#the draft sketch of this thing is way old

[heartvisor]

eternity in the style of the love combo graphic for june ❤️💛💚

+ uncropped version

[cereovo]

A set of very conceptual notes I drafted a while back for someone asking for advice on learning to draw humans. I'm entirely self-taught so this is less of a tutorial and more of a very rambling set of general principles I follow and ideas that helped while I was learning. I figured I'd post it in case anyone else could get use out of it!

I also recommend checking out:

Drawing East Asian Faces by Chuwenjie

How to Think When you Draw (lots of good tutorials in this series)

Pose reference sites such as Adorkastock

Transcript and some elaboration under the cut:

Img 1 - Drawing a face

The two most important elements (at least for me) when drawing a face are the outline of the cheek/jaw and the nose*. I often start with a circle to indicate the round part of the skull, then add a straight like and a 'V' to one side [to create the side of the face and the jaw]. The nose creates an easy template for the rest of the face's features to follow (eyebrows at the top of the nose bridge, eyes towards the center of the bridge, ear lines up to eye) and the placement/direction and overlap with other features is a very simple way to indicate dimension. [A sketch of a face that has been adjusted by moving its parts to create 3 different angles. The following text is underneath:] -Different 3/4th views can be created just by adjusting the position of and amount of overlap between the facial features. - The top of the ear usually lines up with the corner of the eye. Think of how glasses are designed [specifically, how the arms run from the eyeline to the ear] [I go on a tangent in these next few paragraphs] *One thing I see many artists do - not just beginners - is learn how to draw A Person. As in, one singular person with one set of bodily proportions and one set of facial features. It's an issue that runs a bit deeper than 'same face syndrome' because sometimes these artists can draw more than one face, they're just not very representative of [the diversity present across] real people. Part of the reason I'm talking more about how to think about approaches to drawing - rather than showing specific how-to's - is because there is no one correct or right way to draw a person. The sooner you allow yourself to explore variety - fat people, old people, people of color, people with [conventionally] 'unattractive' features - the easier it'll be! Artists often draw their own features honestly and without [harmful] caricature, so it's always a good idea to look at art made by the kinds of people you're trying to draw if you're ever unsure about how to handle something. In general, it's far more important to learn how to interpret a variety of forms than to learn how to replicate the Platonic Ideal of the Human Body.

Img 2 - Stuff that helped me

Jumping into drawing humans (faces or otherwise) straight from photo reference can be overwhelming. The trick is to simplify forms into shapes - but even this concept is sort of abstract and it may be hard to know where to begin. Good news - Thousands of other artists have already figured it out. [When starting out] I needed to learn from photo reference AND artists I admired in order to improve. [When looking at stylization you are inspired by] ask yourself: WHY does this simplification work? How can I translate it into a different pose? Instead of copying what you see in a photo reference exactly, try to focus on the general forms first. My two biggest style inspirations for humans while learning to draw them were Steven Universe and Sabrina Cotugno's art. SU gets a lot of hate [in this instance I was specifically referring to a time on tumblr when the art was knocked for 'losing quality'] but its style does a great job of simplifying anatomy in a way that still portrays a diversity of bodies + features. [Extremely simplified drawings of Lapis, Steven, and Amethyst] SU characters are still identifiable- and still read as 'human' - even when reduced to just a few lines!

Img 3 - Things I keep in mind while drawing side profiles

- Eyebrows + eyes close to the 'edge' of the face - Forehead needs enough room for a brain - Eye is > shaped from the sides - Mouth kinda halfway [between the nose and the chin] but closer to the nose - Skin/fat exists under the jaw [and connects to the neck] - neck is about one half the width of the whole head - the back of the skull always sticks out a bit further than you might expect - Sometimes less is more - contours exist on every face, but drawing them in may make your character seem much older than they're supposed to be. However, it's a good idea to use them when you *want* your character to look old! These are very general notes- every face is different and has different proportions [and playing around with them creates unique and interesting character designs]

[shibaraki]

SO THIS IS LOVE ┊ TODOROKI SHOUTO

synopsis: you’ve been dating your close friend and roommate, todoroki shouto, for almost a month. it’s new, and scary, and easier than you ever expected.

tags: GN reader, friends to lovers, newly established relationship, living together (+they were roommates), support engineer reader, pro hero shouto, fluffy fluff, implied class differences, casual affection (plenty of kisses etc), first date!!!, feeding each other, they’re in love your honor

wc: 4K

a/n: this takes place after my other fic ‘to build a home’ however!! fear not! it can also be read as a standalone ^_^ enjoy!

The vanity is littered with pieces of your life. Work you’ve brought home, tissue discarded after wiping down your dirtied hands, old draft sketches drawn haphazardly and set aside for sentimentality’s sake. Hero merch has been hung around the mirror frame. Small things. Keychains, magnets and bookmarks. A chibi shouto hangs on a ring, fist high and enveloped in ice.

Colour hems your peripheral vision, stems cut from a meadow and displayed in your room. Pink, green, purple and red. Shouto gave you a flower bouquet, roses and carnations and others that you cannot name without a guide; one he loaned expressly to learn the language of flowers for you.

The balmy, summer fragrance lingers, drawing a subconscious grin. You see it in your reflection, and you don’t look away. Not that you were unhappy before—but lately you can’t stop smiling. It is ever present, in your tone, in your disposition, in the pleased glow your coworkers liked to point out. Undeniably, things have been good.

Almost too good.

Dating Shouto changed everything and nothing. It was a uniquely embarrassing experience to reconcile just how obvious you had been throughout the years. You had prepared for wobbling baby steps. However, in many ways, it was as if you’d completely skipped the awkwardness all together, and Shouto became more emboldened than ever.

Exhaling, you push the thought aside. Your reflection relaxes once more as the tension bleeds from your shoulders. You’re all done up; donning your best clothes, an almost unrecognisable version of yourself compared to the oil-stained, work-swept appearance you usually took.

Tonight would be your first official date. Despite having been together for a few weeks now, your misaligned schedules and general lack of free time made it difficult to take that next step. You initially suggested setting up dinner at home. Candlelight and wine. Good food and good company is all you needed. As tempting as it was, Shouto insisted on treating you to somewhere proper—

His own words. ‘Proper’ was not your department. You didn’t know what to expect.

But the memory resurfaces, and at the vision of his soft pout, you ease. Things would be fine regardless of where the night took you.

Echoing through the hallway, Shouto’s bedroom door quietly clicks shut. You watch his silhouette appear beneath the crack of your own. He shifts his weight. The knock you anticipate never comes. Instead your phone lights up where it sits on the end of your bed. You stretch to grab it. The screen unlocks, opening onto your messaging app. Shouto’s name sits unread at the very top.

shouto : just now

Here to pick you up :)

“He’s trying to kill me,” you breathe, biting back an affectionate laugh and smoothing your thumb over the text. Filled with a sudden urgency to see him, you get to your feet. You pat down either side of your hips, ironing out the creases and give a last look to the mirror—pleased, beautiful.

Behind the door, Shouto anxiously waits. Fingers combed through his hair, the bicoloured strands have mixed into one another, brushed over to one side. The light glints. Gold studs sit in either ear, warming his complexion. He’s wearing a light sweater and dark trousers cinched with a belt. The sleeves are rolled midway along his forearm, casting light on a thin gold chain that hangs delicately around his wrist below the watch his older sister bought him for his birthday.

“You look really good,” you murmur, moving into his space. What would make an otherwise clumsy first encounter for any other came naturally to you both. Eyes drag over the length of your body. Shouto licks his lower lip, gaze heavier, and he pulls you in by the hips. A warm musk fills your senses. Pleasant notes of sandalwood and cinnamon. Your hands come to rest on his chest as you kiss his cheek.

“And you look beautiful,” he says. “Are you ready to leave?”

“I’m ready,” you concur, voice steeped in contagious excitement, “we’re going on a date”.

Shouto sways on his feet, your body moving with him, and his fingers dig into your hips as though restraining himself. “We are. Our first date,” stepping away, he gestures for you to take his arm. You coil around his bicep. Quiet, he continues, “I’m sorry it took so long to organise”.

You swat at his shoulder, falling in line with him as you make your way through the apartment. “Your needless apology is not accepted. I’ve told you it’s completely fine”.

Shouto hums a small, gratified sound, and then bends to take his shoes from the rack. You move to do the same. As you straighten he is pulling on a dark brown leather jacket, the collar flicking up when he shucks it around his chest.

A clink echoes out. He hooks his car keys through his forefinger and slowly looks you over without intent. “Bring a coat. The nights have been getting colder,” he tells you. You concede, endeared by his concern.

The car journey is mostly spent in a comfortable silence, feelings of anticipation tainting the air. You don’t ride with Shouto often, usually opting to take the subway, thus reclining into the plush padded leather is still relatively new. Shouto presses a button and a gradual heat gathers beneath your thighs. Your gaze drags to the gear stick, where his fingers are flexing. After some hesitation he shifts gears and rests his hand above your knee.

