#seriously it bangs and it's a tutorial

[exceptthekitchensink]

Underdog Electronic Music School - The ten rules of techno

[kxsagi]

blue lock x cyclist user.. doesn’t even have to be the professional ones could be the street cyclist ykyk

And pls she'd be so baddie like overtaking opponents gyatt

“𝐥𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞”

a/n: hey siri, play vroom vroom by charli xcx

lavender lamborghini, roll up in a blue bikini

suggestive content inside! (sorry i’ve been slacking with that recently, but shidou is always suggestive honestly…) 

ft. isagi yoichi, mikage reo, kaiser michael, itoshi rin, karasu tabito, bachira meguru, nagi seishiro, shidou ryusei, itoshi sae

isagi yoichi

he thought he had good stamina. 

nah. you took him on one of your “light” rides and homie was praying to god on the fifth hill. 

“yoichi, you good?” 

“mhm just. catching. my soul. it left my body back there.” 

he admires you so much. like he will literally pull out his phone mid-convo and be like “btw, look at my girlfriend” and show everyone a video of you overtaking five dudes uphill like it’s nothing. 

“baby slow down you’re gonna hit a poth– OKAY NEVERMIND YOU JUMPED IT.” 

is also your #1 mechanic. watches bike maintenance tutorials just to help you. he’s just a little guy in love. 

blushes so hard when you ride past him and slap his ass like a demon on wheels. 

mikage reo

no one was ready for how obsessed reo became. 

spends 10k on a custom gold-accented fixie bike just to “ride with you,” only for you to pop a wheelie and leave him in the dust. 

“you didn’t say we were racing!!” 

“i wasn’t.” 

all jokes aside, he funds your entire cycling wardrobe. aero suits, racing shoes, visors. you’re his little tour de france princess. 

and when you ride past random dudes on the street and they try to catcall you? vroooom. 

reo’s already catching up like, “say it again i dare you, she’ll run your kneecaps over and i’ll sue your family.” 

holds your thigh in his lap when you’re sitting. stares at it like it’s a work of art. 

makes out with you every time you “win” a street race. “congrats, babe. now come here.” 

kaiser michael

when you met, you were biking uphill, he was jogging downhill, and you blew past him like a gust of wind and yelled, “move it, pretty boy.” 

he’s been chasing you ever since. 

your thighs haunt him. every time you pedal hard in front of him, it’s a spiritual experience. 

“you’re seriously so hot when you almost get hit by a car.” 

he also thinks it’s funny when you’re lowkey feral. like he once saw you bark at a car that almost cut you off. 

he tells everyone “my girl could outpace your sports car in a school zone.” 

buys a scooter just so he can legally ride next to you and hold your hand. 

and when you stop in front of a crowd in your helmet, shades, and biker fit? 

he just goes, “you guys wish you were her.” 

itoshi rin

he hates how attracted he is to you. like he didn’t ask to be whipped. 

every time you ride past him in full gear, he just stares. 

“you look stupid.” 

“you’ve been staring for ten minutes.” 

has no idea how to act when you pull up to his games with your helmet under your arm, your thighs all defined and glistening, and you go, “score a goal and i’ll give you a ride after.” 

cue him scoring a hat trick. 

tries to train with you once. just once. 

“we’re going how far?” 

“rin, we barely started.” 

also he 100% acts unbothered when other people check you out, but you can feel the silent murder vibes from behind his bangs. 

you once told a guy off by overtaking him on a tight sidewalk. rin was so proud he kissed you on the spot. 

karasu tabito

no thoughts head empty just: “babe, do the spinny leg thing again.” 

he takes 100 slow-mo videos of you pedaling and sets them to dramatic music. 

“LOOK AT HER QUADS.” 

absolutely wears one of your old cycling jerseys like a boyfriend hoodie. 

calls himself your water boy. shows up to your rides with snacks and says “hydration is sexy.” 

y’all do dumb dangerous races together at night just for the thrill. one time you both almost ate it trying to bunny hop a pothole. 

his love language is matching biker gloves. 

and he always stands behind you when you stretch because… reasons. 

“i respect your athleticism.” 

(he’s staring respectfully.) 

bachira meguru

street biking duo from hell. 

he doesn’t even have a real bike. it’s some janky monster-energy-themed BMX and you’re riding a $3k carbon fiber beast. 

but somehow he keeps up??? 

“it’s all in the legs, babe. and the chaos.” 

your dates are late-night races through the city where you both scream at random birds and laugh when you beat red lights. 

he draws goofy graffiti of you on buildings: “cyclist demon queen <3” with hearts and flames. 

he is genuinely obsessed with your power. like claps when you take off your helmet and your hair flips in slow-mo. 

wants pegs on your back tire so he can ride standing behind you like a badass sidekick. 

“go, my beloved velociraptor!!!” 

“meguru that’s not even the right animal–” 

nagi seishiro

he has no idea how you do this for fun. 

“you want me to... move my legs?” 

absolutely would rather be hit by a car than bike for more than five minutes. 

but he watches you ride like he’s watching a goddess in a music video. 

you once leaned down to adjust your shoe mid-ride and he was never the same. 

when you pull up to his practice to pick him up, he hops on the back like a sleepy little princess. 

“wake me when we get there.” 

falls asleep with his arms around you while you're riding 30 mph through traffic. 

he tells people, “my girlfriend’s thighs are stronger than my will to live.” 

and if someone tries to flirt with you while he’s riding behind you? 

he just peeks around and goes, “she’ll run you over.” 

shidou ryusei

this man fell in love the second he saw you hop a curb, cut off a car, flip the driver off, and speed into the distance like a neon blur. 

“nah. that’s the one.” 

his love language is biking recklessly with you. weaving between traffic, racing through yellow lights, giggling like a maniac while almost dying. 

if someone dares catcall you while you’re riding, he bikes up next to them, stares into their soul, and just smiles. 

“wanna lose your kneecaps, dumbass?” 

has definitely gotten arrested once or twice for following you into illegal races just to cheer you on. 

“baby you looked so sexy eating pavement on that last turn.” 

has a shrine in his notes app of all your biker fits. especially when your thighs are peeking out. 

and when you call him after a ride, breathless and flushed and laughing? 

he’s immediately feral. “pull up to my place. helmet on. nothing else.” 

also tries to show off by biking with no hands while texting. hits a trash can. 

“worth it.” 

itoshi sae

was absolutely unimpressed at first. like, “okay, you ride a bike. i walk.” 

then you pulled up in black cycling shorts, slick sunglasses, and passed a speeding car while eating a protein bar. 

he literally short-circuited. 

he’s not dramatic, but he hasn’t shut up about it since. 

“she’s fast. scary fast. and her legs–" 

he doesn’t even care about soccer anymore when you’re around. the second you text, “wanna ride?” he’s out the door like, “say less.” 

he doesn’t even try to race you. he just watches. 

he’s your groupie. your number one simp. the king of “you see my girl?” 

“oh, you drive a porsche? my girlfriend rides a bike and could smoke you on a roundabout.” 

casually films your sprints and slow-mos your thighs in post with royalty-free music like a whole fan cam. 

and when he sees guys stare too long at you mid-ride? 

he goes full “i’ll take your eyes out for free” mode. calmly. menacingly. 

“look away before she breaks your spine with her calf muscle.” 

© 𝐤𝐱𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢

[ne0mile]

hand in hand

jo x f!reader

word count: 3,6k

warnings: fluff, Jo is very shy obvi, and that's all they're just cute! You know the drill: English isn't my first language... Sorry for any mistakes, I tried to proofread this!

.𖥔 ݁ ˖🍡🍧🎡.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖🍡🍧🎡.𖥔 ݁ ˖.𖥔 ݁ ˖🍡🍧🎡.𖥔 ݁ ˖

The lecture hall buzzed with the rustle of notebooks and conversations as class ended, the summer heat making the lecture hall feel stifling despite the humming air conditioning. You were slipping your stuff into your bag when a hesitant voice spoke beside you. "Yn?"

You turned around to find Jo standing there, his fingers gripping the strap of his messenger bag too tightly. He seemed even shier than usual—lips slightly parted as if he'd rehearsed this moment a dozen times but still wasn't sure of the words.

You smiled, tipping your head back to meet his eyes. "Hey, Jo." He took a shallow breath. “I was– Um…” The words wouldn’t come out of his mouth. He shook his head and took a deep breath to continue. "If you're free this weekend... and if you want..." His gaze flickered to the window, where sunlight streamed through the trees. "Maybe… we could go to the summer festival together?" 

The question hung between you. His words had tumbled out in a rush like he’d been holding them through the ninety-minute lecture. "I mean," he hurried to add, shoulders hunching slightly, ears pink, "only if you're not busy. And if you'dwant to go… With me." 

You gave him a smile which made his shoulders relax a bit. “I’d love to.”

Jo's eyes widened almost imperceptibly as if he hadn't actually expected you to say yes. A faint pink dusted his cheeks."Really?" He asked, just to be sure.

"Really." You bumped his arm lightly with yours as you both walked toward the exit. "Should I meet you there, or...?"

"I—I can pick you up," he blurted, then immediately looked horrified at his own forwardness. "If that's okay..." The way his voice softened at the end sent a warm flutter through your chest. "That sounds perfect." You interrupted before he could hesitate longer. “You’ll text me the time?”

Jo nodded so vigorously that his bangs flopped into his eyes. 

.☘︎ ݁˖ .☘︎ ݁˖ .☘︎ ݁˖

Jo’s dorm room was a battlefield of indecision, his bed engulfed in fabric. There was no way he could choose between the indigo yukata he borrowed from his father and a slate grey one he bought last minute after hours of online review. 

A loud crunch came from the doorway. "Damn." Nicholas leaned against the doorframe, eating out of a bag of chips with a single-minded focus. His sharp eyes swept over the chaos - the discarded obi belts, the open laptop playing Traditional Yukata Tying Tutorial, and the several different pairs of tabi socks Jo had laid out just in case.

Jo didn't look up from where he was attempting, and failing, to fold the indigo yukata properly. "Go away." He mumbled, not really in the mood to put up with Nicholas’ teasing. 

Nicholas strolled in and plopped onto Jo's bed, acting as if he didn’t hear him. "So… Nervous?"

Jo ignores his roommate's smirk and stays focused on the task at hand. "I'm preparing." 

"Uh-huh." Nicholas snatched the grey yukata before Jo could stop him, holding it up critically. "This one makes you look like a ghost." Jo yanked it back. "It's elegant."

"It's boring." Nicholas pointed his chip at the indigo fabric. "That one's the winner. Matches your whole..." He gestured vaguely at Jo. "Tortured romantic poet thing you've got going on."

Jo's ears burned. "I don't- That's not-"

"Relax, Shakespeare." Nicholas grinned. "She already said yes. Which, by the way-" He paused to dramatically clutch his chest. "-hurts. I asked her to that festival first, you know."

Jo froze. "You what?"

Nicholas' laughter echoed off the walls. "Kidding! God, your face." He lobbed a chip at Jo's head. "But seriously. Wear the blue. Stop stressing. And for fuck's sake-" He gestured to Jo's hair, which Jo had been unconsciously running his hands through for the past hour. "-leave your hair alone."

Jo scowled, but his fingers stilled. "What if I... forget how to talk?"

"Oh you definitely will," Nicholas chirped. "But lucky for you, girls think that's cute." He stood, stretching. "Now put the damn yukata on."

As Nicholas sauntered out, he paused at the door. "Oh, and Jo?" Jo looked up. "If you don't kiss her tonight, I'm revoking your man card." The door slammed shut before Jo could throw a pillow at him.

When Nicholas barged back in, now wearing his own yukata perfectly tied, Jo was turning sideways in front of the mirror, grimacing at the uneven bow tied around his waist. It took one look at Jo’s face for Nicholas to burst out laughing. Jo made a strangled noise.“This is not funny! I can’t tie it properly…” 

Nicholas rolled his eyes and moved behind him. “I’ll do it for you before you give yourself an aneurysm.” So Jo stood stiff as a board while he expertly retied the yukata, his fingers quick and sure, a sharp contrast to his clumsy ones. 

“See? Wasn’t that hard.” Nicholas pats Jo’s shoulders affectionately. “Now, put on some cologne-not too much! And comb your hair.” 

