. The actors who played instruments did fantastic work in matching their hand movements to the melodies.

Lighting and projection: Also perfection. The Cloud Recesses felt ancient, vast, and elegant, and the effects of cultivator magic came to gorgeous life; I especially enjoyed Jiang Wanyin's dramatic cracks of Zidian and the luminous arrays and effects as the Lan juniors fought at Mo Manor. And the water-ghost battle was a work of creative genius! I had no idea how they would re-create this book scene, which involves multiple boats on a body of water, a boat being flipped to reveal a ghost clinging beneath, cultivators flying on their swords, and a whirling abyss nearly swallowing one of the characters. But they hit every beat believably; wooden boats swayed and drifted gently on the stage amidst the sounds and projections of water, and actors plus effects were used to craft the dangerous monsters. The result was a tense, riveting scene that left me amazed.

Costumes and makeup: I felt skeptical of these because I initially disliked the publicity photos; I thought the actors' wigs looked limp and fake. I'm glad that the show proved me wrong. The clothing and hair moved quite naturally on stage, and everyone wore their looks well. Special praise is due WWX's dramatic Yiling Patriarch robe with its exquisite embroidery, and the scars and brand rendered vividly on LWJ's back and chest.

Acting: Here is the heart of it all, and I'm astonished that the actors found new emotional depth in a story that's so famous with so many adaptations already. They all maintained excellent focus, and when placed in the background, they reacted appropriately to unfolding events without stealing focus from the main players. I enjoyed Lan Jingyi's bold personality and Jin Ling's perfect mixture of excessive pride with painful vulnerability. As for Lan Sizhui, did they find LWJ's actual child to play the role? He gave such a gentle, sweet, endearing performance. Lan Qiren, Jin Zixuan, and Wen Ning got far too little stage time, alas. Jin Zixuan came across as strong and arrogant but also quite charismatic, and it was easy to see why Jiang Yanli would be so taken with him. I don't think Wen Ning even had lines, though he did great with the physical performance of his role, and Lan Qiren definitely came across just as a teenager would see him, all brittle iron and rules. Nie Huaisang had a delightful energy and well conveyed the idea of being neither stupid nor weak, just uninterested in this stringent learning and therefore not well-suited to it. Jiang Wanyin did a fantastic job of shifting energy between past and present. His "present" self carried a sense of overbearing self-righteousness and even cruelty - which completely vanished when the story shifted to the past. Lan Xichen perfectly captured the warm, diplomatic energy of his character, while also conveying an ever-present smile that could mean one of a hundred different things. He showed familial concern with such vulnerability, conveying a "beloved baby brother" affection to Lan Wangji while also respecting the latter's distance. Wei Wuxian had extraordinary energy. Did he ever leave the stage? And yet, for the entirety of those two hours, he jumped and chattered, talked and strode and embodied his character fully without once looking tired or distracted. I would have liked to see more of the exuberantly loving energy that I associate with WWX - he got very few 'soft' moments in the play - but I also probably missed a lot, because I don't speak Japanese and because WWX's entire being is so outwardly focused and conveyed with words. Lan Wangji, my favourite! The actor showed the character's gentleness and loneliness without ever revealing too much. I never thought I would have so many feelings about someone staring, stricken, into the middle distance after refusing a loquat, or quietly picking up a stuffed rabbit as the light fades out. The early Cloud Recesses scenes usually emphasise WWX; he's so energetic, infuriating, and delightful that it's hard to look away. But the camera angles in the stage play invited the viewer to be with LWJ for some of those moments instead. To understand how overwhelming his feelings are, to see how desperately alone he is and how he isn't yet able to end his own isolation by reaching out to another person. LWJ is already intimately dear to me; this performance just further whetted that affection.

The curtain call: I couldn't understand what the actors were saying, but their love for their roles, their characters, and the experience of working on the play shone through. I adore passion projects - I produced and acted in one that I still remember with joy to this day - and I was so glad to see that the MDZS story seemed to be more than "just another job" to everyone involved.

The Bad-> *Meng Yao hasn't appeared yet at this point in the story, so I felt sad for both me and Lan Xichen. *Nobody kisses at this point either, despite LWJ's soul clawing through his flesh to reach WWX throughout the play. By the end, I wanted the curtain call to conclude with the two actors grabbing each other and performing a big, dramatic stage smooch. (To give the play its due, it actually followed the book very well; they kept in some of the loveliest moments, including the Cold Spring scene and the night of "stay here, then.") *It ended, and I had to turn off the computer and go to bed, and there was no more play to watch. *There is no official recording. *No sequel has yet been announced.

Please feel free to comment or PM me if you want to talk more about the stage play or about MDZS as a whole. I have no friends who are heavily into this fandom and would love to make some. :)

[eviltoxicmosssauce]

Commissions are OPEN!

DM FOR PAYMENT DETAILS <3

I will do: ✅Furry/anthro ✅Couples/ship art ✅OCxCanon/yumeship ✅Partial nudity/Suggestive ✅Animal traits ✅Blood/mild gore/body horror ✅Simple backgrounds ✅Silly guys :) I will not do: ⛔Full nudity/NSFW ⛔Complicated armor/weapons ⛔Complicated machinery ⛔Detailed backgrounds ⛔Offensive/bigoted material ⛔Incest/pedophilia

Extra people are an additional half of the base price

Complicated poses and backgrounds will have a +$10 complexity fee

Please provide picrews, drawings, or other images as references.

More art under the cut, plus a walkthrough of my pricing process.

^^ Since there are two full-body characters, the sketch price would be $15 + $7 = $22. The complicated pose and additional background work would add a complexity fee, rounding the total price out to $32 for about 2.5 hours of work on my part.

^^ This one has a single character with a complicated background and full rendering. (It took me almost two hours just to get the water looking right.) The rendering plus complexity fee makes something like this about $50.

^^ A rendered bust would default at $15, but due to the detailed rendering of the design, a piece like this would have a final cost of $25.

More art for reference:

[valkyrie1435atla]

No one has outright asked yet, but I’m sure a lot of people are wondering why I draw my comics mostly in black and white.

There are a couple of reasons, first being because it looks pretty sick most of the time. Second would be because of story reasons, only certain characters eyes are colored, as well as the natural elements, mostly water and fire. (Rocks don’t really glow)

The third reason is time saving. Spending a ton of time to render every single page would really slow the output of updates, grayscale is simply much more efficient. I JUST finished working on the FIRST of 4-5 pages for part 14, only three panels on the page but each is fully rendered. Colors, lighting, backgrounds, the whole shebang. (I also favor much more simple backgrounds for my comic for the sake of time, but also because I’m just bad at drawing backgrounds.) it took me 7 hours, plus another 2 for formatting and finding references. I can only put out that quality of page every once in a while, since it takes so much more effort and time than usual.

Thank you all for being patient, part 14 will be up within the week!

[wsc-custom-controller-jb]

Volumetric Fog

I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself.

Volumetric fog is something I really quite enjoy creating, and the results almost always look great. The excuse I'm going with is "the game's gonna be outside, so I need fog".

There are many ways to create volumetric fog, but there's only one way to make real volumetric fog. Ray marching. By creating virtual "rays" and shooting them out into the scene, we can sample the fog's density at set points, accumulating it to create fog.

This is fine, and you can use it, but if you're stopping here then there's no point to using volumetrics. The real power of volumetrics comes with its ability to do things in 3D space, unbound to any geometry. This is what allows for things like light shafts, more complex shaping and things like point lights.

Instead of just sampling the density at every point, we can shoot another ray towards the sun, with a lower sample count and higher step length to improve performance. We can then use that to calculate how much light there should be at that sample. The maths is a bit much to explain, but in short, there are two variables: the transmittance and light energy. The transmittance is essentially a mask for the fog, for how much of the background scene shines through, and the light energy is the intensity of the light at that point.

With a bit of colouring, here's what I had at this point:

Another important thing for volumetric lighting is the anisotropy. For this more stylized example, it's how intense the light is around the sun. I went with the Henyey Greenstien phase function, which models how light scatters through large particles like dust or water

For the additional lights, like point lights and spot lights, I chose not to overcomplicate things for once, and faked it by using the distance from the light source.

Do you see any issues? No, obviously not, but I do.

Unity's Universal Render Pipeline (which is what I'm using) has three rendering methods: Forwarded, Deffered and Forwarded+. I'm not going to go into what they do, just know that Forwarded is locked to only having four additional lights on screen at one time.

The reason I was using forwarded is because I couldn't quite fix an issue with forwarded plus, where the lights would flicker on and off. As it turns out, most unity documentation isn't written with making volumetrics in mind, so I looked through some of the code, found that I needed to set "normalizedScreenSpaceUV" in the InputData struct, and it fixed it. now I can have ~256 additional lights with the fog!

(256 lights not shown, because it might blow up my computer.)

And here's it all together:

I have added support for allowing the additional lights to also cast shadows, but I won't be using that unless absolutely needed.

I would like to say, this is all being rendered at full resolution (1920x1080). Later on I'd like to render this on a half or maybe quater resolution image, and composite it to save massive performance, but it's not too much of an issue right now.

[leothelionsaysgrrrr]

For my most favourite reprobate: 33, 40, 41, 46 & 47.

33. What do fear demons look like to Rook?

Subjugation. It’s difficult to explain, but they look like empty, broken, desaturated wraith-like beings staggering along, covered in chains with an uncanny valley version of his face, like he knows it’s supposed to be him but it’s wrong somehow. More recently they can also look like a similarly uncanny valley version of him - his face is older like it is now but pale and gaunt, and the hair and facial hair are the way he wore it when he was younger - with a dagger in one hand and Silver’s head in the other.

40. Describe Rook’s bed:

Messy, never made unless someone else does it for him. Blankets in a ball on the mattress if they’re still on the bed at all. Old linens and worn out flat pillows despite having access to new ones whenever he wants because they’re still fine. Smaller now, meant to accommodate only him rather than a seemingly infinite number of bed partners. He doesn’t know what kind of mattress he has and doesn’t care to ask.