You stroke his forearm. His thumb moves in idle shapes. The traffic thins out when he takes an unexpected left onto an unassuming street and regretfully releases you. Car parked alongside a few others, strikingly expensive, Shouto cuts the ignition and you step out.

A clandestine entrance comes into view. Through double glass doors awaits a polished, minimalist lobby, leading to a flight of winding stairs. Upon reaching the top you realise the building houses a pair of adjacent restaurants. Traditional and Western, respectively.

Shouto encourages you toward the more traditional archway, and intermittently squeezes your hand. Your palms kiss, his skin a little clammy. The thought of him being nervous charms you. He glances over as you stroke your finger across his knuckles and his temperature seems to cool.

“Welcome”.

You startle. A server had approached at some point during the intimate moment, stoic and lingering; dressed in a pale kimono, not a thread out of place. With your attention she bends into a perfect bow. “It’s a pleasure to have you this evening. Will it be a table for two?”

“There should be a reservation under the name Todoroki,” Shouto replies with silvery cadence. Expression waning in recognition, the server nods.

“Right this way sir”.

You trail through the restaurant. The architecture is luxurious and calming, woodsy tones and warm accents. Thick sticks of bamboo hang over the ceiling, and pale structures formed to resemble cherry blossoms overhang the chef’s bar. Most notable is the fish tank behind it, pulsing gently as the filter whirls.

The server maintains a strict posture as she guides you to your table. Positioned in an intimate corner next to the window wall, overlooking a blushing cityscape, streaks of sunlight threading between buildings.

You take your seat and sink into the curved back. An illuminated centrepiece gently breathes, coming to life and casting a glow across the tablecloth. Cutlery of which you’ve never seen before is set out before you. “I will return to take your order in a moment…” you hear from your left.

Shouto voices his gratitude. His focus turns to you as the server retreats. “Everything okay?” he asks, too perceptive for his own good, somehow managing to make it feel as though he is still holding your hand through all this, even with the distance.

You hum, not trusting yourself to immediately speak. The menu is thick and glossy and heavy in your grasp. “…All good, handsome,” your eyes skim over the eclectic dishes. You squint at the small font, mind unspooling at the assortment of food—most you hardly recognised. “What do you think you’ll order?

With the tilt of his head, Shouto’s focus returns to his menu. While he reads through you wonder if it’s obvious that you’re out of place here. That you came home hours earlier and scraped the grease from your nail beds after tinkering with Ingenium’s suit for most of the afternoon.

“Their signature dish, maybe. I’ve heard the meat is good. They make it with an iron griddle,” Shouto’s thumb plucks restlessly at the corner of the card. Voice pitched lower, he adds, “And it’s the only thing I find appetising on here”.

Your brows raise at his admittance. Partly relieved by the shared uncertainty, though more surprised he felt it at all. “You’ve never been to a place like this?”

Shouto gives a plaintive blink. “No, I have. Years ago when I first debuted my father would drag me to places like this to network,” he says, setting down the menu. Sheepishness colours his features, “But I’ve never been here specifically. Momo recommended it”.

“Momo did?” you echo, subconsciously leaning onto the table. Shouto nods and shifts in his seat. “Cool. Has she ever brought Kyouka here?”

A wayward curl of crimson falls over his forehead as Shouto tilts. He brushes the stray hair back. “No, not that I’m aware. She mentioned that her parents often spent date nights here and they loved it”.

You smile helplessly, restless with the urge to pinch and pull at him. It was obvious that he’d put effort into organising this—maybe a little much. He had overthought things in true Shouto fashion.

“Why do you think that is?” you muse, hoping he’ll see your sincerity and hear you out. “It’s because Kyouka doesn’t like… extravagance. It makes her uncomfortable”.

Shouto considers this. “…Do you want to go somewhere else?”

“That’s not it, baby. I told you I’m happy to go wherever with you,” Shouto’s gaze momentarily drops, the corner of his mouth curling up. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s just—don’t always feel obligated to go to these lengths. Or spend this much. We can save all the fancy stuff for our anniversaries”.

You sit in a brief, comfortable silence, skin warming at the realisation of what you’ve said and the weight it carried. As he studies you carefully in the low light you hear the far off sound of food popping on the hot stove-top and smell a sweet, buttery aroma.

“I understand,” he exhales, resting his chin in the cup of his hand. A smirk teases his lips. “I guess I’ll need to find some other way to spoil you”.

“Shouto. You do more than enough—”

The server is approaching from the corner of your eye. You lightly kick his leg beneath the table to alert him, and he catches your foot between his ankles. There’s a small notepad and pen in her hand. She gestures to the menu.

“Excuse the interruption. Are you ready to order?”

Shouto recites his choice and you choose the same, trusting his palate. “Could we have a pitcher of water for the table?”

“Of course, sir”.

Your eyes linger on his jawline, the flex of his throat. Shadows dance across his face. The live music flows supple and amorous through the room. You want to lean into it; find yourself in Shouto’s arms and move as the rhythm dictates.

“Did you have a good day at work?”

The normalcy of the question catches you off guard in such a setting, and you blow air into your cheeks, embarrassed to be caught staring. He sits with arms folded atop the table to lean closer, unabashedly staring right back. “Work is work,” you reply, giving the routine answer. “What about you? Anything interesting?”

At that Shouto reaches to rest his hand over yours. Broad palm and paling bruised knuckles. He’s cool to the touch. Your heartbeat picks up as he begins to play with your fingers. “I caught a man trying to flash his genitals at an all girls school,” he says, attention drifting as he recalls what, for him, is a monotonous day. “Stopped a train from derailing—ah. One of the students we saved had an interesting quirk. I thought Izuku was going to ask her for an autograph…”

The evening unfolds. Darkness envelops the city and one by one people switch on their lights. It comes to life. You share laughter. You rub his calf and wisps of steam flutter around him. You talk, settling into a natural conversation, a complimentary rhythm, as you would’ve at home. Your once friendship hung lightly between you, an ephemeral thing, lacking weight or gravity. Any other first date experience paled in comparison; this didn’t feel like a first date at all.

Sitting there, now with an empty plate and your glass half full of liquor, a different spirit seems to sift inside you. Uninhibited contentment. The dressed up, high class onlookers fall away. Shouto looks at you over the lip of his mocktail as if you are the only thing he can see.

“A little weird, isn’t it?”

Shouto raises a brow and hums, “What do you mean?”

“Well, this is the part where people learn about each other,” you say. “We already know almost everything”.

“Not everything,” he stops to think. “Sometimes I swallow my gum instead of taking it out”.

“You—” startled, breathy laughter overshadows your reply. You cover your mouth and shake your head. “That’s gross. You’re ridiculous”.

A dazed smile teases Shouto’s lips, “You wanted to know”. The ice in his glass remains, cradled in his right hand, while condensation gathers around your fingers. “…We knew each other as good friends. That’s different”.

You take a quick sip, “Think so?”

“I know so,” he murmurs, his leg sliding between your own. “Now I get to learn about you all over again, in a new way”.

The thin hair on your arms prickles. Warmth and desire seeps through you, soaked into adipose tissue, tenderising thought and thew. “What a charmer,” you say, voice a little thick, seeing the night with new clarity. “You’re right. We just started a few steps ahead”.

Pleased at that, Shouto’s attention falls to the empty plates. “Should we get dessert?”

You consider the idea. It pulls you away from the moment, and everything sharpens in your periphery. Coalesced voices, the clink of cutlery, dulcet piano notes flowing beneath it all. “Not here,” you decide, an excited grin unfolding. “Let’s go get ice cream”.

Despite your protests Shouto pays the bill. You allow it, begrudgingly, since he had organised the date. In passing you bow your head toward the chef working behind the bar, and he gives an effusive ‘thank you’.

“Thank you very much,” another server calls politely, delicate hand raised to wave from behind his drink tray. “Please come again”.

Already too late into the evening, any ice cream parlour would be closed. Even so you clasp Shouto’s hand, bracing against the warmth, and direct him to a corner store on the far end of the road.

The cashier—reclined in a fold up chair, feet propped on the counter and cigarette in hand—staggers, almost tumbling to the floor as he registers Shouto’s identity. Though few, other customers stop to stare.

That feeling of unease returns once more. Amidst the bliss, and mellow, alcohol induced haze, you had completely forgotten about his status as a public figure and the scrutiny that might befall your new relationship as a result. You’ve been linked to various heroes before for business but never romantically.

Shouto is oblivious to it. Rather, you suppose he is used to the scrutiny. You recoil from their staring, and subsequently from his side, your anxious mind assuming some distance might cause them to think twice. In that instant an arm wraps firm around your lower back. Anchoring your hip, Shouto keeps you tucked against him, searching your face for objection.

You chew the inside of your cheek and relent, because you feel better when you’re close to him. The apprehensive and moderately starstruck atmosphere barely tickles him as he rummages through the large freezer. Ice creams and pops of every shape and colour. With a quiet, pleased sound, he plucks out a packet of bite sized matcha ice cream.

