#the bug stuff is mainly because I wanna do some design practice

[triffany-lottablog]

Thinking back to Cromdo wanting popsicle feet to run across the desert, I think it would be fun if eating bugsnak, instead of just making your appearance change to food, also gave you attributes of that bugsnak. Eg. You eat a picantis, and you gain an immunity to fire for a short period of time, it does change your body like in game but it makes it more buggy, like giving you picantis arms, lots of funky design potential maybe

[thr-333]

Could you possibly do one where Mari/Mari and marine is/are the daughter/son of the joker?

I actually planned quite a lot for this after you asked but could never get my thoughts to make something comprehensive so I give up here's what I got!:

-Twins are Joker and Harleys kids born before the two split up(and so help me they will split up this story needs gay aunt Ivy)

-As you might know, these two clowns have another kid; Lucy. Harley left Lucy with her sister when she was born. In canon, she thinks Harley is her aunt but I would say in this fic she learned the truth when the twins were also dropped off.

-So the twins grew up in Gotham with their aunt and big sister knowing full well who their parents are; as such they make the responsible choice to suppress every part of themselves that resembles them and constantly dye their hair in an effort to avoid looking like them. You know healthy coping mechanisms. -

-Naturally, Marinette has brown hair with blue eyes and Marion blonde with brown eyes.

-Their personalities are a bit different from Mismatch. 

-Marion is still a trickster and a trouble maker but this time around has Marinette fully involved and responsible for his shenanigans. He has a bit of a habit of talking to himself(or singing random phrases), sometimes in the third person; he hates when he does, so Marinette always tells him off. He’s always gets the impulse of dying his hair outlandish colors and will vehemently deny his favorite color is green.

- Marinette is crafty, both figuratively and literally. She’s smart, her mother is a doctor after all she can be manipulative to people that arent her(close) family to protect the ones she cares about. She has a deep-seated fear of becoming a trophy, an object to be put on display like her mother and so dresses the opposite and pushes away her love for fashion.

-They will always call each other Mari but if someone else tries they both answer its a nickname they strictly use for each other.

-In a world where Gotham exists it makes absolutely no sense that Gabriel wouldn't start his reign as Hawkmoth in Gotham(the place with the most negative emotions like geez) so that works out perfectly for the twins becoming heroes(Adrien can move to Gotham or be left in Paris to be kept safe your choice)

-Instead of the twins proving themselves by helping an old man up off the street they go a step further is beating up the thugs that try to rob him(all Fu’s set up of course). When they come home to find two mysterious boxes on their beds they make the only rational conclusion children of the joker would; it’s a bomb!

-Not wanting to get the police involved for obvious reasons they find the security footage(which gets the police involved in a different way) and start tracking down fu to see why he’s trying to kill him.

-And as you may recall at this point in canon Ladybug and Chat Noir are defeating an Akuma, well they're not here they’re off to beat up an old man so thats Batman’s job for the time being.

-The twins get caught up in the fight as civilians and are saved by Batman who immediately recognizes them(you don't think Batman has case files on all of Jokers hellspawn?) so that’s gonna be a problem later but never mind that for now~

-The twins track down Fu, who is wondering why they aren’t out fighting the Akuma. Long story short Fu comes back to the house with them and proves they aren't bombs giving them the miraculous.

-I’m a bit indecisive on the names. I thought Marinette would be Red Bug and Marion Black Cat(yes I know that names already taken I don’t care). But I thought Crimson Bug would work better because then their names would start with the same letters. Then I wanted alliteration like Black Bug and Crimson Cat but that obviously doesn't make any sense since Chats color is green not red-- then I realized it would be completely in character for them to call themselves that confusing everyone in the process so no one quite sure whos name is who(if you wanna write it go with whatever I just thought it could be funny)

-As for costumes Marinette's probably wouldn't be skin tight because deep down she really doesn't want to look like that but more practical armor or less form-fitting at least. Marion's hair turns green when he transforms something he freaks out about and Marinette's turns red(glowing or not either would look cool)

-So anyway they go off to defeat the akuma blah blah blah Batman seeing these two young untrained superheroes can only think of one thing: I have to adopt them. So that’s gonna be fun!

-Anyway they go back home trying to be sneaky and immediately get caught by Lucy: ”Don’t tell Aunty!”-- ”Oh I already know” (her names Delia by the way)

- So now the twins get a support system and a family that will look out for them unbelievable right? This support system immediately threatens Fu making sure he actually trains them and doesn't just set them loose on Gotham.

Anyway that's the end of my semi-cohesive plan and here's a vague outline for the fic:

1. Becoming ladybug and chat noir setting up adoption, and school(Bruce invites them to Gotham academy to keep an eye on the jokers children)

2. First day at school setting up Artemis(and by extension young justice), and own passions, Adrien is also at this school now so Marinette falls, Jason finds out falling in love with Marion

3. Becoming friends with Artemis, convinces them to give their passions a try, Marion runs from hood, some let me adopt you stuff also Jason's spite for Cat Noir

4. Skip a bit of time a few months or so, young justice need help Artemis suggest mari and mari, Marinette has a smackdown with batman about their heritage, at odds with young justice Artemis comes to their defense. Young Justice have an ‘oh’ realization on the job when Marion sings a lullaby to a scared child, now the young justice form the mari and mari protection squad

5. Doing ladybug and cat stuff batman approaches them again this time luring them into adoption with a partnership on finding hawkmoth, Red Hood and cat fight. Marion comes back all huffy and there's a scene with Lucy this time comforting them, Marion goes out to get air runs into hood marion bristles stirring Jason to meet him as a civilian, class come to visit, at odds with lila

6. Doing well at school even made a few friends when the Paris class come to visit completely under lila’s control, lila tries to slander the twins for not worshiping her only to out herself when she tells everyone they laughed at her(the twins never laugh), Jason also drops by further discrediting her, lila tries to throw their heritage in their face but they get support openly working with heroes as civilians, this little section ends quite happily with them being sort of accepted at school and batman tolerating their existence for not attacking the person who tried to make their life miserable