41. What’s on their nightstand?

A drink, though it’s water more often than whiskey anymore. A rag, some coins. Whatever he’s had in his pockets and doesn’t want to carry around anymore.

46. What does it take to earn Rook’s trust?

It used to be all you had to do was make him feel genuinely welcome around you, but he’s a good bit stingier with his trust these days. It happens when you’re living under an assumed name with a tenuous disguise (read: long hair and a beard, which somehow does render him pretty much unrecognizable) in a city where a lot of people, most of all a powerful and influential politician, want you dead. Plus, there’s a difference between trusting people to watch his back and work with him towards a common goal, which he’ll do with most people who prove they’ll do exactly that with as much or more to lose as he does if they fail, and trusting someone to truly know him as a person, know his real name and background and anything that truly makes him tick, which is just not going to happen with anyone he doesn’t already trust like that.

47. What’s Rook’s temper like?

It doesn’t, really. He’s always carried himself with a sort of easy confidence, like he’s just going with the flow and nothing’s going to knock him off course, and he’s even more lighthearted these days. Anger is an unacceptably vulnerable state of being to him, so he’s more the type to respond to slights and insults by either dismissing them with humor or verbally going for the throat rather than lashing out physically. There’s a little change in his tone but not the volume, and he stares pointedly afterward, sometimes a little waggle of his eyebrows, like “yeah, I said it, I went there, I meant it. Now what?”. If someone takes a swing at him after that, well, they started it at that point, didn’t they? That’s not to say nothing ever bubbles over, but he usually will do one of those things and just kind of stews in how he’s really feeling about it until he’s sufficiently alone to get visibly angry.

50 questions for Rook!

[mobilebazarspecs]

The Apple iPhone 8 Plus: A Timeless Classic in the Smartphone World

Introduction

In the ever-evolving world of smartphones, the release of new models and technological advancements occurs at a rapid pace. Amidst this fast-paced evolution, certain devices manage to stand the test of time, becoming classics that are revered by users and tech enthusiasts alike. The Apple iPhone 8 Plus, introduced in September 2017, is one such device. This blog delves into the specifications, features, and lasting impact of the iPhone 8 Plus, exploring why it remains a cherished smartphone even years after its launch.

Design and Build Quality

Classic Aesthetics with a Modern Touch

The iPhone 8 Plus carries forward the design language that Apple has been known for, blending glass and aluminum to create a sleek and premium feel. The front and back of the device are made of glass, which not only enhances its aesthetic appeal but also enables wireless charging. The aerospace-grade aluminum frame adds durability and a touch of sophistication. Available in elegant colors such as Gold, Space Gray, Silver, and Red, the iPhone 8 Plus offers a variety of options to suit different tastes.

Robust Construction

Despite its glass back, the iPhone 8 Plus is built to withstand the rigors of daily use. The glass is reinforced with a steel and copper structure, making it the most durable glass ever used in a smartphone at the time of its release. Additionally, the device is rated IP67 for water and dust resistance, providing peace of mind against accidental spills and splashes.

Display: Retina IPS LCD

Visual Brilliance

One of the standout features of the iPhone 8 Plus is its 5.5-inch Retina IPS LCD. With a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, the display offers crisp and vibrant visuals, making it perfect for media consumption, gaming, and everyday use. The True Tone technology adjusts the display's white balance to match the surrounding lighting, providing a more natural viewing experience.

Enhanced Viewing Experience

The wide color gamut and high contrast ratio ensure that images and videos are rendered with stunning accuracy and depth. Whether you're watching a movie, editing photos, or browsing the web, the iPhone 8 Plus's display delivers an immersive and enjoyable experience.

Performance: Powerhouse Under the Hood

Apple A11 Bionic Chipset

At the heart of the iPhone 8 Plus lies the Apple A11 Bionic chipset, a significant leap in performance and efficiency. The A11 Bionic features a hexa-core CPU with two performance cores that are 25% faster and four efficiency cores that are 70% faster than its predecessor. This combination ensures smooth multitasking, fast app launches, and seamless performance even with demanding applications.

AR Capabilities

The A11 Bionic chipset also includes a neural engine that enhances machine learning capabilities, enabling advanced augmented reality (AR) experiences. From gaming to educational apps, the iPhone 8 Plus leverages AR to offer innovative and interactive experiences that were ahead of its time.

Camera: Dual-Lens Brilliance

Rear Camera Setup

The iPhone 8 Plus boasts a dual-camera system on the rear, featuring a 12MP wide-angle lens with an f/1.8 aperture and a 12MP telephoto lens with an f/2.8 aperture. This setup allows for optical zoom, improved depth-of-field effects, and superior low-light performance. The optical image stabilization (OIS) on the wide-angle lens ensures sharp and blur-free photos, even in challenging conditions.

Portrait Mode and Lighting

One of the most celebrated features of the iPhone 8 Plus's camera is the Portrait Mode, which creates stunning photos with a blurred background effect (bokeh). The addition of Portrait Lighting offers various lighting effects, allowing users to create professional-quality portraits with ease. From Natural Light to Studio Light and Contour Light, the iPhone 8 Plus provides versatile options for capturing memorable moments.

Front Camera

The 7MP front-facing camera with an f/2.2 aperture is perfect for selfies and video calls. It supports 1080p HD video recording and features Retina Flash, which uses the display to provide a natural-looking light source for selfies in low-light conditions.

Battery Life and Charging

Long-Lasting Performance

The iPhone 8 Plus is equipped with a 2691 mAh battery that offers impressive battery life, allowing users to go through a full day of usage without worrying about recharging. Whether you're browsing the web, streaming videos, or playing games, the device manages power efficiently to deliver consistent performance.

Fast and Wireless Charging

With support for fast charging, the iPhone 8 Plus can charge up to 50% in just 30 minutes using a compatible charger. Additionally, the introduction of wireless charging marked a significant convenience upgrade, allowing users to charge their devices effortlessly using Qi-certified chargers.

Software: iOS Experience

Smooth and Intuitive

Running iOS, the iPhone 8 Plus provides a seamless and intuitive user experience. Apple's iOS is known for its smooth performance, security features, and vast ecosystem of apps. Regular software updates ensure that the device remains secure and up-to-date with the latest features and improvements.

Enhanced Features

The iPhone 8 Plus benefits from features such as Siri, Apple's virtual assistant, which helps with tasks ranging from setting reminders to answering questions. The inclusion of Touch ID provides a fast and secure way to unlock the device and make payments using Apple Pay.

Longevity and User Experience

A Device That Ages Gracefully

One of the key aspects of the iPhone 8 Plus's enduring popularity is its longevity. Apple’s commitment to providing software updates for older devices means that the iPhone 8 Plus continues to receive the latest iOS versions, keeping it relevant and functional. This longevity is a testament to the quality and forward-thinking design of the device.

Community and Ecosystem

The iPhone 8 Plus benefits from being part of the broader Apple ecosystem. Users can seamlessly integrate their device with other Apple products such as the Apple Watch, MacBook, and iPad. Features like iCloud, Handoff, and Continuity enhance the overall user experience, making it easier to transition between devices and access content across platforms.

Conclusion

The Apple iPhone 8 Plus remains a timeless classic in the smartphone world. Its blend of elegant design, powerful performance, advanced camera capabilities, and seamless user experience make it a device that continues to be appreciated by users around the globe. Even years after its release, the iPhone 8 Plus stands as a testament to Apple’s commitment to quality and innovation. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a casual user, or someone looking for a reliable and capable smartphone, the iPhone 8 Plus is a device that delivers on all fronts. Its enduring appeal and continued relevance highlight why it remains a cherished choice in the ever-changing landscape of smartphones.

[winstonianepoch]

Holiday postcard progression. From thumbnail sketch to color study to final 'render'.

Things I'm Happy With: 1) It feels very painterly! The clouds aren't remarkable but rendered in a fun way. 2) There were some additional background sky-elements that gave the sky some more texture that I'm happy with. Same goes for the sea! 3) Outlining the clouds with darker silver lining really made them pop and added to the illustration/painterly feel. I particularly like the area of thin white clouds in front of the grey cloud on the right.

Things I'm Unhappy With: 1) The lettering could've had better contrast. I do think the printed version has worse contrast than the rendered version, so maybe printing a test version/using a darker color for the font would've been better. 2) I changed the angle that the sea and ships are viewed on. I'm not sure if that was the correct decision? It is maybe a bit more dynamic and less flat, plus it gives a better sense of scale; however there is a lack of motion now and is missing the fun water pattern. It also messes with the perspective of the clouds (in particular the shadows of the clouds). 3) the lettering is not even/consistent. It does have that individual "character" to it, but iunno it looks maybe too characterful. 4) I'm not sure I really knew what I was doing with the water. I was going for the two-toned idea of water over sand/reflecting differently but I don't know if that was really conveyed.

[idiotscookingadvice]

The Perfect Perk-Mate: Keurig K-Compact Coffee Maker Unveiled

In a world where time is of the essence, a dependable coffee maker can be a coffee lover's salvation. Enter the Keurig K-Compact Coffee Maker, celebrated for its convenience and efficiency, quickly gaining a devoted following among caffeine connoisseurs. Today, we embark on an in-depth exploration of its attributes, performance, and user experience, seeking to uncover whether this coffee brewing dynamo truly lives up to its acclaimed reputation.

Sleek and Streamlined Design

Behold the allure of the Keurig K-Compact's sleek and space-saving design, a masterpiece measuring mere inches in width and height. Designed to harmoniously blend into any kitchen, dorm room, or office setting, this coffee maker boasts an artful combination of aesthetics and functionality. Its robust build guarantees durability, promising enduring companionship through countless coffee brewing escapades.