"Done," Jo gritted out after a while of trying to style his hair, forcing a rebellious lock down with what was probably too much gel. Nicholas raised his eyes from where he was on the bed, texting the whole group chat about Jo’s shenanigans. 

“Wow. You actually look… decent.” Nicholas whistled. 

Jo flipped him off, but his reflection did look... okay. More than okay. The indigo fabric brought out the warmth in his skin, and the silver-threaded obi added a little something without being too flashy.

His phone buzzed.

Yn: “Heading out soon! You’re still picking me up?”

Jo's hands shook so badly that he almost dropped his phone. Nicholas snatched it and typed back: “Yeah :) Can't wait”

“Uh-” Jo’s mouth opened to protest but Nicholas was faster. "Sent." He grinned. "Take some notes. That is how you flirt."

Jo stood still, frozen. With the clock ticking and now your text, the moment was dangerously close and he couldn’t help but wonder why he even invited you in the first place. There was no way he wouldn’t embarrass himself during the night and where you were nice enough to acknowledge his existence before, you would never want to be seen in public with him after that. 

A sharp clap on his back tore Jo from his spiralling thoughts. “You’ve got everything: your wallet, your phone. You smell good, you look nice… You’re ready to go. Go get ‘em!”

“I can’t do this,” Jo whispered, his voice barely above his breath.

Nicholas sighed and grabbed his friend by his shoulders to shake him up. “Dude. You like her, and she likes you-otherwise she would’ve turned you down. So tonight’s gonna be great.” He paused. “Unless you bail… Then you’re dead to me.” 

His last words were firm and didn’t allow Jo to complain again. So he exhaled, nodded and stepped out in the warm summer evening in the direction of your side of the halls. 

.☘︎ ݁˖ .☘︎ ݁˖ .☘︎ ݁˖

Jo's footsteps slowed as he turned the corner to your dorm, his pulse hammering loud enough to drown out the cicadas'evening song. The golden hour light painted the sidewalk in warm hues, and there you were.

Waiting for him under a tree, your silhouette framed by strands of hanging lantern lights someone had strung along the pathway. Your yukata was a soft shade of pink, the fabric fluttering slightly in the summer breeze. When you turned at the sound of his approach, the setting sun caught in your eyes and for a moment, Jo almost forgot how to breathe. 

“Hey.” You smiled. His mouth went dry. All the practiced greetings, the casual compliments he'd rehearsed in the mirror:gone. The only thing his brain could think about was how pretty you looked. 

"Hi," he managed after a moment too long, his voice coming out strangled. You tilted your head, eyebrows furrowing."You okay?" Jo swallowed hard and left an awkward beat pass. His fingers flexed at his sides, suddenly unsure what to do with his long arms. 

"You look..." He started, then stopped. The words nice or good felt criminally inadequate. His gaze dropped to the delicate embroidery along your belt—tiny flowers he wanted to trace with his fingers—then snapped back up to your face."...Really beautiful."

The way your cheeks flushed made something warm unfurl in his belly. "Thanks," you said softly, smoothing a hand down your sleeve. "You too. The indigo suits you." Jo stood there, his ears burning and his heart pounding so loud he worried you might hear it. 

"Ready?" you asked, smiling up at him. He nodded, falling into step beside you as you headed toward the festival grounds. Close enough that your sleeves brushed with every other step but not close enough to touch.

.☘︎ ݁˖ .☘︎ ݁˖ .☘︎ ݁˖

The festival grounds pulsed with energy. Lanterns swayed with the gentle breeze, the air smelled like grilled yakitoris, and children’s laughter echoed through the crowd. Jo walked stiffly beside you, hands shoved deep in his sleeves, as he thought again and again of a way to start a conversation.

It was when you reached the main thoroughfare that the crowd thickened abruptly. A group of rowdy college students pushed past, knocking you off balance.

Jo’s arm shot out instinctively, his hand finding yours in the chaos. Your fingers tangled together, palm to palm and for a second, neither of you moved as your eyes caught his.

He didn’t want to let go, but his skin burned where it met yours and the panicked voice in his head was screaming for him to. It felt forbidden to hold on, so he released his grip slowly.

The noise of the festival faded to a dull roar in his ears, his entire world narrowing to where your hands were still connected. You squeezed his fingers gently.

Jo exhaled shakily. “We should—” His voice cracked. He cleared his throat. “It’s crowded.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, thumb brushing lightly over his knuckles. “Better stick together.”

Jo’s breath hitched. He adjusted his grip carefully, fingers slotting between yours awkwardly. Neither of you mentioned the way his pulse raced under your touch, but you noticed and suppressed a smile. 

The warm press of your hand in his sent Jo’s thoughts scattering like startled birds. He never held someone’s hand like that, fingers intertwined, palms aligned, let alone someone he liked as much as he did you. The sensation was foreign and intoxicating and his mind wandered to what it could feel like to feel more of your skin.

The crowd ebbed and flowed around you both, but Jo barely noticed as you moved around the festival.

“I think I want some takoyaki,” you said, nodding toward a bustling stall up ahead, its steam rising and the smell reaching your nostrils. Jo blinked. “Oh. Right. Food.”

He made no move to release your hand and you bit back a smile. “Do you… want to get some?”

Jo’s ears burned and you led him to the stall. He should let go. It was the practical thing to do. “We can—I mean, we don’thave to—” He stammered, gesturing vaguely with his free hand.

Your laughter was warm, and understanding. “We can try one-handed.” Jo’s grip instinctively tightened.

The takoyaki vendor raised an eyebrow as you approached, still linked together. Jo fumbled with his wallet, his fingers clumsy as he tried to extract his money without breaking contact.

“One order, please,” you said, squeezing Jo’s hand in silent reassurance. The vendor smirked but said nothing, handing over a paper boat of golden-brown spheres drizzled with sauce and dancing with fish flakes.

Jo stared at the takoyaki, then at your joined hands, then back at the food. A puzzle with no solution.

You plucked one up with your free hand and blew on it gently before holding it out to him. “Open.”

Jo’s breath caught in his throat. The intimacy of the gesture sent heat crawling up his neck. He leaned in, letting you pop it into his mouth, his lips barely grazing your fingertips.

“Good?” you asked. Jo couldn’t speak around the sudden lump in his throat. He nodded, chewing slowly, buying time to compose himself. 

You barely let him time to swallow before you leaned in and opened your mouth. “My turn!”

He reached for a piece, his hand trembling as he lifted it to your lips. Your eyes never left his as you took the bite, your tongue darting out to catch a stray drop of sauce, making his stomach turn.

The sauce was still sweet on your tongue when a familiar voice cut through the festival noise. "Well, well, well..." You turned just in time to see Nicholas elbowing Maki violently in the ribs, while he pointed dramatically at your still-linked fingers.

Jo froze like a deer in headlights.

Nicholas’ grin was downright predatory as they approached the both of you. "Look who's holding hands." You could feel the panic radiating off Jo as he tightened his grip on your hand.

“So when were you gonna tell us you two were–” 

A sudden boom cut Maki off. All of you looked up as the first firework exploded overhead, painting the sky in shining colours. 

Maki opened his mouth again, most likely to make another joke, but Nicholas grabbed his sleeve and yanked him backwards with a knowing smirk. "We’re leaving. The fireworks just started."

Jo exhaled shakily as his friends departed. “Sorry about them…”

You smiled, tracing your thumb over his knuckles in reassurance. “I don’t mind. I think it was fun.”

Another firework burst, closer this time. The sound vibrated through your chest, and Jo’s fingers twitched against yours.“Hum… We should–”

“Yeah, let’s go by the beach!” You didn't wait for Jo's response, just tugged him forward, weaving through the crowd with your fingers still locked together. The festival noise faded behind you as you reached the narrow path leading down to the shore, the sand cool beneath your sandals.

The beach was surprisingly empty. Just a few scattered couples were watching the fireworks reflect across the dark water. You led Jo to a flat stretch of sand, the waves lapping gently a few meters away.

You sat down on the sand and another firework burst overhead. This one was a shimmering blue that painted Jo's face in ethereal light. His eyes were wide, lips slightly parted as he stared up at the sky. You couldn’t look away. 

“Pretty” He murmured. 

“Yeah…” You agreed, softly. “Pretty.”

Jo turned his head slightly, catching your gaze, only to realize with a jolt that you weren’t looking at the fireworks at all. His eyes widened. He whipped his head back around so fast his bangs flopped into his eyes, his shoulders hunching up to his ears.

You couldn’t help it; you laughed, the sound bright and clear over the waves. Jo groaned, covering his face with his free hand. "Don’t laugh," he mumbled, though there was no real protest in it.

"You know," you mused, swinging your joined hands lightly between you, "since you held my hand the entire night, I thought you’d be less shy about eye contact."

Jo made a strangled noise. "I'm— That's not—" Then a frustrated sigh, his left hand dragging down his flushed face."You're mean..."

You grinned, leaning closer until your shoulder pressed fully against his. "I'm just speaking my mind." 

Another firework. "Besides, I like it. The way you get all flustered. I think it’s cute."

You rest your head against his shoulder, your temple brushing the curve of his neck and Jo stops breathing for a second. His entire body goes rigid. He wished he could answer to you telling him he’s cute, return the compliment at least. But the words wouldn’t go past his lips. So, slowly, so slowly, he relaxes into your contact, his shoulder dipping slightly to accommodate you better. That’s all he could do for now.

"Is this okay?" you murmured, your words nearly lost under the next firework’s boom. Jo’s fingers flexed around yours."Y-Yeah," he breathed. "More than… more than okay."

You smiled against the fabric of his yukata, inhaling the faint scent of laundry and something unique to him: warm and comforting. He was so stiff you were worried about moving yourself.

"You’re nervous," you observed, tilting your head to peer up at him.

Jo swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing under your gaze. "I’m not—" The lie died on his lips when you squeezed his hand. He breathed shakily before admitting: "...A little."

"Why?" You nudged his knee with yours. "It’s just me."

His hand tensed slightly, and then suddenly he let go. You barely had time to register the loss of contact before his hand lifted, trembling, hovering near your hair like he wanted to touch but didn’t quite dare. His fingers twitched, suspended in the air for a breathless moment before he exhaled sharply and let his arm drop back to his side, fingers curling into the sand instead.

"Sorry," he muttered, his eyes glued to the glittering sky. Before you could ask, Jo spoke again, so quiet the words nearly dissolved into the crash of waves. "Because it’s you."

Your breath caught. Then, his pinky finger stretched out, brushing against yours where they rested in the cool sand. You smiled and hooked your finger around his, making his shoulders relax. 

His bangs had fallen into his eyes again, obscuring his expression. Without thinking, you reached up and gently pushed them aside with your other hand, your fingertips lingering against his temple.

Jo froze, then leaned into your touch, just slightly, his eyes fluttering shut. Above you, the fireworks painted the sky in bursts of gold, but neither of you looked up.

"I—" A deafening firework exploded overhead, drowning out Jo's voice completely. The sky flashed crimson, illuminating the way his throat moved as he swallowed hard, his pinky still hooked stubbornly around yours in the sand.

You leaned in closer, tilting your head as you asked: "What?"

Jo's eyes darted everywhere but your face. It went from the ocean to his lap, to the distant festival lights, before finally settling on your intertwined fingers. His voice came out barely above a whisper.

"I... I like you."

There was a moment of silence. Then, realizing how painfully inadequate that sounded after months of stolen glances and trembling hands, he rushed to add: "Not—not just as a friend. Have for... a while." His free hand fidgeted with the hem of his yukata. "And tonight... I just..."

You waited, watching the way the fireworks reflected in his wide, earnest eyes. Jo took a shaky breath. "I didn't want it to end."

The admission hung between you, fragile and honest. You turned your hand palm up in the sand, a silent invitation for him to reconnect your hands. "Why would it have to end?"

Jo's breath hitched as his fingers instinctively laced with yours. "I just thought...  that after tonight..." His voice trailed off as another firework burst, painting his nervous expression in pink light.

You leaned closer, your eyes searching for his. "I like spending time with you, Jo. Not just tonight."

His thumb brushed over your knuckles and he whispered, "Do you?" The quiet hope in his voice made your chest tighten."Of course I do," you answered earnestly.

Jo exhaled like he'd been holding his breath for hours. When he turned to face you properly, his eyes were brighter than the fireworks. "Can I... would you let me take you out? Like this? Again..?"

