#this is purely gonna be stress free chibis

[everwisp]

and it begins 🙂✌🏼✨

[wolfstarlibrarian]

Welcome to the fifth installment of Beyond The Shelves!

This month’s creator spotlight is on the truly unique and amazing @mlim8. Mel has brought new life into fandom with her stunning art and comics that can make you laugh and cry. She's also the artist behind the Padfoot you can pet on the Librarian's home page (desktop) and the Moony gif on the Help Desk page. Now let's get to know this incredible artist!

Name: Mel is fine :D (she/her)

Where can people find your art?/Support you?

I'm only on Tumblr! @mlim8 (I tried getting a Twitter but I got confused so it's an account in limbo~). My Wolfstar/HP Masterlist is here (links only work on mobile)

What's your favorite thing about Remus & Sirius?

I'm a biggggg sucker for the 'childhood friends' trope. As well as pairings that scream mutual pining, but on the other hand, can be pure fluff. I like pairings where the couple can play off each other, can support each other, who might not always see eye-to-eye but have also been with the other for so long now, they know what they’re doing to make sure they still work, because in the end, they LOVE EACH OTHER. Somehow, Remus and Sirius can tick off all these different boxes and I love them for it uwu And then, there’s also just so much mystery about them in the books and therefore, so much freedom to interpret them, given how little we actually have to go on - it’s so cool to see them in an assortment of AUs, tropes, canon, non-canon fics and see them fall in love over and over and over again… So ultimately? I guess my favourite thing is that it’s so damn obvious how in love they are with one another that the Wolfstar fandom is as big as it is :)

What do you think your signature style is?

I think I’m known for fanfic comics, cute fluff, and my chibi style. You will also see a blush on my characters’ cheeks like 98.9% of the time. I can’t help it… it belongs there lol

What inspires you?

Fanfics, usually. I actually came back to drawing on tumblr because of some beautiful fanfics that I couldn’t get out of my head and needed to draw them. Afterward, it would be songs, videos, memes, conversations with friends, posts from friends, etc - it’s not difficult to take something and go “Do it again, but as Wolfstar.”

What advice would you give new artists?

I guess some obvious ones would be to practice, practice, practice. Use references and 3D models, they help so damn much. Video tutorials and other art tutorials are there to help you make things easier, there really is an endless pit of things to learn and techniques to master. Some other things that people might forget: drink water, do stretches for your wrists and neck, get up once in a while to get blood flow in your legs. But most importantly, even if you want to practice a lot, don’t forget to TAKE. BREAKS. Your body and mind will thank you.

You also don’t need anything super fancy to draw: traditional art is just as valid as any digital art (more so because you don’t have a CTRL+Z function and it drives me insane, so power to you!!). Cheaper $50 art tablets can do what you need them to, as long as you know how to use it. With art programs, there are tons of free ones that you can get your feet wet before committing to any expensive programs (I’ve used Paint Tool SAI for years in the past and I know artists that use FireAlpaca and GIMP with amazing results as well :D)

Lastly, and this is gonna be a hard one: Don’t compare yourself (or your progress) to other artists. People take years (decades??) to make art that they love and develop a style/technique that they’re proud of and it’s not worth the stress. You’re only in a competition with yourself and that’s challenging enough already!

What do you use to create your art?

I use a Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch - it was a birthday gift from waaaay back that I’ve had for a decade now :’)

For art programs, I’ve been using Clip Studio Paint for about 8 months now and I use Photoshop for stitching larger GIFs together uwu

What's a favorite piece you made and why?

Oh my God, how to decide… there’s been a ton that I’ve been proud of but my favourite (spelling with a u because I’m Canadian, eh) would be the recent Candy Heart Post I did a couple weeks back now. Just a lot of love and effort went into it, not just the art itself but trimming the song, all the editing and timing of each frame. I wanted so hard to tell a story and I think it came out the way I wanted it to :)

Pick one of your own pieces/AUs and give readers a little note about it. What inspired it? Why is it a favorite?