Convenience Redefined

In the realm of user-friendliness, the Keurig K-Compact reigns supreme. Simplicity is its forte - inserting your favorite K-Cup pod, selecting a cup size (6, 8, or 10 ounces), and hitting that brew button. In less than a minute, voilà! Freshly brewed coffee to kickstart your mornings or revitalize your afternoons. A generous xx-ounce water reservoir means fewer refills and more uninterrupted coffee indulgence, making this appliance a paragon of convenience.

Brewing Brilliance

At the heart of any coffee maker lies the pivotal factor - the quality of coffee produced. Here, the Keurig K-Compact transcends expectations. Harnessing its potent 1500-watt heating element, it delivers water at an ideal temperature, bestowing upon us cups of coffee that verge on nirvana. Rave reviews from users speak volumes about the consistency in taste and flavor, a testament to the K-Compact's brewing prowess.

Versatility with a Dash of Compatibility

What's life without a touch of diversity? The Keurig K-Compact graciously extends its compatibility to a vast selection of K-Cup pods. Embrace the thrill of experimentation, with options ranging from robust dark roasts to tantalizing flavored coffee or even the most exotic specialty brews. This versatility allows you to embark on a delightful voyage of discovery with each brew.

A Breeze to Clean and Maintain

Lament no more over the laborious upkeep of your coffee maker! The Keurig K-Compact makes the cleaning ritual a breeze. Its removable drip tray and water reservoir ensure effortless tidying up, leaving you with more time to savor your coffee. Plus, the ingenious descaling feature graces you with timely reminders, ensuring that your trusty coffee companion functions optimally for years to come.

Eco-Efficiency Unveiled

Responsible brewing comes effortlessly to this Keurig coffee maker. By embracing the auto-off feature, it gracefully slips into power-saving mode after minutes of inactivity. Reducing energy consumption while instilling peace of mind, this thoughtful feature ensures that sustainability finds its way into your daily routine.

Pros and Cons: The Great Balancing Act

Pros:

An artistic, compact design that saves space

Seamless, user-friendly operation

Consistently exceptional coffee brewing performance

Extensive compatibility with various K-Cup pods

Hassle-free cleaning and maintenance

Eco-conscious auto-off feature

Cons:

Limited customization options for coffee strength or temperature

Final Verdict: A Perk-Mate Worth Embracing

With its irresistible allure, the Keurig K-Compact Coffee Maker proves itself a reliable and convenient coffee brewing accomplice. The marriage of aesthetics, convenience, and stellar performance makes it a standout choice for individuals and smaller households craving a stress-free coffee experience.

While customizability may be its minor quirk, the K-Compact's budget-friendly price tag and unwavering reliability render it a prudent investment for coffee enthusiasts of all backgrounds. Surrender to the allure of this coffee maker, and be rewarded with a delightful symphony of flavors. For the pursuit of a space-saving, efficient, and consistently gratifying cup of coffee, the Keurig K-Compact stands unyielding, ready to weave its magic into your daily coffee ritual.

[tomatograter]

Do you think Dirk saying that he doesn't like to label himself as gay means he has internalized homophobia? Or does he really just don't like to put labels on himself? I've seen ppl saying it's homophobia but there's ppl in real life that don't feel comfortable with labels so I'm a bit confused honestly, cus we are talking about Dirk and he's... Dirk after all

Easy answer: Dirk is Gay.

Prolonged answer: I think it's kinda weird how some fandom discussion around "Dirk dodging the label in One pesterlog" has largely spiraled way outside of its original context to be talked about in a vacuum, especially when that context is crucial to understanding what is actually being said, AKA — it belongs to a deeply awkward conversation between Dirk and Roxy. One of Many they are implied to have had about the subject of Roxy's sustained, unwelcome, and oft drunken advances towards Dirk (& his splinters).

I'm going to reproduce it plus another bit of text down below, for the sake of comparison.

(To prevent the trickster text from looking like absolute shit, I have altered the background. Read the original here, if you're nasty: https://www.homestuck.com/story/5754 )

Now that we've been reacquainted with how and where that sentiment is expressed, let's try to break down what Dirk is doing here.

He is not receptive to Roxy's early advances, and spends most of the 'intro' for this conversation (not pictured) ignoring when Roxy flirts with him, until she gets upset at how 'boring' he is being right now.

Dirk is the one compelled to apologize.

He proceeds to shut the scenario down as an unwanted probability, eliciting further guilt-babbling from Roxy over how Dirk never wants to play along with the perfect traditional family fantasy, until she finally blows up and says it's because he's gay.

"I mean, yeah, that's what I thought."

Dirk, rather than saying I Am Not Gay, since he looooooves changing a conversational subject, claims that "Gay" is not entirely historically appropriate for this situation, given the non-negligible passage of time and the wildly dystopic circumstances* they find themselves in.

Dirk reassures Roxy he does still care about her.

Dirk is absolutely terrified of a similarly inclined (and intoxicated) Roxy up close. This is the most exclamations he's ever used.

Now, *These circumstances? The loss of 99% of the human race, including their society, customs, culture, and prejudices. (ALLEGEDLY.) It's important to remember that from Dirk and Roxy's side of the timetable, troll culture has been pushed as "the norm" for actual fucking centuries. HIC tried to recreate the caste system by artificially coloring human blood, leading to the death of billions. Faygo came out of the water tap, not water. Troll slang was incorporated into the English language. Humans ceased to organically reproduce. They were actively Discouraged from reproducing, since that's not something HIC could have total genetic control over; rendering traditional marriage and the concept of the nuclear family pointless.

You could also argue that same-gender relationships are not uncommon in Alternia, making "gay" altogether unnecessary by proxy, and that's true! But my point is this one: any union (or at least our society's holy concept of it) between straightie humans would be by definition undesirable under HIC's rule, too. She is the church, the president and the governing body. The population is only as good as they are assets for her to do whatever she wants with, including mass murder.

But wait! While that tracks… Roxy clearly still holds onto very 'conservative' definitions of romance for most of Homestuck. We see this multiple times. Dirk, as proved in conversations with Jake, uses 'gay' as an ironic pejorative. Suddenly it's not Historically Inaccurate anymore, Jake's interests are just gay.

Does this mean the context above is basically worthless, since they don't seem to have internalized it? No.

What must be kept in mind is this: Dirk and Roxy's only "active" link to de facto humanity is our society as it was in the early 2010's. Those glimpses they get by talking with jane and jake. They have all that dystopic context, yes, but the reality that seems the most "unfucked" to them for a grand majority of their lives are the halcyon years before the Condesce's rise to power: back when weed was illegal, BlogSpot was popular, movies sucked, MTV was still a hip channel, and gay generally meant something real bad. The wave of homophobia as a punchline or fear mongering tactic was at THE HEIGHTS. Marriage equality was a hot debate topic. Those were the dayz.

Dirk is keenly aware of the taboo implication the word "Gay" as a self-denomination carries. He's no dummy. But he's rarely direct with his intentions either. He's slippery as a bar of soap. (He's never "straight about his feelings", if you prefer.) And for a guy that cares so much about his reputation and maintaining a curated sense of utter coolness, he wants to avoid outing himself as any sort of weirdo no matter the cost.

But that's not all. I think the gravity of just how much Dirk believes he *owes* Roxy simply for existing as the last human in the same timeframe as her is a severely underplayed aspect of Dirk's core character, together with how much he tries to avoid her sexual advances only to end up feeling like absolute shit over it, because — if they truly are the last people on god's blighted earth, isn't he being "selfish" and "irrational" about not feeling shit for Roxy, in the grand scale of things? Is Roxy not his only friend in tangible reality, even if he avoids the mere suggestion of visiting her? Even if she gets black-out drunk and tries to push him into indulging her, regardless of how many times he's already said no?

(Spend enough time here and you realize how it directly mirrors the jane/jake experience.)

Dirk cares a lot about each and every one of his friends.

He pointedly adapts his speech based on whichever one of them he's talking to in an effort to express that investment. May it be reassuring Jane, fooling around with Jake, or trying to prevent Roxy from falling into a total catatonic doom-spiral; he avoids telling them anything that would be too crushing to hear. That's not what he's trying to do here. Not to say that he isn't bitchy sometimes, but that’s far from the central thing he does. The Epilogues have retroactively led people to believe that Dirk abhors and despises every single person he's ever been close to before (god forbid) LIKING them, and I think buying too much into that assumption ignores the foundations of his canon text, as well as the central motivation behind 99% of his actions in the story. This is the guy that grew up on Friendship Is Magic, has a picture of rainbow dash shamefully glued to one wall and a rainbow poster of Jake's symbol stapled to another, and everything he does is a little cringe attempt to demonstrate his worth by showing how much he cares about people, even when he's punching his actual feelings down instead of up and saying them.

Which brings us back to the load-bearing part of this question: Admitting to Roxy that there is absolutely no fucking way he will ever agree to having her babbys because he is gay is precisely the opposite of what Dirk wants to say, if his intention isn't pulverizing her. So he doesn't. And his worry on this regard is such that it prevents Dirk from even telling Roxy that he does love her, in the platonic sense, as a friend and hell-earth survivor, because he knows that specificity is what that would disappoint her greatly. (He only ever confesses this to Jane, on the death slabs.)

But also I think this is a really funny visual of Dirk's relationship with the word gay, to put statements into perspective:

[lemmegetcoffee]

Aspen - Character Portrait (in steps)

Everyone's process is different. Here's mine with a bit of shitty commentary.

1. thumbnail/concept/rough sketch

Call it what you will. I usually make 2-3 rough sketches of different poses or angles but for Aspen I had managed only one after a tiring day. Of course, if the client does not like it, I'd be more than happy to try sketching a different pose/scene til they are satisfied.

2. Lineart

3. Flat colors

Once the rough sketch is approved. I draw over it with some cleaner lineart. I don't draw the lineart for every single detail for example the silver on the corset or the water drops on the rose.