The cashier has steadied his hands by the time you’re ready to pay. Shouto deliberately frowns at the cigarette butts on the counter, discarded in an Endeavor themed ashtray. Not on account of any suspicion or disapproval, just simple pettiness. You know that but the poor young man does not, as he continues to nervously explain that his manager is ‘pretty lax about that kinda thing’.

“That’s nice,” Shouto tells him, passing his phone over the card machine. You press your lips thin to keep from laughing. A ping echoes out and the money goes through. “Thank you. Have a good night”.

Confused, the man gives a tremulous smile and nods, “Thank you for everything you do, Shouto, sir!”

Stepping into the tepid night air brings a wave of relief. Shouto releases your waist to pass you your cold treat. Falling into a lazy pace you start back toward the restaurant.

You’ve chosen an ice cream bar on a stick. Teeth sink into it like warm butter, the first bite melting on your tongue. Shouto is eating his delicately with a small pick and at your satisfied moan, he freezes, the next piece halfway to his open mouth.

“I haven’t had ice cream in forever,” you effused, licking the remnants from the corner of your lips. “Do you like yours?”

“Yes,” he replies, strained. You watch him from the corner of your eye. There’s a blush high on his cheeks. Drifting into the car park, he catches your gaze, slowing beneath a stream of light coming from the street lamp above. Cast in a syrupy, honey toned veil, he holds out the pick to you. “Would you like to try some?”

You smile at this, and then wordlessly part your lips. Shouto visibly swallows as he feeds it to you. Sweet earthy flavours harmonised with a hint of bitterness flood across your palate. Chewing, you hold up your mostly eaten ice cream bar and gesture for him to finish it.

Like you, Shouto opens up in a silent request to be fed. You turn the tacky stick between your fingers so he can get to both sides. “Thank you,” he mumbles, gently brushing his thumb at your mouth to wipe away a smear of cream. “For the ice cream and for tonight”.

“What’re you thanking me for?” you smile, besotted. His arms rise to welcome you into his chest. “You’re the one that did everything”.

Shouto squints in obvious disagreement and dips to give you a kiss. His lips are careful, still sweet with vanilla. You feel the soft tickle of his breath to your cheek, fingers carding through his hair as you breathe each other in.

“Let’s go home,” he murmurs.

Arriving at the apartment together is somewhat odd. The air is charged. Where you’d bid any other date goodbye, Shouto crowds into the genkan behind you and locks the door. You shrug off your coat and the thin hair on your nape tingles as he places hands on your hips, guiding you to the side and slipping past you.

Shouto lingers and you wonder if he’s having the same thoughts. “Are you following me?” you tease lightly, giddy at his presence so close to your heels.

“I’m walking you to your door,” he says.

“What a gentleman,” you laugh under your breath. Turning to lean against the frame, fingers wrap around the handle behind your back. Head cocked, you add, “Gonna come in for coffee, too?”

Hearing the innuendo, his expression settles into fond amusement. He cups your cheek. You lean into the shallow of his palm and draw him closer with your eyes. He inclines his face, nudges his nose against yours, and your mouths come together, already soft and open. You kiss for a while, before his lip curls and you both devolve into quiet laughter.

Breathless when he pulls away, you say, “Goodnight, Shouto. Thank you. I really enjoyed myself”.

“Sleep well,” he returns. “I’ll see you in the morning”.

Upon entering the solace of your bedroom, you’re overcome by an urgent giddiness. The energy has you bouncing on the spot, a squeal building in your chest that you don’t release until your face is buried deep in a pillow.

Sleep finds you in the early hours, creeping in amongst your tumultuous thoughts, mentally listing the options of what to do for the second date.

It’s as though you blink and morning shutters in. You stretch, limbs caught in the covers, and shy away from the light bleeding through your curtains. As senses sharpen and your body wakes, the distant sound of pots and cutlery draws your focus.

Your feet drag on the cool floorboards, dazedly wandering towards the tantalising smell pouring out from the kitchen. Shouto stands at the sink in a wrinkled shirt, the hem falling over his red boxers. There’s a slight bounce to his step as he moves, and his expression visibly brightens as he notices you.

“You’re perky this morning,” you mumble, still one foot in sleep, rubbing at the corner of your eye. “What, did you have a hot date or something?”

Hearing the affection in your voice, Shouto flashes a small grin. He slumps against the counter, leaning to check on the rice cooker. Steam curls up into the air. “A really hot date,” he affirms. A smile pulls at your lips.

You notice the two bowls already set out and turn to the coffee machine to pull out a second mug. “Sure there’s enough water in that?”

“Yes,” his puffy eyes narrowed. “I remembered this time”.

You hum, satisfied. Shouto drapes himself around your shoulders and you turn to press a soft kiss to his bare collar, exposed by the loose material of his sleep shirt. The roommate act falls away. “When do you need to leave?”

A warm breath brushes your temple as he sighs, “About twenty minutes”.

“You should go ahead and get ready, then. I’ll plate this up”.

Shouto nods with some reluctance. While he’s gone you fill his bowl and break an egg into it. Adding a little soy sauce and a dash of salt, you whip the rice with a pair of chopsticks until the egg is golden, turning foamy and giving the rice a tender texture. After repeating the steps you sprinkle mixed seasoning over both meals.

You set his coffee down on a coaster as he jogs out into the living room, hair lazily styled and his hero suit zipped to his midsection. “Thank you for the meal,” he says, slightly faster than usual, before proceeding to shovel the rice into his mouth.

“Don’t choke,” you pluck a sticky grain of rice from Shouto’s cheek and eat it. He blinks at you as he chews. “At least give me a few years first”.

The crinkles by his eyes deepen, scar tissue pulling taut. You swallow a hot mouthful of coffee to distract yourself from the way he visibly brightens. “I can give you more than a few,” he replies.

Heat prickles beneath your skin, “No romancing me at breakfast”.

Shouto laughs warmly. And with that you finish your meal together. He departs for work in a hurry, kissing the top of your head and calling out as he goes,

“Have a good day, love. I’ll see you at home”.

[creaman]

Hello! Just want to say that I absolutely adore your designs for Jon, Edward, and Jervis! They're so detailed and extra. I love them sm. Up in the top two favorite designs. My favorite is definitely Jervis. Which is funny, because in just about every version he's my least favorite of the three. His design is just so fun and goofy and him. It's amazing. They all are.

Anyways that's it. Byeeee<33

Oh? Do you now? Well I’m glad you think so because now you’re getting

Design Notes — Riddler | Scarecrow | Hatter

I drafted up some rogue designs last year, actually. They’ve mostly evolved from those. Content warning for horrific old art.

The McGriddler — Ah, a grown man with the strength of a baby! I’ve actually had this… horrendous peacock concept in my brain since 2022, back when my Riddler design was a dirty blonde/brunette. I hated him. He had the costume, but not the flair. Not to mention the generic facial structure.

Luckily, New Riddler is now an ostentatiously dressed vain attention whore! Highly fashionable, extensive wardrobe (def designing more outfits for him) and a possible mid-life crisis arc where he just wears a bathrobe and wifebeater for a month straight.

And listen, I’m not much of a writer, but there are notes on his personality.

Not great ones, though.

And rather than his ambiguous forensics/science job, he now works in I.T. Or rather, worked in I.T. (fired for patronising tech support customers)

For Jon — He’s always had black eyes with orange ringed pupils (initially blue) from the fear toxins. Drafted him up in high school because I was coping.

I’ve always intended to give him multiple costume designs. With narrative purposes. He redesigns himself. Ofc he couldn’t be satisfied with one thing, no, he has winter, summer, Witch Doctor, stealth etc. costumes on the way.

The initial design was trying to do too much — Patches, stitches, belt straps, arm warmers, utility belts, boots. Clutter. (Does NOT help that I can hardly decipher my old sketches.)

So, we just remove the overtly slutty components from the main design—

—And put them in a seperate campier Scarecrow design that I use as a Halloween-sona.

Silly Crazy Zonka Wonka — I think I was looking at pics of the Depp Hatter for the old design, which. May explain some things.

Acute observation! They look nothing alike. So I’ve kept absolutely nothing from the initial design except for the choppy wavy hairstyle.

Completely different colour scheme. Subbed out the TF2 Ghastly Gibus for the Towering Pillar of Hats. (Because ofc The Hatter would have something from the funny Hat FPS, no?) Shorter. Feebler. Every sickness on the planet. Congratulations! Mercury poisoning.

The initial concept for the redesign was to have a sort of reversible coat with his Arkham outfit on one side, and Rogue outfit on the other. You can see I just opted for him to wear a combination of both.

[choilacanth]

i dont know if you've already elaborated on it or not, but whats the lore behind teldryns tattoos in your designs? i think your designs are my favorite that ive seen and im really interested in your thoughts behind them!

;u; this makes me smile!! Thank you so much.