The question hung between you, trembling in the salt-tinged air. You didn't answer. Instead, you leaned in slowly, making sure you were giving him every chance to pull away. But Jo didn't move. His breath hitched as your noses brushed together, his gaze dropping to your lips for one endless, heart-stopping moment. You could see the flutter of his lashes,and feel the warm puff of his nervous exhale against your mouth.

Then you closed the distance.

The first press of your lips was feather-light, barely more than a whisper of contact. Jo froze completely, before melting into you with a quiet, desperate sound. His hands rose to cradle your face, trembling fingers tracing your jaw like you might disappear if he held on too tight.

When you pulled back, just enough to see his face, Jo's eyes stayed closed for a second longer, his lips still slightly parted. The fireworks reflected in the damp sheen of his lashes as he finally blinked them open, his expression so openly awestruck it made your chest flutter.

"Was that...?" His voice came out rough, his thumbs still stroking your cheeks like he couldn't quite believe what just happened. You smiled, brushing his bangs aside. "A yes."

Jo's breath left him in a rush. Then he was kissing you again, with no hesitation this time, just warm, sweet certainty. His fingers tangled gently in your hair as he tilted his head, his other arm wrapping around your waist to pull you closer. Somewhere over your heads, the fireworks reached their crescendo in bursts of gold and crimson, but all you could focus on was the way Jo's heart raced against yours, the soft noise he made when you bit playfully at his bottom lip.

When you finally parted, both breathless, Jo kept his forehead pressed to yours, his eyes still closed. "So... tomorrow?" he whispered, voice wrecked.

You laughed, curling your fingers into his yukata. "Tomorrow." Then, because you couldn't resist - "And the day after that."

[sevarchive]

bllk headcanons! #2

blue lock! with a pretty but sleep deprived s/o

a/n: i re-did this fic yesterday because i made a mistake on this request TT. this plot was suggested from this request!

starring: chigiri hyoma, reo mikage, yukimiya kenyu, and kiyora jin

CHIGIRI HYOMA

“how are you always this pretty while also looking like you haven't slept since last week?”

he’s lowkey annoyed at how effortlessly pretty you are. like he puts so much effort into his haircare, skincare, stretching, injury maintenance, but you’re just sitting there with the barest hint of lip balm and bedhead and still make his heart skip.

you sleep through half his hair care routine talks, and he doesn’t even mind. he actually gets quieter just so you don’t wake up.

when you're too tired to hold a proper conversation, he just takes the lead with soft sarcasm like, “you know, if you pass out in front of me one more time, i’ll start charging you rent for the bed.” while gently pulling a blanket over you!

he lets you nap with your head in his lap, scrolling through hair tutorials with one hand and brushing your bangs aside with the other.

lowkey enjoys how comfortable you are around him, your softness balances out his sharpness.

he’ll whisper, “get some sleep, lazy,” but tuck your hair behind your ear so gently you can tell he’s smiling.

REO MIKAGE

reo adores you. not just because you’re insanely pretty (though he’ll say it 5x a day), but because you're the only person who can look dead-tired and still steal the spotlight.

“seriously, how do you look like you walked out of a perfume ad while looking like you haven’t slept in days?”

he buys you luxury under-eye patches and acts all cool like, “no big deal. you looked like you needed them.”

he tries to get you on a sleep schedule. he actually downloaded 3 different wellness apps for you, even though you just ignored them and passed out on the couch.

you fall asleep during one of his mini business plans, and he deadass keeps talking like you're awake. “...so if we reinvest that, oh, you’re out cold. okay. nap first, conquer the world later.”

will 100% take photos of you sleeping and save them like treasures. “don’t worry, i won’t post it. but look at you. angel.”

even if you're snoring slightly, he thinks it's cute. he’ll kiss your temple and mumble, “try not to work yourself to death, yeah? i like you alive and pretty.”

YUKIMIYA KENYU

he thinks it’s adorable how you can barely keep your head up, yet still manage to look absolutely ethereal!

when you're half-asleep and babbling nonsense, he’ll go along with it just to hear your sleepy voice.

“you look like a painting, babe.” “paintings don’t need 5 cups of coffee to function!” “then you’re the first.”

always brings you warm drinks, quietly checking in on you: “hey. sleep last night?” “...five hours total.” “that's a solid improvement!”

likes having you curled up next to him while he flips through football clips. you keep drifting off, and he’ll nudge you like, “hey, i’m showing you messi. you're not allowed to sleep on messi!”

but deep down, he doesn’t mind. he loves that you let your guard down around him. your prettiness isn’t even the main thing, it’s the way you trust him enough to rest.

KIYORA JIN

"you look dead," he says. "still hot, though."

“i’m so tired i could cry.” “then sleep.” you stare at him. he stares back. you blink once and fall asleep on his shoulder. he doesn’t move.

doesn’t compliment you often, but thinks you're insanely pretty and shows it through actions.

if someone else says you look tired in a rude way, he’ll glare at them and go, “she looks better tired than you do fully rested.”

walks slower when you’re next to him so you don’t trip from exhaustion. keeps conversations short and soft when he knows you’re drained.

when you're napping with your cheek pressed to his chest, he stays completely still. not because he’s nervous—he just doesn’t want to wake you.

quietly watches over you like it’s second nature. you don’t even need to ask.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤdedicated to @🪷 anon

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ© sevarchive ✦ masterlist

[bluelockmaniac]

baking disaster (ft. itoshi sae)

synopsis: you try to persuade your boyfriend into making cookies with you, but he's not the best baker.

cw: lots of fluff!! mentions of making out, i think sae slaps your butt once

author's note: i literally had to watch a cookie tutorial to make this fic because if baking were a sport, i'd definitely be on the bench permanently. so, i apologize to all bakers out there.

here you were, sitting on the couch next to your boyfriend, desperately clinging onto his chest as he fixates his bored gaze at what he called a 'pathetic excuse' of a football match. the only somewhat affectionate gesture he's giving you is an unexciting arm slung carelessly around your shoulder.

while sae was in practice, you had dedicated two hours dolling yourself up; attending to every little detail of your appearance carefully. you even lit a few vanilla-scented candles in the living room to romanticize the atmosphere, all in order to have a fun date night and bake cookies together. so, why have you spent the last thirty minutes attempting to convince him to follow through with your plans?

"sae," you whine softly, deliberately pressing more of your body against him as you bat your eyelashes pleadingly in an attempt to get his attention, and hopefully change his mind.

"pleasee, just this once! bake chocolate chip cookies with me!"

he cocks his head subtly, looking over at you with half-lidded eyes. "i told you already, darling. i can't bake for shit."

"i know you're probably more likely to start a kitchen fire than bake a decent cookie, but that's why i'm here!"

you look up at him lovingly as his hand travels to your cheek, giving it a light squeeze.

"if that's what it takes to shut you up, then i guess i'll make these lukewarm cookies."

he quickly plants a chaste kiss on your lips as the trace of a very unnoticeable—yet unmistakable— smirk appears on his mouth.

in the kitchen, you rolled up your sleeves and gestured towards the pantry and cabinets, instructing sae to look for the dry ingredients with a rather authoritative tone.

"sae, find the flour, baking soda, and salt. they should be in there somewhere."

he rolls his eyes and gives your ass a light slap, "when'd you get so bossy, pretty?"

you giggle as he disappears into the pantry, turning your attention to the bowl on the counter. with determination, you begin to vigorously beat the soft butter and the brown and white sugar together until it formed a chunky mixture.

"y/n," you hear your boyfriend's frustrated voice call out as he walks closer to you with a displeased expression. "i can't find the ingredients, where'd you even bury them?"

"oh sweetheart," rolling your eyes with a mocking grin tugging on your lips, you teasingly smack his chest and enter the pantry, effortlessly locating the loathsome ingredients that caused your lovely boyfriend's annoyance. "you really couldn't find the ingredients that were practically screaming their location? how lukewa—"

"y/n."

"cute, i meant cute!" you defend yourself with a wholehearted laugh, unaware of the genuine smile forming on sae's lips as he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear (his smile quickly dissipated into a more subtle one once you turned towards him).

"sae, get me two eggs... in the fridge."

he lets out a soft sigh and places them on the counter, looking at you for further instruction. "well?"

you shake your head, feigning disappointment as your hand finds its way to your forehead.

"crack the eggs, silly,"

"oh, right..."

"and make sure to do it gentl—"

crack

sae slams the egg on the counter with an unnecessarily excessive force, sending shells and egg whites flying everywhere across the kitchen.

"oh. oops." he says blankly, staring at the slimy mess in his hands— and the counter. he looks over to you expecting to be scolded, but is instead greeted with your loud laughter, your banging fists assaulting the poor counter.

"seriously sae...haha...ha... what did you expect would happen??"

he glances away in embarrassment and quickly washes his hands. "shut up."

"it's okay, love, you can try aga—"

"no."

"—thought so. okay, i'll do it, can you measure half a teaspoon of salt? the measuring cups are over there."

you point somewhere in the kitchen as you turn your attention back to the bowl, cracking two eggs and adding vanilla extract into the mixture.

"baby, let's mix the dry ingredients now!"

you say excitedly as sae appears behind you, placing his hands on your waist as he gently kisses your neck.

without you noticing, your boyfriend scoops a handful of flour. "y/n."

when you turn around, unsuspecting, he brings his hands close to your face and blows the flour from his hands, dusting your cheeks and nose with the powdery residue.

"what the— sae!" you were caught completely off guard at his playful and not so sae-coded gesture, and after seeing him laugh—a rare sight to behold—you couldn't help but break into laughter as well (his laugh is very contagious).

"you look adorable,"

he teases, caging you against the kitchen counter with his strong limbs, preventing you from returning his pleasant surprise.

"heyy, that's not fair!" you huff in annoyance as you squirm around his arms.

"life's not fair, mi amor."

after (a small session of making out), you instruct sae to mix the flour, salt, and baking soda—which he does uncooperatively— you mix combine the powdery compound with the wet mixture.

"alrightt, time for the fun part!" you exclaim cheerfully, lightly smacking the bag of chocolate chips against his chest as you stare at his powder-covered face. a few moments ago, while you were making out, your flour-dusted hands left many imprints on his cheeks. "i'll add the amount you want because you look adorable."

he rolls his eyes, an irritating smirk ghosting over his mouth as he attempts to brush away the lingering flour from his face. "hm. then don't add too mu—"

"on second thought, your charm won't sway me into accepting your very absurd demand— they're chocolate chip cookies, sae, not classic cookies!" you protest, pouring in a bit more than a cup of chocolate chips into the batter, meeting his gaze with a proud, cheeky smile as he sighs and raises his hands in defeat.

"you're a brat."

—

you sit on the kitchen counter, a proud smile on your lips as you watch him awkwardly roll the chocolate chip dough into imperfect little spheres, then place them onto the baking tray in a slightly messy arrangement. you had managed to persuade him after telling him they would resemble miniature soccer balls, and now looking at his attentive features, you couldn't help but snap a few pictures to treasure this moment.

giggling softly, you affectionately ruffle his hair, teasing, "i've never seen you so focused on anything other than soccer, handsome."

he huffs and presses his lips together before giving you a light nudge. "you brought out my hidden talent."

"pftt. yeah. talent." you snort mockingly, running your hand soothingly up and down his back.

rolling his eyes, he pushes the baking tray in your direction, a faint pout on his lips, "oh, be quiet."

you carefully place the tray in the oven before joining him in the living room, where he immediately plops down onto the couch. attempting to squeeze in beside him, you gently nudge him, "sae, move over," but he looks at you lazily and shrugs, "just lay on the other couch or something."

puffing out your cheeks in frustration, you chose to lay on his chest instead. without hesitation, he quickly pulls you closer by the waist, snuggling you warmly as his hands find their way to your ass.

fifteen minutes later, you cautiously remove the tray from the oven (sae didn't remove it because he was scared of the heat radiating from the oven) and set it on the counter to cool, your eyes sparkling with excitement as you lean against your boyfriend. "baby, don't they look delicious?" you ask eagerly, impatiently tapping your fingers against the marble surface. "meh," he replied nonchalantly, purposely trying to annoy you.