7. Time skip few years out of high school now, ladybug and cat are working well with gothams vigilantes widely considered part of the batfam even if no one knows each other's identities. As mari and mari they are doing good work mainly outside of gotham. Marinette is starting a fashion boutique with a little financial help from Wayne enterprises she also does costume design for heroes and villains, villains mainly because she can't stand their current outfits. Marion quite likes his music but isn't sure how he will feel in the public eye is great friends with Jason and the skip picks up with them officially starting to go out identities unknown. They are still hesitant about their identities in civilian life Marinette starting her business under a false name and Marion cant start his because of his heritage. Jason officially has to admit they are going out to the family is met with grilling by aunt and sister, joy by harley once she tries giving them sex advice they leave, his brothers tease and both are tense about Bruces reaction but he begrudgingly accepts. Are out as ladybug and Cat still snippy with hood but it’s not as bad they are closing in on hawkmoth. Go to hang out with young justice as well they aren't well-liked in Gotham but they’re fine with that(not really)

8. NOW things can go to shit joker finally has enough of them deciding to get a hold of them but I think it should be as ladybug and chat revealing their identities to the world. The twins are terrified rightfully so. Get saved now it’s weird between hood and marion, marion feeling betrayed Jason knew who he was and knew who his father was but still decided to date him and he just can't understand why. Adrien was so scared for Marinette and now they both have to work out why. Gotham is at odds the heroes they admire are born from a villain they fear. Bats are a bit weird feeling like they were tricked while also kind of acknowledging the twins are good people

9. Harassed in their everyday life now the twins go to young justice where they get met with awe for being established independent heros, bats there are acting weird but the twins say something to shift perspective leaving to let them mull on it. Jason tries to apologise saying he doesn't see Marion like that blah blah Marion has a breakdown asking how he can be anything but a villain. Marinette's having whiplash going from loved to hated and still dealing with the trauma of seeing her father. They snap. In public a big ol scene and they get akumatised everyone sees it, it’s on tv. Hawkmoth comes out to get their miraculous the batfam can’t beat him. He’s monolouging probing at their deepest fears when they snap back to reality realizing none of it’s true every part of them has worked to be good people and they are they don't hand over their miraculous beating the akumatizaton and beating hawkmoth while akumatised.

10. They are released from the hospital a few days later, getting hesitant recognition on the streets. It's not thunderous applause but it is something. Their family comes to pick them up, Adrien is crying to Marinette about not scaring him like that(her family took him in when Gabriel was revealed). Marion gets picked up by Jason they patch things over. They get accepted into the batfam and work as ladybug and cat for everything. Marion decides to start playing music and Marinette reveals her face to her fashion brand.

[btslols]

Ingenious | BTS PrivateSchool!au

Genre: romance, angst.

Warnings: Bad language, violence, mental health issues, sex, alcohol

Snowflakes all around, like glistening gems falling from the sky, it would be a cosy Christmas for the students at Silver Creek; or at least the very few who had not been able to go home for the holidays.

Christmas had rolled around quicker than ever, exams being the main black hole of focus for the students. It felt, for those still left at school that the festive bug had not yet caught them.

Y/N, unfortunately, was one of the teenagers having to brave the cold weather in the dorm rooms accompanied by her close friend Sophie, a girl with money rooted in her blood. Like most of the pupils at Silver Creek Academy Sophie had brought her way in and often soured when teachers mentioned Y/N’s scholarship for outstanding intelligence and understanding in the art of languages.

24th December, Christmas Eve

“Y/N! Y/N! ONE DAY UNTIL CHRISTMAS! WAKE UP YOU BUTT”

“Ugh Sophie! Give me a break girl“

Ever since you arrived at Silver Creek a few years ago Sophie had made a point to wake the dormitory at the crack of dawn, regardless of the disapproving reactions she usually got.

“DID YOU KNOW THE BOYS FROM KNENNINGTON HOUSE ARE STILL HERE!?!? We’re not the only fifth years left!”

"Oh what Hobi’s friends?” You sat up straight to face the plump blonde girl sat on the end of my bed.

“yes those guys, but don’t touch they’re mine”

“So what’s the plan?” You asked, curious as to what ideas she had conjured up in true Sophie Sparks fashion and amused by her evident crushes on the boys.

She then explained how she had decided you would make your famous gingerbread cookies that you would then eat at dinner. Of course the lack of other students would make you visible to the Kennington boys who should come over for a delicious cookie. Ingenious really.

6pm,

“and then she wanted to ...”

“and there they are” Sophie interrupted whilst pointing at the boys walking in, laughing and smiling. 

The Christmas spirit had clearly overtaken them in the form of ugly sweaters and cracker hats that fell as they moved. Sophie continued to stare at them as they sat down behind me. 

“damn. Start munching bitch” she handed me a cookie and we continued to gossip about a certain girl in our dorm. 

“HEY Y/N? Can I have one pretty please?” 

You refocused from Sophie to Jung Hoseok; a bold and energetic boy that You had many classes with a few years ago, the class clown if you will. Thankfully you had remained close friends with him and his group throughout the past few years, much to Sophie’s dismay.

“Oh sure” You grinned at him and held out the biscuit tin. 

“Hey! what about me?” Jimin, a dance major, appeared behind him.

“Be my guest” You say as they sat down.

It wasn’t long before the rest of their friends had sat down with us, chatting with us joyfully.

“Aren’t you the girl with the scholarship for languages and stuff?” Namjoon asked. Namjoon however, was the one not that I had never really spoken to before.

“Haha yes that’s me”

“oh wow, that’s really impressive. You’re in my English and Japanese class I think?”

“Thankyou, and mm yeah I think so, I’m usually too tired to take notice of the lesson let alone the people in there hahaha.” 