Initially I had based his tattoos on thana-topsy's design, but the backstory I made for him outgrew the motifs that were in that one.

Going off this post, we have:

Face: an Ashlander motif reserved for warriors that he got upon reconnecting with his mother's clan in Vvardenfell[1].

Wrists: Prison bands, functioning as a brand.

Chest: Erabenimsun clan sign, along with a scar on his chest and one below his ribs.

Vvardenfell snake, representing Boethiah

Cliff racer: I think in other drawings I have forgone this (or moved it elsewhere) in favor of extending the snake all the way down. One day I will decide.

8-pointed sun, representing Azura [2].

It isn't included here, but under Azura's sun there is also a strength rune. There should also be a strength rune on his right arm, but I'm figuring out where to put it...

Many-handed spider, representing Mephala

These tattoos should actually be different colors and different degrees of faded, but I haven't solidified that in a ref yet. I might also want to add a back tattoo, but haven't come up with a proper design for it either so it remains blank for the time being. Maybe I will plant the cliff racer there.

Another thing is that his tattoos make him very identifiable, which is why he's covered up all the time unless he's somewhere he can relax, or outside Morrowind territory.

[1] Usually the aspiring warrior would be sent out to kill a kagouti, but following the events ending 3E and a lot of the kagouti population, the clan decided he could earn it in another way. (Teldryn refused the "hurl a sword at a target" option.)

[2] Also a throwback to a popular motif that represents my own country in a location that is often popular for diaspora to get it tattooed on. This was not quite intentional. I used to use Moon-and-star but changed it for various reasons.

Have a sketch/old draft for getting this far. Hopefully I finish one day :]

[blazesartbloglmao]

the syndicate

i went through all of my old medibang files to see what was lurking there and found this old sketch i started doing back during techno's birthday stream. the group picture of the syndicate always stuck out to me, and im p sure its because of my own overfondness for group/family pictures in general lmao

anyways, it was a really nice sketch, so i redid the lines and slapped some colors/shading on it. all in all, i think this is one of my favorite things ive drawn this year. i didn't expect to do dsmp fanart, but i think it might always crop up every now and then, the same way i still draw warrior cats every now and then in my sketchbook

also, unless i finish a couple of other things in my drafts, i think this is gonna be the last thing i draw in 2023. so i hope you enjoy it! let the new year be like frozen yogurt in the good place; just okay.

[coldcalamari]

i got inspired by a conversation with @aidanchaser (hope you dont mind me tagging you 🙏) to make a vampire/fantasy au :) these are some sketches and ideas for it !!! i think im gonna work on the hero costumes some more but i thought id let everyone see the first drafts for now ☆

i have a handful of thoughts abt the au, but ill leave them under the cut so i dont make the post too long !

like i said, its a fantasy/vampire au! in my au, they are both trans. marinette still uses she/her and adrien uses they/he/she. apologies if any of this is hard to understand or written poorly, writing isnt my strength.

Adrien and Marinette are already dating in the au, but Gabriel doesnt approve of their relationship. Adrien decides she's tired of her father's overbearing nature, and she runs away from home in the middle of the night. When they're almost to Marinette's house, they're attacked by a vampire and "killed" (thats what the second drawing is depicting, Adrien's "death"). Adrien is pronounced dead, and nobody realizes she's been turned into a vampire.

Adrien is still in love with Marinette, but is scared she will be afraid of him now that he's a vampire, so he decides to try and win her heart while in disguise (as Chat Noir).

Meanwhile, Marinette is convinced that Adrien's death was more than a random killing. She adopts a secret identity (Ladybug) in order to investigate Adrien's murder and find out what really happened that night. (she also learns some magic to help her along the way!)

the love square looks like this in the au. Marinette finds herself really liking Chat Noir, but is obviously still grieving for Adrien. Chat Noir, after teaming up with Ladybug, starts to develop feelings for her and wonders if he should try to move on instead of chasing his old life.

I think at the end of the story, there would be a happy ending. Once everything got revealed, Marinette would just be happy to have Adrien back, regardless of them being a vampire or not. things would be different in their lives, but they still love each other no matter what

[magpies-gold]

I got really bogged down this weekend on my writing. This is always the thing that wrecked me about NaNoWriMo: 50k words is juuust enough so that I hit the self-doubt super hard.

It’s where I have enough of the world and the characters down so that I can see them clearly enough to recognize where they’re held together with chewing gum and hope. It’s where I can see the road ahead but also I’m on the edge of the first really big gaps that I just have to put 2x4’s over as a makeshift bridge and fill them in correctly later. The piece I need for that is stashed somewhere near the end of the book. It’s when I find spots in the story where the wiring isn’t hooked up yet and the lights are out so I kinda know three or four ways to get from point A to point B and I can’t see which one’s correct so I just have to kinda write them all (the correct answer has a chance at being a Frankenstein’s monster mishmash of all of them!)

It’s nice that my mom’s been reading the mess as I work on it because it means that I have someone to call and say “It’s trash but it’s still trash with potential, yeah?” and talk my way back to having the confidence to continue. Thanks, mom.

So.

Reminder to Self.

First drafts are The Stupidest Version. The characters get spontaneous amnesia. They know things that they shouldn’t. They try to ad lib instead of sticking to the script. The equipment you ordered for the set months ago isn’t here yet so you’re making do with an old fridge and some cardboard as a stand in but it’s really obviously just a fridge that says “warp core” on it in Sharpie. No one can keep a straight face around it. This is all going to get rewritten from scratch in a few months.

It’s the vomit draft. Sometimes (often) you get caught yammering for three hours about one of the character’s childhood and the camera was running the whole time. The characters can’t quite remember their lines or motivations so they repeat themselves five times in five different ways over five different scenes before someone yells “We got it already! Shut up!” You all explore the basement and the sub-basement before realizing that you don’t even need the -house- that you’re in, but you found a key down there that’ll help elsewhere and so it was worth the detour. Two characters don’t jive naturally yet so you either take them out for coffee or hand them nerf bats and engage with -that- for 2k words, coming out the other side all the wiser but with 2k words that will not make the cut. That’s fine. It still needs doing.

And it’s a sketch. I did a drawing earlier today where I drew, erased, and redrew a creature in the background no less than twenty times (at one point just covering the canvas in question marks out of frustration) before I finally figured out what I was doing. Same diff, but writing takes longer. It’s going to have construction lines and eraser marks all over the place, but later I can pick out the good lines and go from there.

Anyone who suggests that writing is anything but barely controlled chaos is, in my opinion, slightly bonkers. It’s herding cats that can phase through walls and travel in time, and in the meanwhile, all you have is a butterfly net with a hole in it.

And sometimes you just need a good pep talk to remind you that yes, it’s supposed to look this janky. Keep going.

[ruthytwoshakes]

HELLO GUESS WHO MADE ART OF THE SILLIES AGAIN????? i love them so much they’ve infested my brain,,,, I love women, ,,!!!! I’ve been making some sketches over the last couple of week,, some that will be turned into big epic drawings over the next couple of months hehehheh.

thank you @friendlyengie for your epic characters they bring me joy,, 👍👍👍👍👍

YAYYYYYY !!! OLD PEOPLE !! This one has been sitting in the drafts for a little while,, hhhh. I like to think that the medics have entirely grey hair and just,,, dye it. Uh oh It’s the last hair dye box in all of New Mexico ,, they’re having a cowboy standoff thing or whatever you call it

cringe fail loser sapphic at it again. ,,,,, , she horrible o love her ,

woah,, tnnahts a lot of woman. ,,and pupy!!!. Got a little bit obsessed with the acne on Quinn. I have pretty bad acne myself and most people don’t really add it to their characters and stuff,, makes me feel a little sad and ugly. So thank you very much for that!! It makes,me happy 👍👍👍👍👍

when I first saw spy,, I was like. Oh yeah. That’s,, the,,, the, . She friends with orginal spy I think,, . That would be a little silly ,,I think. So that’s my little itty bitty headcannon. They hate each other too but in silly bestie way. B))

Went a little crazy with the weird gay thing,, just a little bit,,,,, just a. Yeah.

WEIRD GAY THING AGAIN ?????!!!! NO Way bro…,, This is a sketch I plan to turn into a finished drawing!! Also I’m so proud of myself the perspective looks very epic B)) Also I think Quinn is the type to sleep without a shirt on but I don’t know if tumblr would like that if I drewed that so she gets shitty tank top instead. They are having sleepover in demos room if you can’t tell

also that fucking bongu post keeps on coming into my brain at the worst possible times ,, like I’ll be having a really serious conversation and the fucking bongu appears and I fucking lose it

FINAL SKETCH!!! This is a very rough sketch of a very epic and cool drawing I plan to finish. If anybody has any suggestions I’d love to hear it!, I am struggling with what to shove into the background. Also fuck yeah the golden spiral babey,, putting those 9th grade art class skills into use B))

This’ll be probably the most intricate art piece I’ve ever made,, wish me luck. I think I managed to fit all 18 mercs in there! Hopefully! I’ll double check later lol.