"okay pretty boy, you taste it first," you say with a short giggle, offering sae a cookie near his mouth. hesitantly, he takes a bite. with soon-to-be misconceived pride, you optimistically ask, "soo, how does it tas—" your words trail off as he spits the cookie into the trash, his face contorting in disgust. "blegh,"

you were caught off guard, and rolled your eyes in disappointment, "oh come on, sae. it can't be that bad," you say confidently, taking a daring bite of the cookie in an attempt to prove him wrong. however, this fleeting confidence immediately turns into regret as you gag and hurriedly spit it into the trash. "ew, what the fuck?" you choke in disgust, reaching for two glasses and hastily fill them with water. you pass one to sae and quickly chug down the water to wash away the unpleasant taste.

"why is it so salty?" you ask in confusion, closing your eyes as you ponder in thought. you suddenly notice your boyfriend's uncharacteristic type of silence, watching how he presses his lips together and avoids meeting your gaze. there is definitely a subtle hint of guilt in those narrowed teal eyes fixated on the baking tray of cookies. your eyes widen in realization, "wait a minute," you begin, connecting his behaviour with your growing suspicion.

"sae, show me the measuring cup you used to measure the salt,"

"...it's over there," your eyes follow his finger, and eventually settle on the culprit responsible for the cookie failure—the measuring cup sitting innocently on the kitchen counter.

you smack your forehead at the comical mistake sae had made, then turn to look at him. he was still trying to avoid your eyes, but eventually sighs and meets your gaze awkwardly.

"sweetheart, that's a 1/4 cup, not half a teaspoon! that's about eleven teaspoons too many!" you say shaking your head with amusement.

he runs the back of his neck as he yet again focuses his eyes on something else,

"...oh."

bonus:

late at night, you two are cozily draped over the couch, wrapped in each other's arms. sae had ordered takeout to make amends for the baking mishap— although he stubbornly claimed "it was deliberate— to enhance the flavour,". despite the cookie baking failure, you enjoyed you and your boyfriend's special bonding in the kitchen. you wished the next time you two baked together, it would turn out a success.

"don't wanna. also, why am i rolling the dough on your lock screen wallpaper?"

thank you for reading! comments appreciated :)

[mellosdrawings]

Sorry for the inconvenience but could you make a tutorial on how to draw Kalim please?

Alright, time for a Kalim tuto!

I'm gonna do a bit differently compared to the usual, because there is something interesting about Kalim and Jamil.

They are, quite literally, polar opposite even in design.

Long straight dark hair vs short fluffy white hair

Little dark eyes vs big soft eyes

Red and dark colors vs light and blueish colors

Fire motif vs water magic

Apart from the eyes, those are all things they have control over too. Things they can't decide for themselves (skin color, size) are similar, but things that partake in choices (hairstyles, colors) are completely opposite.

Think about it when you draw either of them. You might want to draw them with that opposition in mind.

I'm going to keep coming back to Jamil's design (since I draw him all the time he is my base reference when I draw Kalim. You can find Jamil's tuto HERE if you wanna compare)

0. Face's general shape

Not pictured here coz it's not as obvious seen facing, but I like to give Kalim a heart shaped face. High yet round cheeks and pointy chin. That's what gives him a cute side and makes him approachable (unlike Jamil who would be straighter and thinner).

1. Turban part 1

Unlike with other characters, we're gonna start with the main accessory here since it changes the shape of his hair. For that I suggest that you draw the ears first. His turban doesn't actually touch them, so place the vague shape slightly above it. Don't make it symmetrical, the left side should be higher than the left.

2. Turban part 2

Here you add the little left over from his turban. Make it go slightly further than the middle line to make it more natural. Once more, no symmetry. Keep the distinct left-right for Jamil, Kalim is more natural and imperfect.

3. Hair

Kalim has short fluffy hair coming from a point to the left. They all go toward the same direction. Keep your lines flowing, make soft waves. They tend to fork outwards at the end.

4. Turban part 3

I only close the turbans here, otherwise I tend to put the edges too close to his head. There is matter here between his hair and the actual turban, so keep it in mind. Don't draw the edges with straight lines. Remember: natural and imperfect. Add a little wave to make it look like a fold.

5. Bangs

Kalim's bangs can be separated in three parts, two framing his face and one at the center going right. His bangs are short. Just like for the top hair, keep it fluffy and cute.

6. Turban part 4, the bow

Yes, the turban is half of Kalim's design so we're still not done with it. Kalim has a cute bow to the side, so seen from the front you only see one loop and one end of the fabric. Make two vaguely squared shapes and add a little curve at the bottom of the upper square to shape the loop of the bow.

7. Feathers

We're almost done with the turban! Where Jamil had on feather to the right of his face, Kalim has two. They come almost from the ear, behind the bow, and reach slightly lower than his chin. Try not to draw them completely parallel (natural and imperfect!)

8. Eyes

Once more going to reference Jamil, but they actually have the same eye shape, with round lower lids and straighter high lids. The difference is that Jamil has lazy eyes (meaning his eyes aren't opened fully) while Kalim's eyes are more open. It gives him bigger, softer eyes.

The pupils are also huge, once more in complete opposition to Jamil's little pupils.

As for the eyebrows, Kalim's are very short but a bit wide. Make it about the side of his pupils, lower inside and higher outside.

9. Earrings

His earrings are 6 shaped with three chains falling from it. They're actually pretty long, going down to his chin. You can keep it simple.

10. Finish the face

Make him smile. Seriously, Kalim is smiling more often than he is not (while Jamil is scowling more than he is not). I make his smile all round, once more to accentuate the cute side. Most everything is round in Kalim's design, so don't hesitate to lean toward it. (Remember, he's based on the Sultan, a character whose character design can be surmised in one word: round)

Once more not visible from the front, but I give him a hooked nose just like Jamil.

11. Correct details and finish

Kalim doesn't have much hair at the neck but I give him a few strands just to finish framing his face. Add flourishes to the turban. You're done!

[sunflowerharrington]

@steddiebang2024 project reveal!! This is not a drill!

I’m so so excited for this year’s Steddie Bang! I’ll be collabing with the amazing @mvnsvn6 for this project! Forget everything you know about Stranger Things and Saltburn and dive into this adventure with us. You can find the summary and a little excerpt will be under the cut.

Looking forward to posting this Fall :)

Summary:

Eddie Munson knows he won’t make any friends at Hawkins University. He knows it. He knows it… Until he crosses paths with Steve Harrington; a hunk who’s got it all: the looks, the ladies, the money, and a mansion way too big for an eccentric family of five and a butler. He’s got a mansion.

He’s got a mansion.

or, Eddie Munson is twenty years old and enrols at Hawkins University. He falls in love with a guy from university, falls out of love with the same guy, grows to resent him — even though some feelings still lie at the bottom of his heart — and the aftermath of it all.

Excerpt:

The sun shines bright, the grass is greener than ever and the skies are pure, perfect blue, with no clouds in sight. Shadows follow Eddie as he cycles along the road by the crystal-clear river, and he breathes in the fresh air. Today’s going to be a good day.

A buzzing atmosphere flutters around him like butterflies, but it’s pretty bittersweet. Why? Because some god-awful racket is disrupting the peace. It’s Steve, sitting on the verge up ahead, cursing under his breath as he kicks his bicycle. What ever could be the matter? Did he wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

Eddie smirks as he passes, but stopping to help might get him on a page in Steve’s good book. He breaks to a halt in front of Steve.

“Hey, what happened?” Eddie asks, as if he doesn’t already know the answer. It’s a flat tire and the chain is looser than it should be. Steve has the bike upside down, trying to fix it by staring at it, hoping it’ll do something. Spoiler alert: it won’t.

“I’ve got a flat tire.” Bingo. “Chain’s loose too.” Double bingo.

“That’s bad luck,” Eddie says, and for once, something truthful comes out of his mouth— Eddie stops. For once, uh… he says something useful? Maybe? Eddie rolls his eyes. He has to stop changing his story! He was doing so well.

“I’ve just been trying to fix it,” Steve says, looking down at his feet. “Of course it’s when I’m already ten minutes late for my tutorial.”

Ooh, a tutorial. Eddie rolls his eyes. So posh. Jesus H Christ.

“Where is it?” Eddie asks.

“Just off Cherry Lane.”

“Oh shit.” That is pretty far away. Poor boy’s gonna have to walk all the way there on his own like half the people in college, probably. Eddie scoffs, it’s nothing. A walk is nothing. A run? That’s hard sometimes. Walking’s easy, and a good time to have a cigarette. And it’s less dangerous, and a lot easier, to smoke while walking than riding a bike. The scar on Eddie’s right arm is proof of that.

“Yeah…” Steve trails off, pouting like a kicked puppy. Jesus Christ, and Eddie thought he himself was dramatic.

They both look at the bike at the same time. It’s pretty much a goner. There’s no way to fix it in time for Steve to get to his stupid fucking tutorial before it’s over.

“I skipped last week to go- don’t tell anyone- but I went on a date with uh… Can't remember her name, sorry. Heather, or something. And I’m already in trouble with my parents for scratching some of the paint off it, so…”

Oh, poor, poor baby. Eddie internally rolls his eyes. Is Steve seriously trying to make Eddie feel sorry for him? Eddie’s pretty sure Steve’s parents could buy him a thousand bikes if he asked. But… He wants to get on Steve’s good side. He’s definitely popular around campus, and having that under his own belt could be good. Might get Eddie laid by a pretty girl if he’s lucky.

“Look, I’m not really going anywhere,” Eddie says, smiling at him. “Just taking these back to the library. So you can take my bike if you want?”

“No, no, no, I couldn’t. I mean, it looks like rain, I wouldn’t want to—”

Eddie can’t help but melt under Steve’s gaze, and that smile. Jesus H. Christ. “I’m not really going anywhere anyway. I can just get it back from you later. You’re in my college, so…” Perfect. He’ll get to see Steve again. One point for Munson.

“Am I?” Steve asks, keeping his gaze trained on Eddie.

Eddie sighs, his eyes downcast. “Yep.”

It’s a big college, sure, but how has Steve not seen him around before? Has he forgotten about their exchanged looks and smiles around campus whenever they cross paths? Does anything even really matter to him?

“That’s so kind, are you serious?” He asks, getting up from his spot by the tree. “That’s so kind, man. Are you sure? I mean, it’s a long walk back to college and I don’t want you to feel like you have to wheel it back.”

“You want me to take yours back?” Eddie asks. Oh what, so this douche thinks he can tell Eddie what to do now? He doesn’t even know Eddie’s name and he’s already giving him orders. Maybe it’s because Eddie looks easy to manipulate into doing whatever he wants.

But that’s what he wants Steve to think.

Eddie likes to think of himself as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That’s the strategy in life that gets people everything they want. And what is it Eddie wants? More. More. And even more. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get that, and so far it’s taken him right to Steve Harrington by a tree just outside of Hawkins University.

It didn’t exactly take much for him to get accepted; a carefully curated persona full of smiles and the story about his upbringing. That, and all the little extras: no criminal record—that the police know of, he knows how to make people take the fall for him. Bless Gareth, Frankie and Jeff—no drugs in his system, and a willingness to go down on anyone in any room to keep up his good GPA score.

Bedroom eyes go a long way, and the lack of a gag reflex goes even further. He’s willing to become the local slut to get what he wants. He doesn’t even have to try hard. Eddie is a slut and he’s damn proud of it.

“Oh, no, no, no!” Steve starts. “I’m sorry, I just thought that since I have your bike, you’ll take mine?” Eddie’s works, Steve’s does not, it makes little to no sense.

“I mean, I can wheel it back to college for you, it’s not that far away,” Eddie proposes… to get on Steve’s good side, of course.

“Thank you.” Steve takes Eddie’s bike from him.

He must be so used to people bending over backwards to help him.

Steve grins. “Oh, thank you. Thank you… I’m sorry, I don’t know your name. I’m Steve,” he says with an apologetic look. Oh, but is it fake? Who knows? Everything is fake around here. And posh, rich boys like Steven Otis Harrington are no exception.

I already know your name. And you have no idea just how much I already know about you, Steve.

“Eddie. It’s Eddie.”

“Eddie. Eddie, I love you.” Eddie’s eyes widen as Steve grabs him by the shoulders, planting a kiss on the top of his helmet. Even though he doesn’t want to play it safe in college, he also doesn’t want to get a concussion. So the stupid helmet will have to stay on. “I love you, I love you. Seriously.”