“Well...you always impress me with your skills” 

“awh thank..”

Sophie stood up sharply and stomped out of the dining room with a heavy sigh, mumbling rapidly under her breath.

“What’s going on with her?” Min Yoongi questioned.

“She always gets like that when someone mentions my scholarship.”

“oh what, because she’s rich and not intelligent like you?” 

“Yeah”

“Y/N, are you the only fifth year girl left?” Kim Seokjin raised his eyebrow and motioned towards you with half a cookie.

“yeah, just me, Soph and a few hyper first years downstairs, who I’m refusing to babysit by the way, they can stay up all night for as much as I’m bothered, But I guess Sophie won’t be staying tonight if this situation goes down how it usually does” 

“oh right, well if you want some company I’m very happy to come and I’m sure the other boys will too. All the teachers have gone home now anyway, we won’t get caught”

“But what about the younger girls?”

“We’ll make sure they don’t say anything don’t worry ”

“Are you sure? You really don’t have to do this Jin”

“Oh shut up, I’m not letting any girl be alone on christmas eve”

“Oh ok then, thank you” You smiled and offered him another cookie which he gladly took.

8pm,

“I’m going home” Sophie announced whilst picking up her designer suitcase and handbag.

“Ah so I gathered” You replied and sat on my bed.

“Y/N! Love Actually or Elf?” Hoseok burst through the wooden door with DVD cases in either hand.

“Bringing boys into the dormitory now are we?” Sophie tutted and push past Hoseok with her head held high. 

“Damn” he remarked with raised brows.

“haha Love Actually, OF COURSE” replied and ran to the common room to join the rest of them.

By 10pm Y/N had fallen into a deep slumber against the arm of the well-loved sofa in the common room. The fires heat blazing against her skin and the unconscious caress of Kim Taehyung around her ankle in his still lap.

Only the sixth year boys were still awake, having a meaningful heart-to-heart about the past year. It had been one with lows, but also unbelievable highs that made each other and their families proud. 

Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi and Kim Namjoon have decided they would be going to university next year whilst Jung Hoseok had decided to go travelling and explore his roots in South Korea amongst other places.

They laughed and drank their eggnog in high spirits as their eyelids began to feel heavier and heavier and heavier.

25th December, Christmas Day

You woke up to the unpleasant yet somehow adorable squealing and screaming from the first years downstairs. 

“Merry Christmas Y/N” Taehyung whispered as he watched you wake up.

“Merry Christmas” You smiled and gave him a friendly hug. Although he returned a soft squeeze he did so with a mournful expression.

“What’s wrong?” You asked.

“The kids just remind me of how the parents stop caring when you get to our age. They just send you away and pretend you don’t exist for five years” 

“Really?”

“Yeah. None of us have been sent a Christmas gift from our families since we left Korea 5 or 6 years ago”

“Awh, nevermind, I haven’t got anything either haha”

He chuckled and sat up straight, moving my legs off his lap, walking over the other maroon sofa and waking up his friends.

“What do you call a man who claps at christmas?” Jin holds the small peice paper up.

“I don’t know?” 

“Santaapplause” he broke into hysterics making everyone else laugh with him.

Ring. Ring. Your phone sounded and everyone’s fun  to stare at you.

“Answer it then. None of us get Christmas calls” Namjoon said with an undertone if jealousy.

You flip over your mobile and see who’s calling. Sophie Sparks.

“Merry Christmas!” She says overly seeetly and obviously insencire.

“Merry Christmas?” You question.

“Yeah, so my parents are, of course, disgusted by your behaviour yesterday and have contacted Mrs Hail to request you expelled. So honey, enjoy your Christmas but don’t forget that with grades like yours you’re bound to be gone in the next month”

”ugh! You bitch”

She hung up.

She wasn’t wrong though; you had been falling behind in a couple of your classes due to your want of a better social life. It was worth it but now it was probably going to bite back. The only choice you had now was to succeed far beyond academic expectations so that the school had no choice but to keep you.

“Who was that?“ Jimin asked.

“No one don’t worry”

“Ah ok. I think the grinch is on TV, you guys wanna watch?”

The room echoed with sarcastic “woo”s and “hell yeah”s from the other boys, you watched as Jimin’s expression dropped and he turned to pout at you.

“I’ll watch it with you” you giggle and pat the seat next to you, preparing for his descent.

“Thankyou” he mumbled and put his arm around your shoulders.

“Ummm Y/N has boys in the common room!“ you heard a young voice say.

The first years had appeared by the stairwell sporting their new attire, including mainly onesies and deelyboppers.

“Oh my gosh, my mummy says boys only want one thing and that’s what’s in your pants” another fresh faced girl joins in.

“Girls either shut up or go back to your dorms” You say.

“Nuh-uh we’re going to tell Mrs Hail about this” The girl replies.

“Too bad she’s not here, now do as Y/N says and go back to your dorms before I inform someone more important than Mrs Hail about your non-compliance. You’d get in a lot of trouble believe me.“ Jin warned the group of girls. They scurried off without questioning the older boy.

“WoW they’ve really got it in for me today haven’t they, thanks Jin.“

He nodded politely and continued to make his coffee in the remarkably petite kitchen.

11pm,

The rest of the day was full of merry banter for the teenagers at silver creek. Y/N had not once thought about Sophie’s threat as she had been much too occupied by the practical jokes and amusing conversations with the Kennington boys.

She had not even realised that snow had fallen and blessed her with a white Christmas until Jung Hoseok had taken her onto the balcony late that night after everyone had fallen asleep. It was no secret that Hoseok had a soft spot for Y/N; always chatting to her when she was sat alone and always succeeding in making her laugh or at least smile. She however never saw the other side to Jung Hoseok, always taking him as a cheerful and happy kind of man.