I usually finish both the lineart and flat colors at the same time so I didn't save a screenshot of just the lineart. For the flat colors I either color pick from the reference sheet or come up with them on my own. If the colors are too irritating to the eye I usually add a purple multiply layer on top to tone it down.

5. Lighting

added silver nail guards and beans. Defining the proper color palette, shading and light source. Plus decided to add the rose bush background from the concept sketch.

Painting

Now we move on to the fun part. The struggle is real. My personal go-to method for painting is cutting up the shapes into small pieces and working on each piece one by one without merging my dozens and dozens of clipped layers. If the amount of layers bloats the CSP file too much don't even bother merging them down because that doesn't decrease the size. I find it far more efficient to copy and paste all the layers onto a new canvas and save. You can turn 11GB into a mere 10MB.

Final renders

To finish off the piece. I either send it to my phone and use the app Photoshop Express to experiment with the filters OR I mess around with the color balance/tone curve/hue/contrast/gradient map and other correction layers in Clip Studio Paint til I'm satisfied with the output.

Then I add the 3D glitch auto-action in Clip Studio Paint. (You can find it and more on assets.clip-studio.com) Then I go set the grain effect in Photoshop Express to 20%. I know you can make a grain/noise effect on Clip Studio as well but I haven't figured it out yet. Photoshop Express makes it easier and did I mention it's free

Anyway I hope you found my rambling entertaining. Thank you for reading!

[clotpole-art]

Retrospective: Illustrated Merlin Alphabet Challenge

Finally finished the Merlin Alphabet Challenge, so here's the artist notes no one asked for! See below the cut for comments on each piece by order of creation. Be warned folks, it's a long post.

Before we begin: credit to @merlin-gifs for the challenge, which can be found here. It's awesome, go do it.

First thing you should know is I did probably 80-90% of these while on phone calls or in Zoom meetings and that's reflected in the simplicity of most pieces -- the compositions aren't complicated, the lines aren't refined, the coloring is slapdash. If you noticed variation in quality of the pieces, that's why!

Second: I tried to focus on trying something new for each drawing. Didn't always happen, but this challenge did succeed in helping me push me out of my own comfort zone.

Without further ado...

A is for Arthur Pendragon

Textures, baby! Brushed metal of his armor, scratchy linen texture of his shirt, wispy softness of hair and skin. I'd recently gotten my tablet out of storage after a year of figuring out where the hell I was going to live and this was one of the first pieces of digital art I spent time on. Glad it was Arthur kicking us off!

B is for the Beginning of the End (1x08)

Fun fact, I did not draw this with my tablet. I drew it with my work computer's touchscreen. It was awful, would not recommend.

C is for Camelot

I wanted to get used to different brushes, so landscape of the castle it was! There are brushes that help with drawing grass; I did not use said brushes and my wrist hurt afterward. That being said, I really enjoyed working on this and it was one of the few pieces I didn't do while multitasking.

D is for Daegal

Also drawn on my work computer's touchscreen, not my tablet. I didn't learn my lesson from B and the experience was even worse. This is my least favorite piece which sucks because it's Daegal so I'm slated to redo this sometime in the near future. Gotta do our boy justice.

E is for Elyan

Oh, I adored drawing this. Elyan often gets shafted in terms of fandom appreciation so I made sure to choose Elyan for this prompt and to participate in the Elyan fest. Plus, I love a good ghost story and figuring out a way to include the druid spectre was fun. Didn't multitask on this piece because Elyan deserved my full attention.

F is for Freya

Ho boy. This piece. I have such mixed feelings on this drawing. Really really didn't like it after I'd decided it was done and very nearly scrapped the whole thing. I had a vision in my head that I just couldn't render into reality and it frustrated me SO MUCH. Looking back, I like it much better than I did when I first created it.

G is for Gwaine

What can I say, he's pretty when he's cold. I didn't stretch too much with this one -- it's my normal drawing style, I was just trying to find a brush that mimicked the softness of pencil.

H is for Hunith

Another one that didn't stray too far from my comfort zone. I was stupid sick and slammed at work, so a motherly Hunith manifested herself. I blame the bad brush choice on the cold medicine.

I is for Isolde

I woke up and chose violence! Tried to vary my figure drawing style a little in this piece but my brain resisted, resulting in... this. Not mad at it, but not happy with it either. Poor Isolde.

J is for Juggling

Ah, this lovely piece was drawn during a particularly vexing meeting at work. Fun fact, there's another version of this line art that's less about Merlin's stress and more about mine.

K is for Knights of Camelot

Continuing the theme of doodling through bad news and shit meetings. Like I said above, normally meeting doodles aren't complex because I'm concentrating on something else. This one was more involved because I didn't want to concentrate on the meeting. I have a few issues with this from a technical standpoint (perspective, my nemesis) but it's still one of my favorites. Tried some funky coloring technique, didn't hate it.

V is for Vibrant Colors

And here is where we said fuck the rules and started going out of alphabetical order! This one was really fun to do and I loved kicking off Albion Party with this as my first submission. The colors were a challenge (as I hoped they would be) and this is the first time I had to do some color tweaking midway though and after finishing the coloring process. Vibrant Arthur, my beloved. This started as a multitask doodle but took dedicated time to finish.

O is for Old Religion

The concept for this one was buzzing in my head for a bit before a quote-prompt solidified it. I adore the thought of more visible, tangible representations of Merlin as the son of the elements, of "magic itself" -- not just sun-gold eyes, but sea-water hair and sandstone-skin. A complement to the vibrant Arthur portrait.

S is for Sorcerers

When I said I wanted to challenge myself, I wasn't kidding. Ho boy, this was fun but frustrating. I wanted to completely illustrate a gif. So I did. Will I do something like this again? Maybe. A while from now.

M is for Morgause

See above -- same illustrated gif style so at least I was able to reuse some drawings. Poor Morgause ended up looking a little wretched here because I was mentally done with this when I was drawing her. Love the concept of tarot cards + Merlin but others are doing it so I won't continue this series.

Z is for Zzzz

This one was specifically done to test out some custom brushes I made in Krita to make abstract background drawing easier for me. I think they turned out well! Plus who doesn't love bb iridescent Aithusa.

L is for Leon, P is for Percival

Quick, minimal doodles of the boys! Mentally, I was going for a Brady's-style retro ensemble cast TV show credits feel. Not mad at it! Some boys look closer to their actors than others (I think my brain broke drawing Percy, my apologies to Tom Hopper).

T is for Tristan

It wasn't until after I posted this that I realized there was more than one Tristan in Merlin. Could have drawn Isolde's bf but I drew Ygraine's dumb jock undead brother instead. Had some fun with dark greys and blacks here regardless.

Q is for Queen Annis

Best royal in Albion, bar none. I tried a different coloring technique here and I kinda like it! may make it my go-to but we'll see. Old habits are hard to break. Also: our queen deserved more badass clothes.

X is for Arthur X Merlin

Oh, be still my shipper heart. Doodled and colored during a meeting. I had hoped to spend more time on it outside of multitasking but alas, work is a bitch. This one is slated for a rework sometime in the future; I adore the concept too much to let it go without creating another version of this that isn't an utter mess.

U is for Uther's Ward

And here's my attempt at forgoing line art. Not fun, do not like.

Y is for Young Warlock

Channeled some pain into this one. Those are the dead eyes of someone who had been told that he'd succeeded when his friend died. That the destiny he'd been expecting to carry on his shoulders into old age was done and dusted before he turned 30. Grief plus the existential dread of the aimless immortal. Oof. One of my favs.

N is for Nimueh, R is for Rising Sun, W is for Will

And we end on this sorry offering. I was away from home for a while without my tablet and I just got tired of waiting. So, pen doodles at the airport. This was a challenge in its own right because 1. pen only and 2. I wasn't able to pull Netflix up for a reference on the fly. Which is why Will's face is obscured and Nimueh looks.... not like Nimueh lol.

In summary: this was a goddamn joy to do. I finished 26 letter prompts in approximately 21 weeks, which exceeded my own unspoken goal of filling one letter per week. I found a good, happy corner of the Merlin fandom after a years-long hiatus away from being a fandom creator. If you did make it this far with me, thanks for reading my inane comments and giving this little project even a moment of your time -- I'm so grateful.

[peaceoutofthepieces]

chapter 34 (part I)

Fake Making-It

Social Media AU

previous chapter

sorry part II won’t come until tomorrow (maybe not even then 😅) and it’s not proofread, so sorry for any mistakes

~^~

Robbe steps out onto the back porch and curses under his breath, quickly pulling on his brown jacket. The night air is cool and crisp and its wind is biting, and he tucks his hands into his pockets in an attempt to save them. Once he’s safely wrapped up, he looks around and instantly lights on a shock of bleached hair.

Sander.

Robbe stares at him and swallows. Fuck.

He begins to turn around to head back inside, but then Sander looks over his shoulder. His eyes light up when he catches sight of Robbe, and then he smiles, and Robbe stomps down the flames in his belly and goes to join him.

“Hi,” he says. “Have you been out here long?”

Sander shakes his head. “Maybe about ten minutes?” He flicks his gaze over Robbe. “Everything okay?”

Robbe tries not to squirm. “Yeah, just needed some fresh air. I was starting to sweat in there.”

Sander huffs, looking back out in front of himself. “Shouldn’t take long to cool down out here.”

That’s probably debatable, Robbe thinks. The air had chilled him instantly, but the sweat’s starting up again. His face feels too hot, even as wind whips at his cheeks and nose and numbs them. He hasn’t dragged his eyes off Sander. He can’t. Even as he tells himself this is what he’d been trying to avoid, his body won’t respond to his brain. It’s listening to his heart instead, and his heart’s focus is all on Sander. He wasn’t supposed to be alone with him. That was the one goal, the one deal he agreed on with Jens. Neither of them were to be alone with Sander or Lucas.