Okay, so this is probably an obvious one for those that have been on my blog for the last few months - but I have an AU called ‘Rembus and Hunter AU’ that is about an incubus demon, Remus, and a Demon Hunter, Sirius. The demon, affectionately called Rembus, is surprisingly sweet and adorable. In short: HE IS BABY. And when Hunter comes to the Village of Gryffindor to get rid of him, he learns that there’s more to demons than he’s known through the church and his family.

It’s just a really stupidly cute AU, despite the premise, and I’m so excited to share their story with everyone (one day, haha I’m a slow artist -)! Here’s Part 0 (the info card), if anyone is interested :)

It was created when I came upon an outfit ( similar to what Rembus wears) and thought “Okay, but Incubus!Remus.” - and that’s it. That’s usually how my AUs come about. The smallest inspiration and I spiral out of control with a backstory. This AU was fleshed out a lot with the help of Whippy, who was great to bounce all these ridiculous ideas off of lol

Make sure to check back later today for a list of works and recs from Mel herself!

[dindjarindiaries]

Mandoctober - October 21: Flamethrower

summary: When the baby’s feeling a little down, Din decides to treat him to one of his favorite childhood delicacies, made using one of his most reliable weapons.

pairing: din djarin (the mandalorian) & the child

warnings: food (let’s pretend s’mores exist in sw), pure dad!din

rating: G

word count: 1.275k

mandoctober masterlist

october 21: flamethrower

Life on the run’s been harder than usual lately—and the baby’s starting to feel it.

Din knows something is wrong today when he’s not awakened by the little green hands grabbing at his face. He gets up quickly, not even bothering to put on any armor as he descends his way to the hull. There, the baby’s still resting in his pram, his ears drooped down to the side as his brown eyes look at Din glumly.

“Me'bana, ad’ika?” Din asks gently, kneeling in front of the pram and running his hand along the baby’s tiny head. What’s happened, little one?

The baby just whimpers, leaning into Din’s hand and looking at him with some kind of a want—as if he’s begging for his father to take away all the pain and stress of having to run from the Empire day-in and day-out.

Din sighs heavily, his heart fracturing within his chest as he gently lifts the baby from his pram. “I know, ad’ika,” he murmurs, his tone apologetic as he tucks the baby into the crook of his elbow. He nestles his cheek into Din’s bare shoulder, never looking away from Din’s gaze as he seeks his sympathy. “I know it’s been hard, and very scary. I’m sorry.”

The baby coos as if to say it’s not his fault, simply snuggling himself further into his father’s warm figure as his ears brush low against Din’s hand. Din pouts with his son, continuously running his free hand over one of the baby’s ears as he tries to think of what he could possibly do to raise his spirits. He thinks back to when he was a child and how his parents would cheer him up. They’d take him out to study the stars, let him go for a stroll with them in the local marketplace, make him his favorite snack—.

That’s it. Din smiles to himself a bit, looking at the baby with brighter eyes. “You know what, ad’ika? We’re gonna go on a little adventure today. What do you think?”

The baby’s own eyes start to glow a little bit brighter at that, causing Din to chuckle as he carries him back up to Din’s compartment. There, he puts on all his armor, making quick work of it before he whisks the baby away again. They head to the hull as Din easily tosses his rifle over his shoulder, leading the way off the Crest to head into the small town that’s just a mile away from where the ship is parked. The baby’s still more mellow than usual in Din’s arm, his ears staying low as they make their way closer to town.

At the marketplace, the baby instinctively grows a little more alert, his ears rising just a bit as he looks around with awe. Din goes right for the necessary food stands, getting the supplies he needs to make this remedy. He’s pleased to find all three essential ingredients in the marketplace, making sure he has an excess—not just for the baby but also for himself. Once he’s all set, Din makes his way back to the Crest, eager to make the baby happy again.

They get back to the ship and Din sits with the baby in the hull, letting him sit on the floor just beside him as he gets the ingredients set out: the sweet crackers, the marshmallows, and the rich chocolate. The baby looks upon the food with a curious tilt to his head, looking up at his father as if seeking an explanation.

“This, ad’ika, is the recipe for the best snack ever,” Din explains, removing only one glove—the one that’s not on the same arm as his flamethrower. “I call it ve’vut.” Gold. “It’s as worthy as ve’vut and this little white puff, right here? You wait until that’s golden brown—and then it’s perfect.”