“Like I said, no big deal.”

“Thank you so much, Eddie,” he says with a wide smile, hopping onto the bike, swinging his leg over to put one of his feet on the pedals. “So kind. You’re a fucking lifesaver, really. Thank you.”

Eddie scoffs. Yeah, sure. He’s so thankful for it. Sure. Eddie rolls his eyes when Steve isn’t looking, too focused on pedalling to look back.

“I’ll just leave yours in the bike shed, yeah?”

“Yeah, fine.” If Steve even so much as scratches the bike, it’s over for him. No more talking, no more looking… Eddie will just have to find a new friend, or else pretend to forgive him to stay on his good side.

“Thanks, Eddie!” He calls over his shoulder. “I love you!”

Wow. Does love even have any meaning to him? Does Steve even know what love is? Surely not if he’s telling a fucking stranger that he loves them.

Eddie watches Steve disappear around the corner, leaving him standing alone, holding the broken bike. This is so stupid. He’s gonna look like a fucking idiot walking a bike all the way back to campus. But who cares? It’s not like anyone’s even going to pay attention to some small-town boy anyway…

But Steve might.

He just might. Because that’s all Eddie’s ever wanted.

Attention.

And he’ll do pretty much anything to get it.

[differenteagletragedy]

Do you have bangs or an undercut or another hairstyle that you can manage well enough at home? Boys got your back!

If you ask Derek to do some hair maintenance for you, he’s going to take it seriously. He’s going to be watching videos, reading tutorials, and he’ll concentrate so hard to make sure he does it right. You’ll be in the bathroom or the kitchen or whatever and he’ll be hovering over you, focusing so intently on the task. If you want him to shave or wax you anywhere — and I mean anywhere — he’s up for that too, and he’ll put the same level of care into it! Picture it, taking a bath together and he props your leg up on him and slathers some shaving gel on there. He’s not even trying to do it sexy!

Baxter would do the same thing, pretty much — with your head hair, he’d try to get you to go to a salon, he’d offer to get you an appointment with his hair person, but if you insisted then he’d order professional equipment. But he’s actually pretty good at it! He takes his jacket off and rolls up his sleeves so he doesn’t get hair on them, you smell his aftershave when he (eventually) expertly takes care of you. He’d do the shave/wax routine too, but yeah, he’d try to get sexy about it.

And I know you know better than to let Cove near you with a sharp object.

[writingwhimsey]

Married to The Enemy- Shingen Ch. 47

Chapter 47

It was the last day of the beach trip. There was a big party being held on the beach. It was an event for all of the houses along the beach. Everyone staying in them would be in attendance. There was going to be music and games and plenty of food. There was also going to be a bar set up for the adults and a makeshift dance floor.

“You seem to be rather excited, my love.” Shingen said as he pulled up his swim trunks.

I had just changed into my bikini and was tying a sarong around my hips. “Just excited to go to a party with you.” I replied, smiling at him. “I mean it’s not that often I’ve attended one of these parties and had the sexiest date.”

Shingen smiled warmly at me as he walked closer, his arms wrapping around me. “You say that, but I think I am the one with the sexiest date.” He said, warm lips brushing against my forehead.

I grinned at him. Shingen never ceased to make me feel so loved and treasured. I stretched up to press my lips to his. “I love you.”

Shingen smiled. “I love you, too.” He replied, pulling me closer for another kiss.

“As much as I enjoy being right here in your arms, we should finish getting ready.” I said after a moment.

“Allow me to help you finish then, my angel.” Shingen replied.

I was turning around then as Shingen reached for my brush and began to brush out my hair for me. His touch was always so gentle and loving each time he helped me with my hair. Once he had it brushed out, he was reaching for the claw-clip I had laid out and pulling it up for me, leaving my bangs and a piece on each side framing my face.

“Seriously, how are you so good at this?” I asked as I inspected my reflection.

Shingen chuckled. “I’ve been watching you enough…and maybe I’ve watched some of those…what are they online tutorials?”

I felt myself melting. I knew Shingen had been having Sasuke help him learn how to use his phone more…but to know he had done so, to watch hair styling videos? I mean how sweet can one man be?!

It was then I felt Shingen’s thumb brush the corner of my eye. “Why are you crying, my angel? What sin have I committed to upset you so?”

I was crying? Man, I didn’t even realize. I shook my head and smiled up at him. “I’m not upset…I’m crying because I’m happy.” I answered. “You’re just so sweet and wonderful.”

Shingen’s arms wrapped around me and he pulled me to his bare, broad chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head above his heart. “You are far too adorable.” He whispered to me.

We stayed like that for a moment while I collected myself. We finished getting ready and were then heading out of our room to meet Shoko and her family. “Are you guys ready?” Shoko asked, grinning.

“Yes.” I answered, smiling happily.

We all headed to the beach, which was setup almost like a festival. There were lanterns strung up. Kids were running around playing. “Mom, can we go?” Kaito asked.

“Yeah, we wanna play with the other kids.” Ren agreed.

Shoko smiled at her boys. “Of course, go have fun.” She answered.

“And make sure you play nice with the other kids.” Kenji added.

“We will! Thanks!” The boys shouted in unison before running off to go play with the other kids.

“Alright, kids are happily distracted for the rest of the festivities.” Shoko said. “Time for us to all cut loose now.”

The four of us walked around the party together. We played a few of the beach games that were set up before we decided we were hungry. We grabbed some food and took it to a little picnic area that had been set up for all party-goers.

“You know, I think we should go grab our lovely ladies something to drink.” Kenji said to Shingen.

“You might be right.” Shingen agreed.

“I’ll have a pina-colada.” Shoko told Kenji.

“I’d like a strawberry margarita, please.” I told Shingen.

“Anything you wish, my love.” Shingen replied, pecking me on the lips.

“We’ll be right back.” Kenji said, giving Shoko a peck on the cheek.

The two men were then getting up and heading to the bar to grab those drinks. Shoko was grinning at me. “So, how have you two been enjoying your beach trip?” She asked, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

I giggled. “It has been wonderful. Thank you for inviting us out.”

“And you’ve been enjoying getting to see yous husband walking around shirtless a lot.” Shoko teased. “Pretty sure he’s been enjoying you in your bikini.”

I giggled again. “Well…yes. That why you and Kenji enjoy coming out here? So you have an excuse to see each other hal naked all the time?”

Shoko giggled. “Why of course. There is nothing better than a beach vacation.”

“Oh my gosh! Ava! Shoko!” A high-pitched voice called from behind. A voice I hadn’t heard in years…a voice I dreaded hearing.

“Please tell me…” I muttered looking at Shoko.”

“Ugh..I didn’t think she would be here.” Shoko replied. “What did we do to deserve this hell?”

Shoko and I both turned to see our worst nightmare. Akemi Nakamura…our high school nemesis. We both put on fake smiles. “Akemi…”

“I can’t believe I am seeing you two here.” Akemi said, coming up to us and sitting down with us. I hated to admit it…but she was still just as pretty now as she had been in school. Thick, long glossy hair. Perfect figure. Still a pretty face and bright smile that hid so much malice. “What brings you guys here?”

“Just enjoying the party.” Shoko answered.

“Oh yeah, you married Kenji Abe, so you’re staying at his family’s beach house right?” Akemi asked.

Shoko smiled. “Yup. Our boys really love staying here.”

Akemi turned to me. “Guessing they invited you? You’d never be able to stay at a private beach house without them.”

Akemi…always had to rub it in my face that she was from a rich family and I wasn’t. Shoko’s family wasn’t poor, but they weren’t rich either. But they had lived comfortably. Kenji’s family… well they were a different story, but they hadn’t always been so well off and unlike Akemi’s family they remembered that and were kind to everyone.

“I invited Ava because she’s my friend.” Shoko said.

“Of course.” Akemi replied, waving her hand dismissively. She then looked at me. “So, how have you been? I heard you had moved away to become a fashion designer. How’s that working out?”

Every question from Akemi was always a dig. She put on a nice smile and pretended to be your friend, but it was always so she could get dirt on you. “Good. I may not be famous, but I get plenty of work doing custom pieces for a select clientele.” I answered. I wouldn’t let her get to me. I wasn’t the same girl I was in high school. I had been to war and lived with the freaking Devil King!

“Oh? That sounds interesting.” Akemi replied. “Do any pieces for anyone big I would know?”

If you had paid attention in school…yeah you would know their names. I thought. I shook my head. “Not likely.”

“Well, maybe I could commission some work from you.” Akemi said. “If you can come up with something worthy of me, I could wear it and show it off. I bet I could get you some big names.”

“Ava is quite busy.” Shoko said. “I barely even got her to agree to come on this weekend trip. I’ve seen her waiting list. It’s kilometers long.”

I smiled at Shoko. She had always had my back when it came to Akemi and her little digs.

“Well, I am merely wanting to help out an old friend.” Akemi replied. “You know my family has always run in some pretty important social circles.”

Ugh, if only we could get her to go away. I’d been honestly having a wonderful time until she showed up. I’d also like for her to be gone before Shingen got back. She had a way of making me feel so insecure and I really didn’t want Shingen to see me like that…at least not again.

Shingen and Kenji…

Shingen and Kenji stood at the bar that had been set up, waiting their turn to order drinks. Shingen couldn’t help but to watch the bartenders as they made the drinks. Things had certainly changed over the last five hundred years. But they had also remained the same in some ways.

“So, what do you think you’ll order for yourself?” Kenji asked. “I’m partial to a simple beer myself.”

“I’m usually a sake drinker.” Shingen answered. Granted that’s because it was the alcohol most available in his time. Though he had heard of some other drinks in the port cities of the Sengoku. Imports, but they weren’t as plentiful as they were now.

“Classic.” Kenji replied. “There’s a place that makes a really good sake in the city. It’s also a restaurant. Maybe you and Ava should join me and Shoko sometime for dinner there. A double date. You know, just while you guys are in town. I know Shoko has been really happy to see Ava.”

Shingen smiled. He had a feeling Ava would like this. “Sounds good.” He agreed.

It was soon their turn in line and the men placed their orders. They chatted a bit more while they waited for the drinks to be made. Once the bartender had finished, he handed them the drinks and then moved on to the next person in line.

Shingen and Kenji walked back to the picnic area, where their wives were waiting. They were both surprised when they noticed another woman sitting on the blanket with them. Shingen could tell even from this distance by the tense set of Ava’s shoulders, that something was wrong. He could see her face and saw a strained smile that didn’t quite reach her beautiful green eyes.

“Uh-oh.” Kenji said, confirming Shingen’s fears.

“What is it?” Shingen asked.

“That other woman over there…that’s Akemi Nakamura.” Kenji answered. “She’s one of those people who sees herself as above everyone else just because her family comes from money… and for whatever reason she’s always been especially mean to Shoko and Ava…more Ava than Shoko.”

Shingen frowned. “That’s not good.” He instantly didn’t like this woman. Anyone who upset his beloved was a terrible human in his book.

“No.” Kenji agreed. “She pretended to be nice. Pretended to be their friend just so she could dig up dirt on them and use it against them. Everything she says is a thinly veiled insult. She used to find out who Ava and Shoko liked, just so she could make that guy her next boyfriend and rub it in their faces.”

“That’s terrible.” Shingen said. Granted, the pretending to be a friend thing was kind of what Shingen’s spy network did…but it was also a different time and still not quite the same thing. Shingen didn’t like that this woman had clearly hurt his wife. “We’d better go to their rescue then.”

“Agreed.” Kenji replied with a nod. I won’t let anyone hurt you, Ava. Shingen thought as he made his way towards his wife. And he knew exactly what to do in order to make her feel safe and happy even when faced with something like this.

Taglist: @limonzu @zulablaise @oda-princess @kisara-16 @tele86 @lovely-bubb1es @lucyw260 @selenacosmic

@bjorkshire-pudding @eventinelysplayground might want to get some more popcorn ready :)

[thedragonagebigbang]

Bang Creator Interview: Tumblr: @scatterhearts

The Collaboration period has begun! In these quiet months before works are due, we want to foster a sense of excitement, camaraderie, and celebration among our participants. To that end, all participants were given the option of a formal interview by our mod, Dema, or an informal “ask-game” survey. We hope you enjoy getting to know our phenomenal creators as much as we have!