But, well, Jens had been tipsy and dancing (badly) with a group of people, and Lucas had been talking to a separate group in a whole other area of the room, so at least Robbe hadn’t left them alone together. Plus, he hadn’t gone looking for Sander, and he’d asked Jens if he wanted to come outside with him, so this is really not his fault.

He’s knocked out of his daze when Sander nudges him. His cheeks flush at the amused tilt to Sander’s lips, the raised brow. It takes him a moment to realise Sander is holding the joint out towards him in offering. He takes it gingerly, with trembly fingers, telling himself he’s only so shaky because of the cold. The long drag he takes warms him up slightly, but it’s less because of the weed and the smoke and more because he’s thinking Sander’s lips were just here. It’s much more intoxicating.

He shoves the thought away, reminding himself why he can’t have any of that, even as he licks his lips and chases the taste. God, he’s a mess. Jens would take this opportunity to remind him that he’s a mess and tell him to get it together. Sander’s fingers brush against his as he takes the joint back and sparks shoot up Robbe’s arm.

He swallows and curls his arms around his stomach, turning to face out along with Sander. There’s a full smoking area out here, a patio with a few tables and stools with people clustered around them, talking and laughing, all in various states of inebriation. It allows Robbe to suck in a breath and steady himself. He isn’t alone with Sander, not really. He should just relax.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Sander asks.

Robbe hadn’t even realised the other man was looking at him, but he feels his eyes now, heavy and warm. He shifts his weight and aims for a smile. “Yeah, I’m good. Are you?”

Sander nods, shrugs. “It’s just a lot, in there.”

“You mean Aaron’s a lot?” He raises a brow. Moyo and Aaron had both been a little too excited to meet Sander and Lucas, but Aaron had been the one to go starstruck before Sander even opened his mouth. Robbe doesn’t blame him—he can relate.

Sander laughs. “Nah, Aaron’s cool. Everyone is. There’s just a lot of everyone.”

Robbe purses his lips and nods. That, he understands.

“Jens seems better, though,” Sander adds. “Today went well.”

“Yeah, everything’s great so far,” Robbe agrees. “I think he’s mostly just glad the waiting and secrecy is over, you know? Now it’s out there and he can actually talk about it and not have to be so hidden.”

Sander’s expression shutters, and then flickers right back into a smile as he nods. “Yeah, that makes sense.”

Robbe supposes he imagined the blip. He returns the smile and leans against the railing next to Sander. A riot kicks up in his stomach as their shoulders brush, his heart hitches, his breath flutters, no, that’s not right, everything is backwards and upside down and inside out and it’s insane. He doesn’t know how it works like this. He doesn’t know what cruel twist of the universe decided on this fate, in which he could be brought to his knees by a nonexistent touch by someone he can never have. There’s no explanation for the strength and extent of his feelings for this person he really barely even knows. A month and a half they’ve known each other, and Sander has completely taken over his brain and heart without even trying.

He would probably run if he knew. No, he would let Robbe down gently, but in a mildly bewildered state of well, you know I’m already taken.

Robbe has spent many nights turning this exact fact over and over in his head, hurting and doubting. Jens’s words keep ringing in his head. He doesn’t know Lucas well enough, really, but does Sander seem happy? Robbe can’t be sure. He doesn’t know him well enough, either. He isn’t allowed to.

“It feels weird, being around you without the excuse of work,” Sander mumbles, flicking the end of the joint and watching a sprinkling of ashes fall to the ground. “I didn’t know if it could be like this. If we’d ever be anything more than just work colleagues.”

The admission makes it seem like he’d thought about it quite extensively. Robbe swallows, doesn’t understand, feels something kick in his stomach again anyway. Their shoulders are pressed together now. “I like to at least consider us friends,” he says, even though the word burns up his throat and drips off his tongue like acid. In an attempt to sound lighter, he adds, “I only tell true friends my darkest secrets, after all.”

Sander huffs, turning his head to grin at him. Robbe’s breath leaves him in a rush. “I’d hardly call ‘Romeo and Juliet’ a darkest secret. It’s quite cute, if you ask me,” Sander says, grin gone teasing, and fuck, Robbe is so gone.

“Good thing no one did,” Robbe quips, pointedly, stamping out the flames once more. His attempts are rendered pointless in the face of Sander’s laughter, loud and husky, breath floating out in plumes with the force of it.

“I thought you’d be dancing around in there,” Robbe admits, doesn’t add with Lucas. “I thought I heard a Bowie track earlier.”

“Ah, been studying up have we?” Sander muses, eyes brightening. As if it’s not enough to have them reflecting the moon and the stars, the entire night sky held captive in him, and likely the entire universe by Robbe’s guess.

“A little. Bowie’s really good background music, surprisingly.”

Sander gasps and places his free hand over his heart, mock offended. “Bowie is so much more than background music.”

“Oh please,” Robbe scoffs. “Don’t try to tell me he isn’t the background soundtrack to your whole life.”

Sander laughs, again, and bumps Robbe’s shoulder with his own as he shakes his head. It feels so easy, too easy. It’s too much and Robbe can’t get enough of it.

A silence overtakes them, and he stares openly at Sander as Sander stares pensively at the ground. He watches as Sander flicks the cigarette again and then turns to face him. “I wanted to talk to you about something,” Sander says, at the same time Robbe blurts, “Do you want to get out of here?”

Sander blinks.

Robbe flushes. “I mean, uh, I thought you might want to go for a walk, or something,” he says sheepishly, voice an octave too high. “Instead of going back inside. Just, along the Scheldt, or something. But we can also go back in if you want. Or I mean I can just leave you to it. You came out here for a breather.”

“I think you’re the one who needs to breathe,” Sander points out, and his accompanying laugh is quiet and breathy. Robbe is already swooning, and then Sander smiles at him again. “A walk sounds good. You’re warm enough?”

Robbe nods, biting his lip as he feels his cheeks grow even warmer. He tilts his head back towards the bar. “Walk and talk, then?”

They slip back inside and through the throng, winding around small clusters of people to make their way to the front door. Robbe catches sight of Jens in the crowd, talking animatedly with Moyo, and breathes a small sigh of relief. He isn’t breaking their deal, because he isn’t leaving Jens alone with Lucas.

And, well, Jens didn’t say anything about actively instigating alone time. He’d just said he wouldn’t leave Robbe alone with Sander, but Robbe is leaving alone with Sander, which is different.

Right?

The air is chilly when they step outside again—Robbe had stopped noticing while he was so close to Sander. Now, though, walking down the street with the wind whipping at his cheeks, he understands why Sander had asked if he was warm enough. He isn’t anymore. But he’s not going to tell Sander that and risk sending them back, or worse, having to explain.

They’re silent on the short trek towards the Scheldt, where it’s even colder. Robbe curls his hands in his pockets and hugs his jacket tighter around himself. Sander slows as they walk along the water, unsure of what the plan is and letting Robbe take the lead. Robbe knows they’re aren’t many options beyond walking a little further and then turning around. Instead he goes and leans against the wall and smiles when Sander joins him, pressed shoulder to shoulder like before.

Robbe nods at the building across the water. “You know they had like a billboard sign of Jens up there when he first released his music?”

Sander raises his brows. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, it was fucking crazy. I mean you could make it out clearly from here. Not that easily, but still.”

Robbe still remembers it vividly, how gobsmacked Jens had been and how many jokes Moyo had cracked. He remembers people requesting photos with Jens with the billboard in the background. Sander seems to be picturing it, eyes flicking over the now-blank space. Then he turns to Robbe with a somewhat cheeky smile. “You should be on one of these buildings, too.”

Robbe snorts, surprised. “I don’t think I’ll ever have a billboard.”

Sander’s smile widens. “Nah, we could just tape you to it. You’ll hang there easily. Just set you up on a chair, get a few rolls of duct tape…” he trails off, raising his brows suggestively.

“I hate that you’ve seen those vlogs,” Robbe groans, covering his face with his hands as he laughs.

“It’s art, Robbe,” Sander mocks. “You can’t diss art.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

Sander looks back at the building and hums, tilting his head. He turns to Robbe and holds up his hands, thumb and finger outstretched on each to make a frame in the air. “What about some of Antwerp’s famous graffiti for Antwerp’s famous gay…” He pauses, lost.

“Gay?” Robbe prompts.

“What rhymes with graffiti?”

Robbe laughs. “Shut up.”

“No, listen, I’m serious. Picture it,” Sander waves at the building. “A big mural, right there, in all these intense colours.”

“Rainbow colours.”

Sander snaps his fingers, though he’s biting back a laugh. “Rainbow colours!”

Robbe shakes his head and rolls his eyes slightly, and then they’re both letting out quiet laughs. Sander settles on the wall next to him again, and a warmth radiates all along his side where they’re closest. He resists the urge to press closer and lets them settle into a peaceful silence. He only breaks it when he remembers their conversation from before, and then he looks at Sander curiously. “So what did you want to talk about?”

“Oh.” Sander opens his mouth and then closes it again, hesitating. “It’s nothing.”

Robbe squints at him, skeptical. “You sure?” Sander bites his lip, glancing out over the Scheldt, and Robbe knocks their shoulders together. “Hey, whatever it is, you can talk to me about it.”

“No, it’s just,” Sander hesitates, seeming to struggle with finding the words. He looks at Robbe, and his gaze is intense and intent, and it gives Robbe no insight to what this is about. Sander eventually turns away again and simply shakes his head. “I’m just wondering what happens, after the album and everything comes out.”

“Oh.”

Sander hesitates again, shooting him a glance. “I mean, I don’t want to stop working with you guys. It’s been a lot of fun, you know? But I guess I’ll have served my purpose by then.”

“It’s not like we’re tired of you,” Robbe protests, smiling slightly, even as he desperately wracks his brain. He can’t voice his heart’s loud protests at the thought of Sander leaving. “Besides, Lucas still has all his stuff to do, and you’re not just going to head off without him, right?”