They sat there enclosed in the white fluffy blanket they found in the dormitory sipping their hot cocoas and discussing things like the future and the past, their friends and their wishes. She thinks that perhaps the last time they had spoken like this was years ago when they were barely 11 and 12. Of course, much had changed, he now wanted to be a professional dancer or performer, in the west end he said, and she wanted to be a writer or a teacher, she hadn’t decided yet. He reassured her that it’s only natural not to know at that age what you wanted to do for the rest of your life, always making sly jokes about the age gap of a year, painting himself as a much wiser man than he was.

“I must say it’s been a marvellous Christmas Y/N. I usually don’t enjoy it because it feels like I’m away from home, but this year I think I felt at home more with you and the guys than I used to with my own family”

No reply. Hoseok had been talking to himself for the past five minutes whilst Y/N had fallen asleep against him and the door behind them. Once again his half confession had been subsided by Y/N without her even realising. Christmas had drawn to a solemn close for Jung Hoseok.

 It felt for him as though he was on top of a skyscraper only to be pushed off by the force of loneliness.

[lukearmitage]

Alec Rodriguez

You can learn a lot about someone by where they are from and where they have chosen to be. Some people never leave their hometown, some people leave as soon as they can, but every once in a while someone will stay and develop their existing community into something beautifully distinguished.

Born and raised in Orange County, Alec Rodriguez grew up with a big family surrounded by nice weather, cars, and tattoos. Due to his love for art, his desire to leave a mark, and the culture he grew up in, it was only a matter of time before he fell into the career he is now fully immersed in. Alec specializes in a popular style of tattooing called ‘Black and Gray realism’ which has it’s roots in East LA’s Chicano culture.

In the 1960’s many people had to get their tattoos done behind closed doors because it was mainly seen as taboo and illegal in some parts of the world. This form of self expression was mainly reserved for outlaw bikers, sailors, and lifers in prison.

Around this time, various groups of Mexican Americans created their own street culture which developed into what was known as the ‘Pachuco lifestyle’. This eventually evolved into the ‘Cholo’ culture where they began drawing and tattooing various images that pulled from a rich Latino catalogue of symbols, designs, and script lettering.

Tattoo art flourished in prison because there was so much time to share ideas and innovate. Prison officials found that they could reduce conflict by allowing inmates to have cassette players. With the motor from a cassette player, pen shaft, and the E string of a guitar, rotary tattoo guns were more prevalent than ever. The inks were made from the ash of burned magazines mixed with water to create different shades of ink. This evolved black and gray realism due to the enhanced quality and dimension of the art.

In those days, a majority of individuals would get their stuff done at the Pike in Long Beach where ‘traditional’ tattoos were popularized by sailors and rebels. However, in 1975 Charlie Cartwright and Jack Rudy opened a shop in East LA called Good Time Charlies where they popularized the distinguishable black and gray style with the help of Freddy Negrete that had started in prison. The shop was eventually sold to Ed Hardy who helped them grow the business and evolve tattooing as whole.

What was once a sign of rebellion has morphed into something that is beyond just another way of self expression.

Alec is the product of that evolution in the flesh. Behind his glistening rolex, wide frame, and intimidating tattoos is a hardworking artist who is both humble and grateful for the opportunities he has. I spent some time with Alec at his studio, along with a couple homies (Joe and Gordo), his two dogs (Chubbs and Ruca a.ka. Sad Girl), and his 64’ Chevy Impala convertible (8-Ball).

His friend Joe casually mentions “we would always just be hanging at his house.” Alec chimes in “This was before cellphones too so you would have to cruise by and see who’s bike was out front. My spot had no rules too.” Joe jokes about Alec having 20 dogs and 20 cats. Alec interrupts him with “naw, 3 dogs and 2 cats” with laughs. “I had a big family. Four siblings. There was always someone else living with us. Always had to take care of somebody else’s kids too. I’ve always been around people, so now when I’m alone, it’s nice, but at the same time its somewhat strange to me.” Which is somewhat ironic because he grew up down the street. All his friends live down the street as well. And when they get off work, they stop by. It has a similar vibe to a club house at times. Even though everyone seems to have a rough exterior, everyone is kind and respectful, which makes for a nice environment to spend time.

So you were born and raised here correct?

Yea, born and raised here. I grew up like right down the street. My mom still lives there.

Has it changed a lot since then?

It’s changed a lot. Definitely not the same as when I was growing up.

Do you miss those times?

Well yea, everybody misses the good old days you know?

In one of your interviews, you mentioned how your pops brought you into a shop and at the time you weren’t really interested, but eventually you came around. Can you talk a little about that?

Yea, when my pops took me into the shop to try and get me into it, I remember watching the whole process. There was puddles of ink, couldn’t see anything, perfectly straight lines, and it just looked like too hard. At that time I was pretty convinced that I couldn’t tattoo. But then a short time after that, I had some friends that I had grown up doing graffiti with, They had bought some tattoo guns and started tattooing out of their garage. And I thought to myself, well, if they can do it, I can do it.

Did your pops always have a lot of tattoos?

Yeah, he has been getting tattoo’d since he was like 14.

Did most people around you and in your family have tattoos growing up?

On my dad’s side, yeah for sure. On my mom’s side, not so much.

When did you start getting into the car culture stuff?

Ever since I was a little kid. My dad had a Cadillac growing up and I just always liked cruising in it. I would always bug him because I wanted to hop in a take a ride somewhere. This is when I was like 10 or 11. I never really thought I’d own one, but I always liked classic cars.

Do you enjoy being involved with it? Can you talk a little about it?

Yea definitely, It’s huge you know? But like anything it’s so political you know? It can be kinda controversial. So I dunno, I just kinda wanna drive my car. I don’t give a fuck about this and that. Don’t really want to get too involved. Like politics and stuff.

Like street politics?

Yeah, street politics and all that. Everyone wants you to get their approval.

Growing up, was it hard to stay out of trouble at all?

I mean, it’s never hard to stay out of trouble, just like it’s never hard to not party, you know what I mean? And then shit gets real and you end up in a place where you’re saying to yourself “aww, I shouldn’t have done that”.