The baby coos softly with interest, his ears already starting to perk up higher as he nestles himself into Din’s thigh. His little hands grab there as his eyes study the ingredients, watching as Din starts to assemble one of the ve’vuts. He splits a sweet cracker in two, placing a chunk of chocolate on one and a marshmallow on the other. Then, he looks over to the baby, using a firm tone as he speaks.

“Now, we melt it,” Din informs him, watching as the baby looks at him with wide eyes. “Be careful, ad’ika. Stay right here.”

The baby offers a quirk of his ears, and Din nods before he turns to look back to the marshmallow. Carefully, he toys with the ignitor on his flamethrower, making sure he’s being gentle as he lets it go. The flames lick out towards the marshmallow, instantly making the baby’s eyes widen as he releases a long coo. Din’s careful with his work, making sure he waits until the marshmallow’s golden brown to stop. Once he studies the perfect color of the marshmallow and watches the ve’vut come together, Din concludes that this is the best use of his flamethrower.

And the child seems to agree by the way he grabs towards the treat, looking at Din in a pleading manner as he makes grabby-hands for it. “Olar, ad’ika,” Din says softly, handing the finished snack over to his son. Here, little one. He holds it as the baby takes his first bite, hopeful that his son will enjoy it just as much as he does.

Almost instantly, the child’s ears perk up to the very top of his head, his coo loud and full of delight as he hungrily continues to devour the ve’vut. Din laughs, his heart finally piecing back together at the evident happiness within his son.

“Jatisyc, ner ad’ika?” Delicious, my little one? The baby’s eyes just widen even more as he finishes off the first ve’vut, little pieces of marshmallow and chocolate sticking to the sides of his mouth as he coos again. Din chuckles, using the thumb of his non-gloved hand to wipe away the stains for him. “More?”

The baby makes grabby-hands at the ingredients this time, causing Din to nod as he sets up another ve’vut. This time, the baby comes to the side of Din’s flamethrower, grabbing his arm further away from the actual source of flames as he looks to Din with his best pleading eyes.

Din sighs heavily. “Fine.” He smiles when the baby tightens his grip, pretending to help as Din ignites his flamethrower again to toast another marshmallow.

And so they go on. And on. And on. Until the baby’s consumed nearly ten ve’vuts and Din’s had three of his own. The baby collapses in a tired yet satisfied manner on Din’s lap, looking full and happy as he coos into the fabric of Din’s shirt.

“Naysol ve’vuts, hm, ad’ika?” Too many ve’vuts, hm, little one? Din brushes his hand over the little one’s head, watching as his big eyes begin to flutter closed. “You need a post-sweets nap.”

The baby snuggles further into Din upon hearing that, looking much more like himself now thanks to Din’s treat. It causes Din to smile, looking at the ingredients in front of him and then the flamethrower that helped to put them all together.

Perhaps his way of life is more baby-friendly than he thought.

permanent tag list: @mikahid @bestintheparsec @stilllivindue2spite @givemethatgold @xbrujita @mandalorianspace @blushingwueen @sevvysaurus @myakai13 @thisis-theway @beskars @rachelloveseveryone @theindiealto @hiscyarika @wickedfrsgrl @synystersilenceinblacknwhite @bookwafflefangirl @charliepeaceout @cable-kenobi @ezraslittleblondestreak @hdlynn @your-pixels-are-showing @b0n-chann @javier-djarin @nettyklecan @mistermiraclee @ahopelessromanticwritersworld @smellssharpies @catfishingmorales @wille-zarr @kaetastic @saltywintersoldat @agentpike @mrsparknuts @readsalot73 @yespolkadotkitty @mandhoelorian @lilangeldevil006 @roxypeanut @hail-doodles @randomness501 @this-cat-is-dea @hopplessdreamer @paintballkid711 @dracos-jedi-marvel @whataenginerd @katlikeme @petertingless @propertyofdindjarin @theocatkov @bisexual-space-slut @cyaredindjarin @arkofblake @cryptkeepersoul @motleymoose @mrschiltoncat @f0rever15elf @lady-of-nightmares-and-heartache @rogueonestan @goldafterglow @thedevilwearsbeskar @badassbaker @pancakepike @create-a-constellation @mymindisawhirpool @antmnwasp @capbrie @freak-of-nature2002 @arabellathorne @mandilflorian @phoenixhalliwell @beiroviski @darthadeline @cheriedjarin @edencherries @mstgsmy @seasonschange-butpeopledont @aliciaxglasgow @poesflygirl @weirdowithnobeardo @dee-rosemary @ceebeetheartdork @kiwi-the-first @mitchi-c​