Sander’s shoulders tuck up to his ears, and his smile seems almost sad. “Right,” he agrees.

Robbe can tell that there’s something off. It’s obvious that something is being withheld, but he has no idea what it is. Sander doesn’t seem to want to say anything else, but the mood has certainly dropped. Robbe feels a frown take over even as he keeps his voice light. “We should probably get back.”

He almost thinks Sander is going to argue, but he simply smiles and nods. “Yeah. I hope Jens didn’t need any bodyguards.”

“I’m sure he’s fine.” At least, Robbe hopes he is. “And it was nice to talk, right?”

Sander’s smile turns a little more genuine. “Always.”

~^~

tag list: @allthewayornowayy @wedarkacademia @lockerfivethreefive @yellowballoon @gucciboner @nora-keinwitz @moonskam @painfully-oblivious @zoenneforever @akucecilia @hischbabe @evaksobbe @alittleemo @boring-side-effect @franboos @debussyatmidnight

part II

[agreeablesenseofthemacabre]

Lifting the Sea

“Where’s Cas?” 

Dean does a full comedic rotation before spotting the Angel— his husband— whatever, scowling at his phone near a landmark. 

He shrugs, “Catching those little monster dudes probably. Apparently they’re all over the place here.”

Sam’s brow furls, he looks over at Eileen who shrugs. 

“What?”

“You know that fuckin’ app that everybody was obsessed with like... 5 years ago? Pocket something something”

Sam frowns for a split second then it hits him.

“Pokémon go?”

“Yeah that shit.” Dean shrugs again, his green eyes still fixed on the man in question. “I knew it was a mistake getting a smartphone” but he doesn’t sound nearly as bothered as he claims. He glares upward. “It’s fucking hot” 

Sam’s also dart up. “I mean. It’s the beach Dean.” He stares pointedly at his brother’s attire. “Would it kill you to buy some shorts maybe a tshirt?” 

Dean pulls a face, but doesn’t argue, Cas is waving happily- just now noticing how far they’ve walked away from him. He points excitedly to his phone and says something. 

“Can’t hear—” Dean sighs, “CAN’T HEAR YA CAS, you’re too far” he yells, smiling softly. “Asshole.” 

Dean points at the nearby shop, waving to get Sam’s attention, a couple kids are clustered around Cas chattering to him animatedly. 