Did tattooing help you stay away from all the bullshit?

Yea definitely, when I was about 18, I was fresh out of high school, my mom was like, “you have to get a job”, and I was “but I have a job” and she was like “I don’t really care, you have to go to school”. But I was frustrated because I had just graduated, I didn’t want to go to school. So I ended up taking a bunch of art classes because I liked it and just needed to meet the minimum requirement for my financial aid. So I was doing that, taking a bunch of bullshit classes, didn’t really know what the fuck I wanted to do. And then came the story with my pops and he took me to the shop. That was all during that whole process.

And at this time you were 19?

18. I got my apprenticeship with Goodfellas when I was 19. I was just a little-ass kid right there at Goodfellas Tattoo Shop with the big dogs. 19 Year old kid spending time with grown-ass men.

How did that make you feel?

It was intimidating as fuck. I was super intimidated. Especially because I knew who Steve Soto was and I looked up to him. And then to like be working for him it was just some starstruck type shit.

You seem like someone who really cares about the art, based on your stuff and your skill level. How were you able to learn so fast?

I get asked that a lot and some people say to me “oh you’re just naturally talented”. I feel like it isn’t so much talent as much as it is trial and error, practice. I always just enjoyed it and wanted to get better at it on my own. I was never really in competition with anyone or anything, it was more for myself. I just wanted to be a great artist.

What do you think was the driving force behind that?

As a kid, I just always loved art. It was just for myself. I wasn’t getting paid for it. I just genuinely enjoyed it. Then I got into graffiti from like 14-17 and I thought I was gonna do that as a career. Got arrested a few times and kinda realized that it probably wasn’t gonna work out.

How did you develop your style and technique? I feel like graffiti is way different than your aesthetic?

Total opposite right? Total opposite. I tell a lot of people, to this day, that I love abstract art and people don’t believe me because of the style that I do. I’m a big fan of it because my roots are from graffiti. But when I was taking all my art classes I was taking life drawing, the teacher was teaching us how to draw the models face, and I started becoming obsessed with making shit look real as fuck. And it just kinda snowballed from there.

You mentioned Steve Soto, are there some other tattoo artists or just artists in general that inspire you?

There were some local big graffiti crews that I was into MSK …CBS. Those guys were the shit.

What inspires you to wake up, do your thing and keep coming to work everyday?

I mean besides all my bills telling me “you gotta get the fuck up and go to work homie,” um, I dunno, I just enjoy what I do. If I sleep in and I’m running late, I just text myself that I’m gonna be late.  

You feel like you’re doing what you’re supposed to do. Like being an artist is your purpose in life?

I think so yea. I sometimes have feelings of wanting to do something else inside the art realm. I just love what I do and I have been drawing since I was a little kid. I love leaving my mark on things. I used to do that. I used to carve “Alec was here” on stuff and my mom would beat my ass. She would be like “Alec, did you do this?” and I would be like “no” and she would just sit there like… “it’s your name dumbass…. what do you mean you didn’t write it?” But I just love leaving my mark on stuff. Which is funny because now I do it with tattooing everyday.

When did you open your private studio up?

Just hit a year.

What was the reasoning for wanting to do that?

I get asked that a lot actually, but I dunno, it was just like an inner feeling that I was just ready to do my own thing. I always have to be close to work. I hate commuting. I was there seven years, so I was just kinda ready to have my own space. Spread my wings.

What was the inspiration for the interior design?

If you were in here the day I opened the doors, it is not the same. I change shit up consistently over here. But I dunno, I just always liked a lot of artwork on the walls. Just a lot of stuff to keep the people entertained while they are here. I always liked the super clean look, just very minimal. Not too cluttered.

A lot of people get tattoos after significant events in their life? Do you feel like a therapist sometimes having to talk to people during the tattoo process?

You know what, I call that ink therapy. I go through those phases myself. It really is therapeutic getting tattooed. I tell these guys here all the time, I joke around like “yea I’m a tattoo artist and a part-time therapist”. Just cause you know, I’m sitting next to the client for like 10 hours. That’s just one session. You get to know someone pretty well, especially after a few sessions. You’re literally sitting there touching their skin. I am helping them tell their story through their skin. I interpret it through my artwork.

The view on tattoo culture is more mainstream now?

Yeah most definitely. And it’s good for me, but everything has its pros and cons. Since it’s more acceptable, I have people with 9-5 jobs coming in here and getting tattoos which is great. But you also have kids going and getting tattoo’s on their face looking like a kindergartners sketch book. I’m glad it’s more acceptable, but some people take things too far.

Do you feel like you’ve changed a lot since you started?

When I was 19... I mean, shit, every 18/19 year old thinks they know everything, but I started working at a shop with grown-ass men with kids and families… and they kinda let me know how things are. They shaped me in a good way you know what I mean? I grew up real quick, just being around them.

Did they humble you?

Yea, most definitely. That’s why I was so grateful you know? Like a lot of people at that age don’t have influences like that. A lot of people have parents who say things like, “don’t do that shit, you’re gonna get arrested”. But you kinda just disregard their opinion. But when it’s somebody you look up to or respect in a different way, you tend to listen a different way. We all have love and respect for our parents obviously. I was just more keen on what the fuck the guys at the shop had to say. Even though it was the same shit my mom used to say. With your parents, sometimes you think they are just trying to control you, but with a friend and a coworker, they are really just looking out for you.

In one of your prior interviews you mentioned the word respect quite a bit. Can you talk a little bit about that and how it applies to you?

Respect is a huge fuckin’ thing you know? If you can’t go into somebodies house and respect it, that just says a lot about your character you know what I mean? If I was to go up in your house and I was to put my feet up on your couch and shit, you’re gonna be like “what are you doing?” Like respect my house, you wouldn’t do that at your mom’s house you know? Your mom would slap the shit out of you. Respect, you know what I mean?