mandalorian tag list: @lola-wolf​ @hoodedbirdie​ @chibi-liz05​ @nerd-without-a-cause​ @hdlynn​ @thepjofanqueen​ @bwemph​ @starwarsslytherin​ @iellarenuodolorian​ @littlevodika​ @jjemcarstairs​ @promiscuoussatan​ @fahrenheit-not​ @vernon-dursley​

[maladaptive-ninja-returns]

Without Question (Epilogue)

Steve Rogers x fem!Reader

Content: fluffy conclusion and maybe...mayyyyybe a future fic idea

Warnings: …none? Um...except for that one lady in there.

Word Count: Hot water does not quench my thirst no matter how good it might be for my body...which in itself is such a disaster of a thing.

MASTERLIST & Taglist in bio, my love

The life of a parasite is not that complex of an affair. It is born to live inside a host, gather its nutrients from the said host- more than often at the host's expense- live till it can breed more or find a better host. Its entire life is based on the expense of another creature; its survival in the flesh of someone who can contain it. Therefore, it is no wonder she does not like it when someone calls her a parasite. For she is not one. Her kind lives in codependency, finding a host it is compatible with and helping it flourish in return for nourishment.

Her species was known to have always gone for the living, looking for hosts they could control, be the dominant party of the two sitting in the conference room inside the mind of the body they inhabited, the foreboding controllers that they were. However, inhabiting a dead host- or someone near to it- was never talked about for carcasses were beneath them and their Titan-like ego.

But she isn't like them. She wants to be different. To finally have the freedom she has craved for her entire existence; she wants to live it. And so, she has decided to throw all the laws of the dead empire outside the window and try her theory of inhabiting a body nearly at its deathbed.

The woman- strolled into the emergency room with fatal blows to her body in some accident- is covered in blood and bruises when the doctors try to rush into the process of saving her, measuring her heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rate. It is pure chaos for her to watch it all from the ceiling. Humans. Such soft creatures. She can sense that woman's vitals weakening with every passing moment, something the machines tell the medical professionals by a few seconds' delay. No amount of effort is going to repair that internal bleeding and shock accelerating that human's chances of death slithering right by the corner. And just at that second, she knows that flesh is no longer the resident to the soul it has been harbouring since the beginning of its time, she jumps discreetly into the body when the doctors are focusing at the screen that shows the patient is flatlining. One shock to through the defibrillator is enough for her to let the chemicals be catalysed to become one with neurons; her presence gradually gelling with the body to become one with it. And before any other human in the room can debate on it being a medical miracle, a sign of higher power or simply the inadequacy of the machines, she opens her eyes in her new form, seeing the world through an independent pair of windows for the first time.

Free.

.

"You know, when we both silently agreed on staying together, I wasn't really expecting you to spoil my life like this."

Steve's chuckle reverberates through the kitchen and dining hall. His honey-laced laugh reaches you in the living room to make you smile as you gather the whiteboard, a few markers, the portable speaker, and a couple of other knick-knacks for the small gathering you are about to have.

"If making breakfast every day is spoiling you then I am not even halfway to showing you how much more I can spoil your life, doll," he announces over the sound of something sizzling over the stove.

You bite your lips to stop the overflow of these gushing emotions all inside you. "Oh, let's not forget giving Stace the freedom to do whatever she wants, okay?" You state, getting up and moving towards the hall, "And you making that entire front yard-"

"That's our back yard."

Our back yard.

...Fuck. Why is he like this?

"Making our entire back yard into this freaking perfect garden with all those fancy fairy lights and a freaking gazebo!"