Interview with Scatterheart

Scatter and Dema talk pokemon, dark fantasy, and advice for artists just starting out.

Dema: You are participating in this bang as an artist, and have just handed in your first progress check, which is a brainstorm or thumbnails or a rough sketch. How did that go? Is this more or less in line with how you usually plan your pieces?

Scatterheart: Yes, it is more or less how I plan "big" pieces, by which I mean the composition matters haha. I usually first look for references of all stuff that would be relevant, then edit pictures for a collage sort of sketch or also just regular sketch. Most of the time outside of "big" pieces I just go straight to drawing a thing and changing it as I go, not very efficient but fun mostly.

Dema: What media do you work in? And is that the medium you started with?

Scatterheart: I'm pretty much digital art only since I started it four years ago, and when I decided I wanted to "really learn" art stuff it was good old pencil and paper!

Dema: What made you decide you wanted to "really learn?" And what did that look like? Did you follow tutorials, specific teachers, books? Something else?

Scatterheart: I was really into anime at the time and wanted to be able to draw the characters I liked like the fanart I saw, or the source material. At first I simply copied stuff, and then also looked at a few youtube tutorials. I did have an art class in school at the time and because other classmates also liked anime and the teacher was cool we worked on that for some time, haha.

Dema: Oh that's lovely! Any anime in particular? We have a lot of DA artists who also love anime, for sure.

Scatterheart: The one I liked most to draw in/mimic the style of was pokemon in the unova seasons and also cutesy styles like K-on or nichijou. My favorite genre was comedy, clearly. I got more ambitious after I also got really into visual novels, which have really pretty art, and it coincided with trying other mediums in my aforementioned art class. But I was not good at painting or watercolor LOL, it was so hard and time consuming I went back to pencil only.

Dema: So your favorite anime genre was/is comedy, but I saw you mentioned in your artist interview that Dragon Age introduced you to dark fantasy.  I'm curious what hooked you?

Scatterheart: I guess dark fantasy has a different kind of seriousness, in comparison to like, non-dark fantasy even when it's also serious, and dragon age has such well presented/executed stories of that sort that it was like "Oh! This is what I'm looking for and now I have a word!". Like vampire stories! I think darker topics but in a fantasy way have so much potential to really get them across.

Dema: Are there other dark fantasy media that you're enjoying lately?

Scatterheart: Does Elden Ring count? If so then that one, the game is so beautiful I end up just running around looking which is great for wanting to draw.

Dema: Oh yes, Elden Ring for sure counts! Do you have other reliable sources for inspiration? What do you do if you're in an art rut?

Scatterheart: For inspiration in the sense of making me want to draw, like, at all, music videos probably. There's been other inspiration stuff for that purpose that has come and gone but that's the most consistent one I can think of. With art rut stuff, if it's in the way of "wah everything I draw looks off" or "wah i can’t think of what to draw," I do studies, outside of those cases I just completely stop doing art stuff and go enjoy doing other stuff – watch more movies/shows, play other games, do more music stuff. Last year I had my first full on art block and I just barely drew anything for a bit over six months, then organically felt again like drawing.

Dema: What do you most enjoy drawing from the DA universe?

Scatterheart: I really like drawing Sera! LOL I haven't drawn that much dragon age stuff yet. Similar to the anime fanart, when I was just starting digital art I wanted to draw Dragon Age characters but I felt like I was not doing them justice, fast forward I now mainly draw in a painting and realism-adjacent way and would like to think I'm better at conveying facial/body features so it's like, now I have the power! That aside, yeah Sera is really fun, next is my beloved Cassandra.

Dema: Any advice for other artists just starting to make fanwork who might be having those same fears?

Scatterheart: Hmm I think that if you draw in a style that isn't quite realism and want to translate the characters to it then studying simplification of features/shapes would be useful. Fortunately game renders make that easier than looking at real people and DA characters are real shapely! Another way, going to realism-ish: painting exercises like simplifying shapes of light/shadow (ie black and white only) work really well for starting and for facial features.

Dema: Those are great tips! Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today, Scatter!

Scatterheart: I hope they can be helpful tips, thank you as well for doing the interviews!

[rui-drawsbox]

hey dude

how did you develop your art style? ive been drawing for years and I cant seem to get a handle on ANYTHING

4 almost 5 days late sorry dude you shot right into my inability to put thoughts into words properly HAHA

alright so first of all, i don't even think a style is something you need to do art. I'm a hobbyist apologist and as long those people enjoy creating it doesn't even have to look "good".

That aside i'm assuming you want to take art at least a little seriously so i'm just going to be straight forward and say that the only way is ping-pong between styles/techniques/themes and just stick with the stuff you feel more comfortable doing.

Now going into my personal experience, that's what you asked after all lolol (from now on this is just yapping so feel free to ignore it)

alr soooo im skipping my first steps into art and going into the humanoid phase. I actually started with sonic! Specifically the show Sonic X, of course i picked up mannerisms from the anime when it was time of doing comedic doodles (and cuestionable taste on fashion)

(im going thru my big inspirations so bear with me here)

2015 came and i discovered my two main inspirations for a long time: fnaf and Ed00chan! (link to her abandoned deviantart so yall can see the style of the time). As i was completely enamored by her anime-yet-cartoony style i was also hyperfixated with fnaf and those two things combined perfectly into (the infamous in the spanish side of the fnaf fandom) fnafhs! bing bang boom there it goes my personality for the next 5 years!

sprinkle a few power puff girls z too why not

anyway at that time i wanted to become a pro like ed00 so i had to understand anatomy, and my go-to channel was Bgm94! But the elders said that to broke the rules you have to understand them, so i just kind-of started doing more "realistic" bodies while maintaining the cartoony-ness i liked so much. Which to be fair, didn't last long before i got bored and jumped straight into cartoon/chibi again

also since we're entering my digital era i'm including some drawings with wild style changes since the experimentation never ends owo9

anyway that was 2018 and before! it was around 2017-18 that i dropped the general tutorials and just started experimenting on my own style/anatomy and trying to improve my skills (im ignoring my sketchbooks bc from now on they just become- well, sketchbooks, instead of doing full drawings i just doodled in classes and leaved the detail for digital stuff)

i would love to include all my 2019 folder bc i consider it was a year full of love for my silly doodles but tumblr has a limit for images HAHA. Hopefully you can see how i go trying out stuff and pick little stuff from every stage with me lolol

2020 hits and you can *see* my hyperfixation with twisted wonderland here, at least my folder is 60% twst drawings i made for my fanfic at the time LOL. Not so many style jumps here tho so let's keep going

2021 and 2022 here! at the second half of 2022 i found my oh so beloved crunchy brush and i also fell hard for Arashi Narukami, so basically my tumblr became an arashi fanpage lol

stuff at 2023 keeps pretty the same until now tbh, the only highlight would be the re-inclusion of noses bc of spiderverse 2. My style also has been pretty well maintained since i started doing commissions so i don't really do so much experimentation anymore, at least not with proportions and such.

alr so that was my journey on artstyle! Of course it's not like you're gonna guess all my process just by looking at the images so i'll say what type of stuff i feel influenced my decisions.

i'm very lazy and for a log time i just abandoned my projects if it prolonged more than a day or two, that obviously made me lean into the cel/plain shading rather than spending hours and maybe days rendering (not that i don't try rendering every now and then but i don't enjoy spending so much time in a single piece)

everyone around me always has been extremely supportive so i had the privilege of dedicating all my soul to drawing silly characters haha, i feel like since i never felt the need of comparing myself to others i could actually experiment so unapologetically with my style until i was satisfied

finding an actual brush that i like is always crucial to me tbh, even in traditional i'm pretty picky with how the ink and type of pen i'm using. Of course, i also tried multiple traditional art techniques (watercolor, acrylics, crayons, pencils, pastels, my favorite are pen+markers)

i dont like feets. that shows until today.

in general i think an artstyle is something extremely personal that every person has to shape themselves and that it can't really be a permanent thing, it's gonna fluctuate with the artist whenever they like it or not.

[respitelocklyre]

Grwm post-swamp edition lmao 🤪 ⬇️

(The following update is posted in the form of a video)

[ID: A vertically-oriented video depicting a white tiefling with long-spiraling horns and silver hair. His bangs are pushed back by a headband, showing a face full of dark freckles and black marks that radiate from their eyes and fade to a gradient. They're wearing a black, silk bathrobe that's slipped off one shoulder. In front of them but mostly out of frame is a large selection of makeup and a personal mirror. Behind them is what looks to be a bedroom. Throughout the video, they are doing a makeup tutorial and showing off different products while they talk. The caption reads: "Grwm post-swamp edition lmao @FauntasticPartyTime #fyp #grwm #Strixhaven #Warlock #makeuptutorial #lgbtq #pepsihalftimeshow"]

Transcript:

Get ready with me for a celebratory dinner after I almost died in a swamp!

For those of you who don't know, I'm a freshman at a magic university. I try not to talk much about school because I know that's not why most of you follow me, but I thought I'd do a story time while I do my makeup since I've been on a bit of a hiatus from socials the past month. We just finished our first field exam in a lit-er-al swamp, so I am freshly showered and getting ready to go out with my party for a well-earned dinner.

[Cut to a makeup product being held aloft] First, I'm going in with some primer from Tasha's Cauldron- it's super moisturizing, I love it.

So, like, before I get into the story of how my exam went, I just want to address why I went on hiatus real quick. I had some personal issues with a friend group here at college and... I don't really know if I want to, or even can say too much, but it looked really bad for a while. All I'm gonna say is keep in mind that adventuring can be really dangerous, and this was, like, worst-case-scenario levels at first. Things have kind of settled down now and everyone is [they pause to make a face and gesture vaguely with their hands before shrugging]...fine. Yeah, everyone is fine now. But I'm sorry for just going MIA for a while and I know I have soooo many DMs and comments and stuff that I left unanswered. I'm trying to make my way through them, I prommie!

[Cut to a makeup product being held aloft] Concealer and Foundation are both from Marvelous Pigments in their shade Wight. It's seriously the only thing I've found that matches my skin. If they ever discontinue it, I'm gonna have to unalive myself for real.

Anyways, since things have settled we're all back in our classes and stuff now. I've been working over time to memorize the new cheer routines the squad ran through while I was gone. I'm working on class work too, I guess, but I think I might just find some nerd who's willing to help me with, um... private tutoring lessons, if you catch my drift [they wink].

Back to what I really wanna talk about, though, which is the practical exam we just had! There's this overgrown swamp outside of the school that I think the Witherbloom students use a lot- it's great for growing herbs and brewing potions and stuff, but it's soooo terrible for my hair and clothes. We get out there and I guess there's this spring of wild magic that's been messing up the ecosystem and bringing in all sorts of monsters from out of town. Our job was to basically help the professors cast a spell to close it off, and they graded us on how well we did.

[Cut to a makeup product being held aloft] For my eyes I usually just like to emphasize my natural features with some glitter or holo, so I'm going in with the color Abyssal from the Chromatic palette by Color Spray.

So we're in the swamp, we gather all the material components for the spell, and then we have to hunt down the spring itself. Luckily we didn't have to wade around in swamp water because a couple of my classmates can fly, including this cute owlin who plays on the team I cheer for [laughs, dismissive] I don't think he follows my socials, it's fine.

But when I tell you things got crazy so fast once we started up this ritual spell, oh my queen. Like, my party's already faced a lot of monsters but this was, like, a lot of monsters. There were these awful little bat-mosquito things that would stick their teeth in you and start sucking blood, it was super gross. And my friends told me there was also some kind of ghost or spirit or something that kept going inside them? Talk about invasive. Oh and not to mention the two giant scorpions, but we'll talk about those guys later.

[Continues talking while curling their eyelashes] The craziest of all was this big, blue...toad? It was like a bipedal toad with big fuck-off claws. My classmate Sersh kept screaming about how its claws can apparently turn you into one of them, too, if it hits you. Which, like, yuck. [Slightly sarcastic] What a loss to the entire world it would've been if I'd been turned into some ugly monster, y'know?

[Cut to a makeup product being held aloft] Eyeliner and mascara from Dark E.L.F., just tightlining my eyes today.