“Sam. Can you keep an eye on him? I’ll be right back” 

~~~

When Dean walks back out into the sunshine Cas has finally decided to join them. He’s signing to Eileen and going intensely through the alphabet. Probably more about that damn Pokémon game. 

Sam whistles, “I’m blind” he laughs. “Your legs, they’re reflecting the sun”

Dean flips him off.

“No, but for real Dean, have your thighs ever been exposed to light? Are you sure it’s safe?”

“HA, HA, fuck you”

Cas turns at his voice, eyes glowing happily, and how in the hell did Dean Winchester get so lucky. 

“I caught a Charizard in the wild Dean, none of the other players were able to capture him” He informs proudly, phone still out, finger flipping with precision, “You have very nice legs” he adds. “The sunlight will cause you to have more freckles, plus the added health benefits of vitamin D”

Dean winks, “Any nude beaches out here? I could benefit from your vitamin d”

Sam retches, seizing the umbrella from Dean and heading toward the beach. “You two are disgusting” 

Dean waves cheerily before turning back to his boyfriend— husband. 

“So What’s a charred—“

“Charizard.” Cas corrects, “dragon fire type”

“Uh-huh” Dean reaches for Cas’ hand, it takes him a second to get used to flicking with his thumb, but he manages, Dean lets Cas lead. “Did you bully those kids out of their dragon? Dragons suck dude.”

“It is very rare to catch in the wild, Edwin told me, he is one of the top players in this region, he is 12, and though he is Team Valor, and I am team Instinct, I decided to trust him.”

“Whatever you say babe.”

“I think you might enjoy this game Dean, it combines hunting and tracking with less bloodshed and all of the monsters seem kind.” Cas squints suddenly, yanking them out of the flow of traffic and down onto the beach. “I see combees.”

~~

“Handsome and artistic, you’ve gotta be a serial killer right?”

Dean raises his head, shielding his eyes in the sun. She’s tall, and curvy with sparkling eyes and a near perfect smile. 

“I don’t know about artistic, but I never murder and tell”

She throws out a hand. 

“I’m Clarice” 

“Dean.”

She notices the lift of his expression and rolls her eyes good naturally, “Yeah like Silence of the Lambs”

“Put the lotion in the basket” he intones with a mock accent. 

“Yeah that never gets old” 

He laughs and she smiles and takes a seat on the beach chair beside him.

“What brings you out here into the sunshine?” 

“Celebratin’.” His eyes turn back to his sketchbook, thumb smudging a carefully drawn mop of black hair.

“Oh, that’s fun, how old are you?” She doesn’t seem bothered by his in attention, sips her drink and watches him sketch. 

“Ah um” He shifts and does the mental math. “Forty-three I think...”

“Looking good” she says appreciatively. He’s too focused on the lines, eyes occasionally darting to the ocean, quite obviously only half listening. She’s not put off yet- no ring on his finger, only a necklace with two silver circles and that could mean anything.

“So uh, a couple of my friends are headed down into the—“

“DEAN!” 

His attention is immediately diverted, a man waist-deep in the frigid surf is pointing excitedly at something, he’s still wearing his snorkel mask. He pulls something free of the water- revealing a long, lean wriggling shape.  

“Is that a fucking shark?” Dean mutters in disbelief, then much louder “CAS is that a fucking shark?”

A giant man with longer hair stops splashing the woman with him, turns and starts cackling. The shark handler pulls his mask off, beaming. “Jack would love this!”

Clarice shades her eyes and takes a good look at the man with the shark and then at the drawing Dean’s been working on. 

“Who’s that?” She asks, his distraction giving her a better chance seeing what’s in his sketchbook. 

A lovingly rendered drawing of what looks like the man with the shark. But in the sketch it’s in a much different position, hair ruffled in detail over his brow. Blankets pooled around his barely covered hipbones. His eyes burn with inner heat despite the fact that they’re merely pencil on paper. His subject had clearly been in love with whomever he’d been looking at. 

“That is my boyfriend, he’s gonna get his nipple bit off if he’s not careful.” Dean’s smiling cause Sam is trying to talk Cas into releasing the shark and is clearly failing. “Oh hell, I guess husband now.”

She stands, “I am so sorry, I didn’t realize. I gotta—“

“Nice to meet you Clarice” he says, honestly surprised by her quick exit. “Yo STEVE IRWIN. put the shark down and come up here— time to reapply sunblock”

~~

“Who was that woman?” Cas asks, shaking like a dog and stirring a loud swearing session out of Dean as he shields his sketchbook from the saltwater.

“What woman?”

“The one speaking to you earlier? When I caught the shark?”

Dean looks completely vacant before remembering. “Oh shit, yeah! Clarice or something. Nice lady.”

Cas nods, waiting patiently while Dean starts applying sunscreen to his back. 

“Did she need something?”

Dean shrugs, “just being friendly I guess, lean close. I gotta get your nose”

Cas hums and obliges, he grins suddenly and rips open a Velcro pocket in his trunks revealing his prize to Dean. 

“Is that a goddamn crab Castiel?”

The angel nods happily. “We should find out if Claire can FaceTime. She would love to see.”

~~

Claire and Kaia lean close, Dean’s got the camera aimed so that it’s mostly sky and their foreheads. Cas is smushed against his cheek waving. 

“Jesus.” Claire hisses. “Hold the damn camera still. Dean— look, YOU’RE the square in the corner.”

Kaia hasn’t stopped giggling since they connected.

“How is Kansas?” Cas asks. “Are you well?”

Claire rolls her eyes. “You’ve been gone two days. It’s the same Cas— house burned down and a ghoul attack—“

The camera reels, two deep gruff voices start speaking rapidly. 

“She’s joking!” Kaia intervenes. “Castiel, Dean. She’s joking. We’re fine and safe, worst thing that happened is we ran out of coffee.”

He nods seriously— the left side of Dean’s face is unamused.

“Tell them not to put damn Walmart coffee in my coffee machine—“

Cas lifts a blurry item into view. “I caught a crab today,”

She freezes only for a moment, crabs had been her thing in 1st grade. Her dad had shared some of his favorite memories with Cas; she was realizing that he did it because he trusted the angel. The crab thing was a new one— he seems proud though, pleased that he remembered. 

“He also caught a fucking shark with his bare hands.” Dean adds, taking the phone back, view now up his nostrils. They’re both sunburned and nearly glowing with happiness. “Almost lost a nipple”

“I did not.” It’s Cas’ turn to roll his eyes. “I will send you photographs via messaging after the call.”

“When are you guys headed back?” Claire asks, cause she’s pleased about the pictures and doesn’t know how to admit it. 

Dean turns the camera again. This time slightly more centered. 

“Sam and Eileen are heading home tomorrow, but Cas says he has more surprises for me and “undomesticated equine could not drag the secrets from him’”

Dean and Claire snort simultaneously. 

“I was being funny.” Cas interjects, Dean laughs at something off camera and grabs his face, kissing Cas’ cheek. “I know the saying.”

“Gotta go.” Dean says, with a wink. “Gotta get our vitamin D for the day, right Sunshine?”

The camera tips; Cas is frowning in confusion and they can barely see the top of Dean’s now suggestively wagging eyebrows.

“Oh. Uh. Yes.” Cas looks guiltily at the phone and shakes his head at Dean. “Vitamins.”

Kaia starts wheezing with laughter. It dawns on Claire moments later.

“That’s fucking gross.”

Cas shrugs apologetically, Dean’s laughter fills the background.

“We appear to be having connection issues.” Cas mutters, They watch Cas fumble with the phone as he frantically tries to hang up before Dean does anything scandalous.

“See you in a week!” Dean shouts. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Bye...” the screen goes dark and Claire is left with her and Kaia’s amused reflections. “Dads.”

~~ 

If you liked this it’s connected to my ao3 vibesandwonders. Come say hey here and see the rest of the series

[vampiregirl1797]

Revelations on the Jet

Spencer Reid x Reader

GIF Not Mine.

Warnings: Mentions of a psycho unsub, otherwise none.

Word Count: 3,557.

Click Here For Masterlist.

Summary: Y/N is a technical analyst for the BAU unit at the FBI. Hotch asks her to come out and help with a case, but on the flight home a certain secret may come out, one she’s worked hard to keep buried for a while now—her crush on a certain genius. 

Working for the FBI had never been part of ‘the plan’ when I was younger. Growing up, whenever someone asked me that question I’d always answer with a crime-fighter, and I supposed in a way I was. I was recruited when I left collage at 22, my technical analyst skills had been better than anyone in my graduating class, and apparently good enough to garner the attention of government officials. I started working under the guidance of Penelope Garcia, a colourful, bright and warm hearted woman that I’d become fast friends with. Once she was confident in my abilities, I was officiated and added on to work with her and the BAU team. 

Now here I was at 25, and happier than I’d ever imagined I could be. I had a job I adored, friends that were more like family and a crush on a certain team member that I planned to take to the grave. Life was good.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by my phone ringing, I answered without checking who it was, eager to complete some tasks for the team, ‘hello you’re graced with the presence of Y/N, speak and your wish will be granted.’ I supposed you could say working in the same office as Garcia had rubbed off on me a little...

‘Y/N, we’ve found an encrypted computer in the unsub’s establishment, we need you to come down here right away to get into it.’ Hotch’s commanding voice spoke through my headset.

‘Come down there? Wouldn’t you rather Garcia? I mean she’s far more experienced than I am.’ I said, slightly panicked at the idea of leaving the comfort of the bat cave and going into the field.

‘No, Garcia is working on shutting down the website the unsub is using to communicate with the public, and we don’t have time to waste by sending the computer to you.’ He explained, his tone booking no room for argument.

‘Okay sir. I’ll be on the first flight out to Georgia.’ I sighed in defeat.

‘Text JJ with your flight details and she will arrange transportation.’ He hung up the phone and I took a deep breath in an attempt to crush my growing anxiety.

It took me two minutes of typing to secure myself a seat on the next available flight to Georgia, and once I was finished I started to pack up any equipment I might need, in case anymore tech-savvy equipment was uncovered while I was there. All in all I was done in twenty minutes, the to-go bag I had packed for occasions such as these—though this was my first time using it— was sitting on my lap as I waited for the alert that my car was here to drive me to the airport.

‘You’ll be fine, once you’re there and they sit you down at a computer, it’ll be like you’re here with me, just like always.’ Garcia said, her voice comforting as she patted my hand.

‘You’re right, I just over-think and worry about worst case scenarios.’ I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

‘If only our resident genius was here, he could tell you the low statistics of worse case scenarios actually occurring.’ She chuckled and after a moment, I did too, being able to picture Reid spouting out statistics was like breathing at this point.

‘You’re right. Nothing to worry about.’ I nodded, feeling a lot better.

The blonde butterfly gave me a knowing smile and handed me a small stuffed elephant, ‘take him with you, he’ll keep you safe and make you feel comforted.’

‘I can’t take Earl!’ I exclaimed, attempting to give him back but she refused.

‘He’s in your hands now, I expect him to come back as good as new.’ She gave me a serious look and I nodded, knowing she would be able to see the sincerity in my expression; at this point I had more ‘cheerful reminders’ in our office than she did, so I understood the importance of keeping them safe.

Ten minutes later I received the call informing me that my transportation had arrived. After a hug with Garcia, Earl and I were on our way to the airport, ready to decode this computer and help put this sicko behind bars.

//

I thanked the driver that JJ had arranged to pick me up as he dropped me off at the station with my equipment— he’d already taken me to drop my to go bag in my reserved room at the hotel. With a deep breath, I clutched Earl tighter in my right hand and carefully laid my bag over my shoulder.

‘Let’s do this.’ I whispered, walking through the doors with more confidence than I was feeling. 

I couldn’t see any familiar faces and I was just about to ask one of the uniformed officers where the FBI agents had set up when I saw familiar soft brown hair exiting one of the conference rooms.

‘Reid!’ I shouted, perhaps a little too loudly, but I ignored the stares of the officers and made my way over to the genius. 

‘Y/N!’ His expression brightened as he took me in, and when he saw that I was clutching Earl, his eyes softened. 

Before I could say anything, Reid scooped me up in his arms and just like that I was surrounded by warmth. My face rested against his chest and I couldn’t help but slightly nuzzle against the soft cardigan he was wearing, relaxing into him as the scent of his fabric softener and woodsy cologne invaded my nostrils. Honestly, Reid gave the best hugs, it was impossible not to feel relaxed, comforted and safe in his warm embrace. I’m not sure how long he held me for, but when he pulled back to look at my face, his hands lingering on the tops of my arms, my previous anxiety was gone.

‘How are you feeling? Do you need something to drink, something to eat?’ He asked, his voice soft as his observant cinnamon eyes took in my expression.

‘I’m good, I ate on the plane and I have water in my bag.’ I smiled, trying not to blush as I felt his hand hovering above my lower back as he led me to the conference room.

‘Are you ready for this?’ He asked once I was sat down with the unsub’s laptop in front of me and the appropriate equipment attached.

‘Honey, I don’t think I ever am, but it doesn’t matter, any hesitation on my part could endanger lives or prevent us from saving them so we prevail.’ I pulled my hair up into a ponytail with one of the scrunchies I kept on my wrist and began typing.

Due to my concentration on my task, I failed to notice the way Reid’s cheeks coloured red at my term of endearment, or how he fiddled with the papers in front of him as a ruse whenever he paused for a moment to observe me. 

‘It’s too quiet in here.’ I mumbled after a while, knowing at the bat cave I’d have music playing in the background, not so loud that we couldn’t concentrate or wouldn’t hear our phones if they rang, but loud enough for me to concentrate fully. Pen hated it at first, until I suggested we took turns picking the music, now she loved it and needed it as much as I did.

‘There’s no sound system in here, but I have my headphones in my bag if you wanna hook them up to your phone?’ Spence suggested, sounding almost timid.

‘That would be amazing,’ I paused for a moment to accept them with a bright smile, before plugging them into my phone and getting back to work. 