"You liked it," he stresses. You peak in from the entrance of the kitchen, watching him carefully place the omelettes in two plates along with the toasts- yours extra crispy with thinly spread butter on them- before pouring orange juice in two glasses.

"That doesn't matter," you retort, watching him being caught off guard, your heart instantly melting when his eyes light up on seeing you stand there. "I'm not gonna maintain that luxurious green patch when the time comes."

He stands facing you, his hands on his hips and oh heavens! that customised blue apron with chibi Captain America blessing its front gives you all the right feels in your stomach. "No problem," he affirms, picking the plates and moving them to the tiny breakfast table by the French window before coming back for the juice, "I'll take care of it. I'm pretty sure all of these are positive spoil-"

"Oh I'm not done yet," you interject, sauntering towards a slightly confused and faintly excited Steve, "you have me utterly spoiled-" you move your hands around his waist, earning an arched brow from him- "with all-" your hands go beyond his back, moving lower till they land over his butt cheeks- "of that-" and give them a tight squeeze, forcing a delightful hum out of Steve as you push him closer to you- "sex!"

"Hmm," Steve growls, planting his one hand on your waist under your t-shirt, while the other goes up to tease your lower lip with his thumb. "If you don't like being spoiled," he whispers, bringing his lips closer to you but never close enough for you to get a taste of him, "we can always stop."

"Or," you begin to propose through a moan by letting your hands run along the hem of his track pants, creating a wave of disturbance wherever your fingers touch him before stopping at the trail of hair going down, "we could make it a healthy habit so it doesn't seem like I'm being spoiled." 

Your fingers run down that soft golden trail, stirring something inside the Captain, his light eyes feeling a dark edge of mischief being added to them. His finger traces a path down from your lips to your neck, going further down your chest. "Everyone'll arrive in an hour," Steve sighs, giving a light shrug.

"Oh," you turn to look at the clock and realise he's not wrong, letting go of the waistband of his track pants, "then we should-"

Your sentence ends up a light shriek from Steve lifting you by your ass, making your reflexes wrap your legs around him. "That means," he grunts, balancing you effortlessly in those buff arms while his lust-filled eyes have yours locked in place, his voice a shade huskier as he starts moving to the bedroom, "I have a lot of time to make you question all that I do for you. And to you. And more."

Oooh yes!

.

"How do I use this thing?"

Wasn't working with a human vessel not enough? Did they really have to invent these cheap electronic devices?

She looks down at the device that seems to keep buzzing with different messages for some reason as she tries to find her way through the street.

Getting out of the hospital had been easy (and so was getting a fresh set of clothes). Give the docs and nurses another pile of flesh and bones to worry about and they run like scared animals to help their flock. Now, she is out exploring, trying to work with this new suit, find out the perks and non-perks, questioning her idea of travelling solo when having another conscience to talk to and gnaw at would have been easier. Now it's just her with her voice speaking from some uncharted void walking down into a farmer's market, already having discovered how much of gross unwanted attention this sex of the human species is given on the street.

There is a huge variety of delectables lines up that the humans seemingly prefer. Different shapes, colours and sizes. Some smell sweet, some sour, and some smell like they would sting your tongue before leaving a sweetness behind. Strange edibles. She watches another human- a man as far as the scent of the hormones off him goes- politely asking for some fresh oranges while telling the man behind the counter the ones he is trying to pack do not smell fresh. The sweet nectar of curiosity seems to send a reaction to her brain, making her step towards the box of citrus fruits displayed for the customers. Quickly picking half a dozen from down the different boxes, she brings them forward to the man who is nearly losing his patience. "These are fresh."

The man turns to see her. And she gets a good look at him for the first time. Hypnotising blue eyes look at her in a flurry of confusion and gratuitous delight, the beard hiding pink lips and flushed cheeks.

After a short considerable second, he takes the oranges from her. "Thank you," he mentions without blinking, taking a little time to turn back to make the payment. And in that turn is a microscopic moment, he watches, from the corner of his eye, a stranger try to touch her ass for barely a second.

She, of course, feels it too well. The man turns to get hold of that pervert and kick some respect into him only to find her punching the daylights out of him.