So, back to the giant scorpions- we for real would've been fucked if our friend Mire hadn't been able to charm them. But they're a druid, so this is kind of their whole thing and it worked great. Me, my other friend Willow, and Sersh got to focus on helping the teachers close the spring while the big toad guy and the scorpions had their beef. So fun to watch.

Willow's a bard, bee-tee-dubs, and you should definitely go check her shit out. She plays the cutest little pan pipes and is sooo funny and sweet. I'll drop her @ in the caption!

[Cut to a makeup product being held aloft] I'm finishing up with [making air quotations] "bronzer" in the shade Shadowfell and highlighter in the shade Lurue from Marvelous Pigments again.

I'm not gonna lie, it was looking pretty rough for a bit, but we managed to close off the portal without any of us dying! Or, like, passing out. Okay, well, that's not totally true. John- oh, the scorpions were named John and Charlotte by the way- did unfortunately die in battle, but Charlotte made it out. We gave John a little swamp burial to commemorate his sacrifice.

Once all the monsters were killed, Mettie and Puppet- that's his familiar; she's cheeky and we love her- even helped me clean up the caltrops I'd set as a trap (which totally failed, ugh, but whatever). I was gonna just leave 'em there but Mire seemed mad about it for some reason. Metal's technically biodegradable, isn't it? But Puppet liked picking them up 'cause they were shiny and she's a raven, so it was a win-win. I let her keep one.

[Cut to a makeup product being held aloft] And I'll be using a setting spray from Cleric's Formula to seal the look!

I'm excited we passed our first field exam, I can't believe how great school is going. I totally thought I'd be flunking but this shit is easy. Sure, I almost died...[counting on their fingers] four or five times? in the past few months and a bunch of my friends keep almost dying too, but otherwise I feel like we're killing it! I mean, I guess it's killing us, but you know.

Here's the finished look [pause] I gotta go, I'm late [video cuts off].

[featureenvyproductions]

This post touched on physical media for drawing which is good but I want to add my ramblings about physical drawings as well because these days there's a lot of emphasis on drawing digitally, to the point where I think it's been an actual decade since I've come across a tutorial where someone has drawn things physically on paper....Like, don't underestimate the power of drawing on paper and learning to use physical media. Yeah it's not going to do anything in terms of your popularity 👀👀💧 but at the moment, you've also got an extra layer of protection between you and AI since the best physical art AI could probably do with current technology is something akin to "printing" out a picture with a writing utensil of some sort since mimicking real physical technique from photos of paintings or drawings is quite a bit harder than weighting pixels and outputting them into a file.

I'm also telling you this for corporate reasons. The way the world is going, there's going to come a day when there are no free programs for drawing, and certainly tablets and computers won't be free or cheap, and they're going to demand all your personal information to even boot up. You'll be locked into selling all your data and locking yourself into subscriptions just to have some artistic expression. Do you want that? Adobe and apple can do a lot but they can't fucking take away your paper and pencil. You should learn to use them if only to take back power from corporations. It's why even though I do use digital tools a lot for comic color because it's faster and I'm just one person, I still do almost everything else physically (ink/pencil/layouts/etc). I have a box the size of a large coffin with all the comic book pages I've drawn in my adult life, and the only way Adobe is getting their hands on them or removing my access to them is by banging down my front door or burning my house down.

Sure, technology makes our lives easier, but if you learn to use physical mediums, no one can ever take art away from you or keep you from creating it (at least not EASILY without some seriously oppressive changes) and it's going to be a very long time (maybe not even in our lifetimes) that the corporate ability to do so is finally nerfed.

And yeah you don't need fancy shit. I do all my rough sketching on printer paper with a mechanical pencil, or with a cheap ass sketch book I carry around. Especially if it's just for you practicing and no one is going to see it, you do not need fancy things. Your ancestors ground stuff up and dipped their hands in it and smacked a cave wall. This is your RIGHT to make shit by whatever means necessary whether you think it's instagram worthy or not. (I even outlined what you can use for animation from dollar tree if you're broke in a series of posts if that's a thing you want to do https://www.tumblr.com/featureenvyproductions/752966738522619904/my-thoughts-on-how-to-do-basically-kinda-cel?source=share)

And that's another thing too, don't worry if it sucks. I promise it doesn't, because you made something. And also even if you think it does because you're not meeting your goal or whatever, you have to shake the 10000 bad drawings out of your wrist before you get to the good stuff. Even someone like me who's been drawing [seriously anyway] for 25+ years has to warm up a bit before churning out something serious. Just do it I promise it's fine. (And also if you have the ability to take a figure drawing and/or life drawing class do that because in my experience it helps)

(Also not that I'm that great at art still compared to a lot of artists, I have been at it for a long long time, so if anyone who sees my stuff ever wants to know how I did something, please ask me, I will tell you free tips, I love info dumping, there is no such thing as a stupid question,,,,the greatest compliment is being asked how I did something,,,you do not understand,,,,to me democratizing art means ensuring YOU no matter who you are, can make some of it)

Can't afford art school?

After seeing post like this 👇

And this gem 👇

As well as countless of others from the AI generator community. Just talking about how "inaccessible art" is, I decided why not show how wrong these guys are while also helping anyone who actually wants to learn.

Here is the first one ART TEACHERS! There are plenty online and in places like youtube.

📺Here is my list:

Proko (Free)

Marc Brunet (Free but he does have other classes for a cheap price. Use to work for Blizzard)

Aaron Rutten (free)

BoroCG (free)

Jesse J. Jones (free, talks about animating)

Jesus Conde (free)

Mohammed Agbadi (free, he gives some advice in some videos and talks about art)

Ross Draws (free, he does have other classes for a good price)

SamDoesArts (free, gives good advice and critiques)

Drawfee Show (free, they do give some good advice and great inspiration)

The Art of Aaron Blaise ( useful tips for digital art and animation. Was an animator for Disney)

Bobby Chiu ( useful tips and interviews with artist who are in the industry or making a living as artist)

Second part BOOKS, I have collected some books that have helped me and might help others.

📚Here is my list:

The "how to draw manga" series produced by Graphic-sha. These are for manga artist but they give great advice and information.

"Creating characters with personality" by Tom Bancroft. A great book that can help not just people who draw cartoons but also realistic ones. As it helps you with facial ques and how to make a character interesting.

"Albinus on anatomy" by Robert Beverly Hale and Terence Coyle. Great book to help someone learn basic anatomy.

"Artistic Anatomy" by Dr. Paul Richer and Robert Beverly Hale. A good book if you want to go further in-depth with anatomy.

"Directing the story" by Francis Glebas. A good book if you want to Story board or make comics.

"Animal Anatomy for Artists" by Eliot Goldfinger. A good book for if you want to draw animals or creatures.

"Constructive Anatomy: with almost 500 illustrations" by George B. Bridgman. A great book to help you block out shadows in your figures and see them in a more 3 diamantine way.

"Dynamic Anatomy: Revised and expand" by Burne Hogarth. A book that shows how to block out shapes and easily understand what you are looking out. When it comes to human subjects.

"An Atlas of animal anatomy for artist" by W. Ellenberger and H. Dittrich and H. Baum. This is another good one for people who want to draw animals or creatures.

Etherington Brothers, they make books and have a free blog with art tips.

As for Supplies, I recommend starting out cheap, buying Pencils and art paper at dollar tree or 5 below. For digital art, I recommend not starting with a screen art drawing tablet as they are more expensive.

For the Best art Tablet I recommend either Xp-pen, Bamboo or Huion. Some can range from about 40$ to the thousands.

💻As for art programs here is a list of Free to pay.

Clip Studio paint ( you can choose to pay once or sub and get updates)

Procreate ( pay once for $9.99)

Blender (for 3D modules/sculpting, ect Free)

PaintTool SAI (pay but has a 31 day free trail)

Krita (Free)

mypaint (free)

FireAlpaca (free)

Libresprite (free, for pixel art)

Those are the ones I can recall.

So do with this information as you will but as you can tell there are ways to learn how to become an artist, without breaking the bank. The only thing that might be stopping YOU from using any of these things, is YOU.

I have made time to learn to draw and many artist have too. Either in-between working two jobs or taking care of your family and a job or regular school and chores. YOU just have to take the time or use some time management, it really doesn't take long to practice for like an hour or less. YOU also don't have to do it every day, just once or three times a week is fine.

Hope this was helpful and have a great day.

[mysteriousraincloud]

Mending Yarrow Part 3

Ms. Joke and Jeanist had a patrol together in a unique urban part of town. With Ms. Joke incapacitating villains with her quirk outburst left and right while Jeanist would tie the criminals up in their own clothing or with other textiles.

After they caught all of the villains, Emi encouraged Joke to give flirting and relationships another chance.

She said, "In a way I can relate to your situation, I'm demisexual. I have to form a strong emotional bond with someone before I'm willing to be intimate with them. Not to mention, I'm kinky to boot. I tease old Eraserhead all the time about wanting to marry him. Except we both know that Tashiro is the only one for me. Eraser knows my honey from working undercover together. We're all old friends. Plus Eraser's only really had eyes for Present Mic.

Seriously, Jeans, you just haven't found the right person yet. Then you'll be banging in no time flat. Oh! I can always show you Midnight's old love and beauty survival guide if you'd want. It's great! A wonderful tutorial on different moves if you know what I mean."

Tsunagu politely replied, "I'm really happy for you and Tashiro. I know he says that he's "straight as an arrow." It's nice that you both can make your relationship work. I wish you guys the best."

Emi smiled. She added, "Thank you. It means a lot. The perfect person is just around the corner! You'll see. Well, I gotta head back after we wrap up here. I promised Tashiro and our two sons that we'd have a party celebrating the boys' school soccer wins."

After the smile hero left, Tsunagu couldn't help but feel a little tired. He appreciated everyone's advice. He did really. Except he doubted that he would change his mind about sex. He just never really felt particularly strongly about it in the first place. Then became very repulsed over time. Shinya meant the world to him. He'd do almost anything for the other man truly. He couldn't do this though. Something he knew would prevent him from being with him for good.

[kindvital]

Mangools Pricing Plans Explained: The Best SEO Bang for Your Buck

Hey there, internet explorer (pun intended)! So, you're here because you're curious about Mangools, the SEO tool that everyone keeps raving about. Or maybe you're just trying to figure out how to spend your hard-earned cash wisely without triggering buyer’s remorse. Either way, you’re in for a treat!

In this post, I’ll break down Mangools’ pricing plans with all the clarity of a YouTube tutorial at 2x speed—except you won’t need subtitles. By the end, you’ll know which plan is perfect for you, your wallet, and your ambitious goal of dominating Google rankings (or at least finding the right keywords to get there).

And hey, if this sounds like your jam, I’ve got a handy little link at the end where you can sign up. It’s like a treasure map, but for SEO success.

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What Is Mangools, and Why Should You Care?

First things first, let’s get this out of the way: what’s Mangools, and why are we even talking about it?

Mangools is the Swiss Army knife of SEO tools. Whether you're a total newbie or a digital marketing ninja, Mangools helps you find profitable keywords, analyze backlinks, track rankings, and spy (ethically, of course) on your competitors.

But what makes Mangools different from the gazillion other SEO tools out there?

User-friendly interface: Even your tech-averse uncle could figure this out.

Affordable pricing: No need to sell a kidney.

Five tools in one: You get KWFinder, SERPChecker, SERPWatcher, LinkMiner, and SiteProfiler. It’s like the Avengers, but for SEO.

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The Mangools Pricing Plans: What’s in the Box?

Mangools keeps things simple with three pricing plans: Basic, Premium, and Agency. Think of them as Small, Medium, and OMG-I-Need-All-the-Features sizes.

1. Basic Plan – $49/Month (or $29.90/Month if billed annually)

Who’s this for?

The Basic plan is perfect for bloggers, solopreneurs, or small businesses dipping their toes into SEO. If SEO feels like calculus to you, this plan is the calculator you need.

What do you get?

100 keyword lookups per day (KWFinder)

200 SERP lookups per day (SERPChecker)

25 tracked keywords daily (SERPWatcher)

100 backlink rows per day (LinkMiner)

SiteProfiler for 20 domains/day

Why it’s awesome:

You get everything you need to start your SEO journey without feeling overwhelmed. It’s like getting a starter pack in a video game—you’re not the boss yet, but you’re on your way.