You know what it comes down to? I got it tatt’d right here. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Treat other motherfuckers how you would want to be treated.

Last time I got one of my tattoos from you, your brother was starting to apprentice with you? But now it looks like he’s tattooing full-time and doing his own thing?

Yea yea, he works here with me. He’s still here.

Have you been able to take him under your wing and kinda show him what’s up?

Yea yea, I let him do his own thing. I’m here for him, I try to help him develop his craft as well. But at the end of the day it is up to someone personally to take the initiative and develop their skill, technique, and overall craft. I can only say so much. You know what I mean? I tell him like, “you literally have to get up and do the work. But if you have any questions along the way, I gotchu”.

Were there some struggles and difficulties you had to overcome to get to where you were? Or did everything flow pretty smooth for you because you feel like you took the right path?

I mean everything flowed pretty nicely for me and I am grateful for that, but of course there was trial & error periods and hardships. Just like everything, it has its politics. You are looked down upon at first because you have to start somewhere, you’re not good, or you’re not qualified. So you have to pay your dues for a little while.

Would you change anything?

Naw, I wouldn’t change shit. I’ve been so blessed to be where I’m at and to have gone through what I’ve gone through and still be here.

If you weren’t tattooing what do you think you would be doing?

*Deep exhale…. Stares off in the distance…  Honestly, I don’t really know. I don’t even really want to know. I’d hate to see an alternate reality where I could see myself without tattooing. Before tattooing I was just working at Stater Brothers and shit… you know? Just going nowhere fast.

What’s your future looking like? What are your plans? What do you have lined up? Traveling?

You know what, I used to travel so much. Honestly it’s really nice to not have any travel plans coming up. Knowing that I am just going to be home. I love traveling, I love all the places I’ve been to, I’m blessed to have been able to go there, but traveling is just so stressful. It’s a bitch and a half. So I’m content right now with just being here and doing my thing.

As far as like the long run, the future, I don’t really know. Where do I see myself in five years type thing, I don’t really know, I’d like to eventually have a more walk in type of shop environment instead of a private studio, hopefully, but only time will tell.

I imagine a lot people come from out of town to get work done from you?

Yea, the guy I tattoo’d yesterday was from Australia. People come from everywhere you know, Canada, Germany, Wherever you know? I had a guy come from Japan.

If they want to book an appointment, what’s the best way?

Just email me or go through the website.

alecrodrigueztattoo.com alecrodrigueztat2@gmail.com @alecrodrigueztattoo

Sources: Schwartz, E. (Director). (2013). Tattoo Nation [Video file]. United States: Visions Verite. Retrieved April 24, 2019, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2207870/

[haload701]

Gta 5 Immersion Mods

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Immersive Pickups is a total overhaul of Grand Theft Auto V's pickups system for, as the name implies, immersion. Did you miss GTA IV's Pickups System? Or simply looking for a different, more immersive experience than what the game offers by default? Look no more, because this mod is tailored for you. SUMMARY OF FEATURES: Organized all pickups.meta files and documented the main. The goal of this mod is to bring about more action oriented events and eventually callouts that are more in the spirit of Grand Theft Auto. This initial release features 5 calls: Active Shooter Ambulance Hijacking - Chase down a hijacked ambulance.

Gta 5 Immersion Mods 2

Gta 5 Immersion Mods Mod

Gta 5 Immersion Mods Free

Cars are basically the core and soul of GTA V.

Grand Theft Auto V ditched this top-tier wanted level, but this mod puts it back in place. Get five-star notoriety and you’ll be pursued by the nation’s finest. Get five-star notoriety and you.

But now it's time to get serious, and talk about the mods which take elevate GTA V to a new level of immersion and realism. Sure, there's plenty of fun to be had in firing vehicles from a cannon.

But there just seems to be something missing whenever you look at the car roster that the game has to offer. There are some fantastic cars in the game, no doubt about it. But some of the world’s best and most famous car models can make a massive difference when cruising in the streets of San Andreas.

I’ve compiled a list of mods that fully changes the way you’ll see cars in Grand Theft Auto V.

Most of these mods are cars that you can add to the game, but I’ve also threw in a few mods that change certain car mechanics and visuals to make driving more realistic.

Download one, two, or all – it’s up to you how much you wanna ball out!

30. Real Wheels Pack

This fantastic mod adds plenty of new wheels to the game, mainly using the assets of the Forza Horizon games.

It introduces plenty of new rims as well as aesthetical modifications to some of the vanilla wheels in GTA.

The mod also introduces custom tires and even real-life brands to the game, which fits in perfectly with basically everything else listed below.

Combine this mod with any of the cars here and you’ll have quite a customizable selection of rides to pick from in your GTA playthrough.

29. Porsche Gauges

As its name suggests, the Porsche Gauges mod simply changes the way gauges look in the game to make them look like they belong on a sports car.

And let’s be honest, in a game like GTA we all want that look.

This is a fantastic mod if you want to get some fancy sportsy whips in your game. And even more so if you’re a fan of Porsche rides.

It’s a very simple mod, but just the thought of having these gauges makes it earn a spot on my list.

28. 2016 Honda NSX

Honda has some beautiful sports cars on the market. And the NSX 2016 has managed to make its way to the GTA universe with this fully customizable mod.

You can take this baby to any garage that you want and have it recolored to your taste. And those of you who like to play in first person will also be able to enjoy the interior of the car, which is also custom made and dope as hell.

This is the same model used in Forza Horizon 3 which is why it looks so great.

You’ll find that many of the car mods in this list are conversions from Forza games, as they fit perfectly into GTA5.

27. Maserati Ghibli S

The Ghibli S is the first Maserati in my list(yes, there will be more than one).

And even though the modder hasn’t managed to make it fully breakable, the beauty of the car and the perfection added to the model makes it a quality addition.

The Ghibli S with custom interior shows the manual transmission stick, and truly makes you feel like a millionaire while you drive.