I clicked on one of my many ‘work’ playlists and carried on, humming along to Apocalyptic by Hailstorm. Great song. 

I couldn’t have told you how long I was working for, but when a hand tapped me on the shoulder I was so startled that I screamed, my right hand blindly lashing out in the direction of whoever had interrupted me. I exhaled a breath of relief when I saw Derek, hands up in surrender and making no attempts to hide his amusement. I pulled my headphones off and gently set them on the desk in front of me.

‘Derek what the hell?’ I exclaimed, my hand over my chest in an attempt to calm my heartbeat, ‘I was in the zone, you don’t bring someone out of the zone like that unless you want to give them a cardiac arrest!’

‘I’m sorry sweet girl, are you alright?’ He chuckled, winding an arm around my shoulders and pulling me in for a side hug. 

‘I will be,’ I sent him a glare as I pulled back, but we both knew it was half-hearted.

‘Where is everyone?’ I wondered, but my question was rendered moot as I saw Reid, JJ and Prentiss making their way over to us.

‘Hotch and Rossi are interviewing the latest victim’s parents, JJ and Prentiss and I have just come back from the latest crime scene.’ Morgan explained.

‘Latest victim?’ I repeated, my tone hinting at my sadness over the news. 

‘Yeah.’ Derek offered a comforting smile, kissing my cheek and releasing me as the others joined us in the room.

‘Y/N!’ Prentiss and JJ said in unison, both stepping forward and wrapping me in a hug.

‘Nice to see you’ve come up for air!’ JJ teased as they both pulled back and took seats at the table. 

‘Nice to be acknowledged.’ Prentiss winked to show she was teasing.

I chuckled, but I could feel a flush of embarrassment as I paced, trying to ease my suddenly stiff muscles, ‘sorry guys, you know what I’m like, plus it’s paying off as I’m almost in!’

‘That’s great, Y/N.’ Spence offered me a bright smile and a cup of coffee.

‘Oh my god, thank you so much!’ I cheered, taking a gulp straight away, pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t scalding hot, but the perfect drinking temperature. 

The others laughed at my exclamation but I paid them no mind, knowing they were only jesting. Plus they knew me well enough to know about my caffeine addiction by now.

‘Right, if I get back in now, I can probably have the computer completely de-encrypted by the time Hotch and Rossi get back.’ I cracked my knuckles, put my headphones back on and dove back in after giving them a peace sign. 

It felt like seconds had passed when Reid placed his hand next to my computer, not suddenly enough to scare me, but soft enough to gain my attention. I looked from his hand and up to him, smiling immediately at the sight of his soft cinnamon orbs.

‘What’s up Spence?’ I asked, slipping the headphones to rest around my neck. 

‘Hotch was wondering how close you are?’ He murmured softly, his chin gesturing to the speakerphone at the centre of the table.

‘Actually, Sir, I’m waiting for the final part of the code to be de-encrypted, so minutes.’ I said, my voice tentative.

‘That’s great, Y/N, we’re all on our way back to the station to see what you’ve uncovered.’ He replied, and I barely managed to get out a ‘thank you sir’ before he hung up the phone.

‘Why are they all coming back?’ I wondered, my voice soft and a little confused. Usually in these kinds of cases Pen and I sifted through the relevant information and then sent it directly to the team.

‘This unsub takes great gratification in his murders, but when we searched his apartment we didn’t find any souvenirs that would allow him to relive his crimes. We think he has something on his laptop to allow him to do that.’ Spencer explained, his eyes gentle with understanding as my expression became distraught.

‘Right, okay, sicko souvenirs coming right up.’ I said, putting my nausea and disgust to the back of my mind to allow myself to focus.

‘Are you sure you don’t want a minute?’ He said, his hand gently resting on top of mine on the keyboard and halting my movements. 

I turned my hand over and gripped it in mine tightly. No words were spoken between us, he let me hold his hand for as long as I needed and when I finally felt in control of my emotions again, I sent him a grateful smile that he returned.

‘Thank you, Spence. I didn’t realise how much I needed that.’ I squeezed his hand once more before letting go.

‘I’m always here for you, Y/N, whenever you need me.’ He promised, patting my shoulder on his way out of the room. He was holding his coffee mug so I assumed he was going to get a refill. 

I was snapped out of watching him walk away as the computer in front of me beeped: ‘Access Granted’ was written in green against the black desktop, before it disappeared and allowed me into his files. With a deep breath I started sifting through, finding the evidence of his crimes quicker than I would have liked— it turned out that aside from some accounting files, this laptop was primarily used for storing every horrific thing he’d done to these women. He had nine videos, each of a different blonde haired Caucasian woman being tortured and then eventually murdered. I could tell this must have gone on for hours for each individual woman, but he’d clearly edited the footage down to the ‘best bits.’ Each was five minutes long and I’d just finished watching the last video when the team rejoined me.

‘Videos.’ I said, elaborating at the confusion, ‘his souvenirs are videos of his victims. The torture and each individual murder. He’s clearly edited the footage, but if he did that on this laptop then I can probably recover it if you need me to.’ 

‘We’ll all watch the current videos as they are, you get started on that, Y/N.’ Hotch said as the team all pulled out their tablets to watch the videos I’d already sent to them.

I nodded, pulling my headphones up and taking a deep breath to squelch the dread bubbling up in my gut. This isn’t about you I reminded myself, and with a nod I dove back in and uncovered frame by horrifying frame that the unsub had edited out. I had to call Pen and ask her to split the footage with me, as it was too much for me to shift through by myself, and time was of the essence. Once it was divided I leapt back in, trying not to flinch at every scream. I frowned when I noticed the unsub look up to the camera and smile, but he wasn’t looking into the lens, he was looking at something behind the camera. Or someone. With a hunch in mind, I ran the audio through a filter and took out the girls screams, bringing me to a shocking revelation. The unsub had a partner... and it was a woman.

//

As much as I hated flying, I was honestly relieved to be on the jet back to Quantico. I was settled in one of the singular seats by the window, staring out into the darkness and hoping that the victim we’d manage to save would recover from the trauma she’d been subjected to. No one should have to go through something so horrific, but I was just glad she hadn’t died like the others.

‘Hey.’ Spence’s soft voice broke me from my mind. 

‘Hey.’ I returned the greeting with a smile and accepting the blanket he offered me, ‘how did you know I was cold?’

‘I saw you rubbing your upper arms.’ He shrugged but he looked almost... bashful and it made my heartbeat stutter in my chest.

‘Well, thank you.’ I lifted the blanket to cover his both and explained at Reid’s raised brow, ‘we both know you’ll be dozing off soon, you might as well be cozy.’

He laughed softly, not wanting to disturb the other passengers— they’d all been asleep for a while now. When his arm came up and rested on my shoulders, I snuggled into his side without hesitation, missing the fond expression that formed on his face as I did. For the first time since he’d hugged me yesterday, I finally felt relaxed, calm and safe.

‘You did good on this case, you know.’ He said after a moment, his hand moving softly up and down on my arm.

I blushed, but otherwise reminded silent, not knowing what to say and not really believing he wasn’t just trying to be nice.

‘I’m serious. If you hadn’t uncovered that the partner was a woman, we would have released the girl when she came to the station claiming the unsub had beat her up.’ He said, the passion he usually reserved for his trivia coating his words.

‘I’m glad I helped, and I’m glad we were able to save Angela.’ I murmured quietly, but I knew he could hear me.

‘Me too.’ He agreed, holding me tighter to his side.

We were silent for a while, until he cleared his throat and said something that had me from the cusp of falling a sleep, to wide awake within seconds.

‘Derek pointed something out to me yesterday before you got to Georgia. He said that whenever you’re around me you’re relaxed in a way that you aren’t with anyone else.’ He spoke fast, his tone coated with anxiety and... hope? ‘It’s something I’ve never noticed before, but when he mentioned it, I found myself observing things I’d never seen before. The way you calmed as soon as you hugged me after you arrived at the station, the way you didn’t completely melt into the hugs Derek, JJ and Prentiss gave you. The way you didn’t jump when I caught your attention, the way your expression brightens up whenever we make eye contact.’ 

My heart was thundering in my chest, but my body refused to stiffen and remained as relaxed as it always did when I was in Spencer’s arms. I didn’t know what to do, I thought I’d been more subtle but apparently not. What should I say? But I realised he hadn’t actually asked me anything yet, and I assumed he was only bringing this up to address my feelings and gently let me down. Instead of jumping in and potentially making the situation worse, I decided to wait until he asked me whatever he was building up to ask me.

‘I guess I realised you feel safe and carefree with me.’ He took a deep breath, ‘and I’m relieved because you make me feel the same way. You make me feel calm, you make my mind slow down so I can actually keep up with the millions of thoughts that are constantly swirling through my mind. When you hug me, smile at me, hold my hand... the tension I didn’t realise I was carrying around just eases from my body. I can’t explain it with justice, Y/N, but I’m certain that what I’m feeling is love. I’m in love with you. And I was wondering if there was a chance that you would maybe go on a date with me?’

I knew my expression was mirroring the surprise and complete and utter shock I was feeling on the inside, because Spencer’s face started to redden with embarrassment. He opened his mouth again, probably to apologise, or something equally absurd, but I lifted my hand and gently placed it over his mouth.

‘I would love to go on a date with you, Spence.’ I told him, removing my hand when his eyes sparkled with relief and complete joy.

‘Thank god.’ He breathed, his forehead resting against mine as his eyes fluttered closed.

I breathed out a laugh, rubbing my nose against his softly and murmuring, ‘I love you too, you know. I have for a while.’

His lids lifted, his eyes had warmed to chocolate as they swam with happiness, ‘you have no idea how good that is to hear.’ His hand brushed my hair behind my ear and then caressed the side of my face.

‘I think I know pretty well.’ I grinned, my hand curling in his hair as we moved towards each other simultaneously. 

His lips were soft, warm and wonderful as they moved against mine. A part of me couldn’t believe how natural it felt to kiss him, but the other part of me was unsurprised— everything felt natural with Spencer, from hugging, to holding hands and not speaking a word to each other for hours at a time but enjoying one another’s presence regardless, there had never been a moment that hadn’t felt right. And this was no exception. His lips moved expertly across mine, with no hesitation, no reverence, as if we had done this together a million times before. And I had no doubt in my mind that we would do this a million times after, because there was no way that being with him felt so perfect, if it wasn’t meant to be. Spence was my soulmate that I was sure of.

A/N: I know, another Spencer Reid imagine! I’d apologise but I love him, and he’s all I’ve been inspired to write lately, so I’m embracing it. Hope you liked this one! 

[creckling]

Space

The above image is a 3D modeling render by artist Bill Ellis

Bill Ellis is one of my favorite artists, I discovered him on instagram and he always posts really cool shots of his work. 

The foreground, is obviously the skull with the cloth and crown, where the background is the ring of gold circling around in the back. The skull is overlapping the ring in the background and it comes together very nicely. I really love this piece of work by Bill. The skull in the foreground plus the somewhat transparent cloth draped over take up a large amount of volume, but it works out as the ring of gold in the back, while very technical and amazing, it is subtle enough to where you are still drawn to the skull and it does not feel like too much is going on. 

Space is an area, expanse, territory, distance or range. Variable spaces expand orcontract as our stories unfold. A closeup has a short range. A wide shot covers a lot of territory.

Atmospheric Perspective Value contrast and color saturation decrease with distance. Brightness increases asobjects fade further into the background. In addition, objects such as mountains may appear more blue.

Diagonal shapes pull the eye in a direction to create the illusion of depth. If the diagonal is going back like a railroad track or fence-line the eye will follow it into the perceived distance.

Elliptical Perspective An ellipse is an oval shape. Elliptical perspective provides visual clues to the location ofcurved surfaces in space. Look straight down on a glass of water. The rim of the glassis a circle. Move the glass to the side, the rim now appears as an ellipse. Line up the rimat your exact eye level, the ellipse now appears as a straight line.

Foreground, Middleground, & Background The 3 treatments of objects in space support design to achieve depth. This template for placing and sizing objects in the picture plane shows variations on the foreground, middleground, background configurations.

Foreshortening is when an object's dimensions appear shorter when angled toward theviewer. At the same time the part coming toward the viewer is enlarged.

Linear Perspective is a system used by artists in which the relative size, shape, and position of objects are determined by drawn or imagined lines converging at a point on the horizon. 1-point (Figure 1), 2-point, and 3-point linear perspective are illustrated in“How to Draw Exterior Backgrounds”.

Overlap is when part of one object is obscured by another object. The obscuring object appears to be in front.

S-Curve or Winding Path In an image of a landscape, S-curve or winding path will draw the eye of the viewer into a perceived distance.

Size relationships Objects appear smaller as their distance from the observer increases.

Transparency or opacity is when we feel like we can see objects through a glassy,gauzy, smoky, or dusty layer. The transparent/opacity adjustment affects the saturation and color of objects to give a feel of depth.

Vertical position places objects higher up in the composition to appear further away. Volume is the amount, expanse, extent, magnitude, size, aggregate, bulk, dimensions,or mass of an object. The volume variable indicates the amount of territory needed foreach object in a scene.