(Drawings of the mercs by friendlyengie). Me when the women 👁👁

that’s the end of all the drawings!! Thanks very much for looking at them hhh,,,, I did not spend 16 hours on this, you spent 16 hours on this

go follow friendlyengie they make some sick ass drawings,, good food right there babey B)). I hope I was able to kinda characterize them correctly!! I’m not very good at that yet,, but I’m getting better I think!!

Now off to visit your mother. (Study and plan for spring term and clean my room)

[steamberrystudio]

05/11/2023

Hey everyone! Time for the bi-weekly tumblr update for Steamberry stuffs!

I feel like I have missed a few tumblr updates. I went back and the last one I can find is *dated* August 24 - but was actually posted on September 24th. LoL

I had one dated from October but it looks like I may have never actually posted it. That seems about right for how things have been going for me.

It's been rough. Like...really rough. I'm going to assume that the September 24th post was my last tumblr update. I have been updating on Patreon and even updated on Itchio, so there have been updates. Just apparently not here.

(below, you'll mostly find information on WSC but there is a quick update on GS remnants as well!)

Summary

Have written all but Yren's route *through* chapter 9

Numerous new BGs

Ramble

So the last time I posted it looks like I was just starting Chapter 8 in When Stars Collide. I am currently wrapping up the final scenes of chapter 9.

My word count in the September update was 373,000 and it is currently 413,000. I am just shy of 90% of the way towards my final word count goal.

I am about halfway through writing Yren's chapter 9 content (about 8000 words of content total and I've got nearly 4000 of that written). Once I have that bit written, I will be done with Chapter 9 for all characters.

I've gotten new art since my last post but honestly I'm not sure at this point how many. Looking back at my emails, it looks like I've probably gotten 3 new complete BGs + 1 BG sketch since my last update here on Tumblr.

I have updated all the CGs with the new background art as well - the introductory CGs in the current snapshot, of course, use the old backgrounds and the new conference room looks completely different and has different chairs. So I had to go back to those CGs and re-do the chairs. That is done but I haven't actually coded the new BGs yet. I have, however, updated the artwork.

That's basically the major stuff for now with WSC.

Gilded Shadows

Working on the lore book. The art book is complete but I decided to hold off releasing it until the lore book is done so I can release them together. Lore book is taking a while as there is a lot of content to format and I'm adding to it as I go.

It is nearing 100 pages already and...yeah. There's a fair bit more. So it's gonna be big.

Screenshots:

None this time....I don't think.

Upcoming Weeks:

Basically the same old stuff. I will be writing for WSC. I am currently trying to hit a goal of at least 6500 words a week so I can complete the draft by the end of December.

So far I have been able to do that although some weeks I barely managed. It's, as I said, been rough.

I'm continuing to work on the GS lore book. Most of the stuff is at least collected in one place right now, so I just have to format, organise, and add any commentary.

But I've changed computers at least twice since starting this game and some things I remember writing and am now struggling to find. So...that's fun.

Anyway I will try to make sure I post here every two weeks going forward instead of writing up a draft of the post and apparently never showing anyone. 💪

[difeisheng]

各位蓮絡人們，新年快樂! it's been a slower winter holiday for me, but to start off the continued MLC brainrot in 2024, have a draft snippet with di feisheng's thoughts from a fic i'm chipping away at (inspired by @redemption-revenge's ideas on difang and archivist!fang duobing).

the first thing one might note if they were to enter the imperial archives of the great xi, housed in an unassuming wing of the palace grounds, is that they are far too dark. the windows, grand and admirable as they are in an effort to capture the sun, are not enough to illuminate the rows upon rows of shelves taller than any man. fit to be a forest they are, books, scrolls, coiled slips of bamboo lay stacked upon each. some neatly, others in haphazard formations to the side of an aisle or path, no resting place designated for them yet. the records all fall in as one, draped in shadow save for those in reach of the carefully set lanterns and candles.

these lights— poor but determined substitutes for that of the day— flicker disturbed by one's passing in otherwise still air, and perhaps that is the second thing to notice: that any breeze serves only to push around dust and the scent of old paper. other open, towering libraries and halls of learning are far more renowned, where one may enter and seek out like minds, or some to hear new theories from. archives such as this, important though they are for the dynasty's repository of knowledge, are to too many considered tedious. they house no great collections of classics or poetry, in lieu of concerning themselves with careful records and documentation. the average scholar would consider this building unworthy of visit, unless someone required a history on some person, or village, or particular official collation of such and such event. it is evidenced in the isolated sound of creaking shelves, the steps of only a few individuals in the entirety of the complex. this deserted quiet would be the third thing.

all that di feisheng's attention rests on, however, is the form of fang duobing.

he darts between cramped bookcases with ease, strides down aisles guided by instinct over senses. there is none of the carefree, ceaseless monologue to his presence, only his footfalls on stone, and so di feisheng is left with nothing but to trace his steps through this labyrinth in matched silence. for all that he'd met di feisheng for the first time in years with words chosen by purpose, not impulse, fang duobing had never struck him as one to keep his thoughts tucked away inside his head.

what happened to the young master with a voice of unwary privilege, making himself known to anyone who could listen? it took him too long to recognize fang duobing by the river's edge the day before, silent and solitary, the two of them studying one another for a frozen moment like any two strangers on the roads of the jianghu.

somewhere in the time gone by, cut by two paths of grief diverging, di feisheng missed the time that wore away fang duobing's rougher edges. not only with the learned hold to his tongue; the man before him stands taller, more confidence sketched in the fall of his walk and the grip of erya in one hand. if i gave you ten years, di feisheng told him once, you would be able to parallel me. in some ways, measured in more than their weapons, perhaps fang duobing has already risen to his level.

the same constant of a ponytail springs with each step, though. something still boyish hangs about him, as fang duobing's silhouette disappears around corners of this endless hall.

something once-familiar on a different figure, and so all too abruptly, between one instant and the next does the image of fang duobing blur into another.

this reunion between two of them should have a third, yet like the portrait that still hangs in baichuanyuan, an image unchanging, all they have is the recollection of how he walked away. seven years, and still unfound. seven years gone, left for somewhere no one could follow, and di feisheng tried to anyway but all he achieved is that now even fang duobing walks ahead (too far; when did di feisheng's footsteps falter?) and once is a joke, twice is shame, third is—

"老笛，你還在嗎?" fang duobing's boots scuff to a stop, and di feisheng blinks, illusion shattered. "we're almost there."

no, he isn't li xiangyi. it would be unjust of di feisheng to think otherwise.

back then, he never believed fang duobing could stand where li xiangyi once did, either. how time wears down the blade of a remark once-sharp, turned to something that could be almost merciful in how fang duobing looks back at him. equal parts concern, and curiosity.

"我在," di feisheng says, returned to the present, and fang duobing carries on.

[luvly-writer]

"But Oh..Cara mia"

Ch. 15 Repercussions are always messy

————————————

Dick Grayson x Latina! Reader

Warning: None

Author's note: I finally found some time and inspiration to write! YAY! You wouldn't believe how crazy the last few weeks have been. First, university has been absolutely insane causing my health to decrease a little, then, it's the birthday months in my family meaning that almost every weekend we had something, and finally, I got a new phone. I had my old phone ever since 2020 and it had been malfunctioning ever since January. Unfortunately, many of my notes were lost due to me forgetting to backup them, and within those notes, I had the sketch for this ENTIRE story. So cue all the time I spent crying cause I lost SO MANY of my notes, from my TBR to my fic drafts. But worry not! I am time to reread the story so that I can get inspiration and remember how it was going to be carried out. LOTS OF LOVE.

Taglist: @lorosette @nanas-teatime @prettyacademia00 @mxtokko @sarahkaliii @w31rdg1rl @eurydicegrimes @writing-for-the-hell-of-it @alecmores @dakotali @sadraven1992

Series Masterlist:

—————————————

You ran and ran and ran. Up the stairs, taking the elevator would give you way too much time to stress over the situation. You ran with Babs hand in yours, pulling her with you. You could hear her complaining because of her running in heels and that you were going too fast but those were being unheard of. You needed to get to your room before you'd burst. Finally, after it felt like forever you got to your room. You pulled Babs in and closed the door, locking it. You both inhaled and exhaled softly, a little out of breath. "Yn, I love you. You know I do, but fuck you for making me run all the way to here." Babara panted out successfully snapping you of the trance you were in. You had been staring holes at the door. She walked up towards you and pulls you back, "Hey hey, the door won't harm you, stop looking at it as if it will" she said softly and pulls you so that you are both sitting on your bed. You breathe softly and finally look at Barbara who is looking at you with so much intrigue. "Barbara.." you start slowly and Babs nods, eager to know what you'll say, "You will not believe what the fuck happened on that dance floor" you finish and Barbara squeals and laughs making you laugh as well.