And he just stands there, full body in pause, mind in awe of the woman who has knocked that excuse of a man out in one blow, looking at her once again- this time from his heart. She looks back at him too; though with visible shades of uncertainty before looking down at the guy.

"Was I not supposed to do that?" She asks the man who by now has his mouth agape, still looking at her.

He blinks. "Huh?" Looks down at the man and raises his brows and chuckles. "What? No. I mean yes. You are absolutely supposed to do that."

"Oh-" she nods, and he watches her beam and be proud of herself, "okay."

"Um," he tries to catch her attention.  "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

She looks down at the hand she used, feeling nothing more than minute tickles. "Yeah, I think I'm good." She turns her gaze back to him with a smile.

He melts inside.

"Do you know where is this place?" She asks him, taking out a card she found in her- the dead woman's- pocket.

"This," he hums, reading the card, "was a few blocks down the road the last I saw it."

"Oh," she scrunches her nose and feels a tired groan come out of her, "how far?"

"I can drop you there if you want," he blurts out, "I'm going that way myself."

She looks at him again. Watching him run his hands through his long lush hair, wondering if she'd seen him somewhere before shaking that thought off, knowing full well that she would remember a pretty face like this. "Yes, I'd like that."

"Great," he chirps. "Oh, I'm James," he addresses, drawing forward his hand, "my friends call me Bucky."

"Bucky," she tastes the name on her tongue and feels all the black mush inside her do a little dance for some unknown reason.

"And you are?"

She licks her lips and feels them stretch involuntary, drawing her own hand forward to meet his, saying her name to bring herself- her true self- into existence, letting the air carry her name for whatever future it is to bring for her.

[beedalee]

hi! so this is kind of a big question, but do you have any advice on starting commissions? im already in the process of uh. i guess drawing more finished stuff, since i leave a lot as just sketches, just to try to get more examples out there and stuff. idk i'm kinda just intimidated by the whole process, and dont really know how to get myself out there for people to commission me in the first place... (it's ok if this question is too vague to really answer)

oooh! you’re not kidding, that is a big question! But I promise it’s not intimidating as you think!

When I first started, I was 14 years old on gaiaonline, doing chibi art for pixel money! I’d offer little messy sketches, or color them with my colored pencils during class like a bad bee, since I had no concept of ‘art programs’ yet. Basically, it’s 1000% okay to start small.

I do think showing some finished work is great- you want people to see what you can offer, but what you offer is PURELY up to you. You don’t have to do full fleshed out big ol’ illustrations right out the door if you’re not ready. If you typically only do sketches, why not try offering just sketches first? I did that when I first started picking up commissions again, and it was much less stressful and perfect for my situation! There are ways to pretty them up (if you wanna know about it, let me know), but there’s no shame in starting simple. 

Another thing that will help is offering a set # of slots- basically, you’ll take say 3 orders at a time, and open slots again when those are finished. You can open them as you finish them, or open them all at once when they’re all done, depending on your speed and comfort. 

When you want to price it, look critically at how fast you can pop out the sketch. Do some test runs with friend’s OCs and see how it feels with an oc that isn’ your own. Decide if you’d rather offer fullbody drawings, chibis, headshots, etc. It’s okay to start with low prices if you’re just starting out, but don’t be afraid to raise them over time. Something between 5-15$ is a great range and pretty typical for convention commissions, depending on the style you wanna use. 

The necessary evil of taking commissions online is you’re gonna need a way to accept money from people- I know there’s a lot of grievances about paypal, but it is what I use, so if you want a crash course on that let me know and I’ll see what I can put together. If you already are familiar with it or another money transfer service of choice (such as DA points, Ko-Fi, etc) great!!

You won’t get a lot of orders at first, naturally- this is good, because you wanna build up a routine for it and starting small makes the learning curve much easier. Remember to plug yourself periodically, reblog, keep your prices/info updated, make it easy for people to find your prices and contact you on your website of choice! I personally find Tumblr to be a bit slower in getting reception, so don’t feel discouraged if that’s your only outlet- just keep your links out somewhere they’re easy to see.

And, i’d be happy to signal boost you when you’re ready. If you have any other questions about anything specific here please feel free to hmu. Good luck!