The windows of the car are fully breakable, though. And even though the paintjob damage is not as good as it is in other mods, it’s still a brilliant car worth testing out.

26. Hummer H1

Take a trip down memory lane with the Hummer H1 in GTA V.

Remember a few years ago when everyone wanted one of these bad boys?

Well I might be a few years too late with this one, but this H1 mod will allow you to ride this beastly truck in ways you’ve always dreamed of!

The interior is fully customized and I absolutely love the way the engine looks. I’m sure you’ll love it as well if you’re a Hummer fan.

Overall it’s a very well-made car that it fits right into the GTA universe.

25. Mercedes Benz CLS 6.3

A fully customizable Mercedes Benz in GTA is the stuff dreams are made of.

This might not be one of the fanciest sports cars on the list.

But this car can be tuned to your taste at any auto shop in the game.

The Benz drives as you’d expect and with no bugs thanks to the constant work and updates from the mod creator.

The CLS is a beautiful car and you’ll be able to see its interior in excruciating virtual detail.

24. 1967 Chevrolet Camaro

No GTA V car mod list can be complete without including one or two classics.

And the ‘67 Camaro mod is surely one that should be in a spot here.

This traditional car looks absolutely beautiful in GTA V given its history in America. And I have to say, it does seem like the type of car that Franklin would love to drive. He looks pretty slick in the driver’s seat.

A Camaro never really gets old. And with this mod it’s finally time for you to give it a try!

I know you’ll love it once you hear that engine purr. It’s hard not to love this thing with how detailed this mod is.

23. 2013 Lamborghini Veneno

If you’re into these types of sports cars then you definitely need to give the Veneno a try.

What a fantastic model from any Lambo(and there are plenty!)

Not to mention how well it was implemented into GTA.

All of the car doors (including the trunk) work just like they do in the real-life model, which makes the immersion of the Veneno far greater than what you get in other cars.

The reflections of the car are truly realistic as well. The creator did an amazing job with this mod and it’s worth a gander even if you test it and uninstall afterwards.

22. 1967 Shelby Mustang

Fans of old cars rejoice.

The classic Mustang makes its way to GTA in one of the best car mods ever created.

The maker of the mod has made sure to fully map the interior or this Mustang and make it look as close to reality as possible.

Many similar colors have been used to create the most natural feeling for the car from all angles. And the ride itself feels much like any other car in GTA.

This bad boy allows you to install plenty of car parts on it as well – including some that are often seen in traditional cars such as hydraulics and even audio systems.

21. Ferrari 458 Italia

I could never finish this list without a Ferrari.

And the 458 Italia is by far one of the best models from this manufacturer.

It resembles some of the vanilla sports cars, but this one just looks fantastic. The interior is identical to the one of the real car and you can see the Ferrari logo in the center of the steering wheel.

The car looks and handles like a custom ride since the design was fully imported from Forza.

Gta 5 Immersion Mods 2

The creator of the mod did a lot of work with the retextures, though. And it shows in the way the car looks – both on the inside as well as the outside.

20. 2017 Rolls Royce Dawn

Even though there’s already one car in the game that looks like a Rolls Royce, there’s nothing better than seeing the actual brand in the game.

Sometimes we get picky, you know?

This fantastic car mod is fully customizable and comes with a 3D engine which breathes life into this classic ride.

The different paint jobs that you can do also make it quite interesting to customize, including one of the pre-designed paint jobs which gives off a wooden feeling like no other car in the game.

19. Mercedes Benz G65

I know that many of you are here mainly because of the sports cars. I’m kinda here for that too.

But let’s face it: plenty of us love Mercedes.

The G65 allows you to have an in-depth experience thanks to the realism of the collisions of its parts, and the way the car interacts with mud(very well mapped).

It might not be the car to take you from 0 to 220 mph in 10 seconds. But it’s still a beautiful car that seems to fit Michael more than any other character.

18. Range Rover Evoque

These SUVs are fantastic, and people from all over the world who can afford them seem to be getting them now more than ever.

The popularity of these SUVs is helped by the fact that they’re developed by Land Rover, and the quality of the vehicle and the beauty of its design are undeniable.

As such, adding it to GTA V seems like a no-brainer. And this mod practically requires no brains to get it installed, too!

This mod adds the Range Rover Evoque to the game with a fully custom interior, and fully HD interactions between the glass windows and the lighting outside.

17. Mercedes-Benz AMG GT R 2017

This two-seater is one of the latest beauties created by Mercedes.

And if you’re still playing GTA V you’ll absolutely want to see how it looks in your game.

The vehicle is textured using HQ images which makes it look insanely realistic in every part of the game.

This is one of those cars that you’ll want to have a custom lighting mod to try out, as it makes the ride look even better the way it reflects its surroundings.

16. 2017 Nissan GTR

Now here’s another one of the car mods on this list that was originally converted from Forza, which means you can expect a high-quality interior as well as fine textures all around.

The creator of the mod has made sure to make the Nissan 2017 fully capable to be tuned, as well as compatible with first-person driving thanks to the details on the wheel and the inside of the car.

Worth trying if you’re a GTR fan but totally one you could skip as well. But it’s also a more “conservative choice” for rides, which I think deserves a higher spot. We don’t all want Ferraris!

15. 2015 Koenigsegg Agera

This fantastic model is made to have some of the most realistic collisions that any car of this list is able to present.

Sure, Koenigsegg might not be as popular as Ferrari or Porsche. But this luxury sports car is by far one of the most beautiful designs that made their way to GTA(with modding, of course).

There’s been a lot of care placed into the development of this mod. You can see this in how you drive with your hands on the wheel, and everything seems to be well-made to scale.

Scale is often the most difficult part of modding any car for a game, so the creator of this mod hit the nail on its head with this one.

14. Porsche Cayman GT4 2016

A Porsche with dirt effects, breakable glass, a high-quality model, and a custom interior that allows you to play in first person?

Sign me up.

The Cayman GT4 2016 brings the traditional Porsche look to the universe of GTA V with a fantastic car mod that uses HD textures.

The scale of the car is perfect, and the mod has been updated to work with the latest GTA patch too!

13. 1970 Dodge Challenger RT 440

Being the highest-rated classic model in my list, the 1970 Dodge Challenger meets expectations with a fantastic car design.

This really does take you back to the good old days of the 70s.

The model passed the test of time and remains a fantastic vehicle to be used in today’s modern world, as well as one that looks good in the hands of a tough guy like Trevor.

12. 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder

The exterior of this car is just beautiful, but the interior is just so well done that you’ll struggle to find another car with one as fantastic as the 918 Spyder.

Some modders really take a step beyond to make sure that their creations are superior to the rest.

And the 918 is close to making one of the top 10 spots on my list because of this exact reason.

11. 2015 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4

Worry not friend: there are still a couple of Lamborghinis left.

And the 2015 Aventador could never be missing from this collection.

The car is completely destroyable for those of you that need that car damage to feel realistic in GTA. And the model of the car itself is of a fantastic quality.

Lambos are particularly difficult to map, but they’ve done a fantastic job with the Aventador on this mod.

10. 2015 Ford Mustang GT

What, you thought I wasn’t going to mention a Mustang GT on this list?

Being one of those cars that everyone seems to have wanted at some point in their lives, the Mustang GT comes to GTA and you can try out how it feels to drive it in the virtual world Rockstar has created for us.

This is another one of those cars with a fantastic interior too, so first-person players rejoice!

9. 2015 BMW i8

Probably not as aerodynamic as the rest of the cars listed here, the 2015 BMW i8 brings something unique and modern to the table.

Gta 5 Immersion Mods Mod

This car is not as destroyable as I’d like them to be, but the design is fantastic and seems to fit right into the taste of most GTA fans. The textures are extra HD as well so that’s a nice touch.

Gta 5 Immersion Mods Free

But if you’re looking for an even cooler BMW then check the next mod link.

8. 2015 BMW F82 M4

Custom spoilers, tires, and add-ons.

The BMW F82 seems to have it all in the world of car mods in GTA.

It’s a fantastic model with HD textures, which can look even better if you download one of the GTA graphic enhancement mods that we’ve covered.

I may never get a BMW in the real world but I can still ball out with this GTA alternative.

7. Bugatti Veyron

The Adder is clearly a copy of the Bugatti Veyron in GTA V. But if you’re tired of seeing it instead of the original car in the game then give this mod a try.

The Bugatti Veyron mod is fully customizable and allows you to incorporate one of the world’s most expensive cars into the game: fully functional, crushable, and destroyable!

6. 2013 Lamborghini Aventador

Another one of the Aventador models makes far up in this list, this time with the 2013 version of the car.

The rear window of the car can be lifted and the vehicle itself is fully tunable, as the modders have made sure to add many custom parts in the game to be compatible with the Aventador.

If you’re a fan of Lambos then give this one a try. It’s sure to please!

I also love the details of this car, too. It comes with an interior like the ones you see in modern racing games, which does make everything feel right in place if you like to do your GTA first person style.

5. 2014 McLaren P1

Much like the Adder is clearly the Bugatti Veyron, the T20 is basically a version of a McLaren sports car in GTA V.

Progen, the manufacturer of these cars in the game, is basically McLaren in the world of GTA.

However if you wish to try out a real McLaren in the game, then the 2014 P1 might be the first mod you’ll want to download.

It allows you to put carbon and chrome textures on it, and the engine of the vehicle is fantastically detailed to boot.

It’s an overall amazing car with an amazing modder and I fully recommend it to any McLaren lover reading this.

4. 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari

As far as single-car mods go, this 2015 Ferrari is the highest rated in our list.

This fantastic adaptation of the classic Ferrari look fits right into the game, and does a much better job at fulfilling the needs of many players who just want a clear sports car feeling.

The flaps on this ride are fully functional, the car is fantastically well mapped, and the details that it has make the immersion great. This is true of both first person and third person alike so it’s really just a brilliant car to add into your next playthrough.

3. Vanillaworks Extended Pack

Sure, it’s nice to have a ton of real vehicles added to the game.

But not everyone likes to break the vanilla feel of GTA vehicles or to push the lore too far.

In fact, to many players the brands of the GTA universe are part of what makes the experience such a unique one.

But the variety of models still leaves a lot to be desired – even with the many vehicles that come in the vanilla game. Hence this fantastic add-on to GTA 5.

The Vanillaworks mod adds countless new vehicles to the game, all of which are “manufactured” by the same companies that appear in GTA V.

It adds dozens of new cars to the game while keeping in line with the story too. This provides some much-needed variety that is sure to make even the oldest veteran GTA player feel like the game is brand new again.

2. GTA IV Vehicles in GTA V

Are you missing those classic rides from GTA IV and wondering why no one seems to have imported them to San Andreas?

Well, this mod basically does that. For free, I might add!

Imagine that a shipping container with the best GTA IV rides came to San Andreas and the cars from the previous game started being sold around the city. Then you can jack ‘em and ride them around yourself.

With this mod installed you’ll be able to drive some of your favorite classic GTA IV rides in the newest installment of the game.

1. Realistic Driving Mod

Now this mod was in development for over three years, and the quality definitely shows in the final product.

Realistic Driving is a rework of every single part of the driving mechanics in the game.

It makes cars move far better, handling is easier, and every car also feels unique. The creator of the mod really made sure to spend time developing driving mechanics for each car individually.

Now you can probably see why this took years to finish.

Even the roads and surfaces where you can drive all feel more realistic.

Basically if you want to completely overhaul the driving experience in GTA 5, you’ll want this mod in your stack.

Browse:Grand Theft AutoVideo Games

Stay Connected

Related Posts