--<3---

On the other side of the manor, Dick was desperately looking for Kory. He had run away from the ballroom straight to the gardens. "KORY!" He shouted as he searched for the girl around the gardens. Just as he was about to shout for her again, he finds her sitting in a bench in front of one of the Wayne manor ponds, staring at the fish in the water.

"Kor-"

"So," she says without looking at him, "finally done eye fucking Yn are you?" she finishes. Dick flinches slightly, not used to receiving such harshness from her. He slowly walks up to her, "I wasn-" he begins but is once interrupted by her, "Of course, you were, Richard!" She bites back standing up to look at him dead in the eye. Frankly, he is currently terrified of the girl in front of him. "Honestly, when are you going to stop lying to me! I am not stupid and I am quite sick of you believing I am." Kory crosses her arms and Dick finally answers, "It is a publicity stunt, Kory" and she huffs. "Oh yes, I am sure! That's what you always say but it's a fucking lie". Dick can feel his anger rising, "I am not lying Kory, you know that Bruce pulls this shit every time something goes wrong in a gala whenever Yn and I are there. The socialites-"

"The socialites can go fuck themselves, Richard! I may not be from Earth but I have been here long enough to know that for something to be a publicity stunt, it doesn't need the amount of intimacy you were both exhibiting! When will you come to terms with the fact that she loves you and that you-" screams Kory yet chokes up in the end, not wanting to finish her sentence. Finishing it would confirm the very same thing she has been trying to avoid, say delay, all this time. "That I might what Kory? Love her? You know that's a lie. I love you" Dick says and Kory rolls her eyes in frustration. "But you are noT IN LOVE WITH ME RICHARD!" She lets out. "You haven't been in a long time" and Dick just looks at her.

"Kory, what non-"

"But it isn't nonsense! It's true! She knows you better than anyone else, better than me! You both share this strange fucking sense of intimacy-"

"No we don't"

"Yes, you do Richard. I don't know anything about you any more than she does. For fuck's sake, I had to call you under the premise of training the Titans in order to actually hear from you. Something happens to you and you go running to her. Your face lights up whenever you see her and you search for her in every room! I tried to get in the way and make you see only me, Richard, I really did, but she shines so bright that you can't see anyone but her whenever she is present. What is the point of fighting it anymore?" Kory says defeatedly. Dick reaches out for her but she steps back, "Kore, don't...don't say that" he says as his eyes begin to tear up.

"Richard, but I have to. You haven't been mine for a long while now and I thought coming to Gotham with you might've changed that but it didn't. It just made it ten times clear who you belong with and surprise! It isn't me! I have tried everything! From sex to calls and excessive PDA, to trying to limit your contact with her and trying to make you leave, and even trying to make you cut ties with her, and wanna know something? NOTHING WORKED! It isn't healthy anymore! I am desperately trying to keep something that isn't mine and never will be! I am trying to save something that's already ruined!" Kory yells and both can feel the tears run down their cheeks. Dick walks up to her and holds eye contact, "I love you, Kory, you know this, you must, you have to..." he whispers and Kory smiles bitterly at him, "I know, Robin, and I love you but you don't love me in the way I want to be loved" she answers and Dick looks down in shame. "I am sorry," he tells the girl and she smiles at him, "I am sorry. I am so so sorry, Kory" he keeps on whispering and she pulls him for a hug. No matter what anyone else says, Richard Grayson has the biggest heart of all and even in the moments where she is breaking a big part of his heart, he still doesn't have it in him to hate her and shove harsh words her way. "I know, Dick, I know. Part of loving you is letting you go so that you can truly be happy," She pulls him back to look him in the eyes, "We are over, Richard. Our time has finally come to an end" she says softly and Dick nods.

"We had a good run, Richard, we really did." She says as both laugh, still teary-eyed.

"We are no longer two dumb teenagers in love" he says and she nods laughing, "Please, Kory, know that my intention was never to hurt you, you kno-" Dick starts but Kory cuts him off with a laugh.

"Oh I know, Dick, I know, I think one of the last people to know that you're in love is you," Dick goes to open up his mouth in denial but Kory shushes him with a glare, "Richard Grayson you better not try to deny it! Do yourself a favor and accept it" Kory says and Dick has the decency to look bashful.

"It's not that, Kory, it's just, I mean, me and her, I mean she and well, we aren't exactly on good terms or have ever been exactly on the best but no well yeah but-" he is cut off by Kory's laughter.

"My, is this real? Is the suave Richard Grayson finally made a mess by a girl? What a sight!" she says and Dick glares at her. "It's complicated!" he huffs rolling his eyes and she just laughs out, "Isn't it always?"

They both decide to sit down on the grass and stair at the water. They stay in silence for a while. It is broken by Kory who looks at him curiously, "Since when?" she asks and Dick looks at her confused.

"Since when have you known that you know, you love her?" she asks and he just shrugs.

"I don't know actually, one day the hate turned into something else and I was too much of a coward to acknowledge it." He says picking on the grass.

"So you ran back to familiar?" she says and he nods a little distracted, she hums in understanding. "You are an idiot, Dick" she says making the boy nod and laugh with her. "Don't get me wrong, that wasn't the entire reason, I do love you, Kory" he says and she nods once again. She needed to clear the air before finally leaving.

"You know, it kinda makes me feel a little better that you were a little conscious of your feelings for her but pushed them down because of how much you love me" she says and he gives her a tight smile.

"What now?" he asks, scared of what the answer might be.

"Well, I am going back to the Titans tower and probably taking a well-deserved nap. You should probably go find her" she answers and Dick laughs, "No, what about us now?" he asks once again and Kory looks at him, understanding his questing. "OH! Well, you can always come to help co-lead the Titans, they are a handful as they are, so help is always appreciated. As for us us? I think we can be friends" she offers and Dick smiles and nods, "Yeah, I'd like that" making Kory smile, "But not now, I need some time, plus, I think you have a certain someone that requires your full attention" she insists and Dick lays back and looks up, "Oh her....I am fucked" he says making Kory laugh. "Why?!" she says and Dick looks at her incredulously, "Have you met her?!?! This is the one person that has never allowed me to charm my way out and is the first to call me on my bullshit. I may be absolutely earth-shattering in love with her but she will rain a shitstorm on my ass!" he exclaims making Kory wheeze, "You said it! You love her!" she yells and Dick still looks desperate to get his point across. "Yeah, but she will kick my ass" which creates another round of laughter from Kory. "Why? She got you?" she asks, genuinely confused.

"Like I said, she will absolutely call me on my bullshit and scold me for hurting you. She's a girl's girl according to Barbara and Stephanie so putting you in between will definitely be on her list of reasons why Dick Grayson is an asshole and no one can convince me otherwise," he says mocking her voice and making Kory laugh again before he continues, "Plus, she will wholeheartedly fight me on how horrible I've been with her, aside from calling me a coward for denying it for so long, Kory I have more chances entering a cage fight with a tiger and a grizzly bear and winning than the hell she will put me through, which I deserve cause she deserves so much better than me, because of all these years. She will look at me and say 'i hAvE sTanDarS' which good for her, but not really good for me cause I will have to bust my ass to become the man she deserves" Dick finishes his rant and Kory stops laughing to look at him.

"You really are in love," she observes and Dick flushes, making Kory smile. "I think this will be good for you, Richard," she says as she stands up. He gapes at her and she shakes her head with a smile, "She has always pushed you to grow and be better. And now it seems she will do so once again" she tells him, making Dick stand up. She kisses his cheek and starts to leave, waving back at him. Dick waves back as he thinks over her last few words. Yn has always been the force to challenge him, make him push past his limits, and become better. Although the majority of the time, it had been through fights and constant clashing, she always helped him get better. As he starts to walk back to the manor, he feels a gush of wind in his side. He looks and lo and behold, Wally West is looking at him with a big smile. "Sooooo, I take it that went well" he grins at Dick throwing his arm around him.

As he explains what happened with Kory, Wally nods. "Wow, this is the first time I have ever EVER seen you handle things like an adult" he quips making Dick shove his arm off as he laughs.

"Hey!" Dick exclaims to which Wally answers, "You know its true!"

They both walk back to the ballroom., "So what now with Yn?" Wally asks carefully before they enter. Remembering how cozy the two were before the dance, Dick pulls Wally by the ear and slightly threatens, "Seeing as now I have to bust my ass to win her over, do NOT make it harder by flirting with her. Keep your hands and words away from Yn, I will break your legs" To which Wally snickers like a little shit. "Hey, it did the job of getting you to do something so fuck off," he says as he pulls his ear from Dick's grasp. The two enter the ballroom and laugh falling back into the boyish banter they were always used to. Dick can feel the questioning gazes of his family and decides to avoid them because in all seriousness, he had no clue how he can even begin explaining this.