Why it might not be enough:

If you’re running multiple websites or you’re the kind of person who Googles “what’s the best shampoo for cats” ten times a day, you’ll outgrow this fast.

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2. Premium Plan – $69/Month (or $39.90/Month if billed annually)

Who’s this for?

The Premium plan is the sweet spot for serious bloggers, startups, or small businesses ready to take SEO seriously.

What do you get?

500 keyword lookups per day (KWFinder)

700 SERP lookups per day (SERPChecker)

200 tracked keywords daily (SERPWatcher)

5,000 backlink rows per day (LinkMiner)

SiteProfiler for 70 domains/day

Why it’s awesome:

This plan is like upgrading from a tricycle to a mountain bike. You can handle bigger projects, dive deeper into your data, and flex your SEO muscles like a pro.

Why it might not be enough:

If you’re managing SEO for an entire digital empire, this plan might feel like a kiddie pool.

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3. Agency Plan – $129/Month (or $79.90/Month if billed annually)

Who’s this for?

The Agency plan is for the SEO rock stars. If you’re running an agency or managing multiple client accounts, this plan is your golden ticket.

What do you get?

1,200 keyword lookups per day (KWFinder)

1,200 SERP lookups per day (SERPChecker)

1,000 tracked keywords daily (SERPWatcher)

15,000 backlink rows per day (LinkMiner)

SiteProfiler for 150 domains/day

Why it’s awesome:

This is the Bugatti of Mangools plans. You can do all the things without worrying about limits. Plus, your clients will think you’re a genius.

Why it might not be enough:

Honestly, if you need more than this, you’re probably Elon Musk doing SEO for Mars.

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Annual Billing: The Money-Saving Hack

Here’s the deal: if you pay annually, you get up to 40% off. That’s like buying a latte every day and then realizing you could make it at home for a fraction of the cost.

Basic Plan: $29.90/month (billed annually)

Premium Plan: $39.90/month (billed annually)

Agency Plan: $79.90/month (billed annually)

Pro tip: Always go for the annual plan if you’re serious about SEO. Think of it as an investment, not an expense.

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So, Which Plan Should You Choose?

Let’s keep it real: your choice depends on where you are in your SEO journey.

If you’re just starting, go with the Basic Plan.

If you’re ready to level up, the Premium Plan is your BFF.

If you’re running an SEO agency or managing client accounts, the Agency Plan is a no-brainer.

And if you’re still unsure, Mangools offers a free 10-day trial—no credit card required. It’s like test-driving a Tesla, but for your SEO.

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Ready to Take the SEO Plunge?

By now, you know exactly which Mangools plan fits your needs. The only thing left to do is take action. Here’s my affiliate link: Get Started with Mangools Today.

Click it, explore the features, and give your SEO game the upgrade it deserves. And hey, if you’re feeling generous, let me know how it goes—I’ll be here, rooting for your success like a proud digital cheerleader.

Happy optimizing, my friend!

[fromdevcom]

Magento has already made some massive strides in the web development landscape and going by the rate with which it is being adopted by the web development professionals and businesses, this immensely resourceful content management system is poised for even higher goals. Now, as web development companies and merchants are increasingly leaning towards Magento to build their online stores, those with aspirations to step into the big and bang world of web development are seriously considering gaining expertise in Magento and using it as a stepping stone for their career – before they can contribute to this platform's further growth and advancement. Now, you may or may not find a Magento training institute in your neighborhood, but there is a host of ebooks, PDFs, and tutorials to help you in your cause. Beginners, specifically, must use more than one books as a resource for catching the Magento wagon. And if you are someone with not a lot of coding experience, but with a drive to build your own eCommerce website, the following Magento tutorial will serve the purpose just right: Best Magento Tutorials For Beginners The Official Magento User Guide Not just those striving to be Magento developers, but even the store owners and merchants looking to enhance their eCommerce website can also resort to this tutorial which serves to be the comprehensive guide to gaining a deeper insight into the nitty-gritty of the Magento CMS and how it can be leveraged for sprucing up the online stores. Whether you wish to: Set up the hierarchy on your site Arrange the products in the form of catalogs and menus Facilitate a more streamlined navigational structure or accomplish any other store-specific task, this tutorial will guide you achieve so it in a manner most potent and accommodating. Magento: Beginners Guide This is another tool that takes you to the very basics of Magento and starts doling out some serious and relevant sermon so that you don't skimp on the most crucial concepts. When setting up an online store is on your agenda, this step by step guide would prove to be a priceless asset for you to get a grasp on the most underlying and crucial concepts required to do so. The guide also describes how you can customize your Magento store easily. Magento: User Guide A remarkably resourceful guide for the novices in web development, this tutorial helps by: Giving tips on how to set up a web store without having to code Introduces you to the most basic and most crucial concepts that facilitate fuss-free Magento development For Those Striving for Advanced Magento Expertise Well, you never stop learning, and the following tutorials are a testament to it: Designer's Guide To Magento (PDF) If you are someone with hands-on experience and a reasonably impressive level of skills in Magento, then this guide is what you need to further broaden your horizon and hone your skills. The guide is updated for the latest versions like CEv1.4+, PEv1.8+, and EEv1.8+. While you have the foundation for the site right there with you, this tutorial will give you some great tips on: Creating a custom theme Adding customization features to your website so that changes can be made at all stages Making your website more responsive and compatible Mastering Magento Mastering Magento is another advanced guide for those who wish to: Get free rein over customizing their Magento website for enhanced performance Get acquainted with some gems of tools and techniques that are yet to catch the fancy of a large number of developers. Grasp a clear-eyed understanding of how to make the web store run faster Magento For Developers: Product Configuration And “Composite Products” Functionality As the name suggests, this tutorial delves deep into the Magento territory and elucidates some complex concepts that form the very core of Magento. Authored by Andrey Tserkus, it explains the business side of things in a more detailed manner and throws light on the product configuration concepts like how to use the buyRequest, File Cope Queue, etc.

You also get detailed insight on the composite products and learn how theme customizations and carts customizations can be carried out in a seamless and effective manner. Magento 1.4 Theme Design (PDF) This tutorial focuses inherently on the designing aspects of the Magento stores. It helps you with tips on Setting your brand apart with unique and exclusive designing elements Get your brand message across with elan Get absolute control over your website's look and feel like the widgets, the header, footer, sidebar positions, and the overall layout. Embed social media buttons to get people talking about it on platforms like Twitter and Facebook Magento Tutorials On Udemy Udemy is a marketplace to find cheap tutorials. There are few Magento Tutorials available on Udemy. Some of them are really cheap priced video tutorials. Udemy offers 30 days money back guarantee, therefore you may want to try and claim your refund if the training is not up to your expectations. I prefer to choose training with good reviews by several people, this ensures I do not waste my time and energy on a low-quality provider. Best Kindle eBooks About Magento on Amazon The Definitive Guide to Magento (By: Adam McCombs & Robert Banh ) When you wish to learn how to create a website from the ground up, The Definitive Guide to Magento will be a perfect ally. The guide takes a detailed look into the most basic as well as the advanced concepts of Magento and makes sure you gain an insight that goes a great deal in helping you to set your website up in the quickest time possible. What sets this guide apart from the herd is that it gives you tips following which you do not have to resort to complex coding for creating your site. Magento 1.8 Development Cookbook (By: Bart Delvaux & Nurul Ferdous ) An exceptionally useful tutorial that will empower you with the ability to tailor your Magento store for better appearance and overall functionality, this one explains the database concepts, events handlers, Cronjobs and other Magento site specifics in the most elucidatory way. Magento 1.3 Sales Tactics Cookbook (By: William Rice ) Written with special consideration to the reader-friendly aspect,this book tosses at you a number of snapshots in order to get a visual understanding of how a particular function works and improves the site's overall operation. Best Video Tutorials To Learn Magento This is a list of some of the best video tutorials that can be really handy for people who prefer video learning over reading. Magento Community Tutorials On Youtube Magento Admin Panel Tutorial Step By Step Magento Installation Tutorial (on Godaddy) This tutorial covers the installation of Magento on GoDaddy hosting provider. Youtube Playlist Of Various Magento Tutorials A tutorials compilation from different channels on a youtube playlist. Magento Tutorials Playlist By WebHunk This playlist contains tutorials for beginners. Video Tutorials On Magento.com Yet another website that publishes Magento news, articles and documents for users and admins. Useful Magento Websites and Tutorials How To Setup Magento Store This is a simple tutorial on our site for setting up multiple Magento stores. Magento Tutorials By Siteground SiteGround is a popular Magento hosting provider and also has a good collection of tutorials for Magento users. Magento Tutorial Series By Tuts+ TutsPlus publishes one of the really high-quality tutorials and this series of tutorials are targeted for designers to get the best out of Magento. Magento Tutorial A dedicated website for Magento related news and articles. Tutorialmagento.com This site also publishes Magento related tutorials and code samples. Magestore Beginners Tutorial about Magento List of simple Magento tutorials. Getting Started On Magento A Beginners tutorial on TutsPlus Magento Articles On Smashing Magazine Smashing Magazine frequently publishes quality articles and tutorials for Magento users and developers.

Magento Tutorials By Yireo Huge collection of Magento tutorials on administration, performance, and programming in Magento. Magento Tutorials For Developers These are Magento articles and tutorials targeted towards Magento developers and programmers. Magento Tuts By Template Monster Template Monster is a popular place to buy templates but also contains useful tutorials for Magento users. Magentotutorial.net A dedicated blog for Magento related articles and tutorials. Magento Tips This site contains simple tips about Magento. Magebase This site publishes useful articles about Magento. Magento Tutorial On FishPig Magento tutorials by fishpig website. Magento Tutorials By TMC Hosting TMD Hosting is a Magento hosting solution. It also provides a few tutorials. Magentotutorials.co.uk A few good Magento Tutorials can be found on this site as well. Magenticians A dedicated website for tutorials and articles on Magento developers and users. LearnMagento.org Magento tips and tricks are published on this site. Understandinge.com Magento tutorials for developers and admins. Magento SEO Tutorial SEO Tips tutorial for optimizing your eCommerce store for best search engine results. Pixafy.com List of Magento tutorials. DemacMedia.com Another website with Magento tutorials. SolvingMagento.com Magento Tutorials on Solving Magento Magento Tutorial By Magestore - This is a simple tutorial useful for beginners. Best Magento Forums & Discussion Boards To Ask Questions and Get Help Learning thru tutorials and lectures may not always be sufficient to complete your daily task on Magento. Sometimes you are stuck and need help. Here are some websites where you can search and ask for help. Official Magento Discussion Board This is the official Magento discussion forum where most Magento users, admins, and developers will ask and answer questions. MagentoForum This is another popular place to get help on Magento related issues. Stackoverflow Magento Tag Stackoverflow is a place for programmers to get answers. Many people ask Magento related questions and you may find answers in an old thread. You can easily ask a question if you can not find an answer to your problem. Magento Experts On Freelancer Website Freelancer.com is my favorite place to find economic help on Magento related problems. There are hundreds of expert Magento developers available on this site and ready work on your job for a really low price. Sometimes when you are stuck and not getting much help on forums, you can try this option. Other Useful Resources & Cheatsheets Some other useful resources and cheat sheets that Magento developers may find handy. Magento Addon Site This is official Magento addon site where you can find thousands of Magento add-ons to enhance the capability of Magento store. Many add-ons are free. Magento: The Right Way A detailed guideline on how development needs to be done using Magento. Magento Cheatsheet A beautifully laid out a cheat sheet for Magento developers. Magento Events Cheatsheet It may be difficult to remember all the events used by the event hooking system of Magento. This cheat sheet is a handy one-pager for lookup. Wrapping Up Taking into account the core essentials of Magento and blending them with avant-garde concepts, the aforementioned tutorials deliver exactly what you are looking for as a learner. Article Updates Updated On November 2016: Fixed Broken links and updated minor typos. Updated On August 2017: Fixed broken links and updated other minor text.  Updated On October 2017: Fixed broken links and updated other minor text.  Updated On June 2019: Fixed Broken links and updated minor typos Jack Calder is a talented CMS developer at Markupcloud Ltd, PSD to Joomla Conversion company. He has been in this industry for more than eight years and likes to write on latest topics related to HTML to Wordpress conversion, PSD to Wordpress Conversion, PSD to Joomla, etc.