--<3--

"SHUT UP!" screams Barbara as Yn finally finishes her story, nodding excitedly. Barbara's mouth is wide open as she processes what just happened, making Yn laugh. "I know! I don't even know how I am breathing! It was so intense and genuinely, a little hot too and it felt sooooooo right but soooo wrong at the same time you know!?" YN exclaims as Barbara nods, "Yeah cause Kory was there and oh my, they are definitely breaking up! Shit, Yn! This is messy!" she says and Yn nods with wide eyes. "I know! And honestly, I feel so conflicted! Because A) I don't like that a thrid party got hurt-"

"Even if she was a huge bitch to you?"

"Even if she was a huge bitch to me. And B) Barbara it felt so good, like I wanna scream into my pillow all night kind of good!" Yn finishes and Barbara laughs at her expression, "Bitch I sure hope it feels good, it isn't every day that someone tells you that they are afraid of who they will become if you are gone AND tells you to ask anything and it is yours, you know, especially FROM DICK GRAYSON" says Barbara, "The same Dick Grayson, whose middle name is casanova with commitment issues" she finished making Yn burst out laughing. Finally, they calm down and stay silent as they process everything. They were still in their outfits, with the exception of their heels as they both lay on the floor of YN's bedroom.

"You know, don't feel so bad about the Dick and Kory thing. I think everyone has been seeing that they were going to fall out at any given moment in the last few years. So I don't really think it was ALL your fault. You being included was more of a last straw kinda thing" says Barbara trying to reassure Yn, who in return looks at her and asks, "You think so?" Barbara nods and Yn stays silent for a moment. "But if they broke up, I am NOT being a rebound. Dick has to prove that this time it is legit! Cause I am not going back to the same hot and cold as always. I can't, Barbara, I cannot! I deserve better and I don't want a few months of love and then for him to turn back into the asshole that he is always with me. I am not going to be the second choice cause his first left. If Dick wants me, he has to earn me" she says confidently and Barbara beams at her. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you." She says and they both laugh. They begin to put on their shoes after finally feeling like they should go back to the ball. They fixed themselves up and walked back. Barbara kept teasing Yn over her situation with Dick and Yn, although she was heavily blushing, she laughed with her friend. As they entered, YN went directly towards Diana with a huge smile, they agreed that Yn would spend the next weekend in New York with her so that she could tell her all about what happened in more privacy.

As she walked back to where Barbara, Cass, and Stephanie were, Yn made brief eye contact with Dick. She felt her heart skip a beat. Dick smiled at her and waved. Yn nodded in acknowledgment and waved back. The night carried on without any other mishaps. Even though, everyone was dying to know what happened between them, they would have to wait until their next Diyn (ship name) meeting to know what happened so they let it slide for tonight and just enjoyed the gala.

That night, as Yn was heading for bed her phone dings. She opens it only to find:

Mi Picaflor <3:

The offer still stands. Ask for anything and it is yours. Goodnight, gorgeous.

--<3--

"Right now, I'm shameless

Screaming my lungs out for ya, not afraid to face it

I need you more than I want to, need you more than I want to"

[illarian-rambling]

Daisy and Daffodil for the flowery ask game ;)

Daisy - What inspired you to create your OC?

Izjik: I'm scared of fish and underwater caves and needed someone to be scared with me

Sepo: Izjik needed a friend and the concept of a mute, aroace, siren man was funny to me

Twenari: Sepo and Izjik needed someone to pull them into trouble, and wouldn't it be great if she was Doctor Strange but a twelve year old girl?

Djek: For a very early draft, Izjik and Sepo joined a mercenary guild, and I wanted a really underwhelming sorcerer who was good at other things on their team. Funnily enough, there was also a knight character in their squad named Destoux. I scrapped him, but the idea returned as Daedryn, the book 2 antagonist.

Astra: I needed a wizard npc to get my dnd players on the right track for a story arc. I wanted her to have a real hick accent because wizards are usually posh and british. Later on, I liked her enough that she got a book.

Mashal: I needed another npc accompanying Astra to have an emotional attachment to the villain. Also, robot. Love robot.

Ivander: I did a sketch this one time of a leperous elf woman wearing a beautiful porcelain mask. That idea morphed until it became a half-alien man wearing an illusion to cover a curse.

Daffodil - Is your OC likeable?

Likable is a pretty subjective thing, so I'm gonna rate them on how much I personally would want to spend a day with them.

Izjik - 9/10: A very solidly likable woman. She's funny, down to earth, could bench press two of me, and loves hiking. The only downside is that she wouldn't get my nerdy jokes.

Sepo - 7/10: Once he warms up to you, he's clever, likes to tease endearingly, and will do most anything for you. He's very much a grumpy older brother. However, that warm-up period is really rough.

Twenari - 8/10: We're both nerds, but in different directions. I think I could have some wonderful conversations with her, and I always love someone I can read in silence with. I do think I'd forget that she's twelve and invite her out to an R-rated movie or something.

Djek - 6/10: Personally, I'm not the type to hang out with life-of-the-party extroverts. I think he and I would get along swimmingly, I just don't think we'd interact much due to different hobbies.

Astra - 5/10: Lord, this woman would get on my nerves. I get that her prickly overconfidence is a defense mechanism (I wrote her that way, after all), but if I had to interact with her as a regular person, I doubt I'd see past it. I'd still think she's undeniably cool, though.

Mashal - 8/10: A genuinely kind and lovely man. He's the type to make you cupcakes because he thinks you're having a bad day or to remember what music you like so he can listen to it later. He only gets points off because he's a bit of a prude and would frown sadly whenever I talk about graffiti plans.

Ivander - 4/10: A fascinating specimen of a person, but god, what an absolute bitch. He's mean to people, no two ways about it. He'd make that middle school bully face while fake-complimenting your shoes to make you feel poor. He isn't lower on points because I appreciate people who are unabashed gossips and have no compunctions about telling me what Kelly from HR is up to when her husband is out of town.

Thanks for the asks, these were fun!

[hybbart]

Okay, but as a crazy horse person who has spent WAY too many years drawing horses, they are actually pretty good. Like I can see the arabian/draft horse vibes. In short, I adore them and am happy you added horses. Maybe we can get a proper introduction of all their names? Unless you've already done that and I haven't seen lol

Thank you! I'm... I'm trying... Ok I'mma willingly embarrass myself and post the horrendous first draft just-trying-to-get-their-coat-and-vague-shape-down rough sketches of the horses below the cut and a little info about each. But all four are horses that at least one of the ranchers have owned.

First of all I simplified Adequate and Oreo's designs for the sake of drawing them easily, and gave Arrow and arrow-ish white face marking and hoof cause they seemed a bit plain compared to the others and was too much like Revy with the all dark colour.

All four are from Bdub's stables, and all of them are over 4 years old- well trained and beginner-safe personalities, since Tango's never even seen a horse in person before and Jimmy only has a bit of riding experience. Oreo and Bullseye are intended to be given to the hospital.

Adequate is, well, a very adequate horse. They're strong, sturdy, and pretty fast. Nothing spectacular but good enough for anything. They're very relaxed and the oldest of the horses, takes things easy and isn't easy to spook- though that's nearly gotten them bitten by stray zombies a few times. The moon could crash into the earth and they'd still be grazing. They got paired with complete newbie Tango during lessons cause of that. They'll eat anything put in front of him.

Oreo is the second oldest but much younger. They're a typical draft horse given with the intent to be used as one. They're used to lots of people and good with kids, but don't get along well with other animals, particularly dogs. Their favourite snack is sugar cubes and other sweet things.

Arrow is a small and fast horse, good for riding, and the youngest. they're very much fight over flight when startled and has kicked the life out of more than a few zombies. By far the most rowdy of the horses given to the ranchers, but still more than manageable. They like to play with Revy, which is always a bit startling to the inexperienced ranchers, but they haven't hurt each other yet. They like pumpkins the most, or maybe they just like tossing the bits around.

Bullseye is the most skittish of the horses. They're always going, having a lot of nervous energy. They also love to be given attention, being talked to, and being groomed. They go to the hospital, where it's a bit quieter and Scar can keep them company. Their favourite snack is yellow carrots and bananas, they just seem to like the colour more than anything.

[just-late-roman-republic-things]

Hi!! I’ve been planning to start a (biographical) comic on Agrippa for some time (to be honest, it’ll probably be a few years before it’s released…there’s still so much research and design to do…and I have not moved my pen an inch yet…but the idea is Somewhat There!)!

As one of the blogs I’ve seen on Tumblr who speaks about him quite a lot (I actually found you while looking for Agrippa content on here several months ago…!), is there anything in particular you think would be interesting to explore (/anything you’d personally like to see) in such a comic?

At this point, my ideas aren’t fully solid yet, so I’m just asking around and brainstorming ideas, and you’re one of the first people who come to mind! (I do intend to place a lot of focus on his building projects, as well as his inventiveness and versatility, since I find that it’s an aspect of him that’s underappreciated in most media portrayals)

Thanks!! And sorry if this was a strange question :”

Not at all, it's very kind of you to think of me! I love the idea!

You've gotten both the writer-side and history-nerd-side of my brain going. I will respond as a writer first. And this post got long, even for me!

Find the things about Agrippa - or any other topic - that grab your attention. What scenes keep appearing in your head? What emotions come up, what thoughts keep you awake at night? Find the core of your inspiration, the thing you need to put into art, because you may need to summon that spark again and again. It will give you the stamina to complete what might be a very long project. It will also give you the strength to stay true to your vision, and tell the difference between helpful and unhelpful advice.

If you aren't sure what that is yet, that's okay. You'll figure a lot of it out as you go along. Make drafts or sketches or outlines early, whatever gets material onto the page, you can always change it later if needed. Take risks. Make mistakes. You get as many chances as you like.

Okay, now for the history nerd brainstorming, haha. The part you actually asked about. These are the thoughts that keep popping into my head when I think about Marcus Agrippa's life. You are welcome to use any, all, or none of them.

I'm a big fan of character-driven stories, which focus on emotions, internal conflict and relationships, whereas plot-driven stories focus on physical conflicts and adventures. Some stories are both character-driven and plot-driven. It may be useful to consider which aspects you want to focus on.

War. Agrippa was probably the most skilled general and admiral of his generation. On the one hand, that skill may be admired; on the other hand, he played a role in the deaths of thousands of people. How much do we fault or forgive him for that, given the circumstances of his time? Depending on the narrator's perspective, and your goals with the comic, Agrippa might appear heroic, villainous, or anywhere in between.

Proscriptions, imperialism and autocracy. Similar to the previous point. Agrippa's one of my favorite historical figures, but he was involved in some very dark stuff. He profited off the second triumvirate's proscriptions, he shut down independence movements from indigenous people in Gaul, Spain and Illyria, he supported King Herod of Judea, and Agrippa's competence helped entrench the Augustan regime and bring an end to the old republic. I don't say this to discourage you, but because I like morally murky characters, and perhaps you would, too.

Public service. On the other hand, there's no doubt that Agrippa did a ton of things to improve ordinary people's quality of life, and rebuild Rome and its provinces. His famous building projects provided jobs, infrastructure, and art to the community at his own expense, and he funded these projects for both Romans and non-Romans. The extent goes way beyond what was necessary to secure the Augustan regime's power, so I believe it's something Agrippa valued for its own sake.

Personality. Agrippa appears to have been very good at keeping his own counsel, getting along with people and avoiding personal drama. (He somehow remained on good terms with Mark Antony enough to let Antony arrange his first marriage!) That's part of what I like about him, but it can also make it hard to gauge what his own opinions were. And it makes him easy to project ourselves onto. This can be a good thing - it's partly why I find the Isekai Agrippa AU so funny - but it can also make it harder for us to identify a story's weaknesses, or accept critical feedback. All of us are biased in some way, so it's good to be aware of your biases so you can compensate for them.

Disability. Agrippa appears to have had some kind of "childhood lameness," according to Pliny the Elder, and it's not clear whether he grew out of it. He suffered issues with his feet later in life, too. I've always wondered how that must have affected him in the very ableist, toxic-masculine culture of ancient Rome, and it's an interesting parallel to Augustus' chronic illnesses, too.

Classism. There's some funky shit going on here, too. Agrippa was a "new man," and although he held Roman citizenship, his family were from the Italian countryside, and probably only gained citizenship recently. Despite being the #2 man in the empire, the old aristocracy looked down on him, and this tension was the primary obstacle to Augustus appointing him as a potential successor.

Family. We know little of Agrippa's family life, but the hints we get are fascinating. Pliny says he had a "miserable youth"; Augustus saved Agrippa's older brother from execution during Caesar's civil war; the brother pops up much later in a court case with Agrippa not taking his side; Agrippa refused to use his family name as an adult; and we hear nothing of his mother at all. (She may even have died in childbirth, since his was a dangerous breech birth and he was the youngest sibling.) He was also very closely associated with Augustus' family, to the point of being buried with them, moving in with Augustus, and appearing among their portraits on the Ara Pacis. Which brings us to...

Augustus. Indisputably the most important person in Agrippa's life. They were definitely close friends, possibly more? I'm working on a whole Google doc about that, and will post it here eventually.

There's a lot of fun anecdotes in Agrippa's life in the ancient sources. If possible, grab some ebooks of Cassius Dio's Roman History, Pliny's Natural History, Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews and Jewish War, and Appian's Civil War, then do a search for "Agrippa" and go wild. Lindsay Powell's Marcus Agrippa is also a good, if dry, collection of everything we know about Agrippa in one place, and it has plenty of detail about his building projects. You're also welcome to poke through my #marcus agrippa tag for ideas.

[olgiisworld]

My Best Friend // Choi Beomgyu

summary; you're in love with your best friend, Choi Beomgyu, but you can't confess. You spend a nice evening with him skating, and as always, he makes your heart flutter.

Y/n x Beomgyu of Txt, genre: fluff, pure fluff

Word Count; 882.

Warnings; none

note; I hope you enjoy it :). This is an old draft. It's my first time posting on Tumblr, and English is not my first language, so I'm sorry if you spot any mistakes <3

..... .... .... .... .... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....

And the weather was soft, just like him.

His features were like a paint of a brush.. soft yet strongly noticeable. The details of his eyes captured my attention like a trap...

Wish I could take that smile off of my head but I've been thinking about it so much that my stomach automatically spins.

Sitting across the skating court, skateboarders flying around me while I lock my eyes with the sunset, drawing so very delicately the beautiful layers of the shades of it, feeling free of the things I have to do.

My best friend's skating right in front of me, dancing across the detailed scenery behind him. It made everything better. Prettier.

He was pretty.

I sneaked a glance every now and then, assured that he wouldn't see me staring at him, when he focused on his every action just to end up falling down.

But he always tried and it made me smile. I unintentionally smiled while staring, readjusting my position when his hand landed next to mine, his heavy breaths catching my attention.

"Can you give me a hair tie of yours?"

His skin is so light blended with the colors of the sunset, catching my stare 'til it moves to his eyes.

"You should buy your own, you've literally taken every hair tie I own."

He grabs my wrist and fights off my playful punches, managing to take one of my hair ties and tie his long hair into a low ponytail, taking some of it off his neck, feeling the sweet breeze brushing through his skin, smiling lightly at the sensation.

I felt myself blushing while staring at him, and I turned my attention back at my sketching.

"What's you making?"

I grabbed a few colors and proceeded to finish the small drawing before the sun sets completely. I felt his head leaning up on my shoulder, his touch sending shivers down my spine. I turned to look at him, realizing we're too close to each other, nonetheless, he did not flinch a bit.

I stayed looking into his eyes, and he did the exact same thing, unfazed. After a few seconds, he broke a smile and moved back a bit before he laughed it off, grabbing the bottle of his water, opening it while looking in front of him, all those skater girls.

My eyes fell ill in my drawing.

Does he find them beautiful? Am I boring?

Why am I not skating? Why am I sitting here, drawing this stupid picture?

He noticed the sadness in my posture, my back lowering a bit, and he immediately grabbed his camera, capturing the moment in front of him, the beautiful blend of the sunset's shades.

He loves taking pictures. He loves it so much that it's honestly the first thing I think when he comes to my mind. He's always walking around with that camera. It holds so many precious memories of him.

When I looked at him, he wrapped his arm around my neck, pulling me so close, our cheeks touching, when he turned the camera our way.

"What are you doing?!"

"Say cheese!"

The face he made, made me laugh and then, click, a new memory has been saved.

He turned to look at the picture, searching it through the box of his memories, so passionately that it made me smile.

He had so many photos of me, smiling, dancing, eating, crying, laughing. I always hated people taking pictures of me, but I never minded when he did it, 'cause in that case I found it heartwarming that I was in his memories.

He turned to show me the picture and it was so beautiful, I wanted to have it myself, something to stare at every night. Instead, I kept silent and let him have the memory we shared.

He turned it back to himself.

"You look so pretty. Have you noticed that when you smile, your eyes disappear?"

I felt my heart skipping a beat.

"What?"

"Yeah, it's like, you're so happy but you can't see. Look, here."

He moved closer to me, his one hand leaning back to support his body, landing upon mine and his other hand holding the camera full of my pictures, smiling.

I felt myself blushing so hard that he must have noticed.

I brought my hand up to fix my hair, feeling the awkwardness of my blushing spreading through the air.

Him, on the other hand, seemed clueless.

"Do you want to grab a bite?"

I felt the redness fade away when I heard his voice, so I turned back to look at him.

"Sure, I'm starving."

I stood up, grabbing my stuff and wearing my backpack, ready to leave while he was grabbing the skateboard and the camera, holding one of them under his arm and the other around his neck.

"Where are we going?" I asked, kinda confused.

"You'll see, I got something like a 'small date' planned out"

I felt the walls of my heart shattering down when he said 'small date' and I stopped to look at him.

"A what?"

"Be patient love."

He then grabbed my hand, held it tight, and led me to a small adventure, a small date.

That's when I thought..

I have the biggest crush